As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 57

“Yes?”

 

“It’s nothing.” Lorein’s gaze shifted to Edward. “Your Excellency.”

 

“…Yes, Madam.” Edward smiled gracefully at her.

 

Lorein glanced at Luize and then spoke. “After dinner, I’ll bring the documents I couldn’t present earlier to your room.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Dinner concluded with that.

 

* * *

Edward finished reviewing the last document and set it aside. As Lorein had said, there was no commonality found in the documents between those who had fallen asleep or awakened. Although all the magic stones in the territory had been dealt with before dinner, a way to save those afflicted by black magic remained elusive.

 

This is something that can be called progress.

 

Edward counted the number of magic stones he had disposed of. There were more than thirty within the territory alone. The fact that many fairly large magic stones were used means that it was the work of a wealthy person.  In particular, no matter how wealthy they were, there were only a very limited number of people who could use such a large number of magic stones.

 

Upon checking the less contaminated magic stones, it was found that they weren’t all made by the same person. It was evidence that it had been purchased in large quantities from several places.

 

“There hasn’t been a group using black magic on this scale before.”

 

The negligent emperor’s lack of governance seemed to have emboldened them. Since their first target area was around Perils, incidents occurring near Perils might also be connected to the mastermind behind this.

 

Servenia seemed to have deliberately not informed the emperor about the situation in their territory, likely omitted from this expedition’s areas as well. Owing the emperor would mean Servenia once again becomes entangled with the royal family.

 

Edward leaned back in his chair with an expressionless face, then straightened up with a furrowed brow as someone knocked on the door at just the right moment. Upon his invitation to enter, the door opened, revealing Lorein with a wooden box instead of documents.

 

“You haven’t changed, Your Excellency.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“It doesn’t seem to be your shoulder, perhaps your back or waist?”

 

“…I guess I can’t hide anything from you, Madam.”

 

“It seems you haven’t slept well either. Let’s move to the bed first. Let me see the wounded area.”

 

Instead of replying, Edward obediently moved to the bed. As he took off his shirt, his muscular, well-defined back revealed the wounded area.

 

“Sigh. Lie down, please.”

 

Edward complied, and Lorein opened the box, which contained white cloth, potions, and herbs.

 

“Even with skilled healing and it not being a severe wound, its worsening condition suggests your overall health isn’t great. A potion that alters its complexion won’t hide tiredness. An experienced healer like me can’t be fooled. For someone who’s supposedly spent days camping in the woods, your complexion is too good.”

 

“I’ve also been taking recovery potions as suggested by the healer in the knightly order.”

 

“Drinking those for a hundred days isn’t as good as a full night’s sleep. I don’t recall you having insomnia the last time we met.” Lorein’s hands stopped as she treated the wound, her eyes widening and then crinkling in distress. “…I guess it developed later.”

 

“…”

 

“It seems you’ve learned to hide it with medicine for quite some time.”

 

“It’s not something you need to worry about.”

 

Silence fell. Lorein continued her work, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

 

After the emperor’s death, Servenia turned their backs on Edward first. They didn’t side with the emperor, but it was as if Servenia held a grudge against Edward. Lorein thought Edward didn’t send any message to Servenia because he felt betrayed by them. He must hate them as well. That made it easier to blame him.

 

“I’ve often wondered how you were doing. I naturally assumed you hated Servenia.”

 

“…”

 

“Why do you offer aid to Servenia?”

 

“I haven’t offered anything. The knight order is the one receiving help.”

 

His answer seemed correct on the surface. The knight order stayed in Servenia’s castle and used the information they had prepared. But from Servenia’s perspective, it was their duty. They had no grounds to refuse cooperation to the grand duke’s knight order sent by the emperor. So, the knight order could have left as soon as their member’s condition improved, ignoring Servenia’s situation, and Servenia couldn’t have said anything.

 

Edward was indeed offering aid to Servenia. He voluntarily shared the cause, removed magic stones himself, and even shared potential solutions.

