Original subtitles

Is this the land where that person was killed?

Elianna Bernstein…

Now then, let's see if she lives up to expectations or not.

Hunting Festival and Lonely Official Business

There's no need to rush, My Lady.

I gave you the correct time.

There's a short cut this way.

Since your union with His Highness has been decided, my master has told me if I take care of you,

and it's been decided I'd enter the royal palace as well, but…

you're so lost in that book whenever I speak to you, this is no different than me just staying at home.

I can't say a single word in response, and on such an important day...

This is a blunder unworthy of a fiancé.

Your Highness!

Eli!

Eli…

H-have I done something to displease him?

I was just thinking about cancelling this official business since my fiancé didn't seem to want to show herself.

Huh?

Not being able to see you in more than half a month, I'll be so lonely I won't know what to do.

Your Highness.

Would you mind flirting when you get home from this official business?

There's the Ice Demon…

Although Your Highness' destination of the Miseral Dukedom is an ally of the Sauslind Kingdom…

if anything should happen along the way…

Eli…

Your Highness…

Which would be more effective: a doll with human hair, or a quill with blood letters carved in it?

Excuse me?

Something that will protect Your Highness on the journey.

Protect me…

Yes. For the doll I'd need a bit of Your Highness' hair.

The blood letters would be your name engraved on the pen using my blood.

If I take good care of the doll then Your Highness will be protected, and if I use up all of the pen,

my thoughts will reach you, and my wish will be granted.

In my opinion, the quill appears to be the most helpful, but…

That's basically a curse, isn't it?

Huh?!

Well, just the fact that Lady Elianna has just started showing interest in that field is a plus.

The only true victim has been the prince.

Oh?

Er, I mean! It's about time we depart…

Eli, were you worried about me?

I'm praying for your safety along the journey there.

Right. Well, I suppose that's what I'll get from you.

U-um…

There should be something else I want to tell him, but…

I will serve your name well in the Eidel Domain.

I can't get the words right...

I won't do anything that will sully the name of Your Highness.

How do I tell His Highness…

Okay. But make sure you don't push yourself too hard, and if anything happens consult my uncle.

No, consult whoever you are with.

You mustn't hurt a single tip of your finger or hair on your head while I am gone.

I'll be checking to make sure you don't when I get back.

Pardon?

Now, let's head out.

Your Highness… I'm lonely.

I'm so lonely!

Your Highness!

U-um…

Well…

H-how could I do such a thing in public…

Eli… Have you come to give me a good luck charm?

What you were wearing will keep me safe on my journey.

I'll be waiting for your return. Please come back safe… Your Highness.

I'll come back to you soon, Elianna…

My bibliophile princess.

Eidel Domain Kreis Palace

So this is the Autumn hunting festival, huh?

Lord Theodore was marvelous!

Yes, truly gallant!

That's Lord Sieg, captain of the imperial guard.

Yes, Lord Glen's elder brother.

Miss, you should have gone with them to see the hunt, looks like it'll be fun.

You think I can study the hunt and ride a horse at the same time?

Oh... You do have a point there.

Miss Eli!

Lilia.

How do you like my riding outfit?

It suits you perfectly.

Doesn't it just?

But anyway, I can't believe Prince Christopher isn't here this year.

If he were, then he would have made you the Princess of Eidel, Eli.

The Princess of Eidel?

There's a tradition where skillfull gentlemen that excel at the hunting festival are honored with a wreath,

and they present that wreath to the lady they fancy.

The women who don't have a fiancé all have the jitters.

By the way, where's Lord Alfred? Lord Alexei isn't here either, though…

Those two are off on official business.

What?! Then who is protecting you, Eli?!

"P-protecting"? That's a bit much…

Goodness, Eli…

Lady Sofia in the middle there had her sights set on His Highness.

Oh, really?

How carefree. You know there are people who don't care for you since you became His Highness' fiancé, right?

Miss Eli!

Y-yes!

