Chapter 27
The carriage raced across the forest. After a short while, its movement came to a halt.
“We… we’ve arrived.”
The coachman stammered as he announced our arrival. At his words, I stepped out of the carriage, still gathering my thoughts.
What greeted me was the imposing sight of the grand castle.
In front of the duke’s mansion gates stood two knights, guarding with swords in hand.
Since this carriage was not one with permitted access, I would have to gain permission here before I could enter.
The sight of the knights standing firmly, swords drawn and planted in the ground, made me tense up. I swallowed hard.
The coachman, seemingly just as nervous, asked me in a trembling voice.
“M-my lady… is this really the right place?”
His question was clear enough.
Was this truly the kind of place people like us had any right to come?
Honestly, I wasn’t sure myself. Last time, I had been summoned here, but this time was clearly different.
Thinking about it now, even as a supposed patron, was it really acceptable to come so suddenly like this? A small worry flickered inside me.
But still, I had to try. Surely they wouldn’t kill me for it.
“Wait here.”
“It’s d-dangerous. My lady, it seems you don’t really know much about Duke Crayman…”
Glancing nervously at the knights, he lowered his voice and whispered in my ear.
“They say he’s a war god without blood or tears.”
At his words, my eyes dropped.
It was exactly like the line I’d once read in a book: ‘Even the people fear him, the god of the battlefield.’
“The god of war…” I murmured.
The coachman, taking my words in some way, nodded vigorously.
“Now you see? So let’s leave this dangerous place at once.”
He looked ready to climb onto the driver’s seat and flee immediately.
I watched him for a moment, then gave him a bright smile. Misunderstanding it, the coachman’s face lit up with relief.
I said softly, “Don’t speak carelessly about what you don’t know.”
My cold tone made him falter.
“P-pardon?”
I gave no reply, only turned my gaze back toward the duke’s mansion.
Of course he was bewildered. He had only spoken out of concern for me, yet my answer was nothing but icy.
But still…
I already knew he bore such a nickname. I had read it in the book.
For commoners, it was natural to feel both pride and fear of his battlefield achievements. And the malicious rumors spread by the imperial family and the nobility played their part as well.
So the coachman wasn’t at fault. If anything, he had spoken up for my sake.
And yet, I’m angry.
Memories of how the duke had treated me surfaced one by one.
At first, he had seemed intimidating. But until the very end, he had been unfailingly respectful toward me, and even…
— “If such a situation ever comes, I will save the children, and you as well, Siela. You are my benefactor. So if that time comes, you must take my hand.”
I remembered those words, spoken with genuine sincerity shining in his golden eyes.
In that moment, I had felt an indescribable emotion for the very first time in my life.
No matter what anyone said, the man I knew was not someone who deserved to be spoken of the way the coachman had.
And so, I ended up lashing out unfairly at him.
Leaving the bewildered coachman behind, I walked toward the knights at the gate.
The knights, who had been watching since the carriage stopped, grew even more vigilant as I approached.
It was only one woman drawing near, yet not an ounce of carelessness showed in them.
As expected of House Crayman. I couldn’t help but admire it.
“What business do you have here? This is Duke Crayman’s residence.”
“I’ve come to see His Grace, the duke.”
At my words, their gazes flickered. One knight asked again.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Not exactly…”
I trailed off, then met the knight’s eyes squarely.
“Please deliver a message inside. Tell His Grace that Siela Feirunt has come to deliver ‘that thing’ she promised. He will understand.”
“……”
“I’ll be waiting here in the meantime.”
The knight’s eyes narrowed.
Clearly, he was weighing whether it was safe to grant such a request.
But in the end, they couldn’t ignore it. Not when it concerned Duke Crayman himself. Nothing related to him, no matter how trivial, could be dismissed.
And since I had made it sound like a significant promise, it would be effective.
“Please wait a moment.”
As expected, it worked.
Exchanging glances, one of the knights spoke, and I nodded with an innocent smile.
“Of course.”
Soon after, one knight mounted a tethered horse and rode inside. The mansion grounds were vast, far too long a distance to cover on foot.
It’ll still take some time.
They would have procedures to follow on their end.
I turned back toward the coachman, who still stood frozen with a dazed expression, planning to wait in the carriage until word returned.
“An answer will come soon.”
“M-my lady… will this truly be all right?”
His voice was still heavy with fear.
At this point, I wondered if I had made a mistake bringing him along. Seeing his genuine terror, I too felt uneasy.
I placed a reassuring hand on his trembling shoulder. He looked at me, and I gave the most soothing expression I could muster.
“Nothing will happen, so don’t worry too much. Duke Crayman isn’t nearly as frightening as you think.”
“Y-you… know him personally, my lady?”
“Well, just a little… we’re acquainted.”
Of course, I knew him well from what I’d read, but he knew little of me. So this half-truth seemed best.
But even my attempt at understatement shocked the coachman.
“T-to think you know Duke Crayman! Are you… perhaps a central noble?”
He asked cautiously.
The central nobles.
The top 1% of nobility residing in the capital, granted the right to directly participate in politics. Nobles among nobles. Even with the same title, a central noble’s status far outstripped that of one from the provinces.
Duke Crayman was among the very highest of the central nobles. For me to be on familiar terms with him, it wasn’t unreasonable for the coachman to assume I was one too.
And the orphanage was located in the capital, after all.
Though, that was only because Siela stubbornly insisted she would never give up the capital, even if it killed her.
The coachman’s eyes grew so wide I thought they might burst, and I quickly shook my head.
“I’m neither a central noble, nor even a provincial noble.”
I was a fallen noble.
Barely clinging to the name of nobility, but in truth no different from a commoner.
Even so, the coachman looked unconvinced.
I thought about explaining—if I were truly a powerful noble, would the orphanage be in such a poor district, and would I be riding a rented carriage instead of my own? But I let it drop.
Because just then, I heard the sound of hooves in the distance.
That was fast.
It could only mean they had delivered the message and returned immediately.
It seemed Duke Crayman hadn’t taken my visit badly at all.
But as the sound grew nearer and I saw the rider, my breath caught.
No way… that person…
The tightly shut gates opened, and the hoofbeats grew louder. My gaze lifted higher and higher.
The sunlight was so dazzling, it hurt to look at the rider’s face.
“Stop.”
But I didn’t need to see his face. His voice alone told me who it was.
The horse stopped a short distance from me. With a light movement, he leapt down from the great black stallion and strode toward me.
Before long, he stood directly in front of me. My lips parted, and I barely managed to speak.
“…Your Grace?”
Behind me, I sensed the coachman practically collapsing in shock.
But I couldn’t look away. He and I faced each other in silence, eyes locked.
His hair was slightly tousled from the ride, his shirt loose and casual as if he had come straight from work.
Behind him, I caught sight of his aide Rick and several knights hurrying after him.
I had expected only the knight sent to deliver my message to return. But my prediction was entirely wrong.
I was too stunned to say anything.
He too remained silent for a moment, looking down at me, then finally opened his mouth. His voice was still deep and pleasant to hear.
“Siela, when I heard you had come to see me…”
“……”
“I came to bring you myself.”
My chest filled to bursting with air.
Behind me, I could feel the coachman’s gaze screaming, “How can you call that ‘just an acquaintance’?!”
Flustered, my eyes darted about, but his golden eyes—like the sun itself—were fixed only on me, burning.
