Arc 3: The Desire to Cheat

Autumn’s colorful leaves were gone. The wind had turned as cold as a knife, a clear indication winter’s footsteps would soon be heard marching across the land. It was during this time between seasons that a certain incident occurred.

Upon our return from the Autumn Hunting Festival, I found myself bogged down with the task of document sorting, just as busy as the other gentlemen hard at work in the capital. Yes, that’s right. For some reason, I was currently in Lord Alexei Strasser’s office.

“Lady Elianna, once you finish organizing the cabinet on the right side, take these letters to the Financial Affairs Office and bring back their reports. On your way back, retrieve some materials for me from the archives as well. Have you finished the investigation I requested of you? The one regarding issues with bridge construction. Oh, also, there are some documents over on that desk that I’ll be needing for my afternoon meeting. Please see that there are an appropriate number of copies.”

It was a dizzying number of orders to be given all at once. Nonetheless, I managed a nod as I cradled a mountain of documents in my arms. In these past several hours, I’d learned not responding to his requests meant the work would just pile up even more.

His subordinates gave me sympathetic looks, but none of them had the spare time to assist me. They were all buried in towers of paperwork themselves. Everyone was silent. They had a grave air about them, as if they knew one mistake would be an enormous setback.

There were rumors that only the most elite men were working for Lord Alexei. Now that I had experienced this for myself, I understood why.

Anyway, I need to take care of these documents.

I turned around but failed to notice the paper at my feet. If this were a scene out of one of my cousin’s romance novels, it would play something like this: I would slip, sending the sheaf of papers in my arms scattering through the air as I reeled back. The entire room would be bathed in an ice-cold silence. Lord Alexei’s eyes would have a frozen glaze as he watched, inwardly labeling me a klutz for my ineptitude.

Alas, while I did nearly fall, there was a reference book in my arms I couldn’t bear to see damaged. I staggered, trying to regain my balance by hopping back a few steps. I wound up stomping over something else and slamming against the wall, but at least I didn’t fall. No sooner did I breathe a sigh of relief than I could feel a chill emanating from above.

“You are truly dexterous. Now I understand why others have told me to watch out for your footwork, Lady Elianna.”

Startled, I looked up to find two eyes as icy blue as a frozen lake staring down at me. They looked right at home on that cool, composed face of his.

“U-Um...”

This situation was also similar to a scene from one of my cousin’s books as well. The protagonist, in her clumsiness, left such an impression on the hero that love bloomed between them.

...Yes, well, that certainly isn’t happening here. The main problem, before we even consider who the protagonist might be, is Lord Alexei himself. I realize it may be rude of me to say, but it’s a bit hard to picture him talking about love. Almost as difficult as picturing Lord Glen doing the same, despite him constantly soliciting other women.

It was hard to believe Lord Alexei was related to someone as bubbly and animated as Lady Therese. The world certainly was full of mysteries.

As I was busy pondering romance, Lord Alexei asked matter-of-factly, “Would you kindly remove your foot?”

I snapped out of my reverie. “My apologies...” In my panic, I nearly lost my footing again, but this time, Lord Alexei’s arm saved me.

“Please don’t cause any unnecessary trouble for me.”

I shrunk under his cold gaze, but then an even chillier voice rang out.

Is Lord Alexei’s office some kind of an ice box?

“This surely is an unpleasant sight.” I glanced back to find that Prince Christopher had entered at some point, a stack of documents in his hand. He smiled brilliantly, despite how bitter his remark had sounded. There was something disquieting about the look he aimed at Lord Alexei.

“Mere coincidence, I assure you.” Unfazed, Lord Alexei removed the hand he’d been using to support me and took the documents from the prince instead.

Prince Christopher fixed him with an annoyed look but then just as quickly slipped in behind me and snaked his arms around my waist. His husky voice drifted into my ear. “Eli, you weren’t in the archives, so I came looking for you. You don’t have to toil away here working in Alex’s office. If you’re looking to aid anyone, I’d prefer you assist me.”

My heart drummed instantly, though my reaction was dampened somewhat by Lord Alexei’s cool response.

“Please don’t speak such nonsense so boldly. If Lady Elianna were to work as your aid, you would fawn over her and neglect your duties—an end result so obvious even a five-year-old could anticipate it. Besides, whose fault do you think it is that our workload is so backed up in the first place? And you mean to tell me, in the midst of all of this, you had enough free time to go snooping around the archives looking for Lady Elianna?”

