“Then what about Lord Cirenster?”
Kaella had Lord Renard sit and inquired about various figures in the court. Lord Renard was visibly impressed; the Grand Duchess had been in Lyussenford for only a short time and had attended only one gathering, yet she already recalled so many names.
“He is a man of integrity. A knight among knights. He is held in high esteem, truly. However, he dislikes putting himself forward and absolutely despises sycophancy, which has made his promotions rather slow.”
Peon glanced at Lord Renard, his expression betraying that he was hearing this for the first time. It was a stark reminder that even the man at the very top remained unaware of the currents moving beneath him.
“That is why I am asking you. Is his wife of the same temperament?”
“Er, I understand they married for love. Lord Perwedding’s marriage was a political arrangement between families, but Lord Cirenster—though he rarely shows it—is a man who deeply loves his wife. He always returns home early and never stays behind to drink with the other knights. That is partly why his promotions lag, but he seems entirely unbothered by it.”
“Promotions are hindered if one doesn’t stay behind to drink after work?”
Peon’s reaction was sharp. Such a culture had no place in Lyussenford. They faced enemies on every border; excellence should be measured by ability, not camaraderie.
“Friendship carries significant weight in recommendations, Your Highness. While a recommendation in Lyussenford must be substantiated by skill, one still needs to drink a bit to get close to your circle quickly.”
Peon, who had been observing Cirenster from a distance without much thought, rubbed his brow. Kaella knew why he was scowling—even if the specifics eluded her, the man who rarely showed emotion was clearly pained. Sensing Kaella’s focus, Lord Renard prudently fell silent.
What should she do? She knew it was best not to interfere in Peon’s affairs. He had never granted her permission to meddle, and to do so was an overreach. But the room was full of eyes, and Peon’s face was tightening with such severity it bordered on anguish.
“Your Highness. Lyussenford is a vast and expansive fortress.”
Kaella spoke up, leaving herself no other choice.
“You cannot grasp every minute detail when you have so many heavy matters to oversee.”
“But I must.”
His voice was thick with self-reproach. It was common for a Grand Duke to miss a talented subordinate here or there, yet he was deeply tormented. To him, every oversight felt like a mistake from his past, a fracture in the foundation leading toward the catastrophe he was desperate to prevent.
“There are many talented people in this world who vanish without ever seeing the light of day. Is that entirely Your Highness’s fault? It is not. You have discovered one new talent today; shouldn’t you find joy in that?”
The Grand Duchess’s calm, steady words struck a chord.
“Do not grieve for those you do not know and have lost; simply rejoice in the one you have come to know.”
Peon lifted his head to look at Kaella. She sat quietly, hands folded in her lap, her gaze unadorned and unwavering. Even if he were to draw his sword and aim it at her, she would not avert her eyes. That noble, unashamed composure commanded a profound respect.
“That person will surely bring another talent to Your Highness.”
“You are right, My Lady.”
Peon nodded quietly. Kaella turned her attention back to Lord Renard.
“Tell me more about Lord Cirenster’s wife.”
“I don’t know the noblewomen’s affairs in great detail, but…”
“Tell me what you know.”
“From what I have observed, she is a quiet person. Her reputation is contradictory. Some ladies say she is reasonable and kind, while others call her haughty and claim she keeps others at a distance.”
Kaella stared intently at Lord Renard. The ladies-in-waiting mirrored her focus, as did Peon.
“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
“You said you didn’t know the details, yet you seem to know quite a lot.”
At Peon’s remark, the ladies-in-waiting nodded.
“This is common knowledge if one pays a little attention to the talk of the ladies.”
“No, men usually don’t know anything about that.”
“That is because they do not listen.”
Lord Renard felt aggrieved. There were simply too many stories he wanted to hear!
“Then you must know this, too. What kind of group calls Lord Cirenster’s wife reasonable and good, and what kind of group calls her haughty?”
After a moment of thought, Lord Renard looked at Kaella with a slightly surprised expression.
