Unexpected Visitor
Having eaten an early dinner because of the sudden visitor, Edgar left the house with Creed. Leonel had thrown a fit, complaining that he was bored and demanding to be taken along with Enya, but this time Edgar had no choice but to leave them behind.
“Today I’ll just give you a quick look at the main building. You’ll need to know your way around if you want to meet the young lady.”
“Is it really all right for someone like me to enter the main building without permission?”
Even though they had been tacitly allowed to stay here, the people who actually lived in the main building were essentially all outsiders to them. Judging from how freely Leonel and Enya had been roaming outside earlier, wandering the grounds didn’t seem to be a problem, but stepping into the residence of the Grand Duke’s own family felt like crossing a line.
“Normally it would be difficult. But if I’m with you, it’ll be fine.”
“So I need a fence after all.”
“Haha, for a kid you’ve got quite the tongue on you.”
Since the boy wasn’t wrong, Creed simply let out a hearty laugh. As Edgar had said, being permitted to reside here did not mean complete freedom. There were boundaries that had to be observed and certain restrictions in place. The most obvious was entering the nobles’ living quarters without authorization, just like the rules about accessing the castle interior. Most of the children brought here were commoners, so such precautions were unavoidable.
Fortunately, having Creed at his side made entering the castle possible, so it wasn’t a major issue. In fact, most of the castle residents—aside from a select few—were people Helen had brought in, and they often welcomed the children warmly. Some would share snacks, and the less busy servants would even play with them from time to time.
“By the way, the place where the young lady stays is over there. See it?”
“…All the way at the top?”
Following the direction of Creed’s finger, Edgar lifted his gaze. At a height that forced him to crane his neck, a single balcony jutted out from the building.
She really does live high up.
It was a fresh reminder of the gap in their stations. Even among nobles, the daughter of a Grand Duke was clearly in a different league. At that height, simply walking up to her room would be an ordeal in itself.
“At this rate, sneaking in to meet her is going to be tough.”
“It would be, unless the young lady happens to come outside. The problem is that those occasions are rare.”
“Rare?”
Edgar looked at Creed with puzzled eyes. Coming out of the building for a short while shouldn’t be that difficult, should it? Creed offered a bitter smile and roughly tousled the boy’s hair.
“It means that being born into a good family comes with heavy responsibilities. You of all people should understand what I mean.”
“…I see.”
Edgar gave a small nod, finally understanding. When Ariel had told him she hadn’t been able to go outside for three whole weeks, he had assumed she simply meant she hadn’t left the castle grounds. But perhaps it had meant she had been confined to this building the entire time.
That’s harsh.
Just how strict were the Grand Duke’s educational policies? No, this went beyond education; it felt more like a fundamental problem with how they treated people. The fact that even Helen, of all people, stayed by her side yet things had reached this point suggested the shackles around Ariel’s ankles were exceptionally tight.
“Creed, sir, am I allowed to leave the castle grounds freely?”
“Yes. You saw those little ones earlier, didn’t you? They come and go as they please with their passes, so you shouldn’t have any problems either.”
It seemed that as long as he didn’t enter the main building without permission, he would otherwise enjoy considerable freedom. Edgar asked when he could receive such a pass and whether he might even go out today. When Creed confirmed it, a bright smile spread across the boy’s face.
Just before entering the main building through the back door, Edgar paused to gaze once more at the balcony he had seen earlier. A small smile touched his lips before he followed after Creed.
After finishing her evening meal and returning to her room, Ariel immediately sat down at her desk. Although she had returned to the main family house—which should have been the most peaceful place of all—her daily routine was only going to grow busier.
The stack of books piled high on her desk was proof enough; just looking at them drew a sigh from her lips. Still, she had more work waiting for her tomorrow, so she could not afford to put this off any longer.
Steeling herself, Ariel picked up one of the books—easily six times thicker than her own hand—and opened it. The volume contained detailed information on the empire’s prominent families along with personal records of their members. She had to memorize its contents, take a test on it tomorrow, and only after passing successfully could she move on to the next task. There would be no time to catch her breath; she would simply be given a new assignment.
After this is magic lessons. What came after that again?
Probably etiquette class or sword training. Some might think it was too early for a fourteen-year-old girl to be learning such things, but that only applied to the young ladies of other families who had been raised like flowers in a greenhouse. Ariel was expected to grow into a warrior who would one day ride battlefields like her father and confront the northern tribes. For that, she needed to build a body capable of enduring the front lines and cultivate the strength to match.
