“Sarah, I have a question.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“From what I know, housekeepers in the Gel Empire originally played the role of a caretaker who protects the manor in place of the owner. Am I wrong?”
“That…”
Sarah slurred the end of her sentence at the unexpected question. She knew Valia would be curious but she did not expect her to ask the question so quickly.
In fact, because the manor in the noble’s territory and the manor in the capital were divided, the general butler and the housekeeper were always separated no matter how large a family it was. The general butler would follow the owner, and in turn, the housekeeper would take charge of the vacant manor. The housekeeper’s role was very important, she must be fully prepared so that the owner could come and rest comfortably at any time even though the manor was empty.
So according to the custom of Gel Empire’s nobles, Sarah should be managing the castle in the current Garth territory, not the manor in the capital. Valia pointed it out precisely.
Noticing Sara’s hesitation to answer her question, Valia asked.
“Is it something difficult to tell?”
“No, Madam.”
Sarah did not contemplate for long.
“You’re correct. As the housekeeper, I should be managing the castle in Garth territory now. But…”
Sarah spoke slowly.
“Because His Grace has ordered us to close half of the castle, all the employees including me have come here.”
This was the first time Valia had ever heard of it. She slightly frowned.
“But then if he ever goes to his territory, where will he be staying?”
“That’s… Ever since he became the Marquess, His Excellency has not even once gone to his territory.”
“…Not even once?”
“Yes, Madam.”
It was not just that. Schuden acted like someone who wanted to isolate the castle forever. He called all the employees who managed the old castle in the territory to move to the capital’s manor. For employees who could not come to the capital due to family members in the territory or other reasons, he even gave them severance pay and sent them out. He did leave a very minimum number of people, but they were not enough to manage the gigantic old castle of Garth. As time passed, it would surely become a ghost castle.
Schuden Garth was a man who never tolerated those who disobeyed his orders. So there was no one that would go against their master’s decision.
“That’s why the number of employees is unusually high.”
“Yes, Madam. That’s right.”
It was then that she understood the high number of employees. She wondered why Schuden made such a choice. It would never be due to a simple whim for him to abandon the decent castle like that.
‘Does he have any bad memories of the castle?’
Valia was curious but she did not want to ask, she could only speculate for now. Still, she was a little concerned.
‘He seems to have a stricter personality than I thought.’
His retainers in the territory could not have readily agreed to his decision to unilaterally close the castle containing the antiques and heirlooms of the family. The problem was that she could easily imagine Schuden pushing forward his decision while ignoring his retainers’ earnest begging.
Valia suddenly began to worry. What if she went in somewhere or touched something she should not? It would be very scary if Schuden got angry. Valia never wanted to see him angry.
‘I should know in advance.’
It was better to ask in advance about what she was forbidden from doing. There was a time when a cranky lady-in-waiting—who got angry just by being asked questions—became Valia’s superior. After talking with Schuden a few times, he did not seem to have such a personality.
‘I have to ask him when he comes back.’
Although it was said that he would not be coming back until late in the evening, it was a custom in the Gel Empire for the couples to share a bed in one bedroom. There were plenty of opportunities to talk to him if she waited.
“…”
As a result, she had no place to go in the manor. She wanted to look around places like the study but she thought she should ask Schuden first. The same goes for the atelier, weapon storage, jewelry storage, dress room, and notable painting exhibition room. At least, she thought she could go to the exhibition room where portraits of previous heads of the family and their spouses were hung. But what Schuden said the day before weighed on her mind.
[We can go take a look together tomorrow.]
Whether Schuden said it out of courtesy or not, it would be reasonable to wait for today.
‘It would be nice if we could go together, but if not, I can go alone tomorrow.’
Valia thought she should wait for Schuden while reading books in the small living room on the second floor. Then, a maid rushed there.
“Madam, the servant who was sent on an errand to the training ground is back.”
Valia’s shoulders flinched a little. She asked without making it obvious on the outside.
“Where is he now?”
“He’s waiting. Should I call him this way?”
“Sure.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The maid walked out of the door. Soon she brought in the servant. As soon as the servant came in, he politely greeted Valia.
“Greetings to Lady Garth.”
“Did you deliver it well to His Excellency?”
“Yes, I delivered it myself.”
“What did he say?”
Valia asked, hiding two conflicting feelings of a bit of anticipation and of refraining from over-analyzing the servant’s words.
“Yes, Madam. I was about to tell you about it. His Excellency said he would enjoy the snacks. I heard it clearly.”
A glimpse of joy flashed across the maid’s face. The fact that the couple was harmonious was also a joy for the employees. It was also mixed with the expectations that the newly married Marchioness would be happy. But Valia just smiled. It was a gentle smile that was neither excessive nor insufficient.