 

“Luize isn’t good at acting. Pretending to be lovers with her, was that to encourage me to separate her from you?”

 

Edward smiled faintly. “I’ve given up on separating her. Now, looking at Miss Luize, I can’t seem to make that decision. There will be a time when we must be apart. I thought it might be good for her to stay here.”

 

Edward planned to have Luize stay in a different location when they began to move seriously. He didn’t want to expose her to discomforting situations. If that place was Servenia, it could be a reasonable measure.

 

“I’ve always disliked that about you. Your Excellency decide everything on your own and try to take responsibility alone.” Lorein slapped his uninjured back.

 

“…Your hands are quite harsh. But I suppose it’s because I’m the grand duke, after all.”

 

“When else would I get the chance to slap a member of the imperial family? It was my wish to give that detestable crown prince a good slap, and I’ve fulfilled it today. So, what will you do? Will you leave Luize here?”

 

“It will ultimately depend on Miss Luize’s opinion. There’s still time. The more options, the better.”

 

“I’d better hurry and take her away from you.”

 

Lorein’s words made Edward laugh silently.

 

“Luize resembles Lensia, knowing how to wield a sword. Given you brought her all the way here, she must be quite skilled.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Her ex-husband was with the emperor’s faction.”

 

“…That’s correct.”

 

“Having to be apart isn’t just because the expedition is dangerous.”

 

“It’s dangerous because of the expedition. At least, that’s what Servenia needs to believe.”

 

It was Edward’s statement that he wouldn’t involve the Servenia family in any future work against the emperor.

 

“Why do you go to such lengths for us?”

 

“Because she’s the family of my lover.”

 

Lorein replaced her bitterness with a smile. She remembered the look in Edward’s eyes from earlier that day. She never thought she’d see such an expression on him. And his counterpart was the daughter of Allen de Servenia—a truly unfortunate situation.

 

The treatment was quickly finished. Lorein applied a paper bandage to his waist, closed the box with a snap, and placed bottles of anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and pain-relieving pills on the bedside table.

 

“Take one pill after meals for ten days. If you get a similar wound and it festers again, you can take them again but don’t exceed a month. If it seems you’ll go over, take a week off.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You probably won’t take it, but I’ll also leave some pills to help with sleep.”

 

“Thank you.” Edward, now dressed, sat on the bed and started to fasten his shirt from the bottom.

 

“If something happens…” His voice trailed off, heavy with implication. Lorein’s grip on the box handle tightened. “Please take care of Miss Luize.”

 

“Of course,” Lorein answered in her usual tone, gathered her things, and left the room. The door closed.

 

Edward, now fully dressed, leaned back on the bed. Another long night lay ahead, and he wondered how to spend it.

 

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Surrounded by the peaceful chirping of birds, warm sunlight, and soft, cozy bedding, Luize enjoyed a pleasant morning and rolled around in bed a bit.

 

“Ah, right. Edward.”

 

She had introduced him as her lover without consulting him the day before. As a result, Lorein seemed to regard him as a complete scoundrel.

 

“It was thoughtless of me. Thanks to that, my aunt doesn’t pity me for my divorce, but she seemed completely disappointed in Edward.”

 

Ironically, she was even praised for not being deceived by such a man.

 

After getting out of bed, Luize discarded the negligee given by Lorein and quickly changed into her training clothes. Edward and Maxion’s rooms were downstairs. She was about to run to Edward when she stopped.

 

“Speaking of which, Luize. Instead of embarking on dangerous missions like expeditions, wouldn’t you settle in Servenia?”

 

Her aunt seemed like a good person. Her newly discovered cousin was interesting and not bad either. She didn’t blindly trust her judgment of people. But if they were bad people, Edward would have warned her. Throughout the expedition, she realized Edward had a keen sense of people.

 

“Would staying by my aunt’s side means this cozy, warm daily life continues?”