There was an unexpected disruption to the two-week territory inspection plan.

“Master Bernar is expected to return tomorrow afternoon.”

“Pardon? There seems to be some mistake. We clearly arranged to visit today.”

“Well…”

A junior administrator trailed off, seemingly troubled.

“He came to my lodging suddenly last night, and left only saying he would return the day after tomorrow in the afternoon.”

“Are you saying the sheriff has left his post?”

“Ah! And he said to deliver this letter if Your Grace visited.”

“……”

Derek received the letter with an expressionless face.

[This is Bernar of Pelios.

I must leave my post urgently to investigate matters related to the incident I previously reported. Please forgive my rudeness for not informing you in advance.

I will report to you as soon as I return.

I look forward to meeting you soon, and thus end this letter.]

The handwriting was hastily scrawled as if pressed for time.

Lucas, who read the letter next, also looked perplexed.

‘This will complicate things.’

The schedule, recorded densely down to the second like a military operation, flashed through his mind.

It was the work of his lord, who had never been on a date even once.

And sure enough.

Not a single thing was proceeding according to plan.

“Your Grace, what shall we do?”

“……”

“It might be good to visit Pelios again at the end of our journey.”

“…If he left in the middle of the night, it must be a serious matter.”

“I suppose so.”

“……”

After thinking deeply, Derek quickly came to a conclusion.

“We’ll stay in Pelios one more day.”

“Understood.”

“Also, reorganize and submit a list of restaurants where I can take Dodori.”

“…Yes.”

Having received the report, he needed to speak with the sheriff at least once.

‘I wanted to get this over with quickly and leave.’

Though he was displeased that the plan had gone awry, there was no alternative.

How could he turn a blind eye to an ember that would clearly burst into flames someday?

However, thinking of Dodori’s face made him feel upset.

‘I wanted to show her so many places… and now things have turned out like this.’

Would Dodori misunderstand that this barren land was all of the duchy?

When there were so many wonderful places they hadn’t visited yet, places he wanted to go together.

‘…Perhaps I should have visited Pelios last.’

Derek regretted it belatedly. But he soon composed himself.

‘No. If it’s something that needs to be done eventually, it’s better to finish it quickly.’

How could he focus solely on the proposal with such an uncomfortable feeling?

The path to the proposal needed to be pure and reverent.

Without room for even the smallest worry to intrude.

‘Because marriage is sacred.’

Derek slightly curved one corner of his mouth, dreaming of the world’s greatest proposal.

***

Buzzz. Buzzzzz.

Audrey snapped to attention at the familiar vibration.

“Oppa?”

Hurriedly taking out the communication orb, Hans’s face was rippling through the transparent sphere.

“…Oh.”

It wasn’t the call she had been waiting for.

But seeing his face after several days, she quickly felt glad.

“Hmm, hmm, hmm.”

Audrey hummed a tune while tapping the communication orb.

-You crazy girl!

“Ah, you startled me!”

Audrey, shocked, almost dropped the communication orb without realizing it.

‘Is he crazy?’

Hans with not an ant’s feeler worth of manners! How dare he shout like that?

Is this how the acting president of Lokt should use a communication orb?

Audrey was thoroughly annoyed.

‘This won’t do.’

As the developer of the communication orb, it seemed necessary to firmly instruct him on proper communication orb etiquette.

“You-.”

-Territory inspection? Why would you follow him there? You crazy girl! I wondered where you were wandering off to when I couldn’t see you… You’re insane. Aren’t you?

“……”

Somehow, she lost the initiative to Hans, who was clearly upset.

-Don’t you think? What kind of boss shows an apprentice assistant his land? Huh? Even a three-year-old would know what his intentions are!

“……”

Her mind was becoming hazy from the barrage of criticism that seemed quite deliberate.

‘Is he a woodpecker or something?’

Audrey’s face quickly turned sulky.

Even her father had given permission, so why was Hans, a complete stranger, making such a fuss?

-Anyway. With that clueless face, she’s really an expert at stirring up people’s hearts…

“What? What did you just say? You insulted me!”

Misunderstanding the mumbling from the other side, Audrey glared. As if saying, how could you do this to me?

Hans felt like he would go crazy with indignation.

-Me? To you? Wow, what do you take people for!

“Hmph, speak louder then.”

-You really… Argh!

His angry palm, unable to contain its fury, messed up his hair terribly.

‘This clueless girl. This heartless girl!’

It was absolutely infuriating that she couldn’t even recognize an ally.

Who was this acorn glaring at right now?

Yet she readily followed a strange man who was openly flirting with her!

