(91) To the North
Ariana watched the carriage move away.
'It's not the little Lord.'
Now she knows that Geor doesn't come out and try to kill Ariana himself.
'Then, it must mean that someone the little Lord wants to protect would do something like this. No matter how skilled you are, it's difficult to accurately target the target. It means he risked his life to protect his opponent...'
Duke Obelius and Isaac were seen walking out of the forest, having a friendly conversation.
'Duke Obelius...'
Duke Obelius's gaze briefly passed over Ariana. Ariana's mouth tightened at the sight of him shamelessly looking around, as if he were merely looking around.
'The East was a peaceful place until the Third Prince made his move. If my appearance triggered Duke Obelius's actions, it's only a matter of time before he hatches a plot of treason.'
In that case, how will Geor move?
The Geor Ariana died protecting his father, but that was when the Empire and Paganus were at war. If his biological father, Duke Obelius, were to become an enemy, Geor would inevitably find himself in conflict.
'If Duke Obeliuz is upset because of me, then it was a good decision to go to the North this time.'
The reason Duke Obelius did this was obvious.
It must be because he wants his own son to be the Eastern Lord. Even if Geor was adopted into House White, everyone knows that he is the son of Duke Obelius.
If Geor ascends to the throne as the Eastern Lord, Duke Obelius's power will also increase greatly.
'If I'm away, Duke Obelius will remain silent. In the meantime, I'll have to figure out a way to deal with him.'
Even a Princess could not control the dukedom of a country with a single finger.
'I need to bring forward my trip to the North a little.'
Perhaps there are traps set by Duke Obelius on the road to the North.
'Let's leave early tomorrow morning.'
There was a suspicious atmosphere flowing within Maho Castle.
Duke Hern, who had been depressed for a while due to the betrayal of Marquis Brown, was walking around in a strange mood, and the maids and servants were also clearly excited.
Not only was the sudden spring cleaning not enough, but the furniture arrangements were changed, and previously unseen decorations were placed here and there.
At first, Duke Hern left it alone, hoping it would soothe his depressed mind. But when he started decorating Cyrus's room, which had always been empty, he couldn't bear it any longer.
Cyrus quietly approached Duke Hern, who was personally giving orders and directing the room to be decorated.
“Duke Hern.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“I guess you have nothing to do these days?”
“Oh, Your Excellency. I’ve been working all night and have taken the time to prepare for winter.”
“Get ready for winter.”
Cyrus' eyes narrowed.
“When did we ever prepare for winter?”
"Since I haven't, I'm going to try this opportunity, Your Excellency. I haven't changed the interior in a while, so the air felt heavy and stagnant. But look. Just by changing the picture frames and decorations, doesn't the atmosphere come alive?"
“I didn’t know the Duke was so concerned about the atmosphere.”
“Hahaha. As I get older, my emotions become richer, and I find flowers and the sky beautiful, too.”
“But... why is this room decorated with so much effort? No one uses it.”
The room next door to Cyrus's was even more magnificently decorated than his. The long-unused fireplace had been completely gutted and renovated, the wallpaper had been freshened, and even a large, unused bed had been brought in.
On the sofa made of soft, textured fabric, there was even a rare white tiger skin.
“I can’t just touch Your Excellency’s room as I please, so I thought I’d decorate the room next door so Your Excellency can come and have a change of pace when you need to...”
“I didn’t know the Duke cared so much about my feelings.”
"Oh, Your Excellency. I'm sorry you say that, knowing that I spend every moment of my day worrying about you."
"...Yes?"
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
It was strange after all.
There was nothing wrong with what Duke Hern said, but he couldn't shake off a feeling of doubt.
What on earth is he up to?
Cyrus wanted to tell him to stop this useless thing and get back to work, but Duke Hern looked so happy that he couldn't stop him.
'Yes, you've been friends with the Marquis of Brown for a long time, so you'll need a place to distract yourself for a while.'
