The journey to Koran was supposed to take half a month by palanquin, but Seirai suggested that it would be better not to keep the fickle Koran Emperor waiting, so a carriage was quickly prepared for the journey.
Riri looked out through the bars on the carriage.
The carriage was moving briskly along the mountain road.
Surrounding the horse-drawn carriage were about 20 skilled and trustworthy soldiers from Shinzui led by General Garan and about 10 civil officials who will be assisting Kousho in the discussions.
In addition to this, Seirai had brought about 10 guards with him from Koran.
There were about 40 people in total and Riri was the only woman. Kousho had told her to bring a maid with her, but Ryouka couldn’t come back since her mother’s injury was still not healed. Riri was visiting Koran for the important discussion and also to find the ingredient to make the treasured incense. She hesitated in taking other maids with her to this trip since they didn’t know that she was making the treasured incense.
So, she had told Kousho that she would be fine alone and had expected to feel lonely being the only woman among all these men, but…
(It’s surprisingly not that bad.)
Kousho was sitting next to her in the carriage and Seirai was sitting on the other side of her.
It had been a few days since they had left Shinzui. She knew that she would be riding in the carriage with Kousho, but Seirai had also been riding in the same carriage as them since they had left Shinzui even though he was supposed to be in a different carriage.
“I’ll tell you this as many times as it takes. Get in your own carriage today.”
Kousho said coldly and Seirai grinned.
“I don’t want to. It’s lonely. And besides, the Emperor of Koran summoned Riri to Koran, so it’s my duty as Crown Prince to entertain her along the way. Riri also finds it more fun when I’m here, right?”
Riri smiled vaguely at Seirai who was still using the same messed up logic as always while looking at her.
(I don’t have time to feel lonely in the carriage as Kousho-sama and Seirai-sama are always arguing over something, and I have to stop them from arguing. The two of them really don’t get along…)
She sighed in her mind. Seirai crossed his arms and looked at Kousho again.
“We should be able to reach Koran in about three days at this rate. We’ll start discussing the treaty as soon as we get there, so we’ll be busy… But I can’t understand why His Majesty suddenly proclaimed that he would give up all the mining concessions to Shinzui even if Riri is his benefactor.”
Kousho nodded while Seirai was thinking.
“I don’t know what he’s thinking, but we don’t want to miss this opportunity… Seirai, I’ll ask you once again. You’re alright with the Emperor of Koran giving all the mining rights to Shinzui, right?”
Kousho looked at Seirai seriously and Seirai smirked.
“Yeah. As I’ve said before, the nation and its people benefit greatly from silver craftsmanship and crops nurtured by our plentiful water. I don’t want the mines since they cause wars. But my father and the higher ups wouldn’t change their minds about the mines until now.”
Seirai unfolded his arms and leaned towards Riri and Kousho.
“The letter stated that my father would give up all the mining concessions to Shinzui, but I don’t know how much of that is true. I’ll also be participating in the discussions, but I honestly don’t know how much sway I’ll have. But I’ll do my best to persuade everyone. The mine is being controlled by Shinzui right now. The many people who work in the mines will be relieved once the treaty is finalised.”
“Yeah. The mines produce a lot of gold. The four towns in Shinzui which are located close to the mines are benefitting from it. The villagers in those towns are actually all frightened. They’ll all lose their jobs and end up on the streets if Koran asserts its rights over the mines.”
Kousho put a hand on his chest and smiled slightly.
“So, I want this treaty signed, so I can tell the people of Shinzui that they don’t have to be worried about such things in the future. I’m sure everyone will be happy.”
Riri felt Kousho’s kindness through his tone and smiled.
“Why are you smiling?”
Kousho sounded annoyed, so she quickly pursed her lips.
“It’s nothing. I didn’t want to interrupt you two since you were talking about something important, but I realised that you are very kind from what you had just said…”
Riri quickly answered and Kousho folded his arms.
“I’m not actually kind. I’m just thinking about Shinzui as its Crown Prince.”
It was a Kousho-like answer. Kousho took a deep breath and looked at Seirai again.
“Seirai, I’m glad we have the same opinion about the mine. Now we just have to see how much sway you’ll have in the discussions… There’s one more thing I want to ask you. It’s about your ‘friend’.”
Riri tilted her head since she felt there was a hidden meaning behind the word ‘friend’.
Seirai knew who Kousho was talking about. He leaned against the carriage wall and smiled slightly.
