The weather had grown hotter.
At the same time, the sunlight felt fiercer than in any other season.
It was summer.
Time had passed in the blink of an eye.
And it was also the time I had been waiting for the most.
Because it was around now that I was supposed to leave for the Levath Kingdom.
As I had hoped, the people from the royal capital, who had promised to accompany me, came looking for me.
They left quickly after telling me we would depart tomorrow.
“Finally.”
When the moment I had been waiting for arrived, I couldn’t help but clench my fists tightly.
Although bringing back the Endrago would be difficult, I could somehow manage it with the help of my skills.
The rest would simply depend on luck.
Still, I didn’t have a bad feeling about it.
Maybe it was because my heart was so excited.
Anyway, I had to let everyone know that I would be away from the mansion for a long while starting tomorrow.
Not only the servants but also Serena.
“…Do you really have to go?”
“I don’t have a choice. I’m going to get the medicinal herbs that can heal your heart, so please wait for me.”
Even though I had explained it beforehand, now that the time had come to actually be apart for a few days, she already looked downcast.
If Serena were a cat, her ears and tail would probably have drooped sadly by now.
Of course, our little sweetheart’s cuteness would still be overwhelming, even then.
“I’ll bring you back a present. Snacks or a doll, something like that — would that be okay?”
I tried to comfort her, gently stroking her head.
But it seemed like she couldn’t lift her spirits, no matter what I said.
This was troubling.
It made my own journey feel even heavier.
“…Can’t I come with you?”
“No, you can’t. It’s not a trip for fun.”
Though the reason for going was personal, officially, it was part of an exchange between two nations.
There was no way a little girl could be brought along.
I understood Serena’s feelings, but this was a request I couldn’t grant.
And perhaps she understood that too, because she didn’t insist further.
“Instead, I’ll spend the whole day with you today. Enough that you won’t be able to forget me for the next few days. Fufufu.”
I tried to make the idea of playing together sound a bit suspicious on purpose.
Maybe if I put it that way, she would say, “Pervert,” or something like that.
Go ahead, call me anything you want — just cheer up a little!
“…Okay.”
But the response that came back was not what I had expected.
Instead of hurling insults or getting angry, Serena became even quieter.
No — in this case, it was more like she was being shy.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed, and she couldn’t meet my eyes.
It was the perfect reaction to match her soft words.
“Just for today… you have to stay by my side, okay?”
“…Ssssss.”
Ah, she came at me like that before I could even brace myself.
For a moment, my reason almost flew right out the window.
This wasn’t good.
I was already in enough trouble after Prince Reyzen got wind of my private affairs the last time.
“…But since this time it was with your permission, isn’t it okay?”
“Yeah. There was mutual agreement, after all. So maybe just a little more than usual!”
“Serena, when the head of the household speaks like that, you must respond firmly and with resolve.”
Just before I was about to act, Ord intervened.
He gently grabbed Serena’s shoulder and pulled her away from me, an action I could not forgive.
Why, Ord?
Why are you stopping me?
“You must value your own body. If not, the head of the household might really overstep his boundaries.”
“Is that something to say in front of your master…?”
“It’s for the sake of the head of the household’s reputation and Serena’s safety.”
Contrary to his words, Ord’s eyes didn’t trust me at all.
How does he see me that he has so little faith in me?
“Ugh…”
In the end, the time that could’ve been an intimate and enjoyable one with just Serena and me was not free from Ord’s watchful eye.
It was so frustrating.
All I wanted was to feel Serena’s warmth, which I hadn’t been able to experience for a few days, imprint her soft belly on my body, and gently knead it.
*
Then the promised day arrived, and after saying my goodbyes, I left for the castle.
Thanks to Serena waving me off until the very end, I gathered a lot of strength and headed out.
After meeting with the king at the castle, I was joined by others to head to Levath together.
‘Seems like they’re really after Endrago. The fact that they’re offering this much military support for a neighboring country’s issue…’
More than just a few people, enough for an expedition to explore ancient ruins.
They’re not just helping out but are investing generously because they want the same thing.
Considering the value of that medicine, which can even save those nearly dead, it’s understandable.
The problem, though, is that all of these people are my rivals.
‘Well, I don’t mind. I’ve got skills that others don’t.’
But since I have a unique strength that no one else does, I wasn’t too worried.
“Sorry in advance, Levath Kingdom and your Majesty. I’ll use Endrago well for my favorite character.”
“I didn’t expect to see your face like this.”
