Chapter 88 : Side Story (Episode 8)

Riorem went out yesterday and today.

Once from the bed, once from the bathtub—I thought he wouldn’t go far.

It seemed he had just gone to a nearby city.

But something unexpected happened.

Riorem brought someone with him.

Someone I truly never imagined.

I quietly looked at the woman who hasn’t said a word since opening the front door.

For some reason, I remembered the day we first met.

The morning when Riorem left the bedroom in confusion.

The one who came in to prevent the servants from barging in, sitting on the sofa until I woke up…

Teumesia.

I smiled softly.

“You seem to be doing well.”

Teumesia raised her eyebrows.

Probably annoyed because I greeted her exactly as she expected.

“One of the estates must have gone to you, right? Did you get a good one?”

“…Yes.”

Teumesia gritted her teeth.

‘Did you expect this too?’ I didn’t say something like that.

Teumesia isn’t the type to say obvious things like that.

Just then, Riorem returned.

“Did you buy more bread?”

“Yes.”

He showed me the envelope he was carrying and went straight into the kitchen.

‘His face is red.’

I thought as I watched Riorem’s back disappear.

Judging by the thick bread bag, the bakery owner must have made some teasing remarks again like,

“You have to eat well during your honeymoon. You never know when a baby might come!”

Suddenly, a fact came to mind.

Riorem was completely ignoring Teumesia’s presence.

As if bringing her here was already the minimum courtesy.

That was understandable.

Now he was no longer the lord of Dynamis, so there was no need to care much about his old aide.

‘But it’s a bit surprising that Teumesia is also pretending Riorem doesn’t exist.’

To Teumesia, Riorem was the lord she chose.

A man who abandoned everything and ran away deserved anger or persuasion to come back… but he acted as if he had no interest at all.

As if the only reason he came this far was because of me.

Noticing my thoughts, Teumesia spoke.

“…You really live in a place like this.”

I smiled at her.

“Watch your words. Riorem is starting to worry about having to buy another mansion.”

“Ah.”

Teumesia frowned.

“In Renadin too, he fussed about buying perfume.”

“Renadin? What kind of place is that?”

“It’s a city about a day’s sail from here. Before autumn, the market flourishes and there’s quite a lot to see… Why am I even telling you this?”

“Keep going, it’s interesting.”

Teumesia scoffed and sat on the sofa opposite me.

Finally, I gladly poured tea for the guest.

It was a herbal tea tasty enough without careful timing.

Teumesia, watching me, spoke again.

“Now you have to pour and drink tea yourself.”

“Actually, I don’t get many chances except times like this. I think it’s a good way to enjoy myself… Usually, Riorem makes it.”

“Haa.”

Teumesia snorted knowingly.

I couldn’t hold back my curiosity any longer.

“You don’t seem to expect anything from Riorem.”

“Expect?”

“I thought you’d want him to return to the Arete Kingdom.”

“Oh, some people do. I think everyone believes that man was just playing with you.”

I smiled silently.

Before, she thought the same and tried to kill me, yet now she says that.

Honestly, it was amusing.

Maybe realizing this, Teumesia shut her mouth and glared at her teacup.

At that moment, Riorem came out of the kitchen.

In his hands was a plate more expensive than the tea set of a typical noble family.

Though it was just a rustic homemade dessert.

Still, it tasted quite good.

Teumesia’s gray eyes followed the plate as it was placed on the table.

And the moment Riorem disappeared to the other side of the room, she spoke again.

“…He even makes dessert?”

“Yes. There’s nowhere nearby that sells something like this.”

“I’ve really seen everything.”

Teumesia shook her head in disbelief.

A beautiful fork cut into the plain honey cake.

Teumesia frowned again as she took a bite.

“Does it taste good?”

“…Unbelievable, really.”

I smiled and took a bite of the honey cake that Riorem had made with care.

His skill had suddenly improved, and now the quality was close to that of a decent dessert shop.

But if he has to go out again, he’ll probably buy desserts from that place and serve them in front of me.

I decided to tell Teumesia what she would want to hear.

“Sometimes he’s away from home for a long time. It’s never been over a month, but trips lasting several weeks happen quite often.”

“I’m really glad I don’t have to bother investigating the identity of this suddenly appearing elite mercenary.”

“Is Riorem famous outside?”

“Different names, different methods, but several outstanding mercenaries each take on jobs in different regions to earn money.”

“But someone like you would probably suspect—actually, all those mercenaries might be the same person…”

“You suspect it’s Riorem Velic.”

I nodded while listening to Teumesia.

‘I thought he was making quite a bit of money. So that’s how he’s been working.’

If I had asked, Riorem probably would have answered—how he earns so much money, where he gets certain suspicious things.

But he wanted to keep that story secret from me, and so I willingly didn’t ask.

Keeping the secrets of someone you love is quite an interesting thing.

Aside from that, Teumesia’s story was intriguing.

“Who got Dynamis? The crown prince?”

“Yes. Officially the lord is missing, so he doesn’t reside at the mansion.”

I smiled thinking of the crown prince.

“Haha. Since he watched us from the side, he probably doesn’t want to set foot in that mansion’s bedroom.”

Teumesia tilted the teapot towards herself instead of answering.

“If you’re away for weeks… how do you manage?”

I looked at Teumesia, who was avoiding my eyes.

“Did you come here because you’re curious about me, not Riorem?”

“…Anyone would be curious, right? The Peroa princess who was revered all her life ran away with a general of Arete.”

“Indeed. I wonder if ‘they lived happily ever after’ is really possible.”

It was natural when I thought about it.

She had lived surrounded by the most expensive and splendid things all her life, and even afterwards was treated like a princess despite being called a slave.

Suddenly, she abandoned all status and rank and ran away with a man.

She must have wondered if love alone could cover everything.

‘Anyone who knows me a little might have thought I’d get bored within days.’

I paused to answer Teumesia’s question about how I manage without Riorem.

“How do I live without him…”

“I just manage well on my own.”

“Is that possible?”

Teumesia asked suspiciously.

“Alone? Can you do that? You’ve never even properly sliced bread yourself.”

“Of course, I’m fine.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“He’ll surely prepare everything well before he goes. My husband.”

Her gray eyes shifted between my left ring finger and my face.

“I don’t have to worry about food—it gets delivered on its own. I can bathe by myself. Other than that… just enough to keep the mood is fine.”

“…The mood?”

“The feeling that I abandoned everything and ran away with the one I love. Even if I mess things up, Riorem takes care of it anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Really…?”

Teumesia closed her mouth as if there were too many things she wanted to say but couldn’t.

After a while, rinsing her mouth with tea, Teumesia spoke again.

“The fact that you’re telling me this so willingly means there must be something you want to hear too, right?”

“Well, honestly yes. Riorem never tells me anything about his outside affairs, so it gets boring.”

Of course, when we’re alone, there’s no chance to ask because we’re swept up in passion.

I didn’t explain that part to Teumesia.

Apparently satisfied with that, Teumesia relaxed into her chair from her previously rigid posture.

“What should I tell you first? The uproar after the two of you ran away? Or when His Highness the Crown Prince immediately contacted me promising estates?”

“Anything is fine. If it’s a story you can tell me, it’ll be interesting.”

Teumesia scoffed at that.

“You’re still playing with people, aren’t you? Actually, you want to hear how Prince Alpheios was ruined.”