It didn’t take long to reach the Mürchen Baron’s residence located in the Baile region. By the time Natasha finished organizing her plan, the carriage had already arrived at its destination.

Perhaps because of her shabby appearance, the meeting with Baron Mürchen was initially rejected. After Natasha’s identity as a duchess was verified, the meeting request was approved immediately without any further procedures.

“Ah, Duchess Asthart! I’m seeing the second moon of the empire. What brings you to this place? Is there anything I can help you with?”

It was when Natasha was waiting for Baron Mürchen while drinking tea served by a maid in the reception room. In just a few minutes, the baron came running in, out of breath.

The baron and Natasha had a formal relationship, seeing each other occasionally at banquets and exchanging letters from time to time when there were requests. With her sudden visit without notice, the baron was quite flustered.

“I have something I’d like to discuss with Sir Dante, if that’s alright?”

“Ah, of course! I’ll call for the knight.”

Relieved by the small request, the baron soon hurried back with Sir Dante.

“Thank you. After I finish talking with the knight, I’d also like to have a word with you, Baron. Would that be alright?”

“Of course! Please call for me anytime!”

The baron willingly vacated the spot, saying to have a pleasant time.

As soon as the sound of the door closing was heard, she shifted her gaze to face the person in front of her. Sir Dante, looking more mature than when she last saw him, stood there with a surprised expression.

Natasha greeted Sir Dante, who seemed to still lack a sense of reality.

“It’s been a while, Sir Dante.”

“My lady! What brings you here…?”

“What’s with that surprised face? Am I someone who shouldn’t be here?”

“Ah, no, not at all!”

When Natasha pretended to be upset and glared with a pouty expression, Sir Dante, who had been stiff the whole time, finally showed an intense reaction. He scratched his cheek as if uncomfortable with the mischievous joke.

Perhaps because it was Sir Dante.

Even though it wasn’t a situation to laugh, she found herself chuckling. Maybe the last bit of tension had finally been released by his reliability.

“I came because I needed the only ally in the world.”

“…”

“Will you help me, Sir Dante?”

Natasha extended her hand to him subtly.

Sir Dante’s attitude, which had been clumsy all along, suddenly changed at that moment.

He briefly set down the helmet he had been firmly holding at his side on the couch, then gently grasped Natasha’s hand and kissed it.

“If I can be of help, I will do so with all my being, Sun of the Kingdom.”

As there were many servants guarding the reception room, it was not suitable for having a private conversation. The two went out to the garden for a moment to avoid people’s eyes.

It was still cold as it was the tail end of winter, not yet good weather for a walk. Sir Dante, seeming to be concerned about this, had already brought along an extra coat.

Sir Dante wrapped the coat around her shoulders, saying it would be better to wear it to avoid catching a cold.

He explained in a shy voice that since it was a man’s coat, it might be a bit large, and there might be an unpleasant body odor. He seemed to be bothered by something else.

“If you’re going to be that embarrassed, wouldn’t it be better to pretend not to notice? It’s not that cold anyway.”

“It’s better to be embarrassed. And even if it’s not that cold, the very existence of cold is fatal to the princess.”

“…Is it that serious?”

“Yes, don’t you remember when you were fourteen, you made a snowman and ended up bedridden for almost two weeks? Ah, when you got up, you grumbled about being upset because the snowman had melted. And the following year, you fell asleep by an outdoor bonfire and got a fever for almost ten days…”

Natasha made an embarrassed expression and gestured for him to stop. It was enough to understand.

“I get it, I’m weak.”

Although there had been such accidents, it was excessive worry.

Sir Dante’s resolute answer reminded Natasha of someone, and she unknowingly raised the corners of her mouth.

Suddenly realizing that the person she recalled was an unwelcome guest, she immediately erased her expression. She quietly caressed the slight muscle movement that remained near the corners of her mouth, as if it were colorless.

What a weak action.

To even recall him despite knowing the man’s true nature.

She bit her lip firmly, then soon opened her mouth towards Sir Dante. It was to stop the trivial thoughts.

“Sir Dante, are you doing well here? Come to think of it, it’s almost been three years, hasn’t it?”

“I’m doing well. It’s all thanks to the princess, no, the lady.”

With the lady’s help, he had risen to the position of the baron’s personal guard knight. It was certainly a great achievement to be promoted from an escort knight who helped with guarding during carriage rides to the baron’s personal guard knight.

Neither of them could deny that the recommendation letter from the Asthart duchy had played a big role in the promotion over the three years.

