Chapter 4: I Am Leaving
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 4: I Am Leaving
“My Lady, surely the Marquis has a specific date in mind. There is no need for us to rush, so we can depart at your leisure once everything is ready.”
The Marquis had already handpicked over ten maids and servants to be sent to the Grand Duchy. Every single one of them was a spy, intended to monitor me and extract information from the Grand Duke’s castle.
Janet was undoubtedly on that list.
Even if I have to walk hand-in-hand with a Northern bear, I am absolutely not going with you.
I raised the pitch at the end of my sentence, adopting the elegant tone befitting a Consort who was once the daughter of a Marquis.
“My Lady?”
“...?”
“The marriage vows are complete. Am I still just a ‘Lady’ to you?”
Janet stared at me for a moment, looking as if she didn't know what to do, before lowering her gaze slightly under the weight of the surrounding eyes.
“My apologies, Your Highness the Consort.”
“I heard there is trouble in the Grand Duchy. How could I possibly be leisurely? I must go as quickly as possible to assist the Grand Duke.”
“If you insist, then at least let me accompany you.”
Janet looked up, her eyes challenging me as if daring me to try and stop her.
“I’m sorry, but there’s no room.”
“Pardon?”
“I have so much luggage that there is only enough space for one person to sit.”
“Then who will attend to you during the journey? And what about once you arrive?”
“I am now the mistress of Blenheim, so I shall hire people there. Besides, you speak as if you’ve ever actually bothered to wait on me.”
Janet’s face turned bright red.
Seeing her flush with such embarrassment was almost laughable.
Hmph. I’ve survived nearly ten years in an industry rife with all sorts of schemes and power plays.
The indirect insults of romance fantasy ladies? Compared to the violent, direct verbal kicks I took from advertisers every day, this has zero impact.
“Go and convey my words to my father. Tell him I had to leave in such a hurry that I couldn't say a proper goodbye.”
At those words, Perel stepped forward, looking urgently between us.
“Since we have organized a modest traveling party, we lack the personnel to properly escort Your Highness. Please, instead of this...”
“Are those men not knights?”
I pointed toward the six or seven knights preparing for departure at the front. Though small in number, they looked like a carefully selected elite force.
Of course they were. This was practically enemy territory; the Grand Duke wouldn't have sent just anyone. The glares the knights directed at me were so chilling they made my skin crawl.
“That is true, but...”
“I have heard much of the Blenheim Knights’ reputation. With the Empire’s finest knights accompanying me, why should their number matter?”
“But... a carriage like that will make the journey extremely uncomfortable for you.”
“It’s fine. I’ve laid out plenty of cushions.”
“The ground has only recently thawed, so there will be many muddy patches.”
“Won’t Sir Perel’s carriage be leading the way regardless?”
Give it a rest, you brat.
I flashed a bright smile at Perel as he racked his brain for another excuse.
“You said it was an urgent matter that required leaving without even a word of farewell, so shouldn't we hurry?”
Perel bit his lip as if he had no choice. He seemed to realize that no ordinary tactic would make me back down.
“I understand, Your Highness. Then, let us depart.”
Clatter.
For a moment, the posture of the knights standing behind him faltered. They all seemed to be shooting silent curses at Perel, but the aide merely gave me a trembling smile.
I’ve felt this since the wedding, but he seems surprisingly soft-hearted.
Thinking about it now, it was a relief that a proxy had come. If the Grand Duke himself had attended the wedding, he probably would have heartlessly shaken me off and left, regardless of how much I clung to him.
In the end, Perel escorted me to the carriage.
Inside the hired carriage, there truly was only enough space for one person to sit. It was because I had stuffed every bit of luggage I owned—and some I didn't—into the space.
Perel took a quick peek inside and, for about a tenth of a second, looked at me as if I were a madwoman before returning to his role as a polite adjutant.
“Your Highness, allow me to escort you over there. Please, swap carriages with me.”
“It’s fine. This is more comfortable. All my things are in here, too.”
“But staying in such a tras—no, such a narrow space for so long will...”
“I said it’s fine. Let’s go before it gets any later.”
I hurried Perel along in a whisper, worried Janet might overhear. I had intentionally packed the carriage to the brim; there was no way I was going to move to that spacious carriage now.
Realizing she couldn't stop me alone, Janet was frantically looking for the Frais family carriage.
“My Lady! No, Your Highness!”
Just as Perel was about to close the carriage door, a servant who usually followed the eldest son, Ferdin, appeared. He was one of the few people in the Marquis’s household who had been relatively polite to me.
He bowed deeply while holding a small jewelry box.
“What brings you here?”
“Ah, the Young Lord asked me to deliver this to you.”
“My brother did?”
“May I load it into the carriage?”
After speaking, the servant stared into the cramped carriage with confused eyes for a long moment, seeing there was no room to even set foot inside.
