“His Majesty Aren seems to be a much better person than you told me.”
Riri was sitting around a desk with Seirai and Kousho in the room she had been guided to.
This room had been given to her to use, but it was quite large for a single person to use.
Silver ornaments adorned the walls, and the other side of the room had a row of wardrobes.
She had checked them earlier and found that they contained expensive outfits and hairpins that would be worn by a princess.
The maid, who had guided her to this room, told her that Aren had prepared these things for her because he wanted to thank her for the heart soothing incense. She was making tea for Kousho and Seirai and the tea utensils were also made out of silver and had a wonderful shine.
When she presented the teacups to them and looked at them, they folded their arms and raised their eyebrows.
Seirai spoke first.
“I was also surprised by His Majesty’s attitude. I even thought he was someone else for a second.”
“Was he really that different?”
She tried to laugh, but Kousho nodded with a serious expression on his face.
“It might be an exaggeration to say that he was like a different person, but I understand what Seirai is saying. His Majesty was acting completely different from the person I had met before.”
Kousho picked up the teacup and took a sip.
“How many years has it been since I’ve seen him smile like that? It’s also strange that he gave up so easily after inviting Riri to Koran. His Majesty doesn’t change his mind. He would have chosen any means to make you stay here if he really wanted you here.”
Seirai said relentlessly even though it was his own father.
“Is he really like that? He seemed like a nice person to me.”
“That’s probably because he considers you to be his lifesaver. The real Emperor is a scary man in many ways.”
Riri couldn’t believe this, but Kousho nodded.
“I’ve met His Majesty a few times before, and he was exactly as Seirai described. That’s why I prepared myself for the difficulties that I’d face in this discussion, because I knew that Koran must want something even though they told us they were giving up all their rights to the mining concession. But he said he would leave the discussions to Seirai, who is in favour of giving up the mining concessions.”
Kousho was suspicious of Aren’s attitude.
“But didn’t His Majesty say that his kingdom was willing to give up all the mining concessions to prevent any more conflicts between the two nations? Isn’t that how he really feels? Besides, didn’t he entrust Seirai-sama with the discussions because he recognises him as the next emperor?”
Emperor Reibun wasn’t in good health, so he left the discussions to the next emperor, Kousho.
It wasn’t strange for Emperor Aren to entrust the Crown Prince, Seirai, with some national policies since he wasn’t young anymore and was suffering from illness.
“I don’t think my father trusts me as much as Kousho’s father trusts him… I can’t help but believe that His Majesty is planning something strange.”
Riri tilted her head when she saw Seirai’s worried expression.
“You’re just thinking too much. Some people’s personalities change when they become ill. From what I’ve heard, His Majesty was quite an arrogant person, but I think he came to understand the pain of others after becoming ill. He said it would be better if he gave up on the mining concessions so that the people can live in peace.”
When Riri was living downtown, she sold incenses to the medical clinic to make a living.
She also helped at the clinic, so she has seen many patients.
One day, a man who had once been very violent wandered on the verge of death because of an accident. At that time, he realised the importance of his family who had been there to hold his hand, so he changed and became kind to them.
Kousho sighed a little.
“His Majesty’s change does make sense when you explain it that way.”
Seirai fell silent. Neither of them said anything anymore, but something was still bothering them. Riri heard a voice from the other side of the door as the three of them drank tea.
“Riri-sama, may I come in?”
She replied when she heard the female’s voice and the door opened slightly to reveal a maid.
“I’ve brought Princess Keika here because she wants to greet you.”
Seirai was the first person to react to those words.
“Keika’s here?”
Seirai stood up and opened the door, and Riri saw a small girl standing behind the maid.
“Brother, you were here?”
She was a beautiful girl with similar features to Seirai and she looked a little younger than Riri. She had long silver hair with a camellia ornament pinned in it. Her thin body was covered in a pink hanfu and she wore a blue obi.
Keika looked at Riri and bowed her head graciously.
“You two must be Crown Prince Kousho and Riri-sama. My name is Reika. I’ve been ordered by His Majesty to show you around. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Riri looked at Keika, who was smiling and had said this in a calm voice, then at Seirai.
“Princess Keika, you are Seirai-sama’s sister, are you not? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Riri quickly got down onto her knees and bowed her head in greeting, then she looked up and timidly said.
“My apologies Princess Keika, but I don’t have the right status to have the suffix -sama attached to my name, especially not from a member of the royal family.”
“No, status has nothing to do with me adding -sama to your name. I’m grateful to you, Riri. I was able to escape from my political marriage thanks to you.”
