20. Baloch’s long-standing wish on a leash.
Although it is difficult to break the thick shell, the sweet flesh of the lobster was excellent.
So, once someone has tasted that sweetness, they cannot forget it and are willing to take the trouble next time.
‘Isn’t it time for Giant Rabbits to come out yet?’
‘It’s a little early, but if you look for them, it won’t be impossible.’
‘Is there anyone in the Knights who is good at skinning?’
‘I know how a little.’
‘You?’
‘Don’t forget, I am also a member of the Armor family.’
The best place in the North to make protective gear was he Armor Street.
Protective gear made using normal methods could not withstand the monsters, so the northern region began making its own protective gear and armor, and at the time, it was Count Armor who recruited craftsmen from around the continent and managed them.
The vivid information gained by going in and out of the blacksmith shop and observing the tanning process immediately became an asset and pride of the Armors and was passed down through generations.
Although she became a knight instead of helping with the family business, Hailey was also a member of the Armor family.
Contrary to her light answer of ‘a little’, the knowledge and pride that had been passed down through generations as a member of the Armor family was higher than anyone else’s.
Jillian, who had been watching them for generations, also knew this fact well, so it became Hailey’s job to groom the giant rabbit.
‘What do you want to prepare?’
‘I’m trying to make an adult woman’s coat.’
‘Three would be enough.’
The Duke faithfully followed Hailey’s advice, and Hailey kept her word.
Hailey quietly took in the sight of Bianca wearing a white coat that reached all the way to her neck.
It also had shiny, white fur.
The three-layered fur protects not only from the cold.
The dense second fur and the third fur, which were thinner than the denser outer layer, can protect her from the giant rabbit’s physical attack.
So now Bianca was wearing the best armor.
She definitely didn’t know that.
Hailey asked softly, as if speaking to Bianca, whose cheeks were bright red from embarrassment.
“Aren’t you cold?”
“The northern coat is so warm that I would never get cold.”
The northern coat…
For a moment, Hailey’s mouth almost collapsed.
Again, the Giant Rabbit’s hide blocks ‘physical attacks’ almost perfectly.
An ordinary sword or arrow even if buried in the second fur and won’t be able to penetrate into the third layer.
The leather was just also annoyingly tough.
To cut or pierce that thing with simple physical force, the most effective way is to strike it with an axe, but there is no way a coat can be made that way…
It was possible to be built that way because Hailey trimmed the fur and tanned the leather to make it soft, and then Jillian cut it with a dagger using his aura and made the needle holes.
It was a coat that could not be made twice, and a great piece was payed for this armor.
But that.
“Northern style coat… ”
“Now that I think about it, why doesn’t everyone wear these clothes?”
Oh, aren’t you ready to tell her, yet?
Julie, who was standing next to Bianca, hurriedly turned around at her muttering to herself, and Hailey cleared her throat, picked up the teacup in front of her, and took a swig.
Making noise or drinking a large amount of tea at once was strictly prohibited by etiquette.
But she couldn’t think of any of that now.
The freshly brewed tea was so hot that it made her feel like her throat was burning.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, hmmm, of course. If it’s okay, may I ask you to respond to the Duke’s invitation now?”
Bianca blushed slightly, as if she had just realized that she had not given an answer until now.
“Please tell him I will accept it gratefully.”
It’s obvious that she’s embarrassed.
Nevertheless, the way she smiles slightly with blushing cheeks was very elegant and lovely.
It ware sentiments that was difficult to feel at the same time, but it was true.
Now Hailey understood the Duke.
It was really strange that the Duke, who was so indifferent to everything, would care so much about someone. He probably heard or saw something like this himself.
Hidden behind the appearance of a beautiful princess who gently grabs people’s attention, there was another side to her that was so kind that one could not help but fall in love.
Her heart was pounding.
Hailey lightly patted her noisy heart as if reprimanding it and stood up.
“Then, may I help you dress up?”
“No, I think I’ll just keep going like this. The coat alone is very beautiful.”
This….
Hailey laughed quietly.
Her ability to manipulate people without realizing it was truly excellent
Was a rejection even supposed to be this sweet?
‘The coat alone is very beautiful.’
The frustration felt from the gruesome tanning that made my teeth grind, and the sewing that felt like my fingertips were breaking, was completely washed away by a single, unconscious compliment.
“I am sorry to have lost the opportunity to serve you, but I will leave now and prepare lunch for you two. Are there any ingredients you are reluctant to eat?”
“Fortunately, there are no ingredients that make me sick and I don’t have anything to dislike. I don’t know the Duke very well yet, so the head maid, please do your best.”
“The Duke told me to do what the Madam wants.”
“Then, could you please tell the kitchen staff to prepare it without overdoing it? I heard that it is difficult to get ingredients in the northern country. Make sure to tell the maids carefully so as not to waste ingredients.”
“I will obey your kind orders.”
Hailey smiled, raising one hand and gently placing it on her chest as if she was a knight.
I thought she was someone who was always upright, as if measuring every one of her movements, but to see this mischievous appearance….
Bianca’s eyes widened.
