The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Crown Prince of the Neighboring Kingdom

Serleine arrived at the Enkar Territory Lord’s Residence on a bright and sunny afternoon.

His white hair shone, reflecting the light, his large blue eyes framed by thick lashes. His face was angelic, with a hint of childlike innocence lingering in his cheeks.

Though he was twelve years old, four years younger than Melfina, he looked around ten, likely due to the effects of excessive magic power.

— I knew his appearance from the game, but he’s even cuter in person.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Serleine de Luxen. Thank you for allowing me to stay here. Though I am without power, I hope to learn about the governance of the borderlands.”

“Nice to meet you. I am Melfina von Oldrand. Though this is a developing and remote land, we are honored to have you stay with us.”

It had been explained beforehand that, to avoid the bad reputation of traveling to another country for treatment due to his weak constitution, Serleine’s stay was framed as an inspection and study of the border territory’s management.

Their initial greetings proceeded smoothly.

Although the Crown Prince outranked a Duchess, Melfina spoke first due to the courtesy of “Ladies First”.

“I apologize for the humble residence, but please consider it your home during your stay. Our servants are not trained to serve royalty or nobility, so they may lack manners. We ask for your understanding.”

“Then please treat me as family, Lady Oldrand. Call me Serleine, and I would be happy if you consider me as a sibling.”

“I would be honored. Please call me Melfina.”

After the customary noble exchange, they moved into the lord’s manor, as staying outside in the cold would be harmful to Serleine’s health.

The lord’s house was small, as Alexis had already mentioned. Her retinue was also minimal—just a maid and a personal physician, which would usually be considered an unacceptably small number for a Crown Prince’s entourage.

To ensure security, about twenty soldiers were dispatched from the Oldrand family to guard the surroundings. These soldiers were to stay in the servants’ quarters where Rad, Cliff, and Ed lived.

Even though the Enkar region was practically an isolated enclave with no local garrison, hosting the Crown Prince of a neighboring country meant that this deployment was still insufficient.

The maid would sleep in the servant’s quarters in the attic, but finding suitable rooms for Serleine and his doctor proved to be a considerable challenge.

The main house had few rooms beyond the second floor, where the family and senior servants resided, and the guest rooms in the annex. There was much debate about whether to house the Crown Prince, doctor, and knight in rooms of the same grade or if Serleine alone should stay on the second floor of the main house.

In the end, Alexis negotiated arrangements when he brought up the visit, ensuring that appropriate furnishings for the Crown Prince would be provided upon his return to the territorial capital. The sunniest south-facing room on the second floor of the main house was prepared for Serleine.

“We have prepared a room for you on the second floor, Serleine. The doctor will have a room in the annex, connected by a corridor, allowing free access as needed. Though we should ideally provide a separate guest house, we apologize for this arrangement.”

Melfina explained.

“Please don’t worry about that, Lady Melfina. We understand that we are the ones making an unreasonable request.”

Serleine replied.

Despite his small stature, exacerbated by illness and making him appear smaller than boy his age, his voice conveyed a mature consideration.

“You must be tired from the long journey. We’ll call you when the afternoon tea is ready, so please rest in your room for now.”

Although more than two months had passed since Serleine had arrived in the Kingdom of Francesca, his complexion was worse than expected.

— His body is so weak because of the overwhelming magical power he contains. We need to let him rest as much as possible.

Melfina escorted him to his room and sighed as she saw him settled in.

Due to the incredibly short preparation period, they had hardly any time for detailed discussions. Melfina had been greatly worried about the room arrangements, but it seemed to have worked out in the end.

“It seems that Serleine is suffering from anemia.”

Melfina observed.

“Anemia?”

Marie echoed, puzzled. The concept of issues arising from a lack of blood wasn’t well known in this world, so she didn’t immediately grasp it.

“Yes, it’s when a person becomes unwell because they don’t have enough blood. Have you ever seen someone get dizzy or suddenly faint after losing blood from an injury?”

“Ah, yes. We sometimes see that when dealing with monster hunts. Healing magic doesn’t help with it, so we usually have them sleep after treating the wound.”

Cedric replied.

“Losing consciousness while traveling or riding a horse could be life-threatening.”

Melfina added.

Cedric, being familiar with injuries as a knight, seemed to understand the condition well. Blood is replenished during sleep, making rest a somewhat effective recovery method.

Despite the chill of early winter in the Enkar region, Serleine’s cheeks lacked any flush. His skin was beyond pale, almost blue, and his lips were faintly colored.

Given his angelic appearance, the bloodless look made him appear all the more fragile and pitiable.

“However, Serleine is here for convalescence due to pulmonary disease in his home country. Could this anemia be related to that?”

Cedric inquired.

“Anemia can also result from a lack of iron in the diet or insufficient sleep, but I’m not a doctor, so I can’t say for sure.”

Melfina replied.

