The rain had stopped, and the sky that had passed was clearer than usual. Gezell, instead of heading down to the basement, went up to the Lord’s chamber, washed up, changed his clothes, and then headed to the library in the eastern tower of the castle. Today was planned for new books to arrive at the library early in the morning. Waiting for the librarian to bring them to his study, Gezell wanted to unfold and examine the new books a bit earlier.
Without having a separate morning meal, Gezell, instructing the attendants to bring a cup of tea, sat at a large desk. Rather than going down to the library, he had chosen to stay in the castle to receive the new books. He unfolded one of the latest theoretical books on transmutation magic, capturing the attention of the attendants moving around him.
“Until the morning ceremony, no one should enter the library.”
The attendants nodded and stepped back. The library, with its shelves seeming to touch the high ceiling, intertwined with vines, and ladders and stairs climbing between them, was vast. Even if all the books and manuscripts in the world were collected, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Gezell Jivendad, the only person left, was there.
Ignoring the changing sunlight through the glass, the scent of paper and freshly brewed tea subtly permeated the air. Despite his preference for being confined to the underground research lab, this time was not bad for Gezell.
There was just one problem. Unfortunately, the book he eagerly opened turned out to be less interesting than he had hoped.
This was merely a repetition of content the author had written before, with a slightly added new description. However, since he had a stubborn principle that once he opened a book, he had to read it to the end to appease his conscience, he continued reading.
Occasionally tilting his teacup without much enthusiasm, Lord Roudken, who was flipping through the pages of the dull book, suddenly pulled out a round mirror as if reminded of something.
When he wiped the glass with his hand, the mirror that reflected Gezell’s face allowed him to peer into a scene not present in that location. Taking a momentary break from forcibly concentrating on the uninteresting book, Gezell looked down at the mirror.
What appeared to be an ordinary mirror was one of the magical items used occasionally to survey the surroundings with its owner’s connection and magic power. Using magic to project a distant place using a magical artifact consumed a considerable amount of magical energy, making it not easy to use casually. However, within the Grand Castle, it wasn’t too difficult.
In the mirror, a blond youth was moving briskly. He opened all the windows to let the sunlight brightly illuminate the room and let the wind pass through. Despite the chilliness, he was still wearing a woolen coat as he shook off the blanket that covered him yesterday, folding it neatly.
After gently moving the blanket back onto the bed, he added more logs to the fireplace, cleaned the floor, washed his face with water from the washbasin, and wiped it dry. After wandering around as if looking for something else to do, he finally sat in front of the fireplace on a chair.
However, it was only for a moment. He stood up again, paced around the carpet, approached the window, leaned on his elbow, and looked outside. Rensley Maelrosen then withdrew with a sigh and suddenly lay on the floor, starting to do push-ups for a while. This time, he stood up, grabbed a dust wiper used for cleaning, and began to dance in the spacious empty space of the room.
‘No,’ Gezell quickly changed his mind. The movements he initially thought were dancing seemed more like swordsmanship now. Although he didn’t enjoy martial arts, as the heir to the ruler of Aldrant, he had learned the basics of swordsmanship and combat, and, like many other fields, he had a scholarly interest in martial arts.
Martial arts varied in types and characteristics from nation to nation and region to region, and even the weapons used differed slightly. Upon closer inspection, there were quite a few interesting points. Rensley, although not skilled in martial arts, practiced a type of swordsmanship unique to Aldrant, which was light, fluid, and agile, unlike the styles of neighboring countries.
“His specialty was swordsmanship and horsemanship,” Gezell recalled the man in the mirror kneeling down and passionately recounting his story.
“Oh, I’m bored,” the man, who had been moving vigorously, eventually threw away the dust wiper and pulled the bed’s cord after a while. Soon after, Lady Samlet entered the room.
“Rensley, did you sleep well?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“I always sleep well. Yesterday’s thunder was tremendous, though. Is the lady okay?”
