novelraw Chapter 176: Childhood Friends – Sierra Guidan
Chapter 176: Childhood Friends – Sierra Guidan
176: Childhood Friends – Sierra Guidan
The Guidan family's estate was situated on rolling hills.
The Lorgran Mountains ran along the southwestern coast, and the elevation gradually decreased toward the central part of the continent, characteristic of the Kingdom of Orun. Thus, the area around the Guidan estate, close to the Kingdom of Bellita, was more hilly than mountainous.
These hills were densely forested, with all the autumn leaves having already fallen. The estate's livelihood depended on these forests.
- Neigh! Snort.
The steady incline of the road wasn’t steep but continuous. Kus, the horse pulling the carriage, happily snorted, his thick neck sweating as he looked back proudly.
"Good job."
- Neigh?
For free?
"I’ll give you carrots when we arrive. For now, let’s keep going."Rev cracked the whip, lightly striking Kus’s hindquarters. Though Kus shook his mane in dissatisfaction, he obediently resumed pulling the carriage.
They soon arrived at the estate.
Centered around a modest manor on the hill, the Guidan estate was true to its nature, with logs piled up everywhere. Many were in their natural state, while others were sawn and drying.
This was the busiest season.
There was no snow to hinder work yet, and the trees, having shed their leaves, absorbed less moisture from the ground, making it the optimal time for logging.
Rev maneuvered the carriage through the bustling estate, filled with workers and carts loaded with logs.
"One! Huff, two! Huff, one!"
As they passed by a sawmill, they heard loud shouts. Two young men were sawing a large log in half with a long saw.
Rev glanced at them, finding them vaguely familiar, but Kus continued to pull the carriage, moving out of sight.
"Lena, Leo. We’ve arrived."
Rev tapped on the carriage.
They were right in front of the manor. Leo and Lena, prepared inside, gracefully stepped out of the carriage.
The guard at the manor stared at the noble-looking siblings and asked,
"...Who are you?"
Lena and Leo remained silent. Rev, acting as a servant, spoke up.
"Summon the steward."
He presented the badge of Princess Danijela Tatian.
The guard didn’t know what it was but realized someone very important had arrived and ran inside.
Soon, Leo’s group was introduced to the steward managing the Guidan estate.
The steward, while maintaining his courtesy, looked at them with suspicion.
‘Princess Danijela?’
The elderly steward knew of Princess Danijela.
Before he came here with the Marchioness, he had worked in the mansion in the capital, having served the previous Marquis of Guidan as well. He was well aware of the once-famous Princess Danijela.
But he pretended not to know and led the siblings to the drawing room. Mentioning the cold weather, he offered them warm tea, all the while thinking deeply.
Were these swindlers relying solely on their golden eyes, the symbol of the Arcaea Empire's royal family? Or were they truly messengers sent by Princess Danijela, who married into the Kingdom of Bellita?
No, if they were, they would have said so right away.
What puzzled the steward more was their contrasting behavior.
The ‘so-called’ princess looked anxious, not touching her teacup, while the young man, who hadn’t revealed his identity, displayed a regal demeanor.
The steward mentally reviewed the royal lineage he knew.
There were no royal siblings of their age in the Kingdom of Orun. The same went for the Kingdom of Conrad, and while the Kingdom of Bellita and the Holy Kingdom of Jerome had royalty of that age, they weren’t blond. Surely, no northern barbarian royalty would have come this far south.
‘The Kingdom of Aisel?’
His memory reached the magical kingdom in the east of the continent. There was Princess Elika Isadora and Prince Oscar de Isadora. They had blond hair and golden eyes.
The steward cautiously spoke up.
"I apologize for the inadequacy in receiving such distinguished guests. Had we known in advance, we would have prepared accordingly... Are there more members of your party to arrive?"
"No, there aren’t."
"I see. You seem to enjoy traveling simply. It must have been a long journey... Princess Danijela must be very tired."
Lena couldn’t respond and turned her head. Just as suspicion began to deepen in the steward’s eyes, Leo spoke up.
"She is not Princess Danijela Tatian."
"Is that so?"
The steward waited.
If the truth was different from what he expected, he was ready to summon knights to deal with the impostors.
But the answer from this suspicious young man was far from what he expected.
"I am Leo de Yeriel. This is my sister, Lena de Yeriel."
The steward’s expression momentarily went blank. He recalled hearing that the prince and princess, believed to be dead, also had blond hair and golden eyes and quickly adjusted his demeanor.
"...Hard to believe. Then what is this badge of Princess Danijela?"
"We received her help. We have been hiding in the Kingdom of Bellita and have just arrived in the Kingdom of Orun. We wish to meet Marquis Harvey Guidan."
The steward realized this was beyond his authority to decide.
