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“I’m back.”
Rodrigo came up in the carriage with Anheine and me. Rodrigo had a box in his hand. It was a box large enough for a human head to fit in.
“Your Highness called me in person, so I handled it easily.”
There’s the Minister’s head in charge of defense.
I mourned his sudden death and moved my body aside. It was to make a place for Rodrigo to sit. But Anheine came and sat down next to me. Rodrigo and I looked at her in surprise for a moment.
“I thought it would be more comfortable for you to sit alone because the carriage is narrow. You have to hold the box, too.”
Anheine was too considerate.
“Anheine’s right.”
It was really funny to me, who unconsciously tried to sit next to him. Rodrigo raised his eyebrows as if he was dissatisfied with something, and then sighed and sat down. The carriage rattled and began to move.
***
05. Another Cartina
“Estiya!”
As soon as I got off, Eyla hugged me tightly. Devlan ran out and took the box in Rodrigo’s hand.
“The army of the Veloki Kingdom raised the white flag.”
“I know.”
“What happened?”
“Explanation later. I’m going back to the capital quickly.”
At Rodrigo’s command, Devlan moved in unison. I was surrounded by Ether and Eyla and could not move at all. Eyla and Ether stroked my face over and over again.
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“Is everything all right? Did you even eat properly? Your cheeks are slim. Of course, you’re beautiful even if you lose weight. Estiya, let’s eat meat first.”
Eyla and Ether nagged at Poch.
“You want me to bring the meat here now?”
“You idiot! I’m asking you to search for the best restaurant around here.”
Poch had to use a valuable magic note just to find the restaurant due to Eyla and Ether’s pestering,
“But who is that woman?”
Ether and Eila pointed to Anheine, who was timid behind my back.
“Rodrigo, you punk! Did you have a hidden lover?”
We arrived in the evening, so we couldn’t go back to the capital right away. To move to the nearby portal, Rodrigo and I had a problem to sort out, so we decided to stay, but in the meantime, Ether and Eila wrote a novel.
“No, absolutely not. He and I met for the first time yesterday!”
Anheine waved her hand and spoke, but Ether and Eyla just stared at her, pretending not to listen. With a sigh, I tore open the hot bread Poch had airlifted and put it in my mouth. I became happy with the warm and soft bread that I ate after a long time.
It wasn’t just a day or two that Eyla and Ether misunderstood and were noisy.
I thought Anheine would be in a little trouble, but I didn’t think it would really help if I stepped in.
Is it because of the feeling that things will get bigger if you intervene?
“Who are you to sit down and eat bread so brazenly!”
Anheine stiffened in Ether’s rage. I concluded that I couldn’t watch any more.
She’s the heroine, sister. To be precise, I was involved.
I put down the bread and took Anheine’s hand. Anheine blinked her big eyes and looked up at me.
“I’ll take you to a safe place.”
Erhard rather than Cartina. It was also her seat.
“Estiya! You don’t have to be nice to a woman like that!”
Eyla rose in a frenzied rage. I looked back at Eyla.
“Sisters, seeing that you’re so excited, I think you recognized Sir Rodrigo as my lover?”
Eyla and Ether closed their mouths. The fact that Ether and Eyla accepted me and Rodrigo was fully possible just by looking at the way they treated Rodrigo. However, they just didn’t want to admit it from a position where they had a strong sense of pride and loved me very much.
After all, they cursed Anheine for being his mistress, but they kept their mouth shut when I asked if they acknowledged Rodrigo.
“I’ll be back, I’ll eat everything when I’m back.”
They nagged at me again, saying ‘Are you not going to eat?’ and I quickly added that they would kill me by nagging.
“Go, quick.”
I took Anheine’s hand. She meekly followed me. My barracks and Rodrigo’s barracks weren’t too far away. Rodrigo’s barracks were easy to find. In particular, the front of his barracks was clear. A familiar face also stood out. It was Gunther and Devlan. One of Gunther’s legs was missing.
