Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 

WHEN RISHE JOINED the order of knights in her sixth life, Leo had been assigned to do chores there while wounds all over his body were healing. Leo was the prickly sort, but he mostly kept to himself and did good work. He was always hanging his head, displaying his long and unkempt hair. Rishe had known him for years but had never really gotten him to open up to her.

Just once, she saw what was under his eyepatch. His eye was sealed fully shut by a painful-looking scar. It was obvious at a glance that the injury had been a serious one.

One day, Rishe asked a senior knight she bunked with, “Joel, do you know how Leo joined the knights?”

“Hmm?” Encamped in the upper bunk of their bed, her senior spent his free time sleeping. Today was a rare day when he was actually awake. He lazily raised his head and peered at Rishe, who was sitting in a chair against the wall. Then he called her by the nickname of Lucius, Rishe’s male knight persona. “Lu, are you trying to stick your nose into other people’s business again?”

“N-no, it’s just…today, after finishing his duties, he sat all alone in a corner of the training grounds and watched everyone else practice again.”

Joel narrowed his already sleepy eyes. “Hmm? So, you could afford to be distracted when you can’t even beat me, huh? How cheeky.”

“How could I when you were napping on a bench?!”

Her senior just yawned, unconcerned, and then turned over. Still, he didn’t completely abandon the conversation. “They found him in a ship’s hold. Our lord, who happened to be there, took him in. The little guy told his story while he was feverish from festering wounds. Something about how he screwed up big time at his last job. He was beaten for it so bad, he thought he was gonna die. So he fled.”

“An eleven-year-old child was severely punished just for making a mistake at his job?”

“Rich people who treat their employees inhumanely aren’t that rare. Look, I only told you ’cause I know you’re not gonna blab about it, all right? Don’t try to dig any deeper,” Joel said, covering himself with his blanket again. “Leo’s stuck with those nasty wounds of his unless you find some way to turn back time.”

 

---

 

There was a soft knock on the door to the anteroom in the Grand Basilica.

“Pardon me, Your Highness, Lady Rishe.”

Oliver, Arnold’s attendant, entered the room. He approached the couch where Arnold sat, swiftly bowed, and reported, “His Grace Jonal and his daughter have retired to their room. He expressed his desire to formally thank you for allowing them to borrow your carriage.”

“Tell him there’s no need. Any change in the duke’s or his daughter’s condition?”

“The lady was only crying from the shock of the carriage’s fall. She finally calmed down just a minute ago.”

Arnold turned to Rishe, who sat beside him. “So he says.”

He’d inquired about their conditions not out of personal concern but for Rishe’s sake.

“Thank you…” Rishe sighed and relaxed her muscles. I’m glad to hear it.

Arnold and Rishe had sprung into action after hearing about the accident. With Leo’s guidance, they’d headed to the site of the accident and helped the duke and Millia, who were trembling by the roadside, into their own carriage. Rishe had also quickly examined them to check for injuries. Afterward, their knights went to retrieve the fallen carriage. Thankfully, the horses hadn’t been fatally injured, but the carriage had crashed into a tree on the way down and taken serious damage.

Millia had bawled and clung to Rishe the whole way back. A chagrined Duke Jonal—who’d bruised an arm—tried to soothe his daughter and thanked Rishe and Arnold again and again. When he saw the boy sitting stiff in the carriage, he also said, “Thank you for going and getting help, Leo.”

After all that, Rishe and Arnold had made their way back to the Grand Basilica.

I do hope Mistress Millia is getting some rest in her room. I’ve got more important things to consider, though.

Rishe had a new concern. Lord Jonal called that boy “Leo.” He must be the Leo I know. But he’s not wearing an eyepatch, and his left eye is perfectly fine. Hmm…

Evidently, whatever events led to the boy losing an eye had yet to occur.

Joel told me Leo was battered by his previous employer. Leo ends up with the knights three months from now. Considering the timing, that would mean his “previous employer” is Duke Jonal.

At this, she dropped her gaze to the floor.

I never heard anything about His Grace beating his servants. He was always the sort of person who forgave new workers’ mistakes with a warm smile. It’s hard to imagine him giving such a terrible beating to an eleven-year-old child.

However, since there are no servants here, I assume there will be a big change in his staff soon—and there must be a reason for it. Then there’s this “curse” Mistress Millia mentioned…

Each new thought that occurred to her was worse than the last.

Maybe the curse really does exist.

She lowered her head discreetly so as not to catch Arnold’s eye.

What if Leo’s injuries weren’t caused by Duke Jonal but by someone else he was trying to cover for? And to hide what happened, maybe he dismissed all the servants who knew about it. The only one Lord Jonal would go so far to protect is…

Rishe looked up at Arnold. “It’s true we don’t need their thanks, but I would at least like to see them once they recover.”

“…”

“I’m worried about that boy who came to get us too. He must have pushed himself hard to get to us as quickly as he did.”

The prince stared back at Rishe with open displeasure. Eventually, though, he sighed and said, “Oliver, schedule something.”

“Very well. Thank you for persuading His Highness, Lady Rishe.”

Just my own personal motives here, unfortunately.

Before long, there was another knock at the door. This time, it was a young priest.

“Your Highness, the archbishop will see you now.”

Arnold said nothing in response, but…

He’s scowling so blatantly!

He and Rishe had different appointments for the simple reason that they had different errands. Arnold was here on official political business with the Church, and Rishe was just trying to annul her engagement with Prince Dietrich. Arnold would be speaking to the archbishop, one of the leaders of the Church. Rishe, on the other hand, could meet with any bishop with a certain level of authority. As such, the two of them would be parting ways for a time.

“Um, Prince Arnold, the priest is waiting for you.”

Arnold clicked his tongue in frustration and flicked his eyes up to Oliver, who stood at his side. “Oliver, I want you to stay with Rishe.”

Oliver put a hand to his heart and bowed. “As you wish.”

At last, Arnold stood and left the room with the priest. The door closed, and Rishe was left alone with Oliver.

“Ah, this really helps!” Oliver said with a smile, looking refreshed. “When you’re around, my lord becomes so much more reasonable. I wish he were always like this.”

“Reasonable,” Oliver? Really?

Oliver spoke about Arnold as if he were a child, but he’d been serving the man for ten years. That meant he’d become Arnold’s attendant when Arnold was nine. If he had been serving at Arnold’s side for that long, maybe speaking about his lord in that manner was only natural.

“Well, really, I know that I need to be able to persuade him without you, Lady Rishe. I’m honestly embarrassed by my incompetence.”

“You’re not incompetent, Oliver. Besides, I’m sure His Highness only acts so spoiled with you because it’s you he’s dealing with. It’s proof that he trusts you.”

If they were so close, Rishe hoped Arnold had told him the reason he’d proposed to her—although even if he had, there was no guarantee that Oliver would tell her. As she thought this, Oliver’s smile turned warm.

“You really do keep a close eye on my lord, don’t you, Lady Rishe?”

