Somewhere inside of me, I had a sudden thought. The prince and I had been raised in a similar way. Perhaps we were more like each other than I’d thought, although our ways of thinking and positions differed.
The head priestess! I watched as the people around us welcomed her presence with surprise and commotion. And then... His Highness, Prince Christopher!
The head priestess did not appear except for the birth of the king’s children, the crown prince’s ceremony, coronations, weddings, and deaths. Even I held my breath at the sight of her, but I came back to myself when I heard those around me calling the prince’s name.
This was the first time the crown prince had appeared in a place where the Ashen Nightmare was rampant, to wish for the country’s future. However, his face lacked its usual relaxed elegance and remained stiff and rugged.
I, Duke Odin, a great noble of Sauslind, was the one who had called these two incomparable people to this place at this moment.
“Everyone, listen!” With a quiet and powerful voice, I attracted the attention of the public. They all looked at me solemnly and sincerely. “Today, at this time, it is none other than Head Priestess Eva of the Temple of the Hero King, and His Highness who have come to visit us, to reveal the truth of what has been happening in the heart of the kingdom!”
In front of the noisy crowd, I bowed before the prince and the head priestess to give weight to what I said next.
“I, Grieg Odin, who has been granted the title of duke by his Majesty William Christen Ashelard, Sauslind’s seventeenth king, hereby swear to speak the truth. The king is now lying in a sickbed, ill with the dreaded Ashen Nightmare!”
Sounds resembling screams filled the temple. Reactions flew among the crowd. His Majesty was also ill? I once again told them it was true, and cries of despair rose in an instant.
“That’s not all,” I said with a somber expression. “The hero who saved the country in the last great war, General Theoden Bakula, was killed by an unknown assailant the other day while he was escorting the crown prince’s fiancée. And Lady Elianna Bernstein... Her precious life was taken away as well...”
“No!”
Devastated wails drowned out any other noise. I knew the audience would be heartbroken.
“But the cure! What about the cure?”
I saw many frantic gazes turned toward me. I nodded solemnly, then took a piece of paper from my bosom and held it up. “Before she died, Lady Elianna entrusted the recipe of the cure to Saint Pharmia! She begged her to save the lives of the citizens, and of the king!”
Shouts of jubilation filled the room. Hopeful faces all looked at Saint Pharmia.
The order of events did not matter. By the time the cure had been completed, they had probably already started administering it to His Majesty—before the courier had rushed in even. The fact that the prince had the cure was good proof. The important thing was that Pharmia had administered it to His Majesty with her hands and that his life was saved. I just had to let everyone know that in advance.
I was supremely satisfied that Pharmia’s name would be raised to the highest level. Finally, that eyesore, the Bibliophile Princess, had finally become useful to me, along with the completion of the cure!
I put the final touches on my performance and ceremoniously knelt down on one knee as I reverently offered the cure. I was convinced that not even the prince could defy the power of the head priestess.
“Head Priestess Eva. In the name of Saint Pharmia, I will present this cure to the temple. Please use it to save the people of this kingdom and...”
This was the only time I couldn’t help but look up at the expression of defeat on the prince’s face.
“Prince, please recognize Saint Pharmia, who has conceived your child, as the crown princess!”
The excitement and exhilaration reached its peak. I knew it was a very unusual event, but I couldn’t contain my delight.
“Head Priestess Eva. Your Highness. Please recognize this union!” Even though I was on one knee, my voice rang out strong and clear.
Hearing a small, pained grumble, I, Prince Irvin of Maldura, looked behind me. Rei, dressed as a palace guard, frowned as if he had a headache.
“Are you okay, Rei?” I asked.
He said yes, but neither his tone nor his facial expression were convincing. His clan’s ability was immeasurable to me, but there seemed to be individual differences, and I’d heard long ago that Rei was not very suitable. Their abilities were completely useless when they were far away from their target, but they were very effective up close.
“What does Grand Aunt say?”
“I said to stop calling her that.”
I burst out laughing, which was unsuitably carefree for someone who had invaded another country’s royal palace.
