A Happy Life in the Empire - The Princess Once Called a “Failure” Becomes the “Most Important Person” as a Hostage in the Empire - Chapter 16
The next morning, Duke Edward took action immediately.
He announced false information that Alto had been poisoned by someone.
Only those inside the castle knew the truth.
That meant Alto’s party, including the duke and me, as well as the servants.
To prevent any information leaks, those who knew the situation were prohibited from leaving.
Even the Emperor himself was not informed that it was false information.
Naturally, the empire put all its efforts into treating Alto.
The best doctors rushed from the imperial capital, and all kinds of medicines were sent from Harmene Village.
Additionally, magicians skilled in healing magic were also dispatched.
With such a large-scale effort, anyone would believe it.
That Alto was in a critical condition.
I was both impressed by Alto and the duke’s skills and also felt guilty.
The public announcement of false information was Alto’s idea, made out of consideration for me.
Moreover, Alto also said this to reassure me:
“By making such a big fuss, not only the kingdom but also other countries will find it difficult to take action. They will have to observe our response and even make excuses like ‘Our country has nothing to do with this.’ I feel bad for the doctors who rushed here without knowing the truth, but thanks to this, we should be able to have some peace for a while.”
◇
For the next few days, we stayed at the duke’s castle.
The duke continuously provided updates on Alto’s condition.
In the end, the official story was that he survived thanks to the empire’s cutting-edge medical treatment.
Then, the false recovery period came to an end.
With the announcement of Alto’s full recovery, our journey was set to resume.
The time had come to leave Grandfell.
“Duke, as I always say, you don’t have to go this far for us.”
Alto said with a wry smile, sticking his head out of the carriage window.
The duke had accompanied us outside the city to see us off one last time.
“No, no, Your Highness. This is only natural. I cannot help but worry that Your Highness may not be completely recovered yet.”
No one knew who might be listening.
So, the duke continued speaking based on the false information.
“There’s nothing to worry about anymore. As you can see, I’m fine. The knights are all here as well.”
“Duke, thank you very much for everything. Not just for the voucher matter but also for everything else.”
I peeked out from beside Alto and bowed deeply.
In response, Duke Edward returned a deep bow.
“Lady Sophia, please think nothing of it. Having you and Prince Alto stay in Grandfell was the greatest honor for our city. I wish you all safe travels.”
The duke smiled as he watched the carriage begin to move.
As I gazed at the massive city walls fading into the distance, I whispered in my heart.
(Levan, Harmene Village, and Grandfell… All of them were wonderful places. I wonder what awaits us in the next town.)
With thoughts of the unknown destination ahead, I drifted off to sleep.
◇
It happened suddenly.
A few hours after leaving Grandfell, as our carriage traveled across the flat grasslands, it began to shake violently.
The shaking woke me up.
“Stop! Something’s wrong with the carriage!”
At Alto’s command, the coachman pulled the horses to a stop.
We hurriedly got out and checked the condition of the wheels.
“Hey, look at this.”
Alto pointed at the wheel.
One of the spokes—the wooden rods that extend radially from the wheel’s center—had broken.
Spokes are crucial for maintaining a wheel’s strength. Even if just one breaks, the wheel becomes distorted and cannot roll properly.
“How did this happen? Wasn’t the carriage inspected before we left?”
Alto turned his sharp gaze toward Gerald. His tone carried an edge.
“It seems I overlooked it. My apologies, Your Highness.”
Gerald lowered his head solemnly.
“This means we can’t move forward…”
Alto’s expression grew tense.
Seeing this, Gerald made a suggestion.
“Please use my horse.”
“Your horse?”
“Yes. Prince Alto and Lady Sophia can ride my horse and go ahead to town. Meanwhile, we’ll take the carriage back to Grandfell for repairs. Even with a broken spoke, we can still move it.”
“That’s not a bad idea, but what about you? You can’t ride in a broken carriage.”
“I will travel on foot.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I won’t allow that. Someone can let you ride with them.”
“That won’t be possible.”
“Why not?”
