The Lord was feeling uncomfortable.
He thought that a blessing had flowed upon the land of Grunwald, but it turned out to be too much for him to bear.
“You are aware that Dale is His Majesty the Emperor, right?”
Before his collapse, the Emperor had secretly sent someone.
When he heard he might be based in Grunwald, he thought he was looking for a villa, but it was a secret operation.
He was shocked but didn't dare object.
But when he woke up from his semi-conscious state something even more shocking happened.
“Miss Anne is actually Miss Enya Lockhart.”
"What did you say?"
“Everything must be kept completely secret, okay?”
“But is this even possible?”
“We just have to follow and do what His Majesty wants, and Miss Anne believes Dale is a servant of the Lord’s castle, so we should coordinate our stories accordingly.”
Yorta's words nearly sent him into a coma again.
Why were they here under aliases?
But Mr.
Grunwald, with his old man's wisdom, knew not to let his curiosity get the better of him.
Miss Lockhart is Anne.
The Emperor is del.
“….”
That was very stressful.
“Lord, your hand seems to be shaking.
Are you okay?
Do you need some medicine?”
“I'm completely healthy.
As for speaking informally… how could I address someone so valuable?
Haha…”
The Lord took a long sip of water.
“But I wonder, how long do you two, or rather both of you, intend to stay in Grunwald?”
“We may stay for a long time.
Grunewald is a good area, after all.”
"Cough!!!
Got it.
Haha.
That's very good."
The Lord laughed awkwardly, his hand holding the cup trembling.
Even among nobles, these two were exceptionally noble.
“The ring on this finger must be your wedding ring.”
“This is a ring Dale gave me.”
“Dale?”
Enya pointed to her ring on the right finger.
“This is a ring I bought in a hurry for our wedding vows.”
Then she pointed to her ring on her left finger.
"And this ring is a diamond ring that Dale recently gave me.
He gave it to me as an official wedding band."
"Oh!
It's so beautiful."
The Lord admired the ring and praised its beauty.
Enya thought it was really beautiful too.
Dale had an excellent eye for such things.
Dale had given her this ring as a token of appreciation for the clothes she had given him, but it seemed much more expensive than any of the other clothes.
Was he okay financially?
'I have to keep a close eye on Dale.
“With such a good heart, he is easy prey for exploitation.”
“Dale must love Miss Anne very much.”
“Yes, grandfather, I think so too.”
Sofia and the Lord smiled contentedly.
“Soon we may even hear the sound of a baby crying.”
“Haha..”
Enya lowered her face, feigning embarrassment.
The Lord seemed very pleased with Dale as well.
But where would Dale be today, when he's working so far away?
“For this reason, Lord, I was hoping that Dale’s work within your castle would be changed.”
"What?"
The lord's pale eyes twitched.
“Well, that's a good idea.”
He shuddered as he drank the water again and again.
“مع ازدياد عدد الخدم في قلعة اللورد، من المؤلم رؤية ديل يعود متأخرًا من عمله البعيد”.
“Haha… Indeed, that makes sense.”
“So, can you guarantee that Dale will come home early?”
“Ha ha, I’ll consult Dale about this.”
“Please do, I insist.”
"Lord, where is Dale now?
I'd like to meet him briefly before I go.
Is he far away?"
“Well, Dale for now...”
“He went to the port to deliver a message.”
Yorta quickly intervened.
“Oh, the port.”
Enya looked at the clock.
“Then I should head to the port too.
Looks like I have time.”
“He has another visit scheduled in a different area after the port.”
Yorta added hastily.
That seemed rather strange.
Why wasn't that mentioned in the beginning?
When Yorta saw her puzzled look, Yorta frowned apologetically.
"Dale asked not to tell you.
He was worried you would be worried."
"Is this correct?"
She nodded in understanding and sat down again.
“Okay, but please lighten his workload a little, will you?
It’s a request.”
“I will try to...”
Yurta started to say something, then stopped and closed his mouth firmly.
***
But after that conversation, Dale would come home late.
Was he busier than usual?
“Does Sofia know why?”
“Me?
No...”
Sofia seemed more worried than Enya, and shook her head slightly.
“بما أنكِ ذكرتِ ذلك، نادراً ما رأيت زوج إنيا في القلعة. يبدو أنه يجتمع مع الجد من حين لآخر، ولكن حتى في ذلك الوقت، يبدو الجد متوترًا للغاية.”
"Nervous?
Lord?"
“Yes, and Yurta too.”
Why would they be nervous when they meet a servant?
Enya's confusion increased as she looked towards the Lord's castle.
“Has there been more monster activity lately?”
“لا، ليس في الواقع. لكنني سمعت أن هناك بعض الانهيارات الأرضية في الجبل بسبب الأمطار الغزيرة”.
Sofia's eyes widened as if something had just occurred to her.
“Maybe Anne’s husband was doing it, because I didn’t see him in the palace!”
