Episode 124. A Guest from the Distant Sea (2)
When I arrived at the reception room of the Princess’ Palace, I was panting from running halfway. If Her Highness Milliora had put one exclamation mark on the envelope, I would have walked a little faster, but there were three, so there was nothing I could do.
As soon as I opened the door, I looked for Eria and said,
“Eria, I’m here. I really came running. Your Highness, the Princess?”
"I have met many people who speak Smilean since coming to the Empire, but you are the first one to greet us. I am Ryuel."
"If you enjoyed it, I am happy too. Lord Ryuel.
I couldn’t even remember when it was last time I practiced Smilean. There were a few grammatical errors, but I am not a professional interpreter, so if we can understand each other, that’s fine.
I spoke briefly to Her Highness.
“We exchanged greetings. They know about the Kydel family.”
“Yes. Yes. Always tell people you are married.”
Her Highness seemed to have lost her mind. Does that matter right now?
This man named Ryuel had a very strong impression. His eyes were bright and lively, and his sturdy body and dark skin made the other person feel quite overwhelmed.
My heart raced when I thought that Her Highness was marrying into a place full of such men.
Seeing Her Highness’s face turn even paler than usual, my nervousness didn’t seem so absurd. I had to save Her Highness first.
Since I am not a maid or an interpreter, it would have been better to have the messenger’s interpreter speak to me even if I could speak Smilean. My role was limited to correcting the interpreter if he said anything strange to Her Highness the Princess.
So I told the interpreter,
“In the Empire, when a man and a woman meet for the first time, they only have a brief conversation and then part ways. On the first day, they just get to know each other’s faces, and then spend more time together, enjoying a meal or picnic outdoors. If we have enough time, how about doing that?”
When the interpreter continued, Ryuel accepted cheerfully.
“Ryuel says he will gladly follow the Empire’s customs. However, when Her Highness the Princess comes to Smilean, she must also come with me for a walk on the most beautiful beach.”
When I looked at Her Highness Milliora, she answered with a quivering mouth.
“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow at lunchtime in the palace forest.”
When the interpreter said that, Ryuel suddenly got up, smiled, and politely left.
When they left and the door closed, the Princess slumped as if someone had thrown her onto the sofa.
But tears were falling down her cheeks.
“Your Highness?”
“You saw it? You just saw it, Lorisha? How scary that guy is... If a messenger is like that...”
I had no idea how to comfort her.
If someone had told me in advance that ‘You must marry Prince Kydel,’ I would have been in agony, not eating or drinking. It was so stormy that I was just dumbfounded.
“That’s... Your Highness... He’s just a proxy. The Prince is probably much cooler...”
But my tongue was tangled, and I couldn’t speak properly. The Princess wasn’t a child, and I didn’t think she would be comforted by such words.
So I ended up saying something else.
“If, if you look closely, Lord Rond has a much thicker neck and arms, and anyway, his skin is whiter, but his appearance is much scarier. But Your Highness doesn’t seem to care about Lord Rond. So...”
“Oh, are you squinty-eyed? Lord Rond is cute! What do he and Lord Rond have in common? Hehe. Lorisha, you’re the same!”
When I arrived at the reception room of the Princess’ Palace, I was panting from running halfway. If Her Highness Milliora had put one exclamation mark on the envelope, I would have walked a little faster, but there were three, so there was nothing I could do.
As soon as I opened the door, I looked for Eria and said,
“Eria, I’m here. I really came running. Your Highness, the Princess?”
“Lady Kydel! Why are you here now?”
Eria, who had greeted me warmly, suddenly hardened her face after seeing something.
When I turned around to follow Eria’s gaze, she was coming in.
Kalin Ankart.
She opened her eyes wide in surprise at the sight of me, and immediately looked as if she wanted to eat me.
Well, then. The palace is a place where you can’t just step over a threshold.
But I smiled and greeted her.
“Miss Kalin Ankart.”
But she pretended not to see me and gave Eria an order.
“Tell them. I changed my clothes and came back.”
Then Eria hesitated for a moment and said solemnly.
“Her Highness is waiting for Madame Kydel right now.”
“How dare you! Do you not know the palace etiquette?”
