15 - The Bride of the Great Lord is a Warrior from Hell
“You are a beloved Head of the family.”
Reikart's words sounded like a grumble.
“Everyone, step back.”
Alisha said with a smile to the servants standing in front of the room.
The servants didn't show it outwardly, but they retreated slowly, as if reluctant to leave their posts.
Reikart returned to the room with the door open and sat at the table.
It was the place where he and Alisha would sit on the day of the Count Investiture Ceremony.
Alisha sat next to the Grand Duke, as she had been taught.
The two sat side by side, almost within touching distance.
“I am going to Tessen the day after the Count Investiture Ceremony. I came to say hello in advance because if there is a banquet after the ceremony, there won't be time to talk.”
Reikart Tessen was the Grand Duke of Tessen.
Unlike other members of the Imperial Family and nobles, he did not leave his territory for long.
Even now, it was quite a long time for him to be away from his territory.
“When will you come to the Imperial Palace after going to Tessen?”
Grand Duke Tessen only left his territory for a long time when maintaining a marriage relationship.
But even then, he mostly stayed near the border of his territory.
“If I go to Tessen this time, I will come to the Imperial Palace around the end of spring next year. The period of stay in the Imperial Palace will be short because Tessen is comfortable to live in during the summer.”
“If we can't meet in person, how do we make appointments?”
“I will send a messenger from Tessen. Please give your reply through the messenger from Tessen. If you have a better way, please tell me.”
Alisha had something to do in Tessen.
“I….”
As Alisha was about to speak, Reikart shook his head.
“Ludern is not bad to stay in during the winter, but Echeveria in the south is better to use as a winter villa. It won't be bad to stay there, so once you get used to Ludern, visit Echeveria as well.”
He pretended not to know Alisha's intentions and kept talking about other things.
It was helpful advice, but she couldn't just nod her head.
The other person was subtly saying not to think about coming to the north right now.
“Your Highness.”
“This is advice from someone who is tied to Tessen by the duty of the Imperial Family. Usually, other nobles decide on a good place to stay for each season and move around. Deciding on good villas for winter and summer is also important for the people who serve you.”
Reikart, unusually for him, whined and continued to speak at the call filled with dissatisfaction.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Alisha didn't push herself on someone who was trying to avoid her.
There would be many opportunities to go to Tessen in the future.
There was no need to be impatient.
“If you are curious about the Liliese Palace, visit it for a short period in midsummer. It's not a place to stay for long. Prepare well for the Investiture Ceremony. I'll be going now.”
Reikart spat out the words quickly just before getting up from his seat.
Although she didn't show it outwardly, Alisha was a little disappointed that she had been rejected without even being able to bring up the offer she was going to make.
Alisha unknowingly burst into laughter at the words that subtly invited her.
“The north is good in the summer.”
Alisha chattered with a bright face, following the man who was leaving through the door with large strides.
Reikart's pace quickened as he descended the stairs.
“You don't have to come out.”
Alisha also increased her speed and walked.
Reikart went down three steps at a time when others went down one step, but his movements were steady.
Alisha was almost running in small steps wearing a dress to keep up with him.
Recently, Alisha had increased her riding time by two hours.
Although it couldn't be compared to the movements in hell, she had also been training her stamina, so her physical strength had improved a lot.
Running in high heels was still not easy, but it was not impossible.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
Reikart knew that Alisha was almost running to follow him.
He stopped and turned around at the sound from behind after descending all the stairs.
Alisha, who had been following right behind him, suddenly stopped in surprise at the obstacle blocking her path.
Reikart, who knew she was following but didn't know she was within arm's reach, also quickly stepped back.
It was a distance where a collision was inevitable, but the two looked at each other from a suitable distance.
A subtle silence floated between them.
Alisha looked up at the man showing unbelievable movements in front of her with a look of doubt.
The scene she had just witnessed was the reaction speed and movement that was only possible when Alisha had eaten a lot of Magic Stone.
It was an impossible level in the human world.
Reikart also looked at his prospective fiancée with a suspicious gaze.
“Why did you call me?”
“I was curious about the reason you came to see me last time.”
Fortunately, Alisha had not forgotten her business.
“Hand.”
Reikart held out his hand with the palm facing up.
Seeing that, Alisha followed his gesture and words.
“Hand.”
A green velvet pouch was placed on the bewildered hand.
The Imperial Family crest was embroidered on the surface of the pouch, which was smaller than the palm of her hand, with gold and silver thread.
“I came to give you this. You don't have to come out. I'll be going now.”
The texture of the soft green velvet and the rough texture of the dense embroidery were different.
Perhaps because it had been in his arms, the soft velvet felt warm.
Alisha hesitated and then glanced at the back of the man who was walking away faster than before and opened the pouch.
“Oh.”
What came out of the pouch was an ornament that was said to be given to the Grand Duke of Tessen.
To be exact, it was the same kind.
The raw stone that came out of the velvet pouch was slightly larger than the Grand Duke's cufflinks.
It was only the size of a thumb joint, so it seemed too big to be used as cufflinks.
That's why it was even more touching for Alisha.
Magic Stone!
