Chapter 78

The bathroom was communal. Bert, who had told them to wash up and change clothes, looked at Adi thoughtfully for a moment, but Adi paid no attention. After all, they had lived among men for years. There was no need to worry now about being discovered when it hadn’t happened all this time.

“Want to wash first?”

At Roy’s question, Adi shook their head.

“You go first.”

“Well, thanks then.”

With those words, Roy tossed his belongings into his assigned room and quickly went to wash. Adi looked around their assigned room. It was just an ordinary room of moderate size. Similar in size to the knights’ quarters where they had stayed in Palesa. The layout was similar too.

Clothes were neatly laid out on the bed. They must have sent measurements ahead when it was decided they would come to Woodpecker.

Adi picked up the clothes. The flowing fabric was quite light and of good quality. Summer clothes indeed. Though it was the same country, there were differences between the clothes worn in Grimaldi and Woodpecker.

Adi set down the clothes and took out the only possession they had brought along. A folded frame. They didn’t unfold it. Just quietly placed it on the bed beside the clothes.

After washing, Adi put on the clothes provided by House Woodpecker. They didn’t forget to wear the leather armor over the chemise. After securing the stockings, putting on trousers, shoes, and finally the shirt, Adi quietly looked at the cameo.

The cameo, carved with a bird perched on a branch, had a ruby decoration on the head part. A male woodpecker.

Soon averting their gaze, Adi tied a black cravat around their neck. While considering whether to attach the cameo decoration above it, there was a knock at the door.

“Adi.”

It was Bert. Adi approached and opened the door. Bert stood there in full uniform. He simultaneously knocked on Roy’s door.

Roy came out with disheveled hair, as if he had fallen asleep in the meantime. His eyes were also half-closed.

“Your appearance…”

“Are we going somewhere? To His Grace?”

“No. Just change and come out first.”

Roy yawned, said he understood, and went back into his room. Shaking his head, Bert looked at Adi and said, “You can go as you are.”

“Where are we going?”

“Yes, we’re going somewhere.”

Given how he answered when asked where they were going, it seemed to be a secret.

Roy finished preparing quickly. As expected of someone with experience as a guard knight, both his change of clothes and appearance were neat.

Bert took Roy and Adi out. A carriage was waiting below the mansion. Bert told them to get in, told the driver their destination, and got in himself.

The mansion grounds were quite large, so it took time to get out. But once they reached the road, the travel distance was short.

The carriage stopped in front of a residential area not far from the Woodpecker mansion. Bert got out, opening the door, and guided Roy and Adi to a modest two-story house. Upon opening the door and entering, they were greeted by the smell of delicious food and the warmth of a lived-in home.

“You’ve arrived?”

Adi and Roy lowered their heads. It was a petite middle-aged woman.

“My lord, this is…”

“My home.”

Saying this, Bert kissed the woman’s cheek and said,

“This is my wife, Melissa Din.”

Next to Bert, who was as large as a bear, there was almost an illusion that his wife might not look too small. Adi blinked. The woman was so delicate that it was unclear how to interact with her. Melissa placed her hand on Adi’s back, who seemed bewildered.

“I’ve prepared dinner. It’s a bit early for dinner, but there’s plenty of food, so eat at your leisure.”

“My wife cooks generously. We had three sons, you see. They all ate enormously.”

“Do they all live together?”

“They’ve all moved out. One’s with the night watchmen, so you’ll see him soon, another works as a tax collector, and the third is studying at the academy.”

Saying this, Bert gestured toward the dining room chairs, indicating they should sit wherever they liked. Then, pulling out a chair for his wife, he said,

“To settle in a new place, you need somewhere to call home first.”

His wife sat down naturally, offering a smile.

“Both of you should consider this your home.”

Roy made an unexpected expression. Then he looked at the food laid out before him.

Home. It was something he had only known as a child. Though his sociable nature meant he rarely faced enmity anywhere, he had always felt like a wanderer, without a place to truly belong.

As a noble, Roy had never had food cooked by his mother. He wasn’t particularly close with his mother either. As was typical for most nobles. But he had had a wet nurse. She would often make warm meals for Roy. His attachment had formed with her rather than his mother.

