I Thought I Was Married, But I Was Left Alone, So I'll Live as I Please. So Please Don't Mind Me Anymore, My Lord of the Border - Chapter 12

The demon forest where black trees grew thickly.

A thin mist rising from the tree roots tangled around our shoe tips.

The smell of soil scorched by magic essence stung my nose, and the flow of wind slightly roughened my skin.

The low voices of birds and beasts echoing from afar dissolved into the mist, and the rustling of trees made my skin tremble like the pulsation of magic essence.

If someone had stepped into this place without any preparation, this atmosphere alone would have made their legs freeze.

But we were different.

Everyone carried light backpacks and continued walking briskly.

Thanks to previous subjugations, the number of magical beasts had apparently decreased considerably, so they rarely appeared before us.

If any approached, they would sense the smell of the beast-repelling lantern with crystallized medicinal liquid and flee.

If it seemed like a dangerous magical beast, we’d just confirm it and hunt it from behind.

Now in this forest, it felt more like careful cleanup than actual combat.

“The beast-repelling medicine was amazing, but this lantern is truly revolutionary.”

“To think something this small can keep us safe within a two-hundred-meter radius.”

“This backpack is light too, and the capacity is incredible. I can’t believe it holds a month’s worth of water and food.”

“Before, we had to carry it all in heavy gear. It’s like a dream.”

“Really, the alchemists in our territory are truly excellent.”

The knights surrounding us praised us with laughter.

The experience of carrying bulky trunks that day had been utilized in creating these tools.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

“Other territories don’t have equipment like this, right?”

Every time they said that, I felt both pride and embarrassment.

The knights who used to carry supplies to their limits, though bewildered, packed everything into the small backpacks and cheered.

From things they wanted to bring but reluctantly gave up, to spare supplies, they packed to the limit and made a big fuss.

Amazing, convenient. Like a dream—they were happy with the tools we made.

New tools and medicines making people smile. That was the most joyful moment for me as an alchemist.

The monster-repelling medicine that we had to deliver as liquid last time because it wasn’t ready had now been successfully condensed and crystallized.

As long as one person carried the small lantern on their backpack, it would be effective.

Even if it broke somewhere, I had plenty of spares and was fully prepared.

Perhaps because we’d been like this since before departure, the knights were very favorable toward us alchemists.

The forest was calm too, and with no danger from monsters, the mood was close to a picnic.

Already two weeks had passed since we entered the forest, but it was peaceful—collecting rare plants, hunting the occasional magical beast that appeared, and gathering materials.

“Ah, there. Watch out for the exposed tree root.”

“Thank you.”

A calm-mannered black-haired knight named Mark offered his hand to Quinn as if escorting her.

Quinn blushed and took his hand.

“Over here too.”

This time, a slightly mischievous-looking red-haired knight named Romi offered his hand to Slay.

Both were apparently commoners from this territory and classmates.

Though Slay’s expression didn’t change, I could see his ears were slightly red.

“Thanks.”

The two who had their hands taken crossed over the tree root with light steps.

Even though they can both use body enhancement, they’re acting cute.

It looks like this journey might turn them into couples.

Damn normies.

…Shit, youth, huh.

Seeing the two couples not letting go of each other’s hands made me feel bitter.

As I cursed and tried to step over the tree root, a hand was smoothly offered in front of me too.

“Ash, here.”

Lord Oliver. No, this isn’t right.

“I’m fine. I can’t have the Frontier Count doing something like that.”

“Why not? Offering a hand to my fiancée is only natural, right?”

“No, since it’s going to be dissolved soon anyway.”

At my lightly laughing voice, Lord Oliver’s eyebrow moved.

“No? I have ‘absolutely’ no intention of dissolving it?”

He put tremendous emphasis on “absolutely” and for some reason looked around as if warning the surroundings.

The knights stiffened slightly.

There were knights who had been about to offer me their hand too, but he subtly stepped forward and pushed them aside.

