FTDP - Chapter 15

I quickly soaked a soft cloth in water and wiped my face.

I wanted to wash my hair, but it seemed like I didn't have the time or the luxury. Instead, Jaina put my hair up for me.

While I was being served by Jaina, I would occasionally pick up some cookies or bread topped with cheese and ham to eat.

Jaina took off the two-layered dress I was wearing and made me wear only the turquoise dress she had recently bought.

Instead, she put a nice red cloak that she had found somewhere around my shoulders. It was made of silk on the outside and lined with fur on the inside, so it was warm.

“Do you have any luggage to pack?”

I nodded and followed Jaina out of the barracks.

“Whoa.”

The scenery had completely changed, to the point where it felt like it was the same place as yesterday. The barracks where they had pitched their tents had all disappeared, and the knights were all mounted on horses as if they were going out to war.

They were all lined up behind a nice-looking carriage. Surely that can't be the one I'm going to ride in, Jaina whispered proudly.

“The Duke said he bought it for you from the Lord of Nice. Come on up.”

"...Thank you."

I should have said that to the Duke, but I was so overcome with emotion at that moment that I ended up saying it to Jaina.

Jaina smiled happily as if she understood everything.

“It is my honor to have you as my guest, even if only for a short time.”

That was too much for me. I took Jaina's hand and climbed up the steps of the carriage.

But the moment I tried to get into the carriage, I almost fell down, because the Duke was already in the carriage.

I had no idea that I would be riding with him, so it was a moment when I almost fainted. As I staggered, the Duke reached out and grabbed my waist.

“...Be careful when you get on the carriage. You almost got hurt.”

I nodded with a flushed face. Soon the door closed, and the two of us were left alone. Just the two of us.

It was funny. There were so many things I wanted to ask the Duke when I saw him, but when we were left alone, nothing came to mind.

I didn't know I was so fascinated by people's faces. After a long silence, the Duke opened his mouth.

“You look tired. Did anything bother you last night?”

I shook my head. The barracks were very nice. It was just that I fell asleep at the table. With a fluffy blanket.

“No, no, it was good.”

“Is stuttering a habit?”

“Uh, if I'm nervous. Wow, I'm not normally like that...”

“I’m here because I have something important to talk about. I don’t intend to make you uncomfortable. I’ll get off right away when I’m done.”

I almost said that he didn't have to do that, that I didn't want to. If only the Duke's next words had been a little later, I would have almost done that.

“I suspect that you are Princess Anastasia herself.”

He spoke as if he suspected me of being a great criminal. It was so shocking that I forgot what I was going to say and just opened my mouth.

Now, who do you suspect me of?

“Of course, there is not enough evidence, and even if there were, there is a high probability that it is a fabricated fake. It would take at least six months to prove your blood through the temple.”

He continued speaking, slowly stroking his chin.

“To be on the safe side, we have to wait until that time, but realistically, it’s difficult. If you're really Princess Anastasia, then the true successor has appeared, but before that, Princess Kairak will be designated as the Crown Princess.”

“...”

“I plan to proceed with the process of entering the palace within the next three months. If it is proven that you are not the Princess, you will be severely punished for deceiving the royal family. However, I will not let you suffer any harm. I will somehow make sure that you are alive and that you can cross the border.”

I didn't even hear half of what the Duke was saying. If I understood correctly, however, he was about to make a very dangerous gamble.

I wasn't even sure if I was a Princess or not. He just blindly believed the words of a back alley rat.

I saw him falling into the pit. I waved my hand urgently.

“Now, just a moment. I, uh... Oh, right! I, I can show you proof that I am not the Princess.”

He looked at me with calm eyes.

“If anything comes to mind, just tell me.”

Those words were a great comfort to me. I thought he would scold me for talking nonsense, but that's usually the case with high-ranking officials.

Even George's lowly tax collector acted like the king of his little back alley, but the Duke, who had many more people under his feet, did not do so.

The eyes that looked at me were cold, but there was caution and patience in them. That gave me courage.

“There is an old dress, which Mama Olga said was the one I was wearing when I was abandoned in the back alley. If you examine it, you will find that it is not the Princess’s dress.”

“Where are those clothes now?”

“I lost it... This isn’t an excuse, it’s true.”

This sounded like a very poor excuse to me, but the Duke asked seriously.

“Where did you lose it?”

I didn't want to get Zachary and Enoch involved, but I couldn't just ignore the man in front of me, knowing I was making the wrong choice.

In other words, the Duke was trying to commit fraud against the Emperor without any confidence. This was a matter of my own safety.

