Having achieved our goal, Valentine and I returned to the Duchy of Somac.
"Oh! Seeing the safe appearance of Baron Amolang, my mind is at ease!"
"It seems that things went well for you, Your Grace."
Just by looking at the bright expression of the Duke who welcomed me with open arms, I could tell.
"Yes! It went very well!"
"What was the atmosphere like?"
"Do you think the baron who planned all this doesn't know everything?"
"I'm not a god."
"It sounds like you know everything but just want to confirm."
"Ha, ha..."
It's not wrong to say that.
"When the prince declared that he would push for the marriage, the whole country fell into chaos. Ignoring Angelina's Chimac seems so important. Tsk tsk."
That's right.
Not the main wife, but a concubine.
A hollow wife who gives birth to a child without the right to inherit the throne.
That's why the position was something that noble young ladies with strong self-esteem would absolutely avoid.
The prince pretended not to be obsessed with Angelina to the point of proposing such a concubine, but in reality, it was the opposite.
It was a trap for the trade.
"I heard that the hesitant Count Chimac accepted the marriage on the condition that his daughter would be promoted to the prince's wife, not a concubine."
"That's good."
"I secretly hoped that it would go beyond Baron Amolang's expectations, but... it became a reality without a single variable."
Duke Somac grumbled with a smirk at the corners of his mouth.
"Is the friend I sent doing well?"
"If it's the young royal family of the Desert Kingdom, they must be behaving quietly with their siblings."
"Take good care of him. He'll pay you back with interest later."
"...Baron. Will he really become the next king of the Desert Kingdom?"
"He will. As long as his existence is not discovered early, it will definitely happen within 2 years when the civil war in the Desert Kingdom ends."
"Hmm. Keep your mouth shut."
As soon as I returned to the Duchy of Somac, I had to be dragged into the office without rest and reassured.
'He must be anxious.'
Becoming a king means becoming a traitor.
Failure leads to the downfall of the family!
Since I started impulsively, relying only on my prophecy, I have no choice but to rely on it, whether I like it or not.
"Baron. When do you think the Empire will declare war?"
"Before the wedding."
"Hmm. If there's anything else to do besides preparing for war, feel free to speak."
"There's nothing. It's a matter of dealing with the Empire. We cannot afford to focus on other things."
"It sounds like it's going to be a long war..."
The expression of the Duke, who misunderstood my words, became tense.
'Is there really nothing to do?'
In the romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of the Count's Family>, 99% of the content is about the protagonist's love life.
If you expect too much... Ah!
"Your Grace."
"What do you need?"
"Please lend me Valentine for a few more days."
"There's no need to ask. Valentine will be the exclusive knight of Baron Amolang from now on. It would be disgraceful for a baron not to have a single knight to accompany him."
"Thank you."
"But where are you going again?"
"I won't go far. There's a treasure I want to check."
"Treasure...?"
The Duke looked into my eyes with a bewildered gaze.
"If Angelina Chimac didn't take it, it should be there."
"Is it an important treasure?"
"It's a sword."
"...Don't tell me, you're talking about the legendary sword that can only be found by true love?"
"That's the sword."
"Even you can't do it, Baron! Do you know how much I was scolded by my wife because I couldn't find that sword? It's not just me. It's a tragic story that almost all the men in the Somac territory have experienced!"
"Really..."
It was a sad story that even I, who haven't married yet, could sympathize with.
"Or does it mean that you are confident in your love?"
"No way. There's no need to know such superstitions if you know the location."
"Hehe! Superstition..."
"Why are you laughing?"
"Go and try to find it. I'll be looking forward to the day you fail."
"Ah, yes."
I vowed to show the landowner what I was capable of.
* * *
In the novel, there were often lively stories of the protagonist going on picnics surrounded by handsome men.
Flower gardens, beaches, lakes, villas...
The author, who disliked repetition, changed the location every time, but ironically, it was the same picnic with only the location changed.
Did she realize that fact?
The author came up with a picnic with a different subject than before.
"My lord, do you think you can find that sword?"
"You're asking the same question as the Duke, Valentine. Do you think I can't find it?"
