“Exactly. Who else but me would protect you? By the way, Sir Roger and Sir Gwen accompanying this expedition have never had the experience of escorting a lady like you.”

At those words, my face turned completely red. ‘Who else but me would protect you?’ He seemed unaware that saying such embarrassing things with that handsome face could easily be misunderstood by the listener. He and I weren’t in any special relationship, just cooperating for the same purpose. Knowing that, I felt pathetic for getting excited by such words. Perhaps that’s why I felt upset and shouted at him.

“If, if someone heard that, they’d think I was some incredibly precious treasure! Don’t worry! I’ll try to take care of myself! I’ll be careful not to cause trouble for Sir Roger and Sir Gwen. That should be fine, right!”

Then the Duke frowned visibly and said to me.

“Does that mean you’d prefer the protection of Sir Roger and Sir Gwen over mine?”

“It can’t be helped! Isn’t it stranger to ask someone who shouldn’t wield a sword to protect me?”

I retorted like that. Oliver carefully added:

“……I also think Lady Yusten’s words are correct, Your Grace. While Lady Gwen might be fine, Sir Roger is a sword expert on my level, so he should be able to protect the Lady without difficulty.”

“See? So don’t worry about me. If you keep insisting, I’ll ask the Princess to tie you up at the mansion, so if you want to come along, quietly accept the conditions.”

I agreed with Oliver’s opinion and added. The Duke clicked his tongue in disapproval. I pretended not to see him and finished discussing the details of this plan with Sir Oliver.

* * *

The next day.

I stayed in the annex and prepared to leave for the Saint’s Forest while pretending to head to Flima Castle. After instructing to pack a few comfortable dresses, long robes, and some simple accessories in the bag, I locked all the dressing table drawers. I especially checked several times that the last drawer containing the star sapphire brooch and emerald necklace gifted by the Duke and the Princess was securely locked. This was to prevent Danae from rummaging through my dressing table while I was away.

After finishing all preparations to leave, I was taking a breather while drinking tea.

At that moment, there was a knock and Annie came into the bedroom.

“Oh, my lady! Leonard Klein, the young Viscount, has come to see you!”

At those words, I reflexively furrowed my brow. Heaving a big sigh and barely smoothing my expression, I said:

“I’ll be right there. Guide him to the reception room. Bring out tea and desserts to go with it.”

“Yes, my lady!”

Annie answered in a cheerful voice. I slowly got up and went to the reception room. As I entered, Leonard, who was sitting on the reception room sofa, jumped up and said with a bright expression:

“Christine!”

“You’re here? Sit down.”

I said that and sat on the sofa opposite him. Leonard, who was about to kiss my hand, awkwardly withdrew his outstretched hand. Shortly after, when the maids came out and set down tea and cookies in front of me and him and left, he said to me:

“Father was saying, you’re going to Flima estate tomorrow?”

“Yes, that’s right. I have something I want to experiment with to increase the estate’s income. I’ll return to the capital in 3 days.”

“It seems dangerous to go alone, shall I come along?”

I unconsciously shrugged my shoulders. But quickly composing myself, I smiled and said:

“What for, troubling yourself? And I’ll be going with my uncle’s knights, so it won’t be that dangerous.”

“……Did you think I meant it simply like that? Thinking that you won’t be in the capital for 3 days makes me lonely. It seems lately I’m the only one longing for you and pining because we can’t meet.”

Leonard said in a voice that sounded disappointed. I barely held back from snorting at those words. I almost retorted asking if he wasn’t actually glad that he could meet freely with Danae while I was gone.

Just then, I heard faint footsteps approaching the reception room. It seemed Danae, having seen Leonard’s carriage enter the mansion, had come to interrupt our private time.

I deliberately said to him in a subtle voice:

“I’m sorry too, but it can’t be helped. It’s a necessary process for you and me to be happy.”

“……Christine.”

I coldly mocked him as he looked at me with a moved expression. That appearance of pretending to love me, pretending to dream of a future with me, was utterly disgusting. I slowly closed my eyes as I saw his hand approaching my face. I didn’t even want to look at him.

“Sister!”

