Chapter 40
Across from me sat Anna and Susan, who had won at rock-paper-scissors.
I thought all three would come along, but apparently, one of the dedicated maids had a duty to guard the mansion?
“It’s also our duty to inform you of what happened at the mansion!”
That was the response I got when I asked.
Somehow, because I’d thought of birds earlier, they looked like baby birds putting on stern expressions, so I stifled a laugh.
Susan, who was sitting across from me, had a large basket cradled in her arms.
I glanced at the basket and asked,
“Did you pack everything I mentioned?”
“Ah, yes, My Lady!”
Susan nodded quickly.
“I didn’t forget a single thing you told me to include.”
“Good.”
I proudly gazed at the pink-tinted basket before turning my head away.
The carriage raced down a familiar road.
The place I arrived at felt more like home now than even the Altzveit mansion—Remute Territory.
What was strange was that as soon as we entered the territory, it seemed like people were gathering near the carriage, though I couldn’t be sure since it was still moving.
“Hmm… There seem to be more people today.”
“Susan, you think so too? I felt the same. Is there some kind of event today?”
I wouldn’t know.
It wasn’t just me; I could see Susan and Anna tilting their heads as well.
The carriage continued along the village roads and paths I’d had the workers repair through my laborers, finally arriving in front of the castle.
I’d visited so many times that even the knights guarding the gates felt familiar now.
As I stepped down from the carriage, I could clearly see them stiffen up awkwardly and rigidly, just like always.
“I’m here to visit. Where’s my fiancé?”
“Ah… Greetings, My Lady! The, the Duke is…”
“Never mind.”
It would be a refusal today, too.
Sure enough, even without me asking further, they replied that entry was not permitted.
Well, I’d fully expected as much, but I still felt a slight disappointment.
No, I’d thought his attitude had softened a bit.
Am I still banned from entering? How long do I have to put up with this ‘entry denial’ nonsense?
I grumbled inwardly and furrowed my brow slightly.
What was odd, though, was that the knight guarding the gate seemed restless, like he had something to say as he looked at me.
I knew the knights here feared or were intimidated by me.
That stemmed from negative emotions—hatred, loathing, anger.
But his reaction now didn’t quite seem to come from that.
“I’ll inform the Duke.”
“Hm?”
I widened my eyes slightly.
“…The Duke has forbidden entry into the castle, but he instructed us to notify him if you came.”
The knight bowed his head briefly, then hesitated for a moment.
He stepped forward and bowed deeply to me.
“Thank you.”
For what? I felt bewildered.
“…Among the territory folk who received help after My Lady summoned laborers, my younger brother was one of them. Th-thanks to that, our house was repaired quickly, and my frail little brother was able to get through without catching a cold.”
The knight rattled it off like rap lyrics, then lifted his head, nodded once more, and turned away.
I didn’t get to see his expression.
“Wow, that guy must know gratitude, huh, My Lady.”
While I stood there frozen, Susan responded on my behalf.
“Well, of course he needed to say something. My Lady helped them out!”
“Yeah, I only heard about it from Susan, but it was such a great thing you did.”
Listening to the two maids, who no longer held prejudices against Charlize, chat like that gave me a strange feeling.
Hmm, I’d thought changing my reputation would be incredibly difficult…
‘Does this mean there’s potential?’
Feeling needlessly uplifted, I savored the gently blowing breeze when I spotted a man approaching from afar.
He was so tall and broad-shouldered that there was no mistaking him.
It was my fiancé.
He arrived in front of me.
I’d had a slight hope, but disappointingly, his expression was no different from before.
Half of it said, What are you scheming? and the other half said, What a nuisance.
Looking at his face, full of wariness, nearly made me laugh dryly.
“You’ve come again today.”
“Yeah, I came again today.”
But perhaps because of the knight’s greeting or the slight change,
It didn’t feel all that bad.
“You were so polite in your letter. Can’t you show even half of that in person?”
I brought the letter in my hand briefly to my lips.
Askin glanced at the letter in my hand, looking startled, then frowned.
It was a flustered expression.
“Why did you… bring that?”
