Chapter 93

"Alright, you kids. You know what you shouldn't have done, right?"

Blanche, the captain who is always stern yet kind, crossed her arms with a slightly intimidating air. The three children, who were usually lively, became subdued in front of Captain Blanche, who is also a mother of two, partly due to the effect of her knight's uniform.

"Um... We're sorry for coming in without permission."

"We're sorry."

"We won't do it again."

Prompted by Captain Blanche, the children apologized one after another. Kina-Kina, who had been hiding in the bushes—children from the town had come to check if anyone was in the supposedly unoccupied mansion because they sensed someone's presence (incidentally, Kina-Kina are tree-climbing giant rats about forty fims long that live in the forests near the capital).

This is the mansion owned by the Duke of Galbreath. Even though they are children, they are still intruders. The children who had climbed down from the trees were made to sit on the ground and were sternly scolded by Captain Blanche.

"You were almost close enough to trigger the Kina-Kina avoidance magic array, you know?"

When I said this, the boy who had fallen from the tree shuddered. If Captain Blanche hadn't caught him, he might have been seriously injured from the fall.

"From now on, please come through the front gate properly."

It was fortunate that the magic array, which was about to fade, was repaired before it was too late. I looked into the eyes of the three children and firmly added, "The original magic array was set to release a powerful lightning strike that could knock out intruders, so it was a close call."

"Um, um, are we going to be punished by the Mad Blood Duke?"

A bright-eyed boy looked at me. The other two were looking away and trembling, but this boy, with his hands tightly clenched, was brave enough to ask a question.

"Hey, who said you could ask the princess a question?"

Captain Blanche reprimanded the boy in a low voice.

"Hehehe, it's fine."

I stopped Captain Blanche and squatted down to be at eye level with the children.

"You are Emile, right? This is the mansion of His Grace, Aristide Roger de Galbreath, the Duke of Galbreath, not the 'Mad Blood Duke.' Being called that would hurt His Grace's feelings."

Emile's eyes darted around, and he whispered, "I'm sorry." It seems that the rumors, which had spread among the townspeople with many embellishments, had taken root. Although His Grace Aristide said he didn't mind, it was distressing to see people cower in fear like this. While it's not easy to correct such misconceptions immediately, I wanted to at least clear up the misunderstandings of the children who would shape the future. I explained the facts that had already been made public in simple terms.

"You've heard about how the Paraivan Forest Park has been closed due to the mad monsters, right? His Grace, the Duke of Galbreath, went to subdue them to prevent them from reaching the capital."

The largest of the children raised his head sharply.

"Is it true, like Dad said... that a mad Lagradragon is targeting the capital?"

"That's right, Theo. Lagradragons have wings, so if left unchecked, they could fly here. Before that happens, His Grace and the kingdom's knights are risking their lives to stop them."

"But... that's impossible... They'll be eaten by the dragon..."

The smallest of the children, Martin (the one who fell from the tree), spoke in a voice on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry, Martin. His Grace is highly trusted by the king for monster slaying. Besides, he saved me from a mad Backhorn. The knights of Galbreath fight the monsters in the Elsanie Great Forest every day. I'm sure, I'm sure, he will return safely."

I said this not only to the children but also to reassure myself. I could only imagine how ferocious a mad Lagradragon would be. As someone who couldn't fight, I could only pray for their safety, which was frustrating.

"Princess, you... were saved by the Duke of Galbreath...?"

Emile blinked in disbelief.

"Yes, very heroically and gallantly! He cut off the Backhorn's head in front of me with a single, magnificent slash. I was so captivated that I couldn't help but admire him. I was splattered with the beast's blood, but so was His Grace, and it made him look even more heroic..."

When I mimicked the "beheading" gesture, the children all turned pale and looked shocked. Captain Blanche also gave me a slightly awkward look, saying, "Princess, that's a bit..."

"When fighting monsters, one gets dirty with blood, which is why rumors started. But it's all because His Grace, as a duke, fulfilled his duty to ensure the safety of the kingdom's people. Despite his position, his heart is that of a noble knight, I feel."

"...A noble knight."

"That's right, Emile. His Grace is a leading figure among the kingdom's knights. Emile, Theo, Martin. When His Grace returns, a flag will be raised on the mansion's roof. When that happens, please come to the front gate to greet him, okay?"

Theo looked horrified and on the verge of tears, "What, we have to come?" Martin was already crying. But Emile said,

"I... I'll come to meet the Duke."

