He immediately called in the head maid. Not long after, a burly middle-aged woman opened the door and entered.
"Did you call me, Your Excellency?"
As he gazed quietly at her face, which clearly showed signs of nervousness, Barca filled the empty glass with breath and parted his lips.
"I would like to know what has happened to Her Highness during this time. She seems to have improved quite a bit over the past few months."
As he finished his sentence ambiguously, unable to find the right words, a complex and subtle expression flashed across the head maid's face.
After pausing for a moment with a thoughtful expression, the head maid cautiously began to speak.
"I do not know exactly what kind of change of heart she had. Even after Your Excellency left, she refused to eat and remained confined to her bed for quite some time, until one day, Her Highness suddenly expressed a desire to attend the dawn prayer service hosted by the Cathedral."
Barcas narrowed his eyebrows. It was an action that could not be understood in context, considering the conflict between the Eastern Order and her.
The head maid also furrowed his brow, appearing to find her actions difficult to understand, and continued speaking slowly.
"Since that day, she became calm, as if she were a different person. She would ask for meals on her own, and she would spend her time doing pastimes such as tending to flowers or doing embroidery."
Barcas's hand, which was picking up a wine glass, paused and froze.
"She embroiders?"
"Recently, she has even started learning how to weave in the weaving room. Although she is still quite clumsy, she has such an exceptional sense of aesthetics that she is quite good at creating unique and beautiful patterns. She is receiving fairly positive reviews."
The head maid spoke calmly.
A hollow laugh escaped from between Barcas's lips after he wore a blank expression for a moment.
Embroidery was a common hobby among aristocratic women, but she had never once shown interest in such a pastime. Moreover, wasn't weaving such heavy labor that only maids would undertake?
Noticing that he was displeased, the head maid spat out an excuse.
"I knew it was not something Her Highness the Grand Duchess should be doing... but I simply could not bring myself to dissuade her. I believed that having something to do would be of greater help to Her Highness."
"She has weaker stamina than the average person. What if she ruins her health doing hard work?"
"I apologize, Your Excellency, but it seems you do not need to worry. Everyone is taking care to ensure that work is carried out only to the extent that it does not strain Her Highness's health, and furthermore, her doctor has advised that moving her body would be more helpful in recovering her strength."
The head maid's tone became somewhat harsh. She seemed worried that he might restrict the Grand Duchess's access to the weaving room.
The woman added, emphasizing each word.
"In fact, Her Highness is gradually regaining stability. Her relationship with the maids working in the inner palace has also become much smoother than before. Therefore..."
"I have no intention of putting the brakes on what she is doing, so stop the unnecessary persuasion."
Barcas cut her off abruptly. A strange sense of displeasure arose at the head maid's attitude, who acted as if she were a threat to her peace.
Barcas, having poured all the remaining wine into his glass, gave a somewhat cold nod.
"You may leave now."
The head maid bowed respectfully and left the room with a composed gait.
Barcas leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. He could see black clouds gathering in the distance across the darkening sky.
Suddenly, a strong bitter taste lingered in his mouth.
His return might be akin to a dark cloud gathering over her.
Thinking that, he brought the glass to his lips.
He could feel a fiery liquid travel down his throat and settle thickly in his stomach, but even as he drank alcohol one after another, he could not feel intoxicated.
Barcas leaned his head against the back of the chair and let out a deep sigh.
***
As the head maid said, she was enjoying a simple and peaceful daily life.
The retainers still seemed to view her unfavorably, but at least the hostility of the maids spending time with her seemed to have noticeably subsided.
The employees treated her with a much more relaxed attitude than before, and Thalia also became less unnecessarily wary.
Barcas could occasionally spot her in the garden chatting with the maids. When she was always wary of others and kept her defenses raised, she appeared so docile and gentle that one would never think of her as a woman.
What on earth changed her?
His thoughts naturally extended toward Edric Rubon.
He was a man with the talent to get along with anyone without hesitation. Despite the disadvantage of coming from a humble family, hadn't he blended in naturally among the territorial Imperial Guard? He probably broke down her guard by fully utilizing his unique affability.
Barcas looked out the window with a bitter gaze.
As usual in the afternoon, Thalia came out into the garden and was walking along the path accompanied by her attendants. Naturally, Edric Rubon was among them.
He kept chattering incessantly beside her.
Barcas could see the maids covering their mouths and shrugging their shoulders slightly as they tried to suppress their laughter, as if he had told a rather interesting story. A faint smile also appeared on the corners of Thalia's lips, which had been expressionless at first.
After watching the scene for a while, Barcas soon straightened his gaze.
Official documents and reports requiring immediate signature were piled high on the wooden desk. It seemed they were only submitting the bare minimum of work out of consideration for his situation after returning injured, but even that was a considerable amount.
He carefully reviewed the proposed legal amendments submitted from each region, stamped them with his seal, and handed them to a waiting attendant. Then, as he was examining the list of nobles to be invited to the engagement ceremony, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps and rough knocking from outside.
He opened his mouth without even lifting his head.
"What?"
"I came because there is something I want to ask you, brother."
A shrill voice, sounding as if suppressing anger, came through the door.
Barcas lightly gestured to the attendant with his chin to indicate that he may open the door.
Soon, Raina, her face contorted with anger, burst in, stomping her feet.
"Is it true that my brother said he would bestow an estate upon Allen?"
Barcas frowned. Since he had recently granted new estates to quite a few people, he could not immediately recall whose story she was talking about.
It was only a few seconds later that he remembered that it was the name of the young man who would become his brother-in-law, and Barcas nodded.
"Yes, there is a castle of a size suitable for you to live in the Southern East region. It is an area that includes a city collecting a substantial amount of taxes and a horse ranch. If you stay there, you will be able to live without lacking anything in the future."
"I clearly told you to give me the mansion east of Kalmor."
His younger sibling, having stepped close to the desk, protested in a rough voice.
"That mansion was built for me, you know! You said you would let me live there if I got married..."
"I am now offering you a dowry of double that amount."
Barcas put down the documents he was holding and interrupted his younger sister in a cold tone.
"What on earth is the problem?"
"Don't pretend to care about me! You just want to drive me out of Kalmor."
Raina glared at him, swallowing her tears.
"You took my father away from me, you took Lucas away, and now you are trying to take away even the house where I have lived my whole life. How can I not be dissatisfied!"
“Raina.”
At the soft voice that rang out low, his younger sibling's shoulders flinched and stiffened.
Barcas continued in a calm but cool tone.
"If I set my mind to it, I could marry you off to an old nobleman on the frontier for nothing. Considering the disrespect you have shown my wife and me, it would be strange not to do so."
In an instant, Raina's face turned pale.
He continued speaking calmly, unconcerned.
"I am not driving you out empty-handed simply because you are a Princess of the Sheerkhan family and my blood relative. So, accept this act of leniency with gratitude."
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