「(I give up…… In this situation, what would Sheeta do, I wonder.)」(Valin)
Since he had never seen Valetta so downhearted, Valin sighed while recalling his late wife.
Even four years ago, when Valin returned from being dispatched as a soldier in the war and told Valetta who was waiting in Grisea village that her mother killed in action, Valetta hadn’t become this depressed.
Perhaps, at that time while seeing the appearance of her father apologizing and hugging her while shedding tears, Valetta had consciously decided to support her father rather than show her grieving appearance for losing her mother.
In fact, after that Valetta always interacted with Valin with a smile that she always kept, whether it be farm work or house chores.
No one could see that she was sad from losing her mother even for a bit. Valin didn’t know how long it took, but he was saved by Valetta’s cheerful behavior.
But that Valetta had currently become this depressed.
It was pathetic, however, Valin didn’t have any idea on how to deal with Valetta.
「Valin-dono」(Soldier)
While Valin was worrying alone, one of the bodyguard escorts that was guarding the carriage from behind, rode his rata closer to the carriage and called out to Valin.
「May I sit beside you?」(Soldier)
「Ah, yes, you’re welcome.」(Valin)
When the man heard Valin’s answer, he nimbly dismounted from rata and tied the reins to the carriage’s tail. While the carriage still moving, he agilely jumped upon it and sat down.
「I also have a daughter, this year she will turn 16…… Do you want to drink?」(Soldier)
The man pulled out a leather canteen from his breast pocket, after uncorking it and taking a single gulp, he offered it to Valin.
「Thank you very much. Do you live together with your daughter?」(Valin)
Answering the man, Valin took a seat at the carriage rear beside the man and tasted the liquid inside the leather canteen.
The liquid had a tint of sourness and his nose picked up a faint scent of citrus fruits.
It reminded Valin of the same scent of herb tea that Kazura had made before.
「She didn’t obey me respectfully. She dislikes formal speaking. I dare say I was helpless in dealing with her, she was just like a brat until recently.」(Soldier)
The man spoke as if he was telling a joke whilst laughing lightly, Valin also laughed together with him.
It seems that this man had become worried for Valin who began to be depressed after seeing Valetta become so downhearted and so he was accompanying him for a talk.
「My daughter married half a year ago. Now she is living at her husband’s house. Sometimes she would come to my house and deliver the herbs she collected, but since I can only see her once in 10 days, it’s kinda lonely.」(Soldier)
When the man told Valin about this, he turned his head around to take a glance at Valetta who was sitting inside the carriage.
「I can see that she has been feeling downhearted since the beginning of our ride, did something happen?」(Soldier)
「No, I don’t really understand….. Until we left Isteria, there nothing happened.」(Valin)
「……Isn’t the cause was because she was separated from the man who was staying at the Lord’s residence?」(Soldier)
「No, Kazura-sama didn’t have any fault. But…… Umm……」(Valin)
When the man pointed out the problem in a low voice, Valin remembered the time when she was separated from Kazura and made a groan.
Kazura and Valetta were extremely close.
It was to the extent, that they were looking like a pair of lovers, they were always together in the village and doing everything together.
That’s why, when it was decided that Kazura would part from them for several days and Valetta had become terribly sad, it’s not like Valin didn’t understand her.
However, no matter how he looked at it, her depression was too much.
The usual Valetta would, even when something painful or sorrowful happened, would quickly cheer up and behave cheerfully.
Furthermore, even though they were separated from Kazura this time since the person himself said that he would only stay in Isteria for 3 days, then they would meet again in 5 days.
Although Nelson’s side had believed that Kazura is Greysior-sama, as expected maybe she was worried about Kazura, however, Valin felt that it was different in many ways.
「Well, if it is really a love affair, then no matter how much a father worried and interfered, the result wouldn’t be satisfactory. Maybe you should leave her alone for a while, and leave these things to the other females.」(Soldier)
「Yeah……」(Valin)