Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

Once she saw me, Hannah brightened up like a puppy welcoming its owner home. I greeted her with a gaze before slowly looking around the room.

The desert princess, whom I was meeting again just after a few days, was sitting on the other side of a couch and staring out a window. Her tilted face gave an elegant curve to her figure.

“Ah.”

The desert princess widened her eyes when she saw me before hurriedly correcting her expression. For some reason, her reaction made my heart ache.

“Have you been well?”

This person was going to kill me?

“Do you remember me?”

She nodded her head slightly. Her clothes seemed to droop on her more compared to the last time I saw her.

“I wanted you to come with me that day but the situation was not favourable. Because my people did not want it.”

Honestly, when I saw the prophetic writings of how Castor was going to kill me, I immediately believed that he could. He had been described to be a madman in the original novel.

Since he was described to be such a violent person in the novel, I could tell the distance I needed to keep from him and the methods to avoid him but the same could not be said about the woman I was facing now.

“I… understand.”

“Thank you. Uhm, would you like some tea?”

I could not believe it. She was going to use those thin arms, that look as if they could barely smash a bug, to stab me. She looked like an ordinary woman who was just a little scared. So, I was confused.

Our tea arrived just in time. The princess slowly focused on the forsythia-coloured tea. Her nervous gaze that reminded me of a lost wandering puppy gradually disappeared. She seemed to have regained enough of her composure to take some sips of her tea.

“I want to hear your story. Will that be too difficult?”

She was originally supposed to visit this place with her delegation. But why did she come a month earlier without bringing any of her attendants?

Fortunately, she was calm and didn’t look like she was unwilling to speak.

“Princess. That’s something I wanted to ask from you ever since I’ve seen your pretty hands covered in scars. Right?”

After lowering my teacup slowly, I carefully reached out for her like I was approaching a wary stray cat before holding her hand.

Her coffee-coloured skin was different from what I usually see here in the Empire. It was not long before she faltered. After looking like she was agonising over a dilemma, her firmly-pressed lips relaxed and she spoke.

“I have… a favour.”

I suddenly recalled a phrase from the diary.

“I would like to ask you.”

I would always remember the day I first met Rebecca. It might be because the wariness and confusion in both their young expressions looked similar.

“Are you really the princess? Really?”

“Yes.”

My nod seemed to give her a little relief. The moment I tilted my head, she spoke.

“Perhaps, Sethirna… have you found my Seshef-ankh?”

I shook my head.

“Not yet. Perhaps she’s in one of the remaining hideouts.”

She, who was already biting her lips, slightly loosened her expression. Then, she slowly straightened her back.

“I am the princess of the desert, Neferti Hator Ahacia.”

Ah. So this was what a real princess looked like. The woman placed her hand on her chest and stared at me confidently. The girl who had been cowering just a few seconds ago was nowhere to be seen.

“I came to propose something to the Empire on behalf of my country, Ra-hart.”

She was firm and clear.

“Hold on, why didn’t you say that to the templar who came to interrogate you?”

From the desert princess’ perspective, it would be more important for her to quickly prove her identity. Nevertheless, her lips remained tightly closed whenever she was in front of the patrols. Moreover, she waited for me to come look for her. I was surprised. Did she know when I would come?

“I can’t just trust anyone.”

She stared at me with her trembling eyes.

“The man who approached us for the first time. That man said. He was a patrol from the Imperial Palace. Then he knocked Sethirna and I out. When I opened my eyes, I was at that place.”

“Ah… That’s why you couldn’t trust them. Because of the man who kidnapped you.”

The scarlet-haired princess smiled. This was the first time I saw her smile.

“… Alright. I understand why you can’t trust our patrols. Still, why did you come here alone, without your delegation?”

“Because I’m of a different opinion than them.”

“By ‘them’, you mean your delegation?”

“That’s right. They are the chancellor’s people. They are merciless people who are seeking a rebellion.”

I glanced at her.

“If you’re really the princess, please hear me out. My words…. On behalf of the King of Ra-hart.”

Only then did I realise that she was only pretending to be calm.

“Please help me and my country.”

“Is that the proposal you were referring to?”

“No.”

Having been deceived by others all this time, I had developed a sensor that could detect if someone was lying to me.

At that moment, if I just forget about how she was the woman predicted by the diary to kill me, she merely looked like a newborn puppy. However, the prophetic writings had never been wrong. For some grudge or reason that I was still not aware of, she was going to kill me.

If I continued spending time doing nothing like this, she was going to kill me on the scheduled day wearing a different expression. It was up to me to avoid that ending and change it. Yeah. It was up to me.

“Please, you need to hear me out. You need to.”

