Bab 118: [Chapter 118] Rampant Words
"Um, Ellen."
Always smiling as if it couldn't be helped, the young lady who called herself addressed Ellen gently.
"Yes, Miss Catherine."
This title was imposed on Ellen by Catherine's side. She wasn't particularly remarkable, but she wanted to be close to Ellen.
Ellen thought of her late mother who treated her well when she was young.
That was a very long time ago for Ellen... It was the same as what she had heard from the now deceased person.
Casually entering Ellen's small sitting room where she rested, Catherine sat across from Ellen with a bright smile. Then, as if suddenly realizing, she asked.
"I came because I was bored. Is it okay? I hope I'm not bothering you?"
"Of course, Miss Catherine."
Catherine smiled playfully again. And then she began to recount in detail what she had done today.
"The potato soup this morning was delicious. I want to thank the chef, but if I go to the kitchen, I'll just be a hindrance, right? Also..."
Just mundane everyday stories. A habit of raising one eyebrow when lost in thought.
Everything about her resembled the old mistress she had served to an astonishing degree, making Ellen's heart ache. Long-buried old feelings stirred as if awakened yesterday.
'Indeed.'
She was someone lost so suddenly. Bright, warm, and energetic like summer.
It was difficult to find traces of that person on the Viscount's face. Despite being his biological father, the two had very different impressions. But this young lady, despite looking different, felt just like that person.
After chattering for a while, Catherine looked at Ellen in surprise. Ellen realized her vision had suddenly become blurred with tears and quickly smiled.
"Ellen, why? Is something sad happening?"
"No, just... I think something got in my eye for a moment. Yes, that's it. Don't worry about it."
"It wasn't because of what I said that made you sad?"
"Yes, it was."
Ellen quickly wiped her eyes with a clean handkerchief. Then kindly asked,
"But Miss, why are you alone all day? If you talk to the Counselor, she will guide you around the castle and spend time with you. Didn't you say you wanted to get closer?"
Whenever Catherine met Nerys in the castle corridors, she would quickly run up and greet her by name. Anyone in the White Swan Castle had seen this at least once.
Catherine chuckled as if puzzled."
"Oh... I... I didn't want to disturb the Counselor as she always seems busy. I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable for no reason..."
Catherine's tone implied that Nerys didn't welcome her. Ellen looked at Catherine with a pitiful expression.
"Miss Catherine, the Counselor is a kind person. Even if she doesn't express it well, she is very gentle. Before it gets colder, why don't we go out together?"
"Yes, I will do that."
Catherine chuckled again. Ellen glanced out the window.
The dark clouds were thickening.
"Oh, but not for a few days. It looks like the first snowfall is coming soon. It gets so cold on snowy days that you should stay in your room wearing the coat I sent you."
"Yes, I understand. Thank you for letting me know."
Ellen now looked apologetic as if realizing the time.
"Miss Catherine, I should go prepare for dinner now."
"Oh, I see. I'm sorry for interrupting you. Let's talk again next time!"
As the castle steward, Ellen was very busy. She had nothing to do with Catherine, who came as a guest but did nothing.
Catherine smiled brightly as she entered and left Ellen's sitting room. Ellen's eyes, watching her bright and energetic back.
For a moment, they turned cold.
The sky was clearing up. Although it was still some time before evening, the sun was not visible.
It was likely to snow soon. The clouds covering the sky were thick enough to blanket the ground.
"Shall we go inside soon?"
A disguised Talfryn asked. Talfryn had many different appearances besides being a lower nobleman's servant or a servant at the banquet hall, and only two people in the world knew his entire disguise repertoire.
Eadan nodded in agreement, as if agreeing. Another person, Cledwyn, also looked up at the sky and replied.
"That would be good."
The three of them had been inspecting Fenmwick for the past few days. Checking how the frozen river traffic was, ensuring charity was being well conducted in the homes of the poor, were traditional matters that the lord traditionally checked as winter approached.
Since Cledwyn's coronation, the atmosphere in all of Mainland had changed, but his administration was most effective in Fenmwick. The diligent administrators' meticulous work was evident in various places.
Last year, Cledwyn wouldn't have been in a bad mood. He wasn't the type to suddenly get annoyed at a job well done.
However, as Talfryn watched him walk back to the castle, he felt an inevitable pressure.
The pressure that seemed to crush a person just by looking at it wasn't directed at Talfryn. And there were some aspects that could be understood from a human perspective.
After clashing with the intelligent Counselor... No, since distancing themselves from her, how irritable the esteemed Duke had become.
He hadn't made any wrong judgments in managing the territory, then or now. But even if it's the same direction, can't he be more lenient?
The flawless punishments, cold reprimands, and so on... The atmosphere in the castle was tense. And the subordinates remembered how the current atmosphere was what they used to experience daily before the Counselor arrived.
Come to think of it, how much better has the work atmosphere become overall since the Counselor arrived?"
While everyone else may not know, I know, and it was more agonizing when the environment that had improved suddenly reverted to the past.
'Humanly, huh.'
Who would have thought that I would use such an expression for our lord one day? I've been hearing nothing but monster talk all the time.
Talfryn deliberately said in a teasing manner.
"Well, there's no need for snow where His Grace is."
