The Reincarnated Princess’s Encounter

Before I can do anything, I’ll need some intel. Let’s rummage through whatever books are nearby for the time being.

After I parted from Lutz and Teo, I made my way toward one of the libraries. As always, I was accompanied by my pesky personal guard; apparently, his duty of following after me was never in doubt.

We soon reached the library.

“Hmm...” I murmured quietly after opening the massive door and glancing across the rows of bookshelves that lined the inside of the room. Where should I start?

Broadly speaking, I had three objectives: one, preventing a war; two, stopping the spread of disease; and three, obstructing the demon lord’s revival. Those problems might’ve appeared to be unrelated, but in truth, they were all connected.

I suppose I’ll investigate some maps first, so that I can reference them while I’m making progress.

I stepped forward, and a second pair of footsteps echoed in chorus, mimicking my own. Klaus was following along like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I swallowed back the sigh which had almost escaped my lips and spun around.

“Klaus,” I called out, gazing up at the handsome face which was a full two head lengths above me. I mustered as much composure as I could. “I want you to wait here, by the entrance.”

“Why is that?” Klaus responded instantly with a question. He then continued in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, “I’m your guard. I cannot fulfill my duties unless you permit me to remain right by your side.”

After hearing him declare that with a serious look on his face, my expression soured.

Uh-uh, nope.

Your response was so automatic, like nothing could be more obvious, but I’ve never once seen any guard as clingy as you. Try to keep in mind that even your charge has the right to a little privacy. Your lack of respect for personal space is so abnormal that I can’t help but feel a little sorry for myself, and I’m amazed that I haven’t had a nervous breakdown yet.

“I’m only telling you to wait by the entrance. I’ll give you a shout the moment I need you.”

“I cannot agree to that.”

God, this asshole.

I don’t think that anyone could blame me for unconsciously clenching my fists. He’d said no without a moment’s hesitation! That enraged me; at the same time though, alarm bells sounded in my head.

I would soon turn eleven years old. In other words, I’d be reaching what society called a “difficult age.” Having a male guard glued to my side at all hours would make certain things awkward.

Moreover, I might be fine, as my mental age is technically over twenty, but I’m not sure how the shrine maiden will be able to cope with Klaus’s unwarranted intimacy.

Klaus would eventually be assigned to guard the shrine maiden rather than me. I wouldn’t have minded handing him over if he’d been the same Klaus from Hidden World—a proper gentleman, just as long as nobody pushed his masochism button. But relinquishing him as he currently was now didn’t sit right with me at all.

For my own sake in the days to come, and for the shrine maiden’s sake in the future, I need to teach this man “stay!”

“Klaus,” I called out to him, putting on a serious expression. I’d made my decision.

He replied at once, alert.

Turning to him, I lowered my tone and ordered, “Kneel.”

I heard him gulp. He stared at me, eyes wide open, at a loss for words. However, before long, he returned to his senses.

“Understood.” He bent his knee in an efficient movement.

The sight of a handsome young man in a knight’s uniform kneeling in such a respectful way was rather picturesque. Although, I should stress that I wasn’t enacting one of my personal fantasies. I wanted him kneeling because gawking up at him from below would’ve lacked the intimidation factor necessary.

Klaus was acting slightly strange though. His masculine cheeks were flushed, and there were tears in his eyes.

Maybe he’s actually nervous for once? I am planning to train you, but physical discipline isn’t what I had in mind, so no need to be so scared.

I decided against rephrasing myself, although I’d wanted to, and instead vented all of my irritation in a single sigh. “I once told you that your master is the king,” I started, intent on getting to the point. “But that doesn’t mean you can ignore the orders I give you.”

“That has...never been—”

Klaus flung his head back up and attempted to deny what I’d said, his voice teeming with impatience. But I immediately cut him off.

“Shut your mouth and listen.” I glared down at him coldly from above, and Klaus trembled slightly.

“Yes!”

You might find it humiliating, not being allowed to plead your case, but just let me get out everything I want to say.

“If I ever tell you to do something that’s wrong, then I don’t mind if you ignore the social hierarchy and refuse. But conversely, this means that I expect you to obey every order that I give, except the ones which you can’t possibly justify.”

I purposefully picked a coercive wording. I couldn’t afford to say, “It’s not like I want to be ordering you around.” Thinking of what was to come, leaving things the way they were would be begging for disaster.

I had objectives to clear. More often in the coming days, I’d be asking Sir Leonhart, my cooperator, to accompany me instead of Klaus.

With that in mind, I decided that I’d be best off eliminating this inconvenience here and now.

“You’re a male guard, and I’m a princess, so from now on, it might not be possible for you to stay by my side at all times. In fact, there are plenty of situations where that level of closeness would be infeasible. What will you do then? Will you give up if I’m too far away for your sword to reach?”

“No, I won’t,” Klaus denied without pause. “Under no circumstances could I ever give up on protecting you. I swear on my honor as a knight, on my life.” Klaus placed his hand on his heart and stared straight at me. He’d declared this loud and clear, his face serious.

