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Chapter 39




Chapter 39
“Captain! Are you here?”
However, at that moment, Gawin’s voice was heard, along with the sound of the library door slamming open. Startled, Min-ha wrapped her blushing cheeks and stepped back, while Seth frowned and turned to the culprit who stood in front of the open library door.
Gawain, who widened his eyes at the sight of the two people, immediately scratched his ear with a look of embarrassment and before opening his mouth.
“…Ah. By any chance, did I interrupt the hot time between the two of you?”
“….”
“It, it’s not like that!”
‘Wh, what do you mean, hot time?!’
At Gawain’s witty remarks, Min-ha tried to cool her heated face in denial. He then walked over to the side of his master, who was staring at him with a displeased look on her face, and spoke with a smirk.
“Don’t make that face, Captain. I couldn’t help it either. A letter has arrived in front for you.”
“What letter?”
​​
“Oh, Captain. Are you very upset? Once again, I couldn’t help it. Do you remember the last time you sent a reply to the Marquis of Loengram? Well, the reply has arrived.”
“So?”
“I was wondering what kind of reply it was to the thank-you letter, so Sir Bediviel and I were curious about that, but… No, I thought that the Marquis must have been arguing about useless personal affairs. If that was the case, we would take care of it on our own. Although the old man sent such a reply that we couldn’t handle it ourselves.”
“What is it?”
At his question, Gawain held out a small box without answering.
Seth, who had received it, opened the box with an expressionless face. Inside the box was a letter as white as snow, stamped with wax.
Min-ha, curious about the content of Gawain and Seth’s conversation, approached them slowly and asked.
“…Is it a letter?”
“Yes. It’s also sealed with wax.”
“It’s an official letter.”
“Yes. Even with the Loengram crest embedded in it.”
“Gawain, bring me a paper knife.”
“Here you go, Captain.”
At Seth’s words, Gawain held out a silver paper knife as if waiting.
Receiving it, he cut out the seal neatly so that the seal on the wax was not damaged before opening the letter inside. As he slowly went through the letter, Min-ha tilted her head as she watched Seth’s expression, which was indifferent when he first opened the letter, grow darker and darker.
‘Is there something bad written on it’
Perhaps, Gawain felt the same way. He frowned slightly and questioned his master, who was folding the letter back.
“What did the Marquis of Loengram send you?”
His question was answered by Seth with a short chuckle.
“…He sent an invitation.”
​​
“Ah. Is it about the harvest festival at Loengram Castle around this time?”
“Yes.”
“This is… It seems that the time has already come for the acacia to bloom in the Loengram region. It’s so annoying.”
“…I agree.”
“So, who are you going to send as your representative this time? Are you going to send Sir Kay or Sir Lancelot like last time?”
“I wish I could, though this invitation came to me and Noah.”
“Since the Captain has only shown courtesy and has never attended, the old man seems to be really anxious. My, my.”
​​
“It’s not just that. It was the ‘three people’ that the Marquis of Loengram formally requested to attend the Duke of Persen.”
“Yes?”
After finishing his words, Seth gave an invitation to Gawain, who questioned, with a smile.
Gawin then wore a look of surprise on his face when he read through the letter that his master gave him as a reply. And, regardless of who did it first, Seth and Gawin both turned towards Min-ha at the next moment.
Seeing that, she spoke with a bewildered voice at the sudden gaze of the two people focused on her.
“…Why are you looking at me like that? Oh, no way—”
“As expected, you catch on quick. In the invitation that the Marquis Loengram sent in hopes of us attending the castle’s harvest festival, there is also the Madam’s.”
“Yes?! Me…?!”
Astonished, she uttered back while staring at Gawin, who answered her. Though he and Seth were just looking at themselves without saying anything.
​​
‘…No, why me? Wherefore?’
What is this nonsense… No, it was not something unexpected either.
Looking back at Ella’s explanations she’d heard before, even if she follows the story of ‘Minase Persen’ that Wanda shed, Min-ha never heard of ‘her’ being friendly with a man named the Marquis of Loengram.
Hence, she couldn’t figure out why the Marquis of Loengram had suddenly sent an invitation to her as well.
Because of this, Min-ha asked Seth and Gawin in an absurd voice.
“Is my name really there? Why?”
“…I don’t know why, either, but to be honest, I don’t think the invitation was sent with any particularly good intentions.”
“Really…?”
“Until now, I have been sending people from the Persen family and they didn’t really care. However, they are now inviting us specifically by names… It seemed that the old cunning fox is plotting something.”
“Oh, my. That’s a little uncomfortable… That goes for the contents of the letter, too.”
“Will something bad happen if we go…?”
