🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter: 12
Serena grabbed hold of Sir Bay’s trouser leg and shook it hard.
“Come on! Let’s hurry and go to Salmon Province too. We have a ship, don’t we?”
They had been given a vessel they were free to use at will.
If an emergency ever arose, they were even permitted to board it and sail anywhere without prior approval. Serena knew full well how extraordinary that privilege was, and she stubbornly insisted they chase after her as quickly as possible.
If they sailed at full speed, they could reach land before sunrise.
“…Very well.”
Sir Bay made his decision. He figured he could leave behind a letter explaining today’s complicated situation to the Archduke.
In any case, once His Grace returned, he would learn everything. If Sir Bay told him later that circumstances had arisen and he had gone ahead first, the Archduke would likely restrain his anger.
He lifted Serena up in his arms.
“Don’t complain just because His Grace isn’t on the ship.”
“Mm! Okay!”
“I need to prepare something quickly. Please wait.”
After setting Serena down, Sir Bay went into the adjoining room and hastily scrawled a confidential letter. It was a complete mess, with the same plea—please do not be angry—written three times over.
Still, if it was the Archduke, he would understand everything at a glance.
Contrary to what he’d told Serena, there was nothing in particular to prepare.
The single ship they were allowed to use freely was already fully stocked.
Enough provisions to last for months, water barrels regularly replaced by servants, Serena’s seasonal clothing, and even money stored in a hidden safe… It was excessive preparation, far beyond what one might call “just in case.”
And so, in the span of a single day, the Archducal residence was thrown into chaos.
The Archduchess had left during the daylight hours, and after nightfall, even the young lady had vanished without a trace!
Aile opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a ceiling covered in yellowing wallpaper. Only after that did consciousness fully return. With a single breath, she sensed a strange atmosphere—one that immediately told her this was not the Archducal residence.
So… this is the first day of my new life.
No lavender incense Gerde lit for her every night. No fresh, neatly prepared wash water in the morning. It wasn’t bad.
She rose from the bed and began fixing her hair herself. As she brushed and loosely tied it back, she recalled how Gerde used to help her dress. No matter how much the other maids tried, none were as good as her.
“Madam, your hair is truly top quality.”
“Top quality… really? You’re embarrassing me. It’s just an ordinary color.”
“Oh no! It’s true. It’s fine, thick, easy to manage—really wonderful. And this wheat-colored hair takes dye very well. You haven’t thought about it, have you?”
“Mm, no.”
“There are so many dyes besides covering gray hair these days, Madam. In the capital, blonde dye is all the rage. If you say the word, I’ll prepare it. Yes?”
Dyeing… I wonder if that’s popular here too.
The only dye Aile knew was for coloring fabric.
But recently, she’d heard that changing one’s hair color was in fashion in the capital.
She’d declined in shock, but Gerde had only laughed and told her to mention it again if she ever changed her mind—saying she could easily make hair shine like sunlight itself.
Now it was all meaningless, just a memory from the past.
After changing clothes, Aile sat at the table and thought.
First, I should go to the job placement office in Salmon Province. It may not be the capital, but there should be work here.
Even a fallen noblewoman wasn’t destined to starve to death. When she lived in the capital, she’d taught children from minor noble families before. Though she lacked specialized expertise, she was confident she could at least manage one-on-one conversations.
She’d always been someone who enjoyed light chatter. On the island, she’d even helped with simple ghostwriting and elegant transcription work. She’d also done small sewing and embroidery jobs anonymously.
Alright. This is the start.
Let’s go.
She opened the door with surprising energy—and froze in horror.
Something she absolutely should not have seen was standing right there.
“G… Good heavens…”
“There she is! Stepmother! I found her!”
An inn. A narrow second-floor hallway. Serena bouncing up and down. And behind her stood Sir Bay, shoulders hunched beneath his broad frame.
Creak. Creak.
The wooden floor began to groan under Serena’s energetic hopping. From the first floor came the innkeeper’s anxious shout.
“Guests upstairs! If you run around like that, the noise echoes everywhere! It won’t collapse, but the dust will fall!”
“Ah… Let’s go inside for now, shall we?”
“B– Bay… Sir Bay…”
“You won’t come out if I suggest we talk outside, will you?”
“…No.”
Only then did she notice his clothes. Though his build was imposing, he wasn’t wearing the uniform of the Cran Knights—just ordinary civilian attire.
Click.
Before she realized it, she had ushered them inside and shut the door.
There wasn’t really anywhere to sit, so Aile took the edge of the bed. She’d meant for the other two to sit at the table, but Serena was different, as always.
“Heehee!”
