Princess Shu

“I think so too, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Experts predicted that the duration of this war was at least years. The commander-in-chief, Schuden, would not be able to come up to the capital until the end of the war. The great amount of affection that Marquess and Marchioness Garth had for each other was famous in high society. Marquess Joan was also told of this by Diana several times, so he thought it was natural for Schuden to return home regularly despite all that work. But what made him change his mind?

The Emperor came to a conclusion surprisingly easily.

“It seems like they had a fight.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re supposed to fight at least once during your honeymoon. I guess he’s still not good at love.”

Marquess Joan felt very awkward putting the two nouns–Schuden and love–side by side. It felt like weaving chocolate together with a beast. However, the Emperor was confident. He believed in his intuition as a monarch.

“Marquess Joan, do you think my assumption is too absurd?”

“…No, Your Imperial Majesty. You have been married for a long time, so  you must know more about…love than novices like us.”

The Emperor laughed. He took a sip of tea.

“Actually, I still don’t know either.”

“Pardon? Then…”

“But I know a little more than a young man who will be confused with falling in love.”

If I can’t even do that, how would I act as a monarch?

The Emperor laughed and waved the bell. He ordered the royal attendant to bring an entry tag to Marquess Garth.

The ceremony was tomorrow morning.

Schuden was given time off in the morning.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

It was dawn, a time when the sun had just started to rise. Though darkness swept through all of the Imperial Palace, there were places where the lights were turned on all night. One of them was at Schuden’s private office.

Schuden sat at his desk all day. It was excessively harsh on him, considering that the ceremony would be a few hours later. Nevertheless, Schuden still did his work. His focus was only on documents, documents, and documents. Even the attendant who rarely said anything told him to at least get some shut-eye. 

Schuden’s eyes were a little tired after only looking at letters for days. He put down the documents and leaned back. Then, he closed and put the back of his hand on his eyes. The office at dawn was silent.

[His Imperial Majesty personally gave it to you. He said that the ceremony is to be held in the morning so he told you to go to the manor before that.]

On the desk, there was an entry tag engraved with the Emperor’s seal. The Imperial Palace’s gate opened early in the morning and closed late in the evening. However, Schuden had an entry tag he directly received from the Emperor so he was free to leave and return to the Imperial Palace at any time.

He could go back to the manor.

In fact, even before that, he could go back at any time if he wanted to. But Schuden did not do that. It would be more appropriate to say that he could not. He was pathetically afraid. He did not want to see Valia’s face.

He did not mean to deny the feelings he just realized. It was obvious that trying to deny such clear feelings was a vain struggle. However, he could not figure out what to do.

I realized that I love her. What’s next?

Leo was not wrong. The ordinary act of confessing his feelings to a loved one was so disgustingly selfish to Schuden. The weight that had been clinging to him since childhood was asking him. 

How dare you love her?

He could not easily answer the sarcastic question.

Schuden had never wanted to be happy in his life, and by consequence, he had never been sad. However, after realizing the feeling of love, it was different. Before realizing his feelings, Valia’s existence was just like the sun, but after realizing his feelings, her existence was painful like a chain that tied his neck. When he saw her, he felt like this feeling that weighed down on his heart was going to pour out in a mess.

“Marquess Garth.”

Schuden could hear a knock outside. He moved his hand that was covering his eyes. When he looked at the clock on the wall, it was already the time scheduled for him to return home.

“Come on in.”

The attendant bowed his head as he entered the office. The two attendants standing behind him were holding black armor and a blue cloak, respectively. Schuden had to be armed at the ceremony. After visiting the manor, he seemed to not have enough time to change into his armor, so he ordered the attendants to bring his armor at dawn.

Schuden wore heavy armor. The attendant fixed the cloak with his nice and skillful workmanship, it was embroidered with the emblem of the House of Garth with silvery-gray thread. The production and distribution had already been completed and sent to the Knights of Garth, but this was the first time they wore it.

Perhaps it was because the red cape he had been wearing for a long time had changed, but Schuden fell into a strange feeling for a moment.

“The horse?”

“I have prepared it.”

Schuden headed to the Garth manor on a horse, not a carriage. It was early in the morning, so people on the street peeked at the knight running the horse fully armed.

“Greetings to Lord Garth.”

Paul had already been contacted and had been waiting in the hall.

“What about the lady?”

“She’s awake. It’s time for her to take her medicine…”

Paul slurred the end of his speech. Schuden had sent a message in advance before coming to the manor. He told Paul not to let Valia know that he would be returning home in a while.

Furthermore, perhaps it was because he was wearing armor unlike usual, but Schuden was not cold like last time. However, somehow, it was difficult to approach him. Paul realized that he had been accustomed to the image of his master being with the madam. 

“Where is the doctor?”

