Chapter 41

Chapter 39

 

“I will have to call the previous farm owner back. I will deal with it right away if you tell me the size you want.”

 

“Wait!”

 

I pulled Siegfried back, who stood up to leave the dining area right away, and stopped him. He looked at me as if he was puzzled by my actions. But puppies don’t do that!  

 

“How did you come up with this conclusion? This is not a single basket of grapes, but a whole farm.”

 

“That’s because it’s simpler that way.”

 

Siegfried tilted his head as if I had done something wrong.

 

“Is my method wrong this time as well? Isn’t this how you do it?”

 

“You weren’t wrong, it was also desirable. But why are you, towards me… I mean, don’t you have to put it aside first and think about it a little more?”

 

If it was revealed that Siegfried had officially presented me with a farm… the capital and the Imperial Palace would have been in a frenzy.

 

“I won’t accept that vineyard. I have no reason to accept it.”

 

I shook my head resolutely. The smile disappeared from Siegfried’s lips.

 

“…Why? You were the one who told me to appeal with my financial wealth.”

 

“But I never told you to do it towards me.”

 

“Then who should I do it for?”

 

That’s what I’m talking about. To anyone other than me…. I was about to continue thinking about it but I quickly came back to my senses.

 

“I don’t know about that. Anyway, I am grateful.”

 

“I want Ariel to accept the vineyard with a grateful heart.”

 

“Do you keep a diary?”

 

What’s with that way of speaking? The sullen Siegfried was talking strangely. The former owner of the vineyard who had just come down all of a sudden, came out and looked at Siegfried with a puzzled expression on his face.

 

“His Highness the Crown Prince already paid me last night. Young Lady, don’t be too harsh on him and instead, happily accept….”

 

But I flatly refused.

 

“Wouldn’t it be alright to give back the possession to His Highness?”

 

“What am I supposed to do with a vineyard?”

 

“Then what do I do with it?”

 

“Eat deliciously (the grapes on it).”

 

I guess so. It is delicious…. I was reminded of the grapes’ taste momentarily and almost felt weak, but I came back to my senses again. D**n it! 

 

“Don’t be too harsh, Young Lady. It seems that His Highness the Crown Prince bought it for the Young Lady from what I heard. What would be of His Highness’ position if you keep on refusing with many eyes looking at you?”

 

Viscount Cariel helped him, who was standing next to him. As the elderly nobles began to speak for Siegfried, even the other nobles began to help him one by one.

 

“That’s right, please accept it. If it were me, I would be grateful to the point that I would shed tears.”

 

“So the reason why the Crown Prince drove me away from the banquet was….”

 

Even Manuel was mumbling something as if he finally understood something.

 

“Who doesn’t know that Young Lady likes Corte grapes? There were even jokes floating around that the reason you were always participating in the subjugation of the monsters was because of the grapes.”

 

That wasn’t a joke though, but my purpose. 

 

I took a deep breath. Siegfried didn’t say that much in fact, but the encouragement from the people around him grew stronger, more and more. All eyes at the dining area were focused on me. This isn’t everyone’s business, right? 

 

“Alright then, I would like you to sign the deed here.”

 

In the end, I had no choice but to accept the deed. When I finished signing, one of the nobles who was watching this situation unfold asked.

 

“I’m envious, Young Lady. May I visit your mansion from time to time?”

 

“Can I, also?”

 

Other nobles started to ask me secretly for a favor. Then the smile on Siegfried’s face disappeared as if it had been washed away.

 

“Of course not. That is off-limits to men.”

 

“Pardon…? But Count Ellifritz is a man….”

 

“Actually, she looks like a woman.”

 

Siegfried was all of a sudden saying something strange again. Why was he saying words that the person concerned can’t take responsibility for? Even before that, why did he even change someone else’s older brother’s gender? 

 

“B-but Your Highness is also staying at the Ellifritz’s mansion.”

 

“Then I guess I’m a woman too.”

 

Stop…! At this point, I would think that the person talking now was the female lead and not the male lead. I opened my mouth to cut off Siegfried’s subsequent startling remarks.

 

“Th-this means that you were paying your debt to me, saving Your Highness’ life, right?”

 

“There’s that of course, but let’s say that is something to do with some work….”

 

“Yes? What kind of work? Are you talking about a business?”

 

“Ariel, stop it. This is saddening to watch.”

 

Unable to watch it anymore, Abbysion stopped me. I don’t think I was going too far, but he timely stopped me, maybe because he is my older brother.

 

“I’m a woman so of course, I’ll be able to eat a lot of grapes in the Ellifritz mansion from now on.”

