第１５９０堀：彼女のこれから探し (Part1)
Chapter 1590: Searching for Her Future
Side: Ria
I’ve returned to Weed, and as expected, things are piling up. Everyone is moving about in a frantic rush, but I find myself in a slightly different position.
“What shall we do today?”
“I see… what should we do, indeed?”
That’s right. I’m currently spending my time taking it easy with Canaria—or rather, I’m in the middle of helping her search for her future.
Of course, I still attend the important meetings, but outside of those, Dressa is currently away organizing the coastal survey for the navy, so I’ve taken over the role of accompanying Canaria. It’s not exactly “taking it easy” in the traditional sense—it’s not like the answer to her future is something easily found—but we are spending this leisurely time together.
Oh, and my primary job is still Yuki-san’s bodyguard. If he were heading somewhere dangerous, that would obviously take priority. But right now, the work consists of desk tasks like clearing the backlog of documents in the office, coastal surveys, and drafting port development plans. I’ve been told that for that level of protection, Prol and the others have it covered.
In fact, they were quite insistent.
*“Keep a close eye on Canaria’s state of mind. We don’t intend to neglect her, but we simply can’t spare the time. I’d hate for her to feel useless and resort to something extreme.”*
*“That’s right. Ria, I know you want to help us with the work, but Canaria’s well-being is just as important to us, so I’m counting on you.”*
Since both of them asked me, here I am. It’s true—if you’re just left to your own devices once your tasks are done, it can be quite unsettling. If I were in her shoes and treated that way by Yuki-san, I might even consider ending it all.
Yeah, this is an important job.
Now that I’ve reaffirmed the importance of being Canaria’s companion, what about today?
“Canaria, what have you been doing since we got back?”
“Let’s see. For the first two days after we returned, I was at the hospital for check-ups as Lady Rurua and the others requested, and then I stayed at the hotel. Since then, I’ve been walking around Weed. I’ve been looking for delicious food.”
“Ah, right. That was to make sure your health hadn’t declined during the expedition. And after that, you went back to the ‘delicious food hunt’?”
Come to think of it, I’ve spent the last few days accompanying her on food tours through Weed’s commercial district. As for her weight, that’s not an issue since she’s been training with us.
“Hmm. You’ve had your change of pace, so how about we take it easy on the food today and go look at some workplaces instead?”
“Workplaces, you say?”
“Yeah. When you hear the word ‘work,’ do you have any image of what that entails?”
“Now that you mention it… I’m not entirely sure. I was taught how a princess should conduct herself, but when it comes to ‘work,’ I only have a vague understanding of what soldiers or servants do.”
“I see, I see. Then let’s start by looking at the work of those soldiers and servants.”
Canaria really is a princess to the core. Wait, are Seraria and Deryu also princesses to the core? Are those two just the weird ones? But then again, Stasia and Fiora were generals, weren’t they? No, no, Shera was a normal princess, so this must be the standard, right?
While harboring these doubts, we headed to the General Government Building, where those soldiers and servants would be. We’ve been gathering here for meetings lately, so there wasn’t anything particularly new to see.
“Isn’t this the General Government Building?”
“Yep. That’s right. Soldiers and servants are stationed here, too. Seraria and the others come and go quite often.”
“Ah, I see.”
Soldiers aside, you wouldn’t usually find servants in a government office, but because of Seraria’s presence, they are always coming and going.
“Alright, let’s go get permission for a tour.”
“Understood.”
Canaria nodded obediently. I’m grateful for how easily she agrees to these things, but I do worry if this will actually help her find what she loves. Still, nothing starts unless we try. I headed straight for the office where Seraria was working.
“Oh, welcome.”
Usually, a visit like this wouldn’t be allowed, but given my position, I was ushered into the office without delay, and Seraria greeted us warmly despite being in the middle of her work.
“Sorry to interrupt while you’re busy.”
“Thank you for your time, despite your busy schedule.”
Even if she’s welcoming, she’s still working, so I made sure to apologize properly. Canaria, realizing that Seraria had stopped her work for her sake, offered her thanks as well. Seraria didn’t seem to mind at all.
“It’s fine. It’s just the same old paperwork anyway.”
It seems Seraria is a bit tired of her usual routine and is looking for a change of pace. But if she says things like that here…
“Your Majesty. You don’t truly mean that, do you? To dismiss the documents that hold the lives of your people as ‘the same old thing’?”
Yes, Qual is bound to get angry. These documents are filled with the thoughts and feelings of the people. Especially the ones that reach Seraria, the Queen—they are bundles of those very emotions. That’s why such phrasing is dangerous.
“I’m not dismissing them. I just get tired when I’ve been staring at letters all day. You really do love having this exact same conversation, don’t you?”
“It is my duty to say it. And, my apologies. What is the nature of your business today?”
Still, they’ve become quite used to this back-and-forth. As Seraria said, no matter how much heart is put into the documents, when they pile up, it takes time, and it’s only natural for one’s eyes to grow weary. Qual understands that, but she still feels the need to caution her. That flow has already been established.
With that out of the way, I stated our business.
“I want to take Canaria on a tour of the workplaces.”
That’s right. We didn’t come here to watch the two of them perform their comedy routine. We came to find what Canaria wants to do, what she loves.
“A workplace tour? Ah, so Canaria, you want to work?”
Seraria looked from me to Canaria and asked. I thought it was a strange way to put it, but Canaria’s response made me understand.
“I do not know if I am capable of working, but Seraria-sama, as well as the other wives, all possess skills and trades of their own. As a slave, would it not be improper for me to do nothing?”
Ah, I see. So that’s it. It’s true—everyone in Yuki-san’s circle has their own job, so in that sense, Canaria is the unusual one.
“There’s nothing ‘improper’ about it. Everyone is just doing what they want to do. Though, I suppose it started because we were in a situation where we *had* to.”
“Indeed. When Weed was first established, we were truly short-handed. We are still short-handed now, but it’s nothing compared to back then.”
Yeah, yeah. Even when I first came to Weed, I was suddenly plucked from being a total failure to become Yuki-san’s bodyguard.