Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Northern Pioneering
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Luna gently released my hand.
“Try lightly tapping the horse’s belly with your foot.”
-Tap.
As she instructed, I gave the horse’s belly a light tap…
-Neigh…
The horse slowly moved forward.
“If you want to change direction, pull the rein on that side.”
“Like this?”
I gently tugged the right rein, and the horse veered slightly to the right.
“Wow? That’s amazing? It’s just like driving?”
“Huh? What’s driving?”
Explaining cars wasn’t easy, so I brushed it off vaguely.
“Oh? It’s a creature kind of like a horse(?), and you control it the same way.”
“Oh? Really?”
I beat her to the punch and asked the amazed Luna.
“But how do you stop?”
“Pull both reins hard.”
I yanked both hard as she said…
-Whinny! Pffft…
The horse came to a halt.
“But… this is fun… my hands are freezing though.”
No joke, it was pretty fun. But with winter nearly here, the cold wind felt like it would freeze my hands solid.
“Oh? No gloves?”
“Nope.”
I’d meant to grab some yesterday since it was cold, but I forgot.
“Then, hold on a sec.”
Her small hand overlaid the back of mine.
And then…
“Still cold?”
Her hand on my ice-cold one felt like a warm hand heater.
“No? What is this?”
“Hehe, it’s mana. Nice and toasty, right?”
Saying so, Luna rubbed the back of my hand up and down.
What could I say? My heart pounded at her gesture.
We’d been intimate plenty of times, so getting flustered over holding hands was ridiculous.
But how do you stop a heart from actually pounding?
“Alright, shall we trot a little?”
My heart raced so much I lost track of how her riding lesson time flew by.
Somehow, Luna and I dismounted.
She held the reins and flashed a faint smile.
“Hehe, you’re pretty decent at riding?”
“R-Really?”
She beamed at me.
“Yeah. I was worried since you’ve got no talent for swordsmanship. Glad to hear it. Let’s head in, eat, and rest.”
I watched her lead the horse away, then headed to my room.
After that, I washed up and had dinner.
I worried Rachel might show up again today, but thankfully, nothing happened.
Has she finally gotten a clue?
As I thought that…
-Knock knock.
Luna arrived right on cue.
She slipped in through the window.
“Good dinner?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Luna, dressed comfortably.
She smiled faintly and said,
“Then, massage time today too?”
I lay on the bed and replied,
“My thighs are pretty sore anyway. Please take good care of them.”
I’d realized today that riding horses took more effort than expected.
Didn’t notice at first, but after washing up, my thighs throbbed.
“Hehe, just trust me?”
Saying that, she sat between my legs.
Her hands gently kneaded my thighs, sending waves of relief.
A Grand Duchess’s massage… talk about luxury.
Luna massaged my thighs with serious focus.
If anyone saw this, who’d peg her as the Grand Duchess?
They’d think I was instead.
Lost in such thoughts, I savored the languid comfort.
“Alright, turn over.”
I rolled over at Luna’s words.
“Feels really good, huh?”
“Yeah… I might doze off.”
Her touch was so soft and soothing, it felt like sleep was closing in.
“If you’re sleepy, rest a bit?”
I shook my head slightly at Luna’s suggestion.
“No… we sleep together at bedtime. Yawn!”
Mid-sentence, I let out a huge yawn and nearly nodded off when Luna’s soft voice reached me.
“Aiden… but are you close with that girl Rachel?”
“No? I only saw her yesterday.”
“R-Really? That’s a relief then…”
Her slightly dejected tone prompted me to ask,
“But why?”
“Today, Rachel got expelled from Vain.”
The unexpected news snapped me a bit more awake.
“Huh? Why?”
Rachel expelled from the Grand Duchess’s palace? It felt strange.
Expulsion was no small punishment.
“Well… after seeing her with you yesterday, I looked into it just in case.”
“Yes?”
Luna had investigated Rachel?
“Why?”
I turned my head slightly to look at her… but her face was hidden, head bowed low.
“She was in your room so late at night, so I wondered what she was up to. Don’t get the wrong idea… it wasn’t jealousy or anything.”
She seemed unusually low-energy.
With that, silence settled between us.
