Chapter 14

My journey from the capital city was proceeding smoothly enough.

Apart from having to replace a horse that had injured its leg, everything was going according to schedule.

Traveling with me were Lucian, whom I had brought from my family home, and two maids I was familiar with.

In addition, there was a squad from the Royal Knights assigned to guard me.

For a procession accompanying a duchess's daughter on her way to marry a foreign king, this was a rather modest group.

This was due to the urgency of our departure and the other side's request for as quiet a journey as possible.

Personally, I found it more relaxing than being accompanied by a large entourage, which would have been like a grand procession and likely to make my shoulders stiff.

Following the other side's request, I had not left the inns we stayed at along the way.

It was a bit disappointing, but considering my safety and my status as a duchess's daughter, it was understandable.

If everything went well, we would reach the capital of the Kingdom of Volvart the next day—when—

"Monsters have been spotted, so we need to take a detour?"

I heard this report from the squad leader of the Royal Knights while stepping out of the carriage.

"Haha. The information comes from the scouts we sent ahead. It seems there have been sightings of monsters along the road ahead... Would it be alright to take a detour as a precaution?"

In front of me stood the squad leader, a large man bowing apologetically.

Even I, a former office worker, felt a bit embarrassed by his almost pitifully hunched posture as I organized my thoughts on what to do.

—Monsters.

These are malevolent beings that have existed in this world since ancient times.

They are the epitome of fantasy, but in the 17 years since I was reborn in this world, I had never seen one in person.

The reason is simple: most monsters have been confined to a part of the continent, isolated from the human world.

Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Volvart, where I was to marry, is an exception.

Volvart is sometimes called the "Great Shield."

It sounds impressive, but the reason is that the northeastern part of the kingdom borders the Monster Territory, where many monsters live.

This is why no princess from another country had come to be a candidate for the queen until I arrived.

Fortunately, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Volvart are strong, and monsters do not run rampant within the country.

However, it is still difficult to completely prevent their incursions.

Monsters invade from unknown places and are sighted within the country every year.

It seems that, like animals and insects, they become more active in the spring.

This is why my marriage was rushed, to avoid the peak monster season.

"Monsters are unpredictable, like natural disasters. We must take precautions, so can we take the detour?"

"Haha. While we would like to, there is a concern—"

"Is there something worrying you?"

I smiled softly at the squad leader, who seemed hesitant to speak.

I made an effort to smile warmly, being careful not to look like a villainous lady.

"The inns in the town at the end of the detour route are all full. It seems other travelers have also been delayed by the monster sightings."

"I see. Then, could we camp out for the night?"

Camping by the road with our horses seemed like a valuable experience, almost like a camping trip.

"That would be very kind of you, but is it alright, Lady Letitia? It would be improper to have a duchess's daughter camp out..."

"It's fine. I was getting tired of the elaborate meals served at the inns. I think a change of pace with camping would be good."

When I repeated my permission to camp, I could see the squad leader let out a sigh of relief.

...The squad leader, of course, was relieved.

If I insisted on my status as a duchess's daughter, I could have forced the issue and taken an inn.

However, the squad leader and his men would have to carry out my orders.

They would be the ones to face the cold stares of those evicted from the inns, and any delays could be seen as a failure.

The squad leader's relieved back was that of a middle manager who had avoided an unreasonable request from a superior.

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Thus, we decided to camp by the roadside.

Since it was an unexpected detour, the preparations for camping were a bit delayed.

Especially the preparation of dinner was lagging.

The knights in charge of cooking were clearly inexperienced.

Knights are usually trained to be able to camp, but the knights accompanying me were mostly second or third sons of noble families, chosen to maintain the formality of my journey.

They had likely left the preparation of meals to commoner knights and servants, so they were out of practice.

Of course, they had probably received some cooking lessons during their training as knight apprentices, but it was like asking someone who had only cooked in home economics class to suddenly cook as an adult—quite a challenge.

"Ah...!"

One of the knights slipped with his knife, and blood dripped from his finger.

It could have been the first bloodshed on this peaceful journey.

Unable to watch the knights struggle with the ingredients, I offered to help.

"Captain, may I help with the cooking?"

"Miss Letitia? No, that would be too much to ask of you."

"I want to do it. I've heard that in this country, even noblewomen can be involved in cooking. As the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' I would like to practice a bit."

