Chapter 44 ….
Wedding Gift
“This is such a wonderful gift. Please come out and see it, my lady.”
“Come out? To where, exactly?”
“The gift is outside. It’s something that can’t be brought in. You’ll have to go out onto the balcony to see it.”
Alicia explained quickly, waving her hands as she urged her forward. Something that couldn’t be brought inside as a gift—what on earth could it be? Lorelia briefly guessed, but shook her head, still unsure, and rose from her seat.
The lady of the manor’s quarters were on the third floor. Of the seven divided spaces, two were reception rooms, with the small reception room outside the bedroom reserved for particularly close guests. It was smaller and more intimate compared to the main reception room, which connected directly to the entrance guarded by soldiers.
Alicia guided her to that small reception room and then toward the balcony that overlooked the garden. Even before stepping onto the balcony, Lorelia’s eyes were already searching for the “gift.”
And at first glance, she recognized it.
A servant stood in the garden below the balcony. Beside him was a tall, slender horse—a riding horse with long legs and snow-white fur.
The moment Lorelia saw the horse, already saddled, she gasped.
“Ah…”
It was a beautiful white horse. Like it had just stepped out of a storybook.
“So beautiful…”
She covered her mouth with both hands in awe, unable to help herself. All this while, she had been unable to take her eyes off the white horse standing in the garden below, saddled as if inviting her to mount.
Her heart swelled with joy and emotion. The loneliness of lying alone in the bridal chamber without her husband, the sorrow of sobbing through the night away from her parents—all of it vanished in an instant.
Theobold had remembered. He remembered that she liked riding, that she had always wanted to have her own horse. He had sent such a surprise gift just to make his wife happy. What clearer proof could there be?
He loves me. He definitely loves me. No matter what circumstances existed, that feeling is genuine.
Lorelia leaned against the balcony railing, looking down at the white horse. She felt as if she could see its large, clear eyes and long eyelashes. If she could, she wanted to run down immediately, take the reins, stroke its neck, and mount it. She wanted to ride alongside her husband.
“It’s so beautiful. You must be so happy, my lady.”
Alicia spoke in a voice full of awe. Even while nodding, Lorelia didn’t take her eyes off the horse. What should she name it? She must give it the most beautiful name in the world.
While she pondered, people began to come out onto the balcony overlooking the garden. No one stayed higher than the third floor, where the lord and lady’s quarters were. So Lorelia could see their heads, surprised by the white horse in the garden, and even hear them whispering among themselves.
Pride swelled in her chest. To leave the gift in such a public place for all to see—that was undoubtedly Theobold’s careful calculation as well.
So he loves me. Without a doubt.
That morning, the weather was bright and sunny. A few wisps of cloud floated across the clear blue sky. More and more nobles emerged onto the white marble balconies. Standing above them all, Lorelia smiled happily.
The men of Trisen send gifts to the bride after the consummation of marriage. This tradition, called a “wedding gift,” is very old. It originated among the nobility but has now spread even among commoners. They usually send jewelry, but depending on circumstances, they may send fine fabrics instead, or, to display wealth and affection, send extravagant gifts. If the man is wealthy or noble, the value of the gift rises significantly.
The previous lord, Count Joseph, sent a small island as a wedding gift after spending his first night with his beautiful bride, Anna. The island, about ten minutes by boat from the manor, had a newly built villa. It was widely known among the nobles that Theobold’s older brother, Kaiser, was conceived on that island.
But the world is not only populated by generous men. Some men expressed dissatisfaction with their brides by sending broken plates or similarly insulting gifts. Nobles, however, were more refined in their mischief, preferring to send objects that seemed perfectly proper but contained hidden ridicule.
Even unmarried young women like Helene Appel understood the meaning behind such a cunning gift.
“So I heard the count sent a horse as a wedding gift?”
When the widow of Baron Winkler, who was of a similar generation as her aunt, asked that, Helene barely managed to suppress a laugh.
