HPDBC Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Tristan’s subordinate approached and spoke in a low voice, getting straight to the point.
“There are rumors of a monster appearing in the ‘Blue Atrium.’”
“......”
“They’re just rumors circulating among the peasants, so I couldn’t formally report it...”@@@@
“Wait a moment.”
Tristan, for all his arrogance, was far from a fool. The brief clue struck his mind like lightning.
He flipped through the recently received budget and expenditure report for the ‘Blue Atrium,’ quickly piecing together the fragments in his head.
“...There’s something about this that’s too concerning to dismiss as a mere rumor.”
“Pardon?”
“Last year, a significant sum was spent reclaiming the lord’s forest. That’s usually something that happens when starving villagers encroach during a famine, but there’s no record in this report of crop failures or wild boar infestations.”
The omitted details in the expenditure resolution for reclaiming the forest were followed by records of additional soldier recruitment and expenses for funerals of the deceased, lending credence to a grim suspicion.
“Do we have any tangible evidence proving the existence of the monster?”
“No. Only the accounts of a few herb gatherers.”
“I see.”
For now, all he could do was ruminate on the worst-case scenario.
‘Father might hand the Blue Atrium over to Arthur Albion.’
A territory plagued by monsters couldn’t be ruled by just anyone. The lord of such a place needed to prove their ability to lead soldiers and deal with threats when necessary.
‘Well, if it comes down to proving swordsmanship, I could manage—’
But the Blue Atrium bordered Frost Hill, the Northern Duke’s domain.
The king was far more likely to entrust such valuable land to the Northern Duke rather than risk it being ravaged by monsters.
His subordinate, seeing the scattered documents on ‘Arthur Albion,’ must have reached the same realization.
The man now gazed at Tristan with loyal yet expectant eyes, awaiting further orders.
Tristan waved his hand dismissively.
“I need time to sort out my thoughts. Leave me for now.”
“Pardon?”
“Why are you surprised?”
“There’s still a document left that you must receive personally.”
“...Ah.”
The subordinate cautiously pulled a document from deep within his coat. It detailed the social events Maria had recently attended and those she was likely to be invited to. The man probably wasn’t thrilled to be carrying such a report openly.
“I hope you enjoy a peaceful evening.”
After handing over the document, the subordinate quickly exited the room. But Tristan didn’t bother to look at the “confidential document.” Not long ago, he would’ve been obsessively curious about Maria’s whereabouts, but now his mind was consumed by entirely different questions.
‘Arthur Albion. What’s your connection to my fiancée?’
To be honest—his subordinate would be appalled to hear this—Tristan didn’t care if the Blue Atrium was taken. To be precise, he had resigned himself to that possibility the moment he heard about the monsters.
‘Father doesn’t trust me anyway.’
A land where monsters appeared was also likely to harbor magic stones. His Majesty wouldn’t risk entrusting such a valuable territory to his youngest son, preferring to hand it to a proven commander.
‘It’s fine... I’ll be fine.’
Father would find him another suitable piece of land. That would be enough.
A prosperous estate where Tristan and his wife could live comfortably...
But then his train of thought screeched to a halt, snagged on one unsettling sentence.
‘Arthur Albion... took it from me.’
Something that should’ve been his.
Something as constant and unremarkable as air, now in that man’s hands...
‘What guarantee is there that it’ll stop at the Blue Atrium?’
A wave of revulsion surged through him like nausea.
Tristan stood abruptly and yanked the pull cord. The subordinate from earlier rushed back in.
“Your Highness, you called?”
“I need information. Look into Arthur Albion’s party invitations.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The subordinate, though weary, smiled as he recognized the scale of his master’s ambition.
Little did he realize, it wasn’t headed in the direction he expected.
I let out a sigh of relief, and Natalie shot me a sideways glance.
“Why do you look so relieved?”
“You finally seem like yourself again, sister.”
“And you, Doris—you haven’t seemed like yourself for months now.”
“You like me better this way, don’t you?”
“Hah!”
Her sharp laugh was oddly refreshing. One corner of her mouth curled upward, and her eyes, folded like crescent moons, glinted with amusement.
“Doris, there’s some time before the ball. Want to join me for tea?”
“Tea? Now?”
“There’s a tea house that makes wonderfully crispy waffles. The portions are too big for me to finish alone. What do you say?”
“......”
“Great. Dress up and meet me downstairs.”
“I didn’t even say yes!”
“You did. With your face.”
No, I didn’t!
...Maybe I did.
What do waffles taste like in this world? Everything else made with flour has been delicious so far, so these waffles are probably amazing. Will they come with ice cream? At the very least, there’ll be maple syrup, right?
Ah, now I’m hungry.
As I was getting ready, the maid asked me, “Miss Doris, did you skip lunch? You look hungry. If it’s too much, I can offer you my snack—”
“No, I’m fine! Just... tie the corset loosely, please.”
“Of course. Enjoy your outing!”
I put on my dress instead of borrowing Natalie’s. I decided to save the fancy ones for the Sacred Salon.
Natalie frowned as we sat across from each other in the carriage.
“Your dress is plain again.”
“Your clothes are too cold.”
“You better wear something nice in summer.”
The carriage began to roll down the main road.
Natalie and I didn’t have much in common, so our conversation fizzled out quickly. But the silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
Is this what having a sister is like?
You bicker and exchange harsh words, but they still look out for you in their own way.
It doesn’t feel too bad...
Wait a second.
“Um, sister.”
“What?”
“This carriage... it’s going to the tea house, right?”
Just now, someone outside yelled, “The Earl of Redfield is arriving!” And the scenery outside was no longer the city.
Could it be...
“We’re heading to the royal palace. You’ll be attending the ball in my place. Aunt will join you shortly.”
“What? Why me?”
“Arthur Albion will be at the ball. Weren’t you interested in him?”
Oh no.
The incident at the greenhouse suddenly came back to me. She’s still misunderstanding that!
“I’m not interested! I think you’re misunderstanding something—”
“So what if I am?”
Natalie shrugged nonchalantly.
“Whether I misunderstand or not is my business.”
“......”
“Well, I’m looking forward to you bringing back some entertaining stories. At the very least, step on your fiancé’s foot while you’re at it.”
Is this what sisters are like? Acting like they care while being totally unreasonable and self-centered?
The carriage soon came to a stop, and Natalie placed her feathered headpiece on my head before ushering me out.