It was at the first sunrise of April that unwelcome guests arrived at Duke Leopold's residence.
“Nice to meet you, Your Excellency the Duke.”
A woman in her mid-fifties bowed slightly in greeting.
“My name is Karina Abigail. You can call me Madam Abigail.”
I looked down at her and answered with a slight nod.
Karina Abigail.
As a designer specializing in clothing for the royal family, there was only one reason why she came all the way to the Duchy of Leopold.
“Has His Majesty the Emperor ordered you to make wedding attire for His Highness the Fourth Prince?
“Nice to meet you, Your Excellency the Duke.”
A woman in her mid-fifties bowed slightly in greeting.
“My name is Karina Abigail. You can call me Madam Abigail.”
I looked down at her and answered with a slight nod.
Karina Abigail.
As a designer specializing in clothing for the royal family, there was only one reason why she came all the way to the Duchy of Leopold.
“Has His Majesty the Emperor ordered you to make wedding attire for His Highness the Fourth Prince?
“Yes.”
I had hope, and it was as expected.
Well, the wedding date we had previously negotiated was in May, so it was right to start preparing.
“In that case, instead of going through the trouble of sending Madam to the Duchy of Leopold, it would have been better if you had called His Royal Highness and me to the palace.”
“It’s not a hassle at all. Rather, I feel honored to be in charge of your wedding.”
Mrs. Abigail continued, smiling.
“And His Majesty the Emperor has just inherited the title and is very busy, so He sent me out of consideration for Her Excellency the Duke.”
What is consideration?
Maybe he was worried that I would make excuses to delay the wedding preparations, so he made the first move.
There may be other reasons why the Emperor sent her all the way to the Duchy of Leopold.
For example, to keep an eye on me and Perdes.
...or maybe to spy on the basement.
It was highly probable that the Emperor had sent Lady Abigail to obtain 'something' that he had been willing to sacrifice his son's life for.
Either way, it was awkward for me.
So I wanted to kick her out, but it was impossible to arbitrarily kick out someone who had come under the Emperor's orders without any reason.
Besides, if I kicked her out for no reason, the Emperor might think there was something wrong and start digging around me, so it would be better to keep her.
If she really came to spy on the basement, there might be some movement from Lady Abigail or the court ladies she brought along, so we might be able to get some information about 'something'.
After finishing the calculation in my head, I smiled and patted Lady Abigail on the shoulder.
“You have come all this way for me and His Highness the Prince, so please make yourself at home.”
“Can you make a wiretapping magic circle for me?”
When I nodded, Perdes thought for a moment, glanced around, and asked in a small voice.
“Are you trying to spy on Lady Abigail?”
“That’s true, but ultimately what I’m trying to monitor is whoever sneaked into the Duke’s basement.”
“In short, like Chernosser?”
As the saying goes, telling one awakens two.
When I nodded, Perdes stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then said.
“I could make it for you with the magic pen you gave me before, but where are you going to draw it on? You’re not planning on drawing it on the basement door, are you?”
“Can't I?”
“It’s not that it’s impossible, but I don’t think that alone will be enough to figure out who’s going inside. There are just too many people passing by.”
Now that I think about it, that's true.
“How about drawing it in the basement passage? I saw it before, and there was a long hallway there. If you draw it there, you’ll only be able to catch sneaky intruders like Chernosser.”
The problem was that to do that, Perdes had to go into the basement.
The basement of Duke Leopold's residence is a sacred place that only blood relatives and those with the Duke's permission may enter.
Now that I was officially a Duke, Perdes could enter the basement if I allowed him to, but I didn't feel like it.
What if something dangerous happens, and he can never return like Chernosser?
Anxiety welled up in my mind as worries rose like a mist.
“I think you could just open the basement door wide and draw inside.”
Doing so solved both Perdes' and my concerns at the same time.
Unlike me, who was satisfied with finding a suitable compromise, Perdes nodded with a somewhat displeased expression as if he was not satisfied with something.
“Yes, I got it.”
He drew a wiretapping magic circle on the inside of the basement door, and always wore a ring connected to the magic circle on his finger.
Even when I was bathing or even training in swordsmanship, I never missed a thing, but despite my efforts, Lady Abigail never came near the basement.
