33.
Anita bowed her head, fighting the heat rising in her cheeks.
“W-where did that letter come from?”
“The Duke of Luther’s household. They are calling for me urgently. It would be best to take this afternoon’s train up to Hixen.”
This afternoon?
“The date was set for tomorrow, but to call for you without waiting even one more day—did something happen?”
“It seems some nobles in Hixen are spreading malicious rumors regarding the Callasgo Trust. They want me to arrive as soon as possible to extinguish them. He is an investor in the Trust, after all.”
Since the primary clients of the Callasgo Trust were nobles, Anita agreed that it would be best for her to handle the situation firmly.
“For that reason, we are scheduled to take the 3:00 p.m. train to Hixen. Be prepared.”
“3:00… I understand.”
Since today’s lesson was only from noon to 2:00 p.m., there was no need to cancel. A slight sense of regret tugged at her.
She carefully reviewed the luggage she had packed the day before to ensure nothing was missing.
As Lancelot’s title succession ceremony and Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday celebration were being held in tandem, there were several valuables to bring. Along with the birthday gift Lancelot had prepared…
“Ah, the Gold Sword. Should I take that with me today as well?”
The Gold Sword.
It followed a similar path to the Silver Sword used at their wedding. If the Silver Sword signified the head of Edenbahir dedicating his soul to his life-long companion, the Gold Sword signified his dedication of loyalty to the King of the Kingdom of Montebio.
The Gold Sword conferral was a custom held in high regard by the royal family.
The protocol required the sword to be wrapped in embroidered silk, placed inside a maple wood box, and transported from the estate to the royal castle.
‘They say it’s best if the owner of the Silver Sword maintains it themselves, but…’
The problem was that the Grand Duchess did not trust Anita.
[What would you, a wife who has only just become part of the family, know about the customs of Edenbahir? The Gold Sword conferral is a solemn occasion that proves the lord-vassal contract bound by our blood. Therefore, Lancelot, let this old woman handle the production and management of the Gold Sword for your generation.]
Lancelot had asked for Anita’s opinion first, and she had replied:
[Even while I am still struggling with royal etiquette, if I become greedy for the management of the Gold Sword, I fear I will achieve a result that is neither here nor there. So, I will leave the production and management to the Grand Duchess. However, I will take charge of the transport.]
It was a decision she could make only because she knew the Grand Duchess’s love for Lancelot.
She felt relieved, once again, that the Grand Duchess’s residence was in Hixen rather than Shavalon. How exhausting would it be to clash at every turn?
“I don’t mind taking it, but we will have to hold a box weighing nearly 20 kilograms in our arms until we arrive. Will you be alright?”
It seemed that because it was a last-minute ticket, he had only managed to secure seats for himself and Anita.
“Hmm. I’ll think about it.”
She couldn’t afford to have her legs give out the moment she stepped off the train; that would be a disgraceful sight.
“Anita Edenbahir.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t try too hard. Do things in moderation, within limits that don’t overtax you. Everything.”
Lancelot’s voice was a low whisper, his eyes as gentle as the summer sun.
Perhaps that was why? Anita felt a rebellious urge to try even harder.
***
As always, Lady Adelaide arrived at the Duke Edenbahir Residence ten minutes before the scheduled time.
The good news was that today’s lesson was not a dull indoor one.
“Today, we shall try painting a landscape. As it is only a two-hour lesson, the coloring stage might be difficult, but I would like you to do your best as you always do.”
“Of course, Lady Adelaide.”
Anita gave her all to the painting lesson.
But effort and skill are two different things.
‘Ah, it’s horrible.’
Even though it was a painting born from her own hands, how could it be this atrocious?
How in the world are painters able to capture trees? No matter how much she tried, it just didn’t look like a tree.
Anita glanced at Lady Adelaide’s canvas.
‘Wow.’
Yet another Edenbahir residence was being born from those wrinkled hands.
As she watched in admiration, she met Lady Adelaide’s eyes. The old lady’s gaze drifted naturally to Anita’s canvas, and Anita’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“It’s unsightly, isn’t it? It’s embarrassing to show you.”
