#33. Discovered (1)
Velikor Castle was noisy all day.
Everyone was busy talking about how much Pavel had changed and about the legendary flower he brought back.
Pavel had always been the subject of negative gossip. It was rare for people to speak about him with such cheerful voices.
The excited atmosphere even carried into the family dinner held a few hours later.
Normally, Grand Duke Volkov would drink with the knights in the banquet hall after returning from the battlefield, but this time, he announced that he would have dinner with the family instead.
So, Count Tula, Pavel, Sasha, and the freshly bathed Grand Duke Volkov sat around the long table together.
“……”
This was the first family meal since Sasha’s marriage, but everyone was silent, just watching each other awkwardly.
Then—
“Pavel.”
Grand Duke Volkov was the first to speak.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
Hearing this, Pavel answered softly,
“Yes.”
Sasha, watching nervously, bit her lip.
‘Hmm, this isn’t good. If he just answers so briefly, the conversation won’t continue…’
Fortunately, the conversation didn’t end. Grand Duke Volkov asked another question,
“You rode the horse very skillfully. When did you get so good?”
“It hasn’t been long.”
“You must have had a good teacher.”
“……”
Pavel hesitated. He should have praised Andrei, but he felt a childish jealousy because Sasha was sitting next to him.
“Pavel?”
“…Yes. He’s very skilled and has the qualities of a good teacher.”
“Someone like that was in the territory? What’s his name?”
“Andrei Medvedev.”
Hearing the name, one of Grand Duke Volkov’s eyebrows went up.
He remembered Igor, his close aide, proudly boasting about his son.
“Andrei Medvedev? Ah, I see.”
Not just because he was Igor’s son, but Andrei also had outstanding talent as a knight.
Above all, his diligent personality and dedication to training were well-known.
“He’s a talented young man. I expected him to have a bright future as a knight, but I didn’t know he was also capable as a teacher.”
Satisfied, the Duke glanced at Count Tula and asked,
“How did you know to assign Andrei as Pavel’s riding teacher, Gregor? Did you already know him?”
“That—”
“No.”
Pavel interrupted Count Tula’s answer.
“It was Sasha who introduced me to Sir Medvedev. When I said I couldn’t ride, she found a suitable person for me.”
The Duke’s eyes turned to Sasha.
Sasha’s eyes widened in surprise.
Of course, she wanted Pavel’s relationship with the Grand Duke to improve. That was her goal.
It was also good that Pavel was talking fluently and keeping the conversation going.
But why did the topic have to be about her?
She could feel the Duke’s curious gaze and Count Tula’s terrifying glare on her.
‘I just wanted to stay quiet and unnoticed…’
Sasha lightly touched Pavel’s hand under the table.
[Pavel. Let’s change the subject. I don’t want more attention, okay?]
Surely, Pavel understood what Sasha was thinking.
“…That’s not all.”
But Pavel ignored it and mentioned her other contributions.
“It was also her idea to greet you with the flower. She prepared everything so I could get the Barudum flower.”
Not stopping there, Pavel continued as if determined to say everything.
“Thanks to Sasha, I got out of bed, became healthy, and grew this much. She taught me swordsmanship, history, literature, law—everything I know now is because of her.”
As soon as Pavel finished, Sasha quickly glanced at Count Tula.
As expected.
Count Tula’s face was twisted with rage as he glared at Sasha.
His trembling fists showed just how furious he was.
‘Looks like something will happen tonight.’
Sasha thought calmly. Count Tula wouldn’t let her go after deceiving him.
But Sasha had no intention of being a victim.
The Grand Duke had returned, and she was ready to set her plans in motion.
While Sasha was lost in thought, Dmitri (the Duke) shifted his gaze away from her.
When their eyes met, the anxious Count Tula quickly stood up and said,
“T-that’s… brother, I’ll explain everything!”
“……”
“Let’s just finish dinner first, yes?”
Dmitri looked coldly at his younger brother, who was too flustered to make excuses.
