Bibliophile Princess, Volume 4, page 11
Thoughts came one after the other. What would the prince think if he saw this? Would he enjoy this cuisine? What would his impression of this handicraft be? If only the two of us could gaze together at the lake depicted in that famous painting...
It gave me the strange impression that he was actually here beside me, experiencing all of this with me, even though I knew that wasn’t true. Consequently, the lonely reality of his absence came creeping in on me during random moments throughout the day, unbidden. I put a metaphorical lid on those emotions and pushed them down as best I could.
Once my duties here were over, I could return to His Highness’s side with my head held high. I wanted to have memories and stories to share with him when that time came, so I decided to invite Lilia out on a stroll.
For her part, my cousin was still mumbling to herself. “What methods can be used to eliminate refuse like her? Option one: ignore her... No, that won’t work; she’ll only get an even bigger head on her shoulders. Option two: put her in her place through thorough criticism of her behavior... Hm, but she doesn’t seem too concerned with her lower status, given that arrogant attitude. Option three, the surefire technique: tell her that her mother’s as ugly as a monkey’s behind. Jean said this was effective against the imperial guard, but I wonder...”
I will definitely need to scold Jean later.
One of the maids opened the door for me, and as I was about to step out, I froze. On the other side was the young Countess Ralshen, loitering in front of a number of my perplexed guards.
“Oh,” Lilia blurted, coming to her senses.
The earl’s wife gave us a troubled smile, and an awkward silence hung in the air.
~.~.~.~
“So Mister Sean spent his time here studying art rather than writing?”
The other woman answered my query with a subtle smile. “Yes. The family head at the time had a great interest in the arts and was proactive about helping those with promise show their skills to the world. I’ve heard that, at one point, our manor was filled with young, artistic prodigies. Mister Sean Markeld took inspiration from those youths and learned the basics of painting himself.”
“How fascinating.” I was so impressed by her story that my body trembled.
The whole reason I had invited Lilia out for a stroll was to search for traces of Mister Sean Markeld. Countess Ralshen had kindly volunteered to show us around when we bumped into her outside of my room, and the tension in the air had mostly faded. Presently, I was gazing at a number of anonymous paintings lined up in one of the corridors.
One of Mister Sean’s works may be among them. Or perhaps some famous artist’s work is hidden among these.
My heart was pounding with an excitement I usually only experienced when visiting a library.
Lilia stood behind me, mumbling, “If Mister Alfred saw this, I have no doubt he’d start appraising each one.”
Admittedly, my brother’s fondness for art was second to none. He had a talent for pointing out hidden treasures, even ones unsigned by their creator. In that regard, Alfred resembled our uncle, though the latter’s interest lay in searching ancient ruins rather than hunting down treasures.
“Yes, I can see the former earl really adored art,” I said.
Although it was normal for nobles to adorn their houses with paintings from famous artists, this manor was rare because the pieces here were all done anonymously. If the sheer number in this corridor were any indication, the earl truly had adored creativity.
“Indeed.” The young countess gave me a hesitant smile. “The well-known piece Lady’s Lake was what made our land so famous. Consequently, the former earl felt compelled to become a patron for the arts, and he successfully sponsored many talented people. Unfortunately, the Ashen Nightmare broke out and he, along with the artists and Mister Sean, took ill. Ralshen became known as a land of death where the population rapidly dwindled.”
I fell silent, my heart panging with the mention of that plague.
The Ashen Nightmare was said to have spread to Ralshen from the neighboring Azul Region, but medical researchers suspected the sickness had actually originated in the fallen empire’s former territory. According to them, it had festered in the north and then traveled over the northern mountain range via air currents and expanded its reign of terror across Ralshen and Azul. Countless rivers flowed through the Azul Region, and trade by boat had proliferated there. This, many claimed, was what had caused the plague to infest all corners of our kingdom. But Azul was not alone in its suffering; Ralshen also suffered an enormous number of casualties.
The earl’s manor rested at the center of Ralshen, whose geography consisted of difficult terrain peppered with numerous mines. The difficulty of logistics here was why Sauslind had assumed enemies wouldn’t invade from this part of the border. That miscalculation cost us dearly in the Continental Highway War.
I kept my lips pursed.
A lack of information on the plague as well as doctors to effectively treat it had had catastrophic consequences on Ralshen, which were further exacerbated by human bias and erroneous speculation. It was for that very reason that my father, Marquess Bernstein, had made such a concerted effort to finance the maintenance of the kingdom’s highways.
I let out a soft sigh, gazing at the paintings in front of me. Many of them depicted scenery and flowers—namely, water lilies—but I also discovered a portrait.
“Is this...the former earl?”
The man in question resembled Earl Carl Ralshen, whom I’d met a bit earlier, though this man was far older. He was drawn beside a woman with a gentle smile on her face.
“That’s right,” the countess answered with a nod. She gazed warmly up at the painting in question. “I only married into this family two years ago, so unfortunately, I didn’t know the late earl personally. It’s only thanks to this portrait that I’m able to see what he looked like.”
