The Reincarnated Princess Departs

While I occupied myself with my preparations, information gathering, and studies, the time seemed to fly by in an instant. Before I knew it, half a month had passed since I’d received my father’s permission to leave the country, and the day of my departure had arrived.

It was still early in the morning, but the port city was alive with crowds. We struggled through the human current on the main street and reached the harbor, which was just as crowded as everywhere else. Families were seeing their loved ones off; travelers were exchanging heartfelt farewells—we slipped by them all, weaving our way between sailors finishing their preparations and getting ready to embark.

Soon, we approached our destination.

I sighed with amazement when I looked up and saw the ship against a backdrop of clear blue sky. “What a wonderful carrack.”

The ship was a three-masted sailing vessel with square sails on its front two masts and a triangular fore-and-aft sail on the remaining mast. It had a wooden superstructure, and a hull constructed from carvel-built planks that had been painted blue. I estimated that the ship was twenty meters long. The magnificent vessel reminded me of the Santa Maria—the first ship to successfully traverse the Atlantic Ocean during the Age of Exploration.

My first time crossing the sea. My first voyage. My first trip abroad!

My head and my heart were both running wild. Of course, I was still apprehensive and scared about what would await me upon entering a strange land, but I was looking forward to it as well.

“Mary,” called a youthful tenor voice. At the same time, a hand grasped mine from behind and pulled me backward.

I whipped around to find Klaus staring at me. He wasn’t dressed in the knight’s uniform that I was used to seeing. Instead, he wore black pants and boots on his legs, and a white shirt with a plain, navy blue vest on his chest. The cloak that he wore atop his clothes was for more than just keeping him sheltered from the sun and the rain; it made the longsword strapped to his waist less conspicuous.

“I don’t want to lose sight of you, so don’t go off on your own,” Klaus said with a slightly worried frown.

I had to fight back a grimace after seeing Klaus’s easygoing, charming young man act. Instead, I managed a smile and said, “Sorry, Big Brother.”

Remember, Rose, you’re not allowed to say, “Who the hell are you supposed to be?!” I told myself this and obediently took my place next to Klaus.

I wasn’t Rosemary von Velfalt today. I was simply Mary, the daughter of Lord Julius’s friend, and Klaus’s younger sister—just a girl, on her way to visit her older sister who’d married a man in Flanmer.

In addition to using the dark-brown dye, I’d coarsely braided my hair and had parted it to one side to further alter my appearance. My attire consisted of a white hempen dress beneath a bright-blue overskirt. I was much more lightly dressed than usual, but I still felt boiling because, like Klaus, I was wearing a cloak.

“Watch where you’re walking,” Klaus warned with a gentle look on his face.

We headed toward the pier.

I couldn’t hide how shaken I felt by Klaus’s surprising acting talent; he really was skilled at pretending to be my brother. This was especially odd, given how disastrous his acting and demeanor had been at first.

For two days after I’d invited him to accompany me, his excitement had been sickening, and he’d smiled far too much when I’d tested out calling him “Big Brother.” It didn’t matter how hot a person was if their smile was that disturbing. And when we’d been alone in my room, and I’d made him practice speaking to me without the usual formalities, the results had been an unnatural mess... “Your Highness” and “Lady Rosemary” and other formal expressions had still slipped into his speech.

But one day, he’d arrived with a more serious demeanor, and each subsequent day, he’d turned up with a fresh bruise or a new scrape along with an improvement in his attitude.

What in the world happened to Klaus? Well, whatever it is, I should be grateful that he’s calmed down.

A big sailor walked toward us, coming from the direction we were headed. He looked down at me and interrupted my distressed thought process.

“Wow, what an adorable passenger we have here,” he said. “You going on a trip with your brother?”

“Yes,” I replied. “I hope that we have a pleasant voyage together.”

“You’ve got great manners, miss. I hope you enjoy your stay.” Laugh lines creased his manly, sunburnt face, and he bellowed laughter as he patted my head with his large hands. “Wonderful little sister you’ve got, mister. I bet she means the world to you.”

Klaus smiled in response to the sailor’s small talk. “Yes, I’m proud to be her brother.”

