Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

ONCE BACK AT THE CASTLE and alone in her own room, Rishe decided to take a bath. She washed off the seawater and sunblock, cleaning herself with a soap that was yet another of her own concoctions. Since it was still bright out, she didn’t fear bathing by herself.

After she finished and her hair was dry, there was a knock on the door of the room serving as her study.

Elsie entered and dipped into a curtsy. “Lady Rishe, the items you requested from Mr. Tully have arrived.”

“Thank you. How do they look?”

The maid’s head snapped up, and her eyes betrayed an excited glimmer. “Mr. Tully is amazing! They’re just as I expected. It’s impressive enough that he could deliver them by evening when you requested them just this morning, but they’re also exactly what you specified.”

Elsie’s reaction brought a smile to Rishe’s face. She stood and set off for Harriet’s room. The princess should have been expecting her, but when Rishe arrived at her door, she was downright flabbergasted.

“L-L-L-L-Lady Rishe!” Harriet attempted to leap to her feet but slammed her knees into the coffee table before her.

Rishe dashed over to her. “Are you all right?!”

“Wh-why… What are you doing in my room, Lady Rishe?” Harriet asked, close to tears. “There was no need to trouble yourself by coming here! I’m very sorry! I apologize for even being alive!”

“Erm, please calm yourself, Lady Harriet. Were you not told of the reason for my visit?” She glanced up at the head maid.

With her hair tied neatly up, the older woman said, “I worried that if I told her you were coming, she would fall ill from nerves while she waited.”

It certainly wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. Rishe’s smile was wry. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to talk to you, Lady Harriet…and I had something I wanted to ask your head maid for as well.”

“Oh. I-I heard about that. You wanted her to teach your maids.”

The head maid nodded. “Very well. I have much more experience than your young maids. There’s still plenty for me to learn, but I will teach them all whatever I can.”

“Thank you so much! My maids are all thrilled to learn from you.”

Rishe’s maids were still getting used to their work. Slowly but surely, they were getting the hang of reading and writing too. Learning had become fun for them. When Rishe had asked them if they wanted to learn from the head maid, they were enthusiastic.

“I’ll be on my way, then.” The head maid looked at Elsie, who stood by the door. “I leave this to you.”

Elsie gave a solemn nod. With the head maid gone, it was just the three of them in Harriet’s guest room.

“Lady Harriet, is there anything you desire right now?” Rishe asked, sitting on the couch. Her presence only seemed to make Harriet more nervous. But Rishe’s patience was rewarded, as Harriet at length opened her mouth.

“N-no, not really. Galkhein is…a wonderful place, and my room is very comfortable. I-I’m sorry I don’t have anything to say in situations like these…”

“Don’t worry. I’m not trying to make conversation, I just want to know. If you could have your wish, if you could have anything you desired, what would you want, Lady Harriet?”

“Books. A lot of books.”

Harriet’s frank answer surprised Rishe.

“I want so many books that I can read and read and never run out…b-but if I had that many books, I could never read them all—I couldn’t just keep them to myself. I don’t just want to ­monopolize books, I want to share them with all of the people who love them.” Harriet’s head was bowed low, but this time, it was due to indulgence in her happy fantasy.

I am less and less convinced that this same Lady Harriet bankrupted her country by splurging on dresses and gems from foreign countries…regardless of what the future holds.

There was one more thing Rishe wanted to confirm, so she said, “You mentioned something about your own appearance earlier.”

With the Aria Trading Company’s products in front of her, Harriet had said, “If I show him my face, His Majesty might break off our engagement.” She must have grown her bangs out to hide it.

“Did the king of Fabrannia say something terrible to you, Lady Harriet?”

“I-It wasn’t terrible, no! He just spoke the truth.” Harriet pasted a fake, awkward smile on her face and said, “My engagement to King Walter was decided when I was young. I went to meet him once with my mother, who was still alive at the time. I was so excited, and I dressed up more than I should have… Um, it’s really so embarrassing.”

Rishe frowned, listening.

“Every time I remember it, I wish I had known my place then. I was just so stupid… There was no way someone like me could dress up like a beautiful doll. My eyes cause people great distress, so I can’t even figure out why I thought I could show them to King Walter.” She laughed dryly, a hollow cover for the pain in her heart. “‘It’s not the ones who are hurt that should be ashamed but the person who hurt them.’”

Harriet’s shoulders trembled.

Lady Harriet’s words must be those of the king of Fabrannia. Rishe kept the thought to herself and asked instead, “You mentioned a few times that your eyes cause people distress, Lady Harriet. Why is that?”

“B-before I realize it, I scowl and glare at everyone around me… I don’t mean to do it, but it happens without thinking, and I make a scary face like I’m mad.”

Rishe felt the vague suspicions she harbored would prove correct. “Thank you for telling me. My next question is directed toward the younger Lady Harriet.”

“Ah, yes?”

“Think back to when you were a girl, when you dressed up to meet His Majesty. Were you happy as a child?”

Harriet’s breath caught. “I-I… No… When I remember it, I just get so ashamed…” She hung her head, and Rishe gently took Harriet’s hand in hers.

“Did you feel the same way as a child?”

Harriet’s small lips pressed into a tight line. She bowed her head timidly, squeezing out a tiny voice that shook with unshed tears. “I was embarrassed…but I wasn’t ashamed. My heart was pounding, and I wanted…I wanted him to look forward to the wedding at least a little bit instead of dreading it!”

“Oh, Lady Harriet…”

“I-I heard King Walter wanted to marry one of Galkhein’s princesses instead! But it didn’t work out…”

Rishe was surprised to hear that, but Harriet’s problems came first. “So it isn’t as though you always hated dressing up.”

The princess’s hand quavered in Rishe’s. “I…I do think it’s indecent…for me to hide my face with my hair… As indecent as my actual face…”

Harriet slowly, ever so slowly, made her feelings known.

“Yet it’s equally indecent…for someone like me to think I could dress in the latest fashions and change myself… It’s impudent and shameful!”

Rishe let go of Harriet’s hand and stroked her hair.

“Wh-what’s this, Lady Rishe?”

