Rishe could never explain to Arnold why she was arguing insistently.
I didnât believe in ghosts in my first life either. But-but, I mean!!!
Risheâs own existence, dying once and living a life on the loop, suggested the possibility that âthere might even be ghostsâ.
That was naturally petrifying.
She wasnât afraid of the bandits, or the rogues who kidnapped her, or the worldâs most powerful emperor who would rival her five years in the future, but she was very much afraid of ghosts.
Weapons were useless against ghosts, and there was no way Rishe could confront them with the skill she possessed.
âRishe.â
âHiyaaa!â
ââ¦â
Her reply turned inside out.
Arnold held his forehead, let out a huff, and then said, âIâm not going to be able to do anything about it.
ââ¦Fine, letâs turn back.â
â!!â
âIsnât this path scary? Then if we donât go through here, it will be solved. Isnât that right?â
âN-N-Noâ¦â
She couldnât help but cling to Arnoldâs proposal.
But Rishe couldnât just nod here.
âItâs okay. Letâs just go home this wayâ¦â
â⦠Isnât this South Corridor a problem?â
âThatâs true. If we take another route from here, weâll have to go back to the front of the hall where the party was held, wonât we?â
âWell, I suppose so.â
âThe guests have left, and Iâm sure the servants are busy cleaning up by now. If Your Royal Highness were to return in the midst of that mess, the hall would be in turmoilâ¦â
When the royal family was present, the lower level servants werenât allowed to look up, much less show themselves.
Even Rishe had to dismiss all maidservants except those serving maids when Arnold was present.
Cleaning up after a night party was a lot of work and the servants tend to sleep very late.
As a former maidservant, she couldnât put such a burden on the people who were cleaning the halls.
âSo, Iâll do my bestâ¦Iâll do my best and get back to my room by myself from here. Iâll be fine â¦â¦!â
ââ¦W-wait, what do you mean by yourself?â
âI donât think I have the courage to do it right away, so I thought it would take a little more time⦠So donât mind me Your Highness. Please go back to your room first.â
ââ¦â¦â¦â¦â
Arnold looked down at Rishe and spoke, âHow would you muster the courage to do it?â
âUhmâ¦â
âIâll accompany you until you can move, so tell me what to do.â
âBut I canât trouble you that much-â
Arnold raised his index finger in front of Risheâs lips.
âYour voice is trembling.â
â!â
Sealing her whistle in the dark, Rishe obediently shut up.
âIâm sorry for acting like Iâm making light of your fears.â
âYour Highnessâ¦â
âSince I took you out for the evening party as my fiancée, itâs my duty to get you back safely to the detached palace.â
âNo, not at all! Speaking of which, I had it coming when I poked my nose into those rumorsâ¦â
âIf youâre like this even with me here, I donât think you can cope with being stranded here alone.â
âUhâ¦â
Honestly, he nailed it on the head.
When she lifted her gaze fearfully, it seemed that Arnold was really going to help Rishe.
Although he didnât believe in ghosts, he wouldnât shun Rishe for fearing them.
ââ¦Sleeves.â
Rishe squeezed out the word.
âCan I walk around with a hold of Your Highnessâ sleeve or just the edge of the hem of your coat?â
ââ¦I donât mind, if it does any good.â
âAs far as I know, Your Highness is the strongest person in the world.â
She almost mumbled, but at least she wanted to answer honestly.
She wove what she had in mind to Arnold in front of her.
âAs long as I think that the invincible Arnold, the Crown Prince, was within reachâ¦it has an amazing effect. It gives me a little bit of relief and courageâ¦â
âââ â¦â¦â
Arnold raised an eyebrow when she reached that far.
And after a momentâs thought, he sighed deeply again.
Although I thought it would be a nuisance if we were to hold hands. So, I decided to clutch his sleeves. Either way, itâs still a nuisanceâ¦
She was sure he was seriously taken aback. But after a while, Arnold looked up and extended his right hand towards Rishe.
And then he took Risheâs hand.
âAh, Your Highness Arnold?â