While I was lost in thought, someone spoke to me.
Since there were only two of us in the small carriage, it wasn’t hard to figure out who it was.
Long, flowing blue hair.
The bangs were slightly covering her eyes, adding a mysterious air to the woman.
Moreover, her figure was unmistakably sensual due to the tight-fitting material of her clothes.
“I didn’t expect the great magician of the land to be involved in this matter,” she said, and she was a face I knew well.
She was the head of the Logjein family, famous for its magical heritage.
“Oh, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Logjein Ziel Linz. Please feel free to call me Linz.”
Perhaps because she was much older than me, her composed posture and the warmth in her smile weren’t excessive.
In fact, she looked young enough to seem fitting.
How did someone like her even have a daughter?
Did she drink some sort of elixir to make herself younger?
“I’m Christina von Ershi. It’s a pleasure to meet you, madam.”
“Hehe, the title of Countess is so well-known among magicians, you don’t need to introduce yourself.”
Her hand, which she held out, was smaller and more delicate than mine.
“…Your hand is quite sturdy for a magician.”
“Is it? I did learn a little swordsmanship.”
“That explains it. For someone so young, you’re quite impressive.”
“Haha. Yes. —Wait?”
Did I mishear that?
I thought I heard something unbelievable coming from her cultured voice, but since Mrs. Linz withdrew her hand, I was left with only questions.
It felt awkward to ask her about it with that sly expression on her face.
I must have misheard.
Yeah, that must be it.
“By the way, it seems like we’re the only nobles who volunteered for this.”
“Well… it’s not an easy thing to do.”
Just as Mrs. Linz said, I was the only noble, along with her, who had volunteered to participate in this expedition.
If there were no personal gains, no one would risk such danger.
And saying that another way, Mrs. Linz must have volunteered because she wanted something.
“Now that I think about it, Mrs. Linz, what is your reason for coming along?”
“I’ve been doing magical research in my mansion every day, so I needed a change of pace. Hehe. Honestly, it feels like I’m on vacation right now?”
I asked just in case, but all I got in return was a playful smile that seemed to have no hidden intentions.
I felt a little guilty for suspecting her.
“It seems like we’re similar. I also wanted to get away from all the work. There’s just too much to handle.”
“Well, when you’re young and overwork, your body starts aching a lot.”
And so, we continued our casual conversation.
After all, we had a long way to go.
We spent time talking about magic and our daily lives.
There was nothing else to talk about anyway.
“I wonder how cute your younger sibling must be, Countess. I’d love to meet them.”
“Hehe. I’m not boasting, but they’re so adorable, you wouldn’t even feel pain if you put them in your eye.”
From time to time, Christina von Ershi also shared some praise about Serena.
“How about we arrange a meeting between my daughter and your younger sibling sometime?”
“Huh? You mean my younger sibling and your daughter?”
“They’re the same age, and both are interested in magic, so I think they’d make great friends.”
“…That’s probably true.”
So far, Serena’s only friend was Prince Reyzen .
Even then, their friendship was still fairly new, so it felt a bit too soon to call them close friends.
‘It’s a bit weird that the only people I know are the people in the mansion and myself.’
I nodded in agreement to Ershi’s suggestion.
If it were a boy, maybe it would be different, but since Serena was a girl, there was no danger of her being distracted, so it seemed perfect.
“I’ll invite you and your daughter sometime. Would that be okay?”
“I’d be grateful. Hehe. I’m already looking forward to it.”
Ershi smiled brightly, clearly happy at the thought of her daughter making a new friend.
It seems that even when mothers travel to foreign lands, their hearts still remain with their children.
Watching her, I found myself missing my own mother, who had passed away too soon.
“To be able to watch cute, small children playing happily… hehehe.”
Huh?
“I actually really like young children.”
I hadn’t even asked her about that.
But as Ershi stared dreamily out the carriage window, she looked completely absorbed in her own thoughts.
“I can’t believe I’ll meet a little girl as cute as my daughter. My heart is racing, I feel so excited, I want to go back immediately…”
The composed, cultured noblewoman from before was nowhere to be seen — in her place was just a single woman, hopelessly smitten by the idea of meeting adorable children.
Now that I thought about it, the way she had held my hand earlier also seemed a little suspicious.
Wait.
Am I included in that range too?
‘Maybe I should keep a little distance.’
Ershi seemed like a good person, but her love for little girls felt a little dangerous.
Adults shouldn’t be thinking about children like that.