Hold On, Marguerite
Popcorn arrived at the banquet hall that had grown chilly and empty.
"Marguerite."
It had been so long—truly so long—since she'd last heard her older brother's voice.
The previous time, the sound had shattered the moment, but this was no dream. This was reality.
Tears sprang to her eyes.
"Brother."
When she called him the way she had as a little girl, her brother seized Marguerite's hand in a tight grip.
"Marguerite, you did well. I heard how you behaved before the others. You showed no fear at all. You truly did wonderfully. Father is proud of you. Mother and the rest of your siblings as well. That's our Marguerite. A brave little tomboy through and through."
"Brother… is Father all right?"
"Yes. He was only confined for a short while. He was released the moment you left the capital."
Just as she had expected.
Her brother slipped off the bag slung over his shoulder and pressed it into her arms.
"We don't have time to waste, Marguerite. Take this first. There's a bit of money, emergency rations, and clothes inside. The dress you're wearing now will be offered to the soldiers as a bribe. A fine dress like that can be turned into coin."
He added quickly, "We don't have much time, but it's better if you change while I'm still here. Hurry, Marguerite."
Her brother cracked the carriage door open just enough, then pulled it shut again.
This dress left her chest far too exposed.
He must have worried that if too much time passed, the soldiers might entertain unsavory thoughts.
Marguerite stripped off the gown without hesitation.
Fortunately the corset fastened in front rather than behind, so she could manage it alone.
The clothes her brother had prepared were plain commoner's garments.
There was even a scarf to wrap around her neck so that as little skin as possible would show.
Only her brother would think of every last detail with such care.
Once she had changed, Marguerite took the small coin pouch from the bag and placed it in her brother's hand.
"Brother, I don't need the money."
The barony had no wealth to spare.
Her brother had claimed the dress would serve as a bribe, but he had surely already given them coins on top of it.
And now even her dress as well. She could not burden her family any further.
Yet her brother pushed the pouch back toward her.
"You must take it, Marguerite. This money is for bribing the administrator later. The pioneer villages have an official who assigns the brides. Give him this and ask to be sent to the best possible village."
"But—"
"Don't worry about us, Marguerite. We'll be fine."
Her brother clasped her hand tightly once more.
"No matter where you end up, your brother will find you. I'll create a way to rescue you and come for you. So please, don't give up. Hold on no matter what. I know what kind of fate might await you, but still I beg you, Marguerite. Please don't give up."
"…"
"Find courage for our sake, Marguerite. This is the plea of Father, Mother, and all your siblings. I'm sorry, but please endure it."
Only then did she notice the tears glistening in her brother's eyes.
Marguerite did not fully understand what became of the brides sent to the pioneer villages.
But if her brother was weeping and pleading like this, their situation must be truly wretched.
Even so, she understood the depth of his desperate wish that she at least survive.
Marguerite straightened her posture and offered him a smile.
"I understand, Brother."
"Your brother will do everything he can. Just hold on until then, Marguerite."
"I will."
As Marguerite nodded, a soldier's voice cut through the moment.
"We must depart now. We've already delayed far too long."
Her brother called back that he understood, then whispered urgently.
"I've hidden more coins inside the soles of your shoes. Even if someone takes your pouch, be sure to bribe the village administrator. You must reach at least a decent settlement."
"Yes."
While Marguerite answered, the soldier pressed her second brother again.
"The spirits will surely protect you. You've always been a child beloved by them, after all."
Her brother placed a light kiss on Marguerite's forehead, picked up the discarded dress, and turned away.
The soldier closed the carriage door. Darkness swallowed her vision at once.
A moment later the carriage lurched into motion.
She could not hear the sound of her brother's horse.
He was probably watching the carriage—watching her inside it—his gaze never leaving it.
Only when she felt the carriage had traveled far enough did the sobs she had been holding back burst forth all at once.
Father. Mother. Her brothers.
Would she ever see them again?
