Chapter 110
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110
“Yes, Lady Tulia.”
“And you say there are thirty wagons?”
“That is correct.”
“Hmm… Fine. I understand.”
Luc had spoken indirectly, but I caught his meaning.
‘It means Belladonna Merton is coming along.’
For one thing, her current status was no longer that of a mere mistress.
She was now Countess Orquichin.
According to national law, that made her a guest befitting the status of the Grand Ducal House. Unlike before, when she was just a mistress, she was now a perfect noblewoman.
Furthermore, Grandfather was a ‘knight’ who had sworn upon his sword in his youth.
A knight cannot vent his anger upon a lady.
A knight must show every courtesy to a noblewoman.
This was the common code of chivalry, the knightly etiquette also known as ‘Getshu.’
Getshu was a concept held in high regard in The Milk Bread, as well as in the Brillant Empire and the entire Spring Continent.
‘If we’re going strictly by Getshu, Grandfather can no longer get angry at Belladonna Merton.’
Well, Grandfather had never really expressed anger to Belladonna’s face in the first place. Nigella had never dared to bring her to the Grand Duchy before.
And Belladonna Merton was just as terrified of Grandfather, the Iron-Blooded Grand Duke. In The Milk Bread, there was even a scene where she spent an entire imperial banquet fleeing from him, terrified that they might cross paths after he traveled up to the capital.
Yet here was Nigella, bringing Belladonna himself.
I wasn’t sure how the story would unfold, but I had a hunch about something else.
‘It seems the enemy Ramus Jeremiah mentioned is Belladonna Merton.’
There was no one else particularly eyesore-ish, after all.
Still, I didn’t quite understand.
‘Is Belladonna planning to poison me or something?’
I didn’t know why Ramus Jeremiah had gone so far as to describe her as an ‘enemy.’
Regardless, it didn’t hurt to be careful. I designated Belladonna Merton and Sandra’s quarters in an annex quite far from the main castle.
‘If it were Lilius, he would have told Aubrey to give them a grand suite in the main castle.’
Because they were on the same side!
But I wasn’t, was I?
In principle, it was up to me who stayed where.
Of course…
While that was easy to say, in reality, I had to work all day assigning annexes based on the vassals' ranks, their seniority, and the family members they brought with them.
“Brother Lisian, thank you for your help.”
“It’s… finished, then? You worked hard, Tulia.”
“Yeah. You too, Brother.”
Thanks to Lisian’s help, the preparations were finished much earlier than expected. Perhaps because he was an Academy genius, Lisian’s efficiency in work was incredible. If he weren’t my brother, I would have wanted to hire him as my secretary.
“Hey, Tulia Frezier.”
Leon Frezier spoke up from the side in a crooked tone.
“Do you not see me?”
I blinked and stared at Leon Frezier.
“I see you.”
“I’ve been helping this whole time too, so why hasn’t a single word of thanks come out for this older brother?”
“Oh, right.”
“‘Oh, right’?”
Leon Frezier dragged out my words mockingly. I smiled with feigned sweetness and said, “Thank you so much for lying on the sofa and looking over a few documents for me.”
“What? A few? A few?”
Leon Frezier immediately bolted upright from the sofa and shook the stack of papers in his hands.
“It wasn’t a few, I looked at ninety-nine pages!”
“That’s why I said thank you!”
“The depth and sincerity are different from how you treat Brother Lisian!”
“Brother Lisian handled nine hundred pages by himself, so of course it’s different! Don’t you know what performance-based rewards are?!”
“I don’t!”
* * *
“Honestly, I don’t know where Leon Frezier puts his age.”
At my grumbling, Adel chuckled and pulled the duvet up to my neck.
“You’ve had a long day. You worked so hard traveling to the capital, only to come back and handle internal affairs immediately… Please, get some deep sleep.”
“Thanks, Adel.”
After wishing Adel a good night, I lay in the darkened bedroom, blinking.
Finally, I was alone.
[System] You have completed the Sudden Quest <Accept ‘Empress Carmi’s’ Letter>!
In other words, it was finally time to check the benefit from this quest.
I’d had moments alone in the carriage, of course. But with hidden quests and benefits popping up out of nowhere, I’d been too distracted and ended up forgetting.
Anyway, what kind of benefit did the Sudden Quest give me?
I sat up abruptly, licking my lips like a gourmet about to lift a silver cloche, and signaled with my eyes. The golden star moved lightly, twinkling like a fairy.
[System] Benefit Acquired!
[System] A benefit is granted for completing ‘Accept Empress Carmi’s Letter’!
[System] You have acquired the benefit ‘Child’s Talent: Pearl-like Tears’!
“Child’s Talent: Pearl-like Tears?”
Hmm.
“The name of the benefit is strangely peculiar.”
Pearl-like tears. It was a very elegant expression.
But if one were to use such an expression, wouldn’t it be more fitting to use the word ‘Noble’ instead of ‘Child’?
Noble’s Talent: Pearl-like Tears.
That seemed more natural.
“Do children have to cry elegantly too?”
Even for nobles, the Brillant Empire wasn’t that harsh on children.
I scratched my head and waited for the next part.
But.
“…?”
It was strange.
No matter how long I waited, the next part didn’t appear. The explanation for the benefit didn’t follow.
“What is it?”
I glared at the air, clicking my eyes as if trying to force it, but nothing changed.
“Wait, you’re not even going to give me an explanation now?”
Don’t tell me I have to pay coins to see that too?!
For a moment, I almost lost my temper, but since no system window appeared asking for coins, it was definitely strange. No other explanation followed.
“Seriously.”
Dumbfounded, I ground my teeth.
“…This damn status window.”
It’s getting lazy. Huh?
It’s getting really slack.
It gets worse by the day.
I went all the way to the capital and back, which was exhausting. I even saw the poor, battered male lead, Benjamin. And yet, the benefit it gives doesn’t even have an explanation attached. It just confuses me with a cryptic title.
“You shouldn’t live your life like this, you know?”
You have to give me an explanation so I can understand what the benefit is!
I raised my eyebrows high and glared at the star.
Then.
[System] Benefit ‘Child’s Talent: Pearl-like Tears’
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, new letters began to be typed out in the empty air.
[System] Effect of Benefit ‘Child’s Talent: Pearl-like Tears’
[System] Unconstrained by emotions
‘Unconstrained?’
[System] Unconstrained
[System] Unconstrai
[System] Unconstrai n
“…What? What’s wrong with it?”
Goosebumps broke out over my skin, and I instinctively took a step back.
[System] Unconstrai n ed by
[System] Unconstrai n ed by
[System] ed by constrai Un
[System] Un by ed constrai
.
.
.
[System] Ending explanation.
“…What was that?”
I stared at the air, feeling a strange sense of dread.
Like the moon orbiting the Earth, the winged star was slowly circling around me. A golden star with a beautiful, elegant pattern.
My—Tulia’s—status window.
Just now, it felt exactly like…
‘A robot right before it breaks down.’
Even like a robot with its own ego…
What was scarier than that was…
Did this thing, this star, just answer my question?
What was going on?
The creeping chill made me back away slowly until I finally threw the door open and ran outside.
“Lisian!”
Lisian was sitting on the sofa in the small parlor, wearing a robe and reading a book.
“Tulia?”
He stood up in surprise when he saw me running toward him.
“What—what’s wrong? Your… your face is so pale.”
“Brother.”
I swallowed hard.
“Can I sleep in your room tonight?”