“Not at all. I enjoyed it. Hasn’t today been the most honest you’ve opened up since we first met? Honesty is always the best policy, isn’t it? Thanks to you, I now understand well why you made that decision.”

I was relieved he understood so generously. But I had no idea what kind of face to put on when I raised my head. Has my inner state always been this unpredictable, jumping all over the place like this?

Just then, a faint shadow fell over my head, and a familiar warmth gently brushed through my hair. The exact same warmth I had felt from that jacket he had once taken off for me. But this time, I had no urge to pull away. Unlike that time, I felt my leaping heart gradually settle instead.

“Did it bring you comfort?”

At Heliones’s question, I said nothing and simply gave a quiet nod.

“It did for me as well. Your warmth was a comfort to me.”

I’m glad. If it was a comfort to you too, then I’m truly glad.

After our serious conversation came to an end, we sat in the garden as usual, drank tea, and exchanged a brief chat about things like what the weather might be like tomorrow.

True to his words, the air of what was now fully summer hung heavy and damp, as though rain were on its way. Before long my forehead had grown moist, but I had no desire to get up and leave.

In the inner garden where not a single breeze stirred, there were only red flowers, the dim light of a hazy moon, and the low sound of his voice. I committed the scene to memory, deep in my eyes and heart, thinking I wanted to cut it out exactly as it was and transfer it to a canvas.

Heliones, who had approved my proposal, moved quickly despite how busy the trial must have kept him. A reporter came to the lodging to interview me the very next day. From the business card, it was a journalist from a fairly reputable newspaper I recognized.

“I am here at the imperial household’s request, but I intend to write the article based on the facts as much as possible. His Majesty has given his approval as well.”

“Of course. I have no intention whatsoever of stirring up public opinion with falsehoods. If that were my aim, I would have chosen to plant a sensational piece in a gossip sheet instead.”

Even in the Frianc Empire, the most advanced on the continent, the history of weekly publications was not long. These journalists, just beginning to form a press consciousness, took pride in seeing themselves as voices for the civic awareness they were helping to cultivate. At times they published fairly pointed articles about the royal family and the great houses, placing their sense of mission above their personal safety.

Among them, the newspaper the reporter who visited today belonged to was particularly well known for its willingness to speak hard truths to those in power. When I saw that name on the business card, I understood that Heliones trusted in my resolve, and I told myself I needed to be even sharper.

The interview was conducted in considerable detail and with great seriousness, lasting about two hours. Rather than dwelling on prophecies or abilities, the reporter focused his questions on the harms of consanguineous marriage practiced to preserve ability, and on what I thought of the current political situation in Rodencia.

I expressed my views as honestly as I could, but even as I answered, I became aware of how shallow my knowledge was, and I resolved to pay closer attention and study more going forward.

“Once the article runs, public opinion will split more sharply. You know you have many enemies, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Factions seeking the revival of Rodencia, or those who simply want to see your downfall, will pour out even more sensational pieces. Are you aware of that?”

“I am. Even so, interest in Rodencia will grow. And the rulers will pay closer attention to Rodencia’s internal affairs, if only to avoid giving anyone grounds to justify a war.”

Whether my answer satisfied him I couldn’t say, but the reporter tucked his notebook into his br*ast pocket and pulled his fedora down, looking ready to wrap things up.

“Ah, there is something I’m personally curious about. Would it be all right if I asked?”

Just before rising from his seat, he asked in a noticeably more careful tone than before, and I gave a calm nod.

“What is your relationship with His Majesty?”

I knew this question would come. In fact, it was almost surprising he had held off asking it for the entire interview.

“We went through a difficult time together, and now we are partners working in cooperation to prevent war.”

The answer I had spent the whole night preparing before the meeting flowed out of me smoothly. Saying it aloud, I felt something lift from my chest.

“One more thing. Is His Majesty’s remarriage currently in progress?”

“We are partners, but I am not privy to His Majesty’s private affairs. On that matter, I know nothing beyond what the imperial household has officially announced.”

“I see. Thank you for your sincere and forthcoming answers.”