“Are you still planning to drag out that setting?”

“Of course. Until you nod.”

“Lady Nia, shouldn’t you start looking for another marriage candidate soon?”

When I turned my gaze to Lady Nia waiting behind us, she bowed her head politely.

“Your engagement with Lady Ash has not been formally dissolved. There is no reason to look for anyone else.”

This person’s manner of dealing with me had changed to that toward “Lord Oliver’s fiancée” and “the future Frontier Countess.”

Lady Nia is definitely Lord Oliver’s absolute ally.

“I see…”

…This is uncomfortable.

Really, it should be over by now.

The day after I met Lord Oliver, Lady Nia came directly with him and offered a polite apology.

She apologized for neglecting her duties as an aide, for swallowing rumors without question, for her foolishness at that time.

And Lady Nia told me the detailed internal circumstances of Graphica during that period that Lord Oliver deliberately didn’t mention during his apology.

I knew the situation was dire, but it was worse than I thought.

The sudden mass appearance of magical beasts.

The previous lord lost his life in a mutual kill with a ferocious magical beast, and the future of the territory suddenly fell on his shoulders.

All responsibility weighed on Lord Oliver’s shoulders.

Lady Nia, who supported him, must have been at her limit too.

Amid all that, they were forced into a contract under unfavorable conditions with the infamous son of a failing house.

I understand now why he found it bothersome. It couldn’t be helped.

Graphica was in an extreme situation back then.

So, I don’t intend to blame him anymore.

But even so, if asked whether I want to be treated as his fiancée, I’d rather decline.

At first, thinking “I don’t want to be a fiancée” and saying I didn’t need it came from a rebellious spirit. Since you were the one who said you didn’t want it, don’t treat me as your fiancée now.

But now that I’ve seen various things, though the conclusion of “wanting to dissolve the engagement” remains the same, the reason has changed.

Noble engagements are ultimately contracts.

The interests of the house and territory take priority over personal feelings.

This engagement, formed during the emergency of the mass appearance of magical beasts, has now served its purpose with the crisis passed.

What remains is just the vestige of a contract that only my uncle unilaterally benefited from, and there’s almost no substantive meaning to my current relationship with Lord Oliver.

Rather, being connected to the sinking Kreuz territory itself can only be a negative for the Graphica Frontier Territory.

That’s why I’ve come to think, the more I interact with Lord Oliver, that I want him to cut off Kreuz territory along with me as soon as possible.

I’m fine just being an alchemist.

My background and situation are far too troublesome for me to settle into the position of “fiancée.”

If I remain as his fiancée like this, it will definitely become a source of trouble someday.

Putting aside feelings like liking or disliking him, even thinking objectively, I have no value to be placed as “the Frontier Count’s fiancée.”

As an alchemist, I’m confident I can demonstrate value in many ways.

But if I abandon the Kreuz name and lose my status as a noble, then the social barrier itself stands in the way of the “fiancée” position.

I’m a troublesome partner that can’t be handled with just feelings of affection.

So, I want him to let me go quickly.

Even though I told him this honestly, Lord Oliver wouldn’t back down.

Even so, he insists without hesitation that I’m fine, that I’m the only one.

“Ashe.”

My thoughts were cut off by Lord Oliver’s voice.

He gently but forcibly took my bewildered hand.

His warm palm enveloped my fingers.

“Though I think the danger is minimal… stay by my side. Otherwise, I can’t protect you.”

The motion of holding my hand was slow and unwavering, almost like a gesture of vow.

“No, I can protect myself—”

“Let me protect you.”

As usual, gentle but never yielding.

Cheater. Really, this part of him.

“…Understood. I can’t exactly refuse the mission anyway.”

I felt pathetic for eventually nodding.

But I no longer had the courage to shake off that hand.

The suppressed depths of my chest grew faintly warm.

Whether that was irritation or just a slight relief, even I couldn’t tell.