“I’m fully grown… Sir Zoltan.”
“Really? No way! Princess? You’re so tiny! What did you eat in the palace as a child… Are you sure you’re done growing?”
“This is the average height in the capital. It’s the average height of the royal family!”
Agnes shouted, her shoulders trembling. Zoltan, on the other hand, laughed loudly.
“Hey, I may be a country bumpkin who’s never been to the capital, but don’t lie to me. How can someone grow so little? You’re barely up to my chest.”
Agnes’s lips trembled with anger. Laslo quickly stepped in front of her.
“Well, if Agnes says she’s fully grown, then we should believe her!”
“Even so, the Princess is too small! I think I was this height when I was thirteen.”
“Sir Zoltan,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Yes.”
“You said your birthday is in the summer.”
“Oh, yes. Actually, it’s this month.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Your birthday is not this month.”
“But it is…”
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a birthday this year.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“So I don’t think I’ll be able to prepare a birthday present. I’ll get you the armor next year.”
With that, Agnes walked ahead.
“Oh, no! Princess! Princess, our dear princess. Oh, my I’m so jealous of your height.”
Zoltan, realizing his mistake too late, approached Agnes with a flustered expression, but Agnes just sniffed dismissively.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
A few days later, a letter arrived from Roland. It was much thicker than usual.
<Sending you the evidence materials regarding Count Cellon.
We have secured the double ledger. However, the issue of his collusion with the Pirate King is still uncertain.
I will write again once that is confirmed.
Also, it seems we have found someone in the eastern part of Leana who is presumed to be the youngest daughter of Count Barania.
I will contact you once she is secured.
P.S. How did you know the youngest daughter was there?>
Agnes immediately burned the letter in the fireplace after reading it.
The documents inside the envelope were solid evidence of Count Cellon’s smuggling and trafficking activities.
There was even a portrait of the Pirate King.
Agnes carefully read through them.
‘How should I approach the Count?’
Count Cellon’s estate was at the southernmost end, with little interaction with Sutmar.
He probably wouldn’t have attended the party if Agnes, with whom he was acquainted, hadn’t invited him.
Usually, he wouldn’t leave his estate, as it was frequently invaded by pirates along the southern coastline.
“Ugh…”
She held her head and groaned for a while.
She couldn’t think of any reason to contact the Count.
She felt anxious.
If a war broke out this fall, it would be difficult to meet the Count for a while.
She wanted to resolve this matter as soon as possible.
“What’s wrong?”
Laslo was standing in front of her when she came into her senses.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Agnes covered the documents related to Count Cellon on her desk with a book
“I heard you ordered an increase in the purchase of warhorses.”
“I did. Is that a problem?”
“Not a problem, but it seems like we’ll have more horses than cavalry in the castle.”
“Then we should increase the number of cavalry too. I was also thinking of establishing another knight order.”
“Another knight order?”
Agnes was a bit surprised. The current size of the army was already quite substantial.
Compared to the past, the number has tripled.
Increasing the military was good, but she was worried that Sebastian might notice and become highly alert.
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
“Even though Arpad isn’t restricted by private military limits, maintaining such a standing army would require a lot of money.”
“Isn’t money something we don’t need to worry about?”
“True, but we don’t currently have any major issues maintaining order or dealing with monsters with our current numbers. Is there a specific reason we need to do this?”
“You’re right, of course. But consider this.”
Laslo continued calmly.
“In the future, the population of the domain will likely increase rather than decrease, won’t it? Then naturally, more personnel will be needed for maintaining order, and more will be needed for defense against the beasts.”
“Hmm.”
Agnes let out a short sigh. His argument made sense.
“Alright. I’ll allocate a separate budget for that.”
“Thank you.”
Laslo smiled lightly.
“By the way, while we’re on the topic, Agnes, how about we create a summer festival?”
“Summer festival?”
“Until now, we’ve only had the harvest festival hosted by the temple during the harvest season. But since the population of the domain has increased and internal affairs are stable, I thought we might try creating a festival.”
“What do you mean by a summer festival?”
“You know, like the ones in the capital where they hold concerts in the Night Garden every summer, or in the south where they float rose petals and go boating?”
“Oh, like the Night of Roses?”
