He had always been indifferent to those around him, so it was a new and fascinating sight for Gary to see him staring at one person for so long.
The Duchess was clearly having some kind of effect on his master, whether for better or worse.
Just then, Karun approached the Duchess and Ernhardt. It seemed they had already been introduced, as the three of them looked completely at ease with each other, like old friends.
This scene was also unexpected for Gary, and his eyebrows arched in surprise.
“The Madam seems to be more sociable and cheerful than I thought. The atmosphere of the mansion will get better from now on.”
He wasn’t just saying that. Because of his menacing appearance, even the soldiers and long-time servants at the Duke’s estate found it difficult to approach Karun. But to see the Duchess, who hadn’t been at the mansion for long, mingling and conversing so naturally with Karun was, of course, a strange sight for Gary.
The way she took a small pouch from her sleeve and handed it to Karun, who then smiled broadly in delight, was a sight to behold.
Watching him receive the pouch so carefully, cupping it in both hands, Gary had to double-check if this was the same lunatic who had held the severed heads of enemies on the battlefield.
Gary was so engrossed in the unfamiliar scene that he didn’t realize his master had already left until it was too late.
Just as the Duchess also left the scene, Gary quietly and quickly approached Ernhardt and Karun.
“Aide.”
The two men recognized Gary and greeted him warmly, but Gary barely returned the greeting and leaned in to ask Karun. “What did you just receive from the Madam? You’re not publicly accepting illicit money, are you?”
“Huh?”
Karun’s eyes widened menacingly in disbelief. “What are you talking about? This is just…”
He urgently pulled out the pouch he had been given and showed it to Gary.
“Does this look like money? The Madam gave me a snack for Boris.”
Seeing the completely unexpected item, Gary made a bewildered expression, and Ernhardt, standing next to him, couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“It’s good that it wasn’t,” Gary said, his face flushing with embarrassment, as he quickly turned and left. Karun and Ernhardt shrugged their shoulders and watched Gary, who was practically running away.
Meanwhile, in a secluded alleyway branching off from a main thoroughfare.
A person wrapped in a black cloak with a deeply pulled-down hood was having a secret conversation with a young man.
A moment later, the person in the cloak pulled a heavy pouch of money from their waist and handed it to the man.
“There must be no mistakes.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it properly.”
The man’s sharp eyes gleamed dangerously as he received the pouch and tucked it inside his clothes.
Only after hearing his assurance that there was nothing to worry about did the person in the cloak nod once.
“Then I’ll be going.”
The man left, but the cloaked figure remained there for a while after he was gone.
Finally, the person looked around and quickly left the alley. At that moment, a few strands of brilliant blonde hair, hidden by the cloak, escaped in the wind.
A white, graceful hand tightened the hood even more as they calmly walked to where their carriage was waiting.
A short time later, the procession of nobles leaving the capital for the hunting competition was a magnificent sight.
With the Imperial carriage at the front, a long line of carriages belonging to high-ranking ministers and nobles followed, all of them in high spirits. It was as if they were going on a luxurious journey rather than just for a hunting competition.
A little distance from the leading Imperial group, the Zenkish Duchy’s carriage was also visible. The sturdy men on horseback in front of the carriage were particularly conspicuous.
The Zenkish Duke, who always brought news of victory from difficult wars, and his competent knights exuded an air of charisma even while moving quietly, capturing people’s attention.
However, the people receiving the attention were calmly conversing, paying no mind to their surroundings.
“The doctor said it’s fine, so the Madam should be alright.”
Gary spoke first, looking at Ricardo, and Karun chimed in.
“Yes. It’s a relief that our Madam is so proactive and positive, as many ladies use their injuries as an excuse to skip the hunting competition. Haha.”
Karun laughed cheerfully, but the words ‘our Madam’ caused a faint vein to throb on Ricardo’s forehead. Sensing this, Gary let out a small, unnecessary cough.
The word ‘our’ was meant for soldiers who fought together on the battlefield, comrades facing death, or family bound by blood.
Ricardo was displeased by the way his subordinate had so casually used that word, as if she was someone who belonged to ‘them.’
“This is her first time at the competition. You’ve prepared thoroughly, right, Ernhardt?”
Gary looked at Ernhardt, who was in charge of preparing for the hunting competition, to confirm.
Unlike the easygoing Karun, Ernhardt looked more cautious than usual today.
“Yes, don’t worry.”
He answered, but he seemed uneasy, as if something was weighing on his mind.
‘The Madam asked me, but I don’t know if this is the right thing to do.’
His lips were tightly sealed, as if to keep a secret.
Ricardo turned his head to look at the family carriage following behind. He could see Stella’s profile through the open window.
She looked busy and fascinated, as if she didn’t want to miss a single detail of the scenery outside. He could see the bandage still wrapped around her wrist below the sleeve, which was exposed from pushing the curtain aside.
She would only hear whispers about being a wife in a perfunctory marriage, unloved by her husband, even if she attended the hunting competition. He had no way of knowing why she looked so relaxed and happy.
As he was thinking, she turned her head forward, and their eyes met.
Without a hint of embarrassment, Stella simply smiled at him.
‘She’s truly a woman whose thoughts are impossible to read.’
He thought this to himself, but he still hadn’t realized it. That for some time now, he had been reacting to every single one of her small actions.
After a long carriage ride that made every joint in my body feel like it was about to break, we finally arrived at our destination. We had started our journey before dawn and arrived as the sun was setting, so it was quite a long distance.
The Imperial resort was called Woodlake or Lakewood, it was exactly the name Ernhardt had told me.
With a massive main building at its center, white buildings spread out on both sides like a swan’s wings. Getting closer, my jaw dropped at how the entire building looked like a work of art.
The cream-colored marble pillars and golden carved ceiling structures were beautiful, and a vast forest stretched out around the castle.
‘I heard the lake inside the forest is a spectacular sight.’
Ernhardt had said that if you saw the lake from above, it would look like a giant sapphire itself.
I wanted to see that mystical lake as soon as it got light out. Imagining the deep blue lake with swans taking flight, I thought it was definitely a good idea to come here.
“I will show you to your room, Madam.”
While I was so lost in admiring the scenery through the corridor window, some of the castle’s attendants approached me. I looked around and saw that the nobles who had already arrived were also being guided by attendants to their assigned rooms.
“Ah, thank you.”
As soon as I heard the word “room,” the fatigue from the long journey came crashing down on me.
“Your maid will be assigned to the servants’ quarters on a separate floor. There are staff assigned throughout the castle, so you will have no discomfort.”
Hearing this, both I and Ena nodded in understanding at the same time.
“Once you’ve had time to unpack your luggage and change into comfortable clothes, a banquet will be prepared in the hall downstairs. If you need anything, please pull the bell cord and call for us at any time.”
“Understood.”
My body had just been aching from the journey, but at the mention of a banquet, my stomach suddenly felt hungry.
“We have specially prepared the most beautiful room at the west end for the Duke and your room. The Empress has requested it.”
My footsteps, which had been following him, came to an instant stop.
“The Empress requested it…?”
Even in my surprise, I didn’t ask if the Duke and I would be sharing a room. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a newlywed duchess to ask such a question.
He smiled softly and nodded, like a well-trained attendant.
“It’s the room with the best view of the lake beyond the forest. It’s one of the few rooms in this huge castle where you can see the lake. I’m sure you will like it.”
Oh, dear. Why did I just assume we would have separate rooms here too?
I was so focused on the affairs of Yelena and Kayla that I hadn’t paid attention to anything else. In the original story, the hunting competition was held in the capital, so of course, this kind of unexpected situation didn’t happen.