“I’m sorry for making you discuss something so painful.” She thought she glimpsed Harriet blinking from beneath her long bangs. “Once, when I was trembling with fright, someone stroked my hair and soothed my spirit.”

Arnold had done just that the day before, when she first ­revealed her fear of ghosts. Harriet’s blonde hair was well cared for. It felt like silk under Rishe’s hand.

Harriet was stunned, her next words absentminded. “H-how strange… I really do feel comforted.”

Rishe smiled, relieved. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Lowering her gaze, Harriet asked, “Um, why would you do this for me, Lady Rishe?”

“I’m sorry. I just can’t leave you alone.” Rishe stroked Harriet’s golden hair. “If you’ll pardon me for saying so, Lady Harriet…” Staring straight at her, Rishe said plainly, “You have dry eyes.”

“Huh?” Harriet seemed to think she misheard Rishe, but there was no way to misinterpret her words.

“I’m almost certain your eyes are dry,” Rishe went on. “You spend every free moment reading—often late into the night by lamplight, right? Perhaps even by moonlight if you don’t want your strict head maid to know that you’re still awake reading unrelated books when you should be studying for your upcoming position as queen.”

“Eep! How did you know?!”

“When people concentrate on the task before them, they blink less, and their eyes dry out faster. Add to that your long bangs. Not only do they make you strain your eyes, but your hair could be causing little bits of damage to them as well.”

Rishe’s grave reasoning sapped the color from Harriet’s face.

“As a test, do you think you could open your eyes for ten ­seconds without blinking, Lady Harriet?”

“I-I can’t! In fact, I can’t even imagine it!”

“Ordinarily, people can do that without a problem.”

This floored the princess.

“If your eyes are dried out and damaged over a long period of time, they’ll become more sensitive to brightness,” Rishe said. “It’ll be harder to open them since they’ll want to avoid getting drier. That will put strain on your brow, causing you to frown unconsciously.”

Harriet had been looking down the whole time they’d been in town. Rishe had wondered if that was due to her personality or if there was more at play. Since the white buildings of Vinrhys reflected the summer sun, they were much too bright for her eyes. Rishe figured Harriet kept her eyes trained to her feet as she walked because the ground reflected less light.

“I happen to have some apothecary knowledge. I’m just hoping I can help improve your health in any way, Lady Harriet.”

“I, erm…”

“If you want to be fashionable, but you feel ashamed to even think that way, then do you think you could muster your courage if it’s to improve your health?”

“Hrk!”

“Elsie?” Rishe called, and the maid waiting by the door stepped forward. In the boxes beside her were several dresses she had ordered from the Aria Trading Company.

Immediately afterward, Harriet’s reedy scream echoed from the guest room.

 

---

 

“Ooh, that girl…!”

“Please don’t scold Lady Harriet, Miss Head Maid.”

Rishe walked through the castle halls, a smile playing on her lips. Harriet’s head maid followed a few steps behind her, hair in a tight bun and back straight as a pole.

“I asked Lady Harriet if I could go get you myself,” Rishe told her. “I wanted to sneak a peek at my maids and see how they were doing.”

“M-my, is that so? I must say, Lady Rishe, though your maids are still inexperienced, they are all quite eager to learn. It’s wonderful.”

“I agree! I’m quite proud of my maids. Thank you very much for instructing them.”

The head maid suddenly went meek. “It’s the least I can do after you acted as Her Highness’s escort, Lady Rishe.”

Rishe had volunteered for the task, but the head maid must have felt responsible for what had happened in some way.

“Siguel’s lady knights are here now, and the Fabrannian knights are starting to recover. While we won’t have a full detail, a few of them will be able to resume their guard duties tomorrow.”

Much as Rishe wanted to recommend that they rest and recover their stamina, she couldn’t comment on another country’s security, so she held her tongue. She reluctantly switched to small talk instead.

“You’re from Siguel, right?” Rishe wanted to find out more about Siguel for her conversations with Harriet.

The maid stared at Rishe, surprised. “How did you know?”

“Did you not want people to know?”

“No, it’s not that. Most people assume I’m from Fabrannia if I don’t say otherwise,” the head maid said, her eyes cold and downcast. “I imagine they base it on how I interact with Her Highness.”

Rishe blinked, listening intently.

“I served the household of Her Majesty, the late queen…Princess Harriet’s mother,” the head maid explained. “I took care of Her Majesty until she married into the royal family, then continued serving her original ducal household.”

“If I may, how did you come to meet Lady Harriet and Prince Curtis?”

“I was selected to accompany the princess to Fabrannia when it was decided that she would marry His Majesty. This is the first time I’ve seen His Highness in person.”

Then the head maid likely didn’t know that this Curtis was a fake. If Rishe hadn’t been repeating her lives, Harriet was the only one who would know about Raul.

“The first time I met Her Highness, I was truly depressed.”

Those were extreme words to direct toward one’s mistress. Rishe said nothing and continued to observe the head maid.

“Siguel is not a powerful country. Books are plentiful, but they have assets they can leverage in negotiations with other countries.” The maid scowled. “Our relationship with Fabrannia is very important to Siguel, but with how unreliable the linchpin of that relationship is—that would be Her Highness—it will be impossible to build a strong bond.”

“Lady Harriet said she wanted to change, though.”

“She did…? It would be difficult, I imagine. She’s far too faint of heart.” The maid’s quiet words had all the power of a shout in the middle of the deserted hallway.

“At this rate, Siguel will just shame itself before Fabrannia. All of the other maids are in the employ of Fabrannia’s royal family. None of us have managed to build a relationship of trust with Her Highness. We can only interact with her in an impersonal manner. It’s only natural—I can’t imagine the other maids wanting to serve Her Highness.”

Right then, Rishe stopped in her tracks. They’d just so happened to arrive in front of Harriet’s room. Before the door, Rishe turned back to the head maid, smiled, and said, “Miss Head Maid, thinking that she wants to change is already proof that the change is underway.”

“I suppose…”

Rishe turned back to the door and knocked. There was no response from inside. Instead, they could hear several people talking.

The head maid noticed that as well, glaring at the door. “What could that be? There’s quite a racket in there.”

