*

　Tyria was awakened by the sound of a kacha.
　Myra must have come to wake her up with food.
　I have to get up. I have to get up and show her that I'm feeling better.
　If I don't, she might ask me to recuperate on the southern frontier.
　That's how little I was able to do yesterday.
　The only thing I did was attend a meeting and talk with Gaul.
　After that, I was dozing off for the rest of the day.
　I ate and bathed in hot water, but this is not to say that I did anything.
　At least for Tilia.
　A feeling of regret rose up in him now.
　I should have at least read the book.
　Even if the content didn't enter his mind, if he opened the book, others would think he was learning.
　Why couldn't I have done that much?
　Tormented by regret, she tries to sit up, but even that feels like a chore.
　It's as if my body is one with the bed.
　Suddenly you remember the time when you were imprisoned in the main tower.
　The days there were so comfortable that the word "imprisonment" doesn't even begin to describe it.
　It was well cleaned and the food was good.
　In hindsight, I think they were pretty well taken care of.
　I'm sure that Alcor had no intention of killing Tilia.
　Nevertheless, there were times when he felt depressed.
　The situation right now is very similar to that.
　It's going to happen, it's going to happen. Guts, I inspire myself.
　I manage to pick myself up and let out a deep sigh.
　The malaise seems to have burrowed into the core of my body.
　Myra sets the tray down on the bedside table and bows her head deeply.

'Good morning, ma'am.'
Morning. I'm sorry, could you open the window for me?
Yes, sir.

　Myra turned on her heel and gently opened first the curtains and then the window.
　The cold air came pouring in.
　Her nose tingled and goose bumps rose.
　But she felt a little better.
　Myra set a small table on the bed and placed a tray on it.
　The menu for today is bread, soup and fruit.
　There is also a glass of water.

'May I close the window?'
Yeah, please.

　Myra bowed and quietly closed the window.
　'I'll take it,' she murmured and picked up her glass.

'I've prepared another lemon water for you today.
I appreciate that.

　Tilia brings the glass to her mouth and sips the lemon water.
　It's cold and refreshing.
　It clears her mouth, which had been sticky from waking up in her sleep.
　I set the glass on the table and reach for the bread.
　Shred it into small pieces and bring it to your mouth.
　The bread is fine, moist, and slightly sweet.
　It's made from the same wheat, but it's different from the bread I've been eating.
　I didn't know it was possible to make this bread just by putting it in a metal mold.
　No, it's too early to think so.
　He said he used his free time, but it took him years to complete it.
　There's a high possibility that Tilia just doesn't understand, but she's put a lot of thought into it.
　So--.

'The bread is good.'

　Only speak your mind.
　You shouldn't make statements lightly without knowing how much effort you put into making them.
　Then, Myra's mouth fell out in satisfaction.
　Apparently, my decision was not wrong.
　She picked up a spoon and scooped up the soup.
　It's slightly colored, but it's like watery soup.
　If I were in good physical condition, I would have wondered what the harassment was about, but now I'm grateful.
　In my mouth, it has a faint taste.
　Is it a fish?

How do you like it?
'Mmm, not bad. Tastes faintly like fish, but...
I took a dashi broth.
Oh, I see.

　Come to think of it, the landlady was also using dried fish to make dashi.

Why is she doing this?
'I've had a chance to see what kind of food your wife would find palatable. Next time I'll try something a little stronger.
Don't make me bother.
He's a maid.

　Myra gave a small smile.
　I suppose that means it's work, so don't worry about it.
　It makes me feel a little better to hear that.
　Tilia brings the soup to her mouth and reaches for the bread again.

''........Ma'am.''

　Tilia stopped her hand and turned her gaze to Myra.
　She seems to be somewhat lost.
　Are they going to ask you to recuperate on the southern frontier?
　But if you start talking about recuperation yourself, you might become a bush snake.
　After some hesitation, he opens his mouth.

'What?'
As a matter of fact, a message from a dragon, no, I have a request...
What do you want?
Yes, sir.

　Myra said in a voice sounding the same as usual.
　No, it would be slightly lower.

'Okay,'
Are you sure?
Of course. The Southern Frontier Army is our comrade in arms. I would be glad to go with you if it would be a consolation to them.

