Chapter 19: The Duke's Daughter Sets off Sparks

Chapter 19:
The Duke’s Daughter Sets off Sparks

 

AFTER THE UNOFFICIAL VISIT from Acacia’s prince, I headed for the capital just as I said I would. I had to rearrange my plans, but I’d fortunately already seen to the most important ones. Most of all, I’d left the household in very capable hands. The bureaucrats and merchants stepped up to the plate without complaint.

Only Madam Crejours was upset. Obviously, the dress I ordered wouldn’t be ready in time, so she’d have to send it along later. I’d had Tanya tell her I had to leave sooner than expected, and she came all the way to the estate to cling to my arm, tearfully swearing that she would ensure the dress reached me and urging me to please wear it. So much had happened since I ordered it, I’d almost forgotten I’d done so at all, so it really wasn’t a big deal to me. But once the madam clamped onto my arm, she showed no signs of letting go, so much so that even Tanya wasn’t sure how to respond to her emotionality.

We proceeded to the capital with utmost haste, going to the mansion as soon as we arrived.

“Father!” The servants brought me to his bedroom.

“Iris…” My father looked surprised to see me show up so suddenly. “Ah!” He started to sit up, but then he grimaced with pain.

“Please lie back down, darling!” My mother was sitting in a chair next to him and quickly rushed over to support his back, then eased him down onto the bed.

“How are you, Father?”

“It’s nothing major. Everyone’s making a fuss over nothing.”

“I’d hardly call a wound that nearly penetrated your organs a fuss over nothing!” My mother spoke in a voice so fierce that it echoed throughout the room.

Of course I was shocked by the severity of my father’s wounds, but to be honest, my mother’s intensity shocked me even more.

“I thought my heart was going to stop. By the time I finally arrived, you’d already lost so much blood, and you were struggling to breathe. And yet the second you sat up, you said you were going to work! I beg of you, please just take care of yourself more.”

“Merry, I hate worrying you. But I have to go. House Marea is using Queen Ellia to interfere with government affairs. I must serve as the palace bureaucrats’ shield and protect them before the government comes to a standstill.”

“They’re being held back at a critical moment; not only are you their shield, you are their hope. If they lose you, then they will lose hope forever. And I wouldn’t be able to live if I lost you like this either…”

“Merry…”

“Darling…”

Although I was truly grateful that my parents were so close, I suddenly felt extremely out of the place in this tender scene.

“Um, Mother…” I didn’t want to interrupt, but the conversation had come to a lull. “How are Father’s wounds?” I knew if I asked him, he’d just tell me he was fine, so I turned to my mother for the most honest response.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Iris. Your father must remain on absolute bed rest for a while. His wounds haven’t fully closed, so if he pushes himself and they open, it could be quite dangerous.”

“I see…”

“You must’ve been so worried, you dropped everything and rushed here. Thank you.”

Hearing my father express his gratitude warmed my heart. I wanted to respond, but a hot lump blocked my throat and tears began to well in my eyes. It was all I could do to shake my head.

There was something I wanted to ask him. Something that had been on my mind the entire journey here. But I was too afraid to speak…

Yet just as I had the thought, he spoke:

“Iris, there’s no reason for you to be upset. This isn’t your fault.”

My father guessed what was on my mind before I could even articulate the words.

“But Father, remember what you said before? You told me to be careful of House Marea. Are you certain it’s not my fault that you were targeted?”

“We don’t know who was behind the attack.”

“And that’s my fault,” said my mother. “I ordered the deaths of everyone involved, and the only ones left were their minions, who were unable to give us any valuable information at all.” My mother reported this apologetically.

My father smiled gently. “If you hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead by now. And because I’m so grateful to you, I have no intention of finding fault with your actions. I just wanted to tell Iris that since we don’t know who is responsible, she shouldn’t blame herself.”

“But…”

“Even if we find out House Marea was to blame, it still won’t be your fault. I’m doing everything I can at the palace so that you can continue governing. To that end, I’ve personally challenged House Marea many times. There’s no reason for you to feel any sort of responsibility for this.”

“Father…”

“More importantly, Iris, I’ve heard you’ve had quite a rough time yourself.” He reached out for me.

I sat on the edge of his bed; he rested his hand on top of my head and began to stroke my hair. How long had it been since he’d last done that? “It’s nothing compared to what’s happened to you, Father.”

“It isn’t a contest, you two,” my mother scolded. “You’ve both had your fair share of hardships. Anyway, darling, I realize that Iris is worried about you, but you need to rest. You must be exhausted.”

My father let out a wry chuckle and murmured, “I can’t win against you.”

“I’ll be back, and then we can sit down and have a nice, long talk,” I promised.

As far as I could tell, my father was acting completely normal. If I hadn’t known about his injuries, I never would’ve guessed. Sitting there and watching him wouldn’t change anything, so I agreed to leave the room to let him rest.

Luckily, his condition was still stable the next day, so we were able to talk. We discussed everything that had come to pass since the last time we saw each other: my encounters with the Boltik family to the east, Van’s conspiracy against me, everything that had happened with Dorssen, my catastrophe mitigation projects, the new insurance system we were developing, and so on.

Obviously, I’d sent him word about all these things, but this was the first time we were able to talk in person about them. It was also a good opportunity to tell him about the prince from Acacia who posed as an envoy to propose. I handed him the relevant documents, and he let out a deep sigh, followed by another.

I knew I’d just run into one incident after another, but this particular situation involved the entire kingdom, which meant I was obligated to alert the royal family. But even though my father was the prime minister and the duke of Armelia, he was for a moment rendered speechless.

“If you’re asking my opinion as the prime minister, I’d say you’d be hard-pressed to find a better offer. And as the duke of Armelia, I’d say I wouldn’t want to give up your talents to another country. In fact, I’d love to have you as an advisor. But if you’re asking my opinion as your father, then I want you to make your own decision—one you’ll be comfortable with. In other words, all I wish for is your happiness.”

That response made me wonder where his good sense as a noble had gone. At the same time, I realized I was no closer to knowing my own response.

At the moment, it didn’t matter. Hearing him wish for my happiness, and everything that meant, brought tears to my eyes, and they slid down my face.

 

***

 

The detached palace lacked the glitz and glamour of the main castle, but it was a grand affair with a tranquil aura. Berne had arrived at it for the first time, so he walked through it slowly, looking all around and observing all its details. The reason for his visit was an errand for his father, Louis de Armelia. The errand in question was quite simple—all he had to do was deliver a letter to the queen dowager, who resided there.

Louis had told him: “No one may see the contents of this letter. Not even a trusted servant.”

It must be incredibly important if Father said that, Berne thought to himself as he patted his breast pocket, which contained the letter. Perhaps his father feared betrayal, or perhaps learning the contents of the letter would endanger anyone who knew them? But judging by his father’s total and explicit trust in their servants, Berne thought the latter scenario was more likely.

Their servants were ordinary citizens. No matter how far they had been trained in self-defense, it wouldn’t take much for a skilled enemy to crush them. Berne had a feeling that this was what his father feared.

Once he was inside the detached palace, a servant showed him the way and led him to the queen dowager.

“My, I certainly never expected to see you here,” she said at the sight of him. “That must mean Louis is in bad shape indeed.”

“No, my father is only erring on the side of caution and recuperating at home; his wounds aren’t life-threatening. Actually, he wanted to come here today himself, but…”

“I see…”

“Instead, he gave me this to deliver to you.” Berne took out the letter and handed it to a servant.

The queen dowager took it from the servant and read the contents. The instant she looked down at it, her face changed. Her soft expression tightened and became that of a stern ruler. The sudden change in her demeanor filled Berne with tension.

“Do you know what this letter says?” she asked after she read it, and Berne shook his head. “Not a word of it?”

“No, nothing.”

“I see. Louis certainly has a soft spot for his children.” The queen dowager laughed out loud, but her eyes were cold. She regarded Berne as if she were sizing him up, which made a cold sweat run down his back. “Or perhaps it’s because you’re in a different camp than your father?”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I don’t know what you mean.”

“Hm? You and Edward have been friends since you went to school together, no? I thought you belonged to that little coterie centered on Yuri Neuer.”

“I did get along well with Prince Edward…but I am of House Armelia. I take pride in the fact that I come from a long line of prime ministers and governors of the duchy. So my first priority is the stability of the government.”

“Then you want Edward to succeed the throne as soon as possible?”

“No. If the first prince protects and abides by the laws of the kingdom, then I think by all rights, he should succeed. Furthermore… Ah, it’s nothing. Forgive me.”

“Nothing you say here shall pass my lips again. Go ahead and speak your mind, child.” The queen dowager urged Berne to continue.

“Following my graduation…I was given the chance to reflect on my actions. After thinking deeply, I came to the conclusion that I was extremely proud to be a member of House Armelia and that I loved my family. Yet I almost destroyed them due to my foolishness during my time at the academy.” Berne wore a wry smile as he spoke. “So, I decided I can’t afford to make any further mistakes. I don’t wish to hurt those important to me, and since they’re important to me, I want to protect them. That was the decision I made.”

And that was why he could no longer back Edward.

First, the prince had broken his engagement with Iris. Then he had backed the church during Iris’s excommunication, then harassed the Azuta Corporation, and then raised tariffs on Armelia. While Edward had only directly participated in the harassment of the company, and by breaking his engagement, none of it would have happened without his influence.

Berne was grateful for all the things that had happened in his past, but he was also unwilling to let sentimentality prevent him from protecting the people most important to him. He was terribly serious about his decision.

“So you’d choose your family over the future of the kingdom?” the queen dowager asked in a sharp voice.

“I’m sorry.” All Berne could do was shamefully bow his head. A heavy silence filled the room.

The queen dowager’s soft chuckle broke the silence. “That way of thinking is rather naive and unbecoming of a ruler. However, can someone who cannot protect those important to them protect their realm? Ho ho ho. I can’t fault you for it.”

Berne involuntarily let out a sigh in response.

“At present, the nobles of this kingdom are divided into two factions,” the queen dowager went on. “One backs the first prince and the other backs the second. Leading the first prince’s faction is House Armelia, influential local lords, and newly titled nobility. Those backing the second prince are led by Queen Ellia and House Marea, along with the older noble families. The two factions are facing off against each other while maintaining an equilibrium. Now, what faction do I stand with?”

Berne didn’t have an answer. Or, to put it more accurately, he couldn’t answer. Not only was he unsure of the truth, but this wasn’t the place to offer it carelessly.

“The correct answer is that I’m neutral, but leaning toward the first prince,” she informed him, knowing why Berne held his tongue. “I gave the first prince refuge, raised him as my own, and brought him up knowing the future held precisely this chaos. Why do you think that was?”

“To prevent the nobles from growing too impudent?”

“Go on.”

Berne chose his words very carefully. “If the second prince overthrew the first prince and assumed the throne, there wouldn’t be as much disorder. But if that happened, the nobles would grow too powerful for the king to control, and you thought that would shake the foundations of the monarchy. Is that correct?”

“Yes. Even still, I stood with the neutral faction, ready at any moment to abandon the first prince if he showed the least sign of foolishness. Instead, he surprised me with his abilities. So, I did nothing. But because of that, people think I am as aligned with him as a certain other house that has never publicly come out in support of him.”

Berne knew she spoke of his family. He chuckled wryly within the confines of his mind.

“Contrary to popular belief, the second prince’s faction does not view House Armelia as its greatest obstacle. Rather, although I’ve retired from palace life, I am still a member of the royal family and carry great influence—I am the largest thorn in their side.”

“Are you saying you’re being targeted just as my father was…?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they strip me of my authority as a member of the royal family. Your father and the first prince were working to prevent that. That’s what the letter says.”

“I see…”

“And now that I’ve read the letter, I can answer. I want you to give Louis this message: ‘Don’t worry about me. You return to the duchy and rest.’”

“Wh-what?! But why?”

“The king has only a month left, at most. After he dies, House Marea will make their move. Louis isn’t expected to make a full recovery within a month, correct? He nearly died. I can’t have him pushing himself.”

“But…”

Then the queen dowager said, “I never thought Ellia would lay a finger on the king…”

Berne’s breath caught in his throat when he realized the meaning of her words. “Are you certain of that?”

“Yes. It’s true that His Majesty collapsed, but he was on the mend. Physically, at least. He was still as heartsick as ever, of course. But for the doctor to suddenly say he has but a month? There must be something else at work here. I have other…circumstantial evidence as well.” The queen dowager bit her lip as she uttered that last sentence. It seemed that she lacked irrefutable proof, which meant she couldn’t directly go after House Marea, and that must have frustrated her. “Because I love him, my hatred grew even deeper when my ire was stoked. At any rate, we don’t have time, what with Louis’s condition, and since the first prince has been sent to another kingdom.”

“Which one?”

“That’s a secret. But now I think it’s for the best. I can’t exactly say that the kingdom is safe, but it’s better that he be somewhere else while all this is going on. Not to mention, he feels responsible for what happened to the king.” The queen dowager hid her mouth behind a fan and let out a sigh.

“But what will you do, Your Majesty?”

“Well… I have decided to bet on the new generation—on him, no matter what. So I have no regrets.” As she declared this, the gleam in her eye only brightened. “Berne, make sure you deliver my message to Louis.”

“Of course.”

