# 31
“Huh, you didn't speak up when you had the chance.”
Aachen let out a sarcastic laugh.
“Please...have mercy on me...”
“If you wanted to survive, you wouldn't have done this in the first place.”
Aachen stared at the killer.
The terrified killer hurriedly lowered his head to the ground.
“The child you were watching is my stepdaughter. Were you planning to kidnap the princess and use her to threaten me?”
“Absolutely not, we had no such intention!”
“You expect me to believe this?”
“Believe me, the Count knew nothing about this...”
The killer pleaded, pressing his head to the ground, defending himself.
“The Count’s men are arrogant. They won’t make excuses if they don’t do something.”
“Then why were you following the princess?”
Aachen grabbed the killer's chin tightly.
“Because she looked so much like Lady Rachel, we thought it best to inform the Count, just in case.”
The killer hesitated a little, then answered Aachen's question.
."Rachel? Did you say Lady Rachel?"
By repeating the name spoken by the killer, Aachen knew who Rachel was.
“Rachel Tiara. The adopted daughter who was kicked out of the Tiara family a long time ago.”
When Aachen mentioned this, another assassin who had been silent until now exploded.
"Lady Rachel never stole the family heirloom! She was unjustly expelled!"
“Hmm, whether your mistress steals it or not… is none of my business.”
Aachen smiled lightly before the assassins were suspended in the air, rendering them speechless.
“If you divulge any information about the princess, you will lose your tongues.”
“…!”
"Don't show any interest in Belzeit anymore. This is your last warning."
When the train stopped momentarily, Aachen snapped his finger, and the killers were thrown into the cargo hold.
“…I think it's time to go back to Lin now.”
Aachen shook his hands, his features turned gentle, and he left the cargo area as if nothing had happened.
“Your Highness seems very nice,”
Elisha commented as she finished styling Helen's hair after helping her change her dress.
“Indeed,” Helen agreed, as Shevelin opened her arms with a broad smile.
Cherry likes His Highness too!
While Shivalin was making this move, the strap of her abaya came undone, and her rabbit doll fell to the ground.
“Do you like it too?”
Helen asked as she gently caressed Shivalin, unaware of the fallen doll.
“I'll have to tie the laces again later.”
Shortly after, Aachen returned to the private cabin.
“Your Highness, you are back.”
“You look beautiful in dark colors too.”
Aachen stared intently at Helen, who was wearing a dark green dress.
This time, he didn't pretend not to notice.
In some ways, Aachen felt even more embarrassed. Noticing Helen's shyness, he turned to Sheviline.
“Princess, undo your ribbon.”
He knelt down to straighten Chevillin's messy cloak, then picked up the doll.
“It will be cold in Belzeit. You might catch a cold.”
“Yes…thank you.”
Seeing Aachen's actions, Helen felt like a real family.
'Can we really be a family?'
This was the kind of bond she had always wanted.
Aachen, who was playing with Schevelin, suddenly got up and pointed to the window.
“This is the Grand Duchy of Belzeit, princess.”
Helen followed his hand and looked out.
“Is this the Grand Duchy of Belzeit?”
“Yes, it is her.”
Helene begins to realize that she is in the North with Shevelin.
“Be careful, ma’am, and you too, princess.”
With Aachen's help, they got off the stopped train.
“So this is what Belzeit looks like.”
Everyone who passed seemed relaxed. The landscape, covered in pure white snow, was picturesque and beautiful, worthy of a princess.
After loading all their luggage into a rented cart, they sent Elisha forward. Shivalin, in Aachen's arms, was examining the place curiously.
“It's been years since it's snowed in Pitstein, so this must be the first time Schiefelin has seen snow.”
The outside world, from the distant clock tower to everything else, was covered in pure white snow.
[Cherry wants to walk alone!]
While Shevelin was speaking, Aachen immediately took her down. Shevelin, now on the ground, was sitting cross-legged and fiddling with the snow, looking very excited.
[My mom! Everything here looks like ice cream!]
The texture of the snow must have reminded her of her favorite ice cream dessert.
“It really looks like ice cream.”
Helen agreed with Shevelin's description, and watched the child lick her lips, staring at the snow.
