Chapter 3: Newly-Wed Life is Tumultuous

Chapter 3: Newlywed Life is Tumultuous

“Heidi, I think that, right now, I’m blessed,” Rosemarie whispered in earnest, overlooking the gardens from her third-floor chamber window.

The dazzling early summer sunlight shone upon the courtyard, which was beautifully abundant with an assortment of multicolored roses. Come nightfall, they would be illuminated by the moonlight, bathing the garden in an atmosphere of fantasy. She’d never seen a flower garden like this in Volland. She could stare at it all day and never grow weary of it.

“Even though the prince has ignored you for going on seven days since the wedding, milady?!” Heidi, who had been readying tea right by Rosemarie’s side, stomped her foot with a bam, not even attempting to hide her irritation. As she did, a pair of adorable black cat ears popped up on her head. A pink nose and large green eyes followed, turning Heidi’s head into that of a rather beautiful feline.

Rosemarie had her breath taken away for just a second before she let out a small, reluctant laugh. Her transformation wasn’t all that scary, seeing as how she knew the exact reasons behind Heidi’s anger in this case.

“The prince is a busy man.”

“But his room is just next door to this one. Just next door! No matter how busy he may be, I think that the least he could do is say hello to you.” Despite her huffiness, the cat-headed Heidi skillfully brewed Rosemarie’s tea. The princess took the cup, letting out a deep sigh internally.

(Still, he could just keep on leaving me alone...)

She still hadn’t fully digested the shocking confession from their wedding night, and she’d spent the past few days in a haze. Claudio, meanwhile, had not looked in on her even once. Life had been so tranquil, it made her wonder if the whole thing had been a dream. Initially, her blood curdled at the thought of what he might put her through. But now, that feeling had begun to wither away.

“But he always sends all sorts of gifts, so it seems like he hasn’t forgotten about me...”

“‘He hasn’t forgotten about you’...? Your Highness... no, Lady Rosemarie? You are newlyweds. Not coming to see his new wife is quite dubious. What if you discover he’s been out on late-night jaunts or something of the sort?”

“Late-night jaunts?”

“Yes, you know. Gallivanting? Making merry in the wee hours? In other words, cheating. That is deplorable for a fresh newlywed, don’t you think?”

“...Y-Yes, right.” She averted her eyes awkwardly as Heidi pressed close to her. The maid’s straight cat whiskers grazed Rosemarie’s cheek, causing her to back down a little.

(If I told her the truth, she just might strangle the prince...)

To Claudio, Rosemarie wasn’t so much his new bride as his mana vault. It was abundantly clear from that nickname that he didn’t view her as a person. While she couldn’t do anything about him not liking her, she wished that he would at least grant her that kindness.

“Even so, let’s think things through. If the prince doesn’t visit me, I can live pretty freely, all things considered. And while I may not be able to leave the room without his permissions, I don’t mind not having to see people. If anything, it’s a welcome improvement. And there have yet to be any talks about my official duties as the wife of the Crown Prince, so I’ve not had my nerves keeping me awake at night. So, yes, that’s why I said that I think I’m blessed.”

“Lady Rosemarie, that is not being blessed on any level...” Heidi’s face reverted back to human form with a sigh and a slump of her shoulders. Rosemarie saw this from the corner of her eye and happily put her lips to her cup.

“Oh? But you yourself said that all that matters is that I’m happy. I really don’t feel constrained or anything like that. Though... Oh, but that rose garden down there has my interest a tad.”

“Why not try inviting the prince? I’m sure then—”

“No, that wasn’t what I was getting at. I was hoping he’d let me have some of the roses to raise in my room. I also want to use Hanna, since I haven’t had a chance to in quite some time.” She lifted a trowel from the desk, gazing spellbound at its sharp silver sheen. The area around her was lined with gardening tools—her trusty bucket, of course, as well as a watering can and shears. All of them showed signs of frequent use, but were well-maintained and free of grime.

That was a result of Rosemarie polishing them almost every day. Maintenance time was the most enjoyable time to her—she became engrossed, freeing her mind of thought.

“...Oh, this time you’ve given the trowel a name, have you? I beg of you, please do not let the prince see you admiring a bunch of gardening tools. Please?” Heidi placed her hand on her cheek in dismay and sighed. That was when it happened.

“There she is. The Volland princess.” Suddenly, a somewhat sleepy-sounding whisper met her ears. Rosemarie came back to her senses after staring at her trowel in a trance. Once she did, she found herself floating in mid-air.

“—?!”

“Princess!”

Her feet weren’t touching the floor.

As Rosemarie struggled in the air in attempts to fix her balance, she realized that the same gloomy sorcerer she saw at the wedding had suddenly appeared near the window. Because of their oversized hood, she couldn’t see their face, and with black gloves covering their hands, she couldn’t make out their age or gender.

“Claudio. Bad condition. Come.” The sorcerer conveyed their message in broken speech and drew a circle in the air with one finger. Before Rosemarie knew it, she was bottled up in what seemed to be a glass orb.

“Princess?! Lady Rosemarie!” Heidi’s face was wracked with panic as she desperately pounded at the surface of the glass orb. It was to no avail, however, as it did not crack.

“U-Um, excuse me! Where are you...” She heard Claudio’s name mentioned right before she was bottled up. She wasn’t panicking like Heidi was, but she felt tense all over. Could this be the beginning of the experiments to return Claudio’s mana to him?

The sorcerer didn’t turn around to answer Rosemarie’s question, instead murmuring something at the flustered Heidi. At their words, she fell limply to the floor.

“Heidi!” She tried reaching out to her now incapacitated maid, but her hand was stopped from going any further by the glass. Frustrated at the situation, she felt herself begin to bob along in the orb after the sorcerer.

“What did you do to Heid... Wait just a second here. This is the third floor!”

Perhaps Rosemarie’s pleas to stop didn’t reach their ears. Either way, the sorcerer climbed up on the window’s handrailing and jumped into the air. Likewise, the orb followed, leaping outside. Rosemarie held back her urge to scream and shut her eyes tight.

(O God, Father, Mother, Elder Sister, Charlotte...!)

She was still holding the trowel she’d been examining just before she was ensnared in the orb, and she squeezed her hands around it for dear life. She was on a collision course with the ground. But just when she should have felt a tremendous impact, she felt... almost nothing. Rosemarie then slowly opened her eyes.

The rose garden that she had been overlooking just a moment ago from her chamber window expanded before her very eyes. The roses were in full bloom, cascading like a flood of color. However, most likely because she was being obstructed by the glass orb, she wasn’t able to take in their scent.

(I-I thought I was going to die there, but...)

Her tensed shoulders went weak. Her knees had probably gone weak as well. As she tried to lift her exhausted body to its feet, she saw the sorcerer, who had jumped safely down to the ground despite the three-floor drop, starting to walk without so much as turning back in her direction.

“You must be Mage Edeltraud, yes? Um, where are we... um, could you please listen?” Assuming they were the Archmagus Claudio had mentioned as one of his confidants, she timidly tried to get their attention. They didn’t look her way at all. And it was only a matter of time before her voice stuck in her throat.

The sorcerer had stepped into the royal castle.

(Eeeek! Wait, I can’t do this! Please, let me go back to my room...! No! At least give me my bucket!)

The sorcerer walked without an ounce of hesitation between the officials, knights, court ladies, and the aristocrats in service that all traversed the corridor—all the while with the glass orb holding Rosemarie in tow behind them.

This had turned into a total carnival exhibit.

Rosemarie was feeling a mix of embarrassment and fear, making her feel numb inside. She covered her face, which was somehow hot despite her going pale as a sheet, and contracted her body like a hibernating bear.

Rosemarie thought that this torture would last forever, but fortunately it wasn’t long before it came to an end.

“Mage Edeltraud! What in blazes are you doing?!” From the sorcerer’s destination, the sound of a young man echoed loud and clear over the clamor of the castle. She slowly peeked through the spaces between her fingers just in time to see a deer-headed knight with fine horns angrily coming their way.

“Move, Alto Clausen.”

“I will not. What are you doing bringing Her Highness here in such a manner? Please, I implore you to dispel your magic at once.” The deer-headed knight named Alto stared firmly, not giving in to the deadpan sorcerer.

(Alto Clausen? As in, Squire Alto Clausen? The Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard that the prince mentioned?)

Rosemarie stared fearfully at the deer-headed knight, her vision blurry from the film of tears in her eyes. The sorcerer—Edeltraud—gave a leisurely shake of the head.

“Can’t. Taking her to Claudio. Need Volland’s princess now. For Claudio.”

“For His Highness? —Oh, it slipped my mind! A thousand apologies. Well, then, shall we hurry on along?” As soon as he heard that it was “for Claudio,” his deer face started to flex and warp. Rosemarie averted her eyes, then turned back to see a human-faced knight with dark brown hair combed to the back, standing there with a dauntless expression. This knight, with his dark blue-tinged eyes and his steadfast persona, was someone that she remembered seeing often by Claudio’s side over the past three months during their engagement.

The knight’s 180 from challenging Edeltraud to siding with them had been all too fast, and Rosemarie waited on the results with bated breath. She felt herself go limp as she once again covered her face and dropped to her knees.

(Oh, for Heaven’s sake. The prince’s entourage is slightly off their rocker.)

Whether it was the clergyman Fritz who came dropping down from the ceiling the other day, this sorcerer, or that knight over there—they all made Claudio seem charming by comparison.

As Rosemarie sat there recalling Claudio enraged, the clamor around her suddenly came to a halt.

“Alto, I sent you to go see what the commotion was about... So, tell me. What is the meaning of this? Master Edel, I ask you the same. What are you doing?” Rosemarie heard a rigid, deep voice that she hadn’t heard in quite some time, and she felt that she had been saved.

It seemed that the suspicious, interested gazes stabbing into her from passers-by had somewhat diminished.

As Rosemarie kept hiding her face and her tears of relief, the glass she was in poofed out of existence without any warning. The trowel that was bottled up with her fell to the ground with a light clank.

“Huh...?” She was overcome with a floating sensation that filled her core with dread.