His audience with the queen dowager over, Berne quickly left the palace. While he walked the path back to his carriage alone, his gaze stopped on the impeccably manicured garden. Normally, he was consumed with his work as his father’s assistant, but occasionally, he would take a break and relax in the garden. He did so at the recommendation of his older sister, Iris. She said being out in nature would help ease his mind, and looking at things from a distance would let his eyes rest. He wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but she certainly seemed to believe so, and thus he had tried to make a habit of it.

As he looked out in the garden, he noticed a woman in the distance, sitting by herself. He was concerned to see her sitting directly on the ground, so he went over to her and said, “Excuse me… Are you feeling all right?”

“Eeek! Ah, I’m sorry!” She must not have heard him approaching, because she let out a shriek of surprise. She turned toward him, her beautiful golden hair falling over her shoulder. “I was just thinking…” The girl looked embarrassed and turned her green eyes downward.

“I’m sorry for interrupting you while you were deep in thought. I was concerned that you had taken ill.”

“No… I don’t blame you for thinking that. I’m sure that’s what it must look like. I thought perhaps if I came out to the garden and sat here, it would clear my mind.”

“I see…” Berne chuckled, remembering his sister.

The woman looked uncomfortable on hearing him laugh; perhaps she thought he was laughing at her because he thought her behavior unsightly.

“Pardon me,” he said. “It’s just that I remembered my sister saying the same thing, and I couldn’t help but laugh. She told me that coming out to the garden would ease my mind and help me think of things from a new point of view. So at her suggestion, I’ve often come out to the garden myself, when I have free time.”

“Oh, really?! When I can’t think clearly, it feels like I’m lost in a maze, thinking the same thing over and over again. Then I start to dwell on the most negative thoughts. But when I come out here, I can clear my mind, and things seem so much simpler.”

“It’s true. I’ve realized that even taking a short break is better than not taking one at all.” When Berne saw the cheerful smile on the woman’s face, he couldn’t help but smile as well.

“I’m sorry for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Letty. And you are…?”

“I’m Berne. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise…” Letty smiled softly at him. “Do you speak with your sister often?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just curious. I have an older brother as well, so sometimes I wonder how close other siblings are.”

“I don’t think our case would be very helpful to you. Right after I entered the academy, I stopped speaking nearly so often to my sister. On top of that, something I did to her at that time…it left a very deep scar on her heart, one which I suspect will last her entire life.”

“Do you regret it?”

“I can’t say such a lighthearted thing. Merely regretting the past can’t possibly atone for it. All I can do is feel remorse and ensure I never make the same mistake again. Although, I do want to grow to the point where I can help her when she needs it.” Berne chuckled with chagrin. “Although, my older sister is so formidable that I’m not sure I can grow strong enough to ever be in the position to lend her aid.”

“Goodness…”

“Forgive me, I’m just going on and on about myself. What about you, Letty? What’s your relationship with your brother like?”

“It’s wonderful. It’s just…well, perhaps we’re in the same situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“All he does is protect me, and it’s so painful for me. That’s why I want to help my brother so much, but instead he does everything all by himself and says he doesn’t need my help.”

“I see…”

“If only I had been born a boy, then I could’ve stood with my brother as his equal,” Letty murmured, casting her gaze downward. Her voice was so full of emotion, it made Berne sad to hear it.

“For a long time, I was skeptical that women could do the same work as men,” said Berne. “Well, actually—maybe I wasn’t doubtful at all. Maybe it was just that only men were in my line of work.”

A gust of wind blew past, picking up flower petals from the garden and carrying them on the breeze. Letty lifted her face, either prompted by the wind or reacting to Berne’s words. Her gleaming golden hair billowed in the breeze.

“But watching my sister made me realize that what matters most when it comes to doing a good job is a person’s abilities and their mettle. In that regard, a person’s gender is trivial. Actually, my sister’s point of view as a woman introduces a new perspective that we haven’t seen before. Half of this kingdom’s population is women; it would be strange if we never took their opinions into account. So really, I don’t think good work has to do with someone’s gender, but more the strength of their will. If you want to help your brother, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a way.”

Letty’s eyes went wide with surprise for a moment, then she smiled happily. She looked like she’d come across a powerfully interesting idea. “That’s true. I know a woman who’s extremely capable in her work as well, so I don’t know why I’m feeling so insecure about it,” she said, then added quietly, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from Duchess Merellis’s daughter.”

Unfortunately, she said it so softly that Berne didn’t hear her.

“I’m so glad I got the chance to talk to you,” Letty declared. “I’d love to do it again sometime.”

“I’m pleased to hear that.”

“Please let me know the next time you come to the palace. This is where I normally work. If you ask for Letty, someone will come fetch me right away.”

“All right.”

After Berne agreed, Letty smiled at him once more and then left. He watched her go, then finally returned to the Armelia mansion.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, Lyle and Dida had entered the castle grounds. “So what if they’re getting a new knight commander? Why’d they call us here?” Dida complained, dragging his feet.

Normally, Lyle would admonish him for such behavior, but instead he merely frowned and stayed silent. He was dragging his feet just as much as Dida because he secretly agreed with him. He was just as irritated and didn’t understand why they had to come.

The duke of Armelia had just been attacked; neither of them wanted to leave Iris’s side for even a moment. That was why they had already declined to come several times. But the new knight commander wouldn’t relent. In fact, their presence had been requested along with General Gazell’s. The general had carefully considered their feelings, so he hadn’t mentioned it to them. Thus, when they heard about it via the letter which had been delivered by a knight, they had both been powerfully angry.

But neither of them wanted to cause trouble for their master, despite being highly annoyed by the entire situation. Therefore, the two of them came to the capital to get it over with. Regardless, neither could hide their bad moods as they strode through the castle grounds.

“I am Lyle, here on behalf of the duchy of Armelia.”

“Likewise here on behalf of Armelia, I am Dida.”

They both said as little as possible as they entered the room designated for the knights. A few of the men raised an eyebrow at their attitudes, but most of them looked toward them with a sympathetic eye. It just went to show how highly unusual the circumstances were.

“Ahh, Lyle and Dida! You came!” The new knight commander welcomed them cheerfully. “Take a seat right there.”

They obeyed the commander and sat.

“My name’s Sertreau Meleze, and I am the new knight commander. I’ve heard a great deal about you both. Pleasure to meet you.”

The two of them remained expressionless while Sertreau beamed.

“Well? What did you want from us?” Lyle asked in a voice so low that it almost made the ground rumble, clearly expressing his discontent.

Dida was honestly a bit surprised; it was unusual for Lyle to display his emotions like this.

“There’s no need to rush. Why don’t we just relax and have a nice, long chat?” Sertreau was a bit bewildered, but the smile on his face didn’t falter.

However, this made Lyle’s mood—and Dida’s—seem even more hostile. Those knights in the room who were familiar with them tensed and backed away.

“We told you several times that we didn’t have time to come here. Yet you kept pushing for us to come with no regard to our situation. On top of that you want to ‘relax’ and have a ‘nice, long chat’? Is that why you bothered General Gazell, a national hero?” Lyle’s anger had reached its peak. He could have killed a person with the daggers shooting from his eyes.

It was enough to intimidate even Sertreau, who stiffened in his seat.

“What do you want from us?” Dida asked, knowing he had to move the situation along.

“Ah… I just heard so much about you from the former knight commander, so I was hoping you’d join our order…” Sertreau had strategized a great deal in advance, devising ways to persuade these two men. None of his predecessors had been able to accomplish it. He’d believed he was different, that without a doubt, he would be able to win their favor. But the aura they emanated made clear that his hopes had been dashed from the start. And before he knew it, Sertreau had blurted out the true reason for their invitation.

“If you’ve heard about us, then I assume you’ve also heard that we’ve declined that request many times before?”

Even though the air in the room was already glacial, Sertreau thought he felt the temperature drop even further. “If it’s about the pay…”

“It has nothing to do with the pay. I serve one mistress and one mistress only. Nothing anyone says will change my mind.”

“The same goes for me.”

Sertreau was left stunned by this blunt refusal.

“Staying here any longer would be a waste of our time, so we’ll be going now,” said Lyle. “Our mistress and the general have lodged a complaint on our behalf regarding this incident. We’ve already received approval from the queen dowager to continue serving House Armelia, and we have requested that we no longer be forced to entertain further invitations such as this.”

Sertreau’s shoulders dropped at Lyle’s parting words.

Lyle and Dida left at a faster pace, now that they were on their way out. Although they both remained silent, the mood between them was much calmer.

“Well, if it isn’t Lyle and Dida!”

But their moods fell once again when someone stopped them. They suppressed those feelings as they both bowed.

“Raise your heads.”

It was the second prince’s fiancée, Yuri Neuer.

“We couldn’t possibly be so rude in front of the prince’s fiancée…” Both of them inwardly wondered what a woman was doing at the knights’ headquarters.

“What are you two doing here? Oh! Don’t tell me you’re finally going to join the knights?” Yuri’s voice was cheerful, a marked contrast to their moods.

“No…” said Lyle. “We are unworthy of the service.”

“That’s not true! I’ve heard many stories about your strength—both of you!”

The two remained silent.

Yuri kept talking. “Crime and banditry have continued to increase within the kingdom. That’s why I need your strength. I’d be able to work so much harder if I had the two of you to protect me!”

“We’re terribly sorry, but we have only one mistress,” said Lyle.

“We want to protect her because she cares more about protecting her people than herself. Therefore, we support her and give her strength,” Dida continued. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.”

The two bowed and left Yuri behind, rushing out of the castle grounds as quickly as they could. They hurried back to the Armelia mansion, letting out sighs of relief as soon as they arrived.

“What was she doing there?” Dida asked.

“No idea,” Lyle said. “But how dare they try to recruit us knowing that we’re already devoted to our mistress.”

Now that they were back at the mansion, they conversed normally with each other. Without even discussing it, they headed to the servant’s parlor.

“Whoever loses has to make the tea.”

“I made it last time, though.”

“That was last time.”

“We’re already at the parlor, though.”

“Doesn’t matter what kind of game we play as long as it doesn’t involve a sword.”

As the two of them bantered back and forth, they opened the parlor door. “Oh, you two are back already?” Tanya was inside, drinking tea.

“Oh, Tanya! Perfect timing. Make us some tea.”

“If you’re all right with herbal tea, I have plenty left in this pot. Go ahead and pour yourself a cup.”

“Whaaaat?” Dida grumbled, but he piped down under Tanya’s glare and quickly started making his own tea. In other words, he poured himself a cup from the pot. He went ahead and poured Lyle a cup too.

Lyle thanked him and took the cup as he sat down. “It was a waste of time,” he said.

“I figured as much. They tried to recruit you again, didn’t they?”

“Yeah.”

“I swear, those knights never learn.”

“Well, they got a new knight commander now.” Dida joined their conversation as he leaned against the counter, sipping his tea.

“Sertreau Meleze?”

“You know him?”

“I’ve looked into him. He was a knight in name only, and there’s absolutely nothing on him even though he’s the new knight commander.”

“A knight in name only? How’d a guy like that get to be the commander?” Dida asked with an exasperated chuckle.

“It’s Queen Ellia’s doing. Many of the knights belong to the second prince’s faction, which is doubtless why they wanted to hurry to recruit you two.”

Lyle’s face grew bitter at Tanya’s explanation. “Well, whatever. More importantly, we saw the baron’s daughter, Yuri.”

“Eh?” Tanya looked baffled.

Dida nodded and added, “She tried to recruit us too. What in the world is she thinking?”

“Is that so…” Tanya let out a deep sigh, as if she were expelling all the air from her lungs. After Lyle and Dida detailed their meeting with Yuri, she stood. “I’m going to tell Lady Iris about your run-in with that woman.”

“Good.”

“Thanks for that.”

After they agreed, Tanya left. Dida and Lyle finished their tea in silence, then went about their business.

 

***

 

“Marriage, hm…”

In the end, my father told me that I needed to run the proposal by the royal family before giving an answer. This wasn’t the sort of thing that could be decided quickly anyway, so I supposed there was nothing I could do about it. However, the problem with bringing the proposal to the royal family was determining whom to bring it to.

The king was ill and incapable of attending to his royal duties. Queen Ellia was out of the question. Neither of the princes had decision-making authority, and since one of them would become king, it might complicate the whole situation anyway.

That left me with the queen dowager… Though honestly, I wasn’t sure who presently held the power in the royal family.

“Excuse me, my lady. Your dress has arrived from the madam.”

As Tanya helped me get ready, I was inwardly impressed that Madam Crejours had made it on time. I’d come up with the main design for the dress, but I’d left the details to the heated discussions of Tanya and Madam.

The dress was low cut, showing off my collarbones, with a gauzy, sapphire-blue silk draped over my cleavage. The silk was studded with pearls which gleamed every time they caught the light. The dress was cinched in at the waist, and the color was a gorgeous ombre that went from pale aquamarine to the same sapphire as on my decolletage. The pleated skirt rippled prettily with every step I took.

I had specifically requested this ombre fabric from the madam. It was the Azuta Corporation’s newest product. She’d mentioned it would be nice to have something like that, so the product development team at Azuta had produced it after much research and experimentation. Apparently, the trick was in the dyeing process.

