Chapter 98

It was a pleasant morning, but I’d slept in a little. I’d been talking with Bianca until late last night. When I told her about the printing press, her eyes had sparkled with genuine fervor. I get the feeling she holds something close to religious reverence for books. She even told me she would help with the newspapers and the beauty services. All in all, I was over the moon to have gained someone as talented as Bianca to follow Bach.

When I entered the barracks, I saw Emma at the end of the hallway.

“Good morning. How is your cold?”

“…Good morning. I’m fine now.”

Emma shot me a cold, sharp glare and walked away. It was as if we were meeting for the very first time. I’d thought we’d grown closer after working together all this time, so what happened? She was in an incredibly bad mood this morning.

“Oh, Fiene, good morning. Emma was just—”

“Good morning. I’m in a hurry, so…”

Fiene, too, was curt and walked off. What on earth was going on? I had a bad feeling, so I went to find Hans before heading to greet Lady Clara.

“Hans!”

“Ah, Kota…”

Even Hans was acting strange. What in the world was going on?

“Are you going to ignore me, too? Everyone seems to be avoiding me this morning, and I’m at my wit’s end.”

“That’s not true, I’m not avoiding you…”

Hans trailed off, sounding uncomfortable.

“Did something happen?”

“Well… there’s a rumor going around. They say that yesterday, Kota dragged off one of the streetwalkers you caught and holed up somewhere with her.”

Ah!

Last night, I’d taken Bianca’s hand and left the squad behind. This was bad.

“Man, has it spread that far?”

“Yes. Corporal Arend and the others have been complaining incessantly about how Corporal Hinoharu snatched away the woman he liked.”

So that was why Emma and Fiene were looking at me with such disdain.

“By any chance, does Lady Clara know…?”

“She does. Emma was ranting about it quite a bit.”

I figured if I talked to her, I could make her understand, but this was a troublesome situation. Even the guys in the barracks seemed to have misunderstood and thought I was off having fun with Bianca last night.

With heavy footsteps, I headed to the office and knocked on the door.

“Good morning, Lady Clara.”

“Good morning. Thank you for your hard work late into the night yesterday.”

Lady Clara’s demeanor was the same as always.

“Starting tomorrow, Kota, you will lead your squad on a guard mission for the tax collectors. You are to tour the villages in the outskirts of Dresden. I heard the duration is planned for about a week. You will meet with the tax official to hammer out the details. We are heading to the Ministry of Finance right after this, so you will accompany me.”

At a glance, she looked like the usual Lady Clara. But I felt like she was forcing herself.

“Lady Clara.”

“What is it? Do you have something to say?”

Yeah, something was definitely wrong. She seemed to be trying too hard to stay calm.

“Have you already heard the rumors?”

When I asked, Lady Clara’s expression clouded over.

“Yes… you mean the talk about what happened with you last night, I presume.”

You don’t need to look so worried, it’s going to be fine. I’ll tell her the truth right now to put her at ease.

“Actually, Bianca was among the streetwalkers we caught.”

“Bianca? Do you mean the maid who comes by to work for you?”

“Yes. It’s a bit of a long story, but may I explain?”

“I’m listening.”

I told Lady Clara everything about last night. Every single detail, without holding anything back.

“I see. I’ve seen Bianca’s work ethic, too. I have no objections to her helping you and the others.”

Lady Clara let out a sigh of relief.

“Did you think I had taken the prostitute I arrested?”

I asked with a grin.

“I thought that couldn’t be it. Kota is not the type of person to prey on someone else’s weaknesses. However, I have heard stories that there are times when men simply cannot restrain themselves… I wondered if perhaps you had paid for her services…”

It’s true, there are those nights when a guy gets frustrated, aren’t there?

“Who did you hear that from?”

“Fiene and Emma. Mostly Fiene, though…”

Those two. Neither of them has a boyfriend of their own, yet they were lecturing Lady Clara, who actually does. It’s a little amusing, but…

“Unfortunately, I cannot deny it completely. To be honest, there are nights when my desires heighten. But I would never do anything to betray you, Lady Clara.”

“Mmm… that… I’m sorry.”

“What?”

Why is she apologizing?

“Is it not… painful for you, Kota, because of me?”

Ah, so that’s what she’s worrying about.

“It’s alright. I can wait until that time comes.”

In this world, premarital relations are generally considered taboo. The higher one’s social standing, the more one is expected to uphold that facade. Although, since it’s common for both men and women to have lovers after marriage, I’m not entirely sure where their actual sense of ethics and morality lies. Incidentally, commoners seem to enjoy relatively free romances even before marriage. I suppose it has a lot to do with whether or not there’s property or status to inherit.

“Kota, that… reaching the end is forbidden, but, how should I put it… if it would bring you relief, I think I could do that much…”

Lady Clara whispered, squeezing the words out while blushing a deep crimson. I appreciate the sentiment, but I know she’s pushing herself.

“Truthfully, I want to be united with you as soon as possible, too. But I don’t want you to force yourself for my sake—”

“I am anxious, too.”

She let that slip out and then lowered her gaze. We have an insurmountable gap in status. I understand why Lady Clara feels anxious about the future. It seems she became so desperate to keep me tied to her that she even thought of comforting me this way. It’s a testament to her consideration, but I think those kinds of things are better enjoyed when they happen naturally.

Maybe I should speed up my plans a little. In the Kingdom of Saxens, you can’t buy a title, but you can buy the status of a knight. I should become a knight as soon as possible and be able to be with Lady Clara more openly. If I do that, Lady Clara might feel a bit more at ease.

“Lady Clara, just a little more patience. My preparations are nearly complete, so I’m going to start moving to secure the rank of knight. It’ll be alright. I’ll obtain the status and wealth so that no one can look down on us, and then I will ask for your hand in marriage.”

Lady Clara nodded, tears welling up in her eyes—she looked so adorable. I had thought it was for her sake to remain chaste until marriage, but maybe I should have pushed things a little further. Stolen rendezvous, sharing secrets, a modest affair… I think each of those would have brought our hearts even closer.

When I reached out, Lady Clara took my hand. I pulled her in a little closer and guided her waist with my left hand, keeping our right hands clasped. It felt just like a tango pose.

“But, truthfully, I would be happy if I could touch you just a little bit more—no, much more.”

With my left hand on her waist, I activated my “God Fingers” at Level 1.

“Ko… ta? Mmm…”

“Right now, I only have eyes for you, Lady Clara. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Mmm…”

We exchanged a kiss a little deeper than usual. It was the first time we had ever touched tongues.

“Can’t you believe me?”

“That’s not it…”

Lady Clara stared at me with glazed, longing eyes. Suddenly, the temple bells rang out from outside the window. Lady Clara pulled away as if she’d been jolted.

“Oh, no! Kota, hurry. We don’t have much time until the meeting with the tax official.”

Damn it. Did I spend too much time lounging around? I wanted to sweet-talk her a little more and spend an even more loving night together. At this rate, it looks like it’ll be a night of frustration instead of romance.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Yes.”

I pulled myself together and draped her cloak over her shoulders.

“Kota.”

“Yes?”

“We’ll finish this when we get back.”

She walked toward the door so quickly that I couldn’t see her expression. I’m sure her face was bright red, and she said it with her usual dead-serious look. There’s no doubt about it—I’m never going to have eyes for anyone but her. I quickened my pace to catch up with Lady Clara.