“Delivery,” Edeltraud said in an emotionless tone. As soon as Rosemarie heard them, she felt someone’s arms catch her fall.

When she slowly opened her eyes, Rosemarie found herself in the arms of the black-haired crown prince as he casually stared at her. His complexion seemed even worse than when she saw him seven days ago.

“...”

“...H-Hello, s-so very nice to see you after so... long?” Rosemarie stammered out a whispered greeting as Claudio stood in overwhelming silence. He blinked once, then slowly curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

“Yes, my sincere apologies. I was so busy that I neglected you for quite some time. Not being able to see you made my lonesome heart ache.” Her pulse skipped a beat at his words, but she soon reassessed.

(He doesn’t mean any of this literally. It’s all an act. Just an act. He dislikes me, and there are people watching, after all.)

Even though she knew no amount of internal anger would cause her to see Claudio with a beast head, hearing him deliver those lines through human lips made her almost accidentally believe them.

“I was just in the middle of taking a little breather. If you would not mind my office as the setting, how about we partake in a cup of tea together?”

“Huh? No way...! Um, no, I mean, yes, I would like to partake. I would love to, in fact!”

She nearly made the truth known. But when confronted with his broad, threatening smile, she quickly varnished over her slip of the tongue. Claudio grimaced ever so slightly at the knee-jerk reply he was given, but he promptly started to walk on with Rosemarie still clutched in his arms. Alto and Edeltraud followed close behind.

“Um, sorry, but could you please let me down?”

All of the passers-by made way for Claudio, bowing their heads. As they stepped away, she caught their looks of shock mixed with the occasional tepid stare. It made her uncomfortable. She tried to move her legs in attempts to get down, but Claudio hugged her even tighter.

“Am I not permitted to bask in the joy of carrying your delicate frame in my arms, my dear?” The heart-wrenching expression on his face quickened Rosemarie’s pulse and heated up her cheeks once more.

(—I want to run back to my room and crawl underneath my bed...)

That is the only thing Rosemarie wished for as she continued to deliver a stiff, awkward smile.

***

Once the heavy door emblazoned with the Silver Lion was opened, they were met with the smell of ink.

In the office, there was a sturdy-looking desk that had years of usage behind it. The walls were lined with bookshelves. There was also a desk and sofa for visitors. They weren’t much different from the ones that were in her father’s royal office in Volland, but they reminded Rosemarie of home. As she was stuck in nostalgia, Claudio abruptly let out a deep sigh.

“God, you’re heavy.” As soon as she heard those words come from his mouth, Claudio suddenly let his arms go loose.

“Huh?!”

“Your Majesty?!”

While her body froze from the unexpected act, Alto, who had opened the door, rushed to catch her.

“Are you safe, milady?!”

Rosemarie awkwardly nodded in reply as her pulse beat viciously. In response, Alto let out a huge sigh of what seemed to be relief. Alto’s beast head had returned just after the fall, and he shot a critical glare at Claudio with a pair of deer eyes.

“Your Highness! What is it that you think you’re doing?!”

“Don’t shout like that, Alto. You’re making my ears ring.”

“Yes, a thousand apologies, but, sir—” Alto carefully put Rosemarie down. She sank to the floor, watching Alto from the corner of her eye as he fussed at Claudio.

(T-That made my heart jump... I never would have guessed he would just let me go like that...)

She was at least somewhat prepared when Edeltraud had dropped her from the third-floor window, because that came with the obvious expectation of falling. But getting the same treatment here, with no forewarning, was especially bad for her heart.

“All that aside, Master Edel. Why did you bring that with you? I am right in the middle of regulation and preparation work for the Imperial Bout. Experimentation to retrieve my magic will have to wait until after.” Having half-listened Alto’s complaints, Claudio sat at his desk, his lack of enthusiasm evident.

(“That”...? He really is treating me as a mana vault.)

As she convinced herself there was nothing really she could do about that, she saw the sorcerer’s gaze glide lazily from the books on the bookshelves to her.

“Seem to be in bad condition, so keep Volland princess by side. Sure it will heal you.”

“Heal me? This princess will only steal mana, not heal.”

“True, but not true. You must have noticed. Volland princess came, you weren’t bedridden once leading up to day of wedding. Body felt better, didn’t it?”

Edeltraud’s statements caused Claudio’s expression to turn bitter. Rosemarie took a good look and noticed that not only was it exuding fatigue, but that slight bags had formed under his eyes.

—That very Seed of Mana-Sealing is why His Highness’s life is in danger.

Fritz’s words from the night of the wedding popped into her head. Although the details were left fuzzy, it was more than likely that this was a matter of grave importance.

Rosemarie sat there and pondered until Alto, who had given up remonstrating Claudio, extended his hand toward her. His head had reverted back into human form, but his hand coming into view still caused her to jump slightly.

“You must excuse the crass remarks and behavior of His Highness. He has not always been like this.”

“N-No, I can understand his frustration, so... Oh, I’ll be fine. I can stand on my own. That aside, if that, um, Seed of Mana-Sealing is harming the prince’s body, should we not just have it removed?” She meekly refused the helping hand up and rose to her feet, looking over to Claudio with a look of consideration. Her husband and the sorcerer were still exchanging words. Alto dropped his brows, looking slightly helpless.

“Yes, about that, you see—”

“Seed of Mana-Sealing. A punishment for serious criminals. Once drunk, can’t remove it until you die.” The troubling words spoken in the sorcerer’s sleepy voice cut into their conversation, startling Rosemarie.

“Long ago, used on sorcerers that committed crimes. With no mana, sorcerers can’t do anything.” Even though the sorcerer wasn’t that physically tall, they held an oddly intimidating aura, which made Rosemarie shrink back without even noticing. Their expression was a mystery, as the hood of their cloak covered half their face. It may have been no worse than the times Rosemarie saw people with beast heads, but the lack of emotion in the sorcerer’s voice made them seem that much more enigmatic.

“You’re wondering why they’d use something so dangerous. Right?”

“—Y-Yes,” she said, nodding her head timidly in response. Claudio put a hand to his forehead, furrowing his brow.

“I think I made mention of it before, but it was because my mana was far too great and couldn’t be contained. And it would be impossible for that mana to be expended conventionally. Mana, like blood, circulates perpetually through one’s body.” It has been said that the mana that pours from one’s heart is linked to your lifeforce as well. This was also apparently why sorcerers were believed to live longer than normal humans.

“Yes, nevertheless? I had my mana stolen. Now that the Seed of Mana-Sealing has had its mana supply cut off, it’s morphed my head into a lion, and it’s stealing my vitality—both things that no one could have foreseen.”

Rosemarie chewed on her lip as intense guilt constricted her chest. It was no small wonder why he called her the “main culprit” behind all this.

“My body is gradually withering away, and I don’t know what will happen hereafter. —Aah, right. If I die soon, then you can return to Volland, huh?”

“I... would never...”

As Claudio delivered a mean-spirited grin with his arm on the desk propping his head up, Rosemarie could see how pale he looked... and it wasn’t just because of the backlighting from the window. She was pensive, thinking that he might collapse at any moment. He must not have known how woeful his weak smile was. It made her want to cry.

“Mm-hmm, that’s why I brought Volland princess. Princess is bundle of mana. Source. Certain that her being by side was why condition improved. You realize that as well. That’s why...” The sorcerer spoke with amusement, their words resembling song lyrics more than sentences, as they took a seat atop the desk. Then they pointed their gloved finger at Rosemarie. At the sight of that motion, she put up her guard, remembering that this same sorcerer had held her in a glass prison not long ago.

“Just always keep Volland princess in arms. Headache you have now will go away quick.”

The wild remark caused Rosemarie’s eyes to bulge in shock. Alto, who had stepped back to the side of the door, could be heard choking on his breath.

“Mage Edeltraud, that would be a little... problematic...”

“Why? Claudio’s condition improves, mana probably returns little by little, Volland princess never gets lonely, I’ll be glad that disciple gets healthy. See? Everyone’s happy.” The hooded head tilted slowly. Rosemarie grasped onto her skirt in a flustered panic.

(Well, I’m not happy, at the very least! In his arms? Always? Even during official work?)

Not only would she be exposed to the gazes of scores of people, but the odds of her having to watch people morph into beasts before her eyes would be greatly increased. That was no laughing matter.

Her thoughts were spinning so much it was making her dizzy. She stared pleadingly at Claudio. He pursed his lips, seemingly at conflict with himself, before eventually and reluctantly opening his mouth.

“—Fine.”

“Pardon?!” Rosemarie and Alto’s exclamations both perfectly overlapped one another. While somewhat relieved she had someone backing her corner in all this, Rosemarie desperately leaned forward toward the office desk.

“I am not lonely at all. And, um, it would be better if you were to neglect me. If you told me not to leave my room, I would happily stay locked in there forever. I am perfectly fine with not having free rein to leave. In fact, that way puts my heart at ease. I welcome it with open arms. I beseech you. Please reconsider.”

“That is right, Your Highness! If rumor spreads that you’ve lost your will because of being wed to Her Highness, then it will tarnish your valiant and courageous name as Captain of the Imperial Guard. I implore you to reconsider!”

With both Rosemarie and Alto pressing near, Claudio put his hand across his face, covering one eye, before letting out a very languid sigh.

“I thought I told you not to shout, Alto. I will admit that I had been improving for a while, but I have no intention of implementing Master Edel’s plan so easily. —I’m just saying it might have merit to try it out.”

Under the sharp gaze of Claudio’s unobscured eye, Rosemarie started to sink back from the desk she had lurched over in dismay. Claudio then grabbed one of her arms.

“You’re going to stay right by my side for a few hours until it’s time for dinner. If my headache improves before then, I’m going to have you follow me around starting tomorrow.” That news coupled with that haughty smile sent Rosemarie’s body into a shivering fit.

“But many people come in and out of this office, correct? I’m afraid I cannot. I feel that I will not be able to bear it...”

“You were fine during the wedding, weren’t you?”

