Chapter 150: 150 Scorched by a rose

--I can still remember that day vividly when I close my eyes.

Exiga, who was walking along with the head mistress of the royal court of Elgrande, who was guiding him through the deserted corridors, and the marquis, who was translating her words into stanzas, suddenly noticed two small birds that crossed the edge of his vision and followed their movements with his eyes. The first thing that intrigued her was the fact that there was a woman in such a deserted place. As he walked down the corridor, Exiga secretly kept her in his line of sight.

With two small birds in her arms, she surrendered her presence in her other hand to the birds and began to watch over them as they slowly rose. Her profile was full of compassion, and with the light streaming in, there was even a hint of solemnity.

Exiga was so taken by the scene that he found himself standing there, just watching her as she watched over the birds.

It's impossible for Exiga to describe the scene in one word. Not in Elgrande, not even in the familiar stanza language. The way she communicated with the little animal seemed like the second coming of a saint, a messenger of God, or a scene from a children's fairy tale. --A world so complete and luminous that it did not seem to be a real scene, but blended into a certain reality, appeared before Exiga's eyes.

Even though she had created such an unrealistic world, the smile that appeared on her face after she saw the birds off was still innocent and full of the cuteness of a girl of her age. The moment I realized that the person behind Exiga's gaze was not a saint or a character from a fairy tale, but a being who shared the same world with me, I couldn't resist the urge to speak to her directly. After somewhat intimidatingly silencing the marquis and the empress, who were remonstrating with him in a roundabout way, Exiga made his way down the corridor to her.

Who was she, exactly? Her clothes are not very flamboyant and she is not wearing any ornaments. Judging from the fact that she is alone in this deserted corner of the palace, she is either a lady's maid or a very low-ranking member of the inner court. If she is a woman of no rank, she should be able to obey some orders by revealing her rank. It would be a little tricky if she was a concubine, but even so, with King Elgrand's permission--.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. ...... I guessed from their demeanor that they were lower-ranking concubines, and for some reason I experienced a rough feeling of discomfort.

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I had no idea that I was not only a lowly, but also the first in line of King Ergeland's favored consort, the Princess of the Red Rose. ....... In addition, she responded to me in Stanzese, a language so fluent that it could be compared to Stanzans. You can't control a foreign language as smoothly as that with ordinary effort.

"...... Well, this is the first time I've heard you talk about it in detail, so I'm just going to go into it now. I've never heard this detail before, so I'll get into it now.　And not just because it looks like it?

"There's no doubt that they were able to communicate with the birds to some extent, albeit from a distance. The reason those two birds flew over in the first place was probably because the princess called them. I don't know if I can see them properly, but I think the princess found the baby birds falling out of the nest and called the parent birds.

...... If that's true, wouldn't that mean the return of the legendary 'Saint of Life'?

It's hard to say from that one scene. I'm sure the Elgrand has some sort of bird training technique. There are some people who can control birds to a certain extent, but they are rare but common.

But ......

"In the first place, the legend of the 'Saint of Life' itself is a spurious one. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at our own web site. ...... Most likely, it was a hearsay gossip spread among the people who were tired of being on the thin side.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. If you can grow crops with just a single prayer, there's no hardship, or maybe it's just a myth dreamed up by tired people.

I'm sure you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've never heard of it. The only things that priests and priestesses can do are things that fall within the realm of human activity: they can see into the past and future, they can see what's going on in remote places, they can read people's minds, and they can communicate with people in remote places. The power to interfere with all non-human life and to give life to others is far too great for humans to possess. If such a power existed, it would have been used as a pawn by the powers that be long ago, and would have caused all kinds of miracles to occur frequently in various places.

However, it is certain that the myth of the "Saint of Life", which has been widely talked about in the Stanza Empire since some time ago, is a miracle of the gods that has been recognized by the Holy Temple in this modern age, and is a major part of the sacred story that even Exiga, a member of the royal family, is familiar with. It is not hard to imagine that anyone from such a stanza would be reminded of the Saint of Life when they saw her that day. Even Exiga, who, as a scholar who respects reality, recognizes that "sacred stories are fantasy," was taken aback by her.

(But ...... what really fascinated me was not the mythical reenactment of the scene, but the princess herself.

Even though he was intrigued by the miraculous reality, Exiga's heart would have gone cold at that point if the person involved had been a woman of little consequence. However, the woman with whom he had actually spoken was a mass of unexpectedness that defied his expectations many times over.

I had no idea that such a woman existed. ...... The world is much bigger than I thought it would be.

The world is much bigger than I thought." "Fluent in stanzaic languages, she certainly doesn't seem like a woman. There are no women in stanzas who take the trouble to learn a foreign language. No matter how high their status.

"In the first place, there are no women who are willing to learn. It is a woman's role to marry a stronger man and bear strong children.

"Well, women are not as smart as men. Women are not as intelligent as men. They are too emotionally preoccupied to communicate logically.

"...... Well, I don't know. I used to support that theory until recently. At least the Princess of the Red Rose seems to have a brain as good as any man's.

