If I Disobey the Duke - Chapter 280

Hometown (3)

In the place where summer was coming to an end, autumn stepped in. It had been more than a week since some of the administrators and most of the knights left for Ataka. Unlike the fortress, which had been quiet enough to hear even the sound of dew falling for the past two weeks, Cadis was a riot.

The vassals, especially Count Valks, set up the safety grounds until just before the expedition. It was at the level of safety that anyone would have thought that Lily was his only daughter. The maids had trouble sleeping at night, and among the residents of Cadis, there was talk of her. Even Lily was embarrassed by the undeserved attention every day.

But anyway. In Arcadia, no one could not disobey the command of the lord. The sunrise of the daunting journey arrived in a flash.

Early in the morning when the chill was still present.

The servants lined up on the steps of the main tower of the Winter Castle, and two horses and two boys were standing under the steps. Lily’s elegant cream-colored mare, Vlad’s black horse. And the boys were Antonio and Dandelion.

The two stared at the front door, waiting for someone. Before long, the sound of hard shoes hitting the floor was heard.

“Dandelion, Anton! How did you come so early? I was going to go by myself…” Lily, dressed in a white robe, stalked and ran down the steps.

Their expressions brightened. Each time the front of Lily’s robes flapped, a black uniform was gleaned. Her hair, braided into a single braid, swayed to match her gait.

Dandelion ran to his sister. “We haven’t even slept! Couldn’t sleep at all knowing that you will be going away. How are you, Sister? Are you going to eat well?” He scrutinized Lily. “But, Sister. You’re so pretty in your black uniform and white robe. No, you’re so cool! Now I guess I can say you can ride very well and shoot well. Aren’t you joining the Knights Templar like the lord?”

“Brother, stop it!” Antonio, who had taken a step away and licked his lips, finally clenched his fists. “You are just talking about riding a horse? Aren’t you worried about Sister? How can you be like this until the day she leaves?! After all, this is all because of you!”

“Hey. What are you talking about? She’s going with the lord. And the Ataka Mine is Sister’s achievement! Think about it in a positive way!”

“Guys, stop it. Anton, would you like to see me off?” Lily closed the distance from Antonio. She bent her knees and lowered her body to meet her brother’s gaze. She gently stroked her brother’s cheek with one hand. “It hasn’t been long since we met again, but I’m sorry that I’ll have to go so far again, Anton.”

Anton’s lips twitched as if he was about to burst into tears.

“As Dandelion said, Vlad will take good care of you. You know him well because you’ve been friends for a while. He’s not the one to let you guys be in danger, right?”

“I, Madam…” Someone came up behind her as she greeted her brothers.

Dandelion stiffened awkwardly and turned his head away from the gaze. Noticing her brother’s reaction, Lily raised her body and looked back. When no one looked over her shoulder, she lowered her gaze directly downwards.

“Buttercup. Did you come to see me off?”

Buttercup swallowed her tears. She looked up at Lily, clutching the hem of her skirt as if holding back her emotions. After she looked around her, she lowered her voice and whispered, “The lord told us to minimize the burden, but… The maids and I packed some more food and clothes. You already have a small appetite, so I brought what you liked. So, don’t skip meals the whole time you’re there. Other than that, the desert sunlight is pretty scary, so be sure to cover your face even if it’s hot, take care of your health because it’s colder than winter at night, and if you’re feeling even a little tired, you should take a rest right away.”

Lily, who had been silently listening to her words, slowly raised her head. The faces of the maids gathered on the stairs were the same. They cared about her.

“I came here to say goodbye to you. If it gets too hard in the middle, just come back. No one will blame you, Madam.”

Suddenly, a memory came to mind. It was the day she left her mansion to marry Vlad. The morning was so cold that her earlobes felt frozen. The eyes of the knights and the staff, who were cold to the bone, were clear. That day was as distant as something she had experienced in a previous life.

Something hot rushed to the top of her neck. “Thank you  For telling me…” Lily tried to grasp her voice. “Thanks to you, I will do my best and come back. So…” She looked at her brothers and her maids in turn. “In the meantime, please take good care of this castle and my brothers. Everyone.”

The maids nodded their heads as if they had received a very important instruction at the same time, resolutely responding.

Until Vlad appeared from the direction of the Knights Templar, Lily gave her goodbyes to each of them one by one. Meanwhile, there was not even a speck of shade on her face.

It was the first time she ever received a proper seeing-off.

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