Chapter 203

“Hoo.”

This was the drawing room of the Frontera mansion.

A deep sigh drifted through the tidy room.

But sighing like that didn’t lighten his heart.

Realizing that, Baron Arcos Frontera turned slightly and met his wife’s eyes.

‘Where is Lloyd?’

‘I called him.’

His wife answered with a look.

Soon, the couple’s gazes shifted forward together.

Beyond the table in the drawing room sat a foreign woman, back straight, posture dignified.

“Hoo.”

Seeing her again, the Baron sighed once more.

What on earth had Lloyd done?

What had he been through in the Sultanate?

How could something so mortifying come out of that woman’s mouth?

That was why the Baron sincerely hoped Lloyd would arrive quickly—quickly enough to break this awkward atmosphere.

Fortunately, his wish was granted.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the drawing-room door.

Then Lloyd’s familiar voice followed.

“You were looking for me?”

“Come in, quickly.”

The Baron sprang up and opened the door himself.

At the same time, he watched his son’s reaction carefully.

“Huh?”

Lloyd halted as he stepped into the drawing room.

He spotted the foreign woman, and his eyes widened slightly.

Surprised? Or something else?

Still watching, the Baron soon caught it.

The faint smile tugging at Lloyd’s lips, and the quiet mutter that slipped out.

“So this is the choice you made.”

“……”

Choice?

What choice?

What did his son mean?

The Baron sat down again, unease creeping in.

He also offered Lloyd a seat.

“You sit down too.”

“Yes.”

Lloyd sat on the sofa.

But the seat he chose was odd.

Not next to his parents.

Not next to the woman.

He sat where he could form a right angle with both sides, then looked back and forth between them.

“You called me because of this woman?”

“That’s… right.”

Lloyd wasn’t as shocked or embarrassed as the Baron had expected.

A small sense of relief rose in him.

It didn’t look like Lloyd had caused an outright incident in the Sultanate.

‘But it’s too early to relax.’

He still didn’t know what had happened.

So, as carefully as possible.

So as not to hurt his son.

Keeping that in mind, the Baron slowly opened his mouth.

“It’s not that, um… Lloyd. Can you honestly answer what this father asks?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Then… are you acquainted with this lady?”

“Yes. We know each other.”

“Then… perhaps, um, did you cause her any trouble?”

“Cause trouble? I wonder.”

Lloyd let out a laugh.

He’d been called in the middle of breakfast, but he didn’t feel bad at all.

If anything, he was pleased.

Scheherazade had finally come all the way here.

And he could keep the future Swordmaster close.

The satisfaction filling him was the same as a farmer staring at a field of ripened grain.

Still, something felt off.

“How did she say I caused trouble?”

What had Scheherazade told the Baron and his wife?

What had she said to make them this anxious since earlier?

‘She must’ve said something weird.’

Scheherazade sat calmly, composed.

In contrast, the Baron and his wife were visibly unsettled.

It was as if they were curious and worried, but couldn’t bring themselves to ask outright.

So, as if to reassure them—

As if to say nothing bad had happened—

Lloyd put on the smile of a dutiful son and spoke in a steady voice.

“It seems there’s been some misunderstanding. Tell me what you heard, and I’ll answer.”

“Um.”

The Baron and his wife looked at each other.

They exchanged troubled glances.

His wife gave the Baron a look.

The Baron nodded, reluctant.

It was the exact face of someone taking on a task he didn’t want.

The moment Lloyd noticed that, the Baron spoke, his face slightly flushed.

“Um… how should I say this… that is, um, this lady said…”

The Baron’s face turned completely red.

“That, um… she’s become someone who can’t fall asleep without you.”

He said it.

He’d actually said it.

‘Oh my, what an embarrassing thing to say.’

The Baron bit his lip and grabbed his teacup.

His wife squeezed his hand and gave him a look that said he’d done well.

And Lloyd, hearing those words…

“Ah, that’s true.”

“Ptoo!”

The Baron spat out his tea.

Lloyd shrugged.

“It’s exactly as it sounds. It’s true she can’t fall asleep properly without me. Of course, the meaning changes a bit when you skip all the details.”

