Chapter 7

Anna, who had come to announce that the meal was ready, jumped as if she were about to faint when she saw me, drenched in water and wearing Altair's coat. She seemed to have just realized her mistake of not preparing a towel. I dried my body with the towel Anna hurriedly prepared and changed into dry clothes, finally regaining my composure. I also had the leisure to ask about the situation.

"Anna, do couples in the East share a bedroom?"

"Of course. Couples naturally share a room."

Anna tilted her head as if wondering why I was asking such an obvious question, which left me feeling deflated.

"I see. I didn't know that."

"Is it different in the capital?"

"Completely different. The idea of couples sharing a bedroom... I never even thought about it. Besides, since Lord Altair hasn't been here for two days, I thought I was using the room alone."

"On the first night, you were ill and collapsed, and yesterday you were very drunk, so he probably told you to rest comfortably. I think he will start sleeping here from today."

"O-Oh, from today?"

The thought of having to share a bed with Altair from today made me feel as if the sky was falling.

'I have a bad sleeping habit...'

He might glare at me and shout, 'You sleep on the floor!' if I disturb him. The only fortunate thing was that there was a sofa in the room. Even if I was kicked out of the bed, I wouldn't have to sleep on the cold stone floor. The sofa wasn't very large, but it was big enough to fit my body.

"Is something wrong with the sofa?"

Anna tilted her head, probably finding it strange that I was seriously considering the size of the sofa. I quickly shook my head and looked away from the sofa.

"By the way, did you tell the butler?"

"Yes, he said he would come soon. But he said something strange."

"What did he say?"

"He said there are still five hours left."

"Five hours...?"

I blinked at Anna, wondering if there was some hidden meaning I didn't understand, but she also shook her head, indicating she didn't know either.

"Maybe he was just talking nonsense. Don't worry about it and have your meal first, my lady!"

* * * The butler Pavel of Eilsford Castle appeared exactly five hours later, as he had promised.

"I formally introduce myself, my lady. I am Pavel."

Pavel was a man with blond hair and purple eyes. He carried a tall stack of books under his arm and wore glasses, giving him a rather strict appearance. He seemed like someone who wouldn't tolerate any mistakes. His stern expression made him seem difficult to approach.

'But his face seems familiar.'

Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, I stared at Pavel, who shrugged and placed the stack of books on the table.

"He's my brother."

"Excuse me?"

"You kept staring because he looks like Blan, right?"

"Oh! The knight who acted as the proxy groom?"

"Yes. I am his brother. You can call me Pavel. Lord Altair does the same."

The brother of the kind person who helped me in a difficult situation. The tension I felt from his strict appearance eased a bit.

"I brought the ledgers from the past three years, as I thought you might want to know the situation of the castle. I have the keys to the storeroom, but there's nothing stored there..."

Pavel awkwardly brushed his hair.

"So the situation is really bad, huh?"

"Once you take a look around, you'll see that Eilsford is a barren land. It's difficult to farm, so we rely on secondary sources of income."

"Secondary sources of income...?"

"Hunting monsters. Goblins and griffins often come down from the Dragon Mountains that block the eastern part of the empire. When a monster appears in a nearby territory, our knights handle it and receive a reward. It's a kind of mercenary work."

Using the knights to earn money. The proud knights of the capital would never understand this. But as someone who didn't know their pride, I was more concerned about another aspect.

"That can't be a regular source of income. Monsters don't appear whenever we need them to."

"Yes, that's correct. That's why the situation of the territory is not good. Would you like to take a tour of the castle first? They say it's better to see once than to hear a hundred times."

"Hmm... I want to look at the ledgers first. I'll take a tour later."

"Is that so? If you need a guide, please let me know. Do you have any other questions?"

"Not really. But..."

I hugged one of the ledgers on the table and took a deep breath.

"I came here without knowing what Eilsford or Lord Altair is like, but I want to do my best. I'll really try hard, so I hope you'll help me a lot. I look forward to working with you."

I had mustered the courage to say this, but the response was silence. When I glanced at Pavel, he was blinking, clearly surprised by my words. Had I said something unnecessary? My face started to turn red with embarrassment.

"Truly... you've beaten me to it, my lady."

A smile appeared on Pavel's face, but it was fleeting.

