Chapter 97

Chapter 48.2

Ten days before the expedition, I spoke in the presence of all the ladies-in-waiting.

“I decided to take Sylvia with me on the subjugation.”

While Duchess Nerma and Countess Fallon managed their expressions quite well, the young ladies-in-waiting opened their eyes wide. It was an attitude showing they couldn’t believe my words.

‘Such an honor to Sylvia?’

The most confused person was Sylvia herself. She looked suspicious that maybe I was making a fool of her.

“It was a decision made after careful consideration, and I won’t accept objections. You guys do your part here.”

I smiled, pretending it was a decision I had made to give them more importance.

“To make sure that there’s no inconvenience when I return, Duchess Nerma and Countess Fallon, I thought it’d be right to leave you guys behind.”

That alone wouldn’t clear all the questions, but at least there wouldn’t be any persuasion or refutation. I then turned my gaze towards Sylvia, who was still bewildered, and uttered.

“Sylvia, prepare for the trip.”

She bowed deeply to me.

And ten days later, the monster’s subjugation has departed.

Raniero rode his horse while I rode in the carriage. I thought I could ride a horse too, but he forcibly assigned a carriage for me.

‘I’ll have to get off the carriage and move to the horse anyway.’

The fastest way to the area where the wave was likely to appear was through the foot of the mountain range that separates Sombinia and Actilus. So naturally, it wasn’t a well-paved road, so carriages couldn’t enter.

‘Well, it’s not a bad thing for me to be able to get there comfortably.’

Even though I suddenly accepted Raniero’s favor without opposing, that didn’t mean I’d let go of my guard against him.

So in the four-seater carriage, Cisen, Sylvia, and I were riding in it. Cisen, who would have been talking to me if it were just the two of us, was quiet, perhaps because of Sylvia’s presence. At the same time, Sylvia didn’t say anything either. It continued like that until we passed through the city and entered the wilderness.

‘Huu…’

In the suffocating atmosphere, I decided to pull the blinds and look out the window rather than trying to lead the conversation.

A still-hot wind blew through my hair.

Cosmos bloomed far away on the plains that were sometimes rattled by gravel. There were also private houses scattered around as well. In addition, there were cultivated fields though most of them were cosmos fields.

There were a few tall trees, and through the mist on the other side, I could see the mountain range, which was the halfway point. It was quite an atmospheric landscape, but there was no time for me to feel that atmosphere at all. It was because the sound of the horses’ hooves was too loud. Of course, not all of the 1,000 punitive forces rode horses, although a lot of horses were sent out anyway.

For the same reason, I couldn’t even take a nap.

It was a tiring and boring journey. We mostly walked, rode the horses, and walked.

After three days of forced marching, when we arrived at the mountain through which we had to pass, ‘Gideful’s Cradle,’ I was most comfortable yet completely exhausted. In addition, because I had to ride a horse from here, it meant that I’d be even more tired. Although I was worried, there was nothing I could do.

The night before entering the mountain, I sat curled up in a blanket wrapped in a carriage that was due to leave tomorrow. It was the same with Sylvia and Cisen, but all of a sudden, Sylvia flinched.

I wondered why, but someone was approaching with a carriage.

When the guest immediately opened the carriage door, a blanket fell off my shoulder in surprise.

“Your Majesty.”

“Come out.”

He held out his hand to me with a brief command.

I took his hand and got out of the carriage. Glancing around, it seemed that the simple barracks were still being set up. I wasn’t even ready for bed, so why all of a sudden?

Then, he asked me with a puzzled expression.

“Do you like beautiful things?”

It was a pointless question. It was also an easy question to answer.

“Yes. Of course.”

At my answer, Raniero didn’t say anything more and just grabbed my hand. Bewildered, I took his hand and followed him, and he headed towards the mountain without hesitation.

‘The sun is setting.’

The worries that had appeared for a moment disappeared in an instant. After all, the man who was leading me was Raniero Actilus. He wasn’t a man who would get lost in the dark mountains, and he was someone who would cut down wild beasts without hesitation.

It was as I thought.

Darkness fell over our heads in an instant, but Raniero didn’t hesitate at all and climbed the mountain at high speed. I was the only one who had a hard time climbing the hill in the middle of the night.

‘How long do I have to climb up?’

It must’ve been about twenty minutes since I started to feel a bit dissatisfied with my breath rising to the tip of my chin. Unexpectedly, the sky broke open as all the trees that were blocking the view disappeared, and Raniero also stopped his steps.

“People like you…”

He turned towards me.

“You say something small, shiny things are beautiful, don’t you?”

Seeing the small shiny things he mentioned over his shoulder, I blankly took a step forward.

It was an empty field there.

In the pouring starlight, there were a lot of translucent flowers that shone bluishly. Those delicate plants all turned their heads to one side and waved when the wind blew.

“Smile if you like it.”

Raniero’s hair fluttered in the same direction.

He was smiling.

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