Chapter 24: It’s Okay, That’s Love (3)

Yudith’s declaration of a date, like a storm, shook Chloe’s mind for a week, leaving her in a daze.

Every word that came from her mouth tickled her heart as if it were flirting, and dyed her ears red.

Whether Yudith knew and enjoyed this reaction or not, she had no intention of stopping, and continued to mix jokes and sincerity every day.

After a week of being shaken like a storm, it was finally the day before departure.

While Yudith was out for a moment, Chloe skipped work and secretly entered the room, hesitating in front of the closet.

She rummaged through her few casual clothes, trying to choose what to wear that day, but couldn’t easily decide because of her inner conflict.

‘Still… it’s a date… shouldn’t I wear the prettiest clothes I have…?’

She took out the clothes she thought were the prettiest among the ones she had bought last year but never worn.

She thought she would look quite pretty if she wore a blouse shirt with pretty fluttering lace and a skirt.

Chloe held the clothes to her body, looked in the mirror to check, and nodded slightly, thinking it was passable.

She looked at herself from various angles, holding the blouse shirt to her body.

She easily imagined her unfamiliar self and even gave an awkward smile.

“…..”

But… did she really have to go on a date with Yudith? She was filled with anxiety, wondering if she should refuse even now.

No matter how prettily she dressed up, she couldn’t stand next to Yudith.

The obsession that she was a noble aristocrat and she was a lowly commoner was not erased from her mind.

Chloe knew that Yudith didn’t care about that at all.

But Chloe was very conscious of the gazes around her.

Because she didn’t want to cause her any harm, even in that way.

Because she didn’t want her to hear bad things because of her.

She needed to sort out this fluttering heart.

‘Yes… a maid’s uniform will be enough…’

Chloe barely calmed her fluttering heart and buried the cherished shirt deep in the closet again.

Then, she took out the cleanest maid’s uniform, which was relatively new, not long after she received it, and still had a crisp shape without any stains.

She gently took out the maid’s uniform and neatly folded her fluttering heart.

She had to sigh softly and prepare to head to the Black Forest.

---

On the day she was to go on an inspection tour of the Black Forest.

Yudith, not even bothering to receive Damian’s farewell, boarded the carriage and headed to Count Renard’s territory.

She had heard that many different races lived together in his territory, which had the Black Forest.

She heard that Yudith’s Magic skills were needed there because of the Magical Creature and unusual phenomena, but she thought it would be okay because they said it wasn’t dangerous.

The Black Forest, also famous as a tourist destination. Chloe had also looked into many things because of Yudith’s date declaration.

The Krysen Botanical Garden, where many plants from the continent were displayed for ornamental purposes, was said to be a place that couples must visit at least once, and there was also a famous house that baked pancakes with charcoal made from a tree Magical Creature called Trent.

Did they say that baking it that way made it taste even sweeter with the scent from the charcoal itself?

‘It’s just… that’s all… it’s not like I looked it up because I wanted to go…’

She felt that her folded heart was stirring with the rattling of the carriage.

She looked at Yudith’s profile as she boarded the carriage and looked out the window.

Yudith’s hair fluttered as if tickling her in the breeze blowing in from the slightly opened window.

She was resting her chin, looking out of the running carriage with serious eyes, wondering what she was thinking about.

An hour had passed since she got in the carriage and departed, but Yudith’s serious expression did not disappear, so Chloe asked Yudith.

“…Are you worried about something?”

“Huh…? It’s nothing like that. Just…”

Yudith, who said just… and closed her mouth, turned pale, almost blue.

“Motion… sickness..”

“….”

The atmosphere is ruined…

She felt that way just a little bit.

Why she was quiet after getting in the carriage, why she was only looking out the window.

And why she didn’t talk to me.

She felt like she understood everything.

The shaking inside the carriage running on the bumpy unpaved road was so intense that it seemed like it would even mix up a person’s organs, so Yudith’s expression was not good at all.

“If you’re going to throw up, you have to do it in this basket?”

“I… don’t do… that…”

“…Don’t be stubborn and be sure to tell me when it’s hard.”

Yudith, who had turned blue, closed her eyes tightly, leaned against the carriage, and sighed.