He looked as awe-inspiring as the fairy-tale knights that little girls adore, and the sight...freaked me out.

Yep. It definitely creeped me the hell out. That’s way more zeal than I was after!

“Then you must teach yourself to protect me from a distance as well.”

I reined in my facial muscles before they could form a grimace and just barely maintained a deadpan expression. I endeavored to appear as collected as I could.

“Instead of just staring at me, pay attention to the minuscule hints that something’s out of order: the movements and words of the people around you, and all the small details. You tend to focus only on guarding me, but you should take the time, place, and situation into account, so that you can respond in the most effective fashion. I know that you are capable of accomplishing that.”

And respect my privacy while you’re at it, I prayed with all my heart.

“Lady Rosemary...” Klaus called my name with an expression full of ecstasy.

The hand that he’d placed near his heart began to tremble, and he squeezed it tightly into a fist, like he was restraining a powerful wave of emotion. He let out a puff of hot air and narrowed his green eyes as if in pain.

The instant I saw that look in his eyes, I gasped. A chill ran down my spine.

While I was taken aback by the disquieting atmosphere, Klaus fixed his gaze on me and bowed his head. “As you command.” He was exceedingly concise when he spoke, but for some reason, those three short words hammered hard against my ears.

I have a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling...

There’s a phrase, “lose the battle to win the war,” but I couldn’t shake off the thought that I’d just gone and done the opposite—I’d trampled on a principle that I’d adhered to all this time, merely to solve the problem at hand.

But there was no turning back now.

“So, Klaus, you’ll stay here, won’t you?”

“Understood,” he assented happily, showing me a little smile.

I was feeling the onset of a headache caused by Klaus, and I walked away in search of books. The firm sound of my footsteps resounded throughout the not particularly large room.

This was one of several libraries inside the palace, but it was more of an ancillary library, and its collection of books was rather humble. That said, this room housed plenty of valuable texts that couldn’t be found in the main library, which was situated in a different part of the palace. On top of that, only a select few people were allowed to visit this space, so I wouldn’t have to worry about being seen.

Klaus was probably fretting about the large number of blind spots created by bookcases and differing floor levels, but any troublemakers would have a hard time sneaking past the tight security. The windows weren’t large enough for a person to fit through either. The room was safe and quiet. This was the perfect environment for concentrating.

I stopped in front of a large bookcase, then stood on my tiptoes and plucked out a book. Perhaps this volume had undergone regular maintenance because it had relatively few scuff marks, despite how old it looked. When I cradled it in my arms, a smell particular to antique books tickled my nose.

Climbing a short flight of stairs, I ventured further into the library. I picked up two more books, then went even deeper.

I’ve got maps, and some texts about medicine, so all that’s left is...

Suddenly, I heard a quiet rustling.

“Hmm?”

I’d been looking at only the bookshelves, but now I turned my gaze to follow the noise. On the wall at the end of the aisle was a narrow window which had been designed specifically to prevent sunlight from damaging the books.

A single man was standing still in front of that window. The sight took me by surprise; I hadn’t noticed his presence until that moment. Instinctively, I jumped one step back.

However, the man didn’t deign to give me a single glance. He turned a page of the book he was reading in silence.

A brazen intruder...he was not. I recognized his face.

His hair was platinum blond, so pale that it could be mistaken for white, and it was dazzling in the faint beams of light from the window. Unlike my own curly hair, his was straight, and the thin strands of it cast shadows on his beautiful forehead. Long lashes framed his eyes, which were the crisp light-blue color of the winter sky. Beneath his chiseled nose, his lips were faint, and his all-too-immaculate face betrayed not the slightest hint of emotion.

His slender frame was covered in a dark-brown justaucorps, woven from high-quality velvet. Though the color was dark, the intricate pattern of golden thread on the seams and cuffs exhibited a stylish flair. His buttoned vest was a bright brown tinged with red. A red gemstone that was as saturated as a pigeon blood ruby acted as a brooch to fasten down his cravat.

The sight of him standing there was as gorgeous as a portrait.

“Are you here to read?” he asked without taking his eyes off of his book. He hadn’t criticized me, but even so, my breath caught in my throat for a moment.

“Why are you here?” I asked back without answering his question. I’d taken a deep breath before wringing out my voice to speak, and while it hadn’t faltered, I’d sounded quite harsh.

The man waited a few seconds, then shut the book. The snap of the closing pages hadn’t been particularly loud, but it’d been enough to trigger my oversensitive nerves, and so my shoulders flinched. He slowly turned his face toward me.

I saw myself reflected in his eyes, which were so light that they were almost colorless.

“Do you find it odd that I’m in my own palace?”

He looked stunning, even when just tilting his head slightly. He should’ve been in his mid-thirties, but no spots or wrinkles blemished his smooth skin.

Trapped in the gaze of this man with his sculpted good looks, I withheld the urge to turn and run away, and instead shook my head.

“No, father.”

“Right.”

The man in front of me was called Randolf von Velfalt. He was the current king of the Kingdom of Nevel, and my father.

Though I called him “father,” he didn’t feel very much like a parent to me. Our relationship wasn’t one that allowed me to drop in on him whenever I fancied, and I’d never sensed any love from him. More than anything though, I simply wasn’t great at dealing with him.

While I did have a few questions about why the head of the kingdom was wandering around this library without a single attendant to accompany him, I didn’t really want to stick around and find out.

Let’s hurry up and locate what I’m after, then make a break for it, I decided, trying to focus on finding books for my original plan.

But that was where I noticed a problem and fell silent.

Don’t tell me... The shelf I need to look at wouldn’t happen to be the one he’s standing in front of, now would it?

I was certain that documents relating to history were located in the very back of the library. I stole a glimpse to the side. My father was leisurely turning another page of his book and showed no signs of budging from that spot.

Could this be one of those situations where I have to ask him to scoot over? Outta the way. Move it. Please move. My attempt at telepathy appeared to have no effect.

His cold eyes followed the text, and his white, bony fingers turned the pages. Both moved at a leisurely pace, as though nobody was standing beside him. His apathetic face was so undeniably pretty that it was irritating.

“You’ll bore a hole in me, staring so much,” he said, frustration evident in his tone.

“Ah!” How long had I been watching him? I could remember seeing his fingertips flicking between the pages for a fourth or fifth time, but I had stopped counting after that, so I couldn’t be sure.

“If you want something, come out with it,” he said. “You were born with a tongue for a reason.”

What he’d said in his unconcerned tone was incredibly reasonable, but it ticked me off beyond belief. Outwardly, I plastered on a smile, but inwardly, I waved a mental fist at him and thought, Asshole!

“My apologies. I was hoping to read some history books.” I gave this explanation hoping that my indirect statement might compel him to get out of the way. But my father didn’t seem like he was going anywhere.

Clearly, he had no intention of relinquishing his spot. He glanced at me and the bookcase in turn, paused for a moment, then spoke.

“From what era?”

“Huh?”

“I’m saying, tell me what books you’re looking for.”

Why would he ask me that? In my confusion, I failed to answer him.

“Are you slow?” he muttered, his face still expressionless.

Oh. My. God! I can’t stand this guy!!!

“The demon lord!” I shouted out of annoyance.

My father went still for a moment. I saw myself reflected in his eyes, which were as colorless as a thin sheet of ice. Caught in those empty eyes, which never betrayed the ups and downs of emotion, I winced.

“You want bedtime stories?” His deep voice was as flat as ever. It revealed no shred of emotion—no anger, no joy.

I paused for a moment, then answered. “I do not.”

For some reason though, his voice terrified me. My heart thumped in fright, as if someone were pressing a knife against my throat.

I might’ve just trodden on the toes of a dragon.

Even so, I couldn’t allow that statement to pass without a refutation. I swallowed to ensure that my voice wouldn’t falter, and then began to speak. “The demon lord isn’t a fictitious character. Nor is he a superstition to scare little children into going to sleep.”

“You mean to tell me that he really existed? When the accounts of him are only present in a few old, half-rotten books?”

His derisive phrasing plucked at my nerves.

“Books hold the proof that those who came before us really lived,” I shot back at him inadvertently, worked up by his jab. “They’re gifts from our forebears, passed down to us over hundreds of years. They’re the means to fight back, even after those means have faded from memory.”

I couldn’t concede that point, all the more because I knew for a fact that the demon lord existed. The people who’d initially fought against the demon lord must’ve been so frightened. Confronted with a power that surpassed human fathoming, how hadn’t they lost faith in their ability to persevere?

Yet they’d gone on living, despite having their loved ones and their homelands stolen from them and even their human dignity trampled in the dirt. I couldn’t possibly begin to imagine how much pain and suffering they must have experienced. Even so, they’d resisted. I couldn’t help but feel awe and respect for the people who’d continued to fight, unwavering, against such unbelievable might.

The books were the fruit of their struggles, the testament to their miracle, and the account of their lives of endless resistance. It wasn’t right that the descendants of those who sealed away the demon lord would come to mock their struggle as pure fantasy.

“I told you that I want to read history books. I’d rather you didn’t get that wrong.” I faced off against my father, glaring from below his eyeline.

I’d managed to swallow back my fear and put on a bold front, but instead of growing angry or exasperated, my father muttered briefly, “Right.”

Huh? Is that it?

Talk about anticlimactic. What happened to the terrifying atmosphere that made it seem like one ill-chosen word would land me with a summary execution?

The sense of intimidation evaporated into thin air with not a trace left, leaving me to wonder whether I’d imagined it all. My father closed the book in his hands, returned it to the shelf, and then walked past me to leave.

No, really... What was that all about?

“In that case,” he said, “stop by my room later.”

“Huh?” After his parting words, I let a few seconds of delay slip by. But then I reacted. My eyes grew wide in astonishment and I spun around in a hurry.

“I look after all the books regarding the demon lord,” my father continued, as though making small talk. He didn’t stop walking. “I’ll show you, if that’s what you want.”

I stood frozen in place, unable to utter a single word in reply, as my father walked off into the distance.