It occurred to her now that Rupert might be frantically searching for her. Suddenly she felt urgent.

“By the way, where exactly is this place? Yolly! You know the way, right?”

“Kyang!”

“Then lead the way!”

“Kyang!”

That meant yes, right?

Saena spurred her horse on, watching Yolly’s back as he started running ahead.

Her half-wet black hair strands whipped in the wind. The heavy strands that had been holding moisture gradually lightened and began to scatter in the wind.

And around that time, she could spot a figure in the distance.

“—!”

She focused her vision on what sounded like a shout from far away.

“…ir?”

It was probably Sir Rupert.

“…ss Saena!”

“Sir Rupert!”

Rupert galloped towards her with an urgent expression.

“Where on earth did you go!”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I ended up going too far while riding…”

It took quite a while to come back, you know. Saena made her excuse.

“Do you know how… haah… Thank goodness. I was just about to return to the castle to dispatch a search party.”

“……”

“You shouldn’t go out without escorts in unfamiliar places. You should know better.”

If anything had happened to her, several subordinates would clearly face severe consequences, but earlier she had been too stifled to think about anything else.

Though she hadn’t been particularly worried since Yolly would never take her somewhere dangerous, she knew she shouldn’t say that, so she had nothing to say.

“I really thought my life span was cut in half. Especially with His Grace being absent…”

He must have really been searching frantically. His red ponytail was completely disheveled and damp with sweat.

“I’m sorry for worrying you. I’ll make sure to call for you next time.”

“Yes. Please do.”

The two–no, the three, including Yolly, rode towards Castle Cream.

* * *

The secret hot spring hidden in the lake became Saena’s favorite place recently.

When she felt stress building up or her mind becoming noisy, she would visit that place.

Of course, she started bringing necessary supplies with the geographical characteristics in mind. She began carrying spare riding clothes, underwear, and towels in an oiled waterproof pouch.

Sometimes she brought simple snacks too. The snacks Floria had taught her to eat while taking hot spring baths were quite enjoyable.

“Really, the Kramer knights are no joke.”

“Why?”

“I thought I was skilled enough, but here it’s a completely different level.”

“Ah, I heard about that before. The duke’s knights face demonic beasts, so their tactics and swordsmanship styles are entirely different.”

“Yes. I knew it in theory but… I really want to participate in a demonic beast subjugation someday.”

Rupert seemed to have integrated well into the Kramer knights without much territorial friction.

However, he appeared somewhat shocked by the knight order’s strength being far beyond his expectations.

“Would you like to join the next subjugation then? I think I could ask the Duke about it.”

“But then I couldn’t guard you, Miss Saena.”

“Well, another knight could do that then.”

Though it wouldn’t be as comfortable as with Sir Rupert, she could endure that much.

“To be a proper escort in Kramer territory, I suppose I should learn how to deal with demonic beasts too.”

“You think so?”

“Though hopefully nothing happens, it’s always better to be prepared for any situation.”

“Kyang, kyang!”

Suddenly Yolly turned his running body and barked at them. His eyes shining brightly…

But this time she couldn’t interpret what he meant.

“Yolly?”

“Kyang! Kyaang!”

“You’re saying we should be prepared?”

“Kyaong!”

“Is that not it? Um, are you telling us to hurry up?”

“Kyaong!”

“…This one’s too difficult. I don’t understand.”

“Kyak!”

That much I understand, you brat.

Though she didn’t know what he meant, she could tell he was clearly annoyed.

“That little guy is really peculiar…”

“……”

Through several trips to the hot spring, Rupert had experienced Yolly’s extraordinary nature many times.

“The way he can go in and out of there…”

“Ah, we’re here.”

They arrived at the lake.

Rupert’s escort duties ended here. More precisely, further escort was impossible.

He had tried a few times at first, but while Saena and Yolly could enter the secret island in the middle of the lake, Rupert could not.

“Are you sure there’s really no sign of people or living creatures inside?”

“Yes. It’s just an old ruin.”

“I wonder why I can’t enter though?”

At first, Saena thought the invisible barrier at the island’s boundary was just for show. But seeing that Rupert couldn’t even approach it, she realized it was some kind of barrier with criteria for who could enter.

“Could it be related to… me becoming the Duchess of Kramer?”

After all, it was a ruin remaining in Kramer territory.

“Then why can that beast enter?”

“Good point…?”

