Chapter 88

"......That man"

"Kyaa!"

The ticklish sensation of someone speaking close to her ear made her involuntarily let out a strange sound.

"Nothing bad happened to you, right?"

"———!!"

Charlotte nodded frantically.

"Really? No one tried to harm you?"

"Y-Yes, really!! Um, let me tell the whole story from the beginning...!!"

"I always ask my subordinates to report the most important matters first."

Oswald slowly traced his hand from Charlotte's waist up to her back, touching her as if to confirm her presence, making her feel his concern deeply.

"The most important thing is to confirm the safety of those involved in the mission. ...Tell me, nothing happened to you, right?"

"A-Ah, ahaha..."

The low voice whispering in her ear made Charlotte feel dizzy.

"Charlotte?"

"I-I'm fine, Lord Oswald...!!"

Her heartbeat was so loud that she could hardly understand what she was saying. Charlotte, frozen stiff, told him with a red face.

"No injuries! Nothing scary happened!! I'm full of energy!!"

"Other than that, no one did anything disrespectful to you, right?"

"Yes!! W-Well, various things happened, but to tell you about them, first of all..."

Charlotte, trembling, pleaded earnestly.

"Being held like this by Lord Oswald is a billion times worse for my heart...!!"

"......"

Oswald sighed deeply and finally released her from his embrace.

"Even if there was a risk of that man suspecting, I shouldn't have let you go without even a surveillance spell."

"But Prince Emile ordered it...!"

"Still, from now on, no matter how strongly I am commanded, I will do my utmost to protect you."

"Ah...!! Lord Oswald, you look so cool when you're a little angry...!!"

Charlotte, now able to breathe, pressed her hands to her mouth and squirmed. Ironically, she could enjoy Oswald more when he was a little farther away.

"Sit down first. I'll make some tea, and we can talk while you drink it."

"Yes! I'll help prepare the cups as usual!"

Charlotte, while enjoying the tea that Oswald learned to make during his student days in the dormitory, recounted the events at the tavern one by one.

"Most likely, Lord Clyde's purpose is to take me somewhere."

"......To the client, perhaps."

(Ah, such a stern face...!)

Oswald's frown deepened, and she struggled to suppress her admiration.

"Ahem... I don't know if Lord Clyde knows my past or if he was really married to me. But as I mentioned earlier, I believe the part about him being in love with me is not a lie."

"Such a lie could serve to lend credibility to the story of a past marriage and to pique your interest."

"......But. I can't say for sure that the marriage was a lie..."

Charlotte hung her head again.

After all, because she had not received the blessing of marriage, she had caused trouble for Oswald as well.

(Even if we find out who Lord Clyde is and what his purpose is, it might be unrelated to the fact that I haven't received the blessing of marriage. ...But!)

Still, Charlotte's priority was clear.

(The most important thing is to confirm that none of the lords are targeting Lord Oswald!! I'll do whatever it takes to achieve this!)

She raised her head and rekindled her determination. Sensing her resolve, Oswald sighed.

"Don't take on too much, Charlotte. You did your part well tonight."

The map of the country spread out on the desk, with a section near the Holy Capital glowing a pale blue.

"The tracking spell on the stone is still moving. It hasn't been destroyed yet, and it seems to be in someone's possession."

"I pushed it into Lord Clyde's pocket! Although he might have noticed and passed it to someone else..."

"Considering that, I'll let it run for a few days while I analyze the magic. It could be a trap."

Oswald placed his hand over his mouth, lowering his eyes as if in deep thought.

"It's unnatural for a man who is acting so suspiciously not to take precautions against tracking spells."

"About that, Lord Oswald!"

Charlotte raised her hand, and Oswald nodded, looking at her seriously.

"Charlotte, speak."

"Yes! Lord Clyde might have been using a barrier to block tracking spells, but he might have cut it off now."

Oswald's face showed a slight surprise, so she hurriedly explained her reasoning.