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After breakfast ended, Butler Dideric took me to the top floor of the mansion. Weapons and armor were displayed here and there along every corridor we climbed. Even to an untrained eye, they looked as though each had a long history.
The butler explained.
“The House of Mort is an ancient family that has stood alongside the Empire since its founding. It was originally a ducal house, but six generations ago, it was elevated to a grand ducal house for suppressing the Southern Rebellion. For generations, the Mort family has served the Empire with the sword.”
I felt a sense of wonder as I looked at a room filled with portraits of previous dukes. It was not the portraits themselves that amazed me so much as the peace of the Empire, which allowed such old objects to remain perfectly preserved.
My family was a comital house, but we possessed neither gold ornaments nor portraits. Anything of value had been sold, and anything that could burn had been used as firewood.
I quietly examined the countless portraits. Bloodlines truly did tell, as quite a few of the faces resembled the Grand Duke.
So that was why he was so beautiful.
I recalled his sculpted eyes and lips. Regardless of whether I liked or disliked him, the fact that he was beautiful was simply undeniable.
As I looked at the similar eyes in the paintings, I wondered. Had any of them also possessed a chilling nickname like “Death”?
There was no way for me to know.
I stopped indulging in pointless thoughts and moved on to the next room. Countless splendid chambers lay beside the portrait gallery as well. There was a room filled with displays of gold and jewels, and another containing a collection of ornate musical instruments.
But the armory impressed me most of all. It would not have been an exaggeration to say that the grand ducal armory contained every weapon in the world. I could not hide my amazement at the magnificent blade of a bastard sword lying beside a polished morning star.
Any knight would want a sword like this badly enough to sell everything they owned.
I asked Dideric.
“Does the Grand Duke use all these weapons?”
“No. Most of them were collected by the Grand Duke two generations ago, who greatly enjoyed collecting weapons.”
“I see…….”
I stroked a sharp crescent-shaped blade. Dideric spoke gently.
“You may take it if you wish.”
“What? Truly?”
“Yes. His Highness instructed us to give you anything you desired.”
The Grand Duke had? His kindness left me with a strange feeling.
I did not understand why he had granted me such freedom, but even setting that aside, I felt that I should not take a weapon merely because of his generosity. What would I even do with a weapon from here? I would probably only use it to beat up the Grand Duke when he wandered around at night like a ghoul.
With a regretful expression, I put the scimitar back down. Dideric smiled.
“It seems the armory is to your liking, my lady.”
“Yes, this place is truly incredible.”
“The maids said that your swordsmanship is remarkable.”
Flustered, I blushed.
“It is not. I merely…….”
“There is no need to be modest, my lady. Most knights cannot even exchange two blows with His Highness.”
That was because the Grand Duke was in his right mind when facing them…….
I felt like a child being praised after receiving credit through a lie. Embarrassed for no reason, I quickly left the armory.
After touring the secret vault, ballroom, and drawing room, we went down to the kitchen in the basement. Kitchens have always fascinated me. They were places with warmth and food. The sight of fully stocked provisions and the savory aroma of something simmering stimulated my nose. Once I saw it, I could not bring myself to leave.
The maids, who had stopped working and bowed their heads, cautiously asked when I could not tear my eyes away from the soup pot.
“My lady, shall we bring you something to eat?”
I was embarrassed, but I could not bring myself to refuse. I mumbled my thanks and moved to the dining room. Even someone as poorly raised as I was knew that the lady of the house should not simply stand in the kitchen and eat.
Before long, warm meat stew and soft bread were brought to the dining room. I happily devoured them.
It was the first time in my life that I had eaten warm, delicious food every day. I had barely learned a little etiquette, and my life had been entirely different from that of an ordinary noblewoman.
I did not need beautiful jewels or expensive clothes meant for highborn ladies. I was happy simply because the food was neither hard, frozen, nor preserved in salt.
It was a little embarrassing and a little sorrowful, but that was the kind of person I was.
After filling my stomach and touring the garden, I was shown the library. It contained an astonishing number of books. Books were luxury goods, and they were difficult to find not only in the Amari territory but even in the surrounding regions.
How much wheat could we buy if all these books were sold?
I pushed aside the impoverished thought that inevitably came to mind and pulled out a random book.
The title sounded somewhat dry. Even so, the word “knights” made my heart race.
