Chapter 56: The Relativity of Time
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: The Relativity of Time
It all started when the Grand Duchess began stocking magazines in the castle, a place previously devoid of any entertainment for the servants.
"Actually, I only bought them because I wanted the magazines to sell well," she admitted with a bashful laugh. "I'm just glad everyone likes them."
A soft pink hue, like the blush of a peach, spread across her pale cheeks.
She played it down, but everyone in the Grand Duke’s Castle already knew how much she cared for the staff.
Lately, one no longer saw servants loitering or slacking off near the rear entrance of the main castle. Instead, whenever they had a break, they were all too busy rushing off to play ball.
Upon realizing there were no recreational facilities for the staff within the castle grounds, the Grand Duchess had a net and a small athletic field constructed near their quarters. She even made sure to provide an ample supply of sports equipment, including various rackets and balls.
The popularity of the net games was more explosive than expected.
Servants engaged in such fierce battles of wits to claim the court during their breaks that they eventually had to establish internal rules for taking turns.
The staff were noticeably more energetic than before. Sometimes, while working in his office, Loik could hear the distant, joyful cheers of servants playing ball drifting through the window.
It was a sight—and a sound—unimaginable just three months ago.
Watching her, Loik found himself unable to stop imagining things, no matter how hard he tried to restrain himself.
If I were a Grand Duke who wasn't cursed, and if we were a normally wedded couple who intended for you to stay here forever...
'Then Blenheim would change quite a lot, wouldn't it?'
Perhaps his gaze had lingered too long and too intensely, for the Grand Duchess turned her head, her face flushing slightly as she changed the subject.
"Oh, and I heard that restaurants copying 'Today's Menu' have started popping up in Gold Lane. Lady Marie was kind enough to introduce them to Morina. Ah! As for who Morina is..."
"I know. She is the illustrator for the recipes, is she not?"
How could he not know? He remembered every single thing she said, no matter how trivial.
"And she is the younger sister of the maid you keep in your service."
And because you are so soft-hearted, you even paid off the sisters' debts yourself.
"That's right!" the Grand Duchess exclaimed, her eyes curving into delighted crescents, clearly pleased that he had listened so attentively. "It seems Morina has become quite busy because of it."
She shook her head, adding that while it was good for the neighboring restaurants to prosper, Lady Marie was almost too kind for her own good, giving away trade secrets so freely.
Loik looked at her, thinking how she herself spent day and night toiling to help people she had no obligation toward. He suppressed the urge to reach out and tuck away a stray lock of golden hair, his fingers twitching at his side.
Though he had tried to walk as slowly as possible, they had already reached the entrance of the main castle.
Time was far too short.
Loik bit his lip slightly.
Lately, the Grand Duchess had been incredibly busy. Of course, she still came every morning to tie his cravat. And on rare, lucky occasions, their schedules aligned enough for a walk like today.
Their contract was being upheld perfectly.
Yet, strangely, the time they spent together felt like it was shrinking.
Sometimes, Loik would even act unsightly out of sheer impatience, feeling as though she was leaving too soon. Whenever that happened, she would hold his hand briefly, as if soothing a child, before scurrying off to manage her hectic schedule.
Every time she left, the anxiety made him feel like he was losing his mind.
At this rate, a year would pass in the blink of an eye.
"I'm sorry, was I the only one talking?"
The Grand Duchess gave an embarrassed smile, noticing Loik’s somber expression.
"Not at all. I found it very enjoyable just listening to you."
Loik licked his dry lips. There was likely still time before her next appointment; perhaps he should ask her to have tea in the glass greenhouse like they did before?
— "As long as you stick to the contract, I don't really care about anything else."
But the memory of her firm voice made the words die in his throat. He worried that making a suggestion might become a burden to her.
The Grand Duchess clearly viewed him through the lens of their contractual relationship. She had even said she wouldn't mind if he prepared for a wedding with another woman.
Though she held his hand occasionally, in his eyes, it was nothing more than a kindness she extended to a man who couldn't touch others freely.
He had vowed not to draw a line between them.
'But what am I supposed to do if she's the one refusing to cross it?'
If he kept approaching her without reading the room, she might find him a nuisance. But surely a tea time would be fine? If he just asked casually...
Just as Loik was about to open his mouth, a voice called out.
"Your Grace!"
At that moment, his aide—the person he least wanted to see in the world—came down the stairs toward them.
"Sir Perel."
The Grand Duchess looked up and smiled warmly.
This guy... of all times!
The veins on Loik’s clenched fists bulged.
Perel, who had been grinning widely at the Grand Duchess, suddenly froze in his tracks when he caught the murderous glint in his superior's eyes.
"What is it?" Loik asked coldly.
"Well... it's about the matter you ordered earlier..."
As Loik narrowed his eyes, Perel approached hesitantly, stammering out an excuse. "You were later than the time you said you'd return, so I came to meet you..."
"Oh dear, I must have kept the Grand Duke for too long." The Grand Duchess pressed a hand to her lips.
"Not at all."
"A-Ah, no! It's just that I... I was being impatient!" Perel fumbled, eventually falling silent and taking a step back under Loik’s icy stare.
