Purple Heart (3)

Alicia only seemed to hope that the treatment would go well.

Her face, which had softly conveyed that shocking gesture, cautiously withdrew.

“Your Highness?”

Reichardt did not fully realize that the unpleasant aura creeping into his mind had vanished without a trace.

He saw the innocent violet eyes looking up at him with concern, then hastily covered his jaw with his awkwardly clenched hand.

“Yes, please speak.”

Alicia raised her face, her eyes and neck flushed red.

Seeing her embarrassed, the awkwardness she had just experienced felt somewhat relieved, and she did not feel bad about it.

She freely gazed at his face that tried to avoid her eyes.

“Does it still hurt?”

“I am fine.”

Reichardt straightened up a bit more properly and answered earnestly.

He barely managed to stop his lips from blurting something like, “Yes, thanks to you,” without thinking.

“Between last time and now, which one was more effective?”

Alicia asked like a curious researcher.

“…I do not know.”

Reichardt hesitated for quite a while.

He firmly kept his mouth shut, not wanting to let slip something foolish like “Both are amazing.”

Whether it was last time or this time, everything felt good.

He could not deny that the miraculous phenomenon was wonderful.

But more than anything, the caster was the best.

Alicia Rain was synonymous with a miracle to Reichardt.

The being who performed miracles for him—even beyond the miracles, her existence itself was meaningful and precious.

“Both have some effect, right?”

“Yes.”

Reichardt answered Alicia’s question without hesitation.

“That is a relief.”

At Reichardt’s response, nodding his head, Alicia gave a light laugh.

“Is that so?”

“Of course. I have a request. Please lend me Tessen’s First Knight Order for today.”

Alicia demanded with a look as if bracing herself.

She had not even finished speaking when Reichardt nodded.

“I will do so.”

The answer was so easy that Alicia, who had asked, was the one surprised.

“Your Highness. Did you really hear what I said properly?”

“Yes, I heard you.”

Reichardt nodded again, expressing his acceptance.

Even though her team had been poorly arranged and seemed doomed, the imperial hunting competition was a meaningful event for royalty.

Unless one did not participate at all, if one joined the hunt, a certain level of achievement had to be attained.

If there were not enough assisting knights, good results could not be expected.

Also, if the Grand Duke left his most important knight order with his fiancée, rumors would undoubtedly spread.

People would surely say things like he was so besotted with a woman that he neglected the imperial hunting competition.

For some reason, Reichardt seemed ready to accept everything.

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.”

Alicia promptly accepted the favor.

The more armed assistants she had, the better.

Today, there would be an accident at the imperial spring hunt.

“Shall I leave Roderick behind?”

Reichardt, with a calm face, attempted to abandon his aide.

Although the more helpers the better, there was no need to go so far as to take the Grand Duke’s aide.

“Pardon? No, that will not do. If Your Highness is to go hunting, you must have an aide with you.”

Alicia refused with a smile.

“It is a hunt with His Majesty. Since the winner has already been decided, there is no reason for meaningless exertion. One escort alone is enough.”

“Even so, His Majesty is not likely to choose you as the winner. Wouldn’t you become the winner if you showed an impressive appearance just once? Sir Juan should be sufficient.”

Alicia refused again.

While doing so, she naturally excluded Juan from accompanying the Grand Duke.

Reichardt nodded as if to say he understood.

“Ren is here. He came with the First Knight Order, so I will leave him with you.”

Ren was one of the cleaners Reichardt valued.

“He is a knight?”

“He has been knighted. But even in a small unit, people hardly remember him. Do not act too familiar with him.”

It sounded like Ren had a special role.

Alicia also had fond memories of Ren and his group.

She had unintentionally received their help several times.

Alicia agreed readily.

“Yes. Earlier… on my way here, I met the Marchioness of Belz. I do not think she likes me.”

Just in case, she casually mentioned it to Reichardt.

One could dismiss it as nothing more than an unpleasant meeting, but the Marchioness of Belz’s attitude had been peculiar.

Reichardt’s face looked like he understood.

“Did something happen?”

“She said she was disappointed I had not gone to visit Belz. Other than that, nothing.”

Alicia expressed her displeasure without exaggeration.

“She probably does not dislike you, but thinks of you as an enemy.”

“An enemy…?”

What the Marchioness of Belz had shown was clearly hostility.

But Alicia had not expected Reichardt to agree so readily and even give her advice.

“Do you know the current situation of the imperial family? I would like to take time to explain, but I am busy now, so I can only one-sidedly share my thoughts. His Majesty only has three brothers left. Seven years ago, the Marquis of Belz died in an accident. The late Marquis of Belz and the Marchioness of Belz have a son.”

Because of that, the Marchioness of Belz harbored ambitions of becoming the Empress Dowager.

“That is true.”

Alicia made an appropriate interjection.

