The Passionate Courtship of Madame Marte (1)
The appointment ceremony finally concluded just as the guests’ legs began to ache and their bodies squirmed with boredom. Two hours had slipped by unnoticed, and the clock tower’s bells were now ringing out noon. Even though it was time for lunch, not a single person in the hall showed any intention of leaving. They continued to linger indoors, all hoping to meet me—the newly appointed lord.
“Come now, everyone, please step outside and wait! We will call each family in turn once preparations are ready!”
Olmati stepped forward and ushered all the visitors out of the audience chamber. Dana and I sat side by side on the elevated seats, while my newly appointed loyal vassals lined up on either side. On one end sat Princess Irene, with her escort knight Ristein standing calmly behind her.
“Am I really a knight now? Is this real…?”
Pasvachio kept pinching his own cheeks, looking utterly awkward at having risen from commoner to knight and commander of an entire unit. He still couldn’t believe whether this was a dream or reality. Unia teased him relentlessly for the dazed look on his face, while Mateus stood unusually tense. Epibia, for some reason, kept stealing glances at me and twitching the corners of her mouth in a strangely lewd manner. A suspicious aura seemed to radiate from her.
Kelly, now the treasurer, took her duties seriously and was already poring over the account books with meticulous care. Meanwhile, Marcus—while Olmati was busy organizing the crowd outside—dropped a bombshell on me.
“She’s pregnant.”
“Who?”
“Who do you think? That girl you gave me as a reward a few weeks ago. Her name’s Lemarchi.”
“Lemarchi?”
I had completely forgotten about her, but the memory came rushing back. On the way to Lanchester not long ago, we had clashed with a certain tribe. In the aftermath, I had given one of the two captive girls to Marcus as a reward. So… the girl I had granted him to serve as his attendant was now pregnant?
My eyes widened in shock before I could stop myself.
“Why did you do that?”
“Ahem. Well… it just sort of happened…”
Marcus looked sheepish. Unia, standing beside him, clutched her stomach and burst into laughter.
“Whoa~ This old man still has some fire left in him. Looks like he’s still going strong. Hahaha.”
I stared at Marcus with a dumbfounded expression, at a complete loss for words. But after thinking it over carefully, I realized it was actually good news. There was a saying that position shapes the man. Whether becoming a lord had naturally changed him or not, rather than questioning the morality of what Marcus had done, it was far better to consider the future of the family.
Marcus was like family to me and would never betray me. If my loyal retainer could leave behind descendants, it was nothing but beneficial for me. His children would also share a deep bond with me and devote their lives to the prosperity of the Richard family. I was genuinely happy that Marcus’s nearly severed bloodline would now continue.
The startled look on my face soon melted into a warm smile.
“It’s surprising, but I’m glad to hear it.”
“Just so there’s no misunderstanding, I didn’t touch her first.”
“So you’re saying she jumped on you, Grandpa?”
At Unia’s question, Marcus nodded.
“When I first took her as my attendant, she was surprisingly good at serving and quite adorable. So I thought I’d treat her well and gave her some alcohol one night, saying she’d worked hard… and then, well…”
Marcus closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
“Maybe it’s because she’s from a barbarian tribe, but once she got drunk, she suddenly turned into a wild beast. She was so fierce and incredibly strong…”
“Wait, so you got taken advantage of by the girl?”
“My lord, come on. Can’t you tell just by looking? He probably resisted half-heartedly and then let her have her way the other half.”
Marcus neither confirmed nor denied Unia’s words. He simply scratched his head awkwardly.
“Well, to be honest, I’m happy. I never thought I’d have a child in my lifetime. I hope she gives birth safely.”
It was the kind of story you’d only read in novels. As long as Marcus was happy, I had no desire to interfere. He would handle it properly. After all, the girl named Lemarchi was his slave. Still, it was astonishing that he would display such vigor in a place that had nothing to do with administration or war.
“How on earth did you manage to get her pregnant in a single night? That’s truly impressive.”
The words slipped out unintentionally, and everyone burst into laughter.
Just then, Olmati—who had been outside—came running back in, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“Have you waited long? We’ll proceed right away. Hehe.”