Come to think of it, that was a bit strange.

“Non-humans can’t just freely come and go, right? Then wouldn’t wild beasts be able to appear too?”

“I’ve never seen traces of any animals other than Yolly.”

“What if you just haven’t seen them ‘yet’?”

“Yolly would know if there were any.”

“…Pardon?”

“Right, Yolly?”

“Kyang!”

“See?”

“……”

Though it sounded like something only a crazy person would say, even Rupert now acknowledged Yolly’s extraordinary nature.

His actions had been too unusual to dismiss as nonsense.

“Nothing bad has happened so far.”

“That’s true, but… when I have to wait far away where I can’t even see with my own eyes, I can’t help but feel anxious.”

“Yolly has grown quite big now, so he can protect me in most situations.”

“Kyang!”

Yolly barked as if to confirm.

“…Yes. Please hurry back. And don’t exceed the agreed time.”

Considering Rupert waiting outside the lake, they had started setting time limits for visits.

Usually half the set time was spent exploring the ruins, and the rest enjoying the hot spring. There was a strange addiction to soaking in the outdoor bath alone under the open sky.

It felt both like being left alone in the world and owning the entire world. And for some unknown reason, she felt her gloom and dampness fade away, replaced by a sense of strength.

Perhaps it felt special simply because it was something she couldn’t normally do.

Today too, as she soaked in the hot spring.

“Kyang!”

Yolly came and barked as if to notify the time.

He would scamper around somewhere and come bark like this when it was time.

“Oh, is it time to go?”

“Kyang!”

“Okay, got it.”

Saena got out of the spring and gathered her wet robe. She put on her clothes that had gotten wet crossing the lake earlier.

Though putting on wet clothes was unpleasant and difficult, she had no choice. The dry clothes were tied to the saddle to change into after crossing back.

She packed things that shouldn’t get wet in the waterproof bag, and wet items separately. Then Saena left the island.

As she swam across the lake, she saw Rupert pacing back and forth on the shore, brightening when he spotted her.

“It looks like it will rain soon. Let’s hurry.”

The sky that had been crystal clear when she looked up from inside the island had somehow become very cloudy.

“You’re right. Okay.”

As always, Rupert had set up a temporary changing room by hanging a large cloth between two horses tied to a tree. Seeing Saena enter, he turned away and moved far back.

She quickly took off her wet clothes, dried herself with a dry towel, and put on the fresh riding clothes she had prepared.

She was ready to return to Castle Cream.

“Sir Rupert! I’m done!”

Saena called out while securing her removed clothes and tying them to the saddle.

Rupert approached to collect the large cloth used for the changing room, then untied the horses from the tree.

“Miss Saena. Your hair…”

“Ah, my hair tie suddenly broke.”

Usually, she would tie her hair up beforehand to keep it from getting wet, but today the tie broke while crossing the lake, leaving her hair completely soaked.

Without a spare tie, she had only roughly dried it off.

Maybe it would dry adequately in the wind on the way back?

“What if you catch a cold riding like that?”

“I’m not that fragile.”

“Didn’t someone lay in bed for a year?”

“……”

That awful past of being bedridden in a coma for a year due to a cold resurfaced.

“Anyway, I’m not like that anymore.”

“No. Let’s dry your hair first.”

“Wouldn’t it be more dangerous to dawdle and get caught in the rain?”

Saena quickly mounted her horse.

“Ah, you have a point. But still…”

As if unwilling to concede this point, Rupert took off his cloak and wrapped it around Saena.

“The wind has turned cold as the sky darkened. Wrap it tightly.”

“Alright.”

Saena wrapped Rupert’s cloak around herself snugly and kicked her heels.

With her now quite skilled horsemanship, she began galloping unhesitatingly toward Castle Cream.

Though no matter how fast she rode, Yolly and Rupert would soon catch up.

* * *

The rain held off while Saena and her companions returned.

Thinking this fortunate, she passed through the north gate and headed to the stables to house her horse.

“Oh, it seems the subjugation unit has returned?”

Rupert looked around and said.

“What?”

“The empty stables are full now. And I see knights who weren’t here before.”

Then Constantine must be back too?

“Will you go greet His Grace?”

“Yes. I should.”

Saena stopped her horse in front of the stable and hurried to dismount.

But unlike usual, she forgot about the cloak Rupert had given her. The cloak was as enormous as Rupert’s frame, and its hem got tangled.