If Liana and Silverna had been pushed by their families to reclaim their freedom in recognition of their devotion thus far—
Here.
"Quick! Hurry! Hurry!"
There was one woman, on the other hand, who couldn't leave precisely because she was too capable and dedicated.
That woman was Clarice Evangel Legardia.
"Heirad, I said hurry up!"
A dim hallway.
Clarice flung open her door and urgently called for her knight.
If a fellow knight had seen it, they might have feared an intruder had broken in.
If a maid had seen it, she would've swooned at the idea of a forbidden love between a princess and her escort knight.
Unfortunately, the reason Clarice was calling her escort knight so desperately was none of those things.
"..."
Heirad trudged over.
Clarice stuck her head out the door and asked:
"Well? I'm really going to do it today, you know?"
"Um, the thing is—"
"Spit it out! There's no time! I want to escape this godforsaken palace already!"
That's right.
The reason Clarice called Heirad wasn't because of a sudden attack or a secret rendezvous with her knight.
She was planning to run away.
She wanted to escape from the palace.
"You know this too, Heirad, don't you? That I've truly done everything I possibly could?"
"A royal's duty has no end, Princess."
"That's true, but I choose not to hear anything inconvenient."
"..."
How on earth was he supposed to persuade this reckless princess?
Heirad pondered briefly, then sighed and asked:
"You're aware, Princess, that if you run away, it puts my life in danger as your escort?"
"And? What do you want me to do about it?"
"..."
As Heirad's expression twisted into a grimace, Clarice grinned and patted his shoulder.
"Oh, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Even so, no one's going to mess with you lightly now. My sister's had her eye on you for a while, thinking she wants to steal you away and make you the next captain of the Royal Guard."
"Is that so?"
"That's why I'm asking you to help me. If I escape, it opens the path to your promotion."
"..."
Is that really true?
Heirad felt unsure, but knowing at least his safety was likely secured, he sighed and replied:
"It looks like now's our chance. The morning food supplies are being delivered. Our contact is waiting with them."
"Okay!"
Clarice, bags fully packed.
Seeing the bundle on her back, which completely covered her, Heirad let out a short sigh.
"Are you planning to bring all of that with you?"
"Hm? Of course! Isn't a proper dowry important for a marriage?"
"…Count Logan is probably just hoping you make it to him safely."
"I know that."
With that, she jerked her chin for him to lead the way.
Heirad, unable to make sense of her, decided to just give up.
At worst, if they were caught, she was still royalty. She wouldn't be executed.
As they walked through the palace corridors, it didn't take long before Clarice began to grumble again.
"My sister is seriously too much."
"..."
"Things are finally settling down, aren't they? She knows I worked through the nights for this."
"..."
"While she was pulling people to her side, who do you think supported her from the shadows? Negotiations with other kingdoms are wrapped up, the nobles have been sorted out—so now she should be doing the work."
"..."
"Why am I still the one doing it? We've built everything up—why won't she use it?"
To Heirad, Clarice's complaints felt like she was trying to justify her escape.
But that didn't mean he could deny what she was saying.
She had truly borne an overwhelming amount of responsibility.
"My once-plump skin is ruined, and I've even got dark spots near my eyes. Sigh… I really wanted to return looking pretty."
"…Princess."
Just as they neared the dining hall—
Heirad finally had to voice the question that had lingered in his mind for the past six months.
"What?"
"I know it's impertinent of me to ask this."
"..."
Clarice stopped walking.
She turned to face him, curious as to what he was going to say.
Heirad gathered his resolve and asked:
"Does Count Logan truly care for you, Princess?"
"..."
"I know this is beyond my station. But as a knight who has protected you since childhood, I want to know."
"..."
"Count Logan is a good man. It would be hard to find someone as kind as him."
But at the same time, he was someone honest with his emotions—decisive and clear.
"But from what I've seen… The way he looks at Lady Helmut or Lady Caldias, compared to how he looks at you, Princess… there's a difference."
