The Reincarnated Girl Will Live Quietly

Grand Duchess Adelaide waited until Sable and Pierce left the room before she spoke again. The smile on her face disappeared and she had a solemn look. 

 

“Has she said a word about her father?” Adelaide’s gaze lingered on the doorway. 

 

“No, Your Grace.” Claire responded. “She doesn’t speak much.” 

 

Adelaide sighed. After seeing Sable greet her, there was little doubt in her mind that Sable was the daughter of a noble. Yet, there was something she found a little odd. 

 

Normally, children of nobles underwent lessons at home until the age of fourteen when they had their social debut. Until then, there were very few interactions with other nobles. But Sable, who was around the age of her daughter, seemed far more mature than her age. She made no mistakes during her greeting, as if she was used to interacting with nobles. 

 

Adelaide wanted to inquire more, but Sable’s appearance was enough to deter her. The light in her eyes flickered, and she seemed ready to fall over from the lightest breeze. When Adelaide offered to let her stay in the castle, Sable’s first reaction was distrust. She had not even considered her own health as a reason. 

 

“To have driven a child to such a point...” 

 

The knights in the room felt a chill down their back as Adelaide emitted an angry aura. Father or not, she would not forgive those who would abandon a child to freeze to death. 

 

“Your Grace.” Percival called out to Adelaide in an attempt to calm her down. 

 

“...Forgive me.” Adelaide took in a deep breath and exhaled. “It has been a rough couple of days.” 

 

“Has something happened, Your Grace?” Percival asked worriedly. 

 

“...” Adelaide rubbed her eyes. “I have not told the rest of the knights yet, but there was an attack two days ago in the Capital.” 

 

The knights stood up in alarm. Percival gestured for them to calm down. 

 

“Is His Grace all right?” 

 

“Yes. Sebastian is fine.” Adelaide answered.  “He’s staying at the Capital for a few more days to investigate.” 

 

“...Wait, didn’t Miss Sable say she was from the Capital?” Talbot questioned. 

 

Claire narrowed her eyes. “What are you implying?” 

 

Talbot held his hands up to pacify her. “All I’m saying is that she might know something.” 

 

The timing of Sable’s appearance was too coincidental with the incident in the Capital. 

 

“Whatever the case may be, that child needs time to recover.” Adelaide cut in. “Once Sebastian returns, then we can consider questioning her, but until then, I will not allow you to antagonize her, is that clear?” 

 

“‘Yes, Your Grace.’” They replied at the same time. 

 

“For now, return to your duties. Until Sebastian finishes his investigation, we can only wait here.” 

 

The knights saluted her and began exiting the room. 

 

“Ah, Isaac. Wait a moment.” Adelaide called out to the silent knight. “About that butterfly… Were you able to detect any mana from her?” 

 

“No, Your Grace.” Isaac shook his head. 

 

Adelaide frowned. 

 

“If Isaac, who can sense mana, was unable to detect anything from her, then what was it?” 

 

Beasts weren’t the only problem they dealt with in the North. It was a land of mystery and magic. There was no way of telling what happened to Sable before the knights found her and the child was not in the best condition to talk. 

 

“I’m reassigning you to be her escort during her stay here. Keep an eye on her.” 

 

“Understood, Your Grace.” Isaac saluted her and left to find Pierce. 

 

Adelaide let out a heavy sigh. The next few days were going to be very busy. 

