CH 3.22

Posted by:nyanmaru12-16 minutes 15.07.2023

Marie’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘No way?’

She felt a sense of unease creeping in.

“In recognition of your service, His Highness has decided to pardon you from your prisoner of war status and grant you an honorary title at the same time.”

Marie’s eyes grew as wide as saucers.

“Honorary title?”

“Yes, you understand what that means, right?”

Of course, she understood.

With a heavy heart, she thought to herself, ‘No wonder everything seemed to fall into place too easily. To think that I’m would be granted an honorary title.’

Title of Honor.

It was a title that fell below the ranks of the five orders of the peerage.*

Of course, receiving a title was not a problem. In fact, it was a good thing.

However, the concern lied in the implications of the honorary title. In other countries, the honorary title simply denoted a rank below that of a baron, but in the Eastern Empire, it held a different connotation.

Marie thought with somber eyes, ‘In the Eastern Empire, an honorary title is a distinction bestowed by the Emperor upon his most cherished and treasured person!’

In the Eastern Empire, an honorary title carried a unique significance. It was title bestowed by the Emperor or Crown Prince upon someone he held dear, whom he wished to keep by his side for the rest of his life.

As a result, those who received an honorary title, regardless of their status, became bound to the Emperor. It was, of course, a prestigious form of servitude.

In Marie’s case, it was expected that she would be bound to the Crown Prince, rather than the Emperor.

At that moment, Rael’s words resurfaced in her mind. ’Marie, you belong to me,’ his voice echoing within her thoughts.

Then suddenly, Gilbert said, “Furthermore, His Highness has personally bestowed upon you a surname.”

“…..!”

“Hilderren. Henceforth, your name shall be Marie von Hilderren.”

As a result, Marie’s plan to escape the palace was once again thwarted.

Despite being liberated from the status of a war captive and acquiring a title at the same time, she remained firmly under the Crown Prince’s grasp.

Just like that, Marie was granted an honorary title.

Naturally, those around her was in a state of uproar.

She had gone from being a lowly war captive—even lower than a commoner—to becoming a part of the peerage.

Receiving an honorary title placed her closer to the ranks of true nobility, just below that of a baron.

In fact, her status was higher than the knights or baronets.*

Especially in the Empire, an honorary title carried a symbolic significance that extended beyond mere rank.

It signified being the Crown Prince’s most cherished and trusted aide.

“Congratulations, Marie. I suppose we can’t address you so casually anymore.”

Jane and her former fellow junior maids came to congratulate her.

But it wasn’t just them.

“Congratulations, Marie. Ah, no. You’re Hon. Hilderren now.”

Lady Ashlyn, the chief head maid, smiled and extended her congratulations. “Hon.” was the appropriate honorific to address someone with an honorary title.

“Becoming the Honourable is not just a title, but the most esteemed distinction one can receive as a subject of this empire. Once again, from the bottom of my heart, congratulations.”

Countess Ashlyn’s words rang true.

As it was a title that could only be bestowed by the Emperor or Crown Prince, it held an exceptional level of prestige.

As a result, all of her former seniors and colleagues from the Lion Palace congratulated her with a tinge of envy.

But Marie, the person at the center of it all…

“…I feel like crying.”

A feeling of despair suddenly overwhelmed her.

She thought, ‘I don’t need this kind of reward. I don’t need to be a noble. I’d rather remain a commoner. And to think I received an honorary title! Why does nothing in my life ever go as planned?’

The more she tried to get away from the Crown Prince, the deeper she felt herself sinking into a quagmire.

Regardless of her lamentations, time continued to pass, and the day of her investiture ceremony arrived.

The Crown Prince lifted the sword, symbolizing the authority of the emperor, and personally bestowed the honorary title upon Marie.

“I, Crown Prince Rael, acting on behalf of His Imperial Majesty, hereby grant you the Title of Honor.”

“…Thank you.”

Rael gently placed the sword on Marie’s shoulder as she knelt before him.

It was a ceremonial gesture performed when a monarch conferred a title on their subjects.

“Furthermore, I grant you the surname of Hilderren. Henceforth, you shall be known as Marie von Hilderren, and like the revered Saint Hildegard immortalized in history, you are charged with serving the Lord and the people.”

Marie’s expression became puzzled upon hearing the surname Hilderren. As expected, the surname was derived from St. Hildegard, a person who had achieved outstanding accomplishments in various fields. It seemed fitting to give Marie such an esteemed surname, given that she had exhibited exceptional abilities in various fields.

‘It’s not like the Crown Prince granted me the title with ill intentions.’

Yes, of course she knew that he granted her the title as a reward for her significant contributions. As a just ruler, he never overlooked the accomplishments of his subjects and always provided them with due recognition.

Therefore, it was simply another form of reward bestowed upon her. For someone of her humble status to receive a noble title, it was an extraordinary reward.

‘Although I appreciate his intentions…’

Marie sighed inwardly.

At the thought of the Crown Prince, a complicated mix of emotions welled up within her.

‘I wish I could simply fear and despise him.’

However, upon closer observation, he was not a person deserving of hatred. He was a ruler wholly dedicated to the Empire, someone who commanded respect.

Such was Rael.

Although he could be ruthless to his enemies, it was a trait that served him well as a ruler, rather than a flaw. Moreover, beneath that cold iron mask, he was not devoid of compassion. While he maintained an austere countenance, he genuinely cared for his own people. As a result, most of the Crown Prince’s subordinates held genuine respect for him.

‘Even I… to some extent.’

If Marie had been born in the Empire rather than as a princess of the Kingdom of Cloyan, she might have served the Crown Prince as a loyal subject.

