Chapter 43
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43
‘Hmph.’
I could see the corners of Aubrey’s and Lilius’s mouths twitching simultaneously at my loathsome smile and response.
But so what?
What were they going to do about it?
‘It’s not like I can’t play the innocent act now.’
Whether I got cursed out by Aubrey or by Leon Frezier, the result was the same.
In that case, it was far more beneficial to act like a submissive, well-behaved girl in front of all these vassals.
I did worry for a moment that Leon Frezier might throw a fork at me, telling me to stop acting so disgusting, but that didn't happen.
Fortunately.
‘He’s a male lead, so he has at least a baseline level of intelligence.’
Neither Aubrey nor Lilius would be able to attack me further in this setting.
Relaxing slightly, I turned my gaze to the table.
Perhaps because it was a formal banquet, the effort put into the decor was evident despite it being breakfast.
There were angel statues holding up baskets of fruit.
Porcelain dishes were carved with undulating patterns like mermaid tails.
The twill tablecloths and chair covers were embroidered with pearl-thread cloth and lace.
Lamps draped in a single layer of airy muslin cast a mellow glow over the large table.
In ivory-colored vases that gave off a cozy vibe, fresh flowers—likely cut by the gardeners just this morning—were beautifully arranged.
I only took a few bites of the salad and appetizers before sending them away. Since they were cold dishes, they made my throat ache.
However, once the steaming pea and clam soup arrived, I finally began to eat properly.
The hot soup, seasoned elegantly with pepper and herbs, felt like a restorative tonic for someone like me who hadn't quite shaken off a cold.
The temperature was perfect, soothing my scratchy throat.
As I finished the soup, a servant’s voice asked if I would like wine diluted with water, fresh lemon juice, or champagne as an aperitif.
“Just give me some herbal tea.”
“Yes, My Lady. How would you like the temperature?”
“Very hot.”
“We have some top-quality chamomile. How does that sound?”
“Great. I’ll take that. Thank you.”
The conversation between the servant and me probably wasn't audible to the others.
As Aubrey gave up on attacking me, Lilius had skillfully signaled the small orchestra to begin playing.
Musicians played their instruments in one corner of the dining room.
The soft melodies, perfectly suited for a morning banquet, served to pleasantly muffle the sound of people’s conversations.
After a few bites of honey-glazed ham, a special dish of fried oysters was served.
Normally, I would have happily devoured such a delicacy, but today, I only picked at it slowly.
‘It feels like it’s scratching my throat.’
It hit me then just how much Adel and the assistant butler had cared for me back in my room, bringing only soft, hot food specifically suited for a patient.
“D-do you... n-not have an appetite?”
A voice reached my ear.
I turned to my right.
It was Lisian, who had been eating with a grace that sat somewhere between a noble and an angel.
‘Ah. Lisian.’
Since he was one of the few family members who hadn't hated me from the start—and the fact that he was Corico’s true male lead—I had opened my heart to him to some extent.
“It’s not that.”
Because of that, my answer came out more sincerely.
“My throat is just scratchy because of the cold.”
That was why these luxurious oysters, fried to a perfect crisp, didn't taste good to me right now.
Lisian’s eyes flickered toward my plate.
Then.
“M-my menu is a s-stew.”
A dish of soft, hot beef stew was placed right onto my plate.
I hadn't had a choice in the menu because I arrived late, but it seemed Lisian had arrived early and pre-selected his meal.
“...If I eat this, what about you, Lisian?”
Lisian spoke as he nonchalantly took my dish.
“I, I l-like oysters too.”
“....”
What was this feeling?
My heart felt all warm and fuzzy.
“I’ll enjoy it, Lisian.”
I added a moment later.
“...Thank you.”
“Yeah.”
The beef stew, braised for a long time with red wine, herbs, and various seasonings, melted in my mouth like butter.
The tender meat fell off the bone at the mere touch of a fork.
I clearly had no appetite because of the cold.
So why did this beef stew taste so incredibly delicious?
I slowly blew on the very hot herbal tea the servant brought and took a sip.
The fragrant, hot liquid flowing down my esophagus seemed to warm my body to an unusual degree.
* * *
“So, I just need to make sure he takes this medicine, right?”
“Yes, My Lady.”
“Thank you!”
