A Stranger Wearing the Name of Your Wife - Chapter 1

“Take care, dear. Come back safely.”

I smiled and saw him off, just like always. For the past two years, we had repeated the same daily routine. At the entrance hall, my husband looked back and waved before heading to work. As a royal palace guard, his schedule wasn’t fixed. Normally, he worked for three days and rested for two, but when guests visited, it wasn’t unusual for him to be away for more than a week.

That’s why… I never doubted anything.
How foolish of me.

As soon as he disappeared from sight, I turned on my heel.

“Madam.”

“Yes, please take care of everything.”

My lips, used to giving orders, spoke the command naturally. The butler bowed and moved, and the servants began covering the furniture with white cloths to keep off dust. The grand mansion was quickly put in order. Vases and urns were carefully packed, placed in a special room, and locked away.

My closet had already been organized by the maids since last night. The remaining clothes were packed into trunks, and accessories and small items were wrapped with care. I looked around the now-empty room and nodded in satisfaction. I passed through the next bedroom and glanced at the bare shelves as I entered my husband’s room.

“Young Lady, these are the items we will keep. The ones over there will be disposed of—is that alright?”

Though he wasn’t the butler of this house, the elderly man in a butler’s uniform asked for instructions. He was Konrad, my mother’s personal butler from my family home. The boxes were evenly divided on both sides. The left side contained my husband’s personal belongings. The right side held the clothes and accessories I had bought for him. Of course, since no one would use them anymore, it was right to get rid of them.

“I’ll leave it to you. Thank you… Konrad.”

With his graying head deeply bowed, the old butler showed his respect. He wasn’t wrong to call me “Young Lady.” He had taken care of me since I was little and clearly understood what was happening now. So, I didn’t correct him—I just nodded calmly.

“What about the carriage?”

“It is ready. Field Marshal Edelstein has just arrived.”

Oh, Brother Fort has come to pick us up. I feel safe knowing my youngest brother, who oversees the military and also serves as an escort, will be with me. Feeling relieved, I headed to the child’s room. It was near the master bedroom, and my sweet daughter was sleeping inside. She didn’t care about the noise in the mansion—what a tough little girl.

“I’ve come to get you—oh? Is this my niece Ingrid? She’s adorable.”

My brother walked in with the clinking sound of his armor, and I showed him my daughter as I held her in my arms. She had just woken up, but instead of crying, she looked around curiously. Her big blue eyes blinked slowly. Then Ingrid yawned widely and moved her mouth sleepily.

“She’s not crying when she sees me—good girl. Eckhart fixed up a carriage to make it easier to travel. It’s comfortable.”

“Oh, how nice. I’m looking forward to it.”

Watching our sibling conversation, Butler Konrad squinted warmly.
Hehe, this feels kind of ticklish in a nice way.

Escorted by my brother, I left the mansion and got into the prepared carriage. I didn’t look back. As the imperial knights saluted us, the carriage slowly started to move.