Chapter 28 Part 4: I, the Archduchess of Elchen

The inner castle of Arnad. Bright sunlight shone through.

In the morning, before Caron left the inner castle.

“There will be a tea party. After lunch.”

“..Suddenly?”

“Don’t think about anything else, just relax. Do as you please.”

After saying those cryptic words, Caron gave Rosa a quick hug before leaving.

She should have been used to it by now, but it still made her feel shy.

“Ahem..”

Rosa cleared her throat softly.

Still, she didn’t forget to see Caron off.

“Come back soon.”

In any case, it was her first tea party. There were a total of seven maids in the ducal household.

‘First impressions are important.’

She would be seeing them often in the future.

So, in the morning, Rosa had made a request to Hamel.

[The maids’ personal information.]

She briefly memorized their names, families, and information about those families.

The tea party was held in the glass greenhouse of the inner castle.

Outside it was winter, inside it was spring.

Several people gathered in the small, warm greenhouse.

A white round table was placed among the modestly blooming flowers. Baskets with frilled ribbons were filled with biscuits, scones, and cakes.

The atmosphere wasn’t bad.

Except for one fact.

Rosa looked at the three silent maids, then turned her head to where the voices were coming from.

Until a moment ago, they had been talking about Caron.

“He was quite popular, wasn’t he? The Grand Duke in social circles..”

“Really..?”

“Yes, Your Grace. Not just ‘quite.’ He’s very popular.”

“He received many dance requests. Of course, he never accepted any of them.”

“Right. Your Grace, what was your first impression of Elchen?”

The maid who spoke with a gentle smile was Raina Isollet.

She was the maid who had briefly served Rosa on the day she first arrived in Elchen.

Her brown ponytail and dimples gave her a kind and bright impression.

“Well.. It was beautiful. I understood why it’s called the pure white of the continent.”

In winter, under the clear blue sky.

The endlessly unfolding snowy landscape revealed the natural elegance of the land.

“That’s right. You really won’t see such nature anywhere else.”

“This is the land of purity.”

The twin maids chimed in.

Wendy and Rudy.

They were twin noble ladies with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Wendy seemed outgoing, while Rudy seemed a bit timid.

“How did you two end up as maids in this castle?”

“Yes, Your Grace. Our father told us to come and learn more ladylike manners.”

They had first come to Arnad two years ago.

Wendy covered her mouth with her small hand and asked what she was most curious about.

“More than that, I’m curious how the two of you first met.”

“It was simply an arranged marriage. We first met at the triumphal banquet a month ago.”

The maids’ eyes were full of suspicion as they looked at Rosa, who answered with a smile.

The maids laughed.

“Hmm..”

“Really?”

“It’s entirely possible.”

They said that, but the maids were smiling subtly.

The conversation continued.

The sisters, Wendy and Rudy, chattered.

“Was it the end of this month? There’s a lantern festival.”

“It’s a festival to wrap up the year and reflect on memories.”

It was a traditional festival of this city, Arnad, where night markets, lanterns, dancing, and drinking intermingled.

“It’s not just a simple lantern. When it floats high in the sky, it splits into different colors of light.”

“Ah, it was really beautiful. Last winter.”

And then there was a moment of silence.

“Um..”

It was an awkward silence. The topic of conversation had suddenly dried up.

The atmosphere of the tea party was only somewhat decent because of the unspoken efforts of a few.

Opposite Rosa sat three maids.

They had all remained silent throughout the tea party.

Honestly.

Rosa wasn’t in a good mood.

She had deliberately observed them, but she felt that leaving it any longer was not a good idea.

“Bella. Katrina. And Emma, was it?”

Finally, Rosa spoke.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Do you… have any complaints about this gathering?”

In response to her cautious question, the pink-haired maid, Bella, answered.

“Of course not, Your Grace. We simply lacked the eloquence to join in.”

The other two nodded.

‘Sigh-‘

Rosa sighed inwardly.

Openly showing hostility like that was rather childish.

The sisters, Wendy and Rudy, were watching the situation carefully, and Raina also let out a small sigh.

After a moment of thought, Rosa changed her question.

“Then, let me ask again. Do you have any complaints against me?”

Bella was silent.

At first, she had intended to apologize.

She really tried to do it reluctantly, but she still couldn’t understand.

‘Why should I..? I just missed one tea party.’

Bella thought that even the Grand Duke would feel wronged.

The Grand Duke must have been forced to act because of the prestige of the ducal house.

It was an arranged marriage by the Emperor’s arrangement. Even if there was no affection, it was still the beginning of the marriage.

‘He couldn’t completely ignore the Grand Duchess’s words.’