In the meantime, should I say that the angle of the arm behind her back and the fingertips placed on her chest are truly perfect, worthy of a head maid?
Bianca ended up bursting out laughing at how knighty she looked even in the dress.
“Alright, that’s good.”
“I will prepare a lunch that will satisfy you.”
How can she even imitate the stiff speaking style of a knight this well?
If she had worn a uniform, she would have believed that she was a knight.
Bianca whispered with her eyes wide open.
“Lord Hailer, it was a pleasure to meet you.”
“It was an honor for me to greet you like this.”
The head maid seemed to have had quite a bit of fun imitating the knights, so she stuck to the knight’s tone until the end and then left.
“It’s a burdensome because she is always so polite.”
Julie opened her eyes and smiled.
“You should not be a burdened, you deserve to enjoy it more than anyone, you are a Termina.”
“Huh?”
Does she mean Termina, the subjugator of Baloch?
Bianca’s cheeks suddenly hardened.
Julie seemed to understand her vague expression, so she bit her tongue and smiled awkwardly.
“I was too blasphemous, wasn’t I? sorry, my lady, but everyone is excited.”
“Why?”
“Termina will set Baloch free after all his sins have been forgiven.”
Julie seemed to understand everything, but Bianca couldn’t understand anything.
“Forgiveness?”
“Yeah, it’s a prophecy. The prophecy we all know.”
Julie smiled as if she should understand now, but Bianca hardly smiled.
It was the first time she heard of a prophecy.
***
“It is said that Count Franz has been squandering his family fortune through gambling recently.”
At Creta’s words, Jillian, who was busy looking at the documents, lifted his head slightly.
“Franz? You mean that count Franz?”
“Unless there are two Count Franz, I am sure he is.”
“He likes everything to be perfect. He can’t tolerate even 1% uncertainty, so there’s no way he would be interested in something like gambling… Ah, ha.”
Jillian stopped talking and his expression turned cold.
“Did you say he used to be the Crown Prince’s limbs?”
“It seems like a somewhat generous assessment to call him his hands and foot, but he is some thing similar.”
“It looks like he became hated by the crown prince, right?”
“It is said that this document was written by Count Franz after that incident.”
Instead of answering, Creta took out another thick document and handed it to Jillian.
Jillian crossed his arms and didn’t even look at the documents.
“I majored in geology and statistics at the academy.”
The golden iris, which had been rolling slowly as if wandering in the air, blinked gently.
“There are many dogs waiting for Jeremy Termina’s favour, but why bother to hire Count Franz?”
“The vast Northern Territory has as many mines as monsters.”
“I should have been called in to take charge of the development of the Northern Territory mines instead, but it’s too bad.”
“You have a bad taste. You don’t even think it’s that bad.”
Jillian grinned at Crete’s sarcasm.
“Isn’t that how you usually say it?”
“Usually at times like this, how dare you! You’re targeting my territory!” he said, getting angry.
“Then what if I didn’t say that because of my kindness?”
“Do you know what the word kindness means?”
Jillian smiled brightly at Crete’s words and whispered.
“Personally, I like ‘affection’ more.”
It was clearly sarcastic.
Even though he clearly knew that fact, when he saw Jillian smiling so brightly that his golden eyes could not even be seen, he looked like a man who had truly fallen in love.
It was beautiful, fascinating and also lovely.
Creta made a groaning sound and touched his forehead.1I forgot if Creta was a he or she, so I went for a he for now.
That’s the look of being in love.
But does that make sense?
This is Jillian Baloch.
He was an emotionless person.
As if he was born for duty, he went out to suppress the Wave when the time was right, and when the time came, he returned to report to Duke Silas and went into hiding again.
Usually, he wasn’t the kind of person who would say something like that, even as a joke.
“Please refrain from making that kind of expression. It’s really scary.”
“It’s scary. I guess you made this because she usually like this kind of facial expression?”
“It’s so real that it’s scary.”
“I’m serious.”
“Did I tell you that you have a really bad personality?”
“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do.”
Anyway, only my wife would see it.
Creta let out a familiar sigh as Jillian shrugged his shoulders.
He had been in Baloch since he was a child and couldn’t even remember when clearly.
People revered Baloch, calling him ‘unhuman’, but he knew him more as he watched him closely.
Baloch was truly different from humans.
He had rare emotions.
Forming a bond with someone else was even rarer than that.
The only thing they were interested in was protecting the imperial family from the monsters beyond the ice wall.
He personally did not know why Baloch, who is aloof from anything else, is so obsessed with Termina.
“……..”
Creta glanced sideways at Jillian, who was examining the documents again.
With golden eyes shining through his long, downturned silver eyelashes.
And a sharp nose bridge and smooth cheeks that rise beautifully as if gliding.2Don’t ask me I don’t know what that means..
Jillian had a face that looked very similar to Duke Silas.
Like twins.
Perhaps that was why the strange subservience to Termina also remained strong as it was handed down from generation to generation.
Wasn’t belittling Bianca Termina, who was almost like an enemy, natural?
Either that or……
‘Termina will set Baloch free after all his sins have been forgiven.’
Was that really it?
Baloch’s long-held wish on a leash.
