Chapter 12: The Duke's Daughter Settles Things

Chapter 12:
The Duke's Daughter Settles Things

 

I SAT AT MY DESK in my study. As usual, a tremendous number of documents were piled up on top of it. I’d just finished signing my approval on several of them. Having reached a good stopping point, I decided to take a break and call in Tanya.

“I want to know what’s going on with Ed’s company.”

“I’ve already looked into it.” Tanya handed me a stack of papers.

She never ceases to amaze me, I thought as I flipped through her report. Our sales had suffered since the scandal surrounding my (now rescinded) excommunication. That was true for both the Azuta Corporation and all the companies based in Armelia, to some extent. The timing of Ed’s maneuvers had done no small amount of damage to my position both as the president of my company and as the acting governor of my duchy. The proof lay in the mountain of work under which I was presently buried.

To be honest, I hadn’t had time to think about all this while I was in the thick of escaping excommunication, but now that it was over, I couldn’t stop ruminating over how the pope and Ed’s faction had gotten the best of me.

Luckily, we’d defused the situation and taken care of it all quickly enough. However, we were dealing with the loss of not only customers but vital staff members from the Azuta Corporation as well. A shiver went down my spine whenever I thought of what might have happened had we not dealt with the situation so swiftly.

“I’m so glad that Dean was able to connect with Father Rafsimons, and with such perfect timing. Otherwise, Azuta would have either folded or been bought out. Not only that, every business based in Armelia probably would have struggled to remain afloat,” I mused.

Tanya nodded in agreement. “I know there’s no sense in going on about the what-ifs, but if Father Rafsimons hadn’t cooperated, we wouldn’t have been able to land such a decisive finishing blow. I think you were only able to act as you did because you had that in your back pocket. And if we hadn’t secured such a solid victory in our favor, the businesses in Armelia would have folded sooner or later.”

Moreover, since I’d been focusing on expanding Armelia’s economic influence, that would have been a devastating blow indeed. After suffering such a loss, all the owners of those companies would have turned their backs on me. It would have only made sense for them to do so, as they never would have ended up in such dire straits had they not based their businesses in Armelia.

To put it simply, Ed had tried to destroy Armelia not by military force but through targeting our purse strings.

Nevertheless, all those what-ifs had thankfully ended up purely hypothetical, and that future had not come to pass.

In reality, we’d survived the inquiry, and thanks to some new products, business for the Azuta Corporation was on the rebound. The other companies based in the duchy were similarly reporting a gradual return to business as usual.

“Seems like things at Ed’s company are getting a bit desperate,” I remarked as I read over the documents. Business wasn’t going nearly as well for his company as it had been during the scandal. They sold basically the same products that we did, and at the same prices. But since he had headhunted only members of my production crew, we still had far better customer service; the overall quality of our products was better, too. Due to all those factors, the customers we had lost during the scandal had mostly returned.

To make matters worse for Ed, his business was being run so sloppily and was in such a state of confusion that he was losing clients left and right.

“Yes, and because of that, he’s been neglecting his employees,” Tanya explained. “Now they’re losing motivation because of the lack of customers. Some of his people are saying that the employment contracts and the working conditions were much better at Azuta. Furthermore, the business is so bad that they’re having to let people go.”

“You sound rather blunt about it.”

“Do you pity him, my lady?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. But…I just think it’s a bit of a shame that he went to so much trouble to snipe my employees, only to fire them. Seems like such a waste.”

Of course, it made sense to reduce staff when business was bad. Even if you personally hated to do it, as a businessperson, you always had to tuck that away in your mind as a measure of last resort. I couldn’t blame him for doing so.

But it was an undeniable fact that his business had outperformed Azuta due to his theft of my employees, even if he had only retained them for a short amount of time. In my opinion, it was therefore particularly cold of him to ignore the results they had produced and fire them just like that.

“People find it difficult to relinquish their economic influence and position in society, especially if they’ve built it themselves. Consequently, the former Azuta employees who worked for him report that their pay was quite high when they were first hired, but they had numerous complaints about the way they were treated after business went bad. Those complaints were likely the grounds for which they were dismissed.”

It seemed like, despite the uncertainty surrounding our financial future during the scandal, the working conditions had remained much better at Azuta. After working for me, my former employees had set their bar a bit high for Ed.

“Have any of Ed’s dismissed employees tried to come back to Azuta?”

“I expect they might,” Tanya answered promptly, at which I let out a sigh.

It had taken so much time to reconfigure ourselves in the chaos of their departure, and now I would have to come up with a plan of action in case they came back asking for their old jobs. How much work was this all going to add up to, anyway? Speaking of work…

“I wonder why Ed raised our tariffs?” I murmured out loud. I’d been thinking about this for a while now.

“Most likely for the sole purpose of harassing you,” Tanya replied from my side.

“Hmm… While that’s definitely possible, I feel like there must be more to it. After all, by doing this, he’s definitely introduced more problems for the kingdom than he’s solved.”

Armelia was a large domain and probably either the second- or third-foremost exporter of goods in the kingdom. Of course, our exports had fallen during the recent scandal, but that also meant that fewer goods were making their way to other domains. Even when we were able to export goods, we weren’t turning much of a profit by doing so. Our domain’s population was constantly growing, so even without high tariffs, it was less profitable to export our goods than it was to buy up and sell them within our own domain. We needed those stockpiles in case of an emergency, like a poor harvest due to inclement weather.

“I’m thinking about it because we have a dearth of resources at present. I’d like you to find out what the nobles in the capital are up to and report back on their activities. And see what the prices are like within the city and the reactions to them. At any rate, I’ve done enough for today.”

I placed my signature on one last document and handed it to Tanya. Now that I was done with that, perhaps I could walk around the grounds. My body was stiff and painful from sitting in the same position at my desk all day. Yes, that was just the thing, I thought as I stood and headed out the door. Maybe I’ll take a book out to the garden and read while I drink some tea.

Just then, I happened to run into Berne.

“Oh, Berne!”

“What are you up to, Sister?”

“I just finished my work for the day, so I was thinking of taking a break.”

“Might I have a minute of your time?” Berne asked.

I flashed him a wry smile. “Is it something that we can discuss in the courtyard?”

He responded with an equally wry smile.

“Well, in that case, shall we go to the study?” I asked. We could drink the tea there.

On second thought, I was sure Tanya was about to send someone to ensure I actually left the study, so I went ahead and took Berne back to my room instead.

“Well? What is it?” I asked once we were there.

“I’m not sure if it’s more like I’m asking you for advice or giving you information…” Berne seemed so hesitant that I knew it must be something bad. “The other day, it was suggested to the king that he disband the military.”

I was so shocked that I was sure my eyes looked like saucers. Whatever the expression on my face was, it was certainly not befitting of a duke’s daughter.

“Y-you mean that nonsense Yuri Neuer was speaking of a while back? I can’t believe it made its way to the king…” I sighed. At the same time, a shiver raced down my spine. I couldn’t believe Yuri had so much power now that she was trying to make her foolishness a reality. “I imagine that if the suggestion was made to the king, then it already has the backing of numerous nobles?”

“Yes. The suggestion was made while Father had his hands tied during your excommunication.”

That made this at least partly my fault…

“But thankfully, you resolved the situation quickly. Father, Grandfa—er, General Gazell, and others who opposed the idea successfully defeated the measure.”

“The measure was rejected, then. How?” I asked.

“I heard they used the Wartime Regime Act.”

“The Wartime Regime Act?” That sounded vaguely familiar. I tipped my head to the side and tried to dredge up where I could’ve heard it before. I suddenly remembered I had seen it in a book in the library back at the mansion. “Oh, that outdated old edict…?”

It was as old as the kingdom itself. Just as the name suggested, it was a law that took effect during wartime. It had only been used once in several hundred years and never since. It had been soon after the kingdom’s founding, back when each domain was even more autonomous. At the time, the kingdom had maintained no permanent military unto itself; instead, each domain sent soldiers to aid the king as needed. The law was invoked against the rulers of domains who opposed the kingdom’s wars to the point that they refused to send soldiers—the act forced them to do so. Then, after the war, those rulers were at risk of having their domains reclaimed by the crown.

As a consequence, the king had established a permanent military under the crown to avoid this ever happening. Each domain nevertheless kept a certain number of soldiers beholden only to them under the guise of self-defense.

To wit, the reason this act had never been enforced since that first incident several hundred years ago was because there had been no need for it. Now that there was a permanent standing military, anytime war threatened the kingdom, the nobility had agreed to face the enemy as one and the kingdom had united. In other words, the fact that the act had been invoked now showed just how divided the kingdom had become.

“We only have a cease-fire agreement with Tweil, so technically the war isn’t over. Thus, since we are at war, the act is valid and can be applied, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Father must have had a difficult time with this. But I’m relieved he was able to avoid having the military disbanded. That would have been the absolute worst-case scenario.”

That was putting it lightly, to be honest. As Father had said, we were still technically at war. Moreover, having investigated Yuri Neuer’s past, I knew that Tweil was making aggressive moves behind the scenes. But as my father had warned me, at the end of the day, I was still only a governor. I had no intention of responding to their aggression in kind.

“Yes, but…” Berne started.

“There’s more?”

“No, I just wanted your advice on something. Father has given me homework on the matter.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he asked me to identify the biggest problem in this situation.”

“The biggest problem, hm… And?”

“I was just thinking perhaps I could run it by you, and if anything came to mind, you might give me a hint.”

“And Father asked you to give me this message?”

“Yes.”

I thought about it for a moment. If my hunch was correct, Father wanted to pass along this information not as a father to his daughter but as the current governor of Armelia to the acting governor of Armelia. In other words, he was telling me to ready myself.

“Berne, which nobles backed the proposal of military disbandment to the king?”