It seemed that she was saying that she was a maid and I was a guest at the tea party.
I said.
“Aren’t you on probation right now, Miss Ankart? The punishment for disobeying orders would be severe, but has the palace etiquette changed in the meantime?”
Judging from Kalin’s hesitant expression, it was clear that she had also had a pleasant encounter with the head maid.
I said to Eria right away.
“Tell them, Eria.”
Eria immediately went to the door and told her.
“Your Highness, Madame Kydel is here.”
“Come in.”
As soon as I entered the reception room after Her Highness answered, Eria closed the door behind me, and I could feel the wind. She was saying this because she was afraid that Kalin would follow me in.
I was about to offer a genuine smile and a bright laugh because it was so funny. There were already two men sitting in the room, clearly Smilean messengers.
Her Highness Miliora smiled at me and said,
“Lorisha, sit down. Interpreter, tell them that you are Madame Kydel, who will be by my side from now on.”
I went to Her Highness Miliora and spoke in Smilean.
“May the blessings of the three seas be upon your ship. Welcome to the Empire. I am Lorisha Ky... del.”
Eria, who had greeted me warmly, suddenly hardened her face after seeing something.
When I turned around to follow Eria’s gaze, she was coming in.
Kalin Ankart.
She opened her eyes wide in surprise at the sight of me, and immediately looked as if she wanted to eat me.
Well, then. The palace is a place where you can’t just step over a threshold.
But I smiled and greeted her.
“Miss Kalin Ankart.”
But she pretended not to see me and gave Eria an order.
“Tell them. I changed my clothes and came back.”
Then Eria hesitated for a moment and said solemnly.
“Her Highness is waiting for Madame Kydel right now.”
“How dare you! Do you not know the palace etiquette?”
It seemed that she was saying that she was a maid and I was a guest at the tea party.
I said.
“Aren’t you on probation right now, Miss Ankart? The punishment for disobeying orders would be severe, but has the palace etiquette changed in the meantime?”
Judging from Kalin’s hesitant expression, it was clear that she had also had a pleasant encounter with the head maid.
I said to Eria right away.
“Tell them, Eria.”
Eria immediately went to the door and told her.
“Your Highness, Madame Kydel is here.”
“Come in.”
As soon as I entered the reception room after Her Highness answered, Eria closed the door behind me, and I could feel the wind. She was saying this because she was afraid that Kalin would follow me in.
I was about to offer a genuine smile and a bright laugh because it was so funny. There were already two men sitting in the room, clearly Smilean messengers.
Her Highness Miliora smiled at me and said,
“Lorisha, sit down. Interpreter, tell them that you are Madame Kydel, who will be by my side from now on.”
I went to Her Highness Miliora and spoke in Smilean.
“May the blessings of the three seas be upon your ship. Welcome to the Empire. I am Lorisha Ky... del.”
Oh my, my new last name made my tongue roll even when I spoke it in a foreign language.
Then the messenger who had been looking at me with intense eyes said,
“That messenger Kydel?”
“Yes. I am the daughter-in-law of the first messenger. I have only been married for a few days, so I am not familiar with the family customs. Please do not regard my flaws as flaws of my family.”
Then the messenger who had been looking at me with intense eyes said,
“That messenger Kydel?”
“Yes. I am the daughter-in-law of the first messenger. I have only been married for a few days, so I am not familiar with the family customs. Please do not regard my flaws as flaws of my family.”
"I have met many people who speak Smilean since coming to the Empire, but you are the first one to greet us. I am Ryuel."
"If you enjoyed it, I am happy too. Lord Ryuel.
I couldn’t even remember when it was last time I practiced Smilean. There were a few grammatical errors, but I am not a professional interpreter, so if we can understand each other, that’s fine.
I spoke briefly to Her Highness.
“We exchanged greetings. They know about the Kydel family.”
“Yes. Yes. Always tell people you are married.”
Her Highness seemed to have lost her mind. Does that matter right now?
This man named Ryuel had a very strong impression. His eyes were bright and lively, and his sturdy body and dark skin made the other person feel quite overwhelmed.
My heart raced when I thought that Her Highness was marrying into a place full of such men.
Seeing Her Highness’s face turn even paler than usual, my nervousness didn’t seem so absurd. I had to save Her Highness first.
