Chapter 141: You know I love you, right? (5)
“Did you call me?”
“Yeah. Want some tea? I know you’re not busy anyway.”
“Hehe. Sure. But the Deputy Director of the Water Management Bureau is also quite free, isn’t he? Just calculating the water coming in and out every day, adjusting the forecast, and checking if the water is rotten or not is all there is to it.”
Aila shrugged and started to find a tea set and wipe it with a dry cloth. When I said let’s have some tea, it meant that I wanted her to brew it deliciously.
She picked up and read the request form from Martin Chodo, the First Sword, which she had thrown into the fireplace, then made a strange humming sound, and soon used it as kindling to start a fire.
Meanwhile, I moved to the table in the corner of the office. The table was in a good location to look out at the sunset.
While heating the water and preparing the tea leaves, Aila only made rattling sounds, and I waited for the delicious tea that Aila would make, looking out the window with a relaxed attitude.
Just as people have different capacities for ability, the tea I brew doesn’t taste like the one Aila makes. Hmm. That’s a strange thing.
Soon, Aila came with the tea set on a tray, put it down, and sat across from me.
“Brewing tea during a drought, is this the luxury of the Supreme Commander?”
“I receive the same water ration. I was really angry at the ration officer when I found out that I was only getting 2 liters of water a while ago.”
“Since you did it in front of all the citizens, it seems to have a strategic purpose.”
“Thanks to that, complaints about the rations have decreased a little. Nevertheless, requests to increase the rations are coming in every day.”
“You’ve been working hard getting yelled at. Well, rulers are bound to be criticized no matter what they do.”
I chuckled and nodded. This is one of the reasons why I don’t want to be the Emperor. I want to live long, but I don’t want to live long being cursed at.
“What is Ibi-unni doing?”
“Commanding the 1024th Cheonbyeongjang’s work site. She went with Al. I haven’t received a report, but I can clearly see her crushing the arrogance of the soldiers who boast of their skills by saying, ‘If you have any complaints, defeat me first.’”
“Hehe. I guess so. Then she won’t be back for a while?”
“We’ll have dinner together.”
At that moment, I realized that I had thrown a mouse to a cat. The gray cat grinned.
“Ah, I see. So that’s why Risel hasn’t been seen lately, only in the evenings. Hehe. Having dinner alone with your lover…… That’s nice, that’s nice. I can understand why Lucy-ssi is feeling wronged.”
“If you understand, why don’t you date Lucy?”
“I don’t have a preference for older men like someone. More than anything, Dad won’t forgive me.”
I suddenly realized that she was clearly distinguishing the titles she used to call her father.
She calls Dakard Baron, her superficial father, ‘Father,’ and Artshever, the father she can’t acknowledge, ‘that bastard.’
Then who is ‘Dad’?
I was curious for a moment, but she probably wouldn’t answer even if I asked. I’ll ask later when I have a chance.
Aila smelled the tea and nodded before pouring it into the teacup. The fragrant scent spread with the warm steam.
“I’ll enjoy it.”
“Please enjoy.”
After a few sips, Aila put down her cup.
“But Risel, what’s the point of the construction work that the 1024th Cheonbyeongjang is doing?”
“I knew you’d ask that.”
I smirked, and Aila grinned.
“If the person in charge of the construction says so, I think it’s quite meaningless work. Even if I don’t question Martin Chodo’s rudeness.”
And Aila said something like, ‘He’s probably someone who’s never been hit by his father.’ No, I think he would have been hit a lot with that kind of personality. Wouldn’t it be a fitting saying for someone who deserted after being beaten by his superior?
I shrugged and replied.
“There is a meaning. We’re making a battlefield.”
“Battlefield? From what I see, it’s just making waterways or…… Oh.”
“Just pretend you know everything.”
“It’s a habit, so it’s hard to break. Ehe.”
Don’t pretend to be cute and shy. You’re a woman who must have a raccoon colony living inside you.
“So, what do you think?”
“Hmm, well, since I’ve been caught, I’ll just say it. I think it’s the opposite of preparing for a drought. Cutting down trees is one thing, but pulling out roots and digging ditches has nothing to do with drought, right?”
“You know well. That’s right.”
Currently, the 1024th Cheonbyeongjang is busy logging west of Atzuma City, more precisely, where they crossed the river. They call it logging, but that’s just because they don’t know what to call the opposite of planting trees.
They cut down the trees and pull out the roots. Then they use the uprooted tree roots as a foundation to dig ditches and split the roots to reinforce the ditches so they don’t collapse.
The direction of the ditches was all downwards. To be precise, towards the pipe road.
The ultimate goal of this action is, as Aila says.
“Then what I can guess is this. Assuming there’s water, you’re trying to flood the area near the pipe road. Right?”
“Right. I’m trying to submerge the pipe road and its surroundings first. The problem is that there’s no water.”
“That’s why. I thought so too, that’s why I’m wondering. Even if you try to flood the area near the pipe road, there’s no water, right?”
“Hehe. What do you think?”
I imitated Aila’s snort.
My exact intention is to submerge the pipe road before the river overflows.
It will rain.
In early June, a massive amount of water will pour down like crazy.
In advance, we will pull out the trees, dig up the soil, move the rocks, and block the pipe road that crosses the river. Because it’s a road that runs between V-shaped valleys, it’s easily blocked with just a little manipulation.
