Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 

RISHE HEARD THAT the matter of her engagement had been decided about a month after her birth—that is, immediately following the birth of Hermity’s Prince Dietrich. Rishe had lived her entire life as the sole daughter of a duke and as a future crown princess. As for Dietrich, the crown prince, he had always been her fiancé as well as a childhood friend of sorts.

“Rishe! I heard you did better than me on that test! You got a perfect score!”

When they were young, Dietrich often flew into a rage whenever he saw Rishe.

“Well, we received a very clear textbook in preparation for the exam, Your Highness. Our tutor even offered to explain anything we didn’t understand.”

“Urk!”

“We have another test tomorrow with the same questions on it, don’t we?”

Rishe’s education as the future crown princess included things like supporting and encouraging her husband. But even without those lessons, she would surely have told Dietrich the same thing, as she believed it from the bottom of her heart.

“I’m sure that if you read the textbook carefully, you’ll be able to get a perfect score as well, Your Highness!”

“I…”

“So why don’t we study together today, Prince Dietrich?”

“Argh! Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Dietrich smacked Rishe’s proffered hand aside and glowered at her. He was bright red up to his ears, brow scrunched up in frustration. “I’m a genius, you know! I got thirty-five whole points without studying one bit! That’s why I’m way more impressive than you! You only got a hundred points after studying really hard! Th-that’s right…have confidence, Dietrich!” After muttering that last bit to himself, Dietrich jabbed a finger at Rishe. “Don’t take me lightly, Rishe! One of these days! You’re gonna bow before my true greatness! You hear me?!”

“Oh… There he goes…”

Rishe could still remember the sight of Dietrich running off down the palace halls. Of course, a knight had spotted him almost immediately and brought him right back.

These exchanges weren’t limited to matters of studying, however. As the two of them grew, Dietrich laid a constant stream of complaints at Rishe’s feet.

“This won’t do! It won’t do at all! A woman riding a horse herself?! People will think it’s because I’m a lousy rider!”

“You want to sneak into the city? Imagine what would happen if you were caught! People would doubt my own dignity as your fiancé!”

“Instead of poking your nose into many different fields, don’t you think it would be best to focus on your duties as crown princess? If you keep this up, you’ll just end up with half-baked knowledge in a handful of fields!”

The one thing Dietrich and her parents hadn’t objected to was her learning swordplay for self-defense.

“You want to learn how to wield a sword? Come to think of it, there is precedent for a queen saving her king from an assassination using her own self-defense skills, isn’t there? Very well. I think I’ll join you! It’s fun to swing a sword around!”

It lasted for only a moment. When they had their first bout a year or so later, Rishe was far and away the victor. Infuriated, he forbade her from studying swordplay any further.

“It’s as I thought! A sword-wielding queen is outrageous! Such a violent woman is not fit to be queen of this country!”

And upon arriving home, Rishe found that all of her practice equipment had been disposed of.

“If His Highness doesn’t like it, then of course you have no right to continue.”

“M-Mother, please…”

“I know your father and I commanded you to be excellent, but that was only so that you may become the perfect queen. If your skills only displease His Highness…” Rishe’s mother had been stern and cold, as if Rishe were nothing more than a disobedient child. “Then there is no worth in those skills.”

Rishe was thirteen back then. At the time, she’d been convinced that her only value was as the future crown princess, so she swallowed her objections and did her very best to support Dietrich. She had helped him study and took on the role of correcting his bad behavior. It was her fate to be his queen, so all of this was only natural.

She graduated from the royal academy, and when she was poised to begin her real training as the future queen, at a ball on the first day of the fifth month that year…

“Rishe Irmgard Weitzner! You are a vile woman! A truly malicious creature unworthy of the crown prince!” Dietrich thrust his finger at her and shouted as he’d always done throughout their childhood. “As of this instant, our engagement is off!”

In that moment, Rishe was finally free.

 

---

 

In my first life, I was so confused during that moment that I couldn’t exactly think of myself as being free.

Surfacing from her reverie, Rishe sighed. She had moved to a room loaned to them by the theater staff. It was one of several rooms where the royalty and nobility could meet and chat before or after a performance. There was no table, just several chairs facing one another. Rishe sat on a couch, across from Dietrich, and stared at him glumly.

“Heh. I haven’t seen your face in a few months, but you seem to be doing a lot better than I expected! You must be thrilled at our reunion!”

In all my lives, I’ve never once seen Prince Dietrich after we broke off our engagement—not until now.

“Did you hear me, Rishe? Are you listening? Rishe!”

There are all sorts of things I’d like to work out at the moment, but first things first…

Rishe let go of her forehead and peeked over at Arnold. He was seated next to her on the couch, his brow slightly furrowed. That much was fine. What concerned Rishe was the placement of his right hand.

Why is Prince Arnold’s hand around my waist?!