 

~~~

 

Sable was led to one the guest bedrooms, located on the opposite side from the reception room. Unlike her old room, it was well-furnished and decorated. She hesitantly stepped forward. 

 

“Here is your room, Lady Sable.” Pierce went around the room and made sure that everything was in order. With a satisfied nod, he turned to Sable. “If there is anything you require, please ring the bell by your bedside and a servant will attend to you.” 

 

Pierce exited the room and Sable was left alone. She walked over and sat on the bed. 

 

With a slow exhale, she thought back to the past few days. From being abandoned by her father and being left for dead to being rescued by the knights and meeting the Grand Duchess, her life had changed drastically. It was far too much for a ten-year old child to experience. 

 

But Sable wasn’t a normal child… or at least that’s what she tried to tell herself. 

 

She fell back onto the bed with a huff. She needed to focus. Pushing the dark thoughts to the back of her head, Sable began to mentally map out the castle. Starting from the gate to the training grounds and barracks she spotted along the way, she was able to recreate the layout in her head. Then her thoughts drifted to the knights. 

 

The Lione Knights were particularly loyal to one another and their master. That was obvious to Sable when she listened to their banter during their way to the castle. They were well-trained and disciplined even among the Teodora Kingdom’s knights. But it made sense. They dealt with beasts and monsters on a frequent basis and they fought with their lives on the line. They were unfamiliar existences to Sable. 

 

That being the case, Sable had no intention to get along with anyone here. Her purpose here was to gather information and recover. While the Grand Duchess offered to let her stay here indefinitely, Sable knew that she couldn’t overstay her welcome. Once the Grand Duke arrived and she told him what she knew, she would need to leave. 

 

She heard a sudden knock. Getting up from the bed, she approached the door and opened it. 

 

“Sir Isaac?” Sable made eye contact with the silent knight. 

 

“He will be your escort, Lady Sable.” Pierce appeared from behind him and explained to Sable. 

 

“I see.” Sable had an inkling that Isaac was here to keep an eye on her, but she kept quiet. As Pierce was turning to leave, she spoke again. 

 

“Would I be allowed to visit the library, Mister Pierce?” 

 

“There’s no need for honorifics, Lady Sable.” The old butler replied good-naturedly. “Concerning the library, you are free to enter as you are Her Grace’s guest. Is there anything else you require?” 

 

“No, that was all. Thank you.” 

 

With a small bow, Pierce walked off. 

 

Sable and Isaac stared at one another. For a brief while, neither spoke and a silence enveloped the two. 

 

“I don’t know where the library is.” Sable said in an awkward manner. 

 

Without a word, Isaac walked away from her and after a few steps, he paused and looked back. 

 

“This way.” 

 

Sable was startled at hearing him speak for the first time. She regained her composure and followed after him. 

 

Once again, the pair maintained their silence and did not speak to one another throughout the duration of their walk. For the servants they passed by, it was an odd sight. They were used to the taciturn demeanor of Isaac, but the child who was following after him was just as quiet as he was. If it wasn’t for their appearances, one would have mistaken them as siblings. 

 

Along the way, Sable was careful to memorize the route they were taking. She intended to frequent the library during her stay here. Aside from gathering information, Sable simply wanted to read. A majority of her time back at the Marquis’s mansion was spent reading books and studying. It was something she enjoyed, and it gave her a reason to not interact with others. 

 

Eventually, they arrived at the library. 

 

The library was large and spacious. Bookshelves lined the walls and there was a spiral staircase leading to a second floor with even more books. Several small tables and chairs were set up in the center of the room. 

 

Sable approached the shelves and began scanning the books. From territory management to bestiaries, books on all sorts of subjects were located here. Sable’s eyes shone with curiosity. 

 

Isaac saw the sight and a small, relieved smile graced his features. It was the first time the child showed any real emotion since they found her. 

 

Sable, who was focused on the books, did not notice this. She continued scanning until she found what she was looking for. 

 

Books on the history of the Teodora Kingdom. 

 

She grabbed a few texts and sat down by the nearest table. She began reading and crossed-checked the information in her head. 

 

The Teodora Kingdom did not have a long history compared to the neighboring countries, but it was an important buffer state and trade hub. Its presence prevented the war between hostile countries and it also provided a beneficial place for merchants to trade with one another. With so many travelers and the threat of hostile nations, however, one would think that security was a prevalent issue in the kingdom. 

 

However, this was not the case. There was no shortage of talent in the Teodora Kingdom. Many often moved to the kingdom after being prosecuted or wanting to seek new opportunities or a new life. With so many talented individuals gathered, it was inevitable that the Teodora Kingdom possessed a formidable military strength.

 

Additionally, there was the royal family and the four noble families who were descended from the founding members of the Teodora Kingdom. They guarded the borders of the kingdom and were a force to be reckoned with. 

 

“So what is it exactly that Marquis Marten wanted to do?” 

 

Sable thought back to her past life. The plan to overthrow the royal family had failed. If he wanted to usurp the throne, the four noble families would not allow him to do so. 

 

“Perhaps war?” Sable considered the possibility, but dismissed it. For that to be possible, one would need to eliminate the four noble families as well as the royal family. There were very few who would go against them so it was a worthless endeavor. 

 

Sable huffed out a breath. 

 

“Think carefully.” 

 

She compared her past life and her current one. What was it that changed exactly? 

 

For one, Sable had deviated from her original path. She was no longer by Marquis Marten’s side and no one knew of her abilities. She was now under the care of the Grand Duchess, the wife of the man who was responsible for her execution. 

 

There were also the assassins to consider. She could not recall ever seeing them in her past life. Marquis Marten clearly did not have any intention to tell her about them. Often, she carried out her plans herself, without any help. Several times, she was almost caught slipping poison into the drinks of nobles. It was her quick wits that allowed her to survive for so long. 

 

Until recently, that hadn’t changed. 

 

“Wait…” Her eyes shook. 

 

She was going about this in the wrong direction. Rather than thinking about what changed, she needed to think about what didn’t change. 

 

Although with a slightly different outcome, the Terror Incident in the Capital had occurred in both of her lives. She did not start helping Marquis Marten until she was fifteen, so she could disregard those events. 

 

“Something more recent…” 

 

Sable stood up abruptly. 

 

Ignoring Isaac’s wide-eyed look, she ran back to the bookshelves and grabbed a book about the history of the North. She skimmed the contents of the book. 

 

Much of the North remained unexplored, due to the beasts that inhabited the vast forest. The Lione family were the first humans to inhabit the land and, while they were given the title of Guardians, it was more accurate to say that they were the gatekeepers. Not to keep people out, but to keep the beasts in. Since the founding of the kingdom, that was their duty in the North. 

 

Sable snapped the book shut and her face morphed into a twisted expression. 

 

“There’s no precedent… or rather this incident will become the precedent.” 

 

Yes, the Terror Incident was not the only incident that would occur this year. 

 

An unnatural outbreak of beasts in the Winter. 

 

Sable glanced at Isaac. It was the tragedy that would result in the deaths of many of the Lione Knights.