Episode 127. The Guest's Real Interest (2)
"Shouldn't you ask the Princess herself? If you want the Prince and the Princess to have a happy marriage, even if only a little. Depending on how you resolve that shock and confusion, their married life will change."
"Hmm..."
At that moment, the Princess's laughter was heard again. She followed him, holding onto the hem of Sir Rond's cloak, and crossed the stepping stones one step at a time.
She laughed every time she crossed a step, just like a five-year-old child. She was like a laughing chick following its mother hen.
Is it that she's happy to be outside the Princess's palace?
Ryuel looked at her intently and said.
"I have to tell you about that appearance."
I said carefully.
"I hope Ryuel also falls for the Princess's appearance."
The Princess, who had crossed the stepping stones, waved at me and quickly approached me.
“Lorisha! Did you see? I crossed the stepping stones!”
“I did. You must have been scared!”
“Yes. I was scared. I thought I was going to drown. Lord Ryuel, I don’t know how the Smileans cross that vast sea. I, with my narrow-mindedness, am just amazed by it.”
As the interpreter quickly continued, Ryuel put his hand on his chest and bowed his head in response.
"I, Ryuel, am glad that Your Highness, the Princess, has begun to understand the Smileans."
The Princess’s smile disappeared from her face at those words. She nodded politely in response and said that they would be leaving for today.
Ryuel went ahead of us back to the inn, and before he left, he said to me,
"I will ask Lady Kydel next time. What is the best outcome you and your husband are trying to achieve?"
As he walked away, Lord Rond approached me and asked,
“What did he just say?”
“Let’s have a good time next time.”
To my answer, Lord Rond and Her Highness the Princess exchanged awkward glances, but I quickly asked cheerfully.
“How is Your Highness the Princess? You asked a lot of questions today. What do you think of the Prince?”
Her Highness Milliora glanced at Lord Rond and averted her gaze.
“Did you think I asked him because I was curious about the Prince?”
“Huh?”
“I’m just pretending to be interested out of courtesy. A political marriage is something that happens between countries. It doesn’t matter what kind of person I am or what the Prince likes.”
“...”
“What are you doing? Let’s go, Lorisha. It was fun today for the first time in a long while.”
***
I returned to Kydel with Prince Kydel. The Princess told me to stay today, but I wanted to get out of the palace as soon as possible.
Inside the carriage, I realized that I still felt uncomfortable when I was in a confined, narrow space with him.
That unnecessarily handsome face kept interrupting my concentration.
When I stared blankly, he smiled at me.
‘Why are you smiling?’
When I answered him inwardly, he laughed again. I turned my head and stared silently out the carriage window.
Ryuel’s question was troubling me. More precisely, it was the confession that I held Prince Kydel in high esteem.
And now I was thinking about the question that Ryuel had not asked.
‘What am I doing for him?’
Up until now, all I had done for him was pretend to be helpless when he asked for help, and find fault with him, to dislike him. What did I have? All I had was managing the ledgers the Duke had given me, helping the Duke...
Maybe this was the reason I had to leave him.
How much better would it have been if he had poured the effort he was putting into me into a woman who had much to offer him in return?
He suddenly said,
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
I turned to him, flinching.
“Today, I went on a picnic with Her Highness the Princess and Prince Ryuel.”
“But?”
“As soon as I told him that Her Highness the Princess had a pretty smile, Her Highness screamed.”
Prince Kydel smiled as if he was drawing the scene right before his eyes.
I wondered why a man could smile so beautifully. After seeing the rough man Ryuel all day, my eyes felt like they were being washed by a clear stream.
'Even if we divorce, I might miss this face. ...Lorisha, you crazy bitch.'
I sighed deeply. It was so hard to admit that the man named Locard Kydel was a very good person.
"Why? It wouldn't be a problem if he just said 'wow'. Men surprisingly don't dislike such things."
“The problem is that the Princess was struggling in Lord Rond’s arms at that time.”
"Shouldn't you ask the Princess herself? If you want the Prince and the Princess to have a happy marriage, even if only a little. Depending on how you resolve that shock and confusion, their married life will change."
