Mystery Can Be Cruel
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The next morning, I woke up to the sound of a woman’s voice. It was coming from outside my room and sounded like it had been recorded in an echo chamber somewhere deep underground. The speaker was speaking with such clarity that I could make out every word she said without any trouble at all: “I’m sorry for what happened yesterday.”
“What?” I asked myself as I sat up on the bed. My body felt stiffer than usual after sleeping so long in one position, but there wasn’t much pain involved this time around—probably because I’d used some healing magic before going to sleep last night.
As far as I knew, no monsters or other dangerous creatures lurked inside the castle walls; if anything did happen while we were asleep here, then it would probably be something small enough not to cause too many problems.
Still, even though I didn’t feel threatened by whatever might have attacked me during the night, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy about being woken up unexpectedly like this…
When I opened my eyes again, however, everything looked normal. There weren’t any strange shadows lurking anywhere nearby, nor was anyone else present besides me and the mysterious female voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
In fact, aside from the door leading into the hallway just beyond where I lay down, nothing appeared different compared to how things normally were when I awoke each day.
Still, I decided to get up anyway since I hadn’t slept well due to the uncomfortable sensation of someone watching over me throughout the entire night. After getting dressed, I walked through the hallways toward the dining area, which was located near the center of the castle.
When I arrived there, I found everyone already seated at their respective tables, including our group leader, who was sitting across from me. He greeted me cheerfully with his usual smile, but he also gave off a sense of tension that made him seem more serious than usual today.
After taking my seat beside him, I glanced around the rest of the table. Everyone was looking back at me expectantly, waiting for me to say something. However, I still needed some time to think things over first.
Even though I’d only known them for less than two days now, they were all people whom I trusted implicitly. If I told them that I wanted to go home right away, then I wouldn’t be able to look them in the eye ever again.
And yet, despite knowing that, I still hesitated to tell them exactly why I wished to return to Earth immediately.
As I stood frozen in place, unable to speak, the girl named Riezé finally spoke up instead. She smiled brightly at us, her expression full of confidence. “You’re awake! Good morning!”
Riezé was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, except that she had changed the color of her hair from black to red. Her outfit was also completely new, consisting of a white shirt with short sleeves and a blue skirt that came almost to her knees.
On top of that, she wore a pair of silver shoes similar to those worn by the knights of the Kingdom of Friedonia. This was clearly meant to show off her status as a noblewoman, although I personally thought that she looked better in the previous style.
But regardless of whether or not I liked the way she looked, I appreciated that Riezé always tried to put herself together nicely whenever possible. That was part of the reason why I’d chosen to trust her so quickly upon meeting her.
“Good morning,” I replied politely as I returned her greeting. Then, I turned to face the others at the table. “Sorry for keeping you guys waiting.”
Everyone nodded in response. They were all smiling warmly at me, making it clear that they understood my reasons for wanting to leave. But none of them showed any signs of anger or disappointment either, which reassured me greatly.
I guess that means they don’t mind leaving without me, huh?
Then, I noticed that the person who’d spoken to me earlier was standing behind me. I turned around slowly, wondering who it was until I realized that it was the knight captain himself. His armor was covered in dust, suggesting that he’d spent most of the past few hours cleaning it.
Although it was difficult to see under the layer of grime, the metal plates covering his chest and arms were engraved with intricate patterns. The design reminded me of the markings on the sword I’d seen in the armory yesterday.
The man’s facial features were quite handsome, especially considering that he was an older gentleman. It was hard to believe that such a gentle-looking individual could actually be the head of the Knights’ Order.
Yet, judging by what I remembered hearing from the others, he was indeed the strongest warrior among the soldiers stationed within the castle walls.
I wondered briefly how old he really was, but the answer soon became apparent. Just as I finished thinking that, the man suddenly leaned forward and placed both hands firmly against the table.
“It is good to have you back, Miss Izgard…”
His words caused me to jump slightly in surprise, but the other members of the group didn’t react at all. Instead, they simply continued eating their breakfast while staring straight ahead. As far as I knew, this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary; after all, we’d been living here for several years now.
