Chapter 4: That Which Goes Seen and Unseen

“All right, I will be waiting on hand in the lounge. If anything happens, please just call for me. Momo, keep guard over the princess, too, okay?”

The flying squirrel on Rosemarie’s shoulder stood up emphatically in response.

Rosemarie nodded with a wry smile to Heidi after her repeated instructions, and the maid exited the bedroom, eyebrows slanted in worry. Then, as though switching places with her, Claudio entered. Despite being about to go to sleep, he wasn’t dressed for bed; rather, he was still in the same outfit he’d worn earlier in the day. The same went for Rosemarie. Since there was a chance something might happen tonight, she figured it best not to change into her nightgown.

Claudio had returned from the tea party just as Rosemarie was beginning to worry, noticing that the time for afternoon tea was long since over.

However, when she asked what they talked about from then until the time he entered the bedroom, he said he had barely any recollection of the conversations.

Not knowing what she should talk about, she stood there, not saying a word. Claudio took a seat on the bed in silence, a composed expression on his face.

After a bit of indecision, Rosemarie sat on the opposite side of the bed. Not being able to see his face calmed her down a little. She inhaled slightly before beginning to speak.

“So, I...”

The start of her sentence overlapped with Claudio’s. As she jumped in surprise, she could feel Claudio also correcting his posture from behind her.

This time, she waited for Claudio to say something, but he wasn’t showing any signs of opening his mouth no matter how long she waited. She slowly turned around, catching Claudio at the same moment he began to look at her from over his shoulder. Their eyes met, both their faces and bodies freezing in place. However, it was Claudio that broke the link in their line of sights.

“So, about Adelina...”

Her heart jumped once he brought up that name. Had he changed his mind? Was he going to report her theft of the Sacred Relic to the Cardinal after all?

“A few moments ago, Bishop Lancel informed me that we’d have a change in chambermaids. When I asked for the reason why, he told me that she requested the change since my face is too terrifying for her to handle.”

That didn’t strike her as particularly odd. She used his face being too frightening as a pretense; she most likely didn’t want to endanger herself by continuing to serve Claudio after her theft of the Sacred Relic had been discovered.

“I see... I suppose that was bound to happen.” Since Adelina was assigned to their room, Rosemarie thought she would have plenty of chances to clear the girl’s misconceptions against Claudio. Now, though, those chances had become a lot slimmer. She would need to start tomorrow by looking for the girl.

As she racked her brain to the best of her abilities, Claudio sighed.

“This isn’t the time to be concerned about others. Right now, you have your own issues.”

“Oh, right. You’re right...” She looked down at her pillow, afraid to close her eyes in fear of what might happen after she went to sleep.

“I’ll stay awake; you lie down. If you run amok like you did yesterday, I’ll be here to calm you down again. Rest assured.”

Rosemarie looked at him in surprise. He was supposed to hate her. Why would he say something like that?

“What is with that face? Get to sleep, already.” Claudio cast a dubious look at her. Rosemarie nodded meekly and climbed into bed, albeit confused. The squirrel on her shoulder curled up next to her cheek. Flying squirrels were supposed to be nocturnal, but that didn’t seem to be the case for this particular one.

“—That reminds me, what happened to your bucket? I don’t see it anywhere.”

“Oh, I left it in Heidi’s care. I knew if I just put it in the storage trunk, I’d still be tempted to bring it out...”

“You left it in her care? You? Are you running a fever?” Claudio leaned over and worriedly put his hand on Rosemarie’s forehead. Instantly, she had flashbacks to the kiss from that morning, making her quickly pull the comforter over her head to avoid his hand.

“No, no fever! I’m fine! I just thought I would have a go at separating myself from my bucket.” Her face was hot, and she had no doubt it was beet-red as well. She couldn’t see Claudio’s face, but she didn’t want him to see hers looking like this. It would be an open door into her feelings.

She then realized that Claudio was remaining quiet. Rosemarie thought it odd that he wasn’t saying anything and poked her head out from under the comforter. As soon as she did, she saw Claudio looking at his own hand in a somewhat cool and composed manner.

“Um, is there something the matter?” Claudio’s shoulders shook immensely.

“No, it’s noth... Well, err, yes. Do you mind... if I hold your hand?” Claudio asked curtly. Rosemarie’s face went red again.

“Err, um... Oh! Right! Because I didn’t give you your resupply for today!” Realizing that fact, Rosemarie hurriedly held out her hand. Claudio’s expression seemed slightly perplexed. Nevertheless, he took her hand hesitantly.

(Is it just me... or is Prince Claudio acting a bit too timidly for who he is...? Oh... could it be that he is still sick of me?)

Perhaps he was so tired that he needed to hold her hand despite being opposed to doing so.

That fact weighed heavy in her heart, but as Rosemarie felt the reassuring warmth of his hand in hers, she found herself slipping off into a sound slumber.

***

—Come, come, Beloved of the Sacred Beast. Return it, return it, the important—

She heard a voice akin to the howl of the wind calling incessantly from the darkness. It echoed through her ears, stole her thoughts, and made her feel like her body was being dragged.

She had to go.

That was her only thought as she tried to walk into the darkness, but something was restricting her body from moving forward. She struggled like mad, reaching out to the darkness.

She couldn’t get there, even though she needed to go there.

The calling turned to weeping as it called out for her even more with that sorrowful voice.

Her hand suddenly met something dense, and a red-gold light flooded her vision.

“Don’t cry. I’m coming there. I’ll take it to you. Don’t cry, don’t cry—!”

Just then, she heard the sound of something bursting into her ear.

“Rosemarie!”

Someone shouted her name so loudly that it was practically rattling her brain, making Rosemarie’s eyes snap open. She saw Claudio’s desperate face nearby, and the ceiling above past him.

“Prince... Claudio...?”

“You’re awake? How do you feel?” His consoling voice made Rosemarie finally realize that Claudio was hanging over her body and pinning down both her wrists.

