Chapter 116.1: Approach with a modus operandi she'd been hoping to avoid.

Rishe stayed with Arnold throughout the meal and did a little work afterwards.

She went with him to the study, where she worked on the preparations for the marriage ceremony while Arnold worked on his official papers.

What they did on this day was to finalize the invitees.

The letter sent to Rishe's home country contained the name of someone she didn't want to meet, which made her face a little tangled.

But, of course, there was more news to look forward to.

There was a letter to Zahad, who had been a close friend of Rishe's in her past life but whom she had never met in this life. There was also a letter to the king of the country she had served as a knight. By the looks of it, she could meet some of the knights who were once her colleagues.

However, Arnold's reaction to seeing the list of guests was cumbersome.

With a wry smile, Rishe finished the process and took on the biggest challenge of the day.

"No, I'm off to take a bath!!"

"...Yeah."

Arnold, who still looked entangled for some reason, nodded to Rishe's declaration.

"Mm, please come and pick me up. I'll pretend to sleep on the third floor, in the first room prepared, right across from

the maidservants!"

"Don't worry, I'll be there no matter what. But more importantly, is the bath itself safe?"

"Yes. I usually bathe alone, but I asked the maids to bathe me today on the account that I'm tired from the escorting work!!"

"..."

Arnold replied with a bitter, "I see".

Although Rishe was uncomfortable lying to the maids, she must not let it be known that she was going to sleeping with Arnold.

If that happened, they would probably find out that she was terrified of ghosts. She told everyone that she would get ready herself tomorrow morning and that they should help Harriet together with her maidservants.

Arnold, on the other hand, had apparently only told Oliver the situation.

"Excuse me, Rishe-sama. I've come to fetch you for your bath."

"Yes, I'm coming."

After cheering herself up, she gave Arnold a "I'm off" look and left the study.

She then started walking with the maids to one of the several bathrooms in the castle.

"Thank you very much, Rishe-sama."

"When you said that there is no such thing as ghosts, everyone was relieved."

"...That's terrific! Everyone, don't stay up too late today and go to bed right away."

"Okay!"

While exchanging such conversation with the maids, they headed downstairs.

On the way, Rishe sensed the presence of many people and turned her attention to them.

...Harriet-sama.

The third floor was connected to the guest room building on the east side of the castle.

Harriet was looking out the window at the connecting passage while her maids waited behind her.

"Good evening. Isn't it a lovely moonlit night?"

"U-Uh!?"

Harriet's slender shoulders bounced sharply, and she began to panic.

Beyond the horizon, the harbor illuminated by the moonlight was visible when looking down.

"That sailing ship is the Sigwell Kingdom..."

"Uh, um, yes..."

"Ah! Isn't that carriage coming up the hill the very same carriage that your brother is riding in? I'm so glad they've arrived safely."

"Ah, thank you very much..."

Harriet, who bowed low, then glanced up again.

Her eyes were hidden by a curtain of long bangs. It was hard to see her expression, but she didn't seem to be unhappy with Rishe.

Harriet looked out the window again and muttered in a whisper.

"Troet's Moon Hill..."

"!"

The words sounded familiar to Rishe.

...It figures. If you were born and raised in that country with that family, then you must be like Harriet, right?

With some mixed feelings, she replied with a soft chuckle.

I don't really like to use this kind of approach...

But it was definitely a shortcut to getting to know Harriet.

Rishe got ahold of herself and spoke.

"...It's the final scene of the Cradiette Adventures."

"Eh......!?"

Harriet raised her face like a shot.

"Did it remind you of the scene of a carriage carrying a princess through the moonlit hills?"

"Yeah, have you read this...? The book only started appearing on the western continent just last month...!"

"Yes. I heard about it and ordered it."

It was a downright lie.

In fact, she read it in her fifth lifetime, when she was in the Sigwell Kingdom. In Sigwell, also known as the land of books, plenty of books were produced every day.

"It's a wonderful story! Right from the start of the story, when the hero Jean makes her triumphant return, she was so cool that I could almost picture it."

"Yeah, exactly!! I get you, it's amazing. Every scene is rich in scenery, and yet, the development is full of ups and downs! Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, who is your favorite character?"

"General Craig!"

Rishe's and Harriet's voices just overlapped perfectly.

A little further away, the maids looked surprised. Harriet's cheeks were flushed, and she spoke happily.

"Wow, I like him too...! He is cold but precise, a master swordsman who watches over Jean from afar!!."

"It's very reassuring just having him in the story. And his conversations with Jean are fun to read."