Chapter 6 (Part 2)

The warm morning sunlight pierced her eyes. Sellakia slowly blinked her sleep-laden eyelids and groaned.  

She had intended to find out if Tenus did the same thing tonight. But because she stayed up late with the ledger the previous night, she ended up sleeping soundly.  

“……When does Tenus sleep and wake up?”

Even when she fell asleep looking at the ledger until midnight, Tenus hadn’t returned to the bedroom. Even though she woke up early, the spot next to her was still empty.  

She wondered if he even slept here and, if so, how many hours he actually slept.  

And whether he looked at her during the night…  

“No way. Probably not.”

Sellakia quickly shook off the question she couldn’t find an answer to. Although Tenus had felt comfortable recently, it wasn’t to the point where she could ask such impertinent questions.  

Pushing Tenus, who had occupied her mind since she woke up, aside, she reviewed today’s schedule.  

In the morning, inspect the banquet hall, and in the afternoon, go to the plaza to meet Chester.

There was no time to delay. Sellakia energetically got out of bed. Yesterday, she had given advance notice, so Roberta and Nancy came up to the bedroom earlier than usual.  

Roberta looked curiously at Sellakia, who was unusually lively from the morning.  

“I didn’t know you enjoyed working, Madam.”  

“Pardon?” 

“You usually spent the whole day in personal leisure, didn’t you?”  

In other words, she was saying that Sellakia was like a lazy turtle. Before going down to the banquet hall, Sellakia scratched her reddened cheek while flipping through the ledger one more time.  

“I was a bit like that. Did it look bad?”

“How could I comment on a lady’s daily routine? Madam, you have the right and freedom to spend your day as you wish.”  

Roberta, who answered uprightly like a model knight, awkwardly pressed her lips together. But soon, as if she couldn’t hold back, she poured out her words.  

“Still, if I may offer my personal opinion, this current appearance looks much better. It’s my belief that people should spend the day actively. Perhaps because you’ve been moving since morning, your expression today looks very good.”  

“Was my expression not good before?”  

“Not exactly, but… It was similar to that of my peer.”  

“Your peer, as in, from the academy?”  

“Yes. He was a fellow forced into the academy dormitory by his father. His shadowed face, always waiting for graduation day, is still deeply impressed in my mind.”

Sellakia felt a pang and couldn’t ask further. 

Is this what they call a knight’s intuition? 

She couldn’t tell if Roberta had noticed something and was probing.  

“It’s just a metaphor. Madam, your circumstances aren’t like his, are they? I only said it based on what I know, not sure if it’s appropriate.”

Roberta, who had been seriously stroking her chin, laughed heartily. Her refreshing laughter didn’t seem suspicious. Sellakia awkwardly laughed along and closed the ledger.  

“Then shall we go do what you like,Sir Belfona?”

Nancy, who had been stretching a step back, quickly stepped forward.  

“I’ve informed the Head Maid that you wish to summon the servants, Madam. You’re going to the banquet hall now, right? Let me help you dress up.”  

“Is dressing up necessary? I was planning to go like this.”  

“Of course, you’re very beautiful as you are now! But still, still, as you are now…….”

Nancy looked at Sellakia’s attire with cloudy eyes. She was dressed in a plain indoor dress as usual. While frugality was good, it was somewhat shabby for a Duchess.  

“Then just the dress. No jewelry. I won’t be putting on any powder.”  

“It’s okay if I do your hair, right?”  

“Sure. I’ll be going out later, so please keep it simple.”  

“Yes!”  

Nancy brightly responded and ran to the dressing room. The sound of fabric fluttering and an excited hum mixed as she seemed to be comparing dresses.  

If she recommended a banquet dress again, it would be awkward. Sellakia followed Nancy to secure a calm dress first.

* * *

Choosing a dress with Nancy, whose taste was the complete opposite, was quite a challenge. In the end, they chose a dark navy dress as Sellakia wished, but the satin dress, on which Nancy insisted on sprinkling pearl powder without reservation, was anything but modest.  

“…Won’t people think it’s too much?”  

Standing at the door of the banquet hall, Sellakia hesitated to step inside. Nancy widened her eyes as if she had heard something unbelievable.  

“What are you talking about, Madam! Even if you said you were born wearing this dress, everyone would nod. It suits you that perfectly!”  

Nancy’s compliments tended to be overly generous, reducing their credibility. As Sellakia looked unconvinced, Nancy rolled up her sleeves as if frustrated.  

“If, by any chance, someone thinks that, I’ll hit them on the head with a practice wooden sword!”  

“…Huh?”  

“Hi-yah!”  

