Editing Rakuin no Monshou:Volume11 Chapter6 (section)

=== Part 4 ===

The disturbances which had broken out in the capital, Solon, had yet to reach the trade city of Birac and today, as ever, countless numbers of ships were coming and going from its port.

Every ship that flew into the sky, loaded with cargo, passed another that was alighting, laden with goods. Amongst them, there was a ship that had come from the neighbouring country, Garbera, bearing the flag of the Kotjun House, which was fluttering in the blue heavens.

Birac had been performing trade with Garbera even before the reconciliation between the emperor and crown prince. Needless to say, when the ten-year war ended, the first ships to leave Birac for Garbera were those of the ever-hungry-for-business Haman Firm. Perhaps because the Kotjun House had been equally prompt when it came to trade, the two had established ties and the heads of both now frequently sent messengers to each other’s residence.

Since the pair were extremely shrewd, rather than saying that they were on friendly terms, theirs was a relationship where each was on guard against the other stealing a march on them.

Immediately upon disembarking, a messenger from the Kotjun House went to see Zaj Haman, and Zaj himself then got in touch with a certain soldier.

“What, the princess!” Gowen unintentionally exclaimed, then quickly stiffled his words.

The messenger also lowered his voice. “The princess seems to have informed the Kotjun House of her desire to return to Mephius some time ago already, however, returning directly to Solon might unnecessarily complicate matters, so for now, she has come to Birac. She says that she is sure that you, Sir Gowen, will handle everything smoothly.”

''Just doing whatever she wants'' – thought Gowen, but of course, he did not say it out loud.

Here in Birac, he was still training and organising the new recruits. Naturally, he had heard about the direct confrontation between the Emperor and the crown prince, and, just a short while ago, he had also heard that Gil had headed to Ende immediately afterwards.

Although he was, of course, glad that Orba had safely won that desperately risky contest, Gowen also knew that it was too early to give way to relief. His workload had not particularly changed since this “victory”. Or rather, as the number of volunteers wanting to join the crown prince’s forces had only increased, his hours of sleep had been whittled down to even fewer than before.

Now on top of that, with the princess’ sudden visit to Birac, he was feeling like every problem was being pushed onto him.

''This is all because you just up and left!''

It was the same as when Orba had left without saying anything to Hou Ran. At the time, he had harboured a considerable grudge against Orba, and the one he was nursing now was just as big. But anyway, somebody would definitely have to tell the princess. And that role had been left to him.

Gowen steeled his resolve and met the carriage sent by the Haman House. It was unmistakably Princess Vileena who alighted, borrowing the coachman’s hand to do so.

They were in the courtyard of Birac Castle. When the girl’s slender foot firmly stepped down onto the lawn, Gowen gave a bow.

“It’s been a while, Gowen. I will be causing you trouble.”
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“Not at all.” Mindful of their surroundings, Gowen smiled. “This is perfectly normal, Your Royal Highness.”

“Normal indeed,” Vileena responded, her impish smile conveying that she knew there was nothing normal about it.

Gowen sighed. The princess paid it no mind.

“What is the situation in Solon?”

“Messengers come running every day from the capital. His Highness the crown prince has already led his troops out of the city and, for the present, they are headed for Idolo.”

“I see.” The princess’ expression as she nodded was entirely the same as usual.

Gowen knew, of course, that she had borrowed soldiers from the emperor to turn Salamand away, and that, immediately afterwards, there had been an incident in which she had nearly lost her life. Standing close to her now, however, it was hard to believe that she had lived through such violent scenes.

''I wonder what kind of mental state having a daughter like that must leave her father in?'' Gowen wondered inconsequentially.

He was swiftly pulled back to reality however. As already stated, there was something that he needed to tell the princess. It was for that very reason that he had not brought anyone along with him.

Once he had made sure that the carriage was leaving, he started.

“…The truth of the matter is, Princess… There is something that I must say to you.”

“Honestly, you’re so formal. I refuse to listen to any complaints about His Highness. Because really, I’m the one who wants to throw some at you.”

It was the first time the girl had spoken to him jokingly like that, but her smile faded as she listened to Gowen talk, her eyes grew wider and wider, and by the end, she had gone rigid.

“It can’t be… That…” she murmured, then, “Why?” she asked. “Why would she do such a thing?”

“We still do not know,” Gowen shook his head, his expression serious. “Although she herself has talked about various things, none of them go to the heart of the matter. Perhaps she was tricked by someone, but at present, we do not really know.”

It was about Layla. The girl who had once saved Vileena’s life in the West and whose warmth had permeated into her heart, had, here in Birac, attacked the crown prince with an assassin’s blade – hearing that, there was no way that the princess could remain calm.

