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Chapter 10
LeBlanc’s newlywed life was far busier than she had expected. Developing a territory from scratch required an enormous amount of time and effort, so she spent most of her days in her office. She barely got to see her beloved spouse, Erkis, except at mealtimes—and even that had been impossible for the past two days, as work had been overwhelming.
“Shall I stop here for today…?”
It was still broad daylight, but after days of barely sleeping, dark circles had formed under LeBlanc’s eyes. She stretched and tried to ease her stiff body. Somehow, this was very different from what she had imagined. She had thought that once she reunited with Erkis, only happy days would unfold—but in reality, she was so buried in work that it was hard even to see his face.
Of course, it was disappointing, but building up and managing the territory was just that important right now. After all, the reason LeBlanc had rushed into marriage and left home was entirely to strengthen her own position. At least one fortunate thing was that, in her previous life, she had handled all the territory’s administration herself, so she was able to manage the work with ease.
Just then, a knock echoed through the room. Lily peeked her face through the door and spoke.
“Countess! Sir Corden has arrived!”
“Oh, I’ll be right down.”
LeBlanc’s face instantly brightened. With light steps, she headed toward the drawing room. There, a guest who had arrived earlier was already seated—a middle-aged man with a huge build, his face covered in scars, radiating an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
“Sir Corden!”
“My lady… no, should I call you Countess now? It’s truly been a long time.”
“How have you been?”
Corden Galeaner, Rayana’s older brother, was the only person LeBlanc could truly call family. Even after Rayana passed away, he cared for and doted on LeBlanc as if she were his own daughter. Unfortunately, because he was constantly in and out of battlefields, it had always been difficult to see him.
In her previous life, he had died honorably in the final battle he joined before retirement—the very same war in which Erkis was granted his marquis title. In truth, Corden had secretly hoped that, if he survived the war and lived a stable life after retiring, he would take LeBlanc in as his foster daughter. Had he returned alive from that war, LeBlanc’s life would have turned out very differently.
Sitting across from each other at the table, the two spent a long time talking about all the things they had never had the chance to share. Before long, LeBlanc revealed all of her plans to him.
Why she had left Arnetio, what resolve she had carried with her, how she intended to develop the territory, and what her future goals were. It was quite a long story, but Corden listened without being distracted even for a moment, taking in every word.
“So I’d like to ask for some advice on military matters. It would be even better if you could recommend a capable commander.”
“Hm…”
At present, the Peronto territory had fewer than fifty soldiers. Their budget had been cut long ago, and proper training had not been conducted for several years. Though they technically possessed troops because the territory bordered another country, they were soldiers in name only. LeBlanc believed that while the number of soldiers was important, under these circumstances it was even more critical to improve each individual’s skill.
‘Erkis may be a good superior, but he’s really not suited to be a teacher…’
In the past, Erkis had been so skilled that he was called the Empire’s Sword Demon. He had earned his marquis title in just three years of war thanks to his overwhelming ability. However, because he wielded the sword purely through talent and instinct, he had absolutely no aptitude for teaching swordsmanship to others.
So much so that when LeBlanc had learned the sword from him, the other knights had been horrified just watching. Seeing the unfamiliar sight of Erkis patiently explaining every movement step by step, the knights would all say in unison that the power of love was truly great.
“Is there really any need for me to recommend another commander? I’ll do it myself.”
“What? No, Sir Corden. I can’t let someone as great as you waste your talents in such a small territory. And as you can see, the territory’s finances aren’t exactly in good shape either…”
Although he had temporarily stepped back from the front lines, Corden was still one of the most outstanding knights in the Empire. For a mere group of soldiers to receive training from someone of his experience and skill was almost unthinkable. Despite LeBlanc’s polite refusal, he paid it no mind and took her hand firmly.
