***

 

Father did not return my sword after my attempt at running away. Not only that, but he confiscated the clothes I typically wore for training. I was put under surveillance twenty-four hours a day. If he just had someone from the guard watching over me, I could’ve knocked them out and run away, but unfortunately, he had female servants watching my every move. I wouldn’t feel right about raising a hand against them, especially since they had never fought before. I wasn’t so far gone that I would take on defenseless women.

I found opportunities to slip away a few times, but there were so many of them watching my every move that inevitably, someone would notice and say loudly, “Just what do you think you’re doing, Lady Merry?!” Then, they’d all surround me at once, block any path of escape, and force me back to my room.

Under normal circumstances, I would’ve expected some strong members of the guard to watch over me, but this was the complete opposite, and it rendered me helpless. Father must’ve been the one behind this situation. I wasn’t sure, of course, but no matter who it was, they understood my mindset very well.

And so since I was unable to do anything about it, time just kept passing.

Yet another day wasted with nothing to do, I thought as I let out a sigh and gazed out the window toward the tower. “Louis…” I murmured his name. Now that I’d had my freedom taken away from me and my future decided for me, I found myself thinking about him a lot. I still hadn’t told him I loved him. In fact, I’d only recently realized my feelings for him were love. But now that I knew, there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

I wished I could at least thank him for showing me such a wonderful, warm emotion. But not being able to was so painful. Now I would have to enter a political marriage because I was the daughter of a marquis. Even though I understood that in my head, I just couldn’t picture it. And that was why I was still able to dream. I dreamed of being able to hold my sword again. I dreamed of telling him how I felt, and of a future where we would walk side by side.

“…I love you…” With no one else to hear them, my words fell emptily into the air around me. I gave a sad smile at my harsh reality and sighed. I pressed my forehead against the windowpane and looked outside. When I did this, it almost made me feel like I was outside. But of course, it was only an illusion. The window was a barrier between me and the outside world, and that wouldn’t change. The outside world seemed so close, but it was so far away. The same went for my freedom.

It reminded me of the distance between him and me. I gave a weak laugh. We became so close, but now we were so far away. I clenched my hands into fists. My fingernails dug into my palms until a faint line of crimson fell down from them.

Drip. Drip.

Dark red droplets ran down the glass. When I looked at my hazy reflection, the rivulets seemed to be running down my face, making me look like I was crying tears of blood.

“I don’t want to give up,” I said in a hoarse voice. And I meant it. I knew it wasn’t befitting of the daughter of a marquis. But still.

Was it that selfish to wish for freedom?

Was it that childish to have a dream?

There was a battle in my heart between the common sense of carrying out my duty and my instincts of asserting the right to abandon that duty.

No, a battle wasn’t the right way to describe it. I was leaning toward following my instincts, but my common sense was frantically trying to stop me.

I only now began to feel pain from my hands and pulled them away from the window. Tiny crescent moon-shaped marks were gouged into my palms.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Mistress, Lord Pax is here to see you.” I heard someone call from the other side. I wiped the blood from my hands and headed toward the door—the only way out of my bedroom. Beyond the door was a parlor belonging to “Merellis.”

I looked around; there were three servants here to watch over me. As usual, one stood by the only entrance, one stood by the window, and one by the door which led back to my bedroom. They blocked all my avenues for escape, just as they always did.

Nana stood by the door which led to the hallway. I glanced over at her, and she opened it.

“It’s good to see you again, Merry,” my brother said.

“You look well. How’s school?”

“I’m having fun there. You look…a little pale.”

I looked at my lap. There was really no point in pretending in front of him.

“I…heard all about it,” he said.

“Oh, did you?” I blurted out with a laugh, trying to suppress my anger.

“There are only three days left until the meeting with your fiancé. Do you still want to run away?”

I was about to nod, but I managed to stop myself. “Why did Father suddenly decide to arrange a marriage for me?”

“I don’t know why. But I’m sure he has his reasons.”

“For the good of our house?”

“I’m not sure, but I don’t think so.”

“Then why?”

“I don’t know. This is just a guess on my part, but from everything Father has ever said or done, I can’t imagine him choosing the house over you.”

I stared at my brother’s expression, trying to gauge how sincere he was.

“After all, Father was the one who believed in your talents with a sword and was proud of it over anyone else. So that’s why I’m certain he has some good reason for doing all this.”

Those words echoed over and over again in my mind.

“No matter what his reasoning is, don’t you think it makes it pointless if he doesn’t share his reason with me? Because I’m totally against this!” And I would be until I heard why he was doing all this. “By the way, Brother—I’ve been so bored lately that all I’ve been able to do is read books.”

My brother looked momentarily confused by the abrupt subject change.

“And there was one book in particular that was incredibly interesting. The main character was the daughter of a town’s mayor. Ever since she was little, she would pretend to be a seamstress. She dreamed of becoming a dress designer and having her own shop. Then, she met a merchant and fell in love with him. She wanted to marry him, but her parents objected, saying she should marry someone else for the good of the town. In the end, the girl ran away with the merchant and opened up a successful dress shop in another kingdom. What do you think about that story, Brother?” I was telling the truth—I did actually read this book. Perhaps it wasn’t appropriate for a noble girl to be reading, but the servants had brought me all the most popular books from the port in an attempt to “bring out my femininity,” and that book was among them.

“It sounds like a story girls would love,” my brother said with a chuckle. “To put it simply, it’s your life, so you should choose your own path. But in order to do that, you have to have determination and sincerity.”

“Determination and sincerity…” I repeated. It reminded me of my beliefs when it came to combat. In order to kill someone, you had to be prepared to die yourself. And you had to be sincere enough to not forget those who had given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.

I could understand both of those things, so my brother’s words fell heavily onto my heart.

“That’s right. No matter how much the main character wished otherwise, she was born as the daughter of the family who governed the town. I don’t know details about this town, but one can assume that as the daughter of the mayor, her family was fairly well off. And if that was the case, then perhaps she had a duty to devote herself to the future betterment of the town in exchange for the benefits she had enjoyed. But if she chose to instead abandon all of that, then she’d have to take responsibility for that decision. She needed to be sincere about her choices and not forget about the sacrifices it led to. Because if she chose this new path for herself without taking responsibility for her actions, then she would be nothing more than a selfish child, don’t you think?”

“Sacrifices? That’s an interesting way of putting it.”

“Is it? In order to gain something, one must sacrifice something else. And if you’re not willing to make those sacrifices, you might as well give up. That’s just the way the world works. In terms of this story, the main character had to sacrifice her relationship with her family, her obligations to repay the villagers whose taxes she’d lived off of, and perhaps even her husband’s future as a merchant.”

“Her husband’s future? Really?”

“That’s right. I’m sure her husband had to deal with hardships when they moved to another kingdom, just as she did. For example, if he was the heir to a large shop, it’s possible he was already betrothed to someone as well. And if he kicked that other person to the curb in order to be with the main character, he certainly couldn’t ever come back to his family’s shop. Or it could even be something simpler than that. Since they moved to another kingdom, at the very least, he had to sacrifice the relationships he made with all his local customers and had to start from the ground up in their new city. I’m just going off the little bit of the story you told me, so I’m not exactly sure what happened.”

At the very least, my brother had certainly given me some food for thought.

Up until that point, I assumed I just had to take responsibility for my own decisions and that would be enough. If I ran away and told Louis how I felt—even if he felt the same way—I would end up putting a great burden on him. And it would greatly affect the reputation of my family. Could I have ever forgiven myself for putting that on him when he was working so hard toward his own dreams?

The answer was no. I knew that. I’d heard him talking about his dreams. I knew just how much time he’d spent, how much responsibility he’d shouldered, how devoted he’d been to his goal.

There was no way that I wanted to be the one who stood in the way of that dream coming true. That was the last thing I wanted.

“Merry…?” My brother looked concerned as I sat there silently with a frown on my face.

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking, that’s all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t seem convinced, but he could tell I wouldn’t budge, so he didn’t press me any further. “I won’t blame you, no matter what path you choose,” he said softly instead of questioning me more. I looked up at him in surprise. “But please—don’t do anything you’ll regret. Don’t become someone who can’t make compromises. Because I think once you become a person like that, you end up throwing away everything you’ve ever worked for.”

“Brother…”

“When I watched you continue down the warrior’s path, you seemed to sparkle. And I think that’s because you have a very strong sense of self. I admired you very much for that.”

It was so sudden that I didn’t react right away. I just stared at him with my mouth hanging open like a fool.

“Can you blame me? After all, I’m the heir to House Anderson, a military family. Obviously I’d admire your talents.”

I had no idea that my brother thought of me that way. “Brother… Have you ever felt like succeeding Father is a great burden? Did you ever want to abandon everything and run away…and instead do something you were interested in, like military tactics, for example?”

“I’d be lying if I said no.” He let out a deprecating laugh. “But I’ve never seriously considered it. Eventually, I’ll be shouldering that great responsibility. But at the same time, I see it as a great right. I don’t ever want to lose someone precious to me in that way again, and I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that, either. And if that wish comes true, even in the smallest way, then taking on this responsibility will have been worth it.”

My brother held the same wish in his heart that I had. An indescribable sense of regret washed over me. I wondered if the shock from having the path of the sword taken away from me made me stubbornly cling to that dream to the point of not being able to see anything else. Had I forgotten that first wish I had—that other long-held dream?

“I think maybe you should change your perspective. For example, did you always want to join the army? Why were you honing your skills? Were you after the honor of joining the army, or was it to protect the citizens?”

That’s right, I thought in response to those words Louis had said long ago.

“Thank you, Brother.”

He reached out and caressed my head. It had been so long since he touched me, and my heart felt warm and cozy. “I meant what I said. As long as you don’t regret whatever path you choose, I support you.” And with that, he left the room.

 

***

 

The next three days passed by in a whirlwind. Today, Father was taking me to House Armelia. After I spoke with my brother, I gave up on the idea of running away because I lost confidence in that decision. What if I regretted it?

Was it selfish to wish for freedom? Was it childish to dream? No. No, I didn’t think so. However, I had a wish inside of me that I wanted to come true more than I wanted freedom, and more than I wanted to dream. I sought that freedom and dreamed that dream so I could make that wish come true. So in that case, how could I make it a reality? That was what I had to figure out now.

Perhaps joining the Armelia family would be the connection I needed? I wasn’t certain of it, but I decided I was going to stop rejecting everything outright. All I knew was the sword. That was why I had no means, no other choice to realize my goal. So this was a good opportunity to focus on something else. Plus, I wanted to get to the bottom of this—and by “this,” I meant the chief nobles of Tasmeria, the family whose head had been the prime minister for generations—House Armelia.

But no matter how much I tried to prepare myself, the lingering attachments I had to Louis still smoldered in my heart. But what would I do if I saw him? What would happen if I told him about my feelings? To be perfectly frank, the worst that could happen was that it could damage our ties to the duke’s house, but I didn’t particularly care. If Duke Armelia’s son was some kind of hopeless person who had no sense of what it meant to be a noble, and if marrying him would put realizing my wish out of grasp, then I really would run away for good this time.

It’s just… Even if I did run away, I couldn’t choose to be with Louis. The last thing I wanted to do was stand in his way.

I closed my eyes and pictured Louis’s profile in my mind’s eye. I thought of him telling me about his dream to carry on the wishes of those who had sacrificed their lives during the war against Tweil and to devote his life to serving the kingdom so no one would ever have anything taken from them like that again.

I wanted to run toward that same dream, together.

“Are you ready?” There was a knock at the door, and my father appeared. He was impeccably dressed in his military uniform.

“Yes…” Nana and two other maids had picked out the outfit I wore today. They put hair extensions in to lengthen my short hair and applied light makeup to my face. And, of course, the dress I wore today wasn’t an ordinary one, and I felt so awkward in it that my shoulders were stiff.

Putting that aside, when I looked in the mirror I thought, “Who is that?” I looked so different from how I usually looked. I felt like this was dangerously close to deception; I admired Nana’s skill with makeup but also shuddered with fear at its power.

Father walked me outside to the carriage. It was so quiet inside that I was afraid to even breathe too loudly. We hadn’t really spoken much to each other since our argument. And I hadn’t the faintest idea what to say to him now. So, instead, I escaped by turning toward the window and watching the scenery go past. It felt like time was going by at an achingly slow pace. The heavy mood in the air was just so oppressive that I let out several sighs. I kept thinking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”

Finally, we reached the Armelias’ mansion. We walked up to the door, and a middle-aged man who appeared to be the butler greeted us.

“Are we too early?” Father asked casually, as if he’d spoken to this man several times before, which surprised me.

“Not at all. Lord Armelia has been anxiously awaiting your and your daughter’s arrival, Lord Gazell!”

“Ah, glad to hear it. Oh, Merry? This is Alf, the butler.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Merellis Reiser Anderson.”

“Why, thank you for being so polite to a mere butler! I am tasked with keeping things running here at the mansion in the capital. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, Lord Gazell, Lady Merellis. Please allow me to show you inside.”

Alf led the way, and we followed him. The mansion was not decorated in a showy way, but it was lavishly furnished with pieces that had a dignified air about them. Everything in it seemed to have a history.

“Pardon me, but Lord Gazell and Lady Merellis have arrived, Your Grace.” Alf stopped in front of a door and called toward it. The door opened with a click.

I was finally about to meet the Duke of Armelia, but my legs were trembling so much I could barely take the first step. I looked down at my feet and followed behind my father. The moment he stopped, I felt my anxiety reach its peak. But I couldn’t look down at the floor forever, so I slowly lifted my gaze.

And what I saw before me made me feel like time had stopped. That’s how stunned I was. Why—why was Uncle Romello here? I wanted to scream my thoughts, but no words came out of my mouth.

“Uh-oh, I can tell by that look on your face that Gazell didn’t tell you about me, hm?”

“I didn’t have the time. As you predicted, Merry tried to run away. I haven’t seen her since we caught her and brought her back.” My father reluctantly answered Uncle Romello, who was apparently the Duke of Armelia.

I thought at first there must’ve been some mistake, or perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity. However, as soon as I heard their conversation, I knew that couldn’t be it.

It was true—Uncle Romello really was the Duke of Armelia!

“I’m sorry for the surprise. Let me introduce myself to you formally. I’m Romello Gib Armelia.”

“H-ho—why?!”

“Well, it just worked out that way. That’s just how it is. It’s not like I ever lied to you about it. Oh, by the way—I actually did meet Gazell at a tavern.”

“Well, who would ever think that you’re a duke by the way you act! It’s true we met at a tavern, and you may not have lied, but I feel like it was pretty wicked not to tell the whole story.”

“Oh, stop, Gazell. You’re making me blush. I’m just good at putting on a mask. And you say I don’t look like a duke? Well, there’s no reason to act differently in front of the little lady than I ever have before. Plus, I could turn those words right back on you! You certainly don’t seem like a marquis!”

“…Shut up.”

The two of them were bantering back and forth like they usually did. And as far as I could tell, Father was being incredibly rude to Uncle, but who would’ve believed it?

How could this man be the Duke of Armelia, the most important aristocratic family in the kingdom?!

“Oh! It’s almost time for my son to arrive.”

I was so bewildered that I’d forgotten the chief reason we were here today, but I snapped back to reality once Uncle spoke of it. I wondered what Uncle’s son was like. I was incredibly curious, but at the same time felt depressed by the reason behind our meeting. My heart pounded even louder than when I’d first entered the room. Another loud noise overlapped with the sound of my quickening pulse—someone rapping on the door.

Uncle nodded, and one of the servants waiting inside the room quietly opened the door. I hastily dropped my head and looked at the floor.

“Excuse me.”

The moment I heard that familiar voice coming from the doorway, my head whipped back up.

“What?!” I blurted out, mouth hanging agape when I saw him. I was even more stunned than when I found out Uncle Romello’s true identity—so shocked I couldn’t even react.

He was just as surprised as I was, and stared at me, dumbfounded. “Merry?!”

It was him. I knew him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked with surprise, cementing my certainty.

My body moved before I knew what I was doing. “That’s what I want to know! What are you doing here, Louis?!” I went right up to him and looked him straight in his eyes.

“What do you mean, what am I doing here? This… This is my house!” He answered with a mixture of bewilderment and awkwardness.

“What? So then—you’re—but…!”