When thinking of foods beneficial for anemia, liver came to Melfina’s mind. However, organs were generally considered peasant food, something poor people ate because they couldn’t afford better cuts of meat. Serving it directly would be difficult.

“Maybe I should try making liver pâté.”

Melfina suggested.

“A new dish?”

Marie asked.

“Yes, it’s good for anemia and very nutritious. If we use fresh liver, it shouldn’t have much of a smell.”

Melfina explained.

Not wanting to deceive anyone, Melfina intended to inform them of the ingredients beforehand. If they were resistant, they could choose not to eat it.

As a bonus, the pâté could also be served as an appetizer, which might be appreciated by Cedric, Rad, and Cliff.

“That’s right. Could you bring a hibachi to Serleine’s room? If we place a kettle on it, it will increase the humidity and be gentle on his throat.”

“Understood. I’ll prepare a spare one right away.”

Marie replied.

“I’ll explain how to use it directly since it involves handling fire. Marie, could you prepare some new charcoal?”

“Yes, right away.”

Marie answered.

Even within the manor, Cedric, being the protective knight he was, disliked being separated from Melfina. Therefore, Melfina decided to accompany him to the storage room where the spare hibachi was kept.

The hibachis were all round and thick, made of plain ceramic without any decorations. Despite having skilled helpers from among the townsfolk, they only had one specialized ceramic artisan, and the sudden influx of refugees had left no time for decorative details.

“They were made plain since they’re just for use within the domain, but maybe we should make some more presentable ones for guests.”

Melfina suggested.

“If we tell Lewis that it’s for Lady Melfina’s room, he’ll probably be thrilled to create a masterpiece.”

Cedric said with a chuckle.

They met up with Marie, who had brought the charcoal and a kettle from the kitchen, and headed upstairs.

“Serleine, excuse us for disturbing you while you’re resting. We’ve brought a device for heating the room and would like to place it here if that’s alright.”

Melfina called out softly.

There was no immediate reply, but after a short pause, they heard a voice from inside say,

“Please wait a moment.”

“Perhaps he was sleeping.”

Melfina wondered aloud.

While Melfina and Marie exchanged glances, the door opened from the inside. It was Simon, the physician assigned to Serleine.

His expression was stern and displeased beneath his gray hair.

“Sorry for disturbing you while you’re resting. We’d like to place a hibachi in the room.”

Melfina said.

“A hibachi?”

Simon queried, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Yes, it’s a device used for burning charcoal to provide warmth. If you place a kettle with water on top, it will increase the humidity in the room, which is gentle on the throat.”

Melfina explained.

Though Simon looked suspicious, he seemed to find no reason to refuse and gestured for them to enter.

“Please be quiet; Serleine is resting.”

He added.

As he said, Serleine was lying in bed with his eyes closed. His skin was still alarmingly pale, but with his personal physician attending him, any changes in his condition would be quickly noticed.

They swiftly set up the hibachi, explaining that when the water in the kettle evaporated, it should be refilled and ventilation should be provided.

“Would it be better to have lunch brought to this room?”

Melfina asked.

“Yes… Although he appeared composed during the introductions, he is indeed very weak. Until he adjusts, it would be best for him to have his meals here.”

Simon replied.

“Then we’ll do that. Is there anything Serleine cannot eat or anything that causes him discomfort?”

Melfina inquired.

“Serleine is unable to consume anything too rich or spicy. His diet needs to be gentle, with soft foods that are easy to digest. Also, he has an aversion to strong-smelling foods.”

Simon explained.

“We’ll ensure the meals meet these requirements. If there’s anything else, please let us know.”

Melfina said.

After setting up the hibachi and ensuring Simon was aware of how to use it, Melfina and Marie quietly left the room, making sure to close the door gently behind them.

“No, he isn’t particularly picky. If I had to say, he tends to like sweet fruits.”

Simon replied.

“Then we’ll provide them whenever we can.”

Melfina said, concluding the brief conversation outside the door. She then headed to her study rather than downstairs.

“He seems like a stubborn and eccentric doctor.”

Cedric remarked.

Melfina couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. The knight, who had once been the most stubborn person since their arrival in Enkar, seemed to realize the irony of his words and looked slightly embarrassed.

“Since coming to Francesca, he’s been on the move continuously, so he must be on edge. Let’s give him some time to settle down.”

Melfina said, trying to be understanding.

Once the coughing subsided and Serleine had a chance to rest properly, his strength would naturally begin to return.

“For now, let’s ensure His Highness receives meals rich in iron.”

Melfina suggested.

As winter approached, it was also the season for slaughtering livestock. They decided to provide liver and lean meats in manageable portions to help him regain his strength.

Likely, Serleine would return to the royal capital by spring. Ultimately, it was Maria’s responsibility to find a cure for him.

Until then, Melfina hoped Serleine could enjoy a peaceful and restful stay.

For now, all they could do was ensure he had nourishing food and a calm environment, hoping it would have a positive effect on him.