“I was only fine because I was preoccupied with you, Prince. Oh, if I could possibly stay hidden underneath your desk, then... May we go with that option instead?” She looked at Claudio, clearly pleased with her idea, but his expression only grew sterner.

“That obviously fails as an option. Do you even know what you’re saying? As a matter of fact, you were saying some crazy things a second ago as well. All this being ‘perfectly fine to not have free rein’ and whatnot.”

Rosemarie’s pleas were flat-out denied, finally putting her in a corner. There was no way out of this. She pleadingly stared at Claudio as a last-ditch effort.

“Um, in that case, may I wear a bucket on my head...?”

“May you what?”

Claudio stared at her as if he were looking at something bizarre. Back to her senses, all Rosemarie could hope to accomplish was awkwardly turning her eyes away.

***

The crown prince’s royal office on that day was wrapped in an abnormal aura.

All of the officials, chamberlains, and even the court ladies that were coming in and out of the office tried to avoid looking. On top of that, the sight was bewildering all of the strangers to the office as well.

“—And as for this case here...”

“Ah, yes, this will be rejected. Attach some more worthwhile materials and bring it back. That irrigation works inspection schedule needs adjusting.”

“Very well. —Also, there is...”

As Claudio and an official shared a conversation right next to her, Rosemarie pulled inward and simply prayed that time would pass by faster.

The official’s occasional concerned glances as she sat on the sofa snuggled up to Claudio’s side hurt her soul. She had the undeniably strong urge to run away from it all. However, while they may have been suspicious, they weren’t being ill-spirited about it. The fact that there was no beast head was her only saving grace.

(I’m getting in the way of his work. I’m sorry... Just imagine that I’m a tree or a rock so that—)

Maybe it was because she was inadvertently attempting to pull herself away as she desperately tried to mentally vindicate herself, but Claudio’s arm wrapped around Rosemarie’s waist pulled her back to position.

It was an act that was less embarrassing and more—well, painful. No matter how physically ill he may have been, he was still the best warrior in and out of the country. He would easily crush her and her exercise-deprived body.

“Um, Prince...” Although she felt guilty for interrupting him, she softly called out to him. Claudio didn’t turn toward her call—perhaps not hearing her or maybe even just ignoring her. She lightly tugged at the corner of his jacket reluctantly, making the official standing in front of them clear their throat in a forced manner.

“Your Highness, I shall forward these documents to each department. In the meantime, I would appreciate if you looked over these and give your signature. That will mostly conclude today’s scheduled business.” That was all the official said before leaving in a rush, their face flushed for some reason.

Once the door was shut, Rosemarie and Claudio were the only people left in the office, which was his cue to scowl angrily at the girl.

“What do you think you’re doing? Don’t interrupt official business.”

“I’m so sorry! But, um, your grip is hurting me, so I...” She tried to make an appeal timidly despite going pale in the face, to which Claudio only furrowed his brow in response.

“It was because you tried to get away. This is the only way I can make sure of the results in a short time frame. Just deal with it. Trust me, I’m not enjoying this any more than you are.”

“...Okay.”

Claudio’s reasonable argument knocked the wind out of her sails, and she nervously huddled herself close. Claudio scornfully humphed and started scanning the documents left by the official. Nevertheless, he loosened his death-grip on her, most likely because she moved in willingly.

Silence then fell over the room. The sound of pages flipping echoed throughout the room, and Rosemarie let out a silent sigh.

(I wonder how Heidi is doing...)

She asked Archmagus Edeltraud, and found that Heidi was simply put to sleep. She would likely be worried when she woke up, so Alto had apparently gone to inform her of Rosemarie’s whereabouts.

The sorcerer—the perpetrator that put Heidi to sleep and created this predicament had wandered off somewhere else once they saw that their wild plan was being put into practice. They were the epitome of a carefree mage.

Claudio suddenly let out a tiny sigh. Rosemarie looked in that direction to see him in the middle of putting his signature to a document, having probably just finished scanning over it. She then stared intently at his side profile.

(Such a serious face. He is always so displeased around me, though...)

That didn’t seem to be the case while he was working. His serious expression, brow no longer furrowed, added an even greater sense of strength to his already powerful features. This was something that other people’s eyes couldn’t see. Knowing what a disadvantage that alone was for him filled her with guilt.

“What is it this time?” Claudio asked, his tone annoyed, as he blotted the excess ink off his freshly-written signature. He was probably growing weary of Rosemarie staring a hole into him.

“Erm, so, uh, might I ask if your headache has cleared up?”

“—Wouldn’t it be in your best interests if it hasn’t cleared up?” Claudio said, grabbing a different document without so much as looking at her. Rosemarie blinked in response.

(He was being sarcastic... I take it? I can’t quite tell considering his face is still the same, though... I would hate being forced to follow the prince around if it does clear up, but I certainly don’t want to leave him in such poor condition, either.)

She gazed steadily at Claudio’s face, sadness coming over her all the while. His complexion had improved a few degrees, but there was still a thick layer of fatigue, nonetheless.

Suddenly, Rosemarie’s despondent eyes caught Claudio as he was going to take yet another document. She reached out to him in an unconscious effort, and Claudio’s shoulders twitched slightly in response.

“What are you doing? Unhand me.” She was met with his displeased tone and harsh gaze. This snapped her back to her senses, and she realized she had inadvertently held his hand back. Nevertheless, she did not unhand him. His hand, finished with angular yet slender fingers, was far larger than Rosemarie’s resting on it, and seemed ready to swat hers away at any moment. But it didn’t, and Claudio simply scowled at her instead.

“I-I’m sorry, but these documents are not an urgent priority, correct?”

“That has nothing to do with you.” Normally, she would have found herself backing down to his curt and standoffish attitude, but today she was driven by an odd sense of duty.

“It isn’t urgent, then, yes? Even the official earlier said that work for today was over.”

“And so what if it is?”

“I think it would be best for you to get some rest.” Those were the same words she uttered the first time she met him. Watching him try to push himself to do unnecessary work in spite of his poor health was unacceptable to her.

“Your complexion may have improved a tiny bit, but your bags still remain. If you, um, push yourself too hard and make an error in judgment, it could end up spelling disaster, or... I... think... so?” She managed to assert without averting her eyes, despite the fact that she was slightly losing heart due to Claudio’s scowling. He was probably used to hearing this same sound argument from Alto and other concerned people who knew of his situation. Even so, right now, she wanted him to get some rest.

Claudio’s bitter expression lasted for a while, but once he actually did shake off Rosemarie’s hand, he abandoned the documents atop his desk.

“Well, you told me to rest, didn’t you?”

“Y-Yes, I did.”

“Okay, then. I’m done with work for today,” Claudio said, simply nodding. A grin spread across his face as he abruptly tugged the startled Rosemarie closer to himself, then pulled on her arm to bring her to her feet.

“Huh? Um, but I thought you were going to get some rest...?”

“Yes, a rest from work,” he replied in a somewhat amused tone, which finally snapped Rosemarie back to her senses.

(Something is telling me I made a mistake, but, well...)

Rosemarie had the feeling that she might’ve angered him in a way that she shouldn’t have. As she tried to hurry and apologize for her actions, Claudio exited the royal office with her in tow, with her trembling all the while.

“W-Where are we going...?”

“We’re off for a stroll. Going to get a little fresh air.”

Even she could see the stark change in his complexion. Rosemarie tried to throw off Claudio’s arm and return to the office, but—almost as if he’d been prepared for her to try just that—he scooped her up in his arms.

“Um, your headache...”

“Barely any ache left. Too bad for you.” Claudio’s fearless smile made Rosemarie tense all over. Even as they spoke, Claudio continued down the hall of the royal castle without a stop in his gait. In a similar fashion to when she was paraded off to the royal office, inquisitive stares from people laid into them. Rosemarie covered her face with both hands.

(I can’t run away anymore, so at least let me walk on my own two legs... Then again, if he lets me down, I might just sprint to my room...)

While she writhed in shame internally, things started to get brighter around her. The rays of the dazzling early summer sun shone overhead, which meant they must be outside now. At the sounds of clashing metal, she peered through the spaces between her fingers to inspect her surroundings.

(An open square...?) As the somewhat dusty air incited Rosemarie to cough, Claudio finally decided to let her down to the ground. She took a good look around to see several knights engaged in swordplay practice scattered throughout the square.

“Where is this...?”

“The Imperial Guard’s training grounds.”

That reminded her that his knight aide and Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard, Alto Clausen, had referred to Claudio as Captain of the Imperial Guard.

“Your Highness!” Alto emerged from behind the training knights and ran up to them. The sudden call alerted the other knights of Claudio’s visit, putting all eyes in their direction. Upon discerning the situation, the knights put their practice on hold in order to take to knee in reverence. The knights snapped into perfect, straight rows all at once. The sight made Rosemarie huddle against Claudio’s side, half in shock and half in fear.

“No, as you were, men,” Claudio urged with a wave. After a short bow, they resumed their training. Alto remained, his straitlaced expression growing even more earnest as he voiced his concerns.

“Are you feeling any better, sir?”

“Yes, much better. I thought Master Edel was just being eccentric, but it seems they weren’t mistaken,” Claudio responded with a wry smile to the relieved Alto, which caused Rosemarie to widen her eyes.

(That expression is so docile... I never knew he could be so expressive.)

Looking at that face, it became all too clear that all the smiling that he did for her before the wedding was fabricated.

For a moment, Claudio’s uncommonly good-natured expression filled her with relief. Just as she was thinking how nice it would look from the front, Alto smiled pleasantly and said, “All thanks to Her Highness, I see.” Alto’s sudden segue caused a yelp to stick in Rosemarie’s throat.

(Please stop, Squire Clausen! He looks like he’s in such a good mood... Aah, he’s angry now. He is, isn’t he?)

Throwing an impaling stare her way, Rosemarie awkwardly flashed a smile while still cowering in fear.

“Yes, it’s thanks to this. That aside, how is everyone faring?”

“Right, sir. Things among them seem to be faring well. I feel they will be perfectly able to display their prowess in the Imperial Bout as well.”

