The Reincarnated Princess Makes a Request

A map rustled as Sir Leonhart spread it across the tabletop. His hands were covered in white gloves, and they smoothed across the paper, flattening out the folds.

At the moment, we were the only two inside of the break room adjoining the greenhouse. The two sorcerers were busy training, and I’d asked my guard, Klaus, to gather some documents for me.

I’d been recently asking Sir Leonhart to act as my guard more frequently. Klaus used to grumble every time I sidelined him, but he’d stopped now. Apparently, I’d finally gotten him to see things my way. That, or he’d found a new kink in being neglected. Hopefully it was the former...

“Princess.” Sir Leonhart gestured with his eyes toward the map, and I stared down at it.

This wasn’t a map of the whole continent, or even one spanning the entirety of the Kingdom of Nevel; it depicted only an enlarged view of the eastern half of Nevel. That was fine, as all we needed for this discussion was to reference the area near the border of Nevel and Lapter.

I shifted my gaze toward the northeastern portion of the map, which was the region where Nevel and Lapter shared a border. However, at that moment, a black blob obscured my vision.

I gasped, but my surprise was over shortly, as I quickly discerned what had blocked my view of the map. I let out a sigh, then grasped the black blob with my fingertips and felt a sensation like deluxe velvet.

“Nerooo,” I quietly called out to the blob—my cherished cat.

Nero, however, seemed entirely unalarmed and turned around to face me with a carefree meow. His sapphire eyes gazed up at me, brimming with curiosity.

Ever since his wounds had healed and he’d regained the ability to roam around on his own, Nero had spent almost every day trotting along after me. I just assumed that he had a naturally curious disposition. He never acted timidly when arriving in places he’d never been to before, and would enjoy exploring.

I’d heard the saying that dogs take to people while cats take to homes, but this cat was the exception. It could also be that, to him, this whole palace was one big home... That thought was extraordinary in itself though.

“No climbing on tables.”

I reached my hand out to remove him from the map, but he glided past my fingers. Then, to my alarm, he fled toward Sir Leonhart.

“Nero!”

He rubbed himself against Sir Leonhart’s arm, oblivious to my shaken reaction. Sir Leonhart blinked a few times in surprise, then softly narrowed his eyes and scratched Nero’s chin with his fingertips.

“He’s friendly, isn’t he?” Sir Leonhart said. He gazed tenderly at Nero, who was purring delightedly.

What a lovely sight. I stared, helplessly entranced.

But Nero had his own plans. He began to climb onto Sir Leonhart’s shoulders.

“Oh my,” Sir Leonhart remarked.

“Wha... Nero?!”

The cat’s light-footed jump from Sir Leonhart’s arm to his shoulder, reminiscent of a certain fox-squirrel, panicked me.

I know you’re friendly, but don’t go overboard! You don’t have to copy everything about me!!!

“I’m sorry, Sir Leon!”

“No, it’s all right. I usually frighten small animals, so if anything, I’m actually pleased.” He gently stroked Nero’s head, and the cat wove himself around Sir Leonhart’s neck like a black scarf, seemingly in full relaxation mode.

“I suppose we can leave him up there until he gets fed up,” I said, smiling. But given how comfortable he looked, that would probably take quite some time.

My rival for Sir Leonhart’s heart turned out to be...my cat! My, er, male cat... Never mind.

“Let’s continue where we left off,” Sir Leonhart prompted.

***

As he gazed down at the map with Nero still on his shoulders, I followed his example and dropped my eyes down to look.

The topic of today’s discussion was, of course, the demon lord. Our goal was to find the place where he’d been sealed away.

“I believe you said that the temple we’re looking for was around here,” Sir Leonhart said, pointing to a spot near the border with Lapter and tracing a large circle with his finger.

“Yes. It should be near a border village.”

It sounded simple to say “near the border,” but that covered a wide area. It wouldn’t be an easy task; even just searching the villages that met the condition of having a dilapidated shrine on their outskirts would take considerable effort. Much time would be needed to investigate each of the villages scattered along the border. That said, we couldn’t simply neglect our search for the medicine.

“Even if we manage to narrow the possibilities down further,” said Sir Leonhart, “we won’t be able to avoid asking for some assistance from someone.”

“You’re right,” I agreed, but I had nobody in mind who could help. However, although I was stumped by the sudden dead end, Sir Leonhart had a solution ready.

“I have an old friend... He’s the leader of a border defense regiment based out of a fortress in the northeast.” He pointed to the top right of the map. “Around here. If you think it’s wise, we could ask him to investigate while his company is performing marching maneuvers.”

“That would be extremely helpful, but are you sure it’s all right? Won’t it interfere with his duties?”

“No need to worry. We won’t have him prioritize it over his maneuvers or security duties. And...there’s another matter that I’d like him to look into.”

I wonder what that is? I glanced up and shot Sir Leonhart a questioning look, but he didn’t elaborate. He must’ve decided that it should wait.

“In that case, please do.” I gave a deep bow of my head, and Sir Leonhart nodded.

He’ll tell me when the time comes if need be. With that conviction in my heart, I decided not to mention it further.

“Now, about the medicine...” Sir Leonhart changed the topic, but his words trailed off. He looked at me with a sympathetic gleam in his pitch-black eyes.

He knew that I was upset about George’s decision to remove me from the search for the medicine. After all, I hadn’t spoken a single word during our ride back from Lord Julius’s mansion. I’d probably made him worry about me.

I picked up where Sir Leonhart had left off. “I hear that George and Michael have departed.”

The two of them had left for Flanmer on a hunt for the medicine. I’d assumed that Michael would have his movement more heavily regulated, given that he was an apprentice sorcerer, but apparently he had some degree of freedom in that regard. Unlike Lutz and Teo, Michael had no propensity for offensive magic, so he wasn’t deemed to be dangerous. The distinction between white and black in the color of their robes was used to mark that difference.

“They’ve left me behind,” I said jokingly with a grin, but Sir Leonhart didn’t look happy.

“Princess...” His voice was etched with sorrow.

I hurriedly shook my head in denial. “Just to be clear, I’m not sulking. And I haven’t given up either.”

“Huh?” Sir Leonhart seemed taken aback.

“I was upset about them excluding me, but the more I think about it, I see that it’s a bit late for that.”

“Late?” Sir Leonhart asked, confused.

“Yes, that’s right,” I confirmed. “So long as I’m a princess, people will always try to distance me from danger. So, if I give up, then my journey will stop here. I finally understand—if I don’t want to back down, then I need to take action myself. Otherwise I won’t get anywhere.”

So what if they’ve left me out? Do I wait around for someone to reopen that door for me? No. If I want back in, I just need to let myself in. If I freeze up every time someone pushes me away, I’ll never get anywhere.

I want to change the future, and I vowed not to give up on Sir Leonhart.

So, I need to get stronger. Strong enough to keep moving forward, no matter what happens.

