Riri’s eyes widened when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was carefully done up and adorned with a dazzling silver, peony hairpin and a golden crown.
The blue bridal hanfu of the royal family of Koran was a luxurious piece, embroidered in gold with peahens.
Her face was covered with makeup with a hint of red around her eyes.
She looked as if she was a different person in the mirror.
“You look beautiful.”
The maid, who had helped her do her makeup and dress her up, gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Riri saw that, in contrast to her words, the maid looked at her with pity. The maid continued with the same expression on her face.
“His Majesty has asked me to explain to you how wedding ceremonies work in Koran. The ceremony will begin at noon today. It is custom to perform the following rites in order: the formal proposal, giving the name and birth date prospective bride to the groom’s side, placement of the name and birth date at the ancestral altar to confirm compatibility, sending of betrothal gifts, selecting an auspicious wedding date and the wedding ceremony. But those rites will not be performed this time.”
The wedding ceremony in Koran wasn’t that much different from Shinzui’s. Riri was startled when she heard that they wouldn’t be performed. The maid saw the look on her face and spoke.
“His Majesty said that it would not be good to take too long. So, only the traditional ceremony, which is only performed by the royal members of Koran, where the groom and bride drink water that the Emperor has scooped out from the Snowflake Spring, to seal their pledge will be conducted. You will be escorted to the Snowflake Spring in a flower carriage for your unveiling.”
It would take many days to perform all the rites.
Aren couldn’t wait that long in his state of mind.
Her heart beat loudly. Would she marry Seirai if her plan fails?
She never thought about marriage before. She didn’t have time to be distracted by other things since she was heading straight towards her goal of entering the inner palace and making the treasured incense.
Most importantly, she didn’t know what love was.
She couldn’t believe that she was in a foreign nation dressed as a bride.
“Are you ready, Riri?”
She looked beyond the door and saw that Seirai was about to enter the room.
He was wearing a blue wedding hanfu with a matching pattern and a golden crown on his head.
The groom’s luxurious hanfu suited his handsome face.
Despite her circumstances, she was fascinated by his handsome appearance.
But she strained her face straight away when she noticed four strong guards standing behind Seirai. They were probably there to make sure that they wouldn’t run away.
“I am, Seirai-sama.”
She slowly stood up and walked towards him.
She had told Seirai the plan through Kousho.
Kousho visited her prison again with the promised items and told her that Seirai will be helping them after he had left the first time. Apparently, Seirai had told him, “I’m worried about His Majesty because he’s my father, so I would like him to stop this wedding.”
Riri followed Seirai out of the room and told herself that this was a once in a lifetime gamble.
It would be the people of Shinzui and Koran who would suffer if she failed.
She walked down the corridor with Seirai with determination in her mind.
In Shinzui, the groom comes to pick up the bride in a carriage or palanquin decorated with flowers on their wedding day. Koran had the same custom. Riri and Seirai were seated in a palanquin decorated with colourful flowers.
The palanquin was carried by six strong men, and they paraded slowly through the palace.
“Congratulations, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
“Congratulations!”
The people of the palace gathered near the flower palanquin, kneeled down and expressed their congratulations since it was an auspicious occasion, but their expression looked somewhat clouded and puzzled.
(Of course, they are puzzled. They just heard that the Crown Prince is getting married.)
Riri looked around the palanquin. Everyone must have believed that this wedding was strange, but no one raised their voice to question the ceremony, nor did anyone oppose the wedding. Everyone was frightened of what would happen if they were to disobey Aren.
She suddenly noticed something when she looked in the direction that the palanquin was going in.
(It seems like they’re avoiding the palace that Kousho-sama is staying in.)
Aren must have believed that it would be a disaster if Kousho found out about this before the ceremony took place and caused a commotion.
“Riri, are you sure your plan is going to work?”
Seirai, who was sitting next to her, whispered. The men who were carrying the palanquin were probably also guards. Seirai smiled as he waved to the court ministers and spoke to Riri in a way that wouldn’t alert the guards of the conversation.
“I don’t know, but I didn’t want to run away without trying.”
With that in mind, she knew she had no choice but to carry out her plan.
She was anxious. She really wanted to run away with Kousho when he came to rescue her.
But she knew that she would regret it for the rest of her life if she had.
“I’m going to do what I can, but if I fail…”
She felt suffocated by that thought. The future of Shinzui and Koran rested on her shoulders.
