Chapter 11: Just You Wait!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11: Just You Wait!
When I mentioned I wanted to see the bustling part of town, Norton led me to a shopping district called "Gold Lane."
"It’s a new thoroughfare the Grand Duke created while renovating the city. Currently, it’s the largest shopping district in the North. Everyone calls it Gold Lane because the ground is decorated with gold."
The decorative stones embedded here and there along the road were a vivid, unmistakable gold.
"There are several gold mines in the Blenheim Mountains. They used the leftover gold leaf from the extraction process to coat them."
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
I remembered hearing the Marquis grumbling about my dowry at the very last minute. He’d said that while Blenheim might look barren at first glance, it was a land overflowing with money thanks to the magic stones and byproducts harvested from monsters.
To literally coat the streets in gold—the fief must be wealthy indeed.
And yet, he only sent a measly 500 Danir when he married me.
Hmph. I took out my frustration by stepping firmly on the decorative stones with my heels at every step. Perhaps because he’d heard that my meeting with the Grand Duke had failed, Norton didn't breathe a word of protest at my behavior.
"Since I’ve come all this way, I should see everything there is to see. Which shops are famous? General stores, cafes—anything is fine."
Norton spoke in a slightly hesitant voice.
"I haven't been out to places like this much myself... so I don't really know any specific spots."
"Not even one?"
"My apologies. Had I known, I would have looked into it beforehand."
"It’s fine. It would be weirder for a knight busy slaying monsters to be an expert on such things."
"To be honest, there aren't as many famous shops here as there are in the capital. Northerners aren't particularly sensitive to trends, and they hate standing in lines."
Looking around, I realized Norton had a point.
The exteriors of the shops lining both sides of Gold Lane were practical, to put it kindly, and crude, to put it bluntly. If it weren't for the signs honestly stating the names of the products without a hint of salesmanship, it would have been impossible to tell what most of the shops even sold.
The view I’d seen from atop the Blenheim Mountains had been so beautiful... Still, I tried not to get discouraged too early and spoke up energetically.
"Well, the goal was just to look around anyway, so I’ll take my time exploring."
And so, Norton and I wandered aimlessly through the shopping district.
Was shopping always this boring?
The items in the shops were strangely tacky and unrefined. Even in a shop that claimed to stock the latest capital trends, if I picked up a hat that looked somewhat pretty, it would have an ugly ribbon attached to the back. The lace gloves that actually looked decent were outrageously expensive.
On top of that, the merchants were universally unfriendly.
The North was an isolated place. Being kind didn't necessarily bring in more customers, so they felt no need to "sell" themselves. Of course, it also seemed to be because Northerners were naturally blunt.
After finally stopping at a tea shop and buying a tin of black tea just to escape the owner's piercing gaze, a wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over me.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
My reflection in a shop window looked wilted, even to my own eyes.
"I'm a bit tired."
"Shall we head back to the castle?"
But I didn't want to end my first outing so hollowly. The thought of eating dinner alone in my room again made me feel gloomy.
"I'd like to eat something."
"Shall I look for a cafe?"
"I don't know... I'm not really in the mood for more cake..."
I had already stopped at one cafe. Was the name Delitar? Contrary to my expectations, the atmosphere had been solemn, and the butter cake served with the tea was so greasy that it hadn't left a good impression.
But I couldn't exactly go to a restaurant for a full meal with just Norton.
Just as I was about to suggest going back to the castle, Norton raised his eyebrows as if he’d remembered something.
"Now that I think of it, there is an inn nearby."
"An inn?"
"It’s run by Sir Leon’s parents."
"Oh!"
I clapped my hands in delight without realizing it. I’d heard that the place was quite famous because the mother was an excellent cook. Even the knights were said to go out of their way to visit.
"Can we have a meal there?"
"Of course."
I regained my energy in an instant.
"I was actually very curious about that place. This is perfect!"
Seeing me become visibly excited, Norton let out a faint sigh of relief.
*
"It is an honor, Your Highness. I am Marie, the owner of the inn, and this is my husband, Jacques."
Seeing the couple fussing over me with such welcome was a bit of a shock. Until now, most people in Blenheim who recognized me couldn't hide their lukewarm or awkward expressions.
The inn was empty, despite its reputation. The couple, who had been flustered at the sight of me, hurriedly led me to a table after Norton whispered something to them.
"I heard your skills are exceptional. Sir Leon bragged about them quite a bit."
"Oh my! Honey, did you hear that? Her Highness even knows Leon’s name!"
Marie cried out, her voice breathless with excitement.
"Your Highness, is there a particular dish you would like to have?" Norton asked, seeing the couple too caught up in their excitement to take an order.
"Actually, there is something I’ve been wanting..."
I thought of the dish that had been lingering in my mind ever since I ate that butter cake.
"Is it possible to get tomato stew?"
"Oh, do you mean Blenheim style?"
"Yes. Very spicy and sharp."
"To think the Grand Duchess likes tomato stew!"
Marie’s eyes sparkled.
"That’s this man’s specialty! It’ll be even more flavorful if you pair it with some white wine," Jacques added, his face brightening.
"Sir Norton, what about you?"
"I am fine."
"Surely you don't expect me to eat alone?"
"While on guard duty..."
I cut Norton off mid-sentence, as he was repeating the exact same words he’d used at the cafe, syllable for syllable.
"Two bowls of tomato stew, please. But give the wine only to me."
"Understood!"
