Chapter 7: The Duke’s Daughter, Busy in the Capita...

Chapter 7:
The Duke’s Daughter, Busy in the Capital

 

“THAT’S AN AWFUL LOT of invitations.”

After the celebration, I took the day off to relax at home with some tea. I felt more mentally than physically exhausted, to be honest. Nevertheless, I was earnestly trying to take it easy while I chatted with Mother, at which point the butler glided in carrying yet another stack of letters.

“Lord Monroe and Lord Rudolph are writing to me?” Mother asked. “Please, they’re Ellia’s sycophants. As if I’d grace their doorsteps.” That biting dismissal was just so like my mother.

“They’ve also sent invitations for your daughter, Your Grace.”

“Even more ridiculous! Although I see why they’re so desperate to connect with Iris after the celebration. Do you wish to see them, dear?”

“No. Not even a tiny bit.”

Me, have tea with people who supported the second prince’s ascension? There was nothing I wanted to do less. Who knew what kind of trap I would be walking into? Moreover, at this

point, there was absolutely nothing to gain in developing a relationship with any of them.

“I thought as much,” Mother said with a sigh as she sipped her tea. “But is there anyone you do wish to visit?”

“Yes. House Dungley.”

“The marquis? Ah, that’s right—I quite forgot his daughter was your classmate.”

“That’s right. We were fairly close at the academy.” I was wondering how Mimosa was doing. We’d exchanged a few letters after I left, but I hadn’t seen her in nearly two years.

“Then it’s decided. Does anyone else catch your fancy?”

“Hm… Who do you think I ought to call on, Mother?”

To be honest, I just wanted to return to Armelia, but I’d come all the way to the capital, so I thought I had better make the most of it. Attending a few tea parties would let me get my finger on the pulse of high society’s interests, and it would also strengthen my connections. I had no shortage of invitations, even from those in the second prince’s faction.

Still, I couldn’t be absent from the duchy for too long, so it would be impossible to accept all of them. As such, it was critical to choose my visits with utmost care. I had so little time, so I had to be efficient about where I spent it. Thus I asked my mother’s advice, since she knew far more about the dynamics of high society than I did.

“Perhaps you should call on Baron Messi? And Count Dranbaldt, as well.”

“Count Dranbaldt? Ah, that’s right—you’re good friends with his wife, aren’t you?” If I remembered correctly, my mother often visited the Dranbaldt mansion.

“Very. Not only is she wonderfully stylish, but her conversation never fails to amuse.”

“I’ll take your word for it, Mother.”

“Please do. Keep in mind that the Dranbaldts have thus far maintained neutrality, so most of the attendees at their tea parties will be in the same camp. It would be an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the conflict between the political factions here in the capital.”

As always, Mother was right. As such, I decided to accept the Dranbaldts’ invitation as well.

“Wonderful. If you’re going there, I’d like to accompany you.”

“Yes, please! Now, what about Baron Messi?”

“Baron Messi fought with your grandfather back in the Tweil War. He was awarded his title in honor of his military exploits, but as his domain borders Tweil and therefore needs constant protection, he rarely travels outside of it.”

“Baron Messi… Ah, you mean Lord Marvelas Messi? I remember Grandfather telling me of him. They were best friends, right?”

“Yes, the very best. He was a highly skilled lieutenant—often called your grandfather’s right-hand man, in fact. You know of how their unit fought during the war, yes?”

“Yes, of course.”

At the time, Tasmeria had not been favored to win, but my grandfather had turned the tide and at last brought victory for our kingdom. Therefore, he had been rewarded with the title of general and was still adored by soldiers and knights alike. I remembered once trying to ask him to tell me all about it a long time ago. He had grown shy and clammed up.

“Mm. It’s in the history books, but a number of details were excluded. Still, Lord Messi was granted his title and lands on account of his tremendous service.”

“I see… It does sound like a good idea to meet someone like that.” It sounded like a rare opportunity that I couldn’t let slip past.

“Indeed. Not to mention, Lord Messi is part of the first prince’s faction, so naturally other like-minded people gather at his house.”

“That makes me want to meet him all the more.”

“Precisely. If Lord Monroe has the time to throw these special events, he would do well to return to his domain to protect his borders like the baron!”

“Yes…”

I mentally studied a map of Tasmeria as I listened to my mother. I recalled that Count Monroe and Baron Messi’s domains bordered each other on the northern edge of our kingdom, right next to Tweil. I had to imagine these had been the primary battlegrounds during the war. Both domains primarily produced grains, and to my recollection, the war had started when Tweil sought to take these breadbaskets. Tweil was a barren land while our climate was more or less an eternal spring. That weather, coupled with our fertile fields, made it all too easy for us to grow all manner of crops, hence Tweil’s avarice and aggression.

Furthermore, Count Monroe’s domain was farthest north in our kingdom, so it experienced all four seasons and could therefore grow different crops in each season.

“Has Lord Monroe really left his domain unattended for so long?”

“Indeed, he has. In a normal year, he leaves his home right before the start of the social season and stays in the capital for the entirety of it. He spends his time going to parties and holding many of his own as well.”

“I see…”

That made me a little nervous, considering the location of his domain. Tasmeria and Tweil had agreed to a cease-fire, but there was no peace treaty. However, my duchy couldn’t do anything about it, so it was a somewhat pointless worry on my part. I still needed to keep it in mind.

“At any rate, since you don’t have much time, those should be enough.”

“Yes, I’ll pay a visit to Lord Messi, Lord Dranbaldt, and the Dungleys.”

“All right. We’ll go ahead and respond right away. Which is the soonest?”

“The Dungleys, which is the day after tomorrow. However, it is a personal invitation and not a business affair,” the butler responded.

“I see. Very well then, Iris. We shall begin getting ready tomorrow.”

“Yes, Mother.”

How long had it been since we had made rounds on the social circuit? Although this time, we had only three stops. The first would be to the Dungleys, and since it was a personal call, there was no need for me to be nervous. Then again, I hadn’t seen Mimosa in so long, so I had to admit I was feeling incredibly anxious.

 

***

 

After the Dungleys’ butler let me in, he showed me to the parlor.

“It’s so lovely to see you again, Lady Iris.” Mimosa was already sitting there waiting for me.

“Thank you so much for inviting me today,” I responded as I took a seat.

Mimosa motioned for all the servants to leave the room except for Tanya.

“Enough with the formalities. Iris, it really has been ages since I last saw you! I’m so glad to see you’re looking so well.” The stiff atmosphere immediately dissolved, and Mimosa became the old friend I’d known for so long.

Mimosa Dungley had been my classmate back at the academy and my best friend. She was a lovely girl with large, sweet eyes and an adorable face. Since I had sharper features, we would have made the ideal woman if you combined the two of us.

“I’m sorry I worried you, Mimosa…”

“You did! I couldn’t believe it. There I was, home sick with a cold, and I heard you’d gotten expelled! How many times did I tell you to be careful of those people?”

She really had. Over and over again. She’d told me to stay away from Yuri and not to get involved with her. And yet when I’d seen Yuri approach Edward and flirt with him, I’d taken a stand and suffered the consequences.

“I regret it. Trust me, back then I had no idea they were planning such a thing.”

“Too true. And normally those boys never would have, but everything changed when they got involved with her.”

“You noticed it, Mimosa?”

“You were too head over heels for Prince Edward to see! Iris, to be honest with you, I’m afraid of her.”

“Afraid?” I was about to laugh, but the look on Mimosa’s face was so serious that the laughter died in my throat.

When I saw Yuri at parties, she possessed a childlike naiveté. All I’d thought at the time was that she was just some silly girl.

“It’s difficult to tell what she’s really thinking. She acts like some innocent little thing, but I truly feel as if there’s something else just underneath the surface… Before the prince and his friends met her, they were raised to understand how they ought to comport themselves—and they knew they held positions that would make people want to take advantage of them, so they knew they should be especially cautious of new people. Yet they all fell for her so easily, and now they do everything she says. And she’s so perfect in her role that none of them have realized she’s playing a part… That’s my gut feeling, anyway. Anyone who shows such audacity must have some kind of ulterior motive.”

“Are you sure you aren’t reading too much into this? She’s condemned herself quite a bit with her own words and actions.”

At this rate, if Yuri kept up her present behavior, she would be the one to suffer. From a social standpoint, at least. At the same time, a part of me couldn’t fully brush off Mimosa’s concerns. For one, it was odd, wasn’t it, that Mimosa had been the only person at the academy to express her misgivings about Yuri? And for another… A second thought popped into my head, but it was so outrageous that I pushed it to the back of my mind for the time being.

“Maybe you’re right,” I said. “Let’s change the subject.”

Mimosa didn’t seem convinced, but she also seemed at a loss for what else she could say to change my mind, so she reluctantly agreed.

“Do tell me how you’re doing lately, Iris.” She smiled warmly, like she’d flipped a switch on her feelings. Mimosa was so…how could I put it? Feminine, yes, but she also had a wonderfully maternal energy.

“Well, there’s not much else to say besides what I told you in my letters,” I said. “I’m running my business and am knee-deep in managing the duchy. That’s about it.”

“Yes, but I want to hear the details! I mean, it’s wondrous. You have an enormous shop in the capital, and the most popular cafés carry Azuta Corporation products, too. My mother and I both adore the beauty line—and the chocolates as well!”

“Aw, thank you.”

“And you look even more beautiful than before. Did something nice happen?” Mimosa had a sly look in her eyes as she grinned at me, making me a bit flustered.

“N-nothing in particular. You know I don’t have time for that. How about you, Mimosa? Anything nice happening with you?”

“Not a thing. Since I wasn’t betrothed to anyone, the plan for after graduation was always that I would stay behind in the capital and begin my domestic training until I found a husband. But it’s not as though I’m going to find a suitable match so quickly, especially in the current climate. So I’ve been a bit bored.”

“Ah, I see…” That all made sense, especially the last bit. Engagements tied families together. But now the political infighting meant it was difficult to make permanent alliances when greater loyalties might be hidden or prone to change.

“It’s fine, though. I honestly can’t even picture myself getting married right now. Plus, this is a good chance for me to improve myself.”

Under normal circumstances, I was sure that Mimosa would have been drowning in proposals, so my heart ached a bit for her. I was sure a number of girls from as yet neutral families were experiencing the same difficulties.

I was about to take a bite of the provided treats after a sip of tea when my hands froze. Alongside the scones and sandwiches were chocolates imprinted with a familiar lily.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Iris—those are from your shop. Like I said, I really do adore those chocolates.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I’m thrilled that you like them so much. I was actually planning on visiting our boutique here in the capital. Would you like to come with me?”

