After going around, not only did Veil fail to find any “evidence” she’d imagined, but she earned herself countless eye rolls and a faint sense of rejection.
Exhausted, she returned to her sickbed. The sunset’s afterglow spilled through the window lattice onto the bed.
She stared blankly at the orange-red light, her heart in turmoil.
The villagers’ genuine gratitude and affection couldn’t be faked.
Rita’s anger and defense were real, too.
Could it be… all those rumors she’d heard in the capital about Irene’s arrogance, bullying, beauty without virtue—were they all lies?
Was the pale, trembling girl at the engagement-breaking scene—the one she’d publicly shamed and humiliated, who never shed a tear—was that the real Irene?
And herself, the Crown Princess, had she become a fool blinded by gossip, making a terrible mistake…?
The thought left her breathless with panic and intense self-doubt.
No, impossible! She must have tricked these ignorant villagers somehow! Yes, just like she seemed to have cursed me! These days, I’ve had nothing but bad luck—every bandit suppression ended in disaster!!
She’d nearly lost her life several times! She could only suspect Irene had cursed her from afar.
Veil tried to convince herself of this, but deep down, a small voice was beginning to waver.
As Veil spiraled into self-doubt and tossed sleeplessly through the night, the next morning was shattered by the thunder of urgent, orderly hoofbeats.
A squad of royal knights, though travel-worn and battered, still maintained the dignity of the royal order as they arrived at the new checkpoint of the Raven territory.
At their head, Vice Captain Kane Brandon wore the exhaustion of a long journey, but hope shone through.
Thank the heavens—after days of searching, when everyone was nearly ready to hang themselves in despair, they finally made contact with Raven’s patrol knights, who told them they’d rescued a blue-haired noble!
Judging by the description, it was almost certainly Her Highness!
When the sentry guided them to the plaza before the lord’s manor, Kane immediately spotted the silver-haired figure conversing with the doll-like girl, Lilisha.
Even dressed plainly, without makeup, and with lingering fatigue between her brows, Irene Raven standing there radiated a calm and determined aura, utterly unlike the noble girl Kane remembered being the target of gossip at capital banquets.
The doll-like girl beside her was even more intimidating, exuding an invisible pressure.
Kane dared not be careless. He swung down from his horse with his officers, placed his right hand to his chest, and gave a standard knight’s salute. “Honorable Lady Marquis! By order of His Majesty the King, I, Kane Brandon, vice captain of the Seventh Royal Knights, have come to greet you! I have heard that your patrol knights rescued a blue-haired noble—could it be ‘Her Highness Will’?”
His heart pounded; all his hopes rested on Irene. If it wasn’t her, they were done for!
Irene’s gaze swept over the battered but upright knights. When she heard the name “Her Highness Will,” her eyes flickered ever so slightly, like a pebble disturbing a calm lake, before returning to tranquility.
So it was her. She vaguely remembered someone reporting a rescued noble a few days ago, but Irene hadn’t imagined it would be Veil.
The one who had torn up their engagement in public, shamed her with the harshest words, and cast her into the abyss—her former “fiancé.”
Time had passed. What Irene felt now was not hatred or resentment, but a calm indifference, as if regarding a distant, irrelevant story.
“Vice Captain Brandon, please rise.” Irene’s voice was calm, betraying little emotion. “I’ve been busy with territory affairs these days and haven’t had time to visit the ‘noble’ in question, so I can’t say for sure if the one rescued is Her Highness Will. That noble is currently recuperating in the medical hall; you may go and see for yourself at any time.”
Her tone was crisp and businesslike, with no small talk or unnecessary questions, as if handling a routine matter.
That calm distance made Kane feel a subtle respect—and…awkwardness.
He certainly knew of the unpleasant history between Her Highness and this marquis’s daughter.
“Thank you for your rescue and generosity! We are forever grateful!” Kane saluted again, eager to confirm the truth.
Irene naturally saw the look in his eyes and turned to Lilisha. “Lilisha, please take the vice captain and his men to the medical hall.”
But why would Veil be here, of all places?
“Yes, Master.” Lilisha bowed slightly and turned to Kane. “This way, Vice Captain.”
Kane understood and dared not say more, thanking her again before following Lilisha with his men. He marveled inwardly—this marquis’s daughter’s bearing was nothing like the rumors from the capital.
So, what exactly was Her Highness thinking, breaking off the engagement with the marquis’s daughter?
Nearly made His Majesty the King die of rage.
When Kane and his men arrived at the medical hall and saw Veil, safe if a bit haggard, everyone breathed a massive sigh of relief, nearly moved to tears.
Kane even dropped to one knee, voice choked. “Your Highness! Your safety is the kingdom’s greatest fortune! We failed in our duty—please punish us!”
Veil looked at the kneeling knights, feelings swirling within her.
The relief of surviving, the comfort of being found by her men, and a lingering fear at her own reckless behavior all churned together.
But at this moment, the strongest feeling in her heart was a desire to see Irene.
“Rise, Sir Kane, you’ve all done well. Natural disasters are beyond our control—it’s not all your fault.” For once, Veil didn’t criticize. She stood, straightening the slightly oversized clothes Rita had lent her, and looked past Kane. “Irene… Miss Irene? She didn’t come?”