“Primarily those belonging to the second prince’s faction. Some members of the neutral party, too. I thought the problem might be that the neutral families are being swayed toward the second prince’s side…”

“And he told you that wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

I asked Berne to name the families that had agreed with the military disbandment. After I heard them, I looked up at the ceiling and thought, Ah, this country is on the brink…

“And the plan was that if the measure was approved, the newly unemployed soldiers would be provided with relief?”

“Yes. It would have depended on the desires of every given person, but in times of peace, they would have been reemployed as domain-specific troops. But in case of emergency, they would be drafted to serve under the crown itself. So in the end, the domains would share the burden of our current military expenditures.”

Ah, I knew it. I let out a sigh. “Berne, I’m not sure if I’m right about this, but I have a feeling that Father wants to see how deeply you can think on a problem that has no clear answer—what predictions you can make and how you act on those predictions.”

In the course of this job, I’d thought so many times that it would be so much easier if every problem had a clear solution like on a test at school, however…

Berne frowned. “I see…”

“The neutral families have started to lean toward the second prince’s faction, hm? Well. That is a problem. But is that the true issue, I wonder?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m telling you to think about the situation from all possible angles. On what basis did the neutral faction support this measure, and what desirable outcome did they foresee? Mull that over. There’s no right or wrong answer, so just teasing out reasons and consequences will help you prepare a countermeasure for every possible scenario.”

Berne paused thoughtfully to consider what I’d said, and then he nodded. “Thank you, Sister.”

“Of course. And thank you for the information.”

I noticed as he left that the expression on his face looked much more at ease than when he’d first come into the room.

Seconds after my brother departed, Tanya came in, followed by Lyle and Dida. Perfect timing.

“I’m sorry to spring this on you right after you’ve returned, Tanya, but I need you to prepare a report on the duchy’s stockpiles at once. Meanwhile, Lyle, Dida, I want a report on the current number of soldiers in our garrison, as well as how many private soldiers there are in Armelia as a whole. I want numbers on potential commanders as well.”

Tanya bowed her head. “Yes, my lady.”

Lyle and Dida followed suit, but Dida had a question. “We’ll get on that right away, but…did something happen, Princess?”

This was awfully sudden, so I didn’t blame him.

“Berne just gave me a message from my father,” I explained. “A proposal was made to the king, suggesting that he should disband the kingdom’s military.”

“What?!” All three of them gasped in unison, equally shocked.

I was sure their concerns were partly for Armelia’s citizens, but they were also worried about my grandfather, their master, who was the general of the army.

“Luckily, my father and grandfather put a stop to it.”

All three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

“But the problem is how this all came to pass in the first place—the people who proposed it and the content of the proposal itself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll preface this by saying that it’s merely my own opinion. I could be wrong.” They all nodded. “Let’s begin at the beginning. I have a feeling the person who started all this was Yuri Neuer.”

“That woman…” Lyle didn’t even try to hide his disdain. It was extremely rare for him to show any of his emotions so openly, let alone negative ones.

“I’m not sure how she did it—though judging from Tanya’s report, I have a suspicion that she’s connected to Tweil.”

But how closely, and where had it begun? Perhaps someone was threatening her. Or maybe she was being used without her knowledge? Who knew—maybe she was the mastermind behind the whole operation after all. We knew nothing for certain; I didn’t even have concrete evidence of her link to Tweil. Whatever the case, I would do well to think through the situation from the viewpoint of the worst-case scenario.

“While my father’s hands were tied due to my mistakes, the king was approached about disbanding the military. It was exactly what Tweil would have wanted. Looking back on it now, I have to wonder whether someone, maybe even Yuri herself, was puppeting the Darryl Church in order to attack me and to thereby incapacitate my father.”

That would make the most sense. The pope had been extremely intent on my excommunication—so much so that I had to wonder if he had been promised a handsome reward in exchange.

I could almost hear the frustration steaming off of my three companions as I voiced my theory.

“But our problem going forward will be the people who agreed with the proposal,” I said.

“The second prince’s faction, I’m sure?” Lyle asked, just as I had expected him to.

“Yes, but that’s not all. This time, a few members of the neutral faction decided they agreed as well.”

“What? They did?” Lyle sounded genuinely surprised. Meanwhile, Tanya and Dida wore grave looks.

“But how could that benefit them?” Lyle asked.

“I think they hope to lawfully expand their own garrisons.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Lyle and Dida…as you know, the ruler of each domain is only allowed to keep the bare minimum number of soldiers, determined by the size of their domain.”

These were the last vestiges of a time when the provincial rulers had wielded more power. A number of problems had arisen from competing military strengths, and forming one large army under the crown had been a compromise in that regard. We still enjoyed that arrangement today.

“Since then, the governors have always kept each other in check. And the kingdom keeps a watchful eye on any domain that seems to be amassing too much military force.”

They did this in order to prevent any one domain from splitting off from the kingdom.

“Another proposal was brought up at the same time as the one to disband the military. They suggested that the crown divide the released soldiers between the domains, and as a consequence, every ruler would share the burden of overall military expenses. In case of war, the soldiers would return to fight on behalf of the kingdom. However, doing this would naturally return us to an age when the domains held an enormous amount of power. I can imagine quite a few families belonging to the neutral faction would welcome this, which means…”

“They want military strength in case something happens.” Dida finished my sentence for me. “But to put it more frankly…they’re turning their back on the kingdom?”

“Yes. Although I’m not sure if they actively want to split off from Tasmeria or if they just want to shore up their own domains.”

“And you want us to check on our own forces in case we have to fight them, Princess?” Dida asked. “Are you thinking of being both the sword and shield for the crown?”

“Of course not. I just want to be prepared, is all. What with all the troubles both at home and abroad, I want to ensure we can protect Armelia when the time comes.”

Lyle remained unusually silent, perhaps still shocked by the revelation of the proposals.

“Hmm… But…” Dida, meanwhile, sounded like his usual easygoing self, yet I could tell that he was serious. “The person who orders the soldiers to assemble in case of an emergency—that’d be the acting governor. In other words, it would be you, Princess.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

At least, that’s what I thought would happen. Father would be busy spending his energy on the central government. Even so, if he’d been without my assistance as the acting governor, for such an important decision, I’m sure he would have sent personal orders from the capital, even if it took longer for those orders to arrive. Sebastian had run the general affairs of the duchy for a long time and to great success, but my father had never granted him the authority to give such orders. However, that wouldn’t be a concern with me, since I possessed all the powers an actual governor would have.

At any rate, if a prompt response was necessary, it would be better to have more authority than I intended to use than otherwise.

“Are you prepared for that, Princess?” Dida’s look was incredibly stern. “War means killing. It means getting hurt and possibly even dying yourself. One word from you, and that’s the situation you’d be putting your soldiers in.”

“Dida,” Lyle interjected sharply.

Dida brushed him off. “Are you really prepared to give orders for people to kill and be killed, Princess?”

“Dida!”

Lyle’s shout echoed. For a moment, the room fell deathly silent.

“Everyone must be prepared if we go to war,” said Lyle. “Prepared to lose our lives, hold a sword, and have our own two hands stained with the blood of our enemies. There’s no reason for Lady Iris to shoulder that burden all on her own.” His voice was quiet yet so firm that it resounded. I had, for a split second, almost faltered until I heard the affection in his tone.

“Sure. I’m prepared for it, too,” said Dida. “But you don’t have the resolve necessary for the bloody bits, do you, Princess? That said, with one word, you send us out to the battlefield. Even if you won’t be there giving us orders directly, your words will be our guide. Our lives, and the lives of our citizens, will be in your hands. You’d be responsible for everyone standing out on that field, and in the aftermath as well. Isn’t that right?”

Dida looked at me. Lyle had shut his mouth.

“Even if you never raise a hand to anyone, the mere act of signing the orders puts blood on your hands.”

Dida was right. And his words had skewered my heart, which throbbed with pain.

I couldn’t pretend I was ignorant, no matter what the citizens thought of me. Everything could change with one order. Even if our ultimate reasons for going to war were to protect the people, by giving the order to fight, I would be sentencing many of them to their deaths. One word of mine really could mean life or the lack of it. I would also be involving citizens who didn’t want war.

If violence did break out, could I give the orders to fight?

“I’m not telling you that you have to be ready for that right now, Princess. But if you’re going to order us to prepare for such a scenario, then you’d best prepare yourself for what lies ahead, too.”

I had told myself the same thing, but I didn’t yet have an answer.

“You’re right, Dida.” My voice sounded incredibly pathetic, but there was nothing I could do about it. Because it was pathetic. Here I was, telling Dida and Lyle to ready themselves, and I wasn’t ready at all. “I can’t answer your question yet. I need more time.”

“All right. At any rate, we’ll get that report ready for you.”

I was surprised by Dida’s response; I had assumed that he would say he wouldn’t act until I could give him an answer.

“Very well…” I said. “I look forward to it.”

Dida and Lyle excused themselves, so I resumed my work. But I just couldn’t get that conversation out of my head.

“Ah!” And as a result, I made a mistake on the document I was working on. I was simply unable to concentrate. I set down my pen and stretched my arms high. My stiff joints cracked so loudly, it was hard to believe the sound was coming from the arms of a young girl. Still, all I could think of was that conversation.

There was no right answer.

The same thought had run through my head many times since I had become the acting governor. Once again, I’d hit that same wall. It was easy to let go of the fact if the problem was hypothetical. I could just tell myself I’d have to make my mind up when the time came, and that would be that.

Dida wouldn’t be satisfied with such a wishy-washy response. Moreover, I knew that any bravado I used to cover up my true feelings would only fall apart at the eleventh hour. When that time came…I would no longer be able to lie to myself. In fact, I was afraid that I would completely lose my composure.

