IRMDH 34

Chapter 34

The moment I stepped down from the carriage, a cool breeze welcomed me and Blake.

He escorted me with practiced ease, yet there was something stubborn in his demeanor.

“Did you meet my father?”

“Who knows.”

“Then what about the fact that I like the skewered chicken here? Did Father tell you? Or Lily?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Please be honest. The only reason you suggested coming to Teshiro Street in the first place was because of me, right?”

Even with my whining tone, Blake remained unbothered.

When on earth did he meet Father?

The only one who would know I liked Teshiro Street’s famous skewered chicken was Father.

Did Lily overhear during Father’s last visit and pass it along to Blake?

But Lily, while she might play out dramatic little scripts in front of me, was secretly intimidated by Blake.

After all, he is the cold-looking Crown Prince.

If Lily had told him, knowing her personality, she probably would’ve mentioned it with a sly, mischievous grin.

“The royal palace may have canceled the Gold Grain Festival ball, but it looks like the commoners are still celebrating theirs.”

“Hmm… so you’re saying you’re here to inspect the festival?”

“You really only ever think in that direction, don’t you? Now I see exactly what kind of person you think I am.”

Blake muttered, half displeased, half looking a little hurt.

But his words hardly mattered, because my heart was already pounding with excitement.

Ever since I possessed Ariel, I’d been practically locked inside the palace.

The same faces, the same buildings, every single day.

It was only recently that I’d even started going out at all—and then only briefly, when errands or necessities demanded it.

I’d been so bored and stifled all that time!

And Teshiro Street was one of the liveliest districts in the entire capital.

It wasn’t where nobles went, but wealthy merchants gathered there, so it was relatively safe and full of things to see.

Books had said the night market was especially lively, and gypsies sometimes came to perform.

But most of all—the Gold Grain Festival’s special event!

To pray for abundance in the coming year, they invited magicians who would make flowers bloom with magic.

Those flowers bloomed only on autumn nights, glowing faintly in response to mana, drifting into the sky like dandelion fluff…

I remembered reading about it and picturing something so beautiful it seemed like a scene out of a movie or a comic.

At last—was I finally going to truly experience this world?

I sneaked a glance at Blake, grinning foolishly at the thought.

“You should’ve told me in advance. I could’ve brought some coins for festival stalls or food! It’s hard to get coins in the palace. Maybe I should ask Lily.”

“You said this was an inspection, didn’t you? Then it’s not like we’re here to play.”

“I won’t be fooled by that phrasing anymore.”

“What?”

“If that were really the case, why would you bother bringing me along?”

Blake froze, staring at me in disbelief.

At last! I’d won a verbal spar with the protagonist—and my husband, no less.

Whatever the case, I was a little moved by this romantic side of his.

Maybe he felt bad seeing me locked up in the palace all the time.

No matter how much I mutter to myself that I’m practically a corpse, the male lead really is different.

“G-Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince! The one who shines as the light of the Escani Empire…”

“That’s enough.”

A flustered voice calling for Blake snapped me out of my festival-daydream.

A burly man, sweating from running, appeared. He was dressed in decent-quality clothes, his face oily but well-fed.

Definitely not someone who’d been starving.

“I-I am Meyer, temporarily managing this estate. It is an honor to introduce Your Highness to the estate… ah, an honor to…”

He stammered, while Blake’s gaze quickly shifted past him to the manor beyond.

As Meyer fumbled with overly complicated formalities, sweating buckets, Blake silently gestured with his eyes for me to stay put. Then, striding toward the manor, he spoke:

“I’d rather hear the point. How much wheat was harvested here last year?”

He seemed more impatient than the Blake I’d read about in books.

Almost like someone confirming information he already knew.

The gold mines he’d read about in reports—but the estates? Surely this was his first time here.

I hesitated over whether I should greet Meyer, but he scrambled after Blake in a panic.

Meanwhile, I turned my gaze to the fields.

