65. A mess
“Welcome back, Your Highness.”
Karen, who had been hesitating, spoke first.
"...Yes."
A faint smile appeared on the Grand Duchess's pale face. Karen's anxiously searching eyes wavered.
"Thanks for getting out of this palace and getting some fresh air. Thank you, Karen."
Erna left a polite greeting and passed Karen, entering alone.
Did Princess Gladys not show up?
Any hope she had held was quickly dashed. Just by looking at Lisa's gaze, she could tell what had happened at the lakeside.
Then why?
Karen doggedly probed the Grand Duke, but the more she did, the more my doubts deepened. She dismissed Erna as nothing more than a naive and innocent child, but the more she learned about her, the more she realized she was a person whose true intentions were beyond her comprehension.
“I, Your Highness.”
Karen, determined to fulfill her role, hurriedly followed the Archduchess. Erna, who was just about to climb the stairs, turned around with a slightly weary look on her face.
“The Prince has returned.”
Erna's eyes widened at Karen's cleared throat. Her eyes brightened, as if a light had been turned on in a dark window, and her expression instantly changed.
"Bjorn? He said he's going to be late. Already?"
"Yes. His schedule has changed, so he's returned home early. His Highness said he would like to have dinner with Your Highness. Should I prepare?"
"Ah..."
Erna hesitated, unable to answer readily. It was nice to see Bjorn back early after such a long absence, but her stomach still felt nauseous and uncomfortable, and she didn't think she could possibly eat.
“Your Highness...”
"Yes!"
Erna impulsively shouted, cutting off Lisa, who was about to answer.
“Please prepare.”
Erna felt Lisa's bewildered gaze, but she did not change her mind.
It seemed like it would be okay.
Because they are together.
Erna's bedroom was empty.
She left the restaurant in a hurry, saying she would go up to her room a little early, and was nowhere to be found.
After carefully looking around the room, Bjorn leaned back in the chair in front of the desk. Seeing the neatly placed notebook from earlier brought back a strange, forgotten discomfort.
How foolish.
Bjorn sneered and opened the notebook again.
Erna seemed to have poured a great deal of effort into creating this mere piece of material, which seemed to declare that as long as Gladys Hartford existed, there was no place for her anywhere in this world.
Come to think of it, she used to brag about studying with the head maid every day. She said she was working hard. She smiled with a foolishly bright and innocent smile.
Just as he was seriously considering throwing it into the fireplace, he heard the bathroom door click open. It was Erna.
"Are you hurt?"
Bjorn asked, her notebook covered. Under the candlelight illuminating the dinner table, her once vibrant face now looked pale, like a sickly man's.
"No."
Erna shook her head firmly and approached with light steps.
“Not at all.”
The same smile she'd worn at the table returned. But when she noticed the notebook Bjorn was holding, that lovely expression instantly turned ferocious, like an angry cat.
“Why are you looking at that? It’s mine!”
Erna began to struggle to snatch the note away.
Bjorn, who had been watching the pointless effort, rose from his chair and raised his notebook-holding hand high above his head. Erna, who had been bouncing around a few times, glared at him with eyes filled with resentment.
“It is not gentlemanly to touch other people’s belongings without permission.”
“It’s not that big of a secret.”
“But it’s mine. It’s rude to look at it without permission!”
Bjorn's lips tilted crookedly as he looked down at his wife, who was playing as if she had been greatly insulted.
“Oh. Are you so savvy that you brought about such a mess?”
“What do you mean?”
"Who are you going to hang out with this way, Erna? Your maid? Or a squirrel?"
He didn't mean to say this, but he ended up saying something unexpected and harsh.
By the time Bjorn realized it, Erna had already frozen stiff.
“I don’t know what the Prince thinks, but I really... I tried really hard.”
Erna clenched her fists and took a step back. Soon, Bjorn placed the notebook on the desk, but she had no will to retrieve it.
A mess.
Those words, thrown in a fit of sarcasm, pierced her heart like shards of broken glass. It felt like her insides were stabbing again. It was fine when she forced herself to swallow food. It was bearable when she had to vomit it out. Now, those words.
“Erna.”