“We’re not friends. I just pretended to be his friend because our goals just happen to align… It seems like you still don’t know where he is. It’s better if you find him quickly. He’s… pretty skilled. He’ll really take over Shinzui.”
Riri realised who they were talking about after hearing that much.
(They’re talking about Mokuren.)
She held her breath and squeezed her hands on her lap.
Mokuren was the previous head of the Ministry of Incense, and he was also the teacher who had taught her how to concoct incenses.
He also helped arrange for her to enter the inner palace so that she could make the treasured incense.
She trusted him more than anyone else and he was also the person who had helped her when she hardly had any food left to eat, but he was also the head of the Dark Perfumers, a group who holds a grudge against the Shinzui royal family.
He told her that he had gotten close to her to make her remember how to make the treasured incense.
There are three honourable titles in Shinzui.
The first is the ‘Dragon’ title held by the emperor who rules the kingdom.
The second is the ‘Phoenix’ title held by the General who is considered the guardian deity of the royal family.
And the third is the ‘Qilin’ title held by the Master Perfumer who is said to protect the kingdom with their benevolent heart.
But in addition to these three known titles, there is a fourth dark title.
That is the ‘Nine-Tail Fox’ title held by the head of the Dark Perfumers.
The Dark Perfumers were originally an assassination squad who used poisonous incenses and were told orders directly from the emperor.
But they came to hate the royal family after they were expelled from the palace for a single mistake. The Nine-Tail Fox is the guardian deity of the royal family, but it is also an evil beast who will cause a revolution if they believe the emperor is wicked.
Mokuren stated that he would conform to his title and bring about a revolution against the emperor who had banished them.
Seirai had wanted the treasured incense to stop his sister from being forced into a marriage she didn’t want.
So, he teamed up with Mokuren and came to Shinzui, but he had betrayed Mokuren and saved Riri when she was kidnapped after some persuasion. She looked at Seirai and he let out a sigh.
“I don’t contact him anymore. I’ve also told you all the places where I met him. You’ve already searched them, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. I searched them to see if he had left any clues behind, but I didn’t find anything.”
Riri bit her lips when she listened to Kousho’s frustration.
(Mokuren… just where are you?)
He had betrayed her, but she couldn’t hate him. He had taught her how to concoct incenses and helped her survive on her own downtown. He also helped make it possible for her to try her hand at making the treasured incense to redeem her father’s honour. She knew that a lot of people had been saved by his incenses.
When she closed her eyes, she could picture him pushing up his glasses and smiling gently.
She hoped he would stop. Of course, she had tried to persuade him to stop but he wouldn’t listen to her.
She had no idea where Mokuren was, but she was certain that he was going to do something in the near future. Kousho was probably worried about being away from Shinzui at a time like this.
That’s why he asked Seirai if he knew anything about Mokuren.
Riri listened to their conversation as she gazed outside the bars again.
(Mokuren. Stay safe…)
She whispered her true feelings in her mind and quietly closed her eyes.
The setting sun shining through the bars of the carriage was so bright that Riri squinted.
“The sun is about to set. We’ll stop around here.”
Kousho said to the coachman who was driving the carriage.
The coachman understood these instructions and the carriage slowly came to a stop.
“We’re sleeping outdoors today? I wish I could sleep on a bed.”
Seirai complained as he stood up and Kousho shrugged his shoulders.
“We have no other choice. The shortest way to Koran is to cross through this mountain. We’ll reach Koran in seven days if we use a horse and carriage. You’re the one who said that we should get there quickly before the Emperor changes his mind.”
“Well, I did say that. There’s nothing wrong with rushing, but I don’t want to put a woman through a journey like this. You’re tired, aren’t you Riri?”
Seirai got off the carriage and offered his hand out towards Riri.
He probably wanted her to take his hand, but she wasn’t sure how to react.
“I appreciate the gesture, but I can get off on my own.”
“She’s right, and how many times do I have to tell you that Riri is my talented person before you understand? Don’t talk to her as you please.”
“Eeh. I was finally able to lure Riri out of the annoying old fashioned inner palace, so I wanted to take this opportunity to shorten our distance.”
Kousho looked at Seirai who had signed pompously and frowned.
“If you weren’t the Crown Prince of Koran then I’d strike right now and bury you in the ground.”
Riri didn’t believe he was joking even though he was laughing.
But Seirai didn’t seem to mind this.
“Love is free. I’ll do whatever it takes to make Riri mine if she accepts my feelings.”