Up until this point, I’d been responsible for many fates, many lives. An incompetent leader got their citizens killed. But this matter was on a whole different level. People would be giving and taking lives, and I would be directly responsible for every last one. That put the lives of my citizens in my hands even more so than ever before.

It was such an immense responsibility that my former self would have shrunk away from it. I felt like I was doing the same thing now, for that matter.

If only no one ever had to get hurt.

No, that thought was only a pretense. The real problem was that I was afraid to give the order.

If only I were really just inside of a game, I thought. Then perhaps there might be a perfect world where everyone was only ever kind to one another. No one would get hurt, and all the unsavory details would be brushed over like in a fairy tale or seen through rose-colored glasses.

Then again, even in the game, Iris had been a villain who assumed single-handed responsibility for all the bad things that had happened. So really, there had never been a world where everyone was ever-so-kind. And this world was my reality. If it weren’t, its harshness wouldn’t be staring me in the face.

In the jumble of my thoughts, I found myself circling the dirty tricks I’d seen the nobility play in their political games and the incredible disparity between the rich and the poor—neither of which had been remotely highlighted in the game’s story. More thoughts like this popped into my head, one after another. I couldn’t stop thinking.

I should have Tanya bring me something to drink. There was no way I could keep working in this state. I was just about to call for Tanya when the mountain of papers on my desk collapsed. Sheets flew haphazardly up into the air. Ah, now I’ve really done it!

I’d spent so much time separating the documents, and now they were all mixed up again. Just thinking about the time and effort it would take to put them back in order made me upset.

“Tanya,” I called.

“Yes, I’m here.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to the parlor. Please have the maids prepare some tea for me. And can I ask you to straighten up these documents for me?”

“Of course.”

Thus did I end up abandoning everything and taking a break to leisurely sip tea by myself in the parlor. The beautiful flower arrangements usually cheered me up when I was feeling down, but nothing could reach me where I was.

I let out a deep sigh.

“Why, Iris! Whatever is the matter? You look so depressed!” My mother suddenly appeared, her voice sweet and cheerful.

“Mother…”

“I’ll have what Iris is having,” she told a maid before sitting down across from me. “Taking a break?”

“Yes… I’m a little tired.”

“It’s no good to bottle things up. Honestly, you’re just like your grandfather.” Mother was even beautiful when she giggled, and so was the movement of her hand as she brought the teacup to her mouth. I found myself staring at her sometimes, purely because she was so lovely—even though she was my own mother. “Are you sure it’s only fatigue? Because it seems like something is on your mind.”

I stiffened with surprise. Was I that obvious?

“Iris, let’s go outside. You start to think about all the worst things when you’re cooped up indoors for too long,” she declared, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room.

“What? Huh?” I blubbered as my mother dragged me along. She was stronger than she looked. I turned back and saw the maids all in a flutter.

Mother instructed me to get into the carriage waiting outside. Sometime later, I found myself following her up a long staircase in a tower so tall that you could look out over the entire capital from its top.

“It’s gorgeous…” I murmured, marveling at the stunning view. The blue sky seemed close enough to touch, and the light of the sun gently embraced me. The city looked more beautiful than I’d ever seen it, bathed in the golden light.

“Yes, it is beautiful, Iris.”

“What is this place, Mother?”

“A watchtower for the capital’s guards. I believe it still belongs to the military.”

“Well then, I’m surprised we’re allowed up here.” After all, it was a military facility. Even though we were nobles, we were still civilians and therefore generally not permitted in such spaces.

“An easy feat when I use my father’s name.” I was in awe of my mother’s breezy tone. She smiled. “Ever since I was a child, I would come up here whenever I was worried about something. So all the guards recognize me.”

“What kind of things worried you, Mother?”

She laughed. “Oh, like when your father and I would get into a fight, or when he beat me when we sparred during martial arts class.” Her voice was always so light and airy. “And I also came here when my dream was shattered.”

“Your dream? What are you talking about?” I couldn’t even imagine what Mother’s dream could be. She was called the Flower of High Society and prided herself in her elegance. She seemed like the kind of person who truly had it all. I had no idea what dream she could have had that she would’ve given up on.

“Long ago, I wanted to become a soldier.”

That was the last thing I’d expected her to say, and my eyes widened with surprise. “A soldier?”

“Yes. I took martial arts lessons from the time I was very young, after my mother had been killed by bandits.”

I had never heard this story before, and my shock grew all the more.

“My father’s grief was immense. There he was, the man who had won so many victories on the battlefield and secured peace for the kingdom, yet he had been unable to protect his own wife. Not only that, but it was a citizen who he’d helped to protect who had stolen her away. It was unthinkable.”

Hurt squeezed my chest. My grandfather was a legendary war hero. A savior on the battlefield. But he had been unable to save my grandmother when she was killed by a citizen whom he had himself rescued from death.

“So, when my mother died, I began learning martial arts. Father didn’t object, because of what had happened to Mother. I didn’t learn the etiquette most young noblewomen do. Instead, I was a tomboy who yearned to become a soldier.”

I kept thinking I couldn’t be more shocked, yet I was. How many times had my mother surprised me in this one conversation? I mean, this was my mother we were talking about! The lady everyone called the epitome of all noblewomen. I couldn’t believe she hadn’t learned etiquette until—who knew when!

“I’m not sure if it was because Father was such a good teacher or if it was as he said—that I just had a talent for it—but I never lost to any of his students, whether they were my age or older. The only one I can ever remember losing to was Father.” She giggled softly, but I couldn’t bring myself to join her. “So, at some point, I decided I wanted to become a soldier like him and protect the kingdom.”

“But the person who killed Grandmother was a citizen of Tasmeria, right? So then why…”

“It’s true. I hated the bandit who killed my mother, and at first, I couldn’t understand why my father still wanted to protect this kingdom. I’m not sure if I was driven by hatred or if I just wanted to learn how to protect myself. Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking when I first started training.”

Suddenly, a darkness entered my mother’s smile. But it was only for a fleeting moment, and it was soon erased by the sun.

“I suppose that’s why I felt so empty when Father was the one who caught the bandit responsible for killing my mother. I wondered why I had spent so much time training. I lost my sense of purpose. And I came here to think about that a great deal. Why had I picked up a sword? I thought and thought, and thanks to this view, I put my mind and heart in order.” She gestured to the view below as if to say, See?

There were so many people in the beautiful city below.

“There are people in every one of those buildings. They go about their daily business. They laugh and they cry. They can do all those things because they’re alive. And I thought, isn’t that such a marvelous, wonderful thing?”

“Mother…”

“Of course, there are wicked people out there, like that bandit. But there are even more helpless citizens. I wanted to make sure that they never had to endure a sudden tragedy like my family and I had. I wanted this peaceful land to last forever. I wanted to protect them, even if it meant getting blood on my hands.”

Hearing my mother’s resolve shook me to my core. “You were that determined at such a young age?”

“Well, I had lost someone precious to me. I think perhaps that I had a very strong desire to never lose someone like that again.”

“Mother…”

“But reality didn’t bend my way. Women aren’t allowed in the military, even today. A few men I beat at a tournament confronted me with that bitter truth. With that, my dreams shattered into a million pieces, right then and there.”

What fragile little men they were, I thought, angry even though it had happened so long ago. But it was because of the hurt that I had lived through that I could empathize with what my mother had experienced back then.

“Did you ever want to become a knight?” I asked.

Some women were allowed to become knights in order to protect the women in the royal family.

“I didn’t pick up a sword so I could protect the crown. And honestly, the lady knights are more for show than anything.”

I had to agree. Although the lady knights of Tasmeria underwent a certain amount of training, they rarely saw any real action. They were never sent into battle for the same reason that the military didn’t send any women into the line of fire.

“So, when that happened, I came up here again. But it didn’t help. Because the goal I’d held for so long had vanished into thin air.”

Mother had no one left to take her revenge on, and the dream she’d forged in its place had been snatched away. I suddenly felt ashamed for ever thinking that Mother was the kind of person who’d always gotten what she wanted.

“And that’s where I met my husband. Right here.”

“You did?”

“Yes. At the time, his father was the prime minister. He discovered this place on a tour of the capital, and he was so enamored with the view that he often came here just as I did.”

For a moment, I worried over how lax the security was in this place. I supposed it was fine, as no one had been hurt, but still…

“So there I was, crying my eyes out, and your father just ignored me and kept staring out at the view—as if I was ruining the mood at his favorite thinking spot. Even though I was embarrassed, I took out my frustrations on him.” My mother’s cheeks turned pink—it sounded as if this had been the beginning of their romance, so I was starting to feel a bit shy hearing about it, too. “But you know how your father is. He scolded me.”

“He did?!”

“That’s right. He said, ‘You must not have wanted it very badly at all if you’re giving up so easily.’”

I couldn’t believe Father had said that to a poor, crying girl! I had to wonder why Mother looked so happy telling me the story.

“He said, ‘Why did you take up your sword in the first place? Was it for honor and glory, or was it to protect the citizens? If it’s the former, then keep crying. But if it’s the latter, then why in the world would you cry at all?’”

“‘Why would you cry at all?’”

“Mm-hmm. I think what he was trying to say was ‘There’s another way to achieve your goal.’”

Ah, I understood. If Mother’s dream had been to become a soldier to fight and earn honor and glory, then her dreams had been completely dashed. But if her goal was to protect the citizens…

“He said, ‘If you want to protect the citizens, you have more than one way of doing so. You can support them in other ways. In my case, I protect them not with my sword but with my pen. Although, I’m not nearly as skilled at it as my father.’” Mother smiled. “His words shook me. It felt as if I’d just woken up. After that, we entered an arranged marriage. But I respected him so much that I quickly fell in love. We got married, and then I decided to set foot on another type of battleground.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. The battleground of high society is a completely different beast.” She said that with a smile so proud and bright that I had to laugh in return.

