Episode 6. Canary's Inferiority Complex
Tesha ran around the mansion, his small feet rolling.
The place Tesha found Kassius was a training ground in a remote area.
Although it was an abandoned and old mansion, it was well-maintained, as if remembering its past glory.
Kassius was swinging his sword like an animal, as if trying to relieve the Emperor's neglect.
Tesha called out to Kassius at the top of his lungs.
"Sir Kassius!! Cough! Sir Kassius!"
Tesha, remembering the others' warnings not to set foot anywhere near Kassius' sword, stamped his feet and coughed as Kassius grabbed his sword.
Fortunately, Kassius stopped training, perhaps hearing Tesha's voice.
"What's going on, causing such a fuss?"
Kassius approached, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel and gently patting Tesha's head.
"Oh. That's it!"
"Catch your breath."
Kassius held out the water bottle he had for Tesha.
Tesha drank the water and wiped his lips.
“We have a guest, Sir Kassius! Sir Terion wants you to take a quick bath and come out!”
“Terion? Didn’t you say you were going to get a suit?”
“That’s...! Count Fierst sent a gift. The madam from the dress shop brought someone! I’m looking for Sir Kassius. She's here to tailor your attire for the banquet!”
Kassius frowned.
Count Fierst?
What kind of family is this to show such kindness to a knight of slave origin?
He had learned from a young age that kindness was not without reward.
‘Damn it. I need to know something about the capital.’
Kassius, who had just arrived in the capital, had no information. Terion was running around gathering information, but it wasn’t enough.
Kassius was a force that had only recently entered the capital, and the central nobles were tightly knit like old-timers.
Meanwhile, Count Fierst had reached out without prior notice.
Kassius strode forward roughly.
Several knights were fidgeting in the hall.
The knight who spotted Kassius clung to him with a pale face.
“My lord, a lady has just arrived! To this mansion!”
“Why?”
“I said it’s a lady! And not just one, but several...! They were so beautiful!”
“Let go! What’s the fuss!”
“A lady, I tell you? Should I get them some water, uh... water? Do you know how to make tea?”
“Is there tea in this mansion?”
“I bet I can get that much!”
The knights began to bicker among themselves.
Kassius looked at them incredulously and strode up to the second floor.
Since Terion was here, he would know how to serve the guests.
Tesha ran over to Kassius.
“I guess you’re surprised to see ladies after such a long time.”
His giggling face was cute. Kassius chuckled and shook his head.
“That’s ridiculous. Tesha, keep a close eye on what they’re up to. You know they’re all just presumptuous.”
“Yes!”
Tesha nodded excitedly and went down to the first floor.
Kassius stared at his back for a moment.
Tesha, who doesn’t remember a thing, has nowhere else to send him, so he’s keeping him, but..
He wonders if he shouldn’t be sent to a better environment.
There are only rough knights here, and there’s no one to look after Tesha.
It would be nice if the Emperor gave Kassius a proper fiefdom, but...
“Tsk.”
Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts.
For that, he had to go to the banquet hall.
Kassius shook his head and went into the bathroom.
Kassius entered the drawing room with his hair still damp.
As expected, Terion was serving the guests, sweating profusely.
Terion smiled brightly at Kassius.
“Here! Please take a seat!”
The woman who had been talking to Terion rose from her seat and bowed.
“I am Madame Turiel, who runs the Turiel Costume Shop. Please just call me Turiel, Sir Kassius.”
Terion whispered quickly to Kassius.
“A noble, a noble!”
“...Who sent you?”
“From Count Fierst’s family.”
Turiel straightened her back elegantly.
Although she spoke softly and politely, Turiel had an innate aristocratic quality ingrained in her.
Seeing someone like that being so polite to Kassius, it was clear that the Counts of Fierst harbored some kind of secret.
Kassius plopped down in his seat.
“Sit down. I think we need to talk first. If you just eat whatever you want, you’ll get in big trouble.”
Turiel smiled.
“Yes. In that case.”
Turiel sat back down.
“Would you mind handing over the people around you? My staff will be leaving too.”
Kassius nodded, and Terion, with a regretful expression, led everyone out the door.
The door soon closed. Kassius spoke sharply.
“Terion! Back away from there, twenty steps.”
“Tch!”
A murmur was heard outside, and the footsteps faded away.
Kassius crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
“The Counts of Fierst have served the Loterra family for generations.”
Turiel began softly.
“This morning, Linda, the head maid of honor at the Empress’s palace, came to see me. She wanted to order clothes for Sir Kassius. Do you know who sent me?”
Turiel confessed without any intention of hiding anything.
