Chapter 9

Harriet, who had started working, ostensibly became attached to the fifth prince, Dominic. In reality, she was a direct subordinate of the head maid, moving around for a short period to learn faces and names as part of her training, and reporting any suspicious individuals or information to her superiors. After memorizing everyone's faces, she planned to use the prince's reputation as a habitual runaway as an excuse to search for him and walk around the palace. She even thought it was a joke when she was told that even if she left the palace, she could come back regularly as a friend of the queen to go for a walk (and search for spies).

After spending such days for about half a year, one day, Harriet was called by the head maid. When they met, the head maid had a face as if she had bitten a bitter bug and moved to a different place. When Harriet followed the head maid into the room, she saw the faces of the people there and her body tensed with tension. The Crown Prince, Dominic, and for some reason, Miles were sitting across the table. Only Dominic looked pleased, while the other two had the same face as the head maid. Harriet was unsure whether to go to the corner of the room, the designated place for maids, but from the head maid's words, "I have brought her," she realized she was not brought as a maid.

After greeting and sitting next to Miles as instructed, the Crown Prince spoke.

"I want this to be kept confidential... Dominic has received a marriage proposal from a neighboring country's princess."

Dominic is the eighth child and the same age as Harriet, but due to his older siblings marrying into influential families both domestically and abroad, it was difficult to find a suitable match considering factions, and he had no fiancée due to his personal preferences. On the other hand, the princess, who is two years younger than Harriet, is the daughter of a favored concubine and is said to have been so doted on by the king that no marriage proposal could be finalized, leading to her current age.

The current king of the neighboring country is not someone the royal family of this country wants to approach actively, and Dominic's sister is married into a neighboring country's ducal family.

"However, the problem is the rumors about the princess. It's said that a double is performing her official duties."

Harriet tilted her head.

"Hasn't His Majesty and the Crown Prince used doubles as well?"

At her words, everyone's faces stiffened for a moment, but then the atmosphere became one of resignation.

"...She really is capable. She's perfect for this task."

Dominic, perhaps recalling the doubles he had found before, said with a weary face. The Crown Prince nodded and continued.

"We only use doubles when a direct descendant has to make a distant appearance or when the appearance is not the main purpose, and when there is a foreseeable danger and sufficient protection cannot be provided.

However, the princess from the neighboring country is the third child, and there shouldn't be any dangerous official duties. Besides, until recently, the king was so doting that he hardly allowed her to go out, but she has started attending balls frequently. Moreover, the marriage proposal from another country is suspicious.

Dominic's sister, who has trained her eyes, has suspected this for a while. She says, 'The appearance is similar, but the subtle gestures and way of speaking are different. If they had the same teacher, they would be similar to this extent, but the lack of effort to mimic is unprofessional.' It's said that the princess's maternal cousin, Felicia, is a possible candidate."

Dominic sighed.

"It would be fine if the one getting married is the real princess, but it would be a problem if a capable double is sent as the princess. It would be a terrible insult, and it could cause problems if it's discovered at any time.

So, I thought I would investigate. I have a suitable subordinate for this task."

Dominic looked at Harriet and smiled.

The head maid, returning to her initial bitter face, added.

"The young lady originally wanted to be hired as a simple maid. We planned to limit her intelligence work to low-risk tasks.

However, if she accepts this mission, there is a possibility that her abilities will be known in the neighboring country, increasing the risk to her safety. Therefore, she can refuse. Both the king and queen have given their permission."

The owner of the holy sword is favored by the gods, and harming the owner or those around them would incur divine retribution. To prevent accidental harm, the host country is notified upon entry, but it is believed that as long as the person is not under house arrest, they will not be punished. Harriet's safety was not guaranteed.

As a formality, if she goes to the neighboring country, she will go as a messenger carrying a gift from Dominic to the princess. The reason for choosing the messenger is that Dominic will give Miles a pre-wedding gift as a token of gratitude, combined with a honeymoon gift.

The Crown Prince continued the explanation.

