Does this woman run an inn?
Well, well...
Although I am dressed in comfortable travel clothes, I look like I have a lot of money.
Are you trying to take a cut of it from me?
But somehow, the more I looked at that woman, the more I felt like she resembled someone else.
'Who was it?'
I kept looking, but the facial features and even the atmosphere felt familiar, like someone I'd seen somewhere before...
I haven't seen him much, but he still seems like someone I met recently.
But I couldn't quite remember who it was.
While I was pondering, the woman continued to speak passionately.
"If we go into the mountains now, there's a high chance we'll encounter monsters. That would put you in danger, wouldn't it? Our village is small, but it's safe. Look, our lord has installed a barrier to prevent monsters from invading the village."
“Oh, I see.”
Looking closely at the place the woman was pointing at, I saw that the village was indeed blocked by a long wall.
To keep out monsters, simply building a wall of ordinary rocks or bricks is not enough.
You can stop them by building them with specially treated bricks, but it costs a lot of money.
However, the Iels family willingly installed it for their people.
'That's cool.'
I felt a great respect for the people of this northern land who did not abandon it despite the frequent appearance of monsters, and for the Duke of Iels and his vassals who protected it.
I need to stop thinking about that person now.
As I was biting my lower lip, I heard Pembe's weak voice.
"Yvonne... Can't we just rest here now? I'm really hungry and tired. Your horse is tired too. If we go any further, we'll die, ugh!"
“Pe..."
I wasn't tired at all, but I felt sorry for them as I listened to the groaning of the Pembe and the neighing of the horse.
Well, that seemed to be the case.
Besides, there's no need to go into the mountains at night and increase the risk of danger.
My destination, the Thiels Mine, is further north, so going to the lower village would be a waste of time.
It took a while for us to meet up in Carol and Lirvel Village, but we left early that morning...
In fact, if Carol had the information, wouldn't she have already heard that I had moved to Seider Village instead of Lirvel Village?
'Carol will come to town tomorrow, I guess.'
I nodded and looked up at the darkening sky.
The sky, which had been crimson just a moment ago, had already turned purple, as if the sun had set.
Since I was quite hungry, I made up my mind.
Anyway, this woman wasn't a warlock, and I was even more relieved to hear that this village was Rudnine's territory.
I nodded and confirmed it to her.
“Right. I guess I’ll have to stay here.”
The woman smiled brightly as soon as I answered.
“Ah... yes, yes.”
I smiled awkwardly because she was emphasizing that I should take my time.
Why is that? Was this town actually a tourist attraction with a lot to see?
'Or maybe she's a tout?'
But I didn't feel too bad.
Because this is Rudnine's territory.
I just thought that I should go to the village with a generous heart and spend a lot of money.
Besides, the reason this woman told me to stay in this town was that she was worried about my safety.
If I hadn't suffered from magical amnesia, I wouldn't have been afraid of monsters that appeared at night, but now I'm a weak woman.
“Miss, then may I guide you?”
The woman approached me with a bright smile.
After hesitating for a moment, I quickly got down from the saddle and stood next to her.
“Thank you. Please call me Yvonne.”
"No, my lady! How can I call you by your name? Please call me Rosie."
The woman named Rosie was startled, her face turned serious, and she waved her hands wildly.
A precious lady? How would you know if I'm precious or not?
It was a little disappointing that she was so blatantly putting up a wall.
But Rosie continued speaking without paying any attention.
“Excuse me, Miss! I’m sorry, but there’s no good inn in our village where someone as precious as you can stay...”
"I don't mind anywhere. As long as there's a decent place to stay and a place to eat, that's fine."
Thinking about food made me hungry.
“Please guide me to the inn quickly!”
When I, feeling impatient, urged Rosie on, she shook her head firmly.
"No. That can't be. It would definitely be uncomfortable. I can't allow a noble person to stay in such a shabby inn!"
“Oh, no, it’s okay...”
“No way!”
Rosie cut me off as she answered, then turned her head to look somewhere and nodded slightly.
Where are you looking?
But Rosie's reaction was so absurd that I was out of my mind.
Do I look like I'm a noble? But I'm really okay with it.
Although I am a Princess of one of only four ducal families in this empire, I have also lived a very intense life.
From group living in an orphanage to a goshiwon and even a semi-basement, I've endured it all very well!
Even if it's just a room with a separate bed, it's great.
It was as if Rosie had been given a mission to never let me stay in the inn.
I doubt that's possible.
Rosie spread her arms and completely blocked my path.
“Miss, let’s go somewhere other than the inn!”
“Where else should we go besides the inn?”
