The Voiceless Duchess - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Translator: Yonnee

—

If one were to name the most popular tea party in all of Bern, the capital of the Valdrant Empire, it was by far the tea party that Baroness Hezel would regularly hold every other Wednesday.

Every noble lady of marriageable age wished to get their hands on an invitation to that event. Hezel’s tea party was said to be the place where one could get all the most accurate news about upcoming marriages and recent break-ups, and the current rumors and updates about the young men and women of society.

And today, Madam Hezel was in a very good mood. It was all thanks to the urgent report that had reached her just shy of an hour ago.
Only less than a week was left before the New Year’s ball, but should she reveal it now? Or at least, if people were to get a hint that she knew something, wouldn’t many people quite positively flock to her on New Year’s?

The capital’s premier busybody, Baroness Hezel, thought about how she should cook this hot potato as she hummed.

Right then, a maid entered the drawing room and announced the arrival of Countess Mog. She had a daughter who was just about to come of age, so she seemed to be very interested in the various news being passed around.

As Madam Hezel finished contemplating, she smiled and left her seat. Where she vacated, a note was left behind.

Lohengrin de unt der Nordvant, Dietrich Gideon von Rutherwald.

Broken engagement.

* * *

A few months ago, mid-autumn—

On the northern border of the empire, which was at the base of Mount Elster and surrounded by ice caps, there was a huge white wall blocking all entrances. It was a wall of the northern front built to prevent the monsters of the Great Rift from coming down beyond the mountain range.

Behind this wall stood a snow-white fortress. Built upon the same sacred stone that the northern wall was composed with, the immaculate fortress looked immensely holy to anyone’s eyes. Its glory did not fade even after its construction hundreds of years ago.

On the fourth floor of the fortress’s eastern wing was a room, one of its terrace doors open. After entering, the sharp northern wind quickly subsided.

The room was a study decorated with deep blue tapestry.

There, at one side of the room, was a desk where the owner of that space was sitting, her back against a window. Her fine silver hair cascaded finely over the flawlessly straight waist without any signs of disarray.

Lohengrin de unt der Nordvant

The Nordvant Margravate’s one and only precious daughter.

She was now writing to her fiancé of many years, Dietrich Gideon. However, even as she was writing to her betrothed, her purple eyes were dry and without any feeling, her hand unhesitatingly arid from the force of habit.

Dear Dietrich,

It has been a while. How are you?

It is snowing in Nordvant right now. It seems as if it will snow quite a lot this year. How is it in Bern? Have the fallen leaves over the König river lessened thus far?

This might be sudden, but I am going to Bern one month earlier this time, and so…

Knock, knock.

Someone was at the door. Lohengrin raised her left hand and waved it, not even looking up. Thereafter Herta, a handmaid, naturally pushed the door open.

“Lady Lohengrin, I apologize for disturbing you. Would it be possible for you to spare me a moment?”

Only then did Lohengrin look at Herta.

‘What is it?’

Her mouth moved, but there was no sound.

Lohengrin could not speak. In the summer of her nineteenth year, she lost her voice due to an accident.

Since then, the Nordvant family and the people who went in and out of the fortress had to learn how to read lips.

“His Highness the Young Duke has come for a visit. Both His Lordship and Sir Werner are not present, so I’ve led His Highness to Your Ladyship’s drawing room first.”

As she listened to what Herta had to say, Lohengrin’s expression hardened. Dietrich had never come to the Nordvant fortress without prior notice like this.

‘Did he come alone?’

“There is a total of fifteen people, including escort knights and attendants. Four out of five carriages are full of gifts, but it is yet revealed what they are.”

Glancing down at the letter she had been composing, Lohengrin let out a brief sigh and took out a sheet of paper that she would use for written communication. Seeing this, Herta drew closer.

Whenever it would be difficult to convey her thoughts through just the means of mouthing the words, Lohengrin would use a pen and paper for communication.

Often used words each already had dedicated cards, which she kept as a bundle, after they had been written out in advance. But if what she wanted to say was much too long, she would write her messages on sheets of paper.

Tell him to wait a moment as I need time to prepare. There is tea from the Zagat Teahouse, serve it with the brandy from Dorn.

“Which dress and jewelry shall be brought out for you, Milady?”

The white muslin dress paired with the navy satin belt bought from the Lengar Boutique, and the lapis lazuli earrings from Orth.

Confirming the lady’s instructions, Herta drew back and stepped out of the room. Lohengrin rose from her seat and burned the letter.

In the absence of its owner, silence once again sank into the room.

* * *

As Lohengrin went down and headed towards the drawing room, she found the butler, Gunther, standing in front of the room’s doors. He was waiting for her there, and the moment she arrived, he opened the doors for her.

Entering the room, Dietrich, who was sitting on the sofa, jumped to his feet.

“I apologize for suddenly coming by without prior notice. How have you been, Lohengrin?”

As he approached, he kissed the back of Lohengrin’s hand and greeted her. Lohengrin sat on the sofa and handed over a note that she had written in advance.

Fortunately, I do not have a scheduled outing today. You were lucky.

Dietrich once again apologized, a bashful look on his face. Lohengrin accepted his apology and expressed this through pouring tea into an empty cup for him.

In the meantime, Dietrich had been restlessly looking over at Gunther and Herta. They noticed that the duke’s heir wished to be alone with Lohengrin.

With a silent look, Gunther asked Lohengrin whether they should leave or stay. As Lohengrin gazed at the door, the two of them bowed politely and withdrew from the room.

The door remained half open.

What has brought you all the way here? Is it very important?

It would usually take one entire month to travel from Bern to Nordvant by carriage. Was it so urgent that he had to travel that far?

t/n: ahaha… i shouldn’t… i really shouldn’t pick up another novel… and yet……

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Side note: This novel’s chapters are half chapters, but they’re numbered normally to make things simple. Moving forward, the TL will be posting as often as she can to compensate for the length.