Chapter 15: 15
The next day, Dorothy met Noah in front of the library as usual.
At this point, it felt fair to call it a secret meeting.
That said, calling it a secret meeting might be misleading, since there was no romance or political discussion involved.
They were simply talking about their recent lives, things that caught their interest, and their hobbies.
To Dorothy, it felt just like chatting with a friend from her student days.
“So, when are you going to meet Count Miller?”
“We havenāt set a specific date yet.”
“Heās probably completely tied up with Lady Daisy for a while.”
No date had yet been set for the discussion leading up to the divorce.
Dorothy was fine with any time, so the timing was up to Cyrus.
Once things settled down with Daisy, she wanted to talk as soon as possible.
As she was thinking that, a pleasant breeze flowed in through the open window.
“Itās become such a nice season to go outside.”
“Is there anywhere youād like to go?”
“Let me thinkā¦ maybe the mountains.”
“The mountains?”
Noah was surprised by Dorothyās unexpected answer.
Up until now, other women would openly say things like his house or a jewelry store.
Dorothyās answer being the mountains was completely unexpected.
“Yes.”
“Thereās a mountain a little ways from the capital where a golden fruit is said to grow.”
“I was thinking Iād like to try it.”
“The golden fruitā¦ from mythology?”
The golden fruit that was said to bear only a single fruit each year, which the gods once fought over.
It was said that one bite would instantly fill the mouth with sweet juice and melt softly on the tongue.
There were also tales that it made oneās skin glow and had rejuvenating effects.
“Of course, itās not the same as the fruit from mythology.”
“Itās an oval-shaped fruit with rather thin skin, and it spoils very quickly after being harvested.”
“Because of that, itās only eaten in the villages around the area.”
“I heard about it from a maid whoās from that village, so I think itās true.”
“Iāve never heard of it, but so such a fruit exists.”
“Apparently, it only grows in one specific part of the mountain.”
“The texture is firm, but itās sweet, and you can eat as much as you like.”
“Iāve also heard itās good for beauty.”
“If itās good for beauty, it wouldnāt be strange for it to be brought here.”
“But considering how easily it spoils and how little it bears, I suppose youād have to go there in person.”
That made sense, since it would rot before reaching the imperial capital.
“And when you go to the mountains, there are lots of mushrooms, too.”
“Do you like mushrooms?”
“Yes.”
“I like mushroom stew.”
“But if an amateur tries to gather them, itās dangerous since you canāt tell poisonous ones apart.”
“Thatās true.”
Even Noah, who excelled in both civil and military matters, didnāt know how to tell mushrooms apart.
The Emperor probably didnāt know either.
Still, the fact that Dorothy was gradually starting to talk about the things she liked was a very good sign.
Noah could tell that Dorothy saw him as a friend, but nothing would progress unless she developed affection for him first.
Her starting to talk about her likes meant she was beginning to open her heart to him.
“Noah-sama, Dorothy-sama, so this is where you were.”
“His Majesty the Emperor is calling for you.”
“Lucian-sama.”
The one who came to find them was Lucian, one of Eugeneās close aides.
He was also the fiancĆ© of Dorothyās colleague, Leticia.
Dorothy and Noah exchanged looks, then followed Lucian to the room where Eugene was.
“So youāre here, both of you.”
“Yes.”
Unless it was a formal occasion, Eugene disliked elaborate greetings.
He openly stated they were a waste of time.
Aurelia was there as well, not just Eugene.
“A messenger came from the Lind Kingdomās diplomat.”
“It seems Belinda slipped out of her room and disappeared somewhere.”
Aurelia was the one who looked surprised at Eugeneās words.
“My, is that true?”
“Butā¦ where could she have gone?”
“Who knows.”
“I canāt imagine that woman managing to live properly anywhere outside the Lind Kingdom.”
“Even if someone helped her, whoever took along such a useless and selfish woman will only regret it.”
The Lind delegation was scheduled to leave the capital today.
They had said Belinda would be confined to her room until then, but it seemed she had slipped away.
“I canāt imagine anyone in this capital would shelter her, knowing Your Majestyās anger.”
“Whether she left alone or with someone dangerousā¦”
“Either way, as far as Iām concerned, I donāt care as long as she never shows her face again.”
“However, Your Majesty, since this happened within the capital, doing nothing might not be appropriate.”
At Noahās words, Eugene thought for a moment.
“Thatās true.”
“It would be a problem if security in the capital worsened.”
“Increase patrols by the soldiers.”
“And have them search, at least in form.”
“Yes.”
“Whether they find her or not, if this turns out to be a simple kidnapping, we must catch them before imperial citizens are harmed.”
“Lucian, call the commander of the knights.”
“Yes.”
After Lucian left the room, Eugene looked toward Aurelia, whose complexion had grown slightly pale.
“Donāt worry about it, Aurelia.”
“What happens to Belinda has nothing to do with you.”
“If Lind complains, send them to me.”
“Iāll handle it.”
“Yes.”
Aurelia hadnāt thought Belinda would actually do what they talked about last night.
She didnāt wish for Belinda to suffer terribly.
She had many complicated feelings, but the fact that she was now standing beside Eugene was, in a way, thanks to Belinda.
Because Belinda stole her fiancƩ, Aurelia had come as a substitute bride.
Eugene would hate hearing that, but it was the truth.
As long as Belinda never left the Lind Kingdom again, Aurelia thought that would be fine.
“Dorothy, I checked with Count Miller just in case.”
“It seems his sister is quietly confined to her room.”
“Even if this was a kidnapping, the Miller house has nothing to do with it.”
“Thatās a relief.”
“Yes, thank you.”
They had once held a wedding ceremony together.
The destruction of the entire countās house would have weighed heavily on her heart.
“But make sure to have that discussion soon.”
“Noah, you should accompany her when that happens.”
“Yes.”
“Your Majesty, I cannot impose on Noah-sama like that.”
Dorothy protested in a panic when Noah answered without hesitation.
“Itās just in case.”
“If something happens there, a woman alone wouldnāt be able to handle it.”
“If your safety isnāt assured, Aurelia will worry as well.”
“Iāll inform Count Miller too.”
At that point, Dorothy could only nod.
Eugene was clearly concerned for her safety.
“Yes.”
“Noah-sama, Iāll be counting on you.”
“When the time comes, you can just think of me as a piece of furniture.”
“I wonāt let the contents of your discussion with Count Miller leak to anyone except His Majesty, so you donāt need to worry about that.”
In fact, if any strange rumors about Dorothy spread, he intended to actively seek out the one responsible.
He had no intention of overlooking malicious rumors about a woman he liked and hoped would one day become his wife.
Naturally, he would report it to Eugene.
And Dorothy failed to notice that Noah had never said he would refrain from speaking during the discussion.