The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 74

The former Duke accepted Tericia’s decision with a composed expression, as though he had known all along what she would choose.

“If that’s truly your wish.”

He offered only that single line, nothing more. The only sign of disapproval was a quiet tsk as he looked at Rashid, clearly still finding it hard to trust the son who had thrown everything aside and rushed to Pelos.

Of course, Rashid didn’t flinch. He stood firm beside Tericia, unmoved by his father’s sharp gaze.

And finally, on the day they were to return to the capital, Jester Hespelt provided a carriage so that Tericia could make the journey comfortably.

Rashid had wanted to put her on horseback and leave as soon as possible, but after riding nonstop for a full day and night to get here, he couldn’t bring himself to make her travel the same way. So, for once, he accepted his father’s generosity without protest.

Perhaps it had only been a short stay, but Tericia had grown attached to the people at Pelos Castle. Leaving wasn’t easy.

“If you don’t want to go… you don’t have to,” Jester said unexpectedly.

Tericia paused, surprised—and immediately, Rashid’s eyes lit up with urgency.

“If you don’t want to leave, I’ll move here instead,” he said without missing a beat.

Jester shook his head in disbelief, and Tericia laughed softly.

“No… I think it’s better if I take Rashid back with me. If I stay here any longer, I might just end up being a burden to everyone at Pelos Castle.”

“That’s true. He’s far from mature, after all,” Jester muttered.

“……”

Rashid said nothing, lips pressed tightly together. His father’s words didn’t seem to faze him at all.

“Are you sure you won’t reconsider? I still don’t trust him,” Jester added.

“I’m sure,” Tericia replied. “Because I don’t think I could live without him.”

No matter what others might say—this time, she wanted to stay by Rashid’s side. Even if he ended up rejecting her, she would stay for as long as she was allowed.

Rashid was stunned by her words. Without thinking, his hand started to reach out to her before he quickly looked away, covering his smile with his hand.

Seeing that, Tericia smiled too.

“Your Grace.”

“Rashid is the Duke now,” Jester interrupted.

“Pardon?”

“It means you can call me something else now.”

Tericia was caught off guard.

But when their eyes met, she understood. He was offering her something. For the first time, this man—who had shown her no warmth—was accepting her.

“When everything is settled, call me properly.”

“Yes.”

He gave a small cough and then turned toward his son, his expression once again full of disapproval. Rashid, silent as ever, simply held her hand.

“I’ll come back to visit,” Tericia said, her cheeks slightly pink.

In time, once they’d all grown more familiar, maybe she could show him more affection. Maybe one day, she’d feel at ease around him.

“Let’s go.”

Rashid, clearly out of patience, swiftly scooped Tericia into his arms. Before she could even yelp in surprise, he placed her in the carriage, climbed in after her, and shut the door with a loud thud.

Jester Hespelt shook his head in disbelief as the carriage pulled away.

The coachman, pushed to his limits by Rashid’s relentless urgency, drove the horses hard—and they arrived in the capital much faster than expected.

Tericia had been calm during most of the journey, but as the scenery turned familiar, her expression slowly changed.

Her relaxed posture became rigid. Her back straightened. Her shoulders stiffened. The gentle smile she had shown Rashid earlier disappeared, and she turned to stare quietly out the window.

“Tericia.”

She flinched slightly when he called her name.

“Are you nervous?”

“No. Why would I be…”

She tried to sound firm, but her voice trailed off. Even she couldn’t believe her own words.

Tericia exhaled deeply, the breath carrying her anxiety with it.

Rashid shifted closer and gently took her hand in his. Her fingers were tightly clenched, and her hand was trembling.

He smiled softly and patted her hand.

“You don’t need to be so tense.”

“I just… don’t know what kind of face I should have when I return. There’s Mandy… and Sarah…”

“It’s okay. No one’s going to say anything to you.”

“But what if they do…?”

“Then it won’t matter.”

Seeing her worry, Rashid gave a small, awkward cough. He looked away from her, his gaze drifting to the window. It was clear he was hiding something.

“They might actually be happy to see you come back.”

“What do you mean?”

Tericia turned to him, puzzled. But Rashid didn’t look at her. He kept his gaze fixed outside, as if avoiding her eyes on purpose.

“…While you were gone,” he began, after a pause.

