Lina and Duke Valige’s engagement day.

As usual, the empress, who was sipping tea with grace, asked the second prince,

“You sent roses to the House of Permanent.”

“Yes, Mother. I wanted to give something special to Lady Dinamis.”

But did the son’s response not please her? The empress twisted her lips and muttered,

“Sending flowers personally for just a commoner’s engagement. Isn’t it too excessive, Bliteus?”

Seemingly rebuking her, Bliteus, who was watching the empress indifferently, shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s not important that I sent flowers to Lady Dinamis, at least not now.”

“What do you mean?”

Startled[Dash].

The second prince deliberately took a slow sip of tea.

“Duke Permanent and his fiancée are going on a journey after the ceremony.”

“What’s the matter with that? It’s a common thing to travel together after the engagement ceremony.”

What nonsense. The empress was disappointed with the second prince’s words and was about to lift her tea cup again.

“The two are going to Festius.”

“……What?”

It was very common in the empire for the two who had held an engagement ceremony to travel together.

Especially since the two were not a political marriage, there was nothing strange about it. However,

“You seem to think there is a reason to go to Festius.”

It was necessary to think a little differently about the first prince’s person going to Festius. Such a long journey with the fiancée at such an important time.

It was not like Duke Permanent’s usual behavior.

“Isn’t the princess of Festius a saint, Mother?”

“Your words mean, are you saying…… Alex marries the saint, the princess?”

“From what I have found out, it seems that the king of Festius and my brother have already agreed.”

Empress Eugenie, surprised by the second prince’s last words, jumped up from her seat.

“That’s, absurd……!”

“If my brother marries the saint, the princess of Festius, the temple that was supporting me will turn to him.”

“And, I warned to be cautious of Alex……!”

Empress Eugenie, her face pale, called her maid as she yelled.

“Kendall! Quickly, quickly write a letter to Father……!”

“Don’t be in a hurry, Mother.”

Bliteus recited in a calm voice.

“How can I be calm in this situation?! Even the temple is being snatched by that foxlike fellow!”

Unlike the excited empress, the second prince leisurely sipped his tea and whispered,

“Don’t worry, I have already prepared everything.”

(This is a time separator.)

“Is it very hard for you?”

Inside the carriage, Mei, stretching, asked Lina. It had already been a week since they left the capital for Festius.

Being confined to the carriage for a while, Lina felt her body stiffen.

“A little. Mei, are you okay?”

“I’m fine! Oh, I’m going to get some water. I overheard the knights talking earlier, and it seems there’s a stream nearby.”

“Okay, be careful.”

Lina looked pensively at Mei, who ran away with quick steps.

‘She must be fine alone.’

They said one person’s absence was forgotten by another. The moment someone else filled her place, he would forget her.

As everyone always did.

‘And surely…….’

Someone else would stand by the duke’s side, not herself. As if she’d had a painful thought, Lina lowered her eyes.

She’d be sad and tormented for a while if she left. But that would be just for a moment. Soon, everything would be fine.

As if nothing had happened.

Lina lifted her head and looked around. The refreshing scent of the forest and the tickling wind that touched her hair.

“Maybe I’ll take a walk for a while.”

The duke had told her to be accompanied by an escort knight wherever she went, but now she just wanted to walk quietly by herself.

So, Lina wandered the forest path alone, avoiding the eyes of the people busy setting up tents.

“There’s not much time left.”
In about four days, they would arrive at the border of Festius. Originally, she should have been traveling alone to someplace other than Festius.

But, her steps did not falter, as if she had heavy lead on her ankles.

In truth, she did not want to leave everyone, as if protesting.

‘Just one day.’

‘Let’s be together just one more day.’

Every night, looking at the Duke’s sleeping face, she postponed the day of departure by one or two days. Thus, postponing again and again, already a week had passed.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

She would leave on the day they crossed the Festius border. She began to plan her departure to another place when everyone was asleep.

“Perhaps, we’ll never meet again…….,”

As if happiness was a luxury to her, she would be alone again, as always.

Lina was muttering to herself in a sigh when,

“I clearly told you not to wander alone.”

“Duke?”

Thinking she was alone, Lina, who had been talking to herself, looked over her shoulder with a start. There stood the Duke, looking at her with displeasure.

‘Surely, he didn’t hear what I said…?’

Afraid that he had heard that she was leaving, she swallowed her dry saliva unknowingly.

“Valige.”

“……Yes?”

Was he fortunate that he hadn’t heard her mumbling?