* * *
I quickly glanced at Eliza. She was just drinking her tea as if she hadn't seen anything.
'Are you pretending not to see me?'
In a typical count's household, it would be outrageous to do something like this in front of one's superiors, and even more so, in front of a stepmother, it was an unacceptable situation even for someone who was not a count.
"Should I give you more?"
"Oh, no. I think I'm thirsty enough."
"Hmm. Okay."
Noel sat back down with a smile. Eliza slowly put down her tea and opened her mouth.
"There are letters sent to you from other territories."
"is it so?"
"...That's right. Most of them are letters for political marriages, but if you don't want them, I'll send them back."
It sounded like a beautiful story about the Count's family being considerate of Young-ae, but now I heard that Eliza was trying hard to keep Noel from getting angry.
"Please tell me to come. Do you know the substitute?"
"...Let me try sending a letter first."
She sighs.
'You're calling in someone who's already engaged?'
This means that Noel also wants to get married.
"Oh, are you jealous?"
"No, Noel? No. How could I be like that?"
"lie."
I'm not lying when I say I never felt jealous at all, because of fear, no matter what she did.
But she's forcing me to believe that.
"Yes, that's a lie."
"So you're saying you're jealous?"
"yes."
"Don't worry. None of them will return alive."
"yes?"
I couldn't understand why the noble young men who came from other territories to negotiate marriage couldn't return alive. Noel looked at Eliza. It was as if she was asking her to tell her story instead.
"You must know this, since you're a servant. Noel has accepted all the marriage proposals so far as duels. The reason is that she wants to fight to the death to determine who is the right person to be her husband."
"ah..."
"And so far, five men have come and all of them..."
After that, I thought I knew what would happen. In order to marry Decker's daughter, I had to duel her.
'Then... Noel-sama's power is...'
There must have been quite a few guys who were confident in duels, but they all returned with their heads cut off.
"And from now on... even if we receive a letter of proposal, no one will respond to the reply we send."
He said he killed five people. Even people with a lot of courage wouldn't be able to come. However, sometimes nobles who have received excellent training as knights who highly regard their own military power might come to visit... Why do you assume that there won't be any?
"The tea has cooled down."
Eliza's words seemed to indicate that it was a blessing in disguise.
"Are you going to leave without seeing the Count?"
"Hmm, I'll see you specially today."
Eliza nods.
'You met the Count?'
Samuel Deckard, who had been living in seclusion since he was very young. That's why he was treated as a legend even within the Count's family. There were rumors in the slums that Eliza had poisoned him to death, and that Eliza's men had threatened Samuel and taken his land by holding him by the neck.
"He is in the bedroom."
The three of them slowly started to climb the circular staircase upstairs. The servants around them ran to protect them, but Eliza lightly waved her hand and dismissed them.
'Squeak!'
A door embroidered with more splendid decorations than anywhere else. When the door opens, a room filled with incomparably splendid objects than Noel's room appears before your eyes.
"Are you going to let the attendant come in too?"
"yes."
"...I guess so."
Eliza doesn't stop Noel. No, it would be more correct to say she can't stop him. Eliza confidently enters with the sound of her heels making a sound, while Nae barely manages to enter, limping.
"...Is it Noel?"
A low, crackling voice is heard.
"Yes, father."
Noel bows slightly, which seems rude and light. I suddenly come to my senses and immediately bow my head.
"It's been a while."
"Yes, it's been a really long time."
My voice wasn't as terrified as Eliza's, but I braced myself for being rude and looked him in the eye.
'ah.'
Just a skinny and wrinkled old man. The old man with a white beard and white hair looks at Noel with eyes that seem to be about to collapse. That man...Samuel Deckard, the owner of this land and a normal person. I thought he was sick, but I was more surprised because he looked like an ordinary old man who lived in a shabby shantytown in the neighborhood.
"It seems like you were healthy."
"Yes, I am always healthy."
"...The child behind is a servant."
"yes."
She answered as if she was happy. Samuel Deckard, the owner of Baekjakga and the one who reigned like a god in this territory. He opened his rough lips and asked me.
"Are you okay?"
It seemed like a question with a lot of meaning. For a moment, I forgot whether the question was directed at me and was dumbfounded.
"yes?"
"..."
He didn't ask any more questions and just stared at me.
"Ah, I, I lived happily with the Deckerd Baek family, and now I am also loyal to Noel-nim's mercy..."
