episode_0050

“There you are, Bell… Huh?”

Attila hesitated as soon as he saw the white lotus while he was in full bloom. An instinctive sense of disgust came over him. In reality, Attila was the type who hated barbarians and foreigners of different colors.

In particular, since I was prone to superstitions, I was embarrassed by the black-haired, black-eyed Baekryeon.

“I was wondering why I hadn’t seen you for so long, but did you guide me to that person?”

“For now… Yeah, I guess so.”

“Still need guidance?”

Bernacien looked at Baekryeon. Baekryeon shook her head and indirectly expressed her opinion.

Attila lifted Bernacien up from his seat and crossed his arms. It was like they were best friends who would never die.

“Do you know how bored I’ve been without you? And Sally keeps picking fights over everything… She’s so smart.”

“Ahaha, Sally must have had her own circumstances too.”

“Bell, you’re too kind, it’s a problem. Seriously… I can tell just by looking at you that I’m jealous.”

The two maids chattered away from Baekryeon, and Hayley barked loudly behind Attila as if to ward off bad luck.

“Boom!”

“…”

From what I’ve observed, Hailey is a gentle creature. She especially welcomes Bernacien, but doesn’t treat others differently. She’s the one who approaches familiar faces first and flips over.

But there are two people I particularly hate.

It was Baekryun and Attila.

Whatever the hunting dog’s intentions, Baekryeon doesn’t feel particularly wronged. Wasn’t he the man who came to kill Bernacien, whom she loved so much?

But…

“Why do you hate that maid so much, you?”

“Grrr…”

“… Don’t talk to me.”

Haley, who had somehow managed to understand his words, crawled into the cramped doghouse and curled up. Could there be a more articulate guest?

Baekryeon, who was left alone, shook off her seat and stood up.

It was the end of the break.

◇

Time really flew by quickly.

Although she still couldn’t like people, her heart regained peace. The other servants also began to accept Baekryeon as a ‘slightly peculiar person’, and Baekryeon melted into Duke Arkaden’s house and lived a normal life.

Nothing happens.

The empire was still peaceful, and the witch Bernacien was always cheerful and kind. Sometimes, when she was teaching the culture of the original world, she was so lively that she would go to Herais and ask him to make it for her.

There were many times when he would talk to Bernacien like this. There were also many times when Herace would openly be jealous of such behavior. It seems that he was so big-hearted that he would call Baekryeon aside and restrain her, whom he found so awkward.

Still, Bernacien often came to see Baekryeon. She said that he was desperately trying to flatter her personal executioner or something.

It was a bad joke. I hope it doesn’t come to this and ruin someone’s life.

I want to be a river that flows away, worn away by the flow of time. Or I want to be a stone on the side of the road and fall into a deep sleep.

Two years have passed in that wind.

May 5th, Year 500 of the Imperial Calendar.

The Arkaden family has a new mistress.

The wedding was held with great magnificence, with flowers falling. Festivals were held throughout the Dukedom of Arkaden, and the enormous amount of money that had been sleeping in the dukedom was released into the market.

Originally, the wedding guests were supposed to be high-ranking figures befitting the status of a duke’s family, but the two main characters, who were now married, wanted to hold the wedding centered around their family members.

The royal family did not necessarily object either.

Since he already knew that Baekryeon was in the Duke’s possession, it would have been a loss for both of them to have to meet each other’s uncomfortable faces. Therefore, he showed his sincerity by delivering the treasures filled in a cart through a messenger.

‘… How wonderful, Duke Hereis Arkaden. How admirable.’

Baekryeon clapped at the timing of the couple kissing in the front row. The applause grew louder in response to the sincere respect.

‘True love that can truly accept an old man hundreds of years older than you. You are the epitome of pure love.’

The bride threw her bouquet. Whether it was intentional or not, the bouquet, which was decorated with pure white flowers, coincidentally landed in Baekryeon’s arms.

“Pfft, ahaha! You guys next?”

The bride in a pure white wedding dress – Bernacien was laughing and teasing her. Baekryeon was helpless and just awkwardly fidgeted with the hand holding the bouquet.

The solution that was finally contrived was a polite request.

“… Please take care of yourself, ma’am.”

“You never called Bell until the end.”

“It’s not a good sight to see them being so close.”

Everyone in the mansion called her Belle, but Baekryeon refused to do so. This was to avoid becoming too attached to the target of her slaughter.

After much persuasion, Baekryeon finally agreed to a compromise and call her ‘Verna’ for short. That was it.

“That bouquet.”

“Huh?”

“Keep it safe. Who knows? An unexpected relationship might come to you.”

Bernacien said playfully and looked over Baekryeon’s shoulder. Her usually cheerful smile was somehow mysterious. I turned my head to follow Bernacien’s gaze, but there was nothing there.

