Chapter 51
As the carriage passed through the massive castle gate, a bustling city came into view.
The capital of the North, the Duchy of Diaz.
Despite the disadvantage of having the portal located in the North, the Duchy of Diaz boasted a level of development comparable to the capital.
The passersby on the streets were dressed very neatly, and the streets themselves were well maintained.
And among them, the most overwhelming structure was…
“That must be Diaz Castle.”
Cassia spoke, pointing out the window.
A massive castle standing on high ground that offered a full view of the expansive duchy.
It was not a delicate and luxurious palace like those commonly seen in the capital, but a practical fortress built to withstand sieges.
The castle, which had grown enormous through countless expansions over time, loomed over the carriage carrying the two of them.
A short while later.
“Welcome, both of you.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Diaz are waiting for you.”
Guided politely by an attendant, Cassia and Giscard stepped into the ducal castle.
The Duke and Duchess of Diaz, who had been waiting in the drawing room, greeted the two of them with smiling faces.
‘So these are the people.’
Cassia observed the couple with hawk-like eyes.
The ruler of the North, Duke Diaz.
Though middle-aged, the duke’s noble family’s characteristic handsome features had not faded with time.
How should she put it—he seemed like the type who must have made many women cry in his youth.
In contrast, the Duchess of Diaz appeared rather plain at first glance.
However, the way she held herself upright, combined with the dignity acquired from many years as the lady of the house, gave her an undeniable presence.
“It has been a long time, Sir Romanov, Commander of the Knights.”
The Duke of Diaz acknowledged Giscard first.
“You must have had a hard journey from so far away.”
The duchess also added warm words.
At the same time, the Duke of Diaz glanced briefly at Cassia.
“You’ve come, Administrative Officer Astrid?”
The title he used to address Cassia was, as expected, “Administrative Officer Astrid.”
‘Hmm.’
Cassia’s eyes narrowed.
Although he was outwardly smiling in a relaxed manner, the sharpness in his gaze as he observed her expression gave him away.
It seemed he was trying to gauge how she would react.
Well, if this had been the original Cassia…
‘She would have been up in arms, shouting how dare they show such disrespect to a princess.’
To be more precise, she would have flown into a rage the moment she received that invitation and barged into Diaz Castle.
The original Cassia had been that consumed by her sense of entitlement.
But the current Cassia was different.
“Duke, Duchess, it’s an honor to meet you.”
With her hand placed over her chest, she politely bowed to the two of them without hesitation.
It was the formal salute of a knight.
She heard the faint sound of someone quietly drawing in a breath somewhere.
Of course, Cassia was a princess, and in principle, it should have been the duke and duchess who first offered her formal greetings.
But right now, she was attending not as a princess, but as a member of the Azure Dawn Knights, and on a personal level, they were also her uncle and aunt.
It was Cassia who bowed first.
At that sight, a flicker of surprise crossed the eyes of the Duke and Duchess of Diaz.
‘She’s not running wild like an unruly foal as she used to.’
The Duke’s face showed a hint of satisfaction.
‘Goodness… It’s the first time I’ve seen Her Highness act so composed.’
The Duchess, momentarily surprised, quickly and skillfully concealed her astonishment.
A moment later.
The Duke spoke up in a somewhat relaxed tone.
“May I ask for Administrative Officer Astrid’s understanding for a moment?”
“What is it?”
“I believe I need to have a brief private conversation with Sir Romanov.”
With that, the Duke shifted his gaze to the Duchess. The look in his eyes as he regarded his wife was exceptionally gentle.
“In the meantime, how about joining the tea time with my wife?”
“Of course, that’s fine.”
Cassia nodded lightly.
The Duke of Diaz once again looked slightly taken aback but instead of saying anything, he turned to Giscard.
“Shall we go then?”
“Yes, let’s.”
Thus, the Duke of Diaz and Giscard left the room.
The Duchess then turned to Cassia with a warm smile.
“Shall we head over to the tea time as well, Your Highness?”
Now that they were alone, the form of address returned to ‘Your Highness.’
It seemed the Duchess, considering that the original Cassia would likely be unable to restrain her own temper, was being considerate.
“Oh come now, Auntie, there’s no need to be so formal.”
Cassia quickly lightened the mood with a playful remark.
At her reaction, the Duchess couldn’t quite hide her surprise.
‘Did she just say Auntie?’
For a moment, the Duchess doubted whether the person before her was truly Cassia.
And understandably so.
The arrogant and haughty Cassia had always strutted around, insisting even her uncle and aunt show proper respect simply because she was a princess.
But Cassia gave an awkward smile, avoiding the Duchess’s doubtful gaze.
‘Yes, I know. It feels strange, doesn’t it?’
But Cassia had her own reasons.
The Duke and Duchess of Diaz were famously known in noble society as an inseparable, loving couple.
Moreover, Cassia was currently in the position where she had to make a humble request to the Duke of Diaz—to ask him to connect her with the Imperial Supernatural Abilities Research Institute.
So, if possible, wouldn’t it be better to be on the Duchess’s good side?
“Please just call me Cassia when we’re in private. Alright?”
At that, the Duchess gazed quietly at Cassia with an inscrutable look.
Cassia found that expression oddly familiar.
It was the same expression Giscard sometimes wore when looking at her.
How should she put it? An enigmatic look, as though witnessing some cosmic and utterly unsolvable mystery?
But perhaps, as befitting someone like the Duchess who naturally possessed exceptional social grace, she quickly composed herself.
“Very well then. Thank you for your consideration.”
The Duchess offered a gentle smile, her eyes curving warmly.
“Not at all, Auntie.”
Cassia also smiled brightly in return.
* * *
The two women walked down the hallway, chatting about this and that.
“Isn’t life in the knights’ order difficult?”
“Hmm, it’d be a lie to say it’s not hard at all… but still, it’s rewarding.”
“Rewarding?”
The duchess widened her eyes.
Cassia immediately offered a well-rehearsed reply.
“The Azure Dawn Knights are the front line defending not just the North, but the entire Empire from the demonic beasts, aren’t they?”
Cassia’s smile deepened slightly.
It was a proud smile.
“I’m happy to be able to devote myself to the heroes of the empire.”
The duchess gazed silently at Cassia.
Cassia wasn’t usually someone who hid her emotions well.
Having lived her whole life however she pleased, she’d never once felt the need to conceal how she felt.
And this Cassia, right now…
‘She looks happy.’
It was clear there wasn’t the slightest trace of displeasure toward the Azure Dawn Knights.
More precisely, she actually seemed to hold genuine affection for the knight order.
‘Hmm.’
Curiosity spread across the duchess’s entire face.
To be honest, she had had no expectations for Cassia whatsoever.
Though there were rumors that the situation within the Azure Dawn Knights had considerably improved since Cassia joined…
Still, wasn’t she ‘that’ Cassia?
Someone who had lived her whole life like a reckless troublemaker—could doing well just once suddenly flip her image overnight?
She had had no doubt that the rumors about Cassia were of that kind as well.
Even this time, she had naturally assumed Cassia would show up in one of her usual extravagant dresses, strutting about and boasting as if she were the best…
“Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve seen you wearing uniform trousers instead of a dress at a social gathering, Cassia.”
With that, the duchess casually tested the waters.
“If you ever need one, I could gift you a dress or two.”
