Ch.158Victory Keeps Me Busy #4

Of course, while the compensation loaded onto the carriage was substantial, it wasn’t a matter that required a marquis, let alone a grand duke, to personally attend to.

Count Barkan sat in his office, pondering why the two had ridden here themselves. Though difficult to believe, since they had claimed to come for fresh air, he couldn’t question their motives. That would be tantamount to expressing suspicion toward Helena.

“Hmm…”

Barkan sat alone in his office, letting out a heavy sigh. The shock of seeing with his own eyes the majesty he had only heard about in stories from the battlefield remained vivid in his mind. It was a moment that reminded him of the vast difference between merely hearing something and witnessing it firsthand.

“Hmm?”

Could it be? While lost in thought, a single hypothesis flashed through Barkan’s mind with striking clarity. Considering Helena’s disposition and reputation, it seemed to fit perfectly—an assumption that was almost certainly true.

“Is anyone there?”

“Yes, Count. Did you call?”

When Barkan called out in a low voice, a servant who had been waiting outside opened the door with a respectful bow. As was customary in noble households, servants were always ready to respond to summons.

“What has been done with the goods the Marquis brought?”

“Yes. We immediately took them to the storehouse and neatly categorized them separately for easy identification.”

“Categorized separately? Well done.”

If his suspicions were correct, this would be much more convenient than having everything mixed together. Barkan felt grateful to whoever had instructed the separate classification and spoke with a notably weighty voice.

“Have the records of the dead and injured soldiers been organized?”

“Yes. Lord Lloyd gave instructions, and the classification has been completed.”

“Then use the compensation to generously console them, and spare no expense in supporting the treatment of the injured soldiers. It doesn’t matter if all the compensation is used up.”

“Is… is that truly your wish?”

“My, do I seem like someone who would speak falsely? Anyway, as soon as you leave this room, inform Lloyd and the butler of my decision.”

For someone who lived among merchants and was known for being shrewd about profits to disregard losses like this? The servant found the order somewhat puzzling but obediently bowed his head. He was in no position to question the order, nor did he have any reason to.

Barkan watched the servant’s retreating back as he exhaled a long breath, then muttered in a small voice.

“So the blood price should first go to those who shed their blood…”

.

“Didn’t Count Barkan and all the nobles seem strangely stiff?”

On the journey home after a fairly long trip, Ellen, who was in the same carriage, tilted her head and asked. Despite traveling from port cities to basin-shaped territories, which should have been tiring, she still appeared full of energy.

“Stiff? I suppose they might be. A marquis personally leading an escort procession is unusual.”

“That’s part of it, but I felt more like they were being cautious and watching their behavior. Of course, they’d be mindful with the Marquis present, but this felt different somehow…”

“Now that you mention it… it did seem that way.”

Even Ive, who had been quietly listening, supported Ellen’s observation, suggesting it wasn’t just my imagination. The reason wasn’t clear, but they were definitely being cautious, and not simply because a marquis had visited.

Since it was already over, there seemed little need to dig into the reason, but curiosity was beginning to stir. Come to think of it, each time we left a noble’s territory, they always showed a stiff, almost military-like demeanor.

“They were probably uncomfortable because we didn’t fill our own pockets much. And when we visited their territories directly in that situation, it might have seemed like subtle pressure. Let’s drop this topic. It’s too noisy.”

Helena, who had been resting with her eyes closed while leaning on my shoulder, spoke up, and I instinctively closed my mouth. Ellen and Ive also fell silent like me, but their wide eyes revealed their surprise.

Had Helena been thinking about this all along, even while acting indifferently when the nobles showed such behavior? Since this wasn’t something I’d confirmed myself, it was merely speculation, but to my ears, it sounded like absolute truth.

“Wow… that’s incredibly convincing. Amazing.”

“Really?”

When I absentmindedly murmured praise, Helena narrowed her eyes and smiled broadly. She still maintained her habit of being uncomfortable with others’ compliments while readily accepting mine. It was hard to believe she had casually dropped such an incisive observation.

“Yes, truly. I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to have Helena by my side. It reduces a lot of unnecessary worries. Of course, having Ellen and Ive here is also reassuring.”

I subtly included the two women in my praise, concerned that focusing solely on Helena might make them feel left out. Especially since today’s miraculous results wouldn’t have been possible without Ellen and Ive, I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

Fortunately, my sincerity seemed to reach them all, as everyone appeared happy without any signs of feeling slighted, allowing us to maintain the warm atmosphere all the way home.

After that, I spent my days handling the remaining post-war matters and loosely managing tax and agricultural affairs. In between, I welcomed elven workers who were dispatched and trained with dark elves.

Perhaps because we had joined forces against a common enemy, there was a stronger sense of goodwill than before. I found this quite fortunate.

However, as time passed, an important event that had to be held regularly was rapidly approaching—none other than the celebration of the King’s birthday.

“Already that time… time really flies.”

I sighed as I placed the King’s personal letter on my office desk. Though it was an invitation, I wondered if I was treating the royal decree written by the King himself too casually, but unfortunately, neither Helena nor I possessed that level of loyalty.

“Fortunately, there’s an order not to bring gifts this time, so the journey will be easier.”

Helena, resting her head on my shoulder, read the King’s decree and showed signs of relief.

“He says that, but isn’t he secretly expecting something?”

“If that were the case, it would only prove the King’s pettiness. Even if that were true, I don’t think we can fault him. Besides, the King isn’t a man who speaks with two tongues… there’s probably no hidden meaning.”

