AME 10

CH:10

Madeleine had begun working as a lowly maid at the age of thirteen and eventually rose to the position of head maid, a rare success story for someone of common birth.

But that didn’t change her origins. No matter how long she served the ducal household, she remained a commoner.

Of course, she wasn’t particularly resentful of that fact. Still, she admired Baroness Robert’s poise and elegance.

Her neatly coiled hair without a single strand out of place, her unwavering gaze fixed straight ahead, and her dignified manner of speaking made Baroness Robert appear more noble than anyone else. Though she occasionally lost her composure when overly excited, it was a rare occurrence. She was, for the most part, very graceful.

“Madeleine.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

How could calling someone’s name sound so refined?

Madeleine decided to try calling the young maids like that next time.

“I heard you spoke with the Lady.”

“Yes, only briefly.”

She recalled the events of that morning.

The Lady of Ingelos, the daughter of their ancestral enemy—who Madeleine had only heard about—was not what she had expected upon meeting her in person.

First of all, the young lady was warm and friendly. Her words were so gentle and pleasant that it was hard to keep being cold to her during the conversation.

It wasn’t that she was touched by the obvious compliments. Rather, the girl’s constant smiling and pleasant demeanor made Madeleine respond more than she intended to.

It had been three years since the Duchess of Ferdinand passed away—the kindest of the elders in the house. The Lady of Ingelos filled that void with her kindness.

“She didn’t seem nearly as bad as I’d feared, ma’am.”

Madeleine cautiously admitted that she had formed a positive impression.

Of course, that didn’t mean she acknowledged Alessia as a suitable match for Kaon, whom she loved like her own son. She still thought he was too good for anyone.

“She seemed respectful of Ferdinand, I would say.”

Still, it didn’t feel right to continue hating the girl blindly.

How could a member of Ferdinand’s household welcome a daughter of Ingelos? But treating an enemy you’ve only heard about is a world apart from facing them in person.

Especially when that so-called enemy was a delicate girl who hadn’t even lost her baby fat. The Lady, the same age as Madeleine’s second daughter, looked so thin and frail that she seemed pitiable.

So as a mother herself, Madeleine found it hard to stay cold. And with the girl giving off such an obvious “I want to get along with you” vibe, it was difficult to remain sharp.

“Oh, Madeleine. Did you just say ‘respectful’?”

But Baroness Robert shook her head, pressing a finger to her temple in disbelief.

“Respectful, huh. I don’t know what sweet words the Lady used to sway our head maid so quickly…”

Her crisp pronunciation and firm tone were intimidating. Her sharp eyes were a bonus.

Madeleine flinched instinctively. She regretted speaking so freely—it was clear she had ruffled the Baroness’s mood.

“Ingelos is a family that doesn’t know the meaning of respect. That much I am sure of.”

Her tone carried a cold fury. Madeleine had known the Baroness harbored a grudge against Ingelos, but this was more than she expected.

Everyone in Ferdinand hated Ingelos historically and personally, but the Baroness stood out even among them.

“You might think I’m being excessive, and I understand that.”

“Oh, believe me, I can’t stand Ingelos either. I misspoke.”

Though she did feel that way, Madeleine quickly backpedaled. She respected the Baroness and trusted that her anger had a reason.

Baroness Robert closed her eyes in silence. The lines at the corners of her mouth deepened. Then she opened them again.

“My younger brother died at the age of twenty.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that…”

A faint shimmer of tears appeared in her aged eyes. Decades had passed, but the memory still made her chest tighten and her eyes sting.

“He said monsters were nothing to fear and told me not to worry…”

“….”

“And then he never came back.”

Her brother, proud to be one of Ferdinand’s elite knights, had taken up his sword. He was a skilled and promising knight, and the Baroness’s pride.

That day, the monsters were acting unusually. Hundreds of knights were injured, and dozens died.

The Baroness’s younger brother was among them. Her pride now lay eternally in the forest, the victim of a berserk monster.

