Episode 14

Marcus Hanger, cherished nephew of Madam Noskina, liked to think of himself as a man devoted to bringing happiness to women.

But Madam Noskina had always scoffed at that. If he truly were that sort of man, then why did he treat her the way he did?

That morning, when her maid informed her that Marcus wished to assign her late husband’s room to a guest, Madam Noskina had been mildly surprised—but ultimately agreed.

Her husband’s room had remained untouched since his death.

The reason was simple: it was far too expansive for one woman to use alone. In fact, it had originally been constructed for the couple to share, but Madam Noskina had insisted that it was improper for a noble couple to sleep in the same room. Thus, the late Lord Noskina had used it alone until his passing—a rather tragic story, truly.

When Marcus had heard that, he remarked dryly,“Poor uncle. He built the room for you, and even in death, you won’t grant him his wish.”

Madam Noskina still regretted not striking him with her fan that day.

In any case, the room was far too large for an aging widow.

So Madam Noskina would occasionally offer it to visiting couples. It was richly appointed with expensive paintings and luxurious furnishings—Lord Noskina’s personal tastes. And she rather enjoyed hearing guests praise his refined sensibilities while secretly envying the wealth she now commanded through her Hanger family ties.

“Yes, that lady brought a daughter, didn’t she? The room has several bronze sculptures… I’ll have those removed. Place a large vase on the lower shelves and bring in a child’s chair.”

Madam Noskina was already planning how to rearrange the space.

She assumed the guest had simply requested a larger room because she had a child in tow. And hadn’t Marcus already caused her a fair bit of trouble?

“The paintings are hung high enough that they’re safe… I thought I’d have a quiet afternoon, but picking new curtains and bedding will keep me occupied.”

She signaled for the maid to retrieve some tapestries from storage.

But something didn’t sit right. Her longtime maid, Elena—normally quick and efficient—was hesitating today.

Madam Noskina narrowed her eyes at her.

“What is it?”

“Um, madam. I heard something rather… surprising.”

In this household, any “surprising” news the maid had was almost certainly about her beloved nephew.

As expected, Elena relayed that Marcus had purchased over a hundred outfits for the guest woman, in addition to jewelry, shoes, hats, and gloves. Parcels had been arriving at the estate since midday. Madam Noskina scowled.

“I heard he caused her to lose her luggage and funds… but this is rather excessive.”

“Yes. But that’s not the real issue—”

“Of course that’s not the issue!”

Madam Noskina waved her hand impatiently.

“He could buy a hundred dresses without blinking. While he loafs about, Hanger’s miners are still clawing treasure out of the dirt. They truly are a family that makes gold from mud.”

“Y-yes… but the actual issue is…”

“What now? Did he say something idiotic again and get slapped?”

Elena hesitated for just a second. But that brief pause was enough for Madam Noskina’s imagination to spiral into entirely the wrong direction.

She had already heard that the daughter accompanying the guest woman was quite pretty—lively, a bit inscrutable, but apparently Marcus had taken a liking to her.

Now Elena was hesitating?

Her nephew had just been dumped again—and he was notoriously quick to fall in love. Madam Noskina gasped.

“Don’t tell me he’s proposing to the child?!”

There were plenty of reprobates in the world who married girls thirty years their junior. Society was riddled with them. A fifteen-year age gap scarcely raised an eyebrow in certain circles.

But Madam Noskina had nothing but disdain for such men.

She herself had been only seventeen when she was engaged to Lord Noskina. At the time, she had barely developed a proper bust, gotten her period late, and still delighted in pink ribbons like a child.

And the daughter of that guest child—wasn’t she only fourteen?

Good heavens! Even if it was her own nephew, she would not tolerate such a thing. Madam Noskina resolved immediately. Her nephew…

“He already proposed… apparently…”

“I’ll kill him!”

She meant it. Unquestionably.

Madam Noskina shot to her feet and screamed. Normally, she complained about knee pain and avoided walking, but now she stood upright and roared at full volume:

“Marcus Hanger! You shameless scoundrel! I’ve let you run wild for too long, but this—!”

“L-Lady, no! That’s not it!”

Elena rushed to seize her arm, realizing the enormous misunderstanding she’d created.

“It’s not the girl. He proposed to the mother!”

“…What?”

Elena winced beneath her mistress’s gaze.

“I mean… I heard the young master proposed to the mother, not the daughter…”

Madam Noskina suddenly found herself unsure. Should she exhale in relief—or remain furious that her nephew had acquired a new woman so swiftly—and already proposed?

She truly didn’t know what to feel.

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As soon as Marcus entered the estate, he responded to the summons he had fully expected. His aunt had sent for him the moment she heard of his return, and Marcus casually strolled toward her room.

“It’s true. I proposed.”