Tightly clenched fists.
It might sound like he was overstepping his bounds, but for Heirad, the words came from sincere loyalty.
"I truly wish for your happiness, Princess. That's why I want to know if this path you've chosen is really one that will make you happy."
Whether there was something between her and Count Logan he wasn't aware of.
He wanted to understand.
But Clarice just shrugged.
"You really don't know?"
"…Sorry?"
"Strictly speaking… I know that what Isaac feels for me right now might not actually be that kind of feeling."
"If that's the case—"
"Yes, if that's the case. What if I stay here? Do you think I'd be able to live happily and find someone to truly love?"
Even her political marriage with Prince Raphael had been full of complications. And no matter how much Clarice tried to love him, she never truly could.
"Heirad, do you think I'm going there to be loved?"
"..."
"No. I'm going there to love someone."
She had always wanted to walk the world on her own two feet and see it for herself.
She was a woman full of curiosity, someone who always wanted to learn through her own experience.
If she hadn't been born a princess, she likely would've traveled across the continent.
"Do you really think Isaac called me to come to him without knowing all this? Do you think he didn't mean it? That he just wanted one more woman around him?"
"That's…"
Heirad hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
"No. He is not that kind of person."
"Right? Isaac said he was waiting for me, partly because he knows I like him—"
And more importantly—
"Because he's certain that he can like me too."
"..."
"When I studied under him before, he told me that love comes in many forms. Sometimes you give it, and sometimes you receive it."
Up until now, she had only given.
"But now, I'm going to receive it."
It was an obvious yet bold declaration.
Heirad stared at her with a blank expression, speechless.
Then, with a pure tone, he asked:
"If you fail, what will you do?"
As her knight, he had to consider even the worst possible outcome.
"What if Count Logan never opens his heart to you? What then?"
"In that case—"
Clarice smiled brightly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"Then I'll just keep loving him! What, he thinks he can steal a princess's heart and live comfortably on his own? I'll mobilize the royal guards and sneak into his bedroom every night—"
"Pfft."
A ridiculous answer, but very much typical of Princess Clarice.
"Let's go,"
Heirad said, now smiling at ease.
"He'll be waiting for you."
"Yup!"
And so, they arrived at the kitchen area.
Among the maids unloading food supplies from the cart, one spotted them and quietly approached.
It was none other than Karen.
She had worked at Isaac's estate, but after he left for Volten, she had returned to the palace.
"Princess! I thought you weren't coming!"
"Sorry, Karen. Heirad kept talking."
"..."
Heirad just shrugged, brushing off their gazes.
Karen began to explain right away.
"That supply cart will take several days to reach Willow Village. I slipped the driver a bit of money and asked him to take on one more passenger, so you don't have to worry."
"Thanks, Karen!"
"Please be careful, Princess."
As Karen bowed deeply, Clarice grinned.
"I'll come back holding my son's hand. I want to show him how amazing the place I used to live in was."
"You're already thinking that far ahead?"
Karen shook her head in disbelief.
A little while later.
As Clarice climbed into the supply wagon, she turned to look at Heirad one last time.
"Ahem."
"...?"
"Don't you have something to say?"
"…Pardon?"
A totally out-of-the-blue question. Clarice crossed her arms atop the wagon and said:
"You've been oddly quiet the whole way here. Recently, my workload has mysteriously decreased. And we were just informed that the new head of House Helmut is now Edel Helmut."
"..."
"And finally, you were far too relaxed while escorting me out here. You think I didn't notice anything?"
"..."
"Spill it."
There was no hiding it from her in the end.
"If you go—"
Heirad gave a self-deprecating chuckle and said,
"If you go around openly declaring yourself a princess, Her Highness Princess Adeline said you'll be charged with treason and hunted down. So keep a low profile."
"Tch."
Clicking her tongue at how typical her sister was, Clarice shot one last jab in his direction and said:
"Take care."
And with that, she set off toward Isaac.