“Do not lose heart. It is not that you are incapable of painting, but merely that you are poor at drawing pictures.”
She felt it every time: Lady Adelaide’s compliments were difficult to distinguish from insults.
“Lady, this may be a rude question, but given the situation, I feel I must be certain. Do you know about the Gold Sword?”
Anita answered the question naturally.
Lady Adelaide’s lessons started with a question and ended with one. This constant cycle of conversation had improved Anita’s communication skills in a short period.
“I heard it briefly from him. They say the sword offered to the owner of one’s soul is the Silver Sword, and the sword offered to the owner of one’s loyalty is the Gold Sword. It is the item to be offered to His Majesty the King at the succession ceremony.”
“Then is it newly produced for every succession ceremony?”
“Yes. It is kept at the estate and will be transported to Hixen tomorrow. As it proves that Edenbahir and the royal family are of one blood, it is as precious as our lives.”
“I am glad you are well aware of its importance. In that case, are you currently the person in charge of it?”
“Officially, yes, but… as I have many shortcomings, the Grand Duchess is taking care of it.”
“The Grand Duchess?”
“Yes.”
Lady Adelaide’s expression turned somewhat ambiguous. Anita cautiously added, “As it is an object upon which the honor of Edenbahir depends, I assumed the Grand Duchess would keep it with great care… is something wrong?”
“That is not it, but… do you truly believe that the Grand Duchess holds the Gold Sword in high regard?”
Anita blinked, feeling dazed.
The Grand Duchess she knew loved the House of Edenbahir far more than the late Duke ever did. There was no reason for such a woman to treat the Gold Sword with neglect.
“Duchess!”
Just then, a familiar shout rang out from the garden behind her.
“Over here, Duchess! It’s me, Milena!”
The visitor was Lady Milena, wearing a smile brighter than the sun.
“The old rascal has arrived. Let us end today’s lesson here. Painting is not something one can master overnight, after all.”
A shortened lesson! Anita smiled brightly, held Lady Adelaide’s hands, and beamed.
“Thank you, Lady Adelaide. See you at the royal castle!”
“Yes. Please have a safe journey.”
After a brief farewell, Anita ran straight to Lady Milena.
It was the first time she had met her since the wedding. Was it because she had been trapped in the mansion for two weeks? She couldn’t help but be pleased by the visit of a woman she wasn’t even that close to.
“What brings you here, Lady Milena? Didn’t you go up to Hixen first?”
“I actually stopped by on my way to the Shavalon station. I found a truly wonderful gift for you, Duchess.”
Now that she looked, a man who appeared to be Lady Milena’s attendant was unloading a wrapped board from a steam car.
No, it wasn’t a board—it was a massive watercolor painting.
“Now, take a look.”
Anita stared at the painting with surprised eyes. She was well-acquainted with it.
‘But why does she have such a triumphant expression?’
She wasn’t the one who painted it. Did it hold some grand significance?
“It is embarrassing, but my knowledge of art is lacking…”
“Knowledge? Hehe. You don’t need any of that, so just enjoy it. Freely. Just as you see it.”
Following Lady Adelaide’s painting lesson, was this Lady Milena’s appreciation lesson?
Anita scanned the painting.
In the center, she saw a man with golden skin who was limping. In the Kingdom of Montebio, that signified a Nuaza.
At the far right edge, another man with golden skin, hiding a sword behind his back, was watching the Nuaza.
Two Nuaza. They were the twin brothers of the Nuaza known as the traitor.
Perhaps because it was the first time she was examining it in such detail, it felt strangely unfamiliar.
“It’s the Nuaza and his brother. The limping Nuaza and… the twin watching him.”
“There is a story that is gaining immense popularity among young artists these days.”
“The Nuaza myth?”
“Oh, it couldn’t be such a stale fairy tale.”
The corners of Countess Milena’s lips curled into a strange arc.
“Listen while you admire it. Duchess, do you know what kind of bait the Duke of Edenbahir used to lure me?”