I went to bed late last night after the party, but still woke early this morning.
I couldn't sleep well again.
I climbed out of bed, shivering from the cold, and went to warm myself by the fireplace. Callius must have stayed up tending it—the embers were still glowing softly.
Yesterday feels like a dream.
Despite my restless sleep, I felt good. Better than good—I felt happy.
I combed my hair and changed my clothes by myself, then settled in to wait for Lamia.
"You're up early, madam."
After a while, Lamia appeared with a sleepy expression. It seemed she had overslept.
"Did you sleep well, Lamia?"
"You're already dressed! I'm so sorry I'm late. I must have had too much wine last night. Let me fetch you some water to wash up."
She lightly slapped her own cheeks, shook her head vigorously, and blinked her eyes wide as if trying to force herself awake.
Lamia could be mischievous, but she was hardworking and clever. She immediately brought me fresh water for washing and began raking out the ashes from the fireplace while I cleaned my face.
I opened the window and looked outside while Lamia busied herself making the bed.
A crowd of people had already gathered at the castle entrance.
"We're supposed to distribute food today, aren't we?"
Lamia poked her head next to mine while still changing the pillowcase.
"Look—people are already lining up."
"It seems rumors spread very quickly in Ronheim."
"Are you planning to go watch?"
Lamia had clearly heard that I'd asked Mainz yesterday if I could go out for a bit and help with the distribution.
Mainz had seemed to welcome the idea of me going out to meet the people, even though he'd said there wouldn't be much for me to actually do.
I've never gone on an inspection tour of the territory with Callius or even wandered outside the castle walls.
I'd been so busy exploring the castle itself and adjusting to my new life that I hadn't had the energy to worry about venturing beyond it.
"Yes, I want to go."
Lamia looked at me thoughtfully, then glanced back outside before making a suggestion.
"Then why don't you go to the chef and ask her to bake you a big batch of cookies?"
"Cookies?"
Lamia pointed her finger toward the window.
Looking down, I saw children trailing after the adults, huddled together on one side of the courtyard.
"It's a perfect opportunity to win the hearts of the growing future public."
Hearing that the wind was bitterly cold, I bundled myself up thoroughly—a hooded cloak over my head, thick gloves on my hands, two layers of socks, and warm undergarments beneath my dress.
By the time I stepped outside into the castle's front courtyard, I wasn't afraid of the wind at all.
Hawick and the other knights were carrying heavy sacks of wheat on their shoulders. When they saw me, they paused and bowed respectfully.
Unlike me—bundled like I was preparing for an arctic expedition—they were working hard enough to sweat despite wearing only thin, short-sleeved shirts.
"Good morning, my lady."
Some of them hurried away immediately after greeting me, clearly still feeling awkward after yesterday's encounter at the dining hall.
I greeted the knights who remained—the ones who didn't know quite what to do—as if nothing had happened.
"I know the work is hard, but please continue your efforts for Ronheim. Thank you."
As Mainz had warned, there didn't seem to be anything I could actually help with. Moving those large sacks of wheat required strength I simply didn't have.
Instead, I held the basket of cookies carefully in my arms.
Freshly baked and just pulled from the oven by the chef, they were still warm and fragrant. The mouthwatering scent of sugar and butter clung to my clothes and filled the air around me.
I'm so glad I brought these.
As I passed through the castle gates—silently thanking Lamia for her brilliant idea—Hawick stepped forward to guide me through the assembled knights.
He shouted at the top of his lungs to the gathered crowd.
"This grain is being distributed by our Marchioness! There's enough for one sack per household, so don't push or shove. Be grateful for the Marchioness's generosity and receive your portions in an orderly fashion!"
The people murmured at Hawick's announcement.
Most of their voices blended together into an indistinct hum, but a few comments pierced through clearly.
"Is this something the Princess of Arrental is giving us?"
"Why would the Princess of Arrental be handing out food to us?"
Although Hawick had introduced me as the Marchioness, the people of Ronheim were far more accustomed to calling me "the Princess of Arrental" than by my proper title here.
In my experience, that's never a good sign.
But I had decided just yesterday not to be impatient. So instead of feeling discouraged, I smiled warmly and waved to the people.