The current Klaus was the perfect handsome man, no matter how you looked at him. He appeared calm, his entire demeanor was relaxed, and he stood with great posture. Personality-wise, he was a little taciturn, but he still appeared kind and affectionate toward his “sister.” Strangely though, I didn’t feel attracted to him. In fact, I couldn’t get my goose bumps to subside.

Klaus shouldn’t pose any danger while he’s acting like a normal hot guy, but I’m getting the sense that I’m witnessing something I shouldn’t. I wonder why.

“This time we sure do have a fine showing of gorgeous women on the ship,” the sailor remarked.

“There are other female passengers?” Klaus asked.

I’d been scratching my arm and trying to avoid making eye contact with Klaus, but their conversation piqued my interest and I raised my head back up.

“Yeah, look,” the sailor said.

I stared in the direction that the sailor pointed and saw a group that stood out from everyone else here.

A girl who was a year or two older than me was walking along the pier at the head of a retinue of armor-clad guards and women who seemed to be her maids. She was a beautiful girl with wavy, strawberry-blonde hair and blue, downturned eyes. The light dotting of freckles on her pale skin just added to her charm. She must’ve come from a well-to-do family, judging by the lavish amounts of lace and frills decorating her dress and the white parasol she held aloft.

She does look elegant, but I can’t be the only one who doesn’t think she’s dressed appropriately for a sea voyage.

“Will she be traveling with us on the ship?” Klaus asked. He was perfectly synchronized with my thoughts. His brows were furrowed, so he probably had the same concern that I did.

“She is,” the sailor confirmed. “Rumor has it that she’s from a good family, and related to the Eigels. Also, and don’t let this get out, but...” He leaned toward Klaus, put a hand near his mouth as though he were telling secrets, and lowered his voice. He was a loud person anyway though, so I still heard him when he said, “Word has it that she’s the ‘goddess’ everyone’s been talking about.”

“Goddess?” I called out, stunned.

The goddess that everyone’s been talking about? Which goddess would that happen to be?

“What?” Klaus asked suspiciously, a few moments after me. The terribly low tone of his voice caused me to look up, and I noticed that he’d narrowed his eyes in extreme suspicion.

When did Klaus drop the nice guy act, and why’s he so pissed off?

I grew pale with trepidation at the thought that Klaus might’ve blown his cover, but the sailor continued talking, oblivious to Klaus’s change in demeanor. “Hmm? You two haven’t heard of her?” the sailor asked. “The goddess is what they call the inventor of this food that’s been flying off of the shelves recently. It’s called the ‘Dew of the Sea.’”

Wait, back up a second. I did just hear him say “Dew of the Sea,” didn’t I? Don’t tell me...

“That Julius claims she’s an absolute stunner,” the sailor explained, “and like a goddess, her heart’s as beautiful as she is.”

Never mind, he’s not talking about me after all. This sailor had me going for a second there.

“Why do you think that woman is the goddess?” Klaus asked. “Good looks alone are a poor basis for coming to that conclusion.”

“Well, she looks like that, and moreover, she’s kin with the Eigels. Plus, somebody heard from Julius that the goddess is a beautiful woman with blue eyes and hair as blonde as the sun. This gal’s a perfect fit, no?”

Klaus shot a cold look toward the girl and muttered disdainfully, “Like the sun? Since when did the sun stop shining?”

I snatched Klaus’s hand. “B-Big Brother! I’d love to board the ship now!!!”

As I walked toward the ship, dragging Klaus behind me, the sailor put on a friendly smile, waved his hand, and said, “Sorry for holding you up.”

I don’t think he suspects us, but I nearly had a heart attack.

“Big Brother, could you try a little harder to keep your act up?” I complained. I sent him a light glare and nonchalantly let go of his hand.

However, he turned his head away with a look of disgust. “I didn’t want the goddess who invented the Dew of the Sea to be degraded to the level of an impostor like that.”

Prior to our departure, I’d informed Klaus of some of my circumstances. Of course, I hadn’t included the possibility of the pandemic or my knowledge of the future. Instead, I’d told him that we were traveling to Flanmer in search of a medicine and that George and the others would be assisting us. I’d also mentioned that I’d invented the Dew of the Sea and that Lord Julius had marketed it on my behalf.

