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Chapter 20
Something sparkling caught Ludice’s eye.
“Phil, look at that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Over there.”
Ludice pointed toward a shabby, run-down little street stall.
“If they sell there, they’ll get caught.”
“It’s illegal, isn’t it?”
“Yes. If the patrol comes, they’ll be arrested immediately.”
“That’s right.”
With a faint smile, Ludice walked toward the stall.
There sat a young girl.
“Hello.”
At Ludice’s greeting, the girl jerked her head up.
“……!”
Ludice sucked in a small breath.
A round face. Plump, rosy cheeks. A height that seemed unusually small.
Others might not notice, but Ludice recognized it instantly.
She was young, but not a mere child.
A half-dwarf.
Her bloodline wasn’t purely human.
Ludice returned to the ducal residence at sunset.
To her surprise, Quinlan was waiting for her.
“Quinlan!”
“Ludice.”
Seeing someone had come to greet her, Ludice leapt from the carriage before he could even escort her.
“That’s dangerous.”
“I won’t get hurt from something like this.”
“Next time, wait until I can escort you. When you step down, I want to be the one holding you.”
At his words, Ludice’s face lit up.
“Oh my, then I should take my time getting down. It’s not every day I get the chance to walk while holding your hand.”
“That’s not necessary…”
“If it means I get to be escorted by you, I could wait an entire hour.”
Smiling, Quinlan placed her arm on his.
“Do you know who I met today?”
Quinlan raised an eyebrow.
He’d heard that she left the carriage at the plaza entrance with only Phil Evans accompanying her somewhere.
From a distance, Quinlan glanced at Phil, who was just finishing up after their return.
Sensing his gaze, Phil looked back.
Quinlan’s eyes questioned him, but Phil only shrugged and then mimed sewing his lips shut, as if to say it was a secret.
“Hah.”
A chuckle slipped from Quinlan before he realized it.
How long ago had Phil grumbled about becoming Ludice’s aide? Now he looked every inch the most loyal retainer in the world, lips sealed tight.
Quinlan gave Phil a frosty glance, then turned back to Ludice.
“Who did you meet?”
“A child who may become the greatest artisan on the continent.”
“An artisan?”
“Yes. She doesn’t even know her own talent yet, but if nurtured properly, I’m certain she could surpass them all.”
Ludice’s face gleamed as she answered.
“Such artisans are precious. I’d like to bring her in and raise her.”
“Hm.”
Quinlan guided her into the drawing room.
As soon as they sat down, a tea set was laid before them, as if waiting.
“Tell me in detail.”
Once the servants withdrew, Quinlan leaned back leisurely. The sight made Ludice smile.
His long legs stretched, his composed posture, and the way he fixed his gaze on her—it delighted her eyes.
Having such a fine man listen to her so intently was a pleasure.
“I was walking down the street when…”
Ludice began her story, carefully leaving out her visit to the blacksmith.
“A half-dwarf?”
“Yes. She must’ve inherited their traits—her craftsmanship was remarkable.”
“…So she’s not a proper artisan yet.”
“No. She doesn’t even know what an artisan is. She was selling small carvings of dolls, wood, and stone.”
“I see.”
Quinlan leaned forward, urging her to go on.
“I thought about bringing her here. For a child to sell unlicensed goods in such a shabby alley, it means no one has taken her in.”
“That makes sense.”
Quinlan nodded.
―Would you like to come with me?
Ludice recalled the guarded look in that young girl’s eyes when she’d asked her.
The child hadn’t taken her hand right away, so Ludice told her to think about it and find her later. But she hadn’t given up on bringing her.
“Her talent is wasted in a place like that. So I’ll take her and train her into an artisan.”
“She truly seemed gifted?”
“Of course.”
Ludice drew something from her dress pocket and set it before Quinlan.
It was a small stone carving of a bird.
Though small and still rough, the detail of the feathers and the way its head tilted was almost lifelike.
“Oh.”
As Quinlan admired the carving, Ludice’s expression grew satisfied.
“And what’s more astonishing—she carved this with a dagger.”
“With a dagger, on stone?”
It wasn’t impossible to carve stone with a dagger, but for a street child to possess such a durable blade was strange.
“Impressive.”
“Luckily, there’s a very skilled blacksmith in that street. He apparently forged the dagger for her.”
“Oh.”
The moment Ludice saw the dagger used for that carving, she thought of Sam.
Seeing a work made with his blade only deepened her trust in him.
What a waste of talent he was.
Should I invite him to the domain?
The thought crossed her mind.
But blacksmiths rarely left their forges so easily.
If she could bring both the half-dwarf child and the blacksmith Sam to Diarune in Draphania, it would be perfect.
But I mustn’t be greedy.
Suppressing her regret, Ludice said,
“If the child comes to me, I’ll support her to become an artisan. If not, I still want to help her live without struggling.”
She must have had a hard life.
At Ludice’s words, Quinlan gave a gentle smile.
“…What’s that look for?”
“Nothing. It just makes me happy.”
She blinked at him, puzzled, and his smile deepened.
“It feels like you’ve changed somehow.”
Her heart lurched.
There was no way he could know she had died and returned, but the guilty conscience pricked her anyway.
“Changed?”
“You used to be a little sharper, I think.”
Quinlan spoke casually, without deeper meaning.
“Before, there seemed to be some distance.”
Ludice clenched her fists unconsciously. Her manicured nails dug into her palms, but she didn’t notice.
Distance from Draphania? From Quinlan? Impossible.
Her heart had always wanted him. But she had convinced herself not to show it.
So she had drawn a line between them.
She thought they were destined to part, and that giving her heart was pointless.
Only after losing him did she realize how foolish that was.
Regain yourself, and live for him. That is my wish.
To live for herself meant, in truth, to protect him.
She vowed again and again—she would never make the same mistake twice.
Forcing back the swell of emotion, Ludice said lightly,
“I just didn’t know how to express it. But not anymore.”
With absolute certainty, she declared:
“Quinlan, I will be with you. No matter what happens, no matter what trials come.”
“Ludice…”
“My life exists for you.”
For you, and you alone.
I will give it my all.
I will not make another mistake.
I will not lose this miracle of a second chance.
Ludice smiled brightly.
“So, share my bed, Quinlan.”
“Ludice!”
At the unexpected strike, Quinlan’s face flushed red.
“Why does the conversation always turn there?”
“Turn where? Is it wrong for a wife to speak of marital duty?”
“One moment we’re talking normally, the next you suddenly say bed! That matter was already put behind us.”
Quinlan stood up quickly, widening the distance between them. His movements were crisp, like a trained warrior’s. Ludice rose too, knowing he’d vanish without a trace if she let her guard down.
“There’s no such thing. A husband and wife must share a bed.”
“And yet, here I stand.”
“So you’re leaving me alone again tonight?”
“……”
Without answering, Quinlan swiftly left the room.
“So that’s how it’s going to be?”
Ludice, staring at his retreating back in disbelief, immediately set off after him.
