Chapter 5

As Lady Talbot regained consciousness and I helped her change into a clean dress, I decided to return to the townhouse in the capital. Duke Galbraith, who had offered to escort us to the capital, had been summoned by His Majesty. Nevertheless, he had come to see us off at the entrance of the Paravan Forest Park.

"Really, what is His Majesty thinking? His timing is terrible."

"It makes sense, my lord. Since you were the one who defeated the beast, it is only right that you report to His Majesty."

"It's always like this!"

The Duke, who seemed to be in a foul mood, was scolded by Chaos, who then muttered under his breath. That's right, the Duke was the one who had subdued the berserk beast. He would have to explain to His Majesty why such an incident occurred during the ball, where all the nobles of the country had gathered. Feeling apologetic, I looked up at the Duke walking beside me.

"Your Grace, I'm fine."

"It's no problem."

"Um... but, Mr. Chaos's face..."

"That's just his usual frown."

"Is that so?"

I glanced back at Chaos, who had a stern expression. He pointed at the Duke with his thumb and pouted. It looked like a child's quarrel, which was somewhat amusing and even a little envious. There must be a solid bond of trust between the Duke and Chaos.

Walking to the carriage stop at the forest entrance, I quickly found the Marshall Raid family carriage. After a brief conversation with the waiting coachman, I informed him that we were returning to the capital. Since it was a four-horse carriage, it would take about two hours to reach the capital. Lady Talbot looked extremely exhausted, so I let her board the carriage first.

"Lady Talbot, please go ahead."

"Yes, I'm sorry, but I'll go ahead."

Lady Talbot avoided looking at the Duke and hurriedly boarded the carriage. She must have been quite frightened by the Duke, who was holding Backhorn's head. Before boarding the carriage myself, I turned around and curtsied.

"Your Grace, thank you so much for everything."

"There's no need to thank me. Rather, I should apologize. Your state is my fault."

"You saved my life. A little dirt doesn't matter."

I smiled at the Duke. Although I didn't find a fiancé as I had hoped, just being able to converse with the Duke made attending the ball worthwhile. It was a bit sad to part ways, but the Duke had his duties. I shouldn't keep him any longer, so I boarded the carriage. The coachman immediately closed the door, so I opened the window and looked at the Duke.

"I'm sorry I can't see you off further."

"No, it's an honor to be seen off by you, Your Grace."

"Then, Melfiela, I'll bring you a souvenir next time."

"If there's an opportunity. Please be careful, Your Grace, and don't get hurt."

Hunting beasts is dangerous. Even though the Elsanie Great Forest is like the Duke's backyard, it is home to many extremely dangerous creatures designated by the country. I would rather not eat rare or exotic beasts if it means the Duke might be in danger.

"I'll bring you something better than what you can find in Underbrick."

"By the way, Your Grace, to make the beasts more delicious, it's better to catch them alive. A smaller, calmer beast is fine, even if it's not a big catch."

"Hmm, alive... That's a challenge, but it sounds interesting."

The Duke smiled, and Chaos, who had been waiting behind him, opened his eyes wide and gaped. Catching beasts alive is indeed difficult, but it's not impossible with traps. Chaos, who seemed to be looking up at the sky, put his hand on his forehead and sighed, "Ah, that's why friends are troublesome!" I must have said something strange again. In the world of beast cuisine, taste is the most important thing. Catching them alive and removing their blood and magic power makes the meat more efficient and fresher.

"Ah... Spirits, what a terrible sin. Please forgive them."

Lady Talbot, sitting across from me, was praying fervently. She accidentally glanced at the Duke and let out a frightened "Eek!" before turning away. She must be misunderstanding the Duke. Judging people by rumors is not good. The Duke is not a cruel demon who likes blood, as the rumors suggest; he is a distinguished gentleman. I wish Lady Talbot could see the Duke's true nature.

At that moment, I noticed something in the basket in the carriage and had an idea.

"Your Grace, here, take this."

I handed the basket out the window to Chaos, who took it.

"It's dried meat from the Marshall Raid territory's beast, the Skatsbit. It's seasoned with spices, making it perfect for a snack."

"Skatsbit, the small beast from the cold regions, right?"

"Yes, Your Grace. It's a spiky, flying beast."

Although it's covered in spikes, I managed to catch it with a trap. The dried meat is rich in flavor, and the more you chew, the more addictive it becomes. It makes you want to drink some fermented grain ale, and it's secretly enjoyed by the hunters in the territory.