“At the time of the Marquis of Belz’s death, the young marquis was only two years old. He was too young to inherit the title. The imperial family decided to appoint the Marchioness of Belz as acting marquis as long as she did not remarry a foreigner. For the young marquis to inherit the title, at least nine more years must pass. Belz is an imperial fief, so if the administrator is deemed incompetent, the Emperor can revoke the title.”

“I understand. So that is why the Marchioness dislikes me?”

Alicia deliberately asked with a petulant tone.

“Likely so. The position of the young Marquis of Belz and the Marchioness is unstable within the imperial family. His Majesty currently has no heir. The only male descendant born to His Majesty’s direct brothers is the young Marquis of Belz. Princess Anri has a son, but the House of Bennet has always been a family where descendants are scarce. As the young marquis grows with no heir to His Majesty, the imperial family has been trying to exclude Belz from events.”

Reichardt spoke lightly about the Emperor’s heir.

“Ah.”

On the day Alicia received the County of Echeveria and became engaged to Reichardt, the Marchioness of Belz and the young marquis had been excluded.

The imperial family had decided to officially exclude the young Marquis of Belz, who was in an awkward position.

They judged that Alicia’s becoming a prospective member of the imperial family was the right timing.

“His Majesty has been summoning his siblings and nieces and nephews, regardless of gender, to the palace to select a suitable heir. He also calls for the young Marquis of Belz often. Not because he is a nephew, but because the young marquis is truly bright. Among the next generation of the imperial family, he appears the most outstanding. Compared to him, Count Bennet’s son cannot even be put on the same scale, though he is still young.”

Reichardt sighed with a face that seemed unwilling to even speak of it.

“Is it that bad?”

“Count Bennet, married to Princess Anri, holds several titles. He is deliberating whether to give the countship to his son and all the remaining titles to his daughter, or grant his son a viscountcy and pass the countship and the rest to his eldest daughter.”

Alicia did not know much about Count Bennet’s son.

She simply found Reichardt’s expression, as if wondering what on earth that boy aimed for, amusing.

“What about the other nieces and nephews?”

Although one should not speak carelessly about imperial succession, Alicia was intrigued by the stories Reichardt was telling.

“Josephina would make a fine monarch. But she would become the most extravagant and pleasure-seeking ruler in history. She would host four parties a day. Princess Henrietta’s daughter, Rubin, would turn the palace into an animal village. A rabbit village, a fox village, a cat village. If you wanted to bring Lady Magda of Bennet in as heir, the imperial family would have to wage war against Count Bennet’s house.”

Joy seeped into Reichardt’s face as he spoke about his nieces and nephews.

“Your Highness seems fond of your nieces and nephews.”

“Of course.”

Agreeing with Alicia’s words, his expression darkened slightly.

Judging from how the imperial family had selected heirs so far, it seemed unlikely they would designate the daughters of princesses as the next emperor.

If the Emperor had no offspring, the most likely heir was the young Marquis of Belz.

Because he was the strongest candidate, the imperial family was gradually alienating him.

It made sense that the Marchioness of Belz harbored hostility toward Alicia, who had provided the occasion.

“What kind of person is the Marchioness?”

“Do not associate with her. If she approaches, avoid her. Seeing her spend gold might make it seem like she lacks restraint, but she possesses stronger patience than anyone and a nature that spares no means for power and purpose.”

Reichardt’s words were overly definitive.

It was clear he regarded the Marchioness of Belz with caution.

His judgment was correct.

“I will be careful.”

Alicia wondered if Reichardt judged the Marchioness dangerous because he possessed much information or because his insight was sharp.

“Your Highness, it is time to go.”

Roderick’s voice rang out at the entrance of the tent.

“I shall go.”

Reichardt gathered the weapons he had propped up to the side and pointed outside.

Alicia followed him out of the tent.

“Please return safely.”

At Alicia’s farewell, Reichardt lightly nodded.

Roderick seemed to be saying something as he followed behind Reichardt toward the clearing.

Reichardt cast a scornful glance at Roderick, who said something again.

Roderick was surely voicing complaints, but from afar he only looked like a reliable and diligent guard.

Alicia watched the two men grow distant, then headed toward the cluster of tents.

She needed to pay her respects to the Emperor’s concubines.

That was the etiquette of the imperial family.

She already felt suffocated.

Just as she passed by a simply furnished but isolated tent—

“Y-Your Highness, when will you come in?”

A delicate voice whispered quietly.

It was so soft she had to focus her ears to hear it.

It was not because of distance but because the speaker’s voice itself was especially small.

Alicia stopped walking.

Here, there were only imperial family members, and there were only a few who could be called “Your Highness.”

Unconsciously, she focused on where the voice came from.

The man’s voice answering the cautious question was clear and forthright.

“I will come in after three days.”

It was the complete opposite of the timid woman.

“Three days later? Are you very busy with work?”

The woman whispered in a voice full of disappointment and dejection.

Her voice was frail, and her tone so cautious it made the listener feel even more pity.