Chapter 153

"Hopefully they're not directly employed by the city, but rather lax mercenaries contracted by the person called the representative."

"Y-yes. Let's h-hope for that."

Despite following Amelia, Verde was secretly anxious.

Amelia had probably done this sort of thing much more than him.

But what exactly was this "role play"?

Before leaving the barn, Amelia had told him only one thing.

-W-when we arrive at V-Valentine, let's pretend w-we're lovers.

-What? Lovers? Pretend to be lovers? Me and you?

-It's j-just pretending for a m-moment. A-anyway, keep that background in mind.

Lovers.

Verde quickly glanced at Amelia's back as she walked slightly ahead.

Of course, it was common for young lovers to flee to another village or city to escape family opposition.

But could such a setup really attract guards?

Maybe there was another reason.

The reason she chose the lovers setup specifically, not family or relatives.

'...C-could it be.'

Could it be...

She was interested in him?!

Verde's heart suddenly began to race.

He'd had the impression that Amelia was particularly harsh toward him.

How could they get along when she would flare up whenever he said something even remotely correct by his standards?

So he thought Amelia disliked him.

When had it started?

Was it from when His Grace was bedridden in Gallo, and he and Amelia treated patients together?

Indeed, they had spent quite a lot of time together then!

She even handed him bandages without complaint when he asked for them!

Normally, she would have given him a reproach like "Isn't that bandage in the basket next to you?"

So was it really from then?

Ah, then did the camaraderie that sprouted while evacuating Gallo residents turn into affection at the treatment center...?

Verde was slightly confused.

He had noticed that she wasn't a commoner from the way she and His Grace spoke politely to each other.

But with someone like him? Why?

Though there were parts he couldn't understand, Verde quickly organized his thoughts and straightened his shoulders.

Yes, a dignified lady could certainly fall for someone like him.

One couldn't find a physician with such skills anywhere.

Moreover, if he stayed with the ducal family for a bit, he could later receive a hefty retirement fund and set up his own clinic.

His face wasn't bad, he had a respectable job.

And his personality, well, it was passable enough.

Hmm. I wonder. When would she confess?

It wasn't bad for a woman to be so proactive.

Come to think of it, she had always shown a somewhat hot-tempered side. Was she trying to move things along quickly?

Oh my. This is quite a dilemma.

Surely they would have time alone once they entered Valentine.

Was she planning to subtly appeal that she had feelings for him then?

They say love between men and women doesn't discriminate by time or place, but this was such a cunning and cute act!

Verde was now grinning, imagining three grandchildren who weren't even born yet.

Then he snapped back to reality as someone took his arm.

"Y-yes. That's right. W-we're trying to escape f-family opposition. To s-seek shelter with a r-relative in Valentine."

It was Amelia!

She was firmly holding his arm as if he were her real lover.

His arm hurt a bit, but it wasn't a big issue.

Looking at her now, he noticed her head was slightly above his shoulder, making their heights just right.

Amelia's pitiful face turned toward Verde.

"Right, darling?"

"Huh? Uh, what? What did you say?"

"Y-you said you h-had a relative h-here, didn't you? Right?"

Ah, that's right.

Verde cleared his throat as he saw the two guards sending stern looks their way.

"That's riiiight, my baby. Once we get into Valentine, what was it, our aunt will take care of us."

"Th-thank goodness. Th-there were many b-big incidents in the v-village, but here, surely, w-we can live p-peacefully."

"Of course. Naturally. Just trust your oppa!"

This shouldn't keep happening!

Verde was immersed in a happiness close to exaltation, feeling for the first time in his life a woman clinging to his arm.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to set up a honeymoon with Amelia in Valentine.

Just as Verde was grinning foolishly.

Suddenly, a sharp voice struck his ear.

"...D-darling. What are y-you smiling at right now?"

"Huh?"

"Were y-you smiling at th-that person? How c-could you do that? You p-promised to fix that habit in the v-village, didn't you?"

"Huh? What? No, I wasn't!"

"You a-always try to g-gloss over things l-like that!"

Amelia's voice rose.

She flung Verde's arm away and protested vehemently.

"D-did you think I w-wouldn't know how you s-seduced the girl n-next door?! What about the m-mill house opposite! Y-you're always like this!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"I b-believed you when you s-said you wanted to m-marry me! I b-believed that once we s-settled down, all your p-philandering would disappear! But now y-you're even flirting with the g-guard in Valentine!"

This wasn't true! This wasn't true! What kind of setup was this!

Verde screamed inwardly.

Something seemed to be going awry!

But Amelia mercilessly drove Verde into a corner.

"D-did you really think I w-wouldn't know? *Sob* Did you r-really think I wouldn't k-know! A-actually, the reason we l-left the village too, it was all b-because you and that man at the t-tavern... *Sob*!"

"I-I never did that!"

A tavern! And which man was she referring to! Shouldn't it be a woman!

Verde was flustered, and his eyes met with the guard's.

The guards' strict attitude was gone, and now there was astonishment and sympathy for Amelia.

"Why is it so noisy? I was clearly told not to let anyone in..."

"No, they're young lovers. They say they have relatives here."

"But the man seems to have wandering eyes for both men and women..."

"What? Oh my, what's all this..."

They even whispered to their fellow guards who had come over after hearing Amelia's shouting, explaining the situation.

