The Duchess was the person who had become the connection between Jeanne and the Magic Tower, so these words would concern her more.

Sure enough, Alisa started chattering with quite a serious expression.

“When we visited the Magic Tower together before, she was very fascinated. I think she might be quite interested right now.”

Her bird-like clear voice tickled his ears. Finding her serious contemplation quite amusing, Castor blurted out:

“Then it’s because of the Duchess.”

“What?”

She startles when I speak as if shifting blame. Her big reactions to every word and action make her fun to tease.

Looking at Alisa, Castor laughed softly.

“If you provided the cause, you should also provide the solution. Would you visit the palace soon to meet Jeanne? I’ll make it my invitation.”

Alisa stared blankly for a moment before hurriedly bowing her head.

“I’m honored. I’ll follow your words. Meeting Her Highness the Princess is my joy.”

“Good. Actually, I’m worried because the Princess hasn’t been feeling well lately. She’s such a sensitive child, so……”

Castor spoke inadvertently.

He had even suspected if the Magic Tower was causing harm, but that couldn’t be. They were an institution under strict state surveillance and couldn’t show any suspicious movements.

The doctor said she was just tired, but was that really all? He thought if left alone any longer, unnecessary rumors might spread.

“Not feeling well…… What should we do.”

Alisa clasped her hands together tightly. It looked like a praying posture.

Ah.

Glancing at her folded hands, Castor suddenly realized what he had said.

He had honestly told her that the Princess’s health wasn’t good.

Why did he tell such things to the Duchess? That was currently a concern of the imperial family, yet he exposed it to none other than the Duchess of Penvernon.

Moreover, it was him of all people. He thought he was skilled at crafting words and changing expressions, but this was an unexpected mistake.

‘I let my guard down.’

Castor unknowingly frowned. It was an expression he rarely showed in front of others.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’ll go comfort her well!”

Alisa seemed to misunderstand his serious expression as worry for his sister. Instead of correcting her directly, Castor smoothed over the situation by indicating it wasn’t such a serious matter.

Watching Alisa sigh in relief saying that’s good, he thought: just as Rashid Penvernon bothered him, this woman bothered him in a different way.

“Then, Your Highness.”

Alisa slightly bent her knees in courtesy. Castor raised his hand to permit her withdrawal.

The priest accompanying him stared at Alisa’s retreating figure for a long time. Noticing this, Castor asked briefly.

“Priest, is there a problem?”

“That person……”

The priest tilted his head.

“Do you know the Duchess of Penvernon?”

Castor asked.

“I’ve only seen her from afar during mass, today was my first time seeing her up close. But……”

The priest frowned as if trying to recall something. Seeing this, Castor lightly asked again.

“But?”

“I apologize. Somehow I felt déjà vu and found it strange. Her voice sounds familiar……”

He fell into deep thought, then soon clapped his hands together.

“Ah, now I remember. She had visited once before.”

Well, as a duchess she would have visited the Grand Temple. Castor listlessly let the priest’s words pass.

“She must have come to see mass.”

It’s not rare for noble ladies to visit the Grand Temple. There was a constant stream of visitors coming to see mass or make donations.

“No. She came for consultation.”

Castor suddenly felt interested.

“Consultation? What did she ask about?”

“That……”

The priest tried to hold back his words. Keeping believers’ stories confidential was a good custom among priests.

Noticing this, Castor sighed demonstratively.

“The Duchess of Penvernon has connections with not only me but also the Princess. Today too, she understood my troubles. Then it would be only natural for me to try to understand her troubles as well.”

“However, Your Highness—”

“There’s no need to hesitate. The Grandia imperial family receives God Morea’s blessing in one body, so this is no different from you priests. She is also my subject, how could I ignore her suffering?”

Castor tried to enchant the other with a gentle tone. Since he equated the imperial family with priests, it was an honorable comparison for a priest, and the mere priest’s heart was thoroughly shaken.

Above all, he was the Crown Prince of the empire and future Emperor. Even as a priest devoted to the divine, he still lived in the mortal world. It was difficult to refuse the request—or order—of a powerful figure like Castor. How could he reject his request not knowing what consequences might follow?

