IYDGMYD - Chapter 20

For a while, the palace was in an uproar, just like when my mother passed away.

While the Emperor was seriously injured after falling from his horse, the Empress's Palace was robbed, and the treasure house containing vast wealth was burned down.

It seemed that Kavala's brother, Prince Dnieper Blanco, was searching everywhere to catch the thief. However, the thief remained uncaught.

Given the circumstances, the wedding was naturally canceled, as expected.

In a palace where misfortunes are piling up, it is impossible to hold a banquet for the sick Emperor.

'Everything was as expected and planned.'

I was very satisfied.

No one would have guessed that an unexpected winner would be laughing alone here.

So the day came to leave for Ronheim.

***

The morning of my departure, I paced anxiously around my bedroom.

The time when Callius was supposed to come pick me up was approaching.

The maids seemed to think I was nervous, but I wasn't worried at all about following Callius to Ronheim.

But.

'Karl...'

Karl hadn't appeared since the engagement day.

I thought I'd see him once before I left.

'There's no way he wouldn't come to say goodbye.'

I was worried that something might have happened to Karl. It was the first time he hadn't come to see me for so long.

“Stop it. It’s so messy.”

The maid who was packing my luggage stopped what she was doing, came over, and slapped my hand.

I guess I was biting my fingernails without realizing it because I was anxious.

“Oh, uh...”

I unconsciously tried to apologize, but then I closed my mouth.

'Don't apologize unnecessarily, Chloe.'

But I didn't feel like getting angry.

I kept looking out the window.

'I wonder if he's nearby but can't show himself because there's a maid with me?'

With that thought in mind, I pushed the maid's back out of the bedroom as she was packing my bags.

“Just pack that much. You won’t be able to wear these clothes in Ronheim anyway.”

“But those are special gifts given to you by the Empress!”

The maid pressed me, asking if I was ignoring the sacredness of Kavala.

Kabbalah gave me a bunch of dresses shortly after my marriage to Callius was decided.

But in reality, there was nothing to wear in Ronheim, just dresses to show how much Kabbalah loved me.

If he had really wanted me to wear the dress he gave me, he wouldn't have given me a summer dress with such a low neck and no sleeves or short sleeves for a place where it's winter all year round.

“I’ll save it. I’ll wear it when I return to the palace.”

I just talked around a bit.

“Is it even possible to wear such a beautiful dress in Ronheim?”

After sending the maid out, he went to the window and quietly called out to Karl.

“Karl! Are you there?”

But no matter how long I called, Karl did not appear.

I was almost on the verge of tears.

“You said you would be with me wherever I go...”

His smile was vivid as he said, “Don’t worry, there’s a way.”

I'd like to ask him more about that method.

Is he really following me to Ronheim?

Or was that just talk?

Now I didn't care if Karl lied; I just wanted to say goodbye.

As I was sobbing, missing Karl, the maids outside told me that it was time.

I tried to calm my mind and erase the traces of my crying.

That was when.

Boom!

Something flew towards my feet from the window.

“...!”

It was a note folded tightly to reduce its volume.

Even without checking, it was clear who had thrown it.

I picked up the note and ran to look out the window.

But Karl was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, strange maids and knights were seen gathering in the garden.

They were people sent by Kavala.

Perhaps because she felt that the maids Andrea had provided were not very trustworthy, she chose a new, trustworthy one from among her own people and had her accompany her.

'I guess those people are the reason Karl couldn't be seen, so he just handed over the note and disappeared.'

I stamped my feet and opened the note.

The note contained a short, scribbled message that appeared to have been hastily written.

[Don't worry. I'll follow you.]

“...”

As soon as I read the note, tears started to flow again, without any trace of luck.

This time, it was tears of relief.

I was relieved that nothing bad had happened to Karl and that he really intended to go with me.

'Really, Karl? Are you really going to follow me?'

Instead of Karl, I hugged the note he left behind tightly and hid it in a narrow crevice at the back of the drawer.

It would be a problem if someone found it and caused trouble while carrying it on their person.

As soon as I hid the note, the maids came rushing in angrily.

“I told you to come out, so why aren’t you coming out?”

Their expressions became even more grim when they saw my tears.

It seemed like they thought I was crying because I didn't want to go to Ronheim.

“It’s no use holding on.”

“Go out quickly. People are waiting for you, Princess!”

The maids, perhaps worried that I might change my mind and suddenly decide not to go to Ronheim, cornered me like prey and pushed me out of the bedroom.

I felt relieved after reading Karl's note, so I left the bedroom without saying a word.

***

When I came outside, Callius, his men, and the men sent by Kavala were waiting for me.

“Your Highness, the Princess.”

Callius dismounted and bowed politely.

The maids next to me stopped when they saw Callius like that.

Unlike his previous appearance, when he was wearing a plain black suit, he was dressed in armor today.

The already large man looked twice as large with the thick fur cloak draped over his shoulders.

He was wearing thick, tough-looking black leather gloves, boots, and armor, which gave him an intimidating look.

Not only Callius, but his subordinates were dressed similarly.

'They look like crows.'

Judging by their size, they could be compared to large eagles among birds, but their sharp features seemed closer to crows than eagles.

I like crows. They are strong and clever birds.

Callius reached out his hand to me.

The maids were so scared of him that they couldn't even move.

I shook off those maids and walked confidently to take Callius' hand.

The maids didn't know, but I had no reason to be afraid of him.

“Shall we go, Marquis?”

The words “let’s go” came out very freely.

There was no hesitation or anxiety in my steps. There was only anticipation.

For some reason, a smile of interest appeared on Callius's lips.

He had a rough appearance, as if he could kill a bear with his bare hands, but when I approached him, he took my hand in a very delicate and warm way and pulled me to the carriage.

I whispered to him just before I got into the carriage.

"I have a favor to ask. Could you have your knight bring me the green cushion and teddy bear from my bed? They're really precious items, and I'd like to keep them safe."

Despite my sudden request, he nodded without saying a word.

"All right."

He called the red-haired knight I had helped find the Platus Bracelet for, and had him bring me what I had told him.

The maids seemed wary of him entering the building, but they did not dare to block him.

As soon as I got into the carriage, the red-haired knight brought me a cushion and a teddy bear.

How fast is the pace?

“Is this what you said?”

The cushion and teddy bear in his hand looked incredibly small and absurdly light.

I can't even lift that all at once...

“That’s right. Thank you. Please put it next to me.”

He obeyed my words obediently.

As the knight stepped out of the carriage, Callius came in and took his place in front of me. It seemed he was going to join me in the carriage.

The carriage, which was wide enough for him to ride in, felt cramped.

As the door closed, he chuckled and asked.

“Is this something you treasure? So much so that you can’t put it down even when you’re on the go?”

I nodded, my hands resting on the teddy bear and cushion.

“Yes, a lot.”

My precious possessions, which I had left behind as if they were not to be taken, because I could not leave them in the hands of the maids I had been with before, nor in the hands of the new maids Kavala had sent.

Even if I leave everything else behind, I must take this with me.

'Because it contains a lot of the Kavala jewels I stole in the past.'

I was a little worried that the red-haired knight was carrying the teddy bear and cushion so lightly, as if they were feathers, so I lifted them gently.

‘Surely, it’s not like something inside has fallen out...’

It’s still heavy.

'If I were as strong as that knight, I would have taken all the treasures from the treasury.'

I sighed in regret.

While I was seriously fiddling with the teddy bear, Callius kept giggling.

'What...?'

Why is that?

Meanwhile, the carriage started moving.

I left my regret behind and looked out the window with a pounding heart.

Finally, escape.

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