Rishe hastily grabbed Dietrich's arm to stop him. Seeing Arnold, who was standing at a distance, looking somewhat puzzled, she conveyed an apology with the shape of her lips. Arnold was busy with official duties, so she couldn't afford to be too intrusive.
"What's the matter, why are you stopping me, Rishe?"
".........."
Arnold, with a slightly furrowed brow, gazed at them intently for a moment, then resumed giving instructions to Oliver. He seemed to have been distracted, and Rishe felt apologetic.
"Let's discuss this later, Your Highness Dietrich. We can't have complicated conversations here..."
"Hmm... Well, I suppose that makes sense..."
Dietrich, relatively easily persuaded, glanced at Arnold again and then spoke.
"That man... is quite similar to you. You've always lived with the goal of becoming the prince consort, haven't you? You always had that look on your face, as if that were the purpose of your life since childhood."
Rishe was taken aback by the unexpected words.
"You sacrificed personal happiness to fulfill your duties as a public figure. You never went out to play, never begged for sweets as a reward for studying, never even had birthday parties! I couldn't understand it at all! You always seemed to be enduring, and if becoming the crown princess was the result of all that endurance... I thought it would be better for you not to become that."
There were rare wrinkles between his eyebrows.
"In that case, would you be happy as Arnold Heinz's consort, Rishe?"
"Your Highness Dietrich..."
Dietrich, Rishe's former fiance and still a childhood friend, had always been worried about her. So, being looked at with such concern by Dietrich was a first for her. Thinking about it, Rishe couldn't help but smile wryly.
"I've occasionally received concerns about whether I can be happy in this marriage. However, happiness is not something given by someone else; it is something you attain for yourself."
While saying this, she glanced at the knights standing on either side of the door.
"I am confident that as Arnold Heinz's wife, no matter what fate may come, I can confidently say 'I had a happy life' at the moment of my death. And..."
Then she turned to Dietrich and smiled.
"I mentioned this, didn't I? That I would prove to you, Your Highness Dietrich, how wonderful Arnold Heinz is as a husband."
"...Indeed, you did say that..."
Rishe smiled faintly and declared to Dietrich,
"I must say, I never thought a bride-to-be who seems destined for unhappiness would utter such words!"
"Hmm...!"
Dietrich seemed to ponder for a moment, then spoke with a frustrated expression,
"Hmm...? No, wait, Rishe! Certainly, I've come to understand just how excellent Arnold has been as the crown prince these past few days!! But as for what you're saying about how wonderful a husband he is, I haven't seen that at all, have I!?"
"Huh... Oh, um... Wait, but...!?"
"Hahaha! You let your guard down, Rishe!! So, what you call proof has yet to be fulfilled!! After all, for the past few days, I've been either observing official duties or attending social events where I've been terrified of Arnold's gaze!!"
"What were you even doing coming to this country!?"
However, Dietrich then cleared his throat.
"Well, within the busy schedule of observing duties, I took you to the opera as my fiancee... That's surprising... Isn't it normal to want to go straight home and do nothing after a hard day of work...? How were you able to make time for that amidst such busyness?"
"Your Highness Dietrich..."
Come to think of it, Rishe and Dietrich reunited at the opera house on the night Sylvia collapsed. Did Oliver perhaps explain why Rishe was there at that time?
Rishe realized something.
(Upon further consideration... Why was His Highness there at that time?)
"Um... So, um, Rishe..."
Dietrich, looking flustered, seemed about to say something but then looked down.
"I, uh, never mind! Anyway, as the crown prince, I might as well go mingle over there too!! I'm sure Arnold will be surprised by the opinions of Hermity, a country that emphasizes scholarship!"
"P-Please don't surprise him in a different sense...!?"
Though slightly worried, Rishe decided not to dwell on it. She waved a small goodbye to Arnold and signaled with her eyes, then watched as Dietrich approached. Arnold, seeing Dietrich coming closer, made a grimace.
(Sorry, Your Highness Arnold. Please take care of Dietrich!)
After sincerely apologizing in her heart, she headed towards the door guarded by the two knights.
Looking up at the tall figure of Gutheil, one of the knights, Rishe gently spoke,
"Gutheil."
