Chapter 49

Neque Kayden staggered, then straightened up. The thought came to him that if he had instead fallen to his knees and begged in front of Reinel, perhaps she might have accepted him, and he could not bear it at all. Consumed only by the surging regret, he could do nothing but stand there trembling all over.

“This will not do…….”

At this rate, he would no longer be able to hold Reinel’s gaze. Biting down hard on his lips, Neque Kayden clenched his fist tightly and struck his own chest. The suffocating emotions mixed together with the regret already boiling up, and tears fell.

“I absolutely will not remain like this. Reinel, I cannot lose you this easily.”

Those muttered words slipped out from his heated chest. He did not care in the least that there were eyes stealing glances at him. As someone stood there staring blankly at him, a person whose body was covered by a robe slowly removed their hood.

“Do you want to win back Reinel Estrid?”

The person who had lowered the hood looked at Neque Kayden with a crooked smile. Neque Kayden turned around. The moment their eyes met, Neque Kayden’s eyes widened and he stepped back once.

“You are…….”

A man with deep golden hair and green eyes was staring at him with a smile. That arrogant appearance seemed like one that would not easily be forgotten once seen.

Neque Kayden spat out the words as if chewing them.

“Your Highness Kalix…….”

Crown Prince Kalix approached Neque Kayden. His hair fluttering in the wind shone as if scattering light. However, the gleaming eyes beneath it were painted over with a sinister color.

“I will tell you how to separate Reinel Estrid from the First Prince.”

Because I do not like the idea of the First Prince becoming happy, either.

At that, Neque Kayden felt as though his mind had suddenly cleared. Forming an alliance with Kalix, whose reputation in high society was no better than his own, meant accepting even the possibility that he himself might fall into ruin.

But even so, that was fine.

“If that will make Reinel return to my arms……. I will gladly take your side, Your Highness.”

Kalix smiled.

“Good. Then I will tell you the method.”

Recalling the method Empress Amarel had told him, Kalix gave a sly smile. As Neque Kayden followed that Crown Prince, he thought of Reinel.

‘Reinel. I will never let you go. No matter what, you will return to my arms. It will absolutely happen.’

The wind swept coldly across his back. Before he knew it, thick drops of rain were beginning to fall one by one onto the street.

***

“Achoo!”

“My lady, are you all right?”

“Yes. I have been going out to the garden often these days while it has been raining, so I think I have caught a cold. But since the blessing ceremony is coming up soon, there is no need to worry.”

Emily frowned and placed her hands on her waist.

“Oh dear. Even if the blessing ceremony is close, you should not just let it pass when you are showing signs of a cold. I will make you some warm lemon tea with honey. Once you drink a few cups, the cold will go away completely, you know?”

“Shall I? Then I will leave it to you, Emily.”

“Just trust me.”

While Emily went down to the kitchen, Reinel sat before the vanity and looked at herself in the mirror. Her complexion was pale, but since the corners of her eyes were not red, she looked all right enough. When she stretched out her hand and touched the mirror, its hard surface met her fingertips.

After pulling her hand away and leaning back, the maid who had been waiting brushed Reinel’s hair. Originally, it should have been Emily’s task, but since Emily had gone to the kitchen to prepare the lemon tea, she entrusted her hair to that maid instead.

As the long blond hair was smoothed with a soft brush, it soon began to shine. Reinel grew sleepy as her hair was touched, but she endured it and waited for Emily to return.

And so, by the time Emily came back, she found Reinel nodding off. The scent of the warm lemon tea stimulated her sense of smell, but she did not wake easily, and only when Emily rubbed her shoulders was she finally able to escape from drowsiness.

“My lady. Please drink it quickly. It is good for a cold only if you drink it before it gets cold.”

“Thank you, Emily. Come to think of it, this lemon tea you make…… I feel like it has been a long time since I had it.”

Emily replied with a broad grin.

“Now you can have it whenever you need it. Of course, not catching a cold at all is best, but if you want some, My lady, I will make it for you anytime. So please relax and drink it, my lady.”

Hehe, blowing on it, Reinel sipped the lemon tea little by little. With honey in it, it was easy to drink. As she tasted the sweet and tart lemon tea, Reinel thought back to the time she had met Neque Kayden the other day.

Her mood soured in an instant, so she hurried to erase him from her mind and tried to think of Bain instead. But forgetting Neque Kayden, who had shown such obsession toward her, was not easy. When she recalled how desperate he had looked, as though he might cause trouble at any moment, she thought that from now on she really must always bring an escort with her.

