“Walk faster! We’re going to be late at this rate.”

“I’m walking as fast as I can! Besides how can I keep pace with you when you’re running and I’m carrying the coffee!”

I turned my head back to answer him.

“Then run too.”

“What happened to your politeness from before? Please go back to addressing me as ‘lord’.”

What had happened indeed. We were currently heading towards the meeting location. Though we had wasted the morning, we still had plenty of time before we had to be there, or we would have, if the Special Adviser had not...

“I can’t believe you actually went and bought a hat.”

“Did it look good?”

The Special Adviser was referring to the hat we had spent an hour and a half shopping for after he decided it “might help stop people from recognizing him.” He had finally settled on an old Chakuko sailor’s hat, which for some reason I was now carrying, boxed, under my arm as I jogged down the avenue.

“It’s fine if we’re late anyway, I know the ambassador pretty well, she won’t be too mad.”

“Who is it?”

I should have asked that ages ago, I’ve been off my game this whole day.

“Marysa Tarrian.”

My heart skipped a beat. The Fausdale national hero who was likely better known than the king himself.

I had forgotten he is a powerful official, despite it all, of course he’d know people of that level....

We turned a corner and could finally see our destination. The meeting with the Fausdale Kingdom’s ambassador was being held in a high-end restaurant located in the New District. In addition to the top-notch cuisine, the restaurant was notable for being housed in an avant-garde glass-and-iron building. During the later afternoon the glass glinted orange and yellow as it caught the sun, it was spectacular enough that the building itself was moderately famous. Since it was spring the sun was already starting to get low, and just the hint of color could be seen taking to the glass.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the building came into sight. We were still late, but not late enough that it could not be explained away. Petalore was still complaining behind me:

“Slow down already, we’re almost there. I told you everything would be fine.”

Before I could reply the side of the building exploded. Bits of glass flew through the air and reflected the afternoon sun, gleaming like coins before tinkling down to earth. We stood speechless.

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It was a chaotic scene we approached, the police were having to both push back onlookers and search the building, while a group I assumed was the Fausdale delegation stood agitatedly with their own bodyguards towards the edge of the perimeter the police were establishing. After showing our identification bracelets we were permitted through. Petalore asked what was going on, to which a nervous policeman replied that it seemed like a separatist group from Fausdale had plotted to bomb the meeting.

“...I could have died.” I said, blankly. “If we had hurried more, I might have died.”

“But you didn’t, because we weren’t on time!”

I just stared at him.

“...Sorry.”

An imposing woman with dark blonde hair broke away from the Fausdale crowd and approached us. This was the Fausdale ambassador, Lord Marysa Tarrian. She glared at Petalore with fierce eyes.

“You’re late, but this time it seems to be a good thing.”

She looked at me.

“Do you work for this guy? I’m so sorry.”

While I did not entirely disagree that still ticked me off for some reason.

“Come on Rysa, be nice to my adjutant! It’s still her first day.”

Ambassador Tarrian just looked at me with increased pity.

“Don’t call me that.”

Petalore leaned in and whispered to me. “Cailia, I have an idea, give me the hat.”

How reckless can this guy get? He knows what this would mean. It was a terrible idea, but I opened the box and passed him the hat anyway. Come to think of it, why had I not “dropped” the box in the confusion earlier?

Petalore returned to facing the ambassador.

“Rysa, check this out!” He said, donning on the hat. He smiled, but it just made him look fiendish.

Marysa turned pale, spluttered a bit, took a step back, then fainted on the spot. The delegation was thrown into uproar, and no one seemed to notice the Special Adviser awkwardly returning the hat to the box.

“Hey, Cailia, what’s happening right now?”

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“I thought you said you knew her! How did you not know who she was!”

“I do know her! Just only personally!”

“She’s the former princess! Not to mention a hero! You know, whole thing that started the unification of Chakuko?”

He looked blankly at me.

Marysa Tarrian, also known as the “Sea Dragon Princess” was the sister of the current king of Fausdale. She entered the navy despite her status and eventually rose to fleet commander. Years ago she led an expedition to Chakuko, then still a collection of feuding states, after a local king asked for assistance following a disaster. Upon arriving however, they found no sign of disaster and were soon ambushed and taken prisoner. The king seized their ships and declared he would use them to unify Chakuko, then ordered the captive sailors be dumped in the sea with only a single small fishing boat to support them.

