When she opened her eyes again, Duke Superion no longer asked Rellia any questions.
'Does he think it was a misunderstanding? Because I didn't tell him the truth?'
Rellia felt anxious, but soon that anxiety faded away.
It was because Duke Superion looked after Rellia with an even gentler gaze and tone than before.
As if he knew without being told, as if there was no need to speak, as if he would wait until Rellia opened her mouth to tell him herself.
Thanks to that, Rellia felt truly at peace for the first time since returning from the temple.
On one hand, Duke Superion's attitude was so tender that Rellia felt the illusion of being with a mother she had never seen before.
When she thought that her grandfather had truly recognized her, her heart would swell and it became hard to breathe.
'I should tell him the truth.'
She opened her mouth several times to say it, but the words wouldn't come out.
Strangely, whenever she tried to speak, it felt like tears would fall.
'If the kids find out, they'll never call me boss again...'
Being teased as a crybaby felt like just yesterday. If they knew she had cried again... an overwhelming sense of embarrassment washed over her at how much her friends would tease her.
'Though I probably won't ever see them again anyway.'
Since returning to her home country from the neutral zone, perhaps because her friends weren't by her side, Rellia felt the illusion of having returned to an even younger time.
It was clear that whenever people are lonely and exhausted, they become smaller in stature and younger in spirit. While staying in the imperial capital, both her body and mind had withered.
'I'm glad I ran away.'
Rellia thought so and vowed never to cry again.
However, the knights frowned as they watched Duke Superion, who had become especially tender toward Rellia.
"Why is he acting like that?"
"Did he eat something wrong...?"
"He's even scarier when he smiles, if you ask me."
Since the Duke always acted like a ferocious bear to the knight order members, the knights were merely bewildered to see him like this.
It was when they arrived at Cretea, the last major city they would visit before heading to the Superion territory.
The carriage stopped in front of the shopping district.
Duke Superion personally carried Rellia out of the carriage, then took her by the hand and led her somewhere.
Rellia gazed up at her grandfather.
"...."
When their eyes met, Duke Superion softly raised the corners of his lips and smiled.
Perhaps because he wasn't one to smile often, Duke Superion's cheeks had been sore these past few days.
Yet whenever he saw Rellia, he couldn't help but smile.
In truth, he felt like his expression would show pity instead, but he consciously crafted a smile.
Because he didn't want Rellia to look at him with fear.
"Umm... where are we going?"
Duke Superion stopped in front of a building without answering Rellia's question.
"...."
Rellia, who had been watching the knights following behind her, turned her head to look at the shop sign right in front of her.
This was a shop that sold children's clothing. And it looked very high-end at that.
Rellia gulped.
"I wanted to buy you some clothes before we arrive at the territory."
"...I'm fine though."
"Still, you can't go wearing a robe."
At those words, Rellia lowered her head to look at the robe she was wearing.
It was a very fine robe that Sir Teshis had bought for her.
'Come to think of it...'
When she arrives at the territory, she'll meet all the people of House Superion.
Perhaps even that person she saw at her mother's cottage.
"...."
Recalling that memory, her toes curled from nervousness and her throat went dry.
Duke Superion wouldn't reveal Rellia's identity from the start. After all, no one would easily believe it anyway.
'I'll have to tell him before we arrive at the territory.'
Rellia made that resolution and followed the Duke into the shop with timid steps.