The Reincarnated Princess Thinks Deeply

Yay me! My hard work has paid off!

My overladen brain was out of order right now, and it only managed to produce a thought appropriate for a child of my physical age.

“Your face has gone bright red,” Sir Leonhart pointed out, and I hurriedly hid my expression behind my fingers.

Come to mention it, my cheeks do feel unusually hot.

I pressed my hands to my face, switching between the palms and the backs, in a desperate attempt to sap the heat away. Watching my antics, Sir Leonhart burst out laughing.

That’s not very nice of you! You’re obscuring your mouth with your hand, but I can see your shoulders shaking, so I know that you’re laughing. Don’t try to fool me by clearing your throat—I can see right through you!

“You’re laughing at me, aren’t you?” I asked.

I don’t think I could’ve helped my resentful look. Toying with the feelings of a girl in love wasn’t acceptable behavior, and I wouldn’t bend the rules, not even for Sir Leonhart.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized without a fight, but his eyes were still laughing.

Maybe he’s actually a bit of a teaser? That thought popped into my mind, and I asked Sir Leonhart. He replied instead with a question.

“Do you dislike me as I am?”

“Not at all,” I answered at once, and Sir Leonhart’s eyes widened a little. It seemed that he hadn’t expected that.

Come to think of it, the thought never crossed my mind when I was playing Hidden World—it might be nice to see a more playful side of him.

The game’s Leonhart von Orsein was, to me, the ideal adult man personified. He was a kind, bighearted, and indulgent person. I’d never thought that he might have another side.

I don’t think I would’ve disliked him had I seen this mischievous personality in the game, but I’d have found it strange. That’s not the guard captain I know, I would’ve thought, and I’d have foisted my expectations onto him. But, thinking about it now, the royal guard captain from Hidden World and this Sir Leonhart are already different people in my mind. After all, I don’t feel let down when this man shatters my mental image of him.

Far from it—I absolutely love when that happens.

Like the moment I discovered that he’s scary when I get him mad, or when I noticed he’s a worrier and pretty inflexible, or even when I found out that he’s a bit of a teaser. I want him to reveal more sides of himself, to teach me more about who he really is. My heart’s so full of passion for him that it borders on creepy...

“I’m glad that you’re being yourself.” Hearing my honest feelings, Sir Leonhart made a face like he’d mistakenly swallowed something that he shouldn’t have. I was confused about why he’d pull such an expression, but then he looked into my eyes and put on a troubled smile.

He relaxed his shoulders. “I’m no match for you,” he muttered to himself.

“Huh?”

“Right,” he said, changing the subject. “That’s enough idle conversation. Let’s delve into the main subject.”

I shot him a questioning glance to try and figure out what he had meant, but he’d put a firm end to the topic. Apparently, he didn’t plan on explaining.

“Okay.”

I wasn’t happy about being given the runaround, but he was right—we didn’t have time to spare for idle chitchat. I’d gone to the trouble of leaving Klaus behind, so I needed to ensure that the time I spent with Sir Leonhart was productive.

Although, speaking as a girl in love, there was nothing idle about that previous conversation.

“We were planning on developing countermeasures for diseases this time, weren’t we?” Sir Leonhart asked, putting on a more serious expression.

“That’s right.” I nodded.

Broadly speaking, three calamities posed a looming threat in the future: the demon lord’s resurrection, the war with Lapter, and the spread of plague. I’d already informed Sir Leonhart of these. It’d been quite the challenge to explain everything under the guise of a dream I’d had, but he’d borne with me patiently.

At present, he was conducting an investigation into the demon lord’s avatar, Michael von Diebolt. There was no action we could take against Lapter at this point in time. So, by process of elimination, we’d decided to do some brainstorming on how to counteract communicable diseases.

Sir Leonhart retrieved a map from his breast pocket.

“May I sit next to you?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he stood up from his place opposite me and sat down beside me.

“Wha?” I gawked at the sequence of actions in astonishment. My mind went blank and my mouth dangled wide open. His handsome face was right by my side.

T-T-Too close...!!!

My nerves went haywire and I froze solid.

In stark contrast to my floundering, Sir Leonhart had completely switched to business mode. His facial expression was as earnest as could be, and he looked down at the now-open map.

I began to feel ashamed for getting so worked up. Relax, relax, I chanted, like a spell in my mind to quell the rapid thumping of my heart.

“You said that the plague spread from the south, but do you know the precise location?”

Keenly conscious of him looking at me, I began to sweat from my palms. I plastered on a normal facial expression so that he wouldn’t perceive my unrest and inhaled a big gulp of air.

“I don’t know exactly where,” I responded, “but I suspect that it most likely began in the south-southwest, near the border with Vint.” I pointed at the area as I spoke. I’d gradually begun to regain my cool by focusing on the map.

Our country, Nevel, was located in the central region of a bird-wing-shaped continent. In the south, there was a peninsula that jutted out into the ocean, and it was blessed with a good climate. Temperate land constituted most of the other regions too, with only the northernmost reaches seeing heavy snowfall.

I loved how comfortable it was to live in the warm weather, but it came with downsides too. Viruses that didn’t flourish in cold places could easily travel north across the continent, almost all the way up through Nevel.

“You mean, the plague won’t start in the peninsula?” Sir Leonhart asked, voice laced with suspicion.

“That’s right.” I nodded heavily.

Certainly, febrile diseases circulated more readily in the tropical climate of the peninsula. But the locals appeared to have built up a resistance to them, and any outbreaks would always fizzle out without many casualties.

Moreover, the stretch of land connecting the peninsula to the continent was exceedingly narrow, constricted like an hourglass. Although there was obviously some interaction with the world beyond the peninsula, these locals possessed their own unique culture and preferred not to leave their territory, so diseases rarely transferred across the continental mainland.

“Judging from my dream, I believe that the war between Vint and Skelluts played a part in causing the disease to spread,” I said.

“Your reasoning?”

“The first is timing. The initial spread of the disease occurred less than a year after the outbreak of that war. Secondly, my premonition showed those people persecuted as disease-carriers, and they had a different skin color than the people of Nevel.”

“A different skin color...” Sir Leonhart rested his chin on his hand and sank into thought. After a short pause, he arrived at the same conclusion as I had.

“Refugees?”

I nodded in agreement and continued to speak. “I’m told that the great forests sprawling across southern Vint are home to a race of dark-skinned people. I suspect that they might’ve wound up in Nevel after being driven from their homeland.”

“Indeed. Assuming that their forest was burned in the fighting, they’d most likely aim to cross the border, rather than flee to the north where the war still raged. If the refugees’ arrival in Nevel coincided with the outbreak of the plague, then it wouldn’t be strange for these conspicuous outsiders to be labeled as the culprits.”

“I agree.”

“Do you personally believe them to be the cause? Or do you think it’s a false accusation?” inquired Sir Leonhart.

“It’s dangerous to jump to conclusions. However, my thoughts are that they probably carried the source of the disease with them.”

Earth’s jungles harbored a host of viruses. The same was probably true of this world. The dark-skinned people who’d lived in that area for generations had the natural immunity to withstand contracting a severe form of the illness, since they were used to being exposed to the virus. Unfortunately, the people of Nevel had no resistance to this sickness, and they wouldn’t be so lucky.

The only fortunate thing was that the disease didn’t have a high case fatality rate; however, an insufficient supply of medicine, as well as general fatigue from the war, would’ve accelerated the spread of the disease.

“I concur.” Sir Leonhart expressed his agreement. “The forests of the south harbor a great many unknown diseases, just like our country’s peninsula. Though the chances of Vint starting a war are practically nonexistent at the moment, it would serve us to develop countermeasures for this disease as urgently as possible.”

I lifted my head upon hearing his last remark. When I glanced his way, our eyes met.

“So we need to hurry, even though we succeeded in averting the war?” I asked.

I did understand the need for countermeasures because the threat hadn’t completely disappeared... But why the rush? Sure, I’d love to deal with it early on, but we have plenty of other tasks to accomplish.