My nerves caused my heart to beat rapidly. I clutched at my chest and looked up at him. “I don’t want to give up... Will you help me?”

He narrowed his eyes kindly and smiled. Although I wasn’t ecstatic about him looking at me with the sort of pride he’d show to a child who’d taken a big step forward, I couldn’t help but feel good at the warmth in his expression.

“Of course. That’s why I’m here—to assist. Ask anything of me, and it will be done.”

After hearing his encouragement, I exhaled a relieved sigh.

***

I’d decided to follow George and Michael to Flanmer, but I wasn’t sure which method of travel to take.

About a thousand kilometers lay between Nevel’s capital and the border with Flanmer. However, that was only if we traveled in a perfectly straight line. Accounting for the hills, valleys, and curves along the roads, the distance would be greater.

So walking was, as could be imagined, off of the table. Riding by carriage would be the simplest method, if not for the excruciatingly tedious legal formalities that crossing two countries would entail; a journey over land to Flanmer would necessitate crossing the borders of both Vint and Skelluts.

At that point, the idea of traveling by boat came to my mind. If we departed from a port in the southwest of Nevel and took a boat destined for a port in the west of Flanmer, we could reduce much of that tedious work.

Unfortunately, there was one problem.

Ships in this world were almost exclusively merchant or military vessels. There were no passenger ships running regular, time-tabled journeys. Merchant vessels would sometimes allow passengers on board if—and only if—there was plenty of space in the cargo bay.

In short, we’d need to procure a boat in order to use the waterways.

Lord Julius emerged in my mind as my best bet. I couldn’t think of anyone else I knew who could get us on board a merchant vessel. Though I would’ve preferred not to bother him, I ultimately decided to pay him a visit. Fortunately, Lord Julius hadn’t accompanied George to Flanmer, so he was still in Nevel at the moment—now would be my chance to ask. I would feel bad making him cancel his other engagements and return to his family’s mansion just for us.

So instead...I went to him! After arranging to meet Lord Julius at the location of one of his business ventures, I arrived in the port city of Tao. This was the gateway to the sea, a city located to the south of the capital.

The moment that I descended from the carriage, I was greeted by the powerful smell of the salt breeze. Looking down from the old cobblestone-paved path on the hill, I spotted some buildings, and through the gaps between those buildings, I could see a wall of blue touching the horizon.

“It’s the sea...”

This was my first time seeing the ocean since my rebirth into this world. I’d traveled to beaches now and then during my life in Japan, but the sea had never looked so crystal clear. It was more turquoise than blue, and the glittering sparkles on the water captivated me for some time.

“Lady Mary.”

I turned around when I heard my name and found Sir Leonhart peering down at me. He always looked great in his knight’s uniform, but I was also a fan of his current outfit: a bluish-black long coat over a gray shirt. The way he addressed me was different as well, and the change was a little thrilling. Well, he’s only calling me “Lady Mary” because we need to be incognito.

I was so happy about having a day out with Sir Leonhart as my guard that my heart seemed about to burst.

However, my personal guard hadn’t seemed anywhere near as pleased when we’d left him behind. The face that Klaus had made right before we’d gone flashed through my mind. Just a few days before, I’d thought that I’d gotten him to see things my way, but I’d apparently been wrong about that. He might’ve stopped complaining directly about Sir Leonhart, but it seemed like he still had some grievances.

“Have a safe trip,” he’d stated with a respectful bow of his head, but the look that he’d given Sir Leonhart hadn’t been pretty. Calling it a “glare” wouldn’t be an exaggeration. The memory gave me a headache.

“Stay close to me.”

Sir Leonhart’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Huh?!” When I glanced over, I saw that he was holding out his hand toward me.

He was telling me to stay close and extending his hand. Putting those two facts together, I realized what he intended. My face lit up.

You’re letting me hold your hand?!

Intoxicated by the thought, I moved to take his hand but hesitated.

I doubt that anybody will recognize me as a princess while I’m wearing this extremely simple sky-blue apron dress, but even so, I have to account for everything. Besides, it’ll be bad if anyone thinks that Sir Leonhart is a child snatcher. Well...perhaps I’m not the best person to say that, given my eager romantic advances toward him.

Such were the stupid thoughts giving me pause. If I’d been more levelheaded, I would’ve realized... Nobody will assume that Sir Leonhart is a pedophile just for holding hands with me. We’d probably look like siblings with a large age gap or a young father on a day out with his daughter.

But, as I’ve written, I was intoxicated. My lovestruck heart had no room left for common sense.

And so, of course, I wasn’t paying any attention to my surroundings either.

“Pardon me,” Sir Leonhart said, swooping me up.

“Whoa?!”

The very next second, a huge man carrying a basket charged through the spot where I’d been standing. It took a few seconds before I realized that Sir Leonhart had lifted me up to keep me from getting bowled over.

“Th-Thank you, Sir Leon...” I expressed my gratitude, blushing with embarrassment for not paying attention.

“You’re very welcome.” A gentle smile graced his dashing features. Since he was holding me in his arms, I was exposed to that expression at point-blank range. Looking at it directly almost blinded me.

Too bright!!! It’s so divine, I have to shield my eyes!

I prayed for him to let me down, for my own heart’s well-being, but instead, he began to walk along with me still in his arms. He descended the narrow stairway down from the hill, boots thudding against the ground.

“Umm, S-Sir Leon...? I-I can walk on my own now...”

“So let me down,” I finished, but I feared that my volume had fallen too low to be heard above the clamor of the port city.

Sir Leonhart had heard me, but he looked up with a frown. “Please endure this until we reach our destination,” he said soothingly. I was given no choice but to stop protesting.

This was an act of kindness from him. He’d come to the conclusion that if I were left to potter about on my own in my absentminded state, I’d get separated from him. That was a fair enough assumption since I’d been too engrossed with my thoughts a moment ago and had nearly collided with someone. I had no lay of the land here, so losing sight of Sir Leonhart would be a surefire way to end up lost.

So, I’ll have to ignore my extreme embarrassment and let him carry me, I told myself. After a few false starts, I laid my hands on Sir Leonhart’s shoulders, and when I did, he smiled as if to say, Well done.

He was doting on me, in a sense...but I was clearly being given the child treatment.

I’m happy, but this isn’t quite what I wanted...

I heaved a mental sigh. Even though I’d achieved the feat of physical contact with the man that I loved, I couldn’t just sit back and enjoy it. I didn’t want to settle for being carried around like a child. After all, I was nearly thirteen. It was worrisome that he might never really view me as a woman.

My bottom lip jutted out in a bit of a pout, and Sir Leonhart pointed a concerned look my way.

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

“N-N-Not at all! I just had something on my mind.”

I rushed out a denial, but Sir Leonhart wasn’t convinced. He seemed deep in thought, and while watching him, I prayed that he would leave the question alone.

I don’t wanna tell my dream man that I’m upset because he’s treating me like a child. That’d be too pathetic.

“Lady Mary.”

“Huh?” My head popped back up instinctively when I heard my name.

