Episode 13
“Your Grace, Your Highness. We’ve arrived at the Grand Duke’s estate.”
When the sound of hoofbeats finally stopped, the coachman’s booming voice followed.
And I couldn’t have been happier to hear it.
“Sh… shall we get out, then?”
At last, Lankeia slowly stirred, rose from his seat, and opened the carriage door to step out first.
“…Y-yes.”
Unlike me, he looked perfectly composed, and I didn’t want to reveal my own feelings so openly.
So I let out a deep breath, then matched his pace as I took the hand he offered and stepped down from the carriage.
My heart was still pounding out of rhythm, but as long as I didn’t show it outwardly, it would be fine.
Instead, I fixed my gaze on a spot in the far distance, not on him.
“Welcome, sir.”
As we reached the front door of the Grand Duke’s estate, the moment the carriage door swung open—perfectly on cue—there was a line of servants waiting for us.
Among them, of course, was Mary.
Her face was lit up with excitement, brimming with determination to hear every single detail of what had happened.
Later, later…
But my body was far too tired to even open my mouth, so I offered her an apology in my heart and headed straight for the second floor.
“Well then, you must be tired. Please rest well.”
“…You too, Your Grace.”
Finally reaching my room, I was able to free my hand from Lankeia’s under the perfect pretext.
“Your Highness!”
Madam Hayley was waiting right outside the door. The moment she saw me, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
Well… if I were Madam Hayley, I wouldn’t trust me either.
It was obvious she was greatly relieved that I had returned without any incident.
It did sting a little, but given my unpredictable nature, it was an understandable reaction.
“I’m back.”
My voice came out hoarse and heavy with fatigue.
Hayley must have noticed, because she quickly opened the door, and I walked straight in.
“Well… in any case, please rest. You look exhausted.”
“…Yes, thank you. I’ll tell you the details tomorrow.”
“Let me help you change.”
“Oh, I can do it myself. You must be tired too, Hayley—please go rest.”
“But still—”
“Go on. I feel bad keeping you up so late because of me.”
“…If you insist.”
Though she still looked reluctant to leave, I truly wanted to be alone.
The dress was easy enough to take off on my own, so I didn’t need help anyway.
“Sweet dreams, Your Highness.”
“You too, Hayley.”
I forced my lips into a small smile until the door closed and I was finally alone.
Then, I immediately threw myself onto the bed.
Thump.
The soft mattress enveloped me, letting me relax just a little.
And then…
I didn’t do anything…
…
The memory I had been trying to avoid spread thickly through my mind.
Damn it.
No matter what excuse I might have given, it wouldn’t have worked in that situation.
But of all things, “I didn’t do anything” had to be the worst choice—the one most open to misunderstanding.
Lankeia’s blinking face flashed before my eyes.
“Aaaahhh!!”
I must have looked so stupid in that moment.
Embarrassment crashed over me like rough waves, and I grabbed whatever was closest and slammed it down.
My fist sank into it deeply.
A pillow.
Of course.
Even so, the shame refused to fade, and I exhaled heavily before finally sitting back up.
No matter how tired I am, I should change clothes…
With practiced movements, I slipped off my dress and pulled on the white slip Hayley had set out for me.
Then I flopped back down onto the bed and squeezed my eyes shut.
Praying that Lankeia wouldn’t appear in my dreams, I pulled the blanket over my head.
“All preparations are complete!”
“We’ve received word that the gate in the Forest of Beasts has begun to glow a solid red—looks like it will open soon.”
Two weeks had passed since the party.
And had anything happened since then?
No. Absolutely nothing.
Or rather, there hadn’t been time for anything to happen.
Lankeia had been busy developing weapons in preparation for the earlier-than-expected opening of the rune gate in the Forest of Beasts.
I had been busy learning about Iarid.
Naturally, we hadn’t crossed paths—something I was personally grateful for.
My face showed my emotions too easily, and I needed time to recover from that embarrassing, awkward day.
“Shia, I just received word that His Grace is ready to depart,” Rebed’s voice called to me as Hayley was arranging my hair.
Mary wasn’t in the room—she was helping the servants with Lankeia’s departure—so Rebed seemed comfortable calling me “Shia.”
And if the Grand Duke was ready…
“That means it’s time for me to go see him off.”
Whether one loved one’s husband or not, a Grand Duchess was expected to send him off before a campaign.
