Chapter 15

“They’re planning a territory festival for Madam’s birthday!”

“Well, why not? I disregarded Catherine’s objections and Callian’s sulky reaction. 

“Adriana did as she pleased anyway. With my money – or precisely, Adriana’s gold, but she got her hands on it first – I had the right to do something like this, didn’t I?”

“So, what about the banquet?”

“I won’t be having a banquet. Well, I like alcohol, but I hate wearing dresses and pretending to be noble.”

“…Noble? You?”

“Oh, well, don’t bother with trivial things.”

Remembering the incident when I fiercely overreacted to Callian, my ears still burned, but I decided to be more shameless.

Besides, trying to unravel the already confusing and complicated world only worsens my headache. Let’s not think too deeply. After all, it’s not my body or my property, so living a bit more freely won’t harm me.

“Actually, isn’t hosting a banquet, inviting the nobles from the capital, receiving guests for several days, and lavishly indulging in drinks and food in the territory, all part of it?”

“Even from the north, Winter at the very end was not an easily accessible place with a casual mindset.”

“Unless using teleportation spells, even taking the fastest train would still take three days from the capital. For someone coming from the far southern end, it would likely take several days.”

“Of course, one shouldn’t expect Adriana or Callian to be sociable enough to mingle with the nobles at the far end of the territory.”

“Even so,”

“Well, what’s wrong with that? After all, Adri and I haven’t made a big impression on the territory residents, so why not make a good impression now? It can’t hurt, can it?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Since meeting Adriana in my dreams, irregular memories of her past have been resurfacing unexpectedly.”

“For example, that Adriana hardly went out after coming to Winter, or that she sent a few letters to her family but didn’t engage in much social activity.”

“I think it would be better for our mental health to have grand celebrations within the territory rather than watching nobles fight during New Year’s. Well, even if you tell me not to, I’ll probably do it anyway.”

“Even if it’s a short stay of three days or a long one of a week, it’s impossible to send the people who have traveled for days back in just one day. Dealing with the guests we’ve received will take at least a month. No matter how carefree I act, I can’t just do as I please in a situation where so many outsiders have gathered, right? …Or can I?”

“Can I do it?”

“Yes?”

“Well… according to Catherine’s thinking, when those high-ranking nobles arrive, it seems like I would act as I usually do, it doesn’t seem possible, right?”

I deliberately spoke with a raised and lively tone, but Catherine’s face became paler and paler. Oh, I didn’t mean to threaten her.

“I will make sure to prepare for the festival as the Madam wishes, without any hitches.”

I didn’t really mean to threaten, but can I really pull off a triple axel with all the Imperial nobles gathered here? If I try, there’s nothing I can’t do.

***

The rumor that they were holding a territory-wide festival centered in the square quickly set Winter abuzz. Winter, a place rarely visited by outsiders, was in line with the Lord’s personality, modest and quiet—though it’s not a small place. There were no festivals or tourist attractions that would attract people from other regions.

“But wait! A massive festival, hosted by the former Grand Duchess, is taking place within the estate like a grand spectacle – although the servants may not see it that way?”

“The news that Winter, with its few orchestras, circuses, and theaters, received the call of the Grand Duke, has stirred the normally quiet town of Winter.”

“Let’s make sure the food is available at a very affordable price, and we’ll cover the costs. That way, we can offer it at a low price.”

“Yes, understood.”

“For the food, select the menu based on what the servants prefer, as I’m not familiar with it. Even small-scale vendors – recruit them, and also, um…”

“Um, what about the fabrics we separated and disassembled before?”

“Ah, right! Let’s use them for decorating the square as we discussed before. Connect them from the roofs of the approved shops to the square. Those fabrics that went into summer dresses were thin and sparkly.”

“Well, they were made from materials with regulated annual production even in the Empire…”

“Well, what’s the harm? As long as they’re pretty, it’s all good, isn’t it?”

“So, those beautiful dresses…”

“Well, I like seeing pretty things. Fabrics in various sparkling colors under the summer sun, it’s truly exquisite.”

I pretended not to notice Catherine’s half-absent reaction and continued to confirm and give instructions regarding the elements needed for the festival.

It did bother me a bit to be so shameless, only pointing fingers and talking big, but since it was my money anyway, and I was generously paying the servants extra, I decided to act even more as I pleased.

“Oh, and about the wine you mentioned before…”

“Well… just asking them to hand it over would seem too pushy, so how about this: they can give one bottle of their homemade wine from their own homes, and we’ll give them one bottle of our wine in return? Let’s limit it to one bottle per household.”

“Is that fine for such precious wine?”

“Well, what’s the harm? It’s all a familiar taste anyway, and it’s not like it’s makgeolli. Anyway, the people of the territory have the right to enjoy the finest wine in Winter, right? It’s a rare treat, so let’s be generous.”

It’s not my property, but anyway, I decided to boldly use other people’s family wine. Winter’s wine was of a higher quality than in other regions. If those people brought wine crafted with secrets passed down through their generations, how delicious would it be?

