Chapter 89: Her Highness the Princess

Denise smiled and explained, “The Arlantis Empire originated in the southern coastal province of Arlantiri. Only those of pure Arlantiri blood have black hair and black eyes. Even among the people of the imperial capital today, those with black hair and black eyes make up less than a third.”

Her gaze fell upon the little mouse nestled beside Olivia. She paused, then went on. “The Arlantis Empire has stood for a thousand years. Especially after the northern lands joined seven hundred years ago, and the western lands five hundred years ago, the population of the imperial capital has long since become highly mixed.”

“Blond-haired, green-eyed northerners, brown-haired, blue-eyed westerners, black-haired, black-eyed southerners. That old way of distinguishing people is no longer very useful. Now it can only be used to trace part of a person’s bloodline.”

“Most of the native Arlantiri nobility have seen their hair and eye colors change after countless generations of intermarriage.”

Leo nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. Even in our village, there are quite a few brown-haired people.”

The village militiaman Vicky was a brown-haired young man. Besides the broad, sturdy build typical of a northerner, he also had the curly brown hair of the western lands, and a pair of keen dark-brown eyes.

In a remote mountain village like theirs by the North Ice River, it was hardly strange to find hair and eye colors from other regions. So it was only natural that the people of the imperial capital had all manner of appearances.

As the two of them spoke of racial traits, the little mouse clinging to Olivia began to look uneasy. She quietly edged over to Leo’s side and grasped the hem of his clothes with both hands.

Denise had seen this little girl who always trailed after Leo, though she had never paid her much attention.

After all, seven hundred years ago, when humankind drove back the beastfolk, a great number of imperial citizens crossed the Anzno River northward and seized the lands that had once belonged to the beastfolk. Though the northern clans held dominance, the standing imperial forces stationed in the various military strongholds still included many soldiers from the western and southern lands.

Thus, centuries later, northerners could have any hair color at all: blond, brown, black, and even the strange green hair said to come from beastfolk blood.

But a true Arlantiri with black hair and black eyes was exceedingly rare.

At that moment, noticing the little mouse, Denise could not help smiling as she asked, “What is your name?”

The little mouse seemed about to speak, then hesitated, her tiny face paling as she looked to Leo.

Leo had brought up the topic precisely because of her, so he encouraged her, “Don’t be afraid. Just say it boldly!”

Only then did the little mouse whisper, “My name is Guelvig...”

Denise smiled. “What a lovely name. Your parents must be well educated. It is a very rare northern name, one that symbolizes kingship and power. Why, the father-in-law of the current emperor, your grand duke, Lord Michel, even named his granddaughter Gue... Gue...”

As she spoke, Denise seemed to remember something. Her expression stiffened, and her face slowly turned as pale as the little mouse’s.

The little mouse buried her head in Leo’s embrace and, gathering her courage, said, “My name is Guelvig Charles Alexander Augustus King Griffin Black...”

With each surname she spoke, Denise’s face turned a shade paler.

By the time that string of names was finished, even Leo could tell the little mouse’s background was extraordinary. He hurriedly asked, “Miss Denise, have you heard that name before?”

It was a desperate grasp at straws. After all, in the North, the people around him were neither educated nor worldly, so he could only seize the chance to ask Denise. Failing that, he could at least ask her to inquire once she returned to the imperial capital.

Life in the frontier settlement looked fine from the outside, but the environment was actually viciously harsh; it barely amounted to little more than food and shelter. Danger lurked everywhere, and even a simple cold or fever could take a life—there was not even a doctor here.

The old Leo had not cared about anything. But now that he truly regarded the little mouse as his daughter, he naturally hoped she could live better.

Denise remained silent. After a long while, she regained her composure and let out a slow breath. “Of course I’ve heard of it. That is the title of the imperial princess, the only daughter of Charles VII, heir to the Arlantis Empire!”

Leo’s mouth fell open. He pinched the little mouse’s small head and looked her over from side to side in disbelief. “I just picked her up on the road at random, and she turned out to be a princess? Do all your imperial princesses like crawling under people’s carts?”

Denise gave a faint, mournful sigh. “Whether it is true or not is still unknown.”

“A year ago, the queen took the little Princess Guelvig to Olenik to visit her father—your northern grand duke. Then the airship crashed, and no one survived.”

“The imperial Griffon Knights, the Rose Knights, and the Gale Knights all took part in the investigation, but they still could not determine the cause of the crash or find any survivors.”

“In this past year, there have been countless swindlers pretending to be the princess. At least a hundred people have already been hanged.”

Denise stared at the little mouse and said gravely, “If it is true, then of course this is a tremendous piece of good news. But if it is false, then not only will all of you be hanged, but I, as a participant, will be implicated as well.”

Leo had the little mouse take out her small nightgown and asked, “Can this prove her identity?”

Denise took it and examined it carefully, her fingers finding the griffon embroidery hidden within the woven pattern. “This is magical cloth made from silk unique to Arlantiri Province. For a thousand years it has been a tribute reserved for the royal family, and it is nearly impossible to buy on the open market.”

“The griffon crest is also the royal emblem. That much is beyond doubt.”

“But even these things cannot prove her bloodline.”

“So what do we do?” Leo pulled the trembling little mouse into his arms and comforted her. “I don’t care much either way. If you can’t go back, then become my daughter, and I’ll raise you!”

The little mouse, who had been terribly frightened after her identity was exposed, gradually calmed down when she heard that.

Denise looked back and forth between the little mouse and Leo before finally saying, “Leo, during the time we’ve known each other, I’ve come to understand your character. I believe you won’t deceive me, and besides, you don’t have the ability to orchestrate such a massive fraud.”

“But this world is full of all kinds of dark tricks. One can be tripped up without ever realizing it. I cannot, and dare not, bring a girl who may be a princess back to the imperial capital.”

“But I will set out at once and return to the capital. I will use my connections there and find a way to verify her true identity.”

“In the meantime, please be sure to protect her.”

Seeing how serious she was, Leo could only say, “All right. Go ahead, but be sure not to reveal any of this carelessly. Whether she is or not, I do not want to see anyone harmed.”

Denise nodded. “Of course.”

Whether the little mouse was truly a princess or not, if this information got out, it would bring enormous danger to both the little mouse herself and Riverbend.

Leo suddenly felt somewhat regretful, thinking he should not have been so hasty.

It was true that from the moment he saw the little mouse’s nightgown, he knew her identity was no simple matter, but he had not expected her background to be so astonishing.

This side quest had clearly not been meant to begin until the later stages of the story!

After seeing Denise off, Leo looked at the little mouse hiding in Olivia’s arms and bellowed, “Your Highness, why are you still not here to attend your lord in bed?”