The voice calling her name had softened, but Erna didn't look at Bjorn. She looked down at her shoe tips, clutching the hem of her dress and twisting it, tormenting it.
Don't cry.
She consoled herself and held her breath.
Keep your pride. Don't cry, Erna.
Thanks to the effectiveness of the spell, tears did not flow, but the corners of her eyes were already hot.
Just as she was about to turn around, Bjorn's hand wrapped around her waist. Despite her resistance, he easily sat her down on the chair in front of the desk. Right there, where the notebook, which she had described as a mess, lay spread out.
Erna, who had been planning to jump up, was stunned by the sight of Bjorn, who had brought another chair and sat beside her. While Erna blinked in surprise, Bjorn took off his jacket and unbuttoned his cuffs.
“What are you doing now?”
“Please take a pen.”
Bjorn looked at Erna, holding a fountain pen between his long fingers, which he had taken from his jacket pocket. Erna, though clueless, grasped the quill.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound of the tip of an unopened fountain pen striking a note shook the cozy air.
“Move.”
"Yes?"
“These three. In the next compartment.”
What Bjorn was pointing to were the names of three noble ladies who were classified as being close friends with Princess Gladys.
“But I heard that these are names that are close to Princess Gladys.”
"That's right."
“But why...”
Erna fiddled with the pen, unable to dip it in ink.
“Are they people of great character?”
Erna asked cautiously, having deduced her own reasoning.
“People who spent my money.”
As always, Bjorn's softly delivered answer contained a surprising edge.
After a moment's hesitation, Erna finally dipped the nib into the inkwell. The tip of the quill, gripped tightly, trembled, just like her heart at that very moment.
The chart revisions, which began with moving the boxes for those who had spent money, continued deep into the night. Bjorn would mark names with his pen, and Erna would move them to the designated boxes. Each time, Bjorn would add a description of the family. The conciseness of the words made them easier to understand.
As Bjorn put down his fountain pen, Erna also capped her ink bottle. The once lopsided and shabby chart now takes on a more balanced appearance. There were still many names to watch out for, but there were just as many within Erna's circle of friends.
“Learn the details properly from Karen.”
Bjorn, who met Erna's eyes, spoke with a sigh. Though uncertain, Erna nodded deeply. The pain soon faded, leaving only a foolish thrill.
You have no pride.
Even though she scolded herself, her heart wouldn't stop easily.
"Thank you."
Erna whispered, looking down at her hands. It was difficult to raise her head. It was a completely different emotion from just a moment ago, when she had been so angry she hated the sight of him.
“I will really work hard. I will do well.”
“That’s not true, Erna.”
Bjorn's hand cupped Erna's cheek. Guided by his hand, Erna slowly raised her head.
“Look at the face.”
A faint hint of laughter permeated the voice, which resembled a cool and soft body temperature.
“Like your favorite saying, like a lady.”
Finally, his lips curved slightly. Erna loved this moment, when a captivating smile appeared on the face of the man she'd previously been reluctant to approach. Of course, Bjorn always wore a conscious smile, but it was never the same as this one.
“Isn’t it better for you and Letzen if I stay quietly in Lars and do nothing?”
Erna gently placed her hand on top of Bjorn's, which was cupping her cheek. Bjorn nodded in response.
"Then, after I leave Lars, I'll work hard and do well, just like I learned. Is that okay?"
This time, Bjorn nodded again.
"In the next country, you won't be as busy as you are now, will you? That would be nice."
"Why."
“So we can travel together. This is my first time traveling in my life.”
Erna closed her eyes and smiled shyly. Bjorn looked at his wife with his gray eyes, languidly open.
“What do you want to do?”
“If I tell you, will you join me?”
“See you."
Although it wasn't a definitive answer, Erna's face brightened with joy.
"First of all, I want to walk together! Through foreign streets, just the two of us."
What on earth was he so excited about? A little dispirited, Bjorn nodded in agreement.
“Let’s eat something delicious together. Let’s drink tea. In a pretty place.”
“Is that all?”
"Yes?"
“What I want to do.”
“Ah... and...”
Erna's eyes, which had been deep in thought, sparkled with a gentle light again.
“We talk a lot. We get along well.”
Bjorn laughed because the wishes he had thoughtfully listed seemed so vain.
