IRTP 7

Chapter 7

Obsession

Blair stared quietly at the invitation on the nightstand. The gold-leafed invitation bore the seal of the Prince’s Palace stamped prominently upon it.

Not content with having barged into the luncheon, Kalinz had sent around an invitation expressing his wish to enjoy a dinner banquet with the Prons family.

‘He didn’t even bother with a casual tea time, and now a banquet?’

With a bad feeling for some reason, Blair sent word that her headache was severe and she would find it difficult to attend the banquet.

But he was persistent. When she conveyed her intention not to attend, Kalinz postponed the banquet, saying he wanted to dine with all the Prons together.

The next time, and the time after that. Kalinz postponed the banquet two more times, even adding wishes for a speedy recovery to Blair, who was making excuses about being sick here and there.

At this point, Blair grew even more suspicious of his intentions. The prince’s purpose was clearly herself. The problem was that she couldn’t figure out what that purpose was.

Meanwhile, as things turned out this way, Blair couldn’t avoid a visit from Mediang, the royal physician.

Facing the risk of her feigned illnesses being exposed, she had no choice but to drink milk that was several days past its date, and she genuinely ended up with an upset stomach. Thanks to that, she had to lie in bed for a full fortnight, waging a war of sorts.

Fortunately, it seemed someone recognized her efforts, as the talk of banquets ceased. Blair had no way of knowing why he was going to such lengths, but she was relieved that her method had worked.

“He’s not normal, that one…”

“Pardon?”

At Blair’s muttering, Lucia, her dedicated maid, asked again.

“Lucia, do you happen to know anything about the prince?”

“Prince Kalinz? Well, what kind of thing do you mean?”

“You know, like whether he has some kind of madness, or shows a pathological obsession with something.”

“Huh? No, I haven’t really heard anything like that… though I have heard he sometimes secretly slips out of the castle…”

Lucia trailed off, seeming a little flustered.

“Haah, I don’t know what’s what either.”

Blair said with deep, heavy sighs. Then Lucia narrowed her eyes and whispered.

“I don’t know for certain, but it’s clear the prince has taken an interest in you, my lady.”

“What? Interest?”

“Yes. Otherwise, why would he postpone the banquet several times waiting for you? And the rumors are already spreading all over the castle.”

“R-ru-Rumors? What rumors?”

Blair asked, alarmed.

“That the prince has his heart set on you, my lady.”

Lucia said in a deliberately lowered voice, with a secretly proud expression.

“And if this continues and you become the next princess… Kyaa! What ever shall we do!”

She let out a small shrill shriek, seemingly delighted for some reason, and kept making a fuss.

But Blair herself was struck by the word ‘princess’ and wore the expression of someone who had lost a country.

‘Princess? Princess? No, no. That must never happen.’

As things kept flowing in unexpected directions, Blair’s mind churned like a volcano erupting. As incomprehensible events repeated, frustration and irritation washed over her.

She felt like marching straight to Kalinz, grabbing him by the collar, and shaking him, demanding to know why he was doing this to her.

“Haah… If I did that, getting kicked out wouldn’t be the end of it.”

“Pardon? The end of what?”

At Blair’s sudden remark, Lucia asked with wide, round eyes.

“No, it’s nothing. I’m going to get some fresh air.”

Feeling that if she stayed in her room, she really would storm into the Prince’s Palace, Blair eventually changed into her riding clothes and headed to the stables.

“Hello, Fitz. Have you been well?”

As Blair approached, the brown horse quietly grazing lifted its large eyes and looked at her.

Whenever she felt stifled, she would climb on Fitz’s back and gallop across the meadow leading to the royal hunting grounds. That was the only time she found comfort in the royal castle.

“Shall we run for the first time in a while?”

Whether Fitz understood her words or not, he snorted excitedly and shifted his front hooves.

Blair climbed onto Fitz’s back and crossed the field, settled with the ripened spring air, in one breath. The wind, carrying the fresh green scent of vegetation, brushed against her cheeks.

“Haah. Now I feel a bit more alive. You like it too, don’t you?”

She playfully ruffled Fitz’s mane and leaned obliquely against a willow tree.

How long had she been standing there with her eyes closed, quietly listening to the sound of the wind? From afar, the faint sound of hoofbeats reached her ears.

