Chapter 25: The Formal Introduction (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25: The Formal Introduction (2)
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The Grand Duchess gave a bright smile as she handed over a bundle.
“The—the honor is all mine, Your Highness!”
His face flushed a deep crimson, Teor bowed his knees to accept the package and quickly stepped back.
“Sir Hassel.”
“Yes! Your Highness!”
The knight called Hassel practically sprang forward the moment his name was spoken.
Loik used his height to steal a glance into the basket.
Inside, every bundle was wrapped in white paper and tied with colorful ribbons, each bearing a sophisticated name card. The knights’ names were written on the cards in elegant, flowing cursive.
That exceptional skill in tying the ribbons was undoubtedly the Grand Duchess’s.
Did she really wrap every single one of these herself? Even writing the names?
Looking at her fair hands, he noticed faint traces of black ink that hadn't been fully washed away.
Loik bit the inside of his cheek.
Having received his bundle, Sir Hassel returned to his spot and carefully examined the gift.
The name card bearing his name carried a soft, subtle floral scent.
As he slowly untied the ribbon and opened the package, he found a pouch filled with high-end, bite-sized cookies and a neatly folded handkerchief.
“This is...!”
The front of the handkerchief featured the letter ‘B,’ the symbol of the Blenheim Knights, beautifully embroidered alongside ornate decorative patterns.
“Huh? What? Yours is blue?”
“Mine is red.”
“Wait, yours is red too?”
As the knights pulled out their handkerchiefs, they realized the embroidery colors differed. Upon closer inspection, they saw the colors were unified by their respective knight divisions.
“Wait, did she match these to our Captains’ hair colors?”
“I guess yours are blue to match your Captain’s family colors?”
The training ground quickly grew boisterous with the knights’ chatter.
While a few knights had been quietly sneering about her being the daughter of a Marquis, the majority were quite thrilled by the fact that they had received a handkerchief directly from the Grand Duchess.
The reaction to the cookies was equally positive.
“These taste great.”
“I’m saving mine to eat tonight.”
Watching the rowdy knights, the Grand Duchess pulled the final bundle from the basket.
Its recipient was Hedrick, who had been debating whether he should discipline the knights for acting so unseemly in front of the Grand Ducal couple, even if it was their break time.
“Sir Hedrick, I used silver thread for your design.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Hedrick accepted the gift with a stoic face, but he couldn't hide a rare moment of surprise when he looked at his lord standing behind the Grand Duchess.
Loik looked utterly despondent the moment he saw the last bundle go to Hedrick.
As if he couldn't believe it, Loik peeked into the empty basket several times. Of course, the Grand Duchess, who had her back to him, didn't notice.
To think the Captain would show such a side of himself.
Hedrick blinked at the unfamiliar sight.
“Well, since I’ve said my hellos, I’ll head back inside now.”
When Annette turned around, Loik instantly composed his expression and gave a small nod.
“Thank you for showing such consideration to the knights.”
“Grand Duke, why haven't you been wearing a cravat since yesterday?”
The Grand Duchess asked, looking at the Grand Duke’s neck where his shirt collar stood open. At her words, a dry cough echoed through the air.
“Your neck looks so bare. The mornings and evenings are still chilly... Should I have someone bring a cravat now?”
“...I have it here.”
“You have one?”
Loik reached into his pocket and pulled out a rumpled, balled-up piece of cravat fabric.
“Goodness, why weren't you wearing it if you had it? Give it here.”
As the Grand Duchess took the fabric, Loik habitually leaned down slightly.
She looped the cloth around his long neck and focused intently on tying the knot.
Every knight in the vicinity, including Hedrick, held their breath as they watched the scene.
The Captain is actually letting someone touch him without a second thought!
One of the nearby knights was so shocked he started hiccuping.
It was only last year that the entire street had turned into a sea of tears because their lord, while inspecting the territory, had rejected flowers offered by young girls.
The knights had an unspoken agreement that their Captain harbored a secret germaphobia.
This was the master who stood at the vanguard every day, fighting monsters and protecting this vast territory alone. It would have been stranger if he weren't a little broken.
Because of that, one of the knights' hidden duties was to keep the area clear so the Grand Duke could avoid human contact as much as possible.
And yet, here he was, acting as if it were nothing... No, his face was flushed red all the way to his eyes as he offered his neck to the Grand Duchess.
The training ground fell silent, as if a typhoon had just swept through.
“No matter how busy you are, did you really not have time to tie a cravat?”
“I simply forgot.”