The thought of many people suffering from war in the future sent chills down her spine.
“Riri, don’t think about what will happen if you fail whenever you are going to do something.”
Seirai’s voice suddenly sounded sincere.
She quickly looked at him and saw that he had an unusually serious expression on his face.
“If possible, I didn’t want you to be in any danger. But when I heard about what you were going to do from Kousho, I was surprised and impressed at the same time since it was an idea that I wouldn’t have been able to come up with. I don’t know if it will work, but just think about succeeding. If something does go wrong…”
Seirai suddenly laughed.
“Kousho, Garan and I will do our best to save you. So, don’t worry and just look forward and carry out your plan.”
“Thank you very much.”
She whispered. Kousho nodded, then stared in front of him.
The Snowflake Palace where the Snowflake Spring was located was right in front of them.
The Snowflake Palace wasn’t very big. It had a solemn aura and wasn’t decorated extravagantly.
Riri got off the flower palanquin and stood in the garden of the Snowflake Palace. The garden was huge with several large tangerine trees planted in it. Surrounded by these trees, there was a spring with fresh water gushing out.
“It was the scent of tangerines.”
The citrus scent from the Snowflake Spring helped her realise that she was in the palace when she was kidnapped and imprisoned. There were tangerines planted near the spring, so the scent must have affected the water as well.
Seirai looked around while standing next to her.
“My late mother loved tangerines. The tangerine trees began to produce sweet tangerines when she planted them near the spring, and it made her happy. So, my father planted several trees, and now there’s many of them.”
Seirai told her quietly. She believed that Seirai’s mother was loved by Aren when she heard this. She had heard that the Snowflake Spring was very important to Koran.
It was a national treasure since the royal bride and groom drank from its water as part of their wedding vows. He had planted tangerines, which Seirai’s mother had loved, near the spring.
(Princess Keika also told me that His Majesty became strange after her mother passed away and he began suffering from his illness.)
With the pain of losing a loved one and a body being destroyed by illness, Aren couldn’t keep his painful feelings inside anymore.
“Oh, you’re here, Riri.”
Aren, who had been sitting on a chair near the spring, stood up.
He had a big smile on his face.
The aides standing next to him were looking at him in fear.
“The bridal hanfu suits you well. You can always make the heart soothing incense for me if you marry Seirai. I feel at ease.”
Did he say that in spite of knowing that his people would become victims of war in exchange for this heart soothing incense? Her sadness overshadowed her anger when she thought that.
She understood that those who were suffering from illness depended on medicine and incenses to cure and relieve them of their pain. She saw many people like that when she worked in the downtown clinic.
Emperors aren’t any different from the people in the face of illness.
But unlike the citizens, the Emperor had authority and clout.
The Emperor’s judgement has been clouded by his illness, and the only way to restore him to normalcy is…
She believed that she had no choice but to carry out her plan when she thought that.
“Your Majesty. May I burn an auspicious incense that is burnt during celebrations?”
She asked quietly and Aren looked at her suspiciously.
“An auspicious incense that is burnt during celebrations, you say? Aren’t you thinking of burning a sleeping incense, so that you can run away?”
“I’ve had a chance to run away, but I didn’t. It isn’t a sleeping incense. I don’t mind if you let someone else try it first.”
She took some pastille from the small cloth bag that she was carrying. Aren indicated his chin at the soldier who was standing next to him.
“Try it.”
The soldier nodded and rushed over. She took out a small incense burner that she had prepared and quickly lit the pastille.
“It smells nice. I don’t feel any abnormalities in my body.”
Seirai sighed softly.
“Your Majesty. Incenses are very important to Riri. May I ask that you at least grant her wish to burn the incense that she has made for celebrations at this important ceremony?”
Aren still looked suspicious, but he finally nodded, perhaps because the soldier who had smelled the pastille had been unaffected or perhaps because of Seirai’s words.
“Alright.”
“Thank you very much. Then, I will place this incense burner over here.”
There was a stairway to enter the palace nearby. She placed the incense burner at the top of the staircase and returned to Seirai.
“Then, come here, Riri and Seirai.”
Aren prompted and they stood in front of him.
There was a spring gushing with fresh water behind Aren.
A waterway had been built into the spring and it carried water out of the palace.
This water created the pond that had boats on it and would flow through the waterway and into the town where the citizens lived.
