Chapter 65 – Longing (Letty’s POV)

We woke up early, well before the sunrise, to make a quick trip to the church to receive blessings for the upcoming subjugation. As we prayed to the goddess, I noticed that Teacher was constantly yawning. Waking up so early must be taking a toll on her body, especially after all the traveling she has been through lately. I made a mental note to bring her some fruits before she leaves.

As we left the church, Aria asked me for the new prototype of the taser gun that she worked on a few days ago.

“Mom, take this Taser gun with you, it’s great for self-defense. Just adjust this dial and blast them with a zap”, Aria said, giving it to her.

“Aw, thank you, darling. I’ll keep it with me at all times”, she said.

“And come back early. I’ve been missing you a lot these past few weeks”, Aria said.

“Are you sure? It appears to me that you guys enjoyed our absence a bit too much”, she teased, her fingers pointing right at the hickey on Aria’s collarbone.

I felt my face heat up instantly, remembering the very hickey I left there yesterday.

Aria hastily pulled her collar up, her cheeks burning red as well. “Mom! You are making Letty uncomfortable!”

I might be a little flustered, but Aria is basically on fire. Hehe, she was talking big back then, but now… look at her. Anyway, Teacher is normally pretty strict with me, so seeing her tease us like that is a refreshing change. Now let’s get on with securing some fruits before she leaves. We are already nearing the city gates, so I’ll check the market instead.

And so, on our way to the city gate, I made a small detour. As I was strolling through the market, I bumped into Ethan and his group. “What a lovely coincidence, Miss Letica! Are you helping Lady Martha with some last-minute supplies? We are doing the same! We registered with Swindfort City’s entourage yesterday, and when I told my party the details, they insisted on helping. I’m honestly so blessed to be surrounded by such caring, devoted friends. That obviously includes you as well”, he proudly said.

Sheesh, how can he even say that with a straight face? His ‘friends’, on the other hand, were either blushing or looking at him with starry eyes. Yeah, friends my foot! They are all clearly interested in him like lovesick kittens.

Sigh, poor souls.

“Everyone, you’ve already met Miss Letica before”, he said, gesturing towards me. The girls politely nodded towards me, though I could clearly sense some tiny glares mixed in. I guess they don’t know about me and Aria. Not that it matters– What do they even see in this guy?

Good thing that I don’t have to deal with this kind of competition for my Aria.

“You all have my deepest gratitude for your help with the subjugation. Anyway, I’ve got to run”, I said quickly, eager to escape the awkwardness. “Good luck with your… supplies”. With that, I slipped away before they could respond.

He has been quite amiable with Aria after yesterday’s talk, but as Aria said, he has the potential to grow rapidly as the so-called ‘protagonist’. Proceeding with caution would be wise. I had hoped Wies could use his skill on him, but that option's out for now. Instead, I’ll arrange for some knights to keep an eye on them.

After securing some fruits, I made my way to the city gates, where the subjugation party was gathering. Teacher stood at the forefront, giving last-minute instructions to the knights and adventurers, while Sir Richard and Aria were standing behind her. It’s hard to think that my teacher, who meticulously taught me the art of negotiations, political strategies, and the inner workings of the barony, could exude such a commanding presence.

The party consisted of a small elite group with our best knights and the top adventurers, all prepared to ride out on horseback and join a larger army at the subjugation site.

As we watched her, she turned to us with a confident smile and said, “Well, we are ready to depart. Don’t miss me too much, I’ll be back before you know it!”

I nodded and bowed, “Be safe, Teacher”

And after a final family hug, she mounted her horse. As the party began to move, the sound of neighing horses filled the air. We stood by the gates until silence settled over the square.

***

Later that day

On Aria’s instructions, I collected some newly arrived books and resources about various ailments, like ancient medical texts, famous apothecaries’ journals, and some basic medical books. Due to our lack of knowledge in this field, we contacted House Ernius’s physician first. But unfortunately, he and his apprentices had little to no clue about it. So now, Aria has ‘borrowed’ his apprentices and holed up in the library to look for any clues.