“The former consists mostly of the wives of low-ranking, relatively poor knights. The latter… may I name the families?”
“Speak.”
“It is mostly the wealthy wives of mainstream families, like the Lulmons or the Windgoods, who say so.”
“In other words, Lady Cirenster aligns more with the poor and low-ranking than with the mainstream families.”
“She isn’t even that close to them. I haven’t seen her being particularly friendly with anyone, but it is well known that the Cirensters often share what they have—including food—with their poor comrades.”
Kaella nodded. She clearly remembered how Lady Cirenster, whom she had pointed out at random during her first meeting, had bowed politely despite her visible trembling.
“Your Highness. I would like to appoint Lady Cirenster as the Head Lady-in-Waiting.”
“Do as you wish, My Lady. It is not something you need to ask my permission for.”
“Even so.”
It was advantageous for Kaella to have the Grand Duke informed, if only to prevent the butler from throwing a fit later.
Matters in Lyussenford had to be handled with razor-sharp precision, leaving no room for error. Or at least, that was the goal—though something inevitably went wrong. Perhaps it was because the brain she was pushing to its limit wasn’t as clever as she hoped.
“I think that is a good choice.”
Watching Peon smile, Kaella felt a rare spark of fortune. The problem of the Head Lady-in-Waiting might, unexpectedly, be resolved.
But would her luck hold? Without waiting for an answer, she began to draft the invitation to Lady Cirenster.
Suddenly, a *crack* echoed through the room. Kaella looked up from her parchment.
“My.”
Peon muttered, staring unmoved as the backrest of the tacky floral-patterned sofa—which had been creaking precariously—finally snapped backward.
“I apologize, My Lady. I’ve done it again. You should buy a prettier sofa.”
What kind of back muscles did one need to snap a sofa frame just by leaning back? Kaella didn’t want to imagine it, but she found the destruction of the hideous furniture oddly refreshing.
･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ･
The appointment of Fabiola, wife of knight Alfred Cirenster, as the Head Lady-in-Waiting was carried out with startling speed.
Fabiola, who had come to the castle grumbling about the Grand Duchess’s urgent summons without knowing why, was taken aback. She had been fretting over grocery shopping for dinner, only to be suddenly thrust into the role of Head Lady-in-Waiting.
“I’m counting on you. You start tomorrow.”
“I-I, Your Highness.”
“I hope you won’t refuse. I saw that you were the right person for the position.”
Fabiola, the wife of an impoverished knight, felt intimidated by the Emperor’s niece, who had been raised in wealth and refinement, even if the girl did look somewhat weary.
“I am grateful, but I don’t know why I am the right fit. I have many shortcomings.”
“That very reaction is why you are the right fit. What were you doing when I called?”
Fabiola hesitated before answering honestly.
“I was deciding what to prepare for dinner.”
That meant, in other words, that Fabiola was not wealthy enough to outsource her household chores. Compared to the prestigious background of the dismissed former Head Lady-in-Waiting, Doris Windgood, Fabiola Cirenster was considered a nobody.
Still, she straightened her shoulders. It was not shameful that her husband was frugal and their circumstances modest. Fabiola met the eyes of the Grand Duchess, who had likely never once had to rack her brain over a meal.
“Deciding what to serve every day is a headache. You will dine at the castle tonight with Lord Cirenster. I heard your children are at a nearby school. I will send a knight to bring them here.”
“Yes? But…”
“Besides, the Grand Duke mentioned he had much to discuss with your husband. I, too, have much to say to you.”
Was Fabiola Cirenster someone who could be manipulated by the butler? How much should Kaella yield? As Grand Duchess, Kaella needed to find out as soon as possible.
The one line she could not cross was the dismissal of the ladies-in-waiting from Ostain. She didn’t want much—the Head Lady-in-Waiting just needed to not stand in her way.
She gained confidence that Fabiola would comply when she saw the butler’s expression upon hearing the news.
“Pardon?”
