CH 81

“Sorry for the late hour.”

As the door opened, a silver armor came into view. The armor bore a familiar emblem.

“We are knights of the Kreutz’s duchy.”

Riett lowered the dagger she was holding.

The emblem on the armor depicted a Kanakan eagle, a symbol of the Kreutz’s Duchy.

However, she couldn’t dismiss her suspicions so easily.

Knights rarely ventured outside their territories. Even though they weren’t too far from the Kreutz’s Duchy, it would take at least a day to reach this place, and it couldn’t be a mere coincidence that they happened to pass by.

“We are acting under the orders of Duke Kreutz. He has instructed us to take charge of the security here for the time being.”

Duke Kreutz’s orders… Does that mean… the mister? But why would he send knights instead of soldiers?

“Here.”

The knight handed her a letter.

Riett unfolded the letter she received.

[To Riett,

As soon as I read the letter you sent, the darkness seemed to fill my vision. Thinking about you being alone in an unfamiliar place troubles me, so I have selected the knights whom I trust and cherish the most to send to you. Please rely on them without hesitation.]

Judging by their equipment, they indeed appeared to be well-trained intermediate-level knights.

[It may seem sudden, but I feel that doing this will bring me some peace of mind. I hope you understand, even if the letter is hastily written and lacks structure. I will visit as soon as time allows. Take care until then.

– Mister -“]

Lucas came over and alternated between looking at the knight and the letter before asking.

“Are these Kreutz’s Duchy knights for sure?”

“…Yes.”

Though the contents felt hastily written for some reason, it was definitely the mister’s handwriting. 

For now, as a form of confirmation, Riett planned to send a thank-you letter to the old man as soon as the day broke.

Putting aside her doubts for now, Riett guided the knights to a separate building. The building hadn’t been cleaned yet, which was embarrassing, but there was no helping it.

‘I didn’t plan on maintaining this separate building, but since the knights have arrived, I guess I have to clean it.’

With the current manpower, it seemed insufficient, so she needed to find more people to work.

After guiding the knights to their rooms and being left alone with Lucas, he looked at the separate building and spoke.

“It’s strange for knights to suddenly show up like this.”

“Yeah… but they are definitely the knights the Duke sent.”

Lucas stared at Riett for a moment, then touched his chin and spoke.

“Riett, are you being chased by someone?”

“Not at all.”

“Are you facing any threats?”

“Who would dare?”

“Anyone acting strangely in the vicinity?”

She was about to firmly deny it, but then she fell silent.

‘Come to think of it…’

Maybe there were some after all.

The emperor came to mind at once. Before becoming an exile, he had suddenly ordered her to go to the northern part of Parman to find the Spirit Stone.

It was too sudden, and while the Spirit Stone was important, there was no particular reason why she had to go herself instead of someone else.

‘But he insisted that I must go.’

Even though he knew she was busy with tax reforms.

When the news of the location of the Spirit Stone was leaked, he immediately suggested exile.

‘As if he wanted to send me far away.’

Riett’s eyes narrowed.

‘Evan is the same.’

Suddenly, he was wandering around Hemsworth’s back alleys.

And the mister was also strange. She knew that she was cherished like a daughter, but she didn’t understand why he had to send knights from the territory all the way here.

‘It’s a bit excessive.’

Especially at this late hour.

At that moment, Lucas tapped Riett’s shoulder twice.

“It seems like something is bothering you, think about it.”

Sleep well. Lucas smiled, greeted Riett, and disappeared into his room.

Riett also returned to the room and lay on the unfamiliar bed. Even though it had been quite some time since bedtime had passed, Riett’s eyes couldn’t close.

The emperor, who wants to send her away, Evan, who has been acting strange lately, and the sudden arrival of knights from the mister.

‘Is there something I don’t know?’

Along with the question Lucas threw, the night in the unfamiliar mansion deepened.

* * *

The curtains hanging in the room didn’t serve their purpose at all. Riett reluctantly greeted the morning sun pouring in without any discretion.

She barely fell asleep in the early morning.

‘I should ask Abigail to change the curtains to something thicker.’

Grumpily getting up, Riett was greeted by a dreary landscape.

Ah, this was the place of exile.

So it was natural that the housekeeper, Abigail, wasn’t here. She would be at the mansion in the capital.

Even though Riett’s body had been fine even after training in swordsmanship all day, it ached here and there just from cleaning for a few hours yesterday.

‘That’s why people shouldn’t do things they’re not used to.’

But such thoughts were futile as there were still household chores to be done today.

‘I have to clean the guesthouse where the knights are staying too.’

With the increase in the number of guests, household chores increased as well.

Although it didn’t seem necessary to have guards in a place as secluded as this mansion, it was still appreciated as much as the mister’s intentions.

Riett got up, tied her hair tightly, and changed into more comfortable clothes than when she was in the capital.

‘In the capital, I had to dress following the etiquette to some extent.’

It was a good thing to be less conscious of people’s eyes here than in the capital.

Discovering the good points of this place, the irritated feelings gradually subsided.

‘Yes, let’s not think too negatively.’

Bad thoughts only bring misfortune. Riett gathered her determination and went downstairs to the first floor.

“Good morning.”

Riett greeted, and Natasha smiled in response.

“Good morning, Lady. I’ve prepared breakfast, so please have a seat.”

The table, which had not been cleared after the late dinner with Lucas yesterday, was now neatly arranged. Instead of empty plates, there was a delicious smell wafting from the soup and bread placed on the table.

But there was only one person’s portion of tableware on the table.

“Oh, where is Lucas?”

“He said he had some work and left early in the morning. He asked me to tell you that he might be late.”

It seems like he went to search for clues about the Spirit Stone.

