The sixth prince, who had been executed in the kingdom after being betrayed by the trusted saint, was reincarnated and, in order to seek revenge, became engaged once again to the neighboring kingdom’s “Guillotine Princess.” As a result, he was adored and lived happily.

“Your Highness Gustave… Please, take good care of yourself.”

The saintly woman held my hand, her eyes moist as she gazed at me. Thanks to her, I could feel the piercing gazes of Princess Abigail and Louis.

“Saint, I’ll be fine. Mariette will be with me, and most importantly, Princess Abigail is here,” I reassured her, gently releasing her hand with a subtle smile.

It’s been quite a struggle for them to try to manipulate me until the very end. Well, once we cross this sea, we won’t have to see each other for a while. Even though Mariette is keeping an eye on me, I can’t afford to be too concerned. I’ll have to do whatever it takes.

Last night was quite a masterpiece, though. I couldn’t sleep, so I took a walk in the courtyard, and by chance, I witnessed the saint and Louis having an argument. Her desperate attempts to smooth things over and persuade Louis were amusing to watch.

Well, after that, they shamelessly engaged in indecent acts in the garden, even though we were in enemy territory. They have far less integrity than someone like me, who is considered illegitimate.

“Gustave, act responsibly as the representative of the kingdom.”

“Hmm…”

I gave Louis a vague response, placing my hand on his shoulder and turning my face away indifferently. It’s clear that my attitude is different from when I was in the palace, and Louis can’t hide his confusion and anger, though I couldn’t care less.

Then, Princess Abigail spoke up.

“Your Highness Gustave, it’s time to board the ship.”

“Yes.”

Ignoring Louis, I took her hand when she reached out to me. I can’t afford to be disliked by her because of these people.

“…Claire.”

“Yes?”

Claire was called coldly, and she took a step back. It seems Princess Abigail noticed her gaze.

“My apologies for my maid’s rudeness.”

“No, it’s not a problem.”

“…In our empire, such behavior will be thoroughly disciplined.”

“Oh, ha-ha…”

While her words were meant to show consideration for me, Claire was only following Princess Abigail’s orders, and it didn’t mean that the people of the empire would accept me. Considering my plans for revenge against the kingdom, it would be wise to gather as many true allies as possible.

“Sigh… so much to do,” I muttered.

“Gustave, are you okay?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I smiled warmly at Princess Abigail’s concerned gaze.

—

The ship we were on, belonging to the empire, was crossing the La Gallia Strait, the narrowest part between the Straskreid Empire and the Valrois Kingdom. This strait was less than forty kilometers in distance, and it would take less than three hours to reach the empire from the Valrois side.

“This is truly a magnificent ship, as expected of the empire. It’s stable, and the speed is impressive.”

This was my second time on this ship, and its ability to maintain this speed with such a massive structure demonstrated that the empire’s shipbuilding technology was far superior to that of the kingdom. It was precisely this technological advantage that had allowed the empire to dominate the seas and led to the kingdom’s invasion of Valrois.

“Gustave, it seems you’re not affected by the ship’s motion. That’s reassuring.”

“Oh, yes,” I chuckled. The first time around in my previous life, I had suffered from seasickness during my maiden voyage and had been miserable the entire time. This time, I made sure to eat lightly, loosen my clothing, and keep an eye on the ship’s direction to avoid feeling queasy. Still, if this journey continued for several more hours, I would undoubtedly become seasick.

I continued to watch the coastline approaching us in silence, and the ship finally arrived at the empire’s harbor.

“It’s a bit rocky, so be careful.”

“…We’re holding hands, so if you slip, we’ll both end up in the sea.”

Oh, I see… Princess Abigail also makes such jokes. I’ve been surprised by her ever since our reunion yesterday.

That’s why I regret not noticing this in my previous life… no, not even trying to understand her. This time, I won’t make that mistake.

And so, we boarded a carriage and traveled for six more hours.

— We had arrived in the imperial capital, Londeenia.