Volume 6 Chapter 4 Part 3
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Translation: Mar
Editing: Team Foxsunes
It was also an indispensable skill to possess, according to the nobles’ etiquette. I helped the Princess arrange the pieces on the board. First move belonged to the misty white pieces. The colored glass pieces moved second. I wondered what the Princess had in mind. The pieces on the opposite sides did not have the same arrangement. Each side was slightly different. It was all quite confusing. I opened my mouth and apologized.
「Please, forgive me, I’m not a good player…」
Truth be told, not only was I not good. I was actually terrible at it. It’s not that I didn’t know how to play but having that man as my opponent since we were children and being beaten by him every time, I have begrudgingly accepted long ago that I’m no good at it. Although my brother Fernan, who also kept losing constantly, never gave up and stayed determined and accepted every challenge. I think it was important to him that, as my brother, he could never give up and accept the fact that he was not good at it either. But I digress.
Hearing my answer, she looked slightly disappointed but almost immediately she changed her expression and turned her amber eyes towards my husband.
「In that case, Agedilus. You will be my opponent.」
「……understood. Who will make the first move?」
「Me, of course. You will play the other side. And since it’s you, surely you understand the meaning of the current arrangement, am I right?」
This way of speaking was meant to try him out. He sighed ostentatiously. Reluctantly he took one glance at the board and said shortly.
「It’s the current state of affairs.」
How was this our current state of affairs? Without thinking I tilted my head which made him sigh even more and continue.
「The white glass pieces are the Princess’s side. The colorful ones represent the Medium’s side. And each of the pieces indicates our current situation. Of course, the number of pieces is smaller than the number of real-life participants from both parties, so the result of this game will not fully reflect real life.」
His speech made me tilt my head even more. If it was as the man said, it would mean that Princess’s side, that is, the royal family’s side, and the Medium’s side (that is the town’s side) were in conflict.
What in the world was that supposed to mean? This thesis would mean that by the marriage of the Princess and the Medium, the royal court and the town must have already acknowledged this concern. But I couldn’t understand why it was in a form of 「war」or 「competition」. What did it signify? I didn’t tap on the board with her fingertips.
「Well then, shall we start?」
She proclaimed the start of the match leaving me with a thousand questions in my head. And with those words the game has begun.
Tap, tap. I could only hear the sound of the glass pieces on the wooden board. The game developed rapidly. I followed it with my gaze and did my best to keep up, but I couldn’t say who was winning after a while.
Although I wasn’t good at it, I had the intention to do it better, but seeing these two play the game made me realize that such confidence was close to garbage. When I go back to the capital I should probably ask my brother to practice the game with me. Since it’s that boy, he wouldn’t mind and would be happy to hang out with me. Had I become any better, I could make a decent game companion to the Princess.
I was thinking so while examining her face when suddenly a question popped up in my head. It was the same as the one I asked the Medium before. It was possible that it wasn’t my place to ask such a thing but I couldn’t help but do so.
「Princess. May I ask something?」
「What is it?」
「Please forgive me for asking, but what do you think about the Honored Medium?」
Her beautiful white hand stopped abruptly for the first time since the beginning of the game. She remained silent for a moment turning her amber eyes downward without looking at me. A small sarcastic smile was engraved on the pale red lips.
「Ah, I think he’s a good-looking decoration, an eye candy. I’m afraid that the Shrine has picked a skilled opponent.」
She spoke in a plain, uninterested voice, and I understood that the Princess’s true feelings were hidden behind those bitter words. I didn’t know what to say to that and simply stared at her. She glanced at me and smiled daringly.
「I am to become the queen. Heinrich and others are presently handling a lot of matters in secret already, so I don’t want you to feel any need to help me. Just stay the way you are as my companion and that would be enough.」
Speaking so with an impressive smile made her almost too beautiful. She was like a large strong lily in full bloom. Our country’s precious jewel, our pride. She was a person who shone by her own power, without anybody else’s help. It was amazing, but at the same time gave me a feeling of loneliness.
Suddenly I remembered the words of young Heinrich. He talked about sparing no effort to assist her. I realized that those words were correct. For the Medium, it wasn’t only a role of being a good-looking decoration. It also meant consciously fulfilling the role of the queen’s husband and always supporting and assisting her. Heinrich must have understood that, maybe even more so that the Princess herself.