"Yes. My father, who claimed his innocence by saying that he had no other woman, was tormented by my mother for three years because he couldn't find the sword."
"Really..."
There were too many sad stories in this neighborhood.
'But I'm different.'
In the novel, the protagonist's picnic locations were described in detail.
This place is famous for its cuisine, legends, scenery, rumors, and so on...
The same is true for the location where the legendary sword I'm looking for is hidden.
'It said that in the southwest of the Somac territory's port city, there's a river, and if you go upstream, there's a vast plain, and on the land that hasn't been developed yet, there are old ruins and a hut.'
I predicted the approximate location of the thatched hut where the treasure was hidden and told Valentine.
"Valentine. Let's look for the thatched hut together from now on. It's big enough for 10 adults to fit in, so it'll be easy to find."
"It doesn't seem to be there."
There was nothing in the golden wheat field that stretched across the horizon.
"It must be there."
"...I'll search diligently as much as you're confident, My lord."
"Thank you, Valentine. Regardless of the search results, let's meet here when the sun goes down."
"Yes, Baron."
As a result of the search conducted by me, Sir Valentine, her servant, and attendants, a total of 8 people...
'Why isn't it here?!'
Even if the patient took the treasure, the 'place where the treasure is hidden' should still be there.
But there wasn't even a small hut where one person, let alone ten adults, could fit, even if we looked with washed eyes.
"My lord. We'll search a wider area when the sun rises tomorrow."
"...No. I think I was a bit arrogant."
"Are you giving up?"
"No. There's a path leading to the hut where the treasure is hidden. Tomorrow, I plan to follow that faithfully."
I decided to recreate the picnic in the original novel exactly the same.
* * *
"My lord, are you looking for the treasure?"
"Yes. I'm searching hard."
"While enjoying the chocolate cake and warm coffee bought from the city?"
"......"
I couldn't think of anything to say in response to Valentine's remark.
"The weather is nice."
"I feel sleepy."
"Hmm~ The smell of coffee..."
The servants and attendants also joined us, laying a mat next to us.
'Is it roughly similar?'
Valentine, the only woman here, takes on the role of Angelina Chimac, and the rest are the male roles of the protagonist!
"Really..."
Let's move on, as the gender balance was right, even though the appearance and status of the men were as different as heaven and earth.
What's next?
"From now on, everyone except Valentine will take off their clothes. Oh! Don't take off your underwear, as it will be censored."
"Censored?"
"That's right."
The romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of the Count's Family> was for all ages, so the handsome men couldn't take off all their clothes.
And the muscular bodies of the men that were exposed to the world!
'Wow...'
I can guarantee.
The faces of the 'protagonist's men' were much better, but below the face, they were more manly...
Except for me!
"My lord, are you planning to find the hut underwater?"
Valentine, who sat on a flat rock next to the river at my command, asked while looking at the flowing river.
Unlike the protagonist who was busy judging with rolling eyes, she had no interest in the men's bodies.
Let's move on to this extent.
"We're going to have a swimming competition among men."
"It's a bit unfair. It's unfair treatment to exclude me from the competition just because I'm a woman."
"Uh..."
What should I explain?!
"But I won't ask any further since it's a matter decided by the lord."
"Thank you..."
In the original novel, the Pimaang Baron, who grew up in the sea of the Empire, was good at swimming and provoked everyone.
And the men who wanted to impress the protagonist fell for the provocation and had a swimming competition...
"The man who wins this competition will have the right to take a walk alone with Valentine."
"......"
"......"
The men started to notice Valentine's reaction.
Noticing that, she said,
"It's Baron Amolang's command. Don't doubt it. And as a knight, you should do your best in everything. Even if it would damage the honor of the person you serve."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
I followed the detailed rules of the swimming competition in the original novel.
"Start."
Splash! Splash! Splash...!
Starting from the riverbank, we went upstream against the resistance of the flowing river.
'I can't lose!'
Swimming is not a sport that is determined solely by muscle mass and body shape among men.
Splashing!
With confidence in my technique and stamina, I swam forward without paying attention to the others.
And finally,
Splash!
"Phew!"
As I came up to the shore where Valentine could see, I looked around.
