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maboroshi-no · 5 months

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Hamefura Movie Novel Chapter 3 Summary

I am currently reading the light of the novel of the upcoming Hamefura movie and will write summaries as I read.

Previous Chapters:

Chapter 1: The Foreign Merchant Caravan

Chapter 2: The Emissaries From Mutlaq

Chapter 3: Food Supplies

The next morning, Katarina wakes up because Piyo is being noisy.

Piyo wants her to take him to Aaqil right now. She would have preferred to go later in the day, but Aaqil has said that he was busy during the day and that he was only available during the morning or the evening. She chose to go in the early morning because she expected Piyo to urge her to take him to Aaqil as soon as possible.

Katarina sees Keith off as he departs for the castle.

High-Speed Trip to the Caravan

Katarina boards the carriage with Anne and Piyo, and they head to the merchant caravan.

Piyo is especially impatient, so Katarina asks the coachman to go a little faster. But in response, the coachman makes the carriage go EXTREMELY faster.

Katarina is confused and asks Anne why they are going so fast. Anne explains that it is probably because she asked the coachman to go faster. The coachman used to participate in horse races and he was probably thrilled by her request. Katarina wishes she had known beforehand. The coachman looks like a gentle grandpa, not the kind to enjoy thrilling horse races. She can't judge a book by its cover. She silently decides that she will never ask him to go faster again.

Katarina Has Arrived at the Caravan

With the carriage going full speed and no one on the road, Katarina and the others arrive at the caravan way earlier than expected. There is still no one around the tents.

The coachman gives her a "How's that?" smug look, but Katarina wishes he had spared her from this high-speed trip. Katarina is fine but Anne is feeling sick from motion sickness. Katarina invites her to rest while she goes to see Aaqil. Anne refuses since she can't let Katarina go alone. Katarina persuades her that she will be okay since the tents are right nearby and they are in a safe area near the capital. Anne finally gives in.

Katarina heads to the tents with Piyo. She walks to the entrance, but there is a "closed" sign. She calls out but no one comes. Maybe the caravan people can't hear her because they are further inside, or maybe they are still sleeping because they have stayed late. She seems to have come too early. She considers going to the castle first and then returning in the evening, but Piyo doesn't want to wait.

Katarina Talks About Animals With Aaqil

Eventually, Katarina sees a man wearing a turban and calls out to him. It happens to be Aaqil. Katarina can't believe her luck and Piyo is so overjoyed that he leaps towards him. Aaqil catches Piyo and asks Katarina what she is doing here so early. Katarina explains that Piyo wanted to see him so much that he couldn't wait. Aaqil smiles while looking at Piyo so happy to see him. Katarina realizes again that he looks completely different whenever he smiles.

Katarina wonders what Aaqil is doing outside so early in the morning. Aaqil evasively replies that he is making some preparations. Katarina feels like she shouldn't pry and changes the topic.

Katarina tells Aaqil that Piyo really seems to love him. She wonders if he can charm any animal. Aaqil frowns and tells her that he doesn't charm animals. Animals usually don't love him as much as Piyo. Katarina is surprised: "So animals don't get head over heels for you like Piyo?". Aaqil is confused about the expression "head over heels". Katarina panics since she has used a word from her past life, and tries to explain that it means "I love you a lot". She asks Aaqil if they don't have a word like that in Mutlaq. Aaqil tells her that it would be "Raanyamuu". In Mutlaq, it means "I love you", or "You are dear to me". Aaqil has said this with a detached tone. Katarina is glad to learn that they have a word for this in Mutlaq. She confirms that Piyo is "Raanyamuu" about him. Piyo sings in confirmation and leans on Aaqil. Katarina feels jealous of all the love Piyo pours on Aaqil.

Aaqil tells her that animals are usually just easier to hold but that's it. Only his partner snuggles on him like that. Katarina asks him if by "partner", he means the falcon. Aaqil says yes. He and the falcon have been together ever since he was little, so he leans close to him. The other animals are not like that. Katarina wonders if Aaqil is especially loved by birds, the same way she is hated by dogs. Aaqil denies it. His falcon treats him special since he has taken care of him ever since he hatched from his egg while the other birds act normally with him. But Piyo seems to be different. Piyo happily chirps in agreement. Looking at Piyo being so head over heels for Aaqil, Katarina feels like being malicious.

