Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 173

In the afternoon, Miesa got out of bed.

“I’m not drinking again.”

Eirik stifled a laugh, pretending to be serious as he asked, “The maid said you drank an entire bottle of Cladate and two bottles of strong Pallandme. How much of that did you drink?”

“Toward the end, Mother drank two cups for every one cup I drank.”

Eirik was shocked because he knew his mother’s drinking capacity was formidable.

“Usually, you don’t drink that much. Didn’t Mother try to stop you?”

“We were too caught up in conversation.”

“It’s good that you two get along… but…”

No, it wasn’t good. Eirik never imagined his mother and wife would grow this close so quickly.

“I’m going to do a handover.”

At lunch, the great madam’s statement made Eirik raise his eyebrows.

“Pardon?”

“At your father’s study, Miesa, your father, and I will spend some time together.”

“Shouldn’t I also be present?”

“No, you already know everything. Baron Killian wants to discuss repairs to the castle wall, so you’ll go and handle that this afternoon.”

“Understood.”

Eirik nodded, and the great madam turned to Miesa again.

“Miesa, you’ll be busy with the handover for two hours every morning after breakfast, so don’t plan anything else during that time.”

“Wait, are you hiding something from me?”

Eirik’s question made the great madam snort. “What could we possibly do to your wife? Besides giving her love and care?”

He found it strange, but since Miesa also seemed to have no clue, she simply blinked in confusion, and he stayed quiet.

Once Eirik left with his retinue, Miesa entered the study, only to find the great lord arguing with the great madam.

“What do you mean all of a sudden? If you’re going to announce it like this—”

“Announce? Come on, it’s not that difficult.”

The great madam sighed, exasperated, then looked towards the door.

“Miesa, come sit on the sofa. It’s nothing serious.”

The great madam then grabbed her husband’s hand and led him to an open area. Although he still wore a disgruntled expression, when the great madam put her hand on his shoulder, he gently placed his hand around her waist.

“Now, watch.”

One of the attendants, seeing the cue, began to play a stringed instrument. Though they squabbled, the couple, having been together for so long, moved in sync.

“Wow…”

The sight of the great lord leading skillfully while the great madam moved gracefully, her skirts swishing lightly, was a restrained yet breathtakingly beautiful spectacle.

After a brief dance, the great madam separated from her husband and spoke to Miesa, “See? It’s not difficult at all. You’ll learn quickly.”

Of course, the great madam realized the reality the moment Miesa took her first step.

The next day, during the handover session, Miesa arrived at the study with a big grin.

“I can do the first part now.”

“When you say ‘the first part,’ do you mean simply standing in place, facing each other?”

The great madam laughed, but her husband remained tense.

“Let’s get this over with quickly.”

“Yes, Father.”

Miesa placed her hand on the great lord’s shoulder. When she looked at his ears, they had turned red, just like Eirik’s whenever he was embarrassed.

Come to think of it, Eirik and his father have the same ears. As her gaze traced his features one by one, lingering on his face, the great lord eventually exploded in frustration.

“Focus, focus!”

“Don’t yell at the child!”

When the great madam shouted, the great lord gritted his teeth and growled, “Stop staring at me.”

“Father, you look a lot like Eirik.”

“Of course, he’s my son, so he takes after me.”

The great lord averted his gaze, still scowling, as he led Miesa’s hand again. He couldn’t suppress his irritation, but his touch was gentle.

“Left foot first—no, left foot! Don’t you know left from right?”

“I do, but it’s different knowing it in my head and my body not cooperating.”

When Miesa protested, the great lord let out a deep sigh from his chest.

“Wouldn’t it be better to learn from your husband? Laughing and enjoying it together.”

“I can still laugh right now. You just need to relax your expression, Father.”

The great lord’s face grew increasingly sour as Miesa defiantly replied. However, his wife didn’t give him a chance to get angry.

“Miesa, come here. Tap your left thigh a few times.”

“Huh?”

“You need to learn by feeling it. And watch us carefully while you do.”

The great madam took her husband’s hand again and placed it on her waist.

“Extend your left foot this way, while looking at your partner, but keep your shoulders still.”

Miesa watched the two of them while tapping her left thigh. More precisely, she watched the great lord as he looked at the great madam.

The softened gaze was fascinating. That fleeting expression of affection—Eirik had it too.

“Alright, it’s your turn.”

Miesa stood before the great lord once more. The sharp sensation in her left leg had definitely diminished, and her body moved before her mind even caught up.

“Mother! I think I’ve got it now!”

“Keep practicing so you don’t forget the feeling.”

The great madam was strict, and Miesa only got to rest when sweat beaded on her nose. As she caught her breath, Miesa observed the great lord’s face again.