“It was sudden. Monsters are always violent and uncommunicative, but we’d never seen anything like that.”

The chaos of that day—filled with screams and sobs—still haunted her dreams.

“You’ve worked for Ferdinand a long time, Madeleine. I think it’s time I told you this.”

The Baroness, having regained her composure, looked at Madeleine.

Though sometimes a bit silly, Madeleine worked harder than anyone and loved Ferdinand deeply. The Baroness decided it was time for her to know.

“The former Duke made many efforts for Ferdinand.”

The late Duke of Ferdinand had tried to recruit talented mages to protect his knights.

It wasn’t easy. Mages were assets managed directly by the royal family, and unaffiliated mages were rare.

Typically, one had to go through the king, a mage family, or the mage tower.

The king used mages for power. Mage families were arrogant or indifferent. The mage tower was like a gang with wands instead of swords.

“It wasn’t public, but the Duke even considered improving ties with Ingelos. He valued every single life.”

“He did? Oh my…”

“Yes. That’s true.”

Given the situation, it made sense for the Duke to seek an alliance with a mage family.

Even if centuries of resentment existed, Ingelos was the most powerful mage family. Swallowing pride was worth it.

“Ingelos mocked the Duke and Ferdinand for it.”

The Baroness recalled the red eyes from long ago.

At a spring court banquet, the Duke of Ingelos had said:

“If monsters have existed for centuries and knights still can’t handle them alone, then what’s the point of knights?”

He hadn’t shouted, but he hadn’t whispered either. Anyone nearby could hear.

Despite knowing of the tragedy in Ferdinand, the Ingelos Duke mocked the knights—and this was shortly after refusing Ferdinand’s request for cooperation.

The Baroness etched those words into her heart so she would never forget. For her brother who died fighting monsters, she would carry that grudge to the grave.

“The Lady may have been kind to you, but she surely had an agenda.”

She trusted no one from Ingelos—not even a child.

Looking into those red eyes brought back memories she could never forget: the bloodied scabbard that returned in place of her brother’s body, and the arrogant voice of the Ingelos Duke.

“Yes, ma’am. I was too careless.”

“Don’t give your heart away so easily. You’re far too soft.”

So how could a bloodline of Ingelos be allowed in Ferdinand?

The Baroness could never accept it.

02. You’re Already Falling.

Kaon stood before the corridor and raised his sleeve to his nose before knocking.

“I hope I don’t still smell like sweat…”

Sniff. He had bathed right after training, so he should only smell like soap—but he couldn’t help worrying.

While sweating among grimy men was one thing, Alessia was in a whole different world.

‘Ugh…’

Eventually, Kaon changed clothes again. He would soon be showing Alessia around the castle, and it was better to feel comfortable than keep fretting.

Knock knock.

He tapped lightly at the wall again. Soon, a delicate silhouette appeared behind the lace curtain. She was so small that even her shadow looked tiny.

On a sudden whim, Kaon raised his hand and held it up to the silhouette. Even without spreading his fingers fully, his hand could completely cover her figure.

“Kaon?”

A voice responded from behind the curtain, tinged with joy. It felt strange—an Ingelos lady happy to see a Ferdinand man? Unimaginable in the past.

“Sorry I’m late. Training just ended. If it’s alright with you, I can show you around now…”

“Yes! Shall we meet now?”

Before he could even finish, Alessia responded brightly. Not knowing the castle and having few friendly faces must’ve made her feel quite trapped.

“Yes. And…”

He was just about to mention she needn’t worry about the odd lace curtain—it had already been ordered replaced.

Rustle.

The curtain parted slightly, and a gentle floral scent wafted out. Alessia stood there under the curtain.

Kaon froze. In a white dress and under a veil-like curtain, she looked like a spring bride.

But he quickly realized it was a trick of the eye. The curtain just looked like a veil.

And the dress—while white—was nothing like a wedding gown. No frills, no lace. Just plain white.