At that moment, Danae burst open the reception room door and came inside. Leonard’s hand approaching my face awkwardly stopped in mid-air.

I gently pushed away that hand and said to Danae:

“Danae? What brings you here?”

Danae hesitated and answered:

“……No. I was thinking I might have been too mean to you, so I came to apologize. But the young Viscount is here? Hello, young Viscount?”

She said while glancing at Leonard. Leonard returned the greeting with an awkward smile. I observed them exchanging strange glances behind my back and said:

“He heard that I’ll be going to Flima Castle for a few days, so he came to see me before I leave. ……My, my. Unable to endure those few days. Do you really worry about me and miss me that much, Leonard?”

At that, Danae’s expression visibly distorted. She glared at me and Leonard alternately with sharp eyes for a moment, then as if nothing had happened, smiled coquettishly and said:

“Oh my. So that’s why. Well. Even I would worry if my beloved fiancé said she was going all that way just to plant some weeds in fallow land.”

“……You’re still saying that? I told you. It’s the best way to restore the land’s vitality.”

I said with a quiet sigh. Danae shrugged her shoulders impishly and said:

“That’s why I’m asking why you’re doing that. Instead of planting such weeds, you should plant and sell expensive herbs like Phoenix flowers. I hear the price of Phoenix flowers has skyrocketed these days. They say it’s as much as two gold coins for just one flower?”

“Is that true, Lady Danae Yusten?”

Leonard asked, intrigued. Excited by his reaction, Danae continued in an enthusiastic voice:

“Yes, that’s what they say! That’s why I told Dad and Sister not to do such useless things and to plant those flowers instead, but neither of them would listen.”

“……I’m sure Christine has good reasons for doing so. Isn’t that right, darling?”

He asked me pointedly. I answered as if I had been waiting for it:

“Of course. You shouldn’t plant medicinal herbs like Phoenix flowers on land that has lost and is recovering its vitality. As that flower grows, it accumulates toxins and ruins the land. If you’re not careful, nothing may grow on that land for 10 years.”

“……Is that so?”

“That’s absurd! How can toxins develop in the soil where medicinal herbs grow? Sister, aren’t you mistaken about something?”

Leonard said regretfully upon hearing my answer. Danae snorted and refuted my words. I thought to myself:

‘I knew you would say that.’

I knew well her personality of never believing evidence that her opinion was wrong, no matter how much there was, if she believed her opinion was right.

I intended to use that point to set a trap. I said:

“Well, if you really insist on planting it, I heard there is a way.”

“Oh my, what is it?”

“I heard that if you summon the higher spirits living in that land through the summoning magic of a high-level magician with power of 8 circles or higher, and forcibly make them restore the land’s vitality……But they said restoring vitality in that way could cause the spirit to perish. So what magician would do that? All magicians cherish the spirits that lend them power.”

“……I see. A high-level magician of 8 circles or higher……”

Danae muttered that with a thoughtful expression. I could clearly see who she was thinking of now, what she was thinking.

‘It’s obvious. She’ll send a letter asking Emlyn for help.’

That was as I had intended. Pretending not to see Danae quietly smiling, I said in a deliberately stern voice:

“Just in case, don’t even think about trying that method.”

“I understand. ……Ah, I’m hungry. Sister, can I eat this?”

Danae said, pretending not to have heard and changing the subject. I nodded with a smile, willingly agreeing.

* * *

That night.

Bellovese Forest, Yukein Castle in the eastern Empire.

In front of a small cabin nestled in the middle of a deep forest where centuries-old trees grew densely, there was a man.

With long ivory-colored hair tied tightly in a ponytail and wearing a worn and tattered robe, his face looked very youthful. He was crouched on the ground next to an iron pot filled with dark green liquid, and strangely, the pot was boiling vigorously without any fire.

He kept tilting his head as he looked down at the pot.

“……Ah, strange. If it’s been boiling for about two months, it should start clumping by now……”

He muttered that and then boldly thrust his hand into the boiling pot.

His appearance of stirring the boiling liquid with his hand looked as if he was searching for something inside. Just then, with a squeaking sound, something flew in.