She suddenly wondered if the clear water that had saved the citizens of Koran from famine would also be able to cleanse the heart of Aren, who was trapped in the darkness that was known as illness.
“… Please, Your Majesty. Please don’t do this.”
She walked right in front of Aren and uttered her final wish.
“Shinzui and Koran will go to war if this continues. If that happens, the citizens of both nations will suffer. Please. I can pretend that nothing has happened and return to Shinzui if you cancel this wedding. I will send you the heart soothing incense on a regular basis.”
She wanted him to come to his senses, so she desperately pleaded with him. He smiled kindly.
For a second, she had hoped that he was having second thoughts.
“How long are you going to keep talking nonsense for?”
But his tone was cold.
“What is important is to protect you in this kingdom since you can make the heart soothing incense. Everything else is trivial. I don’t care who suffers from war.”
Riri wasn’t the only one shocked by his words. Seirai was clenching his trembling fists.
“Your Majesty… Why won’t you listen to Riri’s words?”
Aren glared at Seirai, then snickered.
“Keep your mouth shut. Have you forgotten what I have in my hands?”
Seirai had to fall silent when Aren implied that he was referring to Keika. He looked down.
Aren held out his hands.
“Come, Riri. We’re going to start the wedding ceremony. You and Seirai will be a married couple once it is over.”
Aren’s joyful voice echoed in the gloomy sky.
The wedding ceremony began with Aren offering a prayer to the Snowflake Spring.
Riri kneeled behind Aren and stared at his back.
The spring was larger than she had thought.
The hold which was surrounded by a wooden frame was as large as the palace behind it and fresh water was gushing out from within. The water flowed into the waterway that had been dug underground.
How much time has passed? Aren’s prayer, which was as loud as the sound from the water, was long and seemed to go on forever.
She had been observing him for a long time, but he hadn’t changed at all.
Cold sweat suddenly travelled down her back.
(This is weird. There should have been a change in His Majesty by now according to my plan… Was it a bad idea after all?)
She bit her lips in frustration and impatience. The sweet aroma of the incense that she had burnt was gloating in the air.
She hoped that this fragrance would bring a certain change in Aren.
Aren suddenly stopped praying just as she was worried about whether her plan had failed. She quickly looked ahead and saw that Aren had stood up and was about to turn towards her.
She saw that he looked satisfied and guessed that his prayer was over.
“Riri and Seirai. Stand up. Drink this water from the Snowflake Spring with this silver chalice, which has been passed down the Koran royal family for generations. You two will be married after you do this.”
(This is bad. My plan has failed. I’ll be married to Seirai at this rate…!)
She widened her eyes and Aren’s aides respectfully presented him with a paulownia box.
Aren took the box and carefully opened the lid.
There was a small silver sake cup inside of the box.
“Seirai, you go first.”
Seirai glared at Aren as he was presented the cup.
Aren stomped his foot in annoyance at Seirai who remained still.
“Hurry up and drink! Do you not care about what will happen to Keika?”
The aides around Aren were startled by his words, but no one raised their voice.
Seirai clenched his fist, then finally reached for the sake cup.
Aren snorted, received a silver pitcher from his aide and bent down to fill the pitcher himself. He then poured the water from the pitcher into the sake cup that Seirai was holding.
“Now, drink!”
His tone was fierce, but Seirai’s expression didn’t change at all. Seirai drank from the sake cup without saying a word.
He then thrusted the cup back at Aren and spoke with a poker face.
“Are you satisfied?”
Seirai had never been emotionless since the first time she and him had met and she rarely smelled the scent of sweat that came out when one was angry from him
Now, however, she could smell that he was holding back his anger.
Seirai’s expression and demeanor indicated that he was angry, but Aren didn’t seem bothered by this at all.
“Ah. This is the first time you’ve been useful to me. I never wanted to see your face before, but I think I can bear it now.”
Seirai widened his eyes.
His lips trembled, and Riri, who was standing next to him, could fully understand how shocked he was by those words.
(No! I’m sure Seirai-sama is misunderstanding his words…!)
She believed that something was hidden behind Aren’s words just now.
It may be none of her business, but if what she was thinking was correct then she wanted to tell Seirai.
If she didn’t tell him then Seirai would remain hurt and hate Aren.
“… Seirai-sama looks just like her. That’s why you don’t want to see his face.”
