Chapter 19: Oh? You might falter?

"Boss! Berka!"

"What is it, Princess?"

"I'm about to cough up blood~"

It’s been about three days since I was abducted by Berka, the captain of Byuredesto’s guard.

I was riding the same horse as the quiet girl, Luri-chan, as we made our way across a peaceful grassland.

“…There’s a village about another half-hour ahead. Can’t you hang in there a bit longer?"

“Then I shall endure~”

While on horseback, I was only allowed to speak when notifying them that I was reaching my limit.

According to Berka, it would be a problem if I suddenly started coughing up blood without warning.

“I’ve never walked through a village without bodyguards before. I’m quite looking forward to it.”

“You’re not going into the village, Princess.”

“Eh?”

“…We’re not letting the hostage go strolling around.”

When I said I wanted a break, they agreed to rest at the village—but apparently, I’d be staying behind.

What a waste, it’s such a rare chance...

“Can’t I at least look around a little? Normally, I can’t even go out unless I’m surrounded by guards…”

“Enough. No matter what you say, the answer is no.”

“Who knows if I’ll ever get another chance to walk around without worrying about kidnappers?”

“You have been kidnapped already, you know!”

Even when I pleaded with my best Princess Smile™, Berka the Boss didn’t budge an inch.

Tch. Guess it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“You’ll wait outside the village with Jionozu. No funny business.”

“Boo~”

Well, I figured it was impossible from the start. Nothing to be done about it.

I let out a quiet sigh as I looked at the fields spreading out in the distance.

---

"Then I’ll keep watch over the princess myself. I leave the shopping to you."

"Understood, Boss."

When we arrived at the village entrance, Berka split the group in half.

The Boss and Luri-chan stayed behind to watch me, while the rest went out for supplies.

"Bring out the gag. Tie her up."

"Ehh? You're going to gag me!?"

"I'm only overlooking it when you're on horseback because you'd vomit otherwise. It's too dangerous to talk with you."

Like a horse, I was tied to a tree with ropes.

Then they bound my hands and feet and tried to shove a gag into my mouth.

"Why is that necessary? It's just you and Luri-san staying, isn't it?"

"You're a witch who clouds men's hearts. I'm not willing to take unnecessary risks."

The Boss is seriously wary of me. I don't think I've ever been feared this much in my life.

It's kind of flattering, but at the same time, not being able to talk is boring.

"Oh my, are you wavering...?"

"...Huh?"

Alright, let’s push a little and see what happens.

I decided to provoke Berka and test his character.

It wouldn’t hurt to know what kind of man he really is.

"I am still a princess, even if fallen. I do possess some insider royal information that can’t be leaked outside, you know?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"You're scared of my mouth—your supposed source of information. Afraid that you might end up being swayed, perhaps?"

I flashed Berka the deadly Princess Smile™ (for provocation use only).

This is the face I use in verbal sparring, especially when dealing with insolent types who try to get cheeky.

Smiling and playing nice isn't always enough in high society. When someone dares look down on royalty, you need to push back with dignity.

"Well then, it can't be helped. Go ahead and gag me."

I curved my brows like a sad puppy and flashed a sly grin.

And then, looking straight at the flustered Berka—

"If your conviction can be shaken by a hostage's words, then your grand ambition will never be realized."

"...!"

A glorious taunt, if I do say so myself.

---

"...Who ever said Princess Rishali was obedient and easy to handle?"

"I'm very easy to handle, you know? At least compared to my brothers or Sister Lululu."

My provocation worked like a charm.

Although the Boss looked displeased, he didn't gag me.

"After hearing something like that, I can't shut you up. It would undermine my own credibility."

"My, my. If your convictions aren't easily shaken, shouldn't it be a non-issue?"

"...Yeah, true enough. I'll kill you."

"Now, now, niisan. Calm down."

Even more irritated now, Berka still didn't raise a hand against me.

Seems he’s easily provoked, but not short-tempered.

"So. After saying all that, I expect you to spill your secrets, Princess Rishali."

"Secrets... you mean?"

"The royal intel you claim to have. Spill everything you know."

"If you don’t ask me specific questions, I’ll just end up talking about my hobbies and my sister’s preferences, you know?"

Honestly, I don’t actually possess any truly confidential state secrets. So no matter what they ask, I’ve got nothing to lose.

If I had to mention anything, it’d be Juugi’s steam engine plans or the abduction of Princess Rasilia, the true eldest daughter.

"...How is Count Zister regarded within the royal family?"

"A dependable noble and skilled commander. We can rest easy with the border in his hands."

"Heh. Even though he's never won a single battle?"

Well, from our side, we were always told Count Zister was the one pushing the enemy back.

Even though there were moderate losses every year, the fact that he kept repelling a major nation’s army earned him that kind of reputation.

"Has there been any attempt at ceasefire with Yaiban, or efforts to avoid war?"

"Ah… sorry, I don’t know much about that. But with the alliance with the Deken Empire, a ceasefire is probably out of the question."

"Then what about plans to invade Yaiban? Can’t we borrow the Empire’s troops and destroy them?"

