Chapter 2

Now, thinking about it, this marriage itself was never a mutual decision.

Eris is the first princess of the northern kingdom of Ruhnilts, but before she was born into this world, she lived in a town by the sea in Japan.

In the summer, the white clouds would hang over the green ridges of Mount Rokko. The sea to the south would sparkle in the sunlight, and I remember being amazed every time I climbed the hill on my way to school.

An ordinary office lady from an ordinary family—that was Eris’s past life.

Except for one thing: she was a history enthusiast!

(What could I do? I got hooked on the Shinsengumi when I visited Kyoto!)

Invited by a friend who was a fan of Toshizo Hijikata, I toured the end of the Edo period in Kyoto, visiting places like Ikedaya and the Yagi residence of the Nishinami ronin, and was completely overwhelmed by history at Nijo Castle.

The Great Return of Power that took place there, and the discovery that Ieyasu had built it, made me fall in love with history.

In middle school, it was the Shinsengumi. My interest in the Sengoku period grew from Ieyasu, and by high school, I was deeply into historical buildings and the reigns of various warlords. After starting work, I became a full-fledged history enthusiast, visiting temples and shrines every weekend.

(That’s why, even after being reincarnated into this world following an accident, I became obsessed with the history and reigns of the kings of this continent—)

I never thought that my actions in a small northern country would reach Rienline, the largest territory holder on this continent.

A saint with the memory of another world—Rienline Kingdom, which has built its power by venerating such saints and incorporating them into the royal family, apparently proposed a marriage to Eris with a threatening tone.

They said they would lend their strength to protect the small northern country from other nations in exchange for the princess being offered as the crown prince’s bride.

Sighing, Eris let out a sigh that she had been doing more often lately.

(A polite threat, indeed.)

Clicking her high heels on the smooth floor, Eris walked.

(But, my homeland has already been destroyed by the northern Galden Kingdom, and with a new saint here, there’s no need to maintain this marriage—)

The maid by the door turned the golden doorknob.

(Why does this person come to have breakfast with me every morning?)

Today, as usual, Eris’s golden eyes narrowed at the person sitting in the white chair at the back.

The windows were closed because it was winter, but the morning sunlight still made Reinhardt’s silver hair shine, a beauty like freshly fallen snow.

His flowing hair was beautiful, and combined with his lowered ice-blue eyes, it felt like gazing at a lake quietly nestled in the snow.

But, noticing the door opening, his pale blue eyes lifted to Eris.

“You’re late. What were you doing?”

“Nothing, really.”

She smiled and brushed it off, but inside, she chuckled.

(As if I could tell you that I was wondering why you come to my place every day without fail?)

If she said that, she would definitely be scolded. Perhaps the morning breakfast with the royal family is just a tradition, but being scolded in the morning for being curious would be counterproductive.

So, Eris sat down in the chair the servant had pulled out and quietly observed Reinhardt.

In the morning light, his silver hair shone brightly. In the space where the sound of rustling could be heard, his ice-blue eyes blinking seemed like a dream world.

(See? They say heaven doesn’t give you everything, right?)

So, maybe it’s because his face is so beautiful that his personality is the opposite.

(Well, my favorites are Kiyotomo Yamamoto and Hideyoshi Toyotomi, not Western types.)

But, even compared to the portraits of historically significant figures she had seen, his face was beautiful.

(Yep, yep. So, it’s understandable that all his good qualities are in his face, and his personality is lacking because he’s human.)

No one is perfect.

(—But if he didn’t have this face, I would have given up long ago!)

That was a truth she would never admit, even if her mouth were torn open.

But, Reinhardt shifted slightly under Eris’s prolonged gaze.

“What are you... looking at?”

“Huh?”

(Ah, no! I got carried away and was staring again!)

She usually tried to observe him secretly to avoid upsetting him. But, instead of getting angry, Reinhardt just cleared his throat today.

(Huh? Is he in a good mood today?)

Maybe something good happened. Looking closely, his cheeks were slightly red, and his expression was a bit relaxed.

(Really! If he didn’t move or speak, he’d be like a fairy from a fairy tale!)

Why does he have to move and speak?

Wishing he would stay silent, Reinhardt’s lips slowly moved.

“Yesterday—thank you for your hard work.”

“Huh?”

Did he just thank me? As she blinked, sweat trickled down her back.

(What really happened yesterday!?)

Or was this a prelude to some major disaster? Just as she thought she needed to prepare, he continued.

“After that, I heard that the tariff rates the neighboring country’s envoy brought were significantly different from what we had planned. So, I’m grateful that you quickly organized the relevant departments to come up with a plan and have it ready by today.”

“Huh? Really!?”

(—Reinhardt actually thanked me!)

She was so surprised that she thought it might be a natural disaster, but it seemed that he was just embarrassed because he had been angry last night.

Seeing him shift uncomfortably and avoid eye contact, she found it somewhat endearing.

So, she smiled at him.

“It’s fine! I just gave the order to organize it. Besides, I was wrong for trying to tell you during the ball.”

Seeing her relax, his eyes softened even more, making her even happier.

“Besides, Gaito rushed to contact the relevant departments. So, thanks to him, we were able to get in touch with everyone quickly.”

But, as soon as she mentioned Gaito’s name, the king’s eyebrows shot up.

“You and that priest seem quite close, don’t you?”

“He’s been my assistant since I came to this country...”

(Huh?)

The atmosphere around the king suddenly changed. He had seemed a bit uncomfortable earlier, but now his eyebrows were sharply raised, and a cold smile played on his lips.

