Episode 210

“Mmm.”

“I think it’s better if we don’t open for business today. How about going back to the bedroom?”

Rurin shouted, full of her wishes. Of course, the reply crushed those wishes.

“We’re married, so at times like this, you should take care of it, right? Show me today’s meal that you made.”

“Huh? Why does it have to be like this? I can’t do it!”

“I don’t remember well, but I’ll help you from behind if I think of anything.”

“Ugh! This is weird! When I came to my senses, once again, I’m the one who’s obeying your orders. The elf said that you’d obey my orders because you lost your memory, but why is it the opposite…?”

Rurin mumbled, thinking something was strange, but after receiving the simultaneous gazes of El and Linte, she frowned twice and reluctantly approached the rice pot.

“This is what you prepared before you lost your memory. You should eat this.”

Then, she packed rice into the bowl and placed the carbohydrate pile in front of Linte with a thud.

“This is today’s meal.”

“Huh? There’s only rice?”

“Aaah! Yes! It’s normal for there to only be rice!”

“Ah, okay…?”

Linte was very confused. She alternated glances between the rice and El, as if asking for help. However, El only had a blank expression.

Linte finally realized something was off, but it was already too late.

He should have noticed before the rice came out.

Since Rurin was shouting at Linte to eat the rice she had prepared, Linte couldn’t bear the pressure. There was nothing he could do as long as El kept quiet.

There was no choice but to eat.

Linte weakly scooped up the plain rice.

And brought it to his mouth.

“Hehe, does it taste good?”

“Yes…the rice is really well made…”

“Of course it’s delicious because I prepared it. Hehe.”

And then, at that moment.

Rurin’s temple was struck. It was El’s strike.

“Ugh? What… What is this familiar feeling! Could it be…you’ve regained your memory?”

“No? It just feels like this is how it should be.”

“Ugh! Why do you only think of things like that! It’s annoying. And it hurts!”

“Come here. My intuition is strongly telling me that just giving rice isn’t enough. Try making something on the iron plate.”

“I don’t know how to do that…”

“As a wife, you’re not helpful? So, we’re not really married, are we…”

“Fine! I’ll do it! I’ll do it, I’ll do it! Ugh! You, wait a second. But…something is still off.”

Rurin glared at El. El showed her blank eyes again and started to look away.

Something was definitely off. From earlier, she had found herself in a situation where she was helplessly obeying El’s words.

Normally, she would never cook unless she lost a bet.

But now, she was cooking, even though she hadn’t lost a bet.

Well, she hadn’t actually started yet, but a crisis where she had to do it was coming.

“What’s so strange about that? Rather, my dear wife, do you know what we need to grill on the iron plate? Meat?”

“I think it’s meat. You always grilled meat there.”

“Really? Oh, maybe that?”

El pointed to a corner of the kitchen. Rurin ran over and looked at it.

Linte watched the situation with eyes full of hope, slowly chewing the rice he had already put in his mouth, thanks to Rurin.

“Oooh! It’s meat!”

“Really? Is this what I prepared before I lost my memory?”

“In that case, we can grill this on the iron plate…”

Rurin brought over the aged Belleren meat with a grim face and handed it to El.

“Ah, I suddenly feel dizzy.”

Suddenly, El pretended to feel dizzy and sat down. Rurin, holding the meat, alternated looking between herself and the meat.

“Ugh, this shouldn’t be happening. I don’t think this is right. You’re the one who should be grilling the meat.”

“Really? Well then, where…”

El nodded and stood up, placing the meat on the iron plate. At that moment, the meat turned to ashes.

“Huh?”

“Aaaah! El!”

Both Rurin and Linte screamed in shock, and El quietly approached Rurin and whispered to her.

“As expected, the mana isn’t controlled. My dear wife, you’re my wife, right? Please help me out.”

“What’s that!?”

Rurin screamed again.

In the end, Rurin had to grill the meat. Listening to El’s nagging from the side while he claimed to have no memory.

Rurin grew more and more frustrated.

As a result, Rurin spent the entire dinner service grilling the meat, which was inevitable.

Greek was on the carriage.

He had traveled north of the old Dedran City, now known as Northern Greek City, the headquarters of the clock industry, and was returning to the original Greek City where the Lord’s mansion was.

“Haahm.”

The young Lord Greek, who had received various reports about the workers’ inconveniences while inspecting all day, leaned back into the carriage, exhausted, and read documents even at that moment.

“Are you alright, My Lord?”

Baron Berenda, who was overseeing the internal affairs of Greek City, asked, concerned about the young lord’s health as he seemed unusually tired today.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You look tired…”

Baron Berenda was not from the household that had once stayed at the Lord’s mansion. Greek had not promoted the sons of the baron family he grew up with as a child.

It was not a decision made simply because of Siena’s troubles. Those who were caught up in aristocratic rituals did not help in developing the land, so it was a decision made based on practicality.