“All thanks to the Imperial Guard Vice Captain’s rigorous training, no doubt.”

“It being rigorous stands to reason, sir. If you cannot be utilized when the time eventually comes, you are nothing more than dead weight.” As Alto made that bold statement, the soldiers continued their simulated bouts behind him as though they were engaged in real battles. In the mix were some rather rugged-looking men, possibly because many in the Imperial Guard served as bodyguards to aristocrats. Their heads swapped back and forth between beast and human intermittently. Perhaps it was because they were in the heat of battle, or perhaps their obsessive focus on defeating the person in front of them turning into resentment. Either way, there was no sign of the sticky, unpleasant feeling she’d felt at the evening gala.

“—Alto, pass me a sword. I’d like to limber up a tad.” Claudio unexpectedly held out his hand and requested a sword, possibly riled up by spectating the dueling unfolding before him.

Rosemarie stood confounded by the look on Claudio’s face, at once war-hungry and youthfully mischievous. He tried to argue down Alto, who was hesitant to let him take up a sword out of concern for his health, resulting in the prince suddenly walking to the center of the training grounds.

“Anyone will do! So come at me, anyone!” Claudio shouted, prompting burly-sounding clamor to arise from all over the training grounds without a moment’s delay. Within the blink of an eye, the knights had formed a circle around Claudio.

Rosemarie stood in awe at the training session that had then commenced. The knights were charging one at a time from the circle, but they were still coming in a constant wave—all of which Claudio was sidestepping with graceful movements.

Her mind and eyes were captivated by his lively appearance, and by the smile on his lips that made it clear he could hardly contain how much fun he was having.

(He looks like he’s really enjoying this...)

She wasn’t sure if she was taken in by Claudio’s excitement, but as she clasped a hand over her furiously-beating heart, Alto broke the ice from next to her with a question.

“Do you think that His Highness is strong?”

“Y-Yes, I may not know about anything technique-wise, but... I do think that he looks quite strong,” she answered timidly. Alto then smiled triumphantly, his gaze still on Claudio and the others.

“He is strong indeed. He needs to be that way more than anyone else.”

Before she could ask what he meant, Claudio summoned Alto with, “You can come at me, too.” Alto obliged, bowing before jumping into the fray.

Peering at Claudio and Alto’s one-on-one duel, Rosemarie repeated the knight’s words.

(Stronger than anyone else? Why? A crown prince should have other people protecting him, so I don’t think that he needs to be that strong, but...)

This vague frustration was starting to unsettle her heart. As that feeling ran through her, Claudio finished dealing with the line of knights and returned with a delighted smile.

“—I will be watching you all for a little while longer, so go ahead and carry on, men.” Alto bowed, with a short, “Yes, sir!” before going back to the other knights. As Claudio watched him travel back, Rosemarie noticed the sweat trickling down his cheek, and pulled a handkerchief out from her breast pocket. She reached out to apply it to his face, but was interrupted when Claudio tightly grabbed her wrist.

“And what are you doing?” The immediate threat made Rosemarie drop her shoulders. Not an iota of his once cheerful expression remained. Although she understood why he was scowling at her, it still hurt her nonetheless.

“You were sweating, so I thought I would wipe it off...”

“Wipe it off?” Claudio seemed to be baffled by the explanation, but he quickly smirked.

“Oh, I see. I almost forgot that you see my face as a human. So, what? Is your plan to earn my favor? A naive plan, if it is.” After chucking her hand away with a cruel smile, Claudio took a seat on the stairs leading away from the training grounds. Crestfallen, Rosemarie tried to sit on the step behind him.

“Sit here. I can’t reach you if you sit there.”

She picked herself up and sat once again, but this time next to Claudio as instructed. He then proceeded to wrap his arm around her waist and draw her in just like he did back in the office, allowing the faint smell of sweat to grace her nose. She didn’t hate doing this, but not only were they outdoors as opposed to indoors, as well as in front of so many people—albeit none of them paying close attention—this kind of conduct was so embarrassing that she wanted to just run away. Overwhelmed, she looked toward the ground.

“Um, it would seem that your headache has subsided, so I don’t believe I need to be this close for you to...”

“This lets me breathe easier.”

Noticing his tone was devoid of ill-will, Rosemarie stopped mid-sentence. Hearing him say that had made her lose her nerve.

Regardless of how embarrassing she found all this, Claudio probably only saw her as a mana vessel that doubled as a restorative medicine.

(That must be why he is fine with other people’s perceptions on the matter.)

As resentful as he was, Claudio was basically apathetic. It was dubious whether he even knew that Rosemarie was willing to help him.

Did he really plan on carting her around starting tomorrow? At least here at the training grounds she didn’t have to be afraid of possibly seeing that many beast heads, but she knew well that she wasn’t getting off the hook this easily. Since Claudio seemed awfully like the type to never back down once he’d made up his mind, it would likely be impossible to get him to give up on the idea.

(Is there nothing that I can do about this...?)

She looked down vacantly at the stairs while racking her brain—and that was when she felt something lightly tap her shoulder.

“...Huh?” A familiar sight of sleek black hair flew toward Rosemarie’s eyes as she turned them in the direction of the disturbance. On her shoulder, she felt the somber warmth of another. For a moment, she had no idea what had just happened.

What had happened was that Claudio had slumped over onto her shoulder. Rosemarie jolted in surprise, which sent the arm that was wrapped around her waist to drop with a flop.

It seemed, as she had feared, that Claudio’s condition hadn’t improved at all.

(Huh? What? Wait a second.)

Rosemarie tensed up as she heard the prince begin to snore soundly.

How could he sleep so defenselessly in front of the very girl to whom he’d been so cruel, not even allowing her to wipe the sweat from his brow? Or maybe he was so exhausted that he just couldn’t find it in him to care.

She stared at his head as it rocked slightly with each inhale and exhale, and the weight was making her heartbeat go wild for some reason. His black hair grazed past her cheek and tickled it, turning up the heat in her cheeks even more.

(T-This doesn’t look weird from an outside perspective, right? Since he’s technically my husband, it doesn’t look off, right?)

However, at this rate, he’d end up with a cold on top of his already poor health.

“Um, Prince...” Her whispered call wasn’t enough to wake him up, and his head slid down to her lap. The weight slipped from her shoulders to her lap, filling her not so much with shame as with blood-curdling fear.

(Please, wake up! Wait, no, he might kill me if he wakes up. No, in fact, he will definitely spew abuse at me!)

Having someone you hate look at you while your guard is completely down was probably the epitome of disgrace for Claudio.

She moved her hand to shake him awake, then withdrew in a panic. Out of options, she looked around her nervously. She locked eyes with Alto, who had been watching them in shock. She was saved... or so she thought. Her relief was short-lived, as Alto simply shielded his eyes with one arm and trembled slightly as though overcome with emotion. Then he bowed reverently and turned back to his men, who were observing the situation with piqued interest.

“No, please, save me... Please?”

“You know, I don’t have the slightest desire to save you, either.” Rosemarie could hear a snickering voice from behind her. She turned around in a fluster. It was the clergyman with the mole under his eye, Fritz, cheerfully looking at her from above. A stare and a blink was her only response.

“Good afternoon, Your Royal Wifeness. I had been on the search for His Highness, but never did I expect to see him in the midst of unwinding in such grand style.”

“I-It was an act of God!” she screamed without thinking, the less than ideal phrasing escaping her lips at the sight of his suggestive smile. She gasped and shut her mouth. Luckily for her, Claudio had only grimaced slightly when she turned to check on him, but hadn’t woken up. She sighed, patting her chest in relief.

“I’ll tell you, the sight of a sacred beast being embraced by a fair, defenseless maiden would make for one doozy of a painting.”

“... So you see him as a Silver Lion, too, Father Fritz. I had a feeling.” Alto acted in similar manner around him as well, but Fritz was absolutely not afraid of Claudio, and interacted with him casually—casual as casual could be, in fact—so that fact had almost slipped her mind.

“Um, this has always struck me as peculiar, but... why do the people of this country still recognize him as the crown prince even though he’s morphed into this deformed state?” Normally in a situation like this, it seemed no one would bat an eye if he were disinherited.

“Oh, that? You see, since our country’s sacred beast is the Silver Lion, we’ve proclaimed to the masses that he’s its reincarnation. That’s why you’ve got everyone welcoming his presence, albeit fearfully. His Highness is always saying that he who stands at the top must at least be feared.”

“The circumstances would be different if this were a different country.”

“Maybe, but he is actually devoid of mana and he’s deceiving the masses, so he might just get cut off if he keeps this charade up. —Regardless, he sure can sleep, can’t he? It’s been a few years in the making, so I suppose there’s not much we can do about that.”

“A few years in the making? What do you mean by that?” she replied, confused. Fritz’s expression grew a tad dim.

“He never tells any of us any of the specifics, you see, but ever since His Highness was robbed of his mana, he has had great difficulty sleeping.”

Rosemarie’s face tensed up. She was never told of that before. If he had spent years not being able to sleep, it was no wonder he’d built up so much resentment toward her. Feeling all the more guilty, Rosemarie looked down achingly at the napping Claudio’s docile face.

“And that is why Squire Clausen wouldn’t come to help me, then? Come to think of it, he mentioned that he could breathe easier, as well.”

“Ah, then I assume that must mean he was able to go to sleep because you were by his side, holding his mana. So, yeah, given that, would you mind just letting him sleep for a little longer?”

Rosemarie was in mid-nod to Fritz’s request before she gasped in realization.

“That is, if you could provide a way for me to not earn the prince’s ire when he eventually wakes up...”

Fritz, who had been smiling in relief, then averted his eyes, followed by a few steps back.

“Um, well, I’ve got some work to do, see...” A forced smile on his lips, Fritz’s head bent and warped around until it morphed into a fox with a pelt of vivid light orange fur. However, this was no time to be afraid of that.

“Please, don’t lie to me. I beg of you, please, help me. Father Fritz, you said that you would be there if I need to talk about my problems, did you not?”

“No, no, those are two different matters. I’d rather not have His Highness kill me.”

