Chapter 84: Home Visit (4)

From a beautiful carriage, Holy Knights dressed in silver uniforms stepped down.

As they opened the door, priests clad in hoods disembarked from within.

“……!!”

Robin Julius, once a knight, instantly recognized the powerful mana radiating from their bodies.

At the intensity of that aura, his hand reflexively reached for his waist.

Even though he hadn’t fastened anything to his belt.

“Looks like they’ve caught the scent again.”

The Western knight, who had been overseeing the servants repairing the mansion from a distance, also noticed.

Crossing his arms alone, he coldly observed the approaching priests.

“Is this the residence of Sir Robin Julius?”

A white-haired man wearing silver glasses asked with a gentle smile.

The women standing on either side of him also carried powerful mana within them.

“Yes, it is… but… may I ask what brings you priests to such a humble place?”

Perhaps because he had already received more than his share of unexpected guests,

the baron acted even more cautiously.

“We are mages from the Nord Cathedral, sent by the main temple of the Silver Truth Church.”

Mages affiliated with the cathedral.

They were high-ranking personnel usually only seen during major imperial events.

Why would such people visit his home?

Or rather—why were they, including even the Western Grand Duke’s House, showing interest in him?

“We are here on behalf of the main temple to deliver the compensation for your service in the war that was never properly issued.”

“You’re only giving me compensation now…?”

It had already been over twenty years since the war ended.

Besides, compensation for participating citizens had mostly been nothing more than a formality, rarely carried out properly.

Especially for mercenaries like Robin, who had fought for a price.

After all, they’d already pillaged plenty of spoils even without being paid.

“Yes. From what we’ve reviewed, Sir Robin Julius was owed quite a substantial amount.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

The baron took the briefcase handed over by the priestesses without thinking.

“Ha ha… That’s understandable. There were so many people we had to compensate that it’s only now your turn has come.”

At the male priest’s gesture to open the case, Robin unfastened the latch.

And the moment he peeked inside—

Startled, the baron quickly shut it again.

“My compensation is really… this much?”

“Yes. You dedicated yourself to the nation.”

The male priest gave him a warm, merciful smile.

“And since it’s so late, additional rewards have been included.”

He signaled to his juniors.

At that, a blue brilliance flickered in the eyes of the two women.

They stretched their hands toward the neatly trimmed but lifeless lawn.

In that instant—

—

Life began to return to the sagging, weary lawn.

As if it had been meticulously maintained for decades.

“Magic like this… in this world…”

“This is the unique power of our white magic. Blessed by the Goddess, we deal with life force.”

Robin showed great interest in the garden, which had brightened up in an instant.

As someone who once enjoyed putting on a display, gardening had been his only hobby.

“……”

Seeing him interested for the first time, the Western knight went on alert.

“Using mages… how underhanded.”

With his fist over his mouth, Ipton cleared his throat quietly.

Then he stepped between the priest and the baron, who already seemed to be getting along.

“Sir Robin, the landscaping is now complete.”

“Already?”

Snapped out of his enchantment, the middle-aged man followed him toward the back garden.

The male priest, who had been watching, momentarily narrowed his long eyes.

As if they were two conquerors who had just discovered a new continent at the same time.

“Please, take a look—.”

The Western knight gestured gracefully toward the rear garden, which the gardener had rapidly manicured.

The baron followed with a look of disbelief, wondering how much could have changed in such a short time.

But when he saw the transformed garden—

“This can’t be…!!”

He covered his mouth with his hand in shock at the unbelievable sight.

His home, now touched by the hands of the Western Grand Duke’s House, had been completely transformed.

“What do you think, Sir Robin?”

“I-I can’t believe it. How could so much change in so little time…!!”

With a look of childlike wonder, the baron stepped onto the lawn.

He couldn’t hide his admiration as he looked up at a lion-shaped tree peering down at him with majesty.

“I always dreamed of cultivating a garden this beautiful one day…”

“He’s one of the top experts, even among the Yekaterina Imperial Family. He’s often called in to landscape royal estates.”

The landscaper in his thirties gave a graceful bow.

