Even though I hadn't been out for that long, my body quickly froze, and it was difficult to move.
'When it's cold, your mouth might freeze and you might not be able to speak well.'
It was already difficult to control my body because my clothes were heavy, and with snow on my feet, I couldn't walk at all.
I had no choice but to return to the carriage, still in Callius' arms.
“I’m sorry. I caused you a hard time by saying I would go out for no reason.”
It must not have been easy to carry people in a snowy field like that...
“It wasn’t difficult at all, so don’t worry about it.”
To my dismay, Callius's face showed no sign of distress. Not even his breathing was ragged.
Rather, I, who was comfortably hugged, was the only one panting for breath due to decreased physical strength.
“Your lips are blue.”
He covered my trembling knees with a blanket.
Then he took off his cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders, and I gasped and fell forward. His large, thick cloak was too heavy.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Callius hurriedly helped me up and sat me down properly.
I muttered, embarrassed at having made such a strange noise.
“The cloak is too heavy.”
“Rather than that, Your Highness, the Princess...”
He stopped talking and closed his mouth.
“What did you say?”
"No."
I noticed that he seemed to be trying to say something like, "You're too weak," so I didn't ask any questions and just let it slide.
“By the way, are you okay?”
I burst out laughing.
“Do you know how many times today you’ve asked if I'm okay?”
Callius's expression became noticeably more relaxed when he saw me smiling.
He suddenly raised his hand and cupped my cheek.
He was outside with me, and his hands were surprisingly warm compared to my frozen hands.
The warmth melted the tears that had frozen on my cheeks and eyelashes and clung to his hand.
I opened my eyes wide and looked at him, and he spoke cautiously.
“You cried, didn’t you?”
"Ah."
It seemed like he saw me standing on the cliff and crying.
'I thought you wouldn't have seen me because I was behind you.'
Now I think I understand why he was relieved.
“Did you think I was crying because I regretted following the Marquis?”
“Yeah, well...”
I smiled brightly.
"I heard someone say, 'Listen to your five best memories, and whenever you're feeling down, like you want to die, quickly recall them. That gives you the courage to live."
“...”
“Today I got one of the five memories I remember when things get tough.”
Callius's eyes shook slightly.
"I've never seen such beautiful scenery before. It was so overwhelming that it brought tears to my eyes."
5 memories that make life worth living.
In my past life, I didn't have that. No matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn't even name five happy or good memories. The only memory I had was when I first met Karl.
So the moment I was killed by Andrea's knight, I couldn't think of anything else but Karl.
But today I filled one more like this.
That got me excited.
“My heart still races when I think of the scenery I saw earlier.”
But the expression on Callius' face as he listened to me was strange.
“Do you remember who told you that?”
“Are you curious about that?”
“It’s interesting because I know a similar saying.”
“...That’s what my most precious friend said.”
It was what he said to me as we said goodbye on the day I first met Karl.
I promised Karl.
“Whenever things get tough, I’ll think of you as the first of my five memories.”
And since the only thing that came to mind from the first to the fifth time was Karl, I guess I kept that promise very well.
I can't go into detail about Karl, so I'll just say something.
"Words of encouragement are probably the same everywhere. My friend probably heard it somewhere."
“...”
Callius seemed to have been lost in thought for a moment and did not hear what I said.
After that, Callius didn't say anything, so there was a thick silence in the carriage for a while.
We headed to Abene Castle, which was not far from the fortress where the moving magic circle was installed.
He said that it was getting dark and that we couldn't leave for Ronheim right away.
It is easy to get lost at night in snowy fields, and if a sudden blizzard hits and you are stranded, it is a threat to your survival.
“The weather in the north is unpredictable. Even when it’s clear like this, it can suddenly snow heavily at night.”
Callius said he would spend the night in Abene and leave at daybreak the next day.
We found accommodation without any problems.
I was so tired, even though I hadn't done anything. I felt like I could have slept on the carpet instead of in bed.
'Besides, I want to take these clothes off too.'
The clothes were weighing down my shoulders, making it difficult to just sit down.
But immediately after arriving at the accommodation, something unexpected happened while Callius was away for a moment, saying he had some business to attend to.