All of a sudden, Uncle Romello burst out laughing. “Ha ha ha! So it’s like that, is it? I knew it!”

“What in the blazes are you talking about? Merry, don’t tell me you already know Lord Louis!” my father asked with a glare.

“Well, no matter. It seems as though they’re already old friends, Gazell. I’m sure they don’t want their old dads around getting in the way. Let’s let them talk in privacy.”

“Hey, wait a minute!” I could hear my father yelling as Uncle Romello dragged him out of the room. “Don’t change the subject!”

Now it was just me, Louis, and the servant who waited silently in the corner of the room.

“Did you know I was the one who’d be coming today?”

“I had no idea. I thought it was strange that Father was so forceful in ordering me to be here, but I had no idea it would be you, Merry…”

“So then you intended on being betrothed to the daughter of Marquis Anderson?” I knew it was a cowardly question.

“No. He ordered me to come, but he said I could decide whether or not I wanted to go through with the engagement once I met the girl. I was planning on turning it down.”

“What?” I tried to deconstruct the meaning of his sentence, but no matter how I parsed it, I kept taking it in a favorable meaning.

Meanwhile, Louis let out a deep sigh and collapsed into a chair. “He got the best of me again. He must’ve known this would happen all along.” He scratched his head, looking irritated. His forelock was tousled now, falling in front of his eyes. “Merry…” He let out another sigh and looked right up at me. His intense gaze made my body tremble. “I love you.”

It was like something inside my head exploded. Shyness and joy took over my brain, and my thoughts couldn’t keep up with reality.

“That’s why I was planning on turning down the engagement to Marquis Anderson’s daughter.”

He’d just given me a very passionate confession of his love, because his words meant that he hadn’t fallen in love with me because I was the daughter of a marquis. He fell in love with Merry, just as I was.

“Why? But you’re the Duke of Armelia’s son. You said you wanted to surpass your father. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be a good idea for your future wife to come from a powerful family?” Of course, it was pointless to even ask such a question, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t change the fact that I was, indeed, from a very powerful family since I was the only daughter of House Anderson.

I didn’t think the gravity of that ever quite hit me until that exact moment, but now I was keenly aware that the blood which flowed through my veins was the blood of the militaristic House Anderson. But most of all, I was Father’s daughter, and he was called a hero. And that carried a great deal of clout within the aristocratic society. Well, that was if I could manage to conduct myself properly in a social setting, anyway. Putting that aside, there was something else I wanted to make certain.

Now that I knew the truth, perhaps there was no use in asking, but I wanted to hear it from Louis’s mouth. I asked him why.

“My goal has always been to surpass my father. But it’ll be meaningless unless I do it all on my own. I never intended on borrowing power from my future wife’s family. I was going to look for you, Merry. And I was going to tell you I loved you and ask you to take this journey with me.”

“Louis…” Suddenly my vision was blurred with tears. He didn’t love me for my family or because of my father’s reputation. He loved me for me.

“Honestly, I wanted to wait until my position was more stable until I told you—after I succeeded Father, even if I hadn’t achieved my goals yet. I wanted to be in a position where no one could complain about who I married. But, honestly… Father’s plan just blew all that out of the water.” He reached out his hand to me. “I love you, Merry. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to take my hand.”

I reached out my hand to take his. But then he spoke again, stopping me. “But first, I want you to think about something.” I froze at his suggestion. “I can’t change the path that I’m about to go down. If you choose to come with me, I’ll have to ask a lot from you. You’ll have to give up your dream. And I know how intently you chased it.”

Someone else might’ve thought that was selfish, being told “I won’t change my path, but you must change yours.” But I trusted him. He didn’t need to say it out loud, but he let me choose. Because he knew me, and he knew that I’d have no problems with running away to avoid a marriage I didn’t want.

“Promise me one thing, Louis.”

“What is it?”

“If I join you, I don’t want to be the one who’s always protected. I want to do the protecting.”

“And I want you to be yourself.”

I smiled at his answer, and then I slowly took his hand. “It’s true that if I marry you, I’ll have to completely give up my dreams of joining the army. I know that. After all, the fiancée of the future Duke of Armelia can’t be a soldier. I might not even be allowed to hold a sword again. But nevertheless, I am choosing to take your hand, by my own free will.”

“Merry?”

“I thought about what we talked about at the tower that day—my dream and my wish. It’s true that my dream was to protect people with my sword. But that wasn’t the goal, that was the means. My goal, and my wish, is that no one will ever have to mourn the loss of someone special to them in the way that I did. I don’t care what means it will take to achieve that goal.”

“I see.”

“I’ll look for another way to make my dream come true, by your side. I want to walk through this life together with you. Once I heard about this engagement, all I could think of was you—I just couldn’t settle my heart. Because I love you.”

“Merry…”

Since it was Lady Aurelia saying it, I knew she meant I was mentally strong, not physically strong. And I was genuinely happy to hear that she thought so highly of me. Because my mental toughness was the only weapon I had right now.

“Well, keep up the good work. I’m sure it must be nerve-racking heading into a completely different battlefield than you’re used to. But I know you’re strong and you can get through it. Well, if you’ll excuse me. Sorry I kept you.” He smiled at me and walked down the hall.

I bowed again and watched him leave. I stared absently at his back, thinking how busy he must be. His tone of voice was easygoing as usual, but he had faint circles beneath his eyes. I thought that he must be fighting battles of his own. I wondered what was going on with House Armelia. At the same time, I wanted to punch my past self—the person I was before I got engaged.

Even if I was only seeing a fraction of their true selves right now, the Armelias were definitely nobles—different from how I imagined, but real nobles. They knew exactly what their responsibilities were, and I deeply respected them for that.

I hoped that I could become a fitting bride for this family. I had to. I made up my mind to make that wish come true, no matter what.

“Merry. What are you doing, just standing here?” Once again, I heard a familiar voice that snapped me back to reality.

“Louis! Sorry. I was just thinking.”

“All right. I was just making sure you were okay.”

Louis had recently started the academy, so in honesty, I had only seen him a handful of times since I started coming here every day. That made me feel a little sad. Still, I couldn’t be selfish when I knew he was working so hard.

“Do you have some time right now?”

“Hm? The carriage is waiting for me, but I don’t have any plans after this.”

“Good. Come with me.” He took my hand and led the way. It was the same hand that held mine when I got lost in town. I couldn’t help but smile when I felt the warmth coming from his hand. At the same time, my cheeks felt hot.

Louis led me to a garden. He sat me down on a bench at the edge of it and then sat next to me.

“These flowers bloom every year right around now. I’ve been wanting to show them to you, so I’m glad I was able to.” Now I was blushing even more. “How are your lessons going?”

“I think it’s more like training. I’m learning a lot though. Learning something new every day is a lot more fun than I expected.”

“It is pretty fun,” he said, with a little smile.

“I can’t imagine there’s anything you don’t know, Louis.”

“What are you talking about? The world is full of things I don’t know. For example, I had no idea you were the daughter of Marquis Anderson.”

“When you say it like that, I have no choice but to agree with you.”

“Ha ha ha. I suppose so.”

I pouted a little, and he reached out to stroke my hair.

“How’s the academy?”

“It’s very interesting. I don’t have many opportunities to gather with people my own age outside of school. Pax is helping me a lot.”

“Oh? Do you see my brother often?”

“Not too much, since we’re not in the same year. But we’ve talked now and then since I told him about our engagement.”

“Oh…”

I wouldn’t be able to see my brother at the academy because he would graduate before I’d start going there. I bet he was totally different at school. I adored my brother, so I did have to admit I was a bit curious.

Louis touched my hair and said, “Your hair is longer now.”

“Yes, I’m growing it out. What do you think?” Louis had only ever seen me with short hair. I sat up straighter in my seat.

“It looks good on you. You look wonderful with short hair and long hair.”

“Hee hee… That’s sweet of you, thanks.”

A gust of wind blew my hair off my shoulders.

“Are you sleeping well, Louis?” I was relieved that he didn’t have dark circles under his eyes like his father did.

“Where did that come from, all of a sudden?”

“I noticed that Lord Romello has dark circles under his eyes. And if he’s busy, I figured you must be busy as well helping him.”

“Don’t worry. I’m young, unlike my father. Even if I work hard, my body can take it.”

“There you go again. Don’t come crying to me if you collapse from exhaustion.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“You can’t just thank me. You need to do as I say!” I retorted, and he laughed again.

“You win this round. Fine, I’ll do my best to do as you say.”

“Honestly. I had this image of nobles that they were so prideful. But I suppose I’m a noble too, though.” I said with a sheepish chuckle. “My impression of them has changed since I came here. I’m actually embarrassed that I thought such a thing. I was judging people by their appearances.”

“There are some nobles who are like that. Perhaps if our positions were different, they’d see us in a different light. Impressions are a scary thing. You can form an opinion about someone that isn’t accurate after just a glimpse of them.”

That was true. It was frightening to think someone could think they know you when they didn’t and make judgments about you. And if you were to let other people’s opinions get to you, it could color the way you viewed yourself too. When you didn’t see the individual differences in people in a group, could you really say proudly that you’d judged them correctly?

I would be interacting with all sorts of people from now on, and I couldn’t forget those things when I made judgments about them.

“It’s painfully true.”

“But you’re still training now, right, Merry? So it’s fine as long as you’re happy learning something new.”

“Ha ha ha. It’s true. Hey, Louis? I’ve got a strange question to ask you…” I glanced up at him. He didn’t seem to object, so I continued. “Why does everyone in House Armelia try so hard to be proper nobles?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’? What do you think nobles are supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. What?” The ideal noble in my mind right now was Lady Aurelia. She thoroughly understood her own responsibilities and was trying to be useful to her people. But that wasn’t all there was to being a noble. I realized that I didn’t have a solid idea of what a noble should be yet. “I’m sorry, let me rephrase that. Why do you always act in the best interest of the citizens?”

“I wonder why… It’s just normal in my family. I don’t know how else to answer that. I supposed if I had to give you a proper answer, I’d say that getting to know the citizens made me realize a lot of things.”

“The people of Armelia?” I asked, and that made sense to me.

Lord Romello and my father had met at a tavern in town, after all. And I’d met Louis in town too. I supposed I never sat down to think about it, but it did seem strange now that I knew they were from House Armelia. No one in their right mind would expect that the head of the most important noble house and his successor were just walking around in town with everyone else. I was no exception.

“It’s difficult to improve a situation and create something new when you don’t know anything about it, right? But I think the moment where I decided on my path was when I went to see the ruins of the battlefields from the war with Tweil.”

I wouldn’t have been surprised if his reason was for the sake of the government, though. I had learned a lot going into town myself and interacting with people. After all, I’d found my purpose through those experiences as well.

“I see…”

“I think it’s strange that you think it’s strange.”

“Do you? Why’s that?”

“Because you decided to protect people so they wouldn’t go through the same thing you did. What other noble’s daughter in this world would be able to survive the fierce General Gazell’s training for that purpose?” Louis asked, and I chuckled wryly.

“Well, in my case…I had a different motivation pulling me through tough training compared to other people.”

“I suppose you’re right. Well, I’ve admired you ever since.”

“What?”

“No matter what your goal was, I’m not sure how many people have made it through General Gazell’s training. It’s certainly popular, but it’s also infamous for being incredibly tough and strict.”

I’d only ever been trained by my father from the very beginning, so I really had nothing else to compare it to. Honestly, I wondered what it was like to train with someone else. But I’d never have the chance to find out, of course.

“That’s why I know that any soldier who trains under General Gazell is the cream of the crop. Anyway, putting that matter aside, a girl younger than me with such a strong will endured training that grown men have run away from. Once I learned that about you, I really gained a lot of respect for you. And your very presence just made an impression on me.”

“Thank you…”

Louis smiled softly and stroked my hair. That smile of his was really bad for my heart. I glanced away and let out a sigh. He usually had such a sharp aura about him that when he did show a glimpse of that softness, it made my heart pound out of control. I still wasn’t sure why it made my heart race so.

“Do you come here often, Louis?”

“Yes. I come to give reports to my father, but sometimes I come here just for a little break. It’s very calming to be around nature, you know? When I need a change of pace I often come and spend time in the garden.”

I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the wind. The flowers were dancing and the trees were singing. I opened my eyes and I saw the light of the sun illuminating the beautiful flowers. It reminded me of a spotlight shining down upon the star of the show.

“It is very beautiful and peaceful here.”

He reached out and gently placed a hand on my cheek. “That’s a nice smile on your face.”

“What?” I stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, not sure what he meant.

“You’ve changed since you began lessons with Mother. Before, you were always tense and even your smile felt a little dark. But now it’s different, probably because you’re learning new things and gaining new skills. Still, I want you to know that you don’t have to lose the good things about yourself.”

“The good things?”

“There are a lot of them, you know. Your faithfulness as you work toward your goals. How you cry and laugh so genuinely. And even the skills you learned training with your sword.”

“But…I can’t be like how I was back then. Right?” I, like my hair, had grown a little.

“That’s true. You’re going to be dealing with a lot of different people from now on, and sometimes you’ll have to suppress parts of yourself to fit in with the group. You’ll have to construct a thick mask and wear it a lot of the time. But not in front of me. You don’t have to wear a mask with me. You can just be yourself.”

“Louis…”

I wasn’t expecting him to say that, especially because since I’d started lessons with Lady Aurelia, I realized just how far from being a proper noble’s daughter I actually was. I thought I had to suppress my true nature. I thought that was necessary in order to continue down this path. But Louis said it wasn’t. He validated me. And he loved me just as I was.

“I know it’s a selfish request,” he said with a sheepish grin.

“Selfish? Why?”

“I was the one who dragged you down this path, and yet I’m also the one asking you not to change. And, of course, everything changes.”

“That’s true. Nothing can stay the same.” I placed my hand over his. “But I really appreciate you saying that it’s all right to be myself. I needed to hear that from you. I needed to hear that I didn’t have to throw away everything I’d worked so hard for.”

One of a noble’s weapons was her etiquette. Lady Aurelia had taught me that. I felt like I had been prioritizing the mask I was constructing. I reached down and gently kissed his hand. “Thank you, Louis.”

Louis clasped my own hand and brought it up to his mouth to lay a kiss on it. “Shall I prepare a place for you to train here?” He leaned in so close our noses were almost touching and murmured.

“Really?!”

“Didn’t you believe what I just said?”

“Of course I did. But are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Louis!” I was so thrilled that I threw my arms around him.

“I know that it’ll be very hard for you here from now on. But I don’t want you to bottle things up. Please come to me for whatever you need. And I’ll be leaning on you too,” Louis said, resting his head on my shoulder.

The weight and warmth of his head on me felt so very nice. “All right.”

Now I felt like I could do my best. I wanted to do my best, so that I could stay by his side.

 

***

 

A few days later…

I was heading to my father’s study to see him for the first time in a while. He’d been very busy lately, plus I had been going to the Armelias’ mansion every day, so we hadn’t had much occasion to see each other. I had a lesson with Lady Aurelia today too, but my father had a rare day off.

“May I talk to you, Father?” I knocked on the door and opened it, peeking my head in to ask. It used to be custom in our house to announce yourself as you entered, according to proper etiquette. Since Father had spent so much time in the military, he thought announcing himself was a waste of time though. I supposed I could understand that, since every second was important on the battlefield. If you wasted time announcing yourself before you entered, it could delay vital information. So at some point, we did away with that custom in our household. In fact, I was so used to it that I wasn’t even aware that it wasn’t typical until Lady Aurelia pointed it out during our etiquette lessons. She told me that they didn’t announce themselves in the Armelia household either. That was probably due to the fact that the generations of prime ministers in their family were so busy with their duties that they also didn’t want to waste time.

“…Enter.”

“Excuse me.” I went inside and saw that my father was surrounded by a stack of documents, which was unusual for him. It was normal for him to be at his desk, but with only a small number of reports from the march and military documents.

“What is it, Merry?”

“I have a question for you.” Father rose from his seat and walked over to me as I continued. “Why were you so insistent on my engagement to House Armelia?”

“Where’d that come from?”

“I’ve been wondering for a while now why you were so pushy about it. Because most of the time, you wouldn’t care about making us do things solely for the good of the family.”

“How can you be so sure? You know I am a noble too.”

