The war took three full years to end. It was a war of conquest. At the end of the boring days of repeated cease-fire and war, the emperor of Kater received complete surrender from two small kingdoms. Kings from all over the world sent an appeal and ministers bowed their heads, kowtowing under the emperor’s feet. Humiliating signs of becoming a subsidiary kingdom went back and forth between the borders.
When the trumpet sounded that the war was over, the people were delighted, hugging each other. They regarded Kater’s victory as their victory and Kater’s achievement as their achievement. Most stores lowered their product’s prices in commemoration of the victory; the rich opened their warehouses to feed the hungry; and the wandering musicians reenacted the glory of the caters with their flamboyant speech.
And it was said that Alec Bernhardt was the hero of the war. The cruel and ruthless god of war. When the black flag representing his army fluttered, the smell of blood arose. When he wielded a knife, his allies held their breath and lowered themselves. The more he cut, trampled, and killed soldiers without mercy, the more the people of Kater praised him.
He won’t stop the knife under any circumstances! He’s slitting a few people’s throats on his own! Several rumors that may be true or false had been added to make him appear as a more brutal and elegant monster. Some accused Alec of being devilish and ruthless, but the accusation was often buried in the public’s cheers.
‘Maybe he got better…’ That was what she wished, at least. A cheerful voice penetrated the ears of Evely, who was absentmindedly thinking about him.
“Evely! The master is finally coming back!” Brianna, who was holding a mop, made a big fuss. A little less than five years after working in this house, Brianna was about the same age as Evely. She couldn’t see her often because they usually work in different areas, but they could be called friends.
“Is the war over?”
“I guess so. I can’t wait for him to come back! The owner was always strong and good looking, so he must have gotten more handsome. But he’s a little scary, isn’t he?”
Strong and good looking… Evely went back in memory lane with those words. A man showed his face among masked men. Dark colored hair and blue eyes came to her mind first. The angular jaw and the sleek nose gave a strong and impenetrable feeling, but those clear eyes were sharp like a light-weighted blade. He was a handsome man, but his eyes were as cold as ice, giving him a heavy sense of intimidation.
“Can I help you?”
Evely, who recalled his voice, flinched. Working as a maid in this house was hard work, but it was, at least, better than being with that old noble.
Maybe he wasn’t as bad as people talk about him for saving her from there. Evely smiled vaguely. As Brianna said, he might have gotten better. She became a little curious.
Her master might have changed.
“Shall we go see the parade?”
“I need to sweep the floor a little more. Let’s go after this.”
After the war, a parade of endless nobles and peasants came in. Carriages lined up long on the main road from the capital to the castle gate, diligently carrying various rare things. It was the strangest thing Evely had ever seen in her life. Shiny jewels, engineers, artists who made vases of soil, marble carvers, all sorts of people and things were present. Alec was also granted numerous properties and territories in recognition of his contribution. Most of the spoils went to his share, but the material things that Alec already had were meaningless. Therefore, for him, the greatest honor was the spoils of war.
But this time, it was different. The most special and unusual thing he’d ever received in this war was the Princess of Astina. Astina was a small country located south of Kater, a rich kingdom with abundant grains due to its close proximity to the sea, which was advantageous for trade and abundant in light.
“What is the princess like? Oh, princess, perfect for the master!”
At the news of the owner’s wedding, the maids were busy preparing to welcome the lady. Some of them made a fuss like Brianna. Brianna played around with a mop as if she were a princess.
“She must be beautiful, right? She’s a princess, full of dignity! Wait, that means, the owner hasn’t been impotent all this whole time. I was worried that he might have a problem there-”
Brianna’s voice was whispering as she spoke. Alec had never touched the maids. It was a public fact and natural thing for nobles to regard their servants under their control as their dogs. They were possessions bought by the aristocrats and could be used at any time. Nevertheless, Alec had never taken the maids in this house.
“I wish I could hug him at least once. His shoulders are so wide and he’s so tall… so gorgeous! AH, of course I have Aaron.”
Brianna had a crush on Aaron, the gardener. The maids were usually not allowed to get married, but it depended on the owner’s permission. Alec was on the side of allowing maids to get married. So, Brianna was dreaming of marrying Aaron.
“I hope he’ll come soon,” Brianna added in a very excited voice.
“I just want a raise.” A raise, that won’t come in as spoils. Evely pouted as if she was disappointed.
* * *
According to the tradition, both the wedding and reception were to be held in Astina, and the bride will only come to the Count’s castle to celebrate the first night.
The butlers and maids were more diligent than ever, moving in and out of the house. The flowers were changed to fresh ones, and all the furniture in the room was replaced with new ones. Everything was perfectly equipped, including a bed with a colorful lace bed sheet, a closet full of beautiful dresses, and a jewelry box full of expensive accessories.
“The carriage is about to arrive.”
The maids lined up to greet the host and the princess, who would soon become their Lady. One of them was Evely. She’d been waiting with her back bent deeply for a long time, so she felt like she would die if she waited any longer.
She was glancing toward the garden, saying in her mind, ‘When the hell will he come?’ and that was when she heard the sound of the horse’s hooves. She quickly lowered her head.
“He’s coming.”
Brianna, standing next to Evely, whispered quietly. Shortly after the bustling sounds were heard, a carriage was seen entering the gate. She peeked at the carriage out of curiosity, but the carriage was covered by a curtain and she couldn’t see the inside at all. However, even if she could see inside, she would not have seen the bride’s face anyway because of her veil.
“Thank you for coming a long way. You can hold my hand and step down.”
When the carriage stopped, an elderly maid went out to greet the princess. The clear sound of the shoes rang softly. The princess did not answer the maid’s words. The priest could not say anything officially until the vigil.
“The maid who will serve you in the future is a child named Evely.”
Me?
Evely looked puzzled as she raised her head. Another maid next to her pushed her ahead. Unknowingly, she sprang forward and hurriedly bowed her head.
“My name is Evely Siranen. I’ll do my best to serve you from now on.”
She saw the veil shake up and down a bit. Does that mean she got it?
According to the custom, Evely began to take the princess and guide her throughout the castle. This place was quite large even for the castle where the lords stay. So, to explain to the first princess, she had to diligently take care of her words and steps.
After entering the mansion, she first introduced the hall and dining area on the first floor equipped with a fireplace, and climbed the stairs in the middle of the mansion leading to the second floor. On the left side of the second floor was his study and office, and on the right side was the space and bedroom for the princess. Evely, who explained every corner of the spare bedroom and guest room on the third and fourth floors, stood in front of the bedroom where the princess would spend the first night.
“This is the bedroom where the Princess will sleep in the future. The bathroom is this way, so please take a bath first…”
But as soon as Evely opened the door, the princess reached out to her veiled head.