The time was more pressing than expected. Valia stomped her feet anxiously. Even when she had to leave as a maid of the Imperial Palace in the past, she was given two weeks to prepare. But tonight? Feeling like her head was about to explode, Valia first cleaned the house. She emptied the trash, locked the windows, and wrote a letter for Kal to read when he returned, placing it neatly on the dining table. Packing her belongings came afterward. Since there wasn't much to take, she ended up with a small bundle that she could carry with one hand.

Then she waited quietly.

Because of her nerves, she wasn't hungry. There wasn't time to cook anything either. She was glad she had eaten a sandwich and lemonade earlier. Otherwise, she would have had no energy.

[Let's go.]

The carriage that came to pick up Valia was an ordinary one. As she got into the carriage without resistance, she felt puzzled. There was only one reason. The process had been too quiet.

'How did the news spread so quickly in the social circles when they came to pick me up so quietly?'

When a lady volunteered as a tribute in the past, rumors spread far and wide even before she became a marchioness. Of course, the fact that someone volunteered for this suspicious tribute was intriguing enough on its own, but compared to her current situation, it seemed quite different. No matter how juicy the gossip, it had to be known to spread. How could rumors have spread so widely when she was leaving so quietly in the middle of the night?

'What's different between the past marchioness and me?'

However, the conditions for the tribute written in the letter were the same in the past and present. The conditions were so simple that Valia remembered them all. As she pondered over them, a terrifying thought struck her.

'...Could I be a sacrificial offering?'

What if many ladies had volunteered as tributes, but because they didn't meet some crucial condition, they weren't selected? And to keep them quiet, they were offered as living sacrifices...? The thought filled Valia's mind, something Kal would have laughed at, calling it a novel.

Her anxiety peaked as the carriage arrived at the palace, and Valia was led by waiting maids.

And here she was.

"When you serve the king, you must not injure His Majesty's body or eyes. Also, you must not push His Majesty's body..."

What Valia realized while taking a bath was that these maids believed she was here to serve the king intimately. That must have been why their hands were so gentle as they scrubbed her. Even though she didn't know the full details, Valia instinctively sensed that this was some form of disguise, so she just quietly nodded. The experience she gained as a former maid was proving useful.

"Now, please raise your arms."

Since the palace custom was to speak minimally to someone chosen to serve the king, the maids didn't say more than necessary to Valia. This worked in her favor, as she was already overwhelmed by wearing such a seductive outfit for the first time in her life. She kept silent while they adjusted her clothes and then carefully spoke up.

"Um, is this all for the outfit? There's nothing else to wear?"

"Yes, since you'll be attending to the king. Oh, and when you wake up in the morning, change into the clothes hanging at the foot of your bed."

"Oh, I see..."

Valia nodded, hiding her discomfort. The dress, though technically a dress, looked more like nightwear or perhaps well-made underwear. The lace along the hem was bright, and the thin ribbons were pretty, but the fabric was sheer and nearly transparent, making her skin visible. But what could she do? It's not like they'd give her different clothes just because she didn't like it.

When she closed her mouth, the maids skillfully dressed Valia. They applied light makeup that seemed barely there and tied her hair into a half braid. Valia could roughly guess the king's taste, even though she had never seen him.

"You can wait here. You remember the instructions, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we will leave."

The maids who had brought Valia to the spacious bedroom closed the door. Left alone, Valia finally took a deep breath. She didn't think the real king would come. So how long would she have to stay here? To calm her nerves, Valia wandered around the bedroom. Although the palace was decorated with beautiful porcelain and paintings, they didn't catch her eye.

Then it happened. She sensed someone's presence. Valia turned around and opened her eyes wide. Knights in white armor and blue cloaks had entered. They were the kingdom's knights. Since they resided in the palace, they must have high status. Valia briefly wondered if she should bow her head. If the attendant who came with them hadn't spoken, Valia would have surely bowed her head.

"Miss, we don't have much time. These knights are here to escort you."

"Escort me?"

"Yes. You may have many questions, but I also have limited information. Rest assured, these knights will keep you safe."

Valia nodded. The attendant was right. Asking more questions would be futile, as he likely knew nothing more. This was an affair managed by the imperial family of the empire. There was no way a kingdom's attendant would know the details. She obediently took a step forward. As Valia exited through the back door of the palace, a knight's blue cloak was draped over her shoulders like a shawl.