“It’s familiar to me. If you just block your ears, the noise goes away. People in Aldrant think thunderous days are safe, so they can sleep peacefully. Shall I prepare breakfast?”
“Yes, please. I’m hungry after exercising since morning.”
“Anyway, you seem energetic. Just wait a moment.”
Samlet seemed to be in a commanding mood as she instructed those outside. When she returned to the room, she began chatting with Rensley.
“How was the visit from His Grace yesterday?”
“It was fine! I was surprised by the sudden visit. We met for the first time after the wedding ceremony. We talked a lot for the first time.”
“But you left so much food. The chef tried hard, thinking that both of you would have a meal. His Grace is originally like that, but His Grace is too picky with food. He always wants to eat only a few things he likes.”
“Picky… Yes, that’s true… By the way, Lady, did His Grace scold you because of me?”
“Me? Why would he? Don’t worry about it. His Grace doesn’t easily get angry with the servants in the castle.”
Rensley shook his head, indicating that it was nothing. Lady Samlet reassured him with a clap of hands.
“I don’t know what’s going on but don’t worry. His Grace doesn’t easily get angry with the servants here.”
“Well… At first, it was intimidating, but he seemed to be a kind person. He might appear a bit gruff on the surface, though…”
“It can’t be helped. Living as the ruler of a country isn’t exactly an enjoyable job, you know? Well, we, common folks, wouldn’t understand that.”
“That’s true. I never understood why people are so eager to ascend to the throne since I lived in Cornia. I’ve never seen anyone who wanted to be a king or queen look happy. Getting involved in succession struggles can only lead to assassination or poisoning. I’m grateful that I was born as a servant in times like this, even if it means I’m a servant.”
Rensley replied with a smile. Gezell observed him attentively.
“The weather is quite different from Cornia, isn’t it? Still, thunderstorms like yesterday aren’t frequent.”
“It’s okay. Thunderstorms are nothing to a grown man like me…”
After saying that, Rensley’s expression became somewhat embarrassed. He cautiously continued.
“Actually, I had a somewhat troubling dream yesterday, maybe because it rained. An old friend from Cornia, the one closest to me, appeared in my dream. I wonder if he’s doing well… I miss him and worry about him.”
“Oh… Your friend from the homeland. It’s difficult for me to understand the feelings of Rensley, who left so far from his hometown.”
Marilyn.
Gezell remembered the three syllables that slipped from Rensley’s lips. Although he had hastily awakened him, thinking that he might mistake him for someone else in his drowsiness, looking back now, there was no need to wake him up. There was a brief moment when Rensley Maelrosen was mistaken for Ivet Elbanes’s hidden lover. Just as it seemed reasonable that Princess Ivet brought that man here, it wouldn’t have been awkward if Rensley had left a lover behind in Cornia.
However, just as Lady Samlet said, Gezell had never been in a similar situation. Therefore, fully understanding Rensley Maelrosen’s feelings was difficult. He just silently listened to the conversation.
“Cornia is relatively close to Roudken, not too far away. But who knows, I might leave eventually… If only I could go out, I could visit, but it would be difficult even if I asked you or Your Grace.”
“Oh my, really? Where does your friend live?”
“I tried to bring him all the way to Aldrant. But it was my greed. Traveling was too exhausting for him, so we had to part ways at the inn on the way here. Although we said we’d see each other later, it seems unlikely. Even if he comes here, I don’t know if he can stay well… I’d like to know if he’s doing well, even just a little news.”
Gezell’s eyes slightly widened. Did the mention of someone named Marilyn mean that they were near Roudken? The image of Ivet Elbanes, or rather, Rensley Maelrosen, who was hidden behind the veil of deep purple, came to his mind. He looked at him intently with violet eyes, using his finger to write, pleadingly, asking him not to ignore him. Could he send him away pretending not to know? While Gezell’s gaze was fixed on the mirror, a window somewhere was slightly open, and the wind blew in, causing the spread-out bookshelves to flutter without anyone to catch them. The conversation between the two, unaware of the eavesdropper, continued unchanged.
