Sigrid

Sigrid nodded.

“Yeah, that’s exactly the feeling.”

“He must be reassuring.”

Lowengrin stuck out her tongue, and Sigrid replied with an ambiguous expression,

“If he’s on our side.”

“There’s no reason he wouldn’t be.”

Lowengrin dismissed the issue simply. She didn’t want to discuss such political matters in this public place. People’s gazes were already drawn to them just for being with Sigrid; anything more would be unwelcome.

Marie-Chez chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right,” and asked,

“So? How did he propose? Did he say he’d die without you? Did he get down on one knee?”

“Um… no, he retracted all those statements. It wasn’t really a proposal or anything like that. He just asked me to bear his child.”

“What?!”

Marie-Chez’s voice sharpened. She leaned forward abruptly and growled with fiery eyes.

“What about flowers? Candles? Romantic music? An orchestra? An empty ballroom? Hm? Where did it all go? Nothing? Not a single thing?”

“Uh— yeah.”

Sigrid answered awkwardly.

“What kind of jerk is he! And he just asked you to bear his child? Really?”

Sigrid nodded, leaning back from Marie-Chez’s intensity. Marie-Chez took a deep breath and was about to speak when a servant arrived with refreshments, causing her to swallow her words.

After carefully setting down the elegant tableware and finally placing the pot containing the drinks, the servant bowed deeply and withdrew. Lowengrin gestured for them to eat and said,

“The herbal tea here has a special blend that’s delicious. It’s sweet even without sugar, I think they might add honey-preserved fruits or something.”

The brew in the cups was indeed not the color of black tea. Sigrid carefully tasted the deep golden liquid that was closer to yellow.

“It’s delicious—!”

Unlike tea, Sigrid thought she could drink this endlessly without sugar.

“Right? I thought you’d like it. They say it’s good for your health too.”

Lowengrin smiled gently. Sigrid nodded, drinking the tea more comfortably now.

“I see. It’s good for health and tastes good too.”

She understood why it was expensive. Of course, maintaining this greenhouse must cost quite a bit as well.

Marie-Chez was drinking a red-colored tea. Not the red of black tea, but a bright ruby-red. Still unable to forgive, Marie-Chez pouted and chattered,

“Such a proposal is truly the worst. What does he think of women? No, what does he think of you, Siri? Does he think being one of the top three knights is everything? It’s ridiculous, really. Just like a barbarian.”

Sigrid waved her hand.

“No, he apologized later, saying it was a mistake. He retracted everything he said.”

“That makes it even worse!”

Marie-Chez said, crossing her arms. Despite Sigrid’s efforts to restore Utulu’s honor, they were in vain.

“It means he wasn’t serious, right? Why did he propose in the first place?”

“He said a child between us would be strong……”

“What—? I really hate that.”

Marie-Chez shook her head, and Lowengrin narrowed her eyes. Even by Lowengrin’s standards, proposing and retracting so easily seemed improper.

Moreover, given that it was Sigrid, it was even more so. Wouldn’t she have seriously considered it? Lowengrin spoke up,

“So? He retracted his statement after you refused?”

“Yeah, as I said before, I have no intention of having children, so I refused.”

Lowengrin couldn’t help but snort at that.

“Retracting his statement after being refused, Lord Mihas seems narrow-minded too.”

“No, it wasn’t like that. He seemed genuinely sorry for bringing it up so suddenly.”

Sigrid tried to explain that it wasn’t the nuance they were thinking of, but it was useless. To Marie-Chez and Lowengrin, Utulu was now firmly established as a ‘hopeless old-fashioned man’.

“Sigrid, if you ever get a boyfriend, make sure to tell us. Okay?”

“We’re worried!” Marie-Chez emphasized, and Sigrid nodded.

“That’s not likely to happen… but alright.”

“You never know about these things?”

Marie-Chez said, her eyes wide.

“You’re saying you won’t have children, not that you won’t date, right?”

“……Is that so……?”

Sigrid said quietly, somewhat shocked. Then she quickly shook her head.

“Dating doesn’t suit me.”

“Eh, what do you mean? Sigrid, you’re beautiful, you have good prospects, and you’re capable, so there will definitely be men hitting on you. Dating is a good thing. There’s nothing to lose by doing it a lot, you know?”

