༺ A Day’s Time ༻
Elden, for lack of a better word, was a barbarian.
His innate nature was that of a madman and his disposition towards violence meant that he was one to solve his problems with his fists, rather than the mind.
His head, devoid of any sort of wisdom or knowledge, was instead filled with pleasure and greed. This was a man who had discarded any semblance of culture to live the life of a ruffian.
He was more fit to be a hooligan from the slums than a noble from a Count’s family.
And…
Such a man was better suited for crushing his opponents under his heel and seizing their possessions.
That was the kind of man Elden Raphelion was.
He talked with his fists and not with words.
Sometimes he would struggle to remember some words, making his sentences sound like rubbish.
The poor souls who pointed out such faults were mercilessly beaten up. Such was the way this man covered up his faulty education.
He had used this tactic to great effect, even managing to beat his way into the valedictorian.
So it was only natural for him to lack the finesse of rhetoric and eloquence for debates.
And Lumia, who was aware of this fact, couldn’t help but be confused.
‘……What in the world?’
He was different.
Those crimson eyes that were once filled with a bestial ferocity had become gentle like the ambers of a hearth. The lips that would only spit cruel and uncouth words, were now sharp, proclaiming honey-laced speeches.
She had been defeated.
She, the Third Duchess, had lost in a verbal duel.
She had never anticipated defeat in a debate she herself had orchestrated.
It felt as if she had argued with a completely different person.
Had that wild beast been reformed after an incident following his graduation from the Royal Academy?
Or perhaps he had undergone some sort of awakening by having his head smashed into the floor?
Considering the possibilities, the latter seemed more likely, but there wasn’t a single documented record suggesting he had suffered an accident severe enough to cause a change in his personality.
Or perhaps……
‘Has he… really changed?’
Impossible.
This was such an absurd notion with a near-zero percent chance of being correct.
Surely, this could only mean that something foul was at play.
Perhaps someone could be impersonating him with the aid of magic or some occult sorcery.
Something strong enough to even fool Gelwood’s senses.
‘Or perhaps……’
Did he recognize her as Erenscia Velroc from their time at the Royal Academy?
It shouldn’t be possible, but if this was true, then such an opportunity shouldn’t be squandered.
Especially since he was very forthcoming in confessing his ‘sins’ stating he was a ‘Villain unworthy of a Duchess.’
Elden Raphelion was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to stain his sword with blood for his personal gain.
And he wasn’t one to let go of something when he had so much to profit from.
‘Strange…This is really a strange conundrum.’
‘If only I had a small clue.’
But as frustrating as it was, during their conversation Elden’s eyes seemed genuinely honest.
His tone was directed and polite.
Unbelievably so.
‘I must not be fooled by his act.’
Lumia berated herself.
It was all a trick, she thought.
And she would never fall for such an obvious and wicked trick.
After all, human nature was not so easily changed.
In time, his real motives would be revealed.
As such…
“We shall meet again, Sir Elden.”
She gave him an ‘answer’ that should have defiled his expectations.
There was never an intention to let him go.
Now, she wanted to uncover the truth.
The only problem with this desire was……
‘I’ve got nothing on him.’
His motives were such a mystery for Lumia that she even wondered if Elden had dabbled in some forbidden magic.
If so, she would retreat for now and then set up countless scenarios where she would observe and study him.
Indeed, she would prepare for every possibility.
If by some stroke of luck, that man was managing to deceive everyone, the weight of his crimes would only grow heavier.
If he has donned a trickster’s mask to reap the rewards of this Betrothal Contest, he would pay dearly.
With this in mind, Lumia called Gelwood.
“Advisor.”
“Yes, My Duchess.”
“I want you to investigate any sort of incident that happened to Elden Raphelion, no matter how trivial they may be.”
“Understood, My Lady.”
“Also, look into his deeds after he graduated from the Academy.”
For a researcher, both failures and unexpected success have their values.
In this society, those who appeared to have changed their nature merely learned better ways to hide the filth within.
However, Elden Raphelion was a man who, despite knowing such methods, chose to not use them.
There must be a reason for this.
She would dig the truth out of him no matter what.
Because Lumia wasn’t the kind of a woman to leave a puzzle unsolved.
And for this goal, she would employ every single tool she had at her disposal.
“Ah, one more thing Advisor. I want him under watch, at all times.”
And most important of all…
Lumia couldn’t help but enjoy the thrill of trying to solve such a difficult puzzle.
**
“I’ll be on my way then, Advisor.”
“As you wish, My Lady.”
Disguising herself with a hood, Lumia returned to the Second Castle, parting ways with Gelwood.
