“It was the beginning...”
She calmly began to explain what she had been through.
"It started with a slight cough. I thought it was just a regular cold."
But the cough showed no sign of stopping.
Not only that, but because of the constant cough, she couldn't sleep, let alone eat properly.
As she continued her explanation, my facial expression intensified.
“This… seems similar to King Berga’s symptoms.”
Two years ago, Salt City was in turmoil because the king had contracted a similar illness.
Berga was also suffering from a dry cough at the time, which led doctors to suspect asthma or lung disease. Naturally, they focused on finding medicinal herbs beneficial to the respiratory system.
But the reason was something completely different.
“Boyard’s people.”
Who would have thought that the source of a persistent cough lies in racial characteristics?
In fact, the Salt Kingdom's ancestors, the Boyard People, had unusually brittle ribs that were prone to breaking.
But as generations passed and different breeds mixed, this problem diminished. Berga's symptoms were limited to a painless cough, which made her diagnosis difficult.
The cause was not determined until later, thanks to a scientist's hypothesis, as it turned out to be a rib problem, which allowed for appropriate treatment.
Even for the king, it took a long time to figure out why. Wouldn't it be more difficult in a normal situation?
As my thoughts settled, I unconsciously asked a question.
“Excuse me, Madam Baroness, but where are you from?”
“How shameful! I inherited this palace from my late parents. I was born and raised here.”
“And your parents?”
Although I was cautious, fearing that my question might seem impolite, she answered with a kind smile.
Fuck, cough! “My mother was from Klitan, and my father was born in the Salt Kingdom. He immigrated to Klitan at a young age.”
"Show…."
Just as I expected.
When she learned that her bloodline was related to Salt's, she gasped silently.
This made my theory more plausible.
“However, I will have to check it to be sure.”
“But… (cough) Ma’am, may I ask what brings you here?”
“Oh, right!”
I got caught up in her story, and completely forgot my original purpose.
However, broaching the topic was not easy.
“I was always told not to interfere in disputes between relatives.”
What if I make things worse between them?
In the past, when I tried to resolve a wheat-related business dispute on my own, it ended in disaster. I was afraid that history would repeat itself.
But…
“Ignoring it won't solve anything either.”
After hesitating for a moment, I made up my mind again.
“The Baroness.”
"Yes?"
“What do you think of your husband/wife’s family?”
"…Yes."
Complex emotions shone on her pale face.
But her eyes quickly softened.
“I think they are good people.”
“What? But...”
Didn't they oppose her marriage to Baron Bavron?
Now, they have practically severed ties. As a daughter-in-law, she couldn't feel comfortable about it.
So why?
“Haha, now I understand why you’re looking at me like that.”
She laughed lightly and continued speaking, as if she was reading my thoughts.
“They are just normal parents who love their son so much. Haha! My husband may see things differently, but I know they are worried about him and really love him.”
“……”
So, they are good people.
Her face lit up with sincerity as she added those words.
“My husband once told me that he never lacked anything as a child. He never felt deprived.”
James Bavron, the distinguished son of the Marquis couple.
He lived a life where he got everything he needed thanks to their support. Some might even describe him as a spoiled nobleman.
But his life changed completely when he met a woman at a social gathering.
"I always thought we were not compatible. I assumed I was just a fling...but in the end, he chose me. He went against his parents' wishes and married me, the daughter of a not-so-prestigious family."
As I listened, I was relieved that Baron Bavron was not here.
“So, I understand why they are against our marriage.”
In noble society, marriage was a means of securing power through strategic alliances.
If Baron Bavron had been a little more realistic, he would have kept his current wife as his mistress while he married an influential noblewoman.
This was common sense and the prevailing behavioral standard of that era.
But Baron Bavron chose to maintain his loyalty.
The Baroness seemed to share the same idea, as her voice became softer.
“Besides my gratitude to him as a wife, I think it was natural for his parents to oppose our marriage for his sake. They are really not bad people.”
What followed was a story I had never heard before, not even from the Marchioness Ambrose.
Before Baron Bavron left his home for good, the Marchioness had once visited the Baroness.
The Baroness expected to be sprayed with water or perhaps even hit with a fan, but she was surprised by the Marchioness's unexpected behavior.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but… for the sake of my son’s future, I hope you break up with him. I will personally arrange for you to meet the best suitor through the most famous matchmaker in the capital.”
“I get her point. However...”
She lowered her gaze, her eyes filled with sadness.
"I respected his love more, and my feelings were more important to me. That's why I couldn't fulfill her desires."
"Show."
It was more complicated than I thought.
A situation in which there was a degree of affection, but the fundamental difference in interests prevented the gap between them from being narrowed.
But such incidents were not rare.
I nodded slightly to myself and then spoke.
“So… if you had the chance to reconcile, you wouldn’t let it slip away, would you?”
“Of course not. It pains me to think that the people who loved their son so dearly are now completely separated from him, not even in contact with him.”
If this were a Korean drama, wouldn't it resemble a common stereotype – an ordinary woman marries the heir to a conglomerate?
If I had to choose a cliche scene that always appears in such stories, I would immediately think of the idea of “abuse.”
Of course, an outspoken person like the Marchioness Ambrose would not resort to petty methods to torture her daughter-in-law.
“But just feeling unwelcome will be hard enough.”
Besides, given the Baroness's poor health, trying to reconcile the dispute might worsen not only her physical condition but also her mental health.
“If you two make up, wouldn't that put you in a difficult situation? You might feel uncomfortable...”
"If it was in the past, I might have been worried about it. But now, I trust my husband. There are things that a wife understands with time."
“And...what would that be?”
A light laugh escaped her lips.
Then she answered in a voice full of firm certainty:
“Will my husband be a strong support for me when I need him most?”
Her gaze was so warm that I found myself nodding silently.
“What kind of heart does one need to have to show such faith?”
For a moment, I felt genuinely curious.