CH 99

“Anissa!” 

“Everyone!”

As soon as the servants lowered the drawbridge, the triplets ran toward me with open arms. I sat halfway and kissed the top of the heads of the kids who were snuggling me.

“How’s your body? You’re not cold?” 

“Yeah! We’re completely fine!”

Maslow grinned as he rubbed his fluffy hair on my neck. I hugged Rose and Riesling in turn before raising myself up.

“I’m glad you’re all fine.” I opened my mouth after carefully examining the condition of the triplets, who seem to not be in any particular pain. “Since when have you been able to move?”

“It’s been a few days! Yuric and Veronica went out for business.”

“So that’s why I don’t see them.”

Maslow and Riesling grabbed my arms and dragged me to show the newly built Nature. 

“Hurry! Uhm, but the palace is so cool that I shouldn’t get attached to it.”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean? Of course not!” 

Maslow, who had been eager to answer my question, suddenly closed his mouth. The child glanced back at Dietrich and then began to look around. 

“You know it, Anissa.” 

“Know what?”

I really didn’t know what he was talking about. Maslow hit his chest as if he was frustrated that I didn’t understand what he meant. 

“I’ll tell you later when we go inside.” 

At  Maslow’s words, I turned my head slightly to look at Dietrich, who had been pushed aside by the children to hug me – it was a little strange that he was actually pushed aside. 

‘What is he doing?’

A little distance from me, with a displeased expression on his face, Dietrich was having a staring contest with Rose who had grabbed unto my skirt.

“Dietrich.”

“What.”

“Can I go first?” 

“....Do whatever you want.” 

His aloof attitude of not looking at me in the face was disgruntling, but his gruff expression was the same as usual so I followed the children without much thought. 

“We wanted to make it white, but Lancel insisted that we can’t erase the history so it was built in granite.” 

Upon entering the castle gate, the majestic appearance of the restored Nature Palace was revealed. Although the structure was the same as before, and there were no major changes in its corners, the shiny black granite floor stood out. 

‘Won’t this make it easy for dust to accumulate?’ 

Now, there might not be too many servants, but I looked up at the ceiling studded with dark blue jewels and worried over nothing.

“Lancel was the one managing the castle?”

“Yeah. I heard Lancel is the temporary butler.”

“Who said that?”

“Lancel said so.”

I clicked my tongue in surprise at Rose’s answer. He seemed to have been reigning over the castle as he pleased because Dietrich wasn’t around. 

Speaking of the devil, Lancel rushed out from the hall connected to the garden.  

“Prin~cess~!”

Lancel, who approached me with his brilliant blonde hair fluttering in the wind, hurriedly knelt down. I frowned, feeling awkward at his polite manner. 

“Huh?” 

“You’ve finally arrived! I hope the castle that I worked hard to sweep and polish will be to your and His Grace’s liking.”

“Uh yeah. It is pretty.” 

After destroying Asmodeus’ fragments, Lancel had shown a favorable attitude toward me, but he had never been such a loyal servant. 

“When did you get back to Lagrange?”

“Of course, I came back as soon as the succession is over! Our family has long served the Lagrange.” 

‘In other words, he despised the daughter of the family whom they had been serving for generations.’ 

As I narrowed my eyes, waiting for Lancel’s next words, he hastily added. 

“I have been thinking over the time that you were not around, Princess.”

“Hm.”

“No matter how much I think about it, the real power of Lagrange seems to be you, Princess.” 

So now you’re trying to get on my good side, was that it? 

I stared at Lancel, who was clearing his throat, with disapproving eyes. 

“While the princess was in the capital, I repaired everything in the Nature and the annex buildings, and I also selected all the servants.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Of course, I consulted with Marilyn.”

If Marilyn allowed them, then they’re probably good people. 

Although Lancel’s sudden change of attitude was untrustworthy, it was also true that no one was as informed about Lagrange’s circumstances as Marilyn and Lancel. 

“Like this, have I not performed the duties of a temporary butler satisfactorily?” 

“Well, I guess. Let’s say it’s like that.” 

‘It’s up to Dietrich to decide on the butler anyway, so I’m not going to go ahead and say anything.’

I nodded roughly and followed him, whose head was full of big dreams like becoming the butler of the Grand Duchy of Lagrange. 

“What about Dahlia?”

