Chapter 5

In the lost history, Fiona was exiled due to Prince Alvin's betrayal.

If she had been raised as a princess, pampered like a butterfly or a flower, she would have collapsed and perished within three days. However, as a sword maiden, she had acquired the skills necessary to survive on the battlefield.

Relying on her abilities as a sword maiden, she became an adventurer and traveled to various places.

It was a span of time that saw the passing of several seasons.

And for the last year or so, she spent her time in a hidden village. This place, considered holy ground for sword maidens, wise maidens, and those blessed by spirits, was where Fiona found friends.

But—

"I'll hold off the enemies, so you all evacuate the children during that time!"

"Fiona, don't act recklessly alone!"

"Just do it, everyone, get the children to safety! There might be another group of monsters lurking!"

Fiona shouted as the horde of monsters surged towards the hidden village. If left unchecked, the villagers would all be slaughtered. To prevent this tragedy, Fiona charged into the horde of monsters alone.

Relying on her strength as a sword maiden and the new powers she had acquired in the village, Fiona cut down one monster after another. The surroundings were filled with the overwhelming stench of blood and the corpses of monsters.

—And the reinforcements that made the previous number seem insignificant. Her memory was lost in the midst of the battle with this horde of monsters.

◆◆◆

The road leading from the Kingdom of Rizel to the Kingdom of Lemuria.

Iris was being jolted in a noble's carriage.

It had only been a few days since Prince Regent had informed her of the annulment of their engagement. With terrifying efficiency, he had obtained the Emperor's permission and arranged for her to travel with Prince Alvin's entourage.

Before departure, there was an incident.

In the audience chamber, where she had an unofficial audience with the Emperor. When the Duke of Icefield informed the Emperor that the wise maiden, a symbol of the country, was about to depart for a neighboring country, the Emperor looked truly pitiful.

Of course, he apologized, but he insisted that the royal family would never neglect a wise maiden. He pleaded with Iris to reconsider leaving the country, claiming that the annulment of the engagement with the Prince Regent must have been a mistake.

The Emperor was not seated on his throne but stood facing Iris and her companions, a highly unusual situation that clearly showed how seriously he viewed the matter.

However, Prince Regent Zachary, who was supposed to be under house arrest, burst into the room. Instead of apologizing, he loudly declared, "I broke the engagement, I didn't get dumped!" causing a heavy silence in the room.

Immediately after, the Emperor himself pressed Zachary's head to the floor.

"It hurts, Father, what are you doing!?"

"Shut up. —Miss Iris, my son has done something unforgivable! I'm not asking for a reconciliation with this foolish son of mine. Please, reconsider leaving the Kingdom of Rizel!"

The Emperor must have realized that the "mistake" excuse wouldn't work.

He bowed deeply beside the Prince Regent.

But it was understandable.

The sword maiden and the wise maiden are symbols of the two countries that divide this continent. However, no wise maiden had been born in the Emperor's generation. If the newly appeared wise maiden were to leave the country, especially to the country of the sword maiden, the people's trust in the king would plummet.

Facing the Emperor, who was desperately bowing, the Duke of Icefield left the decision to Iris. She stepped forward and looked down at the Emperor and the Prince Regent.

She had no particular feelings towards the Emperor, but not so much towards the Prince Regent.

"The wise maiden has decided to bid farewell to the Prince Regent and become an ambassador to foster friendly relations with the Kingdom of Lemuria. Let's leave it at that."

She wasn't abandoning the country but leaving for Lemuria for the sake of Rizel. This narrative would minimize the damage to both Rizel and Iris.

Of course, Prince Regent Zachary was not considered.

He tried to interject, but the Emperor, who was still pressing his head, did not allow it. The Emperor pressed Zachary's head again and bowed deeply once more.

"I am truly grateful for your kindness."

—And so, Iris obtained permission to leave the country. Now, she was being jolted in a carriage with Prince Alvin.

Even on a road connecting two countries, it was just compacted earth, and it could be called a rough road. Iris was literally being jolted around.

This journey had been going on for about ten days.

The environment was so harsh that even the knights and servants traveling with Prince Alvin were getting tired. As a duke's daughter, Iris was expected to be the first to complain, but she was spending the journey with a calm face.

—Or rather, she was sleeping. Prince Alvin and his maid, who were in the same carriage, looked at her sleeping form with exasperated faces.

However, perhaps the jolting was affecting her dreams, as her well-defined eyebrows were furrowed. Prince Alvin reached out and touched Iris's hair, gently brushing it away from her face. At that moment, Iris's eyes snapped open.

"…I'll punch you."

"Please, hear me out, hear me out."

Prince Alvin's temple twitched.

"Alright, I'll punch you and then hear you out."

"Violent. I was just worried because you were tossing and turning."

"Tossing and turning…? Ah… I must have looked foolish."

She was dreaming about her death in her previous life.

For Fiona, the hidden village was almost like a second home. She wondered if she had managed to protect her companions there—then quickly concluded it was pointless to think about it.

