CH 2.5

CHAPTER 2: SPRING COMES TO EVERYONE (V)

Part 022

Damian, who woke up early in the morning, no, at dawn, went to work early and wrestled with paperwork all morning, enjoyed the lunch that was served as a special meal for the commander. Since she hadn’t eaten properly in the morning, she emptied the fruit plate for dessert, and Adrian also pushed her his share of fruit. Damian laughed bashfully and ate it without hesitation. Her stomach was full, but when she returned to the office and ate even sweet cookies, she couldn’t wake up from the drowsiness that poured down.

She opened her closed eyes several times as she finished reading the book she had read yesterday, but at some point fell asleep. She leaned back on her chair to keep from falling asleep, then fell asleep, leaving an open book on her chest.

Adrian, who, as was his habit, gave her his gaze, smiled at the sleeping Damian.

“I’ll have to ask her to go home early today.”

After working for a while, Ethan and Cale, who looked at Adrian wondering what he was talking about, followed his gaze and looked at Damian. She was dozing off, buried wide in the thick cushion on her back. As Adrian looked at Damian with a honey dripping face, Ethan smirked in a small voice that could only be heard close by.

“Didn’t you just say he liked her?”

Cale giggled behind him, and Adrian wordlessly lowered his face with the papers again.

“What kind of crush is overflowing in all directions like this? If you like it that much, ask for a date.”

“She has just come of age. I don’t want to burden her.”

“The coming-of-age ceremony has passed, so what’s the problem? What will you do if another guy shows interest in her?”

Cale intervened. Adrian glanced at Cale with an uncomfortable expression. Adrian’s forehead wrinkled, and Ethan accepted the word excitedly.

“That’s right. She is so smart, she is beautiful, and bright. Those with eyes won’t let her go.”

“Isn’t it? After the coming-of-age ceremony, isn’t it time to start talking about engagement?”

“Young lady will wake up. So shut up.”

The two henchmen looked at each other and grinned as Adrian spoke with a clearly disapproving tone. Adrian quietly stood up and carefully picked up the book that was hanging over Damian’s chest. After putting the book back in place, taking care to not wake Damian up, he returned to his seat without breathing.

Damian was dozing off without the world knowing, and Adrian bit his lip to hold back his bursting laughter.

Ethan was happy for the spring breeze that came to his superior, who had been on the battlefield since he was young without a family member to associate with. Every 4 years, even the lowest-ranking soldier goes home for vacation at least once. The young boss who had kept his men on vacation once a year, no matter what, had nowhere to go. The only blood relative in Midoc rejected Adrian, and the commander of the National Guard, Boromir Luther, who regarded Adrian and his men as a thorn in his eye, sent him to another place if he was worthy of a position. He adapted to the new battlefield, endured the territorial attitude, led the battle, and took care of the subordinates who adored Adrian one by one and made a position. He has never been defeated, but he has never been recognized as a major or promoted.

Adrian, who lived among enemies everywhere, gradually lost his smile. The march of the unit, with the commander completely stamped on top, was a series of battles to the extent of being bizarre. He saved his subordinates from dying while carrying out ridiculous orders. He made his way through the vanguard several times, led the abandoned troops without supplies, and returned victoriously, but was not welcomed. Adrian’s subordinates, who called the commander who rebelled for their sake and was more severely rejected as their master, felt sorry for the warmth fading from their young superior’s face. He, who returned to a house where no one was left behind and carried a burden that was not his share, was watching his heart flutter. Ethan thought he was going to die because Damian was so pretty. Occasionally, there were exceptional talents in a certain field. However, it is a common opportunity to meet them and use their abilities.

The young lady who stole his master’s heart appeared at the moment of need and gave him strength. It was admirable that she wrote a report that fell perfectly without any error, with a nonchalant face, but he especially liked Damian, who acted as if it was no big deal to be with Adrian, whom even men could not see face to face.

The selfless, clear eyes and the sonorous voice that said every detail were pretty. Although he did not tell Adrian, the Ethart family, whose background investigation had already been completed, was a sound family that was not entangled with them. Count Colin Ethart, who was firmly leading the territory of small mines and mountains, and Damian’s brother, who was quite trustworthy in the Ministry of Home Affairs, were flawless. No, this was just fine. Even if the young lady was blind and lame, it wouldn’t have mattered even if she had a father like a brat in a family full of debt. Even if he wasn’t a noble, wouldn’t it be a big problem? If she would accept Adrian’s heart, and she would be by his side, his comfort, Ethan would take her to her seat next to Adrian’s.

Ethan pondered for a moment on how Adrian could win Damian’s favor, then sighed as he had only memories of falling on the battlefield. He spent time being ambiguous during one season, and the other, the lord’s appearance as if he was using a dragon to express his feelings was both admirable and sorrowful. He shook his head for a moment, but nothing came to mind, so Ethan reluctantly focused on writing the accusation against the Marquis of Talus, which was scheduled for the next day.

