Chapter 4
After breakfast, Didric took Amalion to the top floor of the palace to begin her tour. Weapons and armor were displayed here and there in every hallway. Amalion paused in one room in particular. On the walls hung elaborate pictures, each depicting an unfamiliar man. She had no doubt that each one had an elaborate history.
The butler explained: "The Grand Duke is from a family with a long history, dating back to the beginning of the Empire. Originally a ducal family, they became Grand Dukes after suppressing the Southern Rebellion six generations ago. The Morte is a family that has served the Empire for generations."
Omarion was surprised to see so many pictures hanging around the room.
Rather than the images themselves being wonderful, the peace of the empire in which these ancient images could be preserved was wonderful.
She lived on the count's estate, but had never seen gold-encrusted decorations or plates of any kind. This was because they sold everything of value, and used everything else as firewood.
She quietly examined the many pictures. There were quite a few faces that resembled the Grand Duke.
“That's why it's so beautiful…”
I remembered his sculpted face, curved eyes, and full lips….
Regardless of her preferences, it was just the fact that he was a beautiful man.
She thought as she looked at the similar eyes in the picture.
“Among them, did anyone have a strange nickname like ‘Death’?
Wasn't hoping for that...
She pushed her meaningless thoughts aside and moved to the next room.
There were countless exquisite rooms next to the Portrait Room.
There was a room full of gold and jewels, and a room full of musical instruments.
But what impressed her most was the armory.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Grand Duke's Armory contains weapons from all over the world.
She couldn't hide her astonishment when she saw a sword made of pure jade placed next to the Morning Star*.
[*E/N: The morning star is a club with a spiked ball attached to the end. They are usually made of metal, and were common in the Middle Ages.]
Knights you know want to own weapons like these, even if they have to sell everything they own.
“Does the Grand Duke use all these weapons?”
“The late Grand Duke loved to collect weapons, so most of them were purchased by him.”
"Oh"...
A crescent-shaped sword blade struck.
Daedric spoke calmly.
“You can take it if you want.”
“What? Really!”
“Yes, His Highness said, ‘I will give you what you want.’”
“The Grand Duke said that?”
I was shocked by his kindness.
She didn't understand why he gave her such a right, but she didn't think she should take his late father's weapons.
What were you supposed to do with the weapons you got out of here anyway?
Wouldn't it be better to defeat the Grand Duke with common weapons rather than sentimental weapons?
She put down the sword with a sad expression. Daedric smiled.
“The lady seems to like the armory.”
“Yes, this place is amazing.”
“The maids said my lady’s sword skills were amazing.”
I blushed from embarrassment.
“It's not like that. I just...
“There is no reason to be humble, my lady. Most knights cannot even compete with the Grand Duke.”
Well, the Grand Duke at that time must have been sensible...
She felt like a child being praised for telling a lie. She became confused over nothing, so she quickly left the armory.
After looking around the Duke's treasury, the banquet hall, and the drawing room, they went down to the kitchen on the ground floor.
The kitchen had always been a place that fascinated her... where there was a hot fire and warm food.
The delicious smell of spices and cooked food tickled her nose.
asked the maids, who stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads, cautiously,
“Ma’am, can we get you something to eat?”
It was embarrassing, but she couldn't refuse their offer. She mumbled her thanks and moved to the dining room.
She grew up violently, if she was hungry, she would go to the kitchen and make herself a meal. She knew that wasn't appropriate, so she waited patiently to be served.
Soon, hot meat soup and soft bread were delivered to the dining hall. I happily ate them.
This was the first time in her life that she had eaten such warm and delicious food every day. Her life was much different than it had been up until last week.
She was so happy. There was no need for beautiful jewelry or expensive clothes.
She was satisfied that the food was not solid, frozen or pickled.
It was a bit sad, but she was that kind of person.
***
After filling her stomach and taking a walk in the park, she was directed to study.
There were a surprising number of books in the library.
Books were a luxury, so it was difficult to find a single book about the Amari estate.
“How much wheat can you buy if you sell all these books?”
She put aside her poor thoughts and picked up a book at random.
It seemed difficult to read.
However, her heart raced at the word 'knight'.
She brought the book back to her bedroom. It still didn't feel like her room, but this was where she stayed during the day
She sat on the embroidered sofa and opened the book.
The book was written as a story, unexpected, and easy to read.
I fell in love with reading.
***
In the evening, the Grand Duke returned.
She had just finished eating and greeted the Grand Duke at the entrance, following the etiquette of a lady.
“Have you had dinner already?”
"Yes".
“I wish we could eat together.”
I looked at him confused.
The Grand Duke was smiling.
“Why do you keep smiling like that? On the first day, you looked so gloomy.”
Embarrassed, she spoke randomly.
“So shall I wait starting tomorrow?”
"Yes".
He smiled and headed to the dining room.
I felt weird and frowned at his retreat. She was worried that he might have gotten confused because she had hit him so hard last night.
She shrugged and headed to her bedroom.
After a while, the Grand Duke entered the bedroom, after finishing dinner and some work.
He sat on the bed.
“You must have gone to study.”
He looked at the book in her hand and gave her a charming smile.
She felt like she had to find another way to put him to sleep. To return his kindness.
... “Yes, I was.”
“The palace...did you like it?”
“There are many beautiful rooms.”
“It is the pride of the Grand Duchy.”
He smiled gently and untied his robe.
“The castle on my property is more beautiful.”
According to
, the Morte estate was located in the northeast of the empire, unlike the empire's capital, which was in the south. The land near the northern border was also called the Land of the Holy Knights.
It was not poor because it was a large area, but the winters were very severe. Like her hometown.
Unlike this place, which was always warm.
The Grand Duke spoke as if he knew what she was thinking.
“I will take you soon. Now, it is yours too.”
He spoke quietly and lay down on the bed. His tired eyes disappeared under his eyelids.
She closed her eyes.
“Have you always been talking weird? Could it be because I hit you in the head?”
Soon the servant came and drew the curtains, as always. As soon as the lights went out, she hid an ax under the bed.
She never wanted to face him with an ax again.
***
Fortunately, that night, it was just an ordinary sword.
His weapon detonated easily, but it took her a long time to think about how to get him to sleep without hitting the back of his neck.
After hitting him on the bed, she covered his eyes with a blanket, hoping he would forget about fighting her and fall asleep.
For a moment she thought she was successful, but then she heard a boiling, beast-like roar coming from the pile of blankets above the Duke. She got goosebumps and immediately hit him on the back of the neck.
The next day, she woke up feeling a little guilty.
But the Duke, who was beaten, seemed very happy.
The Grand Duke, who had slept soundly for the past three nights, had kind eyes and an energetic smile.
He even accompanied her on the short way to the dining hall.
"Does he know what I need to do to get him to sleep?"
She secretly looked at the back of his neck.
If he had had bruises, she would have felt really guilty, so she was glad it wasn't that.
Their breakfast consisted of grilled chicken smothered in sweet sauce and aromatic vegetable soup.
"Wow…"
Admiring how fragrant the food was, she cut off a chicken leg and put it in her mouth.
She wished the happiness of those who worked in the kitchen.
The Grand Duke watched silently as she frantically devoured the chicken, speaking only after her plate was half empty.
“As Daedric told you, you are welcome to use anything in the palace as if it were your own.”
She quickly swallowed the food in her mouth and nodded.
“There are a lot of empty rooms, so please use them as you want. Whether you want to build a ballroom or a salon, it doesn’t matter.”
"I"...
"I've never had a hobby in my life."
The words she wanted to speak died in her throat.
Her life was pure struggle. All she could worry about was keeping her head attached to her neck.
If she can embroider or dance, she can kill an orc that threatens her property.
The Grand Duke felt a hint of hesitation, and turned around.
"If you want something, tell Deedric. He'll get you anything."
"Yes, sir."
She answered quickly.
The Grand Duke smiled and put the salad to one side of his mouth.
• End of chapter •
To be continued •••
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