episode_0059

The Grand Duchy failed to capture Fort Huntington, and the opposing duchy’s troops advanced well and occupied three of the Grand Duchy’s forts.

“What is it?”

After a fierce battle, the city did not fall, but rather surrounded the fortress. Fortresses easily obtained after their commander surrendered.

Looking around the surrendered fortress, I think it would have been impossible to defend this fort for long with only a small number of troops and materials.

Blocking our military with less than 500 troops is tantamount to suicide.

How can you protect your fortress when you don’t even have a wizard to block magical attacks?

In the Battle of Huntington, the enemy had quite good commanders, troops, and wizards.

It was probably an army created by squeezing as much as possible from the front lines.

And the moment the army was defeated.

It is natural for a large hole to form around the area like this.

Since we attacked by removing the troops and wizards deployed from the fortress, it is natural that they could not properly block our attack.

I had no idea that I would find my way to Win so smoothly.

“Adjutant, what did you say about the Grand Duchy?”

The adjutant responds to the general.

“It is said that they are currently gathering troops from cities such as Pomerania and Cherburg and sending them to Wynn.”

The general ponders those words and speaks.

“Pomernia and Cherburg are close to us, right?”

The adjutant nods his head at those words.

“That’s right.”

“Then send the cavalry to prevent them from joining Win. We will stop them from joining and defeat them individually.”

We must inflict as much damage as possible before the Grand Duchy’s forces gather.

The general believes that if that happens, the battle at Win will be resolved to his advantage.

Although they won, the monster’s daughter still exists in the Grand Duchy.

From what I heard, Princess Mary is incredibly strong for her age.

We must deal as much damage as possible before she goes to war.

That way it will be easier to win.

***

So, he and Theodora wait in front of the food warehouse wearing ordinary clothes rather than the fancy clothes one might wear in the imperial palace.

“Who are you waiting for here?”

Theodora sits on the railing of the warehouse stairs with a bored expression and rests her chin on her hand.

“We are waiting for someone to take us out of the palace.”

It is not easy to sneak out of the heavily guarded imperial palace.

Of course, if you mention my name, it will be easy to get out. They even left guards to carry out the secret mission. It becomes dangerous if rumors spread that we are going on secret missions.

That said, I thought about deliberately weakening the imperial palace perimeter and going through the gap, but I decided not to because I was worried that assassins might come in through that gap.

Instead of…

Theodora and I watch the carriage approaching from afar.

“That is the carriage that will quietly take us out of the imperial palace.”

The carriage has already arrived at the warehouse.

The old-looking coachman who was driving the horse smiled at me and said as he got out of the carriage.

“You’re here already?”

I bow my head as politely as possible and say hello.

“Huh?!”

Ignoring the surprised Theodora next to me, I smile brightly and say hello.

“How have you been? Uncle Smith?”

When I greet him warmly, Smith nods and says.

“Haha, I’m always the same. But what about the woman in the back?”

Smith asks as he looks at the black-haired Theodora, whom he is seeing for the first time. I extend my hand and introduce Theodora.

“This is my wife, Theodora.”

Smith laughs loudly at my words.

“Wow~ I’m jealous that you have such a beautiful woman as your wife.”

When he saw Theodora saying that, he looked at her in surprise as if wondering what on earth she was doing.

“Haha… I was lucky. We were childhood friends when we were young. Theodora? This person is a horseman who transports food ingredients to the imperial palace. Did I say this earlier? If I help out a little, there is someone who will take me to Roman City. This person is called Smith.”

Theodora nods slightly, grabs the hem of her skirt, and bows like a noble.

“Hello, my name is Theodora.”

Smith responds to her words with a wide smile.

“Hehe, my youngest daughter’s name is also Theodora. This is fate.”

Theodora says that as if it were fun.

“Really?”

The name Theodora is more common here than you might think.

Maybe… if that’s the reason…

“His Majesty the Emperor was so cute when he was young, so I wanted my daughter to be just as cute and beautiful.”

I continue speaking as I see Theodora smiling with amusement at those words.

“First, let’s start with today.”

Smith nods his head at my words and gets off the carriage.

I can feel Theodora’s eyes wondering what Smith and I are doing, but I don’t show it as much as I can and take out the luggage from the carriage.

“There are expensive raw oysters today, so be careful. If the box breaks and spills out, I won’t be able to buy it even if I sell you.”

I nod my head carefully at Smith’s words.

As we put all the high-quality food ingredients from the wagon into the warehouse, Smith straightens his back and says,

“Oh my… it’s Saksin. Now get on the carriage.”

With those words, I extend my hand to Theodora and say.

“Now, shall we go now?”

Theodora responds softly to my words.

“Is this what you do every time you go outside the imperial palace?”

Let’s answer by nodding slightly in case Smith hears that.

“Ugh… I can’t believe that the Grand Duke of this country and the Minister of State does something that only a servant would do.”

I smile at Theodora, who shakes her head and sighs as if she doesn’t like something.