Oh… Rishe had known people who smiled like that in the past. It was the same smile Rishe’s fellow knights had worn when they spoke of the king they served: loyal, proud, respectful, and affectionate all at once. They have a very solid relationship. I hope I can ask Oliver about Prince Arnold one day.

If she wasn’t smart about how she asked, however, she could envision the question making its way back to Arnold. Rishe decided to start with a roundabout, indirect line of questioning.

“Have you always been so close with Prince Arnold, Oliver?”

“Ha ha ha, of course not.” Oliver laughed, amused, still wearing that refreshing smile. “We first met just after my lord killed all of his servants at the age of nine.”

Rishe couldn’t believe her ears.

Oliver ignored her shocked silence and continued nonchalantly, “I wasn’t exactly the most devoted attendant back then, either, having just been injured and forced to abandon my life as a knight. I was disowned by my family, so I was more or less looking for a place to die when I began serving my lord.”

“…”

“Oh. Have you not heard of the incident?” he asked, and Rishe shook her head vigorously. Oliver gave a thoughtful hum. “There must be far fewer rumors going around the palace now, then. I’ll have to put a couple more into circulation.”

As Rishe stood there, stock-still, the third knock of the day occurred.

“That must be your escort, Lady Rishe. Let’s go. I cannot accompany you into the chapel, but I will walk you there.”

Rishe stood from her chair, weary. “Thank you…”

I mean, I knew he killed his mother before killing the emperor, so I thought I was past reeling at new rumors. Apparently not!

Oliver was coolly conversing with the priest at the door. Rishe sighed, quietly, so that he wouldn’t notice. I’m curious about Leo and Mistress Millia, but the biggest mysteries concern Prince Arnold.

Holding back all the things she yearned to say, Rishe approached when Oliver waved her over. She followed the priest to the chapel on the eastern side of the Grand Basilica. Its thick door struck her as vaguely familiar.

Oliver stopped by the door, smiling. “This is as far as I can go. I’ll see you later, Lady Rishe.”

“Thank you, Oliver. Goodbye for now.”

Rishe now had to enter the chapel and declare her engagement’s annulment before the goddess’s holy statue. Then the bishops would read some psalms, and the impurity of Rishe’s annulled engagement would be cleansed from her body and soul once she fully absorbed the holy words. The process would take the rest of the day.

Other priests whispered about her as she passed by.

“Poor girl. She must listen to psalms for hours to annul an engagement ceremony, right? That is hard even for a devout believer.”

“She’ll be lucky if she’s even allowed one break…”

Although Rishe could barely hear what they were saying, she had a pretty good idea from the movements of their lips. She gulped and steeled herself as she entered the chapel.

A few hours later…

Th-this is fun!

In the space totally reserved for her ceremony, Rishe trembled with excitement. The voices of the bishops echoed throughout the beautiful chapel. The psalms they read were translated from the original holy book. In her early days as a young noble lady, she’d heard these psalms countless times. Now, however, they had taken on new meaning for Rishe.

I can’t believe the twelfth psalm is connected to the Qualuk Archipelago! She was on the edge of her seat listening to the bishops’ voices. I always thought the psalms were just artistic pieces crafted from pretty words, but that’s not true at all. These are a grand tale of adventure starring the gods!

She realized this soon after the first psalm began. Although she wouldn’t have gleaned it from her noble education, her worldwide travels in other lives provided context for the psalms’ imagery and more.

The “Breath of Frost” that the bishop just read must refer to the coasts of Qualuk in the winter. That means the Great Tides from the ninth psalm—meaning the ocean—should be showing up again soon, right? Yes, I knew it! The part where “even the flowers freeze” refers to how the ocean’s surface resembles a field of white flowers when it ices over. It’s so beautiful.

In her third life, she had investigated the phenomenon with Michel. Rishe’s eyes sparkled with nostalgia as she remembered the sight of the frozen sea.

“And a great clap of thunder rang out, whereupon the lightning pierced the foaming earth, bringing a new dawn…”

I wonder if this will lead into a story about King Solnero. Princess Eusoness showed up earlier, so I assume he’ll be next. I can’t wait!

The bishop reading from the holy book glanced up at Rishe, wearing a look of consternation. After reading the twelfth psalm, he abruptly asked, “Why don’t we take a break here? We’ve been going for quite a while.”

“My, has it been that long already?” She ached to hear more, but it would have to wait. As much as I wish he would go on, I’m sure the bishop is tired.

She was honestly disappointed, and it showed plain on her face. Unsettled by this, the bishop hastened out of the chapel.

Rishe observed the light pouring into the room through the stained glass. From the position of the sun, I’d say about three hours have passed.

She stood, thinking back on her childhood memories. Out on the balcony, there was a mural with some psalms on it in their original language. She opened the balcony door and let the cool breeze caress her cheek. The balcony wall was bathed in the golden light of early evening. Rishe studied it, her eyes following the lines of carved text.

This is it—the goddess and the psalms. I haven’t seen Crusade writing in a long time. Let’s see, this line is…“The goddess gave unto the people her protection.”

There were only excerpts from the psalms on the mural. Rishe relied heavily on her memories as she read through them. “The royal priestess spread the goddess’s unseen, unheard protection through the world. Guiding with love…”

Rishe went back and forth reading them until she felt someone approaching. She glanced up in time to see a man step onto the balcony. He wore a bishop’s robes embroidered with gold thread. Apparently, he was of a different rank than the bishops who read her the psalms.

“You must be Lady Rishe Irmgard Weitzner.” The clergyman, who looked to be in his mid-thirties, gave her a friendly smile. He was tall and slim, and something about him seemed almost manufactured. “I am Kristoff Justus Traugott Schneider. I serve as the archbishop’s aide.”

“Bishop Schneider, I apologize for requesting this ceremony so suddenly.”

“No need to apologize. It’s lamentable that you could not wed the one you performed the engagement ceremony with, but that, too, is the goddess’s will.” Schneider scrutinized the mural Rishe had been reading from. “Written on this mural are portions of psalms concerning the goddess and the royal priestess. Isn’t the writing strange? It’s the Crusade language. The script and language are extremely difficult to learn, so there are only a handful of people who can read it.”

“Crusade was the language the goddess spoke, wasn’t it? That’s why it’s so different from our own language.”

“Ah, so you’re somewhat versed in the subject. It’s exactly as you say. I’m embarrassed to say it took me a decade of studying to master it.” He narrowed his eyes as if peering into the past. “The late royal priestess was highly proficient. I doubt we’ll ever see someone of her fluency again.”

“When you say ‘late,’ you mean…?”

“Yes, the royal priestess who died in an accident twenty-two years ago.” Schneider’s smile grew sad. “Did you know that the royal priestess is said to descend from the goddess? That’s why only a woman born to the priestess’s bloodline can be chosen for the position. Our previous priestess had a sister, but she was too frail for the role and passed away ten years ago.”

“I see.”

“There are a few men in the family, so the goddess’s precious bloodline has not died out completely. Still, the fact remains that only a woman may play the role of the royal priestess.”

As she listened, Rishe thought, It’s a very interesting topic, but why in the world is he telling me this?

