SM Chapter 60

60. Then we’ll Do What We’re Good At.

 

“Good morning! Hello there!”

The story of exchanging greetings with the third-floor attendants from outside the window must have spread.

Since that day, Bianca constantly heard greetings outside her window.

If it had been an attendant from Baloch, it would have been fine, but the people in question were merchants.

As a result, Julie, unable to dismiss the merchants as she would an attendant, found herself awkwardly responding.

“Good morning. You really don’t need to do this—please go inside.”

“No, no! Please let us do this much. I beg you.”

It was unclear how many times this exchange had already occurred.

Bianca, noticing Julie glaring at the window with irritation, gently soothed her while picking up her teacup.

“Julie, come inside now. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Catch a cold? Oh, please. Honestly, this is ridiculous. If they want to work, they should do it quietly, right, Madam?”

“Why? It’s nice—it makes this place feel alive.”

“Nice? You were just startled a moment ago, almost dropping your pen!”

Julie pouted, clearing away the paper stained with ink from Bianca’s startled reaction to the loud greeting.

“Well, even if it’s startling, isn’t it a good distraction? All we hear is the sound of falling snow all day; it’s refreshing once in a while.”

Bianca sipped from her warm teacup, then seemed to remember something and called Julie over to give her an instruction.

“Do I really have to?”

“Please do it.”

Julie’s pouted lips and furrowed brow deserved reprimanding, but instead of scolding her, Bianca added softly.

“Think of the Baloch knights freezing outside—someone should do the same for them as well.”

“Oh dear…”

Julie let out a dramatic sigh at Bianca’s words before rushing off, her teary red eyes betraying her irritation.

‘They must be cold from clearing snow. Offer some warm tea and something sweet. They must be tired.’

That day, warm tea and sweet, tongue-tingling cookies were served to the merchants clearing snow, in the name of the Duchess.

“Thank you!”

The merchants’ voices rang out from outside, and Bianca smiled faintly.

After the tea and cookies were given, the greetings outside the window changed slightly.

“The snowfall is still heavy, but the moisture has lessened. At this rate, it might stop in a few days.”

“The wind direction has changed.”

“Who’s clearing the snow on the roof?”

“If you’ll permit us, we’d like to clear the snow from around the castle as well.”

The merchants now seemed to want to engage Bianca in ‘conversations.’

“This is unbelievable!”

Hailey politely asked them to tone it down, and Rappin even issued a warning, but the merchants didn’t flinch, laughing shamelessly.

Julie, however, was furious.

“Do they not know manners, or are they just taking advantage of the lady’s kindness? I’ll go out and give them a piece of my mind!”

“It’s fine. They’re just trying, aren’t they?”

“Trying to do what?”

“To settle into the North.”

Bianca found the noise grating as well and knew they were being impolite. However, she could afford to be lenient with them because they were ‘outsiders.’

Born and raised outside Baloch, everything here was foreign to them.

Bianca, sharing the same sense of unfamiliarity, could understand the intentions behind their efforts, so she couldn’t bring herself to treat them harshly.

“Can you imagine how nervous they must be? They ignored warnings about travel delays and found themselves stuck here, staying in a duke’s estate.”

“They brought it upon themselves, so they should deal with it.”

Julie replied with a stern expression.

Her words were harsh, but Bianca didn’t refute them.

Living here, she had come to understand how harsh and dangerous this land could be.

A moment’s carelessness could lead to death, and the instinct to survive left little room for compassion.

Still, Bianca was determined to show mercy, to allow a small margin for the outsiders.

“Let’s give them a little leeway. As they said, the snow seems to be drying out; it might…”

“What is all this commotion?”

Bianca’s conciliatory words were abruptly cut off by a shrill voice outside the window.

“Are you still out of your mind? This isn’t your merchant guild! How dare you go around clearing snow or meddling in work as you please?”

The sharp reprimands stung, leaving no room for argument.

Bianca rose from her seat for the first time in a while and walked toward the window.

The icy air bit at her face as soon as she opened it.

Outside, a group of snow-covered men stood, faced with a footman who seemed to be scolding them harshly.

“Do you think you can do this just because the butler or the head maid spoke kindly?”

“No, it’s not that…”

The merchant’s timid explanation was drowned out by the loud rebuke, and soon the footman began a rapid-fire scolding of his own.

It wasn’t a pleasant scene.

Though neither the butler, the head maid, nor the footman were entirely wrong, there was no need for this level of hostility.

With a clatter, the tightly closed window flung open. Bianca leaned out and called sharply,

“Enough.”

“Duchess!”

The merchants turned toward her, visibly startled. All except one—the black-haired merchant who had previously greeted her.

