“How should I know! I don't know anything about your rules here.”
As his face was getting trampled, Saito spread his hands and spoke plainly. Getting stepped on was something Saito had experience with.
“Y-y-y-you, you, you dog......”
Louise's voice began trembling in fury.
Henrietta rose from the bed while shaking her head. Louise rushed to kneel beside her. She then grabbed Saito's head and pushed it down to the bed.
“I-I'm sorry! My familiar's misconduct, is my own misconduct! And you say it, too! Apologize!”
The ever-prideful Louise was apologizing to someone. On top of that, she was shaking all over. If I don't do what she says, she'll probably give me hell for it later.
“Sorry. I only did it since you told me I could kiss you.”
“And where can you find someone who would go for the lips when they hear that?!”
“Right here.”
Louise struck Saito with her fist.
“How forgetful. Who gave you permission to use human language? Just bark. Dog. Come on, bark, I say. Everyone look at the doggie. Stupid dog.”
Then she stamped stamped on Saito's head and ground it against the floor.
“I-it's alright. Loyalty must be rewarded, after all.”
Henrietta bowed her head, giving real effort to appear calm.
At that time, the door slammed open and someone came flying in.
“You! The princess! What do you think you're doing?!”
It was the one who had dueled with Saito before, Guiche de Gramont.
With an ever-present imitation rose in his hand.
“What do you want?”
Saito said from where he lay on the floor as Louise continued stepping on his face.
“Guiche! You! Were you eavesdropping? Did you hear our conversation just now?!”
Guiche, however, didn't answer the pair's questions and just stood in a daze.
“For my hunt of the rose-like, lovely princess bringing me to this place...... and then seeing a theft, so to speak, occur through the door's keyhole...... that idiot commoner taking a kiss.......”
Guiche flourished his imitation rose and cried.
“Duel with me! You scoundrel!”
Saito sprang up and drove his fist into Guiche's face.
“Agah!”
“Duel away then, stupid! I still remember how you broke my arm! Let's go!”
Saito gave Guiche, who had fallen to the floor, a hard kick, then he sat on him and started wringing his neck.
“Th-that's not fair! You! Gah!”
“So, what now? This guy overheard Princess' story. Shall we have him hanged?”
If the opponent was a guy, Saito could be very serious.
“That might be best...... it's really too bad he had to hear our conversation just now......”
Guiche caught Saito off-guard, and stood up.
“Your Highness! By all means, please appoint me, Guiche de Gramont, to this difficult mission.”
“Oh? You?”
“You go to sleep.”
Saito swept Guiche's legs. Guiche fell down gaudily.
“Let me join your group!”
Guiche yelped as he collapsed.
“Why?”
Guiche's face reddened.
“I wish to be of use to Her Highness......”
Saito was sensing something from Guiche's appearance right then.
“You, are you in love? With the princess?!”
“Don't say such rude things. I am, absolutely, just wanting to be of use to Her Highness.”
However, Guiche's face was burning intensely as he said this. Telling by the passionate look he was giving Henrietta, he was certainly under her charm.
“But you have a girlfriend. Who was that again? Uh, Monmon-something......”
“It's Montmorency.”
“So what's going on?”
But Guiche was silent. Ah, I see, Saito thought.
“Did you get dumped? She completely dumped you, I bet?”
“Q-quiet! It was all your fault!”
It was the matter of the perfume in the dining hall. When he was caught two-timing, Guiche was dripping with wine from the top of his head courtesy of Montmorency.
“Gramont? Ah, of General Gramont?”
Henrietta fixed her eyes on Guiche's vacantly looking face.
“I am his son, Your Highness.”
Guiche stood up and gave a reverent bow.
“Are you also saying that you wish to help me?”
“It would be an unexpected blessing for me if I were to become a part of that mission.”
Henrietta smiled at Guiche's enthusiastic expression.
“Thank you. Your father is a great, brave noble, and it seems you have inherited his blood. Then, please. Would you help this unfortunate princess, Sir Guiche?”
“Her Highness has called my name! Her Highness! Tristain's lovely flower, has smiled her rosy smile at me!”
Guiche, having felt too much excitement, fell on his back in a faint.
“Is he alright?”
Saito poked at Guiche. Louise paid no mind to the disturbance and spoke in a serious voice.
“Well then, tomorrow morning, we shall depart for Albion.”
“We have heard that Prince Wales has set up camp somewhere around Newcastle in Albion.”
“Understood. I've travelled through Albion with my sisters before, so I'm familiar with the geography.”
“It will be a perilous journey. If the nobles of Albion discover your mission, they will do everything in their power to get in your way.”
Henrietta sat at the desk and, with Louise's feather quill and some parchment, wrote a letter out.
Henrietta quietly gazed at the letter she had written herself, before she began shaking her head sadly.
“Princess? What's the matter?”
Louise, thinking something was up, called out.
“I-it's nothing.”
Henrietta blushed, gave a nod as if she had settled on something, then added another line at the end. After that, she murmured in a soft voice.
“Founder Brimir....... Please forgive this selfish princess. Even though my country is in distress, I cannot help but write this one sentence....... I cannot lie about my own feelings.......”
Henrietta's facial expression made it seem like she had written a love-letter rather than a secret message. Louise couldn't say anything more, and just looked at Henrietta quietly.
Henrietta rolled up the letter she had written. She waved her staff. Out of nowhere, sealing wax appeared on the rolled-up letter, and a seal pressed down on it. Then she handed the letter over to Louise.
“When you meet the Crown Prince Wales, please pass this letter to him. He should then return the letter in question immediately.”
After that, Henrietta removed a ring from the ring finger on her right hand, and gave it to Louise.
“This is a 『Water Ruby』 that I had received from my mother. It should work as a good-luck charm, at least. If you have any money concerns, please sell this to get some travel funds.”
Louise bowed her head in silence.
“This mission is for the future of Tristain. For that, my mother's ring will protect you from the harsh winds blowing in Albion.”
Chapter Four: Port City La Rochelle
Although dawn had just broken, Saito, Guiche and Louise had already started preparing the saddles for their horses. Slung over Saito's back was Derflinger. Because of its length, it could not be attached to the waist.
Louise was dressed in her academy uniform, the only difference was that she now wore horse riding boots instead of shoes. Judging from that, it looked like a great deal of time would be spent riding the horse.
How far would Albion be from here? I'm still not used to riding a horse... Most probably my waist will ache from the riding... he thought to himself.
Just before setting off, Guiche spoke rather awkwardly.