MHHC Chapter 21

Extravagant Gift

The wooden bathtub was filled to the brim with steaming hot water. All kinds of fragrant flower petals and herbs were poured over it. Adelheid was pushed into the tub by the maids' bustling hands.

At first she was flustered by this unprecedented experience, but once she soaked her body deeply in the hot water, the thoughts that had been complicating her mind instantly disappeared.

She exhaled a satisfied breath. She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed such luxury. It seemed like the first time since coming to the north.

When the bath finished, the maids spread out a clean new dress. It was a beautiful green velvet dress with luxurious embroidery laid in gold thread. Adelheid's eyes widened at the unexpected gift.

"These are clothes we hurriedly prepared for now."

"It was difficult to find a dress suitable for Your Grace right away, so I heard His Grace sent people even to the neighboring village. Since it's not custom-made, it might be a bit large for Your Grace, but..."

The maids' tone as they observed Adelheid's complexion was polite. It wasn't contrived—it was obvious they were anxiously worried about being rude to someone of high status.

Adelheid quickly realized the maids' faces were unfamiliar. They must be the maids who came in when a large number of maids and servants with poor work attitudes were let go en masse and new ones were hired.

"Do you perhaps not like it?"

At the worried question, Adelheid shook her head from side to side.

"I like it very much."

"That's a relief. Then we'll help you dress."

The maids skillfully dressed Adelheid in undergarments and the dress. Adelheid barely swallowed a gasp of admiration as she examined her appearance in the mirror. The skirt flowed down in soft ripples, and the embroidery near the chest was indescribably delicate.

She carefully brushed the velvet dress lightly with her fingertips. This was the first time in her life she'd had clothes made from such expensive fabric.

Even when she occasionally received hand-me-downs from Charlotte's clothes, the maids had taken the expensive fabrics, so all Adelheid could have were simple things made of cotton.

'I couldn't even dress up this much on my wedding day.'

"You're so beautiful."

The maid who made eye contact while looking at the mirror smiled warmly and spoke. The gentle, friendly reaction felt unfamiliar. Adelheid barely smiled back.

'Though I suppose that's fortunate.'

The maid who had been skillfully braiding her hair that hung down like golden thread continued speaking.

"I heard from the head housekeeper that you disposed of all the clothes you'd been keeping to go to the monastery."

What did she hear and how? A bewildered look rose sharply on Adelheid's face. Perhaps interpreting that somehow, all the maids who had been watching nervously gathered around and chattered.

"Don't worry. Though there's only this dress right now, we're searching even to the neighboring village, so we can easily get three or four more."

"I heard they bought clothes other noblewomen had ordered by offering more money, so they'll probably all arrive by this afternoon."

"Not only that, but they're sending seamstresses too!"

"Not just jewelers, but even merchants selling miscellaneous goods are being summoned! You can order things like handkerchiefs, gloves, and sachets freely without worrying about the price."

So then, who on earth...

To Adelheid's stunned face, the maids smiled brightly and chorused.

"It's all orders from His Grace the Grand Duke!"

Only then did she seem to understand how the situation was unfolding.

Perhaps Valentin had mistaken the 'walk' she proposed as something that had to be done in front of all the territory's people? If not, there was no reason to spend such expensive money and put in this much effort just to walk a bit in the garden in front of the castle.

She had always learned that husbands were beings who could act as they pleased, and wives were beings who had to cater to their husbands' moods. A husband spending enormous sums of money on his wife was one of the things that would invite ridicule.

'Even if you've lost your memory, still.'

Adelheid silently looked at her appearance reflected in the mirror. But if she turned her gaze just slightly to the side, she kept meeting the maids' smiling faces. Each time, Adelheid flinched and avoided their eyes. It felt strange that they remained gentle and friendly even after making eye contact with her.

She felt uncomfortable inside, as if deceiving someone.

'Would they smile at me like that even after hearing rumors about me?'

Her past of being scorned as a bastard in Reichenau, being treated worse than a maid until age 15 for not being able to do anything properly, and the past three years of being condemned as a fraud weighed on Adelheid like a heavy burden.

Someday they would hear rumors about Adelheid. If she opened her heart and let them close now, only to have them turn away later as if they never had, she would only become more pained.

'Once His Grace's memory returns, I won't be able to enjoy this happiness anyway.'

