Iluca usually didn’t cross the border until a month or two deeper into winter. So, would Caladea really be able to maintain its forces attacking the Empire’s border after being blindsided?
If a country faces unrest at both of its borders, it inevitably has to abandon one. And between a border that hadn’t been invaded in years—ours—and raids from Iluca, which they had suffered for decades, the choice was obvious.
Thankfully, my secret letter tucked inside the envelope reached André without issue.
I felt guilty that he’d have to forgo the profits his merchant guild would have made, especially after the long journey it took to discover the value of those crops. But André’s response to my request was, fortunately, a yes.
My gratitude to my friend didn’t last long, though—I had to send him another letter to press him. Once the decision had been made, it all became a race against time. I didn’t know how long a small group of young noble cadets stationed at the border could hold out while trying to negotiate with Iluca.
Several letters were exchanged.
Just as I’d told Michelle, the letters I sent to the merchant guild were disguised as orders for the kinds of luxury goods any young woman preparing for marriage might reasonably purchase: facial massage creams, cosmetics, and such.
There was no way those letters weren’t being screened. But since their contents seemed completely mundane, Prince Zeta’s faction hadn’t made any moves—they must have thought I was playing along nicely.
Hidden inside various shipments of those cosmetics were secret notes, delivered in order, detailing how negotiations with Iluca were progressing and reporting the current status of the border where Sasha and Armin had arrived.
No one—neither my parents nor anyone else—had informed me of the situation, probably to keep me from worrying. But André’s information came much faster. Thanks to him, I understood everything without having to leave my room.
I cracked my knuckles. The sound of bone meeting bone echoed through the quiet air. While the news that André had finally persuaded the Ilucans was welcome—
‘We’ll need to move even faster now.’
I couldn’t ignore the reports of ongoing skirmishes. The fact that battles were happening repeatedly without a clear outcome meant things were at a stalemate. A diversionary tactic only worked if it was unclear which front to prioritize. But if Caladea were to suddenly move a large portion of its troops toward the border Sasha and Armin were guarding, then even if Iluca caused a disturbance on the opposite front, Caladea might just decide to abandon that side altogether.
“Haaa.”
Time had passed, and the ink I used to write the letter had fully dried. The writing on the envelope had vanished without a trace. Until it was heated by flame, it would look like nothing more than an ordinary white envelope.
I carefully sealed it with glue, folded it up, and tucked in a letter filled with trivial chatter.
* * *
“Michelle.”
“Yes, my Lady?”
“Send this to the merchant guild.”
“Again?”
“Yeah.”
“But don’t you still have plenty of cosmetics left?”
“I already used them all.”
Michelle looked horrified at my words. Who wouldn’t be, with how I’d been ordering those expensive cosmetics every other day? She must’ve started wondering if something was wrong with me.
But I couldn’t tell her the truth. The fewer people who knew about this secret plan, the better. If something went wrong, it was safest to have as few people tied to it as possible. That was why I’d kept this hidden from my mother, father, and Michelle.
“I need the goods quickly, so get it to the merchant guild as soon as you can.”
“Understood, my lady. Still… I’m a little worried. You’ve been spending so much on these luxury items.”
Once again, the presence of the apprentice maid hovering nearby caught my eye. As if I’d be so easy to fool—how blatant could a planted spy be? But if they were going to be this obvious about it, it’d be a waste not to use her.
I gave Michelle’s shoulder a cheerful slap and forced a too-bright smile.
“Michelle, you really need to let go of that peasant mindset. You’ll have to get used to this kind of extravagance.”
“Excuse me?”
“When I become the Crown Princess, you’ll be my personal maid, won’t you?”
“Y-your personal…?”
“Of course. Once you enter the palace with me, you’ll see far worse extravagance than this. If you’re already making that face, how will you survive?”
As I said that, I threw a glance at the apprentice maid. Just as expected, she’d stopped scrubbing and was fully tuned into the conversation, ears perked up.
“You.”
The maid jumped, clearly not expecting me to address her.
“M-me?”
“Yes. Come here.”
I handed the letter directly into the apprentice maid’s hands.
“Michelle seems awfully busy today. Why don’t you take this and deliver it for me?”
