ITMWG 71

Chapter 71…

No fancy gowns.

 Owed him…? Nadia blanked at the random statement. As she looked up at Orca, who was smiling and waiting for her to respond, it didn’t seem like he was making things up. But Altair owed something to Prince Orca?

He’s definitely not that type of person though…

Aylesford’s situation was no longer so dire that they needed to be in debt to someone. Rather, they were now in a position to lend money if the circumstances of other estates were urgent.

“Uh…”

Dazed, Nadia could not immediately grasp the situation, and at that, Prince Orca’s smile grew even wider, as if he was still expecting an answer.

“How much is it?”

“How much?”

“How much of the debt do I need to repay…”

“You want to pay it back with money?”

“Of course?”

His eye colour is pretty.

It was pure admiration. Prince Orca always smiled with his eyes crinkled (^^), so it wasn’t often that she got to look at his rounded eyes like this. Yet, it seemed to her that his eyes looked much colder when he did not smile. It was a bit surprising because he was the type of person who gave off a completely different impression.

Altair always has a scary demeanor, whether he’s smiling or not.

But in reality, Orca was an even worse villain than Altair.

That is a little unfair to Altair.

The moment Nadia thought that, Prince Orca, who was looking at her with his eyes opened wide, burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

It wasn’t a scornful laugh, but a laugh that seemed genuinely amused. As Nadia looked at the suspicious prince with great caution, wondering why he was acting like that all of a sudden, he managed to control his laughter and shook his head.

“You are always so unpredictable.”

Hearing the word ‘always’ gave her a strange sensation. Wasn’t this kind of remark only used between close friends who had interacted for a long time?

“What the Baron took was not money. So what I need back is not monetary either.”

“Then…”

“Hmm. Since I relieved the Baron of his troubles, the Baron should repay me by relieving my trouble as well.…even if just a little, it would be even better if interest was added.”

“His lord shall not forget your kindness.”

“Of course, I know he won’t.”

This too could only be used among close people who had known each other for a long time. The relationship between Prince Orca and Aylesford began at the last Eastern nobles gathering. As Nadia frowned slightly, unable to hide her curiosity, the quick-witted prince shrugged his shoulders.

“I have a good eye for people. Maybe it’s because I’ve been wandering around a lot since I was young and gained a lot of experience from eating a lot of offered meals unwillingly*, haha.”

T/n: korean idiom – “to eat an offered meal unwillingly” – It means being able to read a situation where you cannot act as you wish and must act in accordance with the surroundings to survive.

Eat offered meals unwillingly, he says …

Although she had only read the novel 50 times, she still knew enough about Prince Orca’s past. It was true that he had been wandering around the empire since he was young under the pretext of recuperation, and it was also true that the nobles did not treat the powerless prince properly, but he was not the type to be trifled with.

He is the type of person who won’t budge even if people around him cause a ruckus.

Rather, it was Prince Orca’s specialty to keep an eye on such people and then bring about their downfall discreetly.

“Is that so…”

When Nadia only replied dully, Prince Orca bent his waist with a smile on his face, narrowing the distance between them.

“However…”

As her shoulders shrank in surprise at the rapidly closed gap, Prince Orca tilted his head to one side.

“No matter how hard I try, I don’t seem to understand the baroness at all.”

“Well, I don’t think there’s anyone as easy to understand as I am…”

Her timid personality was evident on her face and in her actions, so she was not sure what he didn’t understand.

“Then you don’t seem to know yourself very well, madame. At times…I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t know what you’re planning to do next. There is something unexpected about you. The unexpectedness strikes a strangely vital corner within me…”

“Your Highness.”

As Orca’s lines seemed to turn into him mumbling to himself, Pavel seized the chance to jump in.

“With all due respect, I think you are a bit too close, which could cause a misunderstanding to the people around. As you know, there are not only Aylesford servants here….”

“Ah. I didn’t intend to trouble the madame. It is no good indeed.”

The butler’s criticism could be a little unpleasant to hear, but the prince simply straightened his posture and took a step back. As the distance returned to normal, a sigh of relief escaped Nadia’s lips. She was still too nervous to be so close to an unfamiliar person.

“Baroness.”

“Yes?”

“You said you are my admirer, is that still valid?”

Pavel gave her a queer look at the word ‘admirer’, as though he was asking her if she really said that.

I didn’t expect the excuse I brought up to avoid any difficult situation would reappear here…

Suddenly, Nadia felt like her back was breaking out in cold sweat, but again, she could not deny what she had already said.

“O-of course. I’m a huge admirer of Your Highness! Ahaha…”

Nadia clenched her fists tight, laughing awkwardly. At that, prince Orca’s expression became strange. He murmured soundlessly, but at a glance,… he seemed to mouth ‘lies’. However, his gaze when directed at her didn’t contain the intention to interrogate the repugnant woman who dared lie to him. Rather, it’s just a mix of complex emotions…

“When we meet again in the capital…”

Orca opened his mouth while Nadia tried to read his expression.

“I will ask for the repayment of the debt, and that ‘repayment’ includes you, Madame … I just want to let you know in advance. ”

Prince Orca turned his head and looked out the window. Outside the window was a peaceful and tranquil landscape.

“It is a nice estate. I heard that a festival will be held soon, but unfortunately I can’t see it, and probably never will. ”

Orca’s life would become completely different after the Silver Jubilee. He had already predicted that. It was natural because he planned it himself. But somehow, Orca’s face, looking out the window, did not look thrilled. He looked more like a person who was forced to walk on an unwanted way…. But when he turned his head again and his gaze turned back to her, there was only his bright smile as usual.

“Once the broken wheels are fixed, I will return to the capital. Will you see me off on the day I leave? ”

“… Of course. The guests are leaving, so of course I have to see them off. ”

“Good. Then let’s meet again in the capital. ”

His words were strange. Before meeting again in the capital, they would meet the day he left for the capital. But soon enough, Nadia came to realise the meaning behind what he said.

❈❈❈

Prince Orca and his party left Aylesford Castle in the early morning, leaving only a short letter. When Nadia heard of the news from Pavel, she was informed that there was no sign of them leaving in a hurry. That meant they did not leave due to something urgent, but it had been planned from the beginning.

Why did Prince Orca come to bid me farewell if he was planning to leave quietly?

It was difficult to understand. Anyhow, the Aylesford people, who were tense all the while serving the guests, were finally able to relax. Melissa, who had been running back and forth, disappeared as a bonus, so it was even more refreshing. The same went for Nadia. Since the unpleasant people had disappeared, her mind could be at ease, though just temporary. Soon after, they would have to face more people, including those two. These days, they were busy preparing for the upcoming festival, so it was not the most ideal time to be serving guests. Whether Pavel’s words about men preparing for the festival were real or not, there was not much for her to do. When she asked if there really was no need for her help, Anna, a native Aylesford, said, ‘Isn’t it traditionally like that?’ It was completely the opposite in the capital. It was up to the mistress to prepare for the festival, so the women took care of all the preparations for the event. Whatever was hosted by the imperial family was always led by the empress, not the emperor, which gained support of several noble ladies. The experienced Marie was also surprised by this situation. They were suddenly given a chance to relax, so they decided to prepare to leave for the capital in advance. In order not to be late for the Silver Jubilee, Aylesford had to leave as soon as the harvest festival was over. Since they already had some experience preparing for the journey to the Eastern Nobility’s gathering, not only Marie, but Anna could now take care of everything quite skillfully. When Nadia first came to Alsford Castle, Anna didn’t know much back then … It was really a great development.

If there is something to be worried about, it’s Marquis Vine.

She had no idea what her uncle had in mind for inviting her and Altair to his mansion.

Could it be that he is trying to extort more money?…That must be it.

The rumour that Baron Aylesford had become rich must have spread to the capital, so it was only natural for her greedy uncle to covet what was theirs. When Nadia thought of it in that way, her heart became restless. When she was Nadia ‘Vine’, she gave everything away, but now that she was Nadia ‘Aylesford,’ she had to stay alert.

A gift to the emperor is also important.

They had already prepared the highest quality magic stones to be used in the crafts. The craftsmanship into which the magic stone was to be embedded was chosen to be a crown. It was thought to be meaningful as it was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the throne ascent. Rather than simply embedding a magic stone, the plan was to craft the crown so that a soft light would radiate when worn, further enhancing the emperor’s majesty. The original idea was to craft a crown that could protect against attacks when worn, but that was a very complicated craft and did not suit the personality of the emperor who liked to show off.

The emperor likes to be ostentatious.

Therefore, if the crown’s sparkling, he would be delighted. Considering that it was for manastone promotion purposes, having such a visual effect would have a great impact as well, so it was a win-win. Everything went smoothly, and the day of the Harvest Prayer Festival finally arrived. On that day, Aylesford Castle became rather quiet. This was because all servants and knights except for the minimum defense personnel were away to attend the harvest prayer ceremony.

“I’ll groom her to match the atmosphere of the Harvest Prayer Festival!”

Usually, Marie took the lead in dressing up Nadia, but today Anna took over. She was so excited to pick out her outfit, touch her hair, and even did her makeup. After she finished dressing up, Nadia looked in the mirror…

What, a shepherd?!

In front of her stood a clumsy herdsman girl.

I look like an alpine girl…

When a festival was held in the capital, all the noble ladies would wear fancy dresses and were adorned with expensive jewelry. Was this kind of attire acceptable here? Nadia looked at Anna with eyes full of doubt, but she was already dressed similarly to her. Marie, standing next to her, was wearing the same type of outfit, awkwardly smoothing the hem of her skirt.

“It’s a traditional eastern outfit! Everyone wears clothes like this today. We would have to drink, sing and dance all day, so you can’t wear something like a ‘lady’s dress’!”

“Huh?”

Drinking, singing and dancing?

As Nadia was about to retort that she was never told about that, a loud voice came from outside the door.

“Madame! The festival is about to begin! I’m here to escort you!”

It was Cain.