Chapter 76

"Mom! Take your time. I'll wait with Il."

"Thank you."

Nonna is chatting with Il near the carriage, waiting for me. I'm inside the entrance, in Jeff's arms. The servants have all discreetly disappeared from the entrance.

"Jeff, don't worry. I'm just going to sightsee in the capital of Randel Kingdom with Nonna."

"I know. But stay in my arms a little longer. You're skilled in both martial arts and swordsmanship, you can tell the difference between forged documents, you can climb high places quickly, and I know you're also good at throwing knives, even though I've never seen you do it."

"Am I being praised? Or are you warning me not to do anything dangerous?"

"Both."

Jeff is a worrier. He's afraid of losing me. If he lost me, he might not recover for years. I'm not being conceited; I just think so. Even when I was a shadow agent, he was terribly afraid of losing me. The fact that I'm going near Hagel Kingdom this time is also a source of his anxiety.

"Jeff, the capital of Randel Kingdom is a huge city with hundreds of thousands of residents."

"I know. I understand that you probably won't run into anyone you know, but... I can't help it. When I'm like this, I don't want to let you go."

Saying that, he pulls me away from him with his hands on my shoulders and looks into my face. Jeff's eyes say "I'm worried."

"I'll definitely come back here. This is where I belong."

"That's right. I'm looking forward to your stories. Be careful and have fun."

"Yes. You take care too."

I got out of the carriage and walked to the small carriage that had just arrived. It was the Anderson family's carriage. As soon as it stopped, the door opened, and Lord Clark jumped out and ran over. Seeing this, Nonna also opened the door and jumped out without a word.

"Lord Clark! Thank you for coming to see me off."

"I haven't seen you in a while, so I absolutely wanted to see you off today."

"I'll buy you a souvenir."

"Souvenirs are nice, but I just want you to come back safely. If Nonna comes back, that's all I need."

"I'll be fine. I'll definitely come back."

I also got out of the carriage to greet Lord Clark.

"Lord Clark, thank you for coming to see me off despite your busy schedule."

"Teacher, take care. They say the capital of Randel Kingdom is safe, but please be careful anyway."

"Thank you. I will."

Lord Clark extended his right hand to shake Nonna's, but before he could, Nonna hugged him and patted his back.

"I'm off. Look forward to the souvenirs and stories. And I'll pick up some stones too."

"Oh, yeah."

Lord Clark, without hugging Nonna back, answered with his arms awkwardly extended.

Jeff chuckled and said, "Nonna, you're making Clark uncomfortable," and pulled Nonna away. Clark's face was red, looking innocent. Nonna seemed completely at ease.

The carriage started, and Nonna pressed her face against the window, looking at Lord Clark. Il was grinning at her.

"Nonna, is he a good guy?"

"Yeah. The word 'good guy' seems to be made for Lord Clark."

"Is that so? That's good. As a brother, I'm a little sad, though."

"When did you become my brother?"

"Since the first time we met."

"That's a lie. The first time we met, you called me a chick and laughed in a creepy way."

"You... are quite persistent."

The atmosphere in the carriage was warm.

We continued our journey, aiming for the capital of Randel Kingdom, staying at inns along the way. We smoothly traveled the well-maintained Ashbury roads and crossed the border. From there, we continued our journey to the capital of Randel Kingdom, arriving after two weeks.

This is my third time in this capital. I stayed here twice for work during my agent days. Since I didn't explore the city then, even on my third visit, I can enjoy the scenery with a fresh mind.

"Wow, the atmosphere is different from Ashbury, Nonna."

"Yeah, the colors of the city are deeper."

The capital of Ashbury is generally white. The cobblestones of the streets are white, and the walls of the buildings are mostly white or light colors. In contrast, the cobblestones in Randel are a darker gray, and the building exteriors are painted navy blue, brown, dark red, and deep green, with white window frames.

"It feels like a fairy tale town."

"Did you think so too, Mom? I did too."

The carriage in front, belonging to the MacGregor family, stopped in front of a large hotel, and our carriage also stopped. We got out of the carriage, and Reed was unloading our luggage.

"Thank you for your hard work as our driver, Reed."

"It was my first time traveling to another country, so it was fun."