The political marriage she was referring to was the one where she was almost forced to marry an older noble from the countryside on Aren’s orders. To save Reika from this marriage, Seirai teamed up with Mokuren to kidnap Riri to try and make her tell them how to make the treasured incense, but Riri managed to persuade Seirai to help her by informing Kousho where she was.
Because of this, Seirai was unable to get the information about the treasured incense, the thing that would stop Keika from getting married.
Riri made the heart soothing incense for him as a substitute for the treasured incense. She suggested that he used this as a bargaining chip to stop Keika’s marriage since it was effective against Aren’s seizures.
This worked well and now she was here.
“Keika. Calling her with honorifics will make her nervous.”
Seirai advised and Keika smiled.
“Alright. Then, please let me call you Riri.”
Her smile was so cute that it made Riri feel warm and fuzzy.
Keika entered the room after Seirai invited her in. The maid waited in the corridor and closed the door. Seirai motioned for Keika to sit down in the chair next to him.
“I knew you would be the person who was going to show her around. My suspicion turned out to be correct when Riri was guided to this room… Riri, Keika has her own palace since she’s a member of the royal family, and it’s the building where this room is located. Her room is close to this one, so you can talk to her if you have any problems.”
“Thank you very much.”
Keika was seated in the chair. She looked cute and easy to talk to. Riri was relieved since she wouldn’t be that nervous around Keika. Riri heard Garan’s voice from the other side of the door while all four of them talked.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation but it’s almost time to go, Kousho-sama and Seirai-sama.”
Kousho put his teacup on the table and stood up.
His expression changed and became one of grace and dignity as expected of a Crown Prince.
“Riri, the treaty discussions are about to begin. I’ll be stuck there for a while since the high-ranking officials of Koran will also be present. Keep in mind that you’re not in Shinzui, but in a foreign nation. Tell Garan if you need anything. Alright?”
“Yes.”
Riri replied nervously, and Kousho smiled and put his hand on her head.
“You have to keep your guard up, but don’t be too nervous. As His Majesty said, you should let Princess Keika show you around the palace and have fun. That’s what Emperor Aren wants, so just follow his wishes.”
“Ah! I also want to pat Riri’s head!”
Seirai pouted, but Kousho ignored him.
Seirai sullenly folded his arms and looked at Keika.
“Keika, teach Riri some unique games in Koran. I want to make her my wife. She might accept my marriage proposal if she likes this kingdom, then I can pat her head to my heart’s content.”
Seirai said jokingly and Keika nodded seriously.
“I will. I would love it if Riri becomes my sister. I’ll do my best to show her around Koran so that she’ll want to live here.”
Keika was serious about this.
Keika seemed to lack common sense, but Riri couldn’t hate her because she was cute, so she smiled wryly.
The maid led Riri and Keika to the room that Aren usually used.
“I apologise for making you come all the way here. His Majesty wanted to invite you to his room at least once.”
Riri quickly smiled when she saw Keika bow her head.
“It’s alright. It’s a great honour for His Majesty to invite me.”
Riri had said this, but it took a lot of courage for her to meet Aren without Kousho.
She saw Garan walking right behind her when she glanced back.
It was a blessing that he was by her side as a guard.
Kousho and Seirai had left to begin the treaty discussions, so Keika and Riri were discussing about what to do first when Aren’s servant visited Riri’s room. She told Riri that Aren wanted to see her.
She couldn’t refuse, so she asked Garan to accompany her and Keika to visit Aren. She noticed the look on Keika’s face while she was feeling nervous.
“You don’t look so good, are you unwell?”
She asked, and Keika quickly shook her head.
“I’m not feeling sick. I know this might sound strange, but I’m not very good at conversing with His Majesty…”
Her voice was muffled. Riri was confused. Aren was her father, so was she bad at talking with him?
(His Majesty almost forced her into a political marriage with a noble she didn’t like. She couldn’t escape from this marriage because she’s a princess, so it must have been hard on her. Maybe that’s why she feels uncomfortable around His Majesty.)
She thought while thinking and the maid stopped.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, Your Majesty.”
Keika said, but her voice was trembling.
She was pale, so Riri rushed to speak to her, but the door opened.
“Welcome. His Majesty is waiting for you.”
A young servant was standing behind the door. The maid didn’t go inside and waited outside. Riri entered the room with Keika and the servant stopped Garan from entering.
“Please wait here.”
“Kousho-sama has entrusted me with guarding Consort Riri. I can’t let her out of my sight.”
“But this is Emperor Aren’s room. I can’t let anyone in without permission.”
Riri quickly approached them when she saw the servant and Garan glaring at each other.
“We’re just here to talk. I’ll yell for you if something happens, so please wait here.”
She whispered reluctantly to Garan. He raised his eyebrow but withdrew.
