The Jordyn family’s dinner table was cordial; for the first hour or so.

Count Jordyn’s husband, Juli, was a good and honest person. This was the personality that Mel gave priority to when choosing a marriage partner in the first place.

Good and sincere, healthy and not too greedy, kind and like children.

She was the heir to County Jordyn and the future custodian of Evron’s stronghold. Therefore, the one who would become her husband had to be a man who knew how to provide adequate assistance and could provide a healthy heir.

Although it was an arranged marriage, the couple had a good relationship. Juli gave Mel healthy babies, and raised the children without a cloudy face while Mel was out on the battlefield.

Although the family fell considerably, nonetheless, all the people of the stronghold recognized him as the son-in-law of the Jordyn family, without any blemish.

So was Hayley. She liked Juli. Just as much as she has an age difference with Mel, she has a significant age difference with Juli, too. There were times when she cared for him.

However, from the moment they met, more than an hour later, the affection disappeared behind those distant memories.

The original family is affectionate when they are not living together. In that sense, Juli was definitely Hayley’s family.

“You are already past marriageable age, Hayley.”

Juli declared with a solemn face.

“If you want to have a healthy baby, you have to get married as soon as possible.”

Hayley struggled to straighten her shriveled face. There were three folds of wrinkles around her eyes, but the corners of her mouth were raised somehow.

It was a family meeting after 14 years. She didn’t want to cause a dispute at the table.

Besides, Juli wasn’t a person to just speak without a thought. He sincerely believed that the happiest thing for a person to do once they get older is to get married and to have children and raise them. And he himself lived that way.

Four years ago, Juli said something similar. That she would be a spinster.

But when Hayley laughed and said there was no one suitable, he would end the conversation by lamenting that he had no one to introduce.

According to Juli’s standards, there was hardly anyone suitable for Hayley.

Hayley also works as an official and she is Jordyn’s daughter, so the husband should prefer to help. However, among young men of suitable status, there were hardly any plausible candidates.

Juli’s low status also became a bit of a barrier.

Later, when Mel becomes Count Jordyn and a generation change takes place, Juli becomes the patriarch of the family. If the third husband had a higher status than Juli, the order in the household could be disturbed.

Juli once told the second, Fiona’s husband, that he was worried that Hayley might not be able to meet her partner because of lack of himself.

Hayley heard this from Fiona and closed her eyes tightly. She wanted to scream.

“The problem is, even if you say no, eldest brother-in-law will never understand.”

Hayley said so, pretending to plug her ears tightly. But Fiona turned her gaze away and said she didn’t know what Hayley wanted to say.

“It’s not like brother-in-law’s worries are completely unfounded.”

“What right does the husbands of three daughters have to compete as the future patriarch?”

“To be honest, though, how do people become like that? It’s not that we didn’t know each other until now, and honestly, he’s that kind of person. Well, you’re smart, so you understand people who create disputes over things like that.”

The last sentence was to tell her to listen to it no matter how much she disagreed.

Then, Hayley recalled that thought again. The family, too, had to be distant to be affectionate.

In that regard, Hayley was well aware that she was not fit to start her own family.

She loved her parents and her sisters. She respected Mel, and she liked their children, too. However, when they were together, it was difficult to breathe, just like when she had a fever.

“When you were in Evron, it was difficult to find a suitable person for you, isn’t it different now? I heard that Her Majesty is very fond of you.”

“Yes……. That’s right…….”

Hayley replied without hesitation. Mel’s eldest son Isdin, who was sitting across from her, giggled. Hayley kicked Isdin’s ankle under the table.

Mel opened her mouth.

“Stop it.”

“But Mel.”

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, and if we just nag, we’ll get hated.”

Juli bit his mouth. Hayley sighed in relief.

But then her spine chilled.

“I’m sure she will take good care of herself. It’s not like she doesn’t have a man to meet.”

Those words only sounded like a warning to be careful.

It felt like the pieces of bread she was chewing were made of grains of sand. Hayley glanced secretly and saw Juli’s eyes twinkling.

“Ah, I see! I didn’t know that. Well, our Hayley is so smart that she wouldn’t have met anyone in our narrow stronghold, but the Capital is different.”

“Don’t put too much pressure on her, Juli.”

“Haha, I don’t mean to burden her. It’s because I’m happy.”

Juli would have meant it. At least, it was definitely for Hayley rather than Fiona.

This is driving her crazy.

Hayley sighed.

“It’s not like that.”

“It’s not like that?”

“I still have a lot of work to do. Now is not the time to be interested in such things. Besides, if I marry, I will have restrictions on my actions, but right now, I am busy only supporting the Empress …….”

“Your life will be more stable if you have a spouse, Hayley.”

Hayley pursed his lips and laughed. Does marriage make it stable? To do that, she has to meet a man like Juli and get help, but she will go crazy with frustration.

It was then. The savior has come.

The servant who knocked on the dining room door cautiously entered and handed Hayley a note.

Meet me in a moment.