“Good job. You can leave and take a rest.”
“I will take my leave, Madam.”
The servant took himself off. Valia also told the maid, who faithfully poured tea into her half-empty cup, to go out. She was left alone. She gripped the teacup embossed with flower petals in both hands. The warmth of the teacup blended into her body temperature.
‘I guess he just said it out of courtesy. Let’s not get excited.’
But a smile that could not be hidden spread across her lips. She thought about not giving meaning to trivial words, but after hearing that, she could not help but feel better. Valia was looking forward to Schuden’s return for no reason. Even if he did not eat the tarts, she was grateful and happy that he thought of her dignity and said good things in front of his subordinates.
Time flew by when something good happened. When the clouds flowed and the sky was painted red, Valia heard a knock and a maid came in.
“Madam, someone has come to notify of His Excellency’s return.”
Valia blinked with the teacup in her hand. It was still early in the evening, but she heard that he would not come back until late in the evening. Her confusion was quickly erased.
‘I guess his work today finished early.’
That was often the case with the works of a knight. Training could be prolonged or shortened. Valia put the teacup down.
“I should go out to meet him.”
“I will take you there, Madam.”
In the noble family of the Gel Empire, it was a sweet act for a newly-married couple when the lady of the house went out to meet the lord of the house. Even so, there were many cases where they did not go out at all if they were married for political gain and had no affection or expectation for each other. Valia also knew this culture. But she had decided to be good to Schuden. It felt tingling but it would be okay to meet him.
Valia walked down the stairs and arrived at the first-floor hall.
The spacious hall was a perfect place to hold a ball. In it, Garth’s employees stood in an orderly manner and were waiting for their master to return home. Paul and Sarah, who were standing at the front, looked at Valia and showed their courtesy, so did the other employees.
“Madam.”
“Greetings to Lady Garth.”
The spacious hall was filled with polite greetings. Having not yet adapted to the greetings of these numerous people, Valia suppressed her feelings and spoke.
“I’m here to greet His Grace.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Paul and Sarah stepped back. The lady of the house should stand at the front. With numerous employees behind her, Valia looked at the main gate which had not yet been opened. Perhaps because she was a little nervous, her fingertips got cold. Valia grabbed the hem of the dress and only looked at the main gate to not make it obvious. Her heart pounded lightly.
It did not take long before the main gate was opened.
The wind, charged with cool sunlight, was cold. A cold breeze blew past her nose.
Schuden, who was walking in with a cold expression, as usual, stopped. The lined-up employees and the luxuriously decorated marble hall were the same. However, there was one person who was different.
Valia.
The calm woman with her silvery-gray eyes had her black hair lightly tied up. She looked so natural, like someone who had been there for a long time while being disparate at the same time. Schuden paused for a moment and strode in as if he had never stopped in the first place. Their distance quickly drew closer.
From the moment Schuden caught her eyes, Valia’s heart was pounding. Schuden wearing a tuxedo was wonderful but he also looked wonderful even in a uniform like he was now. A black uniform with a neat design that seemed to preserve the original beauty of a male’s figure. Gold tassels were hung on his angled shoulders and a slim line went in a little at the waist and fell straight down. His reddish-blond hair and red eyes seemed to have an especially strange magic that charmed women.
“Greetings to Lord Garth.”
“Greetings to Lady Garth.”
The employees standing behind Valia and the aides standing behind Schuden both bowed their heads. Only Schuden and Valia were looking at each other in this spacious hall. Schuden spoke first.
“Did you come to greet me?”
“Yes. Hmm, because I couldn’t see you off in the morning…”
Of course, there was no custom in Gel that required a wife to see off her husband in the morning. Valia was well-aware of that. She gave such an excuse because she was just shy and embarrassed. It was an excuse given in spite of herself. Schuden hummed and tilted his chin slightly.
“Have you eaten?”
“Not yet. How about you?”
“Me too. We can eat together.”
Valia nodded her head quietly.
Actually, instead of what she had said so far, there was something Valia wanted to say from the beginning. It was something that was said when the one she had been waiting for all day came back.
“…Hmm.”
Valia did not contemplate for long. She had a cautious voice.
“Welcome home.”
Valia avoided his gaze and said so. She was somehow embarrassed by the red eyes that were staring at her.
A smile flashed on Schuden’s lips for a moment. Valia did not get to see it but all of the employees clearly saw that brief smile.
“Yes, you are indeed welcoming, my wife.”
Probably because he was close to her. But Schuden’s voice sounded excessively erotic and had wrapped around her ears. Valia’s ears turned red. The aides and employees averted their eyes. The corners of their mouths had already risen to the sky.