Magic education fell into the same category.
“The Roktael family… a prominent count household even in the central region. The current head is…”
Reading aloud helped her memorize better, so Ariel recited the text smoothly while turning page after page. One page became two, then ten, then dozens, then hundreds. After finishing one book, she immediately moved on to the next, now scanning the lines with her eyes alone instead of reading aloud. Anything she feared she might forget she quickly jotted down in a separate notebook.
How much time had passed? Ariel collapsed against the back of her chair as if exhausted, letting out a deep sigh. She reached for the small bell resting on the corner of her desk and shook it weakly.
“Yes, my lady. Did you call for me?”
The door opened and Shuri entered, bowing her head politely as she asked what her mistress required.
“Bring me something to drink and a snack. I’m so tired.”
“Please wait just a moment. I’ll bring them right away.”
Normally Ariel preferred fruit preserved in honey or blended into drinks, but when she was deeply focused on something she favored tea instead. Shuri knew this well. She headed to the kitchen, prepared tea leaves and hot water, and began brewing with practiced hands.
As the fragrant aroma filled the room, Ariel’s expression finally softened. When the girl rose from her seat and trudged over to the bed before flopping onto it like a corpse, a small smile curved Shuri’s lips.
No matter what she said, having watched over her mistress recently, Shuri understood all too well just how heavy the position of Grand Duke’s daughter truly was. Even if someone offered her all the gold and jewels in the world, she would never want to trade places. Simply seeing the mountain of books on the desk made her realize just how remarkable her young mistress was.
“My lady, please drink your tea first and gather your strength.”
“Mmm… I suppose I should.”
Ariel wriggled like a caterpillar as she sat up on the bed and took the teacup from the small table beside it. The temperature was perfect for drinking. Inhaling the deep aroma, she felt some of the day’s fatigue melt away. Thinking about the work still ahead made the exhaustion feel twice as heavy, but she chose to look away from that reality for now.
“When did you say you would meet Lord Edgar?”
“I didn’t set any specific date. Honestly, I don’t really want to see that guy anyway.”
The way Ariel pouted and took a loud sip of tea made her look like a duck to Shuri. An ugly duckling, perhaps—but not because she was unattractive. More because she refused to be honest with her own feelings. Anyone watching from the side could see it so clearly; why did she insist on hiding it? Moments like these made Shuri acutely aware that her mistress was a whole year younger than she was.
Compared to her usual curt and prickly demeanor, this sulky side was far cuter, and it made watching over her rather entertaining.
“You can go rest now. I’ll finish this and go to bed too.”
“I’ll wait outside, so please call me before you sleep. I’ll tidy up and then retire as well.”
“You really don’t listen, do you?”
Since Shuri was determined, Ariel didn’t feel like arguing further. She gave a small nod, sent the maid out, then bit into a cookie and looked around her room. Though the decorations were quite luxurious, the space felt stark and empty, lacking any real personal touches. There wasn’t even a single stuffed doll like the ones girls her age usually played with. The room was filled only with books and other practical items, giving it an almost desolate atmosphere.
I want a doll…
Ariel set down her teacup and flopped backward onto the bed. With no doll to hug, she wrapped both arms tightly around a large pillow nearly her own size and fell into thought. The chilly night air crept in through the wide-open window, but for some reason she didn’t feel like worrying about it right now.
Maybe I should call Shuri back.
Being alone made her feel lonely, and her mind kept drifting to strange thoughts. She still needed to close the window. Perhaps it would be better to summon Shuri again and ask her to keep her company.
Just as she was debating it—
Thud.
“Whoa, I thought I was going to die.”
“!?”
The sound of someone landing on the balcony was followed by a disgruntled mutter. Ariel’s heart nearly stopped. How did anyone climb all the way up here? For a moment she thought it might be an assassin and couldn’t even find her voice. She should call for Shuri immediately, but first she needed to see who it was.
Keeping as quiet as possible, she rose from the bed and cautiously approached the balcony. The figure slowly came into view. Ariel’s mouth fell open in shock. Trembling, she pointed at the intruder as if she had seen something she should never have witnessed.
“Jeez, you scared me. Hey, if you’re there, at least make some noise.”
“Wh-what… How did you get up here…?”
Standing there with an unidentifiable paper bag in one hand and a stuffed doll tucked under the other arm was none other than her childhood friend.