It was only that, but it was enough to know whose it was.

Hayley put down the napkin and stood up.

“I’m going to go out for a while.”

“Hayley.”

“Enjoy your meal. Brother-in-law, don’t make that face. We are going to live together for a while.”

It’s frustrating that it’s driving her crazy.

Hayley added that in her heart, and left the dining room.

* * *

It was still chilly at night, but it felt like a summer night for Northerners.

Without a shawl, Hayley went out in her sheer indoor dress. The wind was refreshing because she was hot under the stress.

She went out into the garden, and Freil was waiting with a lamp.

“Hey, where’s your coat?”

“It’s just for a moment. It’s not cold, why are you wearing outerwear? And, where are you going?”

“It’s not like that. A lamp?”

“I have it. Here.”

Freil looked at the lamp in her hand. It seemed to mean that it was all she needed.

“I have to go back to the Main Palace.”

“What. Won’t you take me?”

“No, not that.”

“Or, do you need time until the lights go out?”

“No, not even that.”

Freil replied. Hayley shrugged her shoulders.

The two took a short walk in the garden. There was nowhere to go.

It would be foolish to think that something could be hidden in the Imperial Palace with eyes on the walls and floors.

‘Sometimes the problem is that you do such stupid things yourself.’

Hayley looked up blankly at the night sky and thought. It was a clear day, so the sky looked like it was going to be full of stars.

“How was it? It must have been a long time since you saw your family.”

“What’s the difference after a long time? It’s nice to meet them, Eldest Sister is scary, and I hate getting nagged. Oh, I was surprised that my nephew was so grown up.”

“Did you get nagged at home?”

“You didn’t?”

“My grandfather is a person who will give you meals and a bed, so you can do whatever you want.”

“Ah…….”

Freil lost both his parents and grandmother at a young age and was raised by his grandfather. She remembered hearing stories about him being an incredibly free spirit.

“Well……. Not just Eldest Sister, but Eldest Brother-in-law.”

Freil looked at Hayley with pitying eyes.

He did not have any personal acquaintance with Juli. But he knew about Jordyn’s eldest son-in-law, as much as others knew.

“Well, that’s fine. What are you going to talk about?”

Hayley asked, shaking her head sharply.

Freil hesitated for a moment. Cedric advises that when it comes to mind, he has to speak up so he doesn’t regret it.

He was determined to listen to the advice, but it was not easy for him to speak out at first.

“Dame Mel brought me up on the matter of the Northern Governor. I think I am going to talk again about it with His Majesty tomorrow.”

“…….”

Hayley bit her lips.

She, too, was aware of the problems involved with Freil’s appointment as Governor of the North.

In fact, if she doesn’t think about Freil’s personal problems and just looks at it purely politically, it would be better for him to get married and take his post.

The best partner would be a daughter from a central official who is emerging with a prestigious class. If the time becomes difficult, then the knights of the North would be fine.

Hayley had a complicated mind.

“Are you not going to tell me to go or not to go?”

“Does my opinion matter? What’s our relationship?”

Hayley answered in a hostile way, unknowingly. It was because she heard a lot of nagging about marriage a while ago.

That didn’t mean she wanted Freil to propose.

Marriage was not what she wanted. People she did not choose follows her husband into her family, and the kinship continues to expand after that.

Her mother or her second sister said she was unusual. That’s normal, and the relationships that result from doing so support each other’s lives.

Mel, who was in charge of everything, used to smile.

“It’s not that I don’t think the responsibility is heavy. But that responsibility also makes people stronger.”

She thought that maybe she was of a different race from her oldest sister.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t gripped with some urge from time to time. But she had already missed that moment.

Now, Hayley was stable. Artizea withdrew from the front and became the ruler of the Empress’ Palace.

Artizea’s judgment that she would adjust well to Capital life and might move for power was not wrong.

Hayley was now satisfied. It was rewarding and substantial. In a few years, she had plans to share the responsibilities with Hazel and move forward as an official.

Considering the many challenges she faces in public life, her private life was just good to be drinking tea in the sun in a comfortable room.

If she thinks about it that way, it seems that there is something called the ‘appropriate time’ that Juli used to say.

Hayley was about to walk back, but Freil grabbed her hand. Hayley looked back at him, bewildered.

“I am going to the North.”

The tension released from Hayley’s shoulders. It let her know what made her nervous.

She shook her hand away, and Freil let go.

“Good for you. His Majesty will be pleased.”

“Hayley.”

“What?”

Hayley realized that she wasn’t smiling. So, she deliberately pulled up the corners of her mouth with her two fingers to make a smiling face.

“Congratulations.”

“Is it something to congratulate?”

“Actually, that’s what you wanted to do the most, right? Isn’t your ambition to have power or swimming in a mountain of gold coins.”

Freil’s eyes rolled.

“I have power, but I want a mountain of gold coins.”

“Then, it would be illogical to be Governor of the North. Ask him to send you to the South.”

Hayley explained.