ESML 16

Chapter 16

“…Then why are you standing up?”

“I’m just going to check for a moment.”

“No! You literally just nodded! It wasn’t even an empty promise—it was an empty nod!”

Harold grabbed his superior by the shoulder as Kaiden looked ready to walk straight out the door.

“Absolutely not!”

Unfortunately, however, he was nothing more than a powerless aide.

If Kaiden decided to leave by force, there was no way he could stop him.

Hadn’t he already experienced that earlier?

His employer had practically leaped out of a moving carriage as though making an emergency escape—

While Harold could do nothing but watch in stunned disbelief.

Just as Kaiden’s broad shoulder was about to slip free from his grasp—

“Your Grace? Where are you going?”

A cautious voice came from the doorway.

It was Baron Hariben, carrying an armful of contract documents.

Perhaps he thought Kaiden was about to cancel the agreement and leave, because the baron’s eyes wavered with unmistakable despair.

Seeing that, Harold firmly pressed down on Kaiden’s rock-solid shoulder.

Then, flashing an easygoing smile, he said,

“Not at all. His Grace was simply feeling a bit stiff and decided to stretch for a moment. Isn’t that right, Your Grace?”

At the same time, he whispered under his breath so only Kaiden could hear,

“Pleeease sit dowwwn.”

“…That’s correct.”

Although he looked thoroughly displeased, Kaiden had no choice but to sit back down.

A short while later, Emilia arrived once again at the vacant lot behind the plaza.

The familiar rows of tents came into view.

Hmm…

She looked around, searching for someone.

Just then—

“Oh my, dear!”

“What brings you back?”

Several women hurried over the moment they spotted her.

“Isn’t she the young lady who was staying upstairs?”

“Mrs. Morgan, come over here! Weren’t you saying you wanted to see what she looked like?”

They were the women she had been living alongside.

In an instant, they surrounded Emilia like a human barricade.

“So then, who exactly was that man from earlier?”

“Huh?”

Emilia blinked in confusion.

“Your husband, perhaps?”

“Of course he’s her husband! Didn’t you see him carrying all her luggage away with that furious expression? Oh, I’m so jealous.”

“He looked like some young noble. Come on, tell us what family he’s from. Just between us.”

To them, watching the young woman they had been living with suddenly leave alongside a strikingly handsome nobleman had been incredibly romantic.

For people who loved gossip, it was the perfect topic.

Everyone looked at her expectantly.

Smiling awkwardly, Emilia answered,

“Haha… We just happened to meet. It’s a little difficult to explain…”

“Oh, don’t be stingy!”

“That’s right! You secretly ran away from home and pretended to be a commoner, then your husband came to take you back.”

…What?

The absurdly detailed story left Emilia speechless for a moment.

How on earth did the rumor evolve into that?

She desperately wanted to correct them.

But if she tried explaining every misunderstanding, the sun would surely set before she finished.

“Um, excuse me… Do any of you know where Mr. Duncan is?”

“Why are you looking for Duncan all of a sudden?”

“I wanted to talk to him about the building collapses.”

“I see.”

At those words, the lively atmosphere around them became noticeably quieter.

Duncan was the representative of the victims who had filed a report with the authorities.

He said he had connections at the government office.

If she could pass along what she remembered from the original story…

“I don’t think Duncan’s here right now.”

“Oh… I see.”

Disappointment crossed Emilia’s face.

“Then why not tell that young man instead?”

“That young man?”

Puzzled, Emilia looked toward where one of the women was pointing.

There stood a red-haired man, just like Emilia, surrounded by people.

His vivid crimson hair alone made him stand out, and his exceptional height made him impossible to miss.

“That knight said he came here to investigate the cause of the building collapses.”

“…Really?”

Emilia frowned slightly.

The buildings collapsed quite a while ago… Why are they only investigating now?

Just then, perhaps sensing her gaze, the man turned toward her.

After excusing himself from the crowd, he walked straight over.

“Good afternoon.”

A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips as he greeted her.

“Oh my…”

The women quietly gasped at his charming smile.

“My apologies, but I happened to overhear your conversation.”

“Huh?”

“You mentioned that you had something to say regarding the building collapses.”

He looked directly at Emilia.

Ah.

Even though they had been some distance apart, he had apparently heard everything.

Emilia glanced at the knight’s uniform he was wearing.

Is his hearing that sharp because he’s a knight?

After a brief hesitation, she spoke.

“I recently saw what looked like a huge crater in the forest nearby. I thought it might be connected.”

In the original story, there had been a scene where Reina struggled to walk because rubble from one of the collapsed buildings blocked the road.

It had been a minor moment where Kaiden simply caught her before she stumbled—

But thinking about it now, it had obviously been connected to the current incidents.

The original novel had called it a mana sinkhole, but she couldn’t exactly use that term here.

So she chose her words carefully instead.

“Is that so?”

The man’s eyebrows lifted with interest.

“Where exactly is it?”

“In the forest to the north. The one that was used as the imperial hunting grounds during the late Emperor’s coronation.”

Something flickered in the man’s eyes.

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he said,

“Hm. I’m not quite sure where that is. Would you be willing to come with me and show me?”

“Huh?”

The unexpected request caught Emilia completely off guard.

“Of course, I’m not trying to force you.”

The man shrugged casually.

“Though it would certainly speed up the investigation if you helped.”

The women immediately brightened and urged Emilia on.

“Go show him!”

“That’s right. We’d appreciate it too.”

After all, unless the true cause was discovered, they would never receive compensation.

It would probably be better to tell them while they’re investigating directly…

Even if she told Duncan, there was no guarantee the officials would take it seriously.

Having made up her mind, Emilia nodded.

“Alright.”

Together, Emilia and the knight left the vacant lot.

As they approached the horse he had tied nearby, Emilia suddenly stopped.

“Ah… There’s just one problem.”

“I don’t know how to ride a horse.”

“Is that so? Is the forest close enough to walk?”

“Not really. It’s quite a distance.”

Smiling, the man stepped toward her.

…What’s he doing?

Before she could even process what was happening—

He wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Huh?”

In the blink of an eye, she found herself lifted onto the horse.

Startled by the sudden height, her body wobbled—

“Whoa there.”

The man effortlessly swung himself up behind her and lightly steadied her by the shoulders.

Thanks to him, she didn’t fall off the horse.

That didn’t mean she appreciated his methods.

Her eyes went wide as she shouted,

“Excuse me! I told you I don’t know how to ride a horse!”

“But I do.”

The man replied with an easy smile, as though that settled everything.

Snort.

Taking hold of the reins, he urged the horse forward.