He quickly wiped it away and returned to his stern expression, bowing respectfully.

"I look forward to working with you, my lady, and with Lord Altair and Eilsford."

* * *

'What time is it?'

I rubbed my stiff eyes and looked out the window. When I received the ledgers from Pavel, it was still bright, but now the world was shrouded in pitch-black darkness. I had been so eager to understand the ledgers quickly that time had flown by.

'Ugh... my body feels so stiff...'

I usually enjoyed sitting in one place to read, but working and reading were worlds apart. I groaned as I stood up and stretched. Then I noticed a large coat hanging on the wall.

'Oh! That's...!'

It was the coat Altair had covered me with. The moment I saw it, Anna's voice echoed in my mind.

'He will probably start sleeping here from today.'

The subject was obviously Altair. I had been so engrossed in the ledgers that I had completely forgotten this important fact! It was already dark, so Altair could arrive at any moment. I sat back down in my chair, feeling uneasy, and glanced at the door. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' This was the East, so I should follow the Eastern culture. I had made up my mind, but I couldn't help feeling nervous. I was an adult and a wife. Spending the night with my husband was natural. When I chose marriage as a way to leave the capital, I had decided to accept everything, hadn't I? Of course, the fact that my husband was a terrifying villain I had always wanted to avoid was an unexpected twist. I swallowed hard and looked at Altair's coat. The size of the coat, which had covered me completely, gave me an idea of Altair's build. He was an intimidating man, not just tall but also solidly built like steel. What would it be like to be with such a person? The more I thought about it, the more afraid I became. I lay down on the bed, determined not to be overwhelmed by fear, and steeled my resolve.

'Come on, if you're coming, just come! What's the big deal!'

"Achoo!"

But my bravado was short-lived, and I soon sneezed.

* * *

'So. I was so determined...'

That night, nothing happened. Not only did nothing happen, but Altair didn't even show up. The same was true the next day, and the day after that. Four days passed, and Altair, who had sarcastically said, 'Are you telling me to sleep with my wife?' didn't even show his face. As time went by, my tension, which had been building up, gradually diminished.

'Maybe it's true.'

Melissa had told me a few rumors before I married the Baron of Eilsford. One of them was that he was impotent. Although most of what Melissa said was a lie, the rumors about him being a poor noble and his sexual issues might have been true.

"This is the knights' quarters."

I snapped out of my thoughts at the voice beside me. After reviewing the ledgers for four days, I decided to tour the castle today. My guide was Pavel. Despite his usual stern expression, he was a thorough guide, providing all the necessary information. Thanks to his efficient guidance, I quickly understood the structure of Eilsford Castle. Combining what I saw with the information from the ledgers, I could prioritize my tasks.

'First, I need to earn money.'

There were mountains of repairs to be made, but the budget was woefully inadequate. The rewards from hunting monsters were not substantial and not regular, so I couldn't rely on them alone.

'I need to think more about how to earn money.'

Just having a clear task was a significant achievement. Feeling lighter, I looked out the window. Through the foggy glass, I could see the knights training. Among them was Altair, walking between the knights, correcting their stances, and demonstrating techniques. Even as a layperson, I could tell he was exceptional.

"Um... Pavel."

After a moment's hesitation, I asked Pavel.

"Do you know where... Lord Altair has been sleeping lately?"

"Lord Altair? In his room, of course."

"He hasn't been in his room for days. I was just wondering..."

"Really?"

Pavel's eyes widened in surprise. He frowned, stroked his chin, and then walked over to the closed window, opening it wide and shouting out.

"Lord Altair!"

His voice was so loud that it drew the attention of all the training knights.

"A few days ago, you told me to clean up a room for a place to sleep. Have you been sleeping there lately?"

"Pavel. Can't you see I'm training?"

Pavel's question was met with an irritated response from Altair. His low, growling voice made me shiver, but Pavel was undaunted.

"Are you really sleeping there? I just made it a place to sleep!"

"Stop nagging! What does it matter where I sleep!"

"Huh. So you are sleeping there. Why are you sleeping there when you have your own room? Huh?"

"Why do you care!"

"I don't care. Lady asked me to ask you!"

"What...?"

Altair's gaze, which had been on Pavel, shifted to me, standing a step behind. The moment his red eyes met mine, his face hardened.