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59. Childhood Friend – Philas Tertan

The bustling activities of the Lord’s Castle gradually began to settle down.

It was because preparations to welcome the esteemed guests were nearing completion, but that didn’t mean the handmaidens’ tasks noticeably diminished.

The head handmaiden, with a permanent scowl on her face, picked out five handmaidens separately. She lined them up horizontally and instructed:

“Now that you will be serving Lady Hirie Gaidan, you must stay focused.”

After observing them for a month, she had chosen only those she deemed clever and diligent, but she had serious concerns about using ones with no experience serving nobility.

Why did the lady bring only two handmaidens when she was in such a hurry?

The head handmaiden warned them that if there were even the slightest mistake, they would be in big trouble, causing the selected handmaidens’ faces to turn pale.

Having to serve a noble was a hefty responsibility. While receiving generous pay was a bonus, nobody wanted to encounter a situation where they could get beaten and kicked out due to a tiny mistake.

As the training accompanied by the head handmaiden’s scolding progressed, the only one among the handmaids whose eyes sparkled was Lena.

She felt scared but was also a little excited.

“Nobility! Especially a lady!”

She had always been curious about the dazzling lives of the nobles. What kind of lives do they lead? She had heard they were emotionless, but from what she saw recently, that didn’t seem to be the case. How could their skin be so fair? They had come from the capital; what was the capital like?

Filled with the expectation that she might get a glimpse into the daily life of a noble, Lena diligently participated in the training, which attracted the head handmaiden’s attention.

A little later, Lena became Hirie Gaidan’s exclusive handmaid.

This was because the two handmaidens the Gaidan lady had brought with her were on the verge of collapsing from overwork, and someone was needed urgently to fill the gap.

The head handmaiden placed the quick-witted and observant Lena in the position first.

Though there was hardly enough time to teach her, there was no other choice. They had to utilize the one who learned the fastest…

Early in the morning, Lena carefully knocked on the door and said,

“Lady, I have brought water for your bath.”

“You may come in.”

As she opened the door and entered, Hirie Gaidan, who had just woken up, stretched her body on the bed.

“Oh dear, nobles do wear robes while they sleep. Is that something I haven’t had the chance to wash yet? Did you bring that from the capital?”

Lena was observing around with rolling eyes while placing the warm water on the small table beside the bed. Then, holding a towel, she stood still.

Seeing a strange handmaid with curious eyes enter, Hirie couldn’t help but chuckle.

“They think I won’t notice, huh?”

The nobles, who were well-versed in subtle and ambiguous etiquette, could pick up on even the tiniest gestures.

Hirie Gaidan was definitely not a noble who bullied her subordinates. Yet, watching a girl trying to survey her surroundings without turning her head sparked a mischievous intent within her.

She stood up from the bed and tossed her robe aside.

“Huh? Huh? Lady, aren’t you just washing your face in the morning…”

“I did wash last evening, but I think I sweated too much last night. Would you help me wash?”

Lena broke into a cold sweat seeing Hirie, who had half undressed, sitting on the stool.

This is bad! I’ve never learned how to wash someone’s body!

‘Um, do I just wet the towel and wipe her down? Where do I start? And how far do I go?’

Panicking, Lena began to wipe her body, while Hirie smiled sweetly.

‘So cute.’

The handmaid, awkwardly standing and washing her body, actually looked quite adorable up close. The chubby cheeks between her chin and cheeks made Hirie want to pinch them.

‘Have I gone too far? Just look at how much she’s sweating.’

Feeling a bit sorry, Hirie decided to guide her gently.

“On that table, there’s some perfume. Could you choose the yellow one and dilute it in the water? And…”

Fortunately, even amidst her fluster, Lena understood her words well, and Hirie took a liking to the handmaid before her.

*

As autumn approached, a guest from the Conrad Kingdom arrived at Bosspo.

A carriage displaying a red shield symbolizing Duke Tertan’s House pulled up, and a young man descended from it, receiving greetings from the Grand Officer.

With neatly styled dark brown hair reminiscent of aged tree bark, and matching dark brown eyes shining, the young visitor was ‘Palace Tertan’, the heir of the Tertan family.

He was a very young heir.

The grandson of Duke Rupert Tertan, who held the political power of the Conrad Kingdom, he hadn’t yet reached adulthood.

Despite not becoming of age until next year, he had received thorough education and displayed decent manners for his young age.

“Nice to meet you. I am Palace Tertan. I look forward to being in your care for a while.”

“I will ensure your service is without flaws. Are you tired? If so, would you like to meet Lady Gaidan first? Very well, I’ll guide you to your room.”

Palace requested to freshen up and meet the lady in great shape after brushing off the dust of his long journey, and the Grand Officer escorted him to the room.

Of the fifteen knights accompanying Palace Tertan, all but two were assigned to their respective rooms.

The remaining two knights accompanied the Duke’s grandson but said they wanted a brief rest and stood guard at the door.

Left alone, Palace placed a small jewelry box on the window table and sat in front of it. Then he let out a sigh mixed with fatigue.

With the cheekiness of a youthful boy still not fully faded, a faintly amused smile lingered on his face as he pressed down on his straight nose, deep in thought.

‘Why did grandfather ask me to do this?’

His grandfather, Duke Rupert Tertan, was a remarkably caring individual. It was hard to believe he held the political reins of the Conrad Kingdom and had the only prince, Eric de Yeriel, as his grandson.

He fondly looked out for Palace Tertan and tried to keep his grandson as close by as possible.

Thanks to this, Palace’s father, ‘Midian Tertan’, had not left the Duke’s mansion even after marrying.

Though it was common for nobles to move to separate estates after marriage, the Duke’s stubbornness could not be easily swayed by such ordinary circumstances.