The Grand Duchess gave Loik a mock-scolding glare before patting his chest to signal she was finished.
Loik’s lips twitched as if he were about to smile at her playfulness, but his expression instantly hardened when he looked up and caught the bewildered stares of his knights.
Among them, several of the Knight Captains were looking at him with oily, knowing smirks.
“Well then, I hope everyone finishes the rest of their training well.”
Even after the Grand Duchess left the training ground with a proud look on her face, Loik had to endure the intense scrutiny of his knights for the rest of the afternoon.
*
That evening, I stopped by the Grand Duke’s office.
“It’s not night yet, so I can come in, right?”
The setting sun was barely hanging onto the edge of the window, casting a long, reddish glow across the room.
I thought I wouldn't get a chance today since he was training all day.
But according to what I overheard from Whitley, the knights were so excited after receiving their gifts that they finished training earlier than in previous years.
The Grand Duke’s lips parted several times as if he wanted to say something, but when our eyes met, he finally gave a reluctant nod.
“I stopped by because I have something to give you.”
I walked up to the desk and thrust a wrapped bundle toward him.
“This is yours, Grand Duke.”
The Grand Duke paused, lifting his head with a slightly dazed expression.
“There was... one for me as well?”
“Of course! These were gifts for the Knights, so how could the Captain be left out?”
The Grand Duke toyed with his name on the card.
“Hurry and open it.”
As I watched him with sparkling eyes, the Grand Duke slowly unwrapped the bundle.
The handkerchief was decorated with delicate gold embroidery.
“It’s pretty, isn't it? I used gold thread specifically for yours to make it special.”
“...Do you not like it?”
“I like it. I will use it well. Thank you.”
The Grand Duke said, lowering his eyes slightly.
What was with this ambiguous reaction?
I had specifically set his gift aside just to create an excuse to come to his office, but I couldn't tell if he actually liked it or not.
He was a man whose embarrassment or discomfort was so easy to read, yet I had never seen him look truly happy.
Well, as long as he doesn't hate it, I guess?
“Are you finished with work?”
“I still have some documents to review.”
It didn't seem like a lie; as always, his desk was piled high with complicated paperwork.
“Then, can I stay here and read with you until you’re done?”
When I held up the book I had borrowed from Whitley, A Guide to Various Banquet Etiquette for Newlyweds, the Grand Duke narrowed his eyes as if wondering what on earth that was.
“No... I just borrowed it to read in my room, but since you said you’d be here...”
“You said it yourself yesterday—that I could come to the office if I needed to. You’re not going back on your word, are you?”
“...Make yourself comfortable. I will have tea prepared.”
Yes!
It seemed the bribe had worked perfectly. The Grand Duke looked at me with a face of resignation before turning away.
“Oh?”
Just as I was about to sit on the canapé sofa, a small table I hadn't seen before caught my eye.
“When did you put this here?”
“Are you referring to the gueridon?”
It seemed "gueridon" was the term for a small, portable table.
I had found it quite uncomfortable to rest my arm on the thin sofa armrest, but this table was adjusted to about chest height, making it look perfect for resting a book.
“I... I am not sure. Whitley must have brought it in.”
“I see.”
He really is a thoughtful butler.
Admiring Whitley’s incredible consideration, I settled into my seat.
And then, in less than ten minutes, I began to nod off.
The fireplace, filled with logs, was warming the office comfortably. Perhaps because I had grown so relaxed, the words on the page kept blurring out of focus.
It was still early evening.
I guess pulling an all-nighter is too much for Annette’s stamina.
I had stayed up almost all night preparing the gifts.
At first, it was an event planned simply to win over the knights.
I had judged that if I wanted to open the hearts of a vague majority who disliked me, it was best to hand out a small bribe.
How many VIP customer appreciation events had I organized before my reincarnation?
I thought this would be a piece of cake.
A typical VIP event usually consisted of a gift engraved with a logo, along with some baked goods from a famous bakery or a bottle of wine.
A handkerchief embroidered with the Blenheim Knights' symbol plus a snack pouch was a similar setup.
I’ll just order the handkerchiefs from the boutique and the snacks from the bakery.
Up until then, I thought that would be enough...
But my mind changed while I was choosing the gifts.
Seeing Madame Ramondria step up to help with such sincerity made me feel like I shouldn't approach this with a half-hearted attitude either.
And Norton and Leon worked so hard by my side to help, too.
Even if you give your all, your sincerity might not always be conveyed—but you can never truly fake sincerity with a low-effort deception.