“Hee hee hee. We’re coming in, Lady Harriet!”

The moment Rishe pushed the door open, a chorus of cheerful voices spilled forth.

“Oh, you look so beautiful!”

The head maid’s eyebrows shot up.

“Your skin is so clear and pretty. It’s not damaged from makeup at all…”

“The dress looks wonderful as well. So summery and refreshing!”

The voices belonged to Harriet’s maids. After a few moments of silence, the head maid burst into the room. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she beheld the woman by the window. “I-Is that you, Your Highness?!”

Harriet looked like a whole new woman. For starters, her long bangs were braided to the side. This huge improvement bared her forehead and her olive-green eyes, which were downcast in embarrassment. A light chartreuse dress showed off her slender, elegant figure.

“Er, this is, um…”

As Harriet blinked restlessly, the head maid gaped at her in astonishment. The princess wore her hair half up; the rest of her voluminous blonde hair had been ironed into gentle curls, giving it a light, fluffy appearance. When Harriet hung her head, her swaying locks sent a faint perfume wafting through the air. Her maids surrounded her, grinning as they gushed.

“This dress has been in style as of late. It leaves a very proper impression, so it’s perfect for the gentle Princess Harriet.”

“Hrk! Th-thank you…”

Even as she fidgeted, Harriet bowed her head to her maids, the picture of politeness. Then she looked up at Rishe, relieved. Rishe had been the one to apply the makeup, which enhanced her soft features. She’d applied some powder, tidied up the princess’s brows, and painted her lips rose red. In addition to those simple touches, she applied certain techniques to Harriet’s eyelids to make the sharp-looking eyes that had long tormented her seem softer, painting shadows in some spots while directing light to others. During her work, Harriet’s expression had become brighter and brighter.

“Another benefit of makeup is that you can hide or downplay the parts of your face you don’t like,” Rishe had explained to Harriet as she stared, entranced by her own face. There were other things she wanted Harriet to learn about makeup, but to lull her into acceptance, she focused on the “hiding” aspect.

The head maid regarded Harriet with sternness. “Your Highness, you look…”

“I-I-I-I-I’m sorry! Um, er, it’s strange, isn’t it?!” Harriet cried, and the maid’s eyes flew wider still.

Rishe could see why the woman was so surprised. Harriet had undoubtedly disparaged herself with the same words in the past, but right now, she was completely and utterly different. And the head maid, who was closer to her than anyone else, saw it clear as day.

Harriet’s face was still turned toward the floor and her shoulders shook, yet she made eye contact with the head maid. Her olive-colored eyes were no longer hidden behind her thick bangs.

Appraising her, the head maid said, “You look beautiful, Your Highness.”

Harriet’s face scrunched up, teary. She looked like she wanted to dive under her bedcovers and hide, but more than that, there was a great relief in her expression.

For Rishe’s part, she was over the moon about Harriet’s transformation. “It’s just like I said, isn’t it, Lady Harriet? I knew Miss Head Maid would praise y—”

“However!” A scolding voice rang out, causing Harriet to flinch. “What is the meaning of that posture, Your Highness?! Have I not told you time and time again not to hunch your back?!”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

“Back straight, chest out! Otherwise, the whole ensemble is ruined!”

Harriet frantically attempted to straighten her back. Rishe giggled, finding the exchange heartwarming.

She had no idea Harriet’s bashful expression would cloud over in just one hour.

 

---

 

“I-I’m very sorry…”

Harriet bowed her head, on the verge of tears in a corner of Vinrhys. The soft sunlight of late afternoon lent her hair a golden glow.

Rishe shook her head, smiling at Harriet’s tiny apology. “It’s quite all right. Don’t worry about it, Lady Harriet.”

“No! Your Highness, you must take this opportunity to reflect on your actions. It’s because you said you wished to shop in town until dinner that Lady Rishe accompanied you, is it not? You said you would get your things together on your own, so I was touched and allowed you to do so—and now look what’s happened!” The head maid sighed, a deep crease in her brow. “To think you’d hand your maid the bag with your Fabrannian currency and not the currency of Galkhein…”

Harriet’s head was so low, it was as if a heavy stone were pressed atop it. The head maid ranted on, piling on even more weight.

“You can’t buy anything in a Galkhein store with Fabrannian currency! Thankfully, this town has currency exchanges, but still!”

“That’s right! There are currency exchanges in this town, so there’s no problem at all!” Rishe cut in and smiled at Harriet. “Your maid is having the money exchanged right now, so once that’s done, we can shop until dinnertime!”

“Urgh… Thank you.”

“We greatly appreciate your magnanimity, Lady Rishe. Be sure not to take advantage of her kindness, Princess Harriet.”

Rishe turned away from the tongue-lashing, smiling awkwardly. They were waiting next door to the currency exchange for another maid. Though they tried to keep out of the way, they were still attracting attention as a group of over ten people out on the street.

Five of the recovered Fabrannian knights had chosen to accompany them on their shopping trip, and they were also joined by the Siguelian knights Raul had brought with him. Wanting to avoid drawing even more attention, Rishe had left her usual knight detail at the castle.

None of the Fabrannian knights are making eye contact or communicating with the Siguelian knights.

Evidently, they were going about their missions separately with no intent to collaborate to protect Harriet.

The Fabrannian knights seem more skilled than those from Siguel… So His Majesty at least made sure his fiancée was protected on her journey.

Rishe entertained that train of thought for a moment.

The king of Fabrannia gave Lady Harriet plenty of spending money and told her to shop as much as she wished in Galkhein, didn’t he? Also, they can’t have many lady knights, but he specifically sent skilled ones along with her.

It was the king of Fabrannia who had hurt Harriet when she was young, but his actions indicated he was taking good care of her.

As she mulled it over, Rishe sensed a pair of eyes on her. She spotted Oliver standing in front of a different currency exchange some distance away. They could see each other’s faces but were too far away to talk. Oliver smiled and bowed at her, so Rishe curtsied in return.

I wonder if Oliver’s out here on an errand for Prince Arnold?

As expected, Oliver entered the currency exchange. From what she’d gathered, Arnold only had a few places left to investigate, though he would have more work now that Rishe had launched her own probe. That left Oliver with more work to do too, and the guilt pricked at her a little.

