Chapter 56
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Chapter 56
There was not a single corner of The Continent that Marcus Lockhart had not set foot upon.
Yet Enya had managed to elude him for over three years—nearly four—without leaving a trace.
Her ability to conceal her presence rivaled that of a master assassin.
"To sell the land Enya owned, she would have needed the seal of the Lockhart Family's head. But I knew nothing of it, and the land was sold long ago."
Marcus's voice was low.
"Why is that?"
....
"My Lord. The Lady is asking for you."
At that moment, another servant appeared and summoned Duke Lockhart.
Duke Lockhart gave a light gesture and walked toward the door, his gaze brushing past Emma as he passed.
His sharp eyes, as if piercing through one's very soul, were no different from those days when he had commanded the battlefield.
"Emma."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Give her my regards. Tell her I shall return to the Capital soon."
Click.
After the Duke departed, Emma stood motionless for a moment, then glanced around nervously.
She immediately went to a corner of Enya's room and began writing a letter on paper.
'Miss....'
Emma murmured softly, gazing out the window.
'It seems His Grace has decided to wait no longer.'
Emma wrote down the intense pressure she had felt emanating from the Duke.
'In my opinion, perhaps it would be better....'
She paused, tapping her pen thoughtfully against her lips.
'Perhaps you should simply establish a household and have a child, just as your aunt did when she left the family long ago!'
* * *
"Hmm, mm-."
Spring had arrived before I knew it.
Buds were sprouting everywhere, and the cherry blossoms around the house where Dale and I lived were blooming in full, glorious profusion.
To welcome the season, I approached Dale, who was burning old straw, and handed him a piece of paper.
"While you're at it, would you burn this too?"
"Isn't that a letter addressed to you, Enya?"
"Hehehehe... That's exactly why."
Dale tilted his head in confusion but obliged my request nonetheless. The paper blackened in an instant, shriveling into ash.
[According to Emma's investigation, the Servant and the mercenary Dale have nothing suspicious about them. They do odd jobs, but it doesn't seem they're taking on dangerous commissions.]
Emma had sent word of what I'd been curious about.
And she'd added some nonsense as well.
[...Why don't you just have a child! Like that young lady's aunt who fled the family long ago! Become one family with that handsome man that way♡♡♡]
I nearly shrieked at the absurdity written in the letter, my skin crawling.
'Have a child? Is she insane?'
I'd known Emma wasn't an ordinary person, but I hadn't realized she was actually mad.
I watched Dale as he poked at the fire with a poker, wiping sweat from his brow.
'He is handsome, though....'
The world's most handsome farmer, number one. In my personal ranking, the most beautiful man in this entire world, number one.
The man who possesses everything, number one.
'A handsome man is handsome even when sweating, handsome even with cold skin, handsome even with a cold.'
But Dale was my business partner and my companion for a limited time in life.
We were a fake married couple—there was no way we should have a child as Emma hoped.
I gazed at the beautiful man glittering beneath the noon sun.
As soon as spring returned, Dale had cleared away the withered weeds and tilled the soil, even doing the work that should have fallen to the Servant himself.
Thanks to that, even his sun-darkened skin was flawless.
Observing Dale, I noticed something slightly different about him.
"Have you perhaps grown taller?"
"I seem to have grown a little."
"He has everything...."
Whenever I looked at Dale, I couldn't help but mutter such things. The more I saw him, the more remarkable he seemed.
"Dale, could you possibly be The Emperor?"
"!"
"No, really, think about it? Dale is handsome, kind, and wealthy. By any measure, Dale would be the male protagonist... Achoo! —wouldn't it suit him better to be The Emperor who rules this world?"
"*cough*."
"Are you alright? Should I get you some water?"
Dale's face flushed red as he coughed roughly.
Dale's face went pale, and his hand trembled as he stared at me with a stiffened expression.
"No, sir. His Majesty would never dare to...."
"Well, you're far better than His Majesty anyway, aren't you?"
I laughed heartily and straightened my back. My lower back throbbed from having been crouched down.
"Hmm, do you have anything like a pain patch here?"
"A pain patch, sir?"
Dale, who had been gingerly touching his flushed cheeks, asked cautiously.
So there really isn't anything like that in this world.
Come to think of it, I'd never seen the village elders use such things either.
