"If anyone takes you lightly, let me know immediately." Laslo said with a serious tone.
Instead of mentioning any names, Agnes just smiled faintly.
The door opened silently. A servant loudly announced the arrival of the Duke and his wife. The sound of music and laughter, as well as the people who were dancing all stopped at the same time.
Agnes walked forward with her back straight. Their curious gazes on her felt uncomfortable.
When the couple had gotten seated, the music that had been earlier cut off, slowly started playing again.
Laslo raised his glass as he stood up.
“I am glad to be able to formally introduce my wife here tonight. Bear in mind that Eshtar officially welcomed
her as its new mistress(1) yesterday. Treat her the same way you do me."
"Understood!" A knight carrying a longsword loudly replied.
Laslo swept with his eyes over the room and exclaimed: “Glory to the Millennium Fortress!”
"Glory!"
As he led the chant, the rest raised their glasses and followed.
Everyone seemed to have complete faith in those words. Eshtar is a thousand-year-old fortress. An invincible castle that would never be penetrated, the people chanted in unison.
This was because the castle's door had never been opened by outsiders.
However Agnes clearly remembers how this castle had been penetrated and collapsed.
"May I offer a drink?"
A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. Zoltan was standing in front of Agnes holding a drink. Unlike usual, he
was excessively polite.
She smiled happily and handed him her empty cup.
"Sure."
"Welcome to Eshtar, Princess."
"Thank you."
The alcohol was a strong distilled liquor different from the one drunk in the palace.
Agnes emptied the cup silently.
After Zoltan left, the other retainers got up one by one to approach Agnes. They walked up to her offering alcohol, words of blessings and welcoming greetings and then went back. All while being wary of Laslo's watching eyes
“I hadn't expected I would meet the princess here.”
"Lord Béla."
A familiar face came walking towards her with a smile. Agnes welcomed the sight of him warmly.
"I still remember the first time I saw the princess at the palace, although back then I would have never imagined I'd see her here in Eshtar. By the way, does the princess still remember playing ball with Prince Chavolti? At the time she was barely the height of my shin. After seeing the princess and the prince, I thought I should get married quickly and have a baby. The sight of the two of you playing together was so cute. Oh, I should quickly start a family and then play ball with my cute kids everyday..."
"I see you still talk a lot." Agnes abruptly cut off the endless ramblings of Béla.
Because if she didn't do this, he'd be able to talk for 10 minutes straight by himself.
"Haha, why would my nature change? Well, this is my wife. This year will be our 5 year anniversary of our marriage."
He gestured to a blonde woman standing next to him.
“I'm Christina.”
She said nothing more.
Christina was very quiet compared to her husband, Béla. But from only that, Agnes liked her already.
This time, after sending the couple away, a person who she had been looking forward to meeting appeared.
"My name is Buschke Hershko. Mistress. I mainly stay at the West Watchtower, and help with this and that every now and then."
"I see, I heard you're the advisor of this castle."
"I have just lived a little longer, and know a little more than others."
The elderly woman's smile seemed surprisingly peaceful. She lowered herself and spoke humbly, but Buschke was famous for being wise, much so that even other nearby territories would come to seek her wisdom.
“I heard from a maid that you had come to visit this old woman in the afternoon.”
"Yes, I have something to ask" Agnes spoke immediately.
Buschke just kept smiling.
"When do you have time?"
"I will make time for whenever the mistress wishes." She answered politely with a bow.
“Then can you come to my place tomorrow morning?”
"I will do so."
Before she left, Buschke poured Agnes a drink.
She took the glass filled to the brim and downed it in one go. Her throat was burning.
She turned her head to check beside her. It was difficult to see Laslo's face clearly since they sat a bit far from each other.
What face did you make in your dying moments?
Did he resent her, did he curse her? She wondered if he regretted taking her as his wife.
It was hard to imagine his end. Laslo, whom she had watched during their marriage, was like a mountain. He was a grand man who would never fall no matter what challenge he faced.
Agnes poured herself another glass of alcohol. Her throat and stomach had started to slowly sting.
At the same time, her eyes had started to turn red for no reason. She quickly wiped them with her hands before others could see it.
After exchanging greetings with countless people, the night had fallen.