“Go ahead.”

Her eyes that were as green as seedlings stared at me. When light poured into her eyes, they looked like fresh green grapes. I thought she wouldn’t lose to Castor if she stood next to him.

“I want to get engaged.”

“Engaged?”

“Yes.”

It was both ridiculous and amazing how I could see the future. Because even though I knew, I couldn’t do anything to control it. The words she was about to speak were what I expected to hear.

“The Crown Prince of the Empire. I am going to propose an engagement with Castor Dje Kaltanias.”

With my eyes closed, I swallowed a sigh.

“… Why do you want to marry the Crown Prince?”

For a long time, I had gone through deaths predicted by the prophetic writings in the diary and overcame them. However, I have become immobilised by the fear of being unable to do anything even though I knew the future.

“I would like to meet him.”

Just like now.

“Do you, he… do you know my brother? Why him?”

“I didn’t think of that. Still.”

I realised it while talking to her. She already knew Castor.

“Did you travel such a long distance to come to this Empire to marry my brother?”

The rumours about Castor might have spread to other countries but this marriage had to be stopped. Though she still looked nothing like evil, her expression suddenly changed.

“My apologies, Ahacia. I know what you’re trying to do but it’ll be difficult.”

“How so?”

I let out another short breath with my eyes closed.

“Because if you meet Castor the way you are now, you’ll face some difficulties.”

The short words I spoke clumsily had multiple meanings. Had she met Castor before? She was just a supporting character who had a simple role in the original novel. It’ll be difficult to find out if she did.

“First of all, I’m in a situation where I can’t visit my other siblings carelessly. We have yet to prove your identity. No, don’t give me that look. I don’t doubt your identity.”

In the original novel, regardless of whether she actually loved Castor or not, she was engaged with Castor just like she wanted. It was only for a short period of time but the fact remained that she was.

“…..”

I recalled a phrase from a novel I once liked. Constraint. If the original plot was going to proceed regardless, no matter how hard I tried to change it, the flow of the story would eventually return to the original flow. It was a frustratingly underhanded force.

“I pity your situation but you don’t have anything that can prove your identity. For being unfortunately kidnapped in that fashion, I can compensate you. However, you cannot meet my brother.”

“Please. Is it too difficult? I’m begging you. This is an important matter. To me and to my country… I have to meet him…”

“Yes. I thought you’d say that.”

If the main plot had already been decided, does that mean my efforts meant nothing?

“I have to meet the Crown Prince, For my kingdom.”

With a pained expression, Ahacia stared at me. Soon after, she lowered her head and fidgeted with the end of her skirt like a puppy wagging her tail.

“I wandered across the desert without a goal. The guide we urgently found ran away with our pouch of money. My guards, my Seshef-ankh and I arrived here after wandering through the heat, cold and attacks of the desert for a long time.”

“… Where are your guards?”

“My guards were sent to the trading port to prevent the delegation from arriving here. Me and the remaining Seshef-ankh headed for the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes.”

“We were never comfortable and the road was not smooth. We had a terrible time. And when we finally arrived at the outer palace…”

“You were kidnapped.”

“… Correct. I don’t know how long it’s been since then. But things went wrong.”

I understood why her gaze had been so dark. How hard must it have been to travel to a distant country? It was only natural that she would not be used to travelling. I sighed.

The first thing noble women learned to do during etiquette classes was give commands. Perhaps that was how they solidified the firm pride of their nobility. Despite her fearful expression, I could tell she was well-educated from how she was able to maintain her firm and clear voice.

And she seemed to be familiar with bending over to the princess of another country to ask for a favour.

“Princess.”

Getting up from my seat, I tidied my skirt and swept my hair back. I faced the desert princess who had a blank expression on her face. The sky was still bright out which was why I could clearly see her anxiety.

“If you just say the word, I will help you.”

Why did receiving such misfortune on a sunny day make me want to cry? I closed my eyes.

I did not want to collapse helplessly a month from now. But I didn’t want to be so reckless to ignore the people who were willing to risk their limbs for me. I didn’t want to live like Castor.

“… What brought you to our distant Empire?”

Her coffee-coloured face looked dewy as she lowered her head like a wounded child. I thought she would look pretty cute if she smiled.

“I…”

A gust of wind blew through the open window. The sound whistled through the room and the wind messed up my hair.

“… fell in love at first sight.”

We made eye contact.

“… With him.”

She was hiding the truth.

T/N:

Hey guys I’m back. Thank you for all your well wishes regarding my exams. I only managed to read them after they were over though lolol but again thank you so much! And I feel like Ahacia has vested political interests for trying to wed Castor but URGH idk…