Although it was a message sent to Cyrus, Duke Hern usually handled such matters, so he decided not to inform Cyrus and took care of the message himself.

“My daughter-in-law is coming!”

To Duke Hern, who had been going through gloomy days due to Lord Brown’s betrayal, Ariana’s visit was like a warm ray of sunshine. A few months ago, Andrei, who returned earlier from Dongryeong with Isaac, had this to say about Ariana.
[Duchess Dash]”She looks much younger than her age, but she is remarkably mature and elegant to the point that it’s questionable if this age is correct. It may not be apparent now due to her youthful face, but in 1 or 2 years, she will likely become so beautiful that it’s impossible to distinguish her from the princess. Her character also seemed good.”

It was the first time Andrei gave such a favorable evaluation of a woman.

Due to the long vacancy of the position of the Northern Crown Princess, countless matchmaking offers had been pouring in. From the daughters of Northern Command nobles, to those from the Western and Eastern Commands. Even princesses from small countries in the northeast…

They didn’t go unnoticed.

There were certainly fine women from respectable families.

However, Duke Hern wanted Cyrus to marry not just for the country’s sake, but because he genuinely desired the person he would marry. Duke Hern himself, along with the previous Northern Crown Prince and Princess, fell in love and dated before getting married.

After losing his parents at a young age and having to fight death every moment, Cyrus, who had survived, sincerely wished to marry someone he truly desired.

“Our Duke should be like that. He should be able to set aside everything by his wife’s side.”

Even the reserved and thoughtful Louis admitted that Cyrus was deeply in love with Ariana. So, how could Ariana’s visit not be a source of joy?

Duke Hern chuckled and began to inspect Ariana’s guest room once again.

+++

Ariana’s decision to advance the departure date was not strongly opposed by the Crown Prince Hugh.

It was common to hastily change the date when a noble’s carriage embarked on a long journey to prevent an attack due to the schedule being widely known.

“I want to leave quietly, so I’ll depart early tomorrow morning. Please inform only Father of this fact.”

“People might be upset if you leave without saying goodbye.”

“I’ll be back in a few months anyway. Everyone seems to be enjoying the hunt, so I don’t want to disturb them.”

Crown Prince Hugh, the Northern Crown, returned to the castle to hear Ariana’s request, leaving the hunting grounds. He quietly instructed the knights in charge of security and called reliable workers to prepare for the early departure.

Ariana only informed her maid Katerina and butler Sinié of the departure date.

Katerina said in surprise, “This is a big problem. The coats you will wear in the Northern Command haven’t arrived yet.”

“There should be coats in the Northern Command as well.”

“But Your Highness personally gave instructions for the coat for Princess to be made, so it might be disappointing if you leave it behind. Should I go to the store and inquire?”

“Then please do so.”

In a hurry, Katerina went out and returned late at night with a pile of coats. On more than ten thick coats, there was the affection of a worried father for Ariana’s well-being.

Early in the morning, Ariana’s carriage left Chase Castle. Behind the large, shabby carriage decorated like a merchant’s, several luggage carriages followed.
The escort knights were dressed not in the uniform of the Northern Command royal knights but in attire resembling that of wandering knights.

Katerina spoke excitedly, “It’s my first time going to the Northern Command. They say Maho Castle is incredibly beautiful. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“That’s true.”

Ariana smiled faintly and looked out of the carriage window. The carriage had already left the city and was entering a forest path.

The forest path was dark because the day had not yet fully dawned. Ariana felt uneasy, as if assassins with concealed intentions were lurking in various places.

Isaac, who was riding a horse, looked into the carriage from the side. “How are you feeling, Your Highness?”

“I’m excited for this long-awaited journey.”

Isaac’s cheerful smile seemed to brighten the dark forest that had been gloomy.

“To ensure Your Highness doesn’t suffer, we’ll plan to stay in cities or towns as much as possible at night. Thanks to the kind words of the Crown Prince Hugh, we can arrive in the Northern Command before it gets too cold.”

Contrary to Ariana’s concerns, the journey was smooth.

There were no attacks by bandits, and the carriage didn’t break down.

Even though the peaceful journey continued, the escort knights remained vigilant. When a week passed since leaving Chase Castle, the group arrived safely in ‘Dragon City.’

Lancaster said, “It’s a bit early, but there’s a large forest after this city. We plan to stay here for a day and leave early tomorrow morning.”

It was still before sunset.

Ariana and her party unloaded their luggage at the inn that Katerina had hurriedly found.

Having been sitting in the carriage for a long time, Ariana’s back was sore. While Ariana was lightly stretching, Isaac approached.

“Your Highness, I’m going to check if there are any good herbs in the nearby forest. What will Your Highness do now?”

“I heard there’s an ancient temple here. I think I’ll visit there.”

“Then let’s have dinner together later. I’ll find out if there’s a delicious restaurant.”

“All right. See you later.”

Seeing that Katerina looked very tired, Ariana left the inn with only Sinié. Lancaster and two other escort knights, including Ranseter, followed behind Ariana.

Ariana had been traveling in the carriage throughout the journey, but the knights had been riding horses. They must have been very tired too, but Ariana couldn’t tell them to rest because she would be wandering alone.

‘Anyway, I won’t leave them alone here. If I wander around alone and something happens, it will only make things more difficult for them.’

Even though they had reached this place smoothly, Ariana couldn’t let her guard down until she arrived at Maho Castle and met the Northern Crown.