Bibliophile Princess: Volume 5
Table of Contents
Cover
Color Illustration
Character Profiles
Arc 1: Dreaming of Winter’s End Chapter 1: The Prince’s Test
Chapter 2: The Prince’s Showdown
Chapter 3: The Lady Saint and the Hero King
Chapter 4: The Princess’s Test
Chapter 5: The Princess’s Inn Reformation
Chapter 6: The Prince’s Letter
Chapter 7: The Man-Hating Witch
Chapter 8: The Dream Is Over
Arc 2: The Twilight Clock Chapter 1: The Twilight Mansion
Chapter 2: The Twilight Secret
Chapter 3: The Twilight Promise
Afterword
Bonus Short Stories
About J-Novel Club
Copyright
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Arc 1: Dreaming of Winter’s End
Chapter 1: The Prince’s Test
It was an overcast day, where only a thin stream of sunlight managed to find its way through the gaps of gray clouds. The blizzard continued without letting up. Those in the palace feared the Malduran delegation would be delayed, but as if purposefully aiming to catch Sauslind off guard, they arrived earlier than anticipated.
Since Maldura’s winters were even more frigid than Sauslind’s, they were all dressed in thick layers. The garments themselves were formal, albeit without mantles attached, but in an apparent display of wealth, they were made from extremely expensive material. Their extravagant appearance made the delegates too intimidating for most normal people to approach.
Ordinarily the palace’s audience chamber was only open for special ceremonies, but this was a unique occasion. The most prominent nobles and ministers—anyone with influence in the kingdom—were gathered inside. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call these people the backbone of Sauslind’s political power. And yet, these sly old foxes gaped when they laid eyes upon the man representing the Malduran delegation.
The foreign prince stopped at the foot of the stairs leading to the throne, the spot where other nobles ordinarily paid their respects. He moved without an ounce of hesitation. Judging by his appearance, he was in his mid-twenties. The atmosphere around him and his general demeanor were so warm and inviting it was almost a disappointment—completely contrary to people’s impressions of Maldura. He had a lean, wiry frame and slightly curly black hair. Even under the scrutinizing gazes of the Sauslind elite, he looked perfectly relaxed. The smile on his face was ambiguous and difficult to read.
In response to the king’s welcome, the foreign prince gave a fluttering bow. “Likewise, it is an honor to make your acquaintance, King William of Sauslind. I am the second prince of Maldura, Reglisse Carranza, son of King Orzeno.” By Sauslind’s standards, his manners were a bit peculiar. Nonetheless, his gentle expression concealed any tension he might be feeling, and he moved with grace, showing no signs that the crowd’s attention unnerved him. He proudly lifted his head after bowing, his eyelids still shut.
Maldura’s prince was blind.
This revelation stunned the nobles. If I hadn’t been informed beforehand, I might have gawked like they were doing. Instead, I was surveying the people around the prince.
Ian, of the Black Wing Knights, had already informed me of the prince’s disability, but the way Prince Reglisse conducted himself almost made me question whether those eyes really were blind. Pretender or not, the man was dignified enough to silence anyone who might have mocked him for his handicap.
So this is the man slated to be the next king of Maldura, I thought as I scrutinized him, surprised.
The king and queen exchanged some formal conversation with him before Father turned to me. “During your stay here in Sauslind, my son will be the one keeping you entertained. I hope the two of you will be able to form a strong friendship, given that you will both be leading countries in the future. Chris?”
At his prompt, I stepped forward. All the eyes that had been gathered on the foreign prince now focused on me instead. I had an air of royalty about me, I could tell—whether Reglisse could see it or not. I had my family’s characteristic golden blonde hair and sky blue eyes. I was so used to being the center of attention that pride oozed from me, as was only fitting for someone of my position. It was something my mother had drilled into me since I was a child, and it was far too late to change it now.
I knew from experience the effect my presence and appearance had on other people. The other members of the foreign delegation, as well as the nobles from Sauslind, were either overwhelmed by my company or captivated enough to hide any hostility they may have otherwise felt.
A smile spread across my face. “I am Sauslind’s crown prince, Christopher Selkirk Ashelard. Your travels have brought you far. I heartily welcome you to my home. Considering how close we are in age, I hope we can use this opportunity to grow closer to one another.”
Despite his inability to see, Prince Reglisse turned his face directly toward me. Either his hearing was that keen or he had a knack for sensing a person’s presence.
He gave another fluttering bow and introduced himself once more. There was a trace of a smile on the edges of his lips. After stating his name again, he then said, “I hear you’re the pride of Sauslind. You’re even famous in other countries for being noble and wise. There have been rumors of you for quite some time now.” His voice carried a subtle barb that only a few people present reacted to.
I continued smiling, as I always did, and replied, “Yes, well, rumors do tend to take on a life of their own, but I will be careful not to betray people’s good impressions of me. That said, rumors often carry the biases of whoever speaks them. I am more intrigued by what they call you in Maldura: ‘God’s Beloved Prince.’ I’ll be sure to evaluate how accurate that name is with my own eyes.” I glanced over at him, but Prince Reglisse only gave a gentle smile. It was the nobles standing a few steps behind him who seemed taken aback.