“I want to help you, Countess. Do you have any idea how much I’ve regretted not being able to properly look after you all this time because I had to watch the duke’s reactions? You are the only gift my beloved sister Rayana left behind. I’m a crude man who only knows how to swing a sword, so this is the only thing I can do for you. Please don’t feel burdened—just accept my goodwill.”
“Sir Corden…”
Hearing his heartfelt words, LeBlanc felt a tender ache in her chest. Although they hadn’t met often throughout her life, everything she had seen of him was enough to show how deeply he cared for her. After a brief moment of thought, LeBlanc gave a faint smile.
“You’ll regret it.”
“And you, Countess, shouldn’t regret later on for bringing along a stubborn old man.”
“What kind of remark is that?”
“Speak comfortably with me. From now on, I’m your man.”
At Corden’s playful words, LeBlanc let out a small laugh. Once again, the number of things she had to protect was slowly increasing.
A few days later, LeBlanc visited the training grounds inside the estate together with Corden. Having heard the news of his arrival in advance, the soldiers listened intently, brimming with discipline.
“So, starting today, this is General Corden Galeaner, who will be joining us. Surely none of you who wield swords in the Empire are unfamiliar with Sir Corden, right? Opportunities like this don’t come often, so learn with all your heart.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
LeBlanc looked on with satisfaction at the soldiers, their eyes shining with passion. While Corden explained his thirty-five principles of mindset to them, LeBlanc slowly surveyed the soldiers in front of her and the training grounds.
‘The training grounds definitely need maintenance. We’ll have to purchase new weapons too. Maybe I should just hand the entire budget over to Sir Corden. No, wait—this kind of thing would actually be better handled by Erkis… Hm? But where is Erkis?’
No matter how much she looked around, she couldn’t see Erkis anywhere. There was still a long time before dinner, yet he wasn’t at the training grounds. That was impossible. Erkis was always either by LeBlanc’s side or at the training grounds.
‘Is he still young and not that fond of swordsmanship yet?’
Feeling puzzled, LeBlanc grabbed a nearby soldier and asked.
“Do you know where Erkis is? There’s no way he’s already finished his sword practice.”
“Erkis, sir? I’m not sure. He hasn’t come to the training grounds. Wouldn’t he be in the mansion?”
“Has Erkis never come here?”
“No. Have any of you seen him?”
At his question, several nearby soldiers shook their heads. Frowning, LeBlanc hurried back toward the mansion. Something was wrong. For someone who practically lived at the training grounds, it was strange that he hadn’t even set foot there in the nearly two weeks since arriving in Peronto. The thought that he might be ill made her anxiety grow.
After searching the mansion almost frantically, LeBlanc finally found him in the study. Erkis, who had been sitting by the window reading a book, jumped in surprise and stood up.
“Countess, what brings you here…?”
“You’re not sick or anything, are you?”
“What?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, he tilted his head in confusion. Still looking uneasy, LeBlanc hurriedly continued.
“Why haven’t you gone to the training grounds? You love swords so much… Are you unwell? Or is the training ground too shabby for you? Hm?”
“I’m not sure what you mean… I think you’re mistaking me for someone else. I don’t know how to use a sword.”
“What?”
At the completely unexpected answer, LeBlanc froze in place. Erkis couldn’t wield a sword? Something was very wrong. In the past, Erkis had told her countless times that he had first taken up the sword at the age of ten and had practiced swordsmanship alone every day.
That was why she had assumed that little Erkis would love swords as well. With a grave expression, LeBlanc sank into deep thought.
‘Did the past change because I returned? What if Erkis truly can’t use a sword at all? And what if other things have changed too…?’
“Countess?”
When LeBlanc didn’t respond for quite some time, Erkis called out to her again. After a moment of contemplation, she asked him in a cautious tone.
“You’ve never handled a sword before? Or is it that… you dislike swords?”
“Um…”
There was a brief silence—only a moment—but LeBlanc couldn’t hide her unease. If Erkis disliked swords, then something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
