Chapter 61: Childhood Friends – A Man and a Woman

In an elegantly furnished parlor, two nobles, a man and a woman, locked eyes.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Phylas Tertian,” the man greeted.

“Greetings. I am Harriet Gaidan,” the woman replied.

Phylas bowed with the courtesy expected towards a lady of marriageable age, and Harriet responded with a graceful curtsy.

However, there was something peculiar about Harriet’s curtsy.

Instead of shielding her deeply plunging neckline with her hand, she held her skirt with both hands. It was a courtesy reserved for a husband, or at least a fiancé.

Phylas, flustered by the sight of her cleavage, averted his gaze and cleared his throat.

“I apologize for summoning you all the way here just to meet someone like me,” Harriet spoke, “I hope you weren’t offended.”

“Not at all. It’s my utmost pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady. I heard you arrived first. I apologize for my tardiness.”

Harriet giggled, watching him blush.

‘My first impression of him is quite favorable.’

‘No, ‘favorable’ isn’t the right word considering my situation.’

“Would you care for some tea? Do you have a preference?” she offered.

“I’m not picky. Oh, you don’t have to pour it yourself…”

“I have some experience with the tea ceremony, and I quite enjoy tea. Here you go. I hope it suits your taste.”

Phylas, trying to ignore her leaning figure and the view it provided, lifted the teacup and took a sip.

“It’s fragrant. I’ve never tasted this kind of tea before. It’s refreshing.”

“It’s brewed with ‘Punita’ from the Jerom Holy Kingdom. My kingdom is quite close to theirs. The Conrad Kingdom shares a border with the Aisel Kingdom, doesn’t it? Have you ever had the chance to visit?”

“Well, I haven’t had the opportunity to travel much beyond the capital, but I once…”

Harriet and Phylas delved into a conversation about their distant kingdoms.

Harriet spoke of the Holy Kingdom’s austere yet elegant culture, while Phylas shared about the mystical artifacts of the Aisel Kingdom, often referred to as the Magic Kingdom.

“Oh my, look at the time. I apologize if my long rambling has tired you,” Harriet remarked.

“Not at all. I assure you, time flew by,” Phylas replied sincerely.

The lady before him was not only knowledgeable but also an attentive listener.

Harriet giggled softly, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I’m glad to hear that. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, would you join me for dinner after a short rest?” she invited.

“It would be my honor. I shall see you soon.”

“I eagerly await our dinner. Don’t be late.”

Harriet, once again, offered the ‘same courtesy’ as before. Phylas, unsure how to react, fumbled for a moment before responding with a slightly different gesture.

He touched the scarf pinned to his chest with his index finger, a gesture that conveyed, “I find you favorable.”

Harriet turned away with a bright smile. Phylas returned to his room, trying to calm his racing heart.

‘This isn’t right…’

He recalled his grandfather’s instructions:

“Just give her the jewels as a formality and return.”

His grandfather had already decided to reject the marriage proposal.

Phylas didn’t understand why he had to go through the trouble of delivering the jewels if they were going to refuse anyway, but his marriage was a matter for the elders to decide.

‘But she’s beautiful… and a good conversationalist…’

Her gentle smile and melancholic green eyes… Despite her glamorous attire, there was a hint of sorrow about her.

And that gesture… It was as if she was acting like they were already engaged.

Phylas felt a pang of guilt for responding to her courtesy, which practically screamed ‘all you have to do is claim me.’ It intertwined with her forlorn aura and refused to leave his mind.

‘I shouldn’t be developing feelings for a woman I won’t marry…’

Such was the life of a noble.

They hid their true feelings, their bodies concealed behind a veil of etiquette, revealing only what was necessary and appropriate.

Perhaps Harriet Gaidan’s gesture was also a calculated move.

However, the last gesture Phylas showed her came from the heart.

He liked her.

‘This complicates things.’

He had to endure another week of these interactions. It was unheard of for nobles who had traveled such a distance to meet and part ways after only a day or two, unless it was a declaration of war, of course.

Phylas Tertian, trying to compose himself, allowed the servants to help him dress once more in his finest attire.

He no longer paid any mind to their presence.

***

“Oof, this is heavy.”

“Careful with that one, it’s full of ale barrels.”

Leo and nineteen other servants were returning to the lord’s manor after a rare trip outside. Their backs and hands were laden with bundles containing tobacco, ale, towels, undergarments, and other necessities – items either not provided by the manor or distributed too sparingly.

After two months of enduring inconveniences, the servants and maids, who had been brought in to accommodate the two noble guests, had voiced their complaints.

“We’re short on necessities. I feel like I’ve been wearing the same undergarments for a month! We barely have enough towels.”

“Right? And the ale and tobacco rations are too small… We need blankets now that it’s autumn.”

“We need more clothes to change into!”

The shortage stemmed from the increased number of servants and maids hired to attend to the two guests, as the manor originally housed a small staff.

Although the head servant and the butler had tried their best to procure and distribute the necessary supplies, it was inevitable that some items would run out.

Finally acknowledging their oversight, the butler had given them money and instructed Leo and the other servants to purchase the required goods.

Of course, he hadn’t provided enough to buy blankets, assuring them they would return home within the week.

Back at the manor, the servants distributed the purchased goods.

Leo emptied his bundle but kept something aside – necessities for Lena.

He had dipped into his own travel funds to buy her better quality items: soft towels, comfortable undergarments, a few of her favorite snacks, a thin blanket, and a pair of shoes.

