Chapter 103. Evitern Castle

The view of Evitern Castle up close was even more magnificent than from a distance.

It was truly overwhelming. The spires rose high into the sky, and the dark, deep blue roofs contrasted beautifully with the snow-white walls, enhancing the castle’s beauty even more.

As the carriage crossed the drawbridge and passed through the castle gate, the interior of the castle walls, which had been hidden, was finally revealed.

The inner garden was entirely different from what I had expected. Instead of grass, the ground was covered with white tiles, and various trees like orange, cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, maple, oak, and holly were planted in a regular pattern.

This type of garden was a style that was popular in ancient times and is not seen at all today. Because of this, I felt as if I were traveling through time, looking around in a daze. When I got off the carriage, the garden felt even more surreal.

Following the artificial canal leading to the center of the castle at a leisurely pace, we came upon a massive fountain connected to the canal.

The statues in the fountain depicted star spirits holding water jugs, and clear, clean water endlessly poured from the jugs of the seven spirits.

As I admired the detailed and realistic sculptures for quite some time, Enoch suddenly grabbed me and lifted me into his arms.

It seemed he was frustrated that I was lingering near the fountain and not moving forward.

Thus, I ended up being carried in his arms, my legs dangling, all the way to the center of the castle.

The central garden of the castle was more familiar and ordinary. The evenly trimmed grass spread out like a plush carpet on the ground, and various types of flowers were planted in the flower beds.

The queen of the flowers was undoubtedly the large and splendid gladiolus, which usually blooms in August, so seeing it in full bloom at the end of June was quite surprising. There must be some special secret the gardener has.

“This castle was built about 300 years ago.”

Enoch said as he carried me up the long stairs leading to the entrance. I nodded vaguely at his explanation, too busy admiring the surroundings. The golden decorations on the handrails and the intricate patterns on the marble tiles easily caught my eye.

“It originally belonged to the Duke of Turin, the lord of this Rheinfelden region. About 30 years ago, the last Duke of Turin died without an heir and returned the territory and title to the royal family. The Duke of Turin had no distant relatives left. For that reason, it was a royal property for a while, and on my eighteenth birthday, the former king bestowed it upon me, making it mine.”

“I see…”

The Duke of Turin, I remember seeing that name in an old noble registry. It was a family that had continued for a very long time since the founding of Freuden, but due to a lack of descendants, the last Duke of Turin left no heir…

The last Duke of Turin was a devoted husband, but after his wife passed away, he lived in sorrow and soon followed her.

“The current structure of the grand bath was rebuilt by the last Duke of Turin. Aren’t you curious about its layout? Do you want to go see it right now?”

“…Shouldn’t we meet and greet your retainers first?”

“That can wait.”

Well, that seems to be only your opinion.

However, Enoch seemed determined to show me the grand bath first. I fidgeted anxiously. I wanted to make a good first impression on the people of Evitern Castle, but this way, it seemed impossible.

Before I knew it, we reached the top of the long stairs. At the grand arch-shaped entrance door, two guards bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle and opened the door with precise movements.

I asked Enoch to put me down, patting his shoulder. I couldn’t meet the retainers in such a state.

But Enoch ignored my protests and leisurely walked through the open door. Embarrassed and wanting to hide, I clung to his shoulders and lowered my head.

Meeting the retainers like this… My face felt like it was burning up and would cook.

“Your Grace, and Your Highness. Welcome. You must be weary from your long journey…”

The middle-aged man who had been bowing and speaking stopped when he looked up. His eyes, upon seeing us, wavered like a ship in a storm.

I averted my gaze and gave an awkward smile. The other servants, except for the middle-aged man, also widened their eyes and stared at Enoch and me…

“Ahem! You must be tired from your long journey. How about soaking in the bath we’ve prepared to relax and relieve your fatigue? The welcome banquet for Your Highness is prepared for eight o’clock this evening.”

The middle-aged man cleared his throat loudly and continued speaking, and the other servants, realizing their rudeness, quickly bowed their heads. But I could easily sense their shock. No matter how much they tried to hide their expressions, the atmosphere gave it away.

“Where is the bath prepared?”

Enoch skipped all formalities and directly asked his question. I shivered at his indifference, not even inquiring about the retainers’ well-being or offering any encouragement or praise, but the others seemed accustomed to it.

“Yes, Your Grace. The bath is prepared in each of your rooms…”

“Steward, are you joking? Why did you prepare them separately when there’s a grand bath?”

“Well, that… The grand bath hasn’t been used for decades…”

The middle-aged man, the steward, seemed overwhelmed by Enoch’s fierce demeanor and stammered in confusion. It was clear he hadn’t anticipated such a situation.

Enoch waved his hand in irritation and gave a firm order, as if there was no need for further explanation.

“Prepare the bath in the grand bath. As quickly as possible.”

“Understood!”

Since all the servants and maids of the castle were gathered at the entrance, the steward quickly sent people off to carry out the order.