“I feel the same.”

“Um, no, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You are his dear, dear wedded wife, after all!”

“...Mm.” Claudio grumbled slightly, probably due to the shouting. Both of them clammed up immediately. Fritz’s face reverted back to human form as he made a gesture, petting his own head, and then pointed at Claudio.

(He wants me to pet the prince’s head? Huh? Is that a smart idea...?)

She laid a hand gently on his black hair. It felt soft, with just a little bit of bounce to it. As she moved her fingers across his head, the wrinkles in his forehead started to disappear, and his snoring resumed its more peaceful tone.

They both simultaneously sighed in relief. Fritz squinted his brown eyes as he smiled pathetically.

“I had a report for His Highness. But, well, it’s not all that urgent, so I guess I can leave it for later. Besides, I’m too afraid to wake him up now.”

Rosemarie very much wished he would wake Claudio if he had business, but Fritz simply waved his hand and took his leave.

When he was gone, Rosemarie stopped petting Claudio’s hair and gazed at him, sleeping with this docile expression she’d never seen before. She put a hand to her chest.

(If he can sleep on my lap of all people, then I suppose a little longer would do no harm...)

She feared Claudio’s reaction when he awoke. Even so, it felt like she was gaining some valuable experience, which made her happy enough to eke out a smile.

***

The sounds of the pen scribbling echoed abnormally loudly throughout the crown prince’s silent office.

Rosemarie sat on the sofa and looked from afar at Claudio as he signed documents on his desk. He suddenly put his pen down with a clunk, causing her to hold her breath.

(This is so awkward...)

Three days had passed since the day where Claudio had that nap. Claudio had promised Edeltraud he would keep Rosemarie by his side if the headaches subsided, so he’d ordered her to come to his office.

However, for the past few days, Claudio hadn’t clung to her with her arm around her like the first day. Instead, he’d hold her hand for a few hours at a time with an expression that could only be described as reluctant.

(I was worried when he didn’t say anything when he woke up, but...)

At the time, Claudio just seemed shocked that he had fallen asleep. Not addressing Rosemarie at all, he simply ordered Alto to take him to his room, and he didn’t touch upon the subject the day after. It must have been humiliating to Claudio to have fallen asleep next to someone he detested, after all.

That day, she thought she was lucky to have a glimpse into such an invaluable moment, but those feelings had mostly diluted.

Once Rosemarie breathed a little sigh, there was a knocking at the door.

“Enter,” Claudio replied. Through the door came a middle-aged clergyman clad in elegant priest’s garb embroidered with silver thread. Behind him was Fritz, whose meek face made him look like a different person altogether. Claudio grimaced ever so slightly.

“Well, this is quite the rare visit, Archbishop Kastner.”

“I hesitated requesting you leave your work to come all the way out to the church, Prince Claudio,” the clergyman replied with a smile. His calm and composed face suddenly warped. His full head of silvering black hair started to shed, and the pupils of his gentle, squinty eyes morphed into those of a reptile. A bisected snake tongue poked its way out of his mouth, which was now split from the front all the way to his ears. Although his skin was covered in dense scales, parts of him were oozing off him like they were rotting. But for some reason, this only occurred on the right side of his face, while the other retained its gentle looks.

“...!!” Those vertical pupils glanced at Rosemarie, and she covered her mouth in attempts to stifle her incoming scream of terror.

(What is that? Why isn’t he a full beast head?)

She had never once seen a case of only half of a person’s face changing like that. With him in that state, he practically looked like a monster. Though the deformities were similar to Claudio’s, the prince’s were an even balance of lion and ram. So this was all the more terrifying.

Frantically trying to contain her urge to flee, she squeezed her hands in her lap. The Archbishop passed wordlessly past Rosemarie, seated on the couch, and stood before Claudio at his desk.

“I am here about tomorrow’s Imperial Bout. I have heard that you shall not be participating this time around.”

“Oh, it’s about that, is it? Yes, His Majesty instructed me to abstain. He said it wouldn’t be entertaining for me to compete since it’s obvious I’d win.”

“His Majesty’s order... So, I see. Actually, His Eminence the Cardinal has come from the Holy Land with high hopes of seeing your bout, Prince Claudio.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but if you’ve come to try to convince me directly to compete, you’re barking up the wrong tree. You should try His Majesty.” Claudio spoke bluntly, as if to drive the Archbishop away, and picked up a document to signal the end of the discussion. However, Kastner didn’t back down, smiling slightly wryly.

“I see. Understood, then. I shall go and consult His Majesty instead. After all, I’m sure Your Highness would love to show off your skill to the Princess.”

Rosemarie shivered at her introduction into the conversation, a cold sweat running down her spine. She felt his eyes upon her, but fear had contracted her throat, making her unable to utter a word.

“Not quite. The princess is from the pacifist nation of Volland. I wouldn’t want to expose her to combat and fall out of her favor. Besides, the paladins of the state church would be more appealing and worth watching.”

“Oh, no. She was able to marry you, Prince Claudio, so her heart must be strong indeed. I shall go to beseech His Majesty, as insolent as it may be, in order to see you put your magnificent skills on display, Prince Claudio.” Without complying to Claudio’s reasoning, Kastner smiled calmly and left the office, not once glancing at Rosemarie.

As soon as the Archbishop was out of sight, Rosemarie unraveled from her tension, lurched her body forward, and covered her head. She couldn’t stop her fingers from trembling like mad.

(What... even was that? Honestly, it was terrible...)

Ever since she started staying in Claudio’s office more, she had managed to endure seeing visitors with beast heads. But she couldn’t handle that monstrous form.

“Hey, are you listening?” Claudio’s ill-tempered question snapped her back to reality. Gradually lifting her head, she saw Claudio glaring at her in suspicion while still sitting at his desk. He had apparently been calling out to her repeatedly now.

“I asked you, what did you see him as?”

“... One half of his face was a decaying lizard. The other half was... human.” She found the remaining human half more repulsive than the lizard half.

“I see. That is quite the fitting form,” Claudio said with a scoffing grin.

“The Archbishop... do you have something against him?”

“No clue. At the very least, that one has been challenging me. To the state church, this disfigured form could be considered heretical.” Even so, she had never seen that level of malice. It would have been far better if he’d had a standard beast head like everyone else. Bringing it back to mind sent her into a wave of shivers.

“Nevertheless, things have gotten quite cumbersome. That one will definitely convince His Majesty.” Claudio tensed his brow in a wholeheartedly unamused manner.

“Do you not want to compete in the Imperial Bout?”

“Have you forgotten how I look? No one would be so foolish as to make a spectacle of themselves in such a way. Plus, the Cardinal would be in attendance. It would practically be suicide.”

“...Ah, yes, you’re right.” A lion-headed prince fighting would indeed have made for a good attraction. She had asked the wrong question. Regardless, since it seemed as though he entered last year, he might have been thinking of it as official business.

“I went through the effort to have His Majesty issue orders to keep me from competing, but where did he overhear any of that...?”

“His Majesty... I assume that he thinks the world of you, Prince.” Deformed as his son may have been, he was still his precious child. That fact somewhat warmed her heart, but Claudio looked baffled.

“Were you listening to what I was saying? I went to His Majesty to request that he give orders to bar me from participating. It wasn’t a conscious decision by His Majesty himself. He’s never coddled or treated me special. But, by the same token, he’s never challenged me, either. And besides, this was never about him ‘thinking the world of me’ to begin with.”

“Oh, is that so...? But if he did not think the world of you, he wouldn’t have approved of you withdrawing from something that you’ve been entering yearly, right?” She stared at Claudio, watching the wrinkles on his forehead slowly start to diminish. Perhaps it was because he’d never considered that, but his slightly befuddled expression filled Rosemarie with delight. Her lips curled into a smile. That brought Claudio back to his senses, and a faint blush formed on his cheeks.

“And just what is so funny? You have that naive look on your face. —At any rate, if I participate, then it will serve as a diversion in and out of the country. Thinking about it, this is just what I needed.” Despite the disparaging remarks, Claudio forcibly changed the subject, perhaps in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. That helped soothe Rosemarie’s heart, but a wave of concern suddenly came over her.

“Um, but, are you in the condition to do so? It’s just, you seemed to be lacking so much stamina that you’re falling asleep at the training grounds...” she nervously inquired, and Claudio pursed his lips in response. The fact that he was giving her a serious look, rather than a scowl, made it hard to tell if he was angry at her. She smiled just to be safe.

When she did, Claudio flashed a broad, suggestive smile of his own.

“Right, about that. You’re going to be helping me with that.” That smile had some unsettling implications behind it. But a new visitor knocked on the door before she could pursue it, so the opportunity was lost.

***

She questioned if she was having a nightmare of her wedding day.

Claudio was seated on the bed before Rosemarie, the picture of composure, and she felt the desire to put her bucket right over her head.

“Um, may I ask why you are in my room?”

“Because I’m going to be sleeping in here, obviously. I told you that you’re going to be helping me.” That afternoon after the Archbishop’s visit, just as Claudio had predicted, he was informed that he was cleared for participation in the Imperial Bout from King Baltzar. He may have been purporting it would be a spectacle, but he may have been hiding a desire to participate all along. Claudio had finished his work and seemed to be in good spirits when Rosemarie left him. But after her usual evening meal and bath, he made an unexpected visit around the time she was preparing for bed.

Heidi, unaware of the entire situation, seemed to be conflicted between being delighted and being resentful. Either way, the fact that she was turning into a black cat was leaving an impression.

“After all, it would appear that I can sleep when you are around. You’re going to help me for the sake of my health,” Claudio declared in a refreshingly clear manner. Rosemarie covered her flushed face with both hands in reaction—perhaps seeing the writing on the wall. This was a terrible form of harassment.

(Well, of course, this is a life-or-death situation to the prince. But as a trade-off... I might be the one with problems sleeping instead...)

