Chapter 122
Leonhard noticed that Hestia looked worried and asked,
“Hestia, what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
Everyone turned to look at her, and she hesitated before replying,
“Um… it’s nothing serious.”
Hestia knew the future.
Specifically, she knew that the Second Prince would be assassinated, leading to the First Prince becoming king.
But this event had nothing to do with her, as it was happening in a distant kingdom.
However, the Blaze Mercenaries were deeply involved.
They were not just Luciard’s comrades but also an important force supporting the Second Prince.
If he suddenly died, what would happen to them?
Hestia only knew the major events of the future, not the smaller details.
While she was hesitating, Luciard spoke gently.
“It’s okay.”
He patted her shoulder as if he could read her thoughts.
“You’ve never given us bad advice. Just say whatever is on your mind.”
“Yeah, every time you’ve given us advice, it’s been really helpful.”
“Is there something that worries you?”
Feeling their trust, Hestia’s nose stung with emotion.
She had been overthinking things.
These people believed in her completely—how could she doubt herself?
“Actually, everything is going so smoothly that it worries me.”
Leonhard tilted his head.
“Isn’t it good when things go well?”
“Of course. But you should always be aware of how desperate a person can get when they have nowhere left to run.”
The assassination of the Second Prince was most likely the First Prince’s scheme.
“Even if the Second Prince is winning, don’t let your guard down. Keep trustworthy people by his side at all times. You never know what might happen.”
“Like what?”
“For example… assassination.”
Yovan and Brina’s expressions stiffened, but they soon laughed.
“Oh, don’t worry about that.”
“We’re not being careless. The Prince always has bodyguards around him.”
“Then that’s good.”
Brina and Yovan made a joke about how the First Prince would not go to such lengths.
But Luciard, after thinking about Hestia’s words, said seriously,
“Don’t take this lightly. As Hestia said, you never know what a desperate man might do. If the First Prince loses, he’ll be executed. He’ll do anything to avoid that.”
His sharp words made Yovan and Brina flinch.
“Especially in war, a moment of carelessness can cost you your life.”
“Alright, we get it….”
“We’re not taking it lightly.”
Yovan and Brina grumbled after being scolded, while Hestia felt grateful to Luciard for backing her up.
“You said you’re going to Larkrin, right? We’ll come with you. I was planning to check on the southern regions anyway.”
“That sounds good to us!”
“Tia, can I come too?” Leonhard asked excitedly.
Hestia smiled.
“Of course! This will be a good chance for you to learn about what Winston is doing in the south.”
“Yay! A trip!”
Even though it wasn’t a vacation, Leonhard was jumping up and down in excitement.
As he ran ahead with Yovan and Brina, Luciard leaned in and whispered to Hestia,
“I thought you were going to step back from all this.”
Hestia flinched and glared at him.
“Because you made a mess! I have to clean it up, don’t I?! And even if I quit, I need to at least finish everything properly first!”
“Finishing everything will take at least two months. You’ll be stuck here until the New Year.”
Luciard smirked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
His teasing smile annoyed her, and she stomped ahead angrily.
Watching her walk away, Luciard chuckled.
“So cute.”
His quiet words faded into the air, unnoticed by anyone.
Before heading to Larkrin, Hestia made a request.
“Can we stop by Byron first?”
“Of course, Hestia. We have plenty of time.”
“Thanks. Now, let’s see…”
She pulled out a map and started marking locations.
Their Duke’s territory, Chest, was in the center of the southern region.
Byron was further north, on the way to the capital.
Larkrin was located between Byron and the western coastline.
While checking her destinations, Luciard noticed something.
“Isn’t this the area that Count Humphrey recently redeveloped?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Why are we going there? You didn’t invest in that project, so there’s no need to check on it.”
Count Humphrey had once proudly presented a redevelopment project that had been completely rejected.
But later, during the Milky Way Festival, Hestia had deliberately mentioned it, drawing public interest.
Because of that, the project had been completed faster than in her past life.
“They must’ve gotten a lot of investment to finish it so quickly, right?”
“I suppose so?”
“Aren’t you curious how well they actually built it?”
Luciard saw the sly glint in her eyes and immediately suspected something.
‘Did Marlous mess up again?’
Hestia had learned one thing in the 12 years since her return to the past.
If she didn’t directly interfere, events would unfold exactly the same way as before.
That meant Marlous would eventually fail and face pressure from his investors.