“Hmm—”

Sigrid still looked unconvinced. Lowengrin looked at Marie-Chez and said with a small smile,

“You talk big for someone without a boyfriend~”

At those words, Marie-Chez huffed,

“I’m choosing not to date, it’s not that I don’t have men interested. Anyway, such a proposal……. Goodness, where has all the romance gone? He should at least get down on one knee. Knee, knee.”

Grumbling, Marie-Chez finished her tea. Lowengrin asked,

“What about other things? Were you hurt anywhere? We heard you eliminated the magical beast……”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t too difficult because both Beramund and Utulu are excellent people.”

“Tell us more specifically.”

Urged by Marie-Chez, Sigrid explained her technique and described the situation. Lowengrin’s eyes widened.

“Then that’s your trump card, isn’t it? Is it okay to talk about it like this?”

“Well, it’s going to spread anyway. I used it in front of all the soldiers.”

And there was another real trump card. At this point, she hoped they would think of this as the trump card. Then they’d be caught off guard by her next move.

“I see. It’s a shame, but it must have been a clear sign of trust to the west. Indeed, quite impressive.”

Flustered by Lowengrin’s praise, Sigrid waved her hands.

“No, I didn’t do it with that intention.”

“But that’s how it would have looked. Besides, even if you say otherwise, it’s true that you’re diligent, Siri.”

Sigrid was serious and sincere in everything she did.

It might be old-fashioned and frustrating, but without sincerity, things don’t progress. And finding someone who truly approaches things with sincerity was surprisingly difficult.

‘In a way, she might be the best personnel.’

When Sigrid had said she would go down with Beramund—her superior—because she couldn’t let him go alone to what was essentially enemy territory, she had tried to dissuade her. But looking back after the incident, Sigrid had been the perfect candidate.

‘The problem is…….’

Whether Sigrid could maintain the balance she wanted between His Highness and His Majesty. Lowengrin looked at her younger friend.

“Siri.”

“Yes?”

“There’s no such thing as permanent neutrality.”

Lowengrin raised her teacup. The deep golden liquid swirled gently. Sigrid stared intently at Lowengrin at those words.

“Eventually, a time will come when you have to make a choice. I want to tell you to choose before that time comes. That’s how you get a better deal.”

Lowengrin said with a slight smile, and Marie-Chez grumbled beside her,

“If it were that easy, everything in the world would be easy.”

Even Lowengrin had to laugh at that.

“You’re right about that.”

After finishing their tea, Sigrid politely declined their invitation to have dinner together.

“I’m going to stop by Morris’s place.”

“It’ll be empty, won’t it?”

To Marie-Chez’s question, Sigrid nodded.

“Yeah, but I thought I’d leave a message or something.”

“Well, can’t be helped then.”

Marie-Chez nodded understandingly and boarded Lowengrin’s carriage. Marie-Chez’s attendant returned the horse to Sigrid. Meanwhile, Echo seemed quite satisfied, having apparently been fed something, which improved Sigrid’s mood as well.

After seeing off the two in the carriage, Sigrid mounted Echo. Though she got a bit lost as it was her first time there, Sigrid soon found her way to the main road. Although it was winter, after coming up from the west, the central winter felt mild.

There were hardly any people walking the evening streets. Even riders like Sigrid were rare. In winter, people much preferred carriages that blocked the wind. Moreover, it was approaching dinner time.

The streets were utterly deserted.

Despite the sharp wind blowing between buildings, Sigrid straightened her shoulders and urged Echo into a light run. Echo, wearing a thick, ornate cloth under the saddle and knitted socks on all four hooves for winter, also ran briskly.

As the sun set, the outlines of buildings stood out sharply against the darkening sky, with the last faint colors of twilight spreading below. Turning her head the other way, she could already see stars rising.

Bluish lights flickered on sporadically in the streetlamps along the main road. She had heard that the imperial family had paid an enormous sum to the Ice Tower to install these. It was one of the capital’s attractions.

—It’s this bright even at night?

People visiting the capital for the first time would often stare at these streetlamps for a long time. But today, even such tourists were hard to find.

Breathing in the air so cold it almost stung her throat, Sigrid slowly eased Echo’s pace. The horse, long accustomed to its rider, knew what she wanted just from a slight shift in the saddle.

