That evening, at a family dinner, something unexpected came out.
"I think I will have to stay in the capital for a while longer."
Carlos, Jeremiah's father, said.
"Yes? Are you staying in the capital for a while?"
Although it was good news, Jeremiah asked in a puzzled voice because it was rare for something like that to happen before.
"It seems that His Majesty is not pleased with the new trade agreement with the Kingdom of Ferdin. He has asked the Colesbergs about their position on this matter."
The Kingdom of Ferdin was a country right next door, bordering the northern region and its territory. Therefore, the relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom of Ferdin had a great influence on the north.
"If it's that important, I can't do it."
Jeremiah answered.
"Wow! That's great. There were already more salons in the capital city that I wanted to visit!".
Young Caroline was happy to be able to go to the salon she always wanted to go to, and she ignored the headache-inducing political situation.
"Did you contact your mother?"
Eleanor Colesberg, Jeremiah's mother and the mistress of the Grand Duchy, was born with a weak constitution. It was not easy for her to travel the long distance to the capital. That is why she could not attend this banquet.
"The letter has already been sent."
Carlos' expression was dark as he said that. It seemed like he was very worried about his wife.
"Your mother will be fine. Anna will be there to take good care of her."
Jeremiah offered him some comforting words.
"Yes. You are right."
Carlos smiled kindly at Jeremiah. And although he didn't show it on the outside, Jeremiah was also a little happy inside. Не felt sorry for his mother who was waiting for them alone in the North, but he was excited by the fact that there was a higher chance of meeting Karina.
***
After finishing his meal and returning to his room, Jeremiah took out a square iron medicine bottle containing medicine. Medicine bottles weren't usually items that nobles kept in their rooms, but Jeremiah was different. He often got minor injuries while training, so it was annoying and bothersome to call the doctor every time. That's why he kept a small medicine bottle in his room containing ointments, disinfectants, bandages, and other things to apply to his wounds. And it was the same even when he came to the capital.
"Found it!"
Jeremiah took out the ointment he had been using on his wounds and smiled brightly. He had never gotten an abrasion during his training in the capital, so the ointment inside was brand new and had never been used.
'I have to give this to Karina.'
This ointment, made from the common weed found only in the North, was very effective.
'She has to be careful with the wound on her knee because it's easy to leave a scar. If she applies this ointment, it will heal quickly and there won't be a scar, right?'
Jeremiah fiddled with the can of ointment and began to imagine Karina's expression when she received it.
"I hope that kid likes it..."
Jeremiah's expression changed in an instant as he grinned and muttered.
"Oh! What if she doesn't like the herbal scent and doesn't apply it?"
The ointment made from the plant was effective, but it had a strong herbal scent. After applying the ointment, his hands still smelled of the herbal scent for a while. Jeremiah, who was pondering with a serious face, found a solution again.
'Then let's meet up and I can apply it to the wound myself.'
A smile spread across Jeremiah's face as he thought about Karina. And he thought that if he wanted to give her the ointment, he would have to go see her in person. However, the obvious fact that someone as good as the Marquis would have already called in a skilled doctor and treated her well came to mind.
'This ointment isn't available in the capital.'
Jeremiah repeated to himself over and over again that it wasn't an empty excuse.
The next day. His father, Carlos, arrived at the palace early in the morning, and Caroline went out to the salon, leaving Jeremiah alone in the mansion. Jeremiah thought today was his chance and sneaked out of the mansion.
"If I get caught, His Highness the Grand Duke will really scold me. I might even be killed by the captain."
Ron, who was dragged out forcibly, started crying.
"I told you, as long as I don't get caught, it's fine."
Jeremiah responded dryly and comforted him.
"But shouldn't you tell me where you're going?"
Ron kept asking where he was going as he drove the shabby carriage he had rented from the carriage rental shop. Jeremiah studied the map he had rented along with the carriage and gave Ron real-time directions through the small side window facing the coachman's seat.
"Um... Turn left at the next fork."
Ron drove the carriage faithfully, following Jeremiah's instructions, even though he was sighing deeply.
"Stop here."
Jeremiah, who had been giving directions for a while, ordered the carriage to stop.
"Yes? Here?"
Ron stopped the carriage at Jeremiah's orders.
"Where is this?"
Ron looked around with a puzzled expression. The place where Jeremiah had told him to stop the carriage was on a quiet street. In fact, the place where Jeremiah had stopped the carriage was a block away from the Marquis Milliner's mansion. Wouldn't it look suspicious to park the carriage so openly in front of the Marquis' mansion?
'I did come though.'
To be honest, there was no guarantee that they would meet even if he came this far, and there was nothing he could do there. But still, he didn't want to just sit back and do nothing, so he came here anyway. Jeremiah began to think about how he could meet Karina. That was why he rented a carriage instead of a horse that was good for mobility and mobility.
'Because we might have to wait outside for a long time until Karina comes out.'
But as luck would have it, after a while, the front gate of the Marquis' mansion in the distance opened and a carriage came out. It passed leisurely next to the carriage Jeremiah was riding in.
"...Ah!"
Jeremiah caught a glimpse of red hair through the window of a passing carriage.
"Ron! Follow that carriage that just passed!"
Jeremiah opened the side door of the stable and quickly gave instructions to Ron.
"Huh? Suddenly?"
Ron drove the carriage again, not knowing what was going on, as Jeremiah had told him to do. The carriage in front stopped in front of the public charnel house managed by the temple.
