Chapter 9

Inside the carriage that had left the capital, I and Lord Theodor discussed the differences between the capital and the Bargoa territory.

"In the capital, touching a woman without permission is considered very rude."

"Really?"

Come to think of it, during the ball, Lord Theodor also said, "Please allow me to touch you."

Lord Theodor knew a lot about the manners, culture, and politics of the capital. He kindly explained them to me, even to someone as ignorant as I am, in a way that was easy to understand.

My mother once said, "A truly wise person can explain even the most difficult and specialized matters in a way that anyone can understand."

I think Lord Theodor is exactly that. My aunt also called him "an excellent person."

After all, he had been performing official duties in place of the princess, so it's no wonder he is excellent.

But perhaps because he is so excellent, he was overworked to the point of collapsing.

Even now, he still looks a bit pale. When I gaze at him, his red eyes turn to me.

"By the way, where is Lady Cynthia's personal maid? I would like to greet her."

"Ah, that's..."

He hit a sore spot. If I tell him, he'll realize I'm being selfish. But I can't lie to Lord Theodor.

Actually, I don't have a personal maid. When I turned ten, I was supposed to get one, but I accidentally overheard the head maid talking to the other maids.

The head maid held up a dagger with the Bargoa crest.

"Whoever becomes Lady Cynthia's personal maid will receive this dagger. Do you know why?"

One of the maids answered.

"To protect Lady Cynthia with their life."

The head maid nodded slowly.

"That's right. Being Lady Cynthia's personal maid means always serving her closely and prioritizing her life over your own.

Those who cannot do this are not qualified to be a personal maid. If you fail to protect Lady Cynthia and survive, you and your family will never be allowed to set foot in Bargoa again.

Only those who are prepared for this can become Lady Cynthia's personal maid. Those who are not prepared should leave the room now."

No one left the room.

The usually cheerful and smiling maids were all deadly serious.

Thinking about that moment still makes my stomach hurt.

"At ten, I cried when I saw that..."

I poked my father and said, "I absolutely don't need a personal maid!" In the end, instead of choosing one person, the maids continued to take turns taking care of me as they had before.

For the same reason, I don't have a personal guard knight either.

I know it's not ladylike, but I don't want anyone to be sacrificed to protect me. Moreover, if they fail to protect me, their families will be punished and expelled from the Bargoa territory...

But without a personal maid, no one person can be blamed. If something happens to me, all the maids can't be expelled, can they?

The maids often scold me, saying, "Lady Cynthia! Stop being selfish and choose a personal maid already!" But I'm determined to stick to this selfishness. That's why I'm trying to do everything on my own.

Well, because of this selfishness, when I went to the capital, my worried father assigned me so many guard knights...

"I told my father I didn't want it, but he didn't listen. It's really embarrassing."

When I glanced at Lord Theodor, his mouth was wide open.

See, even Lord Theodor finds my father's overprotectiveness ridiculous!

Lord Theodor said, "I understand how you feel."

"Right?! Wouldn't anyone be embarrassed if they were this overprotected?"

"No, that's not it. I understand the feelings of the Margrave of Bargoa for assigning so many guards. And the feelings of the maids who want to protect Lady Cynthia with their lives."

"Huh, that's it?"

"Yes. And the feelings of the Margrave who, despite knowing it's wrong, can't help but grant Lady Cynthia's cute wishes."

"Cute...?"

Did Lord Theodor just call me cute?

...Wait, no, no! He meant the wish was cute, not me!

Phew, I almost made a silly mistake.

"I know being selfish is bad..."

Lord Theodor chuckled, looking a bit troubled.

"That's not being selfish. If you're concerned about the harsh punishments for personal maids, why not suggest a change in penalties to the Margrave?"

"To my father? Hmm, that's a good idea!"

As expected of Lord Theodor, everything he says is so wise.

"If it's okay with you, I can talk to the Margrave."

"No, no, that's not necessary. Please take it easy, Lord Theodor."

Lord Theodor gently took my right hand.

"Huh?"

My heart skipped a beat. In my confused state, I thought, "Wait, didn't he need permission to touch me? Isn't it rude to touch a woman without permission?" But I was too shocked to think clearly.

"I want to repay the kindness you've shown me. I want to fulfill all your wishes. Please command me as you wish."

Huh? That sounds more like a secretary than a fiancé. Or maybe not even a secretary?

But I was captivated by Lord Theodor's earnest expression.

No, my heart can't take this.

I quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, what do you like to do, Lord Theodor?"

My sudden question seemed to puzzle Lord Theodor.

"I used to like reading, but I haven't been able to lately."

"Really? I like reading too."

Though I only read romance novels. Lord Theodor must read more serious books.

"Then, when we arrive in Bargoa, you can read again! Please take it easy and do what you like."

"Like..."

Lord Theodor seemed to be deep in thought again. Even when he's thinking, he looks so handsome.

But I'm still worried about his pale complexion.

"Lord Theodor, you look pale. Why don't you rest a bit?"

"No, I feel fine, so it's okay."

No, no, you still have dark circles under your eyes!

And you haven't been eating properly, have you?

Lord Theodor seemed so considerate of me that he hesitated to even share the carriage.

So I pretended to yawn.

"Ah, I'm getting sleepy."

I rubbed my eyes to emphasize my sleepiness.

"I'm going to sleep, so please rest too, Lord Theodor."

"Okay."

After a moment's hesitation, Lord Theodor said, "Good night."

"Good night."

As I said this, Lord Theodor's lips curved into a slightly embarrassed smile.

What is that charming face?

By the way, I forgot to ask what "good night" means in the capital. But I can't ask now that I've said I'm sleepy.

I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep.

After a while, I opened my eyes slightly.

Lord Theodor, sitting on the opposite seat, had his arms crossed and was leaning against the side of the carriage, eyes closed.

It seems he had fallen asleep.

I sighed in relief.

He must have been too tired but was too considerate to sleep in front of me.

Lord Theodor's sleeping face is incredibly beautiful and somehow innocent.

How can someone be both handsome and cute?

I could look at him forever. But it would be too much to stare at his sleeping face.

I turned my gaze to the window. The bustling streets of the capital had disappeared, and fields stretched as far as the eye could see.

The carriage seemed to be moving much faster than on the way there. Only the mounted guards were following us.

The pedestrians and wagons were coming later.

The king doesn't seem willing to let Lord Theodor go, so we want to get as far from the capital as possible.

But at this speed, we need to rest the horses every hour.

While I was thinking about this, the carriage stopped for a break. The guard knight knocked on the carriage door, and I quickly put my finger to my lips, signaling "shh."

"The young lady, we will rest the horses and continue until nightfall."

"Understood."

After a while, the outside of the carriage became noisy again.

They were about to continue the journey. This cycle continued until nightfall.