Miss Elizabeth and Lord MacGregor approached.

"Miss Nonna, Miss Il, you must be tired from sitting for so long. Why don't we go sightseeing in the capital now? Walking will help you recover faster. I can guide you around here."

"Sure, Elizabeth, can we? Mom, is that okay?"

I felt both reassured and uneasy because Il and Nonna were together. As I was hesitating, Lord MacGregor offered to help Nonna.

"I'll have two of our guards accompany you, so please don't worry."

"Is that so? Then, thank you very much."

Nonna, Il, and Elizabeth went sightseeing in the capital without entering the hotel, accompanied by two strong guards. I stayed in the room, unpacking my luggage to make my stay comfortable for the next month. I decided not to bring Bersa, thinking it would be better with fewer people.

I took out the clothes from my luggage and put them in the closet, then went downstairs to the restaurant on the first floor for a cup of tea. Lord MacGregor was sitting in the lobby, looking restless.

"Lord MacGregor, is something wrong?"

"The person who was supposed to inform our business partner of our arrival hasn't returned yet. They should be staying at a hotel nearby, so I don't understand what's taking so long."

"I see."

"No, I apologize. It's just a trivial complaint. You must be tired, so please don't worry about me."

After a short rest and a cup of tea at the restaurant, I changed into civilian clothes and decided to take a walk around the city. I planned to avoid alleys and visit bookstores on the main streets.

The capital of Randel was vibrant. The people's expressions were bright, and there were many bookstores with a wide selection of books.

Since I was eight, I've lived with only the bare essentials.

Even after becoming an adult and earning a decent income, I always prioritized being able to run away at any time.

But now I have my own home. I can buy as many books as I like and keep them close.

(I'm living a luxurious life.)

I love reading. Being able to live with as many books as I like is a dream come true. As an agent, such a life was unimaginable, and I never even dreamed of it.

I walked from bookstore to bookstore, holding three books.

A historical novel, a knight's story, and an adventure novel that Nonna might like. My heart was light as I searched for the next bookstore.

At the fourth bookstore, I found a book with unique embroidery patterns.

"Oh, how lovely."

"Madam, you have good taste. This is a collection of traditional patterns from the Subaru Kingdom."

"From Subaru? Really? The designs and color combinations are very innovative."

"These are patterns that the people who protect the forest draw on their hands, feet, and faces using various types of soil, tree sap, and flower juice. An Ashbury woman compiled them into embroidery patterns."

"Is this published in Randel?"

"Yes. There are borders between countries, but there are no borders in culture."

"I'll take it. Thank you for telling me the exciting background."

"Not at all. Thank you for your purchase."

Holding four books, I slowly walked back to the hotel on the main street. As I walked, I suddenly thought of my family.

I wanted to give my father, mother, and sister such happiness.

My parents, who would have ended their lives working, and my sister, who might have known the sparkle of love.

I, who was supposed to be the one who would suffer the most, am now living a happy life, while my family, who thought I would lead a simple and peaceful life, passed away first.

The time of the three who have traveled to the garden of the gods has stopped, and I am about to be the same age as my parents when we parted.

"If I had visited my family more often and sent more money, would they have survived the fire? ...No, stop. No matter how many times I regret, nothing will change. Regret is nothing but poison."

'Reflecting is good, but don't regret. Regret is nothing but poison.'

Lancome, who comforted me with these words, how is he now? Is he still the director? Or has he advanced even further? He is now forty-five. Since he's away from the field, he's probably still alive.

"What's wrong with me? I keep thinking about the past. Maybe I'm more tired than I thought. I'll lie down for a bit at the hotel."

When I returned to the hotel, the lord was talking seriously with a servant in a corner of the lobby. I thought I should at least say hello and approached him.

"Lord MacGregor, I'm back. I'll be resting in my room."

"Ah, welcome back."

Worry was evident on the lord's face.

"Still no contact?"

"The person who was supposed to help us with new business in Randel Kingdom... has gone missing, and I'm in trouble. He usually acted as an interpreter for me. While I can manage daily conversations, this is business, so I can't be vague. It's a deal involving a large sum of money, so I can't rely on a stranger, and I'm at a loss."