LADBITW Chapter 7

"Miss Blessing Caster, could you bless my room as well?"

"Yes. But before that, Miss Elise, I need to stop by Miss Giselle's room first, so could you wait just a moment?"

"Of course!"

Elise interjected lightly.

"It would be better to go to Helen's room first. Her room is closer from here. Mine and Giselle's rooms are the farthest, so let's go there last."

"Ah... Would that be all right?"

Giselle also agreed cheerfully without reservation.

"Yes. Let's do that."

They were all such good-natured women with easygoing personalities.

The problem was that there was more work than she'd anticipated.

The women who had been lounging outside began to wander over, showing interest. Then, as Lietta entered the annex building, even the women who had been resting in their own rooms sensed something was happening and came streaming out.

Even the women who had already received blessings followed Lietta around, adding to the cheerful atmosphere amongst themselves—it was quite chaotic.

Had all the young ladies from the annex emerged? Now a rather burdensome number of people began trailing after her, each requesting blessings for their own rooms without exception.

Having the gathered people chattering behind her and watching her work was considerably burdensome, but it was far more comfortable than the gloomy, frightening atmosphere she'd initially imagined.

One of the chattering women asked a question.

"Miss Blessing Caster, I heard you can bless personal belongings as well, not just rooms?"

Lietta answered.

"Yes. However, blessing objects that move from place to place is more difficult and takes more time than blessing a stationary location. Blessings placed on items or people that travel lose their power quickly, so making them last requires quite a bit of time."

"Is that so? Still, I'd like to receive one... It's also difficult to find a trustworthy blessing caster."

"If you're going to do it, I want one too."

"Me too."

The women began murmuring amongst themselves. It looked like more work was about to pile up.

His Lordship asked me to come...

She felt anxious about the delay.

"Then, could you gather your items and send them to me? If you give me some time, I think I'll be able to bless them and return them to you."

The women, without exception, said they'd entrust their belongings to her.

It was quite a substantial commission—enough that she wouldn't need to worry about living expenses for several months. But the worry 'Surely His Lordship isn't waiting for me, is he?' filled her head completely.

She barely managed to visit all the young ladies' rooms, and just as the work seemed to be nearing completion, one young lady made a suggestion.

"We're going to have tea in our garden—would you like to join us, Miss Blessing Caster? The flowers are in beautiful bloom."

Flustered, Lietta shook her head slightly with an awkward expression.

"Ah, no... Thank you for the kind offer, but I have somewhere I need to go."

"Ah, you must have another appointment afterward?"

No matter what, she'd been summoned to the castle—it wouldn't do to say she'd scheduled something else tightly afterward.

She briefly considered whether it might be better to deflect with some other excuse, but Lietta decided it was better to be honest. The castle had many eyes and ears anyway.

"No. I happened to see His Lordship on my way here, and he asked me to stop by briefly after I finished."

Giselle's eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hand. Then she quickly said, "Oh! Then you should go."

"Hurry along."

The women unhesitatingly urged her forward. Lietta thought these good-natured women were somewhat difficult to understand, but she felt both embarrassed and grateful as she bid them farewell and withdrew.

Lietta left the eastern annex, trying to hide the quickening of her steps as she finished her work.

"You're truly heartless..."

Lietta, who had been hurrying toward the main building where Killian stayed, stopped at the sound of a woman's pleading voice.

"I told you not to come looking for me like this without permission."

A cold voice rang out.

Lietta's gaze moved toward where the sound was coming from.

"But... How can you not visit even once? I came here looking only to you."

"Then you can leave right now, can't you?"

"That's not what I meant."

Killian frowned.

"I'm not tolerating you so that you can bother me."

"Your Grace..."

Killian, who had spotted Lietta, stopped. A beautiful woman with red hair in a pink dress who had been chasing Killian followed his gaze to look at Lietta. Pitiful green eyes were wet with tears.

Lietta stood awkwardly still and bowed to Killian. Killian kept his gaze on Lietta as he opened his mouth.

"Axias Castle is not a place that suits you. I can't give you what you want, so pack your things and go back."

Killian issued a cold order of expulsion without sparing a single glance at the pitiful woman beside him.

Since his eyes were directed at Lietta, she momentarily thought he was speaking to her.

The moment she thought, 'Ah, he's not talking to me,' Killian called her.

"Lietta."

Snapping to attention, Lietta tensed her shoulders.

"Come."

Without even waiting for her answer, the Grand Duke of Axias disappeared into the main building of the castle.

The beautiful woman's wet eyes looked at Lietta in dismay, but... Lietta could only bow her head awkwardly and follow Killian.

As Lietta entered, the butler who received Killian's outer coat naturally attended to her as well. Killian, who had been walking ahead, turned his head to look at Lietta.

An indifferent remark fell.

"Have a meal before you go."

Lietta was startled.

"Pardon? I'm quite all right."

"It's my mealtime."

Lietta fell into momentary panic, wondering how she should respond.

It was because I came too late.

"I'm... I'm sorry for being late."

