Riri woke up as the morning sun shone in. Today was the day of the final selection. She had been practicing until late last night with Seirai, so she didn’t sleep well, and her body was tense and in pain.
She would normally have slept well and wouldn’t wake up since she was tired, but she was so nervous about today that she woke up early. She got out from her futon and stretched.
“The final selection will take place at the banquet tonight, but I have to practice in the morning with the other consorts. I’ll practice on my own until then.”
She had never danced with the other consorts before because she was too inexperienced to keep up with them and would trouble them.
“If I don’t participate in their final practice and dance in sync with the others, then I’ll ruin the dance.”
Her anxiety was inexhaustible. Her only hope was what Seirai said yesterday.
He had said, “You’re not quite there yet, but if you can coordinate your movements with everyone else’s in the last practice, then you should be able to dance without standing out in a bad way.”
“He told me that I won’t stand out in a bad way, but he also said that it would be difficult for me to get a high enough rating to join the Four Consorts without a miracle… I think I’ll use that trick after all.”
She had been thinking about how to liven up her dance for the past few days.
No matter how hard she tried, there was no way she could get a better score than the consorts who have been practicing dance since they were children by practicing for 10 days. So, she had been thinking about what she could do.
As she made her bed, she decided to use her specialty: incenses.
After getting dressed, she opened the door and stepped out into the corridor.
Garan, who had always been by her side for the past few days, wasn’t here yet.
She had told Ryouka that she would be practicing in the morning, so she rushed to the ballroom, hoping that Ryouka would come by later.
The ballroom, which was used as a rehearsal space, wasn’t busy since it was so early in the morning.
“As I had expected, no one is here yet… Hmm?”
When she entered the large ballroom, she noticed some wooden boxes against the wall and stopped in her tracks.
“I believe those boxes contain the costumes and masks for today’s dance.”
It was the same wooden box that Ryouka had brought with her a few days ago to make sure that the costume fitted her.
“I’m sure they put the boxes here because the consorts said they’ll be practicing in their real costumes and masks this morning. There are exactly 10 crates.”
As she approached the boxes, she noticed that there was a piece of paper with each of the candidates’ names written on it.
“Consort Hisui’s name is there, and so are Consort Juka’s and Consort Ranran’s names. They’ve all had their outfits altered to fit them. My costume is….”
The costume that Ryouka had brought her was quite large. Ryouka had said that she would fix the measurements, but she stopped in front of the box with her name on it, wondering if Ryouka did a good job.
“I wonder how it turned out. The hem was so long that I almost stepped on it. I wonder if she shortened it.”
She gently opened the box and raised her eyebrows.
“Huh? There’s nothing inside. This scent is…”
The box was empty; there was no costume or mask in the box. She moved her face closer to the box in surprise and noticed a scent.
It was a faint scent that normal people wouldn’t notice. However, her super olfaction nose realised that the scent was aloes-wood, which Hisui wore.
“Why is Consort Hisui’s scent…”
She was curious but thought she should check the other costumes first.
“What about the others?”
She opened another box and saw a white costume with gorgeous gold embroidery on it and a shining golden mask. The other boxes also had matching costumes and masks, but only hers was missing.
“What’s going on?”
She opened the box with her name on it once again. There was nothing in the box and she was confused.
“I’m the only one without a costume and the lingering smell belongs to Consort Hisui. That means…”
A conjecture popped into her head. She wondered if the mask and costume had been stolen.
And the thief might have been Consort Hisui. As she thought about this, she realised…
“Consort Hisui said she would do whatever it takes to become one of the Four Consorts.”
A few days had passed since Hisui told Riri this, and she didn’t get the chance to clear Hisui’s misunderstanding.
Hisui was considerably angry. If that anger had driven her to steal the costume and mask…
“… No. She couldn’t have. Consort Hisui is an upright person. There’s no way she would do such a cowardly thing.”
Even as she said this, she found herself questioning why the box smelled like Hisui.
“The scent suggests the Consort Hisui opened the box a short while ago. Why would she open a box that contains someone else’s costume this early in the morning?”
The only reason she could think of was that she had done so to avoid being seen stealing the costume and mask.
But she didn’t want to believe it. Even if Hisui didn’t like her, she thought of Hisui as a friend.
“… I wonder if there are any other clues.”
The only way for her to find clues was to use her prized olfaction talent. She put her face into the box and sniffed every inch of it. After carefully examining the scent remaining on the box, she suddenly raised her eyebrow.
She looked up and tilted her head.
“This… Uoah!”
Before she could realise the possibility and say the answer, someone covered her mouth from behind.
If someone approached her, she would have noticed their scent since there was no one else in the room.
But she was too focused on examining the box that she didn’t notice the other person.
“Someone…!”
“Ugh…! Uoah.”
A white cloth covered her mouth, and she noticed the scent of sleeping powder coming from the cloth.
She couldn’t escape because the person behind her was strong, and she lost consciousness ―――.
(Kousho’s perspective)
“You seem to be missing someone.”