(This is bad!)

An emergency alarm rang in her head.

(I have to change the topic quickly—!)

Just when the atmosphere had finally become pleasant. Ignoring Gaito, she quickly switched to work.

“By the way, about the tariff rates you mentioned earlier, what do you plan to do? The neighboring country of Prussian wants to negotiate lower tariffs for silverware than what we heard from our ambassador.”

“Hmph. They’re taking advantage of the cold damage in our Schreiban region... Just because we increased the import of wheat from Prussian, they think we’ll accept such terms.”

“Reinhardt, I thought the same thing when I first heard it.”

Indeed, the tariffs they were asking for were too low compared to before. As she reached for her fork, she continued the conversation.

“But, on second thought, it could be an opportunity.”

“An opportunity?”

Reinhardt’s ice-blue eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Yes! Fortunately, they are a long-time ally of our country. So, we could use this as a chance to eliminate tariffs between the two countries and increase trade!”

Trade thrives when it’s free. Just like Nobunaga’s free market and modern Europe.

“Of course, it won’t happen immediately, but if we take it step by step, I’m sure it will yield results. Then, if our country has a bad harvest, we can buy wheat from Prussian at a lower price!”

Vegetables and the neighboring country’s specialties would also come in at lower prices, and the exchange of people would become more active. Moreover, if cultural artifacts began to flow between the two countries, it would not only boost the economy but also create a foundation for new cultures.

So, she said with shining eyes, but as soon as she clasped her hands dreamily, the table was slammed.

“Nonsense! Doing that would harm our silverware industry!”

The plates on the table trembled from the force. Eris, surprised, leaned back and tried to steady herself.

“True, it might happen at first... But if we expose ourselves to the new culture of the neighboring country, I believe it will have a positive impact on our silverware. And if we create better products than them, it could open up new markets in Prussian.”

“When? In a month? Six months? Surely not a year!?”

“Um...”

(To be honest, it would take a few years... Indeed, it would take a considerable amount of time to see results...)

“During that time, we could create a government support system for the targeted industries...”

“That’s out of the question!”

Reinhardt stood up with a thud.

“You are indeed a saint. To think of something so unconventional and propose it so easily... But!”

He glared at Eris with cold eyes.

“Our thinking is different. I have no intention of seeking your advice on this matter!”

“Reinhardt!?”

But before Eris could stop him, Reinhardt started walking, his silver hair flowing behind him.

“Wait!”

She reached out quickly.

“Please, just a little more—”

(We finally had a peaceful atmosphere!)

But as she tried to stop him, the king, with the attendant opening the door, walked out into the corridor and stopped.

“Ara, Your Majesty.”

“Hina.”

Why was she here? But Hina, called by Reinhardt, smiled like a spring fairy.

“Thank you for coming last night. I was so happy to see you.”

(Last night?)

What were they talking about?

“Yes.”

But Hina, taking Reinhardt’s arm innocently, continued.

“I was worried! This morning, you were so anxious in bed because you overslept. But it’s good that you made it on time.”

(Eh?)

Wait a minute. What did Hina just say?

(Bed... overslept... Could it be—!)

But as Hina, who had noticed Eris, slowly turned around and smiled as if to reassure her, Eris’s mind raced.

(Could it be that Reinhardt was in a good mood today because of that?)

Last night. Overslept. Thinking about the words Hina had said, it meant that Reinhardt had gone to Hina’s room last night and was woken up by her.

(Did he stay the night!?)

She wanted to disbelieve it, but she didn’t know how to ask about such a sudden and shocking situation.

“Reinhardt...”

Just saying that made her mouth burn.

But she didn’t want to believe it. So, even though she wanted to ask—

“What was that...”

Why couldn’t she form the words?

But as Eris extended her trembling finger, Hina pulled the arm she had wrapped around Reinhardt’s tall frame. Losing her balance, Reinhardt’s gaze shifted from Eris to Hina in surprise.

“By the way, Your Majesty! You went to work early this morning, but did you have breakfast?”

“Oh, no. Not yet—”

It had been months since she had seen such a surprised look on Reinhardt’s face. The act of pulling his arm and dragging him was something the king had never experienced before. But the wide-eyed look of surprise showed how close he was to Hina.

But in front of Eris, who felt a sharp pain in her chest, Hina smiled happily and leaned in to the flustered Reinhardt.

“I thought so! So, I asked the kitchen to make sandwiches. Let’s eat together?”

“Actually, I haven’t eaten yet,” Hina said, still holding Reinhardt’s hand and trying to walk away. But Eris, in a panic, reached out.

“Wait! Hina, what was that...!”

She didn’t want to believe it, but her heart urged her to confirm.

(I want you to say it’s a lie—!)

It must be a misunderstanding. But Hina, turning around, smiled slyly.

“Oh, Eris-sama, that’s embarrassing! Don’t take it seriously.”

It was like a high school girl who had been caught in a mistake. Blushing, she waved her hand and pulled Reinhardt’s arm.

“Anyway, Your Majesty! I found a nice place to eat outside! So, as promised, let’s eat together sometimes.”

It was a somewhat forceful gesture.

But, regaining the king’s attention, she started to drag him away.

“It was a promise, right?”

“Yes, well—”

(But the promise... We always had breakfast together...)

Her knees buckled.

“It’s a lie... right...”

“Eris-sama!?”

The voice of the servant, who had rushed over from a distance, sounded distant. Just the receding laughter confirmed the truth, and Eris could only kneel in shock.