That was enough for me to understand his problem. He’d entered through the back gate by mistake and couldn’t find his way to the party hall. Our estate was quite large, after all. “Can you see the arch over there? If you go straight toward it, you’ll reach the residence. Then, walk along the wall toward the left and you’ll find the entrance to the party hall.” He would inevitably find our guests, my parents, and Anastasia there.
“Thank you very much. I’m glad I ran into a maid.” He sounded relieved now that he knew where to go.
“You’re welcome…” I replied.
“My lord, she’s no maid,” came a woman’s voice from behind him. I hadn’t noticed her at first, but behind the man stood a woman clad in black. She seemed to be his servant. “The Chandelans only have one servant, an old woman over sixty. The members of the family take care of everything else themselves, including the management of their territory and estate.”
“Is that so? Then who could she—”
“The Chandelans have three children, two daughters and one son. I imagine she must be one of the daughters.”
“I see. I’m afraid I’ve been terribly rude, then. Please forgive me, my lady,” the man said to me with a polite bow. He then bent forward slightly to look into my eyes.
His eyes were mysterious, and shone brighter than any star I’d ever seen in the sky. Even in the dark of night, they gleamed a brilliant jade. They were so striking it was almost eerie, and I couldn’t help but stare into them. Meanwhile, his black hair and tan skin almost melted into the darkness of the night, and the gold threads of his outfit glittered under the moonlight.
When I considered all his features together, I let out a surprised yelp. “Are you from the Republic of Ypsandros?” I managed to ask.
The man’s expression clouded over, and he looked down at me with a frown. “My mother was an itinerant entertainer. What of it? If my foreign blood irks you, I’ll leave right this inst—”
“I knew it! You’re wearing traditional Ypsandrian clothes, aren’t you?” I replied excitedly, much louder than I’d intended to.
The hostility melted right off the man’s face, replaced by a dumbfounded look. “Are you well-versed in Ypsandrian culture?”
“N-no, I… I just…” After shaking my head, I hesitated for a moment, then nodded and added in Ypsandrian, “I only know a little… I’ve studied the country as a hobby, but I’m not sure I’m knowledgeable enough to call myself ‘well-versed.’”
“Oh! Now there’s a surprise,” the man answered in Ypsandrian. “You can even speak the language!”
I’m glad he understood me, I thought before saying, “As you’ve surely noticed, I can only speak the commoner dialect, although I’m aware nobles and merchants normally use different dialects.”
“That’s more than enough. Merchants understand the commoner dialect, and the noble dialect has no practical use. Besides, your way of speaking Ypsandrian is beautiful,” he complimented me with a smile.
“Truly? Thank you. This is the first time I’ve had the chance to speak it with someone, so I’m delighted.”
“This is also my first time conversing in Ypsandrian with someone other than my mother or merchants. Where did you learn it?”
“I chose Ypsandrian culture as the topic of my research project at school. No one else did, so I only ever studied alone…”
“Most people in the Dilts Kingdom despise foreigners, especially those from the countries of the East—‘backward barbarians,’ they’re often called. While people here do engage in trade with the East out of necessity, it’s not often you meet someone with any actual interest in foreign cultures,” the man muttered. He seemed truly astonished by my fascination with Ypsandros.
I shook my head. “Well, we barely ever see Ypsandrian goods so far in the countryside, but if you take a few moments to learn about Ypsandros, it’s obvious that their technology is highly developed.”
“Oh, but it’s the same in the capital. Just the other day, I saw a viscountess bragging about the high-quality mantle she’d purchased from Fralia, yet it was plain as day that mantle of hers had actually been made in Ypsandros. I had a hard time holding back my laughter.”
I let out a little laugh. “My! Still, I must assume that this viscountess does have a good eye when it comes to mantles. After all, I’m sure it was of the finest quality.”
The man nodded before extending his arms to show me the hem of his sleeves. “That it was. There are no artisans capable of such detailed gold thread embroidery in the Dilts Kingdom. That’s why I order most of my clothes from Ypsandros. I’m especially particular about undergarments. I won’t wear anything other than Ypsandrian silk.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “You sure have a flair for fashion, my lord.”
The man smiled at me. He seemed to be in a good mood, so I wound up getting carried away. “I love Ypsandrian tales,” I continued. “Do you know The Tattered Red Cat? It tells the story of Tatters, a stray cat, who gets picked up by a kind traveler and embarks on a journey all around Ypsandros. Tatters eats all sorts of foods, wears interesting clothing, and sometimes also gets into a bit of trouble, but the traveler loves him dearly and watches over him the entire time. Thanks to the traveler’s care, Tatters grows healthy beyond his namesake. I also have red hair, so I—” I suddenly paused, took a few steps back, and bowed before blurting out in my native language, “Oh, I’m so sorry, my lord. My conduct has been most improper…”
“Improper? What do you mean by that?” he asked, still in Ypsandrian, but I didn’t dare utter a word. “Why aren’t you answering? I liked listening to your story. Tell me more.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t. My parents forbade it.
The school I’d attended wasn’t for noble children. Noble girls normally studied at home under the guidance of a female teacher, but needless to say, our family did not have the funds for such an education. Since I was so unsightly and would never be allowed in high society anyway, my parents deemed that it’d be more useful to the family to have me focus on learning how to read, write, and count at a school instead of studying etiquette or the intricacies of noble culture.
Still, my attending the town’s school along with commoners was incredibly embarrassing for my parents. I’d been strictly forbidden from mentioning anything about it for any reason—especially the research topic I’d picked, which they’d deemed ridiculous.
And yet, I’d dared to disobey them on the day of Anastasia’s formal debut into high society. If people realized that Anastasia had such a shameful sister, her reputation would no doubt be tarnished!
“What happened? Please continue your story,” the man urged.
“F-forget everything I said, my lord. Goodbye!”
“Wait!” The man grabbed my arm. I noticed how huge his hand was as my eyes slowly trailed up to meet his gaze. I hadn’t realized until just now, but he was surprisingly tall: Even though I was as tall as the average man, I had to raise my head to look him in the eye.
For the first time, I was seeing his face up close. He had remarkably well-defined features, deep-set and so strikingly dignified that they were almost intimidating, yet his eyes drooped slightly with a gentle curve—and those green eyes were peering straight into mine.
My first thought was that he was beautiful. He too must have come here to court Anastasia. To think she could attract even a man like him… She was amazing. Truly amazing. Compared to her, I…
There was no point in wallowing in self-pity, and I knew it. Yet, for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my heart I’d never experienced before. I gasped at the sudden tightness in my chest, tears welling up in my eyes.