Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

WHILE RISHE WALKED with Arnold to the party hall on the night he gave her the ring, a question rose in her mind.

“Why did you propose to me when you did, Prince Arnold?”

It was a question she’d asked him several times since they first met. He always dodged it, but she figured it was about time for the truth. She peered up at him expectantly but found that he was giving her a rather stern look in return.

Ever composed, he replied, “I believe I told you before. It was because I fell for you.”

Come on, we both know that’s a lie!

No matter how many times she reexamined their first meeting, she couldn’t pinpoint what she’d done to endear her to Arnold. She certainly couldn’t imagine Arnold Hein of all people proposing to a stranger on a mere whim.

Somewhat sulkily, Rishe mentioned the evidence she’d been holding on to for this conversation. “You also said you brought me here to use me.”

“Well, the reason doesn’t really matter, does it?”

Maybe not to you!

This was a big turning point in Rishe’s life. She didn’t need to know everything, but having a little more information would definitely help.

She made her dissatisfaction plain on her face, and Arnold laughed, evidently finding it amusing. At this rate, he’d never tell her the reason he proposed no matter what she did. Staring down at the band on her ring finger, Rishe made up her mind.

I think it’s time to move on to the next stage in my plan.

 

---

 

“So, Prince Theodore, I’d really appreciate it if you could tell me about Prince Arnold’s relationship with your father.”

“You really cut to the chase sometimes, don’t you?”

Theodore shot Rishe an exasperated look from where he was reclining on the grass. The sunlight must have been too bright for him because he rubbed his eyes after glancing up at her. He didn’t seem very enthusiastic about answering her question, but still, he sat up and engaged with her. This made him just as kind as his brother in Rishe’s book.

“As his fiancée, I should learn about him and his father.” Rishe laid her handkerchief flat next to Theodore and sat on it, legs pressed together. “You know more about Prince Arnold than anyone else, which is why I’ve come to you in my time of need.”

“Hee hee. Well, you’re right about that. I’m the world’s best resource for information on him.”

Rishe applauded Theodore, who puffed up with pride. He put his elbow on his knee and rested his chin in his hand before continuing.

“Sorry to get your hopes up, but I don’t think I can answer that question. Even if it’s you who’s asking, and even if you give me a new scoop on Arnold in return!”

“Why not?”

“I’ve never talked with my father. I’ve looked into what I could regarding him and my brother, but they don’t speak in public, you see.” Theodore plucked strands of grass as he spoke. “Even when our father has orders for him, Arnold is called to the audience chamber alone. Not even Oliver or our father’s attendants are allowed at their meetings.”

They only ever meet alone?

“I know a little about his mother, though.”

Rishe snapped her head up at those unexpected words. “If I recall correctly, you and Prince Arnold have different mothers. Is that right?”

“It’s not that uncommon, really.”

She’d also heard that Theodore’s mother had already passed. Galkhein’s current empress was not a blood relation to either brother.

“Remember when I said Arnold killed his mother?” Theodore asked, face softening a little with sadness.

Rishe nodded and asked what she hadn’t then: “What happened?”

“Arnold’s mother always hated him. She kept him as far away from her as possible. Whenever she saw him, she’d shower abuse on him. It went on like that for years until he finally stabbed her with a sword.” Quietly, Theodore added, “Right through the heart.”

That instant, Rishe remembered dying by Arnold’s sword in her sixth life. Back then, he’d thrust his blade straight into her heart. “Do you know for sure that’s what happened?”

“It was kept hidden from the public, but everybody who’s anybody in this country knows about it.” Theodore grimaced like he’d tasted something bitter. “His mother was royalty—and a hostage. Our father commanded her to marry him.”

“I once heard from Prince Arnold that his father ordered him to marry someone with royal blood from another country.”

Rishe herself had blood ties to her country’s royal family. Distant ties, but they were enough for Arnold’s father to approve of their union. If I learn about his mother, maybe I’ll understand a little more about why Prince Arnold proposed to me. Or perhaps she was being naive.

I have no idea if figuring that out will lead to avoiding the war in the next few years. I still feel like it’s more important to investigate the coup d’état that starts the war—Prince Arnold’s murder of his father, the current emperor. There’s one other thing…

While Rishe was deliberating, Theodore stretched and stood up with a yawn. “Guess I should head back.”

“I’m sorry for interrupting your rest.”

“You’d better be! I wouldn’t trade an opportunity to talk about my brother for anything else, though, so it’s fine. Ah, what time is it?”

“From the position of the sun, I’d say three hours past noon.”

Theodore was taken aback by Rishe’s swift answer. “I’d prefer if you announced the time after hearing a church bell or looking at a clock, you know.”

