7th Time Loop The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy Vol 5
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
A GREAT CROWD WAS GATHERED in the imperial
capital’s finest theater, hearts swelling with anticipation for tonight’s
performance. In a lobby past the VIP entrance, nobles mingled in fine dress,
exchanging social pleasantries before the show. The atmosphere in the
lobby was relaxed, but there was a faint ripple of excitement in the air—until
all eyes turned to the newest arrivals.
Rishe took Arnold’s hand
at his urging. When she did, she sensed the amicable chatter of the lobby shift. Her ears picked up all
sorts of gasps and murmurs.
Well, yes, I suppose they would be surprised…
The nobles scrutinized
Rishe, all dressed up for the theater, and then Arnold beside her. Wearing formal attire
with black gloves and a red cloak, Arnold appeared as if he’d rather be
anywhere but here.
For the royalty and
nobility, the theater was a social venue. But from what Rishe
heard, Arnold had never so much as shown his face at a party before Rishe’s
arrival—including events at the imperial palace. The nobles must’ve been
quite shocked to see the antisocial prince escorting a lady to the theater.
I only just mentioned the
theater, and he was able to get seats in a matter of days?
As she walked across the
red carpet, Rishe thought back to a few days before.
It was less than a month
until their wedding now, and the preparations were picking up fast. Having borrowed Arnold’s
office to go over some things with Oliver, Rishe had spontaneously let slip a
wish: “They’re showing an opera in the imperial capital’s theater? Oh, I’d love to go…”
She hadn’t even intended
to be heard, but Arnold lifted his head from the documents at his desk as the
words left her lips. She’d looked up from her own work in response.
He said, “Very well. Give me some time.”
“Of
course. As you wish, my
lord.”
Rishe had merely blinked,
thinking, Surely
not. Yet just a few days later,
they had secured seats for the opera.
One peek at Arnold’s
profile revealed his immense displeasure. He must have found all
the attention irritating. When he noticed Rishe’s gaze, however, his severe expression suddenly
softened. He
remained silent and stoic, but there was a look of tranquility in his eyes. Arnold reached out with
his free hand and touched Rishe’s earring.
“Your hair’s getting
caught in this thin chain,” he said, gently running a finger over the earring
chain before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. The sensation tickled her
even though it was dulled by his gloves.
The surrounding nobles
reacted as if they’d witnessed something they shouldn’t have, and the buzz in
the lobby grew louder. It all felt oddly embarrassing to Rishe.
Rishe’s cheeks were
flushed, but Arnold was as unflappable as ever. The two of them climbed a
staircase to the upper level, hand in hand, when someone called out to them.
They turned in unison to
face a tall man with cropped brown hair and a stick-straight posture. He was clad in the
uniform of Galkhein’s knights.
“Rudolf Gert Gutheil, at
your service.”
Rishe stiffened at the name. She could only hope that
Arnold hadn’t noticed.
“I appreciate you
appointing me for your security for today. I will work with your
Imperial Guard to ensure the safety of this floor.”
“I’ve reserved the entire
top level, so you’re not to allow a single person entry. No exceptions will be
made, noble or otherwise.”
“Yes, Your Highness. As
you command.”
Their exchange finished,
Rishe curtsied to the man who’d introduced himself as Gutheil. “Thank you, Sir Gutheil.”
“I will put my very life
on the line so you may enjoy tonight’s performance with no interruptions.” Gutheil delivered the
somewhat overblown line without a hint of insincerity. There was a firm will in
his almond-shaped eyes, and Rishe knew he was both a skilled swordsman and a
talented commander on the battlefield.
Rishe didn’t allow her
misgivings to show on her face, of course. She let Arnold escort her
to the top floor. It was unlikely that anyone noticed Rishe’s wariness of their appointed
guard tonight.
Emperor Arnold Hein had
five retainers who answered directly to him on the battlefield. Whenever Arnold wasn’t
there, they carried out his orders and delivered him whatever victories he
requested in the war. It was thanks to the support of these five knights that Arnold was able
to conquer the world in such a short time. One of them was Rudolf
Gert Gutheil, who had introduced himself to Rishe and Arnold as their guard for
the evening.
I never imagined I’d meet
him here…
Rishe sat in the royal box
seat on the fourth floor of the theater and cast her gaze down. The red velour seating
was fluffy, with cushions here and there throughout the box. It was couch seating, not
individual seats, so she sat beside Arnold. There was plenty of room
in the box, but she found herself easing into a spot where she would be
shoulder to shoulder with him.
She flipped through the program, pretending to read
it. None
of Prince Arnold’s future retainers currently serve him. I thought I still had
time before I needed to keep an eye on them.
Rishe lowered the program
and said, “May I ask how Sir Gutheil came to be our security for this evening,
Prince Arnold? I noticed there were many who are not of your Imperial Guard among the
forces stationed in the hall.”
Arnold stared at her in
surprise.
“There are some fifty
knights in my Imperial Guard. There must be ones you
haven’t spoken to yet. You don’t mean to say you’ve memorized all their faces, do you?”
“Hmm?
Of course I did. The Imperial Guard are
the retainers you’ve personally acknowledged, are they not?”
The Imperial Guard were
knights Arnold had chosen to report to him. Rishe knew that, despite
appearances, Arnold cared a great deal for his subordinates. As his future empress,
she would never forget their names or faces, even if she’d only met them once
before.
His expression tender,
Arnold replied, “My Imperial Guard are somewhat short-staffed now that I’ve
sent a number of them to Coyolles. As such, I decided it was
time to expand their scale.”
“You’re choosing new
Imperial Guards, then…”
She was getting a bad
feeling about this. Arnold’s Imperial Guard currently numbered fifty, but even in a small
nation like Hermity, it was normal for a force of a hundred or more to protect
the crown prince.
Fifty Imperial Guards are
simply too few for a huge country like Galkhein, much less one with such a
military focus. I understand that, but I have no way of knowing whether that’s the only reason
behind this. In all my past lives,
Prince Arnold killed his own father two years from now and became the emperor…
I’m sure the forces he used to achieve it were his Imperial Guards.
I’ll have to gather more
information while preparing for the wedding.
Now was not the time to
be thinking about this, however. Arnold was sure to be
suspicious if she appeared too fixated on the matter, so she schooled her
expression and traced over the names on the program.
“I didn’t know Sylvia was
the star of tonight’s show. It’s been so long since
I’ve heard her sing! I’m really looking forward to this.”
“You’ve seen the leading
lady perform before?”
“Yes.
It was, um…”
She paused for a moment to make sure she wasn’t getting any of her past-life
memories confused. “…with my previous fiancé, Prince Dietrich!”
“It should be a different
show tonight, but she was the prima donna in that production as well. Her voice was so clear
and powerful, it really moved me.”
Still the prince said
nothing.
“Even Prince Dietrich
enjoyed it. He would always get bored in the middle of any other shows.”
Once she finished
speaking, Arnold’s gaze dropped.
Will he enjoy the opera? Rishe wondered as she
flipped back to the previous page in the program. He doesn’t seem very
interested, but he said this was his first time attending an opera. I think he should at
least experience it before he makes a decision, rather than writing it off
without trying it.
Something occurred to
Rishe then. “Do you have any questions about opera, Your Highness? If I’m able to answer, I—”
A heavy weight settled on
her, and she gasped.
Huh?!
As she blinked in
surprise, Arnold laid his head on her shoulder. He had reclined against
the backrest and was looking down at his own program languidly, snuggled
against Rishe. His elbow rested on a cushion between them, and he had put most of his
weight on it, so he wasn’t terribly heavy. But she could definitely
feel a weight—his weight—on her shoulder.
Heat suffused Rishe’s cheeks.
Somehow, it
wasn’t just their bodies that were close but their hearts as well. “Um, Your Highness…?” she whispered. They were in the theater,
after all. They
couldn’t make too much noise.
“What is it?” Arnold’s tone was the same as ever. He spoke as if he’d
always sat this way, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Yet there was also a
certain listlessness to his voice.
Her heart pounding, Rishe
gazed down at Arnold and asked him, “Are…are you sleepy?”
Arnold’s eyes flicked
toward her. Rishe
normally had to crane her neck to look at him; it was her first time seeing him
from this angle. Her heart throbbed as she stared down into his beautiful, sea-blue
eyes.
Then
what is it?
Paying no mind to Rishe’s
bewilderment, Arnold said to her, “You’ll answer my questions, won’t you?”
Of
course, but why in this position?! she thought, but she
didn’t have the courage to ask out loud. She was certain that
Arnold had noticed both her surprise and her flushed cheeks. In fact, he looked like
the cat that got the cream as he observed her from his current position. Still, he made no move
except to study his program again.
Arnold’s breath tickled
her ear. Did
his voice sound deeper than usual because of the theater’s acoustics? Her pulse quickened at
the sound. As
she’d been asked a question, however, she intended to answer it in good faith.
“In theater, the story is
only told through acting. In opera, the performers also sing.”
“Huh,” Arnold grunted. He shifted, and Rishe
heard the rustling of his hair. She could feel his body
heat on her shoulder, which just reminded her of their closeness.
Arnold peeled off one of
his black gloves. The movement was slow and somehow picturesque. Rishe gulped, watching him. His large, bare hand
slunk to Rishe’s lap and flipped the pages of the program resting there.
“Do you like this
particular show?”
“W-well…this troupe
doesn’t publicize the contents of the show beforehand. Not knowing the story
until it begins is part of the appeal.” Rishe remembered Dietrich
complaining about that. The memory rose to mind at the exact same time Arnold’s eyes slid
toward hers again.
“What kind of stories
have you seen before?”
He must have wanted to
guess tonight’s show. Rishe met his gaze and took a deep breath to calm herself.
“One was about a wedding
in a world with magic. A princess had a political marriage, and the story told of a vow they
would share in the form of a kiss…”
She trailed off, staring
into Arnold’s blue eyes. The candlelight from their box seat danced on his long lashes, casting
shadows over his pale cheeks. Even in the dim lighting,
his eyes called to mind gemstones.
Unable to tear her gaze
away from his, Rishe thought, Wait. Marriage rites?
In less than a month,
Rishe would be married to Arnold. She knew that, of course,
and she was busy getting ready for the event each day. The details of the
ceremony were quite similar to those in Rishe’s homeland. Thus, she’d only briefly
scanned the itinerary and instead prioritized preventing Arnold’s war.
At that moment, however,
Rishe became newly aware of one fact.
Exchanging a kiss in a
wedding ceremony… Won’t we be doing that as well?
“…Rishe?” She had frozen in place, and Arnold’s gaze turned dubious.
Rishe blinked, registering the fact anew. A vow in the form of a kiss? Between Prince Arnold and me?
In front of
all the guests attending our wedding?
“Hey.
What’s wrong?” Arnold sat up and studied
her face.
She’d been freed from the
weight on her shoulder, but they were still close. And because their faces
were but a hair’s breadth apart, she was vividly reminded of an incident two
months ago: Theodore had called Rishe to the chapel, and she and Arnold had
spoken there. After that, he had taken her chin in his hand and kissed her.
Her already hot face
burned even hotter. Rishe shoved the moment to the back of her mind. She knew there must have
been some reason Arnold did it. But puzzling it out
overwhelmed her, so she’d avoided it altogether.
“What?
Don’t tell me
you have a fever.”
Arnold reached out to
touch her forehead. Rishe grabbed his hand and brought it down to her lap. She squeezed it between
her own hands. It didn’t change the fact that they were touching now, but initiating
it herself was much better for her heart than letting Arnold touch her at will.
Arnold was frowning, a
complex expression on his face. He was a swordsman, so he
probably hated having his hands bound. Rishe was sorry to make
him uncomfortable, but she really didn’t want him to touch her any further. She was sure she would
cry if she thought about that kiss again when they were this close.
A bell rang, signaling
the start of the performance. Rishe did her best to act
like nothing happened and put on a brave face. “I-It’s starting!”
The theater staff
extinguished the lamps here and there among the seats. As the venue dimmed, the
buzz of the crowd rose in anticipation. A moment later, silence
fell as if on cue. But while this silence normally excited Rishe, right now it was just
another inconvenience.
Prince Arnold will be
able to hear my heart pounding!
Although the opera was
about to begin, she couldn’t even concentrate on the stage. She wanted to see
Arnold’s expression, but she didn’t have the courage to meet his gaze. As her thoughts spun, the
thick red curtain went up.
A lone woman stood on the
stage, illuminated by a chandelier. Rishe and Arnold were up
on the fourth floor, so they couldn’t see her face without opera glasses. Still, the woman
resembled a blooming flower. Her bewitching beauty was
obvious even at this distance. Her long, glossy hair was
almost crimson, her dress a vibrant red. She sauntered forward,
slowly extending an arm.
At that moment, Rishe
noticed something strange. Arnold seemed to have sensed the same thing. Rishe shook off her
confusion and focused on the diva.
Just when Rishe picked up
some opera glasses to get a closer look…
Rishe leapt to her feet
and spun around. Arnold seemed to know exactly what she wished to ask without her saying
anything. “You’re
free to act as you wish.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!” Grateful to Arnold from
the bottom of her heart, Rishe rushed out of the royal box. She pushed through the
first of the double doors, then the second, emerging in the hall. An unfamiliar knight
guarding the room let out a cry of surprise. Apologizing to him, Rishe
looked down the hall.
I only sense knights on
this floor and the lower one… There’s no time to run down the stairs!
She ignored the knight’s
voice as she sailed down the railing. In less than a minute,
she arrived on the first floor, where her usual guards were stationed. Though they were
surprised to see her, they were also accustomed to her behavior. They quickly got over
their shock. “An
emergency, Lady Rishe?! I will take your shoes. This
way.”
“Thank you, Kamil! You as well, Dennis!” She pressed her shoes
into the guard’s waiting hands and ran off, calling to them as she passed,
“Please summon a doctor! Contact the theater staff and the opera troupe! Prince Arnold will have
his own instructions, so someone please join him on the fourth floor!”
Arnold’s Imperial Guards
acted immediately. Parting with them, Rishe headed straight for the greenroom. Due to her habit of
confirming the emergency exits in every new place, she’d already studied the
theater’s floor plan from a map posted on one of the walls. Arnold had the same
habit; their security detail had been startled when they both met in front of
the stairs.
“Sylvia!
Sylvia, pull
yourself together!”
“Pardon me!” Rishe said, and the pale faces of the opera troupe all turned to her. “I have some training as
an apothecary. Please allow me to perform first aid until a doctor arrives!”
“Agh… Yes, please!” A panicked man quickly
moved aside for Rishe.
“Miss Sylvia, please
respond in some way if you can hear my voice.”
Sylvia’s face was creased
with pain, but she managed a small nod.
She’s conscious and not
bleeding, but her pulse is rapid. More than anything, her
breathing was shallow.
As gently as she could so
as not to distress the songstress further, Rishe asked, “Does your head hurt,
Miss Sylvia? I’m going to touch your shoulders. Did you feel that on both
sides?”
“Got
it. One moment.” Rishe grabbed a nearby
shawl—supposedly a prop—and draped it over Sylvia. She reached behind
Sylvia’s dress and loosened her corset, lifting her into a sitting position
with the shawl covering her for modesty.
A member of the opera
troupe stammered, “Sh-shouldn’t she lie down?”
“It’s easier to breathe
in a sitting position than lying down. Well, depending on
external wounds, of course. Does Miss Sylvia have any
chronic conditions?”
“I don’t think so, but she
hadn’t seemed well these last few days…”
Sylvia was breathing
easier with Rishe supporting her upright.
“You’re all right. You’ll be all right. Breathe slowly, and just
focus on staying comfortable as much as you can.” Rishe rubbed Sylvia’s
shoulders. She
seemed to have brought the songstress some relief; her quick, shallow breaths
were gradually slowing.
They weren’t far from the
audience seats, so the murmuring of the crowd drifted into the room. Rishe couldn’t pick out
individual voices, but surprise, confusion, and discontent were apparent at the
curtain’s abrupt lowering. Those voices would only serve to worsen Sylvia’s condition.
The door to the greenroom
opened, and Rishe raised her head. “Prince Arnold.”
“Th-the
prince?!” A commotion rose up around them.
Arnold’s eyes swept over
the greenroom before settling on Rishe. “Entrust the patient to
the knights. They’ll carry her to our carriage.”
“You’ve examined her,
haven’t you? If you’ve taken care of her preliminary treatment, it’ll be faster to
bring her to a doctor than wait for one.”
Rishe nodded, sensing the
trust in his voice. “We’ll have to ask the audience to remain in their seats. If even a tenth of them
leave, we won’t be able to transport Miss Sylvia.”
“I’ve already asked my
knights to instruct the audience to remain seated. They’ve also been ordered
to restrict traffic on the street from here to the clinic.”
It was just like Arnold to
make such quick judgments and act on them just as fast. He’d handled everything
Rishe herself hadn’t had time to get to.
“Do we need to construct
something to get her to the carriage?”
“No, that would take too
long. It
would be better to have someone carry her instead.”
“Understood.” Arnold turned to the hallway and ordered one of the knights there,
“Move the patient to the carriage.”
He shouldn’t have even
been one of Arnold’s Imperial Guards at the moment. Who exactly was
responsible for getting him so close to Arnold so quickly, and why?
Was it Prince Arnold who
brought Sir Gutheil here? Does he already plan to make Sir Gutheil one of his Imperial Guard?
As Rishe silently
regarded the man, Gutheil crouched before Sylvia. “Pardon me, my lady… I
hope you’ll forgive a boorish man like myself laying his hands on you.”
With that preface,
Gutheil cradled Sylvia in his arms like she might break with the slightest
jolt. He
had her in a very stable hold that didn’t cause any undue suffering.
For now, Rishe left her
to him and stood. “Take
her to the carriage. My knights know where we’re going.”
Rishe caught her breath
and watched Gutheil leave. Part of her wanted to board the carriage as well, but she knew more
people riding in it would only slow it down. Sylvia’s condition didn’t
seem to require constant attention, and Rishe was sure that any doctor Arnold
had arranged for would have reliable skills.
I should leave the rest
to the knights.
Left behind in the room,
Rishe felt the eyes of everyone present shifting to her and Arnold. A well-dressed,
middle-aged man stepped up to Arnold and bowed to him, his expression stiff.
“Y-Your Highness…thank you
so much for visiting our theater today. As the director of the
venue, I must express my sincerest appreciation and apologies. I planned to visit you
after the show, but for something like this to happen when you were here
personally, I…”
“Er, please pardon the
impertinent question, but this lovely maiden who was so kind as to attend to
Sylvia? Might she be…?”
Grimacing, Arnold
responded, “My wife,” without sparing so much as a glance at Rishe.
I’m not your wife yet! Rishe spluttered
internally while the color drained from the director’s face.
“P-p-please forgive my
rudeness!”
Everyone in the room hung
their heads so fast, Rishe almost felt a gust of wind. She rushed to assuage
their worries. “Please,
think nothing of it! In fact, I appreciate you allowing me to perform first aid after
bursting into the room completely unannounced.”
It was a crisis involving
a popular diva, and a complete stranger barged onto the scene. It wouldn’t have been odd
if they’d found her suspicious and thrown her out instead of letting her do
first aid.
This exchange was of no
interest to Arnold, who told the director, “Henceforth, you should have staff
in place should anyone in the theater suddenly fall ill. Let’s go, Rishe. I can’t imagine they’ll
put on the show without their star.”
Rishe acquiesced, though
she couldn’t get Gutheil out of her mind. It
would be unnatural for me to ask after him for no particular reason. She padded to Arnold’s
side before remembering that she wasn’t wearing any shoes.
Arnold noticed at the
same moment. “Kamil.”
“Yes, sir. Lady Rishe, I have your footwear here.”
“Sorry about that. Thank
you, Kami—”
Rishe reached out for the
shoes, but Arnold snatched them first. In one fluid motion, he
sat Rishe down in a nearby chair and knelt in front of her before she could
even recover from her surprise.
No sooner than she yelped
had Arnold slipped the first shoe onto her foot. He’d done it like it was
completely natural, but this was an absurd turn of events. Arnold was kneeling on the
floor, helping a woman into her shoes!
“Um, you don’t need to do
that! I-I can put
them on myself!”
“There,” he said when he
was finished, standing and holding his hand out to Rishe.
She curtsied to the opera
troupe, who scrambled to return the gesture instead of just gawking at her. They headed into the
hallway followed by four Imperial Guards. As Arnold escorted her,
Rishe looked up at his profile. Why was Arnold so kind to her?
But before she could ask
him, a disgruntled shout cut through the hallway: “Argh! I’m telling you to let me
through!”
Down the hall, someone
was arguing with Arnold’s knights.
“Again, there’s been an
emergency! If
you would please just understand—”
“It is precisely because it is an emergency that I must act! How could you not
understand that?!”
Is someone from the
audience trying to get outside? Their voice, though… Rishe felt a strange
sensation coming over her.
“Nothing, I just…feel
like that voice sounds very familiar…”
Rishe peered down the
hall, and Arnold followed her gaze. The hallway curved to
match the round shape of the stage, so they couldn’t see all the way to its
end. But as
they drew closer to the source of the voice, Rishe heard it loud and clear.
The color drained from her
face. “It couldn’t be…”
Arnold eyed her with
curiosity as she stopped in her tracks. She needed time to process
this information. Time that she didn’t have, as a familiar head of lustrous blond hair
was already coming into view.
“Damn it, how dare you
stand in my way?! I didn’t want to resort to this, but if you would obstruct justice
itself, then I must put my illustrious skill with a sword to—hmm?”
Rishe nearly jolted the
moment those emerald eyes ensnared her. Simultaneously, the
temperature around Arnold dropped several degrees. The Imperial Guards went
rigid with fright, but the one arguing with them didn’t even seem to notice.
There’s no mistaking it. Even if I wish there were!
“Huh?!
What are you doing here?! Aha, I
know! The
very goddess herself has proven to be my ally, hasn’t she?! Would you let me go, you
blasted knights?! Who the hell do you think I am?!”
I see he still has plenty
of unearned confidence…
“Rishe!
Don’t just stand
there! Do
something about these men! Don’t you hear me?!”
“I’m the one who wants to
know what you’re doing here.” Rishe sighed, holding her
forehead. “Prince
Dietrich…”
“Hah!”
The man
puffing his chest out, even as the knights around him pushed him back, was
Rishe’s former fiancé. “Why,
because it’s me, of course!”
RISHE HEARD THAT the matter of her
engagement had been decided about a month after her birth—that is, immediately
following the birth of Hermity’s Prince Dietrich. Rishe had lived her entire
life as the sole daughter of a duke and as a future crown princess. As for Dietrich, the
crown prince, he had always been her fiancé as well as a childhood friend of
sorts.
“Rishe!
I heard you
did better than me on that test! You got a perfect score!”
When they were young,
Dietrich often flew into a rage whenever he saw Rishe.
“Well, we received a very
clear textbook in preparation for the exam, Your Highness. Our tutor even offered to
explain anything we didn’t understand.”
“We have another test
tomorrow with the same questions on it, don’t we?”
Rishe’s education as the
future crown princess included things like supporting and encouraging her
husband. But
even without those lessons, she would surely have told Dietrich the same thing,
as she believed it from the bottom of her heart.
“So why don’t we study
together today, Prince Dietrich?”
“Argh!
Shut up, shut up,
shut up!” Dietrich
smacked Rishe’s proffered hand aside and glowered at her. He was bright red up to
his ears, brow scrunched up in frustration. “I’m a genius, you know! I got thirty-five whole
points without studying one bit! That’s why I’m way more
impressive than you! You only got a hundred points after studying really hard! Th-that’s right…have
confidence, Dietrich!” After muttering that last bit to himself, Dietrich jabbed a finger at
Rishe. “Don’t
take me lightly, Rishe! One
of these days! You’re gonna bow before my true greatness! You hear me?!”
Rishe could still
remember the sight of Dietrich running off down the palace halls. Of course, a knight had
spotted him almost immediately and brought him right back.
These exchanges weren’t
limited to matters of studying, however. As the two of them grew,
Dietrich laid a constant stream of complaints at Rishe’s feet.
“This won’t do! It
won’t do at all! A woman riding a horse herself?! People will think it’s
because I’m a lousy rider!”
“You want to sneak into
the city? Imagine
what would happen if you were caught! People would doubt my own
dignity as your fiancé!”
“Instead of poking your
nose into many different fields, don’t you think it would be best to focus on
your duties as crown princess? If you keep this up,
you’ll just end up with half-baked knowledge in a handful of fields!”
“You want to learn how to
wield a sword? Come
to think of it, there is precedent for a queen saving her king from an assassination using her
own self-defense skills, isn’t there? Very well. I
think I’ll join you! It’s fun to swing a sword around!”
It lasted for only a moment. When they had their first
bout a year or so later, Rishe was far and away the victor. Infuriated, he forbade her
from studying swordplay any further.
“It’s as I thought! A sword-wielding queen is
outrageous! Such
a violent woman is not fit to be queen of this country!”
And upon arriving home,
Rishe found that all of her practice equipment had been disposed of.
“If His Highness doesn’t
like it, then of course you have no right to continue.”
“I know your father and I
commanded you to be excellent, but that was only so that you may become the
perfect queen. If your skills only displease His Highness…” Rishe’s mother had been
stern and cold, as if Rishe were nothing more than a disobedient child. “Then there is no worth
in those skills.”
Rishe was thirteen back then.
At the
time, she’d been convinced that her only value was as the future crown
princess, so she swallowed her objections and did her very best to support
Dietrich. She
had helped him study and took on the role of correcting his bad behavior. It was her fate to be his
queen, so all of this was only natural.
“Rishe Irmgard Weitzner! You are a vile woman! A truly malicious
creature unworthy of the crown prince!” Dietrich thrust his
finger at her and shouted as he’d always done throughout their childhood. “As of this instant, our
engagement is off!”
In that moment, Rishe was
finally free.
Surfacing from her
reverie, Rishe sighed. She had moved to a room loaned to them by the theater staff. It was one of several
rooms where the royalty and nobility could meet and chat before or after a
performance. There was no table, just several chairs facing one another. Rishe sat on a couch,
across from Dietrich, and stared at him glumly.
“Heh.
I haven’t
seen your face in a few months, but you seem to be doing a lot better than I
expected! You
must be thrilled at our reunion!”
“Did you hear me, Rishe? Are you listening? Rishe!”
There are all sorts of
things I’d like to work out at the moment, but first things first…
Rishe let go of her
forehead and peeked over at Arnold. He was seated next to her
on the couch, his brow slightly furrowed. That much was fine. What concerned Rishe was
the placement of his right hand.
Why is Prince Arnold’s
hand around my waist?!
And he was holding her
snugly against him as well. Meanwhile, his other
elbow lay on the armrest, his hand pillowed his cheek, and his legs were
crossed as he looked idly at Dietrich.
We had no choice but to
borrow a room since we can’t exactly ignore him, but still.
Rishe recalled the fit
Dietrich had thrown a few minutes earlier. Upon recognizing
Dietrich, Arnold acted first—he’d grasped Rishe’s hand and immediately tried to
exit the theater. But Dietrich, like an insistent toddler, had demanded that they
acknowledge his presence; thus, Rishe relented and kept Arnold from leaving. They borrowed the room
because it would have imposed on everyone else if they continued quarreling in
the hallway.
I’m going to go out on a
limb and say that Prince Arnold is not fond of people like
Prince Dietrich.
But that doesn’t explain
why he’s holding me so close!
They were even closer than
they’d been in the royal box. It wasn’t like they were
dancing or anything. Being joined at the hip with Arnold in front of others made Rishe
restless.
“P-Prince Arnold, I can
ask what Prince Dietrich’s business here is on my own.” Rishe watched him,
uncomfortable to her core, and murmured, “If you would rather not be present
for this, you could wait in another room…”
“Hey, Rishe! You’re talking about me, aren’t you? I can tell!”
Arnold ignored Dietrich,
eyes falling on Rishe. “I’m
not leaving.”
“I’m staying here with
you,” he said firmly.
Agh! Those almost sounded like the words of a faithful lover. Rishe’s heart banged
against her rib cage. She lowered her gaze, deeply embarrassed. That was when Dietrich
finally noticed how they were positioned.
“What’s with the way
you’re sitting?! You’re not even married yet, and you’re holding her waist?!” Dietrich turned a
brilliant shade of scarlet as he gaped at Arnold. “It’s…it’s obscene!”
The force of Arnold’s
short response catapulted Dietrich off his chair. There was an ice-cold
bloodlust in Arnold’s voice that chilled even Rishe’s spine. And even after shutting
Dietrich up, the malice did not recede from his eyes.
“Why should you have to apologize?” The only thing soft and
sweet about Arnold in that moment were the words he uttered to Rishe. Giving Dietrich another
icy glare, Arnold unhurriedly opened his mouth and said, “So?”
“Ugh…” Dietrich recoiled
from the short question. “I-I’m talking to Rishe right now, not you!”
“I’ve only allowed you to
be here because Rishe desires to speak with you. Don’t forget that you’re
not in a position to casually meet with the crown princess of this country.”
“Rishe isn’t your princess
yet! It’s
too early to treat her like she belongs to you!”
Arnold looked down at
Dietrich with open scorn. “It seems you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of a
husband.”
“Rishe will be my wife,
but she will not be my property. The only person whom she
belongs to is herself.”
“I do not intend to
restrict Rishe’s actions in any way so long as they do not endanger her. The person I am not
allowing to act freely here is you. Do you understand that?”
He really has always
supported whatever I wanted to do. That’s the only reason
we’re here.
With a voice so low it was
like fog curling against the ground, Arnold said, “You will answer Rishe’s
first question. What do you think you’re doing in this country?”
He may have been crown
prince of one of the most powerful countries in the world, but even Arnold
usually spoke with more tact. At the very least, he
wouldn’t have bossed royalty of another country around. Speaking with Dietrich
really must have put a strain on his mental health.
Rishe got to the point to
move things along. “I’ve actually been exchanging letters with Lady Mary, Prince
Dietrich.”
Almost immediately after
Rishe’s arrival in Galkhein, she had received a thorough apology from Mary in
the mail. It
contained pages and pages of regrets for the way she’d treated Rishe and the
things she planned to do to make up for her transgressions. Chief among these was the
matter of Dietrich’s future.
A strangled groan escaped
Dietrich’s throat.
“I always had my doubts. I couldn’t imagine you’d
withstand such an education even if it was coming from your beloved Lady Mary.”
Rishe
pinned Dietrich with her narrowed eyes. “Tell me, Prince Dietrich. You fled from Hermity,
didn’t you?”
“O-o-of
course not!” he spluttered.
“Keep your distance. Sit down.”
Dietrich had sprung up
with the force of his shout, but Arnold’s cold intimidation forced him back
down to his seat. At the same time, Arnold pulled Rishe even closer—and Rishe’s heart
almost leapt out of her chest.
“To
even suggest that I would flee! Why, it’s outrageous!”
Forget
that. Why
does it feel like Prince Arnold is trying to protect me?!
Back on the couch,
Dietrich frantically searched for the right words. “Mary is a very delicate
girl! The
way I broke off my engagement with you weighed too heavily on her! Suddenly, she started
saying things like, ‘What we did to Lady Rishe was absolutely unconscionable! We must change to honor
her magnanimous spirit!’”
Despite the distracting
pounding of her heart due to her closeness to Arnold, Rishe said calmly, “Erm,
please do not trouble yourself on my account. I do appreciate Lady
Mary’s feelings, though.”
“You don’t know what she’s
like now! Ever
since then, Mary’s always got a textbook in her right hand and a thick cane in
her left! And
she smiles and says, ‘Let’s study hard again today, Prince Dietrich,’ while
bending the cane!”
I kind of want to see
that, to be honest…
In any case, it sounded
like Rishe was right. “His Majesty the King and everyone else are giving Lady Mary their full
support, aren’t they?”
“I suppose you couldn’t
handle the schooling, etiquette lessons, repeated attempts to teach you how to
rule… Feeling as if there was nowhere else to go in Hermity, you came to
Galkhein. Am I correct?”
The room fell silent. Arnold said nothing, but
at this point he was eyeing Dietrich as though the man were trash lying by the
roadside.
Rishe sighed. “Prince
Dietrich. Neither
Lady Mary nor His Majesty do the things they do out of cruelty. That was never my
intention either. Any counsel I gave you was out of nothing more than a desire to support
you. And you’ve—”
“Wh-who do you think I am?!” Dietrich shouted,
interrupting her. “I’m not so far gone that I need people ganging up to teach me! I’ve always been told
that I was very gifted! That I could do it if I tried!”
“But you never once did try, did
you?”
“Ghk!”
Dietrich
clutched at his chest like something had struck him in the heart.
“‘You can do it if you
try,’ is just another way of saying, ‘You can’t do it because you’re not
trying.’ Tools
that you never take out of storage may as well not exist.”
“Being in a situation
where you’re able to try whenever you wish
is a privilege.” She was more diplomatic when they were engaged, but right now, Rishe
wanted to get this over with for the sake of Arnold’s mental health. “No matter how much they
may have wished to learn, all the maids who work for me had to spend their
youths caring for younger siblings. Have you ever imagined
being in a situation where you were not even afforded the luxury to make an effort to learn something?”
“Lady Mary was the same,
was she not? She sought a marriage with an affluent partner for the sake of her
family and thus made every effort to obtain acceptance into the academy. After all she has
accomplished, have you even given any thought to how she devotes herself to you
so completely ‘even if she does not become the crown princess’?”
“I-I—” Dietrich’s
expression changed when Rishe brought Mary into the conversation. Nevertheless, he clenched
his fists and squeezed out the words, “Wh-what do you know?! Even I tried for a few days after I was born!”
“Infants are not capable
of that level of resolve.”
“That’s not the point! You’d never understand
how I feel!” Dietrich
shouted, red-faced. “Being born as the crown prince when I didn’t want to be, and always
having you around!”
Rishe blinked at the
unexpected revelation.
“You always, always stood in my way, Rishe! You scored better on
tests, learned faster, and always had the adults’ attention!”
“They were my tutors, but you were the one who spoke
with them like you were equals! When I brought you to the
riding grounds, you won the horses over before I did! You could always run
faster than me, and you destroyed me when we had sword matches!”
Rishe pressed her lips
together, unsure of what to say.
“No matter how I tried,
there was no way I could ever compare to you! Even I have things that I
excel at. If
only I hadn’t been born the crown prince, I would have been lauded for my
abilities, I just know it… But since I was born the crown prince,
why couldn’t I possess the skills you do?! Those feelings have
always plagued me…”
Dietrich hung his head
once more before the shell-shocked Rishe. She was further surprised
when he began sniffling. She floundered, thoroughly uncertain of what to say to him, until
Dietrich spoke again with a shaky voice.
“The truth is…I always
wanted to be like you!”
H-he’s crying! Rishe was speechless. They’d grown up together
for almost fifteen years, but she’d never once seen Dietrich cry. Maybe I went too
far…
Panicked, she glanced
over at Arnold. Of late, she’d been relying on him whenever she wasn’t sure what to do.
She
regretted this behavior, all too aware that she was taking advantage of his
kindness.
I’m sure
he’s just as thrown by this situation as I am. Rishe chastised herself
for seeking his help, but he simply regarded her with a look that said he had
no choice but to act.
“Very well. Leave
this to me.”
Apparently, he’d picked up on just how stumped Rishe
was. Is Prince Arnold really going to comfort Prince Dietrich? I suppose it’s possible
he’s really a very kind person at heart.
Arnold turned to Dietrich
and began, “No matter your reasons or circumstances…”
Hmm? That didn’t sound like the start of a comforting sentence.
Dietrich crumpled into a
sobbing mess. “Gah! I…I…!”
Yet Arnold struck
mercilessly, peering down his nose at the crying Dietrich. “Do you even understand
that stripping a noblewoman of her support system and banishing her to a place
where she has no connections may as well be a death sentence?”
“To claim that you
intended otherwise goes beyond mere foolishness. Moreover, to feign
blindness to your own incompetence and heap the blame on Rishe’s shoulders is
complete nonsense.”
“Ack!
P-Prince Arnold!” Rishe stopped him,
whispering into his ear, “Wh-why are you rubbing salt in his wounds?!”
“What?
You mean
you weren’t implying you didn’t mind if I struck the final blow?”
“Of course I wasn’t! You knew exactly what I
was trying to say, didn’t you, Your Highness?!”
Arnold matched her
volume, whispering back to her, “I have no reason to show this man sympathy.”
It’s exactly as you say! Rishe’s hand once again
found her forehead.
“In fact, you’re far too
lenient with him. This is the man who broke off his engagement to you, you know.”
“Well, my engagement to
Prince Dietrich held no value to me. Why would I be upset
about someone divesting me of something I didn’t want?”
“…Are you sure you’re not
twisting the knife more than I am?”
Rishe and Arnold
continued their whispered conversation, completely ignoring Dietrich at this
point. Eventually,
he started muttering to himself as well.
“I-If only I were born in
a different situation, I would have been able to shine my brightest, I know it.
I wasn’t
born the crown prince because I wanted to be…”
Arnold rounded on him. “And do you think Rishe
was practically born your fiancée because she wanted to be?”
Arnold recrossed his
legs, observing Dietrich with pure disgust. “I have no choice but to
ask—do you think the woman you envy so much has expended no effort in her life
up until now?”
Resting his chin in his
hand, Arnold told him, “It’s been a mere two months since Rishe came to
Galkhein. Yet
if I bring her to a party, she knows the faces of every person in attendance
and can even remember their preferred conversation topics.”
Rishe’s eyes widened in
surprise.
“W-well, of course. Rishe has always had a
good memory.”
“This is not a matter of
simply having a good memory. No matter how insipid the
conversation is, Rishe listens with complete sincerity. Moreover, she does her
own research into the subject before the next time she converses with that
person, even though this does not benefit her in any way.”
“A rotten noble once
asked her a question about an obscure piece of Galkhein history. She was only able to give
him a well-thought-out answer because she sacrifices sleep to study this
country despite the fact that no one expects her to.” Arnold’s blue-eyed gaze
fell on Rishe. “She regularly supplies the barracks with fortifying food and drink. Even if it does not
benefit her, if it will benefit me, she watches out for my Imperial Guards—many
of whom she only has a passing familiarity with.”
I
didn’t know he was watching me so closely… Rishe felt her cheeks
heating up from the warmth of Arnold’s gaze.
“I can give countless
examples of such behavior. I’m sure there are infinitely more that take place outside of my
notice.”
“Y-you give me far too
much credit, Your Highness. I’ve done nothing
deserving of such high praise.”
“You should take more
pride in the things you’ve built for yourself.” Arnold’s large hand
cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. “Make him understand all
the effort you’ve put in to serve as crown princess.”