Since the madam had come up with the idea, we had made a contract with her so that she would have priority for the fabric. I’d suggested that she receive a cut of the profits from sales, but she insisted that “just having this lovely fabric is enough for me.” I supposed that was just like her.

I wore my hair in a loose updo, fastened with a diamond clip. All I had to do now was put on my choker and I was done.

That night, I would be attending the first ball of the season, hosted by the royal family, which was the event that kicked off the social season in Tasmeria. Children of the nobility aged twelve to eighteen attended to greet the king and make their debut into high society. The closest thing I could compare it to in my previous life was a debutante ball. The reason it applied to such a wide range of ages was because the decision of when to make the child’s social debut was left up to each individual family. You see, after their debut, the child would be treated as an adult, with all the responsibilities that went along with it.

In other words, the earlier your debut, the more time you had to build up connections, but thereafter, you also wouldn’t be given any slack, since you were no longer considered a child. It was like offering up a sweet, innocent lamb to a lion’s den. Therefore, most families waited until their children were fourteen or fifteen and had a bit more worldly experience. After all, if you waited too long, people would grow suspicious and wonder if some kind of underlying problem was delaying your debut.

Personally, I had made my social debut at age thirteen. Queen Ellia had said there would be more advantages than disadvantages, and furthermore, Ed had also made his debut at that age. As I was his fiancée, it was decided that I should follow suit.

This was all a long time ago now, of course.

Shortly after I finished getting ready, Berne arrived to escort me. “I’m sorry I made you wait.”

“Not at all. Are you sure about this, though?” I asked, to which he gave me a puzzled look.

“What do you mean?”

“Escorting me tonight. I feel like I’m always asking favors of you, and I’m sorry for that.”

I did indeed always ask Berne to escort me when I had an official function to attend. Since I was so busy with work, I didn’t exactly have time to meet anyone to court. But at the same time, it would have been gauche to attend alone. My father had said as much to Berne when he asked if my brother would play the role.

Honestly, I wanted Berne to stop worrying about me and find a wife. Every time he came to an event with me, he stuck by my side so faithfully it was like he was my guard dog, even though a party such as this was the prime opportunity for him to meet someone.

I was especially looking forward to welcoming the next generation of the Armelia family due to my current position… Though these stray thoughts that led to memories of what had happened with Yuri made my head hurt. Thankfully, I felt that I was at last mostly over her.

“Please don’t worry about that, Sister. You work so much, you don’t have time to find another escort.” Berne gave me a wry smile as he extended a hand. I took it and stood. “You look beautiful, as usual.”

“Many thanks.”

We chatted with each other in the carriage as we headed to the palace. The gorgeous palace—even though I was in the midst of such a beautiful scene, my heart sank. Being brought here now felt like I was being led to the gallows. This was now enemy territory, where Queen Ellia and Marquis Marea acted as de facto rulers.

I walked arm in arm with Berne as we entered the castle. Suddenly, it felt like all eyes were on us. I reacted calmly with a smile, but deep down, I cursed our onlookers.

“It’s so nice to see you again, Lady Iris.”

“Likewise, Lord Sagitalia.”

I let out an inward sigh. I’d just set foot inside, and already I was wrapped up in conversation with some strong characters. Count Sagitalia was the minister of finance, though for some reason, he looked older than the last time I’d seen him. I wasn’t sure if it was on account of how many years it had been or because the rigors of his obligations had taken their toll on him. In case of the latter, it was no doubt due to the battle for succession. Or perhaps some other business within the ministry was plaguing him.

I was too afraid to ask. At the same time, what frightened me most was how easily I coaxed the truth from him during the course of conversation.

“How is Lord Armelia?” he asked.

“Thank you for your concern. Out of an abundance of caution, my father is at home recuperating, but he’s doing well. He’s taking it easy under my mother’s watchful eye, and I think he’s improved greatly because of it.”

“Hrm, I’m glad to hear it.”

“As a matter of fact, you’re looking quite pale, Lord Sagitalia. Are you so very busy of late?”

“Humph. Perhaps you’re right. To be honest, I’ve been considering going home to recuperate myself in a bit.”

“My, is that so?” I did my best not to show it on my face, but I was so shocked that my heart skipped a beat. The word impossible! flashed through my mind. As the minister of finance, Count Sagitalia was often as swamped with work as my father, and he rarely had the time to return to his domain unless he specifically scheduled a holiday.

Now that the battle for succession had intensified, court was practically a game of musical chairs. Could he really afford to be away at such a critical time? To me, it sounded as if he were declaring: “Go ahead and oust me!”

And to think the last time I saw him, he was speaking so highly of the future the first prince would bring to us. He knew better than anyone that, as one of the most influential people in the first prince’s faction, it would do great damage to that prince’s cause if the count were ousted. That had to mean that the count had no other choice but to take a leave of absence due to the machinations of House Marea. At least, that was the most plausible explanation I could think of.

“Is this on account of my father’s collapse?” I glanced around and lowered my voice. Was the count worried about his own safety because of what had happened? I knew he would understand my implication.

“Yes and no. The hustle and bustle of the city has exhausted me and my family. I wish to return to my domain and rest to gather strength for when I’m truly needed. Even at my age, I can’t let go of my dreams.”

Judging by that comment, he wasn’t withdrawing his support from the first prince.

“I see,” I said. “But if you leave at a crucial time such as this, won’t that cause trouble for the rest of the people at the ministry? I’ve heard they’ve expressed discontent with the increasing price of food at the port.”

“You sound quite familiar with the goings-on at the capital. You’re probably right, but there’s nothing I can do about things that happen naturally. Nowadays these merchants are so sensitive, anyway…”

“Isn’t that the truth!”

We looked at each other and laughed. But his eyes weren’t smiling, and I knew that mine weren’t either. We were paying careful attention, each sizing up the other’s true intentions and trying to discern whether the other had picked up the hidden messages concealed in our conversation. They say that sometimes, eyes speak louder than mouths.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me. The others will be cross with me if I keep the belle of the ball all to myself.” With that, Count Sagitalia took his leave.

I could call myself nothing but satisfied with our conversation. I had asked him many questions that had been burning in my mind.

I turned and looked around the ballroom. It wasn’t long before I spotted a familiar face—Mimosa. I rushed over to her as quickly as I could without seeming unsightly.

“Lady Mimosa! It’s so good to see you again.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you as well, Lady Iris.”

Even though we were close friends, we still had to observe certain formalities. This was a formal event, so Mimosa and I conversed differently than we normally would.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lady Iris.” All of a sudden, a man stepped in front of me from the side and spoke. I wasn’t sure if he had curled his black hair on purpose or if it was naturally wavy. He had narrow eyes and a mole beneath one of them that stood out.

I was about to frown at him for this rude behavior, but I did my best to suppress it and smiled at him. The instant he spoke to me, Mimosa’s face went pale. It seemed almost like the color had left her eyes. I saw this out of the corner of my eye, and immediately a sour feeling rose within me. I had never seen Mimosa like that before.

“Hello. I’m terribly sorry, but you are…?”

“Oh, didn’t Mimosa tell you about me? I’m Dan Rubellia, the eldest son of Lord Rubellia of House Rubellia, a very old and honorable family,” he informed me with a theatrical gesture. “I am also Mimosa’s fiancé.”

This was a formal, public event at the castle, the sort of event where one never spoke first to one of higher class—in other words, since he was the son of a count and I was the daughter of the duke and the prime minister, it was beyond bad taste for him to suddenly butt into my conversation. Furthermore, essentially every single person in this room hailed from “very old and honorable” families. I could have delivered a tidal wave of critiques to this man from his introduction alone. But the thing that had left me truly stunned was his last sentence.

He was Mimosa’s fiancé?! Those were the only words in my head. I was the last person to criticize someone’s choice of a fiancé, and I really hated to think it at all, but in all honesty, my first impression of him was dreadful.

“Oh…you are?” I said. “I’m sure you already know, but I’m Iris Lana Armelia. Mimosa and I went to the academy together. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Dan seemed poised to say something further, but Mimosa interrupted him. “Lady Iris. Pardon me, but we have to go greet the other guests, so if you’ll excuse us…”

“O-of course. I’m so sorry to keep you.”

As soon as I said that, Mimosa turned and left. Dan shot me a wry smile and shrugged, then quickly caught up to walk by her side. I watched them leave. Of course, if this was their first official social gathering together since becoming engaged, it was perfectly normal for them to do the rounds and say their hellos to everyone, but it had just seemed so abrupt when she said it. It was almost like…Mimosa didn’t want to talk to me.

Once my thoughts reached that point, I let out a soft chuckle. Why was I so surprised? They were newly engaged. No matter how close you were to a friend, you didn’t really want them imposing on your new betrothed. For one, it would be highly inappropriate in public, but more importantly, I doubted Mimosa would enjoy it on an emotional level either. I could therefore understand why she might act a little unusual. It was nerve-racking to appear in public with your fiancé for the first time.

Of course it had grown worse later, but even when happy to be Ed’s fiancée, I had been incredibly nervous at our first public event together, and it had made me uneasy to speak with other women. I decided I would try to meet with Mimosa later in private so we could catch up.

As I thought, I gazed absently toward the back of the ballroom. Just then, the music stopped, and the royal family appeared. Everyone in the room automatically bowed their heads, including me. The queen dowager entered first, followed by Queen Ellia and Prince Edward. Apparently, the king and the first prince would yet again not be attending. After Ed made his entrance, Yuri followed close behind. It looked like he was tugging on her hand.

What are you doing here?! I thought instantly.

Yuri was Ed’s fiancée, but she was still just his fiancée. She would be a royal, but since they weren’t officially married yet, it was absolutely unheard of for her to use the same entrance as the members of the royal family.

To borrow a phrase from my mother: You never know what might happen before a wedding.

Queen Ellia had been queen for many years now, but before that, she was the daughter of a marquis, so she should have been more well versed in proper etiquette and protocol. The fact that the queen had approved this appearance just went to show that Yuri had truly captured her heart, just as she had captured those of the nobles who belonged to the second prince’s faction.

If she hadn’t, there was no way Queen Ellia would’ve granted approval for this entrance. I wasn’t sure what exactly the queen felt for Yuri, but at the very least, the fact that Yuri had strong-armed her way into this appearance meant that her status in society was firmly cemented. And that sent a chill down my spine.

For the ball, she wore an ivory dress with a large, frilly ribbon on the bodice. Matching ribbons adorned the cuffs of her sleeves, with several layers of lace on the trim. It still resembled dresses she wore before, which emphasized her cuteness, but the design was showy and elaborate, akin to what a member of the royal family would wear.

The royal family took their seats in the ornate chairs reserved just for them. Once again, the music began to play.

Shortly afterward, the young men and women who were making their social debuts this year appeared. High society etiquette differed from kingdom to kingdom, but the customs and traditions of Tasmeria’s debutante ball were especially unique. During the afternoon, each young person set to make their debut had an official audience with the royal family to extend their greetings. Then at night, they made their debut in front of the kingdom’s nobility.

The young men wore a flower in their lapels, while the young women wore one in their hair. The flower was a light pink, resembling something like a corn lily in my previous world. I wasn’t sure if this flower symbolized the same thing in this world, but from what I remembered, it signified “great pride.” So perhaps the flowers meant, “Hold your head high and be proud as a noble.” Besides the flowers, the young women wore simple white dresses and the men wore formal black suits.

The men led their partners to the center of the room, and they all began to dance. After the dance was over, everyone applauded. Now the festivities of a usual ball commenced. Berne and I took our turn on the dance floor, and then I danced with a few of the men I’d met at Baron Messi’s party. After a few songs, I excused myself to take a break in the corner of the room. I held my champagne in one hand as I watched the other dancers. Berne had also decided to take a break, and he stood by my side.

Ed and Yuri were in the center of the dance floor. It seemed that they had been dancing too. Furthermore, since they were engaged, they danced every song with each other without switching partners. Mimosa and Dan did the same thing nearby. My eyes were glued to my friend as she moved, and a strange sadness came over me. To think that my best friend would suddenly feel so far away…

“Sister.” Berne’s voice pulled me out of my reverie. I was just about to ask why he sounded so tense, but when I followed his gaze, I got my answer. Just as one song ended and the other was beginning, I noticed that for some inexplicable reason, Ed was on his way toward us, Yuri in tow. I had no desire to speak with him, so I frantically looked around for someone, anyone who I could engage with instead, but unfortunately, there was no one.

Yuri already had her sights set on me, and she came straight toward us with a grin on her face. I had a sinking feeling that I wouldn’t have been able to escape her even if I had found someone else to talk to. The people around us had begun to notice their approach, and I heard a hushed silence fall over the room as all eyes turned to us.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lady Iris. Berne.”

“Likewise, Lady Yuri,” I responded with a smile that matched her own. Berne bowed but said nothing.

“I’ve been hearing a lot about you from so many people, Lady Iris. You’re quite the workaholic, aren’t you? It’s a shame that you don’t make it to the capital very often, but everyone really misses you, you know. I see that Berne is your escort again tonight. Feel free to bring someone else for a change next time.”

“Oh, thank you ever so much for the helpful suggestion. I’ve heard you’ve been focusing your energy on your charities of late. I’d expect nothing less from Prince Edward’s fiancée. You had such a wonderful entrance into the ball.”