I came to the Beautiful Flower Palace in the morning. Tonight, the final selection for the beauty pageant will be held at the banquet.
The consorts of Beautiful Flower Palace, including Riri, were to perform the ranryou dance at the banquet.
As requested by Seirai, the banquet will be held at the Beautiful Flower Palace’s reception hall. There was no room for mistakes since the Emperor would be attending. As the owner of Beautiful Flower Palace, I was busy since morning, checking on the preparations for the banquet.
The consorts were practicing for the last time in the ballroom. When I showed up, the consorts immediately dropped to their knees and hung their heads down. I raised my eyebrow when I noticed that Riri wasn’t among them.
“Consort Riri isn’t here. She isn’t very motivated and hasn’t participated in any of our practices. We’re also very troubled.”
The one who raised her voice with accusations was named Juka, I think.
The consorts all looked the same, so it was hard to remember their names. I’ve been hanging out with them recently for a certain reason, but I often had trouble matching their names to their faces.
I knew that Riri didn’t participate in the rehearsals because she couldn’t dance as well as the other consorts.
However, I couldn’t say anything to protect her.
One of them might be the person who wants to kill Riri.
“I see. Consorts, I look forward to today’s dance. Good luck.”
I smiled and the consorts faces turned red. I was good at smiling without putting my heart into it. I knew what kind of smile would make women happy.
I sighed in my heart; I can’t believe they’re fooled by such a fake smile. I wondered how many consorts in my father’s inner palace would be fooled by a smile from a young man like me.
Honestly, it was annoying to be friendly towards the consorts. I hate myself for putting on a fake smile everywhere, but I had no choice but to do this. I wanted to protect what was important to me, even if it meant killing myself.
In the midst of the blushing consorts, there was only one person who had a blank look on her face.
“What’s wrong, Consort Hisui?”
When I spoke to her, her eyes widened in shock, then she immediately bowed.
“Thank you for speaking to me. I’m a little nervous.”
Her voice sounded normal, but I sensed something was wrong. She was the daughter of the Grand Chancellor, so I could somehow remember her name. She was the highest-ranking person in Beautiful Flower Palace and her beauty and cleverness surpassed the rest.
I knew she was the first choice for Empress. I would have taken her as my wife to pass on the royal blood if I hadn’t met Riri again. However, I stumbled across my destiny.
I was curious about the way Hisui was acting, but I decided to look for Riri first.
I had a bad premonition. Unfortunately, these kinds of premonitions often come true.
“This dance would be a good opportunity to make the Beautiful Flower Palace’s name known. Since the Beautiful Flower Palace has just been established, it isn’t as well known as my father’s inner palace, the Wing Dance Palace. This time, the guests are the Emperor, the nobles of Shinzui and the Crown Prince of Koran, Seirai-sama. If you dance well, the reputation of the Beautiful Flower Palace will rise in Shinzui and in other nations. Please practice hard and show us a wonderful dance.”
I was worried about Riri, but I didn’t let it show on my face or attitude.
I didn’t care about the reputation of the Beautiful Flower Palace, but the consorts of the Beautiful Flower Palace had their position in the palace.
If possible, I wanted them to achieve certain results, so I encouraged them.
I left the ballroom, trying not to show my anxiety.
I made sure the consorts were out of sight and quickly moved down the corridor.
When I got close to Riri’s room, I saw her maid and Garan standing in the hallway.
“… Riri-sama is nowhere to be seen. What should we do, Garan-sama?”
“Don’t cry. I’ll call my subordinates and have them look for her right away.”
I heard them whispering and felt my hair stand on end.
“Garan!”
I yelled and Garan looked at me in surprise.
“Riri’s gone?”
I strode up to him and Ryouka and Garan immediately kneeled down.
“Riri was already gone when Ryouka came to wake her up at the usual time this morning. The bed had been made and it looked like she had gotten dressed herself, so she left by herself and wasn’t taken away by someone. But I have no idea where she went after she left the room.”
“What?! I left you in charge of guarding her! I told you to protect Riri!”
I shouted. Garan bowed deeply.
“I apologise…!”
Even though Garan was allowed to enter the Beautiful Flower Palace without permission, he couldn’t stay here all the time.
If he entered the inner palace in the middle of the night without reason, then rumours might start that he was in love with one of the consorts. If that happened, then both him and the consort would be executed.
I knew that Garan had his subordinates guard at night to prevent any strange rumours from starting. Even so, I was extremely angry and anxious, so I blamed him.
“… That’s enough. Anyway, look for Riri. Hey, Ryouka.”
Ryouka widened her eyes when her name was called.
“I didn’t expect you to remember the name of someone like me…”
It was hard to remember the names of the consorts of Beautiful Flower Palace, but I could easily remember the name of Riri’s maid.
I also believe there was a huge difference between those I was interested in and those who I wasn't.
“Do you know where Riri went?”
“No. I searched everywhere I could think of. She told me that she would go to the ballroom to practice if she woke up early, so I looked there as well, but I couldn’t find her…”
Her voice got quieter and quieter. I clenched my fists in worry.
