An Evening Appointment and Yet Another Appointment (1)

After finishing my conversation with Yoris, I opened the door and stepped out into the corridor.

The moment I closed the door behind me and turned around, my eyes met the Princess's, her hands folded neatly over her stomach as she smiled.

"So what did you two talk about?"

"……"

Before answering, I found myself scanning her from head to toe out of pure reflex.

I needed a moment to decide how to respond.

Should I admit I knew the man from before, or just brush it off like it was nothing?

Today, Audrite had braided her hair into twin coils wound up into a princess style, leaving the pale nape of her neck fully exposed.

It was a hairstyle she wore often.

The silk dress she had on blended blue and white in perfect harmony, and the fitted bodice accentuated ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the soft, feminine curves of her figure.

She was, in every sense of the word, a woman.

The kind of woman who made you think, *I found her first.*

Below her slender waist, a pleated skirt long enough to trail along the floor made a striking impression.

All things considered, she had more than earned the right to claim the title of most beautiful woman in the royal palace today.

"Ah—got it. You're not going to tell me, are you? I've decided not to ask about things you don't want to talk about, anyway."

When the silence stretched on, Audrite pushed out her lips in a pout.

Then she smiled again and, walking down the corridor beside me, struck up conversation once more.

"But your expression looks off. Is something worrying you?"

"Does it look off?"

"Yes, it does. Your smile is gone."

She suddenly grabbed my hand.

Her warmth traveled up from my right hand.

She was a girl with cold hands.

But it felt good.

At the same time, I was puzzled.

I stopped walking and looked at her.

"Let go, quickly. What are people going to think if they see us…"

"You looked down, so I'm trying to cheer you up. You told me before, remember? That when someone holds your hand, strength you didn't have comes bubbling up."

She flashed me a beaming smile.

Faced with that pure, innocent grin that practically said *Cheer up!*, refusing to cheer up would make me deserve whatever insults came my way.

I had no choice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but to feel better.

A smile crept onto my lips all on its own.

"Me? I said that?"

"Yes, last time. When you grabbed my hand while we were riding. It was strange—I suddenly found my strength. That's the only reason I held on."

"When the snake bit you? Ah…"

I was caught off guard by the unexpected remark, and a little moved.

At the time, I'd been so out of my mind that I'd just spouted whatever came to mind.

I'd said it myself and then forgotten all about it.

So she still remembered those words.

That was something Kiera never had.

This girl, so unlike anyone I'd ever ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠met, drew my interest.

Before I knew it, I wanted to tease her.

"Honestly, the reason my expression is bad today is entirely the Princess's fault."

"My fault? How on earth?"

"You came out looking too beautiful."

"Huh?"

She blinked at me, bewildered, as if to say what on earth that was supposed to mean.

Smiling as I met her gaze, I placed my free hand over the one she was holding.

"I want you all to myself, but every other bastard out there is going to be looking at you too. I'm jealous, and it's ruining my mood."

"…Eh?"

She let out a strange little sound, clearly startled.

I'd noticed it before, but she had delightful reactions.

She quickly composed herself and let go of my hand.

Her eyes darted away, as if to hide her embarrassment.

"So *that's* the kind of sappy line you've been using to seduce women all this time? Along with your dancing?"

"What do you mean, sappy? I thought it wasn't sappy."

"Sappy or not, you actually thought a line like that would make someone fall head over heels for you? Fat chance."

"Ugh… guess I'll have to try something else next time. That didn't work at all. And I worked so hard on it."

When I scratched my head with feigned disappointment, she burst into bright, ringing laughter.

"Keep working on it. I'm so impressed I might let you get away with it once, anyway. So—what are you doing now?"

"Well. The delegation's hunt was originally scheduled for this morning, but thanks to Yoris's little incident, it's been canceled, so I've got nothing on my plate for a while. Mm~ all this spare time and nothing to do. Should I sneak into the chambers of the treasure of our kingdom, perhaps?"

At my shameless theatrics, Audrite narrowed her eyes.

"Sneak in to do what?"

"You know what. To catch a peek at her changing clothes, maybe?"

"Pervert. Shall I throw you in the dungeon?"

"I'd rather not."

