🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 08
Surviving in the Marquis’s Household (3)
At! Long! Last!
The doctor had finally given me permission to move around as much as I pleased. I was now in excellent health, and thanks to Ena’s help, my skin and hair had also begun to look wonderfully well cared for.
Overjoyed, I stepped out of my room.
Phew. First things first, some fresh air…!
Ahh. Right. The first thing I should do is meet Hanson.
Aside from the two Rues brothers, he was probably the person with the most influence in the marquisate.
“Ena, um… What do you think Sir Hanson is doing right now?”
“Pardon? If you mean Sir Hanson, he’s probably training at the training grounds.”
Hmm. So he was hard at work.
It felt a little rude to just show up while he was working. I wanted to bring him something, at least.
Given my circumstances—I was staying with House Rues without a penny to my name—there was only so much I could do in the way of preparing a lunchbox or buying a gift. Wasn’t there something simple that wouldn’t make him feel obligated?
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you ask the kitchen to prepare these things for me?”
“Anything you need, my lady.”
As expected, Ena was amazing.
She soon returned carrying a basket full of everything I’d asked for.
“That’s my Ena! Praise be to the goddess Ena!”
“Oh, my lady! I’ve told you not to call me that~”
Ena, who had initially been embarrassed by her nickname, had now started enjoying my praise.
At first, she’d asked what it meant. I’d explained that it meant she was a goddess because she’d made my silver hair so beautifully silky and shiny.
After hearing that, she’d nodded and said,
“Of course! Just look at it. It’s starting to shine almost like a silver ingot!”
I praised her even more enthusiastically to make her feel better, then headed to the training grounds with her.
Around twenty knights were gathered there, practicing.
The Silver Candelabra Knights of House Rues.
Known as the White Lanterns, they were an order that appeared wherever monsters emerged and exterminated them. They possessed tremendous strength, yet always conducted themselves with integrity. They were respected by every citizen of the Empire.
It was rather strange, really.
The knights were so respected, yet their master, the Marquis of Rues, was feared.
The extermination of the black magician Alkan and the Pasha family must have been one of their duties as well.
When I appeared at the training grounds, all the knights lowered their swords and turned to look at me.
I suppose it was quite a sight: a young woman in a full face of makeup and a flowing ivory dress wandering around a place like this.
Today’s outfit was what I’d dubbed “A Fresh-Faced Young Lady Welcoming Spring.”
…Of course, I hadn’t come up with it myself. It was Ena’s creation.
Every morning, she dressed me in a gown. The marquisate had prepared quite a large wardrobe for me. Apparently, Ainhar had instructed them to make sure I had everything I might need as a count’s daughter.
That alone was already more than I could comfortably accept, but Ena went even further, carefully selecting an outfit and giving me a complete makeover every single day.
Dresses required all sorts of undergarments, and you had to pay attention to the details, from accessories to makeup.
I wondered whether it was tiring for her to do all this, so I asked if there might be something more comfortable I could wear.
Ena’s expression immediately fell, and she answered in a rather dejected voice.
“My lady, when I first became a maid in a noble household, I was so excited because I thought I’d be attending to a young noble lady. Helping her into dresses, arranging her hair ornaments, and things like that. I love doing those things, and I’m good at them, too. But there weren’t any women in the marquisate. So when you arrived, my lady, I was absolutely delighted. But… it seems you don’t like it…”
I was startled. Ena, who usually spoke so briefly, had just delivered such a long explanation.
“No! That’s not it!”
I hurriedly declared that from now on, I would wear every dress she picked out for me.
I couldn’t possibly disappoint the goddess Ena!
At my answer, her face blossomed like a flower. It was lovely to see.
Besides, I was actually enjoying dressing up in ways I hadn’t tried before.
With this silver-haired body and its violet eyes, dresses suited me surprisingly well. Perhaps it was because I was so slender.
