It wasn’t an apology meant to receive forgiveness anyway.

Lydia resolved to minimize encounters with Randel once they reached the border region. To make things less uncomfortable for both of them.

* * *

Mallan brought a large cargo wagon.

They laid straw, had Byron, Maria, Nella, and Robert lie on their sides, then covered them with cloth.

They loaded vegetables and crops on top to disguise it as an ordinary vegetable merchant’s wagon.

“You’ll have to endure some discomfort. Soldiers are already patrolling outside.”

“True, by this time the count must have already received the report.”

Lydia nodded at Mallan’s words.

But they couldn’t have departed any earlier.

In the early dawn, a cart leaving the count’s territory much earlier than other merchant groups would be suspicious.

As soon as the count received the report, he would have put out a search for that merchant group’s wagon first, and they would have trackers on their tail.

While the pursuit wouldn’t be a problem with just Arsen and the knights, shaking off pursuers while carrying people weakened from long labor was another matter.

So they planned their strategy to avoid raising suspicion as much as possible.

Lydia and Arsen’s group would leave disguised as Mallan’s merchant group employees, just as they had entered.

“Let’s go.”

Mallan took the role of the driver.

They surrounded the wagon as if escorting it.

Though the journey to the checkpoint was smooth without incident, tension hung heavily in the air.

“The line is long.”

“That’s because they’re checking each load thoroughly.”

The soldiers who had casually let them through when entering were now meticulously checking each wagon.

Some checkpoints only opened the wagon doors or briefly looked through the cargo before finishing, while others made wagons pull over to the side of the road and unloaded everything one by one.

Watching quietly while waiting their turn, Lydia realized the time had finally come.

Lydia took out a small leather pouch from inside her clothes.

Then she rode toward Mallan who sat in the driver’s seat.

“Mr. Mallan.”

Lydia held out the leather pouch to Mallan.

“What is this, miss, no, priestess?”

“A bribe.”

Her gaze briefly went to the checkpoint soldiers before returning to Mallan.

“We need bribes to get out, right?”

“You’re quite observant. Yes, but you don’t need to give this. I’ve already prepared some. And too many bribes will make them suspicious.”

“It’s not much, but would this raise suspicion?”

Mallan slightly opened the leather pouch. Just two gold buttons inside.

Adding two more gold buttons wouldn’t particularly double their suspicion.

“But why do you specifically want to give these as bribes?”

“Yes, there’s something I want to find out.”

The gold buttons were ones Lydia had torn from Devon’s jacket before leaving the marquis’s residence.

In other words, they were sleeve buttons engraved with the Evansi family crest.

The soldier who received the bribe would sell the gold buttons, and with luck, they might end up in the count’s hands.

The quick-witted count would find it strange that buttons bearing the Evansi Marquis family crest were circulating in the eastern territory and take some action.

Lydia wondered what action the count would take.

Since her regression, Lydia had always questioned why she ended up in Count Brastelma’s labor camp.

It wasn’t even an official labor camp, and Richard didn’t know about the true nature of the mines in Brastelma’s territory.

If so, there must be some connection between Devon and the count, and the answer might be found in the count’s future actions.

Well, it wouldn’t matter much even if the buttons didn’t end up in the count’s hands.

This wasn’t that important of a matter.

Just mere curiosity, nothing more.

“Priestess, please return to your position now. It’s almost our turn.”

“Alright.”

Lydia rode back to her original position, and Mallan tapped the wagon twice unnecessarily.

It was a kind of signal that they had reached the checkpoint.

Tension pulled taut as if it might snap at any moment.

Since this was Lydia’s first time doing something like this too, her hands gripped the reins tightly.

Seeing Lydia’s pale knuckles, Arsen approached her side.

“Lydia.”

His low voice resonated like a tickle near her ear.

“No need to be tense. Mallan will handle everything well.”

“I’m not that tense.”

“……”

Arsen’s gaze moved to her hands gripping the reins like a rope.

“Ah.”

Lydia quickly loosened her grip, embarrassed.

“Even if we’re discovered, we just need to run away quickly. That’s when you can show off your horseback riding skills, Lydia.”

He was clearly teasing her.

Lydia looked at Arsen with round eyes.

“Are you making fun of me right now?”

“I’m just saying I believe in your riding skills.”

Lydia was so dumbfounded she let out “oh my, oh my” before unconsciously bursting into laughter.

As if by magic, the tension dissolved.

Thanks to that, she could remain composed at the checkpoint.