Cyrus did feel like it was a waste of national funds, but considering the previous achievements, he decided to turn a blind eye to this.
After Cyrus left, Duke Hern breathed a sigh of relief.
'Your Excellency, you are quick-witted.'
He almost got caught saying that an important guest was coming soon.
A few days ago, Isaac sent him a telegram.
[I'm taking the Princess Consort with me. She plans to stay for about a month. I'll keep it a secret from His Excellency. I want to surprise him.]
Having previously believed Isaac's letter and suffered a setback, he tried to ignore it this time. But the next day, the Eastern Duke sent a telegram himself.
[My daughter wants to travel to the North, and I'm sorry for the sudden news. Please take good care of her while she's there.]
It was a telegram sent to Cyrus, but since Duke Hern usually handled it, he took the telegram without informing Cyrus this time.
'The Princess Consort is coming!'
To Duke Hern, who had been living in gloom due to the betrayal of his longtime comrade, the Marquis of Brown, the news of Ariana's visit was like a ray of warm sunshine.
A few months ago, Andrei, who had gone to the East with Isaac and returned first, commented on Ariana.
"She looks much younger than her peers, but she's far more mature than her peers, and her elegance makes you question whether she's really her age. It's not obvious now because of her youthful face, but in a year or two, she'll be so beautiful that it'll be hard to tell the difference between her and the Royal Princess. She also seems to have a good personality."
It was the first time Andrei had given such a generous assessment of a woman.
Because the position of Northern Lord's Consort had been vacant for so long, countless marriage proposals were pouring in from both within and without. Young ladies of the Northern nobility, young ladies of the Western or Eastern nobility. Young ladies of the Imperial nobility, even Princesses of small countries to the northeast...
It's not that they didn't catch Cyrus eye.
There were certainly women from decent families who were worthy of being called such.
However, Duke Hern did not want Cyrus to give up love and enter into a political marriage just for the sake of the country.
Duke Hern and the previous Northern Lord and their wives all fell in love and dated before getting married.
After losing his parents at a young age, Cyrus had to live every moment fighting against death, and he only wanted to marry the person he truly wanted.
'That's what our Excellency should be like. He should be able to put everything aside, at least when he's by his wife's side.'
Even the reserved and cautious Louis said Cyrus was head over heels for Ariana. So how could Ariana's visit not be a delight?
Duke Hern smiled broadly and began to inspect the room where Ariana would be staying once more.
The Western Lord did not strongly object to Ariana's attempt to bring forward the departure date.
When a nobleman's carriage set out on a long journey, it was common for the date to be changed at short notice. This was to prevent the schedule from being leaked to bandits and attacked.
"I want to leave quietly, so I'll leave early tomorrow morning. Please keep this fact to yourself, Father."
“If you leave without saying goodbye, everyone will be sad.”
"I'll be back in a few months anyway. Everyone's enjoying the hunt, so I don't want to interrupt."
To fulfill Ariana's request, Russell left the hunting grounds and returned to the castle. He quietly gave instructions to the knights assigned to his escort and called a few trusted servants to prepare for departure at dawn.
Ariana informed only her maids, Catherine and Sini, of her departure schedule.
Catherine said in surprise.
"This is a big deal. The coat you're going to wear to the North hasn't arrived yet."
“There must be a coat in the North, too.”
"But since His Excellency personally gave instructions for the Princess, he might be upset if I leave it behind. Should I go to the store and ask?"
“Then please do so.”
Catherine left the castle in a hurry, returning late at night with a stack of coats. Over ten thick coats, imbued with the care of her father, were concerned for Ariana's health.
Early in the morning, Ariana's carriage left Chase Castle. A large, shabby carriage, dressed like a merchant's carriage, was followed by several wagons.
The knights of the escort also wore clothes similar to those of a wandering knight, rather than the uniform of a royal knight of the same age.
Catherine said excitedly.
"This is my first time going to the North. I heard Maho Castle is incredibly beautiful, so I'm really looking forward to it."