So long as no one said anything rude about another member of the group, then nobody would take offense.
However, even if the man had intended to remain silent, I couldn’t help but notice that his gaze seemed somewhat strained when he stared directly into my eyes. There was definitely something strange going on between him and me…but I just didn’t know what it was.
***
Once everyone had eaten their fill, we gathered once again outside the dining room. We were currently walking down the main road leading toward the city gates, where the carriage awaited us.
When I saw the vehicle parked nearby, I felt relieved. At least now I won’t need to walk all the way to the capital myself. After climbing inside, I took a moment to sit quietly before speaking up.
“So, uhm…what should I do?”
No sooner did I finish asking the question than the door opened again, revealing the knight captain. He stepped through the doorway, closing it behind him. Once he reached our side of the carriage, he began to explain everything to me.
“First of all, please allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Captain Tione Fielle. You may call me ‘Captain,’ or ‘Sir.’ However, I will only address you as ‘Miss Izgard.'”
He paused there for a second, giving me time to respond. When I still hadn’t responded right away, he added:
“…Please forgive me for being so formal. If you prefer, however, you can refer to me as ‘Tion’ or ‘Fielle’.”
I hesitated for a little longer, unsure of how to reply. Eventually, I decided to go with the latter option.
“Okay, I’ll use your first name. How about that?”
After saying those words, I immediately regretted them. Why am I using his full name?! What kind of idiot does that!?
As I berated myself internally, the captain smiled gently.
“Thank you very much, Miss Izgard.”
That smile made me feel like I’d done something wrong somehow, though. Still, I figured that apologizing wouldn’t hurt, so I offered him a quick apology instead.
“Oh, um, sorry! Forgive me!”
A short silence followed my outburst. And then, finally—
“You are forgiven.”
With that simple statement, the captain closed the distance between us. Before I knew it, he’d already taken hold of my hand and pressed it against his cheek. A shiver ran down my spine as I watched him wipe off some dirt stuck to his skin.
Wait, what…? Is he trying to kiss me? No way… This guy’s married, isn’t he?!
Just as I started to panic, the captain released my hand and spoke softly.
“Now, let us discuss your duties. First of all, you must understand that you will not be permitted to leave the castle grounds without permission. In addition, you cannot wander alone anywhere within the city. Do you understand these rules?”
My heart skipped a beat upon hearing those last two sentences. They sounded awfully ominous, almost as if he was warning me that I might get in trouble for disobeying them. But I nodded anyway, hoping that things weren’t as bad as they seemed.
“Yes, sir,” I replied. “Understood completely.”
For the next few minutes, the captain explained more details regarding my new job. Apparently, I would be working as part of the guard squad under the command of Lieutenant Commander Sain. The lieutenant commander himself was currently absent due to illness, which meant that I would have to report directly to the captain until he returned.
In any case, I needed to start learning how to fight. That was why I was assigned to the knights’ order. It also happened to be the reason that I ended up staying in the castle town rather than moving to the capital.
The captain told me that I could begin training whenever I wanted, although I would probably want to wait until evening since most people preferred to train during the day. Then again, I supposed that it depended entirely on personal preference.
And so, the conversation came to an end shortly thereafter. With nothing left for me to say, I turned around and headed back toward the mansion.
***
Upon reaching home, I found myself feeling extremely tired from all the traveling today. As such, I decided to take a bath and head straight to bed.
But before doing anything else, I went ahead and changed out of my clothes. While I waited for the water to heat up, I pulled open one of my drawers and rummaged through its contents.
There wasn’t really much to choose from. Most of the clothing I owned consisted of various outfits worn by the princesses over the years. Since I never got to wear them, they remained packed away in storage at this point.
Still, I managed to find a set of pajamas that were pretty comfortable. Not wanting to waste too much time changing into sleepwear, I quickly slipped them on and climbed onto the bed.
Once I lay down, I couldn’t help but think about what had just transpired earlier. I mean, sure, I didn’t exactly expect to be given a position as a royal guard. But even so, I thought that maybe the captain would’ve been willing to give me some sort of special treatment after seeing how hard I worked.
