FOR the second time, I’m going to the military headquarters to do my job.
The first time, the fourth prince introduced me to two aides. He’s not there the next week, but that doesn’t matter since he’s already delivered a cow with delicious milk to our house.
The aides and I sit on a sofa for our task, while my lord husband and Rodney work at adjacent desks on military matters. I thought military people spend most of their time training, and that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“My lady, it says here that this village grows tomatoes…”
“They meant to write potatoes.”
“I see. That means this one goes here…”
The aides have been processing the documents all week, noting what they don’t understand so we can review those items together. They say that analysis of past data is important in predicting the future, in determining which crops to grow the following year, for example, and how many.
I’ve read books about that, but never believed the claim until our gardener confirmed it. Crops in Longhurst always grew well when I lived there, with no exceptions. Evidently that was because skilled people like the old gardener tended to them. There must be amazing gardeners at the castle too, since the grounds are so beautiful.
Heavy rain still hammers Longhurst. The flooding will wash away all the unharvested crops and any new seedlings. I suspect our old gardener may be the only person capable enough to save them, but my lord husband has asked me not to speak of the affair.
I turn to see him watching me. I nod and he nods back. Yes, I’m doing well.
“I always heard rumors of Longhurst’s magically bountiful harvests, but I never knew they were capable of growing the exact same yield so many years in a row,” the male aide remarks. His head tilts in wonder as he traces a finger across multiple pages. I’m seated opposite him so the documents appear upside down to me, but I can see that he’s referring to potato and wheat numbers.
“The locals love potatoes,” I say.
“Huh, oh, I see? Th-They’re delicious, I guess.”
“Yes, that’s why the small human gav—”
“Come here, Abby.”
“Yes!”
The couch is some distance from my lord husband’s desk. While his work isn’t exactly classified, outsiders such as the castle aides mustn’t glimpse it.
I round the sofa, and when I reach him, I’m rewarded with a rainbow candy from a glass jar on his desk. He knows it is my favorite. It shrinks as I roll it around in my mouth, and once the shell crumbles, the gooey syrup inside oozes out.
He tugs at my hand as I manipulate the candy with my tongue, so I sit beside him. I keep my mouth shut in case I drool.
The seat is there just for me. My feet dangling above the floor, it’s tall enough for me to peek over his shoulder as he writes with his fountain pen.
“Please feel free to take a break,” says Rodney as he pours tea for me and the two aides.
“Oh, we’re fine—” the male aide starts to protest.
“Here, some tea.”
“…Thank you.”
That’s good. Rodney’s tea is delicious, so he shouldn’t refuse. The female aide sits with her shoulders hunched, stealing glances at my lord husband. Does she want candy too? But these are for me…
My lord husband and Rodney continue working. As each pile of paper on my lord husband’s desk dwindles, Rodney adds a new stack. I wish I could help as well. I wonder what type of books I’d need to read to learn about military matters. The bookshelves along the far wall are packed with hardcovers but not many of the type I like, the ones with shiny spines.
“How’s progress?” asks Rodney as he taps on an additional sheaf of documents. “Everything looks much more organized than when you started, so your team must be working hard.”
The male aide sips his tea. “Oh, yes. I’m afraid we got a scolding from His Highness after our last meeting… That’s why more staff were assigned to handle the sorting. They’re working on it at the palace as we speak.”
“W-We should be able to finish i-in another two weeks,” agrees the female aide.
Rodney nods, seemingly pleased. He’s so talented. Not as talented as my lord husband but pretty amazing nonetheless. I nod as well, because I’m amazing too. Oh, my candy! Delicious! The syrup is a new flavor. Orange!
Rodney placed my teacup on a side cabinet to cool, and at last I take a sip. The refreshing taste of orange blends with the brew. I usually wait to finish my candy before drinking tea, but I discovered the previous day that combining the two creates a more delicious flavor.
“W-We’re doing our best to f-finish the task before you leave for your assignment, V-Viscount— Eek!” The female aide squeals as my lord husband clucks his tongue in annoyance.
Assignment?
He ranks high in the military and sometimes has to travel for a few days for work. Perhaps that’s what the aide meant.
Tabitha says that a wife’s job is to take care of the house when its master is away, so I help Ethan lock up on those nights.
My lord husband turns away from me, putting a hand to his temple. Maybe he thinks I’m not up to the task?
“You see, Abby—”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the house.”
“Y-Yes, of course. It’s the same as last year…I’ll be away for a whole month.”
“A month?”