The events of the previous night would probably be restored soon.

Bella had confidently assured the other two maids of this.

Katrina and Emma. The two maids looked somewhat anxious.

But they had their pride, so they agreed to Bella’s proposal.

[It’s enough to just be formal. There’s no need to be friendly.]

They would only participate in the tea party in name.

Although their fathers had strictly instructed them, they were truly sheltered flowers.

Honestly, Bella was dumbfounded.

‘She seduced the Grand Duke and made him act… and now she’s acting like she doesn’t know anything?’

Thinking this, Bella replied.

“It may be a misunderstanding. We really have no complaints against Your Grace.”

And then she continued.

“But since further misunderstanding would also be undesirable. Let me tell you a story that has been passed down in Elchen for a long time.”

Bella began the story.

“There was a skilled hunter. His goal was to hunt an uncatchable animal, a divine beast.”

One day, he found a peculiar animal. It was cute but not a useful prey.

The man ended up traveling with it, as it was literally a pet.

“It grew bigger and bigger as the days went by. The man could have ridden a horse. The horse was good at pathfinding and very fast.”

But because the animal had grown so large, the hunter couldn’t ride the horse.

He arrived at his destination much later than expected.

“In the end, the man missed the divine beast and ended up empty-handed.”

It was a story that clearly conveyed a certain analogy.

Moreover, it was quite clumsy.

‘Goodness. How thoughtless can she be…?’

Bella had compared herself to the horse in the story and the Grand Duchess to the peculiar animal.

It was a clear indication of her inner thoughts that she was better than the Grand Duchess, who knew nothing about Elchen and would be of no help.

The faces of some of the maids turned pale.

But as the saying goes, the more ignorant, the more courageous.

Bella didn’t care at all.

‘So what. It’s not like it’s a made-up story.’

She even felt relieved to have spoken the truth so plainly.

Naturally, Rosa understood. She was dumbfounded and even embarrassed.

She was human, so it was impossible not to get angry.

‘I decided to help Caron.’

She would be the Grand Duchess for a year.

So, she had no intention of being seen as a pushover.

“Listening to the story.. I’m suddenly curious about one thing. So what did the man do with the animal?”

“Oh, that’s..”

She couldn’t recall.

Bella had just used a fragment of a story she had heard by chance to fit the situation. She thought it was a good analogy in her own way.

But.

When she thought about the ending of the story, didn’t the man not abandon the animal?

‘If he had abandoned the animal..’

He would have arrived on time.

Rosa said.

“You don’t know? I do.”

“The hunter didn’t abandon the animal.”

The animal’s true identity was a Burba.

When it’s newborn, it looks similar to a rabbit. But within a month or two, it grows almost as big as a person.

‘After that… it adjusts its size at will.’

It was a story passed down orally. Rosa had heard this from Hamel recently.

The gentle Burba fully repaid the kindness of those who cared for it.

Sometimes as a pet, sometimes as a guardian protecting its owner.

It stayed by the hunter’s side until he caught the divine beast and made a name for himself.

“That is the story of Elchen’s founder, the hunter Iolad.”

Bella was at a loss for words. How could the Grand Duchess know the story in such detail?

The Grand Duchess, who had only been in Elchen for three days.

Times had changed. Now, mythical animals were forgotten, and it no longer snowed year-round in Elchen.

But even in a time when so much had changed, people had not.

The emotions between people, the interactions between people.

“The proper decorum to uphold, and the moral understanding and consideration. I have already given you ample opportunity.”

She had wanted to resolve things amicably if possible. That was why she had waited from the beginning.

“But you are too immature. The two beside you as well.”

Rosa made a judgment.

There was no need to keep someone who was openly hostile to her.

“Bella. I’m not a fool.”

She knew very well what kind of gaze Bella was giving her.

“If I keep you in this castle, there will be constant uncomfortable misunderstandings between us.”

In fact, ‘misunderstanding’ was putting it mildly.

Bella’s actions today were clear insubordination.

“So. Let’s go in a mutually beneficial direction.. You don’t need to come to this castle from tomorrow.”

“Wha, wait.”

Bella openly rebelled. She hadn’t intended for this outcome.

“Your Grace. What are you saying? Such a unilateral notice.”

Something had gone seriously wrong. Bella realized this, but she couldn’t bring herself to apologize.

“I am the eldest daughter of the Isonac family. Even if Your Grace acts this way..”

“And so?”

Rosa পাল্টা প্রশ্ন করল।

Bella, her lips trembling, said.

“It will surely be a loss for the ducal house as well. If you distance yourself from our family.”

“No.”

Rosa shook her head.

She clearly understood what Bella was saying.

