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Chapter – 09
The Visit
After a single outing, many changes occurred around Jessica. First, she unprecedentedly promoted her maid, Anna. The position was directly below the head maid, leaving even Anna bewildered. It was Jessica’s choice to keep someone trustworthy close and treat them well.
The butler of the Viterne Marquisate delivered documents to Jessica daily. Even the papers her mother had been reviewing poured onto Jessica’s desk, and she processed them without a single complaint. The Marquis, who had still thought of his daughter as young, watched her handle the documents skillfully from behind and swallowed tears of pride.
On the day of the promised meeting with Isannah, Jessica had barely managed to carve out a moment to rest. A table bathed in warm, inviting sunlight tempted her. Jessica was barely stifling a yawn.
After visiting the Montercerto General Store, Jessica had been processing tasks like a person possessed. She handled things with a frantic, hurried pace, and though the Marquis tried to stop her, she seemed to hear nothing.
‘Was I shocked that someone I killed was walking around?’
She had also met Saliphe Erte recently. Perhaps meeting two such people in a short time was the problem. Now, only five months remained. A month had already passed unnoticed. The day for her father, the Marquis, to depart for the front lines was approaching.
‘I’m glad I met Isannah.’
Since meeting her, Jessica had grown increasingly restless, but she was completely unaware of it. Even now, the slight tremor in her hand holding the teacup made her look anxious to anyone watching. Only she herself failed to notice.
There was someone who observed her enjoying tea in the garden.
“We meet again, Young Lady.”
“Your Highness.”
Saliphe Erte had somehow already approached her table and spoke. Startled, Jessica quickly rose from her seat to show the courtesy due to a member of the imperial family when Saliphe’s words stopped her.
“That’s enough.”
“Pardon?”
“Today, I’ve come privately, not on official business, so the formalities aren’t necessary.”
“Very well.”
Saliphe told her she didn’t need to bother with formal courtesies. If she performed them on the grassy garden, her dress was bound to get stained.
‘Unlike her appearance, her dress is quite modest.’
Jessica’s glamorous face seemed like it would suit a bold, intense dress like a red one, but both the first time he saw her and now, Jessica’s dress was white. A light, pale color favored by young ladies.
“Pour me a cup as well.”
As he sat in the chair beside her, Saliphe gestured to Anna. Anna, whose eyes had widened in shock at the Crown Prince’s sudden appearance, snapped back to attention at his gesture and said she would prepare a cup before heading inside.
As soon as Anna left, Jessica parted her red lips to speak to him.
“What brings you here, Your Highness?”
“There are matters regarding the Frontier Count and the border to discuss.”
“My father’s office is on the opposite side, however.”
“I saw you while walking and stopped by for a moment.”
Jessica’s eyes narrowed slightly. The Saliphe Erte she knew was not a man who paid attention to women. His interest in people was based solely on whether they had ability or not.
His standards were exceedingly strict, and few passed them. For such a man to sit before her, ‘merely’ the Frontier Count’s daughter, to make conversation was strange from the start.
“Please don’t speak in circles and tell me your business.”
Thinking that being direct was best at times like these, Jessica looked at Saliphe, her eyes glinting. It was a somewhat challenging gaze for a noble young lady. A glint of interest appeared in Saliphe’s eyes as he met that gaze head-on.
“I was observing you for a moment.”
“Me… you say?”
She couldn’t hide the slight tremor in her voice from surprise. Immediately after speaking, she regretted it. Saliphe Erte wasn’t the type to let even something like this slide.
“You seemed anxious. Is something the matter?”
“Me… you say?”
“Yes, you.”
Jessica forgot she was before Saliphe and once again let her surprised expression show. It felt as if someone had slapped the back of her head hard to bring her to her senses. That someone was Saliphe Erte before her.
Saliphe, who had startled Jessica, had no intention of retracting his statement. His actual reason for approaching her was precisely that. The reason he had sent his aide, Vivace Spilitto, to the Frontier Count first was also because of Jessica’s anxious expression.
‘I’m glad I came to see.’
If he hadn’t intervened, Jessica would have gone about her day without even knowing what expression she was making. He hadn’t seen her many times, but each time she had looked around with a lofty expression. He couldn’t just ignore her displaying the trembling eyes of a lost child.
He didn’t know if it was consideration for someone weaker, or pity for a woman who had recently lost her mother that made him step in, but neither was the correct answer.
Saliphe was not a kind man.
Soon, Jessica’s expression changed as she regained her composure. Saliphe, who witnessed this change right before him, allowed the corner of his mouth to twitch slightly.
