“If His Majesty the Emperor has passed away……”

“Passed away?”

“That warrant. The warrant that authorizes forced escort if you don’t respond to the summons.”

“Oh, that warrant. Why?”

“Isn’t it invalid now? If the person who authorized it is dead, the document naturally becomes void too.”

Come to think of it, that was true. The Emperor’s permission is only valid while the Emperor is alive, right? Then that means Carl knew all about this and kept quiet until now.

And since there was no other justification to take me to the capital, he used the Emperor’s warrant to put me on the train first, and only when it became too late to turn back did he inform me of the truth?

“I see. The Grand Duke knew all this and still said that to me?”

I glared at the door Carl had left through, but it only made my eyes hurt.

“Ah, I don’t know. I have no idea.”

Thinking too much made me completely hungry. It had been dark outside for a long time. Come to think of it, today I only had one meal for breakfast and lunch combined.

If I were at home, I would have gone out to find some side dishes, but this is a train. I had to eat whatever food was given, but the Urentumbal train heading to the Central Southern Station didn’t have a kitchen car, so there wasn’t much to eat.

“Originally, this train wasn’t scheduled to operate today, but His Highness the Grand Duke hastily dispatched it… so the food wasn’t prepared. We’ll arrive at the Central Southern Station tomorrow and change trains, so please bear with it a bit, Lord Count.”

Tomorrow we’ll change trains at the Central Southern Station. It seems I’ll be able to see outside food after four days.

“Alright, let’s sleep. Sleep when you’re hungry.”

Clutching my hungry stomach, I closed my eyes. Hoping tomorrow would come soon.

The capital Rahat.

Franz sat at his office desk for the first time in a very long time. The only places he had been in recent months were the bedroom in his mansion and the Keleber Street outside the mansion, so the butler Schultz followed behind Franz with a flushed face.

He thought his master was finally going to show the dignity of focusing on work like His Highness the Grand Duke.

“Lord Franz.”

Waiting for Franz in the office was the knight Stilico. He was the talented man in charge of the guard of the Grand Duke of Toskur. He was also one of the very few people Franz, who didn’t trust people easily and was full of suspicion, placed deep trust in.

As Franz habitually reached for a cigar, Stilico quickly struck a match and offered it to Franz.

“New information has been obtained that Count Louisette has appeared at Lake Filia.”

“It’s a region one must pass through to come from the south to Rahat.”

“Yes. It is said that she changed to a direct train from the Central Southern Station to Rahat.”

Franz nodded his head indifferently as if he had expected it. From the moment the news was received that traces of Celeste had been found in Urentum, it was an expected course of events.

Franz thought that Celeste, who had cut off contact with him and hidden in the countryside, was signaling her return to the capital even though she knew the news would reach him when she used the magic stone.

So naturally, he also predicted that after a few days, she would pass Lake Filia and reach Rahat.

“There’s nothing to report, I see.”

Franz gestured with his eyes. It was an expression asking if there was any additional news besides her movements.

Although the only other person in the office was the butler Schultz, Stilico looked around and then bent his waist to bring his mouth close to Franz’s ear.

“We can’t let her return safely, can we? Your Highness.”

“So?”

“I’ve made arrangements so that she can’t return unharmed.”

“By arrangements, to what extent do you mean?”

“At the very least, she’ll suffer injuries that will prevent her from moving for several days.”

“At most?”

“At most, death.”

“The cause?”

“Poisoning. Just like before…”

Whoosh. Hazy smoke burst from deep within Franz’s lungs.

“If possible, I’d prefer the maximum.”

A deep smile was added to his lips. A satisfied, joyful smile that one would never think belonged to someone talking about another’s death.

“Ah, and I heard something strange from the liaison.”

“Something strange?”

“It is said that Count Louisette is accompanied by some child.”

“A child?”

“Yes. I heard that the Count personally carried a baby and boarded the train.”

“Celeste and a child. What an unsuitable combination. Are you sure they didn’t see wrong?”

“I thought so too and confirmed it several times… but it’s definitely true that the Count moved while holding a child. And a child with the exact same hair color as the Count.”

Tap, tap. The hand not holding the cigar tapped on the desk.

“Purple hair?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“…Isn’t that a unique trait of the Louisette family?”