“Hearing that from you gives me so much confidence! By the by, Lady Iris—once again, you’re wearing such a gorgeous dress. Is it another new design?”

“Thank you. I’m honored to receive a compliment from you, Lady Yuri. This is a new design done in collaboration with Azuta Corporation and Madam Crejours.”

“Is that right? I’d love to wear a dress like that, but I’m just not sure it would suit me as it does you… How could I possibly wear that design after you’ve pulled it off so flawlessly?”

“Oh, you flatter me! But you know, we have other designs that would enhance your adorable features, Lady Yuri.”

“Yuri, I think it’s about time…” Ed suddenly spoke up, interrupting our conversation. We made eye contact briefly, but he grimaced as if he had seen something utterly disgusting, then quickly looked away. At least he wasn’t trying to make snide comments like last time.

“All right! If you’ll excuse us, Lady Iris.” Yuri and Ed quickly walked away, arm in arm.

“Phew…” I let out a sigh, suddenly exhausted.

“Would you like a new drink?”

“No, I’m fine. Thanks though, Berne.” I was grateful for his concern, but at the same time that meant the exhaustion was showing on my face, so I quickly drew myself up and regained my composure. Just then, a familiar face caught my eye. “Oh! It’s good to see you again, Rudy.”

It was my cousin, Rudius Gib Anderson. “It’s been a long time, Lady Iris. Lord Berne.”

“It’s unusual to see you at a function like this. Usually you say you’re too busy with work to attend such things.”

“I was ordered to attend.”

“Goodness!” I giggled at the exasperation in his voice. “Well, since you’re here, would you like to go over there and chat with us for a bit? Or do you need to continue making the rounds?”

“No, that’s fine.”

And so the three of us went out to the balcony.

“That looked a bit rough back there,” Rudy said.

I gave him a wry smile. “I know. I have no idea what she was trying to accomplish.”

“You must’ve learned a lot from that conversation. Eh, Berne?”

“Hm? Ah, yes…” Berne said.

I gave Rudy a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“About the facade women put on in public versus their true feelings. It becomes especially obvious to anyone who gets to watch a conversation like the one you just had with Lady Yuri.”

“Does it? What did it sound like to you, Rudy?”

“Well, what Lady Yuri really meant was, ‘How long do you plan on dragging your brother around to parties? You’re working so much you can’t even find a man.’ And then in response, you said, ‘That’s really rich, coming from someone who stole someone else’s fiancé. You’re really something else, pretending to be a royal even though you aren’t one yet.’ That’s about the long and short of it.”

I laughed. “I think that’s pretty accurate.”

It was true that I had interpreted Yuri’s comments just as Rudy had, and that was what had prompted my response. Even as we talked about dress designs, I knew we had each been thinking cruel thoughts about the other.

“You rarely come to events like this, but that’s not the impression I get from you at all. I genuinely think you’re amazing,” said Rudy.

“You’re complimenting me?”

“Definitely.”

“Oh, Rudy!” The three of us burst out laughing. It reminded me so much of our childhood days that a surge of nostalgia washed over me. “Seriously, though—it really does feel like I haven’t seen you in ages, Rudy. Was your boss mad at you because you haven’t been attending these functions at all?”

“No, not at all. My boss is away on a sensitive job at present, and generally he prefers that I not come to such things, just in case my attendance is scrutinized because of who our grandfather is. So I’ve just been doing my work here in the capital instead.”

“Oh, I see. I’m sure you’re under a lot of pressure working in the capital. There’s no room for error.”

“Isn’t that the same for you, Berne?” Rudy asked. Berne smiled wryly while Rudy continued. “I’ve heard you’re working quite hard. I’m sure you’re overwhelmed with all number of difficult tasks due to Uncle Louis’s state. In fact, I heard you’ve been doing almost twice as much your normal workload.”

“I am doing quite a bit, but I still have to get Father’s approval for everything.”

“Well, of course. Still, you’re doing a great job. That’s the Armelian blood in you.”

I was quite surprised at their conversation. I’d known Berne was working under my father, but I’d had no idea he shouldered so much responsibility. I mused over how close my brother and my cousin remained to this day. Since House Armelia and House Anderson were so close, the cousins saw each other often during the social season. But Berne and Rudy were also close in age, which I was sure contributed to it a lot as well. Now they traded jokes and laughed with smiles on their faces, just as they’d done as small boys. As they grew older, they had fewer chances to see each other. I watched over them fondly; seeing them together like this really brought back memories.

“Pardon me, you two.”

“Where are you going, Sister? I can come with you.”

“You’re coming with me to the powder room? Don’t worry. I’ll come straight back.” I left the balcony and headed back into the ballroom, then made my way to the ladies’ waiting room. At parties like this, there were always separate waiting rooms for ladies and gentlemen. One could take a rest or freshen up there. I was sure they were both a bit worried about me, but I really needed to take a break from the party before I did or said something that might cause a stir. I really was intending to go straight back.

It was eerily silent in the waiting room, despite the lively ball in full swing just outside. I’d assumed the ladies’ room would be packed, but there wasn’t another soul around. All of a sudden, I heard whispers coming from somewhere. Of course it wasn’t unusual to find people gossiping steps away from a ball such as this. I thought nothing of it as I started to walk past the room, but once I started to make out words, I stopped in my tracks.

“Dan, what in the world are you thinking, asking me to meet you here? I’ve got to get back to him.”

“You’re no fun at all.”

The woman’s tone of voice was different than usual, and the man didn’t say her name, but I was certain that the woman was Yuri. And the man she called Dan was none other than Mimosa’s brand-new fiancé, whom I’d just met minutes ago.

You’ve got to be kidding me, I thought as the blood drained from my face.

“I know you’re forcing yourself. You act so fake when you’re with him. I thought at the very least that you could relax and be yourself here.”

“I didn’t ask for your help. I have to get back.”

“Ahh, please wait, Lady Yuri!”

I knew it was her! I thought as soon as I heard her name, and I let out a sigh. And what did Dan mean by she “acted so fake” when she was around Ed? Did he know who she really was?

“Forgive me for making such a ridiculous excuse,” he said. “To be honest…I’m in love with you. That’s why I wanted to see you alone.”

I peeked through the slightly open door at the two of them. Dan was on one knee and had Yuri’s hand clasped in his. He planted a kiss on top of it.

“You always get the best of me, Dan… I wanted to see you alone too.”

“Oh, Lady Yuri…” His voice was strained with emotion as he swept her into his arms.

And she let him.

“I’m the daughter of a baron, yet my father told me to go find a good husband myself. I was lucky that Ed fell in love with me at first sight, but in exchange, I had to cast my true self aside. But you brought out the real me. That’s why I can always breathe easy when I’m by your side.”

I was starting to think that Dan didn’t actually know Yuri’s true nature. To put it simply, I suspected that he merely believed that the way she was speaking now was her actual personality, and the way she usually behaved was nothing more than an act.

“But now you belong to another woman…” Yuri trailed off sadly, and Dan hastily spoke up.

“My heart will only ever belong to you, though!”

Under normal circumstances, I would have thought that I should ask Tanya to look into the relationship between Yuri and Dan, or to see if he or his family had any connections to Tweil, but that was the last thing on my mind. Because that was when it really hit me—Dan was Mimosa’s fiancé.

Up until this point, I had only idly thought that Yuri had gained another pawn. But this pawn was my most precious friend’s fiancé. And given the happy letter Mimosa had sent me, she genuinely believed that she loved him and was loved in return. When the truth of this matter was revealed, I wouldn’t be watching some stranger in pain. This was my friend, and she was being betrayed by her fiancé, just as I had been. Imagining what was in store for Mimosa made me see red.

I whirled around and made a beeline for the ballroom, determined to find her. The only thing I could think at that moment was that I had to speak with Mimosa.

“Lady Mimosa.”

It didn’t take me long to find her at all; she was alone, leaning up against the wall.

“What’s the matter, Lady Iris?”

“Will you come with me? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“I’m sorry, but…”

“It won’t take long.”

Mimosa tried to decline, but I persisted. She seemed to realize it was serious, because she thought for a moment, then agreed to come with me, if only for a few minutes. I took her by the hand and led her to the first empty room I could find.

“Mimosa. Where is your fiancé right now?”

“I don’t know. He said he was going to rest for a bit in the waiting room. He’s probably tired from having talked to so many people tonight.”

She was right about one thing; he was in a waiting room, but he was with Yuri. I didn’t have to hear Mimosa tell me that to be sure of where he was, though. The reason I asked was because I was desperately hoping that somehow, some way, I had been wrong. That maybe it hadn’t been him after all. Some part of me still hoped that deep down inside.

“Mimosa, I don’t know how else to tell you this…but I think it’s for the best if you break off your engagement.”

“What are you talking about? You know that there’s no going back now that we’ve just announced it publicly.”

“There’s still time! He’s not right for you.” I wanted to tell her why, but I just couldn’t. The thought of hurting her was too much to bear—even though I knew that not telling her would also end with her pain.

“Stop it. I’m the only one who knows what’s best for me. If this is what you have to say to me, then I’m leaving.”

Mimosa turned her back on me, but I reached out and grabbed her hand. “Wait! He has an awful reputation when it comes to women. So Mimosa…”

She roughly shook off my grip. Her reaction made my mind go completely blank.

“I don’t care,” she said. “Not as long as he comes back to me in the end.”

As soon as I saw the look in her eyes, it hit me. “Wait… You know, don’t you?”

Mimosa’s eyes wavered slightly. “Who cares? I’m saying that it’s fine with me.”

“It’s not fine at all! You’re my friend, and I care about you! I can’t support your engagement knowing you won’t be happy.”

“‘I decide my own happiness. And being with Edward makes me happy.’ You were the one who said that after I raised my doubts about Edward. And I’m happy being with Dan. So I don’t want to hear another word about him!”

“The reason I’m saying this is because of what happened with Ed!” I cried impulsively, my emotions surging. “Until the end, I honestly wanted to be happy with Ed! I thought as long as he stayed with me, I didn’t care what he did! I thought that my family could give him power. I stayed by his side because I thought I had an obligation to him. But it was all meaningless!” Tears ran down my cheeks. I could no longer control my feelings. “At some point, I started to fill my heart with darkness. And I hated myself for it, but that just made it worse. Mimosa, I never want you to feel that way.”

“Iris, your behavior is unbecoming of a noble,” Mimosa said, expressionless. “You thought you’d be happy just being by his side? You didn’t actually think that. You just wanted him to give you his heart in return, didn’t you? That’s not the conduct of a noble lady.” Her voice was calm. “We’re bluebloods. It’s our duty to carry on our family’s lineage and protect it. That’s why our mothers and grandmothers, and their mothers before them, married for political reasons. That is the responsibility of the nobility, isn’t it?”

I couldn’t respond. She was right.

“So it doesn’t matter to me how many women he has on the side, as long as he comes home to me at the end of the day. The most important thing about a political marriage is carrying on the bloodline. And if what I’m doing benefits my family, then I can’t think of anything that would make me happier. That’s why you had the wrong approach to marriage, Iris.”

Her words cut into me like knives. “Are you sure about this, Mimosa?”

“Yes. I’d rather live with my feet firmly planted on the ground than chase after an unrequited love. That’s what I’ve made up my mind to do.” The conviction in her voice made me snap back to reality.

“I see. I’m sorry for meddling, then. If that’s your decision, then there’s nothing else I can say about it.”

Mimosa smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They almost looked sorrowful. “Well, I can’t keep him waiting any longer. If you’ll excuse me.”

She left without giving me the chance to answer. She probably didn’t want to hear it.

“You haven’t made up your mind at all…” I murmured to myself as I watched her go.

A marriage of convenience for political reasons was a natural thing for a noble to do. It was our duty. Even I was thinking of how I could use a marriage to the prince of Acacia to my advantage, after all. So I knew that this was all just my own selfishness. But still…

“I don’t want you to marry for your family. I want you to be happy.” I wanted to see the genuine smile on Mimosa’s face again, the one I’d grown up seeing every day.

 

***

 

I trudged back into the ballroom. So much time had passed since I left that Berne and Rudy were likely looking for me. I let out a soft sigh as I moved my heavy feet forward, one step at a time. Just then, I spotted a familiar face up ahead.

“Oh, Lady Iris!”

And of course, it was the last person in the world I wanted to see right then. Her carefree tone perfectly matched the bright smile on her face.

“Lady Yuri… Whatever are you doing out here? I’m sure the prince is looking for you.”

“I’m sure he is. But I have business with you.”

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what in the world she could possibly have to say to me. She sashayed over to me, then leaned forward to whisper into my ear. “You saw, didn’t you?”

I didn’t even have to ask what she meant, but I was so surprised that I automatically took a step backward.

“I mean, it’s fine. It’s not like anyone would believe you anyway,” she giggled.

An icy shiver ran down my spine like a snake slithering in the grass. I couldn’t argue with Yuri. If I raised a fuss about what I saw without any proof, it was guaranteed that everyone would say I was just trying to ruin her reputation—and then I would be the one under attack.

“Remember what I said? Everyone’s so lonely here in the capital without you. So I asked the queen to at least make sure that your best friend wouldn’t be lonely.”

I bit my lip. If I hadn’t, the dark feelings inside of me would’ve exploded, and I would have screamed at her.

