"How was it? Did you enjoy the hot spring bath?"
"Yes, it was wonderful. The Pelle I had while soaking in the hot spring was also very delicious."
Alicia’s cheeks, reflected in the mirror, were deeply flushed from the heat.
Madame Morco, finding Alicia cute, chuckled softly as she adjusted her dress.
Even considering it was meant for indoor use, the nearly unadorned dress was very plain, but it didn’t look shabby.
On the contrary, every time the dress moved along the lines of her figure, it exuded an air of elegance.
"Madame Morco, you're like a mage."
"Me?"
Alicia nodded enthusiastically.
She had tried on many dresses before, but this was the first time one truly felt like it was hers.
All the dresses Cabelenus had given her were beautiful, but once she put them on, it always felt like only her face stood out awkwardly.
She had simply come to believe, in a vague sort of way, that dresses were never meant for her in the first place.
"I’ve never worn such a beautiful dress before."
"It’s not the dress that’s beautiful. It’s simply that you, my lady, are beautiful."
"No way. I’m not exactly beautiful."
"There are standards for beauty, yes, but just because someone doesn’t fit those standards doesn’t mean they’re not beautiful. Everyone has something beautiful about them. For example, you have a very lovely figure."
Madame Morco tapped Alicia’s bare shoulder gently with her index finger.
"My figure?"
"Yes. Your figure is as graceful as if painted with a brush. That’s why wearing a dress that shows off your silhouette makes you look even more charming."
"...I’ve never thought about that before."
"It’s usually hard to notice. People tend to focus more on their flaws than their strengths. It’s not unusual — everyone does that."
Noticing Alicia’s drooping shoulders, Madame Morco gently comforted her.
"Is that so?"
"Above all, you have me now. From here on, I’ll find all the charms you don’t yet know about, so you don’t have to worry about a thing."
Madame Morco skillfully gathered Alicia’s hair and pinned it up.
"Now, look. You look wonderful with your hair up like this. It’s all thanks to your long, slender neck, like a deer’s. And your fair skin means almost any jewel will suit you perfectly."
"..."
"By the way, your jewellery box is quite splendid. Whenever you have time, we’ll try different pieces and find which jewels suit you best. Oh, and of course, we’ll have to get rid of those ridiculous dresses."
"Um, do I really have to get rid of all the dresses?"
"You don’t want to?"
Madame Morco tilted her head in confusion.
"Well, it’s just that all of them are gifts from His Highness..."
A pleased smile spread across Madame Morco’s lips as she noticed the deeper blush on Alicia’s face.
She had heard from her nephew that the Grand Duke was far more anxious, but apparently, that wasn’t entirely true.
"In that case, how about altering them to change the design?"
"Is that allowed?"
"Of course. Just give me the word, and I’ll make everything possible."
"Then, I’ll leave it to you."
"It’s an honour."
Madame Morco gave a simple greeting and lifted her hand away from Alicia’s head.
Though she had only fiddled with it briefly, Alicia’s neatly finished hairstyle naturally drew admiring comments.
"Madame Morco, you really are like a mage."
"It’s just a simple technique. Since there’s no need to be formal today, I could keep it light and easy."
"Still, it’s so pretty."
"I’m glad you like it. Next time, I’ll style your hair even more beautifully."
As Madame Morco stepped back, Shizuna, who had been waiting nearby, handed Alicia a coat.
It was a much thinner and lighter fabric coat than the fur one she had worn in the carriage.
"Now that I think about it, it’s amazing that it’s not cold at all inside the castle."
With the help of the maids, Alicia put on the coat and tilted her head in curiosity.
Until she arrived at Schwarhan, she had suffered from biting cold, but once inside the castle, she no longer felt the chill.
"That’s because there are magic stones throughout Schwarhan Castle that maintain a constant temperature."
"It’s my first time hearing about magic stones.”
"They’re stones infused with the essence of mana. They’re one of Schwarhan’s treasures."
Madame Morco answered without taking her eyes off the shoes neatly lined up on the table.
Though she was talking, Madame Morco’s full attention was actually focused on picking the pair that would best suit Alicia.
"Schwarhan’s treasure?"
"Once processed, magic stones can even be used by those who aren’t mages. That’s why Schwarhan processes them in various ways for different uses. The warmth inside the castle is all thanks to the magic stones."
Madame Morco gave up choosing from the shoes she had on the table and urged Shirin to open another shoebox.
All of Alicia’s shoes were originally paired with her dresses, so they were all quite extravagant.
They didn’t match the simple dress Alicia was wearing now.
"How amazing."
"That’s right. I feel the same way. Though I benefit from the magic stones every day, I’m always amazed and grateful. If His Highness hadn’t recognised their value, this place would still be a land forsaken by God."
"Rather than a land forsaken by God, is it not a land where God's blessings cannot reach?”
"Did Gazeff tell you about Schwarhan’s nickname?"
Madame Morco set down the shoes she was holding and turned her head toward Alicia.
"How did you know?"
"That child cares a lot about saving face and makes an effort to use more elegant expressions whenever he can."
"..."
"To be honest, Schwarhan’s nickname really is ‘the land forsaken by God.’ Besides the brutal cold, it was often used as a land to send sinners, which is how it got that name."
Madame Morco, not entirely satisfied but having chosen the least objectionable shoes, came back over to Alicia.
"What do you mean by ‘a land to send sinners’?"
"Now that His Highness is in charge, such things don’t happen, but back when the Temple of Prime dealt with heresy, they used to send people to Schwarhan."
"Deal with heresy?"