“That day will never come. Let’s go, Riri.”
Kousho got off the carriage and held out his hand to her. Riri timidly took his hand.
When she got off the carriage with Kousho’s help, Seirai put a hand around her waist.
“That’s mean, Riri. You took his hand even though you refused mine.
“I told you Riri is my talented person, didn’t I?”
Kousho pulled her towards him and hugged her softly.
“Kyaah.”
Seirai froze in surprise at the sudden situation and Kousho glared at Seirai.
“Listen carefully, I’m not going to let you have her. I’ll protect Riri even while we’re in Koran. Stay away from her.”
Riri was also surprised and gasped.
(It sounds like you really l-l-l-l-like me if you say something like that?! But that can’t be true, because you’re still in love with your first love.)
Kousho had told her during the beauty pageant that she should become one of the Four Consorts, so he could refuse having an Empress since he couldn’t forget his first love.
She wanted her own palace so she tried to get a good score in the beauty pageant that was held to select the Four Consorts, but she couldn’t stand on the same stage as the consorts, who have been training to be empress candidates for many years, with only a little training. She apologised to Kousho for being unable to become one of the Four Consorts, but he didn’t seem particularly angry about this and said that he would take time to think more about his first love.
She felt as if a needle had been pricked at her heart when she thought about this.
(Kousho-sama has someone he loves. He only cares for me because I might be able to make the treasured incense. He’s only doing this because he doesn’t want to hand me over to Koran because I might be able to make the treasured incense…)
She looked at Kousho and had a feeling that he wasn’t only protecting her because she could make the treasured incense.
(What am I to Kousho-sama…?)
She suddenly heard Garan’s voice while pondering.
“Kousho-sama. The bonfire has been prepared. Your meal will be ready soon, so please sit by the fire.”
She looked over and saw that Garan was on his knees and pointing his hand towards the bonfire which had been built near the riverside.
There were three chairs by the fire and a hanging screen covering the chairs.
The guards had begun preparing dinner with the food that they had brought with them.
“Good work. Everyone, eat early and get some rest. We’ll leave as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow. If all goes well, we may be able to reach Koran while the sun is still out.”
She took a deep breath when Kousho finally let go of her hand.
Kousho has been on her mind lately. He was arrogant, foul-mouthed, and obnoxious at first and she couldn’t bring herself to like him, but she could now see the kindness behind his foul-mouth and the compassion behind his arrogance.
She had never felt this way before and she didn’t know what to call her feelings.
(I’m just a talented person. I’m in a position where I normally wouldn’t have the chance to speak to him, but I’ll do what I can to help him… Will I be able to get a little closer to him like that?)
She thought as she stared at Kousho when she heard Garan’s voice.
“Riri, you can sit on that chair.”
She turned her head in surprise and looked at him, then realised.
“What’s wrong? Garan, are you angry at me?”
She tilted her head in confusion. Garan had a normal expression on his face, but she could smell that he was trying to hold something back from his sweat. He seemed angry, but he only raised his eyebrow a little.
“Not really…”
He turned his back to her in a huff and she blinked.
“Let’s go, Riri. It looks like the food is done.”
She tried to talk to him again, but Kousho took her arm and led her towards the fire.
She had noticed that Garan was acting strange lately but she didn’t know what was causing this.
She wanted to slowly talk to him about this the next time she is alone with him.
Koran’s palace was elegant and full of fine silver ornaments, unlike that of Shinzui which was characterised by its gold and vermillion.
Riri peeked outside the carriage and couldn’t hide her excitement from seeing a foreign palace for the first time.
“This is Koran’s palace… It’s so beautiful.”
Seirai, who was seated in front of her, proudly pointed at the palace with one hand.
“It’s magnificent, isn’t it? Koran is also known as the Land of Water because of the large lake at the centre of the kingdom, but there’s also an underground passage under the palace that’s filled with water.”
Kousho nodded next to Riri.
“You’re talking about the Snowflake Spring, right? I’ve heard that the water from the Snowflake Spring is delicious and that crops grown with it are so good that it melts in your mouth. Is it true that Snowflake Spring saved Koran?’
“Yeah. A few hundred years ago, there was no rain in Koran for several months. Even the large lake ran dry, and people starved to death because the crops wouldn’t grow. The Emperor of that time built a channel to transport the Snowflake Spring’s water out of the palace. Oh, look over there.”
