ITMWG 47

Chapter 47…

Someone who captured his interest.

The third prince. It was even more shocking than to hear Melissa had arrived.

Why the third prince?

Unlike Melissa, whose rudeness was taken for granted, the third Prince was someone who fully knew the etiquette of nobles. In other words, even though he knew how discourteous it would be to show up so suddenly without prior notice, he still went ahead with the visit. Altair, perhaps having the same question as Nadia, was frowning. He seemed perplexed by the prince’s actions.

“What brings him to Aylesford?”

“He didn’t particularly visit our estate on purpose…They said there was a problem with his carriage while passing by here. I think the carriage wheel fell off or something.”

“The carriage wheel fell off?”

“Yes. The nearest estate is Aylesford, so he came to ask for help.”

Altair snorted at Pavel’s explanation.

“His carriage is one made with great care by a skilled craftsman. There’s no way the wheel would have fallen off so easily.”If there was a problem with the carriage and a member of the royal family was injured, the ones who made it would be held responsible. Therefore, the craftsmen took special care in making it. What’s more, it was unlikely that the wheel of the carriage, which was still in good condition when they met at the gathering, would come off on such short notice. Nadia’s thoughts were the same.

“True, but…”

Pavel, too, seemed to agree with what he said, but shrugged his shoulders with a grim look on his face.

“Even so, we can’t kick out His Highness the Prince, right? I think you should go out to greet him first.”

“I shall go.”

Altair threw Nadia a quick glance as if telling her to rest, sighed, and walked out of the room.

“No, let’s go together!”

Since it’s like welcoming members of the royal family, the couple should naturally go together and show their respect.

Who knows, that guy might be looking for the most trivial thing to pick a fight.

Such things must be prevented. But as soon as Nadia caught up to Altair, he frowned and pressed her back onto the bed.

“You just got back. Not to mention you almost collapsed at the entrance. You are in no condition to welcome guests.”

“Are you and I the same?”

Altair laughed and lifted her up with one arm, as if to show off his power.

“(Gasp)!”

Nadia was startled and grabbed Altair’s shoulder to keep her balance. Still, her face heated up slightly as he felt Altair’s firm body.

Pavel is watching too!

When she looked at Altair in protest,  he pointed outside with an indifferent look.

“If it’s okay for you to go out like this, let’s go together.”

“How can I greet the guests in this state?!”

“That’s why I’m telling you to rest.”

Altair walked over to the bed, laid her down, and carefully covered her with the blanket. Nadia was not really in a situation where she could refuse.

“…all right.”

She finally gave up and let out a deep sigh.

“But if you need anything, call me. You got that?”

“Altaïr.”

When Nadia called his name with a slightly rebuking tone at what was clearly a half-hearted answer, this time Altair sighed and ruffled her hair.

“I will certainly do so.”

The answer was the same as before, but his tone contained a little more sincerity. However, a question followed, confusion was heard in his voice.

“I don’t get it. Why do you hate being told to rest so much? Don’t all people hate working?”

“I like working.”

Because that’s the way to prove her usefulness. After saying that, she also became curious. Was it strange that she wanted to prove her importance and usefulness by working hard at everything? Did other people hate working because they didn’t have to prove such things? At Marquis Vine, she really didn’t do anything. Precisely, she couldn’t. There, no one cared about her competence or the impact of her presence. Rather, everyone tried to deny those aspects.

But I can do anything here.

There were people who expected a role from her. How wonderful it would be if she could try and live up to those expectations.

That’s why I want to work.

Nadia wanted to work hard at everything and do it perfectly. Altair slightly pushed her forehead with his finger as she clutched the blanket, burning with willpower.

“Do not have strange thoughts.”

“I didn’t.”

Feeling unjust, she looked at Altair indignantly, and he left with a look of disbelief on his face.

But why did Prince Orca come again?

Her heart thumped with anxiety and doubt.

Altair walked out with a sullen expression on his face. They had just returned home where they could rest comfortably. He couldn’t be in a good mood because an uninvited guest came before he could fully enjoy his comfort.

“Please pay attention to your facial expression. No matter how unfavoured he is, he is still royalty.”

Pavel advised, but Altair was never the kind of person to care about such things in the first place. Even if it was the royal family, unfavoured or not, if they made him uncomfortable, then that’s just as good as it could get.

It seems I can’t stop him.

While Pavel was sighing internally, the two had already reached the entrance to the castle.

When Altair spotted a familiar face, he greeted him with proper courtesy. It was an informal greeting rather than a formal one. But again, there was no need for him to give a formal greeting at an event like this.

“Baron.”

The third Prince Orca, who received his greeting, raised his hand as a gesture with his iconic gentle smile. Knowing it meant he didn’t have to bow his head that deep, Altair willingly relaxed his posture.

“I heard the wheel of your carriage fell off.”

In response to Altair’s question, Orca glanced at the carriage behind him and sighed as if he was a bit ashamed.

