Chapter 3 (Part 5)

Theodore, who had briefly risen from his seat to chase after her, sighed deeply, pressing his fingers to his forehead.  

“Rio, did I say something wrong just now?”  

“I don’t think so…?”  

The two men stared at the back of Reinis as she ran away, completely baffled.  

‘Dead? Who is going to kill whom?’

Theodore’s head was spinning. At that moment, Rio spoke up.  

“What kind of life must she have lived to say something like that over a few gifts?”  

It was exactly what Theodore had been thinking.  

What kind of experiences had she gone through to be so terrified of receiving gifts that didn’t even amount to half of what typical nobles would purchase?  

“Sigh… Hel.”  

Letting out a deep sigh, Theodore raised his hand and called for Heldor. Hel, who had been waiting quietly outside, entered the room.  

“Follow after the lady immediately.”  

“Yes, Sir!”  

With a loud and firm response, Heldor quickly exited the Commander’s office. Even as the sound of his footsteps faded, Theodore remained utterly perplexed.  

‘Would it be better to disclose the Duke’s manor’s finances to the lady? Ah… no, that wouldn’t work. She’s so unaware of the ways of the world that showing her the finances would be pointless.’  

“What would be the best course of action…?”  

Rio, who had been quietly observing Theodore lost in thought, spoke up with a serious expression.  

“How about assigning a tutor to the lady to teach her about the Duke’s manor’s finances?”  

“A tutor?”  

“Earlier, after seeing the gifts, she said something about pulling out the very pillar of the Duke’s manor and selling it off.”  

Hearing Rio’s serious tone, which lacked any hint of jest, Theodore furrowed his brow.  

Most of the gifts he had given were ready-made items, as there hadn’t been enough time to have them custom-made.  

‘I even felt guilty for not giving her the finest items… and she said something like that?’  

Seeing Theodore’s surprised reaction, Rio nodded and continued.  

“I looked into the lady’s background. I heard that she wasn’t treated well by her family. I suspect she doesn’t have much sense of economics. Judging by how she didn’t even check what the gifts were and came running to you in fear, don’t you think some education is necessary?”  

“And who gave you permission to investigate the lady?”  

“That’s not the issue right now. We can discuss that later. For now, wouldn’t it be a good idea to let the lady know just how much money it would take to actually uproot the Duke’s manor’s pillar?”  

At Rio’s words, Theodore frowned and glared at him briefly. Then, letting out a deep sigh, he nodded.  

“I suppose we’ll need to find a tutor for the lady. Someone capable.”  

* * *  

“I… I feel so awful. You went out of your way to give me so many gifts, even though it must have been a burden, and yet I couldn’t even thank you properly…”

Reinis, who had noticed Heldor following her, ran out of the training grounds and kept running until she stopped somewhere she didn’t recognize. She muttered to herself.  

Approaching her, Heldor shook his head and made eye contact with her.  

“It’s not you who’s awful, Miss. It’s our Commander, for making you cry.”  

“That… that’s not true. The Commander is a truly good person. I… I’m the one making him seem like a bad person. Someone like me is making him indulge in such extravagance…”  

At the mention of extravagance, Heldor’s shoulders flinched, but Reinis did not notice the subtle movement.  

“Miss, did you know that ever since you arrived, the staff at the Duke’s manor have been saying they enjoy their work more? Someone who brings joy to others couldn’t possibly be a bad person.”  

“What?”  

“As you may know, the Duke’s manor hasn’t allowed outsiders in for quite some time. There weren’t even proper tea parties, let alone banquets. The only guest we ever had was Sir Rio, and do you think our Commander ever cared about Sir Rio’s tea table? Judging by how he treated Sir Rio, he might as well have told him to just go home or get lost.”  

At those words, Reinis unconsciously nodded.  

“So, the staff’s work was always the same—cleaning and organizing, day in and day out. But ever since you arrived, the garden has been filled with flowers, the Duke’s manor’s interior has been completely transformed, and the place has become lively again, just like when the late Duke and Duchess were still alive!”  