“The Azuta Corporation boutique?” Mimosa’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s a little tough having so much going on at the moment, but I won’t be staying in the capital long, so I thought I might as well check in with all our shops while I’m here. Of course, since it’s an official visit, I won’t be going with many people—so if security is a concern for you, I understand.”

I couldn’t bring a whole crowd with me as it would be a business call. But Mimosa’s family might object to her going anywhere without sufficient guards, being the daughter of a noble house and all.

“How many guards will you bring?”

“Hm, I think probably two. I’ll have Lyle and Dida with me—and Tanya, of course.”

“Oh, I think my father will be fine with me joining you if we go with them.”

“He trusts them that much, does he?”

“Of course. He considers Lyle and Dida the most skilled guards in the entire kingdom. He has utmost trust in them.”

“I see. Well, if you get your father’s permission, go ahead and send me a letter.”

“Of course. When would you need to know by?”

“Well, I hate to rush you, but within the week, if you please.”

“Excellent.”

After that, we chatted about our days at school, trends within the capital, and all sorts of things until the sun went down. We had so much fun that the time really did fly by. If Tanya hadn’t said, “My lady, I think it’s time we should be going…” I probably would have stayed there all night.

 

***

 

“What were you about to say to Lady Mimosa, my lady?” Tanya suddenly asked me in the carriage on the way home. I shifted my absent gaze from the scenery over to her face.

“When?”

“When you talked about Ms. Yuri. Pardon me for saying so, but it seemed like you were about to say something and then changed your mind.”

“You surprise me, Tanya. How observant of you.”

“It’s a handmaid’s job to notice everything about her mistress,” she answered promptly.

She really was impressive; I’d done my very best not to let my thoughts show on my face.

“I have a feeling you don’t really think Lady Mimosa is reading too much into things, my lady.”

“You’re right. But…the thought I had was truly preposterous.” I had nothing to base it on. In fact, it was so far removed from reality that I couldn’t even say the words out loud.

“May I ask you what it is, if you don’t mind?”

But perhaps now I could say it. I knew Tanya wouldn’t dare tell a soul. Also, talking it out might enable me to put my thoughts in order.

“Remember what I said to Mimosa? About Yuri condemning herself with her actions?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“Well, first of all, those charity events. She was criticized for forging ahead with the food drive with the church despite objections from the nobles and ministers, but the citizens viewed it favorably. They thought she was only thinking of them.”

Based on what my grandfather had told me, the kingdom would not be able to continue those charity events for long. We simply didn’t have the stockpiles. Moreover, we carried a good deal of leftover debt from the war, so instead of lavish spending on charities, we would be better served by tightening our purse strings for the health of our future. At the very least, in my opinion, that money could have been more productively spent.

The problem here was that the citizens knew nothing about the kingdom’s financial state. They had no reason to. And since none of them understood the pressures constraining the kingdom’s finances, once we inevitably had to raise taxes to compensate for Yuri’s overspending, their attitude toward the government would worsen. But their opinion of Prince Edward wouldn’t necessarily change.

“Based on this, we can say that Yuri’s objective was to get the people on her side,” I said. “And the nobles, too.”

“With the charities?” asked Tanya.

“No. With her actions at the Foundation Day celebration.”

“From what I heard, her behavior encouraged some people to withdraw their support from the second prince.”

“Yes, I think that’s true for the most part. But don’t you think it was awfully convenient?”

“Convenient?”

“Yes. Let’s say I not only wanted to maintain the power I already had; I wanted to expand it and gain even more. In that case, it would be much smarter for me to throw in with the second prince, a known quantity, than the first prince, who is shrouded in mystery. Moreover, the first prince hasn’t been seen in public for over ten years—who knows what kind of person he is or what philosophies he may have? Meanwhile, all Yuri has to do is flatter and build up Prince Edward, and everything goes her way.”

“You mean he’s easy for her to manipulate?”

“To put it plainly, yes. And perhaps the reason she conducts herself with such audacity in public is to demonstrate his pliability to the nobles.”

“I see…”

“Again, I have no proof of this. Perhaps I’m the one reading too much into it.”

Yes, I was beginning to think that was the case. Why would Yuri go to such lengths to do such a thing? If all she wanted was to make Edward king, she could be so much more direct about it. Why go to all the trouble of filling his head with lovey-dovey nonsense; making the royal family seem vulnerable, thus calling over the pack of hyenas (also known as the nobility); and deceiving the citizens with charity scams, thereby creating strife inside the kingdom? Why would she ever choose that strategy over a more straightforward method?

“But I still think you should be cautious of her, my lady. Just in case.”

“Yes, I agree. From now on, I’m going to be extremely careful when I conduct business in the capital and when I interact with the royal family. Honestly, I’m quite anxious that the king has fallen ill, now of all times.”

I had always planned on establishing branches of the Azuta Corporation in each domain rather than focusing too much on the capital anyway. If all went well, we would start exporting to other countries in the near future. Worst-case scenario, I might have to think about pulling the business out of the capital altogether if the situation grew any more chaotic, even if it would hurt my bottom line.

Luckily, I had more business ventures planned that would take place solely inside Armelia. When I’d first spoken with Moneda, we had already decided to cut down on our trade with the capital anyway. Now I would focus on the safety and security of the duchy.

If the strife in the capital grew worse, there was no guarantee there wouldn’t be repercussions elsewhere. Luckily, I’d already started some of these discussions, so all I needed to do was iron out more details with Lyle and Dida.

“I’ll gather as much information as I can,” Tanya promised.

“Thank you, I’d appreciate that.”

Once I got home, I retired directly to my room. I had no plans for the following day, so I decided to explore other places in the capital besides those having to do with my company. Maybe I’d take a trip down memory lane and walk by the academy. I was in a nostalgic mood after my meeting with Mimosa. That night, I fell asleep with those thoughts swirling in my head.

 

***

 

The day came for my visit to Count Dranbaldt. Unlike my personal visit to the Dungleys’, I wouldn’t be the only one calling on the household. I was feeling quite anxious about it.

“You needn’t be so fretful, Iris.”

My one reassurance was that my mother was coming with me, for which I was endlessly grateful. My next trial would be a solo call on Baron Messi’s house, so this tandem visit would help me ease back into the swing of things.

We arrived at Count Dranbaldt’s mansion and were greeted by all the servants at the entrance. One of them, a man in a tailcoat, showed us to a lush green garden.

“Welcome, Your Grace, Lady Iris!” A woman who sat at the center of a round table rose to her feet and greeted us. She was a curvy woman with soft, pale blonde hair that gleamed in the sunlight. I could tell she had a kind, cheerful disposition. Count Dranbaldt’s wife, I presumed.

“Thank you ever so much for inviting us today, Lady Dranbaldt. My daughter and I were simply counting down the days until we could come!” My mother was on her best behavior. Even though she was a close friend of the countess, since there were others in attendance, she spoke more formally than she normally would have.

“I’m honored to hear you say so, Madam! Please, have a seat.” The countess gave us a gracious smile and gestured toward some empty chairs. The butler in the tailcoat was already on standby.

“Thank you.”

My mother and I took our seats. The garden was impeccably maintained and overflowing with all manner of green foliage. A pastel green cloth was draped over the table, which only enhanced the radiance of our backdrop. What stood out even more than the splendid vegetation were the dresses worn by the other guests. They all wore pastels—light pinks, yellows, and blues. It seemed the countess had chosen flowers as a theme, because although we were in a garden, there weren’t actually any proper flowers to be seen. Now I understood why she had requested we all wear pastels in her invitation.

“Allow me to introduce you. This is Countess Remedi Caldina.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I bowed to the woman seated to the left of Countess Dranbaldt. She slowly inclined her head in response.

“And this is Countess Dora Dannas.”

“I’ve been so looking forward to meeting both of you!” The woman seated next to the countess bowed her head as well.

“This is Baroness Serena Miness.”

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

The countess continued introducing us to her guests in this manner. There were so many of them, I wasn’t sure I could keep their names and faces straight. If only that had been the end of it, but unfortunately, that was only the beginning of the tea party.

Next, we sampled the food and sipped our tea. It was quite good! But I would’ve gotten myself in trouble if I couldn’t keep up with conversation, so I made sure to listen carefully.

“The dress you wore the other day was absolutely beautiful, Iris. Wherever did you find it?” Countess Dannas asked.

“It was made from fabric we received in a trade with an eastern country. It’ll be a while before we have enough material to sell more apparel, though.”

“Oh, I see. The fabric was lovely, but the shape of the dress was so new and fresh. Who designed it?”

“I hired a tailor in Armelia to make it for me.”

“So then, you were the one who designed it?”

“I’m not sure I’d call myself a designer, but I did give them a rough outline of what kind of shape I wanted.”

I couldn’t tell them I’d chosen the design for comfort over style. Most of the time when I worked, I did so in looser clothes, so I really hadn’t felt like wearing a tight, restrictive corset with an enormously heavy skirt. But since I’d been very clear with the designer from the clothier’s shop, I had been confident that the dress would turn out to be fairly light. But that had been the extent of my input.

“I see. I’m positive that dress will start the next fashion trend, though. Don’t you think, Lady Remidi?”

“Yes, quite. It was the talk of the party. I’m sure the capital’s tailors are already inundated with requests.”

Countess Caldina’s assertion puzzled me. Was that true? Could this be an opportunity for Armelia’s tailors, then? I wondered this to myself as someone else changed the subject. The topic had turned to the latest fads and the news from everyone’s households. The conversation especially centered around the hostess, Countess Dranbaldt, and my mother.

However, the countess proved a skilled hostess who included everyone in the conversation and never let the attention linger on herself for too long. She set a relaxed, comfortable mood. My mother, meanwhile, helped keep that mood sufficiently bright while still respecting the hostess’s role and never overstepping her boundaries.

“By the way, I’ve heard rumors that House Monroe has enjoyed a recent increase in prosperity. Does anyone know what their new ventures might be?” Countess Caldina asked.

My ears perked up at this.

“That reminds me,” she went on, “the Monroes have been hosting so many parties as of late. At one, the countess will wear a striking diamond necklace, then at the next, she’ll have an even larger emerald necklace—with matching earrings! When the jeweler visited my house, I asked him about it, and he told me Count Monroe has been commissioning an incredible number of pieces. I also hear he’s been frequenting the Azuta Corporation’s boutique.”

Everyone turned their eyes to me. I had no choice but to answer. “I’m largely involved in the management of the corporation, and my staff takes care of our clients, so I can’t speak to that… But that does sound amazing.”

I really only looked at the overall sales. I let Sei and my other staff manage our clientele, so honestly I had no idea how much any given household spent on our products. But even if I had, I wouldn’t have told them.