Katarina asks Aaqil what kinds of animals he likes. Piyo gives Katarina a shocked look. Aaqil replies that he likes all animals, but especially birds. Piyo is pleased with this answer. Katarina asks Aaqil if it is because he has been taking care of the falcon. Aaqil thinks it may contribute to it, but he already loved birds even before, though he doesn't know why.

Looking at Aaqil's gentle face, Katarina feels this feeling again, like she met him long ago. She wonders why since Aaqil has never come to Sorcier before, and she has never gone outside of Sorcier either. Where could they have met?

Katarina Talks About Family With Aaqil

After extensively talking about animals, Katarina would like to talk about something else with Aaqil.

Katarina starts talking about food, but after a while, Aaqil asks her to stop since he may get a stomachache from all this food talk. Katarina is disappointed since she still has a lot to tell him, like the dishes and desserts she recommends in the capital, or the food she recommends to take back as souvenirs.

Katarina asks Aaqil what he would like to talk about. Aaqil replies he doesn't really care about the subject. Then Katarina suggests talking about friends.

Katarina gushes about her friends, and then her family. She is such a lucky person.

Katarina asks Aaqil about his family. Aaqil was smiling just moments ago, but now he is choked with words. Katarina suddenly remembers that two days ago, Nashiit and Haati told her that a lot of people in Mutlaq are orphans with nowhere to go. Aaqil was listening to her with a smile, so she forgot about this. Katarina curses her lack of consideration.

Aaqil answers that he has mostly never interacted with his blood relatives. Neither he nor they consider each other as "family". To him, his "family" would rather be the caravan people. He considers them as his precious family. Aaqil's eyes were sad but now they are glowing.

Katarina knows that it is possible for blood relatives not to love each other, and for non-blood relatives to love each other as family. Keith is a perfect example of that since her father, her mother and she all consider him as their precious family.

Katarina tells Aaqil that he and the caravan people seem to cherish each other. Aaqil brightly replies that they are the family that he is so proud of.

Aaqil talks about the members of his family. The softhearted caravan leader, his nosy and noisy childhood friend with a pretty face, his oh, so annoying childhood friend who is good at dancing but is bad at everything else, and the annoying twins who fight a lot. Aaqil is boasting about his family.

Katarina has heard from the caravan leader that Aaqil is shy of strangers, but he doesn't seem to reject people. He is curt but gentle. He may not interact with his blood relatives but he has grown into a gentle boy, probably because of the influence of his family. Katarina is glad that Aaqil is blessed with a good family.

End of the Talk

Time has passed while they were talking and Aaqil must now start working.

Aaqil asks Katarina to leave, but Piyo wants to stay no matter what. Katarina is troubled since she can't possibly leave Piyo with Aaqil while he is working. Aaqil confirms that he can't keep Piyo with him while working. Piyo is completely depressed.

Katarina asks Aaqil if they can see him tonight. Aaqil accepts since Piyo wants to see him so badly. Piyo is happy.

Katarina takes Piyo back and returns to Anne. Anne has completely recovered from motion sickness.

Katarina and Anne go to town and buy some food supplies for the boys.

Katarina and Anne head to the castle. This time, Katarina asks the coachman to drive safely.

Aaqil's POV

After seeing Katarina and Piyo off, Aaqil is amazed by the warmth that he still feels in his heart.

It is the first time that he has talked about the caravan people with someone. To begin with, he won't let anyone but the caravan people in his heart, so it is the first time that he has talked for so long with someone. "People are scary, people can't be trusted". With these thoughts in mind, he has kept rejecting everyone except the animals and the caravan people, and he has especially rejected the people approaching him for favors.

Despite this, Katarina has smoothly gotten into his heart, like water permeates the earth. He hasn't felt displeasure with her ever since their first meeting. It must be because she has no hidden side and really cares about the chick she carries with her. When she told him that she would come to see him again, he couldn't help feeling happy. He would have never thought there would be a day when he would allow someone other than the caravan people in his heart. It feels weird to him since he has always considered that he could only trust the caravan people.