“The horses we are using for this journey were chosen for speed. Unlike the powerful warhorses used in battle, they lack the strength to carry two grown men. Additionally, we are wearing armor, which adds extra weight.”
Alto didn’t argue further.
He must have found Gerald’s explanation reasonable.
“Then, should we all walk together?”
Alto suggested.
“That won’t be necessary. The carriage’s failure is my responsibility. Please continue your journey as planned, Your Highness.”
Gerald insisted.
“Even so…”
Alto showed no intention of yielding.
He didn’t want to place all the burden on Gerald alone.
His concern for his subordinates was admirable, but at this rate, they would never reach a decision.
So—
“Um, should I try fixing it?”
I stepped in between them.
Alto, Gerald, and everyone else on the scene were surprised.
“Fix it? Sophia, can you really do that?”
“Yes, I should be able to substitute a suitable piece of wood. If only one spoke is broken, I can replace it and secure it in place!”
Alto’s eyes widened.
“Where did you learn to do that!?”
“In Rockwell. The carriages there are old, and breakdowns like this happen all the time. I’ve helped with repairs before.”
“That’s amazing…”
“I never imagined Lady Sophia had such skills.”
Even Gerald was impressed.
“The only problem is finding the right wood for the repair. This is just a grassland, so…”
I looked around.
A vast grassland stretched in every direction.
“Ah!”
Looking closely, I spotted a small forest in the distance.
“How about that forest? If we cut an appropriate branch, we can use it!”
“Your Highness, that forest is safe.”
Before Alto could speak, Gerald reassured him.
“Then there’s no problem. Alright, Sophia, Gerald, and I will go gather wood from that forest. The rest of the knights will stay here. Prepare for the possibility of camping overnight and conserve your strength.”
“Yes, sir!”
The knights saluted.
“Also, someone go to Tiorna and inform the mayor that we will be late.”
“Leave it to me!”
A young knight raised his hand.
After confirming Alto’s nod, he spurred his horse and rode toward the town.
And so, Alto, Gerald, and I headed toward the forest.
◇
The forest was silent, with sunlight filtering through the trees.
A small chipmunk perched on a branch, eyeing us warily.
I could also see birds pecking at ripe fruit.
The peaceful atmosphere was soothing.
“Alto, how about that one?”
I pointed to a thick branch.
The way it grew from the trunk seemed just right for replacing the spoke.
“Leave it to me!”
Alto drew his sword and sliced the branch at its base.
The wood was cut cleanly, as if it were tofu.
“That’s an amazing blade!”
“It was made by a master blacksmith. It’s smoother than a saw.”
Alto grinned proudly.
Gerald picked up the fallen branch and carried it.
Only Alto could make the commander of the Imperial Knights carry luggage.
“Just in case, let’s take a few more. If we only have one and it doesn’t work, we’ll be in trouble.”
Alto cut down several similar branches.
With this many, we should be able to fix the spoke without a problem.
“Alright, let’s head back.”
Alto stretched his arms and let out a big yawn.
Gerald and I nodded in agreement.
But then—
“Cold!”
Something landed on my forehead.
Looking up, I saw raindrops falling.
At first, just a few, but soon, a gentle pattering sound filled the air.
“Sophia, come closer.”
Alto spread his cloak and covered me to shield me from the rain.
“Thank you, Alto…!”
That small act of kindness made me happy.
He did it so naturally, as if it were nothing.
The rain was cold, but my heart felt warm.
“Your Highness, may I also take shelter under your cloak? My armor will be a hassle to clean if it gets wet…”
Suddenly, Gerald said something strange.
When I looked at his face, he was smirking—it was obviously a joke.
“S-Shut up! You can walk while getting soaked! This all happened because you didn’t check the carriage properly in the first place!”
Alto raised his voice, his face slightly red.
“My apologies.”
Gerald chuckled and bowed his head.
“The rain is getting heavier. Sophia, let’s hurry. Gerald, don’t fall behind!”
“Yes!”
“Of course, Your Highness!”
We quickened our pace, heading back to the grasslands.