MFAWW 04

Chapter 04

“Oh.”

I was a little surprised at the self-proclaimed father’s words. It was quite unexpected that he opposed them not because of differences in status or conservative ideals, but because he wanted Wendy to become a general. Still, thinking of my mother’s skills, it made sense.

For a long time in the empire, only men could inherit titles. Though the world had changed and women could now inherit, discrimination still existed subtly.

It was acceptable for an unmarried woman to hold a title. However, if a married woman held a title, there were restrictions on her social activities.

Unless a married woman became the head of her household or took in a matrilocal husband, she couldn’t fully exercise her talents even with a title. My mother would have been the same. People would have seen her not as Viscount Subrina, but as Marchioness Bright.

“Wendy, who was free-spirited by nature, couldn’t adapt to the closed-off noble society. Social life was torture for her. Then you and Archel were born, and Wendy suffered from severe postpartum depression.”

“Postpartum depression……?”

“Yes.”

Postpartum depression—that was unexpected. The mother I knew was someone far removed from depression.

“Then one day, Wendy left a divorce paper behind and disappeared with you. I found her after extensive searching. At the time, you were in the Subrina territory, and Wendy was wandering as a mercenary as before.”

“I see…….”

That was entirely like my mother. She wasn’t a bad person, but as a mother, she was below average. As the self-proclaimed father said, she was someone who couldn’t settle in one place.

*’Young Miss, please understand the mistress. They say she has gypsy blood flowing in her veins.’*

*’What’s gypsy blood?’*

*’Gypsies have a nature that makes them wander through nature their entire lives, befriending spirits. The mistress was born with that strong gypsy blood.’*

The butler often asked me to understand my mother’s wandering nature. But I couldn’t understand her.

What did gypsy blood have to do with anything? Whatever the reason, the fact remained that my mother hadn’t fulfilled her responsibilities as a parent. Bloodlines could never be an excuse.

Yes, she was never a good mother to me. It wasn’t my mother who raised me—it was the nanny and the butler.

*’I’ll be going.’*

My mother would return to the territory every few months and then suddenly leave again. She came and went so mysteriously that we couldn’t even track her whereabouts unless she contacted us first. Even now, she probably had no idea I’d come to the capital.

“I tried everything to convince Wendy, but she was stubborn. When I said I’d take you back with me, she brought out the marriage contract.”

“Ah.”

“In the end, I had to turn back and leave you with Wendy. But I didn’t give up. I visited the Subrina territory many times, and I went to find Wendy as she wandered the empire as a mercenary. But I couldn’t change Wendy’s mind.”

“I see…….”

“I’m ashamed to admit it, but for years after you and Wendy left, I wasn’t in my right mind. I lived almost like a recluse.”

The self-proclaimed father gave a bitter smile.

“Father—your grandfather, the Duke of Bright—was furious seeing me like that. He was angry at both Wendy and me. He submitted the divorce papers to His Majesty on my behalf, and asked for a prohibition order to prevent Wendy from ever entering the capital. And that’s how we divorced.”

The more I heard, the heavier my chest felt. The self-proclaimed father didn’t seem to be lying. The timing and details all matched up.

“……Did my mother take me because of the marriage contract you just mentioned?”

“Yes. Since we were both only children, we drew up a contract stating that the first child would inherit the Bright family, and the second would inherit the Subrina family.”

“I see.”

Since noble marriages were unions between families, it was common to draw up contracts. A noble’s will and marriage contract were matters that even the Emperor couldn’t interfere with. If my mother had designated me as her heir and asserted her rights, the Bright family would have had no choice.

I looked at the self-proclaimed father with a troubled face. I wanted to deny it, but given all the circumstances, he seemed to truly be my father.

Then where was the real Bright Young Lady? Judging by the old geezer’s words earlier and the situation, it seemed she’d caused some trouble and run away.

“So…….”

Just as I was about to ask about the Bright Young Lady, the butler entered the reception room with an apologetic expression.

“Master, someone has arrived from the palace.”

“Oh dear.”

The self-proclaimed father looked at me with an apologetic face.

“I’m sorry. I heard you’d been caught by the guard and dropped everything to rush here. They’ve probably come because of that.”

“Don’t worry about me. Go take care of your business.”

As I stood up to follow him, the self-proclaimed father hesitated and spoke.

“Hmm, my dear. Um, if you have nowhere to stay—that is, if you’re willing—you could stay at our house…….”

