Baden (7)

“You’re clearly a beloved mistress of the house.”

Reichardt’s words came out sounding more like a grumble.

“All of you, please leave.”

Alicia said to the servants lined up outside the room, smiling.

Though they didn’t show it outwardly, the servants were noticeably reluctant to leave, shuffling away slowly.

Reichardt returned to the room, leaving the door open, and sat at a table.

It was the spot where he and Alicia would sit during the countship investiture ceremony.

As taught, Alicia pulled her chair close to sit beside the Grand Duke.

The two of them sat side by side, almost close enough to touch.

“The day after the countship investiture, I will return to Tessen. I came to say goodbye in advance. If the banquet follows the ceremony, there won’t be time to talk.”

Reichardt Tessen was the Grand Duke of Tessen.

Unlike other royals and nobles, he didn’t leave his domain for long periods.

Even now, this was considered a lengthy absence from his perspective.

“When will you return to the capital after going to Tessen?”

The Grand Duke only stayed away from his domain for long stretches when he was managing marital ties.

Even then, he usually remained near the borders of his territory.

“Once I return to Tessen, I won’t come back to the capital until the end of next spring. I’ll only stay a short while. Summers are much more comfortable in Tessen.”

“What should I do if we need to make arrangements but can’t meet in person?”

“I’ll send a footman from Tessen. You can respond through him. If there’s a better method, please let me know.”

Alicia had her own reasons for wanting to go to Tessen.

“I—”

As she began to speak, Reichardt shook his head.

“Luderne isn’t a bad place to spend winter, but the southern estate, Echeveria, is even better for that season. It would be a comfortable place to stay—once you get used to Luderne, do consider visiting Echeveria.”

Feigning ignorance of Alicia’s intentions, he changed the subject.

It was helpful advice, but she couldn’t just nod along.

He was clearly discouraging her from coming north—just saying it in a roundabout way.

“Your Grace.”

“It’s advice from someone bound to Tessen by royal duty. Most other nobles choose seasonal residences and move between them. Selecting a comfortable winter and summer retreat is also important for the staff who serve you.”

Reacting to Alicia’s mildly displeased tone, Reichardt added an exaggerated complaint—unlike him.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Alicia didn’t push further with someone trying to avoid her.

There would be plenty of ways to reach Tessen in the future.

No need to rush.

“If you’re curious about the Lilizet Villa, visit briefly during midsummer. It’s not a place to stay long. Good luck with the investiture preparations. I’ll take my leave now.”

Just as he was about to stand, Reichardt quickly rattled off his words.

Though he didn’t show it, Alicia felt a little disappointed. She hadn’t even gotten to bring up what she wanted to propose.

But when he subtly extended an invitation, Alicia couldn’t help but smile.

“Summer is perfect for the north.”

As she followed after the man striding toward the door, Alicia spoke brightly.

As they descended the stairs, Reichardt’s pace quickened.

“No need to see me off.”

Alicia sped up to match him.

Even as he descended three steps at a time, his movements were smooth and steady.

To keep up, Alicia had to practically run in tiny steps, dress and all.

Lately, she had added two more hours of horseback riding to her schedule.

It was nothing compared to her training in hell, but she had improved her stamina significantly.

Running in high heels was still difficult—but not impossible.

“Your Grace.”

“Yes.”

Reichardt knew Alicia was nearly running behind him.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he stopped when he heard her voice.

Alicia, following closely, came to a sudden halt—startled by the obstacle right in front of her.

Reichardt, not realizing how close she was, also stepped back in surprise.

They had nearly collided, but stopped just short, facing each other with a measured distance between them.

A subtle silence hung between them.

Alicia looked up at him with curiosity—unbelieving at what she had just witnessed.

That movement and reaction speed were something she could only achieve after consuming a large amount of magic stones.

For a human, it was nearly impossible.

Reichardt, in turn, looked at his betrothed with suspicion in his eyes.

“Why did you call me?”

“I was curious about the reason you visited me last time.”

Fortunately, Alicia hadn’t forgotten the original point.

“Hand.”

Reichardt held out his hand, palm up.

Alicia mimicked both the gesture and the word.

“Hand.”

Onto her puzzled hand, he placed a small green velvet pouch.

It was smaller than her palm, embroidered with the imperial crest in gold and silver thread.

“I came to give you this. No need to see me off. Farewell.”

The soft feel of the velvet contrasted with the coarse embroidery.

Perhaps because it had been in his pocket, the pouch felt warm to the touch.

Hesitating for a moment, Alicia opened the pouch while sneaking glances at his quickly retreating figure.

“Oh…”

What came out of the pouch was the same type of ornament said to be bestowed upon the Grand Duke of Tessen.

Or more precisely, something of that kind.

The gemstone that emerged was slightly larger than the one on the Grand Duke’s cufflinks.

It was almost as big as the last segment of a thumb—too large for a cufflink.

Which made it all the more moving for Alicia.

