Higeki no Genkyou tonaru Saikyou Gedou Rasubosu Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu Vol 7
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The
Blasphemous Princess and the Celebration
Chapter 2: Something Only
He Knows
Interlude: Visit from the
Working Princess
Chapter 3: The
Domineering Princess and the Exhibition
ORL: Disqualified, but
Worthy as a Knight
Everyone Has Their Own
Stories
Chapter 1:
The Blasphemous Princess and the
Celebration
A SHOUT RANG through the room—it was
time to begin.
“Drink up, everyone!” cried King Lance in Cercis. “Feast!
Make merry! Today, we celebrate the
bright, new future awaiting the United Hanazuo Kingdom!”
“We thank God and make a
vow once again in His name!” said King Yohan in Chinensis. “May the United Hanazuo
Kingdom enjoy a prosperous future!”
Cercis was the land of gold. Chinensis was the land of
minerals. Together,
they were the United Hanazuo Kingdom, with Kings Lance and Yohan at the helm. Song, laughter, and
clinking beer steins greeted the kings’ joyful pronouncements of this joint
kingdom’s future prosperity. Vibrant dress and
jubilation abounded. I joined in the celebrations as happily as anyone else; Hanazuo was an
ally of my homeland of Freesia, after all.
After the United Hanazuo
Kingdom came begging for aid, we led our Freesian knights to their country to
support them in their defensive war against the invading Rajah Empire. We had emerged victorious
only four days prior to this occasion. Hanazuo’s rulers had been
waiting for my leg to heal before holding these massive banquets and festivals.
Both
kingdoms were responsible for the simultaneous, kingdom-spanning celebrations,
which went on all through the night. Once the banquets ended,
the castle gates would remain open for anyone to come and go, regardless of
their class or citizenship.
The people of the United
Hanazuo Kingdom, who had always lived and worked closely together, rushed to
each other’s countries once they learned of the end of the war. They attended festivals
throughout the kingdom regardless of which nation they hailed from. And the main event was
still on the horizon.
“Captain Alan, Captain
Callum—I’m sorry you two can’t enjoy the party.”
My two imperial knights
lingered behind me. Unfortunately, they were just about the only people at the party not
celebrating. They couldn’t drink while on duty. Even so, they’d both
personally requested to guard me once we knew the date of the victory banquet. Captain Alan led the
First Squadron of the Freesian royal order and had short, dirty-blond hair and
orange eyes. Captain Callum, with his reddish-brown eyes and hair, commanded the
Third Squadron.
Arthur had volunteered as
well, but the captains had sent him away with a “Don’t worry about it! Go bask in the praise of
everyone here!” and “Just try not to drink too much.”
“It’s no trouble for us at
all!” Captain Alan
told me now. “Are you sure your leg is healed enough for this?”
Captain Callum added, “If
you think tonight’s dance will be too much for you…”
I shook my head and
smiled, assuring them I was fine. Then I looked around the
room. My
younger siblings, Tiara and Stale, had finally left my side to converse with
the knights, soldiers, and aristocrats drifting through the party. Stale, with his
black-framed glasses and jet-black hair and eyes, was the firstborn prince of
Freesia. Tiara,
who had golden eyes and wavy hair of the same color, was our second-born
princess. The
three of us blended in perfectly with the other guests thanks to the beautiful
formal attire the two kings of Hanazuo had prepared for us.
The knights still wore
their armor, which stood out as they wandered around clutching beer steins and
socializing with soldiers. The easy way they conversed gave me hope that the life-or-death
situations they’d faced together had forged a bond that went beyond the
territorial boundaries of nationality. Arthur, in particular,
stood ringed by his fellow knights as they praised his heroics in the war. He flushed from the
attention and shook his head to deny the praise. His silver hair sat tied
up high on his head. His eyes were a bright, beautiful blue.
Arthur was my very first
imperial knight, and that was no accident. Even though I’d missed out
on a lot of news and updates while recovering from my injury, I was sure he’d
played a major role in our victory. In the world of the game,
ferocious battles were a thing of Arthur’s past, but sadly, in this reality,
he’d had to wade into harrowing fights with the enemy more than I cared to
think about.
That was me: Pride Royal
Ivy, the firstborn princess of Freesia, a woman with wavy red hair and purple
eyes that were pointed at the corners. I was also the wicked last
boss queen from the first game in the Our Ray of Light otome game series—a fact
I remembered when I regained my memories of my past life at the age of eight. Tiara, my younger sister,
was the game’s heroine. Stale and Arthur, my adopted brother and my knight, respectively, were
love interests. These characters’ tragedies had all been avoided now. Even Cedric, the final
love interest, had managed to protect his homeland of Hanazuo thanks to
Freesia’s help.
It was time to witness a
historic moment with my own two eyes.
The carriage rolled right
up to the border between Chinensis and Cercis, which was already swarming with
people. Aristocrats,
civilians, and soldiers mingled with beer steins and bottles in hand as they
eagerly awaited the signal. My entourage joined their ranks, staring up at the sight before us.
A border wall separated
the kingdoms of Chinensis and Cercis. King Yohan, the
Chinensian ruler, had constructed the wall to shelter Cercis from the fallout
of the war. Now
that we’d won, the citizens would climb over it or slip through broken
sections. People,
young and old, still climbed the wall even now. They waved from the top,
striking poses with their drinks. It was time to bring the
thing down for good.
Bells chimed throughout
Chinensis. The
toll began with the castle’s bell, then others rang out in answer. At that signal, everyone
around us cheered. The people standing in front of the wall cast aside their drinks and
picked up hammers instead.
When they brought those
hammers down against the wall, the thud of the impacts echoed
from both sides. Each person got a few hits before they passed their hammer off to the
next citizen eager to strike. The endless wall, which
spanned the entire border, began to crumble at the hands of the people
gathering on either side.
The border wall had been
a hasty construction in the first place, so it didn’t take much to open gaping
holes in it. Shouts went up when those on the other side came into view. Everyone picked up the
pace, eager to bring the thing down at last. Chinensians hammered at
the wall from the Cercian side, and Cercians tore it down from the Chinensian
side, everyone working as hard and fast as they could.
“Whenever you’re ready,
King Yohan.”
The king of Chinensis
accepted an ornate hammer from one of his soldiers. He had silky white hair,
golden eyes, and thin-rimmed glasses. Although he stumbled a bit
when he picked up the hammer, apparently surprised by its weight, he quickly
gripped it with both hands. He then turned toward the
wall and raised it over his head. The citizens surrounding
him whooped and hollered, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the king.
A grin spread wide on the
king’s delicate face. Then he brought the hammer down—hard. The heavy impact was
followed by another thud from
the other side. With the wall worn thin, we could hear their cheers. King Yohan couldn’t stop
smiling, even as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
Once he broke through the
wall, the soldiers standing to his back took up hammers of their own and
expanded the hole. The people on the other side were surely doing the same. The brawny soldiers
briskly opened a passageway large enough for people to file through. Everyone cheered each
time someone new breached the wall and came through to the other side.
“First time doing
physical labor in a while, huh, Yohan? You holding up okay?”
King Lance, the ruler of
Cercis, was just as sweaty and ecstatic as his counterpart. He climbed through the
hole to set foot on the Chinensian side of the wall, with Cedric emerging
behind him. King Lance’s golden hair drooped over his shoulders, bangs and all, and
his burning red eyes were bright with glee. I watched from a short
distance away as the two kings exchanged a handshake, which prompted the
civilians to burst into applause.
A road between the two
countries had been opened. King Lance had passed through it into Chinensis, and King Yohan
followed by setting foot into Cercis. Now that the kings had
been reunited, the event was officially over, but the citizens continued to
swing their hammers and tools against the wall, chipping away at anything they
could reach. They cried out for each other to destroy, to break through, to tear
down the wall—jeering and overjoyed.
King Yohan handed me a
hammer. “Would
you care to do the honors, Princess Pride?” he asked, and I bleated
in shock. “Prince
Stale, Princess Tiara, and all the knights are welcome to participate as well.”
He smiled,
but I was still reeling. I’d never expected an invitation to join in on such a symbolic and
important moment for the two countries.
My happiness outweighed
my hesitation, and I looked to Stale and Commander Roderick for approval. With their blessing, I
picked up the hammer and squeezed the handle. It was heavy enough that
I had to drag it rather than carry it, so the citizens of both kingdoms opened
a path for me. I walked through them and braced myself to hoist the hammer aloft and
swing at a weak point. But it was so heavy, I could only get it a few centimeters off the
ground. That wouldn’t do. Not only did I want to
maintain a certain image as Freesia’s crown princess, but I was also desperate
to participate in the ceremonial event. With these desires
fueling me, I yanked the hammer up and swung with all the strength I could
muster.
Clunk! The sound of the impact was a bit disappointing, but I struck my hammer
against the wall and watched a bit of stone tumble to the ground. I didn’t exactly knock a
new hole in the wall, but everyone cheered anyway, warming me to my core.
I tried to raise the
hammer a few more times, but I had no strength left in me. I steeled myself,
determined not to let this stupid hammer defeat me, and suddenly its weight all
but vanished. I turned to find Tiara and Stale helping me lift the hammer. Our pose reminded me of
mochi pounding—something I remembered from my past life—but it did allow the three of us to
get a few full swings in. The impact of each blow let out a healthy clang, and we finally managed
to open up a hole in the wall. Largely thanks to Stale,
that is.
The cheers intensified. I smiled, sweat matting a
few stray hairs to my brow. I
didn’t care. I was too happy that I, as the crown princess, could smash this wall
down like everyone else.
“That wasn’t bad,” Stale
said, “but it’s not enough to represent our Princess Pride.”
With that, he pulled the
hammer from my hands. Tiara and I gaped at him in confusion, but Stale just grinned at us.
“Allow me to display
Princess Pride’s true power… The power of her imperial knights.”
On cue, Captain Alan
stepped up from his post behind me. He seemed a little
surprised, but he smiled and accepted the hammer from Stale nonetheless. The knights around us
roared, and Captain Alan barked for Arthur to take his place at my back. Then he raised the hammer
with one hand, turned to the wall, and swung it down with all his might.
Ka-boom! The explosive strike
cracked in my ears as Captain Alan tore a massive hole in the wall with a
single hit. After a few more swings, the hole grew large enough for a child to pass
through. It
went to show just how capable our dear captain was.
Captain Alan smiled,
waving to the knights and citizens cheering for him, then handed the hammer to
Arthur. Arthur’s
brows climbed high at this unspoken invitation, but Captain Alan slapped him on
the back and sent him stumbling toward the wall. The knights urged him on
with glee. Even
Stale was holding back a smile, so I knew he was enjoying this new development.
Arthur readied himself,
his bewilderment hardening to resolve. He dashed at the wall,
jumped into the air, raised the hammer over his head like a blade, and swung it
down even harder than Captain Alan had.
Ka-boom! The wall shuddered
beneath the thunderous impact. Arthur swung again and
again, opening a giant hole.
The crowd was thrilled. Arthur delivered the
hammer to Captain Callum next. “Here, since Vice Captain
Eric can’t be with us…”
But that was when
Commander Roderick reached in and snatched the hammer away.
Arthur was startled. He and his father,
Commander Roderick, both had silver hair and blue eyes, though the commander
kept his hair far shorter than Arthur’s long ponytail. A murmur ran through the
knights; the commander was not exactly known for his frivolity. Arthur’s jaw dropped; my
eyes went wide.
The commander leveled us
all with a heavy look. “I’m partly to blame for Eric’s injury. I’ll be the one to do
this on his behalf.”
At that, the knights let
out a shout of approval. Their commander almost never participated in any sort of strength
contest. Even
Arthur’s eyes lit up as he watched his father approach the wall.
“The commander of the
royal order’s doing it too!” the knights cried,
attracting attention from everyone nearby. Those busy hammering
stopped to watch. A knight called through the hole in the wall, warning people on the
other side to stay back. By the time the commander stood before the wall, everyone had cleared
away.
Commander Roderick
brandished the hammer without a word before stomping his foot. Then he swung the hammer
down hard. Crrrrack! It slammed the wall with
a rumble so fierce, the earth beneath us may as well have split open. The commander had opened
up a giant hole in the wall—big enough for him to stride through.
The knights cried out with
pure elation, singing the praises of their commander. The people of Hanazuo, on
the other hand, were stunned by the unbelievable display.
People voiced their
amazement on both sides of the wall.
I couldn’t keep a smile
from my face as I took in this absurd display. “Well done, Commander
Roderick… Truly…”
The commander was more
subdued. “Thank
you, but it was nothing,” he said, handing the hammer to Captain Callum. His destructive
capabilities surpassed those of Captain Alan and Arthur, who were already
leagues beyond Hanazuo’s soldiers. I doubted there was
anyone alive who could best the commander’s strength. Hence why no one ever
suspected that his special power was something entirely unrelated: resistance
to slashes from blades. Wait, speaking of special powers…
The loudest explosion yet
shook me to my core. For a moment, I genuinely thought we’d been bombed by the enemy again. I whipped my head around
in time to see another section of wall collapse, this one completely untouched
by Commander Roderick. Fissures spiderwebbed outward from the point of impact and brought the
entire wall down on itself like an avalanche.
“Well, that’s not
surprising for Captain Callum,” Stale said, impressed.
I’d completely forgotten
that Callum’s special power of “super strength” would make him the victor in
this scenario. He’d swung the hammer just once, calculating how much strength to use
and where to concentrate the blow for maximum impact, and using his entire body
to unleash a devastating strike. Even someone with the
same special power would struggle to break the wall down like Captain Callum
had.
The knights were cheering
wildly at this point. The civilians, who knew nothing of Captain Callum’s special power,
joined in with dumbfounded expressions. They must have felt like
they’d just witnessed an illusion as this slender knight destroyed the entire
wall in an instant. I was just relieved that the people on the other side had managed to
evacuate in time—and that Captain Callum was our ally instead of our enemy.
“Of course you figured out how to do
it without breaking the hammer,” Captain Alan remarked, raising a hand.
The other captain
high-fived him. “I wouldn’t dream of hitting it harder than that.”
Captain Alan made it sound
like Captain Callum’s true strength was even more intense than what we’d just
witnessed. Now
there was a scary thought.
Around us, civilians
still exchanged questioning looks and perplexed shrugs. When Captain Callum
politely returned the hammer to a Chinensian soldier, the other knights took
off running toward the remaining sections of wall with newfound determination. It seemed that no knight
could resist a competition of strength. Not that they had any
chance of one-upping the commander without a special power to aid them.
By now, everyone had
resumed dismantling the wall. Our knights were
particularly fired up, which made the whole thing feel even more like a party. I found myself wondering
if the other royal family members and I should leave.
An enthusiastic cry broke
through the din. I turned to find King Lance approaching me, with King Yohan and Cedric
on his heels. Stale and Tiara stepped back to give me some space as I greeted them.
“No, I should be the one
thanking you for letting me come to such a wonderful event,” I replied. “Thank you for treating
me so well.”
King Lance and I had to
strain our ears to hear each other over all the commotion going on around us. The people close to
me—Stale, Tiara, and the two captains—could probably hear us too, but things
were too noisy for the sound to travel farther than that.
“I’m truly pleased that we
were able to form an alliance with the United Hanazuo Kingdom,” I went on. “I hope you’ll pay a
visit to Freesia as well if the opportunity comes about. Mother will be eagerly
awaiting you two.”
The two kings smiled
kindly at me and nodded.
“As the terms of our
alliance dictate, the United Hanazuo Kingdom will commence trade with Freesia
once matters here are completely settled,” King Yohan said. “But please say the word
if there’s anything else we can do for you in the meantime.”
“We’ll be sure to repay
the debt of gratitude we owe Freesia,” King Lance added.
We smiled and thanked
them in return. Even Stale was looking genuinely happy and unguarded. He’d worked a lot with
the two kings while serving as my proxy and come to know them both well.
Cedric stood behind the
kings, peering uncertainly at us. And while the prince
hesitated to speak in front of all the civilians, I could tell he had something
to say. He
was giving me insistent puppy-dog eyes, so I had no choice but to oblige him.
“I look forward to working
with you as well, Cedric,” I said.
The two kings parted to
allow Cedric through. With their permission, he stepped close to me. I waited for whatever he
so desperately wanted to say.
Cedric was King Lance’s
younger brother. This man, with his shoulder-length, fluttering blond hair and fiery
crimson eyes, was a love interest character from Our Ray of Light, also known as “ORL.” He had also managed to
avoid the tragedy the game had intended for him by defending his country
alongside the two kings—his brothers.
“I look forward to
working with you too,” he said.
“Why are you still
hesitating? Say what you want to say,” I prompted.
He bit his lip, eyes
darting around. Clearly he had more on his mind, and I urged him to continue,
accustomed to his reticence by now.
Cedric gulped, then met my
gaze. “Pride…just
for a second, I want you to let me touch you.”
I froze, mouth agape. It was just about the
last thing I would have expected. I realized he must have
been thinking about the promise he made to me when he came to my country to
request military aid—a promise to never touch me again. Thinking back to the three
days of trouble he caused during that time, I almost wanted to reject the
request, but with kings and citizens all around us, I decided I’d grant him
permission.
“How can you say it like
that?!” King
Yohan cried out while I deliberated.
“Cedric, now’s not the
time to act like this!” King
Lance said.
They stuck to verbal
blows, since they couldn’t hit Cedric in front of all the civilians. Yet Stale’s glower was
even more menacing than the kings’ words. Even Tiara took half a
step forward to protect me. I could sense Captain
Callum and Captain Alan behind me preparing for battle. This was turning into a
tense situation.
Cedric ignored his
brothers’ words and reached his hand out toward me. I took it, thinking he
wanted to shake hands…only to be pulled gently toward him. My body tilted forward,
but I didn’t stumble. I merely focused on Cedric’s hands to figure out what was coming next. The prince reached his
other hand out to me, took a step closer, then placed a bright-red ring in my
hand. The
small, solid band sat in my palm. I stepped away from
Cedric to examine it; this was one of the rings Cedric wore regularly, and it
bore a red gem the same color as his eyes. The digit he wore it on was…
Now that I understood the
ring’s meaning, I closed my hand to hide it from the civilians around us. The kings and my siblings
had probably already seen it, but I needed to hide it from anyone else I could.
I looked up
at Cedric, a question in my gaze. Cedric stared right back at
me, firm and unwavering.
“I want you to have it,”
he said. “Right
here and now, I want to make a vow to you, and you alone.”
He wasn’t putting on airs
like before. Sincerity imbued his every word. I could see it in his
eyes, in his expression, and it filled me with hope and joy. I nodded at him as
understanding passed between us. Then I squeezed the ring
and clutched it against my chest.
“I understand,” I said. “I believe you’ll fulfill
that vow, Cedric. I’ll take good care of this ring.”
I looked down at his left
hand, now with one less accessory than usual. I suspected he would leave
that digit vacant—until he fulfilled his vow, at the very least.
Cedric smiled softly,
like a child who’d just had his drawings praised for the very first time. It made my chest tighten. King Lance bowed his head
to me, looking embarrassed. King Yohan smiled awkwardly but placed his hand on Cedric’s back,
revealing his quiet approval. In fact, I was the one
reacting the least subtly, at least among the people around me.
Captain Callum and Captain
Alan had come toward me when Cedric took my hand. Stale, now at my side,
was staring Cedric down suspiciously. As for Tiara…
“You startled me!” she
said. “I
thought you were going to kiss her hair or her lips again!”
Wha—?! Eeeeek! Tiara!
Tiara just
dropped a bomb on this whole conversation!
I went stiff, but Tiara
was beaming at me. Her expression so resembled Stale’s evil smile that Captain Alan,
Captain Callum, and even Stale himself gaped at her in shock. No one was more panicked
than the two kings, however.
I doubted King Lance’s and
King Yohan’s eyes could go any wider as they stared at Tiara. They looked between
Tiara, Cedric, and me, their mouths hanging open. Sensing the precarious
situation looming before him, Cedric recoiled from his brothers’ gazes. He clearly knew he was in
for a scolding.
King Lance grew redder by
the moment. He took a deep breath and grabbed Cedric by the shoulders. “Cedric! Is that true?! What did you do to Princess Pride?!”
“We can’t apologize
enough, Princess Pride!” King
Yohan added. “Cedric still lacks sophistication, but we’ll be sure he takes
responsibility for his actions. I can’t believe he would
kiss a crown princess on the lips!”
King Lance grilled Cedric
while King Yohan bowed to me, but all of this only made me more flustered. The knights and soldiers
around us were starting to take notice. They couldn’t hear our
conversation, but they still moved to shield us from the civilians. Of course, that also meant
none of us could flee this awkward interaction. I had to come up with
something, so I took a step back from the kings to give myself space to think.
“I-It isn’t your
responsibility, Your Majesty,” I said. “My mother hasn’t been
informed of this either. Fortunately, he failed to kiss my li—”
“That’s right!” Tiara
cut in. “Mother
also doesn’t know that he pushed Big Sister up against a tree, yelled at her
very rudely, and made her cry!”
T-T-T-T-Tiara?! Is she
angry?! Yes,
she’s definitely upset!
She’d exposed more of
Cedric’s wrongdoings with the same wicked grin on her face. When I shot her a look,
silently begging her to stop, she puffed out her cheeks and declared, “I
haven’t forgiven him yet!” Then she hid behind Stale’s back. It dawned on me that Tiara
must have seen everything back when she rescued me with her knives.
Stale was holding back
laughter now. He turned and covered his mouth as his body shook. With rising dread, I
turned back to the two outraged kings. They were both completely
lost for words. In their eyes, I must have just gone from “person annoyed by Cedric” to
“Cedric’s victim.” As they speechlessly awaited confirmation of their worst fears, I
resigned myself to my fate and gave them a nod. The kings turned pale as
ghosts.
Whomp! King Lance whacked Cedric in the head with a sound not unlike the
hammers striking the wall. Cedric grunted in pain but didn’t attempt to defend himself.
“Your Highness, you have
our sincerest apologies!” King Yohan hastened to say. “We had no idea Cedric had
done something so unthinkable…”
“How can you do such a
thing to a woman?!” King
Lance shouted. “To royalty…and the crown princess at that?! You were there to ask her
for an alliance, yet you went and… Wait, no, it’s unthinkable to lay a hand on any woman! It brings shame upon you as a member of the royal family! Just what did you even do
in Freesia?”
With King Lance smacking
Cedric and King Yohan desperately apologizing to me, I was worried that the
three of them might actually get on the ground and grovel for my forgiveness. King Lance was already
grasping Cedric by the head.
“Princess Pride, Prince
Stale, Princess Tiara!” he said. “You have my heartfelt
apology for the trouble this country and Cedric have caused you! There can be no excuse
for allowing my idiotic brother to go without punishment! Please accept my
kingdom’s regret!”
Before I knew it,
Hanazuo’s debts to us had ballooned once again. When King Lance and King
Yohan bowed to me—the former pushing Cedric’s head down as he did—I implored
them to stop. I can’t have the kings bowing to me at a historic
event for their country!
Cedric seemed to feel
guilty that they were apologizing on his behalf. With King Lance still
gripping his messy hair, demanding he apologize, Cedric bent at the waist and
said, “I’m very sorry for what I did…” And he’d done it without a single
complaint, even if King Lance was pushing him into that bow by force.
“You better not join the
dance tonight either, Cedric!” King Lance said.
“I think that would be best…”
King Yohan agreed. I understood why they’d be reluctant for me or Tiara to be in that kind
of environment with Cedric, so I didn’t say anything.
Bewildered, Cedric cried,
“What?!” He
slumped a moment later, accepting the punishment. As much as he deserved
it, I felt a bit sad that he had to miss out on the celebratory event. Still, I was very glad
the three royals wouldn’t be dropping to their hands and knees this time
around.
“We should probably get
back to the castle,” Stale said. He sounded rather
relieved; perhaps he wanted to avoid the kings and Cedric bowing to him as
well.
“Very well,” King Lance said.
“I’m sorry
to ask this of you after Cedric has disgraced himself, but we hope you’ll join
us for the next event.”
“We’ll also be sure that
he never does something like that again,” King Yohan added.
I dipped my head. “I look forward to it.” Yet my heart was suddenly
heavy. It
felt like a rift had opened between us, though I dearly hoped that was just my
imagination. Being put on a pedestal by the two kings despite being a foreign
princess didn’t sit well with me.
The dance they’d
mentioned was the only event left among the victory celebrations. As we headed to our
carriage, I prayed we might end the night on a high note.
“I’m really nervous about
dancing with His Majesties, but I can hardly wait!” Tiara said, clinging to my
arm.
Evidently, her mood had
entirely recovered after that awkward encounter. I smiled and agreed with
her, then glanced behind me. The civilians and knights
were still working to tear down the wall. Peering past my knights,
I saw that most of the structure had been reduced to a heap of rubble. Eventually, only a single
section of the border wall would remain. The kingdom planned to
turn that into a memorial, then start work on a public institution to bind
Cercis and Chinensis together. It would stand as a symbol
that no wall would ever separate these countries again.
As they undertook the
work of clearing a site for construction, the people of Hanazuo laughed and
embraced, heedless of nationality, status, or prior conflict. They looked truly,
sincerely happy, and I couldn’t help smiling to myself. Hopefully, everyone could
share in this kind of joy someday.
This country has become
much more open than it was just yesterday.
A gust of wind tousled our
hair as we left the wall behind. It felt like the very
kingdom was sighing in relief.
Elegant music wafted
through the ballroom. A conductor led a live orchestra as guests clad in ceremonial outfits
and flowing dresses drifted into the room. Many held glasses. Pleasant conversation
hummed beneath the music. Inside the castle, a place largely off-limits to commoners, the final
event of the night was about to begin.
Generally, no one was
permitted to dance with royalty at a formal event in the United Hanazuo Kingdom
unless they were betrothed. In this closed-off
country, no one had danced with foreign royalty in more than a century. The previous rulers of
both Chinensis and Cercis had only borne sons, so they hadn’t believed an
opportunity like tonight would come around until a new crown princess or future
queen came into the picture.
But now here we were—the
firstborn and second-born princesses of an allied kingdom. The “sudden” cancellation
of Cedric’s dance disappointed all the young ladies who’d been looking forward
to it, but the people of Hanazuo were still pleased to see their kings dance in
public for the first time.
The orchestra struck up a
new song. Guests
crowded the marble floor to cheer and applaud as the two kings led Tiara and me
into the hall. I caught people sighing at the sight of our entrance. Tiara and I had dressed
like royalty from Hanazuo rather than Freesia for this. For me, that meant a dress
from Chinensis, a country where I’d resided for days. White lace and gemstones
adorned my dress in true Chinensian style. Tiara wore fine garb from
Cercis, the country we’d allied with first. Her light-pink ensemble
was threaded with gold from head to toe. Even Stale took part,
wearing the traditional, elegant white of Chinensis. I felt him watching over
us as we entered with the kings, just as I felt the eyes of every last man and
woman in the room.
Before we began, King
Yohan took my hand. King
Lance took Tiara’s. Together, we bowed to the spectators. Then we took our first
steps in time with the music. Tiara and I were only
princesses compared to the kings of this country, but I hoped that just for a
moment, we offered those eager spectators a picture of perfection.
I’m so glad I can
actually do this.
A weight lifted off my
shoulders as King Yohan slowly took me through the steps of the dance. My leg had only fully
healed that morning, which meant I hadn’t gotten to practice more than a couple
of times. Fortunately,
His Majesty took the lead with poise and grace. I snuck a look at the
crowd and caught a few familiar faces—Commander Roderick, the knight captains,
Hanazuo’s nobles, Stale, and Cedric—all with their eyes fixed on us.
“Princess Pride, I truly
don’t know what to say in this moment,” King Yohan whispered as we swayed along
with the music. He was probably still thinking about Cedric’s misdeeds.
“No need to worry, Your
Majesty.”
At my reassurance, a
small smile flickered on his lips. “It’s not just Cedric, of
course. If
it weren’t for… Well, if you weren’t the princess of Freesia, I don’t think
this miracle would have occurred.”
He guided me into a twirl. My neatly styled hair
fanned out as I spun.
“Lance wanted to bring
Cedric back,” he said. “He knew Cedric lacked the right sort of education for the job, but I
stopped him. I wanted to support Cedric in breaking out of his shell, no matter how
it happened. For Lance’s sake, he made that shell his home, his prison, ever since
he started being called ‘God’s Child.’”
King Yohan’s white hair
fluttered around his delicate features. He was a bit shorter than
King Lance and Cedric, but he was still a handsome man and taller than both
Tiara and me.
“And yet, for some
reason, I got my hopes too high. I clung to the idea that
‘God’s Child’ could provide an impossible miracle. It was cruel of me to
foist that on Cedric after all those years I’d spent watching over him.”
The king’s face fell as
the shadow of some unpleasant memory emerged. I didn’t know how to
respond, and I certainly didn’t want to pry, so I let him continue once he was
ready.
“Cedric is just a person. If anyone has held him
back all these years, it’s the two of us. Although I don’t think
Lance has realized that yet.” He glanced at King Lance,
who was dancing with Tiara. “I don’t want you to hold
back your criticism of Cedric… I just hope you’ll include us in that criticism
as well.”
My heart ached at this
earnest plea and the emotion shimmering in his golden eyes. “I understand,” I said
quietly and watched some of the pain drain away. King Yohan thanked me and
guided me into a turn.
“Princess Pride Royal Ivy,
it’s almost like you’re the miracle we begged God to send us.”
He squeezed my hand ever
so slightly, even as we extended outward at the apex of the turn.
“The United Hanazuo
Kingdom lives on! We can continue praying to God just like we always have! In any other
circumstances, it wouldn’t have ended like this.”
Exhilaration made his
voice huskier than usual. He pulled me close until I was a hair’s breadth from his beautiful
face.
“I want to apologize and
offer you my heartfelt gratitude once again,” he said. “I’ll pray for your
happiness hundreds, thousands, millions of times.”
His delicate smile was
all I could see. My heart skipped a beat as my face flushed hot, as though I’d been
basking in sunbeams.
The music wound down. We bowed to each other,
then to the audience, and changed partners. Tiara took King Yohan’s
hand while I placed my hand in King Lance’s.
Unlike King Yohan, King
Lance was very tall—even taller than Cedric. He placed a hand on my
hip, just as he had with Tiara, to guide me through the steps. But his dancing was a bit
stiffer than King Yohan’s. I felt his nerves in every movement. We danced with careful
steps, our tension gradually ebbing away. Just when it seemed like
we’d found a rhythm, King Lance offered me an apology.
“Pardon my bringing it up
again, Princess Pride…but I’m extremely sorry for what Cedric did.”
I was about to reject it,
but King Yohan’s words were still ringing in my head, so I kept quiet.
“I’ve looked after Cedric
since I was eight years old. It’s my fault that he
turned out the way he did.”
We turned through a gentle
spin. He
supported me, keeping my body stable as my clothes and hair fanned out.
“Whatever his excuses, it
doesn’t change his offenses against you. The more I learn, the
more I question why you came here in the first place.”
We twirled across the
dance floor, swapping places with King Yohan and Tiara.
“Cedric will atone for
what he’s done, of course, but I promise to do the same. To be honest, Yohan and I
can hardly look you or any other Freesian in the eye.”
Shock spurred me to
respond at last. “Please don’t feel that way! I’ve only come here as my
mother’s proxy. There’s no reason for Your Majesties to be ashamed…”
He went on leading me
through the dance, even as I refused his apologies. “Had I been on my own, I
never would’ve been able to protect the country, the people, my friend, or my
little brother,” he said. “I’m too ordinary for something like that.”
I could all but see the
cloud hanging over him. My hand slipped from King Lance’s, but he pulled me back in a moment
later and continued the dance.
“It’s a big world out
there, but I never thought someone like you could exist in it.”
With our hands clasped,
we stepped apart before drawing back in toward each other. His hand was stiff
against my waist.
“Beautiful, noble, and
capable of anything. I’ll never forget you for as long as I live. I daresay I understand
what drove Cedric into such a state.”
The musical number
reached its climax, picking up the tempo for the finale. I couldn’t ask His Majesty
what he meant with all my focus devoted to keeping up with the song.
“You’re the person who
changed Cedric.”
Following the
choreography, King Lance twirled me around, then dropped me into a low dip
while supporting my waist. As the crowd cheered, His Majesty slowly helped me back up.
“I’m jealous of Freesia,” he said. “Someday, they’ll get to have such an incredible queen.”
My face
heated. This was
the greatest praise I could receive from a reigning king. “That’s not—”
Before I could finish, he
held my arms and twirled me around and around in circles. “I’ll make sure you’re
repaid for everything…even if I can’t manage it under my rule.”
The music slowed as King
Lance’s words intensified. We stopped, bowing to each other while the music petered out. Then we bowed to the
audience too. As the guests applauded, King Lance took my hand and led me out of the
ballroom. I
squeezed his hand while the applause washed over us.
King Lance’s grip tightened. I waved to the cheering
crowd, both of us keeping our smiles fixed in place, though I could feel his
attention shifting entirely to me. I didn’t know much about
King Lance from the game’s story; Cedric never described him in detail. But from what I could see
here and now, he was a fine and kindhearted king.
“Your Majesty, you mean so
much to Cedric and King Yohan. If you didn’t…I don’t
think any of us would be here right now.”
Even with the tiny bit of
help Cedric had secured from other countries, it was King Lance’s belief and
hope in the outside world that had produced the United Hanazuo Kingdom we stood
in today. The
two kings—the men Cedric called his brothers—taught him to believe in a world
that was bigger than his immediate circumstances. Ultimately, though, it
came down to King Lance. His optimism and belief shone through in his brothers’ every word and
deed.
“Please don’t belittle
yourself with such descriptions as ‘ordinary,’” I told him. “You’re so incredibly
special. You’re a
wonderful king.”
I may have been smiling
for our audience, but my words were only for him.
“What I want most from
you, Your Majesty, is for you to keep being the wonderful king you’ve always
been. That’s
all I could ever need.”
That was what would lead
to the prosperity of both Freesia and the United Hanazuo Kingdom, and I
couldn’t ask for more. Sure in my convictions, I smiled over at him. King Lance faced me, his
eyes wide with surprise.
“Your future husband is
sure to be the happiest man in the world,” he murmured, expression softening. He chuckled, and suddenly
he reminded me so much of Cedric.
We exited the ballroom,
but just before he released my hand, King Lance pressed a kiss to the back of
it in a gesture of respect. A cheer broke out from
the spectators—we’d left the hall, but they could still see us quite clearly. I stiffened, unsure how
to react to a kiss from a king. I tried to stay calm, but
embarrassment sent my eyes darting around until I spotted Stale, Cedric, and
all the others applauding us as well. Cedric was the only one
blushing and rubbing his eyes. I wondered if he was
embarrassed to see his brother kiss someone or if he was still upset about
being barred from dancing.
“Elder Sister, Your
Majesties, and Tiara, your dance was spectacular,” Stale said as he approached.
Captain Alan and Captain
Callum joined him. I thanked each of them in turn.
Tiara beamed proudly and
grabbed my and Stale’s hands. “It was so wonderful!” she said, and I
wholeheartedly agreed.
Cedric eventually joined
us, albeit slower than the others. His face wasn’t as red as
when I’d glimpsed it from afar. His fiery eyes, however,
blazed in a different way than usual. He exchanged a quick word
with us, as Stale had, then glared at the two kings.
“Bro, Big Bro—you didn’t
stop talking about me…”
The kings were both
struck by his sulky murmurings, and they cried out in tandem:
Now that I thought about
it, I seemed to recall Cedric being an adept lip-reader in ORL. The kings exchanged a
look, silently quizzing each other about what they’d said during the dance. Poor Cedric must have
been so embarrassed, having his two older brothers apologize to me on his
behalf. Even
so, I didn’t see what could be so upsetting that it would leave him on the
verge of tears.
“If I watch people’s
lips, I can make out most of what they’re saying,” Cedric admitted.
It wasn’t just the two
kings who balked this time—everyone
was floored by that. Evidently, Cedric was still hiding his capabilities. The kings pressed him for
more detail, but Cedric averted his eyes and acted like he couldn’t hear them. Finally, he locked eyes
with me and bent into a deep bow.
His deep voice was like
an arrow straight to my chest. I didn’t know what he was
thanking me for, but I knew he was grateful for something in his own way, so I
quietly acknowledged him.
Cedric slowly lifted his
head. He
looked like he was going to cry again, but he managed to hold the tears back. In such a short time,
he’d already grown so much.
The day after the victory
banquet, we prepared to return home to Freesia. We’d had to linger here
five days longer than anticipated due to my injury. When it was finally time to
go, the United Hanazuo Kingdom’s entire royal family came to the border gate to
see us off. King Lance, King Yohan, and Cedric were only some of the important
people who showed up to bid us farewell.
“Thank you for allowing
us to stay here all this time,” I said. “I look forward to our
next meeting as allies.”
“No, we and the people of
Hanazuo should be thanking you. We will never be able to
repay you,” King Lance replied.
“We’ll be sure to pay a
visit to Freesia in the near future,” King Yohan said. “The same goes for the
kingdom of Anemone, since they rushed here to help us.”
The two kings smiled fondly. They shook my hand, then
exchanged handshakes with Stale and Tiara, who stood at my sides. Even the knights around
us dismounted to receive praise from the kings during their farewell remarks.
I wasn’t the only one
who’d needed to rest and recover after the war. Most of the knights
around us had been treated for their injuries at the same time. Now even the most heavily
wounded men, including Vice Captain Eric, could make the journey home, even if
it meant leaning on another knight for support.
Stale, Tiara, and I would
teleport home once we finished saying goodbye, taking the four imperial knights
with us. Vice
Captain Eric would probably need to get more rest once he returned to Freesia,
and Stale had convinced Mother that he should travel back with our group
instead of enduring an arduous journey.
We wanted to teleport all the knights back to Freesia—or at least all the men who were
injured—but such a massive amount of teleportation was impossible. Teleporting the troops to
their respective homelands and regions could expose them to spies or emissaries
looking for information on the state of the Freesian royal order. We had to avoid cluing
anyone else in on Stale’s special power. A member of the royal
family could disappear from the convoy, since we would normally be inside a
carriage anyway, but injured men or swaths of knights would raise questions. That said, I still didn’t
know why Mother ordered us to teleport home before anyone else.
By now, the kings had
moved on to shaking hands with our officials.
“We’ll never forget what
you’ve done for us,” King Lance said to Commander Roderick. “You’re all wonderful,
powerful knights.”
“It’s an honor,”
Commander Roderick replied.
“You’ve been a brilliant
leader,” King Yohan told Prime Minister Gilbert. “Your talents are what
saved the United Hanazuo Kingdom.”
“You exaggerate,” the
prime minister said.
After that, it was time
to say goodbye to Cedric, the second-born prince of Cercis. His left thumb was still
without adornment—but it wasn’t just that one finger. He wore fewer decorative
accessories than usual today. Maybe that was simply
because he usually had so many of them.
I reached out to the
meek-looking Cedric. He took my hand and gently squeezed it in both of his hands. His fiery eyes blazed
brighter than ever with all the words he meant to say.
“Take care, Cedric,” I
said, smiling. “Be sure to listen to what the kings tell you.”
“Right,” he replied simply. He refused to fake a
smile, his expressions always sincere.
After our handshake, he
studied my face before leaning down to kiss the back of my hand. His golden hair brushed
against my arm as he lowered his head, and heat crawled up my neck at his close
proximity. His
eyes never wavered, fixed firmly on me. Unlike the way he’d
kissed my hand when we first met, he pressed his lips firmly against my skin
this time.
I was certain he’d gotten
permission this time around. This was a show of
respect, and it was clear he wanted it to come across this way. Wait. I’d been distracted by the
kiss, but it hit me that this was lasting quite a while. It can’t be…
That noise slipped out of
my mouth unbidden, but I was too confused to contain it. I looked to either side
and found Stale and Tiara just as shocked as I was. After a few seconds,
Cedric finally withdrew.
This wasn’t a mere show
of respect. It was a vow of respect. With this kiss, Cedric
was telling me that I was someone he would spend his whole life respecting and
admiring. The
prince’s intentions left me lost for words. When we first met, he’d
kiss me without rhyme or reason, but this was so deliberate, so intentional. He understood the weight
and the meaning of this kiss, going so far as to turn it into a vow.
Cedric’s smile was no
longer brimming with confidence. When he brought his head
back up, he frowned, searching my eyes for atonement. His handsome, masculine
features rendered this a heavier blow to my heart than if he’d been cool and
calm instead.
“I promise you…the next
time we meet, I will be a different person,” he said.
His usually casual tone
had suddenly turned serious. It was like he was trying
to fix the terrible first impression he’d left on me. I stiffened, trying to
hold back my bewilderment, but that just left me frozen instead. When he released my hand,
it flopped down to my side. It was like I couldn’t
even control my own body.
He murmured something to
himself, but his words grew too faint for me to make out. I wanted to ask him to
repeat himself, but I dared not in the face of that disappointed, melancholic
smile.
“But that isn’t something
that’s allowed of me. Not
now, at least.”
He put his hand to his
heart and bowed deeply one last time with the elegance of a true prince. All I could do was stare
and hope he elaborated, but he held his silence. His expression was stern
and mature; I couldn’t read it, just like when he’d given me his ring last
night. I
automatically clutched at the ring, now tucked away in my breast pocket. That ring had changed my
opinion of him, but this kiss was on another level. I couldn’t see him as
anything but earnest now.
Cedric moved down the
line to shake hands with Tiara. She looked at him a bit
suspiciously, but this was a farewell between our two countries, and she knew
that as well as anyone. Tiara hesitantly reached out to Cedric. The pair exchanged a
terse handshake, and Cedric kissed the back of her hand as a show of respect. This time, he quickly
removed his lips. Tiara
let out a “Hmph!” and looked
away. But
just before she could pull her hand out of Cedric’s grasp, Cedric reached up
with his opposite hand, clasping hers in both of his. A metallic rattle reached
my ears. Tiara
went wide-eyed in shock, her crystalline eyes meeting Cedric’s fiery gaze.
I couldn’t see the
prince’s expression behind his long hair as he bent close to Tiara’s ear. I leaned in a little, the
only person close enough to make out what he was saying.
I froze, hardly daring to
breathe. My
eyes were locked on Cedric’s face, and heat flushed through my whole body. My brain was boiling; I
hadn’t felt so dizzy since that time Leon kissed my cheek. Arthur and Captain Callum
called out to me from behind, concerned. Sure enough, they hadn’t
heard what Cedric said. I pressed my lips tightly together, ignoring the sweat building on my
back.
Cedric slowly pulled away
from Tiara and bowed his head to her, the same as he’d done with me. Then he said goodbye to
Stale, Prime Minister Gilbert, and Commander Roderick as if nothing unusual
whatsoever had occurred.
Tiara was frozen in place,
just like me. Her hand remained extended where Cedric had clasped it. She clenched it into a
fist, her pale skin bright red.
King Lance noticed the
two of us blushing once Cedric finished his farewells. “Cedric! Don’t tell me you did
something rude again!”
King Yohan eyed Tiara and
me with worry. When Stale also peered over at us, I explained that Cedric hadn’t done
anything out of line. But all Tiara could do was sputter out, “N-no, nothing…”
Even Cedric was blushing
as he explained to the kings that he’d merely touched our hands.
Fortunately, Stale and
Prime Minister Gilbert had their wits about them and could move things along. Stale reached for Tiara and
me, followed by Arthur and Captain Callum. It was time to go home.
“U-until next time… I
look forward to seeing you all again,” I managed. “Commander Roderick,
Prime Minister Gilbert, and all our knights… We’ll be waiting for you in
Freesia.”
My face was still red and
sweaty as I smiled at everyone. They bowed and smiled back. Then the world around us
blurred away.
We were back inside our
familiar Freesian castle.
It took me a moment to
process the fact that we’d teleported. The moment I did, I sank
down to the floor, completely exhausted. Tiara joined me, sitting
down and leaning against me. Arthur and Captain Callum
studied us with fretful looks. Stale had already
vanished to retrieve the others, and a moment later, he reappeared with Captain
Alan and Vice Captain Eric.
A flurry of activity
broke out right after we arrived. Stale had dropped us off
at the castle’s entrance, so we were greeted by a rush of familiar guards and
maids. Stale
and the knights kept them at bay despite their desire to fuss over us. All Tiara and I could do
was stare at each other’s red faces.
Once Tiara finally
snapped out of her shock, she said, “Look, Big Sister…”
She carefully opened her
hand so I could see what lay inside—the item Cedric had passed to her. If I’d calmed down at
all, the sight of that object sent heat washing right back through me. Cedric’s words replayed
in my head, still clear as day.
“I promise to become a
man worthy of you.”
His voice was deep and
striking, with an undeniable sensuality under the smooth surface. Just recalling it sent a
shiver through me.
“Knowledge, skills,
sophistication. I
promise to have them all.”
That voice contained
unwavering determination. I knew how strong-willed Cedric could be. It was why he had given me
that ring last night.
“I want to spend the rest
of my life with you.”
The moment Tiara heard
those words, she glanced at me for just a second. It was as if she doubted
his intentions, as if she thought Cedric was joking. But then, at the very
end, he said this:
“Tiara Royal Ivy… You
have stolen my heart.”
When Tiara showed me what
was in her hand, I took out the ring I received from Cedric and showed it to
her. It was
the ring from his left thumb and therefore symbolized “representation of power”
and “persisting faith.” The left thumb, in particular, held the meaning of “overcoming
obstacles” and “displaying power.” Wearing a ring on that
digit usually meant a desire for these things. Thus, Cedric gave me that ring to show me he was
done wishing and was prepared to achieve those desires on his own. It was a vow.
But instead of a ring,
Cedric had given Tiara…one of his earrings.
It was the one he always
wore. I’d
thought that Cedric seemed less accessorized than normal, and now I realized
his right earring had been missing when he leaned in to whisper to Tiara.
When a man wore one
earring on his left ear, it was a vow to protect the woman he loved. Gifting one earring to a
woman, when the man was wearing two, was an expression of love for her. Cedric had conveyed all
of his feelings in that one gift to Tiara, and I knew he would work hard to
live up to that wish—the proof of that was in the ring he gave me.
This was no half-hearted
whim. He
was so determined, it was almost frightening. In the game, it took him
less than a year to develop into a fine representative of the crown. How much more would he
grow in this new reality?
Tiara faltered, like her
words couldn’t keep up with her racing heart. Her face was still flush,
her eyes darting all over the place. Her lips trembled, and
she clutched her hands to her chest. Squeezing the ring
tightly in her fist, she finally managed to form a sentence.
The golden eyes set in her
beet-red face clouded with tears as her tiny fists trembled with anger.