The prince ignored the implied lecture and chilly air emanating from his childhood friend. He instead peeked over my shoulder, peering into my face. “Eli, don’t you think you’d find it more worthwhile helping me than this snowman here?”

There was a popping sound as a vein bulged on Alexei’s forehead. “Unbelievable,” he scoffed quietly. “What is with you? Ever since you returned from the Autumn Hunting Festival, you have been unrestrained. Unhinged, even, Your Highness.”

Those words sent a jolt through me, my back stiffening. The prince’s blue eyes narrowed as he watched me. Sweat trickled down my back. I felt cornered.

“Hey, Eli,” His Highness called, smiling at me. There was an intensity, a heat hidden within his eyes. His voice sounded entirely unamused as he asked, “Do you remember asking me about ‘the desire to cheat’?”

~.~.~.~

The incident in question took place during the height of summer, when the nights were still short and the days were long. On that particular day, I received a notice that someone would be coming to visit, so I buried myself in books to bide my time. Someone then came bursting through the door like a raging storm.

“Lady Elianna! You must hear this!” The lady in question was Lord Alexei’s younger sister, Lady Therese. Her dignified features were drawn almost terrifyingly taut into an intense expression.

The two of us were close in age and had been close ever since I was first named the prince’s betrothed. She was one of the few people in the world I could call a friend.

I was taken aback by the menacing look on her face but nonetheless inquired, “What’s the matter?”

All the vigor she had burst in with built until she suddenly exploded, like a volcano erupting. “That man—he’s been cheating on me!” She shrieked so loudly our quiet residence seemed to rumble from the force of it. The volume was at such a level that it was akin to front row seats at a theater. My eardrums were still ringing, leaving me dazed.

After she broke into sobs, I finally asked, “Cheating? Earl Ardolino?” I couldn’t help the disbelief that surely filtered through my voice when I spoke.

Three years ago at the age of sixteen, Lady Therese had married a man over ten years her senior—Earl Ardolino. The earl was a renowned businessman working in foreign trade and very rarely stayed in the capital. He spent over half his time either abroad or out at sea. I could count the number of times I had actually met the man on one hand. Still, he had seemed like a very upstanding and honest gentleman, hence my doubt.

Lady Therese turned her teary eyes up at me, fury shining in them. “I’m positive. Recently, he’s been coming home late every night, and to add to that, he...he always reeks of women’s perfume!”

“Oh...”

Though I still thought it a bit hasty to label him an adulterer at this stage, I could see Earl Ardolino perhaps visiting a pleasure house for work reasons.

Lady Therese must have been able to read the subdued look on my face. There was a disquieting color to her eyes. “You simply don’t get it, Lady Elianna. Men are cheaters at heart. Certainly, they’re fine in the beginning. When you’re newly married, they shower you with so much affection you could fill a dozen empty honey pots and then some. But men don’t like security, they like the thrill of something new! Things will seem smooth at first, and they’ll say they like the comfort of being with you. Soon enough, though, they’re hooked on sleeping around with other women!”

She exclaimed it all with such alarm that it left me recoiling. “Um... But not all men in the world are like that.” I recalled my most recent exchanges with Prince Christopher, and blood rushed to my cheeks.

My knowledge of romance came from the novels my aunt and cousins had recommended to me. Actually being in such an affectionate relationship was much different from reading about it. It left you gasping for breath, your heart pounding, your eyes spinning. It was riveting and yet terrifying—almost like the sweet embrace of death was coming for you. At least, that had been my daily experience. I never dreamed it would be so extreme. Yes, I had underestimated just how accurate the depictions in the novels would be, and I was reminded of my folly daily.

Lately, things had only intensified with His Highness. How best to put it... It was as if he was making up for the past four years—no, ten, in fact—by fawning over me excessively. The moment the two of us were alone together, he would draw close to me with his radiant smile and sweet words. I was left panicked for how to respond, unaccustomed to such attention. Frankly, I was grateful to Lady Therese for giving me an excuse not to visit the palace today.

Said friend was, for some reason, clenching her fists as she continued to emphasize her earlier point. “You simply don’t understand men at all. Once you’ve been married for three years, that’s when the desire to cheat comes out!”