It was true. Arnold’s examples were things Rishe did not do merely as part of her
plan to avoid the war. Since she was appearing at parties as Arnold’s fiancée, she avoided any
behavior that would sully his reputation. She’d learned about
Arnold’s Imperial Guards because she wanted to know what sort of vassals he
chose and how he treated them.
Warmth blossomed in her
chest all the same.
Arnold’s hand slowly drew
away from her cheek. Rishe covered her face, hiding the flush spreading across it. She considered Arnold’s
words even as her embarrassment tormented her. Dietrich’s reaction,
meanwhile, was to double over and start groaning.
Oh! That’s right! Prince Dietrich! This was no time to be
going all weak in the knees. Rishe needed to get Arnold
away from Dietrich immediately.
She pulled herself together, considering her options.
If
things go the same way as in all my previous lives, then not even a year from
now, Prince Dietrich will attempt a coup against his father and fail.
When she’d heard the
rumors in her past lives, her chief response had been exasperation. It was far too pathetic
an attempt to even be called a coup d’état. Dietrich had let his
vassals incite him to action, but his traitorous plot against his father was
discovered almost immediately. He had had no time to
gather weaponry or leak state secrets. His coup ended without
him striking a single blow against his father and without the king’s knights
even getting involved. The way Rishe heard it, his treachery had been discovered so early,
Dietrich had no time to even execute the plan—early enough that his only crime
was plotting insurrection against the
king.
Still, even scheming such a thing was a serious crime. Dietrich had been
stripped of his authority as crown prince and placed under house arrest. The mantle of crown
prince of Hermity had passed to Dietrich’s much younger brother.
He’s the exact opposite
of Prince Arnold.
In the fifteen years I
was Dietrich’s fiancée, it was ingrained in me not to interfere with him. Even if I don’t stop him,
the only thing he stands to lose in his coup is his status as crown prince.
Rishe groaned, deep in
thought.
Today, Prince Dietrich is
taking to heart remonstrations that would normally go in one ear and out the
other… Is it due to Lady Mary’s efforts? Or Prince Arnold’s intensity?
The way
things are going, I might be able to help him.
That was when Dietrich’s
head whipped up. “No—I’m…I’m
not wrong! Hold
your head up high, Dietrich!”
“Now is the time to tell
you the true reason I came to
Galkhein before your sixteenth birthday!”
Rishe stared at him in a
daze. He
was being nonsensical, to say nothing of the fact that he sounded like he was
crying. “My birthday?”
She was indeed going to
turn sixteen nine days from today, on the thirtieth day of the seventh month. But what did that have to
do with anything?
“Like Hermity, Galkhein
forbids anyone under sixteen to marry. While you remain fifteen,
you cannot officially be considered Galkhein’s
crown princess-to-be!”
Dietrich’s passionate
declaration only further confused Rishe.
“What, you don’t understand? I’m telling you I’m here
to save you before you can be legally wed.”
“Save
me? From what, exactly?”
Rishe was struck
speechless yet again.
“Really, I can’t believe
my father! Offering
up my precious childhood friend to a man known for his cruelty and brutality…
It’s just too awful!” Though he was still sniffling, Dietrich seemed to have regained his
confidence. “But
I will not yield, not even before a nation as great as Galkhein! I’m here to save you
while there’s still time!”
“No sooner than I arrived
in the capital did I see Sylvia’s name, leading me to stop by the theater on a
whim! And
look at that—we ran into each other shortly after! Hmm, the more I think about
it, the more I’m sure the goddess is on my side!”
“Rejoice, Rishe! We’ll celebrate your birthday back in Hermity!”
Dietrich then turned a
teary glare on Arnold. “Prince
Arnold Hein! I do not fear
you! Well,
in truth, I fear you a little, or a little more than a little… But this, too,
is a trial I must overcome! For I am the future king, and I am full of kingly qualities!”
He was being awfully rude
to Arnold, but the man in question seemed as if he could not care less. In his mind, Dietrich was
probably not even worth humoring with a response. Without a reaction to
Dietrich’s declaration, Arnold turned instead to Rishe. “You must be satisfied by
now.”
“We’re leaving. Knights, hand him over to whoever’s responsible for him.”
“Wha—?!
Y-you’re throwing
me out?!”
Rishe took a deep breath,
lowered her head, and slowly began, “Prince Dietrich…”
“I have nothing to say to
you in regard to our engagement or my banishment. However…” Rishe looked
Dietrich squarely in the eye. “I cannot overlook your
speaking ill of Prince Arnold.”
Although she had scolded
Dietrich countless times over the last fifteen years, her tone had never been
as harsh as it was now. Dietrich was frozen in surprise before her, unable to form a coherent
reply.
“Prince Arnold is the
kindest anyone’s ever been to me. He permits me to go out
into town, provides horses for me to ride, and even trains me in swordsmanship
from time to time. All things I was not allowed to do when I was your fiancée.”
Arnold had never been
angry with Rishe for sneaking into town. He’d allowed her to fix
up the detached palace for her own purposes, grow medicinal herbs in her
garden, and select and educate her own maids. If Rishe asked him for a
bout, he would make time in his busy schedule to spar with her. He always respected her
choices. To
a noblewoman—to Rishe—nothing could be more important.
“He is always concerned
for me and my health and makes sure I can live freely. Prince Arnold only scolds
me when I do something dangerous. Yet you spout this
nonsense about ‘saving me’…”
A moment later, Rishe
felt herself clinging to Arnold out of sheer momentum. The two men both turned
wide eyes on her.
Arnold appeared thin for
a swordsman, yet when she wrapped her arms around him, she was acutely aware of
his robust physique and firm muscles. Shoving that thought to
the back of her mind, Rishe glared sharply at Dietrich.
“I’ll prove just how
wonderful a husband Prince Arnold can be!”
Of course, she could only
maintain the position for a few seconds. Rishe would end up
apologizing to Arnold in the carriage ride home later, her face bright red.
“Please accept my most
sincere apologies, really…”
In the carriage ride back
to the palace, Rishe hung her head low. She couldn’t even meet
Arnold’s eyes across from her. All she could do was
tremble and apologize fervently again and again.
An awkward atmosphere had
been permeating the carriage for some time now, and every time Rishe gave it
thought, all the more did she wish for the floor to swallow her whole. Not only were her cheeks
red; the heat reached all the way up to her ears.
It was all because of
what Rishe did in the theater. She had told Dietrich
that she would prove how kind Arnold was. As a result, Dietrich
ended up staying in Galkhein for several more days. Last but not least was
the way Rishe had touched Arnold. Put all that together and
you got a suffocatingly uncomfortable carriage ride.
Ugh, what have I done?! Not only did I argue with
Dietrich and declare the strangest war in the world against him, but I even
clung to Prince Arnold…
She’d gone further than
merely putting one’s hand on another’s waist in public. Remembering how surprised
Arnold had been when she’d pressed herself against him, Rishe wanted to bury
her face in her hands. Worse yet, Arnold was quieter than usual, and the silence was torturing
her.
Arnold sighed as Rishe
continued to apologize. “I have no intention of limiting your activities in any way. You are free to meet with
whomever you wish to meet with and speak with whomever you wish to speak with.”
Normally, Rishe would not
be granted such freedom. Dietrich’s conduct was normal; her mother’s actions were correct. It was Arnold’s behavior
that was strange. This was not the typical way noble ladies or royal wives were treated.
“I really do want Prince
Dietrich to understand just how kind you are,” she said, peeved.
Arnold gave her a wry smile. “The man spoke nothing
but truth. You’re
the one being naive.”
“More importantly, if
he’s going to be staying in the capital, then you should make him atone for the
absurd crime he pinned on you,” Arnold said—but Dietrich’s breaking off their
engagement was something Rishe was thankful
for.
“I’m much more upset
about him speaking ill of you than anything he’s done to me.”
“Nothing a person like him
says could ever mean anything to me. He can fuss all he likes,
but…” Arnold lowered his voice. “I won’t allow him to
belittle you.”
Rishe’s heart
somersaulted again. He’s so considerate of me.
Just what about him was
cruel or brutal? If she said that to Dietrich, he would scrounge up some excuse. To prove it to him, she
would have to use something other than words.
“I was surprised by what you
said, though.”
Rishe startled when
Arnold brought them back on topic.
“It’s rare for you to act
that way.”
“I-I’m sorry for grabbing
you, Your Highness…”
“That’s not what I
meant,” he said, frowning for some reason. He tilted his head to the
side. “You
seem franker with him than you are with other people.”
“Urgh…” Rishe was aware
of her tendency to get carried away when talking to Dietrich. “I’m used to scolding
Prince Dietrich because I was his minder for so long. I realize I can be quite
harsh with him sometimes. We’re childhood friends as well, after all.”
Arnold stared at her with
his elbow on the window frame. “Rishe.”
He patted the seat next to
him. Rishe
wasn’t sure why he wanted her to sit beside him, but she got up and plopped
down next to him.
She raised her head, and
he returned her gaze, asking her, “You won’t scold me?”
“Huh?”
Rishe
stared back at him in surprise.
Does he mean in relation
to his duties?
Arnold watched her with a
face devoid of expression, awaiting her reply. Confused, Rishe
nevertheless answered his question honestly.
“I would never scold you,
Prince Arnold. With Dietrich, I tend to worry that I’m the only one encouraging him to
change his behavior.”
Arnold reached out while
she spoke and tucked her hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed her
earrings like they had earlier in the theater.
He lowered his blue eyes
before saying, “I’m not so sure about that.”
Rishe wasn’t certain how
to respond. After a moment, she posited, “Do you want someone to scold you
sometimes?”
It appeared as if Arnold
didn’t know how to answer. He hadn’t affirmed her guess, but he hadn’t argued, so she tried to
think of something to scold him for.
“Like, ‘You mustn’t work
so late into the night every night’?”
“I could say the same to
you.”
“Or ‘Please take more
time to rest and relax’?”
“Hmm.
Maybe ‘You
should allocate more of your own work to others’?”
Arnold’s eyes darkened,
narrowing with mirth. “You’re going to have to do better than that with your leading
questions,” he said, voice slightly husky. He’d seen through her
immediately.
“It was just a gut feeling. I have no evidence to
support it yet.”
“Is that ‘gut feeling’
why you were so on edge around Gutheil?”
Here I thought I was
discreet about it.
Arnold noticed even the
most trivial things about Rishe. But the reason Rishe was
suspicious of Gutheil was that she knew the future, and she couldn’t very well
tell him that.
“It wasn’t anything about
Sir Gutheil specifically,” Rishe fibbed. “I just thought the
security situation today wasn’t very like you, Your Highness.”
“Even if they are
shorthanded now, your Imperial Guards have always been an elite few. A night at the theater
just didn’t seem like something that necessitated their cooperation with
another force.”
It wasn’t like they were
visiting a different country. Their plans today should
have involved a completely uneventful trip to the theater and nothing more.
Rishe stared at Arnold intently. I’m worried about whether
or not he’s preparing for the war.
His blue eyes were like
the ocean. She
felt like she would never reach their true depths no matter how long she stared
into them.
That’s not the only
reason, though. If he has a concern, I want to assuage his fears as much as I can.
She was well aware of how
difficult that would be. Upon arriving in Galkhein, she’d asked Arnold to confide in her as much
as he was comfortable. It was after Theodore had abducted her, or thereabouts. At the time, her words
hadn’t gotten through to Arnold at all.
Perhaps it’s just wishful
thinking on my part.
Just as the thought
crossed her mind, Arnold looked down and said, “Fabrannia is a foolish
country.”
Rishe started. It was the country that Princess Harriet—whom they’d just met—had
almost married into. Fabrannia had been manufacturing counterfeit coins in other countries’
currencies. They had ordered Harriet to circulate the counterfeit coins in
Galkhein, but when their plot was discovered, Harriet decided to dissolve her
engagement. Her homeland—Siguel—was preparing to press charges against Fabrannia. Even so, Rishe hadn’t
expected to hear Arnold bring Fabrannia up here.
With his usual
dispassionate air, Arnold went on, “Fabrannia does not do significant trade
with Galkhein. Though they manufactured large quantities of counterfeit currency, they
have few opportunities to make use of it. Why do you suppose they did
it, then?”
“The Fabrannian king
one-sidedly harbored hatred for Galkhein, didn’t he? He was denied a marriage
with one of your sisters. Though his actions were illogical, was his misplaced ire not the reason
he chose Galkhein currency specifically?”
Rishe internally brushed
off her comment even as she uttered it. It’s
not Fabrannia’s actions that Prince Arnold is questioning.
He seemed to realize she’d
come to that conclusion as well. “It’s clear that
Fabrannia wished to take some sort of aggressive action against Galkhein, even
if it meant doing something foolish. The problem lies in
someone spurring them in that direction.”
It didn’t strike her as
outlandish. A world war had just ended two years ago, and the world’s major powers
were all making various moves even during peacetime—boosting national defense,
for example. And doing that might involve sapping
power from potential enemies in case of future conflict.
Arnold leaned back in his
seat and closed his eyes. “If you make any obvious moves to improve the strength of your
military, intelligence agents lurking in your country will leak that
information.”
Rishe agreed. In her fifth life, she’d belonged to a group of intelligence operatives
who did that exact kind of work. Her “hunters” had never
been ordered to infiltrate Galkhein, but that was because Siguel had been
focused on other targets.
“Other countries are
cause enough for worry, but my father is an even bigger concern. I have no idea how he’ll
react to Fabrannia’s actions upon learning of them. So if I want to amass
military strength, I must do it in a way that avoids my father’s eyes as well.”
Is that the only reason
he avoids his father so completely?
Rumors of the current
emperor’s aggressive personality had reached her ears. It was her understanding
that if he learned of any suspicious actions taken by other countries, he might
very well respond with an invasion. There was another
possible reason for Arnold’s secrecy, however: He may have been plotting to
murder his father and subsequently begin a revolution.
Rishe needed a reason to
approach him. She was also concerned about Sylvia’s well-being, since he’d carried
her away.
Then there’s dealing with
Prince Dietrich…
She sensed Arnold’s gaze
on her and lifted her head. Her heart throbbed when
she locked eyes with him from up close. “What is it?”
“That man mentioned a
birthday celebration.”
Rishe blinked, lashes
fluttering.
“Are birthdays…normally
celebrated?”
His question caused her
some confusion, but then Rishe realized that Arnold was unfamiliar with the
custom. “Do
you not celebrate your birthday, Prince Arnold?”
“There’s a party every
year, but I’ve never attended.” It was like the idea of
doing so had never even occurred to him. She noted that his face
was beautiful even with an expression of utter indifference.
I do recall hearing that
none of Galkhein’s royal family—save the emperor—ever appear in public. The emperor was probably
the only one who ever celebrated, then.
“Does Oliver do anything
for it?”
“Why do you bring him up? I’ve ordered him to not
act differently with me no matter the occasion.”
From what Rishe had
heard, Arnold wasn’t close to anyone in his family. His relationship with his
father was hostile, and his birth mother had despised him. His sisters lived
separately from him, and he’d only reconciled with Theodore recently. If he’d ordered even
Oliver to not do anything for him, then in all likelihood, he was completely
unfamiliar with birthday celebrations.
“Would you permit us to
celebrate your next birthday? It’s the twenty-eighth of
the twelfth month, right?” Rishe looked up at Arnold and smiled. “We’ll be married by then. We don’t have to have a
party. We
can just celebrate with a few close friends! We’ll invite Oliver and
Prince Theodore and eat a bunch of tasty food!”
She was getting excited
imagining it. If she had the chance, she wanted to do something Arnold would enjoy. Of course, that sentiment
wasn’t limited to his birthday alone, but it was a good opportunity for a
celebration.
“You can do as you like.” Arnold sighed. “But your birthday is coming up first.”
Though his tone was
somewhat exasperated, Arnold gently asked, “If we’re supposed to celebrate,
then we’ll celebrate however much you want. What do you wish to do?”
Rishe went still for just
a moment, but not because she couldn’t think of what she wanted. Arnold must have noticed
as well.
Arnold donned a puzzled
look of his own.
In part, it’s because
death could come for me at any moment once I turn twenty.
Rishe always died
sometime after turning twenty and returned to her fifteenth year, to the moment
Dietrich broke off their engagement. The day she died varied
depending on the life she lived, but it was always at age twenty. Every time her birthday
came around, she couldn’t help thinking of the sand in the hourglass. But that wasn’t the only
reason she wasn’t fond of her own birthday.
“You see, I’ve also never
had my family celebrate my birthday before.”
The truth was, she was in
no position to teach Arnold about the subject.
“When I was young, I was
just so busy studying. My schedule was far too packed to make time for celebrating… Oh! I had formal parties a
few times, though!”
She was dizzyingly busy
during those parties as well. She’d had to go about
greeting various people, with no time to eat or even drink anything.
“No matter how brilliant
you are, it’s all meaningless since you were born a girl. Your only purpose in life
is to support the crown prince.”
“You will marry someone
influential in society. A woman’s true happiness is to wed a powerful man and have a child with
him, and nothing more.”
“Today is your birthday? I know that. I’m your mother, after all.”
She could still recall
her parents’ exact words.
“More importantly, have
you made progress in your studies today?”
Even after leaving her
homeland and interacting with all sorts of people in her previous lives, she
hadn’t told many of them her birthday. Instead, she’d thrown
lavish celebrations for other people’s birthdays to share in their joy.
I
wonder what Prince Arnold thinks of this? Rishe glanced up at him,
still pressing down on her cheeks.
“Should we not do
anything, then?” he asked, waiting for her answer.
Rishe trained her gaze to
her shoes and contemplated the matter. Once again, Arnold was
endeavoring to respect her wishes. She only spent a few
seconds thinking before slowly shaking her head.
“I want to celebrate…with
you, Prince Arnold.” It embarrassed her to say so, and she felt like a child.
Rishe sighed with relief. “This all, um, feels a
bit strange. I’ve never really told anyone about it before.”
“Yeah, you don’t really
talk about your own feelings.”
Now that he mentioned it,
maybe he was right. It was all because Rishe’s looping gave her too many secrets, but she
hadn’t even realized that she never voiced her feelings until Arnold had
pointed it out.
“I just thought you might
know me better than I know myself.” The thought tickled her.
Instead of responding,
Arnold stroked her hair again.
Prince Arnold really is
every bit the wonderful husband I told Prince Dietrich he was…but I must do my
part as well. After all, I proposed to him on the beach in Vinrhys.
She reaffirmed her
determination.
I must become the best
future wife I can be! For now, I’ll prove to Prince Dietrich how kind Prince Arnold is and
investigate Sir Gutheil… Though I’m worried about how Miss Sylvia is doing, so
I’ll inquire after her health tomorrow… Oh, but my biggest job is preparing for
the wedding…
At that moment, she
recalled the plot of the opera she’d been recounting earlier.
Then Rishe stared up at
Arnold next to her.
At the wedding… Her gaze lingered on
Arnold’s lips, and she gulped. I’ll have
to…kiss him again…
Rishe whipped her head
toward the window before her face turned red again. Arnold appeared not to
notice, but this might have been an emergency. After all, Rishe had no
idea how she was going to prepare herself for the event.
“AND THAT CONCLUDES my report on last
night’s affair. I can’t believe I declared to my former fiancé that I would prove how
wonderful a husband Prince Arnold is…”
Rishe finished her report
to Theodore in the middle of her herb garden. She placed the herbs
she’d gathered in her basket and stood, holding down her straw hat.
A little ways away, under
the shade of a tree, Theodore pressed his fingers to his temples. “What am I to do about this? I can’t tell anymore
whether you’re asking for advice or just bragging about your relationship.”
“Pardon, Prince Theodore? I’m sorry, the cicadas
are so loud, I couldn’t hear that!”
“Nah, it was nothing,”
Theodore replied with a glowing smile.
Rishe picked up her
basket and trotted over to the shade where Theodore sat, her lemon-colored
dress billowing in the breeze. “I can list any number of
Prince Arnold’s wonderful qualities, but I want a way to get Prince Dietrich to
really understand instead of just telling him.”
Theodore respected his
brother, Arnold, dearly. He knew Arnold’s good qualities well, yet he didn’t seem sympathetic to
Rishe’s plight.
“I understand what you’re
here for, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you.”
“What?!
Even though
this is an opportunity for you to thoroughly discuss each and every good
quality of your older brother’s?!”
“Well, you’re not talking
about his qualities as a man or as a brother but as a husband, aren’t you? You’re the only person in
the world who can claim to have any expertise on the subject, my dear sister.”
Theodore closed his eyes
solemnly and placed a hand over his heart like a pious believer, though there
was a streak of mirth in his voice. “It’s too bad, but I’ll
have to limit myself to merely watching over you as your younger brother. Though please do engrave
each and every one of my brother’s reactions into your memory. And give that reprobate
Dietrich a good pummeling for me.”
“J-just because you have a
cute face doesn’t mean you can say things like that!”
“In any case, you just
have to show the guy the loving relationship between you two, don’t you? Just act even closer than
you normally do while you’re in front of him.”
Theodore made it sound
like the simplest thing in the world, but for Rishe, it was anything but. She also wanted to avoid
bothering Arnold as much as she could since it was her slip of the tongue that
had caused all this ruckus in the first place.
I’m worried I’ll do
something strange if I spend too much time at Prince Arnold’s side anyway…
Once again, Rishe was
considering her latest problem: the realization that she would have to kiss
Arnold at their wedding. Theodore regarded her with open curiosity now that her expression had
suddenly changed, but there was no way she could tell him the reason behind it.
I can’t
ask Prince Theodore about the kiss. I’m
sure he doesn’t want to hear about that sort of thing in regard to his brother. Rishe had no siblings of
her own, but she did have a cousin who was going to succeed the Weitzner name
after her marriage, so she could understand Theodore’s position somewhat.
I’d like to ask Prince
Theodore about Sir Gutheil as well, but I have no good pretext for it. I can’t make any hasty
moves, lest I come off as suspicious.
Her musings were
interrupted by Elsie’s arrival. “Good day, Lady Rishe. Your Highness.”
“Hey, Elsie. You’re really working hard lately, aren’t you? My dear sister and Kamil
are always praising your efforts.”
“Oh, th-thank you, Your
Highness…but I still have a long way to go!” Elsie shook her head,
embarrassed, before looking up at Rishe. “Lady Rishe, we’ve
received word that a visitor without an appointment is at the palace gates
asking for you. Another maid is taking word to Sir Oliver.”
Don’t
tell me Prince Dietrich is storming the castle! Rishe’s face paled at her
first guess, but the name Elsie gave her was one she wasn’t expecting to hear.
“Um, word was it was a woman.
S-Syl…”
Elsie carefully read the name off a note pulled from her pocket. “Sylvia Hollingworth.”
Rishe parted with
Theodore, hurriedly changed into a dress more appropriate for receiving guests,
and headed for the reception room with two of her guards. She opened the door to
find a red-haired woman resembling a flower in full bloom.
“I apologize for keeping you.
I am Rishe
Irmgard Weitzner.”
“Please, no apologies
necessary! I’m
honored to make your acquaintance.” The woman stood and
curtsied gracefully. “My name is Sylvia Hollingworth. Thank you so much for your
help last night.”
“Please rise, Miss Sylvia. How are you feeling? You didn’t aggravate your
condition coming all the way here, did you?”
Her complexion did seem to be better, but such an effect could be achieved with makeup,
so Rishe wasn’t comfortable going off of that detail alone. Despite her worry for the
songstress, Sylvia shook her head elegantly.
“I received some medicine
from the doctor you sent me and rested well last night. I was already feeling
better by the time I went to bed, and by morning, I was completely recovered.”
“I’m glad to hear it,”
Rishe said, though she was still worried Sylvia was secretly pushing herself. Last night, it seemed
like Sylvia had fainted and then regained only partial consciousness. If she had suffered an
attack from an illness of some sort, it was very rare to recover completely a
day after such severe symptoms. Still,
she did appear healthy to
Rishe’s careful eye.
“It’s all thanks to you,
Lady Rishe. I
wish I could treat you to the performance you were supposed to see last night
right away, but the show has been postponed a whole week…” Sylvia wilted, truly
disappointed.
Rishe smiled. “I’d also love to see you perform as soon as possible, but I must
insist that you take the time to recover.”
“It’s just…you never know
which day might be your last, you know?” Sylvia said with a smile
of her own. Rishe started, and Sylvia looked her in the eye as she added, “The
performer or the audience. No one knows
when they will take their last breath.”
She pressed a graceful
hand to her chest in a refined, captivating gesture. Her eyes, framed by long
lashes, were powerfully magnetic. “I was born to sing, you see.
That’s why
I itch to stand on the stage as many times as I possibly can.” She laughed bashfully. “Or so I’d like to say,
but I can hardly claim such a thing after canceling a performance due to poor
health.”
Rishe chuckled. “I’ll admit, I do want to hear you sing, but I also wish you wouldn’t
push yourself, Miss Sylvia.”
Sylvia’s shy smile returned. “Lady Rishe, please just
call me Sylvia. There’s no need for you to treat me with such formality.”
“Only if you do the same
for me. Please, call
me Rishe.”
“I couldn’t! I would normally never even be able to meet with the future crown
princess!”
“Oh?
In that
sense, am I not just a fan of the opera who would normally never be able to
meet the diva herself?”
After all, the audience
was not typically afforded the opportunity to speak with the performers.
Sylvia wore naked
surprise on her face before bursting into laughter. “Ah ha ha! Very well. Rishe, then.”
Rishe’s guards watched
over the exchange with sunny smiles. Rishe shook Sylvia’s hand
and recalled what she could about the songstress.
Sylvia Hollingworth
belonged to a traveling opera troupe and had made a name for herself in many
different countries. Her singing voice and beauty were obvious draws, but she also had a
talent for acting that enchanted the audience, captivating all those who
watched her perform. She was active in the future as well, her songs giving courage to many
people in the tough times after the war began.
“I saw you perform a year
ago in my homeland of Hermity.”
“Really?
I’m thrilled to hear
it! A year
ago in Hermity… Was it ‘The Fairy’s Wedding,’ then?”
“It was so wonderful! Especially at the end,
when the princess exchanged her vows with a kiss—” Rishe gasped, cutting
herself off.
“I’m sorry, Sylvia. This is a bit of a
strange question to ask when we’ve only just become friends, but…” Rishe
squeezed Sylvia’s gloved hands and said with complete sincerity, “I’d like to
know more about that kiss.”
They moved to one of the
visitors’ gardens, where Rishe gave Sylvia a quick once-over. Then Rishe called for her
maids and had a tea set prepared at a light-blue table. Along with their tea came
a variety of small cakes of every color.
Gold fork in hand, Sylvia
asked Rishe what she had meant earlier. “Is your wedding kiss
troubling you, Rishe?”
“Mrgh… I wouldn’t say it’s troubling me. I’m just…embarrassed.” Simply putting it into
words left Rishe feeling rather besieged. She’d dismissed the
thought of asking Theodore about this, but even having the conversation with
another woman made her nervous. “You have to kiss in your
shows sometimes, right, Sylvia? Is there anything you do
to prepare yourself, or to put the thought of who might be watching out of your
mind?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t
think I’ll be much help to you,” Sylvia said simply. “When I sing, I become the character I’m playing. I just feel that it’s
only natural to kiss the person I love in that moment, so the thought doesn’t
bother me in the slightest.”
“The person you love…in
that role?”
“Yes.
During a
performance, I truly love the person playing my partner. Just on the stage, of
course.” Sylvia
put her elbows on the table and set her chin atop her laced fingers, grinning
at Rishe. “After
a truly incredible performance, however, the feeling can linger after the
curtain falls, and we end up staying together even after the show is over.”
“Wow…” Rishe breathed a
sigh of awe. This was a world completely unknown to her.
Sylvia giggled. Cutting up a raspberry mousse cake, she said, “I’ve loved enough to
fill an ocean.”
“Then, the rumors about
your love life…”
“Oh, you’ve heard them? Yes, they were all
fantastic.” The diva spoke so lightly, she might as well have been singing.
Sylvia had a reputation
as a prodigy of the theater, but there was one more thing she was known for—and
that was having many lovers. Rishe had never paid that
rumor much attention, but now she was hearing from the woman herself that it
was all true.
“I feel that my singing
becomes richer each time I experience love,” Sylvia told Rishe, her chest
puffing up with pride. “My heart pounds and aches, nourishing my voice! That’s why I love
love. And
when my voice gets all the nourishment it needs, we can both part with a
smile.”
“Nourishment for your
voice, you say…”
“Yes.
You receive
something different from each person you love, after all.” She glanced down. “Just kidding. I’m sure people just see
me as a fickle woman.”
“No, I think you’re
amazing, Sylvia!” Rishe exclaimed, prompting Sylvia to look taken aback. “I feel like I understand
a part of what makes your singing so incredible now. You pour everything
you’ve experienced in your life into your singing, don’t you?”
Sylvia’s lips parted in
surprise.
“It’s amazing that you
can use your experiences to sustain you like that. That’s exactly how I want
to live too!” Rishe told her.
Sylvia blinked several
times before beaming like a flower unfurling its petals. “Hee hee! Oh, Rishe! It’s the first time in my life anyone’s understood what I meant when I
talk about love!”
The lady had a maturity to
her, but she was absolutely adorable when she smiled. Her happiness was
infectious, and Rishe found her own smile mirroring Sylvia’s. Yet the songstress’s next
words cracked her calm.
“Wha—?!”
Rishe almost
dropped her teacup in surprise. “Wh-what?
Why?!”
“Well, if you’re worrying
about the kiss at your wedding…”
“When did I say anything
about love?!”
“Hmm.”
Sylvia
leaned in till the tip of her nose was mere inches from Rishe’s. Rishe got a whiff of a
high-quality, sweet-scented perfume. Sylvia stared at Rishe
with alluring eyes framed by those doll-like lashes. “If you just close your
eyes, won’t it be over before you know it?”
“Huh?!
Is that how it works?!”
Rishe felt like her heart
was going to leap right out of her chest. “I-I am still yet a
humble disciple. N-nothing of the sort has occurred!”
“A disciple of what?! Let me ask then, Rishe.” Sylvia’s painted lips
curled up in a smile once more. “Does every little thing
your husband-to-be does interest you? Do you wish you knew what
goes on in his head?”
Well, of course. Rishe’s thoughts naturally
turned to Arnold. I wish I knew when he
plans to initiate his revolution against his father, and why he proposed to me…
“Do you wonder who he’s
with when he’s not with you?”
He might be with Sir
Gutheil right now! What if he’s not merely expanding his Imperial Guard but actively
planning future invasions?!
“Do you find yourself
thinking about your future with him before you can help it?!”
I only hope to avoid the
war and live in peace!
Rishe whipped her head
back and forth in denial. “No! I really think it’s
something different!”
“Are you sure? Doesn’t your heart get all fluttery when you think about him?”
It’s certainly harrowing
to consider what might happen if I can’t stop him!
Rishe took a sip of her
tea to disguise the anxiety she was feeling. Sylvia, on the other
hand, was visibly disappointed.
“Well, that’s too bad. I wanted to talk about
love with a girlfriend over tea… But if you’re so upset by the thought of
kissing him when you’re not in love, is the crown prince so loathsome to you?”
“Not at all! Prince Arnold is wasted on someone like me!” Arnold was not at fault
in the least. The problem in this situation lay entirely with Rishe. Her cake sat forgotten as
Rishe fervently defended her fiancé. “He’s kind, deeply
knowledgeable, strong, and incredibly skilled in matters of politics! He’s always considerate
of me and of his retainers as well. I honestly can’t even
find the words to describe how much I respect him.”
For some reason, Rishe
couldn’t stop trying to convince people of how wonderful Arnold was. Sylvia listened patiently
before taking Rishe’s hand and giving her a smile that belonged on the face of
the goddess herself.
“You have my support,
even if your feelings are one-sided.”
“Gah!
That’s not…
That’s not what I—”
Sylvia giggled and smiled
fondly. “How
wonderful… I’d like to fall in love again soon too…”
“You would ‘too’…? Are you not in love with anyone right now?” Rishe asked.
“In my dreams, perhaps.” When Rishe tilted her
head curiously, Sylvia shrugged. “I remember you helping me
when I collapsed last night, but then it gets hazy again… I feel like I can
remember a man holding me, though.”
“I know you were the one
watching over me and that I was a bit out of it,” Sylvia said hastily. “But the man I dreamed
about was such a gentleman, even though the way he spoke was a little rough… My
first thought on waking was how I wished I’d be able to see him again.” She laughed. “How silly of me, wanting
to meet a man I dreamed up.”
“Today was a good day
anyway, though. After all,
I met you, and you’re so wonderful.”
“A knight carried you to
the carriage from the greenroom last night.”
He’d knelt down next to
Sylvia and picked her up almost reverently.
“His name is Sir Gutheil. A tall gentleman…”
Sylvia’s eyes opened wide. “Wh-why, Rishe!” She grabbed Rishe’s hands
once more, and Rishe gave her a firm nod.
Thus, Rishe obtained just
the pretext she needed to meet Gutheil the knight.
During the war in the
future, Rudolf Gert Gutheil served as Arnold’s aide in his invasion of the
western continent. Rishe heard that he earned this lofty position not just for his
competence as a commander but also for his astute use of intelligence. Of course, she had heard
this during the war, and it wasn’t as if she could simply believe whatever she
heard about Galkhein at the time. It was perfectly possible
that the information itself was intentionally leaked in the service of some
strategy.
Prince Arnold manipulates
his own reputation, after all. Despite his brilliant
political moves, he never publicizes his own involvement and instead maintains
his “cruel and brutal prince” image.
Rishe learned from Arnold
and Harriet not to believe every rumor she heard. That made it even more
vital that she get the measure of Gutheil herself.
“Hmm.
So the
songstress Sylvia is interested in our knight Gutheil, eh?”
Theodore had just arrived
in the garden and was propping up his chin with one hand. His eyes rested on a man
and woman walking through the riot of flowers. Poking at a cake that
Rishe had set in front of him, he said, “Well, Gutheil’s a pretty attractive
man. Not as
much as my brother, of course, but he’s got manly features and sharp brows. He’s tall and well built
too.”
“Sylvia didn’t seem to
remember his appearance all that well. She just said she felt
very safe in his arms.”
“You were moved to help
the lovestruck songstress out, were you, Sister?”
Rishe glanced at the pair
on the other side of the garden. “It’s a good thing you
just happened to be passing by, Prince Theodore!”
“Mm.
I was quite
worried about what I might be getting roped into when you suddenly asked me if
I knew him.”
On the other side of the
garden, Sylvia was smiling at a nervous Gutheil.
“I’m sorry. Sylvia wanted to thank him, and I wouldn’t have been able to arrange
for their meeting myself.” Rishe had no power to ask anything of Arnold’s knights, as she was just
his fiancée at this point. She would have had to go through Arnold, but she’d heard that he would
be busy with work in his office all morning. “I’m glad Sir Gutheil was
kind enough to agree to meet with her as well…”
“Yeah.
The way I
see it, he doesn’t look completely
uninterested.”
From where Rishe and
Theodore were sitting, they couldn’t hear the pair’s conversation. But the soft smile on
Sylvia’s face was plain for anyone to see. To Rishe, Gutheil was
simply nervous the whole time, so she wondered how Theodore could tell whether
he was interested. She cocked her head to one side, and Theodore grinned sunnily at her.
“You really are naive in
the ways of love, sister dearest! Apart from Elsie, you’re
probably the only one who hasn’t noticed the huge crush Kamil has on her!”
Kamil was one of Rishe’s
guards. Both
he and Elsie originally hailed from the slums, and they had known each other
since they were small. Rishe was completely unaware of the “huge crush” Kamil had on his
childhood friend.
“I’ve not yet studied the
ways of love…”
Rishe lowered her head. Besides, I hardly have
time for that now. I can’t even consider it until I’ve fulfilled my vow.
“What sort of man would
you say Sir Gutheil is, Prince Theodore?” Rishe steered the
conversation back on topic by asking what she really wanted to know. Part of it was simple
information-gathering, but she also wanted to know as much as she could get
away with knowing for the sake of her new friend, Sylvia.
“He’s the serious type, I
think. The
man’s twenty-three and tall, even among the knights. He’s got skills with a
sword and took his studies seriously too. Seems like he’s a little
high-strung, like he’s the sort of guy to get hung up on stuff, but you could
just say that means he’s diligent. Just…” Chin still in his
hand, Theodore gave Rishe a pointed look. “Listen. If you asked me about Gutheil, it means you know why I know him, right?
That means
you’ve heard he may become one of my brother’s Imperial Guards.”
“A question for you, then. What do the retainers my
brother chooses all have in common?”
“Other than the fact that
they’re all highly skilled, you mean?”
Theodore had issued her a
challenge, but Rishe raised the white flag right away.
“Heh heh heh. Well, I’ll just have to tell you, then.” Theodore’s eyes, a
slightly deeper blue than Arnold’s, narrowed with pride. The next moment, however,
the expression had been wiped from his face as he murmured, “They’re all
talented but oppressed in some way—so that talent has never been acknowledged,
you see.”
Rishe realized he was
spot-on.
“Take Oliver, for example. He was a knight with a
bright future. The firstborn son of a marquess appointed by the emperor himself, with
impressive swordsmanship and a talent for command as well. Not that I want to admit it.”
“Exactly.
His father,
Lord Friedheim, instructed him with a rigor that bordered on violence. As a result, he ended up
unable to even grip a sword. The marquess deemed him
worthless, and my brother made him his attendant after he was disowned by his
family.”
It was a much more tragic
tale than the version Rishe had heard.
“Kamil is the same, as a
talented man from the slums who was never given a fair chance. Galkhein’s claim as a
meritocracy gives people all the more reason to compete fiercely with one
another. The
people who work most closely for my brother were all denied opportunities due
to their origins or whatever else.”
“He’s very thorough about
it too. Even
his warhorse, Hildebrand, is a good horse, but one treated terribly by his
previous owner. He was on the verge of death when my brother took him in.”
Rishe had ridden that
very horse just a few days ago. He was a fantastic mount
who responded perfectly to every one of Arnold’s instructions. Horses were clever
animals and very sensitive to a person’s feelings. He likely understood that
Arnold had saved his life.
“That being the case, he
still only takes on people with exceptional abilities. If they’re not talented,
then he won’t so much as bat an eye no matter how wretched their environment
may be.” Theodore
turned his pretty eyes on Rishe. “Do you understand what
I’m getting at, my dear sister?”
“Correct.
Gutheil,
you see…” Theodore lowered his voice and whispered the rest to Rishe.
“Who can say? That’s all I’ve managed to dig up on him, anyway.” Theodore cocked his head
while Rishe mentally organized the information he’d given her. “Will any of that help
you support your friend in her romance, though?”