Verde was bewildered.

Was this what was meant by "role play"?

Amelia cried out, scattering tears.

"If y-you continue like this, I c-can't help your m-mother with the s-support anymore!"

"What mother! What are you talking about!"

"As a c-condition for our m-marriage, I was s-supposed to give your m-mother land and a h-house! You said you w-were worried about your m-mother's old age...!"

Verde was flabbergasted.

He had never even exchanged a single letter with the family he left behind in his hometown, and now there's a mother!

The guards began to mutter.

"The woman must be well-off."

"The man seems to be in the wrong here."

"No, listen, the man, even in the village, he..."

"Hey, what's going on? Why is it so noisy? I can hear the commotion all the way over there."

"These lovers escaped from a village..."

And that wasn't all.

The number of guards watching this love quarrel was increasing.

Having successfully drawn attention, Amelia sobbed with her face buried in her hands.

"B-because you promised, I b-believed everything, I..."

"C-calm down, baby. Oppa didn't mean it that way."

"Then w-what way did you mean it? What w-were you thinking, b-being so captivated by s-someone else!"

"Of course, oppa only thinks about baby!"

First, he had to somehow pacify this situation.

Verde tried his best to recover his ruined reputation, but,

"Th-then do you r-remember what I asked you to b-buy me in Valentine yesterday?"

"...Well, that. Was it alcohol? Wine?"

"D-darling, you're an idiot! What I a-asked for was the 18-year-old d-distilled spirit among Valentine's s-specialties!"

How would I know that!

The sound of several guards clicking their tongues was heard.

He thought he vaguely heard someone say, "My wife gets incredibly angry if I don't remember that."

Verde sent a desperate look to Amelia, begging as he sweated profusely.

"Baby. I'm sorry. Oppa was wrong. So please, let's go to aunt's and rest..."

"With o-oppa acting like this, how c-can I face your aunt? Forget it! Oppa is a s-selfish philanderer. It's over!"

Amelia ran into the city, passing by the guards with her head bowed down, crying.

It was so abrupt that the guards didn't dare to stop the crying woman.

Only Verde, looking at Amelia's retreating figure with a dejected face, and the guards who had gathered to watch the fight remained.

One of the older guards patted Verde's shoulder.

"We don't know the details, but the truth is, there's been an order to prohibit people from entering or leaving the city for a few days. Still, you need to appease the heart of your future wife. Bring her back within an hour."

"...Yes, thank you..."

"Live more virtuously from now on. A young man like you, already behaving like this, that's no good."

"...Yes..."

Once inside, they could somehow hide while evading tracking.

And so, Verde and Amelia entered Valentine.

Of course, Verde's social status and sweet fantasies were utterly shattered.

* * *

"Seeing all the guards rushing over there, it seems they've succeeded."

"Really? How did they manage that?"

He would have to ask Amelia later what kind of role play she had performed.

Their split group with Amelia and Verde had arrived at a point not too far from the entrance.

After hiding their bodies a bit away from the wall, they had just approached the wall after seeing the guards running towards the city's large arched entrance.

Leandros scrutinized the wall here and there, and while holding him, asked:

"Are you afraid of heights?"

"I'm not afraid, but if I fall now, I feel like I won't be able to do anything, which makes me rather scared."

He recalled a time in the previous iteration when he and Leandros had infiltrated a gambling den at a prayer house.

Leandros seemed to be able to climb up with just his bare body back then.

But unfortunately, he couldn't use both arms now because he was carrying him.

So would he take a running start and leap up?

No, even if Leandros could jump high, such a high wall would be too much.

It was a height where he had to look up to see the top.

Worried about how Leandros would manage to take him as well, he looked at him, but Leandros answered as if it was nothing.

"Then I'll understand that heights are fine with you."

"It's not a problem, but- whoa!"

Leandros suddenly jumped up, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut.

But there wasn't the intense shaking or impact he had expected.

When he opened his eyes slightly, Leandros was climbing along the wall.

Under his feet, a thick ice platform with small icicles had formed, firmly supporting his weight.

"This is..."

"There's no law saying it can only be used in battle. I'm researching various applications."

"You're just like Elsa from Frozen Kingdom."

"What's Xsa? Is that a person's name?"

"Something like that exists."

Of course, this one wasn't a queen but a rough-looking knight.

Contrary to his worries, they smoothly climbed over the wall and landed inside.

Fearing that the guards would return soon, they quickly hid in a nearby area and stopped in a narrow alley.

Though he had just been carried like baggage, his body was already exhausted.

If he returned to the castle, he might have to stay in bed for quite a while again.

"I'll wait until Lady Arnold and Verde secure lodging."

"How much time is left?"

"Until sunrise."

About 5 to 6 hours remained.

"This won't do. Let me down. I'll just keep my eyes closed."

"Do you intend to lie on the ground?"

"Is that not allowed?"

"It is not."

Due to Leandros's assertion that he couldn't let his master sleep on the ground, he leaned against him and closed his eyes for a while.

After refreshing with a short nap, they headed towards the inn where they had agreed to meet Amelia and Verde.

If there was just a bed, he could rest better somehow.

With such expectations, they headed to the inn, but what they witnessed there was.

"Why are you outside?"

The inn with firmly closed doors, and Amelia and Verde squatting in front of it.