In fact, there was a way to escape.

Brody was halfawake, but she couldn’t have not thought about it.

Using the ‘Dream Leaf’ would have done the trick.

But she kept pushing that method out of her consciousness.

At some point, realizing what she was doing, Brody sighed.

‘Don’t you want to run away?’

She wasn’t sure.

But she was definitely troubled.

In the meantime, she missed the timing, and it became morning.

“Ugh…”

Brody managed to lift her sagging body. It was a bit cool in the morning, but the bright sunlight typical of the south scattered here and there, shining on the trees.

“Uh…”

When Brody looked around with blank eyes, Ian was nowhere to be seen.

Brody wrapped herself in a blanket and flopped back down in place.

‘Was it all a dream? From the moment he arrived, could it have been a dream shown by the Dream Leaf?’

However, she saw a strange blue gemstone woven into a bracelet that was casually spread out on her wrist.

‘It’s an ice crystal.’

‘An ice crystal?’

Ian had embraced her from behind and filled the bracelet on Brody’s wrist.

‘There is a permanent glacier that doesn’t melt all year long in the far north of the north. They say the glacier that has lived over ten thousand years holds an ice crystal.’

‘Ten thousand years…’

‘It can’t be dug up by humans; a spirit must have brought it.’

‘A spirit? Is there such a… Ah, right, there is, there is. Haha. Then, isn’t it incredibly precious?’

‘That’s why I’m giving it to you. It will protect you in the northern lands.’

‘Is this not a dream…’

Brody, looking at the strange color of the ice crystal, rolled it around, thinking about last night.

“Are you awake?”

A voice came from below.

Ian seemed to have boiled water and come up. He had cut the bread and fruit for eating, preparing them with warm tea.

Brody looked at Ian preparing breakfast, tumbling and lying down.

“It’s a rare sight. His Highness preparing my meal.”

“I was going to say that.”

“Huh? What?”

“The rare sight. Sometimes you seem incredibly quiet and demure, but at other times you seem so free.”

Ah, he must be talking about her rolling around in the blanket like this. Well, it might be strange. I’m actually someone from another time and space.

Brody looked on, resting her chin on her hands, without intending to get up.

“So it’s hard to grasp where you’ll jump to.”

So he came with a tray of breakfast towards Brody.

“You won’t digest well if you eat lying down.”

“I can’t get up.”

Ian seemed embarrassed as he picked up a fruit and offered it to Brody, who ate it directly with her mouth.

“Ah, I feel like living. I was so hungry.”

After eating like this a few more times, Brody sluggishly got up and took a teacup.

While Brody was blowing on her tea and drinking it, Ian sorted a few strands of hair sticking to her face.

He said,

“You look good.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nice to see you rolling around so freely.”

“……”

Brody drank her tea with a pure expression, feeling embarrassed by his overt expression.

When Ian seemed to be worrying about having said something wrong, Brody opened her mouth.

“Your Highness, freedom is most important to me.”

“……Yes.”

Of course. The wish she, herself, had asked of Ian was ‘give me freedom.’

Ian nodded silently.

“Thank you for keeping your oath, Your Highness. That you are trying to persuade me means that you respect my freedom.”

What Brody said was sincere.

Would that be easy in a society with a caste system? If he had used power and strength, it would not have been so difficult for the Duke of a country to deal with one Brody.

But he came himself and asked for Brody’s opinion.

Even until yesterday, if Brody had not agreed, Aidan would have respected her will.

He believed so.

Brody hesitated and said,

“I don’t mind becoming your wife, Your Highness.”

“……Ah! Brody!”

Aidan’s face brightened at Brody’s words. He almost knocked over a tray as he tried to approach her, but she stopped him.

Brody calmed Aidan with a gesture, indicating she had not finished speaking, and then continued,

“If Your Highness stays here.”

“……”

Aidan froze.

“Can you do that?”

He could not say anything and just stared at her intently.

If the people had demanded, ‘You are not qualified. Step down from the Duke’s position!’ he might have willingly given up his status.

But now, the people of the North needed Aidan. The war had just ended, and the North had to survive even after that. They had to prepare for an uncertain three years ahead.

‘Without him…… it wouldn’t work, the North. The situation has changed so much because he wasn’t assassinated.’

Brody seemed to understand his anguish and sighed before continuing,

“I don’t need the status of a Duchess? No, a Queen? Anyway, I don’t need or want such a position. It will only bind me.”

“I will not… bind you.”

“Isn’t taking me with you binding?”

“……Yes. I can’t guarantee your freedom in the South. But I can ensure that you don’t bear the responsibilities imposed by the status. I will do my best to let you live freely.”

Is that really possible?