That’s the last thing I
expected! Where in
the world did this come from?!
Chapter
2:
Something Only He Knows
“I SEE. It sounds like the
reports from the communication specialists were generally accurate. Isn’t that right, Pride?”
As the queen of Freesia,
I’d invited my children to report to me in my throne room once they returned
from the United Hanazuo Kingdom. I was eager to see them
again—as was Albert, my husband and the prince consort, and Vest, my seneschal.
They joined
me for this long-awaited reunion. I gazed at Pride, Tiara,
and Stale, who stood in a line before me, as I listened to the information Vest
was sharing.
My children reported on
the events that transpired in Hanazuo, and I informed them of the peace
agreement we’d established with the Rajah Empire. Pride and the others
breathed sighs of relief when they heard that Rajah appeared cooperative and
hadn’t started any disputes.
“Pride, Tiara, and
Stale…you’ve done well,” I said. “We’ve managed to craft a
splendid relationship with the United Hanazuo Kingdom, and I’m sure they will
be able to maintain peace now.”
All three offered tense
bows in return. They thanked me for allowing them to travel to Hanazuo in the first
place. Now
that both sides had completed their reports, the room fell silent. The guards and soldiers
didn’t risk letting out a single cough, and the prince and princesses couldn’t
leave without my permission. They stood up straighter,
their mouths and shoulders rigid.
“There’s something
important I’d like to talk about,” I said.
I smiled, glancing to
Vest at my side. He understood immediately and waved for the guards to leave. The imperial knights
accompanying the royal children also left with a bow. An order to clear the
room meant that all outsiders had to leave. I meant to discuss
something that not even the guards could overhear.
Pride was particularly stiff.
I knew she
was wondering if I’d demanded such privacy because something had happened with
Rajah. Vest
certainly hadn’t looked happy when he discussed the agreement, and my eldest
daughter was shrewd enough to pick up on that, especially when Vest had called
the arrangement a “cooperative effort.” She gulped and clutched
at her chest while she waited for me to speak.
Pride squeaked in surprise
when I broke the silence at last. She’d expected me to start this
conversation, since I’d been the one to clear the room; I’d confounded her by
asking. That,
plus my tone had changed entirely now that we were alone.
“I’m asking you how your
injury recovered so quickly, Pride,” I explained. “Maybe it wasn’t as severe
as I feared, but Hanazuo allowed you to stay and rest until it fully healed. That’s why your return
was delayed, right?”
Some of my earlier
composure fell away as I grilled my daughter. This was the real me, the
Rosa very few people saw. It was how I addressed my children when I was more their mother than
their queen.
Pride’s face was frozen
in a half smile. Clearly she was beginning to see just how worried I’d been. I never had found out how grave Pride’s injury was. Perhaps I should have
kept Captains Alan and Callum in the room to explain.
“Yes, of course. Thank you for your concern,” Pride said, trying to look calm in front
of her siblings.
Yet it was Stale and
Tiara who stepped up to tell me that Pride had been healthy enough to dance at
the victory banquet. My sigh of relief came in tandem with ones from Albert and Vest. Some of the tension
washed out of me, and I allowed myself to relax in a way I never would in
public.
“I’m glad to hear it. You went through a lot,
didn’t you, Pride?”
“Not at all, Mother. It
was nothing. As I informed you earlier, I was only injured because of my own
haste—my own carelessness. I hope you’ll reward Captain Alan Berners and Captain Callum Bordeaux
generously for saving my life.”
My sweet daughter. She had so much concern for the fate of her imperial knights. She held her head high and
took a step forward, determined to make their commendable service known.
Tiara strode up beside her. “Big Sister is right! She was saved by the
captains!”
She kept her voice
assertive but not too loud. Tiara had been red-faced
and immobilized for a while when she returned—because of Prince Cedric of
Cercis, though I didn’t know it then—but she’d insisted on joining her sister
in the throne room to make this report to me. Stale and Pride could
have handled the task alone, but I got the impression Tiara was just as
determined as Pride to laud these captains.
“I’d like to request the
same, Mother,” Stale chimed in. “Captain Callum and
Captain Alan are brilliant, reliable knights. As my elder sister’s
steward, I’ve concluded that their help is necessary in keeping her out of
danger from here on out.”
He went on to say that
Prime Minister Gilbert and Commander Roderick had both concluded that the two
knights displayed flawless judgment and execution. It seemed Stale’s mind was
made up when it came to Pride’s safety. These two captains were
accomplished, respected, and reliable knights—knights trusted by Arthur as
well, as he told it.
Their sudden plea
startled the three of us. There was no precedent for three members of the royal family to defend
their knights so vociferously. I had to put up a hand to
stop my children as they went on praising the captains and their performance. All three instantly fell
silent, staring at me with eager eyes. It was all I could do not
to sigh.
“I understand how you
feel,” I told them. “I’ll decide what to do with them after consulting with the commander. I promise to take your
opinions into consideration and come to a proper solution. Now, you must be exhausted,
no? Go and get some
rest.”
They bowed deeply before
they exited, clearly hoping I would do as they’d asked. The door closed behind
them, leaving only myself and my two closest advisors and confidants. No sooner had it clicked
shut than I brought my hands to my forehead and slumped over.
“Calling her injury
‘nothing’… What am I to do with her?!” I groaned.
“Always putting others
before herself. She’s really come to take after you, Rosa,” Albert said.
“You’re the one who can
never stop himself from worrying about others, Albert…”
Albert rested a comforting
hand on my shoulder when I kicked at my throne. Vest pinched the bridge
of his nose, shoulders hunching.
My beloved children had
finally returned. For the past week, I’d been determined to share in their fear and pain
from their first experience on a battlefield. But when Pride described
her injury as “nothing” and completely pivoted the topic to her knights, it
crushed me. Beside me, Vest quietly emanated sympathy.
“What a coincidence,
running into a group of Freesians in a place like this.”
It was two days after I’d
led my knights out of Hanazuo on the journey home to Freesia. That was when we encountered them.
My troops halted. A grand carriage blocked our path. My mouth went sour when
someone emerged from the vehicle.
“We paid Freesia a formal
visit just the other day, Commander Roderick,” the man told me.
I had a pretty good idea
who I was dealing with just by the way the man smiled and carried himself. I could at least guess
who’d try to sweep in and visit Freesia while I was away. It was the whole reason
I’d left Clark and about half my men behind.
“Ah, pardon my rudeness,”
the man from the carriage said. “I am Adam Borneo
Nepenthes, crown prince of the Rajah Empire. I signed a peace treaty
with Freesia during my visit.”
I reciprocated the man’s
unpleasant smile and offered my name and title. And though the crown
prince had “apologized,” I was unsure why he would lie in wait for us as he
had. This was no
coincidence. It couldn’t be. He was blocking a one-way
road—a road connecting Freesia to the United Hanazuo Kingdom, a road we had to travel down to get home.
Earlier, a communication
specialist had told me that the Rajah party left Freesia the same day they
arrived for their meeting. That should have put them much farther ahead on this road.
“So you’re the famous commander I’ve
heard so much about? Goodness
me. I’ll
bet you’ve been blessed with a brilliant special power too, haven’t you?”
Prince Adam’s insincere
smile twitched. My skin crawled from the hostility behind his expression. I braced myself, and my
knights did the same, though we all tried to be at least a little subtle about
it.
“It’s such an honor to
meet you,” he went on. “By the way, who do you have there in that carriage? If members of the royal
family are inside, I would certainly like to greet them.”
I kept my own expression
steady beneath his superficial grin. Pride and the others had
teleported home, but I wasn’t about to disclose that to him.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot
oblige that request,” I replied.
The prince’s brow
wrinkled in his first show of consternation since this encounter began. “And you…insist? As the crown prince, I ask
that you at least tell me who’s inside.”
“Apologies, again. As a matter of safety, I cannot allow anyone to approach until we make
it to our destination.”
Prince Adam’s mouth
quirked, the man no doubt suppressing some scowl or click of the tongue. “That’s too bad,” he
said, putting out his hand for a handshake—a gesture of goodwill. “There’s really nothing you can do? I’d really like to see
the firstborn or second-born princess for myself, as proof of our new treaty. But that really isn’t
allowed, even when they’re so close by? It seems the wall around
Freesia is a tall, unyielding thing.”
I kept calm, despite his
thinly veiled criticism. “You have my apologies,” I repeated, and just as I was about to take
Prince Adam’s hand…
A steady, male voice came
from the carriage. I spun to find the doors opening. Prince Adam’s eyes went
wide as he looked past me and spotted the unexpected occupant of the carriage. He’d expected the
princesses, but instead he saw a man with light-blue hair.
“Prime Minister, are you
sure about this?” I asked.
“I
am. I
wouldn’t want anyone thinking Princess Pride or the royal family were being
discourteous.”
Prime Minister Gilbert
smiled at me and approached, his own guard following close behind. He ignored the crown
prince’s unpleasant smile and stuck out his hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet
you, Prince Adam. My name is Gilbert Butler, and I am the prime minister of Freesia.”
“Well, isn’t this a surprise?
Her Majesty
informed me that the princesses were away in the United Hanazuo Kingdom.”
Prince Adam’s smile was
forced when he shook the prime minister’s hand. It seemed he was holding
back quite a lot, his hatred simmering just under the surface. But if anyone was a match
for him, it was Prime Minister Gilbert, who could meet his razor-sharp smile
with one just as deadly.
“That’s right,” the prime
minister said, pointing at the next carriage down in the line. “The truth is that the
members of the royal family are taking a different path to Freesia. I’m sure Her Highness is currently traveling a much safer road as we
speak.”
Twitch, twitch. Prince Adam’s eyebrows
spasmed as he realized he was dealing with a decoy. I was certain he took
that as some form of mockery, but he stuffed it down and merely said, “I see.”
“We’ve also just learned
of the peace treaty with the Rajah Empire. It’s truly a blessing. But please keep the royal
family’s separate route a secret. I only shared that with
you because of our peaceful new relationship. If you have doubts, then
by all means, take a look inside the carriage.”
Prince Adam maintained
his smile but glared at Prime Minister Gilbert as me and the knights moved
aside to let him pass. Clearly, he’d taken the measure of the prime minister and correctly
identified him as the biggest threat here.
“My, oh my,” the prince said.
“Forgive me, then. Please be safe on your way
home. You’d
best hurry before your horses get too tired.” His smile growing even
wider, Prince Adam signaled for his own carriage to move out of the way. That cleared our path at
last, allowing us to continue our journey.
Prime Minister Gilbert
shook Prince Adam’s hand one more time. Meanwhile, I signaled for
the knights to hurry past Rajah’s carriage.
The prime minister freed
himself from the handshake and made to return to his own carriage. He then paused to add,
“Prince Adam, I hope to continue our good relationship in the future. Princess Pride also
desires peace between—”
“What?!”
All of
Prince Adam’s prim manners dissolved as he cried out in surprise, cutting the
prime minister off mid-sentence.
Prime Minister Gilbert
furrowed his brow in confusion. “Is something wrong?” he asked, but the prince
simply gaped up at him like he’d heard something unbelievable.
“Are you out of your mind?” Prince Adam wasn’t
smiling anymore, even as our prime minister maintained his composure.
“Of course not,” Prime
Minister Gilbert said. “Everyone in my country wishes for peace with the Rajah Empire.” He kept up the diplomatic
tone, but I could tell he was as baffled by all this as I was.
Prince Adam regained his
composure and murmured, “I see…” He then spread his hands wide. “Heavens, I see Freesia’s
prime minister is as outstanding as its knights’ commander.”
With a faint smile, he
drew himself up and stuck out his chest. He even reached up and
patted the slightly taller Prime Minister Gilbert’s head mockingly.
“I’m honored by your
praise,” Prime Minister Gilbert replied calmly.
Prince Adam’s smirk
faltered for the first time. He took a step back, his
eyes fixed on the prime minister. “We’ll be on our way too
then. I
have very important business in Copelandii to attend to.” He lingered, watching for
Prime Minister Gilbert’s reaction, but he didn’t get one.
“Oh, is that so? Please give them our best. I’m sure Her Majesty
informed you that we’ve had some conflicts with the kingdom of Copelandii. Of course, now that we’ve
forged a peace treaty with Rajah, we hope to achieve peace with Copelandii as
well.”
After that, Prime
Minister Gilbert bid farewell to Prince Adam and his party. He withdrew politely, but
I remained at his back to protect him. Prince Adam responded
with a carefree goodbye of his own. Only once the prince
returned to his own carriage did I dare to take my eyes off him.
“You were right to have
us switch to horses,” I told the prime minister.
“It seems that way. I simply wanted to be safe. I never actually expected
them to wait for us.”
Prime Minister Gilbert
bowed humbly. The vanguard had towed our party after leaving Hanazuo, allowing us to
make a few days’ worth of progress in a short time compared to what it would
have taken on horseback. But when we approached this one-way path, Prime Minister Gilbert had
suggested that we travel by horse for a while.
He smiled bitterly. I was pretty sure he was
thinking back on that transmission he’d received in the United Hanazuo Kingdom.
Albert, the
prince consort, had heard the entirety of the peace negotiations with Rajah and
passed on the news.
We’d established peace,
but our two countries were not truly allies. Rajah remained an empire
we needed to be wary of. I knew Prime Minister Gilbert didn’t want to reveal the vanguard’s
powers if he could avoid it. Even letting Rajah spot us
from a distance would be better than being stopped by the crown prince and
having him pry into our methods of transportation. We couldn’t really hide,
but we could at least make ourselves less conspicuous. I’d certainly agreed with
Prime Minister Gilbert’s conclusion on that.
Prime Minister Gilbert bowed to me and asked for my continued
cooperation. Then he boarded his carriage. Just before the door closed, he cast one last wary glance at the
carriage from Rajah. It trundled away with a thud of distant wheels and horse hooves.
“How eerie,” he muttered
under his breath before closing the door behind him.
“P-Prince Adam…are you
feeling unwell?”
My chief of staff was
white as a sheet. I’d made no secret of my anger ever since returning to my carriage, but
for once, I wasn’t screaming or lashing out at the people around me. Instead, I sat very
still, a hand pressed to my head. Rage had my eyes hot and
dry, even as my lips curled upward. When my chief of staff
addressed me, it snapped me out of my daze, and I scratched at my messy and
disheveled dark-purple hair.
No one caught my dark
murmur, hearing only my ragged breathing as I kept mussing up my hair. Then I took a deep
breath, sat up straight, and delivered a hard kick to the seat in front of me.
“Freesia’s really full of
monsters, isn’t it?” I
said with a chuckle.
I gazed out the window at
the road behind us. We’d already turned a corner, putting the Freesian knights out of
sight. But I didn’t mind. I let my wicked smile
seep across my mouth.
As I said so, spittle
shot out from my toothy grin.
Three days had passed
since we said goodbye to Freesia. Hanazuo’s citizens were
working on finding some sense of normalcy in this postwar world. Being king of Chinensis,
I craved that normalcy as much as anyone else. I had come to Lance’s
room to spend some time with him and his brother. At present, Cedric and I
sat across from him on the sofa—but our meeting didn’t start out so
congenially.
Lance crossed his arms
and frowned at the two of us. “So? What was all the fuss about?”
Neither of us responded. In all honesty, I didn’t
think I should speak before Cedric, but he was too busy sulking. And while Cedric had
started this, I’d certainly made it worse. He had come to me looking
for advice while I was waiting for Lance to finish some work. In a panic, I’d rushed
into the hallway and shouted for Lance instead of trying to help Cedric myself.
I never
expected Cedric to come to me with a subject like that, and I frankly had no
idea what to do about it. Lance was still asking me what had me so freaked out, but I couldn’t
find the words to respond. Cedric remained slumped on the sofa, refusing to meet our eyes and
resting his head in his hands.
“It’s got nothing to do
with you, Bro,” he muttered.
“Sorry, Lance,” I said. “I was just surprised, so
I yelled for you. It’s
really nothing.”
Nevertheless, “surprise”
wasn’t a great reason to call for him while he was attending to his duties. No one had ever dared to
do something so reckless unless Cedric fled from his lessons. As a fellow ruler, I was
embarrassed to have acted so foolishly.
“It’s fine,” Lance said. “I was just about to go
find you anyway. Cedric, you shouldn’t go making trouble for Yohan.”
Cedric sulked all over again.
He shot me
a sidelong glance, then heaved a massive sigh. With a slouch of his
shoulders, he gave in and confessed, “I wanted relationship advice.”
Lance choked and
sputtered comically at that. He jerked up from his
chair, smacking both hands firmly on the table between us. I half-smiled at him. Cedric had indeed come to
me to ask, “How do I interact with someone I love?”
“Cedric, why—?! Where’s this coming from?!” Lance cried. His face was going red, likely from a mixture of his spluttering and
the question itself.
Cedric was still facing
away from us, but the tips of his ears were pink. He ventured a glance at
us, his eyes resting on me. “I told you, Bro has no
idea about this sort of stuff,” he said, slumping back against the sofa.
I’d asked the same question. Lance’s eyes darted back
and forth between the two of us, but I had no answers for him. Cedric himself didn’t
budge and answered bluntly, as he had with me.
His lack of hesitation
sent Lance into another coughing fit. Once he finally caught
his breath, he slid his bloodshot eyes from Cedric to me. I nodded to show I knew
just what he was thinking.
Lance’s head drooped, and
he sat with a sigh. “Cedric, why are you so determined to antagonize Freesia?”
Cedric’s cheeks were still
pink, and he wouldn’t look at me. “How am I supposed to
talk to her when she’s seen all the bad stuff I did? Now that I’ve told her my
feelings…how am I supposed to be kind and make up for everything?”
His face blazed hotter
with every word, and he indirectly confirmed our suspicions that this was all
over one of the Freesian princesses. He was stuffing down his
embarrassment, but at seventeen, it was perfectly normal for Cedric to fall for
someone. However…
“Let me remind you that
it would normally be unthinkable to do what you did in Freesia without
punishment,” Lance said. He had regained enough composure to chastise Cedric, his expression
stern. “The
only reason you escaped unscathed was because Princess Pride showed you mercy.”
He and I had already made
Cedric fess up to all his recklessness in Freesia. We’d been overwhelmed even
then—and this was just the list of things that Cedric himself acknowledged. Who knew what else he
might have done? It was a miracle that Freesia never punished or expelled him. Lance had smacked Cedric
a few times as he listened; I’d stuck to merely lecturing him. We ended up deciding on a
few punishments, including a ban on leaving the castle. We’d never expected the
etiquette lessons to be the worst of Cedric’s torture, but Lance said every
single one was a nightmare for Cedric.
Cedric didn’t dispute
Lance’s criticism. “That’s why I’m asking what to do,” he said in a low voice.
I stepped in before he
could get too emotional. “You should start by completing your lessons in etiquette and manners. The next time you meet
her, you can offer her a real apology.”
“But that alone won’t get
my feelings across. I won’t be able to do anything if she forgets what I said to her before
she left.”
I doubted that was possible. Cedric, who was incapable
of forgetting anything, didn’t have a real grasp on how well the rest of us
remembered things. Judging by how red her face had been, the princess wasn’t going to
forget Cedric’s message for a good long while—even if Cedric someday wanted her
to. For all
we knew, his words might linger into the next century.
“What did you even say to
her?” Lance
asked, crossing his arms.
His brother was genuinely
struggling. Each time we asked Cedric what he’d said to the princesses three days
ago, he merely insisted that he didn’t do anything impolite. This time, however, he
looked at Lance and then me before turning around to face the opposite wall.
“I vowed to become a
person worthy of her, and I said I wanted to spend my life with her. I gave her my left
earring as proof.”
Lance and I both shot out
of our seats and leapt at Cedric. He stood up too, startled
by our sudden advance.
“Wh-what?!”
he asked,
but we were in no state to respond.
I brushed back Cedric’s
golden hair so Lance could grab his ear. Normally, the hair
covered it, but we found that ear horribly bare today, its usual earring gone.
“So that’s why you’ve
been wearing less jewelry?!” Lance shouted, loudly
enough to drown out Cedric’s yelp of pain. His face flushed red as
he screamed, “How could you skip all the steps before that?!”
I suspected he was more
shocked than angry. Cedric had essentially proposed to the princess without ever making a
declaration of intent. I was just relieved that he’d come to me for advice instead of trying
it again the next time he saw her. He couldn’t do much now
but outright propose. That said, the princess was probably used to receiving presents and
words of adoration from other princes and noblemen. It didn’t sound like
Cedric had said anything immoral or crass either, so that wasn’t an issue. But still!
“It hasn’t even been a
month since you went to Freesia!” I heard myself say, my
face running hot as theirs were.
Lance nodded in
agreement, while Cedric simply stared at both of us. “Well, how long is it supposed to take to fall in love
with someone?!” he asked,
puzzled.
Oddly enough, neither
Lance nor I knew how to respond. Cedric cocked his head
when we froze—but as the elders in this exchange, Lance and I refused to yield.
Cedric didn’t miss a beat. “Why? How else am I supposed to
let her know how I feel?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m pretty sure she got
the message.” Lance pressed his hand to his forehead, exasperated. His brother didn’t
understand a thing about the outside world.
“If you say it too many
times, she’ll think your words don’t carry any weight. It’s the same for other
women too. You
say those things to them, but they never really take you seriously, right?”
That finally made Cedric
reconsider. After a moment, he righted his posture.
“No need to try and
convince her of your feelings the next time you see her,” I chimed in. “And don’t talk to other
women like that either.”
Lance nodded his agreement. Even Cedric seemed
convinced; he furrowed his brow and muttered obediently, “Fine, then…” At the
very least, we probably wouldn’t have to worry about Cedric saying anything
impolite or offensive.
Lance and I warned him to
be as polite with the princess as he was with other young ladies, and to avoid
touching or flirting with women altogether. To our relief, Cedric
said he needed to master manners and etiquette as quickly as possible. At that, Lance joined
Cedric in slumping back down to the sofa. It was big enough for two
people, yet Cedric scowled, clearly feeling cramped next to Lance’s large
frame. Lance
ignored his discomfort and cradled his head in his hands, staring at his little
brother.
“Okay, Cedric. Your goal is to marry her, right?” he said.
Lance left the question
of whether that was possible unspoken. This time, Cedric’s eyes
went cold and distant.
It took a moment for that
word to sink in, but when it did, a blush swept across Cedric’s face all over
again. He
was used to flirting, but the concept of marriage was a whole other level that
he wasn’t prepared for. I smiled at his innocence.
Lance, however, turned
deadly serious. “I see…”
I understood his concerns. Regardless of what Cedric
felt, it would not be that easy for him to marry a princess. Yes, he was the
second-born prince, so a marriage between him and a royal from an allied
country wasn’t unreasonable. If Freesia agreed to such
a marriage, it would strengthen our alliance—among other major benefits the
United Hanazuo Kingdom would reap. Freesia was a great
power, after all. But that sort of arrangement largely depended on Hanazuo’s growth now
that we were free. Freesia had to see some merit in
the marriage.
Unlike Hanazuo, Freesia
already had plenty of allies, and their princesses were in high demand. Currently, our
relationship consisted solely of Freesia coming to our rescue. We planned to start
trading our gold and minerals with them, but that wasn’t nearly enough to repay
our debt. We
were hardly in a position to ask for a princess’s hand in marriage. This princess, in
particular, was more aware of Cedric’s misdeeds than anyone in Freesia. If the unthinkable did
happen and Cedric was allowed to marry her… Well,
Lance and I would miss him terribly.
In spite of all that, I
said, “I think it’s a good plan.”
Lance jerked his head up
when I spoke to him. Cedric was visibly confused, but Lance’s expression softened a little. “You’re right…”
He reached over and
grabbed Cedric’s head to stroke his hair. The prince seemed
heedless of how messy it was getting; he kept looking back and forth between
us.
“Well…that’s assuming
it’s possible in the first place,” Lance said with a smile. “If it does happen, Yohan
and I will be sure to support you however we can.”
He met Cedric’s fiery gaze. The prince looked down at
his feet and murmured, “Thanks.”
“So, Cedric, when did
you fall in love anyway?” I asked, looking to lighten the mood. I squeezed in on the other
side of Cedric as Lance and I awaited his answer.
Pinned between the two of
us, Cedric had no hope of escape. He looked anywhere but at
us before finally replying, “During the war.”
“It wasn’t something I
could stop,” Cedric said. “I just realized I wanted to make her happy.”
His frankness was more
embarrassing than any of his actions thus far. I patted Cedric’s head,
secretly thinking that she already seemed happy, and warned him that he
probably shouldn’t say something like that to her. It would be a bit too
much right now.
“It’s too bad you
couldn’t dance with her,” I added, and Cedric’s face fell.
He truly was distraught by
that, more so than I expected. The princess was
certainly a wonderful young woman. I completely understood
how she’d stolen his heart…and I was pretty certain Lance did too. She’d already supported
him so much; it was only natural that Cedric would fall in love.
“But you can’t get your
hopes up too high, Cedric,” Lance said. “She’s the crown princess
of Freesia, so there are probably a whole lot of men out there who are better
suited for her than you. Don’t forget that you still have a whole lot to learn.”
I
agreed. There
was no way that Cedric was the only man in the world with feelings for Pride. If she weren’t the crown
princess, then even Lance and I would surely—
“What’re you talking
about Pride for?”
Huh? Lance
and I froze. Cedric’s question didn’t make any sense. Wasn’t this entire
confession about Pride?
“Are you saying…Princess
Pride isn’t the one you fell for?” Lance asked.
“Exactly.
Why’d you
think it was her in the first place? Not even Big Bro or the
religious people of Chinensis want to get married to a god.”
What are we talking about
right now? A god?!
It was like Cedric had
switched to a foreign language. I couldn’t make heads or
tails of what he was saying. Lance’s jaw dropped; he’d
also assumed this was all about Princess Pride.
“So it’s…Princess Tiara
that you love?” I said
tentatively.
At the mention of her
name, Cedric blushed more intensely than ever. At this point, he had the
complexion of a boiled lobster. He bit his lip to stop it
from trembling and gave us a single nod.
Lance was too shocked to
speak, and I wasn’t faring much better. Princess Tiara hadn’t
seemed to think very highly of Cedric. In fact, she’d rightfully
chastised him for all the trouble he’d caused. It made far more sense
for Cedric to be fixated on Princess Pride, who still treated him like a close
friend even after falling victim to his antics—but we were wrong.
“You want to
marry…Princess Tiara?” Lance
said.
Cedric turned his rosy
face away.
Princess Tiara was sweet,
well behaved, feminine, and—judging by the brief conversations we had at the
banquet—knowledgeable. She was incredibly good at knife-throwing, for some reason, but aside
from that strange pursuit, I could see what made her an ideal woman in Cedric’s
mind. She
treated Lance, me, and everyone else in the United Hanazuo Kingdom
compassionately. Everyone except Cedric, that is.
“You and Princess Tiara
came to fight with me during the war… Was that when it happened?” Lance asked.
Cedric didn’t respond this
time. I’d
heard from Lance about Princess Tiara’s knife-throwing skills. They’d impressed not only
our soldiers but the Freesian knights as well. Did that spark Cedric’s
attraction, or had something else happened between them that we weren’t privy
to? It was
hard to fathom when Princess Tiara seemed just as irritated as ever with Cedric
when they said their goodbyes. Lance and I had
apologized to her and Princess Pride during the dance, but all Princess Tiara
had done was smile and say, “You’re not the one at fault, Your Majesty!”
And that was the
princess Cedric went and fell in love with.
“Ha ha… Ah ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I clutched my stomach and
howled with laughter. The more I thought about it, the harder I laughed.
“Big Bro, what’re you
laughing for?!” Cedric
shouted.
Lance stared in awe—he
hadn’t seen me laugh so hard in ages. I tried to apologize, but
I couldn’t get any words out through the laughter.
“S-sorry, Cedric!” I
stammered. “I’m…I’m
just…even more surprised! It’s
just…so, so funny!”
Tears clung to the
corners of my eyes even as I tried to calm myself. Cedric had flirted with
plenty of women in his life, and sometimes they’d fallen for him in return. Lance and I had seen it
ourselves. Yet
the first woman he ever fell in love with was the one who thought less of him
than anyone in the whole world. She was the second-born
princess of the great country of Freesia—the younger sister of Princess Pride,
to whom we owed a tremendous debt.
“Remember this, Cedric:
even if it doesn’t work out, don’t let it discourage you,” Lance said, placing
a hand on Cedric’s shoulder. He made it sound like the
outcome had already been decided, which sent me into another fit of cackling. Cedric’s chances were
about as low as if it were Princess Pride he’d fallen for. Becoming Freesia’s future
prince consort would mean more competition than if he pursued Princess Tiara. But on a relationship
level, Princess Pride seemed much closer to Cedric than Princess Tiara. Still, Cedric had fallen
for the one who didn’t seem to carry a scrap of goodwill toward him.
“Don’t act like Tiara’s
already rejected me! I’m
not giving up yet!” Cedric said as he faced Lance head-on.
Lance mussed up his
brother’s hair. “As long as you don’t make trouble for Freesia, Yohan and I will help
you. Just
be sure you work your hardest.”
Those words finally
sobered me up. We needed to be the ones to put the brakes on Cedric and ensure he
didn’t mess up again. That would only make Princess Tiara hate him more.
When I asked if there was
anything nice he could do for her, Cedric replied, “There is one thing.” He’d already been
thinking about it, as it turned out.
When he didn’t elaborate,
I tried a different approach: “What is it about Princess Tiara that made you
fall for her?” I was embarrassed to even ask such an innocent, almost childlike
question, but the smile on Cedric’s lips grew as he thought about it.
“What happened between
the two of you?” Lance
prompted.
Cedric hesitated. “I felt like…I wanted to see her truest smile. One straight from the heart.” In contrast to all his
earlier bluntness, this was vague and abstract—yet Cedric didn’t elaborate.
Lance simply answered, “I
see,” and stroked Cedric’s head again.
“I hope you two can get
along,” I said. “That’s why I think it’s best for you to master the art of manners as
quickly as possible…”
Cedric held his head in
his hands once more. The prince had been focusing on his etiquette lessons and was ready to
start putting them into practice. I was just glad to see
him forging a path forward. Lance had also seemed
pleased with Cedric’s dramatic transformation over the past month.
“Yohan and I have decided
to go visit Freesia one month from now,” Lance said. “If you can master
etiquette and social courtesies by then, we’ll take you with us.”
Cedric’s eyes lit up. “Really?!”
he cried,
flying to his feet.
“Are you sure about that,
Lance? We’d
be letting him out of his punishment early.”
“We’ll only do it if he
doesn’t cause any problems in high society here, of course,” Lance said. “If there’s any trouble at
all, we’ll push it back another three months… And if he’s still acting up,
we’ll have bigger problems on our hands.”
He was right. Even if
Cedric did do something horribly
rude again, Lance and I would be there to stop him. That said, we couldn’t
afford to fumble next month’s meeting. If Cedric caused an issue
or anything else went wrong three months from now, the alliance would come to
nothing.
Cedric froze, which had
me chuckling again. He was so afraid of messing this up. At the same time, Lance
and I were looking forward to our first trip to Freesia. We hoped to build a
long-lasting relationship with them while we prepared to open the United
Hanazuo Kingdom to the world. After all, one condition
of our alliance with Freesia was that we begin trading our minerals and
Cercis’s gold. We were eager to share them with Freesia in particular, of course.
Our conversation wound
down at last, and Cedric quickly made to leave. He was clearly eager to
go practice etiquette with his tutor, but he stopped in the doorway when I
called his name. He didn’t turn around, so I smiled at his back.
“I want you to learn a
lot and gain lots of experience,” I said. “Don’t worry—no matter
what happens, Lance and I will be on your side.”
Cedric gave me a shy nod. Just before he closed the
door, I caught him gripping the cross pendant under his shirt.
“I’m sorry to call you
here when you’re off the clock,” I told two of my captains.
The Freesian knights and
I had returned to our homeland four days after leaving the United Hanazuo
Kingdom, arriving early in the morning. It was a busy day for the
royal order—we made our reports to the queen, ensured any injured knights
received treatment, reviewed and replaced used weapons, and heard the reports
from each individual unit. Late that night, I summoned Alan and Callum to my office.
“No, it’s fine,” they
said in tandem.
I shot a quick look at my
second-in-command, Clark, before continuing. “First of all…good work
carrying out your imperial knight duties, even in Eric’s absence. He has to rest a few more
days, so you two and Arthur will continue to serve as you have been.”
They thanked me for the
praise, but the tension in the room was rising. A single gulp seemed to
echo like a gunshot.
“Now, about Princess
Pride’s injury…”
The captains flinched;
they knew this was the real reason I’d called them in here. Princess Pride had
injured her legs while in their care. It was the ultimate
failure, and Alan and Callum were all too aware of that. By now, they also must’ve
guessed I had spoken to the queen about their punishment once I’d delivered my
report to her.
“This decision was made
not just by Her Majesty but by Clark and me too.” I paused for a moment to
let them catch their breath. They stood stock-still,
waiting. “Alan,
Callum—the two of you will receive a one-month suspension. That’s all for now.”
My captains stared at me,
unblinking. Their eyes flitted from me to Clark and back again; I could see them
practically vibrating with questions. Clearly they’d been
bracing for a far worse punishment: demotion, discharge from the royal order,
or worse. Compared
to any of those, a month’s suspension was nothing. In fact, it was the sort
of punishment I doled out if two of my knights got into a fight with each other
or something like that. Alan and Callum must have thought this was some kind of mistake, but I
kept my arms crossed over my chest and didn’t elaborate.
Clark spoke up in my
stead: “Her Majesty had little criticism of your performance in the war. It sounds like Princess
Tiara and Prince Stale joined Princess Pride in defending you.”
The name “Prince Stale”
must’ve come as the biggest surprise. It made sense that Tiara would come to their defense, but the captains
themselves had reported Stale lashing out at them in anger when he was still
reeling from Pride’s injury. Obviously, they hadn’t
expected him to go easy on them after they’d broken his trust by failing to
protect her.
Clark smiled at the
pale-faced men and took a step forward. “You failed when you
allowed the princess to get hurt, yes, but you also saved her life. While you’ve had the
merits and awards for that act withdrawn, both Her Majesty and Roderick agreed
to a reduction in punishment.”
“Hey, you said you shared
my opinion,” I pointed out, clapping Clark on the shoulder.
Alan and Callum thanked us
with a bow, but I could tell they still weren’t convinced. Callum raised his head
after a moment and asked permission to speak. I waved him on.
“We’ll humbly accept this
punishment…but are the two of you sure this will suffice?”
It was the queen’s
decision, but I could still punish them at my own discretion. Callum suggested a
demotion that would strip them of their roles as imperial knights or expulsion
from the order. Alan
nodded along. I just grimaced and let out a sigh.
“Before I answer that, I
have a question of my own,” I said.
Both captains stood
ramrod straight and raised their heads, tensing all over again. Clark furrowed his brow
in anticipation of my next words.
“Alan, Callum…is there
something you two need to tell us about your future in the order?”
I watched my words strike
them with all the force of a brick. They kept their eyes on
me but bit their lips.
Understanding passed
between us. I wanted to know if they were planning to leave their positions
voluntarily, regardless of the official punishment. In which case, I was
essentially demanding their resignations.
“No, sorry, sir! I don’t have anything to say!”
The two captains dropped
into deep bows, eyes glued to their feet. They wouldn’t straighten
out till they heard my reply. Their posture declared
the answer they dared not speak: “We’re not resigning.”
The silence stretched on. The captains weren’t
looking at either of us, and I sighed for the umpteenth time. Was I annoyed? Resigned? Even I wasn’t entirely sure. Only one thing was clear:
Alan and Callum deeply regretted disappointing us.
My tone was warm and calm,
full of relief. Alan and Callum peeked up at me in surprise. Their shock only grew when
they found Clark and I at peace with their decision.
Alan blinked over and
over, his mouth hanging open.
“I’m glad you both chose
to stay,” Clark said quietly.
Anyone who’d heard the
captains’ story—including myself, Clark, Pride, and the other knights—knew they
couldn’t have possibly prevented her injury, given the circumstances. Alan and Callum had done
everything they could, and thanks to that, they’d avoided an even worse
outcome. Yet
I knew they carried guilt with them, guilt that I’d feared would spur them into
a rash resignation. If they made that decision, there was no coming back, hence why I had
to be sure of their intentions.
However, they chose to
continue serving as knights. It came as an enormous
relief to know I wouldn’t have to talk them into staying. With that weight off my
shoulders, I finally answered Callum’s original question. “The fact that you
allowed Princess Pride to be injured, regardless of the reason, means you
failed as knights.”
Their surprise vanished,
replaced with the stony calm of proper knights. Before they could avert
their eyes again, I went on, “That being the case…I’m sure you two know better
than almost anyone that Princess Pride will put herself in abnormal amounts of
danger.”
Alan and Callum’s eyebrows
rose. I took
that to mean they agreed.
Six years ago, enemies
ambushed the royal order. We ended up caught on a collapsing cliff. Pride’s contribution to
that battle became a legend among the knights who witnessed it. Then came the attack on
the slave traders and the defensive war in Hanazuo. Pride’s efforts during
both could be seen as bravery, but she also displayed a total lack of concern
for her own safety. That was what I meant when I described her dismissal of her own
well-being, and it clearly resonated with both captains.
“It’s like the only value
she sees in herself is what she can do for others,” I said.
Alan gulped; Callum
clenched and unclenched his hands. I could almost see scenes
from the war flashing in their memories. Pride had put her life on
the line with a blood oath meant to rouse the citizens. She was injured because
she prioritized a guard and Cedric over her own security.
Caring, compassionate,
courageous… There were many things you could call her. But I thought back to one
specific moment Callum and Alan had described. It happened during the
collapse of the southern tower, when they’d rushed in to save her.
They knew why she’d said
that—she didn’t want them to be hurt too. But Pride herself was
trapped. If
she hadn’t run into Alan and Callum in that exact moment, she would have died. Put simply, Pride was fine
with dying if no one else died with her.
A chill passed through
the whole room. Perhaps Pride didn’t think these things through to their logical
conclusions. Perhaps that kind, merciful princess told them to stay away in that
moment only because she didn’t want them to end up hurt too. And yet, she had
completely abandoned herself.
What would make her feel
like she had to do these things? Her people loved and
trusted her so deeply. Not a soul questioned her right to the throne. All of us grappled with
this same question.
“Neither Clark nor I are
sure if she’s aware of what she’s doing,” I said. “She knows she’s the
crown princess…yet she treats herself like dirt. It’s almost like she’s
searching for a way to die.”
Sweat broke out on Alan’s
and Callum’s brows. Dread hung heavy in the air.
“But…she’s learned to
finally give herself some consideration,” I added.
At these words, the
captains relaxed just a little.
“When someone tries to
save you…but they almost get themselves killed…it’s really, really scary.”
Pride had trembled at
those words, and that was when I knew she really meant them. She finally understood
what her actions looked like through someone else’s eyes. I’d been so relieved in
that moment.
“We must protect Princess
Pride from danger,” I said. “But Her Highness finally
saw the light after her injury. All it took was the pain
of realizing she’d almost sacrificed someone besides herself.”
That wasn’t exactly a
happy ending. Still, after putting Callum and Alan in harm’s way, Pride finally
reflected on the damage her recklessness could cause. It went both ways, though. The captains chewed the
insides of their cheeks, unhappy that they’d caused Pride that pain. It had taught her a good
lesson, to be sure, but it had also left a scar on her heart.
“She still has a long way
to go. At
this rate, even once she takes the throne, I expect to see her put herself in
danger over and over again. Someday…she might even
make the ultimate sacrifice.”
We could all picture that
far too easily, even Clark. Pride wouldn’t hesitate
to die for anyone, regardless of who they were.
That changed the
atmosphere in the room in a blink. Distress replaced the
fear tensing the shoulders of the men around me.
“And most likely…if you
two decide to leave the royal order over this, Her Highness will see it as her
own fault. She’ll
value herself even less for being the reason you resigned.”
Alan and Callum shared a
look, and some silent understanding passed between them. Perhaps Pride had said
something to support this notion, some heartfelt words she’d shared with them
after acknowledging their good deeds. Whatever it was, only the
two captains knew.
Hopefully, all this would
lead to Pride reflecting more on her actions and taking better care of herself.
Yet I found
it far more likely that the next time she was in danger, she simply wouldn’t
ask for help. If she was about to be crushed by rubble again, would she stay silent
and refuse rescue? If she didn’t want to put anyone else in danger, she might even venture
out without any kind of escort at all.
It was part of who she
was—a facet of her personality that mercy or compassion alone could not
explain. Everyone
in the royal order knew that Pride would never hesitate to act if she thought
she could help someone. We understood she would always prioritize others over herself.
“But we can’t allow
that,” I said firmly. “She’s going to be our next queen. She’s the one person this
kingdom can’t lose.” The captains nodded their agreement. “That’s why I want to be
the one to say this to you. Think of it as an order
from your commander if you wish. If she tries to shoulder
the responsibility, then bring up my name.”
I narrowed my eyes,
scrutinizing my captains until they said, “Yes, Commander!” Then I jabbed my finger at
each of them in turn to issue a gravely important order.
“Don’t let her sacrifice
herself.”
It was brief, but full of
dire meaning. Alan
and Callum both gulped.
“Don’t just protect her. Put a stop to her when
necessary. Chastise
her and force her to give up if she’s trying to sacrifice herself. On top of that…do not
allow anyone else to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Princess Pride Royal
Ivy either.”
The atmosphere in the
room was like a battlefield. My voice reverberated
through the air, deep and stern. Callum and Alan answered
in strong, loud tones, not backing down in the face of my intensity.
This wasn’t an easy thing
to ask of them. They were only knights, yet they would have to put a stop to the crown
princess herself. They wouldn’t merely protect Pride from herself either—they would have
to stop others from sacrificing themselves for her, or else her self-worth
would plummet again. It meant protecting everyone around her too. Even so, Callum and Alan
didn’t hesitate in the slightest. They vowed to protect
Pride without any more mistakes.
“For better or for worse,
Princess Pride has changed thanks to you two,” I said. “That’s why I know I can
count on you. Be sure to keep a close watch over her.”
Before wrapping things
up, I revealed a few more updates. Alan and Callum’s
suspension would begin once Eric returned to service, and since they were
holding an emergency captains’ meeting the next day, Arthur and a group of
replacement knights would be assigned to Princess Pride’s care. After informing them of
all this, I finally allowed them to leave.
With Commander Roderick’s
permission, Alan and I bowed our heads, excused ourselves, and left the office
behind. We
hurried away in silence, gazing up at the moon cutting a bright hole in the
dark night sky. I was sure the commander’s words were replaying in Alan’s mind just as
they replayed in mine.
Alan was the first to
break the silence. “Six years
ago…”
Why was he bringing that
up now? I
glanced over at him, but he just kept on staring at the moon.
“Arthur might have
already figured it out at that point,” Alan said. “He might have been the
first to realize just how reckless Princess Pride can be.”
My brows shot up as I
thought back to that day six years ago. Arthur had yet to even
join the royal order, but that didn’t stop him from making a pledge in the
throne room.
“I’ll absolutely become a
knight someday. I’ll protect you and those you care for. I’ll protect Mom, Dad,
and all the people in the kingdom with everything in my power. That’s the kind of knight
I’ll become!”
Arthur vowed to protect
the people Pride cared for. Alan and I couldn’t have
known what state of mind he was in when he made that promise. I suddenly felt like I
understood, though. Given the responsibility the commander had just assigned us, Arthur’s
determination in that moment—when he wasn’t even a rookie knight yet—made total
sense.
“Then that’s all the more
reason why we can’t fall behind,” I replied.
I brushed my bangs away
and averted my eyes from Alan, instead joining him in gazing up at the moon.
“I want to ask you something.
You can do
this, right, Alan? I know how much you like Princess Pride, but you’ll have to stop her
from putting herself in—”
“Aaaah!
Of course I can do it!
Besides, I
hate it when she’s sad.” Alan stretched his arms overhead as he walked, perhaps working out the
stress of that tense meeting we just had. I could hear the forced
cheerfulness when he added, “I’ve gotta start workin’ out.”
He’d always looked up to
Pride for how she conducted herself on the battlefield. It was why, as a warrior,
he’d developed such strong feelings for her. But now…
“I still want you two to
protect me!”
I knew he wanted to keep
her safe. He
probably even wanted to grant her wishes so that she would never get hurt
again. As a
knight and as a human being, he was ready to risk his life for her happiness—of
that I was absolutely sure.
“As long as I can protect
her…that’s all I want,” Alan said. He scratched his head,
looked down at his feet, and smiled.
Taking in his tender
expression, I replied simply, “I see.”
Alan looked up at me. “You better not die next
time, got it? Or else Princess Pride will cry.”
I frowned when his tone
turned mocking. “I didn’t die the first time,” I said, then shoved Alan aside so he
couldn’t keep staring at me.
The pain of my memories of
that incident barreled into me.
She’d truly rejoiced over
my survival. Then she cried for me—but no more. I would never make Pride
cry again. If
my or anyone else’s sacrifice caused her such pain, then I would make sure
there never was another sacrifice.
“At the very least, I’ll
do everything I can to avoid making her cry.”
Alan laughed. “You’re as stubborn as ever.” His smile turned bitter,
his voice dropping as he said, “Me too. I’ll do whatever I can. She can’t cry like that
again.”
I sensed an ominous
undercurrent to Alan’s words, something darker than the curtain of night
overhead. It
wasn’t just Pride who’d been convinced I was going to die in that battle; Alan,
this man I considered a good friend, had felt that way too.
“It’s fine. I’ll be sure to get my revenge someday.”
“Revenge for your grudge,
you mean?”
Alan chuckled, but before
he could respond…
“Ah, Captain Alan,
Captain Callum.”
A familiar knight strode
up to meet us; it was Arthur. He wore light, casual
clothes instead of his uniform or armor since it was nearly time for bed. After greeting him, both
Alan and I fell silent, given what we’d been talking about only moments ago. He could probably figure
out why we were heading away from the commander’s office, but he didn’t push us
for information. Alan and I shared a look as we weighed how much to tell him.
“Gosh, you’ve really
grown up, Arthur!” Alan said.
“Huh?!”
Arthur yelped. His eyes widened and he
took a step back. “Wh-what are you talking about?!”
“Not just your muscles,”
Alan said. “You’re taller
too. Teenagers
sure do grow fast…”
“That’s true,” I chimed in. “You’re like a different
person compared to six years ago.”
“H-hang on! What’s
this all about?! Why are you both talking about me this way?!”
We ignored him, going on
as Arthur’s face grew redder and redder.
“Please don’t look at me
like that!” Arthur begged
us. “Anyway,
why are you two out here so late?” He winced, evidently
realizing the answer before either of us responded.
