Chapter 35

Rabi couldn't help but start by being cautious of her surroundings. Even though she knew Nella shouldn't be there, her body and mind acted on habit.

Without Nella, it was now Cy. Since he was Baldo's bodyguard, it wouldn't be strange for him to be around. Unfortunately, he wasn't in sight, and she sighed, feeling a bit ridiculous. Even though she had asked him to take a break, she felt disappointed. "Oh, how annoying!" She grabbed her chest and exhaled sharply.

"...Rabi? Why are you just standing at the entrance? Is something wrong?"

"Ah, I apologize. I was just surprised that Sir Cy isn't here, even though we're near Lord Baldo."

"Indeed. I thought he might need a bit of a break."

"...I see."

Baldo had apparently told Cy the same thing. Still, Rabi couldn't help but worry if the prince would be safe wandering alone. But Baldo was a skilled magic user. A mediocre assassin would be easily defeated, but there was always the possibility of something going wrong. "Well, there are a few people around to take his place," Baldo added. Rabi nodded, though she couldn't tell if they were hiding their presence from her.

Baldo urged her to enter the library, and Rabi stepped inside. Honestly, she wanted to go back and disappear into the courtyard, but that would be too obvious. She had come for a change of pace, but now she wanted to find some meaning in her visit.

Rabi reached for a book about the Holy Maiden, and it seemed Baldo had the same idea. His long fingers moved toward a familiar spine. When he pulled out the book, Rabi gasped and reached out. It contained love letters from someone she didn't know. "Ah, ah..." She covered her face, thinking how unlucky the person must be to have their secret revealed to a prince in the school library.

Baldo flipped through the pages without much concern. Whether he was broad-minded or simply oblivious, he tilted his head at Rabi's nervousness. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no, nothing. I mean, why are you here, Lord Baldo? The castle has a grand library, after all."

Rabi's question was understandable. The school library was much smaller compared to his home. He had more than enough books about the Holy Maiden. Rabi had once sneaked into the castle with Baldo and discovered books about forbidden magic and binding marks. The despair she felt then was unforgettable.

"...Ah, right. I've read most of the books in the castle. I thought maybe I could find something new here."

"About the Holy Maiden?"

"Yes. That's right."

Nella wasn't yet treated as the Holy Maiden. Rabi didn't know that Baldo had been interested in the Holy Maiden even before meeting her. Baldo sighed, looking at the bookshelves. He seemed to be searching for something he couldn't find.

In the light spilling from the large window, his golden hair shimmered as he bowed his head, looking like a solitary bird. With his pale skin, he was literally a prince from a fairy tale. Of course, now she could only think of his appearance in such terms, but in the past, she might have been flustered and unable to converse.

"I want to understand the Holy Maiden."

Lost in thought, Rabi was startled by Baldo's words. "Huh?" She quickly covered her mouth. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she cleared her throat.

"About the Holy Maiden?"

"Yes. That's right."

She couldn't say, "But you're always around her," and waited for Baldo to continue. He didn't know what the future held for their game.

"The country is protected by the power of a Holy Maiden from centuries ago. The royal family has guarded the Holy Maiden's gem for generations. So, I will eventually hold the gem. But no matter what I read or hear, I can't understand what kind of person the Holy Maiden was."

The gem was a stone infused with the Holy Maiden's magic. In the opening screen of *Harinez*, there was a glowing orange gem at the edge of the title logo. Near the end of the Baldo route, there was a coronation scene where the prince received the stone, but the player couldn't see his hands clearly. Rabi remembered Baldo's surprised expression.

She wasn't sure what this memory connected to, but it was just a scene from the game.

"The records about the Holy Maiden are too unnatural. It feels like they were intentionally erased, and we're just looking at the remnants."

While Rabi was lost in thought, Baldo continued. She quickly looked up. "I want to understand the Holy Maiden." Her voice was strained. "I don't know why, but my heart has been yearning for this since I was a child. It's overwhelming, and I don't understand it myself." He usually had a smile on his face, never revealing his inner thoughts. For a moment, he looked completely broken.

Perhaps by understanding the Holy Maiden and her power, he could create a better country. Seeing Baldo, a boy of his age, with a lovesick expression, Rabi thought, "Really, really."

(How incredibly uninteresting... Can I go home now?)

She realized how little interest she had in Baldo. She didn't dislike him, but his romantic words left her at a loss. For him, it was a matter of life and death. Baldo genuinely sought the Holy Maiden. This story was centered around Nella. Thinking about it made her feel uneasy.

Rabi stifled a yawn and tried to pass the time by counting the books on the shelves. When Baldo chuckled, "Sorry, was it a boring story?" she replied, "No, not at all!" with a forced smile. Her smile was improving, she thought.

Anyway, it was time to escape from the prince. As she tried to back away, Baldo stared at her. "Is something wrong...?" Had he noticed her yawns?

"...I heard you weren't feeling well, but you seem better now."

"Ah, no! I just happen to feel better today, but usually, it's really, really difficult!"

She coughed exaggeratedly and wondered who had told him she wasn't feeling well. It must have been Cy. She had used her poor health as an excuse to decline a tea party, but his tone suggested it was a different time. Cy had been reporting her condition to the prince, even when it wasn't true.

Her eyes welled up. She realized how much she relied on him without knowing.

"Right. The inter-school competition is coming up, so be careful. The audience area can get quite heated."

"Yes, I know. But I might have to skip it. I feel bad for Lord Baldo and everyone else, but..."

The inter-school competition was a show of strength where the middle schoolers borrowed the high schoolers' skills to display their magic and sword techniques. In the game, Baldo always won. Since Nella was busy with events, it was a perfect day for Rabi to make money. She planned to skip it.

Thus, Rabi's day became one of unusual effort. Despite her sighs about the prince wandering around, she looked forward to her late-night wandering. As she walked happily, full and content, she bumped into Fer again. She felt an overwhelming sense of dread. She had avoided the place they met last time, but he had the same idea. Changing their hideout to another room was their undoing. They both trembled, but Fer quickly stood up and ran.

Rabi picked up the thin silver needle he had dropped and sighed. She wrapped it in a handkerchief, unsure what to do with it.

As the inter-school competition approached, Fer, representing the middle school, carried a sword at his waist. In the carriage on the way to the venue, they sat awkwardly. Rabi planned to complain of a stomachache and leave, but she noticed Fer's pale face and trembling fingers. He looked strangely tense.

He had the same gloomy aura as Rabi did a while ago.