Chapter 14
“Your Highness, but—”
“Yes?”
“Does the food at the hotel you’re staying at suit your taste? I’ve heard its reputation isn’t very good.”
“Oh, I’m not too picky, so it’s fine. Not something I’d recommend to others, though. I’m sorry about the poor hospitality back then.”
“That’s quite all right.”
“And the chocolate—is it not to your liking?”
“Yes, not to my taste.”
“I guess you don’t come here often. It’s supposed to be a famous place.”
“I have no reason to come, since I don’t drink. More precisely, my temperament doesn’t match the people who enjoy this place.”
Those insufferable nobles.
Ever since his days in the capital, Claude had been the target of endless criticism among the nobility, especially among men.
A boring knight who didn’t indulge in drinking, didn’t know how to partake in lewd conversation, and didn’t even have a favorite courtesan to visit.
They’d scoff at him, a divinely blessed hero with noble blue blood, for simply spending his leisure reading books in the sunlight instead of seeking entertainment.
There were times he seriously considered smashing them all, but he had endured for the sake of his family’s reputation.
Yet those damned nobles continued to come here, insisting he join their revelries—even when he refused.
Feeling suffocated, he ran his fingers through his hair, unable to hide his frustration.
“Every time people come here and see me, they click their tongues, saying I don’t know how to have fun. I want to tear out their tongues! What does a man have to do to be considered fun? Is a man who enjoys tea instead of alcohol unattractive?”
“Oh? You like tea?”
“…Yes.”
Annoyed, he had muttered on and on, then retreated into a shy answer, looking away briefly.
Not like a sassy cat, but honestly cute enough that Taeri almost laughed, only stopping herself by pinching her thigh.
She wondered if he might have even swallowed the poison Bridget sent because he liked tea so much.
“What kind of tea do you like?”
“Just… black tea, really.”
When asked specifically, he even looked slightly embarrassed.
Taeri wholeheartedly supported him, finding his refined hobby admirable, and Claude, trying to remain modest, couldn’t hide the way his face brightened every time she gave him a thumbs-up.
In this era, for a man of his status to have no scandals at all seemed impossible, but Taeri trusted, absolutely, that his private life was as clean and flawless as a swan.
So that’s why the rumor said he was a eunuch.
It was unfortunate, really.
The protagonist simply had a wholesome hobby, yet foolish outsiders kept insisting he indulge in drinking and revelry, making him understandably irritated.
If this were a trial fate had assigned him, it might qualify as a challenge—but it was hardly unreasonable.
“Honestly, it seems like your hobby is far better than mine.”
Claude was so mature and composed that Taeri couldn’t help but reveal her own leisure life.
“On my days off, I wash the bedding, order delivery, nap all day, and buy pretty but unnecessary things.”
“…”
“If I enjoy it, what does it matter?”
Since she enjoyed it, nothing else really mattered. Being rank zero in this world, Claude didn’t need to care about outside opinions. Taeri lightly tapped the back of his hand, comforting him—mirroring how she had consoled Bridget earlier.
Feeling that simple reassurance, Claude seemed to realize it and hastily changed the subject.
“But why did Your Highness come here? You must know this isn’t exactly a comfortable place. Was this part of some plan—”
“No, nothing like that. I just wanted to try doing something.”
Claude’s relaxed expression stiffened at that.
Do something? Why?
Just… exist. Why?
He sincerely hoped she would do nothing. He didn’t want to fight with her, as she had said.
“Someone I need to find suddenly appeared. Bridget said she’d help me search if she came along.”
So it was that woman’s dirty trick. Good thing I came, Claude thought, praising his own hasty decision to drop his meal and rush over with wine in hand.
“May I ask who it is you’re looking for?”
“An Izaresian. He used to manage the castle’s storage. Now he claims to be an astrologer.”
An astrologer? An Izaresian? Claude immediately processed the information. He filtered through countless reports in his mind, isolating rumors combining those two words—enough to get useful insight.
“I’ve heard rumors of an old astrologer near the barrier who reads travelers’ fortunes. If he’s still there, he might be the person you’re looking for.”
Claude’s confident gaze answered her unspoken question.
“They say his predictions rarely come true.”
“So he’s a quack?”
“A quack, yes. But the fact that he still draws customers and runs a business suggests he may wield other powers beyond astrology.”
“Other powers? Like magic?”
“That’s my thought.”
A novel approach, but it felt trustworthy because he was the protagonist. Living a life of effortless advantages, he probably had a higher success rate than most astrologers.
Taeri stored that short hint in her mind: a quack near the barrier.
“Why do you need this quack?”
“He has a storage key. I need it. Also, he must be punished. I can’t let a vile person profit from stolen goods.”
So she intended to catch and punish him. Claude felt uneasy again.
Of course, if it were revenge, that would be her business.
Revenge is usually personal, yet depending on who enacts it, it can carry a sense of justice. Judging a criminal is a leader’s duty, and for a princess reclaiming her position, it could be part of that process.
Whew… this can’t happen. That’s a problem.
As unease rose, the princess hit precisely the center of his anxiety.
“I need the key, so I have to go inside.”
“Where? Into the forest?”
“No, into the castle.”
A sharp line of thought ran through his mind.
The abandoned castle?
“Yes. The storage is in the castle.”
The old Izaresian royal palace—the source of curses and battlegrounds. For the princess, it may be her childhood home, but for Claude, it’s nothing more than a highly dangerous zone filled with deadly monsters.
She wants to go there? That cursed abandoned castle?
Claude immediately drew a firm line, his face drained of color.
“No one, without exception, is allowed in the abandoned castle.”
Even now, the eerie aura surrounding it set his nerves on edge.
That was why patrols were necessary. He could instinctively sense strange occurrences only near the abandoned castle.
Experienced hunters get lost, the footprints of children appear in impossible places, even ancient elf-like creatures sometimes emerge.
Yet she wanted to go there now. His voice came out resolute and fast.
“Highly dangerous beasts inhabit the castle surroundings. Even if you manage to enter, you’ll likely get lost. Several have gone missing this way. If you are lucky enough to be found by the patrol and returned to the village, that’s fortunate—but most encounter monsters first. Countless corpses have been retrieved this way. Do not approach the castle unless you want to die.”
“All paths are blocked, and I’ve issued strict no-entry orders. Anyone who disobeys, regardless of status, will be punished. Remember that the Order grants me authority.”
He spoke firmly, fully aware how arrogant it might sound.
The princess pursed her lips, appearing to ponder briefly, before finally speaking, her voice more persuasive than before.
“Still, I want to go in.”
Her stubbornness remained, yet Claude did not feel anger. He sensed she wasn’t being obstinate for mischief.
She wasn’t trying to be difficult. Claude had heard such genuine voices many times before—in the vows of solemn priests, and the oaths of dedicated knights. Their words were always sincere.
“I am not trying to trouble the governor. I know why you’re cautious. The disaster that devastated an entire country calls for care in all approaches.”
“Since you understand that well, there’s no need for me to explain further. Entry to the abandoned castle is forbidden.”
Even before she could speak further, Claude’s barrier of refusal went up. Taeri sighed deeply.
Even knowing the future, advancing the events was not easy. Convincing this Claude—the protagonist with his own agenda—to cooperate was the greatest challenge.
Ah, I need to get home quickly!
If she let things play out, it would take ages to reach a conclusion. She had work to do and accomplishments in her original world.
She had to hurry back. Frustrated, Taeri finally decided to throw caution to the wind and speak bluntly.
“I’ll just be honest with you.”
