An Unexpected Proposal

May 7, 2020

"I’m glad to have you back, Your Majesty."

"While I was away, was there any issue with the castle?"

Cabelenus answered briefly and immediately started walking. There had been a procession welcoming his return from outside the castle all the way to inside, but he felt no excitement. What irritated him more was the time he had been delayed upon reaching Schwarhan earlier than planned.

"To celebrate Your Majesty's return, the heads of the major noble families have come to visit."

"What a waste of time."

"They probably just want to see Your Majesty and ensure you’re well after being away for so long."

Noticing Cabelenus’s discomfort, the chamberlain exchanged a knowing glance with Gajev.

"The heads of the northern families are all stubborn people, Your Majesty, and they won’t leave until they’ve seen you. Perhaps it would be better to meet them quickly and send them off?"

"..."

"After all, they are the families that support the north, so we can't completely disregard them. And leaving them here for too long might stir up unnecessary rumors."

Unless Alicia was hidden away somewhere, it was practically impossible to keep her presence a secret. The fact that she had returned with Cabelenus alone would draw attention to her, and there was no avoiding it. However, there was no need to hasten the revelation of her existence. It would be best to keep her presence discreet until she had become more accustomed to Schwarhan.

"Those old fools talk too much."

"Well, they’re all eager to marry off their daughters to you, Your Majesty."

Although Cabelenus was of marriageable age, he had no fiancée. It was only natural that the influential families of Schwarhan would try to tie their families to the bachelor duke. In this situation, it was not ideal for Alicia’s presence to become known.

"...It can’t be helped."

Cabelenus sighed briefly.

"While you meet with the family heads, I’ll go visit my aunt."

"Alright. I’ll try to finish quickly and join you."

Gajev, sensing Cabelenus’s concern, smiled faintly. For now, there was no need to show Alicia to too many people, so she had been taken to a prepared room. Everyone left in charge of her was trustworthy, but given how unfamiliar and tense the situation might be for her, it was better to have someone familiar with her stay by her side. Gajev briefly nodded at Cabelenus and turned to leave.

***

"Hello, miss. I’m Lady Rilette Morco, the Baroness, and I’ll be attending to you from now on. You can simply call me Lady Morco."

"Ah, yes. Hello."

"And these are Sijna and Sirin. They’ll be serving you as your personal maids, accompanying me to help care for you."

"I’m sure there will be many things I lack, but I hope you’ll bear with me."

Alicia clasped her hands together and gave a somewhat awkward smile. The servants, including the middle-aged woman who introduced herself as Lady Morco, were all friendly toward Alicia, but she remained aware of her position. Although she had heard that Schwarhan did not have slaves, the situation still felt unfamiliar to her.

"Miss, you’ll need to speak more humbly to those below you."

"Below me?"

"I’ve heard everything from Gajev, so you don’t need to be too tense."

Did she mean that she knew I’m a slave? Alicia widened her eyes, and Lady Morco chuckled softly. Her expression wasn’t mocking but more like the kind of warmth you’d expect from a mother to her child.

"Do you know Sir Cloud?"

"He’s my nephew."

It was somewhat reassuring to know that they were connected through someone Alicia already knew. She responded with a more natural smile, meeting the warm gaze of Lady Morco.

"Now that I see you, you resemble Sir Cloud quite a bit."

"Lady Gajev is my twin sister, you know. So, Gajev is more like a son to me."

"I see."

"Both Gajev and I are on your side, miss, so you don’t need to be too frightened."

"Well... it’s just that it all feels so unfamiliar."

Alicia had only ever seen Neuschwein, and that too just within the castle walls. The vast snowy landscape outside and the towering fortress felt like something from a kingdom of giants—an overwhelming sight that she couldn’t quite shake off.

"By the way, miss, you mentioned this was your first journey, didn’t you? It must have been tough coming all the way to Schwarhan from so far away."

"No, it wasn’t that hard."

At Lady Morco’s gesture, the maids helped Alicia take off her outerwear. Alicia awkwardly accepted their service.

"Well, that’s a relief. But the fatigue from travel often shows up after the tension has eased. While the servants are unpacking your things, would you like to take a bath? Schwarhan’s hot springs are very famous, and even His Majesty the Emperor speaks highly of them. After warming up in the bathwater, if you have a cup of Pelle, you’ll feel completely rejuvenated."

"A hot spring? What’s that?"

"Oh, since you’re from outside, you might not know. A hot spring is just water that comes from the ground and is heated naturally."

"Water comes from the ground, you say?"

"I’m not a geologist, so I don’t know the specifics, but hot springs are a beloved tradition among the noblewomen of Schwarhan. After a bath, your skin will become smoother than white jade. Once you try it, I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it."

Lady Morco smiled warmly and approached Alicia. Now that she was closer, Alicia noticed that the middle-aged noblewoman, with her soft brown hair twisted up, was a full head taller than her.

"You’re quite tall, Lady Morco."

"I’ve never heard that before. Most women in Schwarhan are about my height."

"Is that so?"@@novelbin@@

"To survive the harsh cold, we need to be strong. Most people in Schwarhan have a sturdy build. Men, women, children, and the elderly alike, if you hand them a bow, they’ll bring back a game of some kind. They’re warriors."

Lady Morco laughed heartily, then placed a hand on Alicia’s shoulder. Even though she was smiling, her eyes carried the sharpness of a warrior.

