If I Can’t Be Your Wife - Chapter 110

‘What did I say yesterday?’

 

Alexis frowned slightly, not noticing the ink dripping from the quill in his hand. There were several charges of embezzlement that the shameless men were trying to accuse him of at the court meeting. He had been so busy looking at it and gathering data to refute it.

 

“Should I tell you next time?”

 

When there was no answer, the faithful old butler cautiously asked. Alexis set the quill down that was staining the corner of the paper black. Alsdorf had no reason to say useless things, so he needed to be heard.

 

“No. Report it now.”

 

“At the moment, 80% of the employees working in the Duke’s residence are adults.”

 

“So?”

 

“Fifty percent of them are married, and most of them have a spouse outside the duke’s.”

 

“What are you trying to say?”

 

“It means that unmarried servants are more likely to expose the secrets from the duke’s residence when they are looking for a marriage partner outside. Brady Thompson was also an insider, and that was how it ended.”

 

At the words of the old butler, Alexis re-traced his memories. He had long forgotten who Brady Thompson was. Then a sudden surge came when the east gate came to mind. He was the kind of person he hated the most, whether he was just st*pid or red with greed.

 

“Then let’s change the content of the rule.”

 

Alexis grabbed his quill again and looked down at the paperwork, as Alsdorf asked in a welcoming tone.

 

“Are we going to withdraw the ban on casual meetings between employees?”

 

“Whatever.”

 

His interest had already returned to the papers. The charges raised by Count Turan were absurd. That he had already received many territories in return for leading the war to victory, yet he was persecuting the lower nobles to take over their estates that were already mostly mountainous. It was a pain to refute.

 

After making notes on Count Turan’s documents, Alexis said, putting them aside.

 

“Instead, if an unmarried employee as of the present time reveals that they are dating or wants to get married, they will be fired from the duke’s residence.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Enforce it regardless of whether the other person is an insider or an outsider.”

 

“Y-Your Grace. Then when you said you were lifting the ban…….”

 

“Like you said, doesn’t the problem in leaking the duke’s information stem from the process of an unmarried employee looking for a spouse?”

 

“…….”

 

It was as if he had poured oil on a fire that he was trying to extinguish with water, Alsdorf thought.

 

None of the employees working in the duke’s residence want to be fired. In addition to giving them the highest salary in the Empire, in the case of a maidservant who later retires of old age, they will be moved to another noble family and given ample compensation so that they would not leak information.

 

“Alright.”

 

Alsdorf decided to stop here. In any case, the ban on dating someone of the opposite sex was not completely prohibited, so it was a far better measure. He thought that the servants would figure out the rest themselves.

 

It was the first time he had seen the owner, whom he had served for decades, behave so emotionally. He hadn’t given any specific instructions, but Alsdorf could be sure that the master had paid some attention to the maid.

 

‘Nothing good will come out in making haste.’

 

However, he could not confirm if his master’s interest in her was attraction. And even if she was liked, it could be bad news for the child.

 

“I’ll see myself out. Please rest.”

 

Even as he greeted him, Duke Walten was preoccupied looking through the documents. He didn’t even say anything about the kitchen maid at all.

 

Alsdorf quietly retreated and pondered. Perhaps it will take a little longer for a hostess to be born.

 

***

 

After hearing the story from a long time ago, Peter asked with a curious expression on his face.

 

“Is that really why the rule of the Walten family was created?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty. So, most of the employees who were not married at the time chose not to get married. Of course, that doesn’t mean that no one has retired either.”

 

Emily sighed heavily, she added, saying that she still couldn’t give up a job like hers.

 

“Kathleen, no, I thought she was less interested in marriage than I was……. I never would have dreamed that she’d leave me alone like this.”

 

“Haha. You must have been quite sad because you couldn’t have a relationship and would have depended on your roommate a lot.”

 

“Of course I was. Actually, it’s not that I’ve never been in a relationship, but……hap!”

 

Emily, who unwittingly divulged her secret, widened her eyes and covered her mouth. Peter smiled and waved his hand.

 

“It’s okay. I won’t tell my brother that you broke his unreasonable rule.”

 

“Y-Your not just saying that right, Your Majesty?”

 

“Right.”

 

It was both fun and gratifying that Alexis Walten had done such a thing long before his emotions had awakened.

 

Of course, he didn’t know if the other party would admit that fact.

 

“After Kathleen became Duchess, did you not ask for the rule to be abolished?”

 

“Of course I wanted to, but at first, everyone around me stopped me. It was because of Baroness Duroc.”

 

“You mean the woman who used to be the nanny?”

 

“Yes. The baroness was very fond of the rule.”

 

“It makes sense. So what about after she died?”

