Chapter 91

After finishing breakfast, Ichirou and Rize made their way to the archive room.

This archive room seemed to be quite spacious, but it felt a bit cramped due to the numerous tall shelves installed for storing documents.

The aisles between the shelves were only wide enough for one person to pass through, so it was inevitable that their bodies would bump into each other when they passed each other.

Although there were ventilation gaps on the walls, there were no windows.

As a result, the room was pitch black, and the only source of light was the candle Rize held in her hand.

"Be careful of your feet. Here is the design for the water wheel."

Rize illuminated the floor with the candle as she moved deeper into the archive room.

Ichirou looked around the room, his eyes scanning the shelves, and followed Rize's back as she walked between the shelves.

"There are a lot of documents... Are all the important documents stored here?"

"Yes, except for the ones in Father's office, all the important documents are stored here. However, there are so many that I don't know exactly where everything is."

The shelves had long wooden boards attached, with notes indicating what documents were stored inside.

In addition to the stacked parchment, many large rolled-up parchments were also stored in the shelves.

Rize continued to the back of the room and transferred the flame from her candle to the candles on the wall sconce.

At the back of the room, there was a slightly wider space with a long table about two meters in length.

Rize took out a large rolled-up parchment from the shelf at the very back, placed the candle on the table, and spread the parchment out.

It seemed she intended to show the design to Ichirou right there.

"It's the wheel and the wooden box part. The craftsman seems to have redesigned it to increase its strength. I can't judge if this is good enough, so I wanted Kazura-sama to take a look..."

While speaking, Rize held down the edge of the drawing with one hand to prevent it from curling and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her gesture was strangely alluring, and Ichirou couldn't help but feel his heart race.

"Let me see..."

While trying not to look at Rize, Ichirou also held down the edge of the parchment with one hand and scanned the drawing.

The water wheel in the drawing had a slightly larger wooden box for lifting water, and the frame of the wheel itself had been reinforced.

At first glance, there didn't seem to be any problems with the design.

"Hmm, it looks like they're trying to increase the water lifting capacity. Was the current water wheel's capacity insufficient?"

"No, it's not completely insufficient... When I was chatting with the craftsman, he mentioned that it takes quite a while for the water to fill the reservoir at the end of the water channel. The next day, he brought a new design..."

"The next day? They must have worked really hard."

"Yes, and he said he didn't need any money, just to take a look and see if it could be used... I felt really bad about it."

It seemed the craftsmen thought Rize was having trouble and redrew the design for her.

They must have hurriedly drawn it up for Rize in their spare time from their busy work.

"I see. So, the production hasn't started yet?"

"Yes, for now, we're using the existing design for the water wheel. If we get permission to proceed, the craftsmen said they would start making the new design immediately."

"I see... Then, let's make a prototype first. We can test it, and if there are no problems, we can mass-produce it. The ones already in production can be used elsewhere, so it's fine to continue making them."

When Ichirou gave his approval, Rize smiled with relief.

"That's good... Kazura-sama, thank you so much for all your help with the Istele territory. I don't know how to thank you..."

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

When Ichirou said this, Rize smiled happily and turned to face him.

She clasped her hands at her chest and looked at Ichirou with an admiring gaze.

"Things have been getting worse in the territory, and Father and Mother have been very distressed... But since Kazura-sama came, we've started to have hope for the future. I'll do whatever I can. Please let me assist you from now on."

"Y-Yes, thank you."

With a slightly flushed face, Rize looked up at Ichirou, and he nodded, though his words were a bit hesitant.

Her eyes seemed slightly moist, but perhaps it was just the flickering candlelight.

Rize opened her mouth to speak again but suddenly looked at Ichirou's chest.

"...What's that?"

"Oh, this? It's called an aromatherapy pendant."

Ichirou held up the pendant, and Rize moved closer to touch it with her finger.

"A beautiful flower... and it smells wonderful. Is this made of fragrant wood?"

"No, there's a cloth soaked in essential oil inside the wood. The scent comes from the essential oil."

"Is that so... Where did you get this pendant?"

When Rize asked, Ichirou was taken aback by her expression.

Her eyes, looking up at him from close by, were indeed slightly moist.

However, her expression was different from before, looking anxious and fragile, as if she was afraid of his answer.

Her face, illuminated by the soft candlelight, was so beautiful that Ichirou couldn't help but stare.

"I got it when I returned to the village the other day."

"The village... from a commoner?"

"Eh? Yes, that's right."