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ariana looked out the carriage window with a faint smile. The carriage had already left the city and was entering the forest.
The forest path was dark because it wasn't yet fully dawn. She felt uneasy, as if assassins with dark powers might be lurking everywhere.
Isaac, riding his horse, looked inside from beside the carriage.
“Lord Isaac, how are you feeling?”
“I’m excited because it’s been a while since I’ve traveled.”
Isaac's bright smile made the once dark forest seem to brighten.
Contrary to Ariana's worries, the journey went smoothly.
No bandits were attacking, and the carriage did not break down.
Even as the peaceful journey continued, the escort knights did not let their guard down, and a week after leaving Chase Castle, they arrived at Dragon City without a hitch.
Lanster said.
“It’s a little early, but there’s a large forest beyond this city, so we’ll stay here for a day and leave early tomorrow morning.”
It was before sunset yet.
Ariana and her group unpacked their luggage at the inn that Catherine had hurriedly found.
Her back was sore from sitting in the carriage for so long. Ariana was doing some light stretching when Isaac came over.
"Princess Consort, I'm going out to look for some good herbs in the nearby forest. What will you do now, my lord?"
“I heard there’s an old temple here. I think I’ll go there.”
"Then let's have dinner together later. I'll look for a good restaurant."
“Yes. See you later.”
Catherine looked extremely tired, so Ariana left the inn with only Sini. Two knights, including Lanster, followed Ariana.
Ariana rode in a carriage the entire trip, but the knights traveled on horseback. She felt sorry for them, knowing they must be very tired, but she couldn't tell them to rest since she was traveling alone.
'They wouldn't let me wander around alone anyway, and if something happens while I'm out and about, it'll only make things more difficult for them.'
Ariana watched the carriage move away.
'It's not the little Lord.'
Now she knows that Geor doesn't come out and try to kill Ariana himself.
'Then, it must mean that someone the little Lord wants to protect would do something like this. No matter how skilled you are, it's difficult to accurately target the target. It means he risked his life to protect his opponent...'
Duke Obelius and Isaac were seen walking out of the forest, having a friendly conversation.
'Duke Obelius...'
Duke Obelius's gaze briefly passed over Ariana. Ariana's mouth tightened at the sight of him shamelessly looking around, as if he were merely looking around.
'The East was a peaceful place until the Third Prince made his move. If my appearance triggered Duke Obelius's actions, it's only a matter of time before he hatches a plot of treason.'
In that case, how will Geor move?
The Geor Ariana died protecting his father, but that was when the Empire and Paganus were at war. If his biological father, Duke Obelius, were to become an enemy, Geor would inevitably find himself in conflict.
'If Duke Obeliuz is upset because of me, then it was a good decision to go to the North this time.'
The reason Duke Obelius did this was obvious.
It must be because he wants his own son to be the Eastern Lord. Even if Geor was adopted into House White, everyone knows that he is the son of Duke Obelius.
If Geor ascends to the throne as the Eastern Lord, Duke Obelius's power will also increase greatly.
'If I'm away, Duke Obelius will remain silent. In the meantime, I'll have to figure out a way to deal with him.'
Even a Princess could not control the dukedom of a country with a single finger.
'I need to bring forward my trip to the North a little.'
Perhaps there are traps set by Duke Obelius on the road to the North.
'Let's leave early tomorrow morning.'
***
There was a suspicious atmosphere flowing within Maho Castle.
Duke Hern, who had been depressed for a while due to the betrayal of Marquis Brown, was walking around in a strange mood, and the maids and servants were also clearly excited.
Not only was the sudden spring cleaning not enough, but the furniture arrangements were changed, and previously unseen decorations were placed here and there.
At first, Duke Hern left it alone, hoping it would soothe his depressed mind. But when he started decorating Cyrus's room, which had always been empty, he couldn't bear it any longer.