A magic stone!

Alicia tucked the gem back into the pouch and dashed toward the main hall.

Daisy gaped as she saw Alicia sprinting through the center of Luderne Castle’s hall.

In a flash, Alicia was outside.

Reichardt was watching as Roderick opened the carriage door.

As Roderick motioned behind him with his eyes, Reichardt turned to look at Alicia.

She held her arm out and waved.

In one hand, she clutched the green velvet pouch, her face beaming with joy.

Radiating happiness, Alicia waved vigorously.

Reichardt, who had been watching her enthusiastic gesture, was about to board the carriage.

“Your Grace, the lady is greeting you.”

“Out of the way.”

Roderick had cleverly positioned himself to block the carriage door.

“Isn’t it rude to ignore someone when they’re greeting you?”

“Move.”

“If Sir Henrik hears I backed down so easily, he’ll scold me for being an incompetent deputy.”

Despite his words, Roderick bowed slightly to the Grand Duke’s fiancée, who was still energetically waving.

Reichardt glanced at Alicia, who alternated her greetings between him, the coachman, and Roderick, and subtly raised his hand.

“Can you even see that from over there?”

Roderick grumbled but didn’t block the way any longer.

Reichardt boarded the carriage, and the door closed.

Roderick then offered a courteous bow to Alicia and moved to sit beside Sven.

“……”

Sven was watching Alicia, who continued to wave, with a serious expression.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Sir. We’re departing.”

Only after Roderick spoke did Sven tighten the reins.

The Grand Duke’s entourage was already lined up outside the gates of Luderne Castle.

“Lady Alicia seems to have a bold personality.”

“I haven’t known her long, but I believe so.”

“Then why do you look like that? You act like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Roderick remarked as he looked at Sven’s astonished face.

“Well… it’s the first time I’ve seen Lady Alicia so happy. It’s not that she never smiles, but I’ve never seen her smile like that. It seems she really likes His Grace, the Grand Duke.”

Roderick received Sven’s words with a pleased expression.

“You really think so?”

“It appears that way.”

“I agree. The two of them look good together. Some folks who don’t know anything might talk nonsense behind their backs, but as long as the two like each other, that’s all that matters.”

“Indeed, that’s true.”

The swift carriage sped toward the gates of the castle.

The imperial palace was bustling at dawn.

It was the day of the Echeveria countship investiture ceremony.

Carriages stretched in a long line from the palace’s main gate to the front of the court.

On the opposite side, visitor carriages were queued up.

An attendant approached the carriage of the Grand Duke of Tessen and the Rain family, who would be receiving the title of Count.

“Your Grace, My Lord Count. Preparations are complete—you may disembark.”

Roderick and Daisy each opened the door to their respective carriages.

Reichardt was the first to step out.

“We greet Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”

The attendant bowed to the Grand Duke, who wore the uniform of the Golden Order.

The uniform consisted of a red jacket and dark trousers trimmed with red lines.

Over this, Reichardt wore the Order’s medal and a blue sash.

The blue sash, stretching from his right shoulder to left waist, created a striking contrast with the uniform.

“My Lord Count, welcome to the imperial palace.”

The attendant then turned to Alicia, who was stepping out with Daisy’s assistance, and offered a bow.

Roderick and the Grand Duke’s retainers silently paid their respects.

Alicia wore a dark purplish dress tinged with red, shaped like an inverted blooming rose.

Layers of translucent muslin over the skirt gave it an even more voluminous appearance.

The bodice, made of warm-toned fabric, had tightly folded vertical pleats that gave it structure.

Though her neckline and collarbone were exposed, her shoulders and arms were wrapped in matching material, preventing her from appearing cold.

A sharp diagonal embellishment of jewels and pearls adorned her chest.

Her fair skin stood out even more vividly against the purplish gown.

“Shall we?”

Reichardt, as always, extended his gloved hand.

He met Alicia’s choice—using the Duchess Marguerite’s ruby tiara as a chest ornament—with a brief smile.

The pearl hairpin in the knot of her tied-back hair complemented her ruby earrings and necklace.

Her hand, wearing a red ruby ring and several simple thin bands, grasped Reichardt’s.

The time they spent together in the imperial carriage was brief.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember the ceremony’s order?”

“What comes after this…?”

“After we disembark, we go to the center of the hall.”

Alicia glanced around anxiously.

Palace protocol was unnecessarily complicated and meticulous.

Though she had seemed like someone who understood everything, her unfamiliarity with court etiquette was apparent.

Still, Reichardt knew that once she stepped out of the carriage, those trembling violet eyes would settle as if nothing was wrong.

The carriage came to a halt.

“His Grace, the Grand Duke of Tessen, and the Countess of Echeveria!”

The attendant opened the carriage door and called out in a loud voice.

The attendant stationed at the hall entrance echoed the cry, and the sound echoed in the distance.

Soon, the chief chamberlain inside the hall would repeat it again for all to hear.