“I did some cleaning up.”

“Hm?”

“I restored order.”

“……”

“Made a few adjustments, here and there.”

Tericia stared at him, lips parted in surprise. He was clearly softening the truth with careful wording, but even she could tell that the “internal adjustments” and “restoring order” had likely been far from gentle.

“I was… a bit on edge,” Rashid added with a faint smile.

“Rashid,” Tericia’s voice lowered.

“You didn’t actually eat Sir Adler, did you?”

“Of course not. But… well, let’s just say a few things happened.”

“……”

“…It was a bit intense.”

Even as Tericia’s eyes narrowed slightly, Rashid didn’t budge. He held firm, refusing to reveal the full extent of whatever he’d done—despite her suspicious look.

And once they returned to the estate, Tericia immediately understood what kind of atmosphere he had created.

The carriage rolled up to the estate. Though the doors were still closed, she could already see a large group of servants gathered outside to greet them.

Had there been this many people when she first arrived at the duchy? Maybe… but it was all a blur—those memories from her childhood.

Her heart began to pound, a strange dizziness spinning through her mind as nervous tension crept in.

Taking a deep breath, Tericia looked at Rashid. Her violet eyes wavered with a mix of anxiety and relief at finally being home. Rashid gave her a gentle smile.

“It’s all right. They’ll be happy to see you.”

“…You really think so?”

“I’m sure of it. Trust me.”

Rashid smiled again, that same calm and steady expression he always wore when he was trying to ease her worries.

“Shall we?”

“Mm.”

He stepped out first and turned, extending his hand toward her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Before taking it, Tericia clenched her fist briefly and opened it again. Her fingertips were cold. But she steadied herself, placed her hand in his, and stepped down from the carriage.

“……”

Silence fell, and dozens of eyes turned to her all at once.

As expected, the entire household staff had come out to greet the Duke’s return.

Tericia kept her emotions hidden as she slowly looked over their faces, one by one. The stiffness in their expressions made her palms damp with sweat.

‘Just as I feared…’

She had never thought of herself as a bad mistress. She had always believed that her comfortable life was thanks to these people and had treated them with respect.

But regardless of the circumstances, it now appeared as if she had deceived them—lied to them for over a decade.

Who would welcome back someone who tarnished the pride of a prestigious noble house? Someone who had quietly returned, expecting to be forgiven?

She lowered her gaze, trying to hide her bitter smile.

Strangely, Rashid said nothing. He simply stood at her side and observed quietly.

The silence grew heavier. Just as Tericia began to wonder if she should turn around and leave—Sir Adler stepped forward.

“Lady Tericia.”

His face was stern, but his voice remained respectful.

“Have you returned?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve truly come back… for good?”

“…Yes.”

Behind him, Mandy approached. Her voice trembled slightly, and her brown eyes shimmered with tears as she looked at Tericia.

“My lady… you’ve really come back, haven’t you?”

They had known each other for a long time. Maybe that was why Mandy seemed genuinely happy to see her. Tericia swallowed a bitter laugh.

“You’re not going to leave again, right?”

Yes. If even one person was happy she came back… then maybe that was enough.

“…I’m not leaving again,” she said softly, nodding with a gentle smile.

In that instant, the air shifted.

Maybe it was her imagination—but it felt like everyone’s eyes were starting to glisten.

Tericia blinked, looking at Mandy, then around at the others. Unlike moments ago, tearful gazes now met hers from all directions.

“My lady!”

“Lady Tericia!”

“Thank goodness you’re back.”

“Please don’t leave again.”

“If you do, we’ll follow you.”

“The Duke nearly killed us, you know.”

“We were terrified.”

The entire mood shifted in a heartbeat. Servants who had been frozen stiff suddenly broke into chatter, one after another.

Each person stepped forward with their own words. Some even had tears in their eyes.

Even Harris, the usually composed head butler who rarely showed emotion, let out a long sigh of relief and looked off into the distance.

Overwhelmed, Tericia turned to Rashid.

“Didn’t I tell you?”
He let out a soft chuckle, casually looking elsewhere as if brushing off her stunned expression.

Adler let out a deep sigh too—a sigh full of relief.

“We’re truly glad you’re back. Please, never run away again,” he muttered, voice weary and worn.

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