Guests.
Constantin thought that the princess’s words to prepare to greet guests sounded strange.
As the emperor’s favorite granddaughter, and a woman of considerable wealth in her own right, she should be able to act as a hostess anywhere, even in this duchy.
However, it didn’t feel like that kind of significance. It sounded more like a sense of duty to receive someone passing through this place, whom no one here knew at all.
“You don’t have to bother making snacks.”
“Karnov, have you forgotten? They’ll be nice if they eat the snacks I make.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Oh! How about I cook something other than snacks? I think I’m good at cooking. Did you see how the head chef admired the beef stew I made? Even the chamberlain was impressed. He even asked for appetizers at night!”
‘Why did this suddenly become the purest place in the world?’
Constantin hadn’t expected to hear about ‘sweets that make you good’ on the edge of the border with Noctis elves. He hadn’t expected even Karnov to agree with her. Constantin pursed his lips and swallowed dryly.
“But they are the ones who gave birth to Karnov…”
The princess muttered something in a low voice that only Constantin heard. Karnov glanced back at her, but all he could do was chuckle softly.
The yellow canary on her shoulder flew up and chirped softly, rubbing its head against the top of her head in an adorable gesture.
Constantin thought for a moment that the canary really looked like a chick, and then quickly shook off the idea. It was unlikely that the princess would be traveling with a chick, much less a flying chick. Karnov spoke to Constantin in a low voice, never taking his eyes off the woman a few steps ahead of him.
“Make sure you prepare properly so we don’t run into trouble.”
Constantin nodded with certainty, realizing that the ‘trouble’ was not anything else but ‘offending the princess’.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
The Duke and Duchess of Sedvoyer, no, the two people who now were Baron and Baroness Yasnaya, couldn’t hide their icy, gruesome expression all the way to the ducal residence after a very long time. The butler who, as always, came to the train station to meet them, had a hard and polite face.
Ivan had always thought he was loyal only to Yekaterina, but years ago he had discovered that he was also loyal to Karnov.
The humiliation at that time was still clear, so Ivan got on the carriage without saying a word to the butler.
When did life start to fall apart?
At first, he thought it was the moment his son signed a contract with the death spirit, but then he thought it was the moment he gave birth to a son. Ivan looked at his wife, Yelizaveta, with a fierce look at that point. Yelizaveta only looked out the window silently. Ivan turned his head away from Yelizaveta.
His mother, Yekaterina, was a heartless person. She had tested him, the next duke to defend the borders, over and over again. But Ivan was unable to find meaning in it all.
He was the only son of Yekaterina Neustadter, and the next duke was none other than himself. It was undignified to stoop so low to get what was rightfully his. A great nobleman shouldn’t do that!
Ivan remembered his mother’s sighs as she looked at him, and how he hated to hear them. His mother, who had fought wars in the harsh lands of the north, did not fully understand nobility until the end.
Then, as soon as his son signed a death spirit, Yekaterina would take her grandson to and from the northern territories and capital. As if the only real duke was Karnov, his son, not Ivan.
Ivan believed that his son had stolen the death spirit that was supposed to be his pact, but he never said so.
“As long as I get that pendant…”
“What if it’s a lie?”
Ivan glared bitterly at Yelizaveta.
“So what if it’s a lie? A cat died by accident, and we killed something that should have been killed anyway. Is Karnov going to blame his parents more for this?”
Ivan responded shamelessly, even though he could barely resist shaking when he confronted his son.
“I heard that Princess Anastasia is here as well, just seeing bloodshed for a single animal…”
“I don’t know why she’s here, but what’s the big deal about the death of one beast?”
Ivan replied irksomely. Yelizaveta did not speak further.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
“No, Phoebe. We need to talk about it.”
Asha tried on several dresses that the maid had given her with an expression of pleasure alternating on her face, speaking firmly. In the room where only the two of them remained, Phoebe gestured somewhat dissatisfied.
<How long are you going to stick to moderate methods? You’re going to get yourself into trouble.>
“They’re still Karnov’s parents. We can’t offend them outright, Phoebe…”
<What are you going to do then?>
“Well, they say they’re here because they’re worried, so we’ll have to talk to them, and if they don’t like it, we’ll tell them nicely not to come back.”
Asha chose the second dress, speaking with a determined expression. The dress had a strong northern influence, with one sleeve open and draped from the shoulder over the arm.
The dress fell in a straight line and ended a little below the knee. The cuffs, which were longer than the arms, fluttered to show off the butterfly embroidery on the bottom of the dress.
“…But what if Karnov wants to keep seeing his parents?”
Phoebe shook her head, her eyes locked with the butterflies in the embroidery on the dress.
<You’ll be convinced when you see it, but not at all surprised. Karnov leaving them alone would just…>
“…?”
Asha looked back at Phoebe, her voice suddenly muffled, but Phoebe remained silent, her beak closed tightly.
“Phoebe?”
<Keum, no, more than that. What if they do something unforgivable?>
“Unforgivable? Like murder?”
<Well, I don’t know exactly, but anything.>
“Then they should go to prison.”
