Mort (2)

I stepped down from the carriage and stared blankly up at the castle.

The inner castle, built from snow-white stone, looked as though it had been made of ice. Decorated with pointed spires, the castle possessed an ancient elegance, yet it was so dazzlingly majestic that it was difficult to believe it was nearly as old as the Empire itself.

We approached the castle entrance. In front of the gates, several times as many servants as there had been at the capital residence and dozens of vassals were waiting for us.

“Welcome home, Your Highness.”

A man who appeared to be the head of the vassals bowed so deeply that he looked almost servile.

Victor looked down at him with indifferent eyes.

“You must have worked hard during my absence.”

“Your praise is far more than I deserve. Serving Your Highness is my joy—”

“Has my wife’s room been prepared?”

Without even listening to the rest, Victor wrapped an arm around my shoulders and walked inside.

Flustered, I had no choice but to hurry and match his stride.

The servants were strangely courteous throughout the walk to my room. It seemed far more excessive than when I had first met the servants at the capital residence.

After parting from Victor and heading toward the lady’s chambers, I noticed that the servant opening the door was frozen stiff.

Why were they acting like this?

I wanted to ask someone, but Victor was gone, and there was no one else I could question.

The lady’s chambers appeared to have remained empty for a long time and showed no sign of habitation. However, the gold-painted furniture and snow-white carpet harmonized with the white walls, creating an elegant atmosphere that seemed otherworldly.

Following their guidance, I sat on a white leather sofa. The servants who had followed me quickly carried in my luggage. Even while arranging the countless dresses and ornaments, they made no sound.

I sat on the sofa and stared blankly at them. Unlike the maids at the residence, who were always chattering, these people gave off an atmosphere that made it feel as though I should not even speak to them, much less expect them to converse among themselves.

Were they all very busy?

I was thinking to myself when—

“Ah!”

One of the maids tripped and dropped a dress. It was a bulky winter gown, so it seemed too heavy for her to carry alone.

Worried, I sprang to my feet. When I approached, she hurriedly stood up and dropped to her knees.

“I am sorry, Madam!”

Startled, I took a step backward.

Why were they acting like this?

The maid was trembling with her head nearly pressed to the floor. The other servants were the same. Everyone stopped working at once, hunching their bodies and watching me cautiously.

I realized it then.

They were afraid.

Very afraid.

I could not understand it. Their master was both the lord of the territory and a hero of the Empire, while I was his wife and the lady of the castle. A knight as renowned as Victor could not possibly have tormented them. So why were they this frightened?

For the moment, I took hold of the trembling maid and helped her stand.

“Are you hurt?”

The maid, who looked ready to cry, sucked in a sharp breath and answered in a voice as small as an ant’s that she was fine. I ordered someone to take her outside and give her a warm drink, then returned to the sofa. The servants watched me cautiously before hurriedly resuming their work.

It felt strange. The vague sense of incongruity that had followed us throughout the journey swelled like cotton.

I was told that a grand banquet would be held that evening. Since it also served as a victory celebration, all the vassals of the Grand Ducal House would attend.

With the help of the taciturn maids, I prepared myself and awkwardly chose my own dress. I did not know which of the clothes I had brought suited Mort’s banquet etiquette, but I could not bring myself to ask the frightened maids anything more.

Considering the weather, I wore a modest summer dress with long sleeves and pearls. The maids carefully brought out the lady’s jewel box and fastened an opal necklace around my neck that matched the dress.

“Thank you.”

When I thanked them, they flinched as though touched by fire and bowed their heads. Feeling restless as well, I left the room.

The banquet hall I soon reached was absurdly vast. The tables, covered in snow-white cloths, were filled with beautiful candlesticks and tableware. Dideric had faithfully kept his promise and prepared an abundance of enormous roast turkeys and dishes made from small birds. The moment I saw them, all the tension that had accumulated inside me melted away.

Victor approached me in formal attire as my eyes sparkled. He smiled gently.

“You may be tired of hearing this, but you truly are beautiful.”

Tired of it? The problem was that it still sounded too sweet.

Mumbling, I avoided his gaze, the tips of my ears turning red as I looked around.

The knights sat to the right of the head table, while the vassals gathered on the opposite side. Unlike the knights, who looked rather cheerful, the vassals seemed extremely tense.

Why? Was it because they were meeting their lord again after so long?

While I wondered, Victor announced the beginning of the banquet with a brief greeting.

“I commend the vassals who protected my land during my absence and the knights who stood beside me on the battlefield. Eat and drink to your hearts’ content tonight.”

As soon as he sat down, the servants began carving the turkeys.

For the moment, I pushed all other thoughts aside and picked up my fork.

As the banquet reached its height, wine began to circulate. Unlike the grain liquor we had occasionally drunk during the journey, it was fragrant wine of excellent quality.

