Chapter 38

The carriage, carrying the family of four, clattered along the road.

I had requested a carriage with large windows.

Aidan and Marivel were captivated by the scenery visible from the windows.

Our group consisted of three carriages, surrounded by about twenty guards, and a few more horses with luggage tied to them, forming quite a large group.

The guards were all selected knights with magical powers, apparently capable of taking down a small castle.

—You must be kidding.

“Mama, look!”

“Oh, are those windmills?”

In the distance, windmill cottages stood in a row.

“Marie, look!”

There were even paper windmills.

Since there was no origami culture, they had been made at the manor and used for various games. I’m sure Marivel’s boredom busters were still piled up in the carriage.

“Whoa, is it spinning?”

“Marie, those are windmills. They move with the wind.”

“Wind...”

Aidan chuckled softly.

“They don’t move just by saying ‘whoa.’ They are used to make flour and oil.”

“Well, Aidan, you’re quite knowledgeable.”

It was probably his first time seeing them too.

“I learned about them when we studied the country’s main industries.”

He’s only just started his lessons, yet he’s learning so much. Maybe our child is a genius.

—But that’s probably just a parent’s bias.

“That windmill over there is for pumping water.”

Lias pointed to a direction where fields spread out.

“How can you tell?”

Aidan’s question was answered by Lias.

“Look, right next to the cottage, there’s a water channel. They pump water from there to drain the fields.”

Farmers were scattered about, working in the wheat fields.

This area seemed to have fertile land.

“Flowers?”

For Marie, fields meant flower fields. The manor and the park next to it, which we often visited, only had gardens.

“That’s a wheat field. Flour is made from wheat, and bread is made from flour.”

Aidan explained various things.

The carriage moved forward while I listened to their conversation with a smile.

After about three hours,

“Mama, are we there yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Marie, I want to go home.”

How many times have we had this conversation?

Marivel seemed thoroughly bored.

The carriage was filled with scattered origami, drawings, books, and other items. They had played with everything, and now there was nothing new to entertain them.

“Mama, are we there yet?”

Here we go again.

“Marie, do you want to sing a song?”

Aidan asked, but Marivel shook her head.

“Hmm, how about I read you a book?”

“No.”

The scenery outside was just endless pastures.

Marivel had tried counting the sheep, but she could only count to four and quickly gave up. She was also tired of seeing the same sheep.

It’s a carriage, after all. The scenery doesn’t change much.

Even on a high-speed train, children get bored and start making a fuss. So, it’s no surprise with a carriage.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Is it okay?”

“Yes, we could stop in a town, but let’s have lunch here.”

Lias gave instructions to the outside.

The group slowly came to a stop.

It was a peaceful place with nothing but a large tree and a river.

The knights started preparing as if it were second nature.

Cynthia got out of the carriage with the children and stretched.

Her body was stiff. As she stretched her back, a large hand supported her.

“Shall I massage you?”

Not here.

Cynthia politely declined.

“I’m fine.”

“Long carriage rides can be tough on the body if you’re not used to them.”

Indeed, Lias’s warm, large hand felt comforting when it touched her.

“Yes, that’s true. Could you massage me again tonight?”

“Yes. I may not be as skilled as you, but I’m used to it from training. Leave it to me.”

If I were massaged by a knight, I might break a bone.

I was a bit worried, but then I noticed Marivel running off and stopped.

“Marie! Go with the nanny!”

She ignored me and ran at full speed.

Fortunately, Marivel wasn’t that fast, so Lena and a few knights were chasing her.

Aidan, who could run fast, had trouble catching up, but Marivel wasn’t that fast either. However, she was an expert at sneaking away. We couldn’t let our guard down.

I thought about chasing her, but if I moved, the guard knights would follow.

I didn’t want to trouble the knights who were busy starting fires and fetching water, so I decided to wait.

About 15 minutes later, Aidan and Marivel returned.

“Mama! Look!”

Holding hands with Aidan, Marivel trotted over. In her hand was a cloth bag.

—This doesn’t feel good.

“Wow, it’s big.”

It was a grasshopper, the biggest she had ever seen.

Cynthia forced a smile despite her face wanting to cringe.

“You caught it well.”

“Marie, Aidan helped me, right?”

“Aidan did? That’s impressive.”

“Marie, let’s check out that grass over there!”