“Ah, it turns out we’re
getting suspended for a month.” Alan’s casual response
had Arthur reeling, but my co-captain only grinned cheerfully. “It starts once Eric is back.
But we
won’t have anything to do for a month. I wonder if they’ll let
us use the training grounds for our own workouts.”
“It’s been a while since
a knight was suspended, but surely they’ll let us do that much,” I said. “We can’t let ourselves
get rusty.”
Arthur gulped at our
casual attitude. “Suspension?” he said timidly. “What else?”
“That’s it,” Alan told him. “The royal family and the
commander took pity on us.”
Arthur’s eyes lit up with
hope. “Th-then…after
your suspension, you’ll still get to be imperial knights, right?!”
This time, we were the
ones who tensed with worry. The other knights wanted
us to survive this. Throughout the battle with the slave traders and our time in Chinensis,
many of our fellow knights had praised us for protecting Pride’s life. They’d also rushed to us
in a panic afterward, asking if we’d be punished or forced to retire.
Until now, we’d always
kept our mouths shut when it came to such questions. We’d made up our minds to
go along with whatever judgment our queen and our commander delivered, even if
it meant leaving the royal order. But we didn’t expect that
even Arthur was so concerned about our future.
“Well, most likely…” Alan
said.
Arthur was such an
earnest, good-natured guy. His sunny smile never failed to warm everyone’s heart, though in this
moment it was also a dagger to the chest.
“That’s so great,” Arthur
said, heedless of our reaction. “It’s a huge relief. Oh, should I keep it a
secret from the other knights?! Everyone’s so worried about
y—”
He snapped his mouth shut,
eyes darting between Alan and me. Then we bowed deeply to him. Arthur was only a vice
captain in the royal order. To receive such a gesture
from two captains understandably rocked him. He looked around like he
expected someone of higher rank to be right behind him, but there was no one
here but the three of us.
“You and Prince Stale
placed your faith in us…but we let you down,” Alan said.
“We broke the trust in
the imperial knights that you’ve helped build all this time. We wasted the opportunity
we were given,” I said.
We didn’t lift our heads
as we spoke, and Arthur audibly swallowed. He knew what had happened
to Pride during the battle, how she’d gotten her injury. The story went through not
just the other knights but Stale and Pride as well. He knew we’d had to leave
her side and that we’d done the best we could, putting our lives and bodies on
the line to protect her, but it hadn’t been enough to keep her from getting
hurt. That
must’ve been part of what spurred his response.
“Please, stop this…”
Arthur choked out. He squeezed his hands into fists as he nervously made his plea. “Don’t say stuff like that. Me and the other knights
really look up to you two! We respect you…and we think you’re amazing. That hasn’t changed at all.”
“Princess Pride would have
been hurt much worse if it weren’t for you two. All the other knights say
the same thing. No one’s said a single bad word about you. Everyone truly respects
you, and that’s why they’ve been so worried.”
He sounded so sure of this. Arthur was good at
reading people, so he probably did actually understand how the other knights felt.
“I’m so glad that you
became imperial knights,” he continued. “It was such a blessing
that you were with Her Highness when she needed you. Captain Alan, Captain
Callum…thank you so much for saving her.”
Even with our heads
bowed, Arthur’s tone—his sincerity—reached us. Alan and I froze at the
unexpected wave of gratitude that washed over us both.
“Stale, Princess Pride,
Tiara, all the knights, and I still trust you just like always,” Arthur said. “You’re the great knights
you’ve always been, and we know we can count on you.”
Alan and I had never
expected such kindness. Alan gulped, and I clenched my fists tightly to tamp down a swell of
emotion.
“So please don’t bow to me. As knights, you two
have…always been my inspiration.”
As soon as Alan and I
raised our heads, we caught the hint of a smile on Arthur’s face. Then he bowed right back
at us and said, “It’s an honor to work with you!” His ponytail drooped over
his neck, wagging like a dog’s tail.
Alan reached out and
ruffled his hair. “Thanks,
Arthur.”
“We’re glad to work with
you too,” I said.
At this response, Arthur
brushed his hair back into place and smiled shyly.
“Okay, then, Arthur! What say you join me for
a workout tonight?” Alan said. He grinned to lighten the
mood and linked his arm through Arthur’s as he dragged him along.
“Wait, I just came to get
some water!” Arthur said. “Oh, does that mean you’ll
spar with me?!”
“Alan, it’s too late to
get carried away with sparring,” I said. “I know you love to
train, but don’t forget that we still have guard duties tomorrow. Be sure not to overwork
yourself either, Arthur.”
Alan pouted but
reluctantly heeded my warning. Arthur insisted that he
was fine to train that night, but he gave up when I patted him on the shoulder.
“Goodnight, then,” Arthur
said.
“I’ll invite Eric and we
can get some fighting in tomorrow!” Alan said, grabbing
Arthur’s shoulder and trying to cheer him up.
It had been six days
since I returned to Freesia with Princess Pride. Dad had arrived two days
ago with the other knights. While Vice Captain Eric
and other injured knights were still recovering, things had gone almost
completely back to normal in the royal order. Plus, I’d learned that
Captain Alan and Captain Callum were going to keep their jobs, staying on as
Princess Pride’s imperial knights alongside Vice Captain Eric and me. Their suspension would
begin once Vice Captain Eric came back to work. The two had ordered me
not to tell anyone else about their punishment, but I was still really happy
with how everything had turned out.
From what I
heard, they hadn’t told anyone about their punishment during their captains’
meeting yesterday. Dad had summoned me to his office in the morning, but he never brought
up Alan and Callum. All seemed
right with the world again. Vice Captain Eric was recovering nicely, Princess Pride’s injury was
healed, and Captain Alan and Captain Callum would return in a month. We’d even
established peace with Rajah and aided in the recovery of the United Hanazuo
Kingdom, who’d soon open trade with Freesia. It seemed like we’d finally returned to a state of normalcy.
Oh, how wrong that proved
to be.
“Please…please wait! What
are you…? I don’t
understand!” I called.
I was in the middle of a
desperate sprint. With Vice Captain Eric still out, the three of us guarding Princess
Pride only got brief breaks. Yet here I was, spending
one of mine in a mad dash.
Captain Alan had been in
a great mood last night, so the two of us had wound up sparring a bit. Then Captain Callum
joined us, wanting to compete on Vice Captain Eric’s behalf. The three of us got so
into it that we accidentally ended up sparring until dawn. And now this?!
“Why…are you
running…anyway?!”
I shouted at Captain
Harrison yet again, but it was no use. In the time it took me to
focus on yelling, he got even farther ahead of me. I picked up the pace,
refusing to give in. I was one of the faster knights in the royal order, but I still
couldn’t catch him—he just kept gaining distance. My stomach churned, so I
tightened my core and tried to ignore it.
“Captain Harrison!” I said between ragged breaths.
The captain used his
special power to zoom ahead whenever I started catching up. He was a distant, hazy
blip, but I had to keep going no matter what. I didn’t want to think
about how many dozens of laps we’d already done around the training grounds. He may
be able to move fast, but it’s still supposed to tire him out like anyone else!
“This is just…cruel! You’re usually…the
one…chasing me!”
There was no way he could
hear me over the distance, but I couldn’t help but complain. It wasn’t fair. Yesterday, he’d attacked
me a whole dozen times!
The second I got a break,
and who did I run into in the training grounds but Captain Harrison? Yet he ran away every
time I got close. I’d looked for him that morning too, but he fled the scene before I
could talk to him.
“You better come up
with…a good explanation…or I can’t go through with this!”
This isn’t working. When I
yell this much, I can’t breathe! Watching the captain fade
away into the distance, I came to a stop, and then…
“But I already gave you
an explanation.”
“Whoa!”
I rasped, flinching. I’d hardly felt so much
as a breeze—barely seen a flash of his long, black hair—yet Captain Harrison
was right in front of me, peering into my eyes.
My heart raced, either
from all the running or the sudden scare. I clutched my chest over
my armor and took a few steps back. I was still too winded to
respond, so I stared at Captain Harrison while he cocked his head to one side.
“What’s wrong, Arthur
Beresford?” Captain
Harrison asked. “You should be able to run a kilometer or two.”
I didn’t understand why
he was scolding me when he
was the one
running here. I panted, trying to catch my breath, and finally managed a reply.
As always, he was a man
of few words. It was hardly an answer, but Captain Harrison rarely said more than the
bare minimum.
I sucked in another
breath, and he added, “You don’t usually chase me.”
So why did he make me run
after him all that way?!
I was done trying to chase
him. Instead,
I was going to ask him my question while I had his attention. I took a few more
steadying breaths, faced Captain Harrison, and…
“Hey!
Where are you going
now?!”
I hadn’t meant to scream
again, but Captain Harrison had taken off while I was pulling myself together. I was at my wits’ end. I shouted after him as I
reluctantly followed. He would start to walk whenever other knights were around, which was
also the one time I couldn’t ask him my question. He’d told me I couldn’t
even talk to Dad about it yet. It was then that I
noticed Captain Harrison stagger. Was he finally getting tired?
Thank
goodness I wasn’t the only one here with burning lungs and shaky legs.
“Captain Harrison! Please…answer my question!”
“I’m not agreeing to any
of it yet!”
I was desperate, but the
captain bluntly rejected me. My feet slapped heavily
against the ground as I chased him. Other knights cast us
curious looks as we passed.
It was so embarrassing. I felt like a little kid
again.
Captain Harrison suddenly
screeched to a halt. I almost ran into his back, so I bent backward to dodge the collision. Captain Harrison spun and
opened the door next to him, a door that led to his personal quarters.
“Are you coming in?” he asked, expressionless.
In a way, Captain
Harrison was even harder to read than Stale used to be. He never so much as
smiled outside of battle. But I still wanted to talk to him, so I dipped my head and accepted the
invitation. We needed to have a real conversation.
Captain Harrison’s room
was a mystery—I doubted anyone in the royal order had ever been inside it. As soon as we entered, he
shut the door behind us. For a second, fear prickled along the back of my neck; this would be a
great place for him to murder me.
His room was mostly empty. I didn’t have many
personal items myself, but I’d never seen a room sparser than mine. Captain Harrison had an
order-provided bed, a desk, and a chair. Aside from a few items he
needed to perform his duties, there was nothing but food, water, and a few
pieces of clothing. It was hard to believe he’d lived here like this for years.
His sharp voice was like
a sword poised at my back. I flinched and spun around to find the captain leaning against his door
with his arms crossed, his face as blank as ever. His blunt bangs covered
his face when he tilted his head.
“I refuse to accept
this,” I said. “Please give me a real explanation.”
“You’ve had one already,”
Captain Harrison replied calmly.
He was right—Dad and Clark
had explained this to me before. Still, I wasn’t convinced. Besides, they’d told me
Captain Harrison had basically forced it on them. I had to get the real
answers from the man himself. I steadied my stance,
letting my hands drift toward my weapons just in case this conversation angered
Captain Harrison enough that he attacked.
“Yes, the commander and
vice commander explained it to me,” I said. “But I’m not going to
accept it yet.”
He wasn’t wrong about that. What mattered was the
will of the royal order itself. I could raise whatever
fuss I wanted, but that didn’t mean I was entitled to the full story.
Regardless, I told him,
“It’s just too sudden.”
Huh? Is that all he
has to say? I
didn’t understand. And unlike Stale or Prime Minister Gilbert, I was no good at debating. Yet I had to do my best.
“Just saying ‘the
defensive war’ isn’t a real explanation.”
“I heard the reports from
the Eighth Squadron.”
He didn’t seem to care
whether I understood what he was saying. I wasn’t even sure if
these were truly answers to my questions or just random words he chose to say.
“I…I’ve only been vice
captain for a month,” I said.
It was one simple
sentence after another. I wanted to tell him that a single month wasn’t enough experience, good
or not. The
defensive war had broken out in the middle of that month, which kept me busy
and stopped me from doing a vice captain’s usual work.
“This is wrong!” My voice spiked as emotion got the best of me. I balled my hands into
fists and gritted my teeth as my frustration welled up, threatening to
overwhelm me, while he continued to evade any kind of real response.
All Captain Harrison said
was, “No, it isn’t.”
Why? The question repeated over and over in my head, but I couldn’t ask it
of Captain Harrison and hope to get a genuine answer. Even so, I couldn’t accept
this. It had only
been a month. One month ago, Princess Pride and the other knights were celebrating my
promotion to vice captain. Even Dad told me, “Be sure to gain lots of experience that will help
you in the future.” So why me?! Why now?!
“I…!”
The word
burst free before I could contain it. More bubbled up behind
it, my feelings surging to the surface. I was on the verge of
yelling as loudly as I had when I was chasing him. “I can’t be promoted to Eighth
Squadron captain yet!”
That simple sentence left
me out of breath. Squeezing my fists tightly, I glared at the captain, even with his eyes
hidden behind his hair.
“What if someone outside
hears you?” he said.
Another nonanswer. Sure, Dad had ordered us not to speak of this where someone could
overhear it, but the captain’s room was soundproofed. He leaned closer to the
door, listening for anyone on the other side. Apparently finding nothing
that troubled him, he sighed. If a knight had been
close enough to hear, he really might have shut them up for good.
“I don’t understand,” I
went on. “There’s
not a single reason for you to be demoted to vice captain.”
“You became the captain,
so I have to be vice captain.”
It was like trying to
argue with a brick wall. My words weren’t reaching him at all.
“I don’t understand why
I’m being made captain! All I did was help out during the war!”
“You and Commander
Roderick salvaged the situation on the front lines.”
“But you saved the king
in the Chinensian castle, right? I heard you wiped out the
entire invasion in the south without any help.”
This finally got a
reaction from him. He frowned at the reminder of the amazing things he’d done during the
war, things that made it way too unfair for him to be demoted to vice captain.
A shadow passed over his
face. He
kept his arms folded but tapped irritably at his elbows. “Arthur Beresford,
you’re…a lot like the commander.”
Why the
sudden change of subject? I thought he was trying
to dodge the issue again, so I demanded he stick to the subject. But Captain Harrison kept
going.
“You’re also unlike him. You’re immature in how
you speak and act. Most of all, you don’t have a shred of majesty.”
That knocked the wind out
of me like a punch to the gut. I knew I couldn’t compare
to Dad yet, but he didn’t have to put it so bluntly. Besides, none of the
things he listed were requirements for being a commander in the royal order.
“You’re not even wise
like the vice commander. You’re alike, but also not. Besides, you chose to be
in the Eighth Squadron.”
The captain was on a
roll, but I had no idea why. We weren’t in battle, and
Dad and Clark weren’t around. What was he saying these
things for? Joining the Eighth Squadron shouldn’t have anything to do with Clark. Maybe I’d finally pissed
him off, the thought of which weirdly brought me down a few notches.
“You also managed to win
the role of Princess Pride Royal Ivy’s imperial knight by demonstrating your
skills,” he said. “That’s why
I…”
Nope, I was totally lost. I’d come here to protest
my title being swapped with Captain Harrison’s, but I couldn’t even get a
straight answer out of him.
I
seriously have no idea what he’s prattling on about anymore! I wanted to ask him to
repeat himself. All I could do was blink at him over and over, but he held steady, as
unyielding as ever.
“Your break’s almost
over,” he noted.
There was no clock in the
room for me to check. I wondered how he could know what time it was at all, but I said
goodbye anyway and rushed out of the room. Once again, he’d gotten
through that entire conversation without giving me a real or comprehensible
answer. Although,
in the brief moment when I looked up at him to say goodbye…
I felt like I could see
the tiniest hint of a smile on his face.
“Oh, I wonder if Arthur
managed to catch Harrison. What do you think?”
Captain Alan glanced at
the clock as he lobbed that question at Captain Callum, who stood beside him. He smirked before Captain
Callum could even reply. Even I looked up to check the time, ignoring the letters I’d been
sorting through as part of my usual “crown princess” duties.
Arthur had been exhausted
when he showed up for his first imperial knight shift that morning. I thought he would have
had time to recover, considering the royal order returned two days ago, so I
asked him what was wrong. He explained that he’d wanted to ask Captain Harrison something, but
the captain spent the whole morning fleeing from him. I found that pretty
impressive, given how fast Arthur himself was.
He wouldn’t tell me what he wanted to ask Captain
Harrison about, but Captain Callum, who came with him, and Captain Alan, who
took over for his shift, seemed to have a good idea. The two captains smiled
awkwardly when Arthur raged about how he swore he’d catch Captain
Harrison on his next break. The same went for when he
took off in a full sprint toward the training grounds as soon as his shift
ended. It
was all extremely strange, but no one would tell me what was going on.
I sympathized with her. At least she was in good
spirits again, unlike five days ago when she was so upset…
“Tiara, will you please
talk to us already?”
Stale had pressed Tiara
the day after we returned to Freesia. Tiara’s knife-throwing
skills impressed all of us during the war, but they also left us confounded. Where had she learned a
thing like that?
Tiara slowly confessed,
dragging out each word. She said she’d spent the past two years secretly honing that particular
skill. She
brought us to her room to show us how she’d covered two walls with book pages
from floor to ceiling. Removing the pages revealed countless marks left from throwing knives. She even kept a locked box
full of knives. As though that weren’t shocking enough, she also said she kept a dozen knives hidden on her
body at all times! Finally, she hit us with one more surprise: it was Val who’d taught her
how to throw knives in the first place.
Val, the brown-skinned man
with dark-brown hair and eyes always fixed in a menacing glare, served as a
deliveryman for Freesia. The moment Tiara uttered the felon’s name, Stale teleported Val to our
location, bringing Sefekh and Khemet along with him. This was our first
reunion since returning to Freesia, and it was coming in the form of an
interrogation.
Val and the children
explained that he had been teaching Tiara to throw knives in total secrecy,
hiding behind the excuse of Tiara “playing in her room” with Sefekh and Khemet.
I’d always
assumed they were just reading books or something like that, when in reality
those innocent get-togethers were knife-throwing lessons, ones even Khemet
joined in on. Tiara explained that she’d given Val the money to buy all the knives
and equipment required.
“What are your intentions
with Tiara?!” Stale demanded.
“I just did what Miss
Princess asked,” Val said. “Don’tcha
know? I’m
not allowed to say no to her.”
Although the two men were
close to trading blows, Val seemed to be enjoying the rage twisting Stale’s
face. He
laughed at Stale’s mounting frustration. In the end, we agreed
that Tiara’s knife-throwing would stay between us.
“I know that, Big Brother. It’s all right. I only do it here in the
castle.”
Despite Stale’s warning,
Tiara smiled cheerfully. It made my heart ache to think that she wouldn’t be living in Freesia
much longer. Regardless of whether she married Cedric or someone else, most
princesses left the country once they were sixteen and married foreign royalty.
I still
couldn’t forget the heartbreak and sorrow on their siblings’ faces when that
happened in the game.
“Is Captain Harrison a
difficult person?”
Back in the present,
Stale happened to be on break from his duties as a seneschal in training. He directed his question
at Captain Callum and Captain Alan.
Since I’d finished with
my letters, Stale started collecting the ones set for disposal, but I couldn’t
stand to watch him simply discard all the letters from my suitors so casually. Stale always reminded me
that the letters had no sender listed, and that they’d just take up space, but
I still felt guilty about it.
“I’d say he’s…definitely
difficult, yes,” Captain Callum replied.
Captain Alan smiled
awkwardly, exchanging a meaningful look with his cohort. The unusually evasive
response only left me more curious, and I turned in my chair as I waited for
him to continue. It was Captain Alan who eventually spoke.
“That Harrison… He sure
does love Arthur.”
Huh?! Stale and Tiara were as
startled as I was. We knew Captain Harrison from the war, and Arthur had told us a little
about him as well.
“Arthur described him as
a rather strict individual,” Stale said carefully.
That was a nice way of
putting it. To be more accurate, Captain Harrison sounded terrifying, but Stale
clearly didn’t want to offend the captains. The pair smiled stiffly
again.
“Yes, he is,” Captain
Callum said. “And that’s besides the fact that he’s the captain of the Eighth
Squadron, which is built around its members’ merits. He’s always evaluated
people based purely on their skills. That also means that once
he opens up to someone, he has absolute faith in them.”
“So Captain Harrison took
a liking to Arthur because he’s good with a sword?” Stale asked.
That made sense to me. Few others could wield a
blade as Arthur could, even among the knights. I remembered hearing
Captain Callum speak of Captain Harrison’s praise for Arthur on the night of my
sixteenth birthday.
Yet now Captain Callum
merely said, “Yes, that’s part of it.” He then looked at Captain
Alan, clearly unsure if he should continue. I hadn’t expected this to
be such a touchy subject.
Captain Alan forced a grin. “Harrison is really
devoted to Commander Roderick and Vice Commander Clark. He’s loyal to them above
all else.”
That was no surprise either. The knights adored their
commander and vice commander. They were brilliant
knights, after all. Even the taciturn Captain Harrison clearly respected them. The three of us nodded
and waited for the captains to go on.
As though seeking
permission to continue, Captain Alan cast a glance at Captain Callum before he
spoke again. “Harrison is part of the same generation of knights as we are.”
Wow,
what an amazing generation! The year the three of
them joined the royal order must have been a golden age.
“Callum and Harrison
joined the royal order at the youngest possible age the first time they applied
as rookies. I failed
the first year.”
I was a little startled
by Captain Alan’s confession. I could hardly picture
him failing his entrance exam.
“But then I joined the
main forces the same year that Callum did.”
“I was promoted to vice
captain of the First Squadron the year that Callum became a captain. It was the same year that
Harrison joined the main forces.”
Hmmm? Something’s not right here. The math doesn’t add up.
Stale’s face went taut as
he discerned the problem as well. Even Tiara’s brow was
furrowed.
“Of course, Harrison
easily surpassed his current captain the next year. He became captain before I
did. He’s a
real elite to skip straight to the top like Callum.”
Every word only left me
more confused. Captain Alan didn’t seem bothered at all by our reactions, though.
“In other words…Captain
Harrison spent a long time as a rookie knight?” I said as I worked
through the implications.
Stale and Tiara had
reached the same conclusion I had, and the captains confirmed it. I couldn’t quite hide my
shock. Captain
Harrison was universally acknowledged as a talented knight. I hadn’t seen much of his
skills for myself, but I knew that his strength alone was overwhelming. I looked to the captains,
hoping they’d clarify.
“He’s got that unique
personality of his…” Captain Callum said. “During his first battle
in his attempt to join the main forces, he ended up getting himself
disqualified.”
The entrance exam to join
the main forces consisted of a tournament. It was hard to imagine
how Captain Harrison could get himself disqualified from that. I cocked my head, waiting
for an answer.
“He beat up his opponents
way more than he had to,” Captain Alan explained. “Even when they
surrendered or relinquished their swords or lost due to a ruling, Captain
Harrison just kept going. He injured some of them so badly, they couldn’t use a sword for a
while. This
violated the knights’ code, so he wasn’t allowed to join the order despite his
skills… He almost got banned entirely.”
Oh
dear. I can kind
of picture that.
I thought back to the
terrifying stories about Captain Harrison that Arthur had told me, as well as
that bloodcurdling smile he wore throughout the war. Stale nodded as the same
understanding struck him.
Captain Alan chuckled. “Nah, I really thought I
was gonna die too.”
“The vice commander was
the one to recognize Harrison’s skills. He negotiated with
Commander Roderick and got him to petition the other captains on his behalf. They ended up giving
Harrison special permission to join the order. The vice commander
started looking after him and made him join the Eighth Squadron. He even personally
educated Harrison himself.”
Captain Alan had a
dreamy, nostalgic look on his face as he thought back on it. “Harrison started obeying
everything the commander and vice commander asked of him once they defeated him
in sword fights.”
That sounded like the
commander and vice commander I knew. Not only were they good
at taking care of people, but they’d managed to make Captain Harrison yield to
their strength.
“That’s why Harrison is
completely loyal to the commander and vice commander,” Captain Callum said. “And it’s why he cares so
deeply for you, Princess Pride, ever since you saved the commander’s life. As for Arthur, well…”
Hang on, what’s this
about Captain Harrison “caring deeply” for me? We’ve barely even been in
the same room together! I don’t understand why my name’s coming up! And why did he stop
talking all of a sudden?!
Despite my frantic
thoughts, I could kind of see where this was going. Arthur was the commander’s
son—beloved by both his father and the vice commander. There was no way that
Captain Harrison wouldn’t care for him too. Stale and Tiara seemed to
agree; it appeared Arthur was the only one who didn’t realize that the captain
was fond of him.
As though he’d read my
mind, Stale asked, “Does Arthur know how he feels?”
The captains replied in
tandem:
“Harrison really isn’t the
type of man to say how he feels,” Captain Callum added. “But everyone who knew
Harrison back in the day can tell that he looks after Arthur.”
“Sometimes you can read
the guy like a book,” Captain Alan said.
“Arthur doesn’t know?” Stale asked, bewildered.
“To be honest, Arthur is
Harrison’s favorite in the whole royal order,” Captain Alan said.
It’s that extreme?! I couldn’t seem to close
my mouth. It
was like Arthur was Captain Harrison’s favorite child, spoiled in the only way
he knew how.
“That’s true,” Captain
Callum agreed.
I’d never heard any of
this from Arthur himself. He usually talked about Captain Callum, Captain Alan, or Vice Captain
Eric.
“He was in a great mood
when he and Arthur were assigned their first mission together,” Captain Alan
said. “He
fought in perfect form for that one, even though he wasn’t fighting anyone
particularly strong.”
Arthur
had told me that much. They’d found nothing worse
than some petty thieves, but Captain Harrison had roared with laughter as he
beat them all to a pulp. Which was kind of terrifying when I thought about it. A laughing Captain
Harrison sounded even scarier than his usual impassive self.
Oh,
does that mean the part where he beats people to a pulp is normal? I kept my many concerns
to myself, but Captain Alan seemed to sense my confusion.
“Oh, your orders put him
in a good mood too, Your Highness.”
That’s not what I was
hoping to hear at all.
“Aside from combat
situations, how do you know when he’s in a good mood?” Stale asked.
I was wondering the same
thing. If
Captain Harrison was so blatant with his moods, then surely Arthur would pick
up on it.
“He’ll attack his
subordinates more often,” the two captains said simultaneously.
I swayed on my feet. What did they mean, he
attacked his subordinates? At this wild reveal, Tiara’s and Stale’s mouths were agape just like
mine.
“Huh?
Has Arthur
never told you about that?” asked Captain Alan.
Captain Callum ran his
hand through his hair before explaining. Apparently, Captain
Harrison would ambush the members of his Eighth Squadron whenever he spotted
them. The
vice commander had strictly instructed him not to beat them senseless anymore,
but even so, I could see why Arthur was scared of him.
That was when something
struck me. “Wait. I thought you said Arthur
was his favorite?”
I could tell that Captain
Harrison thought very fondly of Arthur, but I didn’t understand how the
captains knew he was the man’s favorite. I sure hoped that
favoritism didn’t play a role in Arthur becoming his vice captain. I thought a promotion to
captain or vice captain only happened once a knight met the requirements for
their specific unit. Then the majority of the captains in the royal order needed to be in
favor. Arthur
had the skills to back up his position, so I didn’t want to believe favoritism
might have played any role in his promotion.
Stale narrowed his eyes;
he must have been thinking the same thing. It was like he’d just been
told that Arthur wasn’t good enough for his position. Even Tiara tilted her head
from side to side in thought. Captain Alan merely
scratched his cheek and smiled at us.
Captain Callum hesitated
before saying, “Harrison had short hair until six years ago, you see.”
“Don’t tell me…” Stale
muttered, his lips curving into a smile.
The captain nodded. “It happened when Arthur
vowed to Princess Pride that he would become a knight. After that, all the
knights wanted to talk about was the two of you. They just didn’t mention
Arthur as much in front of his father, obviously.
“Back then, some of the
knights got drunk and talked about something very frivolous. They wanted to know if
Arthur would have to cut his long hair.” Captain Callum rubbed his
temples as he spoke, as though fighting off a headache.
“It gets in the way
during combat, that’s all,” Captain Alan chimed in. “There aren’t any
regulations about hairstyles, but no knights in the order at the time happened
to have long hair…”
I was starting to understand.
A smile tugged at
my lips. But
the more the captains spoke, the more fragile that smile became.
They explained the
situation as they’d seen it for themselves:
Arthur had appeared
before the knights for the first time six years ago. Every knight who was
serving at the time had witnessed him declare that he would join them. Later, when Arthur
delivered a sword his father left at home, everyone saw him with his hair up
for the first time. At that point, his resemblance to his father was undeniable.
“I’m excited to see him
return to us as a knight.”
“Is he gonna cut it short
like his dad once he’s a knight?”
“Probably.
All that
hair’ll get in the way, and it puts him at a disadvantage in battle.”
“But then he’ll look
exactly like the commander!”
The knights weren’t
trying to be mean; they only worried that if Arthur started looking any more
like his father, he’d be treated like the commander’s son instead of his own
person. That
was when Captain Harrison, who had been with the main forces for about a year
by then, wedged himself into the conversation. He tossed his knife
straight at his fellow knights. They’d barely dodged his
attack when he began to speak.
“Hair length doesn’t matter. I could defeat the likes
of you no matter the length of my hair. What would you have to say
then?”
The usually quiet Captain
Harrison spoke up merely to threaten the knights who’d called long hair a
nuisance. Though
Commander Roderick and Vice Commander Clark had defeated him half a year ago,
everyone knew how strong he was—he was famous within the order for his
terrifying skill. His lethality was common knowledge, even when he was still a rookie. Still, those knights had
never expected their conversation to inspire such rage in him.
“If you want to complain
about Arthur Beresford, then say it once you’ve defeated me.”
Vice Commander Clark had
scolded Captain Harrison after that. The vice commander barely
managed to prevent a brawl from breaking out. Regardless, that was when
Captain Harrison started growing out his hair. He defeated the previous
Eighth Squadron captain within a year and took his place. Captain Harrison never
kept his hair tied up either—he always let it fly around wildly, like he wanted
to make his point every time he was in battle.
He really was
affectionate
toward Arthur. In fact, he was kind of like an overbearing parent.
Compared to Captain
Harrison’s long, unkempt hair, Arthur’s ponytail didn’t seem like much of a
burden. Maybe
Captain Harrison didn’t want Arthur to feel out of place in the royal order…or
maybe it was a reminder to those knights that Captain Harrison would beat them
up if they ever complained about Arthur’s hair again. Either way, that long hair
kept everyone in check. Arthur had always had long hair, but he probably would have cut it the
second a senior knight said anything about it. The fact that his hair
was still long today probably meant no one had commented on it.
Never had I expected a
hairstyle to come with such a complex backstory.
“Harrison never interacts
with others if he can avoid it, but he went out of his way to support Arthur,”
Captain Alan said, smiling at the memory. “All the knights were
really shocked when it happened. He sure loves Arthur, all
right…”
Laughter broke out,
startling me. I found Stale shaking as he tried to tamp down his reaction.
That was kind of
refreshing, given how standoffish he was with everyone else. It helped me understand
just how much Captain Harrison cared about Arthur.
“He resembles the
commander, he’s doted on by the vice commander, and he made a declaration to
protect you, Your Highness,” Captain Callum went on. “He met every requirement
for winning Harrison’s favor before he even became a knight.”
Now I felt a little sad
for Arthur, who probably never realized how much the captain loved him. I said as much, and
Captain Callum explained that Captain Harrison would probably never acknowledge
his feelings out loud.
“He doesn’t have the
personality for that sort of thing,” he told me. “He may be hard to
communicate with, but he’s said all he wants from people is for them to fight
as hard as they can. The only person he wants praise from is the vice commander.”
So he still yearned for
approval from the man who trained him. I was relieved to learn
he had such a human facet to his personality.
“You could say Arthur is
the one person Harrison protects, in a way.”
He protects him, I mused. Captain Callum emphasized
how much Captain Harrison cared about Arthur. It seemed the captain
showed Arthur even more favoritism than Commander Roderick, his own father,
did. Captain
Harrison must have been so happy when Arthur joined his unit and got promoted
to vice captain. Yet
Arthur didn’t have a clue this was going on.
“That being the case, all
the knights agreed that Arthur deserved to be vice captain. It wasn’t just Harrison’s
decision.”
Captain Callum might have
gone on, but a knock at the door interrupted him. Then we heard an
exhausted greeting from none other than Arthur himself. “Sorry I took so long…”
The two captains quieted
immediately and told us not to repeat anything they’d said; they had divulged
way too much information about Captain Harrison’s private life. Only after we’d nodded
our agreement did Jack, my guard, open the door for Arthur.
Somehow, Arthur’s break
had left him even more worn down than before. Mary, my personal maid,
fetched water for him the moment she heard his hoarse voice. Arthur told us that he’d
finally managed to talk to Captain Harrison, but never got a firm answer out of
him.
“So you ran here as soon
as your break was over?” Captain Alan said pityingly.
Judging by Arthur’s limp
state, he hadn’t used his break to rest at all. Concerned, Tiara and I
fanned him with our handkerchiefs. Stale simply sighed.
“He answered my
question…but I just don’t accept it,” Arthur said. “Captain Harrison’s being
his usual self, but still…” He downed a glass of water in one go, then realized
Tiara and I were fanning him. He thanked us, but
hastened to add, “You don’t have to do that! I’m fine!”
“Of course you managed to
get invited to Harrison’s room. What was it like?” Captain Alan asked.
Arthur took a moment to
catch his breath. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘of course.’ It was…totally empty. I’d never seen anyone
with fewer personal items than me.” He chugged a second glass
of water offered by Captain Callum. Slowly, he pushed himself
upright in his chair and sighed. “I just don’t get that
guy at all.”
Arthur clenched his fists. “Next time, I’m gonna
talk to him in a place where he won’t be able to escape!”
Evidently, he had no
intention of giving up until he got the answer he was after.
“What do you think of
Captain Harrison?” Stale said, a twinge of anger in his voice. I found myself leaning
forward, curious to hear the answer.
“He’s really damn scary,”
Arthur replied. “I don’t know what else to think.”
I couldn’t help but
chuckle at that answer. His description added yet another facet to the captain’s character.
“Th-then what do you
think of Captain Harrison’s hair?!” Tiara blurted, abruptly
changing the subject.
Arthur blinked, taken
aback by the sudden shift, but answered swiftly: “I always wonder if it gets in
his way when he’s fighting, but I don’t really think it’s a bad thing… I think
it’s so cool how he can defeat anyone he fights even while having that long
hair. Although,
it’s scary too…”
I wanted to scream. If he’d just say this
directly to the captain, he’d get most of the answers he’d been looking for!
Nevertheless, with Arthur
here, Captain Alan got to take his break. He headed for the
training grounds, but not before smiling at Arthur’s repeated sighing over
Captain Harrison. Giving Arthur a pat on the back, he said, “Don’t think about it too
much.”
I relaxed a little. If Captain Alan—who knew
what Arthur wanted to ask Captain Harrison—could be so casual, the situation
must have been under control. Arthur still seemed
troubled during his shift, but I hoped that he would someday be able to forge a
friendly relationship with Captain Harrison, just like he had with the other
knights.
Interlude:
Visit from the Working Princess
“AH, THEY’RE finally here.”
I chuckled softly to myself. I’d been passing by a
window when I happened to see a carriage rolling up. My lips curled into a
smile; they’d arrived exactly on time. Although this was just
another one of our monthly visits, I’d been awaiting it oh-so-eagerly. All day, my entire being
had thrummed with anticipation.
Humming cheerfully, I
watched the carriage approach, until a guard ran in from outside and called
out, “Prince Leon!” The guard got on one knee and delivered the news. “The carriage from
Freesia has just arrived!”
I knew this, of course,
but smiled again. “I see,” I replied, thanking the guard. “I’ll be there shortly.”
I strode to the front
doors with an envoy of guards clustered around me. A pleasant breeze blew in
from the windows, brushing against my long eyelashes. I closed my eyes and took
a deep breath of the fresh air from outside.
“Such great sailing
weather today.”
I gazed out of the castle
window at the peaceful scenery of Anemone. The Freesian carriage
trundled up to the castle, but my thoughts had already turned to the harbor and
the state of today’s trades.
“Leon!
Thanks for
coming out to greet us. I
really missed you.”
Leon was waiting for us
when we exited our carriage for our monthly visit to Anemone. It was the first time I’d
gotten to see him since the war.
“Thank you for having us
over today, Prince Leon!” Tiara said with a curtsy.
Stale had remained home,
assisting Uncle Vest like usual, but Tiara had agreed to accompany me on the
trip. Leon
flashed his customary charming smile when we greeted him.
“I’ve missed you too,
Pride,” he said. “And I’m so pleased to have you here with us, Tiara.”
Leon kissed the backs of
our hands. He
radiated a casual sensuality that had heat creeping into my face the moment he
drew near. I
glanced over and found Tiara blushing as well, pressing her lips together. The ever-beautiful and
alluring Leon was a force to be reckoned with.
Our greetings complete,
Leon turned gracefully to the people behind me. “Alan, Callum, I welcome
you both to Anemone as well.”
Captain Callum and
Captain Alan straightened when the prince directed his charming smile to them,
and they bowed in return. As they met more frequently, Leon had begun to call the two captains by
their first names alone; the same went for Arthur and Vice Captain Eric. He still took care to
speak formally during official business, and the knights themselves never
wavered from their strict manner of address.
Compared to these skilled
communicators, I felt guilty for keeping the knights somewhat at arm’s
length—aside from Arthur, that is. I mean, they were
famous
captains and vice captains of the royal order. Then again, I was a
princess and Arthur was a vice captain himself now, yet I still spoke with him
like he was my friend.
“Thank you for everything
during the war,” I said. “I meant to tell you that a lot sooner.”
“Don’t worry about that,”
Leon replied. “I only did what was natural as your kingdom’s ally and as your sworn
friend.”
With that, Leon showed us
inside to the parlor. He smiled kindly and reminded me that I had thanked him already in
Hanazuo. Once
we were all seated, he had his servants bring in black tea for everyone.
“But Anemone successfully
guarded the gate into the country,” I said. “You saved the lives of
many civilians, and you even supplied us with weapons. The United Hanazuo
Kingdom and Freesia can’t thank you enough.”
“It warms me to hear you
praise us so. You’ll be sure to come to me if you ever need anything else, right?” Leon’s jade-green eyes
shimmered as he tilted his head to confirm.
“Yes, of course,” I
replied automatically, too overwhelmed by his mere presence to think on my
feet.
He stuck his pinkie out
toward me. “It’s a
promise, okay?”
His playful smile had me
bewitched. Leon’s
sensuality enveloped me like a rose-scented shawl. Tiara and I both swallowed
hard and blushed. Why are you being hot in a moment like this?! We helplessly nodded over
and over in response to his request.
His smile relaxed into
one of usual charm, and the conversation turned toward milder topics. We spent our time
catching up on each other’s lives, and I invited him to our upcoming victory
banquet, but it turned out he would be unable to attend. My shoulders slouched
with disappointment, so Leon quickly placed his teacup on the table and changed
the subject.
“What shall we do today?” he
asked. “If
you’d like more tea, I have plenty of rare delicacies we could pair with it. We could also head to the
harbor and see the ships, or visit the newest shop opening up in town.”
All the lovely suggestions
left Tiara and I gulping again. During these visits, Leon
always served us unique food and treats or escorted us to some special event in
town. I could never
get enough. Trying
to settle on just one of the wonderful plans that Leon had laid out was a fun
time in itself.
“What should we do?!” Tiara asked, delighted.
As I weighed our options,
I caught Leon grinning at us. “If you have the time, we
could do them all,” he suggested.
I suspected he would have
loved anything we chose. Once, we’d asked if we could do everything he proposed and spent the
entire day traveling around, taking in all of the sights he wanted to share.
“What’s the new shop
that’s opening?” I asked.
It must have been
incredible if Leon selected it for us to visit. The last place he’d
suggested was a refurbished tea shop catering to the nobility. When we ended up going
there ourselves, the selection of foreign, imported teas had enchanted us. If this world had
guidebooks, that shop would have been worth an entire page. So, suffice to say I was
eager to hear about this new shop as well. Tiara watched Leon with
eager anticipation.
“It’s just a small place,”
Leon said. “From
what I’ve heard, they sell clothing inspired by foreign cultures. The young women here are
eager to see all their unusual designs.”
Foreign clothing! Tiara and I met each
other’s wide eyes. We wore whatever dresses were prepared for us each day; the idea of
something from another country immediately excited us. Leon described it as an
Anemonian shop that modeled its clothes after foreign cultures, which only made
me more curious about what unique flair the outfits might offer. I can’t wait to see!
“I’d love to go!” Tiara cried, and I nodded my head eagerly beside her.
We arrived at the shop
just as customers started to stream in. The Anemonian knights
explained our situation and asked the staff to temporarily close shop…or
rather, to let us reserve the place. I felt bad about
interrupting their opening day, but Leon told us the staff were pleased to have
royalty from Anemone and Freesia in their shop, as it was sure to lead to more
business. I
remembered how, in my past life, a visit from a celebrity usually led to long
lines at stores the next day. But I still felt I needed
to buy something to fully take advantage of this opportunity. As Leon had said, the
shop was small compared to other establishments in the royal capital—but even
from the window of the carriage, I could make out the adorable pink roof
accented with lace. It made the entire place look like a stylish cupcake instead of a
store.
“Is there anything you’d
like to buy, Pride? Perhaps a hat or a dress?” asked Leon.
I wanted to at least look
at dresses while we were here, but now that I really thought about it,
accessories sounded lovely too. More than anything, I
wanted to pick out some clothes for the much-more-adorable Tiara.
“Does that mean I can
choose anything I like for you?” Leon
said. “Giving
you a dress as a present might not be appropriate, but I hope you’ll at least
let me choose one.”
Oh! Leon has great fashion sense. Having
him pick something out will be really helpful! In all honesty, my scary
last-boss face made it hard for me to tell which clothes suited me. It was a relief to have
someone else do it for me, especially someone as stylish as Leon. He beamed when I told him
I would love that.
“Big Sister! Prince
Leon! It
looks like they’re ready for us! Come on, let’s get going!” Tiara said. She tugged on our hands and grinned.
Leon and I exchanged smiles. Seeing Tiara this excited
was a treat on its own.
But the moment she
dragged us into the store, I gasped. The entire place was a
sea of pink, ribbons, and frilly lace. It reminded me of the
“Lolita” fashion style from my past life. The dresses were akin to
clouds of cotton candy, nothing at all like what Tiara and I normally wore. My eyes sparkled, and a
blush rose to Tiara’s cheeks as she clutched at her chest and relished in the
dresses on display. These
outfits would definitely
look good on
Tiara. The
shop was practically made for her.
My sister ran full speed
toward the white and light-colored dresses. I joined her, soaking up
her joy as she rifled through fluffy garments unlike anything we donned in our
day-to-day. She handed me what resembled a furry Russian hat with rabbit ears on
top.
“We could buy two of
these and match!” she
exclaimed.
She was so adorable, and
I loved the idea of matching with her…but I couldn’t pull off this hat the way
she could. We
both tried them on regardless, standing in front of the mirror together. It was as though I were
visiting an amusement park in my past life. Tiara made a perfect
bunny princess, but I looked like a tourist who’d picked a random souvenir.
“You look so cute, Big
Sister!”
I considered buying the
hat just to use it like a fluffy plush doll. That was when I looked
behind us in the mirror and caught Captain Callum and Captain Alan blushing and
covering their mouths. When I whirled around, they immediately averted their eyes and started
whispering frantically to each other.
“Alan!
Are you hanging in
there?!” Captain Callum
asked.
“No
way! I can’t do this!” Captain Alan said.
From what I could make
out, it sounded like they were painfully embarrassed by the sight of me wearing
bunny ears. I quietly returned the hat to its shelf and moved on before my own
blush reached my face.
“You’re not getting it? But it looked so good on
you,” Leon said, his gaze sliding from me to the hat. He seemed sad, but I
hadn’t even realized he’d been watching us try them on. I offered him a vague
excuse, and Leon responded by bringing me a frilly pink dress. “How about this, then?”
Pink?! And so lacy too! A giant bow sat on the
hip, like the dress was a birthday present. I let out an involuntary,
“Huh?!”
“I’ve noticed you don’t
have many girly dresses like this one, Pride. It seems like a waste,
since I can’t picture anything that wouldn’t suit you. Here, you’d look lovely
if you wore a bow in your hair.”
While I floundered, Leon
returned with a gigantic pink bow that looked like something a child would
draw. I’ve only seen bows like that on the walls of kindergartens! I was scrounging for the
words to refuse when Tiara joined in, insisting that it would be so cute on me.
“There’s a fitting room
over there,” Leon told me. “Why not try it on and see?”
So pushy! Leon had used my idle
moment of panic to place the giant bow on the top of my head. I was dying of
embarrassment as I squeaked out feeble protests. “But…this is…!” I looked like a little
kid in elementary school. Just having a bow on my head was mortifying enough—adding a dress with a bow would surely
kill me.
Leon noticed my distress. “What’s the matter?”
I peered up at him, the
bow still on my head and a furious heat in my cheeks. “I’m…I’m embarrassed…
Please don’t make me…”
I couldn’t find any
better words. My
plea was like a child’s. I knew my face had to be bright red at this point. Leon’s jade-green eyes
went wide—maybe he was surprised that I’d rejected his taste in clothing. Then a blush burned in his
face as well.
“Leon?!”
I yelped
louder than I intended.
He must have been really
confident in his choice if this rejection was so hard on him. Leon covered his mouth
and turned away from me. I grabbed the ribbon and held it to my head before it could fall, but
Leon wouldn’t look at me. Although I couldn’t figure out why, I realized I could seize this
moment to sneak the giant bow back onto the shelf.
Unfortunately, I
struggled to reach it. Captain Callum had to take the bow and return it for me—and that was
when I noticed his face was red, his eyes unfocused. Even Captain Alan had
broken out into a full-body blush. He stared at me in a daze. He must have been
embarrassed to see his princess wearing something so childish. But hey, this thing
wasn’t my first choice either!
“S-sorry, Pride. I was just teasing, but I went too far,” Leon said once he recovered
from his shock. Pink lingered in his pale face. “I really did think it
would look good on you,” he added while returning the dress to its shelf. I was glad that it was
mostly a joke, or else I would have felt guilty for upsetting him so much.
Thankfully, Leon went a
different direction with his next choice. Not only was it a nice
style, but it came with a matching hair ornament. I loved it at first sight. It was the sort of girly
design I never wore, but chic at the same time. When I thanked Leon and
accepted the dress from him, he scratched at his cheek, blushing and smiling. Perhaps he was still
embarrassed over my previous rejection. But a moment later, he
flashed that bewitching smile of his and said, “I look forward to seeing you
try it on.” Even that simple statement was enough to have blood rushing back into
my face.