“‘Desire to cheat’...?”

“Yes,” said Lady Therese. “Like a silent plague. At first it shows no sign of itself, keeping hidden, luring the wife into a false sense of security, then BAM! It festers like an open wound. This is historical knowledge that has been passed down across the continents. The most irritating part is he thinks I still haven’t realized what he’s doing!”

“I see...” I wondered if this same “desire to cheat” would appear in Prince Christopher as well. There were certainly more worthy women out there in the world, more enchanting ones than someone like me—a Bibliophile Princess.

Still, I can hardly imagine it... I thought, recalling an exchange we’d had earlier.

This was at the beginning of summer when we’d disguised ourselves and sneaked off to the Roma market with some bodyguards in tow. The prince had forbidden me from calling him “His Highness,” instead insisting I use a nickname. I’d struggled to comply at first. It ate at me that Lady Irene had called him using a nickname first, and it gave me displeasure to have to use it.

Instinctively, I turned away from him and huffed, “No, thank you.”

The prince blinked for a moment before pressing in on me with that gleaming smile of his. “Then why don’t we see how long you can stand me touching you before you finally decide to call me by my nickname, hm?” Thus began his probing caresses in the name of “punishment.”

“Lady Elianna...” a voice cut in, breaking me out of my reverie.

I pressed my hands over my heated cheeks and peered up at her.

Lady Therese was seated across from me with a terrifying expression on her face. There was an ominous aura swirling around her like a vortex. There was such an energy behind it I feared she might transform into some kind of beast. That wouldn’t do.

“Um, so then, Lady Therese, what is it you would like to do about your husband’s infidelity?”

There was a dark gleam in her eyes as she stood up, her hand in a fist. “Simple! I will catch him at the scene of the crime so he’s got nowhere to run, then I’ll discipline him. He will never want to cheat again by the time I’m through! I will not turn a blind eye to this!” Having declared that, she dragged me along with her to her carriage. The two of us rode to the earl’s work area, where Lady Therese suspected we might be likely to catch him in the act.

According to Lady Therese, there was a suspicious woman hanging around the earl. She mentioned she had seen the two of them ride in the same carriage before, but when she inquired as to the woman’s identity, he had brushed her off, stubbornly insisting it was none of her business.

“Not very ‘manly’ of him. If he has a lover, he should just come right out and say it,” scoffed Lady Therese.

Suddenly, we had gone from suspecting him of infidelity to being convinced he had a lover. What on earth are we doing, I wondered. It was too late to second guess; Lady Therese had already dragged me this far. She had even threatened the earl’s coachman, using her status as a wife. When she grilled him about where her husband and this woman were “always sneaking off to” (Lady Therese’s words, not mine), the man informed her about a certain location in the warehouse district.

We arrived at the place in question in an inconspicuous carriage she had prepared, knowing an ordinary noble’s carriage would call too much attention. The two of us were technically of high status; I was the betrothed to the crown prince, and Lady Therese was the wife of an earl. Normally, we would never be allowed to step outside unattended. It was due to Lady Therese’s insistence that her maids stayed behind, and so the only person accompanying the two of us was my manservant.

Jean, in his usual fashion, was as unenthusiastic and nonchalant as ever. He seemed to recognize our outing was a little atypical, but that hardly fazed him. At my behest, he left the carriage to check if Earl Ardolino was in his office.

We were waiting inside the carriage for his return when Lady Therese suddenly burst out, “It’s that woman...!” She went flying out of the carriage, chasing after her husband’s supposed lover. Flustered, I hurried to follow her as the coachman called after us, urging us to come back.

Lady Therese’s pursuit of the woman led her inside one of the warehouses, where I caught up with her. The place was loaded with wooden crates. The light was dim, given that the sun was beginning to set. It appeared we had timed it perfectly for her husband leaving his office. Workers were scarce by this hour, so there was no one to reprimand us for our intrusion as we made our way deeper inside the building.

I wonder if this counts as trespassing...? Lady Therese is with me, and since she’s the owner’s wife, I don’t suppose we’d be taken in for breaking the law, I thought. My heart was pounding; I had never experienced anything like this before.