The butler naturally asked Killian, "Shall I have dinner prepared?"

Killian's eyes stared directly at Lietta.

"If Lietta answers."

Her heart sank.

"I, I'll gratefully partake. It's an honor."

Killian snorted.

"What honor at a dinner table."

For Killian, it was an offhand remark, but to Lietta it sounded like a cold sneer. All the more so because she'd just witnessed that scene. Her heart seemed to shrivel.

"You didn't have dinner plans, did you?"

Even if she'd had plans, she would have had to eat. The Grand Duke hadn't eaten yet.

Lietta answered with her head bowed.

"I don't."

Killian spoke toward the top of her head.

"Is it Sevitas culture to have a habit of speaking to the floor?"

"Pardon?"

"I'll end up memorizing the crown of your head instead of your face. I'm well aware of how courteous you are, so when speaking, lift your head and look at people. In Axias, it's proper manners to speak to someone's face, not their shadow."

Lietta quickly raised her head and looked straight at him.

"I'll do so."

Killian, who glanced at those sky-blue eyes, turned his gaze to Ern.

"Show her to the dining room. I'll change clothes and come down."

The butler bowed in acknowledgment.

"Yes."

Dinner with the Grand Duke of Axias.

She knew nothing about noble dining etiquette.

Where had it all gone wrong?

If only I'd been able to come a bit earlier, this wouldn't have happened. But that couldn't be helped.

Waiting for Killian, Lietta felt as though she might get indigestion even before eating.

Her rude self would be utterly ignorant of dining etiquette as well.

She wished she could at least sit far away, but after helplessly watching the butler deliberately pull out the chair right next to the head of the table in that vast dining hall, she had no choice but to sit there.

'What should I do?'

There were so many other seats—she wanted to ask if she couldn't sit somewhere else, but they might have a conversation, so she couldn't exactly flee far away.

More than anything, Lietta was concerned that her cautious, deferential behavior seemed to have displeased His Grace. She'd been called rude last time too.

Should I have just readily said yes, thank you, to everything?

After all, what business does a commoner have refusing or declining?

To begin with, he doesn't seem like the type to make empty offers...

The survival instinct of a commoner who had lived reading nobles' moods was bringing Lietta quite close to the right answer.

The Grand Duke of Axias did not like being made to repeat himself.

Lietta resolved once again that when dealing with him in the future, rather than politely declining out of courtesy, she should quickly give him the answer he wanted. She nervously picked at her fingertips.

And conversations—look at his face... Even with a high-ranking noble, don't speak to the floor.

Lietta thought it would take quite some time to get used to his ways. She also hoped, if possible, that such a thing would never happen again.

Tonight's meal seemed like it would be unbearably long.

She still hadn't heard why the Grand Duke of Axias had summoned her.

If they talked during the meal, she would have to strain every nerve to listen carefully so as not to miss a single word from His Grace.

If they didn't talk, she would have to sit in a tense state, not knowing when or what business Killian would bring up.

Lietta was certain she would get indigestion.

Not long after waiting, delicious aromas began wafting over, and soon dishes started arriving.

She'd never smelled anything this delicious even at the annual harvest festival... But what good was any of it? She'd probably eat without knowing whether the food was going into her mouth or her nose.

A splendid table of every delicacy she'd never seen in her life began to unfold.

Tomatoes sliced for easy eating topped with cheese and brown sauce, garnished with kale; a salad of lettuce, rose, oak, and baby leaves with peppered tenderloin and peeled oranges; a soup with a mysterious sour fragrance containing shrimp and some unknown greens; a hot pot with mushrooms, potatoes, onions, romaine, cabbage, and meat.

Red and white sausages stir-fried with unidentifiable vegetables and sprinkled with sliced almonds; a dish with an unknown name—mashed pumpkin topped with cream and rose-colored sauce, sprinkled with seeds; steamed poultry stuffed with yellow grain and olives; an enormous fish she'd never seen before, roasted whole and giving off a savory aroma...

There was no end to it.

Lietta, who at first vaguely thought he must be a big eater, began to grow bewildered.

How on earth are two people supposed to eat all this?

Most of it will be thrown away. Does he always eat like this?

Dishes kept coming.

A massive roasted bird—chicken or turkey, she couldn't tell—steaming hot, and rack ribs topped with sweet-smelling cheese were being brought out on huge silver platters.

Just then, a clamorous sound was heard. A group of men in armor burst into the dining room. Knights. Lietta flinched in surprise.

The knights stopped when they discovered Lietta sitting alone at the lavish table laden with extravagant food.

"Huh? A woman."

"Where?"

"Who is she?"

"Ah, that person. Didn't His Excellency recently bring her from Sevitas?"

"Ah. The one who was almost buried alive?"

Flustered, Lietta stood up.

Something seemed wrong.

The butler approached her.

"Is there something you need?"

Before Lietta could even ask him, the Grand Duke of Axias entered through the door opposite where the knights had come in.

