Chapter 30 – Where Have You Been?:
Hertian sat deep in thought, looking over a stack of documents that could fill an entire warehouse — all concerning medicinal herbs.
“There’s no way Anette bought all these herbs without a reason.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her.
As someone with the ability of foresight, Anette must have had her own reasoning.
But Hertian had never relied on anyone in his life.
He always resolved things on his own — and his relationship with Anette was no different.
He couldn’t burden her with his problems.
If she ever failed in business and grew discouraged, she might regret marrying him.
He’d rather take on more work himself than let that happen.
“Gilta, from now on, report the lady’s business activities to me.”
“Understood, my lord.”
“Has there been any letter from Cassian?”
“None has been delivered, sir.”
“I see… You may go.”
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, Gilta left Hertian’s study.
And nearly screamed when he saw Anette waiting right outside the door. She pulled him behind a pillar.
“What did His Grace say?”
“My lady, I beg you… maybe it’s time to stop or hand over the business? I’m going to have a heart attack.”
Anette shook her head vigorously and silenced him firmly.
“Those herbs cost 50 million gold. Who else but me could double that investment? Do you have a plan, Gilta?”
He shook his head.
“Then what, does His Grace have a better idea?”
Again, he shook his head and frowned.
“Then may I ask how you intend to sell all that, my lady?”
Watching him grow increasingly anxious, Anette fell into thought.
Should she tell him or not?
But if she wanted to work with Gilta, trust had to come first.
“Soon, all the temples in Kurcia will disappear.”
“Wh-what?”
“Shh.”
Holding onto the wide-eyed Gilta, Anette carefully explained her business plan. By the end, he looked half out of his mind from the unbelievable story.
“Only you and I must know this.”
“But if His Grace finds out, he’ll surely take care of everything for you!”
“If he gets involved publicly, the other side will feel threatened. That’ll make trading herbs harder, and we’ll lose the 50 million gold investment.”
She had a point.
With the Grand Duke on one side and the Grand Duchess on the other, Gilta felt crushed between two immovable forces. Gulping down a silent sigh, he thought of his superior, Jackson.
‘What would Sir Jackson do in this situation?’
If it were Jackson, he’d choose without hesitation.
And the answer was already clear.
Follow the side that felt right.
“…I’ll follow your lead, my lady.”
***
The next day — and the day after that — I headed to the border again.
The soldiers there believed I was the daughter of a local blacksmith and treated me warmly.
“Take a look at this one today.”
A soldier, having seen the effects of the medicine, personally brought a patient for me to treat.
I’d already tended to five injuries.
All healed quickly. Perhaps because they had never used medicine before, the effects were remarkably strong.
“Where does it hurt?”
“Maybe it’s what I ate last night, but my stomach’s been acting up. Can you treat that too?”
“Of course. Drink this herbal tea three times a day.”
With practiced hands, I handed the soldier a bottle of medicine.
“Next?”
The tent flap opened, and a man with a red sash on his shoulder entered. I smiled brightly and pointed at the chair.
But the man only stared at me without moving closer.
“Not a patient, I guess.”
I scratched my head and began putting the medicine away.
Then—
“C-Commander.”
A soldier spoke with a trembling voice, and the man finally opened his mouth.
“What is going on here?”
“W-well, sir…”
“Explain. Properly.”
His tone was ice-cold, and the soldier’s eyes darted wildly.
He was clearly the commanding officer here.
Though I pretended not to know, I recognized him immediately.
‘So, my business partner has finally appeared.’
He seemed around Hertian’s age but radiated a different level of intimidation.
His fierce gaze turned the tent’s air frigid. The soldier went completely silent. Without fear, I stepped forward and said,
“I’ve been treating the soldiers using herbs I brought.”
At those words, the soldiers flinched and closed their eyes tightly.
The red-haired man turned his gaze on me. His glare carried murderous intent — something I’d never felt before.
To someone from Kurcia, a citizen of Requies was the enemy. His reaction was understandable.
Any moment now, he might shout to throw me out.
“All of the soldiers here?”
“Yes.”
“What’s your motive?”
Contrary to expectations, his voice was calm. That gave me a sliver of hope that we might actually have a conversation.
Which meant there was no need to drag this out.
“If you’ll give me a proper setting, I’ll explain why I came.”