“Oh, about what you mentioned earlier, I did send letters primarily to the Empire’s Academy and the Mage Association.”

“Rice! Originally, I had planned for a competition centered around the territory’s residents—show us the rice you’ve changed!—but on April’s advice, I decided to commission a group with expertise in grain improvement. With the collective intelligence of some, we might be able to change the taste to something I recognize?”

“Thank you for your hard work, Catherine. How about taking a little vacation at this time—”

“It’s alright, Madam.”

Or maybe there’s no choice.

***

Suddenly, Adriana’s memories flowed into my mind, like music playing in my head. Sometimes it was information written in lines, sometimes fragmented images, and sometimes complete memories.

Like pressing the play button, short clips flowed through my mind and then stopped.

Most of it was about what happened after Adriana came to Winter, but sometimes it was about when Adriana was the beloved of the Magnolia family.

Memories that were irrelevant to my lack of ambition to rule at the pinnacle of society or change the political landscape, but at least it was convenient that I had no reason to ask, “What is this?” while looking at the tapestries hanging in the drawing room.

“You won’t invite the Duke?”

“The Duke, what’s the use? I won’t invite Elliot either. After all, he never came even when I sent letters all this time.”

“How do you know that—”

“It comes to mind occasionally. Adriana’s memories.”

I didn’t feel like my identity and Adriana’s were merging into one. It was more like receiving her memories unilaterally. Perhaps as an adult, I should take responsibility for my own life, but that darn Adriana de Winter had no intention of showing up, just throwing memories at me late.

Take responsibility for your own life!

“Miss, or should I say, Your Grace?”

“Yes, well.”

April was the best at taking care of her hair. Her hair, which reached down to her lower back, always gleamed with meticulous brushing and high-quality hair oil.

April carefully brushed her long hair. Her purple eyes reflected in the mirror shone like smooth, fiery jewels.

“Are the preparations for the festival all done?”

“Yes. People are very excited. The merchants have been in a frenzy since the beginning. Maybe it’s because it was already bustling here?”

“There weren’t originally events like this, were there?”

“Not on this scale. His Grace isn’t the type to enjoy such events, and noble gatherings are quite different from those with commoners. There might have been smaller events in the village.”

“Well, we have plenty of money to spare.”

Gold never disappears.

The money used for the festival was indeed substantial, but it didn’t cost as much as I had expected compared to the preparations for regular banquets. How much do these people eat and enjoy themselves on ordinary days, I wonder?

“Oh, a letter has arrived from the Duke’s estate.”

“Should we just burn it?”

“That’s not a bad idea, but since it’s here, why not take a look.”

Their irreverent attitude was consistent. At first, they were just servants of the Magnolia family, but they openly followed Adriana. Did Adriana have a special place in their hearts?

As I tore open the firmly sealed letter, Elliott’s verbose, or rather, long-winded words poured out.

“What does it say?”

“In summary, it says, ‘You’ll regret living like that.'”

“Really?”

“Well, the first paragraph is about trivial weather talk and greetings, so we can skip that. The last paragraph contains insincere pleasantries, so we can skip that too. If we remove the unnecessary phrases in the middle – he married, thinking his family was still alive. Then, eventually, Callian turned away from you, mumbling something like that, just those sorts of words?”

Elliott Magnolia was indeed a truly insincere person. It must have been challenging to spend time and effort crafting this message to chip away at my image.

“Are you going to reply?”

“No – well, since he sent it with care, I should reply. Get me some paper and a pen.”

“I’ll get them.”

Whenever I mentioned something, the servants were quick to act, so there was no muscle or fat loss to worry about. Living like this, I might end up as a rubber doll with neither muscle nor fat.

I reviewed the hand-to-hand exercises I learned at school while April was away. However, all I could remember about the schoolyard during lunchtime was spinning like a conveyor belt, and it ended in a mess.

During lunchtime, I tried to recall the schoolyard like it was rotating sushi, but it didn’t go well because that was all I remembered.

Should I dance or something? Dancing alone in the bedroom without music felt a bit awkward, even for me. But hiring a band to dance to their music also seemed a bit much.

“Here it is.”

“Oh, thank you.”

I dipped the pen into ink and pondered how to write for a moment.

How can I write to express my feelings clearly? How can I…

Can I really outsmart Elliot Magnolia, who pretends to be sharp, makes sarcastic remarks, and acts as if he knows everything in the world, when it comes to making a foolish plan to host a festival only for the residents by excluding the family from the guest list?

Oops. I unintentionally put my thoughts into ink on paper. Since I don’t want to waste the paper, I guess I’ll leave it as it is.

Perhaps, unknowingly, I should treasure and save resources to build a brighter future.

Elliot, who doesn’t show affection.

You do you.

Filled with sincerity, Adriana.

I could visualize Elliot and Laura arguing passionately.

Outside the window, the sunset was setting.

The spilled strawberry wine on the blanket had dried to the same color.