“It’s all thanks to your excellent abilities.”

However, Sir Dante was a royal knight. In terms of skill alone, he deserved better treatment.

Although his failure to assist the royal family remained as a flaw, there was no change in the fact that his personal skills were excellent. It was as if he had found his rightful place thanks to the recommendation letter from the Asthart duchy.

“By the way, if you’re working as the baron’s personal guard knight, you must have built quite a few connections with other knights.”

“Yes, when I was an escort knight, I got along well with colleagues who worked in shifts. After becoming a guard knight, I often went out alone, so I got along better with knights from other families rather than those from the baron’s house. Oh, and from last year, I’ve been building connections with royal knights as well.”

“With royal knights as well, you say…”

“Actually, I found some work for them.”

Sir Dante grinned sheepishly.

Since Baile was close to the principality, many royal knights were staying there, and like Sir Dante or Sir Leon before, they were making income doing work close to manual labor.

Sir Dante went on to explain that, feeling it was a shame to waste their excellent talents, he had initially introduced them to jobs at the Mürchen barony.

The baron, excited to be able to employ skilled knights for low wages, eagerly took them all in, he said.

At first, the nobles criticized him for bringing in a string of dropouts like sausages, but later they began to eye the skilled knights and poked at the baron’s side.

Afterwards, the baron filled his pockets with introduction fees. If he had formed a knightly order with them, it could have been revolutionary, but unfortunately, he was a person who prioritized money over honor.

“So I’ve deepened my bonds with them as well.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s childish to play at being comrades again, but I’m happy. To have fellow soldiers who share the same pain and hardship.”

“I see, I’m glad even Sir Dante is happy.”

“Even me… does that mean you’re not happy, my lady?”

Oops.

Natasha’s shoulders trembled slightly, not expecting Sir Dante to pay attention to such a subtle detail in the midst of their peaceful conversation. Sir Dante’s expression, which she glimpsed, had noticeably hardened.

“Sir Dante, you’re too quick-witted. I was going to tell you anyway, but now I have to start on a heavy note, contrary to my intention.”

She had no reservations about speaking of her situation, as she had intended to confess anyway. However, given the weight of the topic, she had wanted to start lightly and cheerfully, but it became difficult as the atmosphere turned gloomy from the beginning.

She had hoped to always appear as a happy person to Sir Dante, who prayed for her happiness.

Natasha summarized her situation with Sieghart as concisely as possible.

Starting from the contract with Duke Kshant two years ago, her relationship with Sieghart, and the story of being trapped in an inescapable snare.

To Sir Dante’s question about what Cayena had done, she even told the story of her old friend, by which time the sky had already darkened considerably.

“Haa.”

After listening to Natasha’s story with a stiff expression throughout, he let out a sigh as soon as all the explanations were finished.

What would he say?

Would he lament why she didn’t run away sooner? Would he quietly resent her, asking if she found him so untrustworthy? Would he criticize her like the Grand Duke, asking why she did such a foolish thing as turning her back on her homeland?

Natasha quietly waited for Sir Dante’s next words. On one hand, she was expectant, but on the other hand, she was anxious.

“What can I do to help?”

“…Sir?”

“What should I offer and how? Should I present the Emperor’s heart to you, my lady, no, princess?”

However, Sir Dante’s answer was so perfectly in line with what she had hoped for that Natasha felt almost empty.

“Help me gain power. With nothing to my name, I have no choice but to be forcibly dragged into His Excellency’s swamp. What I want can only be brought by that person.”

Natasha thought.

Even if she were to go mad and fall into the man’s swamp, it must absolutely be a voluntary act. Not being forced to fall in with no way to escape.

Sieghart, who barged into the reception room, froze upon seeing the paper and dagger placed on the table. Following him, armed knights entered the reception room, groaning.

Having failed to drive away the intruders who had recklessly invaded, they had ultimately allowed them to reach the ruler of the principality.

They approached hesitantly, as if they had no face to show, but soon relaxed when the Grand Duke of Kshant gestured for them to stand back.

The Grand Duke of Kshant, sitting quietly on the couch, did not bother to greet the duke. The same was true for the man.

Sieghart began to read the letter carefully. After finishing his close reading, he picked up the dagger covered with dried blood stains.

He chuckled after smelling the pungent metallic odor. The smell embedded in the knife was perfectly identical to the only blood scent he remembered.

“So.”

A voice filled with anger finally broke the silence.

“So, this woman has finally left me.”