Chapter 41
Chapter 41: The First Queen and the First Prince
I stood up, feeling a bit nervous, and resumed my role as Catherine's attendant, waiting as two people entered the room. Alexis-sama immediately had all the servants withdraw.
They were a very beautiful woman with golden hair and pink eyes, and a handsome boy with blue eyes and cool golden hair. Despite being twins, their faces didn't resemble each other much. I wonder if they are fraternal twins?
The Prince looked just like His Majesty, and Martine-sama closely resembled the Queen.
Both of them sat on the opposite sofa. The sofa was quite large, comfortably accommodating all four of us.
"This is the First Queen, Elizabeth Rarsrasia."
"And the First Prince, Stefan Rarsrasia."
So, they were the First Queen and the First Prince! That means there's a high chance of the Prince becoming the future King. There are too many important people around me; I'm starting to get numb... I'm not as surprised as I used to be.
"Nice to meet you. I am Leon."
"Elizabeth-sama, Your Highness, it's been a while."
Catherine-sama and I exchanged greetings in turn. Then I was encouraged to sit back on the sofa.
"You don't need to be so formal. This isn't a formal occasion today. Leon, I really wanted to express my gratitude. You saved Martine's life, and I am truly grateful. Thank you."
"Leon, I want to thank you too. You saved my sister, and I'm grateful."
They both bowed as they spoke.
I feel uneasy! It's way too unsettling for royalty to bow to me.
"Oh, please raise your heads. I only did what I could, so don't worry about it."
"It can't be helped. Today, I have prepared many tokens of gratitude. Please accept them."
In front of Elizabeth-sama, there were many items that the maid had left earlier.
Are all of these tokens of gratitude...?
There are way too many!!
"Um... I've already received Alexis-sama's gratitude."
"Oh, Alexis' gratitude and mine are different things."
Is that so...? From my perspective, they are the same!
It would be disrespectful to refuse, though. Let's just accept them gratefully.
"I see... Thank you very much for these tokens of gratitude. I'm deeply honored."
I forced a smile so as not to look awkward, and Elizabeth-sama's face lit up with a radiant smile.
...I have a bad feeling about this.
"I'm glad you're pleased. Let me introduce each item to you with all my heart. I carefully selected them, you know."
Are you going to explain everything one by one!? I don't know how long it will take... It's such a huge amount. But I can't refuse the Queen's request.
The only person who can stop Queen Elizabeth is Alexis! Thinking that way, I shift my gaze towards Alexis. Our eyes meet briefly, but he casually looks away.
Alexis!? Aren't you going to stop her!? Wait, are you, the King, being controlled by your wife!?
Sigh... It seems like there's no one who can stop Queen Elizabeth. Well, it's an honor, so I guess I'll be introduced...
"Thank you. I'm looking forward to seeing what it is."
I said with a smile, though it was probably forced...
"First, we have this item! It's a brooch, but it's not made of ordinary gems; it's made of magic stones."
"Magic stones...?"
"Yes! Magic stones change color depending on the magical energy infused into them, making them excellent decorative pieces. They are becoming fashionable nowadays. Don't worry; the magic won't activate unless it's set in magic iron."
Wow, turning valuable magic stones into accessories, huh? I'd rather turn them into magical tools.
But isn't this extremely expensive? Elizabeth, I don't think this will become a trend... If you're buying this, I think you should buy magical tools instead.
Will it become a trend among high-ranking nobles, I wonder?
"Um... that's amazing. If it changes into many colors, it can match various clothes."
"Yes, exactly. You can change the color to match your mood of the day. Please do try it on."
"Yes, I'll accept it."
"Now, onto the next item! Here we have some clothes. I had my personal tailor make these. They are made with the finest threads and are very luxurious."
It looks incredibly luxurious... Isn't this something Stephan would wear? I'd be troubled if I received it!
I can't wear such a luxurious outfit in public, and it's unthinkable to wear it as casual clothing... I can't think of any occasion to wear it!
"Um, I'm grateful, but... I can't think of any occasion to wear this."
"Oh, but once you graduate from the Royal School, Leon, won't you receive a noble status? I heard you asked Alexis for that as a reward for healing Martine."
It's true that I mentioned wanting a noble status, but is it confirmed that I'll receive one already!? I don't think a commoner can easily become a noble...
"Can a commoner really receive a noble status so easily?"
"Although it's not that simple, Leon has achieved a lot, and it seems he will continue to accomplish more in the future. I believe he will receive a noble title. Isn't that right, Alexis?"
"Yes, if he graduates from the Royal School, it should be possible. Look forward to it, as I'm considering various options."
"Yes... Thank you very much."
What exactly is going on? It's somewhat joyful, but also a bit frightening...
I initially thought I might receive a knight or baron title, a lower-ranking noble title, but judging from these clothes, could it be a higher title?
The attire clearly suits no less than a Duke's family.
Having a noble title would be advantageous, but it comes with many responsibilities. I was content with something modest. It seems things are about to get complicated.
Well, it's already complicated...
"Please take good care of this outfit. It's made slightly larger, so please have it adjusted when you wear it."
"Yes, thank you very much."
"Now, let's move on to the next item..."
For the next hour or so, Lady Elizabeth continued presenting gifts to show her appreciation. We received splendid ornaments, clothes, and even fabric to be tailored. While I'm grateful for these magnificent gifts, I'm utterly exhausted...
Others seem tired too. Alexis, Stephan, and Martine are all giving slightly wry smiles, suggesting that Lady Elizabeth's enthusiasm is not an uncommon occurrence.
Being a member of the royal family seems quite demanding...
"That concludes everything. Did you like the gifts?"
"Yes, I'm truly grateful to have received such luxurious items. I'll cherish and make good use of all of them."
Lady Elizabeth smiled with great satisfaction. Well, that's a relief.
Having confirmed Lady Elizabeth's satisfaction, Alexis stepped in to follow up.
"To avoid any suspicion, it would be best if these gifts were considered presents from Lady Elizabeth to Catherine instead of Leon. Could you please take all of them back to the Duke's mansion?"
"Of course. I'll carefully store them in Leon's room at the Duke's mansion."
Alexis and Catherine had such a conversation. It's good that they will keep them at the Duke's mansion. I'd be scared if they were taken to my house. But at the Duke's mansion, I can feel at ease.
"Is that fine with you, Leon?"
"Yes. It's difficult to store it at my home, so it'll be helpful there."
"Alright then, please do that."
With the arrangements for the token of gratitude to me settled, the atmosphere became more relaxed.
"Well, it's been quite some time today, so let's call it a day. Leon and Catherine, will you come back again in a week?"
"Understood."
"Good. Leon, please act as Catherine's attendant again."
That's right, I was supposed to be inconspicuous and act as Catherine's attendant. I almost forgot due to exhaustion.
I stood up and positioned myself diagonally behind Lady Catherine.
Then, Alexis rang the bell to call for the attendants and guards.
"As for these belongings, they will be taken to the Duke's household. May we have them transported to the carriage?"
Lady Catherine said this, and several palace servants came and started carrying the luggage outside.
I also picked up one piece of clothing and followed Lady Catherine out of the room.
We walked to the carriage and returned to the Duke's mansion.
In the mansion, they prepared the guest room I usually used for my exclusive use. I was grateful.
After arranging the belongings, I returned to my home.
Today was just exhausting... The classes will resume in a week, right? Until then, I'll take it easy.