Sir Leonhart pointed upward in silence. I followed the direction of his finger with my eyes and gazed up at the sky. The sunlight was dazzling, beaming down upon us, and I squinted into the light. Then, something white passed over my head. I saw a flock of birds soaring out toward the sea, flapping in formation while sounding a distinctive catlike cry. These were black-tailed gulls, flying unimpeded above the town and its scenic patchwork of orange roofs. The sight would’ve been perfect for a postcard.

“Wow...!” I let out a cry of wonder. Being in Sir Leonhart’s arms meant that my field of vision was greatly elevated from its usual height. I felt that I could almost reach out and touch the birds. “Did you see that, Sir Leon? They were so close!”

“They were.”

“And they meowed! It sounded adorable.”

“Some people call them ‘sea cats’ because of their feline cries.”

So they have the same nickname here as in Japan. I wonder if this world also has black-headed gulls?

“There is no shortage of real cats either,” Sir Leonhart said. “Over there, see?”

“Really? Where...? Ah!”

I looked again in the direction where he’d pointed, and I saw several cats enjoying a nap on one of the roofs. There were three of them in a bundle using each other as pillows—a brown tabby, a calico, and a white cat. Just the look of sheer comfort on their faces sent a feeling of warmth bubbling through me.

“So adorable,” I whispered softly as my face broke into an uncontrollable smile.

Sir Leonhart observed me with a faint look of surprise.

Oh, er... Did I say something inappropriate? Or maybe I looked really weird?

Sir Leonhart’s sudden cessation of movement filled me with anxiety and I slapped my forehead. But my insignificant apprehension was nullified a moment later.

“Yes, adorable indeed,” Sir Leonhart said softly while sporting a bewitching smile.

Please don’t say that with such a gentle voice and such a sweet face... I’m not confident that I won’t delude myself into thinking that you’re talking about me.

I felt so abashed that I had to look somewhere else, so I turned my eyes away from him and took visual refuge in the scenery.

The terrain of Tao was hilly and uneven. Roads and stairways were erected on steep slopes, interweaved between the houses, and formed a complex web. Moreover, all the houses shared the same aesthetic: white walls and orange roofs constructed with terra-cotta bricks.

“This place is a maze.”

I’d been speaking to myself, but Sir Leonhart heard me and provided some commentary. “It is. Most people lose their way on their first visit. Once you’ve entered the system of alleys, you basically need a guide to find your way out. People who aren’t properly acquainted with the city tend to utilize the stairs at the cost of a longer journey.”

We were currently descending those stairs, which had been built alongside a short stonework wall, and the elevation offered us a relatively good view over the city. Sir Leonhart’s comment explained the rather heavy traffic on these stairs—they circumnavigated the city’s center, so one could avoid getting lost by taking them. The city layout was constructed so that travelers well accustomed to the geography could, by contrast, navigate the tangle of alleys in the city center to reach any destination.

So basically, you can take your pick of routes, just as long as you internalize a mental map. This city is such an interesting case of urban planning, I thought. It’s like a dungeon from a role-playing game.

“It’s kind of exciting,” I said.

“Exciting?”

“Yes. I feel like I’m on an ad...venture...”

I’d let my honest thoughts slip out, but I immediately realized how childish I’d sounded. So walking down a flight of stairs is an adventure now? How old am I, three?

Although I was ashamed of my immaturity, my belief was sincere: this was an adventure. The scenery in my life so far had mostly consisted of palace walls, so this tangled web of a city was a fine setting for an adventure. Who needed monsters or treasure?

I worried that Sir Leonhart might’ve thought that my wonder was silly, but he didn’t laugh. “I know the feeling. When I was a child, I got lost here once. Oh, that turned into a little escapade...” From the look in his eyes, he didn’t appear to be teasing me. He spoke of his memories with a nostalgic smile.

“Did you lose sight of your parents?” I asked.

“Yes. On purpose.”

“On purpose?” I repeated with a tilt of my head.

Sir Leonhart looked at me and chuckled heartily. “As a child, I was a bit of a handful. Restless, and endlessly curious. I intentionally strayed from my parents so that I could explore the city.”

“Wait, really?” I asked, shocked. I never would’ve guessed that Sir Leonhart had been a restless child. “Didn’t they tell you off?”

“Oh yes, they absolutely did. My father thumped me and said, ‘It’s bad enough that you wandered off, but how dare you get your little brothers lost!’” Sir Leonhart then nonchalantly said, “I protested that I hadn’t taken them, but they’d just followed. That response earned me another punch.”

My surprise was inconcealable. This young Leonhart was a completely different person from the Sir Leonhart in my mind. Strangely though, my feelings didn’t sour. If anything, my blood was pumping even faster at the thought that I’d discovered a new facet of his nature.

I wonder if he was the leader of the pack in his day? I bet that, on the outside, he grumbled and complained at his brothers when they tagged along—but I’m sure he still watched out for them. Oh, I wish I could’ve seen him. The hyperactive Sir Leonhart, who all the other kids looked up to.

I have to say though, I’m amazed to find out that the venerable Orseins used to be quite the aggressive family. I hope I get to meet his parents someday. Er, I don’t mean I want to meet them as his bride or anything audacious like that... Except, maybe a tiny bit.

“There we go, we’ve reached the bottom,” Sir Leonhart announced.

I was still daydreaming by the time we’d finished descending the stairs.

“Thank you very much. I should be all right to walk on my own from now—”

“Please wait a little longer. We are currently in the worst place for losing sight of one another.”

“Very well...” I didn’t want him to carry me for much longer, but my pride succumbed to the power of his smile.

That said, Sir Leonhart could well have been correct. The moment that we set foot onto a wider path, the stream of people grew incomparably denser. Carts and donkeys loaded with goods squeezed through the jostling crowds. The eaved shops lining either side of the road were overflowing with customers. Their wares were all rare items the likes of which I’d never seen before, and they were stacked high. It wasn’t hard to imagine myself getting distracted and ending up lost.

I found myself overwhelmed by the busy streets. “It won’t be easy to spot Lord Julius here.”

Sir Leonhart, however, continued forward, confident on his feet. “I’m afraid not. Although, we do know what landmarks to watch out for, so I’m sure that we’ll manage.”

Among a stretch of buildings that were the same height, one poked out taller than the rest. We turned the corner there and spotted one of the landmarks—a signboard for a restaurant—then made another left turn, after which we proceeded down a narrow alleyway for a little while.

“It should be around here...” Sir Leonhart mused, casting his eyes across our surroundings as he walked.

I followed his example and pivoted my head left, right, up, and down, inspecting the area.

“Aha!” I exclaimed.

“Have you spotted him?”

“I think I saw him in the shop we just walked past.”

We reversed a few steps and peered inside. I could see a tall man standing in the back. His posture was great, and he looked beautiful in his well-tailored camel coat. His jawline and the bright, light-brown hair that he’d combed back seemed familiar to me. He looked like Lord Julius, but I’d need to see him from the front to have any conviction.

