An Unexpected Promotion

The massive gates, adorned with ornate ironwork at every bar, swung open with a heavy creak. The rattling carriage finally slowed as it rolled onto the smooth stone-paved driveway. Through the window, a world completely different from the Northern Wall where I had spent the past year unfolded before me. Immaculate gardens. Towering spires that reached dramatically toward the sky. And above them, the wolf-emblazoned banners of the Arteta Grand Duchy fluttering in the wind.

But the most striking sight of all was—

A long, incredibly long line of servants stood in formation from the entrance of the Arteta Grand Duke's Residence. From white-haired elderly gentlemen to young maids who still carried the freshness of youth. Every single one of them had dissolved into a sea of tears.

When the carriage stopped and Grand Duke Gareth stepped out after opening the door, a cheer that bordered on a roar erupted, thick with sobs. The Grand Duke offered a warm, kindly smile, meeting each person’s eyes and raising his hand in greeting. I watched the scene quietly from inside the carriage.

They’re welcoming him like a damn hero.

Right after my transmigration, when I was just rolling around as nameless soldier number one at the edge of the wall, none of this had felt real. That was probably because, for the first four months or so, all I could think was, That bastard Grand Duke is probably lounging in the rear, sucking up all the honey.

I hadn’t even seen the Grand Duke until he toured the entire wall around the four-month-and-two-week mark to look at the soldiers’ faces. Even then, I had thought, Okay, seeing him personally inspect every soldier does make me think a little better of him.

And now, watching these people weep openly in joy at their lord’s safe return, the soldiers on the wall who had been in the same situation as me suddenly came to mind. Those men who, like me, had only been called “hey, you” — they must have been someone’s precious son or husband too. They had endured over a year separated from their families, facing blizzards and freezing winds.

I wonder if they all made it home safely.

Still, to think the master of the house was so beloved that people cried after seeing him for the first time in a year. It seemed Gareth Arteta had lived as a far more respected and cherished Grand Duke than I had imagined.

Well, with a personality like that, it makes sense why Veronica went so far off the rails in the original story.

In the original novel, The Rose That Blooms to be Broken, the biggest trigger for villainess Veronica’s downfall was precisely this — the absence of her father. The father she respected and loved most in the world had been assassinated, and the uncle who seized his place had dragged the family into the gutter. How could anyone endure that without going mad?

It hadn’t been my intention, but in the end, I had prevented Veronica’s greatest catalyst for corruption. Earlier in the carriage, when the Grand Duke had awkwardly insisted I call him “brother,” I had wondered if the treatment was a bit excessive… but considering I had stopped one of the original story’s tragedies and spent a year grinding away on the wall, this sweet reward didn’t seem so bad.

No. It was actually pretty damn good.

“Sir Vale, what are you doing still sitting there? Come out!”

At the Grand Duke’s hearty call, I set my thoughts aside and stepped down from the carriage. The moment I began walking behind him, the gazes of the servants — who had been wiping away tears while welcoming the Grand Duke — all snapped toward me at once. Their eyes were filled with questions.

“Um, Head Butler. Who is that gentleman following His Grace?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen him before…”

I caught the careful whisper of one of the maids standing in the front row. Even though I wore plain clothes, my rough aura — honed over a year on the battlefield — and the scars that hadn’t yet faded must have looked extremely out of place in the Grand Duke’s residence.

Noticing the servants’ confusion, Gareth Arteta ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stopped walking, cleared his throat once, and declared in a loud, clear voice.

The surroundings fell silent in an instant. The Grand Duke wrapped his arm tightly around my shoulder with clear pride.

Ouch! My shoulder hurts like hell!

The wound on my shoulder throbbed faintly, but I couldn’t let it show.

The moment the Grand Duke’s resounding proclamation ended, the servants’ eyes transformed from wariness and doubt into awe and deep emotion.

“H-he saved His Grace…!”

“Benefactor, it is an honor to meet you!”