Aaqil has been taken in by the caravan leader like everyone else, but it is not like he has nowhere to go. He has a place to go, but it is a place he doesn't want to stay at all.

His real name is Chihab Waaqid Aaqil Mutlaq. He is the third prince of Mutlaq. The royal family has passed down the ability to control animals from generation to generation. He has hated it for a long time because it forced his beloved animals to obey him. The ability is strong in him, so even before he was old enough to understand, his father, the King, has been using him as a well-made tool.

Aaqil has mostly never seen his mother, a concubine. Just after giving birth to him, she considered her role as accomplished and didn't stick around. His only interaction with her was when she ordered him to listen to the King after she had heard that the King remembered him who he was.

To ensure that the ability is passed down, the King has many consorts and lovers. As a result, Aaqil has many half-siblings, but they don't interact with him because they all treat him as a rival. Rather, since he has a strong ability and the King remembers him (as a tool), his half-brothers have been badmouthing and harassing him. The only ones who have approached him are the people who wanted to use him. Among them, the adult women who approached him when he was just a little kid made him sick. Before he has noticed, he has become afraid of people, especially women.

His life changed on the day he attended a certain event as a royal. He was completely fascinated by the show held by the group led by the caravan leader. Then he did something normally unthinkable for him: after the show, he secretly visited the tent of the group. At the time, he was a shut-in who was afraid of people, so it required a great deal of courage. If they had told him to go away, he would have never been able to go see them again. But the caravan leader and everyone received him.

The first time he experienced their warmth, he could tell they cherished him. He felt like he was one of them. He didn't find them scary, he didn't feel pain when talking with them. He could laugh from the bottom of his heart.

He was already happy with just this, but now he is also happy to have found someone with whom he could talk about his family, and then hear them say that his family is wonderful. His chest felt warm when he heard it.

When he is with Katarina, he feels a warmth different from the one he feels with his family, like an indescribable happiness. Before he has noticed, he has been looking forward to her coming to see him again.

Katarina's POV

Katarina and Anne have arrived at the castle. They have come with food supplies.

As Geordo's fiancée, Katarina's face is well-known and she mostly has a "face pass" to enter the castle. This time, the guard asks her not to go to other places than the ones she usually goes to. Katarina wonders if it might be related to the issues that Keith mentioned.

Katarina Sees Geordo

Katarina must deliver her provisions to the boys but she doesn't know where they are. For the time being, she heads to the room that Geordo usually uses as his office.

Katarina has arrived at Geordo's office. Katarina asks Anne to wait for her. Katarina knocks on the door. Geordo's voice invites her to come in.

Katarina enters the room.

Geordo: Eh?! Katarina?!

Upon seeing her, Geordo is so surprised that he stands from his desk.

Geordo: What are you doing here? Do you have some business with me?

Katarina: Umm... I have heard from Keith that you and the others are extremely busy with work. I was worried, so I have come to check up on you for a bit.

Geordo blinks his eyes in surprise, and then softly smiles.

Geordo: I see. You have come to check up on us because you were worried.

Katarina: Yes. Especially you, Prince Geordo. You tend to overwork yourself, so I was wondering if you were okay. I have brought some food supplies, so please eat them... Huh? Prince Geordo, are you alright?!

Geordo is covering his face. Katarina is panicked, wondering if he is feeling unwell.

Geordo: ...I am alright. It's just that I don't want you to see the face that I'm currently making... It is nothing, don't worry.

Since Geordo has said that, Katarina decides to believe him. She waits for him to raise his face.

After a while, Geordo raises his face.

Geordo: ...Umm, well, thank you very much for expressly coming here. Please come this way.

Geordo escorts Katarina to the sofa in the room and invites her to sit. Then he sits next to her. Geordo seems to have been working alone in this room, so there is no one there.

Katarina: Umm... Since you are busy, it's okay not to entertain me. I will just leave the food supplies here and leave.

Katarina has said this thinking that Geordo might feel obligated to take care of her.

Geordo: When you are with me like this, my fatigue goes away. Won't you keep me company for a bit?

Geordo has asked this with puppy eyes.

Katarina: O-Okay.

