“Hurry, my lady! Hurry!”

“…..”

“Oh, wait a moment! The sun is strong, so make sure to wear your hat!”

Cindy, who had been running to the door, turned back inside and brought a wide-brimmed hat to place on Belladonna’s head.

Belladonna reluctantly allowed herself to be led outside by her.

As they left the villa and approached the temporary training ground, the men’s rough cheers and exclamations grew progressively louder.

Cindy pointed to where they were gathered shouting and said:

“Oh? It seems some intense training has started? The knights are gathered over there.”

This looks more like a festival than training…

Belladonna and Cindy approached the crowd of people who seemed to be enjoying an interesting spectacle.

As they got closer, the voices and excitement of the knights grew louder and louder.

“Excuse me! Please make way! The lady has arrived!”

“Oh, my lady!”

“This way, please! Hey, move aside a bit!”

As Cindy called out, the knights who noticed them shuffled to create a space.

Belladonna awkwardly nodded and moved forward.

At that moment, a wooden sword broken in half flew through the air and landed on the ground not far from her.

Simultaneously, the knights let out an ear-splitting cheer.

“Yeahhh!”

“The lord has won!”

Looking up, she saw Escalion roughly wiping away beads of sweat dripping from his chin, grinning widely as he looked down at the man sprawled before him.

Exposing his well-tanned dark skin under the bright sunlight, he looked very healthy and attractive.

Belladonna’s gaze was drawn to the transparent sweat droplets flowing over his heaving chest and sculpted abs below.

…Wait, is he taking his clothes off now?

“Oh! It seems the two of them just had a match! It looks like our lord was victorious. By the way, who is that person lying on the ground? I don’t think I’ve seen him before…”

Cindy standing beside her said softly.

Belladonna hastily turned to block Cindy’s view.

“What is it, my lady? Do you need something?”

Cindy asked with a puzzled expression, her view obstructed.

Belladonna blinked her large eyes, more flustered by her own unconscious action.

Did I just… shield Escalion from Cindy?

Belladonna blinked, even more flustered with herself.

B-but how can he strip like that even in front of a lady…!

“Bella?”

At that moment, Escalion’s voice was heard from behind.

Stiffly turning her head, she saw him looking at her while wiping the sweat from his neck with a cloth someone had thrown him.

“Did you say Bella? Is this the Holy Maiden?”

At Escalion’s words, the man who had been lying on the ground staring at the sky and catching his breath suddenly sat up.

The man gazed at Belladonna with interest in his dark eyes, then grinned and bowed his head.

“Greetings, madam! I’m Greyham, a mercenary.”

His cheerful smile resembled Escalion’s a lot.

Belladonna nodded slightly with a gentle smile.

“Oh… So the rumors weren’t wrong after all. No, you’re even better than the rumors I heard. Ah! I grew up in the same mercenary group as this guy since we were very young. We’re like close brothers…”

“Stop with the useless talk and move aside.”

“Agh!”

Escalion kicked Greyham, who had just stood up, hard again as he approached Belladonna.

He came right up to Belladonna and reached out his hand without hesitation, then paused and withdrew it.

“What brings you here? I thought you weren’t interested in watching training. It’s not a very entertaining spectacle either.”

But Belladonna was more interested in the hand he had withdrawn far behind him than in his question.

Why? Why did he pull his hand back?

Realizing that Belladonna was focused on his hand, Escalion scratched the back of his head sheepishly and spoke.

“My hands are a bit dirty. They might smell of sweat too.”

“Ugh, what’s with this soft attitude? It’s so unpleasant I can’t bear to watch.”

Greyham, who had gotten up and come closer, said as he nudged Escalion.

“Shut up. And back off a bit. You smell bad.”

“My lady! Does this guy treat you well? I don’t think he’d make a good husband since he never really shows his true self.”

“He’s still far better than you.”

“What did you say?”

Belladonna silently observed the two men who had started bickering.

Though outwardly grumbling, Escalion seemed to be in a good mood. It was interesting yet strange to see his comfortable, true self emerge, which she had never seen before, as if he was really close with this mercenary named Greyham.

“Now go away.”

“I was going to leave anyway! Everything aches because you mercilessly beat me up! Do you have a healer here?”

“Go over there.”

“Alright, see you later. My lady, I’ll see you again later as well.”

As Greyham bowed deeply and disappeared, Escalion spoke somewhat awkwardly.

“He’s a bit rough, isn’t he? Never learned proper manners. Even after I settled in Greyblata, that guy kept wandering the world as a mercenary. But now that he has a family to support, I told him to give up the wandering life and join my knighthood.”

Belladonna nodded as she watched Greyham’s retreating figure.

“I’ll probably have dinner with Greyham tonight. If you’re uncomfortable with him, we can eat at different times or you can eat alone in your room.”

No! I want to join!

As Belladonna quickly shook her head, Escalion raised his eyebrows as if he hadn’t expected that.

