Chapter 3 – Prologue

That day was the day Amiel, who had been studying abroad in the neighboring nation of Helgnar, was returning home.

The practice of exchanging royal heirs between nations was considered just as significant as royal marriages.

There was a ceremony at the border where the royal heirs were exchanged. Orrel, the younger brother of the king, waited with the Helgnar royal heir, watching for his niece.

But no matter how long they waited, the carriage carrying Amiel never arrived.

“What’s going on?”

The uneasy silence that settled over the crowd made everyone pale.

The carriage carrying Amiel was also the one sent to retrieve her from Helgnar. Claha’s face visibly paled.

If Amiel didn’t return, Claha would be held hostage in the Tembarr Kingdom.

Looking at Claha, who was the same age as his niece Amiel, Orrel spoke with a guilty expression.

“…Claha-dono.”

Y-yes!

"I'm sorry, but staying like this won't get us anywhere. Let's head back to the capital first."

…Y-yes…

"Your niece's safety's worrying me, sure—but I'm also worried about the person coming to fetch you. First, let's send a message by magic. You're a guest of honor, so hold yourself with dignity."

He patted her shoulders, light and reassuring. Claha blinked, startled.

"You're… not going to restrain me?"

"My country's not *that* bad."

Orrel gave a wry smile. But in Helgnera, she’d be locked up for sure.

Lately, things had been getting… off. He’d known that.

Claha was the youngest, half-brother to the current king.

From what he’d gathered, she wasn’t treated well back home. Orrel couldn’t help but see her as a pitiful niece.

And the king of Helgnera? A man with a long list of shady rumors trailing him.

Orhel couldn’t bring himself to send Klaha back to a place like that. She worried about her, that much was certain.

“It’s fine. Just… believe in me.”

“…Yes.”

Inside, Klaha was a mess.

The stories she’d heard about the Tembar Kingdom back home were nothing like the reality.

This exchange program had been her brother’s way of getting rid of her. She’d prepared for it, yes—but now that it was happening, the gap between expectation and actual treatment left her flustered.

(…And the spirit curse, too… it was for protection…)

Helgnera was a nation deeply devoted to spirit worship.

The Tembar royal family was infamous for having angered the spirits and been cursed.

Helgnera, for its part, refused to accept such a nation’s existence. They were aggressively hostile, and border skirmishes between the two countries were practically routine.

But this situation was extremely unfavorable for her own nation. Clah was pondering whether that brother would really make such a blunder, her eyes shifting toward her homeland, wondering what on earth was happening.

Beyond the distant mountains lay another country. In that direction, dark clouds hung low. A bad feeling crept over Clah, uninvited and unwelcome.

Turning her back on that sight, Clah returned to the capital with Orrel and the others.

＊＊＊

Ravissel, having received the urgent message on a swift horse, immediately ordered the knight to contact Helgnera and verify Agiel’s whereabouts.

“Not Lady Amiel… but Agiel? That’s the opposite direction…”

“A bad feeling. Send a small unit there. Now.”

“Y-yes, sir!!!”

Watching the knight bow and exit, Ravissel let out a heavy sigh.

“…Amiel, you’re straying from the path, aren’t you?”

Thinking about Amiel, who’d grown up looking just like her mother.

Not just the appearance—seemed to have inherited her bloodline thick and deep.

Had already heard reports from her daughter, Ciel, about the uneasy vibe she’d sensed.

Hated the Vanklyft Family, who’d condemned her mother and exiled her to the frontier, and had been relentlessly tormenting her daughter.

Amiel, whose mother’s deeds had become gossip and whose every move was scrutinized by the world, seemed uncomfortable even within these castle walls. I’d thought sending her abroad might broaden her horizons—she was the one who jumped at the idea, so the plan moved forward.

Thought I’d been raising her apart from Agiel, giving her the same education as my sons—but maybe that didn’t fix anything at its root.

All I’d been praying for was the worst-case scenario not to happen. Reality, though, didn’t care about prayers.

A few days later, a knight arrived with news: the body of my late father, the former king, had been found in a remote manor.

And just like Amiel, Agyel’s presence had vanished completely.