…And that was why I’d come to the training grounds in my “A Fresh-Faced Young Lady Welcoming Spring” outfit, to celebrate my first outing.
Anyway, where was Hanson?
A breeze stirred the hem of my skirt and the lace trim on my dress.
My appearance had caused a bit of a commotion, and then a loud voice rang out, scolding the knights.
“Who told you to stop training?”
The man I’d been looking for.
Hanson, the knight with short blue hair.
At the sound of his voice, the knights flinched. They quickly turned their attention away from me and resumed swinging their swords with renewed enthusiasm.
“Training is still in full swing, my lady. You’ll have to wait a little while if you want to see Sir Hanson.”
“All right. Let’s watch, then.”
Ena spread out a picnic cloth to make a place for us to sit. I plopped down and watched the knights, completely absorbed.
Knight training… I’d only ever read about things like this in books. Seeing it in person was fascinating.
They were all trained knights, so even though they were repeating the same movements, every motion was precise and disciplined. Even to an amateur like me, they looked incredibly impressive.
“Thirty-minute break!”
At the shout, the knights finally lowered their swords and wiped away their sweat.
They’re really working hard. It’s like watching a bunch of professional athletes at work. I’d love to see them in an actual battle, too.
Just then, Hanson approached me and spoke.
“What brings you here?”
I suddenly remembered why I’d come in the first place.
Hanson. Ainhar’s right-hand man. The male lead’s close friend.
He was a loyal man who had secretly loved Saintess Cynthia, yet remained silent about his feelings until the very end for the sake of his lord.
Making someone like that my ally wasn’t a bad idea.
“The doctor said I could go for walks now. Was I getting in your way?”
“You weren’t in the way. Those fellows were just making a fuss because it’s their first time seeing a lady in the castle. There hasn’t been a woman here other than the servants for a long time. Ah, I suppose they may have been rude to you, Lady Pasha.”
“Not at all. I’m the one who came to watch. Oh, please, have one of these.”
At my words, Ena took one of the water bottles from the basket and held it out to Hanson.
“I wanted to bring enough for everyone, but I’m not sure if I prepared the right number. I brought some for the others, too.”
As Ena struggled to hold out the basket, Hanson called out to one of the knights.
“Hey, you!”
The knight who answered his call took the basket and distributed a bottle to each of the others.
Hanson and the rest of the knights, who had just finished training, seemed terribly thirsty. They gulped down the water.
Then, almost in unison, they let out an appreciative,
“Ahh~!”
“This water tastes unusually sweet.”
“I added lemon and sugar.”
I’d asked Ena to prepare cold water with sugar and lemon.
I’d had lemon tea before, so I knew lemons were a common fruit in this world.
The ingredients weren’t all that different from those in reality. I suppose creating an entirely different world must be difficult for an author. I almost felt like I understood the author’s circumstances now.
It was a good thing, too, because it meant I could adapt to the food here without much trouble.
If even the food had made me miserable, I probably would have slit my wrists again a long time ago.
“You went to the trouble of preparing this for us.”
Hanson seemed a little touched. And judging by their reactions, I could tell the other knights at the training grounds were impressed, too.
Something sweet and tangy after exercise really refreshed you.
The convenience store where I’d worked was near a gym, so people often came in to buy sports drinks after working out.
Just as planned.
“Yes. I wanted to make a good impression on you, Sir Hanson.”
Pfft!
Hanson nearly spat out his water.
“Most noble ladies don’t express their affection so openly, my lady.”
“Well, you know perfectly well that I’m not an ordinary young noble lady, Sir Hanson.”
“And yet, you treated Young Master Dwen quite like a proper noble lady.”
“I may be a count’s daughter, but I am still one.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Hanson was still responding to me somewhat stiffly, but somehow, his expression seemed a little softer.
That’s the power of food. Even if it’s only water.
“Sir Hanson, I have no intention of causing trouble for House Rues.”
Hanson looked at me, his eyes widening.
