Chapter 165: Baton Pass
“How did your meeting go?” Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Sigren shook his head, looking tired. “I ran into two problems.”
“What problems?”
He hesitated for a moment before answering honestly, “Foreign envoys are coming this time.”
“Oh, I know about that. Heilon’s been busy fixing the roads because of it.”
“He also mentioned something about me marrying a royal woman from another country.”
“Oh…”
I pouted immediately.
“Sigren, you playboy.”
He looked confused. “I haven’t done anything. Nothing’s set in stone….”
“I know, I’m just teasing.”
It was a joke, playing it up dramatically.
“If you’re going to refuse, wouldn’t it be better to get engaged after all?”
“Huh?”
For some reason, Sigren’s reaction was lukewarm. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“What? You don’t like the idea?”
Sigren looked a bit flustered. “No, quite the opposite.”
“If it’s the opposite, why are you reacting like that?”
Don’t tell me it’s because of Abel?
Sigren chuckled bitterly. “I guess I’m just not a good guy.”
I let out a small laugh.
“That’s impossible.”
It seemed like he was still reflecting on himself.
Sigren looked at me, smiling. “Fiona, is there any land you want?”
“Huh, why?”
“The emperor said he would bestow an estate. It’s hard to refuse, so I’m asking if there’s a territory you’d prefer.”
“You can’t decide that based on my opinion!”
“But your opinion matters the most to me.”
Ugh, that was a bit embarrassing.
“If there’s no specific one, should we just throw darts at a map to decide?”
Wait, was he serious?
He still seemed unmotivated, even when it came to land.
I pulled out a map and spread it open while cutting the cake I had baked that morning.
“Oh, Carl once mentioned the South. It’s supposed to be a really interesting place.”
“Well, except the South.”
What? Why?!
“He also said there’s a lot of unique culture in the West. I’d like to see that.” Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Except the West.”
Really?
I squinted at him. “Sigren, you’re not motivated at all, are you?”
“No, I have plenty of motivation.”
Then he pulled me onto his lap.
Naturally, I ignored that and kept looking at the map.
“If you take a highly coveted region, they’ll keep a close eye on you. It’s better to find somewhere that’s moderately useful.”
“So, which place do you like?”
Who was the one just now ruling out the South and the West? What was he even thinking?
Sigren then grabbed a handful of my hair and kissed it. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
I pushed him away and fell into thought.
A nice place that could offer some benefit…
Come to think of it, one place did come to mind.
“Oh, how about here?”
Sigren glanced at the spot I pointed to on the map.
“There’s nothing there, though.”
“That’s right.”
It wasn’t a resort area, nor was it good for farming—it was barren land. Collecting taxes there would be difficult, and the previous family that managed the estate had gone bankrupt.
“Okay. If you like it, let’s go there.”
“Aren’t you going to ask why?”
Usually, choosing a place like this would make people think you were crazy. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
He pressed a kiss to the back of my hand.
“If you say so, there must be a reason.”
“Isn’t that too trusting…?”
Since the last incident, Sigren had been unwavering in showing just how much he believed in me.
“Yes, it’ll be fine, Sigren.”
He tucked my hair behind my ear. “Even if it doesn’t benefit us, if you want it, that’s all that matters.”
“….”
It was incredible how he could say things like that so casually.
In the end, I quietly slipped a rabbit-shaped cookie into his mouth. My shyness had hit its limit for the day, so I needed him to stop talking. “I baked that earlier.”
“Really?” Sigren’s face lit up.
“I made it with Carl,” I added, smiling.
Chomp!
The cookie in Sigren’s mouth shattered into pieces. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Ah, the poor rabbit…
***
Soon after, the envoys from other countries arrived, and I attended the welcome ball with Abel.
“Fiona, what’s wrong?” Abel asked, noticing my puzzled expression.
“I don’t know, I just feel like this is familiar.”
“It’s a ball. Of course, it feels familiar.”
“No, that’s not it.” Though it was my first time meeting these envoys, the feeling of familiarity was strong.
I tilted my head, thinking aloud. “I feel like I’m forgetting something important. Lately, I’ve been so distracted by Sigren and Carl.”
“Then it’s time to break up,” Abel teased.
I rolled my eyes. “Stop it.”
In my experience, if something felt familiar like this, it usually wasn’t a good sign.
“The High Priest and Lady Eunice Arlin are entering!” the attendant announced.
I turned toward the door when that familiar name was called. Eunice… long time no see. I’d heard she was involved in building a relief facility for those affected by the Darkness. Her life was turning out quite different from what I’d expected, but at least she seemed content in her own way. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Wait, expectation…?
“Oh,” I muttered.
“Fiona?” Abel asked, concerned.
I covered my face, realizing what I’d forgotten.
“Abel, are there any delegates here from the Ranulf Kingdom?” I asked.
“Yes, there are.”
Now it clicked. Recently, I’d been so focused on my current problems that I’d almost forgotten this world was based on a story. I’d neglected the plot’s timeline. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com. This was the heroine kidnapping arc—one of those classic, dramatic turns that readers loved for the tension it added. But in real life, it was a hostile threat!
Oh no… I wrote that!
In the story, this was supposed to be the moment Sigren reconfirmed his love for Eunice after rescuing her from an abduction orchestrated by the empress and a high-ranking official from Ranulf Kingdom. The empress wanted to eliminate Eunice, while the Ranulf Kingdom coveted the saintess’s power to combat the Darkness. Sigren would rescue Eunice, expose the empress’s treason, and drive her away.
Now, who would be the target of this kidnapping? I was dating Sigren, but Eunice was still the one with the saintess’s power.
“This is getting complicated…,” I muttered, feeling the metaphorical steam rising from my head. Though, it would be a great chance to finally deal with the empress.
Still, I wasn’t sure who the actual target of the kidnapping would be.
“Fiona, what are you thinking about?” Abel asked, gently stroking my hair.
I smiled awkwardly. “It’s nothing.”
If I had to guess, Eunice was still the most likely target. Even if the empress and the Ranulf Kingdom hadn’t colluded this time, they’d still need Eunice. Compared to her, I was just a mage. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Right, Eunice was the one in danger.
As awful as it felt, I couldn’t help hoping that the empress and the Ranulf Kingdom were indeed conspiring. It would be the perfect opportunity to take her down.
But I didn’t know exactly when the kidnapping would take place.
With that in mind, I approached Eunice, who had just entered the venue.
“Lady Fiona!” she greeted me.
“Long time no see, Lady Eunice.”
Yes, she was definitely the one in danger. And now, Sigren, the prince who was supposed to save her, was on my side. What if he couldn’t rescue Eunice this time?
I made up my mind.
“It’s a shame we haven’t had many chances to talk lately,” I said with a smile, taking her hand. “So I hope we’ll get to know each other better during this event.”
In other words, we would have to stick together—at least for the time being. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
***
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