Chapter 21: Bartsch Castle
She said, "Shena, have you ever seen such a gorgeous dress?"
She said, "It was prepared by your lord in a hurry. Now, when you are done changing, I will do your hair!
Shena, who was so enthusiastic, had her entire body fixed. She even put on her makeup and looked as if she was about to go to a ball.
She is wearing a dress with sparkling bijoux and a coral necklace that matches the color of my hair. I looked like a princess, and while I was wondering what was going on,... I was called to come to the inner gate of the castle after a while. I had never set foot beyond this point.
As the guards at the gate saluted us, the massive doors were opened and we entered. There, I found an unimaginably large crowd of people lined up on either side of me. In the center stood the man who was to welcome me.
Welcome to my castle of Baruche.
Tall and strong, Master Ludvik is dressed in a dark green military uniform with a magnificent decorative sash. He wore an ornate military uniform with a black cloak on one side and a shoulder patch with a golden dragon crest.
His black hair was brushed back and his eyes, which shone sharply black under his superior forehead, narrowed as he gazed at me.
Behind him were women dressed in servants' suits, butlers in ceremonial dress, and many others in military uniforms. They are all standing with their posture straight and their backs straight.
All the workers of the castle were present to greet me.
'Master Ludvik⁉What in the world is ... wrong with this?'
I gasp and open my eyes in surprise. I was dazzled by his formal attire.
Still, I see Master Ludvik bend his elbow to escort me and gently put his hand on it.
I apologize for not introducing Alicia to everyone as my wife before. With this unveiling, I would like you to take charge of the castle from now on."
"Well, then, I..."
"Oh, I am officially the Countess of Baruche. I'm the official Countess of the Balshe Frontier, and I'll be presenting her to the people, so I need to make some preparations.
Yes, yes.
And from now on, I want you to leave the villa and come to ... the room next to mine in the castle.
Next door means ...
It is a room meant for the lady of the lord. It is on either side of the couple's master bedroom, and they can come and go by the door to each other.
I am sorry that I have not treated you ... properly, having traveled a long way to be my wife.
No, no! No, no! I'll be fine. I was comfortable in that mansion. But you are moving.
He escorted us slowly through the servants. They bow one by one as we pass. I walked slowly along with Mr. Ludvik in order to show my face.
But ...! If only you had told me one word about them, I would have been prepared!
From now on, I will stand above them as Mrs. Ludwig. So I lifted my chin and walked forward.
And when I reached the entrance, the door was opened with a giggling sound.
Beyond it, Daymond, the head butler, stood in front of us as if to welcome us.
Mr. Ludwig, Mrs. Alicia. I am the first butler, Mr. Daymond. From now on, I will serve your wife, Alyce, with all my heart and soul.
He bows to me. By showing his reverence in this way, he was signaling that he would stand as my lord's wife.
Thank you, Daymond. I will be the one to teach you many things, thank you very much."
As Daymond raised his head, Master Ludvik raised his voice as if to declare.
Everyone," he said, "this is Alicia Berca. This Alicia Berca Barros is my wife, the Countess of the Frontier. You are to serve her from now on, just as you serve me."
Then everyone bowed their heads in unison as if to prostrate themselves. I gasped again in front of that sight. As everyone serves me, I prepare myself to be in a position to protect and support them.
Master Ludvik, standing next to me, has his hand on my waist. I stared into his brilliant face and choked up, wanting to be next to him forever.
--I am so happy. I had not expected to be presented as his official wife like this.
Then Master Ludvik raises one hand and orders the servants to return to their work.
People were going back to their workplaces, but only Daymond was standing nearby.
Daymond, I haven't seen Zephir since this morning.
'Huh, I haven't seen him since last night either, I was wondering if ... Master Ludvik had ordered him to do something.
No, I haven't ... seen him. Tell him to show his face when he gets back.
Yes, sir.
Daymond walked to lead us. This was the first time we had been inside this castle.
