Chapter 54: Arrived at friend’s house Part 1

Though the carriage was practically a mobile hotel, they hadn’t actually slept in it during the two-day journey north.

“Tonight, we shall stay at this hotel.”

On the first day, it was a luxurious hotel.

“Tonight, we’ll rest at this hotel before continuing.”

On the second day, they enjoyed plush beds, delicious dinners, and breakfast at another hotel before setting off again.

Then, as evening fell on the third day, Isabel looked out the window and shouted:

“There! That’s our house!”

The Empire’s high-ranking noble families were fundamentally of two types: those who had been great houses even before the Empire’s founding, or those who had rendered outstanding service to the first Emperor during its establishment.

Stella’s Blaze family was a prime example of the former, while Philia’s Clyford family represented the latter.

And the Shuker family also belonged to the former—meaning they had wielded influence and power even before the Empire.

As if reflecting this, the ducal mansion had undergone repeated expansions over a long period.

***

“How is it? Pretty, right?”

“Uh…”

Ellie was so stunned by the unexpected sight before her that her response came late.

“Y-Yes! It’s beautiful! Really!”

The building had a charm reminiscent of Korean patchwork wrapping cloths.

But truthfully, its exterior was somewhat shocking.

‘Wait, is that just stuck on there? And why does the architectural style suddenly change along that wall? Even the annex looks like that!’

‘Well, it’s not exactly pretty—no, no, it is pretty. A friend’s house is always pretty, right? Yeah, yeah. Maybe it’ll grow on me.’

“Hehe, I’ll give you all a tour!”

“Wow, wow…!”

“I-I’m really looking forward to it!”

“Everyone, play along. Hey, Philia, you too. Huh? What’s going on? Ugh, whatever.”

***

At any rate, the carriage stopped in front of the extravagant mansion, and the retainer who had been overseeing their journey called over another servant.

“Hey, fetch the head butler! The young lady and her guests have arrived!”

“Oh my! Young Lady Isabel!”

“May! Long time no see!”

“Welcome back!”

It seemed Isabel was dearly beloved by both the retainers and the servants.

“These are all my friends! Quite a few, right?”

“Oh my! Are these our young lady’s…?”

The servant’s gaze landed on Ellie.

He gulped.

“Truly remarkable individuals!”

Anyone could see he tensed up the moment Ellie entered his line of sight.

As they stepped out of the carriage and stretched, a man who appeared to be the head butler hurried over.

“Ohh, Young Lady Isabel! It’s been so long! I hope you’ve been well?”

“Yep! And these are my friends!”

“Oho… I’ve heard much about you. The Princess of House Blaze, the successor of House Lacostrin, the Countess of House Clyford…”

Then the head butler’s eyes met Ellie’s.

Gulp. He swallowed hard.

“And Lady Ellie!”

He was obviously nervous.

[-This is definitely…]

[-Yeah.]

The three of them, excluding Isabel and Ellie, whispered among themselves.

It seemed the Duke had drilled into his staff repeatedly just how critically important Ellie was.

“W-Well then, please follow me this way! We’ve prepared the finest rooms for you!”

The head butler took the lead, guiding the esteemed guests into the mansion.

Every servant or maid they passed along the way reacted similarly to the others.

“Ohh, Young Lady Isabel! And her friends!”

Then, upon spotting Ellie, their eyes would widen, and they’d bow deeply.

“P-Please make yourselves comfortable!”

By the time they reached their rooms, Ellie had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

“Here we are. The interiors are all the same, but would you like to look and choose?”

“Hmm… Should we?”

But they really were identical, so they just picked at random.

The four rooms were lined up side by side anyway.

“The other servants will bring your luggage shortly. Dinner—no, the banquet—is scheduled in two hours. We’ll send someone to escort you then.”

The head butler then pulled out small slips of paper from his pocket and handed them out.

“These are maps. The back explains how to locate yourself step by step.”

“…”

“We’ve hosted many guests, so… If you lose yours, just ask any servant for a new one. They all carry spares.”

The four of them (minus Isabel) shared the same thought: ‘So they know their mansion is a mess.’

‘At least they’re self-aware… Or should we say it’s frustrating that they know and still do nothing? Wait, these maps are their solution, aren’t they?’

The more Ellie thought about it, the more oddly irritated she felt, so she decided to stop thinking altogether.

