23. What Could Possibly Happen
After catching up on a few hours of missed sleep, I went out into the streets again with Leofric.
The sun had already set, and darkness was beginning to settle over the city.
Leofric and I had decided to take only the minimum number of attendants with us, have dinner, and return right away.
It was just dinner, after all—what could possibly happen? Still, since most of the knights were away at Waynes Castle, we had made that decision out of necessity.
Besides, it wasn’t just anyone—I was with Leofric, so I figured it would be fine.
He was known to be a fairly skilled swordsman. In fact, it was said that he was good enough not to require any escort when traveling alone.
Of course, that was only something I had heard before my regression.
I had never actually seen him wield a sword or gauge how skilled he really was.
Whenever we had traveled together, there had always been a large escort, and I’d never seen him draw the sword at his waist, whether it was for ceremony or combat.
As always, I just relied on what Betty had heard from somewhere—that he was supposedly pretty good with a sword.
With no particular concern, I followed him to a nearby restaurant from our lodging.
“Are you sure you’re alright with this? We could wait a little before heading out,” he asked, his tone uneasy.
Unlike me, who was entirely relaxed, Leofric seemed anxious and asked many questions.
Was it really okay to go without a proper escort? Was it alright to bring only Betty as an attendant? Was it fine that the others on errands hadn’t returned yet?
He seemed overly cautious, especially compared to me, who just wanted to grab a quick bite.
“I’m really fine, Your Highness.”
“But still…”
“I’m not sure what exactly you’re worried about, but this place is known for its good public order, and we’re just stepping out for dinner. Bringing too many people along would only attract more attention.”
And that’s not what you came here for, is it?
When I asked casually, he hesitated for a moment before bowing his head.
“You’re right. I’m worrying unnecessarily.”
What exactly is it that he’s so worried about?
He apologized for making me uneasy, now back to his composed self.
It wasn’t something he needed to apologize for so formally…
I shook my head. “We’ll be fine as long as we hurry back after dinner.”
“Yes. We should avoid going elsewhere.”
Leofric nodded with a faint smile.
That made it sound like he had originally planned to go somewhere else after the meal.
The strange feeling that crept over me made me want to question him further, but he had already taken a step ahead, and I had to close my mouth again.
“Mela, let’s go.”
Leofric turned back from a few steps ahead and beckoned me closer.
His calm expression made me brush away the strange unease I had just felt and follow him.
What could possibly happen, I thought.
And I realized I had misjudged things right after dinner.
The meal was excellent—flawless.
It was clear the place was genuinely recommended by locals, unlike overpriced “hot spots” that just ride on hype.
We had just finished the satisfying meal, with me thinking the boutique staff had given us useful recommendations, when—
“Mela, did you hear there’s a festival happening in town today?”
“A festival?”
“Yes. This is a trade city, after all. They hold seasonal festivals to pray for the safe return of those who go out to sea.”
“That must cost a lot in terms of budget.”
Maybe it was because I’ve always worked in finance, but I couldn’t help thinking about the cost first.
Especially in a large city like this—accommodating that many people…
As if reading my thoughts, Leofric smiled gently and dispelled my concerns in one sentence.
“Since it’s a big city, they collect plenty of taxes. And fortunately, all the merchants and businesses here pay them diligently.”
Also, only businesses with clean records are allowed to operate in this city.
Thanks to that simple addition, I now understood how a large city could afford to hold frequent festivals.
They had even made it legally possible to do so.
“That’s why people say you have to be spotless to get into Waynes.”
“Well, that should be true of any city, but it’s not always realistic.”
Waynes is the most sought-after city for business expansion in the empire, and also the hardest to get into.
While smaller cities can’t always screen their businesses thoroughly, Waynes strives to maintain strict standards—according to Leofric.
“So that’s why you picked this place for your honeymoon.”
Amusingly, that was the first thing that came to mind.
No matter how much he said there were more things to see in Waynes, his role here couldn’t be ignored.
“I debated whether to bring up the festival because I thought you might think that.”
“Are you saying I’m mistaken?”
“You don’t know the full truth, do you?”
Leofric lifted his water glass with a teasing smile.
He had told me things, shown me things.
Was I supposed to believe everything he said when we first got here?
“You know better than anyone that what happened yesterday wasn’t planned.”
“And I know just as well that it wasn’t entirely unintentional, either.”
When I shrugged, he looked genuinely hurt.
As if he hadn’t meant it that way and was upset I didn’t understand.
“I mean it, Mela. I really had no intention of working while I was here. What would it take for you to believe that?”
“Should I believe you? Even if I do, you and I both know your position doesn’t give you much choice. I’m not sure it’s something you need to prove.”
“It matters to me—that you believe me.”
As I looked at him, wondering if it really mattered, I noticed something.
His expression kept changing.
In the palace, he always had that serious, dignified look. Seeing him like this—with so many different expressions—was both strange and fascinating.
I casually wiped my lips with a napkin and said,
“So, what you’re saying is… you want to go to the festival?”
“No, I’m not saying I want to go…”
“Let’s go, then. It’s not like something big will happen.”
“Wait, Mela…”
Leofric sighed and pressed his temples with one hand.
I put the napkin down and stood up.
Why he brought me here didn’t matter anymore.
Whether he had some grand intention or not—I had already achieved my purpose here.
From now on, I could just go along with whatever plans followed.
As long as it didn’t delay us so much that I’d have to miss the Marquess Perge’s banquet.
“We should go before it gets too late.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to wait a bit? The knights will return soon.”
“We’ll be fine. This is Waynes, after all. And we’re just ordinary tourists.”
Waynes had safety measures as good as the capital’s.
There’s no way they’d hold a festival without proper security.
I reiterated that we didn’t need to bring many people.
“The more people we bring, the more attention we’ll draw. But we still need to be careful, so let’s just drop by quickly.”
“If you say so… Alright. But promise me—stay close to me at all times.”
“I will.”
Leofric finally dropped the slight frown and stood up.
As I moved to take the lead, he came closer and extended his hand.
Thinking it was just a gentlemanly escort, I took it without a thought—
Only for him to intertwine our fingers tightly.
“I think this is the best way to make sure I don’t lose you,” he said softly.
When I looked up, his earlobes were visibly red.
And for some reason, I felt my face growing hot, too.
The restaurant was a little ways from where the festival was held.
From the moment we stepped out, he held my hand tightly—and even after we arrived, he didn’t let go.
He behaved like someone excited, someone who had something to look forward to.
Both I and Betty were taken aback by it.
Well, in Betty’s case, she looked more amazed than confused.
“It’s truly surprising, My Lady. I didn’t think His Highness would go this far…”
“What do you mean ‘this far’?”
We were speaking while Leofric had stepped away to check a report.
It all started with my sigh—wondering aloud what was going on with him.
Betty’s eyes sparkled with fascination as she continued.
“I mean how thrilled he seems just to be holding your hand.”
“You see that in his face?”
“What else could it be? Even someone like Toby—who’s never been in love—would know how happy the Count is right now.”
