Giselle might not owe Devon or Lydia, but she did owe the Marquis.

Yet she repaid kindness with enmity.

“Well, Miss Giselle probably wished for Master’s death. That way, she could sweet-talk young master Devon into adopting her.”

“Actually, Richard is behind all this, Father.”

The Marquis boiled with betrayal and anger.

Devon, Richard, Giselle—none of them should have done this to him.

“Prepare to leave for the capital immediately.”

“Father, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

“Thanks to you, I can move like this now, my daughter.”

The Marquis’s eyes overflowed with compassion and affection as he looked at Lydia.

Those who had taken so much from him were all waiting for him to die.

Only one person, Lydia, wanted him to live.

“I’ll go and set everything right. You rest here for a few months and then come up.”

“Father, I’m going to the border. Since I’ve become a priestess, I want to try my best.”

Lydia continued to play the role of a filial daughter until the end.

She felt a little guilty, but compared to Devon, she belonged to the filial daughter category.

* * *

“It seems you got what you wanted.”

Outside the study, Arsen was waiting for Lydia.

Even just hearing the shouts coming from the study, he knew things had gone as Lydia intended, but he wanted to hear the details.

“Yes. Father is very angry. Despite appearances, my father can hold quite a grudge. He says he’s going to the capital.”

The Marquis would cancel Giselle’s adoption as soon as he arrived.

It doesn’t matter if Devon and Lydia had agreed, if the family head refused, that was the end of it.

Richard would try to persuade the Marquis, but it probably wouldn’t do much good.

The Marquis felt both betrayed and insulted by Richard.

Richard ignored the implicit agreement with the Marquis.

Though they hadn’t written a contract, nobles who supported a faction in imperial succession disputes typically formed marriage alliances with those they helped.

The Marquis had helped Richard because he had no doubt that Lydia Evansi, his direct bloodline, would become Empress.

If Richard had made Lydia his Empress and kept Giselle as his concubine, the Marquis would have felt displeased but not insulted.

“The Emperor will try to persuade him.”

“He won’t be persuaded.”

“Then he’ll resort to threats.”

“That, that might happen.”

Lydia nodded readily.

But she didn’t seem particularly worried.

“But Father will handle that himself. He was saying earlier that Richard is just a greenhorn Emperor who just ascended the throne.”

Lydia giggled as though she found it thrilling. She looked excited for the first time in a while.

The smile on her face wouldn’t fade.

Smiling suited Lydia much better than biting her lips with a pale, sickly complexion.

Her complexion and mood seemed better here in the marquisate than in the capital where Devon and Richard were.

Perhaps staying here might be better for Lydia, Arsen thought.

“Why don’t you just stay here?”

But that statement was made on impulse.

Arsen surprised himself with his words. Of course, he didn’t show it.

“Sir.”

Lydia narrowed her eyes as she looked at Arsen.

Arsen flinched ever so slightly, like someone who had been caught.

But there was nothing to be caught for. If anyone had secrets, it was Lydia, not Arsen.

She already knew all of Arsen’s significant secrets, didn’t she?

So why do I feel guilty?

“Are you worried I’ll follow you to the border and bother you?”

Lydia crossed her arms and stood with one leg forward.

“Don’t worry about that at all. I won’t even set foot in the Edis mansion.”

“Won’t set foot? What does that mean? Do you have a place prepared at the border?”

Arsen had intended to keep Lydia at his mansion if he took her along. For one thing, there was only one building at the border that could be called a “mansion”—the Edis mansion.

Unless she had relatives there, the only person Lydia knew at the border was him.

“Are you planning to sleep outdoors?”

“No, Sir Kedrick told me there’s a temple at the border too. Since I’m a priestess, I should naturally stay at the temple.”

Temple? Surely not that collapsing building?

Right, he had heard it was used as a temple. About fifty years ago.

“Kedrick didn’t tell you that building can’t be used, I see.”

“He did tell me. But he said the frame is still intact? That’s enough. I’ve agreed to repair it with Priest Byron and use it.”

“And where will you stay during repairs?”

“We’ll pitch a tent next to it and sleep there. That’s nothing.”

It was astounding. He thought she had become a priestess just to be free, but Lydia’s actions were exactly like someone truly walking the path of a priestess.

Was it Byron’s influence? Or had she planned this from the beginning?

