The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Married Life in a Former Enemy Country in Her Seventh Loop

“I truly… I’m so, so sorry…”

In a corner of Vinreese, Harriet bowed, on the verge of tears.
The last light of evening struck her golden hair and made it shine.
To her faint, vanishing apology, Rishe shook her head with a sunny smile.

“It’s all right. Please don’t worry about it, Lady Harriet.”
“N—no! Her Highness Harriet must take this to heart. You said, ‘Until dinner, I’d like to try shopping in town,’ and Lady Rishe was kind enough to accompany you, was she not? You insisted on preparing your own things, I was moved and left it to you—and look what’s happened…!”
The Head Lady-in-Waiting furrowed her brow and heaved a heavy sigh.

“To think you had the maid carry a purse of Fabranian gold coins instead of Galkhein gold coins…”
“Uu…”
Harriet drooped as if a weight had been set on her head.

As if to press her beleaguered mistress further, the Head Lady-in-Waiting added:
“With Fabranian gold coins, you cannot make purchases at Galkhein shops. It’s only because we came to a ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) town with exchange offices that this is salvageable…”
“Exactly! Since we’re in a town with exchange offices, there’s no problem at all.”
Cutting in on the exchange, Rishe smiled at Harriet.

“Your maid is exchanging them for Galkhein Gold Coins now. Once that’s done, let’s enjoy a little shopping until dinner.”
“Th—thank you…”
“We are most grateful for Lady Rishe’s magnanimity. Your Highness Harriet, do not take undue advantage of it.”

Smiling wryly at the Head Lady-in-Waiting’s severity, Rishe glanced back.
They were waiting for the maid just beside the building that housed the exchange office. Even tucked to one side so as not to be in the way, they drew eyes from passersby simply because their group numbered over ten.
The reason was that five Fabranian women knights, who said they had recovered, were accompanying them for the shopping.

Naturally, the Sigwell guards Raul had brought were nearby as well. To avoid drawing any more attention, the Royal Guards who usually accompanied Rishe had been left at the castle.
There’s no eye contact or conversation between the Fabranian knights and the Sigwell knights.
It seemed each considered themselves assigned to their own duty rather than cooperating to protect Harriet.

The Fabranian knights are more seasoned than the Sigwell ones. —His Majesty of Fabrania has appointed reliable guards to his fiancée.
Rishe pondered a moment.
His Majesty of Fabrania gave Lady Harriet a generous allowance and told her to spend her time freely shopping in Galkhein… And for her escort, he seems to have selected the standouts among the few women knights they have.

The one who wounded young Harriet had been the Fabranian king’s words.
And yet, looking only at his actions in the present, one could argue His Majesty Fabrania was treating Harriet with care.
Hmm…

As she worried it over, she felt a gaze and looked up.
A short distance away before the exchange office stood Oliver.
They were close enough to see each other’s faces but too far to talk. When Oliver smiled and bowed, Rishe returned the bow.
Is Lord Oliver perhaps on an errand for Prince Arnold?

As expected, Oliver went into the exchange office. Arnold had said there were only a few stops left to make.
Even so, because Rishe had asked for her own investigation, Arnold’s work must have increased. As a result, Oliver would be bearing more of the load too. She felt sorry for that.
Now that I think of it…

She remembered her talk with Arnold on the beach.
‘Are you planning to remake Galkhein’s currency with less gold and silver content?’
‘…That’s right.’

At the time, it had struck her as a vague answer for Arnold.
What did it mean? Perhaps Arnold still had secrets on this matter.
Could it be that Prince Arnold…

As her thoughts turned, a voice suddenly broke in.
“Your Highness Harriet. Do not let your guard down—you’re slouching again.”
“E—eep!”

Harriet, voice flipping, hastily straightened her back.
But from up close it was plain she wasn’t hunching on purpose.
“Honestly, why do you insist on such a posture? I’m always telling you—carry yourself with confidence.”

“U-um…”
Seeing Harriet’s pained expression, Rishe spoke up, crisp and clear in her place.
“Head Lady-in-Waiting. A rounded back is by no means a problem at the root of the heart.”

“…What do you mean?”
“—The thing that will solve it is Lady Harriet’s muscles!”
Spoken in utter seriousness, that made both Harriet and the Head Lady-in-Waiting stare, mouths ajar.

“M—mus… what did you say?”
“To keep your back straight, you need the power of the muscles, in other words, the strength that supports the body. What Lady Harriet lacks is not grit but muscle.”
Rishe said it, touching her own stomach as she explained.

“First the abdominal muscles. Then the back muscles. Judging by Lady Harriet’s posture, it hasn’t yet reached skeletal distortion, but once you pass twenty it will grow steadily more serious.”
“S-serious how…?”
“Right now, because your body cannot be supported by muscle, your back and neck round forward. The burden falls on the bones, and the longer that continues, the more it leads to pain in the neck, shoulders, and lower back.”

If it advanced that far, everyday life would be affected.
“Lady Harriet. If merely sitting makes you ache, even reading will become difficult.”
“Eek…!? H-how can I prevent that…!?”