“Give it to me.”
When I finally reached out my hand, he handed over the jewelry box.
“He also asked me to deliver this.”
The servant handed me a letter and stepped back.
Why didn't he give this to me at the mansion...
“Did you come all the way from the estate to here?”
When I asked curiously, the servant hesitated for a moment before answering.
“I came with the Young Lord. He returned ahead of me after watching the ceremony earlier.”
“My brother came to the wedding?”
“Yes. He stayed until the vows were finished.”
Neither the Marquis nor any other family members had attended the wedding...
It was strange to think that Ferdin, a man I had never shared a warm word with, had watched the ceremony.
No wonder the High Priest had put so much effort into a ceremony with no guests.
“Did he say anything else?”
“He only said to deliver these to you when you were leaving.”
He knew I was leaving?
The Marquis’s household surely expected me to return home after the ceremony. I wondered how Ferdin had known about my private plan, but for now, leaving this place was the priority.
“Tell my brother I received them safely.”
“Yes. But, My La—no, Your Highness. Where are you going?”
Even though we weren't close enough for small talk, the servant asked with a cautious air, unable to suppress his rising curiosity.
“Me? I’m going to Blenheim.”
“My Lady!”
Janet reappeared, huffing and puffing, and stomped her feet in frustration when she saw me already in the carriage.
“Why are you suddenly acting like this!”
The Frais family coachman, who had been dragged along by Janet without knowing why, could only fiddle with his hat in confusion.
Upon spotting the servant, Janet made a scene, shouting that they couldn't let the Lady go, but the servant—who had received different orders from the Young Lord—simply watched her blankly.
Seeing Janet beside herself with rage, it finally began to feel real.
I’m finally escaping this prison!
A thrilling sense of liberation surged from deep within me.
“My Lady! Are you really going to be like this!”
“Janet.”
I looked at Janet with the kindest gaze I could muster.
“You should call me ‘Your Highness the Consort’.”
Slam!
Flipping a smile at Janet, who couldn't let go of the word "Lady" until the very end, I closed the carriage door myself.
*
The carriage traveled along a quiet forest path.
This is the first time I’ve ever truly left the Marquis’s estate.
I was lost in the outside scenery for a while, and only after the carriage had completely left the central district did I realize I was still clutching the jewelry box in my arms.
It’s quite heavy.
I carefully opened the box. Inside, arranged in tiered compartments like stairs, were small but luxurious earrings, bracelets, and hairpins. And when I lifted the final compartment...
What! This looks incredibly expensive!
Inside was a sapphire necklace that looked valuable even at a glance.
A large gemstone was set in the center, surrounded by smaller, sparkling jewels.
Confused, I hurriedly opened Ferdin’s letter.
[If you ever find yourself in need of help, contact Arsen’s aunt.]
What? Is this one line all there is?
There was no other explanation in the letter.
Is this... a wedding gift?
Looking at the necklace again, I felt somewhat certain of that theory. The deep blue sapphire was clearly a gift chosen with my eye color in mind.
From the wedding gift to the emergency contact, Ferdin definitely knew about my escape plan.
And to think he watched the wedding.
I wasn't sure if I should feel hurt that he came all that way and left without a word, or if I should be grateful that such a stoic man had cared this much.
Anyway, thank you.
I felt a deep sense of relief knowing that someone here had cared for me and helped me.
At the moment I was running away to escape the original plot, at least one person had supported my decision and become my accomplice.
I feel like I’ll be able to get along well in Blenheim, too.
How much time passed as I watched the peaceful scenery?
Whinny.
The carriage came to a halt along with the sound of a horse snorting.
“Your Highness, we are going to take a short break as there are people joining our party.”
Perel opened the carriage door and spoke cautiously, watching my reaction. He seemed embarrassed to say they were waiting for people after he had acted as if every second were urgent.
“That’s good. I was starting to feel stiff anyway; I should take a short walk.”
It wasn't a lie; the carriage rattled so much I felt like my backside was going to fall off.
Perel looked visibly relieved at my words.
“I will assign an escort.”
I looked at the knights tying their horses to the trees.
The glares they shot in my direction were universally hostile. It wouldn't have been strange if any one of them, under the guise of an "escort," decided to dump me on a deserted path.
“It’s fine. I won’t go far.”
“But when escorting Your Highness, we must always...”
“It’s because I’m uncomfortable. I’ll be back shortly.”
After reassuring Perel, I took a walk around the nearby mountain path alone. There wasn't much to see, but being out after being stuck in that cramped carriage made me feel much more refreshed.
It was when I returned to the carriage after my short walk.
“...Are you in your right mind? How could you bring that woman along!”
“Then should I have left the new bride on the side of the road?”
The knights and Perel were arguing. The reason was obvious. I quickly hid behind the carriage.
“Why don't we just leave by ourselves right now?”