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“It is a spell that guarantees a safe return.”
I handed him the small piece and smiled broadly at him.
The decorations, a mix of black and gold thread, were a sight to behold.
It was a secretly crafted spell that I received from Lady Perona, the Archduke's expert in occult sciences.
Magic was the only option I had to pray for his success on the battlefield.
A few days ago, Mrs.
Perona looked startled when I barged into her room.
But that only lasted a moment, as she turned to me, desperately searching for the talisman.
“In this area, they make decorative rings for men who go hunting or war.”
As might be expected, Lady Perona was an expert in these superstitions, as well as in exorcism rituals.
With her help, I started making the talisman, but it wasn't easy.
I didn't manage to create a good spell until late last night.
Every stitch was filled with my precious wish for success.
“……”
Archduke Richard neither accepted nor rejected the necklace I offered him, staring at his palm with a blank stare.
A faint whisper rose from behind him.
Victor and his men looked at us blankly
“Hmm...
Archduke.
Do you accept it?”
I asked him, gently pulling his sleeve.
He shivered, perhaps out of fear.
Only then did the Archduke snatch the necklace from my hand.
Then he pushed it to his chest, as if he wanted to hide it from the rest.
Before I knew it, his face froze, as if he had been subjected to an annoying intervention.
My eyebrows furrowed when I saw that.
Victor's face was already frowning, as if he had already guessed that something was wrong between us.
'If this continues, I will be arrested!'
I grabbed his arm in a moment of madness.
Of course, I was hoping he would come back safe, but the reason I said goodbye to him in the early hours of the morning and handed him the decorations was, of course, to show everyone our relationship.
Recently, we were in the middle of a cold war, so we couldn't show our relationship at all.
When I took hold of his arm, the Archduke shuddered and turned to me.
Instead, I tried desperately to affirm my happy marriage by hugging him tightly.
Then I spoke in a gentle voice.
"You must return safely.
I will wait for you."
“……!”
Fortunately, he only stumbled slightly from bouncing my embrace, but he didn't push me away.
I turned my eyes over Archduke Richard's broad, strong shoulder.
Only after I saw Victor's happy smile on his face did I let him go.
“Then… go.”
I watched him quickly mount his horse and quickly disappear, secretly pleading with him one last time.
The Empire imposes heavy inheritance taxes, so please come back alive.
∗∗∗
After a few days.
I have received news that an elite unit led by Archduke Richard has successfully completed the mission to subdue it.
They said that they would arrive at the Archduke's residence in two or three days.
Finally, I was reassured by the good news.
The weather was beautiful, and with a feeling of relief, I decided to explore the garden that Mrs.
Perona tended.
“Isn’t it wonderful that the Archduke has returned safely?”
“Your Excellency must have been deeply saddened.”
Ms.
Perona even wiped a tear from her eye.
She had become very friendly with me since our first day, and became even more attached to me after she learned that I cared so much about the Archduke's well-being that I was willing to resort to magic.
“Is this the vegetable garden?”
“Yes, here we grow vegetables for cooking.
You can take a closer look if you want.”
There is no doubt that growing ingredients in the garden will be beneficial to the family.
With a satisfied face, I examined the tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants growing profusely.
Then an idea suddenly occurred to me, and I gently touched the plump eggplant.
“This... looks about the same size...”
“Huh?”
I muttered absentmindedly.
I sat there, deep in thought, evaluating the eggplant in my hand.
'Can I use it instead of the wand?'
Re-enacting the crimes that were taking place before Archduke Richard set out to subdue.
When he returns, I will have to repeat it at least a few more times, but the wooden stick the Archduke was using was extremely hard and painful.
‘Archduke Richard, waving an eggplant in his bedroom with a serious expression.’
When I imagined that picture, the corners of my mouth rose involuntarily, and a feeling of amusement overwhelmed me.
The Archduke might have frowned and smiled wryly just thinking about it.
“He's very clever.”
Even though he was just reenacting a crime, his simple gestures and sharp style with the sword remained clear.
He lived up to his title of 'Battlefield Assassin'.
“M-what?”
Mrs.
Perona shrank at my muttering.
But I didn't have time to respond, lost in my thoughts.
'The perpetrator must be skilled at using a knife.'
The dagger used in the crime was deeply embedded, targeting only Baron Hayden's vital points.
After numerous experiments with the Archduke to re-enact the situation, I concluded that the perpetrator must be skilled enough to render the victim helpless.
