Chapter 2:
The Honeymoon
THREE DAYS AFTER GRACE TURNED UP, the day of our departure arrived.
Sir Osvalt and I weren’t the only ones going. Lena, Leonardo, and Himari were coming to help take care of us.
In front of us stood a large horse-drawn carriage adorned with lavish decorations.
“What a splendid carriage you’ve prepared for us,” I remarked.
“It’s a nice little wagon, isn’t it?” Sir Osvalt smiled. “This carriage is reserved for the royal family of Parnacorta. This is our honeymoon, so only the best will suffice.”
So this was what a royal carriage looked like. It was so extravagant, I was hesitant to step on board.
Lena had no such reservations. “Whoa! I’ve always wanted to take a ride in one of these!”
“Hold your horses, Lena. Our purpose here is strictly to serve His Highness Prince Osvalt and Lady Philia.”
“Don’t worry, Leonardo,” I said. “Lena’s excitement makes me feel much more at ease.”
“Ooh! You’re so kind, Lady Philia!”
Lena threw her arms around me, grinning. Her cheerfulness knew no bounds. I found it incredibly comforting.
“You really indulge her,” said Sir Osvalt. “Don’t let her get so carried away that she forgets to take her job seriously.”
“Ahh! That’s so mean, Your Highness!”
“His Highness speaks wisely,” said Himari. “You must always be primed for combat, Lena. If not, you might be unable to protect Lady Philia when danger arises.”
“Y-you’re lecturing me too, Himari?”
I didn’t stop Prince Osvalt and Himari from reprimanding Lena for her attitude, but privately I thought they could stand to relax a bit.
Hold on. Me, thinking people needed to relax? That was a first. I could hardly believe my own reaction.
The Mattilas family’s carriage was parked beside ours. Arnold, who must have finished preparing for Grace’s move to the royal palace, gave us a deep bow. “Thank you for allowing Madam Grace to stay at your estate for all this time. On behalf of Count Mattilas, I wish to extend my gratitude to His Highness Prince Osvalt and Lady Philia for their generosity.”
“Oh, there’s really no need to thank us. When we come back, we’ll show you the hospitality you deserve.”
“Your kindness is much appreciated. Farewell, Lady Philia—”
Grace jumped in. “Wait a minute, Arnold. You can’t wrap things up without my say-so. Aren’t you going to let me say goodbye?”
“I was simply trying to conclude our conversation in a polite manner, Madam Grace.”
“Silence! Robbing me of my chance to speak with Lady Philia is utterly inexcusable!” Grace puffed out her cheeks, enraged.
Arnold couldn’t have meant any harm, but he looked apologetic nonetheless.
Grace turned to me. “Lady Philia! The truth is, I was desperate to be your stand-in.”
“Grace…”
“But I realize acting in your stead was never going to turn me into you. That’s why I’m going to devote myself to my training even more, in the hope that someday you’ll be proud to call me your apprentice!”
When Mother Hilda told me she was proud to be my teacher, it felt as though all my years of training had paid off. I almost told Grace that I was proud enough already—but I bit my tongue. This wasn’t something to say lightly. Throwing around such high praise would be irresponsible.
Hilda, who was both my teacher and my mother, had expressed her love through her strictness. If that love had helped me to grow, it was too early to give Grace the compliment she yearned for.
“I believe in you, Grace. As long as you continue to push forward with your usual dedication, you are sure to become a wonderful saint.”
“Y-yes! I promise I will! I still have plenty of progress to make!”
That was the right response, wasn’t it, Mother?
The truth is, Grace, I still have a long way to go myself—but the fact that you and Mia look up to me makes me want to be a worthy role model.
“Lady Grace, tell my brother about Bolmern. I’m sure he’d love to hear about it.”
“Of course, Prince Osvalt. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“Don’t sweat it. We know you meant well.”
It had been arranged for Grace to stay at the palace as Prince Reichardt’s guest, but she seemed a little nervous. “You have nothing to worry about, Grace,” I assured her. “Prince Reichardt is a kind person.”
“Oh, yes, Lady Philia. I had a brief chat with him at your wedding. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” After a short pause, Grace nodded and smiled at me. “On that note, you two, take care on your trip. I wish you both a delightful honeymoon!”
“See you later.”
“Yes. We’ll be back before long.”
After exchanging goodbyes with Grace, I climbed on board the carriage. We were finally setting off on our honeymoon.
As I felt the carriage, pulled by the kingdom’s finest horses, begin to gently sway, my heart swelled with excitement.
“No way,” said Lena, sounding impressed. “I had no idea Parnacorta was so full of old ruins.”
She was gazing at the map laid out in front of her. As she said, it was dotted with historic ruins, large and small, each with its own history.
Two horse-drawn carriages had been supplied for our journey, and it just so happened that Lena was riding with Prince Osvalt and me. She and Himari would take turns acting as our bodyguard at each destination we visited. Leonardo, meanwhile, had a communication bracelet so he could quickly contact the royal palace from the rear carriage if anything were to happen to ours.
“Apparently, Parnacorta was once home to many ancient civilizations,” I said. “This country has three times as many ruins as my home country, Girtonia.”
“It must be really special in that, then,” Lena remarked.
“Yes. Excavations have unearthed many valuable relics left behind by ancient people. I look forward to seeing some particularly rare artifacts on this trip.”