The man was deep in conversation with someone and remained steadfastly facing away from us. I could’ve simply walked inside and checked, but I didn’t want to deal with the awkward aftermath if he were actually the wrong person.

Come on, lemme at least see the side of your face, just so I know who you are...

As if answering my prayer, the man shifted his stance. I sighed with relief as I recognized his face. “It is Lord Julius.”

Thank goodness, we managed to find him.

“He seems to be talking with someone though,” Sir Leonhart pointed out. “Maybe we should wait for the time being?”

“Yes,” I agreed, nodding.

We mustn’t interfere with his work.

“Let’s find somewhere to pass the time,” Sir Leonhart said, turning to leave.

As I was about to reply, I glanced back toward Lord Julius once more. Due to his new stance, his conversation partner had entered my view: a young woman.

I tilted my head in silence, puzzled, though not because Lord Julius was talking to a woman. It was true that I’d assumed he was discussing business, and so I’d pictured his contact as a brawny middle-aged man. The gender of the other person, however, wasn’t what seemed odd to me.

I could swear I’ve seen her before... Or am I just imagining things?

“Sir Leon?” I called, and Sir Leonhart stopped.

“Yes?”

“Sorry, but could we go back to the store?”

“We...can,” Sir Leonhart replied, seeming confused.

We backtracked to the storefront and peered inside again.

Will it come back to me if I get another look?

I trudged through my memories while staring—rather rudely—at the woman’s face. But I had no luck. My recollection of her couldn’t have been recent; her beauty was the sort that would imprint in people’s minds forever after a single sighting. Even so, I couldn’t place her face. I furrowed my brows, struck with an unpleasant feeling like I had a small bone stuck in the back of my throat.

Where have I seen her? I asked myself as I scrutinized her face.

She was in her late teens. Her black hair flowed in bountiful waves, and the corners of her amber eyes slanted upward. Her imposing brows bestowed a strong-willed impression, and she had finely chiseled facial features. Her glistening red lips, along with the mole beneath and to the left of them, were particularly sexy. Her proportions were outstanding, and the curves flowing from her shapely, buxom breasts to her slender waist were beautiful. The sleeveless navy-blue dress she wore was simple but drew attention to her fabulous good looks.

I was sure that her smile would be alluring, but unfortunately, she was unamused at the moment. That said, her anger didn’t detract from her charm. If anything, it enhanced her fierce beauty.

Nothing packs as much of a punch as a stunner who’s angry... I thought absentmindedly, and at that moment, an image swirled into my mind, striking me with the force of a lightning bolt: Michael the demon lord, smiling sweetly as the wind swept through his long black hair, and the crescent moon behind him. A woman stood in confrontation with him, glowering and glaring while shielding a girl behind her.

“That’s who she is...” I muttered in a daze.

It now made sense why I’d taken so long to remember her. These weren’t memories from a mere few years ago—they were from my previous life.

The woman inside the room was called Bianca von Diebolt. She was a side character who starred in Michael’s route of Welcome to the Hidden World. Though she was younger now than she had been at the start of the game, there was no mistaking her. Or rather, there couldn’t possibly be two different people as beautiful as that.

Why’s Big Sis Bianca here...?

Despite my confusion, I peeked inside to see what was happening. Lord Julius and Bianca were still deep in conversation.

I’m sure that they weren’t acquainted in Hidden World though...

While tilting my head, I rifled through the half-faded memories from my past life.

Bianca von Diebolt was born the eldest daughter of Viscount Diebolt and was Michael’s older full sister. In the game, I seemed to recall that she’d been one or two years older than him. Although she was only a side character and had no screen time outside of Michael’s route, players adored her. She was charming and caring, which earned her the nickname “Big Sis Bianca.”

In the game, she’d been disconcerted by the metamorphosis of her once-timid little brother, but had been unable to prove her suspicions. Cooperating with Bianca to uncover the truth behind her brother’s change in demeanor formed the crux of Michael’s route, aka the game’s main route. This one offered plenty of reading material for the audience to feast their eyes on. There was much more content than in the game’s other routes since it revolved around the central figures of the story: the shrine maiden and the demon lord.

However, fifty or sixty—no, seventy—percent of the route was solely devoted to the partnership between the shrine maiden and Bianca.

Throughout the route, Bianca protected the shrine maiden from Michael as his true yandere nature gradually manifested itself. When the shrine maiden wailed that the prospect of uncovering the truth terrified her, Bianca set her straight, then pulled her into an embrace and consoled her. After crying her eyes out in Bianca’s arms, the shrine maiden had then blushed and thanked her.

I’d have liked to interrogate the production staff on who the main character of that route actually was...

The point was to uncover Michael’s secret, so I guess there was no way around it—but even so, it was ridiculous. How am I supposed to fall in love with a man who barely even turns up?

As it happened, many players believed that Bianca was the true suitor character, not Michael. Countless numbers of my fellow gamers despaired when they’d overcome every hurdle and had reached the ending, only for the final image to depict just Michael and the shrine maiden. The bug report forums were flooded with posts saying, “Michael’s image is showing up at the end of Bianca’s route.” It hadn’t been a bug though—it was by design.

Defies belief, I know. I’d forgotten how shitty that game was...

How novel, creating an otome game that people buy to experience a wonderful romance with hot guys but giving said hot guys no screen time. So novel, in fact, that you lost everybody.

“Lady Mary... Lady Mary.”

“Huh? Oh, er, yes?”

Sir Leonhart’s call tugged me back from memory lane. My head shot up and my eyes met his. He was smiling wryly. Then he gestured with his eyes and I looked where he instructed...right into a bout of eye contact with a stunningly beautiful woman.

I jumped.

She was staring intently at me through the store’s glass window—it was Bianca.

When did she get so close...?

And what’s with that excited look in her eyes?!

***

Now that Lord Julius had noticed my presence, I was beckoned inside the store.

The shop’s interior was reasonably spacious; there were six seats at the bar and twenty other chairs around some tables. Judging from the wine glasses dangling from metal fixtures above the bar, and from the lines of wine bottles on the shelves, I imagined that this restaurant operated at night. The building’s old age was apparent in the faded spots on the walls and the floor, but there wasn’t a single speck of dust on the well-polished tables.

Lord Julius informed me that an acquaintance of his managed this restaurant. It was only open at night, as I’d guessed, so Lord Julius had arranged to use it for the day.

We seated ourselves at a table toward the back of the room and exchanged brief self-introductions. Although, I did shorten my name to “Mary” since I was supposed to be incognito. We went with the story that I was the daughter of one of Sir Leonhart’s friends...which wasn’t technically a lie, as long as the king and the royal guard captain could be considered friends.

I wanted to apologize for barging in without an appointment, so I said, “I’m sorry for coming uninvited.”

However, Lord Julius just smiled and let me off. “Not at all. I’m delighted to see you.”