I get into the carriage first and gently extend my hand to Theodora.

“letter, hand”

And then she holds out her hand.

As I hold her hand, she carefully climbs onto the carriage.

***

After leaving the imperial palace, Smith drops us off at Roman Square and leaves.

“Are you… really thinking? Is there nothing?”

And I listen to Theodora nagging next to me in a low voice, giving a long speech about dignity as a member of the royal family.

“But if we do this, no one will know that we are doing it in secret, right? If there are no guards and rumors spread among the guards, we could be in danger.”

In fact, Theodora and I are listed in the entry register as servants and maids who entered the imperial palace in the morning.

Considering the stricter-than-expected palace entrance and exit procedures, the servant couple who comes out in a carriage supplying food ingredients is the most acceptable.

Theodora clutches her forehead as if dizzy from my words.

“You… you usually live like a sword, but at times like this, it’s really… haha…”

I burst out laughing because it seems like Agrippa used to do the same thing as Theodora does now.

“Push…”

Did my laughter offend her?

He glares at me with sharp eyes.

“Why? Why are you smiling?”

“No, I just look like someone.”

When I said that, he frowned as if he knew something.

“I understand who you are talking about. Agrippa once said that you sometimes act like a child. I think I know why you said that.”

I chuckle at those words.

“It looks like you two have become quite close.”

Theodora nods at my words.

“You saw me often before leaving for the Grand Duchy, right?”

I walk around Roman talking to her like that.

“But where are we going?”

Because this is my first time spending time with her in secret.

“Let’s eat dinner first.”

With that being said, I head to the restaurant I wanted to go to today.

Perhaps because it was early evening, there were quite a few people in the restaurant.

“Wow… I guess they eat outdoors here?”

The table is unkempt and rough.

I nod my head as I look at the drunk people around me, eating beer and bread and talking noisily.

“They say so?”

We sat down at the table and ordered the famous sausage, ham, pork, and beer.

Theodora asks with a puzzled look on my skillful spell.

“Have you come here often?”

“No, this is my first time?”

When I responded like that, beer came out.

The employee leaves the beer in front of me and Theodora and disappears.

I say while gently raising my glass of beer.

“Ta-da?”

He looks at the beer and my cup at my actions and reluctantly clinks them together.

-widely!

As the sound of clinking wooden glasses resonates, I take a sip of beer.

Hmm… it smells pretty good?

But she hesitates and doesn’t drink beer.

“You don’t drink it?”

She hesitates at my words.

“Isn’t this… uh… um… a bit of a dirty drink?”

Looking at the foam in the beer, it seems uncomfortable to drink.

Actually, wine and spirits are mainly consumed in the imperial palace, so it may be unfamiliar to her.

“No, you can’t say that. Are you going to tell the people you rule that they eat dirty food?”

I say softly to her who frowns at my words.

“If you feel uncomfortable eating it, try drinking it slowly, starting with foam.”

At my suggestion, Theodora carefully lifted the glass and brought it to her lips.

-Gulp…gulp.

I ask as I watch him take a sip.

“How about it?”

“Hmm… not bad.”

-Pisik.

“Is this your first time drinking beer?”

She nods her head slightly at my words.

Soon, the food slowly starts to come out.

Let’s pick up the pork with the whole bone and take a bite…

“Uh… Are there no forks and knives?”

-Mumbling…

“This is how we usually eat here.”

When I say that, I hold the bone and say it.

“Take a bite.”

At my words, she grabbed the bone with the tip of her index finger and took a bite.

And then my eyes widen.

“Wow… it’s delicious.”

That’s how my meal with her began.

***

So the meal ended.

In the restaurant, you can see a minstrel playing a stringed instrument that is similar to but different from the guitar.

“Why~ You♪”

When a song I know comes on, I want to cover my face.

Why is that song coming out now, at this timing?

As the song between me and Theodora plays, shame fills my head.

“I will protect you~♬ forever~!”

I feel like my face is about to explode with shame.

Why did I throw out a song like that?

I feel very embarrassed hearing this in front of Theodora, another person involved.

However, whether she knows my feelings or not, Theodora appreciates the song with her red eyes shining.

“By your side~ forever♪.”

When the song ended, he looked at me with a very touched face and asked.

“Do you really… love me as much as I do?”

“Uh…? Hmm?”

But her eyes sparkle as if she wants to hear an answer.

“Do you really love me that much?”

No way?

This song was originally spread to tell the people of the empire that we got married out of love, not coercion.

But I like Theodora with her eyes shining like that.

Are you going to be disappointed if I tell you the truth?

So I decided to tell a white lie.

“Ugh…”

Theodora says, smiling brightly with a slightly red face at my words.

“Thank you. For loving me so much.”

Now… wait? Is something strange?

Why do you like it?

The Theodora I know would rather show rejection or disgust, but…

Why do you have such a beautiful smile?

“Dessert has arrived.”

At that moment, the server places a small piece of chocolate ice cream between us, but neither of us says anything.

They just look into each other’s eyes with red faces.