It's not like she did anything else suspicious either.
She just did her job silently, and the other court ladies she brought along were the same.
They lived quietly enough that nothing was out of the ordinary except that the Emperor had sent them, but still, trouble arose.
“You will soon be marrying the Fourth Prince. I sincerely congratulate you, Your Excellency, the Duke.”
This was it.
Even before that, there was a commotion when I received a bouquet of flowers from a boy during my inspection of the estate, and when I started preparing for the wedding in earnest, there was chaos everywhere with congratulations.
There were even nobles who had already sent wedding congratulatory gifts.
That alone was a headache, but what made it even more difficult were the congratulatory remarks and accompanying remarks.
It was common for everyone I met to say that Perdes and I got along well.
Besides, it was an excellent choice to choose him among the Princes.
Perdes showered me with all sorts of compliments, saying I should relax now that he would be a good husband.
If it had been any other time, I would have just ignored it, but I couldn't do that after hearing Perdes' confession.
The words that said if you were going to get married, choose me.
I already had a lot of thoughts because of that, but when people around me encouraged me to marry him, I felt like I absolutely couldn't let him go.
Anyway, when everything is over, I'm going to marry someone, so should I just choose Perdes?
But that's taking advantage of his pure heart...
Kakang-
“...!”
I felt a sharp, tingling pain throughout my wrist, accompanied by a sharp, tingling sound.
Only then did I wake up from my thoughts and frown as I realized that I had been practicing swordsmanship with Sir Aldor.
Even though you're practicing, you're thinking about something else.
It was not polite to the other person.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t concentrate, Sir Aldor.”
“No. Rather, how about we stop practice here for today, Miss?”
“Do that.”
I put down my sword because I felt like I wouldn't be able to concentrate if I tried harder.
And as I was sitting on the floor, wiping my sweat with the towel that Sir Aldor had handed me, he asked me carefully.
“Are you saying this because you are concerned about the people sent by the Emperor?”
Instead of answering the somewhat meaningful question, Aldor looked slightly embarrassed and added:
“I asked because you seemed to have trouble concentrating during the training, which is unusual for a young lady.”
I was just looking at it, but why are you flustered like that?
“I’m indeed nervous, but it’s not that I can’t concentrate because of them.”
“Then do you have any other concerns?”
“I’m not worried, but I have some concerns.”
“If you don’t mind, may I ask what’s bothering you?”
“It’s a little embarrassing to say this...”
"It's okay."
Sir Aldor knelt down on one knee to my level, looked straight into my eyes, and spoke.
“I’m ready to listen to any story, so please feel free to tell me.”
So what I'm saying is I'm not ready...
Moreover, since Sir Aldor spoke so seriously, it was even more burdensome to speak.
“Is there something you’re worried about that you can’t tell me about?”
“That’s not it.”
Rather, since he was Sir Aldor, I could tell him everything and ask for advice.
Because he knows the real relationship between me and Perdes.
“Before I speak, there’s something I’d like to ask you first.”
“Please speak.”
“What does Sir Aldor think of Lord Perdes?”
Sir Aldor looked at me with slightly surprised eyes, perhaps because my question was unexpected, and then answered.
“... I don’t know what you mean by that.”
“There’s no special meaning to it. I just asked because I wanted to know what Skr Aldor usually thinks of Lord Perdes.”
“I think he is a good person.”
It was funny how he answered immediately as if he had already thought about what he was going to say.
“What is that? There’s no soul in those words.”
It was an unbelievable answer, even considering the usual relationship between Aldor and Perdes.
“Are you sure you think Mr. Perdes is a good person?”
“...Yes. I think he is a good person.”
That means you're thinking the other way too.
This is probably an evaluation based on personal feelings.
I was curious about what the evaluation was, but I passed because I thought it would be difficult for Sir Aldor if I dug deeper.
The important thing was that even Sir Aldor, who wasn't on good terms with Perdes, thought of him as a good person.
“Then what do you think about me marrying Perdes?”
“...!”
As if startled, Sir Aldor's body shook violently for a moment, and he collapsed on the floor.
I too was surprised and grabbed Sir Aldor's arm.
“Are you okay, Sir Aldor?”
"...It's okay."
“Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t look so good.”