Maru turned on his heel and started walking down the corridor.

"Go ahead and try showing up at my room!"

Audrite stood there for a moment, glaring after him, then promptly hurried to catch up.

After that, the two of them strolled along, chatting about this and that, until Audrite suddenly stopped in front of the library door.

"Hold on a moment. I have some books to find. Trade-related ones."

"Of course. Then I'll see you later."

Audrite's hand shot out and snatched Maru's arm as he turned to leave.

"You're going to help me find them. Where do you think you're going? You said you had plenty of time."

"I really am busy."

"You're not busy, so hurry up and get in here."

She pushed open the library door and dragged him inside.

Left with no choice, Maru began combing through the vast library alongside her.

"I just heard it and already forgot. What were the titles of the books you're looking for?"

When Maru called out loudly, Audrite shouted back from the far end of the stacks.

"*An Introduction to Trade Studies* and *On Sailing Vessels and Maritime Trade*—those two! Both of them were written by a man named Longdan!"

"Ah, right."

After that, the two of them combed through the shelves in silence, checking spines with painstaking care.

An hour or so must have passed.

A yawn escaped Maru's mouth.

He stretched his arms high overhead and glanced around.

*With this much space, when would we ever find those books… do they even exist in here?*

Scratching the back of his head, he called out to Audrite.

Bored anyway—might as well make conversation.

"You know that novel you mentioned back when the snake bit me? What was the title of it?"

"Which novel?"

"'I won't die. I swear I'll get it for you. I promise.' You said there was a Hero novel with a line like that in it."

"Ah."

Audrite, who had been peering at the shelves, broke into a smile as if something had come back to her.

Apparently it was the kind of book that put her in a good mood just thinking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about it.

"*The Alexia Heroics*. Those were the words the Hero said to her wounded lover on the battlefield. That book should be over in the biographies section, up there."

"No way."

Maru's hands, which had been flipping through books, froze.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's nothing. *The Alexia Heroics*, huh. Biographies are usually such a bore—you read those sorts of things too?"

"Boring? They're incredibly fun."

Hugging a thick volume to her chest, Audrite smiled and tilted her face up toward the ceiling.

"It's the life story of Lady Alexia, the Hero they called the Goddess of War, or Lightning. It's written in such a thrilling way. When I was little, I read it and dreamed of becoming a Hero just like her. But I had no talent for the martial arts—I couldn't even handle a sword properly. So I gave it up."

"That's a shame."

"If I had one wish before I die, it would be to meet Lady Alexia, my idol. I hear she's given up being a Hero now and rules a great empire formed of eight kingdoms, from a place very far away. These days she goes by Queen Alexandria instead of her maiden name. Even her second name sounds so magnificent."

"What if you become Queen someday, Princess? How does 'Queen Audrite' sound to you?"

"That sounds ridiculous."

Audrite stuck out her tongue in an adorably impish gesture, then slid the book she was holding back into its place and resumed scrutinizing the shelves with fresh diligence.

"Anyway, our Basilite Kingdom was once nearly destroyed by the Black Dragon long ago, and Lady Alexia is the one who saved us. That's why all our people still love her to this day. If I ever get the chance, I'd like to travel to the Empire as our representative and convey our gratitude. If I can put my specialty to use and open trade with that country, maybe I'll get to meet her someday."

"Trade across that kind of distance? Guard escorts, provisions, travel costs—the expenses would be astronomical."

"I know. Unless a wealthy empire like theirs reaches out first, it's impossible for a small kingdom like ours to make the first move. And they might not even care for our specialties. That's why it's a wish. A wish is something you yearn for desperately precisely because it's so hard to fulfill…"

Then her eyes went round and she clapped her hands together.

"Oh! A shipment of top-grade oysters came in with the trade goods—want to eat them together tonight?"

"How did the conversation jump all the way there?"

"Yes or no? They're genuinely fresh and delicious. And they're enormous, too."

Oysters were a luxury ingredient one might get to eat once or twice a year.

So expensive that even ordinary nobles could hardly get their hands on oyster dishes.

Maru stroked his chin, thinking it over briefly.

"It does sound tempting. But you didn't happen to bring them in for the royal banquet table, did you?"

"I did, though?"

