450 - Alfred's Return
......actually, what kind of life was I living, anyway?
Once my mild fever went down and I was able to be completely away from bed, things started to bother me. It was not just that Mirshe had completely surpassed me in height. My whole body somehow felt like it had shrunk. I have heard that people shrink as they get older, but there is no way I should be shrinking like this at my age. So when I examined my body to see what was wrong, the first thing I noticed was how thin my arms and legs were. It was not the slender body of someone who had worked hard at dieting. It was a sickly thinness, where bones and sinews seemed to protrude. As far as I could remember, my limbs had not looked like this. Ever since returning to the city of Grenore, more precisely around the time of the Divine King Festival, I had felt a strange sense of wrongness many times, and it was the same with my body.
......There is no way I would waste away this much from autumn to winter, right?
If that is the case, then maybe my sense of time is just off, and more time has actually passed around me. If I think more time has passed than I perceived, then it makes sense that Mirshe has grown taller. My own growth was slow to begin with, and I was short. Mirshe has just entered her growth spurt, so she simply passed me by.
......I have to avoid becoming a pig, but I need to eat a lot.
As a former Japanese person, I have some longing for a slim figure, but this is a bit too thin. It does not look healthy at all. I want to eat properly, exercise, and get my healthy body back as soon as possible.
I set up camp beside Leonardo as he worked on handing over tasks, spending my days there. Now that I can leave the bed, the lounge chair in the living room is what Leonardo is using as his office. Even though he is a friend's father, I felt somewhat reluctant about Rannvald entering my room, so the moment I could move, I relocated.
A girl's room is off-limits to men who are not family.
I tried to stay quiet so I would not get in Leonardo's way, but doing it every day was starting to get a bit boring. When I thought about reading something for the first time in a while, Salisa brought me the bobbin lace guidebook.
It seemed my assumption that time had passed without me knowing was not wrong. The guidebook, which should have been at the stage of preparing paper for printing, had not only been printed but had even gone on sale. Horrifyingly, the guidebook Salisa brought had "Third Edition" printed on it. The guidebook that had been printed without my knowledge seemed to be selling steadily.
"I am curious about the printing costs and various other things, but it seems someone helped with it. The quality is more restrained than the version made for nobles, so it looks like even commoners can manage to get one."
The number of colors used in printing was fewer, and multi-color printing was only on the cover. For the rest, sections that needed special attention were printed in red ink, but it was almost entirely single-color black ink. It lacked the brilliance of the version made for nobles, but that is to be expected since it is a measure to keep the price down.
"Rannvald-sama and Nils worked hard on the printing of the guidebook."
As for sales channels, Alfred and Felicia in the capital apparently acted as advertising spokespersons, but it seems Rannvald and Nils handled the printing. Rannvald helped with printing in the capital too, and Nils, who also works as an apprentice scholar at the Menhishumi Church, lent a hand. In fact, the printing might have gone more smoothly than if I had been involved.
"I will have to thank both Rannvald-sama and Nils."
If I just suddenly visit, Nils has his own schedule too. I should first write a letter to ask about a convenient day. Thinking that, I tried to have some stationery prepared, but Salisa stopped me. Apparently Nils was not at the Menhishumi Church right now.
"As for Nils, I have not heard that he has returned from Gumons yet. Even if you sent a letter to the Menhishumi Church, I doubt you would be able to meet him immediately."
"Gumons... that is Ethelbert-sama's territory, is it not? Huh? Did Nils get captured by Ethelbert-sama?"
What is going on? I looked up at Leonardo, and it seemed he had been listening to my conversation with Salisa. Leonardo continued where Salisa left off.
"It seems a 'Spirit's Seat' was discovered in Gumons. Since no one in Gumons could destroy the 'Spirit's Seat,' they sent Nils, as the Spirit's Favored Child, to try."
A report came that it had been successfully destroyed, but apparently there was no sign of Nils returning. Jean-Jacques, who brought the report, had not said anything in particular about it, so it probably was not a case of Nils being forcibly detained by Ethelbert. Jean-Jacques knows that Nils is my friend. If Ethelbert had been forcing unreasonable demands on Nils and causing him trouble, he would have certainly taken some measure or reported it to Leonardo.
"So that means... we still need to find four more Spirit's Seats."
"...One has been found in the Divine Kingdom of Quebia and one in the Kingdom of Saenard, and their destruction has been confirmed. So there are only two left that need to be destroyed."
Leonardo continued, saying there was also one in the Zugall Empire. I blinked.
It seemed that the destruction of the Spirit's Seats had been progressing while I was unaware.
If that is the case, they might all be destroyed while I am still alive, which is for the best.
