Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 45
After sharing the cake piece by piece, the Count and Countess left early.
The Count wanted to spend more time with his children, but as the Madam gave him a stern expression, he obediently followed her.
As the Countess had guessed, the men’s faces became more relaxed when the two disappeared.
Eleanor sat down in the center of the living room and began unwrapping the gifts, large and small, one by one. She picked up one fancy box that she caught her eye on.
“That’s what I prepared.”
Izmel gently raised his hand.
“I thought so.”
It resembled Izmel from its gorgeous yet elegant packaging. Eleanor carefully opened the lid of the box.
“Wine?”
“I asked Dwight about what you like, and he said that.”
Eleanor glared at Dwight.
Of all the many, many things! There are many more noble and wonderful hobbies.
“Do you hate it?”
Izmel asked cautiously.
“It’s not like that.”
“There is more than that.”
Izmel smiled and nodded lightly. Eleanor, who carefully put down the wine, opened another box that was placed under it.
“Whoa…!”
Eleanor’s name was engraved in gold leaf on a leather-covered notebook. The notebook made by weaving each piece of paper with thread was as beautiful as a work of art in itself. Eleanor ran her fingertips through her name.
“I hope it will be filled with pleasant stories.”
“I don’t think I can use it because it’s too pretty.”
Eleanor blushed as she met Izmel’s eyes. Leaning comfortably on the sofa, he raised the corner of his lips gracefully.
“Is it Demian’s turn now?”
Adrian gently pushed Demian’s shoulder, who was hesitant in the corner. Demian set the rather heavy box down on Eleanor’s lap. Her face brightened as she opened the box.
Kaidel added an explanation.
“Demian picked it himself.”
“The geraniums have bloomed beautifully. It’s my favorite flower.”
The corner of Eleanor’s lips, as she lightly touched the petals, drew a soft arc. As Eleanor had done for Sienna and Lucas, she kissed Demian lightly on the cheek.
“Come to think of it, even though I have received many flower gifts, I think this is the first time I have received a potted plant. This is much better.”
Kaidel smiled slightly at Eleanor’s words.
“I like pruning rather than breaking. Because flowers are most beautiful when they are alive.”
“You like plants?”
Eleanor’s eyes widened. Kaidel and plants, it was a combination that didn’t match at all. Finding an unexpected common ground, Eleanor moved a little closer to Kaidel and sat down.
Kaidel, taken aback by her green eyes, nodded his head wittily. He stiffened awkwardly in front of Eleanor’s delicate scent of lavender and her lips that were redder than usual. His face flushed a little like an adolescent boy.
“I like it too. Next time I’ll show you around the garden. As is the case at other times, in midsummer, the green sparkling scenery is pretty cool.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Is the garden of the duchy beautiful too?”
“It’s not bad… Rather, the forest in the duchy is famous for being very beautiful.”
I want to walk with you.
Kaidel rolled the unspoken words into his mouth like candy. It tasted bitter like bark.
HeShe had never felt shy in his life, but why did he become so self-conscious when she was in front of him?
While Kaidel was blaming himself, Izmel naturally turned the flow of the atmosphere to him.
“Dwight, I have a present for you. Something like Eleanor.”
Izmel handed Dwight a gift box as well. Then Adrian smiled and said.
“That’s a good thing. As a gift for Dwight, I prepared a fountain pen I recently brought from the east continent.”
“It’s a fountain pen. How nice. Is it okay if I look at it for a moment?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
In a friendly atmosphere, only one person was unable to smile.
‘Ah, Eleanor has a twin. Then his birthday would be the same, and I should have prepared two presents…’
Kaidel’s eyes widened as he didn’t prepare Dwight’s gift. When Izmel and Adrian handed Dwight a present, all eyes naturally turned to Kaidel. Now it was his turn to hand over the gift.
“Congratulations.”
Kaidel, taken aback, handed Dwight the music box that he had been holding tightly in his hand the whole time. He regretted it belatedly, but the cream box was already in Dwight’s large hand.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Fortunately, instead of unpacking it right away, Dwight carefully set it down on the table by the sofa. Looking at the box on the table, Kaidel’s mind became complicated.
Shall I tell her now? Should I tell her later? Or would it be better to just buy another present for Eleanor?
While Kaidel’s troubles deepened, Albert, the butler, cleared his throat lightly and pretended to be there.
“What is it?”
“The chief chamberlain has arrived from the Imperial Palace. He says he has something to convey urgently to His Highness the Crown Prince and His Grace the Duke.”
Kaidel and Izmel looked at each other. Whatever it was, calling the two together meant it wasn’t very good news.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The two quickly exited the living room, leaving the bewildered Eleanor and the children behind. As they headed toward the entrance, the attendant saw the two and bowed to greet them.
Kaidel frowned and asked.
“What’s going on? Is this a dangerous situation?”
The chamberlain shook his head. He handed the letter from the Emperor he had brought to Izmel and said.
“No. But I think you should go now. This is what His Imperial Majesty himself ordered.”
[The Princess of Mözen is visiting. Pay special attention.]