Lady Therese seemed oblivious to my mental state as she continued stalking the woman in question through the shadows. I had caught a glimpse of her as well. Albeit from a distance, the woman did look quite provocative. I did think it presumptuous (and inconsiderate) to judge at a mere glance, but she didn’t appear to be of noble standing. Still, she also didn’t seem to be a worker here either.

The woman in question moved into the most deserted recesses of the warehouse, where she met up with a man. Apparently this had been a planned encounter because a smile broke out on her face. The gentleman in question had light brown hair and an earnest look on his face—a face that seemed to be contorted in displeasure. The two exchanged a few words before she looped her arm with his. Then they disappeared through a different door than they had entered.

I recognized the man without any prompting from Lady Therese—it was Earl Ardolino.

Lady Therese broke out of her daze and flew after the two, but I could tell it was already too late. The door locked as it closed, leaving us unable to follow after them. When we tried to trace our steps back to the other entrance, we found a large shuttered door had been drawn over it, proof the workday here in the warehouse district had ended.

~.~.~.~

We stood there at a loss, now completely trapped inside of the warehouse. The light spilling in from outside grew increasingly dim as it receded across the dirt floor beneath our feet. The already sparsely populated warehouse district only grew more deserted as night wore on in the capital. Though it was still midsummer, this district was located at the edge of a river. A moist, penetratingly cold air invaded the area.

Even I felt a bit anxious, steeped in a sense of shame. How could such a blockheaded person such as myself be the crown prince’s betrothed?

Beside me, I heard a similarly gloomy voice say, “I’m sorry for all of this, Lady Elianna...” She seemed to be dejected over having dragged me into it. Gone was the crazed zeal from before which she had displayed when we first rode into the district.

I gazed at her face, illuminated only by the faint trickle of light through a tall window above us. “Lady Therese, what was it you truly hoped to accomplish?”

She had gone on and on about cheating, but something about it hadn’t felt genuine to me. Perhaps because I had seen the shock register on her face earlier when she saw the two of them together for herself—the reality of it had been undeniable. I could relate to how she felt, having experienced something similar before.

Lady Therese’s ordinarily courageous expression had diminished into a fleeting smile. “Our marriage was forced onto him. He didn’t want me.”

Excuse me...?

“Three years ago, he...Oscar and I met, and I fell in love at first sight. Up until then, people had coddled me for being a duke’s daughter, for being related to the royal family. I was even accustomed to the men in high society lavishing me with their attention as well. I thought I could have anything I wished for.

“Then I met Oscar. The first time we spoke, he wore a look of displeasure and completely brushed me off. Incensed, I wanted to find a way to get under that curmudgeon’s skin... So, during that first meeting, I demanded he marry me.”

“Oh goodness...” I was surprised. I knew the engagement had been rather sudden, but I’d had no idea that was the reason for it.

Lady Therese smiled sadly. “Oscar just gave a lukewarm ‘Very well.’ Now that I think back on it, he probably agreed because the Strasser name would benefit his business. At the time, I just desperately wanted to turn his attention toward me. I didn’t actually realize at first that I had fallen for him. I was such a child.”

Her dignified, mahogany-colored eyes shifted listlessly to the floor. Knowing how animated she always was, seeing her like this made my heart ache.

“I knew this was how things would end up from the beginning. He always treated me like a child and never involved me in conversations about his work. He would bring me gifts but ignore me the rest of the time. It’s only natural he’d find another woman. I... If only I had as much knowledge as you, Lady Elianna, then maybe I could have engaged him in conversation. Maybe then he could have consulted me about his work. Maybe he might have actually looked my way. Maybe...he would have treated me as an adult, an adult woman. I... I...”

Large teardrops came bursting forth, rolling down her cheeks. I grabbed her hand in mine and squeezed. I was frustrated at myself for not realizing sooner how much she had been agonizing over this. “Lady Therese...”

I searched for some words of consolation, but I was too awkward at this kind of thing. Nothing was coming to mind. I was a novice myself when it came to matters of the heart. It was absurd to think I would be able to offer her solid advice here.

Right as I was reaching my wits end for what to do, I heard a voice filter in through the tall window above.

“M’lady? Are you in there?” It was Jean’s voice. After I replied, he continued in the sort of dispassionate tone one might expect from a member of the Bernstein family. “Huh, and here I thought you only got yourself locked inside of libraries. I’ll go fetch a key, so just wait for a little bit!” He sounded so carefree.