The Duke’s heart sank heavily, just like his icy stare.
What Pavel had said were all things Count Tula should have been doing.
As Pavel’s guardian in Dmitri’s absence, it was his duty to take care of and protect him.
But why…
The suspicion in Dmitri’s eyes toward his brother, whom he had trusted so much, began to grow.
“…Fine. Let’s finish the meal first.”
Everyone in the dining room knew the Grand Duke would call Count Tula to speak privately after dinner.
Sasha smiled inwardly.
The strong bond of trust between the brothers was starting to crack.
After dinner, Sasha returned to her room and changed clothes.
Wearing a thin nightdress, she didn’t go to bed but sat at her desk.
“Hmm…”
After thinking for a moment, she pulled out some stationery and began writing a letter.
Scratch, scratch. Her neat handwriting filled the page.
Knock knock!
The rough knocking on the door made Sasha put down her pen.
The door opened without her permission.
“Young Madam!”
The rude guest called Sasha’s name with a harsh voice.
She slowly lifted her head and saw the castle’s steward standing there with a fierce expression.
“What is it?”
Sasha’s voice was calm and noble, the voice of someone born to command others.
The steward flinched.
But then he relaxed.
By all accounts, the “young madam” was weak and indecisive.
Count Tula had even called her a naïve and annoying woman.
So the strange pressure he had just felt must have been his imagination.
Still, he didn’t like that he felt intimidated by young Sasha.
With a hardened face, he quickly delivered his message.
“The master is calling for you.”
“The Grand Duke?”
The steward froze, realizing his slip of the tongue.
Sasha silently stared at him, so he quickly corrected himself,
“…Count Tula is calling for you.”
“Ah.”
Sasha nodded as if she understood.
But a faint, unreadable smile appeared on her lips.
The steward clenched his eyes shut.
He was nervous that Sasha might have figured out he was a loyal follower of Count Tula.
He had done everything he could for his “master.”
He manipulated the servants to isolate Sasha and Pavel, spread bad rumors about Pavel, and provided Count Tula with information.
He had done all of these dangerous things out of “loyalty.”
‘…But even if she did notice, it doesn’t matter.’
The steward opened his eyes again.
Sasha was just a powerless outsider. She had no influence and no allies.
If she tried to spread rumors, no one would believe her.
Still, a strange sense of dread crept up his spine.
Impatient, the steward urged her,
“Hurry up!”
“Wait.”
Sasha stopped him.
“I’m dressed for bed right now. I can’t go like this. Give me time to get ready.”
“You can just—”
“Surely you don’t want your ‘master’ to be caught up in scandal, do you?”
The steward clenched his jaw and glared at her.
“Make it quick. The Count is in no mood to wait.”
If he was this impatient, it meant Count Tula was extremely angry.
Was it Pavel’s change that upset him so much?
‘Or maybe he’s angrier that I kept it from him.’
Being deceived by Sasha, whom he thought was his ally, must have hurt his pride.
But Sasha thought indifferently,
‘The angrier he is, the better. Maybe he’ll lose control and say things he shouldn’t.’
She handed the letter she had written to the spirits.
“Take this to Sir Andrei. You know who he is, right?”
The spirits nodded eagerly.
“We know! Little bear! Little bear!”
“Yes, little bear. That’s right.”
Andrei’s family name, Medvedev, meant “bear,” and he sometimes really did look like one.
Sasha laughed softly and chose what to wear.
She pushed aside her neat, pretty clothes and picked the shabbiest dress she owned.
She wanted to look like a “poor, neglected, pitiful girl.”
Knock knock knock!
The impatient knocking and the rattling doorknob continued.
Sasha answered slowly,
“I’m almost ready. Wait a bit longer.”
She messed up her hair a little and paled her lips with powder.
The girl reflected in the mirror looked fragile, pitiful, and sorrowful—exactly as Sasha intended.
“Perfect.”
With a bright smile, Sasha left her room.
It was showtime.
