Observing the women brought by the village chief, Albert couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
'Damn… did you really think I would choose those hippos over my Gwen?' he thought.
To him, it was no different from throwing away a diamond to pick up a piece of shit.
Outwardly, however, he maintained a casual smile and politely rejected the offer, fully aware that their standards of beauty were completely different from his own.
"Are they not to your liking, Sir Noble?" the village chief asked, glancing toward Gwen. "I'm certain they can provide much better companionship."
"No need," Albert replied firmly, his gaze also turning toward Gwen. "I already have my own assistant, and she is more than enough for me."
Gwen looked visibly moved by his words.
The village chief still seemed unconvinced and looked ready to persuade him further, but upon noticing the clear displeasure on Albert's face, he wisely decided to drop the matter.
'It seems the rumors are true', the village chief thought with a tinge of regret. 'Nobles always have peculiar tastes… but this preference is rather extreme.'
He soon left.
The young women who had accompanied him wore expressions of mixed disgust and envy as they looked at Gwen, but they knew better than to openly oppose a noble.
In the end, they departed without causing any trouble.
After seeing them off, Albert and his escort prepared to have dinner.
"Huh? Why is everyone standing around? Come, have a seat," Albert said when he noticed the others remaining near the table instead of sitting.
The group exchanged glances.
Captain Gareth answered carefully, "Young Master, it is generally considered rude for servants to sit and eat at the same table as a noble, so…"
"No need for formalities when you're with me," Albert interrupted. "You're here to protect me, right? This is the least I can do to show my gratitude."
Hearing those words, their already high impression of their Young Master rose even further.
All of them sat down and began enjoying the meal together.
While eating, Albert asked, "How long will it take us to reach our destination?"
"Normally, it would take about a week," Captain Gareth replied. "But with the war horses, we can significantly reduce the travel time. I estimate around three to four days."
Albert fell into thought.
'That's not too long. It should still be relatively safe while we're inside Father's territory. The real danger will only begin once we reach the Great Forest in the north, which borders Count Spina's land.'
He tried to recall the location of the item he was seeking.
The person who posted about it only mentioned the Great Forest without giving any exact location.
They just said [You will know it when you saw it…] Albert felt a headache coming on.
That meant they would have to search the entire forest with nothing more than a vague clue about its uniqueness.
He had also considered looking for other items, but most of them were related to Valkyries and were located in far more dangerous places.
Besides, he first needed to become a talented Gifter before he could even think about claiming a Valkyrie.
Good looks might help a little, but in the end, talent and potential were what truly mattered when it came to binding a Valkyrie.
Just as Albert was lost in thought, Gwen gently tapped his shoulder, pulling him back to the present.
"Young Master, we have finished the meal. I believe it is time to rest."
Only then did he realize that dinner had already ended without him noticing.
"Ahem… yes, let's do that."
Everyone stood up and began tidying the table while Albert headed toward the room with Gwen.
Once inside, he noticed a single bed large enough for two people, along with a small private bathroom.
The moment his eyes landed on the bathroom, an idea sparked in his mind.
"Gwen, would you mind assisting me with my bath?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Inside, however, he was filled with both excitement and nervousness.
...Being bathed by a beautiful woman had always been one of his fantasies.
Gwen's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she quickly nodded with clear enthusiasm.
"If you find it helpful, I am more than happy to accompany you, Young Master."
As expected, she agreed without hesitation.
Albert began undressing and headed into the bathroom first, knowing it would take Gwen some time to remove her armor.
He offered to help, but she politely declined, saying she couldn't let him do that kind of work for her.
Since he would soon have that body all to himself anyway, Albert simply shrugged and went ahead.
A lewd smile tugged at his lips as he imagined what the beautiful blonde knight's body would look like underneath all that armor.
_
_
_
Inside the bathroom, there wasn't much... just a bathtub, a stool, and a large tub of water nearby.
Albert had already taken out the soap from his storage pouch, something his father had thoughtfully prepared.
He sat down on the stool and waited eagerly for Gwen to join him.
After a while, he heard the door creak open behind him.
Instinctively, he turned his head to look.
And the sight that greeted him nearly made his nose bleed.
'Big…!'
Albert's gaze locked onto Gwen, who stood there nervously covering herself with nothing but a towel.
Her previously tied hair had come loose and now cascaded down to her shoulders.
Her ample bosom strained against the towel, which struggled to contain everything.
Fair, flawless skin peeked out from the edges, glowing softly under the light.
Staring at the heavenly scene before him, Albert couldn't help but think:
'Never judge a book by its cover, huh…'
While Gwen's chest wasn't exaggeratedly large like those often depicted in anime, but by his standards it was still more than enough to leave a strong impression.
Meanwhile, Gwen nervously watched Albert, worried that he might find her body disgusting and reject her after all.
Even though he had already shown that he liked her as a person during the carriage ride, years of receiving looks of ridicule and disgust had severely damaged her confidence in her own body.
Her worries, however, proved completely unnecessary.
Albert excitedly called her over.
"Ahem… come wash my back, Gwen. There's no need to be nervous. To me, you are very beautiful."
He tried to sound like a serious and kind master, but the attempt failed completely due to the lewd smile and heated gaze he couldn't hide.
A wave of relief washed over Gwen.
She smiled softly and obediently walked toward him.