Chapter 21. The Principality Of Bertino, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
There was a long line of mansions along the five-pronged roads, with the Imperial Castle in the middle. In particular, the five mansions most closely situated around the Imperial Castle were the homes of the five Peacocks, the highest aristocrats in Austern, of which Dudley and Kiellini families adjoined each other along the road.
Recalling the map that she had been interested in before, Julietta passed by Eldira Street, which she had never been to before, and an emblem of a family that she had seen often somewhere came into her eyes. It was an emblem that remained in young Julietta’s memory. The emblem was on the carriage of Marquis Anais, when he had come to see Stella and Julietta, and her heart beat strangely.
Julietta mumbled, rubbing her pounding heart, “Julietta, even though he is a father who abandoned you, your heart beats even when you see his mansion?”
In front of the iron gate with the family emblem of Anais on it stood knights on guard, beyond them was an endless garden.
Having rubbed her chest once again to think that the golden-haired Marquis that looked just like her might be out there, Julietta turned to the great castle of golden light at the end of the road.
Realizing that the destination of the carriage was there, she finally realized that her employer was the Prince of this great country, living in a beautiful castle that seemed to come from fairy tales. Bewitched and gazing about and admiring, the carriage went through the small back door into the Imperial Castle.
——
The inside of the castle, which was brilliantly decorated with gold, was as colorful as the outside. The carriage stopped at the back of a castle a little way from the main castle, passing through a park-like garden decorated with all kinds of sculptures, flowers, and trees along a smooth stretch of road. Feeling nervous as she arrived at her destination, Julietta carefully stepped down from the carriage.
Julietta looked up at the gentle, calm castle of pale purple, unlike the main golden castle, realized her appearance and laughed. It was funny to think of herself as a girl from the countryside in an old drama who had just moved up to a big city.
The driver told her to wait and went inside. Julietta decided not to be too shabby when someone to guide her came out, and straightened up her clothes that had crumpled while riding in the carriage, and stood upright as she had learned.
Her back was sore and her legs were asleep by the time a middle-aged woman dressed neatly in a gray dress finally came out from the inside.
“Is this Julietta from Harrods Street?”
At the dignified voice, Julietta bowed quickly. “Yes. I’m Julietta Salmon. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
When Julietta, an illegitimate child who had not been added to her family register, greeted her politely with the last name of her mother, as she had learned from Johanna, the woman nodded in satisfaction.
“I am Countess Auguste, the head maid of His Highness Killian’s Asta Castle. I’ll just say this briefly, because I don’t have time since His Highness will leave for the Principality of Bertino soon. I don’t expect anything from you because you are on a temporary job until I get another maid, anyway. I just hope that you won’t be fired until I find a proper maid. Do you understand?”
Julietta, who was once again told not to be fired here, replied politely with her eyes down, “I’ll do my best, as I would like to get back to Harrods Street.”
Countess Auguste, who nodded again at Julietta’s answer, opened her mouth as if something were unexpected. “But you’re not as fat as I thought you would be. Have you lost a lot of weight?”
Julietta, who was pricked by her conscience, nodded at her words. “Yes. I thought I’d have to lose weight if I wanted to continue working as a maid of His Highness.”
When Julietta first came to work in Bertino mansion, it was winter, so she could wear a linen cloak with cotton, but it was too much to wear after early summer. So she was forced to make a new summer dress for disguise.
She took off the cotton-filled undergarments on her waist and hips. Instead, the waist and hips of the maid’s suit, which was three sizes larger than her, were fixed in a circle with wires used by aristocratic women to inflate their skirts. The fabric would stick to the body so that the curves of the waist and hips were not revealed. She also added cotton to the shoulder padding to make them look bigger.
The present-day Julietta was still an ugly maid with large, broom-like rough brick-red hair, though not as burdensome as before, as the overall mass that had been rounded off with cotton had disappeared.
“But you must have wanted to go on with your work, judging by your efforts. Sir Albert said not to be surprised at your appearance, but it was a relief. Come on, follow me.”
Julietta breathed a sigh of relief for a moment, feeling like she had safely passed the first line, and then followed Mrs. Auguste into the splendid castle.
——
Upon arriving at Sir Albert’s office under her guidance, Julietta had to listen again and again about what to do on this journey.
“We can’t go all the way there at one time. We’ve been recovering since the Magic Square, which is connected to the Principality of Bertino, was destroyed during the war. In Baden Territory, the destination of the Magic Square, we will spend one night and go to the neighboring Deuwabo City, and cross the border. From there we will ride in a carriage for many days and move to Ricaren, the capital of Bertino. Because of the long travel time, His Highness will feel pretty bad. So be careful of everything, over and over. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What you’re going to do on the move will be dictated by Jeff. The most important thing among them is to prepare tea. His Highness won’t want Jeff’s tea, if it is possible. So if he wants tea while on the move, get it ready right away.”
At the butler’s words, Julietta faltered. Having never camped, she couldn’t have set fire to a tree branch. Of course, the highest-ranking Prince’s Bertino mansion was equipped with all kinds of convenient magical items, but she couldn’t help but worry because they weren’t big enough to carry.
“How do I prepare the tea? I haven’t made a fire because I’ve never been on a trip.”
At Julietta’s words, Sir Albert shook the bell lying on the desk, as if not to worry.
“Ian, bring me the glass bottle His Highness uses on his trip.”
The brown-haired servant with a good impression stepped outside at Albert’s command and came in a moment later with something.
Albert took a glass bottle a little longer than his palm and held it out to Julietta. “It’s a magic glass bottle that can keep his tea at the same temperature all the time.”
The transparent glass bottle had a colorful silver emblem on it, very beautiful and expensive to touch.
Albert reached out as if to ask Julietta to give it back after she looked at the glass bottle. He opened the lid and poured water directly into the teacup on the desk. Definitely magical, as when she touched it, the bottle was cold, but steaming water came out of the bottle.
Albert said unexpectedly, after looking at Julietta’s unmoved expression, as she thought of it as merely a modern thermos, “You’re not surprised. Isn’t this magical?”
Only
Julietta, who was watching without thinking about anything, just expressed her admiration, feeling that she made a mistake. “I was so surprised that I was looking blankly. But where should I boil the water to put in that glass bottle?”
Albert picked up the kettle next to the teacup at Julietta’s question and filled the glass bottle with water.
“It holds enough for three cups of tea at a time. You don’t have to boil the water separately; if you put cold water in it, it boils to heat inside the bottle and is preserved at that temperature.”
This time, Julietta was genuinely surprised. She understood it as a thermos, but the water was boiling inside! As expected, the magic items used by the royal family seemed to be of different levels.
“You’ll have to keep it safe. I don’t have to tell you how expensive it is?”
Julietta had no idea what the cost would be, but agreed that it would be absurdly expensive and nodded.
“Now, then, we’ll be leaving in an hour, and the rest will be explained by Mrs. Auguste.”
——
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