***

The next day, we said our goodbyes smoothly.

“Then I’ll see you at the Grand Duke’s residence, Your Highness.”

“Indeed.”

Clop-clop- Clop-clop-

As the Grand Duke’s party disappeared, leaving dust behind, smiles bloomed on our faces.

Since he had left a few knights behind, no one could speak out loud, but we were all of one mind.

Irena, who had been glancing around, sighed and said.

“Haa. I thought I was going to die from tension.”

“Me too.”

She was clutching her chest as she watched the Grand Duke’s people disappear in a cloud of dust.

Demian beside her sighed deeply while holding his head.

“My lady, I was so anxious. Please have some sense of caution.”

“That’s right. How can you be so fearless?”

“Huh? I was a little scared, too.”

How could anyone not be scared of that ferocity? But if I had been marked, it would have happened already, and if he had intended to do something to me, he would have done so already.

I don’t know his intentions, but considering he personally came to see me, he seems to have some other curiosity.

“A secret, he says.”

Really. It was ridiculous.

“Pardon?”

“Anyway, thanks to the fuss I made contacting the Grand Duchy about Mia, they’re now going through a major personnel reshuffle. If there was going to be trouble, it would have happened already.”

As I thoughtlessly explained, Demian and Irena’s expressions gradually hardened. Hmm?

“Ah, right.”

They didn’t know the full details.

They probably thought I had negotiated well on my own; how could they have known I would cause such a commotion?

Then Demian called me in an ominous tone.

“My lady.”

“Let’s hurry and set off.”

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, I backed away slowly and mounted my horse, but Demian didn’t let it go and started nagging.

I gently covered my ears, but that earned me twice the nagging for Tangerous behavior on horseback.

“So you’re saying you summoned the Grand Duke?”

“No. I didn’t specifically summon the Grand Duke; I called for the person in charge.”

“My lady!”

“Ah, you startled me! What?!”

Demian’s nagging—no, our bickering continued.

The Grand Duke’s knights who quietly followed us had already become invisible. Demian must have been quite shocked; he’s not usually like this.

As we continued squabbling, the spires of the Grand Duchy came into view in the distance.

The journey with the Grand Duke seemed to drag on forever, but now that we had parted ways, time seemed to flow quickly.

“My lady, you can’t pretend you don’t know that—!”

“Wow! It’s really magnificent!”

Irena, who had been merely observing our fight, exclaimed in admiration at the sight of the castle. Demian looked at Irena in disbelief for interrupting him, but Irena no longer cared.

Seeing my chance, I rubbed my ears that had been tormented by Demian’s nagging and feigned distress.

“Ugh, castle or whatever, I think I’m hearing ringing in my ears.”

Still looking displeased, he opened his mouth to say something more. My face, Irena’s face, and even the faces of the knights following us already showed weariness.

At that moment, when even the ever-smiling Lionel was sighing, Sion cut in front of me.

And said very firmly:

“It would be better if you stopped.”

“…?”

“Oh.”

I let out a small exclamation of admiration at Sion’s intervention, while Demian was dumbfounded.

His face seemed to question if he had heard correctly.

Sion delivered a finishing blow.

“Lady Lora is having a hard time.”

“Huh.”

It was truly a beautiful hierarchy.

Demian frowned in disbelief and moved his lips as if about to say something harsh.

I crossed my arms, snorted, and beat him to it.

“This is all self-inflicted. Who was it that first bombarded the high and mighty lady with nagging?”

“Huh.”

Even as he snorted in disbelief, the horses continued to move their feet without stopping.

Thus, we approached the walls of the Grand Duke’s castle, which looked more fortified than any city in the north.

Just before the checkpoint, Demian came to his senses. He put me back into the carriage.

“If someone were to see a noble lady riding a horse, it would certainly cause gossip.”

I nodded obediently. After all, my goal at the Grand Duke’s castle was to ‘absolutely not stand out.’

I sat quietly and opened the window slightly. I began to observe the people trying to enter the Grand Duke’s castle.

“Wow. Everyone is so tall.”

“I’ve heard that northerners are large and robust. They say that in emergencies, everyone can become military strength.”

It was definitely different from the gentle feeling of the capital. People’s complexions were lighter, and their builds were larger.