"Is that an ossuary?"
He stopped the carriage a block behind the one Ron was following and looked ahead, saying: "If you say ossuary, are you talking about a grave?"
Ron nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, a red-haired girl got out of the carriage, holding a woman's hand.
'That's the kid!'
Jeremiah recognized Karina immediately.
"Ron! I'll get off here, so you park the carriage and wait here."
"Huh? Your Highness, just a moment!"
Jeremiah quickly followed Karina into the charnel house, leaving Ron behind. But Karina's gait was a little strange.
'Is it because your injured knee hurts?'
It felt so unnatural for something like that. Jeremiah swallowed his curiosity and pondered.
'I want to go and help you...'
But he was too concerned about the woman who was with Karina to show up and pretend to know her.
'Who are you? What if they find out I'm from the Grand Duke's family?'
While Jeremiah was racking his brain, the woman who had been with Karina told Karina to go into a room and move to another place with the priest who had been guiding her. Thinking it was a good idea, Jeremiah went into the room Karina had gone into. As soon as he entered, he heard the doorknob ring and turned around, and his eyes met with Karina's.
"Huh? You..."
Karina's eyes widened when she saw Jeremiah. She seemed to recognize him Immediately.
"Do you remember me?"
Jeremiah asked with a slightly nervous voice. Karina nodded as if it was obvious to him. Jeremiah felt good seeing Karina recognize him. On the other hand, Karina had an expression on her face as if she was asking why he was there. Jeremiah awkwardly made an excuse.
"I was lost and wandering around, and then I saw you and came here."
Even he thought it sounded a bit sloppy.
"I see."
But Karina seemed to believe his flimsy excuses.
"I know the way around here well. I'll show you the way, so let's go together."
Karina held out her hand. It seemed as though she thought he had been separated from his group.
"No, it's okay."
Jeremiah waved his hand in refusal. Karina tilted her head and asked.
"Didn't you come to the grave to pay your respects?"
"Huh? Oh. That's right. That's...I don't know him very well...I only heard that he's an acquaintance of my father's..."
Jeremiah's hands were covered in cold sweat. He ended up stammering and lying. His conscience pricked him, but since it had come to this, he wanted to stay with Karina a little longer rather than just give her the ointment.
"Even if I go back now, I'll have to wait a long time. I can't go home alone anyway."
Of course, Karina didn't doubt Jeremiah's words one bit.
"So, can I stay with you for a moment?"
Karina, who had been thinking for a moment, nodded in agreement.
"It's okay. I was waiting for the nanny too."
"Nanny?"
"Yeah. The nanny told me to wait a moment because she needs to talk to the priest for a moment."
"I see."
Jeremiah thought of the woman who had gotten out of the carriage with Karina earlier.
'She was a nanny.'
And then, putting everything else aside, Jeremiah asked what he was most curious about.
"By the way, is your injured knee okay?"
"Huh."
Karina looked down at her knees.
Jeremiah followed Karina's gaze and looked down as well. Of course, Karina's knees were completely hidden by her dress.
"But why didn't you come out yesterday? I told you I was waiting."
Jeremiah, who was secretly upset, asked in a sorrowful voice. Karina raised her head in response to his question and apologized.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come. Did you wait long?"
Karina's eyes were filled with regret. Jeremiah was embarrassed when he saw her sullen expression.
"No, I didn't mean to ask for an apology."
Jeremiah scratched his head awkwardly.
"Actually, I was waiting to give you this."
Jeremiah took out the can of ointment he had brought from his pocket.
"This is an ointment that I apply to the affected area, and it's incredibly effective."
"Really?"
"Yes. I'll apply it. Just show me the wound for a moment."
Karina hesitated at his words. The day before, Marquis Milliner had called in the doctor and ordered him to treat her so that she would never have a scar. Thanks to this, Karina's knee was wrapped in bandages so that she could not move at all.
"I got cured."
"You seemed a little uncomfortable when you were walking earlier. Are you sure you received proper treatment?"
Jeremiah asked back with a suspicious look.
"I know because I've been hurt and hurt a lot. I'll make sure you heal well."
Jeremiah said confidently. Karina hesitated for a moment, but eventually lifted the hem of her dress slightly to reveal her bandaged knee.
"Hmm...?"
Jeremiah raised one eyebrow diagonally.
"You did it like this?"
In response to his muttering, Karina repeated exactly what she had heard from the congressman.
"He said that he wrapped it in a bandage so that it wouldn't bend as much as possible and I wouldn't scratch it even if it itched. My father strongly advised me that it absolutely couldn't leave a scar."
"..."
Jeremiah thought it was a bit excessive, but seeing how he had done this to such an old wound, he could tell that the Marquis cared for Karina very much.
"Your father must love you very much."
"Huh? Uh... Yeah..."
Karina awkwardly mumbled an answer to Jeremiah's words that came out without much thought. However, Jeremiah was preoccupied with the thought that it would be difficult to directly apply ointment to Karina's knee right now. Because of that, he couldn't properly look at Karina's expression. Jeremiah hid his regret and put the ointment in Karina's hand.
"Take it and apply it once a day, every day. It may have a strong smell that you don't like, but it's really effective, so you can't miss it."
Karina nodded vigorously in agreement as he continued to emphasize his words.
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
Jeremiah felt a deep sense of satisfaction when he gave the ointment to Karina.
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