“What happened? Why is everyone here?”
A voice called out from behind me, and I quickly pulled myself together and acted as if nothing had happened.
I turned around and saw Seirai approaching me with his hand raised.
“Nothing. The banquet is tonight. Please don’t enter the Beautiful Flower Palace until then.”
An annoying guy has come. Seirai looked at me and chuckled.
“You just thought that an annoying guy has come, huh?”
He guessed right, but my expression didn’t change. I’ve known Seirai since I was a child. He had always been good at reading people’s expressions. He could tell what someone was thinking from the slightest change in their expression. He probably gained this ability from his complicated upbringing.
“I’m here to accompany Riri on her last practice. Let this pass.”
Seirai closed one eye. If a man entered the inner palace, he would have been executed.
But there was no way to easily punish him since he was the Crown Prince of Koran. To make matters worse, Seirai knew this and kept coming to the Beautiful Flower Palace for some reason. Sreirai looked around.
“Did I just hear that Riri isn’t around?”
“I said it was nothing.”
“Don’t say that, tell me what happened.”
Seirai was smiling kindly, but honestly, I didn’t want to get too close to him.
He was frivolous and a womaniser. He pretended he didn’t have any ambition, but there was a glint of it in the depths of his eyes. That was Seirai. His true personality wasn’t gentle or frivolous like his outward attitude showed. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. My instincts were warning me to be careful of him.
I stared at him and noticed that the light of ambition lurking behind his light brown eyes had grown even brighter. He didn’t have such ambitious eyes a few years ago.
This was the first time I had seen him since he became the Crown Prince.
Even though he was going to be the next Emperor, he had a much hungrier look in his eyes than when he was just a prince.
“Kousho, what happened to Riri? I taught her how to dance, you know. I’m worried about her as her dance teacher. And…”
Seirai’s smile suddenly changed to a cruel smile.
“It’s fun to see you turn pale and red for the sake of one woman. Is it alright for you to worry about Riri this much and show this much emotion? All that ‘acting’ you’ve done to pretend to be cold to her is going to go to waste.”
I was surprised to hear him speak the truth, but I didn’t let it show on my face and pointed to the corridor with my hand.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Please leave.”
“Oh dear, Shinzui’s Crown Prince is so weird. He’s worried about Riri but is pretending that everything’s fine. Well, it’s natural for you to worry about Riri. I heard she’s the only woman who can make the treasured incense.”
I stopped moving the moment he said this.
“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who the hell told you that?”
“Don’t play dumb. I can’t think of any other reasons why the Crown Prince of Shinzui, with his face and figure which is handsome and dignified since you are said to be a descendant of dragons, would care so much about a talented person like Riri.”
“I didn’t place Riri in the Beautiful Flower Palace for that.”
Seirai looked puzzled as soon as I said that.
“Strange. You didn’t lie. I can tell from your expression. Then is Riri not making the treasured incense?”
I realised something after seeing his puzzled expression.
It was rumoured that the Crown Prince of Koran was a womaniser and had been involved with many beautiful women, but in reality, he had never really loved anyone.
I guess he thinks that women who don’t bring him any benefits aren’t important to him.
I felt sorry for him if that was really the case. I know that Seirai had a complicated upbringing. When the First Prince died and he was promoted to Crown Prince, I’m sure the people around him must have changed their attitude towards him. As a Crown Prince, I knew how painful it was to see the disgusting side of nobles who wanted to flock to power.
“It’s troublesome for you to talk about things that you have speculated… Seirai-dono, you are Koran’s Crown Prince. We welcome you with open arms. However, I will report your behaviour to the Emperor if you act too recklessly, and your father will hear about your attitude from him. Wouldn’t that be bad for you? I heard that you didn’t tell your father about your visit to Shinzui.”
Seirai smiled, but his eyes weren’t smiling.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Who knows? I just thought from the start that it was strange for the Crown Prince of Koran to come to another kingdom with a few attendants. You’re moving around with little people to keep a low profile since you came here without telling your father, right?”
When I questioned him sharply, he remained silent and slightly lowered his eyes.
“Seirai-dono. You’ll get hurt if you play around too much.”
My words were polite, but I was definitely threatening him. Seirai smiled softly.
“Oh my, how scary. When you say you’ll do something, you’ll really do it.”
My expression didn’t change even when he spoke jokingly.
“Seirai-dono, I know that Koran is also searching for information on the treasured incense, however the treasured incense is a phantom incense that no one has been able to create in hundreds of years. There’s no way it could be made that easily. Please stop meddling with Riri.”
I thought I had said this calmly, but Seirai laughed.
“Kousho, you’re one of the most difficult people to read. So, I don’t know if what you say is the truth or not. But I know this. ――― You’re dangerous.”
I smiled with just my mouth like Seirai.
“You are too. You have the best brains in Koran and ambitious eyes behind your soft demeanour. I’m wary of you because I know you’re not how you appear on the outside. You’re the one who’s dangerous.”
We smiled at each other, but our eyes were giving off sparks.