I looked at his graying brown hair and pale complexion and felt a natural sense of sympathy. This man must have had a hard time serving Enoch…

“Let’s start exploring from the third floor, Ellen.”

“…What’s on the third floor?”

“The master bedroom. The living room for couples. The piano room. And other things.”

“……”

Everything else seemed fine, but the master bedroom felt somehow dangerous. Without further thought, I quickly made a suggestion.

“I want to see the piano room first.”

Enoch looked at me with a sneer, as if saying, ‘I know what you’re thinking.’

“No. The master bedroom first.”

“I-I want to see the piano room first. Please put me down, quickly!”

“Your legs must hurt. I’ll carry you.”

“No, I’m fine!”

Enoch leisurely climbed the stairs leading to the second floor while arguing with me. I tried my best to assert my will, but it didn’t work. Enoch Bayern was truly stubborn and a mischievous troublemaker.

* * *

His Grace was less angry.

It may seem like a trivial fact, but it was a tremendous shock to everyone in Evitern Castle.

Especially for the steward, Fernand, who had braced himself for a severe scolding from Enoch, only to find that Enoch merely gave simple orders with a bit of irritation before leaving. It felt as if the world had turned upside down.

What is going on? Is that really the Duke we know? Or is it someone else wearing His Grace’s skin?

When Hubert’s letter of concern and advice arrived, he had been skeptical. That His Grace, who had always been so sharp and irritable, would cherish someone so dearly… It was hard to believe.

But after seeing the Duke and Duchess in person, he realized Hubert’s words were true.

Our Duke, who had always been sharp and irritable, had changed. In just a few months.

Moreover, seeing him casually touching the Duchess, it seemed his severe misanthropic mysophobia had improved…

Fernand, feeling emotional, took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes. Having served as a palace servant and then as a retainer of Bayern for the past seven years, he had watched His Grace grow from a young boy. To see him change so positively was truly moving. Life is worth living for a long time. He had half given up.

Enoch Bayern had been an unusual child, grew into an unusual boy, and became an unusual man. His nature was arrogant and picky, and he extremely disliked mingling with people.

Because of this, Fernand had resigned himself to the possibility that Enoch might never experience the ordinary happiness of marriage, family, or even having a lover.

But then, like a lucky bluebird, the Duchess appeared. In Enoch Bayern’s world, which seemed destined to endure only harsh winters.

How could this not be a miracle?

‘Hubert’s advice was right. We must serve the Duchess with utmost care.’

Fernand’s mind began to fill with joyful plans on how to make Her Highness feel at home in Evitern Castle.

* * *

“Here, this is the master bedroom.”

Enoch shamelessly said as he laid me down on the bed. It was a bed large enough for five people to lie on with room to spare.

“How do you like it?”

“I was curious about the piano room.”

“Later. You must be tired from the train ride. Lie down and rest.”

“……”

Does he really intend to let me rest?

Still suspicious, I relaxed and lay comfortably. The bed was enormous but incredibly soft, so comfortable that my whole body felt like it was melting. It felt like lying on a cloud.

The bed was so comfortable that I must have dozed off for a moment because when I came to, I was being carried somewhere in Enoch’s arms.

Looking around, I realized we were in a hallway and looked up at Enoch to ask.

“Where are we going now?”

“The grand bath.”

Ah, that suspicious grand bath.

Soon, Enoch arrived at a room and set me down. Jasmine and the maids approached and began to undress me layer by layer. Enoch watched me for a moment, then opened the door and stepped out, saying,

“This is your room, Ellen. The grand bath… you’ll see when you enter the bathroom.”

“…..?”

And the door closed.

I was curious about what he meant by ‘you’ll see when you enter,’ but no one explained it to me. After preparing for the bath, I entered the bathroom, wearing only a thin gown.

The bathroom with a powder room was ordinary. The bathtub was not filled with water, but there was nothing else unusual.

‘This can’t be the grand bath…’

I tilted my head and walked further in. When I looked behind the screen near the bathtub, to my surprise,

A secret passage appeared.

‘Could it be…’

…Could it be what I think it is?

This passage must lead to the grand bath.

“……”

After hesitating for a moment, I cautiously stepped into the passage. I felt like I was falling into a trap, but my curiosity drove me forward slowly and carefully.

And finally, the place I arrived at after passing through the passage was—

‘Just as I thought.’

A space that perfectly fit the name ‘grand bath.’

A massive circular marble bathtub filled with warm water, with steam rising and leisurely escaping through the vents.

So far, everything seemed normal. The bathtub was enormous, but that wasn’t the issue…

‘Why are there…’

I looked around the grand bath in a daze. The walls were covered with mirrors the size of a person.

What could be the purpose of these mirrors?

What was the last Duke of Turin thinking…

At that moment,

Splash—

“……!”

A black head suddenly popped up from the previously calm surface of the water, followed by a muscular chest and chiseled abs.

Of course, it was Enoch. He smiled as he saw me hesitating in surprise.

I gaped in surprise. Why on earth was he diving in the bath?