Prologue
I WAS DULL. I wasn’t friendly. I took life too seriously and was no fun to be around. Those were the things I’d heard all my life.
But in spite of all my obvious faults, I had the good fortune of marrying the person I loved. I was about to start a whole new life.
“What do you think? Quite an impressive estate, don’t you think?”
“Yes. It’s lovely.”
A large mansion had been built on a plot in the nation’s capital. The home that had been previously provided for me was more than large enough for my needs, but this one made it look tiny by comparison.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I like it because you chose it, Sir Osvalt. There’s no way that I wouldn’t like it.”
I was going to share this home with my husband, Osvalt, the second-eldest prince of Parnacorta.
I was also taking on a new name, Philia Parnacorta. When Sir Osvalt obtained a new title, my name would change once again. Sharing a last name with him was one major change I’d need to adjust to.
Marriage was an unfamiliar world to me, so I should have been anxious, but I couldn’t have felt more at ease.
“Now then,” I said, “shall I take my things inside?”
“Stop right there, Philia. You’re not allowed to lift a finger.” Just as I was about to carry my moving boxes through the door, my maid Lena put a stop to my plans. “As personal servant to the second prince’s wife, that’s my responsibility!” She nimbly hoisted several boxes.
Sir Osvalt laughed. “I see Lena thwarted your efforts as well. Leonardo lambasted me for the same reason.”
“He did?”
“Yes. He said that as a member of the royal family, I should refrain from taking jobs from my retainers. It seems like it’d be wise to leave these tasks to them.”
Sir Osvalt looked so cheerful as he spoke. It still didn’t feel real. I was going to share my day-to-day life—which Lena and the crew were a part of—with the man I loved. Maybe it was my joy that made the present situation feel like a dream.
Thanks to their incredible speed, it didn’t take long for Lena and the others to carry all of our belongings inside.
Sir Osvalt surveyed the progress and suggested we pause. “How does a break sound?”
“Okay! I’ll go make some tea.” Lena headed off to brew some tea.
Our new mansion had a spacious dining room, with plenty of room to accommodate a host of guests.
Leonardo brought in a pile of gifts we’d received from abroad. “Your Highness. Lady Philia. Gifts have arrived from foreign royals and influential nobles who were unable to attend your wedding.”
We had already received an abundance of gifts at the wedding ceremony. I never expected to get so many more.
“Oh? That’s thoughtful. Arrange for thank-you letters to be sent out once the chaos of moving has blown over.”
“Understood. Leave it to me!” Leonardo replied deferentially.
Sir Osvalt stroked his chin as he glanced over the items that had arrived.
“Hey, this one’s from the royal family of Alectron.”
“What a gaudy pot.”
Lena’s unfiltered remark was defensible. Our gift from the royals of Alectron could be described politely as avant-garde. But its pattern looked familiar…
“Isn’t this a Goddess Pot? The Alectron royal family considers them lucky talismans.”
“Well observed, Lady Philia. Now that you mention it, it looks like it has the wings of the goddess painted on it.” Leonardo gazed at the pot as he confirmed my suspicions.
“The people of Alectron believe that the Goddess of Creation brought the first humans into existence on their nation’s soil. That’s why they’re known for their creative excellence, particularly in the arts.”
“Yes. It’s said that certain auspicious works of art are inspired by the goddess herself.”
Lena looked uncomfortable. “Wait, does that mean I shouldn’t have called it a gaudy pot? Oops, I think I just insulted a goddess!”
The depiction of the goddess was rather abstract, and I couldn’t blame Lena for finding it garish.
“Don’t be upset,” I told her. “Just watch what you say beyond this mansion’s walls. You might offend someone.”
“Okay! I’ll be really careful!”
“Next, we have this gift from the royal family of Gyptia… Are these a pair of matching glasses? They’re a bit heavy…”
Sir Osvalt turned to me, holding the two transparent glasses. They certainly didn’t look heavy.
“Could I borrow them for a moment? Oh! These are magic tools.”
“Magic tools? These glasses?”
“Yes. There’s a mechanism made from magic ore embedded in the base of each glass.” I took the instruction manual out of the box the glasses had come in. “This must be the instruction manual.”
I see…
Their purpose soon became clear. “It seems these glasses cool whatever liquid you pour into them at a rapid rate.”