She was right. It was a battleground. Perhaps she had become so powerful on that field because she had grown strong by experiencing real fighting. She used her husband’s network to gain information and leveraged his power to gather more goodwill and influence for herself.

“Thank you for bringing me here today, Mother. May we stay and look at the view for a bit longer?”

“Of course.”

Once we got home, I climbed into bed prepared to fall into a deep sleep right away. But I was wide awake and couldn’t drift off. I couldn’t stop thinking about my conversation with my mother and the view from the watchtower.

“I wanted to make sure that they never had to endure such a sudden tragedy like my family and I had. I wanted this peaceful land to last forever.”

The look on her face had been so heartbreakingly lovely when she said that. And I don’t mean her physical beauty—more like the tender, caring serenity of a mother.

How did I feel about my citizens? I thought back on everything I’d done so far. I couldn’t help but laugh—because it was the same thing.

When I’d met Mina and the other children from the orphanage—no, it had started before that, when I was touring the duchy and had made up my mind. I’d never governed before, obviously. But I’d been granted power under the title of acting governor. The lives of all my citizens depended on every step I took, every decision I made. I felt the weight of responsibility for every single document that passed across my desk. I did that work to protect those lives.

I already had my resolve, didn’t I?

It seemed that my brush with excommunication had made me soft. I’d been worried that perhaps having me as a leader had put Armelia at a dreadful disadvantage and that everything I did would leave the duchy in ruins.

Those thoughts had run through my mind, even though it was no time to be bogged down by such a mindset. I had to power through. The citizens and the entire duchy were already wrapped up in my affairs. It was far too late to say I wasn’t prepared. If I wanted my plans to come to fruition, my only option was, as ever, to keep going. I could not lose sight of my goal.

If I faltered now, then so too would the people who had chosen to follow me, and all the citizens under my protection as well. So I had to do everything in my power to protect them.

All at once, the knot of anxiety inside me unraveled. At last, I fell into a peaceful, dream-filled sleep.

 

***

 

The next day, I called Lyle and Dida to my study.

“How may we be at your service, Princess?”

“I’ve made a decision,” I told them.

Lyle’s eyes widened, and Dida gave me an amused grin.

“Dida, you asked me yesterday if I was prepared.”

“That I did.”

“I know I hesitated when you asked me that, but I’ve thought about it, and hard. I realize now that you should have asked me that question a long time ago.” Dida stared at me blankly as I spoke. “Because I’ve been prepared to protect the citizens of this duchy from the very beginning.”

“So much that you’d spill blood to protect them?”

“Yes…and no.”

Now it was Lyle’s turn to look puzzled.

I smiled grimly. “I already hold thousands of lives in my hands. My role is to protect the duchy and its people. So, if the time comes when it is necessary to give the orders to mobilize our soldiers, then of course I will. And I will take responsibility for all that comes with that decision.”

There was no perfect world in which no one ever got hurt. I had known that from the beginning.

“But I’m going to fight with everything I have to ensure that doesn’t happen. I have no wish for us to get swept up in the unfolding struggles. I’m not thinking about how to win a war—I’m thinking of how to avoid one in the first place. I will be making my first move toward that end.”

“If you want to protect the citizens, you have more than one way of doing so.”

Those words, which my father had said to my mother long ago, applied to me right now.

I’d been so caught up in thinking about what I would do if war broke out and how I would take responsibility for it. How would I respond as the acting governor? But that wasn’t what I should have been focusing on. There was more than one way for me to deal with this. I could anticipate what would happen next, gather intelligence, and prepare countermeasures for every possible outcome. My greatest weapons were my pen, my head, and my words. Military force would always be the last resort, only to be used once I had played all the other cards in my hand. That was my responsibility as the acting governor.

“But if I decide that there is no other way forward but to fight… Lyle, Dida, I’ll be counting on you to ensure that the bare minimum of blood is spilled. And I will take full responsibility for having exhausted all other options,” I said firmly.

For some reason, Dida started to laugh. Had I said something funny? I thought this was all terribly serious.

“That’s a wonderful resolve you have, and said in the sweetest way possible.”

“Dida!” Lyle exclaimed indignantly.

“But it’s fine. That’s why we have such a strong desire to protect you, Princess. You, and the things precious to you.”

Had I passed his test?

“Why don’t you just be honest with your feelings for once?” Lyle said with exasperation. “My lady, we shall serve as your shield and your sword. We shall deliver you from every fear. And if fear is all you have left, please let us be your bastion. We shall protect you no matter what. You, and the things precious to you.”

He gave me the knight’s salute. Dida assumed the same position by his side.

“Thank you, Lyle and Dida.”

If they still didn’t want to lose me—if they still wanted to protect me—then I had to do everything I could to fight.

 

***

 

While I was racking my brain coming up with plans, Sei had been busy at work addressing the sudden raise in import taxes that had lately plagued Armelia. Meanwhile, I started maneuvering against the companies under Prince Edward’s protection. All of his businesses were suffering from poor sales and management. Not only that, but the person managing the companies was involved in dodgy dealings and tried to usurp the valid successor to take complete control.

I had my people work behind the scenes to worsen the business’s already dreadful condition, and when their hands were tied, we had the board oust the shady manager and reinstate the rightful successor. Then, we approached the new head of the company with a contract.

The business would keep its name, but it would take over all shipping for the Azuta Corporation’s goods. You see, the increased tariffs only applied to businesses based in Armelia. In other words, if this non-Armelian business shipped our goods for us, we would only be taxed the standard rate. Other Armelian-based businesses had approached non-Armelian companies with similar contracts.

This worked nicely for us in a number of ways; it was one thing to cut costs by dodging high tariffs, but now we wouldn’t have to cover the costs of hiring guards for the trade caravans either.

I gave out the initial orders, but afterward, I had Sei work alone to finish things up. He’d really come to the rescue this time.

None of this solved the underlying problem, though. It was now on me to standardize the tariffs laid on us by our neighboring domains. It would by no means be easy.

It was clear to me that our neighbors had raised tariffs for reasons outside of pure economics. However, even if they had resisted whatever political pressure had been put on them to do this, the second queen, who had directed them, would remain in power. She would eagerly seize the next opportunity to crush us.

I was the daughter of the prime minister, but neither I nor the territorial governors possessed ultimate authority. The only person who did was the king—although the king was currently ill and indisposed.

Even if he’d been well, I don’t know that he could have done anything. The governors controlled regional tariffs. Even in times of peace, when the king could leverage his ultimate authority in a number of ways, he still had no say over those.

In other words, the regional lords were being controlled by other means, and I had to deal with that.

At any rate, I had done what I set out to do, so it was time to return to the duchy. Even though Sebastian was skilled at his work, there would inevitably be a backlog of documents awaiting my approval.

Ah, but it might not be so bad if only Dean were there to help, I thought as I straightened up the paperwork.

“Tanya, I’m thinking of returning to the duchy,” I said.

“I think that’s an excellent idea. I’ll get everything arranged.”

Ah, that’s right. I had to say the proper goodbyes and tie up all my loose ends here in the capital, so I wouldn’t be able to leave right away. “Thank you.”

I missed Armelia. It wasn’t like I’d been away for years, like I had when I was in school. But for some reason, it felt like I hadn’t been home in a very long time. I supposed that was partially because of how busy my days in the capital had been.

“My lady, you’ve received a letter from Lady Mimosa.”

I took the letter from Tanya and broke the seal with my letter opener. I felt like I was much better at speed-reading than I had been.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Tanya went ahead and opened it. As she stood there and spoke with the servant who was behind it, her expression grew more and more severe.

“Send him away at once.”

“But…”

Tanya’s voice was cold and forceful. The servant sounded a bit frightened but didn’t back down.

“Fine. I’ll go instead,” Tanya snapped, ending the conversation. However, the servant looked thoroughly relieved to hear that.

Who in the world could be calling who would warrant such a reaction? I frowned. “Tanya?”

“Excuse me, my lady. I’ll deal with this.” Her tone made it clear that she didn’t want me to know who it was; she hoped to take care of it before I found out.

But if someone had come to visit me, I had to know who.

“Wait, Tanya. Who’s here?”

“You needn’t concern yourself with it, my lady. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Tanya.” I said her name more firmly this time, and she let out a sigh.

“Van Lutasha has come to see you.”

“Van?” I had certainly never expected to hear that name, and I was honestly a bit flustered.

“You shouldn’t see him while Lyle and Dida are away. Who knows what he might have up his sleeve? Not to mention, it’s beyond rude to visit without contacting us first.”

That was true, especially as I’d never actually had a conversation with him before. He hadn’t wanted to hear me out when I was in trouble, so why should I listen to what he had to say?

I nodded. “All right. I’ll let you take care of it, then.”

“Thank you.”

Even so, what in the world was Van doing here? I was so curious, I could hardly stand it. Did it have something to do with my recent brush with excommunication? As a consequence of that, Van’s father, the former pope, had been released from his duties and thrown in jail. I would have thought he would visit anyone else in the world before me.

For starters, Yuri Neuer had gained a great deal of influence since her engagement to Ed. After all, he was the second prince, and his grandfather was Marquis Marea, who prided himself in having so much power that his wishes became law nearly as soon as he imagined them.

On the other hand, it would have been difficult for Van to meet Berne, as my brother had been spending so much time working under Father. Likewise, Dorssen seemed rather busy since joining the knights. But, well, my schedule was pretty packed, too.

I just wanted to finish my business and go home. Surely Van wouldn’t come all the way to Armelia to see me. What would he even say if he saw me? The mere thought of it irritated me.

“I’ve returned, my lady.” Tanya entered the room again.

“That was awfully fast.”

“Yes. He left.” Her tone was derisive, but her face was utterly composed. She had to have been exceptionally irritated. I would have to reward her later.