Although, if what Countess Caldina said was true, how had Count Monroe come into such sudden wealth? Had he always been so blessed? No, it couldn’t be so—his domain was still largely known only for its grain production. I certainly hadn’t heard of any new businesses on his part.

“Really?” said the countess. “It was the talk of the party the other night.”

“I’m so envious. Speaking of jewels, Lady Dora. Where did you get the one you wore to Foundation Day? It was gorgeous. I simply couldn’t take my eyes off of it,” my mother exclaimed, steering the conversation in a new direction. I would’ve liked to hear more about the Monroes, but perhaps this was a good stopping point.

Seriously though, my mother truly was remarkable—she was profoundly skilled at feeling out the mood of a party.

“Oh, that was a topaz! The red was just so beautiful, I was immediately drawn to it and begged my husband to get it for me.”

“Answering his wife’s requests is a good way for a man to show he’s a provider,” Countess Dranbaldt declared. “Was Lord Dannas pleased?”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I agreed with this opinion, but I decided to keep that to myself.

In my past life, I hadn’t been married, and even though I’d been engaged in this world, Prince Edward had never given me a present—if I’d asked him to go shopping with me, he had always acted like it was a tremendous burden. Essentially, he had shown absolutely no interest in me even before Yuri came on the scene.

I think I’d heard somewhere before that the opposite of love was indifference, but now that he hated me for everything that had happened between me and Yuri, perhaps I’d graduated from persona non grata? Or perhaps not.

“No, my husband knows nothing about jewels,” said Countess Dannas.

“Maybe not, but surely once he saw you wearing it, he fell in love with you all over again! Isn’t that right, Lady Merellis?”

“Yes, you’re so lovely and youthful, Lady Dora. I’m sure your husband could hardly contain himself during the party once he laid eyes on you!”

The ladies let out squeals and laughter at my mother’s suggestion. Now the conversation turned to this or that handsome noble, and the ladies who had daughters discussed who they’d love to see them marry. Since I had nothing to contribute to the conversation, I just listened.

I did wonder a bit who my mother would like to see me marry. Although after the whole disaster with the prince, I probably had no prospects to speak of. She certainly didn’t say anything during this conversation, perhaps out of respect for me.

“What do you think, Iris?”

Countess Caldina’s question snapped me back to reality. Uh-oh. I shouldn’t have spaced out like that. “I’m sorry, my mind was wandering. What was the question?”

“About your future husband. I was wondering what kind of person you would like to marry.”

“Well, as you all know, my engagement was broken. I was just thinking about quietly spending the rest of my days in the duchy.”

My only dreams for the future involved helping less fortunate children. And, well, I was actually quite looking forward to it.

“Surely you jest, Iris! As the daughter of Duke Armelia, as well as the acting governor and owner of a major corporation, you have a wonderful resume. Not to mention, the queen dowager is quite fond of you. You could have your pick of whomever you chose!”

“You think so?”

“Yes! If only my house’s status were higher, I would be beyond thrilled to join our families!” Countess Caldina let out a disappointed sigh.

Countess Dranbaldt nodded in agreement. I had to admit I was surprised; I’d had no idea I was seen in that light. Still, I really hadn’t given any thought to the prospect of marriage, let alone who I might wed.

The party continued until the sun was just beginning to set. I’d been nervous at first, but now that it was over, I realized I’d quite enjoyed myself. I was sure that was greatly due to Countess Dranbaldt’s stunning ability to make every guest feel special. I’d never hosted a party before, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the occasion to, but if I did, I hoped I’d be even half as gracious as she was. Perhaps I could dip my toe in the water by starting to have small get-togethers like my mother did?

 

***

 

The following day, I planned to visit my shops in the capital. I was very much looking forward to it, especially since Mimosa had written saying she’d received permission to come.

“My lady, it’s almost time to meet Lady Mimosa,” Tanya said just as I was wrapping up some paperwork.

“Oh, is it that time already? I’m almost done reading this letter. Just show her in once she gets here, would you?”

“Are you sure?” Tanya asked me with concern. There were a number of confidential documents spread across my desk concerning matters important to the duchy and to the management of my company. That was probably what she was worried about.

“Mimosa’s a friend. Don’t worry.” At any rate, I didn’t have any of the truly sensitive documents out on my desk now, and the letter in my hands was from Dean. I had nothing to hide. But even if I had, I knew that Mimosa wouldn’t do anything untoward.

Dean had occasionally sent me letters since my arrival in the capital. I doubted he was still in the duchy, as his contract with me was complete. However, he’d lingered in Armelia for a few days after my departure, so his letters were filled with news about the local businesses—and other musings and opinions he wanted to share with me. Reading his thoughts always inspired me with new ideas, so I relished the opportunity.

This time, he suggested setting up a program for the next level of education that would be more akin to a trade school rather than an academic-oriented extension of the topics taught at the elementary school. I did think that sounded like a good idea, but I wasn’t convinced we needed to attach such a program to the schools. Our tradesmen already took in apprentices to whom they taught everything they needed to know.

In any case, Dean ended this particular letter with “Don’t overwork yourself.” It warmed my heart.

“Lady Mimosa has arrived.” There was a knock at the door, and Tanya entered with my friend and her two bodyguards.

“Good morning, Mimosa. Sorry I couldn’t greet you downstairs.”

“It’s fine. Oh, my…did something nice happen?”

“What do you mean?” I gave her a puzzled look.

“That letter. That dreamy expression on your face. Is it from a suitor?”

“What?!” Mimosa’s suggestion left me speechless. Dreamy?! Surely she’d just misinterpreted my face in deep thought. I was pondering the state of the duchy, of course. “Absolutely not! This letter pertains to business back home, that’s all.”

“Hmm, really? I thought for certain a new love had come into your life.”

“Oh, Mimosa. I don’t have time for something as frivolous as love.”

A sad look crossed her face. “I’m sorry if the way I worded it offended you. But Iris, I really don’t want to hear you calling love frivolous.”

“Mimosa…”

“Back at the academy, when you were in love with Prince Edward, you were simply glowing. I know it didn’t end well, and I know you’re terribly busy these days, but speaking as your old friend, I think it’s awfully sad that you think you have no need for love. That you look down upon it.”

“But…” I had to admit that Mimosa had summed up my opinion on the matter; love just felt so silly. I really did think it unnecessary, at least in my life. Perhaps you could say I was no longer a dreamer. But who could blame me after what I’d lived through? I just wasn’t the sort of person who could really believe in love, not anymore. Instead, I kept myself eternally occupied, and I’d become content with the way I now lived.

“It’s because of what happened to you that I want you to find happiness,” Mimosa went on. “I’m not telling you to drop everything for love. But at least open yourself up to the possibility of it. Don’t deny the person you were back then just because she had a bad experience.”

“Mimosa…” Her kind words touched my heart.

“I’m sorry. It’s probably not my place to say. Anyway, you look lovely today,” she said, swiftly changing the subject. She no doubt wanted to lighten the mood.

“So do you.” I let out a relieved sigh.

Since Mimosa would be going out to town with me today incognito, she wore a more understated outfit than she normally would have. She looked more like a merchant’s daughter than a noble, I supposed you could say. As did I.

“When I’m wearing these clothes, make sure to call me Alice,” I said.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Mimosa frowned curiously.

“It’s an alias! You can’t just go around flinging my name about town. And you know what they say—feeling is doing. Just going by a different name will make you feel completely different.” Personally, it made me feel like an actress. Being called by another name really got me into the part, so to speak.

“Ooh, I get it. I’ll go by Misha, then!”

“All right then, Misha. Let’s go. Oh, first let me introduce you—you know Tanya, of course, but these are my bodyguards, Lyle and Dida.” I gestured to the two of them, waiting behind me, and they bowed to her. I expected that from Lyle, but Dida was usually so aloof that I was surprised to see him behave.

“It’s nice to meet you… Although I’ve heard so much about both of you that I feel as if I already know you! These are my bodyguards, Harry and Dan.” Her two bodyguards bowed to me in turn.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” I greeted them.

Both Harry and Dan looked exactly like what I pictured when I thought of proper bodyguards. They had a stern, sharp edge about them. Luckily, they were dressed in plain clothes so they wouldn’t stand out.

“Well, we don’t have much time. Shall we go?”

First, we intended to visit my café. We would sample the chocolates, snacks, and other desserts that the corporation was selling there. Oh, and the herbal tea, which was another strong seller in the capital.

From the moment we arrived, I could tell things were looking prosperous indeed. There was a long line of people waiting to be seated. I’d made sure to keep the prices affordable, so quite a number of regular townspeople were in the mix.

“Well, shall we get in line?”

“Pardon me, my lady. But shouldn’t you mention your name so you can go inside quickly?” Tanya suggested. Everyone looked at me questioningly, evidently wondering the same thing.

“If I do that, then there’s no point in having come incognito. I want to see how they treat the customers. I’ve planned to spend the whole day doing these visits, so I don’t mind waiting.”

“Please excuse me for speaking out of turn, my lady.”

“So for that reason, Misha, we’ll be walking and standing around waiting a lot today.”

“That sounds fine to me! It’ll just help work up an appetite for later.”

“Wonderful.”

We ended up waiting for quite a while before we got inside. The café was divided up into two spaces, one side for takeout orders and the other for dining in. It occurred to me that we might want to construct a separate building just to handle the takeout. That would cut down on the number of people waiting to come in, and we would still have plenty of space to work with. I was sure some people would want to take leftover food home as well. Or would it be better to invest in a larger space and keep the two operations combined? Or perhaps two entirely separate buildings? Hm, I couldn’t decide.

“Welcome. How many today?” asked the host.

“Seven.”

“I’m so sorry, but none of our tables for large parties are currently available. But if you don’t mind being seated at two different tables…”

We had no choice, so we went with that. The tables were fairly close, so I shared a table with Mimosa, Lyle, and Tanya, while the other had Dida, Harry, and Dan.

At first, Tanya wanted to sit at the other table for more of a balance, but then she decided she didn’t want to be apart from me. Then Mimosa offered to switch places with Harry. I worried that wasn’t a proper positioning for her bodyguards, but Mimosa assured me she felt safe with Lyle and Dida. Apparently, she really trusted my bodyguards.

I chose the cake and Mimosa selected the assorted fruits with chocolate sauce. After we ordered, we could only wait for our food to arrive, so Mimosa and I chatted to pass the time.

The process at the café began when a waitress wrote your order on paper and then sent the order to the kitchen. After your meal, you took the number written on your ticket up to the counter to pay. Each table was assigned a different number, marked with a wooden plate. The top of the plate was stained wood, and the bottom was unvarnished. Once you received your orders, you flipped the plate over to the unvarnished side, though if you wanted to purchase something else, you could flip it back over to the stained side. Obviously, any additional purchases would be added to your check before you went to pay.