'Is nobody here?'
It seemed I was the first to reach her side.
"...My lord, it was a wonderful competition that cannot be fully described as manly."
"Thank you, Valentine."
If only my swordsmanship skills were half as good as my swimming.
I dried my body and waited for the rest of the group to arrive.
'It's taking longer than I thought?'
If they were late because they were watching me, it would hurt their pride a lot.
How long did I wait?
Eventually, they appeared one by one.
Splash! Splash!
"Huff! Huff!"
The completely exhausted men lay down as soon as they came up to the shore.
"Hmm. It seems it was difficult for them."
The protagonist's men, who had worse bodies than them, managed it without any problems?
They must be faking it.
"It's natural that it was difficult. The river was flooded due to recent rain. It's a relief that there were no casualties."
"Well, in that case..."
I pretended to move on casually, but inside I was relieved and brushed my chest.
'You should have told me that earlier!'
I'm not a native of this neighborhood, and it's my first time seeing this river. I thought the current was always like this.
As she said, it's really fortunate that there were no casualties.
"Is there anyone who objects to Baron Amolang's victory?"
"No."
"No."
The resting servants and knights declared their defeat together.
"My lord, the legitimate winner of the competition. Will you escort me?"
"I'm clumsy, but."
After putting on my clothes, I reached out my hand to Valentine.
She carefully placed her calloused hand on my palm.
"Shall we go?"
"Anywhere..."
There's no plan after this.
If we don't find the hut during our walk, we'll give up cleanly!
But I didn't expect it since it was a place we had already searched once.
"......"
"......"
We held each other's hands and walked silently along the river.
Rustle~
A warm breeze blew as if to comfort me, who was disappointed that I couldn't find the treasure.
"My lord!"
"Yes?"
"Up ahead...!"
"What's in front- Oh!"
As the mist cleared with the wind, the scenery changed and the hut appeared.
"True love... I can't believe that legend was true..."
"I agree. I never thought the treasure would actually be hidden here."
"......."
"Let's go quickly."
We headed towards the hut standing in the middle of the ruins.
Having achieved our goal, Valentine and I returned to the Duchy of Somac.
"Oh! Seeing the safe appearance of Baron Amolang, my mind is at ease!"
"It seems that things went well for you, Your Grace."
Just by looking at the bright expression of the Duke who welcomed me with open arms, I could tell.
"Yes! It went very well!"
"What was the atmosphere like?"
"Do you think the baron who planned all this doesn't know everything?"
"I'm not a god."
"It sounds like you know everything but just want to confirm."
"Ha, ha..."
It's not wrong to say that.
"When the prince declared that he would push for the marriage, the whole country fell into chaos. Ignoring Angelina's Chimac seems so important. Tsk tsk."
That's right.
Not the main wife, but a concubine.
A hollow wife who gives birth to a child without the right to inherit the throne.
That's why the position was something that noble young ladies with strong self-esteem would absolutely avoid.
The prince pretended not to be obsessed with Angelina to the point of proposing such a concubine, but in reality, it was the opposite.
It was a trap for the trade.
"I heard that the hesitant Count Chimac accepted the marriage on the condition that his daughter would be promoted to the prince's wife, not a concubine."
"That's good."
"I secretly hoped that it would go beyond Baron Amolang's expectations, but... it became a reality without a single variable."
Duke Somac grumbled with a smirk at the corners of his mouth.
"Is the friend I sent doing well?"
"If it's the young royal family of the Desert Kingdom, they must be behaving quietly with their siblings."
"Take good care of him. He'll pay you back with interest later."
"...Baron. Will he really become the next king of the Desert Kingdom?"
"He will. As long as his existence is not discovered early, it will definitely happen within 2 years when the civil war in the Desert Kingdom ends."
"Hmm. Keep your mouth shut."
As soon as I returned to the Duchy of Somac, I had to be dragged into the office without rest and reassured.
'He must be anxious.'
Becoming a king means becoming a traitor.
Failure leads to the downfall of the family!
Since I started impulsively, relying only on my prophecy, I have no choice but to rely on it, whether I like it or not.
"Baron. When do you think the Empire will declare war?"
