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Chapter 10
‘Hii… this is exciting!’
It was her first time riding in a carriage—especially a magic carriage.
For short distances within the territory, regular carriages were sufficient, but traveling to other cities outside the duchy took so long that using a magic carriage was far more convenient.
In the case of the Wiltson Ducal Estate, the Duke frequently traveled to the imperial capital and various other regions, so the household maintained a yearly contract with a magic carriage guild.
The exterior looked similar to an ordinary carriage, but the patterns engraved on it were magic circles.
And instead of a normal coachman, a mage sat in the driver’s seat.
The advantage was that teleportation magic drastically reduced travel time, though the price was incredibly expensive.
Commoners could never even dream of using one, and even among nobles, only a tiny few could afford it for important schedules.
The basic round-trip fare was 500 Derons, and in this world, 500 Derons was roughly enough to cover a family of four commoners’ living expenses for an entire month.
And since the Wiltson family had signed a yearly contract, the annual cost must have been astronomical.
Normally, traveling to the capital by ordinary carriage took an entire week.
By magic carriage, it took ten minutes.
Thump thump.
As she climbed into the carriage, her heart beat pleasantly fast.
‘Ahh… I love this!’
She felt as thrilled as a child boarding an amusement park ride for the first time.
The corners of her lips rose all the way to her ears and refused to come down.
Across from her, Matthew stared quietly.
He had decided to accompany her on today’s outing.
Since this concerned her health, his presence was essential.
Confusion filled his gaze as he looked at her.
“Are you really that happy, Madam?”
“Of course! Do you know how badly I’ve wanted to ride one of these?”
“That’s rather strange.”
Matthew tilted his head.
“What is?”
“You’ve ridden this carriage many times before, Madam. You remember wanting to ride it, but not actually riding it.”
“Th-that’s true. That is strange.”
Oops. Had that sounded odd?
She tilted her head just like Matthew.
‘Why is this man so sharp?’
Well, Matthew was the ducal family’s physician. Carefully observing the Duchess, who supposedly had amnesia, was technically part of his job.
And he wasn’t just any physician either—he had graduated top of the Royal Academy’s medical department.
Of course he’d be even more perceptive.
She needed to be much more careful with her words and behavior from now on.
“Hyaah!”
With the mage coachman’s booming shout, the carriage finally began moving.
“But is a magic carriage safe for pregnant women?”
“Since the travel time is reduced, it’s actually far better than an ordinary carriage. And there have been no reports suggesting teleportation magic places strain on a pregnant woman’s body. You may rest easy, Madam.”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
“I’m pleased as well. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone anywhere outside my laboratory.”
“Oh my, that’s wonderful then!”
“Though it would be even better if we manage to accomplish the purpose of this trip.”
“We will. Don’t worry.”
She smiled brightly at the worried Matthew.
Adjusting his glasses with a finger, he asked,
“But how did you learn about this exercise method in the first place, Madam? Even I had never heard of it before.”
“Ah, well…”
She absolutely could not say:
‘Because my older sister, who was pregnant in my previous life, recommended it to me!’
And she definitely couldn’t say:
‘Actually, this world is from a novel I read before I died, and I remember reading about it there!’
So instead, she merely shrugged casually.
“I think I read about it somewhere. Maybe in a gossip magazine or an imperial newspaper.”
“Oh, I see.”
While it was a lie that she had read about this exercise method in a magazine, it was true that she had recently been reading newspapers and gossip journals every single day.
She needed information to adapt quickly to this world, and she believed the best way was by consuming the latest news.
Besides, Elfwin didn’t seem to have any friends to exchange information with, so the only option was to read absolutely everything she could get her hands on.
“We’ve arrived!”
Only after the coachman opened the carriage door did she realize they had already arrived.
She blinked blankly between Matthew and the coachman.
‘Already? We only exchanged a few lines of conversation!’
She hadn’t felt the sensation of the carriage moving.
Nor the feeling of passing through a magical corridor.
