Two weeks had passed since that conversation, and I hadn’t met with Louis at all in that time. In fact, I hadn’t even seen him at school. He’d been very busy, going back and forth between the palace and the Armelia manor. I just hoped he was getting enough rest, although I imagined he had forgotten all about sleep and was completely immersing himself in his work.
I was sitting in the library today. When exams were coming up, this place was always packed, but on this occasion, it was deserted. This was particularly clear in the section where they had nonfiction books; not a soul was around. I heard the faint sound of rain falling outside, so I paused my search and looked out the window. The sky was overcast, and it was a little dark even though it wasn’t that late yet. The gloomy mood outside seemed to be reflecting my inner one, making me feel even more down.
We had successfully averted a plot to kill the dukes from Rimmel, and they had safely returned home…so why did I feel this way? The ending of it all hadn’t left me feeling relieved because I didn’t know how they had gotten the military uniforms or who had plotted the attack. Also, deep inside, I was bothered by the looming change in power structure of the Tasmerian nobles.
The outcome of Sharia’s love would have an effect on it too.
The country was like a piece of fabric. Every citizen was like a strand of thread, woven together in a complex way that revealed a pattern. I personally thought some threads had been woven in when they shouldn’t have been, so several tangles had been made. I knew we’d have to unravel it to fix it, but the knots were so tight. How could we untangle it if we couldn’t even distinguish the individual threads? Meanwhile, the machine just kept on spinning, weaving the knotted threads together, nonetheless.
Perhaps I was feeling anxious because I knew we needed to untangle the mess, but I just didn’t know how.
“Oh, hello, Your Highness.” Amidst my reveries, I sensed a presence and saw a head of familiar golden hair. It was Prince Edgar. I couldn’t exactly ignore him, so I greeted him politely with a curtsy.
“I haven’t seen you in a while, Merellis.”
“That’s true. We didn’t have the chance to speak at the last party at the palace.”
“Ah, I suppose that’s right.”
I meant it as a little dig, but he responded normally, even though I was certain he knew what I meant.
“Do you come here often, Your Highness?”
“Yes. When I’m not studying government, I always come here.” He started perusing a nearby bookshelf. I turned my own attention back on the bookshelves, resuming my search.
“Your Highness… Please pardon my rudeness, but may I tell you something?” I asked, my gaze still fixed on the bookshelf. Under normal circumstances, I knew how inappropriate it would be and I wouldn’t do such a thing, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“It’s all right. What is it?”
“I just wanted to let you know that she is very important to me,” I said, emphasizing the reference to Sharia.
I saw his body jerk with surprise for a split second.
“I don’t pretend to know how you feel, Your Highness, but if you intend on playing with fire, please don’t get any sparks near her. However, if you’re serious…” I glanced over at him finally. He was still staring at the bookshelves, but his hands were not moving. Instead, he had his arms crossed, and he was quietly listening to me. “Please, whatever you do—don’t hurt her. As I’m sure you are well aware, the environment in the castle right now is not favorable. It might cause you to let go of her. If your feelings are such that you could let go of her that easily, then please just do it right now.”
“And if I have no intention of doing so?”
“It’s not my place to say. All I can do is stand by and watch over her, protecting her from afar.”
“I see…” Prince Edgar stood there quietly. Even though I had been incredibly rude to a member of the royal family, he didn’t seem angry at all. “You two are very close, aren’t you?”
To be honest, I was surprised at his reaction. “Y-yes, we are. She’s very precious to me.”
“And that’s why, hm?” He murmured to himself. “Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just surprised you gave me your opinion because you care so much about your friend…”
Honestly, I couldn’t tell whether he was exasperated, or angry, or what. His expression was completely impassive. Nevertheless, I didn’t regret what I had said, and I kept watching him quietly.
“I’m not the kind of person who would find fault with someone who genuinely cares for their friend,” he said. “It’s just interesting to me, that’s all.”
I tried to say, “I see,” but the worlds died in my throat. I stayed silent instead.
It seemed that he had no intention of discussing the matter further, because the conversation ended there. He resumed browsing the shelves.
“If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness.”
“Of course.”
I just happened to find the book I was searching for at that moment, so I took it and left the room.