Aidan invited her, and they ran off again. Tan followed them.

There weren’t many insects in the manor’s garden, so it was good to see them having fun.

“Cynthia, please come this way.”

Turning to Lias’s voice, I saw a beautiful cloth laid out with a tea set.

The picnic setup was complete.

Lias offered his hand, and I took it, sitting on the cloth. Lias sat behind me.

He seemed to be offering his back as a backrest, but it was summer. It would be a bit hot if we touched.

I didn’t lean back and drank the tea he had poured.

It wasn’t that hot in the shade, and the cool breeze was refreshing.

The knights had finished starting the fire and were now cooking.

In front of us, sandwiches were laid out.

“Lias... isn’t this a bit too luxurious?”

“Is it? Compared to usual, it’s quite simple. Baking bread would take too long.”

Who said to make sandwiches from scratch?

“Did you plan the menu too, Lias?”

“Yes, I promise a perfectly balanced diet for the next two days.”

Well, I didn’t ask for perfection.

But I didn’t want to disappoint him, so I at least thanked him.

“By the way, what do you usually eat when you travel to your territory?”

“I eat bread on horseback, usually a bit harder.”

“Just that?”

“Yes.”

“What about breaks?”

“We stop to change horses, but generally, we don’t take many breaks. We leave in the morning and arrive by night.”

That’s a bit too much, isn’t it?

I feel sorry for the knights who follow you.

“I know you’re tough, but... can the knights keep up?”

“No problem. I only bring those who can keep up.”

“But not everyone is as strong as you—”

“You’re right!”

A cup was placed with a thud.

It was the deputy knight, Ben.

“The duke is unreasonable.”

“Hmm.”

“We barely manage to keep up, and when we arrive, he starts working immediately.”

“It’s because he wants to finish quickly and go home.”

“Lias...”

There’s no labor law in this country, so it’s up to the boss.

Maybe I should make one. The laws of the territory are decided by the territory.

While thinking about this, Cynthia turned to Lias.

I need to tell him not to push his subordinates too hard.

“It’s hard on your subordinates.”

“My lady...”

Ben looked happy, but nothing had changed yet.

“You should go back to your duties.”

Ben was coldly dismissed by Lias.

As we were talking, the maids finished preparing lunch.

This time, Meia was left at the manor because of her back pain.

The sandwiches from the manor, cut fruits, salad, and the soup the knights quickly made were added to the usual picnic menu.

I thought about calling the children, but Aidan and Marivel were already watching the fire being started with curiosity and then came back this way.

“Are we eating here?”

“Mother, the fire started so quickly. I want to try that!”

“What do you mean?”

“You strike it, and it makes fire.”

“Flint? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“I’m fine!”

I made the children sit down for lunch.

They immediately got absorbed in the lunch in front of them and started eating.

“Mother, is it not allowed?”

After eating a bit, Aidan asked again. He must have been really curious.

“I’ve never used flint. Is it dangerous?”

“Sparks fly.”

“I’ll be careful!”

Aidan’s eyes were sparkling.

“......”

Lias was hesitant.

To resist this sparkling attack is quite something.

After a while, the father and son, who looked so much alike, finally looked away, and Lias let out a light sigh.

“You can do it with gloves on, and only with Sir Ortenzia.”

“Yay!”

Aidan stood up happily.

“Hey, Aidan. You’re still eating.”

Aidan hurriedly finished the remaining soup.

Looking over, the knights were just starting their meal. Sir Ortenzia was among them, and Tan had also started eating.

If Aidan went over, he would need to be taken care of.

In the first place, Cynthia wondered.

“Can’t Lias use flint?”

Lias looked surprised at the question.

“Of course, I can. Fire is essential for camping.”

“Then, why don’t you teach him?”

He seemed to have never thought of that.

Why would he leave such a good opportunity for father-son bonding to a subordinate?

They rarely do anything together, so it would be nice to have a fun fire-starting experience.

Yes, I want him to take care of the children more than me.

“I’d like to teach him.”

“It’s dangerous.”

He said it so firmly.

“—After you finish eating, shall we try it?”

Aidan’s face lit up with a smile.

“Yes!!”

Marivel didn’t seem to understand, so Cynthia distracted her with fruits.

It might get complicated if she tried.

Watching Aidan happily working with Lias was heartwarming.