60. Childhood Friend – Romantic Relationships

In a splendidly decorated reception room, two nobles locked eyes.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Prince Palace Tertan.”

“Hello. The girl is Hirie Gaidan.”

Prince Palace Tertan displayed the etiquette expected when meeting a noble lady, and Hirie Gaidan greeted him gracefully.

However, there was something noteworthy about Hirie Gaidan’s mannerisms.

Instead of covering her deep neckline with her hands, she held her skirts with both hands as she bowed. That was an etiquette typically reserved for a husband or fiancé.

Palace was taken aback and turned his eyes away, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Hirie spoke up.

“I’m sorry for making you come all the way just to meet a girl like me. I hope it wasn’t unpleasant for you?”

“Not at all. It brings me immense joy to meet such a beautiful lady. I heard you arrived first, so I apologize for being late.”

Hirie giggled at the sight of his flushed face.

We just met, but first impressions are passing.

Wait, what do I mean by ‘passing’ in my situation?

“Would you care for a cup of tea? Is there anything you particularly like?”

“I like anything, really. Oh! You don’t have to pour it for me…”

“Believe it or not, I’ve learned a bit about tea ceremonies. I enjoy tea as well. Here you go. I hope it suits your taste…”

Palace struggled to ignore her exposed cleavage as he lifted the teacup and took a sip.

“It’s fragrant. This tea is refreshing and quite a unique taste.”

“It’s called ‘Punita’ from the Holy Kingdom. Our Orun Kingdom is close to the Jerome Holy Kingdom. The Conrad Kingdom borders the Aisel Kingdom, right? Do you have anything to share?”

“Well, I’m not very knowledgeable since I’ve mostly been in the capital, but I once…”

Hirie and Palace exchanged stories about their distant kingdoms.

Hirie spoke of the simple yet elegant culture of the Holy Kingdom, while Palace brought up the mysterious artifacts from the so-called Magic Kingdom of Aisel.

“Oh my, time has flown by so fast. I worry my long chatter has tired you.”

“Not at all! I truly didn’t notice the time passing.”

His words were sincere. The lady before him was knowledgeable and a great listener.

Hirie covered her mouth as she smiled gently.

“Just chatting makes me happy. If you don’t mind, shall we take a short break before having dinner together?”

“It’s an honor that you offered first. I’ll see you soon.”

“I can hardly wait for dinner now. I won’t be late.”

Hirie took on ‘that etiquette’ once more, and Palace, caught off guard, fumbled before awkwardly changing his greeting.

He touched the scarf at his chest with his finger—it was a gesture meaning, ‘I like you.’

Hirie turned with a radiant smile. Palace, trying to calm his excited heart, headed back to his room.

‘I shouldn’t be feeling this way…’

He recalled his grandfather’s orders.

– Only present jewelry as a formality and return.

His grandfather had declared he would refuse the marriage. He didn’t understand why he was instructed to hand over jewelry if they were to refuse anyway, but his marriage was a matter for the adults to decide.

‘But she’s so lovely… and we communicate so well…’

A calm smile and melancholic green eyes. She looked elegantly adorned, yet there was an air of melancholy about her.

And that gesture. It seemed as if they had already been betrothed.

Palace felt a pang in his chest at her manner, as if it were a given that he should be taking her home. It matched her forlorn atmosphere in a way that was unsettling.

‘Giving my heart to someone I won’t even marry is not right…’

Such is the life of a noble.

To not reveal one’s true feelings while meticulously presenting only what is necessary through etiquette.

Perhaps the greeting Hirie Gaidan showed was calculated as well.

But that last greeting from Palace had genuine feelings behind it.

He liked her.

‘What should I do? This is a big problem.’

In the coming week, they would have to converse more. Two nobles had traveled a long distance to meet, and it wouldn’t do to just see each other for a day or two before parting.

