The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 44

“Understood, Madam.”

 

“Please also tell me about things like wood, iron, and coal…”

 

“Do you mean the amount of logging and the mining output? I’ve prepared a report on that as well, I’ll show it to you next time.”

 

Anthony was a little surprised by Grace’s enthusiasm. He could clearly feel how much interest she had in the domain.

 

“And these things… where are they stored?”

 

“They’re kept separately in a warehouse. Would you like to visit it yourself?”

 

“Yes, next time… please show me.”

 

“Certainly. Since it’ll take some time to look around thoroughly, I’ll schedule it for a day when you have plenty of time.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

The Winstaine estate’s warehouse… Just imagining seeing the products of the land with her own eyes made her heart race. Grace accepted his offer with excitement.

 

 

Two middle-aged men were climbing the middle slopes of the Rohel Mountains. One was named Raphael, the other Dembrahnt.

 

“Damn it. This is exhausting.”

 

Raphael muttered as he leaned on his thigh. They had been climbing steep trails for half a day.

 

“Well, I guess missing the divine beast comes with a price, huh? Damn that old man.”

 

Raphael spat on the ground as he turned his head.

 

“All he does is order people around without lifting a finger.”

 

“Well, what can you do? Orders are orders.”

 

Dembrahnt replied in a more indifferent tone than Raphael.

 

“Still, it should be around here.”

 

“You sure we won’t come up empty again?”

 

“This is the most likely area. Actually, it’s the only possibility. It fled this way, and we’ve searched everywhere else.”

 

“It’s already been months… sigh.”

 

The guild had been commissioned by the lord to hunt the divine beast but ended up losing it.

 

The furious lord, upon hearing the news, ordered the guild master to send Raphael and Dembrahnt to capture it. The reason being—they had wounded the divine beast but got careless, failing to properly capture it.

 

“The divine beast fled west.”

 

That was the only clue they had.

 

Since then, they had traveled westward, day and night, searching for it. Whenever they came to a village, they asked around to see if anyone had seen an animal resembling the divine beast.

 

They kept watch on passersby, checking if anyone owned a strange-looking creature. They searched every corner, like looking for lice.

 

But they failed again and again. Eventually, after a difficult journey past the border, they entered the Elliden Empire.

 

And the most promising lead they had now was—

 

The Winstaine Duchy.

 

“We have to catch it before someone else gets their hands on its power. All our efforts would be wasted otherwise.”

 

“Only the lord and the guild know about this, though, right?”

 

“You never know. Someone else could figure it out.”

 

The divine beast held a secret that could shake the entire empire.

 

It shattered the common belief that only those born with the gift could wield the powers of an Armento—and it hinted at the potential for power beyond human limits. If this became known, the empire would surely start hunting the divine beast, led by the imperial family.

 

“Let’s just focus on capturing it and bringing it back. It’ll be hard, but bear with it a bit longer.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

As they walked through the forest, something unusual caught their eyes.

 

A massive gray wall stretched across the landscape. It looked extremely sturdy and seemed artificial and out of place in the middle of the forest.

 

“What is this supposed to block?”

 

“Not sure. It looks like a fortress wall… There must be something on the other side.”

 

“Maybe it’s to keep out beasts or monsters. I don’t really know what kind of creatures live in this region.”

 

“Yeah, this estate has strong defenses.”

 

Their conversation slowed along with their steps. The long journey had worn them out.

 

“Let’s camp here in the forest for tonight and continue tomorrow.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

 

The first sales report on the prints came in.

 

“It hasn’t even been a month since we started selling them, Madam, but over 80% have already been sold!”

 

“Already?”

 

Grace couldn’t believe the numbers on the report and asked again. She had never sold anything before, but she could tell it was rare for artwork to sell this well.

 

“I think people found the idea of selling cheap, mass-produced prints refreshing.”

 

“Not just the locals—traders from outside bought them out of curiosity. That’s why sales skyrocketed.”

 

“From outside…?”

 

“Yes. They originally came here to deliver supplies but got curious and bought some prints while passing through.”

 

Hailey answered with excitement.

 

“It means the works we made might even make it to the capital!”

 

“The capital…”

 

Grace mumbled blankly. Just imagining her work being sold in the capital felt surreal.

 

‘I don’t know how people will react…’

 

Unlike this small domain, the capital was full of people with diverse tastes and great wealth. There was no guarantee the prints would sell well there. If the trend among nobles or the wealthy favored exclusivity, they might dislike mass-produced art…

 

After the report, Grace went to her room and lay down. She wanted to take a short rest before tea time.

 

“I want to go draw…”

 

The first phase of the print project was complete and going well, so she felt a longing to sketch again after a long time.

 

‘The forest… I want to go.’

 

When she had gone riding with Frederick several times, no beasts or monsters had appeared.

 

“Don’t go to the forest alone. It’s dangerous.”

 

Just as she was thinking of going alone, Frederick’s repeated warning popped into her mind.

 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to go riding with you for a while. I’ve got some things I need to take care of.”

 

“Oh… I see.”

 

“Is there somewhere you wanted to go?”

 

Reading the slight disappointment on Grace’s face, Frederick asked.

 

“I was thinking of going to the forest to sketch… Let’s go together next time when you’re not busy.”

 

“Sketching? Then I’ll send Lisetta with you instead.”

 

“Oh, you don’t have to… What if Lisetta’s busy?”

 

“She’s not that busy these days. Just tell me the date and I’ll assign her.”

 

With Frederick being so firm, Grace couldn’t insist that she’d be fine going alone since she now knew how to ride.

 

“It’s been a while, Lisetta.”

 

So, on the day she chose for sketching, Grace summoned Lisetta as her escort.

 

“I hope I’m not bothering you…”

 

“Not at all, Madam. I am a knight of the Winstaine family. I will do whatever is needed.”

 

“It’s nothing serious, just wanted you to come along.”

 

‘She speaks so confidently now…’

 

Lisetta was surprised by how much Grace had changed. Just a while ago, she still spoke awkwardly, but now, if someone didn’t know her before, they wouldn’t notice the difference.

 

“No, it’s the right thing to do. We never know what dangers might be in the forest. By the way, what’s that in your arms…?”

 

“It’s the fox I’m raising. I thought I’d bring her with me today.”

 

Now that she was more comfortable with riding, Grace felt it would be okay to bring the fox along. She lifted the fox from her arms and held it up for Lisetta to see clearly.

 

“She’s cute.”

 

“Right? She’s such a beautiful little one. And very gentle too. Not just her looks—everything she does is cute and lovable.”

 

Grace proudly talked about her pet as if she were boasting about herself.

 

“Do you go out to draw often?”

 

“I used to. But recently, I’ve been focused on making prints… so I haven’t gone out much.”

 

Lisetta had overheard something about the print business Grace was running. Something about mass-producing artwork for sale—but she didn’t know the details.

 

“Let’s head to the forest first.”

 

At Grace’s suggestion, the two of them rode into the woods.

 

“Is there a particular spot you want to sketch?”

 

“Not really… Maybe somewhere I haven’t drawn before?”

 

After some thought, Grace replied. She hadn’t picked a specific location and just planned to draw wherever seemed right.

 

“Then how about the valley, Madam?”

 

“The valley?”

 

“Yes. I know a place with a beautiful view. Around this time, the water flows nicely, and it’s perfect for sketching.”

 

“Oh, okay! That sounds great!”

 

Grace was glad for the suggestion, since she hadn’t come up with a destination herself. She followed Lisetta’s lead into the forest.