“… What a miserable fate it is to be incapable of doing anything about.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“It’s also stiff.”

“There is no turning back. As of today, you have become the highest person in this area.”

“I guess so. As expected…”

Bernacien smiled bitterly. While the two were talking like that, Herais, dressed in a pure white uniform, grabbed Bernacien’s hand tightly.

“Belle is now my wife.”

“With sincere respect, Your Majesty.”

“… Hmm? Respect, all of a sudden…?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, you are truly an unbiased adult.”

Although Baekryeon had only confessed her true feelings, Herais had a hard time getting rid of the unpleasant aftertaste.

“Ahem, I will definitely make Belle happy. I will not allow even a fingernail’s worth of harm to the empire. So don’t worry.”

“I hope that your decision doesn’t change.”

Herreis’s speech was less formal than before.

From the beginning, their relationship transcended social status as a warrior and a criminal, but it is also true that they developed a sense of intimacy through the process of often introducing Korean civilization and culture.

This is because, unlike the royal family, he also had considerable interest in the backgrounds of immigrant peoples.

“That’s why I want you to be the head of the house.”

“If you tell me to do it, I will. However, I am curious as to why you would entrust me with such an important task.”

“Belle is someone who went from being a maid to a duchess. Anyone would feel a sense of relative deprivation. But since you know Belle’s circumstances, I believe you can get along well.”

For the same reason, Herais had offered Attila the position of chief maid. It was well known that Attila was particularly close to Bernatien, so she thought he would be a good fit.

“I will do as you said. I understand that the work will change soon.”

“It’s cool and nice.”

Of all the days Baekryeon spent at the mansion, today’s Herace had the brightest expression.

I heard that he first met Bernacien when he was about seven years old.

He said that he had harbored a crush on her since then, so it was like a wish that had lasted for over ten years had come true. I couldn’t even begin to fathom the joy and delight he felt.

I can’t help but have different thoughts every time I see a heretic like this.

“… Berna.”

“Huh?”

“You have no conscience. You are. Certainly…”

“Why me?!”

The person who was receiving the deepest love of a young, handsome man hundreds of years younger than her, who also had money and power, was shocked when she heard Baekryeon’s words.

“Huh, haha.”

Herace smiled, understanding the general meaning.

“It’s really… a happy day.”

Apart from the joy of marriage, I felt reassured.

In the great family called Arkaden, witches and warriors coexist. No one can break this fortress filled with happiness, even if the heavens are the enemy and point their spears and swords at it.

◇

A few days later, Duke Arkaden and I were reorganized.

The reign of the duke and duchess began with the head butler Baekryeon and the head maid Attila at the center.

Arkaden’s power grew with each passing day.

While reigning at the pinnacle of food security based on the power of the witch, Herais achieved numerous achievements, such as advancing the civilization of the empire through various inventions.

As a result, even if Arkaden declared independence for the Duchy, the Emperor was unable to do anything. He was no different from a lion who simply followed along obediently because he had no reason to do so.

However, if you ask me if there is no noise at all, I have to firmly deny it.

“… Have you forgotten your duty as a servant? Head Maid.”

“Don’t nitpick. Bell gave it to me, so isn’t it none of your business as a servant?”

“Please call me Madam, not Bell.”

“What the hell do you know about our relationship to be lecturing me like that?”

The conflict began because Attila’s extravagance had become too extreme.

Attila became too attached to Bernatien, who was his superior, under the pretext of being his friend, and received various goods as gifts.

As a result, Attila’s wardrobe was filled with dresses that Bernacien had given her. She even went so far as to decorate the dresses with jewels. Naturally, the jewels she used at that time were also gifts from Bernacien’s drawer.

‘This… is not a good sign.’

The subordinates must be aware of their positions. No matter how much Bernacien was a friend who had been a maid, the hierarchy had been dramatically divided for a long time.

If you try to use this as an excuse to get close and wield power, the order of the mansion will be in shambles.

In fact, there are frequent reports that the workload of maids has become more unproductive than before. However, the housekeeper was worried that it was an overstep of authority for her to meddle in the maids’ private affairs.

An excuse was needed to intervene.

Although it was a bit embarrassing, I had to educate them by forcibly linking their personal luxury with their duties as servants.

“What did the maid think of the relationship between herself and the madam…”

That was when.

“Butler!”

“Maid!”

From each side, a maid and a butler came rushing in.

Baekryun and Attila put aside their conflict for a moment and focused their attention on their subordinates who had serious expressions on their faces.

“Madam…! Madam…!”

…

……

February 1, Year 501 of the Imperial Calendar.

Duchess of Bernacien-Arkaden, pregnant.