‘No matter how fearless she is…’

He couldn’t help but sigh at her reckless mindset.

Wasn’t Duke Frith the busiest person in the Empire?

So would he really go on a territory inspection because he had nothing to do? With an innocent acorn in tow?

‘He took you to show off, you fool.’

At this point, wasn’t it the passionate courtship of a man who had reached marriageable age?

Moreover, look at that boldness, unhesitatingly opening up his land status.

He was exactly like someone who would charge straight ahead when it came to matters related to Claude.

-You’ve just walked right into the beast’s jaws. Walked in on your own two feet to be devoured, huh?

“You!”

Audrey trembled, clutching her petty fist.

What was frustrating was that she couldn’t argue back because what he said wasn’t entirely wrong.

-Come on, you used to say you liked our Claude. Since you’re caught by the ankle anyway, why not go straight to the altar? It seems too late anyway.

“This…”

-What should I give as a wedding gift? Just tell me. I have a lot of money. Thanks to you.

“This is really!”

Unable to hold back any longer, Audrey finally exploded.

‘As if I’m not troubled enough already…!’

His attitude was truly malicious.

It wasn’t like fanning a fire in a burning house, but to contact her out of nowhere and pressure her like this!

“What business is it of yours? Whether my ankle is caught or not! Have you contributed anything? Huh? Have you?”

Hans seemed speechless, his mouth just opening and closing.

He was quite the victim here.

-Huh, huh! Really! You, ha!

What business was it of his? Had he contributed anything?

Though every word was true, somehow it felt like betrayal.

Where in the world was there anyone who took Acorn’s side as much as Hans?

Even the fierce look on the huffing acorn’s face made him feel sad.

“Well then, good day!”

“Yes. Thank you for understanding. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Just then, there was a commotion at the office door.

“…!”

Audrey, sitting in the lobby, was startled and turned off the communication orb.

She had no time to explain to Hans.

Creak.

Soon after, Duke Frith emerged from the office with a dark expression.

His face looked as if he were a criminal.

“It seems we’ll have to stay in Pelios for one more day.”

“Yep.”

“……”

Derek glanced at Dodori’s reaction.

‘Strange.’

The brief response that came out as if she had been waiting for it felt oddly cold.

Her unusually sullen face was different from usual.

Though she looked lovely all puffed up like a blowfish, it bothered him that she didn’t say another word afterward.

‘Could it be…’

The series of events was enough to cause misunderstandings for Duke Frith.

‘Dodori is definitely angry!’

Derek was shocked.

An emergency analysis of why Dodori was angry proceeded in his mind.

First, because the carriage was narrow.

Second, because she felt hurt having to wait alone in the lobby.

Third, because she had to stay one more day in this barren land.

Fourth, because she was hungry.

‘How could I have made so many mistakes in just a few hours!’

He couldn’t help but blame himself.

Growing desperate, Derek began to seek solutions while keeping all possibilities open.

‘I can yield more in the carriage. And for the lobby… there’s no excuse.’

It seems Dodori is the type who gets lonely easily.

And to leave her all alone in that vast lobby! How could he have been so thoughtless?

‘My thinking was shallow. It’s all my fault.’

Derek immediately reflected.

From now on, he would never leave Dodori alone.

He would sit right next to her and shower her with love so she wouldn’t have a chance to feel lonely.

…Though he needed to keep some distance for now due to last night’s dream. Anyway.

‘Surely there must be places worth visiting in Pelios too. Yes. The coast should be fairly decent.’

He began to quickly revise the schedule.

Since the coast was a relatively bustling area, he planned to launch a boat so they could enjoy the night view.

Having an intimate dinner on board would make it even more romantic.

Just like in last night’s dream…

‘Damn it!’

Derek, momentarily entranced by the embarrassing scene, hastily regained his senses.

It was absolutely torturous with the dream popping up at all times.

‘This is not the time for this. Lunch, yes, we need to have lunch.’

He tried to focus only on the hungry Dodori.

To prevent any more stray thoughts.

“It’s almost mealtime already.”

“Um, could we possibly stop by the messenger bird rental shop?”

“Yes, today’s lunch is messenger bird-.”

“…!”

Dodori covered her mouth with a shocked face. It was a look as if she were seeing a barbarian.

‘Damn it!’

Derek wanted to sew this useless mouth shut right away.

What he had intended to say got mixed up, creating a terrible hybrid.

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“……”

“I meant it’s fine to stop by. I’ve made lunch reservations.”

“I see…”

Though he added this as if making an excuse, Dodori didn’t seem to believe him.

This was all because of last night’s dream.