“We must do our best to arrest on the spot. We should deploy our troops with that in mind.”
“I don’t know how fast they are… I’ll tell you to spread the troops as much as possible.”
“Hmm. If one attempt doesn’t work, we have to try multiple times to catch them.”
“Yes.”
Bowing slightly to finish his greeting, Matthias hurried to relay Karl’s commands. Today or tomorrow, he would reach a conclusion regarding Franz one way or another.
He hoped to quickly find out Celeste’s location from Franz. Karl clenched and relaxed his fists. His anxious heart kept making him tense.
Though he tried not to, the fear and anxiety of not knowing news about Celeste continued to disturb him.
Feeling anxious alone wouldn’t resolve anything. The best way to overcome anxiety was to find a solution.
“Even though I know well…”
What he understands in his mind and reality are different. However, when it came to executing plans, he was far more accustomed to success than failure.
He always accomplished his goals, and he could take pride in the fact that the process considered both rationality and efficiency.
This time, just like always, he believed he could save Celeste. Yet, despite that thought, anxiety seeped through his entire being.
“Personal emotions provide no help in performing tasks. If swayed by emotions, it’s easy to mess up.”
This was the fundamental rule to remind himself of before undertaking anything. Karl muttered those same words a few more times and gazed down at his damp palms.
“It’s really unusual to see myself like this.”
He felt strange losing his composure. Karl forced a wry smile.
Once he decided to marry Celeste, or perhaps even long before that, he had been doing many things that were far from his usual self.
Looking back, there were many nonsensical moments. The memories of unremembered nights and having a child…
“…Enough with the reminiscence.”
As his thoughts drifted toward Valerie, Karl quickly organized his mind. It’s not good to let thoughts lean to one side.
Unless he could come up with a clear solution at the end of those thoughts, it was time to act rather than just think.
Two hours later, Karl received unbelievable news from Matthias, who rushed in urgently.
***
The majesty of the carriage racing with the magic stones was incredible. Was it similar to the speed of an airplane? It felt more like flying than running.
Sitting in the fast-moving carriage, I tightly closed my eyes to calm my churning stomach.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
At Clovis’s worried voice, I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was him bandaging one arm, and I almost laughed.
“It’s clear to anyone that I look much better than you do. Don’t worry.”
“Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
“A bit… but I’m fine. A little nausea isn’t enough to make me uncomfortable compared to what everyone else is going through.”
I wasn’t just saying that to reassure everyone; I was genuinely in the best condition among all of us here.
Even though I had used healing magic to stabilize the detectives’ conditions, it was only enough to not severely hinder our fast movement.
Since the magic stones couldn’t be used indefinitely, Minister Linke decided to use healing magic in an emergency but suggested proper treatment upon returning to the capital. That made sense.
Moreover, considering that the magic stones were illegally gathered by Marina and Franz, we had to worry about their potential power and side effects.
“Now… you just need to endure for about two more hours.”
“Two hours? Aren’t we heading to the capital, Lahart?”
“We are heading to Lahart.”
A carriage powered by magic stones was truly amazing. I was left speechless. Once again astonished by the boosters’ power, I hurriedly looked at the fading landscape outside the window.
The breathtaking scenery zipped by so fast that I couldn’t distinguish anything. I felt I might get more nauseous if I kept staring outside, so I turned my head away.
“Considering the condition of Your Highness, we didn’t use much magic stone while racing from the capital, but now we are focusing on arriving in Lahart as quickly as possible. Please forgive us, Your Highness.”
Linke added with a worried explanation.
“It’s fine, so don’t worry about me.”
I meant it. How could I complain about nausea in front of people with broken limbs and bleeding wounds?
What was I to do about these loyal knights worrying over me while suffering much more serious injuries? Linke was the same. To put them at ease, I forced a smile.
“Though we wound around, we’re heading to where we need to be.”
I hurriedly changed the topic. It seemed like Linke caught onto my intentions as he nodded and turned his gaze away.
“Though late, this is… the moment we head towards our original destination.”
I nodded along with him, hoping that when I get off this carriage, I would be able to see Karl’s face again.
***
The carriage, racing at supersonic speeds, was completely steady. It felt just like being on a maglev train.
As I sat there for a while, I gradually adapted to even the slightest movements. Eventually, the gentle rocking began to lull me to sleep.
If Leev and Lady Cecilia had been there, they would have excitedly exclaimed, “You get sleepy in the early stages of pregnancy!”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t even had the chance to ask where Leev, Cecilia, Hannah, and Kendrick had gone, as I was too flustered.
‘I should ask…’
I thought about it, but I couldn’t overcome the overwhelming sleepiness.
I barely managed to move my lips to ask, “What happened to the people of the Count’s family?” but I couldn’t tell if that was a dream or reality, and I eventually drifted off to sleep.
I hadn’t realized how extreme my fatigue was due to the stress I had endured. I didn’t even have a moment to dream, falling asleep without knowing I had done so.
How much time passed like that? Suddenly, my body lurched, and my head dropped down. Startled, I opened my eyes to see people murmuring inside the halted carriage.
“What’s going on?”
It felt reminiscent of the previous incident. The situation was similar to the time we had been ambushed by Franz and his gang on the way to Rahat from the Grand Duke’s castle.
“The carriage has stopped.”
“Is it an attack?”
My tongue began to dry. My body, remembering that time, instinctively sent danger signals. Just as anxiety rose to my throat, Clovis’s lips curled into a confident smile.
“No, it’s a guard!”
“A guard…?”
“Please look over there, Your Grace. All the knights are wearing the royal investigation unit’s armor.”
Beyond the window that Clovis pointed to, there were people, clad in golden armor, exactly as he described, a sight that felt oddly familiar.
“Oh, my goodness.”
My legs went weak, and I almost collapsed.
In the brief seconds it took to wake up and hear Clovis’s explanation, I had worried whether we were being attacked again or if I was being pulled back into that dark lair.
“Your Grace, you have endured much. We will now escort you safely to the palace.”
The carriage door opened. With a trembling heart, I slowly leaned out, and the knights’ thunderous shouts shook the ground.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duchess! Welcome to LaHart!”
With Clovis’s support, I stepped down, placing one foot on the ground, finally feeling real. I had truly returned to LaHart.
“LaHart… I’ve really arrived.”
I recalled the first time I saw the royal investigation team in Wrentum, boarding the train that brought me to LaHart.
At that time, a massive number of knights in golden armor welcomed me, or rather, welcomed Karl. Though back then, I was a potential suspect, now, as the Grand Duchess, my position had drastically changed.
“Nice to see…”
I attempted to say how nice it was, but my words caught in my throat, emotion overwhelming me. Noticing my struggle, Clovis stepped in to greet the royal investigation knights on my behalf.
“Thank you for coming this far. From now on, you will escort Her Highness, the Grand Duchess, to the palace.”
“Yes, Captain!”
“No matter what happens, you must protect Her Highness, the Grand Duchess. Ensure her safety and speed in escorting her.”
“Yes, Captain!”
A roar like thunder echoed in response.
“Your Highness, this way, please.”
A much larger and sturdier carriage waited behind the knights, far from the one I rode from Marina’s estate.
“We’ve prepared the best disguise for the carriage to conceal the Grand Duchess’s movements. Please forgive our rudeness.”
“I understand. That’s not important, so let’s move quickly.”
It seemed the investigation team had prepared a military carriage typically used for transporting goods. What did it matter? I was going home. My heart raced.