Olmati pulled out a memo from his pocket and unfolded it. It contained a hastily written list of guests. He glanced at it once before looking at me and speaking.
“The first guests are from the White family, hailing from Rainfall—one of the four villages in our Richard territory. The family head, Baron, has come with his daughter, Grace.”
He added,
“A very long time ago, the White family was famous for producing outstanding priests. But now they are a family with almost no presence. Shall we meet them?”
Before answering, I asked one question.
“Priests are a valuable profession, much like mages. They should be popular everywhere—how is it they still haven’t found a master?”
“The White family was thoroughly ostracized by the families who served the previous lord, but they never forgot Lanchester. Their ancestors were the ones who protected Lanchester Castle long ago. Having guarded this land for generations, their pride prevented them from leaving for another place. To abandon their hometown after losing a political struggle would be to admit they had been driven out, and for an old, deep-rooted family, there could be no greater humiliation. For the past several decades, the only thing they could do was live quietly in seclusion.”
“Let them in.”
A short while later, Baron and his daughter Grace entered. Baron was a man in his late fifties with brown hair streaked with gray and a calm demeanor. Grace appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties, with a warm and kind face. She gave off the impression of a gentle, good-hearted church sister. Her seemingly gentle nature left a very favorable first impression.
The two had brought a gift.
“To the new master of Lanchester Castle, Lord Hyunwoo Kang Richard, and to the lady of the house, we offer sixty sheep as a token of our deepest respect and reverence.”
Baron bowed his head slightly and spoke in a loud voice. I responded with a smile.
“I accept them gladly. Thanks to you, even if war breaks out tomorrow, we won’t have to worry about food.”
It was a casual remark, but Olmati—as if eager to flatter me—laughed loudly as though he had heard a hilarious joke. A relieved smile also appeared on Baron’s lips.
“I am overjoyed that it pleases you, my lord.”
He then got straight to the point. Baron wished for his daughter to be accepted into my vassal corps. In front of everyone, he had Grace demonstrate her talent.
“My daughter will heal it.”
Baron boldly slashed his own palm with a knife. As blood flowed from the torn skin, Grace invoked her holy power and healed the wound in an instant. Baron proudly spread his palm open and smiled at me.
“What do you think?”
There was no need to hesitate. Since we currently had no priest, I had already been inclined to accept Grace from the start. I turned to look at her, who stood with a nervous expression, and met her eyes with a bright smile.
“There will be a seat prepared for you at our table this evening. And tomorrow, the day after, and every meal thereafter, there will be dishes made with you in mind. Go and move your belongings to the Sky Chamber at once. Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
Grace clasped her hands together in delight. She even looked up at the ceiling and murmured prayers to the gods. Baron was so grateful that his daughter had joined the lord’s vassal corps that he generously offered not only the sixty sheep but also fifty thousand veni (approximately one hundred and ninety-two million five hundred thousand won) before departing in high spirits. After decades of living in obscurity, the chance to restore his family’s honor had finally arrived, and he looked overjoyed.
“Hehet, that was quite a profitable deal.”
Olmati rubbed his hands together with a sly grin.
“My lord.”
He glanced at the list in his hand and continued.
“The next guest is a noble lady who has come from quite far away.”
“A noble lady…?”
“I met her briefly earlier. She is a rather beautiful middle-aged woman with graceful and elegant features. She seemed to hold a great deal of affection for you, my lord.”
“What is her name?”
It couldn’t be her… could it? The moment he said “noble lady,” one person immediately came to mind. Olmati beamed as he spoke.
“She is the head of the Avignon Leche Merchantry from faraway Nobern—Madame Marte.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes, I was told her name is Clair Marte. Do you know her? Ah, of course you would, since you are also from Nobern, my lord. Hehe.”
“……”
I couldn’t hide my inner astonishment. I never imagined Madame Marte would follow me all the way here. At the same time, I felt slightly flustered, wondering if she had some other motive. My direct encounter with Madame Marte had been that single night at her residence, and ever since, we had only communicated through letters.
“Shall I bring Madame Marte in for an audience?”
Though I felt a twinge of reluctance, I was curious about why she had come so suddenly. She was also providing sponsorship, so there was no reason to refuse.
“Let her in.”