“So you’ve finally returned.”
“Y-Your Grace?”
Standing before the castle gate was Edwin, wearing a cloak like a figure in a painting.
“Raise the drawbridge.”
“Yes, Master.”
At his command, the coachman turned the winch, and with a deep rumble, the bridge was pulled up behind me, cutting off the road.
“W-Were you waiting for me? Since when…?”
I asked in confusion. One corner of his mouth twisted into an ambiguous smile.
“Let’s see… around noon?”
“N-Noon? But that was hours ago!”
Feeling guilty, I scratched my cheek awkwardly. Edwin watched me with an unreadable expression before adding,
“I assumed that if something had happened, you would have contacted me first. And if you hadn’t returned today either…”
“If I hadn’t?”
“…Someone might have gone out to look for you.”
His voice practically radiated what a hassle.
Well… I guess they couldn’t reach an agreement among themselves?
“Haha… I feel like I’ve caused everyone a lot of trouble.”
Come to think of it, he’d mentioned that the head maid had been worried too. One thing was the duke, but imagining even the coachman waiting here with him all this time only made me feel worse.
“Not at all. You went out for the sake of the duchy.”
“Still… I’m sorry I came back so late. Walking all the way there and back took longer than I expected… and today completely wore me out.”
As I stepped closer, he immediately asked,
“What happened?”
“Hmm.”
I was about to tell him everything that had happened in the village when I remembered just how exhausted—and hungry—I was.
“You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll tell you while we eat!”
“Very well. And…”
At that moment, Edwin removed the cloak draped over his shoulders and held it out to me.
“You should wear this, at least.”
The thick men’s cloak was still faintly warm.
“O-Oh… thank you.”
It was surprisingly heavy, but the fur lining quickly warmed my chilled body.
It was such a thoughtful gesture that I looked up at him, wondering if this was a sign of affection.
His expression, however, remained as blank as ever.
In other words, this wasn’t because he liked me—it was simply second nature to him.
‘If this manor weren’t in such terrible shape, he’d probably have made countless women cry.’
With a face like that, casually showing this level of courtesy…
Honestly, anyone could mistake it for flirting.
“A moment ago, you mentioned that walking here made you late.”
“Hm? Oh… yes.”
“In that case, learning to ride would be one solution.”
Oh.
I hadn’t even thought of that.
“But… I’m not sure I’d be able to.”
For one thing, I had terrible coordination, and horseback riding was the kind of upper-class sport that had nothing to do with an ordinary person like me.
As I laughed sheepishly, he extended a hand toward me.
I’d assumed his hands would be as flawless as his face, but to my surprise, they were marked with old scars and calluses.
“Come.”
Gasp.
Was this the legendary escort I’d only ever heard about?
‘His manners are seriously unreal…’
If I were an NPC in this game, my affection level probably would’ve gone up by at least one point.
His face alone was practically cheating.
“O-Okay…”
Trying not to let the obvious smile on my lips show, I shyly took his hand.
But somehow…
Edwin’s hand was much colder than I’d expected.
***
By the time we finally returned to the duke’s manor, it hadn’t changed much from when I’d left.
Well… maybe it had gotten even cleaner? It looked like someone had fixed up a few places while I was gone.
In any case, the familiar entrance hall greeted me.
What surprised me most, however, was the head maid’s enthusiastic reaction.
“Thank goodness you’ve returned safely!”
My affection with her had already passed fifty, but was it really this high?
Her voice overflowed with genuine relief as she grabbed my tired hand and led me away.
“It is absolutely impossible for you to enter the dining room wearing those clothes.”
Of course, even at a time like this, she didn’t forget to give a stern warning.
In the end, I changed into the Fresh Dress I’d bought earlier before I was finally allowed to see Edwin.
And it was there that I realized…
***
The head maid wasn’t the only person whose affection I’d somehow raised to suspicious levels.
“Miss Windsor, welcome back!”
The large dining table was covered with an even grander feast than usual.
On the large plate to my left was a fragrant flatbread.
Melted cheese and minced meat peeked out from inside.
In front of me was a steaming bowl of lentil soup, while beyond it sat roasted meat and skewers that looked like kebabs.
There was even a fresh salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and parsley, served alongside an unfamiliar dressing so the meal wouldn’t become too rich.
As I looked over the table in amazement, the chef explained cheerfully,
“Adding the olives, honey, or butter according to your preference will make the flavors even richer. We’ve also prepared a refreshing tea for after your meal, so please let us know whenever you’d like it.”
The harvest really must be going well.
Forgetting how exhausted I was, I immediately cut off a piece of the cheese-filled bread and placed it on my plate.
“At this rate, aren’t you going to go bankrupt?”
I’d only been gone for two days.
How had the quality of the meals improved this much already?
Though I’d meant it as a joke, the chef answered with complete seriousness.
“We’ve had several new harvests recently. More importantly, the recipes you gave us have been an enormous help.”
Right after giving him the recipe for salt bread, I’d also shared a few other recipes with him, just in case.
I’d assumed we wouldn’t be able to taste those dishes until the Luden Trading Company began supplying spices again…
‘He’s the kind of chef who learns ten things from being taught one.’
Just as I was thinking that, I felt someone staring at me.
When I turned, my eyes met Edwin’s.
“Ahem. Then please enjoy your meal, the both of you. I’ll be preparing the next course.”
After the chef excused himself, silence settled over the room once more.
Edwin was the first to speak.
“I’ve been thinking this for a while now…”
“Yes?”
“You seem to have a very good relationship with the servants.”
“Do I?”
He nodded matter-of-factly.
“The atmosphere in the manor has changed.”
What was it like before?
That question crossed my mind as I took a large bite of bread and looked at him.
He continued,
“I’m not simply comparing the present to long ago. Even yesterday, when you disappeared without saying anything, the mood throughout the manor noticeably darkened.”
“…”
“So… I’m glad you’ve returned.”
His words could easily be interpreted as kind.
Yet the tone in which he spoke them was strangely cynical.
The contrast left me feeling oddly unsettled.
‘It’s probably just part of his character setting.’
Whatever.
I was hungry.
Food came first.
“Oh… thank you! You should eat too.”
Brushing aside my lingering unease, I happily began enjoying the meal the chef had prepared.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar message.
[Affection +5]
Huh?
What was that?
I looked at Edwin first, but there was no change above his head.
Then…
I suddenly turned around.
Poking only his head out from the kitchen, the chef was secretly watching me eat.
…Had he wanted to make sure I was actually enjoying the food he’d worked so hard to prepare?
‘He’s… surprisingly innocent, isn’t he?’
At first, I’d thought the NPCs were just extremely over-the-top.
But now it seemed less like they were extreme, and more that they simply acted on their feelings without hiding them.
‘Either way, it’s nice of him.’
If what Edwin said was true, everyone at the manor had been worried because I hadn’t come back.
Maybe that was why the chef had gone to all this effort to prepare such a feast for me.
As I continued enjoying the meal with that thought in mind…
A sudden question caught me completely off guard.
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