Freddy… no, Queen, the eldest daughter of the Lord of Bohemia, asked with a deep sense of anxiety in her expression as she heard her mentor Soul’s words.
“An important event, you say… Is there any way to know what’s going on?”
“I’ve heard that the Lord’s daughter is getting married this time. Because of that, the Emperor himself is in the capital. It’s an occasion that can be called a national celebration, so you, as my disciple, should definitely attend at least once, don’t you think?”
“Hmm…”
With Soul’s words, a heavy look of contemplation began to fill Queen’s face.
It was only natural that she, currently hiding her identity perfectly while staying in the Dragona Empire, wanted to avoid contact with outsiders as much as possible.
While she wished to focus solely on her training without concerning herself with other matters, she also recognized the need to minimize any potential risks of her identity being exposed.
What if she were to run into someone who recognized her within the Dragona Empire?
If her identity were to be revealed and this fact reached Bohemia, she’d have to immediately return to Bohemia or, worse, end up captured in the Dragona Empire as a prisoner, unable to continue living as Soul’s disciple.
For Queen, who had been living each day in fulfillment she had never experienced before as Soul’s disciple, this was an absolutely unacceptable future.
Thus, she greatly wanted to pass on this event if possible, but it seemed highly unlikely that would be an easy task this time.
Soul, who held a significant position in the Dragona Empire due to his powerful abilities, would be harmed if his only disciple were to skip such an official occasion.
This was something Queen was well aware of, as the eldest daughter of a count’s family.
In that light, she began to feel that, at the very least, she had to accompany him to an official gathering as Soul suggested.
However…
“But still… I can’t just take on such a risky situation.”
Thinking this way, Queen seriously began to contemplate the things she had to do in the future.
Honestly, it was a choice no woman would gladly accept.
However, having already made up her mind that it was better to choose this path than to be exposed and fall back into an unhappy life, she was resolute.
“No matter what happens, I can’t reveal my identity… The happiness I’m enjoying now must be protected by my own hands.”
*
After a very long journey, the carriage finally reached Castle Sophia.
Immediately afterward, I and Cazerose began to carefully disembark from the carriage.
“So this is Sophia in the Dragona Empire… The very place we planned to come to…”
Originally, after being exiled, I and Cazerose had been considering coming here via Bohemia and the Rhapsody Region.
However, due to the revelation of Santana’s identity in Bohemia, I ended up settling there, resulting in a temporary separation from Cazerose.
But ultimately, we had arrived here together as planned.
Although much had changed between us, including our identities and ages.
“Well, at least we made it. Thinking about it, this could be considered a kind of fate.”
Thinking this, I slowly made my way inside the Lord’s Castle with guidance from the attendants, along with Cazerose and Polena.
Soon after, I began to admire the sight of the Lord’s Castle, which was on a scale incomparable to that of Bohemia.
“Indeed, the difference between a duke’s family and a count’s family is quite significant… No matter how you look at it, Bohemia’s prestige isn’t weak, but I never thought there would be such a difference…”
Of course, considering that this Castle Sophia once served as the capital of the Dragona Empire, a royal palace, I had to take that into account. Still, I couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the sheer grandeur displayed from even the simple corridors.
“To think the princess came from such a place… Although it’s not surprising considering the image of Cazerose during her paladin days, it still feels incredible.”
Cazerose always found joy in serving others from a lower position.
For her, who was born with such a noble nature, the factors that kept others from approaching her would likely have been a significant discomfort.
“Really… I’ve felt this since her paladin days, but Cazerose doesn’t seem suited for this kind of thing. Having to mind social class and such…”
While thinking this, I, along with Cazerose and Polena, arrived right in front of the place where the duchess, Cazerose’s mother, was waiting.
“Is this the place?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I’ll go in right now.”
With those words, the attendant gently knocked.
Soon after, the door to the lord’s office began to open slowly, and along with it, I felt a deep tension and swallowed hard.
“I’ve heard Cazerose’s mother doesn’t particularly like me… It’s best to stay cautious and observe the situation.”
Though they ultimately granted permission for marriage, I sensed that things ahead would still be troublesome in many ways.
Taking that into consideration, I slowly entered.
And then…
“Welcome, Cazerose.”
“Yes, thank you for the guidance.”
The duchess looked over at me with a slightly stiff expression after lightly greeting the attendant.
The moment I saw her, I immediately felt a very clear fact.
“…Seriously… this is more like a sister and younger sister than a mother and daughter.”
Judging from the perspective of a mother-in-law, she possessed an exceedingly youthful appearance.
At the same time, it seemed apparent that Cazerose would look like this as she aged.
Aside from her reddish eyes, the duchess’s appearance was nearly identical to Cazerose’s.
Realizing this, I knelt respectfully in front of the duchess.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I am Santana Andreas.”
“Rise.”
The duchess spoke softly to me as I bowed.
Then, she looked at me and spoke calmly.
“My name is Kattlena Sophia Raymond. I am Cazerose’s mother. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I am truly grateful for this opportunity. Thank you, Your Grace.”
“Hmm…”
At my words, the duchess coughed slightly and momentarily showed a somewhat stiff expression.
Realizing that the atmosphere was not as good as I had expected during this first meeting with my ‘mother-in-law’, I began to feel a wave of tension washing over me.
It was not just because of the impressive atmosphere of the family, but also due to my mother-in-law’s obviously unfriendly demeanor.
I began to think that I needed to be cautious to not give them any reason to criticize me…
Then, the duchess calmly began to speak again.
“I’ve heard a little about the situation. I hear you are quite fond of our daughter?”
“Yes, that’s true. Though it’s a bit embarrassing to admit… I truly love Cazerose.”
Even though I was saying something pretty embarrassing out loud, I had no energy to beat around the bush in a situation like this.
Given that the duchess was already looking at me unfavorably, it was best to move forward boldly so as not to provide opportunities for them to nitpick.
And then… looking at me, the duchess maintained her uncomfortable gaze as she spoke.
“Love, huh… Such a nice word. But I wonder… can someone who was once engaged to another woman truly be considered sincere in their feelings for our daughter…?”
In that instant, the duchess suddenly halted mid-sentence as if something had caught in her throat.
Immediately thereafter, her face began to express a deep sense of shock, contrasting with the discomfort she had just shown.
“What… what the hell… Why… Why are you here?”
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