Chapter 11

Altair led Pavel to the parlor. Just as the first impression is important when meeting someone, the first space one encounters when visiting a place greatly influences the overall impression. The parlor is one of the places that nobles take great care to decorate. If it is too gaudy, people will criticize it as vulgar; if it is too shabby, they will gossip about its poverty. Many believed that the way a parlor was decorated reflected the noble's discernment. By such standards, the Lord of Eilsford would be rated as poor and lacking in taste. Due to the tight budget, the money did not reach the decoration of the parlor, and Altair's thinking that there was no need to make the parlor look flashy for the occasional guest who would only stay for a short time greatly influenced this. He thought it was better to use the money to replace the knights' equipment rather than decorate a parlor that was rarely used. However, on days like today, when an annoying guest arrived, he sometimes thought, "Should I have invested a little more in the parlor?"

"Still the same, Altair."

A man dressed in finery that did not match the shabby parlor sat in the chair as if he owned the place, putting on airs. It was Balhail. The man with bright red hair and green eyes had a fox-like appearance, perhaps because his villainous nature was clearly visible on his face.

"If you're here to pick a fight, just go away. If you have a real reason, get to the point. I have a lot to do, unlike you who does nothing but loiter."

Altair sat across from Balhail in a casual, unruly posture. Balhail, who was treated as an annoying guest, flared up and jumped to his feet.

"I'm your cousin! Don't act like you're uneducated and show some respect!"

"Who's the uneducated one here? I'm the Lord of Eilsford. You should show respect, Balhail."

At Altair's fierce gaze, the fox-like man flinched. Though he was clearly intimidated, his naturally annoying mouth kept jabbering, provoking Altair's temper.

"Since you know so much about manners, why didn't you invite any family members to your wedding? You chose your bride on your own. Such important matters should be discussed with the family..."

"Family?"

Altair snorted, finding the idea ridiculous.

"What kind of consultation do you have with people who only talk about family when it suits them? If they were real family, they wouldn't have tried to take the only valuable land and rights of the estate after my parents died in a fire ten years ago."

"Ahem!"

Instead of responding, Balhail cleared his throat and looked away. One of the people Altair was talking about, who tried to take the valuable land and rights of the estate, was Balhail's father, who had passed away a few years ago. The fancy clothes Balhail was wearing were possible because of the land his father had taken. When the previous baron and his wife died in a tragic fire, Altair was only twelve years old. The castle was engulfed in flames, and people were frantically fetching water from the lake to try to extinguish the fire. The day of that incident was still vivid in his mind. Some knights tried to enter the building to rescue the baron and his wife, but by the time they were discovered, the fire had grown too large to enter. There was nothing a young Altair could do. Despite being a prodigy in swordsmanship, he was just a child in the face of such a tragedy. After losing his family and feeling powerless, the young boy became the baron, and the relatives who had their eyes on the estate's honey pot came rushing in, taking every advantage they could.

"You owe my father money! Since I'm in a difficult situation, you need to pay it back immediately! If you don't have the money, you can pay with land, Altair."

"Oh, this jewel was something I lent to your mother. I'll take it back, Altair."

Altair, Altair, Altair.

The relatives called his name affectionately while subtly taking what was his, and by the time he came to his senses from his grief...

"It was too late to reverse."

After that, Altair completely severed ties with his relatives and expelled all the vassals who had colluded with them. The reason why Eilsford Castle had an extremely small number of people could be understood by looking at Altair's past of being betrayed by those close to him. The relatives, who had already taken everything they could, did not strongly oppose Altair's actions. They had at least some sense of decency. However, Balhail was an unusually greedy person and was not satisfied with just taking the land. Once he had a decent amount of wealth, he wanted honor. If Altair died without an heir, the title would fall to Balhail. Therefore, he worked behind the scenes to prevent Altair from getting married. He spread rumors that Altair was poor, a cripple, and a villain, making him an unappealing groom for noble ladies. It was quite effective, and no lady had come forward to marry him until a daughter of a powerful viscount family in the capital volunteered to be his bride. If not for this unexpected event, Balhail wouldn't have become anxious and started spying! Balhail, burning with anger towards the baroness he had yet to meet, sat back down.

"Since you're already married, there's nothing I can do about it. But you should introduce me to your bride, right? Come on, I came all this way, so you can't hide her face, can you?"

"You'll never see my wife in your life. I thought you came here to say something, but it's just nonsense. It's not interesting, so get lost."

"Nonsense? Do you know what I brought!"

Balhail, who would usually run away with his tail between his legs after a little intimidation, was strangely confident. Curious about what he was relying on, Altair narrowed his eyes, and Balhail lifted his chin defiantly, pulling out an envelope from his coat.

"The Eastern Noble Alliance sent an invitation because of your marriage. They want to gather for a hunt and foster camaraderie. I came to deliver this."

Balhail, a half-noble without a title, was actively socializing, claiming to be the heir to the Eilsford barony. If Altair had been more socially active, Balhail wouldn't have dared to step in, but Altair was often away hunting to support the poor estate, leaving little time to socialize with other nobles. Even if he had the leisure, he wouldn't have been interested in social activities where people put on fake smiles and talked nonsense.