“You should worry about yourself and those around you. Or else I’ll be forced to do it for you.”

That was all Yuri said before she left.

I stood there alone, my hands clenched into tight fists. I have no idea how long I stood there for before I heard a voice.

“What’s the matter, Sister?”

“You look pale as a ghost! Are you feeling sick?”

Rudy and Berne found me standing there. As soon as I saw them, I thought I would burst into tears.

Don’t cry. Don’t you dare cry! I chastised myself. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry. I was just feeling a bit dizzy.”

“Maybe you should rest for a bit longer?”

“No, I’m fine now. Let’s hurry back.”

The two of them looked even more worried about me, but I started walking, telling myself the entire time to keep smiling. I was ashamed to have anything less than a smile on my face. No matter how sad I was, or how much my emotions swayed me, I absolutely had to keep my true feelings hidden behind the mask of a smile, because my father had entrusted the good name of House Armelia to me.

I told myself that I had to pay attention and analyze the motives of the nobles at court and the balance of power. I had to charm them. I had to steel myself and elevate my own worth and presence. I had to carry myself as a true lady in the manner in which my mother had taught me. I had to control the room. I had to go to the different crowds and get them to tell me all manner of things, then circulate the useful information I gleaned to my family. I had to do this to show House Armelia’s power.

That was what I had to do to survive in the lion’s den.

 

***

 

I wouldn’t have said that the ball ended smoothly, but at least it ended. I got into my carriage and returned to the mansion. Berne sat next to me, looking out at the scenery.

“How are you feeling, Sister?” he asked, having noticed my gaze.

“I’m feeling a bit dizzy again. I’m probably just tired. I’ll go to bed as soon as we get home.”

“That might be for the best.”

I quickly looked out the window to escape his look of concern and any other questions he might ask me. Silence fell upon the carriage once again. The clomping of the horses’ hoofbeats sounded especially loud now.

“Hey, Berne?” I asked, breaking the silence. “Why did you fall in love with Yuri?”

My brother looked at me, his eyes widening with surprise. “…Because I was dreaming.” But he quickly recovered, a sheepish smile spreading across his face.

“Dreaming?”

“Yes. A dream that seemed so sweet, I lost myself in it.”

“I see…” A dream… That was possibly the perfect word to describe her. “Must one always wake up from a dream?”

“Once one thinks they must wake up, yes.”

I wondered if Dan would ever want to wake up. No one but him could know the answer to that. All I could do was hope that the time would come.

Just then, we arrived at the mansion. I said my good nights to everyone and went to my room, where I immediately got into bed and lay down. I wrapped myself tightly in my blankets to try to stave off the tremors that ran through my body. At that moment, the emotion overriding all others within me was anger.

I was still too weak, and Yuri had only grown more powerful during my time away from the capital. I could never be sure if the sentiments others held toward her were genuine, but she’d still grown powerful enough that people no longer looked down on her as a baron’s daughter. She had bewitched people and built up her allies, and this was the result: I was powerless to help my friend. The only thing I had managed to do was be foolishly honest with Mimosa to the point that I almost begged her, which only ended in her hurt confusion.

I was frustrated with my own pathetic performance. I furiously raised my fist and started punching my pillow. The airy sound of the feathers filled the room. I did it again and again, searching for an outlet for my emotions. The pain distressed me to no end.

Even though I was lying down, my emotions were so intense that I didn’t feel sleepy at all. No matter how much I didn’t want it to be so, the darkness of night always gave way to the rising morning sun. I passed the night without sleeping at all.

Come morning, I let out a sigh and changed my clothes. I ate breakfast and went right to my desk to start on my work. I had a great deal of pressing business and reports that needed my approval. I had to focus, because I didn’t have much time to do work while I was at the capital. But I was just too tired to think straight. Actually, the real problem was probably that my emotions had carried over from one day to the next.

“Excuse me,” Tanya knocked on the door and entered.

“Tanya, there’s something I need to ask you.”

I’d agonized over whether to ask Tanya to investigate Mimosa’s fiancé the entire night. My father had cautioned me to steer clear of Yuri, and Mimosa herself had told me that she didn’t want me sticking my nose into her business. But I wouldn’t forgive myself if I never found out the truth, and I was sick of having regrets that came too little and too late. I could figure out what to do once I knew the entirety of the situation. That was the decision I’d made.

It was my own selfishness that got Tanya involved. I knew asking her to investigate Yuri might put her in danger, and I thoroughly explained those risks to Tanya.

But when I was finished asking her my favor, she merely smiled and said, “Of course, my lady.”

 

***

 

Once Tanya received her secret mission from Iris, she immediately got to work. Of course she would use caution while investigating Yuri, but she was always engaged in dangerous business, so this job didn’t scare her in the slightest. Yet she was fully prepared to never let down her guard, not even for a moment.

It didn’t take long at all for her to gather information regarding Mimosa’s fiancé. House Dungley protected their personal information quite closely, so this just went to show that Tanya was exceptionally skilled at what she did.

The problem was acquiring information concerning Yuri. Tanya tried every tactic she could think of, but she kept coming up empty. It was like all information on that woman had been very thoroughly erased, leaving only scraps that were too good to be true. Despite Yuri’s squeaky clean, adorable image, some very powerful person had to be backing her.

Tanya let out a sigh and turned a corner from the busy main street to a completely deserted back alleyway. She readied her hidden weapon and focused her senses on the presence she’d detected a few minutes ago. This always happened when she was trying to dig up information relating to Yuri.

She relaxed, and in the next moment, she moved as quickly as she possibly could. Her sudden disappearance must have startled the one watching her, because they froze. She aimed her concealed weapon, a very long, sharp, needle-like instrument, toward them.

“Waah! Stop, stop! I mean no harm!”

Her opponent seemed to be remarkably skilled. They immediately sensed that Tanya was moving toward them and made eye contact with her, raising their hands to prove their claim. Even so, Tanya did not drop her weapon, though she did stop to assess her opponent.

He was a man no taller than a youth, and he wore ordinary clothes that one might see on any commoner in any town. His keen, cat-like eyes were his only remotely noteworthy features. Otherwise, he looked completely unremarkable. If one saw him in a crowd, they’d think him nothing more than a young local.

“You really have grown,” the man murmured, sounding both exasperated and impressed, yet not the least bit frightened at having a weapon pointed at him. He introduced himself in a casual manner. “If you must know, I call myself Milo. Just don’t ask me who I work for. Oh, and the reason I said I call myself Milo is because it’s a fake name. But that’s what I go by just the same.”

Was he oblivious to the fact that he was in danger? Or perhaps it would take a great deal more than this to make him feel truly at risk? Tanya let out a quiet sigh, thinking it must be the latter. “Why are you following me?”

“Because you’re poking around in my mark’s business. You stopped investigating her once before, so why did you start up again?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Oh, but it is! If you’re not careful, the people around my mark will start to get suspicious of you, and you won’t be able to win against them. What do you want to do, anyway?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean a deal, of course. I’ve already thoroughly investigated her and reported back to my master. I’m keeping my eye on her right now, so if she makes a move, I’m supposed to take care of it first. In other words, if you’re lurking around, it causes problems for me. You have no direct business with her. You just want to know her background and her motives, don’t you?”

Tanya didn’t answer. That didn’t seem to bother the man, because he continued.

“If you just want to investigate her, there’s no need to get too close. So I’ll give you a hint.”

“A hint? Not information?”

“I mean, I could give you the information directly, but then you wouldn’t believe it. Correct?”

Tanya had to admit that he was right. “But if you give me a hint, what’s in it for you?”

“Hm? I already told you. I don’t want you poking around.”

“Surely that can’t be all.” Tanya pushed her weapon closer.

Milo flashed her a sheepish smile. “No, no, it’s the truth! Let’s just say…part of it’s because I’m rooting for your mistress a little.”

“What…?”

“I’m—well, to be more precise, my master is—worried about her. For some reason, my mark holds quite the grudge against your mistress. The one who will suffer most because of it is this kingdom, although one might say it’s getting its just deserts… At any rate, the root of the problem is the kingdom itself. But your mistress is different. My mark is the one who instigated all this, and ever since then, she’s been harassing your mistress. And your mistress is the one who’s paid the most for it.”

It was abundantly clear that the man knew exactly who Tanya worked for. That only made her more cautious. Despite his happy-go-lucky tone of voice, she couldn’t spot a single weak point in his defenses. She could tell that he was exceptionally good at what he did. If she had to fight him, the best she could hope for would be a draw.

“So you see, I’m worried about my master, who in turn is worried about your mistress. Speaking along the lines of alliances, I’m not on the enemy’s side. Therefore, I don’t mind giving you a hint. At a very reduced cost too. Especially since it has to do with your mistress.”

If Tanya challenged him right here and right now, she had less than a fifty percent chance of beating him. She decided that, in that case, she should prioritize getting what she could and retreating. “Fine, then. Go ahead and give me the hint.”

“Which would you prefer? The toughest information that requires the highest risk of death to attain or information that requires just, oh, an average amount of danger?”

“I want details on both.”

“Both, hm? Well, it’s true that it might be prudent to hear details about both options before you decide whether or not to investigate further.” He spoke in an almost patronizing way as he cautioned her, but she gave him a puzzled look.

“What are you talking about? Of course I’m going to investigate further.”

Milo’s eyes widened in surprise at that declaration, and he suddenly burst out laughing. “I really want you! I really, really want you to come work for us. Is that greed the secret of your success? That’s fine. I’ll respect your audacity and tell you both.” He kept smiling, and Tanya silently urged him to continue. “But first, do you need me to explain the House Rubens?”

Tanya didn’t respond to his question, because she had a feeling that if she said even one word, he’d take some other kind of information from her without her even realizing it.

“It’s written right on your face. You already looked into them, didn’t you?” Milo grinned at her again.

He was so incredibly inscrutable that Tanya felt a cold sweat dripping down her back. But she was careful to school her expression; it was possible that he was trying to trick her into something.

“I’m only joking. When you were investigating, I followed you to check your information. So, of course, I already know that you’ve looked into House Rubens. The hint I’m about to give you would be meaningless unless you already had that information. You’re just so stone-faced that I wanted to tease you. Seriously, though—will you stop with the expressionless act already?!”

Tanya whipped her weapon toward him. He not only dodged it by only a hair’s breadth, but he effortlessly grasped her weapon and threw it aside.

“How do you know it wasn’t laced with poison?” she asked.

“I’m resistant to most poisons. Plus, you’re clever, so you wouldn’t risk your life like that. You didn’t even throw it as hard as you could have, correct?”

Tanya couldn’t help but let a slight, wry chuckle escape her lips. Milo was right; she hadn’t used her full strength. She had only wanted to test her visual assessment of his ability; she certainly hadn’t thought that he would be able to grab her needle without even dodging.

“Anyway, putting that matter aside—I’ll give you a hint about the dangerous one first,” Milo said. “You need to look more carefully into Divan, and especially the recent activities of his Ayler Corporation. Then, once you take all of that into consideration, look into a certain baron. Ask yourself why he doesn’t stay in the capital, even during the social season.”

Tanya listened and silently nodded.

“And now the easy one. Dig around in her guardian’s family history, especially the first wife who died. Security isn’t tight around her information, so you should be able to find what you need easily.”

“All right. That’s enough.” Tanya lowered the second weapon she had taken out.

Milo smiled. “I’m glad you’re such a clever girl. I’d prefer not to fight in front of my master.”

“I’m sure. …By the way, is your master in the kingdom right now?”

Milo’s smile deepened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, they glinted so sharply that they would have sent a chill down the spines of any who saw it. “I don’t think you need to know that.”

“Oh? I’d love a hint about that too, but it’s fine. I have no other business with you, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Mm. I’ll excuse myself as well.”

They both began walking at the same time, taking slow steps backward so as not to show their backs to each other.

After they’d put some distance between each other, they ran off in their respective separate directions.

Tanya headed back to the crowded main street. The instant she arrived there, she suddenly felt exhausted, as though all the tension she had been carrying exploded at once. At the same time, she thought: The first prince has an incredible pawn.

That was, granted, only speculation on her part, but it was the most likely answer when she considered what Milo said about his master. Although it was still completely possible that everything he’d said was a lie. It might have all been the enemy’s plan to confuse her. However, everything Milo said added up. The main keywords he mentioned—Divan and the Ayler Corporation—were both connected to Yuri. It would definitely be advantageous to focus not on the actions of Yuri herself but on the actions of those who worked in the shadows behind her.

The thing that stood out to Tanya most of all was that Milo had never once tried to attack her. He could’ve chosen to retreat the moment she sensed him, but instead, he followed her. It was almost like he’d wanted to have a conversation from the very start. But again, this was all speculation.

Tanya decided to reconsider Yuri’s connections to Divan, but there was something she had to take care of first. She had to make the mission Iris had given her the number one priority. Although, not even Iris knew what that mission was. She probably never even could have imagined it.

Tanya was headed toward the Dungley mansion, because Mimosa, Iris’s friend, had invited her there. Even though she had left very early, she barely made it on time, thanks to her run-in with Milo.

The Dungley mansion had quite a different air than that of House Armelia. A servant showed Tanya to Mimosa’s private salon. “I’m terribly sorry for being late.”

“Not at all. I apologize for inviting you here on such short notice. Go ahead and take a seat,” Mimosa said.

