Chapter 45
#045. Welcome and Celebration, and...
After the welcoming procession, Olivia slumped into the carriage seat as if all her strength had left her when she entered the Ducal Palace's garden.
She rubbed her cheeks with her fingers. Her cheeks felt numb, probably from smiling so much.
Numb, but...
It was still good.
Olivia's lips kept curving upward. She hadn't expected her first impression of the Grand Duchy, which she had faced with so much tension, to be so positive.
With her cheeks flushed, Olivia looked out the window. The massive Ducal Palace, which she had only seen in books of nobility, awaited her.
What would life in the Grand Duchy be like? Whatever it was, one thing was certain: she would come to love this place very much.
"…Everyone in Vikander is ready to assist you with all sincerity, my lady."
However, when she got out at the entrance of the main castle, Sobel's words flashed through Olivia's mind. As did Sobel's expression when he didn't answer when she said she was asked about loyalty.
Servants lined up in front of the entrance. The middle-aged butler at the very front was staring blankly at Olivia without even bowing.
Her light sky-blue eyes, like the autumn sky, trembled slightly. Was it a sign of protest against her? As Olivia quietly looked at Bethany, she was suddenly surprised.
Those eyes weren't protesting, but...
Affection. No, more than that.
"…Bethany."
At Edwin's call, the butler Bethany blinked in surprise, as if waking up with a start. Bethany wasn't the only one surprised by Edwin's voice. Olivia, too, feigned composure and looked at Bethany.
"Oh, my. I didn't realize I was staring so intently. I apologize, my lady. You are so beautiful."
Bethany, who had neatly arranged her straw-colored hair, which was beginning to turn gray, with a jeweled pin, grasped the hem of her neat green dress and paid her respects.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady. You must be very tired from your long journey. I am Bethany, the butler of Vikander."
Bethany's voice was somehow gentle. But before Olivia could look at her again, Bethany snapped her fingers with a sharp sound.
"She is skilled in needlework and is also known as the Wizard of the North."
At the same time, brilliant sparks flew from Bethany's fingertips. Olivia's eyes widened.
The Wizard of the North. She had heard of her. The brilliant wizard Bethany, who she thought was secluded in the Magic Tower. Even when recruiting outstanding wizards to investigate the Abandoned Mine, she couldn't get a single piece of information.
To think she was Vikander's wizard.
Olivia struggled to regain her composure, feeling a little dumbfounded. Wizards should be treated with respect, but since she introduced herself as a butler first, she couldn't figure out how to address her.
Noticing her hesitation, Bethany spoke kindly first.
"Please, call me Bethany, my lady. No one here sees me as a wizard. I'm just a butler who is skilled in needlework."
Bethany gestured to Edwin with a proud look. At her boastful voice, Olivia suddenly looked at the Robe Edwin was wearing.
That clumsy and flashy embroidery. Could it be?
"…The flower pattern on the Robe is so colorful and pleasing to the eye. Could it be that Bethany embroidered it?"
At those words, Bethany's expression became even more triumphant. Edwin's lips curved into a helpless smile as he looked at Olivia and Bethany.
* * *
"You must be tired. I've already prepared a hot bath. The people of the North are so energetic that it must have been noisy. We'll leave you alone while you relax in the tub."
Hot steam filled the bathroom. Olivia looked around the bathroom with a slightly dazed expression.
The edges of the large ivory-pillared tub were carved with beautiful patterns, and white and black marble decorated the walls.
Rose petals floated on the water, rippling with the waves. A fragrant scent rose from the water, which had been sprinkled with perfume. She never thought the journey was difficult, but her body relaxed in the hot water.
The Territory of Vikander continued to show unexpected sides.
The procession welcoming her. The butler telling her she had worked hard.
The gazes of everyone who looked at her warmly, even though it was their first time meeting.
Suddenly, her nose felt stuffy. It wasn't that water from the tub had gotten into her nose. Olivia lowered her body into the water. The hot heat warmed her eyes, and her vision gradually blurred.
Maybe...
This was the place.
A place full of people who would accept her best.
Just like Edwin. And...
"…Mom."
It had been a long time. The voice that came out of her mouth was softly soaked. With her nose reddened, Olivia shrugged her shoulders and smiled brightly.
* * *
In an ordinary bar with wine glasses hanging upside down, Winster, neatly dressed in a shirt and pants, was constantly looking through documents. Bewilderment flashed across his usually smiling face.
