CHAPTER 65………………….
The estimated time to reach the Duchy of Eckhardt was about three to four days.
But we only managed to arrive at the gates after five whole days.
If the schedule had been delayed, I thought it would be because of Aslan, never once imagining it would be because of Theodora.
“Mom, don’t die!”
I was so burnt out that I couldn’t even think of getting off the carriage.
It was supposed to be just three days.
But in those three days, I was run absolutely ragged.
Theodora deliberately lured out beasts and forced me to fight them.
I thought I’d at least get to rest at night after training during the day, but at night she made me do strength training.
Last night, I even caught bandits.
Sure, I might be a disgraced imperial princess now, but still—how could the emperor’s knights, who were ordered to protect me, treat me like this?!
And then Theodora had the nerve to say to me, with a proud face:
“See? That wasn’t hard for you, was it? As expected, your basics haven’t gone anywhere.”
……Honestly, it was easier than I’d feared.
My strength and stamina had improved, but the real reason I managed was because Minerva’s base stats were ridiculously overpowered.
Since beasts and riffraff weren’t challenging enough, Theodora made up for it by pushing me through brutal workouts.
Meanwhile, Aslan kept causing chaos, raging that his mom was being bullied.
Somehow, despite the mess, we finally arrived.
Even with a restless child who hated sitting still, we made it here in under a week.
Thanks to the knights who pushed me so hard, Aslan’s protectiveness shone even brighter.
“You’re still out of it, I see. Come now, get up.”
Theodora tried to help me up, but Aslan slapped her hand away with all his might and growled.
“Bad lady!”
“Oh dear, I see I’ve really gotten on his bad side.”
But deep down, Aslan knew.
He knew Theodora wasn’t doing all this out of malice.
The proof was that he hadn’t actually bared his fangs at her.
Still, he was angry, and huffed at the knights.
“You bullied Mom! She doesn’t like carrying heavy stuff!”
Good boy, my son!
Honestly, watching that tiny thing stand up to adults just to defend me was adorable. But an adult whining endlessly was not a good look.
Dragging my unresponsive legs, I managed to stumble out of the carriage.
At once, Aslan’s entire attention turned to me.
“Mom, are you okay?”
“Of course. Mom’s tough.”
“This is ‘tough’? Humans sure use strange words.”
“……”
Faced with his brutally factual logic, I couldn’t say another word.
When we finally crawled to the gates, they opened as if waiting for us.
An elderly man with a head full of white hair looked startled at my appearance, then quickly masked it and bowed.
“We’ve been expecting you, madam. I am Lawrence, butler of House Eckhardt. Please forgive us for not preparing a more splendid welcome.”
Where had I seen him before? There was something oddly familiar about this butler.
Perhaps it was just my imagination—he looked genuinely glad to see me, which made him feel familiar.
“No need. I’m hardly in a position to complain about such things.”
Just the fact that they agreed to take me in was kindness enough. Quibbling over hot or cold water would’ve been rude.
Anyway, we had finally reached the Duchy of Eckhardt, which meant it was time to part ways with the Imperial Knights.
They were the emperor’s knights to begin with—it was already unreasonable for them to have escorted me this far.
Theodora’s harsh mentor-face was gone. She offered me a faint smile and bowed gracefully.
“Then, I wish you good fortune, Your Highness.”
The other knights followed, bowing to me as well.
What did they see in a discarded princess to show such respect?
They’d pushed me far too hard these past few days, but without them, Aslan and I would’ve had a much tougher journey.
So I gave thanks on Minerva’s behalf.
“Yes. Thank you for everything. Give my regards to Mother. Leave out anything about Aslan.”
“But…”
Theodora glanced uncomfortably at Aslan, as if to say, “How could I leave him out?”
Aslan was still growling at her.
But it’s always best to part on good terms.
“Come now, Aslan. It’s time to say goodbye to Theodora. Be polite.”
Gently nudging his back, Aslan glared at each knight one by one.
