100. Birthday (1)

Late November was biting cold.

With winter beginning to take hold, Owen and Lucia found themselves loading a wagon with thick clothes, packing for the long journey ahead.

Their three-week trip to the Verdun duchy meant they needed to prepare for every possible situation.

Though the duchy had its own staff, their traveling party was kept small: Owen, Lucia, five knights, and coachmen to handle the carriages.

Among the knights was Helen, the deputy captain of the knight order, who was to become Lucia’s personal knight next year. To familiarize herself with Lucia’s needs, Helen had joined the trip and would act as her attendant during the journey.

The capital of the Freyon Empire sat at its center, while the Verdun duchy lay at its far eastern edge. Even at a brisk pace, the journey would take three full days.

But since this was a leisurely trip, there was no need to rush.

Owen and Lucia traveled at a relaxed pace, stopping at inns for the night and taking breaks for meals along the way. As a result, it took them five days to reach the Verdun estate, arriving at the ducal castle on the 22nd.

“Wow…”

Lucia gasped in amazement as they approached the Verdun estate.

It was like a scene straight out of a medieval fantasy: an enormous castle nestled against a towering mountain range, with a bustling town spread out before it.

When Owen had first visited the estate to manage its affairs, he too had been struck by how meticulously designed it was. It looked more like a model brought to life than a functional estate.

The ducal castle itself stood at the base of the mountain range, while the surrounding town was divided into five districts, including three villages: one urban and two agricultural. The remaining two districts comprised the mountain range and the castle grounds, underscoring the vastness of the Verdun estate.

“It’s a real castle,” Lucia said, her voice full of awe. “If someone didn’t know better, they’d think it was a palace.”

The castle of the Verdun estate rivaled the imperial palace in size, dwarfing the duke’s mansion in the capital by comparison.

“The staff here must be significantly larger,” Lucia remarked, gazing at the grand castle framed by the imposing mountains.

Owen nodded. “That’s true.”

Though his business kept him in the capital most of the time, the sheer scale of the estate and its operations often surprised him whenever he visited.

While the capital mansion housed a sizable staff, the estate’s workforce was far larger. Residents alone were numerous, and with daily workers accounted for, the numbers soared even higher.

The grand gates of the estate swung open, allowing their carriage to roll down the broad path leading to the castle.

At the end of the main road stood a building designed for receiving guests, distinct from the main castle itself. This guesthouse boasted ten banquet halls, fifteen dining rooms and salons, and even more bedrooms.

“This isn’t the main building,” Owen explained as Lucia stepped out of the carriage.

“What is it, then?” she asked, wide-eyed.

“It’s the guesthouse—only accessible to outsiders.”

“Ah, I see. I might actually get lost here,” Lucia said with a light laugh, though her words carried a hint of sincerity.

If this enormous structure was merely the guesthouse, she couldn’t imagine how vast and complex the main castle must be.

“Edelte’s estate is large, but this seems twice as big,” she commented.

Lucia was no stranger to grand estates. Her family, the Edeltes, owned a sprawling duchy in the southernmost part of the empire, known for its fertile lands and abundant agriculture.

The Edeltes’ estate included prosperous farms as well as lucrative mines for gemstones and gold, making it one of the wealthiest territories in the empire.

Their ducal castle, while not as large as the imperial palace, was about half its size and awe-inspiring in its own right, often leaving visitors speechless.

“There’s no other noble family with a castle this close in size to the imperial palace, except Verdun,” Owen said with a hint of pride.

“True,” Lucia agreed.

Owen turned to the knights, giving instructions. “Bring our horses here.”

The Verdun estate was so vast that horses and carriages were essential for transportation. Though they had traveled here in a carriage, Owen’s black warhorse and Lucia’s mare, Lina, had also been brought along.

Since the two horses were well-trained and accustomed to being ridden by others, the knights had taken them on the journey without any trouble.

“Yes, Your Grace,” a knight replied, moving to retrieve the horses.

As they waited, Lucia’s gaze lingered on the majestic castle before her, the grandeur of the Verdun estate leaving her in quiet awe.

The knights who had brought Owen’s black stallion, Mill, and Lucia’s mare, Lina, dismounted and handed over the reins.

Owen and Lucia accepted them, each holding their respective horse’s reins.

“You all go on ahead. I’ll show Lucia around the estate before heading to the main building,” Owen instructed.

“Yes, Your Grace,” the knights replied, bowing before turning their carriages and horses down another path.

The two knights who had handed over the horses rode off with the carriage, leaving Owen and Lucia alone in the wide courtyard.

“…Where are the knights and coachmen going?” Lucia asked, curious.

“There’s a residence for the estate staff.”

“Oh,” she nodded, understanding.

Owen smiled and reached for her hand, gently guiding her forward.

“Let’s take a tour of the estate. It’s well-maintained—you’ll like it.”

