Episode 19
However, Helena merely seemed terribly flustered; her expression wasn’t one of having realized something.
‘Huh? This girl is a regressor…?’
I distinctly remembered setting Helena up as a competent regressor.
Then again, in the story, she only realized she had regressed after meeting Rurik.
‘Time-wise, it’s already past that point, but it seems she won’t realize the fact of her regression without the event of meeting Rurik.’
So, do I need to make them meet first?
While internally weighing various possibilities, Phoebe spoke to Helena.
“I am Phoebe Nilo, a maid serving Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess. The Abbot Priest suggested attending the morning service. Can you guide us to the chapel immediately?”
That was a splendid idea.
If we went to the chapel now, we would surely run into Rurik.
“Of course. I’ll lead the way.”
I watched Helena, who turned around spiritedly, and noticed that perhaps because she was so nervous, her left arm and left leg moved simultaneously.
‘Pfft.’
Feeling a secret sense of kinship with her, I followed Helena.
‘Yay! I found my new sister-in-law!’
By the time we actually reached the chapel, the service had already begun.
Rurik had already arrived and was sitting in the front row, so Helena, who had only guided us to the entrance, couldn’t encounter him.
‘Sigh, this isn’t it…’
During the service, my mind was all over the place.
‘I need to make them bump into each other somehow.’
I carefully sorted through the novel’s plot in my mind.
When Rurik went berserk and was imprisoned in the underground dungeon of Caesarea, Helena received an order from a priest to bring food to the imprisoned prince so he wouldn’t die.
So, she courageously approached the sturdy man who was running amok even with his limbs bound and fed him.
‘He had already injured several pages who visited him before, but she did it anyway.’
Of course, Rurik caused a commotion in front of her too, and while trying to stop him, Helena accidentally grabbed the back of his hand.
‘In that moment, Rurik snapped back to his senses.’
But for Helena, it happened in such a brief instant that she didn’t even properly realize what had occurred and simply left the dungeon.
Just relieved to have saved her life.
However, that night, Helena was tormented by a long dream.
‘She saw the near future where Rurik would destroy the monastery, leave, seize the imperial palace, and execute all the other imperial family members.’
If it had stopped there, it might have been bearable.
‘If Rurik had come to his senses then and become a splendid emperor, it might have been okay.’
But Rurik, having completely lost his reason due to the demonic sword, ultimately became a tyrant who would be remembered throughout history and ruined this vast empire.
The moment Babenberg, which had been struggling alone, fell, the entire continent fell into the hands of barbarians.
‘And this place, Caesarea, is unfortunately in the north.’
Because of that, the barbarians swarmed down to the monastery in an instant, and Helena clearly saw herself and the priests meeting their deaths at the hands of the barbarians.
‘After waking from the dream, Helena didn’t doubt it for a second.’
Being devout, she was convinced she had either seen the future or experienced the future and returned to the past.
Then she remembered the feeling of the raw magic raging inside Rurik’s body being absorbed into her and disappearing.
‘Yes, so…’
Simply encountering each other isn’t enough for Rurik and Helena.
‘They need physical contact.’
After the service, we all went to the dining hall together, but unfortunately, Helena was nowhere to be seen.
Preoccupied with the new puzzle I had encountered, I noticed Ren’s sour expression and snorted a laugh.
He pretended to lean over and whispered to me.
“The bread is dry and the fish is fishy. Are we really going to stay here for ten days, Lu?”
Despite being of noble birth, he was a picky eater at twenty-seven, and quite shameless about it.
Well, both the Magic Tower and his hometown, Cesena, are inland, so they aren’t regions known for eating a variety of fish.
‘Not only that, but Ren is the Magic Tower Lord.’
The Magic Tower and the monastery being at odds is a common trope in fantasy worlds.
‘Even the good-natured Abbot Priest Didio only nodded briefly in greeting to Ren.’
Thanks to Ren’s aversion, I picked up a piece of fish to taste and said,
“If you’re uncomfortable, Ren, you can go to Babenberg Castle first. Or you could return to Brentani.”
He immediately grumbled.
“Lu, you’ve become so cold lately. Normally, you’d tell me to eat fruit instead of the fish, or just hand me some. Telling me to leave if I don’t like it…”
Was Louise originally that kind of character…?
