Breakfast went faster than the conversation I had with Aslin earlier.

The meal was simple, likely designed for someone as active as a knight, so there was no reason to linger over it.

“That was a good meal. Excellent cooking.”

As I set down my utensils and made this comment, Aslin’s left eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.

I wondered why she seemed surprised by my words.

“I didn’t prepare much….”

Aslin’s voice trailed off, and she looked a bit dejected. I didn’t quite understand her reaction.

“This is more than enough for an excellent meal, isn’t it?”

I expressed my confusion briefly.

“There was a misunderstanding when I instructed the servants, so the menu turned out excessively simple. I didn’t want to serve you such a meager breakfast on your first day….”

For some reason, Aslin avoided meeting my eyes as she reluctantly spoke.

It seemed even this splendid meal fell short of her standards.

Hmm, if this is considered meager, the Ducal family must have quite the reputation.

I pondered calmly. I was satisfied with this meal, but if I just said it was enough, it might upset her slightly.

I needed to say something to ease Aslin’s feelings, who appeared regretful.

How could I phrase it to make her feel better?

Ah, I know what to do.

“…Is this really what you consider a simple and inadequate menu?”

I decided to play the part of an ignorant country bumpkin.

Despite my proud lineage as a swordsman and a Sword Duke of the Empire, my family’s house had fallen into rapid decline. I could use that to my advantage.

“…Yes.”

Aslin, still feeling guilty, finally looked at me.

“My family’s estate… due to the foolish decisions of the previous head, it’s embarrassing to even call us a  Duke’s family. We struggled so much that it was hard to even pay the salaries of the remaining knights and servants.”

I continued, adding some appropriate embellishments to my story.

I mixed 95% truth with 5% exaggerated facts.

As I went on, Aslin, who had been avoiding my gaze, started to focus on me more.

Her eyes, which had been filled with guilt, now showed a hint of pity, making me almost want to laugh bitterly.

####

“Goodness…”

As soon as I finished my story, Aslin uttered this short exclamation.

“Is the Sword Duke family  in such a dire state?”

To Aslin, who asked for confirmation.

“I’m worried my younger sister, who is still growing, isn’t getting enough meat to eat.”

I responded with a mix of deceit and concern.

Meat? She eats it, but the problem is it’s not fresh, recently slaughtered meat. It’s heavily salted and preserved, not smoked, and hardly palatable.

-Blink, blink.

Aslin quickly blinked her eyes, lost in thought for a moment.

-Snap!

She snapped her left thumb and middle finger together, making a sharp sound.

I didn’t understand what she was doing, but.

“You called, my lady.”

Immediately, a maid opened the door and walked cautiously to Aslin’s side, kneeling on one knee. It was clear this was some sort of signal.

Considering the thickness of the dining room door, Aslin’s finger snap couldn’t have been very loud. Yet, the maid arrived promptly, suggesting she wasn’t an ordinary servant.

‘Ah.’

She wasn’t just an ordinary servant.

She was the aide who rarely left Aslin’s side on the battlefield during the succession war.

The difference in attire threw me off for a moment.

“Bring it here.”

“Understood.”

The maid nodded, fully comprehending Aslin’s somewhat vague command.

Her dark blue hair, more vibrant than mine, and green eyes similar in hue to Aslin’s confirmed she was indeed the aide who always led the knights to rescue Aslin during our sparring matches.

-Creak!

The dining room door closed with a slightly louder sound than when she entered.

“Were you surprised?”

Aslin spoke as if she understood why I had been observing the maid so closely.

“Why is someone with her skills working as a maid here?”

I asked directly, not wasting any time.

“Katarina has always been by my side, assisting me since childhood. On the battlefield, she’s my aide; at home, she’s my personal maid. She follows all my commands without question…. It’s quite convenient having her around.”

Even though she answered casually, Aslin’s voice subtly revealed how much she cherished Katarina.

It was clear from her words that she deeply cared for those around her.

Even in the extreme conditions of war, her steadfast adherence to her principles manifested in her care for others, bringing a smile to my face.

Despite the distasteful situations I’ve faced and the mockery that trusting people often entails, seeing someone who upheld such values warmed my heart.

Complimenting her to lift her spirits seemed the right course of action.

-Creak!