She recalled the conversation she’d had with Arnold on the beach.

“Do you plan to reduce the gold and silver content in Galkhein currency?”

“I suppose so.”

At the time, she’d found that answer unusually ambiguous. Why? Was there still secret knowledge Arnold was keeping close to the vest?

A voice interrupted her reverie. “Focus, Your Highness! You’re slouching again!”

“Yes!” Harriet squeaked, straightening up. Rishe knew she wasn’t slouching on purpose, though.

“Why is your posture so poor? I am always telling you to stand proud!”

“Urk…”

“Miss Head Maid,” Rishe piped up on behalf of the dejected princess. “Lady Harriet’s slouching is not a matter of attitude.”

“What is it a matter of, then?”

“It’s a matter of muscle!”

Rishe was dead serious, so she wasn’t quite sure why Harriet and the head maid gawked at her.

“Muscle, you say…?”

“What it takes to stand tall is muscle! The strength to support one’s body. It’s not spirit that Lady Harriet lacks but strength!” Rishe placed a hand on her own stomach. “First, there’s your ­abdominal muscles, then there’s your back. From what I’ve seen of your posture, I don’t think your spine is bent yet, but it will get worse in your twenties.”

“Erm, how bad will it be?”

“If your muscles can’t support your body, your back and neck will start to curve. That puts a real strain on you, so if it goes on too long, it’ll lead to neck, shoulder, and back pain.”

If the symptoms progressed to that point, it would affect Harriet’s everyday life.

“If even sitting becomes painful, it will be harder to read as well, you know.”

“Eek! Wh-what must I do to prevent that?!”

“Well, a bare minimum of exercise would help, but good posture is a part of that. Perhaps try thinking of it not as etiquette but as something you practice a little bit each day for your health.”

Rishe pointed at the large window in the currency exchange building’s white wall. “Lady Harriet, can you see yourself in the glass here?”

Harriet’s eyes swam with hesitation as she peered into the glass—as if she wasn’t used to seeing herself in the mirror. She really did look beautiful, but there was a slight stoop to her back that must have bothered the head maid.

“Please straighten your back and stick out your chest. Yes, just like that!”

“Th-this is hard…”

“Only when you first start. And hey, look in the window one more time.”

Harriet did as Rishe asked, and her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh.”

Of course, Harriet’s hairstyle and dress were no different than they had been a moment ago, but there was a clear change in her appearance. The dress looked superb and better accentuated her figure, for starters. With her chest thrust out and her head lifted, her face looked brighter, the makeup around her eyes shining in the light.

“Don’t you think the impression you give off has changed completely just with better posture?”

“I-It’s true, it has…” Harriet blinked again and again.

“Maintaining perfect posture when you’re not used to it is challenging,” Rishe told her, smiling. “But if you think about how it improves the dress you’re wearing, it’s a little easier to make an effort, isn’t it?”

Harriet appeared to consider Rishe’s words as she watched herself in the glass. Then she looked down at her dress and smiled shyly. “Yes…”

“Oho!” When Rishe saw that smile, she hurried to whisper in the head maid’s ear, “Miss Head Maid, did you see that just now?! Lady Harriet’s bashful smile was so wonderfully cute!”

“Sh-she still has a long way to go! It’s natural for her to smile sweetly in another country on a diplomatic visit!”

“It was wonderful, though, right?”

“W-well, that is true enough, I suppose!” the head maid huffed, then clapped a hand over her mouth as if Rishe had teased the words out. Still, she didn’t intend to take the statement back.

Rishe’s own smile grew wider at this development.

I’m glad Lady Harriet is enjoying herself even a tiny bit more. We must return to the castle for dinner, so we can’t stay out for long, but…I’d like to go to all sorts of stores she’d be interested in.

What sort of store would Harriet like? Rishe had fun imagining the possibilities.

 

---

 

In addition to her new dress, Princess Harriet also carried a small purse. She had prepared it herself before their shopping trip. While Rishe and the head maid spoke, she turned her back to them and opened the purse, peering into it so that no one else could see inside.

“Money…”

Her purse was filled with coins. Each coin bore a simplified eagle design—Galkhein’s national symbol. Harriet ran her finger over the eagle’s wings.

“Galkhein’s money… Money, money, money…”

She shut the purse, her voice more hushed than a breath. She muttered to herself, the sea breeze and waves drowning out her next words.

“With this money, I can obtain what I’ve always wanted…”

 

---

 

They visited a few stores, and when evening came, Rishe and Harriet returned to the castle by carriage.

A maid welcomed them in the entrance hall and quietly ­relayed a message. “Welcome back, Lady Rishe. I know it’s sudden, but I have a message for you from Sir Oliver. His Highness Prince Arnold requests your presence.”

“Thank you. I’ll go right to his office. Lady Harriet, I’ll see you shortly.”

“Y-yes! Thank you so much!”

Harriet bobbed her head over and over again as Rishe left for Arnold’s office. She knocked on the door upon her arrival, and Oliver let her inside.

“Pardon me, Prince Arnold.”

“Hey.” Arnold was without his jacket, sitting in just a shirt as his pen glided across a piece of paper. The buttons at his collar were undone, exposing his hidden scar.

Oliver spoke up, exasperated. “Would you listen to this, Lady Rishe? I can’t believe my lord! The moment I take my eyes off him, he jumps into the sea with his clothes on…”

“Huh?” Rishe flinched, then stiffly turned toward Oliver.

“Try as I might to pry the reason out of him, he won’t say! I’m always telling him to take breaks, but I never expected such mischievous behavior…”

“Er, Oliver, His Highness wasn’t to blame for that. It was—”

“Rishe.” When Oliver wasn’t looking at him, Arnold pressed his pointer finger to his lips. She took it to mean it was their little secret.

Huh?!

Though expressionless, he had the look of a child who had just pulled a prank. If Oliver was scolding Arnold, then Rishe had to explain things—but she couldn’t force the matter if Arnold was telling her not to.

I don’t know why he wants to keep it a secret, but I must tell Oliver the truth when Prince Arnold isn’t around and apologize to him.