After helping Lucia mount Lina, Owen got onto Mill.

As he adjusted his seat, Lucia glanced at him, a question on her mind.

“Owen, what’s your horse’s name?”

Owen chuckled softly. “Mill. You can call him Mill.”

He reached down to stroke the black mane, and Mill let out a short snort in response.

Lucia repeated the name as if to commit it to memory, then patted Lina’s neck.

“I hope Mill and Lina get along well.”

“They will,” Owen replied confidently.

Once Lucia officially moved into the Verdun estate, Lina would join Mill in the estate stables. The two horses would be spending a lot of time together.

“They say pets resemble their owners,” Lucia remarked.

“There’s some truth to that. If they take after us, I’m sure they’ll get along just fine,” Owen said with a faint smile.

Lucia nodded in agreement, guiding Lina to follow Owen down the path.

After some time, a new building came into view.

“This is one of the annexes,” Owen explained.

“An annex? How many buildings does the estate have?”

“Seven in total,” Owen replied.

The Verdun estate was vast, with seven main buildings scattered across its grounds.

The guesthouse they had first arrived at was the first, while the second building was the staff quarters and stables, located near the perimeter.

“Other than the guesthouse and staff quarters, there’s the main building, two annexes, the archives, and the knights’ barracks.”

The central and most ornate building served as the Verdun family’s primary residence.

The two annexes were located at strategic points: one near the rear gate and the other within the expansive gardens.

The knights’ barracks sat adjacent to the staff quarters, while the archives were situated in the northern section of the estate.

“The archives? Oh, you mean the mausoleum,” Lucia said, realization dawning.

While each noble estate had its own unique name for such places, most had a dedicated space for housing their family’s deceased members.

The Verdun family called theirs the “archives,” as it also displayed portraits and historical artifacts alongside urns.

“Yes,” Owen confirmed.

The archives contained the remains of Owen’s parents among others.

Perhaps that was why Owen only visited the estate when absolutely necessary. While his work often required him to stay in the capital, his disinterest in politics and society meant he had no pressing reason to remain there otherwise.

Owen dismounted, ending the conversation abruptly, which prompted Lucia to steer the discussion elsewhere.

“There’s a gate right behind the annex,” she observed.

“The rear gate. It’s a precautionary structure,” Owen explained.

Although territorial wars were rare in their generation, there had been a time when they were frequent.

The rear gate and nearby annex were designed for emergency evacuations in case of such a conflict.

If the main building was compromised, the family would retreat to the annex. If things became dire, they could flee through the rear gate.

“Ah, I see…” Lucia murmured, following Owen’s lead as she dismounted.

Together, they tethered their horses to a tree near the annex before stepping inside.

Thanks to diligent maintenance by the estate staff, the annex was immaculate despite being rarely used.

The furniture and decor, though old-fashioned, carried an air of sophistication.

“I heard you don’t visit the estate often. Is that true?” Lucia asked as she explored the first floor, glancing back at Owen.

He met her gaze and nodded lightly.

“Is it because of what your parents left behind? The memories and traces of them?”

Owen nodded again, confirming her suspicions.

Lucia sighed softly, her expression tinged with concern.

“That’s worrisome. It seems like your parents left behind too much.”

The Verdun mansion in the capital had undergone significant changes after Owen’s parents’ deaths.

Most of the original staff, from the butler and head maid to the stable hands and gardeners, had been replaced.

Only the knights, particularly the skilled ones, had remained.

—*My lord! How could you do this to me? I’ve always been loyal to you…!*

—*You mean ‘Your Grace.’*

Memories flickered through Owen’s mind like ripples in a pond.

He could suppress these recollections if he wanted to, but he chose not to.

—*It’s my decision how the staff is managed. So all of you must leave.*

Familiar words from his past echoed briefly before fading.

Though the memories stirred no visible emotion, Owen remembered the anger he had felt at the time. One outburst had been enough.

“The capital mansion changed completely,” Lucia said, pulling him from his thoughts.

“It did.”

“Don’t you think the estate could benefit from similar changes?” she asked.

Unlike the capital, the estate remained as it had been during his parents’ time. The staff, furnishings, and decor were all unchanged.

“…Perhaps,” Owen replied vaguely, hesitation evident in his tone.

The challenges of overhauling the estate were substantial. While the capital had an abundance of potential hires, the same couldn’t be said for the estate.

Even replacing furniture and decorations would be difficult, let alone finding replacements for the thousand staff members working there.

These individuals were not just employees—they were residents of the estate town. Terminating their contracts could cause significant disruptions to the local economy.

“Then,” Lucia said, sensing his reluctance, “I’ll make it different for you.”

Her determination shone in her voice, and Owen turned to her, curious.

“What do you mean?”

Lucia smiled gently, her resolve unshaken.

“Leave it to me. I’ll make this place feel like it belongs to us.”

 

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