Katarina feels a bit embarrassed since Geordo is firmly holding her waist. Then Geordo holds out his hand and pets her head. Katarina is confused that Geordo is petting her head. Geordo is muttering "My fatigue is going away" while doing it.

Based on this, it seems like Geordo feels healed when he pets her head. It is like when she pets Pochi or Piyo. It is animal therapy. Geordo must be exhausted if he needs it.

Still, Geordo petting her head feels pleasant. If she could do the same thing to him, she might be able to make his fatigue disappear.

Katarina stands up a bit and starts petting Geordo's head. Geordo stops petting her head, and then holds her in his arms.

Geordo: Katarina, you seem to have forgotten again, so I will remind you. I am a man who is in love with you. If you lightly do this kind of thing to me, I won't be able to hold myself back.

Geordo has whispered this in her ear. Katarina's face suddenly turns hot. She remembers that Geordo confessed to her during the kidnapping incident but she completely forgot after all that happened after that.

Katarina: U-Umm... Prince Geordo...

Whether in her past life or this one, Katarina has zero romantic experience, which means she has no resistance to this. She is panicked over being in the arms of a handsome prince.

Geordo: I wish I could lock you up in my arms and make you all mine.

Geordo has whispered this in her ear again. Katarina's head is boiling and she is about to collapse.

Servant: Please excuse me, Prince Geordo. Prince Ian has something to tell you regarding the emissaries.

A servant has said this from the other side of the door. Geordo makes a big sigh.

Geordo: Just when it was getting good.

Geordo releases Katarina from his arms.

Geordo: *chuckle*. Your face is bright red, how cute.

Geordo's face has reverted to his usual one, so Katarina feels relieved. Until a moment ago, Geordo felt like a stranger, so she didn't know what to do.

Geordo kisses Katarina's cheek.

Geordo: Well then, I'm off.

Geordo gallantly returns to work. Katarina stays frozen for a while thinking "Capture targets are terrifying".

Katarina Sees Nicol and Keith

After Katarina has recovered, she hears from a servant that Nicol and Keith are studying at the library, so she heads there.

When Katarina enters the library, Nicol and Keith are surprised to see her.

Katarina: Yesterday, Keith said that he was exhausted because he was extremely busy with work. I was worried, so I have come to check up on you for a bit and bring you some food supplies.

Nicol and Keith smile upon hearing why Katarina is here.

Keith: Big Sister, thank you!

Nicol: Katarina, thank you!

Katarina is thinking of leaving now that she has seen their faces and given them the food supplies, when...

Keith: By the way, Big Sister, did you come here right away, or did you stop by another place?

Katarina: Before coming here, I stopped by Prince Geordo's place. But he was called for work right away.

Katarina thinks to herself that Geordo also showed her how terrifying capture targets can be. Just remembering it, she feels the temperature rise on her face.

Keith stares at her face.

Keith: Did Prince Geordo do something to you?

Katarina is shocked by Keith's question and wonders if he is some kind of esper who can read the minds of people. But she can't bring to tell him that Geordo has hugged her, sweet-talked her, and kissed her cheek. It is far too embarrassing. She gets flustered just by remembering them, so there's no way she can talk about it.

Katarina: No...Nothing...at all.

Katarina tries to deceive Keith. Keith puts a hand on his head, sighs, and raises his eyebrows.

Keith: Big Sister, you are just too defenseless. You need to develop a sense of danger in regard to men!

Katarina: ...Yes.

Usually, the lecture of the overprotective Keith goes over Katarina's head, but based on what happened earlier, she obediently nods. Then, Keith asks her to be cautious about all kinds of things and she silently nods.

Nicol has been silently watching, when...

Nicol: There is still a lot of paperwork that Geordo needs to process. What was he called for?

Katarina: It seems like Prince Ian has something to tell him regarding the emissaries.

Upon hearing this, Keith's face clouds. Nicol's face also seems to cloud. But in Nicol's case, Katarina can't really tell since the expression on his face has mostly not changed.

Katarina asks Nicol if something has happened for them to be suddenly busy with work. Keith and Nicol look at each other, so Katarina wonders if she has asked something that they can't freely talk about. She is about to pretend she hasn't asked anything, but Nicol answers her question.

