Chapter 74
A Sudden Meeting Proposal
“Of course.”
I said so and nodded firmly with confidence.
“The spores spread by those cunning poisonous mushrooms sometimes grow into mushrooms that resemble truffles. But it’s only in appearance, scent, and taste. They are never true truffles. They contain poison, and if consumed, they can be life-threatening.”
“Th-that… are you saying my master ate poisonous mushrooms grown from monster spores?”
“You could say that.”
The old butler staggered as if the shock was too much for him.
I worried he might collapse, but fortunately, he steadied his breathing and managed to calm down.
In the meantime, Frit asked me,
“I see. Mushrooms that grow in clusters… so that’s why you called it a rather unusual rift?”
“Unusual indeed. Beyond that rift, there are probably countless mushrooms swarming about. But finding which one is the Queen hiding the mana stone won’t be easy.”
Hearing this, the old butler sighed anxiously.
“If there are that many monsters…”
“Don’t worry too much. As I said earlier, I know a way to get rid of them quickly with the least effort.”
Before explaining that method, I gave the butler one request.
“I’d like you to prepare as much oil as possible.”
“Oil?”
“Yes. Those poisonous mushrooms… they spread so easily that spores can grow anywhere they land. But they can’t move on their own. Which means, if we set them on fire, they can’t flee or suppress the flames.”
“……!”
Frit’s eyes widened, clearly surprised that there were monsters unable to move.
I smiled at him brightly.
“Mushrooms taste best when grilled with oil. Let’s roast them nice and golden-brown.”
Afterward, the butler hurried off, saying he would gather as much oil as possible.
While the oil was being prepared, our party stayed at the baron’s manor.
So now, after finishing dinner, I was resting in the garden.
That was when Frit appeared out of nowhere and approached me.
“May I sit here as well?”
He asked politely, and I immediately nodded, pulling out a chair at the garden tea table for him.
He gave me a gentle smile of thanks before asking,
“What were you doing out here alone?”
“Just getting some air. And worrying a little.”
“Worrying?”
I nodded lightly at his question.
“When I look up at the stars, I’m reminded of the people precious to me. And before I know it, I end up worrying. Worrying about family, friends, comrades…”
I wondered how Johannes was doing.
Was he happy with Lady Adelheid?
And what about Elma? Was she lonely without me?
And Karl… how was he faring?
Was he still blindly loyal to Ernandt, unaware that he had been deceived?
Many concerns circled in my head, but the one that pained me the most was this:
“I worry most of all about the Captain.”
Frit said nothing.
Only the hidden crickets in the grass chirped noisily in his stead.
I hadn’t expected an answer, so I went on.
“He looks strong, but he’s surprisingly fragile.”
“Really? I never knew.”
“Those who can bend easily don’t break easily. But the Captain is the opposite. He’s too rigid and upright… he can’t deflect shocks, so he breaks quickly.”
Before regression, the Captain had always been strict with me.
He never once showed me a softer side, so I thought he hated me.
I thought he hated me because I was Ernandt’s person…
But when I was dying from poison, what a pained expression he had by my side.
That’s the kind of person he was.
Someone who hid his true feelings clumsily, and once he lost someone, he would suffer alone in grief.
That’s why I couldn’t help but worry and care about him.
“He hides a lot, trying to look strong—his heart, his wounds.”
As I spoke, Frit listened quietly, then suddenly smiled faintly like the moonlight.
“Yulia.”
“Yes?”
“You have a surprisingly cruel side.”
“What??”
Cruel? Me?
Puzzled, I asked him again, but he didn’t answer.
He only rose from his seat and said,
“I hope one day I can become one of those you worry about.”
Only then did I realize why Frit had called me cruel.
I had, without realizing it, spoken of worrying about another man right in front of someone who had confessed his feelings to me.
Fortunately, whatever happened last night didn’t seem to have dampened Frit’s mood.
When morning came, he appeared cheerful as ever, as though nothing had happened.
I was relieved.
After all, until we eradicated the poisonous mushrooms, we had to remain in Ketrenburg together. Things would’ve been difficult if the atmosphere had turned awkward.
So with him acting either unaffected or pretending to be, I idled away more time in the domain.
Finally, on the third day since our arrival, the butler returned with good news.
“All the oil has been prepared.”
I immediately beamed with joy.
I’d been dying of boredom, but at last we could head beyond the rift.
But my smile soon vanished at the butler’s next words.
“However, there is a slight problem.”
“A problem?”
With a troubled face, he answered,
“Yes. The truth is, no matter how much we gathered here in our domain, we couldn’t collect enough oil. So we sought help from the neighboring Count of Kölnhausen. But the count’s second son…”
The butler let out a heavy sigh, as if speaking pained him, then barely managed to continue.
“In exchange for providing the oil, he demanded that Sir Schneestern be arranged to meet him… privately.”
Hearing this, both Frit and I were struck speechless for a while.
I wasn’t angry.
Just… taken aback.
So with a dazed mind, I forced out some words.
“The Count of Kölnhausen’s second son asked to meet me privately?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“As the price for the oil?”
“Yes… Since we had already received the oil, he made the request afterward. We couldn’t outright refuse, so I told him I would at least ask you first, Sir Schneestern.”
The butler, looking ten years older than yesterday, hastily added,
“Of course, you may refuse. It doesn’t matter at all—we already have the oil. I only passed along the message because—”
“That’s fine.”
“Pardon?”
“Since he did help, however grudgingly, I suppose I can meet him once. Just to offer thanks, if nothing else.”
At this, Frit—who had been silently listening—spoke up.
“My lord, I don’t think what he meant by a ‘private meeting’ is as simple as chatting over tea.”
“Yes, I know. He means as a man and a woman.”
“…And even so, you’ll still meet him?”
I gave a faint smile and leaned closer to whisper to Frit.
“If I flatly refuse, it’ll put the Baron of Ketrenburg in a difficult position. They received the oil, but then I would’ve refused the request for a meeting.”
“Ah…”
“So I’ll meet him. And then—”
I let my words trail off with a chilling tone before whispering the rest.
“I’ll correct his manners. Show him what happens when you try to exploit struggling neighbors for your own selfish desires.”
I wasn’t some righteous crusader who couldn’t stand injustice. But neither was I so cold-blooded as to make the baron—who had treated us with such care—suffer for my sake.
If I ignored this situation, what would happen once we left?
The petty Count of Kölnhausen might take spiteful revenge on the impoverished baron.
So I would meet him directly—and kick him hard enough to make him think twice.
At least then, he wouldn’t dare retaliate against the baron.
While I was thinking this, Frit suddenly said something strange.
“I didn’t expect to fall for you again like this…”
“Excuse me? Fall for me?”
“I think I just fell for you once more. To care so deeply for others… That delicate consideration—I’d like to learn it from you.”
“……”
Was he serious?
Or just teasing me?
Either way, the way his sky-blue eyes sparkled felt unbearably heavy.
So I quietly averted my gaze.