I'm not sure if that's true or not.　...... It's true that no one with an ordinary brain could have mastered the language of the stanzas while in the Elgrand.

But that's not all. ...... Samba, why do you think the princess "bothered" to speak in stanzaic at that time?　I'm sure you're not the only one. If you just wanted to see how I would react, you could have pretended you didn't understand the stanza and replied in Elgrande. --as we have always done.

...... it is.

Once he broke off, Samba turned to me with a serious expression and opened his mouth again.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had to deal with this.

I've never admonished them for being indignant like that before. I've never admonished them for being so indignant. ...... To be honest, I wasn't sure, so I kept quiet, but tonight's princess made it clear. --I think it was all calculated from the beginning.

--If I had only pretended I didn't understand a word of the stanza and answered Exiga's questions in an informal manner. Even so, the fact remains that Exiga was rude to the first in line to a foreign country and the acting queen, and although it would have been a diplomatic disadvantage, there was still a way to escape by saying that the person who was rude was unaware of the rudeness. They could have argued that if they made a big deal out of the rudeness that the person in question was unaware of, it would have embarrassed the Red Rose. That escape route on the part of Stanza was brilliantly blocked by her. She greeted the Stanza delegation fluently in the language of the other side, without any loss of courtesy, and to the outside world it would have appeared that she was welcoming them.

As the acting queen of the Kingdom of Elgrand, there was no fault in her attitude that day. From start to finish, she was polite and respectful to Exiga, yet she did not show any signs of backing down when Exiga implicitly asked for concessions. To the vassals listening behind her, it may have been a sign of her arrogance, but at that time, she was conducting perfect diplomacy as the top woman in the kingdom.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this. This is the reason why it is so important to have a good relationship with a good friend. "My movements were completely blocked by one reaction. I get the impression that the "pre-performance to make the Stanza Empire look superior" and the "antipathy towards the Empire" that had been steadily built up until then were both roughly destroyed, if not all. I think it's safe to say that the breakthrough that led to the current dominance of the Elgrand was made by her, who silently confronted the rudeness of the Exiga to the utmost extent and refused to respond to any of our far-fetched concessions.

Of course, only she could have known what she was thinking at that moment.

But...

To be honest, I was skeptical too. My actions that day were unannounced, and since the princess could not have known that I was ...... expecting the prince of Stanza to come to Ergeland's palace, there was no possibility that she had taken any countermeasures. In such a situation, is it really possible to intentionally attack a diplomatic weakness with such precision? Even for a man, he would have had to be extremely talented to immediately and consciously engage in diplomacy in that situation. Am I right?

Yes, I suppose so.

That's why I wasn't sure until today. --I wondered how much of what the princess said and did that day was calculated.

...... No way.

Oh. Today I know for sure. I'm sure that from the very beginning - from the moment she saw me - she was nervous about every move I made, carefully observing my actions and acting in a way that would give the Elgrand maximum advantage. Judging from the words of Princess ......, she must have had some information about the words and actions of the national envoys at that time. It was a great deal of anger.

There has never been a better woman in the 2,000-year history of the Stanza Empire. Of course, there have been many queens in the history of the empire who have run the empire as their husbands' arms or as the guardians of their young children, but they were probably not as capable as her. I can understand why King Elgrand loves her so much and wants to keep her by his side. As a queen, she has the ability and capacity to rule with the king.

And not only that, .......

I wonder how she was born and raised to have such a pure heart and soul. ......

"Your heart, Princess?

I've been wrong about you. I always thought that she would be particularly uncomfortable with the rudeness of my actions that day. I'm sure that's why she's been refusing my requests to see her, and why she's acting like I'm not even in her sight tonight. ......, but it's not.

I'm not sure what to say.　So you are not uncomfortable with the fact that you are the pinnacle of women in the kingdom and you are being treated as a vassal of His Highness?

I'm sure she was uncomfortable. But the princess was angry because she was thinking of her people from beginning to end.

"What ......?

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Samba's eyes rolled back in his head. ...... No wonder. It's a good thing that the court of Stanza has long since lost its compassion for the people who live in the country.

In the event you have any questions regarding where and how to use the site, please feel free to contact me. You can find a lot more information on this topic at ....... Even those who despise and malign the princess are trying to protect her as one of their own.

"Wait a minute. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this in the future.　Do you have such a responsibility?

"There is no such thing as a concubine in our country. I took pity on the princess and spoke words of comfort to her, but ...... on the contrary, I aroused her anger.

"Why?　Why? Wasn't His Highness concerned about the princess?

You said, "I don't want to be pitied for my flimsy surface ....... The Red Rose has given me more than I can say. You said that you truly respected that important existence. In order to protect the tomorrows of the people you care about, it is only natural that you would protect the entire kingdom, including those who harbor ill will toward you--that's what you said.

Samba finally broke down. I know exactly how you feel. Exiga was so upset that she could not believe that she was the same person who had said that in front of her. She couldn't believe her ears, to be frank. I couldn't believe that anyone would say such a thing.

"...... How does one grow up to think like that?

You think so, don't you?　I agree with you.

I'm not talking about purity and all that. ....... If we leave aside the little bird story, she is a complete saint. If you weren't, you wouldn't have said those words.