“You want to join us?”

Nod nod!

Though she thought he would be pleased, he unexpectedly furrowed his brow in contemplation.

Soon, Escalion shrugged and spoke.

“It won’t be easy.”

“…..”

“Then I’ll see you at the dining hall later.”

He lightly tapped Belladonna’s cheek and grinned.

“Oh, you’ve arrived?”

Entering the dining hall, Belladonna was greeted by Greyham, who jumped up from his chair where he had been lounging.

Where’s Escalion? As she naturally turned her eyes to look for him, Greyham answered instead.

“Ah, Escalion said he’d wash up before dinner. You must have passed each other on the way.”

I see!

Belladonna nodded and smiled at him.

Greyham, who had been staring at her perfectly saintly smile, quickly averted his gaze.

“Ah, this is… It’s my first time seeing someone like the Holy Maiden…”

As Belladonna took a seat across from him, Greyham visibly fidgeted and snatched up the water glass in front of him.

He gulped down the clear water as if it were alcohol.

Was he very thirsty?

“My lady, I’ve brought the alcohol the lord requested.”

At that moment, Wolf, who had been standing behind, stepped forward and held out a thick bottle with both hands.

It’s an unfamiliar bottle of alcohol, is it strong?

“Oh! Perfect timing, I was feeling awkward. May I drink first?”

Greyham addressed Belladonna, eyeing the bottle Wolf was holding.

As Belladonna nodded to Wolf to indicate it was fine, he moved to pour the dark liquid into Greyham’s glass.

“More! Just a little more, please.”

As Greyham exclaimed, bouncing up and down as if the mere sight was enjoyable, Wolf hesitated but filled his glass to the brim with alcohol.

When Belladonna lightly moved her hand to indicate he could drink first, Greyham bowed his head slightly and downed the full glass in one go.

“Phew… This is good alcohol.”

Greyham, frowning and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, took the bottle from Wolf and filled his glass to the brim again.

He raised his eyes to look at Belladonna and spoke.

“Ah, would you like some too, my lady?”

Alcohol…?

Belladonna looked back and forth between the thick bottle and Greyham holding it.

But she had a history of getting very drunk on just two glasses of wine last time.

Remembering that, Belladonna quickly waved her hand to decline.

N-no, I’m fine…

At that, Greyham nodded as if pleased and downed another full glass in one gulp, smiling with satisfaction.

“You’ve been keeping this good alcohol all to yourself? I’ll finish it all before he comes.”

Just how delicious is it for him to be like that…

Belladonna unconsciously licked her lips as she stared at Greyham, who was downing glass after glass of alcohol.

Is it stronger than wine?

“My lady, shall I bring out the food early?”

At that moment, perhaps feeling sorry for him drinking on an empty stomach in the awkward atmosphere, Wolf whispered softly.

As Belladonna nodded, having had the same thought, Wolf gestured to the maids behind him and headed towards the kitchen adjoining the dining hall.

As all the servants in the dining hall disappeared, Greyham raised his head and glanced at Belladonna.

Perhaps because he had already downed five glasses in a row, his gaze was slightly unfocused.

“My lady… I apologize for my rudeness. I have no experience with this kind of setting…”

Belladonna gave him a smile to indicate it was alright.

“Moreover, I can’t stand being with women. My wife always nags me about that. But it’s absolutely not because I dislike the other person.”

“…..”

“It’s because I’m shy! Shy! I’m even worse in front of my wife. To think that someone like me got such a gentle and kind wife… I can’t believe it, so whenever we’re alone, I always end up saying foolish things. How can we properly communicate like that?”

Belladonna lowered her head and laughed silently.

Greyham, who looked every bit the rough and fierce mercenary on the outside, seemed to be a man with unexpected innocence.

“It’s not just me. Escalion is also quite awkward, so when he said he was getting married, it was so funny.”

Escalion, awkward? That can’t be.

Belladonna laughed softly again.

His actions and way of speaking towards her, not to mention his looks and physique, surely meant he must have been popular with women since he was young.

‘Moreover…’

As she naturally recalled Scarlet Leyton again, the smile gradually faded from Belladonna’s lips.

For someone who already had a woman besides his wife to be called awkward, it seemed Greyham didn’t know his friend very well.

Greyham picked up the bottle with one hand to refill his glass again.

Belladonna impulsively held out her own glass to him.

“Huh?”

“…..”

“Are you… asking for alcohol?”

As Greyham slowly asked, Belladonna nodded.

I’m suddenly not feeling very good.

Greyham looked back and forth between the bottle in his hand and the glass Belladonna was holding, then grinned and poured her some alcohol.

“To have you as a drinking companion! It’s my greatest honor.”

Soon after filling his own glass as well, Greyham held it out to her.

“Well then, shall we have a toast?”

Belladonna smiled and lightly clinked her glass against his.

Of course! Cheers!