It was Elianna who had told me how to contact the royal library staff through a bookstore in the royal capital. However, even though I’d contacted them, this still wasn’t my country nor my palace. I couldn’t break in right away, so I had waited for about a day and a half before finally entering the royal archive, but it was said to be on the outskirts of the royal palace.
I was thinking about how to get to the location I was aiming for, when the staff who had guided me handed me something.
“Um, it’s a message,” said the young employee named Konrad. He was quite frightened by this whole situation, but he calmed down once he was in his familiar library. The piece of paper he gave me was something I didn’t recognize, though.
“A message? From whom?” I thought it would be from my brother, but it was from a completely different person. The content of the message filled me with irritation. Furthermore, it came with instructions.
If you’re going to move, do it tomorrow. And then meet up with a certain person.
“What does that mean?” I was filled with doubts and confusion, but this was another country’s royal palace. I hesitated, but I waited for another day, got the guard’s clothes, and headed to the designated place.
“Lord Irvin, something is strange.”
I noticed the state of the royal palace and the lack of people in it. I thought it was because of the current situation in the world, but something just didn’t feel right. It was possible we had walked into a trap, but in this situation, that didn’t make sense. Also, I knew Elianna was not the kind of person to do such a thing. I’d come all this way, so I just had to prepare myself accordingly.
I arrived at the corner, and the person I saw took my breath away.
“You are...”
A busy day in Sauslind was about to begin.
~.~.~.~
Well, I, Elianna Bernstein, thought.
In Saoura, Sauslind Kingdom’s royal capital, there stood a large temple related to the royal family. It was where the Hero King lay enshrined. Usually, it was closed as a sacred area that one could only enter after the general pilgrimage was over, but the place was now filled with enthusiasm and joy. The temple had been opened to those suffering from the Ashen Nightmare, and since then, the place had seen a jumble of people coming in and out. Normally, it should have been a quiet place where people showed consideration to those who were ill.
Once inside, I’d first checked on the overall situation, then tried to figure out what was going on with the people still left outside. They weren’t permitted to enter because those inside the temple were infected. If the temple accepted new people, the infection would spread to their families and the other people who had accompanied them. It would also spread to the doctors, nurses, and people who took care of the sick. As the epidemic spread, manpower would become scarce.
I understood that it was necessary to stop any more people from entering, but then what should we do? In search of countermeasures, I had shared the various knowledge I’d discovered in my journeys with the doctors inside the temple, as well as the follow-up observations of those who were afflicted with the disease and other various experiences. The doctors were from a hospital for the poor in the royal capital. I’d entrusted them with my wishes, and they had promised they would be fulfilled.
And then things began to move, which brought us to today.
I was overwhelmed by the spectacle that unfolded, and a doubt came to my mind. As I blinked my eyes, wondering how I should react, cheers rose from the crowd, directed at Lady Pharmia, who stood frozen on the spot.
I couldn’t help but feel upset. I wished I could turn around and run away, but let me reiterate: I would not let His Highness stand alone. As I watched, Prince Christopher took a step forward and raised a hand to silence the crowd. He stood before Duke Odin. Everyone was waiting in anticipation, and there was a calmness as if they were preparing for the next round of cheers. Then his words echoed through the room.
“Only one woman will be my wife, and that is...Lady Elianna Bernstein!”
The duke’s expression instantly changed, and confusion ran through the room. “Your Highness!” he uttered in a deep voice.
Prince Christopher’s cold blue eyes fell upon him. “Duke Odin. Earlier, you swore on your name and title to speak the truth. Now then, let’s hear it. Four days ago, the news of Elianna’s survival and the completion of the cure came. According to your story, Elianna was targeted again sometime in the last four days and lost her life. How did you come about that information?”
People seemed even more confused, and the duke let out a small, soft sigh. He kept his stately demeanor about him and showed no emotion, like a true aristocrat. “Your Highness. Word of your relationship with Lady Elianna has spread among us nobles and the people alike. I understand your unwillingness to believe it, but it’s the truth. And if you still don’t believe it, then I will show you her remains.” He sounded and looked very sad, as if he were taking pity on the prince.