57. Greetings to the Madam.
At dawn, when snow was falling, the duke and the commanders of the fortress left.
However, as soon as the sun rose, their absence was filled with new people, leaving no time to feel their departure.
“Thank you, Duchess. Thanks to you, I survived.”
A merchant approached her to express his gratitude. He was a young man with neatly tied black hair, smiling brightly without pause—a typical merchant’s demeanor.
His face was so common that one might feel they had encountered him somewhere before, lending him an air of familiarity despite being a stranger.
Not only that, but despite her elevated status, he met her gaze without the slightest hint of intimidation, offering her his greetings with poise.
His measured tone and appropriate gestures melted away even the faintest wariness. His sociability was remarkable.
Bianca lightly placed her fingertips on his outstretched hand, granting him the honor of the greeting he owed her.
“You are both a guest and a friend to Baloch. Though the timing is unfortunate, I hope you find peace during your stay.”
“Your kind words mean the world to me. I will ensure to repay this kindness one day.”
For a moment, the man’s eyes, meeting hers, shone with determination.
Having caused trouble for the Duke’s household during wartime due to greed, it was natural for him to carry such a solemn resolve.
Appreciating his courage in maintaining a composed demeanor, Bianca offered him a slight smile.
The man stiffened momentarily, as though caught off guard.
“I will take your sentiment gratefully. You may leave now.”
She didn’t know how long he would stay, but it was unlikely their paths would cross again.
Or so she thought.
***
“Feeling bitter, Young Master?”
By mid-morning, no one was unaware of the merchants paying their respects to the Duchess.
Shane, perhaps compensating for Henry’s unusually silent demeanor, spoke excessively.
“You can’t compare a passerby to the Young Master. Why let something like that bother you?”
“Just eat.”
Henry, evidently upset, didn’t even react to being called ‘Young Master.’ This was not a good sign.
Shane, watching him listlessly spoon his soup, suddenly spoke in a measured tone.
“Hey, Young Master. If that’s the case, why don’t we create an opportunity?”
“…”
“Come to think of it, I feel a little offended too. Why should an outsider get to meet the Duchess when even our third-floor attendants haven’t properly greeted her? Doesn’t that hurt our pride a bit?”
“Do you even have pride?”
“Turns out I might.”
“Did it just appear a moment ago?”
For the first time in ages, Henry, who had been wearing a lifeless expression, retorted to Shane’s comment.
Though he wasn’t his usual snappy self, the fact that he spoke at all was progress. Pleased, Shane exaggeratedly frowned.
“Hey, is my pride the issue here? This concerns the dignity of all the attendants. It’s absurd that we haven’t met the Madam while outsiders have!”
It’s truly unacceptable.
Henry barely restrained himself from nodding in agreement.
“But how do I meet the Madam when it’s impossible?”
“If you can’t meet her, then make it happen!”
“…What?”
What kind of absurdity was this? Before Henry could process it, Shane’s mischievous grin revealed he had fallen for his wordplay.
“You’re unbelievable…”
Sighing, Henry resumed eating his soup, cursing himself for listening to such nonsense.
But then, Shane’s next words made him almost drop his spoon.
“What’s so hard about it? Just call her out.”
Is this guy insane?
***
As it turned out, Shane really did something insane.
After barely finishing lunch, he dragged the reluctant Henry into the snow-covered garden. He then pestered him into making a snowman before cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting.
“Madam!”
For a moment, Henry thought he had misheard. But before he could clear his ears, Shane shouted again, his voice piercing the air.
“Madam!!”
“You’re crazy!”
Realizing the situation too late, Henry tried to stop him, but Shane was faster.
“Come look at the snowman we made!”
Shane’s words echoed in Henry’s mind, reminding him of a heavy request he had once heard.
‘You must catch the Madam’s attention at all costs.’
For a brief moment, Henry considered silencing Shane permanently.
However, the four knights watching from nearby made that impossible.
Just as he was about to drag Shane away, a voice rang out.
“What is going on here?”
It was a disaster.
The one who appeared wasn’t the Madam but her personal maid, who looked directly at Henry rather than Shane.
“What’s happening?”
This was the worst.
Stammering, Henry finally managed to reply.
“Uh… we made a snowman…”
“And?”
Her cold tone made him imagine a terrifying expression he couldn’t see. Swallowing nervously, he hesitated.
Shane, still gripped by Henry, calmly intervened.
“We made it for her to see. Staying indoors all the time must feel suffocating. Henry and I worked hard on it.”
Despite his shaking frame, Shane maintained his usual sly grin.
Why go to such lengths? Henry couldn’t understand. But the maid, after a brief silence, finally spoke.
“Wait here.”