"Please get in, miss."

The knights were polite but silent. Although she wanted to ask about their destination, it seemed clear they wouldn't answer. Valia accepted the knight's escort and boarded the carriage. She wondered if the knights would join her inside, but they each mounted their own horses. Valia was alone in the spacious carriage. She leaned back against the seat and pondered.

'We must be heading to the capital of the Gel Empire.'

Whether she was to meet a marquis, go to a temple, or visit the imperial family, the destination was ultimately the Gel Empire.

'Who will I meet?'

Her heart pounded with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Lost in thought, Valia's eyes slowly closed. Soon, she fell asleep.

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Valia woke up at the break of dawn. More time had passed than she expected. The carriage was still moving tirelessly. She wondered where they were. Valia opened the window. A cool breeze rushed in, blowing her long hair. The knights were still riding alongside the carriage. As she watched them absentmindedly, Valia frowned.

'Something's different.'

The blue cloaks and white armor were the same, and their builds were similar, but something was off. Valia furrowed her brows, trying to figure out what it was. Her gaze fell on their swords. Her eyes lit up. At that moment, she made eye contact with a knight riding close to the carriage. The knight approached and asked,

"Is something wrong, miss?"

"You're not the kingdom's knights."

"Pardon?"

Valia had been raised by a mercenary named Karl and had some basic knowledge about swords from handling them. She could distinguish between the hilt of a broadsword and a wallon sword (a sword with aesthetic decorations). The kingdom's knights carried wallon swords, but these knights had broadswords. The weapons were not interchangeable as secondary weapons. In other words, these knights were not the same as the ones from before.

"I have been with you since we left the kingdom, miss. Perhaps you didn't see me because I was at the back."

The knight explained calmly, without showing any signs of tension. He was confident he could answer any question about the kingdom, even down to the current king's birthday. However, the young lady brought up something entirely different.

"I must have been mistaken. But, sir, do you remember the purple flower I asked the captain to pick for me during our short break? All the knights were there."

The knight was puzzled by her words.

'That's strange. I didn't hear anything about a break. They only mentioned that the young lady might be tired from the long journey.'

He assumed the kingdom's knight had omitted the short break. Deciding not to show his confusion, the knight replied,

"Of course. I saw it too. You liked it, didn't you? Has the flower wilted?"

Valia burst into laughter.

"What are you talking about? I never asked for a flower."

"Pardon?"

The knight's discomfort was palpable, even through his armor. Valia smiled gently to reassure him.

"Even if the knights have changed, I won't run away, so don't worry."

The knight exhaled a breath he had been holding. He had been tense, fearing she might burst into tears. Anyone would be scared and anxious if they realized their escorts had changed.

Contrary to the knight's concerns, Valia showed no signs of distress. Occasionally, she would peek out the window to look outside before retreating back into the carriage.

"Miss, are you tired?"

It was a rare break during the long carriage journey. They had minimized rest stops to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Valia stretched her stiff body and turned around. Unlike the previous knights, this man seemed older. He appeared to be the leader of the knights. Valia shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"We don't have much further to go, so stay strong."

"Yes, you too, sir."

Valia remained composed. She was naturally quite strong. As a child, she had once swung Karl's mace around and accidentally broke a wall, earning a scolding. The knight's eyes widened slightly, thinking she was unlike any young noble lady he had ever met.

"But sir, the previous knights served the king. Who do these knights serve?"

Just as the knight had that thought, the young lady caught him off guard. Sean, the knight captain who was aware of the earlier incident, cleared his throat.

"Don't worry. We're not taking you to a dangerous place."

"Is that so?"

Fortunately, she didn't ask further. Sean sighed in relief and changed the subject.

"You need to eat. Where would you like to have your meal? Shall I bring it to the carriage?"

"The knights have lit a campfire over there. Can I eat there? Or is that against etiquette?"

"Not at all. I just thought it might be awkward for a noble lady to dine with the knights, so I wanted to check your preference."

Having grown up with Karl, who was like family, dining with knights was no big deal to her. Valia wanted to minimize her time inside the square carriage. She smiled.

"I'm fine with it. Let's eat together."