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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The weather wasn’t as cold as my previous visit, and the somewhat warm breeze felt strange.
It had always been cold whenever I visited the North in this life.
This inevitably brought back memories of the past. I stretched out my hand outside the carriage and felt the wind against my skin.
We were almost there. I assumed Adele was waiting, but thankfully, I wasn’t late this time.
If I were late again, she would surely scold me.
I urged the wolves to go faster, and a sharper wind blew against my face.
After a while, as the white snow piled up outside, I heard a familiar wolf’s howl.
Wolf howls were diverse, but Adele’s wolves were even more so.
Their piercing howls, cold and ruthless like their master, instantly revealed their identity.
“We’re here.”
The wolves stopped, and as I stepped onto the ground, I saw a woman running toward me.
I had expected her usual expressionless face, but her unusually bright expression today made me chuckle.
She didn’t seem to realize it herself.
She didn’t seem to know she was smiling. I chuckled softly at the way her lips twitched unnaturally.
“…Hmm, did something good happen that makes you smile as soon as you see me?”
“It’s been a while. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“You’re still smooth with your words. It seems you’ve been doing well.”
Her gaze scanned me from head to toe.
She seemed to be checking for injuries, but I hadn’t had many occasions to use force since becoming Duke.
The faint traces of magic that had touched my body disappeared, and Adele glanced at me before turning away.
“It seems you haven’t been recklessly fighting. Yuria didn’t cause any trouble, did she?”
“I subdued her before she could. I wouldn’t have been defeated so easily.”
Adele’s expression darkened when she mentioned Yuria.
Perhaps the negative emotions stemming from her recovered memories were still lingering.
But honestly, how many people could think well of Yuria?
It was a natural reaction for someone who had regained their memories.
It was still a bit strange to me, but whenever I saw these reactions, I was reminded that there were others who remembered past regressions.
I would have to talk to Adriana about the possibility of Miragen regaining her memories.
It would be better to discuss how to handle it together. I pushed those thoughts aside and approached Adele.
I had gotten off the wolf and was walking, but I realized her officers weren’t around.
Or rather, they were approaching, but deliberately slowing their pace.
I chuckled when I realized their intentions, and Adele, noticing my amusement, tilted her head.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking you have good officers.”
They must have thought Adele and I had a special relationship.
They weren’t wrong, but I didn’t know how they planned to handle the consequences if they were caught.
Lothos, whose eyes met mine, bowed his head.
He seemed displeased, but Ilona pushed his head down and waved at me.
…It seemed Lothos wasn’t the one leading the charge this time.
Perhaps they had chosen to stay quiet instead of making a fuss like before.
It wasn’t a bad thing. I would have been uncomfortable if they had acted like Lothos.
Adele was oblivious to these things, so she wouldn’t notice, but I had been a bit worried she might realize something during my last visit.
It seemed Ilona had stopped Lothos.
She had always been quick-witted, so I was confident she would handle it well.
I looked at the officers, and Adele’s voice reached my ears.
I turned my head and saw her staring at me.
Her blue eyes narrowed slightly, annoyance flashing through them.
“What are you looking at? We were talking.”
“I was just looking around. Don’t mind me.”
“You haven’t even contacted me once, and now you’re acting suspicious. Pay more attention to me. Don’t look at anyone else.”
I smiled faintly at her blunt words, and Adele frowned, as if she was serious.
I didn’t know what had happened while I was gone, but she wasn’t usually this assertive.
I was surprised by the shortened distance between us, a far cry from our previous interactions. Adele sighed and rubbed her forehead.
“I was worried sick, and you didn’t even contact me once. Do you enjoy making people worry themselves to death?”
“I didn’t mean to. I swear.”
“Of course you didn’t mean to. If you had just sent a single letter, I wouldn’t have said anything. I wouldn’t have called you either.”
I would have visited her even if she hadn’t called me, but Adele, still dissatisfied with my behavior, began to complain.
She had said she was losing sleep, and her dark circles were evident.
It was understandable that she was upset. I hadn’t contacted her for over a month.