That was the reason why Klaus had bristled a moment ago.

It all turned out just fine for me though. This way, I don’t stand out. Being a known figure would only make my job that much harder.

However, that rationalization wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Klaus.

How should I deal with this? I thought as I watched the dejected look on his face.

“Listen, Big Brother—”

The mellow tones of a woman’s voice overlapped my own. “Mary!”

Hearing my alias called, I widened my eyes in surprise. I asked for nobody to come and send me off. And I can’t think of many people who’d call me by that name.

Klaus casually shuffled in front of me, shielding me with his body. From behind him, I cast my eyes across our surroundings.

The voice rained down from above. “I’m up here on the ship.”

I gasped when I found her, a beautiful woman leaning over the handrails and waving to me. “Bianca!”

“I’m glad I get to see you again,” she said. “It looks like we’ll be sailing together!”

The gorgeous woman smiling at me was Michael’s older sister, Bianca von Diebolt, whom I’d become acquainted with a few days before.

Why’s Big Sis Bianca here?! I thought, dumbstruck, but I soon came to my senses. After swiftly concluding the formalities for boarding the ship, I climbed the wooden plank which acted as a ramp and then charged toward Bianca, who was waiting with her arms outstretched.

She pulled me into a hug as soon as I set foot on the ship.

“Oof...!” I wheezed.

“It’s been so long! I’ve missed you, Mary!”

To my surprise, I found my head buried in her bountiful bosom. I tapped her arm and complained that I was suffocating. “B-Bianca, I can’t...breathe.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I was just so happy to see you...” She hurriedly set me free. “You’re as cute as ever today... Hang on...” Bianca’s words cut off as she stared at me with a broad grin. It seemed that she’d noticed something. She took a step backward, ran her eyes up and down my body, and then tilted her head. “You seem a little different from the last time I saw you.”

“I...suppose.”

So the effects of my transformation have peaked at “a little different.” My shock was all the greater for the amount of effort I’d invested in changing my look. I don’t have the same hairstyle or the same clothes, or even the same hair color!

Is that all I get? Is that really all?

After hearing my evasive response, Bianca appeared to ponder something for a while. Then she brought her face close to mine and whispered in my ear, “Are you here in disguise?”

“Huh?!” My head flung up and cold sweat dripped down my forehead. I feared that my true identity had been found out. “How...?”

“I knew it! I did think that a girl as well-mannered as you must be from a noble family, but this settles it,” Bianca whispered, grinning like a child whose prank had worked as intended.

Seems like she hasn’t figured out that I’m a princess. I exhaled a sneaky sigh of relief.

“Oh, that means I should apologize for shouting your name out.” Bianca deflated slightly. “Everyone could hear that.”

“It’s all right,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not likely to run into many people I know, and this disguise is only an extra precaution. It isn’t meant to be perfect, as you can tell since you saw through it immediately.”

Bianca’s eyes widened. “You do look completely different though! I didn’t recognize you at first.”

“Really?”

“Really. I spotted a girl walking along the pier and I thought to myself, ‘She’s so my type...’ Uh, I mean, ‘so cute.’ I only realized it was you after I kept watching.”

I had the feeling that an unsettling phrase had snuck into her words, but I’d probably misheard her. Why do I have the chills all of a sudden?

She smiled, still standing right next to me. I listened to my instincts and retreated a step away from her seductive grin.

Suddenly, an arm grabbed me from behind and pulled me backward.

“Whoa!” I cried as I lost my balance and stumbled, but then I was cushioned by a toned chest.

“Mary, it’s about time that we take the luggage to our room,” Klaus said.

“Brother...”

The one guilty of pulling me back had been Klaus. Whoops. I completely forgot Klaus existed.

“Brother? As in, Mary’s?”

“Umm, yes,” I confirmed. “This is my brother—”

“Klaus.” He finished my sentence and put on his brightest smile. “It appears that you’ve already met my sister.”