“M-me?”
“Well, is there anyone else here besides you?”
The maid’s face quickly flushed with excitement. She was probably thrilled to have the letter handed to her directly. Maybe she thought this was her golden chance to earn praise from her master by sneaking the letter to them.
“I-I’ll go right away, my lady! I’m not busy at all!”
Michelle’s face had turned pale, clearly thinking I was making a mistake. She waved her hands in protest, trying to stop me. But I answered firmly.
“No, it’s fine. You’ve been tired lately. You deserve a break.”
Then I glanced again at the apprentice maid.
“Well? It’s not a hard job, is it?”
“Not at all, my lady! I’ll make sure it gets delivered. Don’t worry!”
As if afraid the letter would be taken back from her, the apprentice maid quickly scurried down the hallway. I watched her go with eyes devoid of any smile. She really had no idea I was deceiving her. Unbelievable—how little must they think of me to stick me with such an obvious spy?
“My lady! I told you she was suspicious! Did you forget what I said?”
“No. I didn’t forget.”
I turned to Michelle with a radiant smile.
“My Lady…?”
I brought her into the room with me.
“Here. Deliver this letter.”
“Huh? But what about the one you just gave her…?”
“That one was fake. This is the real one.”
I figured it was about time I started drawing suspicion from all those letters, so I beat them to the punch by pulling this little trick.
The contents of the letter were mostly the same. The only difference was that the one given to Michelle had an extra “forgotten” item added to the order list.
But the envelopes were where things really differed. The one I handed to the maid looked completely normal. The one given to Michelle contained the hidden message.
Let them check the fake letter all they want until their curiosity is satisfied. The real message—the only one that mattered—was already well on its way with Michelle.
“My lady, please tell me the truth.”
“Hm?”
“My lady… You’re really Young Master Sasha, aren’t you? The Young Miss and the Young Duke went to the border themselves, didn’t they…?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“But… all these clever schemes—this is something the Young Master would plan, not you…”
Michelle’s bewildered expression made me smile.
“Michelle, just make sure you deliver the letter without anyone noticing.”
“Yes, my lady!”
After Michelle hurried out, I was left alone to calm the whirlwind in my head. I sat cross-legged on the bed, closed my eyes, and let out a slow breath.
I was pretending to orchestrate these plans as if they were no big deal, but there couldn’t be a single misstep. I had to gauge the state of the border—a journey that took over a week on horseback—based only on Andre’s brief notes. At the same time, I had to make sure the royal family didn’t catch even the faintest whiff of suspicion from my behavior.
And all of this had to be resolved before the Caladean army made any large-scale movements, before the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony took place.
If anything went wrong—even slightly—Armin and Sasha’s lives could be endangered, or they might be forced to return after I’m publicly named as the Crown Princess.
Neither of those outcomes were something I wanted to imagine.
Every day felt like walking a tightrope, draining my mental energy. It was a far cry from the peaceful daily life I’d once known.
“Whew…”
I had truly believed that in this life, all I had left to do was read books and enjoy a quiet existence far from the chaos of the world. But when I thought of Armin and Sasha, I didn’t have the luxury of complaining.
“It’s okay. There’s not much left now.”
I gave myself a pep talk and gathered my strength.
If the negotiations between Andre and Iluca were sealed properly, all of this would come to an end. Once Sasha and Armin returned, this exhausting situation would be over.
“I will become the Duchess of Grey.”
The words might have sounded like something a power-hungry villainess would say, and I let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh.
But yes—I would become the Duchess of Grey, no matter what. This was a love I’d fought hard to attain. Hardship and obstacles weren’t enough to make me give up quietly. That wasn’t who I was.
There was a man who had stayed by my side even when I was content to live a quiet life buried in books. A man who waited patiently until I came to understand my own feelings. A man who confessed his love for me even when I wasn’t demure or feminine in the slightest. A man who, despite how much I disliked complications, made me determined to become a duchess.
Now, it was my turn to protect him.
“When Andre contacts me, I’ll send another letter, one the prince won’t suspect. Then, to find out more about the border guard’s situation…”
I forced back the sudden sting of tears and began mentally simulating my next moves.
