BSGE 81

The day after an unexpected chase broke out in the duke’s castle.

The territory’s residents were bewildered by sudden feasts appearing in every village.

“What’s with all these feast foods?”

“Oh, the duke’s castle sent them, saying it’s a day to celebrate.”

“…all those food carts?”

The Duke, having heard his child call him ‘Papa’ for the first time, celebrated this joyous day by first turning the castle upside down, and then showering food across the entire domain.

The castle staff’s faces split into wide grins at the unexpected bonus. The territory’s residents, delighted to receive rare feast foods they normally couldn’t enjoy, brought out their stored wine barrels.

The castle staff gathered in the hall provided for employees and raised their glasses.

“A toast, everyone! To our bonus maker—no, to our lucky charm the young lady!”

“May they always remain as close as they are now!”

Those who heard the reason for the massive bonus – for the sake of another bonus – celebrated the ‘Young Lady’s Naming Day’, the day when the young lady first called the Duke ‘Papa’, praying for the harmony of the Aslan father and daughter.

With the gifts scattered throughout the entire territory, even the stray dogs in the village streets wandered around with full bellies.

It was a happy day for everyone in the North.

A few weeks later.

“Young lady!”

Walking in the garden, Beatty turned at the sound of someone calling her.

“Ah,Mr. Aide!”

She greeted the now familiar face with a bright smile, which was returned in kind.

“Thank you for the other day, young lady!”

The aide told her with a beaming smile that these days, it had become routine among the staff to check if the lord had heard today’s ‘Papa’ from the young lady before bringing him documents. On such days, he said, the approvals were faster.

‘The document processing efficiency changed because of that? Is Father really okay with this?’

“Please keep it up in the future too!”

“Oh, y-yes…”

Beatty nodded with a bewildered expression at the aide’s energetic request.

“Well then, enjoy your walk. See you again, young lady!”

“Oh, don’t you need to accompany me today?”

“No. There’s a guest in the office today -“

The adjutant, who had been answering without any caution, suddenly made an ‘oops’ expression.

“A guest?”

“Th-th-that… it’s not someone important enough for you to know about, young lady!”

“?”

“Oh no! Did I forget some documents? Then I’ll be going, young lady!”

The aide awkwardly avoided eye contact and shouted, then walked away somewhat stiffly.

Beatty tilted her head at the aide’s strange reaction.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

Dismissing the momentary question as nothing important, she continued her walk.

Pat pat.

How long had she walked while watching the rippling surface of the lake visible from her room?

‘They say water enchants people.’

Just as she’d read somewhere, there was something mesmerizing about the white waves rippling in the wind that made one stare absentmindedly.

The pleasant temperature, the breeze caressing her cheeks, the captivating scenery.

Lost in the peaceful afternoon atmosphere, Beatty failed to notice the shadow approaching from behind.

So when someone suddenly spoke to her, she couldn’t help but be startled.

“Hello?”

More than anything, that voice was far too familiar.

When Beatty quickly turned around, she saw a white-haired boy.

Her eyes widened as if seeing something impossible, encountering a face she never expected to see at the duke’s castle.

Someone she once thought was a friend, with a face as beautiful as a fairy tale prince but hiding serpent’s fangs.

“Ritter!”

The sharp voice came out reflexively.

Ritter opened his mouth with a slight smile, brushing off the small girl’s watchful glare.

“You still call me that.”

“…”

“Well, that’s fine. You remember me, right?”

Ritter pointed to himself and smiled leisurely.

That familiar smile.

For a moment, it felt like she had gone back to the past.

‘Huh?’

But then, Beatty noticed something different about Ritter’s face from before.

When Ritter first set foot in the North, he hadn’t taken this matter very seriously.

Before leaving the capital with the delegation, his royal father had called him separately and said with a displeased face:

“Tch. It’s excessive for royalty to personally visit a mere noble’s territory, but we have no choice this time.”

“Is it because of the war participation payment claim sent by the duke’s family?”

“Yes. Those commoners, intoxicated by ridiculous titles like ‘Hero of the Nation’ that they don’t deserve, sent an absurd amount. We can’t just hand over that much.”

“I see.”

“And using their territory’s location to shake up trade routes? How dare they block the trade routes for goods meant for the royal family! They must think me a fool!”

“Please don’t get too excited, Your Majesty.”