“Still, Father. That’s just not the person I’ve known you to be. Surely you must have a reason.”

“I don’t have any particular one. I just feel like I can trust Romello’s son to take care of you, that’s all.”

“Really?”

“You certainly are persistent today. Do you have a problem with your engagement to Lord Louis?”

“Of course not! I can’t wait to marry him!”

Father let out a sigh of relief when he heard my answer. “Then what’s the problem? Who cares how it happened as long as you’re with a man who makes you light up like that?”

Light up? I wondered. I reached up and touched my own face. But obviously I couldn’t tell just by touching it. I wouldn’t know unless I saw myself in a mirror.

“By the way, Father. I’m going to be starting to train again.”

“What are you talking about? You—”

“Louis said that I could. He told me he wants me to be myself. So, Mer will be making a return.”

“Well, I certainly won’t disagree with Lord Louis. You do know he’s about the only fiancé who’d allow such a thing, aren’t you?”

“I’m sure you’re right.” I’d never heard of any daughter of a high-ranking noble swinging a sword either, that was for sure. Even though I was part of the militaristic House Anderson, I didn’t think such a thing would be allowed in House Armelia. I paused for a moment. “Don’t tell me you had a hunch he would say that, and that’s why you pushed the engagement?”

“Are you still going on about that? The answer is no. I didn’t even know Lord Louis before, although it seems you did. Where did you meet him, anyway?”

“It was when we first came to the capital. You remember how I was in a slump back then? I kept losing my sparring matches, and I wasn’t making much progress with my training. I was so depressed, and after I lost to Donalti, I just exploded. I ran out of the house into town. And that’s when I met him.”

“Ah, so he knew you as Mer.”

“That’s right.”

“I see. I’m sure Romello was aware of it. That scoundrel.” Despite his name-calling, my father had an amused smile on his face. “I’m glad he gave you permission to train. But Lady Aurelia is going to so much trouble giving you lessons, so don’t neglect those.”

“I know that.”

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine. After all, you’ve got Merelda’s blood running through your veins.” Suddenly, Father had a sad look in his eyes.

“How did you and Mother meet?”

“What in the world has gotten into you today? You just keep asking me one ridiculous question after another.”

“What’s wrong with it? I’ve never asked you before now, and since I’m engaged, I’m curious about how my parents met.”

“Is that so… Well, I met Merelda on the battlefield after the fighting was over. I was tying up loose ends, and she was tending to the injured.”

“The daughter of a baron was tending to the wounded?”

“Yes. She had never studied medical treatment, and yet there she was, changing bandages and feeding people. There’s a lot to do after a battle, and she led the charge. She didn’t have a single swipe of makeup on her. She worked tirelessly to care for the people. She even stayed late at night by their sides as they cried out in pain in their sleep, without anyone telling her to. Before long, I realized my eyes just kept drifting over to her. Of course, I wasn’t a general back then, just a captain. I often stayed to look after the men in my regiment, and so she and I got to talking. There were others in my regiment who were quite fond of her as well.”

“And then you told her you loved her?”

“I proposed to her.”

“Goodness! That was awfully bold of you!”

“I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone but her. She said yes, and we got engaged. But after that, I went home and was told I was going to become a general and take over the Anderson family. Many people objected to our marriage, and it was a rough time. The people in my family were especially against it. There was a lot of discord inside the family back then too.”

Father had a lighthearted tone of voice as he spoke, but the subject was very heavy.

“To her, the Anderson family name was a set of heavy shackles, and the house of marquis a dungeon cell. She’d lived her life so freely, but I was the one who dragged her into this world. Still, she chose to walk side by side with me. And she worked very hard to bring honor to herself as a marchioness to silence our critics.”

Father reached out and stroked my hair. His touch was gentle, but his smile was sad.

“You have her blood in you. You have her same strong will that I fell in love with. The blood of a kind, beautiful woman runs through your veins, so there’s nothing for you to fear. No matter what kinds of obstacles may lie in your path, I know you can overcome them. I’m sure of it.”

“Thank you, Father.”

In the end, he never answered my original question, but I was satisfied because I got to hear stories about my mother.

 

***

 

It was bright and sunny, and I had the day off from lessons, so I decided to go train. I was dressed as Mer, of course.

“Shrey! Long time no see! Hm? This is it for people here today?” I looked around, confused.

“Yes. Today, training is only open to the house guard. Kreuz was pretty disappointed because he heard that you’d be here. He was muttering on about how he wanted to show you how much he improved since he saw you last.”

“Ha ha. I’ve been slacking off on my training, so I wouldn’t have been a very worthy opponent for him!”

“You haven’t been training? Have you been ill?”

“No, it’s not that.” I certainly couldn’t tell him I’d gotten engaged.

“Well, that’s good, at least. You’d better be prepared though. I’ll give that stiff body of yours a workout!”

“Bring it on!”

It didn’t take long for my muscles to scream out since I hadn’t trained for so long. After we were done with basic training, my body felt languid with fatigue. I was panting too. Not only that, but before I was able to easily predict the movements of my opponent and respond, but now my reactions were several seconds too late. And that could mean a fatal mistake in battle. I had also grown since the last time I trained, so the picture I had of myself in my mind didn’t match the current reality. That was probably partly the reason why I was having so much difficulty.

“It’s no use. Being away from training for even a little bit dulls my senses, but most of all my body just can’t move like it used to,” I muttered to myself as I wiped away my sweat. Since I had Louis’s permission, I vowed to start coming to train more regularly from now on.

“Hey, hey. Are you serious right now?” I heard an exasperated sigh and a familiar voice behind me.

I whirled around. “Kreuz! I thought today training was closed to everyone but the house guard!”

“I had some business with the general. I was gonna ask Shrey to go for drinks on my way home, but I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“It’s been a long time.”

“It sure has. More importantly—you haven’t trained in a long while, have you?”

“That’s right. I wasn’t aware you knew that. I haven’t been here in a bit, right?”

“Yeah… Well, yeah! So what’s the deal with that?!” He pointed to the pile of bodies behind me. Shrey was among them.

“Well, they were kind enough to spar with me.”

“Your skills haven’t dropped at all!”

“That’s not true. Those who sparred with me will understand, but my attacks were lighter and my responses were slower. I’m familiar with their fighting styles, so I still managed to pull out a win, but I doubt I’d be able to say the same with someone I’d never gone up against before.”

“I think it’s more than enough that you can win against the members of the Anderson house guard, Mer!”

“That’s not true. I faced a very strong enemy when I was helping the noble girls who were kidnapped. The world is a big place. If I overestimate my strength, it will be my downfall.”

“What are you trying to do here, anyway?” Kreuz smiled wryly, looking exasperated and a little fatigued as well.

“My dream hasn’t changed from when I was little. One must have a certain amount of preparation when you pick up a sword, right? If you wield a sword without being properly trained or fully prepared, you can put everyone else around you in danger. That’s why I won’t allow it. I think if you want to wield a sword, you must be ready.”

I thought I understood that during the incident with the kidnapped girls. A sword must be used to protect those who cannot protect themselves. But I didn’t truly understand it because I’d always had strong people fighting alongside me. That wasn’t the case that day. I only had people who were unable to protect themselves with me.

Even though I had fought together with the army before, they weren’t with me then. I was the only one who could protect those girls. What if I hadn’t been able to? What if I had fallen? They certainly wouldn’t have gotten out of there alive. They might have met an even worse fate since I had rebelled against the kidnappers. And that was why I couldn’t lose that day.

I felt a responsibility when I took the sword in my hand. It was my duty to act. And for the first time, I had learned the difficult responsibility of protecting people and how heavy it was.

“I know how strong your resolve is, Mer. But you still shock me sometimes with the things you say.”

“I agree. Training’s a lot tougher now that you’re back,” Shrey stood up painfully. “Everyone! This is what happens when you don’t train enough! It’s gonna be twice as hard now!” He yelled at the guys behind him.

“Noooo!” the men yelled, but Shrey ignored them with a smirk.

“By the way, Kreuz… Who is that with you?” I suddenly noticed a young man standing behind him. He was handsome, with black hair and a muscular frame. I could tell that he’d stand out in a crowd in town, and he was the youngest person here except for me. He was probably around the same age as my brother.

“Ah, that’s part of the reason I’m here. I was gonna introduce him to the general.”

“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Abel. I belong to the first division of the army. Excuse me, but you are…?”

“I’m Mer. I’m serve as the bodyguard for Lady Merellis, the general’s daughter. Nice to meet you.”

“He just joined the army. He was originally supposed to be doing office work, but an order came from above that this year we’d have at least one apprentice with each group for a limited time. He got assigned to my regiment. Abel still needs lots of training, so he’ll be coming here more often from now on.”

I had the impression that the army was nothing more than fighting, but there were many people who joined up to do other kinds of work. For example, every army needed people to do accounting, manage equipment and supplies, and other such tasks. Still, anyone joining the army—even just for a desk job—had to have a certain level of combat training. It was necessary for them to know what the soldiers go through, so that’s why they were assigned to work for each regiment for a limited time while they trained.

“Hm, if he was assigned to your regiment, he must be pretty good.” He wouldn’t have been signed to the lieutenant general’s regiment otherwise. Father and Kreuz wouldn’t have allowed it.

Abel looked a bit shy when I said that, his face turning slightly pink. He waved his hand in front of his face. He had a softness about him, something that would make people feel like he was easy to be friends with. “I’ve got a lot to learn. I certainly can’t be compared to you, Mer, not when you’ve defeated members of the toughest guard in the kingdom!”

“I have a lot to work on too. I’ve hit my limit for training today.” I knew my limits better than anyone else, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to push any further right now. “I think I’ll be coming here to train more regularly from now on, so I’m sure I’ll see you again sometime.”

“Thank you. I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

“We’re going out to eat. How about it, Mer?” Kreuz said after Abel and I exchanged pleasantries.

“I’m sorry, but I have to excuse myself. Thank you so much for today, everyone.” I turned down Kreuz’s offer and left. I went back to my room, wiped off my sweat, changed, and sat down in bed. My body was already aching with fatigue since I was so unaccustomed to training these days.

“That was good.” Still, I felt fulfilled. I loved to train. I loved the tense feeling I got from moving my body and swinging my sword. I thought I’d never be able to do it again, so I was purely happy.

If anyone ever attacked Louis, I would draw my sword without hesitation. Surely he would have many guards around him, but that didn’t give him absolute protection. Look at what happened to Mother, after all. I knew how painful it was to lose someone precious to you, and I never wanted to experience it again. I never wanted to lose him.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep, thinking that I would train harder tomorrow.

 

***

 

“Father. Whatever happened with your investigation into Rimmel?”

“They’re very well guarded, so I’m having a tough time,” Romello sighed and tossed the documents onto the desk.

Louis picked them up and thumbed through them. “There are two factions, the moderates and the hard-liners, and you’re trying to investigate both of them. You’re trying to make contact right now?”

“Yes. But both factions are cautious, so I’m not making any progress. They must be in the midst of a power struggle.”

Rimmel was the principality north of Tasmeria and east of Tweil. They had relationships with both kingdoms.

“Right now, the hard-liners seem to have the upper hand because they’re expanding their territory. But if they lose, it’ll reduce the threat to this kingdom.”

“That’s right. I’m prioritizing looking for their weakness right now. But we have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario too. If the situation changes, it wouldn’t be surprising if war broke out right away.”

“Like with Tweil? It’s true that their poor harvest was the trigger and that war started very suddenly. Although Rimmel is also north of Tasmeria, they have more fertile land so I think their food supply should be stable. What do you mean when you say, ‘if the situation changes’?”

“I might be overthinking it. Do you know what an effective way is to bring together a kingdom that’s been split in two because of a power struggle?” Romello asked.

Louis hesitated for a moment and then spoke. “Creating a common enemy?”

“Exactly. They haven’t gone public with their struggle yet, and we’ve got a hero here. Again, I might just be overthinking it. Anyway, enough of that for now. How’s the matter of the mercenaries going?”

“It’s not. There’s been no movement at all. The mercenaries which have gathered in the Anderson march are all still there.”

“I see.”

“Is that why?”

“What?” Romello looked sharply at Louis.

“Is that why you proposed my engagement to Merry? If House Anderson marries House Armelia, it removes them as a target and might dissuade someone from starting a war.”

“She’s your first love, isn’t she? I was just trying to help you out, as your father.”

“I didn’t know you were so kind, Father.”

“Idiot. I am kind! That’s why I tease you so much, because I love you!” Romello laughed heartily while Louis sighed and glared at him.

“Fine, fine. You are kind. To your friends, anyway.”

“Ha ha ha! It’s true. Anyway, you know that girl would be fine even if she did get swept up into a war.”

“Don’t joke about that. She is strong, but she’s also the kind of person who would rush headlong into battle to protect others first. Her strength is dangerous.”

“You really do love her, don’t you?” Romello mused.

Louis became flustered and blushed, which was unusual for him. Finally, he forced a cough and regained his composure. Romello smirked at the sight.

“So? What did General Gazell say?”

“He doesn’t want to kill him.” Romello heaved a sigh.

Louis raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you agreed with him!”

“I had no choice. He felt very strongly about it. And if I take matters into my own hands, he could turn on me even though I’m on his side.”

“But that’s…”

“I did tell him that if his brother makes a move, I’ll have to act. Don’t overlook even the tiniest bit of information, Louis. Not if you want to protect your bride’s family.”

“That was always my intention.”

“I’m sure. I’ll continue investigating Rimmel. And I’ll protect the kingdom from the sparks of war, Louis.”

“Very well, Father.”

The two of them exchanged glances of very strong resolve for a moment. Louis then excused himself from the room. Once he left, the young man returned to his own room and flopped down in his seat.

“You seem very tired, Lord Louis,” a young attendant said to him with a wry smile.

“Do I? I suppose I have a lot to work on, then.”

“You’re very hard on yourself.” The attendant poured Louis some tea and set it down in front of him.

“I think you’re stricter than I am. On yourself, that is.”

“That’s not true. After all, I certainly have a lot to learn,” he said with amusement.

“Oh? I’m interested why you think that,” replied Louis.

“There’s no big reason why. It’s just… The world is a big place, that’s all.”

Louis looked down for a moment, deep in thought, then sipped his tea before looking back up again. “I see. Very well, then. Would you please leave me alone, Berne?”

“Of course. Excuse me, my lord.”

Louis watched the young man leave, then started reading through the documents on his desk.

“And have you been training yourselves to be prepared to join the army?” I asked. Father reached out to stop me, but I ignored him and continued. “It’s very admirable to want to protect others. But unless you’ve trained for that purpose, it’s nothing more than a pipe dream.”

The twins looked at me sharply. “Of course we’ve been training. We’ve had to practice on our own, obviously…but we’ve trained.”

“I see. Would you like to work here for a while?”

“What?!” They answered in unison.

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” said Father. “I’ve been looking for an attendant for Merry. And if you work here, then you’ll be able to take part in the guards’ training. I’m sure it’ll take some time before women are allowed to join the army, but until then, you can stay here and train. But if you slack off on it, even a bit, you’ll be asked to leave. Do you agree, Merry?”

“Yes, Father. I have no objections.”

“Well? What do you say?”

“We…!” Anna still didn’t want to back down, but Enarene held out her hand to hold her back.

“Let’s accept, Anna.”

“But Enarene!”

“We have a better chance of our dreams coming true if we work here. It’s rare that members of the army get to train with the general. We should stay here, hone our skills, and continue to petition the kingdom for a change.”

“Hmph. Fine. We’ll stay.”

The guards led the girls to another room.

“Why did you take their side?”

“You know why.” I smiled faintly as my father stood up, and he quickly glanced away. “It was a slip of the tongue.”

“I could say the same thing back to you. Why did you react that way when you heard the name of their village? What connection do you have with it?”

“I was just a bit emotional… That’s the village where I met your mother. Ferrota village, in Ceyzan’s domain.”

“Oh? Wait…” All of a sudden, a possibility jumped into my head. Impossible! It defied logic, but I just couldn’t shake the thought. There was no way the daughter of a noble would be allowed to travel to another domain and put herself in danger during a war—and especially not the battlefield itself, even if she were nursing the injured.

So then why had my mother been there?

Father sat across from me, where Anna and Enarene had been sitting. “Yes, that’s right. Your mother, Merelda, was the only surviving member of House Ceyzan.”

