Chapter 12

The next day was overcast.

It wasn’t raining, but the air felt a bit damp.

Olivia had breakfast at the restaurant on the ground floor of the inn. It seemed that Princess Florenzia was feeling better. Her complexion was good, and she was eating normally, which made Olivia feel relieved. Although Legion, the princess’s guard knight, was not at the breakfast table, he could be seen standing a little distance away, watching over the princess.

(Well, this distance could still be misunderstood...)

It’s not that being friendly is bad, but the distance in front of others is important. Princess Florenzia is here to marry into Brioll. Whether this engagement will go through or not is another matter, but we should avoid any actions that could cause misunderstandings.

(Although Prince Alan doesn’t seem to care at all...)

Alan, who seemed to like the ham steak, was so focused on eating that he didn’t even look at Princess Florenzia. Olivia knew that Alan wasn’t enthusiastic about the engagement, but she wished he would show a little more concern for the princess. What if the princess gets upset?

"Princess Florenzia, did you sleep well last night?"

Since Alan seemed likely to remain silent throughout the meal, Olivia decided to speak to Princess Florenzia herself. The princess smiled and nodded.

"Yes, thank you. I appreciate your concern."

"That’s good. Today, we’ll travel by train and spend the night in the town at the final station. We plan to board the ship tomorrow and arrive in Zachfill by evening. The day after tomorrow, we’ll move to the town of Hillbar, where the ruins are located. What about the ruins interests you, Princess Florenzia?"

"Interest, you say?"

Princess Florenzia blinked her eyes, as if she had been asked something unexpected. Olivia tilted her head slightly in confusion.

(Huh? She said she was interested in the ruins...)

The princess’s reaction gave her a slight sense of unease. Florenzia had said she wanted to see the ruins, yet now she looked uninterested. Why?

Thinking that her question might have been poorly phrased, Olivia rephrased it.

"I’m curious if there are any books among the artifacts. If there are, I’d like to see what’s written in them. I also read in the materials that there were murals in the temple inside the ancient royal palace, which interests me. The overall structure of the buildings is still unknown, but a scaled model based on predictions is displayed in the museum. The architecture of the middle period of the ancient dynasty is described as circular or rounded, with many streamlined buildings. I’m looking forward to seeing what they look like..."

As she spoke, Olivia became increasingly enthusiastic and leaned forward without realizing it.

Princess Florenzia looked bewildered, and Cyraus, who was sitting next to her, chuckled.

"Olivia, your enthusiasm is clear, but Princess Florenzia looks surprised."

"Oh..."

Olivia suddenly realized and quickly straightened up.

"Sorry, I got carried away..."

"Olivia, you’re interested in the ancient dynasty?"

Olivia’s passionate speech had caught Alan’s attention. He had stopped eating and was looking at her curiously. Olivia, feeling embarrassed, nodded slightly.

"Yes. I can only imagine from what I read in books, so I wanted to see them with my own eyes. Also, I’m curious about how people lived in the past."

As Olivia mumbled her answer, Alan’s expression suddenly changed to one of regret and pain. Unaware that Alan might be regretting not trying to connect with her during their engagement, Olivia mistakenly thought he was pulling away and changed the topic.

"It looks like it might rain today. Will the train still run without any problems in the rain?"

Olivia had asked this question casually to change the subject, but she immediately regretted it as she started to feel anxious. The train travels at such a high speed. Even carriages have to be careful not to slip on rainy days. What if the train slips on the rainwater? Olivia turned pale and poured honey into her rose tea. Cyraus noticed and, laughing, said, "If you put that much in, it will only taste like honey," and took the honey bottle from her.

"Don’t worry. The train won’t slip and fall over in the rain."

"R-really?"

"Yeah. They do sometimes suspend operations on snowy days, but this area doesn’t get much snow in winter, so it’s not a common issue."

Hearing that it wouldn’t slip, Olivia sighed in relief. Alan, however, looked concerned.

"Olivia, are you still scared...?"

"N-no, I’m not scared!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

When Olivia became defensive, Princess Florenzia chuckled.

"You all seem to get along well."

The former fiancés and the not-so-close siblings exchanged somewhat awkward expressions at her words.

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A new story has started!

I hope you enjoy it!

[Even though I’m supposed to become a neglected empress in the future, something seems off...]

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5170he/