“Cough! Co-cough! Meaning? What meaning?”

The Baron coughed repeatedly, still choking, as he demanded an explanation.

Lloyd handed him a handkerchief.

“It means my lullaby. You know—the one I recite to Javier.”

“……”

They knew.

The lullaby.

The Baron and his wife knew the broad outline.

They also knew Javier had suffered severe insomnia that no one else knew about.

And they knew it had been miraculously resolved after Lloyd began reciting his endless knowledge.

A fact only the Baron and his wife knew—and kept quiet.

Once the Baron finally settled his coughing, he pointed at Scheherazade, stammering.

“Then… that lady, too, by any chance?”

“Yes. It was similar to Javier.”

“So you sang her a lullaby? Like you did for Javier?”

“Yes. Thanks to that, she slept soundly. And I guess her insomnia came back because I returned here. Right?”

Lloyd’s last question was directed at Scheherazade.

Scheherazade, who had remained calm this entire time, nodded, her black pearl-like eyes glinting.

“That’s right.”

A bitter smile formed on Lloyd’s lips.

“So that oddly worded statement—saying you became someone who can’t sleep without me—you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Of course.”

Scheherazade nodded again, meeting Lloyd’s gaze head-on.

“Because I thought that was the fastest way to meet you.”

It was the truth.

Scheherazade had arrived in the Frontera territory a day earlier.

Her plan was extremely simple.

Meet Lloyd as quickly as possible.

Record Lloyd’s lullaby on the expensive magic orb she’d brought.

‘Once I accomplish that, I’ll return to Ahinsa without regrets.’

And she still felt the same.

Her only goal was the lullaby.

That was all she needed.

It shouldn’t have been difficult.

A magic orb so expensive it could buy a whole castle—a device capable of recording about twenty minutes of sound.

All she had to do was activate it and have Lloyd recite the lullaby.

Then she could take the recording with her.

So she could contact Lloyd quietly.

So she wouldn’t draw attention.

So her visit itself would remain secret.

She’d thought she could approach Lloyd discreetly and ask him to record it.

But she couldn’t.

‘Reality was a bit different.’

Scheherazade shook her head, recalling yesterday.

From the moment she arrived, she realized there was a serious problem with her plan.

‘It was because of Javier Asrahan. That man.’

The silver-haired knight stayed by Lloyd’s side all day.

Because of that, she couldn’t get close.

She couldn’t think of any way to slip past a Swordmaster’s senses.

No—watching from afar was already risky.

That was why she abandoned the plan to secretly approach Lloyd and record the lullaby.

Instead, she chose to face things head-on.

After a night of worrying, she came to the mansion early in the morning and dropped a bombshell—something that would seize everyone’s attention at once.

And that was how she finally met Lloyd like this.

“Tsk. You’ve got a nasty streak.”

Lloyd’s bitter smile deepened.

Then he turned to the Baron and his wife.

They seemed to have realized their misunderstanding.

They watched the conversation with noticeably more relaxed expressions.

Lloyd asked Scheherazade, “So you want a lullaby from me.”

“Yes.”

“You’re not thinking of dragging me to the Sultanate, are you?”

“Of course not.”

Scheherazade spoke seriously as she took out a transparent orb the size of a plum from her chest.

“This is a magic recording device. It can hold about twenty minutes of sound.”

“You’re going to take my lullaby with you in that?”

“That’s right.”

Scheherazade nodded, then looked straight into Lloyd’s eyes.

“I don’t want anything more. Just twenty minutes. Put one lullaby in here.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, but what to do.”

Lloyd smiled brightly, tilting his head.

He spoke in an irritating tone.

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

“……”

“You didn’t think I’d provide a lullaby for free, did you? How naive.”

“Even though I came such a long way…”

“No. I didn’t call you, so your travel conditions are your problem.”

“……”

Scheherazade fell silent.

Lloyd’s retort was correct.

And it was so annoying she wanted to punch him.

But Lloyd only smiled more nonchalantly as he pulled something from his chest and laid it neatly on the table.

“What is this?”

“An employment contract.”

“Yes?”

Scheherazade doubted her ears.

At first, she thought she’d misheard.

