“How is this even happening?”

Nick grumbled as he ordered the knights to move the luggage.

“It seemed odd from the moment he asked if there was a space around the Mitril. What’s all this about?”

“But what if there really is a space?”

Bazon countered Nick’s complaint. Naturally curious, Bazon had suggested forming a research team at his family’s estate to investigate.

“But how can we all travel in one carriage? What if we have to camp out? We can’t possibly make His Highness sleep outside.”

Nick, dissatisfied with Bazon’s lack of agreement, turned to another person.

“Heishi, what do you think?”

“I think… maybe His Highness has his reasons?”

Heishi, who hadn’t objected to the Crown Prince’s words from the start, seemed indifferent. She giggled and suddenly thought of the ladies.

“But if we camp out, won’t the ladies sleep inside the carriage?”

Although plausible, Nick, frustrated by Heishi and Bazon not echoing his concerns, ignored them and walked away.

The men who had ordered their knights to transfer their luggage gathered to talk, while the ladies stayed near their own luggage.

“This one should be enough.”

Etienne opened a bag to repack her belongings brought from the mansion. She had packed thoroughly, thinking they would travel by her carriage, but with the turn of events, she halved her luggage.

“I’ll move the rest to the luggage carriage.”

“What’s the point? I can’t carry it all anyway.”

Etienne shook her head at the servant’s suggestion. Fortunately, she knew exactly what and where everything was in her bag, having packed it herself, anticipating any unforeseen situations.

“I can carry it for you.”

Fernando, who was nearby, extended his hand, signaling he wanted her bag.

“It’s okay.”

Etienne, noticing the bag already in his other hand, shook her head. It was one thing for Fernando to carry his bag, but she couldn’t let him carry hers too.

“I can manage it just fine…”

“This is enough. Send the rest back home.”

“Understood.”

While the servant neatly packed the remaining luggage, Etienne walked towards the luggage carriage, carrying her bag. Suddenly feeling the weight lightened, she turned to see Fernando had taken her bag and was walking away briskly.

“Why…”

It felt strange to Etienne that Fernando was paying attention to these small details.

“Do you like Fernando?”

Startled, Etienne turned to find Lehart stroking his chin and looking at Fernando.

“I heard he’s only interested in training, but meeting him in person, he seems to have a different charm.”

“…What kind of charm?”

“An unpolished roughness?”

“What?”

“Didn’t you know? That prince is pretty snappy with me.”

Lehart commented to Etienne. She wanted to reply that it was probably because of Lehart’s own actions, but she restrained herself. Instead, she brought up another topic.

“What did you say earlier?”

“About being unpolished?”

“No, before that.”

“About a different charm? Or asking if you like Fernando?”

“Yes, that. Why did you suddenly ask if I like Fernando… Anyway, why ask that out of the blue?”

“Just seeing you two get along well…”

Etienne shook her head.

“If that’s all, you should have asked if we’re close.”

“Because you were staring intently at Fernando.”

“…”

Frozen, Etienne didn’t respond, prompting Lehart to look at Fernando again.
“Do you realize you sometimes stare intently at Fernando? I wasn’t sure what that gaze meant at first. But now, I think I get it. If you didn’t like him, you couldn’t look at him that way.”

At Lehart’s words, Etienne offered a self-deprecating smile. She had never looked at Fernando with feelings of affection.

Her fondness for him belonged to the past. Etienne was simply amazed at how kindly the Fernando of her past was treating her now.

The original Fernando would not have paid her any attention at such times. He would have already left. Such was the…

“I don’t like Fernando.”

Etienne shook her head. She felt no need to reveal her feelings to others, but she didn’t want to be misunderstood.

How could she harbor feelings now? Her entire family had fallen, and she had even risked her life to ensure Fernando remained unharmed, severing her feelings for him. She didn’t want to take those feelings lightly.

“But you’re not just pretending to be indifferent out of shyness, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

Etienne firmly met Lehart’s eyes as she spoke. If he was going to doubt her, he might as well not have asked in the first place.

“Really? Maybe I saw it wrong.”

Lehart raised his hands in a gesture of giving up and stepped back. Etienne watched him for a moment, then followed Fernando.

‘So I did look at Fernando like that.’

Regardless of her feelings, it seemed true that she had intently watched Fernando, and she planned to be mindful of that.

“How am I supposed to take out more from here!”

Hearing a loud voice, Etienne turned in surprise. Sola stood there, frustrated, in front of several large bags, with a maid who looked helpless.

“But we can’t fit all of this in the carriage…”

“Why can’t we?”