Chapter 64

"Kyau!"

The young tengu dropped the prey it had brought to my feet. I stroked the young tengu's head, which let out a proud cry, and picked up the prey—a morsel—and entered the tent.

Inside the tent, various items were prepared. I took a small knife from the wooden box containing cooking utensils, twisted the morsel to remove its entrails, and prepared it to make it easier to eat.

"Here, please. Enjoy it."

"Kyau, kyau kyau"

It seems that tengu, like humans, do not like the smell of entrails. When the tengu tried to cover itself with dirt like a dog, I put the entrails in a pot for disposal. Then, I cleaned my hands with the purification water that was provided. Since a small magical beast like a morsel can be handled without getting my hands dirty once you know the trick, they weren't very dirty.

The young tengu, sniffing the smell of the morsel's meat, started eating from the belly.

"Hehe, you've become quite skilled at eating."

Still, it's a wild magical beast. The white fur around the young tengu's mouth, which had been gnawing on the morsel, was stained with blood, causing Lillian to exclaim, "Ah!" The young tengu that enters and exits my and the Duke's room is cleaned daily by Lillian, Natalie, and the other members of the Blanche team. Lillian must have been in charge this morning.

"When will your mother return to the forest?"

I raised my head and looked at the space where a barrier spell had been cast. On the other side of the young tengu, which was eating intently, lay the makeshift bed I had made for the mother tengu, where the mother tengu was lying leisurely.

It has been ten days since the treatment of the mother tengu, who showed signs of madness. The mother and child tengu had been living in the courtyard of Midleag Castle. The blood I had just taken showed no signs of magical poison. I had been observing her every morning and evening, but as a wild magical beast, she recovered quickly. The injury to her right leg had also been treated thoroughly by the keepers here and had fully recovered... or so I thought. The way she devoured the magical beasts that the knights had hunted showed no signs of her former weakness. Moreover, for the past four days, she had been wandering around the courtyard and even flying in the sky using the 'Sky Soaring' magic.

The Duke worried, "Surely, she doesn't intend to spend the winter here, does she?"

"Princess, it's almost time. Are you okay?"

I was lost in thought when Lillian's call startled me. That's right, I have an important appointment today.

I was wondering if it was okay to leave the young tengu, who was still engrossed in the morsel, but Lillian called for the tengu guard knight (although the tengu hasn't harmed anyone yet, it is wild, so they are watched in shifts).

I felt apologetic but asked the knight to take care of it, and he readily agreed. The young tengu, with its affectionate nature and cute appearance, was endearing. The knight, looking down at the young tengu engrossed in the morsel, had a gentle expression.

"Let's go back to the room, shall we?"

I cleaned the knife and said goodbye to the guard knights before leaving the tent.

"Let's take a shortcut through the hidden door. It's a beautiful autumn day, perfect for a first outing. I'm sure Madame Laforgue is waiting anxiously."

Following Lillian, I arrived at a wall with a small pattern. As I had been taught by the Duke, I infused magic and whispered a spell, and a door opened in an empty space. It was always a mysterious entrance.

"Do I really need to put in so much effort just to go to the town?"

In response to my mutter, Lillian argued.

"Of course! It's an outing with His Excellency!"

"But I might get dirty even if I dress up."

"You're not going to slaughter monsters in the Great Forest, so you won't get dirty. Don't you want to surprise His Excellency with a beautiful outfit that will make him say 'Wow'?"

Fifteen-year-old Lillian is very interested in love, and she is very curious about my relationship with the Duke. The Duke has said that he likes me as I am, but thinking back, I have only shown him my worst sides—covered in blood, wearing clothes stained with monster blood, or with messy, tangled hair and wrinkled clothes.

(That's right. When I dressed up for dinner, the Duke looked very happy...)

Thinking about it, I also like the Duke's luxurious coat and long-tailed knight's uniform. Even simple clothes look very handsome on him. The Duke is tall and well-built, and he is a handsome man. He looks good in anything, which makes it hard to look at him. In fact, I blush and get flustered when I look at him directly, which is very troublesome.

"Melphi, did you bring the knife?"

The Duke asked with a refreshing smile. Why are his usually amber eyes slightly golden? Perhaps he had been using magic just before. I heard that he had redone the magic barrier on the castle walls due to the attack by the Bergnion and the tengu. The head magician, Odilon, had been in the Duke's office for several days, so it must have been for that.

