Chapter 1: Traveling Through the Middle Ages 001

Chapter 1: Traveling Through the Middle Ages 001

At present, Louisa Balzac is one of the wealthiest heiresses in Vason and the most sought-after marriage prospect. Contrary to popular belief, this esteemed eldest daughter of Count Brundo did not grow up in the opulent Brundo court—in fact, she was sent to a convent in Fontreau at a young age and raised by her aunt.

"...So, Mary, you need to get along with Lady Louisa as much as possible," Father Mario continued to advise his niece as the carriage approached the convent.

The young girl sitting across from him, not yet fifteen years old, was already well-developed and attractive.

She was puzzled by her uncle's words: "Why? Uncle, I thought the Count hadn't decided yet. Perhaps he won't be satisfied, and then Lady Louisa won't be Lady Louisa anymore, just Sister Louisa Balzac."

'Louisa Balzac' was Father Mario's patron, the eldest daughter of Count Brundo. According to the law of primogeniture in Brundo, she would be the eldest daughter to inherit the land, having no brothers... but the problem was, she had been sent to the convent early on, and everyone assumed the Count intended for his daughter to become a nun.

Once a woman becomes a nun, like a man becoming a priest or a monk, she severs all ties with the secular world, and inheritance rights naturally become irrelevant.

Count Brundo also has another daughter, born to his second wife, who could also inherit the title and become the future Countess Brundo.

"Perhaps the Count originally thought that way, believing he would have a son. But now it seems unlikely, so he must consider recalling his eldest daughter," Father Mario said without elaborating.

Mary pouted her lips: "But Lady Eva—"

Father Mario interrupted his niece: "The Count has made his decision. Compared to Lady Eva, Lady Louisa is the most important."

'Eva' was the second daughter of Count Brundo, who could only be called 'Miss' or 'Lady,' while 'Lady' was the exclusive title for the eldest daughter, the first in line for inheritance—a rare occurrence, not because of the 'eldest daughter,' but because women rarely had inheritance rights at that time.

Father Mario was the personal chaplain of Count Brundo, having served in the Brundo court for years. Mary had come to the Brundo court five years ago and was immediately captivated by the lavish court lifestyle. During this time, she was taught by the Countess... compared to the never-seen 'Lady Louisa,' she naturally hoped that 'Lady Eva' would become the Countess Brundo.

"The Count will regret it!" Mary turned away in annoyance, muttering: "Think about it, a lady raised in a convent, a strict young nun. Perhaps we'll see a pale-faced girl with a headscarf, who only knows how to pray and sing hymns, and knows nothing else. How could such a girl be qualified to rule Brundo?"

Father Mario ignored his niece. When they arrived at the convent in Fontreau, it was much livelier than usual, as if a banquet was being held—a highly unusual event in a convent, as the original purpose of establishing a convent was for monks and nuns to live a secluded life.

"It seems we've arrived during a 'wedding,'" Father Mario said as he stepped out of the carriage.

Their entourage was large, including Father Mario, his niece Mary, two nuns, and a dozen knights. They had come together to welcome the future Countess Brundo, responsible for escorting 'Lady Louisa' along the way.

Such a conspicuous group naturally caught the attention of the convent, and soon someone came out to greet them.

Apart from the nuns dressed in dark robes, with snow-white headscarves tightly tied and draped with cloud-patterned veils, the leader was a bishop wearing a small brimless round hat. He was in charge of presiding over an extremely important 'wedding' today, so he was dressed more splendidly than usual.

The beige robe worn by the clergy was made of silk, embroidered with cross-shaped patterns. Over it, he wore a brown woolen cloak, with the collar, front, and hem also embroidered with cross-shaped patterns, and adorned with silver braids.

He carried a snow-white linen towel with tassels on both ends on his wrist and held a gilded bronze censer with a long chain. The censer lid was exquisitely decorated with religious stories, and incense was burning inside!

The so-called 'wedding' was actually the consecration ceremony for a young woman becoming a fully professed nun—for people of that era, taking religious vows was also a kind of 'marriage,' and nuns were called 'brides of Christ.'

The consecration of nuns was the privilege of the bishop, which was why the local bishop appeared at the convent. He stepped out of the procession to lead everyone in welcoming Father Mario.

"We are here to welcome Lady Louisa," Father Mario explained to the local bishop as they walked side by side into the convent: "Count Brundo believes that the future ruler of Brundo cannot stay in the convent forever."

The bishop had evidently heard some news and nodded: "Madame Balzac has temporarily left the convent, and I have sent someone to fetch Lady Louisa."

'Madame Balzac' referred to Louisa Balzac's aunt, the sister of Count Brundo and the abbess of the convent. 'Madame' at that time could also be a respectful title for a nun.

The bishop led Father Mario and Mary into a small reception room in the convent, which was as simple as any other room in the convent. The high-backed chairs were plain, showing the natural wood grain, without any carved decorations. Apart from the chairs, the only furniture was a small table with a water jug on it.