And he was holding her snugly against him as well. Meanwhile, his other elbow lay on the armrest, his hand pillowed his cheek, and his legs were crossed as he looked idly at Dietrich.

We had no choice but to borrow a room since we can’t exactly ignore him, but still.

Rishe recalled the fit Dietrich had thrown a few minutes earlier. Upon recognizing Dietrich, Arnold acted first—he’d grasped Rishe’s hand and immediately tried to exit the theater. But Dietrich, like an insistent toddler, had demanded that they acknowledge his presence; thus, Rishe relented and kept Arnold from leaving. They borrowed the room because it would have imposed on everyone else if they continued quarreling in the hallway.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Prince Arnold is not fond of people like Prince Dietrich.

From Rishe’s observations at balls and other social gatherings, Arnold’s patience for loud people was as thin as fraying thread.

But that doesn’t explain why he’s holding me so close!

They were even closer than they’d been in the royal box. It wasn’t like they were dancing or anything. Being joined at the hip with Arnold in front of others made Rishe restless.

“P-Prince Arnold, I can ask what Prince Dietrich’s business here is on my own.” Rishe watched him, uncomfortable to her core, and murmured, “If you would rather not be present for this, you could wait in another room…”

“Hey, Rishe! You’re talking about me, aren’t you? I can tell!”

Arnold ignored Dietrich, eyes falling on Rishe. “I’m not leaving.”

“Huh?”

“I’m staying here with you,” he said firmly.

Agh! Those almost sounded like the words of a faithful lover. Rishe’s heart banged against her rib cage. She lowered her gaze, deeply embarrassed. That was when Dietrich finally noticed how they were positioned.

“What’s with the way you’re sitting?! You’re not even married yet, and you’re holding her waist?!” Dietrich turned a brilliant shade of scarlet as he gaped at Arnold. “It’s…it’s obscene!”

“What?”

“Whoa!”

The force of Arnold’s short response catapulted Dietrich off his chair. There was an ice-cold bloodlust in Arnold’s voice that chilled even Rishe’s spine. And even after shutting Dietrich up, the malice did not recede from his eyes.

“Um, I feel like I have to apologize for this,” Rishe said to Arnold, nothing short of mesmerized as Dietrich shrank beneath his heavy stare.

“Why should you have to apologize?” The only thing soft and sweet about Arnold in that moment were the words he uttered to Rishe. Giving Dietrich another icy glare, Arnold unhurriedly opened his mouth and said, “So?”

“Ugh…” Dietrich recoiled from the short question. “I-I’m talking to Rishe right now, not you!”

“I’ve only allowed you to be here because Rishe desires to speak with you. Don’t forget that you’re not in a position to casually meet with the crown princess of this country.”

“Rishe isn’t your princess yet! It’s too early to treat her like she belongs to you!”

Arnold looked down at Dietrich with open scorn. “It seems you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of a husband.”

“What?!”

“Rishe will be my wife, but she will not be my property. The only person whom she belongs to is herself.”

“Augh!”

“I do not intend to restrict Rishe’s actions in any way so long as they do not endanger her. The person I am not allowing to act freely here is you. Do you understand that?”

He really has always supported whatever I wanted to do. That’s the only reason we’re here.

With a voice so low it was like fog curling against the ground, Arnold said, “You will answer Rishe’s first question. What do you think you’re doing in this country?”

He’s really angry now…

He may have been crown prince of one of the most powerful countries in the world, but even Arnold usually spoke with more tact. At the very least, he wouldn’t have bossed royalty of another country around. Speaking with Dietrich really must have put a strain on his mental health.

Rishe got to the point to move things along. “I’ve actually been exchanging letters with Lady Mary, Prince Dietrich.”

“What? You have?!”

“She informed me that she has been devoting herself to your education since my departure from Hermity.”

Dietrich flinched in alarm.

Almost immediately after Rishe’s arrival in Galkhein, she had received a thorough apology from Mary in the mail. It contained pages and pages of regrets for the way she’d treated Rishe and the things she planned to do to make up for her transgressions. Chief among these was the matter of Dietrich’s future.

“Lady Mary told me that she would stay at your side and make sure you became a respectable person even if she did not become the crown princess.”

A strangled groan escaped Dietrich’s throat.

“I always had my doubts. I couldn’t imagine you’d withstand such an education even if it was coming from your beloved Lady Mary.” Rishe pinned Dietrich with her narrowed eyes. “Tell me, Prince Dietrich. You fled from Hermity, didn’t you?”

“O-o-of course not!” he spluttered.

“Keep your distance. Sit down.”

“Eek!”

Dietrich had sprung up with the force of his shout, but Arnold’s cold intimidation forced him back down to his seat. At the same time, Arnold pulled Rishe even closer—and Rishe’s heart almost leapt out of her chest.

“To even suggest that I would flee! Why, it’s outrageous!”

Forget that. Why does it feel like Prince Arnold is trying to protect me?!