Because it was the answer she had anticipated, his aging aunt didn’t scream. She merely pressed her forehead as though a headache was forming.

“What on earth is wrong with you…”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s wrong with me’? Isn’t this what you always said you wanted?”

Marcus smiled cheerfully. He had no intention whatsoever of informing his aunt that this marriage was a sham.

His aunt had always nagged him, “You’re already twenty-nine! Even if you marry and have a kid now, by the time that kid gets married, you’ll probably be dead!”

In fact, her husband had died before the age of forty due to a sudden fever, so her words didn’t sound all that exaggerated. Anyway—

“I’m going to marry Lady Starwood.”

“Have you lost your mind?! Of all the unmarried girls out there, why her? What if she’s hiding something?”

“She’s widowed.”

“Oh, dear. That’s unfortunate at such a young—hmm-hmm.”

His aunt, who had also lost her husband at a young age, clamped her mouth shut. Marcus smiled again and continued,

“There’s nothing wrong with her. Lady Starwood is of a baronial family, just like you. And from what I hear, her family is fairly prestigious in Maine.”

Of course, he added, “Not that a title matters to me,” thus preemptively blocking his aunt from retorting, “As if the Hanger family has any right to a barony!”

However, her response took a different turn.

“She has a child!”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“She’s older than you!”

“It’s her wisdom that guided me to love.”

His aunt glared at him and asked,

“Don’t tell me the reason she accepted your proposal is….”

“She did accept.”

“…Didn’t you just claim her to be wise?”

Marcus shrugged.

“It would be unwise of her to turn me down. Don’t you agree?”

As irritating as it was, his words made sense. The Hanger family had made its fortune in mining and was said to hold sway over the capital’s entire economy. The Emperor favored them, and rumors had it that a noble title was only a matter of time. Marcus was their only heir. Even if Lady Starwood had three kids, accepting his proposal was the obvious choice.

Still, her nephew’s smugness irked her. Madam Noskina ground her teeth.

“So you plan to share a room before even getting married?”

The fact that her nephew had gone so far as to propose suggested that this Starwood woman must be quite something.

Madam Noskina even suspected that the lost-luggage incident had been a ploy to lure Marcus. Otherwise, her quick-to-fall-in-love nephew would never have proposed so suddenly.

Let’s buy time, she thought.

Marriage, in the proper sense, was a grand affair—announcing their happiness to both families, extended relatives, and society. There would be some show of wealth, a bit of flaunting, that sort of thing.

If Marcus were to truly marry this woman, it would likely happen after returning to the capital. He’d have to introduce her to the rest of the Hanger family, gain their approval, then prepare a lavish wedding attended even by the Emperor himself.

And the larger the wedding, the longer the preparations.

Madam Noskina knew better than anyone that her nephew’s affection typically lasted only two months. By the time such a wedding came together, that period would already be up.

He’d brush off the proposal as a fleeting joke and move on to another woman. So buying time was her best strategy.

She also suspected the real reason her nephew had requested her late husband’s room. It had to be because he wanted to be physically close to the woman. With a child in tow and little time to spare, staying all the way in the west wing would make things inconvenient.

But over my dead body will I let an unmarried couple share a room!

Madam Noskina simmered inside as she glared at her nephew. He smiled back at her, with that annoyingly handsome face of his.

Don’t think that pretty face will get you anywhere! I won’t fall for your nonsense this time! she thought.

Then Marcus dropped the final bomb.

“We’re getting married. This weekend. The cathedral in Cliff happened to be available.”

Her handsome nephew had just metaphorically thrown mud in her face.

“The priest was delighted. Said it was wonderful to open Cliff’s spring season with a wedding. We just came back from getting the wedding dress fitted at the atelier.”

“This can’t be happening—! Your father—doesn’t your family in the capital need to be informed?! What are you thinking?!”

Marcus grinned brightly.

“My father always said his dream was for me to just run off and elope. I’m just making his dream come true.”

She was speechless. But Madam Noskina couldn’t stop him. When Marcus said that if she didn’t approve, he’d go marry in the next town over, she threw up her hands.

“Do whatever you want!”

And then, realizing she’d have to prepare a wedding within a week, Madam Noskina screamed internally. For a woman who had been living a quiet life, it was an utterly unreasonable task.

That weekend, the Cliff cathedral was flooded with an unprecedented number of guests. The garden was lined with beautiful flowerpots and a blue carpet. Every noble in Cliff attended the wedding, while dozens of beggars gathered outside hoping for handouts.

The groom, beaming, handed baskets full of food to the beggars, claiming he wanted to share his happiness. The bride wore an exquisite crocheted lace gown that no one had ever seen before and smiled radiantly. Her small bouquet of white violets was the subject of much praise.

It was still early in the year to call it spring, but so began the “Spring of Cliff.”

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