Chapter 31
Howard approached her call without a hint of suspicion.
That wasn’t just today—it was always like that.
Irina smiled mischievously and beckoned him to come closer.
Casey, Secretary Werner, and the knights who stood behind them like shadows or sturdy trees all looked on with curiosity.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen His Grace like that.”
“They look good together, don’t they?”
“I wish every day could be like this.”
“Ever since My Lady arrived, it’s been one new day after another.”
“Can’t believe I’m seeing them go on a trip with my own eyes.”
“This is way better than training.”
And so on.
There was as much chatter as there were seagulls flying freely over the sea.
Today, everyone was dressed lighter than usual.
This was a warmer region than the duchy, and being by the sea, the humidity was higher. If they didn’t dress lightly, they’d be drenched in sweat in no time.
Few things were as unpleasant as having sweat trapped between one’s armor and skin.
After bringing him close, Irina bent her knees slightly and flicked seawater toward him with her fingers.
Droplets from Irina’s hand left specks of moisture on Howard’s face and chest.
“Pfft! That’s for earlier. Cold, isn’t it?”
Irina giggled.
One of Howard’s eyebrows rose crookedly.
He’d expected her to splash him—but not quite that much.
Step, step.
Howard drew closer to Irina.
Her eyes widened.
“W-wait—what are you doing? Oh no!”
Too late.
Irina darted aside but couldn’t escape his grasp.
Caught, she soon found herself hoisted onto his shoulder.
“Put me down! What am I, a sack of flour?!”
“You seemed very hot, Lady Irina.”
“No! No, I’m not! Put me down!”
Irina flailed her limbs, dangling upside down.
Howard, unfazed by her wriggling, stepped steadily toward the water.
Beneath Irina’s gaze, the waves shimmered and lapped gently against the shore.
“How could you use brute strength like this? That’s cheating!”
Though she’d started this herself, Irina grasped at any excuse she could.
“And you, Lady Irina, cheated earlier too—with your so-called ‘kindness.’”
Even as she dangled helplessly, Irina was almost tearfully grateful that he at least held her dress so it wouldn’t flutter indecently.
“It was just a joke! Please put me down!”
Howard, however, took another deliberate step forward.
“Kyaaah!”
Irina screamed.
Tap.
Just as she squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the splash—expecting to be dropped into the sea—her feet touched sand.
Howard had carefully set her down, as though placing down a precious treasure.
A moment ago he had tossed her over his shoulder; now, his touch was gentle.
Irina wobbled and blinked.
“You’ll burst my eardrums, you know.”
“I really thought you’d throw me in! This is a new dress!”
She patted her chest in relief, then her eyes sparkled again.
With a sly grin, Irina half-turned toward him and, before Howard could move, shoved him toward the sea.
Splash!
Howard plunged into the water.
“Ahahaha! I win!”
“……”
Irina laughed heartily, hands on her hips.
Werner and the knights all gasped.
“The Lady pushed His Grace.”
“Into the sea, no less.”
“Didn’t even hesitate.”
“I wasn’t imagining that, right?”
“Nope. She practically threw him.”
“Did My Lady ever train in combat?”
“No way.”
They whispered among themselves, half in shock, half amused—like they were about to start a campfire and keep watching.
“My Lady’s kind of a bad—”
One of the knights quickly shut his mouth under Casey’s sharp glare.
Howard, still in the water, ran his hand through his wet hair.
His expression shifted slightly from blank to something else.
“Are you angry?”
Irina took a cautious step closer—just enough that she could touch him if she reached out.
“Of course not.”
Howard extended his hand toward her, as if asking for help up.
Irina hesitated, then took it without much thought.
After all, he’d only teased her earlier, not really dropped her—he wouldn’t throw her into the water.
“Eek!”
Splash!
Her trust shattered instantly.
Howard had pulled her straight into the sea with him.
The knights burst into laughter.
“My Lady! Your new dress! You’ll soak it completely before we even reach the villa! And you’ll catch a cold!”
Casey, who had chosen a pristine white dress, clutched a heavy towel she’d fetched from the carriage and wailed toward Irina.
Her sun hat was already lying far away on the sand.
Though Irina hadn’t fallen as deeply as Howard, the hem of her dress was drenched.