Seeing this, the Western knight gave him a quick thumbs-up behind the baron’s back.

“……”

Watching them from behind with a cold stare was the male priest.

He silently observed the Western Grand Duke’s relentless offensive.

Then, after reading a message delivered by a pigeon from the sky, he whispered to the priestesses.

“They say she’s about to arrive. Let’s prepare.”

“Yes, Chief Mage.”

The priests approached the baron, who was still in awe.

“Sir Robin, our Saint will be visiting shortly.”

“She’s coming… here? To my house herself?”

The middle-aged man, now beyond surprise, swallowed hard and straightened his tousled hair.

“That’s right. It’s a goodwill visit, so you needn’t feel burdened.”

“Our Western Grand Duke’s daughter will also be arriving soon.”

Knight Ipton quickly added.

At that, the male priest glanced sideways at him, visibly irritated.

“Well, what a coincidence. So the Grand Duke’s daughter Helena is also visiting today.”

“Indeed. For the Saint, who’s so incredibly busy, to come all the way here.”

The two close aides eyed each other warily as they made their way toward the mansion entrance.

And as they stood in formation, waiting—

The heavy rumble of wheels echoed down the modest road of the outer village.

The sound was so grand that villagers couldn’t help but lean out their windows.

Some even stepped outside to watch the enormous carriages pass by.

They weren’t accompanied by escort wagons.

However, the sheer luxuriousness and weight of the carriages made it sound as though multiple vehicles were traveling together.

—

Soon, one of the carriages came to a halt in front of the newly painted iron gate.

And when the coachmen dismounted and opened the door—

At last, in this quiet countryside village, the two most famous women of the Empire stepped out.

Saint Istina and the Western Grand Duke’s daughter, Helena.

“Oh my. We meet again, don’t we?”

A white dress that wrapped her statuesque figure like a museum sculpture.

Then, a mystical hood that draped over her shoulders and radiant silver hair.

With gentle, kind eyes, the Saint softly looked at Helena.

“Indeed, Saint. I heard you had a meeting in the capital today.”

The Western Grand Duke’s daughter wore a black silk dress with a deeply cut back.

She blinked her blue eyes, elegantly sweeping her voluminous golden hair aside.

“Seeing you here must mean you heard the same ‘news’ and rushed over in a hurry?”

Rushed over.

The Saint, known for being the calmest and most dignified woman in the world, let her lips part slightly at those words.

However, she quickly composed herself and countered.

“Whether it’s from the capital or the West, the distance to here is about the same. Didn’t you also rush over?”

“……”

In truth, the distance from Nord to either the Western territories or the Imperial capital wasn’t significantly different.

Which is why Helena could only lightly bite her fresh, pink lip.

“Well, it seems our intentions are the same. Why don’t we head inside with a smile?”

The Western Grand Duke’s daughter glanced at the middle-aged man who had come out to greet them.

Both women could tell at a glance whose father he was.

“Let’s do that. From this point on, it’ll be a fair competition.”

The two women stepped down from the carriage at the same time.

And as they crossed the smoothened iron gate—

“Her Grace Helena Yekaterina, the Western Grand Duke’s daughter, has arrived!!”

“Saint Istina has arrived!!”

Their respective aides shouted loudly in what seemed like a battle of presence.

“Ipton, this isn’t a palace ceremony, alright? Try to keep it a bit more composed.”

“Priest, there are villagers present too. We’d appreciate a little decorum.”

The knight and the priest both bowed their heads.

“Our apologies!!”

The two women entered the well-maintained garden.

Then, with elegant expressions, they offered polite greetings to the host.

“Sir Robin, we’re here as part of a goodwill visit, so please don’t feel burdened.”

“Ah, yes… It’s truly an honor to meet you. I’m Robin Julius…”

For a supposedly casual visit, their attire was exceptionally meticulous.

As someone who had long admired the lifestyle of the upper class, the baron couldn’t possibly miss that.

“It’s humble, but… would you care to come inside?”

Robin cautiously gestured toward his house.

He hadn’t really thought they would actually step inside.

After all, they had spent their entire lives in lofty mansions and grand cathedrals—why would they ever enter a place like this?