Since I am not a maid or an interpreter, it would have been better to have the messenger’s interpreter speak to me even if I could speak Smilean. My role was limited to correcting the interpreter if he said anything strange to Her Highness the Princess.
So I told the interpreter,
“In the Empire, when a man and a woman meet for the first time, they only have a brief conversation and then part ways. On the first day, they just get to know each other’s faces, and then spend more time together, enjoying a meal or picnic outdoors. If we have enough time, how about doing that?”
When the interpreter continued, Ryuel accepted cheerfully.
“Ryuel says he will gladly follow the Empire’s customs. However, when Her Highness the Princess comes to Smilean, she must also come with me for a walk on the most beautiful beach.”
When I looked at Her Highness Milliora, she answered with a quivering mouth.
“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow at lunchtime in the palace forest.”
When the interpreter said that, Ryuel suddenly got up, smiled, and politely left.
When they left and the door closed, the Princess slumped as if someone had thrown her onto the sofa.
But tears were falling down her cheeks.
“Your Highness?”
“You saw it? You just saw it, Lorisha? How scary that guy is... If a messenger is like that...”
I had no idea how to comfort her.
If someone had told me in advance that ‘You must marry Prince Kydel,’ I would have been in agony, not eating or drinking. It was so stormy that I was just dumbfounded.
“That’s... Your Highness... He’s just a proxy. The Prince is probably much cooler...”
But my tongue was tangled, and I couldn’t speak properly. The Princess wasn’t a child, and I didn’t think she would be comforted by such words.
So I ended up saying something else.
“If, if you look closely, Lord Rond has a much thicker neck and arms, and anyway, his skin is whiter, but his appearance is much scarier. But Your Highness doesn’t seem to care about Lord Rond. So...”
“Oh, are you squinty-eyed? Lord Rond is cute! What do he and Lord Rond have in common? Hehe. Lorisha, you’re the same!”
Princess Milliora lay down on the table and began to cry.
‘What’s so cute about Lord Rond...?’
I hesitated for a moment and then patted her back. It was because she didn’t hate my touch at all.
Indeed, she was calming down little by little.
“Your Highness. Are you okay?”
“I’m not okay! Smilean, how can that be? That’s Her Majesty’s doing. You’re sending me across the sea from which I can never return because you don’t want to see my face!”
I took a deep sigh.
“Your Highness, when I was told to get married, I felt like the sky was falling, but as time passed, it wasn’t as terrible as I had imagined. Take the time to talk to that messenger and learn about the Prince.”
“The sky was falling? Is that what a girl who married Prince Kydel would say? You crazy bitch.”
“Huh.”
It was rare for Her Highness Milliora to swear.
I realized that I was in no position to comfort her right now and kept my mouth shut.
It seemed that my comforting words from my perspective would not work on Her Highness the Princess. It seemed that they would not work on anyone in the empire.
“Haa...”
Her Highness Milliora wiped away her tears and roughly combed her hair with her hand.
I looked at her and asked her bluntly,
“Your Highness’s maid was outside earlier.”
“Oh my, I forgot. She showed up when the messenger came, but I didn’t call her, and they were having such a good time. They thought I was her guest.”
“Is that so?”
“She’s just trying to get a connection to her father’s business. How ridiculous I must have looked!”
“Ah.”
Kalin Ankart really kept surprising people without getting tired. He even disobeyed the order to stay in the palace, and she pursued her own family interests in front of the Princess.
She didn’t seem to care at all about the Princess’s feelings.
I spoke to her as if I were trying to comfort her.
“Your Highness, you should prepare for tomorrow’s lunch picnic. I’ll tell Lord Rond.”
“Yes, will you?”
I said hesitantly.
“But Your Highness, shouldn’t you bring a maid with you to meet a foreign envoy?”
“Lorisha! She’s a spy from the First Prince’s Palace.”
“I thought so at first, too.”
“You weren’t, and Kalin is real. Are you an idiot?”
“Uhhh...”
While I hesitated to answer, Her Highness Miliora spoke first.
“How do you think Kalin Ankart got into the palace?”
“How did she get in?”
“She was originally going after Brother Grayon. Didn’t you see her at the party?”
