CH 10

“A bookmark? Is that a Clover bookmark?”

“Yes. Haven’t you seen it?”

“I haven’t seen it since I gave it to the captain.”

“Really?”

His face, touching his lips as if lost in thought, seemed to have calmed down a little. He looks nervous, and he looks depressed.

Could it be because he just lost a bookmark? The man who has the superpower to break down a stone wall with a fist, being like that?

“That, Captain. I got a reply from the Howard family.”

“Howard?”

Robert didn’t miss the moment. Leonhard’s face brightened slightly.

‘No way. Really….’

“Give it to me.”

“Ah yes.”

Upon receiving the letter from Robert, Leonhard opened the envelope and took out the letter. Then he quickly rolled his eyes and read the letter at once.

“….”

“Captain?”

‘What kind of reply did you get that made your expression look so bad?’

Even though Robert knew he shouldn’t, he leaned over with curiosity and stole a letter from the Howards to read. He pretended not to know Catherine, who peeped at the letter from the other side of him in the same posture.

“Oh My God.”

Robert glanced sideways at Leonhard’s face after making a noise without realizing it.

“Wow, The Captain dumped…”

“Husst!”

No matter how it is, if you say it out loud!

‘Ahh…’

When was the last time Robert saw Leonhard in such a low mood?

It was a long time ago so he doesn’t remember very well. What was certain was that if Leonhard was left alone, Robert’s position as his aide would be very difficult.

“The Captain dumped? How can you interpret this letter that way?”

“Then…?”

It was Leonhard who asked again. A ray of hope shone like sunlight in his dark, dark-clouded eyes. Thanks to that, Robert was able to realize that his answer was very important now. He honestly thought, ‘The Captain dumped’ the moment he read the contents of the letter.

But even if Leonhard came to the same conclusion, it would have been better to postpone it even for a day. Then he would be less depressed for a day, and he would suffer less himself.

“Didn’t you ask Count Howard to spare some time for you? But in the reply, there is only the story of Lady Howard. We didn’t even mention the decision to get married, aren’t they bothering to bring it up and eventually requesting a meeting with the Captain?”

“Isn’t that just to use the captain to put an end to the rumors with Duke Khalid?”

Robert hurriedly replied to Catherine lighting the candle.

“No!”

“No?”

“Let’s think. Right now, Lady Howard is having a hard time with the rumors with Duke Khalid. Normally, in this situation, she would quietly shut up at home and wait for the rumors to subside. But she wants to meet the captain? Then, there might be rumors Young lady With the captain this time.”

Robert could see Leonhard’s ears twitching. Robert thinks  Leonhard will be persuaded by what he says and Leonhard goes on thinking about it.

“This is what Count Howard is saying. Getting entangled in rumors again with a man she has no relationship with is unacceptable. If you are interested in my sister, establish a relationship and approach her.”

“Is it?”

“Yes, That’s it! Besides, meeting a man to put down rumors about a man? Then, if rumors spread with the captain later, what will they do then? Then she meets another man, and another man again to put down the rumors about that man. Spinning the endless wheel like that? It can’t be like that, right?”

“Of course….”

Even Catherine, who had been looking at Robert with suspicious eyes the whole time, nodded.

After confirming that Leonhard’s face brightened a little, Robert talked again.

“Let’s meet Lady Howard first, Captain. And propose her”

“proposal of marriage? tomorrow?”

“Yes. Shouldn’t you at least know Lady Howard’s intentions before deciding whether to advance or retreat?”

“….”

“If you don’t think so, don’t waste any more time. Didn’t the captain come down to the capital to find someone who would be the mother of Master Noah?”

Robert secretly looked into  Leonhard’s eyes and added a word.

“Anyway… You even have Lady Howard in mind, right?”

So far, as Robert teased, ‘Did you like Lady Howard?’ Whenever asked, Leonhard denied it.

So, of course, Robert thought he would answer that way again, but…

“I found you! Ruby, how did you get in there?”

“Oh my god, what’s in his mouth?”

“Isn’t that a bookmark?”

Hearing a voice from a room somewhere at the end of the hallway, Leonhard looked up at him with an awake face.

“Robert. Write my reply and send it.”

“What? Yes, I will. What should I send? What is it about?”

Leonhard left a single word and hurriedly ran to the place where the voices had been heard.

“Yes, that’s fine, so please set a time and date and let me know.”

* * *

“Nice to see you again, lady. Give me your hand here.”

“Yes…”

Raenel readily grabbed Leonhard’s outstretched hand and got off the carriage. The maid got off after she touched the hem of Raenel’s skirt.

Leonhardt turned his gaze away from the scene and looked at the scenery of the capital square for a while.

“Then, Lady, I’ll be in the back. Call me anytime if you need anything.”

“Okay. Oh, I have to give it to him.”

“Yes?…Oh right. Wait. I almost forgot about it.”