He looked at me straight in the eye, a bit nervous.

◇ ◇ ◇

We accompanied His Grace Aristide and his party on a Grissheldragon to the Paraivan Forest Park. Along the way, we switched to a fire eagle operated by Lady Laforgue and returned to the capital. It was my first time in the winter capital, and the city was bustling with markets and people everywhere from the sky.

Since we couldn't leave the fire eagle at His Grace's mansion in the eastern district of the capital, we entrusted it to the kingdom's knights and switched to a carriage. When we finally arrived at His Grace's mansion, it looked grand on the outside, but the inside was almost empty.

The luggage that Chaos had arranged was being brought in one after another, but the servants were busy unpacking and organizing it, leaving me with nothing to do but watch.

To avoid getting in the way, I sat down in a pavilion and watched Lady Laforgue give orders to the servants (her resemblance to Chaos made me think, "They really are mother and son...").

"Really, I didn't expect there to be no bedding at all."

"Well, Lady Laforgue, His Grace usually returns to the capital on the same day, so it's understandable."

"Still, Natalie, it's unacceptable to make the princess wait outside like this. The daughters of the magistrates, who are learning etiquette at the castle, and the servants we've hired are still not up to par. We should rely on the king's consideration."

"Well, I can understand the annoyance of having a meddlesome older brother, so I don't mind..."

"Really, I didn't know that Squad Leader Ambry was the type to be a nagging older brother. My brothers are also overprotective and annoying. I'm already an adult, you know."

Natalie, who has an older brother in the dragon rider unit, and Lillian, who apparently has multiple older brothers, both spoke up. As an only child with a much younger half-brother, I felt a bit envious.

(The king is very worried about His Grace Aristide, but from the perspective of a younger brother, it must feel like he's being treated like a child.)

When my half-brother grows up, I won't be a nagging older sister. I secretly resolved this and closed the front of my fur coat.

The arrival of the luggage seemed endless. When I tried to help, Lady Laforgue and Captain Blanche stopped me, leaving me with nothing to do. There were magic arrays in the corners of the pavilion to warm the air, but after a long ride on the fire eagle, sitting down made my bottom a bit sore.

(Maybe a walk will warm me up.)

The mansion and the garden were both large. To avoid getting cold from standing still, I decided to take a walk around the grounds with Captain Blanche. During the walk, I discovered a magic array that was starting to fade, which seemed to be a thief deterrent. I was confident I could reconstruct it, but that's when the children intruded.

"I'm sorry for the commotion. It's fortunate they were just children, but if it had been someone with ill intentions..."

"Perhaps it would be better to have a visible thief deterrent magic array. Children are just curious, so a sudden lightning strike would be too harsh."

"Well, that's true..."

After releasing the children to the servants, I recalled Emile's gaze as he left.

(Is he perhaps dreaming of becoming a knight? If he really comes to visit, I'll ask him.)

When I returned from my walk, Lillian came running to tell me that my room was finally ready.

"Princess, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. You can go to your room now!"

"Thank you. To be honest, my limbs are cold, so this is a relief."

"Really? It's such a warm, sunny day. Could it be that you have cold feet?"

"I don't have cold feet, but a warm, sunny day?"

Even without the snow of a Marshall Raid, it's cold in winter, and the sunlight is weak. I looked up at the sky and then at Lillian.

"Princess, excuse me."

Captain Blanche took off her and my gloves (thick ones) and held my hands. Her hands were very warm, and the heat seemed to seep into my cold fingers. Then, she placed her hand on my forehead.

"Princess?"

"Yes, what is it?"

Captain Blanche narrowed her eyes and spoke in a firm voice.

"You have a cold."

"No, no, I just feel a bit off, but I don't have a cold yet."

"Today is unusually warm for winter, almost like a warm, sunny day. Compared to the winter in Marshall Raid, it's almost like spring."

With that, Captain Blanche picked me up in her arms without hesitation. She looked around and called out to Lady Laforgue.

"Lady Laforgue! The princess has a cold!"

"Captain Blanche, I'm fine."

"You might be fine now, but you'll have a high fever by tonight. The winter mountain winds of Galbreath can do that. I'm sorry I didn't notice."

I was hurriedly carried to the newly prepared room, and no matter how much I pleaded, I couldn't get out of bed. And just as Captain Blanche predicted, I developed a high fever that night.