Ch#103
About two hours after leaving the capital, Arcel spoke up.
“We'll pass through the main gate soon. It’ll take a while longer before the mansion comes into view.”
Ibi didn't quite understand his words at first.
Normally, isn't the house right after passing the main gate?
Airin's house in the capital was large, but the mansion was right there beyond the fountain from the main gate. And it would take a while longer?
As Arcel said, the carriage soon reached the main gate.
The guards, standing at attention as rigidly as those at the imperial palace, recognized the family carriage and bowed politely.
Ibi bowed her head to them in greeting as well.
“Hello.”
The guards, unaccustomed to such a return greeting, couldn't help smiling and waving back at the waving Ibi.
They quickly straightened up upon seeing Arcel, though.
After passing the main gate, the carriage picked up speed again.
'It's a forest?'
Gazing outside, Ibi grew more and more puzzled.
The carriage passed through forest, then grassland, then hills, and even a pond.
It crossed a small river, too.
Just as Ibi began to doubt whether that really had been the main gate, the Duke Kailun family's mansion finally appeared in the distance.
At that moment, Arcel made Ibi promise once more.
“Ibi, you haven't forgotten what I said, right?”
“No, Arcel!”
By now, Ibi was calling Arcel by name quite naturally.
Arcel had practiced with her the whole way, saying they'd practiced with Ruska, so they should do the same without honorifics.
Of course, it wasn't easy.
“What's that place? Arcel n…… Ah.”
Ibi realized her slip and quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late. Arcel's eyes curved in amusement from across the seat.
“You did it again.”
Now Ibi could tell the difference. Even if his smiling expression looked the same, she knew when he was genuinely smiling and when he wasn't.
This was a fake smile!
“This won't do. We need a penalty. From now on, if you use honorifics with me……”
“……If I do?”
Ibi swallowed dryly. His low voice made her truly tense.
What? What scary penalty was Arcel planning?
Unwittingly, Ibi clenched her fists tight.
“Every time, I'll give you something very, extremely, incredibly precious and expensive.”
“Pardon?”
That was the penalty?
Had the empire's meaning of 'penalty' changed without her knowing?
“But that would just be a loss for you, Lord Arcel…… Mmph!”
“Since you slipped up, let's see…… Right. You always study hard while writing, so I should give you a notebook made of the finest paper.”
With that, Arcel grinned.
“Would 100 be too few?”
100? She only had five new notebooks in her Yeongjae Academy desk drawer at most?
“N-No, that's too much!”
“Then 1,000?”
Watching Arcel's calm face, Ibi was convinced.
He's serious. Definitely serious!
“There's no place to put them all!”
“Is that so? Then could you manage with 100?”
Caught off guard, Ibi nodded.
“Since you say it's okay, let's go with 100.”
As Ibi started to nod again, she realized something was wrong.
Wait, this isn't right.
But it was already too late.
Even after being careful, Ibi slipped up a few more times.
Each time, Arcel smiled and said things like,
“You were staring at the continental map in the library for ages, right? I'll give you one just like it.”
“Some precious candy made from honey out in a distant territory arrived—I'll give you that.”
“How about a hair ribbon with a gem on it?”
Only after the gift list reached about ten items could Ibi finally call Arcel by name alone.
Even though it went as he wanted, Arcel seemed a bit regretful.
“Is it that hard? Ruska got called by name right away.”
Plus, watching them at the academy, it was clear Ibi treated Ruska very casually.
So why was it so hard for her with him?
Unbeknownst to Arcel—who always maintained a composed expression—his lips pouted slightly.
Perhaps sensing his genuine disappointment, Ibi hesitated before speaking.
“But Arcel always seems the most adult-like. The other Yeongjae Academy students all say Arcel's the coolest. That he's different from us.”
It was true. Even among older students, Arcel was more mature than anyone there.
Even more than actual adults.