Originally, the Estrid Earldom maintained its knight order with around one hundred knights. Since even her father went about with as many as three escorts, Reinel judged that bringing one with her would probably be enough.

Of course, when the Earl heard Reinel say that, his face hardened.

‘You must take at least three with you. Did you not see Earl Kaiden come looking for you the other day? There is no knowing what that scoundrel might do, so you must take three with you. One should be an escort, another a porter, and the remaining one a reserve. Only then do I think I will be able to feel at ease.’

At those words, Reinel could not really argue against it. If she increased her escort, the amount of luggage that could be carried immediately increased, and no matter the situation, wherever she went, she would be able to remain safe.

Of course, that did not mean Reinel immediately began taking escorts with her. She had often gone outside, but she had only run into Neque Kayden once, so she did not feel very positively about bringing escorts.

However, the next time they met, it felt possible that he might try to detain her by force. Thus, she decided to accept Lyle’s suggestion.

“I think I should take a nap for now. I am so sleepy that I do not think I can go outside.”

“Shall I support you, my lady?”

“Hehe, no, Emily. I am awake enough to make it to the bed.”

Emily smiled faintly. Reinel gave Emily a brief glance, then rose from her seat and flopped onto the bed. She was coming down with a cold, and after drinking warm tea, sleepiness had come over her.

Once she was attacked by light drowsiness, her eyelids closed at once. As Reinel fell asleep, breathing softly, the maids in the room quietly left. Thanks to Emily, who informed the knight standing guard outside the door that my lady was asleep, the silence was preserved.

“Reinel is asleep?”

Seiden had come by, but at the news that Reinel was sleeping, he withdrew. He had a history of coming early and waking Reinel up before as well, but he did not want to force awake Reinel, who was showing signs of a cold. Thus, Seiden handed Emily a letter containing the news that permission had been granted for Alpen’s movement across the land.

“I also meant to tell her that places suitable for the Spirit King of Earth to stay and a lakeside suitable for the Spirit King of Water to stay have been found, but since Reinel is asleep, it cannot be helped. When she wakes, let me know. I want to tell her that part directly myself.”

“Understood.”

Seiden returned to his office again. Recently, because it had been raining often, carriage travel had slowed, and even the management of the Estrid merchant group was experiencing setbacks. The merchant group led by Reinel would be the same, so the related documents were bound to have increased as well.

‘Before Reinel wakes, it would be best if I handle what I can. She was said to be showing signs of a cold, so I cannot make her overwork.’

After Seiden returned, Reinel woke from her sleep. She had dreamed something, but she could not remember it, so she could not tell whether it had been a nightmare or a good dream. Feeling a slight headache, she called for Emily, and Emily immediately went and brought back some headache medicine.

After taking the medicine with water, she heard Seiden’s message from Emily. Once she had read the letter, Reinel got out of bed and changed into an outdoor dress.

As soon as the maids had finished attending to her, Reinel headed to Seiden’s office.

“Welcome, Reinel.”

“Brother Seiden. Hello.”

Seiden was seated at his desk, moving a fountain pen. A small pile of stacked documents occupied the left side of his desk. His fountain pen, too, moved without a single pause. Reinel curved the corners of her eyes vividly and sat down on the sofa in front of him.

For the sake of speaking for a moment, Seiden also sat facing Reinel. As the maid set out the teapot, teacups, and the like, silence settled for a short while.

“Reinel, take this.”

“This is…….”

At the document handed to her, Reinel’s eyes widened. She slowly examined the paper notifying her of Alpen’s accompaniment. Once she had carefully read even the passage reporting that the merchant group’s intermediate stopovers would help trigger Alpen’s spirit power, a smile naturally formed on her lips.

“Thank you, Brother Seiden. Thank you as well for finding in advance places where Alpen might be able to contract with the Spirit King of Earth or the Spirit King of Water.”

“This has become an opportunity to win Yurud’s favor, so I am even more grateful.”

The two drank tea and enjoyed the ripple of black tea. After only a few minutes had passed, Seiden asked:

“Reinel, do you remember the goods that were said to be gaining popularity recently in the Yurud Kingdom? And also that the export volume of those goods, which came to be exported through your merchant group, along with the Criashers flowers that generate magic stones, had increased?”

“Yes. I remember. Criashers sold out no matter how much the export volume was increased. I received reports that it was also common for goods that had been trendy for a time to sell out.”