“I cannot allow Your Highness, the Princess, to be in such a shabby place.”
The maids sent by Kavala refused to let me into the inn.
He was quiet when Callius was there, but seeing him act like that as soon as he left, it was clear that he was waiting for his chance.
“No, I...”
I wanted to get out of the carriage and stop the maids.
But the senior maid who quickly climbed into Callius's seat stopped me firmly.
“Your Highness, Marquis Rodrian must show you the courtesy befitting the majesty of the Idelian royal family.”
She wouldn't even let me open the carriage window, so I could only hear the maids outside arguing with Brentian.
“Go and inform Lord Abene of Her Highness’s visit.”
"We plan to stay here only for one night. If we receive an invitation from the lord, we'll have to delay our plans, which would be inconvenient."
Brentian was right.
When I summon the lord, the lord has to treat me as a member of the royal family, whether I like it or not, and as a courtesy to that treatment, we have to stay in the lord's castle for a few days and engage in social activities.
Unless there was a set schedule, meeting the lord would be too much of a hassle in this situation.
Even when the Emperor goes on a provincial inspection tour, he does not announce his visit to all the lords of the destination to avoid the hassle.
But it was a bit far-fetched for a Princess who was getting married and leaving for her husband's territory to ask the lord of the city she was passing through to come and go.
But the maids were stubborn.
“You want to invite Her Highness to such a filthy inn? Are you saying you will treat Her Highness poorly now?”
"It's a sham. This is where Abene's nobles often stay. It's also Abene's only inn."
I could feel the irritation creeping into Brentian's voice.
He drove the wedge in.
“Besides, Lord Abene and I are not on good terms, so we won’t be welcomed.”
Before Ronheim was subjugated, Abene was a border town bordering Ronheim.
It was obvious how much trouble Lord Abene had during each battle with Ronheim.
Even if Ronheim had been subjugated to the Empire, Lord Abene would not have been kind to Ronheim, his longtime enemy.
As the maids began to feel pressured by Brentian, the senior maid who was blocking me spoke to me as if giving me orders.
“When Marquis Rodrian arrives, Your Highness, the Princess will personally go to the lord’s castle.”
I couldn't understand it at all.
“Why should it be like that?”
“Why?”
The maid frowned.
“For Marquis Rodrian to not show Her Highness the utmost courtesy is tantamount to insulting the Idelian royal family.”
It was a ridiculous excuse.
'If I had married another nobleman, this wouldn't have happened.'
How was I treated in my past life when I married Viscount Pelsus?
'I was treated worse than ill-treatment, let alone treated with respect.'
At that time, no one ever said anything about the fact that Viscount Pelsus deserved to be treated with the respect he deserved.
And above all, it was difficult to see it as insulting to stay in an inn where other nobles also stayed.
The maids just wanted to make things difficult for Callius's men.
“What is your name?”
“This is Vanessa.”
The maid answered coldly.
As a high-ranking maid, she couldn't have been unaware that it was rude not to introduce herself until I asked. Yet, she remained brazen.
'If you follow your logic a little while ago, don't you realize that you're the one insulting the royal family?'
It was she who did not treat me with the best courtesy.
I reminded her of an important fact she was missing.
“Vanessa, you must have heard from Her Majesty the Empress why we are here. Are you now refusing Her Majesty’s orders?”
“What do you mean?”
"You know I need to gain Marquis Rodrian's trust and uncover his secrets, yet you're needlessly provoking his subordinates. If Marquis Rodrian withdraws his favor and I fail my mission, I'll have no choice but to report to Her Majesty the Empress the atrocities you and your colleagues committed."
Vanessa looked taken aback by my threat.
She seemed surprised that the Princess, who was rumored to be crazy, spoke better than she had expected.
But she calmly retorted.
“If you accept such cruel treatment to gain their trust, have you ever considered how they will look down on you and the Idelian royal family?”
If I were trying to save my pride, that logic might have worked, but I had no intention of getting into a fight over pride with Callius.
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
I deliberately shouted loudly enough for people outside to hear.
“I’ll get off the carriage. I’d like to rest anywhere.”
