When the box was opened, a small pair of nail scissors came out.
The body was shiny silver, and the outside was decorated with rubies.
However, it wasn’t new. No matter how cleanly it was cleaned, there was a difference between used and unused items.
“It’s not new, so it can’t be a gift.”
Mrs. Henton muttered quietly as she closed the lid again.
“That’s right. Why on earth would he have something like this...?”
Everyone had only one thought in their heads.
It might have been an item from someone in the past that he couldn’t throw away.
“It can’t be a keepsake, right?”
Liene said in a voice so quiet that no one could hear.
It couldn’t possibly be his mother’s keepsake. When Prince Fernand left Nauk, the only thing he had on his person was a ring called a key.
And strangely enough, she remembered something he had said a few days ago.
"I have something to trade for the ring."
He told her that if he looked, he’d find it somewhere.
Then, is this Princess Bliny’s belonging?
“...Huh.”
Liene let out a ragged breath.
“Princess.”
The two ladies looked at Liene with worried eyes.
But right now, nothing else caught their eye.
Except for those pretty nail scissors.
...I know, I know.
It’s like a token of love, so he can exchange them. The other side still has the ring. And he didn’t respond when Liene asked for it.
They might have it. What are you going to do about what happened in the past?
I know. I know. I know...
...It’s annoying.
You said you didn’t want me to pity you. But why do you have this?
“Give it to me. Put it back.”
Liene put the lidded box deep in the drawer.
“Is that okay, Princess?”
“I’ll ask. But I can’t dispose of it as I please.”
Her words were straight, but her brows were furrowed.
The two ladies turned their heads as if they hadn’t seen Liene’s expression.
“Let’s finish tidying up. Give me his stuff over here. I’ll put it in this drawer.”
“Yes, Princess...”
Mrs. Henton muttered quietly as she closed the lid again.
“That’s right. Why on earth would he have something like this...?”
Everyone had only one thought in their heads.
It might have been an item from someone in the past that he couldn’t throw away.
“It can’t be a keepsake, right?”
Liene said in a voice so quiet that no one could hear.
It couldn’t possibly be his mother’s keepsake. When Prince Fernand left Nauk, the only thing he had on his person was a ring called a key.
And strangely enough, she remembered something he had said a few days ago.
"I have something to trade for the ring."
He told her that if he looked, he’d find it somewhere.
Then, is this Princess Bliny’s belonging?
“...Huh.”
Liene let out a ragged breath.
“Princess.”
The two ladies looked at Liene with worried eyes.
But right now, nothing else caught their eye.
Except for those pretty nail scissors.
...I know, I know.
It’s like a token of love, so he can exchange them. The other side still has the ring. And he didn’t respond when Liene asked for it.
They might have it. What are you going to do about what happened in the past?
I know. I know. I know...
...It’s annoying.
You said you didn’t want me to pity you. But why do you have this?
“Give it to me. Put it back.”
Liene put the lidded box deep in the drawer.
“Is that okay, Princess?”
“I’ll ask. But I can’t dispose of it as I please.”
Her words were straight, but her brows were furrowed.
The two ladies turned their heads as if they hadn’t seen Liene’s expression.
“Let’s finish tidying up. Give me his stuff over here. I’ll put it in this drawer.”
“Yes, Princess...”
The two ladies couldn’t meet Liene’s eyes, thinking that they had disturbed a beehive for no reason.
***
It was easy to catch Lafitte Klinefelter.
He was half unconscious from hunger and thirst. His face, which had lost so much weight that it had been called handsome everywhere, looked pitiful.
“It probably starts here.”
After dragging Lafitte out, Fermos and Black followed the artificial traces hidden in the maze.
“The place the Princess mentioned is also here. It seems like a dead end, but if this is some kind of device, there must be something behind it.”
The solid stone wall was just a wall. There was nothing that could be a clue, nothing that looked suspicious.
“Hmm... We can’t push it with force. I don’t know what kind of device it is. And where on earth is the lock?”
Fermos said the same thing as Liene. If there was a key, there was a lock that had to be opened with it.
No matter how close he held the lantern, there was nothing that looked like a lock.
“There must be one somewhere.”
Black narrowed his eyes at the stone wall.
“Liene said. Nauk didn’t originally get much rain. But there must have been plenty of water.”
“Oh, she's figured that out already? All the circumstances fit that the power of the gods is water. The old man from the Kleinfelter family keeps his mouth shut, but he starts foaming at the mouth when he mentions water.”