“Oh, but I shouldn’t…”

“I’m the one who asked you here. Besides, it’s easier to speak to you that way. Please, sit down.”

Tanya tried to defer, but if she said no again, it would have been rude, so she went ahead and sat down. “Why did you call me here?”

“Because you’ve gained Iris’s trust.”

Tanya was inwardly baffled by Mimosa’s response.

“I heard a great deal about you while we were in school together,” Mimosa went on. “About you, Dida, Lyle, and the others. I heard how you grew up with her, and she told me many stories that showed just how much she trusts you all. But you’re the only woman in the group whom I’ve met, right? And since I’m an engaged woman, if I needed to speak with one of her servants, it would be unsightly to call one of the men over… And that’s why I called you here.”

It was clear that Mimosa was choosing her words very carefully.

“I have a favor to ask of you. Of all of you.” The expression on her face was very serious. “If she tries to do anything because of me, I want you to stop her.”

“What do you mean? Please excuse me for saying this, but I don’t believe you’re in a position to dismiss House Armelia’s power.” Tanya spoke simply because she knew she didn’t have to bother beating around the bush.

Moreover, she wanted to understand Mimosa’s motives. After all, she’d already been ordered to look into this engagement, and she’d finished doing so. She had learned, in essence, that Mimosa didn’t truly wish to go through with this wedding. The man Mimosa had written to Iris about, the one whom she had wanted to marry, was someone else entirely. But before they could become engaged, Queen Ellia had interfered.

If they had already been betrothed, there might have been something to do about it, but it had been too difficult to turn down an offer from the queen when, at that moment, no one had officially proposed to Mimosa. Her sweetheart had an honorable reputation as a skilled knight, but his social status was otherwise meager. House Dungley and his family had been in no position to oppose the queen and House Marea. And so Mimosa had sorrowfully agreed to promise herself to the man Queen Ellia suggested for her.

If Iris found out, it was all too easy to imagine that she would try to take action. That was why Tanya had to know.

“I see… So House Armelia already knows.” Mimosa smiled sadly. “In that case, I have all the more reason to beg for your help. Iris has a kind heart and a deep sense of responsibility. She might try to intervene. But she’s already in a difficult position, and that would draw even more attention to her. That’s why I don’t want her getting involved.”

“You know my mistress well.”

“We’re friends, after all. Even though I spoke harshly to her, she’s truly a precious friend to me. And that’s why the very last thing I want is to stand in her way.” Mimosa’s voice was filled with determination. Tanya thought that she looked like a completely different person from the girl whose eyes had sparkled with delight while eating sweets at the Azuta Corporation’s café. “I made up my mind from the beginning. I am a noble, and I will accept a marriage of convenience. It’s simply realistic. So Tanya, if she makes a move, I want you to stop her.”

“I’m merely a servant. Do you really think I can stop my mistress?”

“Yes, I do. Because she trusts you and the others.”

Normally, servants didn’t dare remonstrate with their masters. But Mimosa was certain they could do it. Iris had grown up with the orphans she saved, and she would never part ways with them easily. At the academy, she’d told Mimosa all about their relationships, built on that trust. But most of all, Mimosa had witnessed the truth of that for herself.

“Furthermore, it’s within her best interests to do nothing. As you’re so important to her…I’m sure you can stop her.”

She has good instincts, Tanya thought to herself.

Truthfully, Tanya and her comrades made all of their decisions with Iris in mind. If something benefitted their mistress, they would endure anything in order to make it happen, no matter how difficult. Conversely, if something would bring her harm, they would do anything to cut it down. In all honesty, none of them really cared about Mimosa’s situation. But if it was going to adversely affect their mistress, then they would do as Mimosa said and prevent Iris from getting involved. However…

“Forgive me for saying so, Lady Mimosa…but you’re not the only one who values your friendship. Lady Iris has already put several people to work to ascertain the truth about your fiancé. She wants with all her heart to address the situation. It’s true that we will do everything in our power to stop her from doing anything that isn’t to her benefit, but ultimately, she is the one who decides what she will do. If she wants the truth, it is our responsibility to put all our efforts into finding it. So unfortunately, I cannot make any promises to you.”

“I see… Your bonds with her are stronger than I thought they were.” Mimosa nodded, her expression conflicted.

 

***

 

I’d been swamped with invitations to visit various houses ever since I attended the royal ball, so I was doing my best to visit as many families as I could. But honestly, all I wanted was to return to Armelia. Regrettably, since both my parents were indisposed, I had no choice but to stay in the capital. Most importantly, the economy in Armelia was stable. Our only concern was if Queen Ellia’s faction or Yuri made a move, and being in the capital put me in the most favorable position to deal with either of those events, should they occur.

The mood in the capital was one of disquiet. That impression grew stronger the more parties I attended. I could tell everyone was observing and assessing one another with utmost caution. I’d often described moving through the glitzy world of the aristocracy as walking into the lion’s den, but lately it felt even worse than that.

However, the capital couldn’t be the only focus of my attention. I had to look over reports and documents from Armelia, sign off on them, and give direction. Since I was so far away, it was important that I be highly detailed with my instructions in every matter.

Suddenly, I stopped writing. A thought had popped into my head: If I were to get married, I’d no longer be able to attend to this business. Acacia was a strictly patriarchal society. I definitely wouldn’t be allowed to work. Not only that, but I would have to leave Armelia. I’d always pictured myself not getting married and staying in the duchy forever. I certainly never imagined I would marry a prince and move to another kingdom. The thought of it opened a hole in my heart.

Here, I was surrounded by Tanya and my other friends, and I had Dean by my side. I shouldered a great deal of responsibility and had faced many arduous obstacles, but the job was fulfilling in the extreme. I’d carried it out with everyone’s support. I really had thought these days would last forever, even though I sometimes spoke of Berne taking over for me, once he had a family of his own. I had never dreamed it would end in this fashion.

“We’re bluebloods. It’s our duty to carry on our family’s lineage and protect it. That’s why our mothers and grandmothers, and their mothers before them, married for political reasons. That is the responsibility of the nobility, isn’t it?”

Mimosa’s words echoed through my mind. She was horribly right. Every part of me, flesh and blood, existed for my family and the country. That was both the duty and pride of a noble. But…

“Dean…” The name slipped out of my mouth. I had an overwhelming desire to see him. At the same time, I didn’t. If I saw him and talked to him, I’d be able to forget this pain for at least a little while. Simultaneously, if I saw him, I would be racked with even more pain. I would be unable to give him up.

I knew there was no future with him, yet I still yearned for one. I wished for it. Mimosa was right; I wasn’t acting like a noble. I’d really let myself get carried away with these feelings, losing myself to these thoughts when I didn’t even know how he felt. Once I’d realized I was in love with him, I’d just kept falling, deeper and deeper. I thought I’d learned my lesson after Ed, but it was true what they said: danger past and God forgotten.

I put down my quill for the moment. I let out a deep sigh, trying to shake loose the dark thoughts swirling within me. I told myself that now was not the time for such ruminations and tried to calm down.

When I opened my eyes, I poured my full attention into the documents before me. Time went by quickly after that, and I was able to take care of everything I needed to for the day.

Now on break, I picked up the letter I had received from Moneda. It was regarding the matter I had asked him to check on for me, about the dramatic increase in the price of goods in the capital. I had instructed him to investigate the companies that were involved in the inflation. Tanya had thought it would take him a while, but such was Moneda. He still had incredible influence with numerous companies.

At that time, Tanya returned.

“My lady, may I give you my report?”

“Of course.”

She informed me of the events leading up to Mimosa’s engagement. I was so shocked at the revelation that I was utterly speechless.

“My lady…?” Tanya looked concerned by my stunned expression.

“I’m fine. I’m fine, Tanya. Go ahead and continue.”

Still worried, she went on. “There’s one last thing. I have a message for you from Lady Mimosa.”

“You went to see her?”

“Yes, during my investigation.”

“I see. And what is the message?”

“‘Don’t intervene.’ She says she doesn’t want you to get involved.”

Tanya’s voice repeated in my head over and over again as I digested each word.

“That sounds like something she’d say.” I chuckled wryly, bringing the smile back to Tanya’s face. “She probably told you that if I make a move, you’re to stop me. Correct?”

Tanya bowed her head in confirmation.

“Honestly, she’s so foolish.”

That was all I could say in response to Mimosa’s considerate request of Tanya. I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears from coming. I let out a deep sigh, trying to release all the emotions pent up inside.

I wouldn’t have cared if Mimosa used me, but she was right; it wouldn’t be easy for me to make a move. The Armelian name carried power, but there were a number of barriers involved with that. If I took action in this situation, there was a danger that the fight for succession would intensify even more.

But if someone asked me if that were a good enough reason to abandon my friend, I would say no. She wasn’t someone I could just brush aside.

Back at the academy, after I had lost everything, Mimosa was the one person who had stuck by my side till the end. That was why she was important to me. If she hadn’t had my back, the rumors about me would’ve grown even worse. I cared for her just as much as she cared for me.

I closed my eyes and tried to sort through my thoughts. “Tanya, can I ask you to do me a favor?”

“Anything for you, my lady.”

“Thanks. In that case, I want you to deliver a message to Father Rafsimons. Under absolute secrecy, of course.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll tell you the message after you finish your report. Please continue.”

Tanya merely stood there.

“You looked into everything I asked you to, correct? If not, then you would’ve said so in the beginning. Thank you so much.”

At this, a brilliant smile spread across her face. “I do not deserve such praise, my lady. I shall tell you everything I found out regarding Lady Yuri.”

I shifted my frame of mind and listened to Tanya.

“First of all, I looked into Divan and the Ayler Corporation again. He began his work in this kingdom several years before Yuri’s mother died. He covered his tracks so thoroughly that I was unable to find out specifics, but according to a servant girl of Lady Neuer, he visited Yuri several times. I have a hunch that these meetings occurred before Lord Neuer took Yuri in, back when she was a very young girl.”

“So it’s altogether possible that the man you mentioned after you investigated Yuri the first time—the one who came forward claiming to be a relative of Yuri’s—was Divan?”

“Yes, perhaps. And Yuri’s mother worked as a lady-in-waiting at the castle on the recommendation of House Rubens. More specifically, she was recommended by the duke’s late wife, the princess of Tweil who married into House Rubens.”

“And if we add that to the information my father gave me when he warned me to stop investigating Yuri, it’s very possible that she was a spy from Tweil…”

“Yes. Actually, someone else also came to this conclusion and found out the truth.”

“Someone other than my father or another high-ranking official from the kingdom?”

“Yes. Lady Neuer.”

My eyes widened in surprise. Even though Lady Neuer was a mere baroness, she had somehow acquired top secret information of the sort that only working politicians generally knew.

“As she grew apart from the man she loved, I’m sure she nursed a grudge against the woman responsible for that distance. Thus, she looked into her. The truth was too much for her to bear, and she made sure to prevent word from getting out. She removed Yuri’s mother from the castle under a veil of secrecy. That was probably when she demanded a pledge from Yuri’s mother.”

“I see. But Tanya…you tell me this as if you watched all of it happen.”

It was highly probable that this conclusion was the truth, but the last time Tanya investigated the matter, she had spoken as if everything was nothing more than an educated guess. She’d found a lot of circumstantial evidence, but nothing solid. If something had changed, then I wanted to know the source of her information.

“It was detailed in the late Lady Neuer’s cursed bo—I mean diary. Lord Neuer’s security is extremely lax, so I was able to read it quite easily.”

My cheek twitched when I heard Tanya almost call it a cursed book. The phrase “as she grew apart from the man she loved” sounded like something out of a tragic romance novel, so I had been honestly surprised when she said it. But it had probably come nearly verbatim from a line in the late baroness’s diary. I had a feeling that Tanya thought of it as a cursed book because it was filled with resentment toward Yuri’s mother, and both love and hate toward Baron Neuer.

“I’m sure everyone’s security seems lax from your perspective, Tanya. At any rate, why would she write such sensitive information in her diary? How utterly careless.”

“My lady, sometimes people just can’t keep certain things a secret.”

That felt oddly true. Now that I thought about it, this secret would be too heavy to hold solely within one’s heart. Maybe she had wanted to force out the feelings inside of her in an attempt to erase them, or perhaps they were so overwhelming and dark that she had simply been unable to keep them contained any longer. I’d experienced something like that, so it wasn’t hard to imagine.

“So in other words, it’s confirmed that Yuri’s mother was a spy from Tweil. And since Divan is an old friend of hers, he must have a connection to Tweil as well, and he’s likely come to this kingdom for a specific purpose.”

“Yes, that’s what I think,” Tanya agreed.

I let out a deep sigh. I wondered how many sighs like that I’d let out in a single day. Just thinking about it made my head hurt.

Yuri’s mother was a spy from Tweil. Either Divan was too, or if he wasn’t, he was still working for Tweil in some capacity. There was a cease-fire, but the war wasn’t over; Tweil was still an enemy kingdom. Obviously, he hadn’t come here just for a vacation.

Thinking of this connection gave me chills. Yuri was engaged to the second prince. She had furthermore shown herself to be a formidable foe, cutting down one powerful man after the other—and not just men. Now she had Queen Ellia under her thumb too. Sooner or later, she was going to leak every last one of our kingdom’s secrets to the enemy.

