The Viscountess is Clever [Romance/Kingdom Building]

“Did you hear...? Lord Miller has been spending most of his nights in his study,” one of the servants whispered in a low voice.

“Not only that, but the atmosphere during meals is so unbearable... I feel chills even with the fireplace heating the room,” another maid gossiped in return.

“They've been at it for a whole week now, right? ever since Lord Ivan left? They barely even speak to each other... if at all,” the first maid sighed. “I really hope this quarrel doesn’t lead to a long-term falling out. Working in a household where the masters don’t get along is the worst.”

“True. I used to work at the Libert House before their financial troubles started, back when the Lord and Lady had a falling out... They slept in separate bedrooms, ate their meals at different times, and constantly took out their frustrations on the staff,” the second maid agreed with a weary sigh.

Tak... Tak...

“Shhh...!”

As soon as the rhythmic sound of a cane striking the stone floor echoed from further down the hallway, the maids frantically hushed each other, instantly halting their gossip to quietly dust the nearby paintings in silence.

Tak... Tak...

Francesca and Stella walked past them down the corridor. Francesca cast a subtle side-eye toward the hovering servants before continuing on her path. Stella, walking beside her and offering a supportive hand, let out a gentle sigh. “So... you still haven't made up with His Lordship, Your Ladyship?”

They made their way toward the castle's North Gate entrance, where a carriage was waiting for them.

“We just... I don’t even know what to say to him,” Francesca confessed, stepping up onto the carriage with help as the footman opened the door. “I am fairly certain it is entirely his fault…? He had no right to say those dreadful things to me…”

“If you yourself are unsure whether it is entirely his fault,” Stella pointed out softly, climbing inside and taking the seat opposite her, “then doesn’t it make all the more sense to simply sit down and talk it out?”

The carriage doors clicked shut, and with a soft lurch, the wheels began rattling across the cobbled courtyard path.

“Fine... let’s say it isn't entirely his fault, since I kept things hidden from him that would have helped him understand my situation,” Francesca justified with a frustrated huff, staring out the glass window. “But even so... how could he say such hurtful things to me?!”

“I don’t know the full details of what happened between you two,” Stella replied with a casual shrug. “But... it seems you already know where you went wrong on your end. That is a good starting point. You can come clean about whatever it is you are hiding, and then force him to apologize for his own foolishness.”

“He is my husband! He is supposed to stand by my side!” Francesca argued, turning her eyes to Stella. “How could he call me selfish and claim I don’t care about the people who suffer for me?!”

Placing a tired hand on her own forehead, Stella shook her head. “See, Your Ladyship...? Just as you said: as your husband, he is supposed to be by your side. But just as he bears that responsibility... as his wife, isn't it also your responsibility not to hide important matters from him?”

Looking gently into Francesca's eyes, Stella added, “By your own admission, if he had known your true situation, his response would have been completely different from the one he gave you.”

Francesca felt a spike of frustration, opening her mouth to interject. “Even so, how could he say something so-!”

“My Lady, he is a human being, too, you know?” Stella cut her off smoothly. “Just as you feel he was being completely unreasonable and mean to you... you were being just as unreasonable to him while he was desperately struggling to save a loyal subject’s life.”

Tik... Tik...

The carriage frame rattled against the cobblestones as Francesca fell into a quiet, heavy silence, processing her maid's words.

Stella leaned forward, her tone softening. “Do you expect him to never offend you? Never be cross with you? Just exist solely to make you happy and shower you with love? Your Ladyship... Lord Miller is a human being with his own complex thoughts and overwhelming emotions, just like you.”

“That isn't what I think at all...” Francesca whispered in a low, vulnerable voice. “I do understand... it’s just that I felt so hurt.”

“Put yourself in his shoes and consider what he might have felt,” Stella advised softly. “If, after thinking about it from his perspective, you still believe he simply overreacted, then by all means: it is entirely his fault, and he just doesn't love you enough to make this work. But...”

Stella pointed a playful finger at her with a warm, subtle smile. “...if that isn't the case, then you share the fault in this argument, and you simply don't want to admit to being in the wrong.”

Melony Lake, Ironwood Viscounty

Awk...! Awk...!

The high-pitched, cute chirping of tiny wild foxes echoed along the snowy banks of the frozen lake. Miller knelt in the soft snow, gently feeding small pieces of fresh fish to the little creatures.

“Are you and Her Ladyship still at odds?” Kenny asked, letting out a weary sigh as he stood a few meters away, gazing out at the distant fishing boats dotting the water.

“Yeah...” Miller replied quietly, picking up a small fox in his palm to offer it another bite of fish.

“This is hardly the time for domestic disputes, my Lord. You desperately need an united front,” Kenny noted, pulling a small parchment slip from inside his coat pocket. “I just received a report. The Hollowland Viscounty and several neighboring territories officially ratified the mutual trade embargo yesterday.”

“I understand that... But how could she only care about her personal sentimentality instead of a man's life and her duty as Viscountess?” Miller sighed, patting the small fox's head before standing up.

“Yes, I know it was my fault for dismissing her struggles and saying hurtful things under immense stress... But still, how could she completely throw away her responsibility to protect our people? She didn't say a single word during the Council assembly to support me, nor did she even attempt to stop me from revealing Jeckson's secret connection, knowing full well the political chaos it would cause!”

Kenny listened quietly before letting out another long sigh. “Have you ever considered that she might simply be another human being, my Lord? She might be brilliant but she is just like you? Just as you surrendered to your emotions under stress... she must have done the exact same thing.”

“That doesn't-” Miller tried to argue, but caught himself before revealing private family matters like the Azure Tear, its status as her mother's final keepsake, or Ivan's leverage.

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a heavy breath. “It's just... I don't even know what to say to her to make sense of it all. I feel like she is keeping a something from me, and that lack of trust feels like a betrayal.”

“Hmm... so the two of you fought over a trade offer with Lord Ivan that was too sentimental for Her Ladyship to accept, but which you believed was the ideal solution to save Jeckson and protect the Viscounty... Is that the gist of it?” Kenny pieced together logically.

Miller offered a sullen nod.

“Do you remember how frustrated you were with the Council when they constantly tried to break your loyalty to His Highness, the Third Prince?” Kenny asked.

Miller raised an eyebrow, confused as to where he was going with the comparison.

“They were narrowly focused on the easiest, most pragmatic route to solve the Viscounty's financial troubles,” Kenny explained, stretching his arms. “In that light... you clinging to your principles and personal sentiments out of loyalty to the Third Prince is... in a sense... remarkably similar to what Her Ladyship did.”

Miller’s eyes widened in sudden shock as Kenny's realization hit him like a physical blow.

“Granted, she may very well be keeping something from you... That is on her,” Kenny concluded smoothly. “But you are certainly at fault for dismissing her sentiments, the very same kind of sentimentality you yourself possess, and which frustrates you when others ignore it.”

Miller stood frozen in place, utterly stunned into silence.

A single, soft white snowflake drifted down through the crisp air, landing gently on his sleeve.

“Ah... look at that,” Kenny murmured, glancing up at the gray sky. “It appears this year's winter freeze has officially arrived.”

For several quiet seconds, Miller stood staring down at the falling snow as a wave of clarity washed over him.

“Kenny... get the carriage ready,” Miller instructed, his voice firm and decisive. “We are heading to the chapel and the coop farm construction site immediately.”

Hearing this, Kenny smiled warmly. “Right away, my Lord.”

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