Chapter 24: The Formal Introduction (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: The Formal Introduction (1)
“Ninety... nine, you say?”
“I’m planning to meet the knights officially tomorrow, and I’d like to give them handkerchiefs as gifts.”
At those words, everyone nearby stood with their mouths agape.
While Leon and Norton’s reactions bordered on being moved to tears, the staff at the boutique looked more like they were witnessing a catastrophe.
A look of hesitation crossed Madame Ramondria’s face.
“In just one day, that’s a bit...”
I suppose expecting that many handmade items in a single day was asking too much.
‘But a handkerchief is the most appropriate gift. I can’t exactly push back the formal introduction, either.’
Seeing my troubled expression, Leon stepped forward.
“Your Highness, perhaps you could distribute the order among several boutiques? There are a few more shops within Gold Lane.”
“But I was told Couter is the finest boutique in the North. This is a gift for the knights; I can’t settle for something haphazardly put together.”
“Your Highness, we are truly honored by your words, but...” Madame’s voice trembled slightly. “Meeting that quantity within a single day is no easy feat.”
“Is it really that difficult?”
“Of course, we would set aside all other orders and make this our top priority, but since these are precious gifts from your hand, we cannot afford to be careless...”
Madame beat around the bush. It seemed that regardless of the physical impossibility, she found it difficult to flatly refuse an order from the Grand Duchess.
“I understand.”
I nodded in agreement.
“If it’s too difficult, it can’t be helped.”
I didn’t want to distress her with an unreasonable demand.
“I should have kept the size of the knighthood in mind sooner. This was my oversight.”
“...I am deeply sorry, Your Highness.”
To comfort the overly apologetic Madame, I offered a bit of an excuse.
“As you know, I’m not exactly a welcomed Grand Duchess.”
At that, Madame’s eyes wavered.
“I suppose my desire to make a good impression on the knights got the better of me. My request was unreasonable, so please, don’t give it another thought.”
I was about to wrap things up, thinking I’d have to give up on the handkerchiefs.
But then, Madame, who had been biting her lip, clasped her hands together with a look of grim determination.
“Is there a specific embroidery you have in mind?”
“Embroidery?”
I did have something in mind.
I asked Madame for paper and a pen. I drew a large 'B' to represent Blenheim and added a few decorative flourishes around it.
“Something like this.”
“If it’s... this much, I will give it a try.”
Madame, who had been staring at the paper with intense nerves, spoke as if she had made up her mind the moment I set the pen down.
“Really?”
“Your Highness has chosen Couter for such a meaningful occasion. I want to help you convey your heart by any means necessary.”
The staff turned pale, but Madame’s wrinkled eyes burned with a fierce will to fulfill the order no matter what.
“I’m very grateful, but...”
I double-checked the order, worried she might be overextending herself on a whim.
“It won’t mean anything if even one is missing. Can you truly have them ready by tomorrow morning?”
“I will prepare them so that you are not disappointed.”
Faced with Madame’s unwavering resolve, I couldn’t say anything more.
Instead, I added a condition: if she met the deadline, I would pay double the quoted price. It was a sort of express fee.
Fortunately, those words brought a spark of life back into the eyes of the soul-weary staff.
‘I guess financial therapy really is the answer.’
I quickly decided on the minor details—the shape and material of the handkerchiefs, even the color of the thread—and left the boutique.
“I’m counting on you, then.”
“I will give it my all.”
As Madame saw me out to the door, I could hear her screaming the moment she stepped back inside.
“Gather every hand we can find! Tell them the daily wage is doubled! Stop all other work for today!”
‘It... should be fine, right?’
After that, I visited a few more shops before returning to the castle before sunset.
*
Leon couldn’t calm his racing heart.
For him, this was the first full-scale training session since being knighted.
He had looked forward to the moment he would join this training ever since he was an apprentice.
The number of members in each knight division had always been limited to twelve.
Usually, one could only enter when a seat became available. As a mere commoner and significantly younger than the rest, Leon had no idea when he would ever become a true member of the order.
However, this year, the Grand Duke had evaluated the apprentices based solely on skill and had knighted Leon, the youngest of them all.
He was the thirteenth knight—a feat without precedent.
It was an honor to be passed down through generations, and the pride of Marie and Jacques.
Since it was the first full training session he had longed for, he should have been giving it his absolute all, yet Leon couldn't focus on the drills all morning.
That was because the Grand Duchess was scheduled to visit the training grounds in the afternoon.