No wonder I kept sighing. The faction headed by my father had kept this from happening for so long now, but my father was currently incapacitated. How long could they hold on without him?

“What has Divan been doing?”

“He’s been making the rounds, visiting nobles aligned with House Marea. He’s also buying up and selling food as the head of the Ayler Corporation.”

“Who are the allies of House Marea who he’s made contact with?”

“I made you a list.” Tanya handed me a document. I scanned it quickly, then compared it to the letter I had received from Moneda.

“Looks like it’s all connected.” I was putting together a theory. Even though I had prayed I was wrong, there was no way I could deny it now. “Look at this, Tanya.”

She examined the letter carefully. “This is the same list I gave you…but this is Moneda’s handwriting. Did you have Moneda look into this too?”

“In a way. I had him look into a separate problem—the sudden increase in the price of food. Moneda still has a deep connection to a number of related companies, so I asked him to look into it. It seems that the corporations who bought up the goods in question were middlemen who received orders, so I asked him who had placed those orders. Furthermore, the nobles aren’t channeling their usual funds through their middlemen to buy up the grain. Instead, they’re raising taxes to pay for the food. All the families involved are named on that list.”

“In other words, Divan is buying all the food he can get his hands on.”

“Yes. I think he’s buying all the food each noble family has stockpiled. In order to compensate for that loss, they’re in turn buying whatever foodstuff is put out for sale on the market. But the market can’t possibly keep up with demand. There is only so much land cleared for crops to grow on, and until that increases, the amount of available goods is limited. It’s impossible for everyone’s stockpile to be replenished.”

“Why is Divan buying up their stockpiles, though? Why doesn’t he just buy from the market himself?”

“Probably because he’s afraid of someone catching on. If he buys an extravagant amount of food on the market, then companies, the merchant guild, and eventually even the kingdom itself would notice and grow suspicious.”

“But…”

“It’s also cheaper for him to buy from the stockpiles than from the new harvest. And if he sweetens the deal a little, every noble family will be in his debt. Even though the families allied with House Marea are long-standing, prestigious houses, the truth is that many of them are in dire financial straits.”

“I see…”

“But this is the number-one reason why.” I handed her the single gold coin Moneda had enclosed in the letter.

“A gold coin? What’s special about this?”

“It’s no ordinary gold coin. I had Moneda look into it. There are impurities mixed into this one. It would take five of these to equal three genuine gold coins. But these are the kind that Divan’s middleman company used to pay off the nobles on this list.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Anyone working for a decent company would spot it right away. And, apparently, the middleman company did think it suspicious but dismissed the possibility and accepted it anyway. Fortunately, the transaction itself wasn’t exceptionally large. Anyway, I’ve gotten off subject. The point is, I think that Divan is using these gold coins for payments.”

“So he’s obtaining the goods at a lower cost than their actual value?”

“That’s part of it, but that’s not all. Money is only valid because of trust.”

The history of currency in this world closely resembled its history in my previous life. What started out as a mere method by which to exchange goods evolved into an item everyone coveted unto itself, then something which could be accumulated and distributed, with a set value everyone agreed upon, as well as something that was easy to carry and store. In other words, currency had been invented by people.

Gold became the standard base currency, then convertible banknotes—in other words, pieces of paper that you could use to trade in for gold. After that, society moved to a managed currency system. In this world, they used gold as the standard for currency, just like in my previous world, and it had a set value, along with silver and copper. Notably, Armelian banks had recently introduced checks and promissory notes. But setting that matter aside, if everyone found out there were impurities mixed into the gold coins, everyone would start doubting if their gold was genuine. That would destabilize the worth of gold and the entire currency system based upon it.

For example, let’s say someone comes to you and asks to buy a loaf of bread. If they offered you a piece of gold produced by a well-known mint that guaranteed the authenticity of their currency, you would probably gladly accept that payment. But what if they handed you some kind of paper you’d never seen before and said you could trade in that paper for some gold? Would you do it? I wouldn’t. Because you’d have no idea if that paper was actually worth something or not. It’s the same sort of problem.

If a person can’t know if the payment someone is offering them is genuine, of course they won’t want to accept it.

“Divan, you lowly snake!” I snarled when I remembered seeing him at the Azuta Corporation in the capital. “Not only would the value of gold decrease, but the price of food would increase—and the food would already be scarce. Once people start fretting about it, there’ll be a steep increase in food prices, one that no one will be able to stop.”

I carried the weight of my citizens’ livelihoods on my back. I couldn’t let him succeed. For some reason, I was seething inside, swearing to myself that I would not let him win. When I’d faced off with Yuri’s cronies before, I’d thought they were nothing more than a pain. But now that her people had taken things this far, they had ignited my fighting spirit. I was taking this attack personally, and I would not lose.

“First things first, I’ll write a letter to Moneda.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to tell him to recover all the currency in circulation in Armelia starting immediately. We will be switching to a paper currency system.”

“Paper currency?”

“Yes. Maybe I should call it a gold bond system? At any rate, this currency will be a piece of paper that you can exchange for gold coins. Fortunately, Moneda suggested we do this a while back. He said that since the paper won’t be heavy like promissory notes, and it will be easy to carry around, it will be more convenient to adapt for general use. He brought me a prototype a bit ago. At the time, I thought that if only our domain adopted a paper currency, it would agitate the capital for no reason, so I told him to hold off on it.”

I knew it would only fuel the rumors that we wished to become independent. The reason I’d been able to do so much until now was because Tasmeria gave its domain lords a great deal of freedom to do as we pleased, and what I did was well within the scope of that freedom. Moreover, I submitted all my plans to the capital, so they were aware of my activities. I also thoroughly discussed those submissions with Dean before submitting them to the capital. Of course, it helped that my father was the prime minister.

Frankly, it also helped that the battle for power was so intense at present, and as a result, the people in the capital were more worried about what was going on there instead of what was happening in every domain. By the time they realized what I was doing, the plans had already been implemented in Armelia. I also heard that there were those who didn’t interfere because they wanted me to fail.

At any rate, switching to a paper currency system would detach us from the kingdom’s standard currency. I’d thought that I didn’t have a real reason to go through with it, but as of now, the pros outweighed the cons. I needed to start right away, before confusion hit the market.

I was incredibly grateful for Moneda’s efforts. He’d said this change was possible at any time; all we needed to do was to put the duchy officials on the case.

“The banks will collect all the gold, silver, and copper—after confirming their authenticity, of course. If we find any coins with impurities mixed into them, we shall only recognize them for their actual worth. Luckily, I don’t think that many counterfeits have made it into general circulation.”

“What about the gold coins we accept from other domains?”

“We’ll check all of them for authenticity and accept them on a case by case basis. But we won’t use any currency inside of Armelia but for paper. If anyone from another domain wants to do business with us, they must go to a bank to exchange their currency.”

“How will the banks check the coins?”

“Moneda explained that the impure coins are much lighter than the genuine ones. So, they can weigh the coins and find out immediately.”

“But my lady, won’t switching to paper currency do exactly as you said and provoke the capital?”

“I’ll alert Lord Sagitalia. As long as I go through him while he’s still the minister of finance, no one will be able to stop me. Also, I’ll make it clear that the paper currency can be exchanged for gold. In other words, I have no intention of trying to do away with the kingdom’s standard currency. Although at some point, I won’t be able to say that anymore. My number-one priority is protecting my own domain, so we need to proceed with this while people are still distracted by this game of succession musical chairs. Now, please call Sei in here.”

Tanya immediately went to do so. Sei had come with us so that he could observe the competition between businesses in the capital, as well as to check on the branch of the Azuta Corporation in the capital.

“What is it, my lady?” Sei entered the room slightly out of breath.

Tanya still had a cool look on her face, but this was no time to make jokes. I told him everything I’d told her, not hiding a bit of the truth. Once I was done, all the color had drained from Sei’s face. I was glad that he had immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

“The Azuta Corporation is doing a good deal of business in other domains now. What should we do about that?” he asked.

“The café in the capital doesn’t even really use gold coins, right?” I confirmed.

“Yes, that’s right. We use price setting in order to encourage commoners to patronize the café.”

“If someone does use a gold coin, make sure you have the customer wait a moment and weigh the coin in the back. If it’s lighter than a genuine gold coin, switch it with another gold coin and take it. If you don’t have any other gold coins, there’s nothing else to do but accept it. But make sure you store it in a separate place. I want you to keep count of all the coins you accept, including the lighter ones. Once you’ve accumulated more than ten of the lighter coins, calculate them against how many genuine coins you have and raise the prices of all goods sold there accordingly.”

“Yes, my lady. I’ll distribute scales to weigh the gold coins to every shop immediately. And I’ll have all the shops report back regarding the number and weight of coins they receive.”

“Yes, please do that. Oh, and raise the prices for the members-only shop—and on all luxury items in the other stores as well. Make me a list of all the items we can raise prices for and deliver it to me. We accept many gold coins, so check and make sure we don’t already have any counterfeits. And don’t tell anyone the reason, especially not when you explain it to the customers.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

After I rattled off my instructions, Sei bowed his head. The look of concern on his face had vanished. The tension was gone from his shoulders, and he had once more recovered his usual look of composure. That was exactly how he had been back in Armelia. After he bowed, he left the room as quickly as he had come into it.

“Now I’ll have to give out various orders to Moneda and the other officials. Tanya, if you have anything else to report, please do so now.”

“I think that perhaps the first prince is aware of this matter.”

“Goodness. Why do you think so?”

“Because during the course of my investigation, I ran into another spy.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise at Tanya’s news as she told me of her encounter with the spy. Not only was I shocked that someone had been able to negotiate with Tanya, I was blown away that someone had made her feel as if she were in danger.

“You’re right… I think it’s highly possible that spy belongs to the first prince,” I said.

The first prince, Alfred, apparently had some exceptionally skilled people working for him. That boosted my opinion of him a bit.

“However, if he has such a brilliant spy doing reconnaissance, then he must also already have a plan to deal with the issue that he’s working on. At any rate, I’ll inform my father about the counterfeit gold coins, but I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Tanya looked slightly surprised.

I laughed, wondering why she was so bewildered. “Did you think I was just going to place blame and move toward a solution?” She nodded slightly in response. “Well, I won’t. I’m well aware of how much power I hold right now. Besides, my hands are already full with matters in the duchy. My first priority is the citizens of Armelia. I don’t have time to deal with anything else right now. Not to mention, no matter how hard I try to pull strings behind the scenes, right now Queen Ellia, House Marea, and their faction are running the capital.”

There was nothing to be done about it. Best-case scenario, they would crush me. Worst-case scenario, I’d be treated as a traitor.

“At any rate, I want you to investigate Lord Messi. Ah… Do you think that’s the reason why he’s barely in the capital, even during the social season? Apparently Lord Monroe has no room to take the extenuating circumstances into consideration. But if the first prince is aware of all this, I really can’t think of anything more encouraging for us.”

Tanya quietly nodded in response.

“All right, then. First, I must write a letter to the officials in Armelia, giving them instructions. Tanya, I want you to give Father Rafsimons a message.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Tell him to delay Mimosa’s wedding.”

“Ahh, I see…”

In order to marry in this kingdom, you needed the permission of the Darryl Church. It was most important to exchange your vows in front of God and have Her watch over you as you began your future together. One couldn’t do that without first securing the permission of the Church, of course. In other words, you couldn’t have a wedding ceremony until you received that acknowledgment.

“Queen Ellia might put pressure on him, but tell him that he must delay it, no matter what. He can decide how. Tell him nothing is off the table.”

It was only a short time ago that I had received a letter from him, rejoicing in how we’d removed Van as well as his father, the former pope, and all their followers at the same time. He’d said in the letter that he owed me one, and now it was time to call in the favor. Van had caused me no small amount of trouble, but if this was my reward, then I was glad I had taken him on.

“Very well, my lady. I will deliver the message.”

“Yes, please. And I want you to continue keeping an eye on the situation with Mimosa.”

“I understand.”

After Tanya left, I wrote letters to Sebastian and every official responsible for each jurisdiction back in Armelia. The letters to Abitante and Borsa were especially thick. I kept writing and writing, and before I knew it, the sun had set. But time was of the essence in this situation, so as I rested my eyes, I decided that if I had to, I would stay up all night to write the letters.

Just as I was thinking I should inform my guards so they could check our security, Lyle walked into the room.

“Lyle! Perfect timing. I was just thinking of calling you and Dida in here.”

“I just ran into Tanya, and she told me to come in here,” he said. Once again, I was impressed with Tanya’s foresight. “What happened?”

In response to his question, I informed him of everything that was going on and also discussed my ideas regarding our security system going forward.

Lyle listened quietly before he spoke. “In that case, then we need to increase security at the banks, just as you said. Also, there should be security nearby when gold coins are changing hands and are being carried. I’ll give the orders right away.”

“That’s a good point. Let me know once things have taken shape. I need to let the other officials know as well.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“By the way, Lyle—I received a formal letter of apology from Knight Commander Sertreau.”

“Is that right? I’m sorry for the trouble,” he said with a wry smile.

