HELEN REDFIELD POV

After getting up from my bed, I headed to the mirror.

“Hm…” My hair was a complete mess. I had been lying in bed all day every day, reading romance books ever since I was given paid leave. There was so much to choose from that I indulged in reading.

‘When was the last time I washed?’

I lifted my arm and sniffed my armpit.

“Eugh. I should take a bath.”

That was my least favourite thing to do. But since I had a guest, I couldn’t make myself look sloppy.

“What’s this white stuff in my hair?”

I looked at the top of my forehead where my bangs were. I pulled on a strand of hair and looked at my finger. It was a sticky and transparent liquid. I sniffed it.

“It smells fishy. Did I eat sardines when I was drunk last night? Shit. I stink worse than an old drunkard.”

I was going somewhere later so I had to look and smell my best.

I looked at the dress hanging on my closet. It had been years since I wore a dress. There was just no need for it, you know?

I was an adventurer and my class was swordsman. Danger could’ve struck at any moment. That was why I was always ready to react should danger come.

Since Colchis wasn’t as war-stricken as Habsburg, I had plenty of time to rest. The kingdom was peaceful as well.

All I had to deal with as my job as her highness’ knight was bandit attacks and carrying out odd-jobs. Important missions rarely came around. I only interrogated those assassins we caught and was tasked to look for the count.

By the way, that last one was on hold. I had no idea where to begin looking so I had no way to find him just yet. It was obvious that he wasn’t in the palace’s dungeon cells. The king wouldn’t keep him in such an obvious place.

Anyways, her highness left the kingdom on business by the Polomine border and told me I was free of my duties for the time being. It was weird why she didn’t want me to go.

I was her knight so I had to be wherever she was.

“No use worrying about it now.”

◇

When I got downstairs after I was finished dressing, I smelled the most wonderful smell. It was so nice that my stomach roared in hunger.

‘I thought I told them to not come in today.’

I thought it was a maid or one of my other servants. However, the person standing by the pots and pans was neither of them.

“Nate!?”

“Whoa!” He almost dropped a tray of vegetables when I shouted in shock. “H-Hey. You’re up early.”

He set down his chef’s hat.

“Sorry for using the kitchen without telling you beforehand. I wanted to surprise you.” Nate rubbed his head with a wry smile. “A-Anyway, you can go sit down while I finish up…” He gestured towards the dining room.

I sat down and tried to keep my composure. The smells were just too wonderful. After waiting for a few minutes, Nate brought the food he made.

It was a variety of food to choose from.

‘I get to have such delicious food every day!?’

I screamed within but I kept my composure.

“Ahem. It tastes very good. You are a good chef. Yes, it is very good.” I spoke awkwardly as I held in my tears. The food was too delicious.

Nate seemed to think my response was awkward but he just shrugged.

“I’m happy you like it.”

“Did you buy these yourself?” I asked.

I was certain that my food storage container was empty. Even the cupboards were like a ghost town. I usually hunt my food in the mornings. The city gate was nearby so getting to the forest doesn’t take that long.

‘Did he use what little he had left?’

I looked at Nate in a new light.

‘You’re definitely not trash.’

Maybe it was because I was used to always eating hard bread and dried veggies, I ate like there was no tomorrow. Each bite sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to dance with the food in my hand.

“So….where are you going?” Nate silently looked at my dress.

I wiped my mouth with my bare hand. My table manners seemed to fail me. Many would probably look at me weirdly if I told them I was the young miss of the fallen Redfield house.

“I’m going to meet Clyde later. He’s going out of the kingdom for a while so…”

“Clyde…?” A glint flashed in Nate’s eyes.

“Yeah? Something wrong?”

He shook his head.

“Not at all. How is he doing these days? I heard he’s the new heir to the Bentinck household. He’s marrying the earl’s daughter, Diane.”

“Yup. It was a pity that I was out of the city when it was his big day. I couldn’t even send him a gift with all the work that piled up.”

“I see…You said he’s leaving the kingdom? When did you hear that? I thought you were too busy to meet people.”

“Well, actually…” I tried to think how to explain myself. “He…err…has this magic called 《Message》 that he always uses to contact me. I don’t really understand how it works but it sure is useful. But he said the range stull needs some work. We spoke a few days ago.”

