I Refuse This Life, Your Highness! - Chapter 71

“A fast animal?”

“Yes.”

Did the duchy keep animals? Perhaps it was part of the knight’s order, though I’d never seen one. No matter how much I racked my brain, nothing came to mind.

“You’ve seen it before. Quite recently.”

“Recently…?”

The only animals I’d seen recently were birds and a cat in the forest. Wait, now that I think about it, the cat in the forest looked a bit like the one I saw at the banquet. But could such a cute creature really belong to the knight’s order?

“It probably carried your scent. That’s how it tracked your whereabouts.”

“…Are you serious? That striped yellow cat? You keep cats in the duchy?”

“Not kept, exactly. It’s a member of the knight’s order.”

“A… cat is considered a knight?”

I didn’t know whether to call this progressive or unexpected. My baffled expression made the duke chuckle.

“It’s not just a knight; it’s one of my trusted aides.”

A trusted aide… that’s also a cat? The thought was so endearing that I started laughing. The duke noticed and gave me an amused look.

“I mean Leon.”

“…What?”

Why was Sir Leon suddenly being mentioned? Tilting my head in confusion, I heard the duke laugh again—this time loud enough to create faint echoes in the quiet storage room.

“Leon Rustis, the fastest errand runner in our knight’s order.”

“….”

“His family’s magic is Beast Transformation.”

“H-he can turn into a cat?! Wait, but Sir Leon isn’t…”

I stopped mid-sentence. Sir Leon’s family situation had delayed his knighthood, but they were still nobility. So why hadn’t I seen an invitation to his coming-of-age banquet? Before I could voice my confusion, the duke answered as if reading my mind.

“He’s not on good terms with his family. Leon transferred his allegiance to the duchy of Iser, so no invitations were sent either way. Unfortunately, the family’s magic happened to pass to him. But there’s no shame in power, and we’ve made good use of it.”

“B-but… a cat?”

I was so flustered that I could barely form words. A cat? Seriously? So the one I saw on the terrace, the one that rubbed against my ankle in the forest… that was Sir Leon?

“You’re telling me all of that was him?”

“Most likely, unless you’ve met another cat. He also managed to gather a good deal of intelligence on Airden.”

“…!”

Rivien’s letter came to mind—a note complaining about a cat sneaking into the house lately. Oh, heavens. That was Sir Leon? My jaw hung open in shock. Sir Leon… a cat. Well, not exactly a cat, but still capable of turning into one.

“He did ask me to pass along a message for you: ‘Her Highness may have petted me briefly, but I quickly escaped.’”

“….”

What kind of excuse was that supposed to be?

I couldn’t stop thinking about the cat nonchalantly licking its paw. Had Sir Leon also run errands for the duke in that form when I’d seen him leave the office briefly?

“What a… unique magic he has.”

“Doesn’t suit him at all, does it?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Then does it suit him?”

“….”

Sir Leon was a broad-shouldered, imposing knight. If I had to answer whether it suited him, the answer would lean toward no. But it wasn’t exactly strange, either. I could only shake my head in disbelief.

Just then, the sound of the storage door opening reached us. Though we had already tidied our appearances, I instinctively stepped away from the duke. He, meanwhile, had already drawn his sword.

Footsteps echoed closer. The duke motioned for me to stay quiet, and I slipped behind him, holding my breath.

“Your Grace, Your Highness, are you here?”

A sigh of relief escaped me. It was Lyol’s voice. But I couldn’t fully relax. The duke had warned me to trust no one completely except Count Chiara. Of course, I’d thrown myself into his arms the moment we reunited.

Lyol soon appeared, looking much like his usual self. His tense face softened when he saw us, and he let out a breath of relief.

“Thank goodness. You’ve escaped safely. Ever since Your Highness disappeared during the ball, my heart’s been in my throat. I, Count Chiara, Sir Leon—we all thought we’d have to assassinate the emperor on the spot. Let’s go. A carriage is waiting upstairs, and the count is with it.”

He rambled on, and I couldn’t sense any ill intent. Would I have to worry like this every time I met someone from now on?

I glanced at the duke, who patted my back reassuringly. Yet, he kept his sword in hand.

Lyol was unarmed. As he led the way up, the duke remained tense, but his shoulders relaxed slightly when we reached the carriage and found Count Chiara waiting in front of it.

The coachman was one of the duke’s knights.

“Your Grace, Your Highness,” the count greeted us. His face, usually composed, was clouded with concern.

“Please, get in.”

At his urging, the duke helped me into the carriage before climbing in himself. Lyol and the count followed, securing the door behind them. The coachman cracked the reins, and the carriage glided silently through the quiet streets.

