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“Welcome back, Your Grace, my lady. We are most relieved to see you safe.”

As the siblings returned to Jurnova Castle, Aleksei’s trusted aide Novak greeted them, uncharacteristically showing open relief on his face. Knight Commander Rozen was accompanying Aleksei, while the other senior officials—Treasurer Kimberley among them—and the castle housekeeper, Raisa, were with Novak.

Kimberley and Raisa, however, were left speechless. Which was only natural.

“Thank you for your trouble in receiving us. As you can see, Ekaterina is unharmed.”
“…O-Onii-sama, please put me down…”

In sharp contrast to Aleksei’s cheerful mood, Ekaterina spoke in a faint, almost vanishing voice.
She was being carried in Aleksei’s arms—cradled like a princess.

“You’re exhausted, Ekaterina. You slept the entire time in the carriage.”

As Aleksei spoke soothingly, Ekaterina flushed bright red.

“H-how embarrassing… To fall asleep leaning on Onii-sama’s shoulder—how improper…”

She covered her face with both hands, looking as though she wanted the ground to swallow her.
It was a bewitching sight—a beautiful young woman writhing in embarrassment—but strangely, it felt nothing more than heartwarming. Likely because everyone present knew her circumstances and her personality well. Moreover, to the senior officials, Ekaterina was of an age comparable to a child—or even a grandchild.
Even so, Novak and Rozen, who showed no sign of being shaken by this, might well have been influenced by it in some way.

“I was the one who told you to lean on me and sleep. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I was happy to see your lovely sleeping face in my arms—you looked so peaceful. Come now, I’ll take you to your room. Today, you are to rest properly.”
“Onii-sama, I can walk on my own!”

At Aleksei’s indulgent words, Ekaterina hastily pulled her hands away from her face and protested firmly.
Aleksei paid her no mind.

“Everyone—report to the office later.”

With that, Aleksei turned toward her room, still carrying his sister. Mina the maid and Yvan the valet followed close behind, and the housekeeper Raisa followed as well, overseeing the servants so that the lady of the household would not be inconvenienced.

“You spoil me far too much, Onii-sama!”

The last things they heard were Ekaterina’s tearful protest—and the rare sound of Aleksei laughing.

.

“…To His Grace, his sister truly is a jewel in the palm of his hand. Once again, I am relieved of her safe return.”

As they headed toward the office, Treasurer Kimberley spoke with deep feeling. Bald-headed with a large aquiline nose, he had the stern appearance befitting a treasurer, yet he had long held Ekaterina in favorable regard.

“Indeed,”

Knight Commander Rozen nodded in agreement.

“However, the young lady is worthy of that much.”

Rozen had departed after Aleksei—who had prioritized speed and led a light cavalry advance unit—at the head of a heavily armed force prepared for every conceivable contingency. After reuniting with Ekaterina and confirming her safety, Aleksei had sent a messenger to Rozen to halt the advance; the next day, he joined up with Ekaterina, and from there Rozen accompanied Aleksei back.
When Ekaterina had seen the knight order’s full heavy equipment upon joining Rozen, she had been left speechless.
“Every conceivable contingency” meant equipment capable of dealing with dragons (the Black Dragon was, admittedly, beyond expectations) and gigantic chimeras. Even in their unassembled state, the sight of the rear contingent carrying catapults and massive crossbows capable of firing spear-sized bolts was that of an army marching to lay siege.

*“Onii-sama… Sir Rozen… all of this… for my sake… Isn’t this force excessive…?”*

Ekaterina had said nervously, but when Aleksei replied, her expression immediately shifted to understanding.

*“Ekaterina, this unit requires time to move. If there is even a possibility that it may be needed, it is better to set it in motion first. Preparing only after the need becomes clear would be too late.”*
*“You are right. When responding without full details, one must not fear excess. I spoke foolishly.”*

Rozen—and Deputy Knight Commander Gardia, who had heard the exchange alongside him, the father of Oleg the knight and Erik and husband to the housekeeper Raisa—were both somewhat surprised by Ekaterina’s words.

“The young lady may even possess knowledge of military strategy. She is no ordinary young noblewoman.”

Rozen said this to Kimberley. For a taciturn man like him, he was unusually talkative in this matter.

In truth, Ekaterina’s words had less to do with military strategy than with principles she had learned in her previous life as a systems engineer, dealing with system failures. Still, as a history enthusiast, she had read war chronicles and Sun Tzu’s Art of War, so it wasn’t far off the mark.
What impressed the knights even more was that afterward, Ekaterina had asked with sparkling excitement about the range, power, durability, production cost, and maintenance cost of the catapults and crossbows. Setting aside power, how many young noblewomen would think to focus on durability and upkeep costs?

“It has reached us that during her proxy pilgrimage, my lady responded to the pleas of the people and exterminated a One-Eyed Bear,”

Novak joined the conversation.

“She distributed the meat to poor villagers and even used magic to help restore their fields. The story has spread rapidly throughout the territory, and among the common folk, the popularity of the beautiful and compassionate young lady is skyrocketing.”
“A One-Eyed Bear… To think that such a gentle soul performed a valorous deed like slaying a magical beast…”

Kimberley widened his silver eyes.

“But if it was for the sake of the poor, I can understand it. When I spoke with her before, I was deeply impressed by her kind and intelligent nature, her concern for the hardships of the impoverished. A young lady who earnestly supports His Grace and gains the people’s favor will greatly contribute to his rule as well.”

The latter part was directed toward Novak—Kimberley surmising that the spread of Ekaterina’s good deeds throughout the territory was likely intentional on Novak’s part, and implicitly approving of it.

“My lady is fifteen years of age, is she not? Yet she possesses wisdom beyond her years, and though her appearance is feminine and graceful, her affection for her brother is innocent to the point of childlikeness. It is no wonder His Grace treasures her so dearly. Girls are fragile, after all.”

