บท 228: Journey Back to the Royal Capital
The next morning, at dawn.
When Riezel arrived at the gate of the Frenzel main residence, not only was the carriage ready for departure, but a line of fully armed knights was also neatly arranged, prepared to set off at any moment.
Yuri and Marilyn had even arrived at the gate before him, accompanied by Ain and Ian, engaging in some conversation.
Seeing this, Riezel paused briefly, sighed after a moment, and continued to walk forward.
"Good morning, Riezel."
Yuri spotted Riezel's arrival and greeted him with a light smile.
Meanwhile, Marilyn, Ain, Ian, and the knights around them all promptly bowed to Riezel in unison.
Riezel responded with a nod and then approached Yuri.
"You know, I was planning to return alone..." Riezel sighed slightly.
Seeing the current situation, he knew full well that she intended to accompany him.
"I know." Yuri lifted her gaze, looking straight into his eyes. "But I'm not at ease if you're alone."
Being uneasy meant being uneasy—she wasn't planning to beat around the bush, so she stated her thoughts directly.
"You're underestimating me..." Riezel said with a calm smile. "Anyway, it's not easy to get back home and leave the royal capital. You could stay home a while longer."
He knew Yuri never really liked returning to the royal capital, so he didn't want to drag this young lady into a mess because of his own decision.
"Besides, you still need to handle the aftermath of the War Festival, the follow-up with the Demon Swordsman, and the territory management, right?" Riezel continued. "With your father in his current state, he definitely can't manage these things. Is it really okay for you to leave?"
"Don't worry." Yuri calmly shook her head. "My family isn't completely without support. I've arranged everything, so you don't need to worry about them."
Riezel was about to say something more but was interrupted by Yuri.
"Alright, let's settle it this way." Yuri nodded. "Since you dare to face it, why should I avoid it? If we're going back, then let's go together."
Upon hearing this, Riezel had nothing more to say and could only nod in understanding.
As the group prepared to get into the carriage and leave the Frenzel main residence, two people suddenly came to see them off.
"Elder Sister! Mr. Riezel!"
"Elder Sister Yuri!"
With these two voices, a boy and a girl ran out of the manor.
It was none other than Mediste and Isaac.
"What are you doing here?"
Yuri stopped and turned around, looking at her younger brother and sister before quickly approaching them.
Riezel also stepped forward, approaching the two siblings.
Apparently, the siblings seemed to have just learned about Riezel and Yuri's plans to return to the royal capital, so they ran in a hurry and looked out of breath.
"Why are you suddenly going back to the royal capital?" Isaac protested. "I thought you guys weren't going back!"
Mediste nodded along while sneakily glancing at Riezel.
Strangely, when Riezel noticed Mediste's gaze, her face turned faintly red before she quickly looked away.
"Well, the plans have changed." Yuri didn't explain much to her younger siblings but just patted their heads. "Sorry, you'll have to manage things at home for a while. You need to be obedient, okay?"
"How about I come with you to the royal capital?"
Isaac's eyes darted around for a moment as if he were thinking of something before immediately making this suggestion.
"Isaac! Don't be a nuisance to Elder Sister and Mr. Riezel!"
Mediste furrowed her brows and quickly scolded Isaac.
"It doesn't matter, right?" Isaac pouted, clearly displeased. "I haven't been to the royal capital in a long time, and the last time I went, I was only six years old. It's been two years since then..."
"I haven't been to the royal capital in three years, but do you hear me complaining?" Mediste shook her head. "Elder Sister and Mr. Riezel are going there on business, not for leisure. You'd just be a troublemaker."
"But… Father is in that condition, and after the War Festival, Elder Brother just disappeared..." Isaac mumbled, his expression downcast. "Now that Elder Sister Yuri is leaving too, doesn't that mean it's just me and Elder Sister Mediste left at home?"
"..."
Mediste fell silent.
Riezel looked at the pair of siblings and suddenly felt that they seemed quite pitiful.
It was clear that their father, Alderman, was incompetent when it came to family. Not only now but even before, he hadn't really cared about the daily lives of his children.
Sefaz was always out and about, furtively engaged in who knows what, never home—clearly not doing his part as the eldest sibling well.
Since Yuri became the Chief Court Magician, she frequently had to stay in the royal capital to handle affairs.
Moreover, the eldest daughter, who was the second child of the Frenzel family, had left for her mother's family because of their terrible father and hadn't been back for years.
As a result, Mediste and Isaac, this pair of siblings, had become isolated, often left alone at home, only able to keep company with knights, guards, and servants.
It was only natural for them to feel lonely.
'No wonder Mediste looks so mature for her age, while the youngest one is always causing trouble. It seems this loneliness has shaped their characters, huh...' Riezel mused silently.
