“……”

Naella simply lowered her eyes slightly. No words came to mind. Should she resent them? Or should she thank them for their consideration?

“Did you hear?”

“……”

“Are you angry with me?”

“……”

“You have quite a lot of accomplices.”

Her mouth fell open in disbelief for a moment. So many accomplices, yet she alone had been kept in the dark.

“You made me look like a fool.”

“It doesn’t seem quite that bad. Well, it couldn’t be helped.”

“Your attitude while making excuses is completely insincere.”

“I learned from you.”

The student had surpassed the master.

“So is this revenge too?”

“You seem awfully fond of revenge. Or is revenge all that’s in your head right now? Is this really revenge related to me?”

Chedran had unexpected sides to him. He’s unexpectedly sensible, and unexpectedly skilled at shutting her up.

“Even if we made you look foolish, no one wanted you to suffer.”

“It’s my burden to bear.”

“Caring for you is our burden to bear.”

“You seem to care for me.”

“You seem to have forgotten. Aren’t you the Grand Duchess I intend to use well?”

He returned the exact words Naella had said before.

“Isn’t this revenge too? It seems like revenge?”

“You arbitrarily trapped me in your embrace, so you should accept at least that much.”

“There’s so much to take responsibility for. It’s exhausting.”

Chedran smiled faintly at Naella’s endlessly weary appearance.

“At least the wish that you not be hurt, that you not suffer—that’s sincere.”

Before Naella could say anything, Chedran swept her up.

“We should leave this place now. If we stay here any longer, all sorts of rumors will spread. More than a few people will be curious about what the grand ducal couple is doing on an empty terrace.”

Chedran picked up the Countess’s shawl sliding smoothly from Naella’s lap.

“Your Grace seems rather petty. Remembering all such things.”

“Not at all. I just don’t forget your words easily.”

With those final words, Chedran wrapped his hand around Naella’s waist and opened the terrace door without warning.

At the gazes that instantly focused on them, Naella worked hard to manage her expression. Fortunately, Countess Doine happened to be standing nearby.

Naella, who had something to say, dragged Chedran along and approached her, speaking quietly.

“Lady Julie, I have a favor to ask.”

Her form of address was no longer Countess. Seeming to catch the meaning, Julie’s lips curved up slightly. Perhaps to avoid showing it, she lowered her eyes slightly and covered her mouth with her fan.

“Please speak.”

“Does Count Doine also count as Father’s person?”

Julie smiled bitterly, reminiscing about the past. She folded the fan she’d held at her lips and tapped her chest area a few times, covering her heart. Of course, the shadow vanished quickly in that brief moment.

“He’s a good person. An upright person.”

She meant he wasn’t the type to work behind the scenes. Then he wasn’t someone who engaged in espionage like Mahoserdyi.

Naella nodded slightly, seeming to find this acceptable.

“I need eyes and ears in high society. I have no connections there. When I go up to the capital, I’d like you to accompany me. I’d like to meet your connections too.”

Julie laughed lightly.

“That much for Mahoserdyi.”

Should she suspect what kind of relationship she had with her father at this point?

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s no longer Mahoserdyi but Nohesca now.”

“Oh my. His Grace will be hurt.”

“When sending off a daughter in marriage, he should have been prepared for that much. Did he forget that he sent me off so readily?”

“Well now, he really might be hurt. In fact, His Grace was even thinking slightly that Your Grace the Grand Duchess might divorce and return, you know?”

What is this old man thinking?

Naella forced a smile. Even Chedran’s expression momentarily crumbled at the mention of divorce.

“Please be sure to tell Father I’m doing very well.”

“How…… Mahoserdyi people really are……”

Julie spread her fan with a flutter and covered her lips. Of course, her eyes curving into crescents were clearly visible.

“Uniformly adorable.”

Leaving behind Naella blinking slowly, Julie leisurely turned and walked elsewhere.

“Could it be…… did that word—’adorable’—include Father too……?”

At Naella’s muttered words, Chedran also looked horrified as he stared at Julie’s retreating figure.

Somehow…… it felt like learning something they didn’t want to know.

Watching Naella stand still for a long while, those in the room couldn’t settle down restlessly.

She didn’t blame them since she knew why they hadn’t announced Marquis Siron’s death.

“Are you certain the attacking assassin was from the Kingdom of Jesra?”

“Well……”

“What are the detailed circumstances of the incident?”