The knights were in a state of extreme tension ahead of their formal introduction to her. Their armor had been scrubbed and polished so much yesterday that it was practically blinding.
The knights' curiosity had also reached its peak.
Even the knights who harbored hostility toward the Marquis's family kept glancing toward the main castle, wondering when they would finally see the Grand Duchess.
It was only natural.
Excluding the maids, she was the first woman to enter the Grand Duke’s Castle—a place that was practically a forbidden zone for women. Furthermore, the knights who had returned from the capital, including Leon himself, had been singing Her Highness’s praises every single day.
‘The ranks of her admirers will probably grow after today.’
Leon was nodding to himself with certainty when it happened.
Finally, led by the Grand Duchess, the butler and servants made their appearance.
From the moment she stepped onto the training grounds, the knights lost all focus on their training.
And it wasn't just the knights.
As soon as Loik spotted the Grand Duchess, he strode toward her to greet her.
The captains of the knight divisions clicked their tongues at the sight.
Their superior, who usually wouldn't give a single word of response when asked about the Grand Duchess, looked quite tender as he stood by her side, explaining things like a proper husband.
When Hedrick, the only one maintaining his composure, declared a break, the knights fell into formation faster than ever before.
Loik escorted the Grand Duchess to the front of the knights, who stood in a silence so profound you couldn't even hear them breathe.
The knights' eyes nearly popped out of their heads at the sight.
‘The Captain is holding a woman’s hand?’
But that wasn't the only shock.
‘A... a goddess?’
With her pale blonde hair swept up and her eyes curving into a soft smile, the Grand Duchess was so lovely that the knights' mouths fell open involuntarily.
At Hedrick’s signal, the knights offered a perfectly synchronized salute.
The Grand Duchess looked at them with an elegant smile.
“I am finally meeting the dependable knights who protect Blenheim.”
Her sapphire-like eyes crinkled gently.
“It’s late, but I’m glad to meet you all like this. I’m sure you’ve heard many rumors about me—perhaps so many that I don’t even need an introduction. Most of them are likely unpleasant.”
At those words, several knights cleared their throats awkwardly.
“But I am now a true person of Blenheim, and I intend to do my best to live up to the title of Grand Duchess. So, I hope you all will be a little generous and give me a chance.”
Even as the Grand Duchess gave her greeting, the knights were busy exchanging bewildered glances.
‘Didn't they say she was famous for being the villainess of the capital?’
‘That person is the fake saint? She looks like the definition of a saint to me.’
‘If a spring fairy took human form, she’d probably look like that.’
‘No way! There’s no way such a lovely person is the Marquis’s daughter!’
Amidst the rapid exchange of looks, the knights who had attended the wedding puffed out their chests triumphantly.
Their eyes said it all: they had finally proven a point to the fellows who wouldn't believe them no matter how much they talked about how beautiful and kind "Our Highness" was.
Once the Grand Duchess finished her greeting, Loik scanned his subordinates with a sharp gaze before speaking.
“From this point forward, the Grand Duchess shall hold the same authority as I do in all ordinary circumstances. Any act of disobeying her orders, rebelling against her, or showing a lack of loyalty will be treated as an act of defiance against me personally.”
His tone was solemn, sounding more like a warning than an introduction.
“Especially regarding protection, the Grand Duchess’s safety shall take priority over mine. Under any circumstances, her well-being is your primary concern.”
Hedrick’s eyes wavered slightly at those words, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
As Loik finished, a thunderous shout from the knights filled the training grounds.
“Grand Duke, it isn’t much, but I’ve prepared a small gift...”
At the Grand Duchess’s gentle nod, one of the servants holding a basket stepped closer to her.
‘When did she find the time for this...’
Loik, feeling a bit touched, was about to order the knight in front to take the basket.
“I’d like to hand them out personally so I can get to know their faces. Would that be alright?” the Grand Duchess asked with a bright smile.
“Personally?”
Loik hesitated for a moment, but seeing the expectant look in her eyes, he eventually nodded.
“First Knight Division, step forward one by one.”
Just as the nervous knights were about to step forward in order—
“Sir Teor?”
The Grand Duchess called out a knight’s name as she pulled a wrapped package from the basket.
“Ye-yes! Your Highness!”
Sir Teor, a high-ranking knight who had been standing in the back while supervising the drills, realized belatedly that he had been called and rushed forward.
Not only the knights, but even Loik could not hide his surprise.
‘How does she know the knights’ names?’