Before Sauslind’s higher-ups could break out into whispers, Father uttered some platitudes and drew our formal welcome of the Malduran delegation to a close. Real diplomacy, where veteran aristocrats from both sides would mingle and do their secret maneuvering, was planned for later.
~.~.~.~
One obvious method for diplomacy was to socialize. With that in mind, I invited the Malduran delegation to an evening party. Spring was the real season for such mingling, but even though it was still winter, the special circumstances prompted an even larger turnout than I’d anticipated. Sauslind’s people still had a deep-seated aversion to Maldura—that hadn’t changed—but this was a rare and unusual occasion. People were prioritizing their curiosity over their caution.
I, of course, was the host for the evening’s festivities. I knew most of the nobility were less than fond of Maldura, so to entertain our foreign visitors, I invited a range of people from outside the aristocracy. There were young people who had just reached adulthood, mid-rank civil officials who had their hands deep in national politics, and middle-aged merchants who were the heads of their own companies.
The Malduran delegation was already fitting in well with the other attendees.
“The Epic of Elbara. It’s beloved by the people as a poem depicting the founding of our nation. It’s about as famous as Sauslind’s Hero King,” said Prince Reglisse. Out of concern for his disability, he had a special maid and guards attached to him. He was still unmarried and had made it apparent that he’d yet to settle on an engagement.
The person engaging him in conversation was Lady Anna Hayden, daughter of Earl Hayden. Said earl was also known as the Guardian God of the West, and he oversaw one of our border regions, the Edea Doma
in. Lady Anna was dressed in evening attire, and her eyes radiated with an inner strength that mirrored her father’s.
“The Epic of Elbara is said to be based on Ryzanity,” she said. “Elbara was the one who established Maldura. In other words, your founding king was a follower of Ryza. That’s why Ryzanity has become the national religion for Maldura, yes?”
Lady Anna displayed an extraordinary level of knowledge of history, which seemed oddly out of place at an evening party. Nonetheless, the man escorting her was no less knowledgeable as he smiled and cut in. “No, that’s not necessarily true. There are two theories about the Epic of Elbara. One is that it originated in the fallen empire, and the other is that it started as a folktale. It’s a bit too narrow-minded to discuss history solely from a religious perspective, Lady Anna.”
The man who refuted her was Elianna’s older brother, Alfred Bernstein. He was also an aide to the prime minister. As was characteristic of the Bernsteins, Alfred didn’t normally take part in social functions like this, but this time, he had gone out of his way to make his presence known. He was here as a sort of stand-in for his absent sister, lest the foreign delegation or the other Sauslind nobles forget her or her determination to establish peace between our nations.
Prince Reglisse smiled warmly. “I heard that Sauslind has a number of scholars who are knowledgeable about other countries and their histories, but I’m surprised you have female civil officials. My country could stand to learn from your example.”
Lady Anna hesitated to respond, embarrassed to be seen as a pioneer of female academics. “Even in Sauslind, there aren’t very many like me. The only reason I was able to obtain this position was thanks to Lady Elianna’s suggestion.”
“Aha.” The prince’s smile broadened. “The crown prince’s fiancée, yes. My country owes her a debt of gratitude as well. I would have loved to meet her. It’s a shame she couldn’t be here.”
Up until this point, I had only listened in on the conversation from the background, exchanging pleasantries with other guests, but Prince Reglisse’s voice was filled with so much emotion it drew my attention. My smile grew even wider hearing my beloved’s name.
“Elianna also had a deep desire to meet with you and your delegation,” I said, turning around to face him. “Unfortunately, since she will be crown princess soon, she is very busy. I am terribly sorry she couldn’t be here to speak with you, but please know, the rest of us here share her desire for peace.”
My confident declaration prompted a smile from Alfred, and Lady Anna blinked a few times before grinning as well. The two of them weren’t officially engaged as of yet, but the future looked promising for them.
Encouraged by my statement, Alfred led Prince Reglisse and the other civil officials into a discussion about history. When the chance presented itself, he casually shot questions at the foreign prince to fish for information regarding the state of their domestic affairs.
There were two other nobles from the Malduran delegation at the party as well.
“So, lovers here gaze at the stars together as they talk? Sauslind couples sure are romantic. Winters are so harsh in our country that if you went outside to stargaze at this time of year, you’d turn into a frozen statue.” One of them was Earl Gilhan, a handsome, vibrant man who was so cheerful and sincere it coaxed smiles out of everyone, drawing in young men and women alike. He was in his early forties, and though he had a playful, frivolous atmosphere about him, his conversational skills were perfectly suited to diplomacy.
“In that case, how do lovers in Maldura sneak around to meet each other?”
Earl Gilhan hummed, giving a meaningful grin to fan the inquirer’s curiosity. “In Maldura, we have what are called ‘Star Gems.’ The name refers to the vast number of gemstones found in Maldura’s underground springs that sparkle when the light hits them. They look like stars in the night sky. We have a lot of mines, and those gems hidden deep underground are more valuable than anything else in the world.”
“Wow!” The young men and women gathered around him leaned forward, intrigued by the idea of these shiny foreign stones.
