Chapter 124

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Nina had her long hair loosely braided into a single braid and a dark blue bandana wrapped around her head. Her clothes, as always, were blouses, tunics, fitted trousers, and leather boots.

Today’s belt for her was a leather belt with silver decoration.

As he walked alongside her, Benzel felt excited. It was the first time Nina had asked him to make an appointment.

Benzel combed his brown hair and wore a green top that accentuated the green color mixed in his brown eyes.

He wore shiny silver embellished boots, polished by the butler. Trying not to overdo it, the butler sneakily recommended a gold pocket watch, the symbol of a gentleman. He said that this would be fine, and clasped it around his waist.

He wanted to suggest riding a horse around the neighborhood, but it didn’t seem right for him to come forward to suggest something he wanted, since Nina requested the meeting first.

She came to pick him up on time and the two started walking lightly.

Nina’s outfit was the same as usual and Benzel swept his chest down in his mind, relieved of his choices. He was glad he didn’t dress up with a vest and jacket.

Nina pulled out from her arms a mini guidebook that Mimina gave her.

“Ta-da, all the places that are good to go are listed here.”

At Nina’s words, Benzel nodded his head, unable to say that he himself had bought the same book last night.

“This publisher is famous for its trustworthy books. Did you know that it is a book from < The Romie Merchant Guild>?” (Benzel)

“Oh really? I didn’t know. No wonder Mimina did a good job at giving me this.”

The small booklet, printed on woodblock, even contained plausible illustrations.

“Where would you like to go?”

In response to Nina’s question, Benzel chose the farthest store.

“Do you like places like this?”

Nina asked in wonder but soon asked for them to walk there. He marveled at how pleasant the phrase ‘let’s walk together’ came out.

Walking side by side, Benzel asked.

“I heard you dealt with the Bellac. Are you all right?”

“Of course I’m fine. Come to think of it, you weren’t with the princess back then. What happened?”

Benzel was silent for a moment. Nina immediately shook her hand and said.

“It’s okay if it’s hard to say.”

“No. It’s not that I don’t know what to say.”

He let out a small sigh.

“It would be nice if I could trust my master without wavering. Just as Nina does.”

“Isn’t that a bit odd?”

“What?”

“As long as you’re a human being, you can be shaken, even if you’re shaken and don’t know right from wrong if the other person is the Lord you offer your loyalty unconditionally. That’s why I say things straightforwardly and ask questions.”

“Then do you ever get shaken too?”

“No, I don’t.”

“······.”

“Don’t look at me like I’m blindly proclaiming ‘I will support the Young Master no matter what path he takes.’ or something like that. Benzel is different from me, right? It doesn’t mean you are loyal to her Highness just because she is your cousin.”

“Then even if the Duke of Luverne is going the wrong way-.”

“Still, I will be by his side. But, the Young Master doesn’t do things that I don’t like.”

I have that much confidence.

Nina grinned. Benzel made a strange face and said.

“I don’t think Sir Nina’s answer will be my answer.”

“I think so too.”

Maybe I and the Young Master are a special case.

What is making this honest and steady Benzel worry like this?

He looks like a Casanova on the outside and is moderately shrew on the inside, but she can tell by a few words that he’s not only that.

‘I was going to ask about Edgar······.’

In this situation, her conscience is a bit pricked as she tried to dig up information that is only favorable to her.

Nina pulled his wrist and accelerated her walking speed.

“Let’s eat something delicious first. Then you will feel better.”

He might not be in the mood to talk right now.

Nina smiled softly.

An unbelievable cool summer breeze blew by, surprising Benzel. Nina, who met his eyes raised her finger with a “shush,”, and Benzel smiled while closing his hand on hers.

It is a small but hard, callused knight’s hand.

Unknowingly noticing that he wanted to hold her hand tight, Benzel lowered his hand.

In the middle of the road, there are only two people walking warped in the cold north wind.

Excited to share a secret that no one knows about. Nina gossiped lightly about random things while walking, and Benzel answered the small talk diligently.