“But how? I thought every member of House Ceyzan had been killed during the Tweil war!”

“It was a case of mistaken identity. She was mistaken for her younger cousin who had been taking refuge in the Ceyzan manor. Merelda had defied her family to visit that village to tend to the injured soldiers after we freed the village.”

“But what about her cousin’s family?”

“They owned a large part of Ceyzan’s domain, but her parents had died early on in the war. She had no other relatives, so the Ceyzan family took her in and let her live there with them.”

“Excuse me for the wild question, but… What if Mother really was that cousin, and the direct line of Ceyzan had died in the war?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, why else wouldn’t Mother have inherited House Ceyzan and carried on the name herself?”

“I saw an unfinished portrait at her home of Count and Countess Ceyzan. Merelda was the spitting image of her father. I can show it to you later if you’d like as it’s still in Merelda’s room. Anyway… I didn’t care if she was the cousin or the heir. I proposed to her not knowing who she was, after all.”

“But then why—”

“Why are you so hung up on this?” Father asked, and suddenly I snapped out of it. He was right—why did it matter now? It didn’t matter who my mother was. She was still my mother.

“To put it simply, it was the royal family’s decision. They wanted the domain rebuilt as soon as possible and to build up its defenses. The royal family wanted the northern border of the kingdom to be particularly fortified. A woman couldn’t have been the governor, of course, so Merelda couldn’t do it. I suppose she could have had someone marry into the Ceyzan family, and I tried that, but when I came back to notify the royal family of my intentions, I was told I had to inherit House Anderson. They were vehemently against it. However, I had no intentions of inheriting without Merelda by my side, so I decided to quit the army and marry into her family anyway. For a long time, our negotiations were getting nowhere. The royal family didn’t want me to quit the army, House Anderson wanted me to take over that family, and Merelda wanted me to help rebuild the country by strengthening the army’s defenses. All I wanted to do was stay with her. We eventually reached a compromise, and this is how it ended up.”

I was so shocked that I wasn’t sure what to say. “What an amazing story.”

“I suppose. Anyway, we’ve gotten very off topic here. Once I heard those girls were from the former Ceyzan domain, and not only that, but the very village where Merelda and I met, well…I guess I went a little soft.”

“I see…”

“Well? Did you hear what you wanted to hear from them?”

I thought about Anna and Enarene again. Their whole situation had nearly slipped my mind because I’d been so shocked hearing the truth about mother.

“Yes, I think so. I’ll keep watch over them. I have a feeling they’re going to need a lot more training.”

“I’m sure you’re right. I could tell just by the way they moved when they left the room. You probably noticed it before I even saw them. So then why…?”

“Because I want to see.”

“See what?”

“I told you that before we came in the room, right? That I wanted you to see them with your own eyes and listen to what they had to say. Well, we listened to what they had to say, so now I want to see them. I want to see how strong their dream is. And I want to see how strong they can become when they put their will to it.”

Father let out an exasperated laugh. “Then why didn’t you just say that? I do like those girls. You already decided to invite them to live here before you even introduced them to me, didn’t you?”

“Yes. Like I told you, I just had a hunch about them.”

“Ha ha ha. You certainly did.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, Father. Thank you for indulging me in this.” I stood up and thanked him. He just waved his hand in front of his face as if to tell me not to worry about it. I laughed back and left the room.

I returned to my own quarters and sat down at my desk to read a book. Lady Aurelia had given me a variety of things to read. Lately, I’d been reading books in different languages, history books, and other ones that were popular. When I wasn’t having my lessons or training, I was sitting at my desk, reading. I read quietly for a while when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“It’s me, my lady.” Nana came in with Anna and Enarene in tow. Apparently, she had them change, because they were now wearing servant outfits. I stared at them absently for a moment. When they were dressed alike like this, you couldn’t tell them apart. I was able to tell the difference earlier because of their different hairstyles and clothing, but now dressed in the same uniform, they were completely identical. I stared at them, trying to figure out if there was a subtle way for me to tell them apart.

They were in their twenties, so they were older than Pax. Both had very distinctive, cool eyes. Darn it, I can’t spot one difference between the two! I heaved an inward sigh and then said, “My name is Merellis Reiser Anderson. I’m looking forward to having you here.”

“Th-thank you for having us!”

“…Thank you.”

“I will be the one training you. I’m going to work very hard to make sure you will be useful to your mistress very soon,” Nana said as she looked over them and bowed.

“I’m relieved to hear that, Nana. I’m sure it will be rough for you two at first, being unaccustomed to the work. But please, do your best. Starting tomorrow, you will be allowed to participate in Father’s training sessions as well. Please tell someone right away if there’s anything you need.”

“Y-yes!”

“…Very well.”

It was interesting that although they had identical faces, their demeanors were completely different.

“We’ll be going now, my lady. I’m sorry to have interrupted your reading. If you’ll excuse us.”

“Of course.”

They left the room, and I looked back down at my book for a while. It was very quiet, and the only sound in my room was me flipping the pages. I was immersed in the story, feeling like I was in the world within its cover.

There was a knock at the door, and I heard Nana’s voice from outside. “Excuse me, my lady. Dinner is ready.”

I looked up from the words on the page and opened the door. “How was their first day?”

“They were quite flustered since they aren’t used to this work.”

“I figured as much. He he. I certainly understand the feeling.”

“Then you shall be a wonderful example for them. I’ll make sure they don’t embarrass themselves, but the more good role models they have, the faster they’ll grow,” Nana said.

“I’ll do my best.”

I went down to the dining room to have dinner, and instead of going back to my room afterward, I went to Mother’s. I opened the door and stepped inside. A strange feeling came over me—it was like she was still living here. The room was kept spotlessly clean, and all of Mother’s things were still out, just as they were when she was alive.

“Mother…” It was like time had frozen inside of this room’s walls, and I felt frozen as well. But after a while, I came back to myself and started looking around. I wanted to see that portrait my father told me about. It was kept securely inside of her desk, like a treasure. The sketch depicted Count and Countess Ceyzan, with my young mother snuggled between them. She had a very happy look on her face.

But…it was also incredibly sad. After all, not long after this happy scene was drawn, war would tear the family apart forever. I had felt somewhat detached from the Tweil war before, but now I felt very connected to it. I wondered what kind of sadness Mother had kept hidden behind that gentle smile of hers. How much anguish and pain had she gone through? I stared at the sketch, trying to burn it into my memory. I then carefully put it back in the drawer and left the room.

 

***

 

During a break from our lessons, I was telling Lady Aurelia about Anna and Enarene.

“Goodness. It does sound like a good experience for you, though. Becoming an example for another can be very educational. You have to be clear with your actions and words, after all,” she said.

I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh in response.

She ignored my reaction and smiled. “So be sure to keep up with your studies.”

“O-of course…”

“All right, that’s enough of a break for today. Shall we get started again?” she asked. Then she began playing the piano, and I danced in time to the music with Alf. “Yes. Yes, that’s right. Think about the music. Exactly, and move elegantly!”

I listened to her voice as I concentrated on my feet. If I didn’t, I’d trip over them and fall. I was realizing that it was quite difficult to move in time with music. But if there was one thing I could boast about, however, it was that I had very high stamina due to my training.

“Don’t look down at your feet! Smile! Yes, that’s it. Now, concentrate on the flow!”

I took Lady Aurelia’s advice and smiled. I had a feeling it was a very tense smile.

“Yes, keep that posture. That’s right, good!”

I kept dancing with Alf until the end of the song. “Thank you for today’s lesson.” I thanked Lady Aurelia and then excused myself. I got into my carriage and headed home. Once there, I went to my room and got changed. Then, I went to a place in the house where I could see the training grounds from inside and watched. Anna and Enarene were somehow managing to keep up with the basic training exercises.

When people went through Father’s regimen for the first time, many of them struggled very hard with the basic training and could barely make it through. This meant the girls must’ve been telling the truth—they did have some amount of training. Still, they needed much more because they were already panting and tired. After they were done with those exercises, they continued on to swing their swords with the rest of the guard. It was clear that they were self-taught as they had said, since their technique was quite rough.

“Well, my lady? What do you think about them?”

“Oh, Nana! I didn’t know you were here. Are you interested too?” I asked as Nana served me some tea.

“Not particularly. I don’t understand much about those things. I was just wondering how they were doing.”

“I see. Well, they’re doing well with Father’s routine. Although at their current skill level, they wouldn’t be able to fight with anyone. I’m looking forward to seeing how much they grow though.”

“Is that right? By the way, my lady, it seems as though you were already aware of their talents when they got here. Did you know them before they came to the mansion?”

“Of course not. I met them outside the mansion that day, just as I said. Didn’t I tell you that, Nana?”

“I didn’t hear it directly from you, no. You just said that you had two guards watching them in case they tried anything untoward and that they would be able to take care of them if that happened. Your words seemed like you knew just how strong the girls were even then.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant? Ha ha ha. No, I just had a hunch, that was all.”

Nana blinked at me in surprise. I felt a chuckle welling up inside of me so I forced it down with a sip of tea. “I could tell by the way they carried themselves when they walked and by the way they watched their surroundings. Father always told me to size up my opponent’s strength by subtle gestures they made, so I’ve done so ever since I was young. Perhaps Lady Aurelia’s lessons helped as well.”

“Lady Aurelia? What does the Duchess of Armelia’s lessons have to do with it?”

“It’s hard to control how you naturally move. She’s been giving me a lot of guidance on my own movements. And when I pay close attention to that in myself, I start to notice how other people move too.”

But in the end, it was just a hunch—formed by my opinions based on my own experiences. I trusted those.

“I see. My lady, I just realized something from what you just said.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve seen you grow so much since you began taking lessons with Duchess Armelia. I can tell that you’ve been working very hard too. That’s probably because the training there is excellent. But I think another reason for it is because of the observational skills you’ve gained over the years. You watch things closely, notice differences between people and things, and adopt others’ good habits yourself. I think that’s why you’ve grown into such a proper young lady so quickly.”

“Goodness, Nana. I wasn’t expecting you to compliment my etiquette, but thank you!”

She had a point—even if something didn’t seem important at first glance, it could be related to something later on and be useful.

“Of course! I’m looking forward to seeing you grow even more, my lady!”

“I’ll do my best, Nana.” She smiled softly at my response. “By the way, what should I do for my own training while the two girls are out there?”

Her smiled quickly turned into a look of exasperation. She let out a sigh. “Why don’t you introduce yourself as Mer?”

“You’re not going to try to stop me, Nana?”

“Just how long do you think I’ve served you, my lady?”

“He he he. I suppose you’re right. I can introduce myself to them as Mer, but I think that the longer they serve me, they’ll realize very quickly that Mer and I are one and the same.”

“You…were planning on hiding it?” Nana looked surprised.

“I want to say that it wouldn’t hurt to tell them since they’re servants of this house, but at the same time, I don’t want too many people to know.”

There was no reason for me to feel embarrassed about my training, but it was just unheard of for a young noblewoman. If word spread, it could affect my reputation, so I had to keep it a secret. And when it came to secrets, the fewer people who knew, the better. That was why I had no intention of letting anyone else in the household know.

“I see. So then do you plan on giving up your training?”

“I don’t want to do that. I already took too much time off from it, and my body paid the price. I actually want to train more now.” I mentally went over the schedule of training sessions in my head. Lately, I had been so busy with my daily lessons at the Armelias’ that it was harder to take part in sessions with everyone else.

“No matter what, it will be hard to participate, so I’ll have to train on my own. I can just ask members of the house guard to work with me privately while the girls are here.”

“In that case, I’ll make sure they don’t go near the training grounds while you’re doing that. There are still many things I need to teach them. I’ll be watching over them for a while, so I don’t think they’ll find out your secret right away, at least.”

“I see. Thanks, Nana.”

“Of course.” She smiled softly at me.

“By the way, Nana. Did you think about what I asked you before?” I was talking about her family. Nana was a widow, and she had one child with her late husband. Her child was all grown up now, so once it was decided that I’d be going to the capital, Nana chose to stay with me, and now she lived apart from them.

As one might expect, Nana hadn’t had an extended vacation since we got to the capital, so she hadn’t seen her family in some time. Once I realized that, I had suggested several times for her to go home and visit, but she refused. Then, I told her in that case, why not invite her family to the capital so they can see where she works?

“My lady, thank you so much for your generosity. But it really is fine. I’ve dedicated my life to serving House Anderson, so I’m much happier staying here.”

“Are you sure? You haven’t gone home once since we came to the capital.”

“I know. It’s fine.” She smiled and I could tell that nothing I could say would change her mind. She was stubborn, just as I was.

“Well, let me know if you change your mind.”

“I will.”

“I think I’ll read some more now. Could you bring a pot of hot tea to my room?”

“Of course, my lady.”

 

***

 

Some time had passed since the twins had come to the mansion. They seemed to be accustomed to it now, and they were slowly getting better at their jobs as my attendants. In fact, Anna had made me some tea right now as I read. I sat and sipped on the tea as I turned the pages.

“This is a bit too hot.”

“What?”

“Tea from Philriden needs to be brewed in hot, but not boiling, water or else it loses its flavor. The water needs to be cooler in order to bring out its true sweetness.” Recently, I had learned how to appreciate and drink tea properly during my lessons at the Armelia manor. One of the jobs of a noble was to know about the finer things in the world. Even our tea breaks in the middle of lessons were educational.

Anyway, I digress. There were many different types of tea, and a lady was supposed to know the perfect method to brew each one. I was in the middle of studying those types of things. Honestly, before I began my lessons, I never had time to sit down and properly enjoy a cup of tea. When I stepped off the training field sweaty and thirsty, I didn’t care what I drank as long as it quenched my thirst. But even then, I knew what tasted good to me and what didn’t though.

“O-oh, y-yes! My apologies, my lady!”

I didn’t know what Anna and Enarene would end up doing in the future, but it was important to me that they had some modicum of etiquette knowledge. I tried to impart as much wisdom as I could to them when I corrected them.

“It’s fine. You’re still learning your duties. Just be more careful next time.” I took my gaze away from my book and looked at her. She frantically bowed her head several times and then left the room carrying the teapot.

I looked back down at my open book. I read for a while longer, and then I sat up in my chair and stretched. I called Nana to my room.

“You wanted to see me, my lady?”

“I’m going to go train now. I’ll let you know when I get back and am finished changing.”

“Yes, my lady.”

She excused herself from the room, and I changed into my training outfit. I looked myself over in the mirror. I was used to wearing these clothes, but at the same time, seeing my reflection felt strange. I’d had short hair like a boy for so long, but now, my hair had grown out past my shoulders. It would be difficult to train like this, so I tied it back. I grabbed my sword and left the mansion.

I started by running laps around the house. I worked up quite a sweat after just the first one. Once I was done running, I worked on my sword swings. I loved doing this so much. It felt like I could cut away all the nagging thoughts in my mind with each stroke, calming my heart. I emptied my mind and continued my swings like that for some time.

At a little past noon, I returned to my room, changed, and ate lunch. I felt somewhat disappointed because it was clear just how much my reflexes had dulled after taking so much time off from training. But now that I had gotten back to it for a little while, I felt like I was close to being back in shape as I had been. At the very least, I didn’t have to collapse in my room for a while after training. The more I worked at it, the stronger I got.

I finished eating lunch and got ready in front of the mirror. My clothes looked great on me. My hair looked nice and healthy. The reason I was so concerned with my appearance was because Louis was stopping by the house today. He said he had an errand to run in the area.

Even though I visited the Armelia manor every day, I didn’t get to see him very often. However, we did exchange letters regularly. At first, his letters to me were very formal because he had never written a private letter before. Well, neither had I, but Lady Aurelia taught me how to do it. Putting that aside, now that we were going to see each other again, I was happy…but also a little anxious. I felt so impatient that I kept checking myself in the mirror to try to calm down.

“My lady, Lord Louis is here to see you.” Enarene called for me as I fidgeted in front of my reflection. I froze—I was so embarrassed that someone saw me carrying on like that! I slowly turned to look at her, but she watched me without revealing anything on her face and just waited for me to respond. “I see… Please go ahead and show him to the parlor.”

“Yes, my lady.”