“Yes, I believe it will,”
Rishe said with a smile. It wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t a lie either. “I must express my
admiration for your information network once more, Prince Theodore. I would expect nothing
less from Prince Arnold’s brother himself.”
“Heh heh heh. Go ahead, compliment my connection to my brother even more. I’m competing with Oliver
right now, you know. He thinks he knows my brother better than me. That’s the whole reason I
investigated the candidates for his Imperial Guard.”
I can’t imagine Oliver
expressing interest in such a contest. Rishe kept that thought to
herself.
It was then that Sylvia
and Gutheil completed their circuit of the garden.
“Might you meet with me
again sometime, Sir Gutheil?”
“Sure, erm…if you
wouldn’t mind…”
They’ve
even made plans for another date! Things were moving much
faster than Rishe expected.
As Rishe gawked at them,
Gutheil hesitantly began, “But, Lady Sylvia…are you truly well? You were so light when I
held you yesterday. That was worrying enough on its own.”
Sylvia beamed at him. Even Rishe found the
expression positively angelic. “Just hearing of your
concern for me is a delight. I assure you, I feel fine now.”
“You’re sure you’re not
pushing yourself? I only just realized I should’ve had you refrain from walking around
the garden. Please
forgive my utter lack of consideration.”
“Nonsense. I could tell you were walking slowly for my sake.”
“Well, if the fresh air
was good for you, then I’m happy to have helped.”
Rishe could sense just
how concerned Gutheil was for Sylvia by the way he sighed when he heard she was
okay. Sylvia
gave her a little wave and mouthed “thank you,” and Rishe returned the smile.
If only they could spend
a little more time together.
Theodore piped up, “The
songstress is heading home, then? But just imagine the
rumors that would spread about the palace’s lack of manners if we let such a
famous performer return all on her own.”
“Gutheil, I command you
to see the lady home safely.”
Though Gutheil was caught
off guard, he quickly met Sylvia’s eyes and bowed his head deeply. “Understood, Your Highness. I will protect her with my
very life.”
Rishe could not help
feeling touched by Theodore’s consideration when she saw how Sylvia’s eyes
sparkled. She
bid the diva goodbye, promising to speak with her again in the near future,
before seeing her off. As Sylvia left with Gutheil, her blossoming smile returned to her lips.
“Cleverly done, Prince
Theodore. There
won’t be any problems with Sir Gutheil’s schedule?”
“I’ll give the knights
some excuse. He doesn’t have any duties that can’t be delegated anyway.”
“Despite his outstanding
capabilities, you mean?” Maybe it had something to do with the secret Theodore had shared with
her. “Now
that we’ve come this far, I have another small favor I’d like to ask of you.”
“Oh, I just knew you were going to get me
wrapped up in something weird!” Theodore protested. Yet not only did he hear
Rishe out, but he even said in response, “Well, that’s not any different from
what I’ve done before. It’s a bit frightening how accustomed I’m growing to this, isn’t it?”
Ultimately, he readily
agreed to her request.
That afternoon, something
else occurred that was of particular interest to Rishe. It did not directly
involve her, however—it involved her current fiancé, Arnold, and her former
fiancé, Dietrich.
“Thank you so much for
today, Prince Arnold.” Dressed for a soirée, Rishe thanked Arnold on their way to the party
hall. “I
never thought you would allow Prince Dietrich to accompany you on your
afternoon duties…”
Arnold replied with
nothing but silence.
Oliver had reported the
occurrence to her after she’d parted with Sylvia and Gutheil, while she was in
a meeting about the wedding. She’d been sincerely
surprised to hear it, but the idea had apparently been Oliver’s to begin with. He’d suggested that Arnold
stop by to pick up Dietrich during his business in the capital and show the
foreign prince how he worked.
“Won’t he be in Prince
Arnold’s way, though?”
“Oh, I’m sure he will. I’ve heard all the rumors
about Prince Dietrich, you know.”
“I doubt it will be a
problem. A
slight disturbance will not have much effect on my lord’s activities. And I’m sure it will be
worthwhile for Prince Dietrich to see another royal around his age at work.”
Rishe realized something
when she saw the bright smile on his face. “Oliver,
are you…having a bit of fun?”
“Ha ha ha, why, perish
the thought! I’m sure it will be just as valuable an experience for my lord to
interact with someone his age who is of a similar standing.”
Would it be a good experience, though? Rishe had been concerned,
but when she learned that Arnold had agreed, she figured she would just leave
things to him.
“W-was everything okay? Prince Dietrich didn’t
cause you any headaches?”
“Not really. No matter who accompanies me on my business, it doesn’t change the work
involved.”
Before Rishe could
protest, there was a rustling from the shrubbery on the side of the path. Rishe was surprised, but
not by the noise. It was because in the split second they heard the noise, Arnold stepped
protectively in front of her.
“Prince Arnold…” Rishe
peeked out from behind Arnold’s large frame. They both turned to scan
the shrubbery. “It’s…a cat.”
From the shadows emerged
a black cat still small enough to be called a kitten. Rishe stepped out from
behind Arnold and knelt, holding her hand out toward it. Judging by how it didn’t
crouch down low, it seemed to be accustomed to people.
The cat must have had
plans after this, just as they did. Rishe stood, slightly
disappointed, and took Arnold’s arm once more.
“That doesn’t guarantee
your safety. If a beast was able to infiltrate the palace in the first place, that
just means we need to improve on our current security.”
“You’re calling that kitten a beast?”
Arnold was right, of course. The fact that there was a
route the kitten could use to get into the palace was a problem. If someone brought the
animal in, then there was an issue with the checking of the guests’ belongings.
And if it
had gotten in on its own, that was evidence that, for instance, the ramparts
could be breached by way of a tree.
Prince Arnold makes use of
even the most trivial bits of information when he makes decisions. There was plenty to learn
from how Arnold saw the world. As Rishe considered this,
she thought, He must know what Prince Theodore told me about Sir Gutheil.
They arrived at the party
hall after exchanging only trifling small talk. The moment the doors to
the hall opened, a soft cheer blew through the room. The hall was filled with
significant figures, all holding glasses of wine. As Rishe bathed in their
scrutiny, she casually confirmed the identities of each individual she walked
by.
There are a few people
here I’m not acquainted with yet. Is that Lady Diekmeier in
the dress that’s modeled after a rose? The woman Lord Hannawald
is escorting must be his wife. He mentioned her to me
before. The
current emperor is supposed to be the host of this party, but he’s absent as
always. Prince
Arnold is attending in his place…
She got that far before
she raised her head, having sensed an intense stare. She met Arnold’s eyes
immediately, and his expression softened as he studied her. Rishe’s heart skipped a
beat, and a buzz swept through the crowd at the same time.
“H-hey, have you ever seen
such a tender look on Prince Arnold’s face before?”
Was
Prince Arnold always watching me as I attended parties like this in the past? Rishe wondered,
remembering what he’d said to Dietrich the day before. Although the thought
flustered her, it also made her happy.
A man she’d never met
before approached them. “I…I’m pleased to see you enjoying yourself tonight, Prince Arnold. It’s been some time since
we last met, but I’m glad you’re doing well.”
“Lord Egel,” Arnold said
icily.
Lord
Egel. Prince
Theodore told me that the current emperor values this marquess.
While Rishe wanted to
greet the man as well, she couldn’t say anything until Arnold introduced her. Until then, she bowed her
head politely and listened to their conversation.
“First, please allow me
to congratulate you on your engagement. A real wonder, that. As far as I’m aware,
you’ve never spared so much as a glance at a member of the fairer sex, and now
you’ve finally chosen a bride…”
“I may be biased, but I
believe my own daughter is rather pretty. It’s terribly
disappointing that she never caught your eye. That brings me to a
rather surprising rumor I heard—is it true, Your Highness, that you’re
absolutely infatuated with your fiancée?”
Rishe’s shoulders twitched, her head still bowed. Lord Egel governs a
region in the west, doesn’t he? How the heck did he hear
a rumor like that?!
Surely this was the time
to make her introductions, but Rishe felt so awkward that she could no longer
raise her head. A moment later, however, Arnold cupped her chin.
“What an interesting rumor.” He gave a gentle tug, and
she had no choice but to meet his eyes. His hand still on her
face, he gazed down at her with a soft smile that turned daring as he pulled
Rishe closer by the waist. “Is there some problem if it’s true?”
Rishe wasn’t sure what to
make of his provocative smile. The marquess was equally
speechless, prompting Arnold to snort and take Rishe by the hand.
“Let’s go, Rishe. You can make your introductions later.”
“R-right.
Excuse us!” Rishe felt bad for the
informal manner of their parting, but the marquess was equally flustered as he
left. Heart
hammering in her chest, Rishe gazed up at Arnold. “Was…was that all right?”
Rishe could think of any
number of issues with that exchange, but apparently none of it bothered Arnold.
She didn’t
have the courage to go into specifics, so all she could do was fall silent.
“You don’t need to
introduce yourself to him right now. More importantly…”
Rishe followed Arnold’s
gaze and realized what he was getting at. “Right.”
Wh-why is Prince Dietrich
cowering like that with tears in his eyes, like a little puppy? The weepy way he quivered
made him look just like his father, the king of Hermity. Oh, Prince Dietrich, you
have to be more confident at soirées! And it’s not good manners
to be by yourself so early in the evening…
Arnold stared at her
wordlessly.
Rishe returned his gaze,
arm linked with his, and realized, Wait! It’s
not my responsibility to be counseling Prince Dietrich anymore! At last comprehending
the reason for Arnold’s expression, Rishe nodded at him. I understand. Leave
this to me, Prince Arnold!
Arnold seemed as if he
wanted to say something to her, but he ultimately stayed quiet. Rishe collected herself
and called out to the pillar.
“Good evening, Prince
Dietrich. I
hear you accompanied Prince Arnold today during his work. What did you think of
what you saw?”
“Wh-wh-what did I think of it?!” Dietrich leapt out from
behind the pillar and advanced on Rishe, tears still in his eyes. “I-I-I—”
“Please calm yourself,
Your Highness! Let’s take this out to the balcony, shall we?!”
Other partygoers were
trading hushed whispers, surprised by Dietrich’s behavior. Rishe hurriedly led him
and Arnold out onto a balcony, where they could speak freely.
“L-Lord Arnold! Do you always cram so much work into your schedule?!”
“That can’t be! There’s
no way! You
must have packed so much into your schedule today just to scare me!”
Rishe blinked at Arnold
once more in surprise. “Did you really have that much work to do today, Prince Arnold?”
“No?
I had less to do than usual. Oliver went and changed my schedule on me.” Arnold wore the same
inscrutable expression he always did. He was completely
unperturbed, whereas Dietrich was clutching at his head and squirming. “I even took a break
because I couldn’t bear this one’s constant pestering.”
“That’s what’s so strange
about it!” Dietrich
countered. “You
worked all the way until evening with only one break?! It was just work, travel,
work, travel, work, work, work! And you were doing
paperwork inside the carriage while we traveled! Have you never even heard
of coach-sickness before?!”
“Really, Prince Arnold…”
Rishe sighed. “You must take more frequent breaks.”
“I could say the exact
same to you.”
“Why are you two acting
as if this is just a typical day for you?!” Dietrich panted like he
was exhausted. Thankfully, the energy it was taking him just to breathe meant he
wasn’t actually producing much volume when he yelled. “Are you human?! Is that stamina of yours
human?!”
Prince
Arnold’s workload seems excessive, even to me. No wonder it scared
Prince Dietrich… The other
prince must have been shocked to see how Arnold worked up close. Rishe couldn’t even imagine the two of
them sharing a carriage.
Shoulders heaving,
Dietrich took a deep breath before asking Arnold, “Have you ever even
questioned it before?” His expression hardened, his tone becoming more serious. “Royalty must spend
morning to night thinking of their subjects and sacrificing their time for the
sake of their country. No matter how hard they may work, no one will praise them for it. Self-sacrifice is only
natural, absolute devotion is a given, and if you can’t achieve that, you’ll be
cast aside as unnecessary.” Dietrich scowled. “You can’t choose how you want to live. Your subjects may think
you live affluently, but the truth is, there’s nothing free about your life! You’re bound by custom,
captive to the way others see you, and at the end of it all…”
Dietrich froze at
Arnold’s matter-of-fact tone.
“Of course royalty has no
right to a human life.”
“Do you not understand? The life of a king or an
emperor is weightier than the lives of millions of his subjects.”
“If a small country is
invaded by a larger one, it can send out thousands of soldiers and it won’t
make a difference. But if the king of that country offers his own life, the war is over.” Arnold tapped his throat
with his middle finger. “The king has a duty to each and every one of his subjects. Whether you understand
that or not, a royal is nothing more than a pawn in a much larger game.”
“Neither you nor I have
the right to live life as human beings.”
A chill ran down Rishe’s
spine at Arnold’s plain assertion.
“Y-you talk as if you
think we all have to be ready to give our lives for our countries someday! Don’t you think that’s a
little extreme?!”
Arnold smiled scornfully,
a dark light in his blue eyes. “That was your obligation
the moment you were born as crown prince.”
Dietrich gritted his
teeth and turned his back on them, fleeing back into the party. Rishe followed a few
steps after him, then stopped. It was now just her and
Arnold out on the balcony together.
The summer breeze blew
through the silence stretching between them. Rishe raised her head
timidly when Arnold called her name. Her eyes met Arnold’s
from a few meters away. She could find no words to say, and Arnold sighed.
“What was it you said to
that cat earlier?”
His pensive gaze landed
on his shoes. “Right. I remember.” Arnold turned to her
again and extended his hand, his voice just as soft as the expression on his
face. “C’mere, you.”
“Huh?!”
Rishe’s cheeks
flushed. The
line was completely unexpected coming from Arnold.
Did
Prince Arnold just call me like a cat?! It just wasn’t
fair—though if someone asked her exactly what wasn’t fair, she didn’t
think she’d be able to answer.
As she groped for a
reply, Arnold tilted his head and smirked. “Hmm?”
Rishe finally gave in,
taking a step toward him. She took his proffered hand and let him pull her the rest of the way.
She studied Arnold in
earnest, their fingers still entwined. “If war breaks out again
in the future…” It took considerable courage for Rishe to bring up this
hypothetical with Arnold, but she didn’t tear her gaze from his blue eyes. Quietly, so that no one else would hear, she asked him, “To what end
would you offer up your own life?”
Arnold smiled. “I’m not interested in hypotheticals.”
“But you’re prepared to
make use of it, are you not?”
“Kings and emperors bear
the full responsibility for their countries,” he stated as if they were
discussing the weather. “A crown prince is only born to take on that burden. You could say that’s
doubly true for me.”
Rishe flinched. Arnold’s father had not accepted any of the children born to him
without a specific hair and eye color. Arnold was likely not his
true firstborn son. He was only the crown prince because his father had killed any brothers
who came before him.
Prince Arnold bears no
responsibility for that. She squeezed his fingers. Yet he feels his very
existence is a sin…
A devastating sadness
weighed on Rishe’s heart. Only a moment ago, Arnold had said that royalty had no right to a human
life. He
didn’t seem to want that for his brother Theodore or his sisters, though. Nor for his empress-to-be.
The only people he feels
don’t deserve to be human are his father and himself. Does he realize that?
He touched Rishe’s cheek. “You’re pouting.”
Since he’d already seen
through her attempt to hide it, she let the expression show fully on her face. “I am, because I’m
angry…but I’m angry at myself.”
“I just feel so useless.” Rishe hung her head,
pursing her lips. “I want you to be happy, Prince Arnold.”
Arnold regarded Rishe
with astonishment.
“I wish your future could
be nothing but happiness…even if you don’t think you deserve it.” No, just wishing wasn’t enough. “I’ll try to be more creative.”
“We’ll eat the most
delicious food in the world, sleep on beds so fluffy you’ll want to just melt
into them, and see sights so beautiful it makes you dizzy…” She listed
everything she could think of, carefully scrutinizing each suggestion. “I’ll give you experiences
like that to show you the appeal of being happy.”
She was absolutely
serious, but Arnold just stared at her in bewilderment before chuckling
quietly. “Heh.” It was a rare sort of
smile for Arnold, like he couldn’t contain his emotions. “I see the appeal plenty
already.”
He set his hand atop
Rishe’s head, and she tilted it to the side in confusion. Then Arnold donned the
teasing smile she was more accustomed to.
“And what about you? Have you decided how you
want to celebrate your birthday yet?”
Rishe flinched, not
expecting him to turn the tables on her.
“Ugh… Can I say I want what you want, Prince Arnold?”
Rishe’s birthday was eight
days away. She
knew if she didn’t make up her mind soon, there wouldn’t be any time to prepare
for it—but she just couldn’t think of anything.
“It’s like you have no
desires.”
“You’re the last person I
want to hear that from, Prince Arnold!”
Rishe’s heart thudded
against her rib cage when that teasing smile appeared. She was sure Arnold didn’t
mean anything by it, but she couldn’t help thinking of what she knew was
coming.
I haven’t solved the
issue of the kiss at our wedding either! And I don’t have many days
left to figure that out! And…
Rishe glanced back toward
the party hall, where Arnold’s knights were providing security. She had to do more
digging on Gutheil as well.
I need to figure all this
out, one after another. First, I’ll investigate tomorrow using the method I asked of Prince
Theodore.
THE NEXT DAY, new knights scrambled
around the training grounds, picking up after a lesson.
“Sven, can you hand me
that cloth?”
“Yeah.
That wooden
sword might be splintering, so be careful with it.”
One of them, a recent
recruit named Sven, sighed while rolling his eyes at the other. “Sheesh. I didn’t think you’d be
the one helping out since we’re shorthanded with Fritz gone.”
“Me?”
Rishe looked
up from her work.
“Haven’t seen you since
our special training, but you’re just as handy as ever, Lucius.”
“Heh heh heh.” Rishe, in her male guise as “Lucius,” smiled at Sven. The two had become fast
friends during their morning practice sessions together. “I’m glad to see you seem
to be doing well too, Sven. Did you bulk up a bit since the last time I saw you?”
“Of course I did. I’ve kept up morning training sessions even without you and Fritz
around,” he muttered. For all his grumbling, it was clear that he was truly putting in the
effort. “I
really wanted to see Fritz too…”
Thinking of the friend she
hadn’t seen once since that special training, Rishe smiled sadly. She’d snuck into the
cadet training, but she hadn’t been able to keep up with it at all due to her
lack of stamina—but Fritz had always been a source of encouragement to her. They’d gotten close while
Rishe had been disguised as a boy, and they’d parted without him learning the
truth about her. She felt guilty for lying to him all that time, but she still wished
she could see his smiling face again.
“He accompanied Lord
Lawvine back to Ceutena, didn’t he?” she asked Sven.
Just like I thought, Lord
Lawvine’s passionate when it comes to nurturing young talent.
Lawvine was a count who
governed the northern region of Galkhein. He’d served as the knight
cadets’ instructor during their special training. Rishe heard that the man
had lost his child in the war. That may have been one
reason he approached their training with such kind consideration.
Lord Lawvine tries to
stop Prince Arnold’s war in the future, and he’s executed for it. I still don’t know the
reason for that tragedy.
She wanted to meet with
Lawvine again as well. He would visit the capital for her wedding, though. For now, she had to focus
on what was right in front of her.
As she continued to clean
up the training grounds, she snuck a glance at another area. Many knights gathered in
the training grounds each morning. They were divided into
units and followed the orders of their unit commanders, so while they were
working, they didn’t often interact with members of other units. The few chances they got
were when they were in the barracks and when they were doing morning training. Arnold and his Imperial
Guard were a separate entity, so they seldom showed their faces here.
Rishe had her eye on one
knight among them who had just finished training: Gutheil. The man wiped away his
sweat and turned toward a wooden sword lying on the ground. He picked it up without
hesitation and patted the dirt from it.
Cleaning up the training
grounds is a job for the new recruits. Yet Sir Gutheil is
helping as if it’s completely natural for him to do. There were plenty of
knights who never spared the training grounds so much as a glance after they
were finished with their workout, so Gutheil’s behavior was rather unusual. He really is the diligent
type. He
was taking his training seriously too.
There was one other thing
she was curious about as well. “Hey, Sven…that big guy
with the brown hair who’s helping out with the cleaning…”
“He seems really nice, so
why does it look like people are giving him the cold shoulder?” she asked him.
Sven made a sour face in
response. “You
can’t really blame them. It’s probably awkward for them too. You might not know this,
but…” He glanced around, making sure no one was listening to them before
whispering to Rishe, “His father betrayed Galkhein.”
It was the same thing
Theodore revealed in the garden the day before. Still, Rishe pretended as
if she were hearing it for the first time and asked, “Betrayed Galkhein? What do you mean?”
“The previous head of the
family, Sir Gutheil’s father, was a noble and a knight of Galkhein too. He was important enough to
lead his own unit, but he took the information his position gave him access to
and leaked it to an enemy nation.”
Again, it lined up with
Theodore’s intel.
“So he was a spy for
another country?”
“I dunno what kinda
damage the leak actually did. I think it was like ten
years ago? Back
when we were kids, there was this big thing about Sir Gutheil the knight
captain being a turncoat. Maybe you were too little to remember.”
Sven didn’t suspect a thing. “Leaking intelligence is
a capital crime. Sir Gutheil’s father was executed and stripped of his peerage. It’s been however many
years now and his son’s still getting the cold shoulder.”
Everything so far matched
up with what she’d heard from Theodore.
“Sir Gutheil’s super
strong, isn’t he? He beat everyone he was up against in his matches.”
“Lord Lawvine praised his
skill too. He
trained Sir Gutheil when he was a rookie.”
“And everyone still
treats him coldly?”
“From what I can tell,
all the work he gets is patrolling in town. And not in the slums, or
anywhere else there’s likely to be trouble, but in residential areas where half
the time the work is just giving someone directions.”
“Well, espionage is a
serious crime, but that was his father. Sir Gutheil hasn’t
committed any crimes.”
“And he hasn’t been executed.
He wasn’t
punished at all aside from losing his home and peerage. But there’s nothing you
can do about the way people look at you when your family member’s a traitor.”
Maybe it was only natural
for the people close to an accused spy to suffer a loss of trust as well, but
it just didn’t sit right with Rishe. “It’s not like crime is
contagious. They might be family, but they’re different people…”
Rishe found herself picturing Arnold. Prince Arnold is the same. He feels he bears
responsibility for the sins his father committed… That’s why he feigns
similarity to his father.
She took a short breath. If she wanted to learn
more about Gutheil himself, she’d have to investigate further. She picked up the wooden
swords nearby and told Sven, “I don’t think we have any more time for
maintenance today. I’ll put away all the ones that need sanding yet. Is there anything you
want me to grab from storage?”
Rishe snuck another
glance at Gutheil as she headed to the back of the training grounds. The knights kept their
distance from him, and he worked in silence as he picked up after them.
What should I do? Sir Gutheil knows the face of Prince Arnold’s fiancée. I may be dressed as a
boy, but I can’t get too close to him.
Though she’d gotten
information from Theodore and gossip from Sven, rumors were just that—rumors. She’d need another
perspective if she wanted to know the truth about him.
Arriving at the storage shed, she put away the swords
that couldn’t be used again without some maintenance. I could come up with a
different disguise…but I’m not confident about disguising my face. He’s probably the only person who could—
Rishe jumped. The voice had come from right next to her ear. She hadn’t sensed anyone
nearby, but someone had managed to get just behind her. Almost close enough to
touch her.
The person behind Rishe
trapped her in place by lodging their hand against the wall next to her,
whispering, “And what’s with the outfit? Though it looks pretty
good on you, ‘Lucius.’”
Rishe closed her eyes and
sighed without turning around. “I’m a little flattered to
hear you compliment my disguise…Raul.”
There was a snicker behind
her. Rishe
put away the rest of the swords, asking, “What are you doing here? Don’t you need to be
guarding Princess Harriet?”
“Well, the real Curtis
should be arriving in Vinrhys soon. I left my men to guard
her, so I’m doing some sightseeing in the capital.”
“There’s certainly plenty
to see in the palace.” Rishe finished her work and turned around at last. She was startled to see
Raul standing there without a disguise.
“I
see. You’ve
used makeup to give yourself a more masculine look.” Raul put a hand to his
chin as he looked Rishe up and down. “You’re too delicate to
pass yourself off as a man, though. You’ve bound your chest,
sure, but that training uniform looks like it’s wearing you.”
“Ugh… I can’t fill it out
with anything if I’m going to be moving around in it.”
“Eh, the way you carry
yourself isn’t bad. And I see you’ve tucked that long hair of yours under a short wig. If I didn’t know your
real identity, I really would think you were just a delicate boy with a
feminine face.”
“Really? Thank you!” She couldn’t help
thanking him sincerely for the compliment, but she hadn’t forgotten her
original question. “…So?”
“Ha ha, you don’t have to
glare at me like that! I’m just doing some reconnaissance! And don’t worry, I have
permission from your husband. I told him I wanted to
see how Galkhein trains its knights so we could better protect our printing
technologies, and he told me, ‘Do what you want.’ Apparently, he couldn’t
possibly care less!” Raul made peace signs with both hands, but Rishe found this a bit
suspicious.
“Prince Arnold really
gave you permission to observe the knights?”
I guess that’s a little
more reasonable?
The future army of
knights under Arnold’s command was said to be the best in the world, largely
due to Arnold’s training methods. Currently, only his
Imperial Guard were receiving his special method of instruction. Maybe Arnold didn’t care
what other countries learned as long as it had nothing to do with his training
plans.
“That said, I have the
utmost faith in you. Neither you nor His Highness would do anything dangerous if you didn’t
stand to gain anything from it.”
The suspicious smile on
Raul’s face faltered, replaced with a different sort of grin. “I’ll never be able to
compete with you, will I?”
“I get it already. Can you promise me one thing, though? Keep what I’m about to
tell you a secret from your Prince Arnold, will you?” Raul put a finger to his
lips, a touch more serious than usual.
“Good girl.” He paused. “What your prince is
worried about is foreign spies.”
Rishe’s eyes nearly popped
out. “He
suspects the palace has been breached by intelligence operatives?”
“Well, I’m not sure. But that’s part of what
I’m investigating here.”
“Under Prince Arnold’s
orders.”
“It’s a favor. I owe quite a lot to you and your lovely husband, you know?” His tone was as flippant
as ever, but Raul was likely being genuine. And if Arnold was really
worried about spies, there was no one better to investigate than Raul, who was
a talented spy himself. “Besides, if there really was someone who proposed the counterfeiting
scheme to Fabrannia and put Harriet through all that, then I have plenty of
reason to investigate myself.”
It made sense to Rishe. At the same time, she
recalled what had happened the night before. This
must be why Prince Arnold was so cautious of the kitten we saw on the way to
the party… He had to have known it was only an animal in the bushes as soon as he
sensed it, yet Arnold had still hid Rishe behind him.
That wasn’t just a
hypothetical. Arnold had his guard up because he already suspected flaws in the
palace’s security.
He
didn’t react to that tiny noise out of pure reflex. It was
because he thinks there may be spies in the palace. Rishe grimaced,
disappointed in herself for not picking up on Arnold’s suspicion. Not only had she failed to
pick up on his misgivings and thus failed to help him, but she’d also
thoughtlessly allowed him to protect her. She would never stop
Arnold’s war if she carried on like this.
If Prince Arnold suspects
spies in the palace, there’s something else I have to consider.
What crossed her mind now
was Gutheil.
Sir Gutheil’s father
was executed for espionage. Is it just a coincidence
that Prince Arnold is considering expanding his Imperial Guard, with Sir
Gutheil as a candidate, while this spy business is underway?
She could come up with as
many theories as she wanted, but they would remain just that: theories.
“You seem to be giving
this a lot of thought, Lucius.”
“Raul…” Rishe scrutinized
him from a mere hair’s breadth away. “Could
you give me an entirely
different face?”
“What?
Why? Your face is so cute! I don’t want to change
it,” Raul said with a hollow smile.
“You don’t really believe
that, and it’s written all over your
face,” Rishe told him. The women Raul courted all fit a single type: mature, with enchanting
features. The type
Rishe was not.
“Ha ha, only joking. Honestly, I need certain
tools to change someone’s face. They must be made with
the structure of the wearer’s face in mind, so I can’t make any for you right
away.”
Doesn’t seem like he’ll
do it for me. He never taught this to us in my fifth life…
He probably couldn’t teach it to anyone else. Raul was the leader of
his hunters, and there were plenty of things the previous leader had taught
only him. It
stood to reason that he’d keep some teachings secret from the rest.
“Then if you find any
evidence of spying, may I ask you to report your results to me as well?”
“If you’ll keep it a
secret from your prince.”
“Of course. I’d also prefer if Prince Arnold didn’t find out.”
Raul gave her his usual
light smile, holding out his pinky. “It’s a promise, then.”
“A custom from the
eastern country, eh? Indeed it
is.” Rishe
tapped her own pinky finger to Raul’s.
Raul sucked in a breath,
then stepped back. “Oh
yes, do be careful. I’m making my report to your prince right here in the training grounds,
you see.”
“Huh?!
You mean
Prince Arnold is coming here?!”
“Ha ha ha! If you want to get away, you’d better run!”
Rishe’s face went pale. She’d gone to Theodore for
help in sneaking into today’s knight training, but it was a secret from Arnold.
“I-I have to go! I’m sorry, Raul! Let’s talk later!”
She parted with the
carefree, waving Raul and burst out of the storage shed. While she hadn’t managed
to get close to Gutheil, she’d obtained useful enough information.
I need to get to my next
appointment!
Well, that should do it. Raul stretched as he
watched Rishe make her escape from the training grounds. The trick to lying is to
mix in some truth…and to stack two lies, one on top of the other. If someone with good
instincts sees through you, you can say you’ll tell them the truth and only
reveal the first lie.
It was just like wearing
a second disguise underneath your first. When your cover was
blown, you merely showed them your second disguise. Of course, there weren’t
many people Raul had to use this double lie technique on.
Still, I can’t believe I was instructed to give her a double lie
under the assumption that she’d see through the first. Brimming with mirth but not
letting it show, Raul closed his eyes. It’s not like I really
lied to her, I just didn’t tell her the whole truth. What a cruel husband you
are, Prince Arnold.
Raul had no choice but to
obey his commands. He felt no guilt over lying to Rishe. Living this way was his
role as the head of his band of hunters. It is true
that I want to help, though, Princess Rishe.
Not that she was
officially crown princess yet. Raul stretched again,
then headed off to make his report.
This kitchen was mostly
used for boiling water or reheating food, so it was typically deserted. Late at night, there were
no maids present, so there should have been no one to discover her doings. Yet only a few moments
later, Rishe heard footsteps, and her panic spiked.
“Oh, Prince Arnold!” Rishe whirled around to
find a rare sight: Arnold staring wide-eyed at the mess she’d made of the
kitchen.
Something white and
fluffy had spilled from a large pot, blanketing the floor all around Rishe. And it wasn’t just the
floor—the table the pot sat on, the chair next to that table, and even Rishe’s
dress and hair were covered in the stuff.
Arnold pinched a bit of
the substance floating in the air between his fingers and squinted at it. “White petals… No, snow?”
“Um, I made it hoping it
might look like both, really.” She tried to cover the
top of the pot with her arms, but it was futile; the substance continued to
leak through the gaps.
“No!
Th-this
wasn’t me messing up at cooking!”
Rishe flushed red at
Arnold’s staid suggestion. Cooking was not among her many skills, and Arnold was the only person
who ever finished any meals she made, so she leapt to defend herself. Or maybe Arnold was only
saying that because he knew she didn’t like to waste even pepper-spiked wine.
“It’s not food. It’s a theater prop I was thinking I might be able to create with
alchemy.”
Slightly embarrassed,
Rishe nodded and explained herself to Arnold. She’d discussed all sorts
of things with Sylvia when the songstress visited the palace the day before. It had taken Rishe some
time to bring up the matter of the kiss after they’d moved to the gardens. One topic Sylvia had
raised was this:
“The opera you saw had a
scene where there was a shower of petals at the end, right? Yes, the confetti! It’s a beautiful sight,
but the effect takes a lot of work.”
“It does seem like an
incredible amount of labor to make all that scrap paper. How do you do it?”
“Hee hee hee. Simple elbow grease, that’s all! One time, they even had
us performers hold scissors and cut them up while we practiced our lines. It’s a lot of work to
clean up too. It’s not like they melt over time. Sometimes they’ll get
stuck on the ceiling and fall down at the worst moment during a performance the
next day!”
Upon hearing that, Rishe told Sylvia, “I could make something
like that, I think. Something that’s pretty, that you can make a lot of at once, and that
will vanish over time like snow.”
She had everything she
needed in stock already, in fact. She’d ordered it from the
Aria Trading Company for something else.
“So, you see, if you mix
elements extracted from several medicinal plants, you can dry the mixture into
a powder that expands into this snow-like substance when you add water to it.” From across the table,
Rishe showed Arnold a small dish with a semi-translucent powder in it. Arnold studied the
mixture carefully.
“Then if you take this
snow-like substance and put pressure on it…” Rishe scooped up some of the fluff
and balled it up like she was making a snowball. When she opened her
hands, she was holding something resembling a handful of confetti. “It breaks up into scraps
like this. See? They’re like petals.”
“I
see.” Arnold
pinched the “petal” Rishe held out to him. He held it up to a
wall-mounted lamp and let the light shine through it. “This is another
application of alchemy, then.”
“Yes!
Mysterious, isn’t it? Just by mixing elements
found in the natural world, you can create something brand-new.”
“And this is the result
of trying to mass-produce the substance in this kitchen.”
“Look, I’m really sorry
about that…” She hadn’t thought she’d produce so much.
I didn’t expect this result! I did this experiment in
the castle in Coyolles in a past life using the same quantities of plant matter
and water, so why did it expand so much? The amount of water? The composition of the water?
The
temperature, the humidity…? Ugh, there are too many
possible factors!
In her third life, she’d
studied frantically under the genius Michel Hévin, forgoing sleep to experiment
on the forefront of alchemical research. She felt all too keenly
now that even that hadn’t been enough to
sate her thirst for knowledge—but while it was frustrating, it was also
exciting to still have so much to learn.
I’ll have to write
another letter to Professor Michel. Oh, I know! I’ll
enclose a sample…
Sensing Arnold’s gaze,
Rishe snapped out of her thoughts.
“Please don’t worry. All this fluff will melt
in time!”
“It’ll melt? So it’ll leave behind water?”
“Yes.
But there’s
really only a small amount of water in it, so the rest will evaporate. The components that make
it up are transparent and nontoxic, so there’s very little work needed to clean
it up.”
All they really had to
worry about was making sure they brushed the substance off any expensive
costumes. Sylvia’s
troupe should have no trouble adopting and adapting.
The original plan was to
develop something with water in it that could be buried in desert regions to
help plants grow. This prototype was eventually discarded, since it melts over time…but
if it can be used for something like this, then maybe all that experimentation
wasn’t a complete waste.
She smiled, fondly
remembering those days. Arnold reached over and touched her coral-colored hair. Rishe jumped, but he was
merely plucking a flake of artificial snow from her locks. She did her best to stay
still so he could remove it.
“You were already growing
the plants used in this substance?”
She jumped again at the
question. “Er…there
was just something I wanted to try for my own curiosity…”
As he pulled his fingers
away from Rishe’s hair, Arnold gazed kindly at her. Rishe interpreted it to
mean she would have to elaborate. She knew she had a lot of
secrets, so she wanted to be upfront about the things she didn’t have to hide. If only she didn’t have to
feel so embarrassed about it.
“There are flowers all
over Galkhein’s capital, aren’t there? The day I arrived here,
petals were falling from windowsills on every house, and it was so beautiful…”
“Hrk!”
Feeling her
cheeks heat up, Rishe blurted, “At our wedding!”
Arnold inhaled,
surprised, and then simply said, “Oh.”
“Yeah…” Rishe clutched at
her dress. The
kitchen was silent, and the foam swayed around them.
Is he
going to call me frivolous? After all, to Arnold,
this was nothing more than a marriage of convenience. He might have incredibly
serious reasons for it that Rishe couldn’t even begin to imagine. She’d also heard that she
was little more than a hostage for Galkhein’s political leadership.
She couldn’t bear not
knowing what he thought anymore and peeked up at him, her head still lowered. Arnold met her eye, his
face expressionless as always but somehow soft as well.
“Do you not dread the
wedding?”
Rishe was shocked by the
question. “Why do you
say that?”
“It’s a stifling event
that you have to spend many long hours preparing for. Not only are there
countless arrangements to be made, but you must also entertain each and every
one of the guests. It’s a great burden for you, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes, there’s a lot
to prepare, but…” Those preparations were convenient for Rishe’s purposes. The guests she had to
entertain were important figures who would have a significant effect on the
future—like King Zahad, who would oppose Arnold’s war. It behooved her to be
ready to meet with them for more than just the wedding ceremony.
But even
without all that… With full confidence, she told Arnold, “I’m eagerly looking forward to
the wedding.”
“Yes!
After all,
I’ve never experienced my own wedding before.”
Arnold quietly returned
her gaze. The “in any of
my six past lives” was implied, but the prince could only assume she meant in the fifteen
years since she’d been born.
“Doing anything for the
first time is exciting, and I can’t wait to wear my wedding dress. It must feel different to
experience a wedding as a bride than just as a guest too!”
“I’m so looking forward to
your outfit as well, Prince Arnold! And your jewelry and
hairstyle… Oh, and the Crusade psalms that will be read during the ceremony!”
Just enumerating the
things she anticipated got her heart racing. She held up a finger with
each one and ran out almost immediately.
“My artificial snow and
flower petal experiment went well. I didn’t plan to fill up
the kitchen, but that just means I can make more than I expected with a small
amount of materials—which is even better!”
Arnold narrowed his eyes. “What is it?”
“N-no!
Nothing!” Rishe clapped her hands
over her mouth, suddenly feeling very awkward. Arnold must have found it
strange that her face was reddening. She glanced at him and
found him chuckling to himself.
“Well, if you have enough
to look forward to that it lessens the dread somewhat, that’s good.”
“Mm…” Rishe pursed her lips.
“It doesn’t
lessen anything, Your Highness.”
“Why would it? There’s nothing I dread about the ceremony.”
Arnold frowned, and Rishe
cocked her head. Before she could probe further, however, he changed the subject.
“Anyway, just don’t push
yourself. You
act like it’s easy, but there’s a lot to do. You might think it’s not
that much work because you’ve been training to be a crown princess from a young
age.”
“M-maybe so…” Rishe hedged. Her hesitance was due to
knowing there was something to what Arnold was saying. “But aren’t you the one
pushing yourself when you’re already busy, Prince Arnold? Oliver tells me that even
when you finish your work early, you simply fill the time you’ve gained with
other work.”