“I apologize. I intended to start with small talk, but I ended up rambling.” Schneider surveyed the mural, his smile wry, before turning back to Rishe. He looked her gravely in the eye and said, “You must not marry Arnold Hein.”

Rishe’s breath caught at the unexpected words. “Now why—” she began, but she held her tongue when she noticed another man stepping out on the balcony.

Arnold leveled a glare at Schneider as cold as ice. The air crackled with tension, and the temperature seemed to drop by several degrees. “I believe I made myself clear when I said no one from the Church was to get anywhere near my wife outside of the ceremony.”

Schneider hesitated but cleared his throat and managed, “I…I have to say I’m not impressed, Prince Arnold.” He feigned composure, but it was clear that he was terrified of Arnold. Regardless, Schneider seemed intent on giving him his opinion. “Lady Rishe is not your wife but your fiancée. The goddess would not approve of you calling a woman you have not yet exchanged vows as your wife.”

“Your point being?”

There was the sharp sound of a footstep. Schneider flinched. Arnold loped forward, pinning Schneider in place with his eyes.

“Erm, i-in the first place, the annulment rite is not yet finished.”

“…”

“So, in the eyes of the goddess, you are not even Lady Rishe’s fiancé. At this moment, she is still engaged to the crown prince of Hermity.”

“I don’t know if you can wrap your mind around the concept of differing values, but I will never get on my knees and beg forgiveness from the goddess.” Arnold took Rishe’s hand and pulled her toward him—or perhaps away from Schneider. He then turned his dark gaze on the bishop. “Not even if I committed the grievous sin of killing you.”

Schneider paled and clenched his teeth. He left the balcony as if shot from it, totally unable to conjure a retort. As he hurried away, Rishe frowned, feeling awkward. Um.

She studied Arnold, who was still holding her hand. He glared at the door Schneider had disappeared into with the eyes of a territorial carnivore. Someone’s in a bad mood.

Apparently, Arnold had warned the clergy not to approach Rishe. It was the first she heard of this, and she doubted he’d tell her the reason if asked. Instead, she broached another subject.

“Don’t you think it’s better not to call me your wife when we’re only engaged?”

She knew full well this wasn’t the first time he’d done it. Arnold sometimes referred to Rishe as his wife to third parties, despite her being his fiancée.

I’m sure there’s a reason he does it. “Wife” was shorter than “fiancée,” for instance. But they weren’t married yet, and referring to her as such invited misunderstanding.

Arnold didn’t seem the least bit remorseful. “It’s a done deal, anyway.”

“What is?”

“You becoming my wife.”

He said it so matter-of-factly, Rishe felt her heart jump into her throat. She was worried she would yelp or do something just as embarrassing, so she covered her mouth with the hand Arnold hadn’t grabbed.

The prince gave her a quizzical look. “What is it?”

“N-nothing…” Rishe mumbled, and Arnold looked even more dubious. Rishe removed her hand from her mouth and said quietly, “I don’t think anything in life is a ‘done deal,’ Your Highness. You never know what will happen.”

“Oh?”

“We may be engaged, but no one can predict the future, can they?” Dietrich was a perfect example. She’d performed the engagement ceremony with him, and Arnold knew how that had turned out. “And I don’t just mean our engagement might not work out. For example…I could die before our wedding ceremony.”

Arnold didn’t respond.

I can’t tell Prince Arnold I’ve died several times before, so it has to come off as hypothetical.

Rishe was about to cock her head and say, “Right?” but before she could, Arnold’s free hand cupped her jaw.

Huh?

He gently but firmly turned her face up to his. With the light of the sunset behind him, Arnold studied her with narrowed eyes. “I won’t allow that.”

Rishe gulped. They were close enough to kiss, and it was rare for Arnold to be so commanding with her. That’s not very convincing, considering you’re the reason for all my deaths so far, Your Highness!

She couldn’t voice the objection aloud. No point in saying it to the current Prince Arnold, anyway.

Having no possible way of knowing her thoughts, Arnold’s face inched even closer to hers, eyes never leaving her face. “What’s your answer?”

His voice was husky and just a little sweet. Rishe felt like she was being scolded and comforted at the same time. She was speechless as she peered into Arnold’s crystalline blue eyes.

“Tell me you understand, or I’ll make you understand like I did before.”

“Eep!”

Arnold ran his thumb across the corner of her lips. He didn’t quite touch them, but it was a clear warning. She squeaked, her back tickled by the shiver running down her spine.

When he said “before,” he meant the time when he’d suddenly kissed her. His hands were gentle, but there was a hardness to his gaze. Rishe managed to squeeze out a response. “You’re teasing me again…”

His last kiss had been rather forceful. She didn’t know his motives, but she knew that Arnold tended to act like a villain when he wanted to hide something.

“I-I can tell that much. You’re not the type to be cruel for no reason, Prince Arnold.”

“I wonder about that.”

“Huh?” The moment Rishe’s eyes went wide, Arnold drew her closer. He looked down at Rishe with his intense eyes. Because he was still holding her chin, she couldn’t look away from him. He bent over her right then and there.

Remembering their last kiss, Rishe squeezed her eyes shut. At the same time, she could feel his lips stop just before her own.

Their lips were so close, but they weren’t touching. Rishe could feel his body heat through the air between them. If either Rishe or Arnold made the slightest move, they would be having their second kiss.

“Nnngh…” Rishe’s eyes were shut so tight, her eyelashes quivered. She sensed Arnold blink, so she knew his eyes weren’t closed. She was sure he was watching her until he slowly pulled away.

“Phew!” Rishe let out the breath she was holding. She didn’t even know when she’d stopped breathing.

I-I really thought he was going to kiss me…

He surely wouldn’t have, but it was bad for her heart all the same. Rishe held her burning cheeks with both hands, taking deep breaths to calm down.

Arnold just sighed and frowned. “Anyway, I’m not going to follow orders from the Church. I have no reason to listen to them. Just remember that.”

“A-all right…” she said, a hand over her chest where her heart was still thrumming.

Heaving another sigh, Arnold asked, “What did that bishop want with you?”

He warned me not to marry you. Rishe kept quiet about that and glanced at the mural. “I was reading the psalms here, and he came out to explain them to me.”

She didn’t tell him the full truth, but she also didn’t lie.

Arnold looked at her curiously. “You can read this?”

“I studied the language for a time, but I had to stop. There are a lot of parts I’m unsure about.”

“Like what?” Arnold asked, and Rishe blinked.

He waited for her answer, so she pointed out an area of the mural. “That section there. Normally, you’d read the second word as ‘spring,’ but I feel like there are other readings as well.”

Arnold looked up at the mural and said offhandedly, “You read it as ‘flower.’”

Rishe gaped at him.

Arnold observed the mural with disinterest and, as if reading their own language, gave a smooth explanation, “That word is most often interpreted as ‘open.’ Next is the ‘spring’ meaning you mentioned. There’s a less popular third meaning, which is ‘flower,’ something that opens in spring.”

“Th-then, if it’s referring to a flower instead of spring, does that change the way you read the words before and after it too?”

“It does. That whole line would be read as ‘the girl with hair the color of flowers.’”