Oliver interrupted Rishe’s musings. “Lady Rishe, please sit here. You too, my lord.”

All three took their places on the couches sandwiching the low table. Arnold first and Rishe next to him, then Oliver on the opposite side.

“My lord and I have something we’d like to request of you, Lady Rishe. Could you contact Mr. Tully of the Aria Trading Company for us?”

“Mr. Tully?”

The attendant nodded and laid a piece of paper on the table. It was the chart of gold and silver prices Rishe had given Arnold earlier.

“We’ve investigated this data, and we believe that it takes into account all manner of world events.”

I’m impressed. These two aren’t merchants, but they know how much work goes into compiling this sort of data.

Oliver regarded Rishe with his gentle purple eyes and smiled. “You’re already aware of the currency reminting. My lord?”

When prompted, Arnold gestured for him to continue. Oliver picked up a scroll on the table and spread it out before Rishe.

Rishe gasped at the beautifully intricate illustration. It was an eagle with wings spread wide, and even the feathers were ­strikingly detailed. Above the eagle, several flower petals fell from two crossed swords.

“It’s stunning. Grand and dignified, but elaborate…” She was entranced by the image for a moment before she tilted her head to the side. “Do you mean to mint the new currency with this new, complex design?”

“Correct,” Oliver said with a breezy smile, but this was an incredible idea. “You never fail to surprise me, Lady Rishe. After all, currency has to be mass-produced, and each individual coin must be free of even the slightest imperfection.”

“Exactly. You’d have to make a prototype and a mold, but would such a complex design even transfer perfectly? Your minting process must be very refined.”

It clicked for her then. Rishe looked up at Arnold, and their eyes met—he’d been watching her from the start.

This is why Prince Arnold brought up Coyolles when he touched my ring yesterday!

She hadn’t been wrong about him considering Coyolles’s ­depleting silver and gold veins, but there was another thing Arnold had been thinking about at the time.

“You’re going to use our alliance with Coyolles for the reminting?!” she asked, and the prince regarded her fondly.

“That’s the very expression I thought you’d make.”

Rishe’s hands flew to her cheeks. What kind of face am I ­making?! Her happiness must have been plain for all to see. It embarrassed her, but there was nothing she could do.

I can’t believe Prince Arnold is relying on Coyolles…on Prince Kyle!

When she looked at Oliver, he nodded. He must have known why Rishe was so happy. “Just so you’re aware, it was my lord who brought up Coyolles’s name, not me.”

“I use what means are available to me. That’s all there is to it,” Arnold said bluntly, but Rishe was jubilant.

There’s something strange about this, though.

Oliver went on, unaware of Rishe’s prickling doubt. “The purpose of periodic reminting is to make counterfeiting more difficult. Since we’re going to remint, we might as well take the opportunity to make counterfeiting even harder. If we utilize Coyolles’s ability to create elaborate metalwork, then counterfeiters will have their work cut out for them. We’d like to confer with the Aria Trading Company about how to distribute our gold and silver to other countries once we’ve finished the reminting process, and about procuring the necessary materials.”

“If there’s something I can help with, I’ll spare no effort! I can reach out to Mr. Tully right away, if you’d like.” Rishe met Arnold’s eyes again and voiced her earlier concern: “You two aren’t sure about this, though, are you?”

Arnold grimaced, and Oliver’s eyes nearly popped out. Judging by their reactions, Rishe had guessed right.

“What gave you that idea, Lady Rishe?” Oliver asked, flustered. Arnold scrutinized her in silence.

Under their gazes, Rishe said, “With technology from Coyolles, it will be possible to craft coins with this detailed ­design. Even so, it’ll be a costly endeavor.”

The expense to create something wasn’t just made up of the cost of its materials. There was much more to budget for: materials acquisition, facilities, labor, transportation, and ­distribution. Gold and silver coins were no exception. If minting a coin cost more than the coin itself, then the country would literally lose more money than they made.

“You’d also like to discuss how to mitigate those costs with Mr. Tully, right? Depending on the Aria Trading Company’s analysis of the costs, it’s possible the whole reminting plan could be dropped.”

“Well, well.”

“Also… Prince Arnold.” Rishe and Arnold locked gazes for the third time. “When I spoke to you about the reminting, and I asked if you planned to reduce the gold and silver content in Galkhein currency, your response seemed uncertain.”

Indeed, it had been an uncharacteristically vague “I suppose so.”

“At the time, I wondered if you were just hiding something from me—but if that were the case, I’m sure you would have hidden it better. Or you might’ve said something obviously facetious in response.”

“…”

“I felt that, rather than something you were hiding, there was something you were worried about.” Maybe that was the reason for his uncharacteristic answer.

Smiling softly, Oliver looked at Arnold. “Goodness, my lord. Your fiancée seems to have seen right through you. Why don’t you reveal what you’re thinking? Maybe I can help you as well.”

Rishe didn’t expect to hear that. “You don’t know what he’s thinking either?”

“Well, normally I would discuss things a little more with him, but my lord seems to have another idea this time.”

Arnold, a bored expression on his face and his chin in his hand, just said, “It’s a completely unrealistic plan.”

This too was unlike him. Arnold was always realistic. Even his saying “a completely unrealistic plan” was strange.

“It’s stupid. Practically fantasy. My ‘other idea’ is something I’ve already tossed out without consideration.”

“Well, if you’re that insistent, my lord…”

“Hold on, Your Highness!” Rishe said, drawing his attention. “If you put your mind to it, don’t you think you could achieve it?”

The prince gaped at her. “What?”

Rishe believed in him, so she continued her explanation with unwavering seriousness. “Do you not believe that you have the power to make fantasy into reality, Your Highness? Especially now, when you’re willing to work together with others like Coyolles and the Aria Trading Company?”

“Unbelievable.” Arnold frowned. “You trust me that much?”

“Of course. After all, you’ve proven yourself to me since we first met two months ago.” Rishe believed in Arnold’s power not because she knew the future but because she’d seen what he could do firsthand. “You don’t believe in your own power, Prince Arnold?”

Arnold’s frown remained.