Victor and I had been leisurely eating while filling each other’s glasses, but the knights eventually dragged us toward their table under various pretexts. Perhaps fearing the consequences, few dared offer Victor alcohol, but cups were subtly pushed toward me instead. The knights, who had emptied entire bottles of strong wine under the excuse of catching up, already seemed considerably drunk.

“……Our Madam cut down three wolves with a single stroke…….”

“You expect me to believe a story that sounds like something His Highness would do?”

“I’m telling you it’s true! Madam could fight using only her elbows and still defeat a bastard like you.”

Leonard nodded with an amusingly serious expression and filled my glass yet again.

I sipped the fragrant wine that filled my cup. I generally drank alcohol only when it was truly necessary, but this wine was delicious enough that I could keep drinking it. Besides, whenever I remained still, that uneasy feeling returned.

Sir Kaltz worried about me in a louder voice than usual.

“Madam! Please drink more slowly. No matter how invincible you are, alcohol is a demon that destroys the mind.”

“Is that so…….”

I looked at Sir Kaltz with an ambiguous expression. Honestly, I was far more worried about him. Kaltz’s face was as red as his hair.

I scratched my cheek and poured myself another glass of wine.

In Amari, alcohol was made from tree fruits and medicinal herbs rather than precious grain. If a little liquor, water, and herbs were placed in a jar and left to mature for several years, it became so strong that it burned the instant it touched the tongue. Such liquor was usually used to clean wounds or warm the body when drunk on cold days.

Since the weather felt cold enough to freeze to death nearly every day, most northerners loved alcohol. Compared to that, the Empire’s liquor was little different from a beverage.

I remained quietly seated at the table as the knights collapsed one by one. Eventually, even Sir Raul, the last one still holding out, dropped his cup.

“Madam, what sort of life have you lived to become…….”

He collapsed onto the table with a thud and began snoring.

After emptying my final glass, I turned my head. I was looking for Victor, who had disappeared at some point. When I glanced around, I noticed that the terrace curtain was half open. I rose from my seat and headed toward the terrace.

“……Victor?”

As expected, Victor was there.

He had been enjoying the night breeze when he turned toward me. A faint smile appeared on his beautiful face. He asked,

“Have you drunk to your satisfaction?”

“I didn’t drink that much.”

I protested quietly and went to stand beside him.

The entire lower town beneath the fortress was visible below the terrace. Though not as splendid as the capital, it was a well-organized town. Under the cool summer night sky, light spilling from every house flickered like stars.

I looked up at Victor’s profile as he lowered his gaze. His amber eyes were quietly surveying his own land.

What was he thinking?

Victor had been unusually quiet today. Even after entering the castle, and while receiving the vassals’ greetings in the banquet hall, he had responded to everything with the same dry smile.

I thought he would be happy to return home. Was he perhaps not happy?

Victor suddenly asked,

“What do you think of Mort?”

My eyes widened before I answered cautiously.

“It seems lively. It is also similar to my homeland. Though this place looks far wealthier, of course.”

At my answer, he smiled so faintly that it was almost invisible.

“I am glad you like it. Your land and mine…….”

He murmured as though speaking to himself.

“Yes……. It is my land now. My land, where I can bring you and hide you away…….”

He slowly turned toward me. I saw an unfamiliar heat burning in his eyes.

A new possibility occurred to me.

Was Victor drunk?

“Victor?”

The instant I called his name, he approached without hesitation. In a single moment, his body closed the distance and pulled me fully into his arms. A heated whisper tickled my ear.

“Do you know what angered me most about this illness?”

His restrained voice whispered.

“That I was unable to properly consummate our marriage.”

‘……!’

The moment I understood his meaning, my face burned hot.

My heart pounded wildly.

Beneath the star-filled night sky, Victor looked at me with heated eyes. I turned my head away, hiding my scarlet cheeks.

Naturally, we had never shared a bed in ‘that’ manner. Victor had been ill, and I had needed to watch over him. We had possessed no leeway for anything else in the middle of that. And the situation remains the same even now. Victor’s condition had worsened again and tormented him throughout the journey.

So thoughts like that…… could surely wait until later.

I looked up at Victor again. His eyes, no longer smiling and filled with burning desire, were unfamiliar yet irresistibly alluring. I forced the distracting thoughts from my mind and smiled.

“You must be tired, so you should go to sleep now.”

“Will you come into the bedroom with me?”

I was about to answer that I would, but then snapped my mouth shut. His question probably did not carry its usual meaning right now.

“I need to watch over you while you sleep.”

“But, Marion.”

His hand slowly cupped my cheek.

“If you are in my arms, I will fear nothing. Not nightmares, not illness, not anything.”

He whispered sweetly. I drew in a quiet breath, careful not to let him notice.