“There is nothing to be anxious about. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”
Jessica, who hadn’t wanted to but had unintentionally shown a weak side, expressed her gratitude to Saliphe for pointing it out. As the young lady spoke like a dignified noblewoman, Saliphe’s eyebrow moved slightly. He wasn’t a man of many expressions, but today, in front of Jessica, his expression had changed twice.
“Your Highness! Why are you here?!”
From a distance, Marquis Viterne shouted as he ran over. With eyes that looked as if he were seeing a ruffian harassing a noble young lady, he spoke without hesitation to the Empire’s First Prince, the very picture of a doting, unreasonable father.
“Not my daughter!”
“Nonsense.”
Clicking his tongue, Saliphe rose from his seat. Jessica also performed the courtesy towards the imperial family. As she moved, Saliphe gave a slight wave of his hand and left, with the Marquis trailing behind him.
Jessica’s gaze remained fixed on Saliphe’s retreating back, and Alter, her ‘temporary’ guard knight, couldn’t take his eyes off her either.
He had become Jessica’s temporary guard until a permanent guard knight was chosen, on the Marquis’s orders.
“Hmph, if you harbor any lustful thoughts towards my daughter… you know?”
“Sir, I am a knight.”
“If I didn’t know the circumstances that brought you here, I would never have placed you as my daughter’s guard.”
The Marquis paused briefly, staring at him with sharp eyes.
“So stay as you are. I don’t know why Jessica thinks well of you, but if any other feelings arise, I’ll have that lower part of you cut off.”
Only Alter knew that a fierce light had flashed in the Marquis’s eyes as he gestured for him to leave. That had happened just yesterday. Since then, Alter had become Jessica’s ‘temporary’ guard knight, which was precisely why he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Alter, who guarded Jessica from behind, had been closely observing her since returning from the general store. The word ‘observing’ didn’t suit his mistress, but there was no other way to describe it. Alter, who had been watching Jessica with indifferent eyes, ‘blurted’ out words.
“Is something troubling you, my lady?”
It was the first time Alter had initiated conversation with her, so Jessica turned her head in surprise.
“Did you just speak, Sir?”
“Yes, my lady.”
It was unacceptable behavior for a guard to address his charge privately. Jessica looked at Alter with wide eyes. In her previous life, it would have been natural for him to ask such personal questions, but not now.
“That’s impudent.”
“My apologies if I’ve offended you. However, you seemed excessively anxious, my lady.”
Anna, who was pouring tea beside Jessica, held her breath at their exchange. Anna had sensed it too but couldn’t bring herself to mention it first to her lady, who was like the sky. Precisely after returning from the general store, Jessica’s behavior had been odd. She voiced strong opinions and was stubborn, like someone being chased.
The Marquis had summoned Anna to question her about Jessica’s changed attitude, a fact known to all the servants of the Marquisate. Only Jessica, blind to her surroundings, hadn’t noticed.
“Anxious?”
The single word slipped from between Jessica’s red lips.
“Yes, my lady.”
With those words, Alter closed his mouth. He thought this was enough. His attitude had already overstepped the bounds of a guard knight. Alter had no intention of being presumptuous, but he trusted Jessica’s gaze.
The favor she showed him still hadn’t disappeared, and unlike other fussy noble young ladies, Alter believed Jessica was quite magnanimous.
‘So I’ve been showing it everywhere.’
She had heard similar words from two people in one day. Facing the dead Isannah had become a bigger problem than meeting Saliphe. Chastising herself for not properly recognizing the fact and carelessly revealing her anxious inner thoughts here and there, Jessica composed her expression.
When she opened her eyes again, no trace of anxiety could be found. Hiding her inner thoughts behind a gentle smile, Jessica unfolded her fan.
“You’ve overstepped the line, but I’ll let it pass just this once.”
“I am grateful for your mercy.”
At Jessica’s words, Alter nodded slightly. His message had been conveyed to his mistress, and Alter was satisfied with that. As Jessica gracefully moved her fan and rose from her seat, Alter watched. She had wandered enough; now it was time to work.
“Anna.”
“Yes, my lady.”
At Jessica’s call, Anna stood before her with a bright face. Internally, she didn’t forget to praise her mistress as fair, magnanimous, and amazing. What other noble young lady would let an overly familiar guard knight off so easily?
Anna, who had heard from maids in other noble houses about how they would punish such knights or scheme to have their titles stripped, thought she was lucky to have Jessica as her mistress.
Anna’s loyalty towards Jessica grew even stronger, and her eyes overflowed with a ‘My lady is the best!’ look, though Jessica, unaware of this, asked her in a calm voice.
“Is there no news from the Montercerto General Store?”