The fact that she keeps calling me "young lady" and such a cute title is weird, isn't it?
I took a step back and narrowed my eyes, suspicious of the way Rosie was trying to drag me away.
Aha, I see...!
"You're an organ smuggler?! You're so kind."
Without even realizing I had noticed, Rosie opened her mouth with a serious expression.
"Baron Rudican's villa is in this village. It's the largest house in the village, so I recommend you stay there."
“Baron Rudican? Huh?”
I suspected he was an organ trafficker or human trafficker, but when I heard the name of a bigger player, my eyes widened in surprise.
Rosie smiled brightly.
"Yes. They are the vassal family of our lord. They are a family with a long history, serving as advisers to the Duke of Iels for generations. This is their villa."
“Oh, I see?”
I nodded absentmindedly, recalling the man whose voice I had once heard through the magic communication device—Baron Ant Rudican, Rudnine's assistant. Then, I came to my senses and hurriedly waved my hand.
"Rosie! There's no need for that. Why would I use Baron Rudican's villa?"
"Miss..."
"Do you know who I am? A traveler of unknown identity staying at the Baron's villa? Baron Rudican would surely be furious if he found out."
"No! Baron Rudican has opened his villa to any passing nobleman, and he demands that we make sure they stay comfortably! Please, I beg you, I'm the villa manager. I understand you're a very easygoing young lady, but if I'm caught disobeying orders, I'll be punished. Sob sob."
A shadow of despair suddenly fell over Rosie's face, and tears welled up in her large eyes.
I waved my hands in embarrassment.
“Don’t cry, Rosie!”
“Sob sob sob! I don’t want to be punished! If you’re suspicious of me, here’s my ID!”
“Yes? Yes, yes.”
Rosie gave me her ID card while crying.
She was definitely a resident of Iels and also had a title that said she was the caretaker of the villa of the Baron Rudican family.
'By the way, what a strange aide.'
When I spoke to him on the phone, he didn't seem like a strange person...
If someone doesn't want to stay at the villa, why not just send them away? Why punish the innocent villa manager?
It was so far-fetched that I had doubts.
But on the other hand, Rosie, who was crying with her face buried in her hands, looked so real that she was hesitating and fidgeting, feeling weak. Then, a middle-aged couple approached her.
A middle-aged couple who had spotted Rosie and me spoke to us naturally.
"Hmm? Rosie? Why are you crying? Is this young lady a traveler?"
"Mr. Gressel! Yes. She is a noble lady. I plan to invite her to our villa."
“I haven’t said I’m staying yet.”
I thought she was crying, but the tears had already disappeared from Rosie's eyes.
I was embarrassed and joined in on their conversation, but a middle-aged man named Gressel quickly grabbed the reins of my horse.
"Oh, I see? Oh dear! How hard have you been working your horse? It's quite exhausting. I'll take him out first and look after him."
"Oh my! Then I'll go back first and prepare dinner. Is that okay?"
“Thank you, Madame Elise. Please prepare everything in its best possible way!”
“My meal will be delicious, so please look forward to it, Miss.”
"Yes yes!"
‘Food, food, food!’
Well, well...
Although I am dressed in comfortable travel clothes, I look like I have a lot of money.
Are you trying to take a cut of it from me?
But somehow, the more I looked at that woman, the more I felt like she resembled someone else.
'Who was it?'
I kept looking, but the facial features and even the atmosphere felt familiar, like someone I'd seen somewhere before...
I haven't seen him much, but he still seems like someone I met recently.
But I couldn't quite remember who it was.
While I was pondering, the woman continued to speak passionately.
"If we go into the mountains now, there's a high chance we'll encounter monsters. That would put you in danger, wouldn't it? Our village is small, but it's safe. Look, our lord has installed a barrier to prevent monsters from invading the village."
“Oh, I see.”
Looking closely at the place the woman was pointing at, I saw that the village was indeed blocked by a long wall.
To keep out monsters, simply building a wall of ordinary rocks or bricks is not enough.
You can stop them by building them with specially treated bricks, but it costs a lot of money.
However, the Iels family willingly installed it for their people.
'That's cool.'
I felt a great respect for the people of this northern land who did not abandon it despite the frequent appearance of monsters, and for the Duke of Iels and his vassals who protected it.
I need to stop thinking about that person now.
As I was biting my lower lip, I heard Pembe's weak voice.
"Yvonne... Can't we just rest here now? I'm really hungry and tired. Your horse is tired too. If we go any further, we'll die, ugh!"
“Pe..."
I wasn't tired at all, but I felt sorry for them as I listened to the groaning of the Pembe and the neighing of the horse.