“We’ll learn more when Manau wakes up.”
“Actually, I don’t have much hope for that. If he knew anything, I think Kleinfelter would have figured it out while I was torturing him. For now, I’d like you to draw this map. It would be helpful if I knew exactly where this leads.”
“This is going to be a headache.”
“I’ve learned the map, but I’ve never used it before... It would be easier if there was someone who knew the geography of the area.”
“I’m learning a little bit.”
“Understood. But by sending a messenger to Queen Sharka, there are too many variables. First of all, we don’t know how Sharka will treat Nauk’s messenger. And I don’t have any connections to the Sharka royal family. He may be useful as an informant, but I don’t know the intimate circumstances within the royal family.”
“But that doesn’t sound like you’re suggesting we change our plans.”
“Hmm... That’s right. Right now, there’s no other option. I just wanted to tell you that there’s a lot to think about.”
Fermos wasn’t the type to joke around unnecessarily.
The fact that there was a lot to think about meant that he had already thought about it, but there was something wrong.
“Just say it. Don’t beat around the bush.”
“I’ve learned the map, but I’ve never used it before... It would be easier if there was someone who knew the geography of the area.”
“I’m learning a little bit.”
“Understood. But by sending a messenger to Queen Sharka, there are too many variables. First of all, we don’t know how Sharka will treat Nauk’s messenger. And I don’t have any connections to the Sharka royal family. He may be useful as an informant, but I don’t know the intimate circumstances within the royal family.”
“But that doesn’t sound like you’re suggesting we change our plans.”
“Hmm... That’s right. Right now, there’s no other option. I just wanted to tell you that there’s a lot to think about.”
Fermos wasn’t the type to joke around unnecessarily.
The fact that there was a lot to think about meant that he had already thought about it, but there was something wrong.
“Just say it. Don’t beat around the bush.”
“...Aren’t you going to get angry?”
“I’m saying this because there’s no other way.”
“That’s true.”
“What is it?”
“My lord is going.”
There was a reason why Fermos had been laying the groundwork.
“Of course, it will take a long time, and you will be away from the Princess for a long time, but if my lord goes, Queen Sharka will have no way of refusing. It would be the same even if you were the head of Tiwakan, not the ruler of Nauk.”
“...It would be hard not to get angry.”
Fermos jumped up and distanced himself.
“Ma, you said you could talk!”
“It’s true that I’m annoyed. Do you want me to go to Sharka? It’ll take three days just to get there.”
“I’m saying this because there’s no other way.”
“That’s true.”
“What is it?”
“My lord is going.”
There was a reason why Fermos had been laying the groundwork.
“Of course, it will take a long time, and you will be away from the Princess for a long time, but if my lord goes, Queen Sharka will have no way of refusing. It would be the same even if you were the head of Tiwakan, not the ruler of Nauk.”
“...It would be hard not to get angry.”
Fermos jumped up and distanced himself.
“Ma, you said you could talk!”
“It’s true that I’m annoyed. Do you want me to go to Sharka? It’ll take three days just to get there.”
“My lord will run fast anyway, so it’ll only take two days... I made a slip of the tongue. I’ll think of another way.”
“...I can’t stand it.”
Fermos flinched at Black’s soft addition.
“Ah, aah?”
“No. They’re far apart.”
“...I can’t stand it.”
Fermos flinched at Black’s soft addition.
“Ah, aah?”
“No. They’re far apart.”
“..."
Fermos turned his head toward the dark side and clicked his tongue silently.
“I’m afraid something will happen in my absence.”
“Ah... That’s... Well, that’s understandable. But didn’t you lock up all the troublemakers?”
“That was the case back then. But problems keep cropping up. Not just Kleinfelter, but worse.”
“That, um... I didn’t know the Kingdom of Sharka or the Principality of Alito would get involved... Of course, I understand your feelings a hundred times.”
If the same thing happened twice, it would be understandable.
It would be natural for you to be so cherished.
Fermos muttered to himself that it was natural, that his master was not unusual.
...It was unusual, though. No, what power do I have? If you don’t want to go, I’ll have to find another way.
“I’m glad you understand.”
“T, that’s right... That’s right.”
The two looked around the maze for a little longer but eventually came out without finding any traces.
It was a normal day until they returned to the castle and finished their late dinner.
It was a shame that Liene had eaten with the ladies first, but it was better than waiting for him to eat. It was also a shame that Liene used the bathroom first, but it wasn’t something to worry about.