"Hmm..."
At that moment, the Princess's laughter was heard again. She followed him, holding onto the hem of Sir Rond's cloak, and crossed the stepping stones one step at a time.
She laughed every time she crossed a step, just like a five-year-old child. She was like a laughing chick following its mother hen.
Is it that she's happy to be outside the Princess's palace?
Ryuel looked at her intently and said.
"I have to tell you about that appearance."
I said carefully.
"I hope Ryuel also falls for the Princess's appearance."
The Princess, who had crossed the stepping stones, waved at me and quickly approached me.
“Lorisha! Did you see? I crossed the stepping stones!”
“I did. You must have been scared!”
“Yes. I was scared. I thought I was going to drown. Lord Ryuel, I don’t know how the Smileans cross that vast sea. I, with my narrow-mindedness, am just amazed by it.”
As the interpreter quickly continued, Ryuel put his hand on his chest and bowed his head in response.
"I, Ryuel, am glad that Your Highness, the Princess, has begun to understand the Smileans."
The Princess’s smile disappeared from her face at those words. She nodded politely in response and said that they would be leaving for today.
Ryuel went ahead of us back to the inn, and before he left, he said to me,
"I will ask Lady Kydel next time. What is the best outcome you and your husband are trying to achieve?"
As he walked away, Lord Rond approached me and asked,
“What did he just say?”
“Let’s have a good time next time.”
To my answer, Lord Rond and Her Highness the Princess exchanged awkward glances, but I quickly asked cheerfully.
“How is Your Highness the Princess? You asked a lot of questions today. What do you think of the Prince?”
Her Highness Milliora glanced at Lord Rond and averted her gaze.
“Did you think I asked him because I was curious about the Prince?”
“Huh?”
“I’m just pretending to be interested out of courtesy. A political marriage is something that happens between countries. It doesn’t matter what kind of person I am or what the Prince likes.”
“...”
“What are you doing? Let’s go, Lorisha. It was fun today for the first time in a long while.”
***
I returned to Kydel with Prince Kydel. The Princess told me to stay today, but I wanted to get out of the palace as soon as possible.
Inside the carriage, I realized that I still felt uncomfortable when I was in a confined, narrow space with him.
That unnecessarily handsome face kept interrupting my concentration.
When I stared blankly, he smiled at me.
‘Why are you smiling?’
When I answered him inwardly, he laughed again. I turned my head and stared silently out the carriage window.
Ryuel’s question was troubling me. More precisely, it was the confession that I held Prince Kydel in high esteem.
And now I was thinking about the question that Ryuel had not asked.
‘What am I doing for him?’
Up until now, all I had done for him was pretend to be helpless when he asked for help, and find fault with him, to dislike him. What did I have? All I had was managing the ledgers the Duke had given me, helping the Duke...
Maybe this was the reason I had to leave him.
How much better would it have been if he had poured the effort he was putting into me into a woman who had much to offer him in return?
He suddenly said,
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
I turned to him, flinching.
“Today, I went on a picnic with Her Highness the Princess and Prince Ryuel.”
“But?”
“As soon as I told him that Her Highness the Princess had a pretty smile, Her Highness screamed.”
Prince Kydel smiled as if he was drawing the scene right before his eyes.
I wondered why a man could smile so beautifully. After seeing the rough man Ryuel all day, my eyes felt like they were being washed by a clear stream.
'Even if we divorce, I might miss this face. ...Lorisha, you crazy bitch.'
I sighed deeply. It was so hard to admit that the man named Locard Kydel was a very good person.
"Why? It wouldn't be a problem if he just said 'wow'. Men surprisingly don't dislike such things."
“The problem is that the Princess was struggling in Lord Rond’s arms at that time.”
Prince Kaidel’s eyes wavered.
“...That kind of thing.”
“Yes. It’s ‘that kind of thing.’”
Prince Ktdel hesitated for a moment before saying.