“Let me see her,” the girl entreated, her body leaning forward but, unusually, Gowen firmly rejected her.

“You cannot. This is the only firm order that His Highness left. He said that once he returns, he will personally interrogate her. Until then, nobody is to be allowed to see her.”

Although they had tried to keep the matter with Layla quiet, there were inevitably rumours and, sooner or later, they would have reached the princess’ ears. Which was why Gowen had no choice but to deliberately inform her about it. Nevertheless, he naturally could not let Vileena meet directly with Layla, since somehow, she seemed to be aware of the crown prince’s past.

Gowen was equally unable to indefinitely hide the news of the princess’ return, and by the next day, it had already gone all around Birac. He himself had sent a messenger to the capital to inform Odyne about it. If things showed signs of calming down in Solon, Odyne would surely send to meet with her.

From that day on, the princess also suddenly threw herself into a flurry of activity. She flew airships from morning onwards, circling around the castle grounds. She also announced that she would keep the key to her own room, “for security reasons”.

Moreover, once it was known that the princess had returned, there was someone who earnestly requested to meet her in person. Actually, there were many such people in Birac, but this one she recognised.

“I’ll see him right away,” he was the only one to whom she granted that permission.

When that young man saw her, he got to his knees, looking deeply moved.

“Princess, thank goodness… Thank goodness you’re safe.”

“Please raise your head. It is rather you whose safety I am thankful for. Back then, I was not entirely conscious and I never imagined that my request would have such a terrible impact on your life. Foolish and thoughtless as I was, please forgive me.”

“What are you saying? Seeing you safe, Princess, makes it all worth… no, was worth throwing everything else away.”

The one who spoke in a trembling voice was the Imperial Guard who, after the princess had been shot at, had carried the golden medallion all the way to Birac.

“What is your name?”

“I am called Alnakk.”

The princess murmured his name and smiled with a flash of her white teeth. For Alnakk, who had climbed up from the bottom of the social ladder, having his name be remembered by such a beautiful foreign princess felt like having obtained a long-cherished dream.

Now that she knew his name, the princess, meanwhile, behaved towards him as though he was a long-time acquaintance.

“As a matter of fact, Alnakk, there is one more thing that I desperately want you to do for me,” she brazenly announced.

“Yes? Y-Yes. Anything at all.”

Vileena’s head lady’s maid, Theresia, had, in the past, held a particular thought about her mistress – ''she instinctively understands which are the men who cannot go against her''. Vileena, who would soon turn fifteen, had an expression that contained the buds of adulthood. A little more time would be needed before the flower was in full bloom; but, even at this point, there were any number of young men from all walks of life who would yearn to see her face a little closer, and who, for that, would hope to serve as her shield from a bullet or a gun.

Vileena could recognise the young men with that disposition. Especially easy to spot were those like Shique or Alnakk, on whom the princess’ words and actions made a deep impression. The sincere princess was not one to lavish her smiles after calculating such a thing but, nevertheless, as she lowered her voice and started talking –

“As a matter of fact…”

– There was no way that Alnakk could refuse her.

The reason why Vileena had flown an airship since the early morning was to scope out the surroundings.

She had found one place of interest: a tower southwest of the main hall. It had formerly served as a watchtower, but was now being used for storage. Yet, even though practically no one went there, there were always two guards standing sentry by it.

At the princess’ order, Alnakk secretly kept watch on them until late at night and reported back that, twice a day, a soldier seemed to bring meals to that same place. Incidentally, it had officially been announced that Alnakk was serving as Vileena’s personal guard. Since most people were aware of how he had come to Birac at the risk of his own life, no one was suspicious of how he entered and left the princess’ apartments.

“Then, tonight,” said Vileena.

That night, the figures of people appeared at the appointed time. The sentries were on their guard however, as it was not the soldier who usually brought the meals, but a girl dressed as a lady’s maid.

The three soldiers, which included the sentries, were subordinates of Gowen’s, and they, of course, knew who was inside. Conversely, there were very few people besides them who shared that knowledge. When they questioned her –

“Lord Gowen has ordered that the one inside be given a wash,” was the answer they received.

Apart from the meal, the lady’s maid also had a large cloth folded over her arm. Certainly, since the prisoner locked up inside was a woman, this was not a task that men could perform.

“Still, we didn’t hear anything about it. I’ll go and check with the Captain.”

Just when one of them was about to start running off, they heard a gruff voice.

“Oh, look at that. Someone here’s having a secret tryst at this hour.” A drunk-looking man was approaching. “In a place like this, very suspicious. Hey, hey, let me join in. If you do, I won’t tell your boss.”