"Go on, Your Grace!" The Grand Duchess gave Loik’s back a gentle push.
'Maybe we could at least have dinner together later...'
Loik cleared his throat, his lips quivering as he tried to speak.
The Grand Duchess blinked as if she suddenly understood his hesitation, then reached out and grabbed his hand firmly.
"Your Highness?"
Perel winced, his lips curling inward at the uncomfortably sweet sight.
"May the Goddess's blessing be with you today, and may you find an Eknang coin even while just walking down the street..." she began, gently kneading Loik’s large hand. "Ah, you said you have training this afternoon, right? May one hour of training feel as effective as two, and may your meetings end quickly so our Grand Duke can rest early."
As always, the moment she took his hand, the suppressed mana began to drain away, filling his body with a languid sense of fulfillment.
If it weren't for this peculiar prayer she recited every time she held his hand lately, Loik would have likely pulled away and run off to cool his head several times by now.
"Well, I'll be going then. Have a wonderful day!"
Ah, just a little longer...
"...Have a good day."
The Grand Duchess departed first, joining the maid who was waiting for her. Watching her receding figure, Loik could only swallow the words lingering in his mouth.
*
"And the complaints? How serious are they?"
"Nothing to worry about, Your Grace. It seems a few shopkeepers are jealous because business is suddenly booming, but they are a tiny minority."
In his office, Loik was looking over the documents Perel had brought. It was a compilation of negative opinions from certain shop owners regarding 'Marie's Inn.'
"There is also no cause for concern regarding Her Highness the Grand Duchess," Perel added, scratching his head. "While it's true word has spread that she helped the inn, the shopkeepers' dissatisfaction isn't being directed at her."
"Are you certain?"
"On the contrary, thanks to the inn, foot traffic to nearby shops has increased significantly. The atmosphere in that district is actually quite positive."
"And the Merchant Association's pretext?"
A few days ago, rumors had reached him that the Gold Lane Merchant Association had sent a warning to Marie's Inn. He had been worried that something might happen to disappoint the Grand Duchess.
"They claim to be imposing sanctions because an inn is expanding its restaurant business beyond necessity, causing damage to neighboring eateries."
"What a load of rubbish."
"It's a transparent excuse, isn't it? They simply don't like anything operating outside the Association's influence," Perel said, frowning. "However, it seems there was a loophole since several other restaurants have adopted similar sales methods. The fact that the inn proactively reached out to help neighboring restaurants also played a part."
Loik suddenly turned his head toward Norton, who was standing beside Perel.
"Does the Grand Duchess still visit the inn often?"
"She visits once or twice a week."
"And the men we caught back then?"
He was referring to the debt collectors who had grabbed Morina by the hair weeks ago and been dragged to the castle.
"We have confirmed they have absolutely no connection to Her Highness. They weren't targeting the carriage from the start, and their target was the maid, so it appears to be a coincidental encounter."
Loik rubbed his forehead, lost in thought.
He had always kept track of the Grand Duchess's movements through Norton. Immediately after the wedding, public sentiment toward her had been so poor that he wanted to ensure she wasn't hurt while venturing outside.
Recently, he had intentionally allowed information about her stocking magazines for the servants and building the sports court to leak outside the castle. Thanks to that, rumors of her being a generous mistress had spread, and the malicious gossip about her had died down significantly.
Now that he had confirmed there were no immediate threats to her, he felt he could breathe a sigh of relief, yet a corner of his heart remained uneasy.
Perel spoke up hesitantly. "What should we do about Marquis Frais? It seems another letter arrived yesterday."
"There is no need to worry about that."
Suddenly, a look of triumph crossed Loik’s face.
"Her Highness said she would handle it herself."
Perel’s eyes widened in surprise.
Though letters continued to arrive from the Marquis's estate, Loik wasn't particularly worried. The Grand Duchess had hidden nothing from him from the very beginning.
— "Her Highness wrote a letter to the Young Marquis Frais and told us to take our time inspecting it before sending it out, as it wasn't urgent."
Loik recalled what the inspector had reported when the Grand Duchess sent her first external letter.
— "There was... nothing suspicious. In fact, when she handed it to the Head Butler, she mentioned she had sealed it by mistake and said that from now on, she would leave the envelopes unsealed to make the inspection easier."
She had even told a sheepish Whitley that since she was new to the castle, such procedures were only natural and that she was happy to cooperate at any time.
Because all her actions were so transparent, even those who had initially watched her every move were gradually forced to admit the truth: the Marquis might have schemes, but the Grand Duchess had none.
And then, a few days ago, she had brought up an unexpected topic.
— "My father says he wants to send me a lady-in-waiting."
He wants an invitation, then.
Loik bit his lip slowly. He knew all too well the filthy tricks the Marquis had used to try and plant a spy in the castle. Loik had fought tooth and nail to prevent it.
However, his decision to accept the Grand Duchess for a year had been made with the understanding that he would have to deal with such things.
'I'll just have to monitor whoever enters the castle strictly.'
Just as Loik was about to grant his permission, fearing he might hurt her feelings if he refused, she had spoken again.
— "I've already given him a firm refusal, so even if you receive a letter, you must never agree to it. Understood?"