“You’ve gone too far, Olivier. I have a feeling Mother will take it out on us after we leave…”
“I’ve made sure she’ll experience the utmost humiliation so she can’t do that. If it reaches that point, her anger will be directed at me. However, Mother-in-law, if she does anything unpleasant to you, please contact me immediately.”
“Ah, thank you, Olivier. And I apologize. I never expected Annette-sama to appear so suddenly, so I couldn’t do anything…”
Olivier smiled kindly at Karina, who lowered her eyes with sincere regret, assuring her it was fine.
“Still, I wonder what kind of person she is?”
“She doesn’t like me. I’m used to it, so it’s pointless to care.”
“That’s not the issue. Why is Jared being treated with such disregard in the first place?”
Olivier was displeased. She couldn’t stand seeing her fiancé, the person who saved her and her family, being treated so obviously with contempt. Olivier had thoroughly investigated her family when Jared became a candidate for her engagement, so she knew about Annette Daum.
Annette looked down on Jared, knowing he wouldn’t inherit the ducal title, and didn’t even see him as a brother to her children. While she hadn’t thought anything of this information about two months ago, she was now filled with a burning rage.
“From what I know, Annette Daum believes that titles are everything. So, what’s with her attitude towards Jared, who has been chosen to become a Court Mage?”
“I believe she simply doesn’t want to accept it.”
Karina responded to Olivier’s indignation.
“You mean she doesn’t want to accept it?”
“Annette-sama, being born into a Viscount’s family, has always acted haughtily here, and even at Father-in-law’s mansion, because her rank was higher. Because of that, she looked down on Jared, who was informed that he wouldn’t inherit the family’s headship by Husband. But—”
“Once he officially becomes a Court Mage, he will be granted the title of Count. In other words, she dislikes the idea of Jared, whom she used to look down on, being given a higher aristocratic title than her own family?”
“I believe so.”
“How utterly absurd. Even though Jared’s grandfather, Baron Daum, may have a lower aristocratic title, his family is a prestigious one that has existed since the founding of the nation. With such a history, titles shouldn’t matter.”
In fact, Baron Daum, despite being the head of a baronial family, was trusted by Duke Alway, his father, as an advisor. There were only a handful of people who felt any dissatisfaction about this. They wouldn’t belittle a clan that had supported the nation since its founding with mere titles.
However, some people did. They ignored the history they had cultivated, believing that titles were everything. Many of these were from newly established noble families. New nobles with short histories were, in a sense, those who had risen through their own merits. To them, the title of a family with generations of lineage seemed to be leveraging their ancestors’ prestige.
Nonetheless, Annette was likely judging others solely by their titles. Therefore, Olivier treated her the same way. She commanded someone who believed titles were everything as someone of a higher rank. However, Olivier knew, without having to hear it, that while Annette obeyed her, she was inwardly filled with dissatisfaction and humiliation. If she truly believed titles were everything, she wouldn’t harbor any discontent while obeying someone of higher rank. In other words, Annette Daum was merely a big fish in a small pond, only able to wield her position as a viscount’s daughter within a baronial family.
Therefore, she looked down on Jared, who, despite being the eldest son, couldn’t inherit the headship of a newly established baronial family. However, she couldn’t stomach the fact that Jared, being exceptionally talented as a mage, was chosen as a Court Mage and would be granted the title of Count.
Annette’s unreasonable anger and frustration may have been directed at Karina and Roik daily. She must have also felt anxious. Since it wouldn’t be Jared to succeed his father, Roik should have been next in line. However, if that happened, Annette’s son, Rex, wouldn’t be able to inherit the family’s headship. Nobles who can’t inherit the family headship often become assistants to the head. Alternatively, they abandon their noble status and live as commoners. Annette was not the type of woman who could tolerate her son not becoming the head of the family.
This was precisely why she accepted the engagement between her son and his cousin, a decision made by her son on his own. If that didn’t work out, he could inherit his grandfather’s baronial family. And she was carefully considering the marriage proposals arriving for her daughter. If all went well, her future son-in-law might inherit the Daum baronial family. If that happened, Annette’s status would be secure. Ultimately, she was a person who prioritized herself, not her children.
—Just like Cornelia Alway.
Olivier thought Annette bore a strong resemblance to Cornelia. She too was a self-centered individual. In the end, she even abandoned her own daughter, everything ended in failure, and Olivier heard she was currently under house arrest within the Alway Ducal Family’s territory. While it was unlikely that Annette, from a Viscount’s family, could do what Cornelia did, Olivier knew that people of that ilk could do terrible things with impunity if they had power and money.
—There’s something strange about this in the first place.
Olivier considered how Jared was forcibly sent to an illegal facility. From what she heard, it was his father, Johan Daum, who tried to keep Jared away. However, Olivier deduced that Jared wasn’t sent to the illegal facility by Johan’s order. This made Annette a suspect. Since there were discussions about her inheriting Baron Daum’s estate behind the scenes, it wouldn’t be strange for Annette to know about it. Olivier didn’t know how she felt about that, but she certainly wouldn’t have been pleased.
—Perhaps Annette Daum is the one who sent Jared to the facility.
If that were the case, Olivier believed retaliation was in order. Thanks to being admitted to the facility, Jared met a friend named Luzer Fischer, gained a master in Almeida, and his talent blossomed to the point where he was chosen as a Court Mage. However, just because things ended well doesn’t mean everything should be forgiven.
“Olivier? Is something wrong? You suddenly fell silent?”
“I-I’m sorry, I was just thinking a bit about Annette Daum.”
“I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable. It’s my fault for not being able to speak up more forcefully…”
Olivier, lost in thought, was brought back to reality by Jared’s voice. Jared looked puzzled, and Karina seemed genuinely apologetic. They might have misunderstood Olivier’s displeasure as being about Annette.
“Please don’t apologize, Mother-in-law. I honestly don’t mind.”
Smiling to reassure Jared and the others, Olivier decided to investigate Annette thoroughly after discussing it with her father.
