Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 1: A Girl in Another World - Chapter 16

Aldric watched as Quinn dashed away, feeling a sense of... loss and loneliness, which confused him.

Loss? Loneliness? Why should he feel such things toward a lad he had just met? Though he admitted the boy was very lovable and his quirky character charming, he shouldn't feel so... attached.

"Did you want to adopt him?" Vincent's voice came his way, his tone teasing. "You look like you've just lost something precious."

Aldric turned his stallion and said, "He is a precious little thing, to his family, that is."

Vincent snorted as he, too, turned his stallion. "And not to you? I've never seen you take so much care of a stranger before. Even go so far as to clean his face. Others who encountered such a scene back there in the woods would have thought a doting father is cleaning his son's face."

Aldric, Vincent, and Theo were heading toward Bedford Manor now, taking the main road, which was busy with the hustle and bustle of people everywhere.

Aldric said, "He's eighteen, apparently. It's impossible for him to be my son."

"Eighteen?" Vincent said. "You must be jesting. That pipsqueak is eighteen? He's only a head or two taller than Jonah when we last saw him, and that was a year ago when he was nine."

From the perspective of the Norsewood men, anyone below five foot eight was considered small, since they were simply taller and bigger than most. Even most of the female of the north were tall, standing at least five foot seven.

Theo chuckled. "Well, what do you expect? Us living up north are unusually taller and bigger than the average man down south."

"True," Vincent said. "But I suspect the pipsqueak is a special case, one who can really cook. Damn, but that beef burger was divine. I've never tasted anything as good as that in my life."

"I do wonder how bread can be that soft," Theo said. "Is it a special recipe from Bedford? If so, we should investigate. That sort of bread would be very popular up north."

"Not just up north, but everywhere in every kingdom," Vincent said. "Perhaps we should ask Lord Bedford?"

Aldric said, "Quinn mentioned the ingredients are common in his hometown. So perhaps it's not a Bedford thing."

"Ah, and he did say he's not from Bedford," Vincent said. "Darn, we didn't ask what town he was from. We could have stopped by if it's on the way home."

Theo said, "It is unfortunate. It looks like our chance of eating another soft bread, and even more so, a beef burger is rather slim."

Vincent snorted. "Slim? I'd say nonexistent."

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the gate of Bedford Manor, and a footman came rushing over as the men got down from their horses.

"May I ask who you are, sirs?" the footman said, standing a few feet away as he stared wide-eyed at the men who looked so tall and shredded, he swore they were deities from the land of the gods. "Do you... uh, do you have an appointment with Lord Bedford, sirs?"

Aldric said, "I believe we're a week earlier than expected, but Lord Bedford is expecting us."

The footman raised his brows, wondering how the likes of Lord Bedford had a connection to beings that looked so... powerful and overwhelmingly strong, the likes that had seen countless battles. "Indeed, sir?"

"Aldric Templeton, Earl of Norsewood," Aldric said.

Just as he heard the infamous name, the footman dropped his mouth open and started involuntarily quaking in his boots. He managed to get a hold of himself, however, and uttered, "Ald... Aldric Tem... Templeton? Earl of.... Norse... wood, sir?"