Chapter 64
“Th-thank you… Princess.”
The first time I met him, the man whose name I still didn’t know, was two years ago in the Maw Swamp.
He was tall and appeared healthy, yet his expression was one of complete daze. Even though the Maw was threatening him from behind, he was oblivious, staring ahead in a stupor.
It seemed like he would die if left alone, so Anette had to deal with the Maw herself. To her surprise, she discovered that the man wasn’t some fool who got lost in the Maw but a mercenary.
She was surprised, and she remembered how she had briefly worried for his future.
But the reason he had stayed in Anette’s memory was something else entirely.
“A purification stone? Why are you giving this to me…?”
“I-I’m giving it to you as a gift because you saved my life.”
Up until now, Anette had saved countless people while hunting the Maws. After all, the purpose of the entire Maw hunting operation was to protect the kingdom’s people.
Yet, no one had ever come to her with a gift in thanks for saving them.
And a purification stone, no less.
Anette, who always took the purification rituals at the temple after being drenched in Maw blood while leading the front lines, never found the experience pleasant.
The thought that someone had gone out of their way to acquire such an expensive gift made her a little surprised.
“For a mercenary to buy something so costly… There’s so much of it…”
She quietly noted that she now thought of this mercenary as someone whose future seemed uncertain, someone who might be a gullible fool.
And she looked at him with a somewhat emotional gaze.
He couldn’t even make eye contact and trembled slightly, so obviously nervous.
For someone who was so scared of her to try to repay her favor… it felt somewhat refreshing.
After that, she seemed to have seen him two or three more times.
She had seen him wandering quietly near the Maw Swamp, not belonging to any mercenary group, just moving about on his own.
Whenever their eyes met by chance, he would quickly look away, startled.
“But he might be Duke Harzent.”
To Anette, Cardin had always been the embodiment of confident and composed. He could talk smoothly and was quite charming, always keeping a calm demeanor, making it impossible for her to resist.
He never looked like the clumsy, awkward mercenary from the swamp.
However, when she had asked him about the purification stones and he had panicked, almost as if caught off guard, his flustered response made Anette almost certain.
Of course, she still couldn’t quite believe that the two were the same person.
But even if it were true, there were still many parts of Cardin’s actions that didn’t add up.
“It would be so much easier if he just told me everything straight out.”
He had shown his face behind the mask, so why wouldn’t he open up about his past as well?
Was he waiting for the right time, or was it something else?
Later that day…
“You’re not seriously planning to keep everything a secret until the end, are you?”
“Huh? What did you say, my lady?”
Anette snapped out of her thoughts, muttering absentmindedly to herself when Larisa’s voice broke her focus.
“Nothing.”
She shook her head and smiled awkwardly. Just then, Mrs. Hilda returned from the kitchen with fruits.
The colorful fruits, which Anette had never seen in the kingdom, were arranged in a beautiful bowl.
“I thought you didn’t like sour fruits, so I picked the ripest ones. You should taste them before lunch.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Hilda.”
Anette nodded and glanced at the stack of papers beside her.
“By the way, I reviewed the report you gave me last time.”
At that, Mrs. Hilda tensed up and straightened her posture.
“What did you think? Was there anything that needed improvement or any issues with it?”
“Not at all. I was truly impressed with how well everything was handled.”
“R-really?”
“Yes, really. So, after marriage, please continue to assist me. I’m counting on you.”
Upon hearing Anette’s praise, Mrs. Hilda bowed deeply, almost overwhelmed by the kindness.
“I will always do my best to serve you, my lady.”
Receiving this vow, Anette already began to feel as though she was becoming the true mistress of the Duke’s house.
At that moment, Mrs. Hilda clapped her hands.
“My lady, there’s something else I wanted to discuss.”
“What is it?”
“Your husband mentioned that once you’ve recovered, you’ll soon be setting a date for the royal wedding. Given that, it might be a bit tight on time. I suggest that you choose your ladies-in-waiting now and take them to the capital in advance.”
