Chapter 17

In the time since, Lord Nazelbert and I officially became husband and wife and began our preparations for the frontier.

The day of our departure was surprisingly peaceful. Lord Julian and Lord Nazelbert’s mother, Lady Piana, came to see us off.

Lady Piana was a woman of ultimate beauty who bore a striking resemblance to Lord Nazelbert.

She was a kind person with a soft demeanor who treated me with genuine warmth—a far cry from my own mother, who did nothing but complain.

While Lord Nazelbert and I were staying in the annex of the Duke’s estate, there were various developments at the Royal Palace as well.

Apparently, Lord Robin has begun living at the palace to undergo his education.

However, he’s a slow learner… or rather, he doesn’t seem to have any intention of studying seriously in the first place, so his prince-consort training is reportedly hitting a standstill.

…Well, not that it’s any of my business.

We boarded a carriage bound for the frontier; it would take us over ten days just to reach the regional city.

After that, we are to take another means of transportation to the border town.

While no one from the House of Eventail came with us, it was decided that Kelly would accompany us from the House of Florescrus. It was apparently her own earnest request.

Additionally, guards and various servants who would assist us were part of the departure.

However, most of them will return once we reach the frontier.

I climbed into the carriage with Lord Nazelbert and waved to the two who had come to see us off.

The carriage slowly gained speed, and we left the Royal Capital behind.

Dressed in light clothing, I fully enjoyed the journey in comfort.

A long journey is usually grueling for an ordinary young lady, but I used to travel from the countryside to other locations by carriage while wearing those heavyweight dresses.

How incredibly easy it is to travel when you’re wearing clothes that aren’t heavy and are easy to move in!

I was still full of energy.

The real problem was being alone in the carriage with Lord Nazelbert, who had now happily become my husband. My heart fluttered every time those amber eyes turned toward me.

He was handsome, kind, and talented—the perfect Duke’s son.

And for some reason, he spoke to me quite casually.

“Lady Agnes. Since we’re married now, why don’t you call me Nazel? That’s what those close to me usually call me.”

…The bar was suddenly set quite high.

But as someone under his care, I wanted to fulfill his requests as much as possible.

“Yes, Lord Nazel. Then, please, just call me Agnes without any titles.”

“Alright, I’ll do that, Agnes.”

Being called like that actually has massive destructive power. Heart, please be still.

Alright, to stop obsessing over Lord Nazel, I should review our destination.

I spoke to Lord Nazel, who seemed to be in a good mood.

“The place we’re heading to is the Sutrena Territory at the southern tip of the country, right? I heard it’s a place rich in nature, bordered by the sea and the forest.”

“Because of that, many magical beasts live there. In all of Desnim, it’s the land with the highest rate of damage from magical beasts. Sutrena’s own soldiers and a knight order dispatched from the Royal Capital are permanently stationed there to protect the people day in and day out… or rather, to prevent the beasts from invading the interior of the country.”

“And it borders another country, doesn’t it? To the west of Sutrena is the sea, to the east is the forest, and to the south is our neighbor, Porpistan. To the north are the Zazame and Hihime territories, also part of Desnim.”

For the record, Porpistan is a large country; our relationship with them isn’t hostile, but it’s more of a “keep your distance” kind of thing.

“That’s right. Zazame spreads to the northeast, and Hihime to the northwest.”

“The main industries in Sutrena seem to be fishing and forestry, and people often forage for food in the forest.”

“And hunting, I suppose. Even though it’s a land rich in nature, the crop yields are poor.”

“Is the soil… the cause?”

“That part isn’t well understood. I plan to investigate it once we’re there.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll assist you.”

Good, good. Talking about serious matters has finally calmed my racing heart. I’m on a roll.

“By the way, Agnes, what kind of magic can you use?”

“Eh? M-Me?”

Come to think of it, Lord Nazel is deeply knowledgeable about magic; he even had all those books in the annex. He’s likely just someone with a pure interest in magic itself.

“My magic is… Material Reinforcement. It’s quite plain and doesn’t have much use. At home, I just used it to make the frayed parts of old clothes or bags more durable.”

“That’s a very interesting type of magic. I imagine it would have many uses.”

Kind Lord Nazel said that, but since I’ve been given new clothes, I don’t think I’ll have much use for it from now on.

“By the way, Lord Nazelbert, what kind of magic do you use?”

“It’s ‘Nazel,’ Agnes.”

“Ah…”

I was still not used to using his nickname.

Lord Nazel—formerly Lord Nazelbert—told me about his own magic.

“My magic allows me to grow plants or move them intentionally. That’s why I want to use my magic to help with crop cultivation at the frontier.”

In the Kingdom of Desnim, magic that affects nature is considered top-tier. Compared to other types, it’s more versatile and has greater range and power.

“I brought some seedlings I grew with my magic from the estate. If these can help with farming, the Sutrena Territory might be able to achieve stable food self-sufficiency.”

“That’s… amazing.”

Compared to me, who only thought about preventing clothes from deteriorating… there was quite a gap.

And so, the carriage continued peacefully along the gentle road.