“Oh, he’s decocting Madam’s medicine in the annex’s medicine room.”

“Lead the way.”

“Pardon? Oh, yes.”

Even though Schuden was the Marquess of Garth, he had no affection for the manor. So he had never looked around the building except for the living space he occupied, it was the same for the medicine room in the annex. The medicine room that he entered for the first time reeked of all kinds of herbs. In the corner, the doctor was eagerly decocting the medicine with his back turned away from the door.

‘This room needs some ventilation.’

Paul held his breath as much as possible and said.

“Umm, doctor.”

“Oh, general butler. Please wait a moment, the medicine is still…”

“His Grace is here.”

“Pardon?”

The doctor, who had been decocting medicine without looking back, turned around in surprise. Schuden looked at him, completely armed unlike usual. The doctor quickly bowed.

“Greetings to Lord Garth. I have been rude, not knowing you were here. My apolo-”

“Is that medicine for the lady?”

“Oh, th-that’s right. I’m decocting the afternoon medicine.”

“Has the lady gotten better?”

“Yes. She’s constantly getting better.”

Schuden’s expression loosened slightly. The doctor did not realize it, but Paul knew.

“Continue your work.”

“Yes…”

The doctor began to decoct the medicine again. At the same time, the back of his head was tingling. This was because Schuden did not leave the medicine room and kept looking at the medicine pot.

‘Has he already seen Madam?’

Maybe he already did. The doctor was much more ignorant of the manor happenings than the other employees of Garth. Nevertheless, he knew that Schuden was very concerned about Valia. He was sure that Schuden must have seen Valia.

“Well, Your Grace. I have something to tell you about Madam’s illness.”

Ignorance was courage. So the doctor bravely looked back at Schuden.

“What’s going on?”

“I think it’s better for Madam to go to the Marquisate for a while and take a rest there.”

Paul inhaled and gulped down his breath.

Marquisate. 

It was a taboo word in front of Schuden. The general butler was flustered and glanced sideways at his master while breaking out in a cold sweat. Schuden had just kept staring at the doctor with an expressionless face. The oblivious doctor actively expressed his opinion.

“It doesn’t need to be for a long time. I think she only needs to be on the Marquisate for a few months.”

Paul felt like blocking the doctor’s mouth. If only Schuden turned his head for a while, Paul would have made a gesture of cutting his neck and signaled the doctor to shut up. Sadly, however, the red eyes were fixed to the doctor. Schuden opened his mouth a little slower.

“Why?”

“For patients with the flu, winter in the capital is very cold to endure. The Marquisate of Garth is located in the south where it is warm, so the weather will be mild in winter. It’s perfect for Madam to recuperate.”

Schuden did not answer. Paul now felt his back wet. The face of the doctor who only had medical practices was full of desire to heal his patient.

Paul lamented to himself.

‘It seems that even Sarah could forget to tell the doctor not to talk about that.’

The doctor was an employee who entered the manor after Schuden was conferred as Marquess Garth. The problem was that Schuden was the only member of the House of Garth. The Marquess had never called the doctor. He was just that healthy.

Despite receiving a hefty salary, the doctor had not done any work. So, he diligently studied medical books instead.

The reason why he was able to diagnose the illness as a rare fever immediately after hearing only its symptoms from Valia, and the reason why he knew that the flu and fever had the same roots and that they would not recur were thanks to the knowledge he accumulated step by step.

The doctor was not even aware that the castle in the Marquisate of Garth was closed because he was obsessed with studying medical books. Paul and Sarah already told the employees who worked on the side of the Marquess and Marchioness to not say anything about the Marquisate but they forgot to tell the doctor. His presence was blurred because he was buried in medical books every day.

“Doctor”

The maid’s voice heard at that time was like salvation to Paul.

“Madam cannot take the medicine, can you make it less… Gasp! Greetings to Lord Garth!”

The maid who rushed in bowed her head in a hurry after seeing Schuden. Schuden’s eyes turned from the doctor to the maid.

“The lady cannot take the medicine?”

“A, about that… the madam can…-hic.”

Surprised by Schuden’s unusually cold atmosphere, the maid eventually hiccuped. Her face turned red but her hiccups did not stop according to her will. Schuden took his eyes off the maid, who was covering her mouth and holding her breath. He left the medicine room and Paul followed suit.

Schuden headed to the second floor of the main building—the Marquess and Marchioness’ bedroom.

Since the lady of the house was sick, there were more maids in the couple’s bedroom than usual. Schuden did not even look at them. His gaze was fixed in one place only. He strode inside the room.

Valia was sitting, leaning against the bedhead. The maid sitting next to her blew on the medicine and fed it to her. Valia did not accept the medicine and distorted her eyebrows gloomily. The maid said worryingly. 

“Madam, you need to take more…”

“I’ll do it.”