It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 37

“You’re going to the Edelheit mansion?”

Marianne asked as she tied her tousled hair into a single knot. After receiving permission from Erich to visit, the first person I thought of was Marianne. I had spent the most time with her over the past few days, and suddenly leaving for my family home would surely surprise her.

I came to the Maron Palace early in the morning to deliver the news, and Marianne greeted me with a very haggard face. Her eyes were dark and sunken as if she hadn’t slept, and her bright blonde hair was disheveled.

“Yes, it was a sudden decision, so I wanted to tell you first. But… did you stay up all night?”

Marianne blinked slowly, as if trying to shake off sleep, but her golden eyes still looked unfocused.

“Well, yes, I did stay up. I’ve been working on something lately.”

“What kind of work keeps you up all night? Don’t tell me it’s those books you borrowed last time?”

The only thing I could guess was the pile of Motus-related books she had borrowed from the royal library.

“No, haha, I haven’t read a single page of those yet. Something else came up. I think I’ll only get to them after I finish this task.”

Her maid brought a glass of water. Marianne drank it like it was barley tea and shook her head. Her thin blonde hair swayed loosely.

“Phew, I’m finally waking up. I’ve found a new pastime recently. It’s tough, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment, so I ended up pulling an all-nighter.”

“What kind of pastime is it?”

“Hehe, I’ll tell you when you return. By the way, when are you leaving?”

Marianne smoothly changed the subject. I swallowed my curiosity and hesitated. If I were leaving tomorrow, I wouldn’t have come to Maron Palace so early.

“Well… today.”

“Today? Then when will you be back?”

“I think I’ll return in about a month.”

“What?”

I gave a sheepish smile in response to her surprised reaction.

I was also surprised by the duration. My main reason for visiting the Edelheit mansion was to check on Lean’s health.

More precisely, to offer a sincere apology. Since Lean hadn’t fully recovered, I didn’t expect to stay long.

I had vaguely thought it would be a short visit—maybe a day or two—but the size of the luggage being packed by the maids at Arlin Palace was suspicious. I approached Louis, who was enthusiastically packing.

“Louis, isn’t this too much luggage for a short trip?”

“But you’ll be staying for a month, so we need to pack the essentials.”

“A month? What are you talking about?”

“Pardon? Were you planning to stay even longer?”

Louis asked with a cheerful face, and I momentarily lost track of time before regaining my senses.

I told her I had only planned for a few days at most, and she widened her eyes.

“But this is an official visit, right? Not an informal one, but a royal visit to the Edelheit family.”

“…Wait a minute.”

Her words triggered a memory.

An official royal visit.

A visit recorded in palace records, where a noble family invites a royal for a specific purpose and assumes full responsibility for their protection.

Unlike informal visits, during an official visit, the royal gains authority equal to the head of the noble house.

Normally, even royals couldn’t interfere with internal affairs of noble families unless it involved rebellion or treason.

But during an official visit, they could. The royal could use the family’s resources and soldiers without the head’s permission.

It was a political tool used in special circumstances. I didn’t understand why Giscal insisted on an official visit. There were surely other ways.

It was burdensome to have authority equal to Giscal’s within the Edelheit mansion, but I had no intention of using it.

The real burden was the duration. Official visits typically lasted at least a month.

A whole month at the Edelheit mansion.

Of course, there were upsides. A month away from the palace meant a month away from Erich’s insincere acting and the constant tension of avoiding his traps.

But the Edelheit mansion was unfamiliar to me. It was Arne’s family home, but to me, it was as foreign as the palace.

And Giscal…

I frowned, recalling our awkward meeting. The affection built through letters had frozen during our encounter. Though he was considerate, I wasn’t sure I could treat him as warmly as I had treated Arne in the past.

Could I really spend a month in an unfamiliar mansion? With Giscal?

I sighed unconsciously. Marianne, now fully awake, smiled and comforted me.

“Don’t worry too much. Just think of it as more comfortable than the palace.”

“That’s true, but I’m still a bit nervous.”

“Hehe, at least this time you’re mentally prepared, right?”