Perhaps remembering how nobles at the last banquet had whispered mockingly behind their backs, his father crushed the claim letter from the duke’s family in his hand, veins bulging in his neck.

His mother, worriedly saying that excessive anger wasn’t good for health, soothed the king and turned to him.

“We’re sending you because we have no choice… but you can handle this well without making your father worry, right, Ritter?”

“Hmph. Worry? There’s nothing to worry about.”

His father puffed out his chest confidently and declared:

“You just need to command them as befitting royalty of Astrum blood. Even that stiff-necked Aslan won’t dare defy my intention in sending my son personally!”

‘Command, huh.’

Standing before the massive castle gates, Ritter lifted his head, recalling his father’s words.

‘According to father, even Aslan would have to bow his head before me, a royal.’

It didn’t feel bad imagining this widely praised figure, from nobles to street commoners, having to bow before him.

Though coming to this backwater far from the capital was troublesome, it wasn’t a bad deal considering he just had to show his face as royalty for an easy task with good compensation.

Entering the duke’s castle with such a light attitude, Ritter didn’t know.

That his surname “Astrum” would have absolutely no effect on the duke.

No, rather, he would feel the negative impact of his name “Ritter” from the moment he faced Duke Aslan.

“So you’re Second Prince Ritter.”

“…Yes. Pleased to meet you, Duke Aslan.”

When first greeting the duke, Ritter barely managed to lift his head under the overwhelming pressure.

Far from humbly bowing at the sight of royalty as his father had predicted, the duke’s golden eyes glared at him as if ready to devour him, and Ritter realized something had gone terribly wrong.

“It’s an honor to meet the renowned Guardian of the North, Your Grace.”

As soon as the Second Prince, the figurehead, finished his greeting, the baron who came as the practical representative quickly spoke up.

‘The royal family has already lost enough face by sending us here; no need to suffer further humiliation.’

Rumors were already widespread that when the royal family couldn’t pay the war participation fees, House Aslan had cut off the royal family’s trade routes.

Nobles who attended the notably inferior royal banquet that year whispered that the rumors must be true.

In this situation, having royalty personally visit the duke’s territory was clearly going to be interpreted as the royal family backing down first under various pressures.

‘But there’s no choice. If the duke doesn’t agree, not only will the royal private treasury be affected, but there will be holes in the national treasury for years.’

There were literal holes in the palace curtains too.

Because House Aslan had blocked trade goods meant for the royal family, they couldn’t replace items that needed changing in time.

‘Anyway, though the royal family is suffering humiliation this time, I need to be extra careful. It would be terrible if this backfires on me.’

The baron shuddered briefly, imagining being the target of the king’s anger if things went wrong.

“Ahem. Your Grace, His Majesty has shown his sincerity in this matter by sending the prince personally. If you could show even a little generosity…”

While the baron smoothly flattered and tried his best to draw concessions from the ducal family.

‘Why did the duke look at me like that?’

Puzzled by the duke’s unexpected attitude, Ritter opened his mouth again with an expression of sudden realization.

“Duke Aslan.”

“Y-Your Highness?”

‘No, I’m already working hard on the delicate negotiations here. Why suddenly interrupt?’

The baron looked anxiously at the Second Prince who had needlessly cut in.

Facing the duke with a rather confident expression, Ritter smiled and spoke:

“If you’re feeling uncomfortable because of what happened before, I wanted to tell you there’s no need for that.”

“What happened before?”

The duke’s eyebrow twitched upward at these unexpected words from someone he already disliked.

“Yes. Although the young lady made unexpected skinship with me during our first meeting…”

“What? Skinship?”

Carl, who had been standing to the side with folded arms as if not wanting to even speak with Ritter, growled as he spoke up.

“Ah, was my expression too vague? I was trying to be considerate of the young lady’s dignity.”

Ritter continued with an amused smile.

“Let me be precise to avoid misunderstandings. Though the young lady did slap my cheek, I have no intention of bringing up a lady’s misconduct.”

He had guessed that the duke’s stern expression came from feeling awkward about the young lady’s previous rudeness, and showed magnanimity first, but Carl responded as if it was completely natural:

“You deserved that slap for bringing up that nonsense about engagement.”

“…Pardon?”

Ritter turned to Duke Aslan, shocked by the young master’s outrageous words.

“Hmm.”

However, the duke nodded as if agreeing with his son’s statement.

Faced with such blatant discourtesy for the first time, Ritter was speechless.