ALPL 10

Chapter: 10

Recalling what she had seen in the room, Luize asked,

“Do you like drawing? And the piano?”

“The piano…?”

Miriam’s blue eyes flickered briefly, but the light quickly faded.

“It’s noisy… my brother would… probably dislike it.”

“Does it not have a muffler pedal?”

When Luize asked, Miriam tilted her head. She didn’t seem to know about the muffler pedal.

“If it has a muffler pedal, you can reduce the sound. If not, you can practice when His Excellency the Margrave is out hunting.”

In fact, the piano was one of the few cultural subjects Luize hadn’t properly learned from her mother—high-quality instruments were hard to obtain.

Still, she had taught the Engel sisters and practiced alongside them, which she felt would be helpful now.

She couldn’t help but wonder: would the Margrave have returned safely by now?

On the way out of the dining room, heavy footsteps echoed. Looking up, she saw a group of men entering the hallway in a clamor—Caius and his subordinates.

The man’s presence felt dizzying beneath the bright windows.

His pale cheeks shone in contrast against a dark red cravat, and thick eyebrows made his golden eyes stand out even more. His tight-fitting hunting outfit revealed every contour of his muscular frame.

As he strode forward with long legs, closing the distance so quickly, Luize and Miriam froze side by side.

Soon, his steps slowed to a deliberate pace.

Luize had to step forward slightly. Miriam trembled like a deer seeing a hunter before her own brother.

Caius met Luize’s eyes and smirked, his golden eyes catching the morning sunlight.

“Ah, teacher. Was your night restful?”

The sharp scent of freshly hunted animals mixed with the acrid smell of gunpowder, brushing her nose. Now that she noticed, the man at the back of the group carried something on his shoulder.

Before she could see what it was, Luize lowered her gaze. The thought that it might be the animal that had cried the previous day made her not want to see a fresh corpse.

Where her eyes fell, Caius’ hunting boots glinted alongside a sleek black nose.

Hiding the tremor in her chest, she spoke politely.

“Your Excellency… you’ve already… been outside. Thanks to you, I spent the morning comfortably.”

She added, almost as an excuse,

“I was… having breakfast with Miss Miriam. We’ll be departing soon.”

Behind her, Miriam clutched Luize’s dress as if she wanted to hide in her mother’s arms.

Luize silently hoped they would pass quickly, but Caius, his expression far more relaxed than the day before, spoke. His bright face even seemed refreshingly clear.

“It’s been a while since I caught a silver fox. Its fur would match your hair nicely. Shall I make a shawl as a keepsake?”

Luize smiled, flustered.

“Fur would be far too extravagant for me. Your words alone are more than enough.”

The man’s gaze fell on the worn shawl draped over Luize’s shoulder. He tilted his head slightly.

“It would be warmer than that, though.”

Luize fumbled with an excuse.

“This… belonged to my mother. I wear it because it reminds me of her. Next time, perhaps I’ll…”

At that, Caius raised one hand slightly, as if to stop her.

“In Burk, one follows Burk’s customs, yes? There’s nothing wrong with trying to be a lady suited for my estate, is there?”

Perhaps she seemed too inadequate here. Luize closed her mouth.

He tugged the corner of his lips into a smile.

“The carriage will be ready shortly. Then.”

His demeanor was so natural that it almost made the harsh words he had said earlier feel like reasonable logic. Yet that couldn’t be true.

After the men in hunting boots walked past, Miriam, who had stood tense like a statue, let out a small sigh. Then, in a tiny voice, she muttered to herself:

“…I don’t like him.”

Luize almost replied in agreement but bit her tongue and corrected herself.

“Your brother is just a bit blunt. His Excellency certainly cares for Miss Miriam. He even placed a large newspaper advertisement to find a tutor for you.”

Fortunately, Miriam was easily convinced.

“…Really?”

“Really, indeed.”

Feeling apologetic, Luize exaggerated slightly.

“I’ll bring the newspaper back for you to see when I return.”

Earlier, Caius hadn’t even looked at his sister or greeted her.

Miriam relaxed her stiff shoulders slightly, reassured.

Luize exhaled in relief. Taking Miriam back to her room, she looked down to see a carriage waiting in the garden.

It was time to return to her mother.

The once long journey had been cut in half, thanks to the carriage Caius had provided.

Upon reaching Melk, Luize stopped the carriage on the steep hill leading down to the walled house.

“The road is rough. Could you wait here? There isn’t much luggage, so I can go and fetch it myself.”

The coachman, who looked kind, replied leisurely,

“If any of the luggage is heavy, just signal me, teacher. I’ll wait here.”

Luize thanked him and ran down to the house.

While packing the few clothes she had, she remembered Caius’ glance toward her mother’s shawl the previous day.

Half in jest, perhaps, but the man who had offered to make a fur shawl didn’t seem to mean any harm. Still, his words lingered, making her chest ache.

Poverty wasn’t shameful, but if possible, one should dress appropriately for the situation.

Ultimately, Luize returned a few outfits to the trunk. Now that she was employed at the Margrave’s residence, she might need to pay more attention to her appearance.

The remaining clothes were one dress, one set of pajamas, and a few undergarments.

She packed a comb, the little perfume left, a diary and lesson materials filled with memories of her parents, and the newspaper she planned to show Miriam.

With nothing else to take, she placed everything into the old trunk and gave it to the coachman.

“There’s just one more thing I need to fetch. Could I stop by the neighbor’s first?”

“Of course. Take your time, teacher.”

The coachman consistently called her “teacher,” showing gentle courtesy. For Luize, who had been somewhat deflated by the head maid’s demeanor on the first day, his kindness was a small comfort.

Finally, she took her mother’s urn. When she had money, she planned to return to Melk to lay her mother to rest properly, but she didn’t want to leave her alone even for a month.

Carrying the urn, she went to the Smiths’ house. Mr. Smith was outside, holding a nail in his teeth. He hurriedly spat it out and said,

“Luize, you’re here? My wife, your close friend, took the little girl to work, though.”

Mr. Smith, a carpenter, had a small workshop attached to the house. He had repaired the broken door from the last break-in and secured it with a strong latch.

“Hello, sir.”

Luize greeted him warmly and told him she had been employed at the Margrave’s residence. She thanked him for retrieving the newspaper and encouraging her wife to send the introduction letter.

Mr. Smith laughed heartily.

“Ah, that newspaper? That worked out well! That fellow was unlucky, but in the end, it helped. Mm.”

“That fellow…?”

Luize tilted her head at the question, and Mr. Smith waved his hand.

“Ah, don’t take it too seriously! While everyone worried about the lord, I was worried about you. If anything happened to the lord, you’d lose your job too.”

Apparently, the townspeople had been concerned when Count Engel was arrested. He had a good reputation, so the locals’ worry made sense.

“…So?”

“So, while we were chatting, a stranger suddenly appeared, offering the newspaper as if it were charity. Dressed better than anyone else around, he said my lord needed a tutor but wasn’t sure if someone from the countryside would be accepted.”

“You mean that man was an employee of the Margrave’s residence in Burk?”