A garden full of blooming flowers appeared as they walked around the building. Seirai pointed to the large pond in the garden. There was also a pond in Shinzui’s palace, but this was several times bigger than the one in Shinzui’s palace.
There were small boats floating in the pond and there were women on those boats.
“That water was created from the water in Snowflake Spring. There’s a chancel in this pond that leads to the outside of the palace. During the drought hundreds of years ago, the water from the Snowflake Spring continued to gush forward and moistened the people’s throats and plants. People were saved thanks to the spring. It’s a famous tale that gets spoken a lot.”
Seirai smiled and turned to Riri.
“The crops grown with the water from the Snowflake Spring are delicious but the fruits are scrumptious, and people from other kingdoms come to buy them. I wish I could feed them to Riri.”
“That sounds delicious. I’d like to try some.”
She blurted out her real feelings and Kousho glared at her.
“You’re not here to play. Tell me what you’re here to do.”
His low voice made her straighten her back.
“First of all, I will do my best to greet His Majesty as politely as I can so that I don’t offend him.”
Kousho said that the people working in the mines will be able to live in peace if the treaty is signed. She wanted to help him with that as much as she could.
“That’s right. If you make a mistake and offend His Majesty, then the discussion may break down… and don’t act so friendly towards Seirai.”
He whispered his last words, but Seirai still heard them and leaned forward.
“You’re just jealous, aren’t you? Kousho, your attitude has changed a lot now that we’re far away from the inner palace. You acted cold towards Riri to protect her from the jealousy of the other consorts, but you’ve become possessive now they’re gone. Is that how you really feel?”
Seirai said sharply and Kousho grinned.
“I’m the same as always. If you and Riri act friendly towards each other then those who don’t understand the situation might misunderstand, so I’m just giving her some advice.”
The carriage stopped at the same time as when Seirai shrugged, and a voice came from outside.
“Welcome to Koran. Your Highness Ju Kousho, the Crown Prince of Shinzui.”
Riri looked through the bars and saw about a hundred well-dressed men kneeling in the large garden.
They were dressed in matching clothes. They all clasped their hands together, raised them in front of them and bowed their heads.
“““Welcome, Your Highness, the Crown Prince Ju Kousho.”””
Riri gasped at how overwhelming it was to see them all greet Kousho in unison.
Seirai stood up.
“These are the officials of Koran. It’s the law to greet important guests of the kingdom like this.”
Seirai took a deep breath and put a stern expression on his face.
“This is where it all begins. The letter stated that they wanted to discuss the treaty, but Koran has always wanted the concessions to the mine until now. The reason for the Emperor’s sudden change of attitude might not have been because of Riri’s incense. I have to focus on the discussions.”
Riri could feel Kousho’s tension from his voice. Her heart suddenly started to beat faster.
“Kousho-sama. What should I do after I greet His Majesty?”
“Just keep quiet and smile. The Emperor of Koran, Emperor Tou Aren, must be fond of you. I doubt he’ll treat you badly, but he’s also a difficult person. I’ll say this again. Be careful of what you say and do.”
Seirai nodded while looking nervous.
“That’s right. Even though he’s my father, His Majesty’s stubbornness is sometimes a problem for us too, but I’m sure he wants to see you because he’s fond of you. You’ll be fine as long as you don’t say the wrong thing. Good luck.”
“You’re wishing me luck casually, but I’m really nervous. What should I do?”
The thought that her words might crack the peace between Shinzui and Koran made her want to leave. Kousho put a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I can’t stay with you all the time since Seirai and I will be busy discussing the treaty, so stay with Garan. You can talk to Garan if you run into trouble.”
Kousho looked outside the carriage. Garan was getting ready for them to get off the carriage. Garan turned his head to look at them as if he had heard their voices through the bars.
“Listen closely, Garan. Stick to Riri in Koran and protect her.”
Garan dropped his gaze slightly.
“Yes. Please leave it to me.”
Garan replied calmly. Riri felt that Garan had been behaving strangely lately, but she didn’t think much about it while they were travelling.
The only thing that bothered her while they were travelling was the angry scent of sweat that was coming from Garan as he watched her talk to Kousho.
She pondered about whether she had said something that had rubbed him the wrong way, but she couldn’t recall saying anything like that.
He responded normally when she spoke to him, and he didn’t act strange except for that one time.
(But there’s something strange about him. I can’t really put it into words, but I feel like he’s hiding something.)