It would be a nuisance if he becomes the emperor of Koran when I become the emperor of Shinzui.
But on the other hand, I felt that I had enough responses for him to be a worthy opponent.
Seirai shrugged and slowly turned away.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Now if you’ll excuse me… Oh yeah, let me tell you something.”
Seirai turned his face towards me.
He was more expressionless than ever, and his handsome face made him look frighteningly cruel.
“I won’t let you monopolise the treasured incense in Shinzui.”
He whispered in a low voice and left. After he was out of sight, I turned towards Garan.
“He finally left. Garan, look for Riri right away. Gather some reliable and skilled people to help.”
“Understood!”
I rushed down the corridor after I heard Garan’s reply.
“I’ll definitely find her!”
I voiced my determination, thought of Riri’s face and prayed for her safety.
Riri woke up in a dimly lit room. She realised that she was lying in a small room which she didn’t recognise and wondered absentmindedly why she was here.
“Errm. Ouch…!”
She sat up and felt a sudden pain in her head.
“It’s better if you don’t get up so quickly. Riri, your sense of smell is special, so this medicine should work well for you. I mixed some medicine for when you woke up, but you didn’t wake up until after noon, so I was worried.”
The voice belonged to someone who she knew well. She turned her head in surprise and gasped.
“Mokuren…!”
The man who was sitting in front of the doorway, and pushing his glasses up was Mokuren. He had straight shoulder-length hair and a slender body. He was a wanted man after attempting to assassinate the Emperor.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Riri stood up while enduring her headache and stood in front of Mokuren. Garan had told her that he couldn’t find any trace of Mokuren after he left the palace. She felt betrayed, but she was also concerned about her benefactor.
“I was pretty close. We’re not far from the palace. My people are scattered all over the place, so I had no trouble finding a place to hide.”
Mokuren made a cup of tea and placed it in front of her.
“Sit down. You can drink this to fight off the drowsiness. Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.”
The tea really didn’t have the scent of any foreign substances. Still, she didn’t dare drink the tea.
Mokuren was no longer the kind, and slightly mean man she had known before.
She sat while putting her guard up against him. Mokuren slowly smiled.
“Riri, how is the preparation for the treasured incense going?”
“It’s not going very well at all.”
“Really?”
He probed and she nodded.
“… It doesn’t seem like you’re lying. You can’t look someone straight in the eye whenever you lie, so it’s easy to tell.”
Mokuren smiled sarcastically. She and Mokuren have known each other since they were children.
When she had first entered the palace, she could have said that he was someone who she respected as much as her father.
But now it was different.
He approached her because he wanted to know how to make the treasured incense.
“You guys were the ones who kidnapped me? Why did you kidnap me?”
“To learn how to make the treasured incense, of course. We’ve been trying to kidnap you for a long time, but it was difficult due to Kousho and Garan’s tight defence. But with the help of someone, I was finally able to see you again.”
“Who is this ‘someone’?”
It was probably the person who had approached her from behind in the ballroom and made her sniff the sleeping powder. She was so engrossed in examining the box that had contained her costume that she didn’t notice the scent of that ‘someone’.
Mokuren didn’t answer when she asked him who it was. He took a sip of tea and drew closer to her.
“… Mokuren, even if I remember how to make the treasured incense, I will never share it with you. Don’t start a revolution. Kousho-sama said that His Majesty freed you all from the assassination business out of concern.”
The Emperor wanted the assassins to walk in the sun, so he let them out of the palace, but they took that as banishment.
That misunderstanding began all of this.
“I understand your resentments at suddenly being expelled from the palace, but…”
“Riri, your words of persuasion are useless. I’ve already made up my mind. I’ve decided that the current Emperor isn’t virtuous. That’s why I’ll start a revolution. It’s my destiny.”
The Nine-Tailed Fox, Mokuren, said this in an uninterested tone as he sighed a little.
“I kidnapped you so you can teach me how to make the treasured incense. If you can make the incense that can erase memories, then I’ll ask you to teach me only that. It would be better if you could teach me yourself, but if you can’t, then I have a way to make you.”
Mokuren put down the tea and stood straight up.
“I’ll give you some time to think about it. That is my last compassionate act towards you. I want you to obey me and teach me how to make it on your own. If you do that, then I won’t harm you.”
Mokuren’s tone was gentle but the things he said were terrifying.
“Mokuren, wait!”
She yelled out to him, but he closed the door and walked out. She rushed after him and put her hand on the door, but it didn’t move at all. She sunk down in the small room surrounded by walls, not knowing what to do.
A while after Mokuren had left, Riri heard someone outside the door and stood up.
“Somebody! Is there somebody there!?”
She knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
(Calm down. You need to remain calm in times of crisis. I can still feel someone on the other side of the door. Wah… That’s right.)
She focused her attention on her nose. It was hard to smell because of the door, but there was a slight scent.
She focused all her attention on her nose and realised that the scent was one she knew.
It was warm, deep and slightly sweet. It was an elegant scent, and wasn’t too pungent, but it wasn’t a plain scent either.
