Chapter 21

Scheuer’s pupils shook minutely. It felt like Peyton’s words were flowing through her eardrums like a stream.

“Books… I need to look it up! Surely, objective information is best found in books.”

Scheuer, within the rapidly passing explanation, focused her mind, straining her ears to extract the necessary information.

“I should focus on the Grand Duke’s childhood.”

***

The northern border region.

The Blenga knights, who were smoothly advancing in their punitive expedition, suddenly had to stop in their tracks. It was because Raygrain, leading the way, paused for a moment.

Startled, Jess quickly ran to his side.

“Your Grace, is there any issue?”

Though there still seemed to be no abnormality in his emotions, it couldn’t be reassuring considering he had been emotionally drained for a year.

Raygrain’s composed face still made it hard to discern what he was thinking.

From the beginning, he swiftly wielded his sword, quickly dispatching monsters. Could it be that his emotions were already completely depleted?

As everyone cast worried glances, the momentary pause ended, and he resumed walking without responding to Jess’s question.

Certainly, there was a problem.

Jess matched his strides with Raygrain, who, without answering Jess, continued walking.

“Your Grace, since it’s been a while, how about swiftly concluding this expedition with this region as the last?”

“No.”

Raygrain’s firm voice, devoid of hesitation, was accompanied by a rising white breath.

He replied while observing the mist dispersing in the air, seemingly lost in thought. As if recalling something, he paused for a moment.

Jess was surprised by the slightly unfamiliar look in Raygrain’s eyes. After carefully choosing his words, Raygrain explained his feelings.

“I just suddenly felt something bothering. It was as if someone was calling me.”

As soon as Jess heard his words, a thought flashed through his mind. There was only one person who could bring about such a change. He could be certain. This was undoubtedly the result of Scheuer’s persistent determination.

However, Raygrain, nonchalantly continuing to walk, said,

“It’s probably because of the monsters. Let’s not rush.”

***

About an hour after listening to Peyton’s explanation, Scheuer still couldn’t escape from the tales of the ancestor’s swordsmanship. She sensed energy draining from Celly and the knights as they absorbed the information. Scheuer, feeling it was getting too much, decided to change the atmosphere while polishing a daisy flower.

“Isn’t my room a bit cramped? Shall we move to the spacious hall?”

“Thank you, Lady Scheuer!”

In response to her suggestion, the knights, as if waiting for this, rose from their seats, each holding a basket of flowers. It seemed like they had experienced this at least once before. Surely not just once…?

Feeling a bit regretful that they hadn’t reached the story of Raygrain’s birth, Scheuer unknowingly shook the daisy lightly. Then, bang! Fireworks exploded.

Startled by the loud noise, the knights quickly surrounded her.

“Scheuer, are you okay?”

“It’s fine. It was just a small firework. You all made a fuss for no reason.”

As her words ended, the attentive knights responded firmly,

“In times when Your Grace is absent, you are undoubtedly the owner of Blenga.”

As the commotion was merely caused by the noise, their over-protectiveness became awkward. Scheuer replied modestly,

“Ah, you’re all too forward.”

“Miss, too. You’ll soon be a mistress once Your Grace returns,”

Josephina said, full of anticipation. Even without words, Scheuer also looked forward to the marriage. More precisely, she wanted to see him wearing the formal attire for the wedding. He usually wore dark clothes, making it certain that seeing him in a white wedding gown would be a rare sight. Thinking about it, she felt a bit disappointed.

“How about obtaining something like a memory-storing gem while Lord Leilda is staying at the mansion? It would be a good idea to have it. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to see him in a white gown should not be missed.”

Scheuer moved along with the maids, silently staring at the daisy.

“Celly, where is Lord leilda?”

“Well, we don’t really know. he usually doesn’t use the guest rooms, and he’s so reclusive that we’re not sure. Maybe he went back?”

With a puzzled expression, Scheuer walked through the mansion’s corridors, following the procession of the mansion’s inhabitants.

Worried that Daisy might explode again, Scheuer kept her distance, following them from afar. As she chased after them, she noticed a familiar azure robe in the garden outside the window.

“It doesn’t seem like she’s around. I’ll be back!”

Before Celly could turn around, Scheuer walked straight into the garden. The air in the garden had a slightly softened, crisp winter scent, different from the recent chill. It made her think of Raygrain, and she liked it for that reason. It felt like his mansion.

Of course, it was Raygrain’s mansion, but to Scheuer, the North was synonymous with Raygrain. It was an unavoidable thought circuit.

Approaching the person in the robe standing in front of a camellia tree, Scheuer couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different from before.

“Was he this tall?”

She wiped her eyes with her hand, wondering why the perspective seemed different.

When she closed the distance, he turned around.

“Why are you sneaking up on me? Don’t get used to it.”

Long, flowing violet hair and golden eyes. A slightly mischievous expression. It was unmistakably Lielda. However, he seemed to have grown a bit.

Scheuer looked at her hand with a dismayed expression. Did she unknowingly cultivate a person instead of a flower?

“Don’t think weird thoughts,  it not because of you.”

Lielda seemed to read her mind and spoke bluntly.

Scheuer playfully wiggled her fingers and asked,

“How did you know?”

“Even passing ants could figure it out. I only returned briefly because there are limits to creating magical stones.”

Lielda combed hes slightly roughened skin, likely from staying up all night. he kept hes promise, unexpectedly.

Lielda took out a pouch from hes robe.

“Considering the size of the garden, four should be enough.”

“Thank you.”

“Huh, you’re good at saying thanks and making me speechless.”

He chuckled softly.

Even after just a day, the camellia tree’s blossoms were much better than yesterday.

Scheuer gazed at Lielda with an embarrassed expression.

“Could it be that you’ve grown?”

“Don’t say things like that on me.”

Lielda responded, looking a bit irritated.

Scheuer, still embarrassed, approached him and asked,

“Is there no way to make a memory stone?”

“Your demands are increasing?”

“I’ll give you a daisy, Daisy.”

Scheuer offered him a white daisy she had brought.

Lielda inspected the blooming white flower that didn’t quite match the North in hes hand and asked,

“What’s this?”

“Well, a threat?”

“What?”

Before she could finish her sentence, a faint sizzling sound, like a spark, grew louder until it exploded with a bang. Startled, Lielda’s long hair got a bit singed. He shouted in surprise,

“What the hell!”

“Smile Love”