The Male Lead’s Sickly Aide is My Type - Chapter 105.1
Chapter 105.1
“Here’s your daily dose.”
Carinne placed the tray on the desk. On it sat a teacup filled with a dark liquid—a medicinal decoction brewed from various herbs, said to be remarkably effective in restoring damaged organs.
Since basic physical strength was paramount even with a cure, Carinne made sure he drank it morning and night. This was, of course, separate from the health supplements she had previously purchased.
Archen emptied the cup without a word, then set it down and rose from his chair.
“I’ll take this away.”
“No, the one who isn’t working should take it.”
Carinne waved her hand, urging him to sit back down.
She had taken a few days off work. Not entirely by choice; it was partly Archen’s doing. After discovering she had spent a fortune on medicinal herbs, he’d prevented her from lifting a finger.
“You sold all those jewels?”
He had stared at her empty jewel box in disbelief. Carinne had assured him it was fine, but he muttered something about ‘that time because of…’ and declared he would handle all the work himself.
He would repay her with his labor since replenishing the jewel box immediately wasn’t feasible. How could she refuse under those circumstances?
Carinne compromised, agreeing to rest and take time off work for the time being. In return, she set conditions for Archen: at least eight hours of sleep and a limit of two cups of coffee a day. She even determined the daily volume of paperwork he could review.
Flipping through the day’s documents, she noticed a file she hadn’t included and pulled it out.
“Isn’t this paperwork already processed?”
The document bore a completion stamp—Tricia’s. Archen was reviewing documents Tricia had already handled.
“Why are you looking at this again?”
“Do you trust Duke Tricia?”
Carinne couldn’t bring herself to say yes. Archen adjusted his glasses as if to emphasize the point.
“We haven’t received a contract renewal letter from one of our major clients.”
The major client was Radian’s Blue Crow Merchant Guild. The Second Duchy had been trading with them for over twenty years. The Second Duchy sold raw gemstones, and the Blue Crow Guild cut and resold them.
Contracts were renewed every five years, and the Guild always sent a letter confirming the renewal. Or so Carinne thought. This time, no letter had arrived. Tricia handled the merchant guild affairs, specifically those related to the mines, so Carinne had been unaware.
All she knew was that the Second Duchy had some sort of trade agreement with the Blue Crow Guild.
“Did something happen? Did you contact them?”
“I already contacted the guild headquarters.”
“And?”
“No response.”
Archen explained he had also visited the Blue Crow Guild’s branch in Esmeril’s capital, but they claimed ignorance, saying it was a matter for their superiors. How could the Esmeril branch not know about matters concerning Esmeril?
Something felt wrong.
“I understand they’ve been trading with our duchy for a very long time. They wouldn’t suddenly cut off contact like this. Something must have happened.”
“I agree. We can’t just ignore this.”
Archen was right. This couldn’t be ignored. So, what was the best course of action? After careful consideration, Carinne came up with a plan.
“If they don’t answer our calls, we’ll go to them. We’ll leave for Radian tomorrow. No, wait, it’ll take time to prepare. Let’s leave in two days.”
Then, Archen suddenly smiled. He propped his chin on his hand and looked up at Carinne with a relaxed expression.
“Actually, we can leave right now.”
“What?”
“I anticipated you’d say that, so I made preparations. We can leave as soon as you board the carriage.”
‘…What?’
Carinne felt a shiver run down her spine. Even for a brilliant mind, this was extraordinary. He knew what she would say beforehand, implying he had her personality and characteristics completely mapped out.
How was that even possible? His brain wasn’t a computer.
“You’re starting to scare me. How do you know me so well?”
“Because you’re simple.”
“….”
“I’m joking. Three years as your aide, you pick up on these things.”
Carinne gaped like a fish. Before, her cheeks would flush even with a hug. He had certainly grown. Part of her felt a swell of pride, seeing it as a sign he was comfortable around her.
It was probably like a hedgehog, curled up in a ball, finally relaxing its guard and showing its soft belly.
When Archen asked when they should leave, she replied,
“Why delay? Let’s go now!”
And so, the two of them set off for Radian. It was a bit abrupt, but with a clear objective, there was no reason to hesitate.
Carinne changed her clothes, joined Archen, and boarded the carriage. Moments later, the carriage, loaded with clothes, necessities, medicinal decoction, and health supplements, rattled along, marking the beginning of their journey.
* * *
Three days later, they arrived at the Blue Crow Merchant Guild in Radian. To get straight to the point, Carinne was turned away.
“Do you think the Guild Master is some shopkeeper? He doesn’t meet without a prior appointment!”
“Then let’s make an appointment! We can do it now!”
“This year’s appointments are full.”
It was the height of summer, with half the season still to go, followed by autumn and winter. How could the appointments be full already?
What a blatant lie!
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