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Chapter 34
“Are you tired?”
“I’m fine.”
Rihardt sat down beside Alina and stared intently at the ledger she was writing in. After examining the neat handwriting filling the pages, he spoke.
“There’s something I’ve been curious about for a long time.”
“Hm?”
“When did you learn Maleharkian? When you defected from Xenotat?”
“…Huh?”
At the unexpected question, Alina’s pupils trembled slightly.
Rihardt lifted his gaze from the ledger to look at her.
“Alina, you were already fluent in Maleharkian from the very first time we met, weren’t you?”
“Was I? It’s been so long I barely remember.”
Feeling cold sweat trickling down her back, Alina forced an awkward smile.
Rihardt stared straight through her for a moment before looking back down at the ledger.
“Speaking is one thing, but writing well is much harder. And yet you even write like a native.”
“Well of course. How many years do you think I’ve lived here?”
Sensing his gaze, Alina quickly closed the ledger.
In her third life, she had worked hard to learn the Maleharkian language so she could adapt to the country. When she awakened in her fourth life, fortunately her language ability had remained.
If even that had been gone, this life would have been a thorny path again.
Before she even had time to learn how to keep a low profile, she probably would have been dragged off as a suspicious person.
Or, like last time, she might have been taken away by Rihardt and killed.
Thinking that far made her suddenly feel uncomfortable having Rihardt beside her.
Alina stood up and brushed him off.
“The market’s over, so hurry back.”
“Wait.”
Startled by Alina’s sudden shift in attitude, Rihardt quickly grabbed her.
“Did I say something wrong? I meant it as a compliment. Did I upset you?”
“No. I’m just a little tired. I want to rest.”
“You said earlier you were fine.”
Reluctant to leave, Rihardt lingered as though he didn’t want to lift his feet. But Alina opened the door with a stern expression.
“You’re the Knight Commander. You should go back and do your duties.”
“I could stay a bit longer. I still have about an hour to spare.”
“And if you end up staying too late again? What if it rains again?”
At Alina’s stubbornness, Rihardt let out a sigh.
“I’ll do as you wish, Alina.”
He stood and picked up the Knight Commander’s uniform jacket draped over the chair. With his back to her, he adjusted the necklace under his shirt.
While he neatly tied his cravat, Alina walked toward the door.
As soon as her hand touched the doorknob, he approached, fully dressed, and gave a fresh smile.
“I’ll go now. Take care.”
Rihardt placed his hand on her cheek. His large hand enveloped her entire face, and Alina’s eyelashes trembled faintly.
Rihardt stroked her cheek gently, as if she were a fragile glass ornament.
Just as Alina was about to turn her head, feeling as if she couldn’t breathe, his low voice reached her.
“I’m going to miss you.”
Even though he had said he would come back tomorrow, Rihardt was already missing her.
“…Me too.”
Under his lingering gaze, Alina answered quietly.
She had only felt uneasy because of memories of her past life. It wasn’t that she disliked Rihardt.
If she had disliked him, she never would have run all the way here for his sake.
It was just that, for a moment, the second prince from her previous life and the current Rihardt overlapped.
Back then as well, the second prince had been just as grown and youthful as Rihardt now.
‘So this woman is the youngest princess.’
Locked in eye contact with Rihardt, Alina suddenly shuddered at the voice of a man that flashed through her mind.
It was a voice that had never once resurfaced in her memories until now, yet it struck her ears vividly.
‘Seize her.’
The man’s voice was identical to the bright, smiling Rihardt standing before her now.
As Alina recalled the Rihardt of her previous life, the Rihardt in front of her smiled.
“I’ll finish my Knight Commander duties just as you want and come back.”
“…Travel safely.”
With a stiff face, Alina nodded.
Reluctantly withdrawing his hand from her face, Rihardt walked toward the horse tied in front of the shop.
“Wait for me until I come back.”
He hopped smoothly onto his horse and grinned. His refreshing smile made Alina brighten without realizing it.
“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”
Surprised by the greeting that slipped from her mouth, Alina covered her lips.
Rihardt laughed, clearly delighted by her words.
“Yeah, see you tomorrow!”
Alina watched his figure until the horse he rode became a tiny dot and disappeared.
“Tomorrow…”
She sighed and murmured.
She hadn’t really realized it as a child, but now that she was grown, the fact that Rihardt and the second prince from her past life were the same person felt inescapably real.
“No. He’s someone else. Get a hold of yourself.”
