It was a quiet yet powerful voice. I looked straight at my father and spoke.
“She's Abigail, the First Princess of the Empire.”
“...That’s what Her Highness Princess Abigail said.”
Father wasn't overly surprised. Everyone knew that Princess Abigail was the advisor to Prince Cain, the Second Prince.
“Princess Abigail wants to ascend to the throne herself.”
So, when I said this, his father let out a low groan. My father couldn't have been pleased with her brother's feud over the throne while the Princess herself was trying to ascend to it. He would surely have found it appalling.
My father closed his eyes for a moment. He seemed deeply lost in thought, motionless. After a while, he opened his eyes again and nodded, as if he had gathered his thoughts.
“So that’s why.”
“What happened?”
“I heard that after His Highness Prince Cain’s downfall, Her Highness Princess Abigail was extremely cautious, but she still participated in several political meetings. Wasn't it originally the Crown Prince's and Prince Cain's share? I thought the Princess was trying to fill Prince Cain's void. But...”
"Princess Abigail isn't exactly a decent person. She must be trying to make sure her existence isn't forgotten."
“How can you be so sure?”
I explained what had happened. When I told him about the circumstances that clearly showed Princess Abigail had instigated Marquis Eleanor to kill me, my father's eyes trembled. I hastily waved my hand.
"I'm fine now. Actually, the wound I got while trying to catch the demon lasted quite a while."
“How could you go through something like that and not even get a single letter...!”
I hugged my father, who was furious and had a frustrated expression on his face. I bumped into his sturdy armor, but I didn't care.
“I can’t even begin to describe how much His Highness the Grand Duke scolded me. Please don’t scold me, Father.”
When I spoke with a hint of coquetry, my father let out a long sigh and nodded. I smiled and pulled away from him. Unlike before, I spoke with a serious tone.
"Princess Abigail is after the entire Earldom of Winsley this time. We, the Earldom of Winsley, have always been loyal to whoever sits on the throne. While we don't get involved in succession disputes, we're equally loyal to the successor chosen by the throne's owner. That's why Princess Abigail finds the Earldom of Winsley so irritating. She's trying to frame us for treason."
“If that happens, it will be an unfavorable situation for His Highness the Crown Prince as well.”
"Of course. If we were plotting treason, why would we do it? To seize the throne ourselves? No one would believe that. They'd think it was to put His Highness Prince Aslan, the Crown Prince, on the throne."
"His Majesty the Emperor would not tolerate such a thing. He is a very suspicious person."
"That's right. His wariness toward the Duchzan is also quite intense. He even went so far as to poison Her Highness the Grand Duchess."
These words greatly agitated my father. He grabbed my arm, but his hand was trembling.
I placed my hand over my father's and smiled softly, trying to reassure him.
"His Majesty the Emperor is so prudent that he wouldn't poison me in such a crowded place. After all, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess was poisoned in a secluded villa."
"Even so, it's no different than you being in a snake den. How sad your mother will be when she hears this story..."
My father washed his dry face with his calloused hands.
“Even though you are in such a dangerous situation, His Highness sent you out of the territory?”
My father's sparks flew in strange directions. I opened my eyes like a rabbit, startled.
“I said I'd go! He has nothing to do with it.”
“She's Abigail, the First Princess of the Empire.”
“...That’s what Her Highness Princess Abigail said.”
Father wasn't overly surprised. Everyone knew that Princess Abigail was the advisor to Prince Cain, the Second Prince.
“Princess Abigail wants to ascend to the throne herself.”
So, when I said this, his father let out a low groan. My father couldn't have been pleased with her brother's feud over the throne while the Princess herself was trying to ascend to it. He would surely have found it appalling.
My father closed his eyes for a moment. He seemed deeply lost in thought, motionless. After a while, he opened his eyes again and nodded, as if he had gathered his thoughts.
“So that’s why.”
“What happened?”
“I heard that after His Highness Prince Cain’s downfall, Her Highness Princess Abigail was extremely cautious, but she still participated in several political meetings. Wasn't it originally the Crown Prince's and Prince Cain's share? I thought the Princess was trying to fill Prince Cain's void. But...”
"Princess Abigail isn't exactly a decent person. She must be trying to make sure her existence isn't forgotten."
“How can you be so sure?”
I explained what had happened. When I told him about the circumstances that clearly showed Princess Abigail had instigated Marquis Eleanor to kill me, my father's eyes trembled. I hastily waved my hand.
"I'm fine now. Actually, the wound I got while trying to catch the demon lasted quite a while."
“How could you go through something like that and not even get a single letter...!”
I hugged my father, who was furious and had a frustrated expression on his face. I bumped into his sturdy armor, but I didn't care.
“I can’t even begin to describe how much His Highness the Grand Duke scolded me. Please don’t scold me, Father.”
When I spoke with a hint of coquetry, my father let out a long sigh and nodded. I smiled and pulled away from him. Unlike before, I spoke with a serious tone.
"Princess Abigail is after the entire Earldom of Winsley this time. We, the Earldom of Winsley, have always been loyal to whoever sits on the throne. While we don't get involved in succession disputes, we're equally loyal to the successor chosen by the throne's owner. That's why Princess Abigail finds the Earldom of Winsley so irritating. She's trying to frame us for treason."
“If that happens, it will be an unfavorable situation for His Highness the Crown Prince as well.”
"Of course. If we were plotting treason, why would we do it? To seize the throne ourselves? No one would believe that. They'd think it was to put His Highness Prince Aslan, the Crown Prince, on the throne."
"His Majesty the Emperor would not tolerate such a thing. He is a very suspicious person."
"That's right. His wariness toward the Duchzan is also quite intense. He even went so far as to poison Her Highness the Grand Duchess."