“I was... being called in my dream. I needed to go at all costs and I was so desperate to...”

“Yes, you actually tried to leave the room.” Claudio got up and pulled her up off the cold floor. When she sat up, she was greeted with the grim faces of Heidi and Claudio’s three-man entourage standing still in the bedroom. Apparently having gone off elsewhere, the squirrel nimbly flew in and landed on its home base, Rosemarie’s shoulder. As it brought its body next to her cheek, the dread finally settled into her body.

She was being led off to places unknown, not of her own volition. That reality sent shivers through her body. Claudio took Rosemarie’s positively trembling body firmly into his embrace.

“It’s okay. You’re here. No strange voices calling you anymore, right?”

“...No, no strange voices.” The familiar tones of Claudio’s voice and the sounds of her heart beating against her ears helped her regain her cool.

“Volland Princess, look over here.” Edeltraud, seeing that she had calmed down, squatted next to her. Rosemarie timidly turned her head over to them. The Archmagus put their gloved hand on her forehead and stared into her eyes.

“...Nope, no spell over her. Doesn’t... make sense.”

Leaving Edeltraud to ponder with their hand over their mouth, Claudio helped her to her feet, then over to the bed.

Heidi walked out to the lounge, saying she would get Rosemarie something to drink.

“Your Highness, what shall we do with this?” Alto asked Claudio, who sat next to Rosemarie stroking her back. The squire presented him with a dark red jewel with gold shavings—the Sacred Relic.

When she saw it, Rosemarie was overcome with an incomprehensible sense of fear and grabbed hold of Claudio’s arm. Claudio soon realized what had happened. He looked at the Sacred Relic as though it were some detestable thing he’d happened to catch sight of.

“I’ll take it later. In the meantime, take it over to the lounge area. I don’t want to bring it near Rosemarie.”

Alto nodded diligently and gave an emphatic reply of affirmation. Meanwhile, Rosemarie looked fearfully at the Sacred Relic he held in his hands. Claudio intervened and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

“You took the Sacred Relic off of me and rambled on, ‘I’ll take this to you.’ Do you know where you were trying to take it to?”

She thought, bringing up memories of grabbing ahold of something glowing red-gold in her dream.

“No, I... do not. All I remember hearing was the wind roaring like an animal from out of the darkness...”

“The wind roaring like an animal? That reminds me, you said that you heard it back at the saint’s chapel when we first arrived here, didn’t you?”

“I did, but even though it was just noise, I could understand it as if it were actual words. It said, ‘Come, come, Beloved of the Sacred Beast. Return it, return it.’”

“‘Beloved of the Sacred Beast?’” Edeltraud abruptly cut into the conversation, making Rosemarie tilt her head in confusion.

“Does that help in solving anything?”

“You heard ‘Beloved of the Sacred Beast?’ That’s title Sacred Beasts capable of human speech give to humans they fancy.”

Rosemarie felt an unfamiliar terror come over her and she shook tremendously while Claudio stroked her back consolingly.

“Which means, a sacred beast of some kind is telling Rosemarie to bring the Sacred Relic? Why is it Rosemarie?”

“Don’t know. Must be for some reason. But, do know how she’s being controlled without being under spell. It’s a call; no need for spell.”

Was that even possible? Rosemarie blinked repeatedly, confounded.

“Is it possible for someone’s call alone to move one’s body?” she asked.

“If feelings on same wavelength, it is possible. For example, if Claudio was sad, you’d have urge to go over for support, right? Same principle.” Edeltraud had a point. That was indeed was she did in her dream. In her dream, she had the urge to console that sad somebody so badly that it pained her heart.

She squeezed her hands atop her lap and frowned. Claudio propped his head with his hand, a sour expression painted over his face.

“Still, a sacred beast, is it? Since it’s asking for the Sacred Relic, I would assume the Silver Lion is out of the conversation. Which would mean it’s another sacred beast... If it has correlations to this area, could it possibly be the Hippocampus?”

“The Hippocampus...” That was the sacred beast she had seen being used as the motif of all the sculptures and paintings located all over the cathedral. It was even woven in the tapestries that adorned the lounge of the room Rosemarie and the others were lodging in.

“So, are you saying that the sacred beast, known as the Protector of the Seas, is trying to get me to bring him this Sacred Relic?”

“One would naturally assume, yes... But, if it were indeed the case, it shouldn’t matter who it calls out to—you, me, anybody. That chambermaid, Adelina, could have even sufficed for walking out with the Sacred Relic.”

Which begged the question: why Rosemarie?

She contemplated the answer, but then suddenly stumbled upon one fundamental matter.

“Um, the Sacred Relic was found at the same time Saint Kamil dug up the rock salt, wasn’t it? So, what do they mean by ‘returning’ it?”

Everyone’s bewildered gazes fell upon Rosemarie at once. A bitter smile drew over Fritz’s face.

“Well, Your Highness?” Fritz addressed Claudio, who groaned slightly.

“Well, if the Hippocampus is calling for you, it would mean that humans stole what once belonged to it. And they just said that the saint found it and started up the whole Sacred Relic Worship ceremony. Considering that, it’s no surprise that they suddenly brought this item, said to be hidden under the word of God, out to the public a few decades ago. Nor is it a surprise that it has hints of mana within it.”

Rosemarie was at a loss for words. Claudio had told her before that the legend was either exaggerated or false, but she never would have thought the relic was stolen from the Hippocampus.

“Ah, I see. That would mean that the traces of mana are in the holy water as well, and you’d be able to manipulate people with mana by making them drink it, then? So, there’s a chance that our mystery sorcerer is really the Hippocampus...? That would also mean the animal carcasses are a result of...”

As Rosemarie heard Claudio murmuring his thoughts aloud beside her, she could almost feel her and everyone else getting wrapped up in the complicated situation bit by bit, suffocating her.

“At any rate, this is all simply conjecture. None of us has actually seen the Hippocampus, nor is it necessarily a given that the Hippocampus is the one calling Rosemarie. We don’t have any evidence.”