The owner of the musk scent was…
“… Seirai-sama? Seirai-sama is probably the person on the other side of the door. Musk is rarely harvested in Shinzui, so there’s no one here who uses this as a scent. This fragrance definitely belongs to Seirai-sama. My nose isn’t wrong!”
She confidently said this on purpose. The rare incense scent and the original scent of Seirai mixed together to create an elegant and somewhat dangerous scent. There wasn’t any other scent that smelled like this in the world.
“Please open the door! Seirai-sama!”
She didn’t know why he was here, but her first priority was to escape, so she kept knocking on the door. The door eventually opened a little, and someone slipped in.
It was the silver haired Seirai. He closed the door with a bang.
“You have a wonderful sense of smell since you’re able to recognise someone by their scent even when the door is closed.”
Suspicion crossed her mind when she saw him smile.
“No way… Were you the one who kidnapped me?”
The Beautiful Flower Palace was closed to men. There were only a limited number of people who could enter and leave the inner palace.
That was why Mokuren couldn’t kidnap her himself until now.
Seirai was the neighbouring kingdom’s Crown Prince, and everyone was willing to ignore some of his actions in order not to offend him.
He would be able to kidnap her from the Beautiful Flower Palace.
“That’s right. I saw you alone in the ballroom. I’ve been looking for the opportunity to kidnap you, but it’s been quite difficult since Garan sticks to you. I have to return to Koran tomorrow, so I thought this would be my last chance.”
“Why are you doing this? Don’t tell me you and Mokuren are…”
A chill ran down her spine as she imagined the two of them being connected.
Seirai crossed his arms thoughtfully.
“No, Mokuren and I are still less than friends. We both have a common goal, but I’m not sure I can trust him. I’m deliberating whether to collaborate with him or not.”
Riri widened her eyes in surprise, and she spoke in a shaky tone.
“What common goal?”
Seirai smiled. It was the coldest smile she had ever seen on him.
“Of course, to get Shinzui. Mokuren wants to abolish the Emperor and I want to conquer Shinzui. That’s why Mokuren wants us to collaborate with each other to reach our goals.”
Riri was shocked by the words the gentle-looking Seirai said.
“Why do you want Shinzui? Our two kingdoms haven’t fought in the past few decades and have maintained peace. There will be war if you do that.”
“You’re right. I don’t want war either. I just want to get my hands on the mining concessions from the mines on the border between Shinzui and Koran.”
Right now, the mining rights belong to Shinzui.
The profits from the extracted gold were substantial and both nations have fought over the rights of the mines for a long time, but both nations agreed to give a quarter of the mined gold to Koran.
“Why are you so obsessed with that mine? Kousho-sama will eventually become Shinzui’s emperor. If anyone finds out that you’ve kidnapped me from the inner palace of the neighbouring kingdom, then your position might be in jeopardy. What’s the point of doing this?”
She desperately asked and Seirai’s expression suddenly became serious.
“It would be too late when I become emperor and gain power. I want something that can be used as my bargaining chip right now.”
There was firm determination in his voice.
“Why?”
As she said this, she suddenly remembered a conversation she had with Seirai. He said he had a younger sister who had been ordered by the Emperor to marry a rural noble who was years older than her. He said his sister hated it and wanted him to do something about it. He said that he would be able to help his sister if he had more power.
She looked up after remembering his words.
“You said bargaining chip, didn’t you? Is that to stop your sister, Princess Keika, from getting married?”
Seirai slightly lowered his eyes. That was his answer.
“So, it is. You want to collaborate with Mokuren in order to obtain the mining rights so you can use it as a bargaining chip to get the Emperor to stop Princess Keika’s marriage.”
Seirai sighed and looked straight at her.
“That’s right. My father wants the mining concessions, but Emperor Reibun is a shrewd man. Do you know about the Three Kingdom Peace Conference?”
Seirai’s words reminded her of what she had studied during the preliminary selection for the beauty pageant.
“Yes. As I recall, the Emperors of Shinzui, Koran, and Sairin got together to discuss the peace of this continent…”
There are three kingdoms on this continent, and on the other side of the continent across from Koran was Sairin. Perhaps because Koran was in between Shinzui and Sairin, but Shinzui and Sairai have had little diplomatic relations for a long time.
Shinzui and Koran have been fighting over the mining concessions for a long time because of the mine that was between the two kingdoms. However, when Reibun became Emperor 20 years ago, the three kingdom’s positions changed drastically during the Three Kingdom Peace Conference.
“That’s right. My father says he was entrapped by Emperor Reibun at the Three Kingdom Peace Conference. Of course, he can’t say this publicly, so he only does it when he’s drunk.”
“Entrapped…?”
It was a word that she couldn’t let slip. Seirai sighed lightly.
“Shinzui and Koran fought over the mines, and Sairin watched them fight and took no sides. This was the history that had been repeated on this continent for hundreds of years. Emperor Reibun believed he needed a strong ally to stop the war. He made Sairin’s Emperor his ally.”
Garan had told her about this during the preliminary selection process.
