By Her Grace – a progressive Isekai Light Novel

The Bait

The carriage rattled along the road, the steady rhythm of hooves and iron wheels filling the small cabin. Nils had not given up yet. He was still trying to explain why everything about this plan was madness, how there were too few of them, how bandits did not play fair, and how any adult would call this suicide. Grace sat opposite him, legs crossed neatly, pretending to listen. Every few sentences she nodded or smiled, and he seemed to think that meant something.

Pfff, can he only nag? I really hope he learns to save his breath... But well, if he keeps talking long enough, maybe he'll just pass out… I mean, at first it was kind of cute, but now it's just annoying.

She had stopped counting how many times he said "dangerous." It was becoming his favorite word. It had started off almost endearing, that desperate need to sound older, but now it was just noise.

Rin, on the other hand, had not said a single word since they left the village. She sat by the window, quiet and still, her fingers resting neatly on her knees. Her reflection in the glass looked calm, but Grace could see the truth in the small details; the stiffness in her shoulders, the slow, careful breaths she kept taking. She was afraid, that much was clear, and for once Grace could understand it.

At least she is scared for the right reasons. She knows she is bait and still goes along with it. It's actually kind of interesting how far she is willing to go for Leon…

The road curved slightly uphill, and the carriage jolted over a root, throwing Nils off balance. He caught himself on the edge of his seat with a startled yelp, then noticed Grace watching him. His frown deepened. "You really think this will work, don't you?"

"I would not do it if I didn't," she said calmly.

"That's not an answer," he muttered.

"It is for me."

He stared at her like he was trying to find some sign of reason in her face, but she gave him none. She had already told him enough times that there was a plan. If he still wanted to argue, that was his problem.

Outside, the rhythm of hooves shifted. The carriage slowed a little, and the sunlight filtering through the windows had turned a pale gold. They must have been close. The forest around them thickened; the air smelled faintly of wet moss and bark.

A moment later, a knock came at the carriage door. The latch turned, and it swung open halfway, wind rushing in from the speed they were still moving. Ser Calen rode beside them, his horse keeping pace with the carriage as if it were nothing at all.

"We're almost at the clearing, Lady Grace," he said, his voice steady over the noise of hooves.

Grace leaned a little toward the door. "Good. We will stop here then."

"All right," he said, nodding once before letting the door close again.

The carriage slowed further, the driver's voice muffled as he gave the horses a command. The wheels ground against the dirt until they rolled to a near stop. Grace felt the slight shift in balance as they came off the road onto softer ground.

She smoothed her sleeve and glanced at her passengers. Nils watched her with that same uneasy look, full of questions he still didn't dare to ask. Rin's hands tightened for a moment, then slowly relaxed again.

Grace turned her eyes toward the front of the carriage as it rocked to its final halt. The forest outside was quiet now.

The door opened again, and Ser Calen's shadow filled the frame. Grace rose, brushing a bit of imaginary dust from her skirt. "Wait here a moment, all right?" she said, looking at Nils and Rin. Nils nodded slowly, and Rin only gave a small hum of acknowledgment.

Grace stepped down from the carriage. Around her, the knights were already dismounting. None of them stayed on horseback while she was standing. It was a habit she hadn't ordered, but they had adopted it anyway. Every knight of her cousin's order—her order now—moved in sync, and quiet obedience.

Peak princess roleplay, she thought, half amused, half resigned. Fun in a way, but also kind of embarrassing. It still felt strange sometimes, having them follow her like this. She knew her older, edgier self would have loved every second of it far more than she did now, which was just another small confirmation that she was not that person anymore.

Grace looked around the clearing. The air was damp and heavy, clinging to her skin and settling into her mood. I was reborn here, and still it feels like I haven't achieved anything real. Always one step ahead, two back. Even my mana core dropped from the third circle to the second. At the thought, she exhaled through her nose. Maybe this stupid little hunt can count as "me" time. A vacation. A chance to remember who I actually am before the rest of the world starts falling apart again.

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It was almost funny, really. Her idea of a vacation was chasing a bunch of bandits on a whim with a plan so dumb Elyne would probably pass out if she heard it. But Elyne had told her to do her own thing, hadn't she? And she was the Princess, after all, so why shouldn't she do what she wanted? It's not like I'm burning down the duchy or starting a war. Mother already handled that part with the war anyway, so who could blame me then?

"All right," she murmured under her breath, watching Ser Calen as he approached. He had removed his helmet, the faint outline of sweat on his brow, his expression calm and waiting for orders.

