Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 75

So, as soon as he woke up in the morning, he headed straight for the knights’ barracks.

“Congratulations, Margrave,” his cousin Emmerich greeted him.

As expected, Emmerich’s eye was sporting a deep, dark bruise.

“If you heard my obituary this morning, your first day as a margrave would have started noisily,” Emmerich quipped.

“……”

Eirik said nothing, simply gazing at Emmerich’s face.

“You’ve knocked down an old stickler. Maybe our house will finally be peaceful,” Emmerich continued with a smile.

“I hope so. Truly,” Eirik replied, though it was difficult to offer more than that.

Emmerich shrugged and turned away. “Buy me a drink.”

“I’ll give you money.”

“Give me a lot.”

Ignoring his cousin’s half-serious joke, Eirik proceeded to his office, where Cullen was standing guard.

“Lock the door,” Eirik instructed.

Gesturing to the chair opposite his desk, he waited until Cullen reluctantly sat down.

“Tell me everything you discovered during the last outing. Including the reasons,” Eirik demanded.

“……”

Cullen hesitated briefly but saw this as an opportunity to address his suspicions about the commander.

“I assumed you were looking for someone to be the Margravine’s stand-in. I heard that you had similar concerns about Grand Duke Hagail had similar concerns.” Cullen began, his voice low.

Until he heard that, Eirik must have been tense without realizing it. Cullen’s words made him feel the tension leave his body.

“The Margravine’s unique, that is, distinctive gait must be properly learned, but in terms of appearance, the body shape was indeed very similar. Height is something we can’t change, but… most people wouldn’t notice,” Cullen continued.

“What about the height?” Eirik asked, his curiosity piqued.

“The stand-in was taller.” Cullen responded, his tone matter-of-fact.

Ah. Eirik’s mouth curled into a smile, recalling Miesa practicing her mother’s upright posture in the room. When she slouched, she didn’t seem that tall, but her actual height had surprised him.

“She used hand signals skillfully, but judging by her build, I don’t think she was a knight.”

“What kind of hand signals did she use?” Eirik asked calmly, trying not to give away his thoughts while desperately searching his memory. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember teaching Miesa such things.

“[Return], [Base], and some others… She used them as well as a knight of five or six years.”

“In what situation did she use such signals?” Eirik continued, maintaining his calm demeanor.

“It was probably to suggest going back home. There isn’t a specific hand signal for ‘home.’”

A proud smile slowly spread across Eirik’s face, enough for Cullen to misunderstand. Perhaps the commander had feelings for that stand-in.

“But Commander, did you perhaps leave any room for her?”

“What do you mean?”

Unable to hide his tension, Cullen mustered the courage to voice his thoughts.

“…I think it’s inappropriate. She’s only seventeen and new to the capital, she might have foolishly developed feelings for you—” Cullen’s voice grew more urgent.

Eirik was still smiling up to that point. However,

“She seems to be a young lady from an average noble family. If she gets entangled in a scandal because of an inappropriate relationship with you and has no place to return to afterward, what would happen?” Cullen’s concern was evident.

A scandal? Eirik frowned. Despite priding himself on his conduct, such unpleasant terms kept following him. And now, the object of that scandal was a non-existent person.

“Inappropriate relationship? That’s absurd. What are you talking about?” Eirik’s voice held a note of irritation.

“Ah, so that’s not the case?” Cullen’s face brightened instantly. Eirik didn’t understand why.

“Is my fidelity such a source of pride for you?”

“No, it’s not that, but…” Cullen’s face, which seemed to be emitting light, suddenly turned red.

Eirik was baffled by Cullen’s sudden change in expression.

“Are you relieved not for my sake, but…” Eirik couldn’t finish his sentence. Of course, it wasn’t the worst-case scenario Miesa worried about, but still.

“You haven’t even seen her face, and this is what’s happening?” Eirik’s voice was tinged with disbelief.

Though his voice was uncharacteristically snappish, Cullen didn’t notice. He just seemed eager to share his feelings with anyone, like someone struck by first love.

“Don’t people talk about affection even just through exchanging letters with their betrothed? I’ve seen her alive and moving right in front of me. Besides, she was so capable even though she just arrived in the capital.”

Cullen, now quite excited, continued speaking without pause. “From her actions, she seemed well-versed in noble etiquette, yet she used military hand signals proficiently.”

Eirik slowly looked the man in front of him up and down.

Cullen, with his sturdy build, dark brown hair, and tanned skin, appeared somewhat rough, but his eyes, nose, and mouth were properly placed. This made Eirik even more displeased.

“Whatever mission she was on, she seemed to have endured a lot of hardship despite being a noble lady, which made her even more pitiable. If we were connected, she would never know hardship again—” Cullen’s words flowed with sincerity.

“Wait, what do you mean by that?” Eirik’s voice cut through Cullen’s monologue.

“I heard from Gella. She has scars on her body.” Cullen’s tone softened with empathy.

Eirik was now beyond displeased. It was one thing to speak out of pity based on overheard information without truly understanding her.

Miesa’s scars were not evidence that she needed saving but proud marks of her survival. Unable to hold back any longer, Eirik retorted, “That person is already married.” Eirik’s voice was firm.

“A girl of seventeen? At what age, then?” Cullen, dumbfounded, asked again.

Eirik responded vaguely, “She’s already seventeen. Anyway, she’s a married woman, not a girl. Her husband is someone you know, so if you happen to go on another outing with her, make sure to treat her with the respect due to a married woman.” Eirik’s tone held a note of finality.

Eirik had completely forgotten about his initial disdain when he heard Tilberg had asked for Miesa’s hand when she was only fifteen.

“Someone I know has taken such a young bride?” Cullen’s confusion deepened.

Why did she lie about her age, and why didn’t she inform him, leaving him in this awkward situation?

Eirik clicked his tongue inwardly and responded curtly, “I won’t say any more for her protection.” Eirik’s voice was now edged with irritation.

“…Understood. I’m just glad I didn’t make a mistake. Thank you.” Cullen’s face quickly turned to disappointment.

His respectful demeanor helped Eirik regain his composure.

“You likely acted this way because you lacked experience with women. Rushing your feelings without truly knowing the person is…” Eirik began, his tone softening.

As he tried to give advice, Eirik realized he wasn’t much different. Pressing down his rising embarrassment, he finished his sentence calmly.

“In any case, it’s not good. Does your family have any marriage arrangements for you?” Eirik’s voice held a note of concern.

But this was another matter altogether, and quickly settling Cullen’s situation would bring more peace to his own mind.

“No. My uncle is too busy with my cousins’ matters.” Cullen responded, his tone resigned.

It seemed there was no elder in Cullen’s family to take care of his marriage, having lost his parents early on. As Eirik was contemplating a suitable match, Cullen hesitated and asked, “Commander, are things alright with the Margravine?” Cullen’s voice was tentative.

“Why do you ask? I believe no one cherishes and loves their wife as much as I do.” Eirik’s response was immediate, fueled by unexpected pride.

It was a statement fueled by an unexpected surge of pride. Even Eirik found his words a bit excessive, and Cullen hesitated.

“That’s… good to hear. We’re happy if you are. Well, then, I’ll take my leave—” Cullen, waving his hands frantically, retreated in a hurry.

Judging by the commander’s expression, he must have asked something he shouldn’t have.

“If you learn anything about the Margravine, report it to me immediately.” Eirik’s tone was firm once more.

“Yes, I will.” Cullen’s reply was prompt.

Cullen knew nothing about the Margravine. Thus, he wasn’t lying or hiding anything now. Though he still had doubts about the commander’s affection, it wasn’t his place to pry too much into their marital matters.