It was like the expression of someone who had heard that the sky would fall tomorrow.
“Practice is probably over, I think it would be best for you to go in and rest for today, Sir Aldor.”
Grab.
As I let go of his arm and tried to stand up, Sir Aldor grabbed my arm again.
That's why I looked down at Sir Aldor with my upper body bent over awkwardly.
Their shaking eyes met in the air.
He looked up at me with more serious and sorrowful eyes than ever before and slowly began to speak.
“Don’t... get married, Miss.”
I had hope, and it was as expected.
Well, the wedding date we had previously negotiated was in May, so it was right to start preparing.
“In that case, instead of going through the trouble of sending Madam to the Duchy of Leopold, it would have been better if you had called His Royal Highness and me to the palace.”
“It’s not a hassle at all. Rather, I feel honored to be in charge of your wedding.”
Mrs. Abigail continued, smiling.
“And His Majesty the Emperor has just inherited the title and is very busy, so He sent me out of consideration for Her Excellency the Duke.”
What is consideration?
Maybe he was worried that I would make excuses to delay the wedding preparations, so he made the first move.
There may be other reasons why the Emperor sent her all the way to the Duchy of Leopold.
For example, to keep an eye on me and Perdes.
...or maybe to spy on the basement.
It was highly probable that the Emperor had sent Lady Abigail to obtain 'something' that he had been willing to sacrifice his son's life for.
Either way, it was awkward for me.
So I wanted to kick her out, but it was impossible to arbitrarily kick out someone who had come under the Emperor's orders without any reason.
Besides, if I kicked her out for no reason, the Emperor might think there was something wrong and start digging around me, so it would be better to keep her.
If she really came to spy on the basement, there might be some movement from Lady Abigail or the court ladies she brought along, so we might be able to get some information about 'something'.
After finishing the calculation in my head, I smiled and patted Lady Abigail on the shoulder.
“You have come all this way for me and His Highness the Prince, so please make yourself at home.”
***
“Can you make a wiretapping magic circle for me?”
When I nodded, Perdes thought for a moment, glanced around, and asked in a small voice.
“Are you trying to spy on Lady Abigail?”
“That’s true, but ultimately what I’m trying to monitor is whoever sneaked into the Duke’s basement.”
“In short, like Chernosser?”
As the saying goes, telling one awakens two.
When I nodded, Perdes stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then said.
“I could make it for you with the magic pen you gave me before, but where are you going to draw it on? You’re not planning on drawing it on the basement door, are you?”
“Can't I?”
“It’s not that it’s impossible, but I don’t think that alone will be enough to figure out who’s going inside. There are just too many people passing by.”
Now that I think about it, that's true.
“How about drawing it in the basement passage? I saw it before, and there was a long hallway there. If you draw it there, you’ll only be able to catch sneaky intruders like Chernosser.”
The problem was that to do that, Perdes had to go into the basement.
The basement of Duke Leopold's residence is a sacred place that only blood relatives and those with the Duke's permission may enter.
Now that I was officially a Duke, Perdes could enter the basement if I allowed him to, but I didn't feel like it.
What if something dangerous happens, and he can never return like Chernosser?
Anxiety welled up in my mind as worries rose like a mist.
“I think you could just open the basement door wide and draw inside.”
Doing so solved both Perdes' and my concerns at the same time.
Unlike me, who was satisfied with finding a suitable compromise, Perdes nodded with a somewhat displeased expression as if he was not satisfied with something.
“Yes, I got it.”
***
He drew a wiretapping magic circle on the inside of the basement door, and always wore a ring connected to the magic circle on his finger.
Even when I was bathing or even training in swordsmanship, I never missed a thing, but despite my efforts, Lady Abigail never came near the basement.
It's not like she did anything else suspicious either.
She just did her job silently, and the other court ladies she brought along were the same.
They lived quietly enough that nothing was out of the ordinary except that the Emperor had sent them, but still, trouble arose.
“You will soon be marrying the Fourth Prince. I sincerely congratulate you, Your Excellency, the Duke.”
This was it.
Even before that, there was a commotion when I received a bouquet of flowers from a boy during my inspection of the estate, and when I started preparing for the wedding in earnest, there was chaos everywhere with congratulations.
