Chapter 31

I walked away in breathless silence. Was it because I felt so tense? Or was it because of his brutal coldness? Suddenly, I felt a fever coming back. When I closed my lips tightly, I let out a hot breath unconsciously. My head was pounding, so I squeezed the hem of my skirt tightly unconsciously.

‘Hang in there a little more, Aristia.’

Trying to straighten up as I felt wobbly, I soon came out into a spacious field where there were a lot of wagons lined up. I sighed with relief and bowed to the boy with blue hair.

“Thank you for escorting me here. Let me leave now.”

“Sir Lank!” He turned away, ignoring my goodbye, and called a royal knight nearby. When the knight came near, he said with a cold voice, “Get a wagon ready as soon as possible. I’m going to go to the Monique house.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

I opened my eyes wide. What the heck is he talking about?

He stared at me after giving him the instruction. Obviously, he was annoyed.

At that moment, it occurred to me that the crown prince wanted to escort me to my house since the emperor didn’t specify how far he should go in escorting me. He had to escort me to my house because he didn’t want to get blamed by the emperor.

I hurriedly lowered my eyes. I was afraid that I might annoy him all the more when he was already feeling bad. I kept trying to pull myself together as I felt wobbly, biting my lips.

I comforted myself, vowing I would stick it out a little longer.

How much time passed? I saw an ornate wagon engraved with the crest of the royal family approaching us. I got in the wagon nervously. I fixed my eyes on my folded hands on my knees, and I raised my eyes at someone’s gaze. I didn’t know what he was thinking at the moment, but the boy with blue eyes was staring at me. The moment I breathed heavily with nervousness, he took his gaze off of me and looked out the window. Again, heavy silence fell inside the wagon.

I barely arrived at my mansion and got out, helped by the knight. I felt like I was alive now.

I felt it took me unusually long to get back home today. Had I been alone with him a little more, I thought I might have suffocated. When I adjusted my clothes and said goodbye, the boy who fixed his eyes on the window until I got off said, “Goodbye.”

“Yes, Your Majesty, thank you… ”

Bang!

The wagon door closed before I said goodbye. I smiled bitterly, looking at the wagon disappearing gradually. With my hand on my stinging forehead, I walked into my house with a heavy heart.

Is the Imperial Palace different from other places? Three days after I returned from the palace, I barely left my sickbed. I still felt heavy, though I felt much better.

As soon as I opened the door of my room, I sighed at the white uniform.

‘How did I end up like this?’

The emperor sent a couple of royal knights to protect me. Introducing themselves as Seymour and June respectively, they alternately guarded me. They even stayed up all night at the door of my bedroom every day, saying that nighttime was the most dangerous.

Why did the emperor give this order? In the current situation where the local political factions were too busy with securing their own estates to fight, it’s unlikely that anybody would try to harm me. In addition, more than half of the regular knights were out of the capital, which led to an increase in each knight’s workload. In this situation, the emperor sent me not one, but two royal knights who were supposed to protect the royal family alone. Did that mean that the emperor had no intention of freeing me?

I tried to live without paying attention to such stuff, but I couldn’t because these two royal knights kept following me. Suddenly, I broke into laughter. I didn’t get this kind of treatment when I was a 17-year-old royal concubine, but I’m getting this special treatment now when I’m still a daughter of the marquis and the crown prince’s fiancee.

“Lady, you have a letter from Verita.”

When I was laughing in this contradictory situation, Lina came with a letter from Verita, which I received a month after everyone including him left. My heart was pounding. I immediately opened the seal and read it.

<Dear my lady, who I miss,

Long time, no see. Sorry I haven’t been able to reach you until now. I have continued to move, and yesterday arrived at a pretty big estate. Right now, I’m sending soldiers to neighboring villages to inform them that they will be distributing food.

I came here, thinking of the worst situation, but I’m glad it wasn’t that bad. Well, I think they prepared well, even though they had a severe famine. They’re probably going to have a poor harvest this year, but thanks to the constant stockpile of food by the imperial family, the food situation seems to be better than expected. If they can survive this winter, the worst situation will be over. Of course, more people will need help in the coming years.

By the way, how are you doing? You might deny it, but I think even though you look strong, you are tender and lonely. That’s why your father as well as the knights of your family are worried about you being alone now. I’m also very sad as I am separated from you like this. I wish I could be with you. I’m sorry I can’t be with you.

I think you might get angry with me if I was talking to you face to face about this, but I would like to ask you something I really want to. How about practicing fencing? I’m worried whether you are training too hard. These days you look like someone chased by something.

If you are too hard on yourself, let me tell you something, though you might think I’m meddling in your private matters. Don’t be too impatient. Some say that sweat never lies, right? As you are working hard, I’m sure you’ll surely get the results you want. I doubt it, but if you don’t get what you want despite your best efforts, I’ll give you a leg then. Of course, your father will be there to help you ahead of me.

I hope my worries are unfounded. So, I hope you are laughing while reading this letter. If you do, it’s evidence that you are keeping well without feeling lonely or overly stressed.

The day is breaking now. I think I should go out to help my father. Take care. I’ll contact you again soon.

Your knight, Alendis>

His hair fresh green like a spring bud came to my mind. I also remembered his emerald eyes with warm light. While reading the letter, it seemed as if I could hear him talking to me right beside me.

‘Thanks for your warm considerations, Allendis.’

When I reflected on his comforting words, my eyes grew blurry with tears. I raised my wet eyes and looked up at the ceiling. When I was blinking my eyes for a clear view, I heard somebody knocking. Soon, the butler came in.

“My lady.”

“What’s up?” I asked with a subdued voice. I desperately tried to hold back my tears, but the butler seemed to have already noticed that I was emotionally charged while reading Allendis’s letter. After he put down an envelope silently, the butler signalled to Lina to get out of the room.

I silently looked at the two leaving and opened the letter.

<Dear my lovely daughter Tia,

I’m down in the southern empire now. Before I moved here, I sent the knights here to their assigned places, so I’ve got several men with me now. As I had to take care of urgent matters, I couldn’t write to you on time. Sorry if I have made you worry about me.

I guess you are having a lot of trouble as you have to take care of the house alone. How about your practicing? I’m worried about you since you seemed to be impatient these days.

Let me tell you one thing for caution’s sake.

Tia, don’t hurry up. Don’t practice too hard. I think I know why, but don’t be impatient.

You are doing well now. So, trust yourself a little more.

I didn’t say that before because you wanted to overcome the problem yourself. I’m ready to help you anytime. If you want, I’ll make sure you can achieve it by any means and methods. So, I hope you feel more comfortable and regain composure.

Take care. Let me talk to you soon.>