#39.
The princess’s green eyes, which resembled either peridot or jade, glared sharply at Prince Reiner. Prince Reiner looked flustered, much like a dog being scolded.
“W-What?”
“You, how did you know I like white grapes?”
“Well, you always seemed happy whenever I gave you white grapes.”
“No. Before I ever said I liked them, you already knew.”
“You always ate them well, Edwina.”
“Prince Reiner Selené von Reutlingen.”
“Why, why are you calling me like that?”
“What you just said wasn’t like that at all, you fool. You said you memorized it. You said you repeated the same thing over and over, and it was difficult! What on earth did you do? What are you talking about?”
“Edwina, in our empire, we… gather information about the Windsor family, you see…”
“Don’t give me that nonsense. Do you think I’m as foolish as you? Even if you gathered information in Reutlingen, you wouldn’t be in a position to touch any of it. Do you think I don’t know that?”
It was true.
However, even though it was true, no one would have dared to say such a thing directly to the prince’s face. Especially not a princess sent as a hostage from a defeated nation.
Yet, amusingly, Prince Reiner was so overwhelmed by the princess’s force that he couldn’t even think of pointing this out.
“Speak properly. What did you do?”
“…You know, Edwina. You know, that’s why you’re saying this… You were always sharp. I know that.”
It was Edwina who first reached out to Prince Reiner, who was trembling and muttering.
Standing face to face, though thin, the prince was taller than expected and looked dashing and well-groomed. It was quite a sight to see him trembling in front of the petite princess, one too precious for me to witness alone.
The princess stood like that for a while, then sighed deeply. Instead of yelling, she spoke softly as if soothing a child.
“Prince Reiner von Reutlingen. You’ve worked hard, bringing grapes, peaches, plums, and apricots for a hundred days. You may be a bit clueless, but I think there’s a good side to you.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, I like you a little.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I think you’re a good guy. That’s why I’m asking, hoping it’s not what I suspect. Tell me yourself. What did you do?”
“So, I, Edwina…”
“Don’t stutter, just speak.”
As if that was a magic spell, Prince Reiner quickly replied.
“Edwina, I’ve repeated this scene dozens of times. You’ve always thrown me out and said you’d never see me again.”
“How did you repeat it? By turning back time like you mentioned before?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you do it?”
“For you…”
Prince Reiner hung his head like a guilty person, unsure of what to do. A heavy silence fell. It seemed as if he would never speak again, simply standing there, holding her hand tightly, his beautiful face turning redder by the minute. Watching from the side, I felt sorry for him, so I nudged Princess Edwina in the side. Then I whispered softly like I used to when we were children, “Anne, stop tormenting him.”
“I, I… Edwina, I…”
Before he could stammer any further, Edwina took over.
“Because you like me?”
Only then did Prince Reiner lift his head.
He slumped his broad shoulders, making his tall frame appear smaller, and nodded silently, tears streaming down from his star-like, twinkling eyes.
“Prince Reiner von Reutlingen. Did you… want to befriend me because you liked me?”
Tears, clear and pure, flowed endlessly from those beautiful eyes. Like a child scolded by their mother, he simply nodded while sobbing quietly. Princess Edwina chuckled softly.
“So, you turned back time just to get close to me?”
“Y-Yes, I did.”
“And all you managed to learn from that was that I like white grapes?”
Pathetically, he couldn’t even sob properly; he simply shed silent tears as he answered.
“Edwina, sometimes… you even died.”
“Died? Why would I die?”
“Because you spoke to my father… the way you’re speaking to me now… not that it was wrong, of course.”
“So, you brought me back to life after I died?”
“Yes. That was how it started. But I messed up and had to relive everything from when I was thirteen. I had to endure being beaten by my brother again, and you have no idea how painful that was. But I still felt happy thinking I’d get to see you again. Yet, when I came back, you hated me. So I turned back time again.”
As he spoke, it seemed like he gained some courage. He wiped his tears and, with a clearer voice, began to speak as if proudly boasting. Princess Edwina sighed deeply before asking,
“How far back did you go that time?”
“Luckily, not too far. But still, you said you hated me again. I repeated it five times, and only after that did I find out you liked white grapes. I learned about the black horse on the tenth time, and um, that you liked that Arthur Gillen book the last time.”
“But you didn’t manage to learn how to properly win my favor?”
“Well, I thought I had… figured it out by now…”
He glanced at her, gauging her mood. Seeing that her anger had somewhat subsided, he quickly reverted to his previous childish tone, which almost made me laugh. It was then that Princess Edwina abruptly placed the basket of white grapes on the table with a loud thud.