Suddenly, after her investiture ceremony had concluded, the Crown Prince summoned her.

“Your Highness.”

Meeting her gaze with his piercing blue eyes beneath the iron mask, he said, “You have worked diligently thus far. I trust you will continue to do well in the future.”

Why did his cold voice carry such deep trust towards her?

Marie bit her lip, her heart racing for reasons she couldn’t quite understand.

“…Thank you, Your Highness.”

And so, after numerous twists and turns, Marie became an honorary noble. Although it seemed like not much had changed, her daily life underwent a significant transformation.

She was still a lady-in-waiting, just as she had been before. In fact, the ladies-in-waiting hailed from noble backgrounds. As evidenced by Countess Ashlyn, there were numerous nobles of higher rank than Marie.

However, that didn’t mean that she continued her previous duties as they were, as there were changes in her tasks. Unlike before, she became primarily responsible for attending to the Crown Prince. She had become his true, personal maid, not just a temporary one. Additionally, the hierarchy among the ladies-in-waiting had also changed.

“Greetings, Hon. Hilderren.”

Marie felt awkward as she watched the other maids bowing their heads in her presence. “Hon.” was the title used to address someone like her who held an honorary title.

Although the ladies-in-waiting in the Lion Palace were young women from prestigious noble families, they now held a lower rank than Marie.

Therefore, among the ladies-in-waiting, those who held a higher rank than her were usually the heads of noble households like Countess Ashlyn or those who possessed hereditary titles.

Suddenly, Marie found herself occupying a higher status among the ladies-in-waiting.

But the most significant change was her relationship with Lady Rachel.

‘It feels awkward.’

Though the attention of others had shifted away from Marie, and the threat of war had subsided, the the Crown Princess selection had not yet concluded. Ariel and Rachel remained within the palace as Crown Princess candidates.

However, following the recent events, Marie couldn’t help but feel awkwardness around Rachel.

“Congratulations on receiving the title, Marie. I mean, Hon. Hilderren.”

Rachel spoke kindly to her, but Marie sensed that Rachel’s true sentiments were different.

Rachel was clearly avoiding Marie.

‘It’s only natural. Rachel’s plan has completely failed.’

Since then, Marie had no choice but to reconsider her own plans from scratch.

Of course, the selection process was not yet over, so there was still a possibility that Rachel could become the Crown Princess.

However, even if Rachel became the Crown Princess, it seemed unlikely that she would help Marie.

‘Even if she wanted to help, I’ve already surpassed the level at which a Crown Princess could help me,’ Marie thought to herself.

If it were simply about granting freedom to a prisoner of war, it would be easy. But she was a noble now.

Given that the title was personally granted by the Crown Prince, it would be impossible for a Crown Princess to intervene.

‘Let’s think carefully about what to do next. There must be another way,’ Marie promised to herself.

‘Fortunately, it seems that the Crown Prince doesn’t seem suspicious of my abilities. I need to stop worrying unnecessarily.’

It was probably because the Crown Prince himself was a genius in various fields. Perhaps she could get away from it because the Crown Prince was similar to her?

In truth, The Crown Prince was a hidden genius, unknown to the general public.

‘At least I’m fortunate in that regard. If it were someone else, they would surely have cast doubts.’

However, there was something Marie hadn’t considered.

It wasn’t just the Crown Prince who had his eyes on her.

There were other people who looked at her with curiosity as she suddenly displayed exceptional abilities.

One prominent figure among them was Prime Minister Oren.

“Hello, Marie.”

Marie stopped in her tracks as soon as a man greeted her in a friendly manner. He was a handsome man with a sunny disposition.

Marie quickly bowed her head.

“Greetings, Duke of Sovien.”

The person who had greeted her was none other than Prime Minister Oren!

“Miss Marie? Or should I call you Hon. Hilderren? How shall I address you?”

“You can just call me Marie, Your Grace.”

“Alright, Marie. Where are you headed in this cold weather?”

Marie felt puzzled as Prime Minister Oren continued to speak in a friendly manner with her.

‘Why is he acting like that?’

Marie was well aware of Prime Minister Oren’s reputation.

He was a loyal servant of the Crown Prince. While he had a charming and affable personality that made him popular among women, he was known to be paranoid and willing to employ ruthless tactics when necessary.

As a result, he earned the epithet, the “Bloodhound” during the civil war.

‘Why would the duke approach me?’

As someone who had enough problems on her plate, his approach was not particularly pleasant.

“I’m on my way to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on behalf of His Highness. May I ask why you approached me?”

“Do I need a special reason to greet someone I know? I was just being friendly.”

“….Well, if that’s the case, please excuse me as I am pressed for time.”

“Oh, alright. Take care.”

Marie quickly moved away from him, as Prime Minister Oren waved his hand towards her retreating back.

The moment she disappeared from his sight, Oren’s gaze turned cold.

“Marie… a maid from the Kingdom of Cloyan.” He murmured softly, “She’s suspicious. Very suspicious.”

In truth, Oren had been eyeing Marie with suspicion for quite some time. That’s why he secretly investigated her background once again.

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ 

t/n:

wtf is honorise? i just used ‘honorary title / title of honor’ because i have no idea what that means (i already looked it up). the author could have made that up but i no longer care to follow cause they have such weird / inconsistent world-building ಠ_ಠ

same goes for “Hon.”

온 – is On romanized. im guessing the author is trying to spell it out in english as Hon. but they were a typo? or the author just really made that up (which again, idc at this point). Hon (The Honourable title)) makes the most sense to me, cause i couldn’t find a title of horn at all.

anyway 5 more volumes + ss to go!