“It’s just a guess, so it’s not as accurate as a clock. Come to think of it, Prince Theodore…” She wanted to ask her future brother-in-law something she’d been wondering for a long time now, something she’d asked Arnold too. “Down there, in the town, there’s a beautiful spire. What is that?”

Theodore glanced at the tower and replied, “It’s a church. The second biggest and most impressive on the continent, apparently, so even foreigners travel to worship there. They pray together once a month and sing together once a year. It’s a pretty important building, I guess.”

“I see…” It seemed there really was something that needed her confirmation. Rishe’s gaze dropped as she formulated a plan.

She thanked Theodore, parted with him, and met up with her waiting guards nearby. Then she headed back to the detached palace, whereupon she visited Arnold’s office and asked to speak to him alone.

Taking her place on the couch opposite him, she put one hand on top of the other on her lap. “Prince Arnold.”

“Yes? What’s with the solemn look?”

“Well, I’m here with a rather selfish request.” Arnold urged her to continue with his eyes, so Rishe said flatly, “I’d like to officially annul my engagement.”

He said nothing, watching her.

“Oh, of course I mean my—”

Arnold stood before Rishe could finish and sat down beside her, eyes fixed on her all the while. Rishe gulped as he said, “If that is your wish…”

“Yes?” She hadn’t finished explaining, but Arnold hadn’t asked her to. It’s Prince Arnold we’re talking about. I’m sure he’s already predicted my thoughts and knows exactly what I want to say.

Arnold’s shapely hands reached out and combed through her coral-colored hair.

“Eep!”

Ever since Rishe told Arnold he could touch her directly a few days ago, he’d developed a habit of stroking her hair. He tended to touch her just next to her ear, which tickled and made her feel anxious in a strange way. Arnold probably felt like he was petting an animal, but Rishe was always caught unawares by his touch. The surprise was bad for her heart. And to make it all worse, his face was so close to hers; she felt cornered.

“Y-Your Highness?”

The most beautiful man in the world (as far as Rishe was aware) whispered to her in a low voice, “I’ll have to interfere with whatever method I can.”

“Huh?” Rishe was speechless for a moment. She wondered why he would say something like that and then realized there had been a misunderstanding. “W-wait a second! I wasn’t clear enough. Let me finish what I was saying! Please back up a bit!”

“No. You just said you wanted to annul your engagement, didn’t you?”

“I did, but I didn’t! I have no intention of fleeing from whatever your scheme is! The engagement I want to officially annul is…!”

My previous engagement with Dietrich.

When she explained herself, Arnold furrowed his brow deeply and heaved a sigh.

 

---

 

The crown prince of Galkhein’s personal carriage headed south down the highway.

It feels like we came this far in the blink of an eye.

Another half a day of travel and their destination would come into view. Rishe had donned a cool dress the color of new leaves to match the coming summer season. She glanced across the carriage at Arnold, who was reading some documents.

I’m really surprised. I didn’t think Prince Arnold would accompany me all this way.

Rishe recalled the conversation she’d had with Arnold a week ago.

 

“What I mean to say is, my childhood engagement with Prince Dietrich hasn’t been officially annulled yet,” Rishe told Arnold in his office.

At last, Arnold understood her meaning. “You performed an engagement ceremony with the crown prince of Hermity.”

“Yes, exactly. Though it’s a very old ceremony, so no royal families still hold them.”

An engagement ceremony was different from a marriage ceremony. Most of them were political affairs held while the betrothed were children. Since these contracts were often established years before the actual wedding, the engagement ceremony served to make the engagements harder to break. It hadn’t stopped Dietrich, however.

“It was something my parents requested of the Hermity royal family.”

Rishe had only the faintest memory of the event. All she remembered was getting roused from her sleep early and dressed, the exhaustion hanging over her the whole time, and Dietrich being wound up because of the atypical situation they were in.

“So, your engagement with that man is still registered with the Church.”

“It was a shock to me too. The engagement ceremony is rare as it is, and there aren’t many instances of annulling them in the past.” Rishe closed her eyes and nodded gravely. “I completely forgot that I can’t marry another man without going to the Grand Basilica to officially annul my previous engagement!”

Of course, this was a complete lie. Rishe was well aware that she had to file an annulment of her engagement with Dietrich at the Grand Basilica if she wanted to marry another man. She’d had an occasion to visit the Grand Basilica in her fourth life, and a bishop there had told her just that. She’d hastily filed for the annulment right then and there.

I knew I would have to in this life too, but I came to Galkhein without doing it on purpose… I wanted to give myself an opportunity to escape through my engagement to Prince Dietrich if I decided I didn’t want to marry Prince Arnold.