Every northerner appeared to be as big as Sion. Unlike the people of the capital who wore smiles on their faces, even if fake, they all had stern expressions.

“Hmm. I like it.”

As I rested my chin on the windowsill and smiled slightly, Irena nodded.

“You would definitely feel more comfortable here, my lady. Northerners are less pretentious.”

“I see.”

Soon, it was our turn to pass through the checkpoint. The inspection was more thorough than expected. Some minor nobles couldn’t pass through because they didn’t bring their identification badge. And the merchant group ahead of us was dragged to the guard post for possessing undeclared items. Bribes didn’t seem to work either.

“Next person. Come forward.”

Two huge bear-like knights approached us as well. They coldly surveyed our appearance and carriage from top to bottom. Before they could open their mouths, Demian held out our identification badges.

“Here they are.”

However, the knights didn’t take the badges.

Concerned that there might be a problem due to the continued silence, I opened the carriage window. I poked my head out and asked the knights standing with rigid expressions.

“Is there a problem?”

When I asked calmly, the knight nodded.

Normally, not being able to pass through the checkpoint would be a good excuse. For not attending social gatherings.

But now the situation was a bit different. If we were expelled from here, we would have to return through a dungeon-like path filled with monsters and bandits. Without scrolls, it would be tantamount to suicide. We needed at least enough time to enter and hire magic scrolls and mercenaries.

We tensed at the knight’s affirmation. But the words that came out of his mouth were unexpected.

“I apologize for not recognizing you. We will escort you inside! Guard them!”

“What do you mean by not recognizing me?”

When I tilted my head sideways and questioned, they answered with heightened alertness.

“Aren’t you Lady Lorazie Epine, who saved Ante and our 8th Knight Division?”

“We should have recognized and escorted you earlier, but we failed to identify you. The knights behind and the carriage were also from Kalschmitz, we’re truly sorry!”

“No, it’s fine.”

At their reaction, I quietly pulled my head back into the carriage and closed the window. Then, from somewhere, numerous knights in shining armor rushed out and began to escort our carriage. The gazes of people waiting in line for inspection turned toward us.

I leaned my head against the window and muttered lifelessly.

“So much for staying quiet and inconspicuous.”

Seeing even the low-ranking knights at the gate checkpoint acting like this, the minimum outcome would be standing on a platform receiving commendations with medals, and the maximum would be a marriage proposal.

The suitor would be either Ante or the Grand Duke. The foolish Ante and the Grand Duke. I disliked them equally.

Though unlikely, it was still possible. Both were of marriageable age, and I was a good card as I was ostracized by my family and couldn’t wield power recklessly. For high nobles, that is.

“How do nobles think that a marriage proposal is a reward?”

“Because it is the best reward for a noble lady.”

“But Irena, you look quite happy?”

Irena had been flushed with excitement since the knights swarmed around.

Regardless of my displeased expression, she sparkled with excitement and said.

“My lady! I wouldn’t mind if Ante came three times for something like this! I always knew a day like this would come!”

“What kind of day is this?”

“It seems like the misunderstandings about you have been completely cleared!”

I didn’t respond and closed my eyes, burying my head in the chair. While it was good that rumors had been diluted, too much attention always brought backlash.

Especially for Lora, an illegitimate child, it was best not to receive any attention, whether good or bad.

“Haa. It feels like entering a jungle rather than the Grand Duchy.”

Contrary to my mood, the town inside the walls was peaceful. The roads were well-paved, and there were no slums. The expressions of people passing by all looked comfortable. When I turned my gaze forward, the Grand Duke’s castle was visible at the end of the well-maintained road.

“Wow, the castle is so magnificent.”

“Indeed.”

Though I responded indifferently, the Grand Duke’s castle, visible at the edge of the town, was definitely imposing. Since it was prepared even for war, it had a different kind of beauty from the aesthetic appeal of the imperial palace.

The exterior made of red bricks looked solid, as if it wouldn’t allow any intrusion. The harmony of delicate spires made the robust exterior look not crude. Throughout the castle, golden dragon emblems symbolizing Kalschmitz were hanging and fluttering.

Clop-clop- Clop-clop-

Before long, we arrived in front of that solid castle.

“Are you Lady Lorazie Epine?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Please enter.”

After an eventful three-day journey, we finally arrived at Kalschmitz.