When Rishe looked up next to him again, Arnold looked at her with slightly downcast eyes.

“When Your Highness told me about reminting, I asked you if you’re planning to replace the currency of Garkhain with one that contains less gold and silver. However…”

His response was a somewhat un-Arnold one: [Yes.]

“The answer you gave me was rather ambiguous. At the time, I thought you were hiding something from me, and I thought that Your Highness would be able to hide things more perfectly…Or rather, you said it in a jest, when it’s obviously a lie.”

“……”

“So, I felt that perhaps Your Highness had something to worry about rather than something to hide.”

This might have led to an uncharacteristic reply from Arnold.

Oliver looked at Arnold with a soft smile.

“Now, My Lord, your fiancée seems to see right through you, doesn’t she?”

“……”

“Quite. Why don’t My Lord tell us what’s on your mind? I might be of help.”

His prompt took Rishe by surprise.

“Doesn’t Oliver-sama know what is troubling you, Your Highness?

“Normally, I would be more than happy to discuss this with him. I know he has once considered an “alternative plan” for this matter…”

But Arnold, resting his cheek on the armrest of the couch, only said with a bored expression.

“…This was an unrealistic plan by any stretch of the imagination.”

Again, these words were uncharacteristic of Arnold.

Arnold had always been pragmatic. It seemed that Arnold was disappointed that such an “unrealistic plan” had come out of him.

“It’s an idea so close to a pipe dream, it’s almost ridiculous. So, that other idea is just a foolish one that we’ve already truncated without even considering it.”

“…Alright, if you insist, My Lord…”

“But, Your Highness Arnold…”

Rishe looked Arnold straight in the eye and spoke.

“If you really want it, wouldn’t it be a feasible dream?”

“…….Say what?”

Arnold looked back at her in surprise.But Rishe believed him, so she continued her explanation with a straight face.

“Bringing a dream closer to reality, I believe that Your Highness has the brains and the brawn to do so, don’t you agree? What’s more, you have the attitude of cooperating with others, like the Koyor Kingdom and the Aria Trading Company.”

“You…”

Arnold asked Rishe with eyebrows raised.

“Do you really intend to believe in me forever?”

“Yes. Your Highness has proven yourself to me over the past two months since we met.”

“…”

Rishe’s trust in Arnold’s power was not because of knowledge of the future.

It was because she had seen him in action, up close and personal.

“Does Your Highness not believe in your own power?”

Arnold raised his eyebrows at the question.

“What you perceive to be a pipe dream may not be for someone else, you know? With the skills and knowledge of a third party, it can turn into a feasible dream. If people who share the same dream get together, they may be able to see the outline of it.”

“…No such person exists.”

“I’m not so sure about that, because…”

Arnold caught Rishe’s chin.

He tilted Rishe’s head up with his fingers, and her gaze met his head-on.

“Rishe.”

Although, she couldn’t escape without him doing that. Arnold spoke in a lower voice than usual, as if persuading Rishe.

“Who can believe in the reality of something that has no form?”

“……”

Why did Arnold have such sorrowful eyes?

Rishe tried to open her mouth, but she couldn’t say anything. Arnold’s eyes, looking down at her, seemed to be deterring her from speaking.

“――My Lord.”

Oliver’s voice jolted Rishe.

Arnold clucked his tongue and then withdrew his hand from Rishe. Just then, a knock sounded at the door.“Your Highness, Arnold, Oliver-sama, may I have a moment of your time regarding tomorrow’s security.”

“…”

At the knight’s greeting, Rishe stood up from the couch.

“I’ll take my leave now. I’ll make sure that the Aria Company is informed.”

“Rishe-sama, I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know… Your Highness, I’ll see you again later for dinner.”

“…Yeah.”

Arnold said as he took Rishe’s hand as he stood up. He then lazily intertwined their fingers.

“See you later.”

“…….”

The air around him earlier disappeared with his farewell.

He didn’t look terribly sad or was trying to stifle Rishe’s words. Rishe was puzzled, but she replied in a whisper.

“Okay.”

And after bidding the knight goodbye, she left the room.

I thought I might have upset him…

It seemed that it wasn’t the case.

Could it be that…he was struggling with something?

If so, what was it about?

While Rishe pondered, her head was filled with Arnold. She was aching to know as much as she could about what he was thinking and what his concerns were.

Because of this, she failed to notice that someone, who curbed his presence, was right next to her.

“!!”

“Yo!”

Rishe blinked as someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into the shadow of a pillar.

Raul pressed Rishe’s back against the wall and covered her mouth with the palm of his hand, smiling like Curtis.

“Now it’s just you and me, Miss.”

“…Mmmgu.”

With her mouth covered by a large hand, Rishe stared at him and mumbled.