CH 30

Liddell, who had just gotten out of the carriage with Jane’s escort, turned her head and looked up at her husband.

The vassal, who would normally stick by her side like a ghost, just watched the scene from a distance, as if to let the couple enjoy their loving reunion.

Hisch, who was just smiling happily at the situation, opened his eyes wide for a moment and bent down a little to meet his wife at eye level.

He reached out and touched Liddell’s cheek.

“……what happened?”

Gran was inwardly impressed. As expected, they are husband and wife. The man spoke without hesitation what everyone around him must have thought of when they saw the slightly pale and thin Lord.

Liddell glanced at her husband, who was looking at her with a worried look, and then reached out her hand.

Gran was thinking that their lord would tell him not to worry and would snuggle up in her husband’s arms and lightly greet him.

Or, since there were so many eyes of the subordinates around them, they would maybe just hold hands quietly and lightly greet each other.

But she reached out and grabbed the cheek of the man in front of her. It was a firm and flawless hand skill.

Ignoring the breathing of all the knights and employees around her, Liddell puckered up her lips like a carp and kissed the bewildered Hisch.

Kiss, It was not really just a kiss..…. It was so sticky that he wondered if there were tentacles stuck on his lips…… type of kiss.

It was no wonder that the man’s face, which had only blinked at the sudden touch, turned red in an instant.

The vassal, who usually looked pathetic when he saw all kinds of pestilences of the lord couple, had an expression as if he had written a groan ‘Augh…….’ on his face.

It was only Liddell who spoke in a carefree voice amid all the quiet uproar.

“It’s a good height for a kiss.”

“…….”

“I’m back, Hisch.”

With that said, Liddell let go of the hand that had held the man’s cheek, and Hisch squatted down as if he had lost his strength and buried his face deep in his knees.

Just by looking down, one could see that the man’s earlobes were red as if they had been burned by a fire.

Dumbfounded by the two of them, who seemed to ignore all the eyes around them, Gran suddenly raised his head and made eye contact with the vassal who was still looking this way with a crumpled expression.

It was the moment when a strange camaraderie blossomed.

While receiving a brief report of what had happened in the territory in my absence, I was once again amazed at the meticulousness of Sein.

Well, he didn’t forget to investigate the mine I received from the prince. Something that I forgot, even though I received it.

Seeing my reaction, Sein only said this in a calm tone.

“Didn’t I take care of it well?”

Oh my, is that so? How adorable. I looked at Sein with eyes as if looking at my grandchild who had done something admirable for the first time in a long time.

“However, there are still a lot of problems to be solved, so I think I should visit it at least once.”

“Me?”

At my words, he looked at me as if I made no sense.

“Of course I have to move. It is not a place for the lord to step.”

He really thought of me as if I’m a great lord who controls a huge territory. It was a reaction that seemed like heaven and earth would open up once I took my butt off.

I was tired of correcting his perceptions, so I turned my attention to the report on the magic stone trade and construction proposal.

The Firenze Merchants sent an answer saying that they would actively respond to the magic crystal deal without having to go through Miller. The talk fell to the Merchant Head, and the transaction fee was also much less than expected.

In fact, I still made a lot of money which was a good thing, but considering what was to come, no matter how much assets I accumulated, it was not enough.

Yes, considering the future……

“…….”

“And this is how the site for the tunnel construction was chosen. Considering the access to the capital, other tourism resources and the capacity of the floating population, these places were nominated.”

With the money from the sale of the Magic Stones, Ensis decided to carry out a large-scale project to construct a tunnel in the mountain range that divides the territory.

The mountain range lay horizontally in the territory, and it was also blocking the passage between the capital and Ensis.

As a result, those who came up from further south to visit the capital usually had to circle the mountain range, and of course, there was no need to visit our territory.

But what if they could go directly to the capital through our territory? In other words, there was a possibility that this place would soon grow into a transportation hub.

And if something big happens, wouldn’t it be good to create a passage in advance to cooperate closely with the capital, the center of the country?

I made the decision with that thought.

Right, it’s a big project……

“…….”

“…… Lord. I don’t think you’ve been able to concentrate since a while ago, so why don’t you have a luncheon first and then get the job done?”

I glanced at Sein who seemed to be saying in an elegant tone, ‘Why don’t you keep concentrating? Why is your mind in the bean field [1] ?’

“Sein.”

“Yes.”

“Sein…… I mean. You’re a living person, aren’t you?”

“…… What part is making you doubtful? I’m curious whether I don’t look like I’m alive or a human.”

Yeah, I’m also dumbfounded by myself asking this question.

“No, it’s just that. I feel deep emotions about the lives of this world. Being alive is very……”

I squinted at the papers. It outlined the need to relocate the people who lived in the vicinity to proceed with the construction, as well as the number and the value of the property that should be taken.

“……You’re in a bad mood. Aren’t you?”

Normally, he would just ignore me, who was talking nonsense, but for some reason, Sein narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

“……what happened in the capital?”

That’s why you can’t be a good guy.

But who can I confide this to?

I mean, I thought I was just an audience briefly participating in the play. As it turned out…… I was Alice who had actually come to a strange world.

Actually, I wonder what difference it makes. This is the world in the book, the real world. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s an unfamiliar place to me anyway.

So far, I couldn’t find a reason for my own agitation.

However, if I try to pick up the thoughts that have sunk to the bottom.

I acknowledged this place as my reality, and acknowledged the people around me who had nothing to do with <I Picked Up My Husband> as ‘persons’ rather than ‘characters’.

But somehow, in the end, the fact that this was the world in the book I was reading for fun  made me feel relaxed. [2]

But if not, if this was just a different reality.

Wouldn’t the meaning of all the actions I’ve done so far change as well?

Thinking about it, it seemed as if things that were floating without my knowledge were falling to the ground with their weight in an instant.

“I heard that you went up to investigate the mysterious phenomenon that has happened recently.”

When I didn’t say anything for a while, Sein opened his mouth as if in response to me.

“Uh-huh, well…… because of that, I was rolled [3] again.”

“Aren’t you still tired?”

“Maybe…….”

“…….”

“…….”

Sein’s expression hardened even more at my listless answer. It wasn’t long before he sighed.

“Right now, even if the lord is sitting here, it doesn’t seem to mean much. We’ll talk about the details of the agenda after the luncheon.”

Strict bastard. Normally, you should be more worried.

However, since the second son of the Borter family is a man who does not understand and is bad at distinguishing between public and private, he might consider me inefficient for not doing what I was told to do and only thinking about something else.

I nodded and got up from my seat. Come to think of, what is Hisch doing now? AS I was about to leave the office without saying a word because I had that thought in my heart, Sein spoke.

“Wouldn’t Mr. Hisch be in the western garden behind the mansion? Why don’t you visit him and see how he is?”

Perhaps…… are you reading my mind? [4] I looked at Sein once with a strange expression, and then nodded.

“But what fun conversations are you talking about these days with Hisch? Did you get along with him while I was away?”

Sein didn’t have much interest in Hisch. In fact, even if it wasn’t Hisch, Sein wouldn’t care much about who my husband was.

Well, in his head, he might have calculated this or that, but he didn’t seem like someone who would have any emotional exchanges with my husband.

Ever since returning from the capital, Sein had been talking to Hisch about something and went to meet him. Honestly, I’m a little curious about what they’re talking about, but I was just curious because it was awkward to ask.

At my words, Sein turned his head and said this in his usual tone.

“It’s a secret between us.”

Wow, this is excluding the boss now.

I won’t ask you since you’re so cheap. I just decided to go see my lovely husband.