After tucking the medicine I received from the chief physician into my robe, the assistant butler quickly helped me into my cloak.
“My Lady. Please, make sure to stay bundled up before Head Maid Adel sees you. Otherwise, I’m the one who gets scolded.”
I tied the ribbon of my cloak tight, said my goodbyes, and hurried outside.
My current quarters were located in a remote corner of the main castle.
However, the twins, Leon Frezier and Lisian Frezier, had their quarters in a slightly better area.
‘Even if we’re all children of the Marquis, the difference in ability between the twins and Tulia is night and day.’
Both twins were top-tier talents.
They were brilliant students competing for first and second place at the Academy, and having inherited the talent of the Marquis of Frezier—who was also known as the Knight King—they had shown remarkable results in swordsmanship exams even at a young age.
Furthermore, while that bastard Leon Frezier had a foul temperament just like Tulia, it was of a different sort.
Tulia was a total wreck who acted like she’d been raised in a gutter.
Leon Frezier was a cold, overbearing young master.
Naturally, the servants knew better than to cross him.
“Ah, Lady Tulia?”
As I reached the entrance to the twins’ wing, a servant recognized me and bowed.
“Where is Brother Lisian?”
“Master Lisian headed to the Central Library a moment ago.”
‘He went straight to the library as soon as he got back.’
As expected of the top entrance examinee and future valedictorian of the Academy.
The Central Library Lisian had gone to was a bit of a distance from the main castle.
Even so, it was only about a ten-minute walk.
As you walk through the massive courtyard between the main castle and the library, the fragrant scent of paper begins to waft toward you at some point.
The Central Library of the Frezier main castle, which housed hundreds of thousands of volumes.
Also known as the ‘Corridor of Wisdom.’
Perhaps to strictly manage the entry and exit of the books, the library had only one entrance despite its overwhelming size.
I hummed to myself as I headed for the entrance.
The guards recognized me and gave a slight nod.
Entering the library, I received silent bows from a few librarians as I made my way inside.
Past the entrance, I saw beautiful silver hair near the largest table.
‘Silver hair really is a cheat code.’
Even indoors, away from the sunlight, it sparkled like pure silver. Anyone could tell at a glance he was of noble birth.
Since libraries demand silence, I killed my footsteps and approached him slowly.
While I was busy rehearsing my first greeting to Lisian in my head...
Something felt off.
“S-so... I’m l-looking for the b-book called The P-proper Monarch M-method for S-successors...”
Lisian was speaking haltingly, yet calmly, about the book he wanted.
But the young librarian, who wore a strangely annoyed expression, let out a deep sigh.
“What was that? Please say it again, Master.”
“The P-proper Monarch M-method for S-successors...”
“Ah... damn it.”
‘...Damn it?’
Did he just say “damn it” to Lisian?
In an instant, my blood ran cold.
The librarian scratched his head and muttered in a voice thick with annoyance and boredom.
“Seriously, I can’t understand a single word he’s saying...”
I was standing diagonally behind Lisian.
I could only see the side of Lisian’s face, but it was enough to see his expression darken.
Meanwhile, the librarian lazily shoved a piece of paper and a pen toward him.
“Could you just write it down here, Master?”
He said he “shoved” it, but he practically threw it.
A librarian and a young master of a Marquis family.
Despite the vast difference in status, he was acting like this.
And yet, Lisian didn't get angry.
As if he were used to this kind of treatment.
‘No, of course.’
He’s used to it.
He must be.
I knew this.
I’d already seen it in The Milk Bread.
This silver-haired young master who was used to being ignored just because he stuttered.
It was the heroine and his fiancée, Corico, who was supposed to heal these deep, deep wounds of Lisian’s.
“Hey.”
But honestly, even a passing piece of trash would be pissed off by this.
“...Hey?”
Did someone just call him “Hey”?
With an expression that said exactly that, the librarian looked up toward my voice and froze a beat later.
“Gasp! L-Lady Tulia!”
“Hey.”
I walked over, my heels clicking—no, let me correct that.
I stomped over and stood before the librarian like an immovable mountain.
“Hey.”
“Y-yes, My Lady...”
“What did you just say to my brother?”
I might be trash, but I’m the kind of trash who knows how to repay the favor of a shared beef stew.