It was widely rumoured that at the Three Kingdom Peace Conference, Emperor Reibun made Sairin’s Emperor his ally and cornered Koran’s Emperor.
However, the truth of the conference was hidden in the hearts of the emperors, and no one knew what really happened.
“How did he make Sairin’s Emperor his ally?”
“My father doesn’t know how either. However, Sairin’s Emperor, who had been quietly watching the situation, accepted the conditions that Shinzui had set out for the mines during the Three Kingdom Peace Conference. If we refused, he threatened to side with Shinzui and invade Koran.”
She wondered how Reibun could have persuaded Sairin’s Emperor, who had observed the situation thus far, to express such an aggressive opinion. She looked at him in surprise and he laughed.
“This is my father’s secret. I heard him blurt it out when I took care of him when he was drunk at a banquet. Koran is sandwiched between Shinzui and Sairin. We won’t be able to hold out if both nations attack us at once. So, he had no choice but to agree to take a quarter of the gold.”
It was a considerable reward to be able to get a quarter of the gold without doing anything.
However, she knew that Koran’s Emperor wasn’t satisfied with that.
“My father is still annoyed by that, and although he doesn’t want to antagonise Shinzui and Sairin, he definitely wants to get his hands on the mining concessions.”
“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it be a bad idea to kidnap me? This could lead to conflict with Shinzui.”
If he joins hands with Mokuren and bares his fangs at Shinzui, then Koran would be in danger.
However, Seirai smiled calmly.
“That’s not the case. If I can get my hand on the ‘treasured incense’, then I can make Emperor Reibun smell it and falsify his memories, so that he will personally give up on his mining concessions.”
She was astonished by his words. He shouldn’t have known about the treasured incense.
“The treasured incense doesn’t…”
“Don’t act dumb. Mokuren told me all about the treasured incense. The treasured incense consists of two incenses. One is an incense that erases memories and the other is an incense that brings back memories. I also heard that this incense can be used to alter memories. I can obtain the concessions of the mine without starting a war as long as I have the treasured incense.”
Seirai was serious. It was impossible for her to deceive him anymore since he had heard about the treasured incense from Mokuren.
“… You won’t be able to manipulate the memories of everyone in this kingdom even if you use the treasured incense. There will be lingering grudges. It’s possible that the peace will be shattered. People’s lives will be in danger if war breaks out. Are you sure you want that to happen?”
She had only known Seirai for ten days. She didn’t understand what he was thinking.
However, having listened to him, she had a feeling that he wasn’t a bad person. Seirai pulled his chin back as if he was flinching.
“I don’t want war either. That’s why I have to make this work. If I don’t do this, then I won’t have a bargaining chip to stop my sister from getting married…”
His last words almost sounded like a blood-curdling scream.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw him bare his emotions even though he was always easy-going.
“My father is the Emperor. He can have anything he wants. The only thing he can’t get is the mining concessions. The only ace I can think of that would make him change his mind and stop my sister’s marriage was the mining concessions.”
Seirai stared at her. It was an uncharacteristically serious stare.
“So, I want you to remember how to make the treasured incense no matter what. I heard about the situation from Mokuren. You succeeded in making the incense that erases memories, right? Please, at least tell Mokuren how to make that first. If you do, then I might be able to stop my sister’s marriage.”
It was painfully obvious that Seirai wanted to save his previous sister.
She wanted to help him, but she couldn’t tell him about the treasured incense.
“Are you really sure that’s what you want?”
She looked at him sincerely and he lowered his eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that. I know Mokuren is an eccentric man… If I make a mistake with what I’m about to do, then it could lead to a big war that can hurt people. I want to avoid that.”
Seirai’s words seemed sincere. He was suffering. The expression on his face was cloudier than she had ever seen.
“I came to Shinzui and approached you because I heard from Mokuren that you might be able to create the treasured incense. I wanted to talk to you and find out if you really have the knowledge to create the treasured incense.”
Seirai softly put his hand on her cheek.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect much from your mixing skills since I couldn’t trust Mokuren. However, I found that you were more knowledgeable about incenses than I expected, and you were serious about making them. The more I interacted with you, the more I began to think that you might be able to make the treasured incense.”
She gently pressed down on Seirai’s hand and moved it away from her cheek, then looked at him again.
“I have something that is important to me like you do, and I’m willing to put my life on the line to make the treasured incense.”
As soon as she said that, Seirai’s eyes widened.
“Seirai-sama. The treasured incense that can manipulate memories is extremely dangerous. I have certainly succeeded in making the incense that erases memories, but I haven’t been able to control how much memory it erases. If you were to use that on the Emperor, then he would lose all his memories and it would cause a huge uproar.”
She wanted to stop Seirai at all costs.
He was smart. He may have lost himself because of his sister, but she was sure he would understand if she told him.
“Mokuren is trying to start a revolution in Shinzui. Won’t Koran be affected if there’s a revolution here? I beg you, don’t help him!”
This is the only time I can stop him, with that thought in mind, she made her voice and words sound more passionate.