A
loud thud sounded behind me. I spun and found the
unfortunate female employee of the store suffering the impacts of Leon’s
allure. I
could certainly understand her.
Tiara hopped over and
cheered, “It’s like that dress was made for you, Big Sister!”
I couldn’t help but be
excited after the previous choice. I held the dress up to my
body and asked the two captains if it looked all right. The knights blushed even
redder in response.
“I think it quite suits you!” Captain Callum told me.
“It’s cute, yes!” Captain Alan said.
They’d replied
simultaneously. I wondered if they were trying so hard to praise me because this dress
was much better than the previous one. It wasn’t the kind of
dress I could wear to formal events, but I decided it would be nice to have for
a special occasion someday. I really did love it.
Tiara purchased three
dresses for herself—one of them being the same one I was buying, only in a
different colorway. “Let’s wear them together!” she said, and my heart
skipped a beat.
Leon made one last purchase. He bought the bunny-ear
hats as presents for Tiara and me to take home. I was actually a little
excited about this, but I tried not to let it show. I didn’t mind taking it
home if it was a gift, and I really did think it would make a cute stuffed
animal. Tiara
and I both hugged our hats like plushies, even though it felt rude not to use
the gifts as intended.
The prince smiled shyly
when we thanked him. Tiara’s grin had clearly done him in.
We returned to the
Anemonian castle and spent the rest of our time together having tea. Leon chose some rare
sweets to accompany the drinks. Then, when it was time to
leave, he escorted us to our carriage. He held his hand out to
help me up, but I stopped him. Tiara and I climbed into
the carriage ourselves, then pulled out something sitting next to the pile of
clothes we’d bought. There would be no hiding these, so I called him over to see what we
had. Tiara
and I reemerged from the carriage, clutching the gifts in our hands.
They were two massive
bouquets of Freesian flowers.
Captain Callum and
Captain Alan helped me alight safely, given that my hands were occupied. When I searched for Leon,
I found him blinking at me with wide eyes. I smiled and approached
with Tiara at my side. A breeze brushed past us, scattering a few purple petals through the
air.
“Thank you so much for
coming to our rescue, Leon,” I said. “It’s not much, but I hope
this will help express our gratitude.”
“Big Sister selected the
flowers herself!” Tiara added.
Leon’s mouth fell open. “She
did?”
“I really, really wanted to thank you in a formal way, and these just happened to be
blooming in the garden when I was thinking about it,” I said.
I’d come up with other
options too, but once I saw those flowers, my mind was made up. Leon might not remember,
but he’d taken a liking to these particular flowers when I showed him around
the garden on his first trip to Freesia. Now, his jade eyes wavered
with emotion. He gazed at me with a look of pure affection.
The prince approached us,
a gentle smile spread across his lips. “You…remembered?” His voice was so quiet, the wind nearly stole his words away.
“Of course,” I replied
with a smile of my own. “It’s a precious memory we share!”
And to think I was worried he wouldn’t remember. I could never forget my
first meeting with Leon, before we became sworn friends and he risked so much
to come to our rescue in the war. His first visit to
Freesia had been three days of pain for him, but I still thought of it as the
reason we became such good friends in the first place, and that made it
precious.
At my response, tears
shimmered in Leon’s eyes. He pressed his lips together into a hard line and brought his hand to
his chest, squeezing his shirt. Then he reached out and
gently took the bouquet from me. It was large and heavy,
but he handled it with great care, like it was delicate enough to collapse from
his touch. The
purple flower petals rustled as I turned it over to him.
Tiara presented him with
a bouquet of her own. Clutching the purple bouquet under one arm, he accepted her offering of
blue and white flowers. They were the same kind of flowers as the ones I’d given him, just in
different colors. The petals’ delicate shape resembled someone spreading their arms wide
in joy. The
castle gardens also contained red flowers of the same variety, but Tiara and I
had asked the gardener to pick these in particular, since we felt they suited
Leon best.
Leon’s face flushed pink
as he took in the sight of the bouquets under each arm. “I’m so happy. Yes, these are beautiful
flowers indeed…”
He pressed his face into
the flowers and breathed deeply. He was like a living
painting in that moment, and Tiara and I couldn’t help but smile when we saw
him so happy. Unfortunately, it was time to say our goodbyes for real and get into
the carriage.
“Until next time, Leon,” I
said. “Thank
you for all you did today. It was so much fun! I’ll be looking forward
to our next visit.”
“Hang
on!” he said,
jerking his head up.
He passed the bouquets
gently to his knights, plucked one flower from each, and approached the
carriage. Then
he took my hand and escorted me inside. Once I was seated, he
tucked the purple flower into my hair.
“Yes, flowers truly do
suit you,” he said. “I’ve fallen even more in love with this flower now.”
With his cheeks flushed,
his smile was more captivating than ever. My face heated as the
full force of his allure hit me.
“Thank you for the lovely
gifts,” he murmured, his voice tickling my ears.
Leon helped Tiara into
the carriage next and placed one of the white flowers in her hair. The shy smile on her face
gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
“I’ll take good care of
your flowers,” Leon told us. “Next time, I’ll be the
one to come and visit you two.”
With a charming grin, he
took the bouquets under his arms again, raised his hand, and waved goodbye. He kept waving until our
carriage was completely out of sight.
A sigh escaped me once
their carriage disappeared from view. “What an incredible time…”
Pride made me so happy
whenever she came to visit my kingdom. She listened to me speak
with such enthusiasm and enjoyed her time in my beloved country with all her
heart. Her
love for Anemone filled me with incomparable bliss. Today was my first time
going to a clothing store with a woman, and I never expected it to be so much
fun. I
would never forget her adorable embarrassment when she wore that funny hat, or
how she placed it back on the shelf like she couldn’t stand to admit she liked
it. She
didn’t hold herself like stiff royalty, instead switching from joy to fear and
back again like the common people. It spurred me on to
embarrass her even more, just to tease out more of those earnest reactions. Which was probably the
first time I’d teased anyone like that and had such fun doing it.
Truly, every item in that
entire store would’ve looked good on her. She would have been
adorable in the dress with the bow, as much as it flustered her. If only I could’ve gazed
at that shy, blushing princess with a bow atop her head forever.
“I’m…I’m embarrassed…
Please don’t make me…”
I didn’t expect that
counterattack. My heart almost stopped when she said such things in her sweet voice. Just thinking back on it
had my pulse racing all over again. She was just so, so cute… If only I’d made her try on that dress.
She was pleased with the
second dress I selected, and I learned for the first time how nice it was to
have her agree with my choice in clothing. It made me want to buy
her new things on a daily basis.
And after all that, she’d
left me a physical reminder of her visit before heading home.
I clutched the purple
bouquet to my chest, then looked to the blue and white flowers my knight was
carrying for me. I
sighed once again.
I’d only
wanted to help her as her sworn friend—that was why I joined her cause in the
war. My beloved Anemone was proud to come to Freesia’s aid, which made the
choice easy. But now
that Pride had given me such a wonderful present to thank me, it felt like I’d
received the ultimate blessing. Every act of giving and receiving had me over the moon when it came to
her.
“It’s a precious memory
we share!”
With those lips—and that
smile that bloomed like a flower—she had called that day a “precious memory.” Back when we first met,
I’d arrived in Freesia as her fiancé. Yet even when she
discovered that my feelings for her weren’t true, she continued to get closer
to me. Those
kinds of memories should have brought her discomfort. I could hardly believe
she’d think back on that time and remember anything positive, let alone such a
tiny, tiny detail. Still, it had filled me with joy when she described that small moment
as a “precious memory.”
“I’m truly no match for
Pride,” I said with a dry chuckle. I was positively tickled.
I took Tiara’s bouquet
back from my knight so I could carry both myself. Servants opened the castle
door for us. Once we were inside, my maids complimented the lovely bouquets.
“These flowers are very
important,” I said. “Please display them in my room. I’ll be heading to the
harbor now.”
I gingerly handed over
the bouquets. Unwilling as I was to relinquish them, I still had work to attend to. I shot a parting look at
the bouquets…and noticed a card stuck in one of them. It barely peeked out
between the stems and the wrapper. I plucked it free and
found the words “To Leon” written there in Pride’s handwriting. I stopped, startled, and
opened the card right then and there. I couldn’t believe it. Neither of the princesses
had mentioned this.
Her lovely handwriting
flowed across the card. My face warmed as I took in her kind words, and I realized with great
embarrassment that my maids were watching.
“In flower language,
purple flowers mean ‘I wait with faith in you.’ I’m looking forward to the
many more times we meet.”
Those words, of all things. This timing, of all times.
One year ago—no, it was
closer to two now—Pride had explained the meaning of those flowers to me. She was intelligent and
knew all kinds of things about plants, including how to grow them, the seasons
in which they bloomed, tales that involved them…and even their individual
meanings.
Regardless, I never
would’ve imagined she’d put such thoughtful attention behind the flowers she
gave me. I simply thought she picked out ones she knew I liked. Now I burned with shame
for having sent her home with one of those flowers tucked into her hair, given
their true meaning. She’d told me their meaning before, but I didn’t think she’d read my
true intentions so easily.
Purple flowers with
jade-green stems, the colors of our eyes in one harmonic embrace.
These were the flowers
I’d praised in the garden with her. Their color came from the
two of us. It
started to feel like destiny was at work here, which only made me love these
flowers all the more intensely.
I hurried back to my
carriage. Emotion
welled up inside me, clogging my throat with so many words, I couldn’t contain
them.
Wait for me too. I’ll be with you as many times as you let me. I’ll run to you, if that’s
what you want.
My beloved Anemone and I
will always be there for you.
“The carriage has arrived
at the castle, Princess Pride.”
A month had passed since
the war in the United Hanazuo Kingdom. Jack, my guard, alerted me
that our visitors were here. I stopped sorting through
my letters, then hurried out of the room with Tiara beside me and Arthur
leading three other knights at my back.
Two weeks ago, Vice
Captain Eric had made a full recovery and returned to work. Thus began Captain Alan
and Captain Callum’s month-long suspension. Commander Roderick and
Mother had reduced the captains’ punishment so that Stale, Tiara, and I could
be properly protected. They weren’t going to be demoted after the suspensions either. Mother said their futures
were in their own hands, but I wasn’t sure if this was a happy ending or not.
Then, on the night their
suspensions were set to begin…
“Farewell, Princess Pride. We’re terribly sorry for
the inconvenience.”
Captain Alan and Captain
Callum had emphasized that this would only last a month and that these men were
just replacements. I only hoped that meant what I wanted it to mean. And while I yearned to ask
them directly, it would’ve been wrong to guilt-trip them into staying in the
order just because I wanted it. Thus, I never pushed them
to reveal their intentions for after their suspensions ended, and the next two
weeks had dragged on interminably.
At least Vice Captain
Eric was back. Tiara and I had welcomed him with genuine joy when he showed up for his
first imperial guard shift. His face flushed red the moment we rushed up to him in our excitement. Perhaps he’d been
startled by Tiara’s presence, or maybe the combined welcome of two princesses
made him feel out of place. Arthur had touched his shoulder when they switched shifts, so I knew
Vice Captain Eric wasn’t flushing because he was sick.
For now, Vice Captain
Eric or Arthur worked every shift, with the fourteen other knights rotating as
needed. Stale
had explained that two knights weren’t nearly enough to replace the two
captains, and Commander Roderick agreed, so a few served each shift. It made me feel kind of
awkward to monopolize so many knights for myself, but I couldn’t let myself
dwell on it. I had to be more protective of myself.
My convoy of guards had
changed constantly over the past two weeks, and today we expected Hanazuo’s
representatives to make their first formal visit as our new allies. We’d planned a lively
party in the castle tonight to celebrate our newfound friendship and the end of
the war.
As I watched, the carriage
from Hanazuo arrived at last.
“Tiara, are you all right?!” I asked. I’d been whispering with
her as we walked, but Tiara had suddenly stiffened.
“Yes!”
she
squeaked, and I chuckled at the cute reaction. She was obviously nervous
as she stuttered out, “I-I’m fine!” The way she squeezed my
hand only emphasized this.
Stale was waiting for us
by the front doors, since Uncle Vest had left him in charge of escorting our
guests. The
three of us stepped outside just as the carriage came to a stop in front of the
castle. Servants
and guards exited from another carriage first, then opened the doors for the
royal family. The leaders of the United Hanazuo Kingdom stepped out of their
respective carriages.
Yohan Linne Dwight, the
king of Chinensis. Lance Silva Lowell, the king of Cercis.
They greeted me with
smiles the moment they spotted me. I returned the warm
welcome as another figure emerged from behind King Lance. Having exchanged letters
about this visit in advance, Tiara, Stale, and I all knew he would be coming.
Unlike his previous
visit, Cedric had brought the kings along with him—as well as a large group of
palace officials, including the seneschals. At a glance, I could tell
he was wearing fewer accessories than usual. He met our gazes,
returned our greetings calmly, and took his place behind the kings.
“The royal prince, Cedric
Silva Lowell.”
In the letters, he’d been
referred to as the “royal prince” instead of the second-born prince. That alone was enough to
reveal a profound change in Cedric.
The knights made space for
King Lance, King Yohan, and Cedric to approach us.
“It’s been too long,
Princess Pride,” King Lance said.
“Lance and I have been
eager to see you again,” King Yohan said.
The kings nodded to me,
then to Stale and Tiara. We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
After that, Cedric
stepped forward. His golden hair fluttered in the wind, but he’d brushed back that
lion’s mane, taming it somewhat. Most of his jewelry was gone.
Cedric had
dressed formally for the visit, of course, but he no longer jangled with each
step. The
finger with the ring he’d given me remained unadorned, as did the earlobe with
the earring he’d given Tiara. The effect was mature and
masculine, which made him even more handsome than usual.
“It’s been quite some
time since we last saw each other, Princess Pride,” he said. “I do hope you’ve been
faring well. My brothers and I are most honored to receive your invitation.”
My head throbbed by the
time I returned to my room. Arthur and the other
knights remained outside my chambers with Jack so I could change for tonight’s
party, but I was too busy pondering Cedric’s strange behavior. Cedric had come to visit
alongside the kings, but as soon as he opened his mouth, I knew there was
something odd about him.
By contrast, the kings
acted perfectly normal. They greeted my mother, the queen, then discussed some conditions of
our alliance. The United Hanazuo Kingdom planned to open its borders to Freesia
within a year, and they’d already begun preparations for the trade of their
minerals and gold. King Lance and King Yohan went even further, informing us that both
resources would be available for trade with Anemone as thanks for their help in
the war.
Hanazuo had already been
planning to open its borders, with Cercis’s harbor set to become a trade route
in the near future. Most countries surrounding the United Hanazuo Kingdom were under
Rajah’s control, so traveling by ship rather than by wagon was essential for
trade. I
suspected their connections with other countries would gradually increase once
they began trading with Anemone and Freesia. Mother also told the kings
that, as our allies, she would gladly help them establish new trading partners.
During the entire
meeting, Cedric never said a word other than his initial greeting. He sat quietly from start
to finish—perfectly mature and composed. When King Lance and King
Yohan were shown into and out of the room, he stayed right on their heels,
never making the slightest disturbance.
I had to presume he was
preparing for the party tonight and resting from his long journey, but my worry
lingered. Knowing
Cedric, I’d expected him to try to approach Tiara as soon as he saw her. It was more frightening
than reassuring that he didn’t. Not that it was a bad
thing, of course! I just felt a bit sad that he was treating Tiara and me like strangers
after only one month apart.
I glanced out the window
before Mary and Lotte, my personal maids, could close the curtains and begin
preparing for the party. Outside, the gardens sprawled and dazzled, the plants in full bloom. Brilliant bursts of color
decorated the foliage in splashes of red, blue, pink…and gold?
At that involuntary
reaction, Lotte worriedly asked me if anything was wrong. I was too distracted to
answer. Instead,
I stared out the window, following that streak of gold. At first, I thought it
must be King Lance, but I was wrong. It was Cedric on his way
to the garden.
Why in the world would he
be visiting the garden? Whatever the case, I couldn’t waste this opportunity. When I asked, Mary said I
could push back my plans to get ready by half an hour or so and still make it
to the party in time.
I spotted him the moment
I set foot in the garden. Of course, it helped that I knew exactly where he’d be.
When he saw me
approaching, Cedric’s eyes went wide. “Princess Pride…”
I could never forget this
place. This
was where we’d found each other a month ago. He’d grabbed me, I’d
kicked him, and Tiara had thrown knives to keep him in check. We were both a mess by
the end of it. I knew Cedric’s perfect memory would lead him here. Besides, he had guards,
soldiers, and our own palace’s guards with him, so it wasn’t like he was trying
to sneak out quietly.
Arthur hurried
protectively to my side, obviously wary given my past run-ins with Cedric. The other knights were on
high alert too. Not that it came as a surprise.
“Sorry to bother you,” I
said. “I
just happened to see you coming to the garden from my room.”
“You came here last month,
didn’t you?” I asked, gaze sweeping across the garden. “What is it about this
place that draws you here?”
Cedric studied a nearby
flower rather than meeting my eyes. “I see these flowers a
lot at this time of year in Hanazuo,” he said. “I spotted them from my
room last time I was here.”
Now that he mentioned it,
I’d seen flowers like this in Cercis—the pretty little ones with the large
yellow petals. The room we’d prepared for him last time he was here would have given
him a perfect view of those. Meanwhile, Tiara and I
were probably hidden by the trees when we came out that day. I could imagine the Cedric
from back then, ducking into the bushes to avoid drawing any attention. Tiara and I just so
happened to be settling down for a nap in that very same spot.
“I feel much more at ease
when I’m around things from my homeland,” Cedric added. He noted that the palace
guards and his brothers had given him permission to visit the garden, so
perhaps they’d noticed that he was feeling anxious about something and wanted
to give him an opportunity to go calm down.
“Cedric, you’re acting so
different,” I said. “Did
something happen?”
I met his fiery gaze,
searching for a clue. At first, his eyes widened in shock, and then a blush stole into his
cheeks. The
change came over him so quickly that I worried he had a fever or something; I
couldn’t help but stare.
When Cedric caught
himself, he clapped his hands over his face and turned away. I called out to him in
concern, but he only said, “M-my apologies!”
What was I supposed to
make of all this? At least he wasn’t being so serious anymore. Cedric was much easier to
read when he was upset about something.
Slowly, he turned back to
me, pink lingering in his cheeks. He took a shaky breath as
he lowered his hands. “I don’t want any untoward rumors about the two of us to spread if
we’re seen in a place like this,” Cedric said. “May I ask that we
continue this conversation tonight, during the victory celebration? I apologize if this
causes you any inconvenience.”
His request was perfectly
polite and reasonable. He was right—this wasn’t a good place to talk. Even with guards around,
meeting alone in an empty garden could spark nasty rumors. Not that any of that
explained Cedric’s odd behavior. This wasn’t a formal
meeting, so why wouldn’t he just speak to me normally?
“Very well,” I said. “I’m
sorry. Oh, but
may I say one thing?”
I didn’t mind if there
were things he couldn’t say here, since we’d agreed to talk during the party. I had to go get ready anyway.
But first, I
needed to make one thing clear. I stepped closer, stood
on my tiptoes, and brought my lips to his ear. Seeming to understand,
Cedric bent down so that I could reach him. At this distance, I was
tempted to tug on his ear, but I resisted and whispered sternly instead.
“I don’t care how you treat
me, but don’t be cold to Tiara at the party. It’s only been a month
since you said those sweet things to her, so you’d better act accordingly!”
As Tiara’s big sister, it
was my duty to scold Cedric and make sure he didn’t do anything to hurt her. At my words, Cedric’s
whole face burned red. I just barely stopped myself from crying, “Oopsie!” Despite my intentions,
this whole thing had taken on a silly rather than serious note.
Cedric pressed a hand
over his mouth, but even his hand was
turning scarlet. Reaching his boiling point, he stumbled backward.
Arthur slipped between us
and cried, “Everything all right, Princess Pride?!”
He and the knights
couldn’t have overheard me, but Cedric’s reaction must have scared them. My jaw dropped, and I
struggled to come up with an explanation. Even in the game, I’d
never seen Cedric blush so hard. What on earth had
happened to him over the past month?
“I-I understand,” Cedric
stammered. “I
thank you for your concern. Now if you’ll excuse me,
I’ll be on my way.”
He said a hasty goodbye
to me, then to my entourage, before rushing out of the garden. I suddenly felt bad that
I’d interrupted his alone time.
“Did Prince Cedric do
something to you, Your Highness?” Arthur asked me. His eyes were as wide as saucers. I couldn’t blame him,
given how flustered Cedric had been.
“I just gave him a little
warning.” I
brushed off the topic, telling him I wanted to go prepare for the party. I certainly couldn’t tell
Arthur that it was Tiara who’d truly caused Cedric’s reaction. Tiara and I were the only
ones who knew about his confession. At least I’d confirmed
that Cedric wasn’t mad at me and that he hadn’t forgotten what he told her. I would have to pry the
rest out of him during the victory celebration.
Before leaving the
garden, I took one last glance at the flowers Cedric had come here to see. With his perfect memory,
it was no wonder Cedric had sought out a connection with Hanazuo even here in
our castle. It came in the form of these cute, yellow flowers, a precious thing
that let Cedric feel closer to home even when he was far away. Thanks to his abilities,
he could spot even the smallest similarities between these flowers and the ones
he had back home.
What would have happened
if he’d never spotted these flowers from his room? Perhaps that incident
that had caused so many problems never would have occurred. If only he hadn’t found
these flowers, and the trees and bushes around them that allowed him to hide,
Cedric and I never would have fought. Tiara might not have come
to despise him either. But
at the same time…
“They’re such lovely
flowers,” I murmured.
I grazed the flower petals
with my fingertips, enjoying the delicate softness against my skin. I should have predicted
Cedric’s recklessness and put a stop to it before he made things worse, but I
hadn’t, and we all had no choice but to move forward.
With that thought in
mind, I finally left the garden. Judging by Cedric’s
reaction to my words, things would probably remain peaceful for a while. I hummed a little tune to
myself, filled with relief.
One month ago, Freesia
had joined a defensive war in the United Hanazuo Kingdom. Today, the castle bustled
with activity as we held a joyful banquet to celebrate our victory and our new
alliance. Roughly
half the knights who’d fought in the war gathered at the banquet. The Freesian royal
family, palace officials, and guests from Hanazuo mingled with one another,
turning the event into a lively celebration.
We had invited Anemone to
join as well, since they’d aided us in the war, but Leon had politely declined
during my last visit to Anemone. “I don’t
need any repayment. I want to prove that we’ll come to your aid without
getting anything in return,” he’d told me. My disappointment only deepened when Captain Alan and Captain Callum
couldn’t attend either due to their suspensions.
Regardless, Mother led us
all in a toast. We had to greet every guest at the beginning of the party, but I
eventually managed to find a little time to myself amid the commotion. I’d greeted King Lance,
King Yohan, and Cedric, but only in an official capacity. Once I finished welcoming
Commander Roderick and the other officers, I turned my attention toward Cedric.
Stale and
Tiara were still tied up with official business.
I’d glanced in Cedric’s
direction many times throughout the night and always found him engaged in
conversation with Freesian officials. Both men and women spent
lots of time talking to him. Perhaps he was that good
a conversationalist.
“Prince Cedric, may I
have a moment?” I said.
The person he’d been
chatting with graciously stepped aside when I approached. I felt bad about barging
in on his conversation, but I couldn’t let the party end without talking to
him. Cedric
turned toward me, a glass clutched in his hand. His face was already
twitching, but he smiled politely and tried to stuff down his anxiety.
“Let’s go over to a wall
to speak more privately,” I told him.
Cedric’s looks would
definitely make him stand out if we lingered in the center of the ballroom for
a long chat—especially since we’d already greeted each other twice now. I suggested we stay away
from the crowds; Cedric agreed and led me toward the edge of the party. He found a spot away from
Mother and the palace officials. Most of the people
closest to us now were knights. Still, Cedric made sure
to position us so it didn’t look like we were being wallflowers.
Vice Captain Eric
happened to be nearby, and I gave him a small wave. He blinked with surprise
at seeing two members of royalty amid the knights. The vice captain blushed
nervously, but thankfully he realized that I was trying to be discreet, so he
merely nodded and didn’t mention the oddity.
At last, Cedric and I
could have a real conversation. I held up my
not-yet-empty glass and met his eyes. He swallowed so hard his
throat bobbed, tension written all over his face.
“Thank you for waiting
for a better venue for this chat,” he said. “Allow me to apologize
for earlier.”
“Enough of that already,”
I snapped. “Talk
to me like you used to. Why are you pulling away from me? We’ve only been apart for
a month.” I
dove straight to the heart of the matter, ignoring his stiff facade.
“But I…” He trailed off,
then took a deep breath. “I…mastered manners and etiquette.”
Despite the noise of the
crowd and the distance between us, Cedric was near whispering. I leaned in closer,
straining to catch his quiet admission. When I finally processed
it, I replied, “That’s incredible.” It had only been a month,
and I knew he was starting from close to zero. This was no small feat;
he really was a prodigy, all right. But Cedric only turned
redder and scrunched up his face, his eyes darting away from me.
“That’s why I was allowed
to attend this party. But…”
Cedric held a neutral
expression, but he was so stiff the wine in his glass trembled in anxious
little waves. Clearly he was pushing himself too hard, but I didn’t understand why. Before I could ask if he
was all right, he covered his face with his free hand and hung his head, his
golden hair concealing his expression.
“I’m so embarrassed… I
feel like I’m gonna burst into flames!”
Huh? I couldn’t hide my utter
confusion.
Now that the dam had
burst, Cedric rushed on: “I was only at this castle for three days, but I did
more shameful things than I can count. I know no one can forgive
any of it, obviously, and I don’t ever wanna embarrass myself like that again,
which is why I wanted to apologize to all of you, at the very least. This would have been the
time for me to do that, so I sincerely apolo—I mean, I’m sorry. It’s just that whenever I
look at your faces, it’s hard to pretend nothing’s wrong. All the places and people
here make me think about the stupid stunts I pulled, and remembering them with
perfect clarity makes me wanna die. The stuff I did to you
alone makes my head feel like it’s gonna explode with guilt, and worse, I did
it all in front of Tiara! The thing I always wanna ask you is why you still supported me during
all of that, but no matter how long I think about it, I can never come up with
a good answer…”
He rambled out his
confession, tripping over his words until I could barely follow him. It seemed that mastering
manners and etiquette had shown him just how rudely he’d acted before. He must have relived each
and every impolite word and action in agonizingly perfect detail. The guilt was enough to
make his face burn with shame every time he glanced at a person who brought
back those memories.
His long speech left him
flushed and out of breath. I stood there, face frozen in a polite smile, as Cedric downed the rest
of his wine. “I truly regret conducting myself in such an improper fashion,” he
said, returning to that stiff, formal speech. “Thinking about my
disgraceful behavior makes me feel like I shouldn’t speak to you the way I used
to…”
He sighed and covered his
mouth again. I wasn’t sure if the wine was making him blush harder or if it was just
the humiliation of his painfully vivid memories.
“But…weren’t you speaking
formally when you did those things to me?” I asked.
“I am aware of that, of
course.”
My merciless question
turned him a bit redder. I quickly apologized; I hadn’t meant to make things even worse for him.
Cedric shook his head. “I am the one who is
ultimately responsible.”
“While I may have received
your permission to speak with you as friends, I currently feel too much guilt
to go without such formalities. I would appreciate it if
you allowed me more time. Someday, I promise to live up to your expectations.”
He was really beating
around the bush when he talked like this, but I understood that he just needed
more time before our conversations could go back to normal. I wished he would make some attempt to sound a little
friendlier. Or maybe, despite having perfect memory, he wasn’t as talented when it
came to applying the information in his head—like he would ace the
multiple-choice part of the test and scrape by on the essays. Although any essay coming
from Cedric’s brain would surely contain a shocking amount of information.
Regardless, he clearly
wanted to remain polite and distant. It was kind of like
talking to a machine. I understood a little better how the evil Queen
Pride had deceived this natural-born genius—even if the man hardly studied. Thinking back, he’d
spoken somewhat formally during his first visit to Freesia, but he’d used
ordinary words and phrases that made him sound a bit less stiff. Everything else was short
and to the point.
“All right,” I said. “If it’s easier for you
to speak that way, then fine. Shall I speak formally to
you too?”
“No!”
he said,
nearly shouting over me. “Please pay me no such mind and speak however you please.”
Well, I was already used
to talking to him like a friend, so I agreed to take him up on that offer.
Cedric sighed in relief. The blush receded to just
his cheeks, though I was starting to worry that maybe he really was under the weather after
being so flushed for so long.
“I wouldn’t mind if your
words were the only thing that changed,” I said. “But you’ve also been
avoiding us, haven’t you?”
“Absolutely not! Why, I could spend a lifetime making amends and offering apologies and
still have leagues more left to give.”
His speech was getting
weirder and weirder. So basically he was saying, “No, I’m not avoiding you! Even in an entire
lifetime, I wouldn’t be able to thank and apologize to you enough.” I appreciated that, but I
wished he’d just act normally. This was like hearing
Prime Minister Gilbert using internet slang.
I was really starting to
feel like I would have to help Cedric recover from this phase. I scanned the room and
found Stale and Tiara finishing up their greetings with officials. They met my eyes, and I
saw the worry in their faces. Perhaps finding Cedric
and I together had given them cause for concern—especially Tiara. Suddenly, I was very
nervous; that wasn’t what I’d intended at all!
Tiara hated Cedric, so
maybe she didn’t care that I was talking to him and would simply dismiss him
entirely. But
after that bomb he dropped on her when we left Hanazuo, I suspected this
conversation wasn’t good for her heart. Besides, sneaking away
for a long talk during the party wouldn’t look good for Cedric, who actually
had feelings for Tiara. We needed to clear the air.
“Let’s explain the
situation to Tiara too,” I said.
Just as I was about to
signal Tiara to join us, Cedric croaked out, “No, don’t do that!” He stared down at the
floor, pressing his lips into a hard line. I could almost hear him
picking each of his next words with care, and that blush had crawled back into
his face.
“Should I not tell her
about this?”
“No, it’s not that! I wholeheartedly agree
with that choice… I am simply…not emotionally prepared yet!”
Even
after we just finished talking about it? This was like trying to
deal with a difficult child. Cedric’s eyes flitted all
over the room. I was the person he’d treated the worst, so it didn’t make sense that
he was so panicked over talking to Tiara.
Could it be? My mind
raced. How
hadn’t I noticed before now?
“Are you saying…” I
began, before realizing I’d asked him something similar a month ago. Cedric was clearly
remembering the same thing I was, but he simply watched me and waited. “Are you saying that the
mere sight of Tiara makes you feel too embarrassed to speak?”
Steam practically gushed
out of Cedric’s ears. That was all the answer I needed. He stumbled backward,
covering his trembling lips with his hand, but it was too late now. I understood why he’d
been so blunt during our initial greeting.
“And to think, you tried
to kiss me in front of her on the day we first met,” I said.
“Please, no more!” he
begged. “My
face is going to burst into flames!” Cedric keeled over like
he was about to collapse. I hadn’t meant to pour salt on the wound like that, but…
A chuckle escaped me. It was no use—thinking
about it only made it worse. I had to focus on my wine
to avoid spilling it as I quaked with laughter I couldn’t contain.
“Heh… Heh heh heh… Ha ha… Ha
ha ha ha ha ha!”
I covered my mouth in a
vain attempt to remain even a little ladylike, but I was going to explode if this laughter didn’t get out
of me. There was
no suppressing it. My shrill cackling echoed through the hall. When I looked around, the
knights weren’t the only ones staring at me—even Stale and Tiara were gawking
in my direction.
“Princess Pride!” Cedric hissed, but I was already doing what I could to hold back my
laughter, even wrapping an arm around my stomach.
Cedric!
That cocky,
narcissistic prince! The same man who tried to kiss my hair and then my lips! Just being around Tiara
leaves him speechless?! He can’t even look her in the eye?!
It was just too funny. I laughed even harder
when I thought about how such a sappy change in personality could never have
happened during Cedric’s route in the game. Once I finally managed to
get myself under control, I downed the rest of my wine. When I looked up at
Cedric, his face was scarlet and his eyes fixed on me, awaiting an explanation
for my behavior. The Cedric of before would have definitely shouted, “What’s so funny?!”
My lips curved into a
mischievous smile. “She’s
cute, isn’t she?”
Cedric choked out a cry
of shock. I
turned, signaling for Tiara to join us. She hesitated for a
moment, her eyes wavering, but then she hurried toward me.
I didn’t have to look at
Cedric—I could tell from his shaky breaths that he was panicking with each step
Tiara took toward us. When I sensed he was about to flee, I shot him a smile and said, “This
is revenge for kissing my hair.” That stopped him in his
tracks.
“You called for me, Big Sister?” Tiara said timidly.
I gently wrapped an arm
around her shoulders. Now Cedric had no choice but to face her. He blushed furiously and
stood stock-still while Tiara glared up at him.
I started by clearing the
air. I
explained to Tiara that Cedric had worked hard to learn manners and etiquette,
and through it, he’d come to realize just how badly he’d disrespected me. Now, I said, he was too
nervous to talk naturally around us. Tiara’s eyes widened at
this explanation. My gaze flicked to Cedric, silently warning him not to say anything to
contradict me.
“I…apologize for behaving
rudely this morning,” he said. “When I think of how I
disgraced myself last month…I simply can’t find the words. However…”
It came out slightly
stilted, but at least he was trying to clarify things to Tiara. She listened patiently,
wincing when he trailed off. Clearly she knew where
this was going.
“However…my feelings for
you remain unchanged,” Cedric said. “I won’t be retracting my
vow or the words I said to you when we last parted.”
Well, that was blunt. Even with me there
listening and Cedric trying to tone down his words, his statement left no room
for misunderstanding. I supposed he’d never learned how to express himself in more roundabout
ways.
Cedric’s fiery eyes, even
redder than his cheeks, never left Tiara as he spoke. The intensity in his gaze
made me nervous, as though I were the one he was staring at.
Tiara’s shoulder grew
warm beneath my hand. I glanced over and found her nearly as red as Cedric. Maybe she was embarrassed
by his blunt confession, or perhaps she was angry that he was trying to win her
over at all.
I rubbed her shoulder to calm her down. This isn’t good. Cedric getting all
flustered was one thing, but if people see the two of them blushing at each
other like this, they’ll definitely think they’re lovers! Rumors will fly all over
the castle!
“I…I…h-hate you!” she said in a shrill, stuttering rasp. She’d said it under her
breath, but Cedric and I were close enough to hear.
I timidly shifted my gaze
to Cedric, bracing for the hurt I’d surely find on his face.
“I’m perfectly aware,” he
said without hesitation. The prince was still blushing, but he didn’t shy away or back down,
even as the silence stretched on.
Tiara stared at the floor. Worried, I pulled her
into my embrace, and Tiara squeezed my hand. After a few deep breaths,
she broke the tense stalemate.
“P-please…fix your…funny
way of talking!”
“As you wish,” he said,
sounding much more relaxed.
When Tiara looked up at
him, she was still blushing all the way to her ears. “I just said to stop that!” she snapped, squeezing my
hand harder.
It seemed I wasn’t the
only one bothered by Cedric’s fancy, uptight speech, even though he’d been
formal in most of Tiara’s conversations with him. Tiara’s blush receded
after a few seconds, though Cedric’s held strong with Tiara facing him like
this.
That was when I felt eyes
on me. I
glanced behind me and caught Stale and Arthur staring at us. I didn’t know when they’d
found each other at the party, but they were definitely trying to see what we
were up to. Maybe they didn’t like being left out. Maybe they were worried
Cedric was going to do something inappropriate again. Or maybe they were
jealous of Cedric getting to chitchat with the lovely Tiara…though they must
have been able to tell that Tiara and Cedric weren’t enjoying their
conversation.
They must be worried
about us, then.
Bashful about their
concern but pleased at the same time, I waved to them. They kept their eyes
fixed on me as they bowed in response.
“Prince Cedric, it’s nice
to see you again.”
Stale wore a pleasant
smile as he approached the prince after finishing up his conversations with
Freesian officials. Earlier, I’d watched Princess Pride chat with Cedric, laughing so hard
at his jokes. The whole thing had my stomach in knots. Then he’d talked with
Tiara for a while as well! Princess Pride assured Stale and me that it was just a nice talk,
adding that we’d understand if we talked to him too.
So, Stale dragged me over
for a sneak attack on the prince.
Prince Cedric blinked in
surprise when Stale called out to him. “Prince Stale,” he
muttered, then looked at me.
Stale took the chance to
introduce me to him. “This is Arthur, vice captain of the Eighth Squadron,” he said. “The two of us were just
chatting. Would
you care to join us?”
This was so awkward. I didn’t know if Prince
Cedric remembered me, but if he did, he would definitely hate me. Even though I had done it
to protect Princess Pride, I’d still threatened and disrespected him. I couldn’t bear to meet
his eyes and instead rubbed the back of my neck. When Prince Cedric
audibly gulped, I realized Stale made him nervous too.
“I’d be delighted, Prince
Stale, Vice Captain Arthur Beresford. I wished to speak with you
too. Might
we find someplace more private to talk?”
Seriously? He actually
remembers me? I didn’t expect him to know my full name. When I glanced up in
surprise, I found Prince Cedric flushed bright red, perhaps from anger. Maybe he still held a
grudge against me, but I found no hostility in his eyes. Right then, it dawned on
me that Princess Pride had called him “God’s Child” and explained that Prince
Cedric remembered everything that ever happened to him.
The three of us stepped
out onto the balcony connected to the ballroom. It provided a much
quieter space, with only the evening breeze to whisper in our ears. Prince Cedric looked
around, like he was making sure there weren’t any witnesses. I had no idea what this
was about, but his attitude put me on alert. Stale and I straightened
up when he turned toward us. Then the prince addressed
me and bowed.
“I wish to apologize…for
my many impolite actions,” he said.
We were caught completely
off guard. Our mouths
hung open. Even
Stale didn’t know how to respond. Hearing the prince
apologize was shocking enough, but his face was bright red as he did so. I had no clue why he was
blushing around us; it wasn’t like we were Princess Pride.
Prince Cedric couldn’t
stem the flow of words after that. He rattled off a whole
list of wrongdoings. He apologized for making me get between him and Princess Pride twice
and thanked me for my good work. Then he thanked Stale for
the warning and for helping his country during the war even after everything
that happened. It was like he was trying to list every single mistake he’d ever made. It was crazy enough
having a foreign prince bow to us, but this overly thorough apology left me at
a loss.
“Were you apologizing to
Elder Sister and Tiara earlier too?” Stale asked once he’d
regained his composure.
He explained that he’d
been studying hard over the past month to comprehend how badly he’d treated
Princess Pride. It made me wonder how a member of royalty could ever not understand something so
obvious. Had
he actually studied a single day in his life? Either way, Prince
Cedric’s dramatic change in demeanor shook us.
“I apologize for behaving
in such an unseemly manner,” he went on. “Whenever I think back on
my misconduct, the shame is enough to overwhelm me…and I understand that a
prince shouldn’t be so flustered when he talks about these things…”
You’re doing a lot better
than you were a month ago. I kept that thought to
myself.
“That’s all right,” Stale
said. “Thank
you for offering such a thorough apology.” He spoke kindly, but I
wasn’t sure if his opinion on Cedric had actually changed or not.
Still beet red, Prince
Cedric extended his hand toward Stale. Stale accepted his
handshake, and Prince Cedric made me the same offer. I felt bad about shaking
his hand with my gloves on, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Prince Stale, I’ve never
known such a wise person in all my life. Vice Captain Arthur, your
bravery and strength are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I respect the two of you
more than I can say. I understand exactly why Princess Pride is so proud to have the two of
you in her life.”
As Prince Cedric heaped
praise on us out of nowhere, he kept his fiery gaze fixed on us. This guy could say really
heavy stuff without any hesitation or embarrassment at all. I’d noticed that back
when he tried to seduce Princess Pride and when I’d healed King Lance. Oddly enough, this was the
only time in our conversation when his face didn’t flush.
For some reason, I was the one now hot with embarrassment.
“May the three of us
continue to have a favorable relationship,” Prince Cedric added.
I hastily agreed,
suddenly understanding why Princess Pride had wanted us to talk to him.
“What are your feelings
toward my elder sister?” Stale asked abruptly.
Prince Cedric blinked. Then a gentle smile
crossed his lips. “I owe her everything,” he said. “I’ll never be a match
for someone like her. She is invaluable, in a way unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”
I found myself completely
agreeing. Stale
and I acknowledged his response with short nods.
“I’m sorry to keep you
outside for such a long time. Why don’t we head inside?” Prince Cedric said,
guiding us back into the ballroom. “Thank you for spending
your valuable time with me. I hope you will continue
to support my brothers in the future.”
I barely recognized him
as the prince I’d met a month ago.
With that formal
thank-you, Prince Cedric left us to greet the other knights. Just when I felt like I
could finally relax and catch my breath, however…the guy spun around like he’d
forgotten something.
“One more thing,” he
said, lowering his voice so only Stale and I could hear. “Someday, I hope my life
will be closely entwined with Princess Pride’s—and yours, Prince Stale. I’m sure I won’t be
perfect, so I ask for your grace if I make any more missteps that inconvenience
you.”
Then he bowed deeply to
us before finally leaving.
What was that last part
all about?
Maybe he meant that he
wanted a strong alliance between their countries, and he’d work toward that by
getting close to Princess Pride and Stale. But that didn’t explain
why he was worried about bothering Stale. There was definitely more
to this…
That was when I sensed a
menacing aura beside me. I turned around to find Stale shrouded in an air of hostility. I stepped between him and
the other knights, hoping no one else noticed, but I was too late. Dad and Clark were
already starting our way, and I panicked.
“Stale, what’s wrong?” I asked, trying to be as
quiet as possible.
“Closely entwined
with…Elder Sister?” he growled, his voice deepening to an earth-shaking rumble.
I asked him to repeat
himself, but he ignored me. He was gripping his wine
glass so hard that cracks webbed through it. More and more knights
took notice as Stale’s homicidal urges surged.
“Talk to me about it later. This isn’t the time or
place!” I said into his
ear.
That finally got him to
calm down some. Still, he muttered under his breath, “But…he’s a second-born prince! It’s not like he’s
beneath her in status… Yet everything he did to her… Besides he’s… Well, maybe
now he’s not, but…”
I wasn’t sure what he was
wrestling with, but it clearly had him shaken. I’d hear him out after
the party, once we were someplace where he wouldn’t terrify half the guests. If I prodded for
information now it would only make things worse. I couldn’t pat him on the
back at a formal ceremony, so instead I pried his poor glass from his hand and
passed it off to a maid. She shot me a terrified glance, assuming I was the one who’d nearly
crushed it.
I handed Stale a new glass. A lot of knights and
officials were eyeing up Stale like they wanted to ask for an explanation. Plus, there were the
officials who always wanted some of his time and attention. Even the knights had
grown closer with Stale after what he’d done in the war. I had few details, but
the knights seemed to feel the same about Tiara too. Of course, Princess Pride
was the most popular of them all.
After a few deep breaths
to regain his composure, Stale headed off to greet some knights and officials. Outwardly, he wore a
friendly smile, but I knew his mind was still racing if he’d forgotten to even
say goodbye to me.
I was about to return to
the knights now that Stale had left, but then I happened to catch a glimpse of
Princess Pride. I watched her chat pleasantly with the knights, and for a moment, I
recalled how hard she’d started laughing during her talk with Prince Cedric. A prickle of jealousy
burned in my chest, although I didn’t understand it.
“Prince Cedric once
called Elder Sister ‘a beautiful person.’”
I sat in my office, a
formal room reserved for the queen of Freesia. This room was just as
significant to the royal family as the throne room itself. Vest, my seneschal, and
Albert, my beloved, stood at my sides.
My guests entered the
office nervously. I’d ordered out every guard and maid, so once the guards shut the door,
we were truly cut off from the outside world. I gestured for my
visitors to sit on the opposite side of the table.
“Pride, Tiara…I’m sorry
for calling you here so suddenly,” I said. “There’s something
important we need to discuss.”
My daughters sat on the
sofa as instructed, keeping their backs perfectly straight. I suspected they had some
idea about why I’d called them here. After all, it was a
meeting not even Stale, the next seneschal, and Gilbert, the prime minister,
could join them for. I smiled at Pride and Tiara before glancing at Vest. At my look, he nodded and
presented the girls with a few pieces of paper and a bundle of documents.
“What I’m about to tell
you must remain absolutely confidential,” I said. “As the firstborn and
second-born princesses, you are the only two who may know of this.”
They both gulped and
nodded in agreement. Then they looked down at the documents before them with grim
anticipation.
“This is regarding a new
method for selecting your fiancés…and about suitable candidates.”
Pride’s own engagement had
come to an end two years earlier. We had to change our
method of choosing her fiancé after that, but the girls hadn’t been aware of it
until today. I wanted them to not only understand this but also make a decision on
their own. Pride
and Tiara nodded again when I explained all this.
“Thank you, Mother. I greatly appreciate
this,” Pride said.
“I think this is
wonderful,” Tiara said. “It will be good for Big Sister…and for me too.”
I smiled as an unseen
weight lifted from my shoulders. I could tell Albert and
Vest were just as relieved, and we gazed at the two girls.
“If you have no
objections, I’d like to announce this new method next month at Pride’s birthday
party,” I said. “I also need to ask the two of you what you’ve decided after reading
the documents in front of you.”
“That decision can come
later, if necessary,” Vest added.
Pride and Tiara scanned
the documents before them, leafing through dozens of pages. Then, one at a time, they
made their decisions.
Chapter
3:
The Domineering Princess and the
Exhibition
“ALL RIGHT. Let’s do this.”
In our respective rooms,
Alan and I were busy donning the armor we’d worn so many times as imperial
knights. It
was an extension of our own bodies, especially the swords we hooked onto our
belts.
It was the same old
process for us both. First, we stuck our arms through the sleeves of long coats that
fluttered behind us like capes. Then we placed our guns
in our breast pockets and adjusted everything until it sat just right on our
bodies. At
last, we opened the doors, the ones we’d opened many, many times. I stepped out of my room
just as Callum stepped out of his.
“Good morning, Captain
Callum!”
A chorus of knights’
voices greeted us the moment we emerged. Alan’s First Squadron was
thrilled to see him, nearly as thrilled as my own Third Squadron. But it wasn’t just our
own knights who stood arrayed before us; so many others had gathered here to
witness our homecoming.