　Tilia nodded hawkishly.
　Morale is important in battle.
　No matter how strong an army is, if its morale is low, it will not be able to show its capabilities.
　It's also important to make them feel like comrades.
　They need to think that they are not fighting only for the southern frontier, but that they are fighting for something bigger, for the empire and even for the future.

''Is there any problem with your body?''
'Hmm, I'm still lazy, but I can't say that. Our future depends on this fight.
I have admired the mind of Princess Tyria.
Stop flattering me.
Well, I'm flattered.
"Geez, you're showing your true intentions too soon.

　Myra said quietly and Tyria grunted.
　She was caught off guard because she was being taken care of, but it was Myra she was dealing with.
　I may have shown too much of an opening.

'So, what do you really think?'
The main body of the southern frontier army is the garrison and veterans. There's a sense that they turned because they couldn't eat in the military anymore, and they rolled into the southern frontier, so I think it's a pretty good decision.
'I expected it, but it's depressing to actually hear it,'

　Tilia chewed on her bread.
　He didn't hold the army to be particularly sacred, but the fact that the soldiers had defected because they were no longer fed satisfactorily was quite shameful.

''It was obvious that this would happen when the southern frontier stopped supplying crops, but........''
'What was Alkor doing?'

　Tilia spat and drank the lemon water.
　It was easy to imagine that Alcor had been disqualified when he was in this situation, but she wanted to say that he couldn't have done something about it before that happened.
　Didn't he think he could manipulate Alfort well before that, and that's why he tricked Tilia?

''You have a lot of faith in me.
'I didn't trust humanity anymore, but I did trust my abilities.
'I thought it would be more than this when I lost my backing.

　A back-up, Tyria muttered and brought the bread to her mouth.
　If you think about it, the only reason Alkor was able to move freely was because his father had given him the authority to do so.

''But the man who was in charge of the national government for over thirty years?
'He wasn't very good at rough stuff, so he probably doesn't know how to fight.

　His words are harsh, but his expression is close to a wry smile.
　Perhaps she and Alcor were friends.
　Relationships between people are interesting, Tilia said, chewing on her bread.



　As I was dozing off after finishing my meal, I heard a click.
　Myra must have arrived with a change of clothes.
　My body is lazy and my head is fuzzy.
　But I feel better than I did this morning.
　I'm in good shape, I tell myself, and get up.
　As soon as I sat up, something felt like a heavy weight was hitting me.
　Of course, it's just an illusion.
　It's probably because I'm not in the right state of mind, but I've been pushing myself.
　Myra put down her military uniform on the bedside table and turned her gaze to me.

'Did I wake you up?'
No, I just woke up.

　I actually woke up to the sound of a door opening, but I didn't want to be a bush snake.
　Well, Myra would have noticed--

'Can you get up?'
Of course.

　Tilia nodded and got off the bed.
　She put her hand on the negligee and--

'Madam, please wait a moment.'

　When Tilia stopped, Myra closed the curtains.

'Come in,'
Yeah, I'm sorry.

　I take off my negligee and change into my military uniform with Myra's help.
　I felt some kind of gaze, but I didn't point it out because I didn't want to be a bush snake either.
　I put on my trousers and felt uncomfortable.
　They were loose at the waist.
　There seemed to be more room in the chest area of his mind.
　They felt a bit tighter, but had he lost weight?
　When I was tilting my head inwardly--

''I have taken the liberty of adjusting the size of your military uniform.
Why would you do that?
'Ma'am, it's not a good idea to tighten up when you're not feeling well.
'Well, you've been paying attention,'

　Tilia let out a breath of relief.
　She thought she was going to be noted for her weight gain, but it seemed to be unfounded.
　She put on her jacket and twisted her body to check--.

''Mistress!
What the f*ck?

　Tyria freaked out as Myra suddenly raised her voice.

''I beg your pardon. Please refrain from any exercise that involves twisting your body. It puts a strain on your body.''
'All right, but you're not going to yell all of a sudden either. I thought your heart was going to stop beating.
I'm sorry.