“Maybe what you consider fantasy isn’t to someone else. It could be possible with the technique and knowledge someone else possesses. It could become more and more real the more people believe in it.”

“There are no such people.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that. I mean…”

“Rishe.” Arnold tilted Rishe’s jaw to face him.

What’s he doing this for? I’m not going anywhere.

In a deeper voice than usual, he asked her, “Who’s going to believe in something that’s intangible?”

Why do his eyes look so forlorn? Rishe tried to speak, but nothing came out of her mouth. She felt as if Arnold’s gaze pinned her in place, keeping her silent.

“My lord.”

Rishe flinched at Oliver’s voice. With a click of his tongue, Arnold withdrew his hand from Rishe’s jaw.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Prince Arnold, Sir Oliver, if I could have a moment to discuss tomorrow’s security.”

Upon hearing a knight on the other side, Rishe stood. “I’ll be going, then. I shall speak with the Aria Trading Company for you.”

“I apologize, Lady Rishe.”

“Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do. Your Highness, I’ll see you at dinner.”

Arnold twined his fingers around Rishe’s hand, telling her, “Later.”

The dense air from earlier was gone now. He didn’t look so forlorn, and he wasn’t trying to prevent Rishe from speaking.

“Yes,” Rishe said quietly, confused by his change in demeanor. She greeted the knights at the door and left the room.

I thought I might’ve upset him, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Is there another issue I’m not aware of? Hmm. What could it be?

As she thought, her head became full of Arnold. She wanted to know as much as she could about his thoughts and troubles. Because she was so preoccupied, she missed the stealthy presence beside her.

“Hey.”

Rishe blinked in surprise as she was yanked behind a pillar. Raul pressed her back to the wall and covered her mouth with a large hand, smiling in his Curtis guise.

“It’s just the two of us now, little lady.”

“Mmph.” Unable to protest, Rishe glared at him.

“I saw Harriet. Thanks for taking such good care of my ‘little sister.’” In contrast to Rishe’s fearsome scowl, Raul smiled with satisfaction. “Those eyes are great. Just my type.”

He released her mouth at last, and Rishe regained the ability to speak. “Is it wise to act like this while you’re dressed as Prince Curtis?”

“That voice is great too. Scold me more, would you?”

“You’re incorrigible, you know that?” Rishe sighed, truly ­exasperated at Raul’s constant mischief. In her life as a hunter, he’d been a very dependable ally when she needed one. Now, she was baffled by how difficult he was to handle when he wasn’t on her side.

Raul stared into her eyes, still holding her against the wall. “I do wish you wouldn’t try to show Harriet a new world, however.”

“What?” Rishe blurted, lured by the cryptic line.

“I’m telling you not to be so cruel,” he replied, as frustratingly frivolous as ever. “That personality of hers is something she ­developed for her survival, you know? By taking all the blame, she shuts herself off from the rest of the world. If she can abide by her mother’s teachings, then she won’t realize what a piss-poor situation she’s in.”

“…”

“If she learns the happiness of standing tall and facing forward, then returns to her fiancé for a life of obedience, don’t you think that’ll be unbearably hard for her?” Raul smirked, his voice airy. “Or is that your plan?”

“Excuse me? What plan?”

“Well, to break Harriet’s spirit, of course.”

Rishe’s eyes went round.

“You have such good eyes. You see everything a person takes pride in. What they’re ashamed of. What they cling to. That’s how you worm your way right into their heart, isn’t it?” Raul’s face was already close to hers, but he pressed even closer now. “People you see through with those eyes become hopeful—for what’s important to them, for their pride, for a bright future…”

Rishe grimaced and shoved Raul’s shoulder, but the man didn’t budge.

His throat bobbed in a chuckle at her resistance. “It’s good. It’s very good. Especially since…” His red eyes saw straight through her. “You could break someone’s spirit so easily, couldn’t you?” He sounded just like a hunter with his prey in sight.

When she replied, Rishe spoke to the man as she did her chief in her fifth loop. “Look, Raul. You should stop doing that.”

“Stop doing what?”

“Lying to yourself about things outside of work.”

Raul’s breath caught for a moment.

“They’re not real lies, but they’re not your real feelings either. You mix truth into lies and lies into feelings so much that you’re not even sure how you feel yourself. Isn’t that right?”

Indeed, she’d said the same thing in her fifth loop. Raul was always detached from the world around him, so much so that there was no substance to his soul. Their companions laughed it off as Raul just being himself, but that wasn’t how it looked to Rishe. He appeared to be suffering, but he hid it all behind a smile and a lie. At times, his calm seemed to be a tight-fitting lid on deep, explosive rage.

I’m sure he’d deny it like he did back then.

She was prepared to be brushed off, but Raul’s answer was different from the one he’d given her in her fifth life.

He narrowed his eyes and murmured, “Don’t you think that it’s all over as soon as someone sees through you?”

Rishe’s lashes fluttered as she absorbed the statement. She’d come to expect his levity, but Raul was dead serious.

“I’m terrified of someone knowing everything there is to know about me…even more than not knowing myself.”

Does he feel comfortable baring his soul to me because I’m a stranger to him in this life?

“Don’t you feel the same way?” he asked, though it sounded hollow.

“No, I don’t.”

In her mind, she saw Arnold’s profile on the beach earlier that day.

“There’s someone to whom I wish I could confide all my secrets.”

“But you haven’t—which means you understand that telling the truth puts you at a disadvantage. So you’re in no position to criticize me, are you?” Raul’s red eyes pierced her to the core. “What does your marriage with Galkhein’s crown prince mean to you?”

Again, Rishe blinked in surprise.

“How does the woman in a political marriage feel? Do you fantasize about an old flame stealing you away during the ceremony?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You’re so dense.” A smile crept onto Raul’s handsome face as he continued, his voice husky, “I’ll say it plain. I’m thinking about snatching you up if you don’t want to marry the crown prince.”

Rishe was so astounded by his brazen proposal that she could only sigh. If anyone else heard this, it would escalate into an international incident. She continued pushing Raul’s shoulder with all her strength. Her arm was starting to tremble and numb, but she pretended otherwise as she met his gaze squarely.

“I told you, you shouldn’t put on acts like that.”