By committing the crime of damaging the World Tree sprout, had she dragged them into hardship as well?
Spirits, please protect my family. Let them remain healthy. Let them breathe safely.
Marguerite's weeping filled the carriage completely.
"What in the world is wrong with the Saintess's education? We cannot possibly present her before others in that state!"
At the Lomon King's thunderous roar, the entire room fell silent.
The educators who had watched the evening's events from a corner of the banquet hall had gone deathly pale.
This was not entirely their fault.
Though they had not openly opposed the plan, they had gently hinted that the Saintess's education was somewhat insufficient.
The greater mistake lay with the Lomon King himself for announcing the engagement between the Saintess and Alf immediately after Marguerite's condemnation.
Yet how could he have known she would be this hopeless?
Even a noble family's three- or four-year-old child displayed far better manners.
She behaved no differently from a commoner.
"Her expressions, her speech—good heavens, every last gesture is a disaster. She even uttered nonsense about the spirits. Did you people truly educate her at all? Have you all swallowed your tongues? Stop merely watching me and speak! Speak!"
As the Lomon King's piercing gaze raked across the educators, one of them finally opened his mouth.
"The world the Saintess came from appears to be vastly different from ours. It seems there were no spirits or magic there. Because of that, she tends to believe the legends about spirits and the ancient tales handed down through generations are falsehoods. This incident likely stems from that underlying conviction."
"Then correcting that conviction is your responsibility."
At the king's words, every educator lowered their heads.
Yet it was not a gesture of genuine acceptance—only the unavoidable deference of those who could not contradict a king.
The Lomon King calmed his fury for a moment before continuing.
"We cannot leave the Saintess as she is. Rumors are already spreading that she is licentious simply because she keeps a man at her side. At the very least, we must polish her outward appearance."
This was a separate matter from binding the Saintess to the kingdom.
The way one appeared to others defined that person.
If the Saintess did not behave like a Saintess, doubt would arise.
Although spirits did gather around her, their numbers were still small and remained confined to her immediate vicinity.
No reports had come in yet of spirits increasing elsewhere.
The Saintess's position was still precarious.
One misstep and people might suspect the royal family had staged a false summoning to soothe worsening public sentiment.
To prevent that, the Saintess had to be worthy of her title.
After easing his anger a little further, the Lomon King asked the educators,
"What exactly is hindering you from teaching the Saintess?"
After a brief hesitation, they answered.
"It seems the Saintess has always disliked studying. She shows especially strong resistance to any restrictions on her behavior. She refuses outright to learn etiquette."
"The Saintess claims she will become the crown princess and therefore refuses to listen to us."
What?
Disliking study was one thing, but crown princess?
Prince Alf was the first prince and high in the line of succession, yet he was not yet the crown prince.
Moreover, the Saintess and Alf had not even become engaged, let alone married.
It was not even the stage at which such titles should be mentioned.
'Yet what utter nonsense…'
While the Lomon King sat speechless, another educator continued.
"When we point this out, the Saintess runs straight to His Highness the Prince and tattles. Then His Highness…"
There was no need to hear the rest.
Lately Alf granted every single thing the Saintess asked for.
The chamberlain managing the princes' budget had already reported that Alf had spent a considerable sum on jewelry and dresses.
All of it had gone to the Saintess.
If she clung to him, Alf would undoubtedly take her side and scold the educators.
Reading the king's expression, the educator added cautiously,
"His Highness the Prince does not seem to realize how severe the problem is. The Saintess cleverly twists her words when she reports to him."
The fact that he could not see through such manipulation was itself the problem.
He had not originally been such a dull-witted child.
The Lomon King waved the educators away and turned his gaze to the chamberlain.
The chamberlain immediately understood and left to summon Alf.
In the meantime, the Lomon King beckoned the quietly standing chamberlain over.
"How has Alf been behaving lately?"
The chamberlain grasped his meaning at once.