"We will try to keep Harriet as inconspicuous as possible and do not intend to put her in danger. However, while this is Dominic's idea, we also need to assess the princess.

Knowing in advance is advantageous, but if we can't determine, the marriage can be delayed for a few days for contract verification when she arrives here. We also plan to set aside some private time during this trip."

Harriet hesitantly expressed her main concern.

"I don't know the princess's face, so I might not be of much help..."

The Crown Prince shook his head.

"Since the previous princess rarely went out, I don't expect you to know her. We are also sending spies, and I hope you can get information from a different direction. I want you to report if the person currently called the princess changes her appearance or if you find someone who suspects the real princess. They will be cautious, so it's natural that you won't find anything. If she changes her appearance... in a way, it might suit her... Cough, anyway, part of the expenses for this trip will come from Dominic's personal funds, and consider it as an apology for ruining ten dates. Will you go?"

Harriet and Miles looked at each other. The head maid was worried, but the safety was reasonably considered. Honestly, even though Dominic provided a special allowance, the people searching for him had to wait on standby during his breaks, and Miles had to suddenly cancel his breaks and write reports, which Harriet had planned to suggest next time. But the next opportunity didn't come until today.

In the end, the two agreed and set off for the neighboring country with Dominic and their luggage.

During the preparations, Dominic asked Harriet.

"By the way, Harriet, if you had to choose a double for me, who do you think would be suitable?"

"That would be... in terms of appearance and build, the son of Viscount Brian Appleby. His hair is a grayish purple, so it would look quite different from the prince's blond hair..."

"His hair is curly, but it can be tamed with a wig... it's light, so it's easy to dye. So, I'll have my eyebrows dyed and do the double for a while."

Miles, hearing this, looked at his friend with a distant gaze.

***

"This is the palace of the Holy Lance..."

Harriet, looking at the white, round building from the carriage, was about to speak when Miles, smiling wryly, covered her half-open mouth.

"Your mouth is very cute, but I'll get out slowly, so please compose yourself before you come."

Whispering sweetly, Miles blushed and straightened her face before being escorted out of the carriage to greet as a messenger.

In this continent, the names of countries often refer to the type of holy weapon they possess. Most borders are divided by sacred mountains or rivers, which in ancient times could not be crossed by armies due to lightning strikes, but roads and bridges could be built without problems. As a result, alliances were formed across the sacred territories, and trade routes around the sacred territories developed.

The founding of the Holy Sword country was due to several countries that became strong through trade in the border regions expanding their territories towards the forest near the current capital, where monster materials could be obtained, and forming a single country with the capital in the center. At that time, the owner of the holy sword remained in each country, and no country attacked, leading to the development of the transportation network.

Thanks to the transportation network and the comfortable, light royal carriages made of monster materials, Harriet and her companions arrived in about six days.

This time, Harriet and her companions would stay at the Wakeham Duke's residence, where Dominic's sister, Gabriella, was married. The official schedule included a tea party on the first day, a day of sightseeing in the capital, and sightseeing on the return trip.

For their actual mission, they planned to remember the face of the person called the princess when they handed over the gift at the party and look for someone with a similar face among the attendees. They had thoroughly discussed the actual movements during the trip, but whether it would go smoothly was uncertain. Harriet was nervous as she headed to the party.

***

At the tea party for the welcome, Miles received the catalog from a maid and handed it to the person called Princess Gwendolyn, completing the greetings. The king, who unexpectedly attended the tea party, sat at the same table with the queen, the princess, Miles, and Harriet. At that point, something seemed to have happened to the maid, and she asked Miles for permission to leave and quietly stepped back.

"I'm sorry, but one of the people I brought seems to be unwell, and I might need to borrow one of your maids to let her rest."

"Of course, that's fine. After a long journey, the fatigue of being in a foreign palace is understandable. Please let her rest."

The princess's real mother, the second concubine, was absent due to illness and was recuperating at a detached palace. The king spoke to Miles.

"Bringing a gift is a great honor.