The calculations at the counter were difficult to process quickly, so I’d introduced the use of an abacus. I was deeply grateful for my previous life in Japan, where I’d learned to use an abacus in elementary school. At first, the staff was a bit bewildered, but they soon caught on and had grown accustomed to it. They were quite grateful and said their work went much faster now. It made me consider introducing the abacus into the mandatory curriculum for Armelia’s elementary school, too.

I absently thought about those things while I chatted with Mimosa, and before long, our orders arrived.

“Ooh, that looks so good!” Mimosa exclaimed happily and dug in.

I’d already sampled all the dishes before, either through the cook here or through Merida, so none of the flavors were new to me. Still, it did feel different eating the dish out at a café instead of at home.

“Mm, it is good!” Mimosa nodded with satisfaction. She seemed so happy, you’d think it was her café.

“I’m glad you like it.”

Even though the staff was busy, they didn’t lack in customer service, and all our food came exactly as we ordered it.

I was utterly pleased to see them working so hard.

“Why did you want to open a café?” Mimosa asked me. I noticed her plate was already clean.

“I didn’t really have any particular reason. We just happen to have excellent ingredients in Armelia, that’s all.”

“It’s still an accomplishment to turn it into such a success, though.”

“Well, in my case, I’m blessed to be surrounded by talented people.” I had a privileged upbringing and had enjoyed the help of Tanya and the others since childhood. I really was fortunate. “Well, should we get going?”

I’d finished my food while we were talking, so we paid the bill and took our leave.

“Next, let’s stop by the beauty shop. I’d like to take our time getting there, though. Just to get a look around the capital.”

The café and the beauty shop were a bit far from each other, which meant a good deal of walking. I also wanted to investigate any shops that caught my eye on the way and take note of the local price points.

“Hm?” I paused for a moment.

“What is it, Alice?”

“I thought I saw Yuri…” For a second, I could have sworn I saw her, but then I lost her in the crowd. Normally, she was surrounded by such a crowd of people that it was easy to spot her anywhere, but this time, it had been only her and two others.

“Are you sure you didn’t mistake someone else for her? There’s no way she would go out in town by herself.”

“That’s true…”

Maybe it was because Tanya and I had been talking about Yuri before Mimosa showed up. I just couldn’t get that girl out of my brain. I pushed the thought aside as we continued making our way to our next stop.

When we arrived at the beauty shop, we encountered another line to get in, just like at the café. Once we made it to the front, we went inside and perused the wares. Mimosa kept saying how she wanted this or that, but I persuaded her to wait, since we were going to the members-only boutique next. As only nobles were allowed in that shop, we would have no choice but to reveal both of our identities once we reached it.

Even though each customer had a private room at the boutique, there was still a chance we would run into someone we knew inside the building. Each customer was allowed to bring two attendants to accompany them, so I brought Tanya and Lyle, and Mimosa brought her two bodyguards.

I’d had to place a limit on guests because some nobles had wanted to bring their whole entourage of handmaids and bodyguards, which would have led to a crowded and unpleasant shopping experience. For that reason, I had installed a waiting room near the entrance for the excess members of an entourage. However, Dida didn’t want to wait there and said that instead he would stand guard at the entrance and survey the perimeter.

The members-only boutique was located in an area of the capital where nobles liked to own second residences. I had purchased an entire mansion complete with a garden for the establishment, so from the moment we entered the property, it took some time to actually get inside. First, we showed proof of our memberships and then admired the lush greenery of the garden as we walked up to the mansion. At the door, we were greeted by a butler, who once again requested we prove our membership. From there, we were led to separate private rooms to be waited on.

“Welcome, Lady Iris.” The butler maintained perfect professional composure when he saw me. His name was Barret, and he had been previously employed as a butler for a merchant family before he began working for me.

“Oh? Aren’t you surprised to see me?”

“I knew you were coming to the capital, so I assumed you would visit at some point, my lady.”

“Hm, so you must have prepared in advance for my arrival. Now I won’t get to see the true state of things!” I said jokingly, to which Barret smirked. He seemed like such a good-natured old man that this smile was especially intimidating.

“I’m afraid not, Lady Iris. The nobility visit this establishment every day, so all things must be perfect at all times. We cannot afford even the slightest slip-up.”

“I see. Well, I can’t wait to see the inside. I’d also love to talk with you for a bit, so please go ahead and show Mimosa to her room.”

“Of course. This way, please, Lady Mimosa.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll be waiting over there, Barret. Come find me when you’re done.”

I said farewell to Mimosa and went to a room near the entrance. This particular room was currently empty; the mansion was so large that it had many rooms just like it. The private customer suites were all on the second floor. There, a staff member waited on the client and brought them the products they requested or suggested new ones to try.

The first floor was mainly composed of storage rooms and rest areas for the staff members. If business picked up a bit more, some of those would likely be converted into more customer suites to ensure it never got too crowded.

“Welcome!” said a voice near the entrance. Another customer had arrived.

“I have a guest with me today.”

I opened my door slightly to peek out and saw Barret greeting the guest. Wasn’t that Count Monroe? The man had a stout frame and blond curls that fell over his forehead. I’d have recognized him anywhere, especially as everyone had been talking about him as of late. I glanced to his side to see his guest. I had thought it might be his wife, or one of his children, but I didn’t recognize the person with him. If it had been a woman, I would’ve assumed it was his mistress, but it was a completely ordinary-looking man. But he’d said guest, so the fellow couldn’t be a servant or a bodyguard. Who in the world had the count brought?

But before I could find out, the two vanished upstairs.

“Terribly sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Iris.” A knock at the door tore me away from my curiosity as Barret entered the room.

“Not to worry. More importantly, Barret, does Lord Monroe come here often?”

“Yes, he does. At least once or twice a week.”

“I see.”

That was often. I couldn’t deny it was good for our business, of course.

“What kinds of things does he purchase?”

“Mostly sweets. Lately he’s been fond of the eau de cologne. He usually brings his wife or son.”

Sounded pretty normal to me. However, the price points at this members-only boutique were steep, though I supposed it would depend on how much he was purchasing.

“What interests his wife and son?”

“His wife prefers the beauty products, of course. She always asks for recommendations. His son buys chocolate, just as the count does. They’re devoted customers, so every time they visit, it takes quite a while to pack up their carriage.”

That really was devoted. Although how were they using up so much product between just the three of them? I wondered until I remembered the ladies telling me Count Monroe often threw parties. That would explain it. More importantly, where was he getting the money to buy all these luxury goods?

“Lady Iris?” Barret gave me a curious look. I’d fallen silent in thought.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t have anything terribly important to talk to you about. I just wanted to check in to see if you were having any difficulties that I could help solve. I’ve been reading the reports you send to me regularly, of course.” As I was here on business, I’d thought I might as well check in with the staff, after all. Plus, since they were dealing with the nobility, I figured they must have run into some unreasonable requests or something of that nature.

“Is that right? Well, I can’t think of any problems at present. The only thing that really comes to mind is that it would be helpful if we had more staff members.”

“More staff members, I see. Where would you need them?”

“We are especially in need of more cooks. Increasingly often, customers are ordering food to eat on the premises.”

“I see. The only problem there is how long it takes to properly train our cooks, so if we take on new hires, it will be some time to get them up to speed. I’ll see to it immediately, though.”

“Thank you. Also…it would help greatly if we could have more trained employees.”

“Trained how, exactly?”

“Well, people who have experience serving noble families. As you know, our customer base is made up exclusively of the aristocracy. They expect the staff to conduct themselves in a certain manner. Moreover, the reason we are able to keep memberships exclusive is partially because we offer exemplary customer service.”

“I see.”

I’d started the members-only boutique specifically to make it feel like a premier service. But now everyone seemed to be waiting for a membership. Some customers had asked us to hire more staff so we could add more members sooner, but Barret had been firmly opposed to that idea. This request came from a different place.

Hm, so he wanted to hire people who had experience serving nobles… It was rare for those people to leave a family’s service once they started, and even if we did find someone, it would be difficult to hire them right away. We couldn’t have a family with a grudge against House Armelia sending one of their servants into our employ as a spy, so we would have to conduct thorough background checks on any such applicant.

Ah, that reminded me of the idea I’d had about the trade school while I read Dean’s letter. Instead of using the duchy’s money to fund it, I could use profits from the Azuta Corporation to establish a private school to serve a similar purpose. It would benefit the company and would be a good way to expand our employee base.

“Thanks. This information is all very helpful. I won’t be able to solve these problems immediately, but I’ll brainstorm and start working on a plan. Would you show me to my room? I’d like to experience the boutique from a customer’s perspective.”

“Of course. Right this way.”

After that, I enjoyed everything the boutique had to offer and didn’t have any particular complaints. The visit went smoothly, and I got ready to leave. However, Mimosa took an awfully long time, so I found myself waiting for her. She had a tremendously satisfied look on her face when she at last emerged, so I suspected she had made some excellent purchases, although I didn’t ask her about the specifics.

That was the end of my tour of my ventures in the capital. I was a bit sad to think my stay here was about to come to an end, but at the same time, I was eager to return home.

“Thank you so much for today, Alice.”

“Of course. Thank you for accompanying me, Misha.”

I returned to the mansion with a mixture of different emotions swirling inside of me.

 

***

 

I was to leave the capital soon, but before that came my visit to Baron Messi’s mansion. According to my Mother, the baron was always one of the first nobles to return to his domain toward the end of the social season, and he would often go even before the final soirees. And so he was holding one last dance before his departure. A goodbye party, if you will.

As the members of the first prince’s faction tended to be more diligent about managing their domains, they rarely had the opportunity to gather together all at once. Consequently, attendance was high at parties held in the middle of the season like this one.

I had to admit, I wondered if I would be out of place. I did some morning yoga to try to center myself. Mother, who was now an avid yoga fan, wore matching clothes and joined in with me.

“My, Iris. Your face looks so tight. You’ll exhaust yourself before you even leave for the day.”

“Do I look that tense?”

“You do. You stretch out and relax your body, so you should try to relax your face as well. Yes, that’s right.”

After our yoga session, I took a shower and changed clothes. The party wasn’t until later that evening, so I put on a comfortable outfit for now. Since I had time, I looked over the reports Sei and Sebastian had sent me, then quickly sent off instructions for them. This experience had taught me how important it was to be present in the duchy. It took time for their letters to arrive, so the situations they reported might well have changed by the time they reached me. It all made me realize I shouldn’t let my sentimentality get in the way. I needed to go home.