Cledwyn's cold gaze turned towards Talfryn. Even though Eadan wasn't the direct recipient of that gaze, it was a strong warning look that made Eadan's heart skip a beat, but as always, Talfryn remained unfazed.
"They say the old man still goes around saying that the lord is a tyrant who doesn't give up and handles justice as he pleases with the lords. If he shows such behavior, wouldn't there be nothing to say?"
"I am following the regulations in handling the affairs."
"Well, that's true. The Mainland needed strict laws, so I think the lord's intention to enforce them rigorously was not wrong."
It's better to have a ruler who sticks to principles even if they get angry than one who handles things arbitrarily with a smile.
Talfryn, one of the parties who suffered greatly when the Mainland system collapsed, understood the importance of justice.
"Isn't it time for the role of the carrot to gradually become necessary when the Counselor wants a more lenient treatment than the lord's decision?"
"That may be true, but my Counselor's suggestions have always been reasonable."
"Oh, yes, of course. But isn't it a bit too different depending on your mood? If the Counselor decides not to accept you because you're too different, it could be troublesome."
"Could that happen?"
"Why not? What if the Counselor decides to marry someone else?"
The temperature around them had dropped significantly. It was ironic that it could get even colder than it was now.
Eadan felt very uncomfortable in this situation. However, he silently sweated cold sweat as he didn't know how to resolve it.
Cledwyn narrowed his eyes and said, "Yes, that could happen."
Was he thinking that it could happen? Eadan had thought she was already married. But he unknowingly thought so.
However, Cledwyn was sincere in his words.
He had tried everything he could to win Nerys's favor, but it hadn't worked out yet. If such expressions were possible for someone like her, he was quite at a loss.
Moreover, Nerys showed no signs of stopping even as that strange woman roamed the castle. Wasn't that a sign that she 'truly' didn't have a liking for him?
Nerys had mentioned suitable marriage conditions to him several times, but he had never considered that there might be a woman with even more perfect conditions than her. Beautiful, intelligent, strong, loved by the people of this land... Of course, he had never evaluated her based on such conditions, but if he were to think about the conditions she wanted, that was the point.
Money? He had plenty of it.
Power? He had plenty of that too.
What a fool he was to chase after the illusion of something he already had and miss out on what was truly important. And even if he conceded a hundred times that money and power were not enough, he always believed he could rise to the top with his own strength.
So the problem lay not in the conditions but in her heart. Unfortunately, he couldn't do a single thing about it.
Lost in thought, Cledwyn and the two attendants did not speak further. The three men walked towards the castle in silence.
As they approached the castle gate, Cledwyn suddenly spoke as if remembering something.
"For the Gubelberg mission, we should ensure preparedness for any unforeseen circumstances. Be ready to go as soon as the snow stops."
Gubelberg was a small territory located in the mountainous region near Fenmwick. In winter, when the mountains froze, starving animals would gather in packs and attack the villages.
The annual headache of the Gubelberg Lord, who had been dealing with this issue, was due to the exceptional performance of the knights of the "Silver" order in the recent tournament and the request for central support.
It would only take a day or two to get there, but with the changing seasons, there were many things to consider. As the deputy commander, Eadan nodded, knowing he had to personally oversee the preparations of the knights.
Seeing Cledwyn approaching, the guards saluted.
"Has His Grace arrived?"
"Indeed, he has!"
"Was everything alright?"
"Yes, it was! It's an honor to have you here!"
"Understood."
At that moment, a piercing scream was heard from inside the castle gate.
Under the ashen sky, Catherine walked slowly towards the stables. The stablekeeper, who had already become familiar with her comings and goings, greeted her warmly.
"Hello, Miss Catherine. What brings you to the stables?"
"Hello! I'm taking Bella for a quick tour around the castle. Since it's going to snow in a few days, I want to give her some exercise before that."
Bella was the name of the horse Catherine had brought from the Viscount's estate. Not a valuable breed and fairly old, but a well-maintained chestnut mare that was very gentle.
"Oh, I see. Judging by the way this old man's joints ache, it looks like the snow will be pouring down soon. It's going to be any moment now, Miss. Shouldn't you stay inside the castle?"
"Alright."
The stablekeeper even paid attention to her words, showing an angelic kindness and a pleased expression. Catherine smiled as if she listened attentively to his casual words and then led Bella out.
"Let's go, Bella!"
Catherine truly took a leisurely stroll around the castle, as slowly as she could.
Finally, as she approached the inner gate of the castle, a faint commotion was heard from beyond the castle walls. She smiled broadly.
'Perfect.'
Once a day, the Duke would take the deputy commander of the "Silver" knights and a stablehand to tour the lower village of the castle. According to the servants, it was a special inspection in preparation for the winter, or so they heard.
The outings sometimes ended early and sometimes late, but today, unless there was something special, it had to end quickly. Because snowfall was imminent.
What a perfect timing it was.
"Has His Grace arrived!"
The guards, who couldn't see Catherine, greeted her with a solemn voice. The cold voice responded.
"Was everything alright?"
"Yes, it was! It's an honor to have you here!"
"Got it."
Now was the time. Confirming that there was no one around, Catherine kicked Bella's belly hard.
Hee-hee-hee!
Bella struggled to throw off the rider. Failing to do so, she started running wildly.
Catherine screamed.
"Ahh!"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone