Chapter 3: Seeds of Anxiety

After everyone left, I decided to head to my usual spot, traversing the corridors with my manservant close behind me. Grandpa Teddy and the Black Wing Knights had left to meet with the king and queen, who hadn’t been able to receive them personally since they’d arrived ahead of schedule. A chamberlain had come to fetch the prince, urging him along to change out of his sweat-soaked garments.

Now that it was only me and Jean, I found myself steeped in thought. Suddenly, a suspicion occurred to me, and I turned to my manservant and asked, “Do you not like Grandpa Teddy?”

“Huh? What’re you on about this time?”

“I’ve noticed this for a while now, but every time he comes to visit, you disappear off somewhere,” I said. “Did he say some harsh things to you before?”

“Ah.” My tall, gangly manservant paused to scratch the top of his head. His drowsy eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “He probably figured I wasn’t suited to work at the Bernstein estate. Started drillin’ me about my work history n’stuff.”

“Your work history?” I echoed, eyes widening.

“Yep,” he said, sounding bored with the conversation already.

I eyed him curiously. “But Jean...I thought you came to us through Earl Grantham’s recommendation, from the region right beside us? Isn’t that where you’re from?”

“Yep.”

The lack of interest he displayed only served to pique mine, especially for how long we had known each other.

As my mind landed on one possibility, my feet froze in place. I rounded on my heel to face him, expression turning serious as I addressed him. “Jean...”

The moment he saw me scrutinizing him, he steeled himself as he always did, suspicious of what I would say next.

I decided to get right to the heart of the matter of why he had really come to the Bernsteins’ region. “Did you eat at a sweets store then run out without paying your bill?”

“What?!” His voice almost sounded hysterical as he shrieked at me.

I remained matter-of-fact as I pressed further. “There must have been a reason why Grandpa Teddy was asking you about your history. Did you do something to get you driven out of the Grantham’s region? It’s not too late to confess, Jean. I promise, I will go with you and we can apologize to the owner together.”

“Why does him questionin’ me automatically make you assume I’m some kinda criminal who eats without payin’?!”

“Because,” I deadpanned, “you love sweets.”

For a long time now, Jean would polish off any sweets I received when I attended tea parties. Each time, he gave the curious pretext that he was “testing them for poison,” though I hardly believed him.

“Or perhaps...” I decided to test the next possibility I had considered. “Did someone catch you taking a nap on the job and fire you?”

He started massaging his temples, giving me the same expression Lord Alexei did when he was battling a migraine. “So the possibilities are I either ate and ran or got fired? That’s it? ’Sides, I don’t think you should be the one nosin’ around in other people’s history, m’lady. I remember, you know. Back when we lived in your family’s region, you kept goin’ to this bookstore religiously after you mistook it for a library. You read every single book they had on their shelves. I heard rumors that because of you, that place closed down.”

“Goodness,” I gasped. Of course, I couldn’t let that misconception continue. “Mister Sebas’s shop closed because there was no one who could inherit it. I purchased every volume he had for our library. Such a shame, though; bookstores like his that deal largely with antiquated literature are rare.”

“And you’re the one who sat around in his store all day readin’ for hours on end.”

My cheeks heated at his accusation, and I leveled a glare at him. I knew bookstores existed back then, but the place had been so desolate. I never spotted any other customers inside. Naturally, I assumed his store was an annex of our library that dealt with ancient tomes. The old man who owned the place was so kind that he let me spend however long I wanted there. In retrospect, I realized that was probably because I was the regional lord’s daughter, and the man was probably only showing deference because of my status.

Jean snorted in derision and I huffed back at him. “If I recall correctly, Head Maid Selma caught you sneaking food and raked you over the coals for it.”

He stared back at me, dumbfounded for a moment, before he barked back (more angrily than I’d anticipated), “What’re you talkin’ about! That all happened because you and Lord Alfred did that old timey food experiment! And who was the only victim of that incident? Me! Because of you two, Miss Selma called me an absolute fool!”

“I would never ‘experiment’ with food. My brother and I simply asked the head chef to try recreating ancient cuisine. You were the only one who ended up with a stomachache, Jean.”

“That’s ’cause I was the only one who made the mistake of eatin’ some of it! Besides, Miss Selma chewed you out, too. She forbade you from ever recreatin’ that old timey food again!”

Feeling indignant, I went silent.

My manservant was panting at this point from all the arguing, a menacing look on his face. The moment I went quiet, he let out an exhausted sigh. “Those old timey people you read about don’t have the same stomachs as those of us livin’ in the present, so just keep that in mind.”

He then launched into a long lament. “Tellin’ me this and that’s similar to acorns and flour and whatnot... Similar my arse.” All I really understood from it was this: Jean was intensely finicky when it came to food.