“Wow…” It was just as Arnold said. His interpretation of the line matched the rest of the text. She was impressed by his abilities, but she could also hardly believe what she was hearing. “Your Highness, can you read Crusade?”

“What’s written here, at least.”

“Are you—these are original psalms! Their interpretation is so difficult that there is a whole field of study devoted to it!”

This was a language the archbishop’s aide had spent an entire decade learning. Rishe could only read a little of it because she’d had an opportunity to study the language once upon a time. She hadn’t even come close to mastering it, so how had Arnold picked up as much as he had?

“Wh-what about that phrase there? If you translate it directly, it comes out to ‘the seasons pass with the girl’s guidance,’ but that just doesn’t feel right to me.”

“It’s closer to ‘the seasons repeat with the girl’s guidance.’ It likely refers to the festival at which the royal priestess performs.”

“How can you tell?”

“It says she ‘sings’ here,” he said simply.

Rishe was flabbergasted. He’s beautiful and excellent with a sword, gifted at both politics and strategy, and he’s classically educated? Isn’t this guy a little too perfect?!

The Crusade language was specialist knowledge; it certainly wasn’t something everyone learned. Even Church bishops normally used sacred texts translated into their mother tongues.

Come to think of it, there was that rumor that the current emperor of Galkhein is a devout believer, and that’s the reason he didn’t invade Domana, home of the Grand Basilica. If that rumor is true, and he gave Prince Arnold a special education for that reason…maybe that’s why His Highness hates the Crusade so much.

As Rishe puzzled this, a cold wind blew past them. The gust lifted Rishe’s hair, and she reflexively held it down with one hand. When she realized what she was doing, she peered at her own hair and gasped.

“Prince Arnold.”

“What?”

“I’m not part of the royal priestess’s bloodline.”

Arnold frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That line you told me earlier, about the girl with hair the color of flowers. It goes on to say that the girl with hair the color of flowers was descended from the goddess and led the people as the royal priestess, right?”

“It does.”

“That would mean women who are qualified to be the royal priestess have hair the color of flowers, but…” Rishe looked down at her wavy hair. It was a yellow-tinged pink. Coral would be the closest comparison, but she could see it being compared to a flower as well. “I get my hair color from my redheaded mother and blond father. It’s a rare color, but there’s no particular meaning to it.”

“…”

“The most significant aspect of my lineage is my father descending from the royal family of Hermity. I don’t believe I have any blood from the goddess.” Rishe pouted, somehow feeling sorrier the longer she went on.

“What are you talking about?” Arnold asked with a scowl.

“Well, I was wondering if you proposed to me because you thought I was the last remaining candidate to become the royal priestess.”

Bishop Schneider had just told her that all the women qualified to become the royal priestess had passed away.

“If there were still a woman with the royal priestess’s blood hidden somewhere, marrying her would provide Galkhein with significant power, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

“But I have nothing to do with the royal priestess. If I gave you the wrong impression and you proposed to me for that reason, then I’m sorry…”

“…”

“Wh-what are you making that face for?”

Arnold regarded Rishe like he was exasperated from the bottom of his heart. While Rishe contemplated how to reply, unsure as to what had brought this reaction on, he sighed for the umpteenth time that day and said, “Do you remember how Kyle compared you to the goddess the other day?”

Rishe remembered the conversation. In this life, the first time she met Kyle, he’d told her, “Your beauty is like that of a goddess.” He was just performing the peculiar social niceties of Coyolles, so Rishe hadn’t really been listening. But now that she thought about it, perhaps it explained why Arnold had been so annoyed back then.

Ah! I wonder if the reason Prince Arnold made such a scary face was because the word “goddess” came up? She’d always wondered why he’d glared so hard at Kyle, but it finally started to make sense. She was beginning to see exactly how much he hated the Church too. Rishe nodded to herself, having come to her own conclusions, and Arnold looked at her in silence.

“Even if the goddess herself manifested before me, I’d have no interest in her, let alone her bloodline.”

Rishe blinked. With that serious look in his eyes, Arnold looked even more handsome than usual.

His gaze still firmly fixed on her, he said, “There’s only one person I’ll ever kneel to.”

In Galkhein, men kneeled and kissed the back of a woman’s hand to propose. Remembering the occasion, Rishe felt her cheeks flush. Arnold smirked when he saw how flustered she’d become. He reached out with one of his big hands and ruffled her hair.

“I’m in a much better mood now. I’ll go get back to work.”

H-he’s just teasing me! She wanted to protest, but she was struggling to form words. All she was able to squeak out was a weak “See you later.” It was mortifying.

After watching Arnold leave, Rishe sighed. She took several steadying breaths, waiting for her cheeks to cool.

Eventually, a monk stepped onto the balcony. “I’m terribly sorry, Lady Rishe. The ceremony was paused for a routine break, but it seems it will take a little longer for it to resume,” the monk said.

Rishe cocked her head. “That’s fine. Did something happen?”

“W-well…” The monk frowned, as if deeply perplexed, and said, “It seems our stand-in royal priestess has confined herself to her room.”

 

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Once Rishe left the chapel, she strolled the courtyard alone.

“It seems Lady Millia disliked the festival costume we prepared for her,” the monk had said, his shoulders slumped. “The duke and all the bishops acquainted with Lady Millia are stationed by her door, trying to persuade her. Any final adjustments to the costume need to be made by tomorrow morning or we won’t make it in time for the festival.”

It seemed there was now quite a commotion outside her room. The bishop performing Rishe’s ceremony must’ve scurried off to aid the persuasion effort.

In response to the news, Rishe had suggested delaying her ceremony and asked for the location of Millia’s room. Rather than head to the hall where the duke and bishops were gathered, however, she’d made for the courtyard behind the building with the guest rooms. She came with a certain purpose in mind but discovered something unexpected along the way.

There’s just one little footprint here. The footprint was oriented toward the forest surrounding the Grand Basilica. Whoever left it had headed there. When we arrived, we were told that the forest was sacred ground and therefore not to be disturbed.

Examining the footprint, she determined that it belonged to a boy’s shoe. Leaving it aside for now, she gazed up at the guest rooms. At that exact moment, she heard a familiar shrill voice coming from the easternmost window on the third floor.

“I am only wearing a pink dress to the festival!”

A flock of birds resting in the courtyard trees were spooked into flight. Next, Rishe heard the duke’s voice.

“Millia! How many times do I have to tell you to be reasonable?!”

Well, the two of them seem to be in good health, at least. I’m glad. Rishe was relieved to hear their voices, even if they were quarreling. Although they may not have been badly hurt, a carriage crash was a terrifying experience. She’d been concerned about their mental and emotional state, but the vigor in their shouts assuaged her worries.

The window and curtains of the room had been left open. From where Rishe was standing, she could see Millia’s back.

It does sound like there are a few people on the other side of the door as well. That’s only going to make Mistress Millia dig her heels in!

Rishe scanned her surroundings to make sure she was alone, then peered up at a tree adjacent to Millia’s room. She hiked up her skirts, revealing a dagger strapped to her thigh. She left the dagger and removed the belt holding it in place. A makeshift grappling hook was tied to it.

