Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Side Story 4

Miesa smiled as she looked at the reflection of the great madam in the mirror.

“Did you sleep well? You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?”

“That’s right, Miesa. You must be tired from the banquet too, but I’m glad you seem well-rested. Nanny, pass me the comb.”

The great madam slowly approached, taking the comb from the nanny before sitting behind Miesa. Miesa, nodding her head slightly, resumed her earlier conversation with the nanny.

“It’s hard to imagine Eirik was such a troublemaker, Mother. I only met him when he was twenty-four.”

“Do you think that child was born with that sullen expression?”

“Eirik? What kind of expression are you talking about?”

The reason Miesa asked again was probably that she had only ever seen Eirik’s smiling face. The great madam, tired of teasing her, focused instead on tying Miesa’s hair tightly.

“Nanny, you have to tie it this firmly. Understood?”

“If you pull the hair so tightly, won’t it hurt?”

The elderly nanny spoke with concern, but both the great madam and Miesa shook their heads.

“I don’t mind pain, nanny.”

“I’ll answer for her. You stay still, Miesa.”

After finishing Miesa’s hairstyle, the great madam adjusted her outfit. Although neatly dressed, the gown would soon wrinkle.

“Mother, are we having breakfast together?”

Just like this, Miesa jumped toward her like a puppy, squeezing into the narrow chair. The two ladies’ dresses became disheveled, but the great madam’s attention was solely on the delayed mealtime.

“It’s already this late. With so many guests from other families, it wouldn’t be appropriate for just the family to gather in the main dining hall. How about the two of us have a simple breakfast here instead?”

“What about Eirik?”

“…Your husband is very busy.”

Without mentioning that he was busy tying every bachelor around her in the shackles of marriage, the great madam turned away.

“Madam Manere, please go and inform the margrave. Tell him we’ll have breakfast just the two of us and that lunch will be with Madam Raviate. He can come find his wife by dinnertime.”

“Understood.”

The one receiving the great madam’s instruction was Viscountess Manere, who had been standing quietly to one side. Once the head lady-in-waiting at the palace, Madam Manere stayed almost unnoticed, faithfully assisting Miesa in her duties as the Margravine of Cladnier.

After Madam Manere courteously withdrew to relay the message, the servants bustled in to begin preparing breakfast. In the meantime, Miesa smiled bashfully, rubbing her cheek against the great madam’s arm.

“Mother, I heard that when Eirik was two, he ran around the courtyard naked.”

Today again, it seemed Miesa had been hearing stories of Eirik’s childhood from the nanny.

The great madam nodded at the unremarkable tale. “That’s how children usually are at that age.”

“Now, if he’s only in his shirt and pants, he won’t even step out of his room. He insists on putting something over them to feel comfortable.”

“That’s just how it is at this age.”

Even though it was a mundane story, Miesa cherished it as if recalling a heroic tale. Sitting at the table laden with food, she kept chatting, forgetting to even eat the soup she held up.

“I bet he was so cute. When he was seven, I heard he caught a frog and released it in his cousin’s room.”

“Emmerich hung onto the window and cried. I was bedridden at the time, so I heard about it afterward.”

“How did Eirik turn out the way he is now?”

The great madam subtly gestured for Miesa to continue eating as she asked, “Are you unhappy because your husband is boring?”

“No, he’s dignified and charming.”

The great madam, noticing that Miesa often missed subtle nuances in conversations, explained as gently as ever.

“The phrase ‘how did he end up like this?’ usually carries a negative connotation. It might cause misunderstandings.”

However, today, it seemed like Miesa was lost in her thoughts. Even the speed at which she was cutting the lamb pie was slower than usual.

“Actually, he is a bit too dignified…”

The great madam didn’t miss the fact that the once-radiant Miesa’s face had darkened.

“Is it boring that Eirik is just dignified?”

“Not really…”

Miesa hesitated before continuing, “I just think I like Eirik more than he likes me.”

“Is that really what you think? How did you come to feel that way?”

“No, maybe it’s just my personality. I’m a bit immature, and Eirik is so virtuous…”

Hearing Miesa’s unexpected confession, the great madam frowned slightly. Now that she thought about it, she remembered hearing something happened in the capital. She had forgotten about it amidst the banquet preparations, given that Miesa had seemed her usual self.

“Is it about how he talks to you? Does he not say what you want to hear? He can be a bit indifferent at times. He’s always been like that, unfortunately.”

“No, he’s kind and polite… It’s just my issue.”

Miesa shook her head, chewing and swallowing a piece of pie.

“I’m different from others. Sometimes I act strangely, you know.”

“Your husband is strange too.”

Trying to explain just how strange he was, the great madam’s mind flashed to her son’s flushed face. As she held her fork and knife, Miesa raised her voice.