She led him as they walked, and as he stood next to her, Nina released his wrist. Benzel felt sorry for it, but Nina preferred to walk side by side.

The sound of footsteps walking down the stone-paved street was cheerful. Nina’s footsteps, which are much lighter than others, overlapped with his own heavy footsteps.

Tak.

When the two sounds became one, Benzel felt very ashamed. He deliberately staggered his steps. However, he soon lost to temptation and overlapped the sound of their gait again.

Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak.

Am I the only one who cares so much about the sound of walking?

Trying to get away from that thought, Benzel opened his mouth.

“I thought she and I had the same dream. No, I still have the same dream.”

The revival of the imperial family.

The unification of the empire.

Nina’s steps slightly slowed, while matching her beat, Benzel said.

“But it seems that the path splits in how far we can sacrifice for that.”

Nina looked at Benzel, who looked back at her and grinned.

“I wonder if a knight should be hesitant to make sacrifices.”

Nina’s face darkened.

“I don’t think like that. Besides, sacrificing myself as a knight is different from sacrificing others.”

Benzel blinked and smiled as if realizing that fact.

“Sir Nina is right. I see.”

“But that doesn’t mean you should voluntarily sacrifice yourself.”

Nina quickly grabbed his collar, and as soon as he got closer to her, Benzel widened his eyes in surprise.

“Do you understand what I mean?”

“Y-yes······.”

Looking at Benzel’s wide-eyed, fumbling while answering, Nina said while letting go of his collar.

“Oh, it’s green near your pupils. I didn’t know it. It’s a pretty color.”

For a moment, his face seemed to heat up, and while rubbing his face with one hand he said.

“Sir Nina, on the public street this······.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve learned proper manners, but I often forget them.”

As an apology, Nina said that she would decide where she was going now with his choice.

Benzel said it was okay, but Nina shook her head.

The two of them passed the flat stone-paved road, and now they walked on the dirt road. By this time Benzel started to get a little nervous. At the end of the market where commoners go, they arrived in front of a house selling fried donuts. There were quite a few people lined up.

“Here we are. Seeing the line, it looks like a restaurant.”

“What? Here?”

“Yes, this is the right place. They sell the exotic taste of fried donuts. It was said to be the food of the Blecca tribe.”

The store seemed to be named after the owner.

‘Momoana.’

It’s obviously the name of the Bleccas. The sound of a series of doughnuts frying at the stalls made Nina feel good.

Benzel gibbered in embarrassment.

“Well, I thought it was a more prosperous shop. This······.”

“Come on. It doesn’t matter. it’s okay.”

Nina stood at the end of the line that quickly decreased so they didn’t have to wait long. Holding an envelope of five donuts the size of the palm of his hand, Benzel felt desperate.

Nina counted her change and looked at his face.

“Why do you have that face? Let’s try it first and then evaluate it.”

Nina pulled out a crispy brown donut.

With a careful bite, the well-fried outside cracked with a crunch and the inside tasted of soft bread. It was neither too soft nor too hard and It didn’t look like it was made entirely of flour.

A rough and soft texture was felt at the same time. In addition, the sweet and salty taste was exquisite.

However, after only eating one, she was thirsty. Nina could see why there was a stand selling cold tea right across the street.

Everyone will take a bite of the donut and go get some iced tea.

“Would you like a cup of iced tea?”

At Nina’s question, Benzel hurriedly opened his wallet, but only large silver and gold coins were seen. Nina handed her smaller coins to the merchant who showed displeasure at Benzel.

Even if it was cold tea, it was lukewarm, but Nina had the Frost.

The two stood up, ate donuts, and drank iced tea. Benzel, who had a dark expression, ate the donut and his face brightened.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes.”

“Benzel made a good choice.”

Nina smiled and ate her five donuts in an instant. She pulled out the guidebook again from her pocket.

“Then where do we go next?”

Benzel’s face brightened.

“Is there another place?”

“Of course, then, did you think we were going to break up right away after eating this?”

Nina laughed and hurriedly looked into the book. She was able to read it much more thoroughly than before.

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