Children and animals shared one trait: they knew exactly who was on their side.
And Aslan knew Theodora was ours.
Relaxing his gaze, he fidgeted a little, then spoke clearly.
“……Auntie Theodora. And uncles and aunties too. Thanks for protecting Mom and me. Goodbye!”
That first-ever smile hit Theodora and the knights like a punch straight to the heart.
As revenge on their training, Aslan had spent nights sitting on their stomachs for five minutes at a time, robbing them of sleep.
So they were just as worn out as I was.
And on top of that—being called “aunt” and “uncle” must’ve been the first time those dignified imperial knights had ever heard such titles.
Now, hearing “auntie and uncle” and finally seeing him smile, how could their hearts not ache?
Theodora beamed helplessly at Aslan’s cheeky charm.
“Yes, Young Master Aslan. I wish you nothing but peace.”
Unlike their sudden arrival, the Imperial Knights left slowly, fading from view.
Perhaps he was reluctant to part with them, for Aslan kept his eyes on the knights’ carriages until they disappeared completely.
“You and the young master will be staying in a separate annex. His Grace the Duke has assigned only the most discreet servants there.”
While we were saying farewell to the knights, all the luggage had already been carried in. All we had to do was walk inside.
Lawrence led the way.
The Eckhardt estate rivaled the Imperial Palace itself, both in appearance and in security.
Guards and knights were posted everywhere, but none paid us any attention.
The Duchy of Eckhardt was a neutral zone.
Even princes couldn’t touch us here—surely it was safe.
Yet I still didn’t understand why he had so readily agreed to take responsibility for my safety.
To ask, I probed Lawrence.
“What of the duke? Since I’ll be in his care, I ought to greet him at least.”
“Well, the thing is…”
Lawrence hesitated, watching my reaction.
Was my request so unreasonable? Guests greeting their host was common sense.
Thankfully, he seemed to think the same. He spoke gently, as if asking forgiveness.
“His Grace is extremely averse to meeting people…”
Ah, now I remembered.
Back when I was still a celebrated princess and marriage talks arose, he had repeatedly declined, always in writing, until the very last moment when he reluctantly appeared before the emperor.
Even then, he wore a pure white mask.
When we crossed paths, he merely inclined his head and walked straight past me.
That white mask and his navy-blue hair—I still remembered them vividly.
So I quickly understood what Lawrence was trying to say and waved it off.
‘There were things I’d wanted to say to him, though.’
From the start, things were going wrong.
Perhaps he wasn’t as welcoming of me as I had thought.
After all, we’d both vehemently rejected marriage talks before.
And now I was a fallen princess with nothing to my name.
Surely the Duke of Eckhardt thought little better of me. His agreeing to protect me must’ve been forced by the emperor.
Seeing my slight disappointment, Lawrence quickly tried to cheer me up with a gentle smile.
“Instead, His Grace’s close retainer will personally ensure that you are well cared for during your stay.”
“…A close retainer, personally?”
If this was all forced on him, he wouldn’t bother sending his retainer. That was more considerate than I’d expected.
Perhaps the circumstances weren’t what I imagined after all.
I decided to wait and see, and nodded.
“My thanks for his kindness.”
Until we reached the annex, Lawrence kept making conversation to ease the mood.
Thanks to him, Aslan, who had been nervous after parting with Theodora in this unfamiliar place, began to relax.
Soon, we arrived at the annex.
And there, someone was already waiting for us.
Lawrence gestured toward him.
“Ah, here he is. This is the person who will be attending to you, madam.”
The elegant, perfect butler suddenly faltered at the sight of the man, even avoiding his eyes.
But I had no time to wonder why.
Because the duke’s retainer was none other than—
“Welcome, madam. I’ve been waiting for you.”
A tall figure with long legs, rare mint-colored hair, bright blue-green eyes filled with warmth, and a familiar voice.
Above all, a face I could never forget.
“Sir Mente?!”
