Episode 11
Urgent footsteps reached my ears.
I didn’t even have to guess who it was — but if I had to, it could only be…
“Si…! Time has already—”
Sure enough.
Ribede, in his rush, had started to call my name, but upon seeing me among the other servants of the Grand Duke’s residence, quickly redirected his words.
“Time?”
At his words, our chatterbox Maery tilted her head and glanced at the clock.
“The party starts at six in the evening, sir!”
“E-Exactly. Which is why I was just about to say how fortunate it is that we have so much time to spare. Then, Your Grace, please call me when you’re ready.”
It seemed Ribede had more to say, but unwilling to start another quarrel with Maery, he merely parted his lips.
“Sir! If you have something to say, say it quickly! Her Ladyship is in the middle of getting ready!”
Though they’d only met a few hours ago, Maery spoke to him as if she’d known him for years, scolding him without hesitation.
The more I saw of her, the more I wondered if Maery was some sort of hidden prodigy…
While I was briefly captivated by her quick tongue, Ribede must have realized he couldn’t win this one, because he had no choice but to retreat.
Still, his gaze stayed fixed on me until he left the room.
“Oh honestly! Men!”
Maery snorted, watching Ribede’s retreating back.
“Don’t you agree, Your Grace? Honestly, there are still three hours left until six o’clock, and he can’t even wait — coming all the way here just to stomp his feet in impatience!”
Once again, I was impressed by Maery’s… social skills(?).
And when the atmosphere relaxed a little, I seized the moment to speak.
“So, um… is my hair almost done?”
Maery was currently washing and tending to my hair along with a few other maids.
Where was Madame Haley, you ask?
The news of the party had come so suddenly that she had dashed off to a dress shop with Head Lady-in-waiting Meida.
Of course, I had insisted I was fine and that I could simply wear one of the dresses I’d brought with me.
But unfortunately, the Kingdom of Baeterinum wasn’t particularly cold even in winter, and most of my dresses were made of thin fabric.
Since I got cold easily, I had no reason to stop them, and so I was left in the mansion with Maery and the other attendants.
“Maery.”
With nothing to do, I decided to at least learn something and poked her for conversation.
“Yes?”
“Could you tell me about this place, Iarid?”
All I knew so far was that it was a northern territory of the Kancevine Empire, ruled by the Grand Duchy of Fidelanis.
“Oh! That’s such a fun topic!”
Her eyes lit up as if she had been waiting for this very question.
She swallowed dramatically, then began.
“Iarid is my one and only hometown, where I was born and raised and never once left! People who don’t know much about it think it’s just some barren land full of monsters, but that’s completely wrong! There’s so much fun to be had here! Hmm… where should I start?”
The rapid-fire way her words tumbled out was accompanied by an overwhelming amount of unexpected trivia.
What was this? Just listening to her was already draining my energy.
I should have braced myself before asking…
I cursed my earlier self for naively asking her out of pure curiosity, and was about to politely decline more stories when—
“Hmm! Obviously, the festival! Fun things should come first!”
One of the maids drying my hair with a towel chimed in.
“What are you talking about? Of course you have to start with the history of House Fidelanis!”
Another maid, preparing makeup, countered.
“Hey, hey! The latest fashion trends in Iarid should come first, don’t you think?”
The maid who was doing my nails shook her head at the others.
I had thought, apart from Maery, the rest were all quiet types…
Apparently, the people of this Grand Ducal household were quite different from the somber, stately atmosphere I’d imagined.
History or whatever…
I shut my eyes, trying to block out the chatter above me.
Just let me rest! Please—!
“Your Grace! You’re ready now. It’s time to go.”
Lankea had also finished getting ready earlier, around four o’clock, leaving him time to go through some documents.
That was when someone knocked on the door — his aide, Miller.
“It’s still a bit before six, isn’t it?” Lankea replied.
But Miller firmly shook his head.
“It is proper to go down early and wait.”
“…”
Lankea gave him a look that said, Is that really necessary? but Miller, normally obedient, was unyielding this time.
“Is that really necessary?”
“It is.”
“…Haa.”
Miller’s answer came without the slightest hesitation.
And this was supposed to be a loveless marriage.
“It’s almost time.”
“I told you, I’m not going to some party.”
