The Villainess Enjoys Her Seventh Life as a Free-Spirited Bride (hostage) in a Former Enemy Country

[I don’t want to study! I’m definitely going to eat sweets today. I’m not going to study!]

Miria, whom she served during her maidservant life, would often shout like this and lock herself in her room.

Rishe’s lock-picking skills had been acquired for this purpose.

Listening to the sound of her voice, it was easy to tell if she was really shutting herself away to be alone or if she was behaving like a spoiled brat.

Today, it was the latter, so Rishe unreservedly picked the lock on the door and entered the room, looking down at the curled figure under the blanket on the bunk.

[Miss, weren’t you working so hard until yesterday?]

Rishe, dressed in her maidservant’s finery and with her coral hair tied up in a ponytail, spoke to the lump in the blanket.

[Will you write a letter in Krushade to the Archbishop at next month’s celebration?]

[Because when I woke up this morning, I hated it! None of the kids have learned to speak Krushade, and the job of acting the Maiden Priestess doesn’t require reading the original text. I don’t want to be the only one who has to study so hard. I’m sick of it!]

Rishe pondered the protests that came back from the lumpy blanket.

I’ve heard that the Krushade language takes a long time to learn, even for adults.

Myria was twelve years old at this time, but she had not yet been told of her true identity.

Rishe knew beforehand, because her father, the Duke, had told her.

A year after arriving at the mansion, he told her that he would like to have an ally who knew what was going on by Myria’s side.

As the real Priestess, learning the Krushade language was a must for Myria. However, it was understandable that she would find it difficult to study by force without being informed of such things.

[My Lady.]

Rishe quietly crouched down and spoke.

[Gaining knowledge means that you have more weapons in your arsenal. Or perhaps you could say it’s about expanding your world.]

She could tell that Myria was contemplating while curled in the blanket.

[Learning a language that isn’t commonly used will give you a glimpse into a world that you would not normally know. Wouldn’t you like to know how mythical people lived, what they dreamed about, and what they thought was beautiful? Maybe, there’s even a wonderful poem that your beloved Goddess wrote…]

[…!]

Myria was suffering from a small puppy love at this time, so her shoulders jerked.

[If it’s allowed, I’d even like to sit in on your Krushade class.]

[…Rishe, too…?]

[Yes. For example, I would be very happy if Miss Myria becomes my teacher…]

She flipped up the blanket and looked up at Rishe with a gleam in her eyes.

[That means, you’ll be studying with me…?!]

[Of course. But you must do a lot of studying first…]

[I’ll do it! To be Rishe’s teacher sounds so much fun!]

Myria was now in high spirits, so she came down from her bed and hugged Rishe.

[Thank you, My Lady. Let’s get you ready for your morning class.]

[Okay! I might meet Mr. Bernhard on the way, so please ensure to make me look as cute as possible today.]

[Pfft. As you wish.]

After this exchange, Myria began to study diligently and taught Rishe what she had learned that day.

It was why Rishe could read the Krushade language.

She went to the shrine with Myria and sometimes spoke with the archbishop of that generation.

But these were all different events than the one they had now.

***

Why was it hidden from the world that the Miss was a real Maiden Priestess?… I hadn’t been told about it either, but I think I might get to know in this life.

In the evening, Rishe was staring at a pot in the kitchen in a corner of the Grand Shrine.

Boiling in the fire were some medicinal herbs that she had thrown in.

The kitchen, where only Rishe and Arnold were present, was something Rishe requested from Arnold, and the Order arranged it for her.

As she slowly stirred the pot, she asked Arnold on the other side behind her.

“Does Your Highness believe in the existence of curses?”

However, she was positive that Arnold didn’t believe in them.

It was a question that needn’t to be asked, but Arnold gave her an unexpected answer.

“There are times when it’s more convenient to pretend that something exists.”

“…”

Rishe turned around.

Arnold was sitting on a chair in the kitchen with his cheek resting on the table beside him, seemingly watching Rishe work passively.

“Convenient, you say?”

“The concept of power beyond human comprehension is very effective in manipulating public sentiment. This is especially true on the battlefield, where it is so easy to influence the morale of soldiers.”

“…I see.”

At first she was surprised, but his answer was very Arnold-like.

For him, it was kind of tactics and politics, not about what he believed or disbelieved.