After breakfast, I left Julian with Mrs Wanda and was alone in my room with Mira. I had brought Mira to my room to be alone with her.

“Piyu… Piyu…”

This bunny is an exception. As much as I want to give it a cute name that matches its adorable pink appearance, now is not the time.

“Lady…”

I had the frightened Mira sit at the desk. I pressed in on her.

“I understand now. You are indeed the most suitable person. You’ve been looking after me since I was ten, right?”

“Yes, along with Mrs Wanda.”

“Good. Now, tell me everything about me. Help me remember it all.”

In my hands was a thin pink feather pen. On the desk that Mira and I were surrounding, there was a large white paper and a blue inkwell. I wrote the name “Richeli” in the centre of the white paper and circled it. Using that as a starting point, I wrote “Julian,” circled it, connected it to “Richeli” with a line, and wrote “brother.”

“My birthday is next week, right? I’m turning sixteen. How old is Julian?”

“Wow, you really can’t remember anything, can you?”

At first, Mira was wary of dealing with me, but she probably couldn’t help it. Sometimes, she even took the feather pen from me and wrote on the paper herself. With Mira’s help, I spent about an hour creating a diagram showing the relationships between me, the Duke’s family, and the people around us.

“I see. I think I get the general idea. Thank you, Mira.”

“No problem at all. But even after losing your memory, you are still the same diligent student, Lady Richeli.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. With this pace, you should be able to resume your queen’s education soon. I’m relieved.”

“Queen’s education?”

“Yes. Of course, you, milady, are to become the future queen, so naturally, you’ve been going to the palace once a month from a young age for proper education. You forgot this, too?”

“Eh…?”

Seeing me faint-hearted, Mira peered at me worriedly.

“We’ve finished for this month. I believe the day Lady Richeli collapsed was the day she went to the palace. We’ll decide what to do next month, depending on how Lady Richeli feels next month. Lady Richeli’s health is most important.”

At Mira’s words, an image suddenly invaded my mind.

Blinding sunlight, the sparkle of blonde hair, a figure from behind. The sound of rustling leaves, my field of view narrowing, blue eyes widening, supporting my arm.

I stood up reflexively, causing Mira to look up at me in surprise.

“What’s the matter, milady?”

“I can’t just sit around. Mira, when is Zinon coming today?”

“Probably around the same time as yesterday. He’ll be joining us for tea at three.”

I glanced at the white clock on the wall. It was a tall, pendulum clock, like something out of an old cartoon.

Eleven o’clock.

There’s still time.

“Mira. I have a favour to ask. Could we go out? Just the two of us?”

“What?!”

***

The cityscape of the royal capital was lined with chic buildings surrounded by nature. There were lakes, seas, forests, and mountains. The shops and homes had an open and stylish atmosphere. It was a dream-like scene filled with sights that seemed like an Instagram travel influencer could post. Even commoners could live a decent life here. The words in Richeli’s diary about the country’s wealth and the high happiness of the citizens were convincing.

Like a first-time tourist eagerly glued to the carriage window, I was deeply moved by the outside scenery. Sitting across from me, Mira spoke up.

“Why did you want to go to a convent, milady?”

“I was curious about what it’s like.”

“Madam occasionally visits, checks on things, and donates necessary supplies. As the future queen, milady, you wouldn’t typically visit a convent yourself.”

As the carriage jostled along, I nodded, taking in the cityscape and Mira’s words. Eventually, after insisting and having five burly knights accompany me and the maid Mira, I was finally allowed to go out. Julian and bunny were reluctantly left at home.

“We’re here. This is the closest convent to the Duke’s residence. I think the other monasteries are pretty much like this one.”

The carriage stopped in front of a large, castle-like building, and I alighted with the help of a knight. A priest and a nun, who were easily recognizable, greeted us at the gate. We were quickly ushered inside as they had been informed by a fast horse messenger that we would be visiting the convent.

The sound of a pipe organ and the voices of children singing hymns echoed in the church. A sister was teaching the children to sing. There was a schoolhouse where the city’s children were taught foreign languages, history, and manners on a rotating schedule. The children studied with vibrant smiles, listening to the sister’s stories.

I was once interested in wearing a sister’s clothing, and here they were, just as I had imagined.

The convent had a large library filled with many books, always stocked with the same types of books as the city. Sisters and priests were quietly reading, and a lovely tea setting was in the open courtyard. People were seen chatting while enjoying tea, pastries, and red wine.

There was also a designated space for sports, and people enjoyed ball games like tennis and gateball. The dormitory had individual rooms, and residents could eat and bathe. The meals were the same as those of average people, and drinking alcohol was allowed.

Even more surprising was that the sisters and the priests were allowed to marry. It wasn’t uncommon for individuals to fall in love within the convent and get married.

I was taken aback. It’s not bad at all. It’s a good life. From the perspective of a duke or a noble, it might seem modest, but from my perspective, it was very close to a normal life.

On the way back, Mira pointed out a popular pastry shop. To thank her for the day, I bought her some extra pastries. I didn’t forget to buy some for Julian, Mrs Wanda, Richeli’s mom and dad, and Zinon.

I’m glad. I’ll make it back just in time for tea with Zinon.