Traveling from the capital to the North by carriage takes exactly eight and a half days.
But I only had a month of vacation—I couldn’t afford to waste eight days just getting there.
Using the teleportation scroll Theo gave me would’ve made the trip instant, but doing that would also mean revealing my destination.
If Theo knew I was going all the way to the North just to see how handsome the Grand Duke was, he’d pinch the bridge of his nose.
And if I told him I was planning to propose marriage to the Grand Duke, he’d probably grab the back of his neck and collapse.
That’s why no one could know where I was headed.
As I gradually left the capital behind, quieter towns began to appear.
Heading south from the capital, you’d still find mid-sized cities and even some bustling urban centers. But traveling north was a whole different story—the contrast was stark.
It was like stepping straight from the capital into some sleepy rural village.
That’s how remote the North was.
But then again, the North was also known for preserving nature in its original state.
It just so happened that it was also located near a monster-infested mountain range, which… wasn’t ideal.
I walked leisurely down the quiet street, enjoying the peacefulness, two chicken skewers in each hand.
There weren’t crowds to jostle through here. No noisy carriages clogging the roads. Just wide, open space to breathe.
But now it was time to think hard.
I needed to figure out a way to get to the North faster.
I had considered flying there using Jin, my wind spirit—but Jin was a high-grade spirit.
Theo had explicitly told me not to summon anything above mid-grade, so it would be best to follow his advice, as both my brother and my emperor.
But mid-grade spirits like Sylphids couldn’t carry me.
And no, it wasn’t because I was too heavy—thank you very much.
It was just that Sylphids’ materialized form simply couldn’t support my weight.
“This is turning out to be trickier than I thought…”
I groaned and clutched my head.
At this rate, I’d waste eight whole days of vacation on travel alone.
Sure, it was nice seeing the various corners of the empire I’d never visited before.
But the farther north I went, the sparser and more boring everything became.
Maybe I’d been too absorbed in my thoughts.
Because suddenly—my hands felt empty.
The four chicken skewer sticks were still there…
“Damn it! My bag!”
I’d been pickpocketed. They say leaving home means signing up for suffering—well, here we go.
– ‘It was a child!’
– ‘That way! We saw him clearly heading that way!’
The wind spirits—my Sylphids—pointed toward a shadowy alleyway.
“….”
I stared silently at the alley for a moment, then finally spoke.
“You go first.”
The Sylphids, who had been chattering loudly, all clammed up at once.
Then began the silent war of who-would-blink-first.
“All right. Let’s be fair and do rock-paper-scissors.”
In the end, the one Sylphid who threw scissors while the others picked rock flew toward the alley with a look of pure doom.
It was like watching a calf being dragged to slaughter.
Honestly, it was silly. Humans couldn’t even see them—what were they so scared of?
I waited at the alley’s entrance until the reluctant Sylphid came fluttering back out, wings trembling.
– ‘There are a lot of kids in there! It reeks once you go deeper in!’
“Did you see who took it?”
– ‘He had yellow eyes. But he kept one of them half-shut…’
That description jogged my memory. Earlier today, there’d been a boy trying to sell me flowers—he’d begged me to buy some.
I’d ignored him, remembering Molga’s wise words: pretty flowers are just trash in disguise.
This kind of theft was a classic trick among children living in alleys like these.
He’d probably be out selling flowers again tomorrow.
And the bag he stole? Wasn’t just any bag.
It was a magic bag—gifted to me by my little brother, who was not only the Emperor but also a ridiculously handsome mage.
If the owner wasn’t the one to open it, the bag appeared completely empty.
They wouldn’t be able to steal a single thing from it.
“I’ll get the bag back tomorrow.”
Thank goodness I had already booked an inn when I arrived in town. Otherwise, I might’ve ended up sleeping in the street.
“For now, let’s just go back to the inn. I’ll deal with the bag tomorrow. I have more pressing concerns.”
The Sylphids nodded and fluttered after me as I walked.
I could have summoned a dark spirit after nightfall to quietly retrieve the bag without fuss, but I wanted to teach those pickpocketing kids a lesson.
Yes, they likely had their reasons—poverty, desperation, survival.
But even so, they needed to learn that every action comes with consequences.
A real education means understanding that responsibility follows choice.
Maybe I really was born to be a villainess—no mercy, not even for children.
I pushed thoughts of the bag aside and turned to the Sylphids with a serious question.
“When I arrive at the Grand Duke’s estate, I should bring a gift, right? It is my first visit, after all.”
It was kind of like a housewarming gift.
The Sylphids, eager to contribute, chimed in with their ideas.
– ‘Sweet cake! He’ll definitely like that!’
– ‘No no, something shiny—like a gemstone! Lize always feels better after seeing something pretty!’
– ‘Wait! What about Lize’s miracle tonic that she drinks every morning? What was it called again? Hong… something…?’
