Chapter 44
I kept watching her while pushing the sweet cake into my mouth.
At first glance, Caitlyn seemed to be leisurely enjoying the banquet, but her gaze was busy looking at the Lombardy employees working around her.
In that gaze, there was a feeling of warmth and happiness, as if returning home after a long time.
At least I thought I knew enough what Lombardy meant to her.
"Tia, this is really delicious, isn’t it?"
Suddenly, Gilliu, who was eating a cake with me, smeared white cream on his mouth and said with a laugh.
"Shall I bring more?"
Mayron asked, glancing at Gilliu.
"No. I want to eat something else after a while."
"Yes, if you have something you want to eat, tell me."
Mayron laughed at me when he ’tapped’ on the back of Gilliu’s hand who trying to eat the last piece of cake that leftover.
Thank you, guys.
I smiled as a sign of gratitude and put it in Mayron’s mouth.
Somehow, Mayron’s cheeks seem to be slightly red.
He seems to be a little tall these days, but he is still a kid who likes sweet things.2
"I ate the cake too, so I have to take care of it now."
As I said that and started moving, the twins quickly followed.
It seems I have become a mother duck carrying yellow ducklings, but it is much more natural to go around like a child than to snooze alone.
Pretending to look around, I gradually approached the table next to Caitlyn.
"Oh, it’s Clerivan Pellets."
I was putting one cookie in the palms of the twins with both hands out, and I heard the men next to them whispering.
He was talking while staring at Clerivan on the other side of the banquet hall.
Externally, since we weren’t good enough to look close, Clerivan was always keeping a distance from me.
"He surrounded by women today."
It was a conversation that seemed quite dissatisfied with Clerivan.
It wasn’t just women that were crowded around Clerivan.
In fact, even though his attitude toward people was not particularly good, many male bureaucrats tried to stay close to Clerivan at least a little, whether they had the magical power to attract people.
But well, there are many women too.
"Look at that."
"Do women like that guy who doesn’t have politeness?"
"That’s right."
I wanted to tell those bitter losers.
That face.1
The face is the probability.
But since I was busy now, I glanced at the men with pathetic eyes and continued to move table by table.
And finally, I succeeded in moving to Caitlyn’s table.
Now I have to talk to her.
It was when I was rolling my head like that.
"Excuse me."
A soft voice came from behind.
"Huh?"
It was Caitlyn who stood just three steps away from us and bowed his knees to greet us.
"I’m Caitlyn Brown."
I thought about how I would deal with her, but I’m lucky she comes to me first.
"Do you know us?"
When Gilliu asked with eyes wide open, Caitlyn smiled a little.
"Should I shouldn’t immediately know the people from Lombardy?"
"But it seems that everyone here doesn’t know who we are?"
Mayron tilted his head.
"Because the respect for Lombardy is different, the behavior is bound to be different."
It meant that his love for Lombardy was special enough to be interested in us, who are still children.
Suddenly, I remembered one day when I was standing next to my grandfather helping work.
Caitlyn, a middle-aged woman, visited grandfather and had a brief interview on a day when it rained so much that it was difficult to see.
And on the way out, she walked out of the mansion while getting all the rain.
Still, I haven’t forgotten for a while as I keep looking back.
Even though he helped Perez and betrayed Lombardy to take revenge on the enemies of the Brown family, he was truly depressed.
"Hello. I’m called Florentia."
I said hello as politely and neatly as possible.
"The last time I saw you, you were just a walking baby. You grew up really wonderfully."
Certainly, the affection in Caitlyn’s eyes that looked at me was sincere.
First of all, I should make a good impression by saying something good to hear.
What compliment she would like, I thought about the right words to think about.
I asked Caitlyn, with my eyes wide open.
"By the way, if it’s the Brown family, it’s a very famous family for swordsmanship!"
"Oh, my lady, how do you know the name of our family?"
Caitlyn seemed surprised but was very happy.
Caitlyn’s younger brother, who will soon inherit a Lord title from his uncle is known to have a very close relationship with her.
Although he works alone in the fortress, his affection for his family and her remains strong.
"These two men talked about the basic imperial swordsmanship blah blah blah. So when I was curious, I looked for a book, and I found out that the basic imperial swordsmanship was originally called ’Brown basic swordsmanship’!"
I wasn’t lying.
In fact, the twin’s curiosity about ’Brown family swordsmanship’ has grown since the beginning of learning the swordsmanship class.
Therefore, the Brown family was greatly influenced and respected by the Imperial Prosecutor.
Even though the ranks of the family completely collapsed after the disgrace of being expelled from their estates that had been ruled from generation to generation about forty years ago.
Caitlyn also grew up in Lombardy when her family fell and there was nowhere to go, and after reaching adulthood, she entered the Imperial Palace as a maid.