There was a faint, hard-to-detect note of anticipation and something else in her tone.
Kane answered honestly, “The Lady Marquis is handling urgent affairs and cannot get away. She’s made arrangements for Miss Rita to report on your condition, and you may depart as soon as you’re ready.”
Veil’s heart sank.
She’s not coming? She won’t even show her face?
At that moment, Leila appeared at the door of the medical hall.
Irene’s personal maid and secretary, she was poised and efficient.
She curtseyed to Veil and smiled. “Your Highness, the Lady simply cannot spare a moment from the rebuilding of the territory. She sincerely regrets being unable to see you off in person, and has asked me to convey her regards and wishes for your safe journey and speedy recovery. When things settle down, she will personally visit the capital to apologize.”
Leila’s words were flawless and polite, but carried an unmistakable distance.
And those words “personally visit to apologize” subtly reminded Veil of the awkward shift in their relationship—
Lilisha stood silently at Leila’s side, her heterochromatic eyes calm and unblinking. Though she said nothing, the silent pressure seemed to say: It’s time to go.
The expectation vanished from Veil’s face, replaced by embarrassment, disappointment, and a sting of being slighted.
She’d thought that as long as she humbled herself a little and hinted at a desire to “reconcile” (even if she hadn’t really sorted out her own feelings), the Irene who once adored her would be overjoyed and appear in gratitude.
She’d even planned how to “graciously” give Irene another chance.
But reality dealt her a sharp slap.
Irene hadn’t come at all, instead sending two “servants” to politely and formally see her off! As if the Crown Princess wasn’t worth a moment of her precious time!
A surge of frustration and unwillingness rose in Veil’s heart.
She wanted to question them loudly, to barge into the lord’s manor, but reason and royal pride held her back.
She couldn’t lose face in a mere barony, especially in front of the villagers who obviously respected her.
“Hmph… such a ‘busy’ lord.” Veil finally just sneered, her voice thick with sarcasm and a hint of bitterness even she didn’t notice. “If that’s how it is, then I won’t trouble you further. Sir Kane, let’s go!”
She straightened her back, striving to maintain royal dignity, not sparing Leila or Lilisha another glance as she strode out of the simple but warm medical hall.
Rita stood in the corner, watching her leave, and sighed softly.
The knights clustered around Veil as she mounted her horse.
Before leaving the territory, Veil couldn’t help but pull on the reins and look back.
In the morning light, the once-ruined land was coming back to life.
Neat fields stretched into the distance, new houses sent up wisps of smoke, and people could be seen planning and measuring, their voices carrying on the wind. Villagers had already begun their day’s work, hope shining on their faces.
And the not-so-grand lord’s manor stood quietly, a silent, steadfast center.
All this vitality came from the one who refused to see her.
A complex feeling clogged Veil’s chest—regret? Confusion? Jealousy? Or…a sense of having missed something important?
Even Veil couldn’t say.
She only knew that this brief stay had completely shattered some of the certainties she’d once held.
And the silver-haired figure she’d pushed away, now shining brilliantly on this land, cast a painful shadow in her heart that she couldn’t ignore.
She jerked the reins, turned her horse, her voice carrying a hint of fatigue and irritation. “To the capital!”
Hooves kicked up dust as a squad of knights escorted the conflicted Crown Princess away from the land that was rising again.
Leila saw them off to the border marker, snorting, “Good riddance. Saved her life, and she still spoke ill of the Lady in the territory!”
Irene hadn’t known that Veil was recuperating in the territory—Leila had intercepted the news and kept it from her. With Veil wandering about and even slandering the Lady, Leila couldn’t forgive her so easily.
“…Leila, is there some history between Veil and Irene?”
Rita and Leila were together. Rita, having cared for Veil these days, had naturally noticed there seemed to be a story between Veil and Irene.
Leila brushed her windblown hair and said casually, “Nothing much. Veil and Miss Irene were once engaged, but Veil broke it off.”
“Eh, engaged? But aren’t they both girls?!”
“…Just look at how Veil dresses and how her subordinates treat her. Very few people in the kingdom know her true gender—it’s a state secret.”
Rita frowned, feeling something was off, but since it was Irene, somehow it all made sense.
At that moment, in the lord’s office, Clarette looked up from her paperwork, her emerald eyes gazing at Irene by the window. She whispered, “Miss, is it really okay not to see Her Highness? She is royalty, after all.”
Wouldn’t there be trouble for such disrespect?
Irene shook her head, withdrew her gaze, and let out a gentle breath. “What’s the point? It would just be a waste of time.”
At first, Irene had been troubled for a while about the broken engagement, but now she didn’t care at all. She just wanted to clean up the current mess and live her own life.
The royal engagement was more of a shackle—now that it was broken, she was freer!
“You’re right. Marriage should be a choice for both, and political marriages never bring happiness.” Clarette nodded in agreement, then suddenly stepped forward and hugged Irene from behind, leaving Irene a little stunned.
A voice sounded by her ear.
“Miss, if I were royal, and I proposed to you, would you accept?”
*****
Outside the door, a pair of blue eyes widened. The owner of those eyes bit her lip, stomped her foot, and turned to leave.
Clarette, still hugging Irene from behind, seemed to sense something, narrowed her eyes slightly, and curved her lips in a satisfied, knowing smile.