After finishing her late breakfast, Belladonna returned to her room with Cindy’s help, washed up thoroughly, and completed her new grooming.
Today was the day to tour the castle under Wolf’s guidance and hear explanations about the territory.
“My lady, did you sleep well?”
Belladonna nodded and smiled.
“Last night, an unexpected north wind blew and the temperature dropped sharply. I’m worried it might have been too cold for you to sleep, as I didn’t prepare thick blankets in advance.”
Cold?
Belladonna rolled her eyes, recalling last night.
With Escalion sticking so close, it was hot and stuffy rather than cold.
She shook her head and smiled once more.
“I’m glad. Then, let me guide you this way.”
Wolf smiled kindly and led her outside.
“Griblata basically has a cold climate. The irregular north winds don’t give tender shoots a chance to grow.”
Belladonna looked down at the territory visible below the castle, following his explanation.
It was indeed a barren land where the vigor of lush greenery was hardly felt.
“Because of that, farmers mainly plant crops that grow well in harsh climates, and other necessary crops are obtained from the south through merchant trades.”
Then trade must be quite developed.
Belladonna quietly raised her hand to point at the blue sea sparkling in the distance.
That’s the sea…
“That’s right. Fortunately, being located not far from the sea, there is active movement of merchant groups through the port.”
Wolf also explained in detail about Griblata’s socio-cultural characteristics, geography, climate, and history.
Although she couldn’t understand everything, she thought it was a place with unique diversity rather than just concluding it was a cold and desolate region.
“Please come this way. This is the bedchamber, and if you go around that way, there’s the stable. Thanks to the recent purchase of several horses, the stables are full, and a foal was born a few months ago.”
Oh, I see!
I should ask to see the foal next time.
Belladonna loved all animals.
“Also, if you keep going straight, you’ll come to the blacksmith’s shop, and if you follow that path…”
Wolf, who was walking ahead, stopped.
As they followed him around the building, sounds like shouts of exertion from men could be heard.
“Ah! It seems they’re in the middle of morning training. This is the training ground for the Griblata Knights.”
In the place Wolf pointed to, knights lined up in rows could be seen swinging wooden swords.
There were knights whose faces were familiar from traveling together from Astanya, and some knights she had never seen before.
And the one moving around among them was…
“Today, it seems the lord himself is helping train the apprentice knights. It must be an incomparable honor for those fellows.”
It was Escalion, walking with a cocky attitude, casually swinging a wooden sword.
‘So he has that attitude everywhere.’
Belladonna inwardly sighed as she looked at the man who did as he pleased wherever he went.
Perhaps because he was born not as a noble’s son but received his title as a commoner, he exuded a freedom that couldn’t be felt from other knights.
‘To put it nicely, should I say he’s not confined to a mold?’
Belladonna watched him intently as he playfully swung the wooden sword and easily blocked a sudden attack from an apprentice knight.
He looked friendly and relaxed as he chuckled, twirling the wooden sword and pressing its handle down on the young knight’s crown.
‘Ah.’
How long had she been staring at him? The man who had been dealing with young knights in the distance turned his head towards where Belladonna was standing.
Could it be that their eyes met?
Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Belladonna tugged on Wolf’s clothes.
“Yes? Ah, I’ll guide you to other places as well, my lady.”
“Have you eaten?”
What? When did he come so quickly!
Escalion, who had suddenly approached Belladonna, asked with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
His voice was mixed with slightly rough breathing, as if he had run over.
“Then I’ll take my leave…”
The quick-witted Wolf bowed his head to greet the lord and quietly moved away.
Belladonna gripped his clothes tightly and nodded towards Escalion.
“My, my lady?”
Wolf, caught by Belladonna, turned his head with a puzzled expression.
Wolf? Where are you going? You need to continue guiding me around the castle, right?
Belladonna threw a gentle smile towards Wolf.
Escalion, who had been quietly looking down at her, narrowed his eyes and pulled up the corners of his mouth.
“Ah. You want to tour my castle? If that’s the case, I’ll personally explain it to you.”
No, no! Not you! Wolf! I want Wolf to do it!
“You heard him, right? Then please let go of my clothes now, my lady…”
Wolf looked down at his own clothes, which were terribly crumpled under Belladonna’s hand, with a troubled expression.
Belladonna shook her head and didn’t loosen her grip.
No, the lord must be busy.
“No, I’m not busy.”
Escalion answered bluntly.
What, can you read minds?
Belladonna still stubbornly kept her gaze on Wolf.
Even though they had spent the night together, it was still uncomfortable not knowing whether he knew she could speak or not.