Back on the couch, Dietrich frantically searched for the right words. “Mary is a very delicate girl! The way I broke off my engagement with you weighed too heavily on her! Suddenly, she started saying things like, ‘What we did to Lady Rishe was absolutely unconscionable! We must change to honor her magnanimous spirit!’”

Despite the distracting pounding of her heart due to her closeness to Arnold, Rishe said calmly, “Erm, please do not trouble yourself on my account. I do appreciate Lady Mary’s feelings, though.”

“You don’t know what she’s like now! Ever since then, Mary’s always got a textbook in her right hand and a thick cane in her left! And she smiles and says, ‘Let’s study hard again today, Prince Dietrich,’ while bending the cane!”

I kind of want to see that, to be honest…

In any case, it sounded like Rishe was right. “His Majesty the King and everyone else are giving Lady Mary their full support, aren’t they?”

“Gaaah!”

“I suppose you couldn’t handle the schooling, etiquette lessons, repeated attempts to teach you how to rule… Feeling as if there was nowhere else to go in Hermity, you came to Galkhein. Am I correct?”

The room fell silent. Arnold said nothing, but at this point he was eyeing Dietrich as though the man were trash lying by the roadside.

Rishe sighed. “Prince Dietrich. Neither Lady Mary nor His Majesty do the things they do out of cruelty. That was never my intention either. Any counsel I gave you was out of nothing more than a desire to support you. And you’ve—”

“Wh-who do you think I am?!” Dietrich shouted, interrupting her. “I’m not so far gone that I need people ganging up to teach me! I’ve always been told that I was very gifted! That I could do it if I tried!”

“But you never once did try, did you?”

“Ghk!” Dietrich clutched at his chest like something had struck him in the heart.

“‘You can do it if you try,’ is just another way of saying, ‘You can’t do it because you’re not trying.’ Tools that you never take out of storage may as well not exist.”

“Uuugh…!”

“Being in a situation where you’re able to try whenever you wish is a privilege.” She was more diplomatic when they were engaged, but right now, Rishe wanted to get this over with for the sake of Arnold’s mental health. “No matter how much they may have wished to learn, all the maids who work for me had to spend their youths caring for younger siblings. Have you ever imagined being in a situation where you were not even afforded the luxury to make an effort to learn something?”

“Guh!”

“Lady Mary was the same, was she not? She sought a marriage with an affluent partner for the sake of her family and thus made every effort to obtain acceptance into the academy. After all she has accomplished, have you even given any thought to how she devotes herself to you so completely ‘even if she does not become the crown princess’?”

“I-I—” Dietrich’s expression changed when Rishe brought Mary into the conversation. Nevertheless, he clenched his fists and squeezed out the words, “Wh-what do you know?! Even I tried for a few days after I was born!”

“Infants are not capable of that level of resolve.”

“That’s not the point! You’d never understand how I feel!” Dietrich shouted, red-faced. “Being born as the crown prince when I didn’t want to be, and always having you around!”

Rishe blinked at the unexpected revelation.

“You always, always stood in my way, Rishe! You scored better on tests, learned faster, and always had the adults’ attention!”

“What…?”

“They were my tutors, but you were the one who spoke with them like you were equals! When I brought you to the riding grounds, you won the horses over before I did! You could always run faster than me, and you destroyed me when we had sword matches!”

Rishe pressed her lips together, unsure of what to say.

“No matter how I tried, there was no way I could ever compare to you! Even I have things that I excel at. If only I hadn’t been born the crown prince, I would have been lauded for my abilities, I just know it… But since I was born the crown prince, why couldn’t I possess the skills you do?! Those feelings have always plagued me…”

Dietrich hung his head once more before the shell-shocked Rishe. She was further surprised when he began sniffling. She floundered, thoroughly uncertain of what to say to him, until Dietrich spoke again with a shaky voice.

“The truth is…I always wanted to be like you!”

H-he’s crying! Rishe was speechless. They’d grown up together for almost fifteen years, but she’d never once seen Dietrich cry. Maybe I went too far…

Panicked, she glanced over at Arnold. Of late, she’d been relying on him whenever she wasn’t sure what to do. She regretted this behavior, all too aware that she was taking advantage of his kindness.

I’m sure he’s just as thrown by this situation as I am. Rishe chastised herself for seeking his help, but he simply regarded her with a look that said he had no choice but to act.

“Very well. Leave this to me.”

“Huh?!”

Apparently, he’d picked up on just how stumped Rishe was. Is Prince Arnold really going to comfort Prince Dietrich? I suppose it’s possible he’s really a very kind person at heart.

Arnold turned to Dietrich and began, “No matter your reasons or circumstances…”

Hmm? That didn’t sound like the start of a comforting sentence.

“…it does not excuse annulling your engagement with Rishe and trying to banish her from her homeland when she was at no fault whatsoever,” he finished.

“Hrk!”

