Look at it. Showing it off blatantly to Beatrice. Could it be that their relationship was bad and they were trying to provoke each other? Having lived so long in their shadows, all sorts of thoughts were occurring to her now. Yes. She was foolishly thinking all sorts of things.
“The ring is very pretty.”
Her pink eyes sparkled with heat.
“Yes, thank you.”
Not intending to continue the conversation, Kaela responded nonchalantly and turned her attention back to her documents. With her neck no longer constricted, she felt much more comfortable.
****
His body was moving mechanically without thought. His hands wielded pen and sword, his mouth gave orders, and his ears listened, but his mind was creaking.
Was it because he hadn’t slept at all, or because he had held Kaela in his arms for the first time? Even though he needed all his focus on work and opposing the Emperor, his brain was conveniently thinking of other things.
For example, trivial thoughts like “Will we be able to sleep together again today?” which purely meant sleep but was still a lowbrow thought, or last hope musings like “We were supposed to finish counting the silver cutlery together, I wonder if she remembers?”
This is what it meant for a person to be precious. His nerves were directed towards the room at the end of the opposite corridor, and long-pursued goals or fruits of effort became irrelevant.
It was absurdly useless, simultaneously anxious, and then repeatedly becoming perfect again because of that person’s existence. It was a truly unnecessary emotion for the Grand Duke of Lusenford, responsible for border security.
And for Peon as an individual, it was an emotion that he was only now accurately feeling and becoming embarrassed about.
“Your Highness. A message from the gatekeeper of the ‘Field of Giants’. The Emperor’s investigator passed through there three days ago.”
“That’s fast.”
“Yes. It seems they’re aiming to cover the distance in a short time, continuously changing horses and riding without rest.”
This meant that the Emperor was taking the incident of the Grand Duchess of Lusenford collapsing very seriously.
Or, as Peon had complied with the marriage and Beatrice Ravalley’s hostage effect had diminished, they might try to use this incident as Peon’s weakness. In any case, the Emperor’s intentions were certainly not going to be beneficial to Peon. There was no way they could be.
“Send word to the gate guards. Tell them to let them pass, whatever they say.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Let them come and search Lusenford thoroughly from its muddy bottom to the top of its high spires. With Beatrice here as well, it would be quite a sight to see foreigners making a chaotic mess.
“Uh, Your Highness. Then what about the mines and other businesses?”
As a loyal secretary, Regen had managed to hide and cover up things adequately from the investigators’ eyes, but it was impossible to keep concealing massive operations like mines or gold trades indefinitely.
Peon hadn’t given any instructions about this so far. It was unlike the meticulous Grand Duke, who was almost obsessive about such matters.
“Have you prepared the largest gold nuggets?”
“We’ve prepared about three nuggets for now. The gold is practically pouring out of the mines.”
That would be enough for Lusenford to survive on its own without relying on support from Craine.
Literally, it might reduce the number of people starving to death in winter and spring. They might be able to buy weapons and seeds to sow with the fruits of their labor.
Regen held hope, but at the same time, he was anxious, knowing how powerless that hope would become before the Emperor. Could they protect this hope?
“As if hiding it would hide anything. Just leave it as it is.”
“Will that be alright?”
“It’ll be fine.”
Peon turned his head to look out the window, towards the distant border. He could hear it. He could hear the approaching sound of hoofbeats.
Was it his sharpened hearing that was listening, or the power flowing in his blood that was sensing it? His senses were raging, incomparable to how they were before the regression.
“Leave it be.”
Let the hoofbeats trample this land, he should just let it happen.
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll do as you say.”
The castle was bustling with activity. Kaela was quite busy too. The head maid kept coming in and out of the office, rooms for guests were being diligently cleaned, and new furniture had arrived.
And Beatrice, after visiting Kaela’s office just once, had shut herself in her new room and hadn’t budged since.
Peon hesitated for a moment, then got up from his seat and walked to the room at the opposite end of the corridor he was most concerned about. He asked the maid guarding the front.
“Ask if Her Highness has time.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The maid who had quickly entered came out a few seconds later and opened the door wide. Kaela, who had risen from her seat, was looking at him with wide eyes.
“Are you busy?”
“No. Please come in.”
He closed the door and first checked if the office temperature was appropriate. The fireplace seemed to have enough firewood.
Meanwhile, Kaela took out the ledger she had hidden in the drawer. Peon held back a smile at her actions – her eyes, staring at him as she subtly pulled out the ledger, showed strong wariness, but her action of actually taking it out was bold.
“The numbers don’t add up, do they?”
Let’s see. Those eyes are saying, ‘It’s really unexpected that you would say such a thing!’
“The ledgers the butler brings have increased a bit.”
Kaela’s lips moved slightly but stopped. It was better to avoid giving problematic answers and just listen to what Peon had to say.
“I’m not such a meticulous person.”
The Grand Duke didn’t seem to mind at all that the Grand Duchess dared not to answer. He muttered bitterly.
“Shamefully, it’s because I’ve been negligent in my management and supervision.”
The laziness and corruption of subordinates are the incompetence of their superiors. To the butler, Peon still seemed like an easy child, or a military man who didn’t care about internal affairs. Peon had to prove himself even to his subordinates.
“I’m ashamed to have left such sloppy work unchecked before you.”
He had thought the attitude was poor. But he had left it alone, wanting to give Kaela the authority to cut off the butler who showed such poor attitude.
Then, seeing Kaela investigating the silverware inventory, he felt a pang of regret. Traitors were rampant in Lusenford. How could such a foolish and pathetic man dare to be Kaela’s husband?
“Your Highness.”
Peon looked up.
“Let’s finish counting the silverware today.”
The young Grand Duchess looked very determined and strict for her age.