“I’m grateful that you rescued me. I intend to repay that kindness somehow. Once Marquis Ainhar returns from the Imperial Palace, I’ll discuss my situation with him and then quietly leave the marquisate.”
“Why are you telling me that?”
Why ask? You’ve been giving me pointed looks this whole time.
“Because you seem worried about it. Well, then.”
I bent my knees slightly in a graceful curtsy. For someone whose knowledge of noble etiquette came from books and videos, it wasn’t half bad. Though I couldn’t say what an actual expert would think.
“My lady.”
Hanson called out to stop me.
“Try to avoid Young Master Dwen whenever possible.”
Hmm. Dwen really does seem like the final boss.
But according to the original story, he was going to die soon anyway. I didn’t want to waste my energy worrying about him. It wasn’t as though I particularly wanted to change the fates of the characters in the novel.
My own problems came first.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep to myself and leave as quietly as possible.”
…Or at least, that was what I wanted to do.
The moment the doctor declared me fully recovered, Dwen came looking for me—as though he’d somehow heard the news immediately.
“I hear you like desserts, Lady Adelia.”
“Ah… Yes…”
I answered without a trace of enthusiasm.
For some reason, he’d managed to gather information about me from somewhere and was now pretending to be kind. I was almost curious how long he intended to keep up the act.
“I’m glad you’ve recovered. Why don’t we have dinner together tonight?”
Are you insane? Why would I want to eat with you?
“…I’m not feeling well.”
“Haha. You’re not feeling well?”
“That’s right.”
At my refusal, his face flushed red with anger.
Unlike me, who remained calm, Ena looked at me anxiously, clearly unsure what to do.
…As expected, he couldn’t keep his temper under control. He abruptly grabbed my chin, forcing me to look directly at him.
His crazed, vivid blue eyes bore into mine.
“Lady Adelia. As I told you before, I’m very interested in you.”
“Is that so?”
I stared straight back at him.
You must never show weakness in front of a troublesome customer. The more Dwen glared at me, the harder I glared right back.
Unexpectedly, he released me without much fuss.
“Especially the experiments the black magician from Count Pasha’s family conducted on you.”
He smiled slyly.
“So let’s have dinner together. It would be best if you behaved yourself. I’ll see you in the dining hall tonight.”
He roughly pinched my cheek.
“Now that you’ve got some color back, you’re looking a little more presentable.”
You psycho.
I made an effort to keep my expression under control. He smiled pleasantly and left, saying he’d have some delicious desserts prepared for me.
Ena immediately hurried over.
“My lady! Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Though just thinking about having dinner with him is already making my stomach feel like it’s tied in knots.
“Um… I think Young Master Dwen has been going around asking people about you. I’m sorry. I was so worried about you that I also tried to find out some things on my own. Young Master Dwen is… a very difficult person to serve, even among us servants. Goodness. I really don’t know what I should do for you.”
“…Ena.”
I buried my face in Ena’s arms.
She was so kind.
She was going out of her way to care for a girl she’d never even known before, all because it was part of her job.
That silver-haired boy, too… There were so many people in this world who could melt my heart, which had been frozen solid for so long.
People I felt sorry toward because there was so little I could do for them in return.
“There’s no need to apologize. I was hoping you’d tell me what you know about Young Master Dwen, too.”
After all, he dies so early in the original story that I barely know anything about him.
Ena’s eyes lit up at my words, and she began spilling everything she knew about Dwen.
This feeling… It’s just like when coworkers get together to complain about a troublesome customer.
So satisfying.
After hearing enough, I smiled.
He was an easy one to figure out.
“Ena, please help me change before dinner. Hmm… I think the outfit theme should be ‘The Refund Squad.'”
“The Refund Squad?”
“Yes. I want to look so intimidating that the moment anyone sees me, they’ll think, ‘I’d better give her a refund without arguing!'”
“Oh my! What an amusing concept!”
Ena’s eyes sparkled.
Hmm… This is going to be something else…