P-Prince Arnooold!

Dietrich crumpled into a sobbing mess. “Gah! I…I…!”

Yet Arnold struck mercilessly, peering down his nose at the crying Dietrich. “Do you even understand that stripping a noblewoman of her support system and banishing her to a place where she has no connections may as well be a death sentence?”

“A death sentence?!”

“To claim that you intended otherwise goes beyond mere foolishness. Moreover, to feign blindness to your own incompetence and heap the blame on Rishe’s shoulders is complete nonsense.”

“Ack! P-Prince Arnold!” Rishe stopped him, whispering into his ear, “Wh-why are you rubbing salt in his wounds?!”

“What? You mean you weren’t implying you didn’t mind if I struck the final blow?”

“Of course I wasn’t! You knew exactly what I was trying to say, didn’t you, Your Highness?!”

Arnold matched her volume, whispering back to her, “I have no reason to show this man sympathy.”

It’s exactly as you say! Rishe’s hand once again found her forehead.

“In fact, you’re far too lenient with him. This is the man who broke off his engagement to you, you know.”

“Well, my engagement to Prince Dietrich held no value to me. Why would I be upset about someone divesting me of something I didn’t want?”

“…Are you sure you’re not twisting the knife more than I am?”

Rishe and Arnold continued their whispered conversation, completely ignoring Dietrich at this point. Eventually, he started muttering to himself as well.

“I-If only I were born in a different situation, I would have been able to shine my brightest, I know it. I wasn’t born the crown prince because I wanted to be…”

Arnold rounded on him. “And do you think Rishe was practically born your fiancée because she wanted to be?”

“I-I…!”

Arnold recrossed his legs, observing Dietrich with pure disgust. “I have no choice but to ask—do you think the woman you envy so much has expended no effort in her life up until now?”

Dietrich averted his eyes.

Resting his chin in his hand, Arnold told him, “It’s been a mere two months since Rishe came to Galkhein. Yet if I bring her to a party, she knows the faces of every person in attendance and can even remember their preferred conversation topics.”

Rishe’s eyes widened in surprise.

“W-well, of course. Rishe has always had a good memory.”

“This is not a matter of simply having a good memory. No matter how insipid the conversation is, Rishe listens with complete sincerity. Moreover, she does her own research into the subject before the next time she converses with that person, even though this does not benefit her in any way.”

“Oh, Prince Arnold…”

“A rotten noble once asked her a question about an obscure piece of Galkhein history. She was only able to give him a well-thought-out answer because she sacrifices sleep to study this country despite the fact that no one expects her to.” Arnold’s blue-eyed gaze fell on Rishe. “She regularly supplies the barracks with fortifying food and drink. Even if it does not benefit her, if it will benefit me, she watches out for my Imperial Guards—many of whom she only has a passing familiarity with.”

I didn’t know he was watching me so closely… Rishe felt her cheeks heating up from the warmth of Arnold’s gaze.

“I can give countless examples of such behavior. I’m sure there are infinitely more that take place outside of my notice.”

“Y-you give me far too much credit, Your Highness. I’ve done nothing deserving of such high praise.”

“You should take more pride in the things you’ve built for yourself.” Arnold’s large hand cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. “Make him understand all the effort you’ve put in to serve as crown princess.”

“Ngh…”

It was true. Arnold’s examples were things Rishe did not do merely as part of her plan to avoid the war. Since she was appearing at parties as Arnold’s fiancée, she avoided any behavior that would sully his reputation. She’d learned about Arnold’s Imperial Guards because she wanted to know what sort of vassals he chose and how he treated them.

I’m doing these things simply because I want to, so it should feel strange for him to praise me for it, but…

Warmth blossomed in her chest all the same.

Arnold’s hand slowly drew away from her cheek. Rishe covered her face, hiding the flush spreading across it. She considered Arnold’s words even as her embarrassment tormented her. Dietrich’s reaction, meanwhile, was to double over and start groaning.

“Auuugh!”

Oh! That’s right! Prince Dietrich! This was no time to be going all weak in the knees. Rishe needed to get Arnold away from Dietrich immediately.

“Was I wrong…?”

She pulled herself together, considering her options. If things go the same way as in all my previous lives, then not even a year from now, Prince Dietrich will attempt a coup against his father and fail.

When she’d heard the rumors in her past lives, her chief response had been exasperation. It was far too pathetic an attempt to even be called a coup d’état. Dietrich had let his vassals incite him to action, but his traitorous plot against his father was discovered almost immediately. He had had no time to gather weaponry or leak state secrets. His coup ended without him striking a single blow against his father and without the king’s knights even getting involved. The way Rishe heard it, his treachery had been discovered so early, Dietrich had no time to even execute the plan—early enough that his only crime was plotting insurrection against the king.

Still, even scheming such a thing was a serious crime. Dietrich had been stripped of his authority as crown prince and placed under house arrest. The mantle of crown prince of Hermity had passed to Dietrich’s much younger brother.

