Come, Let’s Go Greet Those Two [Interlude]

(‘Did you actually see the dragon crest bestowed upon Lady Shitoen?’ huh…)

Arios pulled his awareness back to the present and gave a bitter smile inwardly.

He had never seen it.

And yet, Arios had always thought of her as a disgusting woman. He had convinced himself of it.

His gaze shifted.

To Shitoen, one of the stars of the wedding banquet.

Nowhere on the bare arms extending gracefully from her sleeveless dress was there any tattoo.

At her boldly open décolletage, only a vivid garnet gleamed; there were no fish-like scales to be seen anywhere.

Not on her throat, not on her collarbones, not on her back, not on her arms.

Nowhere was there any scale-patterned tattoo.

‘Two tattoos like cherry blossom petals.’

That was what the Chancellor had said.

That was probably the truth.

If so—

Then what was it that he had believed?

“Come to think of it, wasn’t that princess once cast aside in some broken engagement somewhere?”

Hearing that voice so close by, Arios’s body suddenly went rigid.

“I believe I heard such a rumor. It had not yet become a formal engagement, but… I think the countries were far apart.”

“Why would anyone cast aside such a beautiful princess?”

“Who knows. Perhaps there was some kind of scandal.”

Those whispers reached his ears.

A few months ago, Arios would have ignored them.

Shitoen was the one at fault.

A woman who had been cruel to Lady Mail, forgotten that she was to be the future Crown Princess, neglected her public duties, and shut herself away in the residence.

He surely would have thought they meant that sort of scandal.

But—

“A scandal, hm? Maybe the man involved was… hehe. A womanizer, perhaps?”

“Heh heh. Surely so. Perhaps his habits with women were so bad that she abandoned him? You know, King Tania is a man of strict principles. After entrusting him with a daughter who bore the dragon crest, if she were then slighted… well, you see?”

Arios could no longer bear it; he could scarcely even breathe.

This was what Father had wanted him to hear.

To learn shame through his own body.

“Your Highness the Crown Princeee.”

Called by that lisping voice, Arios came back to himself.

Mail was pouting in boredom, looking up at him from under her lashes.

“Isn’t there anyone here who can speak the Karaban common tongue? This is boring.”

“That’s true.”

Arios narrowed his eyes and patted her head.

It seemed foreign languages were not her strong suit. Even with private tutors, she had not improved at all. Arios personally thought that was fine, but the Chancellor and the Foreign Minister were furious over it.

Poor Mail. Just because I wished for her to become my wife, she has been made to suffer.

And on top of that—

Just how deeply are you involved in this scandal?

Arios did not want to know.

He wanted to believe that this girl was innocent.

“Your Highness. Please listen without turning around.”

Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind him.

It was neither Tidrosian nor the Karaban common tongue.

It was Ruar. And not just that—the classical form. These days, it was used only for things like scripture.

“Please lure Shitoen out into the garden. We will handle the rest.”

Just as he was told, Arios did not move his body. Only his eyes shifted to the right.

The person behind him was dressed as a butler and held a silver tray in his hands.

But he recognized that face.

(The Cleaners…)

They were the people in the Kingdom of Luminous who mainly handled assassinations.

Arios recalled the Chancellor’s words.

‘Measures have been taken.’

‘If she cannot become ours, then it would be best if she became no one’s.’

Did that mean they intended to assassinate Shitoen?

Arios swallowed hard, and Mail, standing beside him, tilted her head curiously.

“Did someone just say something to you?”

Mail, who could not understand foreign languages, looked blankly at him.

“It was nothing. Come, it is about time that we too went to greet those two.”

Arios put on a smile and offered her his left arm.

“If it is those two, they will speak in the Karaban common tongue for you.”

“That’s true! Lady Shitoen is so good with foreign languages. She will accommodate me.”

With Mail beaming from ear to ear at his side, Arios slowly made his way toward Saryu and Shitoen.