If so, it was a very tiring task.
The Lord seemed to find Dale useful.
But I needed Dale too.
As a very important husband.
أتساءل عما إذا كان يتقاضى أجراً مناسباً مقابل عمله، بالنظر إلى طبيعته الطيبة، فقد يكون يعمل مجاناً.
He's seemed particularly tired lately, and I'm worried.
He must be healthy for our lives to be stable.
And living with Dale is fun.
He is a man who knows my tastes, has similar interests, and is easy to talk to.
But how will I deal with the fatigue that doesn't seem to affect the Emperor, but is weighing on Dale?
I continued digging diligently with the big shovel.
“Anne, doesn’t your arm hurt?”
"No, I've been doing it since I was little.
I'm used to it."
“Oh, tell me if it hurts!”
Sophia followed me closely whenever I came to the herb garden.
But I was used to working in the fields.
I learned to grow herbs at home since I was young.
But a regular shovel is too big, and a seedling shovel is too small.
It would be nice to have the right sized tool, but I didn't have one.
Digging with a shovel is difficult; It would be easier by hand, but that's not possible, I was complaining while drilling.
In a world with magic, why wasn't there a tool for that?
If I were still in my previous life...
“Huh?”
Suddenly, I felt a shiver.
My finger felt bare.
He's not there.
The ring, it's really gone!
It cannot be missing.
Why isn't there?
“Sofia”
I called out anxiously.
“Yes, Anne?”
“Did I forget to wear my ring this morning?”
“No, I saw you wearing it when you came.”
Sofia confirmed.
As Sofia looked at my hand, her previously smiling face turned as pale as mine.
“Anne, where did your ring go?”
The ring Dale had given me was gone from my hand.
* * *
“Maybe it's time to go back to the capital, or at least close to it.”
This was suggested by the assistant in the Emperor's office, and his insistence was constant.
“Or perhaps reversing the Imperial Marriage Decree would be a solution.”
Dale shot him a glare, making Suho flinch and shield his face with the documents, yet he insisted on his point.
“Teleportation magic is inevitably harmful to the body.
The scrolls may mitigate the backlash, but using them multiple times a day will exhaust you.
We must find another way.”
“….”
Dale clasped his hands under his chin thoughtfully.
“Withdrawing the decree means it cannot be issued again.
You know that.”
"I realize that, but a royal marriage is not just about issuing decrees.
You can go ahead with a family arrangement."
“But she cannot marry another man while the decree is issued.
Don’t you understand?”
“However, who would Mademoiselle think of marrying?
She is not meeting anyone.”
Suho exhaled deeply.
Emperor Dale had recently been making trips to the countryside at dawn, only to return to the palace the next morning.
The workload had increased, requiring his direct approval on many matters.
“Is someone trying to bury Your Majesty under the act as a form of assassination?”
At times, the heavy burden seemed like a cruel twist of fate.
“Stop…”
Dale muttered in a low voice.
He let out an exhausted sigh, turning away from Suho.
“Should I shut you up?”
“Excuse me?”
“If I close your mouth, you will start writing.”
Suho closed his mouth under Dale's chilling gaze.
It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.
At that moment, an assistant stepped forward and presented Dale with some documents.
The team's second-in-command, Getty, seized the opportunity with sparkling eyes.
“No, I think Your Majesty’s opinion is correct.
I have investigated.
Here are the men that Miss met.”
“I've met a lot of guys without anyone knowing.”
Dale's eyebrows furrowed as he took the documents.
“Have any of them made… progress?”
“It's embarrassing to even mention progress.”
"to talk".
Getty noted that Dale was not going to let the matter go, so he proceeded under pressure.
“Yes!
There was a man she seemed to favor!
The eldest son of Count Stefan…”
Dale remained silent, which prompted more urgency.
“I apologize.
But he is not someone you need to worry about.
His body type is outside of Miss’s preferences.”
Dale spoke again, his face still grim.
“How tall is he?”
“About 180 cm, much shorter than Your Majesty’s height.”
“And his shoulders?”
"Sturdy due to his Persian background, but his muscles are not aesthetically prominent.
He is not Miss's type, as far as I know."
Getty quickly added some compliments.
“Miss favors Your Majesty’s shoulders.
From what I’ve assessed, that’s for sure.”
Dale looked intently at Getty, who knew this was a nod of approval despite the sweat running down his back from the intense pressure.
“But”
Dale's eyes suddenly narrowed.
“What about his appearance?”
Getty cleared his throat at the sharp inquiry, and the atmosphere of the room turned cold.
“There is no man more handsome than your Majesty.”
“That's an obvious answer.”
However, it was clear that Dale was seeking more than just flattery; His facial expressions turned cold.
“Speak truthfully, Jetty.”
“Objectively, I can say that...”
Getty hesitated, weighing his words, but eventually confessed.
“It is completely in line with Mademoiselle’s preferences.”
In an instant, the pen broke in Dale's hand.