Now then…

Millia’s voice was still coming from the window above her. “Why won’t you understand?! It was my strange power that did that to the carriage!”

“Don’t be silly. That was an accident! The carriage’s wheel broke down!”

“No! It’s because of my power! If you don’t listen to me, something bad’s going to happen again!”

“Oh, come now, Millia!”

“Everyone get away from the door! If you don’t, it’ll—” Millia’s voice broke off. She swiveled toward the window and froze. “Huh? Whaaat?!”

Hopping down from the window into the room, Rishe smiled at the duke’s daughter. “Hello, Lady Millia.” She patted her skirts down and wound up the grappling hook. When she combed her fingers through her tresses, she smoothly picked off a leaf.

“Millia? Millia, what’s wrong?” the duke called out from the other side of the door.

“N-nothing!” Millia chirped. She whirled on Rishe and asked, in hushed alarm, “H-how did you get in here? This is the third floor, and you came in through the window!”

Rishe brought a finger to her lips and grinned mischievously. “It’s a secret. You’ll keep it a secret from everyone else that I was here too, won’t you?”

Millia’s eyes widened, then her expression turned solemn. “You have a strange power just like I do.”

Not really, but I wouldn’t want Mistress Millia to imitate me. Rishe kept that thought to herself and knelt in front of Millia. “Lady Millia, what exactly do you dislike about your festival dress? It’s that white one over there, isn’t it? It’s so cute!”

The girl looked down at the floor and murmured, “My mama is dead.” Millia’s tiny fingers fiddled with her soft violet locks. “She always said I was her little princess, so pink princess dresses looked good on me. If I’m going to be the royal priestess’s stand-in, I want to wear a pink dress like Mama said I should.”

Rishe likewise lowered her eyes. Mistress Millia is lying. Millia had a habit of playing with her hair when she fibbed. That said, it was true that Millia’s mother had often dressed her in pink. I do think she wants to wear pink, but she’s lying about the reason. Why lie about that, though?

“Well, Lady Millia, would you like me to turn this dress pink for you?”

“What?!” Millia’s honey-colored eyes bulged at the unexpected suggestion. “W-with magic? With magic, right?”

“No, not magic. I can use dyes to make it whatever color you want, though.”

“Dyes, you say…”

“It looks to be fabric that won’t shrink if it gets wet. Once the final adjustments are completed, you can make any additional embellishments yourself, yes? Turning a white dress pink, for instance, and maybe adding some flower ornaments to it.”

The way Millia’s eyes sparkled at the idea was just too cute.

Rishe smiled warmly, explaining, “They’re very fun to make, but they take time. I don’t think we’ll be able to get them done in time for the festival if they don’t finish the adjustments today.”

“I-I’ll do it right now!” Millia slapped a hand over her mouth after she realized what she’d blurted out. “Oops…”

With a chuckle, Rishe stood up. “Please open the door for your father, then…but first, could you close your eyes for a minute?”

She waited for Millia to obey before going to the window for her descent. It was much easier and faster to get down than it was to climb up. Once her feet touched the earth, she called, “You can open your eyes now!”

Millia gaped at her from the window. “N-no way!”

Rishe put a finger to her lips once more and, after watching her former mistress nod in response, bowed politely and returned the way she’d come.

I’ll need to investigate Mistress Millia and Prince Arnold, but there’s one other person I should look into in this life. Rishe checked for any passersby and headed toward the forest. The forest was said to be sacred ground when I came here in my last life, but I don’t remember it being off-limits.

The faint footprint she’d seen earlier had been left by a child. The markings appeared to be from a masculine shoe, so it wasn’t Millia’s. It also looked like it had been left in the last few hours or so.

Maybe one footprint is nothing to worry over, but if a person of interest is going into a forbidden forest, then I can’t just leave it be, can I?

Rishe ventured through the woodland outskirts, erasing her own footprints before she got too close. She made her way inside, silent and stealthy. Soon enough, she heard quiet footsteps approaching.

“Hello, Leo.”

“Ack!” Leo yelped when she addressed him, his innocent eyes bugging out at her. “You were with the crown prince of Galkhein.”

It’s the second time today someone was surprised by my calling out to them, Rishe thought as she smiled at Leo.

Leo was giving her a cautious look. “The forest is off-limits past here.”

“I know. And I know you’ve been in there.”

“You’re mistaken. I was just looking for some flowers I could use to decorate my master’s room. I was going to turn back after coming this far.” Leo was unusually blunt for his age, but he seemed softer than he’d been compared to the scarred version of him in her life as a knight.

Rishe surveyed him. “See how there’s a piece of zaott moss sticking to your pants?”

Leo gasped.

“That moss only grows where there isn’t much sunlight. In a dense forest, for instance.”

The boy scowled and looked away. “Are you gonna lecture me? Or are you gonna hand me over to the Church?”

“I won’t do either, but I do want you to take me somewhere.”

“Where?”

“Well, naturally…” Rishe grinned and pointed behind him. “Into the forbidden forest.”

“Wha…?” Leo retreated a step, thoroughly appalled. “Aren’t you supposed to be an adult? What’re you up to?” He was like a feral cat unused to humans, fit to start hissing at any moment. “Can Galkhein’s crown princess break the Church’s taboos?”

“Well, the only person who will know I’ve been out here is the one who was out here with me.”

“Urgh…”

“I’m a bad lady, so if someone points out that I’ve got moss on me, I’ll just play dumb,” she said, smiling wider.

Leo clicked his tongue in frustration. “If I take you, will you stay quiet about me being here?”

“I’ll stay quiet even if you don’t, so no need to worry.”

At that, the boy blinked his wide eyes in bewilderment.

“I’d be happy if you did take me, though,” Rishe added. “The sun is about to set, so I must return soon or my betrothed will be angry with me.”

Leo frowned, turned around, and walked off into the forest. Rishe thanked him and followed.

If this were the Leo from my life as a knight, he wouldn’t have taken me.

In all likelihood, he wouldn’t have spoken to her either. He would have just ignored her, and it would have ended right there. Even after he’d started talking to her a little bit, he probably would have just said, “Why should I have to do that? Go away,” or “Don’t involve me in the first platoon’s antics.”

It’s been a long time since I was last in a forest. I’ll have to make sure I’m taking regularly spaced steps and counting them. By doing that, she could get a vague idea of the distance she’d traveled. It was important to have a sense of where you were when traveling through a place with scant visual landmarks, like a forest or a mountain.

Leo and Rishe walked at about the same pace. Counting her paces on her hands, Rishe spoke to him from behind. “I heard your name from Duke Jonal earlier. I’m Rishe. It’s nice to meet you.”

“…”

“I wound up with some free time, so I wanted to explore the area around the Grand Basilica. Lucky that you passed by when you did!”

“…”

“What were you doing out here in the first place?”

“I heard Mistress Millia was throwing a fit,” Leo said at length. “I was slacking off someplace where no one would look for me. I didn’t want to get dragged into something annoying.”

