Chapter One Hundred and Fourty-One: Secrets
“Mr. Julius! Who might that person be!?”
“Karen, she is—”
“About that day… I’m so happy that you remember, Master Julius. Depending on the expedition’s duties, we may end up working together, so I look forward to your company when the time comes.”
Before Julius could say anything, the aqua blue-haired woman smiled gracefully and departed from the scene. For a moment, the woman looked at Karen and smiled. Whether it was a mocking smile, Karen couldn’t tell—there was a very high possibility that her eyes were clouded like frosted glass by her romantic filter.
Her beautiful, long, aqua-blue hair seemed difficult to maintain inside a dungeon. She wore a white dress-like outfit and carried a large staff topped with a fist-sized magic stone. She was an adventurer and a healing mage. Healing mages specialized in water magic, and their cleanliness often reflected their skill. Her shoes and staff showed signs of use, so she was probably a skilled healer.
After seeing the woman off until she disappeared from view, Karen shifted her gaze to Julius.
“Mr. Julius?”
“She’s a noble from Ehlertt, Karen. Though she’s a noble, she works as an adventurer and will be accompanying the investigation team, so she apparently came to greet me.”
While saying this, Julius quickly brushed his eyes. It was a casual gesture, but Karen noticed. Julius had just wiped away tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes.
“Um, Mr. Julius, were you crying?”
“Of course not. Why would I cry?”
“Did that person say something to you? What kind of relationship do you have with her? It looked like you were embracing each other.”
“We didn’t talk about anything important, and she’s just a fellow noble from my homeland, Karen. Besides, we weren’t embracing. I was just steadying her when she swayed.”
Julius said this and smiled brightly at Karen.
His perfect smile carried an intention to melt Karen’s brain.
Lately, Karen had shared many kisses and embraces with Julius.
She had probably built up some resistance by now.
Karen directed a suspicious glare at Julius without being easily deceived.
In other words, Julius had no intention of speaking honestly to Karen.
“I see… is that so?”
Karen backed down while maintaining her suspicious glare.
Julius wore a slightly troubled smile, but apparently still had no intention of speaking, keeping his mouth shut.
“…I’m going to prepare lunch, so excuse me.”
“Ah, see you later.”
Karen stared at Julius suspiciously in silence, then left the scene.
“Do you two know anything about women Mr. Julius has dated in the past?”
When Karen asked while preparing detox potions for Waltride, the two maids who were accompanying Waltride’s expedition and were now preparing cutlery for lunch looked at each other.
“Mr. Julius’s? I don’t know anything about that. I knew there were rumors that he was courting Her Highness Waltride, but that was false. Do you know anything, Irmlinde?”
“I don’t know either. Even during my stay at Ehlertt, I don’t recall hearing anything particular. The young ladies admired Mr. Julius, but he was entirely like an unreachable flower, so I think he belonged to no one.”
The tall woman with pale olive green-colored hair was Dorotea, and the small woman with peach-colored hair was Irmlinde. Dorotea was an earl’s daughter, and Irmlinde was a marquis’s daughter. They were daughters of quite high-ranking nobles, respectively, but they were good people who treated Karen with a certain amount of respect.
Dorotea looked at Karen timidly.
“Um, did something happen between you and Mr. Julius… Lady Karen?”
“Your expression looks strange. Are you alright?”
They were good people who even worried about Karen’s dark expression.
“What would you two think if the gentleman you were dating had an unknown woman clinging to him? The gentleman says he was just supporting someone who was swaying. Despite clearly giving off an atmosphere that something happened between them in the past, he says there’s nothing, that she’s just an acquaintance.”
“That’s definitely cheating.”
“Irmlinde, that’s too blunt.”
Dorothea flustered in a panic, while Irmlinde declared firmly.
Karen let out a deep, deep sigh.
“If it’s only something in the past, I wouldn’t call it cheating. Right, Lady Karen?”
“I don’t intend to make a fuss about the past, but what do you think about hiding it from the girlfriend you’re currently dating? When I’m asking about it and he won’t say anything, what do you think?”
“It’s not uncommon for a partially used fire magic stone to ignite from the slightest stimulation.”
Irmlinde remarked wistfully, as if recalling an old saying about a spark rekindling dying embers.
Karen channeled magical power into the contents of her hand pot with a burning intensity. It was a household iron hand pot. The adamantite alchemy cauldron was too heavy to bring along.
“Even though he said he changed his affiliation to the First Princess’ unit to follow me…”
“But Lady Karen, how much effort are you making to keep Master Julius with you?”
“E-Effort?”
When Karen looked at Irmlinde in surprise, Irmlinde received a small tasting plate from a servant who had finished cooking and said:
“Born as a noble daughter, I was educated from childhood to live for my husband’s family once my marriage was arranged. While women also fight, since women bear children, the burden of risking one’s life for the country is still heavier for men. To support the men who risk their lives in battle, I intend to submit to my husband’s family’s teachings and accommodate my husband’s wishes as much as possible. —But Lady Karen, how much are you accommodating Master Julius’s wishes?”
“I-Irmlinde, honestly! Lady Karen is from a commoner background and is an alchemist! She’s different from us who serve Her Highness Waltride for bridal training!”
“Of course, I do think it’s fine to be different. But perhaps Lady Karen should be aware that this is what noble daughters are, and that noble sons grow up dreaming of marrying such women.”
Irmlinde said this calmly and tasted the small plate, then instructed the servants to adjust the seasoning, saying "Her Royal Highness prefers a slightly stronger salt flavor.”
Karen had frozen like a stone in the pose of having completed her detox potion.
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