Chapter 12 (Part 1)

Leonardo, feeling unsettled, unconsciously gritted his teeth.  

He couldn’t fathom why Amelia had asked that question at the end.  

As he mulled over what he should have said at that moment,  

“Sir Leo! Are you alright?”  

Grace approached and grabbed his arm.  

The warmth and concern in her voice brought an unintentional sense of comfort to Leonardo, and he found himself smiling.  

“I’m fine.”  

“Fine? Your face is pale as a sheet!”  

At Grace’s words, Leonardo raised his hand to touch his face. He could vividly imagine the stiffness in his expression.  

However, he smiled faintly as if it was nothing.  

“I’ve always been pale.”  

“Oh, really! You’re so full of yourself!”  

Knowing better than anyone else that Leonardo was indeed paler than most women, Grace grumbled as she strode away.  

Leonardo, following behind her, had to pause when the head butler approached.  

The butler, bowing politely, spoke to Grace.  

“Miss, Madam has requested that you return to the study before leaving to prepare for something.”  

Grace turned back with a delighted expression at the butler’s words.  

She had been worried that Amelia might not give her permission until the end, so she looked relieved.  

“Alright, I’ll get ready and come down! Butler, have the luggage been moved outside?”  

“Yes, Miss.”  

“Great. I’ll be right back!”  

With that, Grace ran upstairs, and Leonardo smiled helplessly.  

The butler handed him a neatly folded note.  

“It’s a message from Madam. Please travel safely.”  

Leonardo nodded at the butler, who bowed deeply, and carefully tucked the note into his pocket.  

Though he was already eager to open and read it, he felt it wasn’t the right time to check it here.  

He repeatedly checked to ensure the note was secure in his pocket as he walked toward the carriage.  

Hearing the sound of Leonardo inspecting the carriage, a bearded man leaned out of the window with a creak.  

“Why, why, why are you so late?”  

It was Hymen, who had been waiting inside the carriage until now.  

Disliking delays, Hymen grumbled, and Leonardo belatedly checked his watch.  

Although it had taken longer than expected, it was still within the acceptable range.  

Leonardo frowned slightly and responded to the distant sound of lively chatter.  

“There was a minor issue with Sir Lowell, but it’s resolved now, so we’ll depart shortly.”  

At his words, someone peeked out from inside the carriage and asked in a slightly hushed voice,  

“That person, Sir Grace Lowell of the 2nd Knight Order, right? I heard she’s famously beautiful?”  

Seeing the expectant sparkle in their eyes, Leonardo felt a mischievous urge.  

He furrowed his brow slightly and deliberately replied curtly.  

“I don’t know who said that.”  

“What?”  

Startled by the sudden voice, Leonardo jumped as if he had seen a snake.  

Grace, watching this, spoke with a puzzled expression.  

“Why are you so surprised?”  

“I’m not a ghost, and I even made my presence known as I walked over.”  

Grace grumbled as she directed the servants on where to load the luggage.  

Watching the servants diligently load the bags, Leonardo asked with a weary expression.  

“Are you going to a resort or something?”  

At his question, Grace gestured toward her luggage with a look that asked what he was talking about.  

“What nonsense is that? All of this is what my mother insisted I take along.”  

“―What?”  

“Well, I took a peek, and half of it seems to be artifacts. Even though I told her it wasn’t a dangerous place, she insisted I take them.”  

Shrugging her shoulders, Grace waved lightly at the departing servants and added,  

“We’re bringing plenty of meat too, so we’ll eat well.”  

“……”  

For a moment, Leonardo debated whether to tell her they’d be back soon.  

But seeing her proud expression, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.  

How could he utter such harsh words to someone with eyes sparkling as if asking for praise?  

In the end, Leonardo could only smile and say she had done well.  

“There’s already a guest in the carriage. Would you like to ride together?”  

At his suggestion, Grace glanced at the slightly parted curtain.  

Her eyes met those of a woman inside, whose short hair framed her round eyes that widened in shock.  

“Gasp! Crazy!”  

If the woman hadn’t suddenly shouted, Grace might have agreed to ride together.  

But the woman, who had locked eyes with Grace, clapped her hands over her mouth and began speaking rapidly.  

“Crazy! She’s a goddess! What the hell, damn it! She’s so freaking pretty! How could anyone say she isn’t beautiful? What nonsense is that? Sure, she’s stunning herself, but still! She’s a goddess! A goddess, I tell you!”  

