“I’ve always wanted to tell you this. I couldn’t muster the courage, thinking you might not remember me, and worried that sending a letter like this might be a nuisance.”

“Thank… you?”

It was an unbelievable sound. To think that what fell on Natasha’s neck was not a blade, but a warm touch.

“You’re always helping us. Thanks to you, settling in was so much easier. As you know, when time passed and interest in the duchy’s citizens and immigrants waned, the imperial family immediately cut back on welfare.”

“……”

“At that time, it was the Asthart ducal family that helped immigrants settle. It became even more active after the lady became the mistress of the house.”

It was the first time hearing this.

As the mistress of the family, she managed the welfare and donation systems. She checked the list of welfare organizations monthly due to the commissioned and commissioning values, but there were no organizations affiliated with the kingdom’s citizens.

Natasha, unable to donate with the duke’s finances, often sponsored them anonymously, but from what she heard, it seemed the baroness wasn’t referring to that.

‘If it’s in the name of the ducal family……’

There were only two people who could donate in the name of the ducal family. One of them wasn’t, so now only one remained.

She turned her head to face the culprit. Sieghart, who had been listening to the conversation with a clueless expression, quickly averted his gaze as soon as their eyes met. Thanks to this, Natasha realized who the baroness was referring to.

Afterwards, she exchanged some small talk with the baroness. After telling her to send a letter to the ducal residence anytime she wanted to talk, Natasha left the cafe with the duke.

Natasha, who passed through the door that was familiarly opened for her, turned around. Just then, Sieghart was also looking at her, so their gazes naturally met.

“It was the best I could do. It was the only way I could apologize to them.”

Sieghart raised his voice first.

There was no subject. Anyway, even without such a grand explanation, Natasha easily understood the context of the conversation.

“And I felt it was more right to do it in your name than mine. Natasha, even to apologize to you.”

The man defended himself without hesitation, as if he had thought about it beforehand. It was a well-crafted defense that left no room for the other party to argue.

“……I see.”

She couldn’t add anything to the apology made for her sake. She couldn’t condemn the other party for unwanted consideration, as she couldn’t ignore the benefits received by the kingdom’s citizens. Yet, she couldn’t be grateful for the enemy’s goodwill either.

Natasha thought to herself that receiving the man’s apology was indeed not a very pleasant thing.

During the trip, she had a rather fulfilling and rewarding time. It was to the point where she couldn’t admit how enjoyable the time spent with Sieghart was.

The regions belonging to the empire were diverse. Places that hadn’t abandoned the kingdom’s characteristics, places that had followed the empire’s habits. The former was heartwarming while the latter was bitter. Every place was welcoming, but Natasha felt like a sinner everywhere she went.

The two people, with being foreigners as their only common point, maintained a good relationship throughout the trip. It was a natural progression since they only had each other to spend time with.

Eating meals, engaging in small talk, taking walks to aid digestion… Natasha Asthart herself couldn’t understand why she was spending such peaceful days with that man. However, when she came to her senses, she could see herself wearing a slight smile.

About three days into the trip, Natasha stopped her unnecessary worries. The remaining time was too precious to deny and interpret the rising emotions. Afterwards, she entrusted herself to her instincts.

And on the day when only three days remained of the trip, the two finally set off for the duchy.

Naturally, it didn’t take long to move to the duchy. It was over after crossing the bridge separating the empire and the duchy and passing through the checkpoint.

Upon entering the checkpoint, identity verification took place. She handed over her ID card containing Natasha Asthart’s identity.

“Ah!”

The security officer checking the ID card was startled. He looked back and forth between the ID card and Natasha, blinking his eyes.

“Princess! I, I’m Leon!”

“Leon?”

“Yes! I worked at the royal palace for quite a while, don’t you remember?”

Natasha, repeating the name Leon a few times, stared at him. His beaming face overlapped with the face of a young man.

“Ah!”

Only then did she make a gesture as if remembering.

Leon was a knight who had entered the royal knights immediately after his debutante and served loyally until he became an adult. Despite not having met much, he had a higher sense of intimacy than others, perhaps because he was the same age as Natasha.

