Under my robe, I glared at him intently with my now bright blue eyes. Feeling my gaze, he looked at me and curved his lips.
It was time to separate our identities. I stepped back two paces, and he went ahead.
His black cloak fluttered as he stepped outside.
The troops lined up in formation were truly a magnificent sight. The Grand Duke climbed onto a platform in the wide open space and began a speech to boost the morale of the expedition members.
I stepped back and listened attentively in a properly respectful posture.
I had expected attention to be focused on me, a maid wearing a robe, but most of the servants were wearing robes or cloths. It was to protect against the dust and sandy winds on the journey, they said.
Soon after, the speech ended with brief words of encouragement. Simultaneously, the knights’ tremendous cheers announced our departure.
“Let’s go.”
The Grand Duke rode a horse at the front. It was the black horse I had seen when we went to the lake together.
I was to travel in a carriage some distance away from him, along with the Grand Duke’s luggage.
Bump-
“Ugh.”
The ride was truly terrible. It reminded me of when I was kidnapped.
After traveling like that for several hours, I felt as if my waist had disappeared. During a short break, as I got out and was stretching my stiff body, a maid from another carriage approached.
“Aren’t you the Grand Duke’s maid? Why aren’t you attending to him instead of standing around?”
“Ah, I was just about to go.”
I suddenly realized and started preparing what was needed for the rest break in the carriage.
What do I need? Water?
“You’ll know once you try.”
After gathering things haphazardly and getting out of the carriage, I saw the Grand Duke had already dismounted from his horse. Looking around, other nobles were already being attended to by servants, refreshing themselves or having snacks.
With just water and a towel in hand, I trudged over to him. He accepted them with a smile.
“How is it going?”
“A maid’s duties are more than I expected. And I think riding a horse would be better than the carriage, Your Highness.”
When I answered his question with a respectful bow as promised, he smiled slightly. Telling me to endure a little longer, he offered me a wrapped chocolate.
“Wow. Such a precious thing. Thank you.”
I bowed obsequiously like a eunuch. The Grand Duke, standing comfortably but properly before me, chuckled as he personally unwrapped it for me.
Other nobles would be shocked if they saw the Grand Duke pampering a maid with snacks.
Well, I assumed the Grand Duke had cleverly passed it to me when no one was looking.
As I was chewing the chocolate, the Grand Duke suddenly looked behind me and lowered his voice.
“Have you revealed your identity to them?”
“Ah, no. I don’t understand why they’re acting like that either.”
Since I had also been feeling intense stares, I could answer without turning around.
Whenever I opened the window in the carriage, penetrating gazes would fix on me from somewhere. They were the intense looks that Calix and Lindel were sending my way.
I had been extremely careful, thinking they might recognize me from Lora’s back view, body shape, or voice since they had been family, but it was unsettling. Lindel might not notice, but Calix was quick-witted.
“Your Highness, what if they’ve figured it out?”
“If they have noticed, would you like me to warn them directly?”
“Yes, please.”
I nodded vigorously. His warning would surely be much more effective than mine.
He smiled in understanding, and I took the towel and empty water glass from his hands. The Grand Duke admired how naturally I performed my maid duties.
“I haven’t wiped my sweat yet.”
“You’ll just sweat again anyway, so just get on.”
“I will.”
Back in the carriage, I leaned this way and that to find the most comfortable position and smiled with satisfaction.
In the slightly warmer weather, whenever I opened the window, the gazes of the two Epines would invariably fly toward me.
During the next rest break, I deliberately lingered near them, but they neither spoke to me nor took any action.
They just stared at me so intensely that the back of my head felt like it was burning.
Why are they like that, really?

***

About half a day after our departure, we passed through the headquarters of human traffickers disguised as bandits and arrived at Adelbalk.
The monsters we encountered were completely annihilated. There were hardly any injuries. This was because the Grand Duke at the front had exterminated them all.
Eating strawberries in the carriage that was originally meant for the Grand Duke, I found the journey quite pleasant except for the bumpy ride.
“Greetings! The 5th Knights Division of Adelbalk Territory pays respects to Grand Duke Kalschmitz!”
With a resounding greeting, the knights guarding the castle gate saluted in unison as they saw our procession.
It was a novel experience to enter so grandly through the main gate with such a welcome.
It seemed like just yesterday that I had climbed over the wall like a petty thief.
After entering the castle, I suffered from a moment of confusion before beginning to unload the luggage.
The Grand Duke wasn’t one to indulge in luxury even during expeditions. But being a noble, he had quite a lot of baggage, and as his maid, I had to move it to his room.
“Ugh. Why is there so much luggage?”
My arms, which had carried nothing heavier than parasols or jewelry since becoming Lora, trembled mercilessly.
Looking around, other servants also seemed busy managing their assigned items.
While struggling, I caught the Grand Duke’s eye. I mouthed the words.
This.Is.Hard.
He slightly raised the corner of his mouth, then gestured to a knight standing behind him. Was his name Rik?
He was one of the Duke’s personal guard knights who knew my identity.
After Ethan said something to him, he approached me. It seemed he had been ordered to carry the luggage.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.”
I promptly handed over the luggage. He lifted all the bags piled in front of the carriage in one go.
“Oh. Isn’t it heavy?”
“It’s fine.”
He shook his head with a smile. A high-ranking personnel had suddenly become a porter.
The Grand Duke was welcomed by the lord and headed to the conference room for strategy. He was with Ante.
“Your Highness, I’ll go to the room first and rest.”
“Alright.”
I bowed my head respectfully and withdrew, staying true to my role. I lightly ignored Ante’s comment that I should be unpacking rather than resting.
He had strongly opposed me coming along as a maid from the beginning, but the Grand Duke and I had insisted.
Anyway, we followed the castle servant who was guiding us to our room.
The corridor visible after climbing the spiral staircase was decorated with swords, spears, and armor.
Rik, who had carried the luggage to the door, gave a slight bow. Seeing this, the castle servant also reflexively greeted me.
“Well then.”
“Yes, thank you very much, both of you.”
The room, being at the frontline, wasn’t luxurious but was quite neat. There was a bedroom through the drawing room, and a small side room attached. It seemed to be the maid’s room, and sure enough, the bed was unbearably hard.
“Can’t be helped. I’ll have to steal the Grand Duke’s bed again tonight.”
I needed to sleep well tonight to endure tomorrow’s forced march. Yes, absolutely.
I gently closed the door to the side room I had been holding.
“Ah, they mentioned there would be a party tonight to pray for victory.”
They really do love parties.
I began to roughly unpack the luggage to prepare for the Grand Duke.

***

“Lora.”
“How about this one, Your Highness?”
“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Now I understand why Irena puts so much effort into dressing me up.”
The Grand Duke smiled as if he couldn’t help it. He looked completely resigned.
And for good reason—this was already the fourth outfit. But it couldn’t be helped. The Grand Duke looked splendid in anything. The person dressing him was so delighted she could almost fly.