“I told you I wouldn’t burden you, Sir. It’s my turn to repay now. Just watch. I won’t borrow even a single piece of firewood from you.”

Lydia raised her chin proudly and walked past Arsen.

Her stride across the corridor was full of confidence.

Not knowing how cold and dangerous the border was.

Even as he inwardly clicked his tongue at that confidence, dismissing it as youthful recklessness, the corner of Arsen’s mouth that had risen in an incredulous smile wouldn’t come down.

* * *

“Father, take good care of your health.”

Don’t you dare die until I return to the capital.

Lydia embraced the Marquis, who was leaving for the capital, and conveyed this silent message.

The Marquis comforted his daughter, telling her not to worry, and immediately boarded the carriage.

To scold his wicked son and the ungrateful couple who didn’t know gratitude.

Giselle would probably stand as Giselle Maxwell, not Giselle Evansi, even on the day of her imperial wedding.

It was a bit disappointing not to see that.

“Then let’s depart as well.”

Arsen had decided to return to the border on the same day the Marquis left for the capital.

He had left the border unattended for too long.

The border was a dangerous place. The land was barren, the nights were long, and demonic beasts appeared from time to time.

The Edis family had traditionally protected the border, preventing demonic beasts from invading other parts of the marquisate.

It was a harsh and dangerous job, but someone had to do it.

Long ago, the previous Marquis Evansi had entrusted this task to his vassal, the Edis family, and named three villages collectively called the “Border Villages” as the border region and left it to them.

In return for their effective defense against demonic beasts, all taxes from the border went to the Edis family, and they were exempt from additional taxation or military conscription.

Exchanges between the border and the lord’s castle were very infrequent.

And only during spring and summer, when the days were long.

In other words, the road from the lord’s castle to the border was also treacherous.

“This time, please ride in the carriage.”

“Sir, I—”

“Put the priestess in the carriage.”

Arsen commanded firmly, giving Lydia no chance to refuse.

This time, there was no deal. All non-combatants were put in carriages.

The knight order always traveled with small carriages for mobility.

There were two carriages carrying people and two wagons loaded with grain and seeds that the Marquis had bestowed upon Arsen.

Arsen and the knights rode on horseback, fully armed.

Lydia thought Arsen was being extra cautious because of Nella and Byron.

Demonic beasts don’t usually come out in spring or summer. And now it was May, when fresh greenery flourished.

But Lydia realized her complacency when the carriage tumbled over from a demonic beast attack.

“Lydia, are you alright?”

Arsen asked, supporting Lydia who was huddled up.

“…Sir Arsen.”

And a moment later…

Lydia also realized why Devon and Richard were so desperate to get their hands on Arsen.

* * *

The northeastern part of the elongated Evansi marquisate is surrounded by the Rimount Mountains.

The Rimount Mountains were famous for being rugged with dense forests, and also teeming with demonic beasts.

So Lydia knew well that the closer one got to the mountains, the higher the chance of encountering demonic beasts. Still, she never imagined demonic beasts would appear as soon as the mountains came into view.

Having never seen a demonic beast in real life, only in pictures, Lydia worried she might scream and freeze in shock, becoming a burden to others.

But that worry was unfounded.

“Kyaaa!”

The demonic beast didn’t give Lydia time to cry and wail in fear. The centipede-type demonic beast, with legs as thick as a human torso, flipped the carriage over as soon as it appeared.

Whatever had angered it, it growled, “Gruk, grrruk,” and thrust its snout toward the carriage.

As a result, the sideways-flipped carriage rolled once more.

Lydia was disoriented after hitting her head against the wall as the carriage flipped and tumbled.

Outside, demonic beasts and humans were fighting, shouting at each other.

“Ne, Nella, wake up, Nella.”

Lydia pressed her throbbing forehead and crawled toward Nella, who was hanging her head low.

“Nella, open your eyes. We need to get out.”

“Ugh, Miss Lydia?”

“I’m not Miss anymore, I’m a priestess, anyway, let’s go.”

Titles weren’t important right now. Lydia supported Nella and helped her up.

The carriage was completely upside down. With the ceiling becoming the floor and the wheels pointing skyward, Lydia and Nella could easily reach the door. Lydia opened the door with effort.

There were multiple demonic beasts, but the knight order didn’t seem to be losing. Those who couldn’t fight had already moved to one side and huddled together.

“Mrs. Nella! Priestess Lydia! Here, come over here.”