Chapter 40
“Everything is well-prepared.”
Shai said this as he served himself some fish onto his plate and tasted it.
The fish was tender and soft, with no trace of a fishy smell. The accompanying sauce was delicious, but the real highlight was the fish itself—light, savory, and exquisite.
“This fish is really good. I’ve never seen it before,” Shai remarked.
Jonathan replied, “It’s called Swatlen. It’s often caught along the nearby coastline. Because it spoils easily, it’s probably not well-known due to cost concerns.”
Charlotte added, “If you like, we can prepare some salted fish for you to take home. While it won’t be as fresh as what you just had, it will at least let you enjoy it later.”
Shai responded politely, “Then I would gratefully accept that.”
He then turned his gaze toward Bianca and asked, “Aside from Swatlen, what other local specialties are there in this region?”
“Wool is famous here,” Bianca answered briefly. Up to this point, the conversation had gone smoothly, and she didn’t want to add any unnecessary details that might cause trouble.
She knew well that nitpickers could find fault with even the smallest things.
Shai also knew this. He had already observed what grew in the count’s territory, which had been granted to the duke’s family as part of their fief.
Items other than local specialties belonged to the count’s family, but for local specialties, revenue had to be shared with the duke’s family at a 7:3 ratio beyond regular taxes.
“I made everyone have dinner later than usual because I was delayed,” Shai said.
Bianca replied calmly, “We were indeed worried since you were later than expected.”
“My personal maid was feeling motion sickness, so we took a brief rest in a nearby village,” Shai explained.
“I see,” Bianca answered calmly, though she was internally shocked.
‘Motion sickness… and she actually stopped the carriage? The Duchess?’
It was something unimaginable for the duchess she remembered.
‘Is she trying to make herself look virtuous?’
While Bianca’s mind raced, Shai continued cheerfully as if unaware of anything.
“While we were there, we happened to have brought along a lot of cookies for snacks, so I distributed them to all the children in the village.”
“I see. Everyone must have admired Your Grace’s kindness,” Bianca said.
Shai replied casually, “The children said amusing things. They told me I seemed like a fairy and that the Duchess, who’s rumored to be cruel, couldn’t possibly be like that.”
Everyone else at the table stiffened at once. Rumors and gossip always existed, but hearing them firsthand was another matter. And when the subject of the rumors was the duchess wielding power in her domain like a king, the stakes were higher.
The most severe penalty for insulting a noble was death.
Bianca’s heart pounded.
‘Here it comes! Surely she didn’t… harm the children right then and there?’
If that had been the case, things would not be so calm now. Besides, the maid had spoken up.
The subsequent actions were no longer in the hands of the punisher.
Bianca felt confused.
“The knights who intended to reprimand the children were stopped, and since it involved them, I generously handed out cookies,” Shai explained brightly.
“How do you feel about that?” he asked with a smile.
Jonathan replied seriously, “I deeply apologize that such an incident occurred while you were traveling here. If I investigate the villagers and impose a suitable punishment, would you feel at ease?”
Bianca looked at her father, Jonathan. He loved his subjects more than anyone and spoke to ensure the punishment would be as light as possible.
Shai shook his head.
“There was no need for rebuke, so please don’t worry.”
He added gently, “One cannot control what people say, but since my reputation is tied to the duke’s family, I hope you’ll be especially mindful of that. That’s all I ask. It’s true I haven’t always shown dignity and warmth as a duchess, but I don’t intend to go on like that, so I hope no harmful rumors circulate.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind,” Jonathan said.
Shai then took another bite of the fish. As expected, it was delicious.
“May I ask the chef for the recipe? I’d like to taste this again at the duke’s estate.”
“Of course,” Charlotte quickly replied.
The rest of the meal was still tinged with a slight tension, but overall it went better than expected.
Later, Shai opened the window of her room to enjoy the breeze. Rosa brushed her hair and asked, “Is it not cold?”
“No. The night breeze is nice,” Shai replied.
She surveyed the room. Though it belonged to the same count’s family, the Alentra estate’s room for Shai was far more luxurious and filled with high-quality items. Yet, Shai liked it more than her room as a young lady.
The room radiated warmth and softness. Though a brief impression couldn’t tell everything, the Humphrey estate seemed gentle and kind.
‘Even at dinner, when I mentioned the village incident, they acted calm but clearly cared,’ Shai thought, recalling the stiff expressions.
‘I needed to point it out anyway.’
Shai had brought up the village incident to ensure that no harmful rumors about her spread in the Humphrey estate. Now that she had addressed it, any false information would likely be corrected.
She intended to treat people kindly, but she didn’t want to appear overly naive.
Shai knew well that kindness and being a pushover were different, though people often confused the two.
‘It wouldn’t be bad for other retainers to hear this too.’
In the capital, nobles could exile someone for much less. It didn’t matter whether the person was at fault. Sometimes, servants would be harshly punished for simply reporting mistreatment.
Even in the Alentra estate, William managed things meticulously.
‘He must avoid being caught in a double standard.’
Compared to that, the people under the duchy seemed to be treated more respectfully.
‘Benjamin seems like a warm person. I’ll observe more, but I’m glad someone like him is my husband,’ Shai murmured to herself.
“I miss him…” she whispered.
“Huh?”
“Nothing,” she quickly added.
The more she got to know him, the more she wanted to. Though cautious to call it love, she recognized the growing affection within herself.
‘I don’t want to rush. His feelings may differ from mine… I shouldn’t expect too much.’
Shai restrained her desire to move forward. She didn’t know how long she could hold back, but she wanted to avoid getting hurt.
A night passed.
Today, Bianca was in charge of the duchess’s schedule, specifically the afternoon.
The duchess’s visit was for Bianca. It was natural for Bianca to spend time with Shai.
She would rest in the morning to recover from her travels, have lunch, and then enjoy tea time together.
‘She probably wants to discuss the maid’s work during tea time,’ Bianca thought.
Recalling the previous evening, Bianca realized that if the duchess mentioned it at dinner, it must have been known throughout the Humphrey estate. That strict temperament would have made sure of it.
‘I used to think she was simple, but now she’s more difficult to deal with.’
People under the duchy spoke directly, unlike those in the capital, and rarely hid their true intentions.
When someone smiled in such a concealed way, it made you think deeply.
‘The duchess is from the capital, so even if she smiles, she might be hiding her true intentions.’
Bianca expected that upon arrival, the duchess might nitpick everything—dislike the food, the estate, or the color of the sheets.
But her expectations were completely wrong.
The girl in the village had made remarks about the duchess, not out of personal complaint, but as a polite request to protect the family’s reputation. The duchess had smiled lightly, unoffended.
There were no other problems.
This made Bianca more uneasy.
Trying to calm her anxious mind while walking, she heard a quiet conversation down the corridor.
“This is amazing. Did you make it?”
“I didn’t make it all by myself… The nanny and my sister helped. We used leftover wool from making clothes and fabric,” a careful voice replied.
“What’s this child’s name?”
“Charlotte,” the girl answered.
Recognizing the voice, Bianca quickened her pace.
‘Lucinda!’
