Chapter 33

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Chapter 33

However, he was not alone when he came in. Behind Lancelot, Gawin, a brown-haired man with a playful look, followed.

They bowed slightly to Mrs. Pompa, who was standing in front of the entrance before approaching Seth and prostrated.

“Knight Lancelot greets Your Excellency.”

“Knight Gawain also greets the Master.”

“What’s going on?”

“A little while ago, a pigeongram arrived from the Marquis of Loengram.”

Saying so, Gawain handed a letter to him.

Min-ha looked at Seth’s face as he read it with an indifferent expression. Then, as if feeling the gaze touching him, Seth glanced slightly at her. She quickly avoided his gaze and brushed the sleeping Noah’s hair softly.

Seth looked at her for a moment, then turned his head and handed the letter back to Gawin.

“It is said that the remnants of the former Count Joaquin were safely disposed of.”

“Isn’t there a story about the family members whom the criminals secretly took refuge in?”

“They were also judged on the spot. They say that they cut the supply and demand and present it to His Majesty.”

“…Well, I thought so. Isn’t he a young man who is quite thirsty for achievements? At that age, it would be nice to retire and move away from central politics, but in order to make connections somehow. So, he gave his daughter…”

“…Sir Gawain. Enough.”

“…Oh. Is this story a little too much? I’m sorry, Master.”

Gawin, who had ridiculed the protagonist of the letter with a sarcastic expression on Seth’s words, stopped at Lancelot’s words and apologized with a smirk. Then, he suddenly turned his gaze to her and grinned with a playful smile.

Min-ha flinched slightly at his sudden words and the smile towards her.

‘What does that smile mean? And, what is the story of the daughter who came out without much context…? Besides, what else am I supposed to say about such a topic?!’

She thought that his words seemed to provoke her with intentions. Somehow, it was like he wanted her to do something…

However, she shook her head slightly.

‘Oh, that must be an excessive interpretation.’

Thinking like that, Min-ha calmed her heart, which had become a bit dreary.

“I would have said that it would be better to give up the habit of adding unnecessary words one by one, Gawin.”

“Haha, I’m sorry.”

“Thank you for delivering the pigeongram. I’ll write a reply later and send it to you.”

The gaze between her and Gawain was brief, though Seth, who was looking at him and Min-ha, rebuked him with a slightly unpleasant voice.

Seeing that, Gawain, who turned around with a polite smirk, spoke with a deliberately exaggerated surprise expression when he said that he was going to write a reply later.

“Yes? Take a break today, and do it tomorrow.”

“…Gawin.”

“Even if you write and send a reply right now, it will be confirmed tomorrow, right? I think it would be better to just rest well today.”

“I think so, too, Duke. Isn’t it the evening of the day you returned to the mansion after a long time? It would be better to send a reply tomorrow.”

“.…”

“I will take Young Master Noah to the bedroom.”

“Then, please.”

“I will leave first.”

After voicing that he also agreed with Gawain’s suggestion to rest only for today, Lancelot got up and grabbed Noah, who was in Seth’s arms, into his arms. Bowing before leaving, he left the concourse with the sleeping Noah.

Gawin smiled with a face full of plans as he stared at Lancelot leaving. For some reason, he remained and didn’t follow him out.

Seeing him like that, Seth asked with a blunt voice.

“Sir Gawin, do you have something to tell me?”

“No. It’s not like that.”

“Then, what? You must have been very tired, too, so leave now.”

“I have nothing to say, but there are things I need to hear from the Master. Oh, today, I’m a watchman.”

“…A watchman?”

Gawin, who had only spoken unfamiliar words to Seth, patted his arm as if it were a close friend and explained.

“Yes. It’s a role that stops the Master from going back to his office to work on a day like today and makes sure he rests well.”

“…What?”

“If the Master works on a day like this, all the other knights who are holding a banquet must return to work as well. So, with the unanimous consent of the other knights, today I am responsible for monitoring whether the Master is resting or not! Banquets are good, but on a day like today, you should know that the greatest reward for us is for you to relax so we all can, too. Please rest for us, Master.”

“….”

“So, today, why don’t you forget all the troubles after a long time and take a leisurely walk around the mansion? Best of all, with the Duchess, just the two of you.”

“What?”

“Yes?”

Seth and Min-ha reacted to Gawain’s words at the same time.

Min-ha, who was thinking about something else, retreated slightly at the sight of Seth and the knights starting to talk about work again. As she tried calming her heart alone, she hurriedly looked back at Gawain with a surprised expression.

She understood Gawain’s intent when he said that he should take a break, though encouraging Seth to go for a walk with her like this…

Min-ha didn’t know what his intention was to make such a suggestion.

Well, of course, Seth wasn’t sarcastic to her today and had a lose enough attitude to say that he wasn’t even trying to break up. However, she didn’t think that all the emotions he had accumulated over the years would have been released that easily.

So, when she thought of Seth, who would never take a walk with him, and herself, who was awkward and conscious by his side—Gawin’s suggestion was even more surprising and absurd…

When Gawin looked back at Min-ha, who stared at him with a surprised face, and Seth, who looked at him with one eye on*with an emotion that was not quite evident, he jokingly asked.

