The horse-drawn carriage raced down the night road at a terrifying speed, violently jolting up and down as it kicked up the ground. When this happened, Kai struck his head hard on the ceiling and let out a scream.
It was the sixth time this had happened.
“Are you alright?”
“Y-Yes! I’m sorry for making so much noise!”
“No, no, it’s because I’m rushing you. But your energy is comforting. How about you, Senior Oscar?”
Albert, who had dyed his hair black and dressed like a commoner, spoke gently to Kai before glancing at the seat beside him.
There, a merchant’s son was slumped over, holding his mouth as if feeling nauseous.
His posture, with his back hunched over and one hand on the window frame, was a far cry from his usual bold demeanor.
“You’re going too fast, aren’t you?”
The man, with a handsome face now pale, whispered weakly.
In response, Albert merely shrugged his shoulders.
“Yes, five consecutive teleportations followed by a beast path is certainly a challenge. But this is the fastest way to get there, and Kai has already experienced something similar on horseback.”
Yes, they had begun their journey immediately after receiving Kai’s request.
Not only had they established the teleportation array five times faster than usual, but they also commandeered a carriage and its driver from the merchant’s guild.
“I’m sorry… I realize that even though the horses are strong, we could have taken a smoother route.”
The return journey was far quicker but also much harsher, prompting Kai to offer a quiet correction.
Albert was thorough in his quest to obtain the fastest mode of transportation.
He drew multiple complex teleportation arrays—an excellent way to manage his mana consumption, he had said with a bright smile—and he didn’t hesitate to choose the carriage reputed to be the fastest without checking the price list.
He paid almost five times the market rate for the driver, and whenever the driver hesitated to take the beast path, Alberto gently encouraged him with soothing words and discreetly offered money to spur him on.
“To think we could return to Elrand this quickly… It’s all thanks to everyone’s cooperation, a testament to the prince’s virtuous character.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. This is just bribery and intimidation.”
When the innocent Kai spoke in admiration, Oscar corrected him, exasperated.
Oscar had never met someone so elegant with their use of money.
Before departing, when Rolf had declared, “I’ll just be a burden, so I’ll stay back!” Oscar had thought how callous of him, but now he was grateful for his friend’s wisdom.
Albert didn’t deny either statement, simply smiling and saying, “This is an emergency.”
At that moment, the horses suddenly whinnied and the carriage came to a sudden stop.
The sudden jolt caused Kai to fall out of his seat, and Oscar also rose slightly, but Albert smoothly absorbed the vibrations and raised one eyebrow.
“…Oh my. Another negotiation for a break, perhaps?”
The driver, who had been crying out in horror at the unexpected speed of the journey, had been trying to stop the carriage at various points, citing overhanging branches and possible signs of beasts.
Albert had been gently encouraging him at each turn.
When the prince stood up to negotiate another break, Oscar rose to intervene.
“…Wait. A little rest is necessary.”
“I-I’ll check it out!”
Kai, sensing the situation, quickly stood up.
Despite his poor command of the Elrandese language, he sorted out the necessary words in his mind and leaned out from the carriage seat towards the driver’s box.
“Wait… Leo? Bruno?!”
Kai’s almond-shaped eyes widened in shock at the familiar faces he saw.
***
“Ah, Leo, would you like some raisins? They’re quite delicious.”
“Thank you…”
Lena took the raisins Kai offered her, mumbling her thanks.
It seemed Kai thought of himself as the one responsible for serving others in this group, as he had been diligently starting the fire again and offering snacks despite his inexperience.
Even outdoors, his dedication as a servant was admirable.
“Ah, Mr. Oscar doesn’t like sweets, right? How about this instead…”
Kai displayed an unusually high level of service skills, producing one snack after another from a bag.
Lena kept an eye on Kai’s surroundings as he continued distributing snacks.
Next to her was Bruno, and across from them sat Kai.
Oscar, the merchant’s son, was beside Kai, and then—
(Who would have thought I’d meet them in a place like this…)
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the beautiful young man sitting across the fire.
Though his hair was dyed black, the high nose bridge and ice-blue eyes gave away his regal bearing.
It was easy to see, from Kai’s attitude, that this was the Imperial Crown Prince, Albert.
Earlier, when the large carriage had stopped abruptly and Kai had peeked out from the seat, Lena had been so shocked she let out a puzzled “Huh?”
She had expected him to be in the capital of Elrand with Leo.
Just as she was about to answer Kai’s question about why they were there, two others joined him.
One was a sharp-looking young man with dark hair and blue eyes, and the other was none other than Albert, who looked like a young spirit.
Kai, startled, had explained who they were, but Lena quickly grasped the situation.
Kai described the young men as friends of Leo’s from an orphanage, people who had jointly developed teleportation arrays.
She realized immediately who they were.