Those thoughts swirled in her mind, but she decided to think about this later. She was visiting Koran right now as a representative of Shinzui, so she should focus on the task at hand.
“Well, follow me, Kousho and Riri. I’ll guide you from here.”
As soon as Seirai got off the carriage, the officials, who were lined up in the garden, bowed in unison.
She realised once again that Seirai is the Crown Prince of Koran when she saw this scene.
Seirai urged them to get out of the carriage and Kousho got off in a dignified manner.
Riri followed after him and gracefully stepped out into the garden.
The foreign palace that she was standing in for the first time was much bigger and more majestic than the one she had seen from inside the carriage.
(It smells nice, like citrus. It’s a nice scent.)
She took a deep breath and smelled the ‘scent’ of the palace. The scent of this palace, which was a mixture of the scents from the building materials and plants, was different from the palace in Shinzui. Seirai turned to look at her and Kousho.
“Welcome to my kingdom, Koran.”
The officials split into two and made a path on Seirai’s signal.
The officials lined up on both sides of the road, and Kousho, Seirai, Garan, Riri and the rest of their group walked through the middle.
Riri walked behind them and entered the big building in front of them with a mixture of anxiety, nervousness, and tension.
After being welcomed by the officials, they entered a building lined with opulent, silver doors. Riri followed after Kousho and the others down the corridor while looking nervous.
Kousho looked like he always did but he had a nervous aura around him.
Seirai, who was standing next to him, had lost his usual goofiness and had the expression of a Crown Prince.
Garan walked behind him while staying vigilant.
(Kousho-sama and Seirai-sama both said that Emperor Aren is a hard to please person. Will I be alright? Will I be able to communicate with him?)
She knew proper etiquette, but she roughly studied them again just to be sure.
She continued walking while feeling suffocated when she suddenly noticed a certain scent.
(Huh? The nervous scent coming from here is tremendous. We’re nervous, but it smells like a lot of people are holding onto their breaths…)
Seirai told her earlier that this building was in the middle of the palace and was where Emperor Aren resided.
Everyone must be nervous to serve the Emperor, but this scent was different to that. It smelled like the sweaty scent that came from a life-threatening situation like if one was being attacked by a fierce beast. She frowned as she continued quietly.
At the end of the corridor was a garden covered with white gravel.
Instead of going down to the garden, they continued down the corridor and turned a corner to reach a hall.
On the platform at the back of a room was a glistening chair made of silver.
An elderly man was sitting on that chair as he looked down at them with sharp eyes.
When Riri saw that Kousho, Seirai and Garan had kneeled down, she quickly did the same.
“It has been a while, Emperor Tou Aren.”
Kousho said in a sonorous voice and Aren slowly stood up.
“Kousho-dono, thank you for making it here. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Aren’s smile and soft voice made Riri blink.
(I heard that he’s a difficult man, but it doesn’t seem like he is. He seems kind.)
This was her first impression of the Emperor of Koran, Tou Aren.
She kept her head down as she glanced up at Aren with only her eyes.
He looked to be in his mid-sixties. His hair and beard had a hint of grey in them.
Aren stepped down from the platform with the help of his aide and approached them with a heavy gait.
His complexion didn’t look good because he was suffering from heart disease.
His skinny body must be due to his illness. He looked high-strung, but his expression was calm, and because he is Seirai’s father, their gestures and facial expressions looked the same.
Kousho widened his eyes slightly and spoke again.
“My father isn’t feeling well, so I have come in his place. I may be young, but I look forward to working with you.”
“Me too. My health isn’t good either, so my son, Seirai, will take part in the discussions as a representative of Koran… Seirai, I’ll leave it to you. You hear me?”
It was great that Seirai would participate in the treaty discussion as a representative of Koran. Seirai raised his head in surprise since he had been granted permission to participate in the discussions.
“Are you leaving the discussions to me?”
“Are you going to make me repeat myself?”
Riri suddenly felt the sharp edge in his words. Aren’s expression turned stern for a second.
Seirai quickly lowered his head.
“I apologise.”
Aren became happy again and turned towards Kousho.
“Kousho-dono. As I have mentioned in my letter, I am willing to give up on the mining concessions to prevent any more conflict between our nations… I was quite forceful when I was young, but I have changed my mind now that I’m ill. I can now understand the suffering of the people. If giving up the mining concessions will give the people peace of mind, then so be it.”