Once again, Jean let out a deep sigh, as if spilling out all the air his lungs could contain. “I’ll be frank...instead of worryin’ about my history, you should expend all that energy on a certain someone close to you. The world would be a lot more peaceful and happy that way. Besides...” As he mumbled to himself, his drowsy eyes narrowed, a malicious glint hidden deep within. “He’s the one closest to you, and yet he’s the only one who never suffers. Seems odd to me. Misfortune should be split between all of mankind equally. I’m not lyin’ back while they use me as a human experiment. That demon lord’s gonna have to get a taste of my pain. Like having a stomachache so bad that you can’t even eat your favorite food when it’s set in front of you. That grief, that sorrow... Nothing else compares...”

I stared at my manservant as he continued his bizarre mumbling, and suddenly the way I looked at him changed. Had he perhaps received some kind of divine revelation from the heavens while hanging around Orphen’s research society? Or perhaps was the medicine they’d casually slipped into the sweets and tea at the lab starting to show its effects?

As I continued gazing at Jean, I thought to myself, I must inform Orphen about this.

~.~.~.~

The moment I entered the archives, the scent of books teased my nose and tempted my feet to travel further in. Behind me, Jean yawned and wandered off to look for a place to take his afternoon nap.

The same routine as always, I thought to myself as I began searching for the book I desired, navigating the sea of tomes around me that were brimming with knowledge from our forebears. A calm silence had settled over this ocean of shelves, each volume just waiting for me to unseal it and discover the secrets contained within. Among them might lurk a tempestuous whirlpool that could swallow the whole world up in its surging waves. The very thought caused my heart to stutter as I gently glided through the archives’ waters. Around me, the books sang their siren’s song, beckoning me to reach for them. I had to resist the temptation as my lips naturally curled into a smile.

Around the corner of one of the shelves, I caught a voice whispering. “...like that too?”

The hushed question earned a nod from the girl to whom it was spoken. “Yes,” she murmured. I recognized both of their voices. “I could feel the tension in my father’s letter. Our spies’ reports weren’t very promising, and he told me to stay in the capital. For him to say that... Don’t you think it must mean my region’s in danger?”

A gentle voice answered her anxious query, trying to comfort her. “Lady Anna...” Anyone with a discerning enough ear could hear the affection in his voice. He continued, trying to appeal to her sense of reason, “The delegation from Maldura plans to travel the bay and enter the country through Kelk Harbor. I understand why the people of the Edea Domain feel so alarmed, but there’s no need to be so nervous.”

Another low voice joined in to say, “The delegation’s whole motivation for coming is to seek a way to foster good relations between us. I suspect the reason the earl asked you to stay here is because he wants you to watch how things play out for yourself.”

At their reassurance, the woman’s voice sounded more resolved and less panicked than it had moments before. “Yes, you’re right. I apologize for causing such a fuss over something so silly.”

“Not at all. I understand there are many like you at the palace who are feeling tense and uneasy. The only time a delegation from Maldura comes to Sauslind is when they need to clean up after one of the wars they’ve launched on us.” The second man’s calm voice continued, sharing information that almost sounded like it was for my benefit. “Actually, they began approaching us about this visit before the Holy Night’s Banquet. Most likely—and keep in mind this is supposition—after they sounded us out during the Autumn Hunting Festival, they probably decided it’d be wise to make an official visit before the spring.”

“Indeed,” the other man’s gentle voice agreed. “It makes sense. If they plan to attend the prince and Eli’s wedding, it would help if they already have a link here. Though I can’t deny the feeling that we’re being conveniently swept along by their ulterior motives.”

The other man chuckled, his voice low as he cleverly quipped, “Well, that’s why you and the prime minister are formulating a way to bargain an advantageous treaty for us, right? The Financial Affairs Office is also keeping an eye out to see what concessions are made so they can siphon as much money as possible to—oh, how rude of me. I simply heard the head accountant there has been staring at numbers all day, trying to figure out how they might raise tariffs. We have some eccentric people here at the palace. And so...” He turned, directing his words straight at me. “You need only focus on your own duties, Lady Elianna.”

I shrank back in surprise as their attention turned my way. Feeling awkward, I took a few steps forward to reveal myself fully. When I stepped out from the corner, I saw the exact three people I’d expected.

“Eli,” my brother said, extending his arms as he approached.

Lady Anna Hayden also gave a warm nod in my direction, not seeming the least bit upset that I’d rudely eavesdropped on their conversation.

The last of the three was the curator of the archives, Prince Theodore. His eyes looked like ultramarines and his hair had a deep, golden color to it. Part of his allure was his deceptively relaxed disposition which belied his true playful nature. He was also very popular among the women at court.

I shuffled closer and apologized for not announcing myself sooner, but Prince Theodore only smiled and shook his head. “No, I was the one who started this conversation where others might overhear it. I don’t mind.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “The fact that someone dragged you out of the Pharmacy Lab must mean General Bakula arrived, I assume?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting,” he hummed under his breath, contemplating something.

