The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 157

Chapter 157: Ice Magic Stone and the Ice Young Master

The group arrived shortly after finishing breakfast.

Usually, it’s a minimal visit, with Alexis arriving by carriage with escort knights, or even riding on horseback himself in a pinch. But this time, it was quite a large group, consisting of a large three-horse carriage bearing the Duke’s family crest, four accompanying carriages, and six escort knights.

Alexis stepped down from the carriage, a gleaming white body adorned with silver decorations. He spoke something to the inside of the carriage before the door, and then stood facing Melfina, surrounded by two escort knights.

“Melfina, thank you for the welcome.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for your hard work on the long journey. I am delighted at your safe arrival.”

After exchanging proper aristocratic greetings, Alexis wore an unusually, and noticeably, awkward expression.

“As August probably told you, I apologize for the suddenness of this.”

“Not at all. May I not be introduced to the young master?”

“He is not in a state to be presented to you. I have had a bath prepared for him in the soldiers’ quarters.”

Apparently, he had used colored powder to change his hair color in order to blend in as a page, and was going to wash it off.

“I had heard that he was proactive, but to disguise himself to that extent… that’s amazing.”

“Those around him are also having a hard time, but doing this much is a first even for him.”

They moved to the reception room, and tea was served. After they both took a sip from their cups, Alexis received a small box from a knight and placed it on the table.

“Before we get to the main topic, this is for you.”

Opening the box, the inside was dazzling with a thinly applied silver color. Stones were arranged at equal intervals in a box lined with velvet cloth. The twenty round stones, four rows and five columns, were transparent and, at first glance, looked like plain marbles.

“These are ice magic stones used in ice cellars or underground rooms where you want to keep things cold. They are prepared as part of the compensation for this technical cooperation.”

“My, so many… are you sure?”

Although surprised, Melfina was pleased. Indeed, although the color was different, they looked very similar to the fire magic stone she had seen before.

Although there’s a wide range of prices depending on the element contained, magic stones are generally expensive. Melfina didn’t know how much the total would be with this many.

“Most of them were purified magic stones that came from Sasurica last winter, and then I infused them with my magical power. It’s one of the materials that is easy to obtain in the Duke’s family, so I hope you will accept them without reservation.”

“If that’s the case, then I will gratefully accept them. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

Although there was an old-fashioned refrigerator in the kitchen, its capacity was small, so she had been wanting a larger one for a while.

She thought she would like to consult with Julius and see if they could make them.

Picking one up, it felt slightly cool, but the texture was the same as it looked, like a glass ball. The size was a little larger than the magic stone that had been taken from the monster in the Enka region before.

Holding it up to the light streaming in through the window, the scenery on the other side was distorted by the sphere, showing just how transparent it was.

“They are beautiful.”

They were so clear and beautiful that it was hard to believe they came from a monster’s body.

Looking closely, she could see sparkling, fine light inside.

…Is this magical power?

It is said that magical power cannot be seen with the naked eye, but she stared intently at the white radiance reminiscent of diamond dust.

“Melfina.”

“Lady Melfina.”

Called out from next to her and from across the table, Melfina snapped back to her senses, to find Marie and Alexis looking at her with thoughtful eyes.

“It is not good to stare at magic stones for too long. It is said to be not a good thing.”

“There’s no problem with handling them normally, but I’ve heard you shouldn’t look at them directly too much. That’s why tools that use magic stones are built so that the magic stones are not exposed.”

“Is that so…”

Certainly, there was a strange sensation, as if something was taking over her consciousness. It was by no means unpleasant, but rather, she even felt a sense of comfort.

There are various tools that use magic stones, but the only thing Melfina had ever seen in the royal capital was a magic stone lamp, and she had never seen the magic stone inside.

They also had a structure that made it impossible to tell where the magic stone was, and Melfina had never thought of opening them.

“There is even a story of a noble who was a magic stone enthusiast, who filled his room with magic stones and went mad and died. One or two magic stones are not something to be too nervous about, but it’s best to be careful.”

“I didn’t know that. Thank you for the warning.”

She gently placed the magic stone back on the velvet and exhaled a breath.

The proverb in her previous life said that bad things are often hidden in the shadows of beautiful things, and it seemed that this world was not one where she could be careless and think that things were just beautiful.

* * *

The not-so-long tea time in the reception room came to an end, and they were just talking about heading out to the fields when they went downstairs to find the preparations already complete.

Today, blacksmiths and carpenters had come from Soarasonne, and, unusually, a magic tool craftsman as well.

And beside August stood a young boy.

Although he was dressed in a page’s uniform, there was no mistaking the boy, with his blue-grey hair and matching eyes, as belonging to the Alexis bloodline.

“Is that your nephew?”

“Ah, let me introduce him. William, come here.”

Called out to, the boy looked up in surprise and quickly trotted over. Stopping a little distance away, he gave a polite gentleman’s bow, though with a nervous expression.

“William, this is Melfina, the legal wife of the head of the Oldrand family. Behave yourself properly.”

“Yes, Uncle. –Pleased to meet you, I am William von Oldrand. It is an honor to meet you, Aunt Melfina.”

“Melfina von Oldrand. The pleasure is all mine, Lord William. I look forward to working with you.”

“Please, call me William. I am sorry for my sudden visit and thank you for allowing the meeting.”

–Oh, my.

The best effort and polite attitude of the still-growing boy was adorable.

His features were very similar to Alexis, but he still had a childishness in his cheeks, and there was no awkwardness in his expression.

His blue-grey hair would certainly reveal his Duke’s family lineage at a glance if it were not dyed. The colored powder had apparently been washed off in the soldiers’ quarters, and the short, neatly trimmed blue-grey hair was slightly damp.

–Cute. It’s like looking at a still image of Alexis as a child.

In the royal capital, Alexis was known as the Ice Duke by unmarried women, but William was like the Ice Young Master.

The big difference is that, compared to Alexis, who doesn’t show his emotions easily, William’s expression changes easily.

“Aunt Marie, it’s been a while. I’m happy to see you again after so long.”

“Lord William, it has been a long time. … I have already officially left the Duke’s family. Please, call me Marie.”

“But…”

“Lord William, Lady Marie is currently Lady Melfina’s secretary. I think it may interfere with her work.”

“…I understand. Then, may I call you Lady Marie this time?”

Marie still looked a little troubled, but she seemed to have decided that it was better than being called “Aunt” in front of people.

“Then, please do so.”

“Yes! Um, Aunt Melfina. Would it be alright if I joined you on today’s inspection? I will stay in the corner so as not to get in your way.”

“You may. It’s a rustic land compared to Soarasonne, but please feel free to look around if you like.”

Although it has developed somewhat, it is still a simple land compared to Soarasonne, which is called the Great Flower of the North. There probably won’t be anything very interesting, but William smiled with sparkling eyes.

“Thank you very much! I am grateful!”

Once again, he extended one hand and placed the other on his chest to perform a gentleman’s bow, and William moved to the end of the people accompanying them today.

“…He seems like a good child.”

“He has a straightforward nature. However, he is a little stubborn and, once he gets an idea in his head, he loses sight of his surroundings.”

Melfina muttered, and Marie replied.

Her voice still seemed a little troubled, but it didn’t seem to contain any animosity towards William.