The mysteries seemed never-ending. While they knew who was responsible for stealing the Sacred Relic, there was still the case of the animal carcasses being left on the altar—the same case that Claudio insisted didn’t concern any of them. Fritz seemed to struggle with finding a motivation behind the decision to start drinking holy water a year ago, too.

“Perhaps if we try heeding the call, we could uncover a lot of information...”

“Don’t be foolish. What would happen if the unspeakable were to happen as a result of that?” scoffed Claudio, displeased with Rosemarie’s suggestion as she dropped her shoulders.

“I’m... sorry. But you’re right. If something were to happen to the Sacred Relic or you, Prince Claudio, it would mean the unspeakable, wouldn’t it?”

“Are we on the same page? I’m talking about something happening to you, not me.”

“Oh, yes, because you might lose your mana. I hadn’t put enough thought into that.”

“That is not the point I’m trying to make here...” Claudio put a hand to his forehead in exasperation, making Rosemarie cock her head to the side. What was the point he was making here?

That was when Fritz started chuckling aloud.

“Oh, boy. Your Highness, can’t you ever just use your words?”

“Reap what you sow.” Edeltraud clapped their hands, not wearing an actual smile but looking entertained nonetheless.

“I’m already well aware of that, thank you!” Claudio shot the both of them a bitter glare, then turned toward Rosemarie again—and then immediately turned his head away. She could see his face from the side. It was slightly red.

“...If anything were to happen to you, I doubt I could ever find a smile in anything ever again.”

Rosemarie felt her own face getting red, partially induced by Claudio. She couldn’t find it in herself to look his way, so she averted her eyes.

(What is going on with Prince Claudio? Wasn’t he supposed to be fed up with me?)

Doubts reared their heads, but her hand grabbed onto the sleeve of Claudio’s jacket.

“...Okay. I will not mention any more foolish ideas.”

Rosemarie knew well that he was worried about her. Although that prospect thrilled her, she wasn’t confident that his words were coming from the same mindset as hers.

“I would appreciate that,” Claudio said, his tone relieved. As she heard that, Rosemarie gently tugged on the sleeve of his jacket still in her hand in lieu of a nod.

***

—Eeeeeek!

It was the morning three days prior to the Sacred Relic Worship ceremony. Rosemarie awakened to the sounds of Heidi’s screams.

Claudio wasn’t in the bedroom; he’d insisted on sleeping out in the lounge after the ruckus that ensued from Rosemarie’s sleepwalking yet again the night before. Heidi was supposed to be in the room instead, but Rosemarie couldn’t spot her anywhere, either.

Rosemarie sprang to her feet, preparing to leave the bedroom, but the flying squirrel that had just now been sleeping beside her clung to the doorknob to prevent her from doing so. Just as she went to grab it, she noticed it was there and quickly pulled her hand away.

“Momo, you have to get out of the way.” As she tugged gently at the scruff of its neck, the squirrel started squeaking at her in protest. Although she had her suspicions, she tried to pull the critter off. Almost as soon as she had done so, the door opened from the other side.

“Rosemarie, are you awake?” Claudio showed himself, his expression tense. Rosemarie quickly caught the squirrel as it tumbled off the doorknob, and her face turned pale in fear of what might have happened.

“Did something happen to Heidi?!” She exited into the lounge, pushing past Claudio, to find Heidi collapsed and Alto holding her, his back facing Rosemarie.

“Heidi?!”

Alto placed Heidi on the couch and Rosemarie ran to her. Rosemarie wondered what sort of horrifying thing might have happened to Heidi as she knelt on the floor next to the maid. She put a hand on Heidi’s forehead—a black cat’s forehead—and Heidi’s tightly-shut green eyes slowly began to open.

“Ughh, Princess, I saw it.” The normally brave Heidi pressed a hand to her mouth, tears in her eyes. As she stroked Heidi’s face, Rosemarie turned to Claudio and Alto, who were both staring at a spot just outside the door leading into the passageway.

“Um, what is...”

“You need to stay back. We don’t want a repeat of what happened to Heidi. This time it’s a goat,” Claudio said with a grimace, making Rosemarie’s heart skip a beat uncomfortably. Heidi pushed herself up groggily and held on to Rosemarie’s hand.

“I heard a sound, so Squire Clausen opened the door into the passage. Once he did, I saw what appeared to be a goat carcass with no eyes, and... But it was so strange!”

“It certainly is, but... in some other special way?”

“Its body was shriveled up and dry. It was hard to tell because of its fur, but it was skin and bones. Flat all around, almost as if it had all the blood drawn from its body...” Heidi’s body shook all over tremendously as Rosemarie held her, which prevented her from stopping her own sense of fear from running through her form.

(Were the rat and the rabbit both in the same shape, I wonder...?)

She didn’t know any of the details, but according to what Heidi just told her, the other two cases in the past most likely involved the animals being dried out as well.

This was no longer looking like a human’s handiwork at all.

Claudio finished talking with Alto near the passageway and turned his glum face over to Rosemarie.

“Why would they leave that carcass in front of our room like that...?”

“No clue. But I’m going to call for Bishop Lancel before this turns into a circus.” Claudio pulled the cord for the attendant bell in the corner of the room.

As he did, Rosemarie slipped back into the bedroom, grabbed a sheet, and walked over to where Alto was standing near the entrance. Perhaps not finding this sight all that terrifying, Alto’s head, outside of the fine pair of deer antlers, remained human.

“Your Highness, if you were planning on draping that over the goat, please allow me instead.”

“No, but...” She was a tad hesitant, but she found no point in trying to argue now of all times, so she obediently handed the sheet over to him. Heidi was trying to rise from the couch, but Rosemarie stopped her before she was able to, taking a seat next to her.

“Fritz and Master Edel left for morning worship about an hour ago, but it wasn’t there when they did. So, when was it placed here, then?”