“Princess Keika might be in danger if war starts.”
Seirai’s eyebrow twitched.
“The Emperor of Shinzui and the Emperor of Koran have created peace that has lasted for the past few decades. Please don’t do anything to destroy it. You don’t want to drag Princess Keika into war, do you?”
Seirai raised his eyebrows in distress.
“Of course, I don’t, but I want to save Keika. I want her, who cries because she hates it, to laugh from the bottom of her heart once again. Keika and I were despised by the other princes simply because our mother was a commoner until I became the Crown Prince. The two of us survived in the palace by dancing. I just want to make her happy.”
This was exactly how he felt. Seirai pursed his lips.
“But I also don’t want war. Before I met you, I was going to take advantage of you. I’m good at seducing women, so I thought you’d fall in love with me if I whispered sweet nothings to you, and make you do what I say.”
Seirai smiled slightly.
“But I changed my mind the more I got to know you. You take making incenses seriously and always work very hard. Even your dancing has improved rapidly in a short time. I could tell you were practicing hard without sleeping even after you left my lessons. I believe women who work hard are the most beautiful women in the world. The beauty of your efforts was what attracted me to you. I didn’t want to hurt you if I could help it. But…”
Seirai looked sad and his eyes were slightly cast down.
“I’m the only one who can protect my sister.”
Seirai looked pained as he bit his lips to stifle his anguish.
“Seirai-sama. There’s a way to save Princess Keika even if you don’t help Mokuren. All you need is a bargaining chip to get Koran’s Emperor to stop Princess Keika’s marriage, right?”
She stepped forward and whispered and Seirai raised his eyebrow.
“What are you talking about?”
“I have an idea. If my plan works, then you might be able to save Princess Keika without having to obtain the mining concession. I’ve been thinking about it ever since you told me about her.”
Seirai looked dubious.
“What kind of idea is it…?”
“It’s…”
As she was about to speak, there was a rattling sound on the other side of the door.
“Mokuren might be back. Seirai-sama, please tell Kousho-sama where I am. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do what I can. I don’t have time to talk to you about it right now but trust me.”
She looked at him strongly and his eyes flickered as if he was confused.
“Can I… trust you?”
“Yes.”
She nodded and Seirai suddenly smiled wryly.
“You want me to… tell Kousho where you are? He’ll probably kill me if he finds out that I helped kidnap you.”
“He won’t. He’ll come save me since it’s highly possible that I can make the treasured incense, but I don’t think he would get that worked up to do something to the Crown Prince of Koran.”
He had been acting cold towards her lately. She believed he had his reasons for acting this way, but she didn’t think she was someone who could sway his emotions. Seirai smiled wryly again.
“You’ve got it all wrong. He’s acting cold towards you because he cares about you.”
Riri didn’t understand what Seirai had said. She wanted to ask him what he meant, but the door was about to open.
“… Let me think about it.”
Seirai whispered and lightly raised his hand to Mokuren who was behind the door.
Riri braced herself as Mokuren opened the door and walked in. Mokuren shifted his gaze to Seirai.
“… Is it alright for you to meet Riri here?”
“I was just checking on her from outside, but she noticed my scent. I only talked with her for a bit.”
Seirai and Mokuren looked at Riri.
“Riri’s hard work and honesty can be very attractive. Please don’t let your feelings get the better of you.”
Mokuren said in a monotone. Seirai smiled bitterly.
“Who are you saying that to? You should be worrying about yourself more than worrying about me. You and Riri have a master and disciple relationship. Did you say that to me on purpose because you feel like your feelings are going to get the better of you?”
Mokuren didn’t change his expression, but Riri felt a shiver run down her spine as the aura in the room froze.
It was Mokuren’s cold gaze that had created that aura.
“I won’t be swayed by my emotions. Seirai-sama, I think it’s time for you to return to the palace. Your banquet will start soon. It won’t do for it to start without the guest of honour.”
“You’re right. Well, I guess I’ll go and enjoy the consorts dance.”
Seirai glanced at her as he walked to the door.
(Please! Tell Kousho-sama about this place!)
She prayed in her heart, but Seirai walked out without saying another word.
Mokuren closed the door and faced her. Tension spread in the room.
“Mokuren. I’m going to dance the ranryou with the other consorts at the banquet. I’ve never danced before, but I practiced really hard. I’m sure I can dance with the other consorts without looking bad. I want to go to the banquet. Please let me out of here.”
She knew that she couldn’t move Mokuren even if she said these things.
But there was a small part of her that still believed in him. Even though she had heard him tell Seirai that he wouldn’t be swayed earlier, she still wanted to believe in him.
“You can’t do that.”
She had expected this answer, but she was so shocked by it that she almost cried.
“Riri, I want the treasured incense. Depending on how you use it, an incense that can manipulate memories is better than any strong weapon. I’ve told you about the master perfumer who made the treasured incense before, haven’t I?”
“Master perfumer… You’re talking about the legendary perfumer who used the treasured incense to manipulate the memories of the enemy generals and forced them to fight each other hundreds of years ago, leading to Shinzui’s victory?”
