Chapter 40: Meeting the Duchess

“We have arrived, Ellen.”

“Yes, Richard.”

We had come to the royal capital.
A dazzling city brimming with life.

It truly deserved to be called the capital of the Kingdom of Lance.

Until now, my sphere of life had been limited to my family home, the Viscount Vent household, the neighboring Carlson household, and the lands stretching from the church to Grandra Territory.

Among those, the most prosperous place had undoubtedly been the Grandra Margravate.

Grandra was still in the midst of recovery from the magical beast incursions, yet even taking that into account, the royal capital was clearly more developed.

This visit to the capital was the result of my activities as a “goddess.”

I had been granted the opportunity to speak with the Duchess of Rusewell.

For a while, under the patronage of the Grandra Margrave, I had been working with small units to maintain security in nearby territories.

Perhaps word of those efforts had reached her ears, because through the margrave, an exchange had been arranged.

Why had I sought interaction with the Duchess of Rusewell?

Well… because she belonged to a different faction than the Pharmason Ducal House, and because she was a duchess.

I did not think the Pharmason house would act against us at this point.

If left alone, they might never involve themselves with us again.

Most likely, the duchess’s objective had already been achieved.

I had no desire to stir trouble unnecessarily.

But I could not help thinking about “what if.”

This was a precaution for that possibility.

In other words, I wanted a powerful backer.

Of course, simply asking for support would not be enough.

There was also the risk that I might be asked to sever my connection with Richard.

If we could make her an ally, it would be immensely reassuring.

But the act of making her an ally itself carried the risk of harm.

High-ranking nobles were always troublesome people.

The Grandra Margrave was, among them, an especially… kind exception.

Even he, however, owed a debt to Harid and the others.

That was why he could not personally enact retribution upon Harid and his wife.

…Though to be honest, I did not particularly crave vengeance either.

Because right now, I was at Richard’s side.

To put it plainly, I felt, “I’m really glad I left Harid.”

So then, why go this far?

In the end, it was simply to prepare for “just in case.”

An indistinct reason.

There were many things about myself that even I did not understand.

What exactly had those prophetic dreams been?

Why did I possess such unusual power?

There was no guarantee that those questions would ever be answered.

Perhaps I had simply been born with such talents.

…And yet.

Was it really right to let everything end “like this”?

Even without my involvement, my ex-husband and his lover were already being punished by the duchess.

I truly had no hand in that matter.

So was that enough?
Because they had become unhappy on their own?

Did that mean everything was settled?

Somehow, that did not feel right.

One story had ended, a provisional conclusion reached, and I now had hope of finding happiness going forward.

We could each live our lives in separate, unrelated places.

What, then, was bothering me so much?

It was this.

Harid and I had never actually talked things through.

At the time, I had believed there was no point in speaking with him.

I thought he would only make one-sided, ridiculous demands.

That was why I ran away without discussion.

But it had been a divorce.
The dissolution of a marriage both sides had once agreed to.

In truth, it made no sense that discussion would be unnecessary.

I was not talking about compensation anymore.

But there were steps I needed to take in order to move forward with my life.

To become someone beyond the reach of the Pharmason Ducal House’s interference.

And to become someone who could not be subjected to unilateral demands from Harid and the others.

I wanted to bring things to a conclusion myself, in a way I could accept.

Back then, I had no choice but to run.

But someday, as someone stronger, I wanted to face them directly and tell them exactly what I thought.

And when that day came, I wanted to be very, very happy.

After all, they were not enemies who had murdered my family or anything of the sort.

There was no need to live my life for the sake of revenge.

I wanted to become happy, and at the same time… become someone who could show them I was better off.

Whether that was backward-looking or forward-looking, I was not sure anymore.

Well, in any case.

Those were the reasons why Richard and I had secured an audience with a duchess.

A house completely unrelated to my own troubles.

Even if I explained my circumstances, it would likely be none of her concern.

So for now, the goal was simply to “get along.”

That was the nature of this exchange.

We had been given grand titles, but in reality, I was merely a sister who, after divorce, had reverted to being a viscount’s “daughter?”

Richard was nothing more than a knight.

Neither “goddess” nor “holy knight” was an official title recognized by the church or the state.

There was not even a system or institution that could formally certify such names.

Therefore, we had to be mindful of our standing.

“A sister who cooperates with the knight order under the patronage of the Grandra Margrave.”

“And likewise, a highly skilled knight highly regarded by the margrave.”

That was who we were.

“I would like to sightsee, but we cannot keep the Duchess of Rusewell waiting.”

“Indeed.”

What would we do after meeting the duchess?

In truth, this was something Richard needed more than I did.

…I wanted Richard to obtain the rank of senior knight.

A senior knight held status equivalent to a count.

Naturally, it was not a title that could be granted lightly to just anyone.

There were viscounts and barons who held land, and it would not do to elevate someone above them so easily.

To earn the rank of senior knight, one needed not only to demonstrate knightly ability, but also the recommendation of a high-ranking noble.

That meant a noble of marquis rank or higher.

The one who made such a recommendation would effectively become the patron of that senior knight.

Thus, it was only natural to desire the endorsement of a ducal house.

In some cases, a single noble of marquis rank or higher might suffice.

But with recommendations from two or more houses, the appointment would be far more certain.

The Grandra Margrave was a special case who satisfied the “marquis rank or higher” condition.

We already had his recommendation.

In other words, to further secure Richard’s promotion, we hoped to obtain the recommendation of the Duke of Rusewell.

That was the plan.

We headed toward the Rusewell family’s residence in the royal capital.

After arriving in the capital, we changed carriages.

Following the prearranged procedure, we boarded a different carriage bound for the Rusewell estate.

“I’m starting to feel nervous… How about you, Richard?”

“I feel the same, Ellen.”

As he said that, he took my hand.

We had been told about their reputation and character by the margrave.

I reassured myself that it would be fine, but the tension was unavoidable.

Eventually, the carriage carrying us came to a halt before the estate gates.

At last…

I gave my name to the gatekeeper and presented the letter from the margrave along with our invitation.

After some time, permission was granted, the gates opened, and the carriage entered the grounds.

As befitting a ducal estate, the grounds were vast.

The carriage did not head straight toward the distant mansion, instead veering off along another path.

And finally, the carriage stopped, having reached its destination.

“Ellen. Your hand.”

“Yes, thank you, Richard.”

With his escort, I stepped down from the carriage.

Following our guide, we walked on until a gazebo came into view.

There, even from afar, stood a noblewoman.

A young woman attended by several guard knights and servants.

It seemed she had been informed of our arrival.

The noblewoman stood and approached us, her attendants following behind.

We bowed our heads, offering our respects.

“Please raise your heads, both of you. Welcome. I am Katarina Rusewell, wife of the Duke of Rusewell.”

With her permission, I lifted my head and looked at the woman standing before me.

Long, wavy silver hair.

Pale violet eyes like amethyst.

She was a woman who possessed both nobility and beauty.