Tales Of Hearts | Liskook

Chapter 19

Lisa wondered if the butler was frowning when he heard her stutter. Making no notice of it, Rudo placed a silver cup and some utensils in front of her with a solemn face, but otherwise, he didn’t show any other facial expression. Inwardly sighing with relief, she began to eat the food in slow bites despite being ravenous.

Although she usually had a modest appetite, Lisa couldn’t find herself to bring her spoon down. Only then did she realize she was quite hungry, having made the arduous journey to Anatol and not having eaten the night before. Or perhaps, it must be from the delicious food being served.

She quickly finished the hearty bowl filled with meat soup and vegetables. She slathered butter on freshly baked bread and even managed to finish a slice of meat pie. When she was replete, she washed the meal down with sweet cider and almost felt a little tipsy.

“Shall I bring out more food?” the butler said on one side.

“I-I’m finished now, thank you.”

She delicately wiped her mouth with a napkin and rose from the table. When she left the dining hall, Rudo joined her and continued his guided tour around the castle.

“Castle Calypse was built 150 years ago by Sir Anatol, a knight of the fallen Roem empire. At the collapse of the Roem empire, numerous monsters began to appear frequently in this area, and it inevitably slipped out of the rulership of the Seven Countries. Forty years ago, for geographic reasons, this land became part under the rulership of Whedon, but in the early days there were not many residents. Therefore, with the area left unattended, monsters naturally thrived in turn.”

Rudo traversed the hall and continued retelling the history of Anatol.

“But ten years ago, the eighteen-year-old Sir Jungkook Calypse, who had just been knighted, came to be the Lord of Anatol.”

His steps slow, his voice took on a more stirring tone, “The Lord not only repaired the castle extensively, but he even rebuilt the walls to guard the land. Thanks to his strong and committed defense against the monsters and from an invasion of evil spirits, the number of people in this area has nearly tripled.”

The butler’s story was gripping, and his voice was awe-inspiring. Despite his outburst in front of the servants the previous day, it was impossible to question his loyalty to Jungkook.

“But… I seem to be more focused on the outside of the castle, the grounds—I guess the practical aspects of Castle Calypse. So the interior is a little dreary,”

Rudo added, clearly embarrassed, which made Lisa laugh awkwardly; this was a problem she was to be tasked with solving.

“H-how many r-rooms are there?” she inquired. Since there was no choice in the matter, she might try her hand at it now.

“There are over a hundred rooms in this part of the castle alone. There are about forty rooms in the annex and castle’s tower, and another 250 rooms, including the guards’ quarters and the knights’ rooms.”

On the mention of the sheer number of rooms to be her responsibility, Lisa felt instantly weary. How could she possibly decorate all of those rooms? While locked in her inner turmoil, Rudo had yet to finish…

“And there are five main reception rooms, two banquet halls, two libraries and a tea salon on each floor… none of which have been used in all these years.”

Rudo apologized profusely with a deep bow.

“The knights don’t enjoy tea at all, so I’m not even sure why I even go to the market to select the best tea leaves.”

Lisa imagined Jungkook sitting in front of the tea table, holding a small cup, and a chuckle almost rose from her. Indeed, she couldn’t imagine the knights or Jungkook, for that matter, enjoying tea. Instead, it would surely be a mug of strong beer.