The man looked a bit flustered but eventually said,
“Ten minutes.”
It was a quiet approval.
He led me to the largest tent. As soon as I sat down, he asked directly,
“What’s your motive?”
“Nothing. If I see someone bleeding and I have the means to help, it’s not right to just walk away.”
“That’s why you asked for a private meeting?”
Of course not.
I handed him the documents I had prepared.
“I’m offering you the first chance to purchase these herbs.”
For the first time, his brow twitched. He looked as though I’d just spoken gibberish.
“What use would Kurcia have for dried weeds from a Requiesian?”
“Apparently, a lot.”
I pushed back confidently.
“Temples are scarce out here on the frontier. When soldiers get injured, there’s no way to treat them.”
“That may be so, but this is an empire with a thousand years of history. We’ve survived without these herbs.”
“Maybe, but a few months from now, these herbs will be nearly impossible to buy.”
“Why should I trust some village girl from a mountain?”
There was not a hint of trust in his eyes. Unlike the other soldiers, he treated me with outright hostility.
“Whether you believe me or not depends on your judgment. Soon, there won’t be any temples left in Kurcia. Pater will no longer be supplied. And what do you think thousands of templeless people will need most?”
I pointed at the pile of herbs beside me. His gaze followed mine.
“By now, the royal family is probably aware. It’s a big enough issue that they’ll take time before making any public announcements. But if you come to me then, I’ll charge ten times the price.”
His jaw tensed. I smiled gently.
“I’ll give you a full week.”
Anyone who still didn’t respond after that… wasn’t worth doing business with.
Just as I returned to the estate and was about to step inside after changing clothes in the carriage—
“Where have you been?”
Hertian stood at the entrance, waiting for me. Thanks to the overcast sky, the castle was already dim though it wasn’t even sunset yet.
“I was out exploring the territory. There was so much to see, I lost track of time.”
I smiled and avoided his gaze. Now that I had a secret from him, it was hard to act like before.
Hertian said nothing, just watched me walk in.
The silence was suffocating, so I blurted something out.
“Have you eaten? Ah, it’s almost three — of course you have.”
“My lady.”
His heavy voice made me freeze. I turned to look at him.
When our eyes met, he smiled with his usual warmth, as if nothing had happened.
“It’s good to go outside, but if you go out every day, it’ll take a toll.”
Then he placed something cold in my hand. It was a small black stone — warm, like his hand.
“What is this?”
“I thought your hands might be cold. It’s a magical hand warmer. Use it when you go out.”
A hand warmer.
It had been a long time since I’d seen one.
It looked different from modern ones, but warmed my hand just the same.
My cold fingers quickly thawed.
“Thank you. I really love it.”
As he smiled, I felt a heavy guilt settle over me.
He had made this, worrying for me, while I’d been out secretly pursuing a business he’d warned me against.
But telling him now wasn’t the right move.
The rescue of the territory’s citizens was important to him too.
I’d just finish the deal quickly… and then apologize.
“Have you eaten, my lady?”
“Oh — now that you mention it, I skipped lunch.”
I rubbed my flat belly. I had brought a packed lunch from Bonisa, but ended up giving it to some hungry children. I pretended I’d forgotten — Hertian would dislike knowing I skipped a meal.
“I’ll prepare something for you.”
“You? Yourself?”
“I’ve cut down more than just enemies with a sword.”
He said that so casually, I couldn’t help but laugh.
After seating me, he disappeared — and returned with a tray.
“Wow, you made this yourself?”
He had made pasta.
Cream-based with chicken breast and slices of mushroom — it looked delicious. I twirled a forkful and took a big bite.
The rich cream and the soft hint of pepper were perfect.
It tasted just like the pasta Rian used to make when I was a child.
Lost in nostalgia, I cleaned the plate in no time. I hadn’t eaten a proper full meal like that in ages — my stomach felt completely full.
“It was really delicious.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
Hertian, who had been watching me eat the whole time, gave a relieved smile. He must be busy with work too, yet he always made time to care for me.
Maybe it was because we were contractually bound — but I didn’t want to add to his burden.
I wiped my mouth and said quietly,
“Hertian. You don’t have to take care of me so much. We’re in a contractual relationship. The servants already think we’re close enough. You don’t need to go out of your way when no one’s watching.”
