In Lord Reineke’s temple, I sighed wistfully.
The recent event had caused flooding, covering the territory with muddy water and destroying fields. Homes were lost and children were orphaned. People who had been most affected were now taking shelter in the temple. While father and brother were busy with restoration work, Bal and I wondered if there was anything we could do. We ended up helping mother and the people of the monastery take care of the victims.
“Still, to think I’d eat this kind of vegetable...” I said.
Lady Kuzunoha had taught me how to prepare the strange wild vegetables that grew in the Renard woods.
“You said they’re called konjac? It...doesn’t taste very good,” Bal grumbled.
We processed the konjac, scraping the vegetables in a tub of water. We wore gloves to keep our hands from feeling itchy. The process took time, but it created something edible with a wondrous texture. It was a huge help to have a source of food from what we once thought was inedible.
“Lady Kuzunoha also taught me how to make soy sauce and miso, so hold your horses until then,” I told him.
“It’s always soybeans with her...”
“Good thing we have plenty of them in the stockpile.”
All of Lady Kuzunoha’s foods were just plain strange—like tofu, which the people of the monastery were making from soybeans too. Soybeans grew well even in the infertile lands of the Renard domain, so they were kept in large supply.
I mixed fine powder from burnt seashells with water until it dissolved, then dipped the scrubbed konjac in.
“Stir it all together!” I instructed.
Bal stirred it in a hurry, then kneaded the separated konjac together.
“It’s looking good. Now just wait a bit to boil it, and it should be ready!”
“What an annoying process. I don’t know where Lady Kuzunoha is from, but the people of her land must be really weird.”
“Yeah... Tofu, miso, soy sauce—all of them are a lot of trouble to make.”
“On the other hand, Lady Dakini’s curry is super easy.”
Indeed, Lady Dakini had taught us how to cook curry. It was a fragrant stew made using a lot of flour from the medicine warehouse. The ingredients were high in medicinal properties and warmed the body. It was particularly popular with the addition of some seasoned tofu.
“And Lord Reineke taught us about frogs, which also go great with curry,” I said.
“I had no idea people used to eat frogs and snails in the past.”
Thanks to the fox spirits, we were able to start rebuilding the people’s lives. Even those who’d been despondent from losing so much had gained a renewed vigor by having something to work toward. The children were also happy to help by searching for frogs and snails. For Bal and I, it was reassuring to see things improving for everyone.
Not long after, the crown prince Hodr arrived from the capital with relief supplies. I was grateful that he’d traversed the narrow path to the domain to bring aid, but we were in no position to be welcoming royalty. The marquis tried telling him to wait until things had calmed down, but the prince ignored him and had his way.
“If he’d just think things through, he’d realize he’s causing problems,” Liam said resentfully, watching the prince and his group approach the mansion from the window. The long procession showed just how many attendants the prince had brought with him.
Of course, if His Highness was to stay in the territory, the Renard estate would have to host him—the local town didn’t have suitable lodgings for royalty. The marquisate had to arrange for clean bedding, furniture, and food, not just for the prince but for his attendants as well. But the Renard domain was impoverished. It was hard enough for us to welcome a royal during times of peace, let alone in the midst of a disaster. It frustrated me to think about all the food we could’ve distributed to the people if only His Highness hadn’t come.
“I’m sure he’s here because he wanted to compete with you, Liam, after your first battle. He probably asked to be sent on his own first official business, and this is the perfect chance to establish himself as a benevolent ruler who offers support to a devastated domain,” father said with a sigh.
“And...they might be suspecting something,” he added, casting a grim look at Bal. “The construction at the Renard River, and the possibility that Baldr might still be alive... Bringing all these followers here may be a way of keeping things in check. In a sense, it might be a blessing in disguise that the embankment collapsed and the canal construction hasn’t started yet.”
The shocked Bal shrank in on himself.
“I... I really should just—”
I quickly grabbed him by his shirt.
“You’re not going to leave, are you?” I asked.
If he were to leave now, he might end up leading the revolutionary army and gain control of the Renard domain, just like in my previous life. His future course would affect not only our territory, but the entire kingdom too. And besides that, he was also my glimmer of hope—as long as his relationship with House Renard didn’t deteriorate, even in the worst-case scenario, surely the executions would be averted.
I have to stop him!
“But...my presence here only brings trouble,” Bal said on the verge of tears.
I whipped around to look at father. “You’re not going to cast him out, are you?”
The man fell into deep thought. I turned to look at Liam, who also remained silent. Lord Reineke scrunched up his face in displeasure.
“If you do, I...I’ll go with him!” I declared.
“Don’t be foolish!” father yelled.
“Lune!” Liam scolded firmly.
“What are you talking about?!” Bal asked in a panic.
Lord Reineke barked at me.
“But...but...Bal is our light of hope!”
When I said that, father and brother gasped. Lord Reineke nodded, while Bal tilted his head in confusion.
“Lune, has Lord Reineke told you our secret?” father asked, giving me a stern look.
I turned to the spirit.
He hasn’t told me anything like that. Was there some deeper meaning in what I said?
But Lord Reineke shook his head, with no intention of explaining. With no other choice, I also shook my head.
“No. That’s just what I believe,” I said vaguely. I couldn’t speak about my past life, so I couldn’t reveal what I was really thinking.
Liam picked me up.
“Lune, you must mind your choice of words. Light represents the royal lineage. If a Renard calls Bal the ‘light’... You understand how that sounds, don’t you?”
My face paled at his gentle admonishment. If someone wanted to read between the lines, it’d sound like House Renard was acknowledging Bal’s royal blood and intended to back him. In these circumstances, it was practically treason.
“But that’s not what I meant!”
“I know.” Liam smiled, then turned to the marquis. “We can’t have Lune leave.”
“You’re right. So, Bal, don’t you think of leaving either,” the man said.
Lord Reineke nodded in agreement.
“But—” Bal raised his head, about to protest.
“It’s already well-known that House Renard is looking after the child of a distant relative. If we make you leave now, you would only stand out more. You’d be at greater risk of being seen as a child of royalty,” father reasoned.
Liam patted the pouting boy’s head reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. Your hair color’s completely different, and the people of the capital don’t even know of this method of dyeing hair.”
“I guess...but will it really be okay? I don’t want anyone else to be hurt because of me,” Bal said.
It tore at my heart that even in this situation, instead of thinking about himself, he was only worried about everyone else.
His Highness Hodr is visiting our territory with no regard for the disaster. Compared to him, Bal would be a much better leader!
“Put on these tinted glasses, and try to avoid the prince if you can. You’re better off staying in your room as much as possible,” father advised, handing Bal a pair of colored glasses. He’d never intended to cast Bal out; in fact, he’d prepared to protect him. “I apologize for the inconvenience.”
The boy shook his head. “Not at all! I’m so grateful for everything. Even now, I’m causing you all so much trouble. You’d be better off killing me!”
Liam lightly smacked Bal, while Lord Reineke stomped on the boy’s foot.
“Do we seem like the kind of people who’d do that?” Liam questioned.
Bal’s eyes welled with tears, and he shook his head even harder.
“That’s not what I meant. I just...” he choked out. “Th-Thank you...”
As Bal started to cry and shake, Lord Reineke rubbed against his side to comfort him.