Compared to waking up in a strange world in a strange bed, I had plenty of time to prepare. At least I knew when and why I was going to the Edelheit mansion.

Just a few months ago, I had experienced the extreme situation of waking up in a completely foreign world. I should be able to handle this level of anxiety.

I chuckled in agreement but then paused. That absurd experience was my secret alone. Yet Marianne spoke as if she knew.

As if she knew I had once been thrown into an unfamiliar place without warning.

“Marianne, just now…”

“Your Highness, the maid Louis from Arlin Palace urgently requests to see you.”

“Let her in.”

Marianne quickly gave permission, and Louis entered with hurried steps.

“Your Highness, preparations for departure are complete. His Majesty is here to see you off, and the Marquis of Edelheit is also here to escort you.”

“They’re both at Arlin Palace right now?”

I jumped up in surprise. Marianne also stood and urged me.

“Oh my, you’d better hurry.”

I quickly said goodbye to Marianne and followed Louis.

Leaving behind the mystery of Marianne’s comment.

The scenery flowed past the window. Though time was delayed due to Erich and Giscal’s unnecessary standoff at Arlin Palace, the carriage was now en route to the Edelheit mansion.

The place where Arne was born and raised. And more importantly, where I would meet Lean. I held Lean’s letter in my arms.

Stained with tears.

I couldn’t afford to cry in front of Lean…

When I met the maids who had just been released from prison, I cried and ended up making them uncomfortable. Lean was much younger and had only just awakened after a month. He likely wasn’t in full health. I steeled myself to be considerate.

As the carriage slowed, the scenery outside stopped shaking. The carriage came to a full stop, and the door opened gently. Giscal stood right outside.

“We’ve arrived.”

I peeked out. Though not as grand as the palace, the mansion’s marble gate was impressive. Servants lined up and bowed deeply. Giscal extended a hand. I slowly reached out. His hand was firm.

I tried not to look around like a curious visitor and kept my gaze forward.

Among the unfamiliar servants, I spotted one familiar face.

Butler Ortlang stepped forward.

“Thank you for coming.”

“It’s good to see you. You haven’t changed a bit since last time.”

“Haha, at my age, that’s a compliment indeed.”

“I mean it. But…”

As I looked behind him, Ortlang quickly caught on.

“Master Lean is in the annex. He wanted to greet you, but I stopped him. Please don’t be upset.”

“What are you saying? He’s still recovering. He should rest. Good call.”

Ortlang smiled, pleased.

“And Master Lean said he plans to return to his hometown as soon as his parents arrive today.”

“Isn’t that a bit fast?”

“I told him that too, but he said he feels too well to stay here any longer.”

“He couldn’t have recovered that quickly…”

Lean’s rapid recovery was encouraging, but I worried about aftereffects.

“Would you like to go to the annex right away?”

“Of course…”

I replied instinctively but then looked at Giscal, who was still holding my hand. Seeking his permission, he spoke solemnly.

“There’s nothing you need my permission for. Do as you wish. It’s not my permission—it’s your right.”

I had studied the rights granted to royals during official visits through my journal. But I had no intention of exercising them.

“Even though I’m here on an official royal visit, I won’t use the authority of the head of the house against your wishes. Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming. Why did you insist on an official visit? An informal one would’ve been fine.”

“Don’t feel burdened. Just think of it as giving you freedom. And only an official visit would’ve been approved by His Majesty.”

“What do you mean?”

“…To ensure you could protect yourself in case of emergency. His Majesty cares deeply for you.”

Unfortunately, Giscal hadn’t seen through Erich’s act either.

Giscal looked at the dozens of palace guards lined up behind the carriage. The emperor’s elite guards, assigned by Erich to escort me for a journey of less than half an hour. They were even staying with me at the Edelheit mansion for a month. Just imagining moving around with that entourage gave me a headache.

Giscal cherished his sister Arne and would protect her well. So why was Erich acting so overprotective?

Even the insistence on an official visit felt like a precaution—as if Giscal might pose a threat to Arne.

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