The Imperial Ball (6)
The silence was unbearable.
It had already dragged on for several long minutes since Princess Edellyn and I had been left alone together. Neither of us dared to speak first. The one thing that was painfully clear was that the woman sitting beside me—Princess Edellyn—was also a regressor, just like me.
I had no concrete proof, but my instincts told me it was true. Earlier, when she had spoken to Leo about the war, she had described events that had not yet happened as if they were inevitable. It was exactly how someone who had already lived through that horrific war would speak. And not just any war—the very same catastrophe that no one had predicted until the very last moment in my previous life.
Her mention of gathering capital only strengthened my conviction. The purpose was obviously to prepare for the coming conflict. It was also easy to guess why she had chosen the Stuart family’s business as her means to that end.
The Floria family’s flower business had started out looking utterly insignificant, yet it would grow into a massive enterprise worth over one hundred thousand gold. A sudden, inexplicable flower craze would sweep the entire empire. Thanks to that, the Stuart family—their investors—would amass enormous wealth. All of it would happen within the next year.
The fact that she had personally summoned Leo and demanded capital for his family’s venture could only mean she already knew the impossible success that lay ahead. After all, those were things no one could have predicted unless they had come from the future.
The circumstantial evidence that Princess Edellyn was a regressor was more than enough. I remembered hearing that when Time Regression Magic was used in my previous life, only the caster retained their memories. Perhaps it was because the spell was such an obscure forbidden art. Unexpected variables seemed to be popping up everywhere.
But the real problem was only just beginning.
I had been the one to ask Leo to leave us, yet now that I was actually in this situation, I had no idea where to even begin. In my memories, Princess Edellyn had been the pioneer of extreme consequentialism—someone who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. A cold-blooded leader utterly devoid of compassion. Was it truly right to have this conversation with her?
That question alone, along with a tangle of complicated thoughts, kept my lips sealed.
“Lady Grace.”
While I was still lost in my worries, Princess Edellyn called my name in a slightly lowered voice. She was probably trying to keep anyone nearby from overhearing.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I answered in the same hushed tone.
“Could you explain in more detail what you said earlier?”
“……”
Of course she would have noticed. The Battle of the Sanctus Highlands. In my previous life, after losing that final battle, Princess Edellyn had been imprisoned by Crown Prince Reinhardt—the mastermind of the rebellion—and executed shortly afterward. Moreover, there was no record of any battle ever taking place at the Sanctus Highlands in the history of the Raphael Empire. That alone had given her more than enough reason to catch on.
Still, to be absolutely certain, I recited a rough outline of how events would unfold.
“Five years from now, a civil war will break out and throw the empire into chaos. The mastermind behind the rebellion is Crown Prince Reinhardt. After a fierce battle, Your Highness will be defeated and executed. That is all I know.”
“……”
If I had dared say such things to the princess under normal circumstances, I would have been dragged away on charges of treason and lese-majeste. Yet Princess Edellyn simply listened in silence. I had taken a considerable risk, betting my life on the assumption that she was also a regressor. Fortunately, it seemed I had been right.
After pondering with a grave expression, she gave a small nod, acknowledging my words. Then she lowered her voice even further, almost to a whisper.
“Have you… returned as well? To the past?”
“……Yes.”
I paused for a moment before nodding slightly in confirmation. Princess Edellyn drew in a small, sharp breath.
“What was the cause?”
“I’m not sure. When I opened my eyes, I was already back in the past.”
I kept my answer vague for now. It would be foolish to reveal all my cards when I still didn’t know her true intentions.
“…Is that so. The same as me, then.”
Princess Edellyn stroked her chin with her index finger and thumb, murmuring to herself. It seemed she had taken my words at face value.
“Well, I can’t say for certain either… but if there is one common factor, it would be that both of us have experienced ‘loss.’ ”
“Loss… you say.”
That was completely unexpected.
“Yes. You lost the person you loved. I lost my honor. We each lost the thing we valued most in life. Perhaps those losses are connected to why we were sent back to the past.”
As she spoke, Princess Edellyn reached for the dessert plate on the table and picked up a macaron. She brought it to her mouth, took a bite, and began chewing with delicate little movements. A few moments later, after swallowing everything, she looked at me with her usual composed face as if she had never touched the dessert at all. Her expression now carried a hint of resolve.
“Lady Grace. Will you not work with me for the sake of the future?”
“Work… with you?”
Cooperate with this woman? The very idea sounded absurd. That thought crossed my mind, but since there was little I could accomplish on my own right now, I hesitated instead of answering immediately.
“Yes. If things continue as they are, the same tragedy from our previous lives will surely repeat itself. But if the two of us combine our strength, we can overcome it. I have already made various preparations in anticipation of that day. If you cooperate with me, it will be a tremendous help.”
“……”
“You don’t want to lose that precious person again, do you?”
“!”
Her words snapped me out of my daze. For a brief moment, Leo’s face flashed before my eyes.
…That’s right. What am I hesitating for?
I had already sworn that I would endure anything if it meant saving Leo. Even if that meant borrowing the power of a former rival.
“…Very well. I will cooperate.”
When I finally spoke those quiet words, Princess Edellyn smiled with visible relief.