Mallan offered the bribe at the right moment, and the soldiers pretended to check the wagon before letting them through.

There was no pursuit even as they traveled from the count’s territory to a quiet forest path. Arsen, judging it safe, had the group stop.

Those who crawled out of the cargo wagon took a brief rest.

During that time, Lydia complained about being rejected by Richard while staying by their side.

Just like she had in her past life.

However, this time Lydia didn’t threaten to hang herself, and it wasn’t on the cold, barren ground of the labor camp.

“I gave him my liver and gall, and look what I am now.”

Lydia cursed Richard using words more unfiltered than ever before.

When Nella heard the story about Richard sending the letter breaking off the engagement, she couldn’t hold back a sigh.

“What an absolute bastard, that one.”

* * *

That bastard was now very busy spreading a rumor in the capital.

“Elly. Did you hear? They say the marquis’s daughter became a priestess.”

“Is that true? No way… She seemed like she would follow His Majesty the Emperor to the ends of the earth.”

“After all that, she should come to her senses.”

“That’s true. Then what’s happening with that knight now?”

Richard smiled leisurely as he happened to overhear the maids’ busy chatter. He had done well to speak loudly. While receiving reports about Lydia, he had repeatedly asked questions in a loud voice.

Clearly and distinctly, so all the servants outside could hear.

The more they gossiped, the faster the rumor would spread throughout the capital. He intended to let all the guests attending the imperial wedding know that Lydia had become a priestess.

‘Lydia, since you’ve become a priestess, live your whole life serving the goddess.’

He was doing his best to prevent Lydia from easily leaving the temple and from connecting with Arsen.

* * *

News that Lydia had become a priestess spread widely in the capital.

The public reaction was that the crazy marquis’s daughter who couldn’t forget the Emperor and drank poison before him had finally gone completely mad.

Even the news of the Emperor’s wedding in less than a month and the bride-to-be’s pregnancy didn’t have as much impact as the rumors about Lydia.

Devon felt displeased. But what could he do? It wasn’t even a baseless rumor, but all true.

Moreover, Devon wasn’t unaware that the source of the rumor was the Emperor.

He had no intention of getting on bad terms with the Emperor. At least not yet.

“Brother, don’t worry too much. It’s just a rumor that will pass with time.”

Since Lydia agreed to Giselle’s adoption and left, Giselle frequently visited the marquis’s residence.

Her pretext was to comfort Devon, who felt empty after Lydia’s departure.

In reality, it was merely a way to show that she was as close to the marquis’s family as if she shared their blood.

“I can’t help but worry since His Majesty might pressure the temple when Lydia returns.”

“But what can you do if they like each other? There’s no way to stop it even by doctrine.”

Devon let out a hollow laugh at Giselle’s response, which clearly showed her intention to humor him.

“Giselle, it seems you want something else besides my surname.”

“You saw right through me.”

Giselle put down her teacup and leaned toward Devon.

“Brother, do you really have no thoughts of marriage?”

“Not yet.”

Devon was late to marry.

Usually, by Devon’s age, one would be married with at least one child.

However, Devon kept postponing marriage with the rather romantic excuse that he couldn’t forget his first love.

No one knew the exact reason why he remained unmarried, despite being one of the most eligible bachelors acknowledged by society.

But what could anyone do when he rejected every woman introduced to him?

Even the marquis gave up on his marriage, telling him to do as he pleased.

“Is it really because you can’t forget your first love, or do you just hate the idea of marriage?”

“I’ll be honest, it’s the latter. But why are you curious about this?”

“I’m a member of the Evansi family too. I’m worried about the family line ending.”

Devon barely suppressed the huge laugh that threatened to burst out at that presumptuous concern.

They took in and raised a girl from a distant branch family, and now she’s giving advice like she’s his parent.

It was outrageous, but that girl was about to become the empress.

“And I’m worried that you might end up in an unwanted marriage just to continue the family line. I don’t want you to be unhappy, Brother.”

“Thank you.”

“So, if, as time passes, you still don’t want to marry, and I have a second child, how about adopting them as your heir?”

Devon’s hand stopped as he was lifting his teacup.

If it was Giselle’s child, that meant it would be the Emperor’s child. Adopt that child as his heir?

A prince would be insurance against Richard recklessly attacking the Evansi family, even if imperial power grew stronger.

Devon’s lips curved slightly at the tempting proposal.

“I’ll think about it, Giselle, my sister.”