“Yes. That’s what I know as well.”

Tap. Tap. Franz soon became lost in thought.

Purple hair is a genetic trait that only appears in those who have inherited the Louisette family’s bloodline. And as far as he knew, the last member of the Louisette family was Celeste.

Her parents had both passed away, and she was not yet married, so there couldn’t be a younger successor to the Louisette family than Celeste.

But a young baby with purple hair?

“That needs some investigation.”

Tap, tap, tap. Franz’s fingers tapping the desk got faster and faster.

“Yes, I’ve already instructed to find out more about it, Lord Franz.”

Chuckle. A deep smile draped over Franz’s lips again.

“What are you scheming again, my dear Celly.”

A giggling laugh mixed into the end of his words. His face blurred through the pale smoke.

Central Southern region of the Empire, Lake Filua.

When the day dawned, we finally arrived at the Central Southern train station. It was exactly the fourth day since taking the train from Urentum.

The Manus River, which starts in the northeast and connects to the westernmost part of the Empire, sends a faint stream of water from the east to the south of the capital.

That stream of water was blocked by the Ardus mountain range in the south, forming a natural lake, and because its shape was perfectly round like a ball, it was named Lake Filua.

Just as the cities along the river were highly developed, Lake Filua was also counted as a very prosperous region.

From the clean and large stone buildings that couldn’t be seen in the south, to the clean water supply and sewage system and convenient transportation facilities incomparable to other nearby regions.

Celeste had never properly seen the cities of the Empire as she immediately hid in Urentum after possessing this body.

Befitting the reputation as the most prosperous empire on the continent, the core cities of the Empire boasted a splendid grandeur rivaling the capitals of any other country.

It took at most 30 minutes to change to a new train. I left Valerie with Hannah for a moment and went around the shops near the train station. Especially around the station, there were many interesting things to eat.

Near stations, restaurants and lodgings flourish. This seemed to be a universal truth regardless of era or nationality.

Now was the time to utilize the greatest advantage I felt after becoming Celeste. That is, being able to buy and eat whatever food I want to my heart’s content!

“What did you buy so much of?”

I went shopping without worrying about money and hurriedly returned to the station in time for the train. I came back with my arms full of food, not enough to carry with just my hands, and Carl made a remark upon seeing it.

“Just… there were many things that looked delicious.”

From skewers made of rabbit meat to candies made by preserving dragon fruit-like fruits in sugar. I bought all the food that looked delicious.

In my previous life, even if I wanted to eat something, I always had to refrain and save, but now I was living a life with money to spare, so there was no reason to do that. If there was something I wanted to eat, I bought it, and even if there was nothing I wanted to buy, I still bought it.

I rationalized my impulse buying, thinking that I’m happy doing what I want, and the sellers are happy raising their sales. It’s a mutually beneficial thing.

“Didn’t you say before that you wouldn’t even put food made from ingredients with unclear origins in your mouth?”

“Huh? Me?”

“I don’t think I ever saw the Count putting food in her mouth at any banquet, but now you’re buried in food. It’s very… unfamiliar.”

Carl’s eyes swept over the food cradled in my arms. Somehow feeling embarrassed, I tightly gripped my fingertips.

Well, Celeste, having eaten and grown up with only the best things without lacking anything since birth, couldn’t possibly have an obsession with food.

But I’m different. Food is all that’s left, and I’ll drink even lye water if it’s free.

“Is that so? I don’t remember at all how I was before. Then I’ll take my leave now.”

Without even giving him a chance to answer, Celeste disappeared into the train.

“I’ve never seen her wandering the streets alone either.”

Carl rubbed under his chin with his fingertips.

Given her status, and having more enemies than anyone else, Celeste never left the mansion alone. At least as far as he knew.

Especially when walking through such a bustling area, although it was extremely rare for her to walk directly on her own two feet, she moved with a dozen or so private soldiers on either side of her.

“Only the face is the same, but she’s become a completely different person… Does losing memories also change one’s personality?”

He kept feeling a sense of incongruity from Celeste. But that incongruity didn’t come across negatively.

Carl chuckled and he also followed after Celeste. It was now time to depart for Rahat.

Unaware of what ripples the food Celeste had brought in would cause, Carl boarded the train.

Ten minutes after he got on, the train left the station and departed.