What a gentleman, I thought while giving him a look of admiration.

Lord Julius turned his eyes away slightly and quietly whispered, “This helps me a great deal, in fact.”

That wouldn’t have anything to do with the woman currently staring at me like there’s no tomorrow...would it?

Not long before I’d arrived, her brows had been furrowed in self-evident anger, but now, Big Sis Bianca was blushing and had a dreamy look in her eyes. She looked too sexy for me to bear, so I just had to look away.

“Um, Mary?” Bianca said with a slight tilt of the head.

“Mary?!” I exclaimed, startled. She’s talking to me, right?

“Sorry, am I being too familiar?”

Watching Bianca shrink sadly, I frantically waved my hands. “N-Not at all!” I wasn’t annoyed; the way she addressed me was just an unexpected and refreshing change of pace from “Lady Mary” or other formal titles.

“I like it,” I said. “You can call me that if you want.”

“You mean it?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can call me Bianca too.”

“I’ll do that, Bianca.”

Her face crumpled in ecstasy when I followed her request. In the game, she’d given the men a run for their money with how valorous and dignified she’d looked. This might’ve been my first glimpse of her enchanting smile.

I’m getting the impression that Bianca likes kids.

“Mary, what do you like to eat?” she asked.

“Anything sweet,” I answered.

“What’s your favorite animal?”

“Cats.”

“Oh? Tee hee hee!” Bianca smiled with her whole face.

To be honest, I’m getting a little scared. Not sure why, but I just am.

She posed another question. “What color do you like your dresses to be?”

“Blue.”

Are these inquiries going to end at some point, or...?

Noticing the glassy look in my eyes, Lord Julius cleared his throat. “Forgive me for interrupting your conversation, but might we get to what we came here to discuss?”

Bianca shot Lord Julius an icy glare, and the contrast between that scowl and the warm look that she’d given me was like night and day. The atmosphere now felt so frigid that I was worried I’d catch a cold.

“That’s right,” Bianca said, “you still haven’t told me why your ships aren’t running.”

“Huh?” I interjected. Sir Leonhart and I exchanged a glance.

The ships aren’t running? Why?

“We’ll get to that soon enough, but I still haven’t been told what I can do for Lady—” Lord Julius smiled awkwardly. “Er, for Mary.” I could see a slight grimace on his face, which clearly showed his regret. It was a little refreshing seeing a departure from his usual calm and elegant demeanor. However, I was in too much mental turmoil at that moment to savor his uncharacteristic expression.

“Yeah, we should find that out.” Bianca nodded sincerely. I’d decided to leave my comments for her until later as well.

“Why aren’t the ships running?” I asked, lurching forward desperately from my chair.

When he saw that, Lord Julius’s eyes widened with confusion. “Huh?”

His reaction made sense, as I hadn’t yet told him that I was after a ticket onto one of his ships. I realized that I should’ve waited to ask until after I’d explained my purpose, but I’d gotten the order wrong and it was now too late to change that.

Seeing that I wasn’t sure how to reply, Sir Leonhart entered the fray. “Pardon me, but would you be able to tell us about the problem with the ships?”

“Of course, but what about your request?” Lord Julius asked.

“We’ll explain afterward,” Sir Leonhart replied.

Lord Julius nodded after some thought. “Very well.”

He told us of an ominous rumor that had originated from a certain ship. About a month before, a ship hailing from an island far to the continent’s southeast arrived at a small port in Grundt, which was a nation to Nevel’s east. It must have been quite the lengthy voyage, given the great distance traveled, but the ship itself was in good condition. Mysteriously though, over half of the sailors were on the verge of death. Three deaths were recorded upon their arrival. Of the other fifteen stricken sailors, six eventually passed away after not responding to medical treatment.

A rumor had begun to spread among the sailors who’d read the ship’s logbook: those who stay at sea for too long are haunted by ghosts.

“Is it not a disease then?” Sir Leonhart asked.

“I couldn’t say. We don’t have a clear idea about that at present,” Lord Julius replied noncommittally. “If it is a disease though, it doesn’t seem likely to spread from person to person. Nobody in Grundt has developed those symptoms, and that includes doctors, caregivers, and the people who buried the bodies.”

So at the least, it’s not a disease that’s airborne or spread through physical contact. Even so, more than half the crew of a single ship contracted the same disease—it makes me wonder whether there’s a different route of infection. Like maybe their water or food supplies were contaminated.

Cogs whirred in my brain as I silently listened to everyone else. My attention had been focused on the ships at first, but if this disease was in fact infectious, then it would become my priority. After all, the theory that I’d conjectured from my knowledge of Hidden World was just a theory, and it was entirely possible that the disease could spread from a different place at a different time.

“It’s understandable that sailors would be afraid of a rare disease of unknown cause...but there’s quite a difference between that and the current rumor,” Sir Leonhart remarked.

“Yeah. They’re blaming ghosts? Where did that absurd idea come from?” Bianca expressed her agreement with Sir Leonhart, looking mystified.

Right, I don’t see how to connect the dots there either.

I looked at Lord Julius and asked, “What was written in the ship’s logbook?”

He retrieved a notepad from his pocket and flicked through the pages. “At first, there was nothing you wouldn’t expect to find in any ship’s log. The date of departure, the weather, the calmness of the sea, the conditions of the crew... All mundane entries. But the first month passed, and then the second, and as the days went by, unusual occurrences began to sprout up.”

Lord Julius gave us a summarized explanation while scanning his notes, which appeared to contain a copy of the log.

“Members of the crew began to feel ill?” Bianca asked.

“Exactly,” Lord Julius said. “After the end of the first month, a growing number of crew members began to complain of joint pains and fatigue. The log records, ‘Probably just a cold. They’ll feel better after some rest.’ But contrary to their expectations, the afflicted crew showed no signs of improving. Their mental states began to deteriorate.”

Weariness and joint pains. That does sound like a normal cold.

But if rest didn’t alleviate their symptoms at all, then it’s likely that another disease was at work. If it were a cold, then usually resting would be enough to recover, unless you contracted pneumonia or another serious condition as a result.

“The next entry records a new symptom: the appearance of large thigh bruises.”

Bianca squinted in puzzlement. “Bruises? Are you sure they didn’t just bump into something?”

“It says that the symptoms appeared on several different people. I find it unlikely that all of them could’ve knocked their thighs simultaneously,” Lord Julius replied with composure. “Several days later, they began to bleed from their skin and gums. Eventually, the sailors’ teeth fell out, their old wounds reopened, and they died covered in blood.”

Everyone fell silent. Sir Leonhart’s expression looked grim, and Bianca blanched slightly. The description exceeded my every expectation, and I felt the color drain from my face as well.

Bianca shot Lord Julius a cold glare. “We can’t do anything about it now, but that’s not the sort of thing you should be letting Mary hear.”

I hurriedly shook my head. “No, it’s all right! I chose to be here, so don’t mind me.”

“But...” Bianca said, not relenting.