"...My hair feels a bit strange when it is short."
Today, Alfred was returning to the city of Grenore, so I was dressed in a slightly dressy one-piece dress. Lately I had been spending all my time in comfortable loungewear, so the dress that used fabric lavishly felt a bit heavy. This was probably also because my muscles had weakened.
I pulled at my hair, which had been cut at some point and was finally reaching my shoulders. Doing that would not make it grow any faster, but for today's outfit, a bit longer hair would have been cuter. I personally find shorter hair more comfortable, but I am Leonardo's "cute little sister." I think it is better for me to look cute to others.
...It seems they even have a wig prepared as a last resort, though.
I was concerned about the shortness of my hair, but I did not feel like wearing a wig. The wig had been styled to about the same length as my previous hair, but I felt something vaguely unpleasant about it.
...Lady, lady. Since I am dealing with a prince (Alfred), I will put on the cat act about as thick as five big tomcats.
I was aware that ever since returning from the capital, I had taken off the cat-suit of ladyship that Hermine had drilled into me. I would have to put the cat act back on with renewed vigor, I thought, as I mentally reviewed Hermine's teachings.
...Right, a lady does not go out to the front door to greet someone. You welcome them in the entrance hall.
I wanted to throw open the front door and dash out as usual, but I held myself back. I am not a child forever, after all. I wanted to show Alfred that I could behave like a proper lady and surprise him.
...The motive being "surprise him" really shows I am not an adult at all, though.
Anyway, as long as I could behave like a lady within the bounds of not embarrassing Leonardo, that was fine. Even if the foundation was a mischievous spirit, it did not matter.
"Long time no see, Alfred-sama. Today I... wait, what are you doing?!"
Lady-like, lady-like, I put on the cat act and greeted Alfred in the entrance hall, but the moment we met, he tousled my hair that Salisa had carefully arranged. Salisa had intricately woven ribbons into my short hair to make it lovely for me, since I was worried about it being short, but now it was all ruined. I hurriedly tried to pull away from Alfred's reach, shaking off his hand, but then his fingers reached for my cheeks.
"It huuuurtth..."
"...Christina. It really is Christina."
He squeezed my cheeks, kneading them. It hurt a bit. I wanted to bite his fingers since I did not like being treated so freely, but I held back. I am a lady today. I have to smile through a bit of mischief.
"Alfred-sama, you are confusing Christina."
"It huuuuurth, you know..."
"Ah, is that so. Sorry about that."
Alf's intervention finally made Alfred's fingers let go. Worried that the cute face my parents gave me would get distorted, I covered both cheeks with my hands and fled behind Leonardo. I had wanted to greet him like a proper lady, but that was already ruined.
"Alf-san, it has been a while too, somehow. You have not been coming to the residence much lately."
"There was someone who was eager to carry documents that needed the Fortress Lord's seal. And you seemed to be bedridden again, so I held back."
I felt a sense of wrongness at Alf's smile as he said he was glad my fever had gone down, and I looked between his face and Alfred's standing beside him. Somehow I felt like the two had switched again, but it was just a feeling. It might be my imagination. Alf and Alfred have slightly different eye colors, but I could not tell which one was Alf unless I saw them standing next to Felicia. The fact that Alf's eyes are closer in color to Felicia's than his younger brother Alfred's is a bit strange when you think about it.
"We truly appreciate everything you did for us, Alfred-sama. Thanks to you drawing soldiers to the border, the Quebia-side border had fewer checkpoints and watchers, making movement considerably easier."
"I heard you sailed to Tior on a Quebian warship. How was the ride on that ship that is rumored to run at divine speed?"
The adult conversation that started flying over my head made me tilt my head, unsure whether it was something I should be listening to. I decided to at least try to understand the content, so I listened carefully, but the more I heard, the more questions arose.
...Leonardo-san, when did you go to Quebia?
The Kingdom of Ivizia fought a war recently with its neighbor, the Kingdom of Saenard. Not the Divine Kingdom of Quebia beyond it. If that is the case, there is no way Leonardo would have had an opportunity to go to the Divine Kingdom of Quebia. Aside from his winter rounds of the four fortresses, Leonardo has not left my side except to garrison at Lugmilama Fort while in the capital.
...Wait? But from this conversation, it sounds like Alfred-sama was recently drawing soldiers to the border, right? So does that mean Leonardo-san went to Quebia recently too?
The information my ears were picking up did not match my memories. Something felt strange, and as I uncomfortably looked up at Alf, he bent down slightly to peer at my face.
"You really do look well. ...If that is the case, do you not think it might be time to tell her?"
I wanted to ask "Tell me what?", but the voices above my head stopped at Alf's words. Wondering what was happening, I looked up at Alfred and Leonardo, and their gazes fell upon me.