Because, with Iris's reincarnation, history had been reset. Fiona's exile was still in the future, and the attack had not yet occurred.

(I need to fulfill the promise before then.)

The hidden village was not just a place with important friends. It was a holy site for the continent, preserving crucial technologies that must not be lost.

She would need to visit after Fiona's situation was resolved.

"By the way, you seem quite accustomed to traveling."

"No, this is my first long journey in a carriage."

It was true that this was her first long journey since being reborn as Iris.

Moreover, the reason she had traveled long distances in her previous life was because she had been exiled by Prince Alvin. Being told she was accustomed to traveling by the very person who exiled her was nothing short of ironic.

It was understandable that her response was curt.

Of course, the current Prince Alvin had no memory of this. While he tolerated Iris's insolence, the maid accompanying her was becoming increasingly displeased.

The maid was about to speak, but the carriage came to a gentle stop.

Traveling by carriage was only slightly faster than walking. Horses needed to rest every few hours, so the carriage stopped quite frequently.

Accustomed to these stops, Prince Alvin got out of the carriage for a short walk. The maid offered to accompany him, but he instructed her to rest in the carriage.

He then left the carriage with a few guards.

(Casually showing consideration, that hasn't changed.)

This area was near the border. There was a possibility of bandits lurking, and it was not impossible for monsters to wander out from the forest or mountains.

To protect Iris and the others from danger, Prince Alvin was leading the patrol. He called it a walk to avoid making Iris and the others anxious.

(Actually, the border? Something feels off… Yes, I remember, at this time—)

She recalled her previous life, specifically when her cousin had joined a party from the Kingdom of Rizel. If the schedule was the same, then—she looked around.

A river flowed nearby, and a forest lined its banks. Sniffing the wind blowing from that direction, Iris smiled wryly.

"Is something wrong, Miss Iris?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

She turned to face the voice.

It was Clarissa, the maid who had been in the carriage with her. With her deep green hair tied back, Clarissa was a bit older than Prince Alvin and from a minor noble family.

"Is that so? I'll go fetch some water. What will you do, Miss Iris?"

"I… No, I'll go with you."

With something on her mind, she offered to accompany Clarissa. They walked together to the water source, the riverbank by the side of the road.

"The water level seems fine."

Iris muttered, recalling from her previous life that a major drought would occur in part of the Kingdom of Lemuria this year.

"Miss Iris, what are you doing?"

"Just checking. But more importantly, Clarissa, there's no need to be so formal. I'm more like a colleague now."

Clarissa was the Prince's personal maid and Iris's mentor. Neither was superior to the other. If anything, Clarissa, as the senior, had the upper hand.

However, Iris was a duke's daughter and a wise maiden, the counterpart to Princess Fiona.

Therefore, instead of insisting on equality, she simply noted that they were colleagues and didn't need to be so formal.

Clarissa, too, understood these nuances.

"Then, may I call you Iris?"

"Of course, please do. And… I'm open to your advice."

She had noticed that Clarissa had something to say in the carriage. So, she directed the conversation towards it.

Clarissa hesitated slightly, then a breeze blew across the river, and a horse drinking from the river neighed.

Encouraged by the sound, she finally spoke.

"Then, may I ask, why did you volunteer to be Fiona's mentor?"

Iris's eyebrows twitched. Clarissa was Prince Alvin's personal maid and might have been involved in the plan to bring down Fiona.

"…Why do you ask?"

"Fiona is Prince Alvin's dear cousin. She is very straightforward and kind. So, if you volunteered for a trivial reason, please withdraw before you hurt Fiona."

Iris was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected Clarissa to be so direct, even though she had encouraged her to speak her mind.

Perhaps Clarissa was prepared for Iris to use her authority to counter.

(I didn't realize Prince Alvin's personal maid thought so highly of her. But I don't know much about her. Why… Ah!)

Originally, Fiona and Clarissa had few interactions.

But there was a more fundamental reason why she didn't know much about Clarissa. After this period, she stopped seeing Clarissa. Prince Alvin's personal maid had been replaced by someone else.

"Clarissa, I like you."

"…That's not an answer."

"Ah, right. Of course, I have no intention of hurting Princess Fiona."

She wouldn't say she would raise her with all her might. Instead, she glanced at the nearby forest, showing a slight nod of understanding.

But Clarissa, unaware of this, continued.

"So, you didn't volunteer for a trivial reason?"

"Of course not. But no amount of words will earn your trust. So, I will show you through my actions. First, Clarissa, who worries about Princess Fiona's future—"

She stepped towards Clarissa on the uneven riverbank, wrapped her arm around her waist, and pulled her close. Clarissa's wide, surprised eyes reflected Iris's stern face.

"W-What are you…?"

"—I'll show you by protecting you."

Her lips were almost touching Clarissa's cheek when she suddenly turned to shield her. At the same time, her right hand swung, leaving a red magical afterimage as it knocked down an arrow that had flown from a gap in the forest.

Thank you for reading.

Perhaps I might experimentally switch the order of the title and subtitle. "Prince… Get Out of the Way! The Villainess's Favorite."