When Ichirou nodded, a hint of joy seemed to appear in Rize's eyes.

But it was only for a moment, and she then looked down at the pendant on Ichirou's chest, placing her hand on his chest.

"Kazura-sama..."

"Y-Yes!?"

Looking up at Ichirou with a worried expression, Rize made Ichirou's voice crack with tension.

He had no idea how they had ended up in this situation.

"Kazura-sama... I..."

Just as Rize, with a determined look, was about to say something, the sound of the door opening echoed through the room.

Startled, the two of them quickly put some distance between them.

"Hmm? Kazura, you're still here with Rize?"

Narson, peeking in from the entrance, looked surprised to see Ichirou and Rize in the back of the room, between the shelves.

"Yes. I was just showing the water wheel design to Kazura-sama..."

Rize wiped away her previous distressed expression and greeted Narson with her usual calm demeanor.

"There's no need to look at it in such a dim place. You could have brought the drawing outside or used the conference room nearby."

"No, it was just a quick look, so it was fine..."

"What documents are you looking for, Father?"

"Hmm, I came to get the conscription-related documents. I need to re-evaluate the assets of the citizens and reorganize the equipment and divisions for conscription. I had started but left it halfway due to recent busyness. Jil tried to get up and do it, so I decided to do it before he could. He seemed worried about getting it done quickly."

"I see... How is Mother doing?"

"She was a bit unsteady and had dark circles under her eyes, but her complexion wasn't too bad. If she rests today and tomorrow, she should be able to return to her duties."

"That's good... I'm relieved."

Seeing Rize's relieved smile, Ichirou felt a bit uncomfortable.

He knew that the reason for Jil's illness was his fault, but he couldn't say it here and now.

"Narson, could you let me see the content of that work as well?"

"Are you sure?"

Narson looked surprised at Ichirou's request.

Until now, Ichirou had never been involved in military matters, so it was natural for Narson to be surprised.

However, when he was asked for military support before, he had indirectly declined, but he hadn't decided that he would never provide support.

At that time, he had avoided a hasty agreement because he had no clear understanding of the country's diplomatic situation or the state of the territory.

Now, support for the internal affairs of the territory was progressing, and he was gradually beginning to understand the areas that needed support.

It was time to start gathering information on military matters as well.

He couldn't deny that his offer to observe was partly due to his guilt over Jil's condition.

"Yes, I'd like to see the state of the territory's military. I'm not sure if I'll have any input, but I'd like to know the current situation."

"Understood. Let's go to the office then. Rize, help me carry the documents."

"I'll help too."

Rize watched Ichirou's back as he walked towards Narson, clenching her fist tightly.

Her expression was calm as usual, but her heart was far from it.

"(...I was so close!!)"

If they hadn't been interrupted, Rize had intended to make a move on Ichirou.

When she came here, she hadn't planned to go that far, but her mind had changed when she heard about the pendant Ichirou was wearing.

Ichirou had said the pendant was a gift from a commoner.

If Ichirou were a noble, he wouldn't wear a gift from a commoner all the time.

However, since he was wearing it, it was safe to assume that Ichirou was also a commoner.

If Ichirou, a commoner, was on such familiar terms with Narson, it meant that he was a powerful figure from the country of Clayrats, which was known for its powerful commoners.

A powerful figure from a neighboring country, recognized by Jil, who was incredibly wealthy and generous, with a calm and considerate personality and a hardworking attitude.

Rize had never encountered a better prospect.

There seemed to be a shadow of a woman from his home country, but the fact that he had accepted the 'Affection Bracelet' Rize had given him suggested that he had some interest in her.

If that was the case, a preemptive strike was the only way.

She had to win Ichirou's heart and establish a relationship, even if it was a casual one.

Once she had a relationship with him, a commoner, as the daughter of a noble lord, he would have no choice but to take responsibility.

From there, it would be a straight path to marriage.

If all went well, Ichirou would become the adopted son of the Istele family.

However, her important first step had been interrupted by her own father.

Only a few people could enter this place, so Rize had assumed there would be no interruptions.

Clearly, she had misjudged.

If they hadn't been interrupted, she could have created a good atmosphere.

If things had gone well, the atmosphere might have pushed Ichirou to express his affection.

Thinking about it, Rize felt frustrated.

"Rize, is something wrong?"

Noticing Rize standing there, Ichirou turned and tilted his head.

"No, nothing is wrong."

Rize smiled cutely at Ichirou, released her clenched fist, and walked towards him.