The polished shoes stopped completely, leaving Caron alone in the sand-swept training ground.
“Milady, a letter has arrived from the House of Marquess Lepret.”
A letter from the marquess’s household on a sunny afternoon. Somehow, it felt familiar.
When Jeril heard that she would meet Ian, she tossed aside the pack that Belle had clumsily attached and jumped up.
“What does it say? Is he apologizing too?”
She had just sent a letter to Caron last night, asking to reconcile.
While writing, a wave of frustration had overcome her, and she had added a bit of wine, so she barely remembered the exact contents…
“Um… no. It’s not a letter, just some documents.”
“Documents?”
Belle, having deftly caught the pack Jeril had thrown, handed over the papers.
The dutiful maid carefully reattached the pack to Jeril’s face while speaking.
“Don’t remove it. I specifically attached it because you were going on a date with Viscount Persh.”
“It’s not a date. We’re just scouting the location for the clinic kids’ outing.”
“Oh my, why just the two of you?”
“Well, among the able-bodied young men, it’s just me and Ian.”
Jeril muttered that all the other teachers needed a cane to walk, then suddenly stopped talking.
Her eyes had caught the last line of the documents.
“What on earth is this person trying to do with me?”
The document, titled “Knight Order #1: Contract for Hiring a Healing Mage,” bore Caron Lepret’s signature stylishly at the bottom.
“Why would someone who always opposed me so fiercely suddenly send an employment contract personally signed?”
Normally, she would have been excited and cheered. But normally, that is.
The problem is that this comes right after I sent a letter asking for reconciliation.
Jeril pondered what it meant to receive an employment contract in response to a letter. One thought struck her.
…Did I write something strange in that letter?
No, she reassured herself. She couldn’t recall writing anything odd. Then what did the contract mean?
“Milady, don’t frown while applying the pack.”
“Belle, can you call the letter-handling servant? I think I need to send another letter to Caron.”
“Albert has been on leave for a week starting the day before yesterday. I mentioned it yesterday.”
“What?”
Seeing Belle’s calm face, Jeril vaguely remembered hearing something like that when handing over the letter…
[Milady… are you really sending this letter as is?]
[Yes.]
[A crumpled letter scrawled in anger?]
[Hmph.]
[…Albert is on leave, so I’ll have another servant deliver it tomorrow.]
Recalling last night, Jeril shivered.
A letter scrawled in anger? What could she have written that made Belle say that…
…But Caron was at fault too.
“Uh.”
Jeril hastily covered her mouth as fragments of her letter flashed through her mind.
“Where is the letter I sent yesterday?”
“It will be delivered today through another servant.”
“…At what time?”
“It’s 1 PM now, so it may have already been sent… Milady! Where are you going?!”
Jeril tossed the pack aside again and ran toward the stables, Belle’s stunned cries fading behind her.
It wasn’t just a letter asking for reconciliation!
After drinking wine last night, Jeril had gotten a little carried away emotionally.
As she sprinted across the marquess’s estate, she recalled a part of the letter she had written:
To Caron,
I’m sorry for getting so angry today. I wasn’t angry at you, just at myself… but now that I think about it, I guess I was a little angry at you too.
By this point, she must have been fully tipsy.
When we disagree, we should persuade, not attack. …I can be harsh too, you know?
Jeril tugged at her hair.
…Anyway, the conclusion was: I’m sorry for getting angry. But Caron was at fault too.
Why didn’t I just apologize or get angry—one or the other, yesterday me!
Perhaps sending the employment contract was his way of making amends. But after seeing such a letter, reconciliation or not, it would be over.
“Was there a servant delivering the letters?”
Upon reaching the stables, she ignored the stamping horses and asked hurriedly.
An elderly man tidying the straw replied slowly.
“They already left.”
“….”
Jeril flopped down hopelessly onto the straw.
Belle dragged Jeril, who moved like a wilted flower, through preparations for going out.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—there was no time to dwell on self-pity.
On the carriage heading to Chemstone Royal Park, the outing site for the clinic kids, Ian spoke.
“You look beautiful today.”
“Thank you. You look nice today too, Ian.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
The handsome man smiled happily. As the carriage jolted slightly, he supported Jeril’s shoulder and asked again:
“What do you like best about it?”
Jeril slowly looked at the man in front of her.
Chestnut hair that looked soft to the touch, green eyes that sharpened his gaze, thin lips curling upward when he smiled—a perfect figure with no flaws.
