Chapter 81

While heading towards the Riar Plains, my horse showed signs of fatigue. We stopped at villages to switch horses and immediately set off again, repeating this countless times.

Although the army of Count Winsley’s family had set off before me, they were many, and I was alone. If I hurried, I could catch up.

After a long ride, I saw a procession of armored soldiers in the distance. Some carried tall banners; the blue flags with silver emblems belonged to Count Winsley’s family.

I urged my horse to its limits and caught up with them.

“Hey, you. Pass on a message.”

I spoke to a soldier who was trudging along at the rear. I was cloaked and somewhat shabby from the long ride. As if annoyed, the soldier glanced at me and waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t ride alongside the procession; it’s dangerous. You could get hurt, whether you’re a horse or on foot.”

Watching the soldier’s dismissive gesture, I pulled down my hood. My concealed blonde hair fell to the side and fluttered in the wind. When I looked down at him with my green eyes, the soldier’s eyes widened in surprise.

When the soldier recognized me and shouted, “Miss!” the surrounding soldiers echoed in unison with astonished expressions.

“Good heavens, Miss!”

I smiled at those who recognized me. However, the soldier who first called me “Miss” was promptly smacked on the back of the head. The soldier who delivered the blow then turned to me and respectfully bowed.

“Your Grace, what brings you here?”

Since we had trained together in the past, it wouldn’t have been inappropriate to be informal, but this was the proper way. I dismounted and faced them.

“What brings me here? I’m also a member of Count Winsley’s family. I’ve come to join the subjugation.”

A few soldiers murmured in admiration at my words. In my past life, I wanted to join the subjugation, but Kazak prevented me. Seeing the pride in the soldiers’ eyes as they looked at me filled me with pride.

This time, I wouldn’t avoid it. I wouldn’t just stand by foolishly. I would fight, win, and return alive.

“Pass on the message that I’ve arrived.”

“At once, Your Grace.”

My horse was exhausted, so I couldn’t push it any further. Reaching this point and having it walk alongside me was commendable enough.

I stroked my horse’s neck, which was walking beside me, and watched as the soldier relayed the message forward.

The message took longer to pass than I expected, from the back to the front and then further forward. I drank water and walked with the procession of soldiers.

“Your Grace, you’ve truly become dignified.”

“Dignified? What do you mean by that?”

“Well, when you were at the Count’s estate, you were quite the tomboy.”

The soldiers called me “Your Grace,” but they didn’t seem uncomfortable. I didn’t scold them. Instead, I was comforted by the nostalgia of returning to the past.

I didn’t stop them from loudly bantering about who had terrible manners or who didn’t.

Not for any particular reason but because their endless bickering was a welcome distraction from boredom.

After a while, I noticed a sturdy brown horse approaching from the front. On it was a boy who looked very much like me. When he saw me, he scowled and jumped off the horse.

“Sister!”

Adam stood before me, gripping the reins tightly. I was surprised he had grown taller than me since we last met.

I suddenly realized that I had never seen Adam grow this tall in my previous life. I hadn’t been able to meet him.

Thinking of that brought a pang to my heart, and I felt like I might cry. I bit my lower lip to hold back the tears.

Adam seemed to interpret my actions differently, and he grumbled.

“Did you chase me all the way here knowing you were in the wrong?”

I gave my cheeky brother a good thump on the head. He could have dodged it quickly, but he didn’t.

“Ouch!”

“How dare you speak to your sister like that? Is there anywhere I’m not allowed to go?”

The soldiers who had been chuckling quietly burst into laughter when I, watching them silently, began scolding Adam.

Adam blushed and rubbed the spot where he had been hit. Seeing him like this, I realized he was still just a kid, and I felt unease subsided.

I placed my hands on my hips and spoke confidently.

“I am Laila Zan, but I’m still the eldest daughter of the Border Master Winsley. Of course, I have every right to be here.”

Adam pouted, his expression more filled with worry than discontent.

“Who said you didn’t have the right? It’s just that I don’t like the idea of you being dragged here when you’re already busy with northern affairs.”

His words made me widen my eyes in surprise. I hadn’t expected him to be thinking that way. Embarrassed by my reaction, Adam’s ears turned bright red.

“Father is angry too. He asked if we see him as some old man who needs protection.”

“Well, he’s about to become a grandfather, so he’s not wrong.”

Adam’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s. His face flushed red as he repeatedly opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words. Seeing my younger brother like this never grew old; he was always endearingly cute.