The bishop and Father Mario took seats on either side of the table, while Mary sat on the outer side of Father Mario. A nun brought wine and poured it for the guests.

Not long after, the nun sent by the bishop brought in a young girl dressed in worldly attire. Clearly, everyone in the room realized that the girl was 'Lady Louisa.'

Although Mary had spoken dismissively earlier, her reaction to 'Lady Louisa' was as focused as her uncle's—the difference was that Father Mario was considering Count Brundo's interests, hoping that Lady Louisa would be sufficiently outstanding. Mary, on the other hand, hoped that Lady Louisa would be as bad as possible, the worse the better!

Yet, she was disappointed, even incredulous. How could this be! How could this be someone who grew up in a convent—

Louisa Balzac had changed into secular attire ever since she learned that Count Brundo was sending someone to take her away from the convent.

Now, she appeared before everyone in a fashionable blue silk cotehardie with a fitted bodice. The sleeves tapered snugly from the elbows to the cuffs, lined with a row of delicate golden buttons. The skirt flared out, the hem edged with a palm-width golden fabric (matching the golden trim at the neckline), embroidered with tiny pearls in clover patterns. A decorative golden belt was loosely cinched at her waist.

Her black braids were coiled into a double-eared jug shape, topped with a small pearl hairnet. The only other piece of jewelry was a pearl necklace around her neck, but this single necklace was worth more than all the rest—the pearls were as large as the pad of an adult woman's fingertip, each perfectly round, flawless, and radiant.

Mary gazed at the necklace with envy. Such pearls were rare even in necklaces, let alone for a single piece of jewelry. She owned some pearl accessories, but none of them had pearls of this quality.

She had only seen pearls of similar quality on the coronet of Countess Brundo, where each pearl could fetch a thousand pfennigs.

Even under Mary's most critical scrutiny, she had to admit that 'Lady Louisa,' though not raised in the Brundo court, exuded an air of nobility. Her skin was snow-white, her teeth clean and even, her eyes the green most admired by the Vason people, and her demeanor carried a nonchalant grace.

At this time, noble bearing was essentially about splendid attire, beautiful features, and a confident, composed attitude.

Mary had never seen such green eyes. 'Lady Louisa's' eyes had a unique grayish tint, more gray than the usual green, like a forest in a light rain—not dull, but fresher and more charming, exuding a dignified and elegant beauty.

'Lady Louisa's' gaze brushed past Mary only briefly, yet it left a deep impression.

Yet, compared to the visual impression, the olfactory experience might have been even more striking for Mary—in the brief moment she was closest to 'Lady Louisa,' she caught a whiff of a novel, sweet, and holy fragrance. The scent was pure, without a trace of impurity or the smokiness of incense, and unlike any fragrance Mary had ever encountered.

Frankincense, myrrh, rose, jasmine, citrus, clove, chamomile, sandalwood… it was none of these.

Louisa was unaware of the depth of Mary's thoughts in that moment. As a modern person transported to this fictional Middle Ages country over a decade ago, she had slowly adapted to the convent's monotonous life. Suddenly, she was informed that her almost-forgotten father was sending someone to bring her back… Inside, she was far from as calm as she appeared.

Although she quickly shed the nun's habit, removed the tightly bound headscarf, and donned secular clothing, this was merely her modern common sense—she couldn't defy her father's arrangements in this life. Since he wanted her to return to the secular world, it was best to show cooperation. Clothing was a minor matter, but often, it was these small details that determined others' attitudes.

Father Mario had come to escort her back to the Brundo court, as Louisa had already learned from her father's letters. There was nothing more to say about it; she was prepared. And when Father Mario asked if she had any requests, Louisa had only one.

"Yes, Father, I have only one request. I wish to bring Jeanne back to Brundo with me. She is a maid at the convent."

Although both were convents, nunneries and monasteries were different. Monks were often encouraged to engage in physical labor and academic studies, living self-sufficiently, while nuns were mostly confined to daily prayers and chanting. So, who would handle the physical tasks in a nunnery? Besides some lower-ranking nuns taking on less strenuous work, servants were hired to do the rest.

This was quite normal. Becoming a monk had almost no barriers, but nunneries were different. While some girls joined with nothing, most nunneries required an actual 'entrance fee' from those who joined.

For example, when Louisa came to the Fontevraud Nunnery as a child, Count Brundo paid a bag of gold coins as her 'entrance fee.' Additionally, her nun's habit, the furniture in her room, all had to be provided by herself. If she had decided to become a nun at fifteen, there would have been corresponding expenses for the ceremony—though now, it seemed she would not become a nun.

Clearly, most girls who became nuns came from relatively good backgrounds, accustomed to being pampered in the secular world and used to having maids.

Thus, it was entirely reasonable for nunneries to have maids.