“Message…? Isn’t that a spell that has a formula that most can’t even decipher?”

“It’s not common for people to use it?” I didn’t know much about magic so I didn’t understand. Since Habsburg didn’t have many mages, we had to rely on messenger pigeons and squires to deliver messages.

“No. Rather, only elite mages can use the magic to relay important information.” A dark shadow appeared over his face. “How far will he go…this is so frustrating…”

I couldn’t hear Nate’s mutter.

“By the way…A-Are you planning on making dinner tonight?” I asked after I finished my food.

‘I want more….!’

“Ah. I ran out of ingredients….”

“No worries!” I threw a bag of coins on the table. “Buy as many ingredients as you need!”

“I-Isn’t this too much? I don’t want to put a burden on your finances too…”

“As I said: No worries!” I gave a thumps up. “Take the money and buy what is needed to make me–I mean us–a delicious dinner.”

“…Okay. If you insist…I’ll do my best…” He took the pouch with both hands.

“Anyway, I need to get going. Thanks for the food~!”

◇◇

When Helen left, Nate sat there on the chair, mechanically eating his food. His eyes were on the plate that Helen ate out of.

He picked up the fork she used. It still had her lipstick prints on it.

“…..” He closed his eyes and licked it clean after putting it in his mouth.

“Haaah…” He sighed at what he was doing. “Am I a creep or something…Last night was enough…”

He stood up and gathered all the dishes. Since he had nothing else to do, he might as well wash the dishes.

Since he was always alone during his childhood, he learned to how take care of himself. There were days when his food would be poisoned or he got nothing at all. Those were the days he had to go starving.

With the help of the old gardener who had been working in their mansion for thirty years, he learned how to cook and clean. It was uncouth for boys to cook and clean but Nate actually enjoyed it.

It was the one time he forgot about all his troubles.

“Hahaha…She said that she’d give me her granddaughter if I was willing to take her.”

The woman had been working for his family for many years so she decided to build a home on the property with the help of the lord.

Her family was living in Hurge city so it was fairly close to the kingdom.

“She must be living out her retirement with her family.”

Nate never knew what happened to the woman. Perhaps she died or she was lying sick in bed somewhere.

“Granny Ulba…” Tears streamed down Nate’s cheeks. “Why did you have to leave too….”

Perhaps there was a motive behind her kindness. Since Nathaniel was a boy born into the Alexander family, chances were high that he would succeed his father even if he was trash. That likelihood was shattered when his eldest sister showed interest in taking the seat of head.

Since she was a five star mage of the Mage Tower, he had no chance against her. All that Nate had on his side were the fact that he was a boy. Their family ignore the kingdom laws and always chose to give the seat of heir to the eldest son.

Leonard, however, was different.

Perhaps that woman wanted to give her granddaughter to him because she thought that Nate would succeed and make that girl the first wife.

“Fuck. Was I deceived? That old witch!”

Nate threw the pot on the floor after he thought about everything that happened so far.

“In the first place it was weird how she left right after that man announced that he’ll make my sister the head….”

“I’ve been had all along...” As if he couldn’t hold it in anymore, tears fell from his eyes. “Why am I so pathetic? I have nothing to be proud of.”

He had been disowned by the powerful Alexander family. That tarnished what little reputation he had left. Some of the girls at the academy showed interest in him despite how pathetic he was as a mage. He had turned them all down because he only had one person in his heart.

Helen.

“Dammit. I should’ve known I wasn’t good enough for Helen. I shouldn’t have turned them down.”

Most of them were children from Baron and knighthood households so their status wasn’t that high. Since Nate had been disowned, he doubted any of them had any interest in him anymore.

“My life is ruined as a noble…”

‘Would Erica be willing to become my wife?’

She was a commoner after all. He could use the fact that she was part of the Mage Tower and make a name for himself that way. He thought that it wasn’t a bad idea.

“Ah…right.”

He forgot something. She had always shown interest in Clyde. During the time of the Divide when they were alone together, she would always mutter his name in her sleep.

“She’s like a dog or servant. Maybe it’s not good for me to associate myself with her.” Nate looked at the pouch on the table.

“….” A certain desire overcame him.

“One more time.” With a statement that was said to convince himself, he grabbed the pouch of coins and walked out of the house.