Bibliophile princess vol.., p.25
Bibliophile Princess: Volume 6, page 25
But that wasn’t the case. The prince already knew who he was dealing with. Since the Autumn Hunting Festival, he had been keeping a watchful eye on me when I hadn’t made an appearance there.
“I see...”
I felt like all the signs matched, because now the courier had come to the royal palace. I had lost contact with the person in charge. I see. My voice was ringing in the back of my throat. The prince was manipulating information, even what was brought to me!
“Ha ha!” Amused laughter filled my bedroom. That was why I had pegged him as the next king. He was the ruler I had dreamed of for Sauslind—no, he would become the ruler of this entire continent!
I could not suppress my elation at this moment. The factions were in a hurry to protect themselves. The implosion had already begun, but those who wanted to leave should leave. We could sort out those who truly remained.
That courier was part of the prince’s strategy—a courier that took three days to travel from Ralshen to the capital. But what if his arrival had been misrepresented? The courier had probably arrived long ago, yet the prince had held off until she had returned to the royal capital!
The timing was so sophisticated. I see, I thought again. He wanted to frustrate me so I would act foolishly. A voice seeped out even if I tried to suppress it. It said I had underestimated him, but that made me happy.
“All right, Prince. I accept.”
Those I’d sent to Ralshen had probably been captured. The prince might finally feel like he’d caught our tail, but that was fine. This time, I pretended I was in a panic to test him. Then I would capture his weakness. I would be the one who was one step ahead of the prince.
And now I’d found it. I’d sent one of my men after him when he hid himself and slipped out of the palace. And I found it! The prince’s weakness!
Satisfaction overcame me as I thought back on his expression when I’d told him that. The prince’s weakness had held him back until the end. Or should I say, the prince’s sweetness.
“Let’s make a deal, Your Highness.”
I’d watched his cheek twitch as he stared at me, pale in the face, as if to ask, “What kind of deal?” So I’d decided to also make a concession, to soothe myself since I was in such a rush.
“We will tell the public that the young lady has passed away. In exchange, I will return her to you unharmed. Then you two will go somewhere, far away from the capital, and make your own little dreamworld, however you see fit. But...”
I had stifled my laughter and made sure my voice showed no vulnerabilities. This was my chance.
“Your wife will be Pharmia, and only Pharmia. She will be the mother to your heir. And if you don’t agree to that, then I can’t guarantee her safety.”
I inwardly chuckled. Or, if you don’t mind her being hurt, I won’t guarantee her safety, but I will guarantee her life.
The prince had risen from his chair with a clatter, and I’d responded with a cultivated smile, because I was proud to be an aristocrat of Sauslind, and I had been taught to be arrogant and to be one step ahead of others at any time.
“Your Highness, two paths lay in front of you. Either live a modest life with that lady or give up everything.”
As I pressed him to make a choice, I’d seen anger and conflict on his face, and—what I’d wanted to see more than anything—the frustration of enduring defeat.
He’d choked out, “Don’t lay a finger on Eli.”
I stifled the joy that welled up inside of me once again as I thought about our conversation.
“Very well,” I had replied.
I had forced the prince to submit another of his weapons. I would force him to establish Pharmia’s position and future existence.
The prince’s face had been filled with intense indignation that seemed to ask, “How far would you go to steal Elianna’s efforts and achievements?” But the prince had already chosen for her to be unharmed.
I’d told the prince, whose face had been contorted with emotion as he handed something to me to come to the temple the next day so we could pull the curtain on everything in front of the people.
For the first time, I felt affection toward the prince whose face had been dyed with humiliation and frustration, probably because it was his first defeat. Until now, I thought it was abhorrent, but somehow I accepted it, an existence who had the same blood as me. It was the moment when I finally felt my nephew was dear to me.
It was the day of the reveal. The weather was sunny, befitting a day of victory.