[ T/N: It’s an idiom, which means giving some but not all one’s attention to. ]

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“…Gawin. No matter how comfortable you and I are, you’re being rude today. Are you drunk?”

“Of course not. I’m afraid it’s the Master’s reaction that is weird. Before I say anything, I thought you’d make an offer to your wife first. Don’t you have something to tell your wife?”

“….”

“The day you got the handkerchief from your wife, you said that you had something to give her when you came back.”

Gawain finished speaking with a still smirk on his face and thrust something in his hand into his arms. At that, Seth was surprised enough that his shoulder was a little shocked.

Meanwhile, Min-ha leaned back a little from behind the two of them and stared at the scene in front of her.

‘…What are they talking about me?’

Seeing that she was his wife, they must have been talking about herself, but they spoke so softly that it was hard to hear.

So, Min-ha opened her mouth with an upset face, sneaking between the two of them.

“…I know it’s not polite, but what are you talking about?”

“Oh, Madam. Are you curious about the conversation between me and the Master?”

“…Yes? Because I heard you mentioned me a little bit. By any chance, you weren’t swearing at me, were you?”

“Is it possible? How dare I speak rudely about the Lady in a knightly position. If you are offended by my actions, please forgive me for my rudeness.”

Gawin smiled and said with no sign of embarrassment at the sight of Min=ha suddenly intervening between the two of them. Then, he bent down on his knee, took her hand before kissing the back of her hand briefly.

“Oh, my!”

As if in a scene from a drama, Min-ha screamed in surprise at the knight who suddenly knelt in front of her and kissed the back of her hand.

On the other hand, the culprit was still smiling playfully and gently grabbed her finger as she was about to fall from stepping backward.

Seeing this, Seth said in a growling voice that was filled with displeasure for some reason.

“…Sir Gawin. Are you crazy?”

“Haha, you don’t have to be so jealous. This kind of greeting was common among nobles.”

“….”

“It’s not jealousy. I was just angry with the rude knight.”

“Yes, yes. All right.”

“I’m sorry, Madam. You look very surprised, are you okay?”

Gawin smirked in response to Seth’s growl-like voice as he gently released Min-ha’s hand he was holding.

Min-ha replied with a bewildered voice at the appearance.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief. If the wife said she wasn’t okay, I would probably be in big trouble tomorrow.”

“….”

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Master.”

“…I didn’t stare.”

“How many years do you think you have spent on the battlefield with the Master? I know the feeling of Your Excellency that he doesn’t even know yourself.”

“….”

“Then, Madam. I will take you to the secret garden of this mansion with the Master.”

“…Oh, yes.”

After answering his urging words, Min-ha followed Gawin as he was walking a couple steps ahead before turning her head back to Seth. It didn’t seem like he was in a bad mood until a while ago after Gawin suggested for them to go for a walk, so she thought that must be the reason why.

‘… After all, it would be inconvenient to take a walk with me.’

Min-ha smiled awkwardly and walked over to Seth’s side.

“…Oh, haha. You don’t want to go take a walk with me, do you? I understand your feelings.”

“….”

“Actually, the clothes I’m wearing right now are dirty… No, it’s really uncomfortable, so I want to go back to the annex and rest a little… I think I ate too much.”

“….”

“So, if you’re uncomfortable, I’ll tell with Sir Gawin—”

“It’s not uncomfortable.”

“…Yes?”

Of course, she thought he would agree, but Seth reacted differently than she had expected. With a more firm expression than before, he turned her gaze to look at Min-ha’s outfit and said.

“Are you saying that because you are uncomfortable with that outfit and want to go back?”

“Oh, no! That’s not really…”

“Well, let’s go for a walk together. You said you ate too much, so let’s digest it.”

“Ah…”

“You don’t want to?”

Seth then asked as if examining her feelings.

At that sight, Min-ha felt her ears getting hot for nothing.

He was a person who was always sarcastic, as if she was something unpleasant to him and didn’t want to see her face at all before. Though it was strange for him to suggest something to her, wait for her answer, and observe her reaction like this.

…His action seemed to somehow make her heart tickle.

So, Min-ha turned her gaze away and answered as she fiddled with her long, flower-decorated hair.

“…No. I don’t hate it.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

In response to her answer, Seth straightened his slightly stiff expression and moved her steps toward the door opened by Mrs. Pompa and the maids.

At the same time as Min-ha said those words, she followed Seth, who was walking at an incredibly fast pace.

Though as if she was being chased by something, she hurried after him with her uncomfortably high heels at high speed and wide stride before she realized that he had already reached the doorstep.

Though as if she was being chased by something, she hurried after him uncomfortably in her high heels with a fast pace and wide strides before she realized that he had already reached the doorstep.

At that, she shouted at him.

“Le—let’s walk together!”

Stopping at her cry, he slowly glanced back at her. Seth then came back to her side at the same speed he had walked a little bit before towards the entrance.

Moments after, he spoke in a blunt voice.

“…I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s okay.”

When Min-ha answered with a smile, Seth walked back to the entrance without saying a word.

She smiled a little, unknowingly at his noticeable slowed steps and the way her eyes were slightly red. A little while ago, his appearance somehow seemed to resemble that of Noah.

Min-ha walked towards the entrance, side by side with Seth in the distance.

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