“I see...” Thinking of the deceased made me reflect fondly on my own mother, whose face I now saw only in my memories.
The earl’s family was preserved in a number of family portraits, and it was evident through these how they had once been.
Lilia was gazing up at them as well when she paused and asked, “Um, is that young girl there Lady Lindsey Ralshen, perhaps?” Her voice sounded hesitant, as if she knew she was bringing up a sensitive topic.
She must have heard about Alexei’s late fiancée during the course of the trip.
When the countess nodded, Lilia glanced away, her lips pinched tight.
Countess Ralshen forced a smile at her. “You must be thinking she looks like Lady Isabelle, yes? From what I’ve heard, the two so resembled each other in childhood that people mistook her and Lady Isabelle for twins.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. And now that his sister has passed away, my husband has a habit of overlooking Lady Isabelle’s behavior because of their resemblance.” She hesitated, glancing at me. “Um, on that note... Lady Elianna, I’d like to apologize to you on behalf of this house for any offense she may have caused.”
I stared back at her. As I suspected, she had overheard our conversation in the room. It must have been weighing on her this whole time. Part of the issue lay with me; I lacked the commanding aura one should possess as the betrothed of a crown prince.
Nonetheless, I accepted her gesture and returned it with a question of my own. “I heard that Lady Isabelle is a cousin from the earl’s mother’s side?” I had heard she wasn’t of the Ralshen line but had basically been raised up alongside Earl Ralshen and Lady Lindsey.
The countess hesitated at first but eventually answered my question. According to her, Lady Isabelle was the daughter of the late countess’s younger sister, who had stayed with the earl’s family after falling ill. Consequently, she also passed during the outbreak of the Ashen Nightmare.
“Lady Isabelle’s mother was...” Countess Ralshen paused, licking her lips. “Well, she became pregnant without ever sharing who the father was. Lady Isabelle has faced many hardships during her youth because of that. My lord husband and his sister were the only ones to stand up for her, and the three of them became very close, from what I hear.”
It made sense. All of them losing their parents to the plague had no doubt deepened the strong ties they already shared. And because of how close they’d been since they were kids, Earl Ralshen gave Lady Isabelle’s audacious behavior a pass. That was what his wife was implying.
Behind us, Lilia snorted in dissatisfaction. Obviously she disagreed and felt the need to express it.
As we strode down the quiet corridor together, I decided to voice another question that had been niggling at the back of my mind since we’d arrived. “I’m sorry if this question seems inconsiderate, but has our arrival here left the manor short-staffed?” There were surely people busy looking after Lord Bernard’s well-being, but the halls still seemed unusually deserted.
“No,” the countess replied, looking apologetic. “A cold seems to be making the rounds among our servants, so they have all taken time off to recover. If you find yourself inconvenienced by the lack of staff, please don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll see that you’re taken care of.”
I reassured her that it wasn’t a problem, but it weighed on me. I’d heard similar stories of colds breaking out on my way here. Perhaps that was only natural; such illness was common in the winter months.
As I mulled the matter over in my head, we started to turn the corner, only for one of the earl’s manservants to cut us off.
“Terribly sorry, but my lord is currently in the middle of a meeting.”
A meeting?
I blinked at the man. Only seconds later, a voice came booming down the hallway, and I swallowed hard when I realized the content of the conversation.
“...you have some nerve coming all the way here, Alexei Strasser!”
A side glance at the countess told me this had to be her husband, for her face had gone deathly pale.
Which means Earl Ralshen and Alexei must be speaking privately right now.
The latter’s voice was too quiet for us to pick up from such a distance, but whatever he had said must have caused offense; the earl’s voice echoed down the hall, trembling with anger.
“You don’t know what I’m referring to? You sure have gotten clever at playing word games. Did you really think you could waltz in here after ten years and pretend as if nothing had ever happened? Not one day has passed that I haven’t thought of my sister and how she died.”
His voice fell low, like a chill creeping across the ground straight toward us, and when his next words followed, they were an icy grip that seized us all by the throat.
“Alexei Strasser, you drove Lindsey to her death.”
An air of doubt hung over us.
Chapter 9: The Bernsteins’ Hidden Name
The day of the memorial service arrived. Light snow peppered us on and off, looking almost magical in the way it blanketed the lake. Beside the lake was the memorial monument, a place for people to pray to the souls of the departed. However, it also served as a grim reminder of past mistakes we must be careful never to repeat.
Once the official service finished, I spent my time meeting with local nobles and people in positions of power who had also attended. From their perspective, it was a rare visit from the crown prince’s betrothed and gave them an opportunity they wouldn’t have otherwise. There were those who approached to cultivate friendly relations, those who came to petition me over matters they were passionate about, and those who were merely curious to see what kind of person I was.
Lord Alexei’s shrewd judgment came in handy here as he screened the people who lined up to see me, ensuring the ones I engaged with would give me no trouble. It made the whole ordeal much briefer than it would have been otherwise, granting me some extra leisure time. While I was grateful for Lord Alexei’s help, seeing his skills for myself made me feel guilty for pulling him away from his duties back home. I could only imagine how much the prince must be missing his expertise.
