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Chapter : 18
“As you said, I sent them off with plenty of money and food. And… I’m sorry.”
Amélie, having seen Alain off and returned, bowed deeply.
Marianne watched the faint, mixed emotions on her face—different from yesterday—and slowly shook her head.
“No. It’s understandable. If I were in your place, I wouldn’t have trusted me easily either. I’m someone sent from the Imperial Palace, and frost lilies are known to be poisonous.”
From her position, it would have been all too easy to assume that the Emperor had ordered her to poison Cedric.
Marianne rose from her chair and patted Amélie’s slumped shoulder. The sudden touch made Amélie freeze for a moment.
“I’m really fine, so you don’t have to look like that, Amélie. In the end, this will help Cedric, and now you’ll trust me a little more too, so I’m not upset.”
When Marianne stepped back and smiled softly, Amélie lowered her head. She seemed unable to admit that she had trusted Marianne before this.
Well, trusting people too easily isn’t always a good thing.
“And you’re doing well, Amélie. No matter how kind you are, you need to know how to doubt people. That way you won’t get hurt… that’s what my mother told me.”
Her words trailed off. The thought that she now had two mothers she would never see again brought a bitter taste to her mouth.
Not important right now. It’s not something I can change, anyway…
Marianne lightly shook her head to scatter her thoughts.
“But, Your Highness…”
“No more apologies. If you really feel sorry, help me instead, Amélie.”
“Yes. Tell me anything. I’ll accomplish it even if I must give my life.”
That was… excessive. Marianne looked awkwardly at Amélie’s eyes, which suddenly shone with resolve.
“It’s not difficult—two things. First, gather firewood.”
“Firewood, Your Highness?”
Confusion filled Amélie’s face—and understandably so. The moment money arrived, the first things she purchased were food supplies and firewood.
The estate shouldn’t be running short now, so why was Marianne asking for wood?
“If I could, I’d gather enough for the entire North. But that’s impossible. Still, I want to help at least the people of Calais stay warm through the winter.”
Marianne murmured, then walked to the side table, picked up the jeweled box left by Viscount Croque, and returned to Amélie.
“If we need labor, hire the locals. Use as much money as you need. Wood, dry leaves—anything that can burn.”
She opened the jewel box and handed Amélie the checkbook. Amélie accepted it politely, though her face showed shock.
Marianne didn’t explain why the wood needed to be stockpiled, and Amélie didn’t ask—merely tucked the checkbook away.
Maybe she trusted Marianne. Or maybe she felt too guilty to question her.
Either way, it didn’t matter. Marianne closed the jewel box leisurely and continued.
“Second, persuasion. Help me convince Lord Miel.”
“Lord Miel?”
“Yes. You’ll hear the details when we speak with the knights the Hill Marquis sent.”
“…Understood.”
Marianne grinned at Amélie, who nodded without asking for more.
If she knew why Marianne needed to persuade Miel, she would never have agreed.
Sorry, Amélie. But I need you.
“…Your Highness. Forgive me, but could you repeat that one more time?”
Tehez spoke at last, managing to keep her expression under control.
She was a senior knight, in charge of the marquisate’s knights sent here, and acting captain of the temporary escort detachment—proper, restrained, formal.
Until now.
Marianne scratched her cheek and laughed awkwardly, repeating what she’d said.
“I want to go to the wall. I’d like you and Lord Miel to escort me.”
Tehez fought the urge to press her hand to her forehead and instead glared at Miel. No words, but her eyes clearly said: Why did you let this happen?
Ahem—Miel cleared his throat and lightly shook his head.
“I tried to dissuade Her Highness, but my poor persuasion skills failed. Please, Sir Tehez, explain to Her Highness how terrifying monsters truly are. I’m sure she’ll listen to you, since you’ve actually hunted them.”
The speech came out suspiciously smooth—as if rehearsed. Then Miel promptly took a step back.
No matter how Tehez looked at it, she was being thrown to the wolves. But a knight trained more in swordsmanship than rhetoric had no idea how to argue back. So this time she couldn’t stop herself and scratched the back of her head hard, letting out a sigh.
“Lord Miel, we’ll meet in the training yard later. Either way—Your Highness. Forgive my unseemly sigh. The northern wall—more precisely, the wilderness past it—is extremely dangerous.”
What followed was almost identical to what Miel had said before. Repetition, but Marianne quietly sipped her tea and listened.
“…Therefore, it is unacceptable for a noble, let alone a princess of the Empire, to venture near the wilderness. I humbly ask you to rescind the order.”
“Hm.”
By the time her cup was half empty, Tehez had finished. Marianne set her cup down and straightened her back.
Her clear gaze met Tehez’s. She noticed the long scar beneath Tehez’s eye.
A mark left by a monster, Tehez had said. Even someone strong enough to captain the escort had been wounded—a reminder of how truly dangerous the wilderness was. No wonder Tehez objected to taking a princess there.
But Marianne couldn’t give up. There were things she had to get from the wilderness, no matter how perilous.
So she decided to change tactics.
“Sir Tehez, thank you for sharing your experience. But I’d like you to hear me out as well.”
“…Please speak. I’ll listen carefully.”
“Thank you.”
Marianne stroked the rim of her teacup. Her hesitation didn’t last long. She decided to start by asking what northern people believed.
“In Hill territory, there must be people who prepare the winter budget, right?”
“Yes. Lord Fabrice and his clerks gather the opinions and estimates of elders and residents… and calculate the funds needed to survive the winter safely.”
“I see. Do you know what they predict for this winter?”
Tehez scratched her head again—why had the topic suddenly shifted to weather?—but remembered her duty and answered.
“Yes. They said it will be quite cold and harsh. Most agreed, so Lord Fabrice has been busy stocking up. I don’t recall if it was yesterday or the day before, but someone mentioned the wind and clouds looked ominous.”
As expected—those born in the North had sensed something. After all, surviving these lands without reading the sky would be stranger.
But Marianne needed to tell them that the winter would be even worse than they feared.
“I see. It’s good Hill territory is preparing properly. But here—Calais—it’s harder. And the reason is… the Imperial family.”
Marianne smiled bitterly. With Viscount Croque’s checkbook, she could patch immediate holes. But neighboring lands wouldn’t aid Calais.
Because the Emperor had his eye on the North.
Even the Hill Marquis could only quietly support this house, just enough not to be noticed. If he openly aided the duchy…
The thought that flashed across her mind was something she didn’t want to imagine. And it wouldn’t happen, so she shook her head to clear it away.
“This winter will be brutal, just as they predicted. Without enough food and wood, people won’t survive. And while wood can be gathered, food… requires going beyond the wall.”
“…I believe I need to hear more. Please continue, Your Highness.”
“Of course. Amélie, tea please.”
“Yes. This way, Sir Tehez, Lord Miel.”
At first both knights refused, but when Marianne added the word order, they reluctantly sat across from her.
Cradling the fresh teacup Amélie had brought, Marianne calmly explained why she needed to go to the wall.
About the Potea fruit, the frost lily, and finally, the hidden item on the wall.
“…They say, when monsters swarmed the land, they couldn’t invade the North because of the God’s Lamp on the wall. With that, we can venture briefly into the wilderness. I plan to retrieve fruit and herbs myself.”
Marianne set down the now-warm cup and fixed her eyes on Tehez. Then she bowed her head just slightly.
“Please, Sir Tehez. Help me.”
