Karina finished her preparations to attend the New Year’s Festival in the capital for the next few days using that money.

In other words, those preparations were for leaving the North forever.

Even so, she didn’t have much luggage, so there wasn’t much to pack and organize.

“Good job with the packing.”

“There wasn’t much to pack and organize as I don’t have a lot of belongings,” Jen smiled awkwardly.

“Grand Duchess, but…”

Jen hesitated.

“What is it?”

“No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find the dress and accessories you wore for the wedding. The shoes, tiara, and veil too.”

“Ah, those.”

Karina hadn’t informed Charlotte and Jen that she was preparing for divorce.

She had no idea where and how word might leak within the Grand Ducal Household.

And also because she couldn’t completely trust them.

‘Even if Charlotte and Jen are favorable towards me, strictly speaking, they are people of the Grand Ducal Household.’

Karina thought it would be best to be as careful as possible until participating in the New Year’s Festival.

That way, there would be no chance of her plans going awry.

Karina pondered deeply.

No suitable words came to mind on what to say to Jen.

She had secretly given all the dresses and accessories to Selena to sell off, so there was no way Jen or someone from the Grand Ducal Household would know about it.

‘I can’t say I sold them off, what should I do?’

Karina quickly wracked her brain and brushed it off.

“I’m keeping them separately as they are precious. So don’t worry about it.”

“Ah, is that so! What a relief. I was anxious, wondering if they had disappeared.”

Only then did Jen’s expression brighten.

Karina swept her gaze across the room she would have no reason to see once she left.

The frame made from the wedding bouquet caught her eye.

‘Come to think of it, that frame…’

She had disposed of all the dresses and various accessories worn at the wedding ceremony, but left that frame behind.

It was because it wasn’t worth as much money as she thought.

‘Why did I cherish it so much back then, my past self,’ Karina mused self-deprecatingly.

After staring blankly at the frame, Karina spoke.

“Jen. Dispose of that frame for me.”

“What? But I heard that frame is something you treasure immensely, Grand Duchess!”

‘Huh?’

Karina was puzzled by Jen’s words.

“Who said that?”

It was strange that Jen knew about it when Karina hadn’t cherished it that much since returning.

“Ah, the Head Maid told me. So she said to be especially careful when dusting it.”

“…”

The Head Maid referred to Charlotte.

Karina was about to say she could throw it away now that she was sick of it, but Jen spoke a beat faster.

“I heard it’s a very special frame made by drying the bouquet flowers from the wedding.”

“…”

Now that Jen knew that fact too, Karina couldn’t tell her to dispose of it right away.

In a situation where the wedding dress and accessories were also missing, throwing that away too might make them suspicious.

‘Forget it. Once I divorce, I’ll deal with it later.’

She decided to let it go.

“It seems we’ve mostly wrapped up now, so go and rest a bit. We have to depart early tomorrow morning.”

“Yes. I understand. Please rest comfortably too, Grand Duchess.”

Jen bowed and left the room.

Only Karina and Mikhail remained in the room.

Karina had intended to tell Mikhail to go in early and rest comfortably too.

Turning her head, she saw Mikhail standing there with a gloomy expression.

“Mikhail?”

There was no answer even when she called out.

Mikhail stood there blankly as if lost in deep thought.

[Timeline separator]

Mikhail’s mind was complicated due to the information Max reported.

‘Why do those Black Magicians keep getting involved with Karina? Are they deliberately approaching her?’

Mikhail felt uneasy.

Somehow, it seemed like incidents involving Black Magicians kept happening around Karina.

‘But they have no reason to approach Karina.’

It was true that a familiar energy could be felt from Karina.

However, after closely observing her, Karina had absolutely no connection to dragons.

And now, whether Karina was related to dragons or not was of no concern to Mikhail at all.

Because Karina herself had become precious to him.

‘If they try to harm even a hair on Karina, I’ll never let them off. I’ll protect Karina.’

Mikhail’s eyes turned cold.

So he decided to stick by Karina’s side instead of returning to the Magic Tower.

But the New Year’s Festival in the capital was a problem.

Since the Magic Tower had decided to cooperate with the Imperial Royal Family, his master was sure to participate in this year’s Imperial New Year’s Festival.

‘If I go and run into him there, I’ll definitely be dragged back to the Magic Tower.’

Mikhail let out a groan.

There was something else bothering him too.

‘Was the Grand Duke there to chase after the Black Magicians?’

If he had learned that the escaped prisoners who had previously taken Karina hostage were connected to the Black Magicians, it was sufficiently possible.

‘Then was it really a coincidental encounter?’

But even so.

It really irked him that Jeremiah was starting to take an interest in Karina.

‘Why all of a sudden now?’

Recalling the sticky gaze with which Jeremiah had looked at Karina filled Mikhail with displeasure.

He felt anxious that, even though it was unlikely, what if by some chance Jeremiah and Karina grew even a little closer.

[Timeline separator]

Karina got up from where she was sitting and approached Mikhail.

The sunlight streaming in through the window illuminated his face with a transparent glow.

His hair, as if woven from silver threads, looked soft, and his high nose and moderately plump lips flaunted their presence.

The neatly cascading long lashes added a mysterious charm to his handsome face.

Even with a gloomy expression, he had a wistful appearance as if steeped in melancholy.

‘He looks good even when gloomy.’

Karina assessed objectively.

“Mikhail.”

Only when she called out to him right in front did Mikhail finally lift his head with a start.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Ah… it’s nothing.”

It was a completely different reaction from his usual overflowing confidence.

“It doesn’t look like nothing from your expression?”