Don't shrink into the shadows like a ghost and take care of yourself too, Eli!

Okay.

Jean, make sure you keep a close watch on my big sis, too!

Yes, miss.

Now then, I'm off!

My lady, you were invited to a tea party, weren't you?

Yes, shall we go?

It truly is a shame, isn't it?

You don't get the honor of seeing Prince Christopher in action, Lady Elianna…

He's attending to official business.

Well, gentlemen are more than happy to be pampered and spoken of selfishly.

R-right.

Speaking of, Lady Kreis, there was a gentleman I hadn't seen before amongst the men.

Yes, he is the son of a dear old friend who married in a foreign country.

He said he wanted to see his mother's home country, so I invited him here.

His name is Irvin Orlanza.

This time he's with the Lord Theodore and Royal Captain of the Guard Sieg,

then he'll be in competition with Count Hayden.

Count Hayden… I believe he's the one who runs Edea, which borders our neighboring country Maldura.

Lady Anna, how has your father, Count Hayden, been doing recently?

I think he's the same as always.

Oh, but it's been hectic in the Edea Domain since last year, hasn't it?

I've heard that a major trading company has ventured into the Surian weave business.

Right now the Surian weave is extremely popular even at the royal court, and I simply must find some as well.

Due to the special techniques used, it isn't very easy to acquire.

Lady Elianna, you're the leading actor who revived the Surian weave… Is there anything you can do to help us?

Well, I'm not involved in the production of it.

Why did you take such a sudden interest in the long-dead Surian weave?

I became interested in it last year after I read an ancient description from a continental merchant.

Then, I got one made for me through a connection.

Wow…

I hear there's a line of both nobles and merchants asking for your hand in marriage, Lady Anna.

While I am grateful for that,

I have no intention of marrying anyone at the present.

No need to be so stiff.

None at all.

Lady Elianna, do you have connections in other countries as well?

No. Since I had no connections in Maldura, it was made using the yarn of Sauslind.

Naturally.

If it were something made from the raw material of Maldura,

I wouldn't even want to put my arm through the sleeves.

Indeed! Things from a savage country like that are no doubt inferior goods.

No, they aren't.

The description was also from continental merchants from a long time ago, but

most recently, the textiles of moonlight that were in Mr. Gene Tucker's "Lovers of the Moon" series

may have been textiles from Maldura…

Did that really exist?!

Ah, well, I haven't taken time to look it up properly, but…

There's an account in the regional history of Edea territories of what Lady Elianna was talking about.

Back then, the textiles that came in from Maldura shone like moonlight.

How beautiful. Anything woven from that thread becomes something even more exquisite.

Yes, it must be.

I'd love to see it just once.

What's the matter?

Are you alright?

Huh? I wonder what's happened?

One young lady unaccustomed to horses was thrown off.

Oh dear, was she injured?

Seems she's hurt her leg.

Eli, big sister!

Lilia.

That person is entering the gentlemen's area on purpose!

Who is?

Lady Sofia!

What's more, she's asking Lord Theodore for help!

She wouldn't...

Lady Elianna.

I will be the one to make you the Princess of Eidel this year in place of Chris.

Lord Theodore?

Eli, you must never act alone.

Lady Elianna, may I have this dance?

Yes.

Please save the next for me.

Okay.

Then one for me.

And me.

Y-yes...

I am exhausted.

May I have this dance?

Okay!

Lord Theodore!

It is admirable and heartwarming to see you working so hard on behalf of Chris,

but give everything the treatment it is worth.

But...

You would have no trouble if it were possible, Eli.

Eli, that dress looks beautiful on you.

As if enchanted by the spirit of the grapes, I feel as if I may be intoxicated by you.

That dress looks beautiful on you.

Thank you, Lord Theodore.

Lady Lilia, please take care of Lady Elianna.

Yes, I've got her.

Take a little break.

Oh, Miss Lilia.

Here comes trouble...

Good evening, Miss Caroline, Miss Sofia, Miss Cecily.