“I’m worried about you. No wife will be happy in a political marriage.”

“I’ve never once wanted him to make me happy.”

A twisted smile appeared on Raul’s face. “Oh?”

“I’m going to make a wonderful life for myself. No matter what disasters may befall me from marrying him, I’m not going to let it make me unhappy.”

Even if she was dragged into a huge war. Even if she died because of that war. She would never lament choosing her path—this time, to being crown princess—like she had in all her other lives. As long as she met her end without regrets, she was certain she would live a life of joy.

“I still don’t know what this marriage will mean for me, but I’m going to stay by his side even if he breaks it off.”

No one could take her away.

“I’m going to be his bride. I’ve already chosen how I’m going to live this life.”

She glared at Raul to emphasize her intent, and he smiled. But it wasn’t the way he’d been smiling at her up until now as Raul. This was his smile as “Curtis.” In that moment, Rishe ­noticed another person approaching. She hadn’t picked up on it before because Raul had cleverly hoarded her attention.

“Prince Arnold.” Rishe frowned. Raul still had her pinned to the wall, a hand tight on her shoulder…and his face was far too close to hers.

Blue eyes stared daggers at Raul. Rishe shuddered at the tense air that had settled around them. There was no hint of strong emotion on Arnold’s face. His frigid gaze was merely leveled at Raul.

“Let go of her.”

It was a short phrase, but it rumbled in her eardrums. The words were directed at Raul, but even Rishe’s breath hitched. Raul must have felt even more pressure as the actual target.

“I’m terribly sorry, Prince Arnold.” Raul’s mouth twitched for just a second, but he shifted the movement into a gentle smile. “I have no excuse for my behavior.”

“Prince Curtis!” Rishe grimaced, worrying that Raul was just inviting further misunderstandings with his choice of words.

“I apologize, really. It’s just that your fiancée’s beauty is so dazzling.”

Seriously, what are you thinking?!

Wasn’t he supposed to be the eldest prince of Siguel right now? Raul’s disguises were perfect, but he’d ditched his caution to say and do things Curtis never would. Confused, Rishe put even more strength into her arm as she pushed against Raul.

“Did you not hear me?”

Arnold’s slow footsteps echoed down the hall. He loped forward, showing no indication that he was rising to Raul’s provocation. At a glance, his behavior was no different from the everyday, but the chill in his eyes and the rigid bloodlust in his voice overpowered Rishe.

“I told you to let go of my wife.”

Is he going to kill Raul? Rishe thought, panic rising.

Raul shrugged, then released Rishe. Arnold grabbed her as soon as she was free and pulled her to him. He was very gentle, but his strength also brooked no argument from her.

The prince peered down at her face, wrapped a gentle hand around the shoulder Raul had been gripping. “Did he hurt you?”

“Erm, no.”

“Did he touch you anywhere else?”

“Just my shoulder. Nothing else.”

Arnold’s shapely eyebrows bent. He seemed to be enduring something. “Did he make you uncomfortable in any other way?”

Rishe shook her head, and Arnold’s gaze slid away. It was the slightest gesture, yet the tension of the moment was unbearable.

He didn’t even spare Raul a glance. “I’ll take you to your room. Come on.”

As he took her hand, Rishe heard a quiet voice from behind her. “Your fiancée is precious to you, isn’t she?” Raul appeared to be riling Arnold up on purpose. “If I were in your place…I’m sure I would kiss Lady Rishe to stake my claim on her in front of a would-be rival.”

“Prince Curtis, that’s enough joking aroun—”

“Or maybe I would’ve cut the man down right here. It seems all the rumors about the cruel Crown Prince Arnold are unfounded.”

Raul’s needling was shameless at this point. Rishe was beside herself, unable to comprehend his actions.

Yet Arnold was calm. In fact, he regarded Raul with a smile of utter composure as he said, “I see. You must be here against your master’s wishes.”

At that, it was Rishe who gaped in surprise rather than Raul. The man himself was merely confused. She couldn’t read his mind or anything, but he had to have considered this a possibility.

“May I ask what that means?”

“You’re not Curtis Samuel O’Fallon. You’re just an impostor pretending to be him. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

Raul’s disguise had been seen through at last. It was Rishe’s first time witnessing such a thing, including the whole span of her fifth loop.

Perplexed, Raul said, “Prince Arnold, I assure you, I have no idea what you’re—”

“All it takes is a little observation to tell when someone’s impersonating someone else. There’s a big difference between natural mannerisms and deliberate ones.” Arnold uttered these words as if they were as normal as a change in weather. “The same goes for your voice. When you change the way you use your vocal chords, it creates a minute distortion in the sound. It’s incredibly irritating to listen to.”

“Heh… Ha ha ha!” Raul laughed in his real voice, but the sound was a little dry. “You’re a monster.” Clearly awed, he shrugged and said blithely, “Why’d you leave me alone when you knew…? Ahh, of course. To find out Siguel’s true intentions.”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you. Let’s go, Rishe.”

“Say. If she’s truly important to you, don’t you think you should let her go instead of forcing her into a political marriage? I think she’d be more thankful to you that way.”

His voice prodded Rishe from behind. Rishe hated Raul’s presumption that he knew what she wanted.

“Raul! I—” Rishe pivoted to protest, but Arnold beat her to it. He turned just his head to shoot a glare at Raul while still clutching Rishe’s wrist.

“No matter how much she hates me because of this marriage, I don’t intend to let her go. She will be my wife.” His eyes were sharp now, much fiercer than they had been before.

A deep sadness wrung Rishe’s heart. Why?

Raul’s smile grew even more warped as he taunted Arnold. “How awful. You know you’ll make her unhappy, but you’ll force her to be your wife anyway.”

“That’s right. Let’s go, Rishe.” Arnold began to walk, pulling her along.

She wanted to say something to him, but she couldn’t dredge up a single word. Hanging her head, Rishe simply followed behind him.

There’s that pain in my chest again. The throbbing ache made it hard for her to breathe.

Arnold kept his silence. He didn’t turn around until they’d reached the door to their room on the fourth floor.

“I’m sorry.” He released her wrist, only to take her hand in the same manner as when he’d put on her ring. “I shouldn’t have been so rough.”