My confusion must’ve been apparent on my face, and Sir Leonhart nodded to me, then clarified, “The flames of war aren’t the only threat to the forest’s existence.”

According to Sir Leonhart’s explanation, commerce between Vint and Flanmer had increased following the disappearance of the menace that lay between them—Skelluts.

“Flanmer and Vint...”

Located to the south of Skelluts and the southwest of Vint, Flanmer was a large country bordered by ocean on three sides. Many of its subjects worked as fishermen and international merchants, so naturally, the country boasted a flourishing shipbuilding industry. I could only imagine one link connecting Flanmer to the possible disappearance of the forest.

“The trees are being chopped down to use as lumber for shipbuilding,” I mumbled to myself.

The country of Flanmer was large, but its southern half was covered by a vast expanse of desert. Consequently, Flanmer produced inferior quantities of wooden materials domestically, and instead imported the majority of their lumber supply from abroad. They’d imported wood from Vint before, but it had to be transported by sea, since maritime trade routes avoided passing through the nation of Skelluts. Ships were also costly and could only carry so much cargo per voyage.

But now that the land routes were open for trade, both of those inconveniences had been resolved in an instant.

“You catch on quickly.” Sir Leonhart had deciphered my muttering. He beamed, as though to say “bravo.”

I very much appreciated the compliment, but this wasn’t the time to get carried away.

It’s no challenge to work out that this new trade dynamic will become a problem.

“I suppose that stopping them is impossible?” I asked. Just because we had an alliance didn’t mean they’d let a foreign princess chime in on the issue. I knew that fact very well, but I’d asked anyway, in the dim hope that there might be some way to communicate this message.

However, Sir Leonhart wasn’t the sort of person to make empty gestures of consolation. “I doubt they’ll listen until after they’ve experienced some of the negative aftereffects.”

I shut my mouth upon hearing his exceedingly logical view; I had no counterargument. It grieved me to hear, but that was how I saw things too.

I have no time to waste on being depressed. There’s a lot to be done.

“Well then—huh?!”

Just as I’d recuperated and opened my mouth to speak, the horses neighed, and the carriage swerved violently.

“Your Highness!!!” At once, Sir Leonhart pulled me into his arms and unsheathed his sword from its scabbard.

The carriage slammed to a sudden halt after the jolt.

Sir Leonhart propped me up to prevent me from tumbling off of my seat. The manly, handsome knight next to me was wearing a fierce expression, and the air in the carriage had grown thick with tension.

What in the world just happened?!

“I’ll take a look and see what’s going on,” he said, his voice deep. “Stay inside, Your Highness.”

I nodded in silence.

Sir Leonhart released me and placed his hand on the carriage door. But the instant before he could throw it open, a voice called from outside.

“Pardon me! Is anybody hurt?!”

“Her Highness is unharmed,” Sir Leonhart called out beyond the door, shielding me behind his back. “What just happened?”

“Yes, ummm...” the voice responded. “Somebody jumped in front of the carriage out of nowhere.”

Sir Leonhart opened the door. Outside stood a guard and the pale-faced driver. I expected that my face looked just as white as his.

What does he mean, someone jumped out? W-We didn’t hit them, did we? I didn’t feel a big shock of impact, so...we’re good, right?!

“Is anyone wounded?” Sir Leonhart asked.

“We swerved out of the way, so the pedestrian should be fine...”

Sir Leonhart deboarded the carriage and closed the door behind him, all while speaking with the driver. Left all alone inside, I had to piece together what was happening outside from what I could hear of their conversation. I found out from the intermittent fragments that the person who’d jumped in front of us was a boy.

Thank God—from the sound of things, he’s all right. I wiped the sweat from my forehead in relief.

But soon, the conversation cut off midway. Though I couldn’t sense anything ominous, there was something amiss in Sir Leonhart’s voice for some reason.

I wonder why... That change has really caught my attention.

“Your Highness.” After a short while, Sir Leonhart called to me from outside the carriage.

“Y-Yes?!” I hurried back to my seat and pretended that I hadn’t been glued to the door eavesdropping. Princesses must never do that, after all.

“I’m afraid there’s a slight complication.”

I was embarrassed at the squeaky noise I’d made in my panic, but the mood in the air was too grave to be worrying about something so trivial. My face stiffened in response to the serious tone of Sir Leonhart’s voice.

Nonetheless, I sat up straight and responded. “I’ll hear your report.”

Since Sir Leonhart had decided that this matter was complicated, I didn’t expect to be of any use in dealing with it. However, I held the highest social rank in our party. In other words, I was the one responsible, and therefore, I had to assess and react to the situation hastily.

In contrast to my eager attitude, Sir Leonhart fell into a troubled silence, and then whispered quietly, “The boy that jumped into the road has turned out to be the son of Viscount Diebolt.”

Diebolt... That name rings a bell.

I lowered my eyes and pondered. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t remember why. Diebolt, I repeated in my head, Diebolt. I trudged through my memories.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, visuals from Hidden World entered my ruminating mind: A man with the moon in the background, his hair long and black with blue overtones, and monolid, almond eyes of the same color. His faint lips were eternally pressed into an archaic smile, and it was impossible to read his emotions. He’d worn bright white priestly vestments on his slender body, and on top of that, a white overcoat with gold at the hem. A golden stole hung from his neck.

Though his appearance was godly, and his gaze bewitching...this man—Michael von Diebolt—had a dangerous charm which could lead someone astray with a single glance.

Ah, that’s the one, Michael!

I basked for just a second in that satisfying feeling of having successfully remembered something, but then, I turned deathly pale.

That’s the demon lord! The son of Viscount Diebolt—that’s the demon lord!!!

Although, to split hairs, Michael was just the demon lord’s avatar, and not the demon lord himself.

My feeling of shock was so intense that my mind no longer had the capacity to spare for little details like that. Without giving me a chance to mentally prepare myself, a bombshell had just landed at my feet. At this point, I lost any trace of composure and panicked.

In the end, I tried to deny reality.

Didn’t the Diebolts have two sons?

“Is it the eldest son?” I tried.

“He’s Michael von Diebolt.”

Yep, figures!

Sir Leonhart hammered a polite nail in the coffin of my vain struggle. I felt like I could sense a hint of exasperation in his voice.

“Your Highness, there is no danger, so could you step out of the carriage?” Sir Leonhart proposed this, perhaps hoping to hurry the situation along.

That’s right. Michael and the demon lord are different people. The boy outside the carriage right now isn’t Michael the demon lord, who’d given me goosebumps with his deranged thoughts and ominous utterances. He’ll probably look the exact same, but his personality will be completely different...

I hope.

“Very well.” I took a deep breath.

I opened the door, accepted the hand offered to me, and followed it out of the carriage. I was met by the guard and the driver, who were both bowing their heads. Alongside them was an unfamiliar boy.

Who’s he?

I scanned the boy up and down questioningly. I seemed to recall Sir Leonhart saying that Michael was there, but I couldn’t spot him anywhere—the young man whose chilling good looks had paired so perfectly with the night, the moon, and blood was nowhere to be seen.

His unkempt black hair was cut at shoulder-length. It had no luster, and uneven tufts stuck out here and there. His monolid, almond eyes, which peeked through his long bangs, were staring at the ground, and beneath them were dark, heavy bags.

His thin body was shrouded in black vestments, like a cassock that priests wear, with no decorative accessories at all. On top of that, his skin was sickly pale, and his arms and legs were as thin as sticks. His tall stature was diminished by his poor posture, which gave him a stoop.

He’s like a greasy-haired stray cat. That was my first impression of him. His face did look attractive upon close inspection, and a likeness to Michael the demon lord was present in each of its constituent parts. But his countenance, his attitude, and the impression he gave were the total opposite.

His brows had knitted themselves into nervous knots, and his eyes darted restlessly in every direction. His muffled voice escaped in meaningless whimpers. No matter how I looked at him, I couldn’t picture him as the supremely self-confident demon lord.

I stood there dumbfounded for a while as the boy fidgeted uncomfortably under my intense staring.