I was looking over more paperwork when there was a knock on the door and Tanya entered. “It’s time to prepare for the party, my lady.”

Already? Time flew by when I focused on work. But I didn’t want to be late, so I put away my papers and started getting ready.

Since the party was at night, I would be wearing a more formal dress for the occasion. I still didn’t like wearing those heavy skirts though, so I chose another lighter, streamlined design. I put on my jewelry while Tanya did up my hair. My dress today was a lapis lazuli blue to complement my eyes. Since my hair was platinum white, diamonds didn’t stand out much against it, so I decided on some deep blue sapphires. That made the silver embroidery on my dress really pop.

It took me quite some time to finish. They always say it takes a woman forever to put herself together, but it was always longer when one of these dresses was involved. First of all, it was impossible to put one on without someone’s help.

At last, I got in the carriage, and we set off for the baron’s house. Oof, I’m so nervous…

Since I was already in the district where most of the nobles lived, it didn’t take very long at all to reach Baron Messi’s mansion. Unfortunately, I was so nervous that the trip felt far longer than, it really was. I was shaking with nerves by the time we arrived.

Baron Messi himself greeted me at the door and invited me inside.

“Thank you so much for inviting me tonight.”

“Of course! I’m so pleased you could come.”

Baron Messi had a strong, sturdy frame, just as you’d expect of someone who had served in the military. Yet his every gesture was so elegant, I couldn’t detect a trace of coarseness. He struck me as a perfectly lovely silver-haired old gentleman.

“Grandfather was so disappointed he couldn’t make it tonight.” He’d wanted to come, but he had a prior engagement. He said he couldn’t tell me details, but he was extremely disappointed. That didn’t surprise me, since he had such an intimate connection with Baron Messi.

“I’m sorry to see he couldn’t make it as well. Please do tell him I hope he can come another time.”

“Of course.”

Now that I had exchanged pleasantries with the host, I looked around the room.

Goodness. How impressive. That was my first thought. The party was filled with prominent people—nobles who had either earned their land and titles through some sort of meritorious deed or for possessing an exceptional skill, like gifted artistry. I’d heard of many of these individuals through my father’s work.

“Lady Iris! It’s so wonderful to see you again.” I spied Count Sagitalia, the minister of finance. In plain terms, he was my father’s subordinate, so I had met him before. If I recalled correctly, the queen dowager had selected him for the position back during her reign. He seemed like a mild-mannered old gentleman now, but word had it that back at the palace, he was quite eccentric and difficult to deal with, although he didn’t look it.

“I didn’t know you would be here, Lord Sagitalia!” By which I meant: I was surprised that someone with such an important position would back a prince no one knew anything about.

“I have no business putting my nose in the affairs of the royal family,” the count said. Even though I hadn’t said it plainly, he had gotten the message. He had to be that savvy, as such an influential person. He held the kingdom’s purse strings, after all. His word carried a great deal of weight. “But which one is best for our kingdom? Best for the people? I should think all we ministers are weighing such questions.”

“I see. So you think he’ll be the best one for our kingdom?”

Count Sagitalia’s grin only deepened. “Now then, Lady Iris, your dress is absolutely exquisite.”

“My thanks.”

“Did you also acquire it from a trade with the east?”

“No, I just ordered this one from a clothier in my duchy.”

“Oh, I see! It sounds like Armelia is brimming with gifted people! It has a most enviable position with that sea border. That in and of itself makes your domain prosperous, what with your ability to purify salt and trade with other countries. It seems you’re doing quite well with the latter as well.”

“Y-yes, well. It’s all thanks to our people.”

I was impressed with Count Sagitalia; it was clear he knew all the ins and outs of my domain, even if it wasn’t his own.

“You’re too humble! I’ve heard much of Armelia’s recent success is due to your leadership.”

I merely smiled at his response. Honestly, I was kind of speechless. Although I was flattered, I wasn’t too keen on him pressing me for too many details.

“I’ve heard a great deal about your accomplishments—overhauling the tax system, helping orphans, undertaking measures to strengthen the duchy’s defenses. I have to wonder what your ultimate goal might be.”

In short, he was asking me if I was trading with other countries and doing business with other domains to gain capital in order to build up Armelia’s armed forces. Now that I thought about it, everything I did could very well lead to such a goal. I couldn’t fault him for looking at my projects and growing suspicious.

“My ultimate goal… I suppose I haven’t laid my finger on that just yet,” I answered. Count Sagitalia gave me a puzzled look, so I continued. “I am the acting governor. As such, it’s my responsibility to guarantee the safety and well-being of my citizens. That’s my goal. Or I suppose you could say, that’s the ideal I strive for. The question is, how close can I get to attaining that ideal? Perhaps it’s something I will have to continually work for and never achieve? Therefore, I have no ‘ultimate goal,’ as it were.”

“I see. Well, I’m quite impressed. A government for the people… Even though you’re so young, you’re already committed to your role as a public servant. But I’d caution you to act with care; those with more suspicious hearts might interpret your hard work as an open challenge to the kingdom.”

“I thank you for the warning.”

Despite my personal feelings, House Armelia had sworn fealty to the royal family. Neither my parents nor my grandfather had any intention of defying them. But my greater responsibility was to keep my people safe. Obviously, part of that meant planning for the possibility of having to protect them from the royal family. These were last-resort measures, of course, ones I would never truly want to take. But that choice was always in the back of my head.

Not that I would ever admit as much out loud.

“Prince Alfred speaks highly of you as well,” said the count. “He’s said he would like to take several policies you’ve enacted in Armelia and make them the new standard across the kingdom.”

“Oh, he has?”

“You don’t seem surprised.”

“I heard he’s in the country. Naturally, I assumed he was in contact with the prominent members of his faction.”

The people at this party were a well-known, talented bunch, but there were definitely some unique characters sprinkled in among them. That meant they would need a strong leader to keep them all in line. It was probably quite difficult to be the lead representative of this group.

“In any case, if the people here support him, then I assume they’ve told him all about Armelia’s status.”

Count Sagitalia wasn’t the only minister in attendance. And if all these ministers were loyal to Prince Alfred, it wasn’t difficult to imagine that he could already carry out a certain amount of his political agenda.

“I’m honored that he thinks so highly of my duchy and the way I’ve been running it. Although, I’m not sure all my policies would be as successful across the kingdom.”

I’d been able to revolutionize so many systems in Armelia to the extent that I had because I was the one in charge. The reach of a governor’s powers in Tasmeria was substantial, to the say the least. If the royal family tried to enforce my policies in every other domain, I had a feeling they would be met with significant resistance from more than one governor. It would take a great deal of time and effort for things to smooth out in that regard.

“I’m confident the prince could succeed. He can change our systems and build the one true kingdom.” Count Sagitalia said this with a smile, as if reading my thoughts.

But the last thing he said nagged at me. The one true kingdom? He had a mischievous grin on his face, like that of a child. Almost like he really could see into my mind.

A governor’s powers in this kingdom were indeed very strong. Generally, each domain operated like its own state, all of them together composing our country, the kingdom of Tasmeria. The governors were given free rein to determine tax rates and other laws within their domains, so long as they didn’t break any national edicts. That was why I had been afforded so much freedom. The only exception was the capital, which fell under direct control of the monarchy.

So when the count said “change our systems,” what systems did he mean? In other words, did the first prince intend to strengthen the power of the monarchy? That would weaken the governors’ powers and return their influence to the royal family. That, in turn, would make it easier for the kingdom to implement whatever new policies they desired.

But it was all too easy to imagine what pushback they would receive for suggesting such a change. Could it really be done? Moreover, why was Count Sagitalia telling me this? Just because I was attending the baron’s party didn’t mean I was committed to the first prince’s faction. All these thoughts led me back to the exchange we’d just had. “I have to wonder what your ultimate goal might be.”

Was this why he’d asked? What if—and I thought this unlikely, but—what if he was asking me, “What would you do if he could successfully change those systems?”

Would I rebel against Prince Alfred and try to declare Armelia’s independence? Or would I cede my power to the kingdom? He wasn’t trying to find out what my father would do either. Instead, he was asking me, the person actually running Armelia as the acting governor.

“Well, I’ve never met the prince, so I’m not sure what kind of person he is,” I said. “So honestly, I can’t say. But if he were successful, and if his changes benefited the citizens, then I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.”

What I told the count was true—since I’d never met Prince Alfred, I couldn’t offer a real opinion on the matter. And I certainly couldn’t declare my support—or lack thereof.

“Is that right? Very interesting, indeed. So much so, in fact, that I would love to see you standing by his side one day.”

“Oh, my! Surely you jest, my lord. I couldn’t possibly be by the prince’s side—that would be most improper.”

“Pardon me. Perhaps I teased you too much.”

After the count and I parted ways, I spoke with several other people and then sat in a chair on the edge of the room to rest. The mansion really was packed with impressive individuals. I’d been so on guard when I spoke with the count that I was exhausted. I took a sip of my drink and spotted the host of the party, Baron Messi, approaching me.

“What do you think of the party?” he asked.

“I’m enjoying myself very much.” I answered, plastering a smile on my face. If I wasn’t careful, my fatigue would show. “By the way, Lord Messi, may I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Why do you return to your domain so early in the social season? Everyone here—besides the ministers, who work at the palace all the time regardless—stays in the capital until the end. Honestly, that surprised me; I assumed they would be returning home just like you do.”

For a moment, I was worried I was prying, but the baron readily answered me. “It’s because of the duty that was entrusted to me.”

“Your duty?”

“Yes. Has your grandfather told you about the Tweil War?”

“Yes, of course. But nothing more than what’s been written in the textbooks.”

“That’s more than enough. As I’m sure you’ve heard, I fought under your grandfather’s command during the war. And I was awarded my title and lands for my service.” A faraway look rose in the baron’s eyes as he spoke. “But at the end of the day, I’m a military man. A title hasn’t changed that. And the war isn’t over. As someone whose domain is on the kingdom’s border, I simply can’t leave it unattended.”

That was true, but something still didn’t add up for me. Even though both Baron Messi and Count Monroe had land on the borders, it was obvious that the former was far more cautious. And it did seem like he was going home awfully soon. He was required to attend the Foundation Day celebration in an official capacity as a governor, but I heard he had arrived right before the party began, and now he was leaving straight away. The only reasonable explanation I could conceive was that he anticipated war would soon start up again.

“As such, I’m always in a war frame of mind, if you will. I can’t reassure you and claim there’s nothing to worry about. I will only ask you to please be on your guard. I don’t expect fighting imminently, but I’m sure Tweil still has its sights on our kingdom.”

“Because of our abundant grain and other resources?”

