“Don’t worry about the knights, I’ll go to the mansion.”

“Yes, please. I beg of you, Your Highness.”

After smiling at Aven, Seira climbed to the driver’s seat. She greeted Baron, who looked at her with a complex expression, and Louis, who just put on his mask and smiled, and then rode off straight away.

The carriage was able to get out of the palace without much fuss, even thought it had no coat of arms to identify the family that owned it, perhaps due to Calrad’s orders.

She didn’t know why she was told not to stop by the mansion, so Seira only concentrated on getting out the imperial capital through the shortest distance.

She was disguised as a wagon carrying goods, and was even wearing a robe. Seira looked like a small worker so that she wouldn’t attract attention.

‘Most would think I’d rid Franto’s carriage home, but…’

To prepare for any possible attack, Seira converted the Moor given by Baron into a dagger and hid it under her sleeve. She knew that a second would be too short to respond immediately while she drove a carriage.

However, her anxiety was overshadowed by Seira’s carriage leaving the imperial capital without much trouble. Calrad and Aven’s countermeasures have worked.

‘What a relief.’

It wasn’t until she entered the Dews that she returned Moor to its bracelet form, with a sigh of relief. To be honest, it wasn’t easy for her to even drive a carriage and fight. In the worst case, she’d have to sacrifice the carriage and the horse.

Seira realized how risky it was to have no Aven stand by her side.

The road that she used to go well alone felt particularly far today. While she crossed the desolate land lit only by moonlight, she wasn’t lonely when Aven was by her side. But now that she was alone, she felt a bit scared.

‘Aven…’

She was the one who confessed that she liked him, but when she recalled herself looking at him with begging eyes, her heart ached again.

‘Clearly I have a heart…’

Perhaps it was because Aven got the status of Crown Prince. It was more difficult not to recognize her feelings for him, which she expressed for the first time without suppressing.

However, she also has her reasons. Why can’t she hold his hand no matter how much she wanted to?

He didn’t seem to know how sad the water on her fingertips made her when she wiped Aven’s eyes.

Rather than carrying the burden together, she felt like her feet were sinking deeply at the fact that she couldn’t even be someone Aven could confide in. She resented her inability to solve Aven’s problem, and her poor situation made her worry more as she couldn’t even take care of herself.

‘Anyway… I didn’t expect anything to change right away.’

Hadn’t she told him, too? If Askan recovered and her situation was better than it is now, perhaps he would consider it then.

So now, she just had to do what was needed step by step. It’s not like she was being lazy for no reason.

It was past midnight when Seira reached D-Ark. She parked the carriage right in front of the stairs and checked the luggage inside.

Heaps of hay for the horses lay on the floor, and crates full of groceries, clothing, and medical supplies were loaded on top of each other.

Seira carried everything into the castle except for the hay. Afterwards, the horses and the carriage were separated, with the carriage stored in the warehouse, and the horses put in the greenhouse that was converted into a stable.

“I’m back.”

As she greeted him, the spirit of Nathan, who was snooping around random crates, approached and responded.

Welcome home, baby.

Glancing behind her, he added with a disappointed look.

You’re alone again today. Didn’t you say you were getting engaged to Franto’s kid?

“Ah… that is…”

Seira remembered belatedly that she had said that to Nathan before visiting Louis to sign their contract, and she could only roll her eyes and ponder what to say. It was highly unlikely that she’d be engaged or married to Louis in the future.

“We decided to see each other more for now. I thought it might be best that we know each other first.”

Hmm… I see. But why don’t you bring him over. I wonder what kind of person my daughter meets.

“Anyone would be a disappointment to you,” she joked.

I can’t deny it.

Seira’s mood, which had been down, turned much better as she playfully spoke with Nathan.

Baby, don’t tell me you’re going to sleep without unpacking, are you?

“…I was going to.”

At Nathan’s nagging, Seira moved the grocery crate first to the kitchen. Then she piled up crates of clothing and medical supplies, and carried them to her bedroom.

Uh-huh, handrail in front, handrail!

She bumped and dropped the crates a few times, but she was able to tidy up in no time.