After that, Rest proposed returning the ring to Urla, but... she just shook her head and refused to take it back.
On the way back through the forest, he pleaded with her countless times, but the answer was always the same.
Urla stubbornly refused to return the ring that granted command of the covert unit "Sky Demon."
"That's Rest's."
"That's exactly why—I'm not the head of House Lavender..."
"Delegation."
"No, it's not about delegation..."
"Then, until a child is born. Once that happens, I'll return it."
"A child...?!"
The words, delivered as though the matter were already settled, made Rest recoil in shock.
At this rate, he really would end up taking Urla as his wife.
It wasn't that he disliked her. He considered Urla a friend, and she had taken care of him. Personally, he didn't think she was a bad person.
But... just think about it for a moment.
Imagine, for example, an elementary school girl living in your neighborhood. Say there's a girl five or six years younger than you, and one day you're told she's your fiancée.
How many people could genuinely celebrate that with a "Yes! I got a cute fiancée! Hehehehe!"
He didn't dislike Urla, but that was a separate matter entirely.
"His Majesty would probably permit it too."
"The King... no, we wouldn't know until we tried..."
"You're being a sore loser."
"............"
He had to admit, he was being a sore loser.
Perhaps this was simply how noble society worked, but he couldn't bring himself to just accept it.
"Ah, well... Let's talk about this another time. I'll discuss it with my father-in-law, the Marquis of Rosemary, first."
"I look forward to it."
"Yeah... Great..."
At the exact moment Rest answered in a hollow voice, they emerged from the forest.
There, a carriage from House Lavender was waiting, and a maid standing by the door bowed toward them.
"Welcome back, both of you. And... how was it, my lady?"
"Perfect!"
"I'm glad to hear that. Today is the banquet, isn't it?"
"What's with that conversation? Was there some kind of plan I didn't know about?"
Urla and the maid—a woman named Earlie, if he remembered correctly.
Something about their exchange nagged at him, but both of them shook their heads in unison, as though they'd coordinated beforehand.
"Nothing."
"Nothing at all, sir. Please, step into the carriage."
"............"
The maid gestured for him to get inside.
Despite feeling uneasy, Rest climbed in.
The Diamond Bear's carcass had also been loaded onto a following carriage and would be transported by the people of House Lavender.
That would provide the main dish for the meat course.
There had been... all sorts of twists and turns, but the mission to the Lavender Margraviate was now complete.
"Wine, fish, and meat... We've gathered enough ingredients."
With such rare delicacies assembled, the party guests certainly wouldn't be bored.
Serving exquisite cuisine, he was sure it would be a great success.
"That's right... I haven't done anything wrong. Everything that needed to be done has been accomplished. Not a single mistake...!"
"By the way, my lady. You'll be sharing the same bedroom tonight, correct?"
"Of course... bath."
"Yes, and we'll be having a bath together as well. In that case, shall we prepare something nourishing for dinner?"
"I'm looking forward to it."
"............"
The conversation among the women playing out inside the carriage.
Why was it that, despite having achieved every single mission without a single mistake, he felt so cornered?
"I need to escape... with everything I've got."
Rest decided that if it came down to it, he would flee this place with all his strength, without caring about rudeness or impropriety.