When I returned home, the first to greet me was Erika.
“Welcome back, my lord, and congratulations on your victory,” she said with a graceful yet adorable curtsey, holding the sides of her skirt and bowing her head slightly.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Well, I wasn’t directly on the battlefield. I had no reason to get hurt or overly exhausted. At most, the only discomfort I faced was muscle pain from sitting on a horse for too long,” I replied.
Due to the nature of my role as a military supply officer, I accompanied the troops to the battlefield but didn’t have to engage in combat. Of course, if we had been overwhelmed and forced to retreat, I might have had to use a weapon for survival. But this war had ended so smoothly that such concerns never arose.
'Riding a horse was the hardest part,’ I thought.
Horse riding looks simple—just sitting on a saddle—but unlike the steady ride of a car, a horse’s movements jostle you up, down, and side-to-side. While stirrups help with balance, sitting in the saddle for extended periods requires absorbing the impact with your entire body. It turned out to be an unexpectedly rigorous workout.
Erika smiled warmly. “I’m glad you didn’t get hurt or go through anything too difficult.”
Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.
“Well, I worked in a position where there wasn’t much chance of getting hurt,” I replied.
“Even so, a battlefield is unpredictable, isn’t it?” she said.
True, a battlefield is a place where unimaginable things happen all the time. Squads surrounded by the enemy, with no choice but death whether they surrendered or fought, might launch a reckless banzai charge and break through an entire German battalion without casualties. Or like a certain daimyo of Japan in dark history, whose reckless pursuit and neglect of defense cost Admiral Yi Sun-sin his naval forces.
“You’re right,” I said, handing Erika my coat.
She took it naturally, her actions as graceful and poised as a young wife despite being barely twenty. As I looked at her with satisfaction, Chloe, who was nearby, signaled to me with her eyes. Though she didn’t say anything, I could guess what she was trying to communicate.
'She wants me to hug Erika, doesn’t she?’
Following her silent suggestion, I wrapped my arms around Erika. She flinched in surprise at first but quickly relaxed, wrapping her arms around me in return.
“I’m back, Erika,” I said.
Perhaps because our marriage was still fresh and we hadn’t been overly affectionate before it, even a simple hug made Erika blush a light pink and avert her gaze. Feeling playful, I planted a light kiss on her forehead, turning her face the color of a ripe apple.
She bit her lower lip slightly, a bashful smile curling her lips, her expression showing that, though shy, she was pleased. Despite my prior intimacy with Chris and Chloe—even sharing a bed with them—her innocent reaction made me feel flustered.
“...”
After a moment of silence, Erika looked at my lips, hesitated, and stammered, “I... I’d like it if you kissed me... like at our wedding.”
Obliging, I kissed her lightly, and she smiled like she had just gained the world. Then I gave Chris and Chloe the same "welcome home" kiss before sitting down.
“How have you three been?” I asked.
Erika straightened her shoulders confidently. “There were a few minor issues, but with Chris, Sebastian, and Chloe’s help, I managed to handle them.”
“Chris and Sebastian, I can understand. But Chloe? How did she help?”
Chloe had been diligent in her studies since asking me to teach her. While I’d heard she had become proficient enough to handle administrative work in any merchant guild, I doubted she could manage as an overseer just yet.
‘Did they give her an easy task to protect her pride?’ I wondered. Erika’s expression suggested genuine gratitude rather than polite flattery.
“One of our household servants was leaking information to the Neapolitan family, and Chloe uncovered it,” Erika explained.
A servant capable of being bribed likely wasn’t in a high-ranking position. Recruiting higher-ranked servants would require blackmail, such as exploiting family debts, and I was one of the few people I knew who operated spies in such a way.
“So how did she figure it out?” I asked.
Instead of answering, Erika tapped Chloe on the shoulder, prompting her to speak.
“Peter, one of the house stewards, suddenly seemed unusually cheerful,” Chloe began. “Since we only saw each other in passing, I initially thought something good had happened in his life. But the more I thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.”
Detective shows often claim that a sudden change in a spouse’s behavior—like being excessively nice—can indicate infidelity. Similarly, any unexpected behavior can be a clue to betrayal.
“So I asked him directly if something good had happened. He couldn’t give me a clear reason,” Chloe continued.
“That’s definitely suspicious. If someone’s clearly happy but can’t explain why, it’s hard not to be doubtful,” I agreed.
Sometimes, vague excuses are better than outright lies. If Peter had said he’d saved money for his child’s tuition or that his financial situation had improved, anyone could have guessed he’d been bribed.
“So I reported it to the head butler, who investigated. It turns out a noble affiliated with Duke Sforza had bribed Peter through an information guild,” Chloe concluded.
Ah, Duke Sforza. That man had warned me at my wedding, “Enjoy your short honeymoon, for I’ll see to it that it ends soon.”
I hadn’t expected him to act so quickly. Despite my rapid rise in influence, aside from being Duke Visconti’s grandson-in-law, I should have been a trivial opponent. Yet, like a true political heavyweight, he seemed to have an instinctive aversion to potential threats.
As Chloe finished her explanation, Erika smiled. “Even though Peter held a low rank, had we not caught this in time, the family could have suffered greatly. Thanks to Chloe, we uncovered the issue and handled it before it became serious. Now we can laugh it off.”
Erika was right. While Chris, Sebastian, or I might have eventually noticed, the smallest odds can lead to disaster in the present. History has seen wars start over something as trivial as a soldier arriving late to roll call after relieving himself.
“Chloe, you’ve done an excellent job,” I said, raising my hand. Chloe approached me eagerly, like a puppy seeking praise, tilting her head so I could pat it.
As I ruffled her hair, she grinned widely, looking as if she had just received the greatest reward in the world.
“Thank you for protecting the family.”
“It’s what I should do,” she said modestly.
Yet doing what’s expected isn’t as common as one might think.
“That’s why it’s commendable. Not only did you do your duty, but you also went beyond to help in ways you weren’t obligated to. Thank you,” I said sincerely.
Erika silently observed us, but when our eyes met, she shrugged slightly, seeming proud as the household’s head wife. And why wouldn’t she be? She had managed the house well in my absence, kept her jealousy in check, and maintained harmony despite our unusual circumstances.
After a few days of rest, I set out to meet the Count of Piedmont, the owner of the empire’s largest plains.
“Greetings, Your Excellency,” I said as I arrived.