The next morning, the mansion woke earlier than usual.
Servants moved quietly through the corridors before sunrise. Some swept the courtyards, others polished the railings and lanterns that had been used during the wedding celebration. The fragrance of fresh flowers replaced the scent of fireworks and wine that lingered from the previous night.
It was tradition in the Kingdom of Aragon.
Whenever a new lady entered a noble household, she would address the servants and workers of the mansion the following morning.
Because of that custom, everyone made sure to dress neatly and present themselves properly.
By the eleventh hour of the day, everything was ready.
The servants, guards, cooks, and workers gathered in the central courtyard of the mansion.
At the front stood General Don and Lady Dhalia, now the official lady of the house.
Lady Dhalia wore a graceful but modest noble dress of soft blue silk.
Her hair was carefully tied behind her shoulders, and although she still felt slightly shy about her new role, she carried herself with quiet dignity.
General Don stepped forward first.
"Good morning everyone," he said with a warm voice.
"Thank you all for your hard work yesterday and today. I know you must be tired after the celebration."
He crossed his arms behind his back.
"So for the rest of the day, you may rest."
The servants immediately bowed.
"Thank you, General!"
Don nodded with satisfaction.
Then he gestured toward the woman beside him.
"As you all know, the lady of this mansion arrived yesterday."
He looked proudly at her.
"Her name is Lady Dhalia."
"From now on, everything within this mansion will be decided by her."
"I will soon resume my duties to the Kingdom, so the responsibility of this household rests with her."
He looked at the assembled servants.
"Is that clear?"
The entire courtyard answered at once.
"Yes, General! We pay respect to the General's Lady!"
They bowed deeply toward Lady Dhalia.
Lady Dhalia felt slightly overwhelmed by the attention, but she smiled gently.
"Thank you all for your hard work," she said softly.
"I hope we can take good care of this home together."
Her calm voice eased the tension among the servants.
After the address ended, the servants respectfully dispersed to their duties.
Only Keyla remained in the courtyard.
She stepped forward casually, studying Lady Dhalia with a curious smile.
"You are truly beautiful," Keyla said.
"Otherwise this old man wouldn't even glance in your direction."
Lady Dhalia blinked in surprise.
Keyla then bowed slightly in a playful manner.
"This little one is Keyla Aragon."
She tilted her head mischievously.
"How should I address you?"
"Lady?"
"Aunt?"
"Or Mother?"
Lady Dhalia could not help but laugh softly.
"I see."
"I am indeed beautiful, Lady Keyla."
"But I cannot compare to you."
She shook her head gently.
"You may simply call me Lady Dhalia."
She smiled warmly.
"'Aunt' would make me feel old."
"And 'Mother'…"
She laughed again.
"We both know I am not old enough to have given birth to someone like you."
Keyla chuckled.
"That's fair."
After their small introduction, the two women walked together through the mansion.
Keyla showed her the different areas of the residence.
The training courtyard.
The weapon storage.
The kitchens.
The gardens.
The study halls.
Lady Dhalia listened attentively as Keyla explained the routines of the household.
Eventually they returned to the main hall.
"Well," Keyla said casually.
"I'll leave the rest of the mansion to you."
Lady Dhalia nodded.
"And I will take good care of it."
The two women then went their separate ways.
---
In the Study
Lady Dhalia eventually found the General in his study.
He was reading a report from the capital.
She knocked lightly.
"General?"
Don looked up.
"Yes, my Lady."
He smiled.
"How was your walk?"
"Splendid," she answered as she entered.
She sat across from him.
"Your daughter is so beautiful I almost feel jealous."
Don laughed loudly.
"Hahaha!"
"Why would you be jealous?"
"I married you, not her."
Lady Dhalia smiled and shook her head.
"That is not what I meant."
"I like her very much."
"She has good character."
"But…"
She paused thoughtfully.
"She feels cold and reserved."
"And she behaves… well…"
She searched for the right words.
"Not exactly like a lady."
"More like a man."
She tilted her head slightly.
"No… not exactly like a man."
She smiled knowingly.
"More like you."
Don burst into laughter again.
"Hahaha!"
"That's because I raised her like a man."
Lady Dhalia blinked.
"You… raised her like a man?"
"Of course."
He shrugged casually.
"But don't worry."
"She will soften with time."
Lady Dhalia nodded slowly.
"If you say so."
She looked thoughtful for a moment.
Then Don suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right."
"In two days she will have a duel with the Crown Prince."
Lady Dhalia's eyes widened with excitement.
"A duel?"
"That sounds amazing."
"I would love to watch it."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Do you think she will win?"
Don answered without hesitation.
"Of course."
"In the Aragon family, we train our children ourselves."
"We do not send them to the army for training."
"This tradition exists so that parents take pride in raising strong children with their own hands."
Lady Dhalia looked impressed.
"So every noble trains their own children?"
"Not every noble," Don replied.
"But the Aragon family does."
She smiled brightly.
"That is wonderful."
"I will cheer for her with all my strength."
Don chuckled.
"I'm sure she would like that."
Lady Dhalia stood up and gently poured tea for him.
She placed the cup in front of him.
Then she selected a book from the nearby shelf and settled into a chair beside the window.
Sunlight streamed into the room as she quietly began reading.