While the fact that a foreign prince was calling on Marquis Guidan might seem significant, there was no compelling reason for a high noble of Orun to come running. Given the possibility that these visitors could be clever swindlers, the steward decided to reserve judgment.
"I understand. I will contact Marquis Guidan. In the meantime, I will prepare rooms for you. We should receive a response within a few days."
"Thank you. I also heard that the Marchioness of Guidan is here. Since we will be guests, it would be proper to pay our respects to the lady of the house."
The steward bowed respectfully.
"...I'm sorry. The Marchioness is ill and unable to receive guests. Please understand, and I apologize on her behalf."
"In that case, I understand and will not impose further."
Leo bowed in response.
His graceful and regretful gestures were so natural that the steward couldn't help but believe his claim about receiving Princess Danijela's help.
Of course. Princess Danijela married but never had children.
Long ago, she was betrothed to Prince Cleon de Tatian of the Bellita Kingdom. However, he abandoned her the day before the wedding, choosing instead to become a monk, leaving Danijela lost in a foreign land.
As a symbol of peace between Orun and Bellita, she remained unmarried, quietly aging as Danijela Tatian.
The steward found the dramatic tale of a meeting between the presumed-dead prince and princess of Conrad Kingdom too far-fetched, but somehow, it made sense.
He assigned rooms and a maid to each member of the prince and princess's party, then hurried to inform Marquis Guidan of this strange event. Upon returning to the manor after sending the message, he found something truly unbelievable had occurred.
*[Achievement: The Man Who Melted Sierra Guidan’s Heart - Gained a faint favor from Sierra Guidan.]*
"It's been a while... or should I say, thank you for your efforts."
The Marchioness, who had been in a daze for seven years after losing her son, greeted him with full clarity.
*
I had known I was a princess by hearsay.
The day we left Orville, I filled the carriage with questions and complaints starting with "What is this letter about? Were you planning to leave without me?"
My brother calmly explained that we were originally royalty, emphasizing that I was a princess. The letter had called me 'princess' to inform me of my status.
It was hard to believe and still confusing, but since coming here, it was slowly becoming more real.
"Princess, are you awake?"
As soon as I stretched, warm water for washing was placed in front of me. The lady who introduced herself as Marisa applied rouge to my lips and offered to braid my hair for the day.
I thanked her and turned my head this way and that under her gentle hands.
A morning without lifting a finger. The day began with considerate care. Once dressed, I walked carefully to the dining room, cautious not to wrinkle my pretty clothes.
"Oh my, you’ve braided your hair today. It suits you well."
A slender, elegant middle-aged woman awaited in the dining room. She had been waiting for me; her plate was still empty.
Clink-
The meal began with a dozen maids watching. The food, as always, was exquisite, but I felt a silent pressure. Though no one scolded me, the maids corrected my fork’s position each time, making me aware of my constant mistakes.
I wasn't even sure if the food was making it to my mouth.
The Marchioness smiled gently. After watching me struggle through the meal, she stood up.
"Princess Lena, would you mind moving to another room? I’m not feeling well... it’s difficult to eat at the table."
She led me to the salon, seating me on a plush sofa and instructing the maids to prepare fondue.
Small pieces of meat, fruit, and bread dipped in melted cheese, with no set dining etiquette.
Eating like this around a table was more like having a snack.
"Does it suit your taste?"
"Yes. It’s delicious."
The pressure lifted.
Finally able to savor the food, I filled my belly, and the Marchioness served light snacks and tea, saying,
"When I feel better, I’ll cook for you. I’m not sure if I still can, but I used to cook quite often..."
Her voice trailed off.
Recalling her deceased son, tears threatened to spill, but she composed herself, thinking of the comforting words from the youth who seemed like a grown son.
"...I used to cook often. It was my only hobby. Do you have any hobbies, Princess?"
"Yes, I love theater."
I spoke confidently.
I remembered the experience of losing myself on stage and shouting towards Azura as a saint, the applause that followed the brief silence, and it made me feel proud.
Soon, I was chattering away about my theater experiences.
The Marchioness, who had assumed the princess enjoyed watching theater, was surprised. She realized that Lena was not a typical princess. Lena spoke as if she had only recently discovered her royal status.
Despite being bedridden for seven years, the Marchioness was a noble. She had lived her entire life in the harsh aristocratic society and was the lady of the high-ranking Guidan family.
What could be going on?
But it was clear that this lovely young lady harbored no malice. The Marchioness concluded with curiosity.
‘There must be a story...’
Her husband would arrive at the estate within a month. He wouldn't harm those who had awakened her, but she needed to know what was going on.
This naive girl seemed to know nothing...
With this in mind, the Marchioness decided to question ‘those young men.’ She sent the princess to her room and, after about a week, summoned the battered Leo and Rev to interrogate them.
"Who are you?"
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