The moment I spoke in a small voice, a look of sorrow seemed to pass over Camille’s face. He parted his lips as though to say something, but,

“I see. Understood.”

was what he said. I was truly glad he didn’t press me further. I wanted to be left alone. For now, holding my tongue was the same as looking after myself.

“…… And. …… I didn’t mean for you to find out. I’m sorry.”

The gentle atmosphere that had wrapped around us both was broken. Camille, who had seemed lost in thought, returned to his original seat as though he had never moved to mine.

Camille’s gaze shifted to the window on the other side. I turned my eyes back to the window as well.

That was the end of the conversation inside the carriage.

❀❀❀

Camille Dynyak stepped out of the carriage first and took my hand as I descended.

“So this is the place.”

“…… That’s right.”

I glanced back briefly. Devonne Herus, the expressionless female knight, was following at a distance of five or six steps, keeping her space. And Camille Dynyak was equally expressionless.

“The factory site is here.”

I introduced the plot, the foundation stones, and the iron frames and stone bricks being built on top of them, then turned back.

“And this is the laboratory. It isn’t finished yet, but all the equipment to be used in the factory has already arrived.”

The glass greenhouse building had fortunately been completed before the factory. It looked like a simple glass greenhouse, but the design was precise, with sealed rooms and aging chambers built properly inside to compress and trap various fragrances.

“This will probably become the development laboratory where products are made and tested before the factory is running.”

Of course, calling it a development laboratory might be a bit of a stretch. I opened the entrance to the laboratory myself.

“Please, come in.”

I opened the door and gestured them inside. Camille, with a smile, went first. Devonne Herus, seeming to hesitate, went last.

The moment they stepped into the laboratory, I watched with quiet delight as their expressions changed dramatically. It was exactly the reaction I had imagined.

I had already been confident, in fact. Every time workers or related people came and went at the laboratory, I had let them smell the fragrance. The scent of the thorny trifoliate orange growing on this land had always been known for being exceptional.

Someone should have built a business around this tree long ago. The reason it had gone unnoticed until now was simple. There had been no one willing to pay attention to the North.

“…… It really is wonderful.”

Camille Dynyak admired it with a faint smile. The change in Devonne’s expression, standing a little apart, was clearly visible as well.

There was a quiet pride in it. The feeling of proving that I had not been wrong.

I found myself thinking it would have been nice if Rubenstein had come here too. Seeing this place in person would have been better than any document or business proposal.

“I’m certain it will sell.”

“I share your confidence completely, Duchess.”

Camille nodded firmly. In the carriage he had called me ‘Elaine’ so naturally, and yet now he was looking at me with a polite expression, as though he had never done any such thing.

That was when it happened.

A tremendous crash rang out, followed by the loud sound of something breaking. I looked up in surprise and exchanged glances with Camille and Devonne.

“What—”

“I’ll go out first.”

“I’ll come too.”

Devonne and Camille spoke and rushed out of the laboratory ahead of each other.

Stepping outside, we found a crowd of people standing there with expressions of open hostility. The family crests on their clothing made it easy enough to identify them.

They looked like farmers and stewards working the fields of the former duke’s retainers. But that crest, something about it was off. It was the Geut crest, which no longer had any place in the duchy.

They were currently in a standoff with the few ducal soldiers I had brought. Everyone’s manner was unsettling.

I watched the standoff with considerable unease. Of course, there were forces working to obstruct my business.

The former duke’s retainers were the most obvious example. They had decided that part of their estates was being reduced because of the factory site, and had done nothing but try to interfere throughout my efforts to push the business forward.

Naturally, I didn’t particularly like them either.

These wretched retainers had been busy lining their own pockets while Rubenstein was away at war. The deterioration of the North’s finances was not only Tito Tymveck’s doing. These retainers had played a significant role as well. Betelron and Geut, who had deliberately reported innocent servants before, were part of the same group.

Even so, I had never experienced a direct standoff like this before. They had only ever given subtle pressure from behind or filed complaints.

Unable to hide my bewilderment, I watched as the man at the front, arms crossed, spoke in a surly tone.

“Why are you resuming construction?”

“That’s right, the duchess is a Tymveck too, so shouldn’t she be getting dragged off to the capital?”

Everyone looked deeply displeased. Some were openly glaring at me, and some were calling me ‘duchess’ without any honorific at all.

The moment I heard how they addressed me, my brow furrowed. Something was wrong.

“We heard from our lord that she’d surely be sentenced to death.”

“Why is this woman even here?”

The way they were picking a fight was too strange.

Even if they hated me and were pushing back against me…… the people they were actually squaring off against right now were ducal soldiers wearing the ducal crest.

If I had been alone, I might have thought they were simply unhappy with me personally, but speaking like this in front of the ducal household…… wasn’t that an act of insolence? And these were men wearing the crests of the duke’s own retainers.

Surely not…… could it be.

Were these people not ordinary farmers at all? Were they deliberately picking a fight, targeting our group……

Surely not.

Could it be that they were simply starting trouble, with no real cause, just to have a pretext for a fight?

If they were a force sent by someone who wanted to harm us, and they were just approaching us without any real grievance……

My eyes went wide. Just as I suspected, their manner was growing more threatening by the moment. Come to think of it, our side had only the ducal soldiers and Devonne, while their numbers were greater.

Among the farming tools they were carrying, other weapons were visible.

“You are all insolent!”

Devonne, hand on her sword, stepped forward and glared at them.

“How dare you all act with such insolence before the ducal crest! This is the duchess and a guest coming down from the capital. If you do not show proper respect, I will not stand for it.”

But the men did not back down. They only snickered and jeered.

“And who are you?”

“Why is a woman strutting around with a sword?”

“Wh, what?”

“Ah, our Lord Geut told us the factory equipment was definitely gone!”

The men stepped forward. I narrowed my eyes. A hired killer would never carelessly name the person who commissioned them.

That meant it wasn’t Geut.

In that moment, Devonne, her face flushed with fury, shouted.

“What does that matter? Whether man or woman, as long as you wield a sword well and are loyal to the ducal household, that is enough, unlike the likes of you—”

Devonne’s eyes sharpened. She clenched her teeth and drew her sword. There was no way she hadn’t felt the same wrongness I had.

“Who are you? Now that I look, you are no ordinary farmers.”

“…… You’re only figuring that out now?”

The ‘farmers’ looked at each other and snickered. Then they fixed their gaze on us with hard, cold eyes. It was killing intent. Camille stepped in front of me. Killing intent that even an untrained person like me could feel. I had sensed something was off, but now that the threat was right in front of me, sweat ran down my spine.

“…… Come any closer and I’ll cut you.”

Devonne lowered her stance and drew her sword. Camille did the same.

“What is all this……”

He pulled a pistol from inside his coat. Recognizing what it was, I opened my mouth. It was remarkable that Camille was carrying one of the new weapons that had changed the course of battles.

Not that I had forgotten he was a war hero.