I’d expected him to have a slightly different personality and nature to the demon lord, but I never imagined that he’d be such a nervous wreck.

“Your Highness,” Sir Leonhart prompted me, perhaps taking pity on the boy who seemed on the verge of tears.

An adorable meow piped up in support.

Huh? Why’s there a cat here?

I took a closer look at Michael and saw that he was holding a cat in his arms. It had a coat of pitch-black fur, which is why I’d failed to immediately spot it against the black of the boy’s vestments. As I stared into the cat’s blue jewel-like eyes, I saw myself reflected there, and the black cat tilted its head in puzzlement.

My lips widened into a smile at the cute sight.

“Apparently he jumped into the carriage’s path to protect the cat from being run over.”

“I see.” I transferred my gaze from the cat to the boy, and he cast his eyes down while turning bright red. “Are you hurt?”

“N-N-No, I’m f-f-fine.” He stuttered immensely and replied with a squeak as quiet as a mouse.

He wouldn’t have been called dashing, what with the way that he’d forced his eyes shut and stared at the ground... But he did seem cute, like a little critter. Although I was cognizant of the fact that this compliment wasn’t the best choice of words to describe a boy older than me.

But... How do I put this? I wanna play with him until he drops.

Like, I kinda wanna mess with him and watch him squirm. Or should I say that I want to observe his panicked, hopeless floundering with heartfelt glee? That I just want to have fun with him?

I’m not a sadist. This bears repeating, so I’ll state it again: I am not a sadist!

“M-M-My name is Michael von D-Diebolt, and I’m a priest-in-twaining.” He tripped over his words.

A “priest-in-twaining,” eh? Ooh, I just wanna gobble him up!

He seemed to have noticed his own mistake because he blushed even deeper and tears began to shimmer in his eyes. The redness stood out all the more on his pale skin. I was almost worried that he’d get a nosebleed if he got any redder.

“I-I did not know that this was a royal carriage, d-do beg my forgiveness—I m-mean... I beg your forgiveness.”

Michael bowed his head, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

Don’t worry, you’re doing great, kid. It was cute, and that’s all that matters. Besides, commanding me to beg your forgiveness has a nice, noble flair to it.

“Fortunately, none of us were injured.” I smiled, gesturing for him not to worry about it, and the boy flinched. Why’re you flinching?

His nicely shaped ears slowly dyed crimson.

So you can still turn redder, I observed, my expectations defied, and Michael glanced behind himself. He clearly wanted to get away, but I needed him to stick around for a little while longer. I was slightly curious about why he was out here on his own; we were still in town but quite far away from the temple, too far for him to be running errands.

“Why is a priest of the Great Temple in a place like this?” Sir Leonhart asked the question in my stead.

Does he think something’s up too?

“Huh?” Taken by surprise, Michael stared at Sir Leonhart and me in wide-eyed confusion. His face turned from red to white in an instant. “I-I-I’m not d-d-doing anything b-bad!”

Under the misconception that he was being accused of something, Michael shook his head from side to side with impressive force. He was acting incredibly suspicious, but I didn’t get the impression that he was hiding anything nefarious.

He’s like a hamster running in circles, out of its mind. While it is cute, if we pressure him any more he’ll probably have a stress overload and die from the shock.

“I wasn’t accusing you of anything,” Sir Leonhart said, and he put on a bright, businesslike smile. “I merely thought that we could be of some assistance, if you were in need of any.”

Michael slumped and let out a sigh of relief. He hugged the cat tightly in his arms, perhaps unconsciously. The friendly-looking cat wasn’t making any attempts to flee.

“Well,” explained Michael, “I finished my work and had the rest of the day off, so I was visiting the orphanage.”

As Michael told it, after he’d finished his duties at the Great Temple, he’d taken it upon himself to walk to an orphanage and help out there.

“Although, I suppose I’m just doing it for my own self-satisfaction,” he added bashfully.

What is this kid, an angel? What a great boy! I wanna pet him. I wanna reach my arms out and tousle his hair. I wanna tease him until he starts looking troubled and asks me to stop.

“No, I think that’s very admirable of you.” I put on a model smile while keeping my hands in check so that they couldn’t move on their own to satisfy my urges.

Michael’s face lit up. He must’ve been delighted to hear an expression of approval for his actions. A light pink colored his cheeks, revealing his excited emotions. It was a softer color, unlike the crimson embarrassment from earlier.

“T-To tell the truth,” Michael said gleefully, “I’d like to visit more far-flung villages, not just the capital. Like the ones near the borders... But I’ve been struggling to get permission.”

I’d been nodding along to Michael with the loving attentiveness I used with small children, but I froze partway through.

“Far-flung villages,” he said? So the war didn’t happen, and the plague hasn’t spread yet. But is the future still unchanged despite all of that?

This priest-in-training was more driven than his introverted appearance would suggest, and he was adamant about traveling the country as soon as he received permission.

I fell silent, my smile still plastered to my face.

This is bad. This is very bad.

I knew that something needed to be done, but my thoughts buckled under the pressure, and no good plans sprang to mind. If we parted ways now, it’d be difficult to make contact with him again. I had no pretense for visiting him,, and I was technically a princess—just too high-class to be given the freedom of waltzing out of the palace whenever I wanted. I needed to forge a connection with him this instant.

But I couldn’t think up a good enough excuse to justify chucking him into the carriage and snatching him up when he wasn’t even wounded.

I could propose to treat the cat’s wounds? He’d probably just decline the offer. How about I say I’ll drop him off at the orphanage because it’s on the way? No good. I’m headed to Lord Julius’s residence. That’s the opposite direction of the capital.

What should I do?

“Your Highness, I have a request.” Sir Leonhart turned to me and broke his silence.

A request? The word took me by surprise, and I glanced at him questioningly. When I did, he winked twice, slowly, signaling to me.

“There have recently been reports of sightings of suspicious individuals in this vicinity. It would be regrettable if something were to befall the priest while he returns home by himself. With Your Highness’s permission, I would have the priest accompany us, and then we would escort him back to the Great Temple once you have concluded your business. What do you say?”

“Ah! I give you my permission.” I grinned, withholding the urge to give him a thumbs-up.

Nicely done, Sir Leonhart. Good job, you’re the best!

Sir Leonhart respectfully bowed his head as I showered him with compliments in my mind.

“Thank you,” he said.

All right, so we’ve successfully snatched him up, and now we’ll convince him to cancel his traveling while we’re on the road! And if that doesn’t pan out, all I have to do is arrange another date to meet him!

“Wait... What?” Michael floundered, unable to follow the train of events. In his arms, the black cat purred without a care in the world.

***

Soon, the carriage arrived at a large, stone-crafted mansion. The owner’s gentility was evident in the color scheme of the manor, which possessed a sense of unity without appearing gaudy, and it matched well with the surrounding area. We left the spacious entrance hall, passed through a corridor decorated with paintings, and were then led to a parlor.

A man was waiting inside, and he rose to his feet upon our arrival. His eyes widened slightly when he spotted me, but they soon relaxed into a kind smile.

“I’ve been eagerly awaiting your visit, Lady Mary,” he said.

“It’s been too long, Lord Julius.”

This good-looking man was Lord Julius zu Eigel. He took my hand and performed the gesture of kissing it most elegantly.

He was the uncle of one of the suitor characters, George, and was also a proficient merchant currently expanding his network throughout the continent. He’d been a great help back when I was working to improve the health of George’s mother, and we’d kept in touch ever since, primarily to satisfy my personal urges.

“It really has,” he said. Then, with a mischievous smile, he added, “In the time we’ve spent apart, you’ve once again become even more beautiful. You’re much too fabulous a lady now, so I couldn’t possibly swoop you up in my arms.”

Oooh, we have a flatterer in the house.

The smoothly delivered compliment left me feeling admiration rather than bashfulness. Offering his praise in such a pleasant, tasteful way must’ve come part and parcel with his virtues. That skill was something that Morwitz, George, and the rest of the men in the Eigel family lacked. Morwitz tended to convey his emotions through his behavior, while George was still just a naive boy.