"Yes."
Bjorn sighed softly and stroked Erna's cheek.
“Okay then.”
Erna, her eyes filled with him, smiled. Like a flower in bloom. Innocent and beautiful.
Erna's letter arrived with the sleet.
Baroness Baden, who had received the letter from her maid, quickly found her glasses, put them on, and sat down in the armchair before the fireplace. Madame Greve, having heard the news, also came out into the drawing room, dragging her arthritis-stricken leg.
“I can’t tell you how lucky I am that Erna is doing so well.”
Baroness Baden gave Madame Greve the letter she had just finished reading with a satisfied smile.
As the strange sense of unease she felt in the letters from Lars faded, the letters finally began to feel like Erna's own. This became even more evident as they crossed each border. She'd said she'd be moving again when the year turned, so she should be in the next country by now.
“Our young lady has truly become a Grand Duchess!”
Madame Greve repeatedly expressed her admiration as she returned Erna's letter to the Baroness, which she had read repeatedly.
While Erna was sharing the strange and fascinating stories of the world she'd sent in her letter, the maid brought out tea. It was one of the major changes that had occurred since the granddaughter of the Baden family became the Grand Duchess of the kingdom.
Baroness Baden vehemently refused, but the royal family's stubbornness proved untenable. By the time the marriage was finalized, renovations to the mansion had already begun, and the number of servants had grown significantly. Even Royce, who had long been a nominal coachman, finally had a carriage in which to demonstrate his skills. The magic that transformed the shabby, dilapidated country home into a splendid aristocratic mansion had all originated with Erna.
“Our daughter’s birthday is in a few days. Will we be able to celebrate it even in a foreign land?”
Baroness Baden answered the question, which was mixed with concern, with a gentle smile.
"Of course. That's right. Now, Erna has the most reliable family in the world by her side."
“That’s true. She’ll be spending her twentieth birthday like a Princess.”
The two old ladies gazed quietly out the window at the falling snow, their eyes filled with contentment and longing. It was the very window where Erna would often make the giant snowman she'd made for her grandparents around this time of year.
“Welcome back, Your Highness.”
Karen, who had been hesitating, spoke first.
"...Yes."
A faint smile appeared on the Grand Duchess's pale face. Karen's anxiously searching eyes wavered.
"Thanks for getting out of this palace and getting some fresh air. Thank you, Karen."
Erna left a polite greeting and passed Karen, entering alone.
Did Princess Gladys not show up?
Any hope she had held was quickly dashed. Just by looking at Lisa's gaze, she could tell what had happened at the lakeside.
Then why?
Karen doggedly probed the Grand Duke, but the more she did, the more my doubts deepened. She dismissed Erna as nothing more than a naive and innocent child, but the more she learned about her, the more she realized she was a person whose true intentions were beyond her comprehension.
“I, Your Highness.”
Karen, determined to fulfill her role, hurriedly followed the Archduchess. Erna, who was just about to climb the stairs, turned around with a slightly weary look on her face.
“The Prince has returned.”
Erna's eyes widened at Karen's cleared throat. Her eyes brightened, as if a light had been turned on in a dark window, and her expression instantly changed.
"Bjorn? He said he's going to be late. Already?"
"Yes. His schedule has changed, so he's returned home early. His Highness said he would like to have dinner with Your Highness. Should I prepare?"
"Ah..."
Erna hesitated, unable to answer readily. It was nice to see Bjorn back early after such a long absence, but her stomach still felt nauseous and uncomfortable, and she didn't think she could possibly eat.
“Your Highness...”
"Yes!"
Erna impulsively shouted, cutting off Lisa, who was about to answer.
“Please prepare.”
Erna felt Lisa's bewildered gaze, but she did not change her mind.
It seemed like it would be okay.
Because they are together.
***
Erna's bedroom was empty.
She left the restaurant in a hurry, saying she would go up to her room a little early, and was nowhere to be found.
After carefully looking around the room, Bjorn leaned back in the chair in front of the desk. Seeing the neatly placed notebook from earlier brought back a strange, forgotten discomfort.
How foolish.
Bjorn sneered and opened the notebook again.