As if she’d been waiting for this, the child climbed onto the shabby bed and burrowed into Aile’s arms.
How could she ever have thought of leaving this lovely girl behind? The resolve to never see her again felt like a lie.
Feeling the ice around her heart melt, Aile gently soothed Serena, who clung to her like a squirrel.
“What are you doing, chasing after me…? And how did you even find this place?”
Sir Bay answered in her stead.
“We left the island on a dawn ship and rushed here to Salmon Province. It’s just me and the young lady. The crew is waiting at the port.”
“Even if that’s the case, what about Serena? You can’t just bring her out so suddenly.”
“I left a letter regarding the young lady’s departure. Please don’t worry.”
“Ah…”
“And… how could you stay in a place like this? I’m glad we found you, but when I saw the Archduchess’s face, I nearly despaired.”
The last words were a reproach, but she had no room to retreat.
If the Archduke learned the truth, he would certainly come after her. Even if Sir Bay stayed silent, her whereabouts would be discovered within days.
Aile spoke quickly.
“I’m sorry. But I—”
“I heard from the young lady on the ship. Did you truly tell her to tell His Grace to divorce you? And do you truly wish for it yourself, Archduchess?”
Before she could answer, the childish Serena chimed in brightly.
“Yes!”
“……”
Aile held out as long as she could, then finally nodded.
Sir Bay let out a deep sigh.
“I can hardly believe it. When you said you were leaving the residence yesterday, I never imagined you’d come all the way to Salmon Province. Even when the young lady hinted at it, I found it hard to believe.”
“I’m sorry for the trouble. But I have no intention of changing my decision.”
“Well… that is…”
With a seven-year-old present, there were things he couldn’t say.
Sir Bay glanced at the troublesome little girl in beige, but sending her out wasn’t an option, nor was there anyone to leave her with.
Serena, noticing the look in his eyes, shouted indignantly.
“Hmph! You think I don’t understand just because I’m little? I told you on the ship! Dad’s a bad person who ignores Stepmother! So she should divorce him and live with me!”
“That is impossible.”
“Why not? Stepmother came all the way to Salmon Province like I said! They sell lots of salmon here, so we can live here and eat as much salmon as Stepmother likes!”
“…Let’s leave this place first and talk. Even if the next room is empty, someone might overhear. Archduchess, I’ll carry the luggage—please take care of the young lady.”
“Oh— wait!”
Sir Bay truly was a perceptive knight.
When had he noticed the lone suitcase standing by the bed? He quickly stood and picked it up, leaving her with no chance to object. Without that luggage, she truly had nothing.
They left the inn and checked into another hotel. Perhaps to emphasize the name Freesia, vases of freesia were placed everywhere.
“Yaaawn…”
Unlike before, Serena yawned the moment she saw the soft bed.
Sir Bay removed the small shoes from her feet and soothed her gently.
“Go to sleep.”
“Mm, no. You’ll put me on a ship and take me back to the island while I’m asleep! I’m staying here with Stepmother.”
“We already sailed here, so we absolutely won’t return today. If you overexert yourself, it’ll be serious. You can sleep peacefully.”
“You promise? Mm… tomorrow we won’t go, and the day after either… We’ll have a salmon party with Stepmother….”
Thud.
Her star-bright eyes closed in an instant.
After confirming her steady breathing, Sir Bay turned toward Aile.
It was time for her to begin making excuses—for herself.
Surprisingly, Sir Bay did not berate her or order her to return to the island at once. She knew he was always kind to Serena, but she hadn’t expected him to be so considerate toward her as well.
Still, his conclusion was the same: urging her to reconsider.
“……”
“You don’t believe all of His Grace’s forces went to sea, do you?”
“There should… be some left.”
“Even if not at the Archducal residence, there are stationed troops on the island. Some of them likely boarded other ships to report this already.”
His words made her head spin as he continued relentlessly.
“Carrier pigeons would have flown ahead, and the movement of our ship has likely already been detected.”
Aile’s lips trembled weakly.
“I will persuade the young lady to return.”
“…That’s not the real issue, is it? What do you intend to do after leaving His Grace?”
She answered sadly.
“To live… to survive. To return to being myself and live somehow. Even if it means being poor….”
Sir Bay’s gaze fell upon the shabby suitcase in the corner.
“You came all this way with that as your luggage? Did you at least bring the jewelry His Grace gave you?”
“……”
He spoke in clear frustration.
“That much wouldn’t even count as cunning among noble ladies! His Grace wouldn’t remember every gift he’s given you. At the very least, you should have brought some small gold bars that are easy to pawn. Honestly—how do you plan to manage your future like this? Being too upright is a sickness in itself.”