“Ladies-in-waiting?”
Anette froze at the unexpected suggestion.
To be a lady-in-waiting to the Duchess would mean she would be from a noble family.
As she thought of the girls from the Heiworth palace who had avoided her, Anette hesitated and spoke in a somewhat reluctant tone.
“I’m fine with Larisa.”
“Oh, my lady…”
“Sigh, Larisa.”
At Anette’s words, Mrs. Hilda glared at the almost teary-eyed Larisa.
The poor girl quickly zipped her mouth, and Anette too was caught in an awkward moment.
“The lady who will be serving as your closest attendant should not be just anyone. She should come from a noble family, and you, as the Duchess, deserve nothing less.”
Mrs. Hilda spoke with the firmness of someone who had years of experience in etiquette and high society.
“I’ve already prepared a list of suitable noble daughters from our vassal families. I will present it to you after lunch.”
“I understand…”
Anette nodded reluctantly.
At her gloomy response, Mrs. Hilda softened her tone and, as if soothing a child, spoke gently.
“Don’t worry, my lady. All the families I’ve selected are loyal. You have nothing to fear. And even if there’s anyone unworthy, I’ve made sure to filter them out.”
She confidently assured Anette, who felt a bit more at ease.
But the real worry that lingered in Anette’s heart was whether these noble ladies, no matter how loyal, might be intimidated by the unfavorable rumors circulating about her.
After a moment’s thought, Anette spoke up.
“Mrs. Hilda, are there any young ladies who are strong-willed and unshakable?”
“Strong-willed and unshakable…”
Mrs. Hilda carefully considered Anette’s request before nodding slowly.
“I can think of one person…”
“Who is it?”
“It’s… Isabella, the eldest daughter of Count Chesif.”
“Isabella…”
Anette murmured the name quietly, as if savoring the thought of it. Just then, Larisa’s eyes lit up.
“I know her! She’s the one who started the ‘What Do You See’ gathering!”
Before Mrs. Hilda could stop her, Larisa blurted out the name, looking pleased with herself.
Anette tilted her head.
“What’s ‘What Do You See’?”
“Well, it’s actually ‘Merboah,’” Mrs. Hilda corrected quickly, with a slightly embarrassed look.
“It’s short for ‘Beauty is best viewed from a distance,’ but people often just call it ‘What Do You See.’”
There was a slight pride in her voice as she explained the name, as though she herself might be part of the group.
However, Mrs. Hilda returned to her professional demeanor and briefly explained Isabella.
“Lady Isabella is well-known for her aestheticism. She runs a gathering that praises the Duke’s beauty, but she has no ulterior motives.”
“Aestheticism? So, they praise the Duke’s beauty in that gathering…?”
“Yes. They only praise his beauty, nothing else.”
Anette fell silent, stifling a laugh.
“It’s all about seeing beauty from a distance…”
“If you get too close, you’ll end up getting bitten.”
“Take care.”
At that, Larisa spoke seriously.
“But is it really a good idea to choose Isabella as the Duchess’s closest lady-in-waiting?”
Why? Was it because she would have to be near Cardin?
Anette was about to ask when Larisa whispered quietly.
“She used to be the Assistant Samuel’s ex-lover.”
Meanwhile, in Cardin’s office.
Unaware of the crisis looming over him, Samuel watched Cardin with pity as he banged his head against the desk.
He finally reached out and stopped him, saying.
“Your Highness, I told you, this is not how relationships work.”
Only then did Cardin stop banging his head and slowly stand up.
Samuel clicked his tongue, looking at him as if he couldn’t believe it.
“With your face, how can you have such a desperate romance?”
“….”
“In relationships, there’s got to be some give and take. Especially with someone like Princess, who’s a bit shy in her relationships. If you keep pushing like that, she’ll feel overwhelmed!”