Moreover, the Duke was disguised in the same clothes as the commoners, but his presence made it a poor disguise. A rough white long-sleeved shirt, a dark brown sleeveless vest, and light brown trousers—ordinary clothes, yet he looked very handsome.

"Yes, I put it in the bag you gave me. Taking me to the Lusseur forge is like a dream!"

"It was a promise. Besides, I wanted to show you the town."

The Duke put on a hat made of the same material as the purple-decorated vest.

"Indeed, this kind of clothing is easy to move in. Your hairstyle is also refreshing."

"Is it not too childish?"

"It gives a town girl vibe, which is good. We are going incognito today, after all."

When I returned to the room, as Lillian had said, Madame Laforgue and the other maids were waiting with determination. However, the clothes prepared were not formal attire but the kind of clothing commonly worn in the Galbraith region.

The maids, who seemed unusually happy, quickly prepared everything. I was now wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, a sleeveless dark blue vest, and a white skirt made of several layers of a thin fabric called palushia. The sleeveless vest had intricate embroidery, and a wide belt with various floral patterns adorned my waist.

My hair was styled in two braids. In Marshall Raid, two braids are a children's hairstyle, but apparently, it's different here. To finish the look, I wore a headscarf made of palushia with pleats, completing the Galbraith girl look.

"Do the commoners usually wear such clothes?"

I showed the surprisingly easy-to-move palushia skirt. Despite the layers, it was light and well-ventilated.

The Duke cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

"They sometimes wear it, but it's more like a limited-time, women-only thing."

A limited-time, women-only thing. Since the Duke isn't wearing palushia, it must be true. It might be a special autumn outfit for warm regions.

"Your Excellency, it's not just 'sometimes.' For Galbraith women, palushia is a dream."

Madame Laforgue interjected, and the other maids nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, men who are only concerned with rough work are like this. Lady Melphiera, palushia... no, it's better to hear it directly from His Excellency."

Madame Laforgue's eyes seemed to sparkle, and I could feel a strong pressure from the women. The Duke, who seemed to choke, regained his composure and complained to Madame Laforgue, "I can't say it here."

The Duke, scratching his cheek and slightly blushing, extended his hand.

"We'll be late, and Gareo will be in a bad mood. Let's go."

I took the Duke's hand, and he held it firmly.

"Yes, thank you for today."

"Sure. I'll take you to the magic tool shop you wanted to go to. If you want anything, just say so."

"To the magic tool shop!"

Due to the tengu's treatment, the magic tools I brought from Marshall Raid were running low. I hadn't expected to get new magic tools so soon, so it was even more exciting. Additionally, Gareo's workshop could make me a custom cooking knife.

"Thank you, Duke."

When I expressed my gratitude, the Duke said, "If you're happy with this, I can take you every day." While I don't think it's necessary every day, his consideration was very touching.

Madame Laforgue and the maids, along with Lillian, who stayed behind, saw us off as we left through the main entrance. Actually, we hadn't used this entrance when we came in, so I was surprised to see the knights lined up. Midleag Castle, while not as grand as the royal palace, was a place befitting the Duke's authority.

I thought we would take a carriage, but the Duke, still holding my hand, led me down the main stairs and into a narrow alley.

"Your Excellency?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. It's just a habit. Is it okay for you to walk?"

"The shoes are soft, so walking is fine... but, there are no guards with us."

That's right. We were seen off by Lillian and the others, and when we met Chaos on the way, he only confirmed, "You'll have dinner, right?" Walking was normal in Marshall Raid, so a carriage wasn't necessary, but the Duke is the Duke. I thought it was normal to have two or three guards for protection (my father also had guards when he went out).

"I know the town well. I've never had guards since I became an adult."

"Really?"

"It's dangerous to go alone when hunting monsters, but for dealing with people, I'm sufficient."

However, the Duke didn't seem to have any weapons today.

"Melphi, don't worry; I'll protect you."

Seeing the Duke's eyes shine golden, I understood. That's right. The Duke has the strongest magic.

"Besides, two out of ten Midleag residents are knights. There are off-duty knights wandering around everywhere."

I nodded in relief at the Duke's reassurance but then realized that my concern wasn't just about the lack of guards.

Without guards, it meant I would be alone with the Duke.

(Two... alone!)

Suddenly flustered, I gripped the Duke's hand tightly in my agitation.