“Why is Sir Leon here……”

The checkpoint was a place with low competition rates where even commoner knights could easily apply, and while it was easy to find a job, it was notorious for its low pay and high difficulty.

Being in the royal knights would be quite a good career. He could apply to prestigious family knight orders or as a personal knight, so it was incomprehensible why Leon was wasting his abilities in such a harsh place.

“Well… I suppose a knight who failed to protect the royal family is now worthless.”

Leon answered while scratching the back of his head as if embarrassed.

So to put it more bluntly, he had been stripped of his knighthood for failing to protect the palace.

When she was living in hiding as Tisha Winter, she deliberately didn’t read about the royal knights, so she didn’t know about this situation afterwards.

By that point, there was no need to ask why Leon, a noble’s son, didn’t seek work from his family. Support would have been cut off from a son who had lost his honor.

“……I see.”

Natasha felt uncomfortable, feeling that his misfortune stemmed from her tragedy. She realized once again that she wasn’t the only one who had become unhappy because of that day’s events.

At that moment, the voice that had been hiding since the first day of the trip suddenly intruded.

‘He says his life was ruined because of you!’

‘Yet you’re boldly traveling around, that knight must be resenting you while pretending to be glad to see you!’

‘How cold his expression will be as soon as you turn your back!’

Frightening voices engulfed her. Like reading her inner thoughts, they dug up the truths Natasha avoided and forced them into her ears.

The situation the voices spoke of created an illusion.

As Natasha turned around, Leon, who had transformed into a sinister gaze, cursed her over and over. He rushed towards her smiling brightly, then drew the sword at his waist and thrust it into her abdomen, cackling that she deserved it as she writhed in pain…

It felt like hyperventilation was coming on. Due to her violently shaking body, even standing on two feet was difficult.

“Ah……”

Huh, as she was taking deep breaths, someone urgently grabbed her hand.

Subsequently, their eyes met. Eyes of a slightly darker red than Natasha’s seemed to ask if she was alright.

Just like then, the voices disappeared completely. The ears that had been tangled with various voices suddenly became quiet. Ordinary life sounds filled her muffled ears. At last, it seemed she had returned to reality.

She looked ahead with a calm face. Leon, who hadn’t noticed the subtle change, was staring at her with a puzzled expression. The security officer was holding Natasha Asthart’s ID card in his hand.

“Well then, I’ll be going. Thank you for greeting me.”

“Have a pleasant journey!”

Though she wanted to talk more, Natasha decided to stop. After exchanging brief greetings, she was about to leave the checkpoint with Sieghart when.

Hesitating in front of the last door, she ran towards where Leon was standing.

“Sir Leon!”

Seeing Natasha running urgently towards him, Leon wore a surprised expression. Just as he was about to ask if she had left something behind, the other party, having caught her breath, hastily added a question.

“Are you alright?”

“……Pardon?”

“Even if you’re not completely happy, are you living while feeling some small peace?”

At first, he took an attitude of finding it difficult to understand the current situation. Leon was about to ask what that meant, but seeing Natasha’s solemn face, he withdrew the question. Eventually, he too seriously pondered the answer.

“I’m living fairly well. Even if I’m not very happy, I find small joys in life and smile. Even if I’m not very sad, I remember precious memories and sometimes miss them.”

“I see……”

She seemed to calm down a bit as if relieved. While steadily meeting Leon’s eyes, she asked what she had wanted to ask all along.

What she couldn’t ask the baroness she met on the first day of the trip.

“Perhaps, just perhaps. Do you… not hate me?”

“How could I hate you, Princess?”

“I’m living peacefully. While all the kingdom’s citizens must be mourning that day’s tragedy, I shamelessly……”

“No!”

Leon shouted in an unusually serious voice.

“Princess, no, my lady! I hope you are happy. Both the princess then and the lady now were and are too young. There’s no need for you to shoulder the misfortune alone, nor take responsibility for it.”

Like a knight who had long observed Natasha, Leon easily uncovered her secret emotions and comforted her.

She stared blankly at him at the unexpected consolation. Leon was wearing an affectionate smile as if he understood everything.

He didn’t say more. He maintained his lovely smile, and upon noticing the man approaching from behind, he offered greetings at the right timing.

“May eternal happiness be with the small sun of Charliee.”