It took a lot of courage for her to say those words. She might have been wrong, but she didn’t think that Aren was that horrible.
Aren stared at her.
“What are you saying?”
She was frightened by the sharpness in his eyes, but she gathered her courage.
“You know it yourself, Your Majesty.”
She stared straight at him. He quickly looked away and took the sake cup from Seirai.
“Don’t talk nonsense. You drink too!”
She took the sake cup that was pushed into her hands, and Aren filled it with water from the Snowflake Spring.
(Oh no. If I drink this, then it will mean that we have really gotten married. Can I… Huh?)
She panicked, but then suddenly noticed that Aren was acting differently than before. He had sweat on his forehead and his eyes were restless. He was clearly confused.
(Is it starting to work now…?!)
She believed she had seen a faint glimmer of hope. If she could buy a little more time, then the incense might have a desirable effect on him, but Aren took a deep breath and pointed a finger at her.
“Hurry up and drink! I will send my troops to Shinzui right now and declare war if you don’t drink!”
Aren stepped closer to her with bloodshot eyes.
“Hurry up and drink!”
He grabbed her arm and forced the cup to her mouth.
“Stop!”
She shook Aren’s hand away and the sake cup fell onto the pavement with a clatter.
As if that was a signal, several men entered the garden.
“That’s enough! Give Riri back!”
At the centre of the men were Kousho and Garan. The tension she had felt snapped away like a string when she saw them.
“Kousho-sama!”
“Riri, I watched from the sidelines because you asked me to, but I can’t take it anymore. I swore to protect you before we came to Koran. I will bring you back with me even if it causes war!”
His words were bold. The soldiers who Kousho brought with him from Shinzui and the soldiers from Koran glared at each other.
“Get Riri out of here!”
Kousho’s words signalled the beginning of the battle.
Riri watched in horror as the men fought each other.
She came up with a plan because she wanted to avoid fighting. The effects of the incense were just beginning to show, albeit belatedly, but time wasn’t waiting.
A cloud of dust was rising and the sound of metal clanging together as the swords clashed was echoing everywhere.
She was unable to move in the midst of all this, but she managed to rouse herself.
“Kousho-sama!”
She had to tell him that her plan might be working.
But a soldier from Koran blocked her way and she held her scream inside her mouth.
“I can’t let you go… Uoah.”
The soldiers suddenly groaned and collapsed. Behind the soldier was Seirai.
Seirai had struck the soldier in the back of the head, knocking him out.
“Riri, go to Kousho and leave the palace. I will take care of His Majesty. He may be like that, but he is my only father. I can’t just abandon him.”
Seirai looked like he was in distress. He shouldn’t have attacked a Koran soldier since he is the Crown Prince of Koran. She was grateful that he was willing to go to such lengths to help her.
“Seirai-sama, my plan might be working. Please take me to His Majesty.”
She was glad that he had helped her, but she still had things to settle here.
If she were to escape now, then a war between Shinzui and Koran would be inevitable.
Besides, she wanted to prevent Seirai from hating Aren because of a misunderstanding.
“But no one’s words will reach my father anymore.”
“No, that’s not true.”
She took Seirai’s arm and then nodded slowly.
“His Majesty has only lost himself because of his illness and a certain deep sadness. I became certain of this after I heard his words just now.”
“What do you mean just now…?”
“His Majesty said he didn’t want to see your face, but he has his reason for that. It’s completely different from what you’re thinking. His Majesty was upset when I spoke to him to find out his true feelings. That is proof.”
She spoke to him with a serious glint in her eyes and Seirai widened his eyes slightly before smiling wryly.
“You still won’t give up even after all this, will you? Alright. I’ll bet on your indomitable determination.”
Seirai led her by the hand, and they weaved their way through the battle, then she heard a voice from her right.
“Riri!”
She turned her head and saw Kousho crossing swords with a soldier from Koran.
Kousho forced his sword forward causing the soldier to fall. He then took advantage of this opportunity and rushed towards them.
“Where are you going!?”
“Please give me a little more time. I have seen a change in His Majesty.”
She didn’t have to tell Kousho everything, he seemed to have understood.
“I see… But I will only give you a little bit of time. Check on His Majesty, and if that doesn’t work, then get out of there. Is that clear?”
Riri nodded. Kousho turned to face Seirai and their eyes met.
He stood in front of them as if this had all been planned and guided them.