“You’re even babysitting
Prince Dietrich.” She felt particularly bad about that.
“I told you, there’s no
reason for you to feel responsible for him.”
“I-I know that! I know that, but…” Rishe hung her head and muttered, “Just as you and
Prince Dietrich were raised to be crown prince, I was raised to become crown
princess.”
“I was freed from that
burden when Prince Dietrich broke off our engagement. I live a carefree life as
your fiancée now, Prince Arnold. Or at least, that’s my
intent. That’s
why, when I see Prince Dietrich, I feel like I need to do something about him,
I guess.” The
emotions inside her were beginning to take shape. “Maybe it’s guilt… As if
I’ve abandoned my homeland.”
That feeling wasn’t
limited to this life either. In her past lives, Rishe
had never once returned to her homeland. Not even after Dietrich’s
failed coup and the rescinding of her exile.
Maybe I
was avoiding it unconsciously, but this is my own problem. Her emotions stemmed
from the feeling that she’d abandoned her duty. Or maybe it was the same
reason she didn’t like thinking about her own birthday: her memories of
childhood, when she’d wanted to cry each and every day.
While she considered
this, Arnold told her, “You haven’t abandoned anything.”
His tone was
matter-of-fact but firm. “From the day you were born to the day you left your country, you made
every effort you possibly could, right? That much is obvious just
from watching you now.”
“In the end, Hermity even
exiled you—and you still care for it. Whatever your feelings
for it may be, the one thing you can’t say is that you abandoned it.”
Arnold’s words enveloped
her in a comforting warmth. He spoke as bluntly as
always, but that almost made what he was saying feel even warmer.
Glowering, he continued,
“And even if you had abandoned that country,
I personally wouldn’t fault you for it.”
After a second, Rishe
laughed. His
expression was just so sour, she couldn’t help herself.
“Even if you never return
there again, simply leaving your country is in no way abandoning it. As long as you’re not
selling your nation’s secrets, I don’t think you have anything to feel guilty
for.”
“…Right. Thank you.” Rishe appreciated his
consideration. Belatedly, she realized something else. “Prince Arnold, it’s not
necessarily to show my gratitude, but I think there’s something I may be able
to help you with. Let me clean up here for just a moment. Do you have a little more
time after that?”
“Sure.
Are we going
somewhere?”
Having recovered some of
her energy thanks to Arnold, Rishe gave him an impish smile. “I thought you might like
to play a little game with me.”
“Yes.”
Rishe put a
finger to her lips, still wearing her devilish grin. “A spy game.”
After cleaning up the
kitchen, Rishe left the detached palace with Arnold, and they walked alongside
the palace ramparts. They had since strayed from the paths and were strolling through the
trees, the grass rustling at their feet. It was a half-moon that
night, its light not quite reliable enough for their purposes, so Rishe and
Arnold each held up a lantern.
“Someone once told me
that if you want to make sure your defenses are secure, you have to take on the
perspective of an intruder.” That someone had been
Raul, her troop leader in her fifth life. “The palace is
constructed to hold back an invading army, right?”
“That’s right. Palaces are also fortresses, after all.” Arnold was holding his
lantern not to illuminate his own footing but Rishe’s. His casual, gentlemanly
behavior had once again flustered her.
He’s also walking at a
much slower pace than usual.
Rishe did her best to
remain unruffled under all his consideration. “Ahem… On the one hand,
the palace’s construction obviously prioritizes keeping out more heavily armed
enemy combatants. Intelligence operatives, on the other hand, will be lightly equipped
for infiltrating whatever gaps they can find. I noticed you were
concerned about the route that kitten used to sneak into the palace yesterday.”
Leaving Arnold to
illuminate her path, Rishe held her own lantern up. To their left were the
palace’s sturdy walls. When she shifted her lantern, the shadows of the trees around them
stretched with the movement.
“I thought we could go
around the walls with an eye for what a spy might look for. I went around earlier in
the day myself.”
“I read a guide to castle
fortification once, you see,” Rishe lied with a smile. She’d gained that
knowledge as a hunter, but Arnold didn’t press her for details.
Instead, he gave her an
amused smile and told her, “You’re always so full of trivia.”
Prince Arnold’s finally
getting used to me!
Or maybe he was just
leaving her alone to see what she would do. Either way, he was
probably aware by now that Rishe wouldn’t divulge the source of her
information.
“Right.
You ran into
him, I take it?”
Rishe pursed her lips. “Yes. He snuck up behind me and
gave me quite a fright.”
Arnold gazed down at her,
a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “If he can sneak up on
even you, then I guess the guy’s pretty good.”
“Y-you have an awfully
inflated opinion of me, Your Highness…” It was Raul who’d taught her how to
sense presences and hide her own in the first place. Rishe kept that to
herself, telling Arnold, “From what I’ve seen, the imperial palace seems well
protected against incursions from spies. When I snuck out into
town, I used a part of the wall that lay lower than everywhere else. But that was only because
I was sneaking out from inside and was able to leave a route for myself to get
back in.”
At the time, Rishe had
left a rope tied to a branch close to the ramparts. She’d then used the same
rope to get back inside. Even with the skills from her fifth life, it would have been difficult
to sneak in from outside otherwise.
“Castle walls are made
from earth and stone. The more solid the walls are, the easier it is to climb them with the
help of metal tools. These walls have rat guards on the outside, however.”
“Yeah.
The walls
should have a double structure also. Thick stone to guard
against strong blows and then covered in brittle clay.”
“Mm-hmm.
It’s the
worst kind of construction for a spy…” Rishe’s expression had hardened at some
point as she seriously considered how to break into this palace. In her fifth life, Raul
had chosen not to even attempt it himself. “But if you pull your
attention away from the walls, the palace has more weak points than you might
expect.”
Rishe smiled
mischievously, and Arnold agreed with her. “You would know, with how
you dart around all over the place day after day.”
“Hrk!
Y-you’re
absolutely right. Take the barracks, for instance. You can shimmy up the
drainpipe all the way to the top floor of the palace there.” Rishe illuminated the
building to their right as they walked. “Look at that, Your Highness.
If you
climb to the top of the storage shed in the third training ground, you can
lower yourself onto the walls around the grounds. If you walk along those
walls…”
“I
see. You
could make it to the commander’s office on the second floor of the barracks
with a little effort.”
“Exactly right! I knew you’d notice that!” Rishe looked at Arnold,
her eyes sparkling with admiration. He’d likely never thought
of things the way a thief would in his entire life, but he caught on after only
a small suggestion from Rishe.
“The palace grounds are
always very clean, but the fallen leaves could be doing more work for you. Their crunching is a
natural alarm, so just allowing more of them to remain on the ground is a good
way to catch intruders.”
“From an intruder’s
perspective, then, what would you do if there were leaves on the ground?”
“You’d pick a day when
the leaves were wet from recent rain or use the rainfall itself to mask your
noise. Morning
dew will achieve the same effect.”
Rishe walked next to
Arnold as they talked. It was a peaceful night, with insects chirping and a pleasant breeze. The cool air was much
more comfortable than the earlier oppressive heat.
“As for the supposedly
sturdy palace walls…”
Arnold scowled at the area
they’d finally arrived at. “This
is…”
“The trees seem to
receive a little less care here compared to everywhere else.”
This was the northernmost
point of the palace. From the imperial residence in the northwest area, there were walkways
on the highest level of the building, stretching out in all four cardinal
directions. One of them led to this northern tower.
Rishe pointed to a tree
behind it. “The
branches of that tree are fairly long, aren’t they? The trees outside of the
palace are the same way.”
“So they are.” Arnold sighed when he saw what she was pointing out. “They’re too thin for a
human to use, but a cat could easily leap between them.”
“Yes.
I imagine
the kitten we saw yesterday got in this way.”
Judging from the type of
tree, branches of that size might support less than a single kilogram of
weight. Even
a human child would be too heavy, but the kitten was light enough to traverse
them.
“This was the only
intrusion point I came up with. But there are spots on
the walls around here where the clay is starting to come off—”
“Rishe.”
Arnold cut her
off, grimacing. “We
shouldn’t be here.”
She blinked, wide-eyed. Arnold didn’t usually say
things like that. It was a warning, but an atypically vague one for him.
That’s odd. The peculiarity of it
only convinced Rishe faster. “Very
well. We
should take our leave quickly, then?”
“No, we’ll leave slowly,
naturally. We
don’t want to seem suspicious.”
Arnold hesitated, then
eventually opened his mouth to name someone. At that very moment, a
dreadful chill shot down Rishe’s spine. It was a horribly
contradictory feeling, like she was frozen solid but wanted to escape as
quickly as she could at the same time. Her fingertips were like
ice, but all the blood in her body felt like it was boiling. The presence she sensed
was on the walkway between the imperial residence and the tower.
Arnold clicked his tongue. “Damn it… Of all places,
why here?”
No! The feeling overwhelming Rishe was a very specific fear. Prince
Arnold’s going to be killed! She reflexively reached
out toward him.
Rishe gasped, sensing Arnold’s anxiety as he pinned
her wrist to the tree. Oh no! I never should have done
that! It was
pure reflex, but I tried to draw a sword against him…
She pressed her lips into
a thin line. Her conditioning from her lives as a hunter and a knight had backfired.
Much as she
wanted to apologize to Arnold, she couldn’t make any moves without his lead
right now.
It’s him… That’s Prince
Arnold’s father!
Indeed, it was Galkhein’s
current emperor, the man Arnold hated more than anyone in the world. His distinct presence was
familiar to Rishe. It was exactly what she’d felt in her life as a knight when she’d faced
off against the future Emperor Arnold Hein.
Arnold’s words made Rishe
realize she’d been holding her breath. Still pushing Rishe up
against the tree, Arnold whispered to her, his back to his father. The flames from the
lanterns they’d both dropped swayed around their feet.
“I’m sorry for putting
you in this position, but I don’t want him suspecting anything.”
This is all because I
tried to draw Prince Arnold’s sword…
If she’d actually done
it, it could very well have been taken as a hostile action against the emperor.
More than
enough reason to have her executed, crown princess or not—especially now, while
her position was merely that of a fiancée. Arnold was protecting her
from that possibility.
“I’m going to act like
we’re only here because we wanted to avoid prying eyes. Is that all right with you?”
“Y-yes…” Rishe’s voice
trembled, which brought a pained look to Arnold’s face.
“Forgive me… I’m going to
touch you in a way you won’t want.”
He released Rishe’s wrist
and entwined his fingers in hers, cradling her hand like it was the most
precious thing in the world. His other hand stroked
Rishe’s hair. Then he bent and kissed her forehead.
Rishe let out a strange yelp.
It
originated from her nerves and the ticklish sensation of his lips against her
bangs. Arnold
stroked her hair soothingly, kissing her forehead again and again.
His lips smacked gently
against her hair. Arnold’s touch was soft, indulgent.
Rishe was overheating. She knew that this was
not the time, but her embarrassment was starting to win over her fear. She returned Arnold’s
grip on her hand as if clinging to a lifeline. With her other hand, she
clutched Arnold’s lapel.
Arnold pulled her head
against him like he was trying to calm a fearful child. He kissed the top of her
head this time.
“Are you afraid?” he asked softly, arms around her. “Don’t be. It’s all right,” he murmured into her hair.
Arnold was wrapped
protectively around Rishe, but she couldn’t just let him baby her. No matter how frightened
she was, no matter how much the pressure of that man’s gaze knocked the wind
out of her, Rishe wanted to do something for Arnold even now.
So, she reached for him,
arms circling the back he’d turned at his father. Then she squeezed,
looking every bit the lady hankering for affection from her dear sweetheart. She felt Arnold’s
surprise as she buried her face in his chest.
Uuugh… Rishe’s heart threatened to leap out of her chest. Her face went red up to
her ears. She
wasn’t getting in his way hugging him like this, was she? Even if she was, she had
to admit it felt reassuring to cling to his frame, which she always had to
remind herself was larger than it appeared.
Arnold brought his lips
to her ear. He didn’t actually touch it, but his presence there still made her
jump. He
embraced her once more and, shockingly, turned to face his father. Rishe couldn’t see, but
she imagined Arnold was examining him in silence.
She tensed, holding her
breath again as the air prickled around her. She pressed her lips
together as cold sweat dripped down her nape.
The look lasted less than
a second, but it felt like an eternity. The pounding of her own
heart was unbearably loud to her. Somehow, the first one to
drop his malice was Arnold’s father.
The curtain fell on their
little act all too abruptly. The intense pressure from
Arnold’s father vanished, as though he’d had enough entertainment for one
night. Rishe
sensed that the emperor had left the walkway, yet she found herself unable to
move.
She sucked in a breath
when Arnold called her name. Her forehead still
pressed to his chest, Rishe slowly told him, “I’m…so sorry, Prince Arnold…” Her
voice was terribly hoarse. “I reached for your sword on reflex…”
If she hadn’t done that,
then Arnold wouldn’t have had to take those unwanted measures. Rishe’s heart was
pounding loudly even now; it was ridiculous. She inhaled deeply, then
apologized once more.
“I caused you trouble
with my thoughtlessness.”
“You’ve caused me no trouble.
It was just
a matter of poor timing. I should apologize for not explaining things earlier.”
Rishe shook her head,
still quivering as she held tight to Arnold. When he stroked her hair
to soothe her, she really did feel like a child in his arms. She was gradually
regaining control of her frozen limbs, though.
Arnold looked down at her
and asked, “What were you going to do after drawing my sword?”
She met his eyes,
confused by the question.
“You weren’t moving like
you were just going to hold it up. That’s why I was a moment
late stopping you.”
Arnold’s fingers combed
through Rishe’s bangs.
“Mm.”
Arnold
prompted her to continue. His voice was gentler than usual—to calm her down, she was sure. And it worked. His caressing her hair
and speaking to her so tenderly allowed Rishe to breathe properly again.
He asked what I was going
to do when I reached for his sword.
This time, she felt a
different kind of anxiety growing in her. Frowning, Rishe forced
the words out from her place in Arnold’s arms.
“I wanted to…protect you,
Prince Arnold.”
“I should know that, I
just…lost control, I suppose.” Rishe pressed her
forehead to Arnold’s chest again. She tightened her grip on
him and murmured, “Thank goodness nothing happened to you…”
All the strength left her. She was about to fall to
the ground, but Arnold held her up, his arms tighter around her than before.
“I’m sorry. My actions only caused you trouble instead.”
“I said it doesn’t matter.” Bent down, Arnold spoke
directly into Rishe’s ear. “I could search the whole world and not find anyone other than you who
would try to protect me from him.”
“But.”
Arnold’s
voice was hardly more than a breath. “I’m begging you. Please don’t put yourself in danger for my sake ever again.”
It was unheard of for
Arnold to plead with anyone. If she could, Rishe
wanted to grant his wishes, but this was one promise she didn’t think she could
keep. She
pressed her lips together, sure he had noticed that she wasn’t agreeing. As proof, he sighed heavily.
After a pause, he said,
“You can’t walk, can you? I’ll
carry you.”
Arnold picked Rishe up,
so casually that it proved he was growing used to having to do this every now
and then. Rishe
frantically clung to him as her body left the ground.
H-he’s carrying me like a
bride again!
Rishe peered up at
Arnold’s beautiful face, so close to her own. “Prince Arnold, please!”
“I’ll put you down right
away, so just bear with it. There’s a small gazebo this way.”
They cut around the tower
to a garden behind it. Rishe was surprised by their sojourn here, and by the aforementioned
gazebo. In
the center was a finely crafted table and some chairs. Arnold strolled toward
them and set Rishe down on a bench.
“We’ll kill some time
here for now.”
“O-okay… You don’t think
we should leave right away?”
“It would be better to
stay since he saw us.” Arnold observed Rishe with his piercing blue eyes. “After all, we’re
supposed to be out here on a tryst.”
Everything that had just
happened came crashing back into Rishe’s mind. She recalled all the
times Arnold kissed her hair, and the sound it made, and she reddened like a
tomato.
St-stop it, Rishe! Prince Arnold only kissed your hair to protect you! He had no ulterior
motives, so you mustn’t dwell on it!
Arnold sat down beside
her without a word.
Rishe took a deep breath
and asked, “This tower… Does it have something to do with Her Majesty?”
Arnold narrowed his eyes
in response—an alternative to a nod. “His legal wife and all
his concubines used to live in this tower.”
The way he said it implied
that this was no longer the case. Galkhein’s current
emperor had demanded brides from various countries to use as hostages, but
according to Theodore, every single one of those numerous women were dead
now—with the exception of the current empress.
He probably hadn’t even
intended to say the words aloud. This was as rare as it
was for him to plead.
“Where does the current
empress reside?”
“In the imperial residence. No one lives in this
tower right now. It’s been practically forgotten.”
“So that’s why the trees
aren’t as well tended in this area…”
The emperor should have
had no reason to visit a deserted tower, so what was he doing up on that
walkway? Rishe
nearly locked up again at the recollection of his fearsome presence, but she
had to stay strong.
I don’t have time to fear
the emperor. Prince Arnold doesn’t let the man’s malice keep him from functioning
normally.
Arnold was silent now,
lost in thought with his eyes downcast. Rishe had recently noticed
that he got like this whenever he was thinking.
Even at a time like this,
Prince Arnold is thinking… I must endeavor to do the same. If I don’t, I’ll never be
able to face the emperor or stop Prince Arnold.
She steadied her breath
and gripped Arnold’s sleeve.
His voice is always so
soft when he speaks to me…
Rishe was certain there
was a plot to kill his father lurking somewhere in Arnold’s heart. She had to hide the fact
that she knew the future and Arnold’s goals. While doing so, she also
had to figure out exactly what Arnold was thinking.
“I’m sure you have to be
up early tomorrow. I’m sorry for keeping you here.”
“None of this is your
fault, so just smile like you always do, won’t you?”
The words lanced Rishe’s
heart. Arnold
really was kind, just like she thought. He should have been
capable of finding paths to his goals that didn’t involve killing people.
“You’ll be bringing
Prince Dietrich along for your work tomorrow, right?”
“There’s no need for you
to feel responsible for him.”
“I
know. I just
can’t help worrying.” Rishe chose her next words carefully. “I sensed something
strange right before I left Hermity—before Prince Dietrich broke off his
engagement with me. Maybe that’s why I still worry about him.”
She’d never intended to
reveal this to Arnold. But I need to do this. And if she was going to
do it, she had to make full use of her knowledge of the future. How will
Prince Arnold react? she thought as she steeled herself to speak.
“Prince Dietrich may be
plotting a rebellion against his father.”
Dietrich’s coup took place
much later in the future. There was no way Rishe could have known about it at this point. But there had been signs.
She thought back to the
first day of the fifth month, just over two months ago. Rishe had turned that
night over and over again in her mind, finding it strange even in her first
life, when she’d heard about Dietrich’s coup.
That party should have
been a typical event for mingling between nobles.
Rishe and Dietrich had
graduated from the academy at the end of the third month. Afterward, Rishe had
begun training more seriously for her role as crown princess, and she hadn’t so
much as seen Dietrich until the night of that party.
Dietrich had come to her
out of nowhere and told her he was throwing a party, so she’d had to prepare
for it rather hastily. She was used to attending events without his escort, but due to the
last-minute nature of the party, she hadn’t realized that she’d never been
informed when she usually always was.
“I was never told who
would be attending the event.”
Arnold narrowed his eyes. “Isn’t that just because
that man planned to break things off with you there? As much as it disgusts me
to even discuss it…”
“It’s still strange. The king of Hermity was
always kind to me. No matter Prince Dietrich’s intentions, if His Majesty was sponsoring
the event, then it makes no sense for me to be left in the dark.”
“I believe Prince Dietrich
held that party on his own, without informing His Majesty. And maybe it was so he could break off
his engagement with me, but…” Something didn’t add up. “It would have been
unusual for him to denounce me for my supposed crimes without his father
present.”
The whole basis for
Dietrich’s annulment of their engagement lay in Rishe’s supposed villainy. He could condemn her for
her “crimes” all he wanted, but it was his father who had the actual power to
judge her for them.
Arnold’s brow was still
furrowed in displeasure. “But they were all false accusations, right? The idiot’s plan was to
denounce you in a public place before his father could pursue any sort of
investigation of your crimes and hope momentum would finish things for him.”
“It wasn’t just His
Majesty, though. My parents weren’t in attendance that night either. That’s why I thought it
was nothing more than a gathering of the sons and daughters of the nobility. Yet several key vassals
and retainers to the throne were present.”
“My parents should also
have attended if he was planning to break things off with me officially. Yet His and Her Majesty,
as well as my own parents, weren’t there while every other influential figure
in the country was.”
As she spoke, the misgivings she’d had in her first
life began to waver. I must allude to Prince
Dietrich’s coup to suss out Prince Arnold’s intentions. But the more she thought
back to the event, the more wrong it all seemed. It’s natural to find it
odd, isn’t it? After all, Prince Dietrich’s coup fails. Obviously, his
preparation for the event should be full of holes as well, so…
So why did none of it sit
right with her?
“What if Prince Dietrich’s
true aim was to gather the country’s most influential nobles, excluding our
fathers?” Up
to here, these were things she’d puzzled out in her first life.
“I can’t imagine the man’s
that cunning, personally.”
“D-diplomatically speaking! Prince Dietrich certainly
isn’t one to scheme and plot… If he was planning something nefarious, I can
only imagine those around him put him up to it.”
In truth, it had been a few of Dietrich’s vassals who had instigated the coup.
It’s all
still so odd, though… Rishe’s misgivings were
only becoming more pronounced. Arnold smiled as if
seeing right through her.
“Is there any reason for
someone to risk so much for your homeland’s throne?”
It’s exactly as Prince
Arnold says… Hermity had mostly escaped
great conflicts in the past. Even in the war a few years
ago, they had emerged unscathed simply by virtue of being a minor power not
worth invading. What reason could there be to usurp the throne in a peaceful, postwar
era? Not
only that, but to head the plan with someone as unsuited to it as Prince
Dietrich, and then for the whole plan to fail…
Rishe frowned at herself
for never digging deeper into things than this solely because she knew the plan
would fail in the future. In
reality, there was an attempted coup. Just as Arnold said,
Dietrich made a hasty play for the throne for reasons that were completely
unknown to her. Yet he had made the attempt. If Rishe thought of things
from that angle, where did her thoughts lead her?
“The one who incited
Prince Dietrich to action…”
Finally, she arrived at a
conclusion that had nothing to do with the future she knew of.
“…wasn’t someone who
wanted to obtain something or improve Hermity. It was an outside party
who wanted to throw Hermity into chaos…?”
The first thing that came
to mind was Fabrannia and their counterfeiting scheme. They had counterfeited
Galkhein’s currency and tried to make use of Siguel’s Princess Harriet to
distribute the false currency in Galkhein. But Arnold and Rishe had
theorized that it was an outsider’s plot to weaken Galkhein rather than a ploy
originating in Fabrannia.
Why did I never see it
before? Rishe gulped. The strangest person in
attendance at that party… She felt her whole body
tensing again. The most important individual there, whose presence I hadn’t been
informed of…
She turned toward him. “Prince Arnold…”
“Were you only there in
the first place to investigate that matter?”
Arnold’s eyes crinkled in
amusement. “Who knows?”
“It’s true that I let
myself be provoked. An invitation to a random party from a country we don’t even have a
diplomatic relationship with is practically a threat.”
Why had Rishe never found
it strange before? There was no way Arnold would ever attend such a minor event. And even if he deigned
to, Rishe had observed her fiancé enough to see a pattern in his actions.
When we went to buy my
ring, it was to get eyes on Prince Kyle. He accompanied me to the
church for work and to give them a warning. Our little trip to Vinrhys
wasn’t to greet Prince Curtis and Princess Harriet; it was to investigate
Galkhein’s currency minting…
Arnold’s actions always
had multiple purposes.
He wasn’t at that party
simply for diplomatic relations. Ever since, he’s been on
the trail of foreign entities looking to influence Galkhein…
Whatever was behind
Dietrich’s planned revolution linked up here with something unexpected.
Whoever is behind his
actions in Hermity is almost certainly connected to the entity scheming against
Galkhein. And
Prince Arnold has known that since before he met me, when he received the
invitation to that party…
Arnold was the only
foreign entity attending the party. Needless to say, they’d
never even sent an invitation to Galkhein before that. Arnold had been invited
to an event Dietrich held without asking his father, with every other key
figure in the nation also in attendance. Rishe was becoming
convinced that whoever was planning the future coup had to have been involved.
Rishe narrowed her eyes
and blew out a breath. “I feel like I’ll never catch up to you, Prince Arnold…”
“Really?” Arnold reached out and caressed Rishe’s hair. “No one else is able to
figure out what I’m thinking like you are, you know.”
He was as expressionless
as ever, but his eyes were somehow soft. His hands were equally
gentle as he combed through her hair.
Rishe sulked a bit as she
asked, “You’re coddling me, aren’t you?”
He chuckled. “See? You figured it out right
away.”
“Honestly…” Rishe
protested, though there was a part of her that felt a thrill over the exchange.
After all,
when they’d run into the emperor, and now as well, Arnold showed her great
care. Still,
she couldn’t bask in his affections forever.
Rishe locked gazes with
Arnold as he once again brushed his fingers through her coral-colored locks. “Supposing the individual
manipulating Fabrannia also made contact with my homeland of Hermity…”
Hermity was a small country. One also had to pass
through undeveloped forest and mountains to get there from Galkhein, so there
wasn’t much travel between the two nations. The roads were narrow and
unsuited to marching armies, which was one of the reasons Galkhein hadn’t
bothered to invade Hermity in the war. But the two nations
weren’t separated by much physical distance. As long as you ignored the
fact that moving a sizable army between them was difficult, Hermity was very
much a sitting duck if Galkhein ever instigated conflict.
“Would that person have
encouraged Prince Dietrich to break off his engagement with me to better
manipulate him without His Majesty noticing? That would be a reason
for Prince Dietrich to keep it a secret from his father, because if His Majesty
was aware of what he planned to do, he would certainly reprimand His Highness…”
“The whole thing was
strange from the start.” Arnold’s brow creased, the way it always did when Dietrich came up in
conversation. “A one-sided dissolution of an engagement in a public venue isn’t
something that should happen in the first place.”
While Rishe had been
surprised by the dissolution of their engagement, she hadn’t found it strange
in the least that Dietrich would choose to declare such a thing in the middle
of a soirée. That was another reason she’d simply dismissed the strangeness of the
occurrence.
Maybe a foreign visitor
like Prince Arnold was the only person who noticed how strange Prince
Dietrich’s behavior was… Rishe thought with some
chagrin. If the “mastermind” was behind that party, then they’re also behind the
coup d’état that occurs a year later.
She sighed. “Were you not in the party hall that night because you were hunting for
the mastermind, Your Highness?”
He’s once again putting
himself on the front line like it’s nothing!
Normally, one who was
threatened wasn’t supposed to go after the culprit themselves in these
situations. Arnold
was stronger than anyone else, but Rishe still worried about him.
“Did you achieve anything
that night?” she asked him.
His eyes went wide. Rishe was curious about
what had surprised him, but his expression softened and he quirked his lips in
a smirk. “Yeah. I found something very
valuable.”
Rishe looked up at him,
full of expectation, and Arnold returned her gaze, his blue eyes
uncharacteristically warm. “I
found you.”
Now Rishe’s
eyes were bulging. “Ack! Er, that’s not what I—”
“Only a few moments
later, though, you jumped out a window and fled from me.”
“Would you please forget
about that already?!”
Rishe had assumed she’d
never see Arnold again, so she’d hardly been concerned about appearances. She could never have
guessed that he would propose to her soon after and that she’d be by his side
ever since.
Arnold chuckled. He must have found the sight of Rishe’s face flushing red amusing. Scowling, Rishe focused
on her musings.
I’ve already experienced
so many things in this life. I’ve discovered the truth
about incidents I only heard rumors about in previous lives…
Arnold wasn’t the cruel
man everyone made him out to be, and she’d never known about Coyolles’s mines
drying up either. The previous royal priestess hadn’t passed away when it was publicly
announced that she had, and there was a mastermind behind the execution of the
supposed villain Harriet. As with all those events, there might be some truth Rishe was unaware
of lurking behind Dietrich’s coup attempt.
Arnold flat-out scowled. “Obviously.
Do you
think I would ever associate with that man without a political reason to do
so?”
“Well, you’re kind,
Prince Arnold, and you’re surprisingly nurturing, so…” Rishe was being
completely genuine, yet Arnold’s scowl only deepened. The two princes must have
been thoroughly incompatible if Arnold disliked Dietrich that much.
“In any case, you don’t
need to worry about any coups that man is plotting. No matter what sort of
mastermind may be behind him, he won’t succeed.”
Yes. It’s exactly as you predict, Prince Arnold… It would end in such a
spectacular failure that even Arnold, who didn’t know the future like Rishe
did, could predict it. As such, a successful coup was likely not the mastermind’s actual goal.
“Still, I don’t want
Hermity suffering any confusion due to a failed revolt. Even if Prince Dietrich
disagrees with how his father does things, a coup d’état shouldn’t have been
his first plan. I’d like to think even Prince Dietrich would have considered other
solutions first…”
“Rishe.”
She raised
her head when Arnold called her name. “You’re looking at it all
wrong.”
Rishe gasped. Arnold’s tone had been absolutely frigid. There was an eerie glow
to his blue eyes, like the moon reflected on the surface of a midwinter sea.
“The king is the ultimate
authority in a nation.” His eyes contained none of the gentle warmth they’d shown her earlier. “His citizens may scream
so loud their throats split, and his vassals may give up their lives to give
him counsel, but the king can make decisions without taking any of it into
account.”
When he said that, there
was one person who came to mind. It wasn’t the emperor
standing above them in the light of the half-moon. Her thoughts automatically
went to Emperor Arnold Hein, whom she’d faced off against in the future she
knew.
“If the king stands in
your way, you have no recourse other than killing him.”
A shiver went down
Rishe’s spine. “Prince Arnold…” Rishe spoke carefully to keep her voice from
trembling. “You
mustn’t say such things inside palace grounds.”
“Why
not? We’re
discussing the crown prince of Hermity right now. Of course, I suppose some
people would chide me for such irreverence.” Arnold narrowed his eyes,
smiling darkly. “After all, regicide is the gravest sin there is.”
His self-deriding smile
was enchanting—hauntingly beautiful, yet so fragile she found it hard to look
at. At the
same time, it had an irresistible quality that could draw anyone in. That same magnetism was
present in every facet of Arnold’s unfathomable nature. If Rishe hadn’t been so
tense, she might have been bewitched.
Arnold cast his gaze to
the floor, doubtless unaware of his effect on Rishe. “I’ll keep my eye on your
former fiancé for a little longer. But you don’t need to
concern yourself with the trifling matter of his activities.”
“I can’t simply ignore this.” Rishe took a breath and
said, “May I accompany you on your next outing for work as well? I’ll be sure not to cause
you any trouble.”
Arnold furrowed his brow
for the umpteenth time that evening and said, “Fine. I did promise to grant as
many of your requests as I could.”
Rishe gave him a
brilliant smile, and Arnold sighed. He broke eye contact when
rain began beating down on the roof of the gazebo.
“It’s just a passing
shower,” Rishe said. “I believe it will end quickly.”
“It probably will if you
say so.”
“Do you need to get back? We’ll have to stay here
for a little longer…”
Rishe studied the ceiling. That was when she noticed
the four pillars holding up the roof. They were decorated with
images of a girl announcing each season. It was a familiar motif to
most of the people living in this world.
There are Crusade
decorations on the pillars and handrails of this gazebo.
Most countries in the
world followed the faith of the Crusade religion. Many royals and nobles
were especially devout. But for there to be a resting place with Crusade decorations in this palace must have a
particular significance.
Arnold must have noticed
Rishe’s musings. He surveyed the same pillars and said with disinterest, “I thought
structures fell apart right away when there weren’t any people looking after
them anymore.” His voice
was flat. “They
do surprisingly well without anyone maintaining them.”
“Though I don’t believe
this gazebo was ever used even once.”
Arnold had surely been
inside the tower when he was young. He must have known about
this gazebo too. Rishe’s heart ached at the thought.
The Crusade text on these
pillars celebrates the birth of a beloved child.
The gazebo had most likely
been built for Arnold and his mother, the royal priestess of the Crusade faith.
Yet Arnold
said it had never been used. Maybe that meant it was a
traditional construction that had nothing to do with his mother’s feelings.
Prince Arnold didn’t even
know that birthdays are supposed to be celebrated with the people you love. When she thought about the
young Arnold, Rishe was overcome with the urge to cry.
When Prince Arnold stared
up at his father earlier, he was suppressing a desire to kill him. The emperor had been far
enough away that he must not have sensed it, but it had come across to Rishe
loud and clear. That wasn’t the issue, however. The emperor wasn’t even
trying to hide his own malice. Part of it was flippant, like he was just trying to provoke Prince
Arnold and wasn’t serious, but… Rishe wrapped her arms
around herself as she thought back to that moment. It was directed not at me
but at Prince Arnold—his own son.
Arnold’s father regarded
him with murderous eyes, and Arnold was perfectly aware. Despite that, he’d focused
only on protecting Rishe and not himself.
“I hope the twelfth month
comes soon,” Rishe murmured, resisting the sob that threatened to escape. Doubt crossed Arnold’s face. “I’ll make sure your
birthday celebration is a grand event. You’ll be turning twenty,
so we’ll have to throw a big enough party to make up for two decades of missed
celebrations!”
Arnold thought for a
moment before saying, “The wedding will be before that.”
“O-of course we’ll have
the wedding first!”
“As long as you haven’t
forgotten.”
She couldn’t possibly forget.
Arnold only
said so because he had no idea she’d been constantly tormenting herself about
the inevitable wedding kiss.
“And
your birthday is before that.”
“We can worry about that
later.” For
now, she wanted to consider Arnold’s birthday. She clutched at his
sleeve and made her fervent appeal: “It’s a celebration of your birth, Prince
Arnold. I hope you’re
ready!”
The rain nearly drowned
out those words, but Rishe was sure they were genuine. Seldom did Arnold’s voice
ring so empty. Even when he spoke softly, Rishe could usually hear every word he said.
“I…” She reached out for
him, taking his face in her hands and turning him toward her—close enough to
kiss him. “I am glad I
met you. Even
if some sort of fate causes you to kill me.” Arnold swallowed hard. His blue eyes wavered as
she told him, “I want to give thanks for your birth into this world and
celebrate it.”
Arnold slowly lowered his
gaze. He
brought his own hands up to cover Rishe’s, removing her right hand from his
face. He
nuzzled his cheek against her left hand indulgently. The innocent gesture made
Rishe’s heart pound in her chest.
“Even if it’s just a
hypothetical, don’t ever say that I’d kill you.” His tone was almost
petulant, and her heart squeezed. She had to acknowledge
that it was an awful thing to say. Just as he’d pointed out
to her in the past, Rishe might have treated her own life a bit too lightly.
“It’s all right. I understand what you were trying to tell me.”
He likely only meant the words
she’d said, however. Rishe couldn’t imagine she’d actually changed his mind about himself.
Arnold touched her even
more delicately than before, his fingers sliding through her bangs. “I did something terrible
to you earlier, didn’t I?”
“Did
you?” She
couldn’t imagine what he meant, prompting him to give her an exasperated look.
“It may have only been
your hair, but you detested being kissed, didn’t you?”
“Bwagh?!”
Rishe’s
spine went stick-straight at the memory. It was true that she’d
thought her heart might stop for various reasons during his kisses. After all, he’d pulled
her close, stroked her hair, and kissed her over and over again. She found the smacking of
his lips cute, but it made her so mortified she feared she might die. Arnold had even showered
her with soothing gestures and soft touches. Just recalling it made her
face so hot, she was worried it would burn.
But still, I…! She felt like she had to
tell him this, so even as she covered her mouth with both hands, she mumbled
the words, “I didn’t…detest it…”
Arnold froze, his eyes
widening for a second.
“W-well, I know you only
did it to protect me!” Rishe hung her head and hastily added, “And you were so gentle too. It was embarrassing, and
it tickled, but I wasn’t scared! So no, I didn’t detest it
at all.”
After a short silence,
Arnold said, somewhat awkwardly, “I see…”
“Y-you don’t believe me,
do you?! I really didn’t!”
“It’s not that I don’t
believe you…”
“Anyway, you can read Crusade
as if you were born to be a priestess, huh?”
Urgh…
He’s changing the subject! She stared fiercely at
him, but she was never going to win against Arnold. She had no choice but to
answer his question.
“I only studied it a tiny
bit, so I’m not very confident in it. I’m sure I’m nowhere near
your level, Your Highness.”
Could she ask him about
his past? From
his reactions to her thus far, she was hesitant, but he seemed to be confiding
in her more lately.
“Who did you learn from,
Prince Arnold?”
Arnold watched the rain
dripping from the gazebo roof for a moment before responding. “No one. I just studied it from
books I found lying around.”
“You taught yourself such
a complex language?!” Rishe’s eyes went wide. Even bishops of the
Church had to learn Crusade from expert linguists, and it was a painful
process.
“Learning wasn’t exactly
an unusual thing for me from a young age.”
This goes beyond that,
though!
Since his mother was the
royal priestess, Arnold was of the goddess’s bloodline. Even if that information
was top secret, there were probably countless Crusade holy texts around him and
his mother.
“It’s surprising. I didn’t think you’d be interested in learning that sort of thing, Your
Highness.”
“Even if there’s
knowledge you may never use, there’s no knowledge you’re better off not
knowing.”
“Hee hee hee. I couldn’t have said it better myself!” Rishe grinned, happy they
shared an opinion for once. Even so, it was almost
unbelievable that Arnold had taught himself the language as a child.
Maybe
young Prince Arnold had some sort of ambition? A whole language wasn’t
something you learned under the assumption that you would never use it. With Arnold’s brains, he
might not have struggled as much with it as the average person, but Rishe still
thought it was unusual for him to have spent the time on it.
“Come to think of it…”
Arnold said, having recalled something. Rishe’s head tilted to the
side. “Just
once, my mother annotated something I’d written in Crusade.”
Rishe tensed, a little
nervous. Until
now, she would have never expected him to bring up his mother of his own
volition.
“What did she write?” Rishe asked him timidly.
With a half smile, Arnold
said, “Who knows.” Sounding truly indifferent, he added, “It was so long ago, I don’t
remember.”
Rishe felt like her heart
was being wrung out; it must have shown on her face.
Arnold smiled down at her. “Why the long face?”
“It doesn’t matter. Besides, I’ve remembered
a lot while examining the things you’ve been trying to show me.”