“The Dahlia Palace is already so old therefore it will be uncomfortable for you to stay in, Princess. I have already prepared a bedroom for you in Nature with His Grace’s permission.” 

As if he really sincerely want to look good to me, the bedroom he had prepared was located just below the top floor of Nature. 

‘Is this the life of living in a grand duchy?’ 

Unlike Dahlia’s old bedroom, which was often covered in cobwebs and had no heating, the bedroom was decorated with gorgeous chandeliers and glittered brightly. 

While muttering that even though it was summer, it was chilly at night, Lancel operated the magical fireplace by tapping on it. 

“If you go left, you will find your own private drawing-room, and connected to it is the study.” 

“Study?” 

“Yes. 

“I already moved everything that’s in Josef’s lab in your study.”

‘He sure has a bit of sense.’

When I raised my thumb to indicate that he did well, Lancel blushed and scratched his cheek.

“Ah! I also took care of that ugly doll and brought it here. It’s your treasure after all.” 

It was then that I found the raccoon doll lying on the soft canopy bed.

“You’re right. Thank you for taking care of it.” 

I, who turned thirteen this year, had grown up quite a bit and so the doll didn’t feel as big as before. Patting the soft head of the raccoon doll made me feel like I’m finally home. 

‘I’m glad it’s fine amidst all that chaos.’ 

Perhaps the disappearance of Asmodeus and the incident of getting caught up in the successor’s gate were so intense that it felt like the time I spent in Lagrange was a distant past. 

“Anissa!” 

As I was lost in reminiscence, the triplets rushed into the room without even catching their breaths. Unlike earlier, the children were carrying small backpacks one by one. 

“What’s that?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?” 

Rose pouted as if she was really upset and hugged her bag to herself. Riesling stared me down and added to the words of his sister. 

“Did you forget? We were supposed to leave Lagrange together.”

“Ah.” 

We did, right. 

That was the original plan. 

I had thought that Dietrich wouldn’t follow my ambitious plan to defeat Asmodeus and lift the shadow curse on Lagrange.  

When I thought of Dietrich, who had even decided to die alone for me, the thought of that plan at that time pricks my conscience. 

“The preparations are ready. We already talked to Lorraine and have a carriage ready.” 

“Now that Dietrich is already the Grand Duke, our constraints are also lifted. We can now leave Lagrange!”

The children clapped their hands excitedly at the thought of leaving the place they were born for the first time in their lives. Seeing even Riesling blushing, who was always a little bit aloof, made my heart ache. 

‘They must have been so sick of this castle.’ 

As soon as they were aware of their surroundings, they had to fight to the death with their siblings, of course, it’s obvious they would hate it here. 

“Do you want to leave Lagrange?”

“Isn’t that natural? Mother ran away and left us, and we also don’t know when Dietrich will kill us.” 

“No, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“How so?”

“Dietrich isn’t someone who will harm you.” 

As if they couldn’t understand me, the children only looked at me with rabbit-like eyes. 

I was the one who told them to watch out for Dietrich, who had returned from war, so I sighed from my mixed feelings. 

“Anyway, we don’t have time, Anissa.”

“That’s right. Dietrich just came back from the capital so he must be busy. Now is our time to run.” 

The triplets collectively spoke of escaping and crawled as they pleased under my bed. 

Soon, along with a groan, they produced a familiar box in their hands. 

‘My escape box…!’

“We hid it here in advance! Aren’t we good?” 

Maslow looked back at me with a proud smile on his face. I carefully lifted the lid of the box. 

‘Everything’s here.’ 

The pack in the box was simple, but everything necessary for a short trip was provided.

A map of the continent with places to hide, extra clothes, a purse for money, and some jewels. 

“Isn’t this yours, Anissa? Didn’t you leave it with Lorraine to run away with us?” 

“Uh yeah. I did.”

‘I was thinking of going to the gambling house to pick it up but I guess this saves me the hassle.’

“Gasp!”

Rose, who was looking at the box with me, covered her mouth with both of her hands. I grabbed the child who had turned pale white with wide eyes that looked like a rabbit being preyed on. 

“What’s wrong, Rose?” 

The children suddenly trembled and hid behind me. When I turned around wondering, I saw eyes glaring at me, burning more brightly than the embers that were burning in the fireplace.

“.....Dietrich?”