EEA Chapter 35

Clint couldn't return quickly. It was to thoroughly wipe out the escaped raiders. Unaware of this fact, Ailea was anxious to the point of madness that Clint had been outside the castle walls, in the Kanna Empire's territory, for over a week.

She could now truly realize how important her husband was to her. From the moment Clint disappeared from sight, it felt as if all her senses had become dull.

Ailea opened the drawer and quietly gazed at the necklace she had received from Clint. It was a necklace with a rose design. She planned to ask why this had been in Clint's possession when he returned.

Moreover, there had definitely been a ruby in the center of the necklace decorated with small diamonds, but now a diamond was embedded in that spot.

Could it be that the conditions at Yuliana Castle were so poor that they sold the ruby and then filled it back with a diamond?

Thinking this way, her heart ached for the family members who must have had a difficult time.

She couldn't just worry for over a week.

Ailea first made sure that the castle wall repairs didn't stop, and also checked on the fruit cultivation that Clint had been most concerned about lately. Since the nobles couldn't harvest the fruits they were so fond of, Clint wasn't receiving proper support from them.

Ailea thought to take this opportunity to go directly to the farm and see why this fruit was causing such problems. She went with Sonya, the female knight who always protected Ailea by her side.

When she was about to go out dressed like an obvious noble lady, the maid Mary came running and said,

"If you go to the farm dressed like that, you'll completely ruin the commoners' weekend. Because the Grand Duchess has appeared."

"Is, is that so?"

"I'll lend you clothes. Dress lightly and go."

"Clothes?"

Mary, who had been quite bored since Ailea rarely asked her to do anything, said excitedly,

"I have clothes perfect for this occasion."

Mary ran to her own dresser and opened it to reveal a neatly folded dress. It had tight-fitting strings at the waist and large roses drawn on the skirt.

Ailea looked at Mary's clothes in surprise.

"It's cute..."

"Cute, right? If you wear clothes like this, no one will think you're a noble."

With quick movements, Mary stripped off the fancy dress Ailea was wearing and put on the thin dress that was just a single piece of fabric. The top was pure white with no pattern and had buttons like men's clothing. While Ailea was marveling, Mary sat her in a chair, brushed her fine blonde hair, and began braiding it into a single strand.

"M-Mary?"

"Just stay still for a moment. I'll give you the most fashionable style among commoners."

Mary skillfully braided Ailea's hair and decorated it by twisting it here and there with rose vine-like pins. The bright red rose-shaped pins suited her dazzling blonde hair very well.

Ailea's eyes widened when she looked in the mirror. An incredibly lovely commoner girl was standing in front of the mirror.

"Wow..."

Even Mary, who had done it herself, felt like she was going crazy from how cute Ailea looked.

"You're so cute..."

"Shouldn't we... cover the face?"

"Oh my, nobles might be shocked by this kind of skin condition, but among commoners, there are plenty of people missing an arm or leg."

Relieved by Mary's words, Ailea smiled and nodded.

A little while after Ailea left, Clint returned from the battlefield.

When Clint returned to the castle, he asked Mary,

"Where's Ailea?"

Clint's eyes were currently dripping with murderous intent like the blood of a severed corpse. He had killed all the raiders who had crossed through the collapsed castle wall and hung the raiders' heads in the village where they lived. Having just committed terrible slaughter, his gaze was still more like that of a beast starving in winter than a human.

Mary said, frozen,

"She, she went out briefly to see the Niwana farm. She should be back soon..."

"..."

Feeling like he might do something to Ailea, Mary found herself making excuses without realizing it.

"She, she couldn't eat properly or sleep well while waiting for Your Grace!"

While Clint was away, the castle walls and the repairs to Excalize Castle had progressed significantly. On his way back to the castle, Clint had been secretly pleased, thinking that his wife would make a good partner with him.

And he had planned to hug Ailea tightly as soon as he got home to thank her for her hard work, but when she wasn't immediately visible, he became suddenly angry. Not seeing his wife for over a week had been harder than he had expected.

Clint had never really had much possessiveness until now. He had casually sent the Rishers family's necklace to Captain Ron's house, who had saved his life, and after much deliberation, he had given away the precious sword that Ron had given him to his daughter.

He was someone who didn't cling to objects or people. Yet here he was, searching for his wife just because she was briefly out of sight. He couldn't understand why he was experiencing such a change.

Fortunately, before he went out to look for her, he could see the Excalize Castle's carriage returning from the distance. Clint went outside and stopped the carriage.

The carriage door opened, and Ailea's expression brightened when she saw Clint standing in front of it. She was so happy she was almost moved to tears.

Clint took Ailea's hand and helped her down from the carriage.

Then he grabbed her cheeks with both hands and kissed her. Kissing under the blazing sun in the meadow made the knights and servants avert their gazes in shock. The most surprised was Ailea. When the initially rough kiss gradually became sweet, her eyes, which had widened in surprise, slowly closed and she made a sultry sound. Though she wanted to continue receiving kisses, thinking that people were watching, she endured and pushed him away. Though this wasn't her first kiss, she was still embarrassed, so Ailea asked with a reddened face,

"Can't you greet me with words?"

"After a week apart, we need to do at least this much to look like a proper married couple."

He answered nonchalantly and continued speaking as he walked with Ailea into the castle.

"What are you doing dressed so cutely again? For whose benefit?"

Grumbling about something that displeased him, Clint brought Ailea to his room and first hugged her tightly with both arms. Then he leaned on Ailea like someone whose muscles had lost all strength. When he became too heavy and Ailea screamed and was about to fall, Clint just lay down on the floor. Ailea scolded him.

"What are you doing!"

"I'm lying on the floor because I might get in trouble if I lie on the bed."

"That's true, but... so why are you lying down?"

"I'm obtaining peace of mind."

"What?"

"Because you smell good."

While on the battlefield, she kept coming to mind. Her soft body, her fragrance, her voice.

Those clear and kind eyes too.

She wasn't in front of him, yet she kept appearing in his thoughts, driving him crazy. It was infuriating.

Feeling sorry for startling her, Clint forced himself to sit up after a moment.

"I've recovered, so I'll go wash up."

"Ah, wait a moment."

When Clint tilted his head as if asking why she was calling him, Ailea firmly grasped his collar. Then she gave his lips a quick kiss.

When Clint froze and stayed still, Ailea stood up first and said,

"Welcome back safely."

At her voice that seemed to crawl in, Clint said in bewilderment,

"Huh? Oh... ah, yes. Should I go out again?"

"What?"

"Ah, no."

Clint rambled incoherently and hit his forehead against the door frame with a thud as he stood up. Surprised, Ailea asked,

"Are you okay?"

"Why is the door here?"

Clint, who had been so sharp until just moments ago, talked nonsense like a dazed person.

Ailea, who had kissed him to express her joy at seeing him, didn't know whether he liked it or disliked it and was at a loss.