 

“If Sir allows it.”

 

Siegfried nodded solemnly. Can this really be a conversation between a member of the Imperial Family and the aristocracy?

 

“Everyone should go inside now. We may end up homeless if we delay further.”

 

Viscount Cariel appeared in the dining area as if he had just returned from smoking a tobacco. Milliard entered after him, while Abbysion raised his hand in a natural way.

 

“My dear sister, I hope you have all of your belongings in order.”

 

“Uh? Have you been drinking since this morning?”

 

Knowing nothing, Milliard looked at Abbysion strangely. Then as if he had lost interest, he left the dining area saying to quickly come out. Our party also packed our bags and followed after him. We went our separate ways. We will not be able to meet those who left first until next year again.

 

“Everyone, please be careful. Have a good day.”

 

I greeted the nobles passing by. They nodded with disappointment. Was I only imagining it that they were avoiding me? Especially about the young noblemen….

 

“I also hope for Young Lady Ariel and His Highness the Crown Prince to have a great time.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You don’t have to hide it. Everyone knows that you got along very well throughout the monster subjugation.”

 

“We don’t though….”

 

We did fight in the between though. Why does this nobleman talk as if I am in some official relationship with Siegfried? 

 

“But it really surprised me. Everyone were coveting that piece of farm, but they couldn’t even afford the farm’s price itself. If Young Lady received that farm as a gift, then that means she’s already His Highness the Crown Prince’s….”

 

The nobleman smiled, saying that he should cut his words there. I couldn’t tell which part was funny. I was rather bewildered that something happened. Now, it will only be a matter of time before the rumors that Siegfried gifted me a farm spread out through the Empire.

 

I saw that nobleman finally leaving with a slightly frozen expression on his face, then I slowly turned my back to him. Not knowing how I must have felt, Siegfried smiled brightly at me as soon as he met my eyes.

 

“Your Highness, you seem to be in a good mood.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You’re asking why? Is there a need to be in a bad mood?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Do you want me to be in a bad mood?”

 

“Why?”

 

“I get it. You must be angry.”

 

Siegfried and his slaves, along with the Ellifritz’s County’s party, passed through the woods. I, one of the County’s party, stuck close to Siegfried and was arguing with him. Even so, Siegfried doesn’t seem to care at all, and he was just smiling brightly like a radiant flower all the time.

 

“I’m not angry. I was just picking a fight.”

 

“This just occurred to me, but you seem to think that the Imperial Family was only a dog’s name.”

 

“Is that even possible? That’s only for Your Highness. Your Highness only.”

 

“What an honor. Isn’t that some sort of special treatment?”

 

“We speak the same Imperial Language, right?”

 

“Probably?”

 

Even Siegfried didn’t seem convinced. I sighed.

 

“Let’s rest for a while by the brook over there.”

 

Abbysion, who had gone first, returned around lunch time with the knights. I was just starting to feel hungry, so I was grateful when he came back.

 

The brook that Abbysion talked about had appeared. I got off my horse and walked over the brook. I soaked my hands for a while. Summers are so long and hot in the South that we sometimes have to cool down like this.

 

“Are you still mad?”

 

Siegfried approached me cautiously and asked. I flicked my wet hands at him.

 

“I wasn’t angry in the first place.”\n 

“Then why are you doing this?”

 

Siegfried frowned, wiping the water off his cheek. He squatted next to me.

 

“Don’t you like this cool sensation?”

 

“Then I’ll cool you down too.”

 

Siegfried smiled mischievously as he opened a large handful of water. I only flicked him a few drops, so isn’t that too much? He smirked as I covered my face in advance.

 

“I won’t, I won’t do it.”

 

Only then did I lower the hand covering my face. Milliard shouted to Siegfried from afar to eat. The lunch menu was a sandwich filled with meat bought from an inn. The party ate the food, drank water, then rode our horses again.

 

“We need to get out of the woods today so we can rent the village inn.” Abbysion said with the intention of hurrying the trip.

 

We increased the speed of our horses a little more. Everyone ran quietly for a while, and we were getting deeper and deeper into the forest. We were so deep that it was covered with thick trees that the sun doesn’t even shine inside. It wasn’t like I’ve never passed this road before, but it’s getting dark around here and I am getting nervous.

 

Why do I feel strangely anxious? Was it because the temperature is getting a little cooler? 

 

I was confused so I took a look around, but none of them were trembling like me. Did I catch a cold? I tucked my collar tightly. It was at that moment,

 

– Hwiik! 

 

Hnnng! 

 

The sound cut through the wind. Siegfried’s horse raised its front feet high and started to howl.