The ceremony wasn’t performed in most countries, so she figured Arnold wouldn’t be aware of this. Rishe regarded Arnold through her downcast eyelashes. I think I’m okay at this point, though. I don’t see myself itching to get out of marrying Prince Arnold. After all, he’s kind, and nice, and considerate…

“What is it?”

“Oh! Nothing!”

Since she had the convenient engagement, she figured it would be a waste to annul it without using this opportunity to further her goals—so she took it upon herself to do a little investigating.

I’ve always been curious about Prince Arnold’s relationship with the Crusade.

It was said that this world once had a goddess. A religion called the Crusade revered this goddess and created the calendar, along with various religious teachings. These teachings were spread and believed worldwide. Rishe’s homeland and Galkhein were no exception. There were differing levels of faith among the people, but the teachings influenced almost everyone to some extent. Spouses vowed their love to the goddess at weddings, and families celebrated the goddess’s birthday together.

Most nobles had, in addition to their first and last names, a baptismal name they’d received from the Church—so ubiquitous was the Crusade and the goddess’s teaching that this practice was common everywhere. Rishe’s own middle name, Irmgard, was her baptismal name.

Galkhein is one of the most powerful countries in the world. But as powerful as Galkhein is, the Crusade is about as powerful, and it’s been around for a lot longer.

However, one man’s hand would turn that major religion to ash.

Five years from now, Prince Arnold—by then, Emperor Arnold—will burn the Church to the ground. He set fire to every church he could find, dragged their bishops before their adherents, and killed them. He torched every bible and faith symbol he could find too, until not a single trace remained. I saw it once with my own eyes.

Before this life, she’d thought Arnold’s motivation was just the destruction of a large, powerful organization. But something had been bothering her for a while now since she’d gotten to know him in this life.

You can see down into Galkhein’s castle town from the detached palace. The first day I came to the palace, I asked Prince Arnold what the large spire in the east of the town was, and…

Arnold had said, “The church and clock tower. The bells ring out the hour.” From what Theodore told her, however, she knew something about Arnold’s answer was off.

Prince Arnold hardly mentioned the church. He was only concerned about the tower’s function as a clock.

That stuck in her mind, given that she was aware of Arnold’s future actions.

It’s weird for him to mention only that when speaking of a church. You’d think he would mention the church’s authority or political value, like his brother did. He must’ve deliberately avoided talking about it.

Maybe Arnold harbored hidden feelings toward the Crusade. If those feelings were connected to the violence he’d perpetrate in five years, then Rishe had ample reason to find out and prevent it.

Plus, this is my only opportunity to meet you-know-who in this life… That said, I’ll have to come up with a natural-sounding excuse if I want to get close to the Grand Basilica for my investigation.

Annulling her engagement with Dietrich was the perfect chance. She’d come up with this idea just the other day after receiving a letter. Rishe took the letter out and showed it to Arnold. “Lady Mary, Prince Dietrich’s current partner, worked hard to get him to annul the engagement on his end. It’s very difficult to do so, but Lady Mary came forward as Prince Dietrich’s partner in infidelity, which made the process much easier.”

Arnold languidly regarded the letter in Rishe’s hands.

“It says the process is complete on Prince Dietrich’s side of things, so all I need to do is finalize it at the Grand Basilica. I won’t have to see him as part of the process, so I think I’ll get it done quickly.”

“…”

“I apologize for the abruptness of the matter, but would it be all right if I headed to the Grand Basilica in the Holy Kingdom of Domana sometime in the next few days? If I hurry, I can probably make it back in about a week.”

Although she framed it as a question, Arnold had no choice but to let her go. After all, if Rishe didn’t go to the Grand Basilica, she wouldn’t be able to marry someone aside from Dietrich. She didn’t know what Arnold’s grand plan was, but as long as it involved their marriage, she was confident he would permit her to go.

I’d really like Prince Arnold to come along too, honestly, Rishe thought, watching Arnold frown. After all, the whole point of this voyage was to probe into Arnold’s feelings toward the Church. If the man himself accompanied her, it would undoubtedly be easier to find that out.

He has his hands full, though. I’m sure it won’t work out. I had to rush through my preparations for the marriage ceremony just to give myself enough time to leave.

But as she was telling herself that it wouldn’t work out…

“I’ll accompany you, then.”

“Huh?!” she exclaimed, not expecting to hear that.

Arnold was still sitting next to her. Calm as still water, he asked, “What? Is that inconvenient for you?”

Exactly the opposite, in fact! Things were too convenient, hence her shock.

While she was trying to puzzle out his motives, Arnold put his arm up on the back of the couch and explained, “I have several duties related to the Church that I’ve neglected. I put them off because I didn’t want to bother, but if I can go in person and get them all taken care of at once, then this is a perfect opportunity.”