It wasn’t long after Claudio started pondering that Ilse came to them. He was probably in the middle of morning worship, but he apparently knew that he had been summoned—the means of how the signal traveled to him remaining a mystery. Ilse’s head was that of a gray bird, probably incited by displeasure from being called so early in the morning.

“What in the...” As soon as Ilse lifted up the sheet draped over the goat carcass, his dusky yellow-orange beak opened slightly in surprise.

“Bishop Lancel, did the previous carcasses look something like this as well?”

“Yes, indeed they did. However, His Eminence gave me orders to keep any details a secret due to its all too disturbing nature...”

“Have you not investigated why they’re like this?” Claudio squinted as he asked his question, to which Ilse hesitantly shook his head.

“No, outside of giving them a proper burial, nothing else.”

“Are you searching for who the culprit might be?”

“Yes, we have been attending to that matter, but have made no headway as of yet. We aren’t able to conduct a full-scale investigation as of right now, you see.”

“As of right now, eh? Understandable, I suppose,” Claudio said, giving a little sneer. Ilse, on the other hand, kept himself firm and bowed his head, the three plumage feathers on the back of his head shaking as he did.

“Indeed. With the many visitors we have in attendance, we are obliged to keep any commotion to a minimum. However, now that this has turned into a bit of a serious situation, we will hasten our investigation. I do hope that, by doing so, it will help appease the anger you are so rightfully feeling, sir.”

Claudio stared at Ilse’s head intently before calmly nodding.

“Very well. I’ll leave the rest up to you.”

Ilse gave a cordial word of thanks and a bow of his head, which reverted back to human form. No doubt he was relieved that he was able to reason with Claudio.

Lifting up the sheet-wrapped goat carcass in his arms, Ilse made his exit through the door that Alto opened for him.

“Looks like we’re going to have to get involved with searching for the culprit after all.” Claudio sighed in a low tone the moment Ilse left the room, confusing Rosemarie.

“Were you not going to leave that up to Bishop Lancel?”

“When Bishop Lancel said that he would ‘hasten the investigation,’ what form was he in?”

Despite thinking it odd that Claudio answered her question with a question, she thought back and gave a proper response, regardless.

“His head was that of a gray bird.”

“As I suspected. His talk of hastening the investigation was likely a lie.”

“But he could just be...” She was about to suggest that he could have just been frightened of Claudio, but hesitated.

“You think that he was frightened of me? I sincerely doubt someone frightened would be able to express their opinion to me with such a strong and steady attitude.” Claudio, his head still propped on his head, gave a slightly cynical smile.

“I’d venture that the Cardinal and the upper brass of the Holy Land are putting any kind of resolution on hold. No people have been harmed as of yet. More importantly, the Sacred Relic’s disappearance is a far more pressing matter.”

Claudio patted the area over his breast pocket that held the Sacred Relic, a sight which made Rosemarie feel sorry for all the people of the Holy Land who were probably tirelessly searching for the relic. Apparently, despite saying that he wanted to keep it away from Rosemarie, he still had no intention of returning it.

“Then again, I assume Bishop Lancel isn’t pleased with that decision. So much so that he told me the state of the other carcasses, despite being under orders from the Cardinal to keep it under wraps.”

“If that were the case, do you think that Bishop Lancel would cooperate with us?”

“While there’s a chance, we shouldn’t try asking for his cooperation. He seems like the type who is totally devoted to his superiors.” It would have made their lives a little easier to have someone on their side in the cathedral, but it seemed that they wouldn’t be gaining one so easily.

(I wonder if there is any way I can help...)

She wasn’t capable as a fighter, nor was she very quick-witted. As far as her skill sets, they boiled down to stealing mana and seeing the heads of people with negative emotions as beasts. That was it. Given that, what could she do by utilizing those two things?

“I was hoping to ignore this if at all possible, but someone placed that carcass right at our doorstep. So, I’m taking this as a declaration of war.”

Claudio’s lips curled into a war-minded smile, making Rosemarie’s brows slant in concern.

“Please, I beg of you not to do anything drastic. If anything were to happen to you, Prince Claudio, I, too, would end up never smiling again.”

As she stared at Claudio in genuine concern from across the table, his face got redder and redder until he covered his mouth with one hand and looked away from her.

“That... is what I said, isn’t it? I see,” Claudio whispered under his breath. Rosemarie caught the words and nodded very deliberately toward the still-blushing Claudio.

“Yes, indeed you did. Last night, Prince Claudio, if I recall—”

“I get it. I get it already, so say no more. I’m begging you; don’t repeat it. Please.”

Claudio leaned over and covered her mouth with his palm. Rosemarie nodded, her eyes as wide as saucers, and Claudio eventually released his hand—followed by a pinch on the cheek as a parting note.

“Excuse me, what are you doing?”

“A bit of payback. It’s your fault for not getting it.”

“But... I do get it. You said, last night, and I quote—”

“I told you, no more.”

“—Um, while your lovely display of horseplay brings the biggest of smiles to my face, may I remind you both that it is just about time for breakfast. Also, please do not forget that your ever-faithful maid is sitting right here.”

Heidi, who had been sitting next to Rosemarie the whole time, hesitantly spoke up in similar fashion to a time before. The two snapped back to reality and quickly turned their red faces away from one another at nearly the same time. Before Rosemarie could process what had happened, Claudio stood straight up.

“Right. Let’s hurry, then. If we head to the dining hall, then we might get to hear something from the rumor mill about the carcass incidents.”

Rosemarie went after Claudio as he attempted to zip out of the room. A certain idea had dawned on her when she heard the words “dining hall” and “rumor mill,” but she tightened her jaw with some slight hesitation.

(But can I even do it? No... can I do it? I will do it.)

She convinced herself, lightly tugging on Claudio’s jacket.

“Um, about that... There is actually something I’d like permission to try.”

Claudio turned back, looking doubtful. Rosemarie then voiced her suggestion, her resolve firm.

