#169. Twisted Fate (5)
Unlike before, Grand Duke Volkov and his party arrived in Kalita without major problems. No monsters attacked them along the way.
However, they were not allowed to enter the castle immediately.
The reason was that a grand triumphal procession had been prepared to celebrate their victory, and they were asked to wait until the ceremony was ready.
Inside the stationary carriage, Sasha measured the tall castle walls visible through the window.
Pavel guided his horse toward Sasha’s carriage.
Since Sasha willingly opened the door, Pavel handed the reins to a nearby knight and stepped into the carriage without hesitation.
He sat close beside Sasha and asked,
“Bored?”
“Hmm… no.”
Sasha shook her head faintly.
“You seem deep in thought,” Pavel noted.
Sasha had been unusually quiet throughout the journey, lost in thought.
Embarrassed by his remark, she smiled awkwardly.
‘Guess it shows… I’ll have to be more careful.’
She spoke,
“Yes, I just have a few things on my mind.”
“…Don’t worry about the dark mage,” Pavel said.
It was then that Sasha realized she had completely forgotten about Naina.
“That’s right… I should be cautious with dark magic, too,” she muttered absentmindedly.
Pavel frowned.
“So… what’s bothering you?” he asked cautiously, watching her.
“…Is it because of the Crown Prince?”
Sasha flinched slightly. Memories of her first life and the lover she had cherished then—Ruslan—came to mind from time to time.
‘How did he know? Was that obvious too?’
Still, she kept her expression calm, hiding her inner turmoil.
Trying not to reveal her restless thoughts, Sasha asked carefully in return,
“Are you worried about the Crown Prince?”
“Yes,” Pavel replied immediately.
Sasha blinked, and Pavel explained with a pout,
“You were teasing me last time too.”
“Teasing? Don’t use such crude words. And you know it was all because of the artifact.”
“Was it really?” Pavel said with a self-deprecating laugh.
If it were anyone else, he might not have known—but he did. Seeing Sasha with the same feelings, through the same eyes, he could not be mistaken.
“Don’t worry. We won’t meet that often anyway.”
“But we’ll meet soon,” Sasha noted.
Pavel frowned.
Sasha couldn’t deny it. Once they entered Kalita, avoidance was impossible. She would meet the Crown Prince even during the investiture ceremony, and then, there would be no escape.
“I don’t want to go in,” she admitted.
Pavel took her hand.
He fiddled with her small white hand for a while, but his expression didn’t soften.
Sasha spread her fingers and intertwined them with his.
“Pavel, you trust me, right?”
“…If I didn’t, what could I trust in this world?”
Sasha smiled faintly. That blind trust delighted her.
“Then I don’t have to worry, right? I won’t waver for any other man.”
“That’s different,” he said.
“Huh?”
“I trust you, but I can’t trust another man.”
Pavel squeezed Sasha’s hand. Not intentionally—his emotions simply tightened his grip.
Sasha lifted her free hand and wrapped it around his.
“Trust me, even with that. I won’t give you any reason to worry.”
Though his expression remained serious, Pavel felt a sense of calm wash over him from Sasha’s sincerity.
They talked for a while longer, until the castle gates opened and interrupted their conversation.
As Pavel led the procession through the gates, the cheering crowd came into view.
“Waaah!”
The roar of the crowd reverberated through the air. They surrounded the Black Wolf Knights, welcoming them.
“Grand Duke Volkov and the Black Wolf Knights! They drove back the monsters from the frozen lands!”
“Look over here! Amazing!”
The knights, momentarily surprised by the enthusiastic welcome, quickly regained their composure.
Those accustomed to attention, like Nikolai, smiled broadly and winked, showing their presence confidently.
Pavel, at the head, received the cheers with composed dignity.
But Sasha felt something unusual.
The crowd seemed merely excited to see a spectacle.
There was no sense of relief that the war had ended, nor gratitude toward the Black Wolf Knights for saving them.
Since monsters had never reached the capital, people simply had not experienced the threat firsthand.
‘But is that all there is?’
Sasha looked past the dense crowd lining the street.
Others might not know, as it was their first time seeing such a scale.
But Sasha, remembering her past lives, realized that this was not the grand triumphal procession the Emperor had promised.
The truly extravagant processions and welcomes she had experienced were far larger.
Crowds stretched to the horizon, cheering so loudly that it seemed the air vibrated and the ground shook.
Compared to that, this was… ordinary, even somewhat modest.
At least, it was not the scale that would justify the Emperor saying, “Wait, it’s well prepared.”
‘Perhaps… the Emperor is the biggest problem with this Kalita visit.’
Sasha squinted, trying to gauge the intentions of Grand Duchess Natalia behind this.
Sasha barely had time to unpack their luggage at the Volkov estate when they received summons to the Emperor.
A royal guard came personally to wait, and Sasha, tired, quickly prepared to depart.
Though it had been only a few months since her last visit, the palace felt unchanged yet strangely unfamiliar.
She scanned her surroundings with unfamiliar eyes as they entered the imperial palace.
Yet, despite the urgency to arrive, they had to wait a long time before seeing Grand Duchess Natalia.
The longer the uncertain wait dragged on, the more fatigued Sasha felt—but it also gave her certainty.
[“Pavel. We have to be careful.”]
For some reason, it was clear that the Emperor was monitoring them.
The reason they could not speak openly was because the palace—or rather, Kalita—was filled with the Grand Duchess’s eyes and ears.
No matter how quietly they whispered, words spoken would inevitably reach her.
To be cautious, Sasha held Pavel’s bare hand (his glove removed) to convey her thoughts silently.
[“Let’s stay restrained and observe her intentions during this audience.”]
Pavel, resting his chin on his hand, nodded subtly, understanding.
After a long while, they were finally allowed to see Grand Duchess Natalia.
Following the attendants, they entered the audience chamber, greeted only by a silent, tense atmosphere.
“His Majesty will arrive soon; please wait,” said the attendant, his tone oddly imperious.
While Pavel frowned, Sasha gradually felt her suspicion harden into certainty.
After an extended wait, the doors finally opened, and the Grand Duchess entered.
“The sun of the Empire… we greet you,” she said.
Pavel and Sasha knelt, bowing politely.
Grand Duchess Natalia sat slowly in the main seat, sipping tea brought by an attendant before acknowledging their greeting.
“Hmm, it’s been a while, Count Volkov. Well, soon you’ll be Duke. But I haven’t held the investiture yet, so I suppose I may still call you Count?”
She chuckled, yet her cold eyes betrayed no warmth.
“Do not stay awkwardly; rise. Someone might think I’m tormenting you.”
Sasha, carefully following Pavel, stole a glance at the Emperor.
In just a few months, Natalia’s demeanor had changed noticeably.
Does aging make one feel the passage of time more quickly?
In less than a year, she appeared older and weary, yet met them with the same commanding presence.
“Hmm… despite the hardships, you’ve returned composed. That is fortunate,” Natalia said, blinking her clouded eyes between Sasha and Pavel before fixing her gaze solely on Pavel.
Despite the couple being present, she offered no proper greeting to Sasha.
Nor did she treat Pavel particularly well.
“The coronation preparations are complete; it will be held next week. You have nothing to do—just keep yourself ready,” she continued.
Though her tone was familiar, like speaking to a grandchild, there was a distinct sense of distance now.
Sasha tensed.
Grand Duchess Natalia was deliberately keeping them at a distance. At times like this, words had to be chosen carefully to avoid giving her an excuse.
Pavel, too, remained overly polite and composed.
Yet, a topic arose that could not be avoided by remaining silent.