I smoothed down my hair one last time and left my room. I walked quickly down the hallway to the parlor. Anna was waiting in front of the door and opened it for me.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting, Louis.”

“No, not at all.”

I bowed my head, and he smiled warmly at me, giving me a small wave.

“Anna and Enarene, would you please leave us?”

“But…” They hesitantly glanced back and forth between Louis and myself.

“You don’t have to worry about Louis. Nana will be here soon anyway.”

“Very well…” They very reluctantly nodded.

“Are those the two new girls I’ve heard so much about?” Louis asked as soon as they left the room.

“Yes, that’s right. They’re working very hard, both at training and with their jobs here at the mansion.”

“I see.”

“Hey, Louis? Did you hear about them visiting the palace?”

“I have. I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground about the matter.”

“Does that mean talk hasn’t circulated widely enough yet?”

“Unfortunately, yes. The matter hasn’t reached the top yet, as it were. And to be perfectly frank, most people are treating it like a joke.”

“I see…”

“Even if people were to take them seriously, they’d have to completely restructure the army. It’s a very high hurdle to cross.”

“It is. And that’s infuriating.”

“Still, I think they’re serious about it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t keep going to the castle with those petitions.”

“I agree…” Hearing that made me happy, and I smiled at him. If the girls really wanted to join the army, then they had to win that fight on their own. Father had a lot of influence over the army, and Lord Romello had a lot of influence in the palace. If these girls could win the two of them over, it might not be too far-fetched to say that the establishment could change. But they’d have to make it change.

It was also highly possible that the girls would face unnecessary backlash. And not just these girls but any girl in the future who had the ambition to join the army. If the twins failed, the door could close for all women, and it was possible that it would never open again. In order to create an opportunity, the girls couldn’t rely on just their own powers. They would need advocates from within the system to help their cause.

“At any rate, I’ll bring it up to the concerned parties.”

“Thank you, Louis.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” He waved his hand, beckoning me to come toward him. I gave him a puzzled look and walked over. He kissed me on the cheek. “I’m sorry, but I have another errand to run,” he said as he stood up.

“Oh…” He had such an apologetic look on his face that I couldn’t bear to stop him. “Will I see you again soon?”

“Of course.” I rushed over to him and threw my arms around him. He didn’t even seem surprised by my behavior—he just laughed and rubbed my back. How infuriating. It was like I was the only one who was lonely. But I knew I shouldn’t think such things, because he made time in his busy schedule to come see me. Still, it felt like my love was growing faster than his, and his evergreen composure frustrated me at times.

I wanted his heart to race too. I wanted him to be so crazy about me that all he thought about was me. Those greedy thoughts reared their heads in my mind. This time, I was the one to kiss him on the cheek. I then took a step backward. “If you come here again, I’ll show you around.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

 

***

 

Gazell had left the capital and gone back to the march alone. He collected some guards from the mansion and then went to go see his younger brother, Wels Orr Anderson. Wels lived in a manor separate from the main Anderson manor, in the northeastern part of the march.

“It’s been a long time, Wels.”

“Yes, it has, Brother.” Wels was even taller than the general, but he was very slender—so much that he looked more like a long, skinny pole. He was very pale, and his skin had a bluish tinge to it, as if he were unwell.

“You look rough. Are you sick?”

“No. I just haven’t gotten much sleep lately,” Wels answered with a wry smile on his face. He sat down across from Gazell. “By the way, I must offer you a belated congratulations.”

“Huh?” Gazell gave him a suspicious look, not understanding what he meant.

“Little Merellis’s engagement.”

“O-oh, right…”

“I’m quite envious. It must be nice to be able to marry your daughter off so quickly, and to such a high-ranking family,” Wels muttered as he sipped his tea.

Gazell stared at Wels for a while, then let out a sigh and took a drink of his own tea.

“So? What brings you here, Brother? It’s not often you come out this way.”

“Is that right?”

“It is.”

Gazell closed his eyes for a moment. There was a heavy mood coming from him. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Oh? What’s that?” The moment those words came out of Wels’s mouth, Gazell’s sword was already at his neck. The general had drawn his sword and swung it with such swiftness that Wels couldn’t have seen it coming. The younger brother’s eyes widened, and he glanced timidly back and forth between the blade and Gazell.

“Wh-wha… What is the meaning of…” He was so flustered, he couldn’t even complete either sentence.

Gazell snorted with laughter. “I don’t like beating around the bush. Answer me, Wels. Why did you attack my family?”

“Huh?”

“Answer me! I have proof tying the attack to mercenaries that you hired!” He pressed the blade harder against his younger brother’s neck. A red line appeared on the slender man’s flesh and liquid slowly dripped from it. Gazell’s gaze was sharp, and he had a dangerous aura about him. He looked like he could end this at any moment.

Wels took a breath and smiled. “Could you please put your sword away? Brother?”

Gazell glared at him even more sharply. Wels was no longer frantic and seemed unfazed by Gazell’s actions. Neither man moved a muscle and just continued silently glaring at one another.

Finally, Wels broke the silence. “You want to know why?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“You’re selfish, Brother. And because of your selfishness, you abandoned your duties as the eldest son. We all thought you ran away from home, and then you came back out of nowhere as a hero with parades in your honor, then you finally took your place again at the head of the family. Have you ever spared one tiny little thought about how I had been jerked around during that time?”

Gazell’s sword trembled slightly. “I…”

“I hated you. I had no skills with a sword like you do, so I poured all my efforts into my studies. But all our parents did was fawn over you because you were blessed with combat skills. And when you were thrown out of House Anderson, I was overjoyed, from the very bottom of my heart. I thought people would finally look at me. Not my selfish older brother, but me, who worked so hard to gain the knowledge to become fit to be governor. I was ready to work myself into the ground to advance House Anderson. And then the war ended, and the moment you came home, I was the one thrown out.”

“Wels…”

“What was my even life for, huh?! I wasn’t just a convenient little pawn to have around for you—for the Anderson family! No one spared one thought for me! They just kept manipulating me for their own convenience!”

“And that’s why you had my family attacked?”

“Yes. Actually, I meant for you to be the target. But the end result still caused you a great deal of pain, so I was satisfied.”

Gazell had let up on his sword slightly, but now he pressed it against his brother’s neck again. “Why? Why did they attack my family and not me?!” He bit his lip, trying to suppress something deep inside of him.

“Because no one was skilled enough to kill you, Brother. You’re a formidable swordsman, after all. I thought I was making a concession, but I was thrilled when I saw just how much pain you were in,” Wels answered coldly.

Gazell couldn’t handle it anymore. His sword trembled in his grip. Wels didn’t move and simply stared at Gazell, as if quietly awaiting his fate. A breeze made by the sword’s movements tickled against Wels’s neck, but Gazell didn’t bring the sword down all the way.

“The moment I found out about what you had done, you knew it would be all over for you. Why would you confess?” The sword was frozen in his hand as he questioned Wels further.

“I don’t even know myself,” the younger brother answered with a dry laugh. “If my plan hadn’t succeeded, that would’ve been a pity. But perhaps I’m satisfied because I got to tell you how I feel.”

We both bowed our heads deeply in response. We then said our farewells and excused ourselves from the throne room.

 

***

 

At the banquet afterward, there was one name on everyone’s lips: the infamous daughter of House Anderson who had made her debut tonight. House Anderson—the family that had the great hero Gazell Daz Anderson standing at the head. No one had ever seen his daughter Merellis Reiser Anderson appear in society before that night.

Normally, it was unheard of for no one to have ever laid eyes on a noble’s daughter, even before her proper debut. Even newer noble families had their children play together and throw tea parties for them, after all. However, the girl in question had never participated in such things.

Not many people dared to talk about it due to General Gazell’s power and influence, but there had been rumors that the girl was so homely that they did not dare allow her to appear in public. As time went on, interest in the girl waned and the rumors died down.

Before long, no one talked about her anymore at all, and the very idea of her faded from people’s memories. At least that was until it was announced that the mysterious girl was engaged to the House of Armelia’s son. At that point, the rumors spread like wildfire once more.

House Armelia was the most powerful noble family in the kingdom, producing a long line of prime ministers. Every family dreamed of marrying a daughter into the house. Some had approached the Armelias quite aggressively, but each time they were staved off and the son remained betrothed to no one as time went on.

So, of course no one—no one—would have guessed that he would become engaged to the daughter of House Anderson. The union would have very large implications, indeed, with the most obvious being that now the Armelias would be tied to the most powerful military family in the kingdom.

From now on, the Anderson girl would be receiving a great deal of attention from everyone—both good and bad. There would be some who would try to enjoy the new benefits from the Armelia family. However, there would also be others who would fear one family getting so much power and try to interfere with the engagement. And some wouldn’t be satisfied to just interfere—they would actively try to steal Louis away from her.

Seeds of this fervor were being planted all over during the banquet.

“Hello, Count Dranbaldt. You look like you’re enjoying yourself tonight.”

Count Dranbaldt had been happy to observe the festivities but took a break to exchange pleasantries with his acquaintances. “Yes, quite. I’m looking forward to seeing the young couple everyone is talking about. Now that my son is engaged, we can sit back and enjoy ourselves as outsiders, watching things unfold.”

“That’s true. Where is your son, by the way?”

“Over there, making the rounds with his fiancée.”

“Aha, I see. I’m envious that your son is the same age as the talk of the town. I’m sure he’ll have plenty of occasions to mingle with them from now on. My own child isn’t quite old enough yet.”

“That’s true… I suppose I’m lucky in that regard.”

The room had been abuzz with excitement, talking about the couple of the hour. But as the two men chatted, a hush fell over the room, starting from near the entrance.

“I wonder what’s going on over there?” Count Dranbaldt wondered aloud to his friend, who didn’t answer. Thinking that odd, the count glanced over at the other man and then followed his gaze.

Count Dranbaldt then froze himself.

Everyone was staring at just one person—the girl being escorted by Louis de Armelia.

It was Merellis Reiser Anderson.

She had skin so pale it looked almost translucent and silky platinum blonde hair that looked more like spun silver. Her face was so perfect and exquisitely beautiful that she looked more like a doll fashioned by a master craftsman. Her soft, aquamarine eyes glittered like gemstones, the only characteristic of her that proved she was a real person and not an inanimate work of art.

Every single person in the room was rendered speechless, captivated by her otherworldly beauty. All they could do was stare at her, dumbfounded. Even the swaths of people who had crowded around the door hoping to be the first ones to greet the couple were stunned and could only silently watch them pass.

They slowly walked toward the center of the silent room. Even though all they were doing was walking together, it was like a scene out of a painting. Everyone in the room was entranced by her elegant movements. The pair stopped slightly short of the center of the room and then began talking. Louis and Merellis would gaze at each other every so often and smile adoringly. They were the perfect picture of a couple in love—and everyone watching could only agree.

Finally, the music stopped, and everyone turned toward the entrance once more. A few moments later, the queen appeared in the doorway. Behind her was the first prince, Edgar Rue Tasmeria. He had his mother’s strong, deep blue eyes, and even while dressed in fine clothing, one could see how muscular he was. Every single noble girl in the room immediately turned on her charms when he made his gallant appearance. That was because the heir to the throne was not yet engaged.

Under normal circumstances, this would’ve been unheard of. However, just around the time when the selection process for the future queen would’ve begun, his father the king had passed away. Because of the customary mourning period, the selection was delayed.

“Everyone. I am so pleased to see that you are in good health. Much time has passed since our ceasefire agreement with Tweil, and the children of our kingdom are thriving in our peaceful time. Nothing makes me happier than to see their happiness. I can see that the start of a new era in Tasmeria is just around the corner. Tonight, we have guests in attendance from many generations. I hope that you all truly enjoy yourselves this evening.” After the queen’s address, the music resumed.

Merellis and Louis began to dance, and of course, everyone was watching them. When the song ended, they both shifted to new partners and began to dance once more. A slight buzz ran through the room at her new partner, because…

Merellis was dancing with Prince Edgar!

The crowd was astonished—Prince Edgar was even the one who insisted Merellis dance with him. Up until this point, there had been no talk of him fancying any girl in particular. It was said he was an innocent young man, more interested in developing friendships with boys than falling in love with girls.

However, Merellis was already betrothed to Louis. After the dance was over, the two exchanged a few words and then parted, with Merellis dancing with another partner.

After several more songs, Louis took Merellis to greet some nobles here and there. And finally, the two appeared before the count.

“It’s lovely to see you again, Count Dranbaldt.”

“Ah, Lord Louis! It really has been quite some time! I’m envious that you have such a beautiful fiancée on your arm tonight!”

“Thank you. Allow me to introduce you to her properly. This is my fiancée, Merellis Reiser Anderson.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Count Dranbaldt. I’m looking forward to getting to know you more.”

“Likewise! It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. You know, my son is also in attendance tonight! Unfortunately, he’s not with me right now…” The count looked all around but could not locate his son. He frowned with disappointment.

“Oh, you mean Lord Dan? He’s been such a help to me at the academy.”

“Ha ha! I’m quite sure it’s the other way around! By the way, will you be studying at the academy this year, Lady Merellis?”

“Yes, I will. Lord Dan’s fiancée, Lady Foulard, will be attending this year as well, correct? I can’t wait.”

Count Dranbaldt was impressed that she was so well versed.

“By the way, Count Dranbaldt. I heard that your wife the countess traveled to Rubel the other day?”

“Oh, you know about that? Yes, my wife is quite fond of the seafood and porcelain there.”

“Oh, it’s no wonder! The seafood there is absolutely delicious! And Rubel’s porcelain really is quite stunning. I can see why the countess is so drawn to it.”

“Is that so? Do you happen to know a lot about porcelain, Lady Merellis?”

“I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know as much as I should! But when I last visited Rubel, I was so impressed by how beautiful it was. I thought maybe I should begin collecting it!”

“Ah, I see. Well, in that case, would you like to come visit my home sometime? My wife has quite an extensive collection.”

“Oh, goodness! I would love to! As long as it’s not too much trouble…”

“Not at all! I’ll go ahead and send you an invitation.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me.”

The young couple bowed their heads, and Count Dranbaldt stepped away to exchange pleasantries with another noble.

 

***

 

Once the banquet was over, Merellis and Louis got back into their carriage. The young woman’s head immediately fell onto Louis’s shoulder, either due to being released from such stress or from sheer exhaustion.

“You did a wonderful job,” Louis said gently to her.

“Thanks. It’s all because of you. I made a lot of acquaintances tonight.”

“All I did was help you make the connections. Now the rest is up to you.” He truly meant it. He had been astonished tonight watching just how easily she’d gotten so many of those nobles eating out of the palm of her hand. After he’d introduced her to the men, they all insisted she meet their wives as well, and before long she was chatting warmly with them like old friends. He wondered how many people she had made an impression on in just this one day.

Not only that, but to him, it seemed more like others had been honored to introduce themselves to her instead of her approaching them. It was like they wanted to help welcome her into the community of noblewomen and introduce her to everyone.

At any rate, he was surprised that she had so easily captured everyone’s hearts in such little time. And it wasn’t an innate ability; it had been the product of her daily hard work since she had become engaged to Louis. Not only had she attended his mother’s lessons faithfully, but she had also read stacks of books on her own to build on her new knowledge. And once arriving at the banquet, she used each of her five senses to take it all in.

But most of all, her experiences talking with Lady Aurelia every day helped her bloom into the flower she had become tonight. As he pondered all this, he realized the young woman was even more important than he thought. He glanced down at her, and it seemed like she was already deep in the world of dreams.

They would arrive home soon, and he knew that. He half smiled but decided he would let her rest for a bit. A short time later, they arrived at the Anderson mansion.

“Merry…” He gently shook her, and she woke right away. “Morning, Merry.”

“Louis…? Hm? What are you doing here?” She blinked sleepily several times, looking confused. Her head quickly cleared, and she sat up. “I-I’m sorry. I can’t believe I fell asleep when you were so kind to take me home.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure you were exhausted. You should get to bed early tonight.”

“Y-yes, I’ll do that. Thanks, Louis.”

He walked her inside and then climbed back into the carriage. He then returned home to the Armelia mansion.

“Oh! Welcome home, Louis.” Romello was already there, relaxing on the living room sofa.

“It’s unusual to see you anywhere but your study these days,” Louis said, prompting a laugh from Romello. “May I join you?” he asked as he sat down across from his father.

