TPVSR 45

Chapter 45

On the way back to my room after leaving the study—

“Your Highness.”

When I turned my head, Damian was leaning against the hallway wall.

“Archduke’s son? What is it?”
“Are you going to the East tomorrow?”
“Yes. It was just decided.”

Damian tried to say something, then closed his mouth. His lips twitched. He looked like he had something to say but didn’t know how to say it.

“Please be careful.”

His voice came out stiff.

“As Your Highness knows, it will be dangerous. Outside the Grand Duchy is under the Imperial family’s influence. Don’t forget the self-defense you learned, and if something happens, aim for the vital points.”

His long list of worries continued—telling me to be careful because the demonic energy was thick, warning that the Imperial people might try something on the way.

I stared at him blankly, then tilted my head.

“Are you worried about me, Archduke’s son?”

His ears instantly turned red.

“Me? Ha! Who’s worried? I’m just giving basic advice as the one in charge of Your Highness’s protection.”
“But you’re not coming this time. So you’re not even my guard.”

At my clear reply, Damian’s mouth shut tight.

He stood there blinking his green eyes like a fool, and I had to hold back my laughter.

“So… in the end, you are just worried, right?”
“Who says that?!”

Coming back to his senses late, Damian ground his teeth and jumped in place.

The more I look at him, the more childish he seems.

Before my regression, the Damian I saw in the Imperial Palace only gave me cold looks. We never talked like this.

Back then, I really hated him too.

But now, sometimes the young Damian felt rather cute.
Of course, if I told him that directly, the aftermath would be terrible.

“…Anyway, be careful. And come back safely.”

He muttered the last words quietly.

“Thank you for worrying about me.”
“I’m not worried!”
“Okay, thank you.”
“I don’t want to hear thanks!”

Why does he keep shouting?

When I giggled, Damian tightly covered his red ears with both hands.

“Archduke’s son! Thank you so much for worrying!”
“Ugh!”

With a bright red face, he turned around and strode away, still covering his ears.

He’s really cute.

“Really. I’ll come back safely.”

I answered softly toward his back.

Watching him disappear around the corner, a thought suddenly came to me.

He feels like an older brother.

Grumbling while still taking care of me.
Worrying while insisting he isn’t.
And in the end, telling me to come back safely.

If I had an older brother, would it feel like this?

Just thinking that made my chest feel ticklish, like a feather resting there.

…I think I like it.

My fingertips felt strangely warm.

That Night

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Tomorrow, we leave for the East.

Once I complete the guardian registration at the Eastern Grand Temple, I will no longer be in the Imperial family’s grasp.
The Emperor’s orders and the envoys’ visits will no longer be able to force me.

Of course, there is still a lot to do before I’m completely free.

This is the first step toward freedom.

This time, I will never die in an underground prison like before.

More than anything—

Carlos and Damian can become safe.

Yes.
That dream was finally becoming reality.

My heart pounded.

I can do this.

Expectation, excitement, and anxiety—
many emotions mixed together, making my heart race.

The more I looked forward to it, the more afraid I became.
The Emperor would never stay still. Since sending envoys failed, he would try something else.
Maybe an attack would come along the way.

It’s okay. It will go well.

I told myself.
It will be fine. Surely.

I closed my eyes.

Tomorrow would be a long journey.

The Next Morning

When I opened my eyes, it was already bright outside.

I usually wake up early, but today I overslept—probably because I tossed and turned last night.

After quickly getting ready, I went outside.

A carriage was waiting in front of the Grand Duke’s residence.

Just as Sion requested, it was a top-class carriage.
Soft cushions, little shaking—perfect for long travel.

“Wow, they really prepared a good one.”

Sion looked around the carriage with satisfaction, opened the door to check inside, then clapped slowly.

“My back won’t hurt.”

Before getting in, I looked back at the residence.

At first, I thought it looked like ruins.
But now it felt a little different.

The white roses in the garden sparkled in the morning sunlight.
Mia was waving at the door.

I would return before long, but somehow I felt sentimental.

Inside, the carriage was spacious with seats facing each other.
Carlos sat on one side, and Sion and I sat opposite him.

Stretching, Sion said:

“I’ve never traveled by carriage before.”
“If you disappear even now, I’ll gladly see you off.”

Instead of reacting to Carlos’s sharp reply, Sion leaned his head on my shoulder, eyes shining.

“Lorea, don’t you have any fun stories?”
“All of a sudden?”
“I’m bored. The Grand Duke doesn’t talk.”

Carlos’s eyelid twitched.

He completely ignored what Carlos just said.

I laughed awkwardly.

Before my regression, I was never someone who got pushed around.
Is it because I’m younger now?
Being between the two of them felt like a shrimp caught between whales.

While Sion played with my hair, he asked:

“By the way, what do you do for temple registration? Just paperwork and done?”
“That’s how it used to be. It was simple enough to do by letter, but the procedure suddenly changed… Even if we go to the temple, approval might not come right away.”
“Ahh.”

If the temple is on the Emperor’s side, they will desperately try not to grant permission.

Knowing that, yet still having to go there—it was unfortunate.

Meanwhile, once we left the Grand Duchy, the scenery began to change.

The dense forest became sparse, and soon a barren field spread out.
The closer we got to the East, the more the air changed—heavy, murky, sticky.
The demonic energy was growing thicker.

I glanced at Carlos.

His expression hadn’t changed.
But the corners of his eyes were slightly tense.
His breathing also seemed a bit rougher than usual.

Unless someone is a transcendent being who has lived hundreds of years like the Mage Tower Master, an environment filled with demonic energy is like poison to someone with power like Carlos.
Even with purification stones, it can’t be completely blocked.

It will only get worse the farther east we go.

As I watched Carlos with worry—

Sion’s finger moved slightly.

At the same time, I saw something.

A faint magic spreading quietly from Sion’s fingertips toward Carlos and me.

A protection spell.

A thin barrier filtering out demonic energy—
cast quietly so Carlos wouldn’t notice.

I blinked.

Fortunately, Carlos didn’t seem to realize.
He was still looking out the window.

Sion glanced at me.

Then he winked.

“It’s a secret.”

He mouthed the words silently.

I stared at him blankly, then mouthed back a small “thank you” and quietly turned my head.

Outside the window, the gray landscape continued.

I couldn’t help feeling anxious.
The sense that the Emperor was plotting something kept growing stronger.

It will be okay.

For now, I had no choice but to believe.