The moment she disappeared, Shane smirked and winked.
“How’s that for loyalty?”
“Didn’t you quit?”
“I reconsidered. Turns out, you’re the best.”
“Insane.”
“Glad you noticed.”
***
And so, Henry finally met his Madam.
“…Wow.”
His jaw dropped as he stood frozen, staring up at the woman he had only seen from a distance until now.
It wasn’t as if he didn’t know who she was. However, this was beyond anything he had imagined.
Every time Henry saw Duke Jillian Baloch, he always wondered if someone could possibly be a fitting match for him.
He had heard that the imperial princess, hailed as the most beautiful woman in the empire, had become the Duchess, but whether she was the most beautiful in the empire or the world seemed irrelevant when it came to the Duke of Baloch.
But seeing her like this, he finally understood.
Why Duke Baloch didn’t want attendants on the third floor…
Maintaining sanity in the face of such a breathtakingly beautiful and lovable figure, one deserving of reverence, was a challenge.
Of course, she needed to be protected. Of course, she had to be shielded.
Henry’s heart pounded wildly.
“Thank you for showing me.”
“Y-You’re welcome,” he stammered.
“If we make another one, we’ll show it to you!”
Perhaps irritated by Henry’s fumbling, Shane raised his voice suddenly.
In response, the Duchess shook her head gently.
“I appreciate the thought, but it’s alright. Make sure to warm your hands well.”
With her kind advice, even the faint shadow that had been cast over them disappeared completely.
“How was it? Made a strong impression, didn’t I?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah… sure.”
“Oh, is our young master nervous?”
“Nervous? What nonsense… Ahem.”
“Right, right, not nervous at all. So, do you feel better now?”
“What’s there to feel better or worse about? Like you said, I’m nothing but a servant.”
“Still bitter, huh? Should I go rein in those merchants for you?”
“…Rein them in?”
“Just to make sure they don’t overstep their bounds, thinking they can act up after the Madam spared them some time.”
At first, Henry dismissed it as mere boasting.
That was until he heard Shane had actually gone to the merchants’ lodging and spouted absurd rules of conduct.
Henry was dumbfounded but didn’t hate it.
Because this was an opportunity for him.
***
The first day after Jillian’s departure, Unlike her initial relaxed ignorance, this time Bianca had braced herself for a difficult start from day one.
However, perhaps because of the unexpected guests she had encountered twice, Bianca found the beginning of her day unexpectedly refreshing.
The merchant who had sought her forgiveness and gratitude, and the somewhat random ‘attendant’s’ snowman.
Thinking back, this had never happened before.
Bianca had been disregarded in aristocratic circles and treated as taboo by servants. That’s why such an incident was truly a first for her.
The hand of the two attendants had turned red from the cold, so she told them to stay indoors and merely look at the snow.
“They’re one of the footmen and the third-floor attendants.”
Julie whispered softly as if she knew who Bianca was pondering about while placing an inkwell in front of her.
“Footmen and third-floor attendants?”
“Yes, Madam. You probably don’t know much about the others since you have me and Sir Rappin.”
“Ah, I suppose so.”
“And you don’t need to know going forward either.”
“What?”
“With me and Sir Rappin by your side, why would you need anyone else?”
Contrary to Bianca’s thought that Julie might discreetly offer some insights about the attendants, Julie’s face remained utterly natural as she stubbornly insisted.
Goodness.
Bianca nearly burst into laughter at the childish possessiveness of her young maid.
“Actually, the butler originally refused to let the merchants meet you today.”
“Did he?”
“Yes, but after they kept pleading, he had no choice but to arrange a meeting. He said it would be troublesome to cut ties with them since it might disrupt the supply of goods.”
“That’s true, but it’s only natural. Tell him not to stop such meetings in the future.”
“…Natural? Who in their right mind dares to ask to meet the Madam?”
“If the Duke is absent, it’s only natural for me to act as his proxy, Julie. A lord has an obligation to properly host guests in their castle.”
“What a ridiculous obligation.”
“Julie.”
As Julie pouted, Rappin glared at her, but that was all.
“Don’t act so dignified in front of the Madam, Sir Rappin. I saw you clench your fist earlier.”
“Did you, really?”
This was truly unexpected. Bianca widened her eyes and looked at Rappin, who turned beet red, muttering under his breath.
“He held the Madam’s hand.”
“But that’s a customary greeting for a noblewoman.”
“That’s… an imperial custom.”
“Ah.”
Letting out a short exclamation, Bianca turned toward Rappin, who, despite his flushed neck, firmly declared.
“No Duchess in history has ever allowed such a greeting.”
Good heavens.
Bianca’s face turned pale.
