When I saw the bed, the exhaustion I had endured came rushing over me.
Ugh, letâs go to bed.
Aedis, who was looking out the window, threw off his coat and narrowed his eyes.
âThe forest is noisy.â
It was truly a phrase I loved hearing all the time.
No matter how close the Rosa Estate seemed to the Eire Forest, it would actually take over an hour to walk there.
Aedis was still listening to the sounds around here.
âWhat do you think is there?â
âI think it might be the identity of the complaint that wife cares about.â
Aedis tilted his head and picked up the coat I had taken off.
I sat down on the bed sullenly.
âIs it very noisy? Should you go to deal with it right away if itâs annoying?â
Iâm so tired now that I donât want to moveâ¦
My head isnât even workingâ¦
But leaving Aedis alone is hardâ¦
Aedis was hailed as the strongest in the world in ãEsmeraldaâs Crescent Moonã, but strangely, I was still worried about him.
Because heâs my husband?
Ah ah. I eventually stretched and got up.
âLetâs go.â
But as if he had read my mind, Aedis sat me down again.
âItâs nothing. So just sleep by my side today.â
I looked at Aedis.
Well, Iâm not lying down but as Iâm sitting and looking at Aedis, I donât know why my consciousness keeps fading.
âAedisâ¦.. what do you think of the nickname âHuman Sleeping Pill?â
âIf itâs for you, Iâll think of it positively.â
My body was laid down by his affectionate hand.
I just fell asleep.
***
Even after the day was bright, Baron Paisleyâs complexion was still haggard.
If I did not know the circumstances, I wouldâve thought he was a patient with a serious illness.
When the Baron entered the dining room, he asked me where Aedis was.
âYour Grace? His Grace the Grand Dukeâ¦â
âHe seems to be very tired. Iâd appreciate it if you understand that he will take his meals in the room.â
Of course, that was a lie.
Aedis stayed with me until I woke up, then he went to Eire Forest and was currently scanning the whole area.
It was an incredibly vast forest, but the amount of time it took me to eat breakfast was enough for Aedis to explore.
As if heâd heard great news, the Baronâs face suddenly lit up.
âOkay, of course, I understand!â
Sein stared at his father, who liked the news too much, with anxiety.
At first glance, the mealtime seemed to go smoothly.
However, Aedisâs absence gave the Baron excessive confidence.
The Baron began to swell.
Eventually, when I asked about the forest of Eire, he began to condescend as if he were Grand Duke Kallakis and the owner of the forest.
âAre you talking about the forest? Itâs famous for its beautiful scenery! Isnât it the pride of the Rosa Estate, and even the North! Of course, itâs also my pride! â
As soon as I finished eating, the Baron pressed Sein hard.
âSein, what are you doing without getting ready?â
Sein became contemplative and ran out. I also rose up right away because I didnât want to face the Baron anymore.
âWell, Grand Duchess.â
As I looked reluctantly, the Baron suddenly lowered his voice.
âBy any chance. Will the Grand Duke accompany you?â
âWell.â
âNo matter how tired he is, he wouldnât send the Grand Duchess aloneâ¦would he?â
The Baron openly showed that he hoped Aedis would go outside the estate.
Of course, if Aedis went with me, our guidance would be entirely up to Sein.
Instead of answering his question, I replied with another question.
âI recently heard something strange is happening in Eire Forest. What do you think?â
The Baron responded while showing his disappointment.
âCould be a hungry mountain beast thatâs come down and made a disturbance. You may not know much about it since you are from the capital, but thatâs common here in the wild forest. Itâs a problem that can be solved at any time. So donât worry too much yet. There still havenât been any dead or injured, right?â
ââ¦.â
I thought hard.
-It turns out that Your Grace was interested in Eire Forest, right? Two days ago, a missing person appeared there.
Before leaving, Tollyman Elliott had given us such news.
In the state of holding Maximus who was struggling in his arms.
-Hmm hmm, the breaking news that the Grand Duchess is curious about, isnât it interesting? Itâs worth a trail? Wouldnât you like to give our fairies a special treat? Sir Maximusâ weight seems to have decreased by six feathersâ¦.Oh, get out of here? You want me to take a cold bath, eat three bowls of shaved ice, and go barefoot? Come on, wait a second! Thereâs more to it! Iâm sure one of them was offended by the new Baron candidates that he had prepared for a smooth transition.