Alan let out a cry when
he saw the huge crowd waiting outside his door. He forced an awkward
smile and bowed. “You’re making too much of a fuss for us,” he said, patting his
subordinates on the shoulder. Eric, his vice captain,
was among them.
Meanwhile, my eyes had
gone wide at the sight of our reception. I smiled softly, my heart
overflowing with gratitude that so many knights from the Third Squadron and
beyond would welcome us back. I even spotted Arthur at
the rear of the throng.
In an attempt to match
their kindness, I stood up straighter and said, “We’re back.”
“Sorry to be gone so
long,” Alan said.
Our month-long suspension
was finally over. At this acknowledgment of the end of our punishment, the knights around
us cheered.
“Good morning, Princess
Pride,” Captain Callum said.
“It’s been a while,”
Captain Alan said.
One month after their
punishment began, the two captains finally greeted me as my imperial knights
again. Vice
Captain Eric had also been back for about a month.
Thank goodness. They really did intend to stay on as knights. I’d barely slept for the
past few days, so worried that they would retire after being formally punished.
“Captain Callum, Captain
Alan…”
It was such a surprise to
see them after all this time that I could hardly continue. I’d been thinking maybe one would show up for the
morning shift if I was lucky. If not, I feared I would
have to get the news from Arthur or Vice Captain Eric that the captains were
leaving the royal order for good. But then they showed up
together. After
expecting to bid them farewell, the moment had me so overwhelmed I was almost
frozen, even as my heart raced.
“We’re sorry to have
inconvenienced you over the past month.”
“We hope you’ll continue
to put your faith in us from here on out!”
Continue to—?! My eyes nearly popped out
of my head when I heard that. I searched their faces to
confirm that this was true, that they were really staying, but they’d already
bowed. All
I could do was stare and wait as emotion welled up within me.
When they finally raised
their heads again, they were smiling.
“We wish to keep
protecting you, Your Highness.”
“We’ll never allow harm to
come to you again.”
I couldn’t have dreamed
of a better response. Joy and relief had tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I had only a moment to
register the shock on their faces before I looked away.
“What’s wrong, P-Princess
Pride?!” they
called out simultaneously.
Lotte rushed up to me
with a handkerchief when she saw me wipe my eyes.
The way I said it made me
sound like a child, but it was all I could manage. I smiled at the knights
as Lotte dabbed away my tears. Embarrassing as it was
for the captains to see me in such a state, I needed them to know how thrilled
I was to have them back.
Once my eyes cleared, I
faced the captains again. They’d both flushed red, perhaps because they were upset to see the
crown princess cry. Maybe I’d made them worry again.
“I’m so glad you’ve
returned,” I told them. Then I reached out, took their gloved fingers in my hands, and
squeezed. “Welcome back. I’m delighted to have you
with me.”
Tears threatened to well
up anew, but I held my breath and pushed through it. I gripped their fingers
tighter, imagining I could feel their body heat through their gloves.
…Or maybe it wasn’t my
imagination after all.
“Um, are the two of you
all right?”
Both of their gloves were
burning up. I lifted my gaze and found the captains even redder than before.
Captain Callum was rigid,
his spine stiff and straight, while Captain Alan’s stammering voice emerged
hoarse. He
was struggling to move, like when he first became my imperial knight. It startled me to find
them so nervous around me after only a month apart. Yet as upsetting as that
thought was, at least I had them back. I smiled and asked them
if Arthur and Vice Captain Eric knew they’d returned, and the captains said
yes, they did.
“I’m sure they’re just as
delighted as I am,” I responded.
It was then that Tiara
found us. She
cried out in shock to see the captains with me, then broke out in a wide grin. “Big Sister, Big Brother,
Arthur, Vice Captain Eric, and the replacement knights were all so worried
about you! You
must be looking forward to seeing Arthur and Vice Captain Eric this afternoon!”
Tiara and I stopped right
there in the hallway and turned to face him.
“We were going to tell
you after breakfast,” Captain Callum said with some reluctance. “My apologies, but I
don’t believe we’ll be seeing Arthur for a few more days…”
The two captains
exchanged worried glances, but said no more on the subject.
“Let me ask you now,
Arthur Beresford,” I said, unsheathing my sword.
I faced Arthur Beresford
in the order’s training grounds, a place reserved for one-on-one practice
bouts. Knights
clustered around us, hoping to catch a glimpse of the duel between captain and
vice captain of the Eighth Squadron before their own morning exercises began.
This all started when
Alan Berners and Callum Bordeaux returned from their suspensions. At that time, Commander
Roderick Beresford officially announced Arthur Beresford’s promotion to
captain. I
knew the unorthodox change shocked many of our fellow knights, but none more
than Arthur Beresford himself. When the morning meeting
ended, just before the commander could dismiss us, he formally raised his
objections in front of the other knights.
“I still refuse to accept
this. I’m
not the only one who thinks Captain Harrison is better suited to lead the
Eighth Squadron than I am.”
In the face of such a
public demand for an explanation, there was only one thing I could say.
I drew my sword and
pointed to the sparring area. Arthur Beresford
stiffened at my blatant thirst for blood, but I simply grabbed the front of his
uniform and dragged him in front of the commander. I asked Commander
Roderick Beresford to arrange for a day-long duel. He wasn’t thrilled, but he
also knew that his son wasn’t the only one who had some doubts about this
promotion. Nearly
half of the knights had protested, feeling it was too soon for Arthur to move
up. He’d
only been promoted to vice captain three months ago, and he was still the
youngest knight in history to reach that rank. The other knights had
concerns about him climbing the ladder so swiftly. But between my fierce
endorsement, Arthur’s contributions to the war, and his more responsible
personality when compared to me, the vote for his promotion had just barely
passed. Still,
knights who weren’t captains or who didn’t know of his actions on the front
lines remained doubtful about his promotion—especially older knights who knew
how I doted on him.
“All right, Harrison. What’s your plan if Arthur
wins?” the vice
commander asked.
My response came
instantly: “I’ll make him captain of the Eighth Squadron, obviously.”
“Then it will mean I
misjudged him,” I said, shooting a glare toward Arthur Beresford. “If it happens, I’ll take
responsibility and relinquish my position as captain.”
Now we were finally facing
each other. We raised our swords, both of us waiting for the other to make the
first move. The cheers of the crowd and wind blowing past us faded into white noise
as we narrowed our focus to nothing but each other.
“You’ll still become the
captain no matter what happens in this duel,” I said. “It makes no difference
either way.”
Arthur Beresford clearly
didn’t know how to respond to that. He simply held up his
sword and narrowed his eyes, focusing intensely on me. I was sure he was
thinking about my special power of speed and how I might use it to charge at
him. Even
though I spoke more than usual, given the thrill of battle humming in my veins,
Arthur Beresford didn’t let his guard down for an instant.
“Did you ever think that
I might go easy on you and let you win?”
He didn’t even pause to
think it over. “You’d
never do that.” My surprise must have shown on my face because he smirked a little.
I took off into a sprint. “But what if I did?” I asked from behind him.
He swung his sword back
at me without even turning around. Metal met metal with a clang that rang through the practice area. The knights around us
murmured as we pressed our swords together in a contest of pure strength.
“You know…it’s not that I
have nothing to lose,” Arthur Beresford said. “I’ll lose a lot
if you defeat me.”
His voice came out a bit
weak, but he never let his sword slip. I pulled away at max
speed and swept my sword at his side, but he parried me again, meeting my pace
like it was nothing.
“But that’s how I know
you’re not the kinda guy to throw in the towel, Captain Harrison.”
His deep-blue eyes flashed. He strengthened his grip
on his sword, still blocking me from hitting him, and clenched his fist behind
his back. Then
he took a wide swing at me, but I managed to jump out of the way just in time. Apparently he’d been
expecting that, as he calmly stepped backward.
“I’m fighting with
everything I’ve got. That’s why…” He trailed off, took a confident step forward, and
launched himself at me.
This was hardly the first
duel between us. In addition to the surprise attacks I’d regularly launched at him, we
fought formally within the Eighth Squadron, with both sides allowed the use of
their special powers. But that was always just sparring or practice—the matches stopped
before a final blow, and we couldn’t use deadly weapons like guns.
This time was different. We had no limitations and
plenty of witnesses.
“If I win, I want a real
explanation this time!” Arthur Beresford cried.
I made to dash off again,
but Arthur Beresford predicted my path and fired his gun right where I would
have run to. I skidded to a halt, and he used the opportunity to fling his sword at
me. I
dodged it, then tried to pry the blade out of the ground so I could use it
myself. But
before I could yank it free, his foot came up and struck me right in the solar
plexus.
A crack resounded through the
practice area when something inside me snapped. I lost my grip on Arthur
Beresford’s sword as his kick sent me careening across the practice area. Around me, knights cried
out in alarm to see my special power of speed so thoroughly defeated. They all knew the story
of how I’d gone from a rookie to a full-fledged knight, then straight to
captain after defeating the unit’s previous captain. No one had ever before
questioned my prowess in battle.
“Don’t you get that I’m
just as confused as the rest of ’em?!” Arthur Beresford shouted.
Good. If he could yell at me, he
wasn’t winded. I was still on the ground, calmly readying my sword. He knew better than anyone
that I wasn’t fighting at my full potential yet.
“Heh… Ha ha… Ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
My laughter rang out in
cackling peals. The knights who didn’t know me as well looked around in confusion. Slowly, I dragged myself
up off the ground. I ignored the messy state of my black hair and the dirt smeared on my
face, focusing all of my attention on the knight who’d sent me flying. I could almost feel the
delight dancing in my purple eyes as a wicked smile twisted my lips.
“Ahh… That’s it, Arthur
Beresford. Fighting
any other way is boring.”
I sprang into motion,
using my speed to vanish and reappear with my sword at Arthur’s neck. He blocked the blade with
his own. I
came to a stop, my long, black hair fluttering around me. This time, I stayed put
and swung at Arthur Beresford as swiftly as I could, aided by my special power.
He gritted
his teeth and deflected the flurry of rapid blows. Each time our swords met,
the metal screeched in protest. To the others, our battle
likely consisted of nothing but those noises and the afterimages of our strikes.
Our blades met once more,
but this time, Arthur Beresford managed to overpower me. He pushed me backward,
and I had to use my speed to retreat. I leapt into the air,
hurling ten knives I’d hidden in my breast pocket. It only took Arthur
Beresford one swipe of his sword to deflect the blades and send them back at my
chest. Unable
to move freely in midair, I took out my gun, aimed it at Arthur Beresford, and
pulled the trigger.
Bang, bang! Two shots rang out. Arthur Beresford slashed
his sword twice, and both of my bullets fell to the ground.
The knights around us
were temporarily at a loss for words when they witnessed this display. Arthur Beresford wasn’t
the only knight who could deflect bullets with his sword—but not even I could
knock them out of the air.
Having seen this, and
Arthur Beresford’s actions in the war, some of the men cheered.
“That’s what he did back
then!”
Those unfamiliar with
Arthur Beresford’s wartime accomplishments just watched in awe.
“So this is the
swordsmanship I’ve heard so much about?!” I said. “Show me more!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
I fired again, aiming for
vital points on Arthur Beresford’s body without hesitation. He simply knocked my
bullets away, and all I could do was laugh even harder.
Every time I aimed at
him, whether with knives or guns, Arthur Beresford swept my attack away with a
slash of his blade. He countered my speed without the slightest misstep. Aside from his initial
surprise attack, though, his hits weren’t landing either. Whichever one of us stood
down first would surely lose his life. This
had to be changing the minds
of the knights still questioning Arthur Beresford’s premature promotion. Surely they could now see
his true destructive potential for themselves.
“Try and kill me, Arthur
Beresford!”
I cackled, dashing around
at lightning speed, but Arthur kept up. My sword never slowed
down, and he drew his gun. I backed away to dodge his bullet. But as I rushed back in,
he grabbed my arm and hurled me over his shoulder.
No one could possibly
doubt Arthur Beresford’s promotion after beholding such a feat. Whether they knew of my
fondness for him or were seeing it for the first time, every knight assembled
must have reached the same conclusion by now: Arthur
really got the scariest knight of them all to take a liking to him…
Sympathetic sighs and
conflicted smiles abounded.
Yet the knights went on
watching our battle, practically taking shifts as they came and went. Arthur Beresford and I
both refused to back down, and our bout stretched into the next morning.
ORL:
Disqualified, but Worthy as a Knight
“HARRISON, it’s been six years
since you joined the royal order. Don’t you understand why
you haven’t made it into the main forces yet?”
It was the same question
I got every year, and there was only one person who could be asking. I turned to find
precisely the person I expected. He wore the same
expression as he always did for this exchange, but since he ranked much higher
than I did, I had no choice but to respond.
“Of course I understand,
Vice Commander Clark Darwin.”
I’d always understood. I didn’t need someone
questioning me to know what I did wrong.
“You were disqualified in
your first battle of this year’s trial, just like always. Do you not want to enter
the main forces?” he pressed.
They let me join the
knights as a rookie, yet I never made it past that stage. The trial to advance was
a tournament that pitted all the rookies against each other. I easily blocked their
attacks and overwhelmed them, but then I was disqualified for using excessive
force. According
to our leadership, it was a foolish act unbecoming of a knight.
Why didn’t they struggle
more? Why
did they admit defeat so easily? Why did they think they
could become knights when they were capable of so little?
Whenever my opponents
collapsed before me, trembled in fear, and gave in so easily, my blood boiled. What “future” awaited them? Would they really accept
becoming a knight when they were so pitiful? Were they after nothing
more than the honor and medals they would receive?
“Then why do you repeat
the same thing every year?” Clark Darwin said. “You know you’ll just be disqualified.”
Only a few of the rookies
I’d fought were worth acknowledging, and only one was worthy of joining the
main forces. His
name was Alan Berners.
The vice commander
scratched his head, unsure how to respond to the same answer I always gave him.
“I see.” His tone told me he still
hadn’t accepted it.
For the past five years,
he had come to question me after my entrance exams every time, asking me why I
did it—wanting to know if I was told to behave differently or if I was taking
revenge on the other rookies for something. But my reply never changed. I made to return to the
dorm room for rookies, figuring I’d said my piece, but he stopped me.
“Harrison, what made you
want to be a knight?”
“I wanted to be someone
who protects others… Violence is all I have.”
I was part of the lower
class for as long as I could remember. The only “power” I had
was in overwhelming people to the point that they didn’t want to fight back
anymore. Strange
men attacked me; even my own father exploited me. The only things that
weren’t stolen from me were the things I learned. Once I gained my special
power, I went from someone who endured violence to someone who conducted it. I became the perpetrator,
not the victim.
I was seven years old
when I saw the knights carrying out a mission. It was the first time I
learned what a knight was. They eliminated the looters who were attacking a small farming town.
Watching those knights
changed me. They used the same violence I did, but they were dazzling and
beautiful…even protecting weak, penniless people like me. They fought for their
country and their people, breathtaking as they served others instead of
themselves. Their “violence” was nothing like mine, which I used only for myself. Their lives and deaths
had meaning.
I spent the next seven
years learning how to use a sword entirely on my own. But…
Clark Darwin contemplated
my answer, but I didn’t care if he understood. There was no longer
another way for me to live in this world.
“Your name came up at the
last captains’ meeting,” he said. “We discussed removing you
from the order.”
My mind went blank; I
hadn’t expected that. I didn’t even have time to get angry or think of some sort of
counterargument. It wasn’t unusual for some knights to remain rookies for very long
periods—even up to ten or twenty years. But my problem was a
different one.
“They don’t want to hold
on to a knight who violently injures his brothers every year.” He told me this calmly,
yet his words may as well have been a death sentence. “They decided that if you
can’t pass the entrance exam this year, or you severely injure anyone again,
you’ll be expelled.”
It was too much; I wanted
to refuse. Ever
since the day I first laid eyes on them, I’d spent my life trying to become a
knight. It
was too late for me to find another purpose.
Clark Darwin smiled at me
as I stood there speechless. “I’ve never seen you make
that face before.”
“You don’t want to be
expelled?”
“Of course not. Anything
but that.”
Anything. Just not that. I didn’t want to be a
rookie either. I knew I was stronger than the others. That was exactly why I
couldn’t accept that such weaklings would become knights before they were
ready.
“I
see. Then come with me. I have Roderick’s
permission for this.”
With that, Clark Darwin
led me to a corner of the royal order’s training grounds.
“If you can defeat me,
I’ll defer your expulsion for this year,” he told me. “If you lose, then you’ll
do whatever I say. You can use your special power if you like.”
Clark Darwin raised his
sword, though I hadn’t even accepted the offer yet. I’d defeated knights from
the main forces during my entrance exams. I didn’t know how
powerful the vice commander was…but this felt like my final opportunity. He probably wanted to
stop me from going on a rampage or causing any more damage if I was expelled,
hence his little challenge. But if I won, I could
stay on as a rookie for at least another year.
“Is the loser whoever
drops their sword or takes a knee first?”
“We can fight until one
person acknowledges defeat, or until they can’t fight anymore. Come at me with
everything you have, like this is your last chance.”
In the time it had taken
us to discuss the terms of the fight, knights had surrounded us to watch. Maybe they wanted to
laugh at my expulsion, or maybe they came to see how strong Clark Darwin was. Either way, this bout
worked in my favor. I wouldn’t let him go back on his word. If I won, I would be
exempted from expulsion—there were many witnesses here to attest to that.
But within seconds…Clark
Darwin thoroughly and utterly thrashed me.
“Looks like I’m the
winner,” he said. “Are
you all right?”
He placed his hand on my
back. I’d
collapsed to the ground and dropped my sword, unable to move or respond. With this overwhelming
victory, Clark Darwin had demonstrated the strength of the royal order—or
rather, of its vice commander. I managed only a single
swing of my sword during the fight. It was unfathomable.
Since the day I’d gained
my special power, this was the first time I’d truly faced death.
“Sorry about that,” Clark
Darwin said. “I knew you were strong, so I couldn’t hold back. I’d have been dead if I
let my guard down.”
The calm and collected
Clark Darwin…Vice Commander Clark Darwin picked me
up and dragged me to the infirmary, where special power users treated my
injuries. As
I lay on the bed in a daze, the vice commander spoke up.
“Do you remember the
promise you made? Will you be able to keep it?”
I thought it was all over. I was just happy to have
experienced the vice commander’s intense strength before I was expelled. But then…
“Good,” he said, nodding
and smiling. “Harrison Dirk, you’re going to join the Eighth Squadron, where you’re
to obey my orders.”
I was startled; I must
have been hearing things. I forced my aching body to sit up so I could gape at him. That sunny smile he wore
didn’t belong to someone who was joking.
“I’m going to look after
you,” he went on. “The Eighth Squadron is a combat unit where each member may act
independently. I think it will be a good fit for you. I’m also going to educate
you, so that you can grow into a fine knight—or at least the bare minimum of
one.”
My body shuddered with
joy in that moment, a feeling I still remembered vividly to this day. I would carry my
gratitude toward the vice commander with me for the rest of my life. I was going to become a knight. I’d expected to hear that I was being expelled, but instead, my entire
life changed in an instant. The pain of my injuries
vanished. Hope
replaced the sting of my defeat and the despair I’d felt contemplating my
future.
Too shocked to question,
thank, or reply to him, I just sat there.
“Don’t you want to be a
knight?” he asked with
a grin. “You
have talent and know how to use it. You also have the will
required of a knight.”
The vice commander placed
his hand on top of my head. He ruffled the hair I’d
hacked short with a knife. I was twenty years old now, but he treated me like a child.
“I’ll teach you how to
turn that violence into power. So be sure to stick with me. You can do that, right?”
There was only one
possible answer. He was going to give me the life, existence, and death I’d dreamed of. He was going to change my
violence into power. The man who’d utterly defeated me in battle would be the one to change
my life. I would
get to be a knight. Contemplating that made my vision go blurry, strangely enough.
The vice commander
laughed and said, “You can cry, but only for today. Your investiture is
tomorrow.” Then
he covered my eyes with a cloth that had been sitting next to me, granting me a
bit of privacy.
“Rest
up. After
tomorrow’s ceremony, you’ll get beat up a lot worse than you did today.”
He snickered, and I heard
him leave the room before I had a chance to respond. In the dark shroud of the
towel, my joy and gratitude finally overflowed.
The vice commander had
taken me in and made himself my mentor. The next day was the
investiture and celebration. Afterward, the commander
himself came to spar with me.
“All right, Harrison. Ready for a beating?”
No matter how much I
relied on my special power, I could never defeat him. It wasn’t just an issue
with my sword—I couldn’t hit him with my fists or gun either. He deflected everything. This didn’t come as a
surprise now that his vice commander had already stomped me. I wasn’t going to beat
someone even higher up the chain of command.
The commander knocked me
down with his sword and fists over and over again. Each time, he made me
pick up my blade and said, “Stand up. Make me glad I have my
special power.” No matter how many times I used my speed to charge at him, my blade
never once reached the man. He didn’t even need his special power of invulnerability to cuts—he
simply knocked my sword aside any time I got close. By the time the sun
started to set, I’d completely run out of stamina.
“Listen well, Harrison,”
he said. “Once
you’re a knight, you must carry out your oath, even if it means death. Clark saw something in you. Don’t betray his trust.”
With that declaration, he
reached out to help me off the ground. Even though I’d failed to
land even a single hit against him, he still spoke so kindly to me.
“You have an incredible
gift for fighting. If you learn how to use it, you’re sure to rise to the top of the royal
order. I have high
hopes for you.”
The commander pulled me up
with one hand and patted my shoulder in front of all the knights who’d been
watching us. I’d spent my time in the royal order ignored, hidden, feared, and
disliked. But
the vice commander plucked me out of that, and the commander acknowledged my
strength in front of others. The two men had learned
of my abilities and defeated me, but they still said they needed me. I could hardly imagine a
greater blessing. I owed them everything, and they came to occupy my thoughts over and
over again.
“Don’t worry about those
things. Harrison
will definitely succeed in tomorrow’s mission.”
Since I rarely spoke, the
vice commander often smoothed things over with the other knights for me.
“They’re only joking,
Harrison. They don’t mean
it. They’re
all good knights who fight for each other during missions.”
“Harrison! Think
before you act! Save your fists and your sword for the enemies.”
He forced me to stop and
think about why I was using violence.
“Do you understand, Harrison?
Using your
weapon without proper cause is no different than pure and simple violence. But if you’re using your
sword as a knight, no matter how vicious you must be, we call that ‘power,’ not
‘violence.’”
He taught me the proper
way to live. He
taught me how to behave.
“Harrison? Goodness. What made you attack that
knight this time?”
“I was watching you. You put your sword away,
didn’t you? I can
tell you’ve grown.”
He saw my growth and
praised me.
“Hmm?
You’ll
listen to orders, but only from Roderick and me?! Then stop starting fights. If someone makes you mad,
you can talk back, but that’s all. On the off chance someone
actually challenges you to a fight, get permission from Roderick or me first. Can you do that?”
He was always leading me
down the right path, and so…
“I’m…very grateful to
you, Vice Commander.”
Half a year had passed
since I’d joined the main forces. When I put my feelings
into words for the first time, Clark Darwin chuckled and asked where that had
come from. But I pressed
on.
“I deeply revere you. I adore you more than anyone.”
I knew my poor way with
words meant he wouldn’t understand everything I meant. But I still had to say it.
“I’m happy to hear that,”
the vice commander replied with a shrug. “But you should save
exaggerated words like ‘revere’ and ‘adore’ for Roderick. I couldn’t have taken
care of you on my own back then.”
I revered the commander too. I was grateful to him, of
course; without his permission to stay, I would have been kicked out of the
royal order after that vote at the captains’ meeting. The commander had allowed
me to stay, thanks to my strength, and he’d even let me join the main forces. I owed him more than I
could ever repay in my lifetime.
“I’m just the
second-in-command,” Clark Darwin said. “I’m not your captain
either, so don’t treat me like I’m top dog around here. I’ve had enough of being
number one.” He punctuated his point with a wistful chuckle.
I knew it was wrong to
revere the vice commander more than the commander. It could come across as
disrespectful, even. But I, of all people, could never insult our beloved commander. He’d granted me mercy
after all the trouble I caused, allowing me to join the main forces.
“I love and respect you,”
I said. I
resisted the urge to add “more than anyone.”
“Right, thank you,” the
vice commander said. He chuckled again and rested his chin in his hands. “You’re very honest,
aren’t you? If
only everyone were like you…”
I wasn’t sure what he
meant by this, so I asked who he was talking about.
“Just a kid who’s going
through a rebellious phase,” he replied with a smile.
“No, I have no children,”
he said with a wave of his hand. “But this kid is like a
son to me…or maybe a little brother. I hope he grows up to be
like you someday. Although, if the two of you met now, it might come to blows.”
The vice commander didn’t
explain further. I didn’t know who this child was, what he was like, or if he belonged
to the royal order. Yet I
was happy. Now
that I had become a knight, I spent my days studying, practicing with a sword,
and growing into the person I wanted to be.
Less than two months
later, my life would take another dramatic turn.
A voice snapped me out of
my thoughts. What was I doing just now?
I’d been reflecting so
deeply on the past that I lost track of where I was. A familiar knight was
running up to me. Oh, that’s right. I’m…
When he reached me in a
corner of the training grounds, he bowed deeply.
He stood up a little
straighter at my tone. “It’s about the knight who was taken to the infirmary after your
sparring match.”
“That wasn’t sparring,” I
said. “It was a duel. I was prepared to kill him.”
The knight had complained
about one of my decisions, so I’d challenged him to a battle in which I could
silence him permanently if necessary. I cut him down over and
over, crushing his body and mind so that he would never defy me again.
The knight apologized and
continued his report. “He’s
just awoken. The doctors say it will take time for him to fully recover, even if
they treat him with special powers. The knight is still in a
weakened state and unwilling to talk.”
“Of course. That’s why I punished him.”
He’d acknowledged his
defeat in the middle of the duel, begging that I spare his dominant arm. But I cut him down
without mercy. It was ultimately a boring battle.
The knight in front of me
balled his hands into fists, trembling with indignation. “Did you really have to go
that far?” Before
I could ask what he meant, he glared at me, hatred glinting in his eyes. “I don’t understand why
you would injure a fellow knight so badly. We’re knights. That behavior goes against our code. Whatever he did—”
“You’re just as righteous
as your father, Arthur Beresford,” I interjected, glaring right back.
A breeze picked up,
tousling my short, messy hair and what remained of Arthur Beresford’s
chopped-off silver locks. He quietly squeezed the handle of his sword, his expression tense. Then he swallowed and
closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his deep-blue eyes—so similar to his
father’s—seemed to bore through me.
“My apologies, Commander
Harrison,” he said.
He wore a grim look. His features, hairstyle,
expressions, and manner of speaking all perfectly resembled the commander…
Well, the former commander.
Last year, Arthur
Beresford had slid right into the main forces, appearing before me like a
perfect replica of his father. But he was not Roderick
Beresford… Nor was the vice commander at his side.
“The vanguard can kill
the enemies on the cliffs first, don’t you see? Or do you plan on defying
an order from the queen, Vice Commander?”
That was the day I lost
my pride and my future. The queen trampled everything that I…that we held dear.
The roar of the avalanche
assaulted our eardrums through the transmission. I would never forget that
image of a boulder crushing the commander. A crazed howl rang out
alongside the thunder of the collapse as the man’s son watched his demise. The vice commander barked
orders amid the wails of the knights. It was pure and utter hell.
“Now that the commander’s
dead, you can step up and take his place, right? Seems simple enough.”
That woman insulted our
dignity. We were
nothing to her. I made up my mind in that moment: I was going to kill the queen
someday.
“Hurry and search for any
survivors! Don’t
let Roderick’s death be for nothing!”
The vice commander’s
screams turned hoarse as he held back tears. Roderick Beresford wasn’t
just his dear friend, he was also our leader. Yet I couldn’t move a muscle.
I was
paralyzed by despair, rage, and an overwhelming sense of loss.
Weeping, Callum Bordeaux
shook the shoulders of the commander’s son. “Snap out of it, Beresford! Please…you have to get a
grip!”
The screaming, wide-eyed
boy had plunged into a senseless rage. He muttered under his
breath, “Dad… That woman… I’m going to…”
Callum Bordeaux wrapped
his arms around the boy. It didn’t seem like the kid was still sane.
“I’m going to the cliffs! I’ll take directions as
the vice captain! Please
let me go there!” Alan Berners said, his voice raw from calling for the commander. His eyes were red as he
begged the captain of his First Squadron for permission to go. Finally, he raced from the
room with a group of other knights.
I was happy, once. But that happiness had
lasted less than a year.
“Roderick!” Vice Commander Clark Darwin cried out.
He managed to issue
orders and ensure the knights cleaned up any remaining enemies. Only then did he slam his
fist against the wall so hard that he drew blood. After a few seconds and
several deep breaths, he approached Callum Bordeaux and the boy.
“Thank you, Callum,” he said.
“I’ll look
after him from here.”
He took the trembling boy
out of Callum Bordeaux’s arms. Then he fell to pieces.
“I’m sorry, Arthur. I’m
so sorry!”
I’d never seen him sob
like that before. I’d never seen him in such anguish. In fact, I’d never seen
the vice commander cry at all.
The royal order lost its
central pillar. The vice commander had to support and guide us after that. He worked himself to the
bone, getting the royal order back on its feet after we’d lost so much. He even led us to victory
in the pointless battles the queen demanded of us. And then…the vice
commander withered away. With his knights gathered around him as he lay on his deathbed, the
vice commander issued one final wish. Then he took his last breath.
He was gone.
“Commander, why are you
doing those things to your fellow knights?” Arthur Beresford asked me.
He’d joined the main
forces one year prior and already risen to the rank of vice captain. But that wasn’t unusual
anymore. The
number of knights in the royal order had dropped significantly. The strongest ones died
in droves, leaving the squadrons as empty husks without direction. Anyone strong could work
their way to the top. Knights became things that were merely restocked when their numbers
dwindled.
Arthur Beresford was a
talented swordsman, which made it even easier for him to climb the ladder. After all, he was the
commander’s…the late commander’s son. Now here he was,
chastising me again. He seemed to hold it against me that I’d injured another young knight
in what I called a duel.
“Resisting the queen will
get the entire order destroyed,” I said.
If we didn’t obey her,
we’d be killed. One person’s foolish mistake could get their entire family slaughtered.
A protest
from any knight could result in a threat against the entire order.
“But…” he began, then
fell silent.
While he remained lost
for words, I returned to the commander’s office. I strode there quickly,
but didn’t use my special power, and reflected on the past while I walked.
“Ha
ha! Don’t cry, everyone.
I’m the one who
wants to cry. I wish I could have left you more before I died. For Roderick’s sake too.”
That was what Vice
Commander Clark Darwin said in his final moments. He’d served as a knight
for all of us until the very end.
“Don’t make that face,
Harrison,” he’d told me.
I never did manage to reply. There was nothing I could do.
I couldn’t
help the commander, to whom I owed so much. I couldn’t support the
vice commander after everything he did for us. All I could do was keep
myself quiet so that I wouldn’t be a burden to him.
“There’s one last thing I
want to ask of you. This comes directly from me, not your vice commander.”
He’d chipped away at his
health by working for the royal order, for the people, for the kingdom. The last thing he requested…
“Arthur Beresford,
Roderick’s son…”
It was the boy he’d once
told me was like a son to him. For the first time, I
realized the boy he meant was the commander’s son. With his final breath,
his voice dry and hoarse, the vice commander asked us to look after Arthur
Beresford—to support him if he showed up on the order’s doorstep. Those were his final words.
I’d never sobbed as hard
as I did that day. My throat had never gotten torn raw from wailing. I refused to accept that
he had died in front of me. I cried, screamed, howled…but none of it brought him back. Eventually, I was the
only one left who remembered that day.
“Commander Callum
Bordeaux and Vice Commander Alan Berners both died for defying the queen.”
I found myself having to
tell Arthur Beresford this news.
With Alan Berners and
Callum Bordeaux gone, everyone who’d witnessed the vice commander’s death and
heard his last wish was dead. One opposed the queen,
one was sent out into a fruitless war, one was worked to death, and the last
one took his own life before he could bring shame to himself as a knight.
“In the end, my way of
life didn’t change after becoming a knight,” I mused.
I only became the next
commander because Callum Bordeaux and Alan Berners died, making me the
strongest knight in the order. That was the only
requirement for promotions these days, even though I didn’t feel like I should
be in charge of anyone.
I killed if the queen
ordered me to kill. I destroyed any country she told us to destroy. If she told me to put
down rebellion among the knights…I would eliminate the threats by any means
necessary, cutting down one knight after another before they could act.
But I couldn’t let her
destroy the royal order yet.
“Arthur Beresford…don’t
end up like me.”
I turned my head just
slightly to address the man at my back. I didn’t look at his
face—I couldn’t bear to see features so similar to the commander’s twisted with
anger.
“Commander?” he called out, but I pretended not to hear him.
The vice commander would
be disgusted if he could see me. The commander’s pride,
the royal order that the vice commander had helped get back on its feet, the
order they’d loved and protected until the end—I had turned it into an army
that served the queen’s amusement and facilitated her massacres.
I wasn’t like Callum
Bordeaux. I
didn’t have his noble blood, his ability to see the bigger picture, the heart
he offered to everyone he met, or his clever brain.
I wasn’t like Alan Berners. I couldn’t lead people
like him—couldn’t guide or motivate people.
Kenneth Aldridge, the
current vice commander, was much better suited to be in charge. All I had was power…or
rather, “violence.” I had no right to lead others.
Yet I couldn’t leave the
royal order. I couldn’t abandon this title I held. I couldn’t bring about
the end of the order, no matter how many knights or innocent civilians I had to
cut down.
It didn’t matter to me if
people hated me—I wasn’t worthy of esteem anymore. The people who saved me,
who acknowledged me, who praised me were no longer part of this world.
But I still had things I
had to do for their sake.
“Oh, are you awake,
Harrison?”
I pried my eyes open. Where am I? This wasn’t my bedroom. When I found someone
sitting next to me, I tried to jerk away, but my body refused to obey. I couldn’t remember what
I’d been dreaming about, but I knew I’d been trapped in some dark, endless
nightmare that filled me with despair.
“You were fast asleep. How do you feel?”
The person spoke again,
and I tried to turn my head to figure out who they were. A man just barely came
into view. His
horribly nostalgic voice stirred a memory inside me. I strained to see who he
was, only to find a familiar yet startling face.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. I shouldn’t have been so
shocked, but my heart was racing. I blinked over and over,
yet he didn’t disappear like some ghostly apparition. I couldn’t quench the
desire to ensure it was actually him.
I heard myself speak, but
I didn’t understand my own words. Who else would it be? Still, when I looked at
the vice commander, it was like seeing someone who’d come back from the brink
of death. The
thought left me trembling.
The vice commander
squinted at me. “Are
you still half asleep?” he asked, sounding completely normal. “I heard you and Arthur
really went at it today. You never spend this much time in bed unless you’re sick.”
He chuckled, and that
sound sent relief flooding through me that snapped me out of my strange
thoughts. Why had I asked him that? Maybe he was right, and I
hadn’t fully woken up yet. Now that my mind was clear, I remembered what brought me here.
“He’s been ordered to get
some rest, just like you. He kept up with you for an entire day.” The vice commander leaned
back in his chair. “The fight ended at dawn, and it’s been about half a day since then. You’ve been asleep that
entire time. So? How was the duel?”
“Don’t you know what
happened?”
Plenty of people had
witnessed the duel. Surely he knew the outcome by now.
He smiled awkwardly and
sighed. “Let
me ask a different question, then.” The vice commander leaned
in a little closer. “Did you have fun dueling Arthur?”
“Yes.
I was thoroughly
defeated.”
The vice commander burst
into laughter at my immediate answer. I didn’t know what was so
funny.
“Well, that’s good.
I never thought I’d see the day
when you’d be happy to lose.”
I cocked my head. Was I really happy? I wasn’t sure of that myself. But I was satisfied. I had battled Arthur Beresford, ready to fight to the death, and I was
trounced by him like I’d expected. There was nothing wrong
with that. I
had proven to all those knights that Arthur Beresford’s promotion was
justified. If
anyone still doubted him, I’d handle them.
“Are you thinking about
doing something reckless again, Harrison?” the vice commander asked.
He peered closer at me,
and I broke eye contact. The man who’d become my mentor only needed a year to learn how to read
my thoughts on my face with eerie accuracy. He sighed at whatever he
found now.
“You didn’t endorse
Arthur’s promotion because of Roderick or me, right?”
Why would he bring that up? I narrowed my eyes at him. His voice had gone quiet,
but he should’ve already known the answer to that question.
Despite my confusion, I
attempted to give him a reasonable answer. “Arthur Beresford is a
wonderful knight. He’s much more wonderful than me.”
“Is that right?” The vice commander nodded to himself. But strangely enough, he
urged me to continue.
“He deserves a fair
appraisal,” I said.
Arthur Beresford was
young, but not too young. The Eighth Squadron was
all about personal merit. But
most of all…
“I became a captain one
year after joining the main forces,” I pointed out.
“That’s right. You really surprised us.”
As always, the vice
commander could interpret the deeper meaning behind my simple statements. He crossed his arms and
smiled, like he was enjoying the memory.
“Vice Commander,” I said,
“Arthur Beresford was a major player on the front lines in the war.”
Arthur Beresford had made
tremendous contributions. He’d rescued his father multiple times and even knocked bullets out of
the air with his sword. My heart had raced when I first heard about how he saved the commander.
Every one
of us who’d been there six years ago rejoiced over the news.
Six years ago, he wasn’t
even a rookie, much less a full-fledged knight. He was just the
commander’s son, weak and unsure of his future. But the boy was
determined to get back on his feet. He even made that vow to
Princess Pride Royal Ivy—he swore to protect her for the rest of his life. I understood how he felt
when he offered everything he had to the princess that day. I’d done much the same
with the commander and vice commander.
Princess Pride Royal
Ivy—the woman who saved our beloved commander.
Princess Pride Royal
Ivy—the woman our vice commander, whom I so deeply respected, was indebted to.
I knew Arthur Beresford
would protect her until his last breath, no matter what it cost him. He needed “power” to
protect her. Without power, he couldn’t protect anyone. It wasn’t enough to
simply get stronger, though. If he did that for his own
sake, and she remained out of his reach, it would all be for nothing. We’d all felt that the
day we were forced to watch our commander nearly die in that cliff collapse. We were too far away to
do anything in that moment, so all our power was useless.
When Arthur Beresford
showed up at the royal order, he didn’t waste a single second. He was only a rookie, but
he was already aiming for the top. He’d do anything to reach
the princess’s side as quickly as he could. He didn’t stop until he’d
earned the power and position necessary to protect her. Somewhere along the way,
I started eagerly anticipating his growth.
During the war, Arthur
Beresford used his blade to save the commander. Just like six years ago, I
wasn’t able to get to the commander in time. I didn’t even know he was
in danger. But
Arthur Beresford dashed to his rescue, saving the lives of him and the knights
around him. And then…
“I also protected
Princess Pride Royal Ivy,” I said.
“Oh? Do you want me to praise
you for that?” the vice commander asked, amused.
He smiled and studied my
face as I stared up at him in silence. Finally, he nodded.
“All right,” he said. “You did well, Harrison. I’m glad I sent you to
fight in the war. I’m proud
of you.”
He chuckled, but those
words were all the reward I ever needed. I was useful to the man
who found me, saved me, and took me under his wing. Six years had gone by
since the ambush at the cliffs, and I was achieving things as a knight. The better I performed on
missions, the more praise the vice commander deserved as the man who’d educated
me.
He also gave me some of
my own responsibilities to take care of. Once I reached the rank
of captain, I accepted missions directly from him and the commander. Then Arthur Beresford,
the young man who’d made a vow to protect Princess Pride Royal Ivy, joined the
order. He
was the commander’s son and someone dear to the vice commander. Still, I’d never expected
him to end up in the Eighth Squadron with me.
Lately, with these people
around me, every day filled me with happiness. The vice commander took
me in, the commander acknowledged my strengths, and I got to know Arthur
Beresford as a person. If Princess Pride Royal Ivy hadn’t been there on that day…
“Take me to that
battlefield!”
She was a princess, and
only eleven years old at the time. Yet she’d put herself
directly in the line of fire.
“Prepare to meet your
end, you demons.”
The way she’d danced
across the battlefield, never losing her smile even as blood stained her fine
dress, had been a thing of beauty. Her ferocity had stolen
the eyes and hearts of many knights, including me. If she hadn’t been
there…I would never have known this happiness.
Just thinking back on the
despair I felt that day turned my stomach. It came back to me so
vividly. When
I thought the commander was lost, it was like the ground suddenly gave out
beneath me. My
stomach still plummeted just thinking about it.
“I give you my most
profound gratitude for saving the life of my dear friend Commander Roderick. I cannot thank you enough.”
I’d never seen the vice
commander so completely overjoyed. I’d never seen him
express his gratitude so openly either. For the first time, I
watched the vice commander weep.
She’d saved the
commander’s life, and it had left the vice commander overwhelmed with gratitude
toward her. That was reason enough for me to serve her faithfully. I’d vowed to do anything
I could for the princess who’d saved the people I treasured the most. I wouldn’t let harm
befall a single finger—no, not even a fingernail on her body. And yet…
“Alan Berners and Callum
Bordeaux let her get hurt,” I muttered.
The words came out on
their own as I recalled the memories. The vice commander
frowned, but not because of the captains. It was because of me. If Princess Pride Royal
Ivy said the captains weren’t at fault—that they’d been the ones to save her
life—then it must be true. I had no right to chastise or judge them if that was how she felt.
“Their punishment is over
now,” the vice commander said. “You understand that they
did the best they could, right?”
“I
do. But they
weren’t fully prepared.”
They couldn’t do what it
took to protect her. They should have thrown away their titles after that, regardless of how
the princess felt about it. Perhaps that would mean
she required more imperial knights, but she always had Arthur Beresford, the
man most suited for the job.
I turned and found
someone lying in the bed across from mine. He was slumped over, like
he was too weak to sit up. His long, loose silver hair spilled to the floor.
“Arthur Beresford.” I hadn’t known he was there.
I looked to the vice
commander, who simply laughed. “Remember?
I told you
he was in the same situation as you.”
That much was true, but I
hadn’t realized it meant we were both resting in the same infirmary.
“Captain Alan and Captain
Callum…were really, really prepared to protect Princess Pride. So don’t…talk about them
like that…” Arthur Beresford rasped.
Watching him make his
case while slumped over his bed, I wondered how fatigued he still was. His eyes were dimmer than
usual. When
I didn’t reply, Arthur Beresford scowled at me.
“You know what?” he said. “You’re so cruel, Captain
Harrison. I
was waiting to hear how you’d explain your dislike of the captains, yet the
moment the vice commander asked you about it, you had nothing to say but a
one-line answer. I was out there practically fighting to the death and everything…”
He slid out of his bed
until his head hit the floor. Clearly he didn’t quite
have control of his limbs yet. Bandages covered him head
to toe, just like me.
“Stop moving or you’ll
hurt yourself,” the vice commander said. He rose to pull Arthur
Beresford up and set him back in his bed. “I forgot to mention
this, but the two of you are ordered to strict bed rest for two more days. You’ve already been
treated with special powers, so don’t you dare move around, got it?”
Two
days. That
meant neither of us were gravely injured.
“You haven’t broken any
bones, but you won’t fully heal in just two days,” the vice commander said. “You’ll need more
treatments with special powers, then two more days of bed rest.”
“So I can’t see her…for
another two days?” Arthur
Beresford groaned. “That’s
so long.”
The vice commander chuckled. “The three other imperial
knights have already agreed to take over while you’re away. Princess Pride has been
informed as well.”
This got another groan
out of Arthur Beresford. The vice commander turned to me and told me that Isidore, the former
vice captain of the Eighth Squadron, would be replacing me until I returned. He was definitely up to
the job, but…I wasn’t the one who needed that information anymore.
“Give your reports to
Arthur Beresford,” I said. “I’m not the captain of the Eighth Squadron.”
“Ah, that’s right,” the
vice commander said. He repeated himself for Arthur Beresford, who said he understood.
“Captain Harrison,”
Arthur Beresford called out.
He shifted uncomfortably
at that reminder, and the vice commander told him to hold still. With yet another groan,
he obliged.
“Then…Harrison, can I ask you a favor?”
He was hesitant, even
though he was my superior now and I would obviously obey him. With a sigh, he said,
“Fine, I won’t hesitate then. Even if I’m captain
now…can you still treat me the same as before?”
What does that mean? He’d very publicly
defeated me in a duel for my title, and I had no complaints. He’d earned his new
title, and I owed it and him due respect. The vice commander
chuckled at my confused scowl. Before I could ask him
what was so funny, Arthur Beresford spoke up again.
“I just…seriously won’t
be able to stand it…if you talk to me all formally and stuff…”
I heard the rustling of
fabric and looked up to find him draping his arms over his face.
“I’d have been really
happy…if I got the position because I’d reached your level. But I still have so much
to learn… You’re more mature and better at making decisions in battle and
stuff, so I don’t want someone like you talking to me like I’m special…”
He trailed off weakly at
the end, almost like he’d been muttering in his sleep.
Did he really mean that,
or was he just flattering me? I couldn’t imagine him
wanting to be more like me, of all people.
“What, you don’t want
Harrison to show you respect?” the vice commander teased.
“You wouldn’t like it if
the commander spoke formally to you, right?” Arthur Beresford replied,
glaring at him. His voice was harsher than usual.
“Ah, I guess not,” the
vice commander said with a chuckle.
“Why should you show me
respect when you defeated me?” I
asked.
I didn’t care how we
addressed each other. I’d been prepared to work under him for a long time.
Arthur Beresford mumbled
something, then turned onto his side to face the wall. “It was really close, and
I barely won. Captain—I mean, Harrison, I’ve always known you’re an amazing fighter. I can’t think of any
reason why I wouldn’t
show my
respect for you…”
It sounded like he
idolized me or something. He told us he was going to get some sleep, then stopped speaking
altogether. I wondered if I should sleep too. The vice commander
nodded, although he was smirking for some reason. He closed his eyes,
though I didn’t get why he was so emotional. And why was he bobbing his
head up and down? I figured I’d ask, but he beat me to the punch.
“You’ve really grown,
Harrison.”
It was so sudden, I
doubted I’d heard him correctly. The vice captain had
praised me for a second time. I could hardly believe it. For a long, breathless
moment, he held my gaze while I sat there unblinking. Once I recovered a
little, he went on.