The Leo in my sixth loop said the same thing all the time. Deep down, he really was the same Leo she knew.

Smiling to herself, Rishe brought up something else that piqued her curiosity. “I’m surprised you got permission to enter the Grand Basilica, Leo. They’re barely letting anyone in because it’s almost time for the festival, right?”

“It’s just Master looking out for me.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I grew up in an orphanage near here.”

This was news to her. Duke Jonal took Leo along so he could come visit his childhood home?

She’d heard that it was quite an involved process to bring a servant into the Grand Basilica around this time. Normally, the royal priestess would be staying there, and they’d have to vet each visiting person extensively. That was why Rishe had left her maids behind in Galkhein and Arnold had only brought along Oliver. As for the knights who had accompanied them on their journey here, they were staying in a nearby town.

I’m curious about a few things, but…

Rishe glanced around the area. The red-tinged dusk was shining into the forest. All the brush and shrubbery made it easy for her to pick out animal trails. A tree a short distance away bore some sort of marking. She peered at the signs of disturbed grass and fur clinging to the trees and pondered.

“From here on, please step exactly where I’m stepping,” Leo told her.

“Oh? Why?”

“There could be venomous snakes in the grass. If you get bitten by a snake, it’ll be a big to-do and they’ll find out I was here.”

“Appreciated, but it’s all right.” Rishe stopped and smiled. “I’ll be fine on my own now.”

“What?” Leo spun around, eyes round, like he was staring at some unknown creature.

“Thank you for taking me this far, but I can handle it from here. You should head back to the Basilica,” Rishe said, tucking her hair behind her ear. She could sense Leo’s wariness mounting.

“Seriously, what are you thinking?”

“Nothing you need to be so concerned about. I just don’t want to trouble you any more than I already have.”

“I’m staying too.”

She blinked, surprised.

“The sun will fully set soon, and it’s dangerous to be in the forest all by yourself. If something happened to you, they’d suspect me and I’d be punished.”

Rishe found herself remembering the Leo with the eyepatch. “Your master doesn’t seem like the type of person who’d let that happen.”

“Whatever. I said I’m staying. If there’s something you want to do in this forest, hurry up and do it.”

“Are you sure? I’ll take you up on your offer, then.”

“Ah!” Leo cried out when Rishe took a step forward. He was shocked because Rishe had slipped out of the path of his footsteps and ventured deeper into the forest on her own. “Wait! I told you if you don’t watch where you’re going, you might get bitten by a venomous snake!”

“The snakes that live on this continent may be venomous, but they’re also cowardly. They’ll flee if they see a human, and they won’t emerge from their dens if they hear people talking in the first place.”

“Even if that’s true, it could still happen!”

“Actually, there’s something far more dangerous out here than snakes.”

Rishe stopped in front of a thick tree with a mark on its trunk. Leo gave chase and stopped right behind her. She picked up a fallen branch and dug through the grass around the marked tree. Eventually, she found exactly what she expected.

“I knew it.”

Hidden under the fallen leaves and weeds was a bear trap—two semicircular jaws with sharp serrated edges. It was designed to snap shut on the leg of whatever unsuspecting creature was unfortunate enough to trigger it.

“How did you know there was a trap there?”

“Because of the mark on the tree. You put a mark only a human would recognize on the tree so that you don’t lose track of your trap.”

Crouching down, Rishe inspected the device. The trap’s vicious metal teeth shone with iridescent light. She took out a handkerchief and wiped the surface of the trap, careful not to trigger it. Then she brought the handkerchief to her nose.

Wet…and smells metallic.

Rishe stood and approached another tree, broken branch in hand. She didn’t need to investigate to know what sort of trap was laid here. She reached out as far as she could and pressed the branch to the ground. There was a whump, and the ground vanished.

“A pit trap?!”

“This is dangerous, so stay back, Leo,” Rishe said, getting out her grappling hook. She threw one end of the rope straight up, catching the hook on a tree branch. She tugged hard on it to make sure it was secure, then peered into the pit while holding on to the rope.

It’s about a meter across…and a meter deep, looks like. Spikes set at the bottom. The metal stakes were poking out between the fallen leaves in the pit. Gripping the rope for support, Rishe reached down into the pit and wiped one of the stakes with her handkerchief. This trap is the same. The metallic smell is strong, but this chemical smells just as much. I’ve had a few run-ins with this scent.

She voiced her conviction aloud: “They’re coated in poison.”

Leo grimaced. “To finish off their prey? But this is a forbidden forest, so why are there hunter’s traps here?”

“Someone is using the fact that the forest is off-limits to their advantage.”

“Um, why are you wiping all those spikes with your handkerchief?”

“I want to find out what poison the hunters around here use. I need to take samples when I can or it’ll be a real pain trying to get one later.” He frowned even harder, so she tilted her head in puzzlement. “What’s wrong?”

His reply emerged slow and deliberate. “I’ve heard some nobles and royals employ lookalikes to keep them safe from assassins.”

“It’s not very well known, but yes, some countries do that. Why do you mention it?”

“You’re not a good body double.”

“Huh?”

Leo studied Rishe and declared, “You should find another job. You act way too weird. No one would believe you’re the crown princess!”

She spent several moments racking her brain for a response to Leo’s genuine concern, but in the end, she had nothing to give.

 

---

 

Rishe had no choice but to let Leo think she was the crown princess’s body double. His eyes had been so full of confidence, she’d been absolutely sure she could never convince him otherwise.

After returning to the Basilica, Rishe found herself alone in the dining hall. She sighed, thinking back to the exchange she’d had with Leo.

“Er…I’m not a body double.”

In contrast to Rishe’s hesitancy, Leo was firm and earnest. “All body doubles say that. At least, I’m guessing they do.”

“I’m sure they do! Anyway, I could see the need for a body double for the crown prince, but why his fiancée or wife?”

“Look, it’s okay. You said you wouldn’t tell anyone that I went into the forest, right?” Leo looked her right in the eye. “I promise you the same thing: I won’t tell anyone you’re a fake.”

Once again, Rishe had been stunned into silence. All she could do in response to his strange, trustworthy promise was thank him vaguely.

Well, I suppose there’s no real reason I need to correct him…but Leo is oddly caring despite how blunt he is, Rishe thought as she moved her knife and fork.

The dining hall was far too big for her to use all by herself, but there was still no sign of Arnold. His business must have been delayed by the commotion Millia caused before sundown.

After Rishe finished her meal and capped it off with tea, Oliver arrived. “I’m sorry my lord couldn’t join you for dinner,” he said. “Lady Rishe, His Grace and the Church have a request of you.”

“Regarding Lady Millia, I presume?”

“Yes. It seems like you have some idea already, but they would like your assistance in preparing for the festival.” Still standing in the entryway, Oliver put a hand to his heart and said, “Lady Millia herself is quite insistent upon your presence.”

M-my darling Mistress! Rishe felt a twinge in her heart. She wanted to accept right away, but she knew she wasn’t in a position to make the decision on her own.

“Does Prince Arnold know about this?”

“No, I thought I should ascertain your feelings on the matter first.”

