“The first way is to become irreversibly crippled. Like Prince Chavolti who is infertile and cannot produce an heir. That would be better.”

It was rude to express the misfortunes of the royal family, but Agnes overlooked it without showing any particular expression.

“The second one is.”

Buschke stopped talking and looked at the princess' hand, or, to be exact, at the crest on the back of her hand. Agnes' eyes also landed on it.

“Erasing that crest.”

“What? The royal crest? Is that possible?”

The crest engraved on the back of her hand was created through ancient magic, with the king's blood being the core, it was granted upon birth. The crest on one's back of the hand is the basis to having the right of succeeding the throne. Only those who have it can be crowned regent. For that reason, it was something Agnes took much pride in.

“It has been written in the scriptures about it.”

“I'm astonished. This is ancient magic bound by blood, and unless a new king ascends the throne, it will never go away. How is it done?”

She(1) shook her head from side to side instead of answering.

“I do not know.”

“You don't know?”

“What I've seen is only a fraction of the scripture. I did not have the authority to read the complete texts due to its exclusivity. If the mistress visits the temple together with the duke and ask for permission to examine it, you will be able to read it.”

“Really, at the temple?”

Buschke kindly wrote down which ones to ask for on a piece of paper.

“Thank you very much.”

In a small rush of excitement Agnes grabbed Buschke's hands tightly.

“I'm glad that my old age comes in handy. Mistress.”

She then left with a kind and gentle smile.

“There's a way.”

Agnes continued thinking about it repeatedly in the room alone. She was relieved that there was another way to give up the right to succeed, besides dying or becoming crippled. If she succeeds with removing the crest, they could escape the dreadful struggle over the throne.

Both she and Laslo would survive.

Agnes called her servant who was waiting outside. Ney entered without making any sound and went to stand beside the princess.

“Where is Duke Alpharde at the moment?”

The princess's face was glowing with excitement.

“He is patrolling the castle walls.”

“Up ahead.”

While pa.s.sing through the familiar corridors and the even more familiar walls, a welcome figure could be spotted from afar. Even though it was quite far away, Agnes' eyes were only focused on him.

She hastened her steps.

“Princess.”

Laslo was the first one to notice her. There were a bunch of va.s.sals standing next to him.

“Duke. I have something urgent to talk about.”

Without stopping, Agnes strided up to Laslo with big steps.

“Now?”

“Yes, now. right now.”

Agnes' expression was so determined that it was difficult for him to decline and postpone it for later.

Laslo sent the va.s.sals away and moved her to a quieter place.

“What's the matter?” He asked rather seriously.

“Come to the temple with me.”

“The temple? Now?”

“Yeah, it is urgent, so we better go there as soon as possible.”

“Princess, don't be too hasty. Take some time to think about it.”

He was embarra.s.sed for a moment, but tried to persuade Agnes to not act too hastily.

His answer was quite odd, but Agnes didn't notice.

“I do not have time to think. I have to go there as soon as possible.”

Agnes wanted to go to the temple immediately and check the scriptures Buschke had mentioned. However, Laslo was hesitant and did not easily answer.

Agnes pouted her lips.

“Fine, then I will go there alone.”

“Alone? How? You can't do it alone though?”

Laslo's expression turned strange.

“Why can't I do it alone? The Duke can just stamp a permit with his lord's seal for me right?

“A permit? What are you talking about? I thought you wanted to go to the temple to hold the rite of vows.” Laslo asked back with a confused look.

“Ah.”

Agnes opened her mouth halfway. She belatedly remembered what she had said to him last night.

She got so excited while talking to Buschke and had completely forgotten what she had talked about to him yesterday.

“Ehem. Ah, of course that's impossible to do alone.”

She cleared her throat in a futile attempt to hide her embarra.s.sment.

“Of course it's important to do with the rite in the future, but it's actually for another reason that I want to go to the temple right now.”

“For what reason?”

“I'm looking for a way to erase this.”

She stretched out her left hand to show him the crest.

Laslo's expression became even more strange.

“You can't possibly mean the royal crest?”

“I do, I asked Buschke and she mentioned that there were some writings about it at the temple.”

“There's a way to erase sentences at the temple? Is it even possible in the first place? No, rather than that, are you really intending to erase the crest? Why? I heard that it is the pride of the royalty.”

