Chapter 45
I steadied my voice and answered calmly.
“Perhaps that’s how it is in Arental, but I am not like that.”
Granada gave a polite, deliberate nod.
“I see. That is fortunate.”
He didn’t look like he truly believed it, but at least he didn’t continue to press me with questions.
“You must be tired, my lady. Allow me to show you to your room. Since we were not informed in advance of your arrival, preparations are lacking. For tonight, you will have to stay in the guest chamber. I hope you understand.”
“That’s fine.”
Granada walked ahead, gesturing for me to follow.
Callias leaned close and whispered.
“He may not seem it, but he is a good man.”
“If you say so, then I’ll trust you.”
Trusting and being afraid are things one can do at the same time—it wasn’t difficult.
“I wish you a peaceful night.”
“Thank you. You too, Callias.”
After exchanging brief farewells with Callias, I followed Granada up the stairs, silently reminding myself not to cry.
My maids hurried after me, lugging the luggage in a fluster.
When Chloe disappeared with Granada, relieved sighs burst out all around.
The servants and knights who had been standing rigidly at attention finally relaxed, mingling and asking after one another.
At Ronheim, many of the knights and servants were related—siblings, spouses, lovers.
Even Mainz and Granada themselves were brother and sister.
Normally, in noble households, nepotism was avoided—family members of butlers or head maids were rarely hired, to prevent embezzlement, bribery, or favoritism.
But at Ronheim, such rules mattered little.
“Herbar!”
“Martha!”
The tallest, broadest knight—Herbar—was suddenly embraced by a maid who came running and calling his name. It was his wife, Martha.
The two had married in haste the day before Herbar departed with Callias to Arental. Newlyweds still.
Martha clung to him, weeping, while the knight Karl glanced about among the maids, searching for someone.
At last, the girl he was looking for raised her hand. She tried to act indifferent, but couldn’t quite hide her joy.
“Over here, brother.”
They too were siblings, like Mainz and Granada, each loyal to Callias in their own position.
“You’ve been well? Hah, looks like you’ve grown taller since I last saw you.”
“Not really. Did you bring me any gifts?”
“My surviving and returning alive isn’t a gift enough?”
“Oh, please.”
“How are Mother and Father?”
“Still waiting for you every day.”
“Nothing’s happened at home?”
“Not much.”
The girl gave Karl a rough pat on the shoulder. At that moment, Andrew approached.
“Leviche, long time no see.”
“Ah, Brother Andrew. I’m so glad you returned safely. You weren’t injured, were you?”
Her tone was far gentler than when she had spoken to her real brother.
“Thanks to your concern. By the way, what about Hilen? Have you seen her recently?”
Hilen was Andrew’s younger sister, bedridden for a long time with a serious illness.
Leviche reassured him.
“I saw her yesterday. She’s been doing quite well lately. Why, she even took a walk. If she hears you’ve returned safely, she’ll be overjoyed.”
Andrew let out a long sigh of relief.
As greetings and reunions went on all around, Callias looked at his subordinates and servants with a pleased smile, then gave his order.
“That’s enough for tonight. You are dismissed. You’ve all worked hard, so I grant you reward leave. Go spend time with your families.”
“Thank you, sir!”
The knights saluted respectfully.
Excited at the thought of reuniting with their families and lovers, their spirits soared.
Some embraced loved ones who worked in the castle, tears flowing; others laughed over happy news that had occurred in their absence.
A few knights bolted straight out of the castle the moment Callias dismissed them, rushing home without delay.
Meanwhile, the servants crowded eagerly around Callias.
“Your Highness!”
“We’re so glad you returned safely!”
“You weren’t hurt, were you?”
Their attitude was unusually warm for mere employer and employees. Even with the vast difference in status, neither Callias nor his servants seemed to care.
As the crowd swelled, their questions turned lively.
“But Your Highness, why the sudden marriage?”
“When Lord Brenthian told us you had wed and would bring your bride home, we were astonished!”
“And she’s even a princess of Idelian…”
“What on earth happened in Arental?”
Callias raised a hand to calm their anxious curiosity.
“There will be an official announcement soon. All your questions will be answered then—just wait.”
“When?!”
“I won’t be able to sleep a wink tonight out of curiosity!”
As the servants clung to him, Mainz scolded them sternly.
“Enough! What insolence is this? His Highness must rest. All of you, disperse!”
The servants retreated obediently, ashamed to have troubled their master after his long journey.
Standing guard like a bodyguard, Mainz said,
“It’s very late, sire. Please rest now. A bath has been prepared to warm you.”
“My thanks, Mainz.”
“It’s nothing.”
Alex, watching the lingering gazes on Callias, clicked his tongue.
“Seems he’s got plenty of babysitters here too. You really are popular.”
Yet he smiled, as if Callias’s popularity with his people wasn’t such a bad thing.
Andrew nudged his shoulder.
“Didn’t she tell you those stuffed toys and pillows were like her very life? That you had to take care of them for her? Funny how she could entrust her ‘life’ to someone else and then flit off, huh?”
His tone was mocking—so different from when he spoke of his sick sister.
Only then did Alex realize he was still holding Chloe’s teddy bear and pillow. He winced.
“I’d better return these.”
“That tiny woman really knows how to trouble everyone, doesn’t she? Right?”
Andrew clapped him on the shoulder, offering unwanted sympathy. But Alex disliked the way Andrew sneered at Chloe.
“Don’t be so harsh. She’s our lord’s wife now. She deserves respect.”
Andrew scoffed.
“Respect? For an Idelian princess?”
Unable to take it anymore, Alex shot back,
“Andrew, you’ve been making snide remarks about her for a while now. Enough. Did she ever do you any harm?”
“What?”
“She was kind to us the entire way here. Even though our cultures differ and she must have felt uncomfortable, she never showed it. In fact, she expressed gratitude in front of the Utar tribe.”
Alex recalled Chloe’s behavior when they parted with the Utar.
She had been genuinely delighted with the rough handmade gift the chieftain’s wife had given her, wearing it around her neck all the way back to the castle.
It was impossible that a woman raised in Arental’s glittering capital, the golden palace itself, could truly be pleased with such a simple gift.
And yet, Chloe had worn it proudly.
With conviction, Alex declared,
“She’s not like the other Idelian royals we despise. She’s different. She’s a good person.”
Andrew snorted in disbelief.
“What, are you crazy? Taking the side of an Idelian royal? Southern folk always pretend to be kind while hiding deceit. You still believe that?”
“Maybe you just decided to hate her, so everything she does looks hateful to you?”
Andrew let out an exasperated sigh.
“So what, you’re going to let yourself be fooled by Arental’s tricks again? How many times must you be duped?”
“Then tell me. If she’s really just wearing a mask of kindness to deceive us, why would she even bother deceiving us? It might make sense with our lord, but us? What’s the point?”
“Obviously she has some scheme! Arentalians are—”
Alex cut him off with another sigh.
“Andrew, not every Arentalian plots every move like you think. Criticizing blindly without knowing anything—it doesn’t look good.”
“What? What did you just say?”
“Did I say anything wrong?”
The air between them sharpened.
Both were sturdy Ronheim knights, but they had been through too much—battle at the emperor’s command, uneasy days in Arental’s capital, and the long journey home. Exhaustion made their tempers raw.
Just then, Brenthian came down the stairs, having been upstairs with Callias. He spotted the two men squaring off.
“Why are you both still here instead of dispersing?”
But Andrew, too agitated to hear, snarled at Alex, raising a fist as if to strike.
“Alex, why are you defending that Idelian princess? Feeling special now that you’ve been named guardian of her doll?”
He sneered and smacked the teddy bear perched on Alex’s back.
Clang!
A metallic clatter came from inside the bear’s head.
“…?”
Andrew, Alex, and Brenthian all froze, their eyes locking on the teddy bear at once.