“Thank you so much for saving His Grace, Sir Vale!”

Without anyone taking the lead, they began bowing deeply and expressing their gratitude. A few of the maids even grabbed my hands and burst into loud sobs.

“Ah, yes. Thank you. Nice to meet you all.”

I smiled awkwardly and shook hands one by one with the servants who reached out to me. Compared to my rough, calloused palms that had hardened like stone, their hands were soft. They smelled like real people. Only then did it truly hit me that I had survived and arrived in another world.

As I exchanged brief greetings with the servants and walked toward the end of the line, my gaze stopped at one particular spot. At the very end of the long row, standing in front of the entrance to the Grand Duke’s residence, was a woman in a neat dress with her hands gracefully clasped together.

She possessed such dignity that it almost felt as if the air around her had grown unusually calm and settled. It was the Grand Duchess, Rebecca Arteta.

Though she appeared to be suppressing her emotions with effort, her reddened eyes and the slight tremble of her lips could not be hidden. Grand Duke Gareth strode forward and stopped before his wife.

“I am relieved… that you have returned safely, Your Grace.”

The Duchess gave a light curtsy in accordance with the strict etiquette of noble society and offered a formal greeting. It seemed she intended to observe the proper decorum between lord and subject, especially in a public setting.

But Gareth Arteta was having none of it.

“I’m home.”

Before she could even finish her greeting, the Grand Duke pulled Rebecca into a fierce ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠embrace, etiquette be damned. As the large-framed Duke enveloped her in his arms, the Duchess’s shoulders began to shake faintly.

“Ahh…”

It was as if the emotions she had been holding back finally burst free. She wrapped her arms around the Duke’s broad back and eventually shed quiet tears.

“Truly… I’m so relieved. Do you know how worried I was…?”

“Where would I go without you and Veronica? It’s all thanks to this man here.”

The Grand Duke smiled brightly and turned to look at me. Rebecca ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠also gently pulled away from his embrace and turned her body toward me. Though her eyes were wet with tears, the gaze she directed at me was filled with profound sincerity.

“You are Sir Vale, correct? I have heard the story. Thank you so much for saving my husband… for saving His Grace. I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life.”

“It was nothing. I simply did what I had to do, Madam.”

I answered with a light bow. The Grand Duke, who had been warmly watching their touching reunion, suddenly looked around and asked,

“By the way, where is our lovely Veronica? She hasn’t shown herself. Is she unwell? Her father has come home, yet she hasn’t even poked her nose out.”

At the Grand Duke’s words, Duchess Rebecca wiped away her tears and gave a small, playful smile. Then she whispered softly into his ear.

“Veronica is in her bedroom right now. She wanted to come out to greet you together, but… recently she has been learning about the dignity a fine young lady must maintain through the legends of our female ancestors in House Arteta.”

“Legends? What legend?”

“It said that women of the Arteta Grand Duchy — especially those who carry the blood of the wolf — must not carelessly show tears ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in front of others. After learning that, she said that if she saw her father she would probably burst into tears without meaning to, but she didn’t want to be seen sobbing in front of everyone… so she asked that you please come to her bedroom separately.”

Upon hearing the Duchess’s whisper, a bright flush of joy spread across Gareth Arteta’s face. The expression “grinning from ear to ear” fit him perfectly.

“Ohhh! Has our Veronica become such a fine young lady in just one year! That child who used to hesitate so much to ask for anything has now asked her father to come to her bedroom first — how could I not be overjoyed!”

There was no greater doting father in existence. The Northern Grand Duke who had sliced through the necks of foreign invaders on the battlefield was gone, replaced entirely by a simple father who adored his daughter.

The Grand Duke turned as if he would dash straight to his daughter’s room at any moment, but then he paused, suddenly remembering my presence.