But first, the important questions: “What did he say?”

“Not a thing—because I chased him out of here before he could even open his mouth.” Tanya was smiling, but her eyes were not. In fact, the aura she emanated was so icy that I grew chilly, and goosebumps rose all down my arms. I wanted to ask exactly how she had chased him off, but frankly, I was too afraid.

Well, I’m sure she wouldn’t do anything too bad. At least, I hoped she wouldn’t. “All right, then. Me sitting here thinking about it isn’t going to accomplish anything. Will you straighten up those documents for me?”

“Yes, of course.” This time, she responded with a genuine smile.

“And I want you to look into what’s going on with Van.”

“I will.”

Tanya had become quite the spy. Of course, House Armelia had numerous people whose main occupation was espionage, but she did a better job of it, if you asked me.

To be more precise, those other individuals worked for my father. But after my tussle with the church and everything that had come with it, I’d realized just how precious information could be; I had started gathering spies who were loyal specifically to me. It was difficult to find people you could trust so completely, so I had only a few thus far. I therefore had to heavily rely on my parents’ and grandfather’s connections.

“Let’s hurry up and finish our work here so we can go home.”

“Yes, my lady.”

But before I left the capital, I went out on the town. I didn’t have much time, but since I was there, I wanted to clear my mind for a bit and do some shopping purely for pleasure. I could also buy some presents to take back to everyone who had remained at the duchy.

“What should I get them, though?”

I imagined Rehme and Moneda would like some kind of sweets, the kind one could only find in the capital. Their work was so cerebral, so eating something sweet would refresh their minds. However, both Merida and Sei spent a lot of time in the kitchen, so sweets didn’t seem appropriate for them…

“I’m sure they’ll love whatever you choose, my lady,” Tanya said, to which I chuckled wryly.

“That makes it even more difficult! If I’m giving them a present, I want it to be something they want, or at least something they can use.”

I was slightly disguised as we walked through town, just as usual. I narrowed down the shops to a few I particularly wanted to visit. I was still mulling over the perfect gifts to get everyone when I suddenly spotted someone familiar.

“Hm? Dean?” I couldn’t believe it was really him. A woman was walking with him. What was he doing here? And who was she?

A jumble of confused thoughts ran through my head, and a feeling of uneasiness wound around my heart.

Well, I supposed Dean was free to be wherever he wanted, and with whomever he wanted. I couldn’t deny that in my head, but the anxiety in my heart simply wouldn’t go away. I felt utterly childish. I had to laugh at the jealousy welling within me; it had come seemingly out of nowhere—I was surprised.

When Dean noticed me, a matching look of surprise flashed across his face. Even that reaction annoyed me. Did he not want to see me? Was I an interruption? Although, I supposed that under normal circumstances, it was always awkward to run into your boss outside of the workplace.

Well. I wasn’t having fun anymore. Time to go home.

Tragically, it would have looked terribly unnatural if I just turned on my heel and walked in the opposite direction—and I hadn’t bought the presents yet either.

“It’s good to see you again, my lady.” Dean greeted me. Did he feel an obligation to do so since we had made eye contact?

“It’s been a long time, Dean. I wasn’t expecting to run into you in the capital. And who is this?” I tried my very best to smile as I asked, but honestly, I wasn’t confident it was successful.

The beautiful girl standing next to Dean smiled far more brightly, her eyes shining. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Letty. I’ve heard so much about you from my brother.”

“Your brother?” Now that I looked at them more closely, it all made sense. Letty did look very much like Dean. The only difference was that Dean’s eyes were emerald green, but hers were a bright peridot color.

“Yes, that’s right. My family is very overprotective of me, so I’m not allowed to go out by myself. And when my brother goes to visit you, I’m the one who takes over his work. I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to meet you sooner.”

Ah, then I owe her some gratitude for helping me out, by extension. I should thank her. I hadn’t said my name yet…but it would have been a bad idea to do so openly, out here in the street. “Your brother has been an invaluable assistant, time and again. Please forgive me for being unable to properly introduce myself in these circumstances.”

“Not at all! I understand your position, my lady. Actually, I’ve been yearning to sit down and have a nice long talk with you. I want to make sure my brother is pulling his weight for you.” Letty’s smile reminded me of nothing so much as a flower in full bloom.

“My lady, please dismiss my sister. I know you’re dreadfully busy, and I can’t imagine you’d have time to talk to—”

“Are you afraid she’ll tell me something bad about you, Brother?”

“Letty! What am I going to do with you?”

I was amused to see Dean react so unusually; he looked flustered, unsure of what to do. I had never seen him like this before.

“Oh, my!” I couldn’t help but laugh.

Letty glanced over at me and giggled as well.

“It’s fine with me,” I told her. “But let’s find somewhere else to talk.”

Thus, we made our way to a nearby restaurant. The establishment was run by an Armelian business, so we secured a private room right away.

“Please allow me to formally introduce myself,” I said once we were seated. “I am Iris Lana Armelia.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Letty said with a smile.

“Dean really has helped me out so much. I’m sorry he’s always leaving you to come help me.”

“It’s quite all right. I like the work. But most of all, I deeply respect you, so I enjoy every minute of it.”

“You do?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. Letty had never even met me before. How could she respect me? But her eyes were sparkling so much that I had a hard time believing she was only saying that to be polite.

“I heard that the economic reforms you initiated in Armelia once you became acting governor were simply remarkable. And I’ve heard of so many people who relocated to Armelia because the quality of life is so much better there now. I truly respect your abilities. But most of all, it makes me so happy to have a conversation with a woman who’s out there on the front lines.”

She spoke as if she could read my thoughts. She was young, and she was adorable, but yes—she was definitely Dean’s sister, all right.

“Thank you. Shall I take that to mean you have an occupation as well? What sort of responsibilities does it entail?”

“I mainly pen my brother’s documents and sift through various bits of information. I also do some behind-the-scenes maneuvering for negotiations that would’ve come to my brother, I suppose you could say? It isn’t so much that I take over his work, but I am always helping him put his work together and getting it executed the way he likes.”

“You’re too humble. It takes patience and perseverance to compose documentation, as well as to use the knowledge you’ve gained to influence negotiations. Even in my work as the acting governor, the bulk of my job is creating and sorting through documents. We’re basically doing a lot of the same things!”

“Ah, but in your case, you make important decisions and take responsibility for them. That’s completely different from what I do. I’m sincerely flattered, nevertheless.”

We continued talking for some time, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying my time with Letty.

“What?! You’ve had that happen, too, Lady Iris?!”

“Yes, several times. After you spend so many hours buried in documents, your head feels so heavy!”

“I know… It’s especially bad the next morning if you’ve worked all night.”

“Yes, same for me!”

We had come to the topic of our health woes and were trading ways to combat stress. Quite unusual topics of conversation for most young maidens, to be sure. I always felt like the girls my age preferred talking about love and trendy bakeries or some such.

It was evident from our conversation that Letty really was doing Dean’s work and not just saying so; we were able to commiserate about our worries because we shared so many of them. In fact, we were so absorbed in our discussion that we ended up completely ignoring poor Dean.

There was a lull in our talk, and abruptly, the smile vanished from Letty’s face, replaced by a somber expression. “Lady Iris, I only assist my brother, but from my perspective, it seems as if you do the work of two or three people. Perhaps you should let someone lighten your workload, as I do for my brother?”

“I’ve lightened it as much as I can, I’m afraid. I have employees I trust to help with the corporation, and I have loyal assistants who work under me managing the duchy—and that includes your brother.”

“And is my brother truly helpful?”

“Absolutely. He’s profoundly attentive to detail and does such careful work. If not for him, I would have collapsed from overwork long ago.”

I meant everything I said; Dean was truly my right-hand man. It was difficult for me to express in words, but I felt like he could carry out my instructions just as well as, or even better than, Sebastian, Sei, Rehme—even Tanya.

It was only natural that being in their positions, they would do their utmost to follow my instructions to the letter. Dean, on the other hand, wasn’t bound by the same feelings. That was why he could give me his honest opinions. He’d hear me out when I rattled off an idea that popped into my head, help me organize and streamline my thoughts, tell me just how much of the idea was actually feasible, and then give me another opinion to work off of.

As a result, I was able to work more quickly and efficiently, since I didn’t have to mull over all of the complications by myself.

“Is that right? I suppose he does pay attention to the fine details. That’s why I can’t slack off even a little bit when I do work for him…”

I had to laugh at that.

“Letty, at least say those things when I’m not around,” Dean sighed. It was the first thing he’d said since our conversation began.

“Oh, Dean, who knows when I might see Lady Iris again? I have to tell her everything that’s on my mind right away!”

“You mentioned you’re not allowed to go out much?” I asked.

“Yes. My family truly is overprotective. And since my brother travels so much, if I took too much time off, my work would just pile up and cause all sorts of trouble for those who work below me.”

“I see. Do you normally stay in the capital, then?”

“Indeed, I do.”

“Well, I’m sure I’ll be back. I’ll make sure we see each other then.”

“My lady, we ought to be going…” Tanya informed me reluctantly.

Time really does fly when you’re having fun.

“I’m terribly sorry I kept you for so long, Lady Iris,” said Letty. “Please let me know when you come back to the capital.”

“Yes, of course. And I’ll visit those places you recommended.”

In the course of our conversation, Letty had told me of several shops that were especially fashionable at the moment. I intended to visit them to find those gifts I wanted for everyone back home.

“I hope you find some wonderful presents.”

“Thank you. Dean? I’ll be waiting for you back in the duchy.”

He nodded. “Yes. I just need to finish tying up some business here, and then I’ll see you in Armelia.”

“All right.”

With that, I left to resume my search for the gifts. I had to buy them on this trip, as we were leaving the capital the next day. I ended up purchasing handkerchiefs for Merida and Sei, and sweets for the rest of the crew.

