With the letter that was practically a threat in hand, urging Marie to return home, I could only think about this.
Using the power of the Granado family would be easy. This is a fortress; a cavalry squadron could be repelled just by holding out. It would be possible to live here for a lifetime without ever stepping outside, with no lack of comfort.
But would Marie be happy with that?
I had reflected deeply on how piling up luxuries could make one feel even more uncomfortable. After that, she gradually began to interact with the castle's residents, and I could see her smile more often.
Still, it was ultimately someone else's home.
To me, it might be a mess, but to Marie, it was her real home, her irreplaceable family. She hadn't even adapted to this castle yet, so I couldn't take away her support.
But I couldn't let her go back easily. I had to do something about that couple... I needed to find out why they were mistreating their daughter. No, more importantly, this castle had to become a place where Marie could feel more at ease than her own home...
――Damn. How much easier it would be if I could pretend I never saw this letter!
Marie's room was at the western end of the second floor. It had been a month and a half since I last visited.
The door was open for some reason. Peering in, I saw my mother scolding her daughter-in-law.
"Marie, that's not right. You don't just bow your head randomly. Lower your waist straight down, and keep your back straight!"
Her relentless instructions. Marie followed them obediently.
"Yes, like this?"
"A bit lower—there, that's better, but you forgot to smile."
"Oh, yes!"
"The bow is all about the feeling. It's a gesture of respect, welcome, and goodwill. If the feeling is missing, it doesn't matter how beautifully you perform it."
"Yes!"
The door was likely open for ventilation. The room was quite cool, yet Marie's forehead was sweating. She was breathing slightly unevenly, and her cheeks were flushed.
I felt my blood run cold.
"R-Rieu Rieu! What are you doing!"
"Ah, Lord Kyros! Welcome back!"
...And Marie greeted me with a bright smile, causing me to stumble.
...Huh?
"Ah, my lord is back. Welcome!"
"Thank you for your hard work."
Cecilie and Wolfgang were also there, both smiling. It seemed Cecilie was imitating Marie, as she was sitting on the floor, drenched in sweat.
Rieu Rieu wiped her own sweat and exhaled.
"Kyros, you came at a good time. Be my practice partner."
"Practice... what kind of partner?"
"Greetings for when Marie meets nobles and royalty."
"Huh!?"
This time, I let out a loud voice.
"――I said you don't have to do this! At the engagement ceremony, we can handle it. Marie has never been to society. She has never used the greetings for high nobles."
"That's why she's practicing now. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?"
My mother, who gave a completely irrelevant response, put her arm around Marie's shoulder, who was still smiling.
"Don't worry, Marie has good posture. She doesn't wobble at all; her lower body is strong."
"I used to chop wood every day at home."
"That explains your waist... It's wonderful. I only learned after having children, and I was clumsy and kept falling over."
"This is different from just holding the hem of a skirt; it uses different muscles."
"Exactly, and if your posture is off, it looks really bad. The person who came up with this must have had a bad personality."
"Ahaha. But I really like curtseys. You keep eye contact, so you don't lose the connection..."
...What?
Is this... Could they be getting along?
Rieu Rieu, despite her overly friendly nature, had the dignity of a duchess.
The day I introduced Marie and got her approval, I was warned.
By the time of the engagement ceremony, I had to make Marie "presentable."
It was an order from the Granado family. I refused. It was too early, and it wasn't Marie's fault that she was inexperienced. She was still adjusting to the castle. At the engagement ceremony, I would take the lead. I would handle the work of the baron's family. I wanted Marie to live a beautiful, sweet, and peaceful life.
Rieu Rieu frowned but seemed to back down...
Cecilie tugged on the hem of my cloak.
"My lord, Marie's curtsey is really impressive."
"Lord Kyros, please watch."
Marie turned, pulled her chin down, and performed a perfect curtsey.
"Thank you for coming here today for us."
The greeting she gave was in perfect Peninsula language.
Rieu Rieu wore a smile that seemed to say, "See?"
"She can do more than just speak. She wrote all the thank-you letters. Not just in Peninsula language, but in Ipus and Central Continent languages too."
"What...! Why make Marie do such labor!"
Rieu Rieu covered my mouth with her palm, her eyes, lined with eyeliner, glaring at me sternly.
"My son, remember this. Love and overprotection are different things."
"...Overprotection..."
"Women aren't birds; you can't keep them in a cage. Especially the one you fell in love with is a big bird. Let her spread her wings. This applies to parent-child and husband-wife relationships alike."
Thanks to Rieu Rieu's guidance, Marie's expression was bright and full of confidence. She looked like the head of a noble family—no, like an innocent child?
She looked at me straight in the face, chest out.
"How was it? Did I do well?"
"...Yeah... It was wonderful. You did a great job."
"Yes, I did my best."
Marie, looking pleased, talked about herself.
—I love the stories of Ipsandros—yes, the same face she makes when talking about the things she loves.
...I reached out my hand and pulled back just before touching her head.
Dangerous, I almost petted her.
"Lord Kyros?"
She tilted her head curiously, looking at me.
I spread my arms—oh, dangerous. I almost hugged her.
A clapping sound from the side.
"Perfect timing, let's take a break. Let's go to the dining room and have tea together."
"Ah, I'll go get Johann. He said he wanted to taste some herbal tea."
"I'll take care of that."
"I prefer milk tea!"
"...Then, I'll make it for Cecilie."
"Hey, Mio, you're back! When did you get here?"
"Yes, I just returned."
"Let's go. We need to ask Topo to make some tea snacks."
"Hehe, I bet there are already some."
"Yay, snacks!"
After talking all at once, everyone left the room one by one. Marie followed last, stepping into the hallway. I caught her.
"Wait. There's something I need to tell you."
"Tell me?"
Marie, looking puzzled. I placed the letter I had just put in my pocket into her palm.
A letter from her father, addressed to her.
"Oh. From Father?"
With a normal expression, she opened the envelope. Instantly, her face turned serious. I said,
"What will you do?"
"...What to do... This is..."
"I can't ignore it. But I can't let you go back alone. I still have work to do..."
"I don't need to go back."
Marie, so casually. She showed me the letter, tilting her head.
"Because it's a lie."
"...That's a possibility, but what if—"
"This is Father's handwriting. A person who is supposed to be critically ill wrote this."
"! Ah..."
Even as I exclaimed, Marie still had a normal expression. She tilted her head, rereading the letter.
"But it's strange. He could just tell me to come back normally. —Ah, maybe, Lord Kyros, did you receive a lot of letters urging me to come back before this one?"
Seeing me flinch, Marie seemed to understand everything. She sighed with a wry smile.
"Thank you. I'm sure it contained something that would upset me, and you were trying to protect me. I'm sorry for causing trouble for your family."
"No... I'm the one who should apologize for interfering with your family's communication..."
"No, I'm grateful. I can laugh about it now... If it had been a little earlier, I would have rushed back, even if I knew it was a lie."
Marie's eyes turned distant.
"Calling me back means they want me to do some work. Accounting or housework... Hiring someone costs money."
"...Marie..."
"It's not just to see me. ...My parents don't like me. It has nothing to do with whether I'm cute or not."
I was shocked.
—She noticed.
The Marie who had just arrived, the one who was "tattered," had a completely different worldview.
The old Marie would have believed her father's words. Even if she eventually realized it was a lie, she would have followed the order without question. She never thought about the reasons.
She believed that being mistreated by her parents was her fault, that the treatment was justified.
Now, she had changed. She understood that there was no reason on her part; it was just that