“……”

When Naella turned her head toward them as they said nothing, they all bowed their heads in unison.

“Did you commit a crime? Why are you all like this?”

“His Grace……”

“Why Father?”

“He said he couldn’t provide any other information.”

That was answer enough.

Naella was one of those who knew best about the Kingdom of Jesra. Yet they couldn’t provide information? It made no sense.

Either information had leaked from an internal spy, or the culprit wasn’t from the Kingdom of Jesra.

In any case, there was clearly something Naella shouldn’t know.

“Mahoserdyi will handle it, so he told us that should focus only on your own affairs, my lady.”

Why didn’t he know that just as the Duke knew Naella well, Naella also knew her father well?

She knew Mahoserdyi would handle things properly. They would have closed the marquisate to catch the assassins and be pursuing them tenaciously.

Mahoserdyi would also take responsibility for Esto and his family’s safety.

Issuing a closure order meant they hadn’t caught the assassins.

They hadn’t caught them, yet how did they determine the assassins were from the Kingdom of Jesra? And this quickly? Were there multiple assassins, so they caught some and missed others?

People from the Kingdom of Jesra couldn’t be easily distinguished from Empire people by external differences. Even if they’d caught a few assassins, the accent differences would be clear, and they wouldn’t have opened their mouths easily.

The most certain things were two.

They weren’t providing information because there was something Naella shouldn’t know. Either the culprit’s identity or the spy’s identity—one of the two was certain.

Without information, she couldn’t easily deduce anything.

When the most important information for judgment was blocked, Naella felt frustration for the first time in a while. It seemed there were only a few things she could do now.

For now, there was something to do before confirming the culprit.

Naella approached the table and checked her clothing. Though she wore a long slip and robe used as nightwear, she was pleased that the color was clean white.

She brushed off any dirty spots and tidied herself neatly again.

A plush carpet lay under the table, so she removed her bedroom slippers without hesitation and climbed up barefoot.

“Bring me my sword.”

When she slowly knelt before the table, her slip spread to the sides. The appearance resembled a praying cleric’s robes, which pleased her greatly.

“Why the sword……?”

“Because I want to rush there right now but can’t. I’ll at least send it with a prayer.”

Grasping the sword placed on the table, Naella removed the scabbard without hesitation. Then she placed the scabbard and sword side by side, clasped her hands together, and bowed her head.

She didn’t believe in gods.

To attribute what Naella had done to divine grace and give glory felt unfair to those who had died and made her own efforts seem worthless.

But a priest once said: Anyone can pray, and God hears even the prayers of those who don’t believe in Him.

So Naella, who didn’t believe in gods, prayed like this on days when she lost someone. Not a prayer offered to any god, but a prayer for the dead.

“If you committed any sins before leaving, the living will properly repay those sins.”

This was the only thing Naella could do for Marquis Siron right now.

“So may you go carrying only the good deeds you performed.”

You died fighting with a sword, so in your next life, may you live in a place without swords.

Though you found rest before finishing what you were doing, may you now enjoy that rest comfortably.

“Right now I cannot waver, so I mourn you without shedding a single tear.”

Yet this heart is shaking like a storm because of those who took you.

I’m always amazed that warm memories can pierce so coldly.

As one person who remembers your brilliant life, I will always honor you.

Remembering is my duty, and longing for memories is also my duty.

Since all these emotions belong to the living, may you simply rest peacefully.

Naella finished her brief prayer and raised her head. Time swept up in emotion needed only be brief. Everything could be done after it was over without being too late.

She slowly traced with her hand the crest engraved on one side of the sword.

Look at what pain leaves behind.

Esto would know well what this sword meant.

She placed not only prayer but also hope in the sword.

“Esto, after this pain passes, it will become strength for you in the distant future.”

It will be very hard and painful, but just as I rose, you too will be able to rise.

My old friend is a stronger person than I am.

“When we meet again someday……”

By then, I hope you’ve overcome enough that you can return this sword to me.

I miss you. My friend. And the people I cherish and love.

Please wait just a little while I prepare myself.

Please forgive me for having to endure now.

The touch returning the sword to its scabbard was reverent.

But in her purple eyes, sadness no longer remained. They only rippled greatly with a certain emotion.

You touched my people, so that revenge is mine.

Whoever the opponent is, I will not stop.

I will always move forward and ultimately succeed.

This is my will and conviction to protect my precious people.