When I stepped out of the carriage at the temple, the unpleasant sight before me made me grimace. In front of the temple were people sleeping on the ground, and I had to walk around them!
After glaring at each and every one of the filthy beggars, I followed Pharmia, who was dressed like a saint, and made her clear the way. They must have understood that I was noble from my appearance, presence, and demeanor—from the way I followed Pharmia. The road cleared like a receding tide, and the guards rushed over from near the temple.
“Your Excellency, Duke Odin! What brings you here today?” Their confusion and desire to hold back a senior aristocrat such as myself made me even more uncomfortable. Soldiers would not be enough to stop me.
I glanced at Pharmia and proceeded to the temple. When I stepped inside, I met with an even more unpleasant—no, incomprehensible—sight.
“Are you ready? It’s from the wing holding the mildly ill,” said a man standing nearby.
“Steam disinfection equipment is ready. Patients and attendants will be temporarily moved to this hall,” replied another.
“Okay. Let’s go first in order. Don’t forget to make the patients sterilize themselves with Kenneth’s Herb. Stop the decoction for now.”
“All right!” came an enthusiastic reply as people bustled about.
What is this? I thought, an unpleasant feeling running through me. Wasn’t the inside of the temple a place of death occupied by infected patients? I had been counting on that to help solidify Pharmia’s position as a saint.
“Silence!”
The central room inside the temple was lined with a number of pillars, and my shout came from an area so high above that the depth could not be measured. Those who were hurrying about and the sick who were lying in the corners all looked up.
I changed my tone to bring even more attention to myself.
“What the hell is going on? Who gave permission to reform the inside of this sacred temple?” I asked, demanding an answer. “Is this what happens when Saint Pharmia is gone for even one day?!”
Yesterday, I hadn’t let Pharmia step outside the mansion—not until the deal with the prince was over. I’d done this in fear that someone from the prince’s side might kidnap her and ruin my deal.
“Whoever is responsible for this, step forward, now!”
As if surprised, Pharmia shouted from behind me, “Father!”
I had elevated her position and made her known as the Lady Saint, so why didn’t even the people inside the temple follow her? I let out a disappointed sigh, a shadow now cast over my mood.
Just then, a man who appeared to be a doctor tried to step forward, but the boy who was with him stopped him. He was a small boy with a cloth on his head, and he held a large book, like some kind of log book, close to his chest. For some reason, Pharmia held her breath. I wondered why, but I couldn’t bother with that now.
“Him? Seize him! All those in the Temple of the Hero King are under the protection of the Saint. Anyone who defies her is committing treason!”
The surrounding escorts obeyed me when I told them to kick him out. It was then that the doctors who were with the boy tried to fight back.
Suddenly I heard a metallic sound—an ephemeral, beautiful, pure sound that purified the place and penetrated the human heart. It reverberated through the space. The sound made everyone stop and look to a spot toward the back of the room. A group of people appeared from the side where the Hero King was interred. They were the priests who served the temple.
When I saw them, a feeling of exhilaration came over me. With them was the head priestess of the temple, who never appeared except during the country’s most important festival and other events. Her authority in Sauslind, a country divided by politics, was absolute. She was almost like another king.
The head priestess oversaw the temples of each region. Knowing she had come made me feel even more exhilarated when I saw the person walking beside her. His golden hair and blue eyes shone with authority; his unparalleled presence commanded everyone’s attention. Even with the powerful head priestess beside him, he did not shrink back and showed no hesitation. No one was as unshakable as the crown prince.
Somewhere inside of me, I had a sudden thought. The prince and I had been raised in a similar way. Perhaps we were more like each other than I’d thought, although our ways of thinking and positions differed.
The head priestess! I watched as the people around us welcomed her presence with surprise and commotion. And then... His Highness, Prince Christopher!
The head priestess did not appear except for the birth of the king’s children, the crown prince’s ceremony, coronations, weddings, and deaths. Even I held my breath at the sight of her, but I came back to myself when I heard those around me calling the prince’s name.