“I see, I’ll eat well then.”

Due to her hunger, the food on the table quickly disappeared.

After a satisfying meal, Riett stood up from the chair to begin her schedule. Just like yesterday, she planned to visit the nearby village today.

‘Oh, but before that, I should write a letter to the mister.’

Riett went to the desk and unfolded a piece of stationery paper she had. She quickly wrote a brief thank-you note and decided to deliver it and hire a local to manage the house.

After preparing for her outing, Riett went to the stable. Today, she planned to ride a horse.

The knights tried to follow her, but Riett insisted that they stay behind. Although she thought it might be good to let them accompany her since the old man had sent them, she worried that the unfamiliar knights might scare the residents. Besides, the knights’ role was sufficient to ensure the safety of the mansion.

Unlike yesterday, the sunlight was quite strong today, and much of the snow had melted. The cold breeze was also less pronounced. Riett used to ride horses during winter days in the capital, so this weather should be fine.

Riett went to the stable and chose a sturdy-looking horse, then set off.

Tagdak-Tagdak- Riding a horse was faster than a carriage, and it allowed Riett to experience the natural scenery of Parman more vividly.

The untamed paths, the rustling forest leaves, and…

‘Oh, there’s a lake over there.’

She unexpectedly discovered such a place. The serene lake surrounded by a distant forest seemed like a place where fairies would reside.

It reminded her of the Atrenta River that was near the Duke’s estate. Riett used to ride along the riverbank frequently.

As Riett was gazing at the lake with nostalgic eyes, she turned her gaze back to the road.

‘I should visit there next time.’

She made a mental note and increased the horse’s speed.

As she rode along the main road, a village appeared before her.

Riett tidied her hair that had been blown by the wind. Her nose was slightly red from the cold breeze, but it wasn’t enough to catch a cold. Instead, it felt refreshing, even cooling her mind.

Upon arriving in the village, Riett immediately began searching for a postman to send the letter to the old man. Since it was a small village, there wouldn’t be a post office, but there should be a mail carrier who collects and delivers mail somewhere.

As Riett roamed the village asking for the whereabouts of the mail carrier, people didn’t avoid Riett as much as they did yesterday. Today, Riett dressed in subdued colors and pulled the hood low to conceal her distinctive hair color.

Not looking like a stranger made it much easier to ask for directions. Thanks to that, Riett quickly found the village’s mail carrier.

“Is this the only thing you’re sending?”

“Yes.”

As Riett handed over the letter, a sudden thought occurred—about the letter left behind in the room. 

‘Did she send it to Evan, thinking I forgot to send it?’

It should have been torn to shreds long ago! Riett wanted to berate herself for not properly handling her thoughts.

‘No, let’s not think about it.’

Regaining composure, Riett turned her head and noticed the mail carrier watching her as if she were in a monodrama.

“Oh, you’re an outsider.”

“Ah…!” 

It seemed the mail carrier caught a glimpse of the red hair through the hood.

Riett worried that the mail carrier might change its attitude, but fortunately, he smiled.

“It’s okay. Recently, there was an outsider who behaved rudely, but not all outsiders are like that.”

It was fortunate to encounter someone who thought that way. Since Riett didn’t know how long she would be staying here, it was better to get along with the locals.

“Also, today a tree fell because of the snow, and a child was trapped. We received help from an outsider.”

“That’s fortunate.”

However, as Riett felt relieved, a question arose. Besides her travel companion, were there other outsiders here? 

‘Or maybe Lucas left early…’

While pondering, Riett asked the mail carrier, 

“Was that outsider’s hair color blond?”

“No, it was black hair. I’ve seen plenty of dark hair, but such jet-black hair was a first.”

Jet-black hair… reminded Riett of someone with black hair. 

‘He has jet-black hair, too, a rare color.’

“He also had an extraordinary face that you don’t often see in this countryside.”

And he was handsome too… But Riett quickly shook her head. 

No, Evan couldn’t possibly be here. By now, he would have arrived at the Aplen Temple, whispering sweet love to the heroine Marys.

“Anyway, he was an amazing person. Even when two adult men struggled, he effortlessly lifted the tree.”

The mail carrier reminisced, impressed. 

“Thanks to him, people’s perception of outsiders has changed a bit.”

Such heartwarming words…! When they meet next time, Riett should express gratitude as a representative of outsiders.

‘That aside…’

As Riett searched for a suitable place to hire help, she looked at the clearing sky and recalled the lake she saw earlier.

Yesterday, the cold wind howled fiercely, but today, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly.

‘Well, I’ll look for the employment office later. Maybe I should take a stroll for now.’

With unpredictable weather, Riett didn’t know when it would change its mood again. Without hesitation, Riett mounted the horse she had tied up and headed toward the lake she had seen on the way.

Upon reaching the lake, the serene landscape welcomed Riett. Dismounting from the horse, Riett took a deep breath, relishing the fresh air entering her lungs.

‘Ah, how relaxing.’

How long had it been since Riett went for a stroll? As the wind from the lake rustled her hair, her mood instantly brightened.

Although this place was a refuge, there were no hostile enemies or burdensome documents to reveal one’s exile.

Riett gazed at the lake, shimmering softly under the sunlight. Everywhere else, snow was piled up, and roadside puddles were frozen solid, but this lake showed no signs of freezing. It was the only unfrozen spot along the water’s edge.

‘It’s so tranquil.’

When Riett had a lot on her mind back in her hometown, she used to take walks along the Atrenta River, which flowed through the capital. It always brought a pleasant feeling to ride on a boat and stroll along the river.

For a moment, Riett’s gaze wandered through her memories until it suddenly fixed on one spot.

‘Huh?’

There was someone at this secluded lake.