Everyone looked at Jill with blank expressions.
“Oh, I should have explained more,” Jill thought. However, she realized that she needed to reveal the biggest secret first to make any explanation meaningful.
“Alright, let’s just be straightforward,” Jill decided with determination.
“Actually, I used to be a princess. I kept it quiet because I didn’t want to be avoided after it spread around… but, well, I think it’s about time to mention it.”
“Young lady, that’s unbelievable!?”
“Master, that’s way too lighthearted!”
Garda and Maureen responded in shock.
Matthew was holding his head in his hands.
Even Ionia was showing a wry smile.
“Well, considering you live in a mansion like this, it’s not hard to imagine you aren’t of ordinary status!”
“That’s precisely why we never touched on it before! And what are you doing bringing it up in front of outsiders!”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
Jill awkwardly laughed and dodged Matthew’s inquiry.
Ionia was also troubled and seemed at a loss for words without his usual fluency.
“Well, but Matthew and everyone must have noticed, right? You didn’t cover up names or anything… recently, I felt like I was being treated with extra consideration…”
“Well, it was unexpected to be exposed in this way.”
Matthew could only nod. In reality, there had been various behind-the-scenes activities, including discussions with the lord and preparations, centered around Matthew, which Jill was unaware of.
“So, it’s safe to move on to the main topic. I will continue as usual, so Matthew and Garda, please treat me as you always have. I have no rights or status as royalty, and there’s no need for formal behavior or etiquette.”
“Are you sure about that…?”
“Yes, it’s fine! Alright, let’s reset!”
Ignoring the amazed looks from Matthew and others, Jill clapped her hands and pushed forward. Even though Jill herself felt she hadn’t fully overcome the situation, she forcefully redirected the conversation.
“Now, it was about older sister Erinna right? Ionia, please continue.”
“O-Older sister Erinna.”
Ionia repeated Jill’s words in surprise.
“Huh, what’s wrong?”
“Well… you seem strangely friendly towards the person who knocked you out of the line of succession.”
Sensing that she was being treated as an oddball, Jill retorted.
“Anyway, it was you and Matthew who brought up this topic, wasn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true… sorry.”
Both men shrank back and apologized.
“Honestly, I do have some grievances with my mother, father… and especially my grandfather. But I don’t hold any grudge against older sister Erinna.”
Jill sighed and spoke.
“Although we haven’t met much in recent years because she’s been so busy, we were like childhood friends. If older sister Erinna says she’ll become queen, I have no reason to oppose it.”
Jill had complex feelings toward her cousin Erinna.
While it wasn’t entirely free of resentment, concern and sympathy were far greater.
Being a king was tough and harsh.
Jill understood well that there were far fewer who led a happy life in that role.
“Becoming king in this situation is somewhat of a losing game. Would anyone be happy if they were told to do it?”
“Well, there might be someone who would be happy?”
Garda’s naive response was met with Matthew shaking his head.
“Not necessarily.”
“Why is that?”
“Even though things seem stable now, the future is very uncertain.”
Matthew’s words made Jill and Ionia nod in agreement.
Garda and Maureen listened with interest.
“King Alan expanded his territory through military force, but the pace was too rapid. The focus was solely on military might, and there is a severe shortage of civil officials. Up until now, increased taxes were used to maintain the army, but we can expect further tax hikes to focus on internal affairs in the future.”
“Seriously?”
Garda reacted to the mention of increased taxes as if it were his own issue.
“It seems they’re trying to employ various experts regardless of status for governance… but it doesn’t look like it’s going very well. If the current king abdicates, unless the next ruler governs very skillfully, we might see a return to a warring era of divided factions in a few decades… it’s possible.”
Jill nodded in agreement with Matthew’s explanation.
“The next king will bear full responsibility for any troubles that arise. They will likely have no respite for decades.”
Garda muttered, “I wouldn’t want that even if a huge sum of money was offered,” with a grim expression.
“So… the next king must be intelligent and skilled in governance, right?”
“Indeed, that is necessary, but it’s not enough.”
“Huh?”
Garda tilted his head at Jill’s words.
“The strength and charisma of my mother are the only reasons the country is holding together despite poor internal management. Everyone reluctantly follows her because she is as terrifying as a demon or monster. But… if the next king is weaker than my mother, it will be dangerous. As my mother approaches an age where she can no longer maintain her magical prowess, all the accumulated dissatisfaction will likely explode at once.”
Jill paused before continuing.
“No one will be able to control the situation, and the worst kind of internal strife will erupt.”
A chill ran down everyone’s spines.
“So… we need someone who can both show strength similar to Bazarde, saying ‘don’t challenge me,’ while also governing their territory effectively. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes. Alternatively…”
If someone emerges who can defeat Bazarde before it’s too late, peace in Argenes Island can be maintained.
As long as Bazarde is properly defeated rather than simply disappearing, everyone will have to acknowledge it.
But Jill didn’t explicitly state this and left her words vague.
“Anyway, the next king will face a very tough situation. Poor internal management is unacceptable. Weakness is unacceptable. That’s the situation.”
“Young lady, you’re right. Stepping away from being a king candidate was the right decision. It’s an impossible task.”