Linda had asked that the matter be handled in Fierst’s name, but she hadn’t told Turiel to hide it.
“Empress Renisha.”
Renisha seemed to be standing before Kassius's eyes again.
She was gazing at him with her noble, pink eyes.
He could also see the afterimage of Duke Lottera riding away behind Renisha.
Kassius brushed his lips with his hand.
“Her Majesty... why would she care for someone like me?”
“I don’t know that. However, Her Majesty has chosen Sir Kassius. Now it’s time for Sir Kassius to give your answer. Would you like to accept the gift?”
Kassius tapped his forearm.
“I’m not in a position to be picky.”
The Empress was the only one in the banquet hall who seemed sane.
The Duke of Loterra came to mind.
Even in death, he wondered if he would guide Kassius, constantly crossing his mind.
Kassius nodded gravely.
“I will."
“Good. You’ve thought well.”
Would he get an answer if he asked about Renisha?
Kassius entered this mansion teeming with knights and gazed at Turiel, who remained composed throughout.
He wondered what kind of person the Empress was.
Kassius hesitated, but just as he opened his mouth,
Knock!
“I brought you tea!”
Terion, unable to contain his curiosity, was quick.
“Tea?”
Before he could even retort, “Where is that kind of thing here?” The door burst open.
Terion looked between the two men and placed a cup filled with a dark green liquid in front of Turiel and Kassius.
Kassius stared at it with a puzzled expression before taking a sip.
“Cough! Gulp!”
Kassius covered his mouth and swallowed the bitter liquid with difficulty.
The bitter taste assaulting his throat made him glare at Terion.
“What is that?”
“What on earth did you bring? Poison?”
“No way! With all my heart, we have herbal tea! That was the best we could do!”
Turiel, smiling, took a sip.
“It’s a bit bitter because it’s steeped for too long, but it’s marigold tea. Thank you.”
My goodness, drinking that like that? She really is not easy.
Kassius clicked his tongue.
Fortunately, Kassius accepted the gift she sent.
Since Turiel would have handled it well, Kassius may have also read Renisha’s intentions to some extent.
Renisha had reached out to Kassius first.
Renisha fiddled with her necklace.
It was a small locket necklace that always hung around her neck.
It was something Renisha often did when lost in thought.
Late that evening, an uninvited visitor arrived at Renisha's home.
"No!"
"Please step aside. His Majesty the Emperor would be very pleased if he knew of this behavior. I simply wish to chat with Her Majesty the Empress before dinner. It would be embarrassing if our dresses overlapped, wouldn't it?"
It was half a threat.
If she didn't meet him now, he would definitely humiliate Renisha at the dinner table.
Renisha rose from her chair.
"Let her in."
"But, Your Majesty!"
The maids frowned.
They knew how reluctant they were to even breathe the same air in the same room as Canary.
In fact, all of Renisha's maids were of noble birth.
Canary, who hadn't yet received any title, wasn't the type to treat them like that.
"What can I do about someone who hasn't learned anything? I should treat them with pity."
Canary seemed to hear that voice through the crack in the forced-open door.
Renisha pursed her lips.
"How empty you must be when all you can rely on is another woman's husband. You should learn to feel compassion."
"You're a stone-faced woman who can't even get pregnant."
Canary retorted sharply, pushing her way through the door.
Canary pointed the fan she was holding at Renisha.
"I guess you've lost your husband's favor, so you have lost all hope."
"What can you expect from a woman who thinks her worth is in her child, in the womb she was born into? Right, Linda?"
Linda grinned.
Renisha simply responded, as if she hadn't heard Canary.
Renisha played with her hair.
“Behaving so ignorantly when your master didn’t even give you permission to enter... It seems your time in the palace was wasted.”
“Your Majesty, the Empress.”
Canary’s face flushed red, and she trembled.
She swallowed hard before continuing.
“You’ll soon be kicked out of the palace. What will you do then?”
Canary smiled coquettishly.
“What if this Canary gives birth to the Emperor’s child? What will you really do then?”
“I don’t know.”
Renisha turned her gaze to Canary.
Canary, who met Renisha’s eyes, unconsciously took two steps back.
Those cold, pink eyes pierced through her.
“And you haven’t had a child in years either. Are you really capable of giving birth?”
Renisha cleverly pricked Canary’s anxiety.
The nobles were talking about the mad Emperor losing his ability to reproduce.
Canary bit her lip.
She'd thought Renisha would be somewhat dispirited after her humiliation at the banquet hall.
She'd pushed her way in, wanting to see that miserable face.
Seeing it would be a relief.
But Renisha was still arrogant. It was sickening.
She recalled herself, a former maid who washed the Empress's feet.
