Published: August 15, 2025
Ceri’s explanation was vague and confusing, but I understood one thing: there was a troublesome visitor. I figured I’d just go to the castle gate and find out what was going on.
Normally, visitors to Granado Castle were mostly merchants or business-related people. After the gatekeeper handled the reception, the butler Wolfgang would take over, and sometimes Lord Cyrus himself would meet the visitors. But at this time, it could be someone related to the ducal family or a high-ranking noble coming to pay respects. If that were the case, and Lord Cyrus was away, it would be my place as a relative by marriage to receive them.
… I hesitated over whether to bring my daughter Lisa along, but she had just fallen asleep for her nap, so I decided to leave her with Tunic and Ceri. I headed toward the castle gate alone.
Granado Castle was the largest and strongest fortress in the Dirts Kingdom. The walls encircling the grounds were so high that looking up made my neck ache. At the ironclad gate, I could hear some commotion.
About ten men stood there. Only two of them were raising their voices. One was Adam, the stableman I knew from Granado Castle. The gatekeeper Thomas was nearby as well, but he kept his mouth firmly shut. The other speaker was a man I’d never seen before.
“Honestly, how long do you intend to drag this out? I don’t want to hear the same thing repeated over and over,” the man said with a disdainful snort, his high nose wrinkling. Adam raised an eyebrow.
“You’re the one making me say the same thing again and again! I’ve told you over and over that your carriage can’t enter the castle!”
Adam’s words were rough, almost shouting in frustration.
Gatekeeper Thomas scratched the back of his head, looking troubled. Usually, after Thomas handled reception, Adam would take the horses and put them in the guest stable outside the gate. But it seemed this visitor was unhappy about that.
The visitor toyed with his mustache, looking down on Adam.
“No matter how many times you say it, I won’t accept it. I can’t entrust my precious horses to a lowly servant like you. Or do you like my horses so much? Are you eager to be alone with them?”
“Huh?”
“Are you trying to sire a half-man, half-horse? That’s just a myth. Even if you rendezvous with this one, the fate of a man and a horse is a tragic love story.”
“What… what is this old man saying… I can’t take this anymore…”
Adam clutched his head in frustration. Gatekeeper Thomas stepped forward in his place, unusually sharp-eyed as he glared.
“Excuse me, but if you want to enter this castle, you must follow the rules set by master. If you can’t comply, please leave.”
“What… Do you intend to turn me away at the gate? Who do you think I am?”
“I don’t know. You haven’t even told us your name!”
Behind Thomas, Adam shouted angrily.
Yikes. I swear I could hear the veins popping in Adam’s head.
“Adam, calm down,” Thomas hurried to soothe him, but Adam was breathing harshly and couldn’t be stopped. Usually gentle and kind-hearted, especially with horses, for him to be this angry meant this visitor had been causing trouble for a long time.
What should I do…?
Adam was right, after all. But…
From a distance, I observed the visitor’s attire.
—He was definitely someone I didn’t know. I pride myself on my memory, but even without that, this was clearly a first meeting. His face was unforgettable.
He looked to be in his mid-forties. His dark brown hair was slicked back with flair, and his mustache curled stylishly—a gentleman straight out of a picture book. His features were well proportioned, average height but slightly tall. Nothing particularly striking about his appearance, except his clothing was flamboyant to the point of being unforgettable. …How to put it? Old-fashioned? He wore a large hat adorned with multicolored bird feathers, a floral jacket and floral pants, covered head to toe in ruffles, lace, and drapes, frilly and fluttery. Every piece had jeweled buttons, and his shoulders and hips were padded for volume—a style from an era when nobles could oppress commoners and hoard wealth without consequence… like a prince out of an ancient fairy tale.