The way he unheedingly raised his voice out loud worried the sentries. They did not want to draw attention to this place.

“Please be careful,” the lady’s maid whispered to the sentries. “Lord Gowen told me about it. That gentleman is called Alnakk and he has only just become a soldier to the princess. He is sniffing about for the prisoner’s whereabouts.”

“What?”

Since Alnakk was still coming closer and talking louder and louder, one of them went up to stop him.

“You seem pretty drunk. Even if you go further, there’s nothing here. Now then, go back to your own room.”

“Oh? You trying to start something? I might not look it, but I used to be an Imperial Guard serving directly under the emperor.”

He pushed forward through sheer brute strength, so the other guard had no choice but to also go and help. Just before he did so, he sent the lady’s maid on her way.

“Finish your business quickly.”

He handed her the key. The lady’s maid nodded, and stepped into the tower.

Naturally, the sentries had failed to realise that she was actually the princess. She had asked Alnakk to come up to them, pretending to be drunk, so as to create a sense of trust by having the soldiers recognise that they had a ‘common enemy’.

She climbed the dimly-lit staircase. At the end, there was a door. Beyond it lay a circular room and another door that blocked further passage. A padlock hung from it. Opening it with the key, she saw that inside there was a single woman, who was stirring slightly.

“Layla…” her voice unintentionally escaped.

It was undoubtedly Layla within that cold stone-room. This was the girl who had once taken care of the princess when she had collapsed in the west, and who had loved Vileena – who was compelled to use the false name ‘Luna’ – like her own little sister.

As though startled, the girl got up from the bed and stared at Vileena’s face. She looked as though she was about to run away, but her ankles were chained to the bed and staggered forward.

“Layla!”

“Princess…”

Tears started streaming down Layla’s face as soon as she had spoken. She looked away and began to wail as she crouched down.

Driven by her own emotions, Vileena closed the distance between Layla and herself. Just as she was about to touch her shoulders, Layla, perhaps unconsciously, shook her off. The tray that had been carrying the meal tumbled to the floor, but neither of them paid it any attention.

For a short while, the stone walls, which were indistinguishable from the shadows, simply absorbed Layla’s sobbing. Vileena’s chest felt filled to bursting. Pity and doubts were swelling within her, and she groped about for the right words to say to Layla, but – “Why?” – in the end, what broke the long silence were words that were too straightforward.

“Why did you.. the prince…”

When she heard the word ‘prince’, Layla’s shoulders gave a jerk. Her wails grew noticeably louder. Vileena was unable to say anything further.

The princess had considered all sorts of possibilities before coming. She simply could not believe that Layla had, from the start, been a spy working for some enemy. Even if she had gotten close to wait for a chance to assassinate the crown prince, there was too much that was accidental in her encounter with Vileena. Then, why? What on earth could have driven such a calm-looking girl to attempting a crime like that of murdering the country’s crown prince?

The princess could not begin to imagine.

Just then,

“I,” Layla spoke in a trembling voice. “I was robbed of my future by His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“That,” having braced herself to ask the question, Vileena was momentarily at a loss for words. “What… do you mean by that?”

The two of them drifted into silence again. Outside, Alnakk’s voice could still faintly be heard rising a racket. The princess’ heart beat violently. For some reason, she felt that staying here any longer was unbearable to her. She had a premonition that she was about to hear something terrifying – a secret so outrageous concerning the country and its people, that it would have to remain hidden in the shadows in the future without ever appearing in the open – that it would threaten to tear her to shreds just as much as it did Layla.

And then –

While Vileena was hesitating about what to say, Layla, between her tears and her sobs, slowly started to talk.

About how her father, Rone, had been an Imperial Guard under the emperor’s direct command. About how, originally, she should already have been married now and living with her husband in Solon.

“It was during the wedding ceremony…”

Time and time again, tears fell with every blink of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. And yet, her eyes were lacking any feeling of intense emotion, and she looked as though she were detachedly discussing someone else’s story.

It was instead the princess who, in the next instant, had her chest pierced as though by an arrow with strong emotions.

“In the middle of the ceremony, Crown Prince Gil suddenly appeared. And he claimed his right to the first night. Yes… I was forced away from the one who was supposed to become my husband and told to share a bed with the prince.”

“Impossible…” Vileena murmured unthinkingly. “That kind of… It’s impossible…”

“Right. It’s impossible. It’s unthinkable.”

Layla’s eyes once again filled with tumultuous emotions. And what she said next, her tears scattering all the while, reverberated like thunder against the stone walls of that cold room.

“Because that man… There’s no way he can still be in this world. My father was supposed to have killed Crown Prince Gil Mephius. He died! Right in front of my eyes!”



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