Chapter 44: A Fun Time

As the carriage journeyed back home, the carriage leaned slightly to the left. The door opened and Ailea was sent into a frenzy, her eyes widening. It was Clint smiling leisurely and entering the carriage.

“Wh… what are you doing here? Did you just run after the carriage?”

“I guess so.”

“You could’ve hurt yourself.”

He closed the carriage door and frowned. “You’re looking down on me, my dearest.”

“It’s not that I’m looking down on you…”

Why did he jump in here? No, more than that…

“Aren’t you in the middle of your shift?”

“You know how it is. The boss is meant to work leisurely so his subordinates can work comfortably.”

“You shouldn’t force yourself. What if you had really gotten hurt…?”

Clint shrugged and feigned sleep. He didn’t want to hear any more of her nagging.

“You’d look weird if you were seen with me,”

“You don’t need to be so sweet to me.”

The words she said bothered him.

He couldn’t leave her be.

***

The carriage arrived at the Outer Castle.

Ailea’s birthday fell when roses were in full bloom. When she was a child, she remembered her parents clasping her hand tightly and saying, “You’re prettier than roses in May.”

She didn’t know it then but she knew it didn’t mean that she was as beautiful as roses.

Ailea missed them. She remembered traveling here every May. She remembered that sort of warm, affectionate love.

She looked up at the Outer Castle surrounded by wild rose vines. She was attached to this castle. If Clint was fine with it, they could live here peacefully where the roses bloomed.

Clint jumped out of the castle and yawned. “I should have hired a maid first. I’m hungry.”

“Who told you to goof off and miss your shift? You could’ve eaten in the Imperial Castle.”

“Ah, I don’t wanna hear it! I know I’ll get more from you if I had chosen to let my wife celebrate her birthday alone. Even if you say it’s fine, I know you’ll curse me not once but twice,” he grumbled while looking around the kitchen searching for food.

Ailea giggled and took out a pie sheet she made this morning. “Could you take the apple out of that jar?”

“How much?”

“Ten?”

“How much are you going to make?”

“It’s apple pie. I was going to make lots of them. I’m glad the other knights are visiting today,” she said while peeling the apples.

Clint observed her closely. He pulled out a knife and began peeling.

“You should rest,” Ailea said, smiling.

“I’ll be eating anyway. This much I can handle.”

“Hmmm…” Ailea donned a troubled look, but her voice said otherwise. “It’s not that… It’s just… you’re wasting the apple,” she said playfully.

She pointed at how Clint cut the skin of the apple so thickly.

He grunted. It looked easy when she was doing it; easy and gentle but difficult.

“Are you sure I don’t have to put my strength in it?”

He practiced a bit more but soon gave up.

“I give up.”

Ailea pointed at the oven. “Then please fire the oven.”

“That’s easy.”

Clint confidently set fire to the oven.

Ailea laughed out loud.

This is fun, she thought.