I smiled, hoping to calm her. Not the most natural smile I’ve ever done, but let’s not mention that. Although Lord Julius’s tale wasn’t all that pleasant to listen to, it was necessary to hear, I thought, and I believed that from the bottom of my heart.

“So their gruesome final days inspired the rumor that they were haunted by ghosts?” I asked.

“It wasn’t just that. Even among the seafarers of Nevel, there are no small number of people who’ve experienced the early stages of those symptoms. And as the number of days at sea increases, the number of sick sailors rises. They now fear that longer voyages will make them the next ones to die bloody deaths.”

So the rumor—those who stay at sea for long periods of time will become haunted by ghosts—arose because the rate of developing symptoms is proportional to the number of days at sea?

“The early symptoms? So fatigue and joint pains? Not exactly uncommon,” said Bianca.

Lord Julius heaved a long sigh. “It may simply be paranoia, but reasoning with them will be difficult unless we know the cause and how to treat it.”

“But the ships can’t stay grounded forever,” Bianca said. “That would impact business, not to mention the sailors’ livelihoods.”

“Of course,” Lord Julius agreed.

While listening to Bianca and Julius’s conversation, I sorted through the facts in my head.

“Hmm?” I mumbled.

“Lady Mary?” Sir Leonhart asked in a voice quiet enough for only me to hear. He peered at me with concern, but I was too focused on getting my thoughts straight to return a proper reply.

First comes weariness and joint pain. Then mental instability... So, depression, followed by bruising on the femur. A few days after that, bleeding from the gums and skin. Their teeth fall out, old wounds reopen, eventually leading to death. That’s the affliction the sailors had.

“Why does...” I started to say. Why does this seem familiar? I asked myself.

Suddenly, I found the answer in my mind. I had never witnessed a person with those symptoms, but I definitely recognized them. This wasn’t a graphic memory gained from firsthand experience—it was just awareness.

“Lord Julius,” I called.

“Yes?”

“How was the ship provisioned?”

Lord Julius blinked several times in surprise. Until then, I’d been staring at my shoes without participating in the conversation, so I expected that he was surprised at my sudden interest. But instead of questioning my abrupt entry into the conversation, Lord Julius peered down at the notebook in his hands.

“I wouldn’t call their provisions sumptuous, but they had enough to stave off starvation on their long voyage. The sailors’ meals were principally salted meat and fish, biscuits, cheese, and wine.”

“So their foodstuffs were all long-lasting,” I said. “And they didn’t make any stops at ports along the way?”

“Going by the logbook, no. I’m not sure there were any ports where they could’ve stopped. I know of a few small islands between the southeast and the continent, but they’re either uninhabited or home to insular indigenous peoples who preserve their own unique cultures. Intrusions onto their homeland could cause needless conflict.”

It was an obvious risk to disembark onto those dangerous islands. Since their food stocks weren’t in dire straits, did the sailors decide that there was no benefit to stopping?

“Out of interest, do the sailors in our kingdom consume similar food on their voyages?” I asked.

“Nevel’s? Let me think... I expect they eat food that’s much the same. Although, on longer voyages, they’ll make a few stops at different ports to replenish their supplies. When they do, crews usually get a few days of fresh meat and vegetables as well.”

“I thought so...” I muttered under my breath. That last part was the big distinction between Nevel’s sailors and the deceased.

Lord Julius heard me. “You thought so?”

I returned to my senses and shut my mouth, but the cat was already out of the bag. Everyone’s attention was centered on me.

I should’ve been more careful; the ideas aren’t organized straight in my head yet.

“Do you have an idea?” Lord Julius’s green eyes usually looked drowsy, but now they were glowing.

It feels like he’s expecting me to say something good... Am I right about that?

I gulped.

What should I say? How much can I tell them? And how am I going to prove it? I don’t have anything planned, but I’ll just have to go for it. Things are out of my control now, so let whatever happens, happen, I thought.

“I may know what that disease is.”

“What?!”

The only cry of surprise at my outrageous claim came from Bianca. Sir Leonhart merely widened his eyes slightly. Lord Julius grew even more excited.

Please don’t act like you think I’m about to solve everything. I gently rubbed my stomach, which had started to ache.

Bianca looked at me with unconcealed confusion. “Mary, what do you mean, you know it?”

“I know a disease that matches the symptoms that Lord Julius just described,” I explained. “Although, I only know it from a book.”

Off the cuff, I could only think of two explanations as to why I possessed this knowledge: I could have learned it from either a person or a book. If I’d reported that somebody had told me, then everyone would have asked “who?” And because the list of people a sheltered girl like me could freely visit was rather short, only the second option was really available to me, practically speaking.

I’ll be done for if they ask me which book I found the information in, but I could try to bluff and say that I forgot... Couldn’t I? Maybe not.

“A book?” Bianca asked. “Are the books you read that complicated?”

Lord Julius answered Bianca’s question before I could. “I would wager that Mary is the most avid reader out of all of us. She reads not just books from Nevel, but ones from other countries as well. Right?” He looked to me for confirmation.

I nodded half-heartedly.

However, those foreign books are mainly the ones you bring to me, and there are a few that I’m still in the middle of. I can handle the ones written in the primary language of a major country, but it’s brutal of you to send me books written in a minor, derived language. If the book is related to my interests, I do dig my heels in and go through with a dictionary though.

Lord Julius’s assertion astonished Bianca. “You can understand foreign languages? That’s amazing! Even though you’re so small and cute that I could just gobble you up!”

Don’t eat me, please.

“Well, Mary is very diligent in her studies,” Lord Julius said, and his eyes were sparkling like a young boy’s. “Lately, every time I come across a rare book, I can’t help but think to myself, ‘Mary will definitely breeze through this.’ I always end up buying it to bring home as a present.”

Foreign books don’t strike me as the most appropriate present to give a child. Picture books, sure, but books on cooking and medicine? I thought that maybe he’d just wanted me to admire the pictures. I didn’t know that he’d been hoping I could actually read them...

Sir Leonhart spoke up, moving the derailed conversation back on track. “We’ve drifted from the topic at hand.”

“Oh, my apologies...” Lord Julius calmed down after Sir Leonhart’s reminder. An embarrassed blush rose to his cheeks and he cleared his throat before speaking again. “So, Mary, could you elaborate?”

The spotlight was on me again, and I nodded. “The principal cause of this disease is diet.”

“Diet?” Bianca repeated.

I turned my eyes to her and continued. “Diets inevitably become unbalanced on longer voyages, right? We saw that in the logs that Lord Julius quoted.”

“Right,” Bianca said. “Fresh meat and vegetables will rot if you don’t eat them right away, so I suppose that, for the rest of the journey, sailors have to make do with wine and hard biscuits and other preserved food that lasts longer.”

“That can’t possibly be good for your health though, can it?” I asked.

“Well, no...” Bianca said, bewilderment appearing on her face.

“So you’re proposing that it’s malnutrition?” Julius asked.