That’s probably a lie…

“Plus…” Arnold paused, and Rishe cocked her head, waiting for him to continue. Eventually, he just said, “No. It’s nothing.”

This was rare. She could hardly remember another instance of Arnold taking back his words. He really did act odd over matters pertaining to the Church.

Then again, I could just be imagining it. I wonder what’s going on here?

She stared hard at him, but it wasn’t like that allowed her to read his thoughts. If she wanted to get a sense of what he was thinking, the best thing would be for him to accompany her.

 

A few days later, their carriage departed for the Holy Kingdom of Domana. Several days after that, they made it to their current location.

I didn’t really expect him to come with me, Rishe thought as their carriage headed for the Grand Basilica.

Arnold sat across from her, sorting through paperwork in silence. She was worried about him feeling sick, but he wore the same cool expression for the whole ride. The stack of documents at his side had been handed to him by his attendant, Oliver, who looked like he was on death’s door. There was a second stack just like it in another carriage.

Rishe apologized to Oliver in her mind as she organized the medicinal herbs she’d been able to find on the road. Well, it is pretty reckless for the crown prince to leave the country for a week with no warning! I’m sorry, Oliver, but because Prince Arnold is with us, we can change horses at regular intervals. We’re making great time on our way to the Grand Basilica!

“Galkhein always impresses me,” Rishe said as she separated the sepals from a flower that could be used to create an antidote. “The road all the way to the Grand Basilica has been maintained very well. If it weren’t, I don’t think this trip would have been this smooth even though Domana neighbors Galkhein.”

The jostling vibrations of a carriage made long rides exhausting. Paved roads significantly eased the burden of travel.

Arnold turned a page in his documents with an indifferent expression and said, “A hefty budget goes to maintaining this road. We get good tax yields from the towns along the highway, since so many people go to the Grand Basilica to worship.”

“Long-distance travel moves a lot of money. Though, if there’s so much traffic, that must mean there are a lot of devout believers in Galkhein, huh? The Church allows only the highway from Galkhein to come near the Grand Basilica too.”

That was another thing Rishe was curious about. The power dynamic between Galkhein and the Church was something no two other powers in the world shared. The Church had power surpassing that of a nation. As such, they had no reason to give favorable treatment to any powerful domains or their royal families. What set the Church apart was their own royal line, which was said to have inherited the blood of the goddess.

The Church’s relationship with Galkhein stood out from the rest; Galkhein having the second-biggest church in the world was evidence of that. They were the same size everywhere else so as not to suggest any disparity between countries’ ties to the Church.

It’s not just that the Church treats Galkhein differently. Galkhein hasn’t invaded the Holy Kingdom either.

The reason Domana neighbored Galkhein was that Galkhein had absorbed all the other countries between them in the last war.

Even though the Holy Kingdom doesn’t have a strong military, Galkhein still allows it to exist to their south without threat of invasion.

Arnold’s father had been very aggressive about starting wars. Arnold painted him as a belligerent man too. So why had he left a country alone that was politically important but militarily weak?

In my merchant loop, the rumor I heard all around the world was that Galkhein’s emperor was very devout. If that’s the case, did Prince Arnold burn churches to antagonize his father?

Opposite her, Arnold lifted his gaze from a page to peer at her. “More importantly, was it really all right not to bring any of your maids with you?”

“Yes. Only a select few can enter the Grand Basilica at the moment. If they had to wait in a nearby town for the duration of our visit, it makes more sense for them to remain in the detached palace instead.”

“All thanks to that festival. This trip is occurring at quite an inconvenient time.”

Actually, we’re here now precisely because they’re preparing for the festival, but I can’t tell him that!

The carriage gradually slowed. Rishe looked out the window, but they were passing through a forest on the highway. They were neither at their destination nor at a rest stop, yet the vehicle came to a halt. Rishe sensed Arnold starting to rise and grabbed his sleeve.

He frowned at her. “Something’s not right. Stay in the carriage.”

“I’m not letting you leave me in here a second time. Also, you should be well aware that locking the door is pointless, Your Highness.”

This was the second time she’d gotten into an unusual situation on a carriage trip with Arnold. Last time, Arnold had gotten the better of her—but not this time.

Arnold sighed and got out first, then held out his hand to Rishe. She smiled, took his hand, and stepped down from the carriage. Their guards’ carriage up ahead had stopped. The knights who had disembarked were standing around looking perplexed.

“What happened?” Arnold asked them.

“Your Highness! Well, a carriage from another country is blocking the road.”

