RODH Side Story Chapter 7

Side Story 7. The Life of Newlyweds

Luke hurried to put on his formal attire when he heard that Ian was arriving.

Then he nagged the slow-moving Klain into coming with him outside the Grand Duke’s estate.

“There’s no need to rush so much.”

“What are you saying? The hero who saved Kirias is on his way!”

On that point, even Klain could not argue, and so he stayed quiet.

Already the domain was abuzz with excitement.

Strange-looking carriages, bundles of luggage stacked one after another, and even the escort knights of House Ruben trailing behind.

Everything shone so brightly that the townsfolk stopped their work to stare.

A freckled child pointed at one of the carriages and shouted,

“Look, it’s the Grand Duke! The Grand Duke is inside that carriage!”

“Then the one sitting next to him must be…”

Everyone craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the Grand Duchess, but the thin curtain revealed only a silhouette.

An elderly man folded his hands together, praying reverently.

“Past Grand Duke, Grand Duchess, please guide the two so that they do not lose their way.”

When they passed through the gates of the estate, Nevan pulled the sniffling Ian from his arms and sat him beside him.

Leaving one’s home was a sad affair.

So it was only natural to cry.

“Your Grace the Grand Duke, Your Grace the Grand Duchess, welcome… gasp. Your Grace the Grand Duchess?!”

Luke, seeing that only Nevan looked perfectly composed, shot him a suspicious glare.

Then, in a voice loud enough for nearly everyone to hear, he asked Ian,

“Did you have a fight with the Grand Duke?”

“I can hear you, Luke.”

“Ahem! How could you make the Grand Duchess cry on the very first day, Your Grace?”

At home, Luke himself lived under his wife’s tight grip, never daring to make her cry.

But Ian’s reddened eyes looked as though he had been weeping the entire journey.

Other than a marital quarrel, Luke couldn’t imagine what else could have happened.

Then Klain spoke.

“Leaving one’s home is difficult for everyone. But this, too, is something that must be endured in the North.”

Luke’s eyes went wide at that.

Ah, of course.

He must be crying because he misses his home!

Luke shoved Klain aside and stepped forward, saying,

“You may long for your homeland, Your Grace, but the North is not such a bad place. There are many things you might come to love here.”

Ian sniffled, then smiled faintly at Luke’s attempt to console him.

“Thank you, both of you. It was only a long farewell along the road. Nothing more, so please don’t worry.”

But Luke, misunderstanding, answered loudly,

“How can you say it’s nothing! What concerns Your Grace the Grand Duchess concerns us as well. If you ever have worries, please tell us.”

“Luke. How long do you plan to keep Their Graces standing outside?”

At Klain’s rebuke, Luke quickly stepped aside.

Klain turned to Nevan.

“Was the journey tiring, Your Grace?”

“There were no issues. Klain, find a new attendant for Lord Ian. Choose someone discreet and competent above all.”

Come to think of it, the young servant who had once followed Ian like a foal was nowhere to be seen.

Klain gave a curt reply.

“Yes.”

* * *

Ian inherited the very room where the previous Grand Duchess had stayed.

It was a room that bore little trace of imperial influence—neither too ostentatious nor too plain.

One could say it was a comfortable chamber, fitting for a high noble such as Ian.

“This was my mother’s room. If it displeases you, I will prepare another.”

“No, I like it here. It feels comfortable.”

Nevan brushed his thumb beneath Ian’s reddened eyes.

Eyes like the summer forests of Ferost met his own.

He wanted to comfort Ian.

“May I kiss you?”

When he asked politely, Ian cupped Nevan’s cheek and kissed him with a soft smack.

“Things like this should be done when you feel like it.”

Nevan’s lips parted slightly, his eyes crinkling with the faintest smile.

“You just smiled, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I smiled.”

“I want you to smile often, Nevan.”

Because then those painful times would not remain frozen in ice, but instead fly away naturally.

Ian wanted to share Nevan’s burdens.

He held Nevan’s large, firm hands with both of his.

“If something hard comes along, don’t think about it alone. Let’s think about it together.”

“Together, then.”

“My third sister said that’s what marriage is.”

“She is a wise lady.”

“Yes. That reminds me—I should write letters today.”

