AWLITEB Chapter 38

Isabella glanced around cautiously as she headed toward the carriage's luggage compartment.

But since she hadn't packed the luggage herself, she had no idea where to find what she needed.

Isabella stomped her feet and rummaged through the bags in the luggage compartment, but one bag was full of only clothes, another only food, and another only bathing supplies.

They'd definitely packed several handkerchiefs, but she couldn't find where they were no matter how hard she looked.

Meanwhile, the unpleasant feeling continued. It was getting worse.

"If there aren't any handkerchiefs, maybe use clothes...?"

Isabella muttered while looking at the clothing bag. But they were too expensive and luxurious to just rip up. She didn't want to waste them like that.

As she just bit her lip wondering what to do, a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Eek!"

As Isabella turned around in surprise and swayed, Genos caught and supported her waist as if he'd expected it.

"You should fix the habit of not noticing people when you're lost in thought."

"...Why did you come here? I told you to eat."

Isabella removed Genos's hand from her waist and stepped back several paces.

"What are you looking for?"

"It's nothing."

"Tell me. I'll have Paile find it for you."

"I said it's nothing. Go eat."

"Are you going to go through all this luggage by yourself? Tell me quickly."

"I said I'm fine?"

"Tell me."

"I'm fine, I said?"

"Tell me."

The two faced off like spear and shield.

Isabella felt the situation worsening the longer time passed.

"Go eat, Your Grace. Aren't you hungry?"

Isabella's voice was starting to take on a desperate quality.

Genos stared at his fiancée for a moment, then gestured to Paile, who was standing at a distance behind him.

When Paile approached, Genos gave him instructions in a low voice.

Paile bowed to receive the order, then mounted a horse and rode off quickly.

"What did you tell him?"

"There should be at least roadside shops catering to travelers nearby, even if there's no village."

"...And if there are, what?"

"I told him to get what you need."

"What?"

Isabella covered her mouth with a face that said surely not.

"How, how, how do you know what I need! Really. Really."

Isabella stammered heavily with a flustered expression. That alone was practically an admission.

"Why would you hide that? You should have asked me for help, obviously."

Genos crossed his arms with a dissatisfied look and stared down at Isabella.

With his already large frame taking this posture while looking down, it was somewhat intimidating.

Wait a minute. But why should I feel like a criminal? What did I do wrong?

"You're talking as if I committed some crime."

"I just don't like that you're hiding something from me. No, I don't like that you think you need to hide something from me."

Genos opened the carriage door, spread his cloak on the floor, and sat Isabella down on it.

"Sit and wait."

"Wait, just a..."

As Isabella flinched and tried to stand, Genos pressed her shoulders down to keep her seated.

"It doesn't matter if it gets stained."

"..."

"Just sit."

At Genos's words, Isabella sighed and rubbed her face.

"You really know, don't you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's a bit awkward, isn't it? You're not my... family."

"But I am your partner."

"..."

"If you have a problem, I'll solve it for you. That's our relationship. Understand?"

"..."

"Understand, Isabella?"

Isabella nodded slightly.

He'd help if there was a problem.

She didn't want to refuse such a sweet and caring offer.

"If I'd anticipated it, I would have prepared. Maybe I would have asked you to buy it in advance."

Isabella looked up at Genos.

"But..."

Isabella swallowed hard. Something uncomfortable churned in her chest before finally settling.

"I didn't anticipate it. After my first period at thirteen, my cycle stopped completely after two years. Probably because of malnutrition."

Isabella conveyed her words in a small but clear voice.

Genos looked down at her quietly.

"My body must be returning to normal."

When Isabella smiled faintly, Genos also softened the corners of his mouth.

"Something to celebrate."

"When you add 'celebrate' to it, it sounds a bit perverted."

"Then, something to be glad about."

Isabella shrugged as if that was acceptable.

Soon after, Paile rode back quickly and handed over an item wrapped in cloth, then tactfully excused himself.

When Isabella opened the cloth, there were several changes of underdresses and underwear along with dozens of cotton cloths.

They were high-quality ones with adhesive taping so they could be attached to underwear.

"We'll reach the South soon, so just bear it a little longer. I'll tell them to move faster."

"Your Grace."

Isabella stopped Genos as he was about to leave.

When Genos turned around, Isabella tilted her head slightly and smiled.

"Thank you. I'm a bit moved."

"A bit? This much?"

Genos measured the size with his thumb and index finger.

"Fine. A lot. I'm very moved."

Isabella made a large size with both hands.

Genos chuckled—heh—and turned back toward where the guards were.

Isabella looked down at the cloth bundle in her hands.

Her lips naturally curved into a smile, and her heart warmed as if touched by a spring breeze.

Something hard poked Isabella's cheek, and she opened her eyes groggily.

Genos, sitting across from her, was the culprit.

Seeing the wooden stick in his hand, Isabella frowned.

"What."

"Checking if you're alive."

"I'm alive, so stop bothering me."

Isabella turned away from Genos, closed her eyes while facing the carriage wall.

It would take a full day and night more to reach the Southern Grand Duchy. And meanwhile, her menstrual cramps were getting worse.

Since it had been so long since she'd experienced menstrual cramps, Isabella couldn't even make a sound and just groaned. Ugh.

It felt like someone was jumping on her stomach. Or like someone was gripping her insides and twisting them. Anyway, it was a filthy feeling.

"Bella."

"Don't talk to me."

Isabella snapped back sharp as a blade. If he provoked her now, she might lose self-control and use magic.

Genos must have sensed that too, because he didn't speak to Isabella anymore.