“...”
However, it was definitely wrong for Liene to lie flat on her bed and stare at the ceiling the whole time.
“Can I ask what’s wrong?”
Black followed Liene’s lead and froze for no reason before finally speaking.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
...There was no way.
If he believed her saying that nothing was wrong after lying in bed together for an hour without saying a word and just staring at the ceiling, then his head was seriously damaged.
“I know it’s not true. Just tell me.”
“We’ve already talked about it, so I don’t think it’s worth talking about it again. It’s not something I can do anything about.”
In the end, she was saying that he had made a mistake again.
But what on earth was that?
Black seriously thought back to the time he had spent with Liene today.
Was it because he had made her stay in bed since the afternoon?
He knew that he hadn’t acted maturely. He knew that he meant nothing to Liene, but he felt bad about her sending sympathy to Klinefelter.
He wished that she had given him even a little bit of her heart for that kind of person.
That’s why he held on to her.
Like a child who was consumed by jealousy and didn’t know what to do.
...He thought she understood that.
If Liene had shown even the slightest sign of reluctance, he wouldn’t have kept her in bed until late afternoon.
It wasn’t like Liene to get angry now.
“Usually, I can guess when I’ve done something wrong, but this time, I can’t.”
Black spoke again.
“Tell me. Say you save me tonight.”
“...”
Liene was unbelievably kind. She turned her head away with a weak voice.
“...I can’t say anything.”
However, the gaze that had been directed at him disappeared in an instant.
“Why?”
“It’s just... I don’t like myself for not being able to hide my feelings about things like this.”
“Me too. I don’t like the fact that I’m the one who hurt the Princess’s feelings.”
“It’s not your fault... It’s not your fault, but it is the cause. Anyway, I just want to let this go. I’ll feel better as time goes by.”
Fermos turned his head toward the dark side and clicked his tongue silently.
“I’m afraid something will happen in my absence.”
“Ah... That’s... Well, that’s understandable. But didn’t you lock up all the troublemakers?”
“That was the case back then. But problems keep cropping up. Not just Kleinfelter, but worse.”
“That, um... I didn’t know the Kingdom of Sharka or the Principality of Alito would get involved... Of course, I understand your feelings a hundred times.”
If the same thing happened twice, it would be understandable.
It would be natural for you to be so cherished.
Fermos muttered to himself that it was natural, that his master was not unusual.
...It was unusual, though. No, what power do I have? If you don’t want to go, I’ll have to find another way.
“I’m glad you understand.”
“T, that’s right... That’s right.”
The two looked around the maze for a little longer but eventually came out without finding any traces.
***
It was a normal day until they returned to the castle and finished their late dinner.
It was a shame that Liene had eaten with the ladies first, but it was better than waiting for him to eat. It was also a shame that Liene used the bathroom first, but it wasn’t something to worry about.
“...”
However, it was definitely wrong for Liene to lie flat on her bed and stare at the ceiling the whole time.
“Can I ask what’s wrong?”
Black followed Liene’s lead and froze for no reason before finally speaking.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
...There was no way.
If he believed her saying that nothing was wrong after lying in bed together for an hour without saying a word and just staring at the ceiling, then his head was seriously damaged.
“I know it’s not true. Just tell me.”
“We’ve already talked about it, so I don’t think it’s worth talking about it again. It’s not something I can do anything about.”
In the end, she was saying that he had made a mistake again.
But what on earth was that?
Black seriously thought back to the time he had spent with Liene today.
Was it because he had made her stay in bed since the afternoon?
He knew that he hadn’t acted maturely. He knew that he meant nothing to Liene, but he felt bad about her sending sympathy to Klinefelter.
He wished that she had given him even a little bit of her heart for that kind of person.
That’s why he held on to her.
Like a child who was consumed by jealousy and didn’t know what to do.
...He thought she understood that.
If Liene had shown even the slightest sign of reluctance, he wouldn’t have kept her in bed until late afternoon.
It wasn’t like Liene to get angry now.
“Usually, I can guess when I’ve done something wrong, but this time, I can’t.”
Black spoke again.
“Tell me. Say you save me tonight.”
“...”
Liene was unbelievably kind. She turned her head away with a weak voice.
“...I can’t say anything.”
However, the gaze that had been directed at him disappeared in an instant.
“Why?”
“It’s just... I don’t like myself for not being able to hide my feelings about things like this.”