“I’m so glad to see how
much your subordinates love you,” he said, smiling softly. “Keep taking good care of
Arthur and the Eighth Squadron. Now then, I’m heading
back to my room. Stay
in bed, you two. No
bickering either.”
With those gentle orders,
the vice commander left us. He seemed very insistent
on us not moving around too much once we awoke. Was that why he’d come here? Or maybe he wanted to
make the order clear to me especially.
Once the vice commander
left, I stared up at the ceiling for a while. He praised me. Everything that had just
happened replayed in my mind. Am I dreaming?
The vice commander had
praised me twice. He was glad that I had grown. Arthur Beresford said he
respected me. Was there even a word to describe the joy swelling in my chest?
“I’d have been really
happy…if I got the position because I’d reached your level. But I still have so
much to learn…”
Reached my level? I remembered him saying he wanted to be like the commander six years
ago. Did
that mean he wanted to be like me too? A smirk crept onto my
face as joy flooded my body. I probably could have
smiled through anything in that moment, even death.
“You can do it,” I said
quietly.
My smirk widened into a
true smile. I didn’t know what glorified version of me he saw, but I knew that
Arthur Beresford could easily surpass me. I’d spoken no louder than
a breath. My
words dissipated in the air, but I didn’t care if he never heard me. He didn’t need to. From here on out, I just
had to devote myself as a knight to the right people.
Commander Roderick Beresford.
Vice Commander
Clark Darwin. Princess
Pride Royal Ivy. Captain
Arthur Beresford. Everything I did, I did for them. I used my power to protect
this country’s people and dedicated myself to those four. It was my pride as a knight.
A meaningful life and a
meaningful death. I would never find any greater happiness.
Chapter 4:
Knights and Toasts
FOUR DAYS HAD PASSED since my duel with
Capt—with Harrison. We fought until dawn, then I spent an entire day out cold. On the second day, I was
awake, but confined to a bed. The men who’d watched the
duel and the other imperial knights came by to visit me one by one. On the third day, Dad and
Clark stopped by.
This was day four. My injuries were mostly healed, and the doctors gave me permission to
take off my bandages. It hurt like hell to move, but I could at least function relatively
normally again. To be honest, I’d never gotten injured badly enough before to need more
than a day to recover. I never got hurt this much on missions, not even during the defensive
war.
Harrison and I went to
see Dad and Clark in the morning. I also apologized to
Captain Alan first thing for making him pick up more imperial knight shifts. But at least I’d be able
to jump back in and help out again starting today… Or so I thought, until
something else turned my day upside down.
The Eighth Squadron relied
less on paperwork compared to other units, which was why we could switch
captains with nothing more than a bout to show off combat skills. But becoming the captain
meant I had to start submitting written reports to the commander every single
day.
I hadn’t moved for four
whole days, so I had yet to fill out any of the documentation that came with my
promotion. The
task was truly daunting, and a stark reminder of why captains were always so
busy.
Since three of Princess
Pride’s imperial knights were captains now, we could either hold captains’
meetings first thing in the morning, so we could get to Princess Pride right
after the royal family’s breakfast, or send Vice Captain Eric with a bunch of replacement
knights to guard the princess. It was just another way
things were changing now that I wasn’t vice captain anymore.
I got permission to move
into my new room that day, which was reserved for captains—the one that had
belonged to Harrison not that long ago. He had packed up all his
stuff and moved into my former room, the one for the vice captain, before I’d
even cleared out. That was pretty unfair, since he didn’t have many personal belongings;
moving was a lot easier for him than for me. Plus, it made me feel
like I was getting kicked out. Nevertheless, I gathered
up my stuff and carried it to my new room.
When Vice Captain Eric
saw me, he laughed and offered to help. “Vice Captain Harrison is
as merciless as ever,” he said.
I couldn’t agree more. The vice captain
suggested I get rookies to help me, but I didn’t have many things, and I would
feel bad making them come out here to carry my stuff around.
With all my stuff in
place, I set the stack of documents awaiting me on my desk. It consisted of a few
dozen papers, but they mostly required the same notes over and over. Captain Alan told me I
could just write it the way the last captain did. Since my predecessor was
Harrison, I figured that meant there wouldn’t be too much to write. Hopefully, I could rush
through it and get back to my imperial knight shift that afternoon.
Except…all Harrison had
written on every one of his documents was “nothing to report.”
I sprinted right back to him.
He was
supposed to document battle formations, shortcomings among his knights, and
general observations, but his daily, weekly, bimonthly, and monthly reports
only contained a single sentence. There was no way he never
spotted something worth writing down, and besides, I sure couldn’t copy one
sentence over and over!
When I finally got a hold
of him, I cried, “A third party is supposed to go over these records if
anything happens to the captain! What if you’d died before
we switched positions and the Eighth Squadron was wiped out?!”
Harrison, now vice
captain, spoke as if nothing was amiss when he submitted his paperwork to me. When I asked him how he’d
submitted reports to Dad on a daily basis, he said he was more detailed on
those.
“I have to do it properly
if the commander is going to see them,” he added.
My head throbbed. Then why couldn’t you
keep proper records for the Eighth Squadron too?!
He wouldn’t do the
paperwork correctly for our title swap. On top of that, he used
his special power to run away in the middle of our conversation. He was giving me a worse
headache than the paperwork itself. Plus, I needed his
signature on the documents, so I had to go chase after him. I barely got him to sign
before the submission deadline, and as a result, I missed my afternoon imperial
knight shift.
Late that night, after
training, Captain Alan wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “So you spent the day
chasing Harrison even though you just recovered from all those injuries?” he asked with a smile.
“Well…he did show up to the Eighth
Squadron’s training session,” I replied. “But I didn’t want to
interrupt him, so I worked on other documents and records and chased him again
during his breaks…”
“That honor of yours must
make life hard for you, huh?”
Captain Alan burst out
laughing and pulled me closer. The sudden jerk almost
made me collapse after all the running I’d had to do today.
I glanced over at the
captain as he dragged me along and found him grinning at me. All the senior knights
were supposed to take me out drinking tonight to celebrate my promotion, but
they’d postponed it until tomorrow—an order from Captain Alan, apparently.
“What’s the matter? You don’t wanna drink with just us imperial knights?”
“No, I’m really glad you
invited Captain Callum and Vice Captain Eric. We just never do this
kind of thing…”
“Don’t we drink all the
time?”
Well, that was true. But they usually invited
people to their rooms to celebrate things, like when Vice Captain Eric or I
were promoted to vice captain. But Captain Alan had
stepped in this time and bumped the celebrations a day, telling the others I
was busy tonight. I didn’t really mind, since I liked drinking with the three of them.
“Where
are Captain Callum and Vice
Captain Eric?”
“Getting booze and snacks. They said we could start
drinking without them.”
“Okay… Wait, Captain,
your room’s over—”
“Oh, let’s drink in your
room tonight! You haven’t unpacked yet, have you? I’ll help you out while
I’m there. Eric
said you could use a hand.”
He was right that I still
had some unpacking to do. While I appreciated his help, it also made me feel a little guilty.
The two of us headed to
my new room while I wondered just how much food and booze the other two planned
to bring back. Cleaning up the empty bottles could become a bigger chore than
unpacking my boxes.
We reached the door, and
I was just about to unlock it when I realized I’d forgotten to tell Stale I’d
changed rooms. That meant he might teleport into my old room by mistake. He could still teleport
to my direct location, which wouldn’t be a problem, but if he went straight to
Harrison’s room, he might end up with a blade to his throat before he could
announce himself.
I tried to justify my
thoughts with these kinds of practical concerns, but really, I was looking for
a reason to tell Stale about my promotion as soon as I could. It was embarrassing to
admit, but I’d spent the past four days desperate to see Princess Pride and
tell Stale and the others my good news.
“Wow, so this is what my
room would look like if I didn’t have so much stuff. It’s so big!” Captain Alan said as he
took in the room. His shouts of awe echoed in the empty space. When I warned him my
neighbors would hear him, he said, “Captains’ rooms are farther apart and
soundproofed, so it’s fine.”
“Oh, you said we could
start drinking when we got here, but I don’t actually have any alcohol.”
When I asked if we should
get some from his room, Captain Alan grinned mischievously at me. I staggered backward in
the face of that eerie expression. Then he brought his
fingers to his mouth.
Tweeeeeet! He let out a shrill whistle.
The person I most wanted
to see had appeared right then and there, calling my name.
“Huh?
Princess Pride?! And Tiara too?! How did you—”
Captain Callum and Vice
Captain Eric appeared alongside the two princesses. My voice gave out as the
shock hit me. I was dimly aware that something smelled absolutely delicious, but
before I could focus on that, Val, Sefekh, and Khemet showed up. I didn’t have time to ask
why they were here too, since Princess Pride and Tiara were already leaping
toward me. Princess
Pride spread her arms, a basket hanging from one of them. Realizing what was about
to happen, I froze up.
“Arthur! Congratulations on your promotion!”
When Princess Pride and
Tiara leapt into my arms, I embraced them on pure reflex.
“Arthur! Congratulations on your promotion!”
As soon as Stale
teleported us to his room, Tiara and I jumped into Arthur’s arms.
Captain Alan and Captain
Callum had told us about his duel with Captain Harrison four days ago. That afternoon, Stale
informed us of Arthur’s promotion to captain of the Eighth Squadron. He’d become the youngest
knight in the history of the royal order to achieve two incredible
advancements, surpassing Captain Callum’s record for youngest promotion to
captain. Captain
Callum himself remarked that Arthur was the first teenage captain in the
history of the royal order.
Stale and I had asked to
see Arthur and congratulate him, but Tiara had another idea.
“We should throw him a
surprise party for real this time!”
We’d been planning to
surprise Arthur when he was promoted to vice captain, but we’d had to cancel
for unfortunate reasons. Stale and I were therefore eager to take Tiara up on her suggestion—as
were Captain Alan and Captain Callum, although they only agreed with certain
stipulations.
“I really mean it! Congratulations, Arthur! Becoming a captain in less
than three months is incredible!”
“Congratulations! Big Sister and Big Brother were thrilled! I’m really happy too!”
Tiara and I hugged Arthur
even harder. My sister wrapped her arms around his waist, and I hugged him at the
chest so that we wouldn’t suffocate him as we had once before. I’d seen the look of
shock on his face when we sprang at him, so I knew our surprise was a success. We were finally able to
celebrate his achievements! But just as I was about
to release him…
Arthur hugged us back
just as hard.
The knight’s arms, so
sturdy and strong, made my breath catch. When I looked up, Arthur
screwed his eyes shut and buried his face against the top of my head.
“I missed you…so much…”
he said, pulling us closer.
He looked a bit worn out;
he was probably still exhausted from that fight with Vice Captain Harrison. Plus, he now had all his
captain’s work to do. While Captain Alan and Captain Callum said they’d make sure he stayed
in the royal order, he was undoubtedly swamped with paperwork.
When Arthur pulled back a
little, I got a better look at his face. I traced my finger along
the delicate skin under his eyes. While he looked tired, he
thankfully had no dark circles quite yet.
“We missed you too,
Arthur,” I said with a smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t come
visit you.”
Arthur slowly opened his
eyes at the sensation of my fingers on his skin. His skin abruptly flushed
with heat, like he was about to burst into flames.
“Huh?!
Oh! Umm…!” He muttered something unintelligible before whipping his arms away from
us at lightning speed.
Arthur staggered
backward, his eyes darting all over the place. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t
mean to…” His lips trembled, and I felt guilty that Tiara and I had jumped on
him so suddenly. He was also probably concerned about freely hugging two members of
royalty.
Smiling, Tiara and I
exchanged glances before turning back to him.
“Don’t worry, we’re
friends, right?” I said.
“Big Sister, Big Brother,
and I love you a lot, Arthur!” Tiara added.
Arthur, still blushing,
murmured, “But…you’re princesses… And at our age, it’s…”
It sounded like he was
concerned about Tiara being of marriageable age. His sense of honor was
endearing and awkward all at once. I searched for Stale and
found he’d finished teleporting in the other guests and the food. He was smiling too, so I
assumed he was pleased about the success of our surprise—but the moment my eyes
met his, he shifted his attention to Arthur with a devious glint in his eyes.
“It’s not every day that
three members of the royal family visit a knight’s room,” he said. “You’d better be
thankful, Arthur.”
“That’s right! P-Princess Pride, why are you all in my room?!” Arthur asked, his head
snapping up.
“I don’t even have
anything to serve you!” Arthur said in a panic, even though he was the guest of honor.
“Don’t worry! Prince Stale teleported a table full of food,” Vice Captain Eric said,
amused.
Finally, Arthur noticed
all the food. We’d cooked lots of his favorites from the world of my past
life—ginger-fried pork and miso soup in particular. It wasn’t too exciting,
but Tiara and I had worked really hard so that Arthur would enjoy them.
While we’d all been eager
to surprise Arthur for real this time, no one had been more motivated than
Stale himself. When I first told him I had asked Leon for more cooking ingredients,
Stale had instantly declared, “Then
let’s prepare right away, before anything else can delay us!”
The second I agreed, he’d
teleported directly to Leon. Anemone was right next to
our homeland, so Stale could teleport to their castle without my permission. I had asked him what he
planned to do if anyone other than Leon saw him do it, and he’d eagerly
replied, “Prince Leon would be sure to order the silence of
anyone who happened to see. Besides, this is urgent!”
Stale had then teleported
back with a huge haul of ingredients. He told us that Leon had
prepared them all for us so that my next surprise party could go off without a
hitch. But
in all honesty, we now had far more food than Arthur could ever eat on his own.
At the time, I was worried we’d overdone it, but
Stale was emphatic. “Prince Leon said he prepared it all just for you, so he doesn’t want
you to have any reservations about using this.”
It seemed the two had
grown close while I wasn’t paying attention. Nevertheless, I was super
grateful. Stale
and Leon were always good at getting things done, and Stale never let up once
he set his mind on something.
He flew into motion, ordering us all around: “Big Sister, I’d like to
place these ingredients in storage for now. When should I request
that we borrow the kitchen? Captain Alan, Captain
Callum, please inform me as soon as you know when Arthur will return. I’ll use my break to come
up with an airtight schedule!” He tackled the
preparations for this party like he was strategizing for war. Tiara seemed to enjoy it,
but the captains and I had been overwhelmed by his intensity.
The next day, my imperial
knights reported that Arthur would need three days of bed rest after his duel
with Captain Harrison. That gave us time to sit down and plan what to cook and how to surprise
Arthur.
Tiara and I worked out a
good plan, with a little outside help. We’d even finished our
cooking in time to serve it to Arthur while it was still hot and fresh. The ginger pork and miso
soup were still steaming when Stale teleported them into the room.
“I thought we could all
enjoy your favorite foods,” I told Arthur now.
“Big Sister worked really
hard to cook this!” Tiara
added.
Arthur seemed too dazed
to respond, but Captain Alan blurted out, “Huh?! There’s some for us too?!” His eyes lit up at the
prospect.
Unlike Captain Callum and
Vice Captain Eric, who had seen us cooking, Captain Alan didn’t know we’d made
enough for everyone. The actual cooking process was simple, and we had plenty of ingredients
to work with, so Tiara and I had easily prepared enough for everyone. We simply needed the
right utensils and dishes. That being the case, I had to admit my arms were a bit sore from all that
hard work.
Arthur’s hands trembled,
revealing his nerves now that everyone was focused on him. With our encouragement,
he stuck his fork into the ginger pork and brought a bite up to his mouth. The moment he chowed
down, his tired eyes went wide and bright. He squeezed the fork
tighter, cheeks going pink. I hoped it wasn’t because
the food was too hot, but everything about his face seemed to say that he loved
it. Tiara and I
high-fived.
“It’s sooooo good!” With a loud gulp, Arthur
gave us his heartfelt praise. “Thank you so much!”
My smile turned bashful,
but I couldn’t be more pleased by his reaction. “There’s still more than
enough for everyone, so have as much as you like. We’re here to celebrate you tonight, Arthur!”
I urged the others to
take plates as well. Everyone aside from Tiara and me swarmed the table with such ferocity,
it was practically a race. How glad I was that there was so much pork left on the platter. The way they went at it,
they might as well have been starving. It was a good thing I’d
asked Stale to bring enough for everyone to have seconds.
Grinning, Tiara held a
bowl of miso soup out for Arthur. It made her look so
grown-up, like a wife serving a meal to her husband, and the image warmed my
heart. “Please
have some soup too! Big Sister made this as well!”
Arthur accepted the bowl. I thought it might be
hard for him to balance both that and his plate, but then Stale teleported the
table directly in front of him. I had a feeling that
table was from the dining hall… I would have to ensure he put it back when we
were finished.
Offering Stale his
thanks, Arthur set his plate on the table. Then he focused on the
bowl and slurped up his miso soup. He smiled from ear to
ear, looking like a weight had lifted from his shoulders. “It’s really good.”
“Leon supplied the
ingredients, and Stale picked them up for me,” I said. “Stale even helped come up
with the plan. He
worked so hard for y—”
“Elder Sister, you don’t
need to tell him about me,” Stale cut in. “Why not talk about the
food instead?”
He looked embarrassed by
the praise, so I politely—albeit awkwardly—changed the subject. “Captain Callum remembered
that you loved these dishes at the last party, and I thought it was best to
celebrate with your favorite foods. It’s a special occasion,
after all.”
Some of Arthur’s silver
hair was stuck to his face after all the running around he had to do today. I gently tucked the
strands behind his ear so they wouldn’t end up in his mouth while he ate, but
when my fingers grazed his ear, he flinched.
“I can’t congratulate you
enough, Arthur,” I said. “I’m so proud of you.”
No matter how many times I
said it, it never felt adequate. I was so, so, so, so happy. That boy from six years
ago had returned to me as a knight, become a vice captain, and then achieved
the rank of captain. It was proof of his hard work coming to fruition and everyone around
him acknowledging that.
Arthur blushed at that. Perhaps the reality of
his promotion had finally set in once the crown princess congratulated him
one-on-one. He stood there, his mouth opening and closing a few times, while Stale
and the knights smirked. Val and the children were doing their own thing, eagerly enjoying their
ginger pork and miso soup.
Arthur’s blue eyes shone
with emotion. Though his mouth was empty, he swallowed hard, and then he smiled with
genuine joy. Seeing him so happy, I beamed right back at him.
“Elder Sister, Tiara—you
should eat before it gets cold, Elder Sister.”
I handed the two of them
plates once Arthur and Pride’s conversation petered out. Neither of the princesses
had taken a single bite yet, too busy focusing on the man of the hour.
Pride placed the basket
she’d hung on one arm on the table and thanked me. Once she and our sister
had taken plates, I turned my focus back to Arthur. He was still in a dreamy
state after his talk with Elder Sister.
I caught his eye and
smiled at him. “What’s
wrong, Arthur? If you don’t want your food, then give it to me.”
“Don’t!”
he cried. “Of course I want it! You’ve already got your
own plate!”
Arthur shielded his plate
with his body. He must have been distracted enough to take my threat seriously. Only when I ate from my
own plate did Arthur relax.
All the flush finally
left his cheeks. “Thanks,
Stale. I’m
sure you helped a lot with all this.” He spoke quietly enough
that only I could hear. I knew he probably didn’t want to talk about it, but now that he’d said
something, I had to respond.
“Why wouldn’t I celebrate
my partner’s promotion? Congratulations.”
The last word came out
quiet as a wave of embarrassment hit me. I looked away and heard
him mutter a simple thank-you. Instead of looking at
Arthur, I searched for Pride and Tiara; they were heading toward the knights,
probably to thank them for their help with the surprise party. I considered toasting
with Arthur, then realized he only had food in front of him, not glasses.
“We’ll do it later,” he
said, apparently thinking the same thing.
After that, I dug into my
own food. The
fragrant pork paired perfectly with the sweet sauce and vegetables. I could eat that dish
forever.
“It tastes better when you
know that Elder Sister and Tiara made it,” I said.
“Yeah, it sure does,”
Arthur agreed.
“Sorry that we all barged in.
It was
supposed to be a celebration for you.”
“Food tastes better when
everyone eats together. I like it better this way.”
That response was so like
him. I
almost spit out my food laughing, and I coughed a few times before I managed to
swallow. With
food like this, I kind of wanted it all to myself or just the two of us, as
selfish as that was.
“Do you want any presents
for your promotion?” I asked
him.
“No, no way. This party already feels like too much.”
“I’ll get you a nice
chair, at least. Your room barely has any furniture in it.”
“That’s for you to sit in
when you visit me, isn’t it?”
“I guess I wouldn’t mind
having that then,” he said, reading my answer on my face.
That settled it. I was about to warn him that I was getting busier, thanks to being
Uncle Vest’s steward and assisting Father and Gilbert, but Arthur spoke up
before I could.
“Hey, why’s he here, anyway?” he asked, and I followed
his gaze. “Past
Sefekh and Khemet. Him.”
I
sighed. Val
was sitting against the wall, glaring at Arthur and me like he had something to
say.
“It’s a reward for their
help in the war,” I replied. “I teleported them here
while they were making a delivery, so he’s probably mad at me. Of course, I did bring them to the castle
parlor first to explain the surprise.”
“He’s probably mad that
it’s a party for me, right?”
That was possible, knowing
Val, but there was nothing I could do about it. Pride had invited them,
and I was at fault for forcibly teleporting them here while they were working. In fact, they’d just
returned from a delivery a few days ago, one in which they captured a thief. I understood why Val was
mad, since I’d dragged them back here right after they left again.
With another sigh, I
plucked the last bite off my plate, then rose to get soup. “I’ll be back. Go say hi to the other
knights. They
helped prepare for this party too.”
I nudged Arthur with my
shoulder as I passed him, and he nearly spilled the soup mid-sip. He managed to rescue the
bowl, but he still glared at me like I’d committed a grievous offense.
Val deserved my gratitude
as well, so I had to be the one to go hear his complaints.
“So that’s why you told
me to put my belongings in one corner, right, Vice Captain Eric?” Arthur said. “Thanks so much.”
Arthur bowed to the vice
captain, who smiled and waved him off while he tried to thank the three knights
who’d helped set up the party. Tiara and I had just
thanked them too. They really were a tremendous help, even pitching in outside of their
shifts. Captain
Alan and Captain Callum’s conditions had surprised me at first, but it all
worked out well in the end thanks to the other three knights.
Vice Captain Eric and
Captain Callum had watched over us while we cooked. Meanwhile, Captain Alan
had stayed with Arthur and signaled for us at the right time. Captain Alan had once said
that he wanted to watch me cook, but he’d volunteered to distract Arthur this
time. He
told me that he was the one who could most naturally lead Arthur to his
room—and that he also wanted to experience the act of signaling Stale with a
whistle. Captain
Callum immediately scolded him for being disrespectful, but I understood. Stale’s instant
teleportation was like summoning someone with magic, and Stale himself didn’t
seem to mind it. He’d even chuckled at Captain Alan’s explanation.
“I wish I could have seen
what your room normally looks like,” I said. “Please invite me over if
you have the opportunity, okay?”
“It’s really nothing
special!” Arthur
replied, shaking his head vigorously. “I barely keep anything
in my room!”
I didn’t mind if it was
empty. In
fact, a lack of personal items was true to the Arthur I knew. He seemed to be panicking
over the invite; I figured it wasn’t that easy for a man to ask a crown
princess to visit his personal quarters.
When I didn’t push the
issue, he breathed a sigh of relief, some of the tension easing from his
shoulders. Then
he noticed that his plate was empty and returned to the table for seconds. I wasn’t surprised that
he could still eat after finishing that big plate. If the other knights
weren’t busy talking to me, they probably would have followed Arthur back for
seconds too.
“I’m so glad he likes the
party, Big Sister!” Tiara told
me. “The food
is really delicious!”
“Yes, it all turned out
great,” Vice Captain Eric agreed. “I like this even more
than the last pork dish we tried.”
“We can’t thank you
enough for including us in this feast,” Captain Callum said.
“It tastes great!” Captain Alan gushed. “Please let me be the
taste tester the next time you cook!”
I appreciated their praise. A smile overtook my face,
and heat rose in the knights’ cheeks, like my bashfulness was contagious.
“Please feel free to have
more, everyone,” I said. “Everything on the table is for you.”
Leon had gone above and
beyond to gather ingredients for me, so there was plenty left. I was planning to either
have them take leftovers home with them or give them to the other knights
without telling them I’d made it. Thankfully, it looked like
that wouldn’t be an issue.
Arthur returned with two
more plates packed with ginger pork. At first I couldn’t
believe he was about to inhale two servings at once, but then he placed one of
the new plates on the table and offered it to the others. He must have been worried
that his fellow knights were being modest and not eating their share.
Captain Alan ruffled
Arthur’s hair, grateful for the gesture. “You don’t have to be so
nice to us now that you’re Captain Arthur.”
“That’s true. Now that he’s a captain, should I treat Arthur like my superior?” Vice Captain Eric asked.
Captain Callum nodded. “Yes, you probably should.”
“Give me a break!” Arthur yelled at them. “The three of you have
been knights way longer than me, so let’s just keep things the same as they’ve
always been.”
Arthur bowed while the
other three smirked. He clearly didn’t want to change the power dynamic among senior knights
he respected. Vice Captain Eric patted him on the back and reminded him not to call
Vice Captain Harrison “Captain” by mistake.
“Everyone accepted
Arthur’s promotion to captain after his duel with Harrison,” Captain Callum
said. “All
the knights know how seriously he takes his title. I’m looking forward to the
next captains’ meeting.”
Arthur blushed in response. He turned his face away,
stopped eating, and said, “I’m already so busy with all the paperwork.”
I’d heard that Arthur and
Captain Harrison were practically out for blood in their duel. The knights had buzzed at
the sight of Captain Harrison pulling out all the stops. But Arthur had managed to
defeat him after a full day of fighting, elevating his combat skills in the
minds of his brethren.
“When it comes to combat,
Arthur’s probably top five in the royal order. Maybe top three,” Captain
Alan said.
Arthur humbly deflected,
saying he had a lot to learn about swordplay. But if he could beat
Captain Harrison and his special power, his abilities were as strong as Captain
Alan said. Captain
Harrison had defended the southern border of Chinensis entirely on his own,
after all. The more I thought about it, the more amazing Arthur’s promotion felt. We hadn’t been able to
celebrate his promotion to vice captain when it happened, but at least we got
to mark this incredible occasion.
“I’m so glad we could
have a real celebration this time,” I said. “I was really sad that you
didn’t eat what I made for you last time.”
“Huh?
Did I turn down
your cooking?” he asked.
Oops. That’s not good. I didn’t mean to let that
slip!
My happiness and relief
had made me forget that Arthur had no idea about what happened last time.
He was wide-eyed with
confusion. “Did
I really waste an opportunity like that?!” He was panicking now,
making me break out into a cold sweat.
My smile was frozen on my
face. Tiara
was equally lost for words, and the other knights stared awkwardly at me. Maybe Stale could bail me
out of this? No, he was still talking to Val and the children on the other side of
the room. Arthur
was getting paler and paler the longer the misunderstanding lingered.
“No, you didn’t waste
anything!” I cried. “Before we could bring it
to you… Well, you see, we wanted to celebrate your promotion to vice captain,
but something came up and the food we cooked was lost…”
I wondered if I should
tell him my cooking attempts ended up producing some kind of burnt liquid
again. No! I don’t
want that image back in my head…
While I flailed for an
explanation, Arthur muttered, “Cooking… You mean…back then?!” He gasped, but at least
some color returned to his face. Except his expression had
turned grave, like he was facing down an enemy. The other knights had also
gone stiff. Had I said the wrong thing again? Tiara tugged on my dress,
flustered, but all I could do was stare at Arthur, concerned by his sudden
shift.
“It can’t be…” he said. “Don’t tell me that was
the cooking incident where you cried!”
Aaaaahhh! How?! How
does he know about me crying?! I winced, giving away my
thoughts. Now I was the one turning pale. This seriously wasn’t good! I knew that Arthur could
carry a grudge over food for a long, long time.
When Tiara and I kept our
silence, Arthur turned to his three senior knights, blue eyes flashing. “Am I right?!” The others forced smiles
to cover for me, but they also made no reply. “That’s why Captain Alan
said I should be angry?!”
Arthur gasped when he
looked at Captain Alan, who quickly covered Arthur’s mouth. It seemed that something
had happened privately between the imperial knights. I’d only be digging my
own grave if I spoke up now and said the wrong thing, but I was downright
rattled.
Just then, someone at the
table cackled. “You actually cried ’cause someone ate your cooking, Mistress?” Val asked, smirking at me.
It was just my luck that
he’d finished talking with Stale and come to the table for seconds at that very
moment. Khemet
and Sefekh were with Stale, but Val had detached from them just in time to hear
this whole embarrassing conversation. The way he looked at me
like I was just a kid crying over food left me nowhere to run, and I cringed.
Yet here you are, eating
more of my pork and soup!
I puffed out my cheeks,
refusing to admit that I’d also cried back then because of Val himself. Seeing me like that only
made his smirk grow. He was treating me like an idiot.
“It’s just a little
food,” he said, rubbing salt in the wound.
But I made that food for
Arthur! We
all worked together just like we did for this party! Besides…
“I made cookies for you
too, Val!” I blurted out.
“Cookies?!”
came a chorus of
voices.
Oops.
I can’t
believe I just did the same thing twice!
It wasn’t merely Arthur
this time; Val and the knights gaped at me in shock. I felt like I’d opened
Pandora’s box and couldn’t keep the whole truth from slipping out. Tiara, my only ally,
desperately fumbled for an excuse, but she wasn’t having any luck either.
As we flailed for words,
I sought out the person I least wanted to hear of this. Stale turned his head in
short, jerky motions, like an unoiled machine. He had shifted his full
attention from Khemet and Sefekh to me.
“Big Sister? What do you mean by…‘cookies’?”
Um… What
do I tell him to get through this? My smile faltered, but
Stale showed no signs of helping me change topics. In fact, he stomped
straight toward me. Eek!
I
turned around, but the questions didn’t stop.
“Mistress, what’s that
supposed to mean?” Val said. He set his plate down and
scowled at me suspiciously, looking more villainous than he had in a long, long
time. Sensing
this transformation, Khemet and Sefekh rushed to his side. I had no escape.
“It’s not like that!” Tiara protested. “We weren’t talking about your cookies,
Big Brother!”
Tiara got between Stale and
me. My
goddess of salvation gave me a single breath of reprieve before—
“What’s this about my cookies?”
Never
mind! Stale
can always read between the lines!
Tiara fell silent. She was going pale as well, so I wrapped my arms around her and pulled
her close. This is really scary!
I retreated to the
knights for help. They shielded me from Val, but there was no escaping Stale, who strode
straight up to us. I looked to Arthur for help, but rage boiled off him. He’s
definitely figured out that Cedric was the culprit!
Sefekh and Khemet clung
to Val to keep him in check, though they were staring up at the two of us.
Val clicked his tongue
and stepped back. “It sounds like that idiot prince ate more than just pork and soup.” He’d cut straight to the
heart of the matter.
The children cocked their
heads in confusion; I couldn’t bear to keep lying to them.
“You made cookies for us?!” Khemet said, far too
clever for his young age.
“And he ate those too?!” Sefekh added.
“N-no, Cedric ate the
other food before we could make the cookies… That’s why we ended things before
they were finished. I’m
really sorry.”
This was it. It was
all over. Sefekh
and Khemet told me I shouldn’t apologize. The three knights comforted
me. Tiara
even added, “It’s all Prince Cedric’s fault!”
“Hey, Prince,” Val said. “Let me kill the idiot if
you want to repay me.”
“I’ll consider it,” Stale
said darkly.
Stale’s calm demeanor was
more frightening than if he’d shouted or snarled. It gave me the jitters,
and I hadn’t even told them the worst part yet.
When I reminded them that
they couldn’t hurt people without my permission, Val reluctantly concluded,
“Fine, I won’t kill him. I’ll just make it close.” He was acting like this
was a negotiation.
He said it jokingly, but
I saw the lethal intent in his eyes; he certainly looked ready to commit a
crime. His
grudges over food were truly terrifying. I stressed that he really wasn’t allowed to harm Cedric.
Sefekh shot her water in
Val’s face and yelled, “Don’t talk about killing people! It’s a bad influence on
Khemet!” That
cooled him down a bit.
Khemet took Val’s hand
and pulled him back to the table, urging him to eat more. I could sense his
lingering bloodlust, but he clicked his tongue a few times and let the children
drag him away. That
was a big relief. He muttered, “Damn brat,” under his breath as he left, but I didn’t
know if that was directed at me, Cedric, or both of us.
“Hey, Stale, think I can
get permission to punch him at least once?” Arthur asked.
“It would cost too much,”
Stale said. “In his current state, Prince Cedric would probably gladly let us get
at least two punches in.”
Now it’s Arthur making
terrifying suggestions!
He put his arm around
Stale’s shoulders and turned him so they faced the pile of personal items in
the corner of the room. There was no humor in their eyes, however. Stale sounded as eager to
hit Cedric as Arthur did. Cedric might have been a genius, but I didn’t see him surviving a
combined attack from Arthur and Stale when they were in this state.
I shared a look with Tiara. The cat was out of the bag. I’d wanted to wait until
the end, but I was going to ruin the surprise if I let anything else slip. Tiara nodded firmly in
understanding. I rushed to the table where I’d left my basket—desperate to get away
from Stale’s intensity. The people behind me called out to me, but I ignored them and removed
something from the wrapped bundle in the basket. Then I read the names on
the attached cards and clutched them to my chest as I returned to the others. Tiara stood next to me,
and we both faced Stale.
Surprised, Stale pushed
his glasses back up his nose. He slipped free of
Arthur’s arm around his shoulders.
“I-I wanted…to give you
these at the very end…” I said.
It was embarrassing to do
this so formally. My desire to give him his present and my desire to abandon the whole
thing battled for dominance in my mind. I struggled to keep my
lips from trembling, but I couldn’t back down. I shoved the bundle toward
him.
“You’ve been working so
hard as a steward,” I said. “These are from Tiara and me.”
Stale blinked as he
gingerly took the bundle in his arms, like he expected it to vanish into thin
air any moment. “Can I open
it?” he asked.
Tiara and I nodded, and
he carefully unwrapped the bundle. We waited for his
reaction, nervous that the contents hadn’t survived the journey to the party.
When Stale unwrapped it at
last, he found…a batch of cookies that looked like his own face.
I thought I’d finally
solved the mystery. Even back then, I realized Pride was crying about something she didn’t
want to talk about. Her confession about Cedric—and Tiara’s fluster—only confirmed that I
was right.
“It’s not like that! We weren’t talking about your cookies, Big Brother!”
So
they had made cookies for me after
all. Knowing
Pride, she’d probably planned to make sweets for us after she finished cooking
Arthur’s dishes. That
much was obvious. Yet something had prevented me from
ever trying those sweets, something that currently had me spiraling into a
rage. I
didn’t want to ruin Arthur’s promotion party, but…
“I-I wanted…to give you
these at the very end…”
Pride’s shy smile brought
butterflies to my stomach. My pulse quickened at her feminine features and gestures. There could only possibly
be one thing in that bundle she’d taken out of her basket.
“You’ve been working so
hard as a steward. These are from Tiara and me.”
Even so, I couldn’t
believe my eyes. She smiled gently and held the gift out to me. They’d apparently planned
to give me these way back when Prince Cedric visited, and they had no idea I’d
broadened my studies to include the duties of a prince consort and not just a
steward. What
reason did they have to celebrate me now?
I couldn’t contain myself. With Pride’s permission,
I opened the present. Immediately, I had to fight to compose myself, but I knew Pride, Tiara,
and Arthur probably saw right through me. A delicate, sugary smell
wafted up to my nose, and my stomach clenched in anticipation. Within the wrapped bundle
I found…adorable cookies in the shape of a smiling boy. How much time had it
taken to make even a single one of these? When I took one out, I
noticed an uncanny resemblance. No,
it’s just my ego getting the better of me. But the more I looked at
the boy’s face…
“That’s you on those
cookies, isn’t it?” Arthur
said.
Blood rushed to my face. He was pointing at me,
apparently having reached the same conclusion I had.
I was too surprised to
speak, but Arthur grinned and added, “They look exactly like you.”
My face burned hotter. I returned the cookie to
the bundle and took out another one. The face was slightly
different, but there was no denying it was me. The cookie faces even
wore glasses like mine.
“We baked a lot because
we had so much time,” Pride said. “I’m sorry if it’s too
much, but I hope you’ll eat them while they’re still fresh.”
How can I eat
these at all?! I thought, but I kept it to myself. Pride and Tiara looked
utterly pleased. I couldn’t waste these things after they’d decorated them so cutely to
look like me.
“There’s plenty, so
please try at least one or two,” Tiara said while I floundered.
Her logic was sound, but
I hesitated. Not too long ago, Tiara tried to have Pride feed me bread, and I
hesitated to eat then too. I couldn’t do that to them again; I had to comply. Thus, I bit into the cookie. It had a nice crunch, and
the more I chewed, the more sweetness filled my mouth. When I swallowed, a
pleasant taste lingered on my tongue.
“It’s delicious,” I said. “Thank you so much.”
I never knew gifts
outside of special occasions could bring so much joy.
A memory from nine years
ago barreled into me, and suddenly Arthur was slapping me on the back as a
swell of emotion clogged my throat. He smiled knowingly. When I met his eyes, his
grin spread.
“It’s a waste to eat them
all,” he said.
That snide remark meant
he’d figured out exactly what was going through my mind, much to my annoyance. I grabbed another cookie
and shoved it in Arthur’s mouth. He let out a comical
grunt and then fell silent, his blue eyes lighting up as he chewed.
That shut him up. A smile seeped across my face before I could contain it.
Arthur swallowed and
said, “Yeah, they’re amazing.”
Tiara and Pride exchanged
pleased grins.
Arthur suddenly grabbed my
head and shouted, “Hey! These are all supposed to be for you!”
“I’ll be sure to savor the
rest.” I
brushed his hand away, then turned back to Pride and Tiara. “Thank you both. I’ll keep working hard.”
I really do have a happy
life, don’t I?
“You did a good job with
the fine details.” I stared into the bundle, not wanting to waste another cookie. A sweet aroma tickled my
nose, and my own face stared back at me.
“Tiara was great at
that,” Pride said. “She’s the reason they turned out so good!”
“It was Big Sister’s idea
to draw you with a smile! That’s why they’re so cute!”
Their eyes were sparkling. The other knights peeked
over Arthur’s shoulders, curious about the treats. I opened the bundle to
show off the cookies and received a chorus of gasps in return. When I smiled at their
well-earned wonder, Arthur pointed out that I looked just like the cookies. Instantly, I flushed
again, and the knights started laughing.
“You’re right!” Pride cried happily, which only left my face even hotter. “I love your smile, Stale!”
Heat rushed through my
body like I was a pot about to boil over. Distantly, through ringing
ears, I heard Tiara saying she agreed. Stars popped before my eyes. I pressed my lips
together to try to control my expression, but it was a losing effort. It was all I could manage
to keep the cookies in my hands relatively safe as the rest of my body locked
up.
My glasses fogged,
obscuring Pride’s smile. Then someone snatched them away, and her face suddenly came into focus.
Arthur was
grinning mischievously at me. “You’ve got a nice face,”
he said.
I couldn’t possibly win here.
“I-I don’t
want them to break…so I’m going to take them home…”
It was no use. I couldn’t answer Arthur, much less thank Pride and Tiara for the
cookies. My
vision had cleared, but I couldn’t meet Pride’s eyes, so I stared at the bundle
of cookies instead. The two girls sounded cheerful as they agreed with my suggestion.
I folded the bundle back
up and teleported to my room. I could have sent the
cookies there on their own, but I wanted to ensure they ended up safely on my
desk. Most
of all, I just wanted a few seconds alone.
“They hit me with a
surprise attack!”
After setting the cookies
down, I crumpled to the floor. Only I moved too quickly,
slamming my forehead into my knees as I sank down. Still, the throb that
followed was the least of my worries right now.
It had all happened so fast. I’d assumed I was just a
guest at Arthur’s party; the last thing I’d expected was such a thoughtful
gift. Worst
of all, Arthur and the other imperial knights saw me totally lose my cool.
I’m so
embarrassed! I’m so
happy! I’m so
embarrassed! I’m so
happy, so happy, so happy, I’m sooooo happy!
My smile grew and my
cheeks flushed now that I knew no one was watching me. This wasn’t good, since I
had to go back before they suspected something was up. I slapped my cheeks and
urged myself to get a grip. After a few deep breaths,
I managed to get it together. I reached to push my
glasses up only to remember they weren’t there. Damn you, Arthur.
A glance at the clock
told me it was almost time to head back. I took one more steadying
breath before teleporting to Arthur’s room. The world around me
changed from my familiar bedroom to the lively party venue.
“Stale!
What took you so long?
I was
getting worried,” Pride said with a smile.
I returned the gesture. “I’m sorry, Pride. I accidentally knocked some papers off my desk.”
“You must’ve been really
flustered,” Arthur said. “C’mon, you still have food left.”
He set my glasses back on
my face from behind. Then he shoved me toward the table where I’d left my plate. I adjusted my glasses and
retrieved my plate; the food had grown cold, but it still looked delicious. I stuck my fork in for a
hurried bite and enjoyed the tasty feast.
“By the way, Big Brother,
isn’t it getting close to that time?” Tiara said. She was looking at Arthur’s clock, but I’d just checked the time
myself, so I was well aware.
The other imperial
knights set their plates down and headed for the door. Pride caught on and headed
that way too. Val and the kids were still eating, but they realized what was
happening when they noticed us all looking in the same direction.
“Time for what?” Arthur asked, looking around for an explanation.
Knock-knock. The sharp raps rang out at
just the right time.
Pride and Tiara went to
open the door, but Vice Captain Eric stepped in and said, “Allow me.”
While Arthur sat there in
his confusion, Vice Captain Eric opened the door with a flourish. I set a hand on Arthur’s
shoulder, watching his face. He deserved this for
stealing my glasses. As the door swung open, Pride and Tiara greeted the night’s final
guests.
“Welcome, Commander! Vice Commander! We’ve been waiting for you,” Pride said.
Arthur, along with the
other knights, instantly went ramrod straight. Serves him right.
“Wha—?!
Commander! And the vice commander too?! Wh-what are you doing here?!”
Arthur’s eyes almost
popped out of his skull when he saw tonight’s special guests. I understood how he felt,
of course. Who
wouldn’t be surprised to see their father—who was also their boss—waltz into
their miniature party? If our father showed up, I would
sprint straight to Stale and have him teleport us away. Stale himself was
enjoying the dumbfounded look on Arthur’s face. In a way, this was
probably the biggest surprise of the day.
We’d discussed Arthur’s
promotion party with the commander as soon as we began planning it. Well, to be more precise,
Captain Alan and Captain Callum had told us they’d only participate on the
condition that we informed the commander. This wasn’t the first time
they’d agreed with my idea to hold a surprise party for Arthur, but for some
reason, it came with a catch now.
“I’ll be sure to get
permission from the commander!” Captain Alan had declared.
“We’ll be taking three
members of royalty out of the palace, so us four knights alone won’t be enough
protection,” Captain Callum had added.
While the royal order
training grounds technically lay within palace territory, and we’d have Val
there for extra protection, the captains hadn’t been convinced of our safety. They ended up negotiating
with Commander Roderick on my behalf. He agreed to the party
under three conditions: First, it would take place in the dormitory, where
there were plenty of knights around. Second, the commander and
vice commander would join us when they were finished with work. Third, we could not drink
alcohol until they arrived. This all sounded really strict, but it was worth it if they would help
make this a truly splendid party—or so I hoped.
“Forgive us for arriving
late, Princess Pride,” the commander told me. “We were making our
scheduled report to Her Majesty and encountered a bit of a delay.”
“We’re sorry to intrude
on the special celebration,” the vice commander said.
Vice Captain Eric closed
the door, and the two eldest knights bowed. I told them it was no
trouble and invited them to have some food. The vice commander held
up bottles in both hands.
“It’s finally time for a
drink,” he said. “Although we’ll only be having one glass. We have to toast to
Arthur, after all.”
Captain Alan whooped and
took a massive bottle from Vice Commander Clark. “We’ve been waiting for
this!”
I snuck a look at Val
when the topic of alcohol came up, only to find he’d built a wall out of the
bag of sand he carried, completely separating himself from the rest of us. Clearly he didn’t want to
meet the eyes of the commander, whom he’d tried to kill in the past.
These days, Val captured
thieves and kidnappers during his deliveries. He brought them back to
the royal order, but he kept his hood up even off the clock. He didn’t want anyone
other than the knights he interacted with directly to see his face. Many of the knights knew
of his past offenses, but Val hated knights, so that relationship wasn’t
improving anytime soon.
For his part, the
commander was chatting with Arthur. He gave off an air of
imposing dignity with his arms crossed over his chest, while Arthur frowned
like a child who’d been caught doing something bad.
“Why…are you here,
Commander?” Arthur asked.
“To protect Princess Pride. The party may have been a
secret, but I decided four knights alone weren’t enough to safeguard three
members of the royal family.”
“Right…” Arthur’s eyes
darted around, and he shifted awkwardly.
Stale jabbed him with an
elbow. “Don’t
worry, we got all the permission we needed.”
Arthur glanced nervously
at his father. “I’m sure you’re tired from work. But…” He trailed off,
bowing to the commander.
Stale’s brow furrowed. The commander’s face
remained stony.
“Thank you for
coming…Father.” The last word came out as a whisper. No longer crying “Dad!” as he had in his younger
years, Arthur had certainly grown.
Commander Roderick’s
expression softened a little. He placed his hand on
Arthur’s shoulder and said, “In that case, come with me after this.”
“We’re going to go tell
Clarissa.”
At that explanation,
Arthur flushed. He pressed a hand to his forehead and groaned, “Give me a break…” His
eyes flicked around the room, but most of the others’ attentions were
elsewhere. The
imperial knights and vice commander were preparing a toast, and Val and the
children were behind their wall. Regardless, Arthur’s
blush deepened when he saw that Stale, Tiara, and I were
watching.
“Who is Clarissa?” Tiara asked, cocking her head.
With Arthur slouched
over, Commander Roderick answered, “That’s my wife.”
The commander’s
wife—Arthur’s mother.
“Can’t we go on my next
day off?” Arthur murmured. Talking about his mother
publicly must have been embarrassing at his age. “I was late telling her
about the last promotion too,” he added.
“It’ll be quick,”
Commander Roderick said curtly.
Arthur gave in. “Couldn’t we at least have talked about this when we were alone?” he grumbled.
Across the room, Vice
Commander Clark smiled and called out, “What’s the problem, Arthur? I’m sure Clarissa will be
delighted.” Either he’d heard the conversation or he’d known this would come up.
