Sofia Galur - Part 1

Hiroto left the room and walked for a while before realizing he didn't know where to find Sofia. He didn't stop, though, figuring he could either ask a servant for directions or just explore the castle. Eventually, he was sure he would find her.

The castle hallways were vast and cold. Soldiers stood rigidly at every corner, making the place feel more like a high-class prison than a royal residence. Servants occasionally passed Hiroto, giving him a curious side glance but never daring to ask who he was.

Ahead, he saw a group of three soldiers walking toward him. One of them, positioned in the center, carried himself with an air of authority that made the other two seem like mere lackeys. Hiroto decided it was better to ask for directions than to continue wandering aimlessly. He started walking toward them.

"Excuse me," Hiroto called out.

They stopped, narrowing their eyes at him. The man in the center spoke, his voice polite but firm. "Yes? How may I help you?"

"I am Hemal Rodrick. Could you please tell me where I might find the princess?"

The two soldiers flanking the leader exchanged a look of realization, while the man himself simply scanned Hiroto from head to toe. "If you're referring to Princess Sofia, you can find her just outside in the main garden. I believe I saw her there a moment ago."

Are there other princesses? Hiroto wondered, but he had the information he needed. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," the man replied, before he and his men continued on their way.

Hiroto watched them go, briefly curious about who they were, but quickly pushed the thought aside. He had a princess to find.

Stepping out of the building, he was greeted by the sight of a breathtakingly beautiful garden. It was so vast that it could have hidden a small village within its hedges, filled with countless plants and the gentle hum of insects flying about.

Finding Sofia wasn't difficult. As soon as he stepped outside, he could see her silhouette in the distance. He walked toward her, and as he got closer, he realized she wasn't alone.

With her was a boy who looked to be about the same age. He had a serious expression and eyes that seemed to view the world with utter disinterest—the kind of person most people would instinctively try to avoid. He was speaking to Sofia, who looked completely unmotivated, her shoulders slumped as if she were trapped in a conversation she desperately wanted to escape.

Hiroto walked up to them, stopping a few feet away when they finally sensed his presence. Sofia's eyes lit up with relief, but before she could say anything, the boy spoke, his tone sharp.

"And who are you?"

Who's this guy? Hiroto wondered. The boy wasn't wearing a servant's uniform, nor did he carry the armor of a knight. He had to be someone important to speak with such arrogance.

"I am Hemal Rodrick, youngest son of the Rodrick family."

The boy scoffed. "Rodrick? Never heard of them."

Hiroto fought the urge to frown at his rudeness. "We're a border family. It's not surprising you wouldn't know of us."

"Didn't I already tell you about him?" Sofia said to the boy, her voice tight with annoyance.

"Did you?" the boy asked, feigning ignorance.

Sofia looked as though she wanted to argue, but she held herself back. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, the boy’s lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, you mean that family. The one whose eldest son ran away from his wedding."

Hiroto forced a polite smile, though an irrational urge to punch the boy flared up inside him.

"Whatever," Sofia cut in, clearly done with the conversation. "I have things to discuss with him, so can you please leave us alone?"

The boy’s gaze flickered from Sofia to Hiroto, full of irritation. Great, Hiroto thought. Have I already made an enemy?

"With him?" the boy sneered. "But you have plans with me."

"What plans? I'm not aware of any."

"We're making them right now."

Sofia pressed a hand to her forehead, warding off a headache. "I'm busy today. Come back another time."

With that, she grabbed Hiroto's hand and began dragging him away. The boy called out, "Wait, wait..." but Sofia ignored him completely, and he was left standing there, dumbfounded.

They found a quiet bench in the garden, and Sofia let out a huge sigh of relief. She looked exhausted, even though it was still morning. Hiroto felt his fatigue from the journey creeping in; it would probably take a few days to fully recover. He decided to just ask directly.

"Who was that?"

Sofia took a moment to gather her words. "He... is the second prince of the neighboring kingdom."

"Is that so?" Hiroto said, deciding not to pry any further. He could tell it was a messy situation, and he had no desire to get caught up in someone else's drama. He was here for one reason. "So, when can I meet your father?"

"It will take some time. He's incredibly busy. It will probably be one, maybe two weeks."

Hiroto nodded in understanding. "So, what should I do in the meantime?"

Sofia blinked, as if the question had caught her completely off guard. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Well, you brought me here. I assumed you had something for me to do."

She looked away awkwardly. "Yes, yes, of course! Something to do. We... we have to visit the magic tower!"

"When?"

"When?" she repeated, flustered. "I... I don't know. I just arrived with you! It takes time to prepare everything. And shouldn't you rest after such a long journey?"

"Now that you mention it—"

"Right?" she jumped on the opportunity. "So you should rest for three days. No, a week! Rest for a week, and then we can think about work."

"...Okay," Hiroto agreed slowly.

He watched her nervous expression, and a feeling of suspicion began to take root. Something was not right here.

A servant guided Hiroto back to his room. Now, with a whole week of mandated "rest" ahead of him, he had absolutely nothing to do.

An idea struck him: he could explore the capital. He remembered Sofia mentioning she'd never seen much of it herself, and for a moment, he considered inviting her to go with him. But the thought died as quickly as it came. Given how strangely she was acting, he was sure she would just decline.

So, what else was there? His mind drifted to the royal library. A castle of this scale had to be filled with rare books, perhaps even some on magic. It was the perfect way to spend his time, but it came with its problems. He wondered if he, a guest from a minor border family, would even be allowed access.

Unsure of what to do and wanting to avoid trouble on his first day, he ended up staying in his room all day.