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Through Marysa’s leadership they managed to hold out, miraculously, until a random passing trade ship rescued them. Fausdale’s resulting fury did result in the unification of Chakuko--just under the control of the faction most hated by the treacherous king. Despite her bravery however Marysa was deeply traumatized by the incident and held a complex about the sea to this day.

Hence why she was now ambassador to a landlocked nation. A nation whose representative had just gleefully put on the same hat of her tormentors. Right after a terrorist attack. I groaned.

“If you didn’t know that, what were you doing with the hat!” I hissed.

“I thought it would lighten the mood!” He looked at my face and got defensive for some reason. “Don’t look at me like that! And what the hell, you thought I would do that on purpose? Just what do you think of me?”

“Don’t give me reason to think like that then!”

I angrily said this to Petalore as the Fausdale delegation rushed about. He grabbed a passing young man by the shoulder and spun him around.

“You, what’s going on with the ambassador.”

“She’s going to be taken back to the embassy to rest. The meeting will need to be rescheduled.” He replied, bluntly.

“That’s going to be a problem, we really need to sort this out now...”

Wait, what is the meeting even about? I never asked! It was still my first day and I was already slipping.

He turned back the young man.

“You’re the assistant ambassador, correct?”

“Yes, Lord Petalore.”

“Great! Then since the ambassador is incapacitated you have all her power, right?”

“...Yes, I suppose so.”

“Then come on! Let’s go somewhere else and get this deal figured out.” He said, and started to walk away after hefting the sack of coffee onto a random Fausdale delegate.

“Special Adviser wait, where are we going!”

“Ah, let me at least inform the rest of the delegation.”

Ignoring us completely Petalore instead shouted back:

“Cailia you live pretty close by, don’t you?”

Well, I did, but so what?

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It was late afternoon and I had just returned home. This was normal. What was not normal was that the Special Adviser and Fausdale Assistant Ambassador were sat together at my small table.

I had just returned from buying some sweets.

“Ah, Cailia, welcome home.”

“Welcome back, Miss Cailia!”

This is my home! Don’t talk like that!

The official purpose of this meeting, as I gathered, was to discuss a draft agreement that would establish joint-control over a newly discovered shard realm with exits both here in Etrary and in Fausdale. However, behind the scenes both states wanted to get the agreement done right away, so in reality we were expected to walk away today with a signed document. Because it was rushed there would be problems with the deal, but it was the job of an ambassador to be personable enough to hash those kinds of things out without too much trouble. The problem was, however, that Assistant Ambassador Rai Karbin was wooden to say the least. He had only said a few words since Petalore dragged him away with us. When I had left the two had been sitting in awkward silence.

I started preparing some tea to have with the snacks Petalore had sent me out to buy in hope of lightening the mood, but the two were now smiling and seemed to be talking amiably. This was suspicious.

“When did you two get so close?”

“Oh, we just talked about a few things, you know?” He winked at me. I grimaced back.

“Yes, I was very nervous to be holding a discussion with such a great man, but Lord Petalore is very kind and professional!”

“Wha? This guy?” I said, in disbelief. This day had really been too long, my thoughts were leaking now.

Petalore started sulking, while Karbin laughed.

“You too Miss Cailia, it’s amazing how you can scold Etrary’s Special Adviser like that.”

If only he knew. And what had they talked about!

“Anyway, can I have my bag back? I left the agreement drafts in there.”

He had been running around town with those? And then just let me take them instead of getting his wallet out of the bag? What was he thinking! But in this situation all I could do was sigh softly and hand the bag over. Petalore started looking through it, then seemingly not finding what he was looking for started taking things out and placing on them on the table.

“Now where is it...? Hmm.”

Karbin was looking curiously at the books he had taken out.

“Lord Petalore you can read Rocari?”

“Yep! I love their novels.”

“And Flowers of Rain? I love that book, and you’re reading that too!”

“Oh, no I haven’t. Cailia’s been enjoying it though.”

I froze. Why would he say that now! I was burning up with embarrassment but Rai looked at me with joy.