‘From the hunting grounds? Strange. Almost no one comes this way.’

Blair tilted her head and looked toward the forest hunting grounds.

Then, from the entrance of the hunting grounds, a pitch-black horse burst out. Carrying on its back the very person she least wanted to encounter right now.

“…Ha.”

As soon as she confirmed the rider was Kalinz, she quickly hid behind a tree.

But seeing Fitz blinking and continuously tracking someone’s movement, it was clear he was coming this way.

“What a rare face to see here, Miss Blair.”

A smooth voice came from behind the tree. With no more way to avoid it, Blair had no choice but to step out from beside the tree.

“I greet His Highness the Prince.”

She wore a feigned smile and bowed her head in greeting. He was looking at her with a subtle, unreadable expression.

“I heard you were ill, but your face has grown quite gaunt in the meantime.”

“…Thanks to your concern.”

Yes, and whose fault is that?

On the first day the royal physician came to examine her, he had clearly said so. That there had been a ‘special instruction’ from Prince Kalinz to examine her thoroughly.

Blair’s stomach churned, but she didn’t let it show and maintained a polite smile.

“Ah. I wondered if you were pretending to be sick to avoid me, Miss Blair. I apologize for the misunderstanding.”

It was a pointed remark. With his eyes and tone suggesting he knew everything, Blair was momentarily at a loss for words, her lips pressing together and parting repeatedly.

“Anyway, it seems you enjoy horseback riding.”

His strange way of speaking—neither formal nor informal, neither muttering to himself nor asking a question—irritated Blair. But being irritated wouldn’t change the fact that the other party was a prince.

“Yes. It helps when my mind is stifled and troubled.”

“You must have many such times, then?”

“Not so many until now, but recently unexpected things keep happening.”

Blair said through slightly gritted teeth, speaking with force. Contrary to her mind telling her to behave as meekly as possible, words that needled him kept popping out of her mouth.

Then, suddenly, Kalinz let out a small laugh. It was a pure laugh, devoid of mockery or bewilderment.

Blair, who had been worrying that she might have been too sarcastic, was struck dumb.

“Ah, you really are amusing, Miss Blair.”

Kalinz said, still with a smile on his lips.

‘Amusing? This? Where exactly am I supposed to laugh?’

Blair was so dumbfounded she could only blink and stare at him without saying a word.

His golden eyes, filled with the red sunset and dyed in mysterious colors, contrasted with his dark hair fluttering in the wind, capturing her gaze even more.

At that perfect appearance, where personal feelings had no room to intervene, Blair’s mouth unknowingly fell slightly open, but she soon came to her senses.

“Ahem. If you have no further business, I shall be—”

“I do have more business.”

Who on earth taught him that infuriating way of speaking?

Feeling she was reaching her limit with managing her expression, Blair mustered her last bit of strength and pulled up the corners of her mouth.

“Speak, Your Highness.”

“I would be grateful if you would bring Fitz out from time to time. He’s close with that one.”

He gestured somewhere with his chin. Following his gaze, she saw Fitz and Kalinz’s horse grazing side by side, amiably.

“Knox and Fitz were raised in the same stable when they were young. So I sometimes take that one to see Fitz, but he’s often not in the stables.”

He seemed quite fond of his words.

Well, who wouldn’t like a magnificent horse like that—pitch black with glossy coat, superior build, and elegant grace flowing through it.

“…I take him out about three or four times a fortnight. Bringing Fitz out often isn’t difficult, but I doubt I’ll have much opportunity to meet Knox.”

Knox was managed separately in the Prince’s Palace stables, so she couldn’t easily take Fitz there. Otherwise, it would mean she’d have to bring Fitz out whenever the prince brought Knox out, and Blair had no intention of doing that.

“Opportunity. Isn’t that not such a difficult thing?”

“Pardon?”

A peculiar smile spread across his face.

“Opportunities can be made.”

With those words, the sunset held in his eyes completely set.

Kalinz left, leaving the stunned Blair behind.

She returned to her room, anxious about what mischief that mad prince would concoct next.

Sure enough, the opportunity Kalinz said he’d create came sooner than expected.

“You crazy bastard.”

“Pardon?”

Lucia was startled by the crude words that burst from Blair’s mouth as she read the invitation from the Prince’s Palace.