As if the count's eyes had seen right through me, he just stared at me. For a moment, I couldn't help but stop talking. Although his body was haggard, his eyes weren't like those of an old man living in a shantytown who had lost his life… They were purple eyes that seemed to hold something, like large bowls.
"I'm...alive."
"I see."
He tried to get up from his bed, gently pulling away the blanket. Eliza quickly came over and grabbed his arm.
"Okay. Today is...not the day."
"...yes."
Eliza slowly let go of his arm, and the Count, who got up from the king-sized bed, straightened his bent back and looked at me.
"Yeah. That's what happened."
He slowly approached his cabinet. Then he opened the top cabinet and took something out.
"I asked you to do it before. Would you like to receive it..."
The Count stumbles as he speaks. Eliza tries to run to support him, but the Count blocks her with his hand. Slowly, he approaches Noel and hands him a small box. It is...
'A ring box?'
It was a small black box, just like a ring case.
"Thank you, Father."
"...No. Your happiness is a blessing to me..."
He looked at me, swallowing his words. I could feel a hint of guilt in his eyes...
"Thank you for coming while I was still able to move. I'm going to go now."
"Yes, then."
I quickly bow my waist, following Noelle who slightly lifted her skirt and lowered her head. The Count slowly sat down on the bed and looked at Eliza.
"Eliza, I'm thirsty. Bring me some water."
"Yes, Count."
In some ways, it could have been a soft guest house.
'Click!'
The two of them quietly close the door and slowly come down the circular stairs.
"Hmm! I finally got it."
"...What is that?"
I couldn't hold back my curiosity and asked.
"It's something I've wanted for a very long time."
Since it was the thing Noel wanted the most... I wondered what it could be. What that greedy monster wanted. In a way, it was like a hint in a scary fairy tale where you can turn your gaze towards the thing of interest that the monster wants and escape.
"Aren't you curious?"
He made another cheeky expression.
"no."
He said firmly no.
"Why? You haven't even seen it yet?"
"As a servant, I learned that it is my duty not to be curious about or covet my master's belongings."
"Well, you'll find out later. You'll know enough then."
She came in with her arm linked with mine, smiling faintly.
"let's go."
Now she was coming in with her arms linked instead of holding my hand. I could feel her chest again. The feeling I could feel through her thin silk dress was still so unfamiliar to me, and it felt hot.
"Noel... isn't this Noel's home?"
The mansion itself is very large, so there probably won't be many people watching whatever you do in the middle.
"You don't even provide an escort in such a large mansion? My feet hurt."
She says she will walk relying on me.
'When you're clearly running away...'
She seemed to be running lightly, and she followed me at the speed I was running to avoid the thugs. That was the part where I was surprised because I tried to grab her somehow. So, now she has absolutely no legs.
"...Let's go."
But it was impossible to disobey her order. The two of them walked to the carriage arm in arm, and he finally let go of her arm and took her hand and helped her into the carriage. The coachman drove the horses again, and with a light groan, the carriage slowly left the count's mansion.
"how is it?"
"yes?"
"I saw my family today. Father, Mother... Oh, I didn't see my younger brother, but I'll go see him later when I get the chance."
I had a feeling that her younger brother, Cuttle Deckard, would not want to meet Noel.
"Hmm."
The black case he was holding in his right hand seemed precious. I was concerned, but the girl who was getting closer to me was a bigger problem.
"Noel... didn't you say it was outside?"
"If I go inside, I can hug you as much as I want, right?"
"No... No. If you don't want to hug me..."
I think I can make the excuse that I somehow became close with her and hugged her out of friendship.
'No... I guess no one would believe that.'
A man and a woman are hugging in a room, but that is friendship. No one would believe it. The carriage passed the count's castle and headed to Noel's villa. Noel's castle was built on a large island on the lake. After passing the bridge, the door opened, and the butler, who was always welcoming, greeted them with his luggage on his back.
"Are you here, miss?"
"Oh, I saw that annoying bitch face today, so I'm craving something sweet. Prepare me some salmon and a sweet white wine for dinner tonight."
"yes."
I couldn't help but be terrified. The annoying bitch she was talking about just now... was Eliza Deckard, no matter who heard it. No one was complaining, just moving on with their work.
"Your Majesty Tir."
