Chapter 49
The Empire's Fourth Prince, Tsetsedra, is a man whose name would long survive in stories as that of a tragic prince.
Yet now, he stood before me, facing Rays-sama with a slightly tense expression.
"You are Tsetsedra=Delassa-sama, I presume. I am Rays=Stein. I am deeply grateful that you have welcomed our army into your territory on this occasion."
After bowing deeply to Rays-sama, Tsetsedra hesitated, saying, "Ah, um..." and glanced at General Gafor.
General Gafor bent down and whispered something in Tsetsedra's ear. During that time, Rays-sama never raised his head.
Once General Gafor straightened up, Tsetsedra cleared his throat softly.
"Your nation's chivalrous spirit saved the people of our country. Though there are unresolved matters between our nations, I would at least like to offer you our hospitality today... Furthermore, I am pleased to have witnessed this historic moment: Ludeck's Tenth Knight Order setting foot on our nation's soil."
General Gafor grimaced when he heard the latter remark, so perhaps Prince Tsetsedra had added it himself. In other words, maybe those final words reflected the prince's true feelings.
So this was the first time Ludeck's soldiers had ever set foot in Imperial territory? The realization raised goosebumps on my skin. Just as Prince Tsetsedra had said, I was witnessing a page of history.
However, I could confidently say that no such event was recorded anywhere in the Ludeck records I had been able to read. It probably wasn't recorded in the Imperial records, either. In other words, this was the sort of history that went unspoken.
Only after Tsetsedra finished speaking did General Rays raise his head and return the greeting, acting as though Tsetsedra had never hesitated at all.
"Then, I believe it is time for you to meet the princess." General Rays stepped aside, opening a path from Tsetsedra to the carriage. When Zora-san slowly opened the carriage door, a graceful woman stepped out.
Who was that?
No, she looked like Rururia, but... I see. So this was what a princess looked like when she put her mind to it. The aura she gave off was overwhelming. If she had exuded this kind of nobility from the start, I never would have spoken to her so casually.
Ah, now that I thought about it, she had seemed like that for an instant when we first met. It had been such a brief moment that I had forgotten.
I wasn't the only one overwhelmed by her presence. The members of the Tenth Knight Order, who knew Rururia's personality, stared at her in astonishment, while the Imperial knights gazed at her with dreamy sighs of admiration.
Tsetsedra was staring blankly at Rururia, too. His cheeks were red.
Prince Tsetsedra was royalty as well, but Rururia seemed to possess a higher standing as a member of the royal family. Was it a difference in their mindset? Still, she was a girl who had remained unflappable even after drifting into a foreign country. Comparing her with the sheltered, young-master-like Prince Tsetsedra seemed a little unfair.
"Ah, Tsetsedra-sama. At last, we have met. I have been eagerly awaiting this moment."
"Ah... yes. Ahem. Indeed. I am pleased as well. You have been through a terrible ordeal, but I am glad that we were able to meet safely. Ideally, I would have rushed to you at once, but you have surely already heard about the circumstances between our two countries. Forgive me."
"No, everyone in Ludeck treated me very well, too. I was a little lonely at the thought of never meeting you, Tsetsedra-sama, but..."
Lonely? ...That was a lie. I glanced to the side and saw Wickhart watching the two of them with an expression that seemed to say, You're kidding, right?
"That's right. I brought every letter I received from you, Tsetsedra-sama."
"What!? No, I... I see..."
Tsetsedra was visibly flustered by Rururia's words.
"Thanks to these letters, I don't feel as though you and I are meeting for the first time."
"Ah... yes. Nor do I. I have carefully preserved every letter you sent me. I knew you were an intelligent woman, but I am truly delighted to be able to welcome someone so lovely and beautiful as my wife."
"My, how flattering. You seem every bit as kind as your letters suggested, Tsetsedra-sama. I am relieved."
"I... see..."
Regardless of how long Rururia could keep up the act, the Tenth Knight Order's mission had now ended safely.
As a palpable sense of relief spread through the knights of both countries, I alone was thinking about something completely different.
Letters... So that's it—letters. Why hadn't I thought of that?
The Fourth Prince Tsetsedra's early death was the result of the sort of family power struggle that happened all too often.
The problem was the Empire's Second Prince. Though I knew this only from a story, the Second Prince plotted with a minister to seize control of the Empire, leading an army and taking advantage of the emperor's absence to occupy the Imperial capital.
The occupation plan went smoothly at first, but it fell apart as soon as the emperor returned at the head of an army. The Second Prince was captured.
Prince Tsetsedra was caught up in the incident.
It was nothing but terrible luck. When the Second Prince entered the Imperial capital, Tsetsedra happened to be staying there.
Imperial princes normally stayed in their own domains. Other than the First Prince, who was the heir, each was given a territory where they could study the management of the state. That seemed to be the Imperial way.
It was unclear why Prince Tsetsedra had been in the capital at that time. It was only said that he had gone there on business with his father, the emperor, but found him absent and waited for his return.
As a result, Prince Tsetsedra was suspected of colluding with the Second Prince—in other words, of having lured him into the capital.
Prince Tsetsedra denied it, but the Second Prince admitted that it was true.
Why had the Second Prince said such a thing?
In the story, it was suggested that he wanted to spite Prince Tsetsedra, the youngest son and the emperor's favorite, and thought that involving the beloved prince might earn him a pardon. But the truth was unknown.
In the end, Prince Tsetsedra's pleas went unheard.
Thus, by order of the enraged emperor, he was beheaded for treason alongside the Second Prince not long after their capture.
However, Prince Tsetsedra's innocence came to light soon afterward.
His wife revealed the reason he had gone to the capital, and the story ended with a scene in which the emperor wept, ashamed of his own rash judgment.
I had never met Prince Tsetsedra before.
But his wife—in other words, Rururia—was someone I had shared the same pot with, albeit briefly, as she put it.
I had taken a liking to this free-spirited princess who was so good at acting.
So,
Although he belonged to an enemy nation, I decided to give him just a little advice.