“Yes, I will.”

When I nodded readily, the self-proclaimed father’s face lit up. Well, I suppose I should just call him father now.

I still hadn’t gotten all my questions answered, and I had more things to ask, so staying here was fine. Besides, I didn’t have much money left, so if not here, I’d have to find a cheap inn.

“Then, may I rest for a bit? I have a headache and I’m tired.”

“Of course! Eden, show Iris to her room.”

The self-proclaimed father said with a beaming smile. He seemed genuinely happy with my decision.

“Iris Young Lady, please follow me.”

I followed the butler, pressing my throbbing temples. Fatigue had built up from traveling from the territory to the capital, and being mistaken for the Bright Young Lady all day had worn me out.

Perhaps that was why, as I lay on the fluffy bed trying to organize my thoughts, my mind grew foggy and sleep crept in.

In the end, I couldn’t resist the drowsiness and fell asleep.

“Did you sleep well?”

When I slept, I slept deeply. After a good rest for the first time in a while, I felt incredibly light. I was wriggling like a caterpillar in the feather-soft blankets when a girl with prominent freckles came in carrying a basin of water.

“My name is Sophie, and I’ll be attending to Iris Young Lady from today.”

Sophie didn’t call me the Bright Young Lady. While I was asleep, word must have spread among the servants that I was Iris.

“The butler instructed me to serve you without lacking anything during your stay. I’ll do my utmost.”

Sophie was very enthusiastic. She carefully washed and brushed my hair as I still wasn’t fully awake. After gathering my hair in one place and tying it with a blue satin ribbon, Sophie cautiously asked.

“Is there anything uncomfortable?”

“It’s fine. Thank you.”

At my words, Sophie’s eyes went round before she smiled softly. It wasn’t just flattery—Sophie was more skilled than the nanny in my territory.

“Iris Young Lady has such a different personality from Archel Young Lady! It’s really amazing!”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes. Now that I’m saying it, when I first saw your face, I was truly shocked.”

You didn’t look shocked at all. She must be good at hiding her expressions. She’ll be successful someday.

Having relaxed a little, Sophie spoke more comfortably than before.

“If the butler hadn’t told me you were Iris Young Lady, I would have thought you were Archel Young Lady.”

“Are Archel and I really that alike?”

Saying the name of the Bright Young Lady, who was supposedly my twin, felt awkward and my voice cracked. Fortunately, Sophie didn’t seem to notice.

“Yes! You look exactly alike! So much so that I’d believe it if you said Archel Young Lady was acting.”

Sophie, who had been nodding enthusiastically, suddenly looked worried and hesitantly asked.

“You’re really not Archel Young Lady, are you……?”

“I’m not.”

How similar could the Bright Young Lady and I possibly be? I’d have to ask to see a portrait sometime. At my firm answer, Sophie let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew, I’m sorry for asking something strange. The two of you look so much alike…….”

Come to think of it, yesterday the self-proclaimed father—no, I suppose I should call him Marquess Bright, my father—had asked if I was pretending to have amnesia again. Between Sophie’s reaction and that, something felt off.

“Has Archel ever pretended before?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. A few times. She’d pretend to have amnesia, or pretend to be Iris Young Lady…….”

“What?”

At the unexpected words, my voice rose.

“She imitated me? Archel knew of my existence?”

“Uhm…… yes.”

Sophie answered, rolling her eyes. I hadn’t even known I had a twin sister until yesterday, but the Bright Young Lady had known about me all along. Suddenly, I felt strange.

“Those who’ve worked at the Marquess’s household for a long time all know of Iris Young Lady’s existence. The Duke would often mention it when scolding Archel Young Lady, or the Marquess when he was drunk.”

Ah, Mother. Why on earth did you never tell me anything?

The more I heard Sophie’s words, the more absurd and frustrating it became. I couldn’t help but resent my mother.

“Hmm.”

Maybe because I’d slept well. Now that my mind was clear, things I hadn’t thought of yesterday because I was flustered were coming to me one by one.

No wonder it seemed familiar.

The Bright family was so famous I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten about them. In particular, the ill-tempered Duke of Bright who had caused a scene yesterday was a hero among heroes who, along with the Margrave of Exces, had ended the Thirty Years’ War. The war my mother had participated in as a mercenary was probably that same war.

Combining what I’d forgotten with the new information, questions I’d held since childhood naturally began to resolve themselves.