"It's something you stick on when your lower back aches or your joints like your knees hurt. With just one, you feel a cool sensation—whoosh—spreading across your skin, then it becomes warm and soothing, and the pain diminishes."
"Is it something like an anesthetic?"
"It's a bit different."
I rubbed my stiff neck and shoulders.
Seeing the sun positioned as it was, it was nearly time for me to head out.
I brushed away the remaining straw clinging to Dale's chest.
"Shall we head back to the house now? We need to get ready quickly."
Winter with its heavy snowfall had passed, spring had arrived, and today was one of those days when I longed to go out after so long.
An hour later, Dale appeared dressed impeccably.
Our house, transformed by the changing season, was prepared just as meticulously as Dale's appearance.
And a great new road had been carved through Grunvalt!
The Kelofeldt Trading Company had simply opened a path to extract minerals from the Grunvalt Territory.
If transporting minerals by teleportation magic, their properties could affect the route's trajectory, causing them to fly off in unexpected directions.
Even if they arrived safely, they could shatter from mana collisions, so overland or sea routes were absolutely necessary.
In any case, because of this, the path that had been blocked by towering mountains opened up, and a route was even developed that made it easy to reach other fiefdoms.
"The Lord expressed his gratitude and gave me a generous sum."
Though unintentional, it was true that I had helped expand the Grunvalt Territory's influence.
So the Lord, grateful, exempted me from the taxes I would normally owe to Grunvalt.
As a result, the probability of the Emperor discovering me decreased as well.
Thanks to saving money on travel expenses, I was even able to buy Dale new clothes.
"Hehe...."
"I'm glad you seem to be in good spirits."
"You look happy too, Dale!"
"...."
Dale turned his flushed face away and smiled bashfully. That's Dale's charm—his shyness.
I casually linked my arm through his.
"...!"
"Our concept is a married couple, remember? A couple who loved passionately and got married. Don't relax just because we're visiting a neighboring fiefdom—you need to remember this clearly. Understood?"
"Yes."
"And you can occasionally call me 'my lady' too. That way, your tongue will get used to it, and you won't make mistakes when others are watching."
"M-ma'am...."
Dale's face flushed crimson.
"Understood.... Ma'am."
Dale nodded with solemn determination before me.
'...Ah.'
Emma had sent that peculiar letter. Seeing Dale's embarrassment brought the memory rushing back.
Emma had actually written something ridiculous like 'Why don't you become a family with that handsome man♡♡♡'.
It was fortunate Dale didn't know—if he had, he might have been so startled he'd flee.
I sat on the café terrace, pretending to sip my cool juice leisurely while stealing glances at Dale.
'Build a household with Dale?'
I caught sight of Dale's sharp profile, which seemed slightly flushed.
'It would be a good choice for me, but what about Dale's wishes?'
Dale was kind, devastatingly handsome (crucially so), an excellent cook, meticulous with housework, resourceful in daily life, and possessed countless other virtues.
But before I ruined one person's future, I should think this through carefully.
'What do I have to offer?'
First, a marriage proposal from The Emperor.
The original story's horrifying future.
The Emperor's sword dance, which could strike at any moment.
The status of nobility.
A beautiful appearance.
"...."
Overwhelmingly unfavorable to Dale—like predatory sales tactics.
'Rejected.'
Thump, thump.
That wouldn't do. I couldn't destroy Dale's future.
I gazed at the magnolias blooming throughout the village.
This fiefdom called Saloe was a warmer region where flowers bloomed earlier than in Grunvalt.
As the season arrived for fresh green shoots to sprout, hoe sales surged dramatically.
Cassion had also sent all the promised payments.
'I'm wealthy now.'
My account was so full it seemed ready to burst. But one couldn't simply sit idle with such fortune.
'What should I do with this now?'
In the moment my gaze drifted elsewhere, someone caught my eye.
A person laden with goods was staggering precariously down the street, looking as though everything would spill at any second.
Their arm seemed difficult to use, and unable to carry the load properly, they appeared to be struggling greatly.
Dale followed my line of sight as well.
"The Medical Clinic?"
The man approached a building with a sign reading "Saloe Plaza Medical Clinic."
'It seems they're not operating today.'
The man's shoulders sagged in disappointment, and at that moment, the items he'd been carrying tumbled to the ground in a cascade.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org