A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 90: Beginner in Romance

A few days after the recent events at Lumen Ordo had settled, in the Embergreen family’s head’s office.

Sigh.

Meredia Embergreen, the current head of the Embergreen family, finished her duties by stamping the last document in the mountain of paperwork. As she pushed the completed documents aside, she sighed again.

“...Already morning.”

The sunlight from the window was enveloping her, and the sound of birds chirping reached her ears. For Meredia, whose day and night were often reversed due to chronic insomnia, this wasn’t a familiar situation. However, she didn’t feel particularly tired.

“......”

That was because, since the day a few days ago when she had accidentally dozed off on Whitney’s shoulder, she no longer had nightmares and could sleep peacefully.

‘How strange...’

Meredia never expected that her long-standing insomnia, which had persisted despite all kinds of remedies, would suddenly be resolved like this.

‘It’s because of him...’

Thinking of the man who was most likely the cause, Meredia muttered to herself, suddenly blushing and ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) lowering her head.

“...Ugh.”

It had already been several days since the bombshell declaration in the carriage, but the memory of that day still made her face flush vividly.

“Damn...”

For a while, she buried her head on the table to cool down her heated face, but as the warmth subsided, embarrassment and shame began to creep up inside her.

—Thump, thump, thump...

A few seconds later, a rhythmic thudding sound began to echo in the office. The servants passing by the corridor overheard it and mistakenly thought someone was being punished, but the sound gradually quieted after quite some time.

—Ding~♪

And then, just then, a clear bell rang inside the office.

“Did... you call for me?”

Clara, Meredia’s personal maid, who had been waiting outside with an anxious expression, immediately entered the office as soon as she heard the bell.

“What kind of tea would you like today? If you're looking to recover your energy, I recommend chamomile or peppermint.”

“......”

“Or perhaps... how about lavender? It's a new tea leaf that just arrived, and the fragrance is really nice...”

The Embergreen estate, much like the Ringaarden family, was a place where most servants came and went due to the head's distrust of others. But Clara, Meredia’s personal maid, was an exception.

Having experienced Meredia’s hysterics since childhood, Clara had developed exceptional intuition and, thanks to one of Meredia’s few hobbies—tea parties—an impressive knowledge of tea. This had elevated her to the position of one of Meredia’s few trusted aides.

“Do you not like any of them? In that case, how about starting the morning with some warm cocoa...?”

For example, Clara’s ability to avoid mentioning that Meredia’s forehead was bright red in that moment was further proof of her excellent service skills.

“Forget it. I didn’t call you in here for tea.”

“Eh?”

“...I need your advice on something.”

Recently, Clara had felt a new task added to her usual responsibilities.

“Please, speak your mind.”

“...How do you normally separate the affections between men and women?”

Receiving relationship advice from Meredia was the new addition to her duties—one that, except for Clara herself, no one else would believe.

“Uh, well... that is....”

The problem was, Clara herself had an arranged fiancé by family decree and had never even properly held a man’s hand.

“So, what do you think, Princess?”

“...Answering a question with a question?”

“I-I just need to understand your perspective first so I can give proper advice! Hehe...”

Having hesitated for a moment and asked her own question instead, Clara quickly found herself in a flustered situation as Meredia’s icy response followed with an awkward smile.

“Hmmm...”

Meredia, eyeing Clara with mild suspicion, then slowly opened the window, her hand extending outward.

“Why are you opening the window all of a sudden...?”

“I’ve got an experiment to try.”

“...Eek?”

Clara, tilting her head in confusion, jumped back slightly when she saw something flying in from outside the window.

“Princess! It’s dangerous...”

“Don’t make a fuss. It’s just a crow.”

“...Ah.”

Having seen Meredia in many threatening situations, Clara was tense, but once she saw the crow perched on Meredia’s shoulder, she sighed in relief and spoke.

“Isn’t that the messenger crow from the Ringaarden estate?”

“...It was, until recently. But Whitney transferred it to me.”

“Is that so...?”

Despite Meredia’s explanation, Clara doubted that it was common for a family’s messenger crow to be given to someone else. She couldn’t help but wonder if Meredia had kidnapped it, but she soon discarded the thought.

—Caw?

However, given how nonchalantly the crow was perched on Meredia’s shoulder, Clara quickly dismissed the idea of it being a kidnapping.

‘And... it’s not surprising given how unusual their relationship is. It could be possible.’

Clara concluded that, given the man who had utterly broken Meredia, a simple messenger crow from the Ringaarden estate could indeed be a gift.

“So, what kind of experiment are you trying with that crow...?”

“Since ancient times, humans have gained wisdom by observing other life forms.”

Meredia, answering with a casual tone as if it were no big deal, quietly glanced at the crow.

—Tweet?

