Chapter 55
“It’s been a while, Your Grace. Have you been well?”
“I’ve had no troubles. You look healthy too.”
“What trouble would I have? I’ve just been knocking some sense into those unruly knights here. Hahaha!”
Did she swallow a steam locomotive or something?
Madeline’s laughter was as hearty as her voice. After laughing loudly, she turned to Reina with a bright smile.
“My apologies for the late introduction, Your Highness. My name is Madeline. You can just call me Madeline like those fellows do.”
After greeting her, Madeline suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Reina’s hand, shaking it vigorously up and down.
…Is this her way of showing friendliness?
It was a bit too intense. She squeezed and shook so hard that Reina’s whole body rocked along with the motion.
“N-Nice to meet you, Madeline.”
“Oh my, where did His Grace find such a lovely Grand Duchess?”
The woman who introduced herself as Madeline was quite talkative.
“Our lord truly has an eye for people. We heard he was leaving, and we’ve been waiting endlessly for his return. But the moment I step away for a bit, those idiots start causing trouble…!”
From her mouth poured an endless stream of chatter—about a foal being born that morning, how she had stepped away because of it, how the knights had behaved rudely in her absence, and how it was all because the castle had gone so long without a mistress.
Listening to her, Reina grew curious.
What exactly does this woman do?
If she stepped away because of a horse, she sounded like a stable manager—but that didn’t seem quite right. She acted like a neighborhood aunt, yet the knights treated her like someone important.
As if reading Reina’s thoughts, Madeline suddenly stopped and introduced herself properly.
“I’ve been managing the castle while His Grace was away. I oversee everything—from training the soldiers to caring for the warhorses.”
At that, Kalheil added with a slight frown,
“‘Manager’ doesn’t quite cover it. Madeline is a vassal who has served the Lautzen family for generations. She’s the head of the Pridio Count family.”
“The head of a count family?”
Reina was visibly shocked. Judging by her appearance and behavior, she had never imagined Madeline to be a noble.
“But no one calls you ‘Countess,’ do they?”
“Oh, that?” Madeline smiled casually.
“These knights have no manners at all. And honestly, being called ‘Countess’ makes my skin crawl. Hahaha. You may call me whatever you like, Your Highness.”
Reina was deeply surprised.
This warm, approachable woman is a knight—and the head of a count family…
It wasn’t impossible for a woman to be the head of a house, but in the capital, men usually held that role.
Even Patricia, who had represented her family at the hunting tournament, wasn’t the head—her young son was, as Reina later learned.
In some families, they even adopted distant male relatives just to ensure a male heir. So for Madeline to be the head herself was remarkable.
Seeing Reina’s reaction, Madeline added with a grin,
“In Lautzen, what matters isn’t gender—it’s whether you can wield a sword and fight well. And I’m quite skilled, if I may say so.”
Then, her expression softened apologetically.
“Please forgive those knights from earlier. They’re poorly raised fools. But they meant no harm. They were just curious about the Grand Duchess His Grace brought with him.”
“About… me?”
“Of course! Everyone’s been dying to see when you’d arrive. The woman who captured this stone-hearted man in an instant—how could they not be curious? And since the wedding was rushed in the capital… His Grace was practically desperate—!!”
“…Madeline!”
At Kalheil’s warning, Madeline quickly shut her mouth.
“Ahem! In any case, after so long, Lautzen finally has its lady! Shall I show you around the castle, Your Highness?”
Madeline pushed gently at Reina’s back. As Reina was practically ushered forward, a strange sense of déjà vu came over her.
She handles me even better than Amy…
Amy was already quite capable, but compared to Madeline’s force and presence, she seemed like a child. Overwhelmed, Amy had been silent this whole time, quietly following behind.
Even during the short walk up the castle stairs, Madeline talked nonstop. It almost seemed like her lips were as well-trained as her muscles.
Still, surrounded by unfamiliar sights, Reina didn’t mind the friendly chatter.
