Chapter 11
Since the engagement had been broken before the wedding, technically it was not right to call her the former Crown Princess.
Even so, people were already calling the duke's daughter the unfortunate Crown Princess.
"The atmosphere in Lutetia Territory must be a complete mess."
Jessica clicked her tongue quietly as she looked at the carriage.
The daughter of the duke who ruled the territory had been abandoned before the marriage even happened.
Of course the people of the territory would be furious.
It had only been a political marriage between the imperial family and Lutetia, the Shield of the Empire.
Even so, a one-sided broken engagement was bound to anger both the duke and the people of Lutetia.
And there was already someone angry right here.
"To throw away such a wise and wonderful lady... This crown prince really is a piece of—"
Fortunately, Jake covered Jessica's mouth before she could finish.
She had spoken quietly enough.
But they were standing right in front of a gate guarded by knights and soldiers.
Jake absolutely could not afford to draw attention.
As a mercenary who had worked in Lutetia, Jessica's anger was understandable.
For Jake, however, this broken engagement was something he had more or less expected.
A wise duke's daughter beloved by the people of her territory.
Jake, who had seen her as empress in the future, agreed with that description.
The problem was where she came from.
Lutetia bordered the Great Forest, a land filled with monsters and demi-human races.
Everyone who lived there was rough and fiercely independent.
It was the kind of place where even an ordinary village girl would grab a fireplace poker and rush outside if a monster entered the village.
There was no way a duke's daughter beloved by people like that could be an ordinary woman.
She really was an impressive woman.
After the emperor died on campaign, she had tried to rebuild the collapsing empire almost entirely by herself.
Unfortunately, her efforts had failed.
Still...
She had been a woman worthy of respect.
The problem was that an emperor who believed himself superior to everyone and possessed a violent temper could never have liked an intelligent, strong-willed empress.
She had given birth to a valuable imperial heir.
Her family was also too powerful to simply cast aside.
Even so, the emperor had constantly looked for opportunities to replace her.
"Why did they stop?"
Because the carriages were blocking the road, Jake and Jessica were stuck at the gate as well.
Jake had no desire to spend unnecessary time there.
Looking ahead, he saw several nobles standing in front of the carriage and pleading.
"The coronation is almost here. Wouldn't it be better to leave after the ceremony?"
"If you could delay your departure only a little, many people would be relieved."
Looking at the nobles blocking the road, Jake immediately understood why they were there.
They all belonged to the pro-Lutetia faction in the Imperial Capital.
They were the people who had pushed for the marriage between the crown prince and the duke's daughter.
Jake lowered his head even further.
Among them...
He had spotted his guardian, Baron Valentino.
Baron Valentino knew Jake's face.
Jake had half-relaxed after not meeting anyone who recognized him.
And now, at the final moment, danger had appeared.
Unfortunately for Jake's worries...
They were completely unnecessary.
Baron Valentino was entirely focused on the carriage.
"Do you not understand the young lady's situation?!"
A woman dressed like a mage shouted at the nobles.
"Do you want her to suffer another humiliation at the coronation?!"
Apparently, her own status was not low.
The nobles blocking the carriage eventually stepped aside.
"Haah... what are we supposed to do now?"
"We need to find another method."
"I wonder if any other faction will accept us."
The nobles gathered to one side after making way.
Their expressions were dark as they spoke quietly among themselves.
Following the duke's daughter out through the gate, Jake secretly glanced toward the distant relative who had once been his guardian.
His expression turned bitter.
It was fortunate that the man had failed to recognize him.
Still...
It did not feel particularly good to see that his guardian seemed completely unconcerned by Jake's "death."
Then again...
It was only natural that Baron Valentino did not care much.
The only reasons he had become Jake's guardian were noble reputation...
And the small amount of land left behind by Jake's parents.
With Jake supposedly dead, the baron could now sell that land without any difficulty.
Jake felt some bitterness toward the guardian who had ignored him.
But seeing the baron now cut loose from his political connections also gave Jake a strange feeling of relief.
He could leave without looking back.
Of course...
Jessica, who was driving the wagon, had noticed Jake hiding his face.
But she asked nothing.
Her misunderstanding that Jake was a runaway noble boy merely became stronger.
Once they left the city, Jake's cargo wagon gradually fell behind the duke's daughter's group.
After putting some distance between them...
The wagon strangely began following the group at a fixed distance.
There were many people in the noble party, so they were moving slowly.
Even so, anyone watching could tell Jessica was following them on purpose.
"If we can take advantage of them, why wouldn't we?"
Jessica answered Jake cheerfully when he asked.
"The young lady is generous, unlike those garbage nobles in the Imperial Capital."
She pointed ahead.
"As long as we travel safely, that's all that matters. What idiot would try to rob someone near her carriage?"
Jessica grinned proudly.
"If we stay far enough away not to bother them and just follow them all the way to Lutetia, everything works out perfectly!"
Jake did not know whether he should admire her or get angry.
It was a cheap trick.
Still...
Jessica was right that the result was what mattered.
Jake eventually accepted it.
"But I need to stop somewhere along the way, so we can't follow them the entire journey."
"Tch. That's too bad."
Jessica shrugged.
"Well, can't be helped. We'll follow them like this until then."
Fortunately, just as Jessica predicted, the duke's daughter's group ignored the two travelers following from a distance.
Thanks to that...
Jake and Jessica enjoyed an incredibly relaxed journey.
To the west of the Imperial Capital, enormous grain fields stretched beside a smooth road.
The agricultural region produced enough food to feed the entire population of the capital and still have plenty left over.
It was one of the empire's greatest sources of pride.
Their wagon was pulled by an old horse.
Even with Jake and Jessica aboard, it managed without much difficulty.
And because the noble group in front never increased its speed...
The two spent the entire day sitting lazily on the wagon.
For Jake, who had finally been able to relax after a long period of tension, it felt wonderful.
Jessica became bored before half a day had passed.
After twisting around restlessly for a while, she finally found something to talk about.
