The captain’s voice was polite, but there was an undeniable firmness in it.
“Wait a moment,” Enrique signaled to Albert with a glance. Albert peeked into the carriage to seek Eugenia’s permission. When she nodded, Albert personally opened the door.
The captain approached and bowed his head to Eugenia. “Excuse me for the intrusion.”
Eugenia gave a slight nod. The captain glanced at the brooch on her chest, then looked back at Enrique. ‘So, he recognized the Fair Jewel?’ Enrique thought. However, the captain didn’t mention the brooch. It seemed like they had passed the first test.
‘But it’s not over yet,’ Eugenia reminded herself, taking a deep breath.
“You’re wearing mourning clothes,” the captain noted, his tone indifferent, but Eugenia stayed on high alert.
“My father passed away.”
“Is that why you returned to Harlant?”
“Yes. Last spring, I heard he was gravely ill, so I returned to be with him at the end.”
“I see. So, you’ve been here for nearly a year and a half,” the captain nodded as he meticulously jotted down notes in his notebook. “I have a few more questions.”
“Go ahead.”
“What was My Lady’s name?”
The captain’s next question followed immediately, not giving her a chance to hesitate. “Why don’t you have a maid with you or a nanny for the children?”
These were all questions Enrique had anticipated, so they weren’t difficult. She recalled Enrique’s advice: *“It’s important to answer confidently without hesitation.”*
Eugenia straightened her posture. Interestingly, as she corrected her posture, she felt her nervousness start to ease.
*“No guard knows the names of every baron or viscount’s family unless they’re the one who compiled the noble register. So, there’s no need to fumble or get flustered, or give them any reason to doubt you.”*
‘He was right,’ she thought.
But something strange was happening. Even though she answered all the questions earnestly, the captain kept asking more pointless questions, all directed at her.
‘What does this mean?’ she wondered.
His gaze grew sharper, more scrutinizing. Eugenia tried to appear calm, but inside, she was trembling.
The inspection was unusually long. ‘Could he have realized I’m a wanted person’ she feared.
In the city, people might overlook a wanted poster, but not here. The authorities wouldn’t want to let a criminal slip through the border, so they might have carefully studied those posters.
Finally, the captain snapped his notebook shut. ‘Are we done?’ she hoped.
But her hope was crushed when the captain spoke again.
“One last thing. Could you please remove your hat? I need to verify your appearance.”
Eugenia instinctively clenched her dress. ‘Why the hat?’ she thought.
It was an unexpected request. People in mourning attire were usually treated with care, and respect was paid to the deceased. This was one of the reasons she and Enrique had chosen the black dress.
But the guards ignored that completely. What they really wanted was to catch the runaway crown prince, so why were they so insistent on seeing her face?
Sweat started to form on her palms. ‘Have they figured out I’m wanted?’ she wondered.
She swallowed nervously and clasped her hands tightly together.
Meanwhile, Enrique had been watching the situation and frowned. ‘They’re going too far,’ he thought.
He noticed early on that the longer the questioning went on, the more uneasy Eugenia became. He had been hesitant to intervene, fearing it might draw unnecessary suspicion, but now it seemed like the right time to step in, even if it made things a bit awkward.
Just as he was about to speak up, a voice interrupted him.
“Mom,” Joshua called out.
Eugenia looked up in surprise. Joshua was staring straight at her, his expression determined.
“Mom, are you okay?” he asked again, his voice firm.
“Yes…,” she replied.
That simple word made her trembling stop, as if by magic. ‘I have to protect them.’ These children needed to reach the Duke of Herais’s estate safely and grow up well.
She took a deep breath, and a sense of resolve washed over her, giving her the courage she needed. She turned to the captain and spoke, her voice colder than she expected.
“And if I remove my hat?”
“…Pardon?” the captain stammered.
“I’m asking if you’ll stop with the questions after that.”
She didn’t bother hiding her irritation. The captain seemed flustered and didn’t know how to respond.
She continued to press him. “You’ve already verified my identification.”
“Yes, I have.”
“Then read the name on it out loud.”
“Lady Hari Tricen…” the guard captain hesitated.
“That’s right. I am Lady Tricen,” Eugenia replied, raising her chin slightly.
“Even after seeing my identification, I can’t help but notice that your demeanor lacks respect toward me. I’ve held my tongue because I don’t want to set a bad example for my children.”
“My lady, please, let’s just—”
Eugenia’s gaze sharpened, even though the veil attached to her hat would likely obscure it from the guard captain’s view, she still put on that stern expression.
“Let’s be honest here. What exactly is it that you find so suspicious about me?”
“S-suspicious?” The captain, caught off guard by her firm yet composed tone, looked flustered for the first time. He knew well that he had crossed a line.
“My lady, that’s not it, we just…”
But Eugenia wasn’t done. She swallowed dryly, mustering courage, and spoke boldly.
“You asked me to remove my hat? Very well, but not in front of you. Call your superior, and I will remove it before them. I will also make sure to report your rudeness.”
Her voice remained calm, but each word was laced with a strong undercurrent of emotion, which made the reprimand hit even harder. This was more effective than outright anger, as it exuded an authoritative presence that naturally made the other person feel smaller.
“And while you’re at it, bring a female inspector too. I assume you intend to strip me of my dress to verify my identity.”
The guard captain visibly recoiled at that.
“I-I would never dare think of such a thing!”
“With the attitude you’ve shown, it’s easy to believe otherwise.”
Eugenia was taking a gamble. What if they actually called in a superior or a female inspector? But she had nothing to lose at this point.
Fortunately, it seemed to have the desired effect. The captain’s face went pale. He realized that if he called for his superior—a sheriff or even the lord of the domain—he would likely be the one in trouble. The higher-ups, after all, would be inclined to side with the nobility.
Realizing this, the captain straightened his posture and stepped back. Standing at attention, he bowed deeply to Eugenia.
“No, my lady. The inspection is over. There was no issue. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
Eugenia kept her gaze fixed ahead, not even glancing at the captain, making it clear she was still displeased. This made the captain even more uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Albert had already closed the carriage door and drawn the curtains. Only then did Eugenia finally relax her shoulders.
“Whew…” Sweat had formed on her forehead.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. Were you worried?” Eugenia forced a smile, trying not to let her children see her unease.
“I’m just glad we managed to get through it.”
Meanwhile, outside, Albert had retrieved the passage permit from the captain and was already back in the driver’s seat, soothing the horses. Then, the captain’s voice boomed out.
“Open the gates! Let this carriage pass!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Open the gates!”
The sound of bustling activity ensued, and soon the carriage began to move again.
“The gates must be open now,” Joshua observed, to which Eugenia nodded quietly, holding her breath.
She swallowed hard. *”We’re really leaving now.”* The thought made her heart race.
She squeezed her children’s hands tightly. Though they didn’t show it, they were just as tense, clinging to her hand as if it were a lifeline.
“Let us through as well!”
“How much longer are you going to keep us here?”
“Everyone, calm down! Stay quiet!”
“Our goods are spoiling! Will the duchy compensate for these losses? If not, then open the gates already!”
The voices of those who were also eager to leave, but were held back, followed the carriage like shadows. But soon, those cries grew distant, eventually fading away completely.
Thud.
Even inside the carriage, they could feel the heavy vibration. Eugenia drew back the curtain to peek outside.
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Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Gon. Next post will be released on September, 5.
If you like my work please support Gon on Coffee.
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