Claudio reeled her in by the arm, and she nervously climbed into bed. She figured it was because the bed they were in was meant for two, but as she lay there with a warm hand grasping her own, it didn’t really feel as though he was nearby. Even so, she wasn’t getting drowsy in the slightest. Slowly parting her eyes halfway and looking to her side, she found Claudio with his eyes shut tight. Partially thanks to the dimly-lit room, the shadows cast over his face made her vaguely worried as to whether or not he was alive. She stared at him, worried that he might not be breathing. Just as she saw Claudio’s brow furrow up, he slowly opened his eyes.

“Is my face that uncommon to you? You sure are staring at it like it is.”

“No, um, ‘uncommon’ is not the word... I was just somewhat concerned as to your complexion. Also, the fact that I do not see you with a beast head has been a marvel to me.” For someone who had always had ill-will manifest itself in visible form, she couldn’t help but marvel. Just being able to see an expression with an abundance of human emotions was invaluable.

“A marvel, eh? —I have to wonder how you see my real face through your eyes.” Claudio squinted as Rosemarie tilted her head in response.

“Your face does not look human even to yourself?”

“No, it doesn’t, and it doesn’t have the feel of human skin if I touch it, either. It’s virtually the same texture as a beast,” Claudio said, smiling sarcastically.

Looking at his untidy appearance, Rosemarie reached the tip of her finger over to Claudio’s cheek without thinking. While it was a little low in temperature and chilly, she felt smooth human skin.

“I can see your face as human. You also have the proper texture of human skin. Prince, you are no beast.” If Claudio’s head turned into the sacred beast’s seven years ago, he would have still been a child then. If she had been the one feared by all around her since then, she would have gone absolutely mad.

Claudio raised his hand unnaturally, probably in an attempt to brush Rosemarie’s away, but it fell back to the bed limply. Even in the faint darkness, she could see glimpses of relief flashing in and out of his blue eyes as they widened in surprise.

(Even though he doesn’t seem like he ever has anything to fear, has that been a concern even for him?)

Claudio didn’t say a word, so Rosemarie started to form words in a fluster.

“Um, but... I’m sorry. I will do my best to not look at you so much.” He likely already had enough people staring at him out of curiosity and fear with his beast head. Add someone he despised into the mix, and there was no doubt he would find the situation even more grating.

“—I’m not telling you to apologize,” Claudio murmured bluntly after a short pause, turning his face away to escape the hand touching his cheek. At the same time, though, he squeezed his hand a little more tightly around hers.

(If so, what did you want me to say?)

Up until now, Rosemarie had discerned whether someone was angry based upon the bestial nature of their heads. She had gotten somewhat used to Claudio and his quick shifts to anger, but she was losing her grip on what to do with regard to his gestures and tone—neither of which held the same resentment as his words.

“Quit observing me and hurry your way to sleep. You’re going to be busy tomorrow, too.”

“Huh? Do you mean I will be filling some sort of role as well?”

“Did I not already tell you?”

“No, I don’t believe I was informed,” she replied, blinking. Claudio then put his unoccupied hand to his forehead and let out a deep sigh.

“Aah, I almost forgot. The word came after you’d left the room, I suppose,” Claudio muttered as if to himself, then glanced at Rosemarie.

“According to tradition, the winner of the Imperial Bout receives a handkerchief belonging to the most important lady in all the land, in lieu of a formal prize.”

“In recognition of their courage, correct?” Even among all the knowledge she’d had crammed into her during her engagement before becoming Crown Princess, this was one tradition she thought especially odd.

“Volland doesn’t have such a tradition, so, it...huh?! No, I couldn’t! I simply couldn’t!” The gist of what Claudio was trying to say dawning upon her, Rosemarie brought the comforter over her head as if trying to flee.

“Who else will do it if you don’t? The Queen Mother has filled that role up until last year, but she is of old age now. This year we have you around, and I received word that she would gladly step down if I am going to be off competing. I’ll ask you one more time: who else will do it if you don’t?”

Her only reply to Claudio’s exasperated question from the other side of her comforter barrier was a violent shake of the head.

If the Queen Mother, Claudio’s grandmother and most important lady in all of the land, was stepping down, duties should have fallen upon the queen. But the queen, Claudio’s mother, had passed away when he was still an infant. Given that, the duties would inevitably fall to Rosemarie.

“M-May I be so bold as to ask if I can wear my bucket on my head...?”

“What is this whole bucket nonsense? Do they conduct official business with buckets on their heads in your country?” Claudio asked in an irritated tone, to which Rosemarie shook her head while still curled up into a ball.

(He is right. This is official business. Yes, it’s official business... Aah, but, I’m so scared... I’d love to run away...)

A slew of people under one roof was bound to be teeming with animosity—not to the same degree as the Archbishop earlier, but still there, regardless. She was obligated to stand in the midst of all those beasts. With her body shivering like mad, she squeezed the comforter tighter.

“Are you that afraid of seeing people’s heads as beasts? Personally, I wouldn’t find the fact that you can instantly identify people who harbor animosity cumbersome at all; in fact, I’m envious.”

Rosemarie’s breath was caught in her throat for a second due to Claudio’s envious-sounding wisecrack.

(Huh? ...He is envious of my eyes? He is... envious of being able to see any and everyone’s animosity?) Rosemarie felt some muddled emotions sprouting in the pit of her stomach.

She had been plagued by these eyes ever since her childhood. Although she was a princess, her inability to stand in front of strangers has not only been giving herself a hard time, but everyone else around her as a result. The mere thought was incredibly pathetic and filled her with guilt.

Claudio said that he was envious of those very eyes.

“—Very well. I will take up the role,” she spouted in a terribly cool tone. While she had the shivering under control, her body felt cold as ice on the inside. Claudio’s hand started to feel awfully heavy in her own.

“Well, that is a sudden shift. Why are you so motivated all of a sudden?”

The sudden change in her attitude was undoubtedly giving Claudio room for suspicion as he tried to pull away the comforter from her head, but she desperately clutched the blanket as if saying, “Not so fast!” She didn’t know what kind of expression she was making right now, but she didn’t want Claudio to see it regardless.

Most likely tired of dealing with Rosemarie and her shellfish-like obstinance, Claudio relinquished his hold on the comforter with little persistence.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you, but if you say you’ll take up the role, then you’d best do it and do it right.” She felt him squeeze his hand slightly in hers. At the single tug of her arm serving as her response, Claudio had nothing else to say.

After a short stint, she could hear Claudio’s quiet snoring.

He was so sound asleep, it was hard to believe he’d ever had the sleepless nights that Fritz mentioned. Looking at him so sound asleep tormented her, spreading a gloomy feeling through her chest.

Was she annoyed? Was she sad? Or maybe she was uncertain and nervous over her role in the Imperial Bout tomorrow? Rosemarie couldn’t answer any of those questions, and instead let out a deep sigh.

***

“There are so many people here, princ- I mean, Lady Rosemarie!” Half out of excitement, Heidi came rushing into the waiting room with flushed cheeks, causing Rosemarie to rise from her seat.

“Huh? Is it already my cue? Wait, h-hold on...”

“No, you still have a while to go. Please, calm down, Your Highness.” Rosemarie’s eyes darted around the room without an ounce of composure. There, she saw Alto waiting by the door with a wry smile drawn across his trustworthy face. She sank back into her chair as if drained of her energy.

Night had passed, and it was now the day of the Imperial Bout.

Apparently, the preliminaries had been going on for a few days, but once it came time for the main contest, the number of spectators skyrocketed. Alto had told her that in Baltzar, where sorcerers were sprinkled all across the land, battles conducted between blades without the use of magic were quite popular.

The cheers and fervor of the crowd could even be felt from the waiting room facing the arena—so much, in fact, that it made Heidi restlessly ask permission to go and check how it was outside.

Having returned, Heidi patted her chest and caught her breath.

“...Don’t startle me like that, Heidi.”

“My apologies. The excitement of it all got to me. Oh, Prince Claudio seems to be on a tear through the competition.”

“—I see,” Rosemarie said and awkwardly nodded upon hearing Claudio’s name.

Ever since last night, she hadn’t been able to clear her mind, and was barely able to get any sleep. It was almost like she had contracted Claudio’s insomnia. However, it seemed that Claudio had a good night’s rest, and had gone off to the Imperial Bout in high spirits. It also seemed that since Claudio was so skilled, even though he was a last-minute entry, he was put into the main bracket.

Rosemarie’s unenthusiastic reply prompted Heidi to furrow her brow in concern.

“Are you nervous? It will be fine. All you need to do is, boop, gently toss the handkerchief to the victor.”

“Good maid, a simple, uh, ‘boop’ will not do. She needs to properly hand off the handkerchief—from one hand to another.”

“Oh, bother. You’re so uptight. Well, princess? A boop into the hand will do, right?” Alto sternly rebuked Heidi as she spoke in a tone brighter and cheerier than usual. Upon seeing this, Rosemarie chuckled a tad.

Relieved by that gesture, Heidi offered to make some tea and excused herself to the tea set already prepared in one corner of the room. Rosemarie turned her gaze from Heidi and suddenly called out to Alto, who was standing at attention by the door.

“Um, I do apologize for making you act as my bodyguard, Squire Clausen. I know you wanted to participate in the Imperial Bout...”

“Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary, milady. There would be some slight complications if I were to enter, so I abstain from participating every year,” Alto said, smiling over his dubious statement. Rosemarie blinked, perplexed, and Alto’s smile grew troubled.

“Rather embarrassingly, my sword techniques are not up to snuff. I also have somewhat of a habit of getting riled easily in the heat of battle, which contributes to me being all thumbs, so I wouldn’t stand much of a chance.”

For a knight whose convictions lie in the concept of fair-and-square combat, that was a bit of a problem. He was right, he couldn’t participate given all that, but it was incredible that he managed to rise through the ranks to Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard in spite of that. Perhaps seeing the doubt written on Rosemarie’s face, Alto smiled gently.

“I am ever so grateful to His Highness for deeming me as an invaluable resource despite my obvious flaws. Seeing as how you are held near and dear by His Highness, I have absolutely no objections to serving as your bodyguard. So please, rest assured it is not an issue, Your Highness.” Alto gave his knightly salute by putting his hand to his chest. Rosemarie stared at him with mixed feelings. Since his head was still human, she could be sure his words came from the heart. That same thing rang true even for Fritz, that clergyman who remained carefree even around Claudio.