Earl Gilhan turned his handsome smile on one of the girls who was staring dreamily at him. “I question how tactful it is to draw such a comparison to women, but even jewels are little more than useless stones until you polish them. There’s nothing more valuable than finding a diamond amidst all the rubble, is there? I’m sure that’s the same for every country. In Maldura, we call them ‘Star Gems.’ Because they’re like lights that illuminate our home in the frigid cold of winter.”
The way he said it implied that although Maldura’s winters were harsh, the country shone like a beacon in the dark. The evocative description was enough to make the girl picture it vividly in her mind. He continued his romantic tales, and not to be bested, the Sauslind youths joined in with their own stories.
I turned my attention away from him and his group, tuning my ears into another gathering of people.
“The western countries’ bronze and iron works are a surprising sight to behold. From the east, we are seeing more artistic imports. The west and their exceptional technology have Maldura to thank for providing such resources. I would love for Sauslind’s engineers to learn by the other western countries’ examples,” said Earl Ardolino, one of the most prominent tradesmen in Sauslind. His wife was Alexei’s younger sister, Therese.
The man he was speaking with looked to be in his mid-thirties and was rather frail. He was a relative of Prince Reglisse and had only recently succeeded his father’s title. His name was Earl Valmore. One might expect the power that came with his new appointment to go to his head, but neither the man’s clothes nor his appearance matched his status. He acted timid and restless, surveying his surroundings. It made him seem like a novice who had no place being involved with diplomacy, but...
“Western iron crafting is more suited to bridge and boat construction—b-basically any large objects. I have a keen interest in the east’s intricate craftsmanship a-and Sauslind’s refined techniques as well.”
Though he gave off the impression of being unmotivated and unconfident, he had a keen insight into what was necessary to make the best use of his country’s resources and what other nations were specializing in. He, Earl Ardolino, and the rest of the merchants launched into a deep conversation about Maldura’s iron manufacturing and trade circulation. Given how isolationist Maldura was, this was a key opportunity to develop good relations with them for commercial purposes, so many in the group were eager to discuss future opportunities.
After ensuring they were off to a good start, I left them behind and made my way around the event venue. There were two people tagging along behind me: Glen, who was acting as my bodyguard, and the civil official attending in Alexei’s place.
Ordinarily, since I was the crown prince, guests would go out of their way to come to me and pay their respects. However, since this was taking place in the palace’s reception hall and our primary objective was to conduct diplomacy, those invited were more enticed to approach Maldura’s delegation. That was only natural, of course. However...
“Prince Christopher, good evening.”
The moment I tried to wander the hall, the usual nuisances made their approach. Most were noblemen dragging their daughters along with them. It was always the same girls. When I first saw them years ago they were single and available, but they still chose to appear even now that they were engaged. This was primarily because up until this past spring, Elianna had rarely attended social functions.
Their objective was clear: they wanted to garner the attention of the crown prince. If they were lucky, they might be able to become a concubine and leverage their influence to push Elianna out, taking the position of crown princess for themselves. Since the date of our wedding was announced, most such women had given up. They only attempted it now because they saw Elianna’s absence as an opportunity.
No matter how much I tried to rebuff them, there was no end to it. To
night would not be the first or last time I had to deal with this, either. Some of the girls were being forced into it by their fathers and couldn’t disobey if they wanted to. As I watched them try to flatter and cajole me, I recalled the doubt I’d held when I was younger. Why couldn’t the people wasting their time kissing up to me be more like the people whose eyes lit up with curiosity when speaking to the Maldurans?
As I smiled, mentally categorizing the crowd around me, a voice murmured behind me, “This is another consequence of Alex’s absence. Even without Lady Elianna present, Alex’s stone cold gaze drove off anyone reckless enough to approach. He basically froze them with one look and kept them at bay.”
“That makes sense,” Glen responded, nodding to himself. “Even the prince can’t beat the ice demon’s piercingly cold glare.”
I wasn’t sure if I should interpret that as a compliment or not, but either way, it was a stupid comment.
The civil official’s style of speech resembled Alex’s as he replied, “Indeed. According to Lord Alexei, it’s easy to squash families like House Dauner who are obvious in their approach. Those lords from a moment ago will be meeting the same fate, I’m sure.”
“No kidding. Get on the demon lord’s bad side and you won’t survive in this country. Either he’ll turn you to stone or your house will fall to ruin. Which would you pick if you had the option?”
“Oh, come now, you act as if they’re on a path of no return. Life is like a game of chess. If you can turn the tables in a single move, who wouldn’t take the risk of trying?”
“Now is a prime opportunity because the Goddess of Luck is absent.”
They continued flapping their lips in the background, and I tuned them out. As I scanned the venue, my eyes narrowed sharply.
We couldn’t allow the bodyguards who’d accompanied the Malduran delegation to attend the event. To guarantee the safety of their prince and keep up appearances, Ian and a few of the other Black Wing Knights were posted inside for security. However, seeing my uncle on my mother’s side conversing with the Black Wing Knight’s commander, I wasn’t confident they could be trusted. Maldura wasn’t the only issue we were dealing with here, hence my hackles raising.