Yohana quickly inserted a large leaf between the pages to mark her spot and closed the book to look at the speaker. It was the man who had occupied her thoughts the previous night—Henrie.
"Of course, please sit," Yohana scooted over to make room for the crown prince.
Curious, Henrie asked, "What are you reading?" as he settled down next to Yohana. She showed him the cover of the book, which surprised him. "Are you interested in religions, or just Sanctus?"
"I'm interested in all religions, including Tusshia," Yohana replied.
Henrie was even more surprised at the mention of that name. "You know about Tusshia?"
"Yes, Sabina recommended it to me. She also told me how you inspired her to study religions beyond Sanctus, despite coming from Cericce," Yohana revealed.
"I hope to see more people like her," Henrie expressed, his eyes sparkling with sincerity. "Scholars who study religions could be the key to bridging communication and fostering tolerance among different belief systems. This would promote acceptance without discrimination based on one's beliefs."
Yohana couldn't help but admire Henrie's genuine determination to create a better world for the people of Reichwein. She was intrigued and asked, "Why are you so interested in this?"
Henrie responded, "The division caused by religion was one of the reasons for the wars between kingdoms. Even within the different sects of Sanctus, such as Reformed Sanctus and Orthodox Sanctus, believers engaged in conflicts over who was right and who was wrong."
He continued with conviction, "Imagine if we could provide equal opportunities for people to practice their beliefs and respect one another as long as they do not harm others. Peace could be achieved."
Yohana pointed out, "But religion is not the sole cause of wars."
Henrie agreed, "You're right, Runa. There are other factors as well, and I will explore those approaches too once I achieve this goal. Because even if we improve our kingdom's economy and power, without tolerance, people will not truly live comfortably."
He paused for a while before continuing, "Do you remember the woman who gave us flowers? She represents the minority within the minority. While commoners already have little say in shaping regulations, commoners who follow Solism face even greater challenges." Henrie's expression darkened as he recalled the scene.
Yohana could sense Henrie's genuine concern for his people. She may not have known the true nature of Runa, but she was confident that the real Runa would be pleased to have Henrie as the future king of Reichwein in her stead, knowing that he would do everything in his power for the well-being of his people.
"My Lady, look what I've gathered!" Thea exclaimed, running towards Yohana, but she abruptly stopped upon seeing Henrie sitting there. She quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness."
Henrie was about to get up, thinking he might be a bother, but Thea swiftly intervened. "Not at all, Your Highness. You can stay," she assured him.
Yohana added weight to Thea's reassurance to Henrie, saying, "Just act as usual."
Yohana knew that normal servants would feel uneasy in the presence of a prince, but she believed Thea wouldn't mind.
As expected, Thea quickly became at ease. She unbraided Yohana's hair and gently ran her fingers through it. Then she skillfully rebraided Yohana's hair, adorning it with the flowers she had picked.
"It seems I've always seen your hair styled like this," Henrie remarked.
"Lady Runa says I'm good at braiding her hair. Doesn't it look beautiful on her?" Thea chimed in.
"Yes, it does," Henrie replied. "You also look beautiful when you tie all your hair up."
Yohana had initially assumed that Henrie was referring to the elegant bun she had worn during the royal ball and the Divine Unity Festival. However, he leaned closer and asked, "Do you still dislike your hair color, Runa?"
Yohana's eyes widened in shock. She remained silent for a long moment.
How did Henrie know about her negative view of her silver hair? She couldn't recall ever telling anyone about it. Fabian had known because he had paid close attention to her for a long time, but no one else should be aware.
"Why would you dislike your hair color, My Lady? It's beautiful," Thea argued.
"Indeed," Henrie agreed.
Brushing it off, Yohana concluded that maybe the real Runa also held the same view about their hair color as she did. "I'm glad that you find it beautiful," she responded.
***
Lady Rafaela delivered the invitation for the royal family dinner, although it was more of a command than an invitation, as Yohana was not allowed to decline.
Accompanied by Henrie, Yohana entered the dinner chamber and immediately faced Queen Emma's hostile gaze.
"Lady Runa, I apologize for the necklace incident. I can imagine how upsetting it was for you to be almost falsely accused as a criminal," Princess Elke stated.
Yohana sensed that Princess Elke's mention of the incident was more motivated by a desire to taunt the queen rather than solely defending Yohana.
"Mother, you should offer an apology to Lady Runa for humiliating her in front of everyone. If Henrie had not arrived in time and proven that Lady Heidi was the thief, Lady Runa would have lost the respect of the servants," Princess Elke added.
Queen Emma appeared visibly uncomfortable by her daughter's words. "Mistakes happen," she lightly responded, without making eye contact with Yohana.
"Wow, did you just say that yourself, Mother? It is the right of the victim to determine if a mistake has been made," Princess Elke pushed further.
The queen would never offer a direct apology, and Yohana understood that she could diffuse the tense atmosphere by forgiving the queen for wrongly accusing her of theft. However, she chose not to do so, believing that the queen needed to face the consequences of her actions.
If Thea hadn't discovered the necklace before morning, she would likely be in jail by now. The severity of the situation weighed on her mind.
Meanwhile, Henrie showed no signs of interrupting Princess Elke as he attentively pulled out a chair for Yohana, despite there being servants available to do the task.
"Thank you," Yohana whispered.
Princess Elke only stopped her comments when the meals arrived. Yohana noticed the empty seat next to Princess Eleanor, which was previously occupied by Princess Elisa.
"Aren't we going to wait for Princess Elisa?" Yohana raised the question.
Queen Emma turned to Princess Eleanor, clearing her throat before nudging her daughter. Princess Eleanor casually responded, "My sister is not feeling well. She is having dinner in her own room."
However, Yohana doubted the explanation. She could sense that Princess Eleanor was lying, and it seemed likely that the queen was aware of it as well. Even the maids appeared nervous when Yohana asked the question.
What could have happened to Princess Elisa?
***
On the second night, Princess Elisa was once again absent. Princess Eleanor provided the same excuse as the previous day. Yohana couldn't understand why nobody seemed concerned about the disappearance of a family member, especially when it was out of character for Princess Elisa.
After dinner, Yohana decided to visit Princess Elisa's chamber to ease her mind. She knocked on the door, but received no response. Thea announced Yohana's arrival and requested permission to enter, but still, there was no answer.
Returning to her own chamber with a sense of foreboding, Yohana muttered to herself, "Something isn't right."
Her suspicions deepened when she spotted Annelise, Princess Elisa's personal maid, as well as Thea's tormentor, wandering the corridor alone. Yohana approached her and asked, "Do you know where Princess Elisa is?"
Annelise exhibited peculiar behavior, clearly hiding something. "She's resting, My Lady," she replied, though Yohana could immediately tell it was a lie.
"I've been knocking on her chamber for some time, but she didn't respond. Is she really inside her chamber? Has something happened to her?" Yohana inquired.
She couldn't explain why she was so determined to ensure Princess Elisa's well-being, but her assassin instincts told her that something was amiss.