Emberlee sent her Fairy Godmother to go listen in to their private quarters. It felt alarming to look into a Mirror and not see her reflection there. She avoided the unsettling sensation by focusing on her actual work as Marchioness. Oberon hadn't specified when or where he wanted to meet as of yet, she still had to draft a letter to Father without exposing any secrets, and she had to understand her role of Cinderella, all while dealing firsthand with the type of petty scheming Mother had prepared her for.
Thankfully their attentions seemed to be absorbed into an exploration of the Ortegan Manor. 
She hadn't forbidden any room to them outside her office and bedroom, as well as Father's. She'd efficiently adorned the former guest wing into their suite and kept Mother's old bedroom for her own. Likewise, Aubin's room had been reset into a neutral state, the few memorabilia stored away safely along with Mother's keepsakes. There would be time later to go through them with her Father. His room remained unchanged, tended to just to keep it in a state of freshness should her Father hurriedly return. It didn't surprise her when her spying reflection returned with their Stussican mutterings to have been about the dire need to properly decorate their 'tasteless' rooms, and how much of a budget they could expect from her towards it. Not an outrageous thing to consider and Emberlee felt a little silly for spying on them if that was the vitriol they were managing behind her back. Luckily some of the gifts that would eventually arrive would likely contain valuables to appease them, or fancy accessories to entice them, and Emberlee was in charge of her Father's monetary estates while he was at war. He'd tasked her to attend to this matter until his return, so he would anticipate her utilizing it for his new wife's budget. 
The first hint that this too would be no simple manner came when Jimena requested to visit and tour the newly acquired Mihal Manor, so she could better learn her new properties. 
"It is still in transition from Mihal ownership to Ortega, but Marquis Mihal has vacated and emptied the estate," Emberlee's paternal Grandfather was greatly displeased to have to part with the historic site, especially to have to cede it to her; the daughter of his wayward son. 
More complicated still, given that her Grandfather had stripped a former home party of value, they had received the emptied building that had been abandoned by Marquis Mihal. He was in compliance with the Emperors' commands in regards to the new territories, but in such a way that it put a disadvantage on Emberlee. She absolutely could unleash her new step-family on the barren Manor but its current state would likely reflect poorly on her despite her focus having been properly on preparing for the steps' arrival over claiming and preparing former Mihal Manor. 
"It shows that you're a child that's been left alone for far too long," Jimena once again postured for the witnessing servants, her tone of voice patronizing. "I am an adult, I do not require a legal child's permission to visit properties I have acquired through my marriage." 
"Certainly you're not including the properties Emperor Andrion bequeathed to me as Marchioness Ortega in that list of matrimonial acquisitions," Emberlee smiled at her stepmother, aware that these discussions were always a public affair instead of done in her office where it'd be appropriately private.
"Your Father, my Husband," Jimena scornfully emphasized the word, "is Marquis Ortega," she'd been in Ortega for less than a fortnight and already she was trying to step into Emberlee's authority. 
"By marriage," Emberlee interrupted Jimena, eliciting a surprised look for daring to be so rude. "My Father has no legal rights to inherit the Ortegan March by blood law. It is mine, and if I didn't want it, I have blood cousins I could adopt and appoint my Heir," actually she'd already written Uncle Albert and his eventual children in as her inheritors after Aubin died. Just like Uncle was a Grunberg instead of Ortega, one of his children could easily return to the Ortega name if required.