Yuri looked especially guilty, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Seeing this, Riezel thought for a moment and decided to make the decision for Yuri.
"Actually, bringing them along wouldn't be a problem, right?"
Riezel's sudden words surprised Yuri and caught the attention of Mediste and Isaac.
"You know, we're not going to battle or anything." Riezel smiled slightly. "Since something so big happened last time, it's unlikely that any such lawless behavior will occur again in the short term. It shouldn't be a problem for Mediste and Isaac to stay in the royal capital for a while, right?"
"Uhh…" Yuri hesitated.
However, her hesitation immediately gave Mediste and Isaac hope.
"We promise we'll be good and won't cause any trouble!" Isaac immediately raised his hand to vow.
Mediste, aiming to maintain her mature image and composure, didn't act as childishly as Isaac, but her hopeful look still softened Yuri's heart.
"Hahh… alright."
After thinking for a moment, Yuri eventually agreed.
"Yay!"
Isaac cheered, and Mediste had a beaming smile on her face, clearly delighted.
"Done? Let's get going then." Riezel smiled subtly.
With that, Riezel, Yuri, and Marilyn led the cheerful Isaac and Mediste into the carriage, while Ian and Ain took their places in the driver's seat as always before driving off.
As the carriage headed down the main road, the knights lined up behind it began to move, trailing after the carriage in an orderly manner and creating a loud, rhythmic sound of footsteps.
And so, Riezel and Yuri finally set off on their journey back to the royal capital.
Ultimately, news of their departure spread rapidly, reaching not only various people but also making its way back to the royal capital.
===
It took about four days to travel from Undine in the Frenzel territory to the royal capital, Yeluvia.
During these four days, three were spent traveling by water, from Undine to Trantia by ship, and one day was spent traveling overland, from Trantia to Yeluvia by carriage.
Earlier, Riezel and the others had left the royal capital in the same way to reach the Frenzel territory, and naturally, they were returning to the royal capital in the same manner.
It had been less than half a month since Riezel and Yuri last left the royal capital, and now they had returned once more.
Evidently, this surprised everyone.
No one expected Riezel and Yuri to return so quickly after leaving the royal capital amidst the previous commotion.
However, for some, their return was undoubtedly a good thing.
As a result, when a luxurious carriage bearing the crest of the Frenzel family and leading a knightly order appeared grandly at the city gate of the royal capital, a carriage emerged from the city to welcome Riezel and Yuri.
Ain and Ian, who were driving the carriage, were the first to notice it.
They exchanged surprised glances before quickly reporting to the carriage.
"My Lady, there's a carriage with the crest of the Charlier family stopped up ahead."
Ian's announcement caused the conversation inside the carriage to cease.
"Let's go greet them."
Yuri's voice came from inside, prompting Ain and Ian to move the carriage forward without hesitation.
Meanwhile, on the Charlier family's carriage, two familiar faces who had recently visited the Frenzel family disembarked.
Who else but Phillip and his attendant Glimann?
Accompanied by a large group of guards, they approached the carriage where Riezel and the others were.
Riezel and Yuri immediately got out of their carriage and met Phillip.
"Good to see you again, Marquis Charlier." Yuri greeted with a graceful bow.
"Oh, good to see you again, Marquis Frenzel." Phillip returned the gesture with a wry smile. "You two just declined my invitation to return to the capital, and now you're suddenly back—it's quite puzzling, honestly."
"It's just a sudden change of plans..." Yuri said without changing her expression. "We have some matters to handle here, so we apologize for any inconvenience."
"No, it's fine. It's good that you two are back." Phillip's earlier bitterness disappeared, replaced by a genuine smile. "Since you two are back, my earlier task wasn't a failure then."
In the next second, as if he had remembered something, Phillip informed Yuri of it.
"By the way, your mansion has been rebuilt with the assistance of the court magician sent by the palace. Are you going to head there first, or...?"
Phillip's question was met with a prompt response.
"I'll head there first." Yuri replied lightly. "Since my younger siblings have come along and the mansion needs time to settle, as it's newly rebuilt, we're really sorry that we can't host you, Marquis Charlier."
"Understood." Phillip nodded understandingly. "In that case, I won't disturb you. Speaking of which, the palace should issue a summons soon, so you can go there then."
Yuri nodded and said no more.
Phillip smiled at Riezel and, along with Glimann and his guards, left.
Riezel watched them silently, deep in thought.
"Let's go. We'll head back to the Frenzel residence first."
Yuri turned her head toward Riezel as she spoke, breaking his train of thought.
"Yeah."
Riezel nodded casually and followed Yuri back into the carriage.
Soon, the Frenzel family's carriage was once again on its way, entering the royal capital and heading toward their secondary residence.
However, with Riezel's return, the brief period of calm in the royal capital had finally ended.
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