***

The clattering of dishes, the voices of the people, and the bustle from the servers—all of it filled Rosemarie’s ears as she took her seat at the breakfast table. Although Heidi was standing right next to her with a composed demeanor, Claudio was nowhere to be seen.

(My nerves have killed my taste buds...)

She brought the bland wheat porridge to her mouth and managed to get it down.

However, even thought she was the one who suggested this idea, she never thought that she would get this faint of heart simply due to Heidi being present and Claudio being absent.

This was her suggestion to Claudio just before he left the room: just as she had perceived that Ilse was lying earlier, she could use her eyes to find the culprit who’d been leaving animal carcasses around.

However, Rosemarie needed to act alone in order for the plan to work, which was the biggest hurdle. If she were with Claudio, his Silver Lion head would scare everyone into having beast heads, which would end up muddling the obvious.

Claudio was naturally opposed, but she eventually got his approval after practically begging him.

“Well, princess?” Heidi suddenly whispered out to her. Rosemarie gave a slight shake of her head without turning around to face the maid.

“This might not work. Almost everyone here has a beast head.” It was probably already common knowledge that she was Claudio’s wife. Not only did no one come up to speak to her, but the majority of intermittent glances directed at her came from beast eyes. That was another likely reason why she had no taste for her meal.

The squirrel, which clung to her shoulders while hiding under her hair, edged up slightly.

Rosemarie had tried to leave it back in the room when she left, but it wouldn’t move an inch. Claudio even tried pulling it off, but it bit him and quickly hissed back at him, so she was left with no other recourse but to take it with her. However, considering the circumstances now, it was filling in the role of a comfort buddy and helping her calm down just a bit.

Some time passed with the situation remaining the same. Just as her hopes were deflating and she thought her plan was a dud, a familiar-looking waitress with a set of brown pigtail braids passed by the table.

“Adelina?” She found herself uttering the girl’s name, and the girl turned around with a smile.

“Yes? Would you like some... tea...?” Adelina swung around with her teapot in hand, her eyes wide with astonishment. Her head then wasted no time transforming into that of an orange-pelted weasel. She looked like she was about to make an exit, but she reconsidered and turned back around to face Rosemarie, pouring her a cup of tea in silence.

“Thank you. Um... how are you feeling? Nothing out of the ordinary?”

Adelina curtsied and attempted to make a hasty retreat, but those words stopped her in her tracks.

“Why are you asking me that?” she asked in a wary voice, which made Rosemarie falter for a second, but she quickly recovered and spoke up.

“You were under a spell. One that amplified your hatred. But it’s okay, the spell is broken. I was just worried about any lasting problems as a result...”

Adelina tightened her grip on the teapot handle. Her facial expression wasn’t distinguishable in weasel form, but her pair of brown eyes looked rather shaken up.

“...I’ve been physically out of sorts for about a year. My mind has been a mess and I was always sluggish. But all that stopped once I left your room yesterday...”

Her weasel face warped back into human form, and then back into weasel form again. With Adelina putting her emotions on display, Rosemarie silently waited for to finish what she had to say.

The young girl shook her head a few times as if to shake away her indecision, went to the other side of the table near Rosemarie, and drew close to her ear.

“—So, why haven’t you turned me over to the Cardinal? I’ve committed a major crime in stealing the Sacred Relic.”

Her weasel whiskers grazed Rosemarie’s cheek for a second before withdrawing. Rosemarie widened her eyes for a second upon seeing Adelina back up, but she quickly grabbed on to her hand. She followed that up by standing up and heading toward the exit of the dining hall, tracking Heidi following behind her calmly in her peripheral vision.

“Wait, where do you think you’re taking me?” Adelina protested in a hushed tone, not being able to shake off an aristocrat’s hand in front of such a large group of people. She only shook it off once they exited into the passageways and reached a spot with no signs of life.

“What in the world is going on? Why did you bring me out here?”

“This isn’t something we can openly discuss around that many people, don’t you think?” As they stood in the passageway decorated in complex floral patterns, Rosemarie stared at Adelina firmly. She knew that if she didn’t clear up her misconceptions now, there wouldn’t be another chance to do so.

“Prince Claudio has his reasons as to why he can’t return the Sacred Relic just yet, so he said that he would hold off reporting who stole the relic to the Cardinal for now.”

“For now? I don’t give a damn about that beast’s reasoning, but if you’re going to turn me in, then you might as well get on with it,” Adelina said with a bitter scoff, but she was likely afraid since she didn’t know what she would be charged with; her shoulders shivered ever so slightly. The display broke Rosemarie’s heart. She shook her head.

“—No, I don’t wish to do that. Not only did this all start from a misconception about Prince Claudio, but a spell had been manipulating you. Also, we haven’t been harmed and I don’t think there’s any need to turn you in.”

“You can think that all you’d like, but I tried to frame you all for a crime you didn’t commit. One mistake and it might mean the death sentence, and you’re telling me that you understand that in full?”

Adelina’s pair of brown eyes glared at Rosemarie, casting doubt. Rosemarie, on the other hand, focused on her calmly.

“I understand. But if you really had as much of a hate-fueled death wish for us as you claim, then you wouldn’t warn us that it was dangerous to walk around by ourselves due to the rat carcass issue on the first day.”

“...?!” Adelina’s face warped around.

“Why do you remember such a minute detail...?” Her face wavered between weasel and human until it slowly situated itself back to human form, with its expression being one of utter amazement.

“You know... you’re pretty brash for someone with such an innocent face. I told you that you’re ‘drunk off of being kind and compassionate,’ but it doesn’t seem like you learned anything at all. I mean, you did marry that beast of a prince, after all. Also, I get the real strong sense that you’re ridiculously naive and trusting.” Adelina breathed a deep sigh, but a small smile formed on her lips.

“... I think I’ll write that letter—to the kids at the orphanage. I still don’t trust whatever it is your husband says, but I want to know if everyone is living free of worries.”