Sigrid stopped Echo in front of Morris’s house and lightly jumped down from the saddle.

Knock knock knock—

After rapping the knocker a few times, Sigrid waited. After a much longer time than expected, the door opened cautiously. The servant opened the door wide only after confirming who it was through the crack.

“Lady Ankertna, welcome.”

Seeing him step aside as if inviting her in, Sigrid glanced at Echo standing by and said,

“I was planning to return before the horse’s body cools down, I just wanted to leave a quick message—”

“Leave the horse to the stable boy. Come, inside.”

Sigrid’s eyebrow twitched. The atmosphere was strange. The servant’s expression and gestures were stiff. She unconsciously checked her sword on her left hip and said,

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Sigrid placed her hand on her sword hilt and slowly stepped inside. Though she entered prepared for a sudden attack from behind the door, the entryway was quiet. The servant quickly looked around and closed the door. He called a servant in a low voice to take care of Sigrid’s horse, then guided her to the reception room.

“Please wait a moment.”

“Oh, okay.”

What’s going on?

Sigrid remained standing, not taking a seat. The atmosphere was strange, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. Would an enemy enter while the servant was gone?

Sigrid slowly moved towards the back of the sofa. She intended to use it as cover if necessary. But after about five minutes, only the servant returned alone.

“Please come this way.”

“Who?”

“Lord Deforest requests your presence.”

“Morris is here?!”

Surprised, Sigrid emerged from behind the sofa. In her haste, she walked a step or two faster than the servant. The house’s layout was familiar after just one visit. She quickly found her way to Morris’s inner room that she had been to before.

Sigrid grabbed the brass doorknob glinting under the candlelight and swung the door open.

“Morris?”

She scanned the room. The servant carefully closed the door from outside. Sigrid paid no attention to the sound of the door closing. She rushed over to the figure sitting on the sofa.

“Morris?!”

Morris’s appearance was a mess. His usual neat look was nowhere to be seen. His cloak looked like it had been rolled in mud, and his hair was disheveled. Even the leather of his gloves was peeling. Now that she looked, there were muddy footprints on the carpet too.

Morris, in this filthy state, sat on the sofa with his face buried in his hands, motionless. Sigrid dropped to her knees in front of him. Disregarding the dirt, she reached out and grasped his shoulders.

“Morris? Are you alright? What happened?”

Morris remained still for a while, then reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. It was so sudden that Sigrid couldn’t even check his face. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and held her tightly. Morris smelled far from hygienic, but Sigrid didn’t mind. She was used to the stench of bear musk and blood.

‘Is he injured?’

Worried, she reached her hand inside Morris’s cloak. Feeling the coat he wore underneath, she could tell he was wearing armor beneath. Her concern grew. What if it was soaked in blood?

She felt around Morris’s body. Sensing that the coat was wet, Sigrid flinched. Cautiously checking Morris’s reaction as he held her, Sigrid focused on examining the wet areas with her fingers, but fortunately found no holes.

“What are you doing?”

Morris asked in a mumble. As he spoke, Sigrid felt his breath tickle her neck and said,

“I’m checking if you’re injured anywhere.”

Morris remained silent for a long time, then let out a long sigh and raised his body. He looked at her and said, “Ah.”

“What?”

Sigrid looked up at him with worried eyes. Morris reached out to rub the stains on her cloak, but seeing that he was just smearing more dirt, he lowered his hand.

“Sorry for ruining your clothes.”

“Don’t worry about it. More importantly, what happened? Hm? Why does your face look like this?”

Sigrid cupped Morris’s face, which had grown stubbly, in both hands. Seeing his roughened skin and bloodshot eyes full of fatigue made her feel restless.

“What’s wrong? Hm?”

Morris closed his eyes, resting his cheek gently in her palm. Her worried voice wrapped pleasantly around his ears. Sigrid’s concerned gaze sharpened.

“Don’t tell me it’s because of your brother?”

Morris opened his eyes at her sharp tone. Sigrid’s crimson eyes were blazing.

“Did that bastard do this to you?!”

Morris shook his head slightly. But Sigrid’s anger didn’t subside.

“Then who was it? He’s not even a real brother! You don’t need to protect him!”