He’s the exact opposite of Prince Arnold.

Arnold, who had seized the throne from his father in every one of Rishe’s past lives, met her eyes with curiosity.

In the fifteen years I was Dietrich’s fiancée, it was ingrained in me not to interfere with him. Even if I don’t stop him, the only thing he stands to lose in his coup is his status as crown prince.

Rishe groaned, deep in thought.

Today, Prince Dietrich is taking to heart remonstrations that would normally go in one ear and out the other… Is it due to Lady Mary’s efforts? Or Prince Arnold’s intensity? The way things are going, I might be able to help him.

That was when Dietrich’s head whipped up. “No—I’m…I’m not wrong! Hold your head up high, Dietrich!”

“Huh?”

“Now is the time to tell you the true reason I came to Galkhein before your sixteenth birthday!”

Rishe stared at him in a daze. He was being nonsensical, to say nothing of the fact that he sounded like he was crying. “My birthday?”

She was indeed going to turn sixteen nine days from today, on the thirtieth day of the seventh month. But what did that have to do with anything?

“Like Hermity, Galkhein forbids anyone under sixteen to marry. While you remain fifteen, you cannot officially be considered Galkhein’s crown princess-to-be!”

Dietrich’s passionate declaration only further confused Rishe.

“What, you don’t understand? I’m telling you I’m here to save you before you can be legally wed.”

“Save me? From what, exactly?”

“Why,” he cried, pointing dramatically at her, “from the engagement that you obviously do not desire!”

Rishe was struck speechless yet again.

“Really, I can’t believe my father! Offering up my precious childhood friend to a man known for his cruelty and brutality… It’s just too awful!” Though he was still sniffling, Dietrich seemed to have regained his confidence. “But I will not yield, not even before a nation as great as Galkhein! I’m here to save you while there’s still time!”

“…”

“No sooner than I arrived in the capital did I see Sylvia’s name, leading me to stop by the theater on a whim! And look at that—we ran into each other shortly after! Hmm, the more I think about it, the more I’m sure the goddess is on my side!”

“…”

“Rejoice, Rishe! We’ll celebrate your birthday back in Hermity!”

Dietrich then turned a teary glare on Arnold. “Prince Arnold Hein! I do not fear you! Well, in truth, I fear you a little, or a little more than a little… But this, too, is a trial I must overcome! For I am the future king, and I am full of kingly qualities!”

He was being awfully rude to Arnold, but the man in question seemed as if he could not care less. In his mind, Dietrich was probably not even worth humoring with a response. Without a reaction to Dietrich’s declaration, Arnold turned instead to Rishe. “You must be satisfied by now.”

“…”

“We’re leaving. Knights, hand him over to whoever’s responsible for him.”

“Wha—?! Y-you’re throwing me out?!”

Rishe took a deep breath, lowered her head, and slowly began, “Prince Dietrich…”

Dietrich perked up.

“I have nothing to say to you in regard to our engagement or my banishment. However…” Rishe looked Dietrich squarely in the eye. “I cannot overlook your speaking ill of Prince Arnold.”

“Rishe, you…”

Although she had scolded Dietrich countless times over the last fifteen years, her tone had never been as harsh as it was now. Dietrich was frozen in surprise before her, unable to form a coherent reply.

“Prince Arnold is the kindest anyone’s ever been to me. He permits me to go out into town, provides horses for me to ride, and even trains me in swordsmanship from time to time. All things I was not allowed to do when I was your fiancée.”

Arnold had never been angry with Rishe for sneaking into town. He’d allowed her to fix up the detached palace for her own purposes, grow medicinal herbs in her garden, and select and educate her own maids. If Rishe asked him for a bout, he would make time in his busy schedule to spar with her. He always respected her choices. To a noblewoman—to Rishe—nothing could be more important.

“He is always concerned for me and my health and makes sure I can live freely. Prince Arnold only scolds me when I do something dangerous. Yet you spout this nonsense about ‘saving me’…”

A moment later, Rishe felt herself clinging to Arnold out of sheer momentum. The two men both turned wide eyes on her.

“…”

“Wh-wh-wha—?!”

Arnold appeared thin for a swordsman, yet when she wrapped her arms around him, she was acutely aware of his robust physique and firm muscles. Shoving that thought to the back of her mind, Rishe glared sharply at Dietrich.

“I’ll prove just how wonderful a husband Prince Arnold can be!”

“H-h-h-h-h-have it your way!”

“…”

Of course, she could only maintain the position for a few seconds. Rishe would end up apologizing to Arnold in the carriage ride home later, her face bright red.

 

---

 

“Please accept my most sincere apologies, really…”

“Right.”

In the carriage ride back to the palace, Rishe hung her head low. She couldn’t even meet Arnold’s eyes across from her. All she could do was tremble and apologize fervently again and again.