Before long, a familiar, pungent aroma wafted through the air. Soon, the table was filled not only with tomato stew and bread but also roasted chicken, sautéed vegetables, and steamed fish in a light broth.
"Oh dear, the stew would have been enough."
"We wanted to serve Your Highness properly, so we ended up making a bit of everything..."
Even in her nervousness, Marie slightly rotated the plates so the garnishes faced me. It seemed a mother’s desire for her son to be looked upon favorably was baked into the meal.
I feel like a teacher on a home visit.
"Don't just stand there; eat with us."
"Pardon? How could we possibly..."
"It would be improper!"
"It’s just that eating with only Sir Norton is too dull."
The couple seemed genuinely shocked by my words, but after Norton gave a small nod as if to say it was alright, they sat down at the table, repeatedly saying how honored they were.
"Oh my goodness!"
After taking the first spoonful of tomato stew, I immediately turned to Marie.
"Is it not to your taste?"
"It’s delicious!"
"You flatter me."
Marie blushed, pressing the back of her hand to her cheek.
"I mean it. The knights weren't exaggerating."
Forgetting my dignity, I took another large spoonful of the stew.
"I'm so glad it suits you. There’s plenty more stew, so please don't hesitate to ask."
I polished off a massive amount of food in front of the genuinely happy couple. In terms of the quality of ingredients, it couldn't compare to the cuisine at the Grand Duke's castle, but perhaps because it was my first meal with company in a long time, my appetite was much stronger.
Furthermore, the white wine Jacques poured was sweet yet not overpowering, making it incredibly easy to drink.
One glass, two glasses... soon, more than half the bottle was gone.
"Your Highness, perhaps you should stop with the wine?"
Jacques, who had been refilling my empty glass, paused mid-motion at Norton’s words.
"It’s fine. This is nothing."
Norton narrowed his eyes, scanning my complexion.
"Really. I’ve never met anyone who can outdrink me."
Drinking isn't about the body; it's about willpower.
The company I worked for in my past life had a lot of "liquor sales." My boss used to drag me along as his "liquor liaison" whenever there was an important contract. My role was to drink in place of my boss, who had a low tolerance, and eventually drink the clients under the table.
It was so exhausting being called out like that with no private life... and some people used to badmouth me behind my back, saying I was drinking my way up the ladder.
"I didn't know I'd be this hated here, too..."
The murmur escaped my lips before I could stop it.
"Your Highness..."
Lady Marie looked at me with a gaze mixed with awkwardness and pity.
"I wasn't talking to you, ma'am. I'm so grateful that you welcomed me so warmly even though I barged in like this."
This couple must have heard all sorts of nasty rumors about me. It was surely because of their son, but I was still deeply grateful that they treated me with such kindness without showing any sign of prejudice.
"Your Highness, what do you mean by that?"
"It is an honor for our family just to have you visit our inn."
Lady Marie leaned toward me.
"Leon has been bragging until his breath ran out about how well Your Highness has treated him. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you look upon my lacking son with such generosity."
So Leon had said those things.
I thought I was doing fine, but I must have been harboring more suppressed emotions than I realized. The moment I heard her words, a lump in my heart I hadn't even known existed began to melt away.
"I am the Grand Duchess of Blenheim."
I repeated the words as if making a vow to myself.
"Of course you are."
"I am a Northerner now."
"You are a Northerner through and through."
"That’s why I don't want to be hated by the people of the North."
The couple, who had been chiming in without knowing the full context, fell silent. They briefly locked eyes in the air, and then Lady Marie leaned toward me with a gentle face.
"Your Highness. It is bold of someone of my station to say this, but I believe the people of Blenheim will soon come to know your true heart."
"Do you think so?"
"Naturally. Northerners are blunt and poor at expressing themselves by nature, but if you get to know them, they are more warm-hearted than anyone."
"Even the Grand Duke?"
Marie’s eyes, which had been comforting me so tenderly, wavered for a moment.
"Is the Grand Duke warm-hearted, too? He won't even meet me."
Had my heart been warmed too much? My temper began to flare. I turned my head toward Norton.
"Why don't you tell me, Sir Norton?"
The loyal knight’s shoulders flinched.
"I mean, isn't the Grand Duke even curious about what his own wife looks like? Isn't that just too much?"
In front of the three people who had clamped their mouths shut like clams out of sheer awkwardness, I poured out my grievances for a long time.
*
How did I get back to my room?
When I heavily pried my eyelids open, I saw myself sprawled in the middle of the sofa in the drawing room.
I definitely took the carriage back to the castle... and I remembered making a fuss, telling Norton I didn't need an escort. I remembered him following me to my room, looking incredibly restless.
I tried to stand up, but my legs felt like limp taffy.
Wow, am I actually drunk?
It seemed Annette’s body was weak to alcohol. I was bewildered by the intoxication brought on by just a few glasses of wine.
Suddenly, I couldn't stand how pathetic I was being.
To be slumped over in such a miserable state. What was that Grand Duke to me that I’d been fretting for days without even seeing his face once?
Was I always this lacking in grit?
No, it wasn't a matter of grit; there just hadn't been an opportunity. But what was I supposed to do? Barge into someone else's room in the middle of the night?
That was truly a last...
Well, it is a point where a "means" is necessary.
I looked at the tea tray on the table. There was a teapot smelling of herbs and a teacup, likely left by a maid.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, a surge of courage rose within me. I braced my legs with strength and stood up, picking up the tea tray.
"Fine. Let’s go have a look at this precious Grand Duke’s face."