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Chapter 23

* ‌‌‌‌* *

After that day, the Herb Field ‌‌‌was discovered trampled and devastated several more times.
I decided I ‌‌‌‌wouldn't bother tracking down the culprit to question them anymore.
'...Should I just kill them?'
Unable ‌‌to find the ring and ‌‌‌‌with my herbs ruined, I ‌‌was beginning to lose my mind.
"It's not a wild boar, not ‌‌‌‌a rabbit—who on earth is eating the herbs?"
"Enya."
"Oh! Dale?"
I spotted Dale approaching from a distance and rushed toward him with eager strides.
"Did you come to pick me up again today?"
Dale nodded with a smile.
These days, Dale came to pick me up every evening after work. Sometimes he'd glance around as if searching ‌‌for something, though I didn't know why.
'He's always so thoughtful.'
I contentedly acknowledged my contract husband's exceptional ‌‌performance and character.
Dale removed my gardening hat.
"What should we have for dinner tonight?"
"I was thinking of making tomato soup and turkey with plenty of butter."
"Wow, that sounds delicious. Can I look forward to it again?"
"I won't disappoint you."
Dale smiled gently.
He was far too good at his role as a contract husband. He devoted himself so completely—both body and soul—in ways a real husband might never.
He pulled all the weeds from the garden, chopped firewood in advance, repaired the house, cooked, cleaned, washed dishes, kept the household ledger, did the shopping, disposed of trash properly, woke me ‌‌when I overslept, drove me to the Lord's Castle and picked me up afterward.
If Dale suddenly reported himself for an unfair contract one ‌‌‌day, he'd deserve to be arrested without complaint.
And most importantly, Dale had a handsome face.
A kind heart.
'Is this worth 10,000 crowats a day?'
No. What Dale possessed was a tenderness that couldn't be measured in money.
Meeting Dale had been my greatest fortune.
"...."
"What is it? Is there something on my face?"
Dale stood there with a curious expression.
"Tell me. It's alright."
"...It's nothing."
Whether it was my imagination or not, he seemed to smile bitterly as he reached to remove my gloves as well. ‌‌
"I won't take these off."
"But those are gardening gloves, aren't they?"
"Well, that's... I mean..."
If I removed them, the missing ring would become visible.
"These are incredibly warm! My hands are so toasty I couldn't remove them even if I died trying."
"I wasn't aware. Are your hands cold?"
"It's g-gotten cold, hasn't it? ‌Haha, I've never seen gloves with insulation this good. Oh, my poor fingers!"
"..."
I blew warm breath onto my ‌‌‌‌‌hands with exaggerated vigor.
When I feigned being cold, Dale promptly ushered me into the carriage.
"..."
Yet inside ‌‌the carriage, Dale continued to study me intently.
He seemed to have something on his mind...
"Actually, I went looking for you earlier as well."
"When?"
"It was afternoon. My work finished a bit early, so I went to see you, but you weren't there."
"Ah, yes."
"Is something the matter?"
At that time, I'd been with Sophia.
Sophia had asked me to keep the etiquette lessons between us, since she was embarrassed about them.
"I just had some business at the Lord's Castle."
"May I ask what sort of business?"
"I had someone to meet."
"Someone."
The air in the carriage suddenly felt stifling.
"Someone..."
Dale's expression grew complicated.
For some reason, a shadow seemed ‌‌to fall across his handsome features.
Whether it was his naturally striking appearance or ‌‌‌‌something else, his complexion darkened noticeably.
"..."
Could he have noticed the missing ‌ring?
I stole furtive glances at Dale from the corner of my eye.
It didn't seem like it yet.
"But you came home early today too—has your workload decreased?"
I quickly changed the subject.
"For the time being, it seems I'll be returning home earlier than usual."
For some reason, his eyes seemed to dim with disappointment.
"I'll ‌‌‌be spending much more time with you than I ‌‌have been."
"That's a relief."
His ‌‌eyes widened with delight.
"As the days ‌went on, Dale looked increasingly exhausted. I was worried about him."
Dale gazed at me quietly, then shook his head.
"I'm not exhausted. I'm fine."
"You sound just like my brother."
I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering. Dale then removed the robe he was wearing and ‌‌draped it over my shoulders.
It ‌‌was a fine robe made of light yet warm fabric.
"Thank you. This reminds me of my brother too."
I found myself laughing.
"That's right. I remember watching Dale ride and thinking he resembled my brother. His posture was the very picture of nobility."
"..."
"Dale, you're truly talented at ‌‌‌‌everything." ‌‌
He seemed susceptible to praise, his face flushing. Yet he didn't appear to dislike it.
Dale is truly someone who cannot tell a lie.
It shows all over his face.
"Are you close with your brother, Enya?"
"Yes, we are. I mentioned having a brother when I introduced my family, didn't I?" ‌‌‌
"Yes."
"Around this season, my brother begins preparing for the winter training."
The winter training, in which The Emperor personally participates, is conducted as a large-scale joint exercise with all Knights Orders assembled.
Simply put, the winter training was a survival competition where the morale and honor of each ‌Knights Order hung in the balance.
'And it's when The Emperor vacates the Imperial Palace.'
During that time, it would be fine to make a brief trip to the Capital.
There were plant nutrients available only in the Capital that I needed ‌‌to purchase.
If I asked Emma, she would undoubtedly ‌‌buy ‌every variety and ‌deliver ‌‌‌them to me.
"Dale, would you like to go to the Capital with me when winter arrives?" ‌‌‌
"Would that be acceptable?"
"Yes. The Emperor will be heading to the Northern Region at that time."
"..."
"Since ‌‌The Emperor won't be there and the Knights Order will have only minimal forces remaining, let's make the trip to the Capital."
"I see."
Dale gazed out the window as if calculating something intently in his mind, then nodded.
"Very well. I shall accompany you to the Capital, Enya."
His expression seemed tinged with anticipation.
"But Duke Lockhart will ‌‌be in the Capital, won't he? Would that ‌‌‌‌be alright?"
"Father is fine with it. He's not actively restraining me, after all."
I tapped my chest.
"He's curious about how far I can endure. So even though he's The Emperor's closest confidant, he merely pretends to restrain me without actually capturing me. I understand that much."
Suddenly, an old memory surfaced in my mind.
"Father enjoys unusual things. There was once when he suddenly brought some boy home."
It was a memory I had completely forgotten. ‌‌Who was that ‌boy again?
A servant, was it?
"Ah... who was it again?"
I tilted my head thoughtfully.
"I can't quite remember. They ‌‌‌were probably a relative. I think they stayed at our house ‌‌‌for a few ‌‌‌‌days, but beyond that, I can't recall anything, so I'm not sure."
"...."
At some point, Dale had begun studying me intently. He fell silent for ‌a moment, his gaze darkening.
"I see."
He turned his gaze back toward the window.
"That's fortunate."
"That Father isn't actively searching for me? I think so too."
I smiled ‌‌‌brightly and breathed warm air onto my cold hands.