Vanessa couldn't hold me back any longer.
'When it's cold, your mouth might freeze and you might not be able to speak well.'
It was already difficult to control my body because my clothes were heavy, and with snow on my feet, I couldn't walk at all.
I had no choice but to return to the carriage, still in Callius' arms.
“I’m sorry. I caused you a hard time by saying I would go out for no reason.”
It must not have been easy to carry people in a snowy field like that...
“It wasn’t difficult at all, so don’t worry about it.”
To my dismay, Callius's face showed no sign of distress. Not even his breathing was ragged.
Rather, I, who was comfortably hugged, was the only one panting for breath due to decreased physical strength.
“Your lips are blue.”
He covered my trembling knees with a blanket.
Then he took off his cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders, and I gasped and fell forward. His large, thick cloak was too heavy.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Callius hurriedly helped me up and sat me down properly.
I muttered, embarrassed at having made such a strange noise.
“The cloak is too heavy.”
“Rather than that, Your Highness, the Princess...”
He stopped talking and closed his mouth.
“What did you say?”
"No."
I noticed that he seemed to be trying to say something like, "You're too weak," so I didn't ask any questions and just let it slide.
“By the way, are you okay?”
I burst out laughing.
“Do you know how many times today you’ve asked if I'm okay?”
Callius's expression became noticeably more relaxed when he saw me smiling.
He suddenly raised his hand and cupped my cheek.
He was outside with me, and his hands were surprisingly warm compared to my frozen hands.
The warmth melted the tears that had frozen on my cheeks and eyelashes and clung to his hand.
I opened my eyes wide and looked at him, and he spoke cautiously.
“You cried, didn’t you?”
"Ah."
It seemed like he saw me standing on the cliff and crying.
'I thought you wouldn't have seen me because I was behind you.'
Now I think I understand why he was relieved.
“Did you think I was crying because I regretted following the Marquis?”
“Yeah, well...”
I smiled brightly.
"I heard someone say, 'Listen to your five best memories, and whenever you're feeling down, like you want to die, quickly recall them. That gives you the courage to live."
“...”
“Today I got one of the five memories I remember when things get tough.”
Callius's eyes shook slightly.
"I've never seen such beautiful scenery before. It was so overwhelming that it brought tears to my eyes."
5 memories that make life worth living.
In my past life, I didn't have that. No matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn't even name five happy or good memories. The only memory I had was when I first met Karl.
So the moment I was killed by Andrea's knight, I couldn't think of anything else but Karl.
But today I filled one more like this.
That got me excited.
“My heart still races when I think of the scenery I saw earlier.”
But the expression on Callius' face as he listened to me was strange.
“Do you remember who told you that?”
“Are you curious about that?”
“It’s interesting because I know a similar saying.”
“...That’s what my most precious friend said.”
It was what he said to me as we said goodbye on the day I first met Karl.
I promised Karl.
“Whenever things get tough, I’ll think of you as the first of my five memories.”
And since the only thing that came to mind from the first to the fifth time was Karl, I guess I kept that promise very well.
I can't go into detail about Karl, so I'll just say something.
"Words of encouragement are probably the same everywhere. My friend probably heard it somewhere."
“...”
Callius seemed to have been lost in thought for a moment and did not hear what I said.
After that, Callius didn't say anything, so there was a thick silence in the carriage for a while.
***
We headed to Abene Castle, which was not far from the fortress where the moving magic circle was installed.
He said that it was getting dark and that we couldn't leave for Ronheim right away.
It is easy to get lost at night in snowy fields, and if a sudden blizzard hits and you are stranded, it is a threat to your survival.
“The weather in the north is unpredictable. Even when it’s clear like this, it can suddenly snow heavily at night.”
Callius said he would spend the night in Abene and leave at daybreak the next day.
We found accommodation without any problems.
I was so tired, even though I hadn't done anything. I felt like I could have slept on the carpet instead of in bed.
'Besides, I want to take these clothes off too.'
The clothes were weighing down my shoulders, making it difficult to just sit down.
But immediately after arriving at the accommodation, something unexpected happened while Callius was away for a moment, saying he had some business to attend to.
