Chapter 78
After a long discussion in which I was apparently the only one who didn’t understand anything, the proposal passed smoothly.
In fact, I only realized it had passed smoothly when I saw the reactions of the four people.
Gillitear praised me, asking how I had come up with such an idea, and Rusbel and Meren looked at me with eyes full of respect.
Lucas, watching the three of them with satisfaction, patted me on the back.
‘Why?’
This time I had really done my absolute best to do absolutely nothing.
‘How did things turn out like this?’
Since the flow of events made no logical sense, I couldn’t figure out any countermeasures either.
“Lord.”
As I held my head and let out a helpless laugh, Dane entered the office with a face as pale as a sheet.
It was the first time I had ever seen his normally calm face look like that.
‘Did something big happen in the territory?!’
I barely suppressed the excitement rising in my chest and lowered my voice.
“Dane, what’s the matter?”
“Well… it’s serious! I don’t even know how to explain…!”
‘Serious!’
Judging by Dane’s reaction, it definitely wasn’t a trivial matter.
It had finally come!
‘Right. This is normal.’
How could a person’s life keep going well without a hitch?
If one thing went smoothly, something else was bound to get ruined—that was the law of nature.
“A serious matter…?”
As I looked at Dane with a worried expression I didn’t actually feel, his already pale face turned even whiter.
I went through several possible issues in my mind.
‘Did something go wrong with the land purification?’
Or maybe there really was a hole in the proposal.
‘Or perhaps the candidates selected through the exam revolted against training and all ran away!’
But what came out of Dane’s mouth was something I hadn’t expected at all.
“His Majesty the Emperor’s envoy has arrived in the territory!”
“…His Majesty’s envoy?”
It wasn’t the type of problem I’d expected, but it certainly was a big one.
“Why would His Majesty’s envoy come here instead of the winter manor?”
“I… I have no idea either. It’s the first time something like this has happened since I became steward.”
Dane and I blinked at each other.
But since the envoy was waiting, we couldn’t waste time like this.
“Let’s meet him first.”
Only then would we know why the Emperor had sent him.
* * *
The envoy stood stiffly by a white warhorse in front of the mansion’s gate, wearing a red uniform.
On his head was an extravagant hat with feathers matching the uniform—apparently the symbol of an imperial envoy.
“Danae of Ashinov greets His Majesty’s envoy.”
An envoy represented the Emperor.
I didn’t need to prostrate myself like I would before the Emperor, but I still had to show proper respect.
‘I hurriedly learned the etiquette from Jedin on the way here.’
When I finished my bow just as instructed and turned my head slightly, Jedin quietly raised his thumb with a blank expression.
‘So I didn’t mess up.’
Feeling reassured, I looked forward again just as the stiff envoy gracefully extended the Emperor’s sealed letter.
“This is His Majesty’s personal message.”
“Glory to the Sun of Kirun.”
Even after handing over the letter, the envoy did not move an inch.
As I looked at him in confusion, Jedin had approached silently at some point and whispered in a low voice.
“He seems to be waiting to take back your reply. Please check the letter now.”
‘What is so urgent that he needs an immediate reply?’
Tilting my head, I stepped back and opened the letter.
The parchment was large, but the contents were simple.
“…It says I’m to come to the capital for an audience with His Majesty?”
“What?”
“Apparently I’m to go through the official approval procedure to be recognized as Baron Devon.”
Even with the longer explanation, Jedin frowned, clearly not understanding.
“Usually the inheritance of a family’s title is approved through documents. Why would His Majesty summon you personally to the capital?”
I had heard the same thing.
That the Emperor’s approval was just a formality and that if the Grand Duke had signed off on it, there would be no issues.
‘But the Emperor sent the letter directly to me.’
If he wanted to discuss or negotiate, he would have sent the letter to the Grand Duke instead.
And he wouldn’t have demanded such an urgent reply.
The Emperor clearly wanted my answer before the Grand Duke could intervene.
Jedin must have realized this too, because he gave the envoy an uncomfortable sideways glance.
“You may refuse.”
“How could I refuse His Majesty’s envoy? Am I supposed to send him back with a letter saying ‘no thank you’?”
I had never heard of such a precedent. It could easily be interpreted as treason.
“For another noble, maybe. But this is Ashinov. They can’t simply accuse you of treason.”
“Sir Jedin, you’re bold in strange places. Like when you told me to act like a cunning granddaughter.”
“The problem is that you rarely follow my advice, my lady.”
Jedin sighed and adjusted his glasses.
“You’re going to write a letter agreeing to go anyway, aren’t you?”
“It’ll be easier that way. There’s no benefit in picking a fight.”
Even if the imperial family was cautious of Ashinov, the Emperor was still the Emperor.
There was no reason to antagonize him and earn a rebellious reputation.
If he nitpicked my every move afterward, it would be troublesome, so it was better to agree this once.
‘Besides, I’ve been too lucky lately.’
Everything I touched was succeeding strangely well, so taking a short break from territory matters and going to the capital didn’t sound bad.
I wrote a letter expressing my willingness to follow His Majesty’s command and handed it to the envoy.
Only then did the envoy finally mount his horse and leave the mansion.
‘The capital…’
I had thought I wouldn’t visit again until next year’s Founding Festival. It was a much sooner return than expected.
* * *
This time, I decided not to take a carriage and chose magic instead. It was possible only because I had almost nothing to bring.
The social season was already over, so there was no reason to stay long in the capital.
I planned to receive the title and come straight back, traveling light both ways.
I only brought the minimum number of people:
Marina to attend to me, Baratheon and Sisé for protection, and Rien—the one the Grand Duke insisted must always accompany me.
Just those four.
Sisé could use magic on her own, and everyone else would use finely crafted teleportation scrolls.
While I was away, Lucas would manage the territory.
“Don’t worry and have a safe trip, Danae. I’ll take good care of things.”
“Yes. I’ll come back safely with the title.”
“Good. Since others are going with you, I’m not worried.”
Lucas glanced at Baratheon and Sisé as if entrusting me to them.
The two merely shrugged with indifferent expressions.
“Well then, I’ll be off!”
With enthusiasm, I tore the scroll.
In a flash of rising light that wrapped around my body—
A tiny tuft of blue hair poked out of my small handbag.
“Blanche?”
At my shocked voice, Blanche watched my expression, then gave me a sly little nod.
“You…”
I leaned in close to the bag and ground my teeth at Blanche.
“What do you think you’re doing…?”
<How could I possibly miss the glorious moment when my king receives her title?>
“You could’ve just flown! This is a one-person scroll!”
<…Huh?>
Blanche’s beak dropped open in a dumbfounded expression.
A one-person scroll?
It was designed by calculating the exact amount of magical force needed to transport precisely one person.
But we used it on one human and one bird.
And the result?
‘What result? A disaster, obviously.’
As I let out a hollow laugh, a strange twisting sensation rippled around me.
I could feel the teleportation spell distorting completely.
‘Aaaaaaaah!’
Naturally, my head spun.
I was so dizzy I couldn’t even scream.
‘Things that shouldn’t fail fail, and things that should fail don’t. Why is my life like this?!’
“BLANCHE, YOU DAMN BIRD!!!”
With a furious scream, I was swallowed into an unknown space.