I didn't expect a big response. I simply thought that standing there expressionless would make them think even worse of me.
But then—unexpectedly—someone shouted from the direction of the knights.
"Long live the Marchioness!"
I opened my eyes wide in surprise and looked toward the gathered knights.
They glanced around at each other, clearly trying to figure out who had shouted first.
I thought that single, timid cry would be the end of it.
But then Hawick, standing beside me, shouted loudly.
"Long live the Marchioness!"
Alex, who had been looking around in confusion, belatedly joined in.
"Long live!"
Three shouts. It was enough to stir the crowd's hearts.
The people—many of whom were genuinely grateful for the food they were about to receive—began shouting one by one.
"Long live the Marchioness!"
Because only a handful joined in, the cheer didn't fill the entire square and didn't last very long.
But that alone was satisfying enough to make me smile from ear to ear.
I beamed at the crowd and called out to them.
"Please form an orderly line to receive your grain!"
But instead of lining up, the people seemed oddly... transfixed.
"Ah..."
"It was dazzling just now..."
Here and there, I heard soft sighs and murmured exclamations.
What...?
Suddenly, everyone seemed to turn their heads toward me at once, and several people began closing the distance between us.
Startled, I hesitated and took a step backward.
Hawick immediately blocked the crowd's path, lining them up in an orderly fashion while simultaneously pushing me back between the protective circle of knights.
He singled out Alex and gave him a direct order.
"Stay close to the Marchioness and keep her safe."
"Yes, sir! Understood!"
The knights began distributing the sacks of wheat and barley to the people in an efficient rhythm.
Once the crowd became absorbed in receiving their grain, they stopped pressing toward me.
I stood beside the knights who were handing out the sacks, and whenever I spotted children in the crowd, I quietly waved to them.
At first, the children were hesitant and shy—none of them came close.
But when I held up the basket and showed them the cookies inside, they came running.
"Take one each."
"Really? Is that okay?"
"Of course. And bring your friends, too."
"Wow!"
Very young children—around three or four years old—were absolutely thrilled to receive cookies.
In Ronheim, where grain was scarce, making treats like cookies from precious wheat flour was considered an extravagant luxury. Most children grew up never tasting such things.
The little ones who took cookies from me had no idea what they even were. They stood a short distance away and carefully nibbled at the edges with their front teeth.
The moment the sweet, buttery flavor hit their tongues, their eyes went wide.
Then they ran straight back to me and dragged their older siblings forward.
"Please give some to my brother, too!"
"My sister, too! Please!"
The children who were brought forward by their younger siblings looked to be around thirteen or fourteen—judging by their round, youthful faces.
It was a bit confusing because they weren't very tall compared to me, despite their age.
They say northerners tend to have smaller builds...
Regardless of their height, they looked like children to anyone's eyes.
But these older children acted as though they were already grown-ups. They politely refused the cookies.
"Please give them to the younger kids instead. We're fine."
They seemed worried there wouldn't be enough cookies to go around.
I pressed several cookies into each of their hands and wouldn't let them refuse.
"Take them home and share them with your other siblings. Share them with your neighbors, too."
"...Thank you so much."
Only then did the children accept. Unlike when they'd first refused, they couldn't hide their delighted expressions now.
I felt a warm glow of pride as I continued handing out cookies to the children.
That's when I spotted something—someone—in the crowd that made my blood run cold.
A blonde woman with a very familiar hairstyle moved through the throng of people.
Did I see that wrong?
I blinked hard, hoping I'd imagined it.
The blonde woman disappeared from view for a moment as the crowd shifted—then reappeared again.
She was talking to someone, but the crowd was so thick that I could only catch fleeting glimpses of her profile before she vanished once more.
I must have seen it wrong...
I desperately hoped I was mistaken.
There's no way one of Kavala's personal maids would be here...!
I needed to get a clear look at the woman's face. I had to confirm—had to know—whether she was just a stranger who happened to look similar.
I moved closer, my heart pounding, praying it was just another person entirely.
But before I could get close enough to see her clearly—
—a hand shot out from the crowd and grabbed me roughly by the arm.
"You bitch!"
To be continued...
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