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AFTER the surprise assassination attempt, Richard quickly devised a plan to prevent something like that from happening again. Both the refugee adults’ and children’s backgrounds were once again thoroughly investigated. He also implemented background checks on all the incoming and outgoing tradespeople. Then there was his reexamination of the knights’ security system as well as his careful consideration in terms of my treatment at future meetings with the lords.
As for me, the person responsible for all this? Well, I’d essentially been confined to my bedroom in Marquess Podzern’s castle.
“Ugh… I’m so bored…” I sighed heavily while staring up at the ceiling. The only people I was allowed to talk to were Solarus and Darius, who visited me every day. “Is this really necessary? I can’t just lay about like this when so many people need me.”
“It’s dangerous, so please stay here.”
“Fiiine…”
Solarus became incredibly strict with me since the stabbing incident. She refused to take her eyes off me for even a second. Her behavior was only natural considering all the trouble I’d put her through.
Now she stared at my hands.
“I see you’re keeping yourself as busy as ever, Madam Monica, even though you really should be resting after what happened.”
“I can’t help myself… I just get so restless when I have nothing to do…”
I was currently working on some embroidery using magic-infused threads. It would be summer soon, meaning insect repellant was vital. The colored threads had been soaked in extract from an insect-repelling herb and I cast my supernatural saintly power on them while embroidering. They were very effective even when used in things like waistbands and ribbons.
As someone who grew up in a farming village, I’d always either been working or minding the children from a young age. My hard-working days only continued after becoming a holy woman. Idleness just didn’t suit me.
“Argh, I really want to leave this room… I can feel my body slowing down.”
The door suddenly opened as I stretched while grumbling. I knew who it was right away from the way it opened. Richard.
“Miss Monica, how are you feeling?”
“Richard! Can I leave the room?!”
“No.”
“Gah. Fine.”
“Now that we have that out of the way… There’s something I want you to look at.”
A maid entered behind him. She curtsied to me before bringing in a trousseau of clothes. I glanced at it and immediately covered my mouth with my hands. I could never forget these garments.
“Clothes from…Nowasilo…”
An undyed blouse stitched with flower embroidery, an embellished apron, a simple black skirt made of durable fabric, a thick waist cord, and a vest. The forgotten memories of my life in the village came flooding back. I turned my head to look at Richard.
“H-How did you even get them here?” I asked.
“People with relatives in Nowasilo came all the way here and gave them to us. They said you should have them since you were born there.”
“I…I can’t believe these clothes still exist…”
“Why don’t you try them on?”
“But…”
“I want to see you in them. Besides, it would make those people extremely happy as well.”
“When you put it like that…I have no more reason to refuse.”
The minute Richard stepped out of my room, I had Solarus help me dress. They had included a headband too, so I decided to change my hairstyle from its usual one. Just like the older girls did when I was little, I bound my hair in a single braid then draped it over my shoulder in the front.
A nervous peek at the mirror showed a version of me who looked exactly like those girls so long ago in the village.
Richard came back inside the room and his eyes brightened when he saw me.
“You look charming, Miss Monica.”
“T-Truly?”
“Yes, very much so. As pretty as a picture.” He walked around me, inspecting me from every angle. “So this is how you would have turned out if you hadn’t become a saint, hm?”
“I…I’m suddenly feeling embarrassed for some reason now.”
“Why? The outfit suits you so well.”
“Uuurk.”
“I think you’re very impressive as you normally are, dignified and solemn. And of course, you’re stunning and elegant when you dress up in your formalwear. But you look wonderful with your hair braided like that too. This different version of you has an appeal all its own.”
“Gah…”
“Hmmm, I had no idea your hair had grown so long either. That particular style makes the pink gradation in your hair even prettier.”
“Nh…”
“Your Highness, I believe it is high time for you to curtail your excessive praise. At this rate, the next time Madam Monica suffers from the side effects of her powers, even this traditional costume from her village will start to arouse her.”
“S-Solarus, phrasing, please…”
Richard’s beaming smile didn’t falter at all, which made me squirm all the more under his sparkling gaze. I didn’t even have a wimple I could hide behind, so there was no escape for me. I thought about covering my face with my braid, but decided that would be too impulsive, so I ended up just holding it in my hands and fiddling restlessly with it.
