Rose flinched and raised her head.
"Huh?"
She seemed to have noticed something the moment she heard Helena's voice.
The moment Rose raised her head and saw Helena's face,
"······."
The two's gazes intertwined.
Rose's green eyes, filled with suspicion, and Helena's blue eyes, mixed with interest and mischief, met.
"...What is your name?"
Rose asked Helena.
"I haven't seen you before. Tell me where you work, too."
Helena stepped back and clasped her hands together. Then, with an unreadable smile, she replied.
"My name is Lune. I work in the laundry room."
"Lune, you say."
Rose scrutinized Helena's face. Helena merely endured Rose's gaze with her head bowed.
'Did she figure it out?'
I looked at Rose and tried to read her mind.
Eventually, Rose turned her eyes away from Helena with an unreadable expression.
"You may go now."
"Yes, My Lady."
Helena arranged the teapot on the cart. Then she slowly pushed the cart toward the door.
Deolkeong.
Along with her still silent footsteps, Helena disappeared out the door. It was a surprisingly quick and clean exit.
'I thought she was going to cause trouble.'
I wasn't sure if it was because I had completely ignored her, or because Helena had given her a warning before Rose came in.
"······."
Rose kept her gaze lowered, staring at the teacup on the table. She looked deep in thought.
"Did something happen?"
When I casually asked, pretending not to know, Rose raised her head. Her lips parted as if she wanted to ask me something, but...
"...No, nothing."
She eventually shook her head. However, the traces of her worry were evident on her face.
Doubts like: Did I see it wrong? No, that can't be.
'Hmm.'
I had no intention of hiding the fact that I had hired Helena.
Since it was now a situation where I could safely (?) suspect Joel, the resident physician, it would be better to share the fact that I was running a guild.
So how could I naturally let her know?
"Wife."
After pondering for a moment, I opened my mouth.
"Would you care for a walk?"
**
I stood leaning against the castle wall with my arms crossed.
"Huu..."
As I exhaled a long breath, a white mist spread out. Even though the sun hadn't set yet, the wind was quite cold.
Winter was approaching.
Seuk.
Hearing footsteps approaching from afar, I turned my head.
Sabak, sabak.
Rose, wearing a thick winter coat, was walking toward me. She waddled slightly, perhaps because her clothes were heavy.
"Your Excellency."
When she met my eyes, Rose offered a faint smile.
She no longer showed caution or shrank back when she saw me. This trivial change felt quite significant to me.
"You've been waiting."
"I haven't been here long."
I uncrossed my arms and stood straight. Rose stood in front of me and asked.
"We'll be back before dinner, right?"
"No."
I gestured with my chin toward the stables over there.
"We're going out on horseback."
"Pardon?"
Rose's eyes widened.
"Didn't you say we were going for a walk?"
"A walk on horseback."
"Heok..."
Rose suddenly started to panic.
"I naturally assumed it would be a walk within the estate."
"I don't take walks without a reason."
For a moment, Rose flinched. A focused gaze flew my way as if she was trying to grasp my intentions.
"So it's not an ordinary walk."
"That's right. Above all, it's safer for you to come with me than to leave you here alone."
"Ah..."
Rose stared quietly into my eyes, then eventually nodded slowly.
"You have a reason you absolutely must go out, right? And you're taking me with you."
As expected, Rose was smart. She quickly caught on to the meaning even if I only gave her a small clue.
Seuk.
Instead of answering, I handed her what I was holding.
"What is this...?"
Rose obediently held out both hands and took the offered item. It was a light, thin, gray robe with no notable features.
"Take off the coat you're wearing now and put this on."
Rose still looked puzzled but hastily took off her heavy coat.
She followed immediately without making excuses when I gave an order. That was one of the reasons I liked Rose.
Charyuk.
The moment she spread the robe out and draped it over her shoulders,
"Ah, this!"
Rose's face instantly brightened.
"It's a robe with anti-cold functions!"
There was no way to miss it, as it immediately warmed her from the inside out the moment she draped it over her body.
"Wow, this is a truly rare luxury. I've only heard of it but never actually seen one in person."
Rose spun around in place. The hem of the robe lightly floated up and then settled.
"It's unbelievably light. But the entire hem of this robe is embroidered with circuits like threadwork. I heard the process is incredibly complex."
Rose slightly lifted the hem of the robe and brought it close to her eyes.
"Ah, I'm so curious. I want to look at it closely in the light. I think it's probably a heat-generating circuit."
"You can look at it in detail later. It's yours now."
"Pardon?"