Julius was tall and handsome, quite the posh gentleman, and rich besides. Moreover, though he’s the second son, his family lineage does contain the marquis title. It’s a wonder that this prize specimen is still on the market at twenty-eight years old. I suppose maybe he just doesn’t want to settle down.

“I apologize for calling in on you so suddenly,” I said. “I know that you’re a busy man, so I hope you didn’t have to cancel any arrangements.”

“Not to worry. I was delighted to hear from you.”

So he said, but I was aware that I’d been more than a little forceful in organizing my appointment. I didn’t like to intrude on his work, but it was quite difficult to pin down a man who hopped all over the world.

He loved his brother’s family, and he’d always stayed as close to them as possible out of concern for his sickly sister-in-law, stubborn brother, and shy nephew. But now that those problems were gone, he’d joyfully begun to roam the world in order to accelerate the growth of his business.

“Besides, not long ago, I received a warning from George telling me to spend a little more time at home,” Lord Julius admitted.

After hearing that, I asked without thinking, “From George?” I can’t even picture George giving Lord Julius a scolding.

“Yes. Recently, he’s been losing his youthful charm. While I’m delighted that my nephew’s growing up, I could do without his nitpicking.”

I fell silent.

“Having trouble imagining that?” Lord Julius asked, reacting to my stumped expression with a wry smile. “I’m sure the George you know is like a sweet and timid little girl. You’ll be in for a surprise when you see him.”

I was close enough with George’s mother, Emma, to hold the occasional tea party with her. But George was always so busy that I never managed to see him when I visited the Eigels. The last time that I’d met with him had been on his ninth birthday.

Emma had told me that he was now taller and more boyish, but I couldn’t imagine it at all. George was two years older than me, making him thirteen at the moment. Certainly, boys that age could change a lot in four years, but I wasn’t sure—could that amount of time be enough to alter his personality as well?

“He ought to be at work in the spare room today,” Lord Julius said. “I’ve kept him in the dark about your visit, so why don’t we sneak over and startle him later?”

Lord Julius pressed his index finger to his lips and lowered his voice like he was letting me in on something confidential. He looked to be enjoying himself very much. A respectable, full-grown man who still possesses that boyishness... As always, Lord Julius is full of gap moe.

“Oh, let’s,” I replied, speaking softly to match Lord Julius’s tone, and he put on a happy, full-faced grin.

“I have many souvenirs for you as well. Every time a rare foodstuff or seasoning catches my eye, I think of your face.”

“Huh?”

“Will you take a look?”

“I will!” Food! Seasoning! He’d hooked me, and my eyes sparkled.

Every product that Lord Julius procured was a rarity in Nevel. Occasionally, something that reminded me of Japan would be included with the rest, and deep down, I hoped that someday soon I’d be able to get my hands on glutinous rice.

I cheerfully stepped forward to let Lord Julius guide me away, but then I heard a hesitant voice from behind me.

“Ummm.”

His voice was so quiet that it almost escaped my notice, but the moment I heard it, I remembered he was there. I turned around to see a boy standing around idly.

Oh, that’s right, Michael’s with me, I remembered, turning pale. How awful of me, dragging him along and then forgetting and abandoning him.

“Who’s this young man?” Lord Julius asked, following my eyeline. He’d noticed Michael as well.

“Pardon the delayed introduction,” I said. “This is my friend, Michael.”

“Y-Yes, um... M-Michael von Diebolt. I-I’m a priest-in-training at the Great Temple.” He was suddenly the center of attention, and the spotlight caused Michael to break out into shakes. His eyes flitted around the room, and he bowed his head deeply.

I’m so sorry, Michael! Both for abruptly forcing you to tag along and for making you feel out of place. Also, for treating you like you’re my friend, despite us having just met. I really am sorry. I couldn’t think of any better way to introduce you...

“This is Lord Julius zu Eigel,” I said to Michael. “Lord Julius, I’m terribly sorry for the intrusion, on top of making you change your arrangements...” My words trailed off, but Lord Julius only nodded pleasantly.

“I don’t mind.”

I felt truly remorseful for taking advantage of his generosity, but this was preferable to having Michael wait in the carriage.

I let out an unwitting sigh of relief, and my eyes met those of Sir Leonhart, who stood near the wall. He was wearing a bitter smile on his manly, good-looking face, and was probably exasperated at me. I’d allowed myself to be mesmerized by the tantalizing prospects dangled in front of my eyes and had lost all sight of our objective. Thinking of that, I returned to my senses.

Lord Julius followed my gaze and spotted Sir Leonhart. “Come to mention it,” he said, “your usual guard is not accompanying you today.”

“My name is Leonhart von Orsein. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

As Sir Leonhart introduced himself, Lord Julius’s eyes grew wide. “Ah hah! So you’re the captain of the royal guard?!”

Now that I think about it, these two might’ve never met.

Whenever I visited Lord Julius for personal reasons, like to acquire seasonings and ingredients, Klaus had always been the one guarding me. I had brought Sir Leonhart as my guard once, four years ago, for George’s birthday party, but I seemed to recall Lord Julius being absent that day. Apparently, he’d been stalled in another country because poor weather had grounded the ships.

“I’m Julius zu Eigel. It’s an honor to be in the presence of the renowned Black Lion.” Lord Julius extended a hand to Sir Leonhart, his eyes glowing like a boy who’d met his hero in the flesh. Sir Leonhart smiled awkwardly when they shook hands.

I could remember Sir Leonhart pulling the same face when he’d first met Marquis and Marchioness Eigel. They’d given him a reaction similar to Lord Julius’s.

Maybe Sir Leonhart doesn’t particularly like standing out? Or maybe it’s the Black Lion nickname that he’s not fond of?

Whatever the case, I decided that I shouldn’t let this topic drag on, so I brought up the main agenda. “Lord Julius, I’d like to consult with you about a certain matter.”

***

“Medicine?” Lord Julius repeated what I’d said, his eyes wide.

“Yes.”

My visit to the Eigel estate wasn’t to collect food and seasonings; rather, we needed to come up with countermeasures against an epidemic.

In Hidden World, patients suffering a severe form of the disease had emerged one after another, throughout every corner of Nevel. Fatigue from the war had been partially to blame, as was the lack of treatment and personnel, but the absence of effective medicine had probably also been one of the reasons for the repeated outbreaks. Which is to say, I had suspicions that Nevel’s current stock of medicine lacked potency against this particular disease.

It was unclear whether a wonder drug even existed to begin with, but I thought it best to get Lord Julius’s advice before attempting to look for one abroad.

“The threat of Skelluts has subsided,” I explained, “and the movement of people to and from the countries in the southwest has picked up. However, an increase in the circulation of people could bring more than just coin and culture to Nevel. This includes some rather unpleasant things.” I employed a pretense that I’d constructed beforehand since I couldn’t very well talk about something as ridiculous as a premonition.

“Unpleasant things...?” mumbled Michael quietly. He was hunched up on the far end of the sofa, and he tilted his head in thought.

“Diseases, she means,” Lord Julius said, answering Michael’s question. “Well, there are local diseases in Nevel. I’m sure that some people will also pick up diseases on their travels. You’re thinking that it never hurts to be careful?”

“I hear that the south is particularly prone to the circulation of febrile diseases,” I explained. “I’ve had discussions with Miss Irene about this too. I told her that we ought to increase our supply of fever cures and painkillers.”

Lord Julius listened to me explain and then drifted into thought. After a brief pause, he began to speak. “Your mention of medicines has reminded me... Not long ago, I discovered something rather intriguing.”

“You did?!”

He’s got something in mind! My eyes lit up. Excited, I lurched forward on my chair.

But, after seeing my reaction, Lord Julius knitted his brows together apologetically. “Although, there are a few problems.”

“Problems?” I asked.

“Yes. How about we relocate before I tell you?”

I tipped my head in puzzlement, and Lord Julius cast me a wry smile before standing up and starting to walk. “This way.”

