As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 58

Above all, she liked the fact that there were still two people here who could be called family to her.

 

As she continued her thoughts, she seemed to come to a conclusion, smiled softly, and flung open the door. There was much to do today. She had to meet Edward to apologize for unintentionally making him out to be a scoundrel, check on Maxion’s condition, and train. After that, she could have breakfast and continue searching for the cause of the black magic.

 

Luize organized her day and headed downstairs with a light heart.

 

* * *

“Edward left alone early in the morning?”

 

“Yes. He said he would have breakfast outside as well.”

 

Arriving at Edward’s room, Luize was puzzled. With no response despite her knocking, a servant who was heading upstairs explained the situation to her as she was on her way back to her room.

 

“And Madam Servenia asked if you would join her in the dress shop after lunch. She wants to fit you for new practice clothes and dresses.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Luize smiled awkwardly. Her aunt seemed to be making serious plans for Luize to stay here.

 

“Can I think about it a bit more and then talk about it at breakfast?”

 

“Yes, I’ll convey that.”

 

After confirming that Maxion was still lying down as he had been the day before, Luize headed to the annex for her morning training. It was already half an hour past her usual training time. Normally, training would have ended by now, but it seemed everyone was taking it easy, enjoying their comfortable beds.

 

“How could this happen? To proceed without me!”

 

“Sorry, we thought you were taking the day off since you didn’t show up on time. If we’d known, we would have sent someone to call you…”

 

“Well, I was in the main house, so it would have been awkward to call me.” Luize’s face fell. Somehow, her schedule had been misaligned from the morning.

 

“That, Miss Luize, I heard the lord of this place is your relative.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Does that mean you won’t be joining us anymore and staying here?”

 

A member’s question made Luize blink. The faces of the members were serious.

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

“Honestly, it was wonderful that you joined us, but before being our comrade, you were His Excellency’s lover. Even though you’re strong, His Excellency would have many concerns about you accompanying us to the destination.”

 

Another member nodded in agreement.

 

“No matter how skilled and strong one is, anything can happen on the field.”

 

Luize looked at them, surprised, then her expression hardened.

 

“Um, Miss Luize?”

 

“Are you all wishing I would stay here?” She squinted at them sharply. The members flinched.

 

“No, Miss Luize. We mean…”

 

“Miss Luize? Miss Luize is here?”

 

Ahaha. A hearty laughter echoed down the annex corridor. Hendrik, dressed in casual clothes and toweling his hair, approached them.

 

“That’s right. Didn’t she say she would come? We should’ve waited.”

 

“We didn’t expect this to happen.”

 

“Hendrik, did you wait for me?”

 

“Haha, of course! Training isn’t fun without you these days!”

 

His booming voice finally put Luize at ease. She smiled back at the warm gaze Hendrik gave her.

 

“It’s only Hendrik, as expected.”

 

“Was there a problem?”

 

“Yes. It seems everyone wants to exclude me.”

 

“How about we go have breakfast in the village to cheer you up?”

 

“Just the two of us?”

 

“Yes. I saw a nice restaurant on the way here.”

 

“Sounds good. I need to let my aunt know I’ll miss breakfast.”

 

She immediately relayed through a servant that she would not be able to join for breakfast or visit the dress shop with Lorein. After washing up, she and Hendrik headed to a restaurant in the village that looked old but served top-notch meals, and they explored the streets of Airen.

 

“You must’ve been quite upset by the members.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“They’re worried about Miss Luize. We’ve all grown quite fond of Miss Luize.”

 

“Me?” Luize looked puzzled at Hendrik.

 

“Yes. Everyone praises Miss Luize for your diligence in training, your skill with the sword, and your efforts to be helpful to everyone. They’re also clearly concerned that, despite your exceptional skills, you might find it challenging because of physical differences.”

 

Luize nodded. It was true she was skilled, but she was significantly outmatched in strength and weight by them.

 

“I remember Miss Luize said you lost your parents early and were an only child, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

“I’m in a similar situation, except I had a younger sister who passed away with my parents. It’s not a topic I brought up to make things awkward, but seeing you reminds me of her. Probably everyone feels the same. And Servenia is a renowned family of healers in the south.”

 

“… That’s true.”

 

“After hearing that Miss Luize’s relative is the lord of Servenia, everyone thought it might be better for you to stay here rather than suffer with us.”

 

“What do you think, Hendrik?”

 

“I share their feelings.”

 

Luize’s expression fell. Honestly, their reasoning made sense. Accompanying them would undoubtedly mean more hardships for Luize than staying here. She could be in danger at any moment, often sleeps outdoors, and faces numerous restrictions as a woman alone. There weren’t many she could turn to when not feeling well.

 

“But His Excellency seems to have a different opinion.”

 

“Edward?”

 

Luize’s eyes widened. Wasn’t he practically scheming to get rid of her?

 

“His Excellency stopped by briefly this morning. He said to not interfere with whatever choice Miss Luize makes.”

 

“Doesn’t that mean Edward also wants me to stay here?”

 

“If Lord Edward had wanted you to stay, he would have said, ‘Miss Luize will stay here.’ And then he would have secretly left as soon as the vice-captain recovered.”

 

“Oh, that’s too much.”

 

“He’s quite stern about cutting ties. The fact that His Excellency said that means he truly intends to leave the decision up to Miss Luize.”

 

Hendrik’s voice softened. He looked at her with a seriousness she hadn’t seen before. “For people like us, that’s probably a bigger decision than Miss Luize thought.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“Members suggesting morning training without you and asking if you’ll stay here is actually because we lack courage. We’re cowards, scared of sending someone we care about to heaven.”

 

“…”

 

“The worst of us is His Excellency. He wasn’t someone who easily shared his side with others, except for those he knew before joining the knight order. When we heard His Excellency became Miss Luize’s lover, the knight order was in an uproar. Honestly, we thought it was for some other purpose, but to think it was real love. It’s still hard to believe. It makes me wonder if you two are fooling us.”

 

Hendrik had a surprisingly sharp side. Indeed, they were fooling them since they weren’t truly lovers.

 

But hearing Edward wasn’t someone who easily shared his side was unexpected. Luize had thought since their first meeting that he was sociable and good at approaching people. Come to think of it, even though Edward mingled easily at banquets, she couldn’t think of anyone in the social circle who was close to him.

 

“Edward won’t think so deeply about it. There seems to be a misunderstanding.”

 

“Hahaha! Do you think so? Well, I’ve been with His Excellency for quite some time, but his heart is still hard to read. Anyway, everything is up to you, Miss Luize. We’ll welcome you if you decide to stay with us. Where else could we find a sparring partner like you!” Hendrik laughed heartily.

 

“By the way, where did Edward go?”

 

“Robin and Aiven didn’t participate in today’s training either. They must be investigating this case with His Excellency… Oh? There he is.”

 

At the end of Hendrik’s gaze, Edward stood, looking at them curiously. He stood out more than anyone in the street, not just for his height but for his noble bearing. His perfect posture, broad shoulders, fine black hair, and the red eyes beneath it made passersby glance at him more than once.

 

Edward strode towards them with long steps and flashed a handsome smile at Luize. “Good morning, Miss Luize. It seems I’ve been on a date with Hendrik while I was briefly away.”