I remember. The year before, shortly after I came to live at the Noel household, both he and Rodney were gone for a long time. Apparently, the kingdom and its allies conduct joint exercises every year near its border with a tropical land. All sorts of events occur, so the country’s participation is important. I raise my cup for another sip of tea but find it already empty.
“Abby?” He studies me, frowning.
“I’ll take care of the house because I’m your wife.”
“Yes, you’re my reliable wife. We’ll speak more of this at home. Come.” He pulls me onto his lap and lets me sniff his hand. He smells good, as always.
“P-P-Please forgive me, I didn’t intend to…” The cup in the aide’s hand rattles loudly against its saucer as her gaze darts between her male counterpart and Rodney.
“It’s fine. I was planning to tell her soon anyway.” My lord husband strokes the hair at my nape, which feels really good.
“H-H-How about the lady?”
“Hmm? You seem timid, yet your questions are surprisingly invasive,” observes my lord husband.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I-It’s just that your demeanor seems to have ch-changed, Viscount N-Noel…”
I sense my lord husband raise his head in confusion. His hand has halted, so I nudge it with my head until he starts to stroke my hair again. Yes, like that. Feels good.
“Didn’t we just meet last week?”
“Oh! I-I mean, yes, w-we met officially l-last week, b-b-but—”
“Please relax,” interjects Rodney. “Master, she was our junior in magic school. The daughter of Baron Rickman, yes?”
“Y-Y-Yes. D-D-Do you r-r-remember m-m-me—”
“Of course. A servant should be aware of all the nobles enrolled at the same time as his master.”
“Rodney’s amazing,” I add.
“H-H-Huh…?”
“The staff of high-ranking nobles are of a different caliber from your average servant, Rickman,” the male aide chides. The female aide gasps. “Besides, the high competency of the Drewett household is hardly breaking news.”
“I’m honored,” Rodney replies evenly. I understand: Drewett is a castle, and as castle people, Tabitha and Ethan are amazing too. I decide to remember his response and use it the next time I receive praise.
The male aide raises an eyebrow as he considers his colleague, then shakes his head. “Please forgive Rickman’s behavior; she is usually more clearheaded and intelligent than this. She’ll be better once she’s calmed down.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not bothered as long as the work gets done… What is it?” says my lord husband, turning to her again as her shoulders hunch further. I take the chance to sneak a hand toward the drawer where he stores the candy, and he catches me instantly. I’ve failed.
“N-N-No, i-i-it’s nothing! Just…! Th-There’ve been rumors that y-y-you’ve been cured of your w-w-woman-hating nature!”
“Woman-hating?” What does that mean?
My lord husband arches a brow and swivels to the male aide. “Is this disrespect also a result of her nervousness?”
“I’m afraid not. It’s just her personality. My sincere apologies. And Rickman? Shut up.”
“Y-Y-Yes.”
Rodney collects everyone’s cups, and soon we all return to work. We’ll continue all morning, and then I’ll have lunch with my lord husband. The head cook has already prepared boxed meals for us.
The male aide references a list of questions, which he reads aloud, and the female aide jots down my answers. She writes fast, but not as fast as me.
“About bronze grasshoppers…”
“They’re insect monsters that build their nests underground. Don’t you know? They’re very common in the area around this village,” I say, pointing to it on the map before us.
The male aide looks confused. “Yes, I’ve heard of them, but to keep them as pets…?”
“Monsters can’t be kept as pets… Don’t you know?”
What is he saying? Monsters can occasionally grow attached to humans, but insect monsters aren’t that intelligent… Wait, perhaps I shouldn’t say that! I turn to my lord husband just as he starts to speak.
“Did His Highness inform you that the locals of Longhurst are knowledgeable about monsters?”
“Oh… I see. I guess coexisting is a better description of what’s occurring. That means the villagers don’t try to kill the bronze grasshoppers they find in their fields, right?”
“The grasshoppers were there before the villagers. Their burrowing loosens the soil, which is helpful for farming.”
I think that’s safe information to share. Bronze grasshoppers bore through the ground with their hardened heads. Sometimes, they appear topside then dive down again, which helps till the land. And they don’t eat humans and are hard to catch, so they’re usually left alone.
At Longhurst, we sometimes received requests calling for their extermination, and I always crumpled those letters and buried them in the garden. The male aide seems satisfied with my response, so I don’t tell him that.
“M-My lady?”
I look at the female aide and she quickly lowers her gaze to her notes. After a moment, she hazards, “Y-Y-You get along w-w-well with Viscount Noel?”
“Yes! My lord always tells me that he loves me!”
A loud rustle sounds from behind us as someone drops a bundle of documents.