I-I think my face is on fire!

An awkward atmosphere had been permeating the carriage for some time now, and every time Rishe gave it thought, all the more did she wish for the floor to swallow her whole. Not only were her cheeks red; the heat reached all the way up to her ears.

It was all because of what Rishe did in the theater. She had told Dietrich that she would prove how kind Arnold was. As a result, Dietrich ended up staying in Galkhein for several more days. Last but not least was the way Rishe had touched Arnold. Put all that together and you got a suffocatingly uncomfortable carriage ride.

Ugh, what have I done?! Not only did I argue with Dietrich and declare the strangest war in the world against him, but I even clung to Prince Arnold…

She’d gone further than merely putting one’s hand on another’s waist in public. Remembering how surprised Arnold had been when she’d pressed herself against him, Rishe wanted to bury her face in her hands. Worse yet, Arnold was quieter than usual, and the silence was torturing her.

“I already made you go out of your way to provide a place for Prince Dietrich and me to speak, and then on top of that…”

Arnold sighed as Rishe continued to apologize. “I have no intention of limiting your activities in any way. You are free to meet with whomever you wish to meet with and speak with whomever you wish to speak with.”

“Your Highness, I…”

Normally, Rishe would not be granted such freedom. Dietrich’s conduct was normal; her mother’s actions were correct. It was Arnold’s behavior that was strange. This was not the typical way noble ladies or royal wives were treated.

“I really do want Prince Dietrich to understand just how kind you are,” she said, peeved.

Arnold gave her a wry smile. “The man spoke nothing but truth. You’re the one being naive.”

“That’s not true.”

“More importantly, if he’s going to be staying in the capital, then you should make him atone for the absurd crime he pinned on you,” Arnold said—but Dietrich’s breaking off their engagement was something Rishe was thankful for.

“I’m much more upset about him speaking ill of you than anything he’s done to me.”

“Nothing a person like him says could ever mean anything to me. He can fuss all he likes, but…” Arnold lowered his voice. “I won’t allow him to belittle you.”

Rishe’s heart somersaulted again. He’s so considerate of me.

Just what about him was cruel or brutal? If she said that to Dietrich, he would scrounge up some excuse. To prove it to him, she would have to use something other than words.

“I was surprised by what you said, though.”

Rishe startled when Arnold brought them back on topic.

“It’s rare for you to act that way.”

“I-I’m sorry for grabbing you, Your Highness…”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, frowning for some reason. He tilted his head to the side. “You seem franker with him than you are with other people.”

“Urgh…” Rishe was aware of her tendency to get carried away when talking to Dietrich. “I’m used to scolding Prince Dietrich because I was his minder for so long. I realize I can be quite harsh with him sometimes. We’re childhood friends as well, after all.”

Arnold stared at her with his elbow on the window frame. “Rishe.”

“Hmm?”

He patted the seat next to him. Rishe wasn’t sure why he wanted her to sit beside him, but she got up and plopped down next to him.

She raised her head, and he returned her gaze, asking her, “You won’t scold me?”

“Huh?” Rishe stared back at him in surprise.

Does he mean in relation to his duties?

Arnold watched her with a face devoid of expression, awaiting her reply. Confused, Rishe nevertheless answered his question honestly.

“I would never scold you, Prince Arnold. With Dietrich, I tend to worry that I’m the only one encouraging him to change his behavior.”

Arnold reached out while she spoke and tucked her hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed her earrings like they had earlier in the theater.

“But you’d be fine without me, Prince Arnold… Ngh…” Rishe hunched her shoulders from the ticklish sensation, then peeked timidly at Arnold.

He lowered his blue eyes before saying, “I’m not so sure about that.”

Rishe wasn’t certain how to respond. After a moment, she posited, “Do you want someone to scold you sometimes?”

It appeared as if Arnold didn’t know how to answer. He hadn’t affirmed her guess, but he hadn’t argued, so she tried to think of something to scold him for.

“Like, ‘You mustn’t work so late into the night every night’?”

“I could say the same to you.”

“Or ‘Please take more time to rest and relax’?”

“Again, same to you.”

“Hmm. Maybe ‘You should allocate more of your own work to others’?”

“…Rishe.”

Mixing in a bit of humor with her genuine beliefs, Rishe said next, “Then what about ‘If you’re suspicious of someone, please inform me’?”

Arnold’s eyes darkened, narrowing with mirth. “You’re going to have to do better than that with your leading questions,” he said, voice slightly husky. He’d seen through her immediately.

“It was just a gut feeling. I have no evidence to support it yet.”

“Is that ‘gut feeling’ why you were so on edge around Gutheil?”

Here I thought I was discreet about it.

Arnold noticed even the most trivial things about Rishe. But the reason Rishe was suspicious of Gutheil was that she knew the future, and she couldn’t very well tell him that.