How do you do, Miss Elianna?

It's a pleasure to meet you.

Miss Elianna, you sure love to dance, don't you?

Huh?

I thought you may have been someone eagerly awaiting her wedding and on the hunt for a partner.

Oh my, Cecily!

You two, Lady Elianna currently holds the title of fiancé of His Highness,

so of course she has no problem finding dance partners.

In that case, perhaps she should be more careful?

Indeed, hard to believe the fiancé of His Highness the Crown Prince would be such an uninhibited lady...

And that is the reason people can't differentiate between being social and being uninhibited.

Lady Sofia, how is your leg?

Eh? It's perfectly fine, thank you.

It's best to take it easy, sprains seem like something that can easily happen again.

Some people say cooling it with horse meat is more effective than using a poultice.

Horse meat?

Yes, cooling the injury with raw horse meat.

It's folk medicine introduced from the Pasig Region, but the efficacy is medically recognized.

The oil derived from the fat of the horse, called "horse oil," works well on burns,

and it's also good at clearing up the skin for women.

Fresh horse fat is cut into small pieces, and in a steam heating oven...

E-excuse me...

I'm not feeling very...

Neither am I!

A-are you okay?

The young lady of Marques Bernstein.

My name is Lowe Hayden, and I am the lord of the Edea frontier territory.

I pray you will forgive me for the rudeness of not introducing myself.

It's an honor to meet you.

I wanted to meet you once, and thank you.

Thank me?

Thanks to you, Edea is buzzing with a vibrancy rarely seen in recent years,

and you have my gratitude.

There's no need to thank me.

Even the people living in the royal capitol are willing to pay attention to those who reside in the territories,

though impolite, I thought of you with great affection.

However,

I was quickly reminded that I was sorely mistaken.

The support sent to Maldura last year as well as the military containment were outstanding.

I'm concerned the price of wheat will decline sharply since we had such a plentiful harvest this year.

We're discussing counter measures as a bargaining tool for the south.

Excuse me.

What is it, Elianna?

I think it would be better if the government bought up as much as possible as reserves.

Why?

The other day, I found a memo of the old manager in the library.

In it I saw in the year that Sauslind had a good harvest,

other countries suffered damage from a cold spell and drought,

and the year of the cold spell damage especially put Maldura's internal affairs in disarray,

and there was also an invasion...

So based on the statistics I asked the weather officials to confirm the weather conditions for this year,

and in the northwestern region including Maldura,

there was a huge possiblity that there would be cold spell damage.

If so, Maldura should contact the territories that are likely to be attacked and take countermeasures.

When there's a threat of military attack to other countries,

do you feel safer just strengthening your own country's defenses?

What?

Every time I read history books I thought it was strange. Why doesn't war cease to exist?

It isn't about being able to put up a fight, it's about nipping war in the bud before it can happen.

Isn't that truly the most important thing?

I agree that would be ideal, but...

do you think that logic would make sense to a country who boasts of their military power?

I don't.

But why must we react to meet the standards of the others?

We should have our own way of doing things.

If we have a plan before we get involved in war, then we should employ those means.

Since we avoided war with Maldura, this year's war budget has been significantly reduced.

Elianna, how would you use the funds?

I think it should be applied to renovating the medical technology in the Krug Region.

Have you ever thought about how the people of Edea felt when they learned of this?

The people take pride in the fact that they always defended their homeland from the dangers of war.

They don't like war...

and I recognize that as well, but a statement from your position has the power to move the nation.

You understanding that can only be taken as the idealism of a pensive young lady

who knows only the world of books.

I know this is rude of me, but please bear this in mind.

Okay.

Concerning the Maldura matter...

I got harsh criticism from the adamant military supporters.

I-I...

Elianna, I'll take charge of this matter from here.

I...

I was always protected by His Highness... I truly am an overly-theoretical bibliophile princess.

No, if I say it I'll miss him all the more...

Your Highness... Prince Christopher.

Are you Lady Elianna Bernstein?