“Yes, and because they still hold a grudge from the war, even after thirty years.”

The war.

Armelia was on the opposite side of the kingdom from the border with Tweil, and that border was quite far away. But that didn’t mean I could let down my guard. If fighting broke out, every domain would feel the burden.

“Thank you for the warning.”

“Pardon me for bringing up such a serious topic during a party. I’ll excuse myself now.”

“Please don’t apologize. It was extremely valuable information. I appreciate it.”

I stayed for a little longer, then decided to go home. I’d made several new acquaintances and gained a great deal of information.

After I returned home, I went to bed and slept most soundly. I’d done everything I had planned to do in the capital. Now the only thing left was to pay a visit to my father and finally go home.

 

***

 

“Lady Iris.”

I was working in my study the next morning when Tanya came in. “What is it, Tanya?”

“There are two things I need to speak with you about.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve looked into Ms. Yuri since we spoke last. I’m not finished, but I did discover some things I thought you should know right away.”

“All right. Go ahead.”

“The first is about her upbringing. I thought that her mother had only ever worked for House Neuer, but I was mistaken.”

“Oh? I thought she began a relationship with Baron Neuer while she was in his service? Where did she work before, then?”

“The royal palace.”

“The palace? What did she do?”

“She was a handmaid. I’m not sure how she met the baron, but she went to work for him after she resigned from her post there.”

“That must be where they met, then. Nobles often have occasion to go, I suppose.”

It was certainly possible they had met at the palace. But how in the world had they gone from baron and handmaid to an intimate relationship? I mean, it happened, but I just wasn’t sure these things just happened.

“I asked people who knew her at the time, and her coworkers remember her well for her beauty.”

Of course. She was the protagonist’s mother, after all. And since Yuri was the protagonist, naturally, her mother was beautiful as well.

“It’s harder to find information about her life once her mother left the baron. There are traceable accounts from when her mother was still alive, but I’m having trouble finding where Ms. Yuri was and what she did once she was alone.”

“And that seems unusual, since she’s so striking—and she was by herself. Is there something else?”

“While her mother was alive, one of her neighbors recalls saying, ‘It must be tough raising a child all on your own. Is there anyone supporting you?’ and the mother said there was not. But immediately after she passed away, a man appeared claiming to be Ms. Yuri’s blood relative.”

“Was that Baron Neuer?”

“Unclear.”

“Do you have a description of them?”

“I asked the neighbor for one. The man had no characteristics that stood out. The only thing anyone can be certain of was that he was indeed a man.”

So Yuri’s mother had received no support in raising her, yet a man had shown up saying he was her blood relative? Right after the woman passed away? Two possibilities immediately rose to mind.

One, that Yuri’s mother had cut ties with her family for some reason, and because of that reason, she had been unable to depend on them for help—but after she died, the family had decided to take care of Yuri. If that theory was true, then we had to establish where her mother was from.

Two, that Baron Neuer himself had come incognito to take Yuri away with him, or that he had sent someone from his house. That seemed the more likely answer, but if that was true, why hadn’t he publicly acknowledged Yuri until she entered the academy?

Either way, both stories left me with more questions.

“That reminds me: How did Baron Neuer know Yuri was his daughter? There’s no way to prove such a thing, after all.”

“He recognized her from the pendant her mother gave her. But apparently Ms. Yuri is also the spitting image of her late mother.”

Obviously, there was no DNA or paternity testing in this world, so it was no wonder that they would have to rely on circumstantial evidence like that. However, there also wasn’t plastic surgery or any other way to alter one’s face, so people put a lot of weight on physical resemblance.

“And he searched for them for more than a decade? Baron Neuer must have really loved her.”

“That I haven’t been able to confirm. I have some more digging to do. But at present, that’s all I know about the baron’s daughter.”

“I see. Well, thank you, and good luck with the rest of your search. What was the second thing you wanted to tell me?”

“You asked me to look into Lord Monroe.”

“Ah, yes. That.”

After I’d seen Count Monroe at the Azuta Corporation’s members-only boutique, he’d piqued my interest, so I’d asked Tanya to do a bit of an investigation. I told her what I’d heard about him at the tea party and described the man I’d seen him with.

“The man who accompanied Lord Monroe that day is called Divan. He’s staying at Lord Monroe’s mansion as a guest and often goes out to town with him. I checked with the Azuta Corporation, and many employees have confirmed those details.”

“He’s a guest? I wonder where he’s from.”

“Divan is the head of the Ayler Corporation. I looked into it as well, and it’s registered with the merchant guild. Their business mainly deals with food products. However, I couldn’t find out any further details about their clients.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. That kind of thing is usually kept confidential. But if the count’s so close with the head of a corporation, perhaps that’s where all this extra money is coming from?”

“Perhaps.”

I couldn’t think of any other reason. Count Monroe’s domain was largely known for its agriculture, and the Ayler Corporation dealt in food. So perhaps Divan had invested in the count’s land and they’d made some kind of deal? But where were they selling all this food?

“Tanya. I want you to look into this Divan right away. The Ayler Corporation, too. I want to know where they’re selling their goods and for how much.”

“Yes, my lady.”

I had a bad feeling about all this. The situation was changing at a dizzying pace, especially considering what I’d learned at the baron’s party. I had been a bit concerned that I was cooped up in my domain, but now that I’d come to the capital, I realized just how sheltered I’d truly been in Armelia. I still wanted to go home immediately. But I couldn’t simply let this matter go. Something important was going on that I didn’t know about. I was certain of it.

 

***

 

“Why did we have to come, too?” Dida sighed.

Lyle frowned at him. “We had to, Dida. Master Gazell ordered us.”

“Yeah, but we have nothing to do with today’s training.”

They were observing a joint training session between the military and the royal knights. As Dida said, it had absolutely nothing to do with them, but their master, General Gazell, had made them come.

At first, they had declined. Iris was attending a party at Baron Messi’s mansion and they intended to accompany her as her bodyguards. However, they had been overruled by Iris, Lady Merellis, and Lord Louis. Lyle and Dida relented when Iris agreed to bring guards who had been trained not only by themselves but by General Gazell. Also, if something did break bad, she would have Tanya with her.

What was Tanya up to these days? Lately, it seemed like Dida wasn’t the only one wondering.

Putting that aside, he sincerely wished he could have been with Iris at a party in her fancy dress rather than hanging around with this gang of sweaty men.

“We might not be involved, but it’s to our advantage to know the strength of the soldiers and the knights. Don’t waste this opportunity.”

“That’s all well and good, but I don’t get why he had to call us here now, of all times. We’re not the only ones who don’t like it.”

This training had been designed to strengthen the bonds between the two groups, for at present, they didn’t see eye to eye. The men of the military thought the royal knights were a bunch of spoiled brats who had never seen real battle, while the knights thought the soldiers were a bunch of unrefined brutes. Each group looked down upon the other. Lyle and Dida didn’t much care for either.

In any case, that was why the two groups occasionally held these joint training exercises. Both the soldiers and the knights idolized General Gazell, and they came running any time he summoned them. The general had wanted to attend his old friend Baron Messi’s party, but he couldn’t neglect this opportunity to mend the frayed relationship between the two branches of the armed forces and so had regretfully declined his invitation.

Dida heaved an inward sigh, lamenting the bad luck that had led to him and Lyle getting wrapped up in it, too.

The knights and soldiers were already gathered on the training field located on the palace grounds. General Gazell was nowhere to be seen. As Dida and Lyle belonged to neither the military nor the knight order, they were regarded with a good deal of suspicion.

“Oho, there you are!”

At last, General Gazell appeared behind them. The instant he did, everyone straightened and focused their attention on him.

“General Gazell! Pardon me, but who are they?” one knight asked.

“My apprentices. They happened to be visiting the capital, so I invited them over.”

“General Gazell’s apprentices…”

Now the gathered men studied Lyle and Dida with a new light in their eyes. Was that the light of challenge? No, simple evaluation. It only went to show just how much these men admired the general. Most had done some manner of training drills with him, but very few had taken any kind of private lessons from the general himself. Small wonder they looked at Lyle and Dida with such interest.

“Shall we begin, Knight Commander?”

“Yes. We’re ready, General Gazell.”

This was Doruna Kataberia, the knight commander of the royal guard. The instant Lyle and Dida saw him, their eyes flashed. So that was Dorssen’s father.

Neither of them made a move, however; they only observed the exchange between the general and the knight commander with their own renewed interest.

 

***

 

“Phwaaah…” Dida let out a huge yawn. Close to an hour had passed since the training exercise began. He and Lyle were still standing around watching it from afar.

“You look bored,” General Gazell said with a wry grin.

“Seems a good reason to let us go, Master.”

“Not a chance. I want you to participate later. You’ll go a round with me.”

At those words, the two of them tensed up.

“But that’s later. What do you think of the training?”

“About ten stand out. For me, only four are good enough to be worth fighting.”

General Gazell laughed at Dida’s flippant comment. “And you, Lyle?”

“Hmm… I’d take two, maybe? The others are fine on the training ground, but I wouldn’t want to take them into a real battle. Their swords are too light.” When he said this, he of course didn’t mean physical weight but the intent with which they wielded their blades.

“Ooh, so Lyle’s the more critical judge, hm?” General Gazell understood why, so his smile held a grim edge.

“Come on, Master. You know his motto is ‘Tough on yourself, tough on others.’”

“Or maybe you’re just too easy on people, Dida,” said Lyle.

“Yeah, yeah, or maybe your expectations are too high. Especially of these guys. They’re floundering in a basic training exercise.”

Dida’s eyes were flat and emotionless as he studied the men. They were in the midst of an exercise to increase their stamina. It seemed much harder than their usual training regimen, but to Dida and Lyle, disciples of General Gazell himself, it looked incredibly elementary.

“Master… Perhaps you should stop gallivanting across the realm and train them more assiduously? They need more real field experience as well.”

“Don’t say that. There haven’t been any battles since the Tweil War anyway. Not to mention that the knights are so rarely sent to the front line. And all the hardened soldiers are already guarding the borders.”

“Hm…”

“Oh, they’re calling for me. You go ahead and join us whenever you like.”

Dida and Lyle didn’t move. They’d done their own drills first thing that morning, long before they came to the palace.

“Say, Lyle, which ones do you want to fight?”

“The brown-haired knight and the soldier with the black hair in the back over there.”

“Heh. Same. I’ll take the knight, you take the soldier.”

“I was just about to say the same thing to you.”

The two smirked mischievously at each other. As they were already here, they figured they might as well take on the two strongest men the armed forces had to offer.

“Hey, you two.”

Someone suddenly called out to them. They turned, suspicion in their eyes, and saw Dorssen Kataberia standing before them.