The things I’ve been
trying to show him…?
Rishe wanted to show
Arnold the world’s beauty, its delights, its wonders… It was her own wish to do
so, not something Arnold desired of her. She almost felt like she’d
been forcing it on him, but for him to say something so sweet made her want to
continue taking advantage of his kindness.
Arnold was starting to
turn his eyes toward beautiful things now, little by little.
Just then, Arnold pressed
a finger to Rishe’s lips. His signal to be quiet came at the same moment Rishe sensed someone
approaching the gazebo.
When Rishe called his
name, Gutheil noticed her with surprise before snapping into a bow, even as the
rain pelted him. He bowed smartly, the movements as graceful as an actor’s.
“I sincerely apologize
for interrupting you both.”
I-Interrupting?! Rishe realized that they were sitting awfully close
together on this bench. She flushed with embarrassment again, but there was no point in pulling
apart from each other now.
“Please forgive my rudeness. I shall take my leave.” Lantern in hand, Gutheil
made to head back into the rain.
“Ah, wait!” Rishe leaped to her feet and called out to stop him. “Please, won’t you take
shelter here? It will stop quickly, I assure you. It’s all right with you,
isn’t it, Your Highness?”
“I-It will stop quickly,
you say?”
I
forgot! That’s
the normal response!
It was much more unusual
for someone to take Rishe at her word, as Arnold did. Rishe turned back to the
prince. Though
he was wearing an annoyed expression, he languidly raised a hand to grant
Gutheil his permission. “Stay. Were you patrolling?”
“Yes, sir. While I was out, I spotted the flames from two lanterns burning near
the tower, so I thought I should investigate.”
Gutheil pressed his large
frame to one side of the gazebo, awkwardly brushing back his wet bangs.
She was still standing,
so Arnold called her back to the seat next to him. An awkward silence
stretched between them, the falling rain the only sound. Arnold alone was
unbothered by it.
No one
normally comes near this tower, right? That’s
why the wall is in disrepair and the trees aren’t trimmed. Even though they’d
dropped their lanterns, the light shouldn’t have reached very far. That would mean Gutheil
was already close enough to the tower to notice the lanterns’ tiny flames.
Prince Arnold is worried
there’s an intelligence operative inside the palace, isn’t he? Sir Gutheil’s behavior at
a time like this is just too suspicious…
There was no way Arnold
hadn’t arrived at the same conclusions as Rishe.
“Have you given any
thought to my petition for—”
Arnold’s frown deepened
into a glare. “Is
this really the time?”
He knew what Gutheil
wanted to bring up, then.
The knight spun toward
Rishe and dipped his head. “Please forgive my unseemly behavior, Lady Rishe. I cannot apologize enough.”
“Oh, don’t mind me. I can leave if—eep!” Rishe jumped when Arnold
wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
“You don’t need to
trouble yourself.”
“He’s the one who brought
it up, knowing you were here. So?”
Gutheil knelt at Arnold’s
feet with no hesitation. “My resolve has only strengthened since the last time I made this
request.”
His voice was clear even
with his head lowered. “If you would name me one of your Imperial Guard, I would give my life
for this country and serve you until death.”
Rishe frowned. I knew it. Just like in my previous
lives, Sir Gutheil will become one of Prince Arnold’s direct retainers and
support him in the war.
Arnold’s next words,
however, took her completely aback: “You must be joking.”
Huh?! Rishe’s head shot up in
disbelief as Arnold rested his elbow on the back of the bench.
“I’ve told you once
already that I don’t intend to make you one of my Imperial Guard.”
Gutheil didn’t budge. He likely expected
Arnold’s answer and dared to ask anyway.
Prince Arnold doesn’t
intend to make Sir Gutheil his retainer? That didn’t match the
future Rishe knew. Is the future already changing?
Rishe was desperately
trying to avoid the war in the future. Little by little, she’d
noticed her actions having an effect on things, but could that really extend to
this?
No, I don’t know! There’s a possibility they had this exact same exchange in all six of
my other lives as well! Rishe had no way of
knowing the truth. She almost gripped her
dress, but she stopped herself before Arnold noticed. I don’t know if this is a
change or a repetition. Or if it is a change, whether it’s a
good or bad one.
Without raising his head,
Gutheil said, “May I ask why?” His voice was trembling. “Is it my father? My father, who betrayed this country and the royal family?!”
The knights are a bed of
thorns for Sir Gutheil right now. No matter how diligently
he works, people are still mistrustful of him. And it’s because of
something his father did, not his own sin. Rishe had seen it for
herself when she’d been among the knights in her disguise. Prince Arnold’s Imperial
Guard would be the only place where his abilities were evaluated without
prejudice, the only place where he could really belong. But…
Arnold’s eyes were coldly
rejecting. “The
problem is more fundamental than that.”
Rishe’s shoulders
twitched at the tension in the air.
“Give your life for this
country? I
don’t need anyone who sees such a thing as a virtue.”
“No matter how skilled
they may be, do you really think I can trust men who go into battle under the
assumption that they’ll die with my strategies? Men like you, who expect
death before the fight even begins, and not because they’ve determined it to be
the best strategy?”
With a grunt, Gutheil
clenched his fists and raised his head to gaze at Rishe and Arnold once more. “I apologize for behaving
so wretchedly. Please
excuse me.” With one last bow, he disappeared into the rain.
Rishe would have stood,
but Arnold held her back. “You don’t need to go after him.”
“But I…” She faltered,
knowing full well that Arnold wouldn’t change his mind.
“If your arm is torn off,
keep swinging your sword. If your leg is smashed, keep moving forward. If you lose both eyes,
find a way to cut into your enemy for as long as you have left. That’s what all this is for,” Arnold had said to her
once when they’d sparred. “Training in these
circumstances helps us stay alive out there.”
Prince Arnold doesn’t
want soldiers who will sacrifice themselves for their country.
Still, something nagged
at Rishe. Her
thoughts turned first to something that had happened in her fifth life. Rishe—a hunter then—had
been scrutinizing Arnold through a monocular. He’d spotted her and
indicated his heart with his thumb, as if to say, Aim here.
And what about the Arnold
she’d exchanged blows with in the final moments of her sixth life? His
Highness was all alone in that castle the whole time. He had powerful knights
serving him, yet he was there cutting through the front lines all on his own,
not coordinating with his allies one bit. Sure, Arnold was strong
enough not to need help from his other
knights, but that wasn’t the reason he acted the way he did.
The Prince Arnold in the
future… Rishe peered up at him
through her bangs, almost wanting to cry. He displays none of that
will to stay alive himself.
The thought horrified Rishe. She felt herself reaching
out and tugging Arnold’s sleeve. “You are so…”
Maybe he could sense the
pain in her chest.
“What is it?” He knit his brows and anxiously touched her cheek. He likely had no idea
that Rishe’s heart was bursting with concern for him.
I can’t put it
into words. Still clutching Arnold’s sleeve, Rishe shook her head. She dropped her gaze and
said, “Prince Arnold, I beg you to reconsider Sir Gutheil’s words. Do you not believe it to
be a loss for this country for a knight with such abilities and sincerity to be
treated coldly by his fellows for a sin that is not his own?”
Arnold took a quiet
breath and said soothingly, “I want to fix the fundamental problem. Even if I extricated
Gutheil from his circumstances, it would not prevent others from going through
the same thing he has.”
“What?!”
Rishe’s head snapped
up. She was
not expecting to hear that.
“I will prioritize
creating an environment where people are evaluated fairly based on their
efforts. And
not just in my Imperial Guard—the knight order as a whole should change to
reflect this.”
Rishe’s heart warmed at
the thought.
Arnold smiled down at her
wryly. “It’s the
sort of thing you would come up with, usually.”
Does that mean the things
I’ve said to him are slowly starting to change the way he thinks? Is Sir Gutheil being
refused a place in Prince Arnold’s Imperial Guard really a change from my past
lives? Rishe felt equal parts
happiness and apprehension at the thought.
Next to her, Arnold
muttered in irritation, “That said, the knight order is under the emperor’s
dominion. The
only unit I can directly affect is my Imperial Guard.”
“It won’t happen right
away, but just wait.” Arnold studied Rishe with a smile. The expression was dark,
enchanting, and terrifying. “I’ll make it happen.”
His bloodlust sent a
chill crawling up Rishe’s spine. It was almost the same as
the indescribable terror she’d felt when his father had spotted them.
“The rain’s stopped just
as you said it would.”
“Let’s get back. If we’re out too late, you won’t get any sleep, will you?”
Arnold stood and offered
his hand to Rishe. She hesitated for a second before taking it, hoping he hadn’t noticed.
The fundamental course of
events hasn’t changed. Prince Arnold still plans to go through with it. Rishe drew this
devastating conclusion, careful not to show her emotions on her face. He plans to kill his
father and usurp the throne.
Just after sunset that
day, a young man walked through Galkhein’s capital. He wore a robe with a low
hood that covered his face, yet he couldn’t help the way his eyes darted about,
wary of anyone who might recognize him.
I can’t believe I’m being
forced to sneak around like this, the young man thought,
descending a staircase into an underground bar. What else can I do, though? I can’t have my plans
found out.
His footsteps
reverberated against the stone. Arriving at a door, he
pulled the hood even lower to hide any trace of his blond hair.
The young man, Dietrich,
slowly pushed the door open.
“THANK YOU, RISHE! If we use this, it will
take so much less time to clean up after a show! Preparing will be a lot
easier too.”
Sylvia’s eyes shimmered
as she stood on the theater stage. With no audience, her
voice boomed through the big, empty space. Meanwhile, her troupe was
hard at work preparing for the performances that had been delayed by her sudden
illness. The
entire group was present as they rehearsed and considered how they could
improve the delayed show even more. Rishe, who had been
invited to the theater, stood atop the stage—where the troupe was having their
strategy meeting—and unveiled her concoction to everyone there.
The diva scooped up the
alchemically created petals in both hands. When Rishe had explained
that they could also be used to represent snow and that the substance would
disappear naturally over time, the opera troupe had been thrilled.
“L-Lady Rishe, um, may I
ask a question?”
“Th-thank you. Then, uh, is it possible to color these petals?”
“Yes!
The
colorant will change the chemical makeup of the substance, however, so you’d
need to experiment to get the quantities right. The more pressing issue is
that the colorant won’t evaporate with the rest of the substance, so—”
“Lady Rishe, how would you
make a lot of this at once?”
“It becomes heavy when
you’re mixing it, so you’d want to make sure it isn’t uneven in places. It requires more strength
than you’d think!”
Everyone had questions
and suggestions, and Rishe answered each one. It was an enjoyable,
stimulating conversation for Rishe; the troupe brought up a number of things
that she wouldn’t have considered from her perspective as an alchemist.
The members of the
troupe, however, were having a difficult time interacting with her.
“L-Lady Rishe. Er, may I ask another question?”
Though they were
interested in the artificial petals, they were having a hard time asking their
questions. But it
wasn’t due to Rishe…
It is a
bit hard to ignore, isn’t it? Rishe scanned the
front-row seats, eyes lingering on the man in the middle. He sat there in a relaxed
pose, chin resting in his hand. Even just glancing down
at him from the stage, Rishe found him breathtakingly beautiful. So much so that just
about anyone would believe that he was one of the theater’s star actors.
Of course, he wasn’t an actor. Why is
the crown prince sitting in on a production meeting for an opera, anyway?! Arnold was watching
Rishe’s discussion with the opera troupe without the slightest bit of interest
in it. I didn’t think he’d really come with me.
“They’ll be restarting
their performances soon, and it would be difficult to summon Sylvia alone to
the castle and have her pass along all the information herself. But we can’t very well
invite the whole troupe here, what with—”
What Rishe hesitated to
say was related to Arnold’s father. Since they’d just run into
him, it was possible that he was paying close attention to them now. And if Arnold was
concerned about a spy infiltrating the palace, his father surely suspected the
same thing. It wouldn’t surprise her if they both drew the same conclusions from
the information available to them. As such, Rishe felt it
was better for her not to invite too many people to the palace.
Arnold picked up on what
she left unsaid right away. “You
want to go to the theater yourself.”
“If you wouldn’t mind,
Your Highness. I’d like to visit in an unofficial capacity.”
“I told you I would grant
as many of your requests as I’m able.”
Rishe had smiled warmly
and thanked him.
“Sooner would be better
than later, right? I’ll set it up for tomorrow morning. Be ready.”
What does he mean by “set
it up”? she’d wondered.
“Er, I’ll be fine. I’ll just slip out and come back right away, so there’s no need to
arrange for any sort of guard…”
“I won’t be sending guards
with you. You’d
stand out with a group of people.”
“R-right.
Then when you
say ‘set it up’…?”
“I mean I’ll be
accompanying you.”
“We can just take your
former fiancé out with us on my afternoon work. Your business won’t take
longer than one day, right? It’s
fine.”
“W-wait a second! I can’t allow you to accompany me when you’re so incredibly busy, Your
Highness!”
“What are
you talking about?” Arnold had held both of their extinguished lanterns in one hand and
extended the other to escort Rishe. Without looking at her,
he’d said, “I told you I’d come with you whenever you went into
town, didn’t I?”
She’d never thought
Arnold would go so far as to rearrange his work schedule just to accompany her
on some business that he had no interest in whatsoever. Yet Arnold had donned his
incognito garments and accompanied Rishe, who was similarly disguised, to the
theater the next day. To the opera troupe’s utter shock, of course.
It’s
only natural they’d be nervous. Rishe snuck a glance at
the troupe. There was actually one more reason she wanted to come to this theater
aside from the petal concoction. Even so, she wasn’t sure
she would be able to investigate that matter anymore at this point. Rishe sighed.
“Prince Arnold.” Having finished her explanation of her alchemical creation for the time
being, Rishe hopped down from the stage. At this height, she could
land soundlessly, but ordinary noblewomen didn’t have that skill, so she made
sure there was a noise upon impact. “I apologize for taking up
your time. I’d
like to give them a practical demonstration, so if you could wait just a bit
longer.”
“It’s fine. You don’t need to hurry, so just do whatever will satisfy you.”
Right then, Oliver arrived. He’d come along so that
Arnold could transition immediately to his afternoon work once they left the
theater. “I’ve
finished adjusting your schedule, Your Highness. We can rendezvous here.”
Rendezvous?
Does he
mean with Prince Dietrich?
“I have one other matter
to discuss with you, if you don’t mind. Could we move somewhere
more private for a moment?”
Arnold stood, very
obviously annoyed.
When Rishe waved at him,
Arnold stared at her for a few seconds before wrapping an arm around her back
for some reason. He brought his lips up to her ear like he was about to kiss it and
whispered, “Rishe…”
“Bwagh!”
Rishe made
a strange noise at the ticklish sensation, prompting a low chuckle from Arnold.
The words he whispered
into her ear were yet another shock: “I’m summoning Gutheil. He’ll be accompanying us
in the afternoon, just so you’re aware.”
Had Arnold not rejected
Gutheil? Rishe
gulped as Arnold pulled away, smiling fondly at her.
“Yes… See you…” Rishe
watched Arnold leave the audience seating, feeling discombobulated.
Why? Does Prince Arnold intend
to make Sir Gutheil his retainer like in all my past lives? She had no idea why he
would have such a sudden change of heart.
An impact to her back
interrupted her musings. “I can’t believe you, Rishe!”
Sylvia had completely
taken Rishe by surprise with a hug from behind.
“Oh my gosh, what was that?! Did the crown prince just
kiss your ear?! Do you two kiss to say goodbye to each other?!”
“Wha—?!
O-of course not! That is not what he was doing!”
No,
it was because we’re in public that he
played it off like it was a lovers’ exchange, since he didn’t want anyone else
to hear, right?! Th-that’s it, I’m sure of it!
“Hee hee hee. You are adorable, you know that? Your face is red as a beet! I can’t believe you were
so nervous about the kiss at your wedding when you’re smooching His Highness
like that every day!”
“I-I am not! Really,
I’m…!” Rishe
tried to protest as Sylvia poked her bright-red cheeks. The embarrassment was
becoming so intense, she was afraid her jellied legs would fail her.
The rest of the opera
troupe watched with amusement as Sylvia toyed with Rishe. Sylvia kept her voice
quiet so they wouldn’t hear as she studied Rishe with her bewitching purple
eyes.
“You’re not kissing him? Really?”
Rishe started, the scene
in the chapel flashing through her mind, and Sylvia’s sharp eyes didn’t miss
her agitation. Rishe hung her head as the diva poked her cheeks once more. “J-just once…”
Sylvia embraced her
jubilantly, and Rishe covered her face with her hands, completely overwhelmed. Her thoughts were
spinning as she hid her reddening cheeks.
I-It was just once, right?! Prince Arnold gave me an
antidote mouth-to-mouth once, so that’s two… No, it’s not! That was saving my life! The more she thought, the
more possibilities ran through her mind. When he gave me the ring,
he kissed the back of my hand. Does that count? I’ve kissed the back of his hand too… And last
night, he kissed my hair and ear so many times!
“Oho?”
Sylvia
grinned as Rishe’s face heated up even more. She raised her hand high
in the air. “Chief! Mind if I take a break? Seems like Rishe needs one
too!”
“Of course! I apologize for being so inconsiderate, Lady Rishe.”
Rishe and Sylvia sat in
the last row of the audience, far from the stage.
“Ah ha ha! Sorry,
sorry! You were so cute. I teased you too much,
didn’t I?”
“L-Let’s not talk about me!” Though she was eager to
change the subject, she was also genuinely curious, so she said, “I want to
hear about you, Sylvia. Like with Sir Gutheil.” Rishe recalled the
conversation she’d been privy to the night before. “Have you made any
progress since we last spoke?”
“Hee hee, me? I sure have, thanks to you.”
It had only been a few
days since then, so what sort of progress was she making?
Sylvia put her arms on the
seat in front of her and rested her head there. She peered at Rishe from
beneath her lashes. “Not in that way… Oh, but I should report on that as well, shouldn’t I?
On our date
the day before yesterday, I tried to kiss him.”
On their first date?! The day before yesterday
would have been the day Sylvia visited the palace. In other words, the day
Sylvia reunited with Gutheil and the knight escorted her home thanks to
Theodore’s meddling. Sylvia didn’t appear to deem this real progress, but it was miles away
from what Rishe considered typical.
The diva laughed softly
as Rishe gawked at her. “He really is the sincere type. He told me we couldn’t yet.”
“Hee hee hee. The progress is on my singing. After all, that’s what
love is for—for me, anyway.” Sylvia closed her eyes. “I was born to sing. If the goddess hadn’t
given me my singing voice, I don’t think I would have survived this long… The
reason I love so much is to put it all into my singing.”
“Your love for Sir
Gutheil is for your singing too?”
“Yup!
That’s why it’s
going well. Sir Gutheil’s sincerity is new to me. I think this love will
nourish my singing more than any love I’ve experienced before.”
Rishe noticed something then. It sounds like she’s
trying to convince herself of that.
Sylvia’s singing voice
was beautiful. It was soft, but clear and powerful. No matter where you sat
in the audience, you could make out the lyrics clearly. But she didn’t speak like
that now. Her
voice was delicate, ephemeral, like the artificial snow that would melt away. Rishe felt she would miss
what Sylvia said if she didn’t listen closely.
“Sylvia.” Rishe leaned forward to rest on the seat before her, just as Sylvia
had. She lay
her head down and faced the diva, who blinked her wide, purple eyes in
surprise. “What
kind of love nourishes your singing?”
Sylvia hesitated for a
moment, then began, “It’s not just about your heart pounding and feeling happy.
It’s the
kind of love where, when you think of the person, your chest aches and you want
to cry…”
Rishe smiled and nodded,
urging her to continue.
“You don’t want the
conversation to end, so you start saying all sorts of stupid stuff just to keep
it going. It
makes you happy just to be able to talk to them, but it’s also scary. Weird, isn’t it?”
Rishe shook her head. “It’s not weird at all,
Sylvia.”
“Thanks.” Sylvia smiled, the expression both relieved and pained. “I was surprised when he
stopped me from kissing him since that’s never happened before. I mean, even if he didn’t
want to go out with me, what’s the harm in a little kiss?”
“Hmm… I think that sort
of thing varies from person to person…”
“Discovering things like
that is another reason why love’s so fun. You experience so many
firsts.” The
soft smile faded from Sylvia’s face. “Have you ever had someone
pick you up and tell you you’ll be okay when you were feeling low?”
Rishe blinked at the
question.
“I’ve been alone for as
long as I can remember, singing like my life depended on it for various opera
troupes. Every
time I was too sick or hurt to get back up as a kid, I would pray, ‘Please
don’t leave me behind here.’”
“Sir Gutheil picked me up
and carried me the other day, right? That marked a real first
for me.” Sylvia
closed her eyes once more, like she was savoring a precious memory. “Sir Gutheil spoke to me
the whole time until we arrived at the doctor. He encouraged me, telling
me I’d be fine, that he was there with me…” She pressed her forehead to her
arms. “It
was the first time in my life I ever truly felt like I wasn’t alone.”
The songstress hid her
face, and Rishe slowly sat up.
“I’m a performer, and I’m
famous for having countless lovers, right? People assume I’d be with
anyone, so they’re quick to whisper words of love to me. And I’ve always been fine
with that. But
Sir Gutheil… When you arranged for the two of us to reunite, the very first
thing he did was inquire about my health.”
“That really made you
happy, didn’t it?”
Sylvia thought for a
moment before nodding. “It did.”
Her voice shook as she
buried her face against the chair in front of her. “He held his hand out in
concern for my condition, not in an eagerness to touch me, and it was so warm…
I laughed and told him I was used to being out alone at night, but he wouldn’t
budge on taking me all the way to my door.”
“What do I do, Rishe?” When she raised her head,
tears like gemstones spilled from her eyes. “It hurts so much, but
the feeling is so important. I’ve never felt a love
like this before…”
“No.
That’s not it at all.” As though she was only
talking to herself, she muttered, “This is the first time I’ve ever loved
someone in my life…”
After she said that, her
face crumpled under the weight of her emotions. Rishe wrapped her arms
around the songstress as she broke down crying.
“H-he said we couldn’t be
together! It’s
not that he doesn’t like me, but we can’t…”
Rishe could say nothing
in response.
“I understand that better
than anyone. I’m not the sort of person who could be with a knight, so it’s only
natural that we can’t be together.”
“That’s not true and you
know it.” Rishe
spoke soothingly to her, stroking her back. “Sir Gutheil isn’t the
sort of person who would reject someone for a reason like that.”
“Of course he isn’t. I’m the one who can’t accept being at his side! I was born to sing. All this time I thought I
only lived for that, but my heart hurts so much now that I don’t even know if I
can do it anymore!” Sylvia trembled like a small child. “Is being in love
supposed to be this painful?”
Rishe pressed her lips
into a thin line. Why…?
She almost felt like she
could understand the pain that Sylvia described. It came with the pounding
of her heart and a sadness that nearly brought her to tears.
“There’s no way… There’s
just no way!”
Rishe spun around at the
groaning of her ex-fiancé that afternoon as they accompanied Arnold during his
work. They
were visiting a guardroom built into the city wall.
Paging through a
document, Rishe called out to the man grumbling in the corner of the room. “Is something the matter,
Prince Dietrich?”
“Everything’s the matter!” Dietrich shouted,
pointing at Rishe with one hand and mussing up his hair with the other. “Lord Arnold is strange,
of course, but you’re just as strange yourself, Rishe! Ever since meeting up
with me first thing in the afternoon, it’s been nothing but work, work, and
more work! I
was hoping he would take more breaks today since you were accompanying us!”
“Don’t look at me like you
have no idea what I’m talking about! Do you two ever rest?! Or will you keel over if
you aren’t working around the clock?!”
“N-no!”
Rishe
blurted awkwardly as Dietrich panted, shoulders heaving.
“At the sewage plant and
the Merchants’ Guild and now this guard station too! Not only do you constantly
make suggestions, but Lord Arnold carries them out immediately as well! It almost feels as though
he’s doing more work today with you here
than he did yesterday!”
I have nothing to say in
my defense…
Rishe glanced at Arnold,
who was discussing something with the officer in charge of the station a short
distance away. They were considering the document organization method Rishe had
suggested for the station a moment ago. It was a lengthy process
finding records of those who had passed through the station when entering or
exiting the capital, so Rishe had suggested a method she’d learned about in a
large library she’d visited in one of her past lives.
It has been five hours since we
started working this afternoon. Prince Dietrich has
reached his limit, I’m sure.
After leaving the
theater, Arnold and Rishe had enjoyed lunch in town before meeting up with
Gutheil and a haggard-looking Dietrich. Rishe had intended to
casually observe Arnold’s work as she analyzed Gutheil’s behavior. But as she’d observed,
she’d inadvertently gotten caught up in the work herself.
“Sorry… It’s just that
every time I ask a question or make a suggestion, Prince Arnold improves on it and implements practical
solutions on the spot. It’s
so much fun!”
“I can tell you’re having
fun by watching you! That’s
what’s scary!”
“Ha ha ha. Prince Arnold and Lady Rishe are of a similar mind when it comes to
work.”
Oliver passed by the
corner of the office where Rishe and Dietrich were talking. He was smiling, but his
cheeks appeared slightly sunken.
“I’m sorry, Oliver. Without thinking, I made
an impertinent suggestion and overcomplicated matters.”
“No, if anything, I’m
grateful. The
lengthy document retrieval process was a problem we were planning to solve at
some point, so the sooner we’re able to test out this new method, the sooner
we’ll see results. Prince Arnold dislikes taking work home with him, so we always take
care of whatever needs doing on-site, as we are now. I’m used to it, so it’s
no problem at all.”
“I-I can’t believe this…
He dislikes taking work home with him? What better time is there
than later to do work that doesn’t need to be done today?!”
As Dietrich trembled,
Oliver smiled wryly and told him, “The most efficient way of doing something
differs from person to person. If you’re able to learn
something from seeing the way my lord does things, Prince Dietrich, I couldn’t
ask for more.”
Arnold glanced at them
and called for his attendant. “Oliver.”
“I’ll be right there. Please excuse me.” Oliver selected a few documents from the desk and went to Arnold’s
side.
Dietrich watched him go,
sighing. “The
master’s ridiculous, but the servant’s just as abnormal…”
Just as Prince Arnold
said, Sir Gutheil is accompanying us today for some reason.
The tall knight stood on
guard by the door, though he did appear a little uncomfortable.
Sir Gutheil told Sylvia
that he liked her, right? She thought back to how
Sylvia had cried over her love for Gutheil. The knight had told her
that they couldn’t be together. Did he say that because
of his father’s crime? Or because his own future is closed off for that reason?
Rishe couldn’t help being curious about the night
before. There must have been a reason for his
“patrol” to take him to an area no one ever visited. Something about it rubs
me the wrong way. Prince Arnold is worried about someone scheming against Galkhein and
any spies that may be in their employ. Is Sir Gutheil involved?
Right then, Rishe arrived
at a conclusion. Could it be…? She didn’t want to let
her thoughts show on her face, so she pretended to go over the documents in her
hands. As
she did, she caught sight of Dietrich, who was sitting in front of her.
“What is it, Prince
Dietrich?”
Dietrich’s deep-emerald
eyes, framed by gold lashes, were fixed firmly on Arnold.
“Lord Arnold is
effectively faultless as a crown prince. He shows no indication of
his own wants and needs, he slaves away unemotionally at his work, and he’s
brilliant too. He’s an accomplished swordsman as well, is he not? I hear he inspires
incredible morale in his knights, almost like a god of war.”
I can’t believe Prince
Dietrich is complimenting someone!
Rishe was floored. She’d never heard him deliver such genuine praise for someone other
than his beloved Mary in her life.
“I’ve always thought that
the things I do don’t even scratch the surface of my potential. And why shouldn’t I? Everything I accomplish
is magnificent, as surely anyone can see! But even geniuses have
their off days. It was painful and hard whenever things didn’t go my way…” Dietrich’s
tone was as genuine as it could possibly get. “But I suppose it’s a
different sort of suffering to be born entirely too perfect a person, as Lord
Arnold was.”
Rishe started. She never expected him to say something like that.
“Though I’m sure my
suffering is worse! I, however, am a true future king. Only by experiencing
trials and tribulations will I become a king worthy of—”
“May I ask what it is
about Prince Arnold that gave you the impression that he’s suffering?”
“Let me finish, would you?! Well, in short…” Dietrich
cleared his throat, nervous to have Rishe’s attention on him. “We were not born royalty
because we wanted to be.”
“Selfless devotion is
expected of royalty, and crown princes in particular. True, those in our
position will never suffer any sort of financial discomfort, but in exchange,
if we do not give everything we have to our nations, we are not so much as
allowed to exist.”
Rishe had no right to say
anything in response. She might have lived her life until the age of fifteen for the sake of
nothing but becoming crown princess, but her position could never be compared
to true royalty. She could only imagine
how it must feel to inherit an entire country you would have to one day rule
over.
“Still, each of us tries
to find some small happiness as an individual, like Mary is for me.”
Rishe thought of all the
royals she had met in the past. She’d known rulers who
enjoyed collecting precious gems and royals who had fun drinking and making
merry with their subjects. She knew a prince who delighted in seeing his country develop, a
princess who loved to read, and a prince who adored his little sister.
“But, hmm… How to say this? I can’t see any of that
sort of humanity in Lord Arnold. No, there is some amount, but…it’s strange, isn’t it? He can’t even be bothered
to eat when he’s working, and he makes no time to enjoy the scenery when he’s
in town. It’s
like he has no interest in anything other than performing the duty laid before
him. It was
terribly frightening seeing it up close.”
What he said next sounded
more like his own idle musings than a statement meant for Rishe. “Arnold Hein lives his
life without a single thought spared for any sort of human happiness.”
Rishe’s heart stopped for
a moment.
“That’s what it looks
like to me, at least.”
To Dietrich, it was
likely no more than pure curiosity. After all, they were both
crown princes. His position afforded him a unique perspective on Arnold’s unemotional
nature. But
to Rishe, Dietrich’s candid musings seemed an unexpectedly straightforward
explanation of Arnold’s villainous pretenses.
“You really tend to get
to the heart of things without meaning to sometimes, Prince Dietrich. Come to think of it, you
once—”
“All right! Let’s ask him directly, shall we? If his way of life is as
miserable as it appears, that is.”
“Huh?”
Rishe was
speechless as Dietrich righted his posture and puffed out his chest.
“Yes, I think I will! I must reach out even to
those who are said to be cold and heartless. That overwhelming sense
of righteousness only befits the future ruler of Hermity, after all!”
“Ack!
Um, wait, Prince
Dietrich!” Rishe
grabbed Dietrich’s arm to stop him. Arnold shot them a dubious
look from the other side of the room, so Rishe mouthed an apology at him. He was working right now,
so they couldn’t bother him.
“What?!
Why did you stop
me, Rishe?!”
Arnold regarded them with
a slight frown, but he swiftly resumed giving directions to Oliver. As she thought, they’d
distracted him—which Rishe felt guilty about.
“You can speak with him
later. This
really isn’t the place to get into it.”
“Hmm.
Well, I see your
point.” Dietrich
agreed with her—quicker than was normal for him—and turned his attention back
to Arnold. “The
similarities really are astounding.”
“Y-you don’t mean between
you and Prince Arnold, do you?”
“I mean between him and you, Rishe! You’ve lived for nothing
other than becoming crown princess since you were little, haven’t you? Always had this look on
your face like that was the whole reason you were alive.”
Rishe was taken aback by
his observations yet again.
“You discarded any joy of
your own and strove to be the perfect public figure. You never played or
demanded sweets as a reward for studying or held so much as a birthday party! I could never understand it! Isn’t it normal to want to
play instead of study?!”
“You never made a peep
about any of that! It scared
me! If you
had to hold yourself back so much, and all that awaited you at the end of it
was becoming crown princess, I thought…you’d be happier being something else.” There was an
uncharacteristic furrow to his brow. “Do you think you can be
happy as Arnold Hein’s empress?”
Dietrich was Rishe’s
former fiancé and someone she could still call a childhood friend. Ever since they were
little, Rishe had always been worried about Dietrich, so this was the first
time he’d ever regarded her with such worry. The thought tickled
Rishe, and she smiled wryly at him.
“I’ve had several people
worry about whether I’ll be happy in this marriage, but happiness isn’t
something that’s given to you—it’s something you achieve yourself.” She turned to look at the
knights standing on either side of the door. “No matter what fate may
befall me due to becoming Prince Arnold’s wife, I’m confident that when I’m on
my deathbed, I’ll be able to say I lived a happy life.” She turned back to
Dietrich and smiled. “Didn’t I tell you I’d prove to you how wonderful Prince Arnold is as a
husband?”
“Huh.”
Dietrich
lapsed into thought for a while until he finally spoke up again. “Hmm? No, wait a moment, Rishe! It’s true that over the
last few days I’ve come to understand well just how exceptional Lord Arnold is
as a crown prince! But I haven’t seen a shred of evidence that he is, as you claim him to
be, a wonderful husband!”
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha! What an oversight, Rishe! You know what this means,
don’t you? You
haven’t yet proven a thing to me! These last few days, all
I’ve done is watch him work without rest and quiver in fear of his glowering at
a party!”
“Seriously, what did you
even come to this country for?!”
Dietrich cleared his
throat officiously. “That
said, he did find the time to bring
his fiancée to the opera amid that hellish workload of his. That’s shocking enough, I
suppose… When you’ve done all this work in a day, you just want to go home and
do nothing afterward, right? Where did he even find the
time with how much work he has to do?”
Now that she thought
about it, they had run into Dietrich at the
opera house back when Sylvia had collapsed. Had Oliver told him what
they were doing there?
Hmm? Something occurred to Rishe then. Come to think of it, what was His Highness doing there?
“Say, uh, Rishe.” Dietrich hung his head, hemming and hawing. “I came to this country…”
“No, it’s nothing! Say, do you think I should go help, as a fellow crown prince? I bet I could shock Lord
Arnold with my illustrious Hermity education!”
“D-don’t shock him too much!” Rishe was a bit worried
about the princes, but she decided to hang back. She gave Arnold a little
wave and a signal with her eyes. When he noticed Dietrich
striding toward him, he grimaced.
I’m sorry, Prince Arnold. Please handle him for me,
would you?
After apologizing to
Arnold in her heart, Rishe turned to the door the two knights were guarding. She scrutinized the
towering Gutheil and softly called, “Sir Gutheil?”
“Lady Rishe…I sincerely
apologize for last night.”
“Please, think nothing of
it. I
should apologize myself for interrupting a discussion about your work.”
When they’d rendezvoused
with Gutheil and the other knight that afternoon, Arnold had this to say:
“My Imperial Guard are
spread thin currently, what with my suspicions about intelligence operatives. I’m only making use of
Gutheil temporarily when I’m out working in town since I don’t otherwise have
the personnel to spare.”
Did Prince Arnold figure
I’d want to speak with Sir Gutheil about Sylvia’s broken heart? No, that couldn’t possibly
be…
Arnold was kind, but he
didn’t mix public and private matters. He wasn’t just indulging
Rishe; there was some other reason for the way he was making use of his
personnel. Rishe
wasn’t the type to pester Gutheil about his personal affairs when he was on the
clock anyway, no matter how much she wanted to for Sylvia’s sake.
I can’t imagine Sir
Gutheil would open up about it in a place like this. And it’s not as if it’s
only the two of us present, she thought, eyeing the
other knight.
Ironically, Gutheil
himself was the one to interrupt her musings. “If I may…how is Lady
Sylvia doing?”
Rishe stared at him in
surprise for a moment before considering her response. “She was…acting well enough.”
Gutheil knit his brows,
picking up on the obvious implication of Rishe’s words.
Before she could stop
herself, Rishe continued, “Sir Gutheil, is there anything I could do to help? As long as it’s not too
presumptuous to ask, of course.”
Rishe was shocked that
such words left his mouth with no hesitation. The knight on the other
side of the door turned toward Gutheil as well, his scarlet eyes seeming to
question if he’d really heard what he thought he’d heard.
Gutheil went right on, “I
find her so lovely and sweet. I could never allow
anyone to darken her smile, myself included.”
“I told Lady Sylvia about
my father’s crime immediately. His espionage was a
betrayal of Galkhein, and it could have led to the deaths of so many in the
war. His
sin was so great that not only must I bear that weight as his son, but whomever
I might marry and even our children would bear it as well.”
Gutheil smiled sadly. He suffered more than
anyone for his father’s crimes. He knew the pain he’d be
inflicting on his chosen partner, the cold treatment they would receive. It gave his words a heavy
weight.
“The pain on Lady Sylvia’s
face when I told her that… I suspect she might be a war orphan herself.”
“I know Lady Sylvia is
not the type to reject me for such a reason. But having me by her side
may open the wounds in her heart. I may cause her even more
suffering in the future. I simply cannot allow myself to cause her any pain.”
Rishe’s mouth tightened. She didn’t know what to
say in a situation like this, and she was aware that she would be overstepping,
whatever she did say.
Still, she told Gutheil,
“Sylvia told me ‘You never know which day might be your last.’”
That alone caused Gutheil
to grimace. Each tiny change in his expression showed just how much he truly cared
for Sylvia.
So Rishe continued, “I
think she’s exactly right. One’s future happiness is important, surely, but…” She recalled the way
Sylvia had trembled as the tears rolled down her cheeks. “Is happiness you can
grant at this very moment not just as important?”
“I…” Gutheil started
before falling silent.
“I’m sorry. I know this is just as hard for you.”
Any further meddling would
just cause trouble. When someone made a decision about their own life, it was hardly an
outsider’s place to interfere. Hence, Rishe moved on to
her next objective.
“I think I’ll go get some
fresh air atop the wall. Could I ask you to accompany me, Sir Knight?”
Gutheil hung his head,
deep in consideration. Rishe said nothing more to him, leaving the room with the other knight.
The guard station was on
the inside of the wall. A staircase led up to the top of the ramparts surrounding the city.
Rishe sighed, enjoying the
warm summer breeze as the sun set in the distance. From where she stood, she
could relish the view over the streets of Galkhein’s capital. She’d come here once with
Arnold, but the location was off-limits to the normal citizenry.
“I have a question,” she
said to the knight accompanying her.
He stood at attention. “Anything for you, Lady
Rishe.”
“We’re alone up here, so
you can drop the knight act,” she told the red-eyed knight, with more than a
little exasperation. “I
know it’s you, Raul.”
“Ha
ha!” Raul
laughed, his voice snapping back into its normal register. “You’re really something! I completely changed my
face today and acted like a totally different person, and you could still
tell?”
“You were too calm around
Prince Arnold for a knight filling a temporary position. You should have acted
more afraid of him. Put that together with those red eyes of yours and, well…it was easy
enough.”
