Chapter 70
What is this?
Considering the time Ellie usually went to bed, it was already quite late.
It was even less a time to go out.
And it’s not like she has any reason to.
On top of that, sneaking out without telling her or anyone else?
That was suspicious.
Cecilia narrowed her eyes slightly, waited a moment, then gestured to Dylan.
“Sir Knight, could you help me for a moment?”
“If it’s something you need, I will serve you with absolute loyalty.”
“Oh, it’s nothing that grand. I just think I need to step outside briefly—would you come with me?”
Dylan looked puzzled at her words, but instead of asking further questions, he quietly fetched his outerwear.
Cecilia put on her coat and left the lodging right away.
Behind her, she heard Dylan giving Marcus a brief explanation. While she scanned the surroundings, Cecilia spotted Ellie’s figure in the distance, walking away at a brisk pace, and motioned to Dylan.
“Isn’t this strange? I’ve never seen Ellie go out without telling me.”
“…Perhaps she’s just going out for a walk to digest her meal?”
His tone suggested he couldn’t imagine Ellie having any ulterior motive.
Of course, Cecilia wasn’t suspecting Ellie either. She wasn’t desperate for money, nor did she have any major enemies that would push her to sell something off in secret.
Which was exactly why Cecilia was so curious.
As they quietly followed behind, Cecilia saw Ellie blend seamlessly into the crowd and judged that tailing her discreetly was no longer possible.
Letting out a short sigh, she grabbed her skirt and strode forward decisively.
Fortunately, Ellie soon came to a stop, so catching up to her wasn’t difficult.
“Ellie, what are you doing here?”
“Waaah!”
The moment Cecilia lightly placed a hand on her shoulder, a shriek burst out at full volume.
Ellie jumped so hard it was as if her hair stood on end.
Startled herself, Cecilia flinched and stepped back, while Dylan’s hand was already moving toward the hilt of his sword.
“M-M-Madam?!”
Ellie blinked rapidly, her mouth hanging open.
“Why are you here?!”
“I think that’s what I should be asking. Aren’t you tired?”
The surrounding crowd paused at the commotion—but only briefly.
Realizing it wasn’t anything serious, they soon resumed moving along like drifting jellyfish, heading for their destinations.
Still, this wasn’t a good place for conversation.
After checking their surroundings, Cecilia jerked her chin toward a nearby alley that looked less crowded.
With a single gesture, Dylan drove off the ruffians who had already staked out the spot, then signaled that it was safe.
Only then did Cecilia lead Ellie over and speak.
“So… what’s going on? Sneaking out like this.”
“I-It’s not like I was planning to do anything shady. It’s just…”
As Ellie hesitated, her face slowly began to redden.
Cecilia tilted her head. Soon, Ellie buried her face in her hands and muttered something under her breath.
“I can’t hear you. What did you say?”
“…I wanted to give something to the aide…”
“Huh?”
An unintentionally stupid sound slipped out.
It was a name she hadn’t expected at all—so unexpected that she wondered if she’d heard correctly.
“When you say ‘the aide,’ do you mean Noah?”
“Y-Yes…”
Ellie puckered her lips and cautiously lowered her gaze.
Now this really was suspicious.
Cecilia stared intently at the maid in front of her.
So—she’d come out to buy a gift for Noah?
“Youth, huh.”
The clear verdict came from Dylan, who had been listening beside them.
“Kn-Knight!”
Ellie protested, while Dylan’s face showed no embarrassment at all—in fact, a gentle smile even lingered there.
Thanks to that, only Ellie’s face grew redder and redder, until she looked like a blazing sun.
“It’s not like that! I just remembered a snack the aide really enjoyed last time we were in Toden, and since we’re here anyway, I thought it’d be nice to get some for him!”
Ellie rattled off her excuse in one breath, frantically fanning herself.
“And since we’re here, I thought maybe I could give him a small gift as a token of my gratitude, that’s all…”
Of course, buying a souvenir didn’t necessarily mean romantic interest.
But Ellie’s expression and complexion were far too suspicious.
“I won’t have time tomorrow, so I came out tonight. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance…”
As she spoke, Ellie gradually regained her composure and trailed off.
Under normal circumstances, Cecilia should have scolded Ellie for acting alone without warning.
Instead, she glanced toward the street beyond the alley.
Fortunately, most shops were still open, and there were plenty of people walking about.
“Was that shop you were standing in front of the one you meant?”
“That one was just to look at some accessories… They said the bracelet brings good luck if you wear it.”
She could practically picture the shop owner without needing to ask.
Nodding, Cecilia stepped out of the alley. Ellie paused for a moment, watching her nervously, until Cecilia turned back and motioned to her.
“What are you doing? If you hesitate, the shop will close.”
“…You’re not going to scold me?”
“Do you want me to?”
“N-No!”
The quick answer made Cecilia snort with laughter.
“If you know you were wrong, that’s enough. Next time, it’s dangerous, so make sure you tell someone before you go out.”
“Yes!”
Ellie answered energetically, as if she’d never been worried at all, then hurried over to Cecilia’s side.
Seeing the maid grin from ear to ear, Cecilia simply smiled back.
Fortunately, the shop Ellie had originally planned to visit was still open.
While Ellie rushed ahead to pick things out, Cecilia’s gaze drifted sideways.
Dylan, standing guard with an impassive expression, noticed her look and turned toward her.
“Is something the matter?”
“I was thinking of buying something for you too.”
“I’m fine… Ah—if it’s something Your Grace wishes to eat, I’ll buy it for you!”
“No, that’s fine. Don’t worry—I’m not that passively demanding.”
Shaking her head, Cecilia hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly,
“Would those snacks suit my husband’s taste too?”
After seeing Ellie fuss over Noah, returning empty-handed suddenly felt a little disappointing.
Since they’d come all this way, buying a souvenir didn’t seem like a bad idea.
Even if she didn’t know when her husband would actually receive it.
After a moment’s thought, Dylan nodded readily.
“Yes. I believe the Grand Duke would enjoy them as well.”
He stopped short of saying that her husband would like them unconditionally simply because his wife bought them.
Relief spread across Cecilia’s face at his answer.
“Then I should buy a few boxes. We can share them with everyone once we’re back at the lodging.”
As she calmly paid for several boxes, a small happiness bloomed on her face.
Contrary to her expectations of loneliness, this kind of trip wasn’t bad at all.
Thinking about Yuri and anticipating his reaction was surprisingly enjoyable.
Even this unexpected nighttime stroll felt nice.
Cecilia’s steps were noticeably lighter as she returned to the lodging.
The next morning, even while inspecting the craftsmen’s newly completed dormitory, her buoyant mood didn’t fade.
“This looks fine. Please make sure everything is well taken care of so there’s no inconvenience during the remaining period.”
“Yes, understood.”
From what she could tell, there were no signs of shoddy construction. Once the furnishings were filled in, people could move in immediately.
Considering how worried she’d been when she heard they couldn’t stay here the previous night, it was a fairly satisfying outcome.
By the time they exited the building, it was around noon.
“If we depart for Tisheur now, would we arrive too late?”
“The weather has warmed up, so it should take less time than on the way here. Probably before midnight—”
Dylan’s reply abruptly cut off mid-sentence.
Shock slowly spread across his face.
Just as Cecilia, puzzled, was about to ask what was wrong—
Huh?
Suddenly, her vision spun.
