TOPWL 185

“All the family members, even the cousins, I have seen them, so please don’t worry too much.”

Selena cut in quickly, as if she thought Yudit might say something. Noban too, looked stunned with Selena’s sudden appearance.

“This is my aide.”

“I’m Selena Craven.”

Selena extended her hand to Noban. He looked down at her pale, delicate hand for a moment, then shook it.

“Noban Esrad.”

“If it’s alright, the Craven family would like to take care of the cleaning and food. We’ll provide everything needed for the welcome banquet.”

“Selena.”

“I can’t go to the battlefield with you, so at least let me do one thing that makes me feel like your aide before you leave.”

Selena spoke in a firm tone. Then she took out a notebook and began asking about the banquet date, number of guests, and what would be needed, jotting everything down. Though initially startled by her sudden appearance, Noban soon answered her questions one by one. The welcome and send-off banquet was set for two days later in the evening. It all happened before Yudit could say a word.

***

The carriage wheels bumped along the stone road. On the way to the Marquisate of Kinezia, Yudit sat somewhat dazed in his seat. Everything had happened so quickly that his mind couldn’t keep up.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

At Selena’s question, Yudit snapped out of it like he was waking from a dream. She was holding her notebook, watching him with concern.

“Mm, I’m fine. But what brought you here?”

“I was getting tired of staying at home, so I stopped by the ducal residence to see if there was anything I could help with, but they said you were out, so I asked the butler where you’d gone.”

“Ah…”

“Was that… rude of me?”

Selena asked with a worried look, thinking she might have overstepped. Yudit shook his head.

“To be honest, you saved me. I’m not good at this kind of thing. If I’d taken the lead, it would’ve taken forever. Thank you.”

“You’d have done well too, Your Highness. I just have a lot of experience hosting parties, so this kind of thing comes naturally to me. I’m really glad I could finally do something that feels like proper aide work.”

Selena spoke, her cheeks tinged with pink.

“But money is a separate matter. What kind of prince lets his aide’s family pay for things? I appreciate the help, but I want to be thorough when it comes to money.”

“I really don’t mind…”

“No.”

Selena licked her dry lips, looking disappointed at Yudit’s firm tone.

“Alright then, I’ll send you a full breakdown later.”

“I’ll check it carefully, so you’d better write it carefully.”

“Haa, yes, yes. I won’t miss a single penny. I’ll be thorough.”

Selena sighed as she spoke. While the two bickered, the carriage had entered the garden of the Kinezia Marquisate. True to their reputation as trendsetters, the garden was beautiful and avant-garde. A white fountain sat at the center, flanked by vivid flowers, buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies, maze-like hedges, a greenhouse that looked like a glass dome, and a pavilion beside it. Nothing was lacking or excessive, it was simply beautiful.

“It’s amazing enough to make me jealous.”

“The Craven estate’s garden is beautiful too.”

“Ours is certainly big and flashy, but it’s not this elegant. Someone once said ours was just splashed with money, and they were right. We built it during a time when we had lots of money and used only the most expensive things. Didn’t care about matching or harmony. Mm, the landscaping is wonderful too. I wonder who their gardener is…”

Selena narrowed her eyes, muttering to herself. Yudit smiled slightly at her focused expression. The carriage slowly came to a stop.

Yudit stepped out and looked ahead with mild surprise. Raphine had come out personally to greet them.

“It’s been a while, Marchioness Raphine.”

“It has indeed, Your Highness Yudit.”

Raphine bowed politely to Yudit.

“Is it alright for you to be out like this?”

“If you’re talking about my health, I’m fine. Women in my family tend to have easy deliveries.”

Raphine smiled and held up a fist playfully. Given her small, delicate frame, Yudit hadn’t expected that at all.

“Come inside, Your Highness, Lady Selena.”

Raphine led them in.

“My husband and child have been eagerly awaiting your visit. The little one, who usually sleeps by nine, couldn’t fall asleep until eleven last night.”

Yudit smiled, he remembered that fiery proposal from the other day. As soon as they stepped into the hallway, a delicious aroma began to drift in, growing stronger as they neared the dining room. The sweet smell of something baked and fried awakened his hunger.

The dining room was smaller than expected. Inside the spacious room were a couple of round tables that could seat about ten people. At one of them, the Marquis of Kinezia and Fiora were already seated. Fiora looked like she was attending a royal ball, dressed in an extravagantly ornate outfit.

“I spent three days helping her pick an outfit, and she still ended up wearing what she wanted.”

Raphine gave a wry smile as she looked at Fiora’s dress, lavishly decorated with gold and silver thread and countless jewels.

“Thank you for the invitation.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Yudit shook hands with the Marquis and took a seat. He smiled lightly at Fiora.

“It’s been a while, Lady Fiora.”

Being addressed like a proper lady seemed to catch Fiora off guard. She went rigid, as if unsure if she’d done something wrong, but soon her breathing quickened and her cheeks, forehead, chin, and neck flushed bright red.

“Oh my.”

Raphine watched her daughter’s face with amused interest. Fiora’s face was so red it looked like steam might shoot out of her ears.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

With a mature tone, Fiora stood and gracefully left the dining room. Two attendants followed behind her. She looked perfectly composed until she reached the door. And then suddenly bolted, running off at full speed. The sound of her feet thudding rapidly, like a galloping horse, was followed by a squeal of excitement. Yudit struggled to keep from laughing. Raphine couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

“Ah, she really is cute, even if she is my daughter.”

The attendants began serving the food. Steam rose from a creamy soup filled with clams and potatoes.

She better be back before it gets cold, Yudit thought, picking up his spoon.

“I had high hopes from the smell, but it tastes even better than I imagined.”

“It’s really delicious.”

Both Yudit and Selena let out admiring sighs. The Marquis of Kinezia smiled.

“I hope the next dishes please you just as much.”

The Marquis’s wish came true. Every dish was a hit. From the clam and potato cream soup to the young leaf salad with green figs, trout marinated in olive oil and lemon zest, crispy-skinned quail, and pecan pie topped with cinnamon.

Yudit found himself wondering how these people stayed in shape eating like this. Looking over, he saw Selena struggling to even breathe.

He had expected some kind of important talk, but the conversation stayed surprisingly light. Fiora, who had been so bold the other day, was now too shy to say a single word to Yudit. She even left halfway through to change clothes.

Yudit couldn’t imagine changing out of anything with this food on the table, but maybe if you ate it every day, you could.

After the meal, Raphine led them to the sitting room.

“I’ll take care of things here, so the rest of you may go.”

At her words, the many attendants gradually left. While Raphine poured the tea herself, the Marquis returned carrying something wrapped in a cloth.

It didn’t take long to realize that it was their child.

“Oh my gosh, she’s so tiny…!”

Selena exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. Judging by the size of the cloth, she’d expected the baby to be a little bigger, but the child was still quite small.

The round forehead and plump lips resembled Raphine, while the eyes and nose took after the Marquis. The baby didn’t cry, just blinked curiously at the people nearby, adorable.

“What’s her name?”

“Layla Kinezia. It was my grandmother’s name, and it’s similar to Fiora’s, so we picked it without much hesitation.”

Raphine smiled as she spoke. The Marquis gently soothed the wriggling baby in his arms. Then he looked toward Yudit.

“Would you like to hold her?”