“I said Lady Cirenster is the new Head Lady-in-Waiting.”
“But…”
The butler, who had been about to protest, shut his mouth when the gazes of both the Grand Duchess and Fabiola Cirenster turned toward him in unison.
“No, Your Highness. You have done well. It is a relief.”
*’Since Fabiola Cirenster isn’t from a powerful family, it’ll be easier to twist her to my liking,’* the butler thought, his internal calculations shifting. *’Her husband walks around with his head held high, which is irritating, but this is a minor matter in the grand scheme.’*
He quickly put on a sycophantic smile.
“It will take a heavy load off your shoulders.”
Fabiola clearly read the trace of condescension in his face. She had never liked Viscount Rolf Anderson. To have a young Grand Duchess arrive only to nearly perish, and then to suffer such insolence from a cheeky butler—Fabiola was not the type to tolerate it. She glared at his retreating back.
“We have much to do as well.”
Kaella muttered, watching the exchange.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Fabiola did not utter another word about declining. Dinner that evening, shared by the Grand Ducal couple and the Cirensters, was as polite and pleasant as one could hope for.
“It is quite late, but congratulations on your marriage, Your Highness. Welcome to Lyussenford, Your Grace.”
Sir Alfred Cirenster was a gentleman; though his hair had receded, he remained handsome.
“We were so happy to hear the news. Your Grace, have you been to Ryannes? The waterfall is truly beautiful.”
Fabiola was a dainty beauty with clever brown eyes. Kaella, who had never interacted with this couple in her past life, found the conversation surprisingly enjoyable. Unlike the other nobles of Lyussenford, the Cirensters did not giggle or whisper when Kaella spoke.
“My wife has not yet fully recovered, so she hasn’t attempted any outings yet.”
“I was actually wanting to ask how your health has been. I was relieved to see that your complexion is good today, Your Grace.”
She was rumored to keep others at a distance, but Fabiola was unexpectedly warm. Her concern felt genuine.
“I am able to get around now, and I can manage my work as well.”
“That is a huge relief. When I saw you at the last gathering, my heart was anxious watching you rely on the Grand Duke to walk. You looked so pale.”
Fabiola stroked her chest.
“I thought to myself, ‘Ah, that must be why the Grand Duke escorted you.'”
“No, it wasn’t because of that.”
Then, unexpectedly, Peon interjected.
“Isn’t it a husband’s job to escort his wife wherever she goes?”
Kaella barely recognized the man sitting beside her. Sir Alfred Cirenster, usually reticent, immediately shouted his agreement.
“That is correct, Your Highness. Isn’t that truly a matter of course?”
“It is.”
“There are people in Lyussenford who treat escorting one’s wife as a weakness, but I think those who hold such thoughts are the ones who are soft. How could they walk through the mud in such long skirts in this weather? Women are frailer than men, especially after giving birth. What is wrong with escorting them?”
Sir Cirenster shook his head. His love for his wife was evident in every word.
Fabiola smiled quietly beside him. Her face, glowing with the peace of a harmonious marriage, made Kaella feel a sharp, quiet envy. She had once wished for such a life, but having been thwarted, the contrast was painful.
“Escorting one’s wife is nothing, and there is no reason to debate it.”
“Yes, that is true, Your Highness. Since Your Highness thinks that way, it won’t be long before the thoughts of all the husbands in Lyussenford change.”
“Is it to that extent?”
“Of course, Your Highness. Everyone at our ladies’ meeting was surprised to see you escorting the Grand Duchess, and the word spread. I’m sure all of them went home and had a word or two with their husbands.”
Fabiola added with a bright smile.
“Now that you have arrived, Your Grace, the atmosphere in Lyussenford seems likely to change completely. I hope you recover your health fully and live happily for a long time.”
It was said that well-wishes from a lady in a long, happy marriage were a precious gift. Kaella smiled at the words, though they felt like a coat that didn’t fit.
“Thank you.”
The smile bloomed slightly, only to fade away into nothingness.