Luna investigated Rachel?
Was yesterday’s jealousy carrying over?
The ever-stoic her, jealous? How adorable.
But expulsion made it less cute…
Strict as Luna is, she must’ve found something punishable.
Well… she handled it right.
“You don’t hate me, do you?”
“No? Why would I?”
Silence followed my words again.
The quiet grew stifling, so I broke it.
“Why think that all of a sudden?”
“It’s…”
I waited patiently for her hesitation.
“That Rachel likes you… you don’t think I chased her off because of that, right?”
Her words didn’t add up.
Rachel was the type who traded her pretty looks for power.
Best to steer clear.
I was grateful she’d removed her; no grudge against Luna.
“No? Not at all? Actually, I’m thankful.”
Luna lifted her head at that.
Her red eyes widened.
“Thankful?”
“Yeah, she was getting annoying.”
She kept popping up and chatting; it was awkward.
Last night, she’d blatantly seduced right in front of Luna…
Between her and Luna, Luna was the clear choice.
How could I compare Luna to a woman who threw her body around so carelessly?
“R-Really? That’s a relief then. Sigh…”
I teased mischievously as she sighed in relief.
“Why? Thought I’d hate the Grand Duchess for kicking Rachel out?”
She flinched, confirming my guess.
“Yeah…”
What? Why was she so cute today?
The usually icy Luna showed this adorable side before me, hammering my heart wildly.
“No way? I wouldn’t fall for a girl who throws herself around like that.”
But her red eyes widened like a rabbit’s—she hadn’t expected that.
“Huh? You knew about that?”
“Knew what?”
“That… Rachel’s that kind of girl.”
I nodded.
“Yeah.”
“H-How?”
“Jin told me.”
Her face showed shock.
“Then everything I did was…”
Her clutching her head was hard to understand.
“Huh?”
“I… deliberately didn’t tell you so you wouldn’t get hurt.”
“Huh? Why would I get hurt?”
She muttered sulkily at my question.
“That… her approaching you for power… that could hurt, right?”
Ah? Then her teenage years came to mind.
Nobles and maids fawning to her face.
The young Luna hurt by those who pretended friendly but gossiped behind her back.
Learning people’s cunning ways, she shut her heart to others.
So… she worried I’d get hurt too?
I wasn’t some sensitive teen; that wouldn’t faze me…
Still, seeing such a cute Luna, I couldn’t help patting her head, a smile forming naturally.
“Thanks. For caring.”
“Mm…”
Luna’s face flushed slightly.
I hugged her and said,
“Shall we sleep now?”
“Y-Yeah…?”
I pulled the shy Luna into my arms and lay down on the bed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Two weeks had passed since Rachel was chased out.
In that time, I worked daily, trained with Luna, got milked, and before I knew it…
“We begin the meeting on the northern pioneering scheduled for the day after tomorrow.”
The planned northern pioneering was fast approaching.
Military Secretary Joseph rose and spoke.
“For this northern pioneering, 1,500 from the Grand Duchess’s army and 3,000 mercenaries are prepared, with three months’ worth of supplies stockpiled.”
Finance Minister Goethe followed.
“Financially, there are some instabilities… but if we wrap it up quickly, no major issues.”
After hearing various reports on the northern pioneering, Luna looked satisfied.
“That should be fine, no big problems. Aiden Secretary?”
“Yes?”
Her calling me so formally and coldly felt awkward, unlike her usual casual tone.
“How’s the recent investment going?”
“Well… tax revenue is expected to dip a bit until next year’s second quarter. But from the year after next’s first half, it’ll hold steady at current levels, and by the second half or the following year’s first half, it should surge well beyond now.”
Lowering taxes meant less immediate collections.
Plenty of merchants and guilds had come, but revenue would drop until they ramped up production and sales.
Once they did, though, it’d easily surpass our current paltry intake.
“Hehe… fortunate. Goethe, your thoughts?”
He smiled faintly and nodded to the Finance Minister.
“I concur with Aiden Secretary. I hadn’t anticipated this many merchants coming.”
“Hehe… with news this good, I can’t sit idle. This northern pioneering… I’ll conclude it within a month.”
Eh…?
My face paled at Luna’s words.