Tesha ran around the mansion, his small feet rolling.
The place Tesha found Kassius was a training ground in a remote area.
Although it was an abandoned and old mansion, it was well-maintained, as if remembering its past glory.
Kassius was swinging his sword like an animal, as if trying to relieve the Emperor's neglect.
Tesha called out to Kassius at the top of his lungs.
"Sir Kassius!! Cough! Sir Kassius!"
Tesha, remembering the others' warnings not to set foot anywhere near Kassius' sword, stamped his feet and coughed as Kassius grabbed his sword.
Fortunately, Kassius stopped training, perhaps hearing Tesha's voice.
"What's going on, causing such a fuss?"
Kassius approached, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel and gently patting Tesha's head.
"Oh. That's it!"
"Catch your breath."
Kassius held out the water bottle he had for Tesha.
Tesha drank the water and wiped his lips.
“We have a guest, Sir Kassius! Sir Terion wants you to take a quick bath and come out!”
“Terion? Didn’t you say you were going to get a suit?”
“That’s...! Count Fierst sent a gift. The madam from the dress shop brought someone! I’m looking for Sir Kassius. She's here to tailor your attire for the banquet!”
Kassius frowned.
Count Fierst?
What kind of family is this to show such kindness to a knight of slave origin?
He had learned from a young age that kindness was not without reward.
‘Damn it. I need to know something about the capital.’
Kassius, who had just arrived in the capital, had no information. Terion was running around gathering information, but it wasn’t enough.
Kassius was a force that had only recently entered the capital, and the central nobles were tightly knit like old-timers.
Meanwhile, Count Fierst had reached out without prior notice.
Kassius strode forward roughly.
Several knights were fidgeting in the hall.
The knight who spotted Kassius clung to him with a pale face.
“My lord, a lady has just arrived! To this mansion!”
“Why?”
“I said it’s a lady! And not just one, but several...! They were so beautiful!”
“Let go! What’s the fuss!”
“A lady, I tell you? Should I get them some water, uh... water? Do you know how to make tea?”
“Is there tea in this mansion?”
“I bet I can get that much!”
The knights began to bicker among themselves.
Kassius looked at them incredulously and strode up to the second floor.
Since Terion was here, he would know how to serve the guests.
Tesha ran over to Kassius.
“I guess you’re surprised to see ladies after such a long time.”
His giggling face was cute. Kassius chuckled and shook his head.
“That’s ridiculous. Tesha, keep a close eye on what they’re up to. You know they’re all just presumptuous.”
“Yes!”
Tesha nodded excitedly and went down to the first floor.
Kassius stared at his back for a moment.
Tesha, who doesn’t remember a thing, has nowhere else to send him, so he’s keeping him, but..
He wonders if he shouldn’t be sent to a better environment.
There are only rough knights here, and there’s no one to look after Tesha.
It would be nice if the Emperor gave Kassius a proper fiefdom, but...
“Tsk.”
Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts.
For that, he had to go to the banquet hall.
Kassius shook his head and went into the bathroom.
***
Kassius entered the drawing room with his hair still damp.
As expected, Terion was serving the guests, sweating profusely.
Terion smiled brightly at Kassius.
“Here! Please take a seat!”
The woman who had been talking to Terion rose from her seat and bowed.
“I am Madame Turiel, who runs the Turiel Costume Shop. Please just call me Turiel, Sir Kassius.”
Terion whispered quickly to Kassius.
“A noble, a noble!”
“...Who sent you?”
“From Count Fierst’s family.”
Turiel straightened her back elegantly.
Although she spoke softly and politely, Turiel had an innate aristocratic quality ingrained in her.
Seeing someone like that being so polite to Kassius, it was clear that the Counts of Fierst harbored some kind of secret.
Kassius plopped down in his seat.
“Sit down. I think we need to talk first. If you just eat whatever you want, you’ll get in big trouble.”
Turiel smiled.
“Yes. In that case.”
Turiel sat back down.
“Would you mind handing over the people around you? My staff will be leaving too.”
Kassius nodded, and Terion, with a regretful expression, led everyone out the door.
The door soon closed. Kassius spoke sharply.
“Terion! Back away from there, twenty steps.”
“Tch!”
A murmur was heard outside, and the footsteps faded away.
Kassius crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
“The Counts of Fierst have served the Loterra family for generations.”
Turiel began softly.
“This morning, Linda, the head maid of honor at the Empress’s palace, came to see me. She wanted to order clothes for Sir Kassius. Do you know who sent me?”
Turiel confessed without any intention of hiding anything.
Linda had asked that the matter be handled in Fierst’s name, but she hadn’t told Turiel to hide it.