Nancy moved her clasped hands from top to bottom as if swinging a sword. Sellakia was taken aback by the vigorous semicircular trajectory.  

Could learning some swordsmanship make someone this combative? 

She had a feeling she knew who might have influenced her. Sellakia’s head naturally turned towards Roberta, as if drawn by something.

Interpreting that gaze somehow, Roberta solemnly tapped her chest with her fist and said,  

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle the aftermath.”  

“…Don’t handle things like that, Sir Belfona. Nancy, don’t say things like that even as a joke.”  

“…”  

“…”  

“Why aren’t you both answering?”  

After finally extracting a promise and firmly reminding them, her tension eased a bit. It seemed to be thanks to the jokes they shared. She wondered if it was Nancy’s intention. She thought so but decided not to thank her, thinking it probably wasn’t.

“You have arrived, Madam.”

“You have arrived, Madam.”

As soon as she entered the banquet hall, the waiting servants gathered their hands politely and bowed. Sellakia passed by them silently, keeping her back straight. She headed not to the podium at the front but to the corners of the banquet hall.  

The banquet hall was vast enough that even with dozens of servants gathered, it didn’t feel cramped.  

The smooth marble floor showed no scratches, and the glass windows on both sides were designed to offer views of the expansive sea and garden.  

The sunlight streaming through the transparent glass made the chandelier on the ceiling sparkle dazzlingly. When she discovered the equally dazzling ceiling painting, Sellakia almost forgot her surroundings and gaped.  

“…”  

Surely that isn’t real gold, is it? 

She had heard there were gold mines in the Seidon Duchy, but she didn’t expect them to live in such luxury as to plaster it on the ceiling.  

Seeing the wealth of Seidon, which she had only heard about, with her own eyes was quite a fresh shock.  

Unable to shake off the astonishing ceiling painting, Sellakia checked the banquet hall again for any repairs needed.  

She had heard it hadn’t been used for a long time, but fortunately, it was very well maintained. It seemed there was no need for additional work.  

Until she leisurely circled the banquet hall, the surroundings were as quiet as a mouse. The only thing obvious was the silent gazes fixed on Sellakia.  

While curiosity was the main sentiment, there was a slight mix of fear in those eyes.  

They weren’t particularly friendly gazes. Still, they were much more favorable than when she was treated as a puppet Duchess.  

She wondered if her situation changed after surviving a life-threatening crisis and returning.  

Sellakia thought self-deprecatingly and moved towards the podium. During her tour of the banquet hall, her slightly trembling heart had calmed down a bit.  

Nancy, who had been following Sellakia closely, hesitated and then quietly turned around. It seemed she was heading towards the back of the group of servants. Sellakia immediately stopped her.  

“Nancy. You’re my personal maid, aren’t you? You should be by my side.”  

“Oh, yes, Madam!”  

Nancy responded with a bright smile and stood beside Roberta at the podium.  

“I didn’t call you here to tell you something grand.”  

Sellakia, standing alone on the podium, calmly began speaking amidst the heavy silence in the banquet hall.  

“You must be aware that a modest banquet will be held soon alongside the retainers’ meeting. I wanted to ask everyone to work hard for it. …And looking at the ledger.”  

Sellakia maintained an intentional silence while pretending to look around the audience.  

As expected, the word “ledger” made the servants stir. Seeing the ledger meant having obtained it. In other words, it signified that Sellakia held some power in the Ducal House.  

It was only natural for the servants of noble families, skilled in diplomacy and practical matters, to be agitated. Of course, Sellakia’s intention in bringing it up wasn’t simply to boast about power.  

“It seems everyone is underpaid for their work. You are, after all, the servants of the Seidon Ducal House. I plan to discuss with the Duke soon about raising everyone’s salary.”  

This time, there was an unmistakable commotion. Exclamations of joy and gratitude erupted here and there. Some even quietly cheered.  

Sellakia gave them ample time to enjoy their small joy before adding,  

“While the issue of manpower shortage will be resolved soon, for the upcoming banquet, due to the tight schedule, it must be accomplished solely with your efforts.”  

“Yes.”  

“Yes, Madam!”  

The energetic responses made her previous worries about negative reactions seem unfounded. The impact of the salary increase was more significant than expected. Perhaps the hope for the future overshadowed the immediate hardship.  

Their eyes, shadowed by fatigue, were now sparkling. It was somewhat burdensome but also satisfying. It wasn’t as if she had done something extraordinary, but she felt like a rather useful person. It was a feeling she had never experienced in the past when she lived as the family’s outcast, as if she were there but not there.

Sellakia, feeling inwardly pleased, carefully took in each servant’s face. Then, she suddenly spotted an unfamiliar face.  

“…”