This was the first time the crown prince had appeared in a place where the Ashen Nightmare was rampant, to wish for the country’s future. However, his face lacked its usual relaxed elegance and remained stiff and rugged.
I, Duke Odin, a great noble of Sauslind, was the one who had called these two incomparable people to this place at this moment.
“Everyone, listen!” With a quiet and powerful voice, I attracted the attention of the public. They all looked at me solemnly and sincerely. “Today, at this time, it is none other than Head Priestess Eva of the Temple of the Hero King, and His Highness who have come to visit us, to reveal the truth of what has been happening in the heart of the kingdom!”
In front of the noisy crowd, I bowed before the prince and the head priestess to give weight to what I said next.
“I, Grieg Odin, who has been granted the title of duke by his Majesty William Christen Ashelard, Sauslind’s seventeenth king, hereby swear to speak the truth. The king is now lying in a sickbed, ill with the dreaded Ashen Nightmare!”
Sounds resembling screams filled the temple. Reactions flew among the crowd. His Majesty was also ill? I once again told them it was true, and cries of despair rose in an instant.
“That’s not all,” I said with a somber expression. “The hero who saved the country in the last great war, General Theoden Bakula, was killed by an unknown assailant the other day while he was escorting the crown prince’s fiancée. And Lady Elianna Bernstein... Her precious life was taken away as well...”
“No!”
Devastated wails drowned out any other noise. I knew the audience would be heartbroken.
“But the cure! What about the cure?”
I saw many frantic gazes turned toward me. I nodded solemnly, then took a piece of paper from my bosom and held it up. “Before she died, Lady Elianna entrusted the recipe of the cure to Saint Pharmia! She begged her to save the lives of the citizens, and of the king!”
Shouts of jubilation filled the room. Hopeful faces all looked at Saint Pharmia.
The order of events did not matter. By the time the cure had been completed, they had probably already started administering it to His Majesty—before the courier had rushed in even. The fact that the prince had the cure was good proof. The important thing was that Pharmia had administered it to His Majesty with her hands and that his life was saved. I just had to let everyone know that in advance.
I was supremely satisfied that Pharmia’s name would be raised to the highest level. Finally, that eyesore, the Bibliophile Princess, had finally become useful to me, along with the completion of the cure!
I put the final touches on my performance and ceremoniously knelt down on one knee as I reverently offered the cure. I was convinced that not even the prince could defy the power of the head priestess.
“Head Priestess Eva. In the name of Saint Pharmia, I will present this cure to the temple. Please use it to save the people of this kingdom and...”
This was the only time I couldn’t help but look up at the expression of defeat on the prince’s face.
“Prince, please recognize Saint Pharmia, who has conceived your child, as the crown princess!”
The excitement and exhilaration reached its peak. I knew it was a very unusual event, but I couldn’t contain my delight.
“Head Priestess Eva. Your Highness. Please recognize this union!” Even though I was on one knee, my voice rang out strong and clear.
Hearing a small, pained grumble, I, Prince Irvin of Maldura, looked behind me. Rei, dressed as a palace guard, frowned as if he had a headache.
“Are you okay, Rei?” I asked.
He said yes, but neither his tone nor his facial expression were convincing. His clan’s ability was immeasurable to me, but there seemed to be individual differences, and I’d heard long ago that Rei was not very suitable. Their abilities were completely useless when they were far away from their target, but they were very effective up close.
“What does Grand Aunt say?”
“I said to stop calling her that.”
I burst out laughing, which was unsuitably carefree for someone who had invaded another country’s royal palace.
It was Elianna who had told me how to contact the royal library staff through a bookstore in the royal capital. However, even though I’d contacted them, this still wasn’t my country nor my palace. I couldn’t break in right away, so I had waited for about a day and a half before finally entering the royal archive, but it was said to be on the outskirts of the royal palace.