It was a famous festival that many people visited because it was said that if you ride a boat together and float the petals, your love would come true.
“Yes. It’s usually held around this time, so we…”
“Night of Roses!”
She thought of a reason to go south. Agnes excitedly jumped up from her seat.
“Duke, did we get any invitations from the South? No…….Ney!!”
Ney, who was waiting outside the room, approached quickly.
“You called, Madam.”
“Bring me all the invitations from the south.”
“Yes.”
“Agnes, what’s going on?”
“Just a moment. I’ll explain soon.”
A short while later, Ney returned with several invitations on a silver tray.
Agnes quickly scanned them.
Fortunately, she found what she was looking for right away.
<You are invited to the Night of Roses.>
The invitation, decorated in gold, bore the seal of the Cellon family.
Agnes couldn’t suppress her smile, and her lips kept curving up.
To think she had just now come up with this idea.
The Night of Roses held every summer at the estate of Count Cellon, as Laslo had said, was a famous summer festival.
No one would find it odd if Agnes happened to meet Count Cellon while she was visiting the south for the Night of Roses.
“Duke, I’m going to visit the south for a while.”
“Suddenly? Are you going for the Night of Roses?”
“Yes, I’ve always wanted to see it.”
Agnes’s eyes sparkled. On the other hand, Laslo’s expression became troubled.
“But, but isn’t it held at Count Cellon’s estate?”
“That’s right.”
“Is it really necessary to go all the way there? I could arrange for a festival identical to the Night of Roses right here.”
Laslo acted as if he would immediately pressure Niall to prepare a ship.
”Duke, I’m sorry, but I really want to see the Night of Roses.”
“Is it absolutely necessary?”
Agnes nodded firmly.
“Fine. In that case, I’ll go with you.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“No.”
Niall shook his head firmly.
“Does it make sense that the master is going away at this important time? You had enough leisure time in the spring.”
“Even so, the truly important matters are more or less settled.”
“Just because something is less important doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. If you’re going to the south, make sure one person stays on the estate.”
Niall came out strong.
Given that spring is naturally a busy season, his insistence made sense.
After all, Laslo had gone to the capital for the coronation ceremony, and shortly after, he had to leave the domain again when summoned by the king. This had caused a significant backlog of work.
Under these circumstances, Laslo had no choice but to reluctantly allow Agnes to leave.
“Agnes, the saying that love will be fulfilled if we float flower petals together on a boat is just an empty rumor, you know?”
He barged into the room and went on for a while about how the Night of Roses was nothing but a ridiculous legend.
“Yes, yes. It’s all just superstition, right?”
“But if by any chance Count Cellon invites you to sail with him, you must refuse him firmly.”
“Got it. If he asks me to sail with him, I’ll spit in his face. Now let go of my arm.”
Only then did Laslo release his grip on Agnes’s shoulder.
“When are you planning to leave?”
“Tomorrow.”
“What? So soon?”
“I think we’ll still arrive in the middle of the festival if we leave now.”
“It would be better to leave at a more relaxed pace.”
“What if the festival is over and when I arrive?”
“…….”
Laslo closed his mouth tightly. It finally dawned on him that this was what she truly wanted.
“Duke Arpad.”
“……Laslo.”
“What?”
“Ahem. Isn’t it natural for a couple to call each other by their names?”
“Suddenly?”
“I think it’s better to address each other properly. How long are you going to keep referring to your husband by his title?”
Laslo was firm. Agnes’s lips trembled.
She had tried calling him by his name a few times before, but actually doing it in front of him made her shy.
“Um. Um… Well, um. Laslo.”
“Agnes.”
He put his face close to her. Within a few blinks, Laslo was right in front of her.
“Please promise me one thing.”
“What?”
With their faces so close, she could feel his breath clearly. Agnes felt her cheeks flush.
“Come back to me safely.”
Their foreheads touched. Laslo didn’t blink even once.
Her throat felt ticklish.
A warmth passed through his green eyes. Agnes found herself placing her hand on his cheek.
It felt like it might burn from the heat.
Laslo took her hand from his cheek and kissed its tip.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“Yes. I will come back safely and unharmed.”
Laslo let out a sigh full of regret and hugged Agnes tightly before releasing her.