Riri had heard that the Emperor of Koran really wanted to obtain the mining concessions, but the Aren in front of her didn’t seem like he wanted it. As he said, he must have changed his mind when he became ill.
There have been many battles over the mine in the past. Although there have been no wars over the mine in the past few decades, the people of Shinzui and Koran are still frightened of the possibility of war.
They wouldn’t need to fear anymore if the treaty discussions go well.
Riri was relieved to hear that the treaty was going to become reality.
Then, she noticed something and tilted her head.
(I feel like Emperor Aren is looking at me…)
She raised her head a little and her eyes met with Aren’s.
She panicked and looked down, then heard a gentle voice above her head.
“You are Riri?”
She raised her head and nodded nervously.
“Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you Emperor Aren. Thank you for inviting me to Koran.”
If she made a mistake, then it would lead to conflict between the two nations. She couldn’t let the treaty discussion, which seemed to be going well, fail because of her. Even her fingers were tense.
“I’m glad you’re here. I was looking forward to meeting you. I really wanted to thank you, Riri. Thank you for making me that incense.”
His voice and words were full of gratitude. She heard from Seirai that the Emperor suffered from seizures, so she made a heart-soothing incense to calm down his seizures and gave it to Seirai so he could stop his sister’s marriage.
She was delighted to hear that the incense worked well, and that Emperor Aren was happy with it.
She wanted to help people who were suffering from illnesses and injuries. That was why she wanted to become a perfumer.
Women aren’t allowed to become perfumers in Shinzui, but she believed that they could become perfumers if she made the treasured incense and became recognised as a Master Perfumer.
“I am glad I could be of help.”
She kept her words short since she was afraid that she would say something to offend him if she spoke too much.
Aren smiled and put his hand on his chest.
“You saved my life. The pain from the seizures are too painful to describe in words, but I was relieved of that pain and felt better after I burned your incense. No doctor in this kingdom could make medicine that would calm the seizures that well. You’re amazing.”
He praised her without reserve, and she was surprised by this but filled with joy.
“I am still in training. I want to learn more about incenses and use that knowledge to help those who are suffering from illnesses and injuries.”
“I see. That’s a good attitude. Actually, Riri… I would like to welcome you to my kingdom as a perfumer. Would you give this some thought?”
She had been prepared for this question.
People who suffer from illnesses always keep medicine with them at all times.
Aren wanted to keep her by his side because she could make the incense that would sooth his seizures.
She discussed with Kousho about how to answer if she was asked to stay in Koran.
“I am very honoured by your invitation, but I would like to learn more about incenses in Shinzui. As I have said before, I want to help those who are suffering from illnesses and injuries. Shinzui is the best place to study incenses. Therefore, I cannot leave my kingdom.”
She tried to look troubled and keep her voice quiet.
If she can’t refuse him skilfully then it might interfere with the upcoming treaty discussions.
“But I’ve read the instructions that came in the bag that Seirai brought me with the heart-soothing incense. It said that the incense will only be effective for about six months after it is made. What if the incense runs out or loses its potency? You can always make the incense for me if you stay in my kingdom.”
Aren was quite stubborn. Kousho looked between Aren and Riri, then spoke.
“Your Majesty, I, the Crown Prince of Shinzui, promise that I will have Riri make the heart-soothing incense every six months to send to you. You can write this down on a piece of paper as proof of my promise.”
Kousho wouldn’t be able to break his promise if he wrote it down on a formal document. Aren looked at Kousho then sighed.
“I’ll give up if that’s what you say, Kousho-dono.”
He accepted this proposal. Riri was relieved.
(Seirai-sama said he was stubborn, but he’s understanding. I’m glad.)
Aren smiled as if he had regained control of himself.
“Then, Riri, please study hard and become a great perfumer. Oh yes, I wanted to thank you for making the heart-soothing incense for me. I’m not feeling well, so I’ll send someone to look after you and take you around. It’ll take some time before the discussions can take place, so take your time to enjoy my kingdom.”
“But I am Kousho-sama’s talented person, so I do not need…”
“Isn’t it fine, right Kousho-dono?”
Kousho looked down slightly when Aren looked at him.
“We graciously accept. Riri, do as His Majesty says.”
Kousho had said that he didn’t want to put Aren in a bad mood. She wanted to help him since everyone will be busy with the discussions, but she had no choice but to follow Kousho’s decision since it would be bad to refuse.
“As you wish. Thank you very much for your kind words.”
She bowed her head and Aren nodded in satisfaction.