Volume 01; Behind the Scenes: Part 02

Not even a speck of my prayer reached the gods. Is this the curse of not believing in them every day?

“――― Miss Elianna. This is a confection made from brown sugar from the southern continent. It’s very popular with young women from my kingdom right now.”

He gave her an elaborately crafted sweet, and Miss Elianna blinked her eyes in confusion.

They were in the resting area of the royal palace archives. According to a report from Alan, the new ambassador has been enthusiastically attending night parties and tea parties just like all the other ambassadors, but he grew irritated when he couldn’t find the person he was aiming for. ――― Per her agreement with His Highness, Miss Elianna didn’t have to appear in high society unless she needed to.

Then, the new ambassador changed his approach and started showing up at the royal palace archives. His purpose was, of course, Miss Elianna.

From my view of vision, as I felt like getting a headache, Uncle Theodore was flipping through the catalogue of books as if it was someone else’s problem.

It was Uncle who had dragged me away when I only came to pick up some documents. “You’ll see something interesting,” he said. As someone who has to clean up afterwards, this was an act that shouldn’t happen.

“Please try some, Miss Elianna. I would like to hear your honest opinion on it.”

I sighed quietly in my mind. This ambassador seemed to be aiming for Miss Elianna’s extensive knowledge for a few days now. He probably received some useful advice on his own kingdom’s problems during his conversation with the Queen the other day.

It wasn’t bad for him to aim for that, but the tricks he uses to attract woman are ordinary.

Before I could open my mouth, someone had entered the room unnoticed and passed through the side and picked up a piece of sweet.

“――― Tears of the Black Pearl. This looks delicious. Lord Effingham. May I have one too?”

It was His Highness Christopher with his dazzling blonde hair and handsome smile. The ambassador seemed surprised by the Crown Prince’s sudden appearance, but he was advised to leave himself some room and not say a thing.

His Highness nodded calmly and attracted Miss Elianna’s attention, “Elianna.” He bit off half the sweet and pressed the remaining half against her lips.

“…?!”

Miss Elianna’s eyes widened. She loosened her lips, and he pushed the sweet in.

His Highness watched as Miss Elianna turned black and white and mischievously licked the fingers that had touched her.

Fixed concepts of etiquette and behaviour don’t exist here. The people who are watching just want to vomit sugar. Even if you are restraining yourself, can’t you do this when you two are alone, Your Highness?

Miss Elianna had her eyes wide in surprise. She chewed the sweet that was pushed into her mouth, but her emotions were apparent on her face.

“… M-miss Elianna?” The ambassador sounded confused. No matter how you look at her, she had made that expression because of the confectionary, not because of His Highness.

It’s not that there was a problem with the sweets called the Tears of Black Pearl. That is a limited edition foreign confectionery that is also popular with ladies in our kingdom.

It’s just that there’s a problem with the person who is eating it.

“Are you alright? Elianna.”

His Highness, who had done something he shouldn’t have, ordered the maid to bring tea. Miss Elianna quickly washed her mouth with the tea, and the ambassador looked as if he’d received a shocking blow.

I understand how you feel. Because she undermines the three main principles that butter a woman up: dresses, jewellery and sweets. I was also shocked when I saw her act like this for the first time.

… Uncle Theodore. You may be holding back your chuckles, but I recall that you were just like the ambassador a year ago.

“I’m sorry… I’m not good with sweets.” Miss Elianna, who apologised, didn’t like sweets, contrary to her appearance, which looked like she does. How sinful is it that the person who had just shrewdly sat down next to her had the qualities of a devil even though he looked handsome on the outside.

Say, Your Highness. Your office has a mountain of documents waiting to be approved, so why are you lazing around for?

If you have time to smooth things over with a dry laugh, and glare at the ambassador who’s trying to attract Miss Elianna’s attention, then won’t you return to work?

“――― Is this called Tears of the Black Pearl?” Miss Elianna asked with interest, and Uncle looked at her with curiosity. The ambassador’s complexion was restored.

“Yes. Our kingdom’s confectionery artisans did a lot of research and worked hard to make it. It was originally made to spread the name of the black pearl that we had discovered last year, but nowadays, the sweet is becoming more famous,” the ambassador became talkative once he’d recovered. “If you don’t mind…” he invited her with a smile on his handsome face.

“I’ll prepare one for Miss Elianna. The soft colour of the pearls would suit you, and I’m sure that the nobility of the black pearls will shine on you.”

I feel like I had him issue a challenge to His Highness, ‘more than the blue corundum’. My insides went cold.