Several beautiful young men around Leo? It would be troubling if that were the case.
Without questioning Kai about the situation, she froze in shock like a frog meeting its predator.
The stranger was equally surprised, staring at her with wide eyes.
“—Is it… you…?”
However,
“Do you two know each other? Suddenly appearing on this beast path, we thought you were followers of the dark spirits! This is enough, I’m tired, and the horses, my sight, and my stamina have all reached their limits! Please, let us rest!”
The driver, evidently exhausted, suddenly screamed, prompting Kai and the others to exchange glances.
Feeling awkward, they reluctantly agreed to take a break.
“Would you like to join us?” Kai offered to Lena and her companions.
So, without any clear decision, they all gathered around the fire.
Meanwhile, the driver had finished caring for the horses and lay exhausted on the ground.
Now, why were Kai and the prince here?
Lena struggled to comprehend the situation, studying them closely as they approached her.
“—So you’re from the area around the orphanage where Leo made her visit?”
“Yeah, more or less.”
Lena responded shortly, wondering why he was asking the obvious.
Albert seemed startled.
“So it is you! What a fate! Do you remember me?”
“Excuse me?”
Meeting someone for the first time who declared “What fate!” could only mean he was either a naive noble or a shrewd con artist.
Lena’s suspicion intensified, but a voice from the side interrupted her.
“Oh, are you the high-ranking noble’s son who was saved by Leo while incognito in the slums two years ago, and paid with a gold coin? At least, that’s what I heard.”
Bruno, speaking with affected mannerisms, confirmed what had happened.
Lena’s face stiffened.
(Wait, you never told me about that…!)
Leo!
She knew Leo had taken gold coins at a magical demonstration, but she hadn’t heard it wasn’t the first time.
(So that means, the prince and Leo had a history even before we switched bodies? If the gold coin story is true, then both Leo and I must be targets for the prince… What do I do now? I have no information!)
What a troublesome situation.
When Bruno had told his story earlier, Lena had been secretly relieved to hear Leo had recovered from his illness.
Now, she wished she could throttle Leo and put a stop to his antics.
He was a true troublemaker, capable of generating drama without effort.
“Ah, that’s right. But you don’t remember, do you?”
“Um, well…”
As Lena fell into quiet panic, Bruno offered an excuse.
“Ah, Leo here suffered a severe head injury recently and almost died. His memory is a bit fuzzy.”
His explanation was overly dramatic.
However, Albert seemed thoughtful.
“Was it around the frost white moon?”
“Yes, perhaps.”
“Nearly dying… that’s why the gold coins were returned…”
Whispering in a voice too low to be heard, he seemed to come to some kind of understanding.
“Al, sir?”
Kai’s worried voice called out to the prince, who appeared deep in thought. It seemed they were hiding the prince’s identity.
When Albert looked up, he gave a calm smile, one that seemed to be part of his usual demeanor.
“No, it’s nothing. It’s unfortunate, but I think I’ll introduce myself properly. I’m Al. I attend the same academy as Leonora. I’ve heard a lot about you from Kai. They say you have an exceptional mind, crafting plans for summoning water with Leonora.”
“Ah, well…”
Lena nodded vaguely, feeling a little unnerved by how naturally the story Leonora had concocted to avoid censorship had spread.
“Leonora seems to hold you in high regard, frequently visiting the orphanage. I’ve heard you exchange letters almost daily, you’re quite close, aren’t you?”
“Well, yes, we do exchange letters often.”
“—Oh?”
Lena was merely answering from an observational point of view, but the prince’s reply, though still pleasant, seemed slightly more reserved than before. She couldn’t help but study him intently.
His smile remained gentle.
His blue eyes serene.
Yet there was a faint hint of resistance she could sense.
Lena, who was far more attuned to such negative emotions than Leo, understood the source immediately.
(…Could it be?)
Letting the sudden intuition guide her, she decided to speak out.
“I mean, you could say I’m Leonora’s closest confidant. I understand her life in the lower town and her worldview as if it were my own. Maybe that’s why she enjoys talking to me.”
“A companion who can empathize with her is something I’m pleased to hear.”
“Wait, whose perspective are you speaking from? Her brother? Her lover? Surely not.”
“…………”
Albert’s smile never wavered, though there was a touch of displeasure beneath the surface. Lena watched with barely concealed amusement.
And she was convinced.
(This guy is jealous of me!)
The most noble and handsome prince on the continent was jealous of her, a woman, over his love for the thrifty beauty Leo.
It was absurd.
In the orphanage, she was always overwhelmed by the bond between Leo and the children, but never faced jealousy over their relationship.
She found her own mischief troubling.
But, at the same time, it felt incredibly satisfying.
“Oh, by the way, there’s a rumor that Leonora is a candidate to be engaged to the prince. But let me tell you, I probably understand her much better than the prince himself.”
