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Chapter 22
Thinking that she had finished one major task, Amber relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.
As she turned to go back inside the castle, she felt Calix’s gaze on her cheek.
Amber furrowed her brow slightly, uncomfortable with Calix’s attitude of just staring at her without speaking.
*If he has something to say, he should just say it.*
But Amber herself knew best that thinking such things about Calix was useless.
“You’ve been—”
“My Lady, a reply has come to the invitation sent to Lady Freya yesterday.”
Just as Amber, unable to hold back any longer, was about to speak to Calix, Heinrich interrupted with impeccable timing.
“Ah, did I come at a bad time?”
Having keenly noticed the strange atmosphere between Amber and Calix, Heinrich cautiously gauged his masters’ expressions.
“No, you came at the right time. The matter with Lady Freya is urgent.”
At the mention of Lady Freya, Amber’s attention focused entirely on that.
“Did she accept the invitation?”
“Since the invitation was sent in the Duke’s name, there was no way House Freya would refuse. They are to visit together this afternoon: Count Freya and Lady Freya.”
Calix’s invitation had officially gone to Count Freya. After all, sending an invitation directly to a sixteen-year-old young lady would have been inappropriate.
Instead of sending the invitation to Lady Freya, Calix had sent it to the Count but clearly expressed his wish that the Count visit with his daughter. And Count Freya, a man of deep loyalty, had quickly accepted his invitation.
“Did they say they’re bringing the items I requested?”
“Yes, they said they’re bringing two carriages.”
At Amber’s excited question, Heinrich nodded. Though he still didn’t fully understand what Amber was thinking, he knew this matter was very important to her, so he answered sincerely.
At Heinrich’s answer, Amber’s face brightened considerably.
*Finally, I can solve the food shortage!*
Amber barely restrained herself from clapping her hands and expressing her joy freely. But she couldn’t help the smile that naturally spread across her face.
Calix, who had been listening to their conversation, watched Amber’s radiant smile in a daze.
Amber didn’t know it, but she was smiling brightly without a care for the first time since arriving in the East.
“Good, then we’ll eat lunch and immediately prepare to receive Count Freya. How many types of desserts can we prepare for the tea table right now?”
Amber began giving various instructions to Heinrich.
“Since we have teatime scheduled, prepare our lunch simply.”
Just as she was giving instructions about lunch, Amber’s expression flickered with realization, and she turned to Calix.
“Is that alright with you, Duke?”
As Amber recalled, Calix was not a picky eater. When she was with him, everything else caused her anxiety, but at least regarding food, she felt at ease.
“I… am fine with anything.”
“That’s a relief.”
Thinking Calix’s words referred to the lunch menu, Amber replied as if it were nothing surprising.
“That’s not what I—”
Calix tried to say something more in a faint voice but then closed his mouth. Because Amber, discussing the teatime menu with Heinrich, looked far too busy.
“Then convey this to the head cook.”
Finally finishing the discussion about desserts, Amber ate a simple meal and waited for the guests in a reception room with a balcony on the third floor of the castle.
Afternoon came, and two carriages arrived before Thales Ducal Castle.
Seeing Count Freya and his daughter alight from the first carriage, Amber could barely maintain her composure.
Count Freya was a well-built middle-aged man with a splendidly groomed white beard, and Lady Freya was a rosy-cheeked girl with lovely blonde hair.
Guided by Heinrich, they entered the castle. Then the servants who had accompanied Count Freya and his daughter began unloading the “items” Amber had requested from the second carriage.
Seeing those items, Amber’s eyes sparkled as brightly as they possibly could.
The Freya father and daughter who entered the reception room looked very nervous.
“Glory to the East.”
Count Freya bowed his head respectfully to Calix. Calix, however, merely nodded with an expressionless face.
After greeting Calix, Count Freya turned to Amber.
“It is an honor to meet Her Highness, the Duchess.”
Count Freya greeted Amber with a cautious demeanor.
But Amber’s gaze was not directed at him. In fact, she wasn’t even paying attention to Count Freya.
Amber’s entire focus was on Lady Freya, who was hiding behind her father.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Count Freya. And Lady Freya as well.”
“My name is Lariette Freya.”
Lady Freya, Lariette, slowly stepped forward, gathered her skirts, and bowed.
*This is the girl, Lariette. The one who, eight years later, will find the key to solving the Eastern food shortage.*
In the past, Lariette had gone to the Magic Tower, studied mathematics, and found a solution to the food shortage problem, so this was the first time Amber had seen her in person.
Lariette was, in many ways, a different girl from what Amber had expected.
*I thought that since she accomplished such an amazing feat, she would be a very cool-headed, cold scholar type.*
But the Lariette before Amber was very shy and timid. Her timidity was beyond ordinary; facing Amber, her face had flushed nearly as red as an apple.