“Because you need to find a way to ask him without ruining his mood first?”

“Ha ha ha.” A bright smile appeared on Oliver’s face, but he didn’t endeavor to hide the truth in the slightest.

Rishe pressed a hand to her forehead and set the teacup back on its saucer. I don’t know why, but Prince Arnold didn’t want the Church interacting with me. I have no idea how he’d react to their asking me to help prepare for the festival. At the very least, she couldn’t imagine the conversation being very amicable.

She thought for some time, then said, “Oliver, I’d like to tell His Highness about this myself.”

“I cannot let you trouble yourself, Lady Rishe.”

“But—”

“I will accept my lord’s wrath. If anything, I’d appreciate your help with the recovery afterward, Lady Rishe.”

“The recovery, Oliver?” With such frightening repercussions, surely it made more sense for her to negotiate with Arnold.

If I can spend some more time with Mistress Millia, that’d be incredibly convenient. Further contact will enable me to look deeper into the mistress’s “curse,” Duke Jonal’s change of heart, and Leo’s injuries. Plus, helping out with the festival might give me more of a glimpse into why Arnold detests the Church so much. Still, Oliver shouldn’t have to get in trouble because I’m doing whatever I want.

Oliver smiled wryly while she was lost in thought. “You’re too kind, Lady Rishe. I’m sure that’s why Lady Millia trusts you so much. If she’d clung to my lord instead of you on first meeting, the situation would have doubtless taken a turn for the worse.”

“There’s nothing special about me, but I certainly can’t imagine how the two of them might interact. Besides, His Highness told me he doesn’t like children.”

The attendant looked astounded. “He should never have said such a thing to his future wife.”

“Huh?” Rishe’s eyes widened in surprise.

Oliver bowed his head solemnly. “I sincerely apologize, Lady Rishe. I will be sure to have some strict words with my lord later on. I can’t believe him! It’s like he doesn’t even understand that one day he’ll have to raise an heir.”

“Um, no, it’s totally fine! Please don’t worry about it! I just, erm…” Rishe hurriedly changed the subject. “Children? Right, childhood! What was Prince Arnold like as a child?!”

“My lord?”

“Yes! I would love to hear about it!” It was a spur-of-the-moment question, but she was interested.

Although Oliver was a little taken aback, he obliged. “He was an incredibly brilliant crown prince. I first met him ten years ago, but I’d heard of his reputation before then. Rumors of his genius were not confined to Galkhein alone. For instance, when the previous ruler of Halil Rasha—the desert country—came to visit, he would always bring his son and have the boys exchange ideas and spar together.”

“His son” must be King Zahad. Now that she thought about it, King Zahad seemed to have met Arnold several times in the past. In Rishe’s first loop, it was Zahad who had informed her that Arnold started the war. She found herself remembering Zahad’s aggressive expression at the time. Prince Arnold and King Zahad may be alike in age, but they’re both royals of countries with a similar level of power. Moreover, the way they think is completely different. I seriously doubt they’d get along.

The desert country of Halil Rasha was one of the few nations that could put up a fight against Galkhein when Arnold went to war in the future. Rishe began to feel faint, imagining the sparks that would fly when Arnold and Zahad met at their wedding. She shook off the feeling, however, since there was no point stressing about that now.

“When you met the nine-year-old Prince Arnold, was he exactly like the rumors said, Oliver?”

“Well, I was summoned to the imperial palace and I knelt in an audience room, waiting for him to appear. When my lord sat in the seat before me and I was given permission to raise my head, I was shocked,” Oliver said with a somewhat strained smile. “The first time I saw my lord, he was covered in wounds from head to toe.”

Rishe’s eyes widened.

“There was a big piece of gauze on his tiny cheek, bandages wrapped around his head, and a bunch of little wounds on his arms and fingers. Bright-red blood was seeping through the bandages around his neck, like the wound there just wouldn’t close. It looked like the sort of laceration that would make an adult moan in anguish from the pain and heat.”

There was an old scar on Arnold’s neck. It was a large, deep wound—like he had been stabbed multiple times with a knife.

“But my young lord was just sitting in the chair, completely composed. His face betrayed not an ounce of anguish. In fact, he had his chin in his hand, and his eyes were like ice.”

She hadn’t been there to witness it, but Rishe could picture it vividly in her mind’s eye. Nine was younger than the current Leo and Millia. Yet at that age, Arnold had already been wearing his trademark deadpan expression, even with a terrible injury. Rishe could imagine the peculiar sight perfectly.

“He was already quite handsome back then, which only contributed to his intimidating presence. My lord wielded an incredible sense of gravity for a child of his age. All the servants nearby were trembling in awe of him.”

“Earlier today, you told me he killed all of his servants.”

“Yes, and that’s why he still has so few.”

Rishe held her tongue after Oliver’s nonchalant statement. She understood that he said the words lightly because he didn’t intend to elaborate.

“A lot of things happened back then, and I chose to serve my lord. After he recovered from his injuries, he began to display even more of his talents, you see… However, regardless of his growth as a crown prince, he remained a somewhat twisted human being.” Oliver regarded Rishe like an older brother talking about his younger sibling. “That’s why I’m so relieved that he chose someone like you to be his wife, Lady Rishe.”

Rishe blinked, not expecting the turn in conversation. “I haven’t done anything to help His Highness.”

“That isn’t true. And my lord truly seems to enjoy himself when he’s with you. I’ve never heard him call someone else’s name so gently before.”

“Ugh…” Now she was going to feel embarrassed whenever Arnold so much as said her name. Rishe hung her head, and Oliver blinked with the same surprise she’d just shown.

“Lately, you seem to have changed yourself, Lady Rishe.”

“Huh?!”

“When you first arrived in Galkhein, I told you I had never seen my lord so happy before, but you didn’t seem as pleased to hear it back then. I’m delighted to see that the two of you are cozying up.” He chuckled good-naturedly at that.

“N-no! I didn’t mean anything by it!”

What had she meant, then? I am happy when His Highness smiles now. That was true, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Rishe leapt to her feet and curtsied to Oliver. “I’m going to call for Prince Arnold. He may still have work to do, but he needs to eat!”

“A splendid idea. I think if you say something to him, my lord will hurry to finish his work.”

“P-pardon me, then!” She straightened up and rushed out of the dining hall, heading east of the Basilica without so much as a backward glance.

“My lord is so cruel to his future wife,” Oliver muttered after she left.

 

---

 

Augh, my cheeks are burning now because of all those strange thoughts!

As Rishe approached the building Arnold was in, the night air cooled her face and brought her back to earth. She let her intuition guide her, entering a hall and searching for the room where Arnold would be meeting with the bishops.

That instant, she heard a voice.

“It seems like Lady Rishe will make a wonderful empress for you.”

Huh?!

It was Bishop Schneider, the archbishop’s aide.

Not another weird conversation! Oh, I sense Prince Arnold too. Rishe screeched to a halt just in time to hear Arnold’s voice coming from around a bend ahead.

“I don’t believe the Church has any business evaluating my wife.”

