88. News

If he thought of me, he’d send money, not an invitation to a banquet.

To avoid starvation, I had to gather fallen fruit and prepare to plant new trees by cutting branches. The estate was in its busiest season.

“Wait here for a moment. I’ll write a reply quickly.”

I left him standing at the door and ran inside.

I pulled out a postcard I had tucked into a book. Thankfully, I had some blank paper left. I had sold everything of value, but the paper hadn’t been worth enough to sell. It was one of the few items that survived because of its lack of value.

Through the window, the calm waters of the lake glimmered. Using the lake as a backdrop, I picked up my pen.

How could I politely decline the invitation?

A sore throat, body aches, headache. I thought of light illnesses one might catch in the estate. But those were insufficient excuses.

If it was a banquet, I’d have to wear shoes and dance… Thinking that, I chose an appropriate fake illness.

[First, congratulations on your formal appointment as Crown Prince. I wish to join you in your joyous occasion, but I injured my ankle and cannot visit. I will send my congratulations and a gift separately through a servant…]

I paused. The letter seemed too filled with longing. Unconsciously, I had added kind words for him.

Was it necessary to detail my circumstances like this? He probably wasn’t interested. He might not even read my letter and just pass it to his new butler. I decided to skip the pleasantries.

I crumpled up the long-winded letter and opened the book to find another postcard.

[Due to circumstances, I am unable to go to the royal palace. I apologize.]

I ended the letter briefly with a period. Despite its brevity, it was still longer than his message, which stung my pride a bit.

I put the postcard into the envelope, sealed it, and left the room to hand it to the boy.

“Deliver this to the Prince.”

The boy, who had been waiting at the door, took the thin letter. He carefully placed it into the bag slung over his shoulder, bowed, and turned to leave. His tousled hair fluttered as he moved.

I felt a weight lift off my chest, relieved to have dealt with that burden.

“Suren, should we start planting seeds now?”

I asked Suren, watching the boy disappear into the distance.

“I asked around, but the famine was so severe that they ate all the seeds for next year.”

“Good grief.”

The estate truly had nothing left. The future seemed bleak, and I had no idea how we would survive.

“Let’s gather some branches for firewood later. Thankfully, we had the foresight to buy some extra logs in advance.”

Suren was busy ensuring the embers didn’t die out.

Each day, after a late meal, we went around the mansion, lighting the fireplaces.

Our day started by gathering branches and sweeping up leaves for kindling.

“We’ll have to do the same today.”

There was no other way. For the sake of the butler, we needed to keep the fires burning.

“Then you gather the leaves like last time. I’ll collect the branches and try to fix the window frames.”

Suren nodded, and we spread out around the mansion.

After a long while, I gathered the branches and piled them in front of the fireplace. This should last us for at least three days.

I approached a window and tried to bend the broken bars. I tugged, but the frame wouldn’t budge.

Eventually, I gave up and stood up straight. My body felt stiff from the work, so I stretched.

As I massaged my stiff shoulders, someone suddenly knocked on the door urgently.

It was a rough, hurried knock.

When I opened the door, I saw the small shoes of the boy from earlier, now untied and dirty.

“Weren’t you supposed to have left by now?”

He was breathing heavily as he replied.

“No, madam. I left immediately. This is a reply.”

The boy was panting, struggling to catch his breath.

The reply had arrived in less than three hours.

Considering the time, it was clear that he had delivered my letter and immediately ridden back without rest. The capital wasn’t that close, even at a great speed.

Beads of sweat were running down the boy’s forehead as proof.

“Here it is.”

He pulled out the letter he had kept in his jacket.

When I flipped the envelope, the letter fell out. The paper was very thin again.

To prevent the wind from blowing it away, I placed my shoe on the letter.

Seeing this, the boy’s face turned pale. From his perspective, it looked like I was trampling on a precious letter from his master.

I turned the envelope upside down and shook it. I pressed and unfolded it, but no money or promissory notes fell out.

Seeing me search so thoroughly, the boy asked,

“What are you looking for? Is there something I was supposed to deliver that I missed?”

He fidgeted his fingers nervously. His fingertips were trembling pitifully.

This must have been a rare occurrence for him. My actions had already darkened his expression.

“No.”

I felt sorry. If I mentioned something that wasn’t there, he might start crying and beg for forgiveness.