Rishe had a hunch when she heard that report. It couldn’t be… A certain someone came to mind—and at almost the exact same moment, Rishe heard her.

“I don’t want it! I hate it, I hate it, I don’t want it!” A young girl’s clear, animated voice echoed through the nearby trees.

Arnold glanced in the direction of the sound. The door to a pure-white carriage opened, and a girl who looked about ten years old flew out of it.

“Will you be reasonable?! What do you hate about it?! You specifically said you wanted a white carriage, and you were perfectly happy riding in it a moment ago!”

“I changed my mind! Now I want a black carriage! I want it! And if I can’t have it—”

It was then that the girl locked eyes with Rishe’s party. She was pretty in a doll-like way, with big, bright eyes. Her long violet hair fell in gentle waves down her back. Her frilly, lemon-colored dress made her look a little immature for her age but suited her adorable appearance quite well. A polished pair of shoes topped it all off.

When the girl noticed that Rishe and Arnold’s carriage was black, she screwed up her face with resolute courage and shouted, “I’ve decided! If you won’t listen to me, Papa, then…” She sprinted over to them and grabbed Rishe’s skirt. “I’ll ride in these people’s carriage!”

“Millia! Don’t cause trouble to strangers!”

Ah, yes… Rishe regarded the girl and suppressed a sigh. I see you haven’t changed, Mistress Millia.

This girl was the noble lady Rishe had served in her fourth loop—and the whole reason Rishe had set off on this trip.

 

---

 

In her fourth life, a year and a half from the present, Rishe became Lady Millia Clarissa Jonal’s maid. She had been working for a marquess in Domana, getting along well with the young, rowdy sons of the family, and had received a request to do the same sort of work for the Jonal family. She’d headed to the family home, where she’d met the eleven-year-old Millia.

Millia was a very moody child. The other maids kept their distance from her as a result. An old illness had left her father—the duke—partially paralyzed, and he was prone to bouts of ill health. Since he couldn’t be with his daughter as much as he wanted, he tended to spoil her to keep her happy. As a result, she’d developed a selfish streak that he could no longer control.

When Rishe arrived at their house, the first thing the head maid told her was “You watch out for Mistress Millia too. She’s very difficult to handle, a real problem child.”

But…

Meeting Millia for the first time again in her seventh life, Rishe looked down at the crown of the girl’s head as she clung to her waist.

A man in his forties who looked to be at the end of his rope climbed down from Millia’s carriage. “Millia, you’re bothering them!”

Duke Jonal.

The noble hurried over. He had combed-back blond hair and a tidy mustache. He was Rishe’s former master, though he didn’t have the walking cane Rishe remembered.

I heard that Duke Jonal was paralyzed by an illness he’d suffered a long time ago, but…

Apparently, the condition hadn’t taken him just yet.

He walked up to Rishe and offered her a polite bow. “I’m terribly sorry for my daughter’s behavior, Miss. Let go of her, Millia!”

“No! Nooo!” Millia screamed with all her might and tightened her grip. She buried her face in Rishe’s skirts, though Rishe was a complete stranger to her now.

“Millia!”

“I hate you, Papa! You won’t do what I ask, and you scold me about it too! I’m only bothering these people because you’re being mean to me!” Millia shouted.

Arnold scowled. Rishe noticed him about to move and signaled him not to with her eyes. She looked down at Millia again and said to her, “Young lady—”

“Don’t talk to me! You’re just going to take Papa’s side, aren’t you?! Even though we just met and you don’t know what’s going on and you haven’t heard my side of it!”

“Do you think you could look up at me, young lady?”

“Wh-why? What do you want?!” Millia’s head angrily shot up…and she gasped.

Rishe spread out a white lace handkerchief. Millia watched her, puzzled. Taking advantage of that second of confusion, Rishe balled up the handkerchief in her right hand. She put that fist on top of her left hand, tapped it, and then opened both hands after a beat.

“Huh?!”

The handkerchief had disappeared without a trace. Instead, it had been replaced by a small stuffed bear. A buzz went through the watching servants and knights, but Millia, who had been watching up close, was the most surprised of all.

“M-m-magic?!” Millia’s cheeks flushed red, and her eyes sparkled.

Rishe beamed at her. “No, young lady. A magic trick. Here, to commemorate our meeting.”

“I can have it?!”

“Of course.”

Rishe offered her the stuffed bear, and the girl’s clenched hands began to relax. Crouching down to Millia’s level, Rishe introduced herself. “My name is Rishe Irmgard Weitzner. What’s your name, young lady?”

“I’m Millia Clarissa Jonal. I’m Papa’s daughter, and I’m almost ten.”

