Chapter 18
“Please get into the carriage, Your Highness.”
“You don’t even know what kind of illness I have. Why are you doing this? What if it’s contagious?”
At that, Count Jayfron let out a loud laugh.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. Not only do I have capable sons, but also a reliable younger brother. Even if something unfortunate were to happen to us all, the family line will continue. So there’s no need for concern.”
I lost my words at his remark and ended up laughing.
“Lord Jayfron. No, I’m no longer queen, so I suppose I shouldn’t call you that. Count, sir.”
“Your Highness, there’s no need to be like that. The only queen I serve is you.”
“This isn’t right.”
“Even so, I will continue to address you as Your Highness.”
His stubbornness was remarkable.
If the head of a noble house insisted on calling me “Your Highness,” others would likely follow, and that could provide ammunition to the king’s supporters.
“I like clever people. No matter how purebred a horse may be, if it’s so stubborn that it wounds itself, I wouldn’t even glance at it.”
At those words, Jayfron bowed his head.
“Understood. Then… no, I mean—”
“Just call me ‘ma’am.’”
I smiled as I said it, and he looked at me with a pained expression before nodding.
But he still didn’t call me ‘ma’am.’
“I will never forget the grace you’ve shown me. I know that being involved with me might bring trouble to you, Count. I’d rather reject your kindness, but I’m not in a position to do so—so for now, I’ll accept it with gratitude. May I ask where you’re taking me?”
“We will escort you to our estate, Your Highness. We’ve already prepared the guest chamber for you.”
He had returned to calling me “Your Highness” without realizing it.
I quickly shook my head.
“That won’t do. If you truly wish to show me kindness, I would prefer you lend me a modest, run-down building somewhere on the outskirts.”
“Your Highness… What are you saying? Absolutely not.”
“It’s alright. And if you could just assign me two trustworthy guards, I would be grateful. I’ll repay your kindness as soon as I recover, and I’ll find my own place to stay then.”
“…”
Count Jayfron clearly didn’t want to agree, but he had no choice when he saw how firm my resolve was.
“Please get into the carriage.”
Cassia spoke up and whispered a location to the Count.
His expression eased a bit.
“Yes, that place should do. It’s quiet, secluded, and no one comes by. It should be the perfect place for you to rest peacefully. Escort her there, Cassia.”
“Yes, Father.”
As I listened to their conversation, I had a feeling that the place wouldn’t be quite as modest as I had hoped—and I was left speechless when a luxurious villa came into view.
But Beatrice spoke up before I could say anything.
“Your Highness, please remember that I must stay wherever you are. I would also like to stay in such a nice place.”
I looked at her.
It didn’t seem like she was saying it out of selfishness. Rather, it felt like she was using herself as a kind of hostage to ensure I could stay somewhere comfortable. I was at a loss for words.
“Please let me stay too, Your Highness. I’ll be following you through many hardships in the future, so for now, I’d like to rest in comfort.”
She even smiled as she said it, and I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.
Cassia chuckled beside me, saying Beatrice seemed to know how to sway my heart, and in the end, I decided to stay.
Count Jayfron seemed pleased with my decision and said he could now return without worry.
“It seems we must go if you’re to rest comfortably, so we’ll take our leave now.”
“Thank you. You’ve helped me in ways I never expected, Count.”
“Think nothing of it. And please, don’t give up. We’re still searching for skilled physicians.”
I smiled at Jayfron’s words and thanked him once more as we finally ended the long farewell.
Once they were gone and only Cassia remained, he guided us inside.
“You must be tired, Your Highness. I mean…”
At this rate, I joked, people might start calling me “Your Highness… I mean…” as a title, so I asked him if I could have a position in the merchant group instead.
“A position? What kind of position are you referring to?”
“How about deputy leader? Then you can just call me ‘Deputy Leader.’”
“Deputy Leader? That might make our relationship a bit awkward…”
He said seriously, then broke into a laugh.
“Still, I like the idea. Your Highness—no, I mean, Deputy Leader. I have full authority to assign roles, so from now on, you’re our Deputy Leader. As for Miss Beatrice, we’ll just keep calling her that, so no official role needed, right?”
Beatrice nodded.
“I’ll continue to serve Her Highness, so I won’t take on any other tasks.”
“Understood. With you as our Deputy Leader, we’ll feel as though we’ve gained powerful wings. I’m really looking forward to it.”
He smiled brightly and led us inside, and I felt like the place had been built just for me.
Everything unnecessary was left out, and everything essential was perfectly arranged—especially the bedroom, which was stunning.
The other rooms weren’t particularly large, but the study, office, and bedroom were all comparable to those in the palace.
It wasn’t extravagant, but the bed was spacious, and the bedding looked so soft and cozy I wanted to collapse onto it immediately.
The bed’s height seemed thoughtfully chosen, and Cassia offered to add a canopy if I liked.
“No, the distance from the window looks just right.”
I said while watching slivers of sunlight stretch across the floor, thinking it wouldn’t be blinding in the morning.
“I love it. Really. It’s perfect.”
I would have regretted it deeply if I’d turned this place down.
“Let’s look at Miss Beatrice’s room as well.”
Cassia led us there, and Beatrice couldn’t stop marveling at it.
It was originally meant as a guest room, but since we wouldn’t be hosting any guests, he said Beatrice could use it.
Seeing how happy she looked made me like the place even more.
“Sir Cassia, it’s perfect. Even if we’d planned ahead, we wouldn’t have found a better place.”
Despite my cheerful tone, he still looked somber.
“Deputy Leader, please don’t lose hope. We won’t give up either. Believe that better days will come and that you’ll recover—please, hang in there.”
I couldn’t hide my sincere gratitude for his words.
“I will. Then, may I rest now? You must have work to do, and I feel like we’ve held you up too long.”
“Not at all.”
“No, it’s true. We’ll be seeing each other often from now on, so let’s not let any awkwardness pile up.”
“Yes, Deputy Leader. Let’s do that.”
He informed us of the meal times and said we could summon staff anytime if we wanted to eat earlier, then finally left.
Beatrice, who had been waiting the whole time, approached me once we were alone.
“Your Highness, I’ll go and bring Sir Erkan. Now that you’re here, there’s no need for you to remain like this any longer.”
“Would you, please?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Don’t worry and wait just a little longer.”
But there was no need—Erkan found us first.
He said he had rushed to the palace to find me, but just missed me. He had asked around and finally tracked us here, arriving drenched in sweat.
“Thank you for your concern, Sir Erkan. Beatrice was just about to go and find you.”
“I understand what’s going on. I’ll begin the spell now. Your Highness, you’ve endured so much.”
At Erkan’s words, I nodded, ready to finally be free of the curse.
He had me lie down and began the spell, similar to before.
I felt the foreign energy flow back into me and closed my eyes.
After a while, the sensation stopped, and I could tell everything was over.
When I opened my eyes, it wasn’t the mirror but Beatrice’s expression that told me everything was back to normal.
“Your Highness…!”
Beatrice grabbed my hand with teary eyes.
Erkan looked at me with satisfaction.
“The spell worked perfectly. I believe it succeeded thanks to Your Highness’s high magical sensitivity.”
He brought me a mirror.
Looking into it, I felt overwhelmed by the realization that I no longer had to furrow my brows.
“It’s really… back.”
I hadn’t expected to smile at my reflection in the mirror, but I did—genuinely.
I wanted to tell Erkan he could let go now—but I couldn’t even say it.
He simply looked at me with a joyful expression.
“Now, everything is as you wished, Your Highness. Congratulations.”
“Oh. I’m a Deputy Leader now.”
I said brightly, and he looked at me in confusion.