“It wasn’t anything about Sir Gutheil specifically,” Rishe fibbed. “I just thought the security situation today wasn’t very like you, Your Highness.”

“Oh?”

“Even if they are shorthanded now, your Imperial Guards have always been an elite few. A night at the theater just didn’t seem like something that necessitated their cooperation with another force.”

It wasn’t like they were visiting a different country. Their plans today should have involved a completely uneventful trip to the theater and nothing more.

“If you’re increasing their numbers now, does that mean you’re concerned about the current military force at your disposal?”

Rishe stared at Arnold intently. I’m worried about whether or not he’s preparing for the war.

His blue eyes were like the ocean. She felt like she would never reach their true depths no matter how long she stared into them.

That’s not the only reason, though. If he has a concern, I want to assuage his fears as much as I can.

She was well aware of how difficult that would be. Upon arriving in Galkhein, she’d asked Arnold to confide in her as much as he was comfortable. It was after Theodore had abducted her, or thereabouts. At the time, her words hadn’t gotten through to Arnold at all.

Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking on my part.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Arnold looked down and said, “Fabrannia is a foolish country.”

Rishe started. It was the country that Princess Harriet—whom they’d just met—had almost married into. Fabrannia had been manufacturing counterfeit coins in other countries’ currencies. They had ordered Harriet to circulate the counterfeit coins in Galkhein, but when their plot was discovered, Harriet decided to dissolve her engagement. Her homeland—Siguel—was preparing to press charges against Fabrannia. Even so, Rishe hadn’t expected to hear Arnold bring Fabrannia up here.

With his usual dispassionate air, Arnold went on, “Fabrannia does not do significant trade with Galkhein. Though they manufactured large quantities of counterfeit currency, they have few opportunities to make use of it. Why do you suppose they did it, then?”

“The Fabrannian king one-sidedly harbored hatred for Galkhein, didn’t he? He was denied a marriage with one of your sisters. Though his actions were illogical, was his misplaced ire not the reason he chose Galkhein currency specifically?”

Rishe internally brushed off her comment even as she uttered it. It’s not Fabrannia’s actions that Prince Arnold is questioning.

He seemed to realize she’d come to that conclusion as well. “It’s clear that Fabrannia wished to take some sort of aggressive action against Galkhein, even if it meant doing something foolish. The problem lies in someone spurring them in that direction.”

“You believe someone instigated the Fabrannian royal family to create counterfeit currency…to attack Galkhein in some way?”

It didn’t strike her as outlandish. A world war had just ended two years ago, and the world’s major powers were all making various moves even during peacetime—boosting national defense, for example. And doing that might involve sapping power from potential enemies in case of future conflict.

There are only three other countries powerful enough to compete with Galkhein in the war in the future.

Arnold leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. “If you make any obvious moves to improve the strength of your military, intelligence agents lurking in your country will leak that information.”

Rishe agreed. In her fifth life, she’d belonged to a group of intelligence operatives who did that exact kind of work. Her “hunters” had never been ordered to infiltrate Galkhein, but that was because Siguel had been focused on other targets.

“Other countries are cause enough for worry, but my father is an even bigger concern. I have no idea how he’ll react to Fabrannia’s actions upon learning of them. So if I want to amass military strength, I must do it in a way that avoids my father’s eyes as well.”

Is that the only reason he avoids his father so completely?

Rumors of the current emperor’s aggressive personality had reached her ears. It was her understanding that if he learned of any suspicious actions taken by other countries, he might very well respond with an invasion. There was another possible reason for Arnold’s secrecy, however: He may have been plotting to murder his father and subsequently begin a revolution.

I really want to look into Sir Gutheil because he’s connected to Prince Arnold in the future…but it would be too suspicious for me to start prying out of the blue.

Rishe needed a reason to approach him. She was also concerned about Sylvia’s well-being, since he’d carried her away.

Then there’s dealing with Prince Dietrich…

She sensed Arnold’s gaze on her and lifted her head. Her heart throbbed when she locked eyes with him from up close. “What is it?”

“That man mentioned a birthday celebration.”

Rishe blinked, lashes fluttering.

“Are birthdays…normally celebrated?”

His question caused her some confusion, but then Rishe realized that Arnold was unfamiliar with the custom. “Do you not celebrate your birthday, Prince Arnold?”

“There’s a party every year, but I’ve never attended.” It was like the idea of doing so had never even occurred to him. She noted that his face was beautiful even with an expression of utter indifference.

I do recall hearing that none of Galkhein’s royal family—save the emperor—ever appear in public. The emperor was probably the only one who ever celebrated, then.

“Does Oliver do anything for it?”

“Why do you bring him up? I’ve ordered him to not act differently with me no matter the occasion.”

From what Rishe had heard, Arnold wasn’t close to anyone in his family. His relationship with his father was hostile, and his birth mother had despised him. His sisters lived separately from him, and he’d only reconciled with Theodore recently. If he’d ordered even Oliver to not do anything for him, then in all likelihood, he was completely unfamiliar with birthday celebrations.