Katarina Tells Nicol and Keith About the Mutlaq Caravan

Nicol tells Katarina that foreign emissaries have come earlier than expected and that they are currently staying at the castle. He asks her to keep it a secret for the sake of the emissaries' security. Katarina thinks it is understandable since it would be problematic if something happened to them. Katarina still thinks the emissaries must be scatterbrained for coming earlier than planned.

Katarina asks which country the emissaries are from. Nicol replies that they come from Mutlaq, a country far from Sorcier with which they had no interaction until now. Katarina is shocked since it is the same country the merchant caravan is from.

Nicol and Keith are shocked that Katarina knows about Mutlaq. Katarina explains she has come to the foreign merchant caravan 3 times already. Because Piyo has entered one of their tents, it has enabled her to meet the caravan people, get invited to a show, and become friends with them.

Katarina told Keith before about the merchant caravan and the show, but she forgot to mention they were foreign, so Keith probably thought it was a caravan from Sorcier.

Nicol is impressed that Katarina has interacted with some Mutlaq people. Katarina replies that she was lucky to befriend them. They are good people after all. They invited her to their closing party and let her taste Mutlaq dishes and sweets. Keith is shocked and wonders if she has seduced someone again.

Keith is about to go on and on about this, but Nicol cuts him short. Nicol is impressed that Katarina has been able to befriend Mutlaq people in such a short time and asks her for a favor. He would like her to tell them anything she knows about Mutlaq. They don't have much information about them since Sorcier had no interaction with them until now. Katarina gladly accepts since he is happy she can help.

Katarina thinks to herself that if Sorcier had no interaction with Mutlaq until now, it is no wonder that the caravan people have said it was the first time they came to Sorcier.

First, Nicol asks Katarina to tell them about the merchant caravan. Katarina tells him that the caravan seems to consist of people from several countries. The caravan leader is a good person, so he takes under his wing anyone who has nowhere to go.

Nicol asks Katarina if there is a special space inside the caravan. Katarina is confused by the question. Nicol tells her that the emissaries, including royalty, have traveled to Sorcier with this caravan. Katarina is surprised that there is royalty among the emissaries. She tells Nicol that she has walked around the caravan but she hasn't seen any place like that. She hasn't heard anyone from the caravan mention royalty either. Everyone seems to treat each other equally, so it doesn't seem like there would be nobles among them.

Katarina thinks to herself that if there were nobles, Aaqil would probably be more restrained with the caravan people. She feels like she shouldn't talk about it so she keeps quiet about it.

Katarina tells Nicol and Keith all Aaqil and the caravan people told her about Mutlaq, mostly food and unusual animals. Nicol and Keith will now return to their studies.

Nicol advises Katarina not to tell the caravan people about what they discussed here, nor her social status. Katarina agrees. She wouldn't like them to treat her formally because she is a noble lady. She tells Nicol and Keith that she will just leave the food supplies there. Before she leaves, Nicol seriously asks Katarina to be very careful. Katarina says yes. But on second thought, she doesn't know what she should be careful about.

Geordo's POV

Geordo and Ian Talk About the Emissaries

Ian apologizes to Geordo for calling him here. Ian looks tired. Geordo has agreed to engage with the emissaries but all the other preparations are directed by Ian.

Jeffrey and Ian are both equally capable but Jeffrey works casually and shoddily while Ian works seriously and thoroughly. Ian doesn't make mistakes but he accumulates a lot of fatigue, while Jeffrey has been criticized for his negligence at times. Geordo can't tell which is better, but he thinks Jeffrey would have been more suitable in this unpredictable situation. Actually, this might be why Jeffrey was the one supposed to welcome the emissaries.

But the emissaries ignored the fixed date and came earlier than expected. Looking at the exhausted Ian, Geordo wishes he could lighten his burden even a little.

Ian tells Geordo that the Mutlaq emissaries keep freely going out of the castle despite their numerous warnings. While it is suspicious that they have suddenly come to Sorcier despite both countries having no interaction until now, so far, Ian hasn't found anything suspicious about them. He asks Geordo if he has found any worrying points about them.