There were even nobles who had already sent wedding congratulatory gifts.
That alone was a headache, but what made it even more difficult were the congratulatory remarks and accompanying remarks.
It was common for everyone I met to say that Perdes and I got along well.
Besides, it was an excellent choice to choose him among the Princes.
Perdes showered me with all sorts of compliments, saying I should relax now that he would be a good husband.
If it had been any other time, I would have just ignored it, but I couldn't do that after hearing Perdes' confession.
The words that said if you were going to get married, choose me.
I already had a lot of thoughts because of that, but when people around me encouraged me to marry him, I felt like I absolutely couldn't let him go.
Anyway, when everything is over, I'm going to marry someone, so should I just choose Perdes?
But that's taking advantage of his pure heart...
Kakang-
“...!”
I felt a sharp, tingling pain throughout my wrist, accompanied by a sharp, tingling sound.
Only then did I wake up from my thoughts and frown as I realized that I had been practicing swordsmanship with Sir Aldor.
Even though you're practicing, you're thinking about something else.
It was not polite to the other person.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t concentrate, Sir Aldor.”
“No. Rather, how about we stop practice here for today, Miss?”
“Do that.”
I put down my sword because I felt like I wouldn't be able to concentrate if I tried harder.
And as I was sitting on the floor, wiping my sweat with the towel that Sir Aldor had handed me, he asked me carefully.
“Are you saying this because you are concerned about the people sent by the Emperor?”
Instead of answering the somewhat meaningful question, Aldor looked slightly embarrassed and added:
“I asked because you seemed to have trouble concentrating during the training, which is unusual for a young lady.”
I was just looking at it, but why are you flustered like that?
“I’m indeed nervous, but it’s not that I can’t concentrate because of them.”
“Then do you have any other concerns?”
“I’m not worried, but I have some concerns.”
“If you don’t mind, may I ask what’s bothering you?”
“It’s a little embarrassing to say this...”
"It's okay."
Sir Aldor knelt down on one knee to my level, looked straight into my eyes, and spoke.
“I’m ready to listen to any story, so please feel free to tell me.”
So what I'm saying is I'm not ready...
Moreover, since Sir Aldor spoke so seriously, it was even more burdensome to speak.
“Is there something you’re worried about that you can’t tell me about?”
“That’s not it.”
Rather, since he was Sir Aldor, I could tell him everything and ask for advice.
Because he knows the real relationship between me and Perdes.
“Before I speak, there’s something I’d like to ask you first.”
“Please speak.”
“What does Sir Aldor think of Lord Perdes?”
Sir Aldor looked at me with slightly surprised eyes, perhaps because my question was unexpected, and then answered.
“... I don’t know what you mean by that.”
“There’s no special meaning to it. I just asked because I wanted to know what Skr Aldor usually thinks of Lord Perdes.”
“I think he is a good person.”
It was funny how he answered immediately as if he had already thought about what he was going to say.
“What is that? There’s no soul in those words.”
It was an unbelievable answer, even considering the usual relationship between Aldor and Perdes.
“Are you sure you think Mr. Perdes is a good person?”
“...Yes. I think he is a good person.”
That means you're thinking the other way too.
This is probably an evaluation based on personal feelings.
I was curious about what the evaluation was, but I passed because I thought it would be difficult for Sir Aldor if I dug deeper.
The important thing was that even Sir Aldor, who wasn't on good terms with Perdes, thought of him as a good person.
“Then what do you think about me marrying Perdes?”
“...!”
As if startled, Sir Aldor's body shook violently for a moment, and he collapsed on the floor.
I too was surprised and grabbed Sir Aldor's arm.
“Are you okay, Sir Aldor?”
"...It's okay."
“Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t look so good.”
It was like the expression of someone who had heard that the sky would fall tomorrow.
“Practice is probably over, I think it would be best for you to go in and rest for today, Sir Aldor.”
Grab.
As I let go of his arm and tried to stand up, Sir Aldor grabbed my arm again.
That's why I looked down at Sir Aldor with my upper body bent over awkwardly.
Their shaking eyes met in the air.
He looked up at me with more serious and sorrowful eyes than ever before and slowly began to speak.
“Don’t... get married, Miss.”
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