#14. To Her Hometown (6)

The affection House Béarn showed Eleonore was matched by the sheer fuss surrounding her trip home. They had reserved three entire first-class train cars: the one assigned to her, plus the cars in front and behind it. Not just compartments, but whole train cars!

The reason they’d gone to such lengths—an arrangement even the head of a distinguished noble house might hesitate to make—was everything that had happened around Eleonore lately. In a way, this might even cost less than cleaning up after another disaster.

Of course, Eleonore, Eugenie, Sophie and Ailie, who had come along with them, and Dmitri wouldn’t be the only ones using the three reserved cars. Half the knights stationed at the townhouse to guard Eleonore would ride in them, divided between the cars in front and behind.

Thanks to whoever in House Béarn had reserved the entire first-class section of the train, the platform set aside for first-class passengers at the capital’s Central Station was now occupied by knights dressed in white uniforms.

The sight was almost like a procession of the Imperial Family, and passersby naturally stopped to stare. But the sea of white surrounding them kept those gazes from reaching inside, allowing Eleonore and the others to share their farewells without having to worry about anyone watching.

Before long, the train’s whistle rang through the station. It was a signal that the train would soon be departing.

Eleonore, who had been standing stiffly beside Dmitri, lifted her impossibly heavy feet at the sound and took a step toward Albris.

“Eli.”

“Oppa…”

During her time at the townhouse, brief though it had been—or long, depending on how one looked at it—Eleonore had grown deeply attached to her new family...