“Lady Millia, then.” She couldn’t exactly call her “Mistress” in this life. Feeling a bit sad about that, Rishe handed Millia the stuffed animal she’d prepared for their meeting. “I hope you like it.”

Shrinking in on herself with a little grunt, Millia shyly wrapped her hands around the bear and looked away from Rishe. “Um, thank you.”

Jonal looked on in disbelief. “My word… I never expected Millia to act so meek.”

You see, Your Grace, Mistress Millia is actually a good girl with a pure heart.

After meeting the eleven-year-old Millia and being charged with her care, Rishe had learned the young girl was more childlike than her age would suggest. They had cultivated flowers together, gone on walks in the forest, and slept in the same bed on stormy nights. Since Millia didn’t like studying, Rishe spent many hours reading the textbooks with her. And when Millia turned fifteen—the age Rishe was now—she became a happy bride.

But that day… Rishe stood and closed her eyes. Right after Mistress Millia’s wedding ceremony, Galkhein’s military stormed the church.

And Rishe had been killed.

Although she had been a maid, Rishe was like an older sister to Millia and had thus been allowed to attend the ceremony. She was in the church when Galkhein’s soldiers invaded. She had lived just long enough to see Millia and her family evacuated from the burning building.

I wonder if Prince Arnold was there in that church where I died. Curious, Rishe snuck a peek at Arnold. He seemed to have been watching her exchange with Millia dispassionately, but his gaze met Rishe’s. I’m sure he was. Arnold had given the order as well. It was by his will that that beautiful church was burned down, killing the people inside.

Rishe lowered her gaze and took a deep, furtive breath. Then she raised her head and called her fiancé’s name. “Prince Arnold.” She walked over to him and protested in a low voice, “You were staring right at me when I did that magic trick!”

Arnold averted his gaze and replied, “What was I supposed to do? You were leading everyone to pay attention to your right hand, but your left hand was making clearly unnatural movements.”

“Most people focus on the right hand like they’re supposed to! Even if you noticed it, you should go along with the act!”

“That trick requires you to hide something in your dress sleeve. You’re awfully well prepared, aren’t you?”

Rishe was tempted to look away, but she didn’t want him suspecting her, so she mustered her boldness and faced him instead. “Actually, I was planning on showing it to you once we had a rest on our journey.”

“Oh? You’re really telling me you were going to pull a stuffed bear out for me?”

“I-It’s so fluffy, I thought it would relax you, Your Highness…”

“Hah!” Arnold barked out a laugh. Rishe’s eyes nearly popped out at the surprisingly open gesture. “Well, so be it. We can go with that.”

“Ugh! The truth is that I was practicing in case there were small children at the Basilica!”

“I see. That’s too bad.”

She didn’t know what was “too bad,” but she decided to drop it. If she didn’t, Arnold would grow even more suspicious.

It was a way for me to interact with Mistress Millia if we encountered her at the Grand Basilica or on the road. I doubt Prince Arnold thinks I intended to run into Mistress Millia from the beginning… The problem is what she and her father believe.

Rishe turned around and observed the father and daughter, who were much calmer than they had been earlier.

“Please be good, Millia. It’s only a little bit farther to the Grand Basilica. You can ride in a white carriage, can’t you?”

“Well, now that I look at it, white is childish, isn’t it?! I was chosen to stand in for the royal priestess in the festival, so I need to ride in a carriage that suits my role!”

The servants and maids of the Jonal family watched the exchange with anxious expressions. Rishe didn’t recognize a face among them.

This is all too strange.

Something about the situation bothered her.

Mistress Millia was never this spoiled. Sure, she complained about studying and whined about wanting sweets, but she was never so unreasonable about concrete things like the color of her carriage. I suppose it’s possible she was this way before I met her at eleven, but…

She side-eyed Duke Jonal as well. She’d always heard that he had been unwell for a long time, but the man before her now was the very picture of health. Maybe he looked a little tired, but that made sense for someone dealing with a difficult daughter’s temper tantrums in close quarters.

The duke sighed deeply and turned back to Rishe and Arnold with a bow. “I apologize for the late introduction. I am Josef Ehrenfried Jonal. I have the honor of serving as a duke in the Holy Kingdom of Domana. I apologize for my daughter’s behavior.” His eyes flicked to the crest of Galkhein on Arnold’s carriage. “I don’t suppose you two belong to the royal family of Galkhein?”

Arnold took a short breath and introduced himself as the crown prince. “I’m Arnold Hein. I’m sure you’re familiar with my father, the emperor.”

Jonal gasped softly. He hid his agitation well, but Rishe—and likely Arnold—had picked up on it right away. Covering it up with a smile, he said, “So, I have the honor of speaking to His Highness the crown prince. This young lady must be your new fiancée. Once again, I am so very sorry for my daughter’s rudeness.”