"Is this just a made-up excuse?"

Altair snorted and crumpled the envelope, throwing it on the floor.

"Alright, now that you're done, get out."

"Can you refuse like this? Your wife, who comes from the capital, will be familiar with social activities. She'll be bored enough living in the countryside, and if she can't even participate in external activities because of a closed-off husband, she'll be quite depressed."

Altair frowned slightly, caught off guard by this point. As Balhail said, Nadia was from the capital, where social activities were frequent. She probably wouldn't be much different.

"Well, I can't imagine her laughing and chatting with people, but..."

Seeing Altair lost in thought, Balhail smirked. The woman who married a man rumored to be a cripple and a villain must have some flaws. If he could humiliate the baron and his wife in a crowded place, his own value would increase. He wanted to see the new bride's condition and confirm that he could crush her, but it didn't seem like Altair would introduce her, especially after the assassination attempt.

'That incident was definitely discovered.'

But since he didn't come to kill him immediately, it meant there was no solid evidence. Concluding this, Balhail stood up, feeling much lighter.

"Prince Orca, the third prince, is also coming this time. He's staying in the Eastern Galakys region for health reasons. It's a rare opportunity to see a member of the royal family, so you and your wife should definitely attend, Altair!"

* * *

"Lady! Wake up!"

As soon as I heard the clinking sound, Anna rushed to my bedside.

"Yes. How long has it been?"

"You were ill for a whole day! The doctor said you caught a cold and went into the cold water, which your body couldn't handle."

Anna's worried face helped me understand the situation.

'So the sneezing I had for the past few days was due to a cold.'

I had been so focused on external threats that I neglected my own health.

"Why did you suddenly jump into the lake? I could have just left it... Do you know how scared I was?"

"But Anna was scared. I'm not afraid of water, and I can swim, so I thought I could quickly retrieve the oar."

At my words, Anna's eyes welled up with tears.

"Why is my fear so important? Next time, absolutely don't do that. Your safety is much more important than mine."

"What do you mean? Everyone's fear and safety are equally important."

No matter how rigid the class system, one cannot weigh the value of a person.

"So if the same situation happens again, I'll still go to retrieve the oar. Of course, it would be better if I didn't have a cold then..."

I don't want to feel that sensation of the water pulling me down again.

"Lady..."

Anna grabbed my hand, looking like she was about to cry. Her sudden touch made me awkwardly shift my eyes, and she looked at me with determination.

"From now on, I'm always on your side! I won't listen to anyone else, no matter what! This time, I listened to them..."

"Them?"

"Um... Well..."

At my question, Anna nervously laughed and let go of my hand.

"Actually, they told me to suggest going to the lake... Of course, they didn't have bad intentions... They just wanted you and the lord to get along better!"

Her rambling suddenly mentioned 'the lord.' Confused, I blinked, and Anna, sensing my mood, clapped her hands and smiled.

"By the way, the lord saved you from the lake! He jumped in without hesitation as soon as he saw you!"

I remembered someone pulling me out of the water. The strange sense of calm I felt at that moment was because Altair had saved me.

"I don't remember at all..."

"Really? You don't remember anything after that?"

"Yes. I have some vague, fragmented memories..."

"I see."

Frowning and rubbing my head, I noticed Anna sighing with disappointment. She muttered, "Of course it failed, you fools!"

"Ah! Is the lord okay?"

"The lord?"

"Yes. He jumped in to save me. He might have caught a cold like me."

"Really? A cold? The lord?"

Anna's eyes widened as if I had said something absurd.

"He's never had a cold in his life. He's so strong."

"That's impossible. Everyone gets a cold. Even the strongest person has weak moments."

"But our lord is an exception. Absolutely."

"Hmm..."

Although I found it hard to believe, I had to trust Anna, who had served Altair for a long time. However, it still felt strange. Anna, seemingly done with the topic, stood up and carefully tucked me in.

"I'll go tell the lord that you've woken up and bring some medicine. The doctor said you need to rest for a few days and take the medicine."

"Medicine..."

"You have to take it, even if you don't like it! I'll prepare some candy if you don't like the taste."

Anna said this with a serious face, and I couldn't help but laugh, which made her smile too. My body was still heavy, but my heart felt very peaceful.

* * *

Anna, who said she would bring the medicine, didn't return for a long time. As I lay there waiting, my thoughts wandered... and eventually led to Altair.

'Hmm. I still can't believe it.'

Thinking about the temperature of the water when I fell in, my body still felt cold. It was so cold. It's strange that he didn't catch a cold. No one is immune to colds. Of course, Altair looked very strong, but maybe he's just pretending to avoid looking weak... or maybe he's really as strong as Anna says and there's no need to worry...

'Ugh...!'

But what if he really did catch a cold?

'He jumped in to save me... If he's sick because of that and can't show it for his dignity...'

The more I thought about it, the heavier my heart became, and I couldn't stay in bed any longer.

'I can't just lie here!'

I had to see with my own eyes if Altair was okay. I couldn't bear the discomfort in my heart. Determined, I got out of bed and opened the door wide.