It’s not easy dropping into a parallel universe.
One of the many things Lina just couldn’t get used to was the extravagant baths customary among the nobility.
The day Lina had arrived and the maids tried bathing her, she had laughed at the strangeness of it and told them, “Thanks, but no thanks.
I can wash myself perfectly fine.”
The maids were never given the chance to scour her body, which is why Lina didn’t discover the star-shaped mark on her until much later.
It was hidden on the back of her thigh, an area that would require all sorts of creative contortions for her to spot herself.
Never in Seria’s wildest nightmares had she ever imagined that Lina could possibly be a Sterne.
Assuming that nothing would happen if Lina touched the constellation steel monolith, she actively encouraged her to touch it, all so she could finally triumph and prove her value over the annoying girl once and for all.
But when Lina did finally touch it, lo and behold, she was revealed to be a Sterne.
Seria lost her mind.
Blind with rage, she indulged in a spree of wicked deeds until, not long after, she met her end in a swift and brutal execution.
From then on, her name never appeared in the story again.
To avoid such a fate, my plan was to retreat to the Hanneton estate and remain there until the completion of the storyline.
I would keep myself in a kind of exile from society, waiting until every event that might threaten my safety had passed.
But that was still a long way off.
Until then I had plenty to do, such as meeting with the noblewomen of Hanneton.
“Oh, my!
This wedding hall is just magnificent!”
“The Sterne wedding is sure to be a celestial spectacle!”
“How could it not?
After all, the word ‘Sterne’ does mean ‘star,’ does it not?”
The Ladies of Hanneton, as these particular women were known, looked around in wide-eyed awe.
With its towering ceiling, the wedding hall was indeed something to behold.
Crystal chandeliers hung like an array of icicles sparkling in the winter sunlight.
Elegant marble columns gilded with gold leaf and statues of angels adorned the hall.
The ceiling was draped with long stretches of soft white muslin, creating the illusion of clouds.
Dozens of metallic insignia, glittering as if dusted with grains of gold, were displayed on the walls.
These unique decorations were a deep-rooted tradition bestowed by the High Church for use in Sterne weddings alone.
The description of this place was lovely in the story, but it’s even more gorgeous in person.
I couldn’t imagine the priestesses decorating it so spectacularly, which made me wonder if Callis had a hand in it.
After the wedding hall, the noblewomen and I made our way to another grand wing of the Berk estate for afternoon tea.
The cakes and pastries were sublime.
Rouche himself did not particularly enjoy sweets, but I remembered it being mentioned in the story that he kept a skilled patissier on staff for special occasions.
As I sampled an éclair that had been generously sprinkled with fine chocolate shavings, the noblewomen chattered away.
“Lady Sterne, the Hanneton dominion is an amazing place as well.
We also have several large ballrooms.”
“It is only that, for so long now, there has been no lady of the house to play hostess.”
“But now, Lady Sterne will become the Marquise of Hanneton!”
All the ladies clapped and welcomed the prospect.
These noblewomen were kind to me.
Though, I was under no illusions—they meant only to win my favor.
Even so, I appreciated the sentiment.
Seeking the favor of others requires a great amount of effort; I knew that better than most.
And they seemed honest.
I resolved to build a strong relationship with them after I married and moved to the Hanneton estate.
We said our goodbyes after tea, and I went to fetch a branch of silver laurel.
Unlike ordinary laurels, the leaves of the silver laurel tree shimmered with a shiny gray hue.
While the trees were not considered divine, the branches were indispensable in fortifying the barrier of the glacier due to their unique properties.
They acted almost like sponges, soaking up and retaining stray bits of divine energy.
Similar to how pure silver, salt, iron, and herbs are burned to purify spaces, a silver laurel branch can be used to purify the glacier.
This is necessary to keep the beasts trapped within, which is why it’s called the tomb of the beasts.
Another important use for silver laurel branches is in counteracting the cooling effects of constellation steel.
At times when there was no Sterne present, the knights donning astral armor would carry a silver laurel branch inside their armor as a substitute.
If a Sterne were a plant, she would be a silver laurel tree.
Silver laurel branches were stuck into the snow of the glacier to impart their influence.
But, like any living thing, the branches would eventually dry out and die.
Thus, in an effort to keep the beasts from emerging, the branches surrounding the glacier had to be frequently replaced.
Trudging out onto the frigid glacier to replace laurel branches was not my idea of a good time.
But with every trip and every branch, my reputation improved a tiny bit, so I gladly endured the harsh conditions.
As word spread about my dedication to protecting the empire from monsters, the prospect of a miserable death would, hopefully, become more remote.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself, my lady.” The unexpected voice startled me.
I turned to see Rouche, his deep red eyes shining beneath hair that glittered like fresh snow.
“Your Grace,” I said, bowing to him.