Hmmâ¦
Elliot didnât know much about the disappearance case. What a mess.
Agena evaluated Robson Paisley as a shallow person.
He was greedy and pretentious about such a subject.
There wasnât even half a word about his ability to manage the estate.
I had a lot to say, but it was too much to say right now, so I gave up.
He mightâve thought I was silent because I was scared of the wild forest because the Baron became increasingly arrogant.
âHuh, now that I see it, it looks like the Grand Duchess is quite soft-hearted. I donât know if thatâs okay for someone with the seat of Grand Duchess.â
This is the same guy who canât even make eye contact with Aedis, itâs sickening.
I laughed.
âCertainly, Iâm not as good as the position of the Baron of the Rosa Estate.â
âYes?â
âDid I say something wrong?â
âOh, no. You might think so⦠right?â
Why is he so unsure?
I ordered the Baron who was still dumbfounded by the sudden words.
âThen letâs go.â
***
I headed to Eire Forest with the Baron.
When the Baron heard that Aedis would not accompany me, he left Sein in the mansion and followed me alone.
Procyon, Azena, Thuban, and Pollux came along as my escorts.
Pollux, who hadnât been able to make eye contact with me from the beginning, was swaying his head thanks to his brother Castorâs misconduct, who didnât wash his hands even after going to the bathroom.
âGood morning, Grand Duchess. And Iâm sorryâ¦.â
âThis is already your 100th apology, Sir Pollux.â
âSorry to apologize for the 100th timeâ¦oh, here is your coat.â
I got off the wagon and Pollux put on my coat.
Anyway, Pollux steadfastly served me.
Even if he wasnât as good as Sarah, he had skillfully packed a coat and comfortable shoes.
The Eire Forest, which I was now seeing up close, was big enough to believe that it was cultivated by giants.
There was a plant colony with a fascinating dark blue light spreading in all directions.
When I entered the forest, I couldnât see the sky properly.
The knights from the North didnât seem to be impressed, but Procyon couldnât shut his wide-open mouth.
âHow about it, Grand Duchess? Isnât it different from the forest in the capital?
The Baron boasted as if he had the deed for the Eire Forest. This guy really doesnât have the ability to learn.
I muttered lightly.
âItâs okay. Even if you buried one of the country nobles, you wouldnât be able to spot it.â
âEhâ¦?â
I walked leisurely past the stupid Baron.
Instead of me, the knights of the Grand Duke stared at the Baron with their fierce eyes wide open.
âSir Procyon, why did Her Grace say that?â
âIâm very curious too, Sir Agena.â
A deadly spirit poured out from the knights.
Instead of refuting their sarcasm, the Baron chose to follow me, pretending to be fine.
âUh, huh, letâs go. Iâll guide you.â
There was only darkness inside the forest. Even though the sun was out, it seemed like it wasnât receiving any light at all.
Still, it felt more mysterious than scary.
Where is Aedis at? Maybe heâs already returned to the mansion and is waiting for me to come.
Hearing the knightsâ gossip, I was worried about the aftermath of Aedisâs excellent hearing.
Still, Iâm glad that they try to respect my privacy as much as possible.
âI know a live burial expert.â
âAh, maybe that personâ¦.â
âHow much does it cost to hireâ¦.â
âI am on the legal sideâ¦.â
Theyâre getting a bit out of hand thoughâ¦
If Aedis had been with me, the Baron would have already been buried and even had a dirty sign stuck on his grave.
Procyon would have done graffiti on there too.
âIâd rather make him disappearâ¦â
âOh, thatâs prettyâ¦..â
âThere rumors are circulating in the forestâ¦.â
The knightsâ plans were becoming more and more specific.
Without taking any more steps, I turned around with a disinterested look.
âIâve finished looking around. I want to go back.â
âYes? â
The Baron opened his mouth.
The Baron had yet to notice that the knights had gathered around like a group of meerkats behind me.
I didnât have any thoughts about warning him, so I went back to the carriage without saying it twice.
âGrand Duchessâ¦?â
Are you not going to escort me?
Although I never meant to receive it.