Because that’s the closest way from Narvilt to Atzuma. I’m going to hold back the Western Army here.
Of course, they will break through, even if they have to push with manpower. But by then, all of our preparations will be complete.
Aila, who has no way of knowing this, puffed out her cheeks and made a dissatisfied expression.
“Boo―! You’re so petty! Do you know that you’re saltier than the salt that comes from our land?”
“Oh, is that a compliment? If it’s saltier than the salt from your house, it means it’s good quality.”
“Hmph. You still don’t know anything. Get rid of the prejudice that salt is just salty! Why is well-made salt traded at a high price? It’s because you can taste the richness of the deep, profound, and vast ocean. The basis of taste in all cooking is salt. Especially the Winter Flower, which was exclusively for the Imperial Family, shows that Illusion Silk is cheap in terms of quality. How different the taste is……”
“Ah, I got it. I’m sorry. So, advertise elsewhere.”
“Then tell me what you’re aiming for in return for the apology.”
“That’s difficult.”
She puffed out her cheeks again. It’s truly a blessing to humanity that it still suits her even though she’s twenty years old. Beautiful women are precious natural resources.
She crossed her arms and said in a disgruntled voice.
“Are you aiming for the rain that comes after the drought?”
“Hmm, what’s the basis for your thinking?”
“You said it. It always rains after a drought. The climate statistics I researched also say the same. But if it rains in a place as dry as this, the ground will absorb it first. Water won’t flow into the waterways until it reaches saturation. There are at least a hundred waterways installed on both sides of the pipe road, so will there be enough water falling from the sky to fill all of them and flow? At least in my statistics, there’s no record of that much rain falling.”
“Hehe. There are things you don’t know.”
“Whoa! That was a very hurtful thing to say. This is humiliating. There’s something Risel knows that I don’t. Ugh……!”
She gritted her teeth and glared at me. However, there was no resentment or humiliation in her actions that should have been there. In short, it was a whine.
“Now, now, don’t whine. Oppa will give you a snack.”
“Eek! Don’t treat me like a child! But do you have snacks?”
“Of course I do.”
I took out the cookie box from my desk drawer, which I assumed the mayor had eaten. It was made by a famous bakery in the Imperial Capital, known for maintaining its taste and quality for a long time without adding preservatives.
Aila recognized it immediately and her eyes sparkled.
“Wow! It’s Ferryberget!”
“The mayor left it. Want some?”
“Yes! Yes! Give me! Please!”
Aila smiled brightly and held out both hands.
The way she acts like a whining child is so cute and refreshing. Unless Levidian’s mind regresses, I’ll never see this from her.
Well, she’s very cute in a different way. Let’s be satisfied with that. Umhaha.
As I handed her the cookie box and placed it on the table, she cheered and started eating the cookies deliciously.
“Wow! This taste! It’s been so long! Kyaa―!”
I tried one too, but it was still too sweet. Women are amazing. How can they eat something so sweet so well? But, hey. Are you going to eat them all?
Aila turned to me with sparkling eyes.
“Risel, can I eat them all?”
“Uh, yeah. But dinner is just around the corner?”
“It’s okay. There’s a separate stomach for cookies. Originally, women’s stomachs have a separate compartment for snacks.”
“Ah, is that so?”
After taking some time to hand over the cookies, she nodded with a smile brighter than the sun.
“Then! Risel, I love you! You know I love you, right?”
“Of course. I know.”
Aila hugged the cookie box almost as if she was embracing it and picked up a cookie. I chuckled at the sight, then suddenly felt an incongruously chilly air.
What is it?
My whole body feels like it’s going to freeze.
If I sweat, it will immediately turn into ice and fall down with a clatter.
I turned my head towards what I thought was the source of the chill. And I immediately regretted why human instincts are made this way.
“……”
Oh my god. I can’t speak! I can’t even make a sound! Am I frozen?
Levidian was standing there with a pale face.
No, wait! But why are you radiating so much killing intent? Huh? It’s just a tea time!
“Huh? Ah, Ibi-unni, welcome!”
Aila greeted her nonchalantly. I realized then that Aila had just made a remark that would have reached a dangerous level if only partially heard.
‘Risel, I love you! You know I love you, right?’
And I replied.
‘Of course. I know.’
Now, let’s take a deep breath.
This is a playful line that can come up between really close friends.
More than anything, Aila, who was starving for sweets for some reason, was very, very cutely happy and expressed it. Right? So I can confidently say this to my older woman who is radiating killing intent!
Okay. Let’s gather my courage and talk to Levidian!
“Uh…… Levidian?”
“What is it?”
She still had a stiff expression, as if she hadn’t grasped the situation yet, and I glanced at Aila, hoping she would defend me, but Aila, who was wasting her passion on the cookie box, didn’t show even a crumb of concentration on my gaze.
Feeling an unknown sense of betrayal and disappointment, I looked at Levidian again. And squeezed out a word.
“It’s a misunderstanding. So……”
“So, what?”
She took a slow step forward.
I reflexively blurted out words that wouldn’t help at all, but would worsen the situation and admit to a non-existent charge.
“Ah, that…… Please save me.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
Is it a hallucination? I saw the figure of the Grim Reaper behind her.
I think having a nightmare before you even dream is quite a valuable experience.
Yes. That’s right. Precious indeed.
Oh, dear!
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