But I had deliberately avoided contact because I was planning to visit her in person.
Perhaps I was being too self-centered.
I stared at Adele, and she sighed, shaking her head.
I couldn’t blame her, so I looked at her cautiously. She spoke softly.
“It would be strange if I wasn’t upset, honestly.”
“…I agree. I didn’t expect you to be this worried about me.”
“I wanted to hit you… but I can’t.”
She sighed softly and rubbed her cheek, continuing.
“It’s strange. I wanted to be angry, but I’m not anymore.”
“Excuse me?”
“Seeing you makes my anger disappear. I can’t stay mad at you. I’ll have to take it out on Lothos later. He’s guilty of upsetting me.”
I stared at her blankly for a moment, unable to comprehend her words, then I chuckled when I understood.
Adele smiled faintly and pulled me by the wrist.
Her hand was warm, and I didn’t resist.
It was fine for a moment. I could indulge in this game for a little while.
“Your room is still as extravagant as ever. Just like last time.”
“I don’t know how you live in the capital. Lothos didn’t do anything this time, so I took care of it myself.”
“You did it yourself?”
I had wondered why Lothos looked so surprised when he saw the room.
I was also surprised to hear that Adele had taken care of it herself. It didn’t look much different from my previous visit.
Perhaps she had tried to recreate the room from my last visit. But there was one difference.
“The bed is different.”
The bed was arranged differently.
The only difference was that… it resembled Adele’s bed. She replied casually that she had simply decorated it the same way because she was comfortable with it.
Was that really her intention?
I had my doubts, but I didn’t ask any further.
She had probably done it for a reason. It wouldn’t do any good to question her about every little detail.
I was here to appease her, so I shrugged and said I liked it.
Adele nodded, satisfied with my response.
We wouldn’t be spending much time in the room anyway. When I told her I was going to unpack, the officers quietly left the room.
“I didn’t know you had a sense of style.”
“You don’t have to flatter me. You know I have no taste in these things.”
“Still, it’s better to be in a familiar environment. We’ve even slept together before.”
I said it jokingly, and Adele frowned, clearing her throat.
We had slept together. It was because we were both drunk, and nothing had actually happened…
Adele seemed to recall the memory as well, blushing slightly and looking away.
Her reaction was different from when I teased Miragen or Adriana.
She was embarrassed but trying to hide it.
I found it endearing and almost teased her further, but then I shook my head and spoke.
“I’m going to change. Are you going to stay here? You’re welcome to watch.”
“I should leave then. I don’t have a habit of looking at other people’s bodies.”
I chuckled softly at her flustered reaction.
Her embarrassment whenever she saw my body was somewhat amusing.
She wasn’t usually the type to get flustered, so I found her reaction endearing. Perhaps she only showed this side of herself to me. In a way, I liked it.
As Adele left the room to change, the door creaked open again.
I looked at the door, and Adele poked her head in, her eyes avoiding mine as she spoke.
“Come to my room when you’re done changing.”
“Your room?”
I had assumed we would all meet since it had been a while since my last visit.
Was I supposed to go straight to her room instead of the banquet hall?
Adele hesitated, then answered softly.
“…It’s been a while, so it would be better if we saw each other alone. I’ve prepared some drinks, so come to my room. I’ll drag you there if you don’t.”
She closed the door with a bang, and I stared at it blankly.
I glanced at the window, noticing the sun was setting.
Drinking alone in her room instead of the banquet hall… It was a rather bold suggestion for Adele.
Her words, “It’s been a while,” bothered me.
It had been a little over two months since we last saw each other in the South.
I didn’t know how her feelings had changed during that time, but the distance between us had certainly narrowed without me realizing it.
Alcohol, nighttime, and a man and a woman.
With those elements combined, I would have to be very careful. It would be troublesome if something happened.
I looked at the empty space where Adele had been and smiled wryly. I finished changing my clothes.
I wondered what she wanted to talk about.
If it were me, I would probably say I missed her.
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Wait he already scored?!