There was no land on this continent that Marcus Lockhart had not touched.
Yet Enya had been hiding from him for three, maybe four years.
She was as good at hiding as a trained assassin.
“Enya needed the seal of the Lockhart family master to sell her land, but I didn’t know that, and the land was sold long ago.”
Marcus's voice was low.
“I wonder why?”
“…….”
“My lord.
My lady wants to see you.”
Then another servant appeared and called for Duke Lockhart.
Duke Lockhart nodded lightly and looked at Emma as he walked towards the door.
His piercing eyes were as sharp as they had been on the battlefield.
"whatever."
“Yes, my lord.”
“Give her my regards, she should return to the capital soon.”
Emma, who had been standing there since the Duke left, turned around.
Emma immediately began writing a message on a piece of paper in the corner of Enya's room.
“Miss.”
Emma mumbled quietly and looked out the window.
“I think the Duke has had enough of it.”
Emma wrote in a letter about the strong pressure she felt from the Duke.
“I think Emma would prefer this one.”
She tapped the tip of the pen, wondering what to write.
“I would have preferred you to get married and have children, like your aunt who ran away from home a long time ago!”
* * *
“Mmm, mm-.”
Before I knew it, spring had arrived.
The buds were blooming, and the cherry trees around the house where Dale and I lived were in full bloom.
I walked over to Dale, who was burning old straw to welcome spring, and handed him a piece of paper.
“Burn this letter too.”
“Isn’t this a message to Enya?”
This is why.”
Dale smiled, but did as she asked.
The paper instantly blackened and crumbled into ash.
[Emma's investigations haven't revealed anything suspicious about Dale the mercenary.
He does small work, but doesn't seem to be carrying out any dangerous missions.]
Emma had news I wanted to hear.
Then she added some nonsense.
[……I wanted you to have a baby just like your aunt who ran away from home a long time ago, and start a family with that handsome man ♡♡♡♡♡♡]
I almost screamed as goosebumps rose on my skin from the absurdity of the message.
'You want me to have a baby?' 'Is she crazy?'
I knew Emma wasn't a normal person, but I didn't think she was crazy.
I looked at Dale, who was stroking the fire with the bar and wiping the sweat off his face.
'He is very handsome.'
The number one handsome farmer in the world, the number one handsome man in my eyes, the number one handsome man in the world.
The man who had it all, number one.
'A handsome man is handsome even when he sweats, handsome even when his skin is cold, handsome even when he has a cold.'
But Dale was my business partner, and my life partner for a limited time.
We were a fake couple, not destined to have children like Emma had expected.
I stared at the handsome man who was gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Dale had done all the work a man should do, pulling weeds and tilling the land.
Even his tanned skin was perfect.
I looked at him and noticed something different.
“Are you taller than before?”
“I think I've grown up a little.”
"Okay……."
I couldn't help but mutter these things to myself.
The more I looked at it, the more curious I became.
“Dale, aren’t you the Emperor?”
“!”
“No?
Dale is handsome and kind and has a lot of money.
Don’t you think it’s appropriate for you to be the emperor who rules this world, and not that man…… ike!”
“Khhhh”
“Are you okay, do you want me to get you some water?”
Dale coughed, blushing deeply.
Dale turned pale, then stiffened, and looked at me, his hands shaking.
“No.
His Majesty the Emperor would not dare…….”
“Well, Dale is much better than His Majesty the Emperor, isn’t he?”
I laughed and stretched my back.
My back was hurting from slouching.
“Um, isn't there something like putty here?”
“What is putty?”
Dale asked cautiously, touching his red cheeks.
There's no putty here, after all.
I have never seen the old man and old woman in the village use one.
"It's something you put on when you have pain in your back or a joint, like a knee.
You put one on and it feels cold on your skin, and then it warms up and the pain goes away."
“Is it like a drug?”
“It's different.”
I rubbed the back of my stiff neck.
With the sun rising like this, it was almost time to head out.
“Let's go inside and get ready.”
After a winter of heavy snowfall, spring came and it was the day I wanted to go outside for the first time in a long time.
An hour later, Dale appeared smartly dressed.
Our house, once the season changed, was completely furnished.
And there was a big new road in Grunwald!
A light road has been built in the Kiloveldt area to allow the extraction of minerals from the Grunwald estate.
If they were transported by traveling magic, there was a risk that the nature of the metals would affect their path, causing them to fly off to another place.
Even if it arrived safely, it might be shattered due to collision with mana, so it had to be transported by land or sea.
In any case, its influence opened a road that was blocked by a giant mountain, making it easier to reach other provinces.
“The Lord was grateful and paid me handsomely.”
It was unintentional, but it was true that I helped increase Grunwald's influence.
So the Lord was so grateful that he relieved me from paying taxes to Grunwald.
This reduced the chances of the Emperor spotting me.
With the money I saved on my expenses, I was able to buy Dale some new clothes.
“Heh…….”
“I'm glad to see you're feeling better.”
“Dale looks good too!”
“…….”
Dale turned red and smiled awkwardly.
That's the magic of Dell.
I quietly wrapped my arms around Dale.
“……!”
“Our concept is a couple who loves each other, I want you to remember that and not relax just because we are on the property next door, okay?”
"Yes."
“And you can call me ‘my wife’ sometimes.
It’s good to get used to that so you don’t make mistakes in front of others.”
"my wife……."
Dale's face flushed.
“Okay……my wife.”
Dale nodded, feeling like I was brainwashing him.
"……Yes."
This is because Emma sent a message with strange content.
When I saw Dale looking embarrassed, this thought flashed through my mind.
'Have a family with that handsome man ♡♡♡♡♡'
It's a good thing Dale didn't know, otherwise he would have gotten scared and run away.
I sat on the store porch, pretending to drink cold juice, and looked at Dale.
'Will Dale and I have a family?'
I looked at Dale's face, which seemed a bit sexy to me.
'It's a good choice for me, but what about Dale?'
Dale is nice and handsome, cooks well, cleans up by himself, has a strong body, etc.
I should think carefully before I ruin this person's future.
First of all, he proposed marriage to the emperor.
The terrifying future of the original novel.
The Emperor's Sword, which I don't know when he will wave it.
Connie's status is aristocratic.
I gazed at the magnolias blooming in the village.
The neighborhood, called Salo, was a warmer neighborhood blossoming before Grunwald.
When the green shoots sprouted, the sale of the shovel increased dramatically.
Cassion sent me all the money he promised me.
'I am rich.'
'What will I do with the money now?'
Out of the corner of my eye, someone caught my eye.
A man carrying a bunch of items was walking unsteadily down the street, unsteadily.
He seemed uncomfortable using his arms, and seemed to struggle to carry his load properly.
Dale looked where I was looking.
'The clinic?'
The man pointed to a building with a sign reading “Salou Medical Center.”
'I don't think it's open today.'
The man lowered his head as if he was disappointed.
At that time, the things he was carrying fell to the ground.