“Okay.” Although I was confused, I settled on following after him. I got to my feet and noticed a pleading look beside me, pointed in my direction.

“Umm... Do I stay here, or...?” Tears welled in Michael’s eyes. He was probably anxious at the thought of being left alone in this unfamiliar place.

“Come with us, of course,” I said, shooting him a smile.

And yes, I did almost forget about you again... Terribly sorry about that.

***

Lord Julius stopped in front of a room at the end of a long corridor. He knocked on the bulky door, and a boy’s voice told him to enter.

“Pardon me,” Lord Julius called before opening the door. I couldn’t see the interior of the room from behind his tall frame.

“Do you need something?” a voice asked.

“I do,” Lord Julius replied. “About that medicine we spoke of—”

“We’ve been over this. It may be effective, but we can’t afford to throw away money on a product when we don’t know how it’s made, where it’s sourced from, or even what exactly it is.”

The door might as well have slammed shut on Lord Julius.

His voice was clear and pleasant, but the rejection that the boy spat out was cold. “Fixating too much on curiosities that pique your interest is one of your bad habits. If you’re more interested in pursuing your hobbies than business, don’t involve me.”

“See, what did I tell you? Feisty, isn’t he?” Lord Julius muttered beneath a sigh before turning around to me. He slid a step to the left, which brought the person inside the room into my field of view.

The boy stood up from behind a desk that was buried beneath books and rolled-up diagrams. His soft, platinum-blond hair was long enough to reach his collarbone, and it was tied back with a navy blue ribbon, hiding all but the side of his face. The shade of his skin was pale white, almost transparent, and his eyes were an amethyst color—the same as his mother’s, framed by long eyelashes.

His delicate good looks still retained a strong resemblance to Emma, but he no longer looked like a girl, as he had all that time ago. He was now quite a bit taller, and most of all, his figure had become more masculine.

The attire he wore looked different to me as well. He was no longer clothed in an outfit with plenty of ribbons and lace to achieve a cute, androgynous look. Now, he was wearing a simple white blouse underneath a deep gray vest and gilet. His cravat, fastened with a cameo brooch, was made of lace, but it was a stylish accessory that gave a relaxed impression.

This handsome boy exuded an air of intelligence. He put down the quill he was holding, made from the flight feather of a white bird, and turned his face to me.

Our gazes met. After a momentary delay, his eyes grew wide.

Standing there in stricken silence, the boy stared at me so hard that I worried he’d bore a hole through me.

I faced him and gave a greeting. “It’s been too long, George.” This boy had matured to be the kind of young man who’d seize the heart of any girl. The George I remembered was a boy like springtime sunlight; he just had that gentle air about him. I recalled him smiling bashfully with those sweet good looks that were indistinguishable from Emma’s.

But the boy in front of me right now gave off the complete opposite impression. I could sense that he was related to Emma because of his complexion and his facial structure, but everything else about him was different. His tone was levelheaded and his gaze was peaceful. His nature was more cool and dignified, like a winter morning, which seemed to resemble his father Morwitz rather than Emma.

“I think it’s been four years since we last met face-to-face.” I continued talking, growing slightly nervous because of his unapproachable atmosphere. “Since your ninth birthday, I believe.”

It’d been so long that I had trouble knowing what to talk about. I’d have felt even more awkward staying quiet though. Even so, I couldn’t wrestle a reply out of George. He just stood there, not speaking.

“You’re much taller now. We used to be the same height.”

Silence.

“Is your mother all right? I haven’t been able to see her in the last six months. Has she fallen ill at all?”

Silence.

“She seemed healthy in the letters she’s sent, but there’s so much that you can’t know without meeting up directly.”

Silence.

I labored through the conversation, but couldn’t even pry a “yes” or a “no” out of him. George’s persistent silence drove me to panic. Has he forgotten who I am?

“George?” I asked.

“Mary...?” After a long silence, George finally opened his mouth. Looking down at me, he’d called out with a dazed voice, as though he’d just woken from a dream.

Thank God, you do remember me, I whispered in my mind. I nodded with a smile. “Yes, it’s me.”

I heard a gasp. George’s eyes shot wide open.

Mine did too, in an instinctive reaction to his. What the hell’s been going on these last few minutes? Though confused and disoriented, I returned George’s stare and tilted my head.

When I did, his graceful face burned scarlet in an instant.

I was dumbfounded by George, who’d blushed as red as ripened fruit all the way up to his ears. I couldn’t keep up with what was happening.

Really, somebody tell me what the hell is going on.

“Ah, um...I’m—” George staggered one leg forward while emitting indiscernible noises.

“Ah, George—” His unsteady gait made me instinctively try to call for him to watch his step.

“Whoa?!”

Sure enough, his body swayed and he stumbled. He managed to avoid falling by immediately clasping onto the desk with a hand, but this action pushed the books that were piled up and sent them sliding off the surface of the desk.

What followed was an avalanche of books and documents, all of which let out a rustling noise as they fell to the floor. George’s extended hand passed through the empty space left by the paperwork, and with excess momentum, his elbow knocked over a pot of ink.

“Argh! Aaargh!!!”

The now-empty pot tumbled to the floor with a hard clunk, but thankfully it didn’t break, probably due to landing on the carpet. Unfortunately, the mahogany table was in a sorry state.

George tried to snatch up a document that was still undamaged. The diagram, however, flew through the air like a particularly lively fish before falling onto the floor and rolling round and round.

That was some spectacle.

“Ah! Wai—” I shouted.

“Umm, be caref—” Michael called.

Krshhh. Fwoop. Boomph.

Nobody said a word.

Onomatopoeia alone might not be enough to explain exactly what just happened, but I hope that the better guessers out there can figure it out. Regardless, I’ll explain what I just witnessed: First, George chased after the rolling drawings, though he was still unsteady on his feet. However, beneath him were the scattered books and documents. So, his foot slipped, he tumbled forward, and finally, he face-planted onto the ground. Thus ends my report.

The room descended into an all-too-awkward silence. I stood there, incapable of moving a muscle. I have no idea what face I’m supposed to make in this situation.

“Kill me now,” George grumbled quietly in a low tone of voice, still flat on the floor, face down.

Believe me, I understand why you feel that way, but choose life! And then stand back up like nothing happened as soon as you can, so I can feel better about just watching.

“Pfft.” After a long silence, a muffled voice could be heard.

I thought that Lord Julius had hit upon a way out of this awkward situation, so I turned my eyes to the side.

When I saw him, I gaped.

Of course I did! I mean, I’d put my faith in Lord Julius to fix the chilly atmosphere in this room. I was sure he’d devise some elegant, clever reaction plan that the likes of me could never dream up, to preserve both his nephew’s dignity and my peace of mind.

But, to my dismay, the gentleman to my side was gripping his mouth and stomach and desperately trying to stifle his laughter.

“U-Uh, Lord Julius...”

“Pfft...hoo hoo.”

You can’t be serious.

I’m over here, dripping cold sweat, trying to figure out the right reaction to give. And yet Lord Julius, the person I hoped I could use as an example, is clutching his stomach and guffawing at his nephew’s mistake.

“Ah ha ha ha!!! N-No more! I can’t keep it in!!!”

And now he started laughing out loud for real. The previously silent room was now resounding with his lively glee. He showed such little restraint that, in my disarray, I’d almost begun to lose my good sense and wonder whether laughing would actually dull the harsh edge for George.

What am I, crazy? There’s no way that would be better. Laughing along would be the act of a monster, one who crushes the heart of a promising young man, throws it in a blender, and then grinds it to dust.

George’s hand was quivering in embarrassment as he gripped the carpet. This alone was proof that Lord Julius’s reaction was the wrong one.

“Do you really find your nephew’s failing so comical?”

“N-No... I’m sorr... Bwa ha!” Lord Julius erupted into laughter again, unable to even finish his apology.

“Lord Julius!” I felt that this was becoming too unfair for George, so I tried for an admonishment. It had no effect.

“F-Forgive me. Please, pwa ha ha... Ahem, give me a mome— Mwa ha ha!”

