Chapter 15
“Are you cold?”
“A little? But I’m okay.”
The chill of the North was not a natural weather phenomenon. This region’s climate had not originally been like this.
This was a borderland directly adjacent to the Demon Realm—the land of demons. The malevolent beings lurking not far away, constantly eyeing this place, exuded demonic energy that had turned it into a harsh land unfit for human life. Long ago, before demons invaded the surface world, Khaledro had been famous as a fertile granary.
Of course, the carriage was layered with multiple spells to block the cold, and I was bundled tightly in all sorts of warm, soft furs…
But none of it could perfectly block the cold brought by demons.
I sniffed and deliberately said brightly,
“A Northerner shouldn’t say they’re cold over something like this. That’d be sooo embarrassing!”
“Oh my, how admirable. Still, let me make it a bit warmer for you. I can.”
“Well, if you can, I won’t refuse.”
“Yes, of course.”
Smiling at my solemn tone, the marquis adjusted the magic woven into the carriage. Watching her, I suddenly remembered something.
“Oh right, Marquis!”
“Yes?”
“We forgot about this.”
I pulled down the fur to show the damp, messy stain on my shoulder where my clothes were soaked. The marquis sighed.
“Oh dear. I truly forgot. How could I forget this? Especially after Ron made such a mess.”
“It’s okay. It’s not a big deal.”
It really wasn’t avoidable. Ron, who was massive enough to feel overwhelming even when standing still, had bawled loudly while clinging to me. Others cried along with him. In all the chaos, I forgot to ask someone to stop him, and they forgot to stop him.
“Fix it now!”
“Of course. I’ll clean it right away—”
At that moment, a small flame flared up on my shoulder.
“…?”
Thankfully, it wasn’t hot—but that didn’t mean I wasn’t startled. Marquis Matilda had cleaned my dirty clothes hundreds of times before, but never like this.
“Marquis, this…”
“It wasn’t me. I was about to, but someone stole my turn.”
Who?
The answer wasn’t far. The marquis was staring through the small carriage window with eyes far colder than when she looked at me.
Outside, riding alongside the carriage at matching speed… was Ezekiel.
He wasn’t even looking this way, as if nothing had happened, which made it confusing—but if the marquis said he was the culprit, then he was.
‘What is he doing?’
I frowned. If he’d overheard us, that was understandable—he was strong enough to be beyond normal human standards. But what I couldn’t understand was why he kept interfering in my affairs.
‘Not that I know the reason. And I don’t particularly want to.’
“…The Marquis is right. He stole it.”
I deliberately spoke loudly enough to be heard.
“That mister is kinda weird.”
“Hm. Your Highness still dislikes Duke Ricardt, I see?”
Dislike Ezekiel? What kind of question was that? Even without the bad blood from my previous life, he was a man who hadn’t shown his face once since I was born. Honestly, I thought he should understand why I disliked him.
‘Though if he said he understood, that’d annoy me too…’
A memory surfaced.
“Do you think I need your understanding to hate you?”
I see. So that’s what that meant. That was the feeling behind those words.
To understand that sentiment only now… the world really moves in strange ways.
I shook my head and turned away from the window.
“Yeah. I hate him enough that I don’t need anyone’s understanding.”
“Hate” was far too simple a word to describe the horrific years between us.
“But he is your biological father.”
“No.”
I stubbornly shook my head.
“I met him for the first time yesterday. How’s he any different from a random stranger?”
“Honestly, I don’t particularly like His Grace either… but you don’t have to dislike him.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to hate him.”
“Why not?”
My lips stuck out automatically in a pout. When I did that, Mother used to tease, “Asha turned into a sparrow again,” saying I’d grown a beak. Then she’d scoop me up, toss me, tickle me. By the end, even if I’d been upset at first, I’d be laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe.
“I’m not saying you have to like him.”
“Then why say that?”
“But he is your biological father. And doesn’t that make him a rather convenient person to use?”
“…”
“…That’s what I mean.”
Marquis Matilda always kept herself impeccably composed. Even when smiling, there were times she radiated a blade-like sharpness.
Like now.
“Marquis, you know? When you smile like that, you look like a really bad person.”
“Yes. I’m well aware.”
Of course she was. Mother used to scold her whenever she smiled like that—“You look like you’re not on our side. Stop smiling like that.” And the marquis would always answer—
“But you know I’m on your side.”
“….”
Just like that.
“Your Highness, I am on your side. So I only offer advice that will benefit you.”
“You know he can probably hear all this from outside, right?”
Who would willingly let themselves be used after hearing it to their face?
But Marquis Matilda thought differently.
“That doesn’t matter. That person—pardon me, Your Highness’s father—is actually quite an easy opponent.”
“Easy?”
“Yes. Truly. Even if he hears every word of this, if Your Highness wishes it, he will knowingly allow himself to be used.”
What?
“I usually trust you, Marquis… but that sounds a bit much.”
It was so outrageous that I shook my head.
“I honestly don’t believe it at all.”
“That’s understandable. Then may I ask just one thing?”
Her brown eyes, which rarely revealed their depths, lost a hint of their smile.
“If someday you feel you could use him as I said, please don’t hesitate. Use him to your heart’s content.”
“…”
“You may not like the idea of keeping someone you dislike close. But that makes it easier to use him without guilt.”
“Hmm…”
I blinked, thinking over what she’d said. It had always been like this. Mother taught me how not to worry unnecessarily and how to stand proudly. And behind her, Marquis Matilda quietly taught me how to navigate the world more easily when Mother overlooked such things.
…And her advice had never once been wrong.
“Okay. I’ll remember it for now.”
I declared solemnly.
“I don’t think it’s very convincing, but… since it’s coming from you.”
“Oh my, thank you. That’s our princess.”
She shifted closer and pulled me into a warm embrace.
“The smartest and most capable in the world.”
“Even more than Mom?”
“Of course. Absolutely. My lady was an incomparable person, but…”
Her familiar hand stroked my hair. It was comforting. The drowsiness I’d pushed aside began creeping back.
“You have the potential to become even more than that.”