Having changed into light indoor clothing, he walked briskly to the head of the table and sat down without giving anyone a glance. Then he cast a brief look at the knights standing there dumbly.

"What are you doing? Sit."

As if they'd never stopped, the knights filed in orderly fashion around the table.

Swept up in their momentum, Lietta sat down as well, bewildered.

"Eat."

Killian began his meal as usual, without much thought. The knights also picked up their utensils. Lietta stared blankly at Killian and the knights.

"Your Grace."

The handsome knight sitting across from Lietta, whom she seemed to have seen before, spoke to Killian.

"The lady is confused. You didn't explain again, did you?"

"Ah."

Only then, as if realizing Lietta was there, Killian just moved his eyes to look at her.

"They're my knights. Eat together. We'll talk after the meal."

"Ah, yes."

Lietta bowed her head, flustered.

Leonard covered his face with one hand, looking utterly dismayed.

He cleanly gave up on his lord and began to handle things himself.

"Please don't mind us and eat comfortably. Though it will be difficult."

Then, surprisingly, he jerked his chin slightly toward that Killian Axias and grimaced.

"He's truly far removed from anything romantic."

Flustered, Lietta hastily checked Killian's reaction.

What is that man trying to do?

Killian, who had been silently cutting his food, merely raised one eyebrow and glanced at him, then simply lowered his gaze back to his food and brought his fork to his mouth.

Leonard, who received his gaze nonchalantly, continued speaking with a pitying expression as he looked at Killian.

"Still, he's a wonderful person. He's good at everything except romance."

Swallowing his food and reaching for his wine glass, Killian remarked indifferently, "You should worry about your own romance."

Leonard responded shamelessly.

"I'm quite good at it, you know? In the sense that His Grace doesn't understand that romance is about quality over quantity, you're a complete failure."

Lietta watched with the feeling of walking on thin ice as Killian set his utensils down on his plate with a thunk.

Will he pick up that knife and stab that knight right now? Will he break the plate? Will he overturn the table? Her mind spun frantically.

Killian raised his red eyes to look at Leonard, then smiled faintly and tilted his head.

"Why is my beloved knight acting like this?"

"I love you too, Your Grace."

Leonard smoothly caught Killian's words, then cupped his hand beside his mouth as if to shield his lips from Killian and whispered to Lietta.

However, it was only a whispering gesture with his hand and expression—his voice wasn't lowered at all, with no intention of actually hiding anything.

"But he's someone who only knows how to love his knights."

"I can't agree with that statement."

"That's not love."

"Correction—only Leonard!"

At Leonard's words, other knights fearlessly chimed in from the far end of the table. The table instantly became noisy.

Then, Killian suddenly laughed silently.

No, he'd been smiling faintly before too.

But a smile with a distinctly different expression flickered past.

It was only for a moment, but Lietta, who had been watching his expression with an anxious heart, didn't miss the strange smile that appeared on his face for that brief instant.

Lietta looked at Killian in confusion, feeling as though she were seeing a different person. Killian's lips parted, now returned to his usual indifferent expression, and a cool voice flowed out.

"I see. My love was lacking."

Killian languidly propped his chin on his hand and lifted one corner of his mouth. Then, with those drowsy yet dangerous-looking red eyes, he swept his gaze over the knights sitting around the table in a predatory manner.

"From now on, I shall cherish you all even more dearly."

The knights, who knew what his love and cherishing meant, flinched and fell silent as if doused with cold water.

Not missing that brief moment of quiet, Leonard dinged his wine glass with his fork and shouted resoundingly, "We love you, Your Grace!"

A beast-like chorus followed the concise toast.

"We love you, Your Grace!"

It was a soul-draining roar. The knights began their meal energetically, laughing and chattering at the table.

There was no dignified noble refinement, but none of them were vulgar.

"Meow."

An unexpected sound was heard.

A cat with plump amber eyes—white with brown stripes—had somehow approached Killian's side.

Raising itself up, the cat placed its small front paws on his chair, swished its tail gently, and licked its nose. Meow, it made the sound again, the small thing tilting its head.

Killian merely glanced at it without so much as petting that adorable creature's head. He simply picked up a piece of grilled fish from a nearby plate with an expressionless face and brought it toward the cat.

The cat fixed its gaze like a magnet on his moving hand, then the moment the fish entered striking range, it unhesitatingly stretched out its head, snapped it up in its mouth, and descended below the chair.

The cat, holding a rather large piece of fish in its mouth, went under the shade of his chair, curled its tail around its body, and settled in.

Then, holding the fish with its front paws, it began happily tearing into the fish with pleased meow-meow sounds.

The knights were still demolishing their food.

Killian, who had finished his meal earlier than the others and was drinking tea, removed his teacup with an indifferent expression, then poured milk into the saucer. And he set it down on the floor with a thunk.

The cat, which had demolished the fish in an instant and was licking its front paws, approached the plate and began lapping up the milk.

By the time Lietta came to her senses watching this, she had unexpectedly already comfortably finished her meal, having filled her belly with delicious food.