Chapter 123 - 2-5
"I still can't find it..."
My quiet murmur went unheard in the solitude of the room. The only sound was the rustle of pages as I turned them. I had just finished a book and was placing it atop the high stack on the corner of the desk when I heard a knock.
"Yes?"
I looked up as the door opened to reveal Louis-sama. "Rachel, do you have a moment?"
"Louis-sama! Yes, of course. But what brings you here?"
"Ah, I ran into the Marquis earlier. He mentioned you were at the Royal Library today, so I thought I might find you."
"Oh, Father told you? I was in a private room, so I must have been hard to find."
"Not at all. Whenever you use this library, you always use the second private room from the back, don't you? I knew you'd be here from the start."
Louis-sama sat in the chair beside me and smiled. He glanced at the stack of books and spoke. "So, did you find the answer you were looking for?"
I looked at the books and then looked down, shaking my head silently. Louis-sama gave a gentle nod. I had been searching ever since to see if there was any way to verify Prince Isaac's words. Was there truly a Dark Saint? What was the real reason the Kingdom of Dutoit and the Kingdom of Orta split five hundred years ago? But no matter how much I researched, I found no new discoveries or hints beyond what I already knew.
"Louis-sama, do you believe what Prince Isaac said was the truth?"
Louis-sama picked up a few books from the stack, flipped through them briefly, and then turned back to me. "I do. I don't think he was lying. I believe he told us a great deal of information that should have been kept secret."
"...Why would he do that?"
Louis-sama let out a deep sigh, covering his eyes with his large hand. When he lowered it, he gave me a concerned look. "It's a gambit."
A gambit... That would mean Prince Isaac saw enough value in revealing those secrets to justify the risk. But what could his goal be?
Perhaps... "Is it... me?"
Louis-sama gave a troubled smile. "Yes, almost certainly. I didn't know it either, but it seems darkness is as vital to the Kingdom of Orta as light is to this country."
Louis-sama pulled an envelope from his breast pocket. "This is a chance for you to find the answers you seek, but it's a difficult situation." The envelope on the desk was clearly made of high-quality paper.
"What is this?"
"The King of Orta is celebrating the tenth anniversary of his accession next month. They're holding a grand celebration and inviting neighboring countries. This is the invitation. It's addressed to both of us."
"Me as well?"
"Yes. You have been formally invited as my fiancée."
As I sat there in confusion, Louis-sama gently took both of my hands. He leaned forward slightly to meet my eyes. "What do you want to do, Rachel?"
What do I want to do... I...
The answer was already clear. If I could find a hint, I wanted to go. But was it right to answer so easily? Louis-sama was surely wary of Prince Isaac, who had revealed such important secrets so readily. And the timing was too perfect, a chance to visit the neighboring country had been handed to us. It felt like a trap. It was only natural to be suspicious. Even so, there was a limit to what I could learn in this country, and I had no way to learn dark magic here.
I looked up, and to my surprise, Louis-sama was waiting for my answer with a calm expression. As if he already knew what I would say, he smiled gently. "You can tell me your honest feelings."
"Honestly... I want to go. I want to speak with him again, about the previous Dark Saint and about dark magic."
The scene I had witnessed, the way the wound Prince Isaac had inflicted on himself vanished in an instant, was burned into my mind. No matter how much I tried to use dark magic, I could do nothing more than revitalize a withered flower.
"You might have noticed, but my honest opinion is... I don't want you to get any more involved. I don't know Prince Isaac's true intentions yet, but since I know you are his target, I can't say there's no danger."
"Yes. I... understand."
"But I also understand how you feel."
I looked up at Louis-sama's words to see him smiling with a troubled expression. "The stay will be for one week. Prince Isaac has offered to personally show us around."
"Then!"
"Yes, let's go together."
I couldn't suppress my gratitude as Louis-sama narrowed his eyes to reassure me. "Thank you," I said, and he gave a slow nod. "From now on, there will be more occasions for you to represent the country by my side. No matter how we try to avoid it, we must interact with our neighbors. And there's a possibility that provoking him could lead to even greater danger."
"Yes."
"Furthermore, judging by Prince Isaac's behavior, he seems to hold the Dark Saint in special regard. Therefore, I believe the likelihood of him harming you is extremely low."
Louis-sama must have considered every possibility and gathered information to eliminate even the slightest danger. The thought filled me with a warm glow. Having Louis-sama by my side was such a source of strength. Because he always respects and believes in me, I feel I can do my best.
"Besides, I would never allow anyone to hurt you. I swore to protect you no matter what."
Louis-sama looked straight into my eyes with a serious expression. The determination in his gaze made my eyes sting with heat. Unable to find words for the strength of his feelings, I bit my lip and nodded. Louis-sama gave a relieved, gentle smile. He took my left hand and pressed a kiss to the ring on my finger.