“Then, I’ll wait here.”
Garan informed the servant, and the argument came to an end.
(I mustn’t cause any trouble until they’re finished with the treaty discussions.)
Riri walked up next to Keika and kneeled again. Aren was sitting comfortably in a chair at the back of the room.
“Thank you for coming here, Riri… Keika, where are you taking her today? She saved my life. I want her to enjoy Koran as a way of repaying her for saving my life. I asked you to show Riri around because you two are close in age. I will not tolerate it… if you do anything rude to her.”
Aren’s voice was calm, but Riri felt uncomfortable.
(I can understand a father asking his daughter to show someone he knows around, but isn’t it too much to tell her that he won’t tolerate it if she does something wrong? It doesn’t seem like he’s joking. He’s being serious and Princess Keika is trembling because of his words.)
Aren was smiling but his eyes were sharp and scary. Keika’s lips trembled as she bowed her head to the floor while looking pale. She looked weak, but the way she was panicking right now wasn’t normal. It was a strange atmosphere, but Riri hesitated to interfere as a stranger.
Especially since Kousho told her not to make Aren unhappy.
Keika trembled slightly, but she managed to speak.
“I would like to invite her on a boat ride today. The weather is nice, and I would like to show Riri the lake made from the Snowflake Spring since Koran is called the Land of Water because of this spring.”
Keika’s sweat smelled as if she was facing a fierce beast. If she let her guard down even just a little, then she would be swallowed up in one gulp. That was how nervous she smelled from her sweat. Aren thought for a bit then nodded.
“A boat ride? That sounds like a good idea.”
Keika looked relieved and Aren looked at Riri.
“Riri, there’s a sacred spring that has been handed down from generation to generation. This spring, which rises from the ground, never runs dry, not even during times of drought. The water from the spring is poured into the people’s fields to help them cultivate and maintain their farmland during times when rain doesn’t fall for a long time.”
“I’ve heard about the Snowflake Spring from Seira-sama. It’s a wonderful spring. I would love to see how it comes up from the ground.”
She expressed her honest opinion but noticed that Keika was startled. She wondered if she had said the wrong thing.
“… Well, it is a sacred spring, so I guess I can’t see it that easily.”
She quickly corrected herself, but Aren didn’t seem offended.
“The source of the Snowflake Spring has been revered by many generations of emperors. It’s so sacred that members of the royal family drink water from it as a wedding vow when they get married. Normally, I wouldn’t show it to guests, but I can show it to you.”
Aren smiled broadly and leaned slightly forward.
“Then… Why don’t you drink from this spring with Seirai and become his wife? It would be a joyous occasion if you can become his wife and live in this kingdom.”
It was an outrageous offer. She wanted to laugh it off as a joke, but Aren’s eyes told her that he wasn’t joking.
A lot of thoughts ran through her mind as she pondered about how to answer.
(How can I say no properly without offending him?)
“… Thank you for your kind words, but I am a talented person who serves in the inner palace of the Crown Prince of Shinzui. I am not permitted to marry into Koran. Besides, my status is different from Seirai-sama’s. I don’t have the knowledge nor manners to act as Seirai-sama’s wife. I would surely bring shame to him if I were to be his wife.”
After thinking for a bit, Riri clearly stated as politely as possible without lying. Aren wanted to keep her by his side because she could make the heart soothing incense. He might interpret it the wrong way had she been vague with her answer, but Riri couldn’t afford to offend him, so she was careful with her words.
Aren continued to smile, but the emotion in his eyes changed.
(Did I offend him…?!)
Cold sweat ran down her back. Aren slowly spoke.
“… I was just joking. I would love to have you as Seirai’s wife, but I know that’s not possible. I might incur Kousho-dono’s wrath if I were to force this even though we’re about to sign a peace treaty.”
Riri was relieved to hear Aren laugh.
(He is an Emperor who rules a nation. He understands matters related to the nation and is understanding if you talk to him.)
“Your Majesty, it’s time for your medicinal bath.”
A servant approached and kneeled next to Aren.
“It’s already time for that? I wanted to talk to Riri some more.”
Aren whispered regretfully, and Riri bowed her head.
“I think it’s best if you take your medicinal bath on time. I will come back when you have more time.”
“Alright. Talking to Riri makes me feel better.”
“Thank you for your kind words, now if you will excuse us.”
Riri bowed her head again and left the room with Keika. They walked down the corridor for a while with the maid and Garan, and Keika let out a sigh when they were far enough.
Riri noticed that the sweat that came out when she was nervous had faded.
“… Are you alright? You said you weren’t good at conversing with His Majesty. You were so nervous that you couldn’t breathe properly.”
