Chapter 312 - 233: ’Kingmaker

The fire in the hearth flickered faintly, chasing away the chill in the room. Eric noticed the walls were smooth and white, freshly coated in lime and painted with green, curling flourishes and a border of pink wild roses. Shields and banners added splashes of color.

Though sparsely furnished, the pieces were all of fine oak and gave off the scent of beeswax.

The room was full of life, as if announcing the imminent arrival of its new, young master.

Eleanor liked to surround herself with new and beautiful things to pass the time; she had her own ideas about how to enjoy life.

She relished all the pleasures of noble life, save for its social and marital obligations. Lofty ideals like those of Emma and Matilda had never once crossed her mind.

Her fate had taken some twists and turns, and there was little she could do to change it, but she loved her noble Identity and comfortable life. She never regretted being born into the Loire Castle family, and she loved her parents, even if they sometimes showed her little respect.

But she always found ways to make herself happy and keep her life easy. She never skimped on food, clothing, or comfort, always keeping herself and her room beautifully adorned. The drab, ascetic life of coarse cloth and sackcloth advocated by the Church held no interest for her; in fact, she rather scorned it.

If she had shown some restraint before, due to the plague in Mann and the threat from Elijah, she had now cast it all aside.

When it came to managing the domain, she was in a state of knowing roughly what needed to be done but not how to do it, so for the time being, she simply set it aside.

She had three brothers, and the family line had seemed vigorous and secure. Her parents had never imagined that she would be the one to inherit the family lands, so she had never been educated for it.

The lands of Loire Castle and Fougeres Castle combined were nearly half the size of Mann County, but the two were not adjacent. Fougeres Castle was in the eastern part of Mann, while Loire Castle was in the west.

She wasn’t even interested in taxation. If it hadn’t been for the plague and the ravages of war in Mann, the gold and silver accumulated by Fougeres Castle and Loire Castle would have been enough to last her a very long time.

The Knights and soldiers were only interested in collecting their pay and couldn’t be bothered to haggle with village heads. They typically took whatever was offered. It was not uncommon for a village head to come asking what was wrong when he noticed no one had come to collect taxes that year.

Moreover, Eric had almost never heard her utter words like ’God’ or ’Saint,’ which was quite rare for the times.

She had no interest in sacraments or the Church. She unfailingly missed morning and evening prayers from the comfort of her bed, regardless of the festival—be it the Midsummer Festival or Epiphany.

She believed that Priests and Bishops were always scheming to line their own pockets, inventing all sorts of justifications to do so. Therefore, she would never donate a single penny to the Church.

’She felt one should focus on life while one is living, not constantly think about the afterlife. It was wrong to live for the sake of what comes after death.’

Eric opened the warm, reddish-brown shutters. Afternoon sunlight spilled onto the floor, illuminating the desk, the bed, and Eleanor. In the sun’s glow, her hair looked like spun gold.

A cool draft slipped in with the sunlight, and Eric nudged the brazier closer to Eleanor’s feet.

"Let’s air the room out a bit. It will be colder soon. Perhaps you could go for a walk while the weather is still nice, though I know you’re not fond of wandering about."

"Spare me. I can’t sleep at night, and I’m certain this baby never sleeps either. He just makes me tired and hungry all the time. I’m afraid that if I did go out, Ejiva wouldn’t be able to get me back. I’m too heavy now."

Eleanor caressed her belly and glanced down at her body, hoping her figure would return to normal after the birth. Her breasts were painfully swollen, and she sometimes had to apply a cold compress.

Sensing Eric’s gaze, Eleanor quickly crossed her arms over her chest. "Not now... at least... you have to... to wait until tonight... Besides, I’m not really in the..."

Eleanor had clearly misunderstood, but Eric didn’t bother to explain. He just pulled a bottle of Lazarus Potion from his coat and handed it to her.

"If you’re truly uncomfortable, you can drink a little. It should help you recover your strength, and it will ease the symptoms for a while."

"Will it, really?"

Eleanor took the potion and uncorked it. The scent of valerian wafted out. It wasn’t an unpleasant smell.

She had read that valerian was a sleep aid.

"I’m certain it’s harmless, at least. And it’s far more effective than mint and honey."

As he spoke, Eric pulled over a nearby chair, sat down, and placed Eleanor’s feet on his lap. He began to massage them, trying to make her more comfortable.

He loved the elegant shape of her feet—the high arches, the slender bones, the pale skin.

Eleanor lifted the vial and took a sip of the potion. It tasted slightly bitter. A moment after she swallowed, she was surprised to feel her discomfort and fatigue begin to fade away.

She was about to take a few more sips when Eric stopped her. "There isn’t much of that. One sip has the same effect as several."

"I have to return to England before Christmas. But I’ll be back as soon as I can."

"That’s what you said when you went to Italy."

"Not this time. I’ll stay with you until the baby is born."

"I’m not going to England. I don’t like the sea."

"In Mann, of course." Then, as if another thought occurred to him, Eric added, "With only Ejiva in the castle, will you have enough help? Perhaps I could speak with the Count of Nantes about having Miss Annie come to attend to you."