Upon reaching the upper levels of the Second Castle, she removed her hood as she climbed the stairs.
‘I wonder if Marien is here already?’
She had asked the maid to fetch an ingredient from the Castle’s basement, but she hadn’t heard from her ever since.
At the thought of her absence, Lumia quicked her pace.
Although it had only been a year since Marien had entered the Grand Duke’s service, she had become someone precious to Lumia.
Their bond was more akin to a close friendship than that of a master-servant relationship. And because of this bond, there were no secrets between each other.
Furthermore, Marien’s insight served as the perfect quality for a research assistant.
In many ways, she had become someone irreplaceable to Lumia.
Therefore, Lumia anxiously called out her name as she entered the private parts of her dwelling.
“Marien?”
Fortunately, she didn’t have to search for long.
“My Lady-!”
A sigh of relief left Lumia as she heard the maid’s voice from beyond her bedchamber’s door.
Everything was well.
Since the Grand Duchy was vast and housed countless people, it wasn’t rare for incidents to occur.
With such a high probability of getting caught in these disturbances, she couldn’t help but worry.
If it weren’t for the lack of trusted people, Lumia wouldn’t have asked for Marien to fetch her ingredients.
Bang-!
Lumia flung open the doors leading to her chambers.
There she saw Marien, standing with the aid of a crutch.
Her eyes widened in shock.
“W-What happened to you?!”
Removing her mask, Lumia quickly approached Marien and examined her bandaged foot.
“A-Are you hurt?”
“Ah……A little, My Lady.”
“How did this happen? Where? How much does it hurt?”
“I’m fine, My Lady. I merely twisted my ankle while coming down from the stairs.”
“I’ve told you numerous times to be careful when walking around the Palace! Does it hurt still?”
“It does not, My Lady. At least for now. The healer said I should be fine with a few days of rest, so there’s no need to worry.”
Phew~.
Lumia stroked her chest as she exhaled in relief, and then she helped Marien sit on her bed.
“If you need anything, just tell me, and I’ll see it done. Understood?”
“H-How can you say that, My Lady……”
Lumia frowned and scowled at her response.
“Tsk. Look, if the healer told you to rest for a few days, you will rest.”
“Hehe…By the way, My lady, where have you been? I was getting worried…”
“Ah.”
Theirs was a bond without falsehood, without barriers, without pretense.
As such, there was no need to hide whom she had met, so Lumia spoke the truth.
“I met with Elden Raphelion. I wished to question him about his withdrawal declaration.”
As soon as she said this, Marien’s face was filled with dread.
《If you tell anyone about this, it will be your end.》
That horrifying threat still echoed in her ears.
“Is there something wrong, Marien?”
“Ah…haha, hahaha, well….He’s a scary person, right?… That’s why I was startled…Y-yes, just because of that…hahaha.”
Elden’s warning, or rather threat, was still very effective.
**
“Yawnnnn~”
A new morning had come.
And this new day marked the start of the cohabitation.
As I woke up, I took time to stretch my limbs.
Chirp, Chirp, Chirp-. The birds beyond my window sang happily.
For the Regretful Trio about to face their ultimate trial, this might very well be a mourning symphony, but to me, there was nothing more refreshing.
Even if my escape chances had dwindled.
‘Well, let’s wash up first.’
There was no clear answer to my declaration of withdrawal.
So, I had to prepare for this next stage of the contest.
According to the official schedule, at 10:00 AM, our first official meeting with the Third Grand Duchess would commence.
Because of this, I needed to be dressed with at least a minimum of decorum.
As I left the bed, making my way towards the bathroom, a knock on the door stopped me.
Knock, Knock-.
“Come in.”
It was my butler, Rendler.
“Are you awake, My Lord?”
“What is it? This early in the morning?”
I waited for him to answer, curious about what he wanted of me at the break of dawn, but Rendler simply gestured from beyond the open door.
And then…
“……”
Three maids entered my room.
They were dressed in revealing outfits that exposed key areas around their chest and groin.
That’s when I remembered.
Elden Raphelion.
In the novel, he would always start his days with a bath surrounded by pretty maids.
And to top it off, this man demanded new maids every day.
Such was the privilege of a noble.
However, in the novels, there was never a depiction of him assaulting or abusing the maids.
Elden simply enjoyed the comfort of being bathed by beautiful maids.
To me however, a modern Korean man, this wasn’t something comfortable, but something utterly shameful and awkward.
And to think that even in this Grand Ducal Castle, this decadent and archaic bathing custom was still enforced……
No matter how patriarchal society may be, this was only further proof of how despicable Elden Raphelion was if he couldn’t give up these decadent practices even when participating in the Betrothal Contest.