“I see, I see. Both
good points. I’ll
remember that next time!”
Why was he so happy about
his disguise being seen through? Slightly fed up with the
man, Rishe asked him, “Hypothetically speaking, if you were an enemy of
Galkhein and you needed to investigate it for some reason, how would you sneak
in?”
“Trade secrets, my
dear…is what I would like to say, but I suppose I can’t keep my savior in the
dark, now can I? At the very least, I can tell you that I wouldn’t do what I’m doing now
and pretend I was one of Galkhein’s knights all along.”
From what Rishe knew,
Raul was here disguising himself as a knight simply because his interests
aligned with Arnold’s. The prince wanted him to investigate whether an intelligence operative
had infiltrated Galkhein’s palace. Raul was likely mingling
with the knights with Arnold’s permission. The walls of the palace
were sturdy and should have prevented the intrusion of anything heavier than a
kitten.
“The realistic plan would
be to devote several years to actually joining the knight corps.”
“Not to pretend to be a
knight but to enter as one officially?”
“Indeed.
After all,
Galkhein’s policy is that anyone with some amount of skill can become a knight,
regardless of background. This is one of Galkhein’s few vulnerabilities as an otherwise
nigh-invincible major power.” Raul stuck his index
finger in the air, waving it about playfully as he continued. “Though I’m sure His
Majesty is well aware of that little flaw in their defenses. For all Galkhein claims
to value skill above all else, the upper echelons of the knight corps are all
still nobles, who have a very low chance of being spies from other countries.”
Sir Gutheil’s father broke
that rule. That’s
why he was punished so harshly—to set an example.
“That’s why infiltrating
as a knight isn’t really worth it. The only exception would
be joining your Prince Arnold’s Imperial Guard, since even a commoner can do
that. So if
I were a spy attempting to pose as a knight, I would do whatever I could to
become one of your dear husband’s Imperial Guards.”
“Still, you’d need to
know a fair amount about His Highness to use the fact that he’ll let those of
any background serve in his Guard. As such, me being a
foreign spy intent on infiltrating Galkhein in this scenario, I would not choose this method. There are other ways to
obtain information from high-ranking officials and knights.”
Up to this point, Raul’s
thinking matched Rishe’s knowledge of him from her fifth life.
“And what other methods
are those?”
“Hmm?
Well…” Raul
had been rather forthcoming until now, but he grimaced at this question. “I shudder at the thought
of your husband’s quiet fury were I to discuss such a thing with you.”
Rishe cocked her head. “Has Prince Arnold
forbidden you to speak on the matter?”
“No, no, no. It’s
nothing like that.”
Rishe just tilted her
head further. She did have a vague idea of what he might mean by “other ways.” In her fifth life, there
were secrets Raul never spoke of with her. Given how he was acting
now, she concluded he was likely alluding to the same methods he’d kept from
her in her fifth life.
Rishe took a breath and
asked him something else she’d been wondering about. “Say, Raul, are there any
situations in which you don’t notice a passerby approaching?”
“Hmm.
Maybe when
there’s a lovely lady nearby I’d really like to get close to? You, for instance.”
“Ha ha ha, only kidding! It’s not just ladies. If there are a lot of
individuals I’m not particularly interested in around me, I might be late in
noticing if one of them approaches. I wouldn’t fail to notice
completely, though, so maybe that doesn’t answer your question.”
I figured he might say
something like that.
She thought back to when
Kyle and Michel had been visiting Galkhein. Rishe had gotten help
from Theodore in infiltrating the knight cadets’ training disguised as a man. She’d kept it a secret
from Arnold, but he’d discovered her immediately anyway. After that, Theodore had
snuck up on her in one of the castle hallways. She’d been thinking about
something at the time, and people were always passing through the halls, so she
hadn’t had her guard up at all. But it wasn’t as if she’d
overlooked Theodore’s presence entirely. It was the fact that he’d
grabbed her arm that caught her by surprise.
Raul taught me how to
sense other people’s presences and conceal my own. I learned enough that I
was able to put the knowledge to good use in my sixth life; I should be able to
pick up on anyone without that kind of training if they’re nearby.
But that meant it was
possible to surprise her if someone did have that kind of training. Particularly when she had
her guard down. On her first night in Galkhein, it had taken her a moment to notice
Arnold standing behind her when she was enjoying the view from her balcony.
I only noticed him then
because he was giving off a threatening air to see if I’d sense him or not. If he’d kept his presence
concealed, he might have been able to get close enough to touch me without my
sensing him.
Her two questions for Raul
only solidified the theory forming in her mind.
The more
I consider the matter, the more evidence I find to back up my hunch. The strange feeling
she’d gotten speaking to Dietrich earlier was the clincher.
“Whoops, your guardian is
here.”
Rishe started when she
heard a door open. An individual appeared on the twilit rampart. Rishe turned to face him
and called his name. “Prince
Arnold…”
His jacket flapped in the
breeze. Rishe’s
coral-colored hair danced in the wind as well. She paid it no mind as
she asked him, “You had your suspicions about who the spy might be from the
very beginning, didn’t you?”
Arnold squinted into the
receding daylight. “You
don’t need to know.”
Rishe’s heart ached at
the distance those words put between them. Not because of rejection
but because Arnold had only said them out of consideration for her.
“However.”
Arnold
lowered his gaze and took a short breath. “I won’t stop you from
taking action or making a request that’s in my power to grant.”
Joy and relief bloomed in
Rishe’s heart. Arnold had told her there were things she didn’t need to know in the
past as well, but this situation was clearly different.
Rishe made her heartfelt
plea: “Please allow me to help you, Prince Arnold. There are things I would
like to do to bring this incident to a close.”
“What are you talking
about?” Arnold
sighed in exasperation. “It will
be me helping you do whatever it is you
want to do, won’t it?”
Raul laughed as Rishe
jumped in surprise. “Ha ha! Incredible! To have Crown Prince
Arnold Hein of all people wrapped around your little finger!”
“Ugh… I apologize for my
selfishness. Really, I do!”
Raul shrugged under
Arnold’s quiet glare as Rishe apologized sincerely. When she was finished, she
told Raul and Arnold everything she wanted to say.
That night, an individual
was summoned to a room in the detached palace. In the room, five chairs
were placed in a circle. At the head of the arrangement sat Arnold, with Rishe beside him. They glanced at the
individual seated in front of them.
Arnold sat, chin in hand,
ignoring the knight’s question. Instead, he signaled Rishe
with his sidelong glance. She nodded and spoke in his place.
“I apologize for the
abrupt invitation, Sir Gutheil. We have something very
important to discuss with you, so we thought we’d do it here due to the late
hour.”
“Yes, I understand you
wish to avoid prying eyes. But is there truly some way I can be of assistance to you?”
He must have been
confused, but his chivalrous spirit still amply infused his words. Rishe went on,
appreciative of Gutheil’s consideration.
“What I’m about to tell
you may cause you pain, Sir Gutheil.”
“What is it? No, no matter what it may be, I wish only to serve you.”
Rishe held Gutheil’s gaze
and told him, “There’s a possibility a spy has infiltrated Galkhein.”
Gutheil gasped and
clenched his fists.
“Prince Arnold realized
this sooner than anyone else, so he’s been gathering information for some time
now. His conclusion is—”
“Do you suspect me of
being a spy, Your Highness?” Gutheil’s voice was
steady, but his face had gone deathly pale. Confusion, panic, and
resignation were all plain on his face. “I am aware that I have
done nothing to earn your trust, but I swear it on my pride… Even if no one
believes it to be so, I have not betrayed my country!”
“Prince Arnold knows
you’re innocent,” Rishe told him after a pause. What she could not say,
however, was for him to be at ease. “The person we suspect is—”
A knock came at the door. Raul, who was disguised
as the knight standing guard outside, had been informed that there was no need
to wait for a response. He opened the door, and their other guest stepped inside.
Gutheil gasped when he
saw who it was. She met his gaze and smiled somewhat sadly. Then she met Arnold and
Rishe’s gazes with clear eyes and named herself.
“Sylvia Hollingworth. I’m delighted that you
invited me here tonight.”
GUTHEIL SHOT TO HIS FEET like he was spring-loaded. All eyes—which had a
moment ago been on Sylvia—swiveled to him instead. Gutheil stared at the
diva, opened his mouth to say something, and then shook his head in great
irritation and rounded on Rishe and Arnold instead.
“Your Highness, Lady
Rishe—is it at all possible that I might be excused?” Gutheil’s tone was filled
with obvious concern for Sylvia. “Anything that you may
ask of me, I swear to answer truthfully. But I beg of you, for
Lady Sylvia’s sake, please…”
“Sir Gutheil,” Sylvia
said clearly. “I requested your presence myself when I was summoned.”
“Lady Sylvia…” Gutheil
clenched his fists once more and slowly sat back down.
Raul directed Sylvia to
the chair closest to the door, next to Gutheil. Rishe waited for her to
sit before turning to Arnold.
“Go ahead and say
whatever it is you want to say for now,” Arnold told her. “I’m sure we have plenty
of time until he arrives.”
“Right.”
She nodded,
though it took some courage for her to begin. Yet she knew Sylvia was
prepared for what she had to say.
The songstress turned her
alluring purple eyes on Rishe, her determination clear. “Please begin, Lady Rishe.”
Her heart stung from
Sylvia’s courteous tone, but she had to say her piece. Rishe, at least, spoke as
she always had with Sylvia. “I first had my suspicions when you visited the palace, Sylvia.” Her words emerged slowly
and deliberately as she thought back to the day. “The night before, you
were ill enough to collapse on stage, yet you’d recovered completely by
morning.”
“Thanks to your first aid
and Sir Gutheil taking me to the doctor. I felt much better after a
good night’s sleep.”
“I didn’t think much of it
then, since I’m aware that such things can indeed happen… But illness is not
often the cause of such a fainting spell. At least not one that
it’s possible to recover from so quickly.”
Gutheil was watching
Sylvia with concern through this entire exchange. Sylvia, on the other
hand, had not looked his way once since addressing him earlier.
“Such things are usually
caused not by an illness originating within the body but by something external
entering it. A poison or sleeping drug, for instance. Once the substance has
been purged by the body, recovery comes fairly quickly. I can attest to that myself.”
Arnold’s eyebrows
scrunched together. Rishe had been referencing her poisoning in the Holy Kingdom of Domana.
Perhaps the
same incident had crossed his mind.
“At that point, I tucked
the possibility that you had been drugged in the corner of my mind.”
“A reasonable enough
conclusion. I’ve almost been drugged by overly passionate fans or rival performers
on occasion.”
“A fan would likely avoid
the sort of timing that would lead to the show getting canceled. And a rival would know
that if the prima donna collapsed just before or during the show, it would only
be called off for the night.” Someone aiming for her
role would have enacted their scheme earlier. “And, though I don’t wish
to even consider such a thing…they would likely choose a poison with a longer
recovery time.”
In truth, the opera
planned to resume after only a few days off, with Sylvia still playing the
lead. If
the culprit was after her role, they had achieved nothing from their crime.
“I was still suspicious,
so I observed the members of your troupe when I went to the theater to tell you
about my artificial petals. I couldn’t determine at
the time whether anyone there had drugged you, but…I learned something else.”
Rishe stared Sylvia in
the eye and said, “You can conceal your presence, can’t you, Sylvia?”
Sylvia lowered her head,
saying nothing in response.
Instead, Gutheil spoke up. “I apologize for
interrupting, but what do you mean by that?”
“You yourself noticed
Rishe’s capabilities, did you not?” Arnold said to the knight. “When you approached the
gazebo last night, I wasn’t the only one to sense your presence. Rishe did as well, even
though we couldn’t possibly have heard your footsteps amid the rainfall.”
Gutheil swallowed, then
murmured, “It wasn’t just my imagination, then. I did feel two pairs of
eyes on me in the darkness.”
He’s quite skilled as well. It’s hard to pick up on
things like that when it’s raining.
Arnold leaned back in his
chair, continuing unhurriedly in Rishe’s place, “Even dozing in a carriage,
she’ll wake up if I so much as reach for her. So long as you’re not
trying to hide from Rishe, she will most likely notice you. Hence her suspicion.”
Rishe had told Arnold
everything beforehand. She nodded and explained to Gutheil, “There was a moment at the theater
today when I was unaware of Sylvia’s presence. I couldn’t sense her
until she embraced me from behind.” Because Sylvia was hiding
her presence, Rishe could only assume.
The diva probably hadn’t
meant anything by it. She may have even done it unconsciously, out of a simple desire to
surprise Rishe. But when combined with the other things Rishe was already considering,
even Sylvia’s harmless prank became unavoidably suspicious.
Her head still bowed,
Sylvia said, “It’s exactly as you say, Lady Rishe.”
Gutheil spoke up to defend
her. “B-but…surely
that’s not enough to suspect Lady Sylvia!”
“Sir Gutheil, it’s…”
Rishe hesitated to continue in front of the knight.
Seeing right through her
hesitation, Sylvia smiled sadly. “Please continue, Lady
Rishe…or would you prefer if I said the rest?”
“It’s all right, Sylvia.” Rishe wanted to avoid
making the songstress say it herself above all else, so she pressed on. “There are several
different ways to obtain intelligence. For instance,
infiltrating the target location and obtaining it yourself.”
Raul’s disguises were a
great example. In Galkhein, however, only members of the nobility could become
high-ranking government officials and knights. Just as Raul had
explained up on the town ramparts, it would be difficult to make use of this
method in Galkhein.
“There’s also the option
of obtaining the intelligence from someone who already has it. Even if you can’t become
a noble of Galkhein, you can befriend one. This method—”
“Often employs female
operatives,” Arnold finished for her. He was probably being
considerate in his roundabout way, not wanting Rishe to have to utter it
herself. Raul
had avoided discussing the same thing up on the town walls. She recalled the matter
being kept from her in her fifth life as well.
Gutheil furrowed his brow
and closed his mouth, considering this. Sylvia’s head was bowed,
her expression unreadable. But Rishe knew that she’d wanted Gutheil to be here for this part of
the conversation.
“Plenty of people have
heard the rumors of the songstress Sylvia and her many lovers.” She had laughed those
rumors off, saying it was all for the sake of her singing, but what if there
was another reason? For instance, what if she used her reputation as a free-spirited beauty
to get close to important figures in various countries to obtain intelligence? “You suspected her from
the start, right, Prince Arnold? That’s why you made time
in your busy schedule to take me to the opera that night.”
As always, the
motivations behind Arnold’s actions were surprisingly complex. The day Rishe and Arnold
met, he had been present in Hermity not for simple diplomatic relations but
because he was investigating the possibility of a malicious entity targeting
Galkhein. Since
he had long suspected espionage, he was naturally wary of the opera troupe
coming to Galkhein. He likely had his eye on Sylvia herself at that point.
Rishe thought back to the
discussion they’d had immediately after taking their seats at the theater.
“I didn’t know Sylvia
was the star of tonight’s show. It’s been so long since
I’ve heard her sing! I’m really looking forward to this.”
“You’ve seen the
leading lady perform before?”
Arnold had paused
thoughtfully after Rishe mentioned Sylvia’s name. Perhaps he was reacting
to Rishe’s ignorant praise of the very individual he suspected of espionage.
“I heard what happened the
next day from Oliver, who was informed by Theodore.” Arnold was talking about
the day Sylvia had come to thank Rishe. “There aren’t many people
who would visit a foreign country’s palace without even making an appointment. It’s particularly strange
for a member of a renowned opera troupe to be unaware of such etiquette. It’s hard to imagine she
had any motivation other than using the pretext
of her rescue to get close to an important individual in this country.”
Gutheil pressed a hand to
his forehead and took a deep breath. “There
was something I found
strange when I was escorting Lady Sylvia home under Prince Theodore’s orders. I could sense someone
observing her from afar.”
“Huh?”
Sylvia
raised her head and peeked up at Gutheil.
Their eyes finally having
met, Gutheil said apologetically, “It wasn’t an unknown entity but a Galkhein
knight watching you. I couldn’t decide whether to tell you or not, since I didn’t want to
scare you, so I merely protected you without speaking up. I still feel terrible about
it.”
“That’s why you took me
all the way back to my room?”
“Of course,” Gutheil said
firmly. “At
the time, it was my duty to see you home safely without causing you any undue
stress.”
Tears welled up in
Sylvia’s eyes. She hurriedly hung her head to hide them. “It…it surprised me to
hear you say something like that…but I’m sorry.” Sylvia was trying to
smile, but it was obvious to anyone that her voice was trembling. “You understand now, don’t
you? I’m a
spy who was ordered to infiltrate Galkhein! That’s the only reason I—”
“Sylvia.” Rishe called her name to prevent her from saying something she didn’t
mean. “I’m
sure Sir Gutheil understands that that’s not the reason you got close
to him.”
Rishe glanced at Gutheil,
who nodded, a serious expression on his face. “It’s just as she says,
Lady Sylvia. I confided in you about my father on the second day we were able to
meet. Do you remember?”
“I haven’t forgotten. Not a single thing about
that day.”
“It should have been
amply clear to you, then, that the people of this country do not trust me. That I possess no
intelligence worth stealing. And still, you had eyes
only for me…”
Sylvia quivered, her
expression like that of a lost child. Even Rishe, who was
“naive in the ways of love” according to Theodore, could easily tell that
Sylvia’s feelings were real. It was Sylvia herself who
had requested Gutheil be present at this gathering, even though she knew her
crimes were likely to come to light. Moreover, that was why
Gutheil had asked that he be allowed to leave.
“Please tell us, Sylvia,”
Rishe said softly. “You might have been a spy, yes, but that’s not the full story anymore,
is it?”
“You’re not working for
the entity ordering you to gather intelligence anymore. You’re trying to quit
being a spy and run away, aren’t you?”
“Otherwise, I can’t
understand the reason you collapsed on stage. Although that’s with the
assumption that your illness was caused by a drug or poison.” As long as that
assumption was correct, it paved the way for several other conclusions. “It’s very dangerous for
a spy to try to leave their organization, is it not? I’ve heard the
organization is basically forced to kill them to prevent any of their secrets
from getting out. My guess is that you showed some indication of wanting to leave the
business, and you were drugged as a warning.”
“I-I…!”
Sylvia was
starting to panic. It was such a stark difference from her stage persona that the sight
was almost painful.
“It was also convenient
for your organization that you collapsed there. The knights performing
security were bound to come to your aid. And they knew that if
they scared you, you might change your mind and pursue a relationship with the
knight who helped you, which would benefit them.”
Their visit to the theater
hadn’t been concealed at all. The people Sylvia worked
for would have been able to find out that they were in attendance.
Arnold’s Imperial Guard
would have come to her aid. If Rishe hadn’t involved
herself and given instruction to those on the scene, one of the Imperial Guards
would have attended to Sylvia, providing her with a connection to that
individual. It was a great opportunity for her employers to obtain information on
the crown prince and Galkhein’s knight corps.
Prince Arnold anticipated
even that. The situation that day had
in fact been slightly unusual. It wasn’t just Prince
Arnold’s Imperial Guard providing security at the theater. There were knights from
other units there too.
Arnold had treated it as
an initial step toward expanding his Imperial Guard. Rishe had taken that to
mean that he wanted more fighting power to go up against a powerful foe in the
future, but that wasn’t the only reason for the extensive forces present at the
theater that night.
Prince Arnold predicted
that if he made a show of attending the theater, the spy would try to contact
him or one of his Imperial Guards. That’s why he had additional
knights on security. And all of them fit his criteria of “skilled individuals who, for
whatever reason, were not given an equal chance”—that is, people who had no
significant intelligence.
One of those individuals
was none other than Gutheil.
When I finished with my
first aid, Prince Arnold arrived with Sir Gutheil—not one of his Imperial
Guards. I
was shocked that he had his future retainer with him. Now she could understand
Arnold’s reasoning. He had to make sure
whoever escorted Sylvia and became her “savior” was not one of his Imperial
Guard. That’s
why he brought Sir Gutheil, someone who was never given any important work to
do as a knight.
All this happened because the theater and the troupe
were informed that Rishe and Arnold would be in attendance. Prince Arnold has never
liked bringing attention to himself in public venues. I should have questioned
why we didn’t attend the show incognito that night. Not only did we attract
the attention of every noble in attendance, but he also had to mobilize his
Imperial Guard to provide security. It would have been more
like him to attend in secret.
Rishe glanced over at
Arnold, only now considering all these things. He seemed as uninterested
in these proceedings as always, and just as beautiful.
I still don’t understand
him nearly well enough.
In the first place,
Rishe’s hushed admission that she wanted to go to the opera had been in
response to Oliver bringing the subject up in small talk. It was possible he’d let
it slip inadvertently since he was investigating the opera troupe with Arnold.
Lamenting her inability to
pick up on any of this sooner, Rishe continued, “As Sir Gutheil said, Prince
Arnold’s Imperial Guard were watching you, Sylvia. They were also protecting
you.”
“From what I’ve heard, you
were approached by people who intended you harm four times over these last few
days. In
the second incident—yesterday—the knights even engaged the individuals in
question.”
Sylvia went pale when she
heard that, and Gutheil scowled.
This afternoon, when
Rishe and Dietrich had accompanied Arnold on his work, the knights escorting
them had been Gutheil and Raul in disguise. Rishe had been told that
Arnold didn’t have enough personnel due to his espionage investigation, but it
wasn’t because he had his men spread thin searching a wide area. Arnold and Oliver had
already narrowed their suspects down to Sylvia alone, so Arnold’s knights were
busy observing and guarding her.
“Tell me, Sylvia,” Rishe
said softly.
The diva only trembled in
response.
“If you didn’t seek out
Galkhein’s secrets, you’d be killed. But you were resisting
those orders even before you met me and Sir Gutheil, weren’t you?”
“No!”
Sylvia
frantically forced the words out. “I have no such conviction! That should be obvious
from how I shamelessly visited the palace the very next day and attempted to
get close to you, the future crown princess.”
“You’d just been through
something frightening and had your performances canceled. You must have been terrified.
It doesn’t
surprise me that you gave up on escaping and went along with your orders
instead.”
“I even lied about
falling in love with Sir Gutheil, a knight…”
“It was immediately
obvious to you that Sir Gutheil had no strategic purpose you could make use of,
wasn’t it? You
had no reason to lie about such a thing.”
It wasn’t Gutheil whom
Sylvia had opened up to about her feelings. She’d told Rishe about them. If she were lying for her
mission, she could have told Rishe she was searching for a new love and asked
to be introduced to a different knight. There was no need for her
to cry and cling to Rishe about some false love she felt for Gutheil.
Arnold spoke up then. “Rishe.
That’s enough.”
Sylvia and Gutheil tensed
at the crown prince’s harsh tone.
“Any more is just a waste
of time. Your
concern won’t change the facts.”
Rishe took a breath and
said to Sylvia and Gutheil, “Prince Arnold made a promise to me. You haven’t actually
engaged in any espionage in Galkhein or stolen any intelligence. As far as Galkhein is
concerned, you’ve committed no crime.”
Sylvia’s eyes were wide
with disbelief. Rishe had posed this request to Arnold, and though Arnold had been
somewhat disgusted by Rishe’s naivete, ultimately, he’d relented.
“But, Sylvia,” Rishe
said, prompting a flinch from the songstress, “this isn’t the end.”
Sensing the ominous air
in the room, Gutheil spoke up on Sylvia’s behalf. “If I may ask, Lady Rishe,
what do you mean by that?”
“By attempting to leave
her organization, Sylvia has betrayed their trust. I believe it’s likely
they’ve made their final decision about her. Prince Arnold?”
Arnold dispassionately
explained to Gutheil, “My Imperial Guard reported two skirmishes to me. The individuals in
question did not seem to be there to issue a warning or abduct the target—but
to kill her.”
Arnold’s expression was as
cold as ever. “She’s lost the trust of her organization. Even if she returns with
valuable intelligence from this country, they’ll simply take the information
and dispose of her.”
“You could put it a little
more delicately!” Rishe
spluttered. She knew Arnold was kind at heart, but that kindness extended only to a
few individuals.
Prince Arnold’s Imperial
Guard are the very reason Sylvia has been able to stay safe these last few
days. But from now on…
The moment Rishe opened
her mouth, someone else spoke up instead.
“Sir Gutheil!” Sylvia likely hadn’t meant to call Gutheil’s name. Her hand flew to her
mouth, like she couldn’t believe what she’d just said.
From the other side of
the table, Arnold scoffed. “You’ll protect her?” His blue eyes narrowed as
he challenged the man’s foolhardiness. “You alone?”
Arnold’s voice seemed to
chill the air.
“Don’t act like feelings
and ideals will win the day. No matter how skilled you
may be, do you really think you can protect her from an organization that could
strike at any time?”
“It seems as though your
desire to die a meaningless death hasn’t waned in the slightest. You’ll just get yourself
and your charge killed immediately.”
The air in the room grew
so thick with tension that even Rishe found herself going rigid.
Arnold frowned ever so
slightly.
“As you say, there is a
part of me that wishes to protect Lady Sylvia even at the cost of my own life. However, if I lose my
life, I will no longer be able to protect her.” Gutheil turned eyes
blazing with sincerity on Sylvia. “I want to protect you
through anything and everything. I want you to be happy,
Lady Sylvia.”
“That is why I promise
not to throw my life away protecting you. I know you’re kind enough
to grieve even for the death of a selfish man like me.” Gutheil made his pledge
to Sylvia reverently, like he was swearing a knight’s oath. “I know I’ve hurt you,
but could you find it in your heart to permit me to protect you?”
“Ngh!
Sir
Gutheil, I-I…” Sylvia spoke his name, tears in her voice. But then she shook her
head, quashing her desires. “No…no, I won’t!”
“What would I do if
something happened to you?!”
“I’ll never be able to get
away.” Her
shoulders shook, but she managed to speak without breaking down in tears. “I was always getting in
trouble for not doing a good enough job ever since I was little… Each time I
failed at something, I thought they would get rid of me for good…”
Rishe remembered what the
songstress had confessed to her about being scared that she would be abandoned
every time she was ill or hurt as a child. She was probably talking
about the spy organization and not the opera troupe. “How awful…”
“I couldn’t possibly be
with you!” Sylvia
sobbed, head still bowed.
Rishe recalled the words
she’d said through her tears.
“I understand that
better than anyone. I’m not the sort of person who could be with a knight, so it’s only
natural that we can’t be together.”
“I’m the one who can’t
accept being at his side!!”
“There is no need to
despair, Lady Songstress.”
Raul, disguised as a
knight, had spoken up with a smile. Sylvia gaped at him as he
stood by the door.
“After all, the people
who do the legwork for an organization like this are valuable assets. No matter how skilled an
operative may be, their public face—their identity—cannot be so easily
revealed.”
Raul told Sylvia the same
thing he’d told Rishe and Arnold up on the ramparts.
“Only a few key figures of
your organization should know your identity, Lady Sylvia. It’s a necessary
precaution to preserve your value as an asset. If it got out that the
famous diva was a spy obtaining intelligence from key figures all over the
world, they would never be able to make use of your talents again.”
“That may be true,
but…who are you?”
Raul smiled in lieu of an
answer. He
then turned to Arnold and said, “Well, Your Highness. If you would allow me to
make my report, the organization using Lady Sylvia’s talents is of a mercenary
nature.” With
that devilish curl to his lips, Raul reported this as if it were new
information. “They serve no one master, instead lending their abilities to whoever
makes the highest offer in their travels. Such organizations are
relatively small in number and keep their operatives’ identities particularly
concealed.”
“You mean to say that no
matter how well known the public face of the operative is, their private
identity as a spy is known only to a very small number, correct, Sir Knight?” Rishe asked to hammer the
point home, and Raul nodded.
Arnold spoke up
disinterestedly, making no attempt to engage with Raul. “When disposing of a
low-ranking operative, they’ll likely throw every available pawn they have at
the problem. If those pawns are all dealt with, there will be no one left who knows
the operative’s public face.”
“In short, Sylvia.” Rishe summed up what Raul
and Arnold were trying to say: “We believe that if we catch all the people who
are after your life, you’ll no longer be in any danger. You’ll be able to live
freely.”
Sylvia gaped at Rishe. “What
do you…?”
“Just as the knight said,
the spies’ public identities are a valuable secret. Only the organization
employing you should know that the diva Sylvia is a spy.”
Raul was very
knowledgeable about organizations like these. Rishe felt confident
trusting any conclusion he’d drawn about them.
“According to our
investigation, the organization employing you is like a band of mercenaries. They don’t answer to
anyone outside the group, and they would be very careful not to let any
information about their members leave the group’s bounds. You should know at least
a little about that yourself. Isn’t that right, Sylvia?”
“We believe they’ll put
everything they have on the line to silence you. Every single member of
the organization will try to kill you—even if it’s the last thing they do.”
Rishe and the rest had
done a little scheming of their own to make that outcome even likelier. After all, though this
situation was terrifying, it could be an opportunity for Sylvia as well.
“As such, Sir Gutheil,
there’s no need for you to protect Sylvia all by yourself.”
“Prince Arnold has given
me his word that he’ll help too.” Rishe sat up straight and
said plainly, “We will now carry out our plan to protect Sylvia so that she may
live a happy life in the future.”
“The plan is rather
simple, really.” The paper listed the general outline of the scheme she’d concocted when
speaking to Arnold and Raul that evening. “You won’t be able to
protect Sylvia or run from the organization forever, so the best thing to do is
to round them all up at once and eliminate the danger in one fell swoop.”
“But, Lady Rishe, it
can’t be that simple…!”
“This plan will only work
with your cooperation, Sylvia. And the help of your
opera troupe as well,” Rishe said, pointing to a word in the middle of the
piece of paper. “You’ll be the bait in this operation.” She looked Sylvia in the
eye and said, “The songstress on the stage and the armed operatives hunting
her… This plan only works if we can paint that picture.”
Sylvia gulped, but her
expression relayed that she finally found a speck of light in the darkness.
“What do you think? Will you help us out?” Rishe went around to
Sylvia’s side of the table, smiling at her. “It’ll take a lot of
courage, but it won’t work without you.”
“Of…of course!” Sylvia stood and wrapped her arms around Rishe. “I’ll do anything I can! I’ll be the bait or
whatever else you ask of me!”
“Thank you. I know this will work with you helping us, Sylvia.”
“I’m sorry…” Sylvia’s
voice was trembling. “I’m
so sorry, Rishe!”
I should be the one
apologizing, Sylvia, Rishe thought, returning
Sylvia’s hug. You always blamed yourself, didn’t you? For spying and for keeping
it a secret from me and Sir Gutheil. Telling you I want to
save you would’ve made you feel too guilty to agree. That’s why I told you
you’ll be the bait in our plan. Rishe patted Sylvia’s back
like she was comforting a small child. I’m sorry… Please let me
get away with lying in order to save you.
She glanced at Arnold,
who leveled a brooding gaze at her with his chin in his hand. This time, he would be
her accomplice. Truly relieved that he was a logical person, she turned to Gutheil
next.
“Sir Gutheil, this plan
will be dangerous for Sylvia. I would like for you to
protect her more than anyone else.”
“I would ask the same. I swear I will protect
you, Lady Sylvia.”
“My, Sir Gutheil…” After
calling her beloved’s name, Sylvia clung tightly to Rishe once more. It almost seemed as if
she was rejecting him, but Rishe could tell that she was only hiding how
bashful she felt.
She chuckled, her heart
warmed by the sight. “You’re so cute, Sylvia.”
“Ugh, Rishe!” Sylvia sulked, the polite tone she’d been using earlier now gone.
Rishe was happy she was
treating her as a friend today, and so she squeezed the songstress, who
protested, “That tickles!” with
a laugh. She
was relieved Sylvia had gotten back a bit of her pep.
“Listen, Sylvia. We’ll have to ask the opera troupe for their cooperation as well.”
“They don’t know anything
about my secret…”
“I thought that might be
the case.”
Rishe had had her eye on
the members of Sylvia’s troupe when she visited the theater, and Arnold had
been observing them as well. Rishe had been surprised
when Arnold said he’d accompany her to the theater, but he had already known
that Sylvia was the spy at that point. He’d wanted to see with
his own eyes if Sylvia made a move or if anyone in her troupe appeared to be
involved as well. Rishe hadn’t found anything suspicious about the rest of the troupe,
and she’d been relieved to find that Arnold had felt the same way.
“There’s no need to tell
them anything. It’s just that the plan I’m about to share with you will involve them
too.” Rishe
pulled away from Sylvia, who regarded her curiously, and told her, “As the
knight over there said, if we can catch all the people who know your identity,
you’ll be able to live a safe life from now on. We’ll have to do a little
work to make that happen, though.”
Though hesitant, Sylvia
nodded.
“We’ll keep the Imperial
Guard on you for a bit longer. But if the situation goes
on too long, it’ll become a battle of attrition, which isn’t a good situation
to be in.”
“I can’t keep relying on
you all like this.”
“Don’t worry! The plan is simple, and we’ll be drawing the enemies to us.”
“You mean to give the
enemy the perfect opportunity to attack,” Gutheil surmised.
“Exactly. We must prevent them from realizing that we’re luring them to us and
give them a perfect moment to attack—at which point, we’ll round them all up at
once.”
It wouldn’t be as simple
as Rishe made it sound, of course. The enemy would no doubt
be on guard for this type of trap. Gutheil seemed worried
about that very thing.
“It will have to be quite
the plan to actually lure them out, won’t it?”
“Yes.
That’s why
we need the help of the troupe.”
Sylvia and Gutheil gave
her identical dubious stares.
“Isn’t that right, Prince
Arnold?”
On the other side of the
table, Arnold sighed in response to Rishe’s smile. “We’ll tighten our
security until we must strip it away at the right moment. If they have no other
chance to strike, they’ll be sure to act then.”
“B-but, Your Highness,
won’t the enemy be wary of the knights’ sudden absence? If they didn’t have some
reason they couldn’t remain near her…”
Sylvia and Gutheil came
to the realization together.
“That’s right. The one moment the diva’s tight security must wane. The only time the knights
would not be able to be at her side.”
“You mean…during a
performance?” Sylvia
murmured.
Rishe beamed. “I do
indeed. What’s
more, everything around her will be dark, the only light on the performer
onstage.”
“Y-you can’t bring weapons
into the theater…”
“It’ll be more convincing
if there’s a simple inspection at the door instead of forgoing one altogether. We’ll want to give the
impression that it’s done on paper but is really just a formality in practice. Either way, spies will
have the skill to sneak their weapons inside.”
Rishe had Sylvia sit back
down before she returned to her own chair. Next to her, Arnold was
scowling as usual.
“The small team of Prince
Arnold, Sir Gutheil, and myself will protect Sylvia and apprehend the
intelligence agents. Once again, thank you for agreeing to my plan, Your Highness!”
Arnold sighed and eyed
Rishe indifferently.
What Arnold was
ultimately after was the entity trying to do harm to Galkhein. He was of the belief that
this entity was involved in both his invitation to the party where Dietrich
broke off his engagement with Rishe and Fabrannia’s counterfeiting scheme. Sylvia’s organization was
likely involved with this entity as well.
Rishe met his gaze, and
he offered a disgruntled reply. “Do as you like.”
It was a bit strange to
think that he trusted her so much, but it made Rishe happy nonetheless.
Gutheil and Sylvia
watched her nervously.
“Now, let’s commence
preparations for the operation!”
After their strategy
meeting, Gutheil escorted Sylvia back to her lodgings. Arnold’s Imperial Guard
continued to covertly watch over her as well. Even Raul’s hunters were
on the job, so her defenses were impeccable.
Feeling relieved, Rishe
walked through the halls of the palace with Arnold.
“His current mindset is
only obvious. I would never trust a knight with lofty ideals and no desires,” Arnold
said flatly. “People with strong desires are the most likely to survive in battle
and thus make the best soldiers.”
If strong fighters have
strong desires, then… Rishe studied him and
wondered, Where are yours, since you say you don’t desire anything?
She kept the question to
herself, however.
“Ah, right. Allow me to thank you again, Prince Arnold.”
“For believing that
Sylvia wanted to quit her spying.”
Arnold’s expression was
as cold as ever. “I
believe nothing. I just put together the information available and determined it was a
likely possibility.”
If Sylvia had been an
enemy of Galkhein, Arnold would’ve had to eliminate her, yet he was going along
with Rishe’s selfish desire to save her instead. Rishe’s plan wasn’t
without its dangers, though.
“I was only able to create
such a plan because of your help, Prince Arnold. I plan to fight as well,
but I know that you’ll never lose to anyone with your skills,” she said, her
eyes positively sparkling.
Arnold loosed a quiet breath.
“Are you
sure you don’t put too much trust in me?”
“Hmm?
What reason
would I possibly have to doubt your skill?”
The prince only frowned
in response.
“But you have faith in me
as well, don’t you, Your Highness?” The thought brought a
grin to Rishe’s face.
Arnold likely hadn’t
anticipated Rishe and Sylvia growing close. In the two months or so
that Rishe had been in Galkhein, she’d come to know many of the country’s
secrets—even a few that would spell the end of Galkhein if leaked to another
country. Regardless,
when Sylvia collapsed at the theater, Arnold had allowed Rishe to go to her aid
immediately. He’d also said nothing to her about her striking up a friendship with
the songstress.
He may have even kept his
suspicions about Sylvia from Rishe to avoid hurting her. In addition to
considering her feelings, he’d trusted her not to reveal any national secrets
to Sylvia. Arnold
had merely watched over the two of them without interfering. The thought warmed
Rishe’s heart.
“Oh, but…” Rishe stopped,
remembering something. “I’m sorry, Prince Arnold. I did open up about one
secret to Sylvia.”
“You did?” Arnold stopped as well, turning back to cast a disbelieving glance at
Rishe. “What did you
tell her?”
“Ugh… Well, er…” A lamp
affixed to a pillar in the hall illuminated Rishe’s hot cheeks. “I told her that you and I…”
Her face was flushed with
embarrassment, but she had to apologize for betraying his confidence. Even as the shame
overwhelmed her, Rishe confessed her crime. “That we kissed…just once…”
She could only assume
that Arnold was staring at her in exasperation. She didn’t know for sure
because her eyes were squeezed shut, not brave enough to meet his gaze. After several seconds of
silence, when her shame became nearly unbearable, Arnold finally spoke up.
“I…” However, as soon as
he started, he immediately fell silent. He didn’t seem to be angry. Was the awkward air
between them just in Rishe’s imagination?
Rishe raised her head and
blinked. Their
kiss in the chapel had taken her completely by surprise. She’d been shocked and
confused, having no idea why Arnold would do such a thing. She had also felt that he
seemed oddly practiced at the act, which had weighed on her mind afterward as
well.
Had there been some
deeper meaning behind even that event?