* * *

It was the morning of the 5th day after Damian went to work, and unlike yesterday, the three of them were sitting around and enjoying a hearty breakfast.

Count Colin, who was just worried about his youngest daughter, who was gallantly commuting to and from work, and Rootvan, who was just special, watched Damian happily eating sweet chocolate cake for dessert. Then, suddenly the butler hurriedly approached and said something in Colin’s ear with a serious face. Colin turned to Damian with a surprised face at the unexpected news from the butler.

“Damian. Why is the carriage of the Duke of Bigor in front of our mansion?” 

When she checked the old clock hanging on the dining room wall, it was a little past 8:30.

“He said he’d come by nine, but I see he’s already here.”

“Demian, did the Duke send you a carriage? Why?” Rootvan asked impatiently.

“He said let’s go to work together. It looks like he arrived a little early. I’ll wake up first.”

“No, no Damian. Why are Duke Bigor and you going to work together?”

“Because we work in the same place?”

“What does that have to do with riding a carriage in the morning?”

Colin looked at Damian with an unusually stern face. As he was about to stand up, Damian shifted into a sitting position and scratched his chin. Of course, it was a problem in the social world. Traveling together in a wagon in the morning was a big enough job to go up and down.

“I’m not going anywhere else, I’m just going to the headquarters, Father. I’m here because you’re worried about riding in a public carriage alone at an early hour.”

“Then you can go out with this brother. Refuse the Duke’s consideration.”

Rootvan also intervened with a disapproving face.

“Yes, that’s right. I need to get one more wagon at this point. I should have paid more attention earlier.”

When Colin clicked his tongue and blamed himself, Damian was even more embarrassed.

“Hey, father. Brother? Don’t you want me to get close to Duke Bigor?”

“It’s not like that, we’re worried about your reputation.”

“Then it’s okay to be close to Duke Bigor, right?”

“Damian?”

Rootvan asked with his eyes wide open, and Colin looked at Demian with a gloomy face at once.

Damian had been thinking since yesterday, wondering if Duke Bigor had feelings for her, but she couldn’t bring up a story she wasn’t sure of yet in front of the two astonished. She liked the easy way to work, but she decided to turn down Adrian’s favor because he didn’t have to be so stubborn, making her father and brother worried.

“Hey, don’t get too ahead of yourself. He is a wonderful person, so I must have been a little excited. I’ll tell him not to come next time.”

When Damian answered plainly, Rootvan and Colin looked at each other with complicated expressions. Damian, who poured the remaining chocolate cake into her mouth, went up to her room for final preparations. Jenny, Anna, and Ruby, who heard that the Duke of Bigor had come to pick up the girl, lined up in front of the mirror and grabbed Damian.

“No, Jenny. Why fix my makeup now. I have to go out.”

“It’ll be over soon, miss. Anna, sprinkle a little more rose water over there. Oh, Ruby, after all, not this brooch. Yes, the one the Duke gave you, that’s good.”

“Hey, are you guys over there?”

“It’s all done. It’s done. Well, um- do it. um-pa”

“Um-pa?”

“Okay. My lady. You’re beautiful too. Now, shall we go down?”

With extremely excited faces, the three maids came out of the mansion to see off Damian. Adrian was standing outside the wagon, waiting for Damian. He stepped down the stairs and approached her, holding out her hand and smiling brightly, and Damian laughed too. Adrian went to pick up Damian in the commander’s wagon. Duke Bigor had several wagons, but Ethan, who had been making a fuss about having a test-ride since yesterday evening, nodded at the end to the commandant’s wagon, which was magnificently large, fancy, and had thick cushions covered with a red velvet rod. Adrian, who usually rode his horse, let alone a carriage, frowned in front of a carriage decorated with glittering gold on a white background. He was standing in front of a wagon that was said to have been used by the former commander and was needlessly large and expensive. Ethan pushed Adrian into the wagon and said he would find another wagon by tomorrow.

“You can’t tell the lady to get into that hard carriage. Maybe because there’s no woman at home, all these wagons aren’t transport carriages, so why don’t you jump around like your tailbone is going to break? I’ll get a wagon for you, so just ride it today. Oh, that’s why, when you’re going to do something, talk to me. You told me in advance, so I bought a new wagon!”

“It was not in the plan.”

Adrian was reluctant to think that Damian would think that he usually rode in a carriage like this, but he sat down and saw that the cushions were really stable, so he set off. He passed through the front door of Ethart mansion, stood down in front of the front door, opened the door, and the moment he saw Damian coming out, the carriage disappeared from his mind.

Of course, Damian, who had to go up with the escort of an extremely high-ranking person in an extravagant carriage, was at a loss. She couldn’t help but be surprised at the gold-encrusted decorations and the enormous scale that eight people could ride together. However, she immediately felt better because of the cushion feeling that was different from the common wagon I used to ride. After rolling her butt a few times, Damian felt a little regretful that she had to give up this comfortable commute.