That last line was murmured quietly. Novak glanced at Kimberley as though recalling something, but ultimately refrained from saying anything.

.

They did not wait long before Aleksei, having settled Ekaterina to rest, entered the office where the senior officials awaited. He seated himself behind his familiar, imposing desk, sinking into the leather chair Yvan pulled out for him, and spoke.

“There are two matters I must convey. First: at the Mountain Temple, an oracle was delivered. The volcano within our territory is expected to erupt soon. Second: during her journey, Ekaterina encountered the Black Dragon.”

All of the officials were struck speechless. Knight Commander Rozen had received a report about the encounter with the Black Dragon from Oleg, but the matter of the eruption was news to him.

“That is… we are fortunate indeed that she returned safely,”

Novak managed to say after regaining his composure.

“However, it is puzzling why the Black Dragon—who vanished after learning of the reforestation efforts—would appear before my lady.”

At those words, Aleksei replied irritably,

“It seems the creature proposed marriage to Ekaterina.”

The officials fell silent once more.
Aleksei then briefly relayed to them the contents of Ekaterina’s report.

.

“…To encounter the God of Death and the Maiden of Death on the outbound journey, receive an oracle of eruption at the Mountain Temple, and then meet the Black Dragon on the return… My lady has endured quite the journey,”

Novak summarized, rubbing his temples with a weary expression.

“For now, let us secure funds for eruption countermeasures. Since the scale and timing are unknown, we can only confirm the reserve budget at present.”
“Yes. We will reconsider once we receive Old Forli’s report,”

Aleksei nodded at Kimberley’s words.
Then he turned to Rozen.

“As for the other matter, I am considering strengthening the knight order as a countermeasure.”

Rozen nodded immediately.

“Even with our current heavy equipment, it would be a difficult opponent. We may need to develop new weapons—high-powered ones using gunpowder—”
“Hold.”

Novak sharply cut in, stopping the conversation as it was gaining momentum.

“As a potential marriage partner for milady, the Black Dragon may be worth considering.”
“What are you saying! As if I would give her to some unknown creature like that!”

Aleksei vehemently rejected Novak’s suggestion, but Novak remained unfazed.

“If we could incorporate a being said to rival a nation’s army, it would be greatly advantageous to Jurnova. And if he possesses a handsome human form, as was said, perhaps my lady herself would not be entirely opposed. Moreover, she would not have to be sent far away—we could have her remain within Jurnova territory. In form, we could establish a cadet branch with the Black Dragon as son-in-law and grant them a castle with easy access, keeping them within sight where we can all protect her together. Conversely, if we make an enemy of the Black Dragon, the cost would be tremendous. The expense of military expansion would be enormous. Compared to that, Lady Aleksandra’s fondness for lavish wardrobes would be trivial.”
“……”

Faced with words he could not easily refute, Aleksei fell silent.
At Novak’s final remark, Kimberley nodded. Among the current officials, Kimberley was second only to Forli, director of forest and agriculture, in age. A noble in his own right with a viscount’s title, he was a heavyweight—but one who scrupulously confined himself to his role as treasurer, rarely interfering in governance. In an age where control of finances often meant control of power, he was a rare asset—one trusted deeply by Aleksei’s grandfather Sergei. As such, Kimberley’s agreement carried weight.

“We have received a letter from Khalil in the imperial capital. It seems that in the capital’s social circles, with Prince Mikhail spending his summer in Jurnova, it is all the talk that milady is the leading candidate for the next empress.”
“Ghh…”

At Novak’s continued words, Aleksei showed rare agitation. Ever since Emperor Konstantin had expressed his desire for Mikhail to stay in Jurnova territory, Aleksei had known such interpretations would arise—but hearing it spoken aloud was infuriating nonetheless.
The imperial family desired Ekaterina. They did not narrow her options outright; instead, they were gradually filling in the outer moat, in a way Jurnova could not openly resist. It was, indeed, a cunning approach.

“If we are to respect my lady’s wish not to marry into the imperial family, then as a partner the imperial family would find difficult to interfere with, the Black Dragon may be a valuable option. Of course, not the only one—but perhaps one worthy of consideration.”

Aleksei turned his gaze away with a sulky expression—not that of a capable ruler, but of a stubborn child.
Then someone let out a small laugh.

“My apologies. But milady’s charm is truly something extraordinary. To weigh the throne of empress, so coveted by many, against the courtship of a legendary great dragon… it is like something out of myth, is it not?”

It was Kimberley.

“As for engagement, milady’s own feelings must be paramount. While she still has that innocent side that wishes to remain at His Grace’s side, perhaps it would be best not to press too hard on selection and simply allow her to follow her heart. …They do say that girls will eventually marry out sooner or later, but unexpected things can happen if we stall it for too long. To not make her regret and watch over her would be the wiser course…”

It was rare for Kimberley to comment on matters outside finance, and Aleksei looked slightly surprised.
Novak opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately remained silent. Of those present, Novak was closest in age to Kimberley and knew this—Kimberley had once lost his only daughter to an epidemic. She had been just ten years old.

“You’re right. Everything will be as she wishes. For now, she says she wants to be with me. If it comes a day her feelings change…then I will grant whatever wish she has.”

Aleksei spoke as though he had finally made up his mind. He then murmured softly,

“She says she wants to be together longer, since it hasn’t even been a year since we met. …The day I first met her was the day our mother died. Because of me… and yet, she is so kind.”

No one could bring themselves to speak.

“Prince Mikhail will arrive shortly. Between the eruption and other matters, things will be busy. I will be counting on you all.”
“At your command.”

As though snapping back to himself, Aleksei spoke, and everyone bowed in unison.