Recalling the letters that had first connected him and Nevan, Ian decided he would write one to each of his family members.

Nevan rose from his seat.

“I will go inspect the domain.”

“Shouldn’t I go too?”

“You have traveled far, Ian. Please rest well. And soon, a new attendant will arrive.”

“Alright.”

Nevan bowed his head and kissed Ian’s hand, then opened the door and left.

Before long, a knock sounded, and a new attendant entered—a young woman Ian had not met before.

Behind her stood the still-stern Klain.

“Introduce yourself. This is the Grand Duchess you will serve.”

The girl had brown hair with a faint reddish tint and warm brown eyes.

She bowed politely.

“Greetings, Your Grace. My name is Blony, and I will be serving you from now on. Please leave anything you need to me.”

Her voice carried determination, and it made Ian think of Bain, bringing a smile to his lips.

Then sorrow threatened to rise again, and he blinked hard to stop it.

“Blony, I look forward to working with you. My name is Ian.”

“It’s an honor!”

“I will take my leave, then.”

After Klain departed, Blony asked Ian,

“Were you cold on the way here? Shall I bring you some tea?”

“Yes, chamomile tea would be nice.”

“I’ll bring it right away.”

“Thank you.”

The room was empty once more.

Thinking that this was where he would now live left Ian with an odd sense of emptiness.

“No, this isn’t the time for that.”

As Klain had said, if he was to live in the North, he had to endure.

He shoved his arriving luggage into a corner and immediately set about moving the desk.

It was heavier than expected, and he struggled with it.

Just as he was about to start unpacking, Blony returned, gasping in shock.

“Your Grace, please let me! You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Hmm? No, I just feel better doing it myself.”

“Then why don’t we do it together?”

“Alright.”

With Blony’s help, he sorted his things, placed his books on the shelf, and soon the room resembled his old chamber.

Once he changed the bedding to the one he had brought with him, it felt almost as though he had carried his old room into the Grand Duke’s estate.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, I really do.”

Ian nodded as he ate the berry pie Blony had brought with the tea.

He began to think perhaps he would adapt more easily than expected.

Then the sound of bells rang out from outside.

Ian jumped to his feet and went to the window.

“What’s happening?”

“A monster must have appeared.”

“A monster?”

He had killed the Demon Lord, and yet monsters still roamed?

But no—the Demon Lord had been a creature of the demon realm, different in nature from monsters.

Monsters, like beasts, inhabited fixed territories.

“They haven’t come into the domain, have they?”

Blony hesitated before answering.

“The bell rang twice just now, which means they’re close to the domain.”

“That won’t do, I have to go see.”

“Your Grace!”

Ian slipped past Blony and rushed outside the mansion.

Without even a cloak, his jaw trembled from the cold, but the thought of Nevan left him unable to stay still.

He saw knights arming themselves and running westward.

Luke spotted him and waved urgently for him to go back inside.

“It’s dangerous, Your Grace!”

“Where is Nevan?”

“Please return at once!”

Blony caught up and grabbed Ian’s arm.

Without an answer, Ian was half-dragged back.

“Goodness! Your body is freezing.”

Blony hastily wrapped her cloak around him.

But Ian, not feeling the cold at all, asked urgently,

“Does this happen often?”

“From time to time. Most of the time it subsides quickly, so please don’t worry.”

But being told not to worry only made him more worried.

Ian sighed—then suddenly, the hairs on his neck stood on end.

He scanned the room quickly, but nothing seemed out of place.

What is this?

Before he could think further, an enormous crash sounded, and the head of a wyvern smashed through the window.

“Kyaaaah!”

Blony screamed so loudly that Ian himself couldn’t manage a cry.

Perhaps because he’d experienced it once before, he wasn’t even that surprised.

But this wyvern wasn’t tame like Happy—it was a wild beast.

Its teeth clacked, perfectly designed to shred its prey.

The monster’s gaze fixed hungrily on Blony, who was shrieking.

Ian quickly covered her mouth.

At once, the wyvern, poised to smash its way inside, halted.

It locked eyes with Ian.

Yellow eyes met his own.

As though in a staring contest, neither of them blinked.

How long had it been? Outside, the shouts of knights could be heard.