Rishe said nothing.

“Did I hurt you?”

She shook her head.

Arnold apologized, but he hadn’t been rough with her. It was true that he’d been rather forceful, but his grip hadn’t hurt or left any sort of mark on her skin. It wasn’t Rishe’s wrist that was in pain.

“Why do you say things like that?” She heard the sadness leaking into her voice, but she couldn’t put a lid on her feelings anymore.

“Don’t worry,” Arnold said gently, reaching out to stroke Rishe’s cheek. “Just because I’m not letting you go doesn’t mean I plan to restrict you.”

Rishe’s head drooped so low, her hair fell around her face. Arnold brushed it aside, his touch feather-light.

“I want you to keep telling me all your wishes. I swear to grant you anything in my power.”

That wasn’t what she meant. “You said I was going to hate you because of this marriage.”

“I did,” Arnold affirmed even as he tucked Rishe’s coral hair behind one ear. “You weren’t afraid to marry me?”

It was as if he were comforting a child. The way he looked at her, spoke to her, and touched her, all felt like he was consoling her. And that just made Rishe feel like a spoiled girl who’d thrown a tantrum. She placed her own hand over Arnold’s. She couldn’t bring herself to face him directly, so she just looked up at him through her lashes.

“Your Highness…you’re a fool.”

Arnold’s eyes flew wide in shock.

“You absolute fool… I can’t believe you,” Rishe said, although her complaints came weakly. “I can’t stand it when you’re so nice to me.”

Sometimes, the prince was cruel. Distancing himself through his speech helped him conceal his true emotions. Yet, right now, he was being considerate of Rishe’s feelings. He genuinely believed Rishe feared her marriage to him.

“How could I be afraid to be your bride?” Rishe glared at him. Although she didn’t want to, she knew she’d make an even more pathetic face if she didn’t. She tightened her grip on his hand, practically pressing it to her cheek. “I accepted your proposal, didn’t I?”

She wished she could cover his hand completely, but it was too large, too masculine, so the best she could do was lay her fingers between his from over top. “Whatever happens, I will never hate you. There’s no need for you to speak as if I will!”

“Rishe.”

When he called her name, the throbbing pain in her chest intensified. She reflexively pushed his rugged hand closer to her cheek. While she didn’t want him to see her face, she also didn’t want to let go. She had no idea where to begin processing the heady mix of emotions whirling inside her.

“Do you feel…” Rishe was afraid to ask the question, but she didn’t know why. She pushed the fear down and slowly met his gaze. “Do you feel an obligation to me because of this marriage?”

This time, Arnold broke eye contact. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks. There was always a sharp light in his eyes, but now they seemed fathomless.

“Back then, I would have done anything to make you my wife.” He must have been talking about when he proposed.

Only two months have passed since then, but it feels like it happened a lifetime ago.

Maybe Arnold felt the same way. His voice was gentler than usual. “I was the one begging you, and you were the one making the decision.” Arnold traced Rishe’s cheek with his thumb. “Our positions were never equal. Do you understand?”

Rishe shook her head. She didn’t. He treated her like a child who didn’t know anything, and she couldn’t help but play the role.

“I…” Rishe began, her voice dangerously close to leaking all her pain. “For every selfish request I make, I want to grant your desires too.”

She wanted to give back as much as she took.

“In a marriage that’s a contract between two countries, we should each stand to gain something. Yet I’ve done nothing but take from you this whole time. If this is supposed to be a political marriage, it’s far too tilted in my favor.”

Rishe removed his hand from her cheek and wrapped their fingers together. “If there are things you want of me,” she said, struggling to endure her pain, “then I want to give them to you just as you’ve given to me.”

She wanted to cry but felt so far from tears. There was a cloying sadness in her heart, of losing the place where she belonged. The feeling intensified with each heartbeat.

“Prince Arnold…please.” Rishe looked into his blue eyes, willing him to hear her earnest plea. For some reason, she felt disconsolate saying his name. She’d never felt this way in any of her previous lives. It felt like praying as she took a weak breath.

“Rishe.” Arnold didn’t avert his gaze, and his voice was still gentle. “I’m not marrying you for political reasons.” He bent down and brought his lips to her ear, close enough to kiss it. She gasped, his husky voice tickling her eardrum as his breath tickled her skin. “I don’t want anything from you. You couldn’t make me name something if you begged me.”

That lanced her heart right through.

Arnold pulled away with a smile, gaze firmly locked on hers. There was a dark light in his eyes, almost self-deprecating. He turned Rishe’s own words right back at her. “Do you hate me?”

He gently ran his thumb over Rishe’s lips, as if he wished to pry the words out. Of course, she hated being told he didn’t want anything from her, so she itched to say yes out of spite—but she couldn’t. She was lost, with no past knowledge to rely on in this moment.

It’s so cruel of him to hide what he’s really thinking.

Rishe already knew that, so she’d always believed in the sincerity of his actions over the false malice of his words. However, she’d sensed absolute sincerity in what he just said.

I know that his not wanting anything from me comes from a place of kindness.

That was why it hurt a lot more than his usual callousness.

“No matter how much she hates me because of this marriage…”

Arnold was truly prepared for Rishe to hate him.

He told me I didn’t need to be resolute to become his wife!

As she recalled what else he’d said in the past, her vision wavered.

Oh no!

She didn’t want him to witness her being any more pathetic, but she didn’t want to just walk away from the conversation either.

Rishe’s thoughts spun. Contemplating her next action, she slowly moved her hand up next to her head, palm facing Arnold.

“What’s that mean?” he asked dubiously.

She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Prince Arnold.”

What she was about to do was terrible, but if she just walked away, they would continue talking in circles. At the same time, she didn’t want to run off without another word. She had no idea if she’d be able to do this right, but Rishe decided to initiate it anyway.

Looking straight at Arnold, she declared, “As of this moment…we’re having our first fight!”

Several seconds passed, and then Arnold stared at her as though she were a complete stranger. “What did you just say?”

“I said, we’re having our first fight!”

Sadness clawed at Rishe, but she squared her shoulders and made her intent clear to her fiancé.