“I suppose I wouldn’t say they’re always celebrated without fail, but…at the very least, I’d like to celebrate the birthdays of the people I’m close to.”

“I see.”

“Would you permit us to celebrate your next birthday? It’s the twenty-eighth of the twelfth month, right?” Rishe looked up at Arnold and smiled. “We’ll be married by then. We don’t have to have a party. We can just celebrate with a few close friends! We’ll invite Oliver and Prince Theodore and eat a bunch of tasty food!”

She was getting excited imagining it. If she had the chance, she wanted to do something Arnold would enjoy. Of course, that sentiment wasn’t limited to his birthday alone, but it was a good opportunity for a celebration.

“You can do as you like.” Arnold sighed. “But your birthday is coming up first.”

“Oh. That’s right.”

Though his tone was somewhat exasperated, Arnold gently asked, “If we’re supposed to celebrate, then we’ll celebrate however much you want. What do you wish to do?”

Rishe went still for just a moment, but not because she couldn’t think of what she wanted. Arnold must have noticed as well.

“Rishe?”

“The thing is, while I love celebrating other people’s birthdays, I don’t particularly like to think about mine.”

Arnold donned a puzzled look of his own.

In part, it’s because death could come for me at any moment once I turn twenty.

Rishe always died sometime after turning twenty and returned to her fifteenth year, to the moment Dietrich broke off their engagement. The day she died varied depending on the life she lived, but it was always at age twenty. Every time her birthday came around, she couldn’t help thinking of the sand in the hourglass. But that wasn’t the only reason she wasn’t fond of her own birthday.

“You see, I’ve also never had my family celebrate my birthday before.”

The truth was, she was in no position to teach Arnold about the subject.

“When I was young, I was just so busy studying. My schedule was far too packed to make time for celebrating… Oh! I had formal parties a few times, though!”

She was dizzyingly busy during those parties as well. She’d had to go about greeting various people, with no time to eat or even drink anything.

“No matter how brilliant you are, it’s all meaningless since you were born a girl. Your only purpose in life is to support the crown prince.”

“You will marry someone influential in society. A woman’s true happiness is to wed a powerful man and have a child with him, and nothing more.”

“Today is your birthday? I know that. I’m your mother, after all.”

She could still recall her parents’ exact words.

“More importantly, have you made progress in your studies today?”

Massaging her cheeks so she wouldn’t make any faces, Rishe continued, “Anyway, I’m not really sure what to do when it comes to my own birthday.”

Even after leaving her homeland and interacting with all sorts of people in her previous lives, she hadn’t told many of them her birthday. Instead, she’d thrown lavish celebrations for other people’s birthdays to share in their joy.

I wonder what Prince Arnold thinks of this? Rishe glanced up at him, still pressing down on her cheeks.

“Should we not do anything, then?” he asked, waiting for her answer.

Rishe trained her gaze to her shoes and contemplated the matter. Once again, Arnold was endeavoring to respect her wishes. She only spent a few seconds thinking before slowly shaking her head.

“I want to celebrate…with you, Prince Arnold.” It embarrassed her to say so, and she felt like a child.

Arnold just said “Understood” like this was any other conversation and then lightly caressed her hair.

Rishe sighed with relief. “This all, um, feels a bit strange. I’ve never really told anyone about it before.”

“Yeah, you don’t really talk about your own feelings.”

“Do I not?”

Now that he mentioned it, maybe he was right. It was all because Rishe’s looping gave her too many secrets, but she hadn’t even realized that she never voiced her feelings until Arnold had pointed it out.

“Hee hee hee.”

“What’s so funny?”

“I just thought you might know me better than I know myself.” The thought tickled her.

Instead of responding, Arnold stroked her hair again.

Prince Arnold really is every bit the wonderful husband I told Prince Dietrich he was…but I must do my part as well. After all, I proposed to him on the beach in Vinrhys.

She reaffirmed her determination.

I must become the best future wife I can be! For now, I’ll prove to Prince Dietrich how kind Prince Arnold is and investigate Sir Gutheil… Though I’m worried about how Miss Sylvia is doing, so I’ll inquire after her health tomorrow… Oh, but my biggest job is preparing for the wedding…

At that moment, she recalled the plot of the opera she’d been recounting earlier.

The wedding.

Then Rishe stared up at Arnold next to her.

“What?”

At the wedding… Her gaze lingered on Arnold’s lips, and she gulped. I’ll have to…kiss him again…

Rishe whipped her head toward the window before her face turned red again. Arnold appeared not to notice, but this might have been an emergency. After all, Rishe had no idea how she was going to prepare herself for the event.

Wh-what do I do?!

Completely thrown, Rishe spent the rest of the carriage ride back to the palace considering the greatest challenge she’d faced in any of her lives up to now.