5 - How to Survive as the Wife of a Monster Duke
How to Survive as the Monster Duke's Wife
Episode 5: "The Biften Territory is ruled by your family."
The Maid, who introduced herself as Lizzie, was not well understood in Illyin's head.
The Biften Territory belongs to the Duke Biften family.
There should only be one owner of the territory, right?
The maid with the red hair tie, who had disappeared as soon as she guided her to the room, did not return to the room again.
Instead, maids with blue hair ties flocked to serve Illyin.
Is there something about that color?
Come to think of it, that man, Lidan, introduced himself as 'Blue Nose', which seemed to be related to the blue decoration.
Lidan was also wearing blue decorations on his clothes.
'Unless you want to freeze to death,'
Illyin thought of the man with the deep blue eyes she had met on the castle walls.
The decoration on that man's clothes was red.
"Blue Nose, Red Deloz, Verdant Mille, Dazzling Elo. Among them, Lidan and we belong to the Blue Nose."
It doesn't seem to be the name of a knighthood.
Illyin saw the blue thread bracelet swaying on the wrist of the Maid Lizzie.
"The head of the Red Deloz, in the Empire's expression, is His Excellency Duke Aden de Bifelten."
Then that person would also be wearing red decorations on his clothes.
Illyin thought again of the man she had met on the castle walls.
That man also had red decorations on his clothes.
Then is that man with the deep blue eyes the Duke's subordinate?
"The Lady will stay in Biften and, if you like it here, you will marry him."
"If not, do I go back?"
"Unfortunately, that's what will happen."
Lizzie smiled.
Illyin found that smile very artificial.
A face trying to look friendly.
"Do you have any questions?"
"I have many, but I'll ask just one."
Lizzie was massaging Illyin's body, which was exhausted from the cold.
Every time she applied the unknown cream, heat returned to her body, making it easier to breathe.
As befitting its nickname, Winter Territory, a fierce cold was felt even inside the mansion with a fireplace.
"Feel free to ask anything."
"That... why is His Excellency the Duke trying to marry nobles of the Empire?"
I see now that I'm here.
This place was far more removed from the influence of the Atenbl Imperial Family than she had heard.
First of all, the fact that there are four families running the territory already meant that they were severely violating Imperial law, weren't they?
If the Imperial Family had exceptionally allowed it, such a unique form of territory would have been known throughout the Empire.
It's like a different country from the Empire.
But why, why is he trying to marry an Imperial noble?
"Well, His Excellency can't marry someone from the Red Deloz."
Lizzie, who said it as if it were obvious, added.
"Ah, he's not interested in women from our Blue Nose, Mille, or Elo."
Not interested, isn't that a strange expression?
He may not be interested in women.
But if the modifier attached to the woman refers to the family affiliation, then the story is a little different.
Illyin smelled something strange.
At least the Red Deloz, that is, Aden de Bifelten and his people, are not on good terms with the Blue Nose.
Perhaps the same is true of the other two families.
Come to think of it, Lidan, who is a Blue Nose, seemed to treat the maid with the red decoration harshly.
"Then who is that Lidan...?"
"He is an Elder of our Blue Nose."
He seemed to be in a higher position than she thought.
Illyin nodded slowly.
Hearing the word Elder, she had a feeling.
The expression is different, but the Red Deloz are the real Biften family, and the other three families seem to be closer to vassal families to which the Elders belong.
Thinking that way, she could roughly understand the structure.
It's a unique place.
Illyin thought.
"Is your body a little warmer now?"
Lizzie asked with a smile.
Illyin nodded.
"Thank you."
After the massage, Illyin asked Lizzie to guide her around the mansion.
Illyin roughly grasped her position while watching Lizzie treat her.
Anyway, Duke Aden de Bifelten seems to be trying to marry a woman from outside the Biften Territory.
'There are no women in the Empire who want to marry the Duke of Biften.'
Then I am a rare opportunity.
The Blue Nose, who are particularly kind to me, seem to be trying to bring me into a force close to them if they cannot marry a woman of their affiliation to the Duke.
There is no such thing as kindness without a price.
Her mind was racing.
She could instinctively distinguish between those who were hostile to her and those who approached her with a price in mind.
Because that's what she had been doing at Earl Arlen Fief for over twenty years.
It is a land where life comes and goes easily and is full of unfamiliar and unknown things.
How many people here would not follow someone who shows kindness?
If it is true that the Blue Nose and the Red Deloz of the Biften Duke are not on good terms, the Biften Duke will not try to give the Blue Nose power through marriage.
It was understandable if you thought of the background as the Imperial Family or the Royal Family, not the Biften Territory.
It is natural to keep the Empress's family in check for concentrated power.
"You must bring a coat because the cold will get worse from here."
The Maid Lizzie, who was guiding her, said.
Illyin looked at the front that she was pointing to.
Although the mansion was already chilly, the front was a corridor covered with large glass windows that clearly showed the outside where the cold wind was blowing.
The swirling snowstorm was visible through the glass windows.
"Are you still very cold now?"
Lizzie asked carefully.
Illyin looked down at her clothes.
They were much lighter and thinner than the clothes she had brought from the capital.
But the warmth was on a different level.
She felt a cozy warmth, like being in a cotton blanket warmed with a hot water bottle.
Her hands, which were out of her clothes, were a little chilly, but she could bear it.
When Illyin shook her head, the blue decoration on her clothes fluttered.
"I'm fine."
"If you have any inconveniences, please feel free to tell us."
Lizzie bowed deeply.
Illyin didn't like that politeness very much.
Wasn't it too obvious?
It was when Lizzie started walking again.
A man suddenly appeared at the end of the long corridor.
"Huh?"
Illyin let out a small sound without realizing it.
