Gaurin couldn’t use the Forslan Warehouse to harm Duke Kyron but it was still unclear on what he would do once he gained the power of the East Administrator. They said that villains were tenacious beings. However, there was still hope since Duke Kyron was yet to appoint an administrator to the east. In addition, even if Gaurin became an administrator, he would still not be able to act recklessly as long as Romney was alive.
“I know, Dad. I’ll watch what I say.”
George looked at me with discontent when I answered him first before he could even speak the words that he wanted to say.
“Sir George!”
Then, I heard a woman’s beautiful voice calling out to him. When I turned back in surprise, I saw George’s face blushing instantly.
Oho… I got you!
A middle-aged woman was waving at him from a store not far from where we were. She was waving her arms wildly as her loose and shiny blonde hair swayed and fluttered behind her. I turned towards George with a big smile on my face.
“Dad, who’s that?”
One of Arielsa’s childhood memories floated in my head.
“My daughter must not have curly hair! This is your dad’s lifelong wish!”
Unfortunately, the hair that I was born with was naturally curly. I did not even need to get a perm with how curly it was. And that lady from the store had straight, neat and beautiful hair.
“Hoo…”
When I smiled widely at him, George hurriedly turned his back on me as he tried to hide his reddened face. Then, I spoke sensibly.
“Dad, I’ll go on ahead.”
“A, A, Arielsa. This is not, no, that’s…… not it!”
I quickly walked away and heartlessly left behind the stammering George. Then, I turned around and hid behind the shadow of the signboard near a stall that overlooked the market area.
The owner of the store smiled broadly as she approached George.
“Sir George! Did you come with Arielsa today? It’s been a long time since you had a vacation, right? You must have enjoyed it well!”
“Ah. Uhm. Yes.”
Hmm. Her voice was not that bad. It seemed like she wasn’t dressed up well since she was in the middle of doing business but she was beautiful. Her figure was also feminine and lovely.
He always gave me a strong flick on the forehead so it was quite nice to see George with his big build coughing and flinching in embarrassment in front of her.
Spring has come…
When I turned around and looked up, I could see the blue sky beyond the stall where I was standing. The spring here in the north felt like early winter for me. However, even if the blue sky remained cold, the spring sky was still the spring sky. I grumbled at the thought that crossed my head. Anyone would feel restless when the spring breeze started to blow and I knew that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
“His girlfriend has a parlor but his daughter’s clothes are too dull…”
I was grumbling but perhaps that naive ahjussi just came to her and told her ‘Give me your thickest and warmest fabric. It’s for my daughter!’. I couldn’t help but laugh when I thought that he might have approached her that way.
I did not know much about what’s in the head of that muscular single father but for now, I left him alone with that beautiful, self-employed woman and returned to the castle.
❄❅❄
I was thinking of going back to my room when I came back but I was still worried about Duke Kyron. I wondered if he was truly fully recovered by now. I also did not want to go back to my room since I felt that my heart was a bit empty after witnessing my father’s spring breeze.
I walked towards Duke Kyron’s office but I just stood in front of the door, unable to enter.
‘What if he thinks that I’m weird since I came to visit him even though I’m on break?’
The door suddenly burst open just as that thought flashed through my head. Chaers’ eyes narrowed in discontent when he saw me outside the door. He quickly shut the door to the office as he pulled me at a corner far away from the office so we wouldn’t be heard.
“You, what are you doing here? You’re on break.”
I mumbled as I lowered my eyes.
“I’m still on vacation right now.”
Somehow, I could tell that he was on edge. I somewhat remember what Duke Kyron said back in Movale Village. It seemed like Chaers really did fall in love with me once, but it was clearly something that happened when we were still children. Chaers having a crush on the neighborhood girl―which was Arielsa―clearly showed that he was once a normal boy. But it was also clear that he had changed his mind at one point as he grew up sensibly.
Look at that, look at those disapproving eyes of his.
I couldn’t imagine Chaers blushing at the sight of a woman or blushing in embarrassment like George earlier. He would probably just show up in front of the girl that liked him―If there’s one!―and stare and talk to her just like this…
‘Can you explain to me the benefits of liking you?’
He still probably believed that I came here to disturb Duke Kyron’s work and relaxation time.
Or maybe they’ll have to pay me more if I go to work if I’m on vacation?
Anyway, the only thing that I wanted to do right now was to escape his burdensome gaze.
“I was wondering if there was something that I can do for the Duke…”
“There’s none. Go back. The Duke needs to rest now.”