She looked around as she ran. The battle see-sawed between being advantageous and disadvantageous for both sides.
The soldiers that had been brought from Shinzui were elites, but they were outnumbered by the soldiers from Koran.
They couldn’t let their guards down.
Aren was sitting on the stairs at the entrance of the palace. Two soldiers were standing next to him to protect him. When they finally reached Aren, who was holding his head and looking down, Seirai rushed to the soldiers.
“Step down, we have something to say to His Majesty.”
“We cannot step down even if it is you who orders it, Seirai-sama.”
The soldiers put their hands on the swords at their waists. As the situation was getting more dangerous, Riri looked at Aren and stepped forward.
“How are you feeling, Your Majesty?”
She wasn’t standing close to him, but he should still hear her voice.
She wanted to know how he was feeling. If the incense caused the desired effect, then he must be…
Aren finally looked up. His expression was different from before.
“… I smell something familiar.”
His voice was calm and completely different from the angry voice he had uttered a while ago.
She looked at his face, then heard his voice, and clenched her fist in victory in her mind.
“Kousho-sama. The plan is working right on schedule.”
She had asked Kousho to bring a certain person to Aren if the plan went well.
Kousho looked at Garan, who was dealing with two Koran soldiers at the entrance of the garden.
“Garan, bring her here!”
“Understood!”
Garan nodded, then struck down both soldiers with his large spear.
Riri watched as this happened, then she took a small incense burner that she had hidden in her pocket.
She put the same incense that she had burnt earlier and quickly lit it.
“What are you doing?!”
The soldiers noticed what she was doing and shouted threateningly, but Seirai stopped the soldiers with his hand.
“Be quiet. We won’t lay a finger on His Majesty. We only want him to return to his old self. We will go to war with Shinzui if things continue the way they are. I’m sure you would also like to avoid that as well.”
The soldiers stopped moving and their eyes widened in surprise. Seirai spoke to them calmly.
“I will say it again. We will not lay a finger on His Majesty, and we will not harm him. I promise you that. So please, be silent for a moment and watch… for the future of this nation.”
The soldiers looked at each other, then they nodded and let go of their swords.
The persuasion had worked.
Smoke slowly rose from the incense burner in her hand, and the same sweet aroma that had drifted around the spring filled the air.
She presented this incense burner to Aren. He stared at the incense burner and his lips began to tremble.
“This fragrance is… this is Shiyurai’s fragrance.”
Aren muttered a woman’s name. The first to react to this name was Seirai.
“Mother…”
She stood next to Seirai and spoke to Aren.
“Your Majesty. Is Shiyurai-sama Seirai-sama’s mother?”
She was a dancer who had travelled all over the world. Aren fell in love at first sight with her when she danced for him and so she entered the inner palace. Then, Seirai and Keika were born.
“This fragrance is a recreation of the pastille that Princess Keika cherished as a memento of her mother. It has a unique sweet aroma because it is mixed with palm oil.
She had called this pastille ‘palm incense’.
She guessed that Aren sincerely loved Seirai and Keika’s mother.
Otherwise, he would not have planted so many tangerine trees near the source of the Snowflake Spring, which the royal family has honoured for many generations, just because she loved them. She was certain that he had planted those trees so that he could see the woman he loved eat them and ask for more.
She believed that the Snowflake Spring was a place that was filled with memories of Aren and Shiyurai.
The words that Aren had said to Kousho earlier confirmed that he still loves Shiyurai.
“Seirai-sama and Princess Keika look exactly like Shiyurai-sama, don’t they? … That is why you do not want to see them. You remember her whenever you look at them and it hurts. You wanted to marry Princess Keika to a faraway noble because it is hard for you to have her close by and see her all the time.”
She had heard from Keika that Aren became self-righteous after Shiyurai had passed away and he began suffering from his illness. At first, she thought that his illness made him lose control, but the more she listened to what Keika had told her, the more she began to change her mind.
“Your illness causes you pain, but the loss of Shiyurai-sama must have been more painful.”
She had heard that he was an oppressive, but fair Emperor. The sorrow caused by the loss of his beloved combined with his illness may have made him self-righteous, but he wasn’t a bad person at all. Otherwise, neither Seirai nor his subjects would have thought of following him no matter what he did to them.
The people in the palace always looked at Aren fearfully.
But in their fearful gaze, she noticed a slight hint of respect mixed in.