Riri asked in a whisper and Keika slightly lowered her eyes. Then, she let out a little sigh and turned towards the maid.
The maid bowed knowingly and moved away.
“I hope you’ll keep this between us… I’m afraid of facing His Majesty. His Majesty’s mood varies greatly from good to bad, so I get nervous when I talk to him.”
“His Majesty always seems kind when he talks to me, but I guess there are times when he’s in a bad mood.”
Riri whispered while walking, and Keika stopped.
“Ah, I don’t have my fan.”
Keika put her hand on her hips and her face turned pale.
“I put it on the floor earlier since it was getting in the way of sitting when I was greeting His Majesty earlier. I probably forgot it there. What should I do? He’ll get angry if I go there without being summoned.”
Riri looked at the flustered Keika.
“Is it a precious fan?”
“Yes, Brother brought it for me. Riri, I’m sorry, but could you go back to His Majesty’s room with me? His Majesty might not get that angry if you’re with me.”
Keika looked like a kitten when she looked up at Riri.
Riri nodded, feeling like she had to protect Keika.
“Let’s go.”
“Riri, don’t do something unnecessary.”
Garan whispered softly in her ears, but she shrugged.
“We’re just going to get something Keika forgot. It’s precious to her.”
Riri whispered back as she clasped her hands together, beggingly, and Garan looked down.
“… Alright, but we’re going to be leaving as soon as you get the fan.”
With Garan’s permission, she told the maid to wait before going back down the corridor with Keika. They walked for a while and suddenly heard a loud voice when they came to the corner where Aren’s room was located.
CLASH
It was the sound of something breaking. Riri was startled by this. Garan quickly stood in front of her and motioned for her not to move. Keika, who was standing next to Riri, teared up.
“He’s at it again.”
“What do you mean?”
Riri asked, but Keika remained silent and began to tremble.
Riri and Garan poked their heads out from the corner of the corridor and looked towards Aren’s room where they had heard the voice.
“I, I apologise!”
Someone came tumbling out of the room at the same time they heard a man’s voice. The person continued to roll into the garden. Riri almost screamed but she managed to close her mouth and hold her scream in.
The person lying in the garden was the servant who had just brought Aren his medicinal bath.
“… I told you not to make the medicinal bath too hot or too warm. Why can’t you make it just right?”
A low voice resounded. It was quiet, but the intensity of the voice sent shivers down Riri’s spine.
The voice definitely belonged to Aren even though she couldn’t see him since he didn’t come out of the room.
“Take him away. I don’t want to see him anymore.”
Two soldiers appeared out of nowhere in response to Aren’s voice. The man quickly kneeled and down his head.
“I was wrong. Please forgive me! AAAAAH!”
He was desperately apologising, but the soldiers immediately dragged him away by his arms.
“What’s going to happen to that man?”
Riri looked at Keika nervously and saw that she was cowering while covering her ears.
“Princess Keika.”
When she called out to her and touched her shoulder, Keika jumped up in surprise and quickly stood up.
“Let’s go, Riri. His Majesty is in a bad mood right now. We shouldn’t approach him.”
“Huh? But what about your fan…?”
“It’s alright. Our lives will be in danger if we offend him by staying here!”
Keika whispered in a tearful voice and pulled her arm. She was so frightened of Aren that she didn’t care about her fan anymore. They turned back and Garan followed after them.
The three of them left as if they were running away.
Riri gently closed the door after confirming that Keika was in the room.
Riri was out of breath from running. She took a few deep breaths and turned to look at Keika when she had finally caught her breath. She seemed to be breathless from running too and was breathing roughly.
“Princess Keika, you’re safe now. We’re far from His Majesty’s room and Garan is guarding the room. He’s very strong. He can drive away any enemy.”
Riri sat Keika down on a chair. She hugged her trembling shoulders and slowly rubbed her back.
Keika stopped trembling after a while and looked as if she had calmed down.
“It seems like you’ve calmed down… Is that servant alright?”
From what Riri had heard, the servant had gotten the temperature of the medicinal bath wrong.
She concluded that he would be punished severely from his desperate screams as the soldiers dragged him away.
“He’ll probably be in prison for a while, then he’ll be banished from the palace. At worst, he’ll be put onto a ship and be forced to work for the rest of his life.”
“That’s cruel! He only got the temperature of the medicinal bath wrong…”
“It’s a lot better now. After Brother became the Crown Prince, he put various measures in place to ensure that the people are spared even if they incur the Emperor’s wrath.”
(So, they would have lost their lives if they incurred the Emperor’s anger before Seirai became the Crown Prince?!)
