Chapter: 3
“Sir Jasper is closer to a watchdog than an aide.”
[That’s not true! That may have been the case at first, but now he’s an ardent admirer of Her Highness the Princess. Of course, I was suspicious of him at first as well.]
The way he bristled and protested was so cute that Linette couldn’t help but laugh.
[This is no laughing matter! The Duke should be grateful to Her Highness. Do you know how much work the Princess has done while he was away?]
Gregorian began counting off on his tiny forepaws, folding them one by one as he recited.
[Securing clean drinking water through irrigation works, feeding the people through seed development, and cleaning up the chaotic territory on behalf of a lord too busy hunting magical beasts—every single one of those accomplishments belongs to Her Highness.]
“I wasn’t trying to be acknowledged. I just ended up getting involved that far.”
There was nothing bad about the ducal household becoming prosperous.
But Gregorian thought differently. As if he truly couldn’t comprehend Linette’s carefree attitude, the gray mouse raised his voice.
[You are always like this, Your Highness. Even when you were in the Holy Kingdom, you worked tirelessly for the people. No one asked you to, and no one acknowledged you! You did things no other royal ever did!]
“That’s why they cried when I left.”
At Gregorian’s words, Linette recalled the moment she departed the Holy Kingdom two years ago.
On a road where no one was supposed to appear, the citizens of the Holy Kingdom had come out to see her off.
—
‘Lady Linette, please go and live well.’
‘We will pray to the Goddess for you.’
—
“I received their blessings, so I’ll be fine. That’s why I made it safely to the Empire.”
In the Holy Kingdom, there was a tradition of offering blessings to those embarking on long journeys.
Usually, the departing person’s family would take the lead in offering such prayers—but not a single strand of Linette’s family appeared.
‘I never expected them to.’
Thanks to that, she received blessings from even more people, so it was fine.
[You are too kind, Your Highness. You came to such a harsh place and suffer like this.]
“I told you, I’m fine. In fact, I’m living in a much better environment than before. The people of the ducal household are all kind, and they like me.”
[Of course they do! Anyone who meets Your Highness is bound to like you. Just look at Sir Jasper.]
At Gregorian’s remark, Linette’s expression turned awkward.
Jasper Harver—Derbel’s aide and her former overseer—had somehow begun insisting on serving only her, refusing to leave her side, which was troubling.
“But now that the Duke has returned, he’ll go back to being his aide.”
[Judging by how he’s acting, it looks like he’ll burst into tears because he doesn’t want to part with Your Highness… but of course, that’s how it should be. One aide is more than enough for Your Highness—and that is me.]
Gregorian thumped his chest with one paw.
Seeing through his transparent attempt to secure his position, Linette couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t dislike the scheming gray mouse.
“All right, Gregorian. Thanks to you, I always feel reassured.”
[Ahem. Do not forget—I am Gregorian, Your Highness’s loyal vassal.]
At the little gray mouse’s theatrics, Linette laughed.
“Thank you, Sir Gregorian.”
[By the way, if the Duke will be staying at the estate from now on, how are we supposed to find the ‘Star of Fortune’?]
“Well…”
Linette trailed off, sinking into thought.
The Star of Fortune.
A sacred relic passed down in legend in the Holy Kingdom.
It was said to be the holy artifact used by the Holy Kingdom’s founding saint and progenitor, Igrain, when she sealed the first demon.
However, the Star of Fortune, which had revealed its power at the time of the demon’s sealing, disappeared around the era when the Holy Kingdom was established.
Leaving behind only the legend that it granted strength—and even fulfilled wishes—to the one who found it.
[Don’t you need that relic in order to gain power and inherit the throne, Your Highness?]
“I do.”
Only with that relic would she be acknowledged as a legitimate successor.
And if she could obtain power befitting the title of princess of the Holy Kingdom, there could be nothing better.
“I’ll have to find a way. Maybe move a little more discreetly.”
It wouldn’t be as easy as before—but it still had to be done.
She had even proposed a contract marriage just to come here in search of the relic.
—
‘Make a deal with me, Duke. I’ll silence those pushing marriage candidates on you—so take me to your territory. And…’
—
She had thought of it as her last chance. That was why she made the offer despite knowing that he harbored negative feelings toward the Holy Kingdom.
She was that desperate.
‘Because Seriana and that man were starting to scheme something strange.’
She didn’t know what they were planning, but Derbel Christian had readily accepted her proposal.
That alone was something to be grateful for.
‘The problem is what he did after that.’
Thinking about his two-faced behavior on the way back from the Holy Kingdom made her blood boil.
Still.
Setting everything else aside, Derbel Christian was Linette’s one and only opportunity.
So she couldn’t afford to let this chance slip away.
Linette steeled her resolve once more.
At the very same time that Linette was grumbling to Gregorian—
“Oh my, calling her ‘darling’ already? It’s only been a month since your reunion.”
After Linette left, Evan approached with a whistle.
“I’ve never heard that before. The two of you are just dripping with sweetness.”
“…Evan.”
Derbel called his aide’s name in a chilling tone.
But whether he failed to notice—or was pretending not to—Evan continued.
“It seems people only realize their love for each other after being apart for so long. Congratulations. After hardship comes blessing—ugh!”
“Human lives really are fragile.”
Before anyone could tell when he had drawn it, a sharp blade was pressed against Evan’s throat, leaving only a hair’s breadth of space.
The Duke of Christian’s sword was famous for its unusual blade.
Unlike ordinary swords, its entire blade was etched with peculiar patterns—and astonishingly, those patterns shifted from moment to moment, as if alive.
Evan swallowed hard.
From afar, it looked fascinating. Up close, the writhing patterns felt as though they might rise up and devour him.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please—just spare me this once.”
“Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue at his aide’s frivolous remarks, Derbel sheathed his sword.
When Derbel sank heavily into his chair, Evan cautiously laid out the documents he had brought.
“Here are the materials you requested. I searched thoroughly, all the way to the villages on the outskirts of the territory.”
Derbel merely glanced at the stack of papers without saying a word.
“I’m not just saying this—the Princess is truly incredible. Aside from the canal construction, she handled more matters than you can count.”
“……”
“She completely rebuilt the bridges and roads leading into Aster, which increased trade volume as well.”
“……”
“She even worked with mages on seed improvement.”
Flipping through the documents, Evan let out a sound of admiration.
“Take a look at this. Production increased by thirty percent compared to last year.”
His wide eyes held more than admiration—there was genuine respect.
“Our assets have practically doubled. It’s comparable to the results we achieved after two years of nonstop magical-beast subjugation, Duke.”
Derbel found his aide’s pure awe unpleasant to look at.
Just what had she been doing for her name to appear on every document now lying before him?
“What on earth was she doing?”
There were too many suspicious points. No matter how much authority he had granted her, he never expected this much.
He couldn’t deny it.
Linette Igrain, Princess of the Holy Kingdom, had completely transformed the House of Christian in his absence.
She laid the foundation for the wealth he had long desired and made life easier for the people of the territory—decisively and for the better.
There was only one thing that bothered him.