"Is that okay?"

"What is?"

"You said you'd have them served."

"The trade goods are my responsibility anyway—I'll just say ten came in and five went missing."

"Are you inviting me to go to prison with you right now?"

"Weren't you the one who talked about sneaking into the Princess's bedchamber? And *this* scares you?"

"As if."

Maru rolled his shoulder in a great, sweeping circle.

"Thinking about getting stronger from all these oysters has me fired up. Prison, eh? So what. If the Princess is coming along too, I've got nothing to fear."

"Perfect."

Audrite beamed with delight.

"Come to my private dining room at seven in the evening. It'll just be the two of us eating, so don't bring Edward—come alone, absolutely."

"Naturally. Even if only for the oysters' sake, I'm not bringing a soul."

"It's a promise, then."

"Yes."

Having promised to meet again that very evening, the two of them abandoned the book hunt on the spot and parted ways.

Audrite, it seemed, had plenty to prepare.

She suddenly claimed to be busy and ushered him out, and Maru went along without protest.

"Oysters to look forward to. Oysters to look forward to…"

Leaving the library, Maru muttered to himself as he headed for his office.

The moment he opened the door, a young male clerk sprang up from his seat.

"Y-you're back!"

Twenty years old this year, his name was Oliver.

A scion of a count's family.

Like others his age, he was learning the trade under high-ranking nobles—two years here, two years there, two years somewhere else—broadening his practical experience in preparation for someday leading his house.

"Sit, sit."

Maru waved a hand and walked to the desk at the very back of the room.

The instant he sat down, he pulled out a sheet of letter paper.

He was determined to put to rest, without delay, the worry that had been circling in a corner of his mind the entire time he'd been with Audrite.

"After I emphasized *that* many times not to send anyone…"

The matter of Yoris's abduction.

Nothing had been confirmed yet, but Maru was about seventy percent certain they were people his mother had sent.

He picked up his pen and immediately began to write.

*Mother, I am furious. I told you not to send any—*

Maru stopped writing and fell into thought.

Then he crumpled the paper and started over.

*Something happened recently in the Basilite Kingdom. They were people you sent, weren't they, Mother?*

…He stopped writing again.

He shook his head.

"No, this isn't right. If I send it like this, Mother will be hurt."

Everyone else found his mother absolutely terrifying, but perhaps because he was her child, Maru sulked when he disliked something, threw tantrums, got annoyed—he did whatever he pleased with her, and lived comfortably all the same.

And still, his mother always coaxed and indulged him, spoiling his every whim.

She was a child he had begged the heavens for, and not once had she ever raised her voice at him.

Maru had finally grown up a little, though.

He steadied himself and began writing anew.

At length, Maru set down his pen.

He picked up the envelope on the desk and carefully folded the letter inside.

Then he looked over at Oliver, who had been absorbed in his work this whole time.

"Clerk."

"Y-yes, sir!"

He handed the letter to the man, who had shot to his feet.

"I'm off to the banquet hall to look for the Prince, so send this in my place."

"Right away, sir!"

"Now."

"Yes, sir!"

Oliver took the letter in both hands and immediately left the office.

After the door closed behind him, Maru tilted his head.

"Does it show that she's a princess? She won't figure it out, will she? Yeah, she won't. No way, no way. I only wrote that she was the daughter of a noble house, after all."

He thought nothing more of it and pulled his coat from the clothes rack.

Before long, Oliver arrived at the kingdom's postal office, and just as he was handing the letter to the clerk, he faltered.

"Hm? He didn't write down his title?"

Where the sender of the letter was to be recorded, only the simple words *Han Maru* had been written.

"Must have slipped his mind. I'd better write it in for him. Can't leave out such a distinguished title that everyone looks up to."

Borrowing a pen, Oliver wrote in the sender's field:

When he finished, he smiled with satisfaction.

"Supporting him in things like this is how I earn praise for a job well done. Still, wow… written out like that, it really is impressive. Someday I want to serve at His Highness and the Prince's side, just like Lord Maru."

Grinning, he handed the letter over to the clerk without delay.

"I'll leave it in your care."

"Of course. A letter addressed to one Helen, of the Ra Iskandaria Empire—received and accepted."