……..Oh, I see. He must have stronger feelings towards the Princess than I’d thought.
The sudden realization was very compelling. As I said nothing the Princess looked away from me and got back to moving her cloudy white pieces. The man responded to her moves with his colored glass pieces. Clack, the colored glass piece knocked down a white glass one. At that exact moment the white piece changed into the vividly colored glass piece.「Ara」said the Princess in a small voice and touched her lips with her fingertips, deep in thought. Soon after she said「Come to think of that」in a sweet manner.
「Have I mentioned that it was Heinrich who recommended that the Medium as my future spouse?」
「No. Is that so?」
「Yes. Without direct influence of the government it would silence the shrine people who often meddle with government affairs. They would be restrained because of his social position connected to the spirit’s favourite. Pulling the enemy’s piece to your side and making it one of your pieces. Even in this board game this man is useful.」
That’s how it was. This time the Princess has knocked down the man’s colored glass piece with her white one and in the same way the lying piece turned milky white.
「It depends on Heinrich’s discretion whether that Medium will prove useful to such extent. But I trust in his foresight. Really, it’s so charmless it’s irritating.」
Even when she pouted her lips, she looked beautiful and sweet. It made my heart beat faster. Today too she was precious. She declared with ease 「That’s why I’m not worried about marriage itself」. Her tone of voice seemed to show that she deeply believed in this statement. ……..right. At last. I remember this feeling.
「Princess, you really trusts master Heinrich, don’t you?」
I felt something resembling jealousy. I couldn’t help feeling jealous of the Princess’s trust towards young Heinrich.
I strongly felt the presence of the small crimson bottle that was shown to me by Heinrich and forced onto me by that man. I couldn’t let it go so I ended up carrying it around with me all the time. Princess really trusted Heinrich if she entrusted him with this secret medicine that could kill a man.
It would have been better if she entrusted it with me… or not, I wasn’t not going to say that. I couldn’t say that. Had she entrusted me with it, I wouldn’t be able to use it on her. I would not have the courage. And Heinrich is prepared to guard the Princess’s life. He said so himself and she surely knows it as well. That’s the kind of trust that exists between them. I wanted to say it without sounding envious.
However, my words seemed to have surprised her. She opened her amber eyes wide.
「…….Is that how it looks to you?」
「Yes.」
It was oh so amazing. She nodded slightly and her face expression changed to an unexpectedly soft and warm one that she rarely showed.
「………….. I see.」
She bowed her head and said it in a somewhat mournful tone. This involuntary manner was appropriate for a woman her age. It was the same as that time she talked about young Heinrich a few days ago. And I remembered that this was the facial expression she had that day too. It was Heinrich. It was complex and made me feel strange too.
My husband moved a green piece and said shortly 「Checkmate」. The princess, who looked back onto the board, stared at her fallen over queen game piece and said in a quiet voice 「I lost.」.
「But in the end it’s just a game. I don’t believe in the slightest that it might happen in the real battle.」
She recovered quickly and put on a charming smile. In the end, she was the princess. And she behaved accordingly. I felt like clapping my hands in applause. I didn’t know what battle she meant but I was sure, just by observing her at that moment, that whatever it was she would not lose. As Heinrich had said, she is the direct heir to the throne. So if she says so, it has to be her way. A hundred percent. Even though…
「Princess, is that alright with you?」
I had no doubt that for her as an individual, not a public figure, it was not enough. She looked at my face which was clearly filled with worry and smiled beautifully.
「It’s no problem. Because you will be there for me Filmina. Isn’t that right?」
When she smiled so stunningly just for me, I blushed vividly even though I was a girl. Before I could properly admire her smile, the man’s hand covered my eyes. Bewildered and not being able to see anything I suddenly heard his displeased voice.
「Filmina is my wife.」
He particularly emphasized the word 「my」to which she laughed scornfully and replied 「I know that, don’t I」. Even though I couldn’t see her, her voice sounded very confident. I thought I could hear the sound of fireworks and tried to pull down that man’s hand but I was unsuccessful. I felt cold sweat.
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