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Chapter 42
[Grand Duchy Extraterritorial Rights Special Clause, Article 7]
[If an outsider stays within the Grand Duchy for more than 14 days without the explicit permission of the lord, the lord may declare the person “illegally staying.”]
[However, if the lord has officially granted permission for the visit, this does not apply.]
This is it.
Carlos had never given permission. Even if he had replied to the royal letter, the way they didn’t even welcome the envoy when he arrived clearly meant it wasn’t authorized.
“Did you find it?” Damian peeked over my shoulder.
“Yes, I found it,” I said, clutching the book to my chest.
A laugh slipped out of me.
The next morning, I went for a long-awaited walk in the garden.
The weather was perfect. Warm sunlight, a gentle breeze—it felt like the tension of the past few days was slowly fading.
Then, a familiar voice called from behind.
“Your Highness.”
I saw the royal envoy bowing toward me.
Of course, he wouldn’t just pass me by.
I sighed inwardly but didn’t show it. A few days ago, I would have avoided him completely, not even daring to make eye contact. But now, it was different.
No reason to run.
I stopped and faced him, narrowing my eyes in a smile.
“Long time no see, isn’t it?”
The envoy looked slightly surprised. I wasn’t avoiding him. He must have realized how much I had dodged him before.
“Out for a walk?”
“Yes. The weather’s nice, isn’t it?”
We exchanged polite words. The envoy came closer, probably intending to walk beside me.
Audacious, isn’t he?
I didn’t refuse. There was no reason to.
We strolled slowly through the garden. After a brief silence, he spoke.
“Your Highness, it’s time to stop wandering and return.”
“Wandering?”
I tilted my head, pretending not to understand.
“You’ve been away from the palace for over a month. His Majesty is greatly distressed.”
Distressed? More likely, he was anxious about running out of refined stones. Since it had been a month since I met the Emperor, their stockpile must be running low. Sure, the royal family had plenty, but not enough to sell to the public.
“His Majesty misses me very much?” I said in a deliberately sweet tone.
I saw the envoy’s eyelids twitch.
“…Of course. You are particularly cherished by His Majesty, as you well know.”
“Is that so?”
“He worries deeply about your health. How much more concerned would he be with a daughter wandering outside?”
I snorted lightly. Daughter… the word felt strange coming from him.
“But it’s odd. Last time, you sent the First Prince to bring me, knowing how awkward I find him.”
“That’s because the prince is skilled at tracking…”
“Ah, so it wasn’t to fetch me, it was to track me?”
The envoy’s lips stiffened. He’d been caught.
“I really like it here. The air is clean, the garden is beautiful. Back at the palace, I never had time for a peaceful walk.”
“Your Highness, but…”
“And the food! The head maid here cooks amazingly well—better than the palace chefs, I’d say.”
“….”
“Shh, don’t tell His Majesty. I wouldn’t want him to get hurt feelings.”
I smiled innocently. The envoy twitched in irritation, unable to hide his displeasure.
Now I remembered clearly who he was. Before my reincarnation, when I was abandoned by the Emperor, he whispered sly words nearby. He was close to the First Prince and had never liked my half-status from the start.
“I’ll be staying here for a while.”
I stopped walking and looked him straight in the eyes.
“The Grand Duke kindly said I could stay. It would be rude to refuse, wouldn’t it?”
“But—”
“I’ll personally send a letter to His Majesty: ‘It’s so comfortable here, I’ll stay a bit longer.’ How about that?”
The envoy couldn’t say a word.
The old Lorea, the real Lorea, had this kind of boldness.
Fearless, confident, saying exactly what she wanted without hesitation. That personality had earned enemies, but now it worked in my favor. I could act naturally and no one would suspect I was defying the Emperor.
“Have a good day, sir.”
I waved lightly and turned. I felt the envoy’s gaze on my back but ignored it.
A few days later.
The 14th day arrived.
The envoy was called. His face still showed no understanding of the situation. Curious, he took a seat. Carlos sat across from him, I next to Carlos, and Damian at the door.
The envoy spoke first.
“Are you finally giving me a satisfactory answer?”
“You could say that,” Carlos replied casually, placing a document on the table.
“What is this?” the envoy asked.
“Read it,” Carlos said.
The envoy picked up the paper and began to read. His expression hardened quickly.
“This….”
“Fourteen days have passed,” Carlos said evenly.
“You have stayed in this territory for more than 14 days without my permission. Under the extraterritorial clause, this counts as illegal residence. Even as a royal, you are subject to forced expulsion.”
The envoy’s face contorted in disbelief.
“Grand Duke! This is…!”
“Have I ever once given you permission or welcomed your visit?”
Carlos smiled coldly. The envoy’s face turned red and purple, unable to hide his fury.
“A clause over a thousand years old! To bring up such an ancient law…!”
“Do you wish to disregard the Empire’s constitution? As far as I remember, it has never been repealed.”
The envoy jumped to his feet.
“His Majesty will not allow this!”
“Oh? Then tell His Majesty to be careful whom he sends next,” Carlos said, lifting his teacup calmly.
The envoy clenched his teeth but had no argument. The law was clear. Even a royal envoy could not break it.
“Damian,” Carlos called.
“Escort our guest out.”
“Yes, sir,” Damian said, opening the door.
He added, with a sly smile:
“This way, sir. I’ll kindly see you to the front gate.”
The emphasis on “kindly” was dripping with sarcasm.
The envoy glanced at me, Carlos, and Damian, trembling as he left the parlor.
Bang! The door closed heavily.
I finally let out the laughter I had been holding back, just for a moment.
“That was satisfying.”
“Not someone I liked anyway. I had personal grievances.”
“Does the princess even have someone she likes?”
Damian immediately teased me. Normally, I would have narrowed my eyes at him, but I just let it slide, feeling too good.
Soon, the sound of the carriage leaving drifted through the window. A little later, Damian returned to the parlor.
“He’s gone.”
“Good work,” Carlos nodded.
Damian flopped beside me.
“His face was priceless. He looked like he wanted to die in frustration.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Even on the carriage, he kept glancing back. I swear his eyes were on fire.”
“…Good.”
I laughed softly.
It wasn’t just about putting that snake-like man in his place.
It felt like family.
Carlos and Damian had stood on my side, in front of others.
Of course, it wasn’t out of affection. Carlos was fulfilling his duty to protect me as part of our agreement.
Yet, my heart raced.
For the first time in my life, I felt like someone was truly on my side.
I held my small hand over my chest. I could feel my heart beating longer and stronger than ever before.