No man courts Miss Elianna in this kingdom. One, because she has the title of the Crown Prince’s fiancée, and two, His Highness Christopher restrains any man who approaches her with his smile and cold gaze.

The ambassador, who was opposing His Highness, had guts and should be commended, but won’t you stop since his smile is getting wider?

“Elianna. I think that you look better with the sea gems known as the mermaid gems rather than the black pearls. It also matches your eyes… all the more so if you focus on the future. I’ll get a new one made for you.”

The mermaid gems which His Highness had mentioned with a hidden meaning probably referred to aquamarine. It was a gem that had the meaning of 『happy marriage』and I heard it was popular amongst young ladies.

Although the two men were exchanging rivalry gazes, Miss Elianna replied like usual, “No, thank you.”

His Highness’s shoulders fell for a moment. Miss Elianna’s interest seemed to be directed at the sweets on top of the top.

“When I read 『Karly’s Myths』, there was a story about the black pearls. The book is a collection of stories about gods who the southern continent tribes worship… It is said that the incarnation of the Goddess Kahina, who the Marutai sea tribe worship, is a jewel called the Tears of the Black Pearls.”

“Oh. Then, the artisans must have known about this myth, but I don’t know if they named it that because of the myth,” the ambassador responded friendly, but His Highness and Uncle thought for a bit. I predicted that we had just gotten useful information.

In recent years, the pirates have been raging in the seas and have caused problems for southern maritime trade. As a seaside nation, Miseral Dukedom should also be facing this difficult situation, but they were able to minimise the damage that the pirates had done with peculiar tricks.

However, by using the small and rare black pearls that could be harvested in Miseral, and transferring them to the tribes of the southern continent may be a clue to reducing the damage caused by the pirates.

Seaside tribes shouldn’t have suffered much damage from the pirates, and if both continents cooperate, then we might be able to find an effective way to deal with the pirates.

“Lord Effingham. I’ve thought of something that has to do with trade in your kingdom. Let’s move to a different room to talk.”

I can tell that His Highness was using this excuse to send the ambassador away.

“No, I…” I had thought that the ambassador, who was fixated on Miss Elianna, was quick-witted, but I overestimated him since he couldn’t even tell that the story right now had to do with trade in his kingdom.

“I would love to give Miss Elianna the black pearls…” Miss Elianna, the only person who didn’t seem to understand anything, replied in the same manner, “Thank you, but no thanks. It’s too much for me.”

“I have… the blue corundum.”

I could see that His Highness was in a good mood.

But I wonder why. I felt like I heard her say, 『borrowed』.

I prayed that it was my imagination because His Highness was in a good mood.

◊♦◊♦◊♦◊

The ambassador from Miseral Dukedom was entrusted with the mission of negotiating with the southern continent and was driven away by His Highness. A new, elderly and gentle ambassador turned up at Southlynd.

After that, I often saw a glimpse of Miss Elianna’s title of 『Brains of Southlynd』, and was impressed.

The writing tool that His Highness and I use also started when Miss Elianna saw that His Highness had injured his wrist while practising the sword, and had trouble writing, so she gave him this tool.

At first, he practised a lot because he wasn’t used to writing with it, but he was a fast learner, and it soon became his favourite writing tool. I think the chamberlain, who saw him write with it, spread this writing tool.

She also solved the previous problem with Maldura Kingdom, and when I was talking to His Highness about the military budget for the year, I suddenly wanted to ask her the same question.

However, this young lady isn’t concerned about anything else once she starts focusing on reading, and she had a unique skill of driving unconcerned things out. She doesn’t even twitch when Glenn accidentally makes a blunder while dividing the tea utensils. I admire her concentration.

I felt terrible and tried to change the subject, but His Highness called out to her, “――― Elianna.”

Her silver eyelashes blinked quietly, and she slowly raised her ashy-blue eyes.

Her eyes blinked as if she knew why he was calling her, but at the same time, she didn’t know why. His Highness smiled gently and drew her attention, “We’re touching the subject of the military’s budget. What would you use it for Elianna?”

She continued blinking when he asked her this question and as if she still hadn’t pulled out of the world of books yet.

I can see now why they were still not mutually in love with each other and why it was counted as one of the Seven Wonders by the court ladies who accompany His Highness… Your Highness, I can see that you’re enjoying this. I hope your flexibility doesn’t lead to a situation where you’re strangled…

I sighed in resignation and said, “We’re wondering if we should build more schools and stuff like that.”