***

After the luggage arrived and everything was settled, Isabel, who had been away for a while, returned to her room.

The girls then gathered in Ellie’s room, lounging around.

Philia was reading a book, Stella was gazing out the window, Isabel was explaining a map to Ellie, and Clea was knitting, now quite skilled at it.

“Yawn…”

Suddenly, Clea spoke up.

“Somehow, it feels no different from when we were at the academy.”

“Right, right? I was thinking the same thing.”

When they first set out on the journey, they all wondered how it would feel to be surrounded by unfamiliar places and people.

Honestly, they were a little worried—about the sheer unfamiliarity of it all.

But now, being together like this, it just felt like an ordinary day, no different from usual.

Of course, there were slight differences, but only slight.

It felt as if nothing truly important or fundamental had changed.

“It’s because we’re all together.”

At Ellie’s relaxed remark, the other girls slowly nodded in agreement.

Knock, knock.

“Young ladies and honored guests, thank you for waiting. We will now escort you to the banquet hall.”

Even on the way to the banquet hall, the girls could sense the “long history” of the Sucre family.

“Here, if you use the transition point from marble to wallpaper as a landmark, it’ll be easier to navigate, haha.”

“Hahaha…”

Next time, they’d have to ask Isabel for a proper tour.

It might take days to cover everything.

***

After a short but enthusiastic walk, they finally opened the door to a grand space.

“Wow.”

Even Ellie couldn’t help but let out a breath.

A grand banquet hall befitting the massive mansion.

But if that were all, Ellie would’ve simply looked for the host’s seat without much thought.

However, the banquet hall was filled with countless paintings and sculptures.

The walls were adorned with artworks, and the ceiling featured a massive fresco.

In their original world’s Europe, biblical scenes or Greco-Roman myths might have been depicted, but in this world, historical episodes were the norm.

The founding legend of the Sucre family, the achievements of the empire’s first emperor, scenes from ancient battles, and so on.

Content that would instantly captivate Ellie’s interest.

She wanted to examine them for hours, but the host of the banquet, noticing the girls’ arrival, called out loudly.

“Ah, the most important guests of tonight’s banquet have arrived! Come here! And sit right next to me.”

It was a voice they’d never heard before, but its confidence was fitting for the master of this mansion.

Moreover, Ellie sensed the presence of a formidable opponent—one she’d exchanged letters with several times.

Sure enough, in the direction Ellie turned her head, a middle-aged man with golden hair and amethyst eyes, just like Isabel, was seated.

His frame was sturdy but lean, and his short beard was neatly trimmed.

Behind him, symbols of a duke’s authority were displayed: a Magicalia—a wide-brimmed, pointed wizard’s hat—and the family’s ancestral staff on a dedicated stand.

“Dad!”

“Hoho, come here, my daughter!”

Isabel rushed into the duke’s arms, and he spun her around gleefully.

To anyone watching, it was a heartwarming reunion between father and daughter after a long time apart.

“Lately, it feels like you’re more interested in Ellie than me, Dad.”

“Hoho, how could that be? Even if it were true, it’d all be for you, our dear Isabel.”

Though some might’ve found the exchange a bit unsettling for a father-daughter conversation.

After setting his daughter down, the duke greeted each of her friends one by one.

“Princess, it’s an honor to meet you at last. May your long years be glorious.”

“Lady! Is your mother as beautiful as ever? It’s clear you’ve inherited her striking features!”

“Lady! Likewise, the noble blood of your great house shines undiminished in you. What bold and composed eyes you have.”

And finally—

“Miss Ellie.”

Ellie smiled faintly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you at last, Your Grace.”

“The honor is mine, Miss Ellie. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for so long.”

The duke extended his hand toward her.

A handshake.

He had only nodded to Isabel’s other friends until now.

So Ellie, still smiling, took his hand.

“Your hand is more delicate than I expected.”

“Is that something you should say to a young lady?”

“Oh my.”

“Miss Ellie, there’s no need to stand on ceremony with me. Haven’t we already exchanged many letters?” Hahaha.

“Ahaha, that’s true. The same goes for you, Your Grace.”

“Hahaha.”

“Ahaha.”

A high-ranking noble who had been waiting at the table cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.

“Ahem, if this guest is so remarkable, won’t you introduce her to everyone, Duke Sucre?”