Rosemarie gave a sigh of relief and dropped her shoulders. That hadn’t erased her crime, but it made all the difference between having her see reason and not, regardless.

“...Um, would you mind giving the letter to me? I’ll be happy to deliver it,” Rosemarie timidly requested. Adelina eyeballed her before eventually giving a mute shake of her head.

“You don’t need to go that far. I don’t think I’ll finish writing it before it’s time for the lot of you to go home. Then again, you seem like the type to offer to stay until I can finish, all things considered...” said Adelina with a wry smile, her face once again morphing into a weasel for some reason. A chill ran down Rosemarie’s spine as she wondered whether the change might be a sign of something else. After a short pause, Adelina finally spoke up.

“—So, hey. Did you drink that holy water?”

“Huh? Um, well... you see, I accidentally spilled it and neither Claudio nor I drank of it.” Caught on the back foot by the lack of context behind the question, she accidentally let the truth slip.

She never received another goblet after the squirrel tipped it over, but she wondered if that was somehow not the right choice.

However, Adelina patted her chest upon hearing that Rosemarie hadn’t drunk it.

“If you haven’t drunk it, then I believe that you should leave this place. Everyone acts a tad strange once they drink of the holy water. They become unable to contain their anger like me, start moping around, and things of that nature.”

“Do you mean... they have a spell cast over them like with you?”

“I don’t know, but I think chances are high.”

Claudio had speculated that the Sacred Relic had mana, and that the holy water might take on that mana and cast a spell on those who drank it. That speculation seemed to be coming true. The reality of the situation filled Rosemarie with a sense of anxiety.

“Prince Claudio also seemed to have his doubts about the holy water, but... Um, did you know that they didn’t drink it up until last year?” Claudio said that Fritz told him that.

Adelina nodded slightly, weasel head and all. “Yes, I knew. They never used to drink it, but ever since around this time last year, they started letting people drink it. Although, I’m not sure as to why that came to be myself.”

Fritz had been investigating the cause, but it seemed as though Adelina had no clue, either. If everyone suffered the same abnormalities, then it wasn’t surprising that no one would really know the answer.

“I appreciate the warning. However, we cannot just pack up and leave. The Sacred Relic Worship ceremony is not the only thing we’re here for. It’s for Prince Claudio’s sake, as well.” Their original goal was to meet with Lene, the former guardsman of the Forbidden Forest, just as Claudio had mentioned. But they wouldn’t be able to unless the Sacred Relic Worship were to be held without a hitch.

Adelina’s face eased back into human form. This might had been the first time Rosemarie had ever dealt with someone who kept slipping between human and beast in such a short time as much as this girl did. Yet she wasn’t scared, not even for a second; but it might have been her determination keeping her nerves in check.

“...Well, regardless of what you’re all here for, it has nothing to do with me. Oh... that reminds me, you were in the middle of breakfast, weren’t you? I’m sure they’ve already cleaned up everything, but I can make an exception and prepare something for you.”

Adelina shrugged her shoulders and started walking. Rosemarie looked at Heidi, who had remained out of the conversation up until that point, and she looked at her in turn; they both chuckled. She was likely a helpful and caring girl on the inside.

With one of her concerns put behind her, Rosemarie felt a load taken off her shoulders. But as soon as they approached the entrance to the dining hall, Rosemarie was alarmed as she saw Adelina’s head snapping back into weasel form as she walked ahead of her.

“Hey, so, why were you eating by yourself anyway? Where is your husband?”

“Huh? ...Oh, that. Well... I had a bit of a fight with Prince Claudio, and he told me to go on ahead...”

She couldn’t just come out and say that she was having breakfast alone so that she could find the culprit behind the animal carcass dumpings. Rosemarie managed to eke out an excuse after a bit of stammering, which made her fret over whether Adelina was growing suspicious, but the girl just whispered to her in reply.

“Humph, so, the husband leaves his irritating wife to enjoy his meal with another lady.”

Rosemarie looked over to where Adelina jerked her chin to find the strong-willed Princess of Kavan, Suzette, sitting in the usual corner of the dining room—along with Claudio, eating and smiling.

She was so shocked that she couldn’t speak.

(But why? Prince Claudio was supposed to be waiting for me to return back at the room...)

Rosemarie stood in silence as Heidi huddled to her side, her head gradually transforming into that of a black cat.

“Whatever is going through that head of Prince Claudio’s? Here you are, trying your hardest at an unfamiliar task, and there he is doing... well... that! Wait here, princess. I’m going to give him a little piece of my mind!”

Heidi was fuming and ready to go charging in at any moment, but Rosemarie came back to reality and hurriedly held her back before she could.

“Hold on, Heidi. I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical—”

“Your Highness! Thank the stars you’re safe! I lost sight of you and went in search.” Alto’s panicked voice greeted them from the end of the path. Taken aback, she looked in the direction it came from. There she saw the knight’s great antlers and deer head gradually morphing back into human form as he ran up to them.

It had almost slipped her mind that she practically abandoned Alto, who had followed on bodyguard duty, in the dining hall.

“My apologies, Squire Clausen... I neglected to tell you before slipping out the hall.”

“Think nothing of it. You being safe is all that matters. Prince Claudio was also gripped with concern...”

“You mean her husband, sitting over there, partaking in a jovial meal as we speak? Is that what you call gripped with concern, Squire?” Adelina, clearly annoyed, cut into their conversation.

Alto was shocked by the sudden third-party interruption, but he quickly returned his attention to Rosemarie—at which point, his eyes darted around the room in panic.

“That... is a misunderstanding. His Highness was becoming anxious over your status and came here to the dining hall to check on you. Once he realized you weren’t here, he was going to go off in search of you, but he happened to...”

“He happened to run into Princess Suzette, yes?” Rosemarie said, finishing Alto’s sentence, pushing back her confusion and calmly uttering her name. The knight then stood straight in a refined yet humble manner.