"I've done the proper preparation, so it won't upset your stomach. I guarantee it."

"I'll accept it gratefully, Melfiela."

"Wait, no, Your Excellency!"

The Duke reached into the basket and put the dried meat in his mouth before Chaos could stop him. Usually, someone of the Duke's status would have the food tested for poison first. The Duke seems to be indifferent to such formalities.

"This is..."

"Your Excellency, spit it out!"

Chaos tried to pry open the Duke's mouth, but the Duke instead put the dried meat into Chaos's mouth. Chaos, who had his hands over his mouth, turned red and groaned.

"The spiciness, the rich flavor spreading in the back of my mouth... This is Skatsbit... I can't resist, I want some wine."

It seems the Duke enjoyed the dried meat. He took another piece from the basket and smiled at me. Chaos, who was still making faces, was chewing cautiously. My special spices are very aromatic and stimulate the appetite. They include the crushed fruit of the plant beast, the Berber tree.

"Did you season it?"

"Yes, I took inspiration from the spices of the southern regions."

"It's delicious. This makes me look forward to other beast dishes."

The Duke bit into a larger piece of dried meat and licked the spices from his fingers. I couldn't tell if he was being polite or sincere, but hearing "delicious" made me feel like crying. I've been treated with disgust, fear, and malicious rumors, but I'm not doing anything wrong. I shouldn't let it bother me, but...

(The Duke is being too kind to a mere girl he just met.)

I wiped away the tears that threatened to spill and forced a smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just feel a bit nostalgic."

"I see, I wanted to talk to you more, but it seems our time is up."

The direction the Duke was looking in revealed anxious noble knights waiting for him. They must have come to summon him.

"See you again, Melfiela."

"Yes, Your Grace."

As the Duke stepped back, the coachman urged the horses forward. The carriage wheels creaked, and the Duke's figure grew distant. He raised the basket of dried meat and said, "It's a promise!"

(I'm glad I came to the ball.)

It was fun, even though I wasn't enthusiastic about it. I think the Duke's words were just polite, and he might have just been curious about the "cannibal lady" who eats beasts. But... I argued with myself. Maybe, just maybe, he might visit. I couldn't shake off this faint hope.

◇

It took about ten days to return to the Marshall Raid territory from the capital. The mountains, which were green when I left, were now covered in snow. Winter was approaching.

(Oh? Is that...?)

As I climbed a small hill and saw the pointed roofs of the Marshall Raid manor, I noticed a tall, lanky figure pacing in front of the gate. It was... Father.

"Father!"

I leaned out of the carriage window and waved at him. Father was wearing a fur coat, ready for winter.

"Melfi, you're finally back!"

Father, unable to wait for the carriage to reach the gate, ran over, his coat flapping in the wind. He seemed very agitated. Something must have happened while I was away.

"Hurry, no, stop, stop!"

Father waved his cane to stop the carriage. It seemed to be a serious situation. Worried, I shouted as loudly as I could.

"Father, what happened?!"

"Melfiela, what have you been doing?!"

Our voices overlapped. Huh? Father just asked what I've been doing? Eventually, Father, who had climbed into the carriage, panted and asked.

"You were supposed to attend the ball, right?"

It seemed that something had happened, not because of an external event, but because of something I did. What could it be... I had distributed the salted beast meat from the townhouse before leaving, and I hadn't stored any beast meat in the territory during my absence because my stepmother disapproved. Could it be that other residents had discovered the taste of beast meat? Did my stepmother finally take drastic action after seeing this? It would be regrettable if something happened in the territory while I was away, as the taste of beast meat was gradually spreading among the residents.

"Father, I did attend the ball and looked for a suitable fiancé. Lady Talbot was with me."

"Yes, a fiancé. Melfi, who did you catch at the ball... Ah, what am I supposed to do?"

Father's vague words filled my head with questions. My search for a fiancé had failed miserably. I didn't even meet a common knight, let alone a noble, and instead encountered a berserk beast. Could it be that my stepmother had expedited my departure to the convent? That would explain his agitation, as I was supposed to have more than half a year left.

"Father, I'm sorry. My search for a fiancé..."

"You're a daughter of the Marshall Raid family! A, a Duke and a Count are not of the same rank! Why, how did it come to this, that you would be proposed to by Duke Galbraith?!"