Chapter 65

It was about ten days after the early horse's message that the envoy group returned to the capital.

Lady Eva informed us that the envoy group had entered the castle by evening, apparently with information from her husband, the Foreign Minister.

"Mom, isn't Dad coming back late?"

"Shouldn't he be here soon? He'll be back soon."

Then, about an hour later, Nonna spoke up, sounding discontent.

"It's taking so long, isn't it? Mom, let's go to the castle to meet him."

"We might miss him, so let's wait at home."

We repeated this exchange several times, and it was well past dinner time when Jeff finally came home. I hugged the tired-looking Jeff tightly, and he embraced me back with even more strength.

Surrounded by Jeff's familiar scent, the hard lump that had been in my chest for so long began to dissolve.

"I'm back. I've returned."

"Welcome back, Jeff. I'm glad you're safe. I'm really glad."

"The talks ended more peacefully than I expected. Of course, no matter what happened, I intended to survive and come back."

"That's a relief."

Nonna hugged us as if she was holding both Jeff and me.

"Dad, welcome back."

"I'm back, Nonna. Were you a good girl?"

"Yeah, mostly."

"That's good enough. I need to thank the lord as well."

"Yeah. If you're going to Lord Edward's house, can you stop by Mr. Clark's house on the way back? Mr. Clark is doing well, right?"

"Don't worry. He's doing well. Clark worked very hard and contributed greatly to the country."

"Really? That's great!"

Nonna closed her eyes and sighed.

Usually, she acts like a 'strong-willed younger sister' around Mr. Clark. Seeing her happy about his safety gave off a slightly girlish aura.

"Clark is now a distinguished civil servant. He volunteered as an interpreter. The fact that we avoided war with Subaru is largely thanks to Clark. There were several tense moments, but Clark's knowledge of Subaru's customs and expressions helped him interpret accurately, allowing both Ashberry and Subaru to have calm discussions."

"Really? That's amazing, Mr. Clark."

"Yes. He's not just fluent in Subaru but also knowledgeable about other countries' cultures, making him an excellent civil servant."

"Hee, hee, hee. He's so cool."

Nonna was making a dreamy face, not realizing I was watching. It was cute to see her like that.

"Jeff, we need to thank Lord Edward. Shall we go tomorrow?"

"Yes. I haven't seen my brother in the castle either. Instead of tomorrow, let's go now with everyone to thank him."

"Yes, let's do that."

"I want to see Grandma!"

"Since we're family, we don't need to send a messenger. Let's go now," Jeff said, and we headed for Lord Edward's house.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Welcome back, Jeff. I'm glad you're safe."

"I've returned, brother. Thank you for taking care of Nonna."

"No, we were the ones who benefited. Thanks to Nonna, Mother's condition improved significantly."

"Really?"

"Yes. You'll be surprised when you see her."

Lord Edward, who greeted us, looked clearly tired. Given the recent turmoil, the head of the special task force must have had a lot to do.

His attitude towards me was the same as always, which was to be expected. I was careful not to reveal that I had discovered his true job. For now, there was no need for me to take any action. Besides, I had been protected by Lord Edward.

I hadn't forgotten the great favor he had done me.

As I was thinking this, a voice came from behind.

"Jeff. Welcome back."

"Mother! Is it okay for you to be up? Can you walk now?"

Lady Courtney, supported by Lady Brie, slowly walked into the room with a cane.

(I can walk! I was surprised too.)

"Grandma! I wanted to see you! I'm sorry I went out and didn't come home."

"That's fine, Nonna. Your mother has returned, and that's what matters. Jeff, you've served the country well. As a mother, I'm proud of you."

"Mother, I'm surprised. When did you start walking?"

"Hehe. It's all thanks to Nonna. She kept me company, and it turned into good exercise. Sitting in a chair, I did exercises with Nonna every day, and eventually, I could stand. Once I could stand, I wanted to walk, so I worked hard."

Jeff supported Lady Courtney and gently guided her to the sofa.

"Mother, you must have worked very hard. And your speech is... very smooth."

"Yes. My mind is less confused than before. It's like all the gears in my head are working well, moving forward. It feels like a rebirth."

Jeff, with tears in his eyes, hugged Lady Courtney. Watching them, I felt a warmth in my chest. Lady Brie also had tears in her eyes.

