“That won’t happen. As long as you don’t betray me first.”

I wanted to ask what specific betrayal the Commander meant, but he didn’t give me time.

“Anyway, go back and get some rest today. It seems you’ll have to join me on an expedition in two days.”

“Ah, I see the schedule has become tighter since Karolin dropped out.”

“Can’t be helped. We can only pray for another capable person to join soon.”

As I lowered my head and let out a long sigh, the Commander gently lifted my chin to make me look at him.

“I’ll cast a spell to give you strength. Not sure if it will help, but…”

“…?”

Before I could ask what spell he was going to cast, he pressed his lips against mine.

My mind went blank in that warmth and softness.

It was a hot and thorough kiss, enough to melt away the fatigue built up over the day.

And so we savored each other in a precarious happiness, like walking on thin ice.

How nice it would be if peaceful and lazy holidays could continue, but sadly we couldn’t keep resting.

The sweet holiday passed by quickly without a chance to hold onto it, and I was once again setting out on an expedition.

The people accompanying me this time were the Commander, myself, Karl, Maxillian, and Oscar.

Before the five of us departed on horseback, the Commander lined us up and gave some final instructions.

“As you know, our purpose this time is not to attack the rift. The place we’re heading to is not beyond the rift, but a territory near it.”

As he said, our purpose this time was not to enter the rift and close it.

If a rift is left open for a long time, poison or monsters flow out from it and corrode the surrounding area. Our goal this time was to subjugate a powerful monster rampaging in a territory that had been corroded in this way.

“If you’re thinking of slacking off because we’re not going into the rift, you’d better get your act together starting now.”

The Commander’s words were right again.

The people of that corroded territory must be terribly tormented by monsters by now.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason we shouldn’t slack off.

The Habicht Duchy we were heading to this time was more special than other territories.

It was a territory directly owned by Commander Martin von Habicht.

We had to be more careful.

Even more so than usual.

As I steeled my resolve, the Commander asked as if to confirm:

“Understood?”

“Yes!”

Hearing the spirited response of the members, the Commander finally nodded with satisfaction and mounted his horse first.

Following him, we members also got on our horses, and he immediately said:

“Let’s go.”

Soon, five horses galloped away, pounding the ground.

And so, with a heavy sense of responsibility on our backs, we set out for the Habicht Duchy, the Commander’s territory.

The Habicht Duchy was a territory located in the northern part of the empire, a region embracing rather cool winds.

People wore thick clothes and walked around with somewhat sullen expressions.

After riding and riding, we were finally able to arrive at this Habicht Duchy.

The Commander immediately took us, tired from the journey, to his castle.

Upon arriving there, we soon let out small exclamations of “Ooh—”.

It was because the Habicht Ducal Castle was larger and more spacious than expected.

Though slightly rugged, its scale was no less than the imperial palace.

The massive castle walls surrounding the castle were thick and tall enough to be intimidating.

As we stood before it, the castle soldiers recognized the Commander and opened the huge castle gates for us.

Eventually, a woman who seemed to be the administrator managing the castle in place of the Commander came out and bowed deeply.

“Have you arrived, Your Grace? As informed by letter, I have prepared for the knights to rest comfortably. Please follow me.”

After saying this, the administrator glanced at me.

Then she began to lead us, going ahead.

Our plan was to stay at the castle for one night since it was late, and go out early tomorrow morning to deal with the monsters.

So the Commander, who was the Duke of Habicht and the lord of this territory, was immediately guided to the lord’s bedroom, while the rest of the members were led to separate guest rooms.

As all the members entered their respective rooms and I was about to enter my room as well, the administrator who had guided me suddenly spoke up.

“Miss?”

It was such an unfamiliar form of address that for a moment I didn’t think she was calling me.

Miss, really?

But since I was the only young woman here who could be called “miss”, I turned to the administrator.

“Did you just call me?”

“Yes, miss—”

“Please call me Lady Schnesternen. Being called ‘miss’ makes me a bit uncomfortable.”

This woman who appeared to be the administrator seemed not to know the proper forms of address, probably due to managing the castle alone in a territory far from the capital.

So when I corrected her, the administrator’s face stiffened a little.

The administrator brushed her slightly lowered blonde hair behind her ear and spoke again.

“What is your relationship with His Grace, Lady Schnesternen?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“His Grace instructed me by letter to prepare your room with extra care compared to the others.”

“The Commander said that?”

The Commander instructed her to take extra care with my room.

A ticklish happiness made the corner of my heart tingle.

Separately from that, the administrator’s question felt a bit unpleasant.

She should just be a servant managing the castle, so why is she curious about our relationship?

I didn’t hide that unpleasantness and let it show in my tone.

“It’s the relationship between a commander leading the knight order and the vice commander. Why are you curious about that?”

“Ah, so you’re the vice commander.”

“…”

“I apologize for my rudeness. I asked out of curiosity as to why he told me to welcome you with more care than the others. So it’s because you’re the vice commander.”

She asked this question just because of her own curiosity?

I felt somewhat bewildered, but I decided not to scold her further as it was too tiring to deal with any more.

“Now that your curiosity is satisfied, may I enter the room? I’m tired from riding a horse for a long time.”

“Yes, rest well. I will let you know when the meal is ready.”

I listened to the administrator’s words and entered the room, first taking off my uncomfortable clothes.

Fortunately, a bathtub and warm bathwater were prepared in the room.

After completely undressing, I immersed myself in the bathwater and thought:

What was that woman just now?

Something seemed off for her to be just the castle administrator.

Could she be a relative of the Commander?

There were cases where a distant relative was called to manage the territory in place of the lord when he was away.

Judging by how she spoke so freely, even saying things an ordinary servant wouldn’t, it seemed likely she was a relative.

I was too tired to think more about it, so I erased thoughts of the administrator and focused on bathing.

Whether they really prepared it with extra care, the bathwater had a fragrant lavender scent.

I couldn’t even remember the last time I bathed in scented water.

Was it three years ago? It seemed to be the first time since I last visited another territory as a guest.

So I leaned my relaxed body against the bathtub and savored that happiness.

Perhaps due to the warm bathwater and fragrant flower scent, drowsiness began to creep in.

As I was nodding off like that…

“Guest, the meal is ready.”

Along with a polite knock, the voice of that administrator from earlier was heard.

Feeling a bit regretful, I washed my body and put on the clean shirt and trousers that were prepared.

When I went outside, that administrator from earlier was waiting for me as expected.

“You came yourself? Without sending a maid or servant?”

“My name is ‘Berta’. I came to escort you personally since I received orders to take extra care of you.”

“I see.”

“Please follow me. I’ll guide you to the dining area.”

I followed the administrator, Berta’s guidance down to the dining area.

There, the Commander and other members had all come down and were waiting for me.

I naturally sat down in the seat to the right of the Commander, who was sitting at the head of the table.

The Commander glanced at me and whispered in a low voice.

“You smell nice.”

“There was bathwater prepared with fragrance, so I washed. Do you like the scent of lavender?”

“Well. In the past I thought it was too strong and didn’t like it much, but now—”

He lowered his voice even more and whispered in my ear.

“Now it smells very fragrant to me. Probably because it’s coming from you.”

Startled, I quickly looked around.

I was worried someone might have heard what he just said.

Fortunately, it seemed no one had heard, perhaps because the Commander spoke in such a low voice.

I whispered back to the Commander in a slightly reproachful tone.

“You scared me. If our relationship is discovered like this…”

“Then that would be even better. It would keep any men from eyeing you unnecessarily.”

“…”