"Before the wedding."
"Hmm. If there's anything else to do besides preparing for war, feel free to speak."
"There's nothing. It's a matter of dealing with the Empire. We cannot afford to focus on other things."
"It sounds like it's going to be a long war..."
The expression of the Duke, who misunderstood my words, became tense.
'Is there really nothing to do?'
In the romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of the Count's Family>, 99% of the content is about the protagonist's love life.
If you expect too much... Ah!
"Your Grace."
"What do you need?"
"Please lend me Valentine for a few more days."
"There's no need to ask. Valentine will be the exclusive knight of Baron Amolang from now on. It would be disgraceful for a baron not to have a single knight to accompany him."
"Thank you."
"But where are you going again?"
"I won't go far. There's a treasure I want to check."
"Treasure...?"
The Duke looked into my eyes with a bewildered gaze.
"If Angelina Chimac didn't take it, it should be there."
"Is it an important treasure?"
"It's a sword."
"...Don't tell me, you're talking about the legendary sword that can only be found by true love?"
"That's the sword."
"Even you can't do it, Baron! Do you know how much I was scolded by my wife because I couldn't find that sword? It's not just me. It's a tragic story that almost all the men in the Somac territory have experienced!"
"Really..."
It was a sad story that even I, who haven't married yet, could sympathize with.
"Or does it mean that you are confident in your love?"
"No way. There's no need to know such superstitions if you know the location."
"Hehe! Superstition..."
"Why are you laughing?"
"Go and try to find it. I'll be looking forward to the day you fail."
"Ah, yes."
I vowed to show the landowner what I was capable of.
* * *
In the novel, there were often lively stories of the protagonist going on picnics surrounded by handsome men.
Flower gardens, beaches, lakes, villas...
The author, who disliked repetition, changed the location every time, but ironically, it was the same picnic with only the location changed.
Did she realize that fact?
The author came up with a picnic with a different subject than before.
"My lord, do you think you can find that sword?"
"You're asking the same question as the Duke, Valentine. Do you think I can't find it?"
"Yes. My father, who claimed his innocence by saying that he had no other woman, was tormented by my mother for three years because he couldn't find the sword."
"Really..."
There were too many sad stories in this neighborhood.
'But I'm different.'
In the novel, the protagonist's picnic locations were described in detail.
This place is famous for its cuisine, legends, scenery, rumors, and so on...
The same is true for the location where the legendary sword I'm looking for is hidden.
'It said that in the southwest of the Somac territory's port city, there's a river, and if you go upstream, there's a vast plain, and on the land that hasn't been developed yet, there are old ruins and a hut.'
I predicted the approximate location of the thatched hut where the treasure was hidden and told Valentine.
"Valentine. Let's look for the thatched hut together from now on. It's big enough for 10 adults to fit in, so it'll be easy to find."
"It doesn't seem to be there."
There was nothing in the golden wheat field that stretched across the horizon.
"It must be there."
"...I'll search diligently as much as you're confident, My lord."
"Thank you, Valentine. Regardless of the search results, let's meet here when the sun goes down."
"Yes, Baron."
As a result of the search conducted by me, Sir Valentine, her servant, and attendants, a total of 8 people...
'Why isn't it here?!'
Even if the patient took the treasure, the 'place where the treasure is hidden' should still be there.
But there wasn't even a small hut where one person, let alone ten adults, could fit, even if we looked with washed eyes.
"My lord. We'll search a wider area when the sun rises tomorrow."
"...No. I think I was a bit arrogant."
"Are you giving up?"
"No. There's a path leading to the hut where the treasure is hidden. Tomorrow, I plan to follow that faithfully."
I decided to recreate the picnic in the original novel exactly the same.
* * *
"My lord, are you looking for the treasure?"
"Yes. I'm searching hard."
"While enjoying the chocolate cake and warm coffee bought from the city?"
"......"
I couldn't think of anything to say in response to Valentine's remark.
"The weather is nice."
"I feel sleepy."
"Hmm~ The smell of coffee..."
The servants and attendants also joined us, laying a mat next to us.
'Is it roughly similar?'
