Johann and Lingsha left the study, leaving me alone with Eric.
“To be honest, I was a little surprised when you accepted Prince Liu’s proposal. Why did you?”
I felt like I was betraying Johann a little, but I decided to blurt out the question that had been nagging at my thoughts. Eric had a poor impression of Liu since their first meeting, so I wondered why Eric ceded any ground to him.
“Because I trust Johann. Is that not enough?”
“Oh, it’s more than enough. I know you wouldn’t have agreed to those terms if you didn’t trust Johann. And I was moved by the depth of your trust.”
Eric smiled with satisfaction. “But…I feel like you’re saying it’s not that simple.”
He seemed to understand what I was trying to express. And he was asking me, knowing what it was.
I nodded slowly and said, “Yes…I agree that Prince Liu gave us a tempting offer. If Johann wins, everything will be resolved. But…that’s exactly why I think you should have been more cautious in agreeing to it.”
He laughed. “Ha ha… You know me well, Leia. Yes, if the duel goes well, everything will work out perfectly for us. But it’s natural to be suspicious—it’s too good to be true. After all, this is Liu we’re up against…”
“Then why did you agree to his plan, Eric? Is there some other goal you’re after?”
“Well…you could say that. Sorry, but I don’t exactly have a goal. It’s just that, watching Liu, I can’t help but see myself in him. He wants to do things on his own terms…walk the path he believes in to become emperor.”
Eric paused and peered out the window.
Eric sees himself in Liu. I never even considered such a thing.
Yes, Liu also aspired to rule a nation. His readiness to fight and his forcefulness were probably necessary qualities to acquire in pursuit of his goal. Everything served his ascent to the throne…
“Now that you mention it, you can be quite forceful and quick to fight yourself, Eric.”
“Well, that was blunt. Though I can’t deny it…”
“Hee hee! Sorry, but that’s what I love about you. I mean…if you hadn’t forcefully dragged me away from my home, I never would have wound up with you.”
“Leia…”
Eric let his moral compass guide him and push him relentlessly through any obstacle, and I loved him for it.
That’s why I decided to devote my life to helping him. I wanted to fight for what I believed in too, just like him.
But what did that have to do with the problem we were facing now?
“I’ve made some mistakes, yet I still thought my sense of justice was my strength. But I came to know that if I was going to succeed on the path I chose, I would need a different kind of strength.”
“A different kind of strength?”
Eric smiled peacefully and answered, “The strength to trust others.”
He was probably right—having people in your life whom you could trust made you stronger. That was something Elshaid would need in the future.
“I believe that Liu has the qualities of a king, so I thought I’d show him something I have that he doesn’t: the power to trust. This battle is just as much between me and him as it is between him and Johann. It’s a battle over the virtues of those who would rule.”
“All right, now I get it.”
“Good. And Leia, this goes without saying, but I’m counting on you being there for me if I need you.”
Eric reached out and touched my hair, caressing it tenderly. I was a little too shy to look at his face this close up, so I cast my gaze downward.
“Leia, having you by my side is another pillar of faith for me.”
I looked up to find Eric’s gentle eyes just inches from mine.
S-so close…our lips are almost touching…
My heart raced and my cheeks burned—I was about to close my eyes and surrender when, apropos of nothing, Eric shouted, “Eureka! I think I know the underlying motive for the duel!”
“Yaah!” I yelped as I turned to stone from embarrassment.
What’s come over Eric all of a sudden?
“That wasteland where they wanted to hold the duel…”
Eric studied a map in silence for a while. His eyes were the definition of serious. The gears in his head were turning.
God…now I feel silly for getting my hopes up.
But I loved that look in his eyes. The way his eyes sparkled as they drew everyone and everything into them, I’ve always loved that about him.
“Whoa there, sorry about that. We were in the middle of a conversation, weren’t we?” He apologized as soon as he remembered that I existed.
“It’s all right, I don’t mind. Did you discover something?”
“Yes, take a look at this map.”
Showing me the map, he took a deep breath and began to explain. He didn’t sound entirely sure of himself, but he had settled on a theory. And that theory was…
“But, Eric! That’s a little too outlandish, isn’t it?!”
I yelped when he finished telling me his theory. It just seemed too ridiculous…and it made everything that happened up to this point nonsensical.
But Eric’s eyes remained dead serious. This wasn’t his idea of a joke.
“I don’t blame you for being surprised. Even I think it’s only a hypothesis, nothing more. So please don’t tell anyone else about it,” Eric said.
It was certainly not the sort of theory a person should blab about loudly, even just between the two of us. Besides, it was impossible for me to believe.
“If my theory is right, then, Leia…there’s something I need you to prepare for. As a saint.”
“As a saint?”
“Yes. First, you’ll need to…”
Eric then proceeded to explain. He would need my help as a saint, and if his theory did indeed turn out to be true, my saintly status could come in handy.
Eric looked at me with worry. “Something isn’t right about making a saint a bodyguard again. However—”
“It’s all right. It’s a saint’s duty to serve her kingdom. Besides, I think your method ensures the safest outcome, Eric.”
I agreed. It was something only I could help him with. After Eric told me his plan, I immediately left his study and began preparations exactly as he instructed.
We only had one month left until the duel.