“I can’t believe it…”
Riri muttered. Seirai had told her that Aren was very stubborn and was uncontrollable once he got angry, but he seemed like a calm and understanding person when she spoke to him.
However, a shiver ran down her spine as she realised that she was wrong. Keika covered her face with both hands.
“There’s no guarantee that even we, the royal family, will survive if we incur his anger. People have been saying that His Majesty is self-righteous… but he wasn’t like this in the past.”
“He was different in the past?”
The way Keika had said this caught Riri’s attention. She sat down and took out incense pastille and an incense burner from her bag. She burnt the calming incense and gently placed it beside Keika.
The gentle scent of fresh greens began to waft around the room. Keika, who had been looking down, eventually raised her head slightly.
“I remember that His Majesty was very strict when I was younger, but he wouldn’t scold people unreasonably. His subjects were afraid of him, but they also respected him, and he ruled Koran with overwhelming power.”
Keika took a deep breath and stared at Riri.
“His Majesty changed after my mother passed away. My mother wasn’t a noble and was of low birth, but she was favoured by His Majesty all the same. After my mother passed away 10 years ago, he started getting seizures and gradually began to behave erratically.”
Keika’s complexion was looking better because of the incense.
“He made it a serious crime whenever he found the slightest fault in his subjects and stopped listening to anyone. Everyone in the palace is afraid of him now. The tension in the palace is so great that it’s suffocating.”
When Keika said that Riri finally understood the nature of the various nervous scents she had smelled since arriving in Koran palace.
(It was surprising to smell a lot of scents that smelled as if people were being attacked by ferocious beasts, but the palace is filled with this scent because everyone is afraid of His Majesty.)
Keika turned to Riri and squeezed her sleeve as if she was clinging to her.
“I’ll talk to Brother about the servant from before and see if we can get His Majesty to forgive him and expel him from the palace… I’d like to see His Majesty return to his former self, but that’s not easy. I can only rely on Brother like this, and it hurts a lot…”
Keika buried her face in Riri’s chest and sobbed.
It was all she could do to prevent him from being charged with a serious crime. She must have been frustrated with herself.
Riri slowly stroked Keika’s back. She didn’t know much about what was going on in Koran since she came from a foreign nation.
Kousho had also told her to be careful about what she said and did, but she knew she couldn’t leave Keika and Aren like this.
She pondered if there was anything she could do to help.
There was a large lake in the middle of the palace.
Riri and Keika were on a small boat, enjoying the sensation of the boat swaying in the middle of the lake.
It was a small boat that was full with just three people and Garan was the boatman and the guard.
The sun was shining brightly and there was a breeze. It felt nice.
Keika, who was sobbing before, was finally smiling.
“It’s a beautiful day. It’s perfect for riding a boat.”
“It is. It’s amazing that there’s a lake large enough in the palace for riding boats.”
They were in the middle of the lake, and Riri wasn’t sure that she could swim to shore if the boat capsized.
She looked at the clear water and focused on her nose. Something had been bothering her for a while now.
(I can smell citrus from this pond too. Is this the scent of the water?)
It was the same scent she had smelled when she had first come to the palace, but she could smell it strongly from this lake.
Water had a scent too. If this pond was made out of spring water, then she believed that there must be a citrus tree near the source. Maybe that was why it smelled like this.
As she was thinking about this, Keika slowly turned to look at her.
“I’m glad you like riding on a boat. I was happy when I was asked to be your guide. I thought I could repay you for stopping my marriage.”
Riri immediately knew that Keika was talking about the time when she was almost forced into an arranged marriage.
“You don’t need to worry about that anymore. I only made the incense for His Majesty. Seirai-sama was the one who gave this incense to His Majesty to stop your marriage… It’s hard to get married to someone you don’t like. I’m really glad it was called off.”
Riri was relieved that Keika wasn’t forced to marry someone against her will and Keika smiled.
“I believed that I would have to marry a stranger since I was born in the royal family, but when I found out that I would be living far from the palace, and with a man who was much older than me and his concubines, I was puzzled about whether we would get along.”
Keika looked down slightly and clasped her hands together.
“I was crying all the time because of my anxiety, so Brother said he would help me. He said he would have to go to Shinzui to help me. I waited wearily for him to return, and when he came back, he had His Majesty promise that he would cancel my arranged marriage in exchange for the incense you made.”
Seirai was light-hearted and a womaniser, but he cared deeply for his sister, Keika.
He had taught her how to dance the Ranryou at the beauty pageant, so she wanted to repay him, that’s why she made the heart soothing incense for Seirai since he couldn’t get his hands on the treasured incense because he had helped her.
