Episode 80
For a while, the sound of air cracking, as if something were being shot, rang in my ears.
But the firm arms holding me and his warm body temperature kept me from feeling anxious.
Before long, Calisteon’s voice was heard again.
“You can open your eyes now.”
He set me down on the floor.
Before I could even register the feel of the solid floor under my feet, my eyes were filled with the sight of a magnificent gallery.
A voice tinged with laughter reached me.
“This is for you…”
Calisteon extended a neat palm towards me.
“The Babenberg Castle Gallery. The place I most wanted to show you.”
I smiled brightly and placed my hand over his palm.
It seemed the twelve-year-old Sword Master had finally gotten his wish.
“La-Lady, I’m Chacha, and I’ll be serving you during your stay in Babenberg…”
“And I’m Collie,” added the maid who had introduced herself as Chacha.
“O-of course, the veteran maid is here, but since it’s your first time in Babenberg, we decided to help you.”
I looked at the two maids, who had a strangely similar aura, with wide eyes.
As if reading my look, Chacha added an explanation.
“We-we’re not that alike, but we’re twins.”
This time, Collie spoke up.
“It might not look like it, but we’re tight-lipped!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Phoebe burst out laughing.
It was only then that I finally collected myself and replied.
“Oh, hello.”
The twin maids, without exception, stiffened and bowed their heads deeply.
Seeing their nervous state, I continued gently.
“I don’t know what His Grace told you, but there’s no need to be so apprehensive. I’m only staying for a short while anyway…”
At that, Collie’s expression darkened unusually.
“So it’s true, then…?”
“Huh?”
Just then, the outside became noisily chaotic.
“She says she’s only staying for a short while!”
“Why, why? Can’t she stay forever?”
“It’s definitely the one our Lord has held in his heart for half his life…!”
They might have thought they were keeping their voices down, but every word came through to me crystal clear.
I blushed slightly in embarrassment when suddenly the noise outside died down as if someone had been struck dead, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps as everyone scattered.
Soon, Calisteon appeared and commanded Chacha in a stern voice.
“Get me the names of those making noise in the corridor just now. Loafing around during work hours merits a pay cut.”
Seeing Chacha’s face turn pale, I hurriedly grabbed Calisteon’s wrist.
“Carl, I don’t want to be disliked by everyone the moment I arrive.”
He flinched his shoulder and immediately reversed himself.
“…The previous order is rescinded. Just tell them all not to make a commotion.”
While Chacha was catching her small breath, Collie answered spiritedly.
“Thank you, Master!”
Then, looking at me, she added softly.
“Thank you, Lady.”
I finally laughed out loud.
Calisteon gently put his arm around my shoulder and led me into the room.
“This was my mother’s room.”
His voice was quiet, but it was enough to make me stop in my tracks.
He saw my flustered face and relaxed the line of his mouth into a smile.
“Don’t make that face. For the first time in a long while, there’s a human warmth here. My mother would be happy.”
“Thank you, Carl.”
The gaze looking down at me was as piercingly blue as ever, but I felt a warm kindness within it.
He tightened his arm around me slightly.
“Let’s try to enjoy ourselves while we’re here. However, it will be quite cold for you, so let’s spend our time inside the castle until the day of the Ice Festival.”
“Okay, sure.”
Now that he mentioned it, the fireplace was burning as if it meant to boil the room.
Chacha and Collie, trailing behind us, had faces red and flushed, and Calisteon was dressed in a thin shirt that looked suitable for summer.
I shook my head and called him.
“Carl.”
A pair of blue eyes looked at me gently.
“Yes?”
“I’m not that cold. Isn’t the fireplace burning a bit… terrifically hot?”
“Impossible.”
Calisteon dismissed my words outright.
Then his large hand approached, and the back of it brushed against my cheek.
“You’re cold. Your cheek is cold.”
No, you would know that better than me.
“But you look hot too…”
As I tried to protest, a soft laugh escaped him.
“Now that you’re here, what does it matter if it’s a little warm?”
Now I saw it too; blue flames were dancing in his eyes.
‘No wonder the maids are gathering to watch.’
My face grew hot and I fanned myself, but I could no longer tell if it was truly due the room’s high temperature.
“Dinner will be interesting. Get some rest.”
“…Okay.”
I nodded reluctantly.
The moment he disappeared, Chacha and Collie looked at each other and mouthed something silently.
Calisteon treated everyone but me as if they were transparent, but my situation was different.
‘If I weren’t pregnant, it wouldn’t be this embarrassing…!’
When I took pity on Calisteon and hastily agreed to this trip to Babenberg, I think I was severely lacking in awareness about this body.
Since I’m clearly here as Calisteon’s guest, I can’t act like a married woman as I did in Edessa.
‘A noblewoman, heavily pregnant, visiting the Grand Duke’s castle alone and using the late Grand Duchess’s room—no one would see that as normal.’
So, I can understand why the castle staff are making a fuss.
‘But what if later it becomes known that I’m an Imperial Princess, and then the father of the child is revealed to be someone else, or I marry someone else…?’
Then this trip would go down in Babenberg history books as a royal scandal. Ugh.
“W-we in Babenberg have a tradition of eating seven different flavors of food in the first week of the New Year. We believe it brings health.”
Collie, taking over from Chacha, excitedly explained, pointing to each dish one by one.
“Salty, sweet, spicy, bitter, sour, hot, and cold.”
“Wow, really?”
My eyes sparkled as I examined the foods.
Collie continued.
“This sautéed spinach is salty, and it tastes great with the salmon with cream.”
This time, Chacha chimed in.
“This black bread has cacao nibs on it. Just taste it, but don’t eat too much. Our mother said it’s not recommended during pregnancy.”
I absently took a sip from my drink, then asked in surprise.
“What is this drink?”
Calisteon, who had appeared at some point, said.
“It’s calamansi juice. Just taste it for fun. It’s not something you drink because it’s particularly tasty…”
“Won… It’s delicious.”
I drained half the large glass in one go, making Chacha’s eyes go wide.
“Our… mother also liked sour foods when she was pregnant. But you might get a stomach ache, so don’t have too much at once.”
Calisteon frowned slightly and spoke up.
“If you just keep saying ‘mother,’ will she understand who you mean?”
Then he explained to me gently.
“Their mother is the head chef of our castle. What they said probably isn’t wrong.”
I had no desire whatsoever to question whether it was wrong or not.
‘This is the first food since the persimmons that’s made my eyes pop open with how delicious it is.’
Calisteon’s blue eyes scanned my already empty glass with surprise.
He commanded Collie in an uncertain voice.
“Go find out if… it’s alright for her to have another glass.”
“Yes, Master.”
As Collie sprang up and left the dining hall, I slowly sampled the remaining six flavors.
The stew simmering over the firepot, the spicy soup, the fish and meat were all delicious, but the best was the cold food I ate last.
“Oh my god, this is so good…”
I was nearly moved to tears tasting the peanut shaved ice, and Calisteon laughed with a bemused expression.
“I’ve never seen you this happy receiving anything I’ve ever given you before.”
Be that as it may, I sniffled a little and diligently shoveled the shaved ice into my mouth, lamenting the shrinking mountain of ice.
“I want to eat this every day, no, every meal while I’m here. You’ll make that happen, right?”
Everyone’s laughter filled the vast dining hall.
Phoebe took the chance to whisper in my ear.
“The baby inside you must be the heir to Babenberg after all, mustn’t it?
