CHAPTER 77……………………………….
I Entrust My Heart to You
Chased by debt collectors, Marquis Uzkal ran all the way to the Empress’s palace in the dead of night and threw himself desperately at Hailey’s feet.
“Please, just this once—spare me, Your Majesty the Empress!!”
The marquis’s hands clutched desperately at the hem of her gown, but she coldly pulled it free, shaking him off. The fabric tore at the edge, but Hailey didn’t care.
She removed her necklace, bracelet, and earrings one by one, and threw them at the marquis’s feet.
“If you want something to take with you, take these.”
At that, Marquis Uzkal sprang to his feet, trembling with rage.
“How dare you treat your own father like this? After all I’ve done for you!”
“You raised me with just enough affection to be useful. I did the same. You’re not useful anymore, Father. If you don’t like it, leave empty-handed.”
Hailey gave a thin, cold smile and signaled to the palace guards. Immediately, two of them stepped forward and seized the marquis by the arms.
“No, wait—! I’ll take them! I’ll take them, please!”
He shook off the guards with desperate strength and began to scrape the jewels from the floor, clutching them in his trembling hands.
As he tried to stand, Hailey slipped a ruby-studded ring off her finger and tossed it aside.
The ring rolled across the floor and out the front door. The marquis scrambled after it, stooping to snatch it up. At that moment, the great doors of the palace slammed shut behind him with a heavy thud.
“Leah, are you dressed warmly enough? Should I pack a few more heating magic stones for you?”
In the gray dawn before sunrise, Mick’s worried nagging echoed endlessly in the courtyard of the southwestern border post that faced the Haren Empire.
“Have you forgotten Haren’s much warmer than Fritan? I have everything I need, so stop worrying.”
I clasped his restless hands to calm him. After looking at me silently for a long time, he sighed deeply and pulled me tightly into his arms.
Recently, a string of child abductions in the border towns had raised too many questions to ignore. And since we’d learned that similar disappearances had already begun in Haren before Fritan, I decided it was best to act quickly.
So I would travel to Haren first with Millie, while Mick and the Special Knights stayed behind to continue the investigation.
“It’s probably just rogue monsters, but we can’t assume. Once it’s wrapped up, I’ll come after you right away.”
“Got it. Don’t worry about me.”
“A week—ten days at most. You stay put at Count Stone’s estate until I get there.”
“I will.”
“And don’t go running off to see Marquis Uzkal or the Temple on your own! Promise me you’ll only look into your parents’ case together with me.”
“I promise.”
Even after repeating the same assurances over and over, he still couldn’t seem to let me go.
“When you come back from Haren, there’s something important you have to do.”
“What’s that?”
“You have to make a wish to me. Something grand and outrageous.”
“Anything I want?”
“Anything—except asking to leave me. Even if you want the throne of Fritan, I’ll give it to you.”
I burst out laughing at his absurd words and looked up at him with a playful glint in my eyes.
“You’re already the king of Fritan, and you’re mine. What would I do with the throne?”
“Hmm… that’s true.”
“And if I ever say something foolish like wanting to leave you, it’ll only be because my life’s in danger. So if that happens, you have to come save me.”
“I will.”
He smiled and pulled me close, whispering softly into my ear.
“Are you sure you don’t want the throne?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”
I glared up at him, and when our eyes met, we both ended up laughing as we hugged each other tightly.
Just then, Freddy approached. He was assigned to escort us to Haren.
“Your Majesty, the carriage is ready. Please board when you’re prepared.”
“Thank you, Sir Freddy. I’ll be in your care.”
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”
Still reluctant to let me go, Mick personally escorted me to the carriage, his gaze full of sorrow. Millie climbed in after me.
Perhaps because we were returning to the Haren Empire—the land we’d left behind—Millie looked a little tense.
“Are you nervous, Millie?”
“Yes… a little.”
“Honestly, so am I.”
“Should I hold your hand, then?”
I silently extended my hand. Her warm fingers wrapped around mine, and despite our tension, the contact brought a strange sense of calm.
Outside, Mick’s voice rang out.
“Freddy, I’ll join you as soon as things are settled here. You know what to do.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll protect the Queen with my life until then.”
“…Please do.”
He said something more, but his voice was too low for us to hear.