“It’s just as unusual for you to ask if you can join me.”

“I suppose it is.” Louis poured his father a drink.

“Merry looked beautiful tonight. I heard you were gushing over your fiancée to everyone too,” Romello teased with a smirk.

Louis took a sip of his own drink with an impassive look on his face.

“It’s not every day the queen compliments you either.” Romello nodded over and over again, happily.

Louis glared back at him. “Seems like you have ears everywhere.”

“You’re just noticing that now?”

“Fair. I just wanted to say it.” Louis sighed with exasperation. “And I wasn’t gushing. I was just being honest with my feelings. Although…perhaps I did gush a bit in front of the queen.”

“You certainly seemed happy.”

“Of course I was. I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but when we had the audience with the queen, it seemed like she was very taken with Merry. So yes, it’s true that I gushed about her a bit.”

“Taken with the girl, eh? Well, I’m not sure about that, but she certainly struck a chord with Queen Iria somehow. After all, her son asked Merry to dance with him even though she’s engaged to you!”

Prince Edgar still wasn’t engaged. Banquets were occasions to meet the young ladies of high society. And although there was no need for the heir to the throne to be the one aggressively pursuing any ladies, it was still a good chance to narrow down some candidates for his fiancée by chatting and dancing with them.

For that reason, it was highly unusual that he asked Merellis to dance, since she was already betrothed. He should have been using that time to appraise one of the single ladies. The number of songs played during the banquet was decided beforehand, so there were only so many opportunities to dance with someone.

“Exactly. Then my hunch was right. Hopefully being engaged to the heir of House Armelia will keep him in check, but that gave me another reason to show just how in love we are.”

“I agree that was necessary, if you don’t intend on letting her go.”

“I do not. I don’t even think I could let her go if she asked me to,” he said firmly. And Louis meant it.

“No one likes a stubborn man.”

“Look who’s talking! I heard from Mother that’s exactly how you were when you pursued her too.”

“Hey now! Let’s not bring that up!”

“She said, ‘Hmm, I believe it was before I entered the academy. And your father…’” Louis ignored Romello and continued relaying the story Lady Aurelia had told him.

“I’m sorry, all right? Please don’t bring that up!” Romello apologized frantically, and Louis relented. His father had an unusually flustered look on his face. “Why in the world did Aurelia have to tell you those things…” he muttered. He wore a look of exhaustion like he’d just fought a hard battle.

“I asked Mother about it when I was young, thinking it might come in handy someday.”

“You always acted older than your years…”

“I did. Thanks to a certain someone.”

“Who? I’ll go complain to them!”

Louis smiled but coolly stared at Romello. His father instead cleared his throat to change the subject. “Anyway, about the matter with Rimmel… I’ll be meeting with them tomorrow.”

“Oh? You finally arranged everything then. That was awfully fast.”

“Yes, it was originally supposed to be several weeks from now, but it just so happened to be more convenient for both sides to meet tomorrow instead.”

“You’re going to visit the two moderate houses first, right?”

“Right. I’m going to confirm the results of our investigation with my own eyes. By the way, the only ones who know about this are the queen, the minister of foreign affairs, and a few staff members. And you, of course. I can’t make a big deal about the trip, so I’ll be leaving everything here in the guards’ and your hands. You’ve worked on the tasks before, so it should be easy for you, correct?”

“Yes. What will you do for protection?”

“Gazell is sending me several of his men. Although I do wish I could bring Gazell or Merry…”

“The stronger your guards, the fewer you have to bring, and then you won’t have as much to worry about, hm? Especially if you’re going incognito.”

“That’s right. But I know that wouldn’t work out, so that’s just how it is. Anyway, starting tomorrow, I’ll be leaving things in your hands.”

“All right.” Louis drained his glass, said good night to his father, and returned to his room. Once there, he finally loosened his tie and sat down. It was already way past midnight. Even though he would normally still be up at this hour, he was especially tired from the banquet. He sank back into his seat and looked up, staring absently at the ceiling as he lost himself in his thoughts.

“Lord Louis.” Suddenly Berne was behind him.

“Oh, Berne. What is it?”

“I just wanted to tell you that I shall be accompanying Lord Romello to Rimmel and that I will be working undercover there for a while. I wanted to bid you goodbye before I left.”

“Oh, is that right? How long will you be staying there this time?”

“It will depend on the situation, but probably six months to a year.”

“That long? You’ve been going back and forth for some time now, but it looks like this time you’ll be staying for quite a while.”

“Correct. The only reason it was possible was because Rimmel chose me to spy on Tasmeria. Apparently they think highly of my abilities too, but little do they know I’ll be a double agent.”

“It’s a shame you have to go since you were finally able to train at House Anderson.”

“I improved there very much, thanks to you. Even though it was only for a short while, I enjoyed my time with the first regiment. And because of that, I was allowed to train at House Anderson too.”

“General Gazell’s name goes very far.”

“It does. While I was there, I realized that his reputation isn’t just a sham. It’s the real thing. After seeing him and his men fight, I now understand why so many kingdoms fear him and his army.”

“All the more reason why we must defend his house. After all, it’s connected to the very defense of this kingdom.”

“I agree,” Berne nodded.

Louis let out a sigh. “Even though Wels’s punishment is permanent house arrest, I doubt he’ll just sit there obediently. We’ll have to watch him and his surroundings very carefully. I only wish you could be here to help me.”

“I’m sorry, Lord Louis. I wish I could do both.”

“Of course you do. I’ll just have to use another one of our operatives.”

“Speaking of which, there is someone else I’d like to train…”

“Oh? Who?” Louis leaned forward with interest.

“Her name is Enarene. She’s one of Lady Merellis’s attendants. She’s already been learning from the lady herself, and she’s a skilled fighter. She’s loyal to the kingdom and has a calm, even-tempered personality. She would be useful in going undercover where only women are allowed. I think she would be a suitable candidate to be trained as a female spy.”

“I see… We’ll take a look at her next time you come home.”

“Very well. But I do think things would move faster if you could be the one who suggested it.”

“All right, I’ll take care of it then. I pray for your safety.”

“Thank you.” Berne bowed and then excused himself from the room.

Neither of them could say a word.

“Lord Louis… Didn’t Lord Doruna here say you needed to be going…?”

“A-ah, yes. Sorry, we have some final checks we have to do before the ceremony. I’ll come see you again.”

“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

Louis had to practically drag the two still-frozen boys away into the auditorium.

Now that I was alone, I took a good look at the building from the outside.

There were five main structures at the academy. There was the academy itself where the classrooms were, the auditorium, the cafeteria, the library, and the dormitory. From the ground floor entrance of the academy building, one could walk straight through to a long quadrangle. There were several archways supported by columns lining the pathways, giving it an austere feeling.

Then, there was the auditorium, where many events were held such as entrance and graduation ceremonies and balls. The cafeteria and the library were also as one would expect.

The dormitory was split up on either side of the academy building into two wings. The west wing was the girls’ dormitory, and the east wing was the boys’. They were connected by a very long hallway that cut through the main academy building.

I stepped back and looked at the scenery before me.

There was a courtyard right in the center of the quadrangle. The sun shone down on the green lawn, contrasting sharply to the plain white pathways constructed around it. I let my eyes wander around the courtyard and to the buildings I could see between the columns.

Finally, I noticed students were beginning to pour into the auditorium. I supposed it was time for me to go as well, and so I joined the crowd. The auditorium was plenty large enough to fit all the students inside with space to spare.

There was a podium situated in the front of the room, beyond which sat colorful stained-glass windows. The new students all sat near the front in no particular order.

“Welcome, students. We are so pleased to have you at our academy.” The ceremony began, and the headmaster gave a speech. It contained all of the typical language you would expect, like how this would be a place where we would learn many things and make many important connections, grow as individuals to serve the kingdom, and so on.

Once his speech was over, orientation began. I was surprised to see Louis step up to the podium.

Why is Louis up there? I wondered, but my question was soon answered. The academy had a student council, and Louis was its president. Now I understood why Doruna had urged him to hurry up and get ready.

Louis imparted a few tidbits about what life would be like here at the academy and what else the students would be doing today after this ceremony. I could hear impressed murmurs and even shrieks from the audience at his dignified presence—though all at a volume which wouldn’t disturb his speech, of course.

It made me glad and proud to see how popular he was here—but I was also a tiny bit jealous.

After that, orientation was over, and we moved into the academy building. There were four divisions of study here at the academy: the scholars, the knights, the clergymen, and the ladies’ courses. There were also general education courses everyone took, which included Tasmerian language, history, and classes on other subjects as well.

If you were interested in classes outside of your course of study, you could take them unless you were a woman—they were not allowed to take outside courses. And the opposite was true as well, as the boys were not allowed to take any classes inside the ladies’ course. In other words, the only classes that anyone was permitted to take regardless of gender were the general education classes.

Supposedly they didn’t take social status or grades into account when dividing up the classes, but I wasn’t sure how true that was. After I left the auditorium, I picked up my class schedule, reviewed it, and then went to my first class.

More than half of the students were already there. I recognized many of the others…and Prince Edgar was one of them. When I saw the son of Count Dilitry and the son of Count Dungley with him, I had a feeling the class rosters weren’t random at all.

It was likely that I was placed in this class because of my father’s name. I looked around and made eye contact with the prince and gave him a little bow. I then took a seat. A few moments later, our instructor entered the room.

“Congratulations on your first day at the academy, everyone. My name is Eldran, and I’m the instructor for this class. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. You’ll be with this same group of people for three years, so why don’t we begin with introductions? Let’s start from the front right seat.”

We then introduced ourselves, one by one. Everyone shared their name, house, and a few short sentences about themselves. I followed suit with the rest of them. After we were all finished, the door opened, and another staff member came in and exchanged words with Mr. Eldran.

“Thank you, everyone. We’ll now go on a tour of the campus, so I’ll be showing you around. Be prepared to walk for a while.”

We all stood up and formed a line behind Mr. Eldran.

“The first, second, and third floors are all normal classrooms. As Lord Louis explained during orientation, each course of study has their own classrooms. After each lesson, please use your time to continue promptly to your next class. If there are ever any changes in room assignments, you will be notified during break times on this bulletin board.”

The classrooms were identical except for the nameplates beside each door.

“The fourth floor has special classrooms with laboratories for mechanics and science courses.” Mr. Eldran opened a door to one of these to show us, and the room was filled with all kinds of strange research equipment.

Biology, mechanics, and science were classes that were part of the scholar course of study. There weren’t many people who chose those courses in an average year, but for a second or third son of a noble family who would have no chance to inherit a title or wealth, being a scholar was a good future career choice. The academy was a wonderful place for those people interested in these subjects.

Every year, there were one or two students who were very devoted to the scholar path. The most knowledgeable people in the kingdom became teachers, so it seemed like almost a waste. But from the students’ perspective, I’m sure it was a dream to have such a small class size. And from a teacher’s perspective, with so few students, they’d have more time to devote to their own research.

After we saw the labs, we went back down to the first floor and walked through the quadrangle in a clockwise fashion.

“Our library has the largest selection of books in the kingdom. It also has many rare books that are very securely guarded. The first rule of the library is that there are to be absolutely no fires lit inside at any time. Also, only books that are kept on the shelves are available to be checked out. Our rare books are kept under lock and key, so naturally those cannot be removed either.”

We walked past the guards at the door and through the library. Shelves filled with tomes stretched high to the ceiling. There was a slightly musty smell of old books in the air. Just as Mr. Eldran said, the rare ones were kept locked up, and anyone entering the library with a bag was subject to having it searched. I figured it would be very difficult indeed to remove any of them from the building.

We left the library and continued toward the left, back to the auditorium where we started the day. “This is the auditorium, where the entrance ceremony was held earlier. A ball will be held here at the end of the school year as well.” That was the only explanation given as we walked through the building and onward. We rejoined the path outside and continued down it, stopping at the entrance of the next building.

“This is the cafeteria. You will sit toward the left or right side of the room with your peers from your own dormitory. The right side is the men’s side, and the left is the ladies’. There are no assigned seats, but in general, the third years sit toward the back, the second years in the middle, and the first years in the front.”

The cafeteria had high ceilings and felt quite large. Its most distinctive feature was the huge stained-glass windows spaced at regular intervals, dispersing colored light as the sun shone through. There were also several portraits of people related to the academy hanging on the walls. Four long, narrow tables with chairs filled the hall. It looked like the table setting of a banquet, just on a much larger scale, so it was quite intimidating.

“On weekdays, you will eat lunch and dinner here. If you have other plans, you must notify staff beforehand. It is your choice where to eat breakfast and meals on weekends, so there’s no need to notify staff if you eat elsewhere. Breakfast is served between six a.m. to eight a.m. and lunch is served from eleven a.m. to one p.m., so you may eat at any time during those hours. Dinner is served promptly every night at seven p.m., so please plan accordingly.”

“Now for our last stop, we’ll visit the chapel.”

We returned to the academy building and exited through the front. We walked toward the gates and saw the chapel coming up on the right side, surrounded by trees. Inside, the building held an altar and rows of long, simple wooden pews for worshippers. There were several columns standing inside, carved with angels and saints recognized by the Darryl Church, but nothing was too gaudy or over the top.

The chapel had a solemn yet soft atmosphere. Being in that peaceful space somehow made my heart feel cleansed.

We silently exited the chapel and returned to the academy’s main building.

“As the student council president explained, your rooms are listed on your schedules. After a week has passed, if you decide you want to take a class outside of your designated course of study, you must submit an application to me. And with that, I think that should do it for me. Soon, you’ll proceed to your respective dormitories, and student council representatives will explain those rules.”

After Mr. Eldran excused himself, a boy and a girl came into our classroom.

“I’m William, the student council treasurer and men’s dormitory leader.”

“And I’m Lora. I’m the ladies’ dormitory leader and the student council secretary.”

The boys and the girls split up to follow their respective leaders. As we walked down the hallway, we arrived at a building about the same height as the academy building. There was a reception desk immediately after the entrance.

“Every time you leave the dormitory, you must leave your room key here at the front desk. If you tell the secretary your name and room number, they will return your key. Also, like you heard at the library, it is possible to check out certain books as well, and those can be returned here at the reception desk. If you are sick or unable to attend classes due to family circumstances, you can let the staff here know and they will take care of it for you. Also, you can send and receive letters and buy school supplies here. There’s a list above the reception desk and in each of your rooms that details what’s available for sale, so please check over that when you have a chance. Asking a staff member to buy something not on the list is strictly forbidden. Unfortunately, there are instances of that every few years, and students who do so will be suspended.”

I could imagine the staff dealing with such requests. These noble children have never wanted for anything, and some might expect the same quality of life here at the dorm. The people hearing those frustrations would most likely be the front desk staff.

“There are some people who may be tempted to boast about their family’s power to pressure the staff members. Please be aware that if you are caught doing this, your punishment will be even more severe. Keep in mind that this is the royal academy—in other words, it was built because of the royal family, and all the staff members here have vowed to serve the kingdom to their utmost abilities without caving to outside pressure. The student council will be watching over the students’ actions, and the kingdom inquiry commission periodically investigates to make sure the staff are upholding their vows to the crown. They won’t bend so easily.”

In other words, the staff kept an eye on the students, the student council did the same, and then the organization keeping watch over everything was the kingdom’s inquiry commission. I figured that the strict structure had been put in place to make sure the relationship between students and teachers never became inappropriate, because doing so would damage the integrity of the academy as a place of learning.

“Over this way, we have the infirmary. The doctor lives here on campus, so feel free to visit if you have any health concerns at all.”

We had turned right from the reception area and walked into the pure white infirmary. There were three beds inside with shelves of all kinds of medicines on the walls. The desk was immediately to the left, and a doctor wearing a white coat was already seated there. Lora bowed politely to him, and then we quietly excused ourselves back into the hallway and continued walking.

“This is the bath area. You may use the baths from four p.m. to six p.m. or from nine p.m. to ten p.m. Each room is equipped with a simple bathroom as well. Up ahead are the restrooms. There is a laundry facility in the basement where you can wash your clothes. However, this is not necessary; if you place your laundry into the numbered laundry bag you’ll find in your rooms, you can leave it in your room and an academy servant will collect the bag when they come to clean your quarters. They will return your laundered clothes the next day.”

We went back the way we came to explore the other direction past the reception desk.

“In the opposite area here is the café. They offer light snacks and drinks.”

There were several tall, round tables with chairs in the café. It seemed like most people took food and drinks up to their rooms rather than eat in this area.

“That’s it for the floors above ground. Any questions?” Lora asked, but no one said a thing. She looked around at us one more time and then climbed the staircase next to the reception desk. We came out into a large room. “This is the first-floor parlor. You may use this common room whenever you like.” There were several sofas with side tables situated throughout the room, as well as a pretty floral-patterned rug. The walls were covered in cute pink paper, and several beautiful religious paintings were hung upon them.

“If you go up those stairs, you’ll reach the residence rooms. Your room assignments are written on your schedules.” She pointed to the staircase in the corner of the room.

“If you need anything at all, I’m in room 201. Please don’t hesitate to come to me for anything at all. Sometimes I do get noise complaints, so please remember to be considerate of your classmates. Also, food and drink is permitted in your rooms. However, boys are never allowed in your rooms no matter what your relationship might be, so please be aware of that. You’ll find a pamphlet in your room with a detailed list of the rules, so please go ahead and read those as soon as possible. That concludes our tour of the dormitory.”

Everyone clapped for Lora, and then we all dispersed. I went to get my room key down at the reception desk and then went to my room—room 205. Anna had already unpacked my things so there was nothing else left for me to do but relax. There was a queen-sized bed in the center of the room, a study desk by the window, and a vanity on the opposite wall. A wardrobe sat next to the door, and then another door on the opposite side of that led to my bathroom.

I did as Lora suggested and read through the list of rules. Basically, I would be living life without my personal attendants while I was here. I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so I had no problem with this. At any rate, the academy’s servants would do the cleaning and the laundry, so the only things I really had to do myself were dress and bathe.

The rule book did say though that in the case of formal balls, we were allowed to have our female attendants come to help us get ready. Those attendants would stay in the servant’s quarters which were separate from the dormitory.

Once I was finished reading through the rules, it was already time for dinner, so I left the dormitory and headed to the cafeteria.

Everyone arrived promptly for dinner and sat down. Dinner was served family style with large plates at each table for the group to share, from appetizers down to the entrée. I chose a random seat and enjoyed my meal. After that, I bathed, got my things ready for the next day, and went right to sleep.

 

***

 

The classes in the ladies’ course of study were pretty much just a review of the things Lady Aurelia had already taught me. The same went for the general education classes. In some ways, it was reassuring to know I wouldn’t have a problem with the coursework and could just relax. I hadn’t made any good friends yet, but I felt that would probably come naturally as time went on.

“Excuse me, you’re Lady Merellis, aren’t you?” I was relaxing with some tea in the parlor when someone came up to me. I thought the voice sounded familiar, and I saw Lady Sharia standing there. Her full name was Sharia Lulu Telrose, and she was one of the noble girls that I had saved after being kidnapped in the capital.

“Yes, that’s right. You’re Lady Sharia, am I right?”

“I’m honored you remember me. May I join you until the next class?”

“Of course.”

Sharia sat down across from me. She had actually tried to talk to me several times during our general education classes. Under normal circumstances, one of a lower rank must never speak to someone of a higher rank unless first spoken to, but not here at the academy. Otherwise, no one would ever be able to develop any friendships here. I was wondering when she would come talk to me, but I had let her do it at her own pace.

Also, since she knew me as Mer, I was afraid to approach her for fear of having my secret exposed.

“Lady Merellis, I’ve wanted to thank you for some time but haven’t been able to… Please forgive me.”

“Thank me?”

“Yes. Your bodyguard saved my life. Do you remember the kidnappings in the capital several years ago? I was actually one of the girls who was kidnapped…”

Although everyone was aware of the incident, the victims’ names had never been made public. It was to protect the girls from unwanted attention. That was probably why none of them had ever spoken about it outside of their families either.

I wasn’t sure whether the fact that she revealed the truth so easily to me was because she wondered if Mer and I were one and the same, or whether she was just that bold and strong a person.

“Is that right? Mer did tell me all about the incident. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“What? Y-yes, that’s right. That’s all because of Mer. Thank you so much.”

“No need for thanks, she was just doing her duty. But I know she would feel extremely honored to hear that someone she saved expressed their gratitude to me.”

“Lady Merellis…” She began to say something but then thought better of it.

“Yes?”

“Nothing. It’s just… I’m so glad to finally meet you, and I’d love it if we could become friends.”

“Of course. I feel the same way.” I answered without hesitation. As we talked with each other, I did think I’d like to be friends with her. I appreciated the way she didn’t put on airs.

I had always liked her, in fact. So much so that I had wanted to tell her right away that I wished we could be friends.

“Thank you so much for protecting us. We’re all safe. We couldn’t possibly thank you enough.”

“How can we ever thank you for doing that for us? Thank you so much!”

Even now, I treasured the words she said after I saved them. I was overjoyed that someone else had validated the path I was going down and relieved that I had saved their families from the same fate as I’d suffered. In fact, she was the one who had saved me.

“I’m looking forward to becoming close friends with you, Lady Sharia.”

 

***

 

“Good for you,” Louis said after I told him about my encounter with the young woman.

“I know. I was hoping to become friends with her, but I just couldn’t approach her myself.”

“She’s the daughter of Count Telrose, right? I heard that she had been sick for a while and that’s why she had disappeared from the public eye, but the real reason was because of the kidnapping…”

“Really? Is that what people said?”

“Yes, and the timeline coincides exactly to when the kidnappings occurred. And from what you told me about her, I have a feeling it wasn’t her idea, but her parents’. They were probably too worried to send her out into the public eye again.”

“I see…”

The two of us were in the courtyard, which was on the opposite side of the chapel. Even though we were engaged, there weren’t many places where Louis and I could relax together. Not only were we in different years, but the academy was quite strict about keeping the men and ladies separate except for in general classes. The courtyard ended up being a very important place for us.

It was a popular location, not just for couples but as a place for everyone to relax and get out of the cycle of going back and forth between the classrooms and the dormitories. For that reason, we were incredibly lucky to get a bench to ourselves. I was sitting now with my head leaned against his shoulder.

“Are you taking any other classes outside of the scholars’ course, Louis?”

“I wanted to, but I have to help Father. I also have my work with the student council, so I just don’t have time to take extra classes.”

“Oh… Are you very busy with the student council?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m busy, but it does take up some of my time. If I find myself free, I do drop in on elective classes here and there.”

“Wait, you can do that?!”

“You can. It’s especially welcome with the classes that have a small number of students.”

“That’s wonderful. The ladies are highly discouraged from taking extra classes, and even if they did manage to get permission, it seems as though it would be looked down upon…”

Personally, I didn’t see why working harder at school would be a problem. However, since this was a noble academy, the number one thing you had to worry about as a lady was your reputation. If you stood out too much from the crowd, it could work against you. If your reputation started to suffer, it would be very difficult to turn it around.

Once again, I was confronted with the fact that women had very limited options in this kingdom—just like how I wasn’t allowed to join the army.

“I suppose it would be difficult to take classes in the knights’ course.”

“How did you know that was what I was interested in?”

“Anyone who knows you would.”

“Ugh, I guess you’re right. I just can’t help but be curious though. I wonder what a training course is like when my father isn’t in charge of it.”

“They definitely wouldn’t let you take a class in the knights’ course, but no one will outright say no to you taking an elective. I’ll leave it up to your judgment.” He patted me on the head.

It made me happy that he trusted me so deeply. “Okay. I knew you’d say that, Louis.”

“By the way, can I recommend a place for you to train?”

“What?!” I definitely wasn’t expecting him to say that.

“You know how there’s a forest next to the courtyard?”

“Y-yes…”

“There’s a building deep in the forest that’s not being used right now. It used to be a training building for the knights, but there were so many people joining the knights’ course that they needed more room, so they built a new training building behind the auditorium. The building in the forest is locked, but I have the key.”

“What?! I can train there?”

“You can. They don’t want to waste money from the budget to tear the building down, but they don’t have any other plans to use it at the moment.”

“Thank you so much, Louis!” If we weren’t in public right now, I would’ve thrown my arms around him.

“I should probably get going.”

“Oh…right. I wish we could’ve spent a bit more time together.”

“Don’t tempt me,” he gave me a smile. I looked down apologetically. “Let’s meet again soon.” He gently kissed me on the cheek, and I returned the favor.

“Of course. Can I walk halfway with you?”

“Sure. It’s not far to the academy building, but I’d love for you to walk with me.”

I took his hand and walked beside him.

“G-good afternoon, Lady Merellis.”

“Oh, hello, Lord Ruud.”

“Oh, Lady Merellis! It’s nice to see you.”

“Good afternoon, Lord Beryl.”

As we walked, several of my classmates said hello.

“It looks like you’re quite popular,” Louis remarked after the fourth or fifth instance of this happening. His voice was low and had a hint of irritation in his voice, which was unusual for him.

Meanwhile, I was very happy. Because the more irritated he was, the more it showed me that he loved me.

“I’m just saying hello. They’re my classmates, after all.” I always felt a dark shadow inside of my heart when I saw Louis talking to other girls. Sometimes I felt badly about it, but I just couldn’t help it. Of course, I never let it show, and I kept it to myself.

I couldn’t very well ask him to stop talking or looking at other girls, after all. I didn’t want to get in his way, and I certainly didn’t want to stand in the way of his dream, so all I could do was suppress those dark feelings.

To be honest, I wanted to be the only thing on his mind. I wanted him to be so full of me he might drown. It was a very greedy thought, but that was precisely why it made me happy to know that he felt the same way.

“Do you really think I’d be interested in anyone else but you? They’d all run for the hills if they found out the truth about me,” I said.

He let out a little sigh. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair of me.”

“It’s all right. It made me happy.”

“Did it?” He chuckled wryly, and I wondered if he sensed that I felt the same. He didn’t say anything else, though—he just kissed me on the cheek again. “Well, this is where we part. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay. Take care, Louis.”

As we said goodbye, he passed me the key. I looked at it in my hand. It was the perfect timing, as I was just thinking about how I would love some exercise. I only had one more class left for the day, so afterward I’d go train.

“Lady Merellis? May we have a moment?” Suddenly a group of three girls approached me. I didn’t recognize them, so I figured they must’ve been older than me.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go to class. May we chat afterwards?”

“…You’re disobeying your upperclassmen?”

“Would a good upperclassman invite someone somewhere with complete disregard for their obligations?”

They knew full well how rude they were being, but my response just made them angrier.

“Please invite me again after my class is over, and then we can have a chat.” I left, thinking that things were really getting interesting now. I turned the corner and then stopped. I wanted to see who had been following me. And as expected, that person bumped right into me once they turned the corner as well.

“Goodness! Pardon me, Your Highness.”

Surprisingly, the person who had been watching me was none other than Prince Edgar.

“No, pardon me.”

I slowly took a step backward. Why had he been following me?

“Are you really going to take those girls on?” he asked. At first, I didn’t understand what he meant, because I didn’t expect him to ask me such a question.

“Did you overhear our conversation, Your Highness?” I asked, now knowing that he indeed had.

“I just happened to be passing by.” His eyes darted away. It was a pathetic excuse. After all, the girls had approached me outside of the ladies’ classrooms.

“I think ‘taking them on’ is a bit strong. I was just accepting their invitation,” I said, getting back to the topic at hand.

“You sound pretty confident for a battle of three against one.”

“Confident? I was just curious as to what they could have to say to me. Plus, three against one… Certainly my upperclassmen wouldn’t do anything nefarious. Are you sure you aren’t overreacting, Your Highness?”

“Most girls would be terrified after being called out by a group of older girls here.”

“You’re funny, Your Highness. Did you come here to talk about the disposition of women with me?” He hesitated for a moment. “I will say one thing… What you’ve seen of young women so far is but one small side of them.”

He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again.

“If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness, I must go to my next class.”

I left before he could say anything else.

 

***

 

“We’ve come to see you again, Lady Merellis.” Right after class, the older girls were waiting for her.

“Goodness. I admire your perseverance, ladies,” Merellis said coolly as she followed them.

Sharia happened to be walking by and saw the group. She had a bad feeling about this, so she decided to follow. The three older girls walked silently with smiles plastered to their faces. Sharia watched them closely, trailing behind far enough so that no one noticed her. Once they arrived at a deserted spot behind the library, the girls stopped. She hid in the shadows so no one would see her.

She noticed someone else was hiding there too. “Your Highness?!” she exclaimed, but thankfully she was quiet enough that the other girls didn’t hear.

“Shh.” Edgar put a finger on his lips and gestured her to come closer.

“We finally get to talk to you, Lady Merellis.”

The girls hadn’t noticed Edgar and Sharia’s presences.

“Yes. Thank you for waiting until my classes were done,” Merellis said with a smile. Her completely confident attitude had the three girls a bit flustered for a moment. “Now, what was it that you wanted? I’m sorry to say I haven’t the faintest idea what you could want to speak to me about.”

“It’s about Lord Louis,” the girl in the middle said, glaring at her.

“Oh? What about Lord Louis?” Merellis wasn’t intimidated by the girl’s anger at all. In fact, she blinked innocently at her, egging her on.

“If you really call yourself Lord Louis’s fiancée, you need to know your place!” the girl responded in a low, threatening voice.

“And what does that mean exactly? I’m sorry, but I’m not quite understanding what you’re trying to say here.”

“You don’t understand? Well! I certainly don’t think you’re worthy of marrying into the Armelia family!” The girl laughed scornfully, and the other two joined in.

“Thank you for the warning, but could you be kind to a younger student and explain exactly what you mean by that?” Merellis answered calmly, the smile still on her face.

“Listen. Lord Louis is busy. Just because you’re his fiancée doesn’t give you the right to hog all of his time!”

“That’s right! And it’s positively unsightly the way you act so intimate with him all the time! Just what are you trying to do, damage his reputation?!”

“A weak, sickly girl like you couldn’t possibly be fit for the role of wife to the heir of House Armelia!”

The three girls’ words were like spears shooting one after the other. It kept escalating to the point where it was getting unbearable to hear. Edgar frowned and started to stand to go put a stop to it.

“Please wait, Your Highness…” Sharia said.

“Why?” He gave her a questioning look.

“Just wait… Just a bit longer, please.”

While they were talking in the shadows, the situation had taken an unexpected turn. They now heard Merellis laughing softly. “Again, thank you for the warning. It was very educational to hear your opinions.”

For a moment, the girls stared blankly at Merellis as if they had no idea what she had just said, their eyes wide.

“Wha—”

“Well? Is that all you have to say to me?”

“How dare you speak to your upperclassmen with such an attitude!”

Merellis laughed with amusement in response to the girls’ annoyance. “Upperclassmen? Hm, that’s strange. Would my seniors truly call a younger student out, lead them to a deserted area, and then insult and threaten her? Certainly not!” Her voice was no longer soft. Her tone was so icy it sent shivers down the spines of all who heard, and her gaze was deadly serious and sharp as a blade as she glared at the girls.

Everyone watching was speechless.

“And on what basis have you decided I am not worthy to marry into House Armelia? My engagement was arranged by my father, the war hero General Gazell Daz Anderson and this kingdom’s prime minister, Duke Romello Gib Armelia. Do any of you three have the authority to override their judgment?”

“Wh-what’s your problem? All you can do is brag about your family’s power…”

“If that’s how you want to interpret it, that’s your own problem. I’m sure it’s impossible to say anything that will change your minds, since all you’ve done is scrape the bottom of the barrel for negative things so you can try to discredit me. I’m incredibly thankful that you’ve approached me and given me the chance to hear you out. Now I know for certain that there are people like you here at the academy.” She smiled, her expression softening a bit. “At any rate, I don’t need your permission or your acceptance. No matter what anyone has to say about it, I am Louis de Armelia’s fiancée. We’re in love, and nothing you do or say will ever change that.” Her words were even sharper than before, and all the other girls could do was close their mouths.

“…I knew it,” Sharia whispered.

“Knew it? What did you know?” Edgar whispered back.

“Huh? Oh…” Sharia’s eyes darted back and forth. She had been so captivated by the scene which had unfolded before them that she utterly forgot he was even there. She let out a sigh. “I mean, I know the reason why Lady Merellis just went along with those girls.”