[It looks delicious.]
“Lin, you can’t eat this.”
Helen quickly intervened, fearing that Shivalin might actually try to eat the snow.
[But it looks very delicious.]
Seeing this, Aachen laughed and reassured the frowning Shivalin.
“Princess, it's cold, so let's wait a minute and have some hot cocoa later, okay?”
"Yes!"
Shivalin, who loves sweets, got up energetically.
“Princess, I asked them to come meet us, but it seems we arrived earlier than expected.”
While they had some free time, Helen became worried about Shivalin, who was shivering from the cold.
"Uh...what do we do? Lin, are you okay?"
“Cold?”
"No! I'm not cold!"
“You're not cold, are you?”
Helen wiped Sheveline's nose with a handkerchief and saw her breath rising into the air.
“It should be safe to use a magic scroll to get around here.”
As soon as he moved his wrist, a magic scroll appeared out of nowhere. Contrary to Helan's fears, Aachen offered a simple solution.
"paper?"
Chevelin, curious about the magic scroll she had seen for the first time, stared at the scroll in Aachen's hand.
“If you rip this off, you can go straight to where you want, princess,” Aachen simply explained to the curious Schieffelin.
“Then, let's go.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Aachen tore open the magic scroll, and a complex spell formula emerged.
[Chi-Chiri, scared!]
Before anyone could stop her, Shivalin, her right foot out of the spell formula, suddenly found herself surrounded by a rotating circle.
Not finding Shivalin anywhere, they looked around, and saw her little hand in a pile of snow.
“Shivlin!”
cried Helen, her face pale.
Aachen also quickly approached, pulling Schevillin out of the snow.
“Princess, are you okay?”
[Cherry is fine! The snow is soft here! Cherry wants to play more!]
“I'm glad you don't look injured.”
He removed the snow accumulated on Shevellin's head.
Relieved that Shivalin was not hurt, Helen relaxed.
“Princess, this is Hestor Castle, the headquarters of the Duchy of Belzeit.”
It seems that the princess's maid has not arrived yet.
Helen looked in the direction Aachen had pointed, and saw a huge castle wall.
A flag bearing the emblem of the Duchy of Belzeit, a blue rose and a white whale, was raised.
A blue rose...and a white whale. What does this mean?
“His Highness the Duke has arrived! Open the gates!”
At the gates of Hestor Castle, the guards quickly opened the gate, and Garen quickly came out with a surprised face.
“Your Highness! We were going to send a carriage...”
“We arrived earlier than expected.”
“I see...”
“Garen. Make sure the stoves on each floor are filled with firewood, so the Princess and the Duchess can keep warm.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Garen Aachen answered and then greeted Helen with a bow.
“This is the first time I have greeted the Duchess and Princess. I am Garen, the manager of Hestor Palace.”
Garen, who was still confused from the previous situation, wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“I apologize for not being able to greet you earlier.”
“You didn't expect us to arrive so early? It's okay.”
Helen replied with a warm smile.
“I am honored, Your Highness. Please come in.”
As they entered, servants, dressed in dark blue uniforms, lined up on either side of the hall.
“We convey Freya’s blessings to the Duchess and Princess.”
The servants bowed simultaneously to Helen.
“...!”
Shevlin was terrified by the sudden sound of so many voices, so he hid behind Helen.
“Thank you for this warm welcome.”
Helen greeted the servants as she gently shielded Shevlin.
“Your Highness, you must be tired from your trip. How about we take a break?”
Aachen suggested warmly, looking at Helene:
“That sounds good.”
“Garen, take the Duchess to her room.”
Helen nodded, then Aachen directed Garen.
Shivalin waved her hand shyly, and Aachen winked in response.
“Come this way, Your Highness.”
"Okay. Let's go, Lin."
Helen took Shivalin's hand and quietly followed Garen down the corridor to the third floor.
In the silence, only the sound of Shivalin's light steps could be heard.
“Hmm, the third floor is only inhabited by members of the Belzeit family, so only a select few servants are allowed in.”
Suppressing a smile when he heard Shivalin's footsteps, Garen explained about the third floor.
Garen opened a black door with a large blue rose logo on it.