“Do you need something?” Dida asked, not bothering to hide his contempt.

“I don’t need anything except for you to leave this place at once.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know how you managed to butter up General Gazell, but you need to give up on your delusions of grandeur and stay in your own little world.”

“Delusions of what now?”

“You’re dreaming of joining the royal knights, aren’t you? Why else would you people come here?”

Another knight rushed over, sensing the tension. “Hey, Dorssen! Knock it off. Those two are—”

“Dreaming about being knighted? Ha. That’s a funny joke, eh, Lyle?” Dida laughed coldly, at which Lyle nodded, expressionless. “I’d never serve the kingdom. What has this country ever done for us? Our mistress saved us. You think we’d ever even consider leaving her? Listen up, rich boy—don’t worry your pretty little head. We’ve never once thought about becoming lowly knights. Not even once.”

“Lowly knights?! You arrogant—draw your sword this instant!”

Dida laughed out loud at this challenge. By now, the rest of the men had heard the commotion and realized a fight was imminent.

“Draw my sword? Sure, I’ll take you on.” Dida followed Dorssen over to the training yard. Lyle made no move to stop him.

“O-oi, Dida,” General Gazell called, bewildered.

Dida smiled coldly. “Rich boy here challenged me to a fight. You don’t mind, do you, Knight Commander?”

Dida directed this question to Doruna, who solemnly nodded. “My apologies for the trouble.”

“Well, the knight commander gave us his permission, so let’s fight.”

In his heart of hearts, General Gazell wondered if an unspoken “…to the death” was hidden in Dida’s challenge, but he held his tongue. “I’ll be the judge,” he said instead.

“Thank you, Master.”

The knights and soldiers cleared the area as Dida and Dorssen faced off.

“Begin!”

Dorssen snapped to action the moment General Gazell spoke the word. His speed was enviable for a newly minted knight, yet Dida expertly answered his every move.

“A knight’s job is to protect the royal family and the palace, right?” Dida asked, utterly collected as Dorssen struggled to keep up with him. “I’m sure you don’t want lessons from a mere bodyguard, but what do you think is the most necessary skill for a professional protector?”

Dorssen gave Dida a suspicious, puzzled look as if to say, “Huh?”—but he didn’t have the chance.

“Do you think it’s the strength to kill as many people as possible? No, of course not.” Dida had been on the defense, but now he batted away Dorssen’s sword.

“Hah!” Dorssen struggled to fend off these techniques—too fast, too sharp—that outstripped the skills he had thus far worked to cultivate. Dida’s bladework inspired a primal fear within him. If he couldn’t win this—

“You have to be able to forsake physical strength,” Dida continued. “If you face an enemy who’s flat-out better than you, and you’ve got someone to protect, you still have to figure out how to defeat them. Right? You have to protect your master. So maybe you realize the best plan of attack isn’t to fight at all but to run. Or maybe you have to sacrifice someone else so your master can live.”

Dorssen could no longer fend off Dida, and he fell back onto the ground.

“We watched you guys train. I can tell you’re better than the other new knights. And you’ve got what it takes to improve, but only to a point. You’re overconfident in your own strength and abilities, so you challenged someone whose strength you misjudged… Not to mention, any man who raises a hand to a woman has no decorum—and no business being a knight.” Dida approached Dorssen. He raised his sword. “I don’t know how much pride you take in being a knight. But I don’t consider you one.”

“That’s enough, Dida!” General Gazell shouted the second Dida moved to bring down his sword.

“You’re such a worrywart, Master. I’d never actually strike. Anyway, this is just a practice sword. The tip’s busted.”

“No, no. You were going to do it! You can’t fool me.”

Dida laughed despite the general’s tone.

“That’s enough, now.”

“I know, Master.” Dida obeyed and left the training grounds.

An odd tension hung in the air, but the general swiftly called for everyone to resume training. Meanwhile, Dorssen remained lying face up on the ground.

“Are you stupid or something?” a senior knight called out to him with exasperation. Dorssen scowled, but the knight continued. “Those two don’t need to make connections. Both the royal knights and the military have already tried to recruit them.”

“What?”

“They’re General Gazell’s favorite apprentices. If you were going to compare them to one of our own, they’re as strong as Commander Malcolm.”

“Seriously?” Dorssen was speechless. Commander Malcolm was an exceptional knight of wide renown.

“I’m genuinely pleased that you take so much pride in being a knight,” the officer went on, harshly reprimanding him. “You’re respectful to your superiors and kind to your peers. But your world is too small. You’re one of the order now, so you need to start taking responsibility for your words and actions. You can no longer act without decorum—without honor.”

Dorssen couldn’t say a word in response.

 

***

 

The next day, I finished up my work and was enjoying some tea.

“Morning, Iris.”

“Oh, Grandfather! Welcome back. Lyle and Dida didn’t come home last night. Do you know why?”

“Sorry. They had too much to drink.”

I thought Grandfather looked a little guilty, and he confessed that he’d had to take Lyle and Dida home after carousing with them. Grandfather drank like a fish, so I was certain my bodyguards had felt pressured to keep up with him.

“Tanya, make sure they drink plenty of water.”

“Yes, my lady.”

After I gave Tanya instructions, I sat across from Grandfather. “I know you can take an awful lot, but you shouldn’t drink too much. Maybe you ought to cut back a bit on the alcohol.”

“Ugh…” Grandfather looked away awkwardly. He loved his drink.

“How much did you have last night?”

“We started out with the knights and the soldiers. But since I couldn’t really let loose with them, the three of us went out alone afterward.”

“Oh, my.”

So that was the cause. Grandfather had often brought Lyle and Dida out on the town with him while they were training, ostensibly so they could learn their own limits when it came to alcohol, but every time, they came back largely insensible. Grandfather was so fond of them that they always ended up overindulging to please him.

“Pardon me.”

“Tanya? What is it?”

“Rudius is here for General Gazell.”

“What?!” My grandfather looked flustered. I rarely saw him like that, so I had to laugh. “Tell him I’m not here!”

“But…” Tanya trailed off awkwardly.

Just then, Rudius poked his head out from behind her. “I heard you were drinking again, Grandfather.”

“N-no, I—”

“How many times have I told you to control yourself? Your face is known throughout the kingdom. Don’t come crying to me if you pass out after bingeing and someone takes the opportunity to attack you! Please, Grandfather, spare a thought for restraint when you’re out in public!”

My grandfather seemed to shrink with every word Rudius spoke.

Rudius was the son of my mother’s older brother—in other words, my cousin from House Anderson. My uncle, the marquis, wasn’t as physically powerful as my grandfather, so he hadn’t joined the military or the knights. The same went for Rudius; he was studying to follow in his father’s footsteps, although I wasn’t sure what exactly he was studying.

At any rate, he was definitely my grandfather’s grandson. He moved like a warrior—like Lyle or Dida—and his body was slender yet muscular.

“Nice to see you, Rudy.”

“And you, Iris. My apologies as well. It’s been so long since we saw each other last, and I have every regret that these are the circumstances of our reunion.”

Rudius was two years older than me, so we’d been at the academy together for only one year. Since we hadn’t been in the same grade, we hadn’t had much occasion to interact, especially after my expulsion.

“It’s fine. I was just telling Grandfather he should cut back on the alcohol.”

“Really? I’m glad you’re on his case, too. He never listens to me, but he can’t help himself with you.”

“Oh, that’s not true. Ah, would you like some tea?”

“My thanks for the invitation, but I’m afraid I have another engagement. Come along, Grandfather.”

“Ugh…”

I smiled. “Grandfather, thank you so much for seeing Lyle and Dida back. Please go on home and rest.”

“B-but I want to stay here,” Grandfather scowled.

“What are you going on about? Come on. Home, now,” Rudius said firmly.

I always enjoyed these exchanges.

“Iris, let’s talk again later,” Rudius said as he dragged Grandfather out of the room. Just how much strength was he packing in that small frame?

Everything quieted after that, like the calm following a storm.

“Tanya. May I have another cup of tea?”

“Of course, my lady.”

I considered resting a while longer, but then Berne came in.

“May I join you, if you’re not busy?” he asked.

“Of course.”

Tanya, the ever-attentive servant, quickly served Berne some tea.

“It’s been a long time since we talked like this, Berne.”

I hadn’t seen him since the Foundation Day celebration. I had been preoccupied with my own affairs, and Berne was busy helping our father with his work.

“Yes, that’s right.” Berne agreed as he took a sip of his herbal tea. He must have liked it, because his face softened with relaxation. “I was wondering if you were going home to the duchy.”

“Yes, I am. I’ve left it unattended for far too long. I really should be going back soon. But how have you been lately?”

“I’ve been learning quite a bit from Father. I need to make up for all the time I wasted playing around.”

“I wouldn’t say you were playing. Don’t worry so much. There are many important things you can only experience in school.”

I’d certainly felt that way in my past life a lot. Your school days are incredibly important. You definitely realize that once you start working. Being with people your own age, studying and forging friendships and fighting all in the same space… There are tough times, but there are irreplaceably amazing ones, too.

Now that my school days were over, I really felt that to be deeply true.

“And I stole those important things from you, Sister.”

“What?”

His voice had grown quiet all of a sudden, and I wasn’t entirely sure I’d caught what he said. Nevertheless, he was pale, and I could tell something was amiss.

“Sister… Please allow me to apologize.”

“This is a bit startling. Apologize for what?” I didn’t really have to ask, though. I was all but certain what he meant to imply.

“For getting you expelled.”

Even though I’d known what he was going to say, I found I had wanted to hear those words from his mouth. “My expulsion?” I asked. “There’s nothing to apologize for. It was a result of my actions, driven by my emotions. In other words, it was my own fault.”

“You said that before. But I didn’t believe it then either. All I could think of back then was winning Yuri’s affection. It drove me to everything I did. I acted on my feelings, and I gave no thought to the consequences.”

“Is this to say that your aspirations to become prime minister are a form of apology to me?”

It sounded like he was declaring he had decided to never again be carried away by his emotions. It really did seem like this was why he had decided to commit to learning from our father.

“That’s part of it, but not all.”

“Well, what else is there?”

“I lost myself in my feelings for Yuri and acted solely on those emotions. But at the same time, I thought myself better than you. I freely blamed you for everything, even though you also have a heart and did what you did because it was hurt. It’s so obvious now, but at the time, I failed to understand. So I want to apologize to you as your brother.”

I was speechless. On one hand, I felt like it was too late for such an apology, but on the other hand, it gave me the slightest comfort. After everything that had happened, I’d stopped thinking of Berne as my brother, all because at that time, at that moment, he’d chosen Yuri over me.