I was feeling quite satisfied with my purchases on the carriage ride home, but my good mood was dashed as soon as we returned to the mansion and I saw who awaited me there.

“Lady Iris!” He cried my name and raced over to me. Lyle and Dida then stepped in front of me protectively. “I’ve been wanting to see you! Lady Iris, please listen to me!”

I knew the man, of course. “Van… What are you doing here?”

Lyle and Dida tensed when I said his name. Van looked distressed, likely because Tanya had already chased him off once.

“Why?” he asked. “Because there’s something I need to talk to you about! Before, they told me you weren’t home and sent me away, but today, I decided to wait for you.”

“This is beyond rude, Van!” Tanya snarled. “Showing up here without notice! How dare you disrespect House Armelia in such a way?!”

Lyle and Dida didn’t speak, but I could tell they were thinking the same thing. They looked furious.

“Fine, then,” I said. “We can’t be seen like this, so come along inside.”

“Lady Iris!”

“I’ve no interest in causing any more of a commotion out here. I’ll hear what you have to say, Van. Inside.” I realized my tone was short, but I didn’t respond well to people who just showed up unannounced on my doorstep. I heaved an irritated sigh and entered the mansion.

“Quite strict around here, aren’t you?” said Van once we were in my study. From the moment he set foot in the mansion, he had been received with caution and hostility. As we walked, Lyle, Dida, and Tanya had remained at my side to protect me.

“Did you think you would be welcomed with open arms?” I asked.

“No, my apologies.”

“Well? What was it you wanted to say? I’m returning to Armelia tomorrow, so I’d appreciate it if you kept this short.”

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Yes?” Granted, I had asked him to keep it short, but I was surprised by this sudden request. Really, how dare he ask a favor of me at all?

Pure malice radiated from my three escorts; it was like they wanted to pounce on him and would do so at the least provocation.

“I want you to give testimony for me.”

“Excuse me?” I’d suspected Van would say something to that effect, but I hadn’t imagined he would actually be so bold.

“I know it’s shameless to ask this of you after all the trouble I caused you, but I’m in a terrible position. The Darryl Church is in a state of complete chaos. I fear its troubles will ripple out and impact all of Tasmeria. I understand that my father was the one who instigated this chaos, and that you were his victim—but that means that if we could demonstrate a cooperative spirit, we might just be able to prevent the situation from worsening.”

Van was right in saying that the Darryl Church was on unstable ground, following the imprisonment of the former pope and other high-ranking officials who had been held responsible for conspiracy. I had heard that the nobles known to collude with the pope and his faction were also currently under investigation. In reality, those nobles were scapegoats. They were all minor figures—not the masterminds behind the whole thing.

“It’s true that the chaos within the church will negatively impact the kingdom,” I said.

“In that case…” Van looked at me hopefully.

But too bad for you. I leveled a stare at him and asked icily, “However, how could it possibly be to my advantage to cooperate with you?”

“Advantage?” Van repeated the word as if he didn’t know what it meant.

“Yes. Advantage. If I cooperate with you, what’s in it for me?”

“Shouldn’t your first priority as a noble be to save the kingdom from all possible danger?”

“How amusing. Am I correct in saying none of this ever would have happened had the church not falsely accused me?” I laughed—a laugh that came from deep in my belly. “It’s a little late to be concerned about the kingdom’s stability. At present, the nobility is divided into two factions arguing over who should be the next king. Well, three actually, if you count the neutral faction. If this situation drags out any longer, it will be a miracle in and of itself if Tasmeria survives at all.”

I didn’t know how to keep it intact, though I respected the people who were trying to do so. If the power struggle spread, it would affect the citizen’s daily lives. If that happened, it would be no surprise if a neighboring country took advantage of our internal strife to wage an attack. In short, it would be commendable indeed if anyone were able to nip our succession crisis in the bud.

Perhaps it was presumptuous of me to compare running a domain to governing a whole kingdom, but I was without a doubt the most skilled governor in Tasmeria. No one opposed me in Armelia, so I could push forward any new policies I wanted without disruption—I was the beginning and end of the chain of command.

But a kingdom is different; you must always consider how to protect yourself from the forces who oppose your actions, wonder if or when your allies will betray you, and doubt whether they were ever truly your allies in the first place. Despite all that, you must strive to run things smoothly. Add a stressful environment on top of that, and you have a dreadful job—one where, and this would be no exaggeration, one wrong step could lead you to endanger the royal family.

Hm, maybe I should give my father some heartburn medication.

All these thoughts ran through my head as I stared at Van. “You were party to worsening that divide, and now you’re saying you want to save the kingdom from falling into chaos by joining forces with me? Where is this coming from?”

“I didn’t do anything to endanger the kingdom.”

“Ah, you’re naive, then? You really are awfully close to Prince Edward,” I said with a derisive chuckle.

That must have hit him where it hurt, because he frowned. “We went to the same school. It’s only natural we’d be close.”

“It’s not only natural, and that’s why I say it. The academy is a microcosm of aristocratic society. It would be natural for you to cleave to the same faction your parents support. I don’t know whether it was the prince’s favor you were courting or Yuri’s, but after seeing you grow so cozy, anyone would think that you, and by extension your father, supported Prince Edward.”

Honestly, Berne and I had behaved injudiciously as well. Normally, upon my engagement to the prince, Berne should have distanced himself from Ed, but instead, Berne had grown closer to him through Yuri. I understood now how my father had felt when he’d given me that lecture after I was expelled—or at least, I understood him now even more than I had then.

“You exacerbated the power struggle in this kingdom. So having you come to me, saying you want to better this country? All I can do is laugh.”

Van closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, a deeply pained expression was carved onto his face. Had I gone too far? “I’m fully aware of my impudence. That’s exactly why I must take responsibility for my actions. I want to do everything I can to ensure the situation doesn’t spiral out of control.”

“And your first step is trying to join me?”

Van hesitated a bit and then nodded.

I take that back—I didn’t go too far at all. I heaved a sigh at his heel-turn. All I could do after was let out a dry laugh. “It’s inevitable that things would be messy before a major revolution. Especially when the leaders of the old regime are not only ousted but arrested.” I closed my fan with a snap. “Quite frankly, the corruption within the church was unacceptable. You pocketed money you collected from the nobles instead of distributing it to the citizens.”

“The clergy needs to make a living, too. And—”

“If you say it can’t be helped, you can turn around and get out of my house right now.”

Van’s face tightened at my menacing tone.

“A non-insignificant sum flowed from taxes straight back into the church,” I said. “Do you have any idea how much effort it took to collect that money in the first place?”

Our tax collectors did not have an easy job. Not only did they have to manage sums, they also had to assign a reasonable rate to every citizen. It was an incredibly difficult task. As the acting governor, I couldn’t overlook Van’s blasé attitude about the money our citizens paid to sustain our society.

“As if that wasn’t enough,” I went on, “think of all the donations you collected, all the charity galas you held. Where in the world did all that money go?”

“Well…” Van looked uneasy, as if he wanted to say he didn’t know. But he must have realized that if he did say as much, I would lose it, because he quickly shut his mouth.

“I didn’t know”—I could have said those same words so many times in the past. Until I had regained the memories of my past life, I’d taken my station for granted and never questioned anything. Even now, I wasn’t sure whether I could hold my head high and say I was fulfilling my responsibilities as a noble. At the very least, I was now more aware of my surroundings. That was a fact.

“The church abused its power. My excommunication is a clear example of that. Yes, our political state is fraught as a consequence of uncovering its deceptions, but if that means the church can no longer interfere with the business of running our kingdom, then that’s a win for Tasmeria. It is a far more concrete good than me making much of cooperating with another noble to create the illusion of peace.”

Van bit his lip and looked downward.

“Thus, no, I will not cooperate with you. You may excuse yourself.” I rose from my seat, a signal for him to leave.

“Please, wait!” Van stepped toward me, and Tanya, Lyle, and Dida all stood in his way.

“Is there something else?”

“I—I only…!” As he stammered and pleaded, I found myself looking indifferently at him. “What should I do?! Please help me!”

Help him, hm? I had to laugh. “And why should I help you?”

“Because…”

“I’m the villainess who abused poor, kind Yuri, remember? You and Prince Edward publicly denounced me. So why in the world would I ever help you—without good reason?”

My voice was so cold that it actually surprised me. I could clearly hear Van begging me for help, but I didn’t care. I felt neither sympathy nor pity, not even satisfaction that the tables had turned. I just felt nothing.

It made me realize just how insignificant Van was to me.

“My father had the papacy taken from him. I thought Yuri wouldn’t care, but she suddenly started acting like I didn’t exist. She treated me as if I were invisible!”

In other words, Yuri had only ever wanted Van for the power he held through the church. To be honest, hearing his plight only made me more impressed with her. I’m sure it had felt wonderfully refreshing to be able to cut ties with him so cleanly.

“Everyone else in my life has suddenly changed as well—they treat me so callously. I…”

“So what?” I asked flatly. “The person you love is acting like you don’t exist? Everyone else turned their backs on you and is treating you like an inconvenience? I honestly don’t care—because you didn’t care when it happened to me, correct?”

His face twisted at my sarcastic tone. “Yes, you’re right. And I understand I’m partly responsible for getting you expelled. Even I think I’m a true idiot for coming here because of that.”

“Oh, so you do understand! Wonderful! Now leave.”

“But I can’t give up. I want revenge on all the people who turned on me. I don’t want this to end with me doing nothing!” he screamed.

I laughed.

Van had always been so kind and gentle—he sure had changed. I took in the man in front of me, his face contorted with rage as he seethed. He clung to his rage, despite knowing he had no chance to really find satisfaction; I simply couldn’t believe he was that same person I had known back at the academy.

