Chapter 72
“There’s a lazy one of mine around here… I’m sure he was the vice-captain of the knights. He should be good at handling horses.”
“Eh? Wh-what?”
“Grandpa, what are you even talking about…?”
Neither Marc nor Natalie understood what Franz was getting at. While they both stared in confusion, Franz’s eyes lit up—as if a brilliant idea had just struck him.
“Natalie, let us borrow one of the horses from your carriage—and Marc will lead you all the way to the royal castle, and even inside.”
“G-Grandpa!?”
“What’s with that shocked face? You were pretending to sleep under the blankets but listening in, weren’t you?”
“U-ugh!”
“Marc…?”
Natalie looked at Marc, who reacted in a very obvious way to Franz’s words. With his eyebrows drooping apologetically, he said with those mischievous eyes of his, “I-I didn’t mean to eavesdrop… it just, sort of, happened. Sorry?” Natalie backed away slightly but answered with a small laugh, “N-no, it’s fine.”
“Well, regardless. He’s still useful.”
“Uh… excuse me?”
“About the horse, Natalie—will that be all right?”
“Y-yes, of course.”
“Good. Marc—”
The moment Franz got Natalie’s permission, he turned to Marc.
“W-what? Grandpa?”
“The Duke—Captain Julius—how many times has he trained you personally? Is it really all right for you to ignore that?”
“Ugh.”
“And didn’t he settle that bar fight for you—the one some fool started over a beautiful woman?”
“U-ugh…”
“And even recently—”
“Ah—ahhh!! Okay, okay! You don’t need to lecture me! I was going to go anyway!”
Completely unlike his usual carefree self, Marc was flustered to the point of falling apart—likely because he was in front of his grandfather.
(To think Marquis Marc’s grandfather was Franz…)
Natalie now understood their unexpected relationship. Come to think of it, their eyes and hair color were similar. And also… their fondness for beautiful women.
“Well then, since my grandson has agreed so readily—”
“…Yeah.”
“Natalie, are you prepared?”
“Lord Franz…”
Marc was still sulking at Franz, but he didn’t actually refuse. He kept glancing at Natalie instead.
“Yes, of course! …Lord Marc, please take care of me.”
“Heh! Y-yeah, leave it to me!”
Franz sighed at Marc’s attitude, but still proudly declared, “He’s strong, so you need not worry.” Then he opened the door leading outside and instructed Marc to prepare a horse. He also explained briefly to the coachman what would be happening.
The coachman, looking lost, could only respond with a confused “Eh? Wh-what?” But since it was Natalie’s order, he obediently complied. After the horse was prepared and everything was set—
“I-I’ll just hold you for now—b-but there’s no strange intention— ow!”
“Hurry up.”
“Uuugh…”
“Haha…”
Marc helped Natalie mount the horse. With Natalie seated in front and Marc sitting behind her to support her, the horse gave an energetic snort—ready to run.
“Hmm, looks fine.”
“Perfect!”
“Oh, and… Natalie, there’s one more favor.”
“Eh? Wh-what is it?”
Just when everything was ready and all that remained was to take off, Natalie worried something bad had come up. But Franz waved off her concern.
“No no, nothing troublesome. Just that, since the carriage will remain here… I was hoping we could borrow it.”
“Eh? Th-that’s—”
“I’ll return it properly. So… may we borrow it?”
“No, that’s no problem. If it stays here, it might cause trouble for you.”
Natalie herself had worried that returning the carriage without her would frighten everyone back in Pettigrew.
“It’s no trouble at all, but I appreciate it.”
“Hmmm.”
“What now, noisy grandchild?”
“N-nothing. Anyway, shall we go, Lady Natalie?”
“Y-yes.”
It seemed Marc had something to say about Franz, judging by his tone—but the topic shifted quickly.
“You two, be careful.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
“Of course! Leave it to me!”
“Th-thank you, Lord Marc!”
They bid farewell to Franz. Marc gave a cheerful response. Even in such dark, urgent circumstances, the two of them made Natalie feel as though the path forward had opened.
“Well then—we’re off!”
As Natalie raised her voice, Marc responded with a sharp “Ha!” and spurred the horse into motion. Franz waved until they were out of sight.
(Your Excellency…!)
As the horse began to run and the scenery blurred past, Natalie’s heart raced with determination.
◆◇◆
After Marc and Natalie disappeared from view—
The coachman and Franz remained outside. Even with one horse gone, the carriage still functioned fine. The coachman looked at Franz and said anxiously, “Wh-what should I do now—?”
“Hoh hoh hoh. Nothing troublesome. —Are you there?”
“Eh?”
Franz spoke toward the shadow of the building. The coachman, thinking no one was there, blinked in confusion.
From that shadow—
“You called, Your Majesty the Former Emperor.”
“Mm, still as stiff as ever…”
“M-my apologies.”
“Well, no matter.”
Before the stunned coachman’s eyes appeared a very muscular knight, kneeling before Franz.
“Well then, Coachman…”
“Y-yes…?”
“Could you take us to Saint Schwarz Castle?”
The coachman finally realized who stood before him—and all the blood drained from his face. Of course, he still answered “Yes,” but—
The kind old man before him was actually Franz von Saint Schwarz—the former king of the allied nation, Saint Schwarz.
The coachman briskly opened the carriage door. Franz smiled warmly.
“Young people are doing their best… so this old man must do his best as well—for the sake of his own country.”
Muttering cheerfully, Franz stepped into the carriage—together with the knight.
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