“What’s so funny?” Arnold asked awkwardly when Rishe covered her mouth to stifle the
giggle. It
was rare for him to be bothered by something like this.
“I just found your
expression kind of cute, Prince Arnold,” Rishe said with a grin.
Arnold simply scowled, as
though she were utterly incomprehensible. It probably bothered him,
but Rishe smiled all the same.
Arnold strode off, and
Rishe hurried to return to her place at his side. They were headed from the
detached palace to a room in the main palace that was reserved for important
guests.
“Was it all right to leave
this to Oliver?”
“This is the sort of thing
he’s good at. And the time it’s taking is expected.”
There had been five
chairs in the room they’d used for their strategy meeting. The people present were
Arnold, Rishe, Gutheil, Sylvia, and Raul. But the final chair hadn’t
been for the disguised Raul to use.
I feel
bad for requesting this when Prince Arnold is already so exhausted, Rishe thought as they
arrived at the main palace. Some Imperial Guards
stood by the door to the room they’d be entering.
“Greetings, Your Highness. Lady Rishe.”
“What’s the situation
inside?”
“No one has left. I imagine they’re still talking.”
The prince huffed in
annoyance. Rishe
smiled wryly, tugging on Arnold’s sleeve. “Shall we?”
Arnold gave a nod to one
of the knights, who opened the door. At which point…
“That is precisely why! If now is not the time
for justice’s loyal servant—Hermity’s crown prince—to act, then when is?!”
An overenthusiastic voice
boomed into the hallway. On the receiving end was Arnold’s attendant, Oliver.
“Ha ha ha. You have just as much energy as always even at this late hour, Prince
Dietrich.”
Rishe narrowed her eyes
at her childhood friend and former fiancé. “Please do not tell me
you’re causing trouble for Oliver, Prince Dietrich.”
“Rishe?! What
are you doing here?! Lord Arnold as well…” Dietrich stood from his plush chair. His hand shot to his
forehead, and he shook his head in exasperation. “I see. You wish to borrow my strength as well.”
“Oliver, we can get the
story from you. Get
rid of this man already.”
“Wait, wait, wait! You can’t just do this without me!” Dietrich frantically
appealed to Arnold, who did not spare him so much as a glance.
Instead, he asked his
attendant, “So?”
“Yes, my lord.” Oliver gathered up several documents and tapped their edges on the
table with a smile. “As you suspected, Prince Dietrich is also here regarding the espionage
organization.”
“Ugh!”
Dietrich
covered his face with his hands, sobbing dramatically.
Rishe found the sight
downright bizarre. She gently asked Dietrich, “What happened with Oliver?”
“Nothing happened! This man simply started paying me compliments with a bright smile on
his face, and I thought, ‘Why, he certainly has just the discerning eye I would
expect from the attendant of Galkhein’s crown prince!’—and then all of a sudden
I was confessing everything! Just what exactly happened?!”
“Urgh, this wasn’t
supposed to happen! I was planning to reveal the weighty secret in a cooler way…”
“Oh, that’s quite
unnecessary. Please don’t worry about such a thing.”
“I had my suspicions from
the start. Pompous
act or no, we were obviously going to question you.”
Dietrich deflated,
sniffling, after Rishe and Arnold’s one-two punch. With a sardonic grin,
Oliver comforted the foreign prince.
“Now, now, you two. We just had a very
fruitful conversation. After all, the prince’s actual circumstances did differ a bit from our
external suppositions.”
“O-Oliver! You really are a good guy!”
“Hey.
Keep your
hands off my attendant,” Arnold barked.
Rishe sighed as she
watched Dietrich cling to Oliver.
At the guard station
today, Dietrich had been about to reveal something to Rishe. He had likely wanted to
discuss this but had rethought the moment to get the “cooler reveal” he
desired.
Prince Arnold always
suspected he might be involved.
It wasn’t just the party
where Dietrich had called off his and Rishe’s engagement. Before summoning Sylvia
to the detached palace, Rishe and Arnold had had a conversation about Dietrich
as well.
“The spy organization is
obviously involved in your ex-fiancé’s trip here as well,” Arnold had said up on the
ramparts that evening. “He made it seem like he
was here out of concern for your engagement to me, but it’s no coincidence that
he was at the theater that night.”
“It does seem likely,
doesn’t it?”
Dietrich’s illogical
actions were an everyday occurrence for Rishe, who had witnessed a whole
childhood’s worth of them. To Arnold, however, his presence at the theater was just the cherry on
top of the suspicions he already held since the party in Hermity—which meant
Dietrich was another matter requiring investigation.
It was impossible for
Arnold to think Dietrich might only be there to see the opera.
After that exchange,
they’d opted to leave Dietrich’s interrogation to Oliver. After all, just as Arnold
said, it was something he excelled at.
“Why the delay in
schedule, Oliver?” Rishe
asked him.
“Ah.
Well, you
see, it was the intelligence organization I wished to ask about, but I thought
I might get the prince to confide in me with a bit of reminiscing on the past
first. He
had much more to say than I expected.”
“Goodness… You certainly
went above and beyond, then…”
This, too, Arnold had
anticipated. It was possible that he’d had Oliver engage in such interrogations in
the past as well.
“In listening to his
reminiscences, however, I got a good idea of the prince’s thought processes. Also, I must say, I
imagine Prince Dietrich’s coup will fail.”
“Ah!
Hold on a second,
Oliver! I
told you that was a secret, didn’t I?!”
“Prince Dietrich, we’re
all aware of your planned coup, so could you hush for a moment?”
Dietrich was shocked by
Rishe’s words, but she didn’t feel like going into the details for him. And Arnold was focused
entirely on his conversation with Oliver.
“I don’t care about the
details. You
got what we need from him, yes?”
“An operative from the
organization contacted Prince Dietrich a little over a year ago, in the third
month last year. Does that ring any bells, Lady Rishe?”
“A month later, Lady Mary
entered the academy as a scholarship student.”
“That would be Prince
Dietrich’s current fiancée.”
Dietrich’s face went
white at the mention of Mary’s name. “Wait!
Mary has
nothing to do with those villains!”
“We’re aware of that. Lady Mary was likely only
used for this one incident. Considering her family’s
financial troubles, it’s hard to imagine she’s been employed as a spy for a
long time. If
she were a member of the organization, she would be adequately compensated for
her work, at the very least.”
Rishe highly doubted she
was after information from Dietrich. It was obvious even to
foreign powers that Dietrich was not heavily involved in his country’s
political affairs.
Oliver nodded. “I agree with Lady Rishe’s assessment. It’s likely that the
organization was after Prince Arnold from the start, not any intelligence from
Prince Dietrich.”
“It’s possible they
facilitated Lady Mary’s enrollment into the academy and encouraged her to seek
a marriage with a royal or noble she would meet there. Of course, all the sons
of prominent families would already have been engaged. The organization didn’t
have to specify an individual—and there was only one option likely to act so
boldly as to break an engagement.”
All eyes in the room
landed on Dietrich, who was pleased as punch by the attention.
“I assume Lady Mary
approached Prince Dietrich and then used the methods suggested by the
organization to falsify my ‘crimes’ against her,” Rishe said. “Prince Dietrich fell for
it and resolved himself to condemn me. He is a rather
straightforward thinker, so it’s likely the organization would have foreseen
all of this.”
“Please don’t make such a
face, Prince Arnold! Despite it all, he really is a very upright person. His one-track mind and
tendency to get the wrong idea about things are flaws, though.”
Again, Dietrich appeared
rather pleased with himself. Arnold clicked his
tongue, deciding to simply allow the conversation to progress.
It was a rather roundabout
plan. Still,
with organizations like this, plans that took several years to come to fruition
were a regular occurrence. Since this one only took a little over a year, it could even be said to
be a faster-moving plot.
“Augh… Damn that
organization! Making use of me is bad enough, but Lady Mary too?! She has an even purer
heart than I! But we will not give in to their machinations! Yes, at first, Mary may
have had such an objective. But the love we foster
between us now is true—”
“Hey, Oliver! Weren’t you going to listen to what I had to say?!”
Prince Dietrich seems
oddly attached to Oliver…
Rishe saw why Arnold had
been so confident in his attendant’s abilities.
Oliver briskly continued,
“The individual approached Prince Dietrich and suggested holding a coup d’état
sometime in the near future to him. Isn’t that right, Your
Highness?”
The desert nation of
Halil Rasha… King Zahad’s country. If the spy named himself an official of
Halil Rasha, however, the country is likely uninvolved.
No self-respecting
schemer would reveal their true allegiance so readily. Halil Rasha was a great
nation. It
was currently friendly with Galkhein, but in the future, it would become one of
the few countries able to fight back in Arnold’s war. If the organization’s
goal was to weaken Galkhein, they may have told this lie to cause the
relationship between Galkhein and Halil Rasha to deteriorate, should their plot
come to light.
“For them to go so far to
bring Prince Arnold to Hermity…”
Rishe recalled the bandit
attack on their way back to Galkhein. Their carriage had been
attacked and Arnold’s knights wounded, the attackers’ weapons coated in a
numbing poison. At the time, Rishe had concocted an antidote to the drug.
Arnold had a tendency
toward self-sacrifice. That bad habit was probably the main reason why he had fought the
attackers off himself. But he was likely also concerned that the bandits were really
intelligence operatives who had undergone special training. Even that bandit attack
was a possibility Arnold had already foreseen.
“To move between Hermity
and Galkhein, you have to travel down a small, rarely used road. As a result, you’re
forced to travel with a small party, and His Highness’s Imperial Guard is
already a limited force within Galkhein.”
That small road was one
of the reasons Hermity hadn’t been invaded by Galkhein in the war, since it
made moving an army difficult. Despite being Galkhein’s
neighbor, Hermity had been able to escape invasion for that reason—that and the
fact that Galkhein stood to gain little from conquering the small nation.
Perhaps that was why the
mastermind had called Arnold to Hermity. They wanted to use the
favorable circumstances that forest road afforded them to attack Arnold and
harm him and Galkhein.
“Those bandits had a
paralysis agent coated on their weapons. No matter how strong
Prince Arnold may be, against poisons and drugs…” Rishe shuddered at the idea.
Arnold, however, didn’t
seem the slightest bit concerned. “It makes no difference. What is poison going to do
on a weapon that can’t even graze me?”
“I’m aware that a mere
bandit could never get the better of you, Your Highness, but even so…!” Rishe still wished he
would rely on those around him more. The anxiety she felt
seemed like a contradiction, since she did have faith in Arnold’s
skills.
“Um… N-no, I wasn’t
compelled to the decision! I did what I did out of a sense of justice and for the sake of my
beloved Mary!”
Arnold spat the words out
before accepting a document from Oliver and skimming its contents. Rishe tiptoed to try to
see it as well and, noticing this, Arnold lowered his hand. She thanked him, and they
read through the document together.
Dietrich started pacing
around them restlessly.
“If you’re going to
bother Rishe instead, then I’ll listen.”
“Oh!
You will?!” Dietrich’s face lit up,
after which he hung his head before saying hesitantly, “I-I heard from Oliver,
you see. You’re
planning to use the songstress Sylvia as bait to capture the evil organization
that bamboozled me, are you not?”
They had agreed
beforehand not to tell Dietrich of Sylvia’s involvement with the spy
organization. What Oliver had told him was likely along the lines of “Sylvia is a
willing collaborator in our plan to apprehend the spies.”
“I-It’s just, you know… A
crown prince must be daring and cool, right?! He must stand in the
spotlight and shine more than a normal civilian! He’s a crown prince, after
all!”
Oliver gaped at Dietrich. Arnold eyed him,
expressionless as ever.
Regret flashed across
Dietrich’s face, but he continued, “It’s a frightening task to be the bait, is
it not? It’s
cruel to ask such a thing of a mere songstress. Me, on the other
hand—well, I’m always steeled for such a thing! I am a proud crown prince!”
“You know, I did think it was a bit strange! I was supposed to meet
with someone yesterday, but they never arrived at the rendezvous spot. I was even waiting with a
cloak on, looking rather cool and mysterious if I may say so myself! Ever since, I’ve gotten
the faint sense that maybe I was being deceived… N-no, I mean, I foresaw all
this from the very beginning! Yes, I always suspected a
mysterious entity might have their sights set on Galkhein, which is why I came
all the way here to warn you! A-all this to say…if you
have need of me, I would gladly take on the role of the bait myself…”
Dietrich was very
obviously trembling with fear, yet he made this declaration all the same.
“Wow, Prince Dietrich,”
Rishe said, shocked by his courage. “Unfortunately, you have
no value as bait.”
His legs almost gave out
from under him at Rishe’s unflinching assessment.
“It was likely no more
than a grunt of the organization who contacted you, Your Highness. You have no information
the organization would kill you to protect.”
“That’s all my life is
worth?!” Dietrich
seemed to be taking it rather poorly, but if anything, this was good news for
him.
The same can’t be said
for Sylvia, though. As someone who’s worked for the organization since childhood, even if
she’s a low-ranking member, she simply knows too much…
That was why they were
after her life. And as her friend, Rishe wanted to protect her no matter what.
“Not to worry,” Oliver
interjected. “As a matter of fact, your life is absolutely in danger as well.”
“That’s right. The organization’s instructions for Prince Dietrich went something like
this: ‘The evil empire of Galkhein must be stopped as soon as possible. As the prince of the
crown princess’s homeland, we would like you to contact Galkhein’s royal
family.’ The
meeting place on the prince’s first day in the country was specified as the
theater.”
“Y-you’ve got it all wrong! I doubted their words, of
course I did! I thought, ‘Is Galkhein truly as bad as they say?’ Thus I, the crown prince,
came all the way here to see it for myself!”
As Dietrich flailed, Rishe
shot him a glare full of reproach. She hadn’t forgotten the
disparaging words Dietrich had flung at Arnold that night. Dietrich only flailed
harder under her piercing glare.
“Huh…?
Wait, wait? Do you mean to say you
didn’t allow me to come observe your work out of the kindness of your heart?”
“In the organization’s
eyes, it may have seemed like you were making good progress communicating with
Prince Arnold. However, just a short time ago, a carriage of Prince Arnold’s Imperial
Guard headed for the hotel where you were staying. Isn’t that right?”
Dietrich’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean?”
“Will you be quiet? Quit making so much
noise,” Arnold snapped. No matter how much Dietrich despaired, the situation was unlikely to
change at this point.
“The organization will
assume you’ve confessed everything, Prince Dietrich. They must operate as
though their existence is known to Galkhein.” While Rishe hadn’t given
the shocked Dietrich the full story, his situation should have been clear
enough to him by now.
Even if Sylvia were
captured by Galkhein, she would only confess to the same sort of spying she’d
done on other nations. The information Dietrich had was different.
Arnold was always a step ahead.
Now that Prince Dietrich
has been “apprehended,” they’ll want to avoid Galkhein questioning Sylvia at
all costs. If
they don’t silence her, they’ll lose the trust they’ve earned with the
mastermind, and their own lives will be in danger.
The organization no
longer had any choice but to silence Sylvia.
It really was a plan that
would put her in considerable danger. Hence Rishe’s other
little scheme.
They’ve probably realized
that Sylvia has said something to Galkhein at this
point, but they should still feel like they have to kill her as soon as they
possibly can. After all, it’s the only sure way to prevent her from saying more.
When Rishe fell into
thought, Dietrich went on babbling. “B-but if the
organization considers me a traitor, then that’s all the more reason why I
should serve as the bait in your trap, isn’t it?! S-s-s-s-so! So you should… That is to
say…” Dietrich was quavering, clearly trying to scrounge up all of his courage.
That was
obvious enough to Rishe, who giggled and tugged on Arnold’s sleeve.
“Despite how he seems,
Prince Dietrich really does care about doing the right thing.”
“Despite what?! Talk like that and I’ll take it back! I’m good at finding
reasons not to do things, you know!”
Rishe smiled awkwardly at
Dietrich’s bold assertion. “So you say, but I get the feeling that you weren’t lying when you said
part of the reason you were here was because you were worried about me.”
He hadn’t come just
because someone had compelled him to.
“What does that matter?” Arnold asked, giving
Dietrich his signature disinterested gaze. “No matter his
intentions, it doesn’t change the fact that this man is the fool who exiled you
from your own country without a single thought to the consequences. He can say nothing to
defend himself, nor will he be given the opportunity.”
“Additionally, his will
has no bearing on what he does here. Since he’s come to this
country and shown his face before us, it’s our right to make use of him to
whatever extent we wish.”
“M-make use of me?” Dietrich blinked.
“You
will play a part in our
plan,” Arnold told him. “You’ll be the pretext for my Imperial Guard being present at the
theater.”
Dietrich gawked at Rishe
in confusion. In response, she smiled cheerily at him.
EVENTUALLY, the twenty-ninth day of
the seventh month arrived. It was the day of the operation they would carry out with the help of
Sylvia’s troupe, and the theater was full of knights on security detail. It was also the day the
postponed show would resume, and the audience was packed.
Sylvia sat in a dressing
room behind the stage, radiating nerves.
Rishe was right there
beside her, holding her hand to give her courage. “You don’t need to worry,
Sylvia.”
“Thanks, Rishe… How many
years has it been since I was nervous about just standing on stage? Hee hee hee. Times like these, you
have to get into costume right away!” Though Sylvia’s tone was
light, her face was pale.
She’s acting calm, but I’m
sure she’s terrified.
To bolster their plan,
Rishe took advantage of the fact that the troupe didn’t publicize the contents
of each show. Once the curtains rose on today’s show, a great number of performers
would dance around Sylvia to obscure her from view. In the dim light of the
theater, the music would stop, and the dancers would leave. Then a light would shine
on the songstress, now alone onstage. After that, she would
perform a solo until the end of the show. It was a short program,
but they wouldn’t have to wait long to act.
The assailants would
strike the moment the initial performers left the stage and the light
illuminated the lone songstress. After all, the
intelligence agents were just like the audience: They didn’t know the contents
of the show either. Since they would have no idea when they’d get another chance, they’d
make their move as soon as Sylvia was alone.
As the bait, Sylvia was
understandably nervous.
“Don’t worry, Sylvia. Sir Gutheil will be there
to protect you,” Rishe reassured her.
Sylvia’s smile was tinged
with sorrow. “Thank you,
Rishe.”
Rishe gasped. “But why? Sir Gutheil said he would
protect you with full knowledge of your background, didn’t he?”
“All the more reason why.” Sylvia smiled wanly and
squeezed Rishe’s hand. Her fingers were ice-cold. “I was terrified when I
heard his father was executed for espionage.”
Gutheil had said the same
thing. He
thought she’d looked pained when he told her about his father. Since he hadn’t yet known
her circumstances, he’d assumed it was because she was a war orphan, but there
was a different reason.
“I wanted Sir Gutheil to
come that night precisely because I suspected my crimes would come to
light…because I didn’t have the courage to tell him myself.” Sylvia let go of Rishe’s
hand and gave her a hug instead. “Thank you for revealing
my secret when I couldn’t myself, Rishe.”
“I’ll say goodbye to him
after today.” Melancholy plain on her face, Sylvia shook her head. “I caused you and Sir
Gutheil endless trouble, but…just watch. I’ll do my best to be
useful for something by the end.”
“Now, I’ve got to get
changed!”
When Sylvia put on a
cheerful mask again, Rishe grabbed Sylvia’s hand. “I’m afraid that won’t do.”
She stared straight into
Sylvia’s eyes and told her, “After all, you’re…”
That night at seven,
Galkhein’s premier theater had a full house. A rumor had spread
through the audience that security was tighter than usual because Hermity’s
crown prince was attending the show as part of a diplomatic visit. Still, everyone was
relieved they’d been able to get in without a significant delay since the
inspection at the door was cursory.
“I wonder what the show
will be like tonight.”
“I can’t wait to hear
Sylvia sing! I was surprised when she collapsed the other day. I’m so glad she’s feeling
better now.”
“That’s the bell for the
start of the show! The
curtain’s rising…”
The lights in the theater
dimmed, and the audience chatter faded with them. In the silence, the
deep-red curtains slowly lifted.
On the stage stood a
great number of female performers wearing pink dresses. Their outlines were faint
in the low light. When the musicians began to play, the women all started dancing at
once. Their
many-layered chiffon dresses fluttered about as they moved. The audience was
captivated by the otherworldly music and the way the dancers glided
weightlessly around the stage.
The beauty of the dance
was further enhanced by a rain of petals that fell from above. The white petals resembled
snow as well. Under the faint lighting, they almost seemed to glow.
When the petals fell to
the stage, the dancing women kicked them back into the air, and they swirled
around as yet another part of the dance. The audience watched the
mesmerizing performance with bated breath, entranced by the delicate beauty
brought out by the petals.
Eventually, the music
faded and the dancers slowed to a stop. They exited the stage,
the petals drifting upward one last time with their departure.
The only figure on the
stage now was the songstress, who had been hidden among the dancers. She knelt in the center
of the stage, a transparent veil covering her head. She wore a crimson dress
and black gloves, her hands clasped as if in prayer.
The audience gulped,
waiting to hear the beautiful song that was sure to start any moment now. A large flame was ignited
in the device lighting the stage. And the moment the light
hit the songstress, she reached for the sword at her hip. The crowd’s eyes went
wide at the unexpected combination of an opera singer and a sword.
The next moment, there
was a great whoosh from one corner of the
audience. An
arrow flew toward the stage. The audience didn’t even
have time to register that someone had shot at her. The songstress swiftly
drew her sword and sliced it diagonally downward in one fluid movement.
There was a short clang. The songstress lowered her
head calmly after batting the arrow out of the air. Her slash had caused the
flower petals to dance up into the air once more.
“What…was that?!” a member of the audience cried, unable to contain his confusion. The other spectators
nearby glared at him, and he hastily shut his mouth.
As the countless petals
continued to rain around her, the diva gave a rapid swing of her sword. At that moment, the veil
covering her head flew up, and those in the front row caught a glimpse of what
was beneath it.
It was not Sylvia on the
stage, but none of the audience members realized that. They merely gaped as the
“songstress” swatted her veil aside with one hand.
The girl hiding her
coral-colored hair pointed her sword straight at the crowd. Her movements were
graceful yet bold, and another audience member murmured, “That’s no songstress…
That’s a goddess of war!”
Of course, the
“songstress” had no idea what the audience member had said. The coral-haired girl in
her place—Rishe—was focused intently on her declaration of war to the enemy and
nothing else.
I won’t let
Sylvia get hurt. Playing her part as the fake songstress, Rishe honed her focus to a
sharp point.
Everything’s gone
according to plan so far. The moment the enemy thought Sylvia was alone onstage, they aimed
straight for me.
Her costume was heavy, but
some of the design features made it easier to move in. The frilly skirt had
several slits in it so that it didn’t catch on her legs. Her face was covered by
the veil, but it didn’t hinder her vision at all. But it was just as
difficult as she thought it would be to scan the dark audience from the bright
stage. Instead,
she focused her hearing and concentrated on the bloodlust of her attackers. Even with the packed
audience, she picked up on the distinct fwish of an arrow cutting through
the air and someone’s intent to kill.
Rishe swung her sword as
she made the judgment. She missed the arrowhead but struck the shaft. The arrow slid across the
stage, scattering artificial petals as it went.
It’s just like Prince
Arnold taught me. “Use the whole blade as a surface to hit the shaft, knocking the arrow
out of the air.”
Rishe was reaping the
fruits of the special training Arnold had been giving her over the last several
days. She
took a deep breath and kept her entire body taut, ready to move at any moment. If she let her guard down
for even a second, a spy’s arrow was sure to find her heart. Rishe, who had been a spy
herself—though she’d merely called herself a hunter at the time—could tell
exactly how skilled her adversaries were.
I’m glad I was able to
switch with Sylvia. If I’d really let her be the bait, she would definitely have been hurt.
No matter how tight their
security was, it would be difficult to protect her completely. Rishe was acutely aware of
that fact, which was why she’d made her proposal to Arnold and Raul.
“I will play the part of
the bait, not Sylvia.”
When she informed them
thus in a room in the detached palace, Arnold scowled ferociously.
“I intend to inform Sylvia
that she will play the part herself. If I don’t, I doubt
she’ll cooperate with us. We need help from her and the rest of the troupe for our plan to
succeed.”
“Rishe.” Arnold had a look on his face that could sour fresh milk. After staring at her for
a few moments, however, he sighed and said, “Understood. Do as you like.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a second, you two!” blurted Raul, no longer
in his disguise. “Why are you talking as if what you’re saying makes perfect sense? Why would you take
Sylvia’s place? There’s no need for you to put yourself in that kind of danger!”
“Why?
Well,
because there’s no better way.”
“Don’t gimme that!” Raul’s shoulders slumped
in resignation. He
then whirled on Arnold. “And you, Your Highness! Are you just going to let
her walk all over you? What would you do if something happened to your darling little wife
while doing something so dangerous?”
“I keep telling you, I’m
not Prince Arnold’s wife yet!”
Raul shot her a look that
told her she’d missed the point. It was rare for him to
display his emotions so plainly.
Arnold frowned, lowering
his blue eyes. “I’m aware that it’s dangerous.” His voice was heavy with
exasperation. “I’m also aware that she will not budge on this matter. When she decides to
protect someone, she’ll see it through no matter what.” The prince fixed his gaze
on Rishe and let his face go slack. “I’ve figured that out at
this point.”
Rishe’s heart throbbed
over the trust he had in her. Just as Raul said, he was
letting her get away with whatever she wanted. Arnold would never have
accepted this plan if anyone else had suggested it. Rishe was so happy to
have understood that.
Now, Rishe stood on the
stage as the songstress, swinging her sword with precision.
She smacked aside another
arrow, and the audience’s muttering grew louder.
“What kind of show is this?! Arrows are flying at
Sylvia, and she’s defending herself with a sword! Then the petals whirl up…”
The audience exchanged
hushed impressions of the show, their voices barely audible over the orchestral
accompaniment. Rishe didn’t hear them, hyperfocused on where the next attack would
come from.
Every arrow flying at me
allows the Imperial Guard to find one of the archers. I must get them to shoot
as many arrows as I can!
Working off her lessons
from Arnold, Rishe smacked down the arrows flying at her with audible swings of
her blade. With
each strike, there was a cheer from the audience. She grasped her dress and
swung it about, whipping up flower petals around her.
They would have known
there would be an inspection at the door, so their weaponry must be extremely
limited. Spies
like this most often use long-range weapons. That means they’ll keep
shooting at me until they run out of arrows!
Rishe’s primary role was
to smoke out the archers hiding in the audience. She would draw the arrows
to her as Sylvia’s stand-in and strike them all down. An archer’s greatest
weakness was that they were limited in the number of times they could attack.
And when they run out of
arrows, the next thing they’ll do is…
Just as expected, an
assailant climbed up onto the stage. The man, clad in a black
cloak, drew a dagger he’d been concealing. The audience gasped in
shock and delight, thinking it all a part of the performance.
The man aimed a slash at
Rishe, which she dropped low to dodge. At that moment, when she
was most vulnerable, an arrow whizzed toward her.
The arrow had been aimed
at her thigh, but she spun her blade to deflect the arrowhead. She held her breath for a
moment but fought the instinct—she couldn’t afford interruptions to the rhythm
of her breath.
Still, that momentary
lapse was the opportunity the assailant atop the stage needed. He emerged, dagger out,
while Rishe was busy knocking away the arrow.
That instant, a figure
leaped in between Rishe and her attacker from the wing of the stage. His leg swung in a
roundhouse kick to the side of the assailant’s head.
“Gah!”
With a
short scream, the attacker flew straight off the stage.
A black cloak flashed
before Rishe’s eyes. The man wearing it looked disgusted, as if it repulsed him to have
touched the enemy even with the heel of his shoe.
“Prince Arnold!” Rishe called his name in surprise, as his interference was a divergence
from their plan.
Arnold spun to Rishe and
took a short breath before asking her, “Are you hurt?”
“No, but…weren’t you
supposed to join me a bit later?”
Arnold’s feat had been so
impressive that the audience cheered and applauded. But his eyes, blue as the
sea, spared them not a single glance.
Rishe realized the whoosh of the arrows had stopped. She spotted the Imperial
Guard apprehending several audience members. But the malice here and
there in the theater hadn’t disappeared completely.
Now that they were out of
arrows, the attackers were headed for the stage. Rishe gripped her sword,
her guard up. Arnold, meanwhile, kept his eyes downcast. He reached for the sword
at his waist and gripped its hilt. Slowly, he slid the blade
out from the sheath.
Rishe gasped at the
beauty of the motion. His posture was perfect, his center of gravity immutable. He would be able to block
an attack from any position without the slightest difficulty. At the same time, he
wasn’t expending any excess energy. If anything, he seemed at
ease, his intense calm almost seductive.
The black sword gleamed
as it glided from its sheath, the movement smooth and clean. Light danced on Arnold’s
lashes and cast long shadows on his cheeks. This simple act of
drawing a sword had the audience captivated. Those who believed that
this was yet another part of the show were enthralled into silence.
As the sword came free, it
sang a high and clear note like a bell. Arnold blinked slowly as
the petals at his feet shot into the air.
Though Rishe was
captivated by the sight as well, it didn’t hold her attention for long. After all, Rishe had to
concentrate on the ten cloaked figures who had just stormed the stage. She raised her sword,
focusing on the enemies’ movements.
Someone’s leading them! They’re not letting their
guard down. They’re well aware of Prince Arnold’s strength!
The fact that they
understood Arnold’s strength was an indication of their own abilities.
Arnold took a step forward. All Rishe could see now
was his back. When the cloaked men climbed up onto the stage, Rishe made to stand
beside Arnold. At that exact moment, Arnold drew a straight line in the air with one
sweeping motion of his sword hand. The first five assailants
crumpled to the floor in an instant.
It wasn’t just the
audience members who struggled to discern what had just happened. Rishe had been watching
from his side, but the speed had been too much to register. The action had practically
been soundless. The tornado of petals on the stage was the only evidence that Arnold
had swung his sword.
I can’t believe his
technique!
Rishe was speechless
watching him. Now that she thought about it, this was her first time as Arnold’s ally
seeing him cross blades with an enemy.
The remaining attackers
changed their formation when they saw how easily their cohorts were defeated. Arnold didn’t raise an
eyebrow at the swiftness of their tactical change. He repelled the enemies’
first hit.
Their movements were
different from the first group. Their strategy was for
one to attack and another to hit him somewhere else while he was focused on the
first strike. Meaningless,
of course. Arnold
managed to protect Rishe, who stood behind his back, fending off each and every
blow without issue. He parried a strike with one hand, sending the enemy flying behind him.
A moment
later, a large attacker rushed at him.
Unconcerned, Arnold took
the blow, his center of gravity lowered. There was a dull clang as the enemy’s blade struck his—but just when Rishe thought he’d
parried the strike, Arnold stepped forward into the enemy’s flank. He twisted his shoulder
and then kicked the attacker in the gut.
“Guh!”
With a
grunt, the enemy sank to the stage almost anticlimactically.
In just a few seconds,
all ten adversaries had hit the ground.
He took out ten men in
the blink of an eye!
In a mere handful of
moves, Arnold had disrupted their entire strategy. He’d dealt with every
single adversary and had hardly budged from his starting position.
“What the…?! What did that performer just do?!”
“Shh!
The show’s not over
yet! Be quiet and watch!”
The audience was thrilled. They had no idea they
were watching a real battle. This was not the last of
their enemies, however.
New adversaries sprang up
from everywhere in the audience and rushed the stage. Arnold’s men hadn’t
restricted entrance to the theater at all in a ploy to smoke out each and every
operative. There
were likely still plenty of enemies in attendance.
Foes attacked from both
sides, but Arnold only responded to the one on the right. He hadn’t ignored the
enemy on the left because he was incapable of guarding against both—he had done
it because Rishe’s sword was already flashing out to parry the enemy’s blow.
She used the angle of the
blade to deflect the enemy’s blow. She couldn’t beat a man
in a contest of strength, so she’d trained long and hard in a previous life to
use her enemy’s power against him. Rishe whirled like she
was dancing, putting spin on the enemy’s sword. Due to the structure of
the human hand, her enemy could no longer grip his sword properly, so it was
flung far from his grasp.
As he balked, Rishe
struck a shallow blow to her opponent’s abdomen.
Both Rishe’s and Arnold’s
swords were coated in a drug Rishe had mixed up herself. It was the same
paralyzing agent that had been on the blades of the bandits who attacked them
on their way back from Hermity.
Rishe sucked in a breath
after confirming that the man was down. At the same time, Arnold
shot her a glance.
Prince Arnold’s skilled
enough not to require my aid. I’m sure he wishes to
tell me to fall back. But I…
She wanted to fight at
Arnold’s side.
“Rishe.” Arnold called her name as if he could sense her thoughts, quietly
enough that only she could hear him. Still facing their
enemies, he told her, “You’re free to do as you please.”
Rishe gasped, and it took
a moment to register. “Yes!” she cried, tightening her
grip on her sword.
She was on Arnold’s left. She hadn’t chosen the
spot without thinking; this was the side where Arnold had the scar on his neck,
his one and only weakness.
Arnold must have guessed
why Rishe did what she did. Surprise registered on his face before he granted her a small smile. She took it to mean he
entrusted that side to her.
Prince Arnold isn’t just
indulging me and trying to protect me. Strength filled Rishe at
the idea that she could stand at his side. He believes in me when he
needs to and entrusts his weak side to me.
She savored the idea,
shivering with delight.
Although the Imperial
Guard were apprehending the archers in the audience, the majority of the
assailants were still rushing the stage to silence “Sylvia.” Rishe stepped forward
boldly, drawing them to her. She had to convince the
enemy this was their only chance to take her down. If even one person who
knew of Sylvia’s work as a spy managed to get away from this theater, Sylvia
would never know peace.
Sir Gutheil should be
keeping the real Sylvia safe. And there are enough
Imperial Guard in the theater due to Prince Dietrich’s supposed attendance that
it’s possible a single enemy won’t escape…
Arnold had personally
trained each and every one of his Imperial Guards. They were normally a kind
and quiet bunch, but they became different people in battle. Even more reassuring to
Rishe was having Arnold himself at her side.
She evaded her enemies’
blades, her dress swirling around her. She ducked low, her veil
flapping up, and Arnold’s sword swung over her head. The struck foe fell, and
Arnold pulled his sword back once more.
Low to the ground now,
Rishe spun to sweep the legs out from under an assailant trying to take
Arnold’s flank. All she had to do was nick her adversaries with her blade and the
poison would take effect. Swiftly completing the series of movements, Rishe was about to stand
when Arnold reached out to her, pulling her to her feet.
She sprang up, adjusting
her dress, and they let go of each other’s hands. Enemies came at them from
both sides, and they each cut one down. Rishe switched positions
with Arnold before their adversaries even had time to scream. They whirled around,
back-to-back.
It’s like I’m dancing with
him.
The orchestra was still
playing. Rishe
thought back to the night she’d first danced with Arnold. Their backs had pressed
up against one another then as well.
Entrusting her back to
him, Rishe murmured, “There are enemies remaining in the seats. Two of them. Likely archers.”
They matched each other’s
timing, cutting down the next attack in tandem. As Rishe stepped forward,
dress swishing, she held her sword up high.
Prince Arnold isn’t just
perfect as a swordsman. He helped her do whatever
she wanted as if it took no effort. Rishe was able to fight
freely because he cut down every adversary who might block her line of sight. He’s the type of
commander who raises the morale of his soldiers and draws out their full
potential. How
reassuring must it have been for the knights fighting alongside Prince Arnold
on the battlefield?
Rishe felt that power
herself right now. Arnold had overwhelming strength, but he always respected her as well. He could sense what she
planned to do and worked to facilitate it. It made her feel like she
could do anything.
“A girl learning
swordplay is one thing.” Her mother’s words from
when she was a child ran through her mind. “But for you to be
stronger than His Highness the prince is nothing but a disgrace. You will cease these
amusements and focus only on your studies from now on.”
“You will be the crown
princess, so you must support your husband at all times. You will stand behind him
and never before him, and come to his aid whenever he wishes.”
Instead of doing what she
wished, Rishe lived to become the crown princess of Hermity one day. That was the only option
she was given. She spent her birthdays all alone, working only for the sake of being a
good crown princess.
But Arnold, who wished to
have her as his empress, promised her another way to live.
“I won’t stop you from
taking action or making a request that’s in my power to grant.”
Rishe studied the side of
his face as they slashed their swords simultaneously.
“If we’re supposed to
celebrate, then we’ll celebrate however much you want. What do you wish to do?”
He asked me so tenderly
what I wanted for my birthday.
There were tons of things
Arnold had given her even without the excuse of her birthday. Her use of the detached
palace, her herb garden, the maids she’d wanted to hire. She treasured the ring
he’d given her and kept it at her side every possible moment.
She’d thought there was
nothing else she could want. But while she hadn’t been
able to think of anything up until now, a small request was budding inside her
heart.
If I can truly receive
yet another thing from Prince Arnold, then…
Petals danced atop the
stage as swords clashed. A fallen enemy trembled at her feet as the bloodlust in the theater
finally receded.
I can think about that later.
There are
only a few enemies left. Those archers in the audience are making me nervous.
When Rishe swept her gaze
across the crowd, someone abruptly stood in the royal box seats.
Dietrich’s only role was
to serve as a reasonable explanation for the large number of Imperial Guards
on-site. Arnold
hadn’t given him any other instructions; all he needed to do was sit there. Yet Rishe’s childhood
friend was shouting to them now.
“Look out! The
audience! There’s
two archers left!”
No! If he brings attention to
them like that, they’ll attack him instead!
Just as she feared,
something glinted in the audience. It was the archers
turning to the side, their bows catching the light. They aimed squarely for
Dietrich in the royal box. The prince was frightened; he must have noticed.
Why?! Prince Dietrich, you need
to hide or you’ll be in danger!
“What is he doing?” Arnold muttered, annoyed. But even while the
Imperial Guard tried to pin him down, Dietrich was twisting and shouting at
them.
“One of the archers has
two arrows!”
Right then, an arrow
zoomed through the air. Having heard Dietrich, both Rishe and Arnold stepped forward at the
exact same moment. The two arrows shot from the same bow flew in an irregular pattern. In the middle of their
arc, they cleanly split, one each going for Arnold and Rishe.
If we know two are coming
from the start, we can handle it!
The pair struck down the
arrows without hesitating. Rishe glanced back up, but the archers had disappeared. She quickly found them in
the corners of the audience, knocked out. One arrow was jabbed into
the railing of the royal box. Arrows also stuck out of
the archer’s shoulder and leg. Rishe spotted a figure
wielding a bow on the fourth level of the seats and breathed out a sigh of
relief.