Kalheil naturally tried to follow behind Reina, but he was soon stopped by another knight—Daniel, who had been waiting for his chance.
“Where are you going, Your Grace?”
“…Naturally, I was going to assist in showing my wife around.”
“With Count Madeline there, what would you be needed for?”
“Well…”
Kalheil glanced toward Reina.
I should be beside her…
But while he hesitated, Reina had already followed Madeline without looking back. She was now so far away he could barely see her.
A flicker of irritation crossed Kalheil’s eyes.
“…If it’s not urgent, we can talk later.”
Growing impatient, he tried to move again, but Daniel grabbed his arm.
“It is urgent! Everyone’s been waiting for your return. You’ve been gone for months—you should be even busier now!”
“Daniel! Can’t you see I haven’t even unpacked yet?”
“Unpacking? There are plenty of people for that. Lord Rock came up with something incredible—a new weapon to deal with flying monsters! You must come see it.”
That certainly piqued his interest. It seemed Rock had solved the problem Kalheil had left behind.
But still…
Kalheil glanced again toward where Reina had been. She was completely out of sight.
How can she just follow someone she barely knows?
Earlier too—why had she hidden behind Bayen instead of him?
In that situation, shouldn’t she have trusted her husband—the man she had spent time with, even shared kisses with?
She was truly unbelievable.
I was going to stay by her side.
With a sulky expression, Kalheil narrowed his eyes.
“…Fine. Let’s go.”
Though his voice carried clear irritation, Daniel—oblivious as ever—didn’t notice.
Excited, Daniel continued talking as he led the way.
“Rock really outdid himself! I don’t know how he comes up with these things. Mages must have completely different brains than us knights, don’t you think, Your Grace?”
“….”
“Your Grace?”
“…I’m listening.”
“So the way he came up with it was—”
“….”
As one entered the castle and the other was dragged toward the magic tower, Bayen watched the separated couple with a content smile.
“…This is Lautzen.”
It was full of life. The people were energetic, the knights rough and unrefined.
Yet here, Bayen felt he could finally breathe freely.
The people of the capital—polite on the surface, always smiling—somehow made him uncomfortable.
Compared to them, these blunt and rugged people were far easier to be around.
And for good reason.
Though rough, the people of Lautzen were honest. Beneath their seemingly rude behavior lay genuine warmth.
“So… we’ve finally returned.”
To their land. Their home—Lautzen.
Bayen took a deep breath. The crisp air filled his lungs, refreshing him from within.
Unexpectedly, the interior of the castle was quite ordinary.
After seeing the grand, magic-infused walls filled with enormous mana stones, Reina had expected something equally extravagant inside.
But instead—gray stone floors, rough walls, and a plain ceiling.
It’s not shabby… but… practical?
Everything necessary was there, but decoration was minimal.
In fact, the glowing mana-studded walls outside seemed more luxurious.
Noticing her gaze, Madeline spoke a bit awkwardly.
“It’s rather modest compared to the capital, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s just right. What’s the point of decorating a castle with things you can’t even use? It just costs money.”
Madeline burst into laughter.
“Come this way. The room ahead is your bedroom, Your Highness.”
At the mention of a bedroom, Reina’s heart stirred.
It would be the place she’d spend most of her time.
Even if it wasn’t luxurious, she didn’t mind.
As long as there’s a bed.
She opened the door with slight anticipation—
—and froze, her mouth falling open.
“What… is all this?”
“Do you like it? We put a lot of effort into decorating your room.”
…Does this count as decorating?
The entire room was covered in thick fur.
Floor, walls, ceiling—even the window frames.
“…Is that… a bear?”
Reina pointed at the massive fur hanging on the wall.
“Oh my, as expected of someone from the capital—you recognized it!”
Madeline clapped happily.
“…I’ve hunted one before.”
“…You’ve hunted a bear?”
Madeline stared at Reina in disbelief.