It was the person she had seen outside the castle walls.
Dark black hair, deep blue eyes that flashed coldly like ice.
He frowned when he discovered Illyin and Lizzie.
He looked like a wolf who had found prey.
The corridor, which had been a little warm until just now, froze with a chilly atmosphere.
"...This is not a place for the Blue Nose to wander around."
The man slowly opened his mouth.
Lizzie bowed deeply, and Illyin pondered.
Her position was a guest of this castle.
She needed to know who the other person was to be able to deal with them, but the other person didn't seem to want to introduce himself.
A chilly gaze turned to Illyin.
Illyin couldn't open her mouth until that slow gaze saw the blue cloth above her head, passed through her clothes, and returned to her face.
She felt like she had become prey.
Her body didn't fall apart as much as it did in front of the Monster.
If she only thought about running away from that Monster, it was different now.
She wouldn't even be able to run away.
The man's presence bound her that much.
"...This time, she is the Lady who came from the Sunlands."
Lizzie introduced Illyin.
Sunlands?
Illyin thought for a moment and then understood.
It seems that they call the outside of the territory Sunlands.
It was an appropriate word to refer to the Empire in Biften, where the sun rarely shines because it is buried in snowstorms.
"A Sunfolk?"
Deep blue eyes looked at Illyin again.
They were emotionless eyes.
But his tone was somewhat unexpected.
Ah, is he thinking that because of the blue decorated clothes?
"That's right. I'm Illyin de Arlen from the Empire."
I introduced myself, so it's your turn to introduce yourself.
Illyin looked at the man with that intention.
She felt like her body, which had been bound by his presence, was loosening up a little.
It was a change like a frozen statue awakening.
The man's eyes took on a different light.
"...I'm Den of the Red Deloz."
His short words changed to polite language.
Illyin sensitively caught that change.
Was it because he knew I didn't belong to the Blue Nose?
She had no intention of blaming him for speaking informally.
Above all, she was indebted to this side.
"Thank you for earlier."
Illyin opened her mouth.
It was a greeting she couldn't give because he had disappeared.
Den, who was about to take a step, stopped moving.
Blue eyes turned to Illyin again.
"…It's not good to stay in the winter for too long."
It was a cold word.
He brushed past her.
The Maid Lizzie finally took a deep breath as if she had been relieved.
Illyin tilted her head slightly as she heard her sigh.
It's not good to stay in the winter for too long.
Does that mean it's not good to stay in Biften for too long?
It was a chilly word close to an eviction order, but it didn't sound entirely cold.
At least it's much better than the Blue Nose, who only seem to want to use her.
'Den of the Red Deloz.'
Illyin, who had remembered his name, followed Lizzie again.
\*
The mansion was large.
There were five large halls on the first floor, and the main building built on top of it had a total of seven floors.
The 7th floor was also the space of Duke Aden de Bifelten.
So Illyin could only be guided up to the 6th floor.
The Maid Lizzie, who was a Blue Nose, finished the 7th floor tour with a short word.
"Only the Red Deloz can enter there. Of course, you can enter if you get married."
It meant that she couldn't even get a tour yet because she was a guest.
If that's the case, they shouldn't have built the mansion together.
Illyin tilted her head slightly.
Besides the 7th floor, there were several other areas where only the Red Deloz could enter.
There were also some spaces where only people from each family could enter, but that was only the room of the family Elder, and there were unusually many places guaranteed as the space of the Red Deloz.
It must mean that the Red Deloz, who holds the Dukedom, has more power.
The place where she met Den of the Red Deloz earlier was also such a space.
To be exact, it was a corridor, so it wasn't a place where people from other families couldn't enter at all, but it was said to be an area that was implicitly prohibited from approaching.
Because there are many rooms owned by the Red Deloz.
"Thank you for the tour."
Illyin briefly praised Lizzie's hard work.
Lizzie bowed deeply.
Looking around all seven floors of the building was close to hard labor.
It was already night because they took breaks in between while walking around.
"It's very different from the Empire, isn't it?"
Lizzie placed a small glass in front of her.
Illyin nodded.
It was definitely different.
Even if she put aside other complicated thoughts, she knew one thing for sure.
Even if she didn't know about the other two families, the Blue Nose and the Red Deloz were almost completely opposed.
To live harmoniously here, her married life with the Duke is important, but she also has to be good at tightrope walking between the two families.
"I want to meet people from other families tomorrow."
Illyin opened her mouth, pretending not to know.
Until she has gathered enough information to clarify her position, it is better to pretend not to notice.
She is surrounded by Maids who are Blue Nose.
It is no coincidence that she has not spoken to anyone from other families except for Den of the Red Deloz all day today.
The Blue Nose is blocking access.
But if this continues, there was a risk of being seen as a completely Blue Nose person.
The one who rules this place is Duke Aden de Bifelten, a Red Deloz person.
Would a man who openly declared that he would not marry a woman from another family like a bride who colluded with the Blue Nose?
Not at all.
"That,"
Lizzie opened her mouth with difficulty.
Illyin observed her reaction with a smiling face.
"Is it difficult?"
"Since I belong to the Blue Nose. I have to talk to the Elder once..."
Ah, she needs permission from the higher-ups.
Illyin hid her deepening smile.
Instead, she said with a disappointed expression.
"I think there are people from other families in the mansion. I want to meet them at least once. I'm curious about what kind of people they are. There's no need to call a high-ranking person."
"...In that case, I'll try to arrange it once."
Lizzie smiled kindly.
Looking at her, Illyin came to a conclusion.
She was wrong to expect to be introduced.
She has to find another way.
It might be better to walk around herself.
"I'll look forward to it."
But Illyin, who had hidden her thoughts, smiled and turned her gaze out the window.