I was thinking about how to get to the location I was aiming for, when the staff who had guided me handed me something.
“Um, it’s a message,” said the young employee named Konrad. He was quite frightened by this whole situation, but he calmed down once he was in his familiar library. The piece of paper he gave me was something I didn’t recognize, though.
“A message? From whom?” I thought it would be from my brother, but it was from a completely different person. The content of the message filled me with irritation. Furthermore, it came with instructions.
If you’re going to move, do it tomorrow. And then meet up with a certain person.
“What does that mean?” I was filled with doubts and confusion, but this was another country’s royal palace. I hesitated, but I waited for another day, got the guard’s clothes, and headed to the designated place.
“Lord Irvin, something is strange.”
I noticed the state of the royal palace and the lack of people in it. I thought it was because of the current situation in the world, but something just didn’t feel right. It was possible we had walked into a trap, but in this situation, that didn’t make sense. Also, I knew Elianna was not the kind of person to do such a thing. I’d come all this way, so I just had to prepare myself accordingly.
I arrived at the corner, and the person I saw took my breath away.
“You are...”
A busy day in Sauslind was about to begin.
~.~.~.~
Well, I, Elianna Bernstein, thought.
In Saoura, Sauslind Kingdom’s royal capital, there stood a large temple related to the royal family. It was where the Hero King lay enshrined. Usually, it was closed as a sacred area that one could only enter after the general pilgrimage was over, but the place was now filled with enthusiasm and joy. The temple had been opened to those suffering from the Ashen Nightmare, and since then, the place had seen a jumble of people coming in and out. Normally, it should have been a quiet place where people showed consideration to those who were ill.
Once inside, I’d first checked on the overall situation, then tried to figure out what was going on with the people still left outside. They weren’t permitted to enter because those inside the temple were infected. If the temple accepted new people, the infection would spread to their families and the other people who had accompanied them. It would also spread to the doctors, nurses, and people who took care of the sick. As the epidemic spread, manpower would become scarce.
I understood that it was necessary to stop any more people from entering, but then what should we do? In search of countermeasures, I had shared the various knowledge I’d discovered in my journeys with the doctors inside the temple, as well as the follow-up observations of those who were afflicted with the disease and other various experiences. The doctors were from a hospital for the poor in the royal capital. I’d entrusted them with my wishes, and they had promised they would be fulfilled.
And then things began to move, which brought us to today.
I was overwhelmed by the spectacle that unfolded, and a doubt came to my mind. As I blinked my eyes, wondering how I should react, cheers rose from the crowd, directed at Lady Pharmia, who stood frozen on the spot.
I couldn’t help but feel upset. I wished I could turn around and run away, but let me reiterate: I would not let His Highness stand alone. As I watched, Prince Christopher took a step forward and raised a hand to silence the crowd. He stood before Duke Odin. Everyone was waiting in anticipation, and there was a calmness as if they were preparing for the next round of cheers. Then his words echoed through the room.
“Only one woman will be my wife, and that is...Lady Elianna Bernstein!”
The duke’s expression instantly changed, and confusion ran through the room. “Your Highness!” he uttered in a deep voice.
Prince Christopher’s cold blue eyes fell upon him. “Duke Odin. Earlier, you swore on your name and title to speak the truth. Now then, let’s hear it. Four days ago, the news of Elianna’s survival and the completion of the cure came. According to your story, Elianna was targeted again sometime in the last four days and lost her life. How did you come about that information?”
People seemed even more confused, and the duke let out a small, soft sigh. He kept his stately demeanor about him and showed no emotion, like a true aristocrat. “Your Highness. Word of your relationship with Lady Elianna has spread among us nobles and the people alike. I understand your unwillingness to believe it, but it’s the truth. And if you still don’t believe it, then I will show you her remains.” He sounded and looked very sad, as if he were taking pity on the prince.