Lady Therese shouted, “You can’t!” After a moment, she continued. “You can’t. You absolutely cannot. There is no way I can show myself in front of him looking this shameful right now. He can’t learn I came here to catch him in the act only to disgrace myself by getting locked in this warehouse. I’d be a laughingstock! Absolutely not...!”

Hmm... I pondered, using my bibliophile brain to the best of its abilities. For Lady Therese, her pride and her feelings for Earl Ardolino were at odds with one another. I looked at her, sincerity in my eyes. “What truly matters most here is Earl Ardolino’s feelings, no?”

Since I was born a noble, I had both the necessary determination and the sense of responsibility toward the role expected of me. It wasn’t even really an option. But as a living, breathing human being, I also understood there were times when a person’s feelings toward someone else exceeded duty and pride. What was really important right now? She couldn’t lose sight of that.

There was a thoughtful look in Lady Therese’s eyes.

I could hear a sigh trickle in from the high window. “Hey, m’lady... Can you come close to the window?”

I tilted my head slightly. There were three wooden crates stacked nearby, so it was likely possible for me to do so. It seemed my unladylike physical prowess would once again come in handy. I clambered onto the crates, but there was still some distance between me and the window even after I reached the top. Nonetheless, I called out to him, “All right, Jean. Now what?”

“For now, I’ll at least toss you some light. I figure it’s gotta be pitch black in there.” No sooner had he said it than I heard something whooshing through air, followed promptly by the jarring sound of something snapping. I blinked. Water suddenly came gushing down over me.

“Ah, crap,” came Jean’s panicked voice after a moment. “I broke the rain gutter. My aim was a little off. You okay, m’lady?”

I wiped off my face with my hands as I replied to him, “Yes, I’m all right.”

“’Kay, let’s try this again then.”

Next, I felt something slam against my forehead. It was a leather bag that Jean had chucked through the open window. He somehow managed to hit me dead center in the head with an appropriate thwump to accompany the impact.

As if narrating what had happened, a quiet voice outside remarked, “That was a loud thwump.”

...Does this manservant have some kind of grudge against me?

“Everythin’ okay, m’lady?” he asked in that breezy tone of his.

When I inquired how we might escape from our prison, Jean informed me this warehouse was connected to an outbuilding that looked like a factory. He advised me to make my way there. After confirming the direction of our destination, I scaled back down the boxes. One of the boxes must have lost its balance in the process, because there was a noisy creak as it and its contents fell on top of me.

“Oh no...! Are you all right, Lady Elianna?!”

Today certainly was turning out to be an unfortunate one.

As I responded to Lady Therese, I noticed a sudden smell wafting through the air. The crate and its contents didn’t hurt; it seemed fruit had been stored inside it. I slipped a simple candlestick out of the bag Jean provided us and lit it.

“You must be accustomed to this,” Lady Therese said, impressed.

Most noble ladies didn’t light candles themselves. Back at our regional library, the staff would often forget I was inside and lock me in. Since then, the members of my household had always forced me to carry a candle with me.

“...This is neneli fruit.”

It was similar in nature to a currant, with a dark red color, almost the size of a strawberry. From what I’d read in my books, they differed from the currant in that they weren’t eaten but rather used in dyes. I found myself a bit confused. These fruits were produced in the northern Tor Region, which was also where most dyes were made. Why would they be here in the capital...?

Beside me, Lady Therese suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth and slid down to her knees, as if suddenly overcome by nausea.

“Lady Therese!” I hastened to her side. Even in the dim light of my candle, I could see that her face was pale.

“The smell...”

I pulled her along and we left that scene behind us. “Are you feeling a bit better now?”

“Yes. I’m sorry for causing you such trouble.” Even just walking proved difficult as she wobbled along. It seemed she really wasn’t feeling well.

“I’ll go get some help.”

I tried to leave her behind, but she stared after me with a frightened look on her face. “But Lady Elianna...what if something suddenly jumps out at me?”

I blinked and considered her question for a moment. “You needn’t worry,” I finally assured. “According to A Hundred Tales of Mystery in the Capital, which was just recently published, the only thing that haunts the warehouse district is a plate-spinning specter that pulls people into the river if they get too close. It won’t show up inside of a building like this though.”

“...You know, it’s occurred to me before, but you really do have odd taste when it comes to books.”