Asha clenched her fist.
“And they’ve already done something unforgivable.”
Asha looked down at the dress and pursed her lips. Karnov had never told her about his parents, but that’s why Asha knew. She was always fixed on what Karnov wouldn’t say.
The fact that he was hurt by the beast this time,
The experience of the last war,
The eyes you feel when you wield the power of death…
These were all things that would break her heart if she heard them, so he didn’t tell her. Even about his parents. Asha bit her lip slightly, then took a deep breath.
“…So far every fall I’ve been to Lake Bishti with Karnov. Karnov has never hated it, but I thought maybe…”
<There is no emotion that can deceive my eyes.>
Phoebe flew up, floating lightly. For a moment, Asha thought she looked like a large, brilliantly colored bird, but she blinked once, and the next moment she was a chick flapping her wings again.
<The only thing on his mind was pleasure. You know that, don’t you? Why harbor unnecessary anxiety?>
“I’m not harboring anxiety, I just want to make sure again. If there’s any chance to fill a gap.”
Asha pushed Phoebe away with a blunt voice. Then, with the help of a maid, she changed her clothes and walked outside.
Karnov, who was waiting outside, told Asha that she didn’t have to meet his parents, but Asha shook her head. Following that movement, Asha’s hair brushed Karnov’s shoulder.
“Why? It would be nice to say hello together since I’m a guest of the duchy. They’ll be gone soon, so I’ll at least say hello.”
Asha spat, hoping her words sounded aggressive, but Karnov only smirked.
‘Ah… Do I sound mean?’
Usually, you wouldn’t show your dislike for your friend’s parents like this, would you? While Asha hesitated for a while, a carriage arrived in front of the duchy.
They were a middle-aged couple with a keen and sharp impression. As soon as Asha saw them, she had to do her best not to frown.
Thick, murky turquoise air currents seemed to flow underfoot and wrap around Karnov’s ankles. Asha took another step closer to Karnov’s side.
The man, Ivan, opened his mouth first.
“Karnov, it’s been a while. I heard something happened at the estate. I was worried…”
“Baron Yasnaya, this is Her Highness the Princess Anastasia. Say hello.”
And Karnov cut his words with a single stroke. Ivan’s face flushed for a moment, then snapped back to a blank expression. Ivan looked as if he wanted to glare at Karnov, but he couldn’t hold the stare for long before he averted his gaze and looked at Asha.
“Princess Anastasia… I’m honored to meet the Princess. I am Ivan Neustadter, this is my wife, Yelizay. I hadn’t seen you while I was in the capital, but… I’ve heard a lot.”
Asha raised her head.
“Yes, I’ve never met you before, Baron Yasnaya. You’ve traveled a long way, and I appreciate your concern for the lands in the north.”
“No… No, it’s something that I have to do.”
“Oh, what are you talking about? None of the aristocrats of the capital come all the way here to say hello because they are worried about the northern border.”
Asha laughed softly and said it as if it were a joke. Of course, they were strangers. It was obvious what she meant.
You’re strangers here, too.
Ivan’s cheeks flushed. He was about to say something when Asha laughed and clapped her hands.
“Oh! I baked some snacks when I heard that you two were coming. I hope you can have it at tea time later.”
Ivan smiled with difficulty. But his eyes only went back to Karnov: eyes that made her sick to her stomach.
“Thank you… I will. But that beast you said harmed the estate…”
At that moment, Asha stumbled a little on purpose, pulling Karnov’s sleeve.
“Ah, I think I must be dizzy from being out in the autumn sun all this time waiting for you two…”
It was an awkward act that anyone who knew Asha would have noticed, but no one seemed to notice, or at least seemed to accept her intent – that she didn’t want to face Ivan and Yelizay anymore.
Ivan’s face contorted. Asha raised a hand to her forehead and sighed, and Karnov put a surprised hand on her shoulder.
“I think you should go in and rest, Princess. Butler, give the guest room to the Baron and Baroness Yasnaya.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The butler replied stiffly. Karnov put a hand on Asha’s shoulder, and then, as if he couldn’t take it anymore, he swept her up in a quick hug and turned his back on them and walked into the manor, leaving Ivan’s fists shaking behind him.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
The Aurora room, where Asha was staying, was on the opposite side of the manor from the guest rooms. Asha rounded the corner of the hallway and gently tugged at the collar of Karnov’s arm.
“Karnov, that’s enough, put me down.”
“…”
“Karnov, it’s all right already.”
“Once you’re on the bed.”
“No, it was a lie that I was dizzy. I just wanted to come in quickly.”
She didn’t want to leave Karnov with those slimy, sinister eyes.
“I was worried that I might have been caught because I wasn’t good at acting. I don’t know if it was okay… Karnov, you know that, right? I was just acting.”
“I know.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Karnov’s mouth as he replied.
“But you never know. If you’re going to act, you have to do it until the end.”
“My room is at the end of the hall, and you’re going to go all the way there?”
“Are you two bags of wheat now?”
“It’s three!”
“May the conscience of the Crown Prince finally sleep peacefully in heaven.”
“It’s really three!”