Golden stalks of wheat, heavy with grain, bent in the autumn breeze, befitting the descriptions of plenty.

Maybe I should take a little walk?

There were colorful wildflowers blooming nearby—quite pretty.

“Your Highness the Princess Consort, please don’t wander too far. It’s dangerous.”

I flinched at the knight’s stern warning, spoken before I’d even taken more than a few steps.

Still, whether it was because Blake was here with me, or because of that murder case involving the imposter who’d looked just like him, the knights stationed by the carriage looked far more disciplined than before.

“I only thought the flowers looked pretty… I wasn’t planning to go far.”

I gave them a sheepish smile. The knights exchanged glances, then cautiously stepped closer.

“His Highness ordered us to guard Your Highness well.”

“We heard the previous knights were terribly disrespectful to you, but rest assured—such things will never happen again while we serve.”

Why were they staring at me so earnestly?

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen the previous knights around lately.

They’d made it no secret they disliked being assigned to me, so I just assumed they were slacking off somewhere again.

“Did His Highness say that? Then… have you been reassigned under the Princess Consort’s household?”

“Ah, it’s temporary. We’re hoping to be accepted as His Highness the Crown Prince’s direct guards.”

“If we should ever offend Your Highness in any way, please scold us harshly! Only… perhaps reconsider telling His Highness, just once…”

Oh, I see where this eagerness comes from.

Their loyalty to Blake had extended to me.

He wasn’t just the Crown Prince—he was the Empire’s hero, the model knight.

I almost replied with a simple, “Of course,” but a mischievous impulse rose up in me instead.

Maybe I was picking up bad habits from Blake.

“Well, that depends on you, doesn’t it? As for the previous guards….”

I tried to force some tears, but none came. Instead, I lowered my head, feigning sorrow.

“His Highness deeply respects and values the knights who guard me, despite my humble origins.”

—A lie, of course.

I’d overheard Blake grumbling once about needing to “wipe them all out and start fresh” because their discipline was too lax.

“And he said imperial knights should serve as an example to all others.”

—Another lie.

In reality, my icy husband was full of distrust, claiming imperial knights were all unworthy of their titles.

“Regardless of what he’s said, I know in my heart that you truly regard me as your Princess Consort…”

In truth, Blake’s words were more along the lines of, See how rotten knights are? Trust only the ones worth trusting.

Maybe he’d even used me as a convenient excuse for self-promotion.

“Still, hearing you say such things now moves me deeply. I feel reassured.”

Honestly, their desperate plea not to get reported was pathetic. They should’ve started with promises to protect me properly!

“I’m sure knights like you could even survive that imposter—the one who disguised himself as His Highness and killed the guards.”

“…What?”

“S-Survive, Your Highness?”

Their sudden stammering was comical, though I made sure to give them a look of trust.

Come on… think serious, sad thoughts… Nope. I couldn’t. Their dumbstruck faces made me want to laugh.

So I raised a hand to cover my twitching lips.

“Yes, those guards were killed for failing to protect me. The imposter told me himself—he wanted to copy His Highness in every way, even in that.”

Not that I actually knew his twisted reasoning.

All I knew was that he’d confessed to killing them for “failing in their duty.”

“Of course, you’ll protect me with all your strength, so nothing like that will happen.”

The knights turned pale, opening and closing their mouths before stumbling back a step.

“Y-Yes, of course…”

“Your Highness, w-we’ll just… step away for a moment. We’ll be right back.”

They exchanged nervous looks, then hurried off whispering among themselves.

So much for acting like brave, loyal knights who followed Blake with pride.

Most of them were just young nobles, after all—never seen real battle, never gripped a sword in earnest.

A true knight would at least have confidence in guarding someone.

The way they panicked at the thought of dying on duty was ridiculous.

Smiling kindly, I said, “Go on, then,” and walked over to the patch of wildflowers.

Ah, peace and quiet. Much better.

I reached out toward a cluster of pale pink blossoms when a voice suddenly called out to me.

“Excuse me…”