The me from my past life could calmly observe his actions and think, “Well, it’s no wonder he chose the girl he loved,” but the me who was Iris had screamed, “Why, why?” inside her heart. “Why don’t you understand me?” and “Why have even you abandoned me, Berne?” I understood both sets of feelings, and I pitied myself for the agony of my heart.

I’d never had much of a relationship with Dorssen and Van, so I honestly hadn’t cared about their reactions. But Edward and Berne were different. Their betrayal was the moment I’d lost hope. The man I loved slandered me, and then my own brother turned his back on me. They both chose Yuri. Realizing that they could forsake me so easily left me in a state of absolute shock. Then they humiliated me to the umpteenth degree, confronting me in front of all those people—attacking me.

Since that was the exact moment when I’d regained the memories of my past life, I hadn’t really absorbed it all at the time, but under normal circumstances, I would have been terrified. That was why, ever since, I’d vowed to never fall in love, nor to place my complete trust in anyone ever again—because I had been abandoned by my own family.

As my brother was the reason I had come to this way of thinking, accepting his apology would be no mean feat. Even now, conflicting emotions warred within me; his apology left my past self numb, while it made Iris want to mend things with her brother.

“I…accept your apology. But I can’t say that I forgive you. Not straight away.”

I wondered… If Yuri were in my shoes, would she instantly say she forgave him at a time like this? I had to let out a self-deprecating chuckle at that ridiculous thought.

Yet Berne gave me a satisfied smile. “That’s more than enough for me.”

 

***

 

At last, it was time to go home. I steeled myself as I stood outside my father’s room, whereupon I knocked on the door and entered. “Pardon me, Father.”

He glanced up at me from within his piles of documents. It was uncannily nostalgic. I’d come to his office to speak with him once before, directly following my expulsion. That now felt like the distant past.

“Are you returning, then?”

“Yes. I’ll be leaving the capital tomorrow.”

“I see.” Father set down his pen with a clink and gestured for me to sit in the chair in front of his desk.

“Thank you,” I said as I sat.

“There’s something I need to warn you about.” His stern tone made me sit up straighter. He was quite tense, even compared to our last meeting in this room.

“What is it?”

“You must be on your guard with Queen Ellia and House Marea.”

“Yes, I have handled our interactions with care—especially since they lead the second prince’s faction.” I was a bit puzzled. I didn’t quite understand what more he was getting at.

“That’s not the issue. The queen dowager indicated that you had her backing both publicly and privately at the Foundation Day celebration.”

“So you mean to say that because of that, Queen Ellia and House Marea now see me as a direct threat?”

The second prince had broken our engagement, so they knew there was no way I would support their camp. It wasn’t only a matter of my own personal feelings—my doing so would worsen their public image as well. Thus, I was a bit of a problem for Queen Ellia in every regard.

“No. Not you. House Armelia.”

“What?”

“House Marea has always seen House Armelia as a thorn in their side. Even though one of their line is now the queen, I am the prime minister, and Merry is both the queen dowager’s favorite and one of the most influential members of high society. We’ve always stood above House Marea. But since I’ve remained neutral in the conflict between the factions, Merry has been able to avoid the power struggles within the palace. As such, even though we’re a threat to House Marea, they’ve never tried to undermine us; the risks were too great. But…”

“The second prince broke off his engagement with me, the daughter of Duke Armelia, and now I’ve gained power.”

“Precisely. You’ve had more success as acting governor than anyone could have imagined. You’ve even built a successful company. And all in such little time. As such, our family has gained such presence that House Marea can no longer sit idly by.”

“I-I’m sorry…” How pathetic of me—I’d just kept charging along at full speed, accepting all my success without even thinking of the far-reaching consequences. If only I’d thought even a little about how my work might play out politically, it would have been so obvious.

I’d only been elevated to the role of acting governor because of my father’s kindness. I couldn’t believe I’d managed to cause trouble for my family yet again!

“It was my fault for underestimating your ability,” he said. “There’s no need for you to apologize.”

“But…”

“Luckily, nothing has come of this yet. That’s why I want you to proceed with exceeding caution when you return to the duchy.”

“Yes, Father.”

Suddenly, he rang the bell in front of him and a maid appeared.

“Get us something to drink.”

“Yes, right away.”

A few moments later, the maid set a teacup in front of me. I gladly sipped the tea, hoping it would calm my nerves.

“I know this sounds like I’m repeating myself, but…” my father started hesitantly. “You must be cautious of Marquis Marea, but you must be extremely wary of Queen Ellia.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“She has changed since entering the palace.” My father spoke slowly, as if trying to find the right words. I wondered what he was so reluctant to say. “To the extent that there are rumors saying she was the one responsible for the late queen’s death.”

“You…you haven’t investigated her, Father?”

“I found no evidence when I did. Lacking that, should I have openly accused the new queen, daughter of a marquis?”

“Pardon my rudeness.”

Now that I thought about it, in this world, it was incredibly difficult to prove anyone’s guilt or innocence, what with the lack of advanced scientific investigative tools we’d had in my other life. On top of that, the suspect in question was incredibly powerful and capable of doing anything. It was possible this was all merely a rumor spread by the first prince’s faction…but it could be the truth. I wasn’t sure either way, but I certainly needed to be careful of anyone about whom such rumors could be believably spread.

“At any rate, I wanted you to be aware of these sinister whisperings. Be vigilant, and take care of yourself.”

“Yes, Father.”

I realized I had begun to tremble. I didn’t want to make an enemy of the queen, but she probably already thought of me as her foe.

“I’ve already taken the initiative to inform Tanya, Lyle, and Dida. And now you know as well. Be careful.”

“I take your warning with utmost seriousness, Father.”

I had been on the verge of imprisonment and managed to escape it all the way to this point, after all. I didn’t want to die now. Not to mention, I would leave behind too many regrets if I abandoned the people of my duchy. All the changes I was trying to instigate would be left forever unfinished.

“I heard you’ve been investigating the baron’s daughter, Yuri Neuer?”

“You certainly seem to know everything that’s going on, Father.”

“Yes, well. How much have you found out?”

“Ms. Yuri’s mother was a maid at the palace.”

“I see. It was House Rubens who provided her recommendation.”

“House Rubens?” I frowned at him; I’d never heard of that family before.

“That’s all I can tell you about that.” His voice was so firm I gave up trying to press him for more details. “I’m sure that information will be enough to guide you to the truth of the matter. But don’t pry overmuch. You’re already in a tight position as it is.”

“So then, why…?”

“Because I don’t want you provoking them by sending your orphans to nose about the palace. If you just need to investigate a noble house, you can do so through books, no?”

“Thank you for the information.” So he didn’t want me to keep digging. I certainly couldn’t just do whatever I wanted without thinking now, especially after hearing all this. That was my father, though; there was no way to defy him. “And thank you for your time. I’ll excuse myself now.”

“Mm. Watch yourself on your way.” It sounded like he was saying, “Be careful on the way home, too.”

He was right, though. If House Marea or the queen were planning on making a move against me, it would be to their advantage to do so while I was traveling. I would have to listen carefully to Tanya, Lyle, and Dida on our way home.

 

***

 

Now, then. I wasn’t having some big farewell party, but I said goodbye to those close to me and informed them of my plan to return to the duchy. My entire family and all of the servants came to see me off. After all that, even though I was going “home,” I did feel a little sad to leave them all.

“My lady. We’re going to be traveling quickly, so it might not be comfortable. I just wanted to make you aware.”

“It’s fine, Tanya. I know that you’re all putting my safety first, so I’ve no complaints.”

As Tanya implied, the road home was no picnic. We traveled by carriage during the day and stayed at inns incognito during the night. We left again once the sun rose. It took days and was terribly tiring, but I couldn’t complain. My attendants had designed this travel plan in my best interests.

“I’m sorry, everyone.”

I got to sit in the carriage the whole way, but my bodyguards were all on horseback without so much as a break. They suffered far more than I did, leaving me feeling awfully guilty. I kept apologizing about it.

“There’s no reason for apologies, my lady,” said Tanya. “We’re doing our jobs.”

“Lyle and Dida are even tenser than usual because of who we suspect, aren’t they?”

We had been together since we were small, so I could read Tanya’s feelings on her poker face, just like I could tell how the other two were feeling by their mood and casual gestures. Normally, they never lost their composure, but I could tell they were entirely on edge. The air had been tense since we left.

We knew we might or might not be attacked, and if we were, we wouldn’t know what to expect. They might come at us head-on, or they might come stealthily in the middle of the night. They might use open brutality or a poisoned weapon to take my life. The people we were up against had the means to prepare any number of weapons or assassins for this task. The royal family itself had painted a target on my back.

Any of my guardians could have at any time decided it was far too troublesome to work for someone like me and gone to find other employment—especially Lyle and Dida. Yet they remained by my side. No words could explain how happy that made me.

Suddenly, Lyle knelt before me, as if reading my thoughts.

“I take pride in being your sword and shield, my lady. And I shall take up my sword now and forever for your sake.”

After he was done speaking, my other guards also knelt.

“We still remember that promise.”

They were talking about the promise we’d made when we were out touring the duchy, when we stopped on that hill overlooking the ports.

“Will you give me your everything?”

They had agreed to that, but I still had to admit I was surprised at how things had played out since, leading up to this day.

“Thank you, everyone.”

Our little break ended, and I got back in the carriage. I absently gazed out the window through the curtain. We were nearly back home. I just wanted to be there already. Those thoughts swirled in my head as I watched the scenery pass.

Then, finally, we reached Armelia. I was warmed by nostalgia, of course, but mainly I was incredibly relieved to have arrived safely.

“Welcome home, my lady.” Sebastian, Sei, and the rest of the servants who had stayed behind all greeted me. “We heard your journey was most tiring. Please go and rest.”

“Thank you, Sebastian. And thank you all for welcoming us back home.”

I really was grateful for Sebastian’s suggestion. To no surprise, that anxious journey had left me exhausted. But now that I was here, I sagged with relief, and the fatigue overcame me all at once.

Sebastian escorted me back to my room. As soon as I got there, I took a shower and changed into more comfortable clothing. Then I melted into my chair and sipped the herbal tea Tanya had prepared for me.

“You must be tired too, Tanya. Go ahead and rest for today. I’m going to sleep.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

She really must have been exhausted, because she didn’t so much as protest.

I let out a sigh and wrapped my arms around my trembling body. Nothing had happened to me this time. That didn’t mean I could let my guard down. House Marea might not try to merely remove me from my position. They could very well try to kill me. But I couldn’t simply sit back because I was scared—and running away was out of the question.

At any rate, for the time being, I needed to rest. When I at last crawled into bed, I fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.