Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Lady Kreuz Arrives
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To cut to the chase, figuring out the origin of the power was a failure.
I have no idea what Ulpi did the moment he showed up, but it was because he didn't properly follow Yelena's instructions.
"Eup eup! S-stop licking!"
"…."
And above all, the fact that my counterpart was a spirit played a huge role.
No matter how mystical the being, proper communication just wasn't happening.
"For now, it looks impossible to figure it out right away."
"I'm sorry… Ulpi's always been a bit too playful…."
"No, I should have known better than to rely on a single spirit from the start."
I hadn't fully uncovered it, but I had grasped the core.
The Winterguard power and the spirit Ulpi were connected in some way.
I could investigate centering around that.
'The issue is whether it relates to using the power or not….'
The best way would be to unleash the Winterguard power in a monster subjugation or spar with Kind and see.
But since the side effects could potentially harm Yelena badly, caution seemed wiser.
I didn't tell her this part.
Given her personality in the original story or what I'd seen now, she'd endure the embarrassment and tell me to test it on her.
But after witnessing how mortified she was, I didn't want to put her through that again.
"I'll try to look into it as much as I can by meeting Ulpi and other spirits."
"I'll go over the family's past and my memories again."
"Oh, and about this matter…."
"Yeah, I know. It'll stay our little secret."
"O-our little secret…."
"Something wrong?"
"N-no. Hehe."
"Alright, then head on in. I have work left to handle."
"Ah, okay. Then… I'll be going. C-Cass."
"…Yeah, Lena. Get back safe."
After overcoming her shyness and saying it a few times, the nickname was starting to stick.
Was this good or bad?
"…Who knows."
In any case, I'd learned a lot today.
Especially about Yelena.
.
.
.
A few days passed.
Rumors about my marriage to Yelena were now spreading in earnest.
This wasn't just among our estate's servants—it was reaching other families' ears too.
'Guess it's time to prepare the invitations.'
But that wasn't for today.
Today was the day a guest was coming.
"My lord, Lady Kreuz from the Count Kreuz family has arrived."
"Bring her in."
It was the Lady Kreuz, here to help set up the banquet.
"Greetings, Your Grace. I'm Natasha from the Count Kreuz family."
The black-haired Lady Kreuz had a sharp, stern gaze that left an impression.
Her looks suggested she preferred combat and training over tea parties or balls.
'…Still, I should stop judging by appearances.'
"The knights from the Count Kreuz family will arrive soon."
"…So you came alone?"
"Yes. I happen to be the best rider among us…."
"…."
Maybe judging by looks wasn't so wrong after all.
But that didn't mean she lacked sense, judging from appearances.
"The Winterguard estate's signature black should be the core, so let's build around that. Here…."
"No wonder Count Kreuz recommended you so highly."
"Thank you for the praise, Your Grace."
"By the way, this banquet might turn into a wedding."
"I've heard. The scale could grow larger, but no problem there."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
And so, for a while, I showed her around the estate while listening to her ideas.
It wasn't just work talk—stories about the Kreuz family or the past five years slipped in now and then.
"So you trained for all that as payment?"
"Yes. My father said every northern woman needs to protect herself… As a child, it felt like homework and I hated it, but now training is enjoyable."
"Glad you see it that way…."
After a quick tour of the entire estate, I took her to Yelena.
With the fake marriage underway, she needed to be seen managing the estate directly for a while.
"From here on, consult with Lena."
"P-please take care of me…!"
"…Cute."
"Pardon?"
Lady Kreuz was just shy of 170 cm tall.
Even among the tall northern women, she was on the taller side, so there was a subtle height difference with Yelena.
And from her stories about loving banquets and teas, she seemed to like small and cute things too.
In other words, to Natasha Kreuz right now, Yelena was a petite, adorable creature from the southwest.
"…My apologies, Duchess."
"Uh…."
Maybe because she'd only been treated as a viscount's lady or miss until now, and hearing 'Duchess' properly for the first time made Yelena flinch.
The title still felt awkward to her.
'It's fine. Me too.'
I was used to Grand Duke, but being treated as Yelena's husband still felt off occasionally.
But time would fix this.
As more people like Natasha Kreuz called her that, it'd become natural despite the awkwardness.
"Lena."
"Yes, Cass."
"As Count Kreuz recommended, the lady has excellent taste. Consult with her freely without worry."
And I added some acting for the fake marriage.
"Go in whatever direction you want most, but heed the expert Lady Kreuz's advice too. It has to be the most splendid, wonderful day of our lives."
"…!!"
Yelena's cheeks flushed bright red at my words.
She nodded vigorously, then grabbed Lady Kreuz and Lucia and dashed off.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her back.
By the time they vanished, I moved to my own spot.
'…Come to think of it, I should assign Yelena a bodyguard knight too.'
Currently, she had no dedicated guard.
That was mostly because she rarely left the estate.
The estate had constant surveillance from soldiers and the Storm Knight Order, with escorts assigned as needed… so it hadn't felt necessary until now.
But things would change.
Until the fake marriage ended, she'd hold the high position of Duchess.
If Cassius had political enemies, they'd likely target her.
'Maybe appoint Lady Kreuz as her bodyguard.'
Like how noble daughters volunteered as imperial princess's maids.
The Duchess was treated the same as the Grand Duke, so having a subordinate family's daughter as maid or guard wasn't odd.
'…Or find someone more suitable.'
Suitable here meant one person.
A Swordmaster.
Of the two Swordmasters in the north, not Kind.
She barely appeared in the original story, but I knew a bit.
What was certain: she was a woman.
If she became Yelena's bodyguard… it'd be convenient in many ways.
The problem was recruiting her would be extremely tricky.
'I heard she wants no deep political ties.'
Her presence would be very appealing to subordinate families opposing me and the Winterguard family.
Securing a Swordmaster would greatly ease the burden of facing both Kind and Cassius at once.
But in the end, they failed to convince her and she sided with no one.
'Wait, then how did they plan to rebel against a Swordmaster and Cassius?'
For a moment, I wondered if the family heads were that stupid, then realized something.
'Right, in the original, Kind leaves the estate.'
That made it plausible enough.
Even if casualties occurred, without a rational Swordmaster, victory became possible.
A Cassius steeped in mania was little more than a rampaging beast.
Someone who objectively assessed situations for max efficiency with minimal power was scarier than one wasting it impulsively.
The subordinate families probably saw Kind—with the Storm Knight Order's trust, cool judgment, and immense power—as the primary threat more than even Cassius.
'…Since it's on my mind, I should track her location.'
So I could attempt recruitment or whatever if needed.
The person I went to was the other Swordmaster: Kind.
"Uh… her? Probably somewhere in the Anantasasha Mountains, I suppose."
"…Inside the mountains?"
I got an answer I hadn't expected at all.
In this frigid region, during the even colder winter?
In mountains crawling with surging monsters everywhere?
For a moment, I had to doubt my ears.