"In matters unrelated to the Saintess, there are no particular issues. However, when the Saintess is involved… it does not seem so much that his judgment is clouded as that his desire to keep her from harm exerts a strong influence. Perhaps, deep down, he knows it is wrong yet cannot control himself."
"I see."
So his mind had only gone astray where the Saintess was concerned.
That, at least, was fortunate.
After a short wait, Alf entered in a hurry.
He had probably guessed the reason for his summons.
His face was deathly white.
The urge to rebuke him had already faded.
It was the Lomon King's own fault for allowing her near his son when he knew her ability was charm.
Even if that ability was spirit charm, he should have considered the possibility it could affect humans.
He had been careless.
The Lomon King sat at the table and called his son over.
"Alf, come here."
"…"
When Alf drew near, the king gestured for him to sit.
All the while, the Lomon King's mind turned rapidly.
It would be troublesome if he mishandled this and provoked rebellion from Alf as well.
To the current Alf, the Saintess was the highest priority; clumsy interrogation would backfire.
The Lomon King quietly studied his restless son.
Fortunately, Alf showed no sign of defending the Saintess or defying his father on her behalf before the king had even spoken.
"Alf, what were you thinking during the banquet tonight?"
Surprised by the gentle tone, Alf's head snapped up.
"Father."
"It's all right. I am not angry. Tell me your thoughts."
"…The Saintess is from another world, after all, so her values differ…"
Alf mumbled with his gaze lowered.
"She does not properly understand how precious spirits are. It is my fault. I should have explained it to her more thoroughly."
The first words out of his mouth were an excuse for the Saintess.
The Lomon King swallowed a sigh.
He had at least hoped his son would have grasped the overall flow of events and spoken accordingly.
The most crucial point tonight was that a spirit had appeared—and that the spirit had wrapped itself around Marguerite rather than the Saintess.
It had been plain for everyone to see.
There was nothing more to expect from this son.
He could only use him as a stake to keep the Saintess tethered.
The Lomon King gave his son a nod and changed the subject.
"The bird that came with the spirit appears to have flown out through the window again."
"Ah… I see."
Relief washed over Alf's face.
He seemed reassured now that the topic had moved away from the Saintess.
As expected, the boy was beyond help.
"It is unprecedented for a spirit to appear alongside a bird."
"Indeed. I was quite startled."
He had wanted to capture that bird if possible.
He had thought that if the spirit appeared again, it would likely stay near the bird.
But the creature had perched too high for human hands to reach.
By the time the mages were gathered, the bird had already vanished.
A regrettable loss.
Suddenly remembering Marguerite's face, the Lomon King felt a deeper bitterness.
That girl could summon spirits by calling rain, yet the numbers had always been pitifully small.
After arriving at the palace, for some reason she had barely produced any rain at all.
Perhaps she had done so on purpose, but in any case she had been useless.
And yet at the very last moment she had called forth such a powerful spirit.
He had considered separating her from the rest, but it was impossible.
She drew far too much attention.
If anything were done now, the royal family would fall under suspicion.
The culprit who damaged the World Tree sprout must be human.
That fact must never be questioned.
If rumors spread that it had been the will of the spirits, the kingdom would face destruction.
The Lomon King spoke with Alf a little longer, then dismissed him.
Fortunately, since the crown prince had not yet been chosen, the other princes were receiving education of similar intensity.
Designating another prince as crown prince would not pose a problem.
There would be some discontent, but that could be handled by granting Alf a suitable title under the pretext that he was the Saintess's husband.
The Lomon King let out a quiet sigh.
The ground around the Saintess was slowly turning into a swamp.
Was the summoning truly correct?
Perhaps the oracle had been misheard or distorted.
Maybe there was another oracle we never learned about…
Even if that were true, it was already too late.
Buried beneath layers of doubt, the Lomon King closed his eyes.
At that very moment, Popcorn arrived at the empty banquet hall, carefully cradling his father's precious beads of sweat.
"Pi… pipi?"
Where had Daddy's bride and Orange gone?