Instead, he opened the glass window connected to the driver and spoke.

"Stop the carriage."

The driver waved a bright red cloth overhead to inform all members of the party they were stopping, then gradually came to a halt.

Isabella turned her head with a grimacing face and looked at Genos.

"Why are we stopping? It's not mealtime yet."

"Lie down."

Genos spoke briefly and exited the carriage.

She wanted to ask more about what was happening, but it was too hard to even sit up, so Isabella just sprawled there.

After some time passed, the carriage door opened and Genos returned.

But dirt was smeared here and there on his clothes, and especially the hem of his pants was quite filthy.

"Did you fall outside?"

Isabella asked while lying down, and Genos held out some plant roots to her.

They looked cleanly washed, not a speck of dirt visible.

"What's this?"

"Eat it."

"What?"

"Eat."

Without saying more, Genos put the root into Isabella's parted lips.

The moment it touched her tongue, the unbearably bitter taste of the root took over her mouth.

"Ugh, bitter! It's so bitter!"

"I know. Chew."

"What?"

"Chew, quickly."

Isabella chewed and swallowed the root with a heavily scrunched face. Then Genos dropped a mint candy into her mouth.

"If what I just chewed and swallowed is another sleeping pill, I'm really going to get angry."

"Not a sleeping pill. It's a painkiller."

"A painkiller?"

"Yes."

"...Did you just go dig this up from the mountain? Yourself?"

"It's hard to properly explain what herbs look like."

The carriage slowly started moving again.

Isabella carefully licked her lips where the bitter taste remained.

And she looked at Genos's ruined pant legs for a long time.

"When I was motion sick too, and now this—Your Grace seems to know a lot about herbs. I didn't know you had this kind of knowledge."

"Well..."

Genos leaned back fully against the carriage wall and crossed his legs loosely.

"My mother also had severe menstrual cramps. As someone hated in the imperial palace, it was hard for her to get proper medicine."

"..."

"So I'd search the mountains for herbs that were the raw materials for painkillers and bring them to my mother. They were quite effective. That was what got me to study herbs a bit."

"..."

"I can tell you're moved, so stop looking at me with those dewy eyes. It's starting to feel a bit burdensome."

At Genos's words, half joking and half serious, Isabella laughed.

"That's the second time Your Grace has talked about your mother."

"Are you keeping count?"

"It's not a common occurrence."

"I talk when it's necessary, and when it's not, I just don't ramble on."

Genos turned his head toward the window.

Even with the curtain drawn, Genos was staring deeply at it as if he were looking outside.

Isabella closed her eyes.

Whether it was gratitude for Genos's thoughtfulness or actual medicinal effects—the pain in her stomach and lower back was gradually subsiding.

"Grand Duke, Lady Isabella. It's an honor to serve you."

"Was your journey peaceful?"

Upon arriving at the Southern Grand Duchy estate and exiting the carriage, the Southern vassals who'd been waiting for them—Count and Countess Whaemellie—bowed deeply.

When they'd arrived at the Northern Grand Duchy, she'd been drugged with sleeping pills, and when they'd arrived at the Western Grand Duchy, she'd been too carsick to function.

This was the first time she was getting off the carriage fully conscious to receive greetings in the South.

"I heard articles about the Grand Duke and Miss Isabella's good deeds appeared in both the Northern and Western papers."

"We were curious what kind of person you'd be, and you shine far more than we expected."

"Thank you. I've also heard much about the contributions you both made in managing and leading the Southern region."

Isabella exchanged sociable and friendly first greetings with the count and countess. She could do this kind of conversation with her eyes closed now.

"We've placed reports containing management details during your absence in the study."

At the count's words, Genos gave a light thank you, then linked arms with Isabella and headed inside the estate.

As expected, it was smaller than the Northern estate but about twice the size of the capital estate.

The count and countess quietly followed behind.

They explained which employees they'd replaced—those who'd quit due to poor health while the Grand Duke was away.

After hearing all the necessary explanations, Genos spoke in a comfortable manner:

"We'll soon gather the Southern dignitaries for a banquet, so everyone go back and rest today. I also need to rest well with my fiancée today."

At Genos's words, the count and countess politely withdrew.

Once they'd left the estate, the head butler approached and asked:

"Shall I prepare dinner first, or heat bath water, Your Grace?"

When the butler asked, Genos looked at Isabella.

"What do you want to do first?"

"Bath."

At Isabella's immediate answer, Genos told the butler to do that.

The butler bowed to accept the command, then tried to receive Genos's coat.

But Genos raised his hand in refusal and spoke to Isabella.

"Then bathe and rest."

"What? You're going out?"

"There's somewhere I need to go."

"You just arrived."

"It's urgent. I'll try to return before dinner ends."

Genos headed toward the estate's main gate, leaving Isabella behind.

Even pushing back the guards who tried to follow, Genos left the estate taking only Paile with him.

"Where is he going."

Isabella muttered quietly.

He was a bit annoying, leaving without even telling her his destination.

Then a maid approached Isabella, bowed her head, and spoke:

"I'll escort you to the bath, miss. We've prepared four attendants, but if you need more, we can increase the number. What would you prefer?"

At the maid's words, Isabella shook her head lightly.

"I'll bathe alone, so don't bring in any attendants. And the water doesn't need to be heated too hot."

"We've raised the temperature quite high—shall we cool it down a bit?"

"Yes. Please. I'm feeling a bit hot inside, from some wind blowing somewhere."

Isabella clenched her fist tightly while recalling the face of her fiancé who'd caused it.