Chapter 29

On the afternoon before the funeral and coronation, Aldridge had come to the royal palace’s rose garden. It had been one of his late friend’s favorite places, and many fruits of the man’s research could still be found there.

(Jay. At last, tomorrow your son will ascend the throne. I wonder what sort of king he will become…)

As he walked along a narrow path bordered by roses, Aldridge lost himself in aimless thought. Four candidates had been selected by the late king to serve as close aides and assist William once he became the new king, but they were still in the middle of their education, and that education had been interrupted for nearly two years. There was no conceivable way they could be entrusted with their duties immediately.

Naturally, for the time being, Aldridge and the queen intended to support him as much as possible in both domestic and foreign affairs, and he had already confirmed that Beaton and Burley felt the same. But that did not mean his worries disappeared.

After all, no small number of people knew that the young King William was the Saintess’s “pawn.” Even if they could not voice it aloud, it was easy enough to imagine the unease and suspicion they harbored within.

That was precisely why Aldridge had placed all the blame on House Arclight and emphasized that the empire was the true enemy. He had also explicitly attributed every achievement connected to the affair to the new king and the Saintess.

Unfortunately, they had been unable to show the people that the Saintess and the new king enjoyed a favorable relationship. The Saintess had refused to attend either ceremony. Aldridge had at least managed to secure her attendance at the celebration banquet afterward, but how the populace would interpret her absence from the ceremonies was another source of concern.

Aldridge knew from bitter experience that public sentiment could swing dramatically over astonishingly trivial matters.

(I have ordered the information to be managed, at least…)

He sighed as he passed beneath an arch of yellow climbing roses beside a gazebo. Their blossoms were small and only faintly fragrant, but they were a hardy repeat-flowering variety, another of the late king’s creations.

Beyond the arch stood a small greenhouse. It had been the setting for his late friend’s most important experiments, and it was Aldridge’s destination that day.

Although the greenhouse had lost its master, the climate inside remained regulated just as before, and there were signs that the plants had already been watered. Numerous pots marked with numbers and symbols stood in rows, apparently containing unfinished breeding experiments, and most bore small buds.

He threaded his way between the pots. When he sat in the chair beside the small desk at the back and looked around, he had the illusion that his friend might open the door at any moment and walk in with a laugh.

【Mediocre】. That had been the word most often used to describe King James IV. Aldridge thought that, viewed only from the outside, it had certainly seemed accurate.

James possessed neither the commanding presence nor the foresight of his predecessor. He had seemingly allowed his chancellor to do whatever he wished, left diplomacy entirely to the queen, hidden behind the knight commander and extermination captain because he disliked conflict, and spent entire days in this greenhouse obsessively breeding new roses.

Yet he had never been a foolish king. Precisely because he understood what he himself lacked, he listened carefully to the opinions of his subordinates and his queen, coordinating the various departments so that their work could proceed smoothly.

More importantly, they had spent not merely dozens but hundreds of hours since childhood discussing the affairs of this kingdom.

Each of them had simply acted on the conclusions they had reached, accepting responsibility for the areas entrusted to them.

And because roses had so many enthusiasts, a new variety bred by the king himself had secretly proven to be an excellent diplomatic gift.

His consistent respect for decisions made by the council had likewise reflected his determination to listen fairly to everyone’s voice.

Some had mocked him behind his back and called it cowardice, but Aldridge still believed that James had been a good ruler.

Aldridge himself had caught the previous king’s attention as a child and been selected as a candidate to become one of James’s close aides, but among those gathered around the prince, Aldridge had been the youngest. Now that they were all over forty, a difference of one or two years meant virtually nothing, but at around ten years old, two years made a considerable difference.

As the third son of a viscount and a boy of short stature besides, he had inevitably been looked down upon often. Even at gatherings restricted to children of noble families, he had several times endured openly contemptuous remarks.

With the additional disadvantage of being younger than the others, it was obvious how he would have been treated. Yet the person who praised and acknowledged Aldridge’s talent more than anyone else had been James himself.

Naturally, Aldridge had also received a thorough education at the previous king’s direction, but the reason his present position had become unshakable was because James himself had chosen to elevate him.

He closed his eyes as he remembered his friend in life. Heat and moisture gathered behind his eyelids until tears finally spilled over, but he paid them no mind and remained there motionless for some time.

Only when the sunlight entering the greenhouse began to dim did Aldridge finally rise.

“Jay, I’ll come again.”

With those words, he left.

As he retraced the same path through the evening light, he searched for the brilliant color that marked his other purpose.

(Ah, good. It is still blooming.)

He stopped before a red rose. With its high-centered form, its beauty could be appreciated from bud to full bloom. It was also richly fragrant, bloomed throughout the seasons, and resisted both insects and disease, making it a popular variety.

After hesitating briefly, he approached a branch proudly bearing several blossoms and filled his lungs with their fragrance.

The powerful scent was almost intoxicating, and it brought back the words he had spoken when appointed chancellor.

“I hereby swear to devote my entire body and soul to protecting the people and this kingdom, and to guiding this nation toward a better future.”

If keeping that oath required others to hate or resent him, he did not care. Indeed, he was fully aware that many already did. But governing a country would be impossible if he concerned himself with such trivialities.

(That resolve is still lacking in him.)

Thinking of the young candidate who might one day succeed him as chancellor, Aldridge smiled wryly. Perhaps because the youth had an imposing elder brother, he had yet to overcome his habit of watching the expressions of those older than himself.