"Rishe-sama... Last night, I showed you an unsightly scene."
"Not at all. Despite discussing official matters, I was the one who intruded."
Arnold mentioned to the group that joined in the afternoon,
"I've scattered my personal guards around due to suspicions about the movements of spies. To alleviate the shortage of manpower when going out for official duties in the city, I decided to use Gutheil and some temporary knights."
It was evident that this statement was a front. Arnold would naturally understand what Rishe saw through. (Could it be that His Highness Arnold realized I wanted to talk to Gutheil because of Sylvia's heartbreak...? No, that couldn't be true.)
Arnold was kind, but he never mixed personal and public affairs. He must have had some ulterior motive. Even if it was for Sylvia, Rishe couldn't ask personal questions during Gutheil's duty.
(And besides, it's not like Gutheil would engage in love talk in a place like this. Plus, there are other knights watching.)
However, just as Rishe was wrestling with these thoughts, Gutheil spoke up,
"Rishe-sama... How is Lady Sylvia?"
Rishe widened her eyes and, after a moment of thought, responded,
"She seemed lively and composed."
Gutheil likely sensed what lay beneath the words. Seeing him furrow his brows in pain, Rishe couldn't help but offer,
"Gutheil. Is there anything I can help you with? Of course, if it's not too presumptuous..."
"Thank you, Rishe-sama."
Up until this point, the conversation between Rishe and Gutheil would have seemed like ordinary small talk, with no indication of romantic undertones.
However, immediately afterward, Guthail spoke clearly, "I love Lady Sylvia."
From a man who seemed earnest, Rishe was taken aback by the words spoken without hesitation. Even the knight standing on the other side of the door, peeking through with red eyes, seemed to wonder what was happening. Nevertheless, Gutheil continued,
"She's lovely and very dear to me. I won't tolerate anyone who causes her distress... That includes myself."
"Gutheil"
"I told Lady Sylvia about the sins my father committed. His actions, leaking secrets to other countries, amounted to betrayal and could have caused countless deaths in war. The repercussions will not only fall on me, his son, but also on the woman who becomes his wife and our children."
Gutheil, with a sad smile, was the one suffering most directly from his father's sins. Knowing his suffering and experiencing the cold treatment, his words carried a strong sense of reality.
"Lady Sylvia seemed to be in great pain... I imagine she might be a war orphan."
"Gutheil"
"Lady Sylvia wouldn't reject me for such reasons. However, my presence might cause her existing wounds to ache. In the future, I might cause her even more pain... I cannot allow my presence to darken her smile."
Rishe bit her lip tightly.
She wasn't sure what words to convey in this moment. She also felt it was beyond her place to intervene in their affairs.
Still, Rishe told Gutheil,
"Sylvia said, 'You never know when a person will die.'"
Just hearing about it made Gutheil's expression pained. Even from the slightest expressions, it was clear how much Sylvia meant to him.
Therefore, Rishe continued, "I agree with her. While future happiness is important, isn't the happiness we can grasp right now equally valuable?"
"That's..."
Gutheil faltered in his response.
"...Gutheil, I apologize for causing you distress."
"...No, it's not... like that..."
She didn't want to trouble him further. Third parties couldn't interfere in lives determined by others.
So, Rishe moved on to her next action. "I'll go upstairs and get some fresh air. Could one of the knights over there accompany me?"
"Yes. Understood."
Gutheil seemed lost in thought as he bowed. Without saying anything more to him, Rishe left the room. There was a lookout post inside the castle walls. By using the stairs, one could reach the top of the walls surrounding the imperial capital.
"..."
Breathing out in the twilight, feeling the warm breeze of summer, Rishe took it all in. From here, she could see the city of Galkhein below. Although she had come here secretly with Arnold before, the lookout post was off-limits to ordinary citizens.
"There's something I want to ask."
Turning to the knight who accompanied her, he straightened up and replied,
"If it's your request, Lady Rishe, I'll do whatever you ask."
"Since there's no one else nearby, you don't need to act like a knight."
Chuckling at her comment, the knight with red eyes responded,
"Raul."
"Haha."
Raoul, who had been disguised as a knight until now, laughed with a different tone of voice.