*Either way, that’s fine. She’s an incredibly precious talent.*
Even aside from those “items,” the value of Lariette as a person—the first from the East to be admitted to the Magic Tower in the future—was immense.
Amber smiled brightly at Lariette.
Seeing Amber’s unguarded smile, Lariette looked startled. As if she had never imagined that Amber would welcome her.
“Though the invitation was sent in the Duke’s name, the truth is that inviting you both was my idea.”
Even at Amber’s confession, Count Freya did not seem particularly surprised. However, he did not look very pleased.
“If I may ask without being rude, may I know the reason for the invitation? My daughter has not even made her social debut yet, and she is so shy and timid that she wouldn’t be of much use even as a lady’s maid.”
At Count Freya’s words, Amber tilted her head.
*Huh? Social debut? And why is she talking about a lady’s maid?*
Of course, she did need new close attendants, but she couldn’t understand why that topic was coming up now.
Amber studied Count Freya, who was clasping his trembling hands together and watching her with extreme wariness.
*Ah.*
After a moment, a flash of realization lit up in Amber’s mind.
*Count Freya is observing me in comparison to Bella.*
Though she didn’t know everything about the East, Amber knew it fairly well. Having lived there for ten years in her past life.
But the people of the East currently knew nothing about Amber.
Naturally, they couldn’t help but constantly compare Amber to Bella.
Because depending on who took the position of the castle’s true mistress — Amber or Bella — the atmosphere of the East would change greatly.
Count Freya was now using all his senses to observe her.
Whether she was someone capable of winning the fight against Bella, or whether he should refuse her invitation immediately and flee from this place.
Even though Calix was present, he had no interest in anything outside of military affairs. So the person the Eastern nobles, including Count Freya, needed to interact with more often was the mistress of the ducal castle.
And on top of that, there was this unnatural and sudden invitation.
Count Freya had more than enough reason to be wary of Amber.
If Amber were truly meeting Count Freya for the first time, she would have scolded him for daring to doubt her and compare her to Bella, and demanded his submission.
That is, if it were truly a first meeting.
*I don’t want to engage in a battle of wills with him.*
Amber knew Count Freya’s true nature.
In her past life, Count Freya had remained loyal to Calix and the House of Thales until the very end. Though the House of Freya’s influence was insignificant and he could neither provide great help nor exert any real influence, he was good enough.
And above all, he was a man who cherished his daughter deeply.
When the Imperial Army attacked, he staked everything his house had to help Lariette, who was at the Magic Tower, escape. And he himself was captured and killed by the Imperial knights.
Amber looked directly at Count Freya and smiled calmly.
“I called you here because of a very important matter.”
“A very important matter?”
Count Freya looked bewildered.
Amber glanced at Calix, and he nodded slightly.
Before summoning the Freya father and daughter, the couple had discussed how much of the truth to tell them.
After all, this matter absolutely required the cooperation of House Freya, so they couldn’t hide everything.
After much deliberation, the couple decided to tell only part of the truth.
“We wish to invest in House Freya.”
“Invest?”
Count Freya still looked as if he didn’t understand. Then a faint, hollow smile appeared on his face.
“Forgive my impertinence, Your Highness the Duchess, but our House Freya has nothing remarkable enough to warrant investment.”
Count Freya thought that Amber, having just arrived in the East, was making strange proposals out of ignorance.
“Isn’t there one thing? Something your house can take pride in.”
Amber smiled and refuted the Count’s words.
“There is nothing like that in our—”
“I wish to invest in Lady Lariette Freya.”
“Ex—cuse me?”
At Amber’s words, Count Freya’s eyes went wide. Lariette, who had been shyly blushing and hiding behind him, was also surprised.
“Lady Lariette is an outstanding botanist. Is she not?”
Taking advantage of the father and daughter’s surprise, Amber continued without hesitation.
Her gaze was precisely directed at Lariette.
“Lady Lariette, I have read your writings in the horticultural journal published by the Mediran family. It was an article that classified plant types based on root shape and leaf shape.”
At Amber’s words, Lariette’s face flushed bright red.
“Y-Your Highness read that trivial writing?”
Lariette raised her voice, forgetting her shyness.
“Trivial? It was excellent.”
Amber spoke with a gentle smile.
“That horticultural journal has only a very small circulation, I believe. How did you come to read that article…”
Lariette’s face was now flushed to its limit, so much so that one might worry it would burst. Eventually, she buried her face in both hands.
But there was no sign of displeasure. She couldn’t possibly be displeased.
She was a passionate botanist, and she was so grateful and happy that someone had read her research and praised it as excellent.
“It was buried in the corner. Th-thank you for reading it.”
Lariette spoke in an excited voice. She was so pleased that it pricked Amber’s conscience.
*To be precise, I didn’t find it and read it myself, but anyway, reading it is reading it.*
Amber tried to maintain her smile and rationalized to herself.