"Thanks to that, I’m both your maid and your bodyguard."

"You’re going to protect me?"

"Yes. And the same goes for these children."

The maids, who looked about Alicia’s age, smiled at her. Like Lady Morco, they had tall, sleek figures.

"Is it really that dangerous here, that I need protection?"

"It’s not like that. In fact, this place, with His Highness the Duke here, is probably the safest place on the continent. Simply put, we’re preparing for any potential threats, even though nothing is likely to happen."

Lady Morco gently stroked Alicia’s shoulder before taking her hand. Lady Morco’s hand was large, in stark contrast to Alicia’s smaller one.

“Don’t worry too much. As long as I’m here, nothing will happen to you, miss.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

The calloused hand, shaped like a sword’s hilt, reminded Alicia of a man. She suddenly thought of Cabelenus and smiled faintly at the memory of his face. Knock knock.

“Miss, madam. If it’s alright with you, may we enter?”

“It seems Gajev has arrived, miss. Shall I let him in?”

Mrs. Morco gently inquired about Alicia’s wishes.

“Oh, yes. Of course.”

Alicia awkwardly nodded, and the maids promptly opened the door.

“I’ve come to check if there’s anything uncomfortable for you, miss.”

“I’m fine.”

Alicia responded in a calm voice, her expression relaxing. Though it wasn’t the face she had expected, she was still glad to see a familiar one.

“I believe you’ve already greeted my aunt, miss. She’ll continue to attend to you, so if there’s anything uncomfortable or anything you need, just let her know, and she’ll take care of it.”

“It’s an honor to serve you, miss. As Gajev said, please feel at ease. You can consider me your hands and feet.”

Mrs. Morco made a graceful gesture, offering Alicia another polite bow.

“No, the honor is mine, being with someone as beautiful as you.”

“Oh my, miss, you know how to say flattering things. With a little more practice, you’d excel at social gatherings.”

Mrs. Morco’s eyes sparkled with a playful gleam.

“Social gatherings?”

“The prince said you don’t need to bother with them, but given your position, you’ll need to know the basics. It’s best to learn proper manners in advance. I intend to teach you what you’ll need to know to carry yourself like a noblewoman.”

“But... I’m not a noblewoman.”

Alicia quickly shook her head, but Mrs. Morco didn’t seem to mind.

“It’s still better to learn in advance. Once you actually become a noblewoman, you’ll have no time to learn the basics.”

“But...”

Alicia trailed off. A slave of the lowest class could never become a noblewoman. Even if she learned noble manners, it would be meaningless.

“Do you not want to learn?”

“No, I do like learning. But... you know my position.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a woman of my word.”

“...”

“Or, how about you try learning just once, and if you don’t feel it’s right, you can let me know then? It’d be a shame to give up before even trying.”

Alicia hesitated but finally nodded at Mrs. Morco’s encouraging hand patting her gently. The idea of learning something new was tempting to Alicia, who had just discovered the joy of it.

“I’m glad you decided to try. Though I may not look it, I’m quite famous as a social tutor here in Schwarhan. You won’t regret learning from me.”

“I had wondered who Cloud Lord inherited his kindness from, and it seems it’s you, Mrs. Morco.”

“Cloud kind?”

Mrs. Morco tilted her head, confused.

“I’ve been taking lessons from Cloud Lord until I came here. He always taught so well and spoke kindly.”

“That’s probably because he’s a lackey of power.”

“Aunt, please. You’re being crude in front of the miss.”

Gajev groaned, rubbing his forehead. His aunt was a renowned noblewoman in the social scene, but she had once been a warrior on the battlefield. Perhaps due to her rough experiences, she sometimes spoke casually, even laughing as she did so.

“Still, it’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“That’s...”

Gajev glanced nervously at Alicia, who seemed somewhat taken aback by the strong words. She blinked rapidly, her mouth slightly open.

“Did you scare the miss with your words, aunt?”

“You think she’s scared by this? Miss Alicia is truly adorable.”

“Eh?”

“Aunt.”

Gajev called out to his aunt urgently.

“Alright, alright. No more teasing. Since you’re here, you can do me a favor instead.”

“A favor?”

“Go to the Morco estate for me. I need to fetch a few dresses that Lirin hasn’t worn yet.”

“Why do you need Lirin’s dresses?”

“I knew it, the men have been treating the miss terribly. She doesn’t look proper for Schwarhan. She’ll be fine while she’s at the hot springs. Go quickly.”

The dress Alicia was wearing was in the style popular in the capital, but to the sharp-eyed Mrs. Morco, nothing about it was to her liking. Despite the jewels and gold embroidery, it didn’t suit Alicia at all. With her plain face, even a beautiful dress only made her look out of place, as if she were wearing someone else’s clothes.

“...Do I really look that bad?”

No one had commented on her appearance so far. Alicia looked at Mrs. Morco with a confused expression, but Mrs. Morco simply smiled gently.

“No, miss, you look fine.”

“But you just said I didn’t look proper.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not you. It’s just the poor taste of the men around here. Clothes should be worn according to one’s own character, or the charm won’t show.”

“Poor taste...”

Alicia involuntarily repeated Mrs. Morco’s words and then stopped, offering an awkward smile.

“Don’t worry, miss. Now that I’m your maid, those kinds of incidents won’t happen again.”

With a graceful smile, Mrs. Morco raised her chin proudly. She was thrilled to finally be welcoming Schwarhan’s mistress.