Valentine, the only woman here, takes on the role of Angelina Chimac, and the rest are the male roles of the protagonist!
"Really..."
Let's move on, as the gender balance was right, even though the appearance and status of the men were as different as heaven and earth.
What's next?
"From now on, everyone except Valentine will take off their clothes. Oh! Don't take off your underwear, as it will be censored."
"Censored?"
"That's right."
The romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of the Count's Family> was for all ages, so the handsome men couldn't take off all their clothes.
And the muscular bodies of the men that were exposed to the world!
'Wow...'
I can guarantee.
The faces of the 'protagonist's men' were much better, but below the face, they were more manly...
Except for me!
"My lord, are you planning to find the hut underwater?"
Valentine, who sat on a flat rock next to the river at my command, asked while looking at the flowing river.
Unlike the protagonist who was busy judging with rolling eyes, she had no interest in the men's bodies.
Let's move on to this extent.
"We're going to have a swimming competition among men."
"It's a bit unfair. It's unfair treatment to exclude me from the competition just because I'm a woman."
"Uh..."
What should I explain?!
"But I won't ask any further since it's a matter decided by the lord."
"Thank you..."
In the original novel, the Pimaang Baron, who grew up in the sea of the Empire, was good at swimming and provoked everyone.
And the men who wanted to impress the protagonist fell for the provocation and had a swimming competition...
"The man who wins this competition will have the right to take a walk alone with Valentine."
"......"
"......"
The men started to notice Valentine's reaction.
Noticing that, she said,
"It's Baron Amolang's command. Don't doubt it. And as a knight, you should do your best in everything. Even if it would damage the honor of the person you serve."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
I followed the detailed rules of the swimming competition in the original novel.
"Start."
Splash! Splash! Splash...!
Starting from the riverbank, we went upstream against the resistance of the flowing river.
'I can't lose!'
Swimming is not a sport that is determined solely by muscle mass and body shape among men.
Splashing!
With confidence in my technique and stamina, I swam forward without paying attention to the others.
And finally,
Splash!
"Phew!"
As I came up to the shore where Valentine could see, I looked around.
'Is nobody here?'
It seemed I was the first to reach her side.
"...My lord, it was a wonderful competition that cannot be fully described as manly."
"Thank you, Valentine."
If only my swordsmanship skills were half as good as my swimming.
I dried my body and waited for the rest of the group to arrive.
'It's taking longer than I thought?'
If they were late because they were watching me, it would hurt their pride a lot.
How long did I wait?
Eventually, they appeared one by one.
Splash! Splash!
"Huff! Huff!"
The completely exhausted men lay down as soon as they came up to the shore.
"Hmm. It seems it was difficult for them."
The protagonist's men, who had worse bodies than them, managed it without any problems?
They must be faking it.
"It's natural that it was difficult. The river was flooded due to recent rain. It's a relief that there were no casualties."
"Well, in that case..."
I pretended to move on casually, but inside I was relieved and brushed my chest.
'You should have told me that earlier!'
I'm not a native of this neighborhood, and it's my first time seeing this river. I thought the current was always like this.
As she said, it's really fortunate that there were no casualties.
"Is there anyone who objects to Baron Amolang's victory?"
"No."
"No."
The resting servants and knights declared their defeat together.
"My lord, the legitimate winner of the competition. Will you escort me?"
"I'm clumsy, but."
After putting on my clothes, I reached out my hand to Valentine.
She carefully placed her calloused hand on my palm.
"Shall we go?"
"Anywhere..."
There's no plan after this.
If we don't find the hut during our walk, we'll give up cleanly!
But I didn't expect it since it was a place we had already searched once.
"......"
"......"
We held each other's hands and walked silently along the river.
Rustle~
A warm breeze blew as if to comfort me, who was disappointed that I couldn't find the treasure.
"My lord!"
"Yes?"
"Up ahead...!"
"What's in front- Oh!"
As the mist cleared with the wind, the scenery changed and the hut appeared.
"True love... I can't believe that legend was true..."
"I agree. I never thought the treasure would actually be hidden here."
"......."
"Let's go quickly."
We headed towards the hut standing in the middle of the ruins.