Thank you, Prince Dietrich. And you too, Raul.
This took care of all the
bloodlust Rishe sensed in the audience. She
did, however, hear Dietrich
protesting after the Imperial Guard tackled him.
Three more adversaries
clambered up to the stage, and it wasn’t just Rishe and Arnold who knew they
were the last. They faced Rishe and Arnold with clear resolve, looking ready to die if
it meant fulfilling their duty. Rishe’s hair stood on end
at the desperation in their eyes.
These three will try to
kill us no matter what it takes. They have firmer wills
than anyone else we’ve faced here so far. But…!
Rishe tightened her grip
on her sword and searched for openings in their stances. She understood what
Arnold had been talking about all too easily.
I can tell right away that
they’ll be easier to take down than anyone else we’ve fought today.
Their foes weren’t
considering their own survival at all. Rishe was shocked to see
how much their attacks changed when they put their lives on the line. They had momentum but no
care in any of their movements. Even as they exchanged
fearsome blows, her adversary was simply too open.
Rishe stepped forward and
nicked one with a tiny cut to the cheek. That was enough. She darted backward, avoiding the enemy’s counterattack. Another enemy Arnold had
hit in the same way collapsed on top of that one. Their remaining foe
charged forward, aiming at their target, the “songstress.” Arnold’s sword flashed
out to meet him.
Their enemies collapsed
without so much as a scream. The music crescendoed,
and the audience held their breath. Arnold inhaled sharply
and shook the few drops of red from his sword. He then sheathed it at
his hip once more.
White petals drifted
softly around them like snow. And after a brief silence…
Every member of the
audience rose to their feet, applauding in a standing ovation.
“What a unique show! There was no dialogue or
singing…I can’t believe swordsmanship alone was so incredible to watch!”
“I didn’t even want to blink!
The time just flew
by!”
“Who was that actor? I don’t think I’ve ever
seen such a beautiful man!”
Arnold knit his brows in
deep annoyance. Rishe sheathed her sword as well and tugged at Arnold’s sleeve from
beside him.
“Seems like the audience
thought it was all part of the show, Prince Arnold.”
“After all that? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“If you go into something
thinking you’re about to see a show, everything looks like a performance. I thought the audience
would be alarmed, so I planned to explain things when it was all over, but…”
Not a single audience
member seemed frightened by what had just transpired. They stood tall, clapping
enthusiastically.
“It seems we’ll be able
to get through this if we just pretend it was a show. So let’s perform until the
end, shall we?”
“Yes.
If we
perform something that signifies the end of the show, we’ll be able to leave
the stage without attracting suspicion.”
Once the lights went out
again, the knights would collect all the collapsed enemy combatants. After all, it was normal
in a play for the “downed combatants” to disappear into the wings of the stage
when the lights were dimmed.
Their surest bet was
likely holding hands and giving the audience a bow, but before Rishe could make
the suggestion, Arnold sighed. “Very
well.”
Arnold grabbed Rishe’s
hips with both hands. The next thing she knew, she was in the air. Realizing Arnold had
lifted her up, Rishe flushed pink.
“Y-Your Highness!” she squeaked, but if she moved too much, it would upset their balance. Her hands reached out on
reflex, and the only place to put them was around Arnold’s shoulders.
The crowd applauded
fiercely at the sight. Rishe was glad that they could play the whole thing off as a
performance, but this situation was entirely too embarrassing.
Arnold gazed up at her
and smiled, evidently enjoying her panic. “I can hardly believe
you’re the same person who was calmly taking down foes just a second ago.”
“Ugh!”
Rishe was
truly glad she had the veil to cover her bright-red face.
He lowered Rishe back down
onto the stage and kissed the back of her hand. Another buzz went through
the crowd, but Arnold never changed his expression, simply holding out his hand
to Rishe.
“Let’s go. That should be enough, shouldn’t it?”
“Urgh…!”
She was
frustrated, but she couldn’t bring herself to argue.
Rishe took Arnold’s hand
to escort her off the stage at last, and the applause welled up again. The white petals on the
stage floor were in a frenzy, like a storm of flowers. Even after the lights
fell, the applause didn’t die down for some time, which made Rishe feel rather
awkward.
I’m glad it all worked
out, though. And it’s all thanks to Prince Arnold.
So she thought as she
descended the stairs in the dark theater wing. As she went, she watched
Arnold, who was guiding her so that she didn’t trip. When they reached the
bottom of the stairs, she heard a voice she wasn’t expecting call her name.
“Sylvia?! What
are you doing here?”
According to their plan,
she wasn’t supposed to be in the theater. Right before Sylvia had
changed into her costume, Rishe had informed her of a fake change to their
plans.
“I’ll do my best to be
useful for something by the end. Now, I’ve got to get
changed!”
“I’m afraid that won’t
do, Sylvia.”
“After all, you’re going
to flee the theater with Sir Gutheil right now.”
Rishe had explained the
fake plan to the surprised Sylvia.
“It wouldn’t do for an
enemy spy to be among the knights, would it? So instead of the grand
plan we’ve involved all the knights in, you’re going to run far away.”
“But then…who will be the
bait?”
“There won’t be anyone
standing on the stage. After all, we could only have a woman who’s fought in battle before
serve as bait.”
Sylvia hadn’t appeared
convinced, but she’d eventually agreed. Rishe hadn’t told her she’d be the bait because she
knew it would make Sylvia object to the plan. And unless they made the
spies believe that Sylvia was here in the theater, their trap wouldn’t work.
She’d gone so far as to
lie, so it made no sense that Sylvia was here now.
“Sir Gutheil, what about
our plan to transport Sylvia to the palace in secret?!”
“I apologize, Lady Rishe. I…” As Gutheil faltered,
Arnold spoke up from behind Rishe.
Even disguised, it would
have been strange for anyone to leave the theater before the show even started.
Arnold must
have taken that into consideration.
“I understand that,
but…well, you could have at least told me, couldn’t you?”
“You’d just be worried
about her if you knew the target was still in the theater.”
He was absolutely right,
so Rishe couldn’t even argue anymore. Besides, this was her
first time knocking arrows out of the air. It was possible that
things wouldn’t have gone so well if her concentration had been even a bit
lacking. Arnold
had kept his own secret from Rishe right up until the last minute to keep her safe.
“I’ve still got a lot to
learn. I
have to get stronger if I’m going to be worthy of your trust, Your Highness…”
“That has nothing to do
with it.” Arnold
sighed and lifted the veil covering Rishe’s face, locking eyes with her. “I was worried about you. That’s all.”
But Rishe wasn’t the only
one upset that she’d been deceived.
Sylvia sounded like she’d
been crying until just a moment ago. Her beautiful lashes were
wet with tears, her eyes red and puffy.
“All of a sudden, the
plan changes last minute, and you and Sir Gutheil have different plans! We hid underneath the
theater, but something seemed strange, and Sir Gutheil wouldn’t let me out to
see what it was!”
“I-I’m sorry, Sylvia…
That must have been a real fright.”
“The
scariest moment was when I
realized you might be serving as the bait yourself!”
Apparently, Gutheil hadn’t
told her; Sylvia had just drawn that conclusion herself. Gutheil had no idea what to
do, but he was clearly worried about Sylvia, who was clinging to Rishe.
“I’m so sorry, Lady
Sylvia, Lady Rishe. If only I’d concealed the truth more convincingly or explained the
situation in a way that granted Lady Sylvia more peace of mind…”
“I-I assure you it didn’t
hurt at all, so it was no trouble, really!”
Arnold broke off from the
group and started giving directions to Oliver. At the same time, his
knights were bringing in more and more of the enemy combatants. There were a lot of them,
but they had all been paralyzed, so the knights were in no rush to bind them
more thoroughly.
“I’m really sorry I lied
to you, Sylvia. I didn’t want you to be in any danger.”
“Well, how do you think I
felt?! I
didn’t want you to be in danger either, Rishe!” Sylvia clung tightly to
Rishe, sobbing. “I’m sorry… You went through all this for me. I really am sorry…”
Rishe shook her head,
returning Sylvia’s hug. “If I was able to help out a friend, that’s more than enough for me.”
Sylvia’s breath caught. When she was able to
speak again, she said, “Thank goodness you’re safe, Rishe.” She loosened her grip and
added, “I’m sorry for getting angry with you too, Sir Gutheil. I know you did everything
just to protect me.”
“The sound judgment was
Prince Arnold’s, not mine. Besides, your safety is also all I could ask for.”
Gutheil smiled, and
Sylvia flushed so hard that her face turned as red as her hair. When he saw that, he
regarded her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Then he strode straight
up to the prince.
Arnold broke off from his
conversation with Oliver. He signaled his attendant, and Oliver bowed in acknowledgment, leaving
the backstage area. Then he loosed a sigh, clearly dreading what was coming.
Gutheil told him, “I will
not forget the instruction you gave me during this incident for the rest of my
life. You
must not give your life to protect something but fight to survive until the end
for the sake of the one you’re protecting. As soon as I realized how
important that is, I felt keenly how difficult it is as well.”
“I am aware that I have
much yet to learn and that it will take me a long time to truly become worthy. In addition, I feel it is
my duty to become a knight only to protect the person I care for most instead
of a grand thing like the entire nation.” After bowing his head
deeply, he looked up at Arnold. “In order to do that,
would it be possible for you to make me your retainer?”
Rishe gulped. In the future she knew, Gutheil was a loyal retainer of Arnold’s. He commanded armies in
multiple locations, contributing greatly to Arnold’s invasion of the world. Gutheil’s command had
caused multiple nations to fall.
If Sir Gutheil becomes
Prince Arnold’s knight, it’ll be one step closer to the future I know.
Just a few days ago, the
idea had terrified her. Now, however, she was waiting with bated breath, praying that Arnold
would say yes. She desperately wished that Gutheil’s dream would come true and he
would be recognized for his talents as one of Arnold’s knights.
Arnold frowned and eyed
Gutheil with aggravation. “Stand.”
Gutheil made no show of
moving even at Arnold’s cold, cruel tone. “I will bow my head to
you as many times as it takes. Until you acknowledge me, I—”
“Just stand up.” Arnold sighed again, a sour expression on his face. “That bow is a sign that
you’re offering your neck to the one you’re swearing loyalty to. It’s full of openings,
and you won’t be able to recover from it if surprised.”
“If you heard me, then
cut it out. I tell all my Imperial Guards the same thing.” Arnold’s clear blue eyes
bore into Gutheil. “If you’re going to call yourself my knight, then you won’t be taking
that pose anymore.”
The knight leaped to his
feet and bowed deeply in front of Arnold. “Thank you! Thank you!”
“How wonderful, Sir Gutheil!” Sylvia exclaimed,
wrapping her arms around him.
Gutheil flinched but
still caught her.
The diva was elated by the
good news, crying for a different reason now. “Congratulations! This is the first step to
fulfilling your dream, isn’t it?”
“From now on, people will
know you for your own fantastic deeds, not your father’s crimes.”
Gutheil’s eyes went wide,
as though the thought hadn’t even occurred to him. “I’m…thrilled to even
imagine it!”
He smiled awkwardly, and
Sylvia embraced him once more. “It makes me happier to
just think about how happy it makes you.”
Oh, I’m so glad… Rishe let go of the
breath she’d been holding. She didn’t think Sylvia would talk about leaving Gutheil anymore. She wasn’t sure, but the way Sylvia was
clinging to Gutheil, she found it all too easy to picture them together in the
future. It’s all because Sir Gutheil changed and Prince
Arnold recognized that change.
Rishe was so delighted,
she went over to Arnold and pinched his sleeve.
She giggled, unable to
keep it in, and Arnold cocked a brow.
Just like in the future I
know, Sir Gutheil was able to become one of Prince Arnold’s knights. But I’m sure that things
are changing little by little, and we’ll be able to avoid that future.
Rishe believed that from
the bottom of her heart. She wasn’t telling Arnold, however, which just caused him to sigh in
resignation for the umpteenth time. He softly grabbed the
hand tugging at his sleeve like he was comforting a fussy child.
As he entwined her fingers
with his own, her heart throbbed at the sickly-sweet gesture.
“I need to oversee the
cleanup. Go
get changed and wait for me.”
Part of
me does want to tell him what I want right away now that I’ve thought of
something, but not now. She’d have to tell him later. Just as Arnold had said,
their plan wasn’t over yet. There were a lot more
spies lying around backstage now, and the theater was still noisy. Oliver had left earlier,
and he probably needed assistance with something as well.
“I’ll give you a hand,
Prince Arnold.”
Rishe smiled and removed
the veil from her head before setting about helping Arnold.
“That stupid superhuman
couple, honestly…” Raul muttered to himself from a corner of the bustling
theater. “What a
ridiculous plan. I mean, do a crown prince and a future crown princess usually get
involved to save one lousy spy trying to weasel out of her organization?”
He discreetly put away his
bow, pulled down the hood of his cloak, and rested his elbow on the
fourth-floor railing, his chin in his hand. One of his men stationed
outside of the theater had reported that no operatives had fled the building,
but he figured they’d need to keep an eye on things for a little longer.
“Welp, it’ll be easier to
gather the information Prince Arnold wants now. Just how much of this has
he figured out, pretending to go along with his wife’s selfishness all the
while?”
Raul surveyed the
now-empty stage. “Eh, I guess he wouldn’t have given me the orders he did if he weren’t
capable of that much.”
ON THE ROOF of the royal theater was
a small garden. The secret spot wasn’t visible from the ground, and only the royalty
and the nobility could make use of it.
Under the light of the
moon, which would be full tomorrow night, it was more than bright enough
without any lamps. Rishe rested alone in the garden on a wooden bench, the summer breeze
ruffling her coral hair. It was nice and comfortable, considering the strenuous exercise she’d
just undergone.
She only escaped dozing
off because someone else had just arrived in the garden.
Arnold walked toward her
from the door to the roof. He caressed Rishe’s cheek, seeing how sleepy she looked. “You’re really not hurt?”
“Really, Your Highness…”
Rishe said with a bit of a pout. “You asked me every time
you ran into me during the cleanup, didn’t you?”
He’d touched her cheeks,
inspected her hands, and checked her for injuries already.
Arnold took a quiet breath. “Want to rest here some
more?”
The cleanup had been just
as hard as they’d figured it would be. It had taken time to get
the audience to leave, round up all the intelligence agents, and arrange for
their transport. Rishe had been helping out as well, so she hadn’t been able to sit down
for a breather. She had eventually run out of things to do and was tasked only with
waiting for Arnold to finish, but she didn’t even have a place to change out of
the dress she’d borrowed. As a result, she was still wearing the costume as she gazed up at the
stars.
“Won’t you sit too?” she asked him.
Looking like he had no
choice but to comply, Arnold sat down beside her. She beamed cheerfully at
him, and he sighed. “I heard that man made quite a fuss at you over something or another.”
“You mean Prince Dietrich?” Rishe cocked her head and
thought back to the exchange from earlier.
“You’re darn right! Why, my heroism is worth
a commendation at least, I would think! You two would have been
in great peril were it not for my swift and noble action! I put my very life on the
line to save you! That’s me, the courageous crown prince! Ha ha ha ha!”
“As for proving Lord
Arnold’s superiority as a husband, well…I have come to realize that the man
seems to respect and value you. More or less.”
“However! If he really valued you, then he wouldn’t put you in so much danger! Isn’t that a more normal
way to see things?! You really should rethink this marriage, Rishe.”
“No,” Rishe said with a
smile. “I’m
very happy that Prince Arnold respects my wishes. I can always feel him
protecting me from danger. It makes me feel like I need to get stronger in return.”
Dietrich seemed to chew
on his words for a moment. “Very
well.”
“It seems to me as though
Lord Arnold Hein has abandoned the very idea of human happiness, but he at
least has the guts to try to make you happy! Rejoice, Rishe, for that
is the judgment I have rendered unto him myself!”
I can’t believe Prince
Dietrich is taking back something he said before and acknowledging another person…
Rishe would never have
been able to imagine something like that before he broke off their engagement. Had coming to Galkhein
and seeing another man in a position like his changed his attitude? Or maybe this was the
result of Mary’s hard work?
At this
rate, maybe he won’t even attempt his coup in this life, she thought with a chuckle. Either way, the
individual who had instigated the coup had come to light now. The entity who had set
his sights on Galkhein and Arnold wasn’t likely to make use of Hermity anymore.
This would
be Rishe’s first life where Dietrich didn’t try to start a revolution. In the past, Rishe had
always felt some guilt for abandoning her homeland, but that weight had finally
been lifted from her shoulders.
Dietrich had no way of
knowing what Rishe was thanking him for, but that was fine with her.
“Agh!
That tongue
of yours really has gotten sharper lately, hasn’t it?!”
Rishe giggled, and
Dietrich made a complicated expression.
“The day I broke off our
engagement, you told me I was an unnecessary element in your life.”
She
had said that, but Rishe
thought she would take this opportunity to revise that statement. “Don’t worry, I’m just as
unnecessary to your life, Prince Dietrich.”
“Do you remember what
adults were always saying to us when we were young? That I had to be
responsible so I could support you?”
Dietrich lowered his head. Evidently, the phrase was
familiar.
“That’s not true, is it? After all, you really can
do it if you try, Prince Dietrich… You’ll be perfectly fine without me.”
“I’m the crown prince, you
know! Someone
so important would never cry before others! Anyway…” He sniffled
hard, then pointed at Rishe and demanded, “Is Lord Arnold Hein a necessary
element in your life?!”
Rishe blinked. “Prince
Dietrich. It’s rude to
point.”
“Gaaah!
That’s not
important right now!”
Rishe laughed at the
recollection, and Arnold regarded her dubiously.
“It’s nothing. Prince Dietrich and I just gave each other a little encouragement for
our respective lives from now on.”
Rishe smiled and looked
up at Arnold.
In the distance, the
church bell rang out just once. That church also
functioned as a clock tower, so the bell rang at set intervals to announce the
time. And
the hour it had just rung out was twelve o’clock—midnight.
“It’s your birthday,”
Arnold said, and Rishe nodded.
The date had changed. Today, the thirtieth day
of the seventh month, was the day Rishe had been born. It was her sixteenth
birthday. Rishe
had experienced this occasion seven times now.
Arnold, who couldn’t
possibly know that, said, “I’ve never celebrated someone’s birthday before.”
“Tell me what you want of
me.” Arnold’s
fingers playfully traced the earring Rishe wore. “Did you decide what you
wish to do?”
Rishe nodded once more. Arnold’s curiosity was
piqued.
Rishe spoke slower than
usual, and Arnold waited for her to finish. Appreciative of his
patience, she took her time voicing the feelings in her heart.
“I’ve always wanted to
live a free life. Not as a duke’s daughter or a crown princess, but just as a human
being, valuing myself rather than what’s expected of me…and you respect that
desire of mine above all else, Prince Arnold.”
Rishe felt that way from
the bottom of her heart.
“You’re not trying to
control me or lock me away. You’ve worried about me
and shown concern so many times, but you always trust me in the end. You allow me to be free
to pursue my own desires, and you lend a hand when I’m not able to do
everything I want by myself…”
Arnold had promised to
grant her any request that he could, but it wasn’t out of a simple desire to be
sincere to the oath he’d sworn when he’d proposed to her. Moreover, he didn’t just
give superficially to Rishe. He considered her
feelings and always thought of how best to grant her requests.
“I’m very happy right now
that I can be your bride.”
“As your bride, I want
our wedding to be perfect. I don’t want to shame you, and I want to hold my head up high as the
crown princess.”
“No matter what anyone
says, you’re my bride. There’s no changing that fact.”
“Still, I want it to be
perfect.” Rishe
needed courage to finish telling Arnold what it was she wanted. “So, Prince Arnold…” She
grasped the hand fiddling with her earring and squeezed it. “Can we please practice
the kiss we’ll exchange at the ceremony?”
Rishe thought her voice
might tremble from nervousness. “As your birthday gift to
me…” Her embarrassment blended with genuine desire. Rishe gazed up at Arnold
and pleaded, “Would you kiss me?”
She thought this might
have been the first time she’d ever seen Arnold so genuinely surprised.
Before he could say more,
she frantically blurted, “I know, it’s a terribly improper request, I’m so
sorry!” She
grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and squeezed it tight. “I’m just not confident
at all that I’ll be able to do it well. I realize it’s an
imposition, but…please.”
“That’s not…what I…”
Arnold’s frown deepened as he choked out the words. He touched Rishe’s
shoulders with a pitying look and said, “What are you asking for? You’re trembling so much.”
Rishe was hyperaware that
her body had frozen due to a bad case of nerves, but that was no reason for
Arnold to feel so concerned. “This isn’t because I’m
dreading or afraid of the idea,” she told him, thinking it a bit strange
herself.
When their engagement was
fresh, she’d made him swear not to lay even a finger on her since she was so
nervous about him. Eventually, she started letting him touch her through gloves. At some point, she’d
almost forgotten the promise altogether.
Of course, having Arnold
touch her so intimately made her nerves go from bad to worse. Her face was burning—but
she’d never hated that feeling. She hadn’t felt any
disgust or fear during their first kiss in the chapel either.
All she experienced was a
pesky ache in the center of her chest.
“I’m sorry!” Rishe hung her head, reflecting on her actions. “I should have known you
wouldn’t want to do that. I-I’m always so selfish!”
Arnold must have had some
reason for what he’d done that day. Still, she couldn’t just
ask him for a kiss. Rishe shot up from the bench, coming back to her senses—and Arnold
grabbed her hand.
With a heavy sigh, he
said, “I said it wasn’t a bother.”
Rishe raised her head and
found Arnold standing in front of her with his eyes closed in irritation. He opened them and then
brushed Rishe’s hair, his fingers tucking a lock behind her ear.
Oh my… Rishe was suddenly
nervous, knowing what was about to come next. She didn’t want Arnold
seeing her face so red, but she had no choice when he lifted her chin.
His face is like the most
beautiful piece of art in the world.
The prince’s blue eyes and
long lashes captivated anyone who saw them. They had such dangerous
power, yet he always looked straight at Rishe. She didn’t know what to
do about it. To make matters worse, his thumb was tracing her lip now, as though
measuring precisely where his lips would go.
Rishe let a little puff
of air out, tickled by his touch.
“B-but…” Her heart
threatened to somersault out of her chest every time she so much as opened her
mouth. “I can’t look?”
Arnold’s eyes shone in
the light of the nearly full moon. Rishe could see herself
in their azure, oceanic depths. He half closed them and
coaxed her, “You want to practice for the wedding, right?”
He spoke like he was
trying to coax a stubborn child. It was true that they
would close their eyes for the ceremony. Even these small aspects
of the kiss had a tradition to be followed. But since they had the
opportunity to practice, she kind of wanted to know everything she could. Arnold must have guessed
what she was thinking.
He pressed little kisses
against Rishe’s eyelids, which snapped closed when his lips brushed against her
lashes. She
let out a cute grunt in response.
Arnold really did spoil
Rishe more than anyone in the world, praising her just for closing her eyes. Regardless, she wasn’t
sure if he really would go along with all her selfish requests.
What’ll
I do if he says the kiss on the eyelids is it? she thought, timidly
opening her eyes again. She was met with a devastatingly earnest gaze.
Prince Arnold really will
grant my request… He will!
Now certain of it, Rishe
began to feel lightheaded. She grasped at Arnold’s shirt, close to the collar. She had requested this,
yet she was already almost down for the count.
“You don’t have to force
yourself,” he told her.
Her eyelids flew wide,
and she shook her head. “Don’t
stop.”
She wanted Arnold to kiss
her no matter what. Peering at him through her lashes, she begged, “Please, Your Highness…”
Arnold tilted her neck
back a bit more. This time, her eyelids fell closed on their own. He wrapped his other arm
around her waist, and his face neared hers.
His touch was tender and,
as always, full of concern for her. The moment she registered
it, there was that familiar pang in her chest again. Not only that, but her
pulse quickened as a fierce warmth spread through her, threatening to bring her
to tears.
The kiss lasted only a
few seconds. When they pulled away, their eyes locked. Arnold looked to be in
pain somehow.
Rishe’s head was a little
fuzzy, and she felt a bit weak in the knees. Even the feeling from
when their lips met felt like it might fade away if she didn’t hang on to it.
“I couldn’t remember it
all after just one kiss.”
She didn’t want to forget it.
If this was
her only opportunity to learn, then she wanted to know more. She tugged gently on
Arnold’s shirt, and his brow furrowed.
“If it’s not too much to
ask, could we—mgh!”
This time, the kiss was a
little more forceful, almost a bite—which felt familiar. It took her by surprise;
Rishe thought she was probably remembering the poison wound she’d received on
her neck. Arnold
had sucked on it to remove the toxin.
A kiss was a meeting of
the lips and nothing more. Yet the arm around her waist flexed, pulling her closer. Her heart beat faster and
louder, making even more of a racket than when she’d fought onstage. She squirmed, flustered
by the idea of Arnold hearing it—but Arnold kept her firmly in place as they
kissed, with no intention of setting her free.
It was just their lips
meeting, but Rishe had somehow lost the ability to breathe. She scrunched her face
up, and Arnold finally pulled away from her. Then he pressed his
forehead to hers and said, his voice husky, “Sorry.”
Somehow managing to
breathe again, Rishe shook her head. Their bangs tangled
together as she gripped Arnold’s shirt.
“More,” she begged, and
Arnold huffed in response.
Their next kiss was soft,
as if in apology for the previous one’s hastiness. This one was modest,
little more than a peck. Their lips separated with a tiny smack. The sound was adorable on
its own, but it contributed to Rishe’s embarrassment and restlessness. She wanted to learn more,
but it had ended so fast that her lips tingled at the loss.
Were there really this
many ways to kiss? They were all so different, she didn’t feel like she was getting good
practice in at all. Only vague feelings compelling her now, she implored him once more,
tears in her eyes.
Arnold’s brows came
together and he tugged Rishe even closer to him, until she was snug in his
arms. He
patted her on the back soothingly.
“I’ll kiss you as many
times as you like later, so just breathe for now.”
Rishe buried her face in
Arnold’s chest, hiding her scarlet cheeks and focusing on breathing. She took shallow breaths,
one after the other, but she didn’t feel herself growing calmer at all. If she sat down right
now, she worried she’d never be able to stand again.
She realized it had been a
good idea to practice. If she acted like this at the wedding, she’d disgrace herself as crown
princess. Even
as Rishe thought this, Arnold held her with great care. He kissed her forehead
through her bangs. Rishe’s heart thrummed, and she felt tears welling in her eyes again. At the same time, the
gentle touch gave her a strange sense of calm at last.
I feel like my brain is
melting…
She was starting to feel
like she wanted Arnold to hold her forever. But if they did that, she
wouldn’t be able to get more practice.
Suddenly, she remembered
the words Dietrich had said to her earlier that day.
“Is Lord Arnold Hein a
necessary element in your life?!”
Rishe had scolded
Dietrich for his bad manners, then smiled and replied, “Yes, he is.” She then told the
shocked prince the full truth: “After
all, I wish to spend the rest of my life at his side.”
“Rishe.” Arnold’s voice was soft but hoarse as well. Rishe’s shoulders
twitched, so he asked her worriedly, “Are you afraid?”
It was the same thing
he’d asked her when she’d run into his father the other day.
Rishe shook her head. “Your
voice…”
“I really…like it.” She had fistfuls of
Arnold’s shirt in her hands as she pressed her forehead to him. With her face hidden, she
confessed, “It feels almost painful when you say my name, so it’s a bit of a
problem…”
Rishe meant it. Yet Arnold brushed the hair away from her ear and pressed his lips to
it, murmuring breathily, “Rishe.”
Now this was just mean. Evidence of his guilt
escaped from his nose in a small puff of air.
She could tell he was
only mildly teasing her, but she still wanted to protest. The next time he called
her name, it was with reverence, like she was the most precious thing in the
world to him.
Tears threatened to spill
from Rishe’s eyes at the sound.
Her eyelids flew wide
open as his lips brushed her ear again. He’d just told her to
breathe, so what was he doing raining kisses down on her? Arnold kissed her bangs,
then captured her left hand. He’d probably picked up
on the way she was clinging a little too tightly to his shirt. He wove his fingers
through hers as if to scold her for it.
Then he kissed the base
of her ring finger, just below the ring he’d gifted her.
He’s kissing me all over
the place… I feel like I’ve become some sort of confectionery…
He tilted her head back
again, and Rishe hastened to wipe her wet eyelashes. “I-I’m sorry. I can’t believe I’m doing
this when I was the one who asked…”
Arnold took hold of her
hand before she could rub her eyes. With both her hands
seized firmly in his, he looked her in the eye and whispered, “It’s cute. You don’t need to hide it.”
Rishe was astonished. The unexpected words made
her ears burn—but Arnold was, of course, unflappable as ever.
“Then again…” His eyes
and voice, however, were kinder than usual. “I can’t think of a single
time you ever weren’t cute.”
She had no idea how to
respond. She really wanted to hide her face
now, but with neither hand free, all she could do was bury her face in Arnold’s
neck.
Arnold let go of Rishe’s
right hand and stroked her hair instead. “Rishe.”
“You can’t blame me, can
you?”
She had just told him it
was a problem for her when he called her name, yet he showed absolutely no
remorse for his behavior. If anything, he was just rubbing salt in her wounds, saying things
like, “I want to see your face.”
She had to give up when he
said that right in her ear. If he was making a
request of her, she had to fulfill it. She relaxed and pulled
away from Arnold, who tilted her head back up at him. Concerned fingers brushed
her flaming cheeks.
It’s painful, but not
because of the kissing, she wanted to tell him, but
she couldn’t, instead letting out only a breath. Why does it make me want
to cry when he says my name? Heat pricked the corners
of her eyes. I want him to say it even more…
She had heard about
wavering feelings like this from Sylvia. When the diva met
Gutheil, she’d felt a slew of contradictory emotions. It was the first time
she’d ever felt like that in her life.
Rishe inhaled a shaky breath.
Arnold
rubbed her back, regarding her with soft eyes. Rishe’s lashes were still
wet, so he gently wiped her tears away.
Her heart ached at the words.
She could
only think of one such instance herself, however.
“I’m not crying right
now,” she said petulantly.
Exasperation crossed
Arnold’s face. “Liar.”
Arnold’s thumb brushed
Rishe’s lips as if to chide her for trying to put up a brave front. He pressed down right in
the middle. He was
teasing her again!
At his featherlight touch,
pain sprouted in her heart once more.
“If it frightens you, we
don’t have to kiss at the wedding. I’ll change whatever part
of the ceremony needs changing, no matter who objects.”
She really did feel like a frightened
little kid the way he was talking about her.
“I don’t want any part of
my vows as your wife missing.” She beseeched him once
more, “Please kiss me…my husband…”
Arnold frowned and cupped
Rishe’s cheek. With the other hand, he entwined their fingers. “Okay.”
Her chest still hurt, but
she also felt an urge to get even closer to him welling up inside her.
I feel like I’m going to
cry when he says my name, but I want him to say it more. It’s painful being with
him, but I don’t want to leave.
Celebrating a birthday
meant celebrating the fact that you’d been born. Rishe had died again and
again, her life scattering in the wind, but she felt like a new beat was
pulsing in her heart now.
I’m in love with Prince
Arnold…
Bonus
Story:
A Hands-on Examination Is the Only
Way
SHORTLY AFTER THE performance-fight at the
theater, Rishe assisted with the aftermath, still in her songstress costume. Every time her mind
wandered, she found herself thinking about the gift she planned to ask Arnold
for. But if
she kept thinking about it, she would be unable to focus on anything else, so
she tried to stay busy helping out.
Rishe mainly found
herself performing first aid on the spies and preparing them for transport, but
she did occasionally bump into Arnold as he bustled about with his own tasks. Each time she did, he
would stop her and ask her about her condition.
This was another moment
that they ran into one another in a deserted hallway behind the stage.
Rishe jumped when Arnold
grabbed her wrist. She’d tried to simply give him a nod and slip past him. He must have found her
awkwardness suspicious, so he curled his fingers around hers, preventing her
from making an escape.
“You’re not pushing
yourself, are you?”
His touch was so gentle. Rishe found herself
strangely preoccupied by it. She
gulped. His
hold on her was loose, but she didn’t think she’d be able to escape his grasp
nonetheless.
To make matters worse, he
pushed her against the wall, pinning her there.
“O-of course I’m not! I’m full of energy! You can see that, can’t you?!” Rishe managed, but Arnold
didn’t seem to agree.
He pressed the back of her
hand to the wall, not letting her run away this time. With his other hand, he
took hold of her chin and asked in a low voice, “Then why are you so nervous
every time you run into me?”
Rishe glanced up at
Arnold on impulse and regretted it immediately. Even in this dimly lit
hallway, Arnold’s countenance was dazzling. Normally, this was where
Rishe would find herself getting lost in the sea of his eyes, but today she
found herself staring at his lips.
The moment her thoughts
turned to kisses again, her cheeks flushed and tears sprang to her eyes. She was reminded just how
insane the thing she planned to ask him was. She’d planned to
concentrate on the cleanup work, building up her courage—but each time she ran
into Arnold, her emotions were thrown into disarray.
I-I can’t say it! At the very least, I’m not going to be able to say it now!
She wormed her way out of
Arnold’s grip and averted her eyes. Arnold lowered his voice
even more.
“You seem to have changed
gloves at some point.”
That was because her hands
were the most likely part of her to get dirty during their work, so she’d
switched out the gloves she was borrowing for her own pair. There was no deeper reason. She tried to explain
that, but it sounded like a poor excuse even to her ears. Her past recklessness was
impeding her credibility here. Arnold did trust her, but
when it came to matters of her own health, he was particularly strict.
“If you insist…” She did
feel bad for causing him worry. Rishe closed her eyes and
braced herself for the inevitable embarrassment. “Feel free…”
“Feel free to what?” Arnold asked with a frown.
“I figured this would be
the only way to get you to believe me if my words couldn’t convince you,” Rishe
explained. She
leaned back against the wall and peeked at Arnold. “Please inspect my body
in whichever way will satisfy you, until you’re convinced…”
His hold on her tightened. Her fingers twitched, and
he quickly let his grip go slack.
Arnold started to say
something but then stopped, resting his forehead on Rishe’s shoulder and
sighing instead. He
seemed awfully tired.
“Just so you know, you
can’t take these gloves off without undoing these ribbons here…”
They were long gloves, so
the ribbons keeping them on were tied at her upper arms. Still looking sullen,
Arnold reached out for the spot Rishe had specified. His fingers brushed the
ribbon and untied it in one fluid motion.
He hooked his fingers
into the end of the glove and slowly slid it down Rishe’s arm.
Rishe felt restless as
the cloth glided down her skin. They were just gloves,
but Rishe shuddered at the sensation of someone else removing a piece of her
clothing.
Rishe wanted to beg him
not to be so gentle with her, but he didn’t hear her silent plea. The scowling Arnold
peeled off Rishe’s glove and inspected her bare arm. Her shoulder, her squishy
upper arm, the soft skin on the inside of her elbow. Her forearm, wrist, palm,
and fingertips. He observed each area carefully to make sure she wasn’t wounded.
She regretted the suggestion she’d made at last. Is it just me or is this
situation really embarrassing?!
His complete silence
flustered her all the more. He’d removed her second
glove now and was checking her other arm. He turned her around and
checked the backs of her arms too. Eventually, he spun her to
face him again.
“No.”
Arnold narrowed
his eyes. “I
can inspect you in whichever way will satisfy me until I’m convinced, right?”
Arnold grabbed one of her
wrists and pinned her to the wall again. Even if one of her arms
was free, Rishe couldn’t exactly put up a fight against him.
He stroked her cheek. Her shoulders lurched
from the chill of his fingertips. Arnold had definitely
noticed how hot she was. His fingers traced her flushed cheeks as if to illustrate that fact.
“I-I’m not hurt there,”
she asserted, hunching over to escape his ticklish touch.
Yet Arnold just said, “I
know.”
Then why hasn’t he stopped
yet?!
Next, he touched her ear,
which tickled even more. Arnold ran his fingers across her skin, slowly confirming she was free
of injuries. Then his rough fingers reached somewhere Rishe hadn’t been expecting.
His fingers brushed the
left side of her neck. It was where she’d been hit by a poison arrow in the past, and where
Arnold had kissed. There shouldn’t have even been a scar anymore, yet Arnold seemed to
know exactly where the injury had been.
“Agh, stop it, Your
Highness!”
Rishe almost wanted to cry
from the sensation of his rough fingers brushing against her skin.
“I’m sorry for worrying you! I promise I’ll tell you
what it is I’m hiding later, so please!”
“I-I really can’t take any
more tickling right now!” Rishe protested, half crying.
Arnold whispered, “You
really haven’t pushed yourself at all?”
All Rishe could do was
frantically shake her head.
Arnold sighed and finally
released her hand. Then he brought his lips up to her ear again and whispered, “I think
we’ll make these regular inspections. You shouldn’t have told
me I could do whatever I wanted.”
Just as she suspected,
she’d said something she shouldn’t have. This was another one of
his “punishments.” But what sort of face would he make when he found out she planned to
ask him for an even more inappropriate gift after this?
Can I really ask him to
practice kissing me?
She had no idea. She almost decided not to, but quickly banished the thought.
I
have to. After
all, it’s…what I want.
Arnold looked down at her
inquiringly, so she told him she’d explain later. Then, when she informed
him that she could not tie the ribbons of her gloves herself, he sighed and
helped her put them back on.
TOUKO AMEKAWA HERE. It was a long wait, but
I’m so happy I could finally bring you 7th Time Loop Volume 5!
This time, it’s a story
about people from another one of Rishe’s important lives: her life as a duke’s
daughter. And
Rishe finally has a big moment of growth this time too!
Arnold, meanwhile,
reaches a five out of ten on his “open affection for Rishe” scale in the
epilogue of this volume. He’s in the last stretch of the first lap, but I believe he’ll keep
gaining. I
hope you’ll watch over him as he continues the race!
Thank you so much for the
illustrations, Wan☆Hachipisu-sensei. The color and
monochromatic images are both gorgeous, and the last illustration in particular
shot me right through the heart. I still haven’t recovered. I’ll treasure it for the
rest of my life!
To my editor, thank you
for taking me by the reins. You’ve brought out the
best in my work.
And everyone who read
this volume! Thanks to your support, this series is becoming an anime! Can you believe it?! I’m so happy, and it
still doesn’t feel real at all, but it’s thanks to all of you! I really can’t thank you
enough! Rishe
and friends will move freely on-screen and talk! It’s an incredibly
wonderful anime, so I can’t wait until you’re all able to see it.
Please wait for the next
piece of good news!
I hope we’ll be able to meet again in Volume 6 of 7th Time Loop! Thank you so much.
