Chapter 47

The Third Prince. Even if I had heard that Melissa had come, I wouldn't have been more surprised than this.

'Why the Third Prince?'

Unlike Melissa, who took it for granted to be rude to me, the Third Prince was a person who knew the etiquette of the nobility well. It means that he came to visit despite knowing how impolite it was to show up so suddenly without prior scheduling. Altair also frowned and tilted his head, as if he had the same doubts as me. His face clearly showed that he couldn't understand the Third Prince's actions.

“What brings the Third Prince to Eilsford?”

“It’s not that he came specifically to our territory... It seems there was a problem with his carriage while passing through this area. One of the carriage wheels came off.”

“Carriage wheel came off?”

“Yes. The nearest territory was Eilsford, so he came here to seek help.”

Pavel’s explanation made Altair snort.

“It’s a carriage crafted with great care by a master. There’s no way the wheel would come off so easily.”

If the royal family were to be injured due to a problem with the carriage, the maker would be held responsible. Therefore, when an order came from the royal family, the craftsmen would pay special attention to the work. The carriage wheels were fine when we met at the assembly, so there’s no way they would come off so easily. I thought the same.

“Well, that’s true...”

Pavel, seemingly agreeing with his words, shrugged with a dubious look.

“Still, we can’t turn away the Third Prince, can we? We should go out to greet him.”

“I’ll go.”

Altair gave me a look as if telling me to rest, sighed, and walked out.

“No, let’s go together!”

This is a matter of welcoming the royal family. Naturally, the couple should go together and show proper respect.

‘We might get in trouble later.’

Such things must be prevented. But as soon as I followed Altair, he frowned and pushed me back onto the bed.

“I just got back. I almost collapsed at the entrance. I’m not in a state to greet guests.”

“I just got back too, and I didn’t almost collapse; I was just a bit dizzy.”

“Are you and I the same?”

Altair, as if showing off his strength, chuckled and lifted me with one hand.

“Ah!”

I was startled and grabbed Altair’s shoulder to steady myself. Despite that, I could feel his firm body, making my face flush slightly.

‘Pavel is watching too!’

I looked at Altair with a protest, as if to say, "What are you doing all of a sudden?" He pointed outside with a indifferent look, as if to say, "If you want to go out in this state, go ahead."

“Can I greet a guest in this state?!”

“So, I’m telling you to rest properly.”

Altair walked over and laid me on the bed, covering me with the blanket thoroughly. It was a situation where I couldn’t refuse.

“...I understand.”

I finally gave up and sighed deeply.

“But if you need me, call me. Definitely.”

“Sure.”

“Altair.”

I called his name with a reprimand, as his answer was clearly perfunctory. This time, Altair sighed deeply and messed up my hair.

“I’ll do that.”

It was the same answer as before, but with a bit more sincerity in his tone. However, he followed up with a question in a tone that suggested he didn’t understand.

“I don’t get it. Why do you dislike being told to rest? Don’t most people dislike working?”

“I like working.”

Because it’s the way to prove my worth and usefulness. After saying that, I became curious myself. Is it strange to want to prove my worth and usefulness by working hard at anything? Do others dislike working because they don’t need to prove such things? In the Bind family, I really did nothing. No, I couldn’t do anything. No one there cared about my worth and usefulness; rather, they tried to deny it.

‘But here, I can do anything.’

There are people who expect a role from me. It would be wonderful to meet those expectations and achieve something.

‘So, I want to work.’

I wanted to do anything with enthusiasm, beautifully, and excellently. As I clenched the blanket with determination, Altair touched my forehead with his finger.

“Don’t have strange thoughts.”

“I’m not.”

Feeling wronged, I looked at Altair, who, though not believing me, left the room.

‘Why did the Third Prince come?’

My heart pounded with worry and doubt.

***

Altair moved with a sullen face. He had just returned to a comfortable home. It was natural that he wouldn’t be in a good mood with an uninvited guest before he could properly enjoy his comfort.

