For the Lady's Wise Regression - Chapter 59

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 59
Here she was, married to a woman she loved dearly, and yet Vanessa was so considerate it was almost burdensome.
It was Vanessa’s choice, no doubt—she didn’t want to place undue strain on him—but Ian would surely have preferred to invite her to join them at the table.
Not that the gossip surrounding their marriage had been clean; he’d heard the whispers himself as crown prince, so half the Empire probably knew by now, exaggerations and all.
Was that the reason?
This inability to ask for more, to voice desires that might otherwise be granted, held back on his tongue.
He understood the Duchess’s position well enough, but Ian could have handled it with a firmer hand.
The man would wear a leash if Vanessa asked him to.
‘I have my own troubles to worry about.’
At least they were married. He hadn’t even won her heart yet.
[To His Highness Tesse Descartes, the Golden Young Lion of the Crown.
I write to you with some urgency, and beg your forgiveness for the discourtesy of sending two letters at once.
I hear that Your Highness intends to greet me upon my arrival. Am I worthy of receiving such consideration?
If it is not your wish, I would be happy to call upon you for a formal greeting instead. Rest assured, I have not forgotten my position within the Empire for a single moment, so you need not worry on that account.
Should there be anything lacking or amiss…]
A sigh escaped Tesse’s lips as he stood alone in the corridor.
The single page of her letter was packed so densely with writing that every word seemed to overflow.
“Meticulous” barely did it justice.
Her posture in his mind’s eye was bent so low she might have been staring at her own feet, every ounce of formality compressed into those careful lines.
If she behaved this way in person, it would be quite troublesome.
When he’d only seen her portrait, he’d imagined something different.
He’d expected some wariness from her position as Third Princess, certainly.
But for it to show through so plainly in a letter…
‘All I can hope is that the Duchess takes a liking to her.’
Those of timid and meek temperament needed to stand beside someone proud and unbending—someone who held their chin high without second thought—if they were to taste even a morsel of superiority.
Lehila Antuela, if you cannot find courage, this will be most difficult indeed.
Invisible blades will rain down from every quarter in your time.
You need not fall entirely—just keep your feet beneath you.
You must endure, for this is a position that demands it.
The First Princess, for all her fierce temperament, had thin ears and believed too easily what she heard.
The Second Princess, despite her keen perception, had a loose tongue.
And so the Third had been the choice.
She was the daughter most beloved by King Antuela, raised in the shadow of her elder sisters’ envy and jealousy.
Yet she alone among Antuela Kingdom’s women could read ship design drawings.
So the Third Princess—neither harsh nor loose-tongued, capable yet cautious enough to hold herself back—was the finest piece Tesse Descartes could have selected.
As a bonus, she was the king’s most cherished daughter; treating her with honor would only strengthen the bonds between nations.
Having learned to read the room since childhood, she would at least know how to keep a secret.
That was the bargain he’d struck with the king.
“The road ahead is long indeed. Very long.”
Only the echo of Tesse’s sigh filled the quiet corridor.
He’d thought that since her only hobby was piano, he might allow her that one comfort in the austere Imperial Palace—something to make her lower her guard.
But perhaps piano was better left unplayed.
***
Tap, tap.
As Vanessa knocked on the firmly closed door to the secretary’s office, she felt movement inside.
“Who is it?”
There was an unmistakable weariness in that voice, heavy enough to penetrate even the closed door.
“Father, it’s me. Vanessa.”
There was a brief silence, then the door swung open.
“Vanessa? What brings you here?”
Duke Sharoze’s eyes widened with surprise and warmth. Vanessa gave him a small, shy smile in return.
“I missed you. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“Has dinnertime already come? No, I haven’t.”
“Then let’s eat together.”
At his daughter’s suggestion, the Duke glanced behind her.
“What about your husband?”
“I… I wanted to have dinner with just you for once, Father.”
“My apologies, sir. The meeting ran longer than expected.”
She’d meant to say that, but…

At the familiar voice, Vanessa turned to see Ian standing there, his hair somewhat disheveled.
Ian exhaled softly, brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen across his brow, and then bowed to Duke Sharoze.
“I trust you have been well, sir.”
“……Ian?”
Vanessa blinked, startled to hear his name escape her lips.
“Yes. Thanks to that Calming Herb you sent, I can stay up all night without strain, just like in my youth.”
You sent…….
