“Have you been enjoying your stay?”
“Of course! Thanks to Your Highness, we are having an absolutely delightful time.”
“I’m glad to hear that. The reason I came today is to ask whether anyone would like to accompany me on a short trip tomorrow.”
“A trip?”
“There’s a scenic ruin nestled in the low mountains nearby. The plan is to take a walk through the mountain trails, visit the ruins, have tea at a nearby convent, spend a peaceful night there, and return the next day.”
“Oh, how intriguing!”
Sure.
Honestly, the only person in the Redfield family who might find this temple-stay-style trip remotely interesting was me.
But of course, Percival wasn’t just looking for a travel companion.
And Father knew that perfectly well.
“Natalie, what do you think?”
“......”
“My legs are a bit too worn out for hiking these days. It would be wonderful if you could accompany His Highness.”
“You rolled down a hill multiple times during the hunting tournament and still managed to get back up. What are you talking about?”
“Ahem! That’s... not the point!”
Mother cleared her throat lightly. The unspoken pressure was clear.
Natalie nodded.
“I’d... like to see if it’s enjoyable. Yes. I’ll come along.”
She really tried her best to sound interested.
Mother rubbed her temples, while Percival chuckled.
“Oh, I promise it will be enjoyable. And if it isn’t, I’ll make sure to entertain you, Lady.”
His smooth tone carried not a single ounce of genuine affection toward Natalie.
If anything, it sounded more like “And what exactly do you plan to do about it?”
My mouth moved before I could stop it.
“That sounds so fun! I’d like to join as well.”
“...Excuse me?”
Natalie and Percival turned toward me at the exact same moment.
“You said it’s tomorrow, right? I’ll go with my sister.”
Behind me, Mother grabbed my fingers. But I ignored her and stood firm.
Percival’s expression stiffened.
“Are you sure? It might be a rather dull trip for a young lady.”
“Oh, don’t worry. There’s no one in society who enjoys dull activities more than I do.”
Even Natalie nodded at that statement.
Percival clearly found my presence annoying, but he couldn’t outright tell me not to come. After grumbling to himself, he eventually agreed to our arrangement for the next day.
Once our pointless tea time ended, Percival left, the people of the marquisate returned to their usual routines, and our family was left alone.
Mother sighed.
“Doris. Why did you interfere? You’re not trying to sabotage your sister, are you?”
“Sabotage? I’m helping. First of all, those two aren’t even in a relationship yet. They’re not even friends.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“If a man and woman who barely know each other go on a quiet trip alone, they’ll run out of things to talk about. It’ll get awkward. If you add an extra person to the mix, it broadens the conversation, helping them build a more comfortable relationship for when they eventually meet alone.”
“That sounds oddly logical. But it’s also strange hearing you pretend to know anything about romance.”
“...Fair.”
“Well, I doubt you’ll cause trouble for your sister...”
Mother hesitated, so I delivered the final blow.
“More importantly, if my sister and His Highness were alone, there would be no guarantee that she wouldn’t push him off a cliff.”
“Doris!”
Mother gasped. But neither she nor Father, nor even Natalie, could completely dismiss the possibility.
Natalie nodded.
“True. Percival has a habit of choosing his words carefully... until he doesn’t.”
“Exactly. I’ll make sure to be around when it matters, but I’ll step aside when it seems more appropriate for them to be alone. I do have that much awareness.”
Eventually, Mother and Father relented.
But Natalie wasn’t convinced.
After our parents left for their rooms, she turned to me.
“Doris. I told you I didn’t want to see you grimacing at my choices. And yet, here you are following me to my vacation spot and now this trip?”
“I won’t grimace.”
“Don’t play word games. ...You know exactly what I’m trying to avoid.”
I did.
She wanted to avoid losing face in front of her younger sister.
But I had one thing to say.
“The only thing I want to avoid is you feeling like you have no one on your side.”
“......”
“I do trust you. But this isn’t our hometown. We’re in unfamiliar territory. Just in case.”
“...Honestly.”
“And if—hypothetically—you ever decide to push someone off a cliff, I won’t stop you.”
“Pfft—ha! Now that I like.”
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Natalie chuckled.
“Fine, come along. At least I can predict that you’ll prefer the ruins and convent over the marquisate.”
“The marquisate is nice, too.”
“You got sick of it in a single day. You looked like you wanted to talk to no one by the time we had our morning tea.”
“...You read me too well.”
“Then pack your bags. I’ll be at tonight’s party.”
Yes. There was a party at the marquisate that evening.
The marquis, who loved socializing, had invited noble guests from across the region.
Thankfully, I wasn’t forced to attend, so I stayed in my room and packed instead.
The maids glanced at me.
“You’re spending a night at a convent? Lady Natalie must hate that idea.”
“Agreed. You know she despises such places.”
Maybe that’s exactly why Percival chose it.
Some men do that.
The kind who deliberately gift their wives something they hate just to force a smile out of them.
Will my sister be able to handle it?
Dammit. Both of them have terrible personalities, but Percival has the upper hand.
Natalie is hot-tempered and impulsive, but Percival is calculating. The balance is off.
...Calculating.
Wait.
Does Percival even like hiking, ruins, or convents?
Did he choose this itinerary just to dictate the pace of the trip?
His reaction when I joined was telling.
What if his goal is to put Natalie in a difficult position?
I wasn’t sure what he was scheming—
But I stopped packing and turned to a maid.
“I need a favor.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“When we’re packing...”
“...Oh. That much is doable, of course.”
With at least one layer of safety in place, I prepared myself.
Percival.
My sister might be a terrible person.
But only I get to complain about her.
You? You don’t get to pull that.
I’ll be right by her side.
The Journey to Blue Atrium
As the carriage headed north, the air grew crisper.
Arthur inhaled deeply as if he’d just surfaced from a swim, then opened the window.
“We must be getting close, Prince Tristan.”
“...Indeed.”
Tristan shot an irritated glance at the man across from him.
Arthur Albion.
The next lord of the vast northern province of Frost Hill. A formidable swordsman. Universally acknowledged as a handsome man.
Also, the one who won this season’s most beautiful lady.
That’s all fine and well, but...
“...What is that?”
“Pardon?”
“That handkerchief in your pocket.”
Arthur, ever the neat and polished noble, had come dressed impeccably for the journey.
Except...
There was a ridiculous-looking yellow embroidery sticking out of his shirt pocket.
Arthur’s face turned red with pride and embarrassment.
“Oh! You noticed?”
Tristan had a very bad feeling.
Arthur lifted the handkerchief like it was a treasured artifact.
“This is a daisy handkerchief! Embroidered by my beloved lady for my safe return.”
A daisy...? That doesn’t look like a flower. It looks like a bear with five ears.
But Tristan, being polite, refrained from pointing it out.
Arthur folded it carefully and tucked it back in.
“It’s a little embarrassing. We’re not engaged yet, but she wanted to give me something for my journey...”
“I understand. A lady’s sentiment is valuable.”
“Oh, but Your Highness has a fiancée, don’t you? Did she gift you anything?”
She did!
A precious gift, wrapped carefully with a letter!
Tristan barely restrained the urge to brag immediately.
“...Well. Obviously.”