Ch.9999. Face

Allen’s promise to treat them as honored guests was no exaggeration. The assigned room was spotlessly clean, as if it had been consistently maintained for a long time. It was an embarrassingly large space for a single person to use.

Sorry to Wolfram, but compared to this place, his inn was no better than a stable. Until now, a home for Rex had merely been a space used for sleeping. Even Rex couldn’t help but gape when he first entered the room.

The fireplace emitting warm heat was maintained by maids who added firewood at regular intervals. The bed was so soft that his body would melt right into it, and above all—

There was a bathtub.

Rex was deeply moved by this fact. Since becoming a Sacred Knight, he had developed resistance to cold and heat, so washing outdoors wasn’t particularly difficult. Still, there was no way to solve the inconvenience of going outside every time. But with a bathtub, he could now relax in his room whenever he felt like it.

‘Is this what power is?’

Indeed, the marquis family’s authority was so tremendous that they could afford to furnish guest rooms with all sorts of convenient furniture. The mansion had over dozens of rooms. Perhaps they had given him an especially nice room among them. But what did it matter? Rex collapsed weakly onto the bed.

Unpacking didn’t take much time. After all, his luggage consisted only of the spare clothes he had brought. Even those were collected by Allen, leaving only the Zweihander and armor as Rex’s possessions in the room.

‘If you don’t mind, I’ll prepare separate clothes for you.’

‘You don’t have to go that far…’

‘As the head butler of Edenhar, it is my duty to provide the finest food, clothing, and shelter to our honored guests. If they’re not particularly precious items, I’ll dispose of them and provide you with new clothes.’

Rex was aware that the clothes he had brought were worn and tattered. He had just been wearing whatever was convenient because he had no desire for luxury. There was no particular reason to refuse Allen’s kindness. Seemingly concerned about it, Allen quickly brought new clothes. After Rex put them on, Allen finally nodded with a satisfied expression and left the room.

‘It feels somewhat stifling.’

It wasn’t that the clothes were uncomfortable. The silk tunic and pants were well-ventilated and didn’t hinder movement. Perhaps it was just psychological discomfort from feeling that the surroundings were too luxurious. Until just a year ago, Rex’s daily routine had involved cleaning up animal droppings in livestock pens.

‘I’ve come a long way.’

Rex got up and approached the window. The view outside was astonishing no matter how many times he looked at it. The garden surrounding the mansion and the vast lake stretching before it. Looking down slightly, he could see numerous soldiers and servants moving about in a mixed crowd.

Knock knock.

As he was absentmindedly admiring the panorama of Edenhar, he heard a knocking sound from outside the door.

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

Chloe’s head peeked through the slightly opened door.

“Are you done settling in? Oh, those are new clothes.”

“I just received them.”

“They suit you.”

Elin, who was standing beside her, spoke up.

“I’m glad they fit.”

Their rooms were adjacent to Rex’s on either side. Charlotte had said not to put the group all together, but that only meant not to put them in the same room. For both Charlotte and Allen, it was more convenient to manage if their rooms were nearby.

“It looks similar to my room. Some of the furniture is slightly different though.”

Chloe muttered as she looked around the interior with curious eyes. Elin, who had been staring at her, bluntly said:

“Food.”

“Ah, right! Allen said to come down to the first floor when preparations are complete. Charlotte has finished her urgent business, so she wants us to have dinner together…”

“Got it.”

Rex nodded and left the room. A maid waiting outside guided the way, but there was no need to worry about getting lost even without guidance. He had already memorized the locations of the main facilities before being assigned a room. Of course, it would still take quite some time to adapt to the overwhelming size of the mansion.

“You’ve arrived.”

The dining hall was spacious. It wasn’t the dining hall for knights, soldiers, or servants. It was a place used exclusively for meals by the marquis family members and the head of the household. Considering that, the dining hall seemed excessively large, almost wastefully so.

Charlotte was seated at the head of the long table.

“Have you been waiting long?”

Rex asked with wide eyes. The table was already laden with all sorts of dishes, as if the cooking had been done well in advance. Charlotte smiled slightly and shook her head.

“I just arrived myself. Please, sit down. I’m famished.”

He sat down as instructed. Even the ordinary chairs had cushions filled with down, making them comfortable to sit on. Moreover, even the maids of the marquis household were of a different caliber than other servants. In the blink of an eye, maids appeared and placed napkins around the necks of the group. Rex, Chloe, and Elin. After pouring wine into each of their glasses, the maids stepped back.

Rex fiddled with his napkin with a sullen face before looking up.

Charlotte was cutting into a juicy steak with her knife. She pierced a deliciously cut piece of meat with her fork and brought it to her mouth.

“The cuisine of our marquis household is not inferior even when compared to the imperial palace. Meals are the driving force that helps me endure this tedious life. If it weren’t for the pleasure of eating, I would have abandoned this boring life long ago.”

Rex mumbled with a surprised expression. Indeed, the taste was excellent enough to justify Charlotte’s confident attitude. It tasted even better because he hadn’t had a proper meal for a month. Sorry to Wolfram, but compared to the cooking here, his cooking was…

‘Let’s stop there.’

Clearing the idle thoughts from his mind, Rex rinsed his mouth with wine and said:

“By the way, don’t the other members dine together?”

“All family members except me are in the imperial capital. Although Edenhar is a fairly good place to live, it can’t compare to Elysium, the imperial capital. It’s where all the wealth and pleasure of the continent are concentrated. I also find it more convenient to keep those annoying people in one place rather than dealing with them.”