"...How did you explain it to Christina?"
"I have not told her anything yet. I thought getting her health back in order was the priority."
"I see."
If I was not mistaken, Leonardo and Alfred were each trying to push the responsibility of speaking onto the other, glaring at each other for a while. After a moment, it was Alfred who dropped his gaze to me. I do not think he lost the staring contest. Rather, I think Alfred took on the difficult thing that Leonardo found hard to say. Alfred is a prince who is as powerful as a typhoon, stirring up everything around him, but actually, he is surprisingly considerate. A wonderful prince.
As for me, sensing something ominous, I clung to Leonardo's waist. When I did, his hand gently touched my back, preventing me from hiding behind him.
"...Is it something unpleasant?"
"It is not a cheerful story. But Christina, it is something you need to hear."
He said he would start with the cheerful part, and took my hand. Whether it was cheerful or unpleasant, the entrance hall was not the place for it.
"Christina, do you remember the Harvest Festival from two years ago?"
"Two years ago?"
When we moved to the living room, I was escorted to a single-seat chair. Normally I sit on the lounge chair next to Leonardo, but today I was alone. I somehow understood that I was being prevented from hiding behind Leonardo. Whatever was about to be said, it was something I was not allowed to run from. Part of me wanted to refuse to hear what came next, but I suppressed that. I was afraid to hear it, but I should not avoid it.
"When you say the Harvest Festival from two years ago, I was in the capital, so...?"
I had a strong sense of foreboding, but I followed his lead and recalled two years ago. The Harvest Festival from two years ago would be the one in the capital. Back then, with Leonardo away in autumn, I had not felt like going out. Actually, the only festival I remembered participating in in the capital was the Divine King Festival, where someone always got lost. The first year Petrona got lost, and the second year Rannvald disappeared.
"Christina was in the capital four years ago. When we say two years ago, we mean when Chadwick ran wild in Grenore."
"I was in the capital four years ago, and the Second Prince went wild two years ago...? Not just recently?"
My sense of time and everyone else's were out of sync. I had felt that for a while, but the actual gap that came from Alfred's mouth seemed to be two years. To me, the Second Prince going wild felt like it happened last autumn, but to Alfred and the others, it was apparently two years ago.
"...So that is why Mirshe-chan had grown so much."
"Children around that age grow fast. You probably will not notice much difference looking at me or Leonardo, but looking at Mirshe, you cannot help but see the passage of time."
"I did think something was strange. My arms and legs were all bony, and it did not feel like I had just been bedridden from autumn."
Two years had passed, I thought, taking in the time I had been told about, and looked down at my own body again. If two years had passed, that meant I was fifteen now. Come summer, I would be turning sixteen soon. Normally, I would have grown a bit taller, and my chest and hips would be starting to round out. Yet my body had barely grown since I was thirteen. If the grown Mirshe were not at the residence, I probably would not have been able to believe Alfred when he said two years had passed. Only I was still as I was two years ago.
"...What happened to Chadwick after that?"
Previously, Alfred had called his half-brother the Second Prince with the title 'Prince,' even if it was with irritation. But now he was completely calling him 'Chadwick' without honorifics. I had not thought they were on good terms as brothers, but that Harvest Festival incident must have been the deciding factor.
"Former Second Prince Chadwick was removed from the royal registry on the spot by His Majesty King Christoph when the outline of the incident was reported. The charges at the time of his arrest were the attempted kidnapping of Christina and deliberately driving a carriage recklessly through the crowded streets during the Harvest Festival, but plenty of other crimes came to light too."
He said that personally, he would not have minded letting him die an easy death, but Chadwick was truly skilled at using other people. If he had managed to win over the prison guards and escape, it would have been troublesome, and they could not have him causing another commotion, so apparently he was executed by spring.
After all, Chadwick was a thrill-seeker.
He was the kind of troublesome person who would even take pleasure in Christoph struggling to find an appropriate punishment. For someone like that, treating him with indifference would itself be the punishment, so the sentence was carried out with unusual speed. Alfred said that the best revenge against Chadwick would be to not bring him up, not think about him, and quickly forget his existence. Alfred surely has more feelings about Chadwick than I do, and he said "this is fine." I have some thoughts about it, but I suppose this is for the best.
"...I understand about Chadwick. So, if that Harvest Festival was two years ago, then it seems about two years of my memory are missing...?"
"Which brings us to what Leonardo said about waiting until you were well enough."
"I see."
In other words, something that would drain my energy just from hearing it was about to be told. There is no way Leonardo could have told me something like that while I was bedridden with a fever.
I have to face the missing two years now.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.