IBWMD 129

~Chapter 129~

I sighed when I saw the letter.

“And whatever is happening here… they probably already knew about it over there.”

“Even the Pope sent the Knights’ Captain in advance, knowing something would happen.”

They must have set up traps ahead of time. And they likely had people ready to report everything back.

Now I understood why they specifically sent Captain Ista and the Holy Knights.

“Their original plan was probably the opposite—to accuse the Grand Duke of abandoning his lands while guarding the frontlines.”

The Holy Knights would act as witnesses, then swoop in to “save” the Grand Duke’s territory, shaping public opinion.

“They would spread the story that when the Grand Duke wasn’t here, it was the Pope’s knights who protected the people.”

Why Karl had returned so quickly, they couldn’t figure out—but to them, this was still an opportunity.

The attackers’ words proved they hadn’t expected the Duke to already be here.

Thanks to that, their plan failed, and all they could do was send this ridiculous letter. But who knew? The rumors in the capital might already be spreading out of control.

Still, something else was far more serious.

“This isn’t from the Pope—it’s a summons directly from the Emperor.”

Since when were the two of them working together?

The Pope alone was already trouble enough. But now the Emperor too?

Where was this all heading?

“Damn it.”

If only I could remember more from the later parts of the original story. Or at least, if I had read all the way to the ending before being reincarnated. That would’ve been useful.

The situation wasn’t good.

“Elaine.”

While I was buried in troubled thoughts, Reina spoke, watching me with uneasy eyes.

“This date…”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“They want you to appear in the capital within three days? That’s…”

“Physically impossible with the distance.”

What kind of bastards set this up?!

I rubbed my forehead harshly. And not just because of the date.

“…Besides, unless the Duke wakes up, there’s no way to even respond to this summons.”

From behind Reina, Bess added carefully.

The mood grew heavy.

Yes. Karl still hadn’t woken up.

No one knew what the problem was.

Even the physician couldn’t find the cause, and the only one who might know—Eyeball—still hadn’t returned.

“And there’s still the risk of monster attacks.”

I added, making the atmosphere even heavier.

But it wasn’t like I could just sit and do nothing.

I couldn’t let Saint Portu be branded as traitor land.

And if Karl was declared a traitor, there would only be one outcome.

“If they call him a traitor, Karl will be executed.”

Like hell I’d let that happen.

How dare they touch my husband with such dirty tricks?

I let out a breath, then raised my head.

My mind was already made up.

“That’s why—I’ll go.”

“…You?”

“The Duchess?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to me, but I repeated it calmly.

“I’ll go to the capital myself.”

“Elaine.”

Captain Ista was the first to object.

“This summons is most likely a trap.”

“That’s right, Duchess. The moment you respond, they could take you hostage in the capital.”

“You’re my sister. I won’t send you into danger!”

“He’s right, my lady!”

As the voices grew louder, I raised my hand high, signaling them to quiet down.

“Hold on. Did I ever say I’d officially answer the summons in the Duke’s place?”

“…Didn’t you?”

“Of course not.”

Why would I fall for their cheap tricks?

“I’m going there to stab them in the back.”

“…”

“I’m going to smash their heads flat.”

“How…?”

“I’ll sneak into the temple—and expose the Pope’s schemes for all to see.”

And that was my plan.

After that, things moved quickly.
There was nothing more for me to argue about.

“I’ll take you with me, hiding you as I return to the capital.”

“Reina?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll just say I couldn’t even enter Saint Portu and turned back because of monsters.”

“I’ll pretend to be Lady Reina’s maid.”

“We’ll stay here to guard the Grand Duke’s territory.”

At first, people were worried, but in the end, they supported me.
The only difficult part was persuading Captain Ista.

“I’ll go too.”

“Captain, you should stay here in case of an emergency.”

“An emergency?”

“If monsters come while the Duke is still bedridden, the Holy Knights need to be ready to act.”

Of course, that could make people question why the Duke wasn’t fighting, even in Saint Portu…

But still—

“It’s better than people dying because no one stopped the monsters.”

That was my reasoning.
And surprisingly, the Captain found a creative solution.

“Then Zion, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Huh?! Me, sir?”

…He just dumped everything on Zion.
For someone like the model student Captain, that was a pretty creative approach.

“From what I read in the letter, you already had doubts about the Saint Portu Holy Knights.”

“Well… yes, but—”

“Then here’s your chance. You can train those clueless new recruits into proper holy knights.”

He even casually brought up the plan of mass-producing “glasses gorillas” — something the poor recruits deserved sympathy for.

Zion’s eyes practically sparkled at the idea.
Well, he was a veteran knight, so I also agreed he could serve as acting captain.

“Now I can go too, right, Elaine?”

“Fine. But don’t travel with us. Leave separately.”

“Why?”

“Because handsome men and beautiful women attract attention.”

“…”

“Even one is enough to stand out. Two together is too much.”

That’s why I kept Reina and the Captain from traveling as one group.

“But if we hide our faces—”

“Covering too much looks suspicious. Covering half still makes beauty stand out.”

I felt sorry for the Captain, who clearly suffered separation anxiety from Reina. But I couldn’t take that risk.

“I’m not joking about this.”

People don’t remember ugly faces, but they remember beautiful and handsome ones for a long time.
Especially handsome men.

“There are plenty of dressed-up pretty women, but men like that are rare.”

And since we were sneaking in quietly, attention was the last thing I wanted.

Still, leaving Saint Portu was dangerous.
So I asked for a few trustworthy escorts or holy knights to come along.
After all, while I was hiding, Reina and Bess couldn’t exactly fight monsters.

That’s how we got this far.

And from the looks of it, we were almost there.
The inspections were getting stricter—that meant we were close to the capital.

“May we inspect the inside of the carriage?”

A deep voice broke my thoughts.
I heard Reina rustling nervously.

“Everyone, please step down.”

Reina tapped the seats as she smoothed her clothes, then got out.
It was her way of signaling me to be extra careful—this inspector seemed strict.

‘Will they open all the way to here?’

I felt tense, but not scared. I would find a way.
After all, I had someone waiting for me.

A rabbit? No, a fox. No… a puppy. No—a dragon. My husband.

I suddenly remembered the last time I saw Karl.
On the bed in our wide marital chamber.
Lying there, pale and frail—completely unfitting for him.

‘Hey, Karl…’

‘…’

‘If I return safely, then I’ll… propose to you—’

I couldn’t finish the words.
Instead, I just gave him a rough kiss on the lips before leaving.

Three times, in case he felt lonely waking up without me.
Actually, five times, because I felt lonely myself.

I could’ve proposed right then. Nothing was stopping me.

But…

“That’s the ultimate death flag line.”

“I’ll propose once I return!”
It was like those soldiers in stories, showing off a picture or a ring before dying.

No way I’d jinx myself with that.

“I’m not even the main character, so I don’t have plot armor against death flags.”

If something happened to me, then the husband I told not to die would be left a widower.
That was absolutely unacceptable.

“I’ll come back safe and hold him in my arms.”

And if it came down to it—I’d even use violence to make sure of it.

“…Inspection complete! Nothing inside!”

“Move along!”

Good. Nothing happened.

Soon, I heard Reina climb back in, and the carriage door slammed shut.
Then Bess spoke carefully.

“It’s definitely getting stricter each time.”

“Because the capital is right ahead.”

Reina’s answer confirmed my guess.

“There’s only one more gate left. Once we cross that, we’ll be fine.”

Hearing her words, I nodded unconsciously.

‘One last gate…’

And then—

Knock knock knock knock knock.

I tapped the seat lid, just as we had agreed.
It was the signal for them to let me out before the final gate.