That’s a relief, then.

I was grateful for one less troublesome task and pondered what to do with the gift I had prepared for this year. When I needed to impress the King, I had prepared common luxury items like silk and jewels that could be used in many ways. They could simply be polished and stored away.

“Oh, and it says Ellen and Ive must attend as representatives who achieved results by raiding the Imperial garrison.”

“Tsk. I wish we could have just let it pass quietly…”

Selfishly, I wasn’t keen on Ellen and Ive receiving too much attention. I always thought that allowing them to fully utilize their abilities would lead to troublesome and burdensome situations.

That’s why I had set appropriate limits when sending them to this war, but even that had been significant. At least I was fortunate to have left room for excuses.

“It can’t be helped. The King’s request is, in some ways, weightier than an order.”

“It’s essentially an order phrased differently, which makes it feel even more ominous.”

Helena exchanged words with me as if she had been waiting, subtly disparaging the King. It wasn’t severe enough to be considered harsh criticism, just enough to laugh off. If the King were here, I might have broken into a cold sweat, but if he had been, I wouldn’t have brought up the topic in the first place.

But you know.

Helena, still resting her head on my shoulder, looked up at me and tilted her head slightly.

Judging by her expression, something seemed to be on her mind.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Ellen can wear the uniform I gave her, but Ive doesn’t have anything like that. If she attends the banquet in her usual clothes…”

“That would be problematic. She’d stand out for not being properly dressed. Though she’s improved a lot lately, her personality hasn’t completely changed.”

I felt a sense of urgency as if a fire had been lit under my feet and carefully rose. In the process, Helena pouted in dissatisfaction as she had to lift her head, but it couldn’t be helped. She couldn’t very well attend wearing her everyday clothes.

After all, this is why being a noble can be troublesome.

“There isn’t much time, so I have no choice. I’ll have to make something suitable myself.”

“What…?”

I’ve made wedding dresses and underwear before, so a party dress shouldn’t be a big deal. Trusting in my practiced skills and confidence, I was about to stride confidently out of the office when Helena’s chillingly cold voice stopped me in my tracks. I had no choice.

“Jion… you’re going to make it yourself?”

Although they shared me, there was a clear hierarchy, so Helena rarely got angry, but today seemed different. Helena appeared to be burning with jealousy at the thought of me making something for someone else that she didn’t have.

And that fire needed to be extinguished immediately to avoid trouble.

“Yes, that’s the plan. There’s not enough time to commission it from a shop. The shop people probably have other orders to fulfill.”

“…Since we’re in a hurry, push them and order it.”

Her voice was so resolute that there seemed to be no room for argument. If I didn’t have strong mental fortitude, I might have nodded without realizing it.

How grateful I am for my strong mentality at times like this.

I approached Helena, who sat in the office chair with a deadpan expression, placed my hands on her smooth shoulders, and said:

“Helena, could you stand up for a moment?”

Though Helena still showed signs of unabated jealousy, she followed my request obediently. Inwardly grateful for her compliant attitude, I lowered my hands from her shoulders to her waist and embraced her tightly, holding her in my arms.

“Since we need to attend the royal banquet, I should make Ive’s dress first. But…”

“But…?”

Sensing that the conversation was taking an interesting turn, Helena asked in a slightly excited voice. Though the coldness in her voice remained, there was a hint of anticipation. It felt like her mood would improve with just a little more persuasion.

“I think this is actually fortunate. There are many outfits I want to see Helena wear, and things I want to try…”

“What are those?”

What else? That, of course.

I deliberately swallowed those words, took a calm breath, and hunched my body. Since I was taller than Helena, I had to bend down and hunch over to whisper in her ear.

“To be honest, though I haven’t mentioned it before… whenever I see the dresses worn by noble ladies, I can’t help but imagine how Helena would look in them.”

Contrary to expectations that they would be voluminous with minimal exposure, many dresses were form-fitting like modern party dresses. Many revealed the shoulders or upper chest. Though they often covered these exposed areas with fur stoles or other accessories… anyway.

“I’ve imagined it. Helena wearing such a dress, and I…”

I tried to ignite desire rather than jealousy, explaining that wearing appropriate clothing can be more exciting than being undressed. Though it was difficult to bring up because she usually preferred uniforms, I wanted to pin Helena against a secluded wall while she wore a dress and ravish her.

I wanted to do it savagely, like a beast driven by primal instinct.

Sometimes, even knowing it would waste money, I wanted to half-tear the dress, and not stop even when the clothes became soaked with bodily fluids and turned to rags.

“Mmm… that’s… too, dangerous…”

Helena’s coldness disappeared, replaced by a sweet voice tinged with heat as her body trembled. It was understandable, given how tightly I was embracing her, causing many points of contact, and my usual persuasive encouragement.

Thinking she was almost convinced, I opened my mouth to complete the final step in calming her jealousy.

“Wear the provocative dress I make, like those noble ladies, and seduce me subtly and vulgarly like those promiscuous nobles who mix bodies. Can you do that?”

“Y-yes. I can… do it.”

“Thank you. I knew Helena would listen to me because she’s so good.”

Pat, pat.

I lightly patted Helena’s back, specifically near her tailbone, with my palm, as if praising a child. I also stroked the area. It wasn’t difficult since my arm was already wrapped around that region.

“Y-yes…”

Her sweet voice, sounding completely melted, indicated we had overcome one hurdle, leaving only physical compensation to be paid.

Still embracing Helena, I lowered my lips from her ear to her nape.