I Won't Clear Up the Misunderstanding. I Don't Mind Being the Villainess. - Chapter 40

“So, are the Duke’s travel plans all sorted, by the way?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged for Brian to handle the details,” Holger replied brightly when I asked the question that had popped into my head.
“I’ll stay here to manage the Duke’s finances and overall administration, and I’m handing that part over to Carvel. For everything else, I trust Brian completely.”
“I’ve never spoken to him, but Brian sounds really capable.”
“He wouldn’t be the Deputy Steward otherwise,” Holger said with a genuine smile. He clearly had immense faith in Brian.
Of course, the very same Brian would later casually betray that trust and try to get rid of Holger’s son, Carvel. Maybe because he was so competent, he just couldn’t stand the thought of someone less experienced being his superior?
“If he’s so good, why didn’t you ever think of making him the Steward?” I asked. Holger looked a little surprised, then gave a bitter chuckle.
“Brian got married almost immediately after he started working at the mansion.”
“Is that the reason—because he’s not single? But then, what about you…?”
“I wasn’t with my wife when she died.”
This time, my face showed my shock. Holger continued speaking in an even tone.
“She died from an epidemic, but apparently, she told her family not to call for me.”
Holger was probably not included in the ‘family’ he was referring to. Even in my past life, there were people who threw themselves so completely into work that they neglected their home. Holger lives and works right here at the Duke’s mansion. On top of that, he kept working without proper treatment even after he hurt his back. It’s difficult to imagine him successfully balancing work and family.
“At the funeral, my eldest son yelled at me. It was only right; it was a consequence of my own actions that my wife saw me as unreliable.”
“But I truly don’t want Brian to make that same mistake.”
Holger looked at me with sincerity. He seemed like a caring, good boss, but it made me wonder where that left Carvel.
“In that case, is Carvel actually okay with all this?”
“He’s always said he has no intention of marrying. He must have made that decision after seeing my relationship with my wife, and resolving to take over as Steward.”
“I see…”
Well, I couldn’t really say anything more to that. Not right now, anyway. I did think he should have been working at the ducal mansion long ago to build relationships with the staff, but I kept the criticism to myself. Kevin had probably messed things up somehow.
“The Duke muttered Carvel’s name meaningfully after reading a letter. I wonder if there’s some history between those two?”
“His Grace did…?”
“Yes, though he clearly didn’t want me to know he’d even mentioned it.”
“He didn’t want the Duchess to know… that makes sense,” Holger mused, a bit confused, before finally speaking.
“When Carvel was a teenager, he actually worked here as a footman in the ducal mansion.”
“A footman, meaning he was in charge of the Duke’s personal needs?”
“That’s right, only His Grace said he simply didn’t like the way Carvel looked at Lady Lily.”
I was dumbfounded. What would be left of Kevin if you removed his jealousy and possessiveness? The answer was simple: apathy, as his treatment of Leo and Ron proved.
So, Carvel was always meant to inherit Holger’s position and become the Steward, and he had mentally prepared himself for it. That’s why he was supposed to gain experience at the Avenius mansion starting in his teens. But Kevin got jealous—”Why are you looking at my Lily?”—and Carvel was banned from working there.
He even cautioned me against having an affair with Carvel. Kevin probably went completely bonkers and considered it an affair just because the young Carvel had spoken to his beloved Lily.
“However, now… no, I’m sure it will be fine now that His Grace is a more settled, mature age.”
I suspected Holger was really judging it based on the difference in Kevin’s affection for his wife now, not just his age, considering his hesitation.
“I truly hope so, too.”
“Me too.”
“Also, regarding Brian, I want you to tell him about the risks of becoming the Steward.”
Holger’s eyes went wide.
“The risks, Duchess?”
“Specifically, your consideration for him. Tell him why you’re choosing the unmarried Carvel to be Steward instead of the married Brian.”
“…If the Duchess insists,” Holger nodded, though it seemed tentative.
I truly hoped this would be enough to smooth over Brian’s dissatisfaction: Why is Carvel becoming Steward and not me?
(If he still chooses to bother Carvel after that, I’ll have no choice but to fire him, even if I regret losing his ability.)
But in that case, we’d have to find a new Deputy Steward. I really hoped Brian would make the smart choice.