“Because the capital is dangerous.”

Both Casus and Atia looked at Leo.

Leo rolled his eyes.

Though it was still hard to confront his brother, he felt he had to say what he needed to.

“It might be better for me to go as well… considering we don’t know what will happen.”

Leo looked for his brother Casus’ reaction while swallowing.

With eyes that hoped for permission.

“You want to go too?”

Leo nodded his head.

Casus raised an eyebrow and made a perplexed expression.

The desperate eyes looking up at me could only be described as sheer earnestness.

But taking Leo to the capital would be unreasonable.

“You should just stay in the duchy.”

Casus looked down at Leo as he spoke.

Leo, as if he had already anticipated the refusal, released his prepared statement.

“You know… If we have more numbers, no one can touch us.”

Leo alternately looked at Casus and Atia with a grave expression.

As if they were hatching a secret plan known only to them.

Leo had never been to the capital before.

His image of the capital was not particularly good.

The capital had a royal family, and many nobles.

Leo was also well aware that the relationship between the duchy and these people was not good.

Although the climate was warmer than the north, he thought it was a dangerous place filled with all sorts of hazards.

That’s why he thought it would be alright if he also contributed his strength.

What utterly shattered Leo’s expectations was a single word from Atia.

“There are so many knights in the capital. One more person won’t make a difference.”

“What?”

“I understand our young lord’s earnestness, but it would be better for you to stay here safely~.”

Atia closed her eyes delicately, as if coddling the still young Leo.

Upon seeing Atia treat him like a child, a corner of Leo’s heart boiled with something rising.

“….”

But he said nothing more.

He knew that arguing now would be futile.

Biting his lip, Leo sighed deeply and looked at the ground.

Then, he shuffled away like a man who had lost his home.

“Ah, he really wanted to go to the capital, poor thing…”

Watching Leo’s retreating figure, Atia mumbled with sympathy.

“He must have wanted to go because there’s a lot to see in the capital.”

Casus narrowed his eyes as he examined the carriage that would depart tomorrow.

Since they had to load a lot of luggage, the carriage was also quite large.

Hari and Kesha, along with other servants, were quickly moving the luggage.

They needed a lot of luggage, as they didn’t know how long they would stay.

Standing nearby, Atia’s eyes widened as she closely observed Kesha carrying the luggage.

“Wow, Kesha. I didn’t know, but great forearm muscles.”

Atia gave a thumbsup.
“Keisha, as expected. You’re consistently keeping up with your exercises. You deserve praise.”

“Hehe, thank you. I owe my new physique to you, ma’am.”

“Is Keisha’s laundromat still in business?”

“Pardon?”

Keisha raised her eyebrows.

“Ah.”

Realizing what Atia meant, Keisha nodded and firmly patted her abdomen.

“As you can see, it’s open for business around the clock!”

Smack!

A tight sound resonated from Keisha’s abdomen.

It was a sound that could only come from a welltrained belly.

Firm enough to wash clothes on.

“Good, very good.”

Atia could accurately discern how much exercise had been done just by the sound.

Keisha scratched her head with a sheepish look at her compliment.

Hari blinked rapidly in surprise.

The more he was with the Duchess, the more he realized she was completely different from the image he had in mind.

Just keep her company in conversation?

Hari thought all he had to do was sit beside her and listen attentively as the Duchess softly spoke about recent events.

He had imagined pouring tea, dressing nicely, and engaging in light conversation.

No way.

“Hari.”

“……!”

“Hari?”

Hari became extremely tense just hearing the Duchess call his name.

Ever since he had been attacked with acupuncture therapy by Atia, he had been on guard.

“Ah, it’s time to beautify your body!”

Pain and relief flooded over him all at once with Atia’s dark silhouette.

Yet, Hari never wanted to experience that agony again.

Sure enough.

Seeing Hari carry the load, Atia narrowed her eyes.

“Let’s do some squats while you’re carrying that.”

“……Pardon?”

“Oh my, oh my. I can feel it, I can feel the osteoporosis setting in.”

“Osteo… what?”

Confused, Hari tilted his head.

Keisha, holding the heavy load in one hand, placed her other hand on Hari’s shoulder and grinned meaningfully.

Seeing that expression, Hari’s heart sank.

‘What just happened? Was it a mistake to agree to work here?’

Hari’s heart pounded heavily.

In front of his eyes, his homeland, the Kingdom of Zernes, had been destroyed in flames, and he had lost his magical powers.

He had been dragged away as a prisoner of war and had suffered much.

However, he had become unfazed by most things, but now, for some reason, chills ran down his spine.