“I have brought the maids tasked with assisting your bath, My Lord. Shall we proceed?”
“No, they may leave.”
“Come again, My Lord?”
“I said, leave. From today onwards, I’ll wash myself. You can relay this to the Head Maid.”
“W-what?”
Rendler’s reaction was to be expected.
Ever since Elden Raphelion became aware of his sword’s secret function, he established this kind of a morning ritual.
This was something that had been going on for over a decade.
Of course, for some, being bathed by pretty maids might be a dream come true.
But receiving service from those who couldn’t resist the tyranny of a noble and were forcefully dragged here like livestock to the slaughterhouse was a huge turnoff.
Rendler then asked me with a dumbfounded expression,
“M-My Lord…Y-You mean th-that…You will wa-wash… by… yourself?”
“Yes. This is a time for me to enjoy my solitude and organize my thoughts, so their presence is unnecessary…”
“Indeed…!”
Before I could even finish speaking, Randler clasped both of his hands together as he looked on the verge of tears.
Seeing his eyes redden as if a dam was about to burst, I quickly fled into the bathroom.
Just as I expected…
“S-Sob-.”
I quickly left him to his tears.
Then…
After taking a bath and coming out of the bathroom, I heard some unexpected news.
During these last 30 minutes I was bathing, a significant change compared to the main plot happened.
“The cohabitation has been postponed by a day?”
“Indeed, My Lord. It is now scheduled to start tomorrow. They also distributed a new schedule, with some minor changes to the 15-day plan.”
It seems Lumia Winterfell left our meeting with a lot on her mind.
Drying my hair with a towel, I looked out the window.
The Idiot Trio will certainly be busy with this news.
Not to mention the delayed start, there are also some changes to the planned schedule, so they should be rethinking their strategies.
But then again, this has nothing to do with me, since I’ve already declared my withdrawal.
“Here is the new schedule, My Lord.”
Rendler, being the dutiful butler he was, would have to prepare a response plan as well as he handed me the new schedule.
“There’s no need.”
He looked confused at my words.
With this, I have gained one more day.
And I planned on using this time wisely.
An opportunity to step out of this stifling place and breathe freely.
There were also some things I always wished to try if I ever got transmigrated into a medieval period.
“I will go out for a walk so I’ll leave the schedule preparation in your wise hands.”
What I needed right now was an interlude. A time for relaxation and healing.
Randler looked at me and folded the schedule as he said.
“Then I shall have Knight Rachel as your escort, My Lord.”
“Rachel?”
“Haha-. It’s been a while since you’ve seen her, but surely you haven’t forgotten one of the family’s Knights?”
As I furiously scoured Elden’s memories, I managed to remember the face of the Knight named Rachel.
A woman among the Raphelion Knights with long violet hair tied in a short ponytail at her back.
A beautiful, even though stern woman, something typical for most female knights.
It was only after delving into his memories that her name, which was never mentioned in the novel, came to mind.
Moreover, since there was no need to have a Knight escort within the Grand Duchy, I haven’t seen her since my transmigration.
‘Anyway.’
It seemed within Elden’s character as a wastrel to appoint a [ Female Knight ] as his personal guard.
However, since I have found no memories of Elden mistreating her, this must be a classic situation of a tyrant being strong against the weak, but cowardly against the mighty.
And given that I’ve uncovered some memories of Elden actually flinching in her presence, I must tread carefully.
One wrong move and I might have my throat slit.
Of course, I also undercovered Elden’s ‘careful’ efforts in conquering Rachel and his obsession with her, so this woman must be a peculiar individual indeed.
Perhaps his obsession was born from the fact that she was a [Prize] to be conquered.
It was a common trait for the greedy to covet what they did not or could not possess.
Seeing his memories of Rachel, even a battle maniac like Elden must have been cautious of such a strong opponent.
‘After all, entrusting your protection to someone stronger than you is only natural and logical.’
Clearing my mind of such thoughts, I opened my mouth.
“I was merely confused for a moment. Tell Knight Rachel we shall depart immediately.”
I wanted to stroll through the city on my own, but it seemed prudent to bring at least one good Knight on my first outing in this world.
Especially since many people had grievances to settle with Elden Raphelion.
After finishing my preparations, I stepped out of my room and faced Knight Rachel, dressed in casual clothes with a sword strapped on her back bowing her head greeting me.
“I am at your service, My Lord.”
“Good. Let us depart.”
And so, I began my stroll through the city with Knight Rachel by my side.
