/
It was a relationship that started with a desire to have children, but now his mind had been irreversibly altered. Lyle, who recalled all their mistakes and inflicted wounds, had made up his mind to stop thinking of Medea altogether.
Medea was Medea.
Even if she lost her memory and changed, her sins would not go anywhere. However, his heart had grown too big to deny his current love for Medea.
Lyle loosened his arm and looked at Medea’s face.
“Medea. Can you say sorry to me?”
At that time, Medea blamed Lyle. It was Lyle’s fault that they had used the aphrodisiac.
Medea looked at Lyle puzzled. Lyle waited still for Medea to ask questions or apologize.
“Hmm… I am… very sorry.”
“Okay. That’s enough,”
whispering, Lyle embraced Medea back into his arms.
In the past, he could have never forgiven her, but with the way Medea was now, he could fully accept his feelings.
“I love you, Medea. Now and forever…… I will be with you.”
You, me, and our child. Let’s live happily like this.
Lyle whispered affectionately. Feeling the happiness in her heart swell, Medea completely surrendered herself to Lyle.
She thought she had done enough. She had saved Ian and opened a pathway for Seira to become a knight. There was still a long way to go but…… Medea was relieved to see that Lyle, who had met Seira, was not interested in her.
‘It’s fine now…I guess.’
***
‘Why did you say that? What is the secret Sir Ian is hiding?’
No matter what secret Ian holds, never feel betrayed.
Why did his sister say that, implying that if he finds out something he shouldn’t be angry?
Luke couldn’t shake off the questions despite his busy schedule and pondered over them from time to time.
Seira, who came to the duke’s residence, was preparing for the Knight’s exam with full support from Duke Card.
To emphasize that she was an esteemed guest, Luke ordered Seira’s room to be in the eastern tower of the mansion, next to his room. The eastern tower had a stable, gym, and a practice field that Luke used, so it was the best for training.
Luke often used the grounds, but usually utilized it at dawn before everyone woke up, so he never encountered Seira.
“You said he doesn’t need a servant?”
Luke looked puzzled upon receiving the butler’s report.
He heard that the baron was in a poor situation. Even so, he was now in the capital—regardless Luke was certain the baron must have been served by servants and there were attendants in his territory.…. Perhaps he had been looked down upon?
“Were any of the servants rude or disrespectful to our guest?”
“I tried investigating it, but it didn’t seem so. I think the baron felt burdened because he has already received a lot of support from the Duke.….”
It was a burden.
Certainly, Duke Card gave Sir Ian [t1v: remember Luke thinks Seira is Ian] plenty of aid. However, it was not enough to feel troubled when Medea was investing in his territory and benefit greatly from it.
Of course, perhaps he was a commoner, not a noble?
‘Is he a commoner? Was a commoner sent to become a knight and not Baron Ian Hestia?’
Luke thought about it for a while but concluded there was no reason to participate in the knighthood examinations while committing the felony and serious crime of impersonating a noble.
In the Empire, there was a separate examination for commoners aspiring to become knights. Also, even if this was not the case, it was not unusual for commoners to be recommended by the lords in each province.
Instead of borrowing Baron Hestia’s identity, he could have just received a recommendation.
“This isn’t this either…… What the hell is Ian Hestia’s secret?”
Luke’s head tilted with curiosity.
He told the butler,
“I’ll visit you as soon as I have time and inquire further, so you may do as you see fit.”
“I obey, Heir.”
Luke, who was looking at the documents again after the butler stepped down, soon took his eyes off the reports.
If there was something secret, there should be a sensible reason.
Luke told himself he shouldn’t be curious, his nerves kept focusing on the baron.
“…….”
It would be nice to take a casual look for a change. ‘Since you’re the one my sister entrusted to me.’
Thinking like this, Luke jumped from his seat and left the office.
***
Seira was immersed in training for a lengthy time. The Knight’s test was next year, but she did not slow down the intensity of her practice.
It was a knight’s examination that gained the attention and expectations of the Empress. Also, she didn’t want to cause further trouble to her older brother.
Even if she passed the test, she would not be able to reveal her real name, but if she passed the test and received a knight’s title from the emperor, there would be no greater honor than that.
‘I just need to pass the exam. If I pass the test, I’ll go back to the terrority…… and go back to being Seira, the baron’s sister.’
It was obvious to her that she couldn’t stay long because she was pretending to be Ian, her older brother.
Seira sighed. It was late autumn, so even though the air was quite chilly, she was drenched in sweat and felt like she was overheating.
Her practice today was riding a horse in full armor, so her whole body was throbbing.
‘I’m fortunate that I am in the care of the Duke.’
It was a great blessing to be able to take a hot bath after practice. Even though she had thick leather under her armor, Seira became more desperate for a hot spring bath since her whole body was covered with bruises after wearing armor.
There are no hot springs in her native Silore region but the Duke’s residence had one used for hot baths.
“Whoo—-“.
Seira handed over the horse to the stablemaster. She went up to her room, took off her armor, wiped her sword well, and put it away.
It would be nice to have an assistant do this, but if Seira had an attendant, they would inevitably tend to her clothes. If she refused every time, they might have thought it was strange and try to get a glimpse of Seira changing.
‘It’s never going to happen.’
Seira checked again that the door was locked and closed the curtain. Then she went into the bathroom attached to her room.
The good thing about the capital was that the water facilities were well established and they read this story from novel updates. Even if the only nobility could afford them, it was close to a new era now that a pipe was pouring hot water.
‘I can’t believe I can use a bath without calling a servant. It’s amazing.’
Seira turned on the hot water in the bathtub and began to undress.
***