Lena, fully aware of her questionable character, continued to tease Albert, who refused to reveal his identity.
After all, being the subject of jealousy was a new experience.
And she wasn’t lying.
Moreover, the prince’s smile was beginning to tighten, which only made her find him more interesting.
His human side was far more engaging than she had imagined.
“Well, you know…”
“We’re practically connected at the soul, sometimes it feels like we’re sharing a mind or body. So I don’t think of the prince…”
“But why are you here?”
However, Lena’s exuberance was interrupted by Bruno.
“What brings you all here?”
His words made her pause.
She shouldn’t be enjoying this unusual experience so much.
“I am clearly from Elrand, visiting with my friend Leo for the Festival of Contracts. Unfortunately, we ran out of funds and were forced off the carriage, lost our way, and ended up here. But why are you here?”
Bruno’s tone was questionable, yet he adeptly covered the reasons they were all here.
Kai raised his eyebrows sympathetically. “That sounds like a difficult situation,” he said before looking to Albert for answers.
“—…We were also on our way to observe the Festival of Contracts,” Albert responded.
He exchanged a quick glance with Oscar and decided to share some information without revealing their identities.
“The truth is… Leonora has been dispatched from Weitz as the maiden of blessing, but she has been receiving harassment from Elrand. I couldn’t stand it, so we’re rushing to Elrand to check on her.”
“What?”
Lena and Bruno exchanged surprised looks.
As they had half-expected, Albert and his group were heading to Leo.
If they reached her, escaping would become much more difficult.
Fortunately, it wasn’t yet a case of them detecting their true identities or suspecting an escape attempt. Still, it didn’t make sense to them that Leo would face harassment, and Lena looked puzzled.
Then Kai explained.
He described how Leonora was being housed in conditions unfit for an esteemed guest, subjected to walking under the blazing sun in tattered clothing and collapsing in piles of garbage.
“Even so, Leonora has faced it all without complaint…! But it’s unbearable for us to watch, especially since tomorrow—well, today, technically—the situation may worsen, and Leonora could be even more hurt…!”
“That’s…”
Lena and her companions were a bit taken aback.
It seemed like an insult to her status, but with their experience in the lower town, they didn’t think it was necessary to make a fuss.
Even with less than half a year’s experience in the lower town, Lena found Leo’s resilience impressive.
She wondered whether Leo might even be enjoying the situation.
It made Lena reflect on how much she had adapted to the lower town mindset.
When she tried to calm the situation, Kai became emotional.
“The tattered clothes, the poor sanitation, the subpar meals… We’ve tried so hard to protect Leonora from reminders of her dark past…!”
“Ah…”
It seemed the situation was being exaggerated by the belief in “a girl with a tragic history of abuse.”
“Well, Leonora is strong-willed, so she might actually…”
“Exactly! She has a strong will, so even when faced with such severe circumstances, she endures. Because she is so strong, she tries to persevere, but watching her suffer is unbearable…!”
“Unwarranted bad reputation…?”
Lena’s face tightened at the phrase “humble girl from the lower town.” Kai nodded emphatically.
“Yes. There was that malicious letter Leonora tried to stop from spreading, right? That… somehow found its way to the prince and caught his attention. Leonora tried to hide and destroy it… but even then, she faces such slander without complaint. It’s heart-wrenching…!”
“……!”
Lena’s face paled as everything fell into place.
The letter she had sent.
Leonora and the children had caused so many problems that she sent the letter out of frustration, including a physical copy of the malicious letter.
She had hoped to show how serious the situation was.
(…I shouldn’t have done that…!)
She remembered writing to Leonora to burn the letter… oh, that may have worsened the situation.
(Why does this always happen?!)
The series of events surrounding Leonora seemed like a never-ending cycle of trouble.
Things always seemed to turn out worse than expected.
From what they heard, Leonora was sent to Elrand as a maiden due to the existence of that malicious letter.
One simple mistake snowballed into a major issue, and Lena felt a shiver down her spine.
Right now, they were still just observing.
But if they mistakenly concluded “the girl is being severely mistreated,” what would happen?
(War… this could start a war. I can’t let that happen!)
Lena wanted to prevent Albert and his group from approaching Elrand.
The prince spoke.
“That’s right. We don’t want to make a big deal out of this; that’s why we came in secret. Elrand is the land of spirits, and Weitz interfering too much would be inappropriate. We only plan to intervene if Leonora faces serious danger.”
He said this to reassure them that they were handling the situation calmly.
Lena felt somewhat relieved and tried to persuade them further. But then it happened.
Flap, flap, flap…
The sound of powerful wings approached from above, and a white bird suddenly descended around the campfire.
Lol,lot misunderstanding here and i like it XD
🤣 🤣