With tears in the corners of his eyes, Lord Julius continued to laugh, and he suffered the occasional fit of coughing.

“Rotten old man,” George spat with disdain. The insult didn’t seem appropriate to use against a handsome gentleman in his late twenties, but considering what George’s mental state must’ve been like, I supposed that his words couldn’t be helped.

From the bottom of my heart, I felt sorry for George, who was still collapsed on the floor.

At some point while I was stumped about what to do, Michael had knelt down beside George. As I watched him, I saw a warm look in his eyes, and he tenderly offered George a handkerchief.

“Use this,” Michael said.

“Right. Thank you.” George sat up, took the handkerchief, and pressed it against his slightly inflamed forehead.

George was looking down, sporting an abashed expression, and Michael was gazing at him with affection. From the way that Michael had nodded his head, as if to say, I get it, I know the feeling, I surmised that he’d found a kindred spirit in George.

“How long are you going to keep laughing?” George finally stood up, brushing off the dust from his clothes, and shot an ice-cold glare at his uncle, who still had his arms wrapped around his belly.

When exposed to that sharp, piercing glower, Lord Julius stopped laughing and raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry,” he said. “Don’t be so mad.”

“Some nerve you have! Asking that after all your laughing.”

“What can I say? I never would’ve imagined that my nephew, the boy well-known to be smart and skilled, would tri—ha ha—trip up at the exact moment he wanted to shine.” Lord Julius whipped his head down and stopped talking, probably because another wave of laughter was bubbling through him.

“Oh, so you want me to kill you,” George declared emotionlessly. “I understand. I’ll send for the most skilled assassin I can find.”

I probably wasn’t mistaken in noticing the vein throbbing on George’s forehead.

“Sorry,” Lord Julius apologized again. “I am. I won’t laugh anymore.”

“I know how undignified I looked,” George said sourly. “I don’t need you to tell me. And I also understand that I displayed an irrevocably egregious blunder when it mattered most. You’re right, I’m a worthless sod who missed his golden opportunity. I’m a louse. I’m scum, a failure as a person. But so what, for crying out loud.”

“I truly am sorry.” Lord Julius bowed his head deeply in response to his nephew’s ravings.

George, however, continued the steady stream of self-directed insults with a straight face. While he was grumbling, almost chanting to himself, someone patted him gently on the shoulder.

“You’re...?” George started.

“It’s all right,” Michael said. “Things often go wrong exactly when you want to show off.”

George opened his eyes wide, and Michael gave him a thumbs-up.

“Besides,” Michael continued, “the princess is cute, so as a man, I think it’s only natural to get nervous.”

“Thank you,” George said.

The boys smiled at each other. Lord Julius watched on with a forced grin. And me... Well, I’d been cut out of the picture for the last ten minutes or so.

Pay more attention to me. Somebody. Anybody!

***

“We really do apologize,” said George and Lord Julius in unison.

“Please, don’t worry about it.” I forced out a strained smile at the two Eigels while they bowed their heads to me.

After George’s fall, he’d asked the belated question to Michael: “Who are you, by the way?” The two of them had finally been able to give their self-introductions. In the end, it took a little under twenty minutes from the point of entering the room before somebody finally remembered I was there. They’d all scrambled to apologize after they’d noticed that I’d been standing, still and alone, by the threshold.

I wasn’t exactly mad, although I did feel jealous about how quickly the boys had befriended one other. But more important than that was the medicine Lord Julius had mentioned. I wasted no time in raising that subject, and George told me the story without any airs or graces.

This is what he said: A merchant, employed by Lord Julius, acquired the medicine by chance. During the merchant’s stay in one of Nevel’s port towns, a sailor sharing an inn with him came down with a high fever. The sickness didn’t interest the merchant since these things happened often. Long voyages at sea could drain a person’s stamina, and no small number of seafarers would fall ill because of it.

The season is now winter, so the disease is likely just a cold. A few days and he’ll be back on his feet, the merchant thought. Turns out, his prediction was half-right and half-wrong. The fever had gone away on its own the next day, and the sailor seemed to have recovered...until two days after that when his high fever returned.

The cures that the doctors gave him had scarcely any effect, and the sailor’s condition visibly deteriorated every day. Taking this into consideration, they finally realized that this illness was no ordinary cold. However, the doctors had never seen these symptoms before and were clueless about how to treat them.

Just as a pessimistic mood began to hang in the air, deliverance arrived from somewhere unexpected. Some foreign sailors arrived at the port by chance to escape a storm, and they heard the tale of the sick sailor. They’d brought along a certain type of medicine and they entrusted seven days’ worth of it to the doctor, plus some to spare. They relayed instructions for its use and then set sail as soon as the storm had broken.

The doctors and the sailor’s companions followed the foreigners’ guidance and nursed their companion desperately. As a result of this treatment, the fever vanished completely, and the sick sailor made a full recovery from his disease.

Certain of the medicine’s wondrous quality, Lord Julius’s employee bought the remaining spare doses of the medicine from the doctors.

But at this point, there was a problem. As George had said earlier, the medicine’s composition, as well as its method and place of manufacture, were all unknown. While they had a specimen of the actual medicine in their possession, they didn’t have technology like the kind in modern-day Japan that could perform a substance component analysis.

The only clue to the medicine’s origins was the ship it had sailed on; it might’ve been possible to discern which country owned that vessel by scouring the records of port admissions, but tracking down the individual sailors would be almost infeasible. Even supposing that they could be found, it’d take still more time to contact them. Moreover, the doctors reported that those sailors had acquired the medicine from someone else.

The phrase “an obstacle at every turn” perfectly described this situation.

“Well, it certainly is an intriguing product...” George said. “But we have too little information about it. We can’t waste effort and ridiculous sums of money on something that might not end up being profitable merchandise.”

“And there you have it,” Lord Julius said. “That’s exactly how he’s been turning me down.”

George had again shot down the idea as not worth his time, and Lord Julius forced out a smile.

“I have great faith in your judgment,” George explained. “But I don’t think that the product is worth our involvement right now. There are too many unpredictable elements—it would be unwise to handle it during our business’s expansion.”

George had a point. It’d be too risky to invest money in something with so few leads, and especially a product that might not be fit for sale. That is, in the hypothetical case that they were able to find it at all.

While I understood the logic, I couldn’t give up on my goal. Something deep in my heart stirred. If someone were to accuse me of thinking like a gamer, I’d have no comeback for them, but I couldn’t rid myself of the feeling that, somehow, I was standing at a key divergence point.

“Could I hold it?” I asked.

“Go ahead,” Lord Julius replied.

Having received permission, I reached my hand out to the medicine packet placed on the table. The dark pill didn’t surrender its composition to me, no matter how closely I examined it. I wafted the air with my hand to try and get a sniff, but the medicine’s scent was faint. Compared to traditional Chinese medicine, it had almost no odor. I did smell a slight hint of earth and plants, but I learned nothing more than that.

Since I handled medicinal herbs regularly, I thought that, just maybe, I’d be able to ascertain the ingredients, but my hopes were short-lived. I don’t have even a first guess.

Upon realizing my low specs, I lost a bit of heart. I’d studied subjects widely, and considered myself to have a good range of skills that I could perform quite capably, but I was just a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

A sigh almost escaped my lips unbidden.

I felt a pair of eyes on me, and when I turned to look back at them, I found Michael gazing at the medicine for some reason, brimming with interest.

“Do you want to take a look?” I asked without thinking, and he nodded his head up and down. After I’d handed him the medicine, I turned away from Michael and faced George.

“Lord Julius, George.”

“Yes?” replied George.

“What’s the matter?” Lord Julius followed.

Looking at them both, I wanted to speak, but I hesitated. I’d almost started by saying “if,” but I stopped myself. This is business. I’m not asking friends for a favor. Hypotheticals will ruin my meaning.

I blinked once, took a deep breath, and opened my mouth again. “Will you allow me to buy this medicine?”

George’s eyes widened slightly, but Lord Julius’s expression didn’t change.