I transferred the flame of my current candle to a brand new one and placed it at Lady Therese’s feet. “I’ll return as soon as I can.” After that, I immediately set off in the direction Jean had advised me to go. He mentioned there seemed to be some people still in the factory area adjoined to this building. The fact they were still working even after dark meant Earl Ardolino’s company certainly had some diligent employees.

I hadn’t yet found the factory area, but as I got close, I noticed light spilling in from a separate path leading outside. I could hear the sound of three men who I assumed to be patrolling the place. Relieved to have found some people, I started toward them.

“...I’m telling you, that bit about a monster that can stretch her neck out like that, it’s all hogwash. I’ll bet you ten dora.”

“Ten dora? You cheap bastard. I’ll bet ya fifty dora on the cryin’ lady.”

“Hey, hey, hold on there guys,” said a slightly pretentious voice as a third man joined in. “Why, in the first place, are all these apparitions women, huh? I’m thinkin’ it’s because women hold in so much bitterness and resentment.”

“Pfft. And who do you think is contributing to that bitterness and resentment, huh? You were gettin’ into fights in the red-light district just recently.”

“Don’t get your trousers in a twist just because you’re jealous of my popularity. Now, you gonna bet or what? Will we see a female ghost or a male ghost?”

“Hold up. That’s not a bet then. I think this whole spirit talk is rubbish to begin with.”

“You just don’t get it...”

Their ghost discussion threatened to drag on endlessly. I decided to intervene rather than shamefully eavesdrop at length. I pressed the candle close to my breast so the light of it wouldn’t surprise them when I stepped closer, then I called “Excuse me...”

All three of them peered back at me. Their eyes widened and their mouths dropped the second they spotted me. Their shrill screams rang out in unison, echoing through the dark stillness of the warehouse district.

I stood there, dumbstruck.

All three men scrambled away from me as if fleeing for their lives. “It’s a ghost!” was understandable; I’d heard that before. But the other, “Mummy hewp meeee!” was unrecognizable. Perhaps a language I wasn’t yet familiar with.

While I did hold the unflattering epithet of the Library Ghost, this was the first time I had ever received this kind of reaction. I blinked and felt something trickle down onto my eyelid. I wiped and discovered it was neneli juice. The fruit in the crate from before must have been ripe and splattered onto me when it fell.

With the help of the dim outside light and my candle, I checked the rest of my body to find myself coated in the substance. If only this were wine covering me, then I might be able to call myself Oenophile Princess rather than Bibliophile Princess.

I pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping myself down when I suddenly heard an exasperated voice remark, “What in the world are you doin’, m’lady?” Jean had apparently come around the outside of the building to meet me.

I informed him that Lady Therese was inside and feeling unwell. He started in her direction before pausing to glance back. “Ah, time’s up.”

~.~.~.~

I stared after him and tilted my head in confusion. Noise suddenly broke out around the warehouse district. Horses approached as Glen and the rest of his guard rode in. Leading them was none other than Prince Christopher himself.

“Eli!” His appearance could draw people’s attention even through the darkness. I immediately felt my pulse quicken. He slipped off his horse and hurried over to me. Soon his arms were around me in an embrace, and I thought my heart might beat right out of my chest. “We got a report from the Bernstein residence that you still hadn’t come home. Please...don’t worry me like this.” He let out a breathy sigh of relief.

My cheeks lit up as I apologized. I figured it was probably best I not pursue the matter of how he managed to locate me.

“Oh dear, Your Highness...” Lady Therese exclaimed in surprise. She was leaning on Jean for support as she stepped out of the warehouse.

The prince’s vivid blue eyes turned sharp as he looked over at her.

Earl Ardolino also showed up, perhaps drawn over by the fuss—he was the man in charge here, after all. “Therese,” he gasped when he saw her. He gave a nod of acknowledgment toward His Highness, but then his face contorted in confusion. It was little surprise he seemed completely baffled as to what was going on. After all, his wife was here alongside the country’s prince, the prince’s betrothed, and a platoon of royal guards.

Lady Therese, conversely, actually calmed once she saw her husband. She pulled herself upright, looking as dignified and untouchable as she always did without losing the bright cheerfulness that was essential to her character. Then she confronted her husband. “My dear... Lord Oscar.”