Unless it was a declaration of war…

Prince Palace Tertan shook off his disoriented thoughts and, with the help of his handmaidens, got dressed up splendidly once more.

He was beginning to notice the handmaidens less and less.

*

“Oh man, this is heavy.”

“Careful, that one’s full of barrels.”

Leon and twenty accompanying servants had gone out of the lord’s castle for the first time in a long while and were now returning. Their backs and hands were burdened with bundles. These contained essential goods like tobacco, alcohol, towels, and undergarments—things that were either not supplied or were distributed in short supply from the lord’s castle.

The servants and handmaids, having been dragged into the castle for nearly two months, vented their complaints about their inconvenient living conditions.

“There’s a shortage of basic necessities. I think I’ve been wearing this undergarment for a month now. We’re terribly short on towels, too.”

“Right? The rations for alcohol and tobacco are way too low… and it’s autumn already; we need blankets too.”

“There’s a shortage of change of clothes!”

Normally, there weren’t many servants in the lord’s castle, but the problems arose when they had to gather people to serve two guests.

The Grand Officer and the butler had done their best to prepare and distribute necessities beforehand, but there were always things lacking.

It was only then that the butler apologized for not keeping an eye out and handed over money, instructing Leon and the others to buy supplies.

However, they weren’t provided blankets, saying they would send everyone home within the week anyway.

After returning to the lord’s castle, the servants distributed what they had brought back to the people.

Leon also emptied his bundles. But he had something special set aside in his hands.

Essential goods to pass along to Lena.

He had decided to spend a bit of his own money to get some quality items while he was at it.

Soft towels and undergarments, several snacks that Lena liked, a thin blanket, and shoes.

‘Lena will surely love this?’

He wandered in front of the handmaidens’ quarters, waiting for Lena.

Thanks to his Tracking Skill, he could pinpoint her ‘direction’ anytime, but it was easier to wait rather than follow her inside.

Eventually, Lena returned from her shift.

“Leon! What’s up? Have you finished already?”

“Lena, here, take this.”

“What’s all this?”

“The butler asked us to get supplies today. I got some things just for you. Good, right?”

“Supplies? I brought plenty with me, though… Thank you anyway. But what on earth did you buy that’s so much?”

“There’s a blanket, shoes…”

“Why would you buy shoes? Wait, did you just use the travel expenses money? Ugh.”

“Hehe, it’s fine. I’ve earned a bit while working here. And there are towels and undergarments…”

“Ah!”

Lena’s face turned crimson as she snatched the undergarment from Leon’s hand.

“L, L, Leon! W-why did you buy something like this!”

“Huh? I just bought a few extra undergarments for the other handmaidens as well. I chose better quality ones…”

Lena waved her hands as if to silence him, looking adorably flustered.

“Ah, okay, just hurry and go.”

“Why are you acting like this? Anyway, I’ve delivered it, so I’m leaving now. We’ll have dinner together later, right?”

“Y-yeah.”

Leon thought, ‘Oh no, I’m late. I’m going to get in trouble,’ as he left, while Lena returned to her quarters, fanning her flushed face.

‘Ahh, why did he have to buy something like this? So embarrassing.’

As she neatly organized the items Leon brought, she began to calm her excitement.

The blanket went here, she tried on the shoes (oh! They fit perfectly!), neatly folded the towel by her bedside, and the undergarment…

Feeling embarrassed again as she folded the undergarment, she thought,

‘…Wait a minute.’

Lena’s expression shifted subtly. She raised her eyes thoughtfully.

Something seemed off. She hadn’t noticed it at the time because she was flustered, but now, upon reflection, Leon’s behavior lingered in her mind.

He had handed over the undergarment with no hint of embarrassment.

‘……’

Lena sat on the edge of her bed, frozen in place, repeatedly recalling that moment.

No matter how she thought about it, something felt wrong.

When they were younger, Leon and Lena held hands, but at some point, they became shy and distanced themselves.

