Chapter 17
“So you’re telling me to ride alone to a place that takes a whole week to get to? By myself? How boring.”
“…Pardon?”
“What are you standing there gaping for? Go bring Mark too. Let’s have the four of us play card games with Annie on the way.”
Raphaella grinned broadly, making a shuffling motion with her hands as if mixing cards.
A crack ran through William’s usually impassive face as he froze in shock. For once, he even stammered as he spoke.
“Y-Your Highness… are you joking?”
“What kind of joke would that be? Hurry up and bring Mark.”
“……”
“No, wait. Duke, you get in first. Annie, go fetch Mark.”
Before William could recover enough to answer, Raphaella issued the order to Annie. Annie, equally flustered, asked back in disbelief.
“E-Eh? Your Highness, are you serious?”
“No. Why is everyone making me say things so many times? We’re supposed to depart. Go on, hurry back.”
“Y-Yes.”
Annie wiped sweat from her brow and hurried off toward where Mark was. William stood there stiffly for a moment before snapping back to his senses and cautiously addressing Raphaella.
“Um, Your Highness. Are you perhaps aware of the implications of nobles sharing the same carriage…?”
“It means chatting and having fun, doesn’t it? What kind of grand meaning could there be to that?”
“…Nothing, then.”
Once again, William gave up on trying to understand Raphaella. As expected, this princess was astonishingly lacking in common sense.
Among the nobility, only family members—or those who were to become family—rode together in the same carriage. The higher one’s status, the more strictly one rode alone. The concept of personal space was so strong that even siblings used separate carriages.
It was no wonder that a popular proposal line went, “I wish to ride in the same carriage with you from now on.”
William could only press a hand to his forehead once more. He was already dreading how he would deal with the rumors sure to spread after riding in the same carriage as the princess.
Southern coastal region of the Henten Empire, Sester.
Count Hugo Sester, lord of Sester Castle, sat at his desk with his brow deeply furrowed. The cause was the two documents his subordinate had just brought in.
“So this is all there is to the investigation of the White Coast?”
“I have no excuse.”
“That’s fine. More importantly, are those injured during the investigation all right?”
“Yes. The cliffs were extremely steep and treacherous, so a few were hurt, but thanks to the precious recovery potions you provided, my lord, none of their lives are in danger.”
“Hm, that’s a relief. Select more skilled personnel for the next investigation team and make sure they proceed with caution. Above all else, remember that safety comes first.”
“Yes, understood.”
Count Sester let out a weary sigh. His bulging belly and greasy double chin jiggled slightly as he did. When he leaned back against the chair, a creak echoed out—his chair protesting under his weight.
Thinking that he should order a sturdier, larger chair next time, the count turned his gaze to the second document.
At that moment, his subordinate spoke carefully.
“My lord, but…”
“Go on.”
“Do you not think the White Coast cave incident was also their doing?”
Count Sester lit his cigar and replied.
“That’s impossible.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Have you read the report and still say that? Just looking at the documents, this incident is clearly an abnormal phenomenon. Like a natural disaster.”
“But—”
“The fact that even the monsters attacking along the coastline avoid that cave is proof enough.”
Count Sester exhaled a long stream of cigar smoke. Then, in a low, helpless murmur, he said,
“This is not something humans can deal with… Send a request to a proper magical research team. They can name whatever fee they want.”
“Understood.”
Only then did Count Sester lift the second envelope. It bore no seal. Tilting his head, he opened it quickly. Inside was another envelope—one that was anything but ordinary. It bore the empress’s seal.
Count Sester’s eyes narrowed as he drew in a deeper breath of smoke.
“Something troublesome has flown in.”
Knock, knock—
“Ah… Dad.”
At the knock, the door to the study opened a crack, and a young girl with pale pink hair peeked her head inside.
“I… I’m here.”
The girl was fresh and lovely, like a rose in bloom, and her voice was just as gentle and warm, as though scented with roses.
Count Sester’s expression instantly brightened, as though his earlier scowl had never existed. He hastily stubbed out his cigar, worried the smoke might harm his frail daughter. Then, with a smile happier than if he had found a fortune, he called out to her.
“Ho ho. Rosalie, you’re here. Is it already time for your walk?”
Bathed in his affection, Rosalie stepped one foot into the study with a cheerful look. However, seeing that her father’s subordinate was still present, the shy girl hesitated and lingered near the door instead of approaching him.
Seeing this, the subordinate laughed heartily.
“Even after ten years, you still find me unfamiliar, my lady. Still, your beauty blooms more like a flower with each passing day. You could be married off any time now, don’t you think? Ha ha!”
“Hey now. She’s still a child—what marriage are you talking about already?”
“She’ll be twenty and come of age next year. That’s plenty old enough for marriage talks. Perhaps it’s because you keep her locked away in the castle that she’s still so pure, my lord. Ha ha!”
“Ahem. Get out and get back to work at once!”
Only after receiving the count’s sharp glare did the subordinate slip out of the study. The moment he was gone, Rosalie skipped over to her father, her dress fluttering.
“D-Dad. How… how are you feeling today?”
“Whenever I’m with you, Rosalie, your father is always at his happiest.”
Count Sester replied as he ruffled Rosalie’s pink hair with his thick hand. She glanced at his face cautiously before speaking again.
“Th-Then, Dad… um… can I go to the village festival tonight?”
“Rosalie, that won’t do. With things so dangerous lately, going out at night is out of the question.”
“I-I’ll just go for one hour! I-I’ll take lots of escort knights with me!”
“No.”
Rosalie sank down beside her father’s chair, almost kneeling, and clasped his hand tightly with her small, pale hands. No matter what, she wanted to go out today. Putting on the most pitiful, miserable expression she could manage, she pleaded with him. It didn’t always work, but sometimes this method allowed her to breathe the air outside the lord’s castle.
The problem was that it happened only once or twice a year.
“Dad… p-please.”
“Because of the monster attacks, the festival has been scaled down anyway. There won’t be much to see. Why risk going out? I’ll have the merchants brought into the castle instead.”
“J-Just this once. Please?”
“I’ll tell the steward to prepare anything you want. I’ll make it far more splendid than the town festival.”
“I-I really can come back without even a hair out of place. R-Remember last year? I came back safely then too.”
“Ahem. I said no. You know that if someone as frail as you were to get hurt, your father wouldn’t be able to go on living.”
Despite her desperate pleas, Count Sester’s resolve did not waver.
Rosalie could tell just by looking at his face. There would be no permission today. And she also knew that this was the point at which she should stop asking.
“…All right. I-I understand.”
“That’s my good girl. You’re not feeling unwell anywhere, are you?”
“N-No.”
“You were often sickly as a child, you know. That’s why your father worries so much. And with the coast in such poor condition that even a relief expedition is coming from the capital, you must understand my concern.”
“…Yes. I-I won’t even go for a walk today.”
“I-Is that so? Very well.”
“I-I’ll be going now. I-I’ll just finish reading my book.”
“Good. I’ll have them bring you your favorite peach pie. Enjoy it while you relax.”
Without answering, Rosalie simply nodded and left the study.
Her steps were heavy as she returned to her room. Servants and maids greeted her along the corridor, but she merely gave small nods in response. Seeing her like that, the maids whispered behind her back—‘Oh dear, it looks like the lord didn’t allow her to go out again.’ ‘Poor young lady.’
Those whispers reached Rosalie’s ears more clearly than she wished. With each one, she lowered her head even further.
But the moment she arrived at her room, closed the door, and found herself alone—
Rosalie’s eyes changed completely.
“R-Really, Dad… I-I said I wouldn’t get hurt at all.”