“We have sorcerers and doctors at the palace,” I continued. “Their wealth of knowledge far surpasses my own, so I’d like to have them examine a specimen, and then hear their advice. Of course, I’ll investigate the port admission records as well.”

“You’re telling us that you’ll investigate the records?” George asked.

“I am.”

I had almost asked “If I uncover any leads in my own investigation, could I get you to renew negotiations for the drug?” But a deal with so many uncertainties could hardly be called a deal at all. It’d just be my selfish request.

“Could I ask your reason?” George asked. His almost-translucent amethyst eyes stared fixedly at me.

“Nevel will soon secure diplomatic relations with a multitude of countries,” I replied. “Our ports, in particular, will receive ships from far-off countries. We must act before someone contracts the same disease as that sailor. Moreover, depending on the situation, it’s possible that the disease could spread.”

According to George, the sailor had caught the disease in wintertime. I didn’t know how the infection had spread, but if it were vector-borne, then it could’ve failed to circulate to other humans because the insects or animals that carried it were in hibernation. Although, I couldn’t completely discount the possibility that we’d just gotten lucky.

“There’s a disease that Nevel’s medicine can’t remedy. There’s also a chance that my efforts could make the difference and allow us to find a cure,” I said. “That’s the only reason I have.”

“Mary...” George said.

“I hope you don’t misinterpret me—I’m not criticizing the two of you. I’m not so foolish that I would suggest that those with power and money should throw away everything in the pursuit of saving lives. Philanthropy’s one thing, and business is another. Each comes with its own principles to uphold, so there’s no need to be ashamed of your previous decision.”

I couldn’t prevent a pandemic with just my knowledge and abilities. A little girl like me had basically no tricks up her sleeves, especially in this world with none of the right facilities. How could I solve a problem that the wonders of even modern medicine would have difficulty with?

But Rosemary the princess was different. I might’ve not had the medical know-how, but I had the influence.

“I’m a princess,” I declared. “I want to do everything in my power to protect my people and their livelihoods.”

The following silence lasted a few seconds. George breathed out a long sigh and glanced at Lord Julius by his side.

“Understood.” In contrast to George, Lord Julius nodded with a smile. For some reason, he had an animated look in his eyes. “We have three spare samples of the medicine. You can take one of those.”

My eyes lit up.

“Please allow us to keep the remaining two,” Lord Julius continued. “We’ll commence our own study, so genuine samples will be necessary.”

“Th—Huh?” Thank you, I’d opened my mouth to say, but I froze partway through. I was dumbfounded, unable to keep up with the sudden development.

What did he just say?

“Could we leave the port admission records to you?” Lord Julius asked. “Your investigation will most likely get results more quickly; we’d have to submit an application and wait around for its approval. Once you discover the ship and the country of origin, we’ll take over on our end.”

“Right...”

“I know a few doctors,” Lord Julius continued, “but I’ve never made the acquaintance of a sorcerer, so would you mind informing me of what your palace’s sorcerers have to say? One who uses magic with an earth affinity would be most desirable, if at all possible. However, I don’t believe there are any like that currently employed at your palace, is that correct?”

“Y-Yes,” I replied. “We don’t have any earth-affinity sorcerers.”

“Very well,” Lord Julius continued. “I’ll look for a sorcerer in the countryside myself. Even if their magical reserves aren’t large, their plant life expertise will surpass sorcerers of other affinities.”

The conversation bounded on while I was acting confused.

For some reason, it sounds like the two Eigels will be starting their own investigation into the medicine. Why is that? Was I not listening properly? Did I doze off with my eyes open? No, surely not.

“If there’s any development, a speedy report—”

“Um, excuse me!” I interrupted Lord Julius with vigor.

“Yes?”

“You two are going to help me?” I asked hesitantly. Though I’d posed the question, I steeled myself for the eventual embarrassment of realizing that I’d misunderstood.

Surprisingly, my query was answered at once. “We are,” Lord Julius said simply.

I stood in wide-eyed astonishment. When I spoke, my voice came out sounding bewildered.

“Why?”

They’re offering assistance and helping me with my task, so I should accept that at face value and be happy. I tried to tell myself this, but I just couldn’t erase my confusion.

Lord Julius saw my probably pathetic face and smiled wryly. I couldn’t tell whether he was unsure of how to react, or if he was just having fun watching me. I couldn’t feel any hostility radiating from him though. His narrowed eyes were gentle through and through.

“The reason is simple,” Lord Julius explained. “We—no, the whole Eigel family owes you a debt.”

“A debt?” I asked.

“If you hadn’t visited our home, Emma would still be bedridden.”

“That...wasn’t only my doing,” I responded. “In fact, I had only a minuscule influence. Her recovery was the result of her—and her family’s—hard work.”

I’d shrunk back at the word “debt.” That’s an exaggeration. I doubt that I could’ve made any difference on my own.

That was what I thought, but Lord Julius shook his head. Then he gazed into the distance, as though reflecting on the past.

“No. Only you... Only Princess Rosemary could’ve achieved that.”

Upon being called by my formal title, I felt my eyes widen a little.

“Morwitz loved Emma too strongly to be firm with her,” Lord Julius said. “He’d tell her that locking herself indoors was unhealthy, but she’d refuse to leave. She’d complain that it was too cold outside, and he’d relent; I’d bring food and medicines rich in vitamins, but if she said ‘no,’ then Morwitz would give up on getting her to take them. Well, they certainly weren’t the most pleasant-tasting things, so her distaste was understandable.” Lord Julius grinned sardonically.

Ah, I get it. As I listened to him speak, it began to make sense to me.

Other than my vegetable recipes, the health plan I’d concocted wasn’t exactly novel. They’d reached the same conclusion, but the execution of the plan had been far beyond their abilities. They’d needed an outside party to intervene—someone who was too important for Morwitz to turn away, while at the same time being a person whom the child-fond Emma would take a liking to. I’d been the perfect person for that job.

I listened intently as Lord Julius continued. “I’d become half-resigned to her sickly fate, and only had a lingering hope that someone would come along and change the state of affairs. When you expressed your intention to remedy her health, for the first time in my life, I thanked God for giving us a miracle.”

“I think ‘miracle’ is going too far...” I said, trailing off.

“It’s not. The fact that you, a child younger than my nephew, could be so wise is itself a miracle. And you didn’t simply bring a proposal—you went above and beyond. You fit us into your busy schedule and visited our home, worried with us, and shared your joy with us. Do you realize how rare that is?”

Lord Julius spoke passionately. In an uncharacteristic display of animation, excitement thrummed in his voice, and even his cheeks were slightly flushed. His eyes lit up with all the dazzle of a young boy’s vigor. After noticing that I’d lurched backward slightly, overwhelmed, he cleared his throat and said, “Please excuse me.”

George had listened to his uncle speak in silence but then pointed a wry smile at him.

“Thanks entirely to you improving my mother’s health,” George said, “my father and uncle can focus on their work, and I am afforded the chance to study a wide variety of subjects. We were all at a fearful standstill, terrified that my mother might not last another day, but it was unmistakably you who showed us a future and the way forward.”

He wore a gentle expression. There was nothing twisted or insane behind it like there had been in Hidden World. His smile was soft, warm, and so kind that I felt the urge to join in. Seeing him like that, it finally dawned on me.

I have changed the future. Here’s one tragedy that I managed to prevent.

“Princess Rosemary,” Lord Julius said, “for saving our dear family, allow us to once again voice our gratitude and respect.”

“This time, let us help you,” George added.

Facing me, George and Lord Julius both bowed their heads deeply.

***

It took some thinking, but in the end, I decided to take the Eigels up on their kind offer. Though I was hesitant, I knew that, at the moment, securing a guaranteed method of acquiring the medicine took priority over my insignificant worries.

This isn’t the time to be second-guessing myself, I thought, and I made up my mind.

Having enlisted the assistance of the two men, I left the Eigels’ mansion. My heart was now set on having a serious discussion with Michael, once and for all, as we returned home in the carriage. To do that, I’d need Michael to listen.