Claudio must have been a good master to all of his aides and retainers—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been this well-loved.

She thought about how envious that made her—envious over building bonds so strong that you earn that much of an individual’s trust.

(Still, who do I envy out of the two—the prince or Squire Clausen?)

Rosemarie wasn’t sure which it was.

“Princess, here is your tea. It was quite hot, so I’ve let it cool off a tad. Unfortunately, I’ve run out of my stock of Kaola, so I had to settle for regular tea this time around.” Rosemarie was suddenly presented with a cup of moderately warm tea.

“—Thank you, Heidi.” After seeing Heidi’s smile, Rosemarie felt her sinking mood resurface. She responded with a smile of gratitude toward the maid, the one person who had never once abandoned her despite her flaws.

***

Heidi found herself overcome with emotion and trembling.

She watched Rosemarie present the prestigious handkerchief to the victor of the Imperial Bout from a short distance away, her heart going positively wild.

Rosemarie stood at the top of the long flight of stairs leading down to the arena, so nervous her face was drained of its color. Regardless, she kept her back straight and stood with dignity.

(I know the princess can be self-deprecating, but...)

Her big green eyes were trembling with insecurity, her tiny pink lips were all pursed up, and her nose was a little on the flat side. But as far as her overall impression, she reminded Heidi of a small animal—the kind that makes you want to protect and nurture it. Together with her head of red hair, she looked as lovely as a wild rose.

And the person who had taken to one knee before said lovely princess was the lion-headed prince with a shiny silver mane. The black armor that adorned his firm body only served to accentuate his manly demeanor.

A wild beast being attached to a fair and defenseless maiden—it was like something out of a play or story. Devoid of any realism, it was pure fantasy. From a spectator’s point of view, it was the ultimate spectacle.

(Princess, you only have a little bit more to go, so just hang in there, please!)

Although she had no idea whether Claudio being the victor was intentional or not, it was likely a fortunate outcome for Rosemarie. Standing in front of an unfamiliar person was a laborious task for her mistress.

Heidi watched with bated breath as Claudio pressed the handkerchief against his chest, and proceeded to kiss the hem of Rosemarie’s dress and her tiny slender hand.

But the whispered conversations from the maids standing right beside her were making her scowl.

“I will say, he is nice to look at from a distance, but I would hate to have that person as my husband. It also doesn’t, well, help matters that he fell in love at first sight the way he did.”

“Entirely agree. That head of his is dreadful. I believe His Highness himself is a fine individual, but I wouldn’t feel so inclined to take up with him. That said, he is the perfect match for that dense barnyard princess.”

Occasionally, conversations like this filled with fear and vitriol were shared among the maids.

She was a dense princess who came from the countryside, and a pitiful princess who happily wedded a prince who fell in love with her on first sight, despite his head being that of a literal beast.

She couldn’t bear to tell Rosemarie what was being said about her, nor did she want to let the girl get anywhere near the source. After all, Rosemarie had the misfortune to literally see the animosity of others. Heidi wanted to shield her from that as much as possible.

They probably didn’t even know that Heidi was a maid from Volland that followed Rosemarie here. While those maids were having their lively little chat without so much as looking her way, Heidi was biting her lip, trying to contain herself.

(Should I just go ahead and tell them? But if I do and the princess catches word, things will get ugly—literally and figuratively.)

Heidi contained her irritation so that it wouldn’t show on her face and turned her back to the chatty maids. It was just about time for Rosemarie to come back from the arena, so she had no time to stand around listening to nonsensical chit-chat.

“Excuse me, might you be the maid attending to Her Royal Highness?” A voice called out to Heidi as if in hot pursuit from behind her, to which Heidi forced a broad smile and turned around. There she saw a girl with a calm demeanor, clad in a maid outfit, standing apologetically in front of her.

“Yes, that I am. Can I help you?”

“On behalf of those girls, I apologize. You were selected by His Highness personally, yet all that terrible gossip...”

“No worries. We have to learn to put the past behind us, after all.” She coerced her with her broad smile. There wasn’t really anything she could do with a misguided apology, because the one they should be apologizing to wasn’t Heidi.

She curtsied to the other maid, now sadly standing silent and stock-still, before turning on her heel.

(Oh, for heaven’s sake, I need to hurry and get to the princess!)

Rosemarie was surely frozen in tension and fear. She had to get to her side quickly and console her in any way she could.

Heidi trotted down the corridor like a woman possessed, picturing her poor mistress heading toward the arena, her face pale and her shoulders shivering in fear from the ordeal.

***

Her vision wavered.

Once Rosemarie managed to move her tension-frozen body and go back into the building from the arena, she staggered on her feet.

“Your Highness, are you all right?” Alto asked, by her side on bodyguard duty, proceeding to prop her up by the shoulders. Rosemarie feebly nodded in reply.

There was a pressure bearing down on her, even greater than she’d felt at her wedding, just from having so many people see every step she took and every move she made. That included both the human-headed ones and, naturally, the beast-headed ones in attendance. As a result, her fear was doubled.

“Oh, I’m fine. I just had a bit of a dizzy spell...” Maybe the lack of sleep was to blame? The moment that her nerves loosened up, she felt lightheaded. She didn’t know if she was going pale as well, but she felt somewhat cold. As she shut her eyes, she felt a hand that wasn’t Alto’s cradle and prop up her shivering shoulders.

“—?!” She shook the hand off her out of reflex as a dusty smell grazed past her nose. When she opened her eyes, she found Claudio there with a furrowed brow like always—that sharp glare causing her muscles to tense up.

“Oh... I apologize, I didn—” Claudio waved slightly with the hand she’d brushed aside, then looked away from her with displeasure.

“Alto, search for this one’s maid. A familiar face might help calm her down a little.”

Alto replied with a curt “yessir” and exited the room. Watching him do so from the corner of his eye, Claudio sighed to himself.

“What did you see this time? Monkeys? Bears? Or maybe there were some lion heads in the mix? Your vision being off-kilter isn’t a death sentence, you know. You call yourself the princess of a nation when you’re freaking out over every single thing imaginable? Pathetic. King Volland coddled you far too much. I don’t see how you’re going to live in Baltzar with that sort of behavior.” Although the corridors were devoid of human activity, Claudio kept his voice down just in case; but his voice still betrayed his irritation. Rosemarie did nothing but look down at the floor.

—Personally, I wouldn’t find the fact that you can instantly identify people who harbor animosity cumbersome at all; in fact, I’m envious.

What he told her before she went to sleep last night echoed in her mind. Everything around her seemed to go red.

The emotions she had been queasy about before had begun to boil, and began pushing their way through her throat.

“—my father, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“I can’t hear what you’re saying. Quit murmuring and speak up.”

“I said, I’d appreciate it if you stop insulting my father, if you wouldn’t mind. My personality is a product of my own doing, and the reason I have the eyes I do is because of you, Prince. If I had the option, I would have taken the beast head instead. I would much rather be pathetic and afraid than feared by everyone else.”

“What did you just say?”

“If you are so envious of my eyes, then I will gladly give them to you. It isn’t as if I stole your mana because I wanted to—”

“Silence.” Claudio’s groomed eyebrows dipped inward into an intense scowl. He forced her face into his chest, giving her no other option but to close her mouth.

“Do you know where it is you are? Luckily, there’s no one here, but we’re in a public corridor. You never know who might be listening and where. Blurt out all of that carelessly and you’ll let things you, too, would rather not be aired out into the open.”

“I wouldn’t care even if they were.” She thrusted herself away from Claudio’s chest and raised her head. Seething in rage, Claudio cast his pair of blue eyes down at her. But the girl stared right back, undeterred.

“Prince, what do you think I am? A mana storage vault? A slumber-ready pillow? I am aware that you hold a grudge against me, but you don’t understand that I have feelings as well. If you did, you wouldn’t—”

“I don’t understand your feelings? Did I hear right? No, it’s because I understand that I’ve tried to be mindful and prepared a waiting room for you. Normally, you’re supposed to spectate with His Majesty and the retainers. Considering you so fear being in the public eye, I arranged things so you wouldn’t have to be. So please, explain your tone.”

“That... I didn’t...” She hadn’t been aware of that. Mainly because Claudio hadn’t told her a single thing about it. She wasn’t smart enough to just infer that, and she didn’t have these sorts of events in her homeland, so there was no way that she would know what was out of the norm and what wasn’t.

“Um, but that’s not quite right. That isn’t what I’m trying to say here.”

“Then what in blazes are you—” Seeing Claudio’s face go beet red with anger made her will to object against him start to wither, but she tried to continue explaining in hopes of helping him understand. That was when he suddenly cut himself off. She saw that his eyes were drawn toward the end of the corridor, and she looked there herself in turn. There they saw a girl clad in a court lady’s attire nervously poked her head around the corner. Rosemarie had never seen the girl’s face before.

“What is it?”

“O-Oh! Yes, well, His Majesty has been searching for you, Prince Claudio. The celebratory banquet is about to begin, you see...” Upon hearing Claudio’s gravelly question, the lady’s face went pitifully pale. She delivered her message while glancing at Rosemarie, and Claudio nodded in response, completely composed.

“Okay, I’ll be on my way. Tell them to go ahead and start the festivities without me.”

The court lady cleared the area like a bat out of hell upon hearing Claudio’s response. Upon doing so, Claudio forcefully pulled Rosemarie’s arm and started walking.

“Um, I never heard that I needed to attend.”

“Yes, because I never mentioned it. I knew you wouldn’t want to attend, so I was planning on telling them you had to miss the banquet because you were feeling under the weather. But I’ve changed my mind. You’re coming with me. After all, you said that I don’t understand your feelings.”

Rosemarie tried to protest as Claudio dragged her along, nearly making her topple over, but he replied without even turning around to face her. His voice was no-nonsense and he was clearly enraged.