Cyrus quietly approached Duke Hern, who was personally giving orders and directing the room to be decorated.
“Duke Hern.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“I guess you have nothing to do these days?”
“Oh, Your Excellency. I’ve been working all night and have taken the time to prepare for winter.”
“Get ready for winter.”
Cyrus' eyes narrowed.
“When did we ever prepare for winter?”
"Since I haven't, I'm going to try this opportunity, Your Excellency. I haven't changed the interior in a while, so the air felt heavy and stagnant. But look. Just by changing the picture frames and decorations, doesn't the atmosphere come alive?"
“I didn’t know the Duke was so concerned about the atmosphere.”
“Hahaha. As I get older, my emotions become richer, and I find flowers and the sky beautiful, too.”
“But... why is this room decorated with so much effort? No one uses it.”
The room next door to Cyrus's was even more magnificently decorated than his. The long-unused fireplace had been completely gutted and renovated, the wallpaper had been freshened, and even a large, unused bed had been brought in.
On the sofa made of soft, textured fabric, there was even a rare white tiger skin.
“I can’t just touch Your Excellency’s room as I please, so I thought I’d decorate the room next door so Your Excellency can come and have a change of pace when you need to...”
“I didn’t know the Duke cared so much about my feelings.”
"Oh, Your Excellency. I'm sorry you say that, knowing that I spend every moment of my day worrying about you."
"...Yes?"
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
It was strange after all.
There was nothing wrong with what Duke Hern said, but he couldn't shake off a feeling of doubt.
What on earth is he up to?
Cyrus wanted to tell him to stop this useless thing and get back to work, but Duke Hern looked so happy that he couldn't stop him.
'Yes, you've been friends with the Marquis of Brown for a long time, so you'll need a place to distract yourself for a while.'
Cyrus did feel like it was a waste of national funds, but considering the previous achievements, he decided to turn a blind eye to this.
After Cyrus left, Duke Hern breathed a sigh of relief.
'Your Excellency, you are quick-witted.'
He almost got caught saying that an important guest was coming soon.
A few days ago, Isaac sent him a telegram.
[I'm taking the Princess Consort with me. She plans to stay for about a month. I'll keep it a secret from His Excellency. I want to surprise him.]
Having previously believed Isaac's letter and suffered a setback, he tried to ignore it this time. But the next day, the Eastern Duke sent a telegram himself.
[My daughter wants to travel to the North, and I'm sorry for the sudden news. Please take good care of her while she's there.]
It was a telegram sent to Cyrus, but since Duke Hern usually handled it, he took the telegram without informing Cyrus this time.
'The Princess Consort is coming!'
To Duke Hern, who had been living in gloom due to the betrayal of his longtime comrade, the Marquis of Brown, the news of Ariana's visit was like a ray of warm sunshine.
A few months ago, Andrei, who had gone to the East with Isaac and returned first, commented on Ariana.
"She looks much younger than her peers, but she's far more mature than her peers, and her elegance makes you question whether she's really her age. It's not obvious now because of her youthful face, but in a year or two, she'll be so beautiful that it'll be hard to tell the difference between her and the Royal Princess. She also seems to have a good personality."
It was the first time Andrei had given such a generous assessment of a woman.
Because the position of Northern Lord's Consort had been vacant for so long, countless marriage proposals were pouring in from both within and without. Young ladies of the Northern nobility, young ladies of the Western or Eastern nobility. Young ladies of the Imperial nobility, even Princesses of small countries to the northeast...
It's not that they didn't catch Cyrus eye.
There were certainly women from decent families who were worthy of being called such.
However, Duke Hern did not want Cyrus to give up love and enter into a political marriage just for the sake of the country.
Duke Hern and the previous Northern Lord and their wives all fell in love and dated before getting married.
After losing his parents at a young age, Cyrus had to live every moment fighting against death, and he only wanted to marry the person he truly wanted.
'That's what our Excellency should be like. He should be able to put everything aside, at least when he's by his wife's side.'