‘Isonac is, after all, the second-largest trading company in this region.’

Normally, one shouldn’t distance themselves over such a matter.

But why did Caron say what he did? In the morning, before leaving the castle.

[Don’t think about anything else. Just relax. Do as you please.]

There must have been a reason.

Clearly, Caron had given Rosa a basis to rely on. And Rosa, in turn, trusted in Caron’s abilities.

[They mainly deal in fur, lamp oil, and armor and weaponry.]

That was Hamel’s description of Isonac.

And now. Spring was coming soon.

Rosa spoke.

“When spring comes, the days will get longer. And the weather will get warmer.”

Naturally, the demand for fur and lamp oil would be incomparably lower than in winter.

‘And armor and weaponry.’

They might have to be stored in warehouses.

“The war has already reached its final stages, and if it ends, the demand for those two will also decrease.”

So, Caron had made a judgment.

‘The ducal house doesn’t need the help of the Isonac family.’

There were alternative trading companies, and above all, the prestige of the ducal house was paramount.

Bella seemed momentarily stunned, as if she hadn’t thought of this at all.

But she shook her head and persisted.

“It was none other than the Grand Duke who appointed me as a maid. I cannot leave without the Grand Duke’s order.”

“That is my authority.”

Rosa stated firmly.

“Managing the maids is the authority of the lady of the house. And I am the Grand Duchess of Elchen.”

A moment of silence passed.

Rosa, who had risen from her seat, quietly stared at Bella across from her.

A noble expression, a cold voice.

Pointing to the exit with her finger, she was the very image of a perfect and supreme Grand Duchess.

“Bella Isonac. Do not come from tomorrow. This is an order as the Grand Duchess.”

Bella Isonac couldn’t say anything.

Everyone in the greenhouse was overwhelmed by her.

Caron watched it all from afar.

Hamel shook his head in admiration.

“The Grand Duchess is really something.”

“She’s always been like that.”

Caron believed in her.

‘If it’s Rosa…’

If it were her. She could do well even with the small clue he had given her.

Kind and considerate.

That didn’t mean she was a pushover.

‘When Rosa gets angry, she’s scarier than anyone.’

Caron, who had watched her for a long time, knew this very well.

In fact, although Rosa had become much more feminine lately, and often showed a flustered side in front of him.

She originally had a strong personality.

Why, even when she was little, she used to kick while wearing a skirt. Even when they played war games, she was always the leader.

So. Today’s display wasn’t particularly awkward. It was just one of the many facets of Rosa that he knew.

[I am the Grand Duchess of Elchen.]

Still, hearing Rosa acknowledge that fact herself was quite pleasant to Caron’s ears.

Never before had his hearing worked so well.

Suddenly, he turned to Hamel behind him and said.

“The three from earlier. Fire them all.”

“Understood.”

Hamel bowed with a smile.

And so, the short afternoon tea party ended.

Early evening. Rosa sat facing Caron.

“Good job. With the tea party.”

Caron bowed his head and looked under her eyes.

Swoosh-

And his long finger swept across Rosa’s delicate skin.

“Wh, what are you doing.”

“I thought it was makeup.”

The area under Rosa’s eyes was dark. It seemed fatigue had built up recently.

“You too. You’re not looking too good.”

Caron chuckled softly.

“Anyway, go to bed early today.”

The words were. Appreciated.

But somehow, Rosa needed comforting.

Rosa looked at Caron and said.

“Aren’t you… going to eat dinner with me?”

The time of day she looked forward to the most.

Caron momentarily stopped breathing at the sight of her looking up at him with those innocent eyes.

She was truly beautiful.

[I am the Grand Duchess of Elchen.]

Perhaps because he had heard those words. It felt as if she was truly confirmed as his partner.

“What’s wrong..?”

Caron wiped his dry face.

At Rosa’s question, he shook his head and answered.

“..It’s nothing.”

It was really difficult. Because of Rosa.

Even now, he was barely suppressing the urge to pull her into his arms.

Not knowing this, Rosa looked at him with a pitiful expression and said.

‘Then do you want to sleep for a bit now? I’ll wake you up later.’

Please. It’s not like that.

“Let’s just have dinner.”

Caron sighed deeply.

Later, while having dinner together, he received an unexpected request.

“What? You want to learn to ride a horse..?”

“Yes. Isn’t the hunting festival soon?”

At Rosa’s words, Caron rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought. Then, he had an idea and readily nodded.

“Alright. Then let’s go look at horses together tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Rosa smiled brightly, unaware of Caron’s plan.

And so.

The fourth night of Rosa’s stay in Elchen was drawing to a close.