Clearly, the Princess's past actions that he had investigated before were perfect. But as he re-investigated the Princess's actions according to His Highness the Grand Duke's orders, holes hidden by that perfection appeared.
It was a well-known story that the Princess had shown benevolent relief to restore the Retail Territory, which had fallen into a spring famine. But...
"…Is this person really the one who tried to buy the Necklace of Le Calle in early March last year?"
Winster held out the portrait he was holding.
The middle-aged woman with her navy hair elegantly styled up was Baroness Luhan, the Princess's nanny.
The man with a large scar on his left cheek snatched the paper with the portrait and grinned. The scar on his cheek was distorted diagonally, but Winster calmly faced him.
"That's right, isn't it? That stuck-up woman was looking for the Necklace of Le Calle. She was with a girl she was cherishing, a daughter or a young lady she was serving."
The man trailed off as if recalling his memory. Then, as if he remembered, he nodded.
"I also heard that young lady calling for a troupe. The Ragwell Troupe. A troupe that was doing well but suddenly went bankrupt. Do you know them? They were famous for following noble lords on their travels."
The Ragwell Troupe. It was one of the troupes that disappeared without a trace last summer. He had heard about it from the leader he met at the summer palace.
"I heard that a friend named Ragwell also made a fortune after meeting His Highness?"
"Is that information reliable?"
"Come on, would I lie to His Highness when he's gathering information? Maybe Lord Calter would."
The man nodded sullenly, saying all sorts of nonsense. The words he added at the end were annoying, but the man's words were true. Jurgen, an informant who owed his life to the Grand Duke, only told the truth to His Highness.
Winster erased the smile that had been on his face and quietly looked at the documents.
The Princess's actions were different from her official record.
Then, who on earth created this 'perfect record'?
He remembered the Grand Duke's words, who had ordered him to report any doubts.
"Stationery!"
At Winster's urgent shout, Jurgen quickly brought paper and a pen.
* * *
"I'll tell you in advance. Today is definitely not a formal Vikander banquet. It's just a meal, so please enjoy it comfortably, my lady."
Bethany's words were a lie.
Olivia struggled to keep her mouth from dropping open as she looked at the vast banquet hall.
The banquet hall, which could easily accommodate two hundred people, was filled with Knights and vassals. The flower-topped basins and sparkling lights at the edge of the banquet hall enhanced the atmosphere.
Even the lavish banquet set on the elegant cream-colored tablecloth.
If this wasn't a banquet, what was?
Edwin, who praised all the efforts with just one word, "You've worked hard," without a lengthy speech, smiled as he pushed a tray with a golden honey-glazed chicken leg toward Olivia.
There was no formality at the banquet.
Olivia looked at Edwin with a slightly bewildered expression.
"Don't you have anything else to say?"
"I'm saying this chicken leg is delicious?"
Seeing Edwin talking nonsense, Olivia swallowed her words. Bethany next to her also agreed with Edwin's words.
"Masa's skills in the capital are excellent, but Anthony's skills in the Territory of Vikander are also exceptional."
And those words were true. The sweet and savory chicken that disappeared the moment it was put in her mouth was truly the result of amazing skill.
As Olivia's eyes sparkled and she picked up her fork, Edwin and Bethany also became busy.
Perhaps it was because it had been a while since they had eaten in the banquet hall like this, the atmosphere among the Knights was also very lively. The Knights, with their cheeks flushed from the alcohol, also glanced at the lady sitting on the platform.
A noble lady with silver hair as cold as moonlight and a fragile appearance.
Above all, a lady with beautiful green eyes.
When they first heard the rumors of the Princess, the Knights, who had cursed her with every curse in the world, had long since changed their attitude at the words that the Grand Duke, to whom they had sworn allegiance, had sworn allegiance to the lady.
It would be nice if she said something, even if it wasn't a banquet. But Howard said coldly, as if breaking that thought.
"Lower your eyes. Before I tell Bethany."
Bethany's firm threat came to mind.
"If you burden the lady from the first day, you'll all get a taste of fireworks!"
The Knights immediately lowered their eyes. Obedience to superiors. That firm loyalty was one of the iron rules of the Vikander Knights.
.
.
.
Then, at some point, the Knights who were eating gradually became quiet. At the sudden silence, Olivia looked at the Knights.
The Knights were looking at Bethany with sparkling eyes. Olivia wore an uncomprehending expression at the gazes focused on Bethany, who was helping her with her meal.
"…It was really hard."
