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Chapter 4
A Time of Exploration
The next day, Rowenhart headed to the Estonian Imperial Palace, just as he had promised Tessia. Normally, he would have still been asleep at that early hour. Like most nobles, he was used to waking up late, idling through the day, and staying awake until the deep of night. But today was his first official date with Tessia. To set himself apart from the other suitors, Rowenhart arrived earlier than anyone else in the Empire. Perhaps his efforts had paid off, for Tessia also seemed intrigued by him. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, he had been busy since the crack of dawn.
His impression of Tessia when he first saw her yesterday was that she truly was like a fairy, just as the Emperor had said. Her soft pink hair, as sweet as a ripe peach, and her sparkling green eyes perfectly fit the description of a fairy. Her rosy cheeks looked fresh and lively, and even her appearance in a knight’s uniform rather than a gown felt refreshing.
“Though she’s more authoritative than I expected…”
Even that peculiarity piqued Rowenhart’s interest. After all, she was a knight by profession; it was only natural. Still, since she drank the tea he offered without complaint and listened attentively to his words, he figured she wasn’t entirely closed off. And when he remembered the way she had glanced at his face and blushed, the answer was clear: Princess Tessia had already fallen hard for him—more precisely, for his looks.
Back in his homeland, this had always been the case. As a child he was cute, now he was handsome, and in the future he was destined to become dignified and striking. To someone like Tessia, who had only ever faced the horrors of the battlefield, meeting a man whose very face gave her a sense of life’s worth was bound to be overwhelming. Rowenhart’s looks had never been a disadvantage—only a plus. This time would be no different.
“Oops, my apologies.”
As Rowenhart strolled leisurely along, a man bumped into his shoulder and passed by with an apology. Without realizing it, Rowenhart had already arrived at the Imperial Palace, where officials bustled past him on their way to work. He was struck with a strange feeling.
“It feels like I’m reporting for duty at the palace myself.”
In truth, Tessia had no thought whatsoever that she was on a “date.” To her, it really was just going to work—but Rowenhart couldn’t possibly have guessed that.
“A date starting at 9 a.m.… the princess sure is diligent.”
He didn’t know that 9 a.m. was simply the regular start of the knights’ working day. So without the faintest clue of Tessia’s true intention, Rowenhart made a mental note to schedule their next “date” in the afternoon.
But when he arrived at the knights’ headquarters, he was told something unexpected.
“The Captain hasn’t come in yet.”
“…What?”
“She has some business to attend to. She’ll be here in the afternoon.”
It was Tessia’s adjutant, Alex, who said this with an expressionless face. She had told him to come by 9, but she herself wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon? This was a fresh kind of audacity. Rowenhart tilted his head, his neck stiff with irritation.
“What do you mean? She told me to be here by 9.”
“…? Well, of course she did.”
Alex shot back as if it were obvious. Tessia had told him a new recruit would arrive today. Did this newcomer think he would be treated on the same level as the captain? These rookies were bolder than they were in Alex’s day.
“Kids these days, honestly…”
As Alex was thinking this, Rowenhart realized something was off.
“…Ha.”
He let out a dry laugh. He had never been treated like this before. In the Kingdom of Tiranaban, no one failed to recognize the prince. Even if someone didn’t know who he was, his looks or his magic always left people fawning over him. And never had a woman invited him and then left him hanging. The only one who had ever made him feel defeated was the Crown Prince—his younger brother, who, despite being no better in ability, had taken everything simply by being born with a higher title. Rowenhart smirked bitterly.
“Is she playing hard to get? But we only just met yesterday…”
Perhaps Tessia was more skilled in romance than he had thought. He mentally added “unpredictable” to her category. To push him away when they had barely begun—absurd, yet oddly exciting. He decided to play along, at least for now. He needed more accurate data about Tessia.
“…Very well. I’ll wait.”
“The mages have a separate building. You can go there.”
“No guide?”
“What guide? You can just walk straight over there.”
Alex openly grumbled, annoyed at how needy this newcomer was. Rowenhart frowned, but Alex was too dense to notice. Like master, like subordinate—both were equally oblivious. Besides, Alex found him doubly irritating.
“Why does he have to be so annoyingly handsome, too?”
Even his looks rubbed Alex the wrong way. So he waved his hand dismissively, shooing Rowenhart off. Rowenhart asked one last question, clinging to his patience.
“When will Tessia arrive?”
“Around lunchtime. No matter what, she never skips a meal.”
“…I see.”
If she pushed him away, then he would pull her closer. Rowenhart vowed to firmly ensnare this unpredictable fiancée-to-be.
While Rowenhart endured a harsh initiation, Tessia was dealing with her own difficulties. She hadn’t neglected him intentionally. Why would she throw away a healer-mage who not only suited her taste but was also competent, like an old shoe? No—the morning had simply been taken up. First, her father had asked her to go for a rare walk with him, and she couldn’t refuse. Then the Emperor himself had summoned her urgently, and she couldn’t defy an imperial order.
“Ha ha! Tessia, come in.”
Emperor Helios welcomed her warmly, in high spirits. Just yesterday, Headmaster Jerod had told him Tessia had met the prince and seemed to like him quite a bit. Beaming, Helios poured her tea.
“So, how was he? Did you like him?”