Holding the book, I parted ways with Dideric and returned to the lady’s room. It still did not feel like my own room, but in any case, this was where I was supposed to spend the daytime. In the glittering room decorated with gold dust and crushed turquoise, I sat on a sofa densely embroidered with golden thread and opened the book.
Contrary to my expectations, it was written lightly, almost like a story, and was easy to read. I quickly became absorbed in it.
The Grand Duke returned in the evening. I happened to be leaving after finishing dinner, and this time, I greeted him at the entrance according to the proper etiquette of a noblewoman.
He asked me.
“Have you already eaten dinner?”
“Yes.”
“It would have been nice if we had eaten together.”
Flustered, I looked at him.
The Grand Duke was smiling. Yet his amber eyes rested steadily on me, as though he had not spoken merely out of politeness.
Why did he keep smiling like that? On the first day, he had been nothing but gloomy.
In my confusion, I blurted out.
“Then shall I wait for you starting tomorrow?”
“Do so.”
He smiled and headed toward the dining room.
Feeling strange, I scrunched up my face. I worried that perhaps I had struck the back of his neck too hard last night and somehow made him act oddly.
After some thought, I simply headed toward the bedroom.
A short while later, after finishing his meal and some simple work, the Grand Duke entered the bedroom. I looked up from the book I had been reading on the bed.
“It seems you visited the library.”
He looked at the book in my hands and once again smiled like a figure in a painting.
I truly thought I needed to find another way to put him to sleep.
“……Yes, I did.”
“And the mansion? Did you like it?”
“There were many beautiful places.”
“It is the pride of the grand ducal house.”
He laughed lightly and loosened the belt of his robe.
“The castle in my territory is even more beautiful.”
According to <The History of the Empire and Its Knights>, the Mort territory lay in the northeastern part of the Empire. Unlike the capital in the central south, the land at the far end of the northern border was also called the holy land of knights. As the Grand Duke’s territory, it was not poor, but its winters were said to be quite harsh. Unlike this place, which was always warm. Like my homeland.
As though he knew what I was thinking, the Grand Duke said.
“I will take you there someday. It belongs to you now as well.”
He spoke gently and lay down on the bed. His eyes, which still showed traces of fatigue, disappeared beneath his eyelids.
I blinked. Has he always been someone who said such embarrassing things? Was this also because I had hit him?
Soon, an attendant entered and carried out the usual preparations. The moment the lights went out, I sprang to my feet and hid the axe beneath the bed first.
Whatever happened, I never wanted to face him wielding an axe again.
Fortunately, he chose an ordinary sword that night. I easily knocked the weapon away, but it took a long time because I was trying to think of a way to subdue him without striking the back of his neck.
After knocking him onto the bed, I tried covering his eyes and even wrapping him in the blanket, but the Grand Duke did not fall asleep easily. The moment he let out a low, beastlike growl from beneath the bedding, goosebumps rose across my skin, and I ended up striking the back of his neck yet again.
As a result, I woke the next day with an awkward sense of guilt.
However, the person who had actually been struck looked exceptionally pleased. After sleeping soundly for three consecutive nights, the Grand Duke’s eyes appeared brighter, and he even wore a faint smile. He went so far as to escort me during the short walk to the dining room.
Did he know what was being done to him at night?
I secretly glanced at the back of his neck. I would have felt terribly guilty if it had been bruised, so I was relieved to see that it was not.
Breakfast consisted of tender chicken covered in sweet sauce and fragrant vegetable soup.
“Wow…….”
Marveling that food could smell so wonderful, I cut off a piece of chicken leg and put it in my mouth.
“!”
I wanted to pray for the happiness of everyone working in the kitchen.
The Grand Duke leisurely waited while I became absorbed in devouring the chicken. Only after half the plate was empty did he speak.
“You may have already heard from Dideric, but you are free to use everything in this mansion as though it were your own.”
I hurriedly swallowed the meat and nodded.
“There are many empty rooms, so use them for whatever purpose you wish. You may create a dance hall or establish a salon. Do whatever you desire.”
“I…….”
My words trailed off.
I had never possessed anything that could be called a hobby. My life had been a struggle for survival, and even after pouring in all my strength, merely keeping my own head attached to my body had been the limit. If I had possessed enough leisure to embroider or dance, I would instead have killed one more orc beyond the walls.
Perhaps noticing my hesitation, the Grand Duke changed the subject.
“If you ever desire anything, tell Dideric. He will procure whatever you need.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I answered quickly. The Grand Duke smiled and placed a piece of salad into his mouth.
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