As inspections were to be carried out, Theodore stopped by villages here and there.
Since they were small villages, the inspection ended with a quick walk around.
After they’d passed through two villages, the sky had quickly become dark.
"Your Majesty, I will stop at the Lord's Castle of the town of Statio."
"Is it close?"
"Yes, it is a short distance to arrive."
"All right."
After a conversation with the knights, Theodore returned to his seat immediately.
Then, the carriage moved.
Theodore spoke calmly and looked at the woman in front of him.
"I heard there is a village nearby, so hang in there a little longer."
"Yes...….”
He was pretending to be calm on the outside, but Theodore's insides were in turmoil.
Of course, it was because of the woman in front of him.
When she was wearing a veil like now, he thought she just had a similar atmosphere, but that veil-free face...….
"Your Majesty?"
Theodore was a little flustered, wondering if his thoughts were caught.
So, he couldn't answer right away.
Theodore opened his mouth after his unintentional pause.
“……Why did you call me?"
"If you're uncomfortable with me, I'll ride with the knights."
The tone of speech was similar.
‘Is that why?’
Every time Theodore heard her voice and every time he saw her face, there was tension.
Unlike his calm expression, he bit the inside of his cheek tightly. As if trying to hold back something.
Then he said,
"I’m not uncomfortable."
"I see. I'm sorry. I thought you were uncomfortable because you weren’t speaking to me."
It was as Rosa said.
They hadn’t exchanged any words since their first conversation.
This was a half-day conversation.
“……I just didn't say anything because I had nothing to say."
This was Theodore's cold answer.
He then immediately turned his head, as if he had nothing more to say.
One might have thought he was angry just by looking at his actions.
However, that wasn’t the case.
In fact, Theodore was in a state of embarrassment, shame, and all kinds of other emotions.
‘Why does my heart keep pounding endlessly? This feeling...….’
"It's the same."
As when he looked at Rosenta.
‘Am I someone who easily likes others? Or is anyone good if they’re similar to Rosenta?’
Both felt like the worst option for Theodore.
"Your Majesty, you just said ‘it’s the same’...….”
"It's nothing. I was talking to myself without realizing it, so don’t mind."
It wasn't until he heard Rosa that Theodore realized he had muttered.
‘What's wrong with me today?’
Theodore sighed secretly, wiping his face as if he were wiping it dry.
‘It seems like you keep showing this silly side of yourself in front of this woman...….’
Theodore realized it then.
‘Why am I so nervous and trying to look good in front of a stranger?’
It was strange.
And it was confusing.
He never thought he would feel the emotions he felt in front of Rosenta in front of someone else.
"You're...….”
Rosa's veil moved smoothly at Theodore's call.
Theodore couldn't speak for a second.
Although the veil was in the way, he kept thinking that they were looking into each other's eyes.
His heart thumped at the voice calling him.
"Your Majesty?"
Still not answering, Rosa came close this time.
Thump.
"Are you okay?"
Again, thump.
It felt like his heart was going to explode. He suddenly felt sick because it was pumping so fast.
It was to the point that he felt he would vomit.
"Your face...…. I'll tell them to pull over for a second...….”
"I’m fine."
Theodore shook his head as he grabbed Rosa’s wrist, who was worried about him. She was still partially bent forward.
It was in that brief moment.
The carriage shook wildly as if it had passed over a large stone.
It was inevitable that Rosa's body was flung forward because of the motion.
Fortunately, she didn't fall.
Rosa grabbed the wall with one hand, and Theodore quickly grabbed Rosa by the waist.
Instead, when she’d almost fallen, the veil flew off, revealing Rosa's face.
"Ah, thank you."
A panicked Rosa tried to get herself up and quickly arrange her veil.
However, Theodore's hands held her tight, so she couldn't move easily.
Theodore seemed to be out of his mind.
"Your Majesty?"
It was only at Rosa's call that Theodore came to his senses.
Not missing the gap, Rosa immediately escaped his grasp.
Theodore did not look at Rosa.
Looking down at his left hand, which had quietly held Rosa, he said to her.
“……Be careful."
A stranger silence than before surrounded them.
All the way to Statio.
Even then, Theodore only looked at his clenched hand.
Unlike Rosenta, the slender waist that fit in his hand was unfamiliar and exciting.
Perhaps that's why the sensation and emotions kept coming back to him.
Something else occurred to him.
‘If I’m just as excited, wouldn't it be better to like the woman in front of me? For my sake and the sake of the empire...…. Yes. It’s not too late for me yet.'
***
When they arrived at Statio, the lord came out to meet them as if he knew they were coming.
Well, he must have expected it because he’d heard that they’d visited the estates before his.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and come out; and don't damage their luggage!"
At the lord’s shout, people poured out in droves. Then they began to move their luggage.
Everything happened quickly.
They immediately had a late dinner. Of course, the majority of the conversation was with the lord.
Although the main subject was about Statio and praising his daughter.
"She is my daughter, but she is objectively the most beautiful child, including the surrounding estate."
It was a statement with obvious intentions.
Rosa clicked her tongue inwardly and focused solely on eating.
Right as she was about to put a piece of steak into her mouth. Her eyes suddenly met Theodore’s.
He asked her,
"What do you think?"