　Tilia said, holding her chest, and Myra apologized in a low moaning tone.
　Apparently, it seems that she thinks she's not in very good physical condition.
　After all, I should show that I'm in good physical condition as much as possible.

'No, it's fine. I appreciate your concern, but I'm in better shape than I was yesterday.
Are you sure?
It's true. You think I'm lying to you?
Yes, we think you're lying.

　Myra said without pause.
　I was more surprised than I was because I didn't get too lost.

'You're a rude guy. I'm feeling much better than I did yesterday and the day before.
Are you sure?

　Myra closed the distance and looked into his face.

'It's true. Trust me.
How are you feeling?
Mmm, that's...

　Tilia turned her gaze upwards.
　Her body was lazy, her head was fuzzy, and she felt a little nauseated.
　There was no way she could say how she was feeling.
　Wait, I remind myself.
　You can say the exact opposite.

My body is light as a feather, my head is clear. I feel great.
You're lying.

　Myra turned her meekness around and gave me a condescending look.

'On what basis in the world would you call me a liar?
'Your wife mouthed a few words, then looked up.

　Up?　Tilia looked up at the ceiling.

'When we tell a lie, we look up or stare at the person we are talking to. Also, lies told on the spur of the moment are often the opposite of the truth. Do you have a counter argument?
Gugu.....

　Myra said triumphantly, and Tyria grunted.
　There was no way to argue with her.

'I admit it. I lied.
Why did you lie to me?
'I knew that if I told him I wasn't feeling well, he would tell me to go to the southern frontier to recuperate.
Ma'am.

　Tilia blurted out, and Myra let out a sigh of dismay.

''My Lady, I do not offer such a thing,''
Are you sure?
I swear to God.

　Myra said, raising her right hand.
　I wondered if she would say that much, and I reminded myself that she would have been such a faithful woman.

'Which god do you believe in, by the way?
"If I had to choose, I'd say the Mother Goddess of Ochre and Fertility.
You want to know why?
Agriculture is the main industry on the southern frontier.

　When Tilia parroted the question, Myra said matter-of-factly.
　'How is it that I don't feel faithful?

'Aren't you a god who controls the flow of water as green because the quality of crops depends on the weather? No. Or a god who is blue and controls life?
'Because neither of them can teach you much knowledge or skill by loading up on donations. What's more, loading up on donations doesn't mean you're going to have good weather.
No, that's not a choice.

　No matter how much of a divine art, it is difficult to manipulate the weather.
　Moreover, to the extent that the crops are good, even Baroness Nam Korunu can't do it.

''That's why I believe in the Mother Goddess, who is a yellow earth and controls fertility.
'Hmmm, is that faith?'
The priests say that your husband is a man of faith. Huh, I don't know where the faith is.
Mm, I can tell you're not a religious man.

　Seeing Myra's mouth twist in mockery, Tyria was convinced.

''Well I won't say anything about your faith.''
I'm sorry, sir.

　Myra bowed her head lightly.
　It can't be my imagination that her mouth seems to be fraying.

''Well, it's time to go out for comfort, how do you want to move?''
There's a boxcarriage waiting for you outside.
Hmm. Boxcars.
'If you say you're going to use wagons and covered wagons to make soldiers feel closer to you, please don't.
I'm not thinking about that.
Are you sure?
It's true.

　I return it, slightly miffed.
　If I'm honest, such an idea snatched a little bit of my brain, but--

''Then fine.
Are you really a maid?
The maid, sir?
It's nothing.
Right this way, then.

　Tyria walked off with Myra leading the way.

*

Come in, ma'am.
Um, I'm sorry.

　Myra opened the door and Tilia stepped out.
　She can at least open the door herself, but she won't talk about it because she's going to be a bush snake.
　Come to think of it, this is the first time I've been outside since I came to the mansion.
　What kind of garden is it?
　Will it be as dilapidated as the Marquis' mansion?
　No, it might be a solid garden, surprisingly.
　I walked out of the house and stopped in my tracks with a bit of hope.

''Can I help you?''
Nothing?

　Tyria let her gaze wander.
　There's a fence in the distance, but inside it there's only one box carriage.
　There is a person dressed like a butler at the governor's table.

