Walter, his pupils dilated, grabbed Hermia’s arm.
“Wait a minute. Just a minute.”
“yes?”
“What are you doing now?”
“Ah. Just look over there for a moment.”
Maybe it was because I had already given up on marriage halfway through, but I forgot to save face.
Hermia took out the book and held it out to Walter, smiling awkwardly.
“I had nowhere to hide it… … I even paid my carriage fare with it when I came here.”
His face turned pale and cold as he took the book in a fluster. A hint of anger could be seen in his eerie voice.
“Are you saying that you paid the price in this way?”
“yes yes.”
“So, like this… … .”
As Walter’s green eyes turned to the crumpled hem of her skirt, Hermia belatedly realized and jumped.
“Huh? What do you mean? You said it was published in one volume!”
Then Walter, who was just as embarrassed as she was, hurriedly apologized.
“I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”
“I couldn’t help it because I had it tied to my leg. I’m not that kind of person, really!”
“Of course, I believe it.”
“… … .”
Do you really believe me? Hermia looked at him with suspicious eyes, and then took a moment to reflect.
‘I did something that could be misunderstood. What noble lady in the world would lift her skirt up just anywhere?’
In his own defense, the coachman never looked at him strangely from the beginning.
I’ve been getting used to the gloomy stares I get from people looking at me since I was little, so I guess I have a keen eye for that sort of thing.
Even if the groom had bad intentions, he didn’t seem like a fool who would do something so reckless in the duke’s front yard.
If I hadn’t been able to make that kind of judgment, I wouldn’t have acted so shamelessly. Even if something unfortunate had happened, I didn’t intend to just stand by and let it happen.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, she scratched her philtrum awkwardly.
‘You did something like that in front of the Duke a little while ago… um. Why did you do that?’
I was rolling my eyes with an ambiguous expression when suddenly my head turned to look outside the window.
Hermia stopped thinking and started to look outside. The scenery was so amazing that she even forgot about the book she had given Walter.
“Wow. It’s spacious.”
She murmured in admiration. The carriage passed the gate and rolled smoothly down the well-paved road.
The Duke’s Castle in Rockford was of a much grander scale than the Earl’s Mansion, whose entrance was just a short walk from the main gate.
‘You have to ride a carriage to get inside. This is no joke.’
My mouth opened wide in amazement and envy.
The inside of the walls looked like a small town had been moved there. The streets, lit by street lamps here and there, were lined with large and small stone buildings.
“Because this place used to be a lord’s castle, there were houses for the vassals to live in, farms for self-sufficiency, and facilities such as livestock sheds within the castle.”
Walter began to explain to her as she looked outside with curious eyes.
“Then, when the serfdom system was abolished and the era of free people arrived, the fiefs ruled by the lords lost their dictatorship and independence and became ordinary private lands.”
‘Hey… is this a history class?’
Hermia looked at Walter with a sense of uneasiness creeping over her. He continued speaking in a calm, unwavering tone.
“The Rockfords have gone through the ages as well. Unlike in the past, the Duke’s Castle is now a military base where my unit is stationed.”
“iced coffee.”
So, to summarize, in the past, people lived like kings in the castle, but now it has become just a gathering place for soldiers.
Hermia dug into her vague memory and recalled that the word ‘lord’ was an old title that had been around for at least several hundred years.
“… … .”
She, whose great-grandfather was the founder of the family, vowed not to utter a word in front of Walter.
The carriage passed the guardhouse and various facilities and entered the uphill road again. And then, at some point, an unbelievably wide space appeared, and a huge spire that had been impressive even when seen from afar appeared.
“That’s the main building where I stay.”
“… … ?”
Walter pointed to a five-story mansion on the opposite side of the tower.
Hermia then noticed a long, horizontal building and turned her head.
Sure, the five-story mansion with hundreds of windows and dozens of terraces was impressive, but it was also enormous, like twenty counts and countess mansions put together… … .
“Isn’t that the last name of the house?”
When Hermia, who had been staring at the tower the whole time, tilted her head, Walter answered with a small smile on his lips.
“It must have been over three hundred years ago when this place was a castle. In this day and age, it would be a perfect place for concentrated artillery fire.”
“ah…….”
When I was young, a girl who lived in the same neighborhood used to show me a fairy tale book with a castle that looked just like that.
Since I didn’t know how to read, I just looked at the picture, and I vaguely remember the kid saying that it was where the princess lived.
‘What a pity. The castle where the princess lives. I wanted to go in too.’
“The castle is now a symbolic structure of this place. It is not a place of residence but rather serves as a watchtower.”
She looked at the iron gate of the tower that was suddenly revealed with eyes dripping with longing, then obediently turned her head away.
The carriage passed the watchtower and entered a vast garden. This time, too, she began to take in new sights.