Erna seemed to have poured a great deal of effort into creating this mere piece of material, which seemed to declare that as long as Gladys Hartford existed, there was no place for her anywhere in this world.
Come to think of it, she used to brag about studying with the head maid every day. She said she was working hard. She smiled with a foolishly bright and innocent smile.
Just as he was seriously considering throwing it into the fireplace, he heard the bathroom door click open. It was Erna.
"Are you hurt?"
Bjorn asked, her notebook covered. Under the candlelight illuminating the dinner table, her once vibrant face now looked pale, like a sickly man's.
"No."
Erna shook her head firmly and approached with light steps.
“Not at all.”
The same smile she'd worn at the table returned. But when she noticed the notebook Bjorn was holding, that lovely expression instantly turned ferocious, like an angry cat.
“Why are you looking at that? It’s mine!”
Erna began to struggle to snatch the note away.
Bjorn, who had been watching the pointless effort, rose from his chair and raised his notebook-holding hand high above his head. Erna, who had been bouncing around a few times, glared at him with eyes filled with resentment.
“It is not gentlemanly to touch other people’s belongings without permission.”
“It’s not that big of a secret.”
“But it’s mine. It’s rude to look at it without permission!”
Bjorn's lips tilted crookedly as he looked down at his wife, who was playing as if she had been greatly insulted.
“Oh. Are you so savvy that you brought about such a mess?”
“What do you mean?”
"Who are you going to hang out with this way, Erna? Your maid? Or a squirrel?"
He didn't mean to say this, but he ended up saying something unexpected and harsh.
By the time Bjorn realized it, Erna had already frozen stiff.
“I don’t know what the Prince thinks, but I really... I tried really hard.”
Erna clenched her fists and took a step back. Soon, Bjorn placed the notebook on the desk, but she had no will to retrieve it.
A mess.
Those words, thrown in a fit of sarcasm, pierced her heart like shards of broken glass. It felt like her insides were stabbing again. It was fine when she forced herself to swallow food. It was bearable when she had to vomit it out. Now, those words.
“Erna.”
The voice calling her name had softened, but Erna didn't look at Bjorn. She looked down at her shoe tips, clutching the hem of her dress and twisting it, tormenting it.
Don't cry.
She consoled herself and held her breath.
Keep your pride. Don't cry, Erna.
Thanks to the effectiveness of the spell, tears did not flow, but the corners of her eyes were already hot.
Just as she was about to turn around, Bjorn's hand wrapped around her waist. Despite her resistance, he easily sat her down on the chair in front of the desk. Right there, where the notebook, which she had described as a mess, lay spread out.
Erna, who had been planning to jump up, was stunned by the sight of Bjorn, who had brought another chair and sat beside her. While Erna blinked in surprise, Bjorn took off his jacket and unbuttoned his cuffs.
“What are you doing now?”
“Please take a pen.”
Bjorn looked at Erna, holding a fountain pen between his long fingers, which he had taken from his jacket pocket. Erna, though clueless, grasped the quill.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound of the tip of an unopened fountain pen striking a note shook the cozy air.
“Move.”
"Yes?"
“These three. In the next compartment.”
What Bjorn was pointing to were the names of three noble ladies who were classified as being close friends with Princess Gladys.
“But I heard that these are names that are close to Princess Gladys.”
"That's right."
“But why...”
Erna fiddled with the pen, unable to dip it in ink.
“Are they people of great character?”
Erna asked cautiously, having deduced her own reasoning.
“People who spent my money.”
As always, Bjorn's softly delivered answer contained a surprising edge.
After a moment's hesitation, Erna finally dipped the nib into the inkwell. The tip of the quill, gripped tightly, trembled, just like her heart at that very moment.
***
The chart revisions, which began with moving the boxes for those who had spent money, continued deep into the night. Bjorn would mark names with his pen, and Erna would move them to the designated boxes. Each time, Bjorn would add a description of the family. The conciseness of the words made them easier to understand.
As Bjorn put down his fountain pen, Erna also capped her ink bottle. The once lopsided and shabby chart now takes on a more balanced appearance. There were still many names to watch out for, but there were just as many within Erna's circle of friends.
“Learn the details properly from Karen.”