‘And if I’m going to refuse consummation in the future, I should also refrain from getting unnecessarily close…’
“My wife is quite stubborn.”
Escalion forcefully pulled out Wolf’s clothes that she was holding onto.
Ugh…
“You can go now.”
“Yes, yes…! My lady, then I’ll take my leave now.”
Wolf quickly moved his feet, as if seizing the opportunity, and left the place.
Belladonna watched his retreating figure disappearing like an arrow, then took a step to follow him.
If that’s the case, I’ll also…
“Where are you going? You asked for a tour of the castle.”
Instead of answering, Belladonna looked at the training ground behind him.
“Those guys are originally good at training even without me. I just came out today because my body felt stiff.”
“…”
“I’m not such an unkind husband that I can’t spare time for my wife’s castle tour.”
After finishing his words, he grabbed Belladonna’s hand and started walking.
“Where did Wolf explain? Which places haven’t you seen yet?”
I can’t speak, you know…
Belladonna glared at the back of his head.
But he didn’t seem to be asking for an answer, looking somewhat excited.
“Did you see the stables?”
The stables… Wolf had briefly explained about them earlier, but she hadn’t actually gone inside.
When Belladonna shook her head, Escalion immediately turned right.
They passed the blacksmith’s shop and headed towards the stables located at the back of the castle.
“My lord, my lady, good day to you!”
The servants who were moving haystacks at the time bowed their heads towards them.
Escalion roughly waved his arm to acknowledge their greetings, then strode inside with her.
He took Belladonna to the innermost part of the stables, where the largest and most intimidating black horse was located, and only then did he release her hand.
Wow, it’s big…
“Be careful.”
Escalion said, placing a saddle on the large horse.
Huh?
Belladonna, who had been quietly looking up at the horse while standing next to him, suddenly floated up in an instant.
What, what’s going on!
Suddenly placed on top of the horse, Belladonna looked down at Escalion with a dumbfounded expression.
Afraid of falling to the ground, she reflexively hugged the horse’s neck.
“That will startle him more.”
Belladonna quickly straightened her back and sat up.
Unlike Belladonna, who looked frightened and flustered, Escalion, the culprit who had put her on the horse, looked very calm.
He looked at his horse and his wife alternately with a satisfied expression, then grabbed the reins and started walking.
Following his steps, the horse slowly moved its legs.
The elegant sound of clopping hooves echoed inside the spacious stable.
‘Wow…’
Belladonna, riding a horse for the first time in her life, looked down at the horse’s glossy mane with sparkling eyes.
It’s amazing…
Escalion carefully watched behind, worried that Belladonna might fall, as he cautiously led the horse out of the stable.
“My lord, are you planning to go out for a while?”
“Yes. We’ll be back.”
“The road hasn’t frozen yet, but there are many potholes here and there. Please be careful on your way!”
Those who were cleaning the stables waved their hands and bowed to them.
As they came out to a wider area, Escalion briefly let go of the reins and nimbly mounted the horse.
Belladonna, who had been looking down without thinking, stiffened her whole body, conscious of his body pressing closely behind her.
‘We, we’re riding together…?’
“Hiya!”
Escalion properly grasped the reins again and struck them down hard from above.
The intelligent horse shot out like an arrow at his command.
Belladonna leaned her back against his chest, pushed by the sudden speed.
Wow, that startled me.
“If it’s too cold or you feel dizzy, tell me.”
She could hear his low voice resonating through her back.
Belladonna nodded.
‘But wait, this isn’t a stable tour! Suddenly putting me on a horse, where are you taking me!’
The horse carrying Belladonna and Escalion quickly passed through the castle walls and ran outside.
He skillfully turned the horse’s head and rode towards the opposite side of the territory.
Belladonna couldn’t open her eyes properly because of her hair wildly fluttering in the wind.
She tried to figure out the destination by shaking her head to avoid her hair.
‘Ah.’
Finally, when she realized that the sparkling sea was definitely getting closer, she could understand where he was heading.
‘…It’s the sea.’
As Escalion applied force to his hand holding the reins, the endlessly running horse gradually slowed down.
Before they knew it, they were on a sandy beach where their feet sank in.
Belladonna looked at the vast ocean sparkling in the sunlight.
“Have you seen the sea before?”
She quietly shook her head.
So this is the sea…
Belladonna looked down at the waves that kept rushing in and receding without a chance to grasp them, with enchanted eyes.
Unfamiliar bird cries were heard, and a salty smell that could only occasionally be caught from freshly caught fish tickled her nostrils.
“Whoa, whoa.”
Escalion completely stopped the horse and nimbly jumped down.
He turned around, looked up at Belladonna, and held out both arms.
“Want to come down and see?”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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