“They say that during a previous royal picnic, the Princess’s carriage overturned. The servants and knights met the Princess’s eyes as she screamed for help, but no one stepped forward. They were afraid of Prince Orl. They all knew that he was the one who caused the accident.”
I already knew that story. I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to swear.
“But Lord Rond stepped forward when he was injured. Even at the risk of ruining his own body... Perhaps no one has ever stepped forward like that for her. No matter how much it was his chivalry.”
“...”
“Until you showed up.”
He looked at me and said that.
“You shouldn’t let Her Highness rely on you too much. What if she asks you to follow her to Smilean?”
“Even if Her Highness sometimes seems like a brat, she’s a Tagar. Her Highness seems to know that she’ll end up in this kind of marriage someday.”
I said, but I wasn’t sure. But there was more urgent business at the moment.
“That envoy knows everything about the Empire.”
“Of course. The Empire’s neighboring countries are always on edge about the Empire’s situation.”
“Even to me...”
“To you?”
Prince Kydel stared at me, waiting for an answer.
When I met his gaze, I strangely forgot what I was trying to say.
“He must have ulterior motives.”
“Of course.”
“I said he’s serious.”
“The envoy is a recognized spy, Lorisha. He’ll try to get anything he can while he’s on Imperial soil.”
“That’s how it was.”
When I muttered in a dull voice, he snickered and made me rest my head on his shoulder.
When I instinctively tried to raise my head, he held my temple tightly to keep me from running away.
Instead of resisting further, I tried to shake off my embarrassment and asked softly,
“How was the academy today?”
Then he flinched his shoulders in surprise.
“You’re interested in me.”
“Why shouldn’t I be? Oh, really!”
When I tried to raise my head to protest, he held it down again.
“My neck hurts.”
Then he lifted my head and straightened it up.
“Now?”
“I’m fine.”
I looked out the carriage window in embarrassment, and he said calmly.
“The academy was ordinary. I talked about my vacation with my fellow students, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, and took classes. Miss Misha looked much better. The shadows on her face disappeared.”
He hesitated for a moment before saying,
“She seems happy to be my relative.”
“Thank goodness... By the way, did Miss Ankart come to school?”
“She was absent.”
“I heard she was dragged away by the head maid.”
“If this continues, Miss Ankart will have a hard time maintaining her grades, let alone graduating early.”
If only she had been a little more respectful of Her Highness the Princess and a little less greedy, things would have worked out somehow. I truly felt sorry for Kalin Ankart.
“She’s so pitiful.”
“I find it fascinating that you say that.”
As I looked at him smiling at me, Ryuel’s words came to mind.
"If what you say is true, it’s not just a match made in heaven."
‘Huh. I must have lost my mind because I got seasick while riding a boat across the ocean.’
I shook my head and looked out the window again.
“I’ll be entering the palace again tomorrow. I have a tea party with Lord Ryuel.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Huh?”
When I turned around, he said very seriously.
“The first job you’ve been given since getting married is to go out and play with other men.”
I answered gloomily.
“...That’s right.”
When we returned to the mansion, we each went our separate ways to go about our business.
Prince Kydel reported to the Duke and then began to study, and I went to the medicine room to look at the ledger.
And when I went to bed at night, I realized that the seat next to my bed was empty. It was because he was studying without even realizing the time.
When did I ever notice that my bed was empty?
The tea party with Ryuel went relatively smoothly. He and the Princess exchanged small questions and answers about the Smilean royal family and their customs.
I realized that the Princess didn’t even fake a smile as time went by. She would only raise the corners of her mouth slightly when Ryuel said something cheerful.
After the tea party, Ryuel asked me to show him around the palace.
The Princess looked noticeably tired, so it seemed like a natural request.
However, I politely declined, saying that I was a guest and could not freely move around the palace.
However, Ryuel laughed it off as if it were a joke. He was unwavering in what he wanted.
“How can it be that Lord Ryuel stays by the royal family’s side all day and cannot move around the palace?”
“...That kind of thing.”
“Yes. It’s ‘that kind of thing.’”