“Strange? Eirik is the most normal person I know.”

“In striving too hard to be normal, one might end up doing something rather unusual.”

“Doing something unusual? Maybe others would, but Eirik would never do that.”

The great madam gave a small, exasperated laugh, but Miesa continued, “Eirik is careful, considerate, and wise. And he treats me incredibly well.”

The great madam shook her head. “Alright. You two just continue being happy together.”

“We are happy, and we get along.”

“But you said you love him more.”

“It’s just that our ways of expressing love are different. Eirik does his best in his own way.”

“Well, if you say so.”

Miesa seemed to have made up her mind already. For the great madam, who was in her forties, this conversation felt a bit too sentimental, so she decided to change the topic.

“By the way, do you like the painter?”

“Yes. Just from the sketch of the flower crown, I can tell they’re talented.”

The great madam cut a large piece of roasted venison and offered it to her.

“That’s good. I heard it was their first time painting a portrait. It’s not an easy task. You should eat well until then.”

The great madam’s advice continued until the end of their meal. She emphasized how tiring it could be to sit still for so long, and how they should schedule it after the New Year’s festival when things would be less busy, since it could take several weeks.

“Now, go and ask your hardworking husband to spend some time with you.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Miesa quickly stood up, gracefully bowed, and hurried out of the room. The great madam quietly smiled, imagining the two of them bickering lightly over something inconsequential.

“Eirik, look at me.”

Eirik immediately put down his pen at Miesa’s words as she flung open the door to his office. His previously stern face softened instantly, despite being in the middle of drafting an important letter to Sir Bahrain about his eldest daughter and Viscount Skaella’s marriage.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you until dinner. This is a pleasant surprise.”

“We need to talk.”

From Miesa’s pouty face, it was clear she was upset about something. Eirik didn’t know what could be so serious, but if it troubled Miesa, it wasn’t trivial to him either. Even if it was simply that the cook had put tart Kalite berries on her cookies instead of the rich nuts she preferred.

“You like me a lot, don’t you? Right?”

“Do you think I just like you?”

Eirik laughed in response to her sudden question, but Miesa’s face showed that she was in no mood for laughter.

“Is something bothering you? Or is there something you want from me?”

“What would you do if someone showed interest in me?”

“You mean romantically?”

His vigilance was well known to those who picked up on subtleties early on. Though he tried to hide it, there were times his gaze lingered just a bit too long on someone Miesa spoke with, or he would bring up a marriage proposal soon afterward. It seemed rumors had spread.

Viscount Skaella, too, had seemed well-prepared when asked about marriage right after the banquet. He mentioned that he had already been secretly exchanging letters with Sir Bahrain’s eldest daughter, even adding that if the margrave himself stepped in, he would be forever grateful. It was clear that someone had warned him.

“Well.”

But should he tell Miesa, who was standing before him, waiting for an answer? Someone showing interest in her? Declaring that no such person could ever exist wouldn’t be the correct answer.

“If such a foolish person did exist, I wouldn’t stand idly by.”

He spoke with a slight smile, but seeing Miesa’s disappointed expression, it was clear his response hadn’t met her expectations.

“How wouldn’t you stand idly by?”

“If they had eyes, they might be captivated by you, but if they failed to keep it discreet and others noticed…”

As the lord of Cladnier, he couldn’t let his emotions lead to irrational actions. To prevent others from making the same mistake, any inappropriate conduct would have to be dealt with publicly.

“If someone disrespects the dignity of the lord and lady, they would face twenty lashes. And if an official misbehaves, they could receive an additional ten.”

“…Alright.”

Miesa seemed to mull over his words, then turned her attention to a glass jar on his desk, apparently having heard enough. She took out a caramel, chewed on it, and began to skim through the papers on his desk as usual.

Eirik subtly moved the blank letter paper aside. So far, only Sir Bahrain’s name was written on it, so it wouldn’t attract her attention.

“Eirik, will we be busy starting in November?”

As she scanned the documents, Miesa asked, and Eirik nodded.

“We’ll finish assessing taxes throughout the estate by the end of October. After that, I’ll need your help drafting next year’s budget until December.”

“Then let’s go on a trip. Please?”

“Of course. Before we get busy.”

Eirik unfolded a map. Considering festival dates and the distances, he pinpointed a suitable location, avoiding areas with poor harvests that might have smaller celebrations.

“If we leave with two or three days to spare… Kazen seems nice.”

“Kazen! I’ve always wanted to visit! I’d love to meet Gella’s family too.”

Miesa beamed, her earlier upset mood forgotten.

“Oh, and this time, I’m going to dye my hair black. Siata says she has a really good dye.”

“As long as it’s not harmful, do as you wish.”

Eirik smiled gently in response.