“The terrain in the east was more rugged than I thought. It looks like the carriage couldn’t stand it as it usually runs on the flat road of the capital city.”

“I see.”

The terrain in the east was indeed rough. This was especially true when compared to the capital, where the plains were spread out widely, still, it was not enough to damage the imperial family’s sturdy carriage. They shamelessly lied through their teeth. Altair narrowed his eyes and looked at Prince Orca, who bore a good external impression. There was something about him that strangely got on his nerves from the moment they met at the Eastern gathering. Altair had a feeling that he was hiding something. Altair’s intuition was sharp at times like this. It was a sensation he learned from experience after being betrayed by many people.

Coming to that conclusion, it wasn’t difficult to decide on a route, still, it would be very foolish to show hostility outwardly. Altair looked at the carriage, hiding his upset feelings with his characteristic expressionless face.

“So you came to us because you needed help, is that right, Your Highness?”

“I came to ask for help despite knowing it was rude because the Aylesford estate was nearby. I thought the Baron would be willing to help me since we met at the Eastern gathering. Was I perhaps mistaken?”

“That can’t be. Now how can I help you?”

“Could you call a carriage mechanic? I would be grateful if you could give me a place to rest for a while until the carriage is repaired.”

There was no way there would be a carriage repairman in a remoted estate like this. Someone had to be sent away to bring in a carriage repairman. That was yet to mention, only those skilled enough to be called craftsmen could work on such a high-end carriage. Just bringing those people to Aylesford would take quite some time. It might as well take three days at the earliest, or fifteen days at the latest.

I’m guessing he wants to root in Aylesford in the meantime.

The problem was that he didn’t know why Prince Orca was trying to stay in Aylesford.

It’s clear that there is an ulterior motive, but I can’t figure it out just yet…

Nonetheless, he was not in a position to refuse just because he was reluctant. As Pavel had said, ‘no matter how unfavoured he was, he was still royalty.’ Altair slightly turned his body that was blocking the entrance and lowered his head.

Prince Orca’s smile broadened at the brief welcome.

“And I am honoured to set foot in the rumoured Aylesford.”

The two men’s eyes met midair. Pavel, who was quick to notice the strange current, swallowed his saliva.

What on earth is going to happen…?

It was difficult for Pavel, a mere servant, to find the answer. In a case like that, all he could do was move his body diligently and do his job.

Still, I’m glad that the castle renovation has been completed.

It was rewarding to work busily repairing and decorating the castle with the madame. He knew that one day they would be able to show off their new castle to guests, but he couldn’t believe the opportunity came so soon. Pavel puffed out his chest and guided Prince Orca proudly, but in no way arrogant or disrespectful.

“First, I will take you to the drawing room. A room will be prepared for you to rest while you enjoy tea and refreshments.”

It was the moment when the very first guests set foot in the transformed Aylesford Castle.

“Hmm…”

“It turns out to be quite accurate, don’t you think so?”

The prince spoke to the subordinate who had been by his side like a shadow from the beginning, and the guy slightly nodded.

“Yes. The rumours about Aylesford’s wealth appear to be correct.”

“I thought it might have been exaggerated.”

Rather, the rumours could even be considered humble.

“To decorate a castle like this does not just require wealth alone.”

The castle was luxurious but not vulgar, simple but classy, which was not something that could be created just by splurging a lot of money. This meant that there were exquisite nobles in Aylesford.

“Usually a castle is managed by the mistress.”

As Orca muttered, the figure of Baroness Aylesford came to mind. The woman with striking pink hair had a quiet and delicate image. He couldn’t imagine someone like that taking the lead and managing the castle.

Then I suppose this is ultimately the Baron’s work?

As he came to that conclusion, he became even more interested in the man named ‘Altair Aylesford’. Looking at the grinning Orca, his lieutenant asked quietly.

“For now, I’m figuring him out. To judge a person properly, you have to delve into the deepest part of that person, and usually, that is their home, the place where they rest the most.”

In that sense, his first impression was that the young baron had passed.

And…

The tea he drank was also excellent.

They brought out tea I actually enjoy.

Refreshing and light. The subtle scent of leaves permeated, creating a strange sense of depth.

Did he know this in advance?

In that case, the information power was also worthy of recognition. He also liked the way Altair presented the tea to subtly show off his intelligence. As he was looking at the teacup with satisfaction, the butler, who had guided them to the drawing room reappeared and bowed toward him.

“Please do.”

Orca stood up and pointed to the half-full cup of tea.

“They brought out a very nice tea. Tell the Baron that I am grateful for his thoughtfulness.”

“Ah.”

He pretended to be polite, but in truth, he wanted to tell the Baron, ‘I know that you wanted to show off your intelligence’, but the butler said something unexpected in return.

“It was the madame who prepared the tea. I shall convey your words to her then.”

“The madame? The Baroness prepared this?”

“Yes. She said it is the mistress’s responsibility to treat the guests, and so she made the tea herself.”

Once again, there was a glint of surprise in Prince Orca’s eyes, which was quite rare.