"What are you referring to...….”
"I mean, do you agree with her being the ‘most beautiful’ here, including you?"
‘What does that mean?’ Rosa couldn't understand the significance of asking her that question.
Now that she’d been asked, she’d have to answer.
In fact, the lord’s daughter seemed to be too young to be considered beautiful. She only appeared to be in her late to mid-teens…….
Theodore was in his mid-20s.
She couldn't control her expression. She unknowingly looked at the lord as though she were looking at a shameless individual.
But she wasn't the only one who looked at the lord. Theodore had actually turned to look at him after asking Rosa that question.
With a very cold look in his eyes.
"Sir, you seem to have mistaken the meaning of beautiful. And I came to look around the estate, not to find a wife."
All vain hope was firmly uprooted.
***
The second day dawned.
It was no different from the first day. They visited several villages in after leaving Statio.
However, there was one difference.
"Be careful not to step on the hem of your dress and trip on it."
"Yes, sir."
Theodore began to talk to Rosa more and more.
He also showed excessive favor.
His overnight change in attitude was disconcerting, but not bad.
It had been hard for her to adjust to the change in roles from close friends to polite strangers. Of course, that was only for her.
Thus, the second day ended at a point where the amount of conversation between them gradually increased.
And the third day.
The day passed in the blink of an eye and their relationship also made some progress.
"Your Majesty, your hand...…?”
"I mean for you to hold my hand because the ground is slippery."
"Oh...…. Thank you."
It was a different consideration and skinship than when she was Rosenta.
If she were an ordinary young lady, she would have taken it for granted.
But she wasn't.
Therefore, she hesitated for a moment before walking while holding Theodore's hand.
‘……Wasn't this normal?’
The eyes of the knights, as well as the lord of the 'Okur' estate they were visiting, were all on their hands.
It would be strange if she didn't care.
She tried to sneak her hand out of Theodore's grasp.
"Your Majesty, wait a minute...….”
"Hold on. Your hem is long, so I'm sure you'll fall."
Eventually, she had no choice but to reach the lord’s castle as there were.
When the arrived at the castle, the lord was panicked and restless.
"I never expected you would stay at our estate for a full day like this...…. I'll prepare a meal quickly."
It was still daytime, so he’d thought they would stay for a short while like at the previous territories.
The lord seemed quite panicked by the unexpected development.
But they had a reason.
Because Okur was on the way to Nequitia.
"Please take your time unpacking, and if you wait for a moment at the dining room...….”
"It’s fine. we've already eaten, so we'd like to take rest."
"What? Oh, the rooms...….”
Theodore's answer completely changed the lord's expression.
It was a face in turmoil.
It certainly wasn't a reaction that would normally be seen before the emperor.
But before they could wonder.
They heard a familiar voice.
"It's been a long time, Your Majesty."
Rosa and Theodore turned their heads in the direction of the voice without and discussion.
They saw her.
Yura, dressed in white, coming down the stairs.
"Is the person next to you the one who is famous in the empire these days?"
Yura's eyes landed on Rosa.
When she’d said hello to Theodore, there was a warm voice and gaze, but she looked at her harshly.
It would be difficult to prepare rooms right away because there were others who’d come first.
Still, there were about two rooms that were ready. However, they’d have to wait a little longer for others' rooms.
Of course, the lord offered them a meal, but Theodore refused.
"That's fine. We'll eat outside."
"Well, but how can I leave your Majesty's meal in the hands of the commoners?"
The lord looked at the faces of those standing behind him, the priests.
Theodore's eyebrows were furrowed at the sight. It was a sign of displeasure.
Rosa understood. It seemed unpleasant.
"If...… If you're uncomfortable with those who came first, we’ll place you in rooms as far away as possible...….”
"All right."
The lord seemed to notice what Theodore was displeased with.
But he never said he’d send them away.
Soon after, the lord once again looked at the subjects and spoke to Theodore in a small voice.
"Sorry, I'm sorry. Starting with the estate next to ours, the crisis is spreading...….”
The river in Nequitia was geographically located below Okur, in the most downstream part.
However, it sounded very contradictory that the river in Okur was rapidly deteriorating in reverse order.
[t/n: So, the problem in the water is flowing from downstream to upstream, which is strange.]
"That's why I can't kick out the holy officials carelessly. Especially...… The saint came with them…….”
The lord's expression was serious.
It was the face of a man full of worry, there was no deception in his words.
Yes. There were many things in life that were unexplained. This incident was no exception.
Rosa nodded.
But Theodore suddenly turned his head and stared at her.
Naturally, the lord also looked at her.
Then, the lord's expression changed to one that seemed to say, ‘no way’.
Theodore looked ahead again.
Then, Rosa saw the corners of Theodore's mouth creeping up as he watched the change in the expression of the lord.
"I know. That’s why I brought along someone special on this inspection to help me resolve this issue."
Theodore turned away completely as he spoke.
Toward Rosa.
"Isn't that right, Rosa?"
Contrary to the sad nature of the question, his golden eyes flashed sharply.
He even used honorifics intentionally in front of others. As if to emphasize her being 'special'.
A special person who is dressed in purple and who the emperor would address using honorifics.
Because that could only mean one thing.