“Shall I try to find some medicine to help with your fatigue?”

Baron Berenda, who supported Greek’s policies and was one of the few trustworthy barons from the Count’s family, was a progressive individual who greatly contributed to managing the territory.

Their conversation continued as the carriage sped along.

Mostly about internal affairs.

After some time, the carriage stopped, and the attendant opened the carriage door to ask a question.

“My Lord, we’ve arrived in the City. Should we head straight to the Lord’s mansion?”

It was a usual question, but Greek always gave the same answer.

“We need to look around the market too. Will you take me there?”

At Greek’s command, the attendant nodded faithfully.

“Understood.”

Soon the carriage started moving again, but Baron Berenda suggested once more with a concerned expression.

“My Lord, perhaps you should rest today.”

“The sun is still up. Since we’re out here on an inspection, I’ll visit all the important places.”

Greek closed his eyes slightly and answered firmly.

He wasn’t really tired.

What does it mean to be young?

He was so used to people telling him to rest that it actually made him feel rebellious.

In Greek City, aside from El and Berna, no one could break the young lord’s stubbornness.

So, naturally, Greek arrived safely at the market, and the inspection continued.

The market, which had been developed in many ways since Greek’s father’s time, had grown to rival any major city in both size and vibrancy.

One of the market’s biggest issues was likely the election of the market association president.

The issue was the method of election. Greyk was pondering the most fair way to elect the president.

That’s why he started to take a walk around the market while discussing this with Baron Berenda.

His steps came to a halt when he recognized a familiar face. Greek stopped at Elena’s clinic to greet her.

“Hello!”

“Oh? My Lord! What brings you here?”

Elena replied like that and gave a small bow.

The elf who had just come out of the clinic.

Baron Berenda was stunned upon seeing the elf he had only heard about in rumors.

As Elena walked out, Greek naturally asked about the health situation in Greek City.

“Have there been many patients lately? If there’s anything I can do to help, just send a message to the Lord’s mansion, and I’ll assist as best as I can.”

“Yes, we rarely have anyone with serious illnesses. So, don’t worry, My Lord.”

Elena answered Greek’s question calmly. Watching her, Baron Berenda suddenly clapped his hands and then shouted at Greek.

“My Lord! Since we’ve stopped in front of the clinic, how about taking some medicine that’s good for fatigue recovery? I’ve heard Elena is known for using excellent medicine.”

“What? Oh, no, that’s…”

Greek was taken aback by those words and shook his head. However, Elena, being kind-hearted, wouldn’t remain silent after hearing Berenda’s words. She immediately approached the Lord and checked his complexion.

“Oh my? My Lord, have you accumulated a lot of fatigue?”

“No, it’s not that! I’m not really tired…”

“Well, your complexion looks pale. I happen to have some good herbs! They’ll help replenish your energy. I’ll prepare it for you, so please come inside and wait just a moment.”

Since Elena had gone this far, Greek realized he couldn’t refuse, and sent a resentful look toward Berenda, as if to say, ‘Why did you say something unnecessary?’

At that, Baron Berenda started to act as if he hadn’t heard anything.

As if looking at a distant mountain?

Greek was also weak when it came to Elena.

She was very close to El, his mentor. Just that connection made it impossible to refuse any suggestion from her, and she was also from a different race.

Also, she was a well-known and highly regarded doctor in the city, so it was impossible to refuse her smile.

“Alright…”

Angry at his subordinate’s meddling, Greek reluctantly walked into the clinic.

“These are the herbs! Would you like to try them? Of course, I’ll mix them with something else later, but for now, just chew this one raw. It will relieve some of your fatigue.”

Elena flashed a smile like an angel and handed Greek a strange-looking herb.

Greek inwardly scrunched his face.

Although he resented Baron Berenda for making him do something unnecessary, what truly made him scrunch his face was his dislike for bitter medicine.

Of course, admitting that he couldn’t handle bitter things was something he would never let anyone know, no matter how obvious it was.

At that moment, a voice from another woman, not Elena, was heard.

“Do you dislike bitter herbs?”

“Eh?”

Greek was stunned and turned his head in surprise. She had read his mind, and his face showed his astonishment. He had revealed a thought he should never have expressed.

Shocked, Greek tried to speak but found himself frozen, staring at the person.

His expression was ten times more shocked than when he had heard the question about disliking bitter herbs.

Of course, the reason for his shock was the familiar face now in front of him.

It was a face he hadn’t seen in years, a little unfamiliar now due to time, but undeniably the woman he knew.

Greek slowly moved his stiff body and blinked, while Elena, who was mixing the medicine, tilted her head in confusion.

“Oh, this is the patient who was found collapsed on the outskirts…”

Just as Elena was about to explain, a louder voice erupted from the side, making Elena stop talking.

“Ah, sorry! That expression, with your eyes squinting up, somehow reminds me of someone from my memories, a person who would make that face when they didn’t want to eat something… I can’t remember who that person is, though…”