Thinking he was handsome, she spoke.
“Your eyes. Even in a bleak winter, Ian’s eyes are so green.”
Though green eyes were common among the Empire’s citizens, Ian’s were somehow different.
His expression, waiting for Jeril’s answer, stiffened for a moment.
“…Besides your eyes, is there nothing else you like?”
“Eh, Ian is perfect all around.”
Soon, the carriage stopped, and Ian returned to his usual expression, offering an escort.
Thanks to prior reservations, Chemstone Park was quiet.
“It’s really spacious. So many trees and grassy areas. Perfect for kids to run around.”
Most of the clinic kids couldn’t attend formal daycare.
So Jeril proposed regular outings. Luckily, the director agreed, and they went out quarterly with the children who could move around.
“Shall we check for any dangers for the kids first?”
Ian nodded and carefully asked:
“Shall we look for traps or mines?”
“Huh?”
“……Isn’t that right?”
“Ian, have you never gone on an outing as a child? Ordinary parks don’t have those.”
“Oh, I see. I’ve never been on an outing, so I assumed.”
Jeril was startled by his curt answer and gave directions.
“Check for deep water or sharp rocks. Things like that.”
“Yes, understood.”
Chemstone Royal Park, funded by the royal household, was vast.
After about an hour from the entrance, the scenery changed. The green grass disappeared, replaced by dense undergrowth.
“Jeril, shall we go further?”
“It’s still inside the park. If there’s danger, we need to tell the kids not to go this way.”
“I think we’ve already crossed the park’s boundaries.”
His neat fingers pointed to a sign carelessly lying in the bushes.
Getting closer, they saw ropes scattered around, blocking access.
“You’re right. Beyond here, it’s no longer part of the park.”
Despite summer, a cold wind blew from somewhere. Jeril picked up a rope and muttered.
“Did someone remove this on purpose?”
“Could be small wild animals digging it up.”
“…It’s not a dangerous area, right?”
Jeril had painstakingly selected this place after asking around.
“Let’s explore a bit further.”
“Stay close to me, just in case.”
“Understood.”
Being really bad at general magic, especially offensive spells, Jeril clung tightly to Ian. He glanced down at the warmth beside him and drew his sword from his waist. They moved forward, cutting through the waist-high grass.
Unexpectedly, they saw no strange facilities or wild animals and began to relax.
“A cave?”
“Follow me.”
Suddenly, beyond the tall grass, a dark cave gaped open. Ian pushed Jeril back and stayed alert.
“See the path around the cave? Looks like someone—or some animal—comes here often.”
“Jeril, maybe we should turn back…”
Ian’s eyes caught something. His posture, tensed for vigilance, relaxed in an instant.
Noticing the oddity, Jeril whispered.
“Ian? What’s wrong? Is something there?”
Jeril readied to flee, poking his stiff back.
“Nothing. It’s fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“…Yes.”
The voice didn’t sound convincing.
His voice, strained as if barely able to speak, was terrible.
“Jeril, shall we go a little further?”
“Huh? Why? What’s in there?”
“…Doesn’t feel like there’s anything. Should be fine.”
Glancing back, Ian’s face was pale as if confronted by an old nightmare.
…Why is he like that?
Jeril, worried, reluctantly nodded.
Inside, no sunlight reached the cave entrance even at noon. Ian dug into his pocket, retrieved matches, and lit a stick, casting a weak light ahead.
Just an ordinary cave?
Suddenly, the flapping of wings echoed from afar.
Jeril stiffened, and Ian whispered to calm her.
“Just a common bat.”
“Ugh…”
Shivering, Jeril moved forward. The cave was deeper than expected. Apart from occasional wing flaps, nothing unusual.
Ian’s pale face gradually regained color halfway through.
“Time to head back… huh, what’s this?”
Just as she was about to say they should turn around, Jeril felt something underfoot. She bent down and picked up a white strap embedded with jewels.
It was wide, probably meant to be worn around the waist.
“Looks like a clothing accessory someone dropped.”
“….”
“Ian, are you okay? Your complexion…”
Just as Jeril thought color had returned, his face turned pale again. A cold gust blew from inside the cave.
The torch in Ian’s hand flickered. His sharp green eyes shook violently, and a whisper followed.
“Jeril, would you give that to me?”
At that moment, Ian’s karma value changed.