“…What?”  

Reinis tilted her head, looking as though she didn’t understand. But before long, her face turned pale, and she let out a sigh as she spoke.  

“Don’t tell me… have the staff’s workloads increased since I came here? I must have been a burden to everyone at the Duke’s manor. What should I do…?”  

Heldor, flustered by her reaction, which was the complete opposite of what he had intended, closed his mouth.  

‘Uh… this isn’t the reaction I was expecting…’  

After composing himself, he spoke in a serious tone.  

“That’s not it. What I meant to say is that you’ve brought life and energy to the mundane routines of everyone at the Duke’s manor.”  

“But… because of me, they’ve had more work to do. They must be exhausted…”  

With those words, Reinis hung her head low. From her perspective, with her low self-esteem, she couldn’t help but believe she was a burden.  

Heldor, after pondering for a while, quietly stopped in front of her.  

“Miss, in that case, how about we make a bet? Let’s see whether the staff at the Duke’s manor think you’re a burden or the opposite.”  

Startled by Heldor’s suggestion, Reinis exclaimed,  

“Of course I’m a burden! If we make a bet, it’s obvious you’ll lose, Hel!”  

“That’s something we won’t know until we try. What do you think? Would you like to make a bet with me?”  

At Heldor’s meaningful smile, Reinis let out a deep sigh.  

“I’ve heard that for a bet, you need to stake something. But I don’t have anything I can give to you, Hel, so I don’t think I can accept this bet.”  

With those words, Reinis bowed her head in a polite gesture and started walking away from Heldor, heading somewhere else. At that moment, Heldor, wearing a victorious smile, said,  

“If I lose, I will grant you anything you wish for. However, if you lose, please live like a proper noble—indulge in some luxuries, host parties, and solidify your position as the Duchess.”  

From her perspective, it wasn’t a bet where she stood to lose anything, no matter what happened.  

“Whether you win or lose, it doesn’t seem like you’ll suffer any disadvantages. So, what do you think? Don’t you want to find out what the staff really think of you?”  

Curious about how the staff viewed her, and swayed by Heldor’s persistent words, Reinis eventually nodded.  

Thus, Heldor and Reinis headed toward the Duke’s manor’s main building to find the staff, who had been burdened with more work.  

Unable to endure the silence, as her mind kept wandering to various thoughts, Reinis spoke first,  

“Um… Hel, how did you end up coming to the Duke’s manor?”  

“Oh, was it when I was about eight years old? The late Duke and Duchess brought me here while I was working as a mercenary. They even gave me the name Heldor and helped me join the Knight Order.”  

“…Heldor? So, that name wasn’t something the Commander came up with by mixing your name with his own; it was actually your real name?”  

Tilting her head curiously, Reinis asked, and Heldor clutched his chest in mock pain.  

“Ah… that stings a bit. To think you still didn’t know my real name. Since you’ve been calling me Hel all this time, I had my suspicions…”  

“I-I’m so sorry!”  

“No, I was just joking! And this isn’t something you should apologize for—it’s actually me who should apologize. Now that I think about it, I’ve never properly told you my real name before. I’m sorry. My real name is Heldor.”  

“Is it too much for you?”

Noticing that Reinis’s steps were slowing down, Heldor cautiously asked,  

“Would you like to take a short break?”  

The distance between the training grounds and the main building was about a 20-minute walk, even at Heldor’s pace. Since meeting Theodore briefly, they had been walking continuously, so it was only natural for Reinis, whose wounds had not yet fully healed, to feel strained.  

Seeing her struggling, an idea popped into Heldor’s mind.  

Not long ago, while checking on the horses, Heldor had overheard the stable hands chatting in a corner.  

‘Someday, the lady might come to ride a horse, right? Otherwise, we stable hands wouldn’t even have the chance to see her…’

It seemed like the perfect place to reveal what the staff thought of Reinis. Moreover, the stables were located between the training grounds and the main building, making it a suitable spot to rest.  

“I’ll take you to a place where you can rest for a while.”  

With that, Heldor led Reinis to the stables.