If that was the case, it was better not to get used to it. Adelheid deliberately hardened her expression rigidly.

"Your Grace."

The door knocked twice and opened, revealing the head maid. The woman, who bent her knees according to etiquette and then straightened, gently urged Adelheid, who had been surrounded by maids until now.

"His Grace the Grand Duke is waiting at the stairs."

"Already?"

"J-just wait one moment please. We're almost done."

The maid fixing her hair cried out urgently. After a few more bustling touches—rolling up the braided hair into a round shape and securing it firmly with pins, tying the waist cord more delicately, curling the hair flowing down by her ears—only then did all the maids finally remove their hands from Adelheid and step back.

Only then could Adelheid properly see her fully adorned appearance in the mirror.

"……."

The person in the mirror was a beautiful noblewoman she couldn't even recognize as herself. The 'Adelheid' who wore shabby clothes every day and ran around with disheveled hair was nowhere to be found.

Adelheid tried not to feel awkward about her appearance, but despite her efforts, her ears turned bright red.

'It doesn't feel like me.'

The head maid personally wrapped a fox fur shawl carefully around Adelheid's shoulders.

"It will be cold outside. The wind is very strong today. Be careful not to catch a cold."

"Thank you... for your concern."

The head maid smiled as if to say she needn't mention it and bowed her head. When she opened the door and went into the corridor, the sound of wind howling eerily along the castle walls could be heard more loudly. As the head maid said, the weather seemed particularly foul today.

"Adele."

As soon as she grabbed the stair railing, a dark shadow suddenly rose right before her eyes. Valentin was already standing on the step right below where she stood. It seemed he'd hurriedly run up the stairs as soon as he spotted her.

Valentin looked tense. He was dressed more neatly than ever, so splendid he could attend a banquet hosted by the Emperor right now.

But Valentin instead swallowed gulp in surprise at seeing Adelheid.

His eyes, scanning down meticulously and slowly, were filled with honest admiration.

Adelheid lost confidence and shrank as he stared at her wordlessly.

"Is it very strange?"

"No."

"……."

"You're, so, beau... tiful..."

"……."

"Beautiful. Adele."

The moment he smiled brightly and said that, her ears grew as hot as if fire had touched them. Adelheid felt like she knew how bright red her face had flushed even without looking directly.

No woman could refuse when a man with a face beautiful enough to captivate anyone acted as if he were completely smitten with her. Even if it was a delusion, or actions done without knowing anything due to lost memory.

Adelheid barely suppressed the desire to look at his splendid face more and lowered her gaze. She didn't want to make more of a spectacle of herself in front of butler Hermann and the head maid.

"Thank you for everything you sent."

"It's, no... thing. This, much... is."

"They're all very much something to me. I didn't know you'd do all this when we're just going for a walk in front for a moment."

"You, don't... like, it?"

"Since I've received such things so suddenly, I don't know how I should repay you in the future. Please dismiss the seamstresses or jewelers you summoned."

Disappointment showed in Valentin's eyes, but Adelheid pretended not to notice and avoided his gaze.

His speech had improved considerably again in just one day. It was far easier to understand than yesterday, and closer to proper sentences. Though the pronunciation still broke off here and there, it was more distinct.

Along with that, the sense of incongruity Adelheid felt also became sharper.

"Your speech has improved considerably again overnight."

"Practice, want... to speak. Is there... problem?"

This time the meaning he wanted to convey seemed a bit difficult. Valentin tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. During that time, several maids passed by their side with awkward faces, sidling carefully.

Only then did Adelheid realize they were blocking the central staircase completely.

"Let's not do this here but go outside, Your Grace."

When Adelheid held out her right hand and spoke, Valentin grasped it preciously with both hands and looked at her. He seemed not to know what to do or how.

Only after Hermann, standing behind Valentin, cleared his throat ahem and made a gesture of repositioning the hand did he seem to understand what she meant. He very carefully repositioned Adelheid's hand.

As if she were a small wild bird that would fly away if gripped tightly.

"Then I will guide you through the castle."

Butler Hermann hurriedly intervened between them. He seemed to have judged that Valentin couldn't properly guide her to the garden.

Passing through the large central corridor lit with torches and exiting through the castle's back door, a tranquil garden revealed itself. It was when they had just entered the first walking path.

"Your Grace."