He hadn’t seen his wet nurse since his family’s downfall. He had heard through his mother that she was alive, but didn’t know where she had gone or which house she was with.

Roy’s eyes reddened. The warm stew reminded him of his forgotten wet nurse.

“I’ll enjoy the meal, Melissa.”

Roy said, picking up his spoon. Adi followed suit with their own spoon. Melissa said there was still much more food. A maid brought out a huge roasted chicken from the kitchen.

“This is delicious.”

Roy smiled. Adi put food in their mouth. It was warm. The taste seemed to seep in somehow. It was just ordinary food. Though to call it ordinary—it was certainly more delicious than Palesa’s food, but there seemed to be something beyond taste. Bert spoke gruffly.

“Both of you stay over tonight. We have three empty rooms anyway.”

Though his tone was gruff, the content was warm. As if trying to hide his embarrassment, Bert’s ears seemed to redden slightly as he continued putting food in his mouth.

❖ ❖ ❖

Bert had to go to work early. Adi and Roy returned to the mansion with Bert by carriage. Bert, who had been embracing his wife the whole time as if reluctant to leave her, finally got into the carriage, unable to bear the driver’s gaze. As soon as they returned to the mansion, Adi received a servant’s summons.

Gavin told Adi that His Grace was looking for them, asking if they had finally returned. Come to think of it, they hadn’t kissed last night. No, not just last night. It had been that way the entire journey from Palesa to Woodpecker.

The path to see the Duke had become more complicated than when they were in Palesa. When in the residence, they had met directly and communicated directly, but now they had to go through numerous servants just to meet. However, they were all kind to Adi. Though Adi noticed the strange way they looked at them, the meaning behind those looks wasn’t clear.

“Your Grace, your guest has arrived.”

The servant standing at the door announced. The door opened from inside. The servant who opened it guided Adi to enter before stepping out.

The Duke was sitting at his desk in what appeared to be his office. Seeing Adi, Yuls rose. Though his movement was unhurried, it carried weight. Moving to the sofa in front of the desk, Yuls looked at Adi. Though no words were spoken, his gaze beckoned them to approach.

As Adi approached him, his gaze shifted to the sofa beside him. When Adi sat down, Yuls spoke.

“Count Grimaldi has officially acknowledged Adrian Grimaldi’s death.”

Saying this, Yuls reached out toward Adi. His fingers touched their cheek.

“Your identity has been erased.”

Each time Yuls’s hand touched their cheek, a strange tension was felt. Perhaps reading Adi’s reaction, Yuls withdrew his hand.

“It’s not easy to live with an erased identity. You can’t even register with the knights.”

“Yes, I know.”

At Adi’s answer, Yuls looked quietly before speaking.

“So we’ll create a new identity. I’ll handle the identity verification and certification, so there won’t be any problems. And your surname…”

“I don’t need one.”

Having no surname meant being a commoner. More precisely, it referred to serfs—those serfs who had paid their own worth became surnames commoners. Such people would become squires to knights or servants, gaining opportunities for social advancement. And then, eventually, they would be granted surnames.

Did they mean to return to being a commoner?

After all, receiving a knighthood would bring a new surname. Like Bert.

“That’s a shame, Bert had decided to give you his surname.”

At Yuls’s words, Adi made a face as if suddenly realizing something.

“He introduced you as his niece then. He probably had been planning it since then. You met Melissa yesterday too, didn’t you? She said she liked you.”

“…”

“Are you not fond of the Din surname?”

“That’s not it.”

“Good. Bert and Melissa would have been very disappointed if you’d refused. Melissa especially. She’s quite sensitive.”

Imagining that delicate woman being disappointed made a corner of their chest ache. She was just an ordinary woman. Not their mother, just… just. They weren’t sure. If they had had a wet nurse, would they have known such feelings?

Adrian had been quite attached to their wet nurse. Likewise, Lev Jid had been attached to Adrian. Only Adrina had been separate from all that.

“There’s just one issue,”

Yuls said. Adi, who had been drifting into the past, quickly came to their senses.

“Whether you’ll continue as Adrian, or live as Adrina.”