Earl Ardolino winced.

She kept her eyes on him as she continued. “I have loved everything about you since the moment we first met. The fact that you don’t smile easily, the fact that you’re always so formal and ill-humored. Even how passionate and focused you are on your work—all of it.” The way she smiled was so melancholy it made even my heart ache.

Lady Therese continued. “But let’s end this now. If we continue like this, I feel like my feelings for you will overpower me, and I’ll lose my mind. I have already involved my friend in all of this, who knows what I might get myself into next... I’ve been such a child and yet you have humored my whims for the past three years. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for that.” She bowed her head gracefully.

Earl Ardolino just stared, frozen and wide-eyed.

I slipped outside of the halo of the prince’s cloak, unable to stand by any longer. I moved toward my friend, a neneli fruit in my hand. “Lady Therese, please wait.”

“Lady Elianna?”

“Earl Ardolino,” I turned to him. “Do you plan to begin some kind of business in the near future using the neneli fruit?”

“No, the fruit is only used for making dyes.”

I cocked my head to the side. I wasn’t that well-educated in business matters, but Lady Therese was one of my dearest friends. “There was a book published last year by Lee Turner entitled Sea and Land Animal Journal. According to what’s written within, overhunting of musk deer and beavers has become a problem in recent years. Restrictions will most likely be put in place soon so people cannot hunt them purely to extract their glands for perfume creation.

“What you said was true; the neneli fruit is used for making dyes. I read that a song about incense has been circulating up in the north between the dyers, referring to how the fruit’s fragrance seeps into fabric. My lord, are you planning to use the fruit to develop a new, natural perfume?”

Lady Therese glanced over at the earl.

He remained silent as the sultry woman from before smiled warmly at him and said, “If they’ve already figured out this much, you may as well divulge everything.”

The guards’ eyes gathered on the woman’s ample bosom.

Men certainly are honest with what they want, I thought. Though, I was more interested in where she’d suddenly come from. I hadn’t noticed she was here until just now.

Lady Therese’s face was still pale, and since she made no move to say anything, I spoke in her stead. “Pardon me, but might I inquire as to what your profession is, Miss?”

She stared back at me, eyes colored with amusement. An air of sexy mystique emanated from her. “I’m a perfumer.”

So I was right.

The woman flashed a beguiling smile my way. “I may not have the level of education as yourself or the earl’s young wife here, but I’m one of the most skilled perfumers in the country. When the earl here made such an earnest appeal for my help, I wondered what he could possibly want. He told me he wanted to develop a perfume under his beloved wife’s name and send it to her. Honestly, I laughed. I couldn’t believe someone of his age was saying something so corny.”

Lady Therese’s eyes widened then fixed on her husband. “Lord Oscar...is this true?”

Earl Ardolino’s stiff brows furrowed, his gaze swimming. He still hadn’t opened his mouth.

I gave a small sigh as I reached over and deposited the neneli fruit in Lady Therese’s hand. “Did you know this fruit has the same meaning as the currant in the language of flowers?”

The earl’s eyes turned to me.

My lips tugged into a faint smile. “When the fruit is still green and not yet ripe enough for consumption, its sharp thorns and acidic flavor convey the message ‘I suffer when you’re upset.’ Conversely, when it’s sweet and ripe, the message is ‘I want to bring you joy.’ It fits the two of you perfectly.”

Lady Therese gripped the fruit in her hand.

I stepped back, and Prince Christopher wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

There was a tentative tremor in Lady Therese’s voice as she asked, “Have I been able to bring you joy?”

The earl sighed. He exhaled as if he were letting something go, as if he’d given up on something. “I’m over ten years older than you.”

Lady Therese’s eyes wavered with emotion. She didn’t understand what he was trying to say.

There was a tinge of something painful in Earl Ardolino’s voice as he spoke. “Other lords might be able to bring you happiness with their words, but I cannot. I’m a boring man completely immersed in my work. I know that better than anyone. The people call you the ‘flower of high society.’ You deserve better than me. And yet I still couldn’t give up on you. You’re dignified, like a flower so pristine and beyond my reach; I was the one yearning for you.”

“My lord...”

He returned her gaze and wrapped his hand around hers, covering the fruit she was carrying. “I have to leave the house all the time because of work. That’s why I wanted to at least create this fragrance for you, so I could leave a part of me with you. My joy is in coming home, knowing you’re waiting there for me.”