“……Father……”

Morris’s voice was very soft, but Sigrid understood immediately. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

“Oh, Morris……”

Sigrid’s face contorted, then she straightened up and hugged Morris tightly. Their positions were now reversed. Morris mumbled,

“You’ll get dirty, Sigrid. Let go.”

But Sigrid only tightened her arms around him. Morris panted lightly, as if he couldn’t breathe.

“Sigrid—”

He called her name softly a few more times, but Sigrid shook her head and refused to let go. Finally, Morris surrendered and closed his eyes.

His panting gradually subsided.

As they remained like that for a while, the sound of the door creaking open was heard. Morris hastily pushed Sigrid away with both arms, and caught off guard by the unexpected force, she easily fell back. It was enough force that she might have tumbled if she hadn’t been careful.

“What is it?”

Morris’s hoarse voice sounded unfamiliar.

“Ah, well—”

It was the servant from before. He hesitated a few times, then said,

“The bath is ready, but……”

“Oh, right. Thank you.”

Morris replied and cleared his throat a few times. As he rose from the sofa, Sigrid stood up as well. Morris groaned when he saw the state of her clothes.

“I’m sorry, your clothes are really ruined.”

“These clothes are nothing compared to you, Morris.”

Sigrid said, placing her hands on her hips as if imitating Marie-Chez. Seeing her confident stance, Morris rubbed his face with his hand and said,

“You should change your clothes too.”

“I suppose so.”

Sigrid looked down at her clothes. Her navy blue coat was indeed covered in mud, just as Morris had said.

‘I wonder if it’ll be okay if I dry and brush it?’

Thinking this, Sigrid started to unbutton her coat.

“Only your coat is dirty, so it’s fine. Go wash up first. Have you eaten?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then that too—”

Sigrid trailed off, looking at the servant. The servant immediately bowed his head and said,

“I’ll instruct the kitchen to prepare a meal. Please go in before the water gets cold.”

Having found an escape route, the servant quickly left the room. Morris said to Sigrid,

“Then if you’ll excuse me.”

“Oh, right.”

Sigrid nodded, suddenly feeling awkward. Morris hesitated for a moment, then added,

“There should be some of my sister’s old clothes in the guest room. Use those for now.”

“Alright, thank you.”

As Morris left the room, Sigrid stood there for a moment, unsure what to do. Finally, she decided to follow the servant’s suggestion and headed to the bathroom.

The bath was indeed ready, with steam rising from the large tub. Sigrid quickly stripped off her muddy clothes and sank into the hot water with a sigh of relief. As she scrubbed away the dirt, her mind raced with questions about what had happened to Morris.

After finishing her bath and dressing in the borrowed clothes, Sigrid made her way to the dining room. Morris was already there, looking much cleaner but still haggard. A simple but hearty meal was laid out on the table.

“Feel better?” Morris asked as she sat down.

“Yes, thank you. How about you?”

Morris nodded slightly. “I’m fine. Let’s eat.”

They ate in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Sigrid couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer.

“Morris, what happened? Why were you in such a state?”

He put down his fork and sighed deeply. “It’s a long story, Sigrid. But I suppose you deserve to know.”

Morris began to recount the events that had transpired since his father’s death – the family disputes, his brother’s accusations, and his desperate flight from the estate. Sigrid listened intently, her heart aching for her friend’s pain.

As Morris finished his tale, Sigrid reached across the table and grasped his hand. “I’m so sorry, Morris. Is there anything I can do to help?”

He gave her a wan smile. “You being here is help enough. I’m not sure what I’m going to do next, but knowing I have a friend like you makes it easier to face.”

Sigrid squeezed his hand. “You’ll always have me, Morris. We’ll figure this out together.”

As they continued their meal, the atmosphere lightened slightly. They began to discuss more mundane topics, both grateful for the momentary distraction from heavier concerns.

Later, as Sigrid prepared to leave, Morris walked her to the door. “Thank you for coming, Sigrid. It means more than you know.”

“Of course. And Morris? Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. Promise me?”

“I promise,” he said, managing a small but genuine smile.

Sigrid mounted Echo, casting one last concerned glance at her friend before riding off into the night. As she made her way back to her quarters, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a complex and potentially dangerous situation. Whatever came next, she was determined to stand by Morris’s side.