A few moments later, there was a soft knock at the carriage window. Mick and William were standing side by side.
“Mick, we’re leaving now. Take care of yourself. Sir William, please look after His Majesty.”
I spoke first before Mick could start another round of worries.
“Yes, Your Majesty. You needn’t concern yourself here.”
William paused, then turned to look quietly at Millie sitting beside me.
“Be careful. Don’t forget what you promised me.”
Millie’s ears flushed red as she nodded silently.
Mick, standing close to the window, reached out to brush my cheek. Then, quick as lightning, he kissed me softly on the lips.
“Freddy, go.”
At his command, the carriage lurched forward. Millie leaned out the opposite window to look back.
I resisted the same urge—to keep his face in sight a little longer—and forced myself to sit still.
We’d see each other soon enough. It was only a short parting. I reminded myself of that over and over.
Riding alongside the carriage, Freddy felt an overwhelming sense of duty—heavier than any mission he’d ever undertaken.
It wasn’t an official visit, nor would the journey last long, but the weight of protecting Queen Leah and Lady Millie pressed on him like a mountain.
Right before departure, Micklok’s quiet words still rang in his ears:
“I’m entrusting you with my heart. Guard it until I arrive.”
The sound of the king’s low, solemn voice had sent chills down Freddy’s spine. To hold the king’s heart in his hands—it was enough to make his fingers tremble.
But Micklok wasn’t the only one who burdened him that day. When Millie boarded the carriage, William approached him and spoke in a tone just as heavy.
“You know I found a house for Millie and me, right?”
“Y-yes, Captain.”
“I won’t say to put her before the Queen. But if anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Sir—!”
The killing intent that flashed in William’s eyes made Freddy momentarily forget to breathe.
After a moment, William sighed and gripped Freddy’s shoulder firmly.
“I told you never to leave Her Majesty’s side for a second. So… take care of her too.”
Now, as Freddy led the column on horseback, he glanced back at the carriage behind him.
Inside were the hearts of two men: King Micklok of Fritan, and William, the fearsome commander of the Special Knights—men whose very lives were bound to those two women. If anything happened to them, Fritan itself could crumble in an instant.
Swallowing hard, Freddy steeled his resolve. For the sake of his beloved country, he would complete this mission. Even at the cost of his life.
As our carriage neared the capital of the Haren Empire, familiar landscapes began to appear.
Haren—the land of my birth—was a place of both love and hate. My years there had been full of pain, yet its air, its food, its nature were part of who I was.
A cool breeze slipped through the half-open window. Back when I lived here, even this mild wind had felt freezing. After enduring Fritan’s icy gales, it now felt refreshingly gentle.
When I turned, I saw Millie gazing out the window, her expression filled with emotion.
She must be thinking of William, too.
“Did you manage to say goodbye to Sir William properly? Everything happened so fast.”
“I mostly got scolded to stay close to you and be careful,” she said, blushing.
“What did he mean earlier when he told you not to forget your promise?”
“…He asked me to build a home with him when I return.”
“A home?”
“He bought a house near the royal palace in Fritan. He even told my parents.”
“Oh my goodness.”
I’d teased William before for being slow and dense, but his decisiveness moved me.
“How did the Count and Countess Giles react?”
“They were so shocked they just sat there with their mouths open.”
I laughed, easily picturing the scene.
Seeing how serious William was, I decided to try persuading Millie.
“Millie, I know you want to earn your own title—and I respect that. But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let Sir William take the lead this time?”
I expected her to protest, but instead she sat quietly, head bowed.
“Time is precious. Too precious to spend it fighting against the person you love.”
Millie bit her lip, her hands trembling on her lap.
“You’re right, Your Majesty.”
When she lifted her head, tears glistened in her eyes.
“We don’t know what might happen tomorrow. I don’t want to waste any more time.”
I squeezed her hand gently.
“When we return from Haren, focus on your lessons with the etiquette tutor, and then—let’s have that wedding right away. I’ll help with the preparations.”
“Goodness, between Sir William’s determination and Your Majesty’s support, I think I’m in for the fastest wedding in history.”
She laughed through her tears, her eyes sparkling with hope and excitement.
Now we had one more reason to finish our business in Haren quickly and return to Fritan.
And for the moment, that was enough.
