Chapter 37: His Excellency the Governor’s “Gift”

Seweina rode south, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

‘I’m the Northern Border Cavalry Governor, holding the Empire’s most elite border defense forces, yet now I’m acting like a messenger running errands for the higher-ups?’

Although her relationship with Prime Minister Victoria wasn’t bad, it was purely a work relationship between superior and subordinate, with almost no private contact or communication.

‘A exiled useless duke, is he worth Her Excellency’s personal attention?’

She reined in her horse and stood on a hillside, looking into the distance.

The fortress was at the northernmost border, while the Klein family’s fiefdom, the ancient castle, was inland, about half a day’s fast ride from the fortress.

This distance was neither close nor far, allowing a round trip in a day.

But if she wanted to “observe” thoroughly, she also had a reason to stay.

‘Forget it, I’ll just treat it as a trip to relax.’

She urged her horse forward.

After walking for about another half hour, Seweina suddenly pulled the reins.

‘The road has changed this much?’

She looked down at the road surface.

Gravel base, sand filling the gaps, packed solid—this kind of road wouldn’t leave deep ruts even when carts ran over it.

She vaguely remembered that when she last patrolled here, this road was a muddy mess, with carts getting stuck for a long time.

But now…

Seweina dismounted, stomped the ground with her boots, then crouched down and touched it with her hand.

‘It’s been repaired so neatly?’

She led her horse a short distance.

The farmland on both sides of the road, previously abandoned, had been tilled.

Although not fully planted, there were signs of cultivation.

Further ahead, she saw a hunter’s cottage.

That cottage she had seen on previous trips—so dilapidated it was almost collapsing.

But now it had been completely renovated.

A few freshly peeled animal hides hung by the door.

An old hunter sat at the doorway, skillfully skinning a wolf with a small knife, his movements swift.

“Excuse me, sir.”

The old hunter looked up, his knife pausing.

“G-Governess?”

Seweina was a little surprised that this old hunter recognized her.

But then she thought, the north was only so big, and she often led patrols, so it wasn’t strange that he knew her.

“You’ve come!”

The old hunter stood up, wiped his hands on his pants, looking a bit nervous.

“I came to ask about something.”

Seweina got straight to the point.

“At the ancient castle, has a duke named Rex arrived?”

The old hunter nodded eagerly.

“Yes, yes! Lord Rex came many months ago. He’s living in that castle over there.”

“What has he done since he arrived?”

“Plenty!”

The old hunter’s tone became enthusiastic.

“His Lordship gave us food and helped repair our houses. Look at my house—His Lordship led the renovation. And this road, you know how hard it was before, now it’s so smooth.”

Seweina frowned slightly.

“Are you saying all these changes here were done by him alone?”

“Exactly!”

The old hunter pointed at the distant farmland.

“Over there, they planted rye and winterroot, and they’re growing exceptionally well! His Lordship also built a waterwheel to divert river water into the fields. I’ve never seen crops grow so well in my farmland for years.”

Seweina was left silent by the old hunter’s words.

“Then, can you take me to see him? I have some things I need to ask him directly.”

The old hunter naturally didn’t dare hesitate.

He bent down, rolled up the skinned wolf hide, shouldered it, and signaled Seweina to follow.

“Didn’t you keep this meat for yourself?”

“No, Governess. This is meant for Lord Rex. He’s helped us so much, this is a small token of my gratitude.”

“Gratitude?”

Seweina didn’t respond, but a different thought suddenly occurred to her.

She remembered that she had once written reports to the Imperial Capital requesting repairs to the northern roads and houses, but each time they disappeared without a trace, not even a reply.

Those nobles didn’t care at all about the survival of the North.

And this man, called “useless,” had come and repaired the road without a word?

Without even giving her a heads-up?

‘Those nobles in the Imperial Capital are truly more despicable than the next!’

Seweina muttered softly, but her tone clearly wasn’t disgust towards Rex.

At this moment, toward that “useless duke” she had never met, she instead felt a strange, indescribable feeling.

Not fondness, but…

Confusion.

‘How could a exiled useless man accomplish what the nobles in the Imperial Capital couldn’t?’

“Governess, we’re here.”

The old hunter’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

Seweina looked up.

A young man was standing in the yard in front of the ancient castle, holding a saw and sawing a piece of wood.

His movements were clumsy, looking very unskilled.

He had been sawing for a long time and only cut a small fraction, with wood chips sticking to his head, looking a bit comical.

But he sawed very intently, focused to the point that he didn’t look up even as Seweina and the old hunter approached.

“Lord Rex!”

The old hunter called out.

Seweina saw his face clearly.

But the aura about him…

Seweina couldn’t describe it.

Not the nobility of an aristocrat, nor the sharpness of a soldier, but a kind of…

Couldn’t-care-less attitude.

“Are you Rex von Klein?”

She said coldly.

Rex looked her over.

“That’s me. Who are you?”

“Seweina von Lyon.”

Her chin lifted slightly, her tone carrying a soldier’s crispness and authority.

“Northern Border Cavalry Governor. Sent to check on your situation.”

Rex finished listening, then lowered his head to continue sawing.

“Oh. I’ve been fine lately.”

“Oh? Is that your attitude?”

Her voice unconsciously rose a few notches.

The old hunter sensed the tension and quietly carried the wolf hide into the castle, handed it to Hilda inside, then hurriedly slipped away.

When Rex finally cut through the wood, he leaned the saw against the wall, brushed the sawdust off his hands, and looked at Seweina.

“Then what attitude should I have? Should I kneel to you now?”

“Don’t you want to ask why the Prime Minister sent me to see you?”

“If you want to say it, say it. If not, I won’t force you.”

“You…!”

Seweina was completely speechless.

As the Northern Governor, she had seen all kinds of people, but this was the first time she had met someone who completely didn’t care about her.

As if her coming or going, whatever she said, made no difference to him.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable anger.

“I rode half a day from the fortress to see you. Is this how you treat a guest?”

Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

“Can’t you invite me in to sit down?”

Rex looked at her, then at the cut piece of wood, as if hesitating whether to finish the work first or entertain this “honored guest.”

“No problem. How about I finish this little bit of work first?”

Seweina looked down at the piece of wood, then suddenly reached out and grasped her sword hilt.

A flash of cold light.

Rex didn’t see her draw the sword.

He only heard a few swish, swish, swish sounds, and in the span of a few breaths, the piece of wood standing upright was cut into a neat pile of fragments.

Seweina sheathed her sword, her movements crisp and clean.

“Are you free now?”

Seweina’s tone was clearly impatient.

Rex looked down at the neat pile of wood chips, then regarded her with a bit more seriousness.

“Your swordsmanship is quite impressive.”

His tone carried genuine admiration.

Seweina was stunned.

She thought this man would be furious, or would show aristocratic displeasure at her rudeness.

But he calmly praised her.

“Yo-“

“Please follow me, Governor.”

Rex turned and walked toward the castle entrance, actively pushing the door open to indicate she should enter first.

Seweina stood there, the inexplicable anger in her heart inexplicably dissipating by more than half.