“Well, if it hasn’t bothered my wife…”

“Of course not. I appreciate the opportunity to meet such an adorable young lady,” Rishe said. While Arnold and Duke Jonal were exchanging pleasantries, Rishe knelt and approached Millia with a gentle smile. “Lady Millia, why do you fight with your father?”

“I’m the stand-in for the late royal priestess, but my papa doesn’t understand that. The festival is almost here, so I must play my part perfectly or I’ll embarrass the goddess and the real royal priestess!”

“My! So, you’ll be serving as the royal priestess in the next festival, Lady Millia?”

Rishe knew all this, but she acted like she was hearing it for the first time. The Crusade held a festival to celebrate the goddess, the central figure of their faith. Normally, a priestess said to have the blood of the goddess appeared at the festival as her proxy and offered up a prayer. The Church had protected these women for generations—until the last royal priestess died in an accident twenty-two years ago. Men carried on the bloodline, but only a woman could perform the role of the royal priestess.

That’s why the Church hasn’t held the festival for two decades. But after all the complaints from the faithful, they’re going to start doing festivals with a stand-in royal priestess this year.

She thought back on the explanation she’d heard in her fourth loop. “If I recall correctly, only a noble lady from a house in the Holy Kingdom of Domana can serve as the royal priestess’s stand-in. You were chosen for that position, Lady Millia?”

“That’s right! It’s a great honor, you know. But Papa…” Millia pressed her lips in a tight line, then muttered, “Papa’s stupid. Making me mad…”

Rishe blinked. She had never heard Millia speak so quietly before. Up until just a moment ago, Millia had been throwing a temper tantrum as if she were a much younger child. Now she looked to be beyond her years as she watched her father.

“Even though I could curse him, he still doesn’t believe that everyone I curse dies.”

A chill crept up Rishe’s spine, and she shuddered. “Lady Millia, what are you…?” She trailed off, unable to muster more. An expression she’d never seen before had etched itself on the face of her once-mistress.

When she thought about it, she did recall a conversation they’d had one night when they were sleeping in the same bed.

“You know, Rishe, I once had a power I had to keep secret. I can’t use it anymore, and I promised Papa I’d never tell anyone what kind of power it was…but it’s true.”

Millia was a simple and headstrong girl, but during that conversation, her face had clouded—very unusual. Thinking about it now, Rishe imagined that the uneasy expression she’d worn then might have something to do with this “curse” she’d mentioned.

There’s no such thing as magic or curses…is what someone normal would probably be thinking right about now. Rishe, however, couldn’t dismiss the possibility, as she herself was reliving her life due to some mysterious power.

While she contemplated what to say to Millia, she felt a prick on the back of her neck. It was just for a second, and it was likely no one else had noticed it, but she knew what it was as she turned around.

Prince Arnold?

Arnold seemed to have finished exchanging pleasantries with the duke and was staring her way. More precisely, he was scrutinizing Millia with an awfully cold look in his eyes. It was not the sort of look one gave a young girl upon meeting her for the first time.

Those icy eyes reminded Rishe of someone. That’s the same look in the emperor Arnold Hein’s eyes five years from now.

Arnold, who would burn churches to the ground in the future, approached the stand-in royal priestess. Rishe reflexively turned to Millia, but the girl didn’t seem to even notice Arnold looking at her.

“I’ll go back to my carriage now. Th-thank you for the stuffed animal!”

“Oh, Lady Millia…!”

The girl skittered off and disappeared into her carriage. Her father gave a deep bow of his head to Rishe, who curtsied in response and then sucked in a breath.

“Rishe, we’re leaving. Come here.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Arnold had returned to his usual expressionless state. At his call, Rishe followed him to the carriage and returned to her seat. She looked out the window and found the duke and his entourage waiting on either side of the road. They may have had the royal priestess’s stand-in on board, but they still represented a duke. They likely intended to wait a while before departing so as not to crowd the carriages of another country’s royals.

I guess we’ll be arriving at the Grand Basilica first, then. Rishe glanced at Arnold. That look he gave her… Prince Arnold hasn’t noticed you-know-what, has he? She frowned, recalling something about Duke Jonal’s family. It couldn’t be… No, I should ask about it. I can be direct here.

Rishe studied Arnold the whole time she was thinking. When the carriage began moving again and Arnold picked up his paperwork, he asked, “What?”

“You were giving Lady Millia an awfully frightening glare earlier.”

Arnold looked up at her from his papers; he must not have expected her to be so forthright. “I didn’t think I was looking at her any differently than I normally would.”

“Well, you were. You usually have a gentler look on your face, Your Highness.”

