As soon as Saquar disappeared, Kayan looked at me as if nothing had happened and asked,
“Is he a relative you’re close with?”
“Ah, no,” I replied, tilting my head.
“This is the first time I’ve had an actual conversation with him. He’s just always been like that.”
What does Saquar Tayen do, you ask? The answer is… absolutely nothing.
“Saquar? Don’t worry about him. When the Emperor asks him anything, he just mumbles irrelevant nonsense. During meetings, he’s so clueless and eccentric it’s almost unbelievable.”
My brother had also once told me something similar.
“He’s someone who drags down the honor of the imperial family, but at least he’s not cunning or scheming for his own gain. While he doesn’t contribute much as a member of the imperial family, I don’t dislike him—mainly because he’s so harmless that you can just ignore him.”
In my past life, he hadn’t influenced anyone at all, and I assumed it would be the same in this life.
He was the type to fall victim to some petty conspiracy and ruin himself.
The fact that he had spoken to me at all was no different than a passing bird chirping once.
“He probably just wanted to prod me for fun. Maybe he was bored, lonely, or restless.”
As I brushed it off, Kayan asked in a low voice, sounding deeply concerned,
“But did you really get reprimanded by the second prince’s consort?”
I frowned slightly at his words.
Why had Saquar even bothered talking to me? In the end, it seemed like he had been more curious about the reprimand I received from Anna.
‘But why? What could possibly interest him about that?’
Saquar and I had no connection at all to begin with.
‘Is it just meddling? Or does he enjoy seeing violent children being punished?’
Given how unpredictable he was, I couldn’t guess his intentions.
As I tilted my head, Kayan pressed again.
“So, about that reprimand…”
“It’s nothing serious. But shall we leave now?”
“As you wish.”
At my subtle command, he immediately began walking toward the rear gate without hesitation.
The maid and I hurried to follow behind him.
‘Huh? Wait.’
But as I looked at Kayan’s back, I frowned.
‘Now that I’m paying attention, the stitching on his clothes seems pretty sloppy.’
At first glance, his outfit looked luxurious, but the finishing touches were a mess. The fabric on the back also seemed oddly subpar.
I hadn’t noticed it yesterday because I hadn’t seen his back.
‘Where did he even get something like that?’
When we reached the rear gate of the palace in a rush, I suddenly froze in shock.
‘No way.’
A thought crossed my mind that made my eyes widen.
‘Surely… that can’t be the Barcklith family’s carriage, can it?’
But Kayan walked straight toward the creaky old carriage as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.
It looked like a rundown private carriage, without even a family crest.
‘This is absurd….’
I blinked, feeling a bit dizzy.
‘The Barcklith family was filthy rich, even if they didn’t have much use for money in the North.’
The North was harsh, but it was resource-rich.
Merchants from the empire constantly sought to obtain the North’s resources safely, often commissioning the family for such tasks. That was how Arthur Barcklith had first gained fame as a mercenary.
Since those resources sold for exorbitant prices, the Barcklith family was extremely wealthy. They weren’t called the “Lords of the North” or awarded the title “Mercenary King” for nothing.
So why on earth had they chosen such a shabby carriage?
“Did everything go smoothly?”
The coachman seated on the carriage was someone I recognized well: Hans.
‘What is Hans doing here?’
Hans was one of the knights in the Barcklith mercenary group and had been with them for a long time.
He was an imposing man with a burly build, a buzz cut, multiple piercings in his ears, and thick, hairy arms.
My timid maid’s mouth dropped open at the sight of him, her hands trembling slightly.
‘…Why is a knight driving the carriage?’
Of course, in the North, people didn’t usually ride carriages or personally handle reins, but still…
Even more surprising was that Hans wasn’t just any subordinate; he was a highly capable young man who also served as Kayan’s aide.
Naturally, I was on good terms with him. Seeing him for the first time since my regression filled me with overwhelming emotion.
But now, as a coachman?
It was so shocking that I didn’t even have time to feel sentimental.
“You’ve really been keeping us waiting, haven’t you!”
Hans leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice as he whispered to Kayan,
“By the way, you’ve got a kid with you. Did you kidnap some noble lady? The ransom’s guaranteed, right? Where should we take her—some secluded place?”
Kayan replied flatly,
“Stop spouting nonsense. She’s the Princess, so show some respect.”
But Hans, unsurprisingly, did not know the meaning of respect.
His eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed,
“What?! Princess Ivnoa? What’s with this glow-up?”
Instead of showing reverence, his loud and booming voice was filled with astonishment.
“I didn’t recognize you at all! In the North, you were always like a wild tomboy, but look at you now, a proper young lady!”
He threw down the reins, strode over to me with wide steps, and bent down to meet my eyes with a broad grin.
“Wow, it’s so good to see you! Oh, but your height hasn’t changed a bit! Does the palace only feed you gruel?”
Kayan, with a stern expression, started to address Hans.
“You—”
Judging by his face, he was probably about to say something like, “Shut your mouth this instant and bow to the Princess. The Ivnoa you knew is no longer the same little girl.”
But I stopped him, placing my hand firmly on his mouth and smiling warmly as I greeted Hans.
“It’s good to see you too, Hans. It’s been a while.”
It was clear that Kayan hadn’t spread word of our supposed estrangement; otherwise, Hans wouldn’t be acting so casual and delighted to see me.
Kayan slowly removed my hand from his mouth, looking troubled, before giving a terse order.
“Let’s go to the manor now.”
He must have judged that avoiding attention was better than bickering here in public.
But then,
“W-w-wait a moment!”
The timid maid standing beside me spoke up, trembling as she stammered,
“I-I think we should gather more of the Princess’s belongings first.”
It was obvious that she had concluded, “That household likely lacks everything necessary to properly serve the Princess.” And she was absolutely correct—it was a wise observation.
“W-wouldn’t it be better for us to take the royal carriage later, Your Highness?”
“No,” I replied calmly, shaking my head.
“But you’re right about needing to pack more. Why don’t you gather my belongings and follow with the royal carriage? I’ll head over first.”
“Y-Your Highness, by yourself?”
“I won’t be alone. The heir of the Barcklith family is with me. He’s been protecting me for 12 years—hardly counts as me going alone, don’t you think?”
The maid, lost for words, hesitated awkwardly.
I gave her a gentle push and said, “Then hurry! See you later!” She left with a bewildered expression.
“I’ll ride now. Let’s get going.”
Without showing any hesitation, I climbed into the shockingly shabby carriage.
But Kayan didn’t join me inside. Instead, Hans cheerfully shouted,
“Alright, Princess! I’ll serve you with everything I’ve got! Hahaha!”
Huh?
What does “serve” mean in this context? And why say it like that now?
Kayan shut the door with a firm thud and then climbed into the seat next to Hans.
‘What? Why is he sitting next to the coachman?’
As I moved to open the window in confusion, my hand extended into thin air.
There was no glass in the window.
At that moment, the carriage jolted into motion.
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