It started with Howard. His blunt face spoke as if complaining. In the relaxed atmosphere, someone added another word.
"It's the first day a precious lady has arrived."
"How can alcohol be missing on such a commemorative day?"
The Knights looked at Bethany earnestly, quietly adding one word at a time.
If it was alcohol, there were dozens of beer barrels and oak barrels filled with wine piled up next to them.
Just as Olivia was tilting her head, Edwin whispered.
"Bethany makes alcohol as a hobby. That Fruit Wine is really delicious."
Olivia was quite good at drinking. To survive in the icy social circles, she had to be able to drink lightly.
So, when she first received Bethany's Fruit Wine, Olivia smiled confidently. But this was different from the sweet alcohol of the capital.
"…I'm drunk. Shall we get some fresh air for a while?"
With her white face flushed, she nodded. Olivia's lips, smiling bashfully, curved upward.
Edwin smoothly escorted Olivia's staggering steps. And when the two of them left the banquet hall, the space was quiet for a moment as if cold water had been poured on it, and then it became as noisy as if the chandelier was about to fall.
* * *
The wind brushed against her hot cheeks. Olivia shook her head with a slightly dazed feeling. The cold stone feeling of the balcony she was leaning on was conveyed to her arm.
Olivia shivered at the sudden chill. Edwin chuckled and wrapped a Robe around Olivia. Warm warmth enveloped her body in an instant. Olivia lifted her arm and looked down at the Robe. It was the Robe that Bethany had embroidered.
"The Ducal Palace is enchanted, but you shouldn't underestimate the northern night, Olivia."
"Is it okay to wrap such a precious Robe around me?"
Edwin slightly raised the corners of his lips. The ends of his deep eyes curved roundly, and his red eyes looked at Olivia.
"Of course. I can give you everything. Is a Robe a big deal?"
Looking at Edwin's face, who nodded as if it was nothing, her heart beat fiercely. It must be because of the alcohol. Even as she repeated it like a spell, Olivia's gaze kept turning to Edwin.
The moment their eyes met, Olivia froze like a herbivore in front of a predator. Red eyes, filled with a thick greed, scrutinized Olivia as if digging into her. The white nape of her neck and the small earlobe revealed between her hair were faintly visible.
The sound of a pounding heartbeat was loud somewhere. She couldn't tell if it was Edwin or her.
As his languid gaze began to rise gradually.
Olivia shouted without realizing it.
"Water!"
At the unexpected sound, laughter gathered in Edwin's eyes. Olivia lowered her head deeply and muttered. The fact that her face was burning hot was also because of the alcohol.
"…I'm glad you drank alcohol today, Olivia."
A heavy voice tickled her ears. Olivia nodded with her head down. With a soft laugh, Edwin told her to wait a moment and walked away.
The maids, who had been waiting at a slight distance, approached her as if it was natural. And they bowed, looking at Olivia with slightly excited faces.
What is it about Vikander that makes it such a perfect place? If she had known it would be so welcoming, she could have worried a little less.
Olivia smiled slowly. At that moment, a familiar sense of déjà vu made one corner of her heart sink.
This was anxiety.
"Because of you, sister, really…"
Esella's words to her on the day she wore the Pink Diamond Necklace Edwin gave her and was happy would never be erased.
She had already experienced that bad things come when she was happiest. So, if she was careful, it would be okay.
Olivia, narrowing her eyes at the gentle breeze, looked around. Then, Olivia blinked as she looked at one side of the garden.
She felt like she was sobering up.
A Knight standing on one side of the garden was glaring at her.
A Knight with intense red hair and brown eyes.
"What's wrong?"
Edwin's voice came from behind. Reflexively, she turned around and looked back, but the Knight was gone. Was she drunk? Or...
"Ah, it's nothing."
Olivia hid her flustered voice and accepted the water. If she wanted to find him later, she could find him anytime.
A Knight who so clearly reveals his hostility.
.
.
.
But there was no need to find him separately.
"These are the Knights of Vikander. Except for the Knights who have gone out to exterminate beasts on the border, everyone is gathered here."
Olivia's eyes widened as she saw the many Knights lined up. The Knight with intense red hair. He was paying his respects to her.
"…It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Dian Szelin, a Knight of Vikander who has sworn allegiance to His Highness the Grand Duke."
Listening to that heavy voice, Olivia recalled her definition of Vikander.
Vikander. A place full of welcome and celebration.
She had to add one more thing here.
And,
A place where hostility coexists.
