Chapter 28. Lloyd’s Whereabouts
It felt like we’d been traveling non-stop for days.
From the moment we left Waynes until we reached the midpoint between there and the capital, we didn’t stop the carriage except for lunch and to find lodgings at night.
Even after all those days, there was still no word from either the Waynes branch or the capital.
Betty stopped at every merchant branch in each passing city to check for news, but…
The more cities we passed, the more anxious I became. Leofric, who was riding with me, noticed my nerves and ordered the driver to go even faster.
But there was only so much that could be done.
I let out deep sighs every day without pause.
“There’s still no word, Your Highness. No news from Lady Hailey or Director Jennifer.”
“How long has it been since we left Waynes?”
“It’ll be three days tomorrow. Even if not from the capital, we should’ve at least heard something from Waynes by now.”
It was evening, and we had just arrived at our inn and finished washing up.
It was dark outside, and Leofric had stepped out with the knights to check tomorrow’s route.
Betty, gently brushing through my still-damp hair, let out a soft sigh.
I sat quietly, letting her hands work, lost in thought.
“Is it really supposed to take this long just to trace Lloyd’s whereabouts from Waynes?”
People with jet-black hair like Lloyd’s are rare in the Empire.
Even Duke Alois, who received his title by marrying the Emperor’s younger sister, is known for his family’s signature black hair, passed down for generations.
That’s how rare untainted, pure-black hair is within the Empire.
So why is it taking so long to trace Lloyd’s simple movements from Waynes?
Could Director Jennifer have expanded her investigation beyond Waynes to other cities?
While I was lost in such thoughts—
“Ah, Your Highness. One moment.”
Betty, who had been brushing my hair, suddenly put down the brush and went to the window.
Curious, I turned my head.
“It’s—it’s a message from Director Jennifer!”
Betty untied a small scroll from the leg of a bird perched on the windowsill. Her face was flushed with excitement.
She held out a long, rolled-up letter.
[…I apologize for the delayed report; I had several things to verify. While searching for the individual you mentioned, I discovered something strange. It is confirmed that he was indeed in Waynes on the night of the festival. However, no one saw him enter the city. Even in the village of Gen—through which one must pass to reach Waynes—no one saw him. I did confirm that he stayed one night at a nearby inn after the festival and then left the city the next day. But strangely, no one from any of the towns along the route remembers seeing him arrive.]
“…People saw him leaving, but no one saw him come in?”
“What…? That’s not possible—he didn’t just spring up from the ground.”
Both Betty and I stared in disbelief.
We read the letter several times. Betty’s expression confirmed I wasn’t misunderstanding anything.
No matter how we read it, the meaning was clear:
Lloyd had appeared in Waynes out of nowhere, without passing through any of the usual entry points.
He showed up in front of me and Betty, then vanished just as suddenly.
And yet, no one saw him arrive.
“He’s not a ghost, is he?”
“Why would a ghost come up now?”
“Well, I mean, this is basically saying he popped out of thin air! That’s not normal.”
Betty gave the letter a slight slap, clearly thrown off.
I understood how she felt…
“I can hardly believe it either. But they investigated thoroughly before reporting to me.”
“I mean… yeah, I get that. But it still doesn’t make any sense.”
Betty kept staring at the letter as if it would offer a different answer if she looked long enough.
And I could understand her doubt.
Unless magic was involved, there’s no way to travel instantly from the capital to Waynes…
Wait—magic?
My eyes drifted to the bracelet on the vanity.
The bracelet said to be infused with magic.
The merchant claimed that if I wore it, I would meet someone like me.
…Could it have been Lloyd?
“Anyway, I’ll burn this letter, Your Highness. I think the prince is coming upstairs.”
While I was still processing that sudden thought, Betty quickly shoved the letter into her pocket.
She briskly closed the window and resumed tending to my hair as if nothing had happened.
“Amelia, may I come in?”
And right on cue, Leofric knocked on the door.
“…One moment.”
…Or maybe it was Leofric?
My mind became tangled.
Strictly speaking, Leofric was more likely to have used magic.
Lloyd was of a collateral imperial line.
But Leofric—he was a direct descendant. Even if the magical blood had thinned over generations, he’d still have a higher potential.