“Try to manage your expression. Even if the string is broken, he is still royalty.”

Pavel, unable to bear it, gave a subtle piece of advice, but Altair wasn’t the type to care about such things. Whether the string was broken or not, if it was uncomfortable, it was uncomfortable.

‘I can’t stop him anyway.’

While Pavel inwardly sighed, the two had already reached the entrance of the castle.

“I greet Your Highness.”

Altair, spotting a familiar face, greeted with a proper bow. It was a simplified form of greeting, but there was no need to use formal etiquette in such a situation.

“Viscount.”

The Third Prince, Orca, greeted with his characteristic gentle smile and raised his hand, indicating that there was no need to bow so deeply. Altair willingly relaxed his posture.

“You said the carriage wheel came off.”

At Altair’s question, Orca glanced at the carriage behind him and sighed, looking embarrassed.

“The eastern terrain was more rugged than I thought. The carriage, which was used to the smooth roads of the capital, couldn’t handle it.”

“I see.”

Indeed, the eastern terrain is rugged. Compared to the vast plains of the capital, it’s even more so, but it’s not enough to break a sturdy royal carriage. It’s a blatant lie, told with a brazen face. Altair narrowed his eyes and looked at the seemingly friendly Orca. There was something that had been bothering him since their meeting at the eastern assembly. He felt that Orca was hiding something. Altair had a good intuition in such matters, honed through experience of being betrayed by many people.

‘Not the type I want to get close to.’

With this conclusion, it was easy to decide his stance, but showing hostility openly would be very foolish. Altair, with his usual expressionless face, hid his skewed thoughts and looked at the carriage.

“So, you came to us for help, Your Highness.”

“Since Eilsford was the nearest, I came to ask for help, knowing it would be a bother. I thought the Viscount would be willing to help, having met at the eastern assembly. Was I mistaken?”

“Not at all. What can I do to assist you?”

“Can you call a carriage repairman? It would be helpful if you could provide a place to rest until the carriage is fixed.”

There’s no way a carriage repairman would be in such a rural territory. They would have to send someone out to bring one, and only skilled craftsmen could handle such a high-end carriage. It would take quite a while to bring such craftsmen to Eilsford, possibly four days at the earliest, and up to two weeks at the latest.

‘He must intend to stay in Eilsford for that long.’

The problem is that it’s unknown why Orca wants to stay in Eilsford.

‘He definitely has some ulterior motive, but I can’t figure it out...’

However, it’s not a position where he can refuse just because it feels suspicious. As Pavel said, “Even if the string is broken, he is still royalty.” Altair slightly turned his body, which was blocking the entrance, and bowed.

“I will welcome you inside, Your Highness. It is an honor to have you.”

The short welcoming words made Orca’s smile deepen.

“I am the one who is honored to step into the legendary Eilsford.”

Their gazes met in the air. The subtle tension made the quick-witted Pavel swallow hard.

‘What is about to happen...’

As a mere servant, it was difficult for Pavel to find the answer. So, he would just do his job diligently.

‘At least the castle renovation is complete.’

It was worth the effort of busily renovating and decorating the castle with his wife. He knew that someday he would have the opportunity to show off the beautifully transformed castle to a guest, but it came much faster than expected. Pavel stood tall and confidently, but not arrogantly or disrespectfully, and guided Orca.

“I will take you to the reception room. A room for you to rest will be prepared while you enjoy tea and pastries.”

It was the moment the first guest stepped into the newly transformed Eilsford Castle. ***

“Hmm...”

Orca, sitting in the reception room, looked around with interest.

“The castle is quite impressive. Isn’t it?”

He casually threw a comment to his adjutant, who had been standing by his side like a shadow from the beginning. The adjutant nodded slightly.

“Yes. The rumors about Eilsford’s wealth seem to be true.”

“I thought they might be exaggerated.”

Rather, the rumors seem modest.

“Moreover, decorating a castle like this isn’t just a matter of having a lot