“We’ve prepared horses at the outskirts,” Lyol said.

“Good. We’ll return to Iser as quickly as possible.”

The carriage raced through the city, passing the plains to its outskirts. In the shadows of a side road stood four horses, quietly waiting.

“I couldn’t bring your horse, so you’ll ride with me,” the duke said.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to mount a horse by myself anyway; my legs felt like jelly. Nodding, I grasped the duke’s hand and climbed onto the horse behind him.

“Hold on. It won’t be long now.”

“I’m fine.”

The next moment, the horse’s hooves struck the ground, and cold wind seeped through the gaps in my clothes. Dawn broke as we rode, sunlight streaming across the land. By the time the sun set again, we finally arrived at Iser. Aside from brief stops to water and feed the horses, we hadn’t paused once.

The grand duchy loomed into view, its imposing structure rising against the horizon. I stared at it, dazed. Never before had I imagined feeling such relief at the sight of this place.

When I dismounted, my body was utterly drained. As I exhaled, the duke scooped me up effortlessly into his arms.

“…Your Grace!”

“Rest first.”

I glanced around, embarrassed, but Count Chiara was busy tending to his horse, his face weary, and Lyol only grinned, offering no comment. Before anyone could say a word, the duke carried me into the castle.

As we entered my chambers, Bohen and Resilia rushed over, their faces filled with worry. I felt torn between collapsing onto the bed and the overwhelming desire to bathe.

“You’re far too cold. Even if it’s just for a moment, soak in warm water before you sleep.”

“Mmm… Alright.”

“I’ll return tomorrow, so get some rest, Vi.”

Half-asleep, I nodded. Bohen and Resilia gently helped me out of my clothes and bathed me in hot water. The chill that had seeped deep into my body seemed to melt away with the warmth. My fingers and toes finally thawed, and after drying my hair, I slipped under the covers.

I thought my mind would race with thoughts, but my utterly exhausted body surrendered to sleep as if a candle had been snuffed out.

The next morning, the first thing I saw upon waking was the duke’s face.

He was gazing at me with a look full of concern. The sunlight spilling through the window was too bright for it to be early morning, and I realized how hungry I was as soon as I awoke.

“What time is it…?”

“Just past noon.”

“Noon?!”

We hadn’t arrived at the duchy particularly late, yet I had slept until noon. No wonder the duke looked so worried, as though I might’ve died in my sleep.

“I’d like you to eat something. Can you manage a meal?”

“Ah… yes.”

I nodded quickly, as I had been about to suggest the same. Soon, a meal was brought to the bed, featuring dishes I liked and that were easy to eat.

“What about you, Your Grace?”

“I’ve already eaten.”

He poured himself tea and sipped it calmly. While he drank, I focused on my meal, eating quickly. The food tasted amazing, perhaps because of how hungry I was. The duke watched me intently as I ate.

Worried I might seem too eager, I paused and set my spoon down carefully. The duke tilted his head slightly.

“You’re stopping already? You’ve barely eaten.”

His tone carried such genuine regret that I almost laughed.

“Oh, no, I’m still eating.”

I picked up my spoon again, realizing I wasn’t nearly full yet. As I scooped up another spoonful of savory oatmeal simmered with vegetables and meat, the duke suddenly spoke.

“You look beautiful even when you eat.”

“….”

I nearly choked. How could he say something like that so seriously, without a hint of expression? Seeing my reaction, he added with earnest sincerity, “I mean it.”

“…Thank you.”

At a loss for words, I gave a polite response and focused back on my meal. His comment lingered in my mind, but the dishes were so delicious that I soon forgot everything else.

Come to think of it, Rivien once served me oatmeal with honey and apples at the villa. I despised sweet oatmeal, though Rivien likely hadn’t known that.

After I finished eating, Bohen cleared the table and returned with a fresh pot of tea for the duke and me. The duke took a sip before speaking again.

“A letter has arrived.”

“A letter?”

“From Airden.”

“….”

It had to be from my family. What could they possibly want now? My face hardened as I looked at the duke, who pulled an envelope from his coat.

“I haven’t read it… Will you?”

His expression was tinged with worry. After a moment of thought, I took the letter. The seal of Airden confirmed it was from my family. The sender was simply listed as Sierra Airden. To know more, I would have to read it.

I stared at the letter for a while before rising from the bed. The duke’s gaze followed me. Slipping my feet into my slippers, I walked to the fireplace, where the white birch logs burned red. Without hesitation, I let the letter fall into the flames.

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