Well, that seemed to be the case.
Besides, there's no need to go into the mountains at night and increase the risk of danger.
My destination, the Thiels Mine, is further north, so going to the lower village would be a waste of time.
It took a while for us to meet up in Carol and Lirvel Village, but we left early that morning...
In fact, if Carol had the information, wouldn't she have already heard that I had moved to Seider Village instead of Lirvel Village?
'Carol will come to town tomorrow, I guess.'
I nodded and looked up at the darkening sky.
The sky, which had been crimson just a moment ago, had already turned purple, as if the sun had set.
Since I was quite hungry, I made up my mind.
Anyway, this woman wasn't a warlock, and I was even more relieved to hear that this village was Rudnine's territory.
I nodded and confirmed it to her.
“Right. I guess I’ll have to stay here.”
The woman smiled brightly as soon as I answered.
“Go ahead, young lady! Get plenty of rest, and tomorrow—tomorrow—you should definitely set off early!!!”
I smiled awkwardly because she was emphasizing that I should take my time.
Why is that? Was this town actually a tourist attraction with a lot to see?
'Or maybe she's a tout?'
But I didn't feel too bad.
Because this is Rudnine's territory.
I just thought that I should go to the village with a generous heart and spend a lot of money.
Besides, the reason this woman told me to stay in this town was that she was worried about my safety.
If I hadn't suffered from magical amnesia, I wouldn't have been afraid of monsters that appeared at night, but now I'm a weak woman.
“Miss, then may I guide you?”
The woman approached me with a bright smile.
After hesitating for a moment, I quickly got down from the saddle and stood next to her.
“Thank you. Please call me Yvonne.”
"No, my lady! How can I call you by your name? Please call me Rosie."
The woman named Rosie was startled, her face turned serious, and she waved her hands wildly.
A precious lady? How would you know if I'm precious or not?
It was a little disappointing that she was so blatantly putting up a wall.
But Rosie continued speaking without paying any attention.
“Excuse me, Miss! I’m sorry, but there’s no good inn in our village where someone as precious as you can stay...”
"I don't mind anywhere. As long as there's a decent place to stay and a place to eat, that's fine."
Thinking about food made me hungry.
“Please guide me to the inn quickly!”
When I, feeling impatient, urged Rosie on, she shook her head firmly.
"No. That can't be. It would definitely be uncomfortable. I can't allow a noble person to stay in such a shabby inn!"
“Oh, no, it’s okay...”
“No way!”
Rosie cut me off as she answered, then turned her head to look somewhere and nodded slightly.
Where are you looking?
But Rosie's reaction was so absurd that I was out of my mind.
Do I look like I'm a noble? But I'm really okay with it.
Although I am a Princess of one of only four ducal families in this empire, I have also lived a very intense life.
From group living in an orphanage to a goshiwon and even a semi-basement, I've endured it all very well!
Even if it's just a room with a separate bed, it's great.
It was as if Rosie had been given a mission to never let me stay in the inn.
I doubt that's possible.
Rosie spread her arms and completely blocked my path.
“Miss, let’s go somewhere other than the inn!”
“Where else should we go besides the inn?”
The fact that she keeps calling me "young lady" and such a cute title is weird, isn't it?
I took a step back and narrowed my eyes, suspicious of the way Rosie was trying to drag me away.
Aha, I see...!
"You're an organ smuggler?! You're so kind."
Without even realizing I had noticed, Rosie opened her mouth with a serious expression.
"Baron Rudican's villa is in this village. It's the largest house in the village, so I recommend you stay there."
“Baron Rudican? Huh?”
I suspected he was an organ trafficker or human trafficker, but when I heard the name of a bigger player, my eyes widened in surprise.
Rosie smiled brightly.
"Yes. They are the vassal family of our lord. They are a family with a long history, serving as advisers to the Duke of Iels for generations. This is their villa."
“Oh, I see?”
I nodded absentmindedly, recalling the man whose voice I had once heard through the magic communication device—Baron Ant Rudican, Rudnine's assistant. Then, I came to my senses and hurriedly waved my hand.
"Rosie! There's no need for that. Why would I use Baron Rudican's villa?"
"Miss..."
"Do you know who I am? A traveler of unknown identity staying at the Baron's villa? Baron Rudican would surely be furious if he found out."
"No! Baron Rudican has opened his villa to any passing nobleman, and he demands that we make sure they stay comfortably! Please, I beg you, I'm the villa manager. I understand you're a very easygoing young lady, but if I'm caught disobeying orders, I'll be punished. Sob sob."