“Well, she’s an excellent cadet at the Academy, so His Highness Grayon should be polite...”
“When I brought up Kalin, Brother Grayon’s eyes turned fierce. And some people saw her secretly meeting with Viscount Rene.”
“...”
“Brother Orl is like that. He strangles the opponent and makes them squirm in excitement. That girl Kalin must be so busy trying to sell me out to look good to Brother that she can’t even sleep. And you want me to bring her along? Do you really care what happens to me?”
I protested.
“Why would you do that?”
“Who am I? Then should I tell Lord Rond to sit next to me?”
“L, Lord Rond must be really uncomfortable.”
“You like Lord Rondo, right? So, for the sake of Lord Rond, you will come to the palace every day for a while. No, I have left your room empty, so you can sleep there. Yes?”
“Oh, I am a married woman, Your Highness!”
I was surprised when I said that. I didn’t know that I would use the marriage card at a time like this.
At that, Her Highness’s eyes immediately became teary.
‘What’s so cute about Lord Rond...?’
I hesitated for a moment and then patted her back. It was because she didn’t hate my touch at all.
Indeed, she was calming down little by little.
“Your Highness. Are you okay?”
“I’m not okay! Smilean, how can that be? That’s Her Majesty’s doing. You’re sending me across the sea from which I can never return because you don’t want to see my face!”
I took a deep sigh.
“Your Highness, when I was told to get married, I felt like the sky was falling, but as time passed, it wasn’t as terrible as I had imagined. Take the time to talk to that messenger and learn about the Prince.”
“The sky was falling? Is that what a girl who married Prince Kydel would say? You crazy bitch.”
“Huh.”
It was rare for Her Highness Milliora to swear.
I realized that I was in no position to comfort her right now and kept my mouth shut.
It seemed that my comforting words from my perspective would not work on Her Highness the Princess. It seemed that they would not work on anyone in the empire.
“Haa...”
Her Highness Milliora wiped away her tears and roughly combed her hair with her hand.
I looked at her and asked her bluntly,
“Your Highness’s maid was outside earlier.”
“Oh my, I forgot. She showed up when the messenger came, but I didn’t call her, and they were having such a good time. They thought I was her guest.”
“Is that so?”
“She’s just trying to get a connection to her father’s business. How ridiculous I must have looked!”
“Ah.”
Kalin Ankart really kept surprising people without getting tired. He even disobeyed the order to stay in the palace, and she pursued her own family interests in front of the Princess.
She didn’t seem to care at all about the Princess’s feelings.
I spoke to her as if I were trying to comfort her.
“Your Highness, you should prepare for tomorrow’s lunch picnic. I’ll tell Lord Rond.”
“Yes, will you?”
I said hesitantly.
“But Your Highness, shouldn’t you bring a maid with you to meet a foreign envoy?”
“Lorisha! She’s a spy from the First Prince’s Palace.”
“I thought so at first, too.”
“You weren’t, and Kalin is real. Are you an idiot?”
“Uhhh...”
While I hesitated to answer, Her Highness Miliora spoke first.
“How do you think Kalin Ankart got into the palace?”
“How did she get in?”
“She was originally going after Brother Grayon. Didn’t you see her at the party?”
“Well, she’s an excellent cadet at the Academy, so His Highness Grayon should be polite...”
“When I brought up Kalin, Brother Grayon’s eyes turned fierce. And some people saw her secretly meeting with Viscount Rene.”
“...”
“Brother Orl is like that. He strangles the opponent and makes them squirm in excitement. That girl Kalin must be so busy trying to sell me out to look good to Brother that she can’t even sleep. And you want me to bring her along? Do you really care what happens to me?”
I protested.
“Why would you do that?”
“Who am I? Then should I tell Lord Rond to sit next to me?”
“L, Lord Rond must be really uncomfortable.”
“You like Lord Rondo, right? So, for the sake of Lord Rond, you will come to the palace every day for a while. No, I have left your room empty, so you can sleep there. Yes?”
“Oh, I am a married woman, Your Highness!”
I was surprised when I said that. I didn’t know that I would use the marriage card at a time like this.
At that, Her Highness’s eyes immediately became teary.
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