He had only made the offer out of politeness.

But the response to his offer left him even more puzzled.

“Is there anyone else inside, perhaps?”

The Saint’s meaningful question and the Grand Duke’s daughter’s serene expression—

The baron forced himself to reply in the bold voice he used in his mercenary days.

“Yes, my son’s here, but he’s asleep, so it should be quiet.”

My son.

At those words, the two women briefly fell silent, their expressions shifting into something hard to describe.

“Then, if you don’t mind, we’ll come in for a moment.”

“It would be rude to decline such kindness, after all.”

The baron stared blankly at the two young ladies who accepted his offer without hesitation—completely contrary to his expectations.

Then, snapping out of it, he quickly hurried to open the mansion door.

—

I had definitely fallen asleep comfortably after coming back home.

But for some reason, even in my sleep, I kept hearing people moving around busily.

Even my father’s voice, marveling at something in the garden, drifted through the window.

“Why is it so noisy…”

Thanks to my usually reserved father, our house had always been quiet.

But today, it was unusually loud. I groggily opened my eyes.

“Phew…”

Maybe it was because it had been a while since I’d taken a nap—my body wasn’t adjusting well.

Well, I never even dreamed of napping back when I was Chief Secretary, so it made sense.

I stretched my stiff body.

Then, still wearing a worn-out T-shirt, I got up and stepped into the hallway.

“…?”

Maybe it was because I used to manage the largest mansion in the North.

I could instinctively sense even the subtlest changes in a house.

And that’s probably why this strange sense of unfamiliarity started creeping in.

When I first arrived, the mansion had been cluttered and musty.

But now, just a few hours later, the air felt like it belonged to a completely different home.

‘Probably just my imagination.’

Assuming it was just because it had been a while since I came home, I dragged my slippers across the floor.

And just as I headed toward the kitchen for a cold glass of water—

“Huh…?”

A woman with short black hair was standing at the sink, doing the dishes.

“Do you need some water?”

“Uh, yes… I mean, I do, but… who are you…?”

When I asked with a dumbfounded look, the maid gracefully poured water into a glass with skilled hands.

From the instincts I’d honed during my days as Chief Secretary, I could tell right away—

she was from an extremely prestigious household.

‘But why would someone like that be in our house…?’

“Traces of limestone were detected in the home’s water supply, so it’s been filtered. Please understand if there’s a slight tang.”

“Ah, thank you…”

I took the glass with the same dazed look still on my face.

Then, in an effort to grasp what was happening, I took a big gulp.

Refreshing.

The bitter aftertaste that used to characterize the water in our ruined home was now perfectly clean and crisp.

But that wasn’t the important part right now.

‘Did we ever have a maid…?’

Back when I was a child, we did have maids at home.

But after Father retired and lost all our remaining money in some investment, there hadn’t been a single trace of one since.

And yet, the woman standing in front of me now was clearly a maid from a noble house.

Not just any maid either—she was top of her field, the kind who could single-handedly transform our shabby kitchen into something worthy of the upper class.

“Sorry, but may I ask what brings you to our house…?”

I scratched my disheveled head and asked.

The maid gestured for me to follow her toward the living room.

“There’s someone who wishes to speak with you.”

I had so many questions.

But faced with her firm, no-nonsense demeanor, I silently followed her to the living room.

And just as I reached the room, still scratching the back of my neck—

“Uh…?”

For the first time since I returned from my previous life, my eyes flew wide open.

Our old, worn-down family sofa.

And on that sofa…

“Oh my, Roger. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Did you enjoy your nap?”

Sitting there as if it were nothing—were the Saint and the Western Grand Duke’s daughter.

“Sir Robin, the tea here has a lovely fragrance.”

“The cookies you offered are quite delicate too.”

And they were both dressed in those irresistibly alluring dresses—looking effortlessly composed, yet somehow deliberate.

“That’s a relief. Ha ha…”

Sitting across from them and chuckling was none other than my father.

‘Am I still dreaming…?’

The two women gazed at my rumpled appearance with unhurried smiles—like foxes watching a sleepy cub just waking up.

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