Feeling a bit caught, I quickly picked up some fruit and offered it to him.
“It’s because being picky is bad for your health.”
As I hastily made my excuse, Ren took a cherry with a satisfied look.
“Well, I understand since Lu is in a sensitive state these days. Did you take your medicine?”
I chuckled and nodded.
“Thanks to it, I can even eat fish like this. After the meal, I’m planning to visit the Caesarea Falls.”
Ren said with a serious face,
“Isn’t the Caesarea Falls famous for its hot spring waters? That probably isn’t very good for you right now…”
His voice trailed off.
“…would it?”
Ah, does he mean it’s not good for the baby?
I pretended not to, while realizing a point I hadn’t considered, and shook my head.
“I’m not going to bathe in the hot spring; I’m going to see the flowers. The blue camellias bloom around that waterfall, you know?”
Ren asked cautiously,
“Then, can I come with you?”
“Hmm…”
I pretended to think for a moment but then shook my head.
I planned to ditch Phoebe with an excuse and go to the waterfall alone with Helena.
“Even so, it’s a hot spring, so I might dip my feet in. Wouldn’t Phoebe feel uncomfortable about that?”
Ren sighed.
“That’s true. Then what am I supposed to do here without you?”
I promptly handed him a piece of fish.
“Eat this for now.”
“I said I don’t want it…”
Then, I whispered the otherworldly secret knowledge to the Magic Tower Lord, who repeatedly refused.
“They say this is really good for men. Especially at night…”
Ren’s hand hastily shot across the table to cover my mouth.
“Stop it, Lu. It’s not like you’ll take responsibility…”
His final words trailed off strangely.
I giggled watching him blush.
The fish Ren had complained about, saying it tasted bad, was eel.
By the time the meal ended, Rurik had been nabbed by Priest Didio to go meditate.
I gave my brother a vaguely encouraging smile as he sent me a pleading look, then hurried back to my room.
There, I rummaged through my luggage, pulled out an embroidery hoop, and handed it to Phoebe.
“Phoebe, here.”
Phoebe’s eyes widened.
“Your Highness…? Why the sudden embroidery hoop…?”
It seemed the original Louise didn’t particularly enjoy embroidery, as Phoebe often embroidered but rarely suggested I do it.
“Brother donated a tremendous amount to stay at the monastery, but I came empty-handed, didn’t I?”
I shrugged and continued.
“I thought it would be nice to gift Abbot Priest Didio a handkerchief I made myself before we leave.”
Phoebe was immediately moved.
“What a wonderful idea, Your Highness. I, Phoebe, am truly touched.”
“But Phoebe, for right now,”
I feigned discomfort, patting my chest.
“My stomach has been really upset since yesterday. I think I’m seriously indigested because of that Heim Lord.”
“Really? What should we do? Lord Ren probably has some digestive medicine…!”
I let out a sigh, heavily laced with drama, and Phoebe immediately started rubbing my back.
Letting out a deliberate, pained groan, I replied,
“It’s not bad enough for medicine. I was just thinking of calling that maid from earlier and maybe going to the hot spring for a bit. Since time is short, could you sketch the outline for me, Phoebe?”
Fortunately, having been ill with an incurable disease, I had dabbled in various indoor hobbies, one of them being French embroidery.
After becoming Louise, I examined this country’s embroidery works and was lucky to find they weren’t very different from the embroidery I often did.
“But…”
Phoebe hesitated.
“Won’t you be uncomfortable receiving bathing assistance from a maid you’ve just met? She might be clumsy.”
I quickly shook my head.
“Although the guards are stationed at the entrance, I don’t plan to bathe outside. I’ll just soak my feet.”
Phoebe asked worriedly again,
“You’re planning to go to the hot spring near the waterfall, right? And you’ll have the guards escort you?”
“Of course.”
“Alright, then…”
My faithful maid finally looked relieved and tightened the silk on the hoop more tautly.
“What design should I draw?”
I smiled confidently at Phoebe, who was asking so diligently.
“Blue camellias.”
“Y-you called for me, Your Imperial Highness?”
A short while later, Helena appeared, even more flustered than before.
Worried she might seem too unreliable and make Phoebe insist on coming along, I spoke in a brisk tone.
“Hello, Helena. I’d like to go to the Caesarea Falls to walk off lunch. Can you guide me?”