In other classes, seeing Arcel quietly ask questions and engage in discussions with the professor had been a fresh shock to Ibi.
'He's still a kid! But talking and conversing just like adults!'
To Ibi's eyes, Arcel handled the conversation far more skillfully and calmly.
Without any rudeness—just a persistent curiosity to learn more.
So when the discussion ended, the professor excitedly approached Arcel, asking if he'd consider studying this further, that the imperial academy awaited him, flustering about helplessly.
He was the one always praised as perfect by everyone.
Very occasionally, someone would call such Arcel annoying.
Only to get caught by Arcel himself. With another student, it might've led to an argument, but Arcel just glanced once and walked past.
People had been amazed at even that as adult-like.
“Is that so.”
But Arcel's expression upon hearing this from Ibi now didn't seem particularly pleased.
As Ibi wondered if she'd said something wrong, the carriage began to slow.
Looking outside, the Duke Kailun family mansion had come into view before she knew it.
Soon the carriage stopped, and Ibi alighted with Arcel's escort.
Lifting her head, the grand mansion—which had looked enormous even from afar—loomed even more imposingly.
Her heart pounded.
'This is Arcel's home.'
Airin's house had been large and beautiful enough to leave her mouth agape.
Even wandering the capital, no house was larger or more splendid than Airin's.
Excluding the imperial palace, of course.
So subtly, Ibi had thought 'Airin's house is the biggest and coolest!'
But Arcel's house was different from the start.
'This is a duke's ma…….'
Faced with its majestic presence laden with history, Ibi was struck anew by how extraordinary Arcel's family was.
And it wasn't just the building.
At Airin's house, the servants had all rushed out to welcome her like a friend.
Of course with propriety, but their closeness to Airin and the maids seemed greater than Ibi had imagined.
But here was different.
The people lined up on both sides stood so uniformly straight, like dolls.
Seeing them reminded Ibi of her own status, which she'd momentarily forgotten.
'There are lots of people who dislike me.'
Since entering Yeongjae Academy, starting with Airin, she'd met so many: Arcel, Ruska, Dean Seraphina, Professor Males, and more.
Even His Majesty the Emperor cherished and doted on her.
'But that's the unusual part.'
Images of others flashed by.
The innkeeper couple, the lady who forced candy on her then angrily called her cunningly begging, and students like Limora and Izriella with their cold stares.
Thinking about it, the latter were far more numerous.
People who shunned her just for being from the orphanage.
Seeing the elegant lady approaching through the servants, Ibi grew even more tense.
'That's Arcel's mother!'
She knew without Arcel explaining.
'She's pretty like an angel!'
With Arcel's black hair and sparkling brown eyes, she was beautiful.
The incredibly high-ranking person called the Duchess.
She might dislike Ibi holding Arcel's hand.
As Ibi fidgeted to pull away, the Duchess approached and spread her arms.
“Did you have a safe trip, Arcel?”
With that, she embraced Arcel.
Arcel's calm face flushed slightly.
He was embarrassed. Yet he didn't pull away.
“Yes, I'm home, Mother.”
Mother.
The word stuck in Ibi's ears.
Unwittingly, Ibi looked on enviously.
Coming home to a mother calling your name and hugging you.
More than someone with mountains of food, or enough gold coins to swim in, or the world's largest, most beautiful house.
Ibi envied those with such mothers.
At that moment.
After patting Arcel's back and withdrawing her arms, the Duchess bent her knees slightly and opened her arms to Ibi too.
“Welcome to our home, Ibi. I've been waiting for you.”
With that, she pulled the dazed, staring Ibi into her embrace.
A warm, soft embrace enveloped Ibi.
In the unfamiliar yet wonderful hold, Ibi buried her face in the Duchess's bosom without thinking.
Her worry of being disliked vanished in an instant.
'My mom would have hugged me like this, right?'
With that thought, Ibi clutched the Duchess's clothes tight.
From the side, Arcel watched with a genuinely bright smile.