It was unheard of for someone to turn down a direct request from the knight commander himself. The knighthood was regarded as an extremely honorable profession, after all. That was also why some of them became as conceited as Dorssen. But putting that aside, Knight Commander Sertreau’s attempt to recruit my bodyguards had gone too far—because they belonged to Armelia. Everyone knew that, so Sertreau’s decision to go through House Anderson as he stubbornly persisted in his attempts could be seen as a direct insult to Armelia.

In other words, Armelia absolutely couldn’t back down.

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, are you sure this is all right?” I asked. “If it’s really what you want, you know I would ultimately respect your wishes.”

“What are you talking about? My wish is to serve you, my lady.”

“I’m very grateful to hear that. But originally, you…”

“I am Lyle. I have no other name than that. And Lyle…has never even once considered leaving your side, my lady. Or…do you no longer have need of me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

I had told them all during our tussle with the Boltik family, but it was worth reiterating—each one of my friends was incredibly precious to me. The only reason I’d come as far as I had was because of their help. But the main reason I valued them was because we had all been together since we were children.

“You’re very important to me, Lyle. I would never feel like I didn’t need you anymore. You all are like family. Actually…you’re more than that.”

I couldn’t even imagine them betraying me. It was impossible. We had built up such trust with each other because we cared so deeply for one another.

“But that’s exactly why I want you all to do what makes you happy.”

“This isn’t just because I made an oath to you, to dedicate my whole self to you.” Lyle’s tone of voice changed, and I gave him a puzzled look. “When I was a little boy, I made a vow not long after you took me in. You were like a shining beacon to me, my lady. Before I met you, I was only filled with wants and desires. But you made me want to give and serve. And so I swore to become a man strong enough to protect you.”

“Lyle…”

“I have no other wishes but that.”

“I see… All right, then. If you’re certain of it, then I accept.” I let out a sigh and smiled at him. “Good. Because I’ve been secretly worried about what I’d do if you came to me and said you wanted to leave me to go off and become a knight!”

Lyle chuckled. “Then why did you ask me?”

“Because you can’t have any uncertainty in your heart going forward now. Just like when Dida asked if I was prepared for war.”

Lyle nodded with understanding.

“But most of all, I don’t want to tie you down. I’m grateful that you feel such loyalty to me because of the past, but I don’t want it to narrow your options. I’ve said the same thing to Tanya.”

“I would never say this to anyone but you, my lady. But if I could serve you for more than one lifetime, then I would do so.”

“Goodness…” I had to laugh when I imagined it. “In that case, Lyle, I’m glad you will be continuing in my service. I’ll be counting on you.”

“Of course.”

After Lyle left, I looked back down at the papers in front of me. I’d finished writing my instructions to the duchy’s officials, so it was time to send Sebastian my large-scale plan. I needed to include the news Lyle had given me and ask Sebastian to sort everything out.

Perhaps I need to give him a special vacation after all this is over?

I’d be working as hard as the people in Borsa for a while—actually, I was getting even less sleep than that.

I need to make sure I don’t work him that hard, I thought as I hastily scribbled off my letter.

 

***

 

The sun at dawn was incredibly beautiful. I never got sick of seeing it every morning, even though at this point I’d lost track of how many mornings in a row I’d watched it rise.

Honestly, I hated being in the capital.

If only I were back in Armelia, I could give my instructions directly and if anything were to happen, I could deal with it immediately… But the capital was the eye of the storm, so by staying here, I was able to keep up with the developing situation in real time. That was why I had decided to stay, even though it pained me to do so.

Sebastian, Moneda, and the other officials were already carrying out the orders I’d written to them. Within days, their responses had arrived alongside reports, questions, and suggestions. I had answered the letters and included further instructions.

Tanya entered my study, a look of worry on her face. “My lady, you need to take a break at night. I know the situation is critical, but we’ll be in even bigger trouble if you collapse from exhaustion. I’m begging you—please be in your bed in the morning when I come to wake you.”

“I’ll rest when all of this is taken care of. Do you have any news from Armelia?”

“There’s been no word yet.”

“I see. Well, we still have some time left. I’ll sleep for an hour. Come wake me then.”

“Yes, my lady.”

I went over to the cot and lay down. The simple bed stood out in my study, which was otherwise equipped with fine, sturdy furniture. I’d asked them to place it there because I didn’t want to even waste a few minutes by walking to my bedroom.

Tanya had a look on her face that said she was glad I was resting, but she really wished I’d get some sleep in a proper bed. Nevertheless, she promptly came to wake me after an hour had passed.

“Has any news arrived?”

“Nothing at the moment.”

“I see. Ah, by the way—did you receive any word from Father Rafsimons after you went to speak with him?”

“No, nothing there, either. I think he’s dealing with things in his own way, as usual.”

“Hm. Have you made any progress with your investigation into House Rubellia?”

“I’m terribly sorry, my lady. But nothing has come up in that regard yet, either.”

“I see. If only you could uncover some kind of major scandal or impropriety he’s engaged in to give Mimosa a good excuse to break off the engagement… Well, at any rate, go ahead and continue your investigation.”

It seemed like I’d have no choice but to plot against Count Rubellia. I had reserved that as a last resort, but either way, one must know their enemy before attacking, so our first order of business was the investigation.

Dan’s family name was among those on Moneda and Tanya’s lists, so it would certainly make things go faster if that scandal came to light and they were held accountable for their treasonous behavior.

“Of course.”

“Thank you. I’m going to get ready now.”

“All right.”

I was going to see Count Sagitalia. He’d sent a letter to the queen dowager in the form of an address to the royal family. I’d also explained the entire saga to my father, not sparing even one detail. After I was finished, he’d said, “I’m amazed you figured it out…” so I had a feeling he had already known about it. That was only a guess on my part though, because I hadn’t had the chance to ask him any further details.

The reason why was because right after that, my father’s condition worsened. He had come down with a flu. It was only a flu, but it was still a flu, all the same. I had a feeling that his immune system had weakened due to his injuries, which was why he caught it. He had a high fever, a racking cough, and I suspected he might be developing pneumonia as well. He barely had the energy to speak to me. But even though he was in his sickbed, he had instructed me to meet with Count Sagitalia, so that was what I was doing.

The moment I arrived, I told the count everything.

“And you figured all this out on your own?” he asked. “I would say I’m impressed, but I expect nothing less from you.”

“No need for flattery. Anyway, I was wondering what measures you’ve been taking against the problem?”

“None.”

“None at all?” I couldn’t hide the suspicion from my face.

“I did send my most trusted employees to Prince Alfred, though.”

“I see… So then Prince Alfred already knows about this situation?” I asked innocently, although I knew the answer to that question.

“Since it’s you, Lady Iris, I shall be honest. But it was Prince Alfred who first uncovered this situation, not us. He is already working to address it. But he did say he feared that he wouldn’t make it in time.”

I had to say that I agreed with the prince’s prediction. Too many of the counterfeit coins had already circulated. In other words, the fuse had already been lit. Now the only questions remaining were: How large would the explosion be, and how could we make it as small as possible?

“So then, why aren’t you or my father—ah, never mind. I see. Because then the bottom would fall out, correct?”

The count nodded. “That’s right. As you know, Lady Yuri is engaged to the second prince and has assumed the role of a future princess. In that position, she is seducing and deceiving the sons of nobles in this kingdom one by one. If we make even the slightest move and people get wind that counterfeit gold coins are in circulation, it will cause a great panic.”

“I hate to compliment the enemy, but they’ve really done a number on us.”

Count Sagitalia smiled weakly. “You’re very much like your mother.”

“Where did that come from, all of a sudden?”

“You haven’t lost your fighting spirit, even in a situation like this. On the contrary, your eyes are blazing even more brightly now.”

He had a point; even thinking about what Divan was doing made my heart feel like it was on fire. I was consumed with an overwhelming desire to win…and to bring about his downfall. The emotions were so strong, one could almost compare it to being in the throes of a passionate love affair.

“Putting that aside, as you have realized, the kingdom is in a most precarious situation right now. To further complicate things, Prince Alfred is currently out of the country.”

“What did you say? What in the world is the first prince doing?”

“The queen dowager ordered him to leave. Just between you and me, the king doesn’t have much time left. And that puts the second prince in an even more favorable position.”

“Ah, I see. And if the first prince were here, the second prince’s faction could crush the last bit of hope. So that was why the queen dowager wanted him to leave the kingdom for now.”

“Her Majesty hasn’t told me as much, but I think perhaps you’re right. And I think her decision was solidified when Lord Louis was attacked.”

“I see. As a citizen, however, I find that intolerable,” I blurted out harshly.

The queen dowager’s actions were as good as surrender—although I knew the situation had already grown hopeless.

“It seems that Prince Alfred was the first to find out, and when the queen dowager was made aware, she sent him to another kingdom. In my personal opinion, this is the prime opportunity to root out the evils of this kingdom. In order for the first prince to take the throne, he must completely overcome the second prince’s faction. Her Majesty ordered Prince Alfred to step away from the capital temporarily so they could take out the second prince’s faction just as they seemed to achieve victory. Of course, it’ll all be meaningless if the first prince doesn’t prove victorious himself, but I think it was necessary. …Although, I don’t have any idea where he is right now. I think the only ones who do know are the queen dowager and Lord Louis.”

“My father?”

So he did know absolutely everything. I wished he’d told me. Then I could’ve started implementing the countermeasures in Armelia even sooner. Or perhaps my father had been afraid to let me make a move. There were certainly people who would grow suspicious if they had caught wind of what I was doing. And in the worst-case scenario, I might have ended up named as an accomplice to the first prince—a scapegoat for the second prince’s frustrations, as it were. However, being so afraid of that outcome that I didn’t make a move simply wasn’t an option for me.

I had no idea what would happen to Tasmeria, but as long as I could protect my own domain and my citizens, then I would not hesitate to take action.

“Thank you so much for telling me all this vital information,” I said. “You’ll be returning to your domain once the social season is over, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“The fewer domains that descend into chaos, the better. I’ll be eagerly awaiting your letter in Armelia telling me of your success.”

“You’ve given me quite a bit of homework, once again.” There was a smile on the count’s face, but he was looking quite exhausted already.

 

***

 

Time passed very quickly after that. Thanks to everyone’s tireless work, Armelia completely transitioned to using paper currency. There was a bit of confusion at first, but nothing beyond what I’d imagined. Sebastian said the transition went so smoothly because of the good relationship I’d built up with my citizens. Not to toot my own horn, but I think that’s quite right. There was no way such a change would have gone as smoothly if I’d attempted it when I first rose to power.

However, many things had happened since then, and I’d overcome them all. I had taken my time to slowly implement various reforms and procedures. All of that had led to this. It made me feel like the road down which I’d walked meant something after all.

The Azuta Corporation had already raised its prices too. Other companies within Armelia were working on doing the same.

“Are you sure it’s wise to tell the merchant guild about this?” Sei asked me after he was finished giving his report on the latest activities of the corporation.

“They’re merchants. The finest merchants, in fact.”

Sei looked surprised by my response.

“If chaos descends, it’s highly possible that we won’t be able to carry on business as usual. If people lose trust in gold coins, it’s easy to imagine circulation stagnating. But these fellows are top-class merchants; they know it’s in their best interest to keep their mouths shut and just weigh the gold coins to circumvent as much chaos as possible.”

“I see…” Sei nodded, accepting my answer.

“I want you to continue managing the Azuta Corporation just as you always have. We’ve placed Armelian security guards at each one of the shops. And if you hear any new information, send it my way immediately.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Just then, Tanya entered the room. “My lady. I’ve just received word that the king has passed away.”

For a moment, it felt like time froze.

So it’s finally happened. I thought, and I sighed. “I see…”

“Did you already know?”

“No. But I was aware that he didn’t have much time left.”

“I see.”

“I’m sure Queen Ellia will make funeral arrangements right away to ensure that she can place Ed on the throne. Tanya?”

“Yes?”

“Start making preparations to return to the duchy. We’ll be going home as soon as the funeral ends.”

“But…”

“Things are already in motion. There’s no use staying here any longer. Besides, the longer I stay in the capital, the sooner they’ll find a way to attack me.”

“Very well. I’ll make sure we can leave at once.”

“Thank you. I need some time to think. Will you two leave for now?”

Sei and Tanya nodded, then left the room. As soon as the door closed, I let out a heavy sigh. I folded my arms on my desk and leaned forward, resting my head on them. We’d come to the point of no return. Queen Ellia and House Marea had their power.

What would happen to Tasmeria? And what would happen to Armelia? I knew the answer wouldn’t come even if I kept sitting there, thinking about it, but at the same time a vague unease grew within me.

I patted my clothes, searching for the pocket watch I wore around my neck.

I remembered the words I’d said to my father long ago: “I will make our domain into one that cannot be shaken, no matter what happens in the capital.”

“Did I speak the truth or not? The time to find out has finally come,” I murmured, hugging myself fiercely.

Don’t run. Don’t lose. Don’t give up. That’s what having responsibility means. That is the resolve I must have when I do this job.

That was a mantra of sorts I had repeated to myself in my past life whenever there was trouble at work. My experiences in this life had been so rich that I’d gradually stopped remembering things about my past, but that bit suddenly popped into my head.

“No matter what happens around me, I have to carry out the duty I was given.”

Because in the end, whatever events unfolded in the world didn’t change my responsibilities. That thought was oddly comforting. Now calmer, I left my room to find my mother and Berne so that I could speak to them of the future.