Alisha put the raw stones back into the pouch and ran to the entrance of the hall.
Daisy, who saw Alisha sprinting through the central hall of Ludern Castle, gaped.
Alisha, who had crossed the hall in an instant, went outside.
Reikart was watching Roderick open the carriage door.
When Roderick, who was opening the door, pointed behind him with his eyes, Reikart turned to Alisha.
Alisha stretched out her arm and waved her hand.
Happiness radiated from the hand holding the green velvet pouch tightly and the brightly smiling face.
Reikart, who had been watching Alisha's energetic greeting, was about to get into the carriage.
“Your Highness, the Lady is greeting you.”
“Move.”
Roderick was cleverly blocking the carriage door.
“How can you not even acknowledge someone who is greeting you?”
“Move.”
“If Henrik finds out that I have retreated powerlessly, he will treat me as an incompetent adjutant and scold me.”
Roderick slightly bowed to the Grand Duke's prospective fiancée, who was still waving her hand energetically.
Reikart looked at Alisha, who was greeting the coachman, Roderick, and him alternately, for a moment and then subtly showed his hand.
“Can you see that from there?”
Roderick grumbled but didn't block him anymore.
Reikart got into the carriage and the door closed.
This time, Roderick bowed politely to Alisha and went to sit next to Sven.
“…….”
Sven was looking at Alisha, who was waving her hand, with a serious expression.
“Let's go.”
“Yes, Sir. We're leaving.”
Only after Roderick's words echoed did Sven straighten the reins.
The Grand Duke's party was lined up outside the Ludern Castle gate.
“The Lady seems to have a very easygoing personality.”
“I haven't seen her for long, but she does.”
“But why do you have that expression? It's like you've seen something you shouldn't have.”
Roderick said to Sven, who looked bewildered.
“Yes…. It's because it's the first time I've seen Lady Alisha so excited. It's not that she doesn't smile, but it's the first time I've seen her smile like that. Our Lady seems to like her fiancé, Grand Duke, very much.”
Roderick welcomed Sven's words with a happy face.
“Do you think so?”
“It seems so.”
“That's how it looks to me too. The two of them look good together. Those who don't know anything seem to be talking nonsense behind their backs, but isn't it good if the two of them like each other?”
“Of course, that's right.”
The sleek carriage sped towards the castle gate.
The Imperial Palace was busy at dawn.
It was the day of the Count of Echeveria Investiture Ceremony.
In front of the Imperial Palace's main gate, carriages that would take them from the main gate to the palace were lined up for a long distance.
On the other side of the main gate, carriages that visitors had arrived in were lined up.
A servant approached the carriage of Grand Duke Tessen and the Reine family, who would receive the title of Count.
“Your Highness, Grand Duke, Your Excellency, Count. The preparations are complete, so you may board.”
Roderick and Daisy each opened the door of the carriage.
Reikart got out of the carriage first.
“Greetings to Your Highness, Grand Duke.”
The servant bowed to the Grand Duke, who was wearing the uniform of the Golden Knights.
The uniform was a combination of a red jacket and dark-colored pants with red lines.
Reikart wore the Order of the Knights and a blue sash over his uniform.
The blue sash, which ran from the right shoulder to the left hip, contrasted sharply with the Knights' uniform.
“Your Excellency, Count, welcome to the Imperial Palace.”
The servant then bowed to Alisha, who was getting out of the carriage with Daisy's help.
Roderick and the Grand Duke's attendants quietly paid their respects.
Alisha was wearing a reddish-purple dress that looked like an overturned blooming rose.
Natural layers covered the translucent muslin, making the skirt look even fuller.
The bodice was made of a warm-feeling material with a dense, vertically folded pattern that held the center.
It revealed her neckline and collarbone, but it didn't look cold because it covered both shoulders and arms with the same material as the bodice.
A sleek decoration made of jewels and pearls was added diagonally to the chest.
Alisha's clear skin stood out even more in the purple dress.
“Shall we go?”
Reikart, who was wearing leather gloves as always, said, holding out his hand.
He passed over Alisha's choice to separate the Marguerite Duchess's Ruby tiara and make it into a chest ornament with a short laugh.
The pearl ornaments pinned to the knot of her hair, which was tied back, went well with the ruby earrings and necklace.
The hand with the red ruby ring and several thin, unadorned rings on it clasped Reikart's hand.
The time spent in the Imperial Palace carriage together was brief.
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember the order of the Investiture Ceremony?”
“What's next after this……?”
“You just need to get out of the carriage and go to the center of the hall.”
Alisha looked around with an uneasy face.
The Imperial Palace's etiquette was unnecessarily complicated and difficult.
The face that seemed to understand everything was attracting attention because it was unfamiliar with etiquette.
But he knew that the precarious purple eyes would be fine as soon as she got out of the carriage.
The carriage stopped.
“The Grand Duke of Tessen and the Count of Echeveria!”
The servant opened the door of the carriage and shouted in a loud voice.
The sound of the servant next to the carriage shouting was echoed by the servant at the entrance of the hall from afar.
Before long, the chief of staff in the hall would also shout the same words far and wide.
