Bandits, accidents, disasters.
There were, naturally, bound to be many variables on the journey from the capital to the western borderlands.
That was why, when Beatrice first heard the news by the Head Maid’s side, she simply took it in stride.
‘There’s no way the Knights wouldn’t be able to handle this level of trouble.’
The moment she heard the news, she had only one dilemma. Whether to follow the head maid Nao to attend the meeting or not.
Her hesitation was brief.
“Ria, you will—”
“I’ll go with you!”
If she was going to face the music eventually, it was better to get it over with.
No matter how much she reduced her professional interactions with him, she couldn’t avoid him forever while staying in the Marquisate.
‘I should use this opportunity to check things out, even briefly.’
She was wearing thick glasses enchanted with optical magic, and her hair, dyed brown, was far more frizzy, so there should be no problem.
‘Above all, these are items guaranteed by Her Majesty the Empress!’
With that thought, Beatrice naturally blended into the crowd behind the Head Maid and quietly took a spot toward the back.
It was a place where she wouldn’t stand out, but wouldn’t be completely excluded either.
However, her thumping heart—worrying about what if she got caught—lasted only a moment.
As Beatrice scanned the expressions of the people in the room, she realized the situation was more serious than she had thought.
“Did you state that His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived in person?”
“Of course. However, the Marquisate of Downer still refuses to lift the restricted access order.”
“Furthermore, Archduke Alec also left a message asking to reconsider joining for the safety of His Highness the Crown Prince. Although it is difficult to explain as nothing is yet clear, he said an ominous air hovers over the western border.”
“…Any word from the advance party?”
“Only… some of it. They say monster attacks are becoming frequent in the mountains and that supplies are running low.”
“…”
“Moreover, there was a report that while they were following Archduke Alec and the monks who had joined them, the Archduke and the others vanished in the blink of an eye. Contact was lost after that.”
At the grave voices of the knights, Beatrice adjusted her thick glasses and pricked up her ears.
Since their destination was the ‘Cursed Downer Marquisate,’ she had expected there to be anomalies.
After all, no phenomenon ever explodes suddenly without some kind of precursor.
‘But even so, this is a bit much. It’s already time for them to block entry?’
It shouldn’t have been like this yet.
She clearly remembered it being a season cold enough for the tip of her nose to sting in her past life.
‘If so, something else must have influenced it.’
Beatrice blinked and began to count the things that had changed from the past, one by one.
The cause of such anomalies was often found in unexpected factors.
‘Just like in mystery novels where the least expected person turns out to be the culprit!’
Anyway, there were roughly three major differences from the past.
‘First: our marriage. Second: the presence of Archduke Alec and Lady Valoa, who had no connection to the Marquisate in the past. Third: Clyde arrived with the Crown Prince and reinforcements much faster than before.’
Hmm….
Beatrice fell into deep thought, leaving the stagnant meeting behind.
‘What could it be? If I were to pick the biggest difference from the past, it’s the number of personnel who came down to the Marquisate…. Could the increase in numbers be affecting the curse? For instance, as the number of casualties grows, the curse darkens further?’
If the ‘patient of unknown cause’ she had discussed with the Empress was truly related to this matter, she could form a plausible hypothesis.
‘Or perhaps the Imperial Princess pulled strings this time too.’
Since she would know that Valoa Crawford had headed here with the monks.
The Crown Prince solving the problems of the western borderlands would be a thorn in her side, so this was also a distinct possibility.
‘Whatever it is, I don’t think I’ll get an answer until I investigate the inside of the Marquisate.’
However, the meeting showed no signs of reaching a conclusion.
It was natural. This was a matter involving the Crown Prince’s safety and potential friction with a Marquis.
“However, judging from this much circumstantial evidence, there is no doubt a major problem has occurred inside. Now, while we have room in personnel and resources, might be the right time to resolve the situation.”
“I agree. If we miss the window to solve something like this, the problem will inevitably grow out of control later.”
“I understand, but that is precisely why we must oppose it further. How can we send His Highness into such unknown danger……!”
The confrontation between the knights and the aides, each seriously asserting their opinions, was tense.
‘Whew, this doesn’t look easy. Will I be able to… enter?’
Beatrice cautiously rolled her eyes and began to look for Clyde, who should be sitting in this meeting room.
‘Ah. There he is.’
Clyde, as she saw him, was simply holding his place in silence even in this situation.
Listening to everyone’s opinions with a face as serene as a painting, he suddenly turned his gaze toward Beatrice.
‘Oops!’
Did I stare too long?
Just as Beatrice ducked her head in surprise, a familiar voice rang out.
“If so, first let His Highness remain here and form an escort unit. The number of people does not need to be large; a few including myself should do.”
“However, contact has already been lost with the advance party as well……”
“We can’t exactly withdraw like this, can we? Instead, why not set a time limit?”
“Mmm….”
It was the clearest answer for now.
The eyes of everyone in the meeting room turned toward Crown Prince Crowell. From this point on, his intention was the most important.
Tapping the table with his finger, he slowly opened his eyes, which had been closed.
“We shall do as Sir Dalton suggests. Decisions made without accurate information are bound to lead to the wrong conclusion. Clyde, it’s fine even if you only find out the state of the Marquisate. Do not overexert yourself.”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I may not look it, but I’m a newlywed, so I was a bit reluctant to risk my life. Now that I’ve heard Your Highness’s concern, I will prioritize my own safety over orders if it comes down to it.”
The atmosphere in the meeting room softened slightly at Clyde’s banter.
The Crown Prince gave a short, helpless chuckle and nodded.
“Fine. You take whatever knights you see fit, and as for the aides…”
Before the Crown Prince could finish his sentence, Head Maid Nao lightly raised her hand.
“There is someone I would like to recommend.”
“The Head Maid?”
“Yes. I recommend Ria Kruger, who is beside me.”
Beatrice stared at the Head Maid with a startled expression, then felt deeply moved.
‘Honestly, I was wondering if I’d have to climb a mountain by myself….’
Some of the aides standing by the Crown Prince momentarily flickered with a look of doubt, as if wondering ‘Could it be?’, before quickly smoothing their expressions.
“And that person is…?”
At the Crown Prince’s gaze, the Head Maid took a step forward and spoke on Beatrice’s behalf.
“As I mentioned a moment ago, this is Ria Kruger. She is a child I originally brought along as an administrative assistant and external investigator. She possesses magical ability and has a connection with the Marquis’s House.”
“Is she from the Marquisate of Downer?”
“Essentially, yes. She seemed so worried about the contents of the meeting that she couldn’t sit still for even a moment. I would rather have her pull her weight in the escort party.”
“Hmm….”
“She will be of help, as I have trained her personally.”
“Very well. The opinion of a local, especially one with a magical perspective, is important. Since the Head Maid guarantees her, her identity must be certain…. Clyde?”
“I have no objections either.”
“Good. Then Ria Kruger, I ask you to work hard as a member of the escort unit.”
“Ah, y-yes!”
Even as she bowed reflexively in greeting, Beatrice pressed down on her rapidly beating heart.
‘I almost reacted for a moment when she said I was from the Marquisate. Ah, seriously, I’m really weak at this hiding and concealing stuff.’
She really had to be careful, extra careful.
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