What the maid got back into the carriage and put in Raenel’s hand was a large, flat box. It didn’t look too heavy, but Leonhard held out his hand reflexively. Then, Raenel gave him the box with a smile and immediately opened the lid.

“Please hold this for a moment, Leon.”

“It is not difficult, but what is?”

“This is my thanks to Leon, who willingly gave up his time for my honor despite my rude request.”

The moment he heard Raenel’s words, Leonhard realized that Robert’s guess was wrong.

Count Howard’s letter was not a circumlocution characteristic of aristocrats, but was really literal.

So don’t propose marriage… As she wished, he would have to help calm the rumors with Duke Khalid.

“Can I put my hand on Leon’s body for a moment?”

“As you wish.”

“Then excuse me for a moment.”

A pleasant scent of flowers wafted from her hair. Leonhard relaxed from the calming scent and only then realized that he was nervous. The fact that he suddenly had a fever on his cheek, too.

‘What is wrong with me?’

In a situation he had never experienced before, Leonhard was embarrassed inside.

Raenel, who did not know him, finished her work and stepped back.

“How is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you warm?”

“warm…”

“I made that scarf with the help of my sister Lily. I heard that Ajas’s frontier is a very cold place.”

Raenel explained that the warming magic was applied to the scarf he knitted using the magic thread, but Leonhard did not hear it.  It was because he felt comfortable after realizing the reason why his body had a fever.

‘That’s why it was like that.’

Leonhard touched the scarf that Raenel had wrapped around his neck with his fingertips. This soft fabric?Magic Thread? Anyway, this fragile object, which seemed to be torn off with a little force, was quite unfamiliar to him. But he thought it wasn’t bad.

“I even made another one for your son.”

“My son?”

How does she know about Noah?

“You must have been listening in the next room at that time as well.”

“Ah! Yes, I was listening. I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I knew you were in the next room.”

Raenel was really nice. Even though she found out that he had a son, Raenel’s attitude hadn’t changed at all, and because she didn’t ask unnecessary questions.

“I will definitely pass on the gift you gave me to Noah. The child will also be very happy with the lady’s gift.”

“I guess your son’s name is Noah? What a pretty name!”

“Yes, it is the name given to me by the child’s mother.”

After saying that without thinking, Leonhard realized his mistake and noticed Raenel for a moment.

Officially, Noah is said to have been picked up by Leonhard after being abandoned on the street. However, there were few people in the north who believed that sincere story. people would talk about who Noah’s biological parents were, and every time there was speculation that Noah was Leonhard’s illegitimate child.

In such a situation, Leonhard came up with a thought without any calculation.

‘If you misunderstand that Noah is my illegitimate son…’

“I see…I’m glad to hear that.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“I think the first gift a child receives from their parents is a name. If it hadn’t been for affection, His mother wouldn’t have given him a name.”

Raenel said that and smiled very prettily.

“That’s a relief. Later, when he grows up and asks about his real parents, can’t you tell him that the mother who gave birth to him loved him, right?”

“Yes… I had never even thought about it until now.”

[If it wasn’t for affection, she wouldn’t have given him a name.]

Leonhard moistened his parched lips with his tongue. He then stood there in silence for a long time before he suddenly untied the scarf around his neck and folded it neatly.

“Leon?”

“I’m sorry. That… It’s too hot.”

“Well, compared to the north, the capital is very hot, right? It was a bit chilly, so I dressed warmly.”

“Are you cold? then…”

“It’s okay, I’m dressed warmly.”

Raenel spun Round from where she was standing. The hem of the skirt didn’t flutter that much, as if it was as heavy as it was thick, and instead, the cape around her shoulders swelled and fell heavily like the wings of a flying squirrel.

“There’s magic on this cap and hat, too. It’s my sister’s work.”

“Come to think of it, I’ve heard of it. They say that the products produced by the Clover Magician are very strange and convenient. The founder at the top is….”

“That is my sister! Are clover magic tools famous in the north?”

“Yes. I heard that it is also popular among the residents in the north.”

“Because most of the clover magic tools are for everyday use!”

Raenel, who was happy with a smile as if she had heard a compliment. She looked around for talking too long while standing.

“I came out to give you a tour of the capital city, but I just talked too much. Let’s go look around, Leon. Is there any other place you want to go?”

“A place I wanted to go to…Yes, there is.”

“Where? Was the clock tower built to commemorate the founding of the empire? Tolce Commercial Street? Golden Brew’s auction house? Park of Pegasus? Just say it!”

“I want to go to the bookstore.”

“I see! A Good bookstore… bookstore?”

“Yes.”

At Raenel’s wide-eyed question, Leonhard nodded. He smiled softly, as he fidgeted with the bookmark he had forced out of Ruby’s mouth and put in his pocket.

“I need a book to keep the bookmark you gave me.”