The young successor candidate was quick-witted and absorbed knowledge rapidly. Aldridge believed that cunning would come naturally enough merely from observing his own elder brother. Therefore, in Aldridge’s view, all he lacked were experience and resolve. At present, however, the other assistant chancellors still treated him dismissively as “some young brat.”

As he gazed at the rose whose flower language was 【Nobility】, Aldridge renewed his oath within his heart.

(Just a little longer, until that youngster grows into the role. Keep watching me, Jay. Until I can hand everything over to the next generation, I will devote all that I am to protecting this kingdom and its people.)

Taking one last deep breath of the rose’s fragrance, Aldridge returned to his office and resumed his duties as chancellor.

The red rose swaying as though watching him depart was called Shailies, a rose bearing the name of this kingdom’s queen.

With tomorrow’s ceremonies approaching, the entire castle remained filled with noise and feverish activity even after sunset. Amid it all, Princess Kana decided to take an evening walk through the gardens with Suō and the others.

(Now that I think of it, I completely forgot to ask about this world’s calendar…)

Feeling that the wind had grown somewhat colder than when she first arrived in this world, she looked up at the distorted moon. None of the familiar stars surrounded it, and that realization deepened her loneliness.

(I want to go home… Perhaps the princess from the old tale felt something like this as well. But in the end, she was able to return. Compared with her, I…)

She lowered her head and mocked herself for dwelling on things that could not be helped when a voice called to her from the darkness.

“Saintess-sama, might I have a moment?”

The owner of the voice, which had become familiar over the past several days, emerged into view.

“Old Clarence, is it? Very well.”

At her answer, the old man bowed once, approached her, and began walking at the same pace as he asked his question.

“I heard that you will attend neither the funeral nor the coronation tomorrow. May I ask why?”

Aldridge and Shaila had asked Princess Kana not to reveal anything about what had occurred during her summoning, and since she herself had agreed, she could not speak of it even though the deeds had been her own. At the same time, she had no desire to lie to this old man, so she decided to tell him as much of the truth as she could.

“There are various circumstances I cannot tell you. Because of them, I simply felt it would be wrong for me either to mourn or to offer congratulations.”

She did, however, intend to appear at the banquet afterward. Shaila and Aldridge had pleaded with her to attend at least that much, but more importantly, she thought it would be wise to make it unmistakably clear that William, the young new king, had the Saintess’s protection.

(My pawn cannot be permitted to be looked down upon. Besides, a pawn has value only if it can be put to use.)

Perhaps Clarence was not fully satisfied with that answer, because he continued gazing quietly at her, prompting Princess Kana to become slightly more talkative.

“You already have some idea of what happened, do you not, old man? I care not how you choose to regard it, but I do not regret what I did.”

Her anger at having been brought into this world and her yearning for the world she had lost showed no sign of fading. Even at that very moment, homesickness continued to torment Princess Kana.

“However, I now understand why William and the others summoned me. And I also understand that the true culprit who created circumstances desperate enough to force them to do so is the enemy I ought to crush.”

Had this so-called empire never enacted its scheme, this cornered kingdom would never have resorted to summoning her in the first place. Therefore—

“First, I shall discover where the Kodoku was made and whose hands created it, and then I shall slaughter every last person responsible. Let that serve as my mourning. Afterward, I shall cast this emperor of the empire—the source of all this misery—down into the depths of the earth. Let that serve as my celebration.”

As the princess smiled fearlessly, the old man’s eyes regarded her with nothing but tenderness and sorrow.

“How could we ever repay all that you have done for us?”

With those words, he lowered himself onto one knee and bowed his head.

“When everything is over, simply promise me a quiet life. That will suffice.”

The old man raised his head, looking somewhat surprised by her answer, but then smiled softly.

“In that case, please take this old man with you when the time comes. I am still quite capable at hunting and farming, so I am certain I could make myself useful.”

He stood and resumed walking, cheerfully advertising his own usefulness. Princess Kana played along.

“Indeed. Then, if possible, I would prefer a wooden residence rather than one built from all this hard, cold stone.”

“I know an excellent carpenter.”

“However, the bedding here is more convenient.”

“As you wish.”

“Then I demand one of those soft, fluffy cushions!”

“And I shall demand two!”

Suō and Kaō joined the conversation as well.

“As for food, I can tolerate birds, but I am not especially fond of the meat of beasts.”

“Hmm. Then how about fish?”

“Fish? Yes, I suppose. I was fond of sweetfish. And perhaps yamame trout as well. Though I know not whether similar fish exist in this world.”

“Then, if you like, we should go fishing together. This old man is a country fellow, so I can make several kinds of fishing tackle as well.”

“Fishing, is it? The guard who protected me in my old world was fond of it. Is it enjoyable?”

“Once you try it, it can be surprisingly entertaining.”

Princess Kana imagined herself sitting beside the old man beneath warm, pleasant skies with a fishing line cast into the water. Most likely she would complain that nothing was biting while the white foxes lounged nearby as they pleased, occasionally interfering with her efforts.

“That might be nice.”

She smiled gently. When the old man suggested that they should return and extended his hand, she placed her own hand in his and looked up at the moon one final time.

(I cannot move forward if I do nothing but grieve like the princess in that old tale. I have decided to live in this world. And yet, despite being a member of the Tsuchimikado family, I completely overlooked the obvious. First, I must learn the calendar. Then the arrangement of the stars, and perhaps the geography beyond this kingdom. Hehe, it reminds me of the old days… Father used to scold me often.)

Watching the old man lead her by the hand as though protecting her, the princess let her thoughts turn toward the future.