(Seirai-sama is really amazing. If it were me, I wouldn’t have been able to go to a foreign nation and do something dangerous just because my sibling was forced into an arranged marriage.)
“… I’m jealous that you have such a reliable brother. I don’t have any siblings, so I’ve always wanted an older brother.”
She spoke truthfully and Keika smiled mischievously.
“If you admire Brother, then why don’t you just marry him like His Majesty said? I can call you Sister if you do. I’ve always believed it would be nice to have a kind sister.”
“Huh? No, umm…”
Keika was probably joking, but Riri didn’t know how to reply, then a voice came from behind her.
“She can’t marry him…”
Riri turned around and saw that Garan had covered his mouth in surprise.
“… I mean, Consort Riri is a talented person in Kousho-sama’s inner palace, so she can’t marry Seirai-sama.”
Garan looked down slightly. Keika shrunk and nodded a bit.
“I’m sorry. Of course, I’m aware that it’s impossible. I just wish she could marry Brother.”
Keika was afraid of the large, military man, Garan. A heavy silence fell over the boat. Riri believed that she couldn’t leave it like this or else the atmosphere would turn sour, so she raised her voice to break the silence.
“General Garan knows that you are joking. He’s just warning you because of his position, so please don’t worry about it, Princess Keika.”
She believed that they shouldn’t make the royal family feel uncomfortable since they were going to sign a treaty with this nation. Garan lowered his head because he knew this too.
“I apologise for interrupting your conversation.”
Keika jumped when she heard Garan’s voice.
“It’s okay. It was my fault for joking around, but I only did that because Riri is a good listener. I apologise as well.”
Keika bowed. Her fear of Garan wasn’t going to fade that easily seeing how she was still nervous, so it might be a burden for her if they stay on the same boat together.
Riri knew that Garan is really kind, but it would take time to explain and convince Keika of this. First, it would be better not to cause any more misunderstandings.
“Shall we go back to the shore? It’s getting a little windy.”
Riri looked at Garan. He nodded and steered the boat towards the shore with his paddle. The boat landed by the shore, where Keika’s maid was waiting, and Garan got off first. Then, he held his hand out towards the boat.
“Please get off first, Princess Keika.”
Garan urged and Keika slowly held out her hand.
He grasped her hand firmly and pulled her towards him, and she got onto the shore without any difficulty.
“Thank you very much…”
Keika’s voice sounded thin as she looked down at the ground and thanked Garan. Then, Garan turned back to face Riri.
He was about to offer his hand to her when he stopped for some reason.
“… What’s wrong?”
Garan straightened his posture and froze. He looked flustered and his face turned red.
It was natural for a man to help a woman get out of a boat. Garan had lent his hand to Keika without hesitation, but he was hesitant to lend his hand to Riri for some reason.
“You’ll be holding my hand…? I see. Ah, no it’s nothing. I’m alright.”
Riri raised her eyebrow at the way he was talking to himself.
“Are you not feeling well?”
“No, I told you I’m alright.”
“You don’t look alright. You’re sweating a lot. Huh? This smell is…”
Her olfaction can almost always detect a person’s emotions by the scent of their sweat. She usually avoided talking about this because it might make the other person feel uncomfortable.
But this person was her friend, and she had noticed that he had been acting strangely lately, so it just came out.
The scent of his sweat didn’t smell like he was unwell.
She tilted her head since she had never smelled this kind of scent before.
“Smell…? Come to think of it, you can tell things about someone by their scent.”
Garan panickedly took a step back.
“Ah! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I’ll try not to worry about this scent anymore…”
Riri suddenly heard a deep voice from her left as she looked down.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Princess Keika.”
Riri turned her head to see a well-dressed, middle-aged, chubby man standing to her left.
Keika put a hand over her mouth as soon as she saw the man and took a step back.
“Good day, Reitai-sama.”
Reitai smiled at Keika after she greeted him in a faint voice.
“That’s a cold greeting. I’m your fiancé.”
His voice and words were strong as if he was trying to pin her down. Keika’s body shrunk back even more.
“But… His Majesty said that we don’t have to get married.”
“Hah? I won’t understand what you’re saying if you don’t speak in a loud voice.”
Riri was annoyed by how the man drastically cupped his ears with his hands and tilted his head.
(Is this the person who His Majesty chose for Keika? But His Majesty has already annulled that engagement. Besides, it doesn’t matter if he’s a noble, he can’t talk directly to a princess, at least not in Shinzui anyway. Why didn’t Keika-sama’s maid stop him?)
Riri looked at Keika’s maid, who was waiting by the shore, and saw that she looked troubled but made no attempts to stop the man. She realised something when she saw this.