Prince Ktdel hesitated for a moment before saying.
“They say that during a previous royal picnic, the Princess’s carriage overturned. The servants and knights met the Princess’s eyes as she screamed for help, but no one stepped forward. They were afraid of Prince Orl. They all knew that he was the one who caused the accident.”
I already knew that story. I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to swear.
“But Lord Rond stepped forward when he was injured. Even at the risk of ruining his own body... Perhaps no one has ever stepped forward like that for her. No matter how much it was his chivalry.”
“...”
“Until you showed up.”
He looked at me and said that.
“You shouldn’t let Her Highness rely on you too much. What if she asks you to follow her to Smilean?”
“Even if Her Highness sometimes seems like a brat, she’s a Tagar. Her Highness seems to know that she’ll end up in this kind of marriage someday.”
I said, but I wasn’t sure. But there was more urgent business at the moment.
“That envoy knows everything about the Empire.”
“Of course. The Empire’s neighboring countries are always on edge about the Empire’s situation.”
“Even to me...”
“To you?”
Prince Kydel stared at me, waiting for an answer.
When I met his gaze, I strangely forgot what I was trying to say.
“He must have ulterior motives.”
“Of course.”
“I said he’s serious.”
“The envoy is a recognized spy, Lorisha. He’ll try to get anything he can while he’s on Imperial soil.”
“That’s how it was.”
When I muttered in a dull voice, he snickered and made me rest my head on his shoulder.
When I instinctively tried to raise my head, he held my temple tightly to keep me from running away.
Instead of resisting further, I tried to shake off my embarrassment and asked softly,
“How was the academy today?”
Then he flinched his shoulders in surprise.
“You’re interested in me.”
“Why shouldn’t I be? Oh, really!”
When I tried to raise my head to protest, he held it down again.
“My neck hurts.”
Then he lifted my head and straightened it up.
“Now?”
“I’m fine.”
I looked out the carriage window in embarrassment, and he said calmly.
“The academy was ordinary. I talked about my vacation with my fellow students, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, and took classes. Miss Misha looked much better. The shadows on her face disappeared.”
He hesitated for a moment before saying,
“She seems happy to be my relative.”
“Thank goodness... By the way, did Miss Ankart come to school?”
“She was absent.”
“I heard she was dragged away by the head maid.”
“If this continues, Miss Ankart will have a hard time maintaining her grades, let alone graduating early.”
If only she had been a little more respectful of Her Highness the Princess and a little less greedy, things would have worked out somehow. I truly felt sorry for Kalin Ankart.
“She’s so pitiful.”
“I find it fascinating that you say that.”
As I looked at him smiling at me, Ryuel’s words came to mind.
"If what you say is true, it’s not just a match made in heaven."
‘Huh. I must have lost my mind because I got seasick while riding a boat across the ocean.’
I shook my head and looked out the window again.
“I’ll be entering the palace again tomorrow. I have a tea party with Lord Ryuel.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Huh?”
When I turned around, he said very seriously.
“The first job you’ve been given since getting married is to go out and play with other men.”
I answered gloomily.
“...That’s right.”
When we returned to the mansion, we each went our separate ways to go about our business.
Prince Kydel reported to the Duke and then began to study, and I went to the medicine room to look at the ledger.
And when I went to bed at night, I realized that the seat next to my bed was empty. It was because he was studying without even realizing the time.
When did I ever notice that my bed was empty?
***
The tea party with Ryuel went relatively smoothly. He and the Princess exchanged small questions and answers about the Smilean royal family and their customs.
I realized that the Princess didn’t even fake a smile as time went by. She would only raise the corners of her mouth slightly when Ryuel said something cheerful.
After the tea party, Ryuel asked me to show him around the palace.
The Princess looked noticeably tired, so it seemed like a natural request.
However, I politely declined, saying that I was a guest and could not freely move around the palace.
However, Ryuel laughed it off as if it were a joke. He was unwavering in what he wanted.
“How can it be that Lord Ryuel stays by the royal family’s side all day and cannot move around the palace?”
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