"It’s such an excellent swordsmanship, the whole imperial people would have learned it and even named it imperial swordsmanship!"
As I talked with a little fuss, Caitlyn’s face turned slightly red.
"It’s a word of praise."
Then the twins were excited and asked Caitlyn with a loud voice.
"R, really?"
"Really someone of that Brown family?"
"It’s embarrassing."
"Wow-"
It was such a big cheer that a few people standing around turned to us.
"Then Caitlyn learned swords too?"
To my question, Caitlyn showed her open palm with calluses.
"I learning in a short time, so I can barely protect myself."
"The Brown family said that women also learn swordsmanship, so it was true."
The twins couldn’t bite their mouths as if they would even join the Brown family fan club.
"So, don’t you hold the sword now? What does Caitlyn do?"
I deliberately asked for her job.
"I work in the Imperial Palace, my lady."
Fortunately, Caitlyn gave me the answer I was hoping for.
In fact, she is not simply a person working in the Imperial Palace.
He was the chief of the imperial palace maid.
It was the three female chiefs who had the real power since they were held by an older maid and maintained as an honorary post.
I clapped my hands as if startled and said.
"I’ve been to the palace before! With my father in the palace of the empress!"
"The Empress’s Palace....... was that so?"
The word ’empress’s palace’ gave Caitlyn’s face a brief dark look, but she smiled for the little ones soon after.
"Yes! But none of it was fun. Except for making friends!"
"Friend.....?"
Caitlyn tilted his head all the way.
"Yes! I was lost in the Imperial Palace. But......"
I was as depressed as possible and said in a small voice.
"But even now, I’m worried about that friend. He said he was sick. He said he was alone... ... "
"Miss?"
Caitlyn called me anxiously.
"Hehe. It’s nothing. But if you work in such an imperial palace, aren’t you scared?
As I turned to the empress’s story, Caitlyn shook his head.
"It’s okay because I have His Majesty the Emperor."
"Ah, that’s right......."
I don’t mean it sincerely.
The empress can’t do what he can do to the person the Emperor trust, but what about the feeling of having to see the face of the Empress from Angenas who messed up his family.
Besides, there’s no way that Rabini knows that Caitlyn, the chief maid, is from the Browns family.
My respect for Caitlyn.
If I were like her, I wouldn’t have served the empress for long.
After that, for quite some time, I continued talking with Caitlyn.
And by the time the banquet was over, I could have confidence.
The character and prudence were worthy of the title of chief maid, loyalty to Lombardy, knowledge, and experience of swordsmanship, and, above all, hostility to Angenas, which is unavoidably reflected in the middle.
That Caitlyn is perfect as Perez’s foster and guardian!
* * *
"Caitlyn Brown. Lord is looking for you."
Caitlyn, seeing the Lord’s cute granddaughter and grandson, moving away by waving her little hand with a bright smile, turned to the sound calling her name.
It was Marvin Dillard, Dillard’s first son.
According to the will of the Lord, the scholarship is held several times a year and is hosted by a person from a different family each time.
This time it was the turn of the Dillard family.
As it is a large event, it would be efficient if one person took over it, but there was a reason for all of these methods.
Caitlyn followed Marvin Dillard’s footsteps and walked the familiar path.
After a while, the two arrived in front of the Lord’s office.
As if it was Caitlyn’s turn, Clerivan was exiting from the door.
"It’s been a while, Caitlyn."
"Clerivan is still there."
The two people who once lived in the Lombardy mansion were well acquainted.
"The Lord is waiting."
Clerivan opened the door to the office in good manners.
"Thank you."
Caitlyn said with a small smile, Clerivan gave a small bow to Marvin Dillard, then turned his back and walked.
"This guy......."
Marvin Dillard muttered a little when he saw Clerivan’s back.
’Was those two people so close?’
Caitlyn tilted her head and stepped into the office.
There were only two people in the room, Lulak, and Caitlyn.
There was neither a secretary nor a butler in the office.
The atmosphere is completely different from the chattering and friendly banquets outside.
There was a chair without armrests in front of the desk in the office, which seemed to be huge every time.
Caitlyn, breathing silently, sat in the chair.
"That nervous personality doesn’t change."
Lulak said with a smile at that appearance.
"Yes, Lord."
Caitlyn greeted politely.
"So what kind of news did you bring today?"
Lulak asked right away, without making a fuss.
This is the reason why the Lombardy family holds scholarships even at the enormous expenses each time and the reason why the family that hosts a banquet is different every time.
"The 2nd Prince Perez’s nanny was found dead."4
The scholarship is a way for Lombardy Lord to sit in his office and take a peek into the entire empire.
It was information gathering days.
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