It was not difficult to infer that it was because of Cartina’s thread. My heart ached. But I didn’t make it obvious.
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“Cool crutches.”
The words that could be conveyed in a muffled voice were a light compliment.  As if he liked it, Guther’s forehead, which was always frowning, was straightened.
“Thank you. Did you come to see your Excellency?”
Gunther asked.
“Is he inside?”
“He’s in a meeting with the staff, but I’ll tell him you’re here.”
All of a sudden, I was being treated like a Grand Duchess by them. Strength entered the hand holding Anheine. The sense of discomfort that I was taking her place continued to haunt me. That’s really bad timing.
It would have been nice if Anheine came after organizing everything, but it was difficult to let Rodrigo go because she appeared now. If I let Rodrigo go now and he ties up with Anheine, the Cartinas won’t stand still.
It’s complicated, it’s complicated.
I shook my head wildly. At that time, Devlan, who had gone to announce my visit, came out.
“Come in right away.”
As soon as those words were finished, people rushed out of Rodrigo’s barracks. They looked at Anheine and me and bowed their heads.
“He’s an incredible lover.”
Anheine murmured as if envious.
Look, this lover is originally yours.
I endured what I wanted to teach kindly and went into his barracks with  Anheine. The table where the staff sat was dizzying. Wooden dolls with maps and various flags were rolling around.
Rodrigo was cleaning up himself. Typically, the meeting would have been calmly finished and the staff would have cleaned it up and left, but because of me, it seemed that he was in a hurry to clean up.
“Leave it alone.”
“I’ll clean it up right away. “If you want to drink a cup of tea, it’s better to have a clean table.”
Rodrigo glanced at Anheine and spoke. Even that figure seemed to be conscious of her, so I thought of the red thread under the moon again. Did I say that you can’t quit if you want to quit?
“What brings you so late at night, Estiya?”
He asked about my business. Before I knew it, the table had been cleaned up. He put the kettle on the small brazier and heated the water. When Anheine and I sat down, a clean glass was brought out and the tea was served. Anheine’s eyes twinkled.
“I can’t believe Your Excellency is brewing the tea yourself! It’s an honor.”
Anheine was friendly. Rodrigo awkwardly lifted the kettle at her compliment.
“I learned it for the woman I love.”
He looked at me, but I avoided his gaze. Anheine’s cheeks reddened at his words. I feel like an uninvited guest.
“There was nothing but alcohol.”
I said.
“My lover kept coming to me fearlessly, so I prepared it.”
The word lover tickled my stomach. I turned my head as Rodrigo kept trying to make eye contact.
“Please take care of Miss Anheine.”
I wanted to get out of Rodrigo’s barracks quickly.
“I can’t keep her in my barracks.”
“So you’re going to put it in my barracks?”
Rodrigo’s voice was sharp. The air became cold in an instant. Anheine looked around and looked at me and Rodrigo.
“My sisters bully her.”
“She’s a hostage anyway, Estiya. There’s nothing wrong with being bullied.”
You’ve always wanted to talk down* to me, haven’t you? His informal speech was so natural.
TL/N: Talk down- Banmal(Informal speech) Speaking casually with people you’re close with.
“It’s for your friend.”
“Estiya dear, if you don’t like it, I’ll set up another barracks.”
Rodrigo arranged the situation as if he didn’t want to say more.
“Rodrigo! She’s a woman. She’s a beautiful woman, too. I believe you’re a gentleman, but I don’t believe your men will do the same.“
“Estiya!”
He got angry.
“Was I wrong?”
Rodrigo shut his mouth. He, too, knows the ugliness of weary soldiers. So even though he knew I’d be uncomfortable, he pushed Anheine into my barracks.
“Estiya, I never thought you’d be uncomfortable. I’m sorry. But the thought of letting her stay in my barracks is offensive.”
It was the first time he was angry with me. I tried not to create a situation that would make Rodrigo angry, but even when that happened, Rodrigo was never angry with me.
