Chapter 62. I Waited Three Days

“Will Your Highness eat too?”

“I’m fine, you all eat.”

“You won’t eat?”

“Bread is enough.”

At the Black Mansion, Theo had always paid special attention to meal menus.

What to have for lunch, what different things to have for dinner, even how to arrange desserts — he received reports about these every day.

Yet that same Theo lost his appetite without Yuelina in front of him.

Of course, his original self used to just stuff down whatever food was available without caring what it was.

Ulysse was newly struck by how much Theo had changed since the Grand Duchess arrived.

“Wouldn’t Her Highness the Grand Duchess want Your Highness to eat well?”

“……”

Ulysse casually dropped Yuelina’s name.

Theo’s expressionless face wavered for the first time.

“True. Yuna likes food. She’d be curious about what I ate.”

Finally, Theo took a seat in the dining area on the first floor.

Ulysse sat down across from Theo with a grin.

“What do you think Her Highness had for dinner?”

“Sous vide steak and potato soup.”

“Ah…”

“I planned out the menus for two weeks.”

Theo said calmly while taking a sip of water.

“How much longer do we have?”

“If we leave at dawn tomorrow, it should take about two more days.”

“As soon as we arrive, contact the southern nobles. Ask if they have fresh flowers without magic stones mixed in.”

Theo could think of nothing but Yuelina whether he was sitting or standing.

Ulysse nodded his head watching the love-struck Theo.

“Her Highness will be incredibly happy when she receives the flowers.”

“You think so?”

Theo’s lips twitched when Ulysse made the subtle comment.

If he could have his way, he wanted to buy land in the southern region and create a flower garden just for Yuelina.

However, the journey there was too arduous, so it might be too difficult for her.

He put that plan on hold for now.

“Y-Your Highness! Thank you for choosing our inn! We hope the food is to your liking!”

Soon after, dishes for Theo and his party came out in succession to the dining room.

The innkeeper gave a loud greeting without daring to look at Theo’s face, then hurriedly left the dining room.

As it was an inn they found in a hurry, the facilities weren’t particularly good.

However, it was in a village flourishing from its inn business, as numerous travelers and merchants paused there to rest.

Though there weren’t many varieties of food, it clearly seemed made with fresh ingredients.

Ulysse picked up a nicely browned piece of bread with a satisfied face.

“I’m leaving.”

Before Ulysse could even bite into the bread.

Theo, who had already stuffed his mouth full of soup and meat and cleared his plate, stood up.

Ulysse rose awkwardly, unable to hide his bewilderment.

“You-you’re already finished?”

“Why take so long to eat?”

“What?”

Ulysse was dumbfounded.

This was the same Theo who would spend an hour, no, two hours eating with Yuelina.

To think someone could change this much just because Yuelina wasn’t there.

Ulysse suddenly missed Yuelina.

“I’m going to my room.”

Theo picked up the small bag he’d been carrying since entering the dining room.

Ulysse held out his hand to Theo.

“I’ll carry it up for you.”

“No need. I can carry it myself.”

“…Is that the bag you’ve been carrying since we left?”

Theo paused at Ulysse’s question.

“What’s in it that you keep it so close? You usually let me or the other knights carry your bags.”

Theo tightly gripped the bag in his hand.

“Underwear.”

“…Underwear?”

“Yes. I should at least carry that myself.”

“Did Her Highness pack it for you?”

“Well, you could say that.”

Ulysse nodded in understanding.

The current lord was someone who would carry even a pebble like a sacred treasure if Yuelina had given it to him to keep safe.

“I understand, Your Highness. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

When Ulysse greeted Theo, the other members of the party eating in the dining room also greeted him.

Theo went up to his assigned floor, leaving them behind.

Theo’s room was the suite at the top of the inn.

Though all rooms were the same size, being on a high floor meant good daytime views, and it had the biggest bed.

It was natural for Theo as Grand Duke to stay in the best room, but Ulysse had specially secured this room because Theo’s large frame needed the biggest bed.

Theo entered the room and plopped down on the bed. He also placed the bag he’d brought beside the bed.

He’d almost been caught by the sharp-eyed Ulysse.

He pulled out a box from the bag while wiping his chest in relief.

The box contained three fist-sized green orbs.

They were identical to the orb Theo had given to Yuelina before departing south.

People called these green orbs made from carefully processed magic stones ‘communication stones.’

Communication stones weren’t items easily obtained from processing magic stones.

They could only be made from magic stones with high pure magical density and no impure inclusions mixed in.

Moreover, communication stones wouldn’t connect well unless the magic stones were processed delicately.

The number of people in the world who could process magic stones into communication stones could be counted on one hand.

Being so precious, they couldn’t even think of using them under normal circumstances.

They were only urgently used when sudden war broke out or when there were issues with the Emperor called the ‘Sun’ of the Bios Empire.

As Grand Duke of the Phaenyx Principality, Theo had five sets of communication stones in total.

Two sets were given by the Bios Empire for urgent communication, so even Theo couldn’t touch them carelessly.

The remaining three sets were communication stones from other countries that Theo had secretly kept during the war.

And now Theo had secretly packed these communication stones that most people never see even once in their lifetime, without Ulysse knowing.

There was only one reason.

To talk with Yuelina.

If Ulysse knew this fact, he would have said to cut off his ears and give them to Yuelina instead.

There had never been anyone who used communication stones to talk with their wife.

No, there shouldn’t have been.

But Theo could do it.

He had endured for three days.

The whole journey, even guiding the horse, was tiring while thinking of Yuelina.

Moreover, having a proper meal after eating only dry bread and water made him miss Yuelina even more.

He felt his mind would grow hazy if he couldn’t at least hear her voice.

Well, they were stolen communication stones anyway.

And he wasn’t going to war again anyway.

Would there be any occasion to use communication stones in the future?

After such rationalizing, Theo had given a communication stone orb to Yuelina.

Communication stones came in pairs, and being single-use, they couldn’t be reused once used.

Long-distance communication took that much magical power.

Enough to completely drain the high-density magic power contained in the communication stone.

Theo hesitantly picked up one communication stone.

If you held a communication stone for more than a minute, it would automatically activate from body heat.

This was also made to be as simple to operate as possible by eliminating complex activation words, since communication stones were usually used in very urgent situations.

Soon the green communication stone began to emit light.

The temperature of the communication stone also rose to match Theo’s body temperature.

[How do I use this?]

Just then,

The familiar voice of Yuelina was heard from the communication stone.

A thrill ran through Theo’s body.

[Is it working?]

Theo’s lips curved into a smile.

Even though Yuelina wasn’t in front of him, he could clearly picture her.

She was probably sitting alone in the attic, staring intently at the green orb.

Her beautiful azalea-like eyes would be blinking rapidly.

“Yuna.”

[Theo!]

“Can you hear me well?”

[Wow… This is so amazing!]

As Theo had expected, Yuelina was sitting alone in the attic, fiddling with the orb.

Even after hearing the explanation from Raye, she doubted whether she could really ‘talk’ with Theo.

She couldn’t believe at all how the voice of someone far away could be heard through an orb.

But then the green orb really flashed with light.

When Yuelina placed the orb on her palm and spoke, Theo’s voice was heard.

And it was an incredibly clear and vivid voice.

Yuelina looked at the orb with a bright smile.

“This is so amazing.”

[Is it?]

“Yes! It’s like you’re right here in the attic, Theo!”

Theo chuckled at Yuelina’s bright voice.

Theo gently stroked the orb as if it were Yuelina herself.