“Reiner.”
“Y-Yes?”
“I want to throw this at your face right now. But I held back. Do you know why?”
“Because… you’re afraid I’ll tell my father?”
“No, because you wouldn’t dare say anything to your father. And if your father just sits idly by while you wander in and out of here looking like that, I doubt he’d blink if I threw some grapes at you.”
Prince Reiner nodded as if acknowledging her words, then added,
“Th-Then, is it because my face is too beautiful?”
His face, as he asked this, was indeed more beautiful than Princess Edwina’s, and I almost nodded along with him. But the princess continued to glare at him and said,
“The reason I didn’t throw the grapes is because, despite how clueless you are, even when you bring just a single bunch of fruit that doesn’t fill anyone’s stomach, we are still grateful for it. It’s because there are over fifty people starving behind this door, hoping to put even a single grape into their mouths.”
“Edwina…”
“While you, a fool, turned time back seventeen times over one hundred days, we starved for 1,700 days. And yet, during all that time, the only thing you thought of was me. You never once spared a thought to see how we were faring.”
“I… I was really wrong, Edwina. I’ll bring potatoes.”
“Yes, the reason I didn’t throw the grapes is because I’m keeping an eye on you. Because, for better or worse, you’re the only one who can feed us, and so I have to watch what you do.”
It was probably at that moment that Prince Reiner, feeling wronged, lifted his head to protest.
“Who in the world pays such close attention to someone’s behavior?”
By then, I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer and burst out giggling. Princess Edwina glared at me, but I couldn’t help it. I was at an age where even a falling leaf could make me laugh.
As if encouraged by my laughter, Prince Reiner raised his voice again.
“Besides, that’s not exactly how it works, is it? Look outside! Do they really look like people who’ve suffered for 1,700 days? You don’t even remember the lives from before, do you? Yet you blame me. Isn’t that unfair, Edwina?”
“Then who else should I blame but a fool like you who, despite knowing how to turn back time, still did nothing useful with it?”
“Well, you see… I don’t exactly know when I’ll end up going back to, so when things were going well, I did try to help you.”
“You’re supposed to be good at magic, aren’t you? Why is it so terrible?”
“N-No, I mean, it’ll work out if I keep trying! I told you last time, I’m doing this so I can help you!”
Thus, Prince Reiner and Princess Edwina had their first genuine conversation. Perhaps in Prince Reiner’s mind, they had had similar conversations seventeen times before, but I found all those memories quite intriguing. However, our Princess Edwina, ever the strong-willed lady, didn’t ask about any of it.
Instead, she asked something that caught Prince Reiner off guard.
“Why do you like me, anyway? Aren’t there any women in Reutlingen? Why fall for the princess of an enemy nation? Am I that beautiful in your eyes?”
“If I liked beautiful things, I’d just look in a mirror, Edwina.”
That might have been a comment to make any other woman bristle, but Princess Edwina simply nodded calmly.
“True. You’re definitely prettier than I am. You might be the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”
As she said that, she ruffled his light blonde hair with her small hand, making Prince Reiner’s handsome face turn a deep shade of red.
Despite his embarrassment, Princess Edwina kept pressing him.
“So, if it’s not because I’m pretty, why do you like me?”
“No, Edwina, it’s not that you’re not pretty. In my eyes, there’s nothing more beautiful in the world than you.”
“Enough with the noise. Answer the question.”
And so, under her reprimand, Prince Reiner finally shared the reason he had fallen for the princess, a story none of us had ever heard before.
It was the tale of when he first met Princess Edwina in his original life, before the seventeen repeated attempts. Back when everything was still real.
At that time, when Princess Edwina arrived in Reutlingen, Prince Reiner had just been harshly beaten by the First Prince. During the entire procession bringing the hostage princess from Windsor, he had been scolded and humiliated in front of the emperor.
The Empress of Reutlingen was heavily pregnant at the time and wasn’t present, so the emperor unleashed all his pent-up rage on his second son that day.
In front of all the courtiers, the emperor berated Prince Reiner so severely it was uncomfortable to watch. Apparently, Prince Reiner said something that further enraged the emperor.
The emperor kicked him, not caring who was watching, and even raised his sword as if to use it as a weapon. By that point, Prince Reiner no longer felt shame—he was simply convinced he was about to die.
While everyone stood silent, watching as the emperor tried to kill his second son, it was Princess Edwina who suddenly burst out laughing.
