The next morning, I walked arm in arm with Ralph, who was accompanying me to enjoy the fresh morning air in the famous red rose garden of Gwendolyn's estate.
Unlike usual, there were no maids trailing behind me; I had sent them away under the pretense of wanting some time alone with Ralph.
"The air is so refreshing," I said casually, trying to break the silence between us.
"Haha, indeed, my lady," Ralph replied, his stiffness making him walk beside me like a robot, only able to respond with an awkward laugh.
Just yesterday, I had successfully sabotaged a letter Alger had sent to Ralph, secretly changing the meeting time from after dinner to the morning after breakfast, all without raising any suspicion.
When Ralph arrived shortly after breakfast, he seemed confused to find Alger already inside the carriage with Marquis Gwendolyn, heading to the Imperial Palace at the summons of Emperor Magnolia.
Ralph stood still for a moment, processing the situation, when I unexpectedly appeared behind him and asked him to join me in the garden until Alger, busy with my father at the palace, returned.
I smiled with satisfaction as I recalled the events.
'I was a bit nervous, thinking Alger or Ralph might notice something strange, but thankfully neither of them suspected a thing,' I thought, glancing at Ralph, who still couldn't hide the bewilderment on his face.
"Sir Ralph, have you heard any strange rumors circulating over the past five years?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
Ralph jumped slightly and turned to me with a stiff motion, even stopping his steps as we strolled through the long path of red roses. "Rumors, do you mean the rumors about your fiance?"
I frowned at the mention of that cunning man. "No, not him; I mean another rumor."
"Oh, I see," he said, continuing to walk. Although he was no longer as stiff as before, his movements still seemed awkward as he struggled to escort a lady properly. Perhaps he was too focused on thinking to remember his earlier discomfort.
"Hmm, aside from the earthquake in the mountain area near the Grand Temple, nothing notably unusual has happened in the Magnolia Empire."
My eyes lit up with excitement when Ralph mentioned the Grand Temple, just as I had hoped, allowing me to bring up the topic naturally.
"Oh, there is something, but I think it's not worth worrying about," he continued, pondering for a moment as if recalling something.
"What is it?"
"Five years ago, after the earthquake, even though they still isolated themselves in the Grand Temple, there were priests who wandered across various regions of this vast continent to spread the goodness and greatness of God among the people. However, the Pope suddenly issued a decree commanding all wandering priests to return to the Temple without exception."
I was slightly taken aback by the completeness of his story, striving to appear as natural as possible, as if I wasn't too interested.
"… They haven't gone out at all since then?"
Ralph pondered again for a moment and shook his head. "No, they resumed their usual activities just two weeks ago."
'Two weeks ago...?'
I felt as if a cold splash of water had doused my overheated thoughts.
'Didn't I arrive in this world two weeks ago?!' This realization made me consider a connection to the earthquake that had occurred at the Temple.
'Is it possible my little brother was actually inside the Temple when that earthquake happened? Could those priests have imprisoned him, preventing him from causing any trouble up until now...?!'
A whirlwind of thoughts began to fill my mind, but Ralph's next words drained my thoughts and hopes away in an instant.
"But priests often do that. Occasionally they issue orders for wandering priests to return to the Temple immediately."
'Ah, so that's why he said it wasn't worth worrying about,' I reflected, feeling as if Ralph had given me false hope. I had to restrain myself from scolding him, as that would tarnish Eleanor's reputation.
"They say that wandering priests often lose track of time, consumed by their preaching, which is why the Pope has to occasionally issue announcements for their return as a reminder."
Completely oblivious to my internal turmoil, Ralph continued in a relaxed tone, as if he had never felt awkward around me.
"I saw Lord Alger's carriage heading to the palace earlier, didn't I?"
"Yes, he was with my father."
"It seems the Emperor is planning something with Marquis Gwendolyn. Many ladies are starting to get excited and swarm the famous boutiques in the capital," Ralph remarked ambiguously.
I understood what Ralph was implying, but I tried to respond with a typical lady-like answer.
"It's because the season is about to change in a few days, and dress styles need to be adjusted for comfort. It's a necessity for ladies who want to stay fashionable."
'The Emperor has started to take action... It seems the announcement for the selection of the Crown Princess through a tournament will indeed be made suddenly at the beginning of summer, just as written in the novel,' I thought, suddenly feeling a weight on my shoulders.
"Yes, Lady Emmeline also appeared to be visiting boutiques typically frequented by the Imperial family. Aren't you joining them?" Ralph asked, knowing a bit from Alger that although Cecillia and I had been friends since childhood, he suspected our relationship had soured recently due to whispers among Gwendolyn's servants and Emmeline's servants about my continued rejection of formal letters Cecillia had sent over the past two weeks, culminating in Cecillia bringing Duke Emmeline to visit Gwendolyn.
This had become quite a topic of gossip in social circles the next day, even if it wasn't openly discussed, considering the high status of both families in the Magnolia Empire, where no noble dared to meddle.
'Cecillia. Has she heard anything from Duke Emmeline...?'
I felt a headache coming on as I realized the main story was approaching, yet I still had no clue about John Burbom's plans. Nevertheless, I managed to smile calmly in response to Ralph's question.
"I'm still unwell, so I've just been spending time at home. I don't really need a new dress right now."
I answered calmly, neither confirming nor denying Ralph's assumptions. Without realizing it, this led Ralph to misunderstand and spread wrong information to confirm something regarding Alger's orders, while I was too absorbed in my own thoughts to notice Ralph's perspectives.
'My father and Alger must be busy assisting the Emperor in preparing for this tournament, so they don't need to worry about Eleanor, who is already engaged and thus cannot participate in this event meant only for single ladies. That wretched John Burbom is likely taking advantage of their preoccupation to secretly break the engagement while getting closer to Cecillia,' I unintentionally let out a heavy sigh.
"Sir Ralph, come sit in the gazebo and have some tea with me. My feet are starting to hurt from all this walking."
'The main storyline is officially beginning… and I'm still so far from ready,' I thought grimly, gripping the fabric of my dress tightly as I tried to suppress the growing unease within me.