“You’ll need at least minimal exercise, but ‘straightening your back’ is itself a form of exercise. Consider it training for your health rather than manners, and add a little to it each day.”
Then Rishe pointed to a large window set into the white wall of the exchange office.
“Lady Harriet. If you look at the window glass, you can see your own figure reflected, can’t you?”

“Ah…”
Perhaps unaccustomed to her own look, Harriet’s eyes wavered in confusion.
The Harriet reflected there was indeed beautiful. But her figure slouched a little, and no doubt that was what nagged at the Head Lady-in-Waiting.

“Try straightening your back and lifting your chest… Yes, very good!”
“E-even just holding this posture is hard…”
“It may be at first. But look at the window again.”

At Rishe’s prompting, Harriet’s eyes opened wide with surprise.
“Ah…”
Her hair and dress in the reflection were, of course, unchanged from a few minutes earlier.

But there was a clear difference.
The dress’s silhouette looked more beautiful; her figure seemed neater. Thanks to lifting her chest and raising her face, her expression looked brighter, and the makeup around her eyes glittered.
“Doesn’t your impression change completely just by straightening your back and lifting your chest?”

“I-it really does…?”
Smiling at Harriet’s quick blinking, Rishe told her:
“Keeping a beautiful posture is hard until you get used to it. But if you think, ‘While I’m putting in the effort, this dress I’m wearing looks all the lovelier,’ it feels a little easier to keep at it, doesn’t it?”

“…”
Harriet, still gazing at her reflection in the glass, seemed to savor Rishe’s words.
Then she looked down at the dress she wore and gave a shy little smile.

“…Yes…”
“…!!”
Catching that smile, Rishe hurried to whisper to the Head Lady-in-Waiting:

“Head Lady-in-Waiting, did you see just now…!? Lady Harriet’s bashful smile—so lovely, so adorable…!”
“D—do not be satisfied yet! In another country it is only natural to remain ever pleasant and charming—this is diplomacy…!!”
“But it was lovely, wasn’t it?”

“W-well, yes, that much is true, but…!!”
After saying so, the Head Lady-in-Waiting suddenly started, as if caught out, and covered her mouth with her right hand.
Even so, she did not retract what she’d said. Watching Harriet fidget and the Head Lady-in-Waiting fluster likewise, Rishe couldn’t help grinning.

I’m glad Lady Harriet seems to be enjoying herself even a little. It’s evening—we’ll have to return to the castle soon… but I want to hit as many shops as possible that will delight her.
What kind of shops would Harriet like?
As she thought happily about their remaining shopping, Rishe let her imagination roam.

 
****
Princess Harriet carried, besides her newly styled dress, a small handbag.

She had said she would prepare for the outing herself, and that was the bag she’d readied.
With her back to Rishe, who was speaking with the Head Lady-in-Waiting, Harriet opened the clasp and peeked inside, careful not to let anyone see.
“…Money…”

There were several gold coins inside.
Stamped on them was a simplified design of an eagle—the crest of Galkhein. With a white finger, Harriet traced the feathers.
“Galkhein’s money… Money, money, money…”

Then she quietly closed the bag.
The voice she spun was scarcely more than a breath—so small it was swallowed by sea breeze and surf as she muttered to herself.
“…With this money, I can get the things I’ve wanted…”

 
****
After they had visited several shops and evening had settled in, Rishe and Harriet returned to the castle by carriage.

When they reached the entrance hall, a waiting maid quietly delivered a message.
“Welcome home, Lady Rishe. I’ve a message from Lord Oliver: His Highness Arnold requests you.”
“Thank you. I’ll go to his office at once. Well then, Lady Harriet—until later.”

“Y-yes, thank you so much…!!”
After parting from Harriet, who bowed again and again, Rishe headed for Arnold’s office.
She knocked; Oliver admitted her.

“Excuse me, Your Highness Arnold.”
“…Ah.”
Arnold, pen moving, had changed into a black shirt. The button at his collar was undone, and the scar he usually kept hidden was visible.

“If I may, Lady Rishe.”
Closing the door, Oliver came over, shrugging in exasperation.
“Our lord, honestly! I took my eyes off him for a moment and somehow he ended up wading fully clothed in the sea…”

“Eh.”
Rishe stiffened, turning awkwardly back to Oliver.
“No matter how I pressed him, he wouldn’t say what happened. I want him to relax by all means, but getting up to mischief…”

“Ah, um, Lord Oliver!! Regarding that, it wasn’t His Highness—it was I who…”
“…Rishe.”
While Oliver wasn’t looking, Arnold raised his index finger to his lips.

He likely meant, keep it secret.
Whaaat…?
Expressionless, yet like a child after a prank.

If Oliver was scolding Arnold, Rishe should explain.
And yet, with him making that gesture, it was hard to push the point here and now.
I don’t know why he wants to keep it a secret… but I’ll have to tell Lord Oliver the truth and apologize when His Highness isn’t around…

Just then, Oliver called to her:
“Lady Rishe, please take this settee. …My lord, as well.”
“Mm.”

Arnold stood and took one of the settees placed on either side of the low table.
Prompted to sit beside him, Rishe perched at his side. When Arnold signaled, Oliver bowed and took the seat opposite them.