“And yet, here you are, going.”
“That’s because you—!”
“Come, let’s go. At this rate, you’ll end up arriving after Her Grace.”
Unable to resist his aide’s insistence, Lankea rose and began descending the stairs.
The Marquisate of Elinium had been in service to his parents even before he inherited the title of Lord of Iarid.
But Lankea often called Miller a “fox.”
His words always seemed to be for Lankea’s benefit, but in the end, they always served to secure some gain for himself.
“The carriage is ready,” the coachman called out.
As Lankea lifted his head to clear his thoughts, another voice rang out.
“Her Grace is coming down.”
His head turned automatically toward the sound.
“Ah.”
Eos’s voice drifted into Lankea’s ears.
And at the same time, he let out a soft note of his own.
Eos was dressed in a sky-blue gown that seemed to glimmer subtly depending on the light.
Her hair was gathered and pinned up high, secured with a sparkling ribbon.
But more than anything — her face. The fatigue she’d worn earlier had vanished. Her skin was pale and luminous, her lashes long, her cheeks softly flushed, and her lips a vivid red.
“…”
Taking her in at a glance, Lankea was left speechless, simply watching her descend the stairs step by step.
“Your Grace!”
“…”
“Your Grace, the Grand Duke!”
Fortunately, Miller’s voice pulled him back to reality.
“Her Grace has arrived.”
“I can see that.”
Lankea nodded faintly in response.
“What’s wrong?”
Now standing before him, she seemed oddly tense, her face set.
“…It’s time to leave.”
After gazing at her a moment longer, Lankea spoke, then slowly extended his hand to her, matching her pace as they began to walk.
It was the first time since their wedding.
“The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Fidelanis have arrived!”
As soon as we entered, the blare of trumpets rang out, followed by a loud announcement. The weight of so many eyes on me was exhausting in itself.
Even though it was merely a ball hosted by a marquis’ household, the place was packed.
“Keep your words to a minimum. Smile through any troublesome questions. Got it?”
“Your mouth isn’t tired yet, I see.”
“I’m just being cautious. But I trust you a bit more now, so I’ll keep it at this.”
“Ah.”
I gave Ribede a sidelong glance as he lectured me.
Half the day had already been spent getting dressed up, and the endless chatter of Maery and the other attendants had left me craving sugar.
And even that wasn’t the end of it.
As soon as I was ready, Ribede had whisked me off to a meeting, and only now had we arrived at the ball.
At least Lankea’s face gave me a bit of a boost.
I stole another glance at him from the corner of my eye, in hopes of regaining more energy.
Dressed for the ball, he was easily the most dazzling man in the room.
He could be infuriating at times, but those rare, subtle kindnesses of his had a way of sticking in one’s mind.
…Or maybe it was just that face.
“Are you tired?”
Noticing my gaze, Lankea asked.
“No? Not at all.”
“If you are, just say so. No need to worry about appearances.”
With that, he tilted his head slightly and moved off toward a group calling for him.
Fine by me — it meant I could stop paying attention to him.
Let’s just enjoy the party…
I stood before a table laden with tempting desserts, licking my lips as I considered what to choose.
“That pistachio pie looks good, doesn’t it?”
As always, Ribede had followed me.
“I don’t like pistachio.”
“Then the mint macarons would be better.”
“Good choice. I do love mint.”
“Well, we agree on that at least. How about mint chocolate?”
“What kind of abomination is that? Is that even food?”
He also often served as the one to make decisions for me when I couldn’t — just like now.
“How can you call it an abomination?”
Still, I couldn’t let anyone badmouth mint chocolate.
I silently vowed to one day introduce this medieval romance-world native to the perfect ratio of mint chocolate in a macaron.
— Click, click, click.
The sound of steady, deliberate footsteps reached my ears — and stopped right behind me.
Sensing it too, Ribede immediately fell silent, while I steadied my breathing.
“Your Grace the Grand Duchess, thank you for accepting our invitation.”
Turning, I saw a woman in a white frilled gown, her silky golden hair flowing freely, her porcelain skin glowing as she smiled at me.
Of course, I didn’t need her to introduce herself.
She was none other than Lady Rivièt Elinium — the hostess who had invited me, and the very woman rumored to have once harbored feelings for Lankea.
To be continued.