“Stop avoiding it and talk, Rensley. Even if you don’t go yourself, if His Grace permits, I can send someone to meet him. At least, you can ask for some news, right?”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes. If it doesn’t work, I’ll secretly talk to His Grace.”
Upon hearing this, Rensley hesitated but eventually brought up the matter. He insisted that Lady Samlet refrain from mentioning it to His Grace, fearing that it might cause discomfort. After several repeated warnings not to mention it due to the discomfort, he finally got to the point.
“His name is Marilyn.”
“Oh my. Is it a woman? Is it a special relationship?”
Lady Samlet’s voice surprised Gezell, and faint wrinkles appeared on Gezell’s forehead.
“Well, you see,” Rensley replied, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
“We’ve known each other since we were young, so you could say it’s special. We spent many nights together. She was also famous for her beauty in the capital of Cornia. Whenever we went out together, people marveled at her beauty.”
“Oh my, there was such a person, and she was sent here instead of the princess? What words of comfort can I say… I didn’t even know that, and I made a joke that Rensley suited the Grand Duchess.”
The awkward atmosphere seemed to transmit even outside the mirror. The two sat in silence for a moment. Rensley Maelrosen was the one to break the silence. For some reason, he burst into laughter.
“I’m sorry, my lady. In fact, Marilyn is a mare I’ve been taking care of since I was young. When I lived in Cornia, she often slept in the stable on stormy days, so I guess I dreamed of Marilyn.”
“What did you say?”
The surprised lady soon burst into laughter.
“I really thought you left a lover behind.” Samlet’s mocking voice seeped out from beyond the mirror. Gezell, who had been leaning on his chin with the back of his hand, adjusted his posture slightly.
“It wasn’t a lie when I said she was a close friend. I took care of her myself since I was young, so she was much closer to me than most people. So, I tried to bring her to Aldrant. However, it seems difficult for a child who grew up in the warmth of Cornia to adapt to the cold weather in the northern regions. I thought if I insisted more, she might really get sick, so I just parted ways at the inn.”
“Oh, the meal has arrived. Come this way. Well, hurry up and come in. And tell me where Marilyn’s lodging is. I can send someone to find out even without His Grace’s permission.”
“Really?”
Rensley asked, reflecting. The lady responded cheerfully, saying it shouldn’t be a problem.
“Rather than a person, it’s a horse?”
As Gezell overheard the conversation between the two, he recalled Rensley whispering “Marilyn” as if he were pleased when he was half-asleep. Gezelle tapped his chest a couple of times with his palm and tilted his head as if he were delighted.
“Your Grace, it’s time for the morning ceremony.”
At that moment, a servant approached him quietly and spoke. As Gezell ran his hand over the mirror once again, the glass with the reflective surface revealed an ordinary scene on the opposite side. Only then did he realize that he hadn’t read the carefully selected book at all. Although there was plenty of time to read, it wasn’t particularly interesting, so it didn’t matter… Yet, the book, which had been turning pages on its own, closed, and Gezell stood up.
Leaving the library and heading towards the main tower’s office, Gezell paused for a moment. Anton Sorel, the captain of the knights who was organizing his subordinates, greeted him.
“Your Grace, have you recovered from the cough?”
“Anton, come to my office for a while after the morning training.”
It was rare to call him at such an early hour unless it was an emergency. As if asking what was going on, Anton, the captain of the knights, looked at Gezell with a tense expression. Gezell provided a brief explanation.
“I have something to ask, so feel free to come.”
“Understood.”
Gezell continued on his way. The energetic voices of the knights who had started their training early resonated, breaking the cold air in the north.
Not Lady Samlet wanting to marry Rensley’s mare to the Duke, hahahaha
He didn’t do his homework, he just played on his “phone” 🤣