“Ah, I got a little carried away. Darling.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Please show Vale to the room where he will be staying. Explain the layout of the residence to him as well. He is my new brother who will be living with us in the Grand Duke’s residence from now on, so please take good care of him and ensure he lacks for nothing.”

“I will keep it in mind. Now go on. Veronica must be waiting with bated breath.”

The Grand Duke gave me a brief nod of farewell, then whirled his cloak and vanished into the mansion like the wind. Watching his retreating figure, Duchess Rebecca wore a gentle smile.

What a warm family atmosphere.

I quietly observed the situation, imagining the tender reunion between the Grand Ducal couple and the young Veronica waiting for her father somewhere out of sight. It was an incredibly peaceful and warm daily life, completely different from the blood-soaked beginning of the original story.

“Well then, Sir Vale. I shall give you a tour of the mansion. Please follow me this way.”

Having received her husband’s request, Duchess Rebecca gestured toward me with elegant grace. I followed behind her, stepping onto the floor of the mansion for the first time in my life.

The interior of the Arteta Grand Duke's Residence was even more splendid and majestic than it had appeared from outside. Yet even within that opulence, the practical northern character was clearly present.

Duchess Rebecca matched her pace to mine and continued her calm explanation.

“As you can see upon entering the first floor, there is a main hall that opens all the way up to the second floor. It is the face of the Grand Duke’s residence. Following the corridor on the left will lead you to the communal dining hall and kitchen. If you take the corridor on the right, you will find the exhibition hall displaying the Arteta Grand Duchy’s weapons and artworks, as well as the library.”

“It’s an enormous scale.”

“If you wish to learn more about the great history of our Arteta Grand Duchy later, feel free to use the exhibition hall and library. If there is any book or material you desire, simply tell the librarian at any time.”

We climbed the wide spiral staircase that crossed the center of the main hall and ascended to the second floor.

“The second floor is a shared space used by guests from outside as well. Various reception rooms, lounges, and salons are located here. Depending on the number and status of visitors to the residence, the number of rooms and areas opened will differ.”

Since I’m technically an outside guest for now, I’ll probably be using this area quite often.

I nodded while roughly mapping out the layout in my mind. Rebecca’s steps did not stop and continued toward the staircase leading to the third floor.

“This third floor contains the bedrooms for honored guests visiting the residence. Based on the central corridor, the left side is the area for female guests and the right side is for male guests. Naturally, each bedroom comes with its own private bathroom and small study.”

As I listened to the explanation while climbing the stairs, I noticed a subtle change in the architectural structure. The stairs from the first to second floor and from the second to third had an open, airy feel, but the staircase leading to the fourth floor at the end of the third floor was much narrower, with both sides blocked by walls — a closed-off design. Moreover, two heavily armed knights stood at rigid attention guarding the passage to the fourth floor.

“Judging by the staircase structure and the guards, I suppose the fourth floor and above are the family’s private quarters where guests are not permitted to enter.”

At my murmur, Duchess Rebecca stopped walking and turned to look back at me. Her eyes widened slightly, then sparkled with interest.

“Oh my. I heard you only lived as a common soldier, yet you read the context so accurately. You have quite the keen eye.”

Along with the compliment, a mischievous smile spread across the Duchess’s lips. It was a very different expression from the calm, dignified one she had worn just moments ago.

“As it happens, there are currently no female guests staying in the residence…”

“Would you like to take a look at the women’s guest rooms? The layout is slightly different from the men’s area, so it might be interesting.”

“Pardon? Ah, no, what are you saying…”

As I tried to avoid Rebecca’s eyes, my gaze inadvertently drifted toward the area around her chest.

“It will probably be your only chance if not today.”

Why does this feel strangely suggestive…?

Even if she is a mother, she must have married young. As the Grand Duchess, she’s probably around twenty-eight or so.

Exactly the age where I could comfortably call her noona…

My eyes refused to leave the Grand Duchess’s chest — the same woman who might end up being called my sister-in-law if I followed the Grand Duke’s lead.