The hall is almost silent beside a few nobles whispering here and there. I can feel their skeptical yet pitiful gaze towards me. I mean, it's normal in a situation like this.
I, Ladana Von Korvaldt, am now the grand duchess of Korvaldt. At the age of 16. I get why they are skeptical. How can a teenager lead a grand duchy? That's what they are probably thinking. I'm thinking that too... I might be a 29-year-old soul... But I'm still 16 in this life…this makes no sense. Like after death you'll think it's time to go to hell or heaven, right? At least that's what I thought... But I didn't think I'd get to live once again. Just when I thought it was all over. I died and then opened my eyes again as a child, and I still remember everything from my previous life. Imagine my surprise when it happened to me. I was so happy that finally this living thing was ending, but NO... God had other plans for me... I hate my fate... why do you have to be so cruel and mean, bro? Let the girl die in peace!
That's how I got here now. Standing here in my black dress as a widow right before the casket of my late husband, Grand Duke Alistair Von Korvaldt… master…Yes, that's what I call him, "master," as in teacher...I know right now it doesn't make much sense...but it will soon enough i guess.…when I deal with all the other noble households.
As the funeral continued, I could see his children sobbing from the corner of my eyes But his elde… But his eldest son didn't shed a tear.Well, I'm not crying either, though. I should be crying the most as his wife... but I couldn't bring myself to cry.I promised, didn't I? I promise to be strong and make you proud, didn't I, master? to protect those who are precious to you...
Well… I just want to disappear right now... I mean… I thought reincarnation happens like you die and then wake up farther in the future, NOTcentered back in the past!But look at me now, a person from the 21st Century now…somewhere in the 12th century according to this place's time.
I have heard from my colleagues in my previous life, those who loved to read. Her name was Lily. Like her name, she was a very cheeky person too. One day she told me about some story she read and how the FL gets reincarnated into a book she read.
But that isn't the case here... I have no idea if this is another universe or whatever... because I never read those kinds... The only books I have read are academic and law-related books, as I was a very successful lawyer in my past life.
As the funeral came to an end, many nobles approached me saying things like, "I'm sorry for your loss, Lady Korvaldt," or "Please tell us if you need help, my lady." But I wonder how many of them actually are genuine.
I'm pretty sure most of these people are trying to suck up to me. Because Korvaldt Duchy is the most powerful after the imperial family of the Velanith Empire now thanks to Master. With one of the most powerful knight orders anda business that always thrives. To say the least, the Korvaldt Duchy is stable in finance and in power dynamics. But being the most powerful duchy comes with a lot of work… financial, political, and managing the duchy itself. I'm already so tired from the funeral, but I still have stuff to do.... And there is a meeting with all the master's relatives. This is going to be annoying.
They will probably try to put me down and tell me to hand over my position as the family head to them. They even tried to convince Master to not let me step up as the Grand Duchess before his death. But Master's will didn't change; even on his deathbed, he trusted me to take care of it all.
I might not be interested in being the family head and holding all this power... but one thing I can say is, if I hand my position over... the Korvaldt Duchy will go down the hill. Because those idiots want the power that comes with the position without being aware of how hard the responsibility is. And also the children... I'm pretty sure those people will treat the children like shit once I'm out of the picture.
I can't let that happen...not on my watch. And the only person I'm handing this position on to is the eldest son, who is 15 years old now. Only a year younger than me. He is the original and rightful heir to the dukedom. But he still isn't in the state to step up. He still has a lot to learn before that. As his stepmother, I'll make sure that what is his stays his. He might hate me just like his other siblings... But I take my responsibility quite seriously, and I promised, Master. And I don't intend to break the promise. I'm grateful to him after all he's done for me. I know he had his reason to save me. And those might not be the best reasons to take in an abandoned slave child. But I still owe him and the late Grand Duchess a lot.
They took the casket away and buried him next to his first wife, the late Grand Duchess, in the garden. It's a beautiful place surrounded by white flowers. This part of the garden is separated from the actual garden… this one is sort of a family graveyard but more fancy, decorated with beautiful gravestones that are carved in his name and his birthday to the day he died in cursive writing.
This… makes me wonder what happened to my body in a previous life? Did the hospital throw it away or actually bury it somewhere decent? Well, I guess I will never know.
After completing all the main traditions, there is one last thing left that makes no sense to me. And the last tradition is that after the husband dies, the wife shall cut her hair short. I don't fucking want that! I love my long black hair! Damn it... As I reluctantly sit down, the maid starts to cut my hair. I did my best to keep a stoic face and not cry as I watched my hair fall to the ground. My precious hair...Fuck this.
