#16.
To the mysterious Prince Archie,
I don’t know why you are facing life-threatening situations, but as you requested, I’ll write it down.
I am rather tall, have quite big eyes, and a fair, round face. I have a few freckles on my nose.
My complex is that I remain skinny no matter how much I eat, but I don’t think my plump cheeks are too bad. My hair is red like molasses, and when I was young, I didn’t like this red hair at all, often thinking it was fortunate that at least my eyes were green.
Maybe that’s why I like Anne Selin’s fairy tales so much. In the fairy tale, Princess Edwina was described as having very beautiful fiery red hair. I liked the idea that there was such a beauty among us redheads. My mother also has red hair and is quite beautiful, but in movies and novels, the top beauties are always depicted as blondes, aren’t they? Just like you, Prince.
..So, if it’s not because of Daphne, why are you asking this?
Have you discovered a way to come over in a box?
P.S.: If Daphne says, “That red-haired girl! She’s not even that pretty!” please defend me by saying, “No, Cordelia will soon have strawberry-blonde hair.” My mom always said that my hair would get lighter and eventually become strawberry-blonde. At this rate, it might happen when I’m about a hundred years old.
P.S.2: So, where exactly are you with the book storage box?
Your faithful friend spending Friday night with you, Cordelia.
* * *
To Cordelia with strawberry-blonde hair,
I like it best when you mention and take care of things I’ve forgotten to say. It’s when your brilliance shines.
I’m currently at the monastery scriptorium. It’s a place with nothing but paper and pens, so I end up writing letters diligently.
Yesterday, I distributed the pens and notebooks you gave me to Bedar and the scribes. Their reaction was explosive. Usually, they just use me as a pen sharpener for the scriptorium’s willow pens, but yesterday, they almost lifted me up and celebrated.
Anyway, one of them, who is as sharp as you, kept asking where these came from. Yes, the sharp one is Bedar Lang, who has appeared in my letters a few times. This old scriptorium head looks round like a bear but has a sharp sense like a pen.
What could I do? I confessed everything immediately. You know I’m for living life simply. You also know how complicated my peaceful and simple life has become since meeting you. So please forgive this much.
In fact, Bedar is largely responsible for us exchanging letters. Our book storage box, I secretly took it out of the monastery scriptorium as a reward for unpaid labor.
Bedar was furious that I took the book storage box and tried to point fingers at a prince of a nation, but he seemed to be soothed by the stories I told him about you. I went on to confess that all the books brought to the scriptorium last time were sent by you.
While talking about this and that, I ended up spending more than half a day with old Bedar. Though I say this, I actually quite like Bedar. Since my father, Charles Wellesley, passed away early, Bedar is almost like a father to me.
From the perspective that all sons become a bit embarrassed of their fathers as they grow up, it is even more so.
So, our clumsy Bedar said it wasn’t right to just receive such precious things and wanted to give you a gift.
Then he asked what you looked like, how long your hair was, and how bright your eyes shone. Yes, that’s why I asked about your appearance.
When I answered that I didn’t know such things well, little Noel, the youngest we picked up from the forest a few years ago, glared at me.
“You received so much and didn’t even ask what the person looked like? Even after exchanging so many letters? Wow, you’re really an indifferent prince!”
I didn’t know that little thing could speak so well.
Annoyingly, the others didn’t stop Noel and silently pressured me.
Imagine my pitiful self surrounded by twelve priests. They don’t seem to care about charges like insulting royalty. Have I been too kind to them?
Anyway, since I find Noel quite adorable, I cajoled her by rudely asking you about your appearance through a letter.
But, as it turns out, this might not have been Noel’s plan alone. Since reading the description of your appearance, everyone from the vegetable cook to the blacksmith has been busily moving around, saying they want to make something for you. I don’t know what it is, but they said it would be completed tonight.
So, Coco, will you forgive me for revealing our secret and rudely prying into a lady’s appearance and accept the gift from the scribes of Lete Monastery?
A tired morning halfway through the pale green moon.
– The ‘prince’ being treated coldly at the monastery scriptorium 8, Archie Albert William.
* * *
To the prince loafing around in the monastery scriptorium,
So, the magic box has finally been revealed to someone other than us?
Bedar sounds like a good person just from the way you describe him.
And I quite like the young lady Noel who dared to stand up to you.
If she’s still as tiny as a mouse, don’t you think you could send her over in a box?
No, don’t do that. Just like a flower withers, little Noel would turn into a cute old lady by the time she arrives.
The gift that everyone is making together sounds very exciting. Please send it soon!
6.15.
-Your slightly excited friend, Coco.
P.S.: I am packing my things now. I’m going to Mark and Edinburgh. I’ll wrap the magic box in cloth and put it in my bag, but my reply might be a bit delayed. Please understand!
* * *
Mischievous Cordelia,
So, you are finally preparing to leave for the journey with Mark, not listening to your big brother!
…Just kidding. I hope you two get to know each other well.
I am enclosing the gift made by the monks of Lete Monastery. They made a big fuss telling me not to open the package under any circumstances.
I thought it would be books, but it’s quite substantial, reminding me that Lete Monastery is the richest in Windsor. Have I mentioned that it’s a misconception that all monks have noble characters?
On the fifteenth night of the pale green moon,
-Archie Albert William, at least more noble than Bedar.
* * *
To Miss Cordelia Grey,
Hello, this is Bedar Lang, the scriptorium head of Lete Monastery.
