Chapter 166: A Tender Reunion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166: A Tender Reunion
Gallid Monastery.
Meisel slipped away from the crowd of devotees returning to their quarters after evening prayers and stealthily made her way toward the kitchen.
The kitchen, already tidied for the night, was chilly. However, after rummaging through a corner, she found some oat porridge that had been scraped aside to be used as fodder.
She had been denied her rations all day simply because she had broken a minor rule again.
The hunger was so gnawing that she couldn't bear it any longer.
Meisel was desperately scraping and eating the dried, hardened remains of the porridge when a voice suddenly spoke.
"How did a noble lady end up in such a pitiful state?"
Startled by the sudden presence, Meisel whipped around in shock.
"Y-you...!"
The Shaman had appeared out of nowhere, his yellow eyes gleaming as he stepped closer.
"How did you get in here?"
He gave a pitying smile as he watched Meisel’s eyes dart around in panic.
"To think the woman who claimed she would become the Grand Duchess is now wasting away on pig slop... it truly breaks my heart."
Meisel’s shock instantly curdled into rage.
"This is all your fault! I listened to you, and you ruined my entire life!"
Perhaps he had come all this way to take the necklace back. Her face flushed red, and even as she screamed, she clutched the necklace tightly, fearing he might snatch it.
"Ruined?"
The Shaman let out a mocking chuckle.
"No, you were the one who ruined it, My Lady. Shall I tell you something interesting?"
His soft gaze drifted toward the necklace.
"Have you ever heard of the Dragon's Word?"
Meisel furrowed her brow at the unexpected question.
The Dragon's Word.
She had heard folklore-like stories about how a dragon's words carried such immense power that whatever they spoke became reality.
"The magic stone in that necklace contains the power of a dragon. Though it is faint, the wearer can enjoy the power of the Word."
"T-then, does this really grant wishes?"
"That depends on the wearer's capability."
The Shaman gave a slight shrug.
"There aren't many people smart enough to master the Word. Most become overly dependent on the necklace, like you, and gradually lose their sense of self."
"...Lose my sense of self?"
"It means you become a puppet that moves exactly as instructed."
Was he joking? Meisel scowled at the Shaman’s nonchalant tone.
"However, you are quite peculiar, My Lady."
Taking another step forward, the Shaman peered intently into Meisel’s face.
"You're certainly not smart... but perhaps because you're so arrogant and willful, the brainwashing hasn't taken hold as deeply as I expected."
"Well, it doesn't matter. This much is enough to carry out the task without any major issues."
She should have demanded to know what kind of nonsense he was talking about.
Yet, for some reason, her mind felt like a blank sheet of paper, and she couldn't find the words to refute him.
Amidst her confusion, the Shaman snapped his fingers.
"Let us go."
"Go where?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to be the Grand Duchess? I shall grant that wish. We should hurry if we want to make it on time."
The Shaman offered his hand with a remarkably kind smile.
That’s right. I was meant to be the Grand Duchess.
Her heart began to race as she imagined the tender Grand Duke waiting for her in a radiant garden.
Meisel curled her lips into an elegant smile befitting a Grand Duchess and took the Shaman’s hand.
*
"Annette, are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"
A dejected Loik said, fiddling with my hand.
"It's your first time going there, so everything will be very unfamiliar."
"I'm hardly on my own."
We had stayed at the villa until noon and were now about to depart for Selvanis Castle.
As I tried to board the carriage, Loik refused to let go of my hand.
Though it was an unofficial visit, for the sake of the Grand Duchess's prestige, Cecilia, a fair number of servants, and even a knight division had been assigned to the party.
Despite this, Loik was making a fuss as if a small child were heading out into the city alone.
"Instead of leaving now, why don't you stay at the villa for one more day? You're not in the best physical condition, and riding a carriage now would...!"
I hurriedly covered Loik’s muttering mouth.
"I-I'm fine."
In truth, the moment I woke up this morning, every muscle in my body had been screaming.
I thought I could just endure it, but when I mindlessly tried to step out of bed, I ended up collapsing onto the floor.
In the end, Loik had to personally carry me to the bathtub and massage me with aromatic oils for a long time until the muscle pain subsided. Thanks to that, I was at least able to walk now.
"I feel much better because you massaged me, Loik."
When I whispered softly, worried that those nearby might hear, Loik suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.
Good heavens, the knights are all right here.
Even as the knights cleared their throats awkwardly, Loik ignored their gazes and buried his face in my shoulder.