"Negotiations are happening, I think. But it seems the Deken Empire isn’t that enthusiastic, so nothing has been decided."

"Damn bastards."

Honestly, even the king is troubled by these skirmishes with Yaiban…

A solo war from Saripa would be tough, so the backing of our ally, the Deken Empire, is vital.

But the Deken Empire apparently has enemies on all sides—north, south, east, and west—so they don’t have the luxury to focus solely on Yaiban.

"I can't be bothered with their religion. Do something about it."

"...Even if you say that."

"Protecting the people is a ruler’s duty."

"Father the King is surely doing everything he can."

"He's failing at too many things."

To the people of Byuredesto, the invasions by Yaiban are a matter of life and death.

The thought of loved ones’ bodies being offered to some mysterious god is enough to make your skin crawl.

"Even we—"

"If they had discovered Count Zister’s betrayal sooner, punished him, and properly sent reinforcements to Byuredesto, things wouldn’t have ended up like this."

"…Muu."

"Praising a traitor on the frontier as a skilled general, and not sending troops? Utterly laughable. At this rate, the country was on the brink of destruction."

"Ugh..."

If Count Zister really was a traitor, then the royal government is undeniably at fault.

But it’s hard to know what’s happening all the way out on the frontier...

"You're certain about Count Zister’s treason, correct?"

"Yeah. Luri heard it herself."

"Yup. I overheard it at his mansion."

"Would you mind telling me what you heard at the time?"

Might as well confirm the credibility of what Luri-chan overheard.

…If this turns out to be a misunderstanding, that’d be bad.

"Sure. After Count Zister destroyed Byuredesto’s traps, I snuck into his mansion disguised as a maid."

"Luri-chan, you're quite the infiltrator. Be it the royal palace or a noble’s estate, they aren’t places you can sneak into easily."

"That’s Luri’s specialty. Hey, show her."

At Berka’s prompting, Luri-chan gave a small nod.

Then, she let out a soft, smooth exhale right there.

"Princess. Watch Luri closely."

"Haa…"

What’s going on? What is she supposed to be doing?

I followed the instructions and kept staring at Luri-chan.

“Alright then, Princess. Now look into my eyes.”

“…?”

This time, I was told to look into Berka’s eyes, so I shifted my gaze toward him.

What exactly am I being made to do?

“Okay, now—where did Luri go?”

“Huh?”

When Berka asked me that, I realized something.

Luri-chan, who had just been right there, was nowhere to be seen.

“Eh? Wait, what?”

“Amazing, isn’t it? That’s her special skill.”

But I had been watching Luri-chan the whole time—carefully, just as I was told.

It was only for a few seconds that I glanced at Berka’s eyes when he spoke to me.

Wait… did she use an invisibility spell or something? Does that even exist?

“She’s vanished. Can that girl really make herself disappear?”

“No, Luri’s still right there. …It’s not that you can’t see her—it’s that your mind doesn’t register her.”

Saying that, Berka calmly pointed toward the horse.

“Look—right over there.”

“…Oh?”

I turned to where he was pointing.

Sure enough, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Luri-chan was wiping down the horse’s body with a cloth.

—She was in my field of vision the whole time, and yet I hadn’t recognized that it was Luri-chan.

It was like a character had turned into part of the background scenery.

“Luri is a girl with very muted emotions. …The trauma of losing her family dulled her capacity to feel.”

“…That’s…”

“Right now, Luri has no thoughts or feelings whatsoever. She’s just there, like an inanimate object. That’s why she doesn’t stand out—and why you lose sight of her.”

A girl who can move without any thoughts or emotions.

That’s why she can go unnoticed by others, just like an object.

“…Can someone really become unnoticeable just by lacking emotion?”

“Humans don’t easily register inanimate things as important. And since Luri moves without emotion, she comes across as something nonhuman. That alone is more than enough for infiltration.”

“If you say so…”

No, come on… if you explain this bizarre phenomenon purely through logic like that, it just leaves me uneasy.

Isn’t she using some kind of magic? And just not telling me?

“I mean, if she has this kind of skill, she could pull off infiltration ops all day long.”

“She’s not that omnipotent, you know? She’s still fully visible to others.”

“She is?”

“If she does anything weird, even Luri would stand out. Like, say, walking around town naked.”

“Well yes, that would do it.”

“But as long as she’s dressed in something that doesn’t look out of place, no one will notice her. If she’s wearing a noblewoman’s gown at a social party, she’ll blend in with the background completely.”

So basically, it’s just an ability to become really inconspicuous.

…Doesn’t seem like some ultimate stealth skill after all.

“That’s why I always assign infiltration jobs to Luri. There’s no place she can’t sneak into.”

“Well, that I can believe.”

“Alright, you can come back now, Luri.”

“…Okay.”

Even so, this ability must be incredibly useful for a spy.

Which means… Luri-chan’s the one who carried my unconscious body out of the palace, right?

How the hell did no one notice someone hauling a prince out of the royal grounds?

“That’s how Luri overheard Count Zister talking with the Yaiban officials.”

“Is there a chance Luri-chan’s been tricked—or maybe even bribed?”

