Having learned that writing mid-motion was impossible, I changed my approach the next day: I’d sleep as much as I could inside the carriage. If I had no choice but to wait idly, with nothing to do until we arrived, then I could use that time to catch up on sleep. Prince Severin himself napped here and there—even more reason for me to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Sir Nigel, please switch places with this one. I can’t believe she’s sleeping so boldly in front of a man.”
His Highness ordered this when he noticed what I was doing, so sometime during our travels, I was moved to the Easdalian carriage, where only Ms. Eva would ride with me. Thanks to that, I was able to lie down and sleep without having to worry about anyone else. Then, once we arrived at the night’s lodging, I’d stay up to write. The room wouldn’t sway, and there wouldn’t be any background noise, so it was a sound plan, if I did say so myself.
Prince Severin had patted Lord Simeon on the back when he’d made a face at this idea. “At least she’s not wandering around causing trouble.”
“Yes, sir...”
I’d pretended not to hear them.
I holed myself up in my room for the most part, so there was no chance of me running into the Visselians. Unlike the first day, no incidents occurred. After talking it out and deciding that fighting wouldn’t do us any good, I refrained from prying into Princess Mira’s true intentions, and Lord Simeon focused on his guard duties.
The rest of the trip proceeded without even small troubles, much less terrorism, and on the fourth day, we arrived at Terrazant while it was still light out.
I stepped out of the carriage with a yawn, then gasped in wonder at the scenery spread out before my eyes. All traces of my drowsiness were blown away by growing excitement.
“You can see the sea from this castle!”
We were on a small island. Buildings were densely packed along the slope of the high mountain, and a large, fortified mansion stood at its peak. This mansion’s front garden welcomed us.
The island lay very near the mainland and was connected to it by a thin road that was obviously man-made. Our carriage had most likely traversed along that; it was too bad that I’d been snoozing. I should have observed the landscape more along the way.
This was the only scenic area of the island, however. We’d landed during low tide, so the shore wasn’t covered by the ocean—the receding waves had exposed a wide strip of land that was barren and gray. Come high tide, even the connecting road would be submerged by the waves, rendering the island cut off from the mainland. We’d be left in a castle floating in the sea.
I knew basic information about this location since it was quite famous. The castle had originally been built as a fortress over five hundred years prior and had later been used as a monastery. It was a hotel at present; the local government managed its upkeep rather than a civilian organization. Years of renovations had changed the castle, so its initial form was nowhere to be found, but the charm from its monastery days still remained, making it a sightseeing spot for many tourists. Under the right conditions, the sea would act as a mirror and reflect both the island and the castle. Apparently, this sight was incredibly beautiful. I could only hope to see it during my stay, but the weather wasn’t looking so good. The winds were strong, and the waves were tall. As was typical, the northern sea was a darker color than the southern one.
“What about the other castle?”
I pivoted in place to peer around. Another island nearby also had its own castle, but I couldn’t find it.
Lord Nigel approached me. “It’s on the other side of the hotel, so you can’t see it from here. But when we go visit it tomorrow, you’ll be able to see the place up close.”
As we proceeded toward the hotel, we were instructed to rest. Prince Severin and Princess Mira left their carriages and headed to the entrance. This would be the princess’s final stop before she returned home. She would greet fellow Visselians, such as the prefectural governor, stop by historical landmarks on the next island over, then cross the border. We only had a bit of time left with her.
I hadn’t gotten a chance to speak with her since the carriage accident. We hadn’t crossed paths during this journey, so we were still estranged. I’d wanted to at least have a conversation with her before we parted ways, but there was no telling if she’d agree to that. Mr. Meyer seemed like he’d disapprove.
Convincing myself I wouldn’t write tonight, I walked behind the princess and her attendants. Lord Simeon, walking next to her, stole a glance over his shoulder to check on me. Seeing that I was fully awake and following, he turned back around, reassured.
“How are you feeling, Mrs. Marielle?” Sir Alain asked in place of Lord Simeon. I’d been extravagantly motion sick the first day, so all the knights were worried for me.
“I slept a ton, so I’m fine. Thank you very much.” I smiled.
He and his fellow knights laughed with strange expressions.
Lord Nigel turned back to give me a light lecture. “You napped, but in an uncomfortable position in a swaying carriage. It can’t have been a good sleep. Be sure to rest properly tonight. You’re going to ruin your health if you keep this up.”
“Yes, sir... I planned to do so anyway. I’d also like to speak with Her Highness Princess Mira.”
“Oh? You’re finally going to engage in a women’s battle?”
“Are you enjoying this, perhaps? Like when the ladies of Easdale fought over you?”
“I wouldn’t say I enjoyed that... I’m sorry.”
Lord Nigel apologized and closed his mouth. I cast him a cold glare—so did Ms. Eva.
Princess Mira was walking alongside Prince Severin. Lord Simeon was with them, but he wasn’t lending his arm to the princess. She’d stopped asking him to do so after their slight argument on the first day. Even without that, however, the aura around them still looked special because they were walking side by side. She was an unbelievably beautiful woman flanked on either side by unbelievably beautiful men. The three of them sparkled brightly.
It was only natural. A prince, a princess, and the heir to an earldom—they were ranked higher than the clouds. Had my past self seen this, I wouldn’t have been able to even approach them. I’d long since gotten used to Lord Simeon and His Highness, but taking a step back and looking at them again, I could feel just how different they were from me. They were revered and surrounded by guards, which exacerbated how high-class they were. It would be more strange if I were next to them.
The objects of my fangirlism were meant to be admired from afar. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel just a bit alienated, like I’d been kicked out... I’ve become quite brazen, haven’t I?
Of course, Lord Simeon would never ostracize me. He was simply in the middle of work at the moment. I shook off the strange notion and walked gingerly, trying to not be noticed.
Staff came out from the hotel to receive us. The whole place was rented out, as one would expect for two kingdoms’ worth of royalty. No normal customers would be staying tonight.
That was supposed to have been the case, but the first person to call out to us was someone who didn’t look like a staff member.
“Hi, Mira. You’ve come a long way.”
“Hilbert?!”
I’d assumed he was a local worker, yet he’d referred to the princess by her first name. She seemed to know him and was shocked that he was here.
This “Lord Hilbert” person... What kind of position was he in that he could speak so casually with a princess? Was he Visselian royalty as well?
He was a man younger than Lord Simeon and about the same age as Princess Mira, with golden-brown hair and light eyes. Like most young noblemen, he was thin with a sweetly sculpted face. His fashionable, well-made outfit made him look somewhat doll-like. If a young girl were to envision a “prince,” this is what picture would appear in her mind. Yet another dazzling person had appeared.
Princess Mira, however, glared at this man with a hardened expression. “Why are you here?”
“To meet with you, of course.”
“I heard of no such plan, nor did I ask for it.”
Though Lord Hilbert himself appeared to be in a good mood, the princess had suddenly become hostile. This only served to deepen my curiosity about their relationship. He couldn’t have been her younger brother, right? The prince of Vissel wasn’t named Hilbert, and he was supposedly still only twelve or thirteen years of age.
“You came here of your own accord, didn’t you?” There was an edge to the princess’s voice. “We’re with Lagrange’s royalty right now, yet you ignored that and—”
Lord Hilbert turned away from her in the middle of her speech and fixed his attention on Prince Severin. “Are you His Highness, the Crown Prince Severin? Thank you for coming all this way.”