However, his head was currently in the clouds.

He’d answer me when I spoke to him, but his mind was elsewhere. He was looking down in silence, seemingly deep in thought about something, and he was gently petting the black cat on his lap in an absentminded way. Occasionally, he’d rub the cat’s fur in the wrong direction, and each time, the black cat would shake its tail in annoyance.

This cat, which Michael had saved before our visit to the Eigels, had apparently been stuck in the middle of the road due to a nasty bite on its leg from a wild animal. We’d decided for the time being to bring the cat with us on our journey home, though we made sure to give it some temporary first aid. For a wild cat, it was rather well-behaved; it wouldn’t bite, even if we misjudged where to stroke it and accidentally touched its tail. It’d meow an objection, but nothing more.

“Michael?” I called.

“Huh... Ah! Y-Yes?” he responded, his head bouncing up.

“The cat’s telling you to be more careful when you pet it,” I informed him.

“Oh... Sorry.” He looked at me, then the cat, and then apologized, looking embarrassed. “Sorry to you too,” he whispered softly. He stroked the cat gently, and it narrowed its eyes and let out a single purr, as if to say, “I forgive you.”

“Is there something on your mind?” I asked. “You could talk to me about it, if you’d like.” When I saw Michael’s sullen expression, those words slipped from my mouth.

“Princess...”

I only had a short span of time to talk with Michael before we reached the Great Temple, so I couldn’t afford to chat about unrelated things. If I didn’t persuade Michael now, there was a chance that, in the not-too-distant future, he’d leave on a journey to travel the country. From there, he might perish in a temple that he’d visit along the way, making room for the demon lord to take over his corpse.

I knew all of that, but I couldn’t shrug off what Michael was worried about as unimportant. I didn’t want to write off his concerns as insignificant compared to the demon lord’s revival. After all, I knew nothing about him—nothing about the life of Michael von Diebolt, a story which had gone more or less untold, even at the end of Hidden World.

Silence befell the carriage, and only the clattering sound of the wheels spinning over the cobblestone road could be heard. Michael’s lips flitted apart, then he hesitated and shut his mouth. I watched on, not rushing him, and he opened his lips again after a short while.

“How can you be so strong, Princess?”

My eyes grew wide at what he’d said. How can I be so strong...? Who said I was strong in the first place?

Putting aside whether that was an appropriate compliment to give a lady, I didn’t find it unpleasant. But it did strike me as odd because I’d never once thought of myself that way.

“Do you think I’m strong?” I asked, and Michael nodded. The gesture looked fit for an innocent kid, which inspired my protective instincts and caused me to put on the airs of someone interacting with a young child. “Can I ask why you think that?”

He nodded again with an uneasy look in his eyes. “You said earlier that having power and money didn’t give you a duty to help people, and that everyone had their own principles to uphold, so there was nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I did,” I said, urging the conversation on.

“You don’t compel other people to do anything,” he continued at length. “You don’t say, ‘You have this, so give to the have-nots,’ or ‘You’re mighty, so protect the weak.’ But you try to fulfill your own duty as a princess without a second thought.”

His loquaciousness was enough to instill doubt about whether he’d only pretended to be a silent, nervous wreck a few hours before.

I’ll bet he can hold a normal conversation as long as he doesn’t think about it too much. His concentration is preoccupied with other concerns right now, so he’s not anxious about speaking.

He usually looked at the ground, but now his head was raised. As he gazed at me, I saw myself reflected in his eyes, which harbored a look of agonized desperation.

“How can you accept all of that responsibility, like it’s just obvious?” he asked. “It’s not as if you asked to be born a princess. Don’t you ever think about running away, or washing your hands of it all?”

“Oh,” I responded, “I do.”

“How do you never doubt yourse— Uh, huh?”

Michael had been churning out words at rapid speed like he hadn’t actually wanted an answer, but once he’d comprehended my reply, he stopped himself.

I meant no offense to him, but I found his dumbfounded expression somewhat funny, and I restated myself while chuckling. “Sometimes I do want to be rid of it. Of course I do.”

“Huh, uh...that’s...natural, is it?”

“Yes.”

He blinked his monolid almond eyes over and over. Michael must have found that answer quite surprising. I saw his honest gaze conveying undisguised confusion, and I broadened my smile.

“I’m only human, so I’m imperfect. I’m well aware of how privileged I am, but there will still be days when I feel suffocated by my current lifestyle. Sometimes I want to say, ‘To hell with my studies and lessons,’ and then go somewhere sunny to spend the whole day reading books. Other times I want to rip off the uncomfortable dresses, slip on a cotton smock, and run through the meadows barefoot.”

“You do...?” Michael mumbled, astonished.

“The reason why I don’t put those thoughts into action isn’t because I’m a perfect princess. It’s just what’s necessary to achieve the future I want to see, so I face it all head on, without running away.”

Freedom always came with a significant price. Each person had to choose for themselves whether to value the worldly pleasures at their fingertips, or a stable future. The Ant and the Grasshopper and the other old teachings tended to preach that people ought to live modest lives, but I was certain that there wasn’t a right answer to be found.

“If you’re thinking of running away from something,” I said, looking Michael straight in the eyes as I spoke, “then I want you to imagine: What will you gain in the place you run to? What would you lose by fleeing? And which option will you select? It’s your choice.”

Michael nodded, and then fell silent. He kept thinking for the remainder of our journey until the carriage reached the Great Temple. When we parted, he stared at me intently, as though he had something he wanted to say. However, his only remarks were the conventional farewells.

In the end, I didn’t manage to get any persuading done. But I couldn’t bring myself to say, “Do this, don’t do that,” to a kid who was worrying so much.

“I wonder if I handled that right...” I muttered to myself.

“I think you did,” Sir Leonhart said. Until this point, he’d been silently keeping a constant eye on our surroundings. “He looks timid, but I expect you’ll discover that he’s actually quite willful. He most likely wouldn’t have agreed if you’d tried to stop him without a well thought-out reason.”

I nodded at Sir Leonhart’s words to express my agreement.

He was inspired enough to charge out of the Great Temple to help people, even in Hidden World. He has the looks of someone that people could walk all over, but on the inside, he’s resolute.

“Moreover,” Sir Leonhart continued, “it might just be the case that the problem he’s worried about is related to ours in some way. There’s probably no lie in his desire to help others, but there is uncertainty. He shouldn’t leave the temple before he’s decided what exactly he wishes to do.”

“I hope so...” My reply was vague, a reflection of my restless feelings. The cat was nestled in my lap, and I ran the tips of my fingers across its black fur. I’d assumed the role of bringing the cat home in place of Michael since he lived in a temple. The cat purred with pleasure.

“It’s all right,” Sir Leonhart said quietly.

My head flew up on its own, and my gaze met his. His eyes were calm, and he gave me a kind smile, as though to wash away my anxiety.

“Men are far simpler and more keen to show off than you think,” he explained. “He wouldn’t do anything irresponsible, like wander off without even a clear idea of where he’s headed. Not when he’s seen you—a sweet girl, younger than himself—show firm conviction in making progress toward a definite goal.”

“Sir Leonhart...”

“So, it’s all right,” he repeated. “You haven’t made a mistake.”

With his reassurance, my muscles unclenched. He’d seen right through my fears. While watching me breathe out a little sigh, he narrowed his eyes further.

He really does understand how to deal with me. It did feel like I was dancing to his tune, but I’d stopped caring about that. Hearing him tell me that it was all right, it finally sank in that I wasn’t on my own anymore. Until now, I’d never been able to go to anyone for advice, so I could only press forward despite my anxieties. It’s okay, I’m doing the right thing, I’d repeat over and over, but that was only ever just me talking to myself.

I never knew that those same words could offer such relief when they were spoken by someone else... No, spoken by Sir Leonhart.

“Thank you,” I whispered while savoring the euphoric sensation of a fire being lit deep inside my soul.

“You’re welcome,” Sir Leonhart responded, and his voice sounded so gentle.