Enraged by this, the emperor turned his fiery gaze to her.
“Why are you laughing?”
Finally, Prince Reiner had a brief respite. Wiping the blood from his forehead, he barely managed to look in the direction of the princess with his blurry vision. And then, boldly, she answered,
“If an emperor can humiliate his son like this in front of a princess from an enemy nation, the title of Emperor of Reutlingen must not mean much, and I found that amusing.”
Upon hearing this story, Princess Edwina widened her large green eyes and asked,
“I said that?”
“Yes, Edwina. That’s what you said. My father must’ve been terribly embarrassed, don’t you think?”
“So, what happened next?”
“What do you mean, what happened? You died that day.”
Prince Reiner, his face crestfallen, continued as if the memory still haunted him.
“He killed the princess of Windsor?”
“Why wouldn’t he? You insulted the emperor of the empire.”
“…So you turned back time?”
“Yes, at first out of guilt, then gratitude, and now…”
As Prince Reiner hesitated, Princess Edwina grinned mischievously and finished his sentence for him.
“And now, you’re in love with me.”
“How can you say that without any shame? You’re a girl, aren’t you?”
“Girl?”
“Oh, right. You told me not to say things like that. Never mind. Actually, it’s nice when a girl says that. So, watching you not even blush or act embarrassed makes me shy instead.”
Prince Reiner, unsure if he was about to be scolded again, looked so flustered that Princess Edwina chuckled. Then, telling him to fetch some potatoes, she picked up the grape basket and playfully hit him with it. Prince Reiner, oddly enough, seemed to enjoy it, standing there with a smile. The sight was rather amusing.
“Edwina, I’ll do better. Just trust me, okay?”
“What do you mean by ‘do better’? Just bring lots of potatoes. Oh, and can’t you bring some meat too?”
“I can’t guarantee the meat… But I’ll do my best. I’ll return you to Windsor. I’ll save you, just like you saved me.”
“Who’s saving who, when you’re such a weakling?”
“From now on, I’ll eat more bread and potatoes.”
“If there’s food, bring it here instead of eating it.”
“Fine, I’ll eat a little bread and bring the rest here.”
“Is Reutlingen so poor that a prince has to skimp on bread to leave some for us?”
“Yeah, it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? Edwina, I wonder what my father thinks of me.”
“Everything amuses you, doesn’t it?”
Despite her words, Princess Edwina smiled as if she had caught Prince Reiner’s infectious laughter.
As I write this letter, I realize that even without Prince Reiner’s efforts, the two of them would have become close eventually.
People who grow up without love have a keen sense for recognizing others like themselves.
Perhaps that’s why Princess Edwina couldn’t stand the sight of Prince Reiner being beaten when she first arrived in the empire. And why, even though they hadn’t exchanged a single word, Prince Reiner was so determined to save Princess Edwina by turning back time. They must have recognized each other from the very beginning.
Now, Lord Florian,
And to you, Prince Archibald, who I know will be reading this letter before anyone else,
I hope this answers some of your questions.
Thus, Princess Edwina and Sir Arthur Gillen met.
The night has grown dark while I’ve been telling this long tale.
It’s hard for an old person to sit at a desk for this long, unless you’re someone as spry as the scribe Bedder.
I hope you both have learned not to ask too many questions of an old and lonely soul. My life has been one of holding on to untold stories, always waiting for someone to ask.
However, if you do want to hear more, I would be glad if young Noel came to collect the next letter. The time I spent eating her cinnamon rolls shaped like horse manure was, for me, as precious as the time Princess Edwina and Prince Reiner shared eating those white grapes.
With love to you all,
Lady Josephine
———= Author’s Note =———
Dear readers,
Have your questions been answered at least a little? Your comments on my lonely and aging soul have given me the energy to keep going, clutching my bag of continued chapters tightly. I hope you don’t dislike Reiner too much for making Archibald seem mature and not as pathetic. Once we pass Edwina and Reiner’s story, we’ll be heading toward the finale, so look forward to the upcoming reveals.
Since it’s late at night, today I want to be white grapes for my readers, rather than bread.
P.S. 1: The beautiful cover art was made by the amazing Cloud Hidden Moon. Thank you so much! This is the first time I’ve received something like this. Doesn’t the green color go so well with summer?
P.S. 2: Thank you so much to Sen98 and Alnim for the support coupons. Thank you to everyone who has left kind comments, recommendations, and follows. Have a great night!
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