“I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if you grew desensitized to death. I can already imagine myself regretting ever training you.”
“Mom…” Nonna looked frantic. “I only wanted to become strong so I could protect you. And I kept training because I liked it. If you hadn’t helped me, I probably would’ve ended up like Auri. I’ve thought about that so many times. I would’ve grown up hating everyone around me, deceiving people, and lying to make money.”
“Nonna.”
“I was wrong to disobey. I’m sorry, Mom. I should’ve told you how I felt. I only wanted to choose my own friends. When Dad said no, I just…I just got so angry! Why did he have to say it like that? It frustrated me so much.”
At the time, I’d thought Jeff’s tone was unusually harsh, but I understood his anxiety and had stayed quiet.
“None of us communicated very well, did we? I’ll make sure to say what needs to be said from now on. And you should do the same. Thanks for telling me how you feel. And don’t worry about Rosalie and Fred. Dad’s taking care of it.”
“He is? At this hour?”
“That’s part of the Second Order’s job. We can count on him.”
The next morning, we received word from the Second Order—Fred and his gang had been apprehended, and Rosalie had been freed from captivity. Just as I suspected, Fred had been working with the men all along.
After breakfast, I sent Nonna to the farm. She was still very down.
“Train with Miles as much as you like but make sure to take a guard with you.”
“I will, but I’m also going to ask him how to get the sheep to like me.” Nonna managed a smile and left in the carriage.
As for me, I had to go to the castle. I’d received an invitation at nine in the morning to a tea party for later that day. An invitation to an event within several hours—so it couldn’t possibly be an ordinary tea party.
I arrived at Princess Delphine’s quarters before noon.
“Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness.”
“I apologize for the short notice, Lady Asher.”
“Not at all.”
There was an unexpected guest in Princess Delphine’s room, where I had worked for two months. It was none other than Gunther Bahr. He gave me an awkward look.
“Lady Asher, I hear you’ve been chosen as my conversation partner and language tutor,” said Princess Delphine.
“That’s correct.”
She’d said “chosen” as if it wasn’t her decision.
“I wanted to apologize to you today. I didn’t tell my husband about you. However, this man went out of his way to inform Prince Conrad.”
“I’m very sorry!” Gunther bowed sharply.
Princess Delphine watched him with a frosty expression on her face and then continued speaking. “Lady Asher—or may I call you Anna?”
“Of course, Princess Delphine.”
“Gunther’s real name is Grayson Aldran. My homeland sent him here out of concern for me. But because of him, I ended up breaking my promise to you.”
“I am profoundly sorry, Princess Delphine and Lady Asher. I will accept any punishment,” said Gunther.
The princess sighed elegantly.
“Anna, Grayson saw you entering the grand hall as my double after the rebellion was quelled. He realized then who you were.”
“I noticed because your movements were far too precise to belong to Her Highness. That made me curious. As I observed, I suddenly realized you were the lady I danced with. I never considered for a moment that the prince was unaware of the double’s true identity.”
“He did more than simply deduce your identity, Anna. He also said to Prince Conrad, ‘So noble ladies can serve as body doubles in this kingdom?’ which was completely unnecessary,” the princess said.
So it was Gunther who told Prince Conrad about me.
Perhaps Prince Conrad thought he would have more leverage to keep Jeffrey close to him if his wife and I grew closer.
By appointing Jeff as deputy minister of military affairs and assigning me as Princess Delphine’s conversation partner, the prince seemed determined to keep my husband by his side. He clearly adored Jeffrey. Too much.
“His Highness trusts Lord Asher explicitly. I tried to convince him not to, saying it wasn’t necessary to appoint you as well, but he wouldn’t listen. He said, ‘Jeffrey isn’t moved by money or titles.’”
“I’m grateful the prince holds my husband in such high esteem.”
Prince Conrad seemed to have a firm grasp of Jeffrey’s nature.
“When my husband was young, he often played with Bryan Wilkes, who was executed recently. He trusted him. But Bryan tried to have me assassinated. That must’ve been a tremendous emotional blow to Conrad. Although he remains outwardly calm and conceals his feelings even from me, I’m sure he is distraught on the inside. That’s why he wants someone as loyal as Lord Asher nearby.”
The princess looked directly at me. “I feel very conflicted about your appointment as my conversation partner. Yet at the same time, I’m glad. I was raised to be queen of this kingdom from birth, so I know little of the outside world. I possess the knowledge required of a queen, but I lack much as a person. Anna, I want to grow. Not only as a queen, but also as a citizen of Ashbury and a mother to my two sons. Would you lend me your wealth of knowledge and experience to help me develop?”
“Princess Delphine…” Honestly, I was very surprised.
Although our positions were very different, her wish to address her shortcomings reminded me of my goal when I’d first come to Ashbury.
Despite her role as the future queen, Princess Delphine still aspired to grow as a person. Her sincerity and earnest nature moved me.
“I would be honored to serve as your conversation partner and language tutor,” I said.
“Thank you, Anna.” Princess Delphine was so graceful, she reminded me of a flower fairy. A moment later, however, her serene expression gave way entirely, and she glared sharply at Gunther.
“Grayson, your father, Duke Aldran, doted on me as a child. Out of respect for him, I shall overlook you speaking out of turn. But I want you to know that I am truly incensed at you.”
“My utmost apologies!”
“I will stay with the people of this kingdom for as long as I live. I am now a citizen of Ashbury. Please convey that to your father to ease his worries.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Anna, I shall send for you with more notice next time. I look forward to our next meeting.”
I left the castle feeling very moved by Princess Delphine’s character.
When I first met Gunther, I thought I’d seen him somewhere before. Perhaps I’d noticed him at a ball he attended as a son of the duke. Or maybe he’d accompanied foreign dignitaries as a guard when he was a soldier.
I wasn’t sure if it had been in the kingdom of Hagl or Randall, so I presumed that I’d just seen him somewhere once, and we’d never exchanged words.
The news of my appointment as Princess Delphine’s conversation partner and language tutor quickly spread among the nobility. The pile of invitations that had begun to subside at my home began arriving again, and not just for me and Jeffrey, but for Nonna as well.
I felt overwhelmed for a moment, but I wouldn’t give up now.
Just as Princess Delphine had resolved to live as an Ashburian citizen, I was ready to embrace my life here, too.
After a while, Jeffrey and I began to gradually accept invitations from the nobles.
If we suddenly started attending them all at once, people might think the story about my frail constitution and being bedridden was a lie.
So we took it very slow.
As a result, we replied to every invitation with the explanation Anna has recovered since returning home.
I didn’t care whether they believed it or not. There was no point in worrying about it.
However, the notion that Lord Asher was the crown prince’s favorite and his wife was the crown princess’s favorite seemed highly appealing to nobility. Despite attending tea parties or soirees weekly, Jeffrey and I couldn’t even make a dent in the invitations.
The same went for Nonna.
“Nonna, are you really planning on going to every tea party you’re invited to?”
“Yes. Master Clark says it’s better to have more noble acquaintances.”
“As long as you’re okay with it, I suppose it’s fine. Just don’t cause any trouble, all right?”
“I’m not causing trouble. Everyone’s basically groveling before me.”
“Groveling?!”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let it go to my head. I’m not going to act all high-and-mighty. I will make sure to behave quietly, politely, and with a gentle elegance.”
Well, I figured as much. Nonna could act like a proper young lady when she wanted to.