“Thanks to you, my usually serene castle has been rather boisterous lately.” He smirked and eyed me with a grin that might have indicated amusement.
Boisterous?
“I shall try to keep it under control,” I said, my nerves shaken.
“That is not what I meant.”
“Then…?” I became flustered and dropped the silk pouch of silver laurel branches I was holding, its contents spilling out onto the ground.
I crouched down in embarrassment in what was an unbearably awkward moment.
I couldn’t look at him, and I could barely get my fingers to work properly.
As I tried to hastily sweep up the sticks and leaves, Rouche bent down and picked up a branch.
He nodded toward the silk pouch, and I opened it to let him place the branch back inside.
“Thank you, Your Grace.” I bowed again and turned to leave.
Rouche stopped me.
“Are you heading to the frozen lake again today?”
“Yes, Your Grace.
I will be going with Sir Elliot.”
“I find it all rather perplexing,” he said.
“Pardon?”
Rouche scrutinized me as if I were some exotic creature.
“I was under the impression that Lennon had given sufficient attention to your wedding venue,” he said.
“Is it still not to your satisfaction?”
How could it not be?
“I assumed that was why you kept leaving for the inspections,” he added.
“Because you were displeased with the wedding hall.”
Lennon.
I knew that name.
He was Rouche’s chief aide and a significant character in the novel, though I had yet to meet him in person.
“That must mean it was Your Grace who arranged the decorations,” I said.
Rouche must have had the wedding hall decorated as a gesture of gratitude for my glacier inspections.
No wonder the venue was more extravagant than I ever could have imagined.
And here I thought Callis had prepared everything.
“Is that not what you wanted?” Rouche asked, squinting at me.
“Every time you visited my castle in the past, you raised a fuss about how something was not to your liking.
And when my servants attended to you, they fell ill.
Over a hundred of them, I would guess.”
I was not sure how to respond, and I felt the first trickles of a cold sweat beginning to form.
What on earth had Seria done to make over a hundred servants sick?
Somehow I managed to keep my composure and produce a nervous smile.
“Then, for the sake of those hundred who suffered by my hand, I shall work even harder to fortify the glacier.”
Rouche smiled and chuckled.
I had no clue the man was even capable of laughter.
“It will be a shame when you leave for Hanneton,” he said, which was somehow even more shocking than the sound of him laughing.
Were my ears playing tricks on me?
Had he really said he’s going to miss me when I’m gone?
He couldn’t possibly be serious.
What kind of game was he playing here?
While I stared at him in utter bafflement, he added a few more branches to my pouch.
“The Sterne who comes next year will not be like you,” he said.
“Perhaps,” I replied.
Of course, I knew what he meant.
There was no other Sterne who would inspect the glacier so faithfully.
If the main male character is saying this, that must mean my survival is basically guaranteed!
A warm sense of hope welled up within me.
All I had to do was remain devoted to my role as keeper of the glacier for another year, and then my disastrous ending would be diverted.
My one wish seemed to be within reach.
That day, just like every day, the inspection was difficult, my fingers were frozen stiff, and my cheeks were blasted red, but I returned from my duties in a better mood than ever.
When I finally returned to my room, my maids were bursting with excitement.
“Look, my lady, look!
The wedding gifts are starting to arrive!”
They crowded around me, eagerly holding up gifts.
I was surprised, of course, but also confused.
“Weren’t all the gifts already sorted out yesterday?”
“Yes, but these are new.
They were sent by Marquis Hanneton!”
“From Callis?” I asked.
“Yes, look at this one!
This sapphire is so pure!
And look at its depth!
This ribbon is of the finest silk, made by a famed designer from the capital, this lovely lace hat and tail feather from an extremely rare bird, and…”
“Should we open a clothing and accessories store?” I asked with a playful grin.
“A what, my lady?”
After picking out a few gifts to distribute to the Ladies of Hanneton, I opened one of Seria’s chests and took out a sparkling bracelet.
“I shall need this wrapped,” I said as I handed it to one of the maids.
“A demonstone bracelet!” the other exclaimed as she snuck a peek.
“Will you be giving this to Marquis Hanneton?” the first asked.
“That’s right,” I confirmed, nodding my head.
“Oh, my!”
“Shall we pack the bracelet in this?
We can write the Marquis’ name here in calligraphy,” one suggested, showing me a small box.
“Perfect!” the other agreed.
“Must I really go to all that trouble?” I asked, slightly overwhelmed.
“It is a gift, my lady.
People love to open gifts!”
“I suppose so…”
I followed the maids’ advice, and they seemed touched that I had given them a role in making such an important man so happy.
But as I thought about the valuable bracelet, a feeling of anxiety suddenly gripped me.
Seria had almost no money.
She had frivolously wasted every last bit of her fortune.
In other words, she had nothing saved for a rainy day.