“Thank you. I knew you would say that.”
Perhaps she had read my thoughts from the very beginning. Still, there was no other choice right now. For the time being, cooperation was the only path forward.
“How can I be of assistance?”
“First, I would like you to persuade Sir Leo. If I can receive capital from the business his family is undertaking, I will be able to prepare far more soldiers and weapons. There are other methods, of course… but from what I know, this is currently the fastest and most reliable way to gather funds.”
“Is the capital you currently possess insufficient, Your Highness?”
“Yes. It is far from enough. At this rate, we will certainly lose the war. Moreover, for some reason, rumors have recently begun circulating that Crown Prince Reinhardt is gathering weapons and soldiers throughout the capital…”
“…Then perhaps he, too…”
“Yes. We cannot rule out that possibility. Though nothing is certain yet.”
If Crown Prince Reinhardt was also a regressor… things would become far more complicated. My head began to throb. In that case, we would have to revise our strategy.
At that moment, the princess slowly rose from her seat.
“I shall take my leave now. It is almost time for me to go up and deliver the opening remarks for the ball.”
“Ah…”
“Besides, it would be rather cruel to leave your fiancé alone for too long.”
“Th-that’s…”
When I turned my head at her words, I spotted Leo standing awkwardly a short distance away, mixed in with a group of young noblemen led by Lord Fred. Even from here, I could see the women around him stealing glances in his direction. If I left him there much longer, it could become dangerous in more ways than one.
“In any case, I leave this matter in your hands. I will contact you again privately soon.”
“……Yes.”
Princess Edellyn offered me a meaningful smile, then gracefully disappeared into the far side of the ballroom. Left alone, I sat lost in thought for a moment before standing up to go fetch Leo.
**
“What did you discuss with Her Highness?”
Leo, who had returned with me to our private table, asked in a casual tone as if the question had simply slipped out.
“Ah… it wasn’t anything important.”
I kept my answer vague with him as well. I didn’t want to cause him unnecessary confusion. My mind was a mess. Another regressor I had never anticipated. And possibly yet another one—Crown Prince Reinhardt, the would-be rebel. I had told the princess I would cooperate, but once we returned home I would need to come up with a concrete plan for how to proceed from here.
It seemed best not to tell Leo about the regression just yet. The time wasn’t right.
“She simply asked me to persuade you to allow her to participate in the business your family is currently undertaking.”
“…So that’s what it was.”
Leo murmured softly, then continued with a slightly puzzled expression.
“To be honest, I don’t understand why Her Highness is so interested in our family’s modest little venture.”
“Still, I believe this is a good opportunity. If we can use this chance to grow the family’s power by riding the wave of influence…”
“Forgive me for interrupting, but I am not helping with the family business in order to gain power or wealth.”
“……”
Leo’s firm declaration left me speechless. That’s right. This was the kind of man he was. An upright, incorruptible person who would never waver no matter what dishonest temptations came his way. He always walked his own path. That was precisely why I had fallen in love with him. I had momentarily forgotten.
“…Even so, I don’t think there is any harm in accepting this proposal.”
“……Pardon?”
I reacted belatedly to his quietly spoken words.
“I have been worrying about how to handle distribution in the capital. If Her Highness can solve that problem for us, it would be a great relief. Moreover, if it is to prepare for the war that is to come, I am more than willing to cooperate. War is a terrible tragedy that brings misfortune to countless people. It must never be allowed to happen.”
He was right. Of course he was… but.
“Um, Sir Leo. Do you fully understand what it means to provide capital to Her Highness in preparation for the coming war?”
Supporting one side in a civil war carried the risk of being branded a traitor and executed if things went wrong. Yet Leo answered calmly.
“I am well aware of that. Still, if my choice now can prevent the war in the future, I believe it would not be such a bad thing. Besides, I do not think Her Highness Edellyn would fall so easily.”
“……I see.”
As expected of Leo. Always upright, always genuinely considerate of others. A truly good man. And one blessed with remarkable insight that allowed him to see into the future. In the past, that talent had not been enough to prevent his death… but.
“…I never imagined things would grow this complicated. I’m a little taken aback.”
Leo suddenly reached out and picked up the wine bottle. I could only stare at him in a daze.
“Would you like a glass as well, my lady?”
“Pardon?”
I looked at the wine bottle now in his hand. What on earth was he saying? As far as I remembered, Leo in this life had never even touched alcohol before.
“My head feels so cluttered that I thought a drink might help clear it a little. And you have been wearing a complicated expression ever since your conversation with Her Highness.”
As he spoke, he naturally peeled away the foil from the bottle and lightly pulled out the cork.
“Sir Leo, do you know how to drink?”
“It’s not that I can’t. I am an adult now, after all.”
“……”
Should I stop him? I wavered inwardly for a moment, but my reason kept drifting toward other thoughts. Leo was trying to cheer me up after I had grown so gloomy. It would be rude to refuse him now. And if Leo drank and became tipsy… perhaps that would present an opportunity…
Such a wicked little idea slowly crept up on me.
“All right. Pour me a glass, please.”
I smiled brightly and held out my wine glass. Leo gave a small nod and began pouring the wine with a gentle glug-glug sound.