On this island, the execution site had been preserved for historical purposes as a symbol of past conflict. I shouldn’t run amok in a place like this.
Lord Nigel arched an eyebrow. “An island that became a battlefield, used in later eras as an execution site... Quite the brutal resume.”
Lord Hilbert, who was riding on a horse nearby, cut in. “It’s a place of tragedy where our brethren unfairly stole the lives of others. It’s fine to talk about the distant past, but it would be great if you didn’t erase the oppression in recent years.”
“Isn’t that why we’ve come to visit this island in the first place?”
“I noticed that there were people who’ve come to sightsee without understanding the history behind it.”
What? I understand just fine! Also, would you really call it “oppression”? Perhaps it depends on how you look at it.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.” I pouted. “I did a bit of studying up on the site beforehand, but perhaps it wasn’t enough.”
“It isn’t about you...”
Lord Nigel ignored Lord Hilbert and turned to me. “Would you please give us an overview, then?”
I shot him a look that said, Let him say what he wants, but he looked back with one urging me to Do it! Do it!
Oh, you...
I began my spiel. “About one hundred and twenty years ago, some of the people who opposed the merger took hostages and holed themselves up in this castle. The army raided the castle and ended things, but the violence resulted in over one hundred casualties. It was undoubtedly a tragedy.”
Lord Hilbert was visibly unamused. I paid him no mind. “Those who died included seven hostages, fourteen soldiers, and the rest were residents of Terrazant. There were also Visselians involved in the violence, but they escaped from the island by swimming away before the army arrived. One person drowned, and the rest were arrested. I wonder if any escaped.”
The Visselians had stoked the flames as much as possible, then abandoned the people of Terrazant once the army showed up. Some Terrazantians had resisted the soldiers and been killed as a result, but most of the casualties had been incidental. The gunpowder brought in had exploded, putting an end to the violence in the form of self-destruction. Some Lagrangians had also died this way.
Lord Hilbert was displeased. “Terrazant was originally a land with deep ties to Vissel. Its residents are our fellow countrymen.”
I nodded, not disagreeing. “That is indeed the case, which is why Her Highness Princess Mira is visiting today to pay her respects. It’s her duty to reflect on the history and instruct future generations to not repeat the same tragedies.”
Lord Hilbert seemed to receive my message that I had no intention of engaging in discourse with him. He didn’t try to press further and instead scoffed sarcastically. “Your words are proper, but I’ll give you a warning: Women should not pretend to be intelligent. You won’t be considered modest if you take on a haughty stance and parrot things you’ve learned. In times like this, you should say you don’t know anything. If you don’t want to be considered unruly, you need to remember that.”
Before Lord Nigel or I could respond to Lord Hilbert, Princess Mira interrupted out of the blue. “Oh my. You’re usually deriding me as imprudent and stupid, yet this is how you talk when you view a woman as intelligent? You want me to be neither stupid nor intelligent—just what do you want, then?”
Lord Hilbert’s voice caught in his throat, and when he spoke again, his speech was rough. “Of course you shouldn’t be stupid! But it’s more mortifying to watch you get on your high horse and butt into places you shouldn’t! Women should stay behind men and watch!”
“Queens wouldn’t exist if that were the case. It will become my job to butt in soon enough.”
“All you have to do is dress up and show your face. No one expects you to accomplish difficult tasks. You just have to remain beautiful and graceful, and leave everything involving a brain to your husband.”
“Right. Then I suppose I’ll have to search for someone like the Lieutenant again.”
Lord Hilbert was denying every facet of the princess’s personality, but she didn’t become angry—she simply looked over to Lord Simeon, who was riding next to her. She didn’t say so out loud, but she clearly implied to Lord Hilbert that she wasn’t referring to him. That further fueled the animosity in his expression.
Hmm... Lord Hilbert seems to be talking about himself with this “husband” statement. Are the two of them engaged? I haven’t heard of any such news, and Lord Hilbert doesn’t seem to be experiencing unrequited love. Maybe he just wants the throne.
Political power was held by parliament in Vissel, so he couldn’t have been after that. If that were his goal, then there would be no point in antagonizing the princess. Perhaps he wanted a position that would have the masses give him attention and praise him. Judging by his personality, he seemed to have a great desire for such approval, so he would rather be the king than the prince consort. But no matter how much he put on airs, the transfer of power would not change. It could be that he disliked this fact—that would explain why he lashed out at the princess so much. The princess surely couldn’t handle her potential fiancé targeting her with such selfishness. It made perfect sense that she hated him.