Chapter 19

Consulting with Alan, Diana began preparations for establishing her trading company and setting up their new home.

As a young lady of a ducal house that originally owned numerous properties, she was hardly lacking in options—not only for a place to live, but also for potential sites to serve as the headquarters of her company.

The external preparations were proceeding smoothly.

Just as she was pondering how best to arrange for personnel, a knock sounded at the door of Diana’s room.

“Sister! What on earth is this about you and Lord Alan living together by yourselves?!”

Cordelia burst into the room with a pale, frantic expression.

She must have caught wind from somewhere of the plan for the two of them to live alone together for a while after the wedding.

Approaching Diana in a panic, she pressed her relentlessly.

“What is this about, you ask? We are newlyweds, so I simply thought we would like to spend a little quiet time together just the two of us.”

There was nothing strange about that in the least.

During their honeymoon, it was quite common for nobles to live separately from their families and spend time relaxing on their own.

“B-But Sister, you are the heir to the duchy…”

“Of course, the work I am responsible for will be handled from the villa.”

There was no rule that said work could not be done unless one remained in the main residence.

Faced with Diana’s logical and well-reasoned words, Cordelia’s fierce momentum from when she first entered the room vanished, and she faltered.

“T-That’s… That’s so cruel of you, Sister…”

“What on earth is cruel about it?”

“A-Ah, n-no, I’m only saying it out of concern for you… Moving to a villa all of a sudden, I thought perhaps your health had taken a turn for the worse…”

Cordelia’s appearance, with her eyes deliberately brimming with tears, made it look as though she was desperately trying to find a way to keep Diana tethered to the main estate.

(Why go to such lengths? I want to ask, though I already know the reason…)

Diana let out an inward sigh.

Considering that Cordelia had funneled information to the crown prince in her past life, the answer naturally came into focus.

“My health is as fine as ever. Besides, I should think everyone will be relieved not having to tip-toe around a newlywed couple.”

“That is…”

Diana stared steadily into Cordelia’s eyes, which matched her own in color.

Cordelia, who was always so innocent and carefree.

Those eyes were filled with an unsettled hue, avoiding Diana’s gaze as she looked away.

“You speak as though it would be a terrible inconvenience if I weren’t staying in the main house.”

“────!!!”

At Diana’s words, Cordelia shuddered.

A cold, piercing gaze cut straight through her amethyst eyes, which trembled with agitation.

“I-I… didn’t mean it like that…”

Averting her eyes from Cordelia, who spoke in a trembling voice, Diana dropped her gaze back to the documents in front of her.

“If you truly believe that, then simply celebrate your older sister’s happy newlywed life.”

As if to signal that the conversation was over, her eyes began scanning the text on the documents once more.

After keeping her head down for a while, Cordelia left Diana’s room without a word.

Left all alone in the room, Diana let out a soft sigh.

Even though Alan had been ambushed on a demonic beast subjugation mission and even showed signs of an epidemic, she still wished that memory was nothing more than a dream.

There was no such thing as a past life.

She had simply seen an uncomfortably vivid and unpleasant dream.

If she could truly believe that, how much more at ease she would be.

Reality kept matching one memory after another, forcing her to realize that it was never a dream, but something that had genuinely happened.

If that was the case, then what was about to happen next—

(Are you truly planning to betray me… Cordelia?)

Cordelia’s transformation was so stark that it made Diana wonder how her past-self could have possibly failed to notice.

Considering Cordelia’s recent actions, it was entirely clear who stood behind the scenes.

(My head is throbbing…)

She couldn’t imagine the crown prince simply sitting back and letting things be.

To prevent the upcoming tragedy, she had no choice but to keep struggling forward.

A few days later, Diana was in the bustling shopping district of the royal capital.

Today she was out scouting potential properties to serve as the trading company’s headquarters, and this was on her way back.

Accompanied by her bodyguard Ian and her maid Sherry, she walked down a wide avenue lined with open-air stalls.

“I’d like to buy some kind of souvenir for Father…”

As Diana looked around with a curious gaze, Sherry walked right behind her, similarly eyeing the street stalls.

As for Ian, he was suppressing a yawn with an expression of sheer boredom.

“How about that shop over there? It looks like they just finished baking.”

The spot Sherry pointed to was a cafe attached to a bakery.

A sign had been placed out front announcing that fresh pies had just come out of the oven, sending a savory, mouth-watering aroma drifting across the avenue.

“Oh, that’s wonderful. Pies are Father’s favorite.”

“They seem to have quite a variety. Which ones should we get?”

“Let’s get a meat pie for Father, and then buy a good selection of fruit pies for everyone to share.”

“Understood!”

Sherry grabbed Ian by the hand and pulled him into the line forming in front of the shop.

Ian muttered a few complaints under his breath, but since the sheer volume was too much for Sherry to carry alone, he had little choice in the matter.

On a peaceful afternoon, the scent of freshly baked pies seemed to stimulate everyone’s appetite.

From young couples to parents with children, people of all kinds stood waiting in line.

“Food shops really are quite delightful, aren’t they?”

Diana possessed the memories of her past life.

She already had a general idea of what products would trend in the future and what items would become all the rage.

(I wonder if it’s worth seriously considering once more…)

She had been thinking along those lines while watching the children in line gaze starry-eyed at the cafe’s goods with a soft smile—when it happened.

A carriage came charging down the main avenue.

When driving a carriage through a crowded street, standard courtesy demanded slowing down out of consideration for pedestrians, but that rule changed entirely if the carriage belonged to a noble household.

If a commoner foolishly blocked a noble’s carriage, the commoner could easily find themselves facing legal action.

That was the stark divide that existed between nobility and commoners.

Grumbling complaints under their breath, the pedestrians cleared the street, opening a path for the carriage.

Diana, who had been waiting a short distance from the line for Sherry and Ian, also stepped toward the edge of the walkway to avoid the vehicle.

The carriage slightly eased its speed, and the door rattled open.

Without coming to a complete stop, the carriage clearly decelerated right in front of Diana.

“Eh—?”

From the open door, a hand reached out.

A strong, muscular arm belonging to a man.

It grabbed Diana’s slender arm and hoisted her upward.

“Wuaah!”

“An abduction?!”

Voices rose in shock from the surrounding onlookers.

By the time Sherry and Ian, standing in the bakery line, realized something was wrong, Diana’s body had already been dragged inside the carriage.

“My Lady?!”

“Damn it!”

Accompanied by Sherry’s scream, Ian bolted forward.

At the exact same time, the crack of a whip echoed through the air, and the carriage accelerated.

Before Ian could catch up, the carriage carrying Diana raced away into the bustling crowds of the royal capital.