“It’s a love letter from you, so of course I carry it around.”
“Love letter? Wh-what…! Throw it away. Right now.”
“No thanks?”
Askin instinctively reached out, and I pulled my hand back.
He glared at me for a moment before withdrawing again.
A cool, refreshing scent approached boldly and then receded.
I felt a bit regretful. It would’ve been nice if he’d gotten more worked up.
“A letter exchanged between fiancés—how could it not be a love letter? That’s how I see it.”
“…Think whatever you want; it’s your business. Don’t drag me into your delusions.”
Hm? I froze without realizing it.
Did he just call me… what?
Wow, just one change in how he addresses me, and it feels so different.
It felt oddly intriguing that he’d shifted from you or you to thou.
Whether that man was unaware of it or just didn’t care, I couldn’t tell.
…If I teased him a bit more like this, would even better results come?
I casually pointed toward the castle.
“Can I come in?”
“No.”
Aw, and just when it was getting good.
I gave my fiancé a disappointed look.
Good grief, his beauty is sparkling as ever today.
This guy was going to match outfits with me and attend banquets?
Hmm, a sense of duty welled up—no, strengthened—to definitely break through my tyrant brother’s whims.
“Aria’s health isn’t good. No outside visitors are being allowed.”
For some reason, my fiancé added an explanation, unlike usual.
It was reason enough to understand.
Aria’s health hasn’t been good for a while…
“Is she in a lot of pain?”
“…Not critically ill.”
Askin stared at me intently, then furrowed his brows.
“What exactly did you say to my little sister?”
“Huh?”
I asked back, clueless, but Askin said no more.
Seeing his utterly resolute expression, I decided to back off cleanly.
“Well, this letter doesn’t seem ghostwritten, so it really is from you. I’ll take my leave then.”
“…Rarely, a helpful remark. But ghostwritten? What do you mean?”
“Oh, I thought maybe you’d been kidnapped or something and forced to write it, since it came out of nowhere.”
I waved the letter lightly.
Then I batted my eyes flirtatiously.
“If you get kidnapped next time, just wave a carrot.”
I’ll come running if you draw a carrot on the letter, okay? I teased playfully, but this guy wouldn’t play along.
Good grief.
The 0.1% of subconscious intimacy I’d built up through the letters evaporated just like that.
I pouted my lips, then quickly turned my head away.
I glanced at Susan and nodded toward her.
“Anyway, we’re leaving now, so take this.”
“I don’t need it.”
“Ask Aria about that, not me.”
At my gesture, Susan grunted as she held out the basket.
Askin didn’t take it, so I had her set it down on the ground.
“Aria seemed to like sweets, so I packed only the absolute best of my favorites. Do whatever you want with it—throw it out or not.”
With that, I turned away without lingering, as if I’d said all I needed to.
Good. I’d wondered if the letter was fake after all, but no, it wasn’t.
Mission accomplished.
Too bad I couldn’t see Aria.
As if I’d just remembered, I turned back casually.
“Oh, do whatever with it, but later I’ll ask Aria if it was tasty?”
I locked eyes with that handsome face, which was looking at me with a strange expression, then spun around.
Hehe, this is when you turn and leave without hesitation.
That way, he’d wonder about me even a little.
* * *
I’d just returned from Remute mansion to Altzveit mansion when things grew hectic shortly after I arrived.
To be precise, a group of visitors had come looking for me.
“Who is it?”
“Um… Lady Cleria of the barony, and…”
Hearing the names of the visitors soured my mood instantly.
The Gae-mang club, huh? The capital’s Gae-mang scoundrels.
It meant those who were called ‘Gae-mang’ for short had come to see me again.
Last time I’d seen them, hadn’t I chased them off while even pouring drinks on them?
I hadn’t naively thought they wouldn’t come back.
‘But I figured they’d at least wait longer?’
Either way, I had no intention of meeting that scoundrel club.
Of course not. I’d made it clear that the last gathering was the first and last.
Meeting them wouldn’t help anyway.
“Tell them I’m busy. Very busy.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
Susan bowed politely and left.
But not much time passed before she returned, pale-faced.