Chapter 9

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

With a tinkling of the doorbell, the girl comes out from inside. It must be just before dusk, not yet the time when the café gets crowded.

Slipping her arms into the thick jacket she brought, the girl descends the stone steps, dyed orange, with a lively pace.

"Sorry to make you stop your work."

"It's fine. Anyway, I was about to take a break for dinner before things got busy."

She must have been getting tired of the same dishes every day. The girl, who looked to be around twelve, smiled as she said she would snack on something on the way back.

"Thank you. Uh..."

As Eris reached out her hand, the sound of hammers striking from the nearby workshop echoed loudly. On both sides were the workshops of silversmiths, unlike the ones she had seen earlier.

Despite the dazzling and ornate creations, the girl led Eris and the others down the old-fashioned, traditional street with a joyful laugh.

"Please call me Anna. Are you, um... a lady from Rufenia?"

Startled by the sudden guess about her ethnicity, Eris was taken aback.

"Uh, yes. How did you know?"

There are few people from the distant northern lands, so she must stand out, Eris thought, feeling a bit startled.

"Of course! Your beautiful golden eyes. So, you're on a romantic escape to the north, right?"

"Um..."

It seemed Anna's interest was in a different direction from Eris's. Eris raised a hand to correct the misunderstanding, but Anna didn't seem to notice.

"I get it! It's like in the stories. A devoted priest and a princess held hostage. They fall in love and run away together! No, it's fine even if it's not true. Just the idea makes me dream so much!"

(What should I do... Could this girl be a fan in the sense of the word from my original world?)

Eris, being a history enthusiast herself, couldn't really criticize others, but the way Anna was excited, swinging her black hair, gave her a sense of kinship. It was just that Anna's interest was in fictional tragic lovers rather than historical figures.

(Oh? Could this girl be the type who reads those thin books in the original world?)

She thought it was unlikely, but she felt a connection. The way Anna's eyes sparkled as she looked at them reminded Eris of how she used to imagine historical figures.

"Hey, that's quite rude. This lady is someone I should be in awe of—"

Giet tried to stop her, but at that moment, Anna clutched her cheeks and exclaimed.

"I get it! I get it! She's someone out of my league. Yet, why am I drawn to her? It's such a classic line!"

On the cobblestones, Anna clutched her cheeks and writhed, leaving Eris and the others speechless. But it was clear now.

"What are you talking about..."

"It's 'The Duke's Daughter's Lover'..."

"Eh?"

Giet, who prayed to the gods every day at the temple, probably didn't know.

"It's a popular romance novel among nobles and commoners alike. It's about a duke's daughter who falls in love with a devoted priest after her engagement to the king is broken off..."

(I never thought I'd be seen as a character from that book...)

"Wh-what! Such a novel and—"

The rigid Giet couldn't understand that he was being seen as a character from that book. His face turned red and then blue as he tried to correct the misunderstanding, but it would be unbecoming to scold him over this.

"Never mind. It's just a child's talk. As long as our secret is safe, it's fine, right?"

"Not fine! Lady Eris is too noble to be sullied by rumors about me—"

(Ugh, he's as stubborn as ever...)

Eris thought, but it would be unbecoming to argue with a child's imagination. Besides, she had already experienced that being a fan is a lifelong commitment.

(I never thought I'd be the object of someone's admiration...)

On the other hand, this girl might grow up to be a significant contributor to the otaku culture...

At that thought, Eris noticed the girl's feet on the cobblestones, which were turning from gold to twilight.

The feet, walking in the twilight, were extremely pale. Not only that—

"What's wrong with that bruise?"

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

The large bruise on the back of her calf seemed unnoticed. Eris had only seen it when Anna's skirt flipped up as she ran, so she wasn't sure.

(Could it be... corporal punishment? No, that can't be...)

Despite the girl's bright demeanor, Eris frowned. Upon closer inspection, her ankles were alarmingly thin.

(As if she hasn't been eating properly...)

"Hey—"

Concerned, Eris reached out as they turned the third corner from the café, intending to ask if Anna had been subjected to corporal punishment.

Just as she was about to speak to Anna, a voice from ahead made her quickly close her mouth.

"Did you find them?"

"No. But someone heard them talking at the café, heading towards the antique shop."

Hearing this, Eris darted into a nearby alley.

Holding Anna in her arms, she peeked from behind a brick building, seeing two men in the red uniforms of the knights who protect the Shreiban region.

(I just heard 'antique shop'...)

A cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Giet, confused by Eris's sudden action, called out.

"Lady Eris?"

"Shh!"

Eris silenced Giet, who was looking at her curiously. Sensing something, Anna, who had been squirming in her arms, also held her breath and listened to the voices from the street.

"The carriage driver said he brought a man and a woman from the capital just now."

"Checking the area, we found several reports of a woman in an elegant dress and a man in priest's robes dining together at a restaurant. It's probably the two who were dispatched by the early morning messenger from the capital this morning."

(The capital? An early morning messenger—)

Eris had expected pursuers eventually, but not so soon and so thoroughly.

(And to use the emergency messenger network of the army! Could he have used that?!)

She couldn't believe it. That network was for emergencies like wars or national crises. While it was indeed fast, using military horses, it was still shocking.

(Just because the king has command, he can't just abuse it like this!)

Eris hadn't expected him to go to such lengths. The knights continued talking, unaware of Eris watching from the shadows.

"But why go to such lengths to catch just two people? Just a priest and a woman, right?"

"Well, according to those who saw them, they seemed to be from different social classes but were dining together amicably. They said it was definitely a runaway couple."

(What!? A runaway couple!)

Eris felt as if she had been hit on the head.

(Why are the knights believing that rumor!?)

"Ah, so the lady is a princess from a royal family, and her parents are trying to get her back before she's ruined."

"Right. If they were close enough to run away together, she's probably already ruined."

The knights laughed, but Eris's face drained of color.

"Just... wait a moment..."

(Who is running away with whom! And to think they believe such rumors without knowing the truth!)

If this reached Leinhart's ears, she would surely be executed for adultery, as she had predicted.

No, it was worse than that.

(Not just me! If Giet is accused of having an affair with the queen—)

The proud Leinhart would never forgive them. At best, they'd spend their lives in the dungeon. No, it was more likely a death flag had just been raised.

(This is bad... This is no joke!)

Frustrated and terrified, Eris's hands trembled, but she forced herself to grip them tightly and regain her composure.

(I can't! I have to run!)

Eris quickly grabbed Anna's arm and pulled her, running down the alley in the opposite direction of the knights.

"Run! I'm sorry, hurry!"

"Miss?"

Anna, suddenly grabbed by Eris, was probably confused.

Eris, her heels clacking on the cobblestones, ran as fast as she could. She tried not to make noise, but these shoes weren't made for running. Her heels wobbled with each step, but she forced herself to keep going, fleeing into the darkening alley.

She had no time to look back. But to the undoubtedly shocked Anna, she called out.

"I'm sorry! They're after us!"

"Of course! It's a runaway couple!"

Anna's ankle, which she had been putting effort into, gave way, and she almost fell on the cold cobblestones.

How to explain to this girl, who was stuck in her own thoughts—

"I'm sorry! It's not a runaway couple. Giet and I aren't like that, and it's important for Giet's sake that we're not seen that way—"

Eris quickly regained her balance, but as she pushed back her fallen bangs, Anna nodded.

"I understand! It's either faith in the gods or a passionate, worldly love that you can't resist! I won't say anything until you and Giet are completely safe from the temple and the duke's family!"

Eris bit her lip, unable to speak.

(Give up. In Anna's mind, Giet is already the ideal priest tormented by love...)

For one thing, when did she become a duke's daughter—

There were many things she wanted to point out, but if they were being seen as characters from "The Duke's Daughter's Lover," Anna wouldn't tell the enemy.

(After all, she's a fan to the core!)

If so, Anna wouldn't sell them out to the pursuers. No, worse, if Anna was caught, she might say something about a runaway couple! Just as Eris thought this, she saw something flying from above the alley.

"Watch out!"

She dodged just in time.

"Lady Eris!?"

Giet, who was running right behind her, also dodged the arrow that flew from above. The arrow hit the brick building with a thud and fell to the ground.

Immediately after, a third and then a fourth black arrow rained down on them, aiming for Eris and the others.

They were probably being shot from the rooftops of the buildings on either side of the narrow alley.

Eris looked up, but the descending dusk made it hard to see the dark rooftops clearly. She caught a glimpse of a black shadow.

Just as she dodged another arrow, a sharp cry came from behind.

"Anna?"

(I missed! I was trying to pull her along with me!)

It was just a moment too late. When she turned around, she saw Anna's arm pierced by an arrow, her body slowly collapsing onto the cobblestones.

"Anna!?"

Eris rushed over and stared at the black feathered arrow embedded in Anna's arm.