“Sarah, I have a question.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“From what I know, housekeepers in the Gel Empire originally played the role of a caretaker who protects the manor in place of the owner. Am I wrong?”
“That…”
Sarah slurred the end of her sentence at the unexpected question. She knew Valia would be curious but she did not expect her to ask the question so quickly.
In fact, because the manor in the noble’s territory and the manor in the capital were divided, the general butler and the housekeeper were always separated no matter how large a family it was. The general butler would follow the owner, and in turn, the housekeeper would take charge of the vacant manor. The housekeeper’s role was very important, she must be fully prepared so that the owner could come and rest comfortably at any time even though the manor was empty.
So according to the custom of Gel Empire’s nobles, Sarah should be managing the castle in the current Garth territory, not the manor in the capital. Valia pointed it out precisely.
Noticing Sara’s hesitation to answer her question, Valia asked.
“Is it something difficult to tell?”
“No, Madam.”
Sarah did not contemplate for long.
“You’re correct. As the housekeeper, I should be managing the castle in Garth territory now. But…”
Sarah spoke slowly.
“Because His Grace has ordered us to close half of the castle, all the employees including me have come here.”
This was the first time Valia had ever heard of it. She slightly frowned.
“But then if he ever goes to his territory, where will he be staying?”
“That’s… Ever since he became the Marquess, His Excellency has not even once gone to his territory.”
“…Not even once?”
“Yes, Madam.”
It was not just that. Schuden acted like someone who wanted to isolate the castle forever. He called all the employees who managed the old castle in the territory to move to the capital’s manor. For employees who could not come to the capital due to family members in the territory or other reasons, he even gave them severance pay and sent them out. He did leave a very minimum number of people, but they were not enough to manage the gigantic old castle of Garth. As time passed, it would surely become a ghost castle.
Schuden Garth was a man who never tolerated those who disobeyed his orders. So there was no one that would go against their master’s decision.
“That’s why the number of employees is unusually high.”
“Yes, Madam. That’s right.”
It was then that she understood the high number of employees. She wondered why Schuden made such a choice. It would never be due to a simple whim for him to abandon the decent castle like that.
‘Does he have any bad memories of the castle?’
Valia was curious but she did not want to ask, she could only speculate for now. Still, she was a little concerned.
‘He seems to have a stricter personality than I thought.’
His retainers in the territory could not have readily agreed to his decision to unilaterally close the castle containing the antiques and heirlooms of the family. The problem was that she could easily imagine Schuden pushing forward his decision while ignoring his retainers’ earnest begging.
Valia suddenly began to worry. What if she went in somewhere or touched something she should not? It would be very scary if Schuden got angry. Valia never wanted to see him angry.
‘I should know in advance.’
It was better to ask in advance about what she was forbidden from doing. There was a time when a cranky lady-in-waiting—who got angry just by being asked questions—became Valia’s superior. After talking with Schuden a few times, he did not seem to have such a personality.
‘I have to ask him when he comes back.’
Although it was said that he would not be coming back until late in the evening, it was a custom in the Gel Empire for the couples to share a bed in one bedroom. There were plenty of opportunities to talk to him if she waited.
“…”
As a result, she had no place to go in the manor. She wanted to look around places like the study but she thought she should ask Schuden first. The same goes for the atelier, weapon storage, jewelry storage, dress room, and notable painting exhibition room. At least, she thought she could go to the exhibition room where portraits of previous heads of the family and their spouses were hung. But what Schuden said the day before weighed on her mind.
[We can go take a look together tomorrow.]
Whether Schuden said it out of courtesy or not, it would be reasonable to wait for today.
‘It would be nice if we could go together, but if not, I can go alone tomorrow.’
Valia thought she should wait for Schuden while reading books in the small living room on the second floor. Then, a maid rushed there.
“Madam, the servant who was sent on an errand to the training ground is back.”
Valia’s shoulders flinched a little. She asked without making it obvious on the outside.
“Where is he now?”
“He’s waiting. Should I call him this way?”
“Sure.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The maid walked out of the door. Soon she brought in the servant. As soon as the servant came in, he politely greeted Valia.
“Greetings to Lady Garth.”
“Did you deliver it well to His Excellency?”
“Yes, I delivered it myself.”
“What did he say?”
Valia asked, hiding two conflicting feelings of a bit of anticipation and of refraining from over-analyzing the servant’s words.
“Yes, Madam. I was about to tell you about it. His Excellency said he would enjoy the snacks. I heard it clearly.”
A glimpse of joy flashed across the maid’s face. The fact that the couple was harmonious was also a joy for the employees. It was also mixed with the expectations that the newly married Marchioness would be happy. But Valia just smiled. It was a gentle smile that was neither excessive nor insufficient.