(There are soldiers and other nobles around us, but no one is helping Princess Keika. Is this because…)
Seirai had told her that their mother wasn’t a noble. Keika might not be treated as a princess in the palace where status is important because of this even though her brother is the Crown Prince.
Riri looked at Reitai again and guessed his age to be around 50. He was quite a bit older than Keika, who was still in her teens. Riri heard that he has many concubines and lives in the countryside, far from the palace.
It was obvious that Keika would be isolated if she were to marry into such a place. Her heart ached at the thought of Keika having to endure and bear many burdens with her thin body.
Reitai approached Keika with an imposing attitude.
“I’m going to ask His Majesty if he will reconsider my marriage to you. My land is fertile and produces a lot of crops, so my pockets are well lined. I can also provide a considerable amount of money to the royal family, so I’m sure His Majesty won’t mind.”
Reitai whispered.
“I, for one, would love to have a connection with the royal family. I would be more than happy to have you as my wife.”
Riri couldn’t help but believe that the word ‘happy’ sounded like the word ‘convenient’.
She jumped off the boat and walked up to Keika.
“Oh, you are?”
“My name is Riri, and I’m from Shinzui. Princess Keika is showing me around today. Princess Keika, let’s go.”
She smiled and tried to be as polite as possible. She was here as a representative of Shinzui, so she couldn’t make a scene. She knew that she couldn’t let her emotions get the better of her.
But she couldn’t let this continue since Keika was trembling in fright. She told Keika to leave, but Reitai firmly grabbed Keika’s arm, and Keika turned so pale that Riri thought she was going to fall down.
“I heard that people from Shinzui have come to Koran, but I have business with Princess Keika. Isn’t it your role to be considerate and not interfere with a future husband and wife?”
He was acting condescending. Riri could tell that he was looking down on her and it made her very uncomfortable.
But she knew that she couldn’t act the same way.
“I’m sorry for not realising that, but His Majesty has asked Princess Keika to show me around. Won’t you incur His Majesty’s wrath if you forcefully take Princess Keika away from here?”
Reitai bent slightly forward at the mention of His Majesty.
(Oh, so he is scared of His Majesty.)
But Reitai soon threw his chest out in pride as if he was acting strong.
“I’ll speak to His Majesty. I’ve brought as many presents as I can carry from my fief. I’m sure His Majesty would like the gifts. I can’t be away from my fief forever. I have to bring Princess Keika back as a bride as soon as possible.”
Reitai forcefully pulled Keika’s arm.
“Please stop…!”
Riri tried to think of a way to help Keika, who was resisting in a faint voice.
(I should burn some incense to calm her down, but now isn’t the time for that. It would be bad if they start arguing because she refused him a little strongly. What should I do…?)
“Wait, umm…”
When Riri reached out to stop Reitai, an arm suddenly reached out from her right and pulled Keika back.
“Kya.”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Reitai looked angrily at Garan, who had pulled Keika back.
“I am sorry for interrupting you. My name is Garan, and I’m a general in Shinzui. His Majesty has ordered Princess Keika to show Consort Riri around. She is still in the middle of doing this, so I can’t allow her to be taken away.”
His attitude and tone were imposing.
The overwhelming pressure emitting from the General of Shinzui frightened Reitai.
“You, who do you think I am…?!”
Reitai shouted in a flustered voice and Garan smiled ironically.
“You are Reitai-sama, are you not? If you want to take Princess Keika away, then please go see His Majesty and get permission from him. But His Majesty is fond of Consort Riri. How do you think he would react to you interfering with her tour?”
“I have… gifts…”
“Are you sure he’ll be appeased with that? I believe His Majesty values Consort Riri much more than gifts. I am certain he loves the incenses that Consort Riri prepares much more than anything else. Also, one of his servants has just been punished because he upset His Majesty. What guarantee do you have that the same won’t happen to you?”
Reitai must know about Aren’s temperament. He jerked his chin back and gave a frustrated look.
“Fine. I won’t force her to go with me today… Princess Keika, I’ll make sure you marry me.”
Reitai reluctantly turned away and left.
(Wow. Garan could probably win with just his strength, but he chased him away with just words. He wouldn’t have been intimidated if I had said the same thing, but he retreated since he was frightened of Garan.)
Riri looked at Garan and saw that Keika, who had been clinging to Garan, quickly let go of him.
“Th-thank you very much.”
Keika looked at the ground and Garan sighed slightly.
“He said he can’t leave his fief for long, so he won’t stay in the palace for a long time. You shouldn’t be alone while he’s here. If you run into him while you’re with Consort Riri, then you should mention His Majesty. I’ll also be with Consort Riri as her guard, so I’ll get rid of him if he approaches you again. Please don’t worry.”