Instead, he treated me no differently than anyone else. He gave me the same instructions as everyone else.
It felt strangely lonely, actually. Like I’d suddenly lost someone important to me.
No matter how many times I tried to convince myself otherwise, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d failed somewhere along the line. After all, I’d spent half my life living in isolation. So when I finally met other people who shared similar interests as mine, I assumed that we’d become friends instantly.
Instead, I learned that there were still plenty of differences between us. People can be surprisingly cruel sometimes, especially if their own goals conflict with yours.
At least I’m safe now, I thought to myself. At the very least, I won’t have to worry about being attacked anymore.
Then again, I guess I should be grateful for having survived the ordeal. If not, none of this would ever have come to pass.
Suddenly overcome by fatigue once more, I fell asleep right where I stood.
***
I awoke to the sound of footsteps outside my door. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw that the sun had long since risen above the horizon. Judging from the light streaming inside my room, it looked like morning already.
As I sat up, I noticed something strange lying beside my pillow: a letter addressed to me. Curious, I picked it up and opened it.
Dear Princess,
Please accept our apologies for failing to inform you sooner. We hope that everything is well with you.
We are writing to notify you that we have made arrangements for your transfer to the capital. You may depart immediately. Please make sure to pack lightly; space aboard the ship will be limited.
Sincerely,
Captain Arisawa
P.S.: Your maids have been informed of the change in schedule.
After reading the note several times, I placed it aside and began preparing for departure.
First off, I took a quick shower to wash away any lingering traces of sweat or dirt. Once finished, I dressed in a simple white dress shirt and black pants. Next, I grabbed my luggage and headed downstairs.
Just then, I heard a knock on the front door. Upon opening it, I discovered two women standing on the doorstep. One of them was wearing a blue uniform while the other wore a green one. Both of these ladies appeared to be servants.
“Good morning, Miss Aisha!” said the woman in the blue outfit. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I replied.
She handed me a small bag filled with toiletries and other essentials. The second servant, meanwhile, carried my suitcase.
With that taken care of, I bid farewell to my family members and followed the pair outside.
Soon enough, we arrived at the port. There, we boarded a large boat that resembled a luxury yacht. Although I hadn’t seen one before, apparently it was quite common among nobles.
When we reached the deck, I spotted another familiar face waiting for us—the captain himself. He greeted me with a smile and extended his hand.
“Welcome aboard.”
I shook hands with him and introduced myself. Then, he led me belowdecks. It seemed like the entire crew had gathered here. They all bowed respectfully upon hearing my name.
The captain explained that I would be sharing a cabin with three others. Apparently, there weren’t enough rooms available for each individual to have their own private quarters. Still, they assured me that the accommodations wouldn’t be cramped in any way.
Once the introductions were complete, I thanked the captain and left the room. My new companions soon joined me, introducing themselves as Lala, Nana, and Lilia. All four of them possessed an aura of nobility about them.
Lilium, the youngest member of the group, was only fourteen years old. She reminded me of Rino in both appearance and personality. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she sported a modestly cut navy-blue dress that hugged her body nicely. On top of that, she also wore a matching sailor’s cap.
Next came Lala, a young lady whose age I could not ascertain. However, judging by the look of her attire, I guessed that she must’ve been around twenty. Unlike Lilium, however, Lala wore a full set of armor. This included leather gloves, boots, and a breastplate overtop her clothes.
In addition, she wielded twin swords strapped to either side of her waist.
Lastly, there was Nana. Like Lilium, she too wore a sailor’s hat, but hers featured a red ribbon instead of a yellow one. As far as I knew, this color indicated that she was a first mate rather than a regular passenger.
Unlike the rest of us, Nana didn’t wear any sort of protective gear. Instead, she opted for a short skirt and blouse combo that revealed most of her legs.
Combined with the fact that she kept rubbing against me throughout the trip, I found myself growing increasingly uncomfortable.
Still, despite being surrounded by so many beautiful girls, I managed to keep my composure. After all, I wasn’t interested in any of them romantically. Besides, if anything happened between us, it’d be impossible to hide what transpired from my parents.
The End