Before I could decide, the dining room door opened again.

“I’ve brought it.”

Aslin’s personal aide, Katarina, returned carrying a leather case adorned with an intricate, old-fashioned design.

“Let’s see….”

Aslin opened the case and swiftly examined the contents. It looked like a stack of documents. What could be in those documents that she was reviewing so intently?

“…This will do. Here, take it. No returns.”

Aslin handed the documents to me, quickly resolving my curiosity. Whatever it was, she wanted my opinion on it. I picked up the papers and began to read them.

Upon realizing what they were, my eyes widened in surprise as I looked back at Aslin.

“Well?”

She smiled, waiting for my reaction. Wow, she’s beautiful. If I were caught off guard by her smile, my heart might burst.

I shook off the distracting thought and focused on giving my opinion.

“…What’s the matter? Is it lacking?”

Aslin asked with a hint of concern as she saw me hesitate.

“I’ll gladly accept it.”

I carefully tucked the contract—no, the contract granting the marble mining rights for the southern part of the Zakharat Mountains, which bordered our family’s territory—into my pocket.

The northern part of the Zakharat Mountains, controlled by the Duke’s faction, might have significantly richer deposits, but this contract was still a tremendous boon for our struggling household.

I hadn’t expected to reclaim these rights, which my biological father sold cheaply to fund military preparations for the civil war, just by exchanging a few words.

Still, is it really okay for her to hand over mining rights so easily, even if she’s a acting lord?

Even if the offer seems sweet now, it could lead to trouble if it’s more than I can handle.

“Even if you say thanks, your face shows your worries. Let me say this.”

Aslin handed the leather case, filled with various documents, back to Katarina, shrugged her shoulders, and spoke to me.

“A wife should at least do this much for her husband.”

...

Hmm….

Her words filled me with a warm sense of security. In this arranged marriage, which could be considered quite bizarre, is there really a wife who treats her husband so well?

I felt rather flustered by this unexpected situation, which didn’t fit within the bounds of my usual understanding.

Aslin, seemingly unaware of my confusion, stood with her shoulders proudly back, her head slightly lifted, satisfied with what she’d done.

Watching this from the front, I felt quite taken aback by her behavior and the events that had transpired. However, the servants standing beside her appeared unfazed, as if Aslin’s actions were quite familiar to them.

No, more than unfazed.

-My lady, you are adorable today as well!!

Their fervent nods, as if they were on the verge of exclaiming, “My lady, you are adorable today as well!!” only added to my already unsettled state of mind.

It only made my confusion worse.

People might not realize it.

That the Sword Demon, one of the Empire’s pillars, is showering cuteness at home, looking more like a flower of the sword than a demon.

Although this behavior is a stark contrast to her usual image, I suppose I’ll have to get used to seeing this side of Aslin more often.

After the little commotion in the dining room, we stepped out.

“Now, as a acting lord, I have duties to attend to. Would you like to join me?”

Aslin requested in a strangely formal tone, asking me to join her morning schedule.

“Sure.”

I replied briefly.

“Is it paperwork? If there are sensitive matters, filter them appropriately before bringing them to you.”

I assured her I wouldn’t bother her with worrisome issues.

“Well, that’s what my retainers are for. They’ve already filtered out and handled most of it, leaving only the final approvals, so there’s no need to deal with it this early in the morning.”

Aslin shook her head as if dismissing my concern, clarifying that the morning duties were not paperwork.

“Then…”

I began to ask what her morning duties entailed.

Before I could finish,

“What else?”

Aslin’s playful grin and unexpected answer caught me off guard.

“Exterminating the monsters that have been encroaching on human territory since the civil war ended.”

“…I’ll be your escort.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t want to be known as a heartless wife who sends her husband, who can’t fully utilize his mana core due to injury, to the front lines.”

-Haha!

Aslin’s hearty laugh, unfitting her delicate appearance, echoed as she moved forward.

She seemed genuinely happy.

I wasn’t sure if she was happy because she enjoyed fighting monsters or because she was fulfilling her duty to protect her territory.

“Nothing beats a good workout after a meal.”

Watching her define it as post-meal exercise, I could understand why, despite numerous contradictions, she was officially known as the Sword Demon.

[TL: I was busy with some work but now I'm back guys. ]