“Eirik has your jawline and nose, Father.”

“……”

The great lord, having resigned himself to Miesa’s persistent staring, shook his head, and the great madam laughed.

“Yes, his eyebrows also take after his father. His eyes and mouth are mine.”

“It’s so fascinating.”

“Who else would a child resemble besides their parents?”

The great lord, who had been grumbling, glanced at Miesa and added, “If you have children, they’ll take after you and Eirik.”

“Pardon…?”

Miesa was taken aback by the unexpected remark. Noticing the complex expression on her face, the great madam, who had been about to scold her husband, just smiled quietly.

“So, what did you learn today?”

“The entire tax and budget execution for the Cladis region.”

Eirik was skeptical when Miesa rattled off the numbers she had briefly glanced at but asked no more.

“When is the handover supposed to be completed?”

He only asked that. Miesa answered with a slightly pouty smile, “I think I’ll be done by tomorrow, but Mother says I need to keep learning until the morning of the banquet.”

Must be related to the banquet. As Eirik stroked Miesa’s hair, he thought. Maybe Mother is explaining the key people and relationships in Cladis. But the gap between Miesa’s confidence and Mother’s anxiety was curious.

“Are you learning to dance?”

Miesa’s startled reaction to his offhand question gave him the answer.

“No!”

So it’s dance. With her reaction confirming his suspicion, Eirik quickly processed it in his mind before asking seriously, “Or maybe you’re learning about the culture of the Cladis banquets? That’s also very important.”

“Well… it’s something like that.”

“I’m surprised Mother is teaching you such things. But I suppose traditionally, one learns these things from one’s own mother before marriage.”

“Uh… well, yes.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m actually quite excited. It’ll be my first time attending a Cladis banquet with my wife.”

“What…?”

“The real part of the banquet comes afterward. Once we return to the bedroom.”

The next day, as soon as the handover began, Miesa asked the great madam about “the culture of Cladis banquets.”

“Eirik said that couples do something privately in the bedroom after the banquet. Is that true?”

The great madam shuddered in horror. “What’s he on about now?”

“Huh?”

“I have no idea. You two can figure that out yourselves.”

What had gotten into her once reserved son? It seemed that he had taken to teasing his wife quite a bit. However, not wanting to delve too deeply into her son’s married life, the great madam waved urgently when her husband entered the study.

“Come on, let’s start. Miesa, show us how much you’ve improved today.”

“Mother, I dance well now.”

Miesa smiled confidently and grabbed the great lord’s hand. She hadn’t noticed before, but his hand was full of calluses and scars.

“Dear, your daughter-in-law is holding my hand and fiddling with it too long. Say something to her.”

“Ah, Father. I’m sorry.”

Startled, Miesa let go, then apologized, almost defensively.

“Father, you’re really impressive. Come to think of it, the first Sidate war lasted twelve years, right?”

Not sure what she was getting at, the great lord raised an eyebrow.

Miesa placed her hand on his shoulder and muttered in awe, “Despite the lack of proper support from the central forces, the Cladnier knights defended the frontier on their own. It’s truly impressive.”

“……”

“I’ve read through some records. During the Battle of Oeneka, the Cladnier forces were almost wiped out, but thanks to your assembling troops for a nighttime raid, the tide didn’t turn.”

The great lord stood still, staring at Miesa. His silence wasn’t hostile, so she continued, “On the hill of Kalidina, positioning the elite knights on the left wing in a diagonal formation—it was brilliant. The formation applied staggered pressure.”

“…I twisted an old tactic a bit. The key was how quickly and effectively the elite forces broke through the opposing line.”

“Oh.”

“The elite Sidate forces stationed in the center would face our center, while our left wing would start the breakthrough first.”

The great lord, now enthusiastic, continued talking at length. Watching the two of them, the great madam couldn’t help but smile.

“A formation based on terrain?”

Eirik let out a chuckle, wondering what on earth Miesa had learned from his father. But Miesa’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly shared what she’d learned that day.

“I thought wars were all about fighting skill.”

“Wait, you’ve misunderstood your husband’s profession.”

“Father is truly amazing. Did you know that, Eirik?”

“…I’m probably the one who knows that best.”

“He’s truly admirable. War isn’t just about brute force.”

“Well, I’m somewhat aware of that.”

“That’s why you’re smart, Eirik.”

Eirik laughed. At dinner, his father had been offering Miesa all sorts of food. He thought it was just them spending time together and easing any awkwardness, but they seemed to have grown even closer than he’d expected.

“Well done.”

Eirik simply smiled. Since Miesa looked at his father like a war hero, his father must have been pleased, though he didn’t show it.