A shadow of despair suddenly fell over Rosie's face, and tears welled up in her large eyes.
I waved my hands in embarrassment.
“Don’t cry, Rosie!”
“Sob sob sob! I don’t want to be punished! If you’re suspicious of me, here’s my ID!”
“Yes? Yes, yes.”
Rosie gave me her ID card while crying.
She was definitely a resident of Iels and also had a title that said she was the caretaker of the villa of the Baron Rudican family.
'By the way, what a strange aide.'
When I spoke to him on the phone, he didn't seem like a strange person...
If someone doesn't want to stay at the villa, why not just send them away? Why punish the innocent villa manager?
It was so far-fetched that I had doubts.
But on the other hand, Rosie, who was crying with her face buried in her hands, looked so real that she was hesitating and fidgeting, feeling weak. Then, a middle-aged couple approached her.
A middle-aged couple who had spotted Rosie and me spoke to us naturally.
"Hmm? Rosie? Why are you crying? Is this young lady a traveler?"
"Mr. Gressel! Yes. She is a noble lady. I plan to invite her to our villa."
“I haven’t said I’m staying yet.”
I thought she was crying, but the tears had already disappeared from Rosie's eyes.
I was embarrassed and joined in on their conversation, but a middle-aged man named Gressel quickly grabbed the reins of my horse.
"Oh, I see? Oh dear! How hard have you been working your horse? It's quite exhausting. I'll take him out first and look after him."
"Oh my! Then I'll go back first and prepare dinner. Is that okay?"
“Thank you, Madame Elise. Please prepare everything in its best possible way!”
“My meal will be delicious, so please look forward to it, Miss.”
"Yes yes!"
‘Food, food, food!’
A middle-aged woman who smiles kindly and tempts me with food, and a middle-aged man who takes me away while very skillfully coaxing me.
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
"Uh?"
Before I knew it, I was swept away by Rosie and the villagers and ended up in Seider Village.
'What's going on?'
I sighed slightly, shrugged, and gave up.
I trusted in my power and my Pembe, so a common criminal would be like eating cold bread in one bite.
First, we decided to follow the lodger who claimed to be the caretaker of the 'Baron Rudican's Villa'.
'Whatever happens, whatever happens. If something dangerous happens, just run away with Pembe.'
Oh, no.
Now that I think about it, if the middle-aged couple that went ahead with Rosie were vicious criminals or con artists, I would have had to catch them even more.
There shouldn't be such bad people in Rudnine's territory, right?
I'll sweep them all up and put them in jail!
I entered Seider Village, my wrists twirling with the determination to arrest the prisoner.
I'm going to use some strength today.
***
For several days, strange events occurred in the Palace of Peace.
A beautiful spring in the Palace of Peace has disappeared without a trace.
Was that why?
The smile of Empress Giselle, the always gentle and kind mistress of the palace, also disappeared.
After that, access to the Palace of Peace became more restricted, and it became almost impossible for outsiders to enter except for the Empress's close associates.
By the time rumors spread beyond the palace walls and into the capital that something serious was wrong with Her Majesty the Empress.
Crown Prince Adrian visited the Palace of Peace at the order of the Empress.
“Mother, Adrian is here.”
"Ues."
Empress Giselle, who had been staring intently out the window, turned her chin and looked at Adrian standing in front of the door.
Adrian, with his bright blue eyes and blond hair that looks like it was made by the sun, is a clear descendant of the Verbent royal family.
That is why Empress Giselle adopted Adrian as her adopted son without hesitation.
She absolutely needed to be of the royal blood of the Verbent family.
Due to a misinterpretation of the 'key' that opens the 'gateway to liberation', her first and second sons, who were the first to touch it, ended up dying.
Empress Giselle, who remembered the time when the palace was turned upside down, made a sarcophagus.
If you ask whether she's still sad because she accidentally killed her child with her own hands, well.
Empress Giselle raised Adrian with great care, as this time, he had to succeed.
'Third Prince Felix had a strong mind since childhood, making him difficult to brainwash, so I gave up. That bitch Evelyn even drank poison in his son's place... She inherited that poisonous personality.'
Empress Giselle frowned as she recalled Consort Evelyn, who had been noble and beautiful before she became an idiot.
'Come to think of it... There was another woman who disliked me as much as Evelyn.'
While everyone praised the Empress for her gentleness and wisdom from a noble family, two women were particularly stiff towards her.
One became an idiot, and the other died.
'Even the Duchess of Argenthoz, who died long ago, is coming to mind. Am I really that anxious right now?'
Empress Giselle calmed herself and gestured to her adopted son.
“Come closer, Adrian.”
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