Meanwhile, the imperial
knights picked up on the name and chimed in.
“Is that your girlfriend,
Arthur?!”
Arthur whipped around to
address the vice commander. “Damn
it, Clark! Don’t
butt into our conversations!”
“My bad, my bad,” the
vice commander said with a chuckle.
But the others were
staring, their mouths hanging open. Arthur had referred to the
vice commander by his first name in front of everyone, and his face drained of
color.
“I haven’t heard him call
the vice commander that in a long time,” Captain Alan remarked.
“It’s been about six
years, hasn’t it?” Captain
Callum said.
“Arthur, be careful, even
with people you’re close to,” Vice Captain Eric said. “You don’t want others
hearing you talk like that.”
The knights were all
grimacing. Stale,
Tiara, and I had witnessed Arthur speak to the vice commander many times, but
he usually didn’t act like that.
Arthur’s face flashed from
pale white to warm pink. He hung his head and pressed a hand to his temple. “I’m sorry…” His murmur
was probably directed at the rest of us more than the vice commander, who
seemed to be suppressing a smile.
“Come on, it’s a party. Let’s get on with the
toast,” Vice Commander Clark said.
Without any further fuss,
the vice commander brought us glasses. Captain Callum, Captain
Alan, and Vice Captain Eric helped pass them to the three of us. Sefekh and Khemet each
grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the table and carried them back to Val. I wanted to tell him to
get his own bottles, but I knew how desperate he was to avoid the commander.
Lastly, the vice
commander handed a glass to Arthur, who accepted it with a glare. Now that everyone was
ready, we raised our glasses. Then they signaled for me
to give the toast.
“To Arthur’s promotion to
captain. Cheers!” I said.
The crowd toasted Arthur
with a chorus of “Cheers!”
Clink!
“Thanks, everybody,”
Arthur said shyly amid the chime of glasses colliding.
I tipped my glass back
along with everyone else, taking a sip. This is delicious.
Stale teleported in more
ginger pork and miso soup, which we’d specifically prepared for the commander
and vice commander. Tiara urged them to take their plates. “Big Sister and I cooked
this together! There’s more if you want seconds!” At the sight of her sunny
smile, the two knights couldn’t help but accept. Having already finished
their drinks, they eyed up the food from my world.
“I’ve never seen this
dish before,” the commander said. “The same went for the
chicken you prepared for the knights last time.”
“Did you create this
recipe yourself, Princess Pride?” the vice commander asked. “She’s brought you
another delightful treat, hasn’t she, Arthur?”
Commander Roderick looked
bewildered, whereas Vice Commander Clark prepared to enjoy himself. Arthur and the other
knights also used the opportunity to go back for more food.
“This was Arthur’s
favorite out of all the dishes I cooked last time,” I told them.
They snuck a glance at
Arthur and Captain Alan, who were focused on packing heaping piles of pork onto
their plates. When they saw how enthusiastic Arthur was about the food, the two most
senior officers dug into their first bites of ginger pork. Their eyes went wide as
they chewed. By the time they swallowed, they’d fixed their eyes on me.
“I’ve never tasted
anything like this before. It’s
delicious. I
understand why the other knights can’t seem to stop eating it.”
“You’re certainly an
excellent cook, Princess Pride. Your sweets were delicious
too.”
I smiled at their praise. I knew they were just
being polite, but it still made me happy. I reminded them to have
some of the miso soup Stale had left for them on the table, and they obediently
sampled it.
“I bet you’ll like this
one even more,” Vice Commander Clark told his cohort. “Oh, that’s right! Arthur, did you ever
manage to catch up to Harrison?”
“What the hell?!” Arthur shouted—then went stiff again at his own casual attitude.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Why don’t you just tell him?” Commander Roderick said.
Arthur stared aghast at
Vice Commander Clark as realization dawned on him. “Don’t tell me the reason
Harrison spent all day running from me was…”
“That’s right,” the vice
commander said. “I
asked him to do that. Princess Pride needed someone to keep you busy today so she could
prepare for tonight.”
I smiled awkwardly. It was true—I’d spent
most of the day cooking for tonight’s surprise party, and it was important not
to let Arthur tell us about his promotion before we could surprise him. When I asked my other
imperial knights how we could keep Arthur out of the castle for the day, they
went to the commander and vice commander for help, since they knew about the
surprise party already. They could issue orders that could help keep Arthur busy for the day. Thanks to them, we could
finish cooking without Arthur realizing what we were up to.
“So that’s why Harrison
kept running away?!” Arthur
shouted.
After all this, it was
actually Capt—Vice Captain Harrison who kept Arthur occupied.
Arthur whirled on the
other knights, his eyes wide as saucers. “You knew about this?!”
Captain Alan burst out
laughing. “Gosh,
Harrison really knows what he’s doing! He actually kept running
away and didn’t stop?”
“I’m impressed with Arthur
too,” Vice Captain Eric said, chuckling right along with him. “He spent the whole day
chasing after Harrison.”
“Harrison wouldn’t have
bothered if we were the ones telling
him to run from Arthur. It had to come from the top.”
“But it’s hardly the first
time he’s run away from me!” Arthur
cried.
This time, Captain Callum
was the one who cracked up. Arthur still hadn’t figured out how much Vice Captain Harrison loved
him, by the sound of things. Perhaps their duel had
worsened their relationship.
“How was the duel with
Vice Captain Harrison, by the way?” Stale asked, cradling a
bowl of miso soup.
Arthur’s face clouded
over, and his shoulders slumped. He rubbed the back of his
neck. “I
really thought he was gonna kill me. That man is terrifying.”
So it really was a
fight to the death. Arthur had gone pale just remembering that day.
“But you won, right?” Stale asked, confirming
what the other imperial knights had told him.
“Yeah, but juuust
barely,” Arthur said, and his fellow knights smiled begrudgingly. “Fighting the soldiers
from Copelandii was way easier. I only won because it
became a war of attrition in the end.”
Considering all he’d
achieved on the front lines, Arthur’s words carried a lot of weight. And that wasn’t even
accounting for how Vice Captain Harrison took out an entire part of the army on
his own.
Captain Alan swallowed a
bite of ginger pork. “Yeah, it was really amazing. There’s barely anyone in
the order who can keep up with Harrison at his maximum speed, and by the time I
got there to watch, they were already neck and neck.” He sounded amused.
“Arthur has defeated just
about all the other knights in swordplay,” Vice Captain Eric said. “Although, that’s
probably why Vice Captain Harrison tried shooting him at first.”
Captain Alan finished
with, “I thought one of you was dead by
the end.”
The others nodded in
agreement, and I shivered. Even without being there, the intensity of this battle was clear.
It was the best response
I could manage. Arthur thanked me, but I was trying not to cringe as I imagined how bad
his injuries must have been. Even with treatment from
special powers, he’d needed three days to recover.
“He’s the one man whose
bad side I never want to get on,” Arthur said, half-sighing.
“Hey, how long are you
going to stay in there?” I asked.
Once I’d wrapped up my
conversation with my knights, I stood in front of Val’s sand enclosure in a
corner of the room. I wondered if he didn’t have enough sand, since the enclosure didn’t
quite cover all three of them. When I peeked around the
back, I saw Val enjoying the alcohol Sefekh and Khemet had retrieved for
him—though it didn’t seem like his mood had improved.
The guests had finished
every last bite of food Tiara and I had made, thanks to their second helpings. The knights had to stick
to one drink each and now chatted pleasantly, which didn’t improve Val’s
demeanor at all. This was nothing like the story of Amano-Iwato I knew from my past
life, where the sun goddess Amaterasu was enticed enough by the other gods’
rowdiness to peek out of a cave she’d sequestered herself in. As the person who’d
invited Val, his desire to shut himself away left me cringing with guilt. His whole posture screamed
that he hated being here.
Khemet raised his head and
said, “Hi, Mistress.”
“The food was amazing!” Sefekh told me.
I smiled at them, then
turned my focus back to Val. “I’m sorry that you hate
everyone else here,” I said. “I just wanted to thank
you properly.”
“Don’t need it,” Val snapped.
“I told
you, just order me to do whatever the hell you want.” With that blunt
rejection, he brought the bottle to his lips again. “If you wanna give me
something, then let me beat that stupid prince half to death.”
Yeah, that wasn’t happening. It would cause an
international crisis.
I wasn’t sure if he was
just upset about missing out on the cookies or angry that Cedric took the ones
meant for Khemet and Sefekh. Maybe he wanted more than
food in compensation. I’d heard about the mind-boggling amounts of alcohol he drank during
his visits to Anemone.
“Did you not like the food?” I asked him.
“Why the hell would I eat
so much of it if I didn’t like it?”
Annoyed, he showed me his
empty plate. I remembered him going back for seconds, and he couldn’t lie to me
thanks to our fealty contract. Plus, I seriously doubted
he was trying to be polite or avoid hurting my feelings.
“It was delicious!” Khemet and Sefekh said in
unison.
At least none of them
hated the food. That
much was a relief.
“There’s too many people
here who make me wanna puke,” Val grumbled while wiping alcohol off his lips. “It’s not the food or the
booze. This
whole room’s stuffed with knights.”
There was no one Val hated
more than royalty and knights, and that was currently everyone in the room. Perhaps I should have had
Stale bring Leon so that Val would have someone to talk to. But this was a party to
celebrate Arthur’s promotion, so it would be a little strange to invite
Anemone’s royalty. Anemone valued rules and decorum when it came to their royal family, so I
doubted Leon would have accepted my invitation either way.
“Talk about annoying. Makes me sick,” Val grumbled. He sounded peeved, but
that wasn’t unusual for Val.
Arthur, Vice Captain
Eric, and Commander Roderick had all told me that Val’s efforts on the front
lines had helped us end the war so quickly. I’d let Val know he could
earn a reward if I reported his actions to Mother, but he’d bluntly refused,
asking me to cover it up. It seemed he wanted to erase saving knights from his history.
Regardless, I was so
grateful that he’d saved Captain Callum. I was sure the two
captains were just as thankful, but I hadn’t actually seen them approach Val
about it. The
other knights, like Commander Roderick and Arthur, never brought up Val’s
heroics outside of reports. Therefore, even if
someone recognized Val, they never tried to speak to him. Captain Callum in
particular struck me as an earnest person who’d want to thank Val for saving
him, yet I never got the impression he’d so much as considered it.
I shouldn’t have been
surprised by that. Val was the one remaining perpetrator of the ambush six years ago. Just as Val didn’t seek
any thanks from Captain Callum, the captain didn’t show any interest in
thanking him. The best compromise was for neither party to acknowledge the other. But still…
“I’m grateful for you
too,” I said. “You
were a tremendous help.”
If the knights wouldn’t say
it, then I would. Val’s absence would have led to tragedy. There were probably
civilians we would have failed to rescue as well.
Val cocked a brow, then
took another swig without saying a word. He gulped it down, and I
spotted several empty bottles hiding behind him. Stale, Tiara, and I
didn’t drink much, and the knights were limited to a single drink; someone
might as well enjoy the alcohol.
Now that I thought about
it, why had the commander and vice
commander brought so many bottles in the first place? They could have brought
half of this amount and still had plenty to drink. Curious, I took a look at
the label on the unopened bottle by Val’s feet. This brand was pretty
expensive and very high-quality. I saw plenty of fancy
wine in the castle, but this was something even I rarely encountered.
The imperial knights had
told me they’d provide the alcohol, and Commander Roderick had shown up with
it—the catch being that the others couldn’t drink until they both joined us. I’d assumed they splurged
on alcohol because they wanted to celebrate Arthur’s promotion, but… No, I
couldn’t think too hard about it. I teetered on the edge of
a breakthrough as my thoughts veered in a dangerous direction. Val seemed pleased to
have so much to drink, so I wouldn’t kill his mood by voicing my suspicions.
“Thank you. I’m sorry that I don’t have more to give you,” I said.
I doubted my food alone
was enough to express my gratitude. Besides, dragging him
here against his will may have canceled out any good I did for him. I only hoped the next
part of the party would please him, if only a little.
Val put his bottle down
and scratched his head. “I’m the one paying you back. You don’t owe me anything.”
He was still being so grumpy.
His gaze
slid toward Khemet and Sefekh.
I wonder what that means? Is he irritated that I
tried to thank him in the first place?
I cocked my head in
confusion. Val
scrunched up his face like he had a headache, then killed the half-full bottle
sitting next to him. After polishing it off, he took a deep breath and the mocking smirk
returned to his face.
“If you really wanna
thank me, then why not come here and have a drink with me, Mistress?”
He tapped the floor next
to him with the empty bottle, a challenge in his eyes. Sefekh and Khemet had
glasses to drink from, but a princess couldn’t drink straight from the bottle
like Val. I
wondered if he wanted me to pour him a cup as a gesture of gratitude.
I stepped around the sand
wall and joined him, as requested. A flicker of surprise
crossed Val’s face; it made him resemble Khemet a little. With my dress, I couldn’t
sit on the ground, so I stood beside him and leaned against the wall. The sand barrier cut us
off from the rest of the room and provided our own sort of private booth.
“Shall I pour you a drink?” I asked, picking up a
bottle…but I couldn’t pop the cork. I tugged with all my
might until Val snickered and reached for the bottle himself. Reluctantly, I handed it
over and watched him pop the bottle open with his fingers. I deflated in defeat.
I tried to take the bottle
back, but Val stood and kept hold of it. His smirk grew as he
pressed his free hand to the wall at my back and leaned in close. I tried to keep a cool
head, but one word kept flashing in my mind: kabedon!
“If you wanna make me
happy so bad, then why don’t you spend a little quality time with me?” Val said. “How about…all the way
until morning?”
He leaned in closer, his
gaze boring into mine. Sweet alcohol wafted off his breath.
“What do you say?” he continued, his voice deepening. “In fact, why don’t you
invite me to your room tonight so we can—”
“What are you doing over
there?!”
Stale and Arthur barged
in on us with a shout. They’d only had a single drink, but their faces glowed red. I spun to address them
and heard Val click his tongue behind me. When I shot him a look,
he was smirking at Stale and Arthur like before.
“I’m not doin’ anything,”
he said. “Didn’t you see? The contract stopped me.”
“You stopped because we
caught you, didn’t you?!” Stale
demanded. “You
dragged Elder Sister over where we couldn’t see her!”
“My bedroom isn’t your
playground!” Arthur said.
The thing was, I was the one who entered the sand enclosure of my own free will. I couldn’t blame this on
Val, yet Val himself seemed much happier for some reason. Maybe he enjoyed riling
them up so much.
Arthur jumped between Val
and me, while Stale grabbed me and teleported me away. I understood why they
were anxious. From the side, it probably looked like some drunkard on the street was
harassing me. Except that I knew Val wasn’t drunk at all, and he was just messing
around like usual. I couldn’t even be mad at him. He knew our fealty
contract banned all sexual activity without consent on both sides. To be honest, I was pretty
used to these jokes after two years of hearing them.
“Don’t be so stingy,” Val
said. “Mistress
and I have already spent a night together, y’know.”
That bombshell tore me
out of my thoughts. Stale and Arthur looked equally stunned.
Sefekh and Khemet are
nodding along, which probably makes it seem even more credible! Oh no!
“Please don’t say it that
way! They’ll
misunderstand!” I cried.
Val smiled wider. “But it’s true, isn’t it?”
I know you’re not
technically lying, but still! The three of you only
slept in a corner of my room after the war! Don’t make it sound like
we did something else! Besides, if you put it like that…
“I’ve spent the night
with Captain Alan and Captain Callum too!” I said, jabbing my finger
at the captains like a little kid trying to win a silly argument.
The captains started
coughing hard, their faces bright red as they covered their mouths. Captain Alan wiped at his
lips, so he must have spit out some water. They’d actually started choking, from the
looks of it. Even Vice Captain Eric had rosy cheeks. Commander Roderick was
pressing his fist to his mouth and coughing, but I wasn’t sure if he’d choked
too. Vice
Commander Clark was the only one smiling like he relished their discomfort.
I didn’t realize they all
heard me…
The vice commander patted
Commander Roderick on the back to help him stop coughing. The moment he could
breathe again, the commander furrowed his brow and glared at the two captains.
“It’s not true!” they
insisted.
No, I’m certain they were
there! They
were guarding me that night!
“You slept like a baby,
didn’t ya, Mistress?” Val said.
“Sefekh and Khemet were
there too!”
“I watched you sleep all
night, y’know.”
Why
does he get talkative at the absolute worst times?! Since he wasn’t
technically lying, I couldn’t refute his claims. Val soaked up my anger as
I fumed helplessly. Arthur and Stale were watching us without a word, which only seemed to
amuse Val more.
I puffed out my cheeks
and raised my voice. “Like I said, when you put it like that, then the captains and I have
also—”
“Please don’t say any
more, Your Highness! Y-you’re only confusing the others!” Captain Alan cut in,
tense and desperate.
He’d gone even redder
than before, but I had no idea why. Why would he interrupt me
and not Val? Wait…
“N-n-n-no, it’s not like
that! That’s…that’s
not what I meant! Captain Alan and Captain Callum spent the night in my room after the
war because they were guarding me! Val, Sefekh, and Khemet
happened to be in the room too!” I rushed to clarify,
mostly directing my plea to Commander Roderick.
The captains had just
finished their punishment, and here I was putting them in another precarious
situation. My
face was also heating up because of the embarrassing things I’d said.
Commander Roderick let
out a long, exhausted sigh. Vice Commander Clark
chuckled and set his hand on the commander’s shoulder. Captain Alan and Captain
Callum slumped with relief. Vice Captain Eric was
still blushing, but he rushed over with water for the others.
Arthur and Stale were
bright red as well, breathing so hard that I could see their chests puffing. I wasn’t sure if it was
shock, but they didn’t look too steady on their feet.
Tiara helpfully offered,
“I-I was in the room with Big Sister all night too!”
Val howled with laughter
throughout this harrowing ordeal. Clearly he was savoring
our reactions to his nasty joke. He chugged his freshly
opened wine while Sefekh and Khemet watched us with utter confusion.
“Big Sister, it’s getting
late. We
need to head home,” Stale said.
He pushed up his glasses
and derailed the conversation before it could go any further. I glanced at the clock
and found it was indeed getting pretty late. Arthur and Commander
Roderick had to head home, so it seemed like a good idea to wrap things up.
Vice Captain Eric sprang
into action, cleaning up the party.
Stale sighed as he
approached Val and the children. “I’ll start with you. I can put you back where
I found you, right?”
Val acquiesced, breaking
down his sand wall. The sand slithered back into its bag like a magical snake familiar. He swiped a couple more
bottles of alcohol on his way out. “You don’t mind, do ya?” he asked me.
I checked quickly with
the commander, since he’d brought the drinks, and he gave me a quick nod. With our permission, Val
snatched up even more bottles, his mood lifting immediately. The man really did like
to drink. He
rolled them up securely in a carpet of sand, giving me the impression he
intended to keep on drinking after he left the party.
Just then, I remembered
something extremely important. “Oh! W-wait, Stale!” I rushed to stop him
before he could teleport Val away.
Stale turned at my shout. Val raised an eyebrow,
annoyance flashing across his face. I ignored him and hurried
over to my basket; Tiara was closer, so she handed it to me. I thanked her and turned
my back to everyone but Stale and Val.
“Tiara and I prepared one
last gift for you,” I said, then grimaced. “Actually, they’re just
cookies, so it’s nothing much.”
The cookies didn’t even
have a fancy design like the ones with Stale’s face. They were just simple
flower-shaped cookies. At least we’d wrapped them up, so they looked nice.
Captain Callum and Vice
Captain Eric already knew we’d been baking cookies, so they smiled knowingly at
our reveal. Everyone else went wide-eyed with shock. The cookies were nothing
special, though. I let my basket hang on my arm as I approached Val and the children,
since they were set to leave first. Each bundle of cookies
bore a card with a name on it. I distributed them one by
one to Val, Sefekh, and Khemet.
The two children giddily
offered their thanks. Val, on the other hand, clammed up completely. I’d really hoped for more
of a reaction. I thought he might be happy, since I’d heard him imply he wanted
cookies earlier. I supposed he was still angry that something I’d made for him was taken
away.
Though he didn’t respond,
his sand rug started to crumble, dropping the wine bottles onto the floor with
loud clanks. They didn’t break, thankfully, but Sefekh and Khemet rushed to retrieve
them.
“Hey!
What if you
got broken glass all over the floor?!” Sefekh shouted, but Val
still didn’t reply. He kept his eyes on the cookie bundle and silently rebuilt the part of
the sand rug that had collapsed.
Val blinked twice, then
removed the card from the packaging and…
I didn’t mean to yell,
but my order stopped Val in his tracks. Sefekh and Khemet grabbed
the last bottle and looked at their own cards, eyes going wide.
“Please…don’t open the
cards right away, everyone,” I went on. “Read them when I’m not
around. I’m too
embarrassed by them.”
I sighed with relief. I’d managed to stop them, but not the blush crawling into my cheeks. It wasn’t like I’d
written anything too heavy—just the kinds of things I didn’t want them reading
in front of me. If one of them repeated my words out loud, my face would erupt in
flames.
Val scowled, but he
released the card as ordered. “Always such a pain,” he
griped, half-sighing. He cradled the cookies in his arms, but exhaustion clouded his face. I thought he liked
sweets, but maybe that didn’t include cookies.
“You can give them to
Sefekh and Khemet if you don’t want to eat them,” I said apologetically.
He waved me away like I
was only irritating him more. “I won’t,” he growled,
then snapped out of his bad mood and stomped on his sand carpet. Khemet and Sefekh grabbed
hold of him while Stale approached the group, adjusting his glasses.
“All right, Elder
Sister,” Stale said. “May I send them back now?”
I gave my approval this
time and bid the trio farewell. Sefekh and Khemet waved
at me, but Val just went on glaring. Then they were gone,
their bottles of alcohol vanishing along with them.
Once Stale returned, he
clapped his hands. “By the way, Elder Sister, was that the right card that I got with my
cookies?”
“Oh!
Yes, that
card only has your name on it, Stale,” I said with a smile.
I fished around in my
basket for the others’ cookies and cards. Stale must have examined
his gift thoroughly the moment I handed it to him and noticed his card wasn’t
folded like the others.
I retrieved two more
bundles for the commander and vice commander. For some reason, Tiara
was stifling a giggle. When I glanced in her direction, I found Arthur setting a hand on
Stale’s shoulder while Stale stood stiff as a board.
“Here you are, Commander
Roderick, Vice Commander Clark,” I said. “They’re not much, but I
hope you enjoy them.”
The men accepted their gifts.
Vice
Commander Clark immediately asked if he could try a cookie now, and I said yes.
He dug into
his bundle for a flower-shaped cookie and took a bite. “As expected, they’re
wonderful,” he said. “How sweet and delicious. I’ll be sure to savor the
rest.”
“That’s wonderful to
hear,” I replied.
Tiara and I smiled shyly,
and the two of them thanked us.
“Here.
These are
for my imperial knights,” I said, moving on to Captain Alan, Captain Callum,
and Vice Captain Eric. Captain Alan was particularly excited, since he hadn’t known about the
surprise. The
other two knew about the cookies but not the cards, which was probably why they
went for the cards first.
“Big Sister wanted to
make cookies for her imperial knights last time too!” Tiara said. She beamed proudly, and
all three knights turned their eyes on me.
I felt embarrassed, so I
smiled bashfully and pushed myself to elaborate. “Since you told me you’d
eat what I made for you…I’m glad I finally had the opportunity to give you
these.”
Maybe they were only
being polite, but I was thrilled to repay their kindness. For whatever reason, my
words turned them red again. I hoped they didn’t feel
like the crown princess was pressuring them to say nice things.
Concerned that my gifts
might put them in an awkward position, I quickly added, “Oh, but I only made
these for them because I wanted the three of you to try them!” That only made them blush
harder.
It was no use. No matter how much I tried to convince them, it seemed they felt I only
made for them out of obligation after they’d said such kind things to me. I fell silent, giving up
on reassuring them.
“I-It’s an honor,”
Captain Callum said. “I never imagined you’d be so kind as to include us!”
“Th-th-thank you very much!” Captain Alan said. “I look forward to eating
them!”
“Yes!
I…I can’t thank
you enough!” Vice
Captain Eric said.
Their faces were still
flushed, thanks to their nerves. Tears shimmered in Vice
Captain Eric’s eyes. As pleased as I was that they liked their gifts, I also now realized
that receiving gifts from princesses might cause more tension than celebration.
What
a depressing thought.
Tiara’s smile grew. “I’m so glad you like them!”
Now I had one more gift to
give; I made my way over to Arthur.
“Huh?!
You made some for
me too?!” Standing
beside Stale, Arthur blinked like he couldn’t believe his eyes. “But you already treated
me to a feast!”
That only made me more
relieved that I’d prepared cookies for him as well.
Tiara retrieved the final
bundle from my basket and handed it to him. “Here!” she
urged him with a grin.
Arthur thanked her,
looking genuinely giddy. He reached out to pat her on the head, then apparently thought better
of it in the presence of the commander and the other knights, who were still
technically working as our guards right now. Tiara noticed him pull
back and giggled.
“Oh,” Arthur said as he
stared at his bundle. “Mine…only has my name too.”
Stale, who was still rigid
with tension, blurted, “It what?!” He plucked out Arthur’s
card to examine it. I wondered if Stale felt left out and thought he was the only one who
didn’t get a message in his card.
Tiara smiled
mischievously at the confused pair. She looked at me and
giggled again. Stale and Arthur turned their attention to us when they noticed her
reaction.
“Elder Sister,” Stale
said hesitantly, “if you don’t mind…could you explain why only Arthur and I
received cards without messages? Of course, the mere fact
that you gave us presents is more than enough!”
He just barely got the
words out. Arthur
didn’t offer any help, simply nodding along. Tiara and I laughed at
their adorable reactions.
“Go ahead, Big Sister,”
Tiara whispered to me.
I reached into the basket
and retrieved the last two items hidden within it.
“That’s because you two
get these,” I said.
My joyous smile stiffened
as I nervously handed an envelope to each of them. My lips twitched.
These were letters I
wrote to Arthur and Stale.
Had I died and gone to
heaven? My
overheating brain couldn’t make sense of what was happening right in front of
me. My
pulse raced, my heart beating so hard that its frantic drumming nearly drowned
out Pride’s voice. I couldn’t possibly control my expression in that moment.
When Pride said my card
bore nothing but my name, it floored me. I genuinely didn’t mind
getting just cookies from her, but when the rest of the party guests got cards
personally addressed to them, I didn’t understand why I was the only one
excluded. Perhaps
she wouldn’t write something so personal for her own brother. I mean, she did say nice things when she
gave me the cookies. I was trying to convince myself that those words and that smile alone
were all I needed. But then…
“Oh. Mine…just has my name too.”
Arthur somehow received
the same treatment, even though Pride and Tiara had done all that cooking to
celebrate Arthur’s promotion. I wasn’t sure if they’d
excluded him because the food was his main gift, or if Pride had some other
plan. Then
she smiled at both of us and presented us with something.
“That’s because you two
get these.”
She offered us sealed
envelopes that said “To Arthur” and “To Stale.” Arthur and I both locked
up when we glimpsed those thick envelopes in her hands. As I stood there staring,
wondering what could be inside, Pride smiled shyly.
“I actually wrote these
before the war, but I added to them after that, and they turned out really
long,” she said. “I’m sorry if they’re hard to read.”
“No, they’re perfect!” Arthur and I said
automatically.
Those thick envelopes
contained letters. Pride had taken all that time to share her feelings with us. If she’d started before
the war, she’d probably planned to give them to us when we celebrated Arthur’s
promotion to vice captain. The longer I thought about it, the hotter my face got.
My vision blurred as I
stared at the letters in her hand—and I realized Pride’s fingers were
trembling. I
carefully raised my eyes to her face…to see that she was red as a tomato. She held fast to her
smile, but her lips twitched. I almost stopped breathing. As my mind went blank,
Pride watched me nervously, lowering the letters in her hands.
“Will you…accept them?” she
said.
With a jerk, Arthur and I
snatched the letters at the exact same time. I’d made a mistake. I’d frozen up for too long. My mind was still
churning, trying to make sense of this, and in my shock I’d never actually
accepted the letter.
I thanked her and
clutched it in my hands. The weight of the envelope brought home the reality of this moment. Had she ever written
letters like this, ones that weren’t for political purposes or to maintain some
social connection? Personal letters? The thought had me
desperate to tear open the envelope and start reading, but I had to hold strong
until I returned to the safety of my room.
“I’m relieved,” Pride said
with a smile.
My heart tried to jump
out of my chest. I clutched at my shirt, worried I could drop dead of a heart attack any
moment.
“I’m not really used to
writing these kinds of letters,” she said. “I’ll have to practice more.”
“I’m not really used to
writing these kinds of letters. I’ll have to practice more.”
I really thought I was
gonna die. I
couldn’t pry my eyes away from Princess Pride when she blushed and covered her
mouth. I
tucked the card into my breast pocket for safekeeping, all the while wary that
if I let my guard down at all, that smile of hers would do me in.
At first, I didn’t get
why Stale’s card was blank. I wouldn’t have been
surprised if my card were the only empty one, since she cooked my favorite
foods and congratulated me on my promotion already. Again, it made me so
happy I could die.
Well…okay, maybe I was a
little jealous.
My card held no message,
but I got a letter instead. It
was unfair. Spending more time around Princess Pride as her imperial knight taught
me to treasure a letter from her above all else. Her Highness received a
mountain of letters every single day. Some were simple
exchanges, people trying to connect with her, invitations to events. Others were from men of
various social standings in foreign countries. She read every last one
of those too, but I’d never seen her answer a love letter.
She could respond to an
invitation or social call on a single sheet, yet whatever she’d written to
Stale and me required this thick bundle. How could a guy like me,
who wasn’t Freesian nobility or even foreign royalty, deserve a letter like
this?
My head boiled the more I
thought about it. I was overheating, forgetting to breathe, yet deliriously happy at the
same time. My
desire to tear into that envelope and start reading right away battled with the
feeling that I didn’t deserve it. It left me struggling to
open the envelope at all, even with Princess Pride standing before me. When would be the right
time to do this?
“I thought about rewriting
them,” Princess Pride said. “I just couldn’t seem to
stop the more I thought about you two.”
She was blushing for us. It was like a blow to the
head, and her smile left me dizzy. I rocked where I stood,
like there was an earthquake beneath my feet. The thought that she’d
written this while thinking of nothing but me sent my heart racing around my
chest. If I
wasn’t careful, this was going to leave me with a big head. I just couldn’t help
being overjoyed that Stale and I were the ones to receive this adorable
expression of care from Princess Pride. I hid my grin behind my
arm, but my eyes remained glued to the princess.
“What exactly did you
write about us?!” Stale said, his voice hitching.
He swallowed hard after
he spoke but stood firm, determined to get an answer. I listened eagerly, amazed
that he would ask that so bluntly. Slowly, I lowered my arm
and awaited Princess Pride’s response. She stiffened for a
second, eyes darting away from us. Her mouth opened and
closed a few times as her blush deepened. Finally, she whispered
something I barely caught.
“I’m…too embarrassed to
say it out loud…”
What?! Really?! Princess
Pride can’t say it?! My shock stole the words out of my mouth. My blood ran hot. Stale stood just as still
as me.
Princess Pride had said so
many things to me throughout our time together, so I couldn’t picture what
would leave her so embarrassed. Although, in fairness, my
brain was barely functioning anymore.
“Th-there’s nothing weird
in them!” she added. “I am embarrassed for others to hear it, though! Just please don’t read or
discuss them in front of me!”
For my part, I would never show my letter to anyone. I would never read it in
front of her for that matter, since I’d definitely get way more embarrassed
than her.
When we didn’t respond or
move at all, Princess Pride shifted nervously. I needed to say
something, but my mind had gone blank. Just as I wondered if I
was going to suffocate from forgetting to breathe, Tiara stepped between us.
“I’m sure Big Sister
wrote you such lovely things! Aren’t you looking
forward to reading them, Arthur? And you too, Big Brother?”
Startled into motion,
Stale and I nodded emphatically. I finally found my voice
and managed to thank Princess Pride, and a smile flickered across her lips.
“But, you know…” The
elder princess trailed off and scratched her cheek shyly. “The food and the cookies
are just as special.”
The dazzling grin on her
face was like a punch to the gut. Just how many times would
she steal my breath away before this day was through?
“Isn’t that right?” she said, turning that
lovely smile on Tiara. Princess Pride was so beautiful and charming when she was happy. “Tiara helped make
everything. We worked hard to cook for the two of you, since we had to make up for
last time.”
Last time. The joy Princess Pride’s
smile brought me whooshed out when I remembered
how Prince Cedric had ruined her previous cooking attempt. Her Highness didn’t seem
upset, but I could sense Stale’s anger building up beside me. Actually, he seemed way
more intense than usual.
Wait.
She said
she had to cook for the two of us again. Does that mean she cooked
for Stale too back then? Oh crap…
As the pieces clicked
into place, similar understanding dawned on Tiara’s face. She met Stale’s eyes and
nodded—and then Stale’s aura erupted with fury.
“Stale, what—?!” Princess Pride gasped, apparently realizing what she’d revealed.
Stale growled low in his
throat. “Does
that mean it wasn’t just Arthur’s food but my cookies too?!”
His eyes burned black as
smoldering coals. Prince Cedric had eaten Stale’s cookies back then. I’d already figured that
out, but I understood why he snapped as soon as the truth hit him. Part of me feared he’d
teleport straight to Prince Cedric to beat him up.
“But that’s why I made so
many for you this time!” Princess Pride said.
That didn’t subdue Stale
at all. In
an attempt to avoid a murder, I slapped him on the back and said, “Calm down!”
The force of my slap sent
him stumbling forward with a cough, but it worked. Despite the rage in his
eyes, his aura wasn’t quite as intense. He glared at me and
crossed his arms, and I knew this grudge wasn’t over.
I tried not to focus on
him, and I caught Dad and the others gaping at us. I wasn’t sure if it was
from the cookies or Stale’s scary reaction. If he weren’t a prince,
the knights would have drawn their swords for safety. Dad and Clark definitely
had no idea what we were talking about.
“So that’s why you were
mad enough to cry, Your Highness,” I said.
I draped my arm around
Stale’s shoulders to calm him down. At least I could speak to
Princess Pride normally again. Tiara nodded at my words. She must’ve been carrying
a grudge too.
“That’s right.” Princess Pride’s smile turned a bit fearful as she addressed us. “I’m sorry to do
something so childish.” Before I could tell her it wasn’t childish at all, she went on, “But
it’s all right now. Thank you for getting mad for my sake.”
Stale and I raised our
eyebrows in surprise. Did that mean she’d forgiven Prince Cedric?
Princess Pride stepped
behind Tiara and set her hands on her sister’s shoulders. “Thanks to Tiara, I was
able to give special gifts to the people special to me in such a lovely way.”
Special… That word threatened to
raise my body heat again, when I was just beginning to cool down. I could tell Stale was in
no better state.
I couldn’t take my eyes
off Princess Pride’s smile of genuine happiness. It was hard to believe
that I was “special” to someone already so special to me. I couldn’t ask her to
repeat something like that, but I didn’t know what to say instead, so my mouth
hung open uselessly. Our lack of response didn’t faze her this time.
Even as I tried to
convince myself I’d misheard her, Tiara’s and Stale’s reactions told me the
truth. The
letter almost slipped from my hand; I tensed my grip in a panic. This was real. They’d heard it too! I’d just been told one of
the greatest things I could possibly hear, and it was real. I couldn’t manage to care
about anything else right now. My heart swelled like it
was going to explode. My legs went weak and I leaned against Stale. He stumbled, and I had to
pull myself together to keep from toppling over.
“Sorry,” I said, but he
wasn’t in a state to talk yet. Likewise, the mere
thought of what a person who said such wonderful things could have written in
my letter made my heart race.
After looking at the two of
us, Tiara squeezed Princess Pride’s arm. “Big Sister, we should be
going now!”
That was when I remembered
they had been heading home before this detour with the letters. Stale took my arm off his
shoulders and murmured, “That’s right…”
Tiara beamed at us. “I’m really happy! I hope we can have another party again someday!”
“I agree,” Princess Pride
said, stroking her sister’s hair.
“But this is an
unofficial party,” Stale replied. “We can’t do it very often.”
He’d apparently recovered
enough to push his black-framed glasses up his nose and issue that warning. Tiara puffed up her cheeks. To avoid a counterattack,
Stale touched the table he’d brought here and teleported it away, plates and
all, instantly transforming the room from a party venue to mostly empty space.
He tucked his letter into
his pocket and offered his hand to Princess Pride. He and the two princesses
said their goodbyes, then disappeared in a flash. The moment Princess Pride
was gone, everyone opened the cards she had given them. I was the only one to keep
mine tucked away.
“‘Thank you for helping me. I love you.’ Hey, am I reading this
right?!”
Sefekh spun toward me as
she read the letter that came with our cookies. She pushed the letter at
me, urging me to read it. Tiara had been teaching the brats to read and write a bit during their
knife-throwing practice, but Sefekh wasn’t confident she’d understood the
words.
I grimaced, but I plucked
Khemet’s card from the kid and read it. “Yeah, that’s right.”
When I shoved it back at
Sefekh, she asked me to read her card too.
“‘Thank you for helping me.’ Then it says you’re a
dumb little girl.”
“Doesn’t it say
‘wonderful young girl’?!” she
countered.
“Why’d you even ask if
you can read it yourself?” I growled, shoving the cookies back at her.
We’d been in a country
near Freesia for a delivery when Stale came and got us for the party. Once he returned us to
our original location, we rented a room at an inn near the country’s castle. Sefekh and Khemet now sat
on the bed looking over the cookies our mistress had given them. In the next bed over, I
was busy getting drunk on one of the many bottles of booze I’d smuggled out of
that stupid party.
“Sefekh and I could both
read them! She said
she loved me!”
“Our mistress said I’m
wonderful!”
They were yelling despite
the late hour. I used my free hand to cover one ear.
“Hey!
What did your
card say, Val?!” Sefekh
asked.
I grunted and looked at
my own bundle next to me. I’d already read the card, so I stuck it in my pocket. “Nothing.” I gulped down the rest of
my current bottle and tossed it under the bed. Then I uncrossed my legs
and leaned back.
“Did she write a lot?!” Khemet
said.
When he saw me preparing
to go to bed, he snuggled under the sheets of his own bed. Sefekh pouted because I
wouldn’t read them my card, then climbed into her bed as well. We were lucky to get a
room with three beds this time; it meant we all got to sprawl out. Khemet was still small,
but Sefekh could kick someone out of bed if she stretched out during the night.
I clicked my tongue and
rolled away from them, tugging up my blanket. “Just one sentence.”
“Really? Just one?!” the kids cried.
I didn’t respond, reaching
over to extinguish the light on my bedside table. After that, the kids said
good night. In the dark, we couldn’t see each other at all, but I reached into my
pocket for the card. I had decent night vision, so I could still make out the words.
“‘I’m so glad to have
you,’” I read, quietly enough so they wouldn’t hear. “Did she write this
because she remembered?”
She had written the same
thing she’d said to me a year ago. “Thank you so much. I’m so glad to
have you.” I remembered Pride’s words, her voice, and how she looked like it was
yesterday. I furrowed my
brow. If she did remember, then she was
being a real nuisance. If she didn’t remember what she’d said before, and the same words just
happened to come to her again…
I kept those words to
myself and squeezed my eyes shut. I put the card back in my
pocket and heaved a sigh.
As I lay there in the
dark, it occurred to me that it was getting harder to keep calling Pride a
“brat.” She’d
developed a more womanly body over the past year. But if I truly stopped
thinking of her as a “brat,” the fealty contract might prevent me from calling
her that out loud too. I could disrespect her, but I couldn’t lie.
She’s a brat. She cried about someone eating her food and got all pissed about me
implying stuff.
I sighed every time I
remembered how upset she got about what I said. Her face was so red when
she complained about it. I repeated the word “brat” in my mind, like I could convince myself if
I just used it enough. I turned over to find Sefekh and Khemet breathing deeply and peacefully
behind me. They’d
turned to face the same wall I was facing, wrapped up in their blankets and
sound asleep. I couldn’t believe the kids were learning to read. They even had a
conversation with Stale on their own without needing me as an intermediary.
Brats sure do grow up way
too fast.
I caught the smile trying
to creep onto my lips. I clapped a hand over my mouth, even with no one awake to see me, and
forcefully dragged my lips back down into a frown. Then I shook my head,
wrapped the blanket tighter around me, and turned to face the opposite wall
again. When
I realized that meant we were all sleeping in the exact same position, I
clenched my jaw.
I didn’t care if they
heard me that time.
After joining the knights
in cleaning Arthur’s room and helping him unpack, the others and I saw him and
Roderick off at the gates. Now the knights stood around me, preparing to head back to the training
grounds. They
seemed surprised by my question—probably not something they expected to hear
from their vice commander—and they tilted their heads, weighing whether or not
to bite. Hopefully,
they took Pride seriously when she’d said they could discuss the letters, just
not around her. They all reached for the cards attached to their gifts.
Eric looked down at his
card with a shy smile. “Mine says, ‘I’m so glad you’re back. Please take care not to
get hurt again.’” He kept it attached to the bundle of cookies, not wanting to ruin the
presentation by taking it off.
I laughed. “I guess you can’t get yourself injured for her sake anymore.”
“Mine says, ‘Thank you
for staying on as my imperial knight. Please continue to keep us
safe,’” Alan said. He nudged Callum beside him. “Yours is the same,
right, Callum?!”
Callum flinched and
replied, “Y-yeah.”
Eric and I grinned at the
guy’s flustered response. It came as a relief to all of us that the two captains stayed in the
order after their suspensions.
“What did yours say, Vice
Commander?” Alan asked me.
I showed him my card. “‘Thank you for
protecting our country. I know you’ll keep taking good care of the commander and your
knights.’” I smiled,
delighted. “As
a knight, it’s a true honor to hear that.”
The other three men
nodded in agreement. I hadn’t participated in the war in Hanazuo, instead staying behind to
keep Freesia and the queen safe when Rajah came for their visit. Obviously Pride
understood and was thankful for my contribution.
My men were still
watching me reverently, and I stroked my chin. “By the way, Roderick’s
said, ‘Thank you for always worrying about me. You’ve taught me
important things, and I respect you very deeply.’ He showed me before he left.”
The knights let out cries
of awe; the commander had lived up to their expectations once again. There could be no greater
honor for a knight than to receive such words from the crown princess herself. I suspected they had even
more respect for Roderick knowing how Princess Pride felt about him. They were around her a
lot, so they knew how few people were as strict with her as Roderick was. The man was one of the
rare few who could lecture her.
“The commander’s just so
amazing,” Alan murmured, a faraway look in his eyes.
After Vice Commander
Clark revealed the contents of the commander’s letter from Princess Pride, my
admiration only deepened. The man had done so much for the princess’s sake over the last six
years; even my and Callum’s suspension had been part of his efforts.
I removed my card from
the cookie bundle as I walked through the night. I put the cookies in my
pocket and let the moonlight illuminate the card. I’d chosen not to read the
last sentence to the others when they asked. I figured Callum would do
the same, so we wouldn’t contradict each other.
“I commend you for your
strength and reliability, Captain Alan.”
“I commend you immensely
for your bravery and kindness, Captain Callum.”
We received almost the
exact same message. Those sparse words were enough for both of us. While that final sentence
was also similar, I was sure Callum’s heart raced just like mine when he
thought about it.
Princess Pride had kissed
us when she tried to stop us. Neither of us would ever
forget that moment for as long as we lived, especially now that we had these
words to remind us all the time. Embracing the feeling, I
gently pressed my lips to my card.
“Hey!
Alan, what are you…?!” Callum recoiled, his
voice shrill. He blushed
like he was the one who’d been
caught kissing his card.
I, however, was unconcerned. “Hm?”
Eric and the vice
commander turned to see what the fuss was about, but I didn’t pay them any
mind. I
just smiled at Callum’s flustered state.
“What’s wrong with doing
it to a card?” I asked. “It’s not like I’d ever kiss her.”
This caught Eric’s and
Vice Commander Clark’s attention, so I gave my card another shameless kiss. This time, it was Eric
who blushed and squeaked.
Vice Commander Clark
snickered. “You
sure love Princess Pride, don’t you, Alan?” He was clearly enjoying
Eric’s and Callum’s meek reactions, but he knew as well as anyone how much all
us knights adored Princess Pride after what she’d done six years ago.
“Of course I love her! I’m so incredibly glad I
get to be her imperial knight. I still remember how she
fought in that battle! Besides…” I trailed off.
Princess Pride’s bravery
and fighting skills had initially charmed me, sure, but what about now?
Callum and Eric only
blushed more furiously, embarrassed by my bluntness. I suspected that wasn’t all that was going on, though. They must’ve been jealous
that I could talk so openly about my feelings for her.
“Don’t you dare say that
around anyone else, Alan,” Eric said, glancing down at his card.
Callum pressed his own
card to his brow, flushing even redder. I knew his feelings had
grown right alongside mine ever since she stopped him, but he refused to say it
out loud. Odd,
considering his vow to protect her burned in his heart hotter than ever. He tucked the card into
his pocket, his eyes lingering on his fingers—the same ones Princess Pride had
kissed.
I could relate. Like Callum, my body only existed to serve the princess, to protect
her. The
intensity of his feelings washed over me, but I couldn’t agree with him more.
“Lately, I’ve been
starting to imagine…” Eric spoke so quietly, he may as well have been talking
to himself. He cradled his cookies, card still attached, in his arms. He looked off into the
distance and smiled, his cheeks tinged pink. “What if Princess Pride
really was just a commoner named
‘Jeanne’? I know that’s
silly.”
Though Eric cringed,
embarrassed by his own fantasy, no one else laughed or sneered. Although Eric hadn’t been
commended like Callum and me, Princess Pride had still visited him when he was
confined to bed. I knew how bashful he’d been during those visits, and how it pained him
to learn of her injury.
It sounded like he was
imagining a world in which Princess Pride had visited him not as a princess but
as a commoner. His reddening face summed up his thoughts: could he have reached out
and touched her if that were the case? I had to wonder if he
regretted not making his feelings known when he’d had Princess Pride at his
bedside.
“If she was a commoner,
I’d be the first to propose,” I declared. My total lack of subtlety
left both Callum and Eric sputtering. Vice Commander Clark burst
into laughter.
“Alan!
Why do you
have to go to such extremes?!” Callum
said.
“Captain Alan, do you
understand what you’re saying?! You could be locked up for
that!” Eric shrieked.
“You’re exaggerating,” I
said, grinning at their reactions. “I’m speaking hypothetically.