Watching me, he rubbed his chin and hummed in thought.
“Hm…considering how bashful you are right now, I’m assuming I can’t convince you to wear those?”
“Wh-What do you mean by ‘those’?”
“The wedding clothes.”
“Ngh—”
“One of them told me something very interesting when they dropped off all these clothes. That if you try on the wedding clothes before getting married, you’ll have a happy marriage. Now doesn’t that sound nice, Miss Monica?”
“H-How would I know?! As if I have the wherewithal to even think of marriage with the current state of Kophe.”
“Are you sure? I won’t force you though.”
While shaking my head vigorously in refusal, I suddenly came to my senses and looked down at the clothes I wore. They were old—no, because they were old, I could tell how well they’d been cared for over the years.
“Richard.”
“What is it?”
“I can’t accept these clothes. Look at how well they’ve been preserved… I’m certain whoever owns them has a lot of memories in them. They’re irreplaceable.”
Indescribable emotions dwelled in the worn-out pinafore dress and in the neatly, lovingly stitched embroidery too. As soon as I realized this, I felt embarrassed at my artless excitement about trying on the clothes.
“I’m going to take these off then return them directly myself so I can thank whoever donated the clothes. It’s more than enough that I was able to wear them again after so long.”
“Really? Can’t say I’m surprised then. That’s very much like you, Miss Monica.” Richard nodded with a smile. “The owner wanted you to have the outfit and for it to be kept in a safe place. But…you’ll have a chance to discuss their wishes with them directly, so it’s fine.”
“Thank you. If they don’t mind, I’m hoping they’ll allow me to create a pattern or even teach me how to sew and embroider the clothes myself.”
“Of course. I had a feeling you might request something like this, so I already started working on it.”
“Thank you!”
“But only after the background check is complete and the ‘constraint’ is in place.”
“Constraint…like the kind Darius imposes on himself?”
I blinked in surprise. Darius was the type who increased his magical power by placing a magical constraint on himself that would cause his male organs to explode if he lost his virginity.
“I thought you had to have a certain amount of magical power to do that though. Most people don’t have much magic to begin with.”
“If it’s just a ‘behavioral constraint’ that doesn’t enhance your abilities, then having a static-electricity level of magic is enough to impose it.”
“Wow…I had no idea until now.”
“No wonder, as it’s actually considered forbidden magic in the Empire due to its heinous power.”
“What?!”
“Although I have no idea how it works in Kophe.”
“Forbidden magic… Ummm… Since I didn’t know about it, then the magic must be forbidden here as we—”
Richard pressed a finger to my lips, shushing me. Then he interjected with a smile.
“Although I have no idea how it works in Kophe, hm?”
He repeated his words with emphasis this time. Oh. He was telling me I shouldn’t look into it. That I should just stay oblivious as far as the constraint magic went. Right then.
He continued talking as I grimaced sheepishly in understanding. “To make sure that no one can hurt you again, I’ve decided to place a magical constraint on everyone who defected from Kophe and swore allegiance to me. If they try to hurt you…well, let’s just say they aren’t going to like the effects of the binding spell.”
“Do I even…want to know what those effects are?” I asked.
“They should encounter no difficulties as long as they have no desire to harm you for the rest of their lives. To tell you the truth, I didn’t tell them about it. Even though I don’t know whether or not it’s considered a forbidden spell in Kophe.”
Those weren’t words he should be saying while winking so blatantly at me.
“W-Won’t this create potential for an international crisis…?”
“You make a very fair point. Hurting the virtuous Arousing Priestess Monica Regulus, not to mention an inability to protect its own people from monster attacks. Kophe truly has created an international crisis, hm?” Richard shook his head dramatically in dismay then pressed his face close to mine, his eyes narrowing. “I guess this is our little secret, hm, Miss Monica?”
“Eee…”
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. No one in their right mind would perform a forbidden spell on the citizens of another country. But he was going to such terrifying lengths to protect me, so as the recipient of his well-meaning but terrifying efforts, I felt it would be awfully discourteous of me to object.
Richard beamed reassuringly at me. I guess my expression must have conveyed my thoughts.
“Don’t worry. So long as this country treats you well, nothing bad will happen.”