These words greatly agitated my father. He grabbed my arm, but his hand was trembling.
I placed my hand over my father's and smiled softly, trying to reassure him.
"His Majesty the Emperor is so prudent that he wouldn't poison me in such a crowded place. After all, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess was poisoned in a secluded villa."
"Even so, it's no different than you being in a snake den. How sad your mother will be when she hears this story..."
My father washed his dry face with his calloused hands.
“Even though you are in such a dangerous situation, His Highness sent you out of the territory?”
My father's sparks flew in strange directions. I opened my eyes like a rabbit, startled.
“I said I'd go! He has nothing to do with it.”
“You said you would go, so His Highness sent you right away?”
I crossed my arms and glared at my father, as if he were dumbfounded. He could brush off his scolding with aplomb, but blaming Julian was absolutely out of the question.
"His Highness respected me. So, while the family I was born and raised in is in danger, you want me to be comfortable, warming myself by the fireplace, eating roasted meat? I could never do that, and His Highness understood."
“No matter what...”
"This is about trust between a married couple. I think you understand, since you have my mother too."
Only when I mentioned my mother did my father become silent. Perhaps it was because he, too, had been kind to my mother and would have been willing to help her in any way she wanted.
My father ended up giving up both hands and feet.
“Let’s talk about it as we go.”
"Is it so."
My father and I emerged from the shadows of the road and joined the procession. Soon, the march resumed. Ruin's face was filled with concern, but I simply smiled.
I promise to protect him in this life.
***
The eastern Riar Plains belonged to the Merlin Domain. Merlin's domain was warmer than the capital's southern region, but not as warm as the northern one. However, the nights were chilly, and the thick walls and warm blankets were a welcome relief.
It was certainly true, but the northern wing, granted to the Count of Winsley to stay in during the campaign, looked dilapidated and outdated. Standing close to the walls, you could sometimes hear the wind.
Besides, the blanket I was given wasn't very thin, but it wasn't satisfactory either.
“I went through all the trouble to get here.”
Someone grumbled. No matter how much you set out for honor, if you're treated poorly, you can't help but feel discouraged.
"The Merlin Estate's circumstances may not be very good. So please understand."
As Father stepped forward, everyone stopped muttering and straightened their posture. Despite everything, they were proud soldiers of the Count of Winsley. They agreed with each other, went to their assigned rooms, and unpacked.
I went over to my father and whispered in a very small voice.
"The situation in Merlin's territory can't be this bad. I rushed here as soon as I heard the demons had appeared. And there's no way the demons would have eaten the blankets I had. And there's no way this is the only building in Merlin's territory..."
"Stop."
My father interrupted me with a firm voice.
"We didn't come to be treated by the Merlin family. We came to help them. Let's consider it a gesture of goodwill."
I was aware of my father's irritable temper. But I couldn't back down either.
"Well, I didn't come here expecting any special treatment. But if there's any discrimination in that sincerity, then that's a different story."
“Layla.”
I decided to check on the Imperial Army and the southern soldiers. As I turned and walked away, my father firmly grabbed my arm.
"Layla. Don't cause unnecessary trouble. The safety of the people is paramount."
It was the right thing to say. It was reasonable, good, and heroic. But I wasn't the type of person who deserved to be a hero. I pushed my father's hand away and laughed.
"Not me. What's most important to me is the safety of my people. The safety of the people comes second."
My father seemed shocked by my words and remained silent. He didn't even try to hold me back. I nodded and headed toward the main castle of the Merlin estate. Soon, a knight came running to stand beside me.
“What’s going on?”
“Prince Cain has ordered me to escort Your Highness, the Grand Duchess.”
“Anyway, it’s rough. Right?”
The knight laughed awkwardly at my words.
“I think he cherishes Your Highness very much.”
It was a conservative answer, impossible to be wrong. From that answer, I could roughly guess the knight's personality. After all, since my father had specifically ordered her to escort me, she must be a knight he cherishes.
“What’s your name?”
When I asked, the knight answered politely.
“It’s Hela.”
"Nice to meet you, Hela. You'll be watching over me for a while, so I guess I'll have to look good."
Hela was embarrassed and said no, but I just laughed.
Eventually, Hela and I arrived at the castle. Having received countless guests at once, supplies were constantly arriving. I approached the worker's cart, which was resting for a moment.
“Can I take a look for a moment?”
Hela and I were dressed somewhat differently, and since Hela was escorting me, it was easy to guess that I was a nobleman. The worker abruptly stood up and personally removed the cloth covering the cart.
Inside the cart were thicker blankets than those issued to Winsley's troops. I ran my hand through them, and they felt quite soft and smooth. I smiled kindly at the bewildered worker.
“You found a good item. Good job.”
When I smiled, the worker seemed relieved. Conversely, my suspicions deepened. Why was someone who was merely carrying luggage so nervous?
“It doesn’t seem to be going to the main castle where the imperial army is staying. Where is it going?”
“Go to the south building.”
“South? Who lives in the south...”
When I frowned as if I couldn't remember, the worker answered quickly.
“I heard that nobles from the capital are staying here.”
“Oh, thank you very much. I should go say hello.”
I smiled again and headed south first. It wasn't to say hello, but to scout. As I'd expected, a considerable number of wagons were moving toward the southern building.
'Let's see who's here.'
I tried to recall which clan had participated in the subjugation war in my past life, but it was hard to remember. I spent far more days locked in my room.
As I approached the south building, I saw a familiar man standing in front of it, inspecting the workers. I stopped walking, and the man's gaze slowly shifted to rest on me.
I didn't know much about the families that participated in the expedition. However, if I were asked to think of the families that didn't, there was one I could name first.
It was that man's family.
Marquis Eriant.
Shuan was standing there, looking at me with wide eyes.
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