Translator: Nox

30 - Valentina's Paradise

“……!”

Valentina barely suppressed a laugh at the sight. For some reason, she felt she shouldn't laugh.

She sat him up and spoon-fed him porridge made of grains and minced meat, and a thick stew. To reassure him, she first showed him by eating a spoonful or two herself, then spoon-fed him one spoonful at a time. He opened his mouth obediently to receive the food, but sometimes he made a strange face, as if trying to suppress a laugh, tightening his lips.

Edeled ate deliciously, and he ate a lot. She, who had never fed anyone before, realized for the first time how proud and gratified she felt when feeding someone with her own hands. She wondered if this was why Pepe had tried to feed her until she was about to burst every day.

He ate everything Valentina fed him as if he were enjoying a feast. He must have been quite hungry, as he also ate the stew that Valentina hadn't touched and emptied the glass of wine as she gave it to him. His face still had a reddish tinge, but now it was full of a satisfied smile.

But still, wasn't she feeding him too much because he seemed to be enjoying being fed? What if he got indigestion again?

As if reading her mind, Edeled quickly said, "I can eat anything as long as it doesn't have that spice smell. I may have a sensitive palate, but I'm not picky."

"I already told them to leave out the spices."

"Thank you for your consideration."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

After the meal, he spent a long time fumbling with the clothes Valentina had brought him inside the blanket. It took a long time. Like a proper lady, Valentina turned her back and waited patiently for a long time.

"May I take a brief tour of the night garden?"

He stood by the window, fully dressed, and asked with a smile. The moonlight streaming through the window cast a mysterious shadow on his face. He looked like an elegant statue carved from marble.

Valentina was momentarily speechless. She had to admit it now. He was definitely beautiful. Excessively beautiful.

"Well, I don't think it's too late to tie you to the bed."

The two looked at each other and laughed briefly.

The moon had risen high in the sky, and the night breeze coming through the window was cool. The two stood side by side, leaning against the window frame, looking down. Her bedroom was the highest point in the castle, and 'Valentina's Heaven,' which stretched to the seaside cliffs, was visible at a glance.

In the vast backyard, splendid purple flowers surged like waves. The end of the wave of flowers was the cliff, and beyond that, the dark blue sea stretched endlessly. The secret garden was splendid and beautiful during the day, but at night it was filled with moonlight, making it subtle and mysterious.

Valentina stood next to him, looking down at the window, and said, "My father gave that garden the name Valentina's Heaven. When I was little, he would hold me up in this spot and show me the view of the backyard below."

Ah? He let out a short groan for a moment. Valentina felt that he seemed to be pleased.

"What are you thinking, Edeled?"

"I was thinking that the first man to enter this room wasn't your uncle."

He answered without hiding it. There was a hint of laughter in his voice. She hesitated whether to remind him that Edgar had celebrated the wedding with her.

"Does it matter?"

"It doesn't matter, but I'm glad. Pathetically."

His honesty didn't make her angry. Rather, she felt her throat tighten. Valentina slowly repeated to herself inwardly.

I will save you.

First, I need to find a safe place where he can stay with peace of mind….

Are there any regions he desires or lords he has a close relationship with? What if I help him escape there?

Valentina asked as casually as possible, as if just passing by, "Edeled, if you knew about the relationship between me and Edgar, which region in the Black Forest would you have considered going to?"

"Well. Terra Gallia… doesn't seem like a good idea…. Terra Technica? Insula Marina…?"

After thinking for a moment, Edeled shook his head and smiled quietly.

"No. If I knew about your relationship, I wouldn't have even considered coming here. I would have felt that life was futile, so I might have willingly given my life to the escort knights in the forest."

Come to think of it, he said he endured by making me, whom he hadn't even seen, the standard of his life, so that might be the case…. Thinking about it, Valentina suddenly frowned.

Wait. I was forgetting something important.

What happened to the escort knights who went missing in the forest?

The feeling that had been pulling at the back of her head suddenly revealed its true form.

"By the way, Edeled, how did you manage to shake off twenty-five knights and escorts?"

"I believe I told you I encountered a band of thieves."

"And you know I don't believe that anymore. Right?"

"Of course, I know that too."

Edeled lowered his eyes and smiled faintly.

"Dominella. They tried to follow orders, and I just tried to protect myself. I had no regrets about them."

"What do you mean?"

No answer came. She felt a cold sensation running down her back. Valentina slowly got up from her seat.

"Su, surely, Edeled…?"

Are you saying that you single-handedly eliminated all the armed knights and soldiers and fled?

"Oh, God…."

This was unbelievable. Valentina covered her mouth with both hands.

He dealt with twenty-five armed knights and soldiers alone? How on earth? Were the knights of Terra Nebulosa careless? Valentina clenched her fists tightly, enduring the dizziness.

The lioness of Terra Petronia, Countess Margaret, and her son were by no means easy opponents.

"He who uses the sword, perishes by the sword… he who uses poison, perishes by poison."

"Are you saying you killed them with poison!"

At that moment, his eyes flashed. He clenched his teeth and spat out the words.

"Killed? They used the ingredients they prepared, they cooked it, and we ate it together. And I was the only one who survived after vomiting all the food. How does that become 'killed'?"

"You ate together?"

"Yes."

"But you're the only one who survived?"

"Yes."

"How can I believe that?"

"So, should I become a murderer just because I survived alone?"

He retorted with a sharp voice.

When leaving the territory, Edeled believed that the escort would not openly kill him with a sword. If there were many witnesses, it would be dangerous, and if even one person revealed it, his uncle would lose too much.

But he couldn't guarantee the safety of the food. He couldn't spend that long journey without eating a single meal. He concluded that the safest thing to do was to share the same food from one pot with his subordinates.

"Hey, get out of here! Spices more expensive than gold like this won't even enter our mouths by a grain of millet. This is only for Gongzi Edeled. You'll die if you even lick it!"

"Oh, dear, I'd feel sorry if I ate such precious things alone."

"Ah, aigoo, Gongzi! D, did you hear that? …His Majesty prepared this with special care. He said to give it only to Gongzi if Gongzi was too hot and tired and lost his appetite…."

"How can I heartlessly eat this precious thing alone, leaving you all who are suffering because of me? If you're so curious, you can all taste it together in the middle. I'll tell my uncle that I ate well throughout the trip, so don't worry."

"A few days later, while eating dinner, I suddenly felt a familiar scent, and I reflexively felt nauseous. I covered my mouth and quickly left the table, and from behind, I heard people saying, 'It's starting again. What's not digesting this time?', 'He's just too full.'"

At this point, she wanted to cover her ears. But Valentina endured. She had to know the situation as accurately as possible.

"What do you mean by a familiar feeling?"

"It was the very spice that His Majesty knows well."

If the toxicity is well neutralized, it can be used as an anesthetic, pain reliever, anti-inflammatory agent, pregnancy promoter, or an ingredient for a love potion. But if the toxicity is not neutralized, it is Janus's cure that causes delirium or makes you vomit blood and die.

Valentina moaned softly.

So Edgar was trying to secretly poison his nephew in the Black Forest before he arrived in Regio Florida?

Unexpectedly, there were false rumors that Edeled was weak, and he was so nervous about being poisoned that he often vomited. It was summer, too. In the summer, it is extremely difficult to determine the cause of death for those who die on the road if there are no witnesses, because the body decomposes immediately.

Valentina bit her lip. Edgar had arranged the poisoning, but he had also sent her a letter asking her to assassinate him. It meant that if Edeled arrived safely, she should take care of him.

Edeled's calm voice was heard.

"If my uncle had found the bodies of his vassals, I would be a murder suspect by now."