"We're kindred spirits. I thought the same thing. I thought the same thing, but alas, the princess is indeed a human being like us.

Immediately afterwards, Stanza was stung with the word "deception" for thinking that he was going to level Ergeland. ...... Of course. It was for the good of Ergeland, but there could never be two kings in one country, and her beloved king would lose his life if the peace was achieved. If she had been aware of Stanza's thoughts, she would have been able to see that future immediately. If you call it deception, then I have no words to reply, because you have misrepresented the most important part.

If she were a saint, she would have shown as much compassion to Stanza as she did to Elgrand. But she is the first in line to the Ergeland royal family, the king's favorite princess. She will not show a shred of mercy to a being who plans to harm the king's life. That ruthlessness was definitely that of a human being, not a saint.

Why ......

I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not sure why she's King Elgrand's favorite princess. I'm not sure if my love for the king is so deep that I would not want to give up my position even after receiving so much malice. ......

I could hear a disturbing burning sound deep in my chest. I'm not sure what to make of that. ...... He is not even willing to give her the position of full queen, even overcoming the opposition of his subjects. Nevertheless, she is still devoted to the king and believes in him.

I envy the King of Elgrand, who has so much affection directed at him from her.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.

I'm not sure what to make of this. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

"Direction?　Are you talking about the future of the mission?

"Yes. If the Red Rose Princess, who is as intelligent as His Highness and as compassionate as a saint, is convinced of Stanza's intentions, then it is safe to assume that they have been conveyed to King Elgrand and the upper echelons of the kingdom. --In other words, if we do nothing at this point, we will be seen as scouts for an enemy nation that is planning to invade.

"Of course. Well, we're not invading, but ......

That kind of stanza is unacceptable in a foreign country. It's an existential threat to the royal families.

I know what you mean. I know what you mean. ...... So, how do you think we can correct our course and rid ourselves of the stigma of being the aggressor?

It's that simple. All we have to do is switch to real 'goodwill diplomacy'.

Samba's words were clear and unmistakable. Although he was a scholar by nature, he was an eccentric who was better at this kind of negotiation than academic research. He had been tossed around the university without much success, but Exiga took him in as a confidant because of his abilities. This time, his strengths shine through everywhere.

I don't think we need to do all the work this time. His Majesty's growing ambition for Elgrand may cause him to be dissatisfied, but it will be more troublesome if he is completely alarmed and closes diplomatic relations with us and joins forces with other neighboring countries against us. If that's the case, we should sincerely apologize for our mistakes up to now and say, "We feel that we should make friends with Elgrand, even though it's not what the country wants. We will advise His Majesty to do so when we return to our country,' and conduct serious diplomacy. If we can win Ergrand's trust, at least we can avoid Ergrand's complete rejection of the Empire.

"...... I see. We are a stepping stone to the next step in achieving our goal.

That's right. To do this, we must establish a sincere friendship with Elgrand. Your Highness and I will keep our true purpose to ourselves and tell the rest of the delegation that we will be conducting real diplomacy.

"I suppose so. However, ...... I'm sure that I, as well as the others accompanying me on this trip, have never engaged in goodwill diplomacy before. Will they be okay?

"Anyway, our goal is to establish a friendly relationship with the people of the Kingdom of Elgrand. Of course, there will be a lot of problems since we are not used to them. We'll keep them informed of what happens in the course of diplomacy, and we'll be flexible in our responses.

...... Given the current situation, it looks like there's nothing else we can do. I'm not sure what to do.

"Oh, ......, those who blatantly despised the Elgrand might as well cut it out now. It will be difficult to change their minds now.

But then you'd have no one left to handle the paperwork.

Rather, let them work only on paper. Why don't we let those who are free now that the talks are all gone do the negotiations and meetings with the Elgrand side, which is the preliminary step?

You're right. ...... Indeed, that way, we can explain to the Elgrand side that those who were disrespectful have been dealt with harshly.

It's hard to think about what will happen after you return to Stanza, but in this situation, maintaining the connection with Ergrand is definitely the first priority. The Goodwill Mission, which was supposed to be a stepping stone to peace, is on the brink of being used as a reason to cut ties with Stanza. I'll think about the outline of the explanation to the emperor later, but for now, I think we should go along with Samba's plan.

All right, that's it. I'll brief the key officials in the morning.

"Yes, sir. I'll call the meeting.

Please. --Oh, yeah. If we're gonna have real diplomacy, we don't need any more informants.

Oh, yes, sir. Shall we turn him over to the Elgrands?

Let's do it. Can you immediately provide proof that he was working for us?

Of course.

Then let's open the diplomatic chapter of goodwill with the execution of the traitor.

Smiling faintly, Exiga turned her attention back to the night garden, feeling calmer than before.

Elgrand's response would be different if he switched diplomacy to true goodwill. He could ingratiate himself by bringing the traitor to light.

If we continue to build our friendship, we will surely have a chance to see the princess again.

If not as a scout for invaders, but as an ambassador of a friendly country,......, will she turn that compassionate smile towards us?

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