His expression looked horribly disingenuous to me, but it probably seemed like a lovely smile from a decent young man to anyone who lacked familiarity with Klaus. I raised my head and glanced over to Bianca, feeling conflicted about whether I wanted her to fall for it. Contrary to my expectations though, Bianca didn’t appear to have been charmed by Klaus. Far from it. In fact, I could’ve sworn that I saw a slight furrowing of her beautiful brows.

“I’m Bianca,” she introduced herself succinctly, still appearing suspicious. She’d probably withheld her last name to keep her noble heritage a secret from the others on the ship, but even allowing for that, she’d been overly curt.

Bianca crossed her arms and stared at Klaus fixedly as though she were weighing him up. “For a brother, you don’t look all that similar to Mary.”

We’d anticipated this observation and had prepared a reply. “That’s true,” I said, “I take after our mother, and he takes after our father.”

“Hmmm.” Bianca hummed with a slow nod, seeming unconvinced.

“Mary, we should be going,” Klaus prompted.

“Oh, er, yes. Goodbye, Bianca.”

“Sorry for keeping you,” Bianca apologized with a farewell wave. “I’ll see you soon.”

I waved back at her and then obeyed Klaus and walked away.

“That woman acts far too friendly with you,” Klaus muttered as we moved toward our cabin, walking side by side.

I lightly punched his arm and ordered him to resume his act. “Big Brother, watch your tone.” We were alone, but I wanted to remain vigilant.

“I don’t like the way that she looks at you... It’s perverse,” he complained.

Look who’s talking.

“Don’t let her looks fool you,” he continued. “She may be attractive, but I can tell that she’s rotten on the inside.”

Look who’s talking! Klaus is completely oblivious to the fact that he’s describing himself perfectly.

While pretending to listen to Klaus’s never-ending tirade, I carried on walking, but when the deck rocked beneath me I instinctively propped myself up against a nearby wall.

“We’ve set sail,” Klaus said, casually helping me to regain my balance.

So that wasn’t just a sudden bout of dizziness. I looked over to the harbor and saw that our ship had begun to move, just as Klaus had said. I pulled away from him, latched my hands onto the handrails, and peered down over the side. The ship was drifting away from the pier, and the figures waving farewell to their friends and loved ones gradually diminished in size.

When I leaned my body over the handrails, a splash of seawater carried by the ocean breeze misted across my head.

“This is it,” I whispered quietly to myself.

My first voyage has now begun. With that thought, my fingers gripped the handrail even more tightly. When will I see this port again? Do I have it in me to complete this mission? Will I be able to return home with my head held high?

I shook my head to dislodge my worries and focused on the scenery in front of me. I began to scan the entirety of the port city from left to right so that I would always remember this panoramic view, but I stopped suddenly.

On a hill in the western end of the port city, I spotted a figure.

Was the person there to see someone on this ship off? They were pulling a black horse along by its reins, and the hood of their cloak disguised whether they were a man or a woman. Out of curiosity, I kept my eyes trained on the figure. Our ship was sailing west and would pass right by that hill. Will I get a glimpse of their face? I thought.

As though they’d read my mind, the person threw off their hood. Black hair emerged from the cloak, fluttering in the wind. There was a keen glint in the man’s jet-black eyes, which were pointed directly at me.

The sight of him took my breath away. I couldn’t believe my own eyes and I asked myself if it was truly him. In an attempt to regain my composure, I told myself, No, it can’t be. I need to stop thinking that everything will go how I want it to. But my heart didn’t listen and was screaming with delight.

“Sir Leon,” I mouthed. A tear trickled from the corner of my eye. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I lost my ability to speak, and I pursed my lips tightly together. No words came out, only a sob.

He’s come to see me off. I’d been the one who’d told him not to come, and yet, I was elated that he had. The love that I felt for Sir Leonhart was so powerful that my heart ached.

I wiped away the tears that I had no control over and forced my lips to smile. He wouldn’t see me for some time now, and I didn’t want his last image of me to be a teary-eyed face.

“I’ll do my best,” I said, waving my hand just once.

Sir Leonhart knelt on the ground and bowed his head.

“I’ll be waiting for your return.”

Of course, we were too far apart for our voices to travel, but even so, I felt like I could hear him say that.