Chapter 8

A few days later.

In the end, the knights were punished.

Their punishment was to climb to the summit of the Pedrica Mountains, where magical beast sightings were relatively rare in the North, while carrying full combat gear, and then return.

According to Celine, it wasn’t quite painful enough to kill them, but it was the kind of punishment that could make them suffer right up until the moment they wished they were dead.

And naturally, I changed into training clothes, put on a thick coat, and left my bedroom as well.

I intended to keep my promise to receive the same punishment as the knights.

Although I couldn’t carry full combat gear like they did.

“Princesssss! Absolutely not! You can’t! Someone as delicate as you—……um, anyway, someone like you might freeze to death right at the entrance!”

I had no idea why Celine had hesitated at the word delicate, but our adorable Celine once again stood in my way.

I gently ruffled her round head.

“Celine, thank you for everything. You have no idea how much strength you’ve given me by staying by my side. If I don’t make it back, take the silver candlesticks and silver spoons I’ve hidden underneath my bed, sell them, and use the money.”

They were some of the Grand Ducal household’s possessions that I had secretly set aside just in case.

It wasn’t that I truly thought I wouldn’t return.

But I wanted to show her just how much I trusted her—enough to even reveal the emergency funds I had secretly hidden here and there.

Apparently, my sincerity came across a little too well.

Celine burst into tears.

“Waaaah! Princess! When you say things like that with that expression, it makes you seem like you’re not crazy, which is even scarier!”

“…….”

What was this?

I thought I’d just said something incredibly touching.

Why was she scared?

I shrugged, removed my hand from the top of Celine’s head, and stood beside the knights.

“I’m sorry, knights. You have to climb this horrible mountain because of me.”

The two knights seemed startled by my unexpected apology.

Yes, I knew.

I knew that these two, as well as the knights and servants of the Grand Ducal Residence, were not particularly fond of me.

I was already a princess from an enemy kingdom.

The Kingdom of Delmar—the kingdom responsible for the deaths of their comrades, friends, and family.

And now the crazy princess from that kingdom had thrown a tantrum to go into the commercial district, caused them to fail their mission, and ultimately gotten them punished.

‘They probably want to spit in my face.’

Yet after seeing me defend them in front of the head butler and the Grand Duke, and then actually put on training clothes and come out to receive the same punishment alongside them, they seemed more than a little surprised.

“No, Your Highness.”

One of the knights scratched his head and spoke awkwardly.

“Thanks to Your Highness stepping forward, it ended with only this much punishment. Given His Grace’s temperament, we would originally have lost our qualifications as knights and been expelled.”

I gave a bitter smile at his words.

“……That makes me even more sorry.”

“Haha, that’s not why I said it.”

The other knight standing beside him politely bowed his head toward me.

“We gratefully accept your concern, Your Highness. So please return to the residence now. We can make the trip there and back in a day, but Your Highness will collapse before you even reach the entrance to the mountain range.”

“…….”

I blinked in slight surprise.

He wasn’t saying that because he was looking down on me.

He was genuinely worried that I would collapse before I could even make it up the mountain.

The knights whom I had expected to hate me and blame me were instead worrying about me.

I was the one who felt bewildered.

Whether it was simply pity toward a crazy princess or something else…… I was grateful.

“But I—”

Just as I opened my mouth to say something, a low, chilly voice fell from behind us.

“Why haven’t you left yet? Are you saying you’re confident you’ll make it back before sunset?”

Varkan was standing there with his arms folded.

I had no idea when he had appeared.

The knights spun around as though they had been struck by lightning.

“N-No, Your Highness! We’re leaving now! We’ll be back!”

The two of them practically ran away first, as though fleeing for their lives.

I clicked my tongue as I watched them disappear.

“Oh my, how scary.”

Our poor knights were probably already miserable enough about being punished.

Why did he have to intimidate them too?!

I glared at Varkan.

He stepped in front of me and said,

“Princess. Why don’t you reconsider?”

“Reconsider what?”

“The mountains of the North are famous throughout the entire empire for being harsh and unforgiving. Even now, I advise you to obediently return to the residence.”

At his words, I flashed him a grin.

“Then how about making a bet with me?”

Varkan frowned at my sudden proposal.

“What kind of bet?”

“I can’t promise I’ll return faster than the knights, but if I make it back safely today, you have to grant me one wish.”

Varkan’s eyes narrowed.

“If it is something within my ability to grant.”

“Really?!”

When I brightened, Varkan asked,

“But what do I gain if I win the bet?”

Hmm.

I thought briefly before answering.

“Freedom?”

“……Freedom?”

Perhaps my answer sounded rather strange, because Varkan paused.

I smiled brightly at him.

“If I don’t make it back today, that means I’ve either frozen to death somewhere in those mountains or been eaten by a magical beast, right?”

“…….”

“The troublesome princess from Delmar will be gone. What greater freedom could Your Highness ask for? Then you’ll finally be able to choose a sane woman and take her as your wife. Right? So make sure you keep your promise!”

After throwing those words at him, I turned around and excitedly ran in the direction the knights had gone.

“I’ll be back!”

Hahahaha! Wow! Mountains! Snow! Snow-covered mountains!

Heehee, heehee.

“……Ha.”

Varkan let out a short, hollow laugh as he watched the platinum-blond head disappearing into the distance.

Once again, he had confirmed that the princess’s mind was not sound.

Her determination to follow the knights into the northern mountains.

Her decision to make a bet with him.

And even the way she cheerfully spoke about the horrifying possibility that she might die.

None of that was something a sane person would say or do.

Even so, there was only one reason he had accepted that absurd bet and allowed her to go into the mountains without protest.

No matter how excitedly she ran off like a puppy, that small and delicate body of hers would never withstand the fierce northern winds.

She would undoubtedly collapse and give up before even reaching the entrance to the mountain range.

‘No matter how warmly she’s dressed, that small and fragile body won’t be able to climb a northern mountain.’

At that moment, Lucas of the First Knights stepped forward beside Varkan and bowed his head.

“Your Highness, I will follow Her Highness the Princess.”

“…….”

He meant to follow the princess in case something happened.

But Varkan didn’t answer.

Varkan had no intention of simply letting the princess die either.

Although she was the princess of an enemy kingdom and someone sent by the Emperor, at the very least, he didn’t want her to die in the North, which was his territory.

He couldn’t give the Imperial Family an excuse to oppress the Grand Ducal household because of her.

Varkan raised a hand to stop Lucas from following.

“No. There’s no need.”

“Pardon?”

Varkan had already been unable to return to the Grand Ducal Residence for more than a week because he had been busy subjugating magical beasts.

The beast subjugation really had been necessary.

But it was also true that if he had pushed himself to finish things more quickly, he could have returned sooner.

In any case, regardless of his intentions, he had effectively left the princess he was responsible for in the hands of the servants and knights.

And now that he had finally met the princess face-to-face, he could understand, at least somewhat, how much of a headache she must have been for the servants and knights during his absence.

That was why he thought that from now on, rather than leaving her to someone else, he should be the one responsible for the princess.

Watching the platinum-blond head grow farther away, Varkan clenched his molars.

Damn it……

He tightened his cloak and stepped forward.

“I’ll go.”

“Your Highness—!”

“Don’t follow me.”

Varkan’s footsteps quickly carried him toward the mountain path where the princess had disappeared.