"There’s no way anyone could survive bare-bodied in the endless snowfields and bitter cold. Besides, the pure white snow is perfect for wiping everything away. Although it was called exile, in reality, it was little different from a death sentence."
"..."
"As servants of God, they couldn’t get their hands dirty directly, so in their own way, they found a ‘clean’ solution."
It wasn’t the kind of story to be shared casually, yet Madame Morco, the one telling it, appeared indifferent and focused solely on her shoes.
Alicia quietly exhaled a faint breath as she gazed at the shoes Madame Morco had chosen for her.
The lace ribbon decorating the front of the shoes fluttered gently with even the slightest movement Alicia made, drawing the eye.
“That’s a cruel story.”
"Do you think so?"
"Doesn’t Madame Morco feel the same way?"
"Kids these days might not understand, but for the people of Schwarhan back then, death wasn’t a big deal. Seeing the body of a friend or family member who was fine just yesterday wasn’t uncommon. That’s why I felt nothing hearing that story. After all, it’s a land of death — what difference would a few more lives lost there make?"
"So Madame Morco had grown numb to it all."
With a frown, Madame Morco eventually removed Alicia’s shoes.
The neat dress and the fluttering lace shoes simply didn’t make a good match, no matter how one tried to see it otherwise.
"We'd seen too much death to feel something every time. There was no other choice but to grow numb. Of course, I did cry all day when my twin sister died."
"When you say twin sister, you mean Sir Gazeff’s..."
“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s all in the past now. Honestly, I hardly remember her face anymore. When I look at myself, I just imagine how she might have looked if she were still alive.”
Only after removing the protruding ornament from the shoes did Madame Morco’s expression brighten.
With a precise motion, she put the shoes back on Alicia’s feet and wore a satisfied smile.
Behind her lay the shoes that hadn’t been chosen, scattered about carelessly.
“It’s a little disappointing, but since I can’t make you a pair that fits perfectly right now, let’s be content with these for today.”
"..."
“I told you stories to keep you from getting bored, but I must have chosen too dark a tale. I’m sorry.”
"No, it’s not something you need to be sorry for, Madame Morco."
Alicia hastily waved her hands.
"In that case, please keep it secret between us — don’t let Gazeff know I shared this."
"A secret?"
"That child is different from me. He’s still young and naturally more sensitive to his emotions. Yes, he’s like a symbol of today’s youth in Schwarhan — angry at the atrocities committed by the Temple of Prime and desperate to change Schwarhan."
Madame Morco clicked her tongue and crossed her arms.
“I don’t think Sir Gazeff would change Schwarhan for the worse.”
"I'm not saying Gazeff is a bad person. It's just that good intentions don’t always result in good outcomes. And even His Highness, the Grand Duke, whom that child blindly trusts — no matter how great he may be — is ultimately still just a human."
"..."
“Besides, even with the magic stones, Schwarhan itself won’t really change. It’s still a frozen land of death, eager to claim more lives. Until that changes, nothing much will. It’s more practical to try to hold on to what we have now.”
Madame Morco muttered to herself, then awkwardly chuckled as she realised she’d said more than she meant to.
“I think I’ve said too much nonsense. Don’t worry about it — just think of it as the grumbling of an old woman.”
“No, it was a good chance to learn things I didn’t know.”
Alicia hurriedly shook her head from side to side.
She wasn’t lying.
Alicia had always been curious about Schwarhan.
“Next time, I’ll tell you a more interesting story—”
Knock, knock–
“Is my lady ready?”
“Oh, speak of the devil, and he shall appear. That guy’s no different. If it’s alright, may I let him in, my lady?”
Madame Morco smiled and asked Alicia for permission once again.
Alicia nodded quickly.
“I hope you had a good time with my aunt. As you now know, she’s a respected lady, but sometimes her words can be a bit rude...”
Gazeff, who’d been speaking smoothly, spotted Alicia and instinctively stopped talking.
Honestly, he had once thought Alicia, when scared and withdrawn, looked like a small animal.
But he had never thought she was beautiful.
Alicia gave such a plain, unimpressive impression that it was hard to understand why Cabelenus was attracted to her, and that judgment hadn’t changed since they first met.
But looking at Alicia now, he felt he might change his mind.
Though nothing about her face was particularly different, the atmosphere around her was strikingly changed.
Dressed in lighter clothes with her hair tied up, Alicia was elegant and dignified, fitting for an aristocratic young lady of any noble house.
No longer did the idea of her as a ruined princess or a slave come to mind.
“...I was worried that my lady might feel uncomfortable.”
Gazeff belatedly continued with what he had originally meant to say, clearing his throat briefly.
No matter how surprised he was, it was disrespectful to stare blankly at the future Grand Duchess like that.
Just imagining what Cabelenus would think if he saw him acting this way was terrifying.
"No, it wasn't uncomfortable."
“That’s a relief. His Highness has decided to head straight to the dining room, so please make your way there as well.”
Gazeff tried to smile as he usually did, but awkwardly turned his head away when their eyes met.
He wanted to accept it calmly, but Alicia’s current appearance was just too unfamiliar.
It felt like he was looking at a completely different woman.
“Is it okay to dine with His Highness here in Schwarhan?”
Alicia’s face noticeably brightened at the long-awaited news of Cabelenus.
Everyone had been kind, but she missed Cabelenus deeply.
“Of course. You must be hungry, so let’s head to the dining room quickly. The chef at Schwarhan Castle makes delicious food — I’m sure you’ll love it.”
"I'm looking forward to it."
Alicia’s shy blush was the familiar sight Gazeff knew well.
Only then did Gazeff silently sigh in relief and take up his role as her attendant again.
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