* * *

"In preparation for the winter training, we have ‌‌‌restocked the Knights Order's supplies."
"...."
Dale's advisors gathered to brief him on the situation.
The tax-collection season had passed, and the days were growing rapidly colder. Since ‌‌‌training would commence soon, they had organized the supplies in advance.
"All weapons ‌‌deemed unfit for combat have been disposed of, and those approaching their replacement cycle have been entirely exchanged."
Soho, the chief advisor, briefed him actively.
"The morale of the 1st Knight Order and 2nd Knight Order has soared. Recently, we discovered and ‌‌‌‌subjugated a nest containing a Light Dragon, and brought back all the treasures."
"The commander of the 2nd Knight Order was Samuel Lockhart, wasn't it?"
Dale, who had been listening silently, fixed his gaze on one of his advisors. ‌‌‌
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"How is Samuel Lockhart faring?"
In that instant, ‌‌‌the advisors exchanged glances. They ‌‌couldn't fathom why he was suddenly inquiring about a knight's well-being. ‌‌‌
"He... is doing well."
"...."
Soho shot a sharp look at the advisor who had answered so uncertainly. ‌‌
"He's doing well, then."
Yet Dale did not rebuke the advisor. His cryptic question left question marks written across every advisor's face.
"By the ‌‌‌‌way, ‌Your Majesty. Samuel Lockhart sustained a shoulder injury during the Light Dragon subjugation and is currently recovering. Would it be acceptable to have him participate in the training?"
"A knight must overcome such trials."
Dale spoke without emotion.
"Samuel Lockhart ‌‌is the commander of the 2nd Knight Order. He cannot be left ‌‌‌behind in the Capital."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Soho inwardly clicked his tongue. Even if he was the brother of ‌‌‌the Duke Lockhart's daughter—someone who couldn't ‌bear a single day without seeing his face—there was no leniency ‌‌in this treatment.
At that moment, Dale, who had been slowly reviewing documents, narrowed his eyes to slits.

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