She didn’t know that Yudith got motion sickness because it was the first time she had ridden in a carriage since she was young.

Looking at Yudith struggling and suffering, she felt sorry, but she felt like she was going to laugh a little.

She had never shown such a weak side, so she even thought that such a weak side was cute.

“Ugh…”

“Shall we take a break?”

“No… there’s not much left anyway… I’m okay… ugh…”

After saying only that, Yudith quietly closed her eyes. She was only groaning as if she didn’t even have the strength to speak anymore, so Chloe moved to Yudith’s side and took out a handkerchief.

She wiped the cold sweat that had formed on her forehead as she endured the motion sickness and just looked at her struggling profile.

Yudith, who leaned her head on her shoulder, took rough breaths as if she was having a hard time.

‘She wouldn’t hate me just for throwing up…’

Knowing why Yudith was pretending to be strong, she just supported her leaning shoulder.

Chloe also slowly tilted her head towards Yudith.

***.

When they arrived at Count Renard’s mansion and the carriage barely stopped, Yudith’s expression seemed to be somewhat alive.

Yudith, who staggered out of the carriage, looked really bad, as if she was about to collapse at any moment.

“I greet Grand Duchess Judith Edmund. I am Count Dane Renard.”

“…Thank you for the welcome, Count Renard.”

Count Renard and his family, who welcomed her as soon as she arrived at the mansion.

After the greetings from his wife and children, Count Renard looked at Yudith’s pale face and led her to her room with consideration.

After that, she accepted the Count’s dinner invitation, and as soon as the door closed, Yudith ran to the bed and entrusted herself to it.

“Milady, are you okay?”

“…..I’m okay… It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden in a carriage for so long…”

She had always only traveled around the Grand Ducal Castle, so she showed a very weak appearance to motion sickness because she had never ridden in a carriage for more than an hour or two like this.

“…Shall I bring you some water? Are you resting?”

“Don’t go…”

Yudith stopped Chloe’s steps with an almost crying voice.

‘Has Yudith ever shown such a weak side…?’

Almost never.

Yudith, who had never been seriously ill in eight years, called her almost crying, and Chloe’s heart felt like it had sunk slightly.

“Chloe… come here…”

“…Milady, if you’re in a lot of pain, shall I call a doctor?”

“It’s okay… just come here…”

Chloe, who sighed softly at Yudith’s voice calling her while burying her face in the pillow, slowly approached the bed.

Chloe, who sat down next to Yudith with a thud, brushed away Yudith’s hidden hair to check her expression.

“…Milady, you lied, didn’t you?”

“No? I really hurt.”

Chloe sighed in relief at the eye smile that looked up at her with a bashful smile when she brushed away her hair.

It was just motion sickness, but she had never seen her so groggy, so her heart dropped, but she could be sure when she saw Yudith’s expression up close.

‘She’s pretending to be sick?’

Chloe’s face turned slightly red at Yudith’s playfulness.

“I think I’ll get better if Chloe is next to me…”

“…Shall I leave then?”

Chloe, whose heart was relieved by Yudith’s mischievous smile, who was giggling, once again tidied up Yudith’s disheveled hair.

While tidying her hair, Yudith, who grabbed Chloe’s hand, lightly kissed the back of her hand.

“Milady..”

“Why?”

She felt like her mind was dizzy from the fascinating gaze that looked up at her. Only her face was reflected in the fascinatingly sparkling red eyes.

“If you do anything more than this, I’m really going to leave.”

“Okay..”

The fascinating gaze subsided and she turned her head as if she was slightly sulking. Nevertheless, looking at Yudith, who did not let go of her hand, she felt like her closed heart was rattling.

She felt that her touching hands were burning hot.

Chloe’s ears also turned hot as she felt Yudith’s hot warmth tickling her heart through the back of her hand.

“…There’s some time until dinner.”

It was still midday. There would be at least three hours left until the dinner appointment that the Count had mentioned.

She looked down at Yudith, who did not turn her head to look at her, but did not let go of her hand.

As a maid, she had a lot to say about her sloppy appearance.

Your clothes are getting wrinkled, so please get up from the bed quickly.