“Me too. I don’t like the fact that I’m the one who hurt the Princess’s feelings.”
“It’s not your fault... It’s not your fault, but it is the cause. Anyway, I just want to let this go. I’ll feel better as time goes by.”
Does that make sense? That’s right.
Spending more time lying side by side like this, staring blankly at the ceiling? This was intense torture.
“I don’t like it. I can’t stand this.”
“Then what should I do?”
“Stop doing this and look at ny face and get angry.”
“Looking at your face makes me feel even worse. I want to feel better as quickly as possible, so I’m deliberately not looking at your face.”
It was shocking to hear her say she didn’t even want to see his face.
“...Liene.”
Black suddenly sat up and forcibly entered Liene’s field of vision.
“Ah... Don’t do this.”
Spending more time lying side by side like this, staring blankly at the ceiling? This was intense torture.
“I don’t like it. I can’t stand this.”
“Then what should I do?”
“Stop doing this and look at ny face and get angry.”
“Looking at your face makes me feel even worse. I want to feel better as quickly as possible, so I’m deliberately not looking at your face.”
It was shocking to hear her say she didn’t even want to see his face.
“...Liene.”
Black suddenly sat up and forcibly entered Liene’s field of vision.
“Ah... Don’t do this.”
“What should I do?”
“Nothing. I told you. It’s not your fault.”
“It’s my fault.”
“I said no.”
“Since the Princess is angry at me, it’s my fault.”
“Haa...”
“Nothing. I told you. It’s not your fault.”
“It’s my fault.”
“I said no.”
“Since the Princess is angry at me, it’s my fault.”
“Haa...”
Liene couldn’t hold out any longer and sat up.
“What the hell are you talking about? It’s not your fault, it’s just that I’m in a bad mood, but how can you say it’s your fault when I get angry? If I fall down alone on the street and get angry at you who’s right next to me, is that your fault?”
“It’s definitely my fault. Because I wasn’t there to catch you.”
“Wow... How can you say that?”
Liene shook her head from side to side as she caught her breath, and tightly grabbed the hem of Black’s gown.
“You don’t plan on waiting for me to feel better on my own, do you?”
Black lowered his head and kissed the back of Liene’s hand that was holding onto his hem.
“Just let me go once. I can’t stand it.”
“This can’t be happening.”
Liene frowned and pulled her hand away.
“Can’t we kiss?”
“Yes. Right now. Because I’m angry.”
“Usually, we make up when we kiss.”
“Usually... But not now.”
“Why not?”
“Keep on...”
Liene shut her eyes tightly and swallowed dryly. Her mouth felt rough.
“I remember.”
“What?”
“Ever since I found out that you... have been keeping it from me all this time. I can’t stop thinking about it. I think you must have done this to other people too.”
“...”
“I know it’s stupid. So just leave me alone. I’m embarrassed to even say this.”
Liene lay back down after saying this and pulled the blanket over her head.
“...”
Black looked at Liene, who had been covered with the blanket for a moment, then smiled faintly.
I think you’re saying that you’re jealous right now... Is that right?
“Princess.”
“What the hell are you talking about? It’s not your fault, it’s just that I’m in a bad mood, but how can you say it’s your fault when I get angry? If I fall down alone on the street and get angry at you who’s right next to me, is that your fault?”
“It’s definitely my fault. Because I wasn’t there to catch you.”
“Wow... How can you say that?”
Liene shook her head from side to side as she caught her breath, and tightly grabbed the hem of Black’s gown.
“You don’t plan on waiting for me to feel better on my own, do you?”
Black lowered his head and kissed the back of Liene’s hand that was holding onto his hem.
“Just let me go once. I can’t stand it.”
“This can’t be happening.”
Liene frowned and pulled her hand away.
“Can’t we kiss?”
“Yes. Right now. Because I’m angry.”
“Usually, we make up when we kiss.”
“Usually... But not now.”
“Why not?”
“Keep on...”
Liene shut her eyes tightly and swallowed dryly. Her mouth felt rough.
“I remember.”
“What?”
“Ever since I found out that you... have been keeping it from me all this time. I can’t stop thinking about it. I think you must have done this to other people too.”
“...”
“I know it’s stupid. So just leave me alone. I’m embarrassed to even say this.”
Liene lay back down after saying this and pulled the blanket over her head.
“...”
Black looked at Liene, who had been covered with the blanket for a moment, then smiled faintly.
I think you’re saying that you’re jealous right now... Is that right?
“Princess.”
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