The butler called me by my name and addressed me as sir. Thinking back, it seemed like he had never once spoken to me without using formal language.
"yes?"
"Oh, Miss. Would you mind if I took over Lord Tir for a moment?"
She touches her lips with her finger as if she is slightly dissatisfied.
"It will only take a moment."
Noel turned around in excitement at the butler's kind smile.
"Send it up when you're done talking."
"yes."
As she climbed the stairs, the butler slowly looked at her.
"What happened in the Count's house?"
I told the butler most of what happened, except for what I did to the maid, Nannoel.
"...I see. Are you feeling better, Your Majesty?"
"I don't know."
Saying that I can walk is not a proper answer to the question of whether I am healthy or okay. Since the answer the butler wanted was not a nice word but my own experience, an ambiguous answer of not knowing would have been sufficient.
"This is what you wanted, young lady..."
The butler stared at me intently, stroking his beard as he considered telling me about the black case.
"Anyway, I understand. Soon, it will be dinner time. I should have Chef prepare the salmon and white wine."
For a moment, my stomach started growling. Thinking about it, I hadn't had anything to eat since I woke up late, except for the black tea I received from Noel.
"Are you hungry?"
"Oh, yes..."
"Let's go together. If you tell the chef, he'll be able to get you some snacks to sneak out to the servants."
"Is that okay?"
The butler, the chief chamberlain, is speaking as if it were a given that he would steal food.
"As long as you are virtuous as a servant, I can tolerate some deviation within the limits. It also becomes an opportunity to work faithfully."
It is said that small deviations prevent laziness and other evil deeds. It was said that sneaking a snack was a big prank for the servants and maids, and that this prevented other deviations from being seen.
"Of course, after some time has passed, you should not forget to use your authority to threaten them not to steal food. If you make them feel a sense of shame that they will be punished if they are caught, they will focus more on this work."
"Haha! You are right, Your Majesty. Here it is."
The chef winked as if he were already the butler's man, and placed light biscuits and fruits on the plate.
"Is this the case for other people as well, besides servants?"
"Soldiers also lobby quite a bit and ask for a discount when a delicious dessert is served. Most bribes include cigarettes and a special rum sent from home."
"Haha, I like rum better than cigarettes. I sometimes enjoy it with the butler."
The chef who smiled at me started cooking the salmon.
"ah..."
"If you suppress everything and act forcefully, you may be a pretty good general in a wartime system, but in a peaceful position, you will only be a bad foolish general. It is important to tolerate and cover up what needs to be tolerated."
I slowly took the biscuit with a trembling face and put it in my mouth.
"Butler...what kind of person were you in the past?"
I have never seen anyone with such a wide range of experiences. When I think of the stories of middle-aged adventurers who lost their legs and were drunk, or old people who ate up their houses and sat down, I know well enough that wisdom does not come with age. I laughed when I saw the old man with a straight back and a nice mustache living in a house.
"I was just a servant who served the former Count."
Count Decker was a war hero who had great success in the war and was given the current Decker territory. Many nobles sent letters to Count Decker's children to marry their children, and they came and went to the territory with various gifts. Naturally, the nobles and merchants who came and went in the market were good prey to me.
'Many nobles came to make their marriage vows...'
There must have been a story that included Noel as well. The butler said, lightly picking up a grape and putting it in his mouth.
"The Count of Jeondae has many similarities with you, young lady."
"yes?"
"That's why...Tirnim is in a very important position to us."
I couldn't understand what he meant. I tried to think about it, but to me, who didn't even know what kind of person the Jeondae Count was, it was like a difficult riddle, a puzzle that was missing a few pieces and couldn't be completed.
"You can see it now."
The butler tells me to go to Noel after enjoying my fill of biscuits and fruits.
"yes..."
It was one of the few enjoyable tea times I've had since coming to Baekjakga. It's so fun to grab a snack in front of the shabby chef's food counter. I sigh as I climb the stairs decorated with ornate balconies and look up at the sparkling chandelier.
"ha..."
The simple, unadorned food counter where the food came out and the shabby slum room were much more charming and beautiful than the balcony on the fancy terrace now.
'Knock! Knock!'
"Noel."
It was an ambiguous hour, early in the evening. I knocked on the door, and when Noel told me to come in, I slowly opened the door and went in.
"Tir♡"
She was slowly trying to hug me. Damn it... there was no way to escape.
* * *