“Oh. Impressive stuff.”
“Gyptia is home to a specialized research institute dedicated to magic and magical tools, so it makes sense that they’d give you such a gift,” said Leonardo. “Lena and I visited it when we were looking for Luke, and it was buzzing with research activity.”
Gyptia was also the homeland of my father, Kamil. When it came to the study of magic, it was the most advanced country on the continent, and it was supposedly once home to a legendary sorcerer.
“It’s nice how these gifts reflect the unique culture of each country.”
“It really is. Next, we have… Um, what’s this supposed to be?”
“What beautiful fabric. You don’t see cloth like that very often around here.”
The fabric Sir Osvalt was holding had an ivory hue, adorned with flowing floral patterns embroidered in golden thread. The texture was unlike anything one could find in Parnacorta or Girtonia.
Himari, who had maintained her silence until now, spoke up. “Lady Philia, this fabric is used to make clothing in the kingdom of Murasame—and it is of superior quality, I assure you.”
“Himari? Wait, is this from your homeland?”
Himari was a refugee from Murasame, a nation on the other side of a strait far to the northeast. Its culture differed greatly from that of the mainland.
One thing, however, struck me as odd. “This gift is supposedly from the royal family of Ashbrugge. Why would they send us something from Murasame?”
“Good question. Diplomatic relations with Murasame have ceased, so there’s no way a gift from the country would arrive out of the blue.”
“Really?” Himari cocked her head to one side, apparently puzzled by our words. “Be that as it may, there is no mistaking Murasame craftsmanship.”
I had to agree. This bolt of fabric was just as exquisite as any specimen in Murasame.
“Heh heh heh. Shall I let you in on a little secret? Leave this mystery to me—fashion is my domain!” Lena took a step forward, eager to clear up our doubts. Her expression radiated confidence.
“Is there something we don’t know, Lena?”
Lena knew a lot about clothing, but I didn’t expect her knowledge to stretch beyond our country’s borders.
“Fabric made with a new-fangled technique is the hot trend right now in Ashbrugge. The shops in Parnacorta have just gotten a few items made from this material, so I immediately recognized it!”
“Is that correct, Lena?”
“Yep! A wealthy merchant called Harry Freyer makes clothes from this stuff. He started out by designing fashion for Ashbrugge’s nobility. It created a huge craze not just among high society, but with ordinary townspeople, too.”
Ashbrugge was often dubbed the “land of merchants.” Many moons ago, after the country was destroyed by a great calamity, merchants moved in and laid the foundations for the trading hub it would become. The country’s laws and systems were designed to favor traders, and merchants continued to flock to the nation from afar, dreaming of making their fortunes. It was probably common for new and foreign goods to become popular there.
“I see. But Lena, why does this new fabric look so similar to traditional cloth from Murasame?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t heard anybody else point out the resemblance. It’s probably just a coincidence, don’t you think?”
“No,” said Himari flatly. “This is no mere coincidence.”
Lena was more than familiar with the latest fashion trends, but it seemed she knew nothing about Murasame fabrics. Judging from Himari’s indignant tone, however, the person who had made this fabric must have known about Murasame culture.
After listening to Himari and Lena’s exchange, Sir Osvalt crossed his arms and shared his thoughts. “Maybe this Harry fellow took an interest in Murasame fabrics and set out to recreate them. I hear that Ashbrugge’s merchants can be pretty shrewd.”
“That may be true,” I said. “Still, Murasame isn’t even on this continent. I’m surprised that an imitation of one of the country’s cultural artifacts, made in Ashbrugge, would catch on. Are Murasame fabrics really that exceptional?”
I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask about Himari’s homeland. She’d never revealed much about it.
“Indeed they are,” Himari answered. “The finest fabrics feel heavenly to the touch, and they’re cool and breathable. Murasame is more humid than this country, so people prefer light clothing.”
“Come to think of it, I hear it’s quite warm in Ashbrugge, too.”
“That must be why they adopted our style of dress so readily. Even so, how did fabric of this quality end up in Ashbrugge?”
A wistful, faraway look crept into Himari’s eyes. She really seemed to believe that the fabric sent to us by the royal family of Ashbrugge was on par with the most luxurious fabrics from Murasame, its place of origin.