"So, the crossing is not far away, right?" Grace asked, looking toward Ser Calen.

"Not far, Princess," he said. "One branch leads to Wintergarden, the other goes farther toward Stonefield."

Grace nodded lightly. "Right… so when we go toward either of them, we should meet the bandits sooner or later."

It was still a ridiculous plan, but it had its advantages. Even though she had conceived it on a whim while listening to Nils' ramblings in the City Hall chamber, it now helped her with something else that had been on her mind for some time. She wasn't sure how loyal her cousin and his knights really were. There was a difference between being loyal enough to keep her alive and being loyal enough to follow her orders. The first type served her mother, and Grace knew it. Those were the ones who watched her more than they followed her, who kept her entertained and safe because that was part of their duty.

She watched Ser Calen for a moment, the way he waited for her next words without showing anything on his face. He's loyal, yes, but to whom exactly? Me, or to Mother?

The thought made her smirk faintly. Well, if they're just here to keep me in line, they'll have a long day ahead of them.

Her gaze drifted to the nearby knights and then back to the plan. Black plate and heavy weapons caught the last of the sun and looked unappealing to anyone hoping for an easy raid. They would not charge a cart escorted by ten armored men if they could avoid it; no sensible leader would. She folded her hands and let the silence sit for a beat. Good. Make the prize look fat and worth the risk, and the sensible ones will run when it suits us.

"All right," she said. "We set the bait here. The heavy carriage goes on with two knights and the driver. They make noise, look worth stealing, and then they keep going toward Wintergarden. When the bandits come out, those two knights bolt with the driver and leave the carriage behind. No fight, no deaths if we can help it."

Ser Calen's face tightened. "My Princess, that sounds risky. You need to be with us to track the bandits. There could be a fight at any time, and raiding a bandit camp without proper combat experience is not advisable."

Grace tilted her head. "Lady Elyne, one of the empire's best enforcers, taught me to fight as a battlemage. Do you think I am incompetent, or that she was a poor teacher?"

He hesitated. "No, my lady, of course not. But in view of your age, you may lack some experience."

"I do not lack anything," she said, the words sharp and quick. "When I say I do not lack something, then I do not. All right, cousin?"

Calen's jaw worked and then he nodded slowly. "I understand, but you must know that your safety is our first priority above all else."

"That's convenient, because I am going to the bandit camp anyway. You would not stop me, would you?" She watched him closely, with a bright smile.

"Of course not, Princess," Calen said. The reluctance in his voice was real, but he bowed to her will.

Grace let the smile stay on her face for a beat longer. That is my cousin, she thought, amused. She looked at the other knights, reading faces for the same objection. None rose their voices.

"Any other questions?" she asked, turning the room for dissent.

A younger knight cleared his throat. "Not that I mind, Princess, but why use the boy as bait as well? I understand the girl, she can be tracked, but the boy—"

Grace's smile shifted. "I do not know what to make of him yet," she said. "He reminded me of something uncomfortable about my age, and no one should remind a girl of that. Also, there may be more to him than he's shown. Do me a favor and do not call me Princess in his presence. Let him think I am some baron's daughter or whatever suits him for now. And keep him ignorant that he might be bait again. I want to see how he reacts when he is thrown back into the hell he escaped. I do not like cowards."

Ser Calen looked puzzled for a second, then nodded. "Testing character, then. I can see the value in that."

Grace tilted her head. "Good. We give people a choice. We observe who stands firm. That's useful." She paused, then added, "And if something goes wrong, we step back and don't play heroes for nothing."

"Understood," Calen said. He straightened, then called a quiet order to two knights waiting by the heavy carriage. They moved with practiced silence.

Grace considered going back to the carriage to explain more to Nils and Rin, but Rin had already nodded when Grace had talked to her while they were driving. She knew what to do. Nils understood roughly what was happening, though he did not know the worst part, which was that he, too, would be bait. His bad luck. Maybe he will surprise me.

She gave a single, small hand signal to Ser Calen.

He turned and had the knights ease the heavy carriage on its way, wheels squealing as the driver took up speed. The smaller group fell into position near the brush, the men spreading out in practiced angles so they could close if necessary and retreat if commanded.

Grace watched the carriage recede, the two knights on it making the scene a tempting target. She felt the old itch under her ribs, the part of her that always wanted to test herself against something that moved. It's not about proving my strength to them. It's about figuring out what I am when no one's watching me perform...

She stepped back into the shadow of the trees and drew a breath. "Positions," she said softly, and the men around her moved. The plan was set, the pieces in place, and the road ahead was suddenly very quiet.