Chapter 35 …
As he approached the castle, more people came into view.
They looked like they had finished their work at the castle, and most of them were women and children.
They sang as they clung to small wagons, almost overflowing with their loads. Despite the laborious work, their faces radiated joy and vitality.
It was an unfamiliar sight.
Benjamin stopped in front of a pumpkin lantern lighting up the garden and stared at it with fascination.
Jo ran out to greet him.
“Master!”
Jo’s light green eyes sparkled like stars.
“I knew you would come. I’ve prepared your clothes too! This way, please!”
Benjamin allowed himself to be led along, pretending to be unwilling.
“There wasn’t time to tailor new clothes, but there were fine ceremonial outfits well preserved deep in the wardrobe. I’ve had them altered to fit you, Master.”
Benjamin stood silently for a moment, staring at the clothes hanging in the center of the room.
An elegant silk shirt and pants, a luxurious velvet vest, and a flamboyant jacket draped over them.
What surprised him most was the embroidery of juniper branches in gold thread on both lapels of the jacket.
“…….”
He looked at the jacket adorned with the emblem of the Ishpern family and thought,
‘Do I even deserve to wear this?’
Probably not.
But having come this far, he couldn’t complain that the clothes weren’t to his liking.
‘Very well, madam.’
With a sigh, Benjamin removed his dirty outer clothes.
‘Since I bear a great deal of responsibility for today’s events, I’ll comply—just for today.’
Even though he resolved himself, the moment he stepped onto the hallway with the new carpet, Benjamin felt his heart trembling with unease.
“Fuu…”
He loosened the cravat that choked his neck slightly. Still feeling constrained, he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, which had been fastened tightly to the neck.
“Hah…”
Near the entrance to the banquet hall, where dazzling light spilled out, Benjamin pressed himself against the window, unable to bring himself inside, staring out at the bleak garden.
Through the polished glass, he could see the garden shrouded in darkness.
But that wasn’t all. The reflection of the banquet hall also appeared in the window and leapt into his eyes.
Inside, finely dressed people were laughing and chatting.
They looked happy.
Benjamin felt a tightness in his chest.
‘…Just a moment, just hold on.’
At that moment, someone came rolling from behind and collided against his back.
Even from that chaotic movement, he knew who it was.
He turned slowly.
“Hah!”
Having run into him, Helena jumped back in surprise.
“Sorry… not!”
About to apologize reflexively, she realized it was him and immediately punched his chest with her fist.
“You scared me!”
He was equally startled.
Helena, lightly made-up, with reddish-brown hair loosely braided to one side and a white flower tucked behind her ear, looked like a forest goddess.
She furrowed her pale, pearl-like forehead and struck his chest repeatedly with her tightly clenched fists.
Then she raised her green eyes, glaring at him as she shouted,
“Where have you been sneaking off to? Do you know how…!”
Suddenly, she stopped mid-rant. Turning her head, she stepped back from him.
“…Enough.”
Benjamin rubbed his chest, where Helena had struck him.
The vague sense of unease and nightmare-like tightness had long disappeared.
He smiled wryly.
‘Was my taste always this terrible?’
Helena chattered as he looked away.
“It’s a political marriage anyway, right? You were forcing me into something I didn’t want, so it probably annoyed me. And just as much as I dislike you, you probably dislike me.”
She shrugged.
“If we get through this banquet smoothly, things will be quiet for a while. So just cooperate today.”
Benjamin gently took her arm.
“When did I ever say I disliked you?”
Helena’s face registered the look of someone hearing the most absurd joke in the world.
She stared at him and asked,
“So you mean… you like me?”
Seeing the fearful expression, as if bracing for a terrible answer, Benjamin felt the heat in his face cool sharply.
He let go of her arm and said,
“Do you really think so?”
The fear vanished from Helena’s face.
“Then… what do you think?”
“Just… so-so.”
Helena seemed to like his calm, matter-of-fact answer.
She changed her expression, blinked charmingly, and tucked the slightly disheveled flower neatly behind her ear again.
“Still, it sounds nicer than both of us saying we dislike each other. Good. I also think you’re just… so-so.”
“….”
“Then please cooperate!”
Helena raised her hand elegantly.
Benjamin sighed deeply, but extended his arm so she could rest her hand on it.
As they entered the banquet hall, the attendants announced his arrival.
“His Excellency, Count Ishpern!”
All eyes in the hall turned to him.
Benjamin was slightly surprised. For some reason, the chandelier had been lowered to the center of the hall.
But that wasn’t the most surprising thing.
Since Helena was hosting the banquet, he had expected at least the hall to be glittering and extravagant, but it was not. The hall looked modest and warm.
The people were the same. Well-dressed, yet somehow humble in appearance, they gathered in small groups and smiled at him genuinely.
It was far warmer than he had imagined.
Nearby, people began to approach him and greet him.
“Finally, we meet, Count Ishpern.”
“Count, it’s a pleasure. Oh my, seeing the two of you together, one can see why they say this is a perfect match!”
Benjamin, initially stiff, gradually relaxed and even exchanged brief conversation with those who spoke to him.
Watching this, Helena finally felt a small sense of relief.
‘Ugh, this takes a lot of effort… a lot of effort…’
She clicked her tongue in her heart and finally turned her gaze away from Benjamin.
With him present, her muscles in the back of her neck were three times tenser than when she was alone.
As she subtly stretched her neck and shoulders, she noticed the face of Countess Bryce entering the hall, looking completely deflated.
‘Ugh, that expression…’
Helena was thrilled.
‘I must tease her!’
Holding a glass of wine in one hand, she smiled brightly and approached Countess Bryce.
“Countess Bryce! What a pleasure to meet you again!”
Countess Bryce looked utterly confused, clearly not expecting Helena to approach her so boldly.
“Countess Ishpern…”
It seemed the Countess had endured quite a bit of stress in that brief time.
Her lipstick was mostly wiped off from biting her lips, and her lace gloves were gone, perhaps due to sweaty hands as she entered the hall.
Helena clicked her tongue inwardly.
Contrary to appearances, Countess Bryce seemed quite naive.
The more disadvantageous the situation, the more composed one should be, but she seemed incapable.
‘Well, a girl this pretty probably hasn’t been treated like this before.’
Countess Bryce was literally a doll-like beauty.
Her silvery-blue hair, small face like a hand mirror, deep eyes with gem-like navy irises—everything was perfect.
Looking at Helena with slightly teary eyes, Countess Bryce whispered in a tiny voice,
“Did you come to scold me?”
Helena smiled and handed her the wine glass.
“Of course not. Why would I do that?”
Countess Bryce bit her already sore lips again and took the glass from Helena.
As if it were poison, she held it tightly with trembling hands.
“Thanks to you, we’ve been able to hold such an enjoyable banquet at the Ishpern estate.”
Countess Bryce’s forehead creased slightly.
It sounded subtly sarcastic, yet Helena’s sweet smile made it impossible to take that tone too harshly.
Helena exhaled and continued,
“Honestly, I was quite surprised when I came to Burwood after marriage. The castle was in terrible condition. Well, it still is.”
She lowered her voice slightly.
“But Honey—ah yes, my husband, Count Ishpern—wasn’t very cooperative in repairing the castle, which gave me a headache. Thanks to you, Countess, and with the help of the estate’s residents, we were able to speed up the restoration.”