Though he was the youngest, it was now evident that he held the highest rank among them.

Bianca spoke calmly, addressing the man directly.

“I appreciate your intentions, but as others have advised, it would be best to stop here.”

“My apologies; I feel guilty.”

“It’s a situation you brought upon yourselves. You should bear it.”

Julie, standing behind Bianca, couldn’t suppress a small laugh at the Duchess’s unexpected intervention.

“I simply don’t want to remain idle and wish to assist in some way.”

“Snow is something Baloch is more accustomed to.”

Bianca knew that the attendants or knights could clear the snow far more efficiently in a shorter time than the merchants who could take all day.

Silently, swiftly, and even flawlessly—there was no denying it.

No one was unaware of that fact.

Faced with Bianca’s sharp observation, the merchant found himself at a loss for words, standing still and merely staring at her.

How long did this silence last?

Only after several white breaths clouded the air did the merchant finally raise his voice again.

“Then, how about we do what we’re good at?”

“Do I look like I lack anything right now?”

“The magic circle being down has delayed news, hasn’t it? Let us bring you news from all over the continent. Despite appearances, we’re well-informed not only across the Empire but beyond its borders. Of course, that’s up until we entered Baloch’s domain.”

The merchant’s sarcastic jab at his own predicament was accompanied by a bright smile.

“News from all over the continent?”

“Yes, from the southernmost tip to Baloch’s borders. There’s no news we don’t know.”

“…”

Bianca didn’t respond. She was tempted.

While anything involving the Imperial family was repugnant, being completely ignorant was far too dangerous.

Sensing Bianca’s hesitation, the man spoke in an even more enticing tone.

“I’m certain I can share something you’d find intriguing.”

 

***

 

“It’ll be about half a day until we met them.”

Jillian remarked.

At his words, Elizabeth once again used her telescope to observe the movements of the monsters.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth couldn’t make an accurate assessment.

The sheer number of monsters was overwhelming, and the snowstorm they stirred was massive, blanketing everything in white and black.

The swirling snow obscured her vision, making it impossible to gauge the distance.

“What should we set the range to? I can’t estimate the distance.”

Elizabeth admitted as she lowered the telescope, speaking honestly to Jillian.

It was no time to pretend to be confident.

“…It won’t be much help.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to reduce their numbers, even if just by a little?”

“You’re stubborn.”

“It’s not stubbornness.”

“Then is it regret?”

“…”

Jillian cast a cold, sharp glance at Elizabeth.

“This will all be over soon, even without your efforts.”

“I know.”

“It will end.”

“Of course.”

“After this winter, there won’t be another opportunity to stand like this together.”

“Pardon?”

“So let go of that regret now.”

Looking into Elizabeth’s trembling blue eyes, Jillian spoke again, firmly.

“You know as well as I do that regret won’t change anything.”

“I…”

“I think I’ve indulged you enough. I don’t usually give much leeway, but on this matter, I’ve been soft.”

His voice grew quieter, tinged with an uncharacteristic sentimentality.

Sigh. 

As the white breath clouded his view and then cleared, Jillian’s face, which had briefly shown emotion, hardened once more.

“Elizabeth Swan.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Jillian, looking at Elizabeth, who had grown noticeably paler, gave his command.

“Remove all the trebuchets. If they rebound or deflect, it’ll only hurt us.”

“…”

“Some of them might even pick up debris and throw it back at us.”

With that, Jillian left the tower, where Elizabeth had been clinging to the trebuchets, and called for Blatt, who had been standing guard.

“What about those digging trenches?”

“They’re currently working between the sixth and fifth fortresses.”

“Order them to return in three hours.”

“Three hours won’t be enough.”

“If you want them all buried, keep them there.”

The wind whipped through Jillian’s silver hair as he stood, as cold and unfeeling as the blizzard that enveloped him.

He looked so otherworldly that he seemed like he might disappear with the snowstorm.

“Otherwise, ensure they return in three hours.”

“Yes, sir.”

Blatt nodded hastily at Jillian’s words and went to fetch a messenger bird.

Though it wasn’t his first time facing a wave of monsters, Blatt found himself fumbling like a novice knight.

His chest churned with unease.

Blatt scribbled the orders onto a slip of paper, tied it to the bird, and released it. Watching the bird disappear into the distance, Blatt suddenly turned back to Jillian and asked.

“What about after three hours?”

“…”

“Are you heading out?”

“Yes.”

Jillian nodded calmly, still pale and distant.

This…

Blatt finally realized what the unsettling feeling he’d had about Jillian was: anxiety. 

It was fear of losing Jillian Baloch.

He was worrying about the Duke of Baloch? It was an emotion Blatt had never experienced before.