This was what Mokuren had told her.
That master perfumer received the Qilin title and served as the emperor’s right-hand man.
“You’ve partially forgotten the past because of the memory-erasing incense. However, it would be more appropriate to say that the incense didn’t erase your memories but sealed them away. It’s possible for you to regain your memories if they’re triggered.”
Mokuren’s expression suddenly clouded over.
“What are you going to do?”
She tilted her head and Mokuren looked surprised.
“No, nothing. You even have time to worry about your enemy.”
“You’re not my enemy. You’re my precious master and I think of you as family. That’s why I’m concerned to see a slight change in your expression.”
Mokuren looked troubled when she expressed her honest opinion.
“You shouldn’t trust me too much. You’ll hate me when you find out who I really am.”
“I won’t hate you, no matter what. I owe you my life. If you hadn’t saved me, then Mother and I would have starved to death.”
Her childhood memories downtown were so painful that she didn’t want to remember them anymore.
“You taught me how to make incenses, and I was finally able to make a living for myself… I’m still using the mortar you brought me. Do you remember? We bought the same mortar. You told me to work hard on creating incenses with that.”
Mokuren was also the person who provided her with the tools to make incenses. The mortar they had bought together was still in her room at the Beautiful Flower Palace.
“… I’ve already thrown away such a cheap mortar.”
She was prepared to hear that. Still, it was sad to be told that he had thrown away the mortar that they had picked together. Mokuren sighed a little.
“Riri, you’re brave and wise. You could have done it on your own even if I didn’t help you. You don’t have to feel that indebted to me.”
“No. You told me it was alright to cry when I was suffering. I held it back for so long, but I cried out loud for the first time after you told me that, and I felt so much better afterwards. I owe you.”
She smiled and looked at him, but he was looking down slightly.
“I will live up to my destiny as the head of the Dark Perfumers, the Nine-Tailed Fox, no matter what you think. Riri, we Dark Perfumers will take the treasured incense. You’ve already created the incense that can erase memories. I need you to teach me how to make it.”
“I can’t do that. And I’ve only made the incense that erases memories. It’s too dangerous to only use one of the incenses. I’ll never tell you how to make it.”
“It’s alright. We’ve developed a method for the memory-retrieving incense to a certain extent.”
She hadn’t expected this. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she almost stopped breathing.
“You made the memory-retrieving incense…? Are you sure? Have you tested it to see if it works?”
She leaned forward and Mokuren chuckled.
“Not yet unfortunately. Someone who has been cooperating with the Dark Perfumers has created an incense that is quite close to the memory-retrieving incense. However, the memory-retrieving incense won’t be of any use on its own.”
Mokuren put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath.
“It’s an incense that can retrieve the memories of someone who has had the memory-erasing incense used on them. So, we don’t even know if it’s complete without the memory-erasing incense.”
“If that’s the case, then it’s strange for you to say that you’re pretty close to completing the memory-retrieving incense. You haven’t been able to confirm what effects it has. The process to make an incense is to burn it and check its effects to see how close it is to perfection. You should know that as the former head of the Ministry of Incenses.”
“Of course, I know that. But the memory-retrieving incense that he created is very close to perfection. I’m certain of that.”
Mokuren’s words bothered her.
(He refers to the person who made the memory-retrieving incense respectfully. He must have a higher position than Mokuren.)
“Who exactly is that person?”
She was curious about the person who was trying to make the treasured incense. Mokuren was the head of the Ministry of Incenses, so that person must have a higher position and better skills than Mokuren. The corners of Mokuren’s mouth rose when she asked this.
“It doesn’t matter who he is. You’ll never be able to return to the outside world again. You’ll be living with us Dark Perfumers from now on. You don’t have to think about anything else.”
Mokuren clenched his fists as if he had made up his mind.
“First, I’ll have you teach me how to make the memory-erasing incense. I was hoping you would cooperate with me of your own volition, but that seems to be difficult. So, I’m going to have you smell the confession incense.”
Riri gulped. She had heard that if you smell the confession incense, then you will tell whatever you’ve been hiding.
It was an incense that Mokuren had created himself and was said to be very effective.
“Stop! Mokuren!”
“No, I can’t stop now. This room has a special structure that allows incense that are burnt outside to be sent into the room through a hole in the wall. Take your time to smell it.”
Mokuren quickly turned around and left the room.
“Wait!”
She clung to the door, but it didn’t budge. Smoke immediately came in through a small hole next to the door.
It smelled strong and sweet. She imagined herself trapped in a spider’s web when she smelled it. She was trapped by the spider’s web and couldn’t move a muscle.
She knew she had to escape immediately, but the door was locked from the outside and there wasn’t a single window in the room.
There was no way to escape, she was confused, and her legs gave way.
“Woah…”
Her consciousness was hazy. In her fading consciousness, she suddenly recalled the kind and reliable boy whose face and figure always appeared blurry in her dreams.
“Help…”
She muttered before her consciousness was completely dragged into the darkness.