“There’s so much to study.”

Riena Teravita muttered, placing the textbook she finished yesterday next to the new one she was about to start.

The girl’s long, curly hair had grown to reach her waist, and her skin, once slightly tanned from the sun, was now becoming fair.

It had been about 3 years since peace settled in the Artenbach territory.

Fourteen-year-old Riena was carefully contemplating a once-in-a-lifetime rebellion.

“You’re not the only one with a lot to do, you know?”

Rambermon Teravita said, looking at Riena, who no longer resembled a little child. His twin sister no longer slept in the same bed or came to his room in her pajamas.

It seemed like just yesterday they were napping together on the grass with soot-stained faces, but the boy and girl had grown up in the blink of an eye.

“So I’ve been thinking about it.”

“What are you planning to do?”

Rambermon watched his sister with an indecipherable look as she schemed something mischievous.

“I’m going to tell elder brother that I’m quitting my studies.”

“As if he’d let you do that.”

Rambermon continued, stroking the textbook with his hand.

“I heard that we’re practically not studying at all compared to others. And elder sister Rieta studies much more than this, doesn’t she?”

“That’s because she’s the lord!”

Riena stood up so forcefully that it made a loud bang. Startled, Rambermon quickly caught the pen holder just before it fell and placed it back on the desk.

“From what I can see, it’s not your studies that are the problem, it’s your personality.”

“What did you say?”

The boy crossed his arms. Then, with an arrogant gaze, he lifted his chin and said,

“It’s daunting to think that someone like you might become the Duchess of Artenbach.”

“Hey!”

Rambermon hastily moved away from Riena, who was shouting angrily. As he fled the study, he yelled,

“I’d rather live alone than with a wife like you.”

“What did you just say?”

Riena, her blood boiling, clenched her fists and strode towards the door. But she was only chasing the shadow of Rambermon, who had already escaped.

Giving up on catching her blood relative, Riena went out to the garden alone and crouched down among the bushes. Lately, her mood had been fluctuating several times a day.

She would suddenly get angry over trivial matters, and then her mood would improve as if nothing had happened.

Swinging a sword would make her feel a little better, but only for a moment.

‘Why is everything I have to do something I hate?’

Can’t I just do what I want since I’m still young?

‘Sigh.’

A long sigh escaped involuntarily. She thought she could do whatever she wanted once she became the young lady of Teravita.

Riena picked up a fallen branch and scribbled on the ground. The handwriting that Rambermon always teased her about for being messy was etched lonely on the dirt.

‘…I don’t want to go back.’

The girl squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them. She felt like running away somewhere far off.

When Riena returned to the study after dark, she found Rambermon frozen in place.

And sitting in front of him, with one leg crossed, was Ranson, his brown hair slicked back firmly. It seemed he had come straight to the study without even washing up after returning from the Academy of Arts.

“Riena, where were you skipping class?”

“I was playing in the garden and accidentally fell asleep.”

Ranson’s eyebrow twitched. He raised his hand and waved it towards Rambermon. Recognizing it as a signal to leave, the boy glanced at Riena once before hurriedly exiting, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

“That’s the excuse you used last time, Riena.”

“It’s true.”

Ranson, who had his arms crossed, slowly unfolded them. Then he let out a deep sigh.

“It’s troublesome if you keep acting like this. You are a noble of the Empire and the young lady of the Teravita ducal family.”

Ranson’s words caused the irritation that had just subsided to creep up again.

“Riena, with privilege comes responsibility.”

“Say it one more time and it’ll be a thousand, elder brother.”

A vein popped on Ranson’s forehead. He had suppressed a momentary emotion.

“If you know that so well, why do you keep acting like this?”

Ranson’s usually monotone voice rose by a notch. Riena sat down heavily in the chair Rambermon had been sitting in and replied,

“There’s too much to do. I have to study, do homework, practice dancing, and even do art.”

“That’s the basic education all noble children in the Empire receive.”

“You don’t understand how I feel!”

Riena jumped to her feet.

“You won’t let me practice swordsmanship or ride horses because it’ll darken my skin!”

Ranson stood up as well.

“Don’t you remember falling off a horse and getting hurt because you got overconfident after improving a little?”

“No, I don’t. And that’s how you learn, by getting hurt.”

“You almost died then! How can you still say you learn by getting hurt?”

Unable to contain his anger any longer, Ranson shouted. Tears began to well up in Riena’s large eyes.

“You don’t understand my feelings at all! You stop me from doing what I want to do and make me do only things I hate!”