“Good job. You can leave and take a rest.”
“I will take my leave, Madam.”
The servant took himself off. Valia also told the maid, who faithfully poured tea into her half-empty cup, to go out. She was left alone. She gripped the teacup embossed with flower petals in both hands. The warmth of the teacup blended into her body temperature.
‘I guess he just said it out of courtesy. Let’s not get excited.’
But a smile that could not be hidden spread across her lips. She thought about not giving meaning to trivial words, but after hearing that, she could not help but feel better. Valia was looking forward to Schuden’s return for no reason. Even if he did not eat the tarts, she was grateful and happy that he thought of her dignity and said good things in front of his subordinates.
Time flew by when something good happened. When the clouds flowed and the sky was painted red, Valia heard a knock and a maid came in.
“Madam, someone has come to notify of His Excellency’s return.”
Valia blinked with the teacup in her hand. It was still early in the evening, but she heard that he would not come back until late in the evening. Her confusion was quickly erased.
‘I guess his work today finished early.’
That was often the case with the works of a knight. Training could be prolonged or shortened. Valia put the teacup down.
“I should go out to meet him.”
“I will take you there, Madam.”
In the noble family of the Gel Empire, it was a sweet act for a newly-married couple when the lady of the house went out to meet the lord of the house. Even so, there were many cases where they did not go out at all if they were married for political gain and had no affection or expectation for each other. Valia also knew this culture. But she had decided to be good to Schuden. It felt tingling but it would be okay to meet him.
Valia walked down the stairs and arrived at the first-floor hall.
The spacious hall was a perfect place to hold a ball. In it, Garth’s employees stood in an orderly manner and were waiting for their master to return home. Paul and Sarah, who were standing at the front, looked at Valia and showed their courtesy, so did the other employees.
“Madam.”
“Greetings to Lady Garth.”
The spacious hall was filled with polite greetings. Having not yet adapted to the greetings of these numerous people, Valia suppressed her feelings and spoke.
“I’m here to greet His Grace.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Paul and Sarah stepped back. The lady of the house should stand at the front. With numerous employees behind her, Valia looked at the main gate which had not yet been opened. Perhaps because she was a little nervous, her fingertips got cold. Valia grabbed the hem of the dress and only looked at the main gate to not make it obvious. Her heart pounded lightly.
It did not take long before the main gate was opened.
The wind, charged with cool sunlight, was cold. A cold breeze blew past her nose.
Schuden, who was walking in with a cold expression, as usual, stopped. The lined-up employees and the luxuriously decorated marble hall were the same. However, there was one person who was different.
Valia.
The calm woman with her silvery-gray eyes had her black hair lightly tied up. She looked so natural, like someone who had been there for a long time while being disparate at the same time. Schuden paused for a moment and strode in as if he had never stopped in the first place. Their distance quickly drew closer.
From the moment Schuden caught her eyes, Valia’s heart was pounding. Schuden wearing a tuxedo was wonderful but he also looked wonderful even in a uniform like he was now. A black uniform with a neat design that seemed to preserve the original beauty of a male’s figure. Gold tassels were hung on his angled shoulders and a slim line went in a little at the waist and fell straight down. His reddish-blond hair and red eyes seemed to have an especially strange magic that charmed women.
“Greetings to Lord Garth.”
“Greetings to Lady Garth.”
The employees standing behind Valia and the aides standing behind Schuden both bowed their heads. Only Schuden and Valia were looking at each other in this spacious hall. Schuden spoke first.
“Did you come to greet me?”
“Yes. Hmm, because I couldn’t see you off in the morning…”
Of course, there was no custom in Gel that required a wife to see off her husband in the morning. Valia was well-aware of that. She gave such an excuse because she was just shy and embarrassed. It was an excuse given in spite of herself. Schuden hummed and tilted his chin slightly.
“Have you eaten?”
“Not yet. How about you?”
“Me too. We can eat together.”
Valia nodded her head quietly.
Actually, instead of what she had said so far, there was something Valia wanted to say from the beginning. It was something that was said when the one she had been waiting for all day came back.
“…Hmm.”
Valia did not contemplate for long. She had a cautious voice.
“Welcome home.”
Valia avoided his gaze and said so. She was somehow embarrassed by the red eyes that were staring at her.
A smile flashed on Schuden’s lips for a moment. Valia did not get to see it but all of the employees clearly saw that brief smile.
“Yes, you are indeed welcoming, my wife.”
Probably because he was close to her. But Schuden’s voice sounded excessively erotic and had wrapped around her ears. Valia’s ears turned red. The aides and employees averted their eyes. The corners of their mouths had already risen to the sky.
