The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 87

“Speak.”

 

“What our lord desires is simple.”

 

As if he had never feigned ignorance, Mikael went straight to the point.

 

“Please allow off-season hunting.”

 

As the Commander of the Imperial Knights, Frederick was tasked not only with protecting the imperial palace from outside intrusions but also with maintaining law and order in the capital using military power.

 

One of his duties was regulating hunting.

 

In the forests around the capital, hunting was only permitted during certain seasons—mainly to prevent the extinction of animal species. If anyone violated these regulations, the Imperial Knights would be dispatched to enforce sanctions.

 

“Does this really require my special permission?”

 

Frederick was puzzled. Was this something worth bringing up under the pretense of helping Grace?

 

Despite the regulations, royal family members were effectively above the law, as the Imperial Knights existed primarily for their benefit.

 

If Vladimir wanted to go hunting, all he had to do was inform the Imperial Knights. They would issue a permit immediately and allow the hunt to proceed.

 

“You could’ve just asked for a permit.”

 

“We’re asking that no permit be issued at all.”

 

Mikael smiled faintly. Frederic instantly caught the implication behind that smile.

 

No one must know.

 

“Also, during that period, please don’t grant any hunting permits to other royals—use any excuse you must.”

 

In other words, they wanted exclusive access to the hunting grounds.

 

“What’s the point of that? Is there something specific you’re trying to catch?”

 

“There’s no need for Your Excellency to know that.”

 

Mikael returned to his usual sly tone. Frederic couldn’t figure out what they were up to.

 

“…Very well.”

 

But Frederic had no choice but to comply. Grace’s life was at stake.

 

“How long do you want this to last? Prolonging it too much wouldn’t be appropriate.”

 

“Two months should suffice.”

 

Mikael smiled, clearly pleased with the compromise.

 

“I never thought the Duke would choose love. How romantic.”

 

“……”

 

“You could always just replace the Duchess if she disappeared.”

 

Frederic’s brow twitched in distaste at the disrespectful remark.

 

“I’m simply making the necessary choice.”

 

“Of course, of course. I’ll inform them immediately about the Duchess’s release. But I can’t guarantee it’ll happen tomorrow—Princess Rayleigh is a bit… fickle.”

 

“I understand.”

 

And a few days later, Grace was released.

 

‘Is this related to the hunting?’

 

Frederick pondered deeply.

 

It was quietly known that Vladimir had recently become obsessed with hunting. He had roamed the mountains near the capital during the hunting season, and once the season ended, he asked for special permission to continue.

 

This might be an opportunity in disguise.

 

It could be a chance to uncover what Vladimir, Mikael, and the temple backing them were plotting.

 

‘I need to send someone to tail them in the forest and see what they’re up to.’

 

A shadow passed over Frederick’s furrowed brow as he thought.

 

 

 

Grace snapped her fingers, and the flame floating in the air transformed into a large droplet of water.

 

“Wow… That’s amazing, ma’am. You can switch between elements so freely… It’s like another world.”

 

“Haha…”

 

“You’re also really skilled at handling them. You’ve improved so quickly.”

 

Aris, who had been watching from the side, clasped her hands with reverence in her eyes. The other Armento nearby snuck glances at Grace, pretending not to.

 

“Even though I see it every day, your ability still amazes me. How were you born with such a gift…?”

 

“I suppose I just got lucky.”

 

Aris added her comment with sparkling eyes, and Grace brushed it off with a laugh.

 

“Um, ma’am?”

 

Grace turned her head toward the voice calling her. An Aquan was looking at her with an awkward expression.

 

“Could I… ask you to treat this person?”

 

“Oh, sure. Where?”

 

Grace walked over to a female Ignit lying on the training ground, groaning. There was a gash on her arm, as if cut by a blade, and blood was pouring from it.

 

“My water attack was too strong…”

 

“I see. Just give me a moment.”

 

A white light burst from Grace’s hand. The light enveloped the woman, and soon, the wound disappeared without a trace.

 

“Thank you… and sorry for the trouble.”

 

The woman smiled shyly. Grace returned the smile reassuringly.

 

Since the tournament, Armento’s training had intensified. Before, they focused on basic practice and slow improvement of combat skills. Now, the goal had shifted to learning as many real combat techniques as possible in a short time.

 

A sense of urgency had spread among the Armento—their failure could risk the lives of Imperial citizens.

 

They threw themselves into training, which led to frequent injuries during sparring sessions. Each time, Grace stepped in to heal them.

 

“Here too… They’re hurt.”

 

As soon as one treatment ended, more requests came flooding in. Grace moved to the next patient.

 

“You’re working so hard.”

 

Today, the number of injured seemed particularly high. Watching Grace return after healing multiple people, Aris looked at her with concern.

 

“Even if people know about your powers now, aren’t they taking advantage of you a bit? Doesn’t it get tiring being asked to heal all the time?”

 

“It feels more like being a doctor than an Armento. But I don’t mind. I’m helping people who are in pain feel better.”

 

Grace smiled brightly. Aris had often asked her if healing others ever felt like a burden, and Grace always replied that it didn’t.

 

In truth, Grace liked being someone who could help others here. As long as no one treated her as overly sacred or divine, she was fine with it.

 

“I’m going to rest for a bit.”

 

After using her healing powers, Grace needed time to recover. She headed to a small area set up for resting.

 

Coats belonging to Armento—including Aris’s and Seri’s—were piled neatly on a couch. With the weather growing colder, coats were used more often.

 

That’s when it happened. A rolled-up scroll slipped from Seri’s coat pocket and dropped to the floor.

 

‘What’s this…? A letter for someone?’

 

Grace picked it up, intending to return it to the pocket.

 

“Oh…!”

 

She accidentally dropped the scroll, and it unfurled on the ground. When she saw the writing inside, her eyes widened.

 

[The effects of her healing are permanent and brief in duration. The range includes everything from minor bruises to sword wounds. There are no known cases of her healing someone on the brink of death.]

 

[She can freely switch between the four elements. She can now generate fire, water, earth, and wind at will. Her growth rate is extremely fast.]

 

‘What is this…?’

 

This was about her. The detailed observations could only come from someone who had been deliberately monitoring her. It read like a report prepared for someone else.

 

‘This is suspicious…’

 

Grace tilted her head. After a moment of thought, she re-rolled the scroll and put it back in Seri’s coat. Then she slowly walked over to her.

 

“Seri, are you free this evening? I thought we could go out and have dinner.”

 

“Ah… I have plans right after training today.”

 

Seri gave her an apologetic smile as she declined.

 

“Ah, of course. No worries.”

 

After training, the three of them exchanged goodbyes in front of Panbion, as usual.

 

“Enjoy your evening plans, Seri.”

 

“What about you, ma’am?”

 

“I don’t have anything specific planned. I thought I’d drop by to see my grumpy husband. He’s been out dealing with monster extermination lately, and I haven’t seen him at all.”

 

“Oh, I see. That must’ve been hard. I hope you have a nice time.”

 

“I’ll head out now too.”

 

Each of them went their separate ways.

 

And a little while later, Grace turned back. Once she confirmed that Aris had gone her own way, Grace began to quietly follow Seri from a distance.

 

“……”