Bjorn, who met Erna's eyes, spoke with a sigh. Though uncertain, Erna nodded deeply. The pain soon faded, leaving only a foolish thrill.
You have no pride.
Even though she scolded herself, her heart wouldn't stop easily.
"Thank you."
Erna whispered, looking down at her hands. It was difficult to raise her head. It was a completely different emotion from just a moment ago, when she had been so angry she hated the sight of him.
“I will really work hard. I will do well.”
“That’s not true, Erna.”
Bjorn's hand cupped Erna's cheek. Guided by his hand, Erna slowly raised her head.
“Look at the face.”
A faint hint of laughter permeated the voice, which resembled a cool and soft body temperature.
“Like your favorite saying, like a lady.”
Finally, his lips curved slightly. Erna loved this moment, when a captivating smile appeared on the face of the man she'd previously been reluctant to approach. Of course, Bjorn always wore a conscious smile, but it was never the same as this one.
“Isn’t it better for you and Letzen if I stay quietly in Lars and do nothing?”
Erna gently placed her hand on top of Bjorn's, which was cupping her cheek. Bjorn nodded in response.
"Then, after I leave Lars, I'll work hard and do well, just like I learned. Is that okay?"
This time, Bjorn nodded again.
"In the next country, you won't be as busy as you are now, will you? That would be nice."
"Why."
“So we can travel together. This is my first time traveling in my life.”
Erna closed her eyes and smiled shyly. Bjorn looked at his wife with his gray eyes, languidly open.
“What do you want to do?”
“If I tell you, will you join me?”
“See you."
Although it wasn't a definitive answer, Erna's face brightened with joy.
"First of all, I want to walk together! Through foreign streets, just the two of us."
What on earth was he so excited about? A little dispirited, Bjorn nodded in agreement.
“Let’s eat something delicious together. Let’s drink tea. In a pretty place.”
“Is that all?”
"Yes?"
“What I want to do.”
“Ah... and...”
Erna's eyes, which had been deep in thought, sparkled with a gentle light again.
“We talk a lot. We get along well.”
Bjorn laughed because the wishes he had thoughtfully listed seemed so vain.
"Yes."
Bjorn sighed softly and stroked Erna's cheek.
“Okay then.”
Erna, her eyes filled with him, smiled. Like a flower in bloom. Innocent and beautiful.
***
Erna's letter arrived with the sleet.
Baroness Baden, who had received the letter from her maid, quickly found her glasses, put them on, and sat down in the armchair before the fireplace. Madame Greve, having heard the news, also came out into the drawing room, dragging her arthritis-stricken leg.
“I can’t tell you how lucky I am that Erna is doing so well.”
Baroness Baden gave Madame Greve the letter she had just finished reading with a satisfied smile.
As the strange sense of unease she felt in the letters from Lars faded, the letters finally began to feel like Erna's own. This became even more evident as they crossed each border. She'd said she'd be moving again when the year turned, so she should be in the next country by now.
“Our young lady has truly become a Grand Duchess!”
Madame Greve repeatedly expressed her admiration as she returned Erna's letter to the Baroness, which she had read repeatedly.
While Erna was sharing the strange and fascinating stories of the world she'd sent in her letter, the maid brought out tea. It was one of the major changes that had occurred since the granddaughter of the Baden family became the Grand Duchess of the kingdom.
Baroness Baden vehemently refused, but the royal family's stubbornness proved untenable. By the time the marriage was finalized, renovations to the mansion had already begun, and the number of servants had grown significantly. Even Royce, who had long been a nominal coachman, finally had a carriage in which to demonstrate his skills. The magic that transformed the shabby, dilapidated country home into a splendid aristocratic mansion had all originated with Erna.
“Our daughter’s birthday is in a few days. Will we be able to celebrate it even in a foreign land?”
Baroness Baden answered the question, which was mixed with concern, with a gentle smile.
"Of course. That's right. Now, Erna has the most reliable family in the world by her side."
“That’s true. She’ll be spending her twentieth birthday like a Princess.”
The two old ladies gazed quietly out the window at the falling snow, their eyes filled with contentment and longing. It was the very window where Erna would often make the giant snowman she'd made for her grandparents around this time of year.
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