Occasionally, while working together, their hands would brush against each other, and they’d find it hard to meet each other’s gaze for a while.

However, just now, Leon’s actions had felt too natural.

It made sense; for Leon, handing her an undergarment was nothing out of the ordinary.

Leon had married her twice. From their stint in Demos village setting up a home before their wedding to sharing a tiny place in the capital of Lutetia, they had lived together before actually tying the knot.

On the other hand, Lena hadn’t had such experiences.

To her, Leon had been her first innocent childhood friend, and right up until their travels began, he had been the boy she was excited might become her husband.

And the Leon she knew wouldn’t just casually hand over an undergarment like that. If anything, he would have tucked it away and handed it over secretly before running away…

Lena frowned.

Habits change, relationships change, and even personalities can shift. What on earth had happened?

Throughout their time together, she had asked him, “You feel different,” multiple times, but Leon always evaded the question and never gave a clear answer.

She felt suspicious. And,

‘He must be hiding something… Why won’t he share it with me?’

She felt saddened. Since when had there been secrets between them!

Just as her disappointment was beginning to swell, another handmaiden entered the quarters.

“Lena, your shift is up.”

Lena dashed off to Hirie Gaidan’s room, not having had a proper rest.

The lady was leaning comfortably against her chair, a smile on her face.

Hirie Gaidan had been steadily meeting with Prince Palace Tertan for several days now.

She felt good these days, thinking she might not have to marry those filthy princes after all.

Prince Palace Tertan was truly a fine man. Despite being three years younger, what did that matter? He was an unusually upright noble.

Initially, it was endearing to see him flustered over a little exposed cleavage, but after days of conversation, his true nature shone through—he had a warm heart. Who knew such a squishy noble could emerge from the illustrious Tertan Duke’s house?

She was quickly becoming captivated by the sincere feelings and noble character that seeped from him unawares.

‘A noble who’s un-noble yet nobler than anyone else…’

What were nobles like in the distant past of the Acaian Empire?

They’d display rightful etiquette, utilizing their wealth to muster armies to protect commoners tormented by other races, leading the charge themselves…

‘Hmph, I must be under some kind of spell, considering how exaggerated I’m getting.’

Hirie settled deeper into her chair and smiled lightly.

At that moment, a handmaiden she’d recently taken a liking to appeared with a sullen expression. What was her name? Lena? What’s with her?

The handmaiden approached to redo Hirie’s makeup, but Hirie said, “I’d like to relax a bit longer. I’m feeling quite tired.”

The handmaiden nodded, standing by patiently.

Hirie, puzzled by the handmaiden’s unusually sullen demeanor and her gaze filled with displeasure, asked, “Is something wrong? You look rather upset.”

“Huh? Ah, no. No way, that’s not it.”

“Are you perhaps worn out?”

“Not at all! The butler and head handmaiden have been taking good care of me, so there’s nothing at all to worry about.”

“Then there’s definitely something bothering you. Please tell me. If I can help, I’d like to assist.”

Hirie, for once, asked about the handmaiden’s personal troubles.

Nobles seldom engaged in private conversations with commoners. The worlds they lived in were so different, and most commoners simply vented their frustrations, making them hardly suitable for deep conversations.

Sometimes, there were accounts of nobles maintaining close relationships with commoners who had become butlers, knights, or nannies, but Hirie couldn’t understand that.

What pleasure could there be in mingling with them?

She thought it was kind enough to not torment commoners for her own enjoyment. But now, she was feeling sentimental, reminiscing about the nobles from the Acaian Empire era.

This handmaiden intrigued her, after all.

However, the handmaiden declined Hirie’s offer of assistance, saying her friend was simply troubled because of some changes.

After conversing a little more, it turned out to be about a boyfriend.

‘Seems it’s not something I can help with.’ Hirie thought and encouraged the handmaiden.

Everything would turn out fine.

How could romantic relationships not usually end up like that?