The baroness seemed entirely serious, her innocent expression suggesting nothing but kindness. Was that experience? Helene admired the lady of the manor, waiting for her answer. Lorelia Lorelia. Despite being rumored as the most beautiful woman on the continent, she did not seem particularly clever.
“Yes, it’s a very beautiful white mare.”
“My goodness.”
“She’s only five years old, but so gentle. Calm as if she were ten.”
“You seem to know quite a lot about horses.”
“I really enjoy riding.”
The baroness smiled quietly and nodded. Helene also smiled politely at the lady of the manor. Her green eyes and pink lips looked like a painting. Her chestnut hair, smoothly combed, shone with luster. Even her hand holding a teacup was beautiful—but her foolishly innocent smile made her look far too pretty, almost pitiable.
How could the gods make such a mistake? To give such a beautiful face to such a foolish woman. Helene had to swallow another sigh.
Helene could not remember when Theobold’s engagement had been arranged. It had been too early in her life. But she was certain that it had been Lady Anna herself who had promised her youngest daughter in marriage to Theobold’s second son once she turned eighteen.
Helene had celebrated her eighteenth birthday last month. Therefore, she should have been the lady of this manor—not the naïve fool in front of her.
Though too young to be formally betrothed, the two were practically engaged. Even if his parents and older brother had died in an accident, the manor had been closed for thirteen years, and they had never met directly, Helene never doubted that Theobold would be her husband.
If not her, who else could become the lady of Trisen? She was the youngest daughter of Count Appel, a military advisor and her uncle, Anna’s choice for a daughter-in-law.
As cousins, they could have been the perfect couple. They could have children with identical platinum hair, creating the perfect Ferbrante family, just like Theobold’s parents had.
And yet…
“An engagement? To a noble from the north? How is that even possible, Father?”
Helene thought her uncle was joking. But Arno Appel was never one for frivolous jokes. He was engaged to another woman. And from outside Trisen, no less. It was impossible to believe.
“I don’t understand. How could the grand lord marry into a northern family? How could he do this?”
Being intelligent, she could not help but question it.
“There must be a reason. There has to be.”
Only recently had she heard that Theobold had hosted a banquet for the first time in thirteen years and invited the northerners, publicly kneeling before the royal women.
The Ferbrante royal family had surrendered over fifty years ago in the final war. Since then, Trisen had reduced its military and paid heavy taxes annually at Kingsburg’s demand. The head tax kept increasing, with the king levying special taxes under various pretexts. The nobles could not help but resent it.
The southern nobles’ dislike of the north and Kingsburg ran deep. They were ahead in culture, technology, and arts—why should they bow to the north? Should they kneel because the northern army was large and their knights’ swords sharp? After the banquet, resentment among the nobles only grew, and it was during this delicate time that the marriage was arranged.
“She’s said to be extremely beautiful.”
“My goodness, Father. You mean he was blinded by her beauty?”
Lorelia Lorelia—famous enough to be immortalized in poems—was far less beautiful than Helene expected. In her eyes, Lady Anna in the portrait was much more stunning. To be “blinded” by such a woman, Helene thought, the wise master of Trisen could not have done so.
There must be another reason. There must be a reason he had to marry a northern woman.
It was surely due to pressure from the royal family, Helene thought. Most nobles were certain of it. Those who witnessed the humiliation of kneeling before the queen especially knew.
And by sending the horse as a gift so openly, Theobold confirmed their suspicions.
“To receive a horse you love so much as a gift—my lady, you must be delighted.”
One of the women gathered around the tea table said this. Helene covered her mouth with her teacup to suppress a giggle. The three ladies and their daughters—seven noble women sitting gracefully—were all thinking the same thing.
When will this country bumpkin lady of the manor realize? That the wedding gift she is so delighted about—a mare—is meant to suggest she should soon bear offspring. That the saddled horse indicates she may ride off immediately. If she knew, what expression would this innocent, foolish woman make?
“Yes, Baroness Rapier. I can only be grateful. The count is truly a kind man.”
Lorelia said happily. The women watching all burst into laughter at once. Helene could no longer hold back and laughed aloud too. She really could not stop anymore.
