We had returned to the ducal capital.
All things considered, it had taken quite a while due to the war at the fortress, the prisoner exchange, negotiations with the enemy, and inspections of the eastern villages. It had been a long time since we were back home.
By the way, I showed the villagers the gold coins, but I didn’t just hand them over as they were. Giving the entire amount would have been excessive, and it wouldn’t be good if someone monopolized it.
What they needed were materials to rebuild their homes and food. Since we couldn’t favor only that village, I planned to take the coins back, request the Golden Sheep Trading Company’s help, and distribute them, focusing on the villages in the east that had suffered damage.
Well, even so, if I were to exchange the jewels, quite a bit would still remain.
When we returned to the castle in the capital, the servants and the soldiers guarding the castle, led by Leila, came to welcome us.
“Welcome back.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Seeing Leila’s face made me feel like I was truly home. We embraced each other as if confirming we were both safe.
As expected, I was tired, and there was paperwork to deal with, but for now, we decided to rest for the day. I spent the time lazily in my private room with Leila. By the way, there was also the option of a lap pillow.
I was telling Leila about all the complaints and frustrations I had.
“It must have been tough,” she said.
“Yeah… I underestimated being a knight more than I thought. For now, we won, but who knows what will happen next… I want to recruit new soldiers to replenish the ones we lost, and there’s a lot to do.”
Thanks to the enemy’s carelessness and everyone’s hard work, we managed to get through this time, but if there’s a next time, the enemy will likely be more cautious.
Defensive battles, where we allow enemy invasions inside our domain, make it easier to detect their movements, and battles at fortresses can conceal our numerical disadvantage. But from a governance perspective, being unable to prevent invasions is seen as weakness, and economically, villages along invasion routes are bound to suffer from pillaging. The invading side typically holds the initiative.
With the time we’ve bought this time, I want to push forward with domestic reforms, strengthen the military, and earn the trust of the people. There’s so much to do…
“Please don’t push yourself too hard,” Leila said, looking at me with concern.
I stroked her cheek to reassure her.
“It’s fine.”
It’s strange, but seeing her worried face makes me want to try even harder.
I suddenly remembered something, and though I was reluctant to leave her lap, I sat up. I fumbled through my pocket and felt the item I was looking for. I took it out and handed it to Leila.
“This is… a ring?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
Inside the wooden box with the compensation money, there were two pairs of gemstone rings, which I had taken. By the way, we were married, but we hadn’t had wedding rings yet. From the perspective of my past life, even though our marriage was politically arranged, I felt a bit lonely not having a ring, so I thought I’d give Leila one since I had just obtained them.
“So it’s not food?” she teased.
“…Cough. Cough!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Leila’s comment. Well… when she puts it like that, it’s true that I had always given her sweets. Now that I think about it, this might be the first time I’ve given her a lasting gift like this.
“It’s just a joke. I’m really happy,” Leila said.
“I’m glad you like it,” I replied.
I managed to pull myself together and answer. Leila then extended her hand toward me.
“Could you put it on for me?”
“Of course.”
I took her hand and placed the ring on her left ring finger. I felt a little nervous, but luckily, it seemed to fit perfectly.
“…Does it look good on me?” she asked.
“It suits you very well.”
When I complimented her, Leila smiled happily.