“I’ll take this to my room and burn it. You’d better fix your expression first.”
Before I could reply, Betty whispered urgently.
Clearly, my face betrayed my flustered thoughts.
But who wouldn’t be shaken?
It was possible—maybe even likely—that either Lloyd or Leofric had come back in time like me.
Well, not definitely. But when I remembered that shady street merchant’s cryptic words… it didn’t seem entirely implausible.
Lloyd had suddenly appeared in Waynes, unseen by anyone.
Leofric had acted like a completely different person ever since the wedding.
At least one of them had likely returned to the past like I had…
“Melia?”
But that wasn’t important right now.
What mattered was responding to the prince waiting outside.
I hastily pulled myself together and cleared my throat a couple of times.
“You may come in.”
At my response, Betty went to the door and opened it for Leofric.
He gave her a nod and stepped inside.
As usual, Betty slipped out with a silent signal and closed the door behind her.
“Looks like you’re all ready for bed.”
“Yes. I figured I should sleep early. And you, Your Highness?”
“I plan to wash and sleep as well. Tomorrow will be another long day.”
Leofric gave me a gentle smile.
Starting tomorrow, we’d be switching from carriage to horseback.
We had reached the halfway point between the capital and Waynes.
We had taken our time on the way here, but both of us had urgent matters now, so we planned to ride ahead.
Fortunately, the roads from here on were well-maintained, with plenty of traveler shelters.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright? From tomorrow on, we won’t be able to rest comfortably like tonight.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve done plenty of camping while learning about the merchant business, and I’ve used traveler inns before.”
Though my father never let me leave the capital, he insisted I gradually learn everything my mother once did to inherit the Janet Merchant Guild someday.
That included camping with Hailey, Betty, and a few knights, and even disguising myself as a man to blend in at inns.
Though all of it had to happen within the capital’s borders, it was still decent practice.
So I had no trouble traveling on horseback.
“Don’t worry. Betty and I will be dressed as men tomorrow, and we’ll do our best to stay out of the way.”
“You’ve even prepared disguises? You really planned ahead.”
Even if I became Crown Princess—or even Empress someday—Janet Trading Company would still be mine.
My father had promised me that every year on my birthday.
So I couldn’t abandon my duties, no matter where I went. Betty always packed men’s clothes for both of us for that reason.
I nodded.
“You never know what might happen, so I always carry a couple of spare outfits. I can’t exactly be your typical Crown Princess.”
“I doubt anyone thinks you’re a typical Crown Princess… Still, impressive.”
Leofric sounded genuinely impressed.
But really, it wasn’t a big deal.
I turned away, feeling slightly embarrassed, and cleared my throat.
“Ahem. You must be tired. You should wash up and rest.”
“Ah, right. I will. You must be tired too—I should’ve thought of that.”
He nodded and was about to leave when—
“Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier. There are no extra rooms available tonight.”
“…What?”
“The knights are already doubling and tripling up. I’ll have to come back here after washing.”
Wait.
So he meant…
“I tried to share a room with the knights so you wouldn’t be uncomfortable, but…”
“So… we’re sharing a bed tonight.”
Which meant, we were unintentionally spending the night together.
Not on a royal palace bed, but a cramped inn mattress.
Leofric returned faster than expected after his wash.
So fast, I didn’t even have time to mentally prepare.
Well, it wasn’t like he could take a leisurely bath in a place like this…
“You take the bed, Amelia.”
That was the first thing he said when he entered.
Calm and composed, he offered to sleep on the floor, saying he was used to camping.
Starting tomorrow, both of us would be riding for long hours.
I knew how exhausting that was—and I couldn’t let him sleep on the floor.
Besides, I had things I wanted to ask him.
And ever since earlier, he had started to seem suspiciously considerate.
“I’m fine, Your Highness. You should rest well tonight for the journey.”
The bed was small, but not too small for both of us.
I shifted over and patted the empty space beside me.
“Come on. It’s fine.”
“…”
His face stiffened.
He looked uncomfortable—like he was holding something back.
His fists clenched, then relaxed.
I sighed quietly as I watched him.
“Do you not want to sleep beside me, Your Highness?”