“Fine, you’re right,” he snarled. “If I’m being honest, I don’t care about the kingdom. I came to you because I want revenge on those who abandoned me!”

“Well? Say you get revenge—then what? Beg for Yuri’s love? Plead for the others to stay by your side?”

“No. They’ve abandoned me. I don’t care about them at all, not anymore. I just want to do this for my own sake!”

How incredibly self-serving. But I couldn’t dismiss him out of hand, because I knew what that felt like. After everything I’d endured, I had certainly felt the desire to get revenge. However, that was what made this situation precarious.

There was a defining difference between Van and me: Revenge wasn’t my driving goal. The citizens were what kept me from growing too attached to the idea. As I looked at Van, it was clear that he felt no such impediment. There was only one thing on his mind, and it was all he wanted. Even more dangerously, I got the feeling that he would stop at nothing in order to achieve his goal.

I sat back down across from him. “So that’s why you really want to join forces with me?”

Van nodded. It made sense now; he had guessed that I also nursed a desire to have my revenge, and so, of all his options, he had chosen me.

Unfortunately for him, it just wouldn’t work out.

“No amount of pushing from me will get you the papacy. The church is already being restructured from the ground up.”

I’d been discussing the matter with Father Rafsimons, and according to his report, there was no way Van could ever become pope. First of all, nearly every high-ranking member of the church had not only been ousted; they had been thrown in jail. Now the majority opinion was that the cardinals should choose the next pope from among themselves.

“Honestly, instead of backing you, I’d rather support Father Rafsimons, since he’s being so very shrewd about all this. Not only do you no longer have the backing of the church, you’re also inexperienced in all other matters. At this point, it will be incredibly difficult for you to remain with the organization in any capacity.”

Van’s position was hanging by a thread. If not for this incident, he would have entered the main church in the capital to undergo training as the next pope and gained his experience there. Now they wanted to do away with hereditary succession. Moreover, they were doing everything they could to wash away the old regime, so Van’s existence was worse than an obstruction—the church wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. I honestly wondered if they’d even let him continue being a member of the clergy.

“However, I could place you at an acquaintance’s church,” I said. “As a regular clergyman, of course.”

I could certainly ask Father Rafiel for this favor. We had a personal connection, and I trusted his abilities. Of course, this would all depend on whether or not Father Rafiel agreed to it.

“Keep in mind, this is only a clergyman position. It will be a far cry from becoming pope, and I’m not sure if you’d ever be able to work at the main church. But the people in this church trust what they see with their own eyes instead of the rumors they hear. If you hone your skills and show what you’re made of, it’s possible they’ll warm up to you, and you might earn a higher appointment.”

What would Van do?

The answer: He didn’t show any hesitation whatsoever.

We exchanged a written agreement, and he left.

“Why did you show him such kindness?” Lyle asked, sounding none too happy about it. I thought it interesting that Tanya hadn’t been the first to speak up, but I understood as soon as I saw the understanding on her face.

“Was it kindness?” I asked with a chuckle. Lyle gave me a puzzled look. “Tanya, prepare letters for both Father Rafsimons and Father Rafiel right away.”

“Yes, my lady,” Tanya responded.

“As I told Van, the Darryl Church is undergoing a complete restructuring. That doesn’t mean everyone agrees with it, as I’m sure you can imagine.” The high-ranking clergymen hadn’t been the only ones lining their pockets with donations—their noble sponsors had benefited as well. I doubted in the extreme that they were just sitting on their hands while they watched the church be upended. They were absolutely going to try to disrupt the proceedings.

It was entirely possible that those people would try to use Van’s lineage and his vulnerable state to their advantage, even raising him up as a banner around which to rally. That was why I wanted Van on my side—before any others could take him away.

“He’s going to use his frustration as fuel, and that’s when my assistance will come in handy. Father Rafsimons will tell me what Van’s up to so I can use him to my advantage. Moreover, nothing I told Van was a lie. Father Rafiel went to medical school in order to serve the citizens. His philosophies overlap with Father Rafsimons’s, and if Van works with him, he might well open up a new path to the main church for himself. If he does, I can call in the debt he owes me when it’s time.”

I was doing all this because I believed in Father Rafsimons’s power.

“On the other hand, if Van abandons his quest for revenge, then that’s fine as well. I’ll know what he’s up to, and I’ll have countermeasures ready in advance for anything. If he steps out of line, I’ll know immediately.” I smiled. “Also, if I take care of Van, Father Rafsimons will owe me a favor.”

“I see…” Lyle nodded. “In that case, I’ll keep an eye on him and those he keeps close.”

“I was just thinking about asking you to do so. No matter how the situation turns out, I benefit from it. Do you still think I was showing him kindness?”

The moment Van came asking me for a favor, I’d known that it would end up benefiting me. I could laugh about it forever. And what was wrong with that? I was the villainess in this story, but Van had chosen to come to me, even if as a last resort.

 

***

 

Tanya let out a sigh once she finished brushing her hair.

It was nearly midnight. Iris had fallen fast asleep, and since then, Tanya had been busy getting things ready to depart. Now that she was finally done, she was about to go to sleep herself.

Sometimes Iris would half-jokingly ask her, “What? You actually sleep?” But Tanya was only human. She nevertheless did find herself wondering the same thing about Sebastian from time to time. He never showed any signs of fatigue and always had a pleasant look on his face, which impressed her. She strove to be like him.

These piecemeal thoughts flitted through Tanya’s head as she reached down and picked up a ribbon from her desk. She, Rehme, Merida, and Iris all had matching ribbons. She couldn’t recall exactly when they had gotten them. Probably before she had even begun training to be a maid.

A traveling merchant had come through Armelia and had asked Iris if she wanted anything.

“Are you sure? Not the one with the gemstones?” Duke Armelia had looked bewildered when Iris chose a relatively plain ribbon instead of the fancier, more expensive options. Duchess Armelia had also encouraged her to choose a more fitting accessory.

“No, I want this one. And I want four of them.”

Once Iris had the four ribbons, she passed out three of them to her girl companions.

“Now we all match,” she had said with a smile.

To Tanya, the ribbon was expensive, but to the daughter of a duke like Iris, it was dirt cheap. Yet she spoke of it as if it were a treasure.

“I’m sorry if it’s not what you would’ve chosen,” said Iris. “I just wanted us all to have the same one. I hope you’ll accept it.”

The ribbons were priceless treasures to the three girls—because they were heartfelt gifts from Iris. Tanya truly felt fortunate. Luck had led her to be at that place and time where Iris found her. If they hadn’t met, Tanya would surely have died.

She didn’t know how long she had been left alone. She had most likely been abandoned by her parents, left to fend for herself in the slums of the city where the most destitute gathered. Being so young and so helpless, there were many days when Tanya had nothing to eat. Gradually, she had grown weaker and weaker.

Some days back then, all Tanya could do was sit on the ground and look up at the sky. Sometimes she saw a mother and child walking hand in hand through town, and an overwhelming urge to cry would well up in her chest. It didn’t take long at all for Tanya to begin wondering: If she was just going to die alone, then should she just give up on living at all? She began to wish she could hurry up and get it over with—that she could disappear forever.

Then one fateful day, two men Tanya had never seen before approached her. She didn’t remember what they had said, but she instinctively knew by the coaxing smiles on their faces that these men were no friends. Even though she had all but given up on living, her body reacted to imminent danger. She got up and ran.

Tanya ran and ran, but a frail little girl whose body was weak from malnourishment couldn’t run for very long. The men closed in, about to catch her.

Then Iris saved her. Tanya was blindly running, but she happened to end up on the main street. She bolted out into it, right in front of Iris’s carriage.

“Are you all right?”

The carriage halted, Iris rushed out from it, and Tanya knew instantly they were from two entirely different worlds. She managed to nod at this alien girl.

“I’m so glad! Hey…is there somewhere we can take you?”

Tanya shook her head.

“Oh. Well, why don’t you come home with me?”

“No. It doesn’t matter. You saved me—that’s enough. I can’t trouble you again. I got away from them this time, but…there’s nothing else to be done.”

“Don’t—don’t give up on yourself.”

After that, Iris insisted on taking Tanya home with her, even though her servants tried to convince her otherwise.

That was how Iris saved her.

“It just seemed like you were in so much danger,” Iris had said. “I told my father about those men.”

Tanya only learned later that the men who had approached her made their money by kidnapping orphans and selling them off as slaves for cheap. They gave up on Tanya after they saw Iris and her servants making a fuss, but thanks to Iris’s description of the men, they were soon apprehended and arrested.

“Starting today, you’re going to be living here with us,” Iris said. “What’s your name?”

“I…don’t know.”

“All right, then. What do you think about Tanya? It’s the name of a very clever princess in a fairy tale book.”

Iris reached out and clutched Tanya’s hand, sunshine illuminating her smile. The warmth of her hand reminded Tanya of the families she had seen walking by her when she was huddled alone on the streets. Big, fat tears began to stream down her face, and she couldn’t make them stop.

“O-oh, do you not like it? I can pick a different name!” Iris panicked as Tanya began to sob.

Tanya thought it funny, but she still couldn’t stop crying. Iris had saved her in more than one way. Not only had Iris saved Tanya from danger, she had also given Tanya a reason to live when she had given up on herself.

That was why Tanya never wanted Iris to worry. In fact, she wanted to protect Iris from everything that could possibly concern her. She had prayed that Iris would be able to return home to Armelia soon; she hadn’t seen a genuine smile on Iris’s face since they arrived at the capital. Her mistress only ever looked exhausted.

That was understandable, given the scandal they had been dealing with upon their arrival. Furthermore, Iris had been consumed by negotiations and damage control in the aftermath. It was no wonder that she had been so tense.

So, yes, it was understandable, yet Iris had that gloomy look even in private.

