18 - The Crown I Will Take From You
18
“No. He agreed. He will take full responsibility for the housing of retired soldiers within the royal castle.”
“Haa.”
Only then did Neril heave a sigh of relief. Her master was a man of unyielding principle.
She thought the Princess would fail, as he was a man who wouldn't bend his will even with a knife to his throat.
'That's why I haven't dared to visit him since leaving the Knights.'
“Do you want to say hello before we go?”
Medeia gestured over her shoulder.
The door to the Marquis's office remained firmly closed. Neril shook her head.
“He wouldn’t want to see me. And I have to return to the royal palace before evening.”
The two went down to the courtyard where the Quadruple Carriage was waiting, to return to the royal palace.
“Princess, your carriage seemed a bit worn, so we have prepared a new one. Please come this way.”
As if he had heard the Marquis's words, the butler guided Medeia with a much friendlier attitude than before.
The carriage tethered in the courtyard looked like an ordinary Quadruple Carriage at first glance.
But upon closer inspection, the exterior was reinforced with thin steel plates, and the wheel rims were also made of steel.
“The carriage may have changed, but the coachman is the same. I’ll make sure you get back to the royal palace safely, without a speck of dust touching you.”
As Tom leaned against the carriage and spoke, Neril strode forward.
With her back to the Princess, she grabbed Tom by the collar with one hand and punched him in the solar plexus with the other.
“Get lost. Don’t ever show your face again.”
“Kuh…! It hurts to hear you say that, my friend.”
Tom had to grit his teeth between his smiling lips. What are they feeding her in the royal palace that makes her so strong?
“Wow… seriously, no joke.”
He had to strain his trembling knees to avoid collapsing disgracefully in front of the Princess.
“Do you think I wouldn’t know you drove the carriage like that on purpose?”
As Neril glared at him, Tom raised both hands as if surrendering.
“Do you think I wanted to do that? I don’t want to upset a noble person if I can help it.”
That means…
“Did Master tell you to do it?”
“The moment you or the Princess stepped out of the carriage and opened your mouths, I would have turned the horses back to the royal palace.”
Neril’s heart grew cold. It was all a test.
If she had gotten out and confronted Tom or tried to forcibly silence the soldiers, today’s meeting would have been canceled.
Did the master know everything? Is that why he stopped me?
‘How many steps ahead is Her Highness seeing?’
Seeing Neril speechless, Tom sneered.
“Did you think our master would meet just anyone? How naive.”
“Anyone? Is the bloodline of Baldina just anyone?”
As Neril snapped back, Tom shook his head as if he was fed up.
“You’re like a hen protecting her chicks. You seem a bit crazier than before too.”
Then he added.
“Well, I guess I should say what I have to say. Our master said earlier that you serving the Princess as your master was not a foolish choice.”
“What?”
Neril turned her head toward the tower where the Marquis's room was.
It seemed like she made eye contact with a familiar figure next to the purple curtain.
“…So, since Master acknowledged you, what can I do by getting angry? I’ll make up for what happened earlier and return as a diligent coachman, hey! Where are you going!”
Tom shouted at Neril, who suddenly turned around and ran towards the Marquis's residence.
“Your Highness, please wait a moment!”
Neril ignored Tom's words and shouted to the Princess.
She climbed the stairs two or three steps at a time.
The height of the stone steps was steep, and she was out of breath in an instant, but Neril did not stop.
Thump.
She opened the mahogany door and walked down the hallway. Familiar curtains, furniture, and carpets greeted her.
As in a vivid memory of a certain day, her master stood by the window.
“Huk, M, huk, Master…”
Gillifos slowly turned around. At the end of a sigh that seemed unavoidable, there was laughter.
“Geez, your impatience hasn’t changed.”
“Tom, th, huk, Master said that he, huk, ack, now, ledged my choice.”
“Is that why you ran all the way here? To hear those words from this old man’s mouth?”
Anger flashed across Gillifos’s face.
“Ah, huk, no.”
Neril caught her breath, raised her head, and smiled brightly.
“I’m going to take back my weapon that I left with Master. You still remember the bet, right?”
She walked step by step. And she took back the greatsword that was hanging on the wall.
“Stay healthy, Master. I’ll see you again.”
“Don’t bother, kid.”
Marquis Gillifos waved his hand and slammed the door shut as if telling her to get lost.
“Abandoning your Knight Title and becoming the Princess’s Maid? Are you out of your mind?”
She was his cherished disciple. That’s why he couldn’t understand it even more.
“Was it His Majesty? Who put such useless thoughts into your head? Did you think I raised you to die a dog’s death because of factional strife?”
“If not me, there will be no one for Her Highness right now. I want to protect Her Highness, Master. Please allow me.”
“The moment you leave this door! You are neither my disciple nor a knight. If you want to go to the Princess, leave your sword and go empty-handed.”
“Master…!”
“Unless I acknowledge it, you will never be able to hold that again.”
“That heartless guy, he really threw it down and left when I told him to leave it.”
The Marquis shook his head as he recalled the past. He looked down below the window.
“Neril, you are better than me.”
His disciple saw stars even in the mud, but he did not.
After the Late King died, he lost hope.
He gave up on everything, including the desire to raise Baldina back into a powerful nation, and the hyenas who were constantly eyeing power.
He despaired that the stars would never rise again.
The stubbornness and foolishness of the past years felt new again.
Perhaps it was really him who was foolish. Nevertheless, what was fortunate was,
“I am the Princess of Baldina. I am simply doing what I must do as a Princess.”
“God has not yet abandoned this country.”
The light of Baldina has continued.
A faint smile appeared on Gillifos's face as he watched the departing carriage.
\ \ \
[A suitable site has been found.]**
A few days later, Marquis Gillifos sent a message through Neril.
It included the approximate plans and related matters.
The location of the site was coincidentally near the castle walls.
“He must be saying he’ll use it to defend the royal castle if necessary.”
He was just like a general.
“Neril, have them get a list of the retired soldiers staying at the estate. Include all their families.”
That way, they won’t even think about joining the rebels.
Even though she was emptying her entire fortune to help them survive, Medeia had no trust in them whatsoever.
Humans tend to forget favors when they are full.
“Strictly speaking, retired soldiers are the responsibility of the royal family, but Your Highness is emptying your entire fortune to save them…”
Neril couldn’t hide her dissatisfaction.
“Why, are you worried I’ll become a pauper?”
“…To be honest, I think it’s a failed investment. You’re pouring water into a bottomless pit.”
Medeia chuckled at Neril’s rare grumbling.
“I’m supposedly a cursed Princess, so I’ll just become a little more miserable than I am now. It’s better for me to go bankrupt than for Baldina to collapse, right?”
The lighthearted joke was somehow bitter, and Neril paused.
The Princess always treated herself as firewood that could be burned at any time for the sake of Baldina.
‘It’s as if Her Highness owes this country something…’
There was a desperation that went beyond the simple patriotism that royalty usually had.
‘I’m too foolish to keep up with Her Highness’s vision.’
Neril did not know what made her young master like that.
“…If Your Highness goes bankrupt, I will serve you.”
That was all she could say.
“Ahaha.”
The light laughter shattered gently under the sunlight.
“Okay, then I’ll live with Neril, I guess.”
Why did the faint smile feel so heartbreaking?
It was when Medeia was entering the palace. A Maid who had been waiting approached.
“What’s going on?”
“Your Highness, Duchess Claudio is waiting inside.”