Miss Elianna closed the book she was reading and shook her head.

“I think it’s important to raise the literacy rate of the people but…”

Bernstein people will fuss about that over everything else. I thought, while feeling dubious. She was urged to continue, and she told us her ideas, “For example, in poverty-stricken villages in the rural areas, even if they can read, or have books it doesn’t become a dora. The most important thing in villages like that is what they can eat for the day. Being able to read won’t fill their stomachs.”

“…”

Southlynd is a relatively stable and affluent kingdom in the Ars continent, but of course, the disparity of wealth exists here. The difference is remarkable the further you go from the royal capital.

I was struck with surprise when she had spoken about it as if she had seen it herself. His Highness was the same. She ducked her head a little.

“I read about it in Dan Eduard’s travel journal,” she said.

I recalled something a little bitter. I was interested in Mr Dan Eduard because of the incident in Weimar, and when I had actually picked up the book, I understood why his writing style wasn’t popular with the general public; rather than a travel journal, he wrote it like a report. But, his abilities were hard to come by. So, I tried to persuade him to gather intelligence for us, but I was turned down.

“I’m more suited for writing my travel journals as I like,” he said.

So I looked him up a bit. Who was publishing his unsold travel journals? Who was funding him to travel to remote regions that weren’t suited for trips?

In other words, rather than work for the royal palace by collecting intelligence, he felt a debt of gratitude to the Bernstein House who had quickly discovered his talents and appointed him a post.

Just how many others are like him? I recalled something that made my head hurt, and replied, “Are you saying that we should support those villages with the excess budget?”

Miss Elianna frowned as if it was difficult.

“I also think that’s important, but… We should first leave it up to the feudal lords to decide. If you’re going to use the kingdom’s budget, then I think you should spend it on updating health care in Krug.”

“In Krug?” His Highness asked as if he was thrust into the void.

Krug was located at the foot of the northern mountain range. It was a fief that didn’t have any specialties, was neither good nor bad and rarely cause problems.

Miss Elianna nodded meekly.

“According to the records of the culture and geography book that Max Wiz published five years ago, 『Valley of Winter』, the people of that region have always had a strong sense of indigenous belief and concepts, and the males dominate the women.”

She seemed a little flustered because we were listening carefully, but continued, “Krug has an overwhelmingly lower birth rate than other areas. I thought that this was probably due to the influence of their indigenous beliefs and concepts. But, not all of them are bad.

――― I heard that giving birth is an important deed that women put their lives on the line for. That’s why I don’t believe that the act of nurturing and producing life should be directly linked to death… I don’t think it would be easy to melt the deeply rooted concepts overnight, but I still think Southlynd should show its will to its people rather than do nothing and fold their hands.”

No matter their indigenous beliefs, they are Southlynd people as long as they live here, so we should lend them a helping hand if they are facing a life-threatening issue.

All the more so if the children they birth are the future children of Southlynd.

I was impressed inside. This part of her was what made her rare.

While talking about ideals and sound arguments, she stares firmly at reality. How did she acquire this ability?

“Did you think about this before, Miss?” Glenn asked in a similarly impressed way. Miss Elianna lightly tilted her head.

“I did… but I thought about it after reading Weimar’s regional circulation notice.”

“What do you mean?” His Highness urged and his expression softened a little.

“I felt that the women are very robust after reading the regional circulation notices. The short columns are the same. The housewives manage their houses enthusiastically, and their children are also healthy. Their husbands do their best for their families. That’s how an area becomes lively and prospers. The women were also the ones who came up with the Sami fish dishes. Some women couldn’t move while they were pregnant, and their health plummeted after giving birth. I thought that supporting women would help revitalise a community… and in turn, the kingdom will flourish.”

『Brains of Southlynd』… I was reminded of those words again. Unique to women. There is also an idea like that, isn’t there?

His Highness also pondered. “Thank you for your opinion,” he said, and she went back to reading her book when she realised that the conversation was over.

I sighed a little because I predicted that my workload would increase.

Glenn was looking at Miss Elianna in admiration, and I couldn’t deny that I also admired her.

――― But…

Can I say something? The book that she was more enthusiastic about than our conversation is called 『How to Tell Which Wild Grasses are Edible. You Can Also be Self-sufficient from Today! 』

How did the daughter of a Marquis, and the fiancée of the Crown Prince, get a book on wild grasses… no self-sufficient lifestyle… in the first place? I wanted to rebuke at this scene. I also thought about things that gave me a headache today.