Married To A Savage Duke - Chapter 75.1

Axel grumbled inwardly and roughly shot an arrow towards the space slightly away from the doll. As he aimed at the target, it was clear that he hit it right on the mark, so the result was obvious even without looking.

“Ah… I messed up.” Axel, who missed the doll, scratched the back of his head absentmindedly. Cherrul suppressed her laughter and loaded her arrow. It didn’t seem like she would make a mistake, as she had been targeting only the doll’s forehead like a ghost. Perhaps it would have been difficult for Axel to defeat Cherryl with Cade’s wide-open eyes in front of him. Axel, who had to be cautious, felt a bit regretful while Cherryl focused on her hand movements as she held the crossbow. Even if Axel displayed his true skill, she had set unfavorable conditions. If she hit all the dolls within four attempts, she could defeat him.

“Hold it as if you’re bracing, without bending your wrist.” When Cherryl’s turn came, she followed Cade’s advice and fired with the appropriate form, once again hitting the doll. Cherryl covered her mouth in surprise.

“It seems I have some talent.”

“Well done. Would you like to aim for that one this time?” Cade pointed to the target on the highest shelf. It was a wolf doll with gray fur and yellow eyes. For Cherryl, who had only targeted objects at eye level, it was a significantly more challenging task. Cherryl felt her concentration sharpening as she adjusted the angle of the crossbow and carefully released the shot. The rubber arrow flew surprisingly and hit the wolf doll right between the eyes. As Cherryl stared at Cade with a proud expression, he lightly ruffled her hair as if praising her. In the following matches, Cherryl hit the dolls one after another and ultimately emerged victorious.

“The loser owes alcohol.” Axel put down the crossbow and slumped his shoulders. Even though Cherryl had invalidated their bet, he still looked dejected. Cole patted his shoulder firmly as if encouraging him. “I’ll buy you lemonade, so cheer up.”

“I’ll buy it for you——-”

Before Cherryl could finish her sentence, Cade slid a ring onto her finger and pulled her towards him.

“If you have any business, take care of it on your own.” He spoke as if notifying the group, then took her with him, walking briskly. Roy, who followed him without hesitation, seemed unfazed from behind Cherryl.

“Don’t mind us and enjoy your time.”

When she turned around, Roy and Viper were standing a short distance away, with their arms crossed. Cherryl finally realized that those two had been watching the game all along. She felt belated embarrassment, thinking she had been too nervous in front of them.

“To relieve the second youngest’s mood, let’s have a drink!” Cole shouted loudly. Axel, who protested that he wasn’t the second youngest, joined in with a disgruntled voice. On the other hand, Cherryl, who had already slipped away from the group, ended up walking the festival street alone with Cade. Walking side by side, holding hands, disguised in a robe with deeply concealed identity amid the bustling tourists, it felt strange and unfamiliar. It even made her heart flutter as if they were on a date.

Cade lifted the hand holding Cherryl’s fingers and asked her gently.  “Are you enjoying the festival?”

Cherryl glanced at him while watching a puppet show where children had gathered.

“I’m really enjoying it. I’ve been to the village events in Milos’ territory a few times, but this is the first time I’ve been to such a large-scale festival.” Cherryl extended her hand, pointing to the bustling street. “There are endless stalls selling souvenirs, and there are some fascinating decorations imported from the Eastern Kingdom.”

“But you’re empty-handed. You probably weren’t short on money, so was there nothing you wanted to buy?”

“Um… Not really.”

She had been busy sightseeing, and she wasn’t particularly greedy, so she didn’t have anything she wanted to buy.

“In Oslo, there are also many shops that sell rare items near the trading port. Take a look around to see if there’s anything you like.”

As he said, beyond the street vendors on both sides of the road, there were rows of large and small shops. There were boutiques selling jewelry and women’s clothing, antique shops and pastry shops, cafes, and various other types of stores. Even with the street vendors filling the street, there was plenty to see, but when she saw the bustling downtown area with various shops, she couldn’t help but exclaim as if she were a newcomer. Cherryl, who had been eyeing the men’s clothing displayed behind the glass window, immediately turned her head.

“Just enjoying the festival is enough for now.”

“Understood. If there’s anything you need, feel free to let me know.”

Cade took the hand that he was holding and gave her a short kiss. He had always enjoyed physical contact, and spending the night together made him even more uninhibited. However, Cherryl didn’t feel as flustered as before. The effect of sharing a bed seemed to be greater than she had expected. While enjoying the lively atmosphere of the festival and walking aimlessly, Cherryl finally spoke up.

Actually, there’s one thing I want.”

“What is it?”

“I also want to have a drink.”

Cade showed a slightly annoyed expression and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Do you want to join the kids’ table?”

“No. I want to drink while walking like this, just the two of us. Is that not possible?”

Even though she had already had a few drinks before he arrived, it seemed polite to ask. Perhaps because she had seen her in a messy state when she was drunk before, Cade didn’t seem particularly delighted by the idea of her drinking.

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