Nor even the moment it stopped.
‘What? That’s it? Shouldn’t there at least be a flash of light or dramatic winds or something?’
She was deeply disappointed.
It felt like boarding an amusement park ride with sky-high expectations, only to be told to get off immediately because the ride was already over.
Seeing her crestfallen expression, Matthew finally burst into laughter.
“Arriving at your destination before you even realize it—that is the true charm of a magic carriage.”
“Seriously? That’s all?”
Matthew nodded cheerfully at her twisted expression.
The Royal Academy was enormous.
Five massive five-story buildings stood facing each other, and from above they would probably resemble a pentagon.
At the center lay a spacious fountain and grassy courtyard.
As they crossed the campus, three noblewomen wearing extravagant hats approached from the opposite direction.
When the gentle spring breeze blew their hats about, all three cried out, “Oh my!” and grabbed their hats simultaneously with both hands.
The sight was so adorable it naturally caught her attention.
One of them was pregnant too.
Seeing the woman’s round protruding belly made her strangely happy despite not even knowing the woman’s name.
Their conversation drifted over with the wind.
“What a shame! We came all the way here too.”
“I know. It sounded like such a good exercise program.”
“They said we’d have to wait an entire year! How are we supposed to wait that long?”
Apparently, they had come here for the same reason.
Unfortunately, it sounded like they had failed.
And if she could hear them, there was no way Matthew hadn’t heard them too.
With a worried look, he whispered,
“We’ll probably receive the exact same answer, Madam. This will only be a waste of time. Perhaps we should return?”
“I told you not to worry, Matthew. Those noblewomen and I may want the same thing, but what we can offer is on an entirely different level.”
“…Offer?”
“Yes. An offer.”
She smiled mysteriously at Matthew, who tilted his head in confusion.
Meryl Swaide was apparently in the middle of a class.
After meeting those noblewomen, she had immediately begun teaching.
So Matthew and she sat in the waiting room until the lesson ended.
The view of the campus through the large window was beautiful.
Everything touched by the fresh spring sunlight sparkled brilliantly.
The drooping branches of the zelkova trees swayed gently in the warm breeze.
‘There was a time when I dreamed of walking through a university campus laughing with friends…’
A dream she never got to experience, now reduced to nothing more than fantasy.
She sipped warm herbal tea while lost in thought.
The lovely spring weather lifted her spirits for a moment before they suddenly sank again.
“It’s because I’m pregnant. Hormones are making my emotions go crazy. So you need to understand.”
She recalled the phrase her older sister used to repeat endlessly in her previous life.
Back then, she had clicked her tongue at what sounded like excuses.
Now, she desperately needed those same excuses herself.
Blaming everything on hormones, she raised the teacup to her lips again.
An hour later, the door finally opened and Meryl Swaide entered.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I had a lot of classes today.”
She was a woman in her thirties with a petite frame and thin figure.
Her pink hair and pink eyes matched perfectly with her round, youthful face, making her appear much younger than her age.
“Hello. I’m Elfwin Wiltson. Waiting today wasn’t a problem at all.”
They exchanged polite bows before sitting down.
“But I don’t think I can wait an entire year for your lessons. I need exercise right away.”
When she immediately got to the point, Meryl looked slightly flustered.
Matthew beside her looked equally surprised.
“You seemed busy, so I thought it’d be best to get straight to the point.”
Hoho, she laughed lightly, and Meryl soon relaxed and smiled as well.
But almost immediately, Meryl’s brows furrowed apologetically and the corners of her eyes drooped.
The exact expression someone made before delivering disappointing news.
“But then I must apologize again. I teach classes during the weekdays, and my weekend private sessions are already fully booked. If you’re in a hurry, I could recommend another instructor.”
“No. It has to be you, Instructor Meryl. You’re the founder and the foremost expert, after all. Which is why I’d like to make you a proposal.”
“A proposal? What kind of…?”
Now was the time to fully utilize the wealth and authority of House Wiltson!
