“The finish line. I crossed it first.”

“Pardon? What does that—”

Kalintz gave Blair a bright smile as she gaped at him, then walked out of the room.

“You, you you! Are you actually out of your mind?!”

Blair jabbed a finger at the door after the fact and raised her voice, but he was already gone.

Only Mediang, returning with herbal tea, stood there looking at her in bewildered silence.

❀❀❀

Tap tap tap.

Kalintz drummed his fingers on the study desk and stared at the amethyst brooch in front of him.

The memory of Blair insisting to the very end that it wasn’t hers made the amber of his eyes settle lower and darker.

He had seen it clearly at the lake that day. Her taking the brooch out and setting it on the cut stump, talking to herself without stopping.

“Allen, was it.”

“Pardon?”

Ernst Werner, standing beside him in the middle of reporting on the incident from the riding competition, looked up in confusion.

“You said you didn’t find anything back then.”

“Oh, that? Right. There was no one by the name of Allen in any of the information related to Miss Mervish. But why bring that up now?”

Allen. At the lake that day, Blair had murmured that name clearly.

But the information Ernst had brought back contained no mention of anyone called Allen.

“There’s definitely a connection to this thing……”

Kalintz turned the brooch over in his hands. The way she had kept stealing glances at it while insisting it wasn’t hers had been quietly heartfelt.

A keepsake from a first love, perhaps.

An irritation he couldn’t account for washed over him. Was it because he still hadn’t gotten the answer he wanted from her.

Kalintz set the brooch down on the desk with a sharp click.

“Ernst, you know the lake on the other side of the gap in the wall I used to use?”

“Well…… there’s more than one or two gaps you’ve used, Your Highness, and there’s more than one or two lakes outside the palace walls……”

Ernst said it with a slight furrow between his brows.

“The one near the north gate. The passage that got sealed during the wall repairs not long ago.”

“Ah, the one where you got completely caught by the head of the guard that one time and they sealed it off?”

“You seem pleased about that.”

Kalintz’s eyebrow twitched at the way Ernst’s expression brightened.

“Ahem. Not at all. Anyway, in that direction, let me think. I don’t recall anything notable on the map.”

“It was a bit small to call a lake, so it might just be an unnamed one. Look into it. Find out if there were any incidents or accidents there.”

“What?! Out of nowhere?”

Ernst asked with an expression of mild horror. Kalintz didn’t blink.

“Yes. Problem?”

“It’s just so sudden! An unnamed lake somewhere out there, with no context at all……”

“Ernst. Life is sudden.”

“I feel like my life would be considerably more orderly without you in it, Your Highness.”

Ernst said it with a pout and a grumble.

“In case you weren’t aware, I’m the captain of the knights. Do you know how much I have to do? I hold a pen more than a sword these days.”

“Ernst. I’m the prince. In case you weren’t aware.”

Kalintz laced his fingers together, rested his chin on the back of his hands, and smiled.

Ernst’s mouth fell open, then he let out a sound of resignation.

“…… Yes. Of course I’m aware. How could I not be. I’ll report immediately if anything turns up.”

“I appreciate it.”

Ernst gave an exaggerated bow and left the study.

What on earth has he gotten fixated on now. Honestly. My lot in life.

Ernst thought of the sharp gleam in Kalintz’s eyes, let out a long sigh, and walked down the corridor.

❀❀❀

“He made it sound like he was going to do something about that wager.”

Blair stabbed her already thoroughly mangled shortcake with a fork and muttered. The prince who had needled her with talk of seeing her again soon had been completely silent for a full week.

“No, wait. It’s a good thing he’s leaving me alone. Ha! Good riddance!”

Blair grumbled with a sour expression, telling herself the prince had clearly done something to her head.

Just then, her personal maid Lucia arrived with unexpected news.

“Hm? Her Highness the Queen, all of a sudden?”

“Yes! I didn’t hear the details, but apparently she wishes to present you with something……”

Lucia tilted her head, then broke into a bright smile as though it didn’t matter.

“But who cares! It’s a gift from Her Highness the Queen!”

Lucia was more excited than Blair was and fussed with enthusiasm. Blair wasn’t thrilled about this kind of attention from the queen, but she had no way of declining the summons.

The next day, Blair made her way to the queen’s palace reception room.

Thanks to Mediang’s steady supply of ointment and medicine, her ankle from the hunting grounds incident had healed completely.

He had, of course, credited all of it to the prince’s emergency treatment.

A memory from the forest surfaced without warning, and Blair shook her head to push it away.

By then she had already arrived at the queen’s palace reception room.

Inside, Queen Rhea was present, along with Olivia, Selina, and Tilda, who still had one leg wrapped in bandages from the commotion at the riding competition.

“Come in, Blair. It looks like your injury has healed up nicely.”

Queen Rhea welcomed her with a warm smile. Blair offered her usual courteous but measured greeting and reply.

“I called everyone here today because there is something I wish to give you, Miss Blair, and something I wish to say.”

The queen gestured, and a maid brought forward an elegantly crafted box.

Everyone looked at the box with curious eyes, but Blair felt a vague, unpleasant premonition.

The maid opened the box, and an exquisitely crafted necklace came into view.

“……!!”

“Oh my. This is……”

Everyone stood speechless, staring at the jewel inside.

“Yes. It is a necklace made from the Leaves of Tamira. You may know that the Leaves of Tamira was originally a very large emerald in its raw form.”

“Yes. I understand it was cut and set into three pieces, a necklace, a pair of earrings, and a bracelet.”

“Miss Selina certainly knows her gemstones.”

Queen Rhea said it with a gentle smile.

“The bracelet was presented to Miss Olivia, who placed first in the riding competition. And this necklace, I intend to give to Miss Blair.”

The bad feeling had, once again, proven entirely accurate.

Everyone, Blair included, was startled by the announcement that the most beautiful and elaborate of the three Leaves of Tamira pieces was to be given to her.

“Forgive me, Your Highness. I was the last to cross the finish line. Why would you……”

Blair trailed off quickly and looked to the queen.

“I remember what happened when Miss Tilda’s horse lost control. You turned back without a moment’s hesitation.”

The queen continued with a warm expression.

“It could have been dangerous for her as well, but it was a very courageous thing to do. And she had been riding quite near the front at the time.”

“That was…… something anyone would have done.”

“I’m not sure everyone would have.”

The queen said it with a deliberately gentle smile, but the words were aimed at someone specific. At Olivia, to be precise, who had the most skill of any of them and had still looked the other way when Tilda was in danger.

Blair glanced at Olivia. Her face had gone from cold to utterly frozen.

“The frons system is a long tradition of the kingdom, but…… I do sometimes wonder whether it is a necessary one.”

The queen continued in her characteristic calm, measured tone.

“It seems to make young ladies, in the bloom of their youth, far too aware of each other as rivals.”

The queen smiled with a trace of sadness and let her gaze drift briefly into the distance, as though reaching back into an old memory.

Come to think of it, the queen was a frons herself. There was quite a stir when the sole grand ducal lady of the Duchy of Valia became a frons……

Blair vaguely recalled hearing that there had been a storm of bloodshed in the royal family surrounding the frons of that era.

“But seeing what Miss Blair did that day put my mind somewhat at ease.”

Queen Rhea looked at Blair again with a kind expression.

“The friendship and courage you showed that day, I hope you will carry that with you and never lose it.”

The queen added that she hoped the others would also cherish one another, and then fastened that brilliant jewel around Blair’s neck herself.

“…… I am deeply honored, Your Highness.”

Blair could do nothing but bow her head and express her gratitude.

Predictably, a sharp gaze landed on the back of her neck almost immediately.