“What? Sis, don’t tell me…”

“I mean, that’s the plan.”

I grinned and snatched the reins from Adam’s hands. Before he could stop me, I mounted his horse.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“You said Father was angry, right? I’m going to calm him down.”

“Then what about me?”

“You can ride my horse once it’s recovered.”

Adam let out a small, exasperated laugh, then waved me off as if telling me to go ahead. Unlike the ever-composed Louis, Adam had a more boisterous nature.

I found that side of him adorable. Blowing a kiss to Adam, I spurred the horse into a run. All the soldiers could see me without my hood as I rode alongside the procession.

“Hey, Young Miss?”

“Not Miss, it’s Her Grace!”

Someone repeated the exact conversation I had heard earlier. I waved lightly and continued riding forward.

At the very front of the procession, the elite knights of the Winsley Count’s family slowly marched on horseback. A little behind them, I spotted the backs of my father and Louis.

As they heard the rapidly approaching hoofbeats, they slowly turned their heads to look behind them. When Father saw me, I flashed him the brightest smile I could muster.

“It’s been a while, Father. And it’s good to see you too, Louis.”

“Laila Winsley!”

Father shouted loudly. Seeing the vein bulge on his forehead, he was clearly as angry as Adam had said.

But unlike before, his outburst didn’t scare or intimidate me. I calmly rode up close to his horse.

“Yes, Laila Winsley. Although it’s been a while since I married and became a Zan, I’ll be a Winsley for a little longer.”

I tried to sound as casual as possible, but it didn’t work on Father.

“What about the North? Have you forgotten that you insisted on this marriage and that you’ve become another ruler of the North? Do you think you can abandon your duties so easily?”

Father was a man of rigid principles who valued honor and pursued the right path. To him, the Grand Duchess of Zan joining the Winsley army was not the right thing to do.

“I received permission from His Grace. He was worried, but he didn’t stop me.”

“Even if His Grace permitted it, the people of Zan are your people. You must not forget your duties. Do you truly not trust your father? Do you think I, who have defended this border for so long, will die in something as trivial as a beast subjugation?”

I smiled, but hearing Father’s words made my heart ache. He was right. Father wouldn’t die in this beast subjugation.

Count Winsley’s family didn’t receive any recognition for their achievements, but the beast’s subjugation was a huge victory. It was a complete triumph, so much so that no more beasts could be found.

My family was not weak enough to be defeated by mere beasts. But they couldn’t overcome humans, who were more wicked than beasts.

“I’ll explain everything slowly. Please calm down first. How can I speak if you’re this angry?”

I erased the smile from my face and spoke in a low voice, just loud enough for Father to hear.

“Someone is plotting to frame the Winsley family during this subjugation.”

Father continued to look straight ahead, his posture unyielding. Knowing his steadfast nature, I knew my words wouldn’t quickly shake him. His unwavering gaze confirmed that.

“Even so, we cannot turn a blind eye to the people’s suffering. And if we are righteous under heaven, the truth will be revealed.”

Father’s words left me feeling frustrated. The truth about the Winsley family would never be revealed. Not until I, the last surviving member, was dead after my family had been wronged and our retainers oppressed.

But I knew trying to convince Father with this approach would be futile. The future I knew was mine alone, which meant I had no evidence to persuade him.

I sighed and offered another reason. There was only one way to persuade Father.

“Do you know why someone would want to frame the Winsley family?”

“How could I know the black hearts of such people?”

“It’s because they’re aiming for the throne.”

Father stared ahead, but a ripple appeared in his calm, lake-like eyes.

Slowly, he raised his right hand just above his head. The soldiers halted their march with a crisp, sharp sound, and the surroundings quickly fell silent.

I looked at Father with eyes full of concern. I had to convince him. Unknowingly, a pleading tone crept into my voice.

“Please, listen to me. Not as the Grand Duchess of Zan, but as your daughter.”

Since Father didn’t reply, I lowered my head and bit my lower lip.

Would this not be enough to persuade him? Just as I was thinking that, Father slowly reached out his hand and placed it gently on my shoulder.

“It’s about time the soldiers took a break.”

At his words, I quietly raised my head. Father was already walking towards a large tree’s shade, leaving the procession. I exchanged a glance with Louis before following him there.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Father looked at me, his face shaded by the tree’s greenery.

“So, who dares to aim for the throne?”

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.