Though I hadn’t scolded him, the boy was shaking and hunching his shoulders. It felt wrong, as if I were one of those masters who took their frustrations out on their servants.

I opened the letter and read it.

[If you are unable to come, I will send someone to escort you.]

It was another short message, just as curt as the last.

“It’s just… amazing that they sent you all this way for a single letter.”

When I clenched my hand, the letter crumpled. The boy, startled as if his own body were being crumpled, jumped back.

“Did he say anything else?”

“Pardon?”

“Was there anything else he said?”

The boy scratched his head awkwardly, and I let out an involuntary sigh.

Once again, he hadn’t sent any money.

I picked up the fallen letter. Its corner was torn from my rough handling, but it didn’t matter. The letter was so short and simple that it was still readable.

[Where are you hurt? Let me know, and I’ll send a doctor. I hope you can attend.]

The letter was brief again. It could hardly be called a letter; it was more of a note.

Ha. A short laugh escaped me. What kind of joke was this?

Wasn’t it insincere? Whether his aim was to placate me or mock me.

I furrowed my brows. Seeing my distorted expression, the boy stepped back.

“I will return in two days, then.”

He took off his hat and bowed. I stopped him as he turned to leave.

“No, I’ll write a reply now. Just wait a moment.”

The boy’s eyes widened, and he stammered.

“Y-yes? That quickly?”

“Suren, could you get this young boy some water?”

The boy’s mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but I ignored him and crumpled the letter.

Why did he keep sending letters? It wasn’t the first time I checked the envelope for hidden money. The repeated letters felt like mockery.

I went back inside and tore a new sheet of paper. I dipped the pen in the same black ink as before.

[The injury is not serious. I am already recovering, but I will not be able to attend the banquet. Please find a new partner. Given the time remaining until the banquet, finding a new partner should not be difficult.]

I kept the letter short. As brief as possible, though reducing the sentences further was challenging.

Now that the prince’s position was secure, there would be plenty of noble ladies vying for his attention. Even nobles who had been against him might now be trying to win his favor.

For someone like Deon, finding a partner even a day before the banquet would be easy.

I couldn’t understand why he was so insistent on me attending such a trivial event.

I folded the letter in half and opened the door.

The boy was sitting in a chair in the drawing room, holding a cup with steam still rising from it.

He must have come down before finishing his water.

Seeing me slowly walking down the hallway, he stood up and asked,

“Already finished?”

“Yes, I wrote the reply. You can finish your water and leave at your own pace. I know it’s tiring going back and forth. You’ve had a tough day.”

Why send letters twice in one day?

He had already traveled between the royal palace and Galcurn twice today.

The horse that brought the young boy was also exhausted. I wanted to offer a fresh horse, but our stable was just a stable in name only.

It was completely empty, not even a single straw left. Seeing the bare frame of the shelter, one could only guess it had once been a stable.

I hadn’t even cleared it out, so the horse’s reins were tied to the mansion’s pillar.

“…Did you read it?”

He cautiously spoke up. The boy, who had been glancing at me nervously, began to chew on his lips.

“Did you write it short again this time?”

He seemed to have already guessed the length of the letter.

“If so, could you perhaps write it a bit longer?”

The boy, staring at the letter, said. The letter was thin, and in the sunlight, the sparse lines were faintly visible. Even someone illiterate could sense the lack of effort in such a terse reply.

“Why? Is there some etiquette about it?”

My sharp retort made the boy straighten up and shake his head hastily.

“No. It’s just that… the prince seemed displeased with the short replies.”

He didn’t take the letter from my hand.

Sighing, I placed the letter on the table with a loud thud. The boy flinched again at the sound.

“Did he tell you this directly? That he prefers longer replies?”

“No. He didn’t say anything like that. It’s just my feeling.”

Deon wasn’t the type to scold a servant over the length of a reply. The boy must have noticed his furrowed brow and become anxious on his own.

If he had any complaints, he should write longer letters himself. It was absurd for me to write long replies when he sent such short and concise notes. It would look like I was the only one waiting for him.

Which, of course, was true.

“Take it and deliver it to His Highness.”

A flicker of hope crossed the boy’s face, quickly replaced by disappointment.

I knew it wasn’t his fault. He was only following orders.

I felt sorry for the boy having to take such a short letter back, but I couldn’t help it. I was too angry at the rudeness to consider writing a longer reply.