The other knights were waiting for them while holding the reins of the horses. Some villagers were gathered around, talking to Percival and Talbot. 

 

Sable counted four horses and looked questioningly at Claire. 

 

“Ah, you’ll be riding with me. Don’t worry.” Claire smiled. She took the reins from Isaac and expertly mounted her horse. “Help me out, Isaac.” 

 

Sable felt herself being lifted from behind by Isaac, and Claire placed her in front of her. Her arms flanked either side of her, preventing Sable from falling off of the horse. 

 

A few villagers noticed Sable and approached them. 

 

“Glad to see you feelin’ better, little miss!” 

 

“Make sure you take care of yourself.” 

 

Sable, who was unfamiliar with the kind smiles and concern directed at her, could only awkwardly nod her head. Fortunately, they redirected their attention to Claire. 

 

“So you’re taking her with you?” 

 

“Yes, we’re returning to the castle. His Grace is at the Capital, but the Grand Duchess and Lady Isadora have remained behind. I’m sure they will take care of her.” The villagers visibly relaxed at her words. 

 

Sable made a mental note of their reactions. It seemed that the Grand Duke and his family were certainly trusted by the people. The knights, as well, were quite friendly with the villagers as they were talking to one another in a casual manner. 

 

Unlike the ones in the Capital, they did not excessively flaunt their status nor did they abuse their authority. Sable was used to lowering her head for prideful nobles and knights in order to gain their favor. She took advantage of their difference in status to lower their guard around her. An unassuming noble daughter was a perfect disguise at times. 

 

Shaking the dark thoughts away, she quietly waited for the others. She still retained her habit of eavesdropping from her previous life and she listened to the conversations going on with the knights and villagers. Most of their talks consisted of patrols and if there were any signs of beasts. It was the usual talk. 

 

Eventually, they finished conversing and the others mounted their horses. As they left the village, several children stood at the sides and waved them goodbye. 

 

“Come again!”

 

“Make sure you come visit again, Miss Claire!” 

 

“Please teach me how to use a sword next time!” 

 

The knights smiled and waved back as they went by. The villagers continued waving until they were out of sight. 

 

The horses set off at a slow trot. It would take some time to reach the castle. Luckily, the weather was clear and the journey there would only take a few hours. In the Winter months, blizzards and snowstorms were a common occurrence. 

 

The sun was steadily rising and the snow around them glittered as it reflected the light. A stream flowed next to the path and Sable found the sound of flowing water relaxing. Every so often, she could see deer and rabbits drinking at the stream. 

 

As she was admiring the scenery, a voice to her side piped up. 

 

“Miss Sable, since you are from the Capital, then you must have attended the Midsummer Festival, yes?” Talbot questioned her casually. 

 

“I did.” Sable answered. 

 

“Then you must have seen His Grace? How was he?” His eyes flashed excitedly. 

 

“Unfortunately, I only saw him at the parade.” Sable thought for a moment. “Even from so far away, I could tell that he was a dignified man.” 

 

“Of course. His Grace is the strongest knight on the continent.” Claire huffed proudly. The other knights smiled with pride when they heard Sable praise their leader. 

 

“Hm.” While the knights sang praises for the Grand Duke, Sable did not mention a word of the attack. They would certainly find out later when they arrived at the castle, but until then, Sable did not plan on revealing what she knew. Although they saved her life and she wasn’t actively lying to them, this was a matter of safety. If she told them now, she would not be able to hide the fact that she was the daughter of one of the masterminds. Whether or not they would be angry when they find out… 

 

It didn’t matter to Sable. She planned to fulfill the other Sable’s request by herself and she would fight alone, if need be. The scars on her heart ran deep and she was too afraid to rely on others. 

 

She ignored the ache in her chest. 

 

“...Lady Claire, I heard you mention the Grand Duchess and Lady Isadora earlier. Could you tell me more about them?” 

 

“Hm?” Claire pondered for a moment. “It’s famous in the North, but have you heard the tale of how they met?”

 

Sable shook her head. 

 

“The Grand Duchess and His Grace met as children during an arranged marriage interview, but originally, the Grand Duke did not pay her any attention. The Grand Duchess was angered by this and she challenged him to a duel. Unexpectedly, she won.” 

 

Claire laughed.

 

“They say that she was the only one to ever beat the Grand Duke in a fight and from that day on, she won the Grand Duke’s heart with her strength and beauty. And they have been in love ever since. Of course, she isn’t only strong, but she is also kind and is trusted by the citizens. After all, she is the one who manages the territory while His Grace is away.” 

 

“Lady Isadora is their daughter. She inherited her mother’s looks and her father’s demeanor so she is quite the cool beauty. As the heir to the dukedom, she spends most of her time studying, but she also trains with us knights. She’s around your age so I think that you two will get along well.” 

 

Sable stored the information in her memory. She had not encountered the Grand Duchess nor Lady Isadora in her previous life so she knew very little about them. It seemed that neither of them were the type to attend the balls and parties held in the Capital. This also meant that they would probably not recognize her. 