Before I could voice the niggling suspicion I had in my head, my brother offered me a gentle smile as he said, “Prince Christopher certainly does have a talent for pulling out his trump card at the perfect moment.”

As I stared back at him, his ashen eyes softened.

“Those in the military don’t think too fondly of Father,” he explained. “Hearing that Maldura was sending a delegation here only gave their faction more momentum. Some may have planned to use this opportunity to overthrow him. Perhaps they even intended to drive you out. But by revealing that one of their most influential figures is backing you...”

“Now it’s tough for them to make a move,” Lady Anna finished for him, impressed as she nodded to herself. “My father also made it clear he intends to attend your wedding. The military in the east and west have your back, and you have the support of the people as well. Yes, indeed, the prince has set up a solid foundation for you.” Perhaps the reason she was able to make such a calm analysis was also why she was working in the Department of History Compilation. However, it also seemed the presence of those armed forces were part of what had allayed the fears she’d displayed earlier.

She continued, sounding surprised, “I didn’t realize you were old acquaintances with General Bakula.”

Alfred informed her, “More precisely, he’s an old acquaintance of our grandfather.” He gave a bitter smile. “I’m sure many will share your shock when they hear. Ever since Eli was named the prince’s betrothed, she has taken a firm stance against relying on the military. If people knew from the beginning that the general was supporting her, none of her statements or efforts would have had any meaning.”

If people knew I had the backing of a man who’d used military might to defend our country in the past, my advocacy for pacifism wouldn’t have held much weight.

“And so...” Alfred continued, reaching a hand toward me. I was lost in thought when his fingers pushed my hair back. It surprised me at first, but I found his warmth soothing. “That’s why I think the prince never mentioned Grandpa Teddy even when faced with the military’s harsh criticism. Though, I’m sure part of it was his agreement with our grandfather as well. The prince must not have wanted to make it public until it was firmly implanted in everyone’s minds that your biggest supporters are the people. I think the reason he called the general was partially to silence the opposing faction, but also because he wanted the best protection possible for you. Especially because he won’t be able to go with you when you leave.”

I was at a loss for words. It was all I could do to nod. The prince was always protecting me.

Alfred wore a pleasant expression on his face as he stroked the top of my head.

Lady Anna, seeming to have only now recalled what he was referring to, said, “Oh, that’s right, Lady Elianna. Your royal duties will be taking you to the Ralshen Region soon, correct?”

“Yes, although my primary objective in going is to visit the sickly Lord Bernard. I think I’ll just miss Maldura’s delegation as I’m leaving.”

I was the one who had spoken so strongly about fostering good relations with Maldura, and yet I wouldn’t be present when they came to the capital. That weighed on my mind, causing a resurgence of anxiety.

Prince Theodore gave a small, bitter smile as he said, “Under normal circumstances, it should be one of the members of the royal family visiting him. Instead, I’m afraid the burden must fall to you.”

“Oh, it’s no burden,” I assured him, shaking my head.

Lord Bernard was the younger brother of the former king, making him Prince Theodore’s uncle and Prince Christopher’s great uncle. Said former king (as well as the former queen) had already passed on to the next world. Lord Bernard was now the oldest surviving member of their family.

As Prince Theodore mentioned, originally it should have been Prince Christopher paying the elderly lord a visit, but instead he was going to remain here to deal with Maldura’s delegation. Thus, the duty had fallen to me. I would be his proxy, to put it in simpler terms. The anxiety I felt about fulfilling this duty was decidedly different from my apprehension about Maldura’s visit.

Nonetheless, I steeled my determination and said, “I will be a member of the royal family as well come spring. It’s only natural, given my status, for them to send me to visit Lord Bernard.”

Prince Theodore blinked at me a few times before flashing his charming smile. “Girls emerge from their shells to become beautiful butterflies so quickly. Can’t even turn your eyes away for a moment.” I stared back at him, puzzled by those words, but he just grinned teasingly and added, “I was looking forward to stealing you before you completely finished your metamorphosis, but alas, I value my life too much.” He chuckled.

After a moment, his voice turned more friendly and inviting. “Eli, even without you here, the things you have advocated for—a peaceful approach and friendly relations—have already begun to take root in the palace. Especially in the archives. Ever since you became the prince’s betrothed, you have been laying the foundation for Sauslind to be a civilized nation, and that’s become our ideal as well. We won’t let your efforts be in vain. We will lead the country forward, toward friendship with Maldura.”

There was a strength in his eyes so comforting I could feel it worm its way inside my heart. The warmth from my brother’s hand also brought me reassurance, and that relief was only further reinforced when Lady Anna nodded at me in agreement. I smiled back at them, grateful I had such trustworthy people I could count on. As long as they were here, there was nothing the capital had to worry about.

Even still, a shadow of unease continued to lurk within me, one I fought desperately to quell.