And once he left, he might be gone at least two weeks—sometimes over a month.
It was the custom in Iarid to wish him a safe return.
“That’s right.”
“I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Once I sent him off and settled more into life in Iarid, the real princess would arrive.
After all, I’d been told from the start that this was only a month-long stand-in role.
“Your Grace.”
Accompanied by Rebed and Madam Hayley, I headed to the front gates and spotted Lankeia loading up for departure.
I took a deep breath before calling out to him.
“Ah.”
He didn’t look my way at first, but on the second call, he lifted his head.
He was wearing his commander’s uniform, hair neatly brushed back from his face.
Whether I liked him or not, whether he made me uncomfortable or not—
He was undeniably pleasant to look at.
As expected…
Good looks are the best.
“Did you come to see me off?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Silence fell again.
But with onlookers present, I couldn’t let it drag on.
“Are all your preparations complete?”
“Yes, they are.”
Short answer.
“Do you have everything you need—”
“I’ve packed it all.”
Another short answer.
Apparently, Lankeia’s face did all the work—conversation, not so much.
…Or maybe it was just that I wasn’t his heroine.
“You may depart now.”
At that moment, the coachman’s familiar voice—first heard two weeks ago—cut through the stillness.
“Travel safely, Your Grace.”
It felt like talking to a wooden statue, but still—danger awaited him, so I gave a proper farewell.
Maybe this was the last time I’d see Lankeia in this identity.
We hadn’t spent much time together, but as humans do, I’d grown the tiniest bit attached.
It was a little bittersweet.
If things were ending anyway, maybe I could have afforded to treat him a bit more warmly.
Time, however, only moved forward, and this wasn’t such a bad ending.
A faint, easy smile touched my lips.
“…Then.”
Lankeia slowly turned to face me.
His pitch-black eyes met mine more directly than before.
“I shall return, Your Highness. Please take care of your health.”
Then he took my hand, dropped to one knee, and pressed his forehead to it, his cloak sweeping dramatically around him.
“…!”
The unexpected gesture almost made me jerk my hand away—
Execution if I get found out!
I quickly recalled the mental training I’d drilled into myself.
Any un-princess-like behavior could put everyone’s lives at risk.
No ruining things now, when it was almost over.
After counting about ten sheep in my head, my heart calmed down.
Good grief. And to think I once slapped his hand away when he tried to tuck me in.
With nothing else to do, I stood there, watching as he mounted his horse and took the lead.
Even after the party left the estate, I remained in place until they disappeared from sight.
We weren’t people who would be seeing each other for long.
Wherever I went, I was the lesser party, and all I could do was accept his actions—change or no change.
That was my role as the princess’s stand-in, and my way of surviving.
“He’s gone.”
Only when the group vanished from my sight did I finally murmur the words.
Lankeia had left the Grand Duke’s estate.
Which meant my own time here was nearly over.
I’ve learned a lot about Iarid, and I’ve attended countless tea parties as the lady of the Fidelanis house…
As the Grand Duchess of the northern province of Iarid, I’d had to show my face at many events.
Thankfully, Lankeia usually handled the speeches, leaving me to simply smile beside him.
But there had been trials I had to face alone.
“Your Highness, there are still some tea parties scheduled for today,” Mary said.
By “tea parties,” she meant gatherings hosted by the influential ladies of Iarid’s upper class.
I’d had to study hard to keep up with their conversations, memorizing facts as though cramming for an exam.
And of course, every action I took in the estate would be reported back to Lankeia, so I had to act like the princess at all times.
Now that Lankeia had gone to hunt at the gate, there would be no contact with him for a while.
“You’ll be attending, right, Your Highness?” Mary asked innocently.
I answered with a bright smile,
“Cancel today’s, Mary. I’m not feeling well.”
“What? Are you very ill?”
Sure enough, she looked ready to run for a doctor.
Rebed and Madam Hayley were there too, but they didn’t stop me—seeming to allow a day’s break.
In that case…
I’d gladly accept their permission.
“I’m not that sick, Mary.”
I shook my head lightly to ease her worries.
“I’ll just rest in my room. If I need anything, I’ll call you, so don’t worry.”
Before she could argue, I hurried up to my room.
Now, all I had was time.
Hmm…
A new question settled in my mind—
What should I do next?