A short while later, a small platinum canary, one of Meredia’s most beloved pets, flew through the open window.

“Ah.”

Placing the canary gently in her hand, Meredia set it on the table beside her, then lowered the crow to join it. Clara, who had been watching in confusion, felt her face flush as she witnessed the scene.

—Flap, flap!

—Tweet!

In the blink of an eye, the crow, with a very familiar motion, began to demonstrate affection toward the canary.

“......”

What was particularly noteworthy was that, though the crow’s rough affections might have seemed intrusive, the canary simply frowned slightly before accepting them willingly.

“...So this is how a male and female affection play out?”

“Princess!”

After watching the pair for a while, Meredia muttered in a dazed tone, prompting Clara to raise her voice in alarm.

“You shouldn’t let them behave this way so easily!”

“...Why?”

“Well... usually, it’s the man who initiates affection, right? If the woman easily allows it despite feeling uncomfortable, then...”

But at Meredia's question, which she had been listening to with a dazed expression, Clara couldn’t help but fall silent.

“I don’t mind.”

“Huh?”

“I want affection.”

And then, the silence began.

“...Oh my.”

Realizing the words she had just spoken, Meredia’s face turned bright red again, and she buried her head in embarrassment. Clara, gazing at her silently, sighed, her hand pressed to her forehead.

“Exactly what is it about Whitney that has you so infatuated...?”

“......”

“At this rate, you’ll end up giving him your guts and everything. You should control yourself a little...”

When Clara started giving advice in a slightly reproachful manner, Meredia’s cold voice slipped out from beneath her lowered head.

“That’s not something you have the right to comment on.”

“...Ah, yes.”

Normally, Clara would have immediately stiffened in response to that tone, trembling, but this time, she answered lazily, her words tinged with an irritated tone.

‘She can make such a face too...’

Meredia, whose face was still flushed and whose gaze was turned away, looked so adorable that the usual charisma she exuded seemed to have vanished entirely.

“Princess, I told you before, right? The push and pull is important.”

“...Push and pull?”

“Yes, exactly. It applies to affection between men and women too.”

With that, Clara adopted a serious expression and stepped forward, prompting Meredia to flinch slightly but then listen to her words seriously.

“To make a relationship easier, you need to take the lead with push and pull.”

“...What if the other person doesn’t reciprocate the affection?”

Again, neither Meredia nor Clara had any real experience with romance. However, Clara at least had plenty of experience reading romance novels, which were considered a basic skill for maids and servants.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t show affection at all.”

“Then?”

“What you do is, sometimes don’t respond to the affection, and at other times, initiate it yourself. That way, you’ll take control.”

Having successfully given Meredia a somewhat useful piece of advice, Clara couldn’t help but feel a bit proud of herself.

“Alright, I understand. But I have one question.”

However, Meredia’s fundamental question immediately threatened to undo the effectiveness of Clara’s advice.

“...What do I do once I have control?”

“Well...”

This was the point where Clara, who had only learned about relationships through books, began to realize her fatal lack of real-life experience.

“You... You can make sure you’re not looked down upon by your partner... You can make them want you more... And also...”

But realizing that her knowledge might cause a backlash if exposed, Clara hurriedly squeezed out her words.

“For example, in bed, you can take control...”

“...!”

“...Ah, no. Never mind.”

Clara, inadvertently bringing up the forbidden knowledge too early, quickly closed her mouth after realizing her slip-up.

“......”

An awkward silence filled the room.

“...Thanks for the advice.”

Finally, Meredia, who had been swallowing dryly in thought, broke the silence and cleared up the situation.

“I’ll put it to good use at Ringaarden’s estate today.”

“Wait, today?”

Clara, who had just relaxed with a slight nod, suddenly froze, her eyes wide as she questioned Meredia’s next words.

“They’re starting a new knight order at Ringaarden’s estate today. I’ve been invited as an advisor.”

“Ah...”

“That’s today. So, I’ll be heading there by carriage right now.”

As Meredia began preparing to leave, Clara quietly watched, striking a “fighting” pose in support.

“Got it. I’ll wish you luck, Princess...”

“...You’re making it sound like I’m going on an expedition to a foreign land.”

“Hehe...”

“Oh, and before I go, there’s something I want to inform the Elder Council.”

As Meredia walked toward the door, she suddenly spoke, as though she had just remembered something.

“Please, let me know, and I’ll make sure it’s delivered.”

Clara, feeling a slight boost in her trust, tried to suppress a grin as she answered with a lowered head.

“Soon, probably by the end of this year, I’ll be marrying Whitney Ringaarden.”

“Huh?”

“So, make sure the servants prepare in advance.”

Upon hearing Meredia’s statement, Clara blinked a few times, her face frozen in a dazed expression, before finally letting out a strange, panicked sound.

“...Eh?”