For Palace, this was a good thing. Although being from a great noble family guaranteed material wealth and quality education, being under the care of family elders provided something different.

He grew up healthily receiving continuous affection from his grandfather, grandmother, mother, and father.

Palace truly believed he was a lucky child.

With a family born from one of the best in the Conrad Kingdom, aside from the Yeriel royal family, coupled with a harmonious home, it was understandable he felt that way.

However, this time, the task his grandfather asked him seemed somewhat abrupt and strange.

Palace Tertan recalled the moment Duke Rupert Tertan summoned him to his chambers.

+ + +

Later in the evening, Palace received his grandfather’s summons.

Although it was indeed the Duke’s mansion, darkness enveloped the place, other than where lamps shone brightly.

What could be the urgent matter at this late hour? They had just had dinner together; did he have something to discuss?

When he arrived, his grandfather was gazing at the air with finely crushed ice water clinking in his glass while in his study. It was an old habit of his whenever he was lost in thought, and the shadows reflecting on his wrinkles from the flickering candlelight seemed deeper and darker than usual.

“Grandfather, I’m here.”

“Come in. I’m sorry for calling you at this late hour, but I have an urgent request.”

He smiled kindly, gesturing for his grandson to sit in a long, comfortable chair.

“Actually, you have a marriage proposal.”

“A marriage proposal? Hmm… But isn’t it a bit too early for me to marry?”

His grandfather beamed as if he had articulated that perfectly. His wrinkles spread out in all directions.

“Indeed, it is still too early. But do you know from where this proposal came? It’s from the Gaidan Marquis House of the Orun Kingdom.”

“The Gaidan Marquis House? Isn’t that the family that borders ours?”

The Tertan family had a large estate in the southern part of the Conrad Kingdom, but Palace’s father, Midian Tertan, held the title of Marquis in the western border, thus maintaining another estate.

So, the Gaidan Marquis House located in the eastern border of the Orun Kingdom in the southwest of the continent shared borders with the Tertan Duke House situated in the southeastern part of the continent.

“You know well. They asked if they could take the lovely lady Hirie Gaidan as their grandson’s wife.”

“Hmmm…”

Palace fell momentarily speechless.

The duties of nobility.

Although he had yet to come of age, he was already familiar with such responsibilities.

No matter how glorious the family, prolonged isolation eventually leads to decline.

Thus, noble families sought allies through marriages, a duty the young heirs bore.

But marriage!

Having grown up gently in a large family, Palace had hardly encountered noble ladies yet. He was just now seeking his moment to step into high society.

Yet marriage!

Something about it made him bashful. Even though he hadn’t met her, the thought of a future wife somewhere on the continent made his heart flutter.

He was just a newly matured young man, helplessly still in his innocent youth.

Recalling the obligations of a noble, Palace bashfully replied.

“I… am fine. It’s something I must do. I’m glad that it can contribute to the family.”

However, his grandfather’s response was unexpected.

“I’m not intending to marry you off. It’s true that Gaidan Marquis House is a distinguished family, but ultimately, it’s an outside family. The marriage proposal will be turned down.”

“…Then, why are you telling me this?”

Palace asked, slightly disappointed.

If they weren’t going to marry, why not just reject the proposal without informing him? Surely, who wouldn’t want to be connected with the Tertan family? It wouldn’t be surprising if many propositions have already been rejected.

Duke Rupert Tertan stood up and retrieved a jewelry box from his desk drawer.

“Deliver this to the young lady named Hirie. Even though it’s a request from a prestigious family, we can’t just reject it outright. It’s not intended for you to deliver the refusal to her face. You can simply deliver this and return with the promise of what comes next. I’ll handle the rejection myself later, so go and consider it a little trip.”

Inside the box, glowing with a crimson hue even in the darkness, was a necklace adorned with glistening gems.

Palace accepted the box even while wondering, ‘Is it really necessary to refuse in such a complicated manner?’

+ + +

As Palace stood by the window feeling the foreign breeze, he continued to ponder.

Before he knew it, he was holding the necklace encrusted with a large gemstone in his hand.

“Oh no! Did I just touch the gem like this?”

Depending on the type of gem, there were occasions where fingerprints wouldn’t come off if smeared with hand oil.

Shocked, he gingerly gripped the necklace and inspected it, thankfully finding no traces of fingerprints.

However, it was indeed a peculiar gem.

This dark red gem appeared solid on the outside, yet oddly enough, it reflected light from within as if something was swirling, and Palace found himself entranced by the gem as he stared at it during the long journey.

– Knock knock

“Lord Palace! There’s not much time left to meet the lady. Shall I bring in the attending handmaidens?”

“Let them in.”

With Palace’s permission, the door opened, and three handmaidens came in, carrying garments.

Having followed him from the Tertan Duke’s House to this place, they quickly removed Palace’s outer garment, adorned him with splendid new clothes, and added several accessories, including a scarf.

They combed his hair, applied light powder to his face, and checked for any unsightly stray hairs before bowing their heads and exiting once more.

While Palace was accustomed to receiving such services as a daily routine, he had been increasingly hesitant about it lately. Growing older had made him more aware of his feelings, and the handmaidens were rather attractive young women.

Moreover, he had once heard a shocking rumor while conversing with noble friends of his age.

“Having an affair with a handmaiden!”

For someone raised in a large family, Palace found such thoughts utterly unimaginable. How could one entertain such acts in a mansion where his grandfather lived?

Furthermore…

‘But they are commoners.’

The Tertan family’s noble pride wouldn’t allow for such disgraceful relations with commoners.

Palace suppressed any lowly desires with reason and exited the room. He directed his steps towards the lady, with whom the proposal had been exchanged but was bound to be rejected anyway.