I felt the same way, and it seemed that even Jeremi, who was such a free spirit, found noble festivals boring.

The clothes we made at the temple had already been delivered to the village ladies and bachelors yesterday. Therefore, people were all wearing dresses and suits made at the temple.

They weren’t fancy, but the simple and neat dresses and suits were perfect for wearing at the festival.
The dresses and suits may not be extravagant, but they were perfectly suitable for the festival, giving a very neat appearance.

Of course, Sicar and I were also wearing the same clothes.

Jeremi, therefore, looked at us and the people alternately with slightly surprised eyes.

“Oh. The Duke and the Duchess’s attire…”

“Yes. We intend to enjoy the festival without revealing our status too much.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes, so… by the way, here, please call me Yura, and address the Duke as Sicar. Can you do that?”

“I’m fine, but I wonder if the Duke will allow it…”

“If my wife allows it, it’s as good as me allowing it.”

“Really, the Duke has changed a lot after marriage…”

“Didn’t I just tell you to change that way of speaking?”

“S-Sorry. Si… Sicar, it’s just that calling you Si…car doesn’t come naturally to me…”

Seeing Jeremi being teased for no reason, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

Even seemingly composed individuals, once around Sicar, seemed to quickly lose their composure.

“Jeremi.”

“Yes. Sir… I mean, Sicar.”

“We need to go somewhere for a moment. Tell the village chief to install the streetlights first.”

We? Why “we”?

“Um, Sicar. I’ll stay here…”

“I’m seriously worried about leaving my wife alone. Come with me.”

“No, but…”

Since Jeremi seemed suspicious of what was happening, I couldn’t ask any more questions and just nodded my head.

“All right. And Jeremi. Since we’ve already sent a letter to the village chief, there should be no problem starting the work first. We’ve got all the approvals. Maybe the villagers will help.”

“Yes. I understand. Please go.”

After watching Jeremi move further away, I asked Sicar about the situation I couldn’t understand.

“I don’t necessarily need to be involved in kidnapping Kaizel, right? Can’t I stay here?”

“I’ve never left you alone even once in my dukedom. At least, unless Vika is with you or Durion is guarding you, I can’t leave you alone.”

“This is a small village right next to the Lepair Temple. What could be worrying?”

“First, you have agoraphobia. Second, you’re overly protective, to the point where you jumped in to save a little kid and caused an accident. Third, you always need to be prepared for potential dangers. That should be enough explanation. So, follow me quietly before you start making a fuss.”

“Well, am I afraid that if I carry you?”

“Then carry me.”

“What?”

“I said, carry me. Are you going to carry me?”

Sicar looked at me as if he was a bit bewildered.

Ah, that expression of bewilderment! I used to make that expression when Sicar suddenly surprised me. Seeing Sicar making that expression now gave me a strange sense of victory.

How does it feel to be bewildered? It must be a bit uncomfortable, with the back of the neck feeling chilly, right?
However, Sicar, who had been glancing at me for a moment, suddenly lifted me up before I could react and started walking with firm steps.

“Sicar, just express your feelings if you like me. Don’t carry me like this.”

“You’re saying contradictory things. I told you to be carried.”

“But that was because you said you would carry me!”

“Even if you didn’t like it, you could have said so. But you were the one who told me to carry you.”

It was an absurd statement, but I really didn’t know he would actually carry me!

However, at first, I was too bewildered, sweating and my heart pounding. But as I continued to be carried, it became somewhat comfortable.

So, I buried my face in Sicar’s back as if to say I didn’t care. Still, at that moment, seeing Sicar’s ears slightly reddening, a smile of satisfaction crossed my face.

“Look at this. I’m so comfortable, yet I resist.”

Sicar only let me down after arriving at the front of the carriage.

Then he spoke to the coachman to separate the horses.

“Why are you separating the horses?”

“We need to ride horses on the way to meet Kaizel.”

Before I could ask why I had to ride a horse, Sicar got on the horse first.

“I, I’ve never ridden a horse before.”

As I hesitated, Sicar approached me as if urging me and reached out his hand.

“I’m behind you. You won’t fall, so hurry and get on.”

Although Sicar smiled at me somewhat gently, I found his hand creepy, like the hand of the Grim Reaper.

So, I was equally scared of riding a horse.

I can’t even handle amusement rides…

“If you delay, Kaizel might meet Roen.”

That statement made me unable to delay any longer. Rather than gaining courage, I grabbed Sicar’s hand blindly, not wanting to fall behind.

In response, Sicar grabbed me, pulling me towards him and sat me in front of him.

“Isn’t it nothing much to ride a horse?”

It wasn’t nothing much. It was more frightening than I thought, now that I was actually on the horse. I didn’t know horses were this tall, so it was scarier than I imagined, making my heart thump loudly.

Sicar handed me the reins.

“Hold tight!”

As soon as the horse started moving, I tightly shut my eyes.