So the priest hesitantly began to speak.

“Well, I believe she came for divorce consultation.”

“What?”

What is this? Castor frowned, doubting his ears at this unexpected answer.

“I remember her asking if divorce would be easy in such and such situation.”

“I see. There must be many twists and hardships in her heart as the mistress of a ducal family. May the great God Morea’s blessing be with the Duchess of Penvernon.”

“I-I shall pray for that.”

Making the sign of the holy, Castor subtly covered his mouth.

It was a very interesting story. Worth deliberately engaging the priest in longer conversation.

‘Divorce.’

Castor recalled the Penvernon couple in his mind. At a glance it seemed like Rashid Penvernon had the upper hand in their relationship, but he knew the reality wasn’t exactly so.

But Alisa Penvernon wants to divorce Rashid Penvernon?

The Duke is pining away unknown to his wife, while the wife doesn’t even acknowledge it. To see that man looking so ridiculous, it was quite delightful.

‘How interesting.’

He struggled hard to hold back the laughter trying to burst out.

‘What should I do……”

It felt like gaining one more useful card in his hand. Castor happily began contemplating how best to use this card.

* * *

“About Her Highness the Princess.”

I spoke while turning to lie facing Rashid.

On the night I returned after meeting Castor at the Grand Temple, I brought up the Princess while having our usual cozy conversation sitting on the same bed with Rashid.

“It seems she’s not feeling well these days.”

Rashid slowly turned the pages of the book on his knee while leaning against the bed’s headboard.

“I heard she’s refraining from going outside.”

“In her letter to me she just said she was busy.”

Her reply didn’t mention anything about being unwell. Though she might not want to worry me, still, if she was really sick she could have at least mentioned it.

“But it seems she really is unwell.”

My heart felt uneasy because of Jeanne’s death in the original story. What if this was that time?

“His Highness the Crown Prince said so. He said he was worried.”

“The Crown Prince?”

Rashid closed his book with a thud.

“Yes. I met him at the Grand Temple today. While talking about that, he told me to come to the palace.”

I blinked. The title on the spine of the book on Rashid’s lap caught my eye with its distinct gold lettering. Being focused on staring at that, I didn’t get to check what expression Rashid was making.

I felt anxious. What if Jeanne wastes away and dies like this? Is there nothing I can do? Is it inevitable because it happened in the original story?

‘No, there must be some way.’

I slightly lowered my head and curled up small. Since things happening in this world were already differing slightly from the original story, I felt I shouldn’t think only pessimistically.

‘That might be better for me.’

I didn’t think this world absolutely had to follow the original story. There are things like Jeanne’s death that would be much better if they didn’t happen.

‘Still, since what’s written in the original story has a very high chance of becoming reality, I need to keep paying attention.’

Maybe because I was lost in such thoughts. My expression must have turned bad without me realizing. Rashid, who had been staring at my face, reached out and gently stroked my forehead. I felt somewhat relieved in the shade created by his large hand.

“Are you worried?”

“Yes. She’s been so good to me.”

“That’s certainly true.”

“So I plan to visit the palace soon.”

Though I wasn’t asking for permission, sharing my daily life with him was gradually becoming a habit.

Rashid also often told me various stories. He looked calm and stable while talking about territory issues or handling demonic beasts, and I liked that about him.

“That would be fine too.”

“I’d be so sad if she’s very sick.”

“If the Princess was seriously ill, bigger rumors would have already spread.”

“It’s not that serious yet right now…. Then can I feel a little relieved?”

“Yes. Seeing how concerned you are, she should stay healthy for your sake too.”

Rashid stroked my head to reassure me.

「Rashid looked at his wife with warm eyes.」

My heart started pounding at the sentence that gradually appeared.

When he treated me kindly like this, indescribable emotions would well up. Though it felt good, part of me also wanted to reject it, telling him not to do this.

Because it made me have vain hopes.

‘I should divorce him. That was my goal from the start. Getting divorced and living as unrelated people.’

But what if we don’t have to?

What if we can keep living like this?

I placed my hand over Rashid’s hand that was caressing my cheek. His hand was much bigger than mine, with straight long fingers that had protruding bones.