Ah. Right. I’d forgotten.
The Sylphids were only optimized for me.
And that “miracle tonic” starting with “Hong”—that was supposed to be red ginseng.
No matter how good-looking the Grand Duke was, I wasn’t sharing my red ginseng with him.
Theo gave that to me as a fatigue remedy. There was no way I’d part with something so precious.
Of course, it wasn’t real red ginseng—just something I’d nicknamed that, based on memories from my life in Korea.
But still. I didn’t expect the Sylphids to remember it so well.
Trying to smooth over my guilty expression, I changed the subject.
“The North doesn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for uninvited guests. So maybe instead of focusing on a gift, I should start by informing them that I’m coming.”
On the way back to the inn, the Sylphids buzzed excitedly, promising they’d help me solve this problem too.
Apparently, they’d already forgotten about the stolen bag.
Which was unfortunate, because that bag contained Molga’s secretly packed book titled “31 Ways to Secure a Marriage Proposal.”
– ‘Humans are so complicated!’
– ‘Weren’t you just going for fun?’
“You think I’d go all the way to the North and not even lay eyes on the handsome Grand Duke? That would be a crime.”
I had a big goal.
I’d set my sights on marrying that stunning Grand Duke. I had to at least propose—dramatically.
Apparently, they found my logic convincing.
The Sylphids nodded vigorously among themselves and began tossing out ideas again.
– ‘Should we deliver the letter for you?’
Their suggestion piqued my interest.
“You’ll deliver it?”
They puffed out their chests like proud messengers, so I reached out and flicked one of their wings affectionately.
But then I shook my head.
“There’s no reason to send a letter.”
Sending a random “how-are-you” note made no sense—we had zero connection.
Starting off our relationship with something that awkward? No thanks.
Just as I began to feel embarrassed, the Sylphids started whining in protest.
– ‘We can make a reason!’
– ‘Right! Isn’t that what Lize always says?’
Bless their pure, simple hearts. They were quick learners.
“…Then what exactly should I write in the letter?”
Quick to adapt, but shallow on depth.
The Sylphids fell completely silent, awkwardly glancing at one another.
Honestly, what was I expecting?
With a sigh, I resigned myself to the task.
“Dear Grand Duke, greetings. I am Metheisa’s—ugh.”
I groaned and crumpled the paper halfway through.
Metheisa was known as the House of the Red Sword. It was a widely recognized title, and I thought I could introduce myself using it.
But no matter how famous I was, writing it out like that made me cringe too hard to finish.
I flopped onto the inn’s plush bed and stared at the ceiling, seriously debating how to proceed.
“I mean, the North may be cold to outsiders, but it’s still full of people, right?”
The Sylphids nodded wordlessly at my grumbling.
Bolstered by their agreement, I sat up again.
“Let’s try this again…”
Dear Grand Duke,
I am Lizebrion, head of House Metheisa.
Given my fame, I expect you’ve already heard of me.
I am the Empire’s most decorated war hero, the savior who—
“UGH!”
For the second time, I howled and tore the paper to shreds.
The Sylphids quietly drifted away from me.
They were probably placing bets on whether I’d be able to finish the letter today.
Too exhausted to scold them, I curled into a fetal position, overcome with secondhand embarrassment.
Then, with a solemn expression, I picked up my pen once more.
“Screw it.”
– ‘Huh? You’re done already?’
One of the Sylphids flew over to check on me after I scribbled just a few lines and put the pen down.
Instead of answering, I held up the finished letter proudly.
“This is the best I can do.”
– ‘…….’
“Don’t look at me like that. I know it’s pathetic.”
Their pitying stares made me feel worse, so I threatened them for good measure.
The Sylphids gathered around and read the letter, then silently turned away.
– ‘Should we go to bed? It’s late.’
– ‘Yaaawn. So sleepy.’
– ‘What a long day, huh?’
“…You guys are spirits. You don’t even need sleep.”
They ignored me, chatting amongst themselves.
– ‘Come lie down, everyone. This bed isn’t as good as the one back home, but it’s decent.’
– ‘Got any late-night snacks? I’m craving something sweet…’
“Guys…”
– ‘Good work today, everyone.’
– ‘Yep! Let’s rest up and meet again tomorrow!’
“You don’t even sleep! Why are you acting like this…”
Their blatant disregard for me stung.
“What?! What’s so wrong with it?!”
In frustration, I picked up the letter and read it out loud.
Dear Grand Duke,
Hello.
Do you have a spare room at your estate I’ve run away from home. Please let me stay.
—Lizebrion Metheisa—
– ‘Just ignore her. Lize does this all the time.’
– ‘I swear, she’s the weirdest human I’ve ever met.’
…My spirits were a little too pure.
They still hadn’t learned that sometimes it’s better to keep their mouths shut.
