Camps were set up, and an appetizing smell came from the food being prepared on the fireplace. The knights made makeshift seats for each person to sit on while the maids served the food to everyone.
The scene was quite a lively and jovial one.
"Oh? It’s Chief Zerina! Please have a meal with us".
Bob invited her to sit with everyone. After the incident in Toto Village and Baron Chetak’s city, where they had to fight together side by side, they became close enough to see each other as comrades.
What’s more, Zerina’s might also warranted his respect. It was not only him, the other knights had also started to see the demi humans differently. At the very least, they were looking at her as if she was another human.
Seeing everyone exchange stories and strike up a conversation with her, Reinhardt nodded his head in satisfaction. He found a seat for himself to sit on before having his meal.
"Lord Reinhardt," As the headmaid, she dutifully sat beside him, a moderate distance between them.
"Thanks for your help."
"No need for thanks, it is my duty. However, it still makes me jealous that you would embrace another woman and not me inside your carriage. Is she your type?"
Anastasia glared at him with clear resentment in her eyes. It is said that a jealous woman is quite scary. Reinhardt found it to be quite true.
"That..." He cannot say that it was true as such; he could only change the subject.
"How about you ride with me tomorrow? As my maid, it is only natural that you sit in the same carriage as me".
"Really?! Hehe, I am grateful".
In the distance, Bob was happily chatting with the others, unaware of the conversation going on here.
After the dinner, except for the scouts, everyone retired to their camps. The next morning, the convoy began its journey at the crack of the dawn.
Anastasia changed her carriage and sat on the one that Reinhardt was on, as if it were the most natural thing. Nobody doubted anything, after all, she was a maid who served the Arcknight family.
"Ana, if you don’t feel well, you can tell me or the Commander. We can cast [Cure All] for you," Bob called out from his horse.
"Sigh, honey you worry too much. It was only one time during our way to the capital that I felt unwell. You don’t need to bring that up every time. I am the head maid remember, I can’t keep my image if you keep saying stuff like that."
Their usual marital drama was not new to everyone here. Some of the knights who were jealous of Bob having such a beautiful wife laughed at him ,seeing him getting scolded by her.
And so another day of the journey began. By the time it was night again, the convoy had covered a significant distance. To get to the capital from their territory, it took exactly three days on a carriage.
That is to say, they should be arriving at their destination after another day.
Camps was set up, the maids and Knights all got to work. When the door to the Reinhardt’s carriage was opened, a flushed and slightly dishevelled looking Anastasia came out.
Stepping out after her was Reinhardt. So as to not raise any suspicions, the headmaid quickly got to work and helped with the preparation for everyone’s meal.
Sniff... Sniff... At this moment, Zerina came up to him.
"You... what kind of relation do you have with that maid?"
She questioned, her eyes staring straight at him.
"What do you mean? She is one of the maids employed by our family." Reinhardt tried to feign ignorance. However, it seemed like the panther woman could see through everything.
"Although my nose is not as good as the Therianthrope tribe, it is still very sensitive. I can smell the heavy bodily scent of you two coming from the carriage and from each other. Plus, my womanly instinct is telling me that you two definitely did it inside."
Being subjected to her gaze, his eyes twitched. The thing called the woman’s intuition was quite dreadful. Even though they made sure there was no sign of the activity they did inside remained, Zerina still found it out.
"Well, what you do with your maid is none of my concern. However, it still bugs me that you would tell me to ride on another carriage just because you wanted to do it with her. It hurts my pride you know... grrr".
So that was the case, Reinhardt finally realised why this panther girl was so hostile. It was because she thought that he preferred doing it with the maid over her that she was now confronting him.
To appease her, he offered her to ride with him for the rest of the journey, to and from the capital.
.
On the night of the third day, when Reinhardt’s carriage came to a stop, the two women travelling with him both stepped out with flushed faces and slightly dishevelled clothes.
"Commander!" Around the campfire, the knights were merrily eating the delicious meals cooked for them. Coincidentally, the one who sat next to him was Bob. He called out to him while staring at his plate.
"What’s wrong? Don’t have the appetite?"
"It’s not that" Bob shook his head and confided, "I feel like Ana is trying too hard. Even though she knew she would get sick if she rode a carriage, she still tried to act tough. As the headmaid, I know she can’t look weak in front of her subordinates. However, if she feels unwell, shouldn’t she rest for a while? Yesterday and even today, when she came out of the carriage, she looked quite tired and sweaty".
The spoon that he had just raised stopped. Reinhardt looked at his adjutant Bob with a strange expression in his eyes. This guy... he couldn’t have figured out their relationship, right?
Thankfully, Bob was dense; the next words that came out of his mouth practically proved it.