An employment contract—why would he pull something like that out?

But Lloyd’s next words were entirely too casual.

“You want a lullaby, right? You want to sleep comfortably, right? That’s why you came all the way here, right? Right?”

“Yes, that’s right, but…”

For some reason, unease crawled up her spine.

Scheherazade nodded, suspicion in her eyes.

The more she did, the stronger the ominous feeling grew.

Then Lloyd smiled, irritatingly.

“Then you have to pay the price. So sign here.”

“……”

No way.

Scheherazade lowered her gaze, dread sinking in.

She read the contract spread across the table.

Soon, a hollow murmur slipped out.

“……Enlistment in the engineering corps? Participate in various constructions in the Frontera territory, comply with regulations, and engage in labor on site? Surely you’re not asking me to do this.”

“Yes.”

Lloyd nodded as if it were obvious, smiling like he couldn’t understand the fuss.

“Just work for five years.”

“……”

“Then I’ll happily record the lullaby for you.”

“……”

What is this.

Scheherazade clenched her teeth.

Lloyd raised his eyebrows slightly.

“I know your status. But if you’re thinking you’re being forced into something beneath you, you’re mistaken.”

“A mistaken thought?”

“Surely you don’t think the digging and pickaxing the engineering corps does is lowly.”

“That’s of course—”

“Do you really?”

“……”

Scheherazade, who had nearly answered without thinking, hurriedly shut her mouth.

Her stomach sank.

She hadn’t truly considered it before.

It wasn’t something she’d ever paid attention to.

But if she was honest… she had vaguely thought so.

The engineering corps, as described in the contract, was a unit that dug and built.

So if she signed this, she would be digging and swinging a pickaxe on site.

Her—a princess of the Sultanate.

‘Ridiculous.’

The fact he was even proposing this felt like an insult.

A blatant rudeness.

But she couldn’t say that out loud.

Because of Lloyd’s subtle tone.

“Think about it. Is digging lowly? Is swinging a pickaxe something only the incompetent do? You’re not saying all physical labor should be treated as nothing, are you?”

“……”

“They’re what support our lives. Without digging, there are no buildings. No straight roads. No bridges over rivers. And that’s not all. Your sword, your jewels, your tools—everything is made from minerals dug out of the earth with pickaxes and shovels.”

“……”

“But you’re not looking down on that, are you? Surely.”

“Of course…”

“You’re not, right?”

“……Yes.”

In the end, Scheherazade had no choice but to agree.

Listening to him, he was right—painfully so.

No matter how she turned it over, she couldn’t find a way to refute him.

But she still couldn’t sign the contract willingly.

So she tried another approach.

“Then what about money?”

“Yes?”

“Instead of signing the employment contract, I’ll pay you. A lot. How about it?”

“I don’t need it.”

“……”

“Our territory has plenty of money now. The Sultan really splurged. Silk and porcelain.”

“……”

“So sign the employment contract.”

“……”

Scheherazade stared at the contract, hollow-eyed.

In the end, only two choices remained.

Give up and return, enduring sleepless days again.

Or throw away her pride and sign a five-year labor contract.

But she couldn’t choose either easily.

She bit her lip and hesitated.

Lloyd chuckled.

“Yes, that’s good. It’s not the kind of decision you make on the spot. I’ll give you time.”

“Time?”

“Yes. Stay as a guest for a few days and think about it.”

“……”

That was welcome.

Being forced to decide right now felt too harsh.

Scheherazade nodded quickly.

From that day on, her days became a chain of careful deliberation.

She stayed at the Frontera mansion, constantly sunk in worry.

Even while eating the neat meals provided.

Even while lying on cushions in the clean guest room.

Even while taking walks all day because she couldn’t settle on an answer.

The crease between her brows never disappeared.

Perhaps that was why.

On the fifth day of her stay at the Frontera mansion, feeling suffocated, Scheherazade walked farther than usual.

West—toward the outskirts of the territory, beyond the border.

Sighing endlessly as she followed a forest path, she ran into someone unexpected.

“……Huh?”

The second son of the Frontera family.

It was an unplanned encounter with Julian Frontera, returning to his hometown.