It is a bit chilly inside the solid castle made of stone, but light comes in through the lighted windows and a constant temperature is maintained.
The Baruche Castle is huge.
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to welcome you here. From now on, you can think of this place as Aliche's home.
'I can't believe such a big castle is home.
How could I think like that? But I proceeded with my footsteps because this is my role.
I was led directly to the lady of the lord's room on the third floor, and Master Ludvik said, "Well, I'll see you later," and left. When I entered the private room, Shena, dressed in her castle finery, was waiting for me inside.
She was waiting for me, dressed in her castle finery! Did you know I was moving to the castle?"
'I'm sorry, my lord asked me to keep it a secret.
Apparently, Master Ludvik had told her to stay in the detached mansion until the castle was ready, and had been hurriedly preparing Mrs. Ludvik's room since the day after they were married.
He asked her, "How was your first horseback ride in a long time, Lady Alyce? Is your body all right?"
'Well, Shena. I really enjoyed it. The lake is beautiful and very azure.
I told Shena how I liked the lake.
She then began to admonish me, saying, "Alyce-sama, from now on you are the lord of this castle and you must take charge.
'Yes, I know, ... but the Baruche Castle is amazing. I was nervous because there were so many servants.
The lord's residence really is on a different scale. The most important thing to remember is that you are not the only one who has to worry about the quality of your work. I'm sure your education will come in handy.
I wonder if that's true. I hope so. ...
The white plastered walls were decorated with animal carvings. A deer with magnificent horns gazes at you. The wooden window frames were painted black, and the furniture was also painted black. There was nothing ornate about this room, and it had a wild atmosphere.
But this room looks ... masculine.
I heard that Ludvik-sama gave the order. Perhaps he's not very good with the ladies.
Shena rolled up her sleeves and quickly set up the room.
I'll ask her next time if it's okay to change ... a little more. This one is fine, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the amber one.
I see an unexpected side of Mr. Ludwig. He seems to be perfect, but there are some things that are not perfect. He had been known as a misogynist since his parents died when he was young, so it would have been difficult for him to suddenly set up a room for a woman. It was as if a deer was staring at me, and I felt a little uncomfortable.
As I was fidgeting, Shena made a cheerful noise.
But, Alicia," she said. But, Alethe-sama, the Lord's doting love for you is unbelievable. Everyone says that it is thanks to his wife that his face has brightened and he has become more approachable.
Is that so?"
Indeed, Master Ludvik's expression brightened after I dispelled the haze. Or rather, it just returned to its original expression, since it had originally looked scary because of the curse.
But since few people know that the lord was under a curse, I can't bypass it either. And although he says he dotes on me, the first day was completely different.
'But ... it's funny. On the first night, he said he would never love you.
I'm sure he found you attractive, Alicia. She is so adorable!
Shena said so, but it did not make sense to me. I had feelings for Master Ludvik for a long time, but he must not have known about me. Otherwise, he would have written his name firmly in the letter asking me to marry him.
'Did you by any chance fall for ... paisley?
Yes?" 'Yes?
Yes and no. No, nothing.
I hold my mouth in a panic. I'm not going to tell the unmarried Shena that I've won Master Ludwig's heart because I gave him a titjob. ...
I will dress up as well as I can for tonight's dinner! We've got some dresses for you, Alyce!"
What? You're going to change again?
Yes, we told her your size, and she made a lot of dresses at a very fast pace, and they are already in the wardrobe.
"Well, ...!"
Not only dresses, but also accessories have been prepared. The dress is not only made, but also the accessories are prepared.
Everything is ... amazing.
'Good for you! We must let your parents know how much you care about them.
Well, I hope you can invite your family, since you said you're having a separate wedding reception.
At first she was a decorative wife, but before you know it, she seems to have become a real loving ... wife.
While I am happy, I can't help but feel that there is some big misunderstanding. But it would be a long time before I could figure out what it was.
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/Mystic09