“Did something happen to Lady Iris?” Dean had asked Tanya before he left with his sister. He showed up so infrequently, yet even he had noticed her mood.

All the other maids of the house had seen it as well. They were all too aware, but they couldn’t do a thing to help. That was incredibly frustrating for Tanya, especially as she couldn’t identify what could have upset Iris so terribly.

She had a hunch, granted. She suspected it was simply being here, in the place where Iris had been humiliated. Worse, upon Iris’s return to the capital, she had been subjected to yet more humiliation. Could anyone really wonder why she was so upset to be here?

For whatever reason, Iris simply couldn’t be herself in this place. It was almost as if she was trying to make herself look bad.

True, Iris was no longer the ray of sunshine she had been when she was little. She had grown up, of course. Moreover, Tanya was a servant, and she had no need to develop political insight, but even she knew that the old Iris never would have been able to survive the scheming and machinations of high society. Other people would have made her a puppet or taken advantage of her.

Therefore, it was necessary for Iris to keep her cool and not let her personal feelings interfere with the difficult decisions before her. But that coolness was even more pronounced in the capital. Her bright, sunny smile had been replaced by a cold, unfeeling one.

Again, Tanya felt like Iris was almost trying to make herself look the villain. She had a feeling that Iris was unconsciously aware of it. It seemed to her that the true reason Iris wanted so badly to go home wasn’t the work piling up on her desk in Armelia—she wanted to go home because she couldn’t stand to be herself any longer. It was almost like she was sick of acting the part. All Tanya could do was hope they would be able to return without further incident.

There was a knock at the door. Tanya went to open it. She was surprised to see Dida standing there. “What are you doing here so late?”

“Sorry about that. Were you about to bed down?”

“Yes. Lady Iris fell asleep quickly tonight, and I’ve finished all my work for the day.”

“I see. Hey, you really shouldn’t answer the door wearing that. You are a woman, after all.”

“Oh? I thought there was no need to worry in the duke’s mansion.” Tanya smiled. “And of course, I know what to do if someone tries anything with me.”

Dida chuckled wryly, but a serious expression came to his face. “What would you do if he was too strong for you? It would take a lot more than what you’ve got to get through a guy like me.”

“Yes… Well, speaking in terms of people in this household, it would be difficult for me to overpower you or Lyle. But if there were an intruder, I think they’d be more interested in trying to kill me than anything else. Either way, I trust the both of you to see to it.”

The two of them stared evenly at each other for a few moments. It was the dead of night, and the house was grave quiet; it made the silence between them all the weightier.

“Damn. Guess you got me there,” Dida said with a chuckle.

Tanya laughed. “Well? What did you want?”

“I was going to ask Lyle for a drink, but he fell asleep. I was wondering if you’d join me.”

“Honestly, at this time of night? Especially after lecturing me about how I should be more careful as a delicate woman? Don’t come crying to me if someone sees and starts spreading rumors.”

“I don’t care,” he said with a laugh.

Tanya couldn’t tell if he was serious, and she sighed.

“Well, it is late. Bet you gotta get up early tomorrow, too. Sorry,” he apologized.

“Wait.” Tanya called out to him just as he was about to leave. “I’m wide awake now. Let’s go ahead and have that drink. Can you wait a bit for me to change first?”

“Sure.”

Tanya went ahead and changed, then left her room to join Dida. It was too late to go out, so instead they used the parlor reserved for the servants. It was a common space used by all the mansion staff, mainly for breaks.

House Armelia’s mansion in the capital was appropriate for such a prominent family, and thus, it was so large that about half of it was dedicated space for the staff. This went to show just how highly they valued their staff, and it all made life as a servant to House Armelia quite pleasant.

“What’ll you have? I brought this, if you’re interested.”

“Isn’t this from Macalama? How did you get it?”

“Swiped it from Master,” Dida said without a trace of remorse.

Tanya sighed. “Honestly. What am I going to do with you?”

“Who cares? Master feels bad about what happened with me and Lyle. I told him this would make us even, and he laughed.” Dida had a wry smile as he spoke.

What an awfully masculine way to show concern, thought Tanya absently, but she silently accepted the glass Dida handed her. “Are you sure it’s all right for me to share it, then? Seeing as you earned it through your hard work.”

“Lyle said he didn’t want any. I wouldn’t say it was hard work, anyway.”

Tanya doubted that as she watched Dida pour a second glass. She knew how hard General Gazell worked the two of them every time they met. They had given up their own training time to teach the other recruits as the general’s assistants. Meanwhile, they continued to serve as Iris’s bodyguards, as well as helping to conduct joint training exercises in their free time.

Tanya had barely seen either of them lately, which was likely due to the fact that they were so busy. She’d told them they didn’t have to help with House Armelia’s domestic needs in the meantime, but Lyle had refused to listen, and Dida had said breezily, “We’re just hanging out when we’re there.”

Tanya and Dida raised their filled glasses and clinked them together. “Cheers.”

They both took a sip, and the sweet, deep flavor of the alcohol spread through their mouths.

“Mm, booze from the Macalama region is so damn delicious.”

“Isn’t it, though. You really lucked out, getting a hold of this.”

“All the master’s got is the good stuff. For someone who drinks so much, he’s real picky about what he likes. Or maybe that’s why he’s so picky. He drinks like a fish!” Dida laughed as he downed the rest of his glass. Then he murmured, “We can finally go home.”

“Yes. So now you’re done spending your time at the general’s.”

“Yeah. Gotta start getting ready.”

“Are you eager to return as well?” she asked, glancing over at him.

“What do you mean, ‘as well’?”

“Nothing in particular. Well, are you?”

“I don’t really have a place to call home. When it comes down to it, my home, or I guess the place where I belong, is by the princess’s side. So I guess it seems weird to say we’re going ‘home’ anywhere in specific.”

“True enough.”

Dida had also devoted his life to Iris, just like Tanya. Unfortunately, his easygoing attitude often brought his dedication into question.

“I do wanna go back to the duchy, though. As soon as possible, with our princess. There are too many walls here. I can’t be by her side all the time like I can in Armelia. Too many people in the capital have more power than us.”

“I have a hard time imagining there are many individuals stronger than you two,” Tanya said in a teasing tone, prompting Dida to laugh. He gave her a look that said, I know, right?

“I’m joking,” Tanya said with a sigh. “It’s true that being here makes one feel powerless. So many people have a greater power than we can ever possess—that of influence. No matter how much we train our bodies and blades, we can never match it.”

“Right. And that’s why I wanna go back to Armelia as soon as we can, as the princess’s protectors.”

“Yes…”

“You don’t look too happy. One of the nobles say something mean to you? The head maid work you too hard for once?”

“Would you say that in front of Elulu?”

Dida gave a throaty chuckle. “Hell no.”

Tanya sighed again. “No, that’s not what happened. I’ve just been worried.”

“Only thing you’d be worrying about is the princess.”

Tanya glared at him. “You sound rather confident about that.”

“Well, pardon me!” Dida laughed.

Only then did Tanya realize how indignant her response had been, and she let out yet another sigh. “You’re right, though. I am worried about her.”

“Did something happen?” Dida’s voice was suddenly serious. Iris was as important to him as she was to Tanya, and that reminder filled Tanya with relief.

“Haven’t you noticed that she’s been looking increasingly depressed the longer we stay here?”

“Well, yeah,” he agreed with a snort.

“She’s always tense, so it’s no wonder she’s grown this upset. It’s just frustrating to see her like that and be unable to do anything to help. It’s like what you said—being faced with something more powerful that we can’t overcome. I feel like I was overconfident in my own abilities.” The more Tanya spoke, the worse that bitter feeling inside became. She had to chuckle at herself.

“Yeah, but what about it? Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.”

“I know that. And that’s why I’m so frustrated!”

Tanya was up against a wall she couldn’t even begin to climb, and she was so weak before it. Being aware of her helplessness made it feel even more insurmountable.

Dida shook his head. “You don’t know. Lemme give you an example. My specialty is being the princess’s bodyguard. I physically shield her body because my role is to protect her. That’s my specialty, and I’m better at it than anyone. I won’t let anyone take that away from me. Not even you.”

Tanya glared at him, still incensed—how dare he say she didn’t understand!

“So then what’s your specialty? Your role is to always be by her side and help her with everything she needs, right? I can’t do that. I can’t make tea like you can or help her get dressed. I can’t manage her schedule or help her with her work either.”

“Well, that might be true, but…”

“I know how hard you work. You trained with the master to learn martial arts, and Sebastian taught you how to help with Princess’s actual work. I can see that you’re trying to expand your role even further. That’s fine if it helps her. But there’s only so much that one person can do. Everyone has their limits. What’s wrong with focusing on taking care of the things she already needs help with? You can grow stronger in your specialty by seeing to those responsibilities.”

Dida tipped back his head and drained the last of his drink. “Think I’m wrong?”

“No. No, but…”

Tanya felt like she had just been smacked in the head with a blunt object. She hadn’t been overconfident in her abilities at all. She had been too proud—too controlling. She’d thought she had to do everything herself.

Lyle and Dida improved their skills by training with their swords, Merida practiced her cooking, and Rehme always studied to increase her knowledge. Sei and Moneda likewise always worked hard to finish all the tasks they had been given. All of them had their own roles and worked hard to fulfill them, even going above and beyond in the tasks they had been assigned.

“You see what I mean?” asked Dida. “Instead of getting frustrated when you run up against something you can’t knock down, figure out what you can do for our princess and help her over there.”

Tanya drained the last of her drink as well. “You’re right. The best I can do to put her at ease is to stay beside her at every moment.”

She still had dignity in her role. And just like how Dida said he wouldn’t let anyone else take his position, Tanya wouldn’t give up hers either.

“That’s the look I’m used to,” Dida said with his usual full laugh.