The founding myth of the empire, the story of the first emperor and the four heroes who fought alongside him, was a popular one.
The first emperor succeeded in defeating the demonic beasts that had overrun the continent and established a barrier that separated them.
The god himself then descended and bestowed power upon the five heroes who brought peace to the continent. The four heroes were given the powers of fire, wind, earth, and water, respectively, and the Emperor was given the power of light to encompass and control them all.
Since the first Emperor, the Empire flourished. The Imperial family had also put the power of light to good use. But hundreds of years have passed. Soon, all stories became myths, and the Imperial family lost the power of light. The heroic families had fallen into decline and were no longer recognized, and only the House of Castraine remained.
Single-handedly in charge of the Northern Border, even House Castraine had reached its limits. The bond had begun to weaken. As a way to strengthen it, they sought out the divine weapons that the heroes had wielded.
One such weapon was <Gloriana’s Insignia>.
Of course, the most crucial point was that Duke Castraine had been collecting ancient weapons in secret, unbeknownst to the Imperial family, and Titania was telling him about it. Something no one in the Imperial Family was supposed to know about.
Raymon did not think twice.
The blade slid noiselessly from its scabbard, stopping just short of Titania’s throat.
“…What is your purpose here, Princess Titania?”
Raymon’s golden eyes flashed eerily. Like a bird of prey encountering an enemy threatening its nest.
* * *
If you asked me what my purpose is, I suppose I should answer you.
What I want is!
An immediate breakup.
A building at least three stories high in the downtown district of the capital.
Fifty million gold in cash.
A safe means of escape from the Imperial Court.
A decent low-level noble family title that no one would know I borrowed!
“…”
…I couldn’t say that. Damn it.
I had to fight to keep from crying and begging as I stared at the sharp blade that stopped just short of slicing my throat.
Wow, yeah, that was the real deal.
My skin tingled. I can’t believe my fiancé has been so nonchalant all this time, even when I’ve been tap-dancing on the edge of his patience by being a total jerk. Because he probably saw me as ‘A little girl who will calm down as soon as she throws a temper tantrum’ and everything went in one ear and out the other!
My fingertips were rapidly turning cold and my ears were buzzing, but I desperately forced the corners of my mouth up into a smile.
Turning to my fiancé, who was looking at me with eyes that seemed to be taking in my every move.
“Shall we call it an ‘engagement gift’ that I’m giving you without my parents’ knowledge?”
I rolled my eyes and smiled, glad my lips didn’t quiver. Like a naturally vain and fickle princess.
“I mean, my dear Lord Raymon… You know I haven’t given you a single suitable gift in all these years.”
“…”
For a moment, I wondered if he’d just ignore me and check the color of the blood running through my veins but, as usual, he was a sensible man.
Even in the novel, with Vivi’s second brother or her father, who would easily lose all reason when ‘Vivi’ was involved, he was the one who single-handedly kept the situation and his family under control.
“As it happens, I’ve been aware of what Lord Raymon has been doing, and I’ve been thinking…”
I pick up my teacup, its contents still steaming, and empty it. The pure white tablecloth got stained orange.
“Something’s strange.”
“…”
He flinched, and I could see his fingertips shaking. If I was really an ignorant princess who grew up sheltered in the palace, I would have whined and cried, ‘Are you really trying to kill me,’ or ‘What do you think you’re doing,’ and run away in terror, but…
This man was a sword master. He could hold a sword with one hand and carve an elaborate statue with the other. He might get a little flustered by the fact that I’m not afraid of him, not cowering in front of his sword and just casually spilling my teacup, but he was not going to ‘accidentally’ wound me.
Everything was covered in bandages and there was hardly any bare skin to begin with.
Well, the real question remained.
‘I woke up from the dead and it reminded me of my past life… I remembered a book I read then, and it was like a prophecy or something, and it said I was obsessed with you and clingy and poisoned my prospective sister-in-law and ruined my life, and now I’m an Imperial, and I don’t give a shit about my parents and my engagement and all that, I just want to get on with my life, can you help me?’
How could I say that?!
Instead, I blurted out in a rush.
“I remember once, like, years ago… Three years ago, I think, your brother who hates me so much, Lysianthus, got himself a new sword, didn’t he? I heard it was a great sword, decorated with flames and red jewels.”
“…”
“Quite coincidentally, after you danced the first dance with Count Orland’s eldest daughter at her birthday banquet, I learned that the Count’s specialty is… Was it garnets, which are specially made to contain fire elemental magic?”
The other man’s eyes wavered slightly.
It was obvious agitation. Of course it was, it was only natural.
The ‘Princess Titania’ he knew was a girl who could care less about swords and blades, and who only threw a fit because her fiancé had danced with another woman.
“They have to be picked by hand, and the actual number that comes out each year is less than twenty. They’re supposed to be given to the Imperial Family, so to send such a precious item up to the duchy, well, it was said that Count Orland was very concerned with his daughter’s social debut.”
Yes, silly Titania.
Raymon, who was experienced with high society, wouldn’t ignore the existence of his fiancée, even if she was only a mere figurehead, to raise the profile of the daughter of a mere vassal. There had to be more to it than that.
What Raymon’s brother, Lysianthus, got was <Flamberge’s Wrath>.
A sword that contains the power of the gods, most notably the power of fire. Not a sword that Count Orland forged with their garnets.
House Castraine was not allowed to openly collect divine-powered weapons. If they did, they would be subject to Imperial scrutiny.
The weapons wielded by the three brothers of House Castraine were a matter of interest to everyone. So when the Duke finally found the divine weapon, he put on a show to fool everyone and pass the sword to his second son in a relatively uneventful manner.
Lord Raymon danced with Count Orland’s eldest daughter, making her the center of gossip in the social scene that year, and then he showed everyone his second son using the new sword. It was planned as such so that everyone would think the sword had been the Count’s bribe for the dance.
Titania had been devastated when her fiancé had ignored her and was taking another partner for the first dance at a stranger’s party, and she’d been left reeling in shock.
If Titania had known, she would have rushed to the emperor, crying and begging. How dare her fiancé, from a ducal house, dishonor her and the Imperial family by deceiving them using such means.
What…
I’m not saying it was not true, but…
“So I thought, ah, Lord Raymon, you are a man who moves only when there is a price to be paid.”
I laughed, somewhat naturally.
“…”
Raymon’s frosty gaze snapped toward me. I didn’t say the name of <Flamberge’s Wrath> out loud, but my mention of <Gloriana’s Insignia> was enough for him to know what I meant.
“So I prepared a gift for you, but you refuse to take it, and I, for one, am heartbroken.”
“…”
I made a show of wiping away tears that weren’t falling, as Raymon slowly bit his lip and lowered his sword. Yeah, it was not something he could deal with by slitting my throat right now. In fact, I’m pretty sure he only pulled out the sword to scare me, not to seriously hurt me.
It would have never occurred to him that a princess, who had grown up sheltered her entire life, would have the strength to withstand the fury of a warrior who had come close to death so many times.
“…I beg your pardon, my lady.”
After gritting his teeth slightly, Lord Raymon smiled. It was a picture-perfect smile, like a well-drawn mask.
“I did not imagine that Her Highness would be interested in the affairs of my family.”
“I am not.”
At my immediate reply, Lord Raymon’s eyes widened a little. He seemed a little taken aback.
For better or worse, I momentarily turned wistful. Just a little… I wish I’d been paying just a little more attention…