'The master is not interested in tending the garden. The same is true of Lady Elua. However, Master Elua thought that if he was going to build a garden, he wanted to use the money to enrich his estate.
Different motives, same answer. What about you?
I'm closer to your husband.

　Immediately after Myra muttered, the door to the box carriage opened.
　The one who came down from the boxcarriage was a woman - the landlady's sister Kanan.
　Because it was cold, she was wearing a scarf.

'Then let's go. There are stones falling down, so be careful of your footing.
Yeah, I know.

　Myra walked out quietly and Tilia followed.
　As Tilia and the others approached, Canaan shuffled up to her.
　He stopped and bowed gracefully.

'I will be escorting you today.
Hmm?　You're not coming?
I'm his bodyguard.

　'I see,' Tilia nodded.

'There's another guard. 'Robert!'
Yes, I'm back.

　Canaan raised his voice, and Gosha dismounted from the carriage.
　Then he walked over to us.
　He is a tall, somewhat muscular man.
　A scar runs down the length of his lips, as if he had military experience.

'It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Princess Tyria. I'm Robert, I'm the steward of the Baron Ekron family.

　Robert stopped and bowed deeply.
　He doesn't have the grace of Canaan, but he is seamless in his behavior.
　He looks quite skilled, but why is he working as a butler on the southern frontier?
　Such a question is snatching at my brain, but it's best to keep it quiet.

''It's a pleasure to work with you.
Yes, it's nice to meet you too.

　Robert nodded vigorously and turned on his heel.

'.........Princess Tyria.
What?
This way.

　When Tilia replied, Kanan untied his scarf and held it out to her.
　He must be paying attention to me.

''I'm sorry,''
No, it's only natural for people to care for each other.

　When he accepted the scarf and thanked her, Kanan gave a small shake of his head.

'Isn't it a bit much to take for granted as a human being?'
'No!　No!　Those who don't care must be the ones with a human face and a beast heart!

　Kanan raised his voice somewhat.
　When you say that much, I feel somewhat sorry for you.
　I'm not that great a person.
　If I was a more decent person, I might not have been able to fall into the trap of Alcor.
　But even if you point that out, you will only be denied.
　So--

Thank you.

　Tilia mouthed her thanks and wrapped the scarf around her neck.

'Yeah, you're warm.'
It was given to me by the Earl of Chiron.
Yeah?

　Tilia replied in a supercilious voice.
　I felt like my neck was squeezed.
　I huffed and looked around, but there was no one there.

'I had an arranged marriage, but they turned me down. But you gave me a scarf, so this means you have a pulse, right?'
'No, no, that's not...'

　Tilia clammed up.
　The Earl of Chiron - Rio was gone.
　Besides, he was Crono's mistress.
　Surely, Count Chiron refused because he was Crono's mistress.
　I can't help but think that he should have just dismissed it as a disguise and married her.
　But maybe that's how single-minded he was.
　I should have told him more.
　After all this time, I still think so.
　Truly, I've only regretted myself.
　Should I tell her of Count Chiron's death?
　Even if it's unrequited love, doesn't she have the right to know?

'Cana--'
All right, I'll ride first.
I'll watch my back.

　Canaan and Myra interrupt Tilia's words.
　Canaan rides straight into the boxcarriage and--

'Go ahead, give me your hand.
Yeah, I'm sorry.

　Tilia took Canaan's hand and rode in the box carriage.
　The interior is quite luxurious.
　The cushions and blankets on the chairs caught her attention.

'Princess Tilia, please use the cushions and blankets.
Oh, yeah, I'm sorry.
No, it's just what people do.

　Canaan said once and for all.
　I still felt sorry and sat down on the cushion.
　Then--'

'Excuse me, ma'am.'
Yeah, thanks.

　Myra draped a blanket over her legs, and Tilia expressed her gratitude.

'No, of course not. It's not your body alone, Mistress, so please take care of yourself.'
Hmm, yeah.

　Tyria straightened her residence.
　Myra was right, he was the flag-bearer of the imperial army and the southern frontier army.
　Self-evaluation aside, I can't afford to lose my flag-bearer.
　I must take good care of myself despite my poor physical condition.
　Just as he told himself that, the boxcarriage began to move slowly.