In the end my hair was cut off to shoulder length. It is supposed to be down to my hip... not shoulder. After I cried in my mind, I changed my dress to an off-white dress and got ready for the meeting. All I want to do is cry for my hair or just sleep because I feel so tired. But I have no choice but to see those irritating people.
The knight in front of the meeting room bowed and then opened the doors.
The room fell silent as I entered and settled down on the chair of the family head. I could see their hateful, jealousy-filled gaze and some pitiful looks as I said, "Shall we begin?" My voice was calm and even, and there was an unreadable expression on my face as I looked at all 6 people in front of me. Count Evander Rhiemont, Viscountess Sylvianne Delcour These two are the most against me leading the dukedom. Baroness Thalora Vexmere, Marchioness Virelda Ashwynd, Baron Ronan Thornecroft, Marquess Lucien Drayvale, These people are trying to be supportive, but I'm still not sure if I'm fit for this position.
Count Rhiemont spoke up, his voice dripped with superiority: "I apologize for your loss, my lady." He continues, "But I'd like to state my concerns about the position the lady is in. In my opinion, my lady is far too young for such a position. And on top of that, you are just a young girl," he said, trying to intimidate me. He looks proud to be looking down on me, and a few of the others nodded in agreement with him, and the other few were hesitant to do anything, it seems.
I looked him right in the eyes as he flinched from the intensity of my gaze and said, "Are you questioning my abilities, Count?" He was taken aback as if he didn't expect me to directly ask him, but he continues. "It's not that, my lady; I'm simply concerned about the future of the Korvaldt duchy," he said, trying to sound genuine and concerned. I hate it when people pretend to have good intentions when they have the bad ones. And I can clearly tell that he doesn't have 'concerns about the Duchy.' I sigh softly before speaking. "May I ask what you are hinting at? That you should take over the family head's position? And I'm not capable enough to handle the Duchy, as I'm just a young girl?" I asked, my voice as calm and collected as ever. This time. Viscountess Delcour spoke. "Indeed, Lady Ladana," she continues, her face having a smug smile on it that I'd like to remove. "I agree that you are still far too young to have such a position, and I suggest that you hand over the position to one of us, as you might not be able to control the weight of the position, and the children need an adult to take care of them too. You yourself are a teenager," she said, her voice dripping with arrogance. I tried my best not to roll my eyes as I spoke up. "Lady Delcour... I think you are forgetting that I'm the one who has the highest positive here. For you to speak in such a manner makes me question if you remember your status..." She glared at me as I called her out on her behavior.
I don't get it; I might be a teenager, but this is still so rude. It's as if these people expect me to accept their bullshit quality like a timid little girl. But guess what? I don't give a damn. If you are going to be an ass, then I'll give you what you are asking for. I continued, this time my tone colder. "Thank you for your concerns, but the late Grand Duke Alistair Von Korvaldt has entrusted me to care for his children and the dukedom until Alaric is capable of taking over. And I hope you will respect his will and try not to question the late Grand Duke's authority and will." Everyone was silent for a few minutes after I said that. They glanced at each other. Those who were hesitating at first spoke up. This time Marchioness Virelda Ashwynd spoke up, her voice gentle and soft. "The grand duke made the right decision as always. I don't know about everyone here, but I will fully support the grand duchess Ladana." I think I have made it clear that I'm not someone you can mess with easily. A small smile crossed my face. "I hope we all get along, and there's no need to be concerned for the future of the grand duchy with all your support; I hope to lead it well," I said, making it clear that I'm not someone who will stand by as they try to look down upon me. "If there are more things you would like to state… do write to me." I sigh and continue, "I'm feeling quite tired from today's events. So the meeting is over for today," I announced, leaving no room for argument as I stood up and left. I slowly walked to my room.
The events weighed heavy on my shoulders as I entered my room and saw my personal maid, Lilith, cleaning my room and getting my nightgownready. She saw me and bowed, then said, "Good evening, Your Grace." I smiled and walked over to the bed and sat down. "How are the children doing?" I asked her softly. She paused for a moment, then answered. "The 4 lords and lady were crying a lot, but I believe that the nannies fed them and helped them relax into sleep," she said politely. I hummed in acknowledgement, then asked, "How about Alaric?" She looks down for a bit before answering, "I believe that Lord Alaric is on the rooftop again, but I made sure a knight is watching over him from afar." I hummed in acknowledgement again. "I see," I mumbled to myself as Lilith helped me into my nightgownand left when I told her. I lay down on the bed looking up at the ceiling, seeing the art painted on there as I fell asleep. I have a lot of things to take care of. But I need to rest first.