Rose dropped the hem of the robe she was holding with a tak. Her wide-open, rabbit-like eyes turned to me.
"Are you really giving it to me?"
"Yes."
I added in a nonchalant tone.
"Because you can't catch a cold again."
"That's a misunderstanding on your part, Your Excellency..."
"It is a fact that your body is weak. Eat plenty, sleep well, and grow up."
I was not going to create a situation where Rose had to be examined by Joel again. The delicious food and warm bed tactic was still ongoing.
"...Your Excellency,"
Rose muttered sullenly.
"You always treat me like a child."
"Because you are actually young."
"······."
Rose's face puffed up in a sulk. She was full of desire to argue, but with nothing to say, she only furrowed her brows.
That look was exactly why I treated her like a child even more. I purposefully withheld the truth and gestured to her.
"Let's go."
"Yes, Your Excellency. Ah, and."
Rose politely clasped her hands together and bowed.
"Thank you, Your Excellency. I'll treasure it."
Expressing gratitude immediately upon receiving something was another reason I liked Rose.
It made me feel the worth of giving or gifting something.
Teobeok, teobeok.
I led Rose, who was tagging along closely behind me, toward the stables. Thanks to my instructions to Bill and Selma, there was no entourage following us.
"Your Excellency, but."
Rose, who was following from behind, suddenly spoke up.
"Is it okay if I don't know how to ride a horse?"
"Have you never ridden one before?"
"I've ridden a few times in the academy's general education courses. Honestly, it's hard to say I know how to ride properly. I haven't ridden for long either."
"I see."
We arrived at the stables not long after. Before opening the door, I stopped Rose.
"Wait here for a moment."
"Yes."
As I entered the stables, I saw the stable keeper tending to the horses.
"Here, eat a lot."
The newly hired stable keeper was giving feed to the horses. He then turned around at the sound of the door opening.
"Heueok!"
Seeing me appear suddenly, the stable keeper made an expression as if he were going to faint.
"Y-Your Excellency? What brings you here? I apologize. If you had contacted me in advance, I would have been prepared."
His excessive rambling meant he probably knew what happened to his predecessor.
"Is my horse doing well?"
"Of course. He just finished his feed. But why..."
"Why? I'm asking because I need to ride."
"Pardon?"
The stable keeper asked back, startled.
"Now?"
"Can I not?"
"Ah, no. It's not like that."
When I casually glanced at him, the stable keeper brought the horse out, trembling.
"I never took my eyes off it. I swear. I never left the stables empty."
"I understand, so stop it."
"I-I apologize."
It was almost pitiful to see him defend himself so excessively. But since it was right for him to act that way, I didn't say anything else.
"Have you been well?"
I lightly stroked the horse's neck. The horse narrowed its eyes, as if it liked my touch.
This horse, which I had recently started working with, was quite intelligent. It was especially good at hiding its vicious nature in front of me, and revealing it completely in front of enemies.
Jeobeok.
I led the horse as it was and went out of the stable.
"Your Excellency."
Rose, who had been waiting by the door, approached. Curiosity spread over her slightly flushed face.
"This is Your Excellency's horse. It's pretty."
"Hmm."
I stared at Rose for a moment before opening my mouth.
"You said you've ridden a horse a few times. Then do you think you can mount it by yourself?"
"Uh..."
Rose gulped. Her large two eyes spun round and round as she began to think hard.
"I think so? But what if the horse kicks my butt while I'm getting on?"
"No, it won't."
I almost chuckled but barely held it back. If I laughed here, I'd just see her face turn into a blushing beet, but well.
Instead, I gestured for Rose to come closer.
"Come here. I'll lift you up."
"Ah."
Rose didn't immediately approach and flinched. She stared blankly at my hand reaching out to her.
'...That expression again.'
Rose always made that expression whenever our bodies touched.
A precarious look as if she wanted to run away from me, to flee from here. It gave the feeling that she was desperately trying to distance herself from me.
'Is it that distasteful to touch me?'
I recalled what happened in Joel's room. At the same time, as I imagined what would have happened if I hadn't suppressed the impulse then,
'Damn it.'
The mood, which hadn't been so bad, began to plummet rapidly.
The image of a pale, terrified Rose ruthlessly pushing me away was so vivid that it weighed heavily on my heart, pressing down on it.
'...It's not like it would ever happen anyway.'
I decided not to eat away at myself with needless imagination.
Right, wasn't this a contract marriage? We agreed to keep things neat between us, so this was correct.
"Wife, hurry."
I hid my turbulent feelings and urged Rose calmly.
"Are you planning to hurt my arm again?"
Reminding her of the memory from the first day.