 

“She became duchess and I couldn’t dare speak to her for a while. I figured I would ask her later, once she got used to it, but this and that happened……. And in the end, it was difficult for us to secretly date.”

 

“Did you break up?”

 

“Yes. Perhaps it was also because the knights of House Walten often left Meyer. As the distance increased, so did the heart.”

 

“Oh. That must have been sad.”

 

“It’s okay. Now that the Madam has become the perfect Grand Duchess, I trust that she will abolish that rule altogether.”

 

Peter began to like the Grand Duchess’ maid, who was bold and quick-witted, so he began to ask questions about her. The Emperor’s reaction was quite good, so Emily was excited and began to tell more of her story. It was a love affair she had always kept secret because she would be fired if found out, and even more so because she couldn’t tell Kathleen, who had a terrible relationship with her husband.

 

After talking for a while with Emily, Peter saw Luci dashing towards muddy water and tried to block him in a panic. He called for his nanny.

 

“Let Luci stay on the first floor of the main building today. Emily has a lot to tell me.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will take care of the Young Master to the best of my abilities.”

 

As soon as the nanny left with Luci, Peter started talking to Emily again.

Edith, who was sitting at a little distance, watching them, tilted her head.

 

“Your Majesty, what is so interesting about Miss Emily’s story?”

 

“I do not know.”

 

Joseph answered with a fork of the grilled asparagus.

 

Joseph: “Your Majesty may also need a new friend.”

 

Peter: “A new friend?”

 

Joseph: “Count Schenberg, no, the Viscount was demoted. The South is too far away from Meyer, so sometimes it’ll be lonely.”

 

Edith: “You two were friends!”

 

Edith said, as if realizing only then, straightened her posture, sat down at the table, and drank champagne.

 

Edith: “That’s why he kept sending and receiving letters. I think the official documents are posted separately.”

 

Joseph: “I’m sure he did. They were close.”

 

Edith: “I don’t think they were that close. I peeked at the letters and they were polite and formal.”

 

Peter: “Are you confessing that you broke the security law now?”

 

Edith: “No way. I just passed by and saw it and thought that’s what it was.”

 

She skillfully evaded with that smooth-tongue of hers. If she had said that she was a book-seller not a pharmacist, he would have believed it.

 

Edith: “By the way, priest.”

 

Joseph: “Yes.”

 

Edith: “Do you still have feelings for the Grand Duchess?”

 

Joseph: “What?”

 

Edith: “No, it seems that you’ve only been rummaging through vegetables throughout the reception. The highest-quality steak hasn’t even touched your mouth.”

 

Joseph: “How many times can you say something that could be considered treasonous, Miss Edith?”

 

Flustered, Joseph looked around quickly. Fortunately, no one had come near the table next to the emperor, so it was unlikely that anyone had heard it. The emperor hurriedly said.

 

“Then what if it gets worse?”

 

“I was going to help you not let it grow.”

 

Joseph: “Don’t worry, it won’t happen.”

 

Joseph answered firmly, taking a knife and a fork and focusing his attention on the plate.

 

Joseph: “I will cut it out.”

[T/N: His feelings for Kathleen.]

 

Edith: “Like that steak?”

 

Joseph: “……Miss Edith.”

 

Edith: “I will keep the secret. I am the one who will be sad if my colleague gets fired anyway.”

 

Joseph: “I’m glad you know.”

 

Edith: “Yes. We still have a lot of work to do.”

 

Edith kept quiet and ordered another glass of champagne from a passing attendant.

 

“I hope this atmosphere continues.”

 

She said as she took a new glass.

 

“Your Majesty is at ease, and the Grand Duke is full of love. Only then can the peace come down to the South.”

 

“That’s why we’re staying in the South, isn’t it? For the peace of the empire.”

 

“Yes. So we have to stay for a long time until peace is established…….”

 

She seemed to be contemplating something, then smiled and held her glass out to Joseph.

 

“Shall we toast, priest?”

 

“Toast?”

 

Joseph said with a playful frown on his brow.

 

“You’re offering alcohol to me, when you know who I am?”

 

“Oh, right. Right.”

 

Edith panicked and was about to lower her glass, but Joseph picked up the glass of water in front of him. The crystal glasses bumped into each other with a clink.

 

“Instead, we will do this together. To Miss Edith’s wish.”

 

Edith, who watched Joseph down his glass of water at once, burst out laughing and emptied her glass of champagne.

 

It was a peaceful, warm and friendly time.

 

Who would have imagined that the fruits of harvest of a man who has endured life in the battlefield could be so gentle?

 

Everyone who had gathered to celebrate the wedding of the Grand Duke of Walten thought so. They prayed that the peace made of love would continue in the future.