Lady Therese’s lips trembled as though she might break out into tears at any moment. In response, Lord Ardolino threw his arms around her, and the two shared a tight embrace.

Almost like a grand finale, I thought to myself. It was probably best to leave the two of them alone now.

At His Highness’s behest, the rest of us left the area. Though for some reason the prince was mumbling, “Using a fragrance to mark what’s yours...” I had no earthly clue what he was on about. He gave a strained smile when he noticed me staring. “Well...it seems although my cousin may appear mature for her age, she was completely oblivious to her husband’s feelings.”

“Your Highness, did you already know all of this?”

“Of course. Why else would he have been approved to marry the daughter of a duke?” He also casually added, “Alex may not seem it, but he fawns over his little sister quite a bit. Not that anyone else could tell by looking.”

We headed for a carriage Jean had prepared for us. On the way, I spotted the guards trying to make a pass at the perfumer we’d seen before.

There was something that had niggled at the back of my mind ever since Lady Therese’s initial visit today. I decided to bring it up with the prince. “Your Highness?”

“Hm?” His response was relaxed, his eyes focused on me.

“I heard that after three years of a man being married, the ‘desire to cheat’ overcomes them. Is this true?”

A cold darkness swelled in his blue eyes. I got the sense I was treading dangerous ground, but my question was out of genuine curiosity.

Nearby, Jean drew in a sigh and mumbled, “She brought this on herself.”

Prince Christopher’s lips twitched, smiling over at me. “All right, Eli. I see how this is.”

How what is? I wondered.

“I was actually restraining myself. I figured I would frighten you, given how inexperienced you are, if I acted too persistent with my affections. But I’ve committed a cardinal sin indeed if I’ve caused you to doubt me. Well then. It seems I should show you exactly how deep my feelings for you are so you never even have the chance to second guess them.”

...Pardon?

“Why don’t you stay the night at the palace, Eli?”

“Uh, um...Your Highness?”

I might be mistaken, but it seems as if this conversation is suddenly going in an entirely different direction?

The prince helped me into the carriage then followed in behind me, shutting the door behind us. “Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of time together.” He wore a gleaming smile.

After recalling the events of that past summer, I could feel a cold sweat rolling down my back. Lady Therese’s pregnancy was later confirmed, though the joy I felt in that positive news was short lived. I learned a valuable lesson that day: a lady shouldn’t be unprepared when bringing up her misgivings with a man. Prince Christopher also made me swear to him I wouldn’t doubt his feelings again, though he did later return me to my home that night.

This time, I hadn’t said anything so ill-advised, but the moment Lord Alexei brought up the Autumn Hunting Festival, I got a keen sense of danger. This was in part because of what Prince Theodore had said in the archives just the other day.

The prince stood in front of me, trapping me with his sparkling smile. “You know, Eli, you were worried about men having the desire to cheat back then, but it goes the other way as well. You never know when a woman might be taken by the urge to commit infidelity either. Am I right?”

“I-I would never do something like...”

“Oh? Then why don’t you prove it to me. Just as I made sure you could believe me back then, why don’t you prove to me that I can believe you now?”

I was so surprised that my words stumbled over themselves. “You want me to take the lead...?!”

“Yes.” His smile almost seemed to glow and dazzle. He appeared perfectly relaxed—what part of this was “unhinged”?

Everyone in the room politely turned their eyes away. “He’s the one that has the lead here,” they mumbled.

The prince didn’t even seem to notice them as he continued his offensive. “I know you can do it, Eli. After all, it wasn’t that long ago you—”

“Y-Y-Your Highness!” I gasped, panicked.

Nearby, the master of this office was massaging his forehead, a frosty aura billowing around him. “I told you to get back to work,” he hissed. “You’re nuisances, the both of you!”

Come to think of it, there was another ghost story that began making the rounds after that summer. One involving the warehouse district. They said there was a girl who drowned herself in the Neville River. She would appear with blood trickling down from her head, looking to possess any man that dared make a woman cry.

As the prince himself said, the capital also hosted its own real abominable snowman (Lord Alexei), so perhaps Sauslind was a treasure trove of other hauntings as well. The day when One Hundred New Tales of Mystery in the Capital would be published couldn’t be far off.