 

The rest of the journey passed by uneventfully. Sable listened to the banter between the knights, except Isaac, who remained silent. Occasionally, she would sneeze from the cold and Claire would hand over her canteen filled with warm water and check on her condition. 

 

Soon, they were on the road approaching the Grand Duke’s castle. 

 

When Sable laid her eyes on the castle, she felt it was more fitting to call it a fortress. The dark color of the stones was a stark contrast against the snowy landscape. A formidable outer wall ran the length around the perimeter of the castle. The castle itself was fortified, built to withstand both the weather and any kind of attack from beasts. Although not as impressive as the Grail Palace in the Capital, it stood out on its own right. 

 

As they got closer Sable could see marks of different shapes and sizes on the weathered stones, both old and recent, indicating that the castle had stood here for a long time. 

 

“Welcome to Castle Nightwell.” She heard Claire say from behind her. “Impressive, isn’t it?” 

 

Sable wordlessly agreed. 

 

“Open the gate!” She heard a shout from over the wall. Chains rattled as the gate was lifted for Sable and her companions. They urged their horses in and Sable saw a few knights waiting for them. 

 

“Welcome back Captain!” One of the knights called out to Percival. 

 

“Is Her Grace here?” Perrcival dismounted his horse and handed the reins to the knight. “There is something we need to discuss with her.” 

 

Isaac dismounted and helped carry Sable down from the horse. The knights did not hide their interest towards Sable. 

 

“We found her near the village. We’re taking her to see Her Grace.” Claire explained. The knights nodded in understanding. “Let’s go Sable.” 

 

Sable and the others followed Percival and he led them into the castle. Inside, Sable once again admired her surroundings. Though not lavishly decorated, it was clear to any outsiders that the castle was well-maintained. The suits of armors and the swords hung up on the walls all shone with a light gleam. 

 

A butler came over and greeted Percival. Percival gestured to Sable and explained the situation to the butler, who bowed his head. He led them to the reception room. 

 

“Please wait here while I inform Her Grace.” The butler bowed once more and left. 

 

Fortunately, they did not have to wait long. 

 

Sable’s mind went blank when she saw the woman who entered. 

 

“Beautiful.” 

 

The Grand Duchess appeared elegant in her wavy dress. Her dark purple hair was swept to one side and over her left shoulder. Her noble bearing was reminiscent of the Grand Duke, but Sable felt there was a subtle allure to this woman that the Grand Duke lacked. There was a benevolent smile on her face as she greeted the knights, who all kneeled down. Her eyes landed on Sable. 

 

“You must be the one, I presume?” The Grand Duchess addressed her. 

 

“I greet the Grand Duchess.” Sable’s years of etiquette lessons kicked in. She bowed her head and curtsied towards her. When she raised her head, there was a trace of surprise in the woman’s eyes. 

 

“Please, call me Adelaide.” The Grand Duchess sat down and gestured for the others to take a seat. “You have excellent manners, Miss Sable.” 

 

“I had to learn at a young age.” Sable responded. In her fruitless attempts to gain affection, she spent her early years perfecting the lessons that Marquis Marten assigned to her. Although they amounted to nothing, she could, at the very least, use it for situations where she greeted those of higher rank than her. 

 

Grand Duchess Adelaide slowly nodded. She turned to the knights in the room. 

 

“Could you please tell me what happened?” 

 

“Of course, Your Grace.” Claire recounted the events leading up to Sable’s discovery. Grand Duchess Adelaide listened and frowned when she heard that Sable was nearly dead when they found her. Claire paused her story and glanced at Sable. 

 

Sable read the silent question in her eyes and gave a single nod. 

 

“She was abandoned by her father, Your Grace.” Grand Duchess Adelaide looked shocked then angered and saddened by the news. 

 

“I am sorry that has happened to you, child.” 

 

The caring gaze directed at Sable made her stiffen in her seat. She desperately pushed down the feelings rising inside her. She would not allow herself to let her guard down. Sable gripped her clothes and said nothing. 

 

The sight only managed to sadden the Grand Duchess even more. She could not imagine ever abandoning her own daughter. The child in front of her was putting up a front, but Adelaide could tell that she was clearly in pain. 

 

“For the time being, would you like to stay here, Sable?” Grand Duchess Adelaide kindly offered. “I will do what I can to help you.” 

 

“...Are you sure?” Sable knew that the woman in front of her was not a fool. She was capable enough to manage the territory, and she was certainly capable of realizing that Sable was a noble. Yet, she didn’t know why the Grand Duchess would offer to let her stay here. 

 

“You need time to recover from your frostbite.” Grand Duchess Adelaide explained. 

 

That… was true. Sable blinked slowly. 

 

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Grace.” 

 

Grand Duchess Adelaide smiled. “Pierce, please guide her to the guest room.” 

 

“Understood.” Pierce, the butler, bowed. “This way, Lady Sable.” 

 

With Pierce leading the way, Sable left the room.