“Aria, the new books are here”, I yelled, carrying a heavy box. As soon as I yelled, a male apprentice walked up to me and distributed the books to others, and they all started reading frantically.

Well, they seem a bit too enthusiastic for some reason.

“Aria, what’s up with them?” I asked quietly as I approached Aria’s corner behind a large shelf.

Woah, what a mess. The floor was covered with sheets of paper, several books thrown open across the area, and several empty teacups piled up in the corner. And amidst the chaos, Aria was sitting on the floor with clear exhaustion in her eyes.

I need to get her out of here.

“Hmm, that? Well, I noticed they were slacking off. So, I promised to pay 50 gold coins if they help me”, she explained nonchalantly.

“Wow, that’s a lot. Among the five of them, that’s 10 gold coins each. No wonder they are all fired up”, I said. Ten gold coins are enough to buy a year’s worth of medicinal resources for their studies. I hope they use it well.

“Well… Something like that. Let’s just leave it”, she said, looking away.

Wait a minute. She wouldn’t… would she?

“Aria”

“Yeah”

“You didn’t promise 50 gold coins each, did you?” I asked doubtfully.

“Maybe…”, she whimpered.

“God! That’s too much. Keep pulling stunts like this, and it won’t be long before your title changes to Prodigal of the Century”, I said. Sigh. They are merely apprentices. I doubt they are going to be of much help in this case.

I get it. She’s feeling scared and desperate. It’s just who she is– she can’t rest while there is even a slim chance to help someone, let alone her own family. In my opinion, the title Saint is quite fitting.

“I know you are getting anxious, but try to stay calm. I’ve already secured us an appointment with the Grand Meister tomorrow. He’ll join us over mana-comm in the morning, I’m sure he would at least have some information about Eclipsium Vein”, I consoled her by patting her back.

“Yeah, I know”, she nodded.

“If you do, then let’s get you out of here for a while. Look at this mess, how can you even concentrate? Wait, did you even have lunch?” I asked, noting the number of cups that hadn’t been cleared away. A sign that she hadn’t left for lunch yet.

She blinked and looked around the chaotic mess that she had created before admitting, “I may have gotten carried away”.

I sighed, offering her my hand, “Alright, let’s get some fresh air and get some food in you. This wild goose chase can wait a little”.

She got up, saying, “Yeah, let’s take a short break”. As we left the library, with apprentices still flipping through books, I couldn’t help but think how much pressure she placed on herself. I wish I could be of more help. I’ll use Perception after her meal to help her with anything I can.

After a quick lunch, we strolled around the shaded region in the garden, Aria visibly relaxing with each step. This seems like a good time to use Perception, let’s see… Thighs… Wait, what?

I observed her for a little while and found that she was sneaking some glances at me, more specifically, at my legs. Curious, I looked down at myself and realized—oh. I’d worn a form-fitting outfit today, one that showed off my legs more than my usual maid outfit.

Feeling a blush creeping up my face, I thought, ‘I didn’t think that even Aria would feel this way.’

Does that mean she is ready? Aah- I can’t believe this is finally happening!

Take a deep breath, suppress the urge to scream, and calm yourself. Haah.

I stammered, “Aria, I um, used my Perception skill just now… I won’t say no to that…”

Aria’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

I nodded, unsure whether I was more embarrassed or excited.

“Thank you so much, Letty. Then let’s settle down below that tree”, she said, dragging me along.

“Wait, right here??” I exclaimed, caught off guard.

She settled onto the grass and said, “Of course! Mom gave me a lap pillow right here last time. It’s the perfect spot!”

Lap pillow? I blinked. Ah, of course. God, what was I even thinking? We’d done lap pillows so many times, why would it be something else…

My face was practically boiling as I came to the realization.

I sighed, resigning myself as I placed her head on my lap. I could only console myself, ‘Soon, Letty. It’s just a matter of time. Don’t lose hope…’