For example, when the Cartinas completely destroyed the greenhouse. If you want to be angry, you should have done it then. Now is not the time to be angry.
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“Rodrigo.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt you two.”
Anheine intervened. Rodrigo and I looked at her at the same time. Anheine flinched like a rabbit standing in front of a predator and clasped her hands tightly.
“My will may not be important, but I feel comfortable with Estiya.”
Hey!
I opened my mouth in disbelief.
What is her confidence? Rodrigo and she have to be together for a little bit.
“That’s right, Estiya.”
Rodrigo crossed his arms triumphantly.
You’re annoying.
“If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll order them to move the barracks to a bigger place.”
“That’s enough.”
It is not good to hear complaints from soldiers. Even if we don’t, they’ll have to go on a long march to the capital from tomorrow.
“Then will you go back now? You don’t look so well to share tea.”
You’re upset, too.
I was annoyed by Rodrigo, who blamed me for everything, so I quickly turned around. As Anheine looked at me, I could feel her following me. I walked without a word. The soldiers who recognized me bowed their heads. I raised my hand to say hello and entered my barracks. There were still Eyla and Ether in the barracks.
“Where have you been, Estiya?”
“Didn’t you go to separate from that lump by any chance?”
TL/N: They mean Rodrigo lmaoo
I didn’t have the energy to respond. As soon as I sat down, Jane quickly reheated the soup and brought it out.
“I don’t even have the energy to hold a spoon.”
I was just muttering to myself as if I were complaining, but Ether and Eyla quickly sat down next to me, raised a spoon, and poured the soup into my mouth. Seeing Anheine’s eyes widen, I was a little embarrassed, but I couldn’t look at her forever. I decided to turn my attention to her.
***
“He won?”
Detheus received a report on the outcome of the war against the Veloci Kingdom. That was great news to hear in the morning. But Detheus did not look very happy. The servant who delivered the news bowed his head.
“When is Rodrigo coming?”
“It’s expected to take about a week.”
“Your Majesty will hold a grand banquet.”
The servant did not reply, but only bowed his head. This is because he felt uncomfortable with the owner he served.
“I have to treat him properly. I’m so happy he won.”
There was no praise in his words for the general who led the victory.
“I’ll have to see Kaylan.”
Detheus, who had kept his mouth shut, stood up slowly and spoke.  The servant quickly turned and put a telegram into the Cartina family.
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In the afternoon, Kaylan visited Prince Detheus.
“Your Highness, did you find me?”
If it was Kaylan, he wouldn’t have come. It was Kaylan who somehow used a dragon to avoid the call of Detheus. However, now that he is acting as a proxy for Count Cartina, he could not chew on the contact of the imperial family for no reason. Kaylan eventually had to come to meet Detheus in formal attire.
“Sit down. Standing like that makes my neck sore.”
Kaylan sat down. Soon the attendants served refreshments and tea. Neither Kaylan nor Detheus touched the refreshments and tea and remained silent for a moment. Just as the silence was about to grow tired, Detheus opened his mouth.
“Rodrigo won.”
“Victory belongs to the Empire. Not Lord Rodrigo’s.”
Kaylan made it clear. It’s true that Rodrigo’s achievements are great, but he didn’t want him to be a war hero. Kaylan still hated Estiya’s lover, Rodrigo. To him, Rodrigo is just a thief who stole his sweet little sister.
“Rodrigo is an excellent knight, but I don’t think he’s a good man. What do you think?”
“I agree, Your Highness.”
“For such a person, a woman with a very strong family is suitable.”
Kaylan raised his eyebrows.
“For example, our Pillemon family.”
Detheus laughed. With Detheus’ laughter, Kaylan understood his plan.
“That’s a good idea, Your Highness.”
“As expected, you are smart. That’s why I like you.”
“Navy is not my type.”
Kaylan took his word as a joke. Haha, Detheus laughed.
“Me too.”