“The important thing isn't my pride, but my life.”

Las...o...b..inked for a long time at the unexpected life lesson. His face was full of unanswered questions.

“So what I mean is…”

Agnes opened her mouth to explain, but closed it again. She felt frustrated over not knowing where on earth she should start explaining.

“Duke Alpharde”.

“Yes.”

“You trust me right?”

“……right.”

Laslo nodded nervously.

After all, Agnes and Laslo have only been married for five days. It is a time when the word ‘trust' still feels distant.

“I trust you too.” Agnes said, while facing him with a resolute expression.

“Thank you?” He replied, with an odd look on his face.

“When I'm talking about trust, I mean that I'll put faith in your actions even if it's something I can't understand.”

In hindsight, all the little things he did in the past is cast in a different light now . At that time, she realised too late that there was a different reason behind his puzzling behaviour than from what she might've thought.

“If I have the chance someday, I will tell you everything and why I'm acting like this.”

Laslo listened to her quietly.

“So, please trust in me for now. Even if I do something you don't understand.”

He was silent for a while.

Their height difference was quite big, so Agnes' neck was sore from looking up at him.

“When do you want to go to the temple?”

“I wish to go as soon as possible.” Agnes said, delighted.

“Then how about tomorrow morning?”

“Sounds good.”

Her face instantly relaxed.

Agnes tightly grabbed the arm of his clothing and pulled it.

“Thanks.”

“It's nothing. But I have a question I wanted to ask you.”

“Ask away.”

“Why do you trust me?” Laslo asked Agnes, staring at her tiny hand holding the hem of his clothes.

She frequently confused him. From the first day of their marriage to today, her recklessness was difficult to comprehend.

“Because it's you.”

Agnes smiled softly. As if there was no need for any other reason than that.

“Because it's me?”

The question was answered, but rather than feeling rea.s.sured, he became more confused.

“I didn't trust you in the past, so I'm now trying to do it now.”

He wanted to ask what that meant, but shut his mouth.

Her dazzling blue eyes were strangely filled with good intentions.

“……I'll send a servant tomorrow morning.”

For some reason when he kept staring into her eyes, his heart started throbbing. He turned his head and left first.

*   *   * read on lilacpoo.blogspot.com

“Welcome.”

The priest who welcomed the duke and d.u.c.h.ess was an elderly woman. She welcomed the couple with an affectionate smile.

“It's been a long time. Katherina.”

Laslo greeted her in a friendly manner.

“This is Katherina Lidoch. She is the High Priestess of the Temple of Sutmar.”

“And as you may know, this is Princess Agnes Erducci…”

“Now d.u.c.h.ess Alpharde.” Agnes added, interrupting Laslo.

Katherina lowered her head in a deep bow.

“It is an honour to meet you, d.u.c.h.ess.”

The three entered the temple while conversing.

“I heard the d.u.c.h.ess is looking for a scripture?” Katherina asked first.

“I'm looking for a way to erase the royal crest.”

“This thing.”

Agnes held out her left hand.

Their eyes landed on the royal crest, which was clearly embedded on the back of her hand.

“You want to erase the crest?”

Katherina seemed perplexed.

“But the crest is only supposed to appear on heirs to the throne? Without it, you will not be recognised as a legitimate heir…”

That was exactly what Agnes wished for.

“I know. There's no need to tell me the importance of it. All I want to know is how to cleanly erase this crest.”

Katherina picked up a steaming hot teacup and was silent for a while.

“You must have heard of this from Buschke.”

“Yes, Buschke said she didn't have the authority to access all the texts.”

“It is the deepest secret of the royal family. It cannot be revealed to just anyone.”

“Then can you show me them?”

Katherina's gaze turned to Laslo.

He nodded.

“Alright, I will get it ready and bring it here.”

Before leaving the room, she added: “But don't expect too much. There is very little recorded.”

“It doesn't matter.”

Katherina bowed politely and left.

“Is it because of Prince Sebastian that you want to erase the crest?” Laslo asked Agnes, who was seated next to him.

“How did you know?”

“Since if it's the matter of your life, then there is only this. But Princess, if Prince Sebastian were to be crowned, would he really kill all the royals with the crest?”

Lila's notes: