The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: A Conversation Between a Duchess and her Maid

The conversation between the Duchess and her handmaiden was filled with a heavy atmosphere inside the carriage.

Marie remained as stoic as ever, keeping her lips sealed shut.

The carriage moved at a leisurely pace, much slower than when they had arrived. It seemed that Marie believed I was feeling down. I could sense this just from the way Rad, who was driving the carriage, was being considerate.

“…Marie, do you also think I’m wrong?”

No matter what anyone said, I had no intention of changing my actions.

Melfina’s life had been a series of trials from the very beginning. It was nothing but unrequited efforts. Now that I had regained my memories, I thought I wouldn’t care what others thought of me, but I hadn’t considered that sticking to my own principles might hurt others. Melfina was a purebred noblewoman who had hardly lived on her territory and had never had close friends of the same age. Although she often visited orphanages for charity, she had never been criticized for interacting with orphans.

It was clear that as a noble, Melfina had very few interactions with non-nobles. Just not caring wasn’t enough to resolve the situation. Instead of Melfina being criticized, it might result in the attack of a young boy.

“I have no right to intervene in your actions from my position, but if I may offer my personal opinion…”

“Yes?”

“Lady Melfina, you’re not wrong.”

Marie spoke firmly, and I turned my gaze to her, which I had been avoiding due to discomfort. Marie, too, was looking directly at Melfina.

“This is simply a matter of hierarchy. Lady Melfina, you’re the mistress of the ducal household and has become the lord of the Enkar region. Regardless of how you choose to behave in your domain, there is no one in a position to criticize you. The only one with that right would be His Grace, the Duke, but even then, it would only be regarding your conduct as a wife, not as a landowner.”

Her voice flowed smoothly. It seemed that Marie had a firm opinion on this matter.

“The management of the territory, the direction of its development, these are decisions that fall within the exclusive authority of the lord.”

Marie continued.

“And, forgive my impertinence for saying so, even the royal family rarely intervenes in the management of noble estates unless it significantly deviates from humanitarian standards. Such actions would likely lead to noble dissent, as anyone familiar with noble society should understand.”

“Yes… that’s true.”

Melfina responded.

Nobility encompasses not only the newly ennobled families established by the royal family but also extends to local magnates.

Among them, one particularly powerful family is referred to as the royal family, while other houses contract with each other in alliances and loyalty exchanges. While respect is paid to the royal family, noble houses are fundamentally equal to the royal family, and each territory is considered equal to the national domain. The tax rate and the establishment of local laws are left to the discretion of the lord, and interference in these matters would be perceived as internal meddling.

It is precisely because they can maintain the independence of their territories without being invaded that local nobles look up to the royal family as their lord.

In fact, one of the lessons Melfina had learned was that in times when the power of the royal family was weaker, it was not uncommon for regions to declare independence as principalities or duchies. Nobles look up to the king, but they are not administrators appointed by the royal family.

Deciding the fate of their territories is the prerogative of the lords, and as the formal lord of the Enkar region, Melfina can behave here as an equal to the king without fear of reproach. Marie is asserting that criticizing the behavior of a lord is itself a mistake.

“Moreover, it is more appropriate to criticize those who, like the escort knight, intervene in your actions, when you are visiting the territory as the lord, rather than the other way around. Therefore, regarding the question of whether you were wrong, I must answer that you were not.”

Marie concluded.

“Yes…”
Melfina nodded.

Marie’s words helped clarify the issue between her and Cedric. Cedric was treating Melfina not as the “Lord of the Enkar Region” but as the “Duchess of Oldrand.”

“So, if she perceives behavior that seems eccentric for a lady, she’ll furrow her brow, and if someone of unknown identity approaches, she’ll take action to protect Melfina. As a knight, there’s nothing wrong with that behavior.”

Marie concluded.

“Thank you, Marie. I feel a bit clearer now.”

Melfina said.

“If I’ve been of assistance, I’m glad. Also.”

Marie continued.

“Yes?”

Melfina asked.

“I have a younger brother. I didn’t have much time for him since I went into service at an early age, but I still thought of him as dear to me. I wish for boys of that age to smile without a care in the world.”

Marie said, her eyes turning towards Melfina with a slight smile.

“So, I felt happy when I saw you caring for that boy, Lady Melfina.”

Marie added.

Feeling a sense of kinship with Marie, who resembled her sister, Melfina couldn’t help but smile too.

Melfina also had a brother. While her feelings towards her brother, who had received the love of their parents that she could never obtain, were complex, the feeling of finding her brother adorable for looking up to her as his sister was certainly present in her heart.

“We need to have a proper conversation with Cedric.”

Marie said.

“Yes, please do.”

Melfina replied.

As if to signal the end of their conversation, Marie fell silent again. However, this time, the silence inside the carriage didn’t feel as heavy as before.