I want to know what kind of person Prince Dominic is. ...Isn't the greatest misfortune for a father that he cannot marry his daughter? I worry so much about whether the daughter I have loved so much will be happy. I shortened the engagement period to ensure she marries within the appropriate age."

"That... is indeed a concern. ...Prince Dominic is intelligent and has a good character, but he is not rigid and has a bit of a playful side. I believe he will work hard to build a happy home with the princess."

"I see, if a subordinate says that, I can trust my daughter to him. Is there anything you want to ask from your side?"

Harriet hesitantly spoke up.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for asking such a personal question, but do you have any advice on marriage? Prince Dominic often asks his surroundings about a wonderful future. I myself am about to get married, so I really want to know."

"Well, if I have to name one, it would be consideration and communication. It's not easy, though."

"I see... Thank you. I've become a bit anxious before the wedding... I haven't even decided who will sign as a witness at the wedding ceremony..."

The witness on the marriage contract merely indicates that the marriage is recognized and welcomed, so basically, anyone can do it. The contract is stored in both families and the temple and is rarely seen unless in a court. Even a famous person would not have a significant impact, as it is just a matter of human relationships and appearances.

"Sorry, talking about such things here... I apologize."

The king, however, was lenient.

"No, it's the same in any country to be unstable before marriage. If I had paper, I would have signed as a witness."

At this, Harriet's face briefly lit up and then fell. Then, Miles took out the marriage contract from his chest.

"Actually... because we've been talking about this so much, I do have it with me..."

Seeing this, Harriet's eyes lit up with hope, and the king laughed.

"Haha, I've been outsmarted. It's fine, I said it myself. I'll sign it."

"Thank you!"

The content of the contract varies for each couple, so it cannot be reused. The attendees write it on the spot, and it is normal to have blank spaces. Important people who cannot attend often sign in advance. The king signed four copies, including spares, and looked at his watch.

"I'm sorry, but I need to return to my duties soon. I hope you enjoy your stay in this country."

The king left the tea party with a few close aides, and the queen apologized for the king's departure. Harriet also expressed her gratitude for the king's signature and changed the topic.

"Still, both the queen and the princess are so beautiful, I envy them. Their hair and skin are beautiful, but I especially thought the princess's eyes were sparkling. Do they resemble the king's? They have a strong red tint."

"Yes, yes, that's true. Thank you, it's a bit embarrassing to receive such praise."

After talking about beauty with the queen and the princess for a while, they went around to greet other nobles at other tables and left the palace, citing fatigue from the long journey.

***

The next day, after staying at the duke's residence, Harriet and Miles went sightseeing in the capital. After walking around in the morning to look for souvenirs, they had a late lunch and tea in a cafe.

"Still, the traditional patterns of this country are beautiful! I was able to choose many good souvenirs."

Although the luggage for the return trip was lighter, Harriet was worried if she had enough time to choose gifts for her close friends. However, traditional patterns were popular as souvenirs, and there were many varieties to choose from, making it enjoyable.

Miles, watching Harriet, drank his tea with a smile.

"Yes, it was really good that Harriet suggested I make a list. Thanks to that, we were able to be efficient and have a lot of fun. Thank you."

When Miles was at the Clayton Earl's house, he would only share dried fruit from his estate with a few friends. This was his first time on such a trip and choosing souvenirs, and he hadn't thought about it at all.

When Harriet took out paper and a pen in the carriage and suggested making a list of people to give gifts to and what to give, Miles realized he didn't know what to give his current family to make them happy.

"I think anything you choose will make them happy," Harriet said, and she helped Miles by suggesting popular souvenirs and discussing with him. Today, Harriet also helped Miles choose gifts for her friends and family, and thanks to her, Miles was able to enjoy choosing gifts while thinking of the faces of the people he would give them to.

"After this, let's choose souvenirs for us. Let's pick something to remember our trip."

After Miles paid the bill, they bought a set of matching glasses, stationery, and small containers and returned to the duke's residence.

The next day, they returned with their luggage and Dominic.