"I don't know if I can survive a single day without Annette."
My face flushed bright red from embarrassment.
Even if we had finally confirmed our feelings for each other...
Doing this was no different from advertising that certain things had happened last night!
And yet, the fact that I didn't dislike Loik clinging to me like this meant I probably wasn't in my right mind either.
"You said you had to go inspect the boundary too, Loik. I'll only be gone for one night, so wait for me patiently."
"You must come back early."
Loik lifted his head, his eyes drooping like a sad puppy's.
"Even if the Countess asks you to stay longer, don't you dare give in. Just come back."
"I understand. I'll see you tomorrow."
I patted his broad back and climbed into the carriage.
Loik stood there for a long time, watching me until the carriage crossed the hill and I vanished from sight.
Adjusting my seat, I looked at my maid sitting opposite me, whose cheekbones showed no sign of descending from their high grin.
"Stop teasing me already."
"Teasing the Consort? Me? When did I ever?"
"You've been teasing me with your expression this whole time."
"What are you talking about! I'm just unable to contain my joy."
Cecilia beamed, bouncing slightly in her seat.
Since Loik had left my body covered in colorful marks, there had been no way to hide anything from Cecilia.
"So, the Consort has always felt this way, then?"
Cecilia was in high spirits, proud that the "Couples' Night event" she had planned had been a resounding success.
"...I'm telling you, that negligee was a masterpiece Madame created with her heart and soul! There were about ten other candidates, but we voted amongst ourselves and chose the one with the least amount of fabric!"
Thanks to her, my ears weren't bored for a single moment of the journey as I listened to Cecilia’s chatter.
And just as I was starting to think that a little boredom might be nice, we arrived at Selvanis Castle.
"It is an honor to have the Grand Duchess of the Levria Empire visit Selvanis."
When we arrived, quite a few people besides the Count and his wife were out to welcome me.
Upon seeing the Countess, I swallowed a small gasp of admiration.
With her pale blonde hair swept up, the Countess looked so much like Annette that anyone could tell they were family.
Annette takes after her mother's side.
The Countess also seemed quite shocked to see me.
"My goodness...! You look exactly like Olli."
She spoke, covering her mouth with a trembling hand.
"To think you've grown up to be so lovely."
"My dear."
When the Count standing beside her quietly called out to the admiring Countess, she seemed to snap back to her senses and blinked.
"Forgive me. I was simply so overjoyed to meet Her Highness..."
She elegantly placed a hand over her heart and offered a formal greeting.
"Elian Selvanis greets Her Highness the Consort."
"Thank you for inviting me."
When I spoke to her warmly, the Countess's face brightened.
The Count added affectionately, supporting his wife, "She has been looking forward to meeting Your Highness so much that she couldn't even sleep properly last night."
Strictly speaking, the Countess wasn't my real family, but my heart warmed at the sincere welcome.
"I was also very excited at the thought of meeting my aunt for the first time."
At the word "aunt," the Countess's eyes widened before crinkling into a smile.
Despite the faint wrinkles around her eyes, her smiling face was as lovely as a young girl's.
"The journey must have been rough and tiring. I will show you to your room first."
The Countess guided me into the castle.
The warm sensation of her lightly taking my hand put my mind at ease.
That evening, a magnificent feast was laid out before my eyes.
There were all kinds of meat and seafood dishes, as well as pies and cooked vegetables.
So many plates filled the table that I couldn't even try them all.
"What kind of meat does Your Highness prefer? The duck is quite good this time of year. How about seafood? Try it with a squeeze of lemon juice."
What were my favorite foods? What kind of tea did I enjoy?
The Countess showered me with attention, asking endless small questions.
"Olli used to love fish dishes."
I also heard several stories about Odelin, Annette's mother, whom she called by the nickname "Olli."
The Countess avoided mentioning the Marquis as much as possible, but a few remarks burst out like long-held resentment.
"...I sent numerous letters to the Marquis's estate over the years, but I never received a single reply."
I had wondered why she hadn't written sooner if she missed her niece, but it seemed the Marquis had been blocking her correspondence.
Was it out of anger toward the family of the wife who had cheated on him?
The Countess, whose face had trembled at the mention of the Marquis, soon regained her smile.
"I was worried that sending a letter to the Grand Duke's Castle might cause trouble for Your Highness, but thanks to the Grand Duke, I found the courage to reach out."
At the sudden mention of my husband, a silly smile spread across my face in spite of myself.