“Empress Renisha.”
Renisha seemed to be standing before Kassius's eyes again.
She was gazing at him with her noble, pink eyes.
He could also see the afterimage of Duke Lottera riding away behind Renisha.
Kassius brushed his lips with his hand.
“Her Majesty... why would she care for someone like me?”
“I don’t know that. However, Her Majesty has chosen Sir Kassius. Now it’s time for Sir Kassius to give your answer. Would you like to accept the gift?”
Kassius tapped his forearm.
“I’m not in a position to be picky.”
The Empress was the only one in the banquet hall who seemed sane.
The Duke of Loterra came to mind.
Even in death, he wondered if he would guide Kassius, constantly crossing his mind.
Kassius nodded gravely.
“I will."
“Good. You’ve thought well.”
Would he get an answer if he asked about Renisha?
Kassius entered this mansion teeming with knights and gazed at Turiel, who remained composed throughout.
He wondered what kind of person the Empress was.
Kassius hesitated, but just as he opened his mouth,
Knock!
“I brought you tea!”
Terion, unable to contain his curiosity, was quick.
“Tea?”
Before he could even retort, “Where is that kind of thing here?” The door burst open.
Terion looked between the two men and placed a cup filled with a dark green liquid in front of Turiel and Kassius.
Kassius stared at it with a puzzled expression before taking a sip.
“Cough! Gulp!”
Kassius covered his mouth and swallowed the bitter liquid with difficulty.
The bitter taste assaulting his throat made him glare at Terion.
“What is that?”
“What on earth did you bring? Poison?”
“No way! With all my heart, we have herbal tea! That was the best we could do!”
Turiel, smiling, took a sip.
“It’s a bit bitter because it’s steeped for too long, but it’s marigold tea. Thank you.”
My goodness, drinking that like that? She really is not easy.
Kassius clicked his tongue.
***
Fortunately, Kassius accepted the gift she sent.
Since Turiel would have handled it well, Kassius may have also read Renisha’s intentions to some extent.
Renisha had reached out to Kassius first.
Renisha fiddled with her necklace.
It was a small locket necklace that always hung around her neck.
It was something Renisha often did when lost in thought.
Late that evening, an uninvited visitor arrived at Renisha's home.
"No!"
"Please step aside. His Majesty the Emperor would be very pleased if he knew of this behavior. I simply wish to chat with Her Majesty the Empress before dinner. It would be embarrassing if our dresses overlapped, wouldn't it?"
It was half a threat.
If she didn't meet him now, he would definitely humiliate Renisha at the dinner table.
Renisha rose from her chair.
"Let her in."
"But, Your Majesty!"
The maids frowned.
They knew how reluctant they were to even breathe the same air in the same room as Canary.
In fact, all of Renisha's maids were of noble birth.
Canary, who hadn't yet received any title, wasn't the type to treat them like that.
"What can I do about someone who hasn't learned anything? I should treat them with pity."
Canary seemed to hear that voice through the crack in the forced-open door.
Renisha pursed her lips.
"How empty you must be when all you can rely on is another woman's husband. You should learn to feel compassion."
"You're a stone-faced woman who can't even get pregnant."
Canary retorted sharply, pushing her way through the door.
Canary pointed the fan she was holding at Renisha.
"I guess you've lost your husband's favor, so you have lost all hope."
"What can you expect from a woman who thinks her worth is in her child, in the womb she was born into? Right, Linda?"
Linda grinned.
Renisha simply responded, as if she hadn't heard Canary.
Renisha played with her hair.
“Behaving so ignorantly when your master didn’t even give you permission to enter... It seems your time in the palace was wasted.”
“Your Majesty, the Empress.”
Canary’s face flushed red, and she trembled.
She swallowed hard before continuing.
“You’ll soon be kicked out of the palace. What will you do then?”
Canary smiled coquettishly.
“What if this Canary gives birth to the Emperor’s child? What will you really do then?”
“I don’t know.”
Renisha turned her gaze to Canary.
Canary, who met Renisha’s eyes, unconsciously took two steps back.
Those cold, pink eyes pierced through her.
“And you haven’t had a child in years either. Are you really capable of giving birth?”
Renisha cleverly pricked Canary’s anxiety.
The nobles were talking about the mad Emperor losing his ability to reproduce.
Canary bit her lip.
She'd thought Renisha would be somewhat dispirited after her humiliation at the banquet hall.
She'd pushed her way in, wanting to see that miserable face.
Seeing it would be a relief.
But Renisha was still arrogant. It was sickening.
She recalled herself, a former maid who washed the Empress's feet.
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