Grace, flustered, looked at the woman with trembling eyes and then lightly pinched Leonardo’s sleeve with her thumb and forefinger, speaking in a small voice.  

“…I can ride a horse instead.”  

“Wow! She can ride a horse too! Beautiful and talented!”  

“…Or maybe I’ll sit in the coachman’s seat…”  

“A goddess driving a carriage! I could die happy!”  

Not knowing how to react to the woman’s loud exclamations from the carriage, Grace could only stare at Leonardo.  

Hymen, who had been sitting inside, irritably covered the woman’s mouth and said,  

“Hara, please. Be quiet.”  

“Mff! Goddess! So pretty!”  

Even with her mouth covered, the woman continued to mumble in a crazed voice, leaving Grace shaking her head with an exasperated expression.  

For someone to leave Grace Lowell exasperated, Leonardo thought they must be quite a character.  

“Why don’t you ride with me in the coachman’s seat?”  

At his suggestion, Grace visibly relaxed and stepped forward.  

Her movements clearly conveyed her strong desire to escape the current situation as quickly as possible.  

But then she paused and turned back with a puzzled expression.  

“Wait, Sir Leo, you can drive a carriage?”  

“Yes, I’ll be driving.”  

Grace, sitting beside him on the coachman’s seat, looked at him curiously.  

“You know how to drive a carriage?”  

“I have a license.”  

“…You’re amazing, really.”  

Grace, wearing an expression of mild exasperation, glanced back at the chattering voices coming from inside the carriage and asked,  

“Can you cast a soundproofing spell?”  

At her request, Leonardo snapped his fingers, and the noise disappeared.  

As the carriage fell silent, Grace exhaled deeply and said,  

“I’ve never met someone so talkative before.”  

“Neither did I expect her to be like that.”  

Since he had only communicated with Hymen regarding matters of sorcery, he had never met the Eastern Continent sorceress in person.  

He hadn’t thought much about her joining them, but he hadn’t expected her to be so unfiltered and bold.  

With her petite features and somewhat sardonic expression typical of Eastern Continent people, she was certainly unique.  

Glancing back briefly, Grace said,  

“They’ll leave soon, right?”  

“Probably.”  

“In that case, how about catching those things this time?”  

Leonardo, realizing what Grace meant by “those things,” looked at her.  

Knowing that his gaze carried concern for her, Grace smiled.  

How had they become so close that they could understand each other with just a look?  

“It’s fine. My mother packed plenty of artifacts for us, after all.”  

“It’s worth a try. Will you act after the sorcerers finish their work?”  

“Yes. That seems more convenient.”  

If that talkative woman started shouting beside her, Grace felt like she would lose her focus and fail to accomplish anything.  

She hoped that woman wouldn’t remain at the shelter.  

Feeling a sudden chill, Grace shivered and asked cautiously with a face that seemed to have remembered something.  

“Sir Leo, are you sure my mother didn’t say anything? She’s been a bit more sensitive lately, so I thought she might have said something.”  

Normally, Amelia would have thrown her out into the wilderness alone, scoffing at the need for artifacts.  

But today, she had personally opened the storage, taken out various items, and even told her to return safely. Grace found it strange.  

“She really didn’t say much. There’s nothing for you to worry about, Sir Grace.”  

When Leonardo reassured her again, Grace looked at him with a doubtful expression before reluctantly turning her head.  

“By the way, you have a carriage-driving license, right?”  

“Yes, I do.”  

“Then how many licenses do you even have?”  

“I haven’t counted, but… I’ll check next time and let you know.”  

“Oh, no… it’s fine.”  

Grace, whose only credential was her swordsmanship academy diploma, waved her hand with a disheartened expression.  

Leonardo let out a light laugh at this.  

“I simply enjoy exploring, researching, and proving things.”  

“Well, I can’t do any of that.”  

When Grace replied curtly, Leonardo chuckled softly. Seeing him laugh made Grace feel strangely at ease.  

‘Who would’ve thought I’d have such casual conversations with Sir Leo.’  

‘And who would’ve thought this moment would feel so comforting.’  

Grace unconsciously compared her time with Liam to this moment and let out a chuckle.  

‘I really shouldn’t compare the two.’  

Grace realized that, apart from her feelings for Leonardo, she had come to appreciate how much he cared for her.  

For some reason, she felt so lighthearted that her spirits soared.