When Karina spoke, Mikhail rubbed his face as if troubled.

“Is it that obvious?”

‘Seems like he has a real concern.’

Karina observed his complexion up close.

“What is it, tell me. I’ll listen.”

“…”

His mouth moved as if about to open but then didn’t.

Question marks popped up over Karina’s head at Mikhail’s unprecedented behavior.

After a moment, Mikhail looked at Karina with a rather serious expression.

“Lady Karina.”

“Yes.”

“I…”

Karina quietly waited for his next words.

“Can we… still go out and buy delicious things to eat in the city after going up to the capital?”

“…What?”

Karina made a puzzled expression at the completely unexpected question.

“Is that what you were worrying about all this time?”

When Karina asked, Mikhail opened his mouth again.

“I really want to go out to the city with you, Lady Karina, eat delicious food and see fun things to my heart’s content when we go up to the capital.”

“…”

“But I’m so worried that you might be too busy to hang out with me.”

Mikhail looked at Karina with pleading eyes that sparkled like a cat’s.

Karina burst into laughter at his appearance.

‘I was worried for nothing.’

Karina put on a deliberately stern expression and said,

“And here I was worried thinking you had some big concern.”

“How could I have time to worry about such things. My mind is filled with thoughts of you, Lady Karina.”

Mikhail said with a bright smile.

Karina felt relieved that Mikhail could speak so lightly like that.

‘Right. It must have been fleeting emotions.’

Seeing how he usually treated her like a child, it might be more like an older brother doting on his young sister.

Karina thought she had mistakenly assumed his feelings all on her own.

‘Come to think of it. Who else would act so foolishly because of love like me.’

Karina laughed absently.

“Stop joking around and you should go back and rest too. We have to leave early tomorrow morning.”

“I’m not joking though.”

Mikhail grumbled.

“I mean it. Isn’t there anywhere you want to go, Lady Karina? Anything you want to eat or do.”

When Mikhail said that, Karina also began to ponder earnestly.

“Well. Honestly, I’ve never really thought about it. But now that you ask…”

She thought it might not be bad to travel around the empire as just herself, not as the Grand Duchess, after getting divorced.

‘It would only be possible where no one recognizes me though.’

That automatically excluded the North and the capital.

‘Then maybe it’s better to enjoy the capital as much as I can while I’m still the Grand Duchess.’

As if reading Karina’s thoughts, Mikhail grinned at her.

“You can’t leave me behind when you go out to play. You’ll regret it immensely if you do, Lady Karina.”

Mikhail declared confidently.

“You could have had more fun, but missed out on it. So you must take me with you when you go.”

Karina felt her own mood brighten along with Mikhail’s brightly smiling face.

“Alright. I’ll have to take you and see just how much fun you can show me.”

“Of course! Just trust me.”

When Karina spoke, Mikhail exclaimed loudly for her to just trust him.

Karina found that conversation, which could be about nothing, so enjoyable.

She felt that once she got divorced, a life full of such small joys was truly awaiting her.

A smile didn’t leave Karina’s face for a long time.

Seeing Karina’s brightly smiling face, Mikhail also showed a satisfied expression.

[Timeline separator]

Early the next morning.

Karina boarded a carriage to attend the New Year’s Festival held in the capital.

It was quite a long distance from the North to the capital, taking 4-5 days by carriage.

Of course, Jeremiah was also in the carriage with her.

It was decided that Mikhail, as her guard, would ride a horse outside the carriage.

Karina was worried about Mikhail.

‘Does Mikhail know how to ride a horse? He probably volunteered because he doesn’t know.’

She was quite concerned about whether he could keep up well with the carriage procession that would take 4-5 days on horseback.

“What are you worrying about so seriously?”

Jeremiah, who had been observing Karina’s expression, asked.

“It’s nothing.”

“You say it’s nothing, but your expression is grave.”

“…”

She didn’t really want to answer, but Jeremiah was unexpectedly persistent.

Karina finally opened her mouth under his gaze that stared at her intently.

“I was just worried about whether Mikhail could keep up well with the long journey on horseback.”

Hearing those words, Jeremiah’s expression slightly crumpled.

“Do you worry that much about a guard?”

“Of course I worry since he’s my guard.”

Jeremiah, frowning, soon brought up another topic.

“I finished investigating the incidents with Genen Yeong-sik and the dead maid by interrogating Revals Lamberta. And I issued a decree exiling Lady Caroline from the North.”

“…”

Karina already knew about Caroline’s punishment before boarding the carriage.

Having received the exile order from the North, Caroline had no choice but to go through with the marriage she hated.

As a result, she couldn’t attend this year’s New Year’s Festival held in the capital either.

‘But Caroline’s situation is none of my business.’

“Yes. I heard.”

Karina answered in a dry tone.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Jeremiah abruptly asked.

‘How did he know?’

Karina had something to say to him anyway, so she found it curious that he would ask first like this.

“I do.”

At Karina’s reply that she did, Jeremiah’s expression brightened slightly.

“Go ahead. I’ll listen.”

He seemed to be in a good mood for some reason.

Seeing his expression, Karina thought that perhaps Jeremiah had been waiting too.

It was sufficiently possible.

Because what Karina was about to say now was an extremely important matter.

In order to carry out her plan, she needed to coordinate with him in advance before attending the New Year’s Festival.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while but never had the chance.”

Jeremiah seemed to tense up a bit, as the muscles in his neck visibly tightened.

Karina continued with a smile on her lips.

“It’s about our divorce.”

“…What?”

Jeremiah’s mouth hardened into a stiff line.