Rosemarie proceeded through the corridor being half-dragged by Claudio, heading toward the grand hall where the banquet was being held. On the way, they passed by several people who looked shocked, but that didn’t stop Claudio from walking on.

(I mean, I didn’t know that he had put so much into consideration like that...)

She would have never known unless he told her. There was no way for her to know. She was both reflective on her actions and reluctant about the situation. With her mind on both ends of the spectrum, she reached their destination.

The congratulatory banquet was already underway just as Claudio had ordered when they arrived.

“Your Majesty, my sincerest apologies for not being on time.”

The clamor encapsulated her body.

The gazes of the people in the hall into which she’d been dragged were sticking into her, to the point of pain. Her heart was fluttering like mad.

Even while Claudio was extending his apologies to King Baltzar, she was afraid to look around the room.

Claudio walked proudly through the crowd of people clamoring to see the guest of honor. Rosemarie tried to grab hold of his arm, but he suddenly broke free of her grasp. Then, with a forced smile, he said:

“Would someone entertain my wife for me? I’m going to go dust off.”

As soon as Claudio said that, he quickly turned back faster than Rosemarie could react. Needless to say, this left her in a panic.

“Huh...? Prince, please, wait a—”

“Come now, Your Highness, care to chat with us until His Highness makes his return?” She felt the slender hand of a random noblewoman gently touch her on the back. Rosemarie looked over to her in dread, and was filled with momentary relief when she saw that the noblewoman’s face was human—her eyes quickly widened in shock, however.

Her thick, beautiful hair was as black as the night sky. But in the blink of any eye, it had transformed into pear-yellow feathers. Her eyes that shone with curiosity took a fully circular shape. Her pair of beautifully-painted red lips jutted forward, curved, and morphed into a hard, black beak. The noblewoman who had transformed into the head of a parrot—a creature that Rosemarie has only seen in illustrated form—was trying to strike friendly conversation.

“The word is that His Highness devotes every waking moment to you. I am quite envious of how happy of a couple you two make.” The woman flashed a forced and ambiguous smile as Rosemarie’s face tensed up. When she did, another woman that was standing by her side leaned forward. Her white dog head with its large, open mouth made Rosemarie want to shriek, but she stifled it.

“Indeed. We were also selected as marriage candidates for His Highness, but it seems that we were not to his tastes. Now that we know his tastes lie in the innocent types such as yourself, I see that we did not stand a chance.” The pairs of animal eyes staring straight at Rosemarie were clearly not amused. If they wanted to be Claudio’s wife enough to harbor real envy, they should have been able to. They gathered bridal candidates from neighboring countries because there were no suitable candidates around.

Even if these girls had no desire to get married, they probably didn’t like that some country-bred princess was now the most important lady in all the land after the Queen Mother.

Their lies, their disparaging words, had made them take on beastly forms in Rosemarie’s eyes.

Rosemarie’s violently beating heart was dredging up bad memories along with it.

“I can’t stand you, Lady Rosemarie.” The first time she ever saw a beast head on someone was with the noble’s daughter she was most friendly with.

“I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I really do love you.” Just as when she’d said she couldn’t stand Rosemarie, the girl had the head of a rat atop her shoulders. Apparently, she was only apologizing because her mother scolded her once she caught word later on.

Anger, animosity, negative emotions—that was the very moment she learned that all of those things will make her see people as beasts.

The mismatch between her words and her face was horrifying.

“Your Highness? Is something the matter?”

“You must not be used to such a boisterous locale, I assume.”

The parrot- and dog-headed noblewomen let out scoffing laughs while mouthing words of concern. Rosemarie felt as though she was going crazy, tightly squeezing her hand.

“I’m... sorry...! Please... excuse me.” She managed to squeeze those words out through her frantic panting as she backed away.

She knew what she was doing was a bad display of manners. However, she wanted to run off to somewhere unpopulated as quickly as possible.

Dodging through people, she tried to bolt for the exit, but an individual clad in silver-threaded priest’s garb interrupted her.

“Oh, my, if it isn’t Her Royal Highness. Are you not going to wait here until Prince Claudio makes his return? If you were to make an early exit, Prince Claudio will be quite cross at us. We promised to keep you company, after all.”

“—Archbishop?”

It was Archbishop Kastner, half of his face reptilian and melting off. The human part of his face smiled and looked at Rosemarie.

“Now, this way, my child.” Kastner took a step forward and presented his hand. His monstrous form approached her. Rosemarie furiously shook her head and stepped back.

(Why is his face like this even though the prince isn’t even here?)

They didn’t have enough contact with one another for him to have such animosity toward her. As much as she was confused, she was just as—if not more—terrified.

Rosemarie’s behavior was strange to the whispering people around her watching her dubiously, but she no longer had the mental capacity to be concerned about that. The monster-headed Archbishop was standing right next to her.

“Your Royal Highness.”

“...Please, do not touch me! No, no, go somewhere else!” Slapping his fingers in mid-reach away, Rosemarie cowered in fear in place.

The crowd was astir. She didn’t know what they were saying, but she didn’t want to hear it and covered her ears with both hands.

(Please, I beg of you. Don’t come near me. Just leave me alone. I don’t want to hear anything—see anything.)

Suddenly, with her eyes shut tight, she could see the image of a young boy holding out his arms with a consoling smile deep in the woods.

“P-Prince...?” Seeing the young boy’s face with a passing resemblance to Claudio, she had a vague feeling of dizziness even though her eyes were shut.

Something warm unexpectedly came over her body. Having noticed she was being embraced by someone’s arms, she tried shaking them off; but that only served to strengthen this person’s efforts to hold Rosemarie back. Unable to freely move, she slightly opened her eyes to see her maid, who was pacing around in concern.

“Heidi...”

Rosemarie had visual confirmation on her trusted maid, which allowed her to find genuine relief as she let the energy exit her body, her tear-stained eyes unwiped.

***

“It seems that my wife wasn’t feeling very well. She caused quite a scene.” Claudio looked around, his hold firm on the now-unconscious Rosemarie in his arms. The suspicious faces were filling him with an internal sense of impatience.

“It would seem so. It had me quite concerned.”

“Forgive me. I uttered that request without even thinking.”

“Oh, think nothing of it. It was partially my fault for trying to touch her without due consideration.”

Claudio apologized one more time to Kastner, who stood there with a gentle smile, and then quickly left the area. Heidi followed him, flustered, with Alto and his solemn expression joining up right after.

“Master Claudio, what is the meaning of this?” Heidi asked, clearly enraged, as Claudio proceeded down the corridor with Rosemarie clutched in his arms. He ignored the question and continued walking. Her temper reaching a boiling point, Heidi circled around in front of him and cut him off.

“Please stop being secretive and tell me what you’ve done to the princess!” Claudio saw Heidi’s slender eyebrows dip into a scowl, and his face took a very sour turn.

“I took her to the banquet and left her by herself, knowing full well she doesn’t do well in public. That’s it.”

Speechless from her anger, Heidi’s face grew redder and redder by the instant.

“I never thought that she would lose her composure this badly...” At the wedding, his office, and the Imperial Bout not too long ago, Rosemarie would go pale and start trembling, but she never once brought her emotions this out into the open before.

“Why did you do such a thing? Are you saying that the princess did something to upset you that much, Prince Claudio? Well? Did she?”

“...” Claudio was struggling to find his words.

Even though he spared no expense to make the despicable person who stole his mana comfortable, she brushed away his hands when he tried to stop her from falling off her feet in terror. And then she told him that he didn’t understand her feelings—two things that sent him over the deep end in rage.

As he thought about it now, he didn’t quite know why it made him that angry.

“Good maid, leave it at that. If you stir up commotion, it will damage Her Highness’s reputation. Your Highness, allow me to take Her Highness off to her room. It might pose problems if the guest of honor is not present as his own banquet.” Alto butted in to defuse the situation, and Heidi reluctantly backed off. Claudio passed the unconscious Rosemarie off to Alto’s waiting arms, and after a quick bow, he began walking away.

Claudio watched Rosemarie and the others go off into the distance, but as they disappeared behind a corner of the corridor, his fatigue hit him and he clutched his forehead.

He felt an emotion coming from within—an emotion called guilt. It was heavy, felt like lead, and was bearing down on his chest.

“A rare blunder on your part, eh?” A cheery yet disappointed voice unexpectedly addressed him from behind. When he turned around, he could see Fritz, the mole under his eye lifted by his wry smile. Claudio grimaced, getting the sense he was being criticized.

“...I never expected her to be so afraid that she would lose her bearings. She had never displayed such behavior up until now.”

“She had been enduring it because she didn’t want to inconvenience you, Your Highness. Quite the mental fortitude considering she’s not even aware of stealing your mana, I’d say.”

Claudio glared at Fritz as he shook his head in disappointment, then turned around and started walking back to the hall. Fritz followed in his path, but Claudio didn’t rebuke him for doing so.

“Still, I never would have pegged the royal wife as being able to say something that would actually upset you. But you said something to upset the royal wife beforehand, didn’t you?”

“—I recall besmirching King Volland, saying that it was pathetic she cowers over every little thing.” However, was that alone the reason?

“I don’t think any sensible person wouldn’t be upset by someone badmouthing their father, but... there must be some other reason as well. Why not try thinking back and remembering? Just apologizing for abandoning her doesn’t really count as an apology, after all.”

“...! Why are you taking that thing’s side? They even said that they would have much preferred having a beast head instead.”

Fritz passed by Claudio and quickly walked toward the hall—an act that made Claudio grit his teeth in frustration. Fritz turned around and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side. My point, Your Highness, is that this girl, who lives in constant fear, got so angry that she found it in herself to lash out at you. Now, cool down a little and give it some thought,” Fritz said, as if admonishing a toddler. Then he turned back around and departed, leaving Claudio dumbfounded.

Fritz made a good point, but the frustration over why he had to virtually break his back for the sake of someone he detested reared its head.

Claudio suddenly stopped in his tracks and glanced toward the end of the corridor down which Rosemarie had been carted away. But, not seeing any merit in doing anything, he eventually made his way back into the hall.