I nodded firmly. “Yes. Unbalanced diets can harm one’s health.”

Once, back when I lived in Japan, I had to write a report for my world history class in high school. My topic had been the so-called Age of Exploration, aka the period from the fifteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century when explorers from European countries traveled the globe.

That era’s sailors feared pirates, but not as much as one particular disease. By the modern era, society had developed treatments for the disease—but back then, even the cause had been unknown. One example of this was the first voyage of European sailors through the sea route to India: out of the one hundred and eighty sailors on board, one hundred had died.

The disease that killed them? Scurvy.

This illness would be contracted after prolonged vitamin C deficiency. It was a terrifying condition that began with weariness and joint pains, then progressed to bruising appearing on the femur, bleeding from the gums and skin, the loss of teeth, and eventually death.

Back to our conversation: Lord Julius was nodding in agreement at my assertion. “I’m well aware of how important nutrition is, especially after what happened to my sister-in-law.”

Emma—Lord Julius’s sister-in-law and George’s mother—saw an improvement to her health after reworking her diet and adding an ample amount of exercise into her routine. I almost reassured myself that having a real example so close to home would make Lord Julius receptive to my idea, but he quickly began to frown.

“However, it’s hard to believe that healthy adult men could die because of an unbalanced diet,” he said, looking troubled.

Yeah, I thought you might say that. Everyone knows you die if you eat nothing, but if a person is eating enough, it’s not as easy to grasp the concept of death by malnutrition. How should I address this?

I racked my brain while feeling the onset of a headache. “So, let’s say for instance... You’re making bricks. What materials do you use?”

“B-Bricks?” Bianca asked, taken aback by the sudden change of topic.

“Clay, sand, lime, and water, I believe,” Lord Julius answered, seeming puzzled.

“What would happen if you didn’t include one of those materials?” I asked.

“You need clay, otherwise you won’t get anywhere,” Sir Leonhart responded. “Without water it won’t mix properly. You should be able to bake the brick solid without sand or limestone, but it wouldn’t be a very good brick.”

Lord Julius continued Sir Leonhart’s line of thought. “The bricks would lack strength...” His words trailed off midway, as though an idea had suddenly popped into his head. “Ah, I see. You’re implying that the same is true for our bodies?”

“Yes. As with the bricks, I believe that cutting corners with nutrition weakens our bodies. The effect is small at first—fingernails breaking more readily, hair becoming brittle, things like that. But the longer it lasts, the more our bodies will be affected, I think.”

I was desperate to get my point across.

It’d be so much easier if I could explain using modern-day terminology. I could say that shortages of vitamin C weaken capillaries and increase the risk of hemorrhages. Or that vitamin C is necessary for the biosynthesis of collagen.

But there was no way that I could rephrase that adequately in my own words. Not my specialty. I was always more into literature and the arts, anyway.

Lord Julius fell silent for a while as if in contemplation. His almost-translucent green eyes stared at me intently, and it felt like my soul was bare before him. My instincts urged me to look away, but I desperately persevered.

Finally, he spoke. “I understand.”

“Huh?” I blurted.

“I’ll believe you,” Lord Julius said. The sternness that had been present in his expression vanished, and he smiled.

“Umm, but... Are you sure that’s all right?” My voice lacked confidence. I had no evidence to prove my claim, nor any references to support it. I’d tried to at least bluff and act so self-assured that they’d have to believe me, but Lord Julius’s quick acceptance threw me off-balance.

When he saw me acting deflated, Lord Julius narrowed his eyes warmly. “We know neither the cause nor the treatment for the disease, but we can’t afford to do nothing either. The situation is already unfathomably dire, so it can’t get any worse.”

“I suppose not, but...”

“And there’s a hopeful part of me that thinks if anyone can turn the tables, it’ll be you.” Lord Julius winked playfully.

“You’re overestimating me,” I replied, but he neither agreed nor disagreed with that.

His brows drooped slightly, and he smiled apologetically. “I hope you’ll forgive my little test—I just wanted to see whether my optimism was well founded. Would it be too much for me to hope that you know a remedy as well?”

That’s right. My end goal wasn’t convincing Lord Julius... That was only the start.

I put on a serious expression and nodded. “I do.”

***

The countermeasure for scurvy that I decided to propose was sauerkraut—pickled cabbage that is often served as a garnish for German cuisine.

It’s incredibly easy to make. First, you remove the cabbage’s core, and then you thinly slice the remaining leaves and massage plenty of salt into it. Afterward, you sterilize a jar with boiling water, transfer everything (including the juice) to the jar, then place a cap on the jar and weights on top. That’s all.

I wiped my hands with a tea towel and looked at Lord Julius. “It’ll be ready after you leave it to ferment for about a week. Just make sure it’s somewhere cool and out of the sun.”

He had a hand on his forehead, and his eyes were fixed on the jar containing the unfinished sauerkraut. “It’s remarkably simple.”

Lord Julius had immediately accepted my offer to prepare an example. Luckily, we were in a restaurant, so we took over the kitchen. He had seemed so excited when he’d asked what ingredients we would need. The prospect of some grand concoction must’ve set a fire in his merchant heart. The look on his face had told me that he’d ready any ingredients, no matter how impractical. I hadn’t felt great about raining on his parade, but I’d actually only needed cabbage and salt.

“Were you hoping for more?” I asked, wearing an awkward grin.

Lord Julius mimicked my expression. “To be truthful, I was.”

Maybe I should’ve requested caraway seeds or bay leaves. I sometimes add chili peppers too, when I make sauerkraut for myself.

However, on this occasion, simplicity mattered above all else. I wanted anybody anywhere to be able to make it themselves.

“Regardless, the small number of ingredients and the simple method will make mass production possible.”

“Yes.”

“Now we just need to figure out how to spread the word,” Lord Julius said.

I hesitated because I wasn’t trying to devise a method to make it popular—I’d already figured that part out. But to enact my plan, I’d needed Sir Leonhart and Bianca to leave the room. I was just feeling reluctant to reveal my brazen request, like I didn’t have quite enough courage.

I clenched my fists and pursed my lips, then after a loud gulp, I said, “Lord Julius?”

“Yes?”

“Please listen to my...request.”

Hearing my more formal tone, Lord Julius’s eyes first opened wide and then narrowed shrewdly. He looked serious now and gestured wordlessly for me to continue.

I mentally readied myself. “Would you mind stocking this as one of your products?”

Lord Julius looked aghast. “That’s an incredibly attractive proposal for me personally, but with the right handling, it could make you wealthy beyond compare. Are you sure that you’d rather give this opportunity to me?”

“However valuable it may be, I don’t have the means to make this remedy popular. And if I were to run around trying to teach people the recipe for free, I doubt that I could get anyone to believe me.”

I’d heard the saying “nothing costs as much as what is given to us,” so I worried that most people would be skeptical of a product given to them without charge. There’d be no point in me handing out the recipe if people suspected my motives. But that’s what experts are for. It would be better if an amateur like me didn’t try and bumble through business when asking a pro like Julius would yield more certain results.