"......I see. Please be careful with the knives."

He added, "If you were to get seriously injured, it would be my head on the line."

His expression suggested he could almost hear those words.

I felt sorry for him, but I was also reaching my limit.

The meals served at the inns we had visited on our journey were all heavily spiced.

While it was natural to serve elaborate meals to a duchess's daughter, spicy food is still spicy.

We were to enter the capital and complete the marriage the next day, and it was likely that I would continue to have rich, heavily spiced meals for a while.

I needed to have a good meal now, or I would have no chance to relax my palate.

I took a cooking knife from one of the knights and tested its feel.

The handle was wooden and a bit heavy, but the blade was similar to a kitchen knife from Earth.

I took a root vegetable from the basket and began peeling it quickly.

After peeling a few, I got the hang of it and was able to peel them smoothly.

"Miss, you're amazing."

"Hehe, you're not bad yourself, Lucian."

Next to me, Lucian was peeling the root vegetables one after another.

He had apparently helped with cooking at the orphanage in the lower city and was clearly very skilled.

After we finished the initial preparation of the root vegetables, I decided to give the knights some instructions.

We were going to make a classic outdoor dish: a hearty pot of root vegetables.

The plan was to season it simply with salt, but I decided to add a little extra effort.

"I think there's some dried meat in my baggage carriage. Could you add it to the pot?"

"Really? But that dried meat is for you, Lady Letitia. Isn't it expensive?"

"It's fine. Dried meat should be eaten while it's still good. I want to enjoy it while it's delicious."

"......Understood. We are grateful for your generosity."

Behind the bowing squad leader, I could see the knights' faces light up.

Whether they were knights or nobles, they got hungry when they worked.

Wearing armor and riding horses, they must have been especially hungry.

The unexpected camping trip meant they hadn't prepared enough meat for themselves.

The unexpected meat made them visibly happy.

I decided to live up to their expectations and cook the dried meat well.

The dried meat, prepared for me, was heavily spiced.

Originally, it was meant to be grilled over a fire and eaten, but I decided to use it as an ingredient in the pot.

If it was too strong, I could dilute it to make it tasty.

I filled a pot with water and added a piece of dried meat to test it.

As it cooked, the meat broke apart, and the appetizing aroma of the spices filled the air.

"Good flavor and smell."

I tasted the broth with a ladle, and the spices delighted my tongue.

The dried meat had softened in the hot water.

After tasting it, I began to heat the pot properly.

I added the root vegetables and onions, which take longer to cook, and simmered them slowly.

The onions danced in the broth, and the root vegetables gradually changed color.

I tasted the broth several times to confirm the flavors of the vegetables and added the diced dried meat.

I continued to simmer it for a while, then seasoned it with salt to finish.

"Delicious...!!"

"The meat has a nice kick to it."

"I didn't expect to have such a good meal while camping..."

The pot of stew was well-received by the knights.

The dried meat was well-seasoned, so I used less salt and focused on bringing out the flavors of the vegetables, which seemed to work well.

"Warming up..."

As I tilted the bowl, the clear broth flowed in, carrying an appetizing aroma.

The root vegetables were soft and crumbled in my mouth, and the flavorful meat added a strong accent to the overall taste.

Feeling cozy with the warm stew, the spring camping trip continued.

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The next morning, we warmed up the leftover stew, soaked it in preserved bread for breakfast, and set off.

Upon reaching the capital, we would switch to a luxurious carriage prepared by the other side.

Unlike the boxy carriage we had been using, this one had no roof or side walls, giving us a much wider view.

"Wow..."

This was my first look at the capital of the Kingdom of Volvart.

The houses with white walls and black wooden frames and triangular roofs lined the streets.

People lined the sides of the road to see me as I headed to the castle.

People, people, people, and even furry beastmen.

A girl with dog-like drooping ears stood with a large dog with similar ears, staring at me.

As we passed, I waved at her, and she blushed and seemed surprised.

The dog, puzzled by the girl's reaction, licked her hand.

Realizing the dog's feelings, the girl began to pet its head.

The friendly interaction between the beastman girl and the large dog...

...that one girl and one dog were just too cute.

Smiling inwardly at their interaction, I looked around.

—A kingdom with monsters nearby, where many beastmen and animals live in houses with triangular roofs.

This fairy-tale-like country was to be my new home.