I wanted to shout at him that he did not even ask Duke Kyron if he needed me for something but he was the Duke’s right hand man and I was just a personal maid. In other words, he was the man with the highest authority when it came to matters related to the Duke. Just because my father was the one training the knights did not mean that I was some great person. Of course, I was Duke Kyron’s one and only personal maid so the servants in the castle listened to me unconditionally but it was still entirely different from his position.
“Yes, Sir Chaers.”
I walked down the hallway feeling crushed and despondent.
“Tch.”
I hastened my steps when I heard Chaers clicking his tongue at me. It seemed like that guy was annoyed with my very existence.
“Arielsa.”
“Yes!”
His sudden call brought me to a standstill. Then, Chaers walked towards me.
“Follow me if you’re bored.”
“Wh, why?”
The distance between us grew larger since I stood still from when he called out to me. But Chaers just continued to walk as if he knew that I would follow him. When he realized that I did not follow him, Chaers turned around and walked back to me with a grimace. Then, he spoke to me in a deep voice.
“Weren’t you a genius in ledgers and bookkeeping? The Duke had told me about it, so don’t worry about it. Right now, there is a lot of paperworks that we need to catch up on so come and clean it up.”
He turned around believing that I would follow him naturally but my answer would remain fixed.
“I don’t want to!”
“Ha…”
I ran in the opposite direction from where he was going and left him behind. I never thought that Duke Kyron would tell him that I helped him with the ledgers. It was something unexpected and strange.
I wondered how he told him.
Arielsa’s got an unexpected talent? Or perhaps… Do you think Arielsa received a serious head injury back then?
But what I was sure was, it would never be something like ‘Arielsa’s potential has finally bloomed. I’m proud to see her like this’…
The only place that I could think of was the garden in the greenhouse. And on my way there, I finally made up my mind.
‘Let’s not help Chaers!’
He was someone who wouldn’t look and glance at my unusual appearance so perhaps calling me out to help was some sort of test. Perhaps if he felt that I was different from before then he might have suspected that the ladder disease was a fake and he wouldn’t listen to me until I died.
“He’s a scary human being.”
Even though we went to the east for quite some time, the greenhouse was still managed well. The servant who managed the greenhouse really liked his job so I did not need to necessarily ask for anything else. The greenhouse was clean and my herbs seemed to be thinned out just a few days ago so I once again lost the job that I thought I could do. The servant really did his job perfectly.
“I can’t believe that my first break would be this boring…”
I mumbled sullenly as I went to the chair by the corner and sat down. The sunlight that shined down on the greenhouse made me feel drowsy.
“You sleep well even without a cushion.”
It was Duke Kyron.
“Heok! Heup…”
My head quickly sprang up in shock. It seemed like I dozed off as I sat in the greenhouse. Leaving my drowsiness behind, I quickly wiped the saliva off of my face. It was a bit embarrassing to be caught dozing off as I spent my vacation like a grandma.
I felt even more embarrassed since Duke Kyron just looked down at me with no expression whatsoever on his face.
“Du, Duke. Do you need anything?”
“You.”
“…Yes?”
“I’ll go hunting tomorrow with the vassals.”
Yes, of course…
[The Northerners are known to be strong and carefree, but for anyone who arrived in the North for the first time during spring would never think that way.
Each and every one of them enjoys every bit of time that they can get once the ice melts and spring comes. Unperturbed by the cold and brutal wind of the northern spring, the Northerners will release their livestock out in the sun as they hunt or go to picnics. If the temperature even rises a bit in the middle of the day, they may even enjoy sunbathing albeit for only a short time.
If you first meet the Northerners during this time of the year, you will certainly think that they’re impetuous and excited.
However, it was very important for the Northerners to enjoy and savor this period of time since even the ice in the ground melts. It was their only reprieve during the harsh and cold winter that enveloped the North.]
I used to ponder and think over the original story while cursing at the crazy northerners who enjoyed such a cold spring. I used to think…
The ice in the ground has not melted completely yet! What will you do in the summer if you’re so busy right now?! It’s still winter!
“Are there any problems?”
I was so surprised that I answered his question awkwardly.
“Yes, hunting! I’ll prepare for it.”
“……”
But the Duke just kept staring at me.
The warm sunshine that filtered through the greenhouse mixed with the Duke’s gentle aura made me feel as if the entire greenhouse was filled with his light. It seemed like he was completely well now.
Anyway, I couldn’t really take my eyes off of him. But when I made eye contact with him, I was surprised to see that he was staring at me.
“Duke?”
“Do you know what to prepare?”