The corners of Ian’s mouth twitched slightly at the natural phrasing.
“Next time, I shall deliver it in person.”
“I never thought I’d live to see the day a son-in-law did me favors. I’m grateful you’re better suited to it than my daughter.”
“Please don’t say such things, sir. Compared to how much Vanessa cares for you, I still fall far short.”
“Well then, a father-in-law’s pride demands satisfaction today. Come, let’s go—I hear Pilgrim attended the Regular Report this morning. Nothing beats chicken after a trying day.”
“Of course. I’ve left the carriage at the Imperial Palace entrance, so I’ll escort you to your usual place.”
“You……—do you know where I eat my chicken?”
“Learning a father-in-law’s tastes in advance is also part of a son-in-law’s duty, after all.”
……What is this?
Had the shock of budget cuts stolen her wits?
Vanessa studied Ian intently, wondering if someone else had taken his place.
Those eyes that had always been deadly dull now sparkled with life, and a smile—one she’d rarely seen grace his lips before—now clung there without wavering.
‘……Can a Regular Report really transform a person’s very soul?’
Of course, any nobleman who’d suffered through Pilgrim even once was known to lose their wits over sudden budget cuts.
……But surely that level of preparation would have prevented cuts altogether?
Or was it? Had she leaned too heavily on her past life’s experience?
While Vanessa spiraled in confusion, Duke Sharoze’s lips showed no sign of frowning.
Instead of his vexing daughter, here was a son-in-law doing nothing but endearing things.
His heart, which had rotted away because of Vanessa, felt suddenly healed in an instant.
Duke Sharoze glanced at his daughter.
“What are you doing? Move along.”
Strange. He was the one who’d suggested the meal, so why……was she receiving a scolding?
Leaving the bewildered Vanessa behind, the Duke set off with a light step.
And naturally, Ian fell into place at his side.
Vanessa couldn’t bring herself to squeeze between the two of them.
No…… he slaps her with restrictions on contact, and yet he walks alongside her father like they’re glued together?
Was she the only one who found this sight peculiar?
That Ian Ruscliffe—he actually had a considerate nature that extended to looking after his wife’s parents?
‘……It makes no sense.’
Had the budget cuts really driven him mad?
***
To put it plainly, it was the opposite.
The budget hadn’t been slashed—it had come back doubled, and his mood was excellent.
……Probably.
He hadn’t actually said that was the reason for his good mood.
The moment the three of them took their seats around the circular table, one at each point of a triangle, Ian raised his hand as if he’d been waiting for this.
“Here. Three Eastern Empire chicken dishes. Clear broth. Ah, and hold the strong herbs.”
……He really does know father’s preferences?
The Duke, having dabbed his hands lightly with a napkin, was already wearing a satisfied smile.
“Hah, I didn’t expect it—but you truly do know my tastes?”
“I frequent the Imperial Palace often enough. I simply followed what I’d heard there.”
Who exactly was this man, adorned even with humility?
Vanessa swallowed dryly and reached for her water glass.
“Well, I’m not usually fond of excessive modesty, but you may well be an exception.”
The Duke’s gaze had softened as he looked at Ian, and it seemed he truly meant those words.
Right. Even she hadn’t spoken her own preferences aloud, so of course it would feel good to have someone divine them in advance.
It would feel good, but…….
Father mainly dines with the Emperor, doesn’t he?
Under normal circumstances, she might have thought his lips were sealed with gold, but given his track record…….
It occurred to her that he might very well have gone to the Emperor and asked about Duke Sharoze’s tastes.
No…… he definitely did. A hundred percent.
While the atmosphere grew warm and harmonious, only Vanessa’s eyes darted about in disarray.
“So, for this shipment of trade goods, linen rather than silk…….”
“I’ve considered it, mind you, but that approach would saddle us with substantial tax burdens. Better to….”
“Ah, after this regular report, the fishing yields in the Glendar Waters should increase….”
Words poured ceaselessly from both men’s lips—phrases Vanessa found difficult to follow.
Her father had always been immersed in documents and, given his duty to report to the Emperor, he grasped Imperial affairs thoroughly. What struck her as unexpected was Ian.
Unlike others who either showed no interest or remained relatively ignorant unless a matter touched their own ventures, he displayed his knowledge with unsettling frankness—the sort of competence that could hold its own anywhere.
“…You’re wasted here, you know.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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