The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 05: Inviting the Duke's Daughter Outside

Chapter 05: Inviting the Duke’s Daughter Outside

The next day, having taken a day off, I found myself standing in front of Alicia’s room, ready to invite her out.

Before knocking on the door, I made sure to clear away any magic worms lingering in front of it. 

They always sneak in through the cracks of the mansion, but it’s the same outcome every time—I squash them.

“Hmm… would it be weird to just go suddenly?” 

We haven’t even had a meal together yet, nor have we fought side by side.

So, how should we become friends? 

I know what to do.

I’ve heard that at the academy, there’s something called a tea party for socializing. 

Why not try something similar?

Enjoying coffee elegantly in the morning and having breakfast while chatting. 

Girls love a lovely morning like that.

“Good morning, Lady Alicia, it’s time for breakfast.”

No answer came after knocking.

It would be easier if I could just open the door, but that’s not quite appropriate when the other person is a lady.

Thud! Clang!

The door creaked alarmingly under my knocks. 

“Everyone loves a great morning! Let’s eat together!”

“I’m up! I’m up, so come in! The door’s going to break!”

Good, she seems to be awake.

Unlike some nobles who lack the courage to face their end, I was worried she might be of the sort to take drastic measures, but it seems she’s alright.

“Excuse me.”

Pushing the breakfast cart into the room, I saw Alicia sitting quietly in her chair like a captured princess. 

She gave me a slightly sullen look, glaring at me.

“You’re so rough, what if you broke the door?” 

“If it breaks, we’ll just fix it. Things in the Brave territory break all the time. Thanks to that, I’ve gotten pretty good at repairs.” 

When I was a child, it was normal for things around the house to get destroyed. 

If a war started, the nearby villages often turned into burnt fields. 

Even a monster rampage could do it easily. 

Yet, the people living in the Brave territory have the resilience of weeds.

“Is that so…” 

“Anyway, let’s have breakfast!” 

The breakfast I brought, as suggested by one of the surviving maids in this mansion, was a ham sandwich. 

Such soft bread never appears at my breakfast table. 

Boys in the Brave family are basically fed monsters. 

It’s poison, but if you’re used to eating it from a young age, it’s surprisingly not bad.

“Anyway, you say…” 

“It’s my first time having breakfast with a lady, so I might not know the proper manners. I’d appreciate it if you could point them out as we go along.” 

I moved the plate with the sandwich from the cart to the table and started making coffee. 

“Do you want milk? How about sugar? In the Brave territory, it’s said that ladies like their coffee sweet.”

As she remained silent, I kept talking. 

“…I don’t know,” Alicia murmured just that. 

“I’ve never had it, so I don’t know. We normally had tea at home.” 

“Is that so?” 

Not drinking coffee seems like a waste. 

Isn’t it commonly and cheaply available in this world?

In fact, tea is so expensive that we always drink coffee at home.

Do nobles really prefer fancy tea over simple coffee? 

Nope, tea just doesn’t cut it for me. 

I need my caffeine fix in the morning to get through paperwork. 

And sometimes, we have to stay awake and fight all night, right? 

In the Brave territory, cheap coffee is what keeps us strong.

“Sorry we couldn’t get tea ready, since we’re out here in the countryside.” 

“I don’t mind…” 

Alicia said, and then she took a big gulp of her coffee without adding anything. 

They say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” but not many actually follow through. 

She didn’t complain at all, which is pretty impressive.

“Cough, cough, it’s bitter…” 

And then she coughed. 

“That’s because you drank it black… Let’s start with something sweet.” 

If you’re not used to it, that’s what happens, right? 

I don’t like tea that I’m not used to either. 

I would like to offer her something familiar, but tea is too expensive here on the frontier.

“This is sweet; I can drink this.” 

“Be careful with unsweetened coffee if you’re not used to it. It might keep you up at night. Ahh, this smoothness.” 

I enjoyed my coffee too. 

I usually drink black coffee in the morning for work, but I’m really into sweet stuff. 

I love drinks so sweet you can’t tell if it’s coffee or milk. 

Life in another world is hard, so our coffee might as well be sweet, right?

“After you eat, I’ll send someone over, so let’s get dressed and go outside. Staying cooped up in your room isn’t good for your body or your mind.” 

The best way to forget about hard times is to exercise. 

It’s okay to take out your feelings of revenge on monsters. 

No matter how many you kill, they just keep coming back, right?

“I’ve been wondering,” 

Alicia looked intently at my face while holding her cup. 

“Why did you bring breakfast yourself when there are servants?” 

“Well, because we’re short on help. If needed, the servants fight too, and most of them have died in battle.” 

“…Is that so?”

Alicia gasped upon hearing this, probably realizing why this place is called the forsaken land. 

But don’t worry. The Brave family has a duty to stand on the front lines, but women don’t have to. 

Of course, if they want to stand, they’re more than welcome. 

Women who choose to stand are highly respected here. 

So—

“Lady Alicia, you are admirable.” 

I said, lifting the hair near her left eye to look at a scar. 

She might not want to remember that scar. 

She might resist a bit, but I acknowledge it. 

“Here, it’s a symbol of pride and courage, a sign that you’ve fought bravely.” 

“…” 

Death is the end, but she survived. 

In the Brave family, a defeat without death is not considered a loss. 

Surviving stubbornly and standing up again is what’s truly honorable. 

“Of course, I have my own scars too.”

I pushed my bangs aside to show the scar on my forehead. 

It’s a cut from an orc attack during my childhood, still visible. 

That experience taught me the fear of battle, but also how to overcome it, leading me to where I am today.

“We don’t deny our scars here. In fact, we take pride in them.” 

Saying this, I realized I had gotten incredibly close to Alicia while showing her the scar. 

I was just trying to look at the scar, but ended up grabbing her chin, a bit too roughly.

It was a mistake, the kind I’d make when examining the wounds of a soldier.

“Hahaha, well, one reason I brought breakfast was to have this chat with you.”

I quickly changed the subject and let go of her hand. 

“This territory might be full of rough folks and seem empty, but it’s rich in nature. How about we take a walk together? Against the backdrop of nature, human conflicts seem so trivial here.”

“Trivial…”

In the face of nature, we humans are indeed just a small part of something much larger. 

Dragons, Fenrir, giants—they’re all part of it too. 

Noble duels are even more insignificant by comparison.

“I’ll go…”

As I was thinking, Alicia softly spoke up. 

“Would you show me around this land?” 

“Yes, I’d be happy to.” 

Her eyes were different than they were five days ago, showing a bit of brightness.

They were the kind of eyes I liked.