“This incense has the effect of evoking memories. I wanted you to smell this incense and remember how you felt when Shiyurai-sama was alive. What would she say if she were to see how you are now, Your Majesty?”
From what she had heard from Keika, Shiyurai’s opinion was the only one he listened to even though he did so reluctantly.
Her plan was to bring back his old memories by getting him to smell this fragrance. Of course, she knew that the possibility of success was low. If Aren had been so distraught that he had even forgotten the scent of his beloved, then there was nothing she could do.
But she wanted to take a chance on the lowest possibility.
She nervously looked at Aren. He had covered his face and was looking down. He remained silent.
“Your Majesty… Father!”
Then, she heard a voice from behind her. When she turned around, she saw that Garan was bringing Keika this way.
She had asked them to rescue Keika and bring her here.
Keika ran up to them while crying.
“Please… please stop. If you continue like this, then you will end up fighting with Shinzui. That must not happen!”
Her tone was strong. Garan had told her to imitate her mother’s tone of voice. Keika’s face and even her voice sounded like Shiyurai’s.
Seirai’s, whose facial features are similar to Keika’s, also reminded Aren of Shiyurai.
That was probably why Aren was trying to keep them apart.
Aren might listen to her if she persuaded him by burning the fragrance that Shiyurai always wore at a place where he had memories with her and with Seirai and Keika around. She was pinning her hopes on such a faint possibility.
Seirai spoke as if he was chiding Aren.
“I do not want to get married while ignoring Riri’s feelings. Please order the soldiers to retreat. We might be able to prevent the worst from happening.”
Riri hoped that their words would reach Aren and all she could do was pray that they would.
She clasped her hands and closed her eyes, then there was a moment of silence.
Aren finally looked up. His expression was somewhat clear.
“… She also used to say that she didn’t like fighting.”
His voice sounded nostalgic. He looked at Keika and Seirai with a calm expression.
It was the first time that he had looked at them with a fatherly expression. Kousho put a hand on his chest and took a step forward.
“Your Majesty. Please withdraw your troops. Fortunately, no one has died yet. If you withdraw them now, then we can pretend that nothing has happened.”
His quiet voice echoed through the noise of the battle.
“I will have Riri make the heart soothing incense once every six month and deliver it to this kingdom. I will do everything in my power to protect her. I swear on my name. Please believe me.”
Aren looked down and pondered.
“Shiyurai will scold me if this happens…”
Aren looked up again and was smiling bitterly.
That was his answer. Kousho also noticed this and quickly spoke.
“I heard that a banquet is being prepared at the Snow Flower Palace. Let us partake in the banquet to celebrate this instead of the wedding…”
Aren nodded at those words.
“This banquet is to celebrate the signing of the treaty in advance. Everyone, put down your swords! Practice is over!”
The soldiers stopped moving. Everyone was staring at them.
“Are you sure, Your Majesty?”
One of his aides raised their voice in astonishment.
“Yeah, I’m sure… I’m sorry. Tend to the wounded.”
“““As you wish.”””
No one disagreed with Aren’s decision.
Everyone looked happy and soon the injured were carried away regardless of whether they were from Shinzui or Koran.
The battle ended in no time at all. Aren looked at Kousho again.
“My head which has been strangely hazy for a long time became miraculously clear when I smelled that fragrance. What Keika and Seirai were saying were also processing through my mind easily. We would be at war with Shinzui if I continued with my plan. That was the one thing I wanted to avoid as an Emperor.”
Riri was deeply moved that he had finally made the right decision. The dignified expression on his face was similar to that of Seirai’s Aren stood up and faced Kousho.
“Kousho-dono. I apologise for what I did.”
The proud Emperor bowed his head. Kousho smiled slightly and said,
“You do not need to apologise. Today is a joyous occasion where we will celebrate the signing of the treaty. The current skirmish was just sword practice. I am sure everyone is hungry from practice, so we would like to get started with the banquet straight away.”
Kousho’s hair was dishevelled from the fierce battle. There was blood on his cheeks, but he acted as if nothing had happened.
He looked very mature. Aren smiled.
“Thanks.”
The sky which had been gloomy earlier had cleared up.
The sun was sunning down upon them, and it seemed the Koran was starting to walk on the right path.
“Now then, I hereby conclude the treaty for the mining concessions. Crown Prince Kousho from Shinzui and Your Majesty Aren from Koran, do you have any objections?”