The reporter gave a slight nod, as though that was all he needed, and left the lodging. After he was gone, the tension drained out of me and I nearly collapsed into my chair, sinking into it.

“Are you all right? Wasn’t that too much?”

“I suppose so. I must have been more nervous than I realized. I’m only a little dizzy, so I’ll be fine after a short rest.”

I hadn’t fully recovered from the surgery yet, so I was physically drained as well, but the truth was that the more I spoke, the more a sense of responsibility came pressing in over things I hadn’t fully considered, such as matters concerning the people still remaining in Rodencia.

Aside from when I was being used for political marriages, I had never once been treated as royalty, and so I had never received any instruction in governance, which meant I had little sense of myself as a royal to begin with.

And yet, though this was a path I had chosen myself, there was something both absurd and pitiable about the fact that only now, when I was no longer royalty, was I thinking about my obligations in order to clean up a mess I hadn’t even made.

‘Even so, this is better than being a troublesome royal who could only be used for political marriages. What good does it do to assign blame at this point? I should be grateful there is something I can do.’

I closed my eyes to quiet my restless thoughts, and the red garden from the night before appeared at once against the dark of my eyelids. I was glad I had committed it to memory.

Sitting still did nothing to lift my mood. I got up, settled in front of the canvas, and squeezed a generous amount of red paint onto the palette.

The article came out the next day. I hadn’t said a word about it, but Hanna went out early in the morning and brought back a newspaper, reading my mind without me having to ask. The article was written in a purely factual, descriptive style, and even the headline was simply: 

“An Interview with Lady Lucian, Former Princess of Rodencia and Former Wife of His Imperial Majesty.” He could have written something more sensational to drive sales, but the reporter had done exactly what his manner suggested he would, listing only the facts.

He had not written a single line of personal opinion about my statements, so it was impossible to tell whether he viewed my course of action favorably or not. I couldn’t yet know how readers would respond to the article either, but for now I decided to be satisfied simply with the fact that I had expressed my views in full, without anyone else’s opinion mixed in.

“Hmm. After talking with you for two whole hours, you’d think he’d have some sense of who you are, but this is rather cold, isn’t it?”

Hanna had been holding onto the article far longer than I had, and she pursed her lips, apparently dissatisfied with how plain it was. I stroked her head slowly to soothe her and shared my own thoughts.

“This is better. An objective account free of bias is exactly what I wanted. All I truly want is to stop the war.”

Hanna was unconditionally on my side, but a little soothing wasn’t going to put her in a better mood that easily. Even so, we didn’t have the luxury of a long conversation today.

That was because I was scheduled to attend the Summer Night Ball, which had been suspended due to the *ssault on Delmir and was now resuming. Personally, I had no desire to attend, but having made my decision, I didn’t want to back down. I had already put my views before the public through the article, and I wanted to make my position clear before the influential figures there as well.

Attending a ball is quite an exhausting affair. You have to start getting ready in the morning and study the profiles of the attendees, and today the fatigue was compounded by having to memorize various responses to express my position clearly.

Hanna, busy on my behalf, brushed my hair and helped me get ready, humming to herself the whole time for reasons I couldn’t quite fathom.

“You always say it’s too much trouble, but I wish opportunities like this came around more often. It’s genuinely rewarding to dress you up. You’re lovely every day, but your features are so striking that when you’re properly done up, there’s a certain overwhelming presence about you! Since you won’t let me use heavy ornaments, today I’m going to make the most of this rich red hair and make everyone at the ball turn to look at you!!”

I would have preferred to keep my hair neatly tied back, but I couldn’t bring myself to refuse Hanna’s earnest plea to at least let her handle the hair styling if I wasn’t going to wear jewelry. Hanna spent the entire day brushing my hair and applying various things to it with great care, and by the time the sun began to dip and the hour of the ball drew near, my long, full hair fell in soft, swaying waves around me.

“Oh. This is actually quite good.”

My honest reaction upon looking in the mirror made Hanna lift her chin and preen with an adorable air of self-satisfaction.

“See? I told you to leave it to me!”

“It looks beautiful to me as well. It certainly draws the eye enough that no other adornment seems necessary.”