He spoke in a monotone and had a poker face on, but his words were reliable.
Keika looked up at Garan and her face turned red.
“… Okay. Thank you very much.”
When Keika bowed her head, Riri smelled the same kind of scent that she had just smelled from Garan.
(What kind of scent is this? It’s sweet, but painful. It smells suffocating, but also happy.)
Riri was curious about this scent, but she believed that it wasn’t a good idea to pry into the scent of others.
She had made Garan uncomfortable earlier.
Her super olfaction made the scent obvious, but she could stop herself from paying attention to it.
She didn’t want Garan and Keika to dislike her, so she decided not to think about the scent that was emitting from them any further.
After the boat ride, the maid led Riri, Keika and Garan back to Riri’s room. Riri looked at Garan’s back as she was walking, when she suddenly became curious about Keika.
(What’s wrong with her? Princess Keika is stealing glances at Garan.)
Keika kept looking up at Garan, and then looked down in embarrassment.
She looked like she wanted to say something, but she quickly shut her mouth.
Riri wondered if Keika wanted to thank Garan again for earlier, but she had a feeling that wasn’t the case.
She continued walking while feeling confused, then Garan stopped.
Riri looked forward and saw Kousho and Seirai walking towards them with several well-dressed men.
When she saw that Garan had immediately kneeled, she and Keika followed suit.
“Garan, did anything happen?”
Kousho noticed them and spoke to Garan. He looked stern, but his voice was calm.
“No. Consort Riri went on a boat ride with Princess Keika.”
Garan didn’t mention that they had just met Keika’s ex-fiancé.
He might have done that out of consideration since several of Koran’s high-ranking officials were also present.
“I see. Did you have fun, Riri?”
“I did, Kousho-sama. I’m sorry that I’m just playing around all the time. I was hoping that I could be of help to you.”
“I told you not to worry about that. It seems like His Majesty wants to entertain you, so you should be grateful for his hospitality and enjoy yourself.”
Riri felt as if Kousho was telling her not to refuse Aren’s offer.
“Okay.”
She put a hand over her chest and Kousho turned back to Garan.
“We’re taking a break right now, but we’ll be continuing the discussions after the break, so I won’t be back until later tonight. Take care of Riri, Garan.”
“As you wish.”
Seirai, who had listened to the conversation, sighed heavily.
“Sorry, Riri. I wanted to show you around, but the discussions are taking a while since Kousho is a tough opponent. You must have missed me.”
If they had been in Shinzui, then she would have said, “Nope, not at all,” but she couldn’t say this in Koran. She smiled ambigiously and Kousho put a hand on his hip.
“We need to work out the details of the treaty otherwise there would have been no point in me coming here. My purpose of coming to Koran this time is to conclude the treaty and ensure that there won’t ever be conflict again. We’ll discuss it to the bitter end, so please bear with me.”
Seirai didn’t hide his fed-up expression.
“No, I don’t mind the discussions. What I don’t like is that you’re the only person who I can’t win over, and I must have this serious discussion with you over the interests of our nations. I can’t let my guard down at all, so I have to stay sharp. Honestly, it’s pretty tough.”
The nearby high officials started talking among themselves.
“I can’t believe Seirai-sama is saying this.”
“Seirai-sama has won against hundreds of officials with his wits and yet…!”
Riri didn’t know if Seirai could hear the voices around him, but he ignored them and continued talking.
“I’m afraid for what the future would hold if you and I become the emperors of Shinzui and Koran. I’ll be able to win over as many people as I want if you weren’t the future emperor of Shinzui.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Kousho smiled wryly. The discussions must be proceeding according to what Kousho wanted since Seirai, who is said to be the smartest person in Koran, was suffering so much.
(Kousho-sama is amazing. I can see why Emperor Reibun trusts him with everything. He’s reliable.)
As she gazed at Kousho respectfully, he clasped his hands together in a praying pose.
“Say, Kousho. Can I go have a little fun with Riri to relax?”
“You can’t. We should leave now.”
Seirai dropped his shoulders in depression at the curt reply.
“Riri, let’s go have fun together after the discussions are over…”
Seirai followed after Kousho in a depressing manner.
Both of them didn’t want any more wars, but they both had different opinions on the treaty terms since they were both crown princes of their respective nations.
They were having a hard time putting the treaty together with their different conditions.
(Kousho-sama also brought some officials with him, but we’re in Koran, so they have more people on their side in the discussions. I’m sure Shinzui’s side is having a difficult time, but I feel like everything will work out because of Kousho-sama.)
Riri gently put her hands together and watched as Kousho walked away.
“Please do your best.”
She hoped her prayer would reach him.