I know where the
line is. But what
about you, Callum? Considering your family, you could—”
“Don’t involve me in this
disrespect! I would never speak so crassly about her!” Callum said, smacking me
in the head.
I apologized to the
blushing Callum, adding with a smile, “I’d give you my support, you know.”
Callum turned even redder. I was lucky he hadn’t
used his special power to send me flying.
“That’s enough of that,
you three,” Vice Commander Clark said. “We’re almost at the
dormitory. Make
sure you hide your presents.”
We heeded his advice and
tucked our cookies and cards away under our clothes. When I grumbled that I
wanted more to drink, Eric laughed.
“Let’s drink until dawn
tomorrow at Arthur’s official promotion party,” he said.
Callum, Vice Commander
Clark, and I all readily agreed. Prepared for another day
of sleep deprivation, we parted ways and returned to our rooms.
“I thought we were going
home, Dad,” I said as the old door creaked open.
“We’ll leave soon,” Dad
said simply, striding into the room.
After my promotion
celebration ended and Princess Pride went home, Captain Alan and the others
helped clean up and even unpack my things. I tried to insist that I
could do that part myself, but Clark said it would go quickly with all six of
them there to help. Even Dad got dragged into it. And to Clark’s credit, we
finished unpacking really fast.
But it was already late
when we started on that, so Dad and I ended up leaving the training grounds
after midnight. The others saw us off at the gates. I was still worried that
Mom wouldn’t be awake, but Dad ignored me and we pushed on in silence—until he
suddenly pivoted away from home. I asked if he was too
tired to navigate or something, but he said there was somewhere he wanted to
stop by. I
had no choice but to follow as we headed into town and ended up at a tavern.
I had a weird sense of
déjà vu when we stepped inside, and I had the feeling Dad had brought me here
when I was really young and he wanted to go drink with Clark. My only memories of the
place were of Dad and Clark downing booze, but I was pretty sure this was the
same tavern. Evidently, one drink wasn’t enough for my old man. I stood in the entryway
while Dad chatted with the tavern’s owner, who handed him a key and led us into
a back room. I was getting flashbacks of that time I’d come here as a kid. This had to be the same place.
Dad took a seat at the
bar, set down a bottle, and told me to close the door.
“You still want to drink?” I
said.
Personally, I wanted to
hurry home, tell Mom the good news, and open my letter. But I kept those
complaints to myself and closed the door as ordered. Dad set a glass down
before the seat next to him, which I knew was for me. A happy thrill went
through my chest. I got to take the seat next to Dad that used to be reserved for Clark.
I sat down as Dad filled
my glass with liquor, then his own. In my surprise, I dipped
my head in thanks, suddenly timid. Dad was being quieter
than usual, so I was worried he planned to lecture me about something.
“Arthur…outside of
combat, you’re still immature.”
I went rigid. Just when I thought he was praising me, he cut in with criticism. He was right, though, and
I couldn’t deny it. I had a lot to learn about things like strategizing and commanding
subordinates. Even when it came to my captain’s paperwork, I didn’t know what I was
doing a lot of the time. I’d been planning to ask Captain Callum for help tomorrow if Harrison
couldn’t advise me. But hearing that criticism from my dad took the wind out of my sails.
“And yet…” Dad said,
voice deepening as he set the bottle down on the bar. “You told me you would
become the commander someday.”
I flinched. Dad slumped, a hand pressed to his temple before he’d even taken a
drink. I
didn’t know if he was angry; I couldn’t see his face. I guess
he remembered that after all.
“I need my dad to live so
he can see…the moment I become the next commander!”
I’d gotten carried away
and let that slip in the heat of the battle on the front lines. I wasn’t planning on
telling anyone about that secret goal of mine, and definitely not the current
commander—my own father. I cringed with embarrassment. There went my hope that
he’d either never heard me say that in the first place or forgotten all about
it.
“Was that a declaration
of war against me?” he murmured, and I broke into a nervous sweat. “You haven’t even been a
knight for ten years…”
Dad wasn’t touching the
glass in front of him. His fists lay balled on his knees and his shoulders shook. Oh crap. He’s pissed!
I gulped when I realized
why he’d brought me here. He must have wanted to warn me not to get too full of myself before we
went home and told Mom about my promotion. As I watched, his
shoulders trembled even harder…
At first, I didn’t realize
that raucous cackling was coming from him. I could barely believe it
was him laughing like that at a time like this. With his head hanging
low, I couldn’t see his expression, but I could hear him say around choking
laughter, “You’re not even twenty years old!”
My face burned hot, and
anger bubbled inside me. Was he really laughing at my dream?
“Please stop that!” I
shouted.
Dad turned away with a
“Pffft!”
I felt like an idiot for
being so nervous a moment ago. Annoyed and ashamed, I
spun away from him. “Wh-what’s wrong with that dream?! I wanna be the commander
in the future. It’s not like I’m trying to get there before I’m ready.”
I knew I still had a long
way to go. I
could barely handle becoming a captain in the royal order, much less the
commander. That
dream lay well out of my reach for now—but one day, I’d grab hold of it.
“I’m keeping my title for
the next twenty years,” Dad said, still snickering.
“Fine,” I said forcefully. “Just watch me! In twenty years, I’ll be
sure to take that ti—”
“Twenty years? You really want to wait that long?”
At his calm interjection,
I turned back to him. He smiled as he met my eyes, but I wasn’t sure what he meant by any of
that, so I just stared at him with my mouth hanging open.
Dad shifted to face me fully.
“I’ll be
the commander for the next twenty years,” he said. “But promise me something.”
He raised his glass. Instead of taking his
first sip, he swirled the liquid around, creating little waves within the
glass.
“If you manage to become
more qualified than me before that…”
His tone was gentle. He rested an elbow on the
counter, his gaze tender. My palms sweated, and I swallowed hard. I’d just had a whole
feast, yet my body felt hollow and my heart was racing. Dad smiled and tipped his
glass toward me.
“Then I’ll hand my seat to
you.”
My heart skipped a beat. I shuddered all the way
down to my fingertips, feeling clammy all over. My eyes nearly popped
right out of my head.
Dad’s smile grew. He’d expected this reaction.
“I want to see you
surpass me, Arthur Beresford.”
Another chill zipped
through me. I gulped, smiled, and watched as Dad nudged his glass again. He looked so cool with
that big smile on his face.
The desire to be like him
reignited within me. I lifted my glass with a trembling hand and took a deep, steadying
breath. I
couldn’t find the words to express how proud I was that the man in front of me
was our royal order’s commander and my own father.
I tapped our glasses
together a little too hard, splashing alcohol onto the bar.
The clink of our glasses echoed
through the tavern. I downed the cold liquor in one large gulp, hoping to cool my burning
face and body—only it was stronger than I realized and had me choking right
away.
“Congratulations on your
promotion,” Dad said.
I scolded him for
congratulating me while I was coughing, but he beamed at me in response.
Seeing my dad so
happy…for just a moment, I felt like I might cry.
Everyone Has Their Own Stories
“HAS YOUR CONDITION changed at all now that
you’ve been back at work for a day, Vice Captain Eric?” Princess
I’d been ordered to rest
and get medical treatment after the war in the United Hanazuo Kingdom. Princess Pride seemed
pleased that I returned safely as scheduled, but after only a day, she started
asking me about my health. She visited me in the morning, worried that my wound had reopened
during the trip or that I might need more treatment.
Prince Stale pressed his
glasses up by their black frames, evidently just as concerned about my health
as his sister. I supposed that made sense, what with a couple of the other imperial
knights absent for the time being. Being so shorthanded had
to be a stressor.
“Physically, I’m doing
just fine,” I assured them, forcing a smile. “I don’t want to get rusty
from spending too much time at rest, though.”
The treatment I’d
received, both from medical doctors and knights with special powers, had
brought me back to full strength. I’d even participated in
guard duties and the knights’ daily training the day before. My wound didn’t hurt
anymore; it was just a dull ache these days. Far worse was the strain
on my heart when I saw Princess Pride’s face for the first time in far too
long, but I would keep that particular hurt secret.
I hadn’t spoken directly
with her since her infirmary visit after the war. Unprepared for the
emotional ambush, her worried smile floored me when she brought her face inches
from my own. It was a moment I would never forget—and the reason my heart raced when
I returned home and saw Princess Pride running up to greet me.
“How is your injury? I’m so glad to see you
doing better.”
Her relieved smile sped
up my heart like a jolt of adrenaline. Even thinking about it now
sent heat rushing to my face.
“Does that mean your body
doesn’t feel the same as it did before the injury?!” Princess Tiara asked as
we headed toward the dining room.
She blinked her golden
eyes at me. As
usual, she’d joined Stale in Princess Pride’s bedroom so the three of them
could have breakfast together. Princess Tiara seemed
equally worried as Prince Stale about the health of her sister’s imperial
knight. Yet
we all now knew that she spent her days secretly training with knives. Perhaps that was why she
seemed surprised that a knight like me could get rusty after an extended period
without practice.
My smile turned to one of
embarrassment as I dredged up an answer. It wasn’t that I felt very different from before,
but going so long without training or working out would dull my senses and
stamina. I’d
participated in the order’s morning training exercises yesterday and didn’t
like how fatigued I felt afterward. I was already all too
aware that my sword skills, hand-to-hand combat abilities, and firearm
proficiency had fallen since the war. But that was the first
time I really felt it, and after that point, I couldn’t possibly sit around
thinking about resting and recovering. I had to get back out
there and come up with an individual training regimen in addition to group
exercises. Or,
well, if only I could.
I scratched my head to
hide my disappointment. Princess Pride and Princess Tiara both fell into a sullen silence. I was supposed to take
over for the two captains while they were suspended, though none of us ever
said the word “suspension” out loud. Those of us serving as
their replacements knew why they’d been punished, but we also knew how
faithfully they had served Princess Pride, and we felt no shame about their
actions. All
we could do was pray they returned to their posts in a month.
As a fellow member of the
First Squadron, I’d had plenty of chances to witness how amazing Alan was for
myself. In
addition, I was taking over his captain’s duties while he was away. That included supervising
the squadron, which left a mountain of paperwork on my desk.
All in all, I had a ton of work to
do. I had
to write up reports with instructions for the unit, propose ways to coordinate
with other units, and come up with alternatives. I also had to submit a
report to the commander when we trained with other units or carried out
combined missions—a report on that unit’s flaws and suggestions for their
improvement, as well as our own.
Aside from the daily
reports, there were also weekly, bimonthly, and monthly reports to submit. That didn’t include
subjects outside of the First Squadron’s normal scope, however. If we went on a mission,
that of course required a separate report. I used to submit the vice
captain’s write-ups to Alan. These included reports on
missions and training exercises, as well as suggestions for our squad members,
and means for personal improvement. But as soon as I returned
to Freesia, I got a crash course in how much deskwork Alan did as captain.
It was hard to imagine
Alan was actually completing all these reports when he worked out every morning
and night, trained regularly on his own, and often attended drinking parties
too. With
Alan’s permission, I had referenced the previous months’ records and finished
yesterday’s entries, but those records left me in shock when I saw how detailed
the captain got in his writing.
I remembered Alan once
revealing how many reports he had to write when we finished a mission, so I
wasn’t surprised to see my great captain never cutting a single corner, even
when faced with all that work. I refused to be the weak
link while he was gone, and I poured hours into writing down every last detail
I could in my own reports.
Meanwhile, the other
members of the First Squadron helped me fulfill my vice captain
duties—including yet more paperwork—but that meant I had to delegate the
captain’s jobs and get enough training to
return to peak performance.
“I’m sure the vice
captain of the Third Squadron has it rough too,” I said.
Captain Callum’s unit had
to be struggling without him. One member of that
squadron, who happened to be helping out with Princess Pride’s security that
day, nodded in commiseration.
The Third Squadron had the
same administrative tasks as the First Squadron. Only the Eighth Squadron
was excused from most paperwork, since they rarely coordinated with fellow
knights, much less other units. The Third Squadron’s vice
captain hadn’t missed training due to an injury, like I had, but he still faced
a large burden trying to take over Captain Callum’s duties. Everyone in the royal
order knew it too. The man’s records were lengthier and more detailed than any other
captain’s—that wasn’t easy to replicate.
“Are you sure you’re
getting enough sleep?” Prince
Stale asked. “You’ve only just returned, so I hope you’re not overworking yourself.”
“I’m humbled by your
concern,” I said, bowing deeply. “But knights are quite
used to getting little sleep, so please don’t worry about me.” I would never admit that
my main concern wasn’t my sleep schedule but how quickly I could return to
proper form.
The doctor forbade me
from doing any intense exercise until the wound fully healed, but the longer I
had to hold back, the antsier I became. Just like Alan, I was a
member of the First Squadron—an offensive unit. Yet as substitute
captain, I had to spend most of our training sessions supervising other knights
instead of doing the actual drills. Suddenly, I understood why
Alan was always barking orders at us during training.
“Oh!
That
reminds me,” Princess Tiara said, looking up at me. “How are Captain Alan and
Captain Callum doing?”
Everyone else looked my
way as well, including Princess Pride and the other three knights with us. Neither Princess Pride
nor Princess Tiara knew how Callum and Alan were spending their suspension,
which had begun yesterday.
“Captain Alan is
currently on the training grounds,” I said, starting with the captain I knew
better. “He’s
been training on his own since last night, when the other knights finished
theirs. During
the day, he…joined the rookie knights.”
“The rookies?!” Princess Pride and Princess Tiara cried out in tandem. Prince Stale’s glasses
slipped down his nose a bit. All three royals stopped
as they were descending a staircase.
Alan joining the rookies
was a far bigger surprise than his ceaseless commitment to staying in top form.
When
Princess Pride and her siblings asked why a captain would train with rookies,
all four of us knights grimaced.
Commander Roderick had
granted the captains permission to use the training grounds and equipment while
they were suspended. Problem was, one group of knights or another was always using the
facilities during the day, and the captains couldn’t kick them out to train. That was the whole reason
Captain Alan chose to do his training late at night. He refused to spend his
entire day sitting around, though.
I’d never forget the jolt
of shock when I found the man out on the training grounds before anyone else. It was only the first day
of his suspension; I figured I wouldn’t see him for a few days at least. Yet there he was, and he
wasn’t wearing any kind of uniform, not even the white one the rookies wore. When the knights around
him pressed him about what happened or whether this meant he was leaving the
royal order, he gave us a simple answer:
To punctuate his point,
he’d put his hands on the back of his head and smiled like usual. He seemed so carefree and
energetic, like he might take off running any moment. It was still morning
then, but Captain Alan’s words sent the knights into a spiral—it sounded like
he wanted to return to basic training, or maybe even make some memories before
retiring. We
didn’t know if his late-night training sessions were an effort to stay sharp or
a means of wrapping up his career without regrets. I recalled looking off
into the distance and commenting that Captain Alan was acting the same as
always.
With Commander
Roderick’s permission, Alan took on odd jobs normally assigned to the rookies,
such as setting up and taking down the training equipment. He was always either
training on his own in a corner of the training grounds or carrying out these
odd jobs, which worried the knights of the royal order. The rookies were getting a
rare opportunity to interact with a captain, yet seeing someone they so admired
joining them in the same low-level work sent a ripple of unease through the
whole order. Captain Alan hauled equipment that usually required a few rookies to
carry. He
settled into the routine quickly and with more ease than the low-level knights
who’d been doing it for years.
Thus, Captain Alan
finished the rookies’ jobs quickly and used the periods in between tasks to
spar with the younger knights, taking on several of them at once. None of this surprised
me, though I still couldn’t figure out his true intentions. He ended up getting about
as much exercise as he would have gotten with the main forces. In fact, many knights
respected him even more for the sheer amount of training time he was putting
in.
“I-Is that so?” Princess Pride replied, lips twitching. “Well, I’m just glad that
Captain Alan is in good spirits…”
She agreed that he sounded
like the same old captain, but she was concerned about his plans for the
future, like many of the other knights. His new training routine
left a lot of uneasy questions in people’s minds. Still, she seemed glad
that Alan had high spirits and as much energy as ever.
“What about Captain Callum?” Prince Stale asked.
“Captain Callum told me
that he’s visiting his family for the time being,” I said. “He wanted to be the one
to tell them about this incident.”
He’d promised the
commander and his fellow knights that he would return before his suspension was
up. Then he
headed home, leaving his uniform and belongings behind.
Princess Pride and her
siblings didn’t seem sure of what to make of this. I knew they trusted that
Captain Callum wouldn’t lie and fail to return, but he could have been planning
to take on a different role after his suspension ended. He might even return just
to say goodbye. The siblings shared a look, their faces taut with worry.
I wasn’t sure how to
assuage their fears. I wanted to keep things feeling as normal as possible, but I was just
as concerned as anyone about the captains’ futures. They would never abandon
their responsibilities without cause, but I knew how heavily that guilt they
carried weighed on their shoulders. Only the commander, vice
commander, and Arthur knew what they truly desired. The rest of us could only
hope they were doing these things because they were eager to return their
positions as imperial knights after their suspensions.
I hoped Captain Alan had
faith that I could manage the First Squadron in his absence. Perhaps that was why he
was focusing on the basics again. If that was the case,
Captain Callum might be doing something similar, leaving the training grounds
specifically so he could come back and be reinstated. Commander Roderick had
given Captain Callum the same permission to use the training grounds as Captain
Alan, but it didn’t seem like the former wanted to appear before the knights
while suspended and potentially disrupt their training with a reminder of his
uncertain fate. Still, if he did plan to come back, I knew he wouldn’t want to come
back rusty—and solo, nighttime training sessions wouldn’t be enough to keep his
skills sharp. He couldn’t have known that Captain Alan was going to spend his
suspension with the rookies when he made the decision to stay with his family
outside the city.
“Arthur seems lonely with
his two close captains on leave,” I said into the looming silence. Hopefully, this was a
less harrowing topic. “Captain Callum in particular has often looked after him. He’s always supporting
knights from other units, as well as the rookies.”
Arthur had already told
Princess Pride and her siblings how much he cared for Captain Callum, but when
they heard it from me, all the siblings smiled. The other knights nodded
their agreement.
Even yesterday, Arthur
had seemed more rigid and formal than usual with the other knights. He still felt
uncomfortable with all this.
That sparked another
question from the crown princess. “Captain Callum started
looking after Arthur once he’d joined the Eighth Squadron, right?”
“That’s correct. Captain Callum always keeps an eye on the other knights, even if
they’re not in his unit. He looked after me as well, even before I joined the main forces.”
“And…what about Arthur’s
relationship with Captain Harrison after joining?”
Another beat of silence. My attempt to smooth over
the conversation thwarted, I froze up and my jaw tensed.
Vice Captain Eric had
gone stiff, so I reviewed the situation in my mind. I already knew that
Captain Callum looked after Arthur, since the captain cared about everyone in the royal order. But once Arthur joined
the Eighth Squadron, it was his fellow squadmates, vice captain, and captain
who should have supported and led him. Yet Arthur only ever
described Captain Harrison as “really scary” and never noticed how much the man
actually doted on him.
I wanted to hear more
about how Captain Harrison treated Arthur once they were part of the same
unit—and not just from Arthur himself. I needed to know how,
specifically, Captain Harrison showed affection toward Arthur.
Captains Alan and Callum
had asked me to keep Captain Harrison’s fondness for Arthur a secret, so I
didn’t know any real details. But once I saw how the
knights’ faces clouded, I regretted asking about it at all.
“Well, let’s see…” Vice
Captain Eric began in a scratchy voice. His gaze wavered, like he
felt the urge to avert his eyes. “Captain Harrison…is like
the embodiment of the unique traits of the Eighth Squadron. He doesn’t interact with
his subordinates much at all.”
He struggled to find the
right words, leaving me floundering. I murmured a brief
acknowledgment, studying the faces of Vice Captain Eric and the other knights. The knight from the Third
Squadron shared Vice Captain Eric’s pained expression, while the oldest knight
of the four exchanged an awkward smile with the vice captain of the Sixth
Squadron. There
was a clear difference between those who knew of Captain Harrison’s affection
for Arthur and those who didn’t. Even Stale had to look
away as he suppressed laughter.
I hadn’t expected Vice
Captain Eric to be just as clueless as Arthur himself about Captain Harrison’s
affection, but it made sense in retrospect. Vice Captain Eric had
joined the main forces six years ago, after the ambush on the royal order at
the cliffs. He probably never knew the story behind why Captain Harrison started
growing out his hair.
I examined the strained
smiles of the two knights at his side. Those two, at least,
clearly knew about Captain Harrison but didn’t want to speak out of turn. After all, they were
substitute imperial knights serving temporarily. It seemed Captain
Harrison’s method of expressing love confounded not just Arthur but any knight who lacked the
years-long rapport with him. As for those who had known Captain Harrison that long, well, he was very easy to read.
We continued our
conversation all the way to the dining hall, only stopping when my siblings and
I took our seats at the table. The knights took up their
posts in silence, standing at the wall so as not to disrupt the meal. I got the feeling I
wasn’t the only one contemplating the day Arthur received his squadron
assignment.
“We will now be assigning
units to all new knights joining the main forces!” I declared.
The investiture ceremony
this morning had just concluded, and Roderick and I faced a sea of rookie
knights standing in neat rows. Every knight here had
earned a formal place within the main forces. The established members of
each squadron stood off to the side, ready to accept their new initiates as
Roderick and I doled out assignments.
The knights had submitted
their requested units directly after the ceremony and banquet, with the
commander and I judging each and every one. This assignment would
determine their futures as knights—the trajectory of their career. And although they could
submit a request to us, that didn’t guarantee them a spot in any particular
unit. They
had to be strong enough to earn it. As vice commander, I
didn’t get the final say. The commander, as the ultimate authority, could order them to join any
of the squadrons, and they would have no choice but to obey.
In past years, we had a
lot of knights graduating all at once, so we could only announce the
assignments for the top performers. Everyone else could find
their assignment on the bulletin board. This year, only three
rookies would be joining the main forces, so Roderick would announce their
positions personally.
Arthur was only fifteen,
but he’d received the top score on his entrance exam, so the commander called
him first. The
boy shook as he approached his own father. He stood up straighter as
all eyes landed on him.
The top scorer and the
commander’s son. Everyone wanted to know where the young man, who’d vowed to become a
knight only two years earlier, would end up. Would he join the First
Squadron like his father or intentionally choose to walk a different path? I knew as well as Roderick
that every unit hoped to have the brilliant young knight join them. But that was partially up
to Arthur, in theory. The top scorers in the entrance exam generally got their first pick of
units.
The knights around us
tensed as Roderick prepared to make the announcement.
“I appoint you to the
Eighth Squadron,” he said.
Stunned silence fell over
the crowd.
“Yes, sir!” Arthur replied instantly. He kept his expression
serious, but he must have been thrilled to get his desired placement. He rushed over to the
Eighth Squadron as instructed and bowed to its captain, shouting, “It’s an
honor to serve alongside you!”
Meanwhile, the other
knights looked like they couldn’t believe their ears. Some murmured that
Roderick must have made a mistake. They’d made many
predictions for Arthur’s placement, but the Eighth Squadron wasn’t among them.
Roderick and I sensed
their doubts and misgivings. No one dared speak up
during the assignment ceremony, but I saw several faces go pale. I couldn’t fault them
entirely. Neither
Arthur’s own father nor I—a man who’d known Arthur for years—understood why
Arthur chose the Eighth Squadron out of all his options.
Arthur faced the Eighth
Squadron, bowed, and then…
His shoulders, stiffened
from joy and nerves, lurched upward. He clenched his jaw,
flushing with embarrassment at making such a ridiculous squeal in the middle of
an important ceremony. But something had startled him enough to make him recoil in fright. Arthur tightened his
hands behind his back, but he managed to still himself. His gaze, however,
remained fixed on the shocking sight before him.
Harrison was staring at
him with eyes so wide, the whites were on full display.
The captain’s expression
was far more dramatic than any of the other knights around them. I feared his eyeballs
might pop out of their sockets. Harrison’s head was angled
down to follow Arthur’s bow, causing his black hair to droop over his shoulder.
His blunt
bangs and the rest of his hair partially covered his face, making him seem like
a ghost peering down at Arthur from the shadows. That visage must have been
what had spooked Arthur so badly.
Given the circumstances,
Arthur clearly thought Harrison was upset with him. He struggled to approach
the Eighth Squadron now, as he was supposed to. Even from where I stood
with Roderick, I could see Arthur sweat as he stood rooted to the spot, like a
frog sitting before a hungry snake.
A roar from the commander
snapped him out of it. “Arthur
Beresford!”
Hearing his name for the
second time struck Arthur like a bolt of lightning. He jerked and corrected
his posture. Then he apologized, though he seemed ready to flee at any moment.
That curt question
snapped Arthur’s attention back toward Harrison. The captain stared dead
ahead. Arthur
continued to the back of the line, but Harrison’s question surely haunted him
while Roderick and I announced the other two knights’ assignments. The poor kid couldn’t
even savor the joy of being assigned to the squadron he wanted. His captain had glared
daggers at him—certainly not a welcoming gesture—then lobbed an accusation his
way. If ever
he realized the trouble that lay ahead for him, it was now.
Roderick and I brought
the ceremony to a close. We ordered the knights to begin their morning drills, but I doubted
Arthur’s fears had quieted. This was a ceremony many
of us would remember for a long, long time to come.
“Let’s see… This is where
the Eighth Squadron practices, right?” I said.
I’d finished my breakfast
and was racing toward the meeting area for my brand-new Eighth Squadron. Regardless of which unit
the knights belonged to, all of them welcomed me when I arrived in the dining
hall. Though
they all also had plenty of questions about what had happened at the ceremony…
That question from
Captain Harrison repeated over and over in my mind. Only when the others in
the squadron explained did I finally understand what he’d been asking. The Eighth Squadron was a
unit that specialized in individual combat. Most of its members were
skilled fighters, but they also had a hard time coordinating with other
knights. The
knights assigned to the Eighth Squadron had either proven themselves unable to
work with others, or they already knew this about themselves, so they’d
volunteered to join of their own free will.
I was actually pretty
good at cooperating; I knew how to interact with other people, and everyone
seemed to like me well enough. When the others explained
all that, I understood why it would seem strange for a person like me to end up
in the Eighth Squadron. They all thought I must have caused some sort of trouble or had a major
flaw. I
denied this, explaining that this was the unit I’d requested. But the whole thing only
proved to me how bad the Eighth Squadron’s reputation was.
I’d heard rumors about
them from the older knights when I first joined as a rookie. The longer time went on,
the more I learned how the rest of the units saw them. I hadn’t expected such a
fuss over something as simple as my own assignment.
Despite the backlash, I
didn’t regret choosing the Eighth Squadron. Working alongside them
showed me just how different they were from the other squadrons, but that only
strengthened my resolve to join this elite group.
Daily life as a knight
got underway. We did group exercises first thing in the morning, then split up into
our squadrons for team training. Sometimes we also paired
up for joint training, depending on that day’s focus. On those occasions, one
squadron would take directions from the other squadron’s captain. But outside of special
cases like that, we all had our own space for our own training.
Shortly after our
assignments, all three of us who’d joined the main forces left the dining hall
and headed to our respective units’ training areas. Most knights moved in
groups of two or more, joining their cohorts along the way. Older knights greeted me
as they passed, but none of them belonged to the Eighth Squadron. I was the only one who
had to make the trip alone.
The Eighth Squadron
fought independently, so we came and went from the dining hall independently as
well. Some
didn’t bother eating breakfast at all, doing things on their own schedule
instead. As
I watched all the others traveling with their fellow knights, I was hit with a
pang of jealousy. Nevertheless, our squadron’s meeting point came into view.
A shadow flashed past my
eyes as someone called my name. I whirled around and bent
backward. The
tip of a blade severed a few unwary strands of hair that hadn’t managed to
evade the slice.
I had no idea what had
just happened. I’d leaned so far to dodge the attack that I lost my balance and fell. Even when I recovered
from the initial shock, I still couldn’t work out what that blur had been. It wasn’t over
either—this time, a kick flew directly at me while I picked myself up off the
ground. This time, I
was ready. I
held my breath, kicked off the ground, and leapt back up to my feet while
avoiding the blows. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a foot slam through the air where my
head had been only seconds ago. This time, I caught the
assailant’s face.
My first reaction was to
assume this was an enemy. That notion evaporated the second I got a look at the guy, though. The man before me was a
knight—the captain of my squadron, in fact. Captain Harrison! I stood up straighter,
scrambling to greet my captain, but the formalities didn’t even last a full
second.
“Captain
Harrison, it’s an honor to be here! I’m
looking forward to working with you.” The captain cut short
all the things I’d prepared to say. Instead, he pointed his
blade at me, oozing with malice. I drew the sword at my
hip and readied myself. Metal collided with metal with a loud clang as I desperately parried
Captain Harrison’s strike. Was this how our training started? I’d left the dining hall
with time to spare; I should have been early.
As a freshly graduated
rookie, I couldn’t very well demand answers from my new captain, no matter how
badly I wanted to. All I could do was deflect each strike as it came. At one point, Captain
Harrison hurled a knife at me. My blood ran cold, my
body bracing for death. But before the blade could slice through my brand-new uniform…
“Captain Harrison, it’s
time for training to start.”
A knight stepped calmly
between us. Two things shocked me: first, that the captain looked like this, and second, that I was
going to be late on my very first day. Captain Harrison sheathed
his sword, and I lowered mine while I tried to catch my breath. The moment I did, a kick
landed on my shoulder and threw me sideways.
I screamed, skidding
across the ground. I hadn’t taken my eyes off the captain, so I had no idea where this
second surprise attack could be coming from.
“Too slow. Hit
back next time.”
I clutched my aching
shoulder, stood up, and sheathed my blade.
Not only had the attacks
come without any explanation—they’d earned me a scolding too. I would know better next
time and counterattack as soon as I got a chance instead of blocking to avoid
showing aggression toward a superior. I didn’t voice any of
this aloud, lest I show insubordination toward my captain.
The man was charging
toward our training area like he hadn’t heard a word of my apology. I chased after him,
refusing to arrive any later than he did. I ignored my aching
shoulder and focused on picking up the pace, but I was still out of breath from
the surprise attack. Even when I took my place in line, my mind raced to figure out what I’d
done wrong. I bowed and apologized for my lateness, but none of the other knights
seemed to care. Then Captain Harrison announced the day’s training regimen.
I let out a quiet sigh as
I listened to the captain. This was
not the most auspicious start
to my career as a knight. It was only my first day in the Eighth Squadron, and the man was
already keeping an eye on me.
Once Pride, Tiara, and I
finished breakfast, my younger sister asked Vice Captain Eric to continue his
story about Arthur. He easily obliged; it seemed he’d been reflecting on the past, and it
was all fresh in his mind.
“In a normal year,
Captain Harrison might watch over new members of the squadron, but he never
took notice of any one newbie,” Vice Captain Eric said as he recalled the
story. “He
didn’t seem all that interested in his subordinates. Yet when Arthur joined the
unit, he zeroed in on him like he was wearing a target on his back. The moment they announced
the assignments that first day, Captain Harrison ran straight to Vice Commander
Clark to grill him about Arthur.”
We listened intently to
this tale of Arthur’s past.
“Of course, Arthur never
knew any of that. He told us nothing happened afterward. He also found it creepy
that Captain Harrison would glare at him but not try anything else. He was pretty perplexed
by the end of his first day.”
Pride’s lips twitched as
Vice Captain Eric described how completely exhausted Arthur was by his
initiation into the Eighth Squadron. She’d only recently
learned about Captain Harrison’s surprise attacks on Arthur, after all.
“Captain Harrison also
attacked the rest of the members of the squadron later that day, so Arthur
quickly realized that he wasn’t the only one being targeted. But Captain Harrison is
always putting his knights’ skills to the test.” The vice captain forced a
smile. The
other knights, who’d witnessed Captain Harrison’s methods for themselves, kept
their expressions blank.
Captain Callum and
Captain Alan had already explained the emotions behind Captain Harrison’s
ambushes, so my siblings and I were at risk of overreacting too. We tried to respond
neutrally, but it was hard while picturing just how enthusiastic Captain
Harrison must have been on that day—especially since he lost track of time
during his battle with Arthur and was almost late to their training. In a way, he’d given
Arthur the warmest welcome possible. Clearly, Captain
Harrison’s eyes had been glued to Arthur from the moment his assignment was
announced—out of shock, not anger.
All the while, Arthur had
no idea what was going on in Captain Harrison’s head. To him, it was a trial by
fire, a harsh initiation that called him out in particular. Not only had Captain
Harrison swung at him with a sword, but he’d also made Arthur late to their
training exercises, where he found that none of his squadmates would interact
with him.
“He never once opened up
to us about that,” I said, pushing up the black frames of my glasses.
I wished I had known about
this sooner, but I knew Arthur wanted to keep his friendship with me quiet. He had told Pride, Tiara,
and myself frightening stories about Captain Harrison, but this account of his
first day in the unit was new to us. Pride and Tiara couldn’t
hide their smiles as I pouted. They likely also wished
Arthur would open up to them, but this wasn’t out of character for him. Plus, we all knew he
wasn’t as lonely in the Eighth Squadron as he thought he’d be. Still, as his close
friend, I couldn’t help wanting Arthur to share his complaints with me in
particular.
“Well, you know how Arthur
is,” Vice Captain Eric said when he noticed my displeasure.
Arthur had only shared a
little even with his fellow knights like Vice Captain Eric.
“Captain Harrison ran at
me with his sword!”
“My squadmates never talk
to me unless I talk to them first.”
Vice Captain Eric said
the other knights in the dining hall had all tried to cheer up Arthur as he
sulked, his face proving just how vividly he remembered the occasion. According to him, the
other knights knew of the Eighth Squadron’s odd initiation process, but they
were too busy trying to figure out why Arthur had volunteered for such a unit
to think about the challenges he might face. Thus, no one ever thought
to offer him any advice.
“Arthur carries his own
pride as a knight,” Vice Captain Eric said. “He was quick to adapt
once Captain Harrison gave him permission to fight back.”
I knew that Arthur wanted
to protect Pride, Tiara, and even me. I also knew that made it
harder for him to share his weaknesses with us—he wanted to overcome them
instead. The
three knights alongside Vice Captain Eric all nodded solemnly at the rehashing
of Arthur’s early days in the order as the vice captain attempted to explain
Arthur’s reasoning for us.
According to Vice Captain
Eric, the other knights heaped praise on the depressed Arthur, who sat with his
head slumped on the dining hall table. It only took a week for
him to learn how to handle Captain Harrison’s surprise attacks. His squadmates were as
unfriendly as always, but Arthur was good at building relationships, so he got
along well with knights from other units. Captain Alan, Captain
Callum, and the other knights—all of whom had high hopes for Arthur’s
future—swept in to reassure him, so he never seemed lonely.
I pursed my lips, my
shoulders relaxing as Vice Captain Eric explained all of this. “I see,” I said, my voice
emerging in a half sigh.
This was just the sort of
person Arthur was. He had to adapt quickly, but he’d managed it, proving he could overcome
this obstacle. And even after all of that, he became the vice captain at a young age.
Relieved, I said, “I have
to go assist Uncle Vest now. Please look after my sisters.”
Pride and Tiara bid me
farewell, telling me to do my best. I nodded, then rushed off
to find the seneschal.
Hearing the story of
Arthur’s rise to vice captain amid so much adversity only boosted my
determination to serve flawlessly at Uncle Vest’s side today. The others smiled at me
as I left, but I hoped I could show the same sort of strength my good friend
Arthur did.
“I really should have
bought souvenirs for Stale and Arthur after all,” I mumbled once Stale left.
Tiara caught my muttering
and hopped up.
“From Anemone, I mean,” I
added when I saw the look in Tiara’s round eyes. Tiara certainly hadn’t
forgotten our wonderful shopping trip with Leon—nor our discussion of buying
clothes for Stale and Arthur.
“What’s this about a
souvenir for Arthur?” asked Vice Captain Eric.
He was aware of our close
friendship with Arthur, so he probably wasn’t surprised that Tiara and I wanted
to get him a present. Unfortunately, he also knew how the party for Arthur’s promotion to
vice captain had been ruined. It was all the more
reason to get Arthur something nice now.
I exchanged a quick glance
with Tiara, and we both grimaced. “We wanted to buy
something for Stale and Arthur, but I’m sad to say we never found anything that
seemed like it would suit them.”
“But there were lots of
beautiful outfits for us!” Tiara
chimed in.
Our shoulders slouched,
but we really didn’t want the knights thinking Leon had recommended a store of
poor quality. If anything, Leon had been super supportive of our desire to find
something for my brother and my knight. But the things in the
store Leon brought us to just weren’t the right style. We’d considered looking
around for anything that would suit the men, but we gave up in the end.
“Leon, what the hell
happened in here?” Val snarled at me, recoiling in disgust.
He’d come to Anemone for
a delivery like usual, and now he planned to join me for a drink in my room. But he froze when he
spotted what was hidden within my room. Sefekh and Khemet marched
on in, completely comfortable entering my chambers after their many previous
visits. They
also stopped when they noticed a plethora of strange, sparkling baubles.
I smiled awkwardly,
turning to get a good look myself. Their hesitation did not
come as a surprise. “A clothing shop I visited recently sent me home with all these gifts,”
I said. “They
told me they were trial products, so I’m not sure what to do with them.”
“You’re gonna have to
burn all this junk,” Val replied.
I shrugged. I explained that rumors of my visit to the clothing shop with Pride and
Tiara had made the store extremely popular among the Anemonian people. The citizens flocked to
the place like it was a tourist destination, but the three of us had only
purchased clothing while we were there, making those the hottest commodity. Both nobles and commoners
now sought dresses made by the same designers and with the same embroidery that
the princesses purchased.
This put the shop in a
tight spot. It was hard to sell the exact same dresses, since they were one of a
kind, but all the fashionable women of Anemone at least wanted similar
garments, whether or not they had any real opportunity to wear them. The more money they had,
the more striking the dresses they procured.
The clothing shop had then
sent a mountain of prototype designs to my castle as thanks for this surge in
sales. I
gave my staff permission to put them in my bedroom once the garments passed
inspections. This was in keeping with the decree that members of the royal family
would deal with gifts sent to the castle. We could use them, give
them away, sell them, or even throw them out.
Val’s scowl told me these
items were certainly not appealing to everyone, no matter how popular the shop
they came from. These gifts in particular had been made with the utmost care and
effort—bright and flashy, with high-quality fabrics and overly intricate
decorations—but that didn’t interest Val whatsoever. Unfortunately for me, I
couldn’t just burn them. The easiest thing to do would probably be to break the gifts down into
their component parts and sell them off that way.
“What about you, Sefekh?” I
asked. “You’re a lady. If you like any of the
dresses, feel free to take them with you. We can have them fitted if
they’re too large.”
“No, thanks. They would just get dirty when we’re out making deliveries. They look hard to move
around in too.”
Sefekh’s blunt rejection
came as a huge disappointment. The rows of dresses
drooping from hangers weren’t like the ones Pride and Tiara had picked for
themselves when we went shopping together. These had massive
ribbons, colorful flower accents, metal ornaments in the shape of birds and
other animals, and butterflies embroidered into the fabric. Layers of lace adorned
the cuffs.
Although Sefekh wasn’t
wrong when she said this type of clothing would inconvenience her, I wondered
if she would feel differently if one managed to catch her eye. The ones currently arrayed
didn’t seem to be to her taste, but perhaps if I could get ones like those
Pride and Tiara had chosen, it would spark her interest. Not that I said so aloud,
of course.
Khemet’s mouth hung open
as he took in all the fancy clothing. He finally settled on a
particular item. “Excuse me!” he said. “Are these clothes for
women too? They’re so
frilly!”
“Actually, those are for
men,” I told him. “Everything past that one is formalwear for parties…”
I smiled at his innocent
assumption. He’d seen the frills and lace and understandably jumped to the wrong
conclusion, thinking it was some strange new trend for women. The outfits were made
with lustrous fabric and colorful lace. They came in sets of
shirts, jackets, and slacks. They weren’t so different
from the outfits Pride, Tiara, and I saw at the shop.
Come to think of it, the
clothes had triggered something in Pride. She’d muttered something
about “visual kei” and “chuunibyou,” but I hadn’t a clue what either term
meant. I
chuckled, recalling a moment when Pride had stopped Tiara and told her an
outfit looked like it belonged to a vampire. Tiara had suggested it
for Stale, then pivoted to a white jacket with black and silver belts wrapped
around it for Arthur. Pride seemed like she was going to approve of that one, but Captain
Alan and Captain Callum had swept in to stop them.
“It’s all too jingly,”
Val griped.
He’d finally taken a step
into the room. As he examined the clothing more closely, his grimace deepened. All the colors, lace,
ornaments, and fabric looked like it made him queasy. He wouldn’t even touch
them, sticking his tongue out and making his way to the opposite side of the
room to sit on the floor.
“That’s what upper-class
clothing looks like,” I said, stiffening. “Haven’t you seen how
Prince Stale and I dress?”
Royalty and the nobility
had to dress in glittery, decorated clothes to a certain extent—it was a way of
demonstrating our class. Would Val consider even my normal clothing “jingly”? I looked down at my
outfit, seeing it in a new light. If Val, someone much more
familiar with the commoner’s mindset than myself, disliked my clothes, it might
mean my beloved Anemonian people felt the same. This was quite a conundrum.
Val raised an eyebrow and
cocked his head to one side. Apparently, he hadn’t
made the connection between the gifts and the things Stale and I normally wore.
We did
dress in fancy outfits during our day-to-day lives, but we almost never wore
clothes with as many frills as the things here. Val never seemed nauseous
like this when he saw Stale and me in our usual clothing, but he glanced
between myself and Khemet nervously.
“I’m used to looking at
your clothes,” he said.
“Should I take that as a
compliment?”
Val glanced aside with a
scowl, but I simply grinned, relieved by this unusually neutral response. It seemed I didn’t have
much to fear when it came to my own ensembles. If Val’s response was
anything to go by, the commoners probably saw my clothing as a display of
dignity. As
for the outfits arrayed around the room…I suspected all this glittery stuff
didn’t hold much appeal.
“Maybe I should just send
all these clothes to the Freesian castle,” I mused.
“Oh, what I’d give to see
their faces!”
If Pride and Tiara
suggested it, it might not just be Stale and Arthur who tried on these
clothes—they could persuade the other imperial knights to give them a try too. I smirked at the very
idea of the knights wearing all the glittery garb, dropping my gaze and heading
for my liquor shelf before Val noticed.
“Val, it’s time to drink!” I
said. “Let’s sit at
the table.”
“I’m not gettin’ anywhere
near all those sparkly clothes.”
“Then just move them, duh! Do we get any snacks today?!” Khemet said.
He tugged on Val’s arm
while Sefekh squinted past the piles of clothing. I grabbed four bottles
off the shelf to get us started while this adorable exchange unfolded. I’d expected them to
dislike the clothes, but the force of their reaction was still a little
disappointing.
One thought lingered in
the forefront of my mind: I wished I’d encouraged Pride and Tiara to purchase
those striking outfits for Stale and Arthur. Perhaps that mischievous
urge was proof of how much my drinking buddy was rubbing off on me.
The Captain's Struggles
“YOU HAD NO IDEA how much work a vice
captain has to do, did you?” I said with a huff as I
handed Harrison the
He’d finally finished
taking over my old duties as his vice captain. I slumped a little as the
burden of all this work was lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t have much to take
over from Harrison after swapping roles with him. In fact, it was a huge
relief to lay out all my previous duties for him.
“I didn’t,” Harrison said
bluntly.
I glanced up at him. “Harrison, I’ve heard how
you skipped ranks and were promoted straight to captain…but wasn’t that hard on
you? One
day, you suddenly had to do all the captain’s work.”
Harrison pondered the
question for a moment. I supposed the immense responsibility wasn’t much of a problem for him;
I could imagine him hoping for a role like that. Surely that didn’t mean he never struggled.
“Really?! It was?! What about it?”
“I wasn’t used to writing
for so long.”
Huh? Okay, that was not the
answer I expected. I figured that if Harrison struggled with anything, it would be the
missions or the expectations placed on him. Instead, it was something
entirely unrelated to combat.
Knights got a compulsory
education when we joined the main forces. Most of the men knew how
to read and write before entering the royal order—or so they claimed while they
were rookies. But Harrison only learned to read after he’d joined the main forces and
Vice Commander Clark taught him. He was promoted to
captain within the next year and found that the worst parts of the job were
keeping logs and writing reports, or so he said.
“Is that why the Eighth
Squadron has so few records?” I
asked.
I slouched even further. Just when I thought I’d
solved the mystery of our unit’s sparse record-keeping…
Evidently, Harrison didn’t
feel that he was slacking when it came to documentation. In fact, he said he
thought he was extremely thorough, but only when those records related to the
commander or vice commander.
“Please be sure to keep
adequate records now that you’re vice captain.”
I sighed at Harrison’s curt response. If he’s so ready to
oblige, why didn’t he do it while he was still captain?
Unbeknownst to Arthur,
I’d agreed so readily simply because the order came from him. If Arthur was going to
read the reports, I finally had a reason to actually put some time and care
into them. Before
him, it didn’t really matter to me.
Not that I’d ever say as
much to Arthur himself.
Afterword
Thank you very much for purchasing Volume 7 of The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior, aka Last
Boss Queen.
It’s thanks to all of you
that Suzunosuke-sensei and I were able to release a seventh volume. This book covered the
period after the defensive war and the groundwork for how the story will
continue. I
named it “the postwar chapters” and kept the story the same, while reorganizing
it to make it easier to read.
The bonus chapter is a
little different this time; it contains a flashback and some stories I wanted
to write for the web version. If you’ve read up through
this installment and enjoyed the story, or if you have characters or chapters
you’re interested in, I hope you’ll give the web novel on Shousetsuka ni
Narou a try too.
Thank you for another
batch of beautiful illustrations, Suzunosuke-sensei! I always gaze in awe at
your magnificent art. Your illustrations really capture the relationships between characters
and make the story shine.
Now, I have a few
wonderful things to report with the publication of Volume 7. A new chapter of the
manga adaptation has started up, an official anthology is on sale, and finally…
The
Last
Boss Queen anime is currently airing on television!
I’m just so grateful to
all of you for these wonderful things. The world of Last Boss Queen, which once existed only
inside my head, became visible thanks to Suzunosuke-sensei’s lovely skills,
grew more vivid with the manga adaptation, and was brought to life through the
movement and voice acting in the anime. It makes me so happy, I
hardly know what to say. I hope you’ll enjoy the anime, which was put together with the help of
lots of wonderful people.
I hope to see all of my kindhearted readers again in the future.