Please keep it a secret from Prince Archie that I slipped this letter between the books.
If the prince knew I wrote to you, he would follow me around with endless nagging or pout with his beautiful lips, showing how much his feelings are hurt.
When he acts like that with his beautiful face and difficult personality, I always end up surrendering.
This might make Prince Archie sound very petty, but he isn’t like that. You can tell he’s a good person by how he bothers us at the monastery but treats us warmly.
It was Prince Archie who rushed to draw his sword when he heard there was a monster behind the monastery and couldn’t call the army to a holy place. And last winter, when the nearby village was starving due to a bad harvest, he pretended to sneak out of the palace and brought a cart full of clothes and food.
‘You are greatly indebted to me, aren’t you? Where would you be without me?’
…he said, but he didn’t hear many thanks because he went around boasting like that.
He may have some rough edges, but he is kind, and I cherish him a lot. (This is a secret from the prince.)
It’s Prince Archie who let our youngest, Noel, live here. Noel was a baby left in a basket at the monastery’s doorstep a few years ago. I can’t imagine what her parents were thinking, leaving a girl at a monastery full of men. The abbot wanted to find her parents by posting notices nearby, but Prince Archie, who happened to be visiting (yes, he sometimes visits to help the village but mostly just to play), saw the baby.
At seventeen, the prince said there was no point in finding the parents who abandoned her and told us to raise her here. He immediately took off a blue jewel necklace symbolizing the Windsor royal family and gave it to us. The abbot and I tried to refuse, saying how could we raise a girl, but what can we do? When the prince says to raise her, we must.
So, Noel has been the mascot of our monastery for seven years, living with short hair like a boy. Though she sometimes looks like a girl, she has never begged for pretty clothes or to grow her hair. I am grateful to God for that.
Sometimes I think it might be better to send her out to the world before she grows older. I mentioned finding a good match for her before she looks too much like a young woman, but Prince Archie was horrified. He asked who we could send such a young girl to. But we can’t protect her forever.
Anyway, because of all this, Noel seemed delighted to hear about a pretty lady through letters. Since yesterday, she’s been singing, ‘Miss Cordelia, Miss Cordelia.’
Please forgive Prince Archie for prying into a lady’s appearance. It was all for our dear Noel.
Wait a moment, I rambled on again, getting excited and talking about Prince Archie and Noel like bragging about my children. If the prince reads this letter, he will shake his head and tease me, so you must keep this a secret.
What I really want to say is thank you so much for the pens and paper you gave us.
In our scriptorium, eight scribes each occupy a room and create three or four copies daily. Using the soft nibs and creamy paper you provided, the most productive scribe yesterday managed to copy 12 pages.
At this rate, we might be able to produce two copies of the Psalter each month instead of one. Once all the ordered Psalters are made, we could make storybooks as Prince Archie wished.
Speaking of storybooks, our Noel really likes *Twelfth Night*. It’s about a girl caught in a storm who becomes the page of a duke she loves by disguising herself as a boy. Shakespeare must have known Noel because this story is perfect for her.
Noel imagines herself as the girl in disguise, and our Prince Archie as the foolish Duke Orsino. Yes, as you guessed, she has a crush on Prince Archie.
Prince Archie, with his looks that even a florist’s wife could fall for, and at seven years old, she can’t discern much.
Ah, could you keep this a secret as well? This letter has become full of secrets. All the scribes here like you very much and are grateful for the gift. I hope to write to you again.
– On the fifteenth day of the pale green moon, Scriptorium Head Bedar.
* * *
Archie,
What Bedar sent is his first fully colored Psalter and a bookmark. On the first page of the Psalter is a beautiful woman with red hair and green eyes, and beneath it, in vivid blue ink, it says, “To Cordelia.”
The gold-embossed bookmark also has an image of a beautiful woman with wavy hair. This is the first time I received such a heartfelt gift, and I couldn’t help but burst into tears.
Please convey my thanks to everyone at Lete Monastery. Don’t look at the book; give it to Bedar. Understood? This is a gift only for Bedar.
– Cordelia, already at Lete Monastery in spirit.
* * *
Dear Bedar,
You wouldn’t be someone who hands over a letter tucked between books without looking, right?
Just tell me this.
Prince Archie doesn’t know Noel likes him, right?
He seems clueless about such things.
Please tell me I am right.
If I am, tell Prince Archie, “Miss Cordelia says not to keep the bookmark close to fire.”
The prince may be careless, but he’s too smart to forget a message like that.
And one more thing I’m curious about, can you tell me if there’s a chance?
About the book storage box Archie has, he said he took it from the scriptorium…
Bedar, how did you end up with such a magical box? How come there’s one just like it here?
I’m sorry for the many questions. Somehow, I felt you might know everything.
Surely, you know more than Prince Archie, right? Oh, this is not to belittle him. It’s a secret, but I really, really like Prince Archie!
The story about him helping during the famine and then pretending to boast is so like him, and I love it. The part about wielding a sword against a monster is hard to believe, though. Bedar, another secret, did you know Prince Archie had priest training when he was eight?
P.S.: The gift is so beautiful. I don’t look this pretty, but the picture is stunning, almost a relief that we may never meet.
6.17. Night
– Cordelia, already fond of you and Noel.
———= Author’s Notes ———=
To the readers,
Cordelia says she really, really likes Prince Archie.
I really, really like you, too…
…I’ll stop here. Thank you for the recommendations, comments, and favorites!
<– The Price of Obsession –>
(Continuous update 6/9)
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