Even the reserved and cautious Louis said Cyrus was head over heels for Ariana. So how could Ariana's visit not be a delight?
Duke Hern smiled broadly and began to inspect the room where Ariana would be staying once more.
***
The Western Lord did not strongly object to Ariana's attempt to bring forward the departure date.
When a nobleman's carriage set out on a long journey, it was common for the date to be changed at short notice. This was to prevent the schedule from being leaked to bandits and attacked.
"I want to leave quietly, so I'll leave early tomorrow morning. Please keep this fact to yourself, Father."
“If you leave without saying goodbye, everyone will be sad.”
"I'll be back in a few months anyway. Everyone's enjoying the hunt, so I don't want to interrupt."
To fulfill Ariana's request, Russell left the hunting grounds and returned to the castle. He quietly gave instructions to the knights assigned to his escort and called a few trusted servants to prepare for departure at dawn.
Ariana informed only her maids, Catherine and Sini, of her departure schedule.
Catherine said in surprise.
"This is a big deal. The coat you're going to wear to the North hasn't arrived yet."
“There must be a coat in the North, too.”
"But since His Excellency personally gave instructions for the Princess, he might be upset if I leave it behind. Should I go to the store and ask?"
“Then please do so.”
Catherine left the castle in a hurry, returning late at night with a stack of coats. Over ten thick coats, imbued with the care of her father, were concerned for Ariana's health.
Early in the morning, Ariana's carriage left Chase Castle. A large, shabby carriage, dressed like a merchant's carriage, was followed by several wagons.
The knights of the escort also wore clothes similar to those of a wandering knight, rather than the uniform of a royal knight of the same age.
Catherine said excitedly.
"This is my first time going to the North. I heard Maho Castle is incredibly beautiful, so I'm really looking forward to it."
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ariana looked out the carriage window with a faint smile. The carriage had already left the city and was entering the forest.
The forest path was dark because it wasn't yet fully dawn. She felt uneasy, as if assassins with dark powers might be lurking everywhere.
Isaac, riding his horse, looked inside from beside the carriage.
“Lord Isaac, how are you feeling?”
“I’m excited because it’s been a while since I’ve traveled.”
Isaac's bright smile made the once dark forest seem to brighten.
“Princess Consort must not endure hardship, so we shall arrange our schedule to stay in cities or towns whenever possible at night. Thanks to the fine horses provided by the Eastern Lord, our progress is faster than anticipated. We should reach the Northern Province before the cold sets in too deeply.”
No bandits were attacking, and the carriage did not break down.
Even as the peaceful journey continued, the escort knights did not let their guard down, and a week after leaving Chase Castle, they arrived at Dragon City without a hitch.
Lanster said.
“It’s a little early, but there’s a large forest beyond this city, so we’ll stay here for a day and leave early tomorrow morning.”
It was before sunset yet.
Ariana and her group unpacked their luggage at the inn that Catherine had hurriedly found.
Her back was sore from sitting in the carriage for so long. Ariana was doing some light stretching when Isaac came over.
"Princess Consort, I'm going out to look for some good herbs in the nearby forest. What will you do now, my lord?"
“I heard there’s an old temple here. I think I’ll go there.”
"Then let's have dinner together later. I'll look for a good restaurant."
“Yes. See you later.”
Catherine looked extremely tired, so Ariana left the inn with only Sini. Two knights, including Lanster, followed Ariana.
Ariana rode in a carriage the entire trip, but the knights traveled on horseback. She felt sorry for them, knowing they must be very tired, but she couldn't tell them to rest since she was traveling alone.
'They wouldn't let me wander around alone anyway, and if something happens while I'm out and about, it'll only make things more difficult for them.'
She had no intention of letting her guard down just because she had arrived here without any problems.
'I can't feel at ease until I reach Maho Castle and meet the Northern Lord.'
'I can't feel at ease until I reach Maho Castle and meet the Northern Lord.'
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