“No. That girl only acts on my orders.”

I understand now that she’s a top-tier intelligence operative.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean she hasn’t betrayed Berka.

She could’ve gotten caught up in some other noble’s scheme and been bought off…

“I already told you—her emotions are stunted. …She shut down after her parents were killed.”

“And?”

“Since then, she hasn’t taken any actions of her own. She only moves when I tell her to.”

---

Berka told the story of how little Luri had ended up like this.

"Luri. Why are you here?"

"…Berka."

Three years ago, three days after the battle that had taken Berka’s parents.

Berka had found his childhood friend Luri inside a dim, rundown shed.

The girl, her cheeks sunken and body thin, had been surviving in hiding within the abandoned house after everyone else had vanished.

“Papa told me to hide here.”

“I see. That’s how you stayed safe. But why didn’t you come out all this time?”

“Because he didn’t tell me to come out.”

There were traces of hard bread and water left inside the house.

But there was no sign that the girl had touched any of it.

“Why didn’t you eat the food or drink the water?”

“…Papa didn’t tell me to.”

There was no sorrow on the girl's face.

She simply obeyed, without emotion, the order her father had left her: Hide.

“Eat now. Drink some water too—take it slow.”

“Okay.”

Berka and Luri had lived close by and known each other for years.

Luri had always been a lively girl, and when they were little, she’d often drag Berka into playing pretend with her.

Perhaps it was because of that bond that Luri obediently followed Berka’s instructions without resistance.

“Thank you. Then I’ll go home now and wait for Papa and Mama again.”

“…Your parents are gone. They won’t be coming back.”

Just like Berka’s parents, Luri’s had gone off to fight—and died.

No matter how long she waited, her parents would never return.

Berka told her that, but Luri just blinked up at him in confusion.

“Then Berka… what should I do?”

Die. If left alone like this, Luri would likely shut herself in until she starved to death.

So Berka gently reached out a hand to her.

“...From now on, follow me.”

“Okay.”

And so, Berka decided to take Luri in and raise her.

…Praying that one day, the smile of the lively girl she once was would return.

---

“So, that’s the story.”

“I see.”

…So that’s how it is. Luri lost her parents in the war too.

That would explain why she’s so emotionally distant.

“And yet you made a girl like that take on such a dangerous infiltration role?”

“I don’t want to put Luri in danger… but her espionage skills are simply too exceptional. I end up relying on her.”

“I see.”

“Besides, Byuredesto is facing an existential crisis right now. We have to use everything we’ve got.”

Well, yeah. With that kind of ability, of course she’d be suited for infiltration.

I doubt even the royal intelligence service has someone with skills like hers.

“If you royals had done your job properly, maybe Luri’s parents wouldn’t have died… What do you think?”

“…Hmm.”

He’s not wrong. If the country couldn’t protect its people from a foreign invasion, the blame falls squarely on the nation.

The noble entrusted with that region colluded with the enemy and sold out the commoners, after all.

No wonder Berka and the others are so prickly toward royalty.

“I humbly accept those words. If that story is true, then the royal family is indeed responsible.”

“…Yeah. Exactly.”

“At the very least, that’s what this Rishali believes.”

Living in the royal palace, I had no idea what things were like outside.

I had assumed my duty as a princess was simply to marry into another kingdom and serve as a diplomatic pawn…

But maybe—before that—there’s something else I should be doing.

“There’s just one thing I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

When Berka heard my reply, he made a strange, unreadable face.

It was like he hadn’t expected that kind of answer.

Maybe he thought I’d respond with something more arrogant or condescending.

“From what I just heard, Berka-san and Luri-san aren’t actually siblings, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Then… why do you have her call you ‘big brother’?”

It was something I just couldn’t ignore, so I asked.

If Luri doesn’t take initiative on her own, then that ‘big brother’ thing must’ve been Berka’s idea.

If he’s having a younger girl call him that… Berka might be seriously gross.

“Th-that’s got a reason! Ever since I took her in, the people around us started treating Luri like she was my… wife or something.”

“…I see.”

“I have no intention of laying a hand on Luri. So to avoid misunderstandings, I told her to call me ‘big brother,’ that’s all.”

Berka started sputtering, clearly flustered, as he explained the situation with Luri.

That panicked reaction only makes you seem more suspicious, dude.

“…Do you like it when little girls call you ‘big brother’?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

"But out of nowhere, getting a girl you barely know to call you ‘big brother’ is… kind of gross, you know?"

“S-stop it!”

I mean, I kinda get it though.

Right? Who wouldn’t want a cute younger girl to look up to them and call them ‘big brother’?

Ah, I see. So Berka’s got that kind of kink.

“Big brother’s not gross.”

“…Huh?”

“Not gross.”

“Hm.”

…Just as I was teasing Berka, Luri herself suddenly stepped in.

Oh? Interesting.

“Well then, let’s just leave it at that~”

“Yeah.”

She spoke up on her own just now.

Maybe she’s not entirely emotionless after all. Perhaps, to some extent, she chooses to follow Berka of her own will.

Maybe even calling him “big brother” is her decision too.