“Ah, yes.”
Quick-witted, good-looking, and overall reliable—she thought of Rowenhart, and her cheeks flushed.
“That face… it was flawless. Absolutely perfect.”
Helios, delighted by her reaction, chuckled again.
“Perfect. I do like him.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes. He was very handsome.”
“Exactly! I knew he’d be your type!”
Helios clapped his hands. From childhood, Tessia had adored soft, white, cotton-candy-like things—just like Rowenhart had been as a boy. But Helios knew they couldn’t rush things. Rowenhart’s feelings were still unknown, and other candidates had yet to arrive.
“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.”
Neither of them realized their conversation was slightly missing the mark. Tossing back her tea, Tessia rose.
“Now, I must head to work.”
“Huh? Tessia, wait—!”
Helios reached out, but she had already opened the door and left. Without sparing a glance at her father’s dejected shoulders, she hurried along. Time was slipping away—it was nearly the knights’ lunchtime! The meals there were the best, provided by the Emperor himself, who believed good food made good swordsmen. And Tessia never skipped a meal.
“Princess, wait—”
A servant tried to stop her, but she breezed past. The steward patted the bewildered servant’s shoulder and sighed.
“It’s lunchtime.”
“…And what’s that got to do with anything, Steward?”
“…It’s lunchtime.”
The servant couldn’t understand, but the steward only chuckled knowingly. Tessia’s stomach clock was never wrong.
Rowenhart, who had been waiting grimly, finally saw Tessia arrive—just in time for lunch. But before he could demand why she was late on their first date, Tessia seized him and pulled him toward the dining hall.
“What are you doing?”
Even Rowenhart, usually so composed, was thrown off by the unpredictable behavior of his fiancée-to-be.
“Hurry! If we don’t get there fast, there won’t be anything left!”
In truth, she was only trying to look after him. In the knights’ order, food vanished quickly thanks to their massive appetites. If you were late, you went hungry. She didn’t want the newcomer to suffer that fate.
Rowenhart was bewildered by her childish words and the way she briskly pulled him along. Tessia used her captain’s privilege to cut straight to the front of the line. The knights only assumed Rowenhart was either her guest or a rookie getting special treatment. Still dazed, tray in hand, Rowenhart blinked as Tessia chattered beside him.
“Hungry? Take a lot. The meat dishes are the best!”
Is she serious? Rowenhart brushed his bangs back, incredulous.
At first he thought it was a prank—but no, she really meant to have their first “date” in the mess hall. Worse, she was so absorbed in her food that she barely looked at him. Again, he had never been treated this way before. Unless…
“Is she ignoring me?”
Maybe. She was a pampered princess, while he was the unwanted son from abroad. He recalled how the Emperor had wanted a son-in-law to keep Tessia close, unwilling to marry her off far away. At the time, it had seemed preferable enough…
“But if this humiliation continues…”
While Rowenhart brooded over the possible reasons, Tessia was simply pleased with herself for making sure the rookie didn’t miss lunch. After all, this food was magic itself—the power that kept her legs running and her arms swinging in battle. Of course she wanted Rowenhart to try it too.
“With that big frame, he’ll eat plenty.”
Assuming he was a heavy eater like the rest of her subordinates, Tessia piled his tray high with food.
“Eat up!”
She beamed at him, a smile so pure it made Rowenhart feel grimy by comparison. Surely such a face couldn’t be faked.
“Here, let’s sit here.”
She led him to a large table by the window. Rowenhart stared down at the tray in front of him. The steaming dishes certainly looked delicious—hardly what one would expect from a mess hall.
“A first date over knights’ rations, of all things.”
All the time he had spent thinking of fine restaurants to take her to suddenly felt pointless. He had already scouted out several popular places in the capital, but his plans were wasted before they even began.
“And the nutrition balance… it’s nonexistent.”
Grilled meat, braised meat, meat stew—even the dessert was meat pie. His face twisted slightly at the all-meat feast.
“It’s like they slaughtered a pig and dumped the whole thing on my tray… this must be loin, that tenderloin…”
Wouldn’t this clog his arteries? He cautiously picked up a fork. Tessia grinned proudly.
“Our knights’ meals are the best!”
“…Indeed.”
Skeptical, he sampled a piece of meat.
“…Oh.”
“Tasty, right?”
“Yes. It’s good.”
She smiled with satisfaction as he chewed.
“Knew it. Eat lots, Heart!”
“—!”
Rowenhart choked. A pet name? Just like that? In the morning she had brushed him off, and now she reeled him in with an affectionate nickname. It seemed her 9 a.m. stunt had not been some clumsy excuse after all, but a calculated retreat for the sake of this single, devastating move. Of course, that wasn’t Tessia’s intention at all—she was simply being her usual friendly self, as she was with her knights. But how was Rowenhart to know that?
The day’s climax came as he was leaving for home. Tessia blew him a giant heart with her hands, sending it toward the healer who was soon to become her subordinate.
“See you tomorrow, Heart!”
Rowenhart became convinced she was a master strategist in love. Meanwhile, the watching knights drew an entirely different conclusion.
“She’s threatening to split his skull! What did that poor man do to deserve it?”
“…What a shame. He looks like such a promising young man.”
And so their dreams and interpretations continued to diverge.