Alina lightly patted her cheeks and turned away.
Too many things had happened in just a few days. Of course she would feel mentally overwhelmed. That had to be it.
Shaking her head, she closed the shop door.
The small shop’s door shut, and the gentle light inside went out.
When Alina stepped back outside to go home, a shadow that had been watching from afar let out a low laugh.
“…Waiting was worth it.”
Muttering ominously, the shadow watched Alina climb to the second floor.
His gaze was persistent and vile.
Clink—
The day after the market.
As soon as Alina hung the sign announcing the shop’s morning opening, the door swung open as though someone had been waiting.
Smiling brightly, Alina greeted her first customer.
“Welcome!”
“Good day, Lady Riese. The Commander sent me.”
As soon as the orange-haired visitor met her eyes, he bowed deeply.
Seeing the knight’s uniform, Alina greeted him warmly.
“Sir Ulrich! Please, come in.”
“Ah… yes.”
Scratching the back of his head as he entered, Ulrich spoke awkwardly.
“It’s an honor that you call my name, but could you please drop the ‘sir’?”
“Even when it’s just us?”
“Yes. Please.”
“But Sir Ulrich calls me Lady Riese.”
Guiding him to a table, Alina continued.
“And as vice-captain of the Blue Lion Knights, you’re a noble, aren’t you? I’m a commoner, so of course I should speak respectfully.”
“Status doesn’t matter in the Order. Especially when it comes to you, Lady Riese. Ah, thank you.”
Sitting down, Ulrich bowed again when she served him water. Alina tilted her head at his overly polite demeanor.
“Why though?”
“Because Lady Riese is like a phoenix to our Order.”
“I’m not a phoenix, I’m human.”
Ulrich laughed as though amused by her reply.
“I know that. What I mean is, you’re like a mythical being that only appears once in a thousand years.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
His eyes sparkled as he looked at her.
“Do you know what the very first order the Commander gave when he took office was?”
“Of course I don’t.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.”
Smiling in satisfaction, Ulrich continued.
“It was: ‘Find Riese Krüger.’”
“Really?”
Drawn in by his words, Alina sat across from him. Ulrich spoke solemnly.
“Yes. And that day was the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?”
As though he’d been waiting for that question, Ulrich replied.
“The beginning of report hell. How many reports do you think we’ve written in the past two years since the Commander took over, just to find you?”
“I don’t know…”
Alina tilted her head.
“Two…?”
“No! Twelve. Twelve! In just two years!”
Ulrich clenched his fist on the table.
Tears welled in his eyes as he recalled the past.
Startled, Alina patted his shoulder.
“You must have gone through a lot.”
“Yes. I only endured it because the pay is good. Otherwise, I would have quit long ago.”
He sighed and continued lamenting.
“Even the Xenotat royal family tracking reports aren’t made that often. These days two a year is considered a lot.”
Alina flinched inside at the sudden mention of the Xenotat royals. Not noticing her reaction, Ulrich kept talking.
“Anyway, the Commander searched for you so relentlessly it was terrifying. He even hired separate mages specializing in tracking magic in the end.”
“I didn’t know Rihardt searched for me that desperately.”
“Of course you wouldn’t. He searched so hard that at one point we even wondered if you might be a Xenotat princess.”
At those words, Alina’s heart plummeted. Forcing a smile, she waved her hand.
“No way. I’m just an ordinary cook.”
“Yes, the Commander practically exploded with rage when he heard that rumor. There was thunder and lightning that day too—it was terrifying. It felt like he was calling down lightning himself.”
Shuddering at the memory of that day’s Rihardt, Ulrich trembled. Comforting him, Alina spoke gently.
“You knights must have misunderstood. I was just a lowly assistant in the palace kitchen.”
“What are you saying? You’re the legendary chef.”
At that, Alina’s hand froze on his shoulder. Blinking, she stammered.
“So… that wasn’t a joke…”
“A joke? It’s a proper legend. We even wondered if that was why the Commander was so desperate to find you.”
Resting his chin on his hand, Ulrich spoke seriously.
“But even then, it didn’t make sense. The Commander doesn’t even like eating much. It’s like he doesn’t have normal human desires at all. He didn’t get the nickname ‘Ice Knight’ for nothing.”
“Rihardt?”
Alina, who had been blushing at the legendary chef talk, suddenly straightened at his words.
“That’s completely wrong information. Rihardt loves eating.”
“Please believe me, Lady Riese.”
Ulrich straightened his back and thumped his chest.