“What do you mean?”

“To Lady Merellis, those girls’ gossip is completely petty and trial. They’re like annoying flies buzzing in her ear. Why be afraid of them when all you have to do is shoo them away with one flick of your hand? I’d expect nothing less from General Gazell’s daughter.”

“You look awfully happy.”

“Yes, I am. I can’t help it. She’s my idol,” Sharia whispered as if she were singing. Her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were glistening with excitement. She was beaming and beautiful, looking almost like a girl in love.

Edgar found himself captivated as well and felt his heart begin to race. “Do you want to become a strong woman like her?” he asked awkwardly, trying to conceal how flustered he was feeling.

“Strong…? Yes, perhaps. I greatly admire her spirit. She doesn’t bend to anyone.”

“I see… So that’s your idea of inner strength.”

“Exactly. She’s proud and independent. She watches over and protects others with her strength. She’s like a wolf…the king of the forest. What woman witnessing that scene wouldn’t admire her?”

“I see…”

“It looks like Lady Merellis is returning to the ladies’ dormitory, so I should be doing the same. If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness.”

“O-of course.” Edgar stared after her, stunned, as Sharia happily rushed after Merellis.

 

***

 

After I was done dealing with the seniors, I went back to my dormitory. I sat down on a sofa in the parlor and sipped my tea that I’d ordered from the café. Perhaps it was rude of me to say it, but I knew those girls didn’t stand a chance against me. I had a feeling it would end up like that when they were foolish enough to call me out in front of everyone outside the classroom. Lady Aurelia had told me all about spats among young women, and the ones she described were much more cunning and dirty.

I closed my eyes and surrendered myself to a sea of my own thoughts. Louis seemed to be quite popular with the girls indeed. And they didn’t like the fact that he had a fiancée. After all, who could blame them when you thought about his family’s money and power? All I could do was be grateful that the older girls were stupid enough to come directly to me already. It was still possible there would be girls more cunning than them too, just as Lady Aurelia had said.

“I have no intention of running away though,” I murmured out loud. I opened my eyes—luckily no one else seemed to have heard me.

“May I join you, Lady Merellis?” Suddenly Sharia came over to me.

“Hm? O-oh, yes. What is it, Lady Sharia?”

“Thank you. I was just hoping to chat with you for a bit… It’s kind of a private matter.”

“Would you like to come to my room?”

“May I?”

“Yes, of course.” Has she guessed my secret? I couldn’t think of what else it could possibly be as I led her to my room. “Come on in.” I gestured to a seat and sat down across from her. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I’ll just get right to the point… You’re Mer, aren’t you?” Her eyes were filled with certainty and resolve.

“It sounds as though you’re very certain, so I suppose any denial on my part would be pointless.”

“So then…”

“Yes. As you guessed, I am both Mer and Merellis,” I answered with a sigh. “When did you guess?”

“From the very start.”

“That soon?” I said with surprise.

“Yes. From the very beginning.” She smiled at me.

“But how…?”

“Thank you so much for protecting me. That’s the only reason I’m here today. I honestly cannot thank you enough,” she said, echoing the words she said after she was kidnapped. “I could never forget you. Even though you said Mer was just your body double, I felt from the moment I laid eyes on you that you and Mer were one and the same. I just knew it.”

I had to laugh. So that was why she had looked so bewildered when we first talked at school. “I’m sorry for the ruse. You knew the truth and yet you still went along with my story, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did! I owe you my life.”

“Well, if you knew the truth, why did you want to confirm it with me? As I said, you were so certain that me denying it would have been silly.”

“Actually, I have to admit that I happened to see your exchange with the older girls earlier… I know you don’t need me to be, but I was worried about you, Lady Mer. I was prepared to go call a teacher if things got too ugly.”

“Oh, I see… It’s fine. Thank you so much for being concerned about me.”

“Of course… But as I said, it was clear that it wasn’t needed. Also, there was one other person who witnessed the exchange.”

“Was it Prince Edgar?”

“You knew?”

“Yes. For some reason, it feels like he’s investigating me. Although I can’t think of why a prince would have any interest in me.”

“Was he looking for you?”

“It seemed like it, but I have no idea why he would have business with me. Well, no matter. You came to confirm it so you could tell me that too, didn’t you? Thank you.”

“Of course.” She smiled softly after I thanked her.

I gazed at her, thinking about how pretty she was.

“Forgive me for being selfish, but… Do you think this means we can become even closer now? You said you wanted to become friends with me, and yet here I was, practically deceiving you,” I said, after I pulled myself back to reality. Having this conversation with her just solidified my desire to be her friend.

“Oh, I never thought you were deceiving me! In fact, I don’t blame you at all! I’m sorry for being so forward and revealing your secret. I’d love to be close friends with you!”

And so after that, Sharia and I became fast friends. When we weren’t in class, we were always together. I could be myself in front of her, just as I could with Louis, and it was tremendously freeing. To be honest, she was my first female friend. I was so thrilled about it that I quickly introduced her to Louis.

“Still, Merellis, what do you think the prince has up his sleeve?”

“I have no idea. It’s been some time since then, and he hasn’t said a word to me since. I’m stumped.”

“Interesting…”

“By the way, Sharia, what are you planning on doing during our break from school?”

“It’s too much trouble to go home to Telrose, so I think I’ll just stay at the mansion in the capital. How about you?”

“Oh, really?! Well, that means we’ll be able to see each other! I was planning on staying in the capital too.”

“I can’t wait! There’s this café I’ve been dying to go to. We can go together!”

“In that case, leave it to me. I shall protect you, my lady.”

“He he he… You sound like a prince. Actually, you’re more dashing than any prince!”

“I’m honored to hear that.”

The two of us burst out laughing.

 

***

 

Right before break, we had to take exams in all of our classes, and of course no one wanted to get a failing grade. Still, not everyone was aggressively studying for their exams. For example, the information we studied in the ladies’ course was common knowledge for nobles, so there wasn’t really much need to review it. All one really had to do was look over the material the night before.

Once my own exams were over, I took a walk alone in the courtyard. Sharia couldn’t come as she was in her room studying for a subject that was giving her trouble.

I turned around, feeling someone watching me. “What are you doing back there, Your Highness?”

He didn’t try to hide or run away. He just stood there. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Is that right? May we talk here, then?” I suggested. I certainly couldn’t be alone with the prince somewhere, so here under the blue sky was a more proper place.

“Yes, of course. Fortunately, there aren’t many people out and about today because of the tests.”

“Well, Your Highness? What is it?”

He paused. “My mother ordered me to observe you.”

I certainly wasn’t prepared to hear that information and quickly tried to process it.

“No… Perhaps ‘observe’ isn’t the proper term. She ordered me to get close to you, and so I began to watch you.”

“She asked you to get closer to me? Huh. Well, what were the results of your investigation?” I asked.

His eyes widened for a moment as he stared at me, but then he laughed. “My results? You’re not even going to ask why?”

“Well, I figured once you told me your results, the reason why would be made clear.”

“I see. Well, my conclusion was that I don’t think you and I are a good match. My mother is extremely fond of you, you see. First of all, you and Louis are extremely close, and I just don’t think I stand a chance. So…I shall convince Mother that I cannot marry you unless she is prepared to make an enemy out of House Armelia.”

“Ahh, I see. She wants me in her family because of my father’s name. Is that right?”

“To put it plainly, I think so.”

“Are you sure it’s all right to be speaking so frankly with me like this?”

“You have no desire to marry me and become queen, correct?”

“That’s correct, I don’t.”

“I thought it would be best to be honest with you and gain your trust. You’re General Gazell’s daughter, and you’ll be marrying into House Armelia. As the future king, I’d like to build a good relationship with you.”

“I see. So this is all from the queen’s desires, not yours…” I was angry for a moment at the thought of her trying to separate Louis and me, but I calmed myself. I couldn’t get carried away by my emotions, so I tried to put my thoughts in order.

The queen wanted to use my father’s name and power to the fullest and marry me off to her son, who was not engaged—despite knowing that I was already betrothed to House Armelia. She thought perhaps if the prince and I got closer, I would change my mind. She greatly underestimated my feelings for Louis. I truly believed the prince when he said this was not his idea but his mother’s. Otherwise, why would he be telling me all this?

“That’s right.”

“I see… Well, thank you for being so candid. I’ll do my utmost to live up to your expectations, Your Highness.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“May I ask you something else though, Your Highness?”

“What is it?”

“Why else don’t you think we would make a good match?” I asked.

He gave me a mischievous smile. “Because we’re too similar.”

“Are we?”

“Yes. I think there are certain types of people in the world. For example, they can either choose to act or to be still, or in other words, you either choose to attack or to defend. I tend to attack. I think for myself first and then act on my decisions. I was raised that way too, but in general, I prefer to stand on the front lines and act. I think you’re the same way. If your house was in danger, you wouldn’t sit inside and protect yourself. You would go outside and aggressively hunt down the enemy. Now, since we’re both attackers we would make great allies. But as companions…? I’m not sure that would work out.”

“I see… When you become king, you’ll have to gather all sorts of input. I can understand that you might need a different point of view by your side. However, you said that I would go outside and be on the offensive? I’m not sure how I feel about you saying that about a lady such as myself, Your Highness…”

“It’s just a figure of speech. Of course, I don’t really think you’d go out and hunt down enemies. The analogy just came to mind since you’re General Gazell’s daughter.”

I inwardly sighed a breath of relief that he hadn’t literally pictured me with a sword, fighting off enemies.

“Oh ho! Even if it’s a figure of speech, you really should be more polite with ladies, Your Highness!”

“You’re absolutely right. Please excuse me. As an apology, I’ll give you special permission to ask me any question you’d like, and I shall answer it.”

“Hm? A-all right. However, Your Highness—is it really a good idea to say you will answer anything?”

“Well, I know that you wouldn’t ask me anything too strange.”

“I see. In that case, I’d like to ask you a question, not as a woman but just as a citizen of this kingdom. Is there someone else you have your sights on?”

“What will you do with that information?”

“I’m just asking out of pure curiosity. I have a feeling you already have someone in mind.”

He burst out laughing. “You’re very observant. Yes, there is someone I fancy.” He leaned over to me and whispered in my ear.

“Goodness!”

“But you must keep it a secret.”

“Of course I will. The entire kingdom is looking forward to your engagement, after all. I know that you’ll put a lot of thought into it. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” I took a step backward and curtsied—the kind of curtsy one would do before a king.

“I will. I’m sorry for taking up your time.”

“Not at all. If you’ll excuse me.” I bid the prince goodbye and left him.

 

***

 

“I see… I knew the queen had her sights set on you to become the prince’s fiancée.”

I went straight to Louis and told him everything. He listened quietly to me, and that was the first thing he said.

“Oh? Did you find something out too?” I leaned forward and asked him.

It was nice that I could be as loud as I wanted to here. We were in the former knights’ training building, which was now my personal training building, and only we had the key. This was the only place where we could be alone, and thus the only place where we could talk about things like this.

“No, I just had a hunch when we had our audience.”

“Oh?”

“Remember how the queen took an awfully long time with us at your debut?”

“Oh, right… I thought that was strange too. At the time, I wondered if she gave everyone that much attention.”

“Of course not. I’m not sure why you struck a chord with her so much, but I could tell right then that she was incredibly fond of you. So much so that she told the prince to ask you to dance.”

“Ahh, I see. So that’s what happened.”

I relaxed and leaned against his shoulder. Lately, we’d been coming here regularly together. I wondered if he was coming more because he didn’t want people to see us together. It might’ve been his way of protecting me after those older girls had called me out.

“Well, it’s for the best that the prince has his sights set on someone else anyway. He’ll get who he wants, no matter how difficult it is. He’ll work at it until he succeeds. That’s just the kind of person he is.”

“So that was his way of showing that he trusts me?”

“Yes, and also letting me know he has no intention of trying to steal you from me.”

“Were you worried about that, Louis?”

“I was. The Armelias may not be a military family, but I was preparing myself for battle against the royal family.”

“Oh? And you were determined not to lose?” I teased.

“I’m not sure if I would have, but…I just know that I don’t want to lose you.” He let out a sigh, and a sheepish grin came across his face.

“Ha ha ha. I have no intention of being stolen away from you. You’re my home. So never let go of my hand, okay?”

“All right.” He squeezed my hand. I looked down at it and smiled.

 

***

 

Now that exams were over, it was time for a break from school. Thankfully, my tests went smoothly. Otherwise, I would’ve been too embarrassed to show my face in front of Lady Aurelia again.

I stood at the campus gate with my bag. Since everyone was leaving the dorms today, there were a lot of people waiting at the gate for their carriages.

“Anna! It’s so good to see you again.” A carriage with the Anderson family crest pulled up, and Anna got out of it.

“And it’s lovely to see you as well, Lady Merellis. Everyone’s been waiting for you.” she said as I climbed into the carriage.

“Ha ha ha. I can’t wait to see everyone too. I’m eager to see how strong everyone has gotten!”

“They’re all looking forward to showing you.” She gave me a reassuring smile, and I laughed.

“Goodness…” We chatted for a while and finally arrived back at the Anderson mansion. “I’m home, everyone!”

“Welcome home, my lady!” All the servants greeted me. Even though I’d only been gone a few months, it felt like I’d been gone for ages.

My brother was standing there waiting for me too. Since he had already graduated from the academy, he was gaining more experience to take over for my father as the head of household. When I asked him why he wasn’t going to join the army, he told me, “I want to protect those closer to me instead of the kingdom.” And since that was his decision, of course I had no objections.

“How’s life at the academy? I want to hear all about it.”

“Of course!” I skipped into the house, thrilled to be home.

 

***

 

“I’d expect nothing less from you, Mer. Even though you’ve been away for so long, you’re just as sharp as ever,” Anna said as she sat on the ground, panting.

“I’ve been training every day on my own at the academy, but it seems like I haven’t been doing as well as I thought. It seems my stamina has dropped a bit…”

“Still, I can’t believe I couldn’t even take one point from you, Mer!” Enarene muttered, looking frustrated.

“Even so, I can tell how hard you girls have been training. You’re faster and sharper than before.”

That made Enarene’s face brighten considerably. “Mer, could we spar again?” She stepped in front of Anna and readied her sword, and I did the same.

“By the way, where’s Abel?” I asked, looking around after my match with Enarene was finished. Today was a day where the soldiers were training with us, but I didn’t see him anywhere.

“I suppose now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him lately.”

“Hm…” That was too bad, as I was looking forward to sparring with him.

“Abel’s busy with work so he hasn’t been here lately,” Kreuz answered.

“Oh. That reminds me, he wasn’t a permanent member of the first regiment, was he?”

“That’s right.”

“So where is he stationed now?”

“Where was it, again…? Strategy, I think?” Kreuz seemed unsure and asked the guy next to him.

“Nah, I think supplies?” But that man seemed equally unsure.

“Really? I feel like Verlys would know the answer. It’s something like that, anyway,” Kreuz said with a sheepish laugh.

I sighed. “I see… It’s okay, it’s not that important.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I was just curious.” I went ahead and left the training grounds and went back to my room. I wiped off my sweat and lost myself in a book. I was just thinking how I missed Sharia and hoped to see her soon when there was a knock at my door.

“Excuse me.” It was Enarene. “You’ve received an invitation. Shall I read it?”

“An invitation?”

“Yes. To the palace.”

“Huh. I don’t recall any events coming up soon. May I see it?”

Enarene handed me the invitation and I read it. “…They’re welcoming a number of people from the principality of Rimmel and holding a party for them.”

“Oh… A party for foreign guests? How exciting.”

“Yes. I’m sure Louis was invited as well, but I should meet with him to discuss it just in case. I’ll go visit him tomorrow.”

“Very well. I shall send a messenger to the Armelia mansion and let them know you’ll be going to see Lord Louis, my lady.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. Excuse me.” Enarene left, and I lost myself in my thoughts.

The principality of Rimmel. It was the country next to Tweil and Tasmeria. Why would they be coming to Tasmeria now? Was this a good sign for our kingdom, or a bad sign? Either way, I had a feeling that something was going to happen. Warning bells were ringing loudly in my head…and if my hunch was right, Louis would be right in the center of it.

I clenched my fists with resolve.

“I’ll protect him, no matter what.”