"Lady Brie, thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"I didn't do much. The little lady was very well-behaved. She even kept Mother company for exercise. Nonna is a kind girl."

"Yes. She's a source of pride. But maintaining a state where you could play with Nonna was due to your and Mother's efforts."

"That's not true, but thank you for saying so."

The Ashberry family's servants prepared tea, and various pastries were laid out. We drank the fragrant tea while listening to Jeff's story about Subaru.

When Jeff's story reached a pause, Lady Brie smiled and asked me.

"Anna, by the way, what kind of work kept you away for two months?"

"I was Lady Delphine's language partner in Randal. I'm good at Randal."

"Oh, the princess's language partner? That's wonderful."

I had prepared this answer, knowing I would be asked eventually. Since I didn't know how much Lady Brie knew about my background, this was the best strategy to give a minimal yet necessary response.

I felt Lord Edward's gaze but avoided looking in his direction.

I had no intention of telling Jeff about Lord Edward's position.

There was no need to reveal it, even if it meant tearing apart the bond between brothers who had supported each other through a harsh family environment. If I ever needed to tell Jeff, I would decide then.

Lady Brie, with her gentle and well-bred nature, didn't press me for more details beyond my explanation and seemed satisfied.

"By the way, brother, has the situation at the castle been resolved?"

"Yes, it's best not to discuss that matter now. There are various complications."

"I see. I understand. Since you seem tired, brother, we'll take our leave."

Jeff quickly understood that there were matters Lord Edward couldn't even discuss with Lady Brie.

We exchanged our farewells and left the Ashberry family's house.

Lady Brie said, "Anna, please come again," and Lady Courtney said, "Bring Nonna next time," as we parted with smiles.

We got into the carriage, and our next destination was the Anderson family. Nonna was fidgeting.

Noble families are concentrated in the eastern district, so the Anderson family was relatively close. As soon as the carriage arrived, Nonna opened the door and ran out at an incredible speed.

She was so fast that I couldn't help but laugh at her sprint.

"Nonna! Wait a moment!"

"It's fine. Let her go. Nonna must have been worried about Clark all this time."

"That's true, but you're always so lenient with Nonna."

As we walked, the door to the Anderson family's house opened, and Clark appeared. Nonna, with full force, rushed at Clark and hugged him.

"Aah!"

Jeff couldn't help but cry out.

As expected, Clark, unable to withstand Nonna's full-speed tackle, hit the door behind him with a loud "Thud!".

I could hear the sound from where I was standing. Clark must have a bump on his head.

I'm sorry, Clark.

Clark, ignoring the pain in his head, looked down at Nonna, who was hugging him. His surprised expression made me feel a sweet, bittersweet emotion.

Clark's arms, hesitant about whether to hug Nonna back, were awkwardly placed on her back, not touching her.

"Welcome back, Mr. Clark."

"I'm back, teacher."

"Clark, is your head okay?"

"Head? Oh, I hit it, but I'm fine. Nonna, Nonna? If you block the door, Uncle and the others can't get in."

Clark gently pulled Nonna away by her shoulders, looking startled.

"Ah, Nonna. I'm fine. I didn't get hurt, and I'm back safely."

"Sniff... I'm glad. I'm glad there wasn't a war... sniff, sniff, sniff."

Once pulled away, Nonna pressed her face into Clark's chest and burst into tears. I thought about waiting a moment, but Jeff spoke to Nonna with a wry smile.

"Nonna, you're making Clark uncomfortable. A lady doesn't cry and smear her snot on someone else's clothes."

"Ah!"

Nonna quickly pulled away from Clark, but it was a bit too late.

"Sorry, Mr. Clark. I got snot on you."

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. Come in, please."

He quickly handed a handkerchief to Nonna, who was trying to wipe her tears and snot with her dress sleeve. Nonna, looking embarrassed, wiped her cheeks and pressed her nose.

"Hehe."

"I told you not to wipe your tears or snot on your sleeve. Oh well."

"Just this once, I accidentally did it."

"Come on, be a proper lady."

"I can do it."

With red-rimmed eyes, Nonna took a deep breath, and Lady Eva greeted us with a radiant smile.

"Welcome back, Jeffrey. It's been a while, Victoria. Come in, please. I have some big news. You'll be surprised."