Chapter 3

The carriage arrived at the capital.

The mansion where our family would live was prepared in the eastern district, the noble quarter. It was a two-story building, with a dignified appearance that suggested a long history. The garden was planted with grass, flower beds, and many trees.

"Viscount Asher's family will not be given a fief. The mansion and land will serve as a substitute. Lord Edward chose this mansion so that we could settle down immediately upon our return. He has also provided the minimum number of servants."

Nonna, who had gotten off the carriage, ran toward the house without listening to Mike's explanation to the end.

Before Nonna reached the front door, it opened, and a kind-looking middle-aged woman greeted us.

"Welcome back, sir, madam, and miss. I have been waiting for you. I am the maid, Berta."

"Nice to meet you, Berta. This is Nonna."

The entrance was decorated with flowers, and the floor was polished.

"Mr. Mike, can I visit acquaintances to greet them and apologize for my return?"

"Of course. I will return to the castle now. The journey was very enjoyable."

With that, Mr. Mike left.

Nonna, who had run upstairs, came down the stairs and saw Mr. Mike off with a somewhat refined gesture. Then she looked up at me with an excited expression.

"Mom, my room is so cute, come and see it!"

"Really? What kind of room is it?"

While Nonna and I were excitedly looking around the house, the carriage's luggage was unloaded, unpacked, and put away in the appropriate places. Jeff had already started working in the study.

Well, it's still early in the afternoon.

"Hey, Nonna, there's still a lot of time before dinner. Shall we go and greet Lady Yolana? I think she would allow us even without prior notice."

"Let's go! Is Susan still working?"

"Probably. Shall we go as we are without changing clothes?"

"Yay! I mean, I'm so happy, Mother."

"Passed."

"I'll go to the castle to report our return."

"Yes. Have a good trip, Jeff."

Although my body is stiff from the long sea and carriage journey, I want to walk, but since I have souvenirs to give, we decided to go by carriage.

Lady Yolana's mansion and annex were just as they were when Nonna and I left. I felt nostalgic and guilty just standing at the gate, and I almost cried.

Susan, who had heard the sound of the carriage, came out of the front door and called out to the inside when she saw us.

"Lady! Victoria and Nonna are here!"

Nonna ran silently toward Susan and hugged her with such force that she almost knocked her over.

As I arrived at the entrance, Lady Yolana appeared. When she saw me, she walked over with her small frame and hugged me tightly.

"I'm back. Lady Yolana, I'm really sorry for what happened back then..."

"It's fine! It's fine. I've heard the general story from Mr. Mike. If there were circumstances, there's no need to worry. It's enough that you've returned safely."

Lady Yolana looked up at my face.

"Oh, I'm so glad. Victoria, you look well. I heard rumors that the ship from Shen was about to arrive. Oh, is this beautiful young lady Nonna? Nonna, do you remember me?"

"Of course. It's been a long time, Lady Yolana."

Nonna, who had been hugging Susan, turned to Lady Yolana and greeted her by lifting the hem of her skirt slightly. Nonna's eyes were red. Susan was one of the few people Nonna had trusted from the beginning.

"Susan, don't cry there. Lord Bernard has been waiting for you."

"Oh, Lord Bernard is here?"

"Yes. He's been looking forward to seeing you. Come this way quickly."

Lord Bernard was waiting for us in the living room, standing up.

"Lord Bernard!"

When Nonna and I ran over, Lord Bernard threw his cane to the floor and picked us up in his arms.

"Welcome back. I missed you. Victoria, you haven't changed at all. Nonna, you've become a beautiful young lady."

After that, the conversation flew back and forth.

Both of them already knew that our house had been prepared nearby, and Lady Yolana praised the arrangement.

"The person who arranged it has a good eye. That mansion is a real find."

Lady Yolana said she had been worried about Lord Bernard, who had been feeling down after we disappeared. They had become frequent visitors to each other's homes and had become tea-drinking friends.

Lord Bernard hadn't changed much except for using a cane.

We gave them a Shen incense burner and incense, and we enjoyed the scent by lighting it.

After a lot of chatting, Lord Bernard hesitantly spoke to me.

"Victoria, as a viscountess, you won't be able to work as my assistant anymore, right?"

"I want to help Lord Bernard again. I'll talk to Jeff."

"I see. I'm sorry to ask you right after your return, but I have some documents I want you to translate."

"Father will surely allow it. He never refuses Mother's requests."

Lord Bernard laughed at Nonna's words.

"I see. Jeff is now a father, and you two are my relatives. I'm happy. Very happy."

"Me too, Lord Bernard. I'll go home now, but I'll cook a lamb roast again. How about we have dinner together sometimes, like before?"

"That sounds good. Yes, I look forward to it. Your lamb roast is excellent. Thank you, I look forward to it."

We said our reluctant goodbyes and returned to our new home.

We waited for Jeff to return from the castle and then had dinner together. Dishes were brought one after another, and we enjoyed the meal. The chef's skills were reliable.

The topic of conversation that night was about Lord Bernard and Lady Yolana.

"Is Uncle well? I'll visit him on my way back from the castle tomorrow. It's good to hear that Lady Yolana is well."

"Jeff, can I work as Lord Bernard's assistant again?"

"Sure. You're family now, so there's no problem. Uncle lives alone, so it would help him if you visit."

Relieved, Nonna, who was eating buttered beef, said,

"See? Dad doesn't oppose what Mom wants to do."

"Brother should be back home by now. Let's walk over and greet him for a change."

"That's a good idea. I'm very grateful for the arrangement of this house."

However, Lord Edward had not returned home yet.

So we only greeted Lady Edward and Lady Brie and came back. Everyone was happy to see us return.

"Let's all go and greet Eva tomorrow."

"Dad, can we meet Mr. Clark? I'm looking forward to it!"

"Mr. Clark is eighteen, so he's an adult now. He must have grown a lot."

That night, Nonna seemed to have trouble sleeping.

I heard a noise in the middle of the night and went to check. She was practicing Shen martial arts forms in her room.

"Nonna, I know you understand, but absolutely..."

"I won't use it on anyone or show it to anyone. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"I'll go to sleep after I review everything, so don't worry, Mom."

"Alright. Good night."

I returned to the bedroom and got into bed without waking Jeff. I thought about the people I met today one by one.

No one mentioned that I didn't have children. After five years of marriage, the baby I had wished for never came.

Everyone must have noticed, but they didn't say anything, and I was grateful for their kindness.

The doctor in Shen said,

"Probably, the forced weight loss on an already slim body might not have been good. There is a possibility of having a child in the future, but it varies from person to person, so I can't say for sure."

There was no choice. At that time, I needed to look thinner to leave the organization.

Jeff, who I thought was asleep, spoke.

"Is something wrong with Nonna?"

"She can't sleep. Maybe she's lacking exercise. She was practicing forms."

"Hehe. I see. You must be tired too. You should sleep."

"You're right. Good night, Jeff."

"Yes, good night, Anna."

I fell asleep in Jeff's arms.