As for the suspicions Earl Ralshen had levied against him... Well, after overhearing the conversation, Lilia had immediately clamped her mouth shut. When the matter was over and I sought an explanation from the countess, she’d been on the verge of tears.
I learned that Lady Lindsey Ralshen had been reluctant at the time of her engagement. It even seemed she might back out altogether. Then, tragically, she drowned in the lake after slipping and falling in. Some suspected she’d purposefully thrown herself in because she was so unhappy with her engagement.
I had no way of knowing the truth, and I had no idea how to interpret Lord Alexei’s response. For as much emotion as he showed on his face, he might as well have been a statue.
Even so, my thoughts naturally turned to the prince and his motivations. I was certain Lady Lindsey’s death had something to do with His Highness sending Lord Alexei to aid me. As for how Lord Alexei would face his past, well, that was a decision he would have to make. The prince probably wanted him to resolve those issues—at least, that was my humble supposition.
A sigh slipped out of my mouth.
The Malduran delegation must have already arrived at the palace by now, and talks had probably begun. I wondered how that was going. Concern over it lingered in my mind constantly, occupying at least half of my headspace. Not that there was anything I could do from this far away. Besides, I’d made a promise with the prince. I would fulfill my duties, and he would fulfill his.
I pressed a hand over my chest, feeling my heart throb with longing as I recalled the words we’d exchanged.
Since my official duties were finished, I’d wandered off and now found myself alone in a deserted corridor overlooking the lake. As I gazed out through the window in front of me, I sighed to myself. The snow had stopped, but a chill still snaked its way through the halls of the manor, wrapping itself around me.
I was trying to clear my head. This was no time to get preoccupied with personal feelings. Right now, I needed to focus on the grief I felt over Ralshen’s past.
And yet...
“Once this is over, all we have to do is wait for the day of our official ceremony, Eli...”
My heart sang and my cheeks heated as I remembered the prince’s words. I longed to see him again, more than words could ever express. As the Bibliophile Princess, it seemed ironic I would be so hung up over a real, live human being rather than a book, but my heart was surprisingly genuine about its feelings for him.
I want to hurry back to your side, Prince Christopher...
While I inwardly questioned whether I could fulfill the duties required of me, I found my mind wandering, counting the days until my time here in Ralshen would be over.
I let out another sigh and turned away from the window, intending to walk back the way I’d come when I ran into someone. My body jerked to a halt, and my heart jumped in my throat.
“Grandpa Teddy!”
The old, one-eyed general was standing in front of me. Like me, his breath came out in puffs of white.
“I have something to talk to you about,” he said. His expression revealed little about what he was thinking.
The air around him was too intimidating for me to refuse, so I gave a numb nod.
“Elianna Bernstein. If you truly care about this country and its people, please cancel your engagement to Prince Christopher.”
I froze. For a moment, I doubted my ears. It was like the words weren’t registering in my brain properly. When I finally digested them, my lips grew taut and I fidgeted awkwardly.
“I’m not sure what you’re...?”
He interrupted, “There’s only one time Sauslind’s Brain ever steps to the center stage, and that’s when the kingdom is at war. Haven’t you ever wondered why your house has that hidden name? It’s because the Bernsteins always worked in the shadows to guide us during times of war. It’s been that way for generations. You’re not meant to stand front and center. If you don’t want to be the cause of another war, Elianna... If you truly care about the people, then you should give up on your engagement to the prince.”
This was the first time I could remember him ever speaking so formally to me. He wasn’t censuring me or commanding me, he was merely quietly trying to persuade me.
“W-Wait. You’re saying that the Bernsteins...that my house is...?” My mind was spinning, unable to catch up with the meaning of his words.
“I figured Eduard hadn’t talked to you about this yet.” The general sighed quietly. “The only time Sauslind’s Brain has come out of the shadows, historically, was when the kingdom needed them as tacticians in battle. You’ve already heard that previous monarchs’ reigns flourished with the help of your family. That’s because they led the kingdom to victory. The kings who make history are the ones who lay waste to their enemies. It’s been that way since the time of the Hero King. Bernsteins aren’t meant to stand in the light, Elianna. Heed my words if you don’t want another war.”
He was repeating himself now, and I had no idea how to respond. My thoughts were a mess of confusion.
General Bakula continued trying to convince me, slowly backing me into a corner. He was every bit the merciless hero people revered him as.
“I’m sure this must seem like it’s coming out of the blue to you, but the Bernsteins have been known as Sauslind’s Brain since the time of the Hero King. Back then, three other countries invaded us and we were on the brink of disaster. The person who repelled their siege was one of your ancestors. They helped our countrymen reclaim the land, and their strategies gave birth to modern tactics. But they kept to the shadows as they aided the Hero King, and history has revealed that each time your ancestors came out of hiding there was a war.”
“That can’t be...”
“Do you remember a long time ago, you once spoke with me about the strategy I used during the Continental Highway War? The reason I became so renowned for that was thanks to the outlandish schemes your grandfather—Eduard—came up with.”