“That’s really true…”
Jill nodded with a wry smile at Garda’s words.
“Even so, I was a part of the royal family. If I had to become a king, I would have done my best to behave without shame, so I diligently trained in magic and studies. It’s my duty as someone who benefits from the taxes collected.”
Although Jill didn’t mention it, it all ended up being in vain.
But because of that, she was now able to live in this mansion.
Thinking about that, Jill’s desire to speak ill of her situation faded from her heart.
“But, since it’s no longer my concern, I’ll support older sister Erinna to do her best. The job of the king of Dailan is difficult, and it’s best to have a competent person handle it. If it’s my sister, it’s not out of the question that she could govern everything effectively.”
Ionia chuckled at Jill’s carefree demeanor.
“I see. If that’s the case, it will be easier for me to discuss things with you.”
“Ah, we’re finally getting to the main topic.”
“First of all, as Matthew said, Miss Erinna is one of my patrons. Recently, I received a letter from her. I have to go to the royal capital to pay a visit and present a gift for the confirmation of the succession.”
Ionia began to explain with a shrug.
“This isn’t a matter related to Jill?”
“Oh, no. I came here purely by chance. I was troubled about what to do for the gift.”
Ionia answered Matthew’s question with a wry smile.
“Miss Erinna is indeed famous for being a connoisseur.”
“Yes. So, it won’t do to just send something ordinary. Miss Erinna won’t be satisfied with anything less than the finest, and I don’t want to send something of compromised quality either.”
“Then, will you be sending a painting?”
“I was planning to… but this time, there was a direct request for the gift. It’s not that she wants my painting, but she said she wants to ‘wear’ my painting.”
“Wear?”
Matthew couldn’t grasp the meaning and asked in return.
“For example, well…”
Ionian took out a piece of paper from his belongings.
“There is a picture here.”
A vivid blue-purple bellflower in a porcelain vase.
The background is probably a common inn or dining place in this country.
It should be an ordinary scene.
And yet, Jill and the others felt a strange pull.
Despite being a plain picture, it conveyed a beauty more dignified than a hundred roses.
In short, Jill and the others were mesmerized by the picture and the flower.
“…I didn’t expect to see a painting like this. When I saw it before, it was always portraits or mythological themes.”
Jill inadvertently voiced her thoughts.
Matthew and Galda were somehow at a loss for words, swallowed by the atmosphere of the painting.
“Portraits are often commissioned, but I also like things like this… Don’t you think it would be wonderful if there were a dress with this bellflower painted on it?”
At those words, Jill and Matthew fell silent.
Both of them were suppressing their urge to enthusiastically praise the idea and say how much they wanted to see it.
“If the bellflower were painted prominently on the skirt, it would be quite dazzling. Or, you could deliberately paint the flower on the back and hide it with a veil, making the beauty of the bellflower stand out the moment the veil is removed… That might also be good.”
“Y, you’re right. That sounds nice. But how would you make it…?”
Jill asked evasively.
“That’s the problem.”
“You haven’t thought of it?”
“That’s why I came to consult with you.”
Jill pondered deeply and then began to speak his ideas.
“How about embroidering it onto the dress?”
“Oh, that’s one approach. Lady Erinna would certainly be satisfied… but it’s practically difficult. It would be feasible to add some decorative embroidery, but expressing the entire picture through embroidery alone might not be possible in time. Besides, making it a smaller-sized embroidery would be half-hearted.”
“Then, perhaps a tapestry-like woven fabric… Oh, but that’s difficult too.”
Dyeing involves making fabric by weaving threads and then dyeing them.
Woven fabric is created by dyeing threads before weaving them together with differently colored weft and warp threads to create patterns and designs. Jill had considered acquiring a loom to try weaving at some point.
However, when she thought about recreating a painting with woven fabric, she encountered a challenge similar to embroidery: reproducing a painting would require enormous effort. It might not be completed in a year or two.
“If one were to take it seriously, it would be a job taking several years. I’ve ended up in trouble having taken on such a reckless request.”
“Well, you see… This isn’t a general store, and do you think we could take on a request from such a dubious client?”
Matthew interjected, exasperated.
Yet, Ionia showed no sign of being offended and smiled wryly.
“Indeed, there’s no one who would take a request from such a dubious person. Even if I weren’t dubious, there wouldn’t be anyone who could realize it.”
“Well, we can make it.”
“Really? That’s truly troublesome.”
Ionia sighed, looking more tired than his face would suggest.
“King Alan has also recently hinted at retirement. The official coronation ceremony is expected to be in a year… but there will likely be various celebratory events before then. This makes the deadline practically six months.”
“That’s an impossible task. It would be better to make a portrait or something as a celebratory gift than to end up trying everything and failing…”
At Matthew’s words, Ionia nodded in resignation.
“Yeah. I thought about trying to figure something out, but in reality, that seems to be the best option. I was planning to give up if I couldn’t manage anything after coming here.”
“No, we can make it.”
“Really? If it can be made, then there’s no problem… Wait, can it be made?”
All eyes turned to Jill.
“If you paint Ionia’s picture onto the fabric for the dress, it will be fine, right? We can handle it.”