Charlotte replied in a disinterested tone.

“Well, I know it’s wasteful to have this large space all to myself. But isn’t it better for you this way? It would be awkward for you to deal with other members of the marquis family.”

It was a statement that accurately pierced through his thoughts. As Rex gave an awkward laugh, Charlotte raised the corner of her mouth and added:

“Anyway, I couldn’t say this when you first arrived at the mansion because things were hectic, but now that we have some leisure… Let me say it. Welcome to the Edenhar Marquis Household. Not just you, Rex, but the other children as well.”

Chloe, who had been eating with an uncomfortable expression, suddenly choked when the attention turned to her. Finding her reaction quite amusing, Charlotte chuckled and said:

“As I said, I like talented children. Though one of you might be too old to be called a child. The point is, while you stay at the marquis household, I will fully support you.”

“How exactly?”

Rex asked abruptly. After receiving such luxurious accommodations and a feast, it seemed shameless to ask for specific plans, but he decided to be a bit more brazen. After all, since Charlotte had brought them here without much explanation, he thought she must at least have a vague plan.

“Don’t worry about yourself. I’ll force you to train even if you refuse. Until you meet my standards.”

Charlotte replied indifferently and turned her head.

“Although you came following Rex, now that you’ve entered my household, I can’t let you leave with inadequate skills. Chloe, what do you desire?”

Chloe flinched at the sudden question. The answer didn’t come immediately. Charlotte smiled and asked again:

“You don’t need to think too deeply. I’m not expecting something grandiose. I just want to know what you desire most right now.”

Chloe cautiously glanced in Rex’s direction. What I want most at this moment. The answer had been decided from the beginning. She wanted to continue being with Rex.

The feelings that had been subtly rising bloomed completely on that rainy day, but she still hadn’t conveyed them. The answer was indefinitely postponed. She had made excuses, saying she would speak again later, fearing that the happy daily life would be shattered if she heard the answer.

Since that day, there hadn’t been any significant progress with Rex. While she was somewhat annoyed by Rex’s seemingly nonchalant behavior, she felt even more of a sense of crisis. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one with eyes on him.

Her eyes met Elin’s.

Chloe tightly gripped her hands resting on her knees.

She couldn’t straightforwardly express her excessive desire to have him all to herself. In Chloe’s mind, she was inferior to Rex. If that was the case, shouldn’t she just narrow that gap?

“…I want to become stronger.”

“Your level was at the stage of revelation. But you’re facing the wall of sacred flame. You use daggers and short swords. Allen?”

Allen, who had been standing back silently, stepped forward.

“From tomorrow, impart the teachings of the Order to this child.”

“Understood.”

While secret teachings are impossible to transmit to non-members of the Order, Charlotte was the one who created such rules. Allen answered immediately without any objection. Instead, Chloe jumped up in surprise.

“W-would that be alright?”

“Although he’s just playing the role of head butler, Allen is quite skilled within the Order. Even now, he could take the position of the Order’s Knight Commander if he wanted to. Though he’s not as good as me, of course.”

“That’s not what I meant, I’m not even a member of the Order…”

“Then why not join the Order? You’ve become a servant of Boreas, but she’s not such a strict deity. For the growth of her servant, she would probably turn a blind eye to borrowing power from another Order.”

“To face the wall of sacred flame at just eighteen… It will be rewarding to teach her.”

Allen chimed in with a faint smile. At this point, Chloe couldn’t say anything more. It was something she had blurted out without realizing it due to her surprise, and as the shock subsided, joy belatedly rushed in. Chloe sat back down, trying to calm her pounding heart.

Charlotte looked at Elin.

“You, I don’t have much to say. Magic is not my domain, and you don’t seem to be at a level that needs guidance from someone. If you wish, I could invite another mage…”

“Not necessary.”

“I thought so. Well, do as you please. I’ll give you an extra room if you want to do research there.”

Despite Elin’s informal speech, Charlotte nodded without expressing any displeasure. She knew that elves were fundamentally impolite beings. No, perhaps it wasn’t just that. Charlotte twisted her lips as she observed the emotions in Elin’s gaze.

“Ah, and one more thing.”

Charlotte’s finger pointed at Elin.

“From now on, take off that robe. I let it slide when we were camping on the way to Edenhar, but there’s no need for it anymore. It’s stifling just looking at you.”

“Charlotte, the reason Elin wears the robe is…”

“You.”

When Rex hurriedly tried to interject, Charlotte frowned and snapped:

“Keep your mouth shut before I spank you.”

Rex closed his mouth.

“It’s fine.”

Elin raised her hand. She always wore her robe without exception, whether during normal times or while sleeping. The robe had magic cast on it to conceal her appearance, so even Chloe, who had traveled with her for a long time, didn’t know what she looked like.

If one reached the stage of radiance and deepened their realm, they could break through the magic, but Chloe hadn’t yet reached that level.

‘Finally.’

Secretly, Chloe was also curious about Elin’s face. Her melodious voice was undoubtedly that of a beauty, but her face might actually be ugly.

In fact, she hoped that was the case. She was aware it was a bad thought. Even while feeling ashamed of herself… such gloomy wishes kept creeping into her heart.

Chloe stared at Elin with wide eyes.

Elin’s hand slowly lifted the robe.

“…Satisfied?”

Transparent silver hair resembling moonlight flowed down.

Chloe’s mouth fell open.