'Is the culprit really the protagonist, Lawrence?'
I lost myself in thought, slowly caressing the branch.
Lawrence, as the protagonist of the novel, was extremely skilled in martial arts and thus fits the description of a skilled swordsman.
However, the evidence was woefully insufficient to reach such a decisive conclusion.
Expressing these thoughts out loud would have led to accusations of blasphemy.
'I really need to visit the Kingdom of Grace.'
Besides the watch trade, there was another reason to visit the Kingdom of Grace.
Baron Hayden's last business before his death was exclusive trading rights with the Kingdom of Grace.
The banquet held that day was a celebration of the success of that trade.
Perhaps the Kingdom of Grace holds evidence of Baron Hayden's death.
While I was thinking about that moment, I involuntarily clenched my hands.
With a trembling sound, the eggplant split in my hand.
“Ma’am, is something wrong?”
Mrs.
Perona looked at me in astonishment.
Only then did I regain consciousness.
“Oh!
I'm sorry, Lady Perona.
I was thinking about the Archduke for a moment...”
I quickly apologized for destroying the vegetables I had grown, trying to justify it as the fault of a wife who missed her husband.
“...!”
But Mrs.
Perona's eyes trembled even after hearing my apology.
When I saw that, I scratched my cheek sheepishly.
I was about to offer another sincere apology to the shocked woman.
“Are you Archduchess Richard?”
"Yes!"
I shouted, shocked by the sudden presence behind me.
I turned around and saw a young man, a stranger to me, looking at me proudly, his face more confused than mine.
The man finally regained consciousness and bowed deeply, nodding politely.
At the same time, his warm brown hair was fluttering in the wind, twirling in the air.
He smiled, a bright smile appeared on his lips, and began to rummage through something in his bag.
“I'm sorry if I startled you.
I...”
“No.”
"Yes…?"
The man, who was rummaging through his bag, suddenly raised his head and blinked, his face filled with confusion.
“I don’t buy anything from street vendors.”
I spoke sharply.
Elegant clothes, elegant face, salesman's smile, and a large bag.
Anyone could tell he was a peddler.
“Ha-ha-ha.”
He suddenly burst out laughing.
My eyes narrowed at his sudden reaction.
He laughed for a moment, then forced himself to suppress his laughter and bowed to me more formally.
“This is the first time I've met you, Your Excellency.
My name is Aiden Spencer.”
Oh, my God.
Only then did I realize the situation as I blinked.
'Aiden Spencer' is a name I've seen in newspaper articles.
He was the only son and heir of the Marquis Spencer, a wealthy merchant.
I heard that he agreed to help us bridge the gap between us and the Grace Kingdom.
I looked at him closely, and was astonished by the unexpected expression on his face.
He was a man, shorter than Archduke Richard, but taller than most men, with courteous manners and handsome features.
But I did not hear that he would come to the Archduke's house today.
“I see.
Is there a reason the Marquis came to the Archduke’s house without warning?”
I decided to be as rude as possible.
It is true that at first I treated him like a peddler, but his behavior was equally rude.
The man who suddenly appeared and spoke to me without warning was not acting right either.
Of course, it was embarrassing that I had not thought beforehand that it was impossible for a peddler to enter the Archduke's Garden.
“Hmm, that...”
Marquis Spencer looked like he couldn't hold back his smile.
I replied slyly.
“Is something wrong, Marquis?”
“Oh, please excuse me if I'm being rude.
I'm just...”
He could barely comprehend my reaction, so he finally offered me something he found in his bag.
It was a purple handkerchief.
“Actually, there's an eggplant on your cheek, ma'am.”
“...!”
I grabbed the handkerchief he offered me and quickly wiped my cheek.
The eggplant that I had previously crushed with my hands must have scattered and rubbed against my cheek.
"I knew that, but I left it there on purpose.
There is research that shows eggplant is good for the skin."
This time, I felt like I was going to die of embarrassment, but I said the first thing that came to my mind.
Marquis Spencer narrowed his eyes and smiled.
His bright green eyes sparkled in his wide eyes.
“Of course, of course.”
But with a short voice saying 'There's still some left here,' long and beautiful fingers gently touched my cheek.
"Yes."
I quickly wiped away the remaining pieces of eggplant, my face blushing.
At that moment, a faint voice came from above.
“What on earth are you doing here?”
“...!”
I was startled by the familiar voice and raised my head.
There stood a man who shouldn't be here right now, his face angry.