Your makeup is smudged, so don’t bury your face in the pillow.

Your hair that I tidied up is getting messed up, so please get up quickly.

Numerous nagging words were listed in her head.

Nevertheless, Chloe said nothing.

A summer breeze with the smell of the forest blew in from the open window.

Chloe rearranged Yudith’s hand that had been on the back of her hand so that their palms were facing each other.

Only their fingers twitched at the tickling touch of their fingers.

As one finger overlapped and was folded, the other fingers began to fold and hug each other as if they were jealous.

All the fingers were interlaced and only hot air circulated in the hands that they were holding onto.

-Thump

-Thump

In the quiet room, they only focused on the heartbeats felt in each other’s palms.

The playful summer breeze that blew in from the window brushed past Yudith’s hair and gently messed it up.

The disheveled hair revealed Yudith’s hidden red ears and red face.

Chloe, who looked down at the sight, also felt heat on her face.

---

Only Yudith participated in the dinner party invited by Count Renard.

The Count said that the maid was also a guest from the Grand Ducal Family, so it was okay for her to come, but Chloe strongly refused, so she did not participate together.

“The meal is excellent, Count.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste, Grand Duchess.”

Only trivial conversations continued during the meal. The Count poured wine, but Yudith did not drink it.

She didn’t even touch the alcohol, hoping that Chloe would be the first to drink alcohol with her, and only touched the food.

When the boring dinner time was over and it didn’t seem like Count Renard’s story would end, Yudith brought up the main point first.

“First of all… I want to know why you specifically called me, Count Renard.”

Count Renard, who put down his wine glass, began to speak about the main point with a serious expression.

“…Currently, an unknown abnormal situation has occurred in the Black Forest. You must be aware of that, Grand Duchess.”

The story that Damian had told her before coming. At the sound of Magical Creatures abnormally occurring, the Grand Ducal Family didn’t even need to step up to that extent.

In the first place, how many private soldiers were there? Magical Creatures were something that could be dealt with by sending the Grand Ducal Family’s knights, no matter how well they tried to do it.

Nevertheless, Count Renard specifically called her.

“The Grand Ducal Family’s knights would have been enough to deal with the abnormal occurrence of Magical Creatures, wouldn’t they?”

“I was going to do that too, but… deep in the Black Forest…”

Count Renard hesitated and opened his mouth.

“There is a Witch.”

Yudith tilted her head as if she was puzzled and looked at the Count.

One Witch would have been enough for the Grand Ducal Family’s knights.

Because the Witch who appeared by the lake eight years ago was also defeated by the Grand Ducal Family’s knights.

“One Witch would have been enough for the Grand Ducal Family’s knights, it would have been more than enough… why did you call me?”

“…Not one.”

Yudith’s pupils widened at the words that followed from Count Renard.

“Three of them.”

‘Three…? Did three Wizards commit suicide together…? No, that doesn’t make sense either…’

The Witch itself is an extremely rare existence.

Seeing one eight years ago was unlucky enough, but three appearing at the same time was something she had never seen even in the Grand Ducal Family’s documents.

“The Earl’s soldiers and mercenaries are already terrified and won’t even try to touch them… Currently, they are trapped in the northern part of the Black Forest by a barrier created with Divine power from the temple… But how long that will last…”

Yudith closed her mouth with a hardened expression.

The Earl’s soldiers were terrified and refused to go to war.

She heard that the mercenaries had already fled to other villages after hearing that there were three Witches.

The support of the Holy Knights was rejected due to the extremely unusual situation.

In the end, the request came to me, a Wizard who had accumulated Monster subjugation and achievements for eight years.

‘How did they find out about me again…’

It was a strange phenomenon no matter how she thought about it.

There was no way Witches could appear at the same time.

Witches, who crave living beings, cannot coexist.

They devour all the life around them, so there’s no way they can exist together.

“Therefore… I wanted to ask Yudith-nim, not as the Grand Duchess, but as the Archwizard.”

Count Renard bowed his head so deeply that his forehead almost hit the table and pleaded earnestly.

“Please, would you help us subjugate the three Witches and investigate the cause?”

Yudith’s expression frowned at the sight of his bowed head, becoming severely distorted.