“Right now, he’s probably enjoying himself. But let’s see how long that lasts.”
Hestia smirked mischievously.
Luciard took a step away from her, sensing trouble.
“Visiting all these places is going to take time.”
“Think of it as a chance to rest while we travel. Besides, Leonhard is excited.”
Luciard looked over at Leonhard, who was happily chatting with Yovan and Brina.
“So, what’s Larkrin like? I’ve never been there before!”
“It’s probably because Nobelli refugees live here that it feels a lot like the Nobelli Kingdom.”
“Lately, people have been calling it Nobelli Town. You can enjoy food and customs that you wouldn’t normally find in the Pastin Empire.”
“But it’s not that different from the Pastin Empire. The two countries are quite similar overall.”
“Oh, but the bread in Nobelli is definitely better! It’s light, chewy, and tastes amazing with jam.”
“I also heard that farming in Larklin was a success recently. It seems like the crops brought from Nobelli suited the soil there better. They say it was a great harvest.”
He was already excited, his eyes sparkling as he listened to their conversation.
Seeing this, Hestia and Luciard smiled.
“Well, you’ve been to Byron and the capital a few times, but you’ve never really traveled anywhere else.”
“It’d be nice to make some memories before you stop being his guardian.”
“…Why does that sound a little harsh?”
“Oh, please. You’ve been saying you’ll quit being his guardian every time you see me.”
Still, hearing it from someone else rather than saying it herself made her feel a little sad.
But Hestia decided to look on the bright side—this trip could be a good chance to make memories with Leonhard.
“Tia!”
“Young Master! Brother-in-law!”
When Hestia and her group arrived in Byron, the Frost family greeted them warmly, making them smile.
Especially Leonhard, who practically bounced with excitement upon seeing Eric, his best friend—his soulmate, as he liked to say.
It was the first time they had met since Leonhard’s birthday earlier that year.
“Tia, what brings you here without any notice?”
Anna welcomed Hestia, then asked curiously.
“We’re heading to Larklin because Yovan and Brina came, so we decided to stop by on the way.”
“Ah, I see. Well, whatever the reason, it’s good to see you after so long.”
“Oh, come on. It’s only been two months.”
“Two whole months! And in that time, my daughter has become even prettier. You could get married now. So, how are things with Sir Luciard?”
Hestia let out a resigned sigh at Anna’s sly whisper as she held her shoulder.
“I knew you were going to bring this up.”
Ever since the engagement, Anna never missed a chance to nag—asking if they were dating, if they had talked about marriage, or reminding her that people would start gossiping if they didn’t get married soon.
“Mom, for the hundredth time, this is a contract engagement. There are no feelings involved.”
“Oh, come on. Isn’t it time to admit the truth?”
“…Admit what?”
“Stop playing hard to get and take the chance when you have it. You know very well that Sir Luciard is an excellent husband material.”
Hestia’s lips twitched slightly.
“A man with that face, body, skills, and personality? There’s no one else like him. If you hadn’t been engaged to him, there would’ve been enough people lining up to marry him to fill ten carriages.”
“Haha…”
So that’s why she kept bringing up marriage.
Now that she thought about it, the way people stared at them during this year’s Milky Way Festival was more intense than usual.
She was twenty now, and Luciard was twenty-two. The childishness of their youth was gone, leaving only maturity behind.
Maybe that’s why so many people had looked at them with envy—and even greed.
‘Though the fact that the Florence siblings were among them is unfortunate.’
Just thinking about this year’s festival made her shudder.
“Mom, I’ll be stepping down as guardian soon.”
“What?!”
Anna’s eyes widened as she shouted, making everyone nearby turn to look.
Hestia awkwardly laughed, quickly covering Anna’s mouth and pulling her to a quieter place.
“Why are you so shocked? It was always the plan. Luciard can handle things on his own now, and we’ve almost finished the transition. It’s time for me to leave Winston.”
Anna looked completely stunned, her mouth hanging open.
Then, she quickly regained her senses and grabbed Hestia’s shoulders.
“What about Sir Luciard?”
“Huh?”
“What did he say when you told him?”
“Well…”
He made it very clear he didn’t like it. He even asked if I could stay longer.
“He wasn’t happy about it, but since I’ve been saying it for so long, I think he’s finally come to accept it.”
“You think he’s accepted it?”
“Yes.”
Anna gave Hestia a suspicious look, then suddenly smirked.
Hestia shivered.
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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