Riri watched in excitement as the Chancellor of Koran read out the documents.
Women were normally not allowed to enter the discussion room, but Aren gave her special permission to enter. Many ministers were sitting and watching the proceedings in the room.
Kousho threw out his chest as he stood there gallantly in formal attire.
“I have no objections.”
Aren, who was standing opposite him, nodded his head.
“I have no objections either.”
The treaty stated that Shinzui would have full rights to the mining concessions.
Kousho wanted to give Koran some of the mining benefits like before, but Aren said that he had had enough and renounced everything as if he had become possessed.
Aren said that this was his apology.
“Then, I will conclude the treaty. I hope that Shinzui and Koran will have eternal peace.”
The Chancellor slowly bowed his head. All the ministers in the room clapped in unison.
Everyone looked happy. They were pleased that Aren was no longer acting self-righteous. As if to prove this, the tension scent that Riri had smelled when she had first arrived at the palace had diminished considerably.
It had been several days since the wedding ceremony at the Snow Flower Spring.
Aren was regaining his composure day by day.
The palm fragrance was drifting in this room. It wasn’t difficult to make, so Riri had taught Keika how to make it.
She was certain that this fragrance would lead Aren in the right direction.
The discussion ended without incident and Kousho moved towards Aren.
“Your Majesty. I will return to Shinzui tomorrow. I want to report this matter to my father as soon as possible. I am also worried about Shinzui since I have been away for almost a month.”
“You’re already going back? It will be lonely around here. Come visit again.”
Aren looked at Riri.
“Riri, you may not like it here, but I hope you will visit again too. I was reminded once again that incenses are remarkable. I won’t force you into anything anymore, but truthfully, I still want you to stay in Koran. But I don’t want you to stay for my benefit. I want you to teach the people of this nation how to make incenses for the sake of my people.”
She no longer felt overwhelming pressure from Aren.
She was happy to hear his words since he remembered to think of his people.
“I am honoured by your invitation, but I am but a talented person belonging to Kousho-sama. I still have things to do in Shinzui, so I cannot stay in Koran.”
Although she wanted to spread the art of incense making in Koran, she needed to fulfil her goal of creating the treasured incense first. Aren smiled wryly when she spoke honestly.
“I see. That’s too bad. Now then, Seirai.”
Seirai blinked when his name was suddenly called.
“Go to Shinzui again and learn more about incenses from Riri, so that you can establish a Ministry of Incenses here in Koran as well. Learn everything you can about incenses. I’m counting on you.”
Seirai widened his eyes in surprise, but immediately nodded.
“As you wish.”
Seirai looked happy.
Aren asked him to do something because he trusted Seirai that much.
Seirai had been treated badly until now so this may be a joyous thing to him.
Seirai always smelled as if he was in front of something he disliked whenever he talked with Aren.
But he didn’t have that scent now. Riri believed that this was thanks to the palm oil that his mother, Shiyurai, had made that the parent and children were able to understand each other after they had cleared up their misunderstandings.
Aren suddenly smiled mischievously.
“You said you didn’t want to get married to Riri while ignoring her feelings, but what if she wanted to marry you?”
Aren’s words were startling, but Seirai wasn’t the least bit perturbed.
“If Riri wants to marry me, then I’d like to marry her. Of course.”
“Then go to Shinzui and convince her to marry you. All you have going for you is your face and your intelligence, so use your head to learn about incenses and your face to win Riri over.”
“Your Majesty!”
Kousho protested when Aren smiled broadly.
But Aren ignored him and held out his hands.
“The palace will throw a grand farewell party for Kousho-dono and Riri. Prepare plenty of sake and food.”
He was a forceful man even after he had regained his composure.
But he wasn’t hateful.
Garan’s feelings were dark even though he would finally return to Shinzui tomorrow. Riri was kidnapped right in front of him. He was glad that they were able to get her back safely, but he was annoyed at his failure.
He regretted that he had put Riri in danger.
“When we return to Shinzui, I will give up…”
He didn’t finish his sentence. Kousho still treated him the same as before.
Garan could tell that Kousho was remaining silent to let bygones be bygones.
Kousho was often misunderstood, but once he decided to protect someone, he would do whatever it took to keep them safe. When Garan was imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit a long time ago, Kousho had caught the real culprit for him.
