Erika de Visconti, now the Baroness of Rothschild.
The reason she requested a meeting with Kris and Chloe was to establish order within the household.
“My mother always said this: no matter which family you marry into, if the head wife cannot maintain proper order, the family will eventually collapse.”
Of course, even if the head wife maintains order, it doesn’t erase the insidious envy and jealousy between women.
For nobles, the level of love and favor they receive directly affects their standing and the wealth and power they can enjoy.
Because of this, women brought in as concubines for their beauty—or those desperate to become concubines—throw their entire beings into serving the nobleman. This reality doesn’t change.
However, if the head wife holds her ground, these fights remain trivial, only scratching the surface without affecting the family's foundation.
‘But even then, it wouldn’t be easy to stop those fights from crossing the line.’
Even Erika’s mother often drank calming tea to cope with the Duke of Visconti’s affairs with other women.
“At least in the Rothschild family, I’m fortunate that there’s no tension or power struggle between the women.”
In other noble families, concubines often squabble endlessly, but in the Rothschild household, Kris and Chloe frequently went out together.
It felt more like a mature younger sister taking care of her older sister.
Erika couldn’t help but be a little curious about how things really were.
When Erika entered the drawing room, she noticed Chloe and Kris sitting very close together—so close their shoulders almost touched.
‘It seems like the rumors were right. They are very close.’
The two stood up immediately upon noticing Erika, but she stopped them with a hand gesture.
“This isn’t a formal gathering; there’s no need to stand up. Just sit comfortably.”
Erika knew full well that even though she genuinely meant for them to relax, they wouldn’t be able to feel at ease.
Furthermore, it was commonplace for head wives blinded by jealousy to oppress concubines over petty reasons.
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‘It’s no wonder they’re uneasy.’
“I am Erika, formerly the Lady of the Visconti family and now the Baroness of Rothschild.”
Erika spoke confidently, befitting a duke’s daughter.
“I hope we can get along well moving forward. Regardless of our positions, we’re all wives of the Baron of Rothschild, aren’t we?”
Hearing this, Chloe and Kris tensed up even more.
Though neither of them was born into a noble family, they knew enough to understand this much:
‘Head wives despise concubines who steal their husband’s love and attention.’
While it’s said that once a head wife reaches her forties or fifties and loses interest in physical relationships, she might even cherish the younger concubines as tools to control her husband...
Erika was only fifteen.
On top of that, they had heard through the grapevine that, unlike most arranged marriages, Erika truly loved Fabio.
‘She could make our lives difficult...’
Even if Fabio himself believed Erika wasn’t that kind of person, the two couldn’t help but remain on edge.
“Let’s drop the formalities here. Since this is just between us women, I’ll speak frankly without worrying about the Baron.”
Despite her young age, Erika had been living the life of a noblewoman ever since she first learned to speak properly.
She had experienced so-called “friends” stabbing her in the back and been dragged into ridiculous scandals for refusing a dance with a man.
Surviving the dark and petty world of high society proved her competence.
‘What’s the point of just saying we should get along? Nobody would believe it.’
Thus, Erika decided to reveal a truth she couldn’t tell Fabio, hoping to earn their trust.
“I love the Baron. This isn’t just empty words or a polite façade because I’m the Baroness. When I turn twenty, I want to give him my first experience. Someday, I want to have his child, watch my belly grow, and see the culmination of our love take shape. Don’t you feel the same?”
Chloe was the first to respond.
“Yes, Madam. I, too, wish to have the young master’s—no, the master’s child.”
Erika softened her expression slightly as she looked at Chloe.
“How honest of you. No wonder our Baron wants to keep you close.”
Chloe was three years older than Erika, yet Erika approached her as if she were an older sister, using the poise she had honed in high society.
“To be honest, I wish I could monopolize the Baron entirely. I want to wake up every morning in the same bed, being the first person he sees. I want to hear him whisper sweet words of love to me and be the only woman in his life.”
This sentiment was not unique to Erika; any woman in her position might feel the same.
As much as she loved Fabio, she wanted to possess him entirely.
‘If I tried to monopolize him, would he still love me as he does now?’
She voiced her thoughts aloud.
“If I tried to monopolize him using my family’s power or my position as the head wife, the Baron would surely hate me. No, he treasures you two so much that he’d undoubtedly resent me.”
Life as a noble is like that of a swan or a duck.
It appears elegant above the surface, but beneath, it’s paddling furiously to stay afloat.
This dynamic extended to friends, siblings, and even parents, where political and personal interests frequently clashed.
Even Erika, despite maintaining a close relationship with her mother, father, and grandfather, hardly interacted with her other siblings except during formal family events.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Thus, genuine goodwill from anyone outside of her immediate family was deeply cherished.
Erika believed she could find peace within the Rothschild household, even if it was impossible elsewhere.
Would she let jealousy push her to cast Chloe and Kris aside?
‘If I tried that, I’d lose everything—his affection, his trust, and his regard for me.’
“Just as the Baron is precious to you, he’s incredibly precious to me too.”
Kris, having listened to Erika’s words, visibly relaxed her guard.
Even if Erika wasn’t being entirely honest, the mere fact that she laid bare so much of her thoughts meant one thing:
‘She doesn’t intend to suppress us.’
“Why is the Baron so important to you?”
“As a noble, you may enjoy many privileges, but you lose the ability to trust anyone. Even my father and grandfather, despite getting along, wouldn’t hesitate to turn on each other if power dynamics shifted.”
Erika continued, sharing her truth.
“But the Baron said he trusted me unconditionally. Unlike other men consumed by lust, he sees me for who I truly am. He’s the only person I can love and who loves me without any strings attached.”
Lowering her head slightly, Erika made a gesture unbecoming of a duke’s daughter and Baroness, but—
‘To gain true loyalty, one must forfeit their authority.’
Erika made her choice: to gain Fabio’s love, she would enlist the help of these two.
And she was prepared to do whatever it took.
“Please, support me. Help me earn the Baron’s love, just as you two have.”
“Yes, Madam.”
What Erika didn’t share with them was her small dream:
To create a family she could trust, one that included them.
She couldn’t monopolize Fabio, but she wanted to be part of this bond that felt like a family.
‘Wanting something I’ve never had before—what a greedy wish.’
“Finally, it’s over.”
The wedding was exhausting.
The costs weren’t the problem, but who holds a three-day wedding in Florence with a five-day reception?
Not to mention the ceremony in the Rothschild Barony dragged on for over ten days.
“I wanted something simple, but this was beyond my control.”
“Now I’m free, free at last.”
Well, until work starts again tomorrow. But at least I can sleep with Chloe and Kris at night.
With my wife being just fifteen, I’m stuck in a state of celibacy...
“If I have to go through another wedding, I’m not human.”
Just as I was relishing this thought, there was a knock at the door, and in walked the last person I wanted to see.
“Now that you’re a proper noble, it’s time to prove your bravery and loyalty to the Empire!”
What have I done to deserve this torment?
Ah, right. I’ve done plenty.