Izmel handed over the letter to Kaidel and asked with a stiff face.
“Should we move right now?”
“Yes, they say she’s due to arrive in an hour. His Imperial Majesty wished that Your Grace would act as the Princess’ escort and interpreter. And he said that he would entrust all responsibility and authority for the Princess’ visit to Your Highness.”
As soon as the chief chamberlain’s words finished, the faces of Izmel and Kaidel crumpled.
“Then, I will prepare a carriage for you to move.”
Respectfully bowing his head, the chief chamberlain exited the front door.
Dammit. Izmel muttered, scratching his head roughly.
“For the time being, the Imperial Palace has been noisy. There were rumors about an accident in Balkan not too long ago.”
“Rumors are unbelievable. It’s not something you know the details of.”
Izmel gave a small snort at Kaidel’s words.
“It’s rude to suddenly show her face without saying anything like this. It’s like she proved to that she had no case even before arriving.”
This time, Kaidel didn’t say much either. It was because he, too, was quite annoyed with the Princess. If it had been another day, he would have obeyed the order without saying anything, with his characteristic nonchalant temperament, yet, of all things, she would appear on Eleanor’s birthday.
Hildegard Callier Arr de Mözen.
The most beloved daughter of King Mözen, she was as famous for her eccentric personality as for her beautiful appearance. Even at the Academy, she gained notoriety by being called an unbridled foal, and eventually ran out of school on her own feet and began to live from country to country.
Her problem was that her influence over her father, the King, was very strong. Mözen is a small yet prosperous country, rich in resources and located at the heart of maritime trade. It was a country where relationships would be very difficult, so in the countries Hildegard visited, they tried to please her somehow.
They wish it was easy, but the tricky things are usually tricky. Even though she behaved calmly, she often embarrassed those around her with unexpected actions and changed her words like flipping the palm of her hand.
Hng. Izmel, who was making a small sound, raised his head to the fact that he suddenly remembered.
“Still, you know her better than I do. She was an alumnus from the Academy.”
“We only studied together for about two years. She wasn’t even friendly…”
“That’s enough to be considered close friends. At least in the Empire, no one is closer to her than you. I will leave the responsibility and authority that my father has entrusted to you.”
Kaidel replied bluntly, as if there was no way.
“In any case, the Princess is an important guest. Doesn’t Your Highness know that her will is the will of King Mözen? Where else has Mözen been benevolent to any place outside her eyes? I don’t need to explain how important Mösen is geopolitically.”
“I don’t want to hear your voice today. How to say, it has a knack for making people leak steam.”
“You always hated listening, not just today.”
“Yes, like that.”
Izmel let out a deep sigh.
“Although it’s a pity, I must bid Eleanor goodbye.”
As the two walked into the living room, Eleanor stood up.
“Is it a bad thing?”
“Yeah, that was very bad for me.”
Izmel nodded his head with drooping eyebrows.
“Still, it’s nothing for you to worry about. It was a message that a guest had suddenly arrived.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”
“Although I wanted to keep my seat until the end, I think I should go first.”
Then Lucas, who was sitting on the rug eating the cookies Sienna had baked, jumped up.
“Then should I go too?”
“If I go, you should too.”
Izmel nodded his head, a dark cloud over Lucas’ face.
“Should Kaidel go as well?”
Eleanor looked at Kaidel and asked.
“I suppose so. I think we should head straight to the Imperial Palace, but Demian…”
“I can bring him back.”
Eleanor readily suggested it.
“I don’t want to trouble you.”
“It’s not troubling me. Or, they have class tomorrow anyway, so he’ll sleep here today. Unless Demi is uncomfortable.”
Demian, who was sitting next to Sienna and watching her, approached cautiously.
“What do you want to do?”
Eleanor asked, and Demian glanced up at Kaidel.
“You can do whatever you want.”
Kaidel spoke. After thinking for a while, Demian opened his mouth.
“I want to stay here.”
“Yes, so be it.”
Eleanor smiled and stroked Demian’s hair.
As if it was really urgent, Kaidel and Izmel immediately got on the carriage. Adrian, who saw the two of them and Lucas off from the porch, grabbed Dwight by the shoulder and whispered.
“Dwight, can you babysit the kids for a minute?”
“Of course. But why?”
“I have something to talk to Ellen about.”
Adrian tapped Dwight on the shoulder and approached Eleanor.
“Ellen, come with me for a moment.”
“Now? Where to?”
Eleanor, startled, asked quickly.
“There is something I want to show you. It’s a birthday present.”
Adrian grinned. Eleanor felt awkward as she walked behind him.
Adrian, who was striding towards the back of the mansion, stopped.
“Close your eyes.”
“I’m not even a child, so do I have to?”
“Hurry.”
Eleanor grunted but obediently closed her eyes. Adrian’s warm hand gently wrapped around her shoulders. She took a step forward, feeling the stiffness in her back.
“You can open your eyes.”
After about twenty steps, Adrian’s hand fell off Eleanor’s shoulder.
Eleanor slowly opened her eyes and held her breath.