It seemed like it was just Arnold and Schneider. Rishe minimized her presence and heard Schneider speak candidly.

“Your Highness, all marriages are united with the blessing of the goddess and the Church. We are involved in your marriage whether you like it or not.”

“Drop it. Besides, the question of what sort of empress she’ll be is meaningless.” Arnold’s voice was even colder and more brusque than usual. “She’s just a trophy wife.”

Rishe gulped, hidden around the corner from the conversation.

“Wh-what are you saying? You looked like a loving couple earlier.”

“She’ll be a convenient tool for me. I’m just treating her as decently as I need to before we tie the knot. Once we’re officially wed, I will have nothing to do with her anymore. I’ll lock her up in the detached palace and let her rot.” His tone was one of annoyance, but his words carried real weight.

Schneider sounded unsettled. “‘Rot away’…?! Treating your wife in such a way goes against the goddess’s will!”

“I don’t give a damn.”

“Your Highness!”

Rishe pondered for a moment, then retreated without making a sound. She counted ten long seconds and rounded the corner, announcing her presence with her footsteps.

Bishop Schneider glanced at her nervously. “My, if it isn’t Lady Rishe.”

She smiled at him and said, “Good evening.” Then she looked up at Arnold and beamed, wrapping herself around his arm. “I missed you, Prince Arnold!”

He flinched beneath her embrace, but he didn’t let his surprise show on his face. As he regarded her with his usual stoic expression, she pouted like a child. “Is this where you’ve been? You were so late coming back that I had to have dinner alone, you know.”

“…”

“I wish you went to see me after finishing your work, like you always do. I hope you haven’t forgotten that I want to be with you as much as possible.” Still clinging to Arnold’s arm, Rishe rested her head against it. She pretended to be angry, looking up at him covetously…as if she hadn’t heard a bit of their conversation.

Now, how will His Highness respond? They were in front of the bishop, but Rishe tightened her grip on the prince. Arnold furrowed his brow, but it was only for a second. As long as my little act hasn’t gone overboard, we should be good.

“I’m sorry,” Arnold said at length. It was just as she suspected. Arnold’s eyes were downcast as he gave her a mollifying pat on the head. “I finally finished my work just now. I was trying to hurry, but it seems I made you lonely.”

The most beautiful fingers in the world combed through her coral-colored hair. He gently tucked a lock behind her ear. Then he looked right into her eyes and said, “I was on my way to dinner. Will you join me?”

“Of course, Prince Arnold. If you don’t mind, would you tell me about your day while you eat?” Rishe smiled as if this were a regular exchange between them. To the bishop, she said, “Please forgive my selfishness, Bishop, but may I have His Highness for the rest of the night?” She rubbed her cheek against Arnold’s arm to make a show of her claim.

Schneider, who was speechless at this exchange, cleared his throat and nodded. “Of course. The goddess values labor, but not at the cost of one’s health. If you’ll excuse me, I must be going as well.” With that, Schneider scuttled off.

As she watched him go, Rishe thought about their earlier exchange. “You must not marry Arnold Hein.” So the bishop had warned her. She had to find out why soon. That was another reason to help with Millia’s participation in the festival. As she mulled it over, Arnold spoke a single word.

“Rishe.”

“Yes?”

His voice was coming from awfully close.

“Eep…”

The moment Rishe realized why, her face went pale. She was still clinging to Arnold’s arm.

“Ack!”

With a yelp, she detached herself. She raised both hands and apologized, doing her best to assert her lack of ill will. “I-I’m sorry! I was thinking, and I forgot I was still holding your arm! Also, I’m sorry for clinging to you without asking!”

“Why are you apologizing?” Arnold scrunched his brow and gave her a meaningful look. “You were listening, right? When I called you a trophy wife.”

“Well, of course I was.” Rishe cocked her head and looked back at him. “You didn’t expect me to take you at your word, did you?” Her question was sincere, but Arnold seemed surprised. “I thought maybe you were saying it to support my plan to live a lazy life as crown princess, but…there’s no reason for you to tell the Church about that.”

“…”

“So, I just decided to go along with what you were saying. I don’t know your true intentions, but you wanted to convince the bishop, right? I thought I’d play the part of a bad wife who doesn’t doubt your love for her one bit,” she explained, and the crease in his brow deepened more and more.

She didn’t know why he looked so displeased, but there was one thing she did know. Prince Arnold must have noticed me standing there. Even though she was out of his line of sight around the corner, she was sure he had sensed her loitering there and heard her footsteps. He only said what he’d said because he had a reason to. That was why she’d turned back and announced her presence so blatantly, playing the ignorant fiancée.

Arnold grimaced for a while before finally saying, “I don’t think you were exactly acting like a ‘bad wife’ back there.”

“What? Did I mess up?!”

“That’s not what I meant.” He looked down and sighed. “I was prepared for you to slap me.”

“Huh?” Rishe hadn’t expected to hear that. Does he feel guilty about what he said? If Rishe had just walked out in the middle of their conversation, then there wouldn’t have been any point in lying to Schneider. “It would be more satisfying for me to know your motives than to slap you, Your Highness.”

He didn’t respond.

“Don’t worry. I don’t expect you to tell me. Anyway, let’s get you some dinner.”

The monks were preparing their meals for the duration of their stay at the Grand Basilica. Since Rishe had been drinking tea just a minute ago, their cooking fires were likely still lit. Should I have Oliver send for dinner?

Arnold derailed her train of thought. “You shouldn’t trust people who don’t tell you anything.”

Rishe whirled around and blinked at him, lashes fluttering. There was a dark light in Arnold’s sea-colored eyes. It must have been the lighting in the hallway.

“If you do, you’ll end up being a convenient tool for me.”

“Your Highness.” Rishe held his gaze, not letting go. “Trusting people is about more than just words.”

“What?”

Maybe Arnold hadn’t realized that his behavior thus far had been more than worthy of her trust.

“I told you on the balcony earlier, didn’t I? That you’re not the type to be cruel for no reason.” Rishe paused to smile at him before continuing, “I won’t tell you to trust me too, but you should understand that I’m not one to be discouraged by someone keeping me at a distance.”

Arnold’s eyes wavered. He sighed and then dropped his gaze. “I’m beginning to catch on.”

If that was true, Rishe was glad for it.

He raised his head and told her, “Let me apologize for what I said. What would you like me to do?”

“You don’t need to apologize. I don’t intend to merely be a convenient fiancée for you, so don’t worry about that!” She grinned at him, and Arnold went wary.

Heh heh heh, looks like he’s a little nervous. I fully plan on taking advantage of his guilt!

Negotiations were most advantageous when the other party was feeling remorseful. This lesson from Rishe’s life as a merchant was still proving useful.

“First of all, I would like to help Lady Millia with her preparations for the festival, so please permit me to do so.”

“Preparations for the festival?” Arnold asked sourly. “The Church asked you to do that?”

“What do the details matter? If you’ll permit me to ask for one more thing…”

“…”

“On second thought, let me add two things. And if I think of anything else, we can add them to the negotiating table!”

In the end, Rishe got Arnold to agree to every one of her requests.