‘She’ll love these, right?’

He lingered near the maids’ quarters, waiting for Lena.

Although his {Tracking} skill allowed him to pinpoint her location within the manor, he’d rather wait than follow her inside.

Lena, returning from her shift, noticed him.

“Leo! What are you doing here? Are you done already?”

“Lena, this is for you.”

“What’s all this?”

“The butler gave us money to buy necessities today. I got yours separately. Aren’t I great?”

“Necessities? I brought plenty with me… But thanks anyway. What did you buy? There’s so much.”

“There’s a blanket, shoes…”

“Why shoes? Wait, did you spend your travel money on this? Honestly!”

“Haha, it’s fine. I earned some money working here. And there are towels, undergarments…”

“Eek!”

Lena’s face flushed as she snatched the undergarments from Leo’s hand.

“L-L-L-Leo! Why would you buy these?!”

“What? I bought them along with the other maids’ undergarments. I picked out some nice ones…”

Lena, waving her hands in a flustered attempt to silence him, cut him off.

“O-Okay, just go!”

“Why are you acting like this? Anyway, I’ll get going then. We’re having dinner together, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Leo hurried away, thinking, ‘Oh no, I’m late. I’m going to get scolded.’ Lena returned to her quarters and fanned her burning face.

‘Honestly, why would he buy these? How embarrassing.’

She meticulously arranged the items Leo had bought her, regaining her composure.

‘The blanket goes here, I’ll try the shoes on now (Oh my, they fit perfectly!), the towels go next to the bed, and the undergarments…’

As she folded the undergarments, a strange expression washed over her.

‘Wait a minute.’

Lena froze, her eyes widening as she replayed the scene in her mind.

Something was definitely off. She had been too flustered earlier to notice, but now that she thought about it, Leo’s demeanor was odd.

He had handed her the undergarments without a hint of awkwardness.

It made sense, considering that handing over undergarments wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary for him.

He had been married to her twice. In Demos Village, they even shared a home before their marriage. In Lutetia, they had lived together in a cramped apartment before tying the knot.

For Lena, however, it was a completely different story.

To her, Leo was her innocent childhood friend, someone she had even entertained the possibility of marrying before their journey began.

And the Leo she knew would never casually hand over a set of undergarments. He would have hidden them under the blanket and bolted out of the room as soon as she found them.

Lena frowned.

His habits had changed, his relationships had changed, even his personality seemed different. What in the world had happened?

She had asked him several times, “You seem different, did something happen?” but Leo always brushed it off with vague answers, never providing a straight answer.

It was suspicious. And…

‘He’s definitely hiding something… Why won’t he tell me?’

She felt a pang of hurt. Since when were there secrets between them?

Just as her hurt threatened to morph into disappointment, another maid entered the quarters.

“Lena, your shift’s up.”

Lena, unable to even catch her breath, hurried towards Lady Gaidan’s room.

The Lady was leaning back in her chair, a content smile gracing her lips.

Harriet Gaidan had been meeting with Phylas Tertian for several days now.

She was pleased that she might be able to avoid marrying those dreadful princes.

Phylas Tertian was a genuinely good man. Although he was three years younger, not yet of age, it didn’t matter to her. He was a rare gem among nobles.

Initially, she found his flustered reaction to her cleavage rather endearing.

However, after several conversations, she realized his true charm lay in his kind heart. It was a mystery how someone with such a gentle soul could come from a prestigious family like the Tertian ducal house.

She found herself quickly becoming smitten with his sincerity and upright character.

‘A man who’s both noble and not-so-noble at the same time…’

Did nobles from the ancient Akaia Empire resemble him?

Those who adhered to a code of honor, who spent their fortunes raising armies to protect commoners from oppression, who personally led the charge…

‘Heh, I must be smitten. My imagination’s running wild.’

Harriet leaned back further in her chair, a small smile playing on her lips.

Just then, her favorite maid, Lena, entered the room, a sullen expression on her face. What was wrong?

The maid approached to help Harriet get ready, but Harriet stopped her. “I’d like to relax a little longer. I’m quite tired.”

Lena bowed her head and waited patiently.

Curious about the uncharacteristic lack of enthusiasm in the maid’s usually bright eyes, Harriet asked, “Is something bothering you? You seem upset.”

“What? Oh, no, not at all,” Lena quickly denied.

“Are you sure you’re not feeling overwhelmed?”

“Not at all! The butler and the head maid have been taking good care of us. It hasn’t been difficult in the slightest.”

“Then tell me what’s troubling you. Perhaps I can help.”

Unlike her usual self, Harriet found herself inquiring about her maid’s personal life.

Nobles rarely engaged in personal conversations with commoners. Their worlds were too different, and most commoners would only complain, making it impossible to hold a meaningful conversation.

She had heard of nobles who maintained close relationships with their commoner butlers, knights, or even the nannies who raised them, but she never understood it.

What pleasure could one derive from conversing with them?

She believed that as long as she refrained from mistreating commoners for her own amusement, she was being sufficiently kind.

However, she was feeling a bit sentimental, reminiscing about the nobles from the Akaia Empire.

Besides, she rather liked this maid.

After a few more exchanges, the maid confided that she was worried about her friend who had changed recently, declining Harriet’s offer to help.

‘So it’s a matter between friends. Not something I should involve myself in,’ Harriet thought, offering words of encouragement.

Everything would be alright.

Wasn’t that how most relationships were?