“Really?

I gave an awkward nod in reply. He beamed at me.

“Here we go!” Petalore said as he pulled out a piece of paper and placed it on the table. “It’s just as we discussed. Please read it and if you have no objections, let’s get it signed!”

Karbin assented and started reading the agreement. Petalore stuck his feet up on a chair and watched. It felt like my house, my lovely little house, had been taken over.

Karbin looked up and fidgeted. “Ah, well I think it’s mostly fine, but I’m concerned about this clause here. It seems like the wording is too loose and could be exploited, I’m not sure if Ambassador Tarrian would approve...”

Huh, this guy actually seemed pretty competent. That surprised me after had just melted over a romance nocel. Though he did seem uncomfortable having to deny Petalore, if only he knew...

“Ah that’s no good, this deal really needs to be concluded quickly. I see what you mean, but do you really think I’d take advantage of you like that Rai?” Petalore asked, sweetly.

“Well, no, but the risk...”

Petalore glanced at me as if to say “do something!”

You relegated me to buying sweets, and now you want my help? This man.

“I won’t let him, Karbin.” I chimed in. “In fact, I’ll make sure he proposes an amendment closing the issue first thing tomorrow.”

“Well, but...”

I grimaced a bit before continuing. “Besides, it’s good to be bold sometime. Like Arrian from Flowers of Rain.”

Kill me. I could not look at him as I said it, I was sure my face was burning up. This was not a rhetorical tactic I had studied. Petalore looked incredibly amused, while Karbin on the other hand nodded slowly.

“Well...if Miss Cailia says so, I suppose it’s fine.”

What the hell does that mean?

“So you’ll sign?”

“Yes. Can Miss Cailia be my witness though?”

No of course I cannot, what kind of request is that anyway? I am part of the opposing party after all, it would be-

“Over your escorts? But anyway sure.” Petalore instantly replied.

Or not. In the end the document was signed, and the Special Adviser insisted we celebrate with the wine I had stashed in the back of the pantry. I did not even bother asking how he had found it.

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An hour later we were all stood on the st-my step. I was giving Rai the standard well-wishes before his departure while Petalore stood off to the side talking to the Fausdale escorts that had accompanied us about something. He returned shortly and stood next to me as Rai and his entourage departed. He waved back to us and shouted:

“Miss Cailia, let’s meet up and talk about Flowers of Rain once you’ve finished it!”

“Oh, uh, alright!”

Petalore nudged me and whispered “Look, you’ve made a friend! You’re even using his first name now.” I clicked my tongue in response. You did it first.

Rai smiled and waved some more. That guy was too excitable, but he seemed like a good person. I guess I would not mind meeting him casually. Though why must it be to talk about romance novels! I groaned at this sudden turn my personality had taken. I had always avoided that kind of stuff, claiming it was beneath me, and now in a single day it had become a professional asset.

Once Rai was on his way, Petalore for some reason turned back and shut the door behind us. He then smiled and turned to me.

“I told you it would be fine.” He said, winking.

I sighed. “This was in no way predictable. But I admit that it worked out, somehow. So, uh, good job I guess.”

“You too! But the thing is...”

“The thing is?”

“...well, you can’t live here anymore!”

“...Huh?”

I felt like he had just said something insane. Truly insane this time. Had we drank more than I remembered?

“See, Karbin’s escort caught some of those separatists lurking around here, so they know where you live. They’ll definitely try to kill you, so you have to move!”

I froze. Petalore continued saying something about living in place that reflects your position and having adequate security.

And what was that about being killed? I already almost died today!

“But I’m no one! I only graduated yesterday, why would I be in danger!”

“What are you talking about? You’re a Junior Secretary working with the Special Adviser who just hosted a negotiation with the acting Ambassador of Fausdale, you’re a high-ranking official no matter how you look at it.”

Alright, it did sound reasonable when you put it like that. But still!

“Wait! What about all my things! And where am I going to stay until I find a new place!”

“It’s fine it’s fine, we’ll have them moved. And where to stay isn’t a problem, you can just come live with me.” He answered without hesitation.

Why are the things the way they are?

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Marysa sent Petalore a letter rebuking him but also thanking him for the coffee.