“…”

She was taken aback when Arnold scowled then—she hadn’t expected a frown until later in the conversation. “Huh? Is something wrong?”

“You’re just about the only person who’d say something like that about me.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“Whatever.”

Rishe tilted her head, and Arnold set his documents down next to him. He propped his elbow on the window frame and put his chin in his hand while lowering his eyes.

“There was no particular reason for it. I just don’t like children.”

I see. So that’s what he’s going with. Rishe decided to push a little harder. “Still, Lady Millia’s already almost ten. Isn’t your third sister about that age, Prince Arnold?”

“I don’t care and I don’t remember.”

I wonder if he means that, Rishe thought, unconvinced. She couldn’t exactly take him at his word considering the difference in how he felt versus how he acted toward Theodore.

Her skepticism was plain on her face, so Arnold sighed and, still expressionless, told her, “I don’t believe in unconditional love between family members. Blood ties have nothing to do with how well two people get along.”

“I suppose you have a point.” Rishe didn’t have a great relationship with her parents either. If Arnold considered his family to be more like strangers, then she didn’t really have an argument against him. Why do I feel like he was referring to his father more so than his sister, though?

Arnold’s gaze was fixed on something in the distance. Rishe followed his line of sight and spotted a resplendent stone building: the Grand Basilica. This same building would’ve probably been nothing but ashes after Rishe’s death.

We’ll only be able to stay there for a few days. I have to finish my investigation before the annulment’s finalized.

About an hour later, their carriage arrived at the Grand Basilica. Arnold took Rishe’s hand once more, and they stepped out of the carriage.

That was when it happened.

“Stop! Hey, what are you doing?!”

They heard a knight shouting behind them and the neighing of a horse. Rishe whirled around just in time to see a boy of about ten years toppling off a horse to the ground. The boy’s shoulders heaved with each breath he took; he must have been exhausted. Arnold’s imperial guards surrounded the boy out of both caution and concern. Rishe wanted to rush over as well, but Arnold had her wrist tight in his grip.

She could tell at a glance that this was an unusual situation. The crest on the horse’s saddle is that of Duke Jonal’s family. What’s going on here?

Rishe got a glimpse of the boy and gasped.

I know him!

In her sixth loop, there was a boy Rishe had always looked out for. He was four years younger than her, so he would be eleven now. He had glossy brown hair and a cherubic face, but he also had a habit of giving adults dirty looks. The black eyepatch covering one of his eyes didn’t exactly soften his impression.

The boy who’d fallen off the horse looked just like him. There was always a possibility that she was wrong, but the resemblance was uncanny. He looked shorter than she remembered him, but since she was meeting him six months earlier than she had the first time, that made sense. I never heard anything about this, though.

He looked up at the knights and, through ragged breaths, barely managed to squeeze out the words, “Please…help…”

“Take it easy. Can you speak? Go slow if you need to.”

“The…duke…”

“Just breathe. Somebody, bring some water!”

“Prince Arnold, please let me go!” Rishe said, and Arnold released his grip on her. But before she could make her way to the knights, he stepped in front of her and knelt before the boy himself.

The knights tried to stop him. “Your Highness! Please step back. He may be a child, but you could still be in danger…”

“If you can’t speak, nod or shake your head. Did something happen to Lord Jonal?”

The boy nodded, and Rishe felt her heart throb with anxiety.

“Is the duke already dead?”

The boy shook his head furiously.

“Then, is his life still in danger now?”

The boy shook his head again. Rishe relaxed for a second before going pale at Arnold’s next question.

“Does the same go for his daughter?”

The boy nodded.

Oh, thank goodness…

Arnold narrowed his eyes and stood back up. They had at least determined that the situation wasn’t so dire. One of the knights brought the boy a cup of water and supported his back as he drank from it. He took a shaky breath after downing the water.

“If you can speak now, explain the situation.”

“Th-their carriage…” When he finally managed to speak, Rishe heard just the voice she’d been expecting to hear. He really was Leo, the boy she’d known. Looking like he was about to cry, Leo added, “It suddenly lost a wheel!”

What?

“Lord Jonal jumped out of the carriage with Lady Millia in his arms. But the carriage and horses fell into a valley, and Master hurt his arm.”

Millia’s voice replayed in Rishe’s mind: “We’re going to the Grand Basilica, but I don’t want to ride in this childish carriage. But Papa doesn’t understand…”

“Even though I could curse him, he still doesn’t believe that everyone I curse dies.”

After Millia had thrown her fit, the carriage she complained about had fallen into a pit—and the duke, who’d scolded her, had gotten injured. It was like the “curse” Millia spoke of had become real.

Rishe found herself gripping her dress. What is going on?