"You must be tired. Go back first." Laslo came up to her first and said.
"What about you?"
"I still have matters to discuss with the vassals."
Agnes nodded lightly and rose from her seat.
"It's late, so don't stay up too long. Return to your bedroom at a reasonable time."
Laslo's face turned strange after hearing her gentle advice.
"Is something wrong?"
“No, it’s just been so long since I heard that after my parents passed away.”
"Then from now on, you'll have to hear it so often that your ears will start to hurt."
She didn't mean to make him laugh, but Laslo suddenly burst into laughter. His laugh was so loud that others stared at them.
"I'm looking forward to it." Laslo said, staring straight into Agnes' eyes.
"... I'm looking forward to it all.”
Agnes avoided his eyes, because somehow her heart wouldn't settle down.
She beckoned to Ney, who was standing to the side. She quickly came over at Agnes call.
“Would you like to go back to the bedroom?”
"Yes."
After passing a long corridor with torches hanging along the walls, they stood at a crossroad.
To the right was Agnes’ bedroom.
"Milady?"
Agnes paused at the crossroad.
"Let's go this way"
"Ah, this is..."
Ney glanced at Agnes and hesitated to continue.
That way was towards Laslo's bedroom.
The maid was cautious, knowing that they had yet to spend the night together.
"Don't worry."
As expected, they arrived in front of Laslo's bedroom, and the servant, who was arranging the bedding, jumped in surprise.
"Mistress, Master has not returned yet."
"I know. I'll wait inside, so let me know when he arrives."
"Understood."
The servant retreated.
Ney walked in a hurry and brought Agnes some clothes to change into.
"Would you like me to redo the makeup?"
"No need. I'm tired, so remove it for now and go back."
After Ney had left, the bedroom became still and quiet. The only noise came from the fire burning in the room.
Agnes slowly began to fall asleep as her nervous body relaxed and warmed up to the warm fire. At first, she pinched her thigh and tried to hold out, but soon she sat down at the table and dozed off.
“...Princess."
"hmm?"
“Are you awake?”
Laslo was in front of her with a rather troubled look on his face. Agnes only then realised that she had dozed off at the table.
Half the candle had burnt down.
“You must've gone to the wrong bedroom due to the alcohol. I'll call your maid.”
"No."
Agnes grabbed the hem of Laslo’s arm as he turned around to leave.
"In fact, I'm here to ask you something."
"What is it that you want to ask?"
Laslo looked down at Agnes, standing in front of the table.
She let go of the hem of his clothing.
Why did you die for me?
What she really wanted to ask was buried in her heart.
"Please take a seat."
Agnes swallowed the saliva in her dry mouth and offered a seat in front of her.
"What is it?"
He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down as if he expected it to be long.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush."
"Please do speak comfortably.” Laslo nodded with an innocent look.
"Why haven't you come to my bedroom in the last few days?"
Spending the night together as husband and wife is both a noble's right and duty written in the law.
The two had yet to spend the night together in such fashion.
“Uh, well, that's..."
At that moment, Laslo's face was full of embarrassment.
He seemed to be looking for excuses rather than a truthful answer.
"You don't like me, do you? Because I'm young and don't know anything, as well as having brought no dowry."
Agnes sighed deeply. She had so many shortcomings that she couldn't keep her head up and looked down.
"That's not it."
Laslo shook his head slowly.
"Or, do you happen to have someone in your heart?"
Even the worst case scenario that she didn't want to think about came to mind.
He was not someone who would have an affair as a married man, but it would not have been impossible if there was someone he had in mind before this marriage of convenience.
"What? Absolutely not."
Luckily, Laslo jumped in surprise and waved his hands.
"Then why in the heavens not? If it's not that you don't like me, or have a lover, then why won't you spend the night with me? Don't you know this is a matter of great concern to my prestige?"
"Princess."
As Agnes' voice grew louder and louder, Laslo opened his mouth with difficulty.
"Is the princess satisfied with this marriage? Are you happy?"
Satisfaction? Happiness?
Out of the blue, the words stuck in her heart. She didn't understand why he was asking this question.
Lila's notes:
1. Mistress as in "the female head of the house(wife)" and not "the lover of a cheating husband".
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