The Sophia Mansion was located on the coastal highlands in the northern part of Coldwater Harbor. Although called a mansion, it was actually a royal estate used for summer vacations.
To the west of the mansion lay the sea, to the south was the urban area of Coldwater Harbor, and to the east and north were coastal woodlands used for recreation by the local nobility. These lands were used for hunting and fishing, and served as an important local source of timber during the winter.
Shad had once visited Miss Galina's estate in Tobesk, but he hadn't had the chance to look around. He had also visited Lakeview Manor while attending a banquet, but that place could not be compared to a royal estate.
After the group returned to the Sophia Mansion, the two scholars were arranged to be kept under temporary custody; Lacia would handle their affairs separately.
The Princess was soaked through. Upon returning, she went to bathe first. The estate featured a large, dedicated bathhouse for the use of royal family members.
Shad, of course, was not permitted to use such a bathhouse, but Lacia had arranged a specific room for him, and the washroom within that room was sufficient for him to clean himself up.
However, when the drenched Shad received clean clothes and prepared to wash, the two young maids who had delivered the clothes did not leave.
"Is there something else?"
The outsider asked in surprise, a towel still draped over his shoulders from drying his hair.
"Her Highness asked us to help you—"
"No need. Get out."
Shad reacted then; as an outsider, he was not accustomed to such things.
"Please do not misunderstand, we are Her Highness's personal maids, not the staff of the Sophia Mansion..."
"Out."
Shad waved his hand. He would not easily compromise on matters of principle. Although the outsider hoped to adapt to this era, there were some principles he preferred to uphold.
"Out."
Thus, the maids could only apologize and turn to leave, allowing Shad to take a peaceful hot bath.
By the time Shad had changed his clothes, he thought he could see Lacia immediately. To his surprise, two barbers were led in by the estate maids to trim his hair. After they finished, he looked in the mirror and couldn't see any difference from before.
Even after that, Shad was not allowed to leave. Servants pushed rolling garment racks toward him, asking him to choose an overcoat, trousers, shoes, and a hat. Someone like Shad, who didn't care much for attire, randomly picked a black set, but under the demanding gaze of a middle-aged maid, he was forced to try several more combinations.
Once the clothes were chosen, he still couldn't leave. The middle-aged maid, who seemed to hold the position of Head Maid, actually produced a deck of Lord cards from the pocket of her dress and wanted to gamble with Shad.
"This is getting ridiculous. Why exactly am I being kept here?"
Seeing him ask this, the middle-aged maid, who identified herself as Leah Hells, replied apologetically
"Her Highness has not finished dressing yet, so she asked us to find some things to keep you occupied. If the weather cleared, we could take you for a stroll in the garden, but it is still raining, and it is inconvenient to let you tour other parts of the mansion."
Only then did Shad understand.
"Then I'll wait a while. Speaking of which, don't you suspect my identity? Don't you want to know who I actually am?"
When he and Lacia returned, they had entered through the mansion's main entrance in plain sight.
Ms. Hells revealed a faint smile.
"You are the Hamilton Knight of Reged, and you saved Her Highness's mother, Queen Diana. You need not worry about His Majesty the King knowing about Her Highness's friendships. This is not Tobesk, and since Her Highness could be arranged for an important diplomatic mission like visiting Carsonrick, do you truly believe she doesn't have enough trustworthy people by her side?"
It seemed Shad's impression of the so-called "Princess" was still too limited by the stories of his hometown.
By the time he reached the dining room under Ms. Hells' guidance, it was twelve noon.
It was still raining outside. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the dining room, one could see the small trees in the mansion's garden swaying slightly in the wind.
Having changed out of the clothes she used to conceal her identity, Lacia Cavendish sat at the head of the dining table waiting for Shad, wearing a voluminous blue-and-white princess gown. The dining room was not dim; golden candelabras on the long table burned with fire, and gas lamps bearing the royal family crest on the walls radiated light.
On the wall behind Lacia hung a giant oil painting. Red curtains draped from the ceiling on both sides of the painting, their golden tassels nearly touching the floor. The painting depicted an old man in knight's armor mounted on a horse. Even the outsider recognized him: this was Lacia's great-great-grandfather, the great-grandfather of the current King, Lars III the Leapfire, and the grandfather of Miss Galina—the man known as the "Red Lion," Myre Cavendish.
He had personally led soldiers into the territory of Carsonrick and slain the Governor of Carsonrick's Southern County with his sword. He was the last famous Knight-Emperor before the rise of firearms; stories of him had long circulated in Delarion, making him a true legendary figure.
Shad paused before the two large doors of the dining room before finally stepping inside.
Lacia sat at the far end of the long table, resting her face on her hand as she watched the rain outside. Her red hair, meticulously styled, fell behind her. In her right ear was the Sage-grade relic ruby earring, and in her left was the small mermaid-shaped ruby earring Shad had given her last time.
A silver coronet rested on her head, shimmering under the light of the gas lamps. With light makeup, the girl's skin appeared in an alluring pinkish-white state. The lipstick, whose shade Shad couldn't identify, made her lips look very vivid.
Even though he had seen many noble ladies in makeup at previous banquets, he had to admit that no one was as dazzling as the Princess sitting at the end of the table.
Servants pushing food carts were arranging the dishes. From what Shad could see, there was enough food to last him three meals. He naturally wouldn't say anything about wasting food; he only regretted not bringing Mia along.
"Good afternoon, Shad."
Seeing Shad approach, Lacia gestured for him to sit to her right.
"Good afternoon," Shad responded. Then, following the principle of "if you don't know what to say when chatting with a lady, compliment her clothes," he praised softly
"This outfit is truly wonderful."
The Princess gave a shy smile.
"Shad, please sit down. I said on Monday that I wanted to treat you to a meal, but you left in such a hurry then. Now we finally have the chance."
In the end, only the two of them sat at the table, yet there were eight dishes and two soups. Shad thought this was a lot, but Lacia told him that she hadn't expected them to return by noon, so this was a hastily prepared lunch.
The custom of this era was that dinner was the most important meal of the day. The feast the Princess had prepared for Shad would actually appear at dinner time.
(End of Chapter)