He said he would protect me even after all the work was done, but how much should I believe that?

People's minds change when they are receiving benefits and when they have to keep promises. Instead of telling the whole truth, I cleverly mixed lies and truth.

“There was a man who helped me get onto the upper carriage. His subordinate took care of me, but I left my luggage behind when I ran away from my pursuers.”

“There was someone who helped you? Can you tell me his name?”

“He didn’t reveal his name.”

“What about the carriage you came in?”

“Oh, it was one of the wagons. It was near the end of the line.”

“First, let’s look for the place you mentioned. I’ll form a separate search team.”

The Duke seemed to be deep in thought, then said.

I was afraid that he would believe everything I said. Or was he confident that I would tell the truth no matter what I said?

While he was tilting his head, the Duke opened the carriage door.

“Would you like to get off?”

I instantly grabbed his sleeve.

The Duke looked a little surprised as if he hadn't expected me to act like that.

Only then did I realize what I had done, and what my actions and words might have meant to him.

My cheeks flushed in an instant. I felt a little sorry for him getting off, but I didn't really mean to catch him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

I flinched in surprise. Lord George would call in his private soldiers and beat up Olga's pickpockets if their clothes even brushed against his.

What if the Duke gets that angry?

“It's okay.”

I opened my eyes wide in surprise. That was an answer I really didn't expect.

Even instead of pushing my hand away or embarrassing me, the Duke gently patted the back of my hand, like a child would when he was clinging to the hem of a garment.

“You don’t have to be so careful with every action. You...”

The Duke bit his lip slightly as if he had just blurted out something difficult to say.

“...Anyway, I recommend that you at least get some sleep. It’ll be crazy busy once we get to the capital.”

As I nodded my head awkwardly, he let go of my hand and got out of the carriage.

I looked at the Duke's back for a long time.

Even though there wasn't much contact, the part where his hand had touched felt 

unusually hot.

***

From then on, it was a series of boring times. Except for meal times and sleeping times, the carriage never stopped even once.

After the first day, I never had a chance to see the Duke face to face. He seemed very busy.

Looking through the window, I sometimes saw paper or parchment, even while on horseback.

Jaina would often stop by to tell me amusing stories when I was bored. They were mostly scandals happening in the palace, and the names were all hard to remember.

It was fun to listen to. When I think about it, this count is like that baron, and that baroness is like that viscountess. There are so many titles...

The carriage was the most comfortable thing on wheels I've ever been in. It had plenty of plush cushions inside and little curtains on the windows.

Still, I couldn't avoid motion sickness. I think the speed was the problem.

If before that we had been moving slowly at the speed of the upper part, now it was no different from running at full speed on the straight road of Jollim from Saxony to the capital.

Thanks to this, we were able to pass through the Osmungand Gate before the day was over, the only gate leading to the capital.

I leaned out the window and looked around the streets absentmindedly. I had only heard great things about it, but this was my first time in the capital.

It was full of splendid and magnificent buildings. A large and magnificent plaza, a white temple, and a distant imperial palace...

Even the tiles on the floor were beautiful. It was a complete contrast to the mud-covered village of George.

As the carriage began to run along the road leading to the palace, I couldn't help but be completely lost in thought. The trees planted along the road were in full bloom with white flowers.

It was winter now, and it felt like magic to me, having just been through the frozen, barren lands of the North a few days ago.

“It’s dangerous. Don’t lean out of the carriage.”

As I reached out to touch the flower, the Duke drew near to the carriage. It was the first time we had spoken since that day.

Actually, I suspected that he was avoiding me a bit. But looking at his tired face, I guess he was just too busy to have time to talk.

Of course, there was only one carriage, and the Duke rode with the knights the whole time. He must have been tired, unlike me, who was sleeping comfortably while lying down inside.

Anyway, it was a good opportunity for me, as I had a lot of things I wanted to ask.

“Your Highness, I have something I wanted to ask you...”

His lips twitched ever so slightly. Other people might not notice it, but to me, who faced the shameless faces of pickpockets every day, it was obvious.

He looked at me with an expression that seemed to say a lot, then opened his mouth.

“Normally, when addressing me, Duke or Your Excellency are the correct titles. If your title is...”

He chose his words a bit here.

“Once we are sure, you may call me by my name. I will assign you an etiquette teacher as soon as we arrive at the Duke’s residence.”

I thought it was because he was talking nonsense when he was busy, but it was because of a completely different problem.

You're going to hire me as an etiquette teacher? I'm a little taken aback. After all, I'm not a real Princess, so what good would it do to learn the etiquette of the nobles?

“What if I’m not a Princess?”

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