The white streetlights standing at regular intervals on both sides of the wide road were extremely luxurious and elegant. The ornamental trees and stone statues lined up neatly on both sides of the central road where the carriages passed were all so magnificent that I could not help but exclaim in admiration.
She felt as if she had never felt regret, as if she had entered a fantastic dream.
‘With a house like this, there’s no need to go to a faraway vacation spot in the summer. The backyard looks amazing, too. Maybe there’s a swing or hammock hanging from a tree?’
It was clear that a day would not be enough just to walk around the garden. The look of excitement was clearly visible on his clean face.
At the same time, a similar emotion came over Walter’s face. Of course, the object of the emotion was not the garden he saw every day, but the woman’s eyes that sparkled like lapis lazuli.
“If you like the garden… … .”
“How much would it cost for something like this… … .”
At the same time, the two people who had revealed their true feelings shut their mouths. An awkward silence lingered as if they had made a promise, and then the carriage stopped and the door opened from the outside.
Walter hurriedly got down and reached out his hand as if to pick up Hermia. The moment he raised his tense hand to meet hers, a familiar voice flew in from behind him.
“Walter, who’s here?”
Hermia reflexively withdrew her arms and hardened her face.
When he turned around, a girl wearing a pale yellow dress was standing there.
It was natural for Mel to be here since the Duke had taken her, but even though I knew it, I felt a little dazed.
Is it because it seems strange to see her dressed up like any other noble lady? Or is it because it suits her so well?
With her wavy, walnut-colored hair combed back, a yellow hairpin, and a refreshing one-piece dress, Mel was a beautiful sight that made people turn around to look at her even as they passed by.
“Oh, Miss?”
Mel was also looking at herself with a surprised face.
‘I knew you were here, but you look like you didn’t expect me to be here.’
She bit her lip as she felt a strangely complicated feeling. Walter, who was standing between the two women, took a look at Mel and reached out his hand again.
“Miss Hermia.”
“I can walk.”
I came to my senses as if I had been splashed with cold water. I felt ashamed of myself for acting like a tourist the whole time, even though I hadn’t even come to play.
In front of the palace-like mansion, sentries stood, and servants waiting to greet them lined up in an orderly manner.
Instead of hugging Walter, Hermia placed her hand on his arm and walked along as if she were completely comfortable. She passed Mel, who was standing blankly, and nodded slightly at the middle-aged gentleman who was standing upright.
“Hermia Bahnsen. Please forgive my unsolicited visit.”
“Welcome. I am Aiden Turner, the head butler in charge of the main house. Please feel free to call me Aiden.”
Walter, who had been watching quietly, gave instructions as he greeted the handsome, gray-haired butler.
“Call Wilson to the living room right now. And prepare dinner… … .”
Suddenly, he turned around and asked, his words trailing off.
“Have you already had dinner?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I was just coming from the exhibition hall. From there… … .”
I didn’t eat anything separately. Now that I think about it, all I did was drink a little bit of a beverage. She quickly added.
“I ate.”
“… … .”
“Wow, Walter! I’m hungry. Let’s go eat! Okay?”
Mel ran over and grabbed Walter’s other arm, whining.
I feel suffocated seeing him cling to me like a puppy without any consideration for me.
“Don’t worry about me. Just take your time eating and come back. I’ll be waiting in the living room.”
“Oh, yeah. The young lady said she ate. Mr. Aiden! Hurry up and take the guest!”
Even though he was waving his hands and making a fuss, Aiden just looked at Walter without saying anything. It seemed like he was waiting for his master’s orders.
Walter seemed to think for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“Even if you have already eaten, I would be honored if you could attend. Today, I am inviting all of my aides to a dinner party, so I would be in trouble if any of the guests were absent.”
“Huh? Today? Was that today?”
Mel blinked with a bewildered look on her face. Aiden lowered his head without any change in expression.
“I’ll be right there. Let’s treat Miss Hermia first.”
At his gesture, maids in creased uniforms came out like soldiers. Then, they began to lead Hermia, who had been standing there blankly, into the corridor between the pillars.
“Uh, over there, uh… … ?”
Hermia began to walk down the open hallway, her arms held by the maids. The large women practically lifted her up, causing her legs to rise and fall several times.
Hermia, who had been forced into the room without any chance to resist, looked around in a dazed state.
‘What’s going on?’
As I was lost in the quaint reception room, black tea and delicious-looking butter cookies were immediately placed on the table.
“The doctor will be here shortly. If you need anything else, please feel free to let me know.”
The maid holding the tray spoke politely and smiled. Hermia nodded absentmindedly and picked up a cookie and put it in her mouth.
After eating two crabs in a flash, the door opened and a woman in military uniform came in carrying a medical bag.