“Well. Unless there is a special opportunity, they wouldn’t be able to do anything that could seriously threaten my life, though…”
“But, do you still have to go? …No, no matter how I see it, even bringing Noah with you as well?”
​​
At Min-ha’s words, Seth took a long sigh and shook his head in response.
“I don’t know about the last time, but this time it must be difficult.”
“Why?”
“…I’ll explain that to you, Madam.”
When she asked back, he had an awkward look on his face.
So, it was Gawin who answered on his behalf. He opened the letter carefully to Min-ha, who tilted her head with a bitter smile, and then pointed to a section.
“Can you see the name on this part?”
At his words, she turned her gaze to the part of the letter he was pointing to.
The letters were filled with alphabets in cursive form, but at first glance, it was impossible for her to read them.
‘…What should I do?’
‘Minase Persen’ would have had no difficulty in reading and writing. However, it was not the same with ‘Kim Min-ha.’ Still, she couldn’t openly say that she didn’t know. Even though the words looked like English, it didn’t look like it was at the same time.
‘Ugh, I don’t understand this.’
Having nothing to lose now, Min-ha decided to just read what she could, frowning and uttering out the words as she saw it.
“…Lou, Louise de Blaine?”
“Yes. The Madam must have heard of this name.”
Fortunately, it seemed to be the right way to read it. A little relieved, Min-ha was relieved and shook her head to Gawin in response.
“No. I’ve never heard of it.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes.”
“Viscount Guinivis didn’t tell you something like this? Or, on purpose, the Madam…”
“…Yes?”
“Oh, never. I don’t think this part is worth mentioning.”
Even though she persisted Gawin, who had a strange expression on his face, just glanced at Seth and avoided responding.
Worried, Min-ha wanted to ask about it, although Gawin didn’t seem to be able to answer. So, instead, she looked back at Seth though she couldn’t ask him either because he also had an unpleasant face after the name ‘Rupert Guinivis’ came up.
​​
In the end, she gave up on interrogating that part and returned to square one again.
“…So, what does this have to do with that person, ‘Louise de Blaine’?”
“Duchess Louise de Blaine is the Royal Mistress of the current Emperor. In other words, His Majesty’s paramour.”
“Do you mean, a lover…?”
“Well, to be honest, yes. She’s a person who has a great influence in the imperial social circles these days. And, it is said that she is attending the ball this time hosted by the Marquis of Loengram with her own children.”
“Then, what does this have to do with the person named Louise de Blaine, and me and Noah attending?”
​​
“That’s—”
​​
Gawin blurred his words with a dark expression on his face. Eventually, Seth, who was quietly listening to their conversation, tossed his words to Min-ha.
“Her twins, whom she gave birth to, were formally recognized by His Majesty the Emperor on their first birthday not long ago.”
​​
“…If that’s the case, you mean that His Majesty recognized her children as his children?”
“Yes. Despite her children being nominally aristocrats, in reality, they have a status comparable to that of royalty… Even more so now that His Majesty’s affection is away from the Empress and the Crown Prince.”
“Th, therefore…?”
“Even though it has fallen now, what happens if you, who inherited the blood of the former Imperial Family, refuse to attend for no reason?”
“…Am I going to be charged with blasphemy?”
“Yes. Since you saw the letter a little while ago, you must’ve seen that it was Louise de Blaine who was instructed to send an invitation through the Marquis of Loengram.”
Min-ha had to hide her face, startled by Seth’s subsequent remarks. She’d barely adapted to the Peren Castle. However, it was not enough that she was suddenly asked to visit another region. A woman at the peak of this world’s power was approaching her…
As the current situation was completely unexpected, understandably, Min-ha was troubled and terrified.
At the same time, she wondered. Why did ‘Louise de Blaine’ want to invite ‘Minase Persen’? In addition, neither Ella, nor Wanda or even Pompa ever brought up the story of Louise de Blaine, so they must not be close to each other.
With that thought, she turned her head and gazed at Seth before opening her mouth.
“Why did she send me an invitation?”
“Are you pretending not to know, or you really don’t know? Or, do you really want his name to come out of my mouth?”
“What do you mean…? I don’t know?”
“Before Louise de Blaine became ‘Duchess Blaine,’ her name was Louise Resitia. She is the cousin of Rupert Guinivis.”
“Cousin…?”
“A year ago, Rupert’s aunt, Resitia, unexpectedly announced that she’d reveal her hidden daughter as she made her social debut. That was all I knew. Although there were doubts, it now became profane to even raise questions, disrespecting the identity of the mistress.”
​​
“….”
Seeing Seth’s face, who stopped talking with a complicated, subdued face, Min-ha also ceased prying further as well.
It was the name again…
Rupert Guinivis. The nobleman was said to have had an internal relationship with Minase Persen.