“Yes, milady. The Princess of Kavan invited His Highness to partake in a meal with her, and he declined her offer. However, the Princess of Kavan has an... inordinately threatening demeanor, so to speak.”

Rosemarie inferred what Alto was trying to explain to her and looked over at Claudio, Suzette, and his entourage once again. A moment ago, she thought the smile on his face was one of joy, but upon closer inspection, it seemed more pasted-on—a textbook example of a fake smile. However, Edeltraud stood behind him with a slightly stiffer expression than usual.

(Does he think that Princess Suzette is under a spell? If that’s the case...)

Would the spell be broken if she were to touch her like she did with Adelina?

Rosemarie rashly tried to step foot into the dining hall, but Alto circled in front of her to stop her, a stern expression on his face.

“I must ask you to wait. If you were to go over there, I fear it will just add fuel to the fire. You would be far too conspicuous over there. Seeing as how Mage Edeltraud is over there, I would assume worrying is unnecessary.”

“Yes, but...”

It was true, she couldn’t say with any confidence that Suzette wouldn’t start lashing out and making cruel remarks as Adelina did. And while she understood that this was the wrong place completely, even if Edeltraud was standing at the ready in case something happened, the fact that Suzette was sitting right next to Claudio and might be under the influence of magic only made her more uneasy. Not willing to let Rosemarie’s concerns go by the wayside, Adelina quickly raised her hand.

“I am not quite sure what is going on here, but all you need is the Princess of Kavan out of your husband’s hair, right? What if I were to spill some water on the princess’s clothes?”

“You know, I just had the same idea, Adelina. Clever girl.” Heidi signaled her agreement, and the two set off.

“W-Wait, you two. The both of you need to calm down.”

Just as before, Rosemarie hurried to stop them.

“Why? I hate married men who are lovesick over another woman with their wife around, but I also hate girls who try to court a married man when they know their wife is around. It will be fine. It’s just water.” Despite Adelina’s weasel face, Rosemarie could tell that she was smiling wickedly.

“Please, no. You or Heidi could end up getting hurt.” She just couldn’t shake the feeling that interrupting the princess’s time with Claudio would result in her doing something completely unexpected, especially given that she might be under the influence of a spell.

As Rosemarie remained firm and shook her head at the black cat and weasel-headed girls both voicing their displeasure, Alto suddenly gasped in surprise.

“Oh.”

Rosemarie tracked Alto’s slack-jawed gaze. What she saw made her understandably disappointed.

Suzette, sitting next to Claudio, was not only snuggling up to his arm, but also stroking his forehead.

The second she saw that, Rosemarie tossed all of her reservations out the window.

“Princess?”

“Please, wait, Your Highness!”

Heidi’s bewildered cry and Alto’s attempts at stopping Rosemarie fell on deaf ears as she briskly cut into the dining hall and walked up to Claudio’s side.

“—Rosemarie! Where have you been?” Claudio turned around, a look of relief on his face. The nearby Suzette shot an intimidating glare at her as her head instantly changed into a dirty-brown dog’s head.

“Prince Claudio.” She called his name and slowly touched his face. Whether he was holding her hand in order to remove it from him was uncertain, but he released it regardless. Then he started to reach out to Rosemarie—

But Rosemarie delivered a devastating headbutt straight to his prominent forehead.

“Grk...! What do you think you’re—”

Looking at Claudio as she held her spinning head, she saw that he was glaring at her with a combination of anger and astonishment, but she cut him off in mid-sentence.

“...Don’t you dare let her touch your forehead!” she screamed, letting the tears flow freely from her eyes as she turned herself around.

“Wait a second, Rosemarie. My forehead? What are you on about? Hey, wait! Princess Suzette, let go!” Claudio’s flustered-sounding voice got farther away. Was he not following after her because Suzette was being persistent in not letting him go?

Before she realized, she ran past Heidi and Alto and dashed out of the dining hall. Before she could run away, someone grabbed her hand and she quickly tried to wriggle free.

“Let me go!!”

“No, you’ve got to calm yourself. You’re pretty interesting, so I’m going to show you a place where your husband won’t be able to find you for a while,” said a particularly amused-sounding voice. Rosemarie looked in the direction it came from to find the weasel-headed Adelina standing there. Once she laid eyes on that broad smile on hers, she refocused herself, coming back to her senses.

***

Claudio had tried to chase after Rosemarie as she ran away crying without an ounce of honor or shame, but Suzette’s slender arms were wrapped around his waist. He pried her arms off of him and then wrenched one, irritated.

“Enough.” Thinking that this princess was to blame for Rosemarie shedding tears, he couldn’t contain how irritated he was. He wanted to hurry up and get to the bottom of why the ever-docile Rosemarie would act in such a jealous rage.

“I say, Prince Claudio, that does smart.” Even though he had a strong enough grip on her arm to make it turn red, Suzette only grimaced slightly, showing little sign of pain. Something about that unsettled him.

(This isn’t right.)

It was the same when he ran into her at the entrance to the dining hall earlier. Not only did she not budge an inch despite his efforts to shake her off, she pulled his arm with a cackle and invited him to come eat with her. Even the maid that had been attending to her like her shadow looked somewhat off and didn’t show any signs of stopping her mistress.

“Claudio, crowd is odd, too. Making this much noise, but hardly anyone caring,” Edeltraud said vigilantly from behind Claudio.

There was barely anyone left in the dining room, but it wasn’t a small number by any means. But the few who were there hadn’t been paying the scene much attention. There were some among them peeking over in interest now and then, but they were the minority.

(So... the whole place is under a spell.)

The dining hall on the first day they came to the Holy Land was a little livelier. It may had been morning, but there shouldn’t have been so few people. Even if some were cooped up in their rooms, the low number was still abnormal. Now that there was a bit of an uproar, he finally noticed how strangely quiet it was.

“Master Edel, let’s go. I’m worried about Rosemarie.”

Claudio practically thrust Suzette’s arm away and turned around. He heard the girl’s chuckling from behind, but he left the dining hall without once turning around.