“Ugh…”
But soon her pout melted into bright laughter.
Now that she was wet anyway, there was no point in holding back.
Determined to have a little more fun, she waded out of the water, holding up her heavy, soggy dress.
“Casey! Want to join? It’s really refreshing!”
“You’ll catch a cold, My Lady!”
“I’ll be fine. It’s hot out, remember?”
“Oh, My Lady, you’re impossible.”
Looking at Howard and Irina now, no one would think they were nobles.
Still, to his subordinates, the truly fascinating part wasn’t Irina’s carefree spirit—it was seeing this new, relaxed side of Howard.
He had always lived as if something were chasing him.
The Ringleister family was powerful and wealthy, but far too few in number for the scale of its affairs.
It was exhausting work.
Yet his people followed him, believing in his sincerity and fairness rather than his title.
If they hadn’t, they could have taken easier, better-paying jobs elsewhere.
So today’s sight—this glimpse of a more human Howard—was oddly comforting.
They all watched quietly, absorbed, until Irina turned and waved for them to join.
Casey ran first, squealing, and the others, unable to resist, followed.
They took off their shoes and dipped their feet in the shallows.
Smiles bloomed across every face.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”
One knight, especially sensitive to heat, nearly stripped off his shirt before being stopped by a barrage of glares and nearly sent back to the carriage.
“Shall we head back now?”
Irina’s voice was full of laughter.
By the time the group finished their seaside play, all the fatigue and weariness they’d carried from the journey were completely washed away.
The villa was quite a distance from the sea.
After traveling for a while through a thick forest, a large building finally appeared.
Both the structure and the surrounding woods looked like something out of a fairy tale—yet instead of whimsy, there was calm, clean air that promised rest.
Though rather large for a forest house, it wasn’t so big as to feel imposing.
Unlike the bustling city center, here they were greeted by birdsong.
The crisp air was cool enough to raise goosebumps.
“It feels good to be back,” Werner said as he helped Howard down from the carriage.
“Yes. It’s been a while.”
Howard and Werner had personally designed and built this villa.
Howard had poured his heart into it—nothing was done carelessly.
It had been less than a year since completion, and with daily upkeep, it still looked as pristine as the day it was finished.
Despite being nestled in the forest, it had full security systems in place, ensuring one could walk alone at night without fear.
The others hurried to unload the luggage.
Since there was nowhere to change in the carriage, Irina had only managed to dry off a bit and wrap herself in a thin cloth before stepping down last.
“It’s lovely. The atmosphere is so different—it feels like we’ve traveled somewhere entirely new.”
Earlier, the sunlight had been blinding; here, the trees filtered it into a soft golden glow.
“My Lady, I’ll have everything ready in no time. You should change out of those wet clothes.”
“It’s fine, Casey. I’m almost dry—take your time.”
Despite Irina’s words, Casey hurried off with her bag.
“Howard.”
Irina approached him as he spoke quietly with Werner a short distance away.
“Your Grace, I’ll assist with the arrangements inside. Please rest well.”
Werner bowed to Irina and left.
“There’s a walking path over there,” Howard said, pointing. “After dinner, once you’ve changed, let’s take a walk.”
“A walk?”
She followed his gaze. A long path stretched into the forest, opposite the road they had come from.
It was still light enough to see far ahead, but she imagined it would be a bit eerie after sunset.
If he wanted to walk there at night, he must have something to talk about.
“Sure. Let’s walk tonight—and again in the morning. I bet it’ll feel different. It’s my first time in a place like this, you know. Even when you weren’t around, I never came here.”
“…First time, huh.”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing. Go inside before you catch a cold. If you start coughing, we’ll leave immediately.”
“I won’t catch a cold!”
“My LAAADY—! Where are you—?”
From the villa, Casey appeared, peering about like a squirrel on a rock.
“Ah, Casey’s looking for me. See you later!”
Irina tightened the thin cloth around her shoulders and walked toward her maid.
Howard watched as Casey spotted Irina and ran over to her.
Even after she went inside, Howard remained where he was, hands in his pockets.
His expression seemed faintly wistful—perhaps a little lonely.
No matter how many times he told himself not to feel that way… he couldn’t help it.
After standing there for quite a while, he finally turned and went inside the villa.