Thick tears fell from the girl’s eyes. She felt unbearably wronged.

Seeing his sister’s tears, Ranson suppressed his emotions that were about to erupt like a volcano. Then he turned around and said,

“This conversation isn’t going anywhere. Let’s talk again later.”

“I won’t!”

“Riena, you’re too emotional right now. So let’s talk again later.”

“I said I won’t!”

Riena shouted at Ranson’s retreating back.

“I really hate you.”

It was an impulsive outburst.

Rieta, who had become the lord of Teravita and a proper duchess, sat across from Ranson, who was alone in the dining room, downing strong alcohol with a worried expression.

“Did Riena skip class again?”

Instead of answering, Ranson nodded while fiddling with his glass.

“You should try to understand her, elder brother. Her emotions are probably all over the place because of puberty. I was like that too.”

“You weren’t this bad.”

“Hmm…”

Rieta picked up Ranson’s glass. Then, with a strange smile, she downed it in one go before saying,

“Back then, I was too busy taking care of my younger siblings. I couldn’t neglect them just because I didn’t want to do things.”

Ranson bowed his head slightly. Looking back, Rieta had left her young siblings behind and gone to Artenbach alone when she was about fourteen.

“I’m sorry. You’re my sister too… I made you carry a heavy burden.”

“That’s all in the past.”

Rieta stood up and patted Ranson’s shoulder. Then she said kindly,

“Trust her and wait a little. She’s a good child, so she’ll return to her normal self soon.”

“You think so?”

“If we, her family, don’t believe in her, who will?”

Ranson nodded. Then he downed the remaining alcohol in his glass with a relieved expression.

Riena, firmly believed to be a good child, was alone awake at the dead of night. A large travel bag was placed under her dressing table, and the girl was putting dresses and cosmetics into it.

‘I’m going to find my own life.’

The thought made her grip tighten unconsciously. Tears began to trickle down.

‘Even if I disappear, elder brother won’t even blink.’

She felt wronged. The urge to lie down and cry welled up.

Should she go to an uninhabited island where no one would find her? Or to a place where she could do only what she wanted? But where would that be?

Riena wanted to show that she could live well on her own, without her brother and sister.

She wanted to bake her own bread, tend a small field, and live like that. She would practice swordsmanship, which she wanted to do, until she got tired of it. She would buy a horse and raise it.

So Riena decided to run away. She took out the allowance she had saved and counted it. She thought it might be enough to find a place to live on her own.

“I hate everyone…”

The girl lifted the large, packed travel bag with her hand. Then she quietly opened the door.

There were no maids or knights in the dark corridor where the lights were off. Riena thought this was fortunate, snorted once, and then tiptoed forward.

It was the beginning of an ambitious runaway for a girl going through her turbulent years, no longer afraid of the dark.

The Teravita lord’s office was in an uproar. A maid who had entered Riena’s room came running with a letter.

Ranson, Rambermon, and Rieta slowly read the letter Riena had left. It contained a short phrase about leaving to find freedom, along with a request not to look for her.

“Riena…”

Ranson’s face turned deathly pale, as if the sky had fallen. Rambermon shook his head as if he had known something like this would happen.

And Rieta read the letter from her only younger sister repeatedly before putting it down. Then she got up from the sofa and headed to her desk.

“Rieta, we need to issue a search order immediately.”

Ranson’s voice, speaking seriously, was trembling. While everyone was worried about the runaway girl’s safety, only Rieta calmly started her work as the lord.

“Sister! How can you work at a time like this?”

Rambermon frowned deeply at Rieta’s behavior. Along with him, Ranson muttered quietly that something had to be done.

“We agreed to trust Riena, didn’t we, elder brother?”

“Still, this isn’t right. It’s so dangerous for her to stay outside alone…”

Rieta put down the pen she was holding with a thud. Then, interlacing her fingers and resting her chin on them, she said,

“It’s alright. I secretly planted people.”

As soon as she said that, a bird quickly flew in through the open office window. It was used as a carrier pigeon.

“And here comes news right on time.”

Rieta unfolded the note tied to the bird’s thin leg and said with a bright smile,

“Riena has boarded a train heading to Artenbach.”

Ranson’s lips parted unconsciously. Then, suddenly remembering, he asked,

“Didn’t you say we should trust Riena?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a relief, but your words and actions don’t match.”

Rieta picked up the pen she had put down. Then, looking at the documents that needed to be approved, she answered,

“I trust Riena, but I don’t trust the world.”

Ranson and Rambermon silently looked at Rieta, who was overflowing with charisma. She was indeed the lord.