***

A strong wind blew up from under the cliff, sending Rosemarie’s hair in all directions.

Keeping it in check, Rosemarie felt the wind for the first time in what seemed like ages, inhaling deeply. The flying squirrel, maintaining its usual post on Rosemarie’s shoulder, desperately held to the base of her neck so that it wouldn’t get blown away.

“Princess! Look at how far you’re able to see here. Doesn’t it just tickle you that there’s so much of nothing? Oh! Look at how high the waves are.”

“Heidi, be careful you don’t fall. Squire Clausen, you needn’t mind me; please, take in the scenery,” said Rosemarie to both Heidi, who peered off below the cliff while leaning over the handrail like a child, and Alto, who was standing diligently near the stairs leading down. She then turned around to the Bishop assigned as their caretaker, silently standing behind her.

“Bishop Lancel, I appreciate you bringing us here very much. It has helped calm me down.”

“Think nothing of it. I was curious when Adelina came to me, but I am quite glad that this has settled your nerves.” Ilse’s head wasn’t that of a gray bird today, so his neatly braided hair was visible, not a strand being thrown out of order by the strong winds. Like his hair, his expression remained still and tranquil.

Adelina had offered to show Rosemarie a place where Claudio wouldn’t find her when she ran from him—it was the aboveground portion of the cathedral’s belfry.

However, Adelina said that she couldn’t go because she still had work to attend to, roped in Bishop Ilse from out of nowhere, and let him show the way instead.

(I still would have never guessed that behind those paths, there would be even more paths.)

The thought had never crossed her mind that behind the walls of the complex underground passageways would be even more ant-colony-esque winding passageways. Apparently almost the entire staff of the church used them, which shed some light on how Ilse managed to get to their room so fast when they called for him that morning.

Upon reaching the scenic location through the confusing maze of corridors, she finally realized just how much a breath of fresh air this was after being cooped up stiflingly underground for so long.

The inside of the belfry was devoid of the intricate sculptures and statues that were so common underground. The only exception was the lone hanging bell in the belfry, which had a Hippocampus engraved onto it that was so dynamic it practically looked alive.

“Our rules state that general attendants are not allowed to come up here. The only other person allowed to make their way up here is our bell-ringer, so I assure you that you can rest your weary hearts and enjoy your stay. Although, as your maid has stated, the only thing you can view is the sea,” said Ilse, almost as though he knew how socially awkward she was. That made Rosemarie feel a bit ashamed, but she was grateful nonetheless.

“Oh, no. I’ve never seen the sea before coming to the Holy Land, so it is a welcome change of pace. I can also see myself getting used to its scent.” Inhaling the aroma of the salt water was helping her ground herself even more.

Then, the sudden realization that she’d headbutted Claudio in the dining hall came back to her. She went pale. That little antic was bound to make her fall even more out of favor with Claudio, and she dreaded to think what Suzette might do.

(I ran out of there in a moment of blind passion, but I have to wonder if he is all right... Also, I screamed at him to not let her touch his forehead. What has come over me?)

Even if it were a case of extreme jealousy, what right did she have to be jealous? When it was all said and done, she butted heads with Claudio—quite literally. If she had done it to Suzette instead, it might have at least helped break the spell she was likely under. She wanted to ask Heidi for her bucket back, so she could crawl into a hole with it on. Nevertheless, she disliked Suzette putting her hands all over Claudio.

“Princess Rosemarie, you hail from Volland, correct? I can see why you would come to admire the sea after living amongst primarily pasture and farmland. I was once the same.”

“You were the same? Are you originally from Volland as well, Bishop Lancel?”

“Yes, in my childhood.”

She gasped in surprise. Heidi came over, as if in response to the sound.

“Princess? Is something the matter?”

“Heidi, Bishop Lancel here apparently hails from Volland.”

Heidi gave a gasp herself with eyes widened, and Ilse gave a faint smile.

“I have been many places in my travels, but I was never more enthralled than when I first laid eyes on the sea.” Ilse smiled comfortably as he waxed nostalgic. Rosemarie also found herself pleased, as nostalgia for their shared homeland welled from inside her.

“Have you been in the Holy Land long?”

“No, I arrived here a year or so ago. I was called forth because of the lack of available hands at the Sacred Relic Worship last year. After which, they graciously allowed me the privilege of serving here.” He seemed so acclimated to the way of things here, Rosemarie would never have guessed he was only a year into his stay. That was probably a testament to how capable he was.

(Still, if he’s been a year, that would be around the time people here started drinking the holy water... right?)

The events lined up rather mysteriously. She knew something had happened, but what was it?

As she pondered tangentially, she realized that she had finally calmed herself down. Her thoughts turned to concern over having left Claudio the way she did.

As though guessing what she was thinking, Ilse suggested that they all return. He started walking from his position near the descending staircase. She started to follow him down the stairs, but was stopped by a whisper in her ear from the bishop.

“A falling-out with Prince Claudio right now is dangerous. These lands are cursed.”

She looked in his direction in shock, but by the time she did, he was already descending the staircase. The back of his head didn’t sport the gray bird’s unique plumage... which meant he was speaking the truth. The word “cursed” made her feel as though a cold breeze was blowing across her spine.

It left her guessing about how much Ilse really knew and whether it was a good idea to press for answers right here and now.

While she was left guessing, however, she caught sight of someone preparing to come up the staircase from the lower floor. The person ascending this spiral staircase, which was smaller than the one used to descend into the cathedral, was a member of clergy; Rosemarie pieced together that it was most likely the one assigned as the midday bell-ringer.

The bell-ringer seemed surprised to see Rosemarie and the others descending. But upon looking Ilse in the eye, he reserved his comments, gave a curt bow of his head, and started his climb up the stairs.

As she watched him ascend, she caught a glimpse of the Hippocampus-engraved bell.

With the midday bell’s toll sending them off from behind, Rosemarie descended the spiral staircase, lost in thought.