“You’re well-connected, and you have a lot of customers that trust your judgment. I know that I won’t have to worry about you handling this well.”

Lord Julius smiled. “It is a true honor to hear you say that.” He looked at me with such a kind expression that the guilt ate at my heart.

I don’t want to say this... But if I don’t, then we’ll get nowhere.

“However... I know it’s one-sided of me, but I want to impose two conditions.”

“Conditions?” Lord Julius repeated.

While he was surprised, he didn’t seem offended.

“First, I’d like you to set a cheap price,” I said. “I’m not foolish enough to ask you to purposefully make a loss though. Of course, you can compensate yourself for necessary expenditures like cost of materials, labor, and transport, and I don’t mind you earning a profit on top...”

“But you want me to keep as tight a profit margin as possible.”

“Yes...” My voice was so feeble that I didn’t even recognize it as my own.

I knew that I was being unreasonable. With the right sales tactics, he could turn this product into gold, but I was asking him to forego most of that profit. To a merchant, those were practically fighting words.

“And the other condition?” Lord Julius asked, still composed, not raising his voice.

Was he angry? The vast difference in life experience between us made it more or less impossible for me to tell. Still unsure of whether the flames had reached the fuse to ignite his explosion, I threw more wood onto the fire. “With the product, I would like you to include a slip of paper containing the recipe, so that anybody can replicate it.”

His green eyes flew wide open. The shock of this condition probably made the last one seem like nothing.

He might’ve been able to accept the first stipulation by reasoning that he was employing the strategy of low profits and quick returns. Demand would be high, and he’d have a monopoly on the sauerkraut. With enough skill, it’d be possible to make big returns.

However, the second condition demolished that premise. My proposal amounted to relinquishing his exclusive rights to the product and making it worthless.

My eyes slowly began to fall to the floor, as I was too scared to see his reaction. However, ashamed of my own cowardice, I quickly stood up straight.

“So that’s why...” Lord Julius mumbled. It sounded like he was talking to himself rather than answering my question.

“Huh?”

“I wondered why the recipe seemed so simple...so bland. You always went to so much trouble preparing the most complex meals to serve my sister-in-law. If you were making this as a meal for yourself, you’d expend the extra effort to make it even more delicious, wouldn’t you? So the reason why you didn’t do that and instead minimized the work needed to make this remedy was so that any person could make it themselves. Am I wrong?” Julius grinned, seeming a little proud of himself.

I nervously nodded. He was right—when I would make sauerkraut in my previous life, I’d add spices, as mentioned before.

“You are truly studious,” he said. “You don’t simply internalize what you learn, but instead, you adapt and improve it.”

“I’m not as wonderful as you’re making me sound... Hold on. Lord Julius?”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t you going to refuse?” I asked.

“Why should I? I am neither so free of avarice nor so obstinate that I could ignore a diamond before my eyes.”

“But if the recipe becomes commonly known, the product will have practically no value.”

“That’s not true,” he denied. “I know plenty of ways to play this.”

I couldn’t conceal my surprise at Lord Julius’s confident attitude. I was frozen solid, my mouth hanging half-open. The sight wasn’t my finest.

“Although,” he said, “this is assuming that I can count on your assistance.”

“Yes, of course!” I exclaimed. “I’ll help in any way I can!”

“I know I can count on you.” Lord Julius smiled.

Right back at you.

I’d thought that I’d either be putting him out or angering him, and I was disappointed in myself for not being able to imagine any other outcome. It felt shameful...doubting the person who’d opened his heart to me so much, who was so brilliant and generous.

“While we’re here, may I ask you something that’s been on my mind?” Julius inquired with a tilt of his head.

“What would that be?” I asked, tilting my own in return.

“Why did you teach me the recipe before naming your conditions?”

I froze.

“When you’re determined to get your opponent to agree to a condition,” he explained, “you should save your winning asset until the last moment. It would make sense if you were, say, asking a friend for a request, and you wished to demonstrate at the outset that you were acting in good faith... Except that you went to the trouble of clearing the room, so you were treating me as a businessman.”

“Yes, about that...” I’d hoped that he wouldn’t point that out. My eyes flitted uncontrollably around the room. I don’t wanna tell him because my reason’s pathetic, but I doubt I can wriggle my way out of this. Ashamed, I mumbled my explanation. “I didn’t have any other candidates to turn to if you refused my offer.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So if you had...I would’ve let you do what you wanted with the recipe.”

“Sorry?” Julius asked, stunned.

I felt my cheeks heat up so much that I worried they’d caught fire. “This may sound odd after making you listen to my conditions, but I was certain that everything would turn out fine with the product in your hands. You’d devise a guaranteed way of making the product popular that I could never dream of. So, even if you’d declined my offer, I hoped that we’d be able to act as though I’d simply made my friend a meal.”

Bluntly put, I’d planned to have him shoulder all of the responsibility. I was positive that Lord Julius would do a good job if I’d just entrusted everything to him right from the start. I knew that, but even so, I hadn’t wanted to abandon all thought and simply hand over the recipe.

There was a mountain of difference between entrusting the product to him and off-loading everything, including the responsibility, onto him. That was why I’d thought to add the stipulations. If Lord Julius had refused, it would’ve implied a fault in my conditions. Put another way, there would’ve been a flaw in my plan somewhere that my amateurish grasp of business wasn’t enough to catch.

I’d intended to leave everything to him if that’d happened. In that case, I would’ve simply made my friend a meal, so no money or rights would’ve changed hands. Brazenly, I’d thought, That way, there’ll be no problems if Lord Julius reproduces the food and turns it into a product.

Without much strength in my tone, I said, “Sorry for being underhanded...” But this provoked no response from Lord Julius. Finding that strange, I raised my head and our gazes met. His green eyes were round with surprise.

“You never cease to amaze me,” he said.

Hmm? What does he mean by that?

As though he’d heard my thoughts, Lord Julius continued. “You’re as righteous as any child your age, but you know when to back down. What’s more, considering how much extensive knowledge you possess, it’s no simple matter to remain humble and to understand your own shortcomings.”

Is that a compliment or an insult? I can’t quite tell. I’m full of youthful naivete, but at my core, I’m decrepit? Or, is the implication that my head’s too big for my shoulders, but I’ve got myself sized up? Maybe it just sounds like that to me because I’m a pessimist...

Lord Julius returned to using more respectful language. “I am in awe of you once again. You truly are an amazing person, Your Highness.” He straightened his posture and looked me in the eyes. “I accept your conditions, and I will endeavor to meet your expectations.”

“You will?! Th-Thank you very much!”

I felt a wave of relief surge throughout my body upon hearing Lord Julius give his consent. He watched me with delight as I practically slumped with relief, but then he made a face like he’d hit upon an idea.

He raised two fingers, grinning like a mischievous child. “In line with our discussion, I have two requests of my own.”