Garan would have been executed had Kousho not done so.
Kousho had saved his life, and Garan fell in love with Riri, his candidate for Empress.
He knew that Kousho had a special interest in Riri.
He was aware that this was an act of betrayal towards the person who had saved him.
That was why he had been desperately trying to give up these feelings and had tried his best to hide his feelings from both Riri and Kousho. And yet, he had hugged her when they went to look for the fragrance wood.
He couldn’t hide his love for her.
Since then, he has been trying not to be alone with her. He has been pretending not to notice when Riri looked as if she wanted to say something to him or looked in his direction. He was weak and didn’t want the truth to be known, so he pretended not to notice.
He was looked up upon as the unbeatable General in Shinzui, but his true self was so weak. He didn’t believe that he could continue to manage the army that defended Shinzui like this.
He left the banquet early to check the horses in preparation for their journey because he wanted to be alone to think things over slowly.
“What should I say to Riri about hugging her…?”
He couldn’t believe that he had acted so foolishly.
He had seen many of his subordinates obsess over women.
He had been curious about why they were so worried over love, but he realised that he just hadn’t known true love yet after falling in love with Riri.
He stopped to think when he arrived at the stables and suddenly heard a voice from behind him.
“Garan-sama…”
He turned around and saw Keika standing there blushing.
“What’s wrong? Isn’t the banquet still on?”
He could still hear the melody of the erhu flute that livened up the banquet. Keika looked down slightly.
“I slipped out. I heard that you went over here to check on the horses.”
“Do you need me for something?”
Garan tilted his head in confusion, wondering what she wanted with him. He had only spoken to Keika alone a few times.
Her face resembled Seirai’s greatly, and she still looked young, but he knew that she would be an immensely beautiful woman in a few years’ time. Keika finally raised her face and said in a desperate voice, “Hmm… I wanted you to have this.”
Keika held out a small incense container with both hands.
“What is this?”
“It’s the pastille that my mother used to make. It’s my favourite incense. Riri taught me how to make it. I wanted to give it to you, Garan-sama…”
Keika’s face was bright red, and she was fidgeting. She had told him that she wanted him to have her handmade incense. He wasn’t so stupid that he didn’t know what that meant.
Keika inhaled deeply as if to resolve herself.
“Hmm, I adore you…”
“Please wait.”
He raised his voice on reflex. Confessing probably took as much courage as jumping off a high cliff, but he didn’t think he had the right to listen to her confession until the end.
“I can’t accept this incense nor your feelings.”
He hesitated about how to tell her for a moment. He knew that he might make her cry, but he didn’t have the skills to converse with a woman at a time like this, so he put his honest feelings into words.
“Why…?”
Keika widened her eyes in surprise, and she looked as if she was going to cry.
“I have someone I like, so I can’t accept them.”
He was irritated because he couldn’t put it in a better way.
“I’m sorry.”
Garan looked at Keika and saw that she was looking down. He was startled since he thought tears would well up in her big eyes.
He believed that women should be protected.
His father, who was the General before him, told him not to be a man who made women cry.
“Princess Keika…”
When he called her name, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened her eyes again.
“It’s alright. I won’t cry!”
Her voice was unusually clear. He realised that she was trying to be cheerful but didn’t bring it up.
“I feel better now that you’ve made it clear.”
Keika lowered the hand that was holding her incense container. She seemed upset but she looked firm.
“I just wanted to tell you how I felt before I won’t be able to see you anymore… Garan-sama. I just want to ask you one thing. What kind of person is the person you like?”
She looked straight at him, and he couldn’t lie.
She is a very strong woman. She never forgets to look forward no matter what the situation. She has the courage to move towards her goal… He was thinking about giving up on her, but he was falling more and more in love with him.
He also regretted revealing his true feelings and wondered why he had said what he had, but strangely, his mind was clear. Perhaps he wanted someone to listen to him.
Keika smiled gently.
“She’s a wonderful woman. I hope your love goes well, Garan-sama. I want the person I love to be happy.”
He once again believed that Keika is a strong woman after he heard this.
She had to have a strong heart to be able to support him after hearing all this.
He might have been attracted to her strength if he had met her before he had met Riri.
“Thanks.”
He smiled and Keika bid him goodbye before turning her back towards him. She might cry in a place where no one can see her.
I’m not good enough to comfort her, Garan thought.