“I cannot allow Your Highness, the Princess, to be in such a shabby place.”
The maids sent by Kavala refused to let me into the inn.
He was quiet when Callius was there, but seeing him act like that as soon as he left, it was clear that he was waiting for his chance.
“No, I...”
I wanted to get out of the carriage and stop the maids.
But the senior maid who quickly climbed into Callius's seat stopped me firmly.
“Your Highness, Marquis Rodrian must show you the courtesy befitting the majesty of the Idelian royal family.”
She wouldn't even let me open the carriage window, so I could only hear the maids outside arguing with Brentian.
“Go and inform Lord Abene of Her Highness’s visit.”
"We plan to stay here only for one night. If we receive an invitation from the lord, we'll have to delay our plans, which would be inconvenient."
Brentian was right.
When I summon the lord, the lord has to treat me as a member of the royal family, whether I like it or not, and as a courtesy to that treatment, we have to stay in the lord's castle for a few days and engage in social activities.
Unless there was a set schedule, meeting the lord would be too much of a hassle in this situation.
Even when the Emperor goes on a provincial inspection tour, he does not announce his visit to all the lords of the destination to avoid the hassle.
But it was a bit far-fetched for a Princess who was getting married and leaving for her husband's territory to ask the lord of the city she was passing through to come and go.
But the maids were stubborn.
“You want to invite Her Highness to such a filthy inn? Are you saying you will treat Her Highness poorly now?”
"It's a sham. This is where Abene's nobles often stay. It's also Abene's only inn."
I could feel the irritation creeping into Brentian's voice.
He drove the wedge in.
“Besides, Lord Abene and I are not on good terms, so we won’t be welcomed.”
Before Ronheim was subjugated, Abene was a border town bordering Ronheim.
It was obvious how much trouble Lord Abene had during each battle with Ronheim.
Even if Ronheim had been subjugated to the Empire, Lord Abene would not have been kind to Ronheim, his longtime enemy.
As the maids began to feel pressured by Brentian, the senior maid who was blocking me spoke to me as if giving me orders.
“When Marquis Rodrian arrives, Your Highness, the Princess will personally go to the lord’s castle.”
I couldn't understand it at all.
“Why should it be like that?”
“Why?”
The maid frowned.
“For Marquis Rodrian to not show Her Highness the utmost courtesy is tantamount to insulting the Idelian royal family.”
It was a ridiculous excuse.
'If I had married another nobleman, this wouldn't have happened.'
How was I treated in my past life when I married Viscount Pelsus?
'I was treated worse than ill-treatment, let alone treated with respect.'
At that time, no one ever said anything about the fact that Viscount Pelsus deserved to be treated with the respect he deserved.
And above all, it was difficult to see it as insulting to stay in an inn where other nobles also stayed.
The maids just wanted to make things difficult for Callius's men.
“What is your name?”
“This is Vanessa.”
The maid answered coldly.
As a high-ranking maid, she couldn't have been unaware that it was rude not to introduce herself until I asked. Yet, she remained brazen.
'If you follow your logic a little while ago, don't you realize that you're the one insulting the royal family?'
It was she who did not treat me with the best courtesy.
I reminded her of an important fact she was missing.
“Vanessa, you must have heard from Her Majesty the Empress why we are here. Are you now refusing Her Majesty’s orders?”
“What do you mean?”
"You know I need to gain Marquis Rodrian's trust and uncover his secrets, yet you're needlessly provoking his subordinates. If Marquis Rodrian withdraws his favor and I fail my mission, I'll have no choice but to report to Her Majesty the Empress the atrocities you and your colleagues committed."
Vanessa looked taken aback by my threat.
She seemed surprised that the Princess, who was rumored to be crazy, spoke better than she had expected.
But she calmly retorted.
“If you accept such cruel treatment to gain their trust, have you ever considered how they will look down on you and the Idelian royal family?”
If I were trying to save my pride, that logic might have worked, but I had no intention of getting into a fight over pride with Callius.
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
I deliberately shouted loudly enough for people outside to hear.
“I’ll get off the carriage. I’d like to rest anywhere.”
Vanessa couldn't hold me back any longer.
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