Geordo replies that the emissaries pretend that they go out of the castle because it is their first time in Sorcier and the princess would like to familiarize herself with Sorcier's culture in preparation for her marriage. They don't sneak away and rather openly go out to places. As a result, Geordo hasn't found any worrying points about them.

Ian tells Geordo that in that case, for now, the emissaries are just people who came over after notifying them of their visit with a letter. They can't be cold to them. They will proceed with the welcome party as planned. Ian asks Geordo to notify them.

Geordo thinks to himself that he wishes these free-spirited, unruly, self-indulgent emissaries would just go home. The princess has been barging into his office because "she would like to spend time together since she has come for marriage". She follows him around and takes a lot of his time in the process. She is a real pain.

Ian asks Geordo who will entertain the emissaries today. Geordo replies that it will be Alan. Ian wonders if he will be alright. Ian's question makes Geordo smile. Ian can't be openly intimate with his brothers because of his faction, but from this question, he seems to understand Alan. Entertaining the princess will be an ordeal for the innocent Alan since the Mutlaq princess is aggressive in her approaches and Mutlaq women wear bold garments that will fluster him.

Geordo replies to Ian that he has arranged for someone to come and act as support for Alan, so it should be alright. He has properly considered this issue. Ian trusts Geordo on this.

Geordo returns to his office.

Geordo wishes the Mutlaq emissaries would go home soon. Or rather, he wishes Jeffrey would return home soon. Despite not being fond of his eldest brother, he still eagerly waits for his return.

Geordo Muses About Katarina's Earlier Visit

Geordo is thinking of taking a little break with a cup of tea, but then he sees the food supplies that Katarina has left on his desk. He remembers how she said that she was worried about him overworking himself. It made him so happy that his face had turned hot and he didn't want her to see it.

Katarina is slow when it comes to romance but she is perceptive with this kind of thing and attentive about others. It is Katarina's charm. After her kidnapping incident, Geordo confessed his feelings and finally made her aware that he loved her romantically. But after that, she completely forgot about it because of Keith's kidnapping incident. Still, he is happy that he could remind her of his feelings today.

Since she came to see him while he was working, he had just planned to interact with her for a bit and have her take away his fatigue. But when Katarina extended her hand towards him, his reason wavered. If he hadn't told her about it, he would have wanted for more and then things might have turned badly. But at the same time, he wanted to do all kinds of things to her.

Geordo remembers Katarina's soft body when he locked her in his arms, her nice fragrance, and her cute bright red face when he released her. Just by remembering them, Geordo feels like he can work a bit harder on that bothersome case.

Alan's POV

Alan is Annoyed by the Mutlaq Princess

Alan is currently entertaining the princess.

The princess clings to his arms and moves her face close to his. Alan thinks she is such a pain but she is the princess of a foreign country, so he can't be cold to her. He doesn't know what to do.

Alan heard that some Mutlaq emissaries suddenly came to visit and that their princess wanted to marry one of the Sorcier royals. While he heard about it, he didn't get involved with it until now. He wasn't good with diplomatic matters, so it was better to leave it to his older brothers. In the meantime, he was processing the work given to him.

But then, he was told to entertain the Mutlaq princess. The princess had been told that all of the princes were engaged, but it just made her more excited. Hearing this, Alan thought she would probably be a pain and didn't want to get involved. But he couldn't just leave all diplomatic matters to his brothers without doing anything. So he went to the princess and greeted her. And then it turned into this.

Alan Wishes Mary Was Here

The princess talks to him in a sweet voice, snuggles up to him, and clings to him all while wearing these skimpy clothes of hers. She is so troublesome.

As a prince, Alan has often been sought after by noble ladies, but he never had to deal with ladies lewdly snuggling up to him like this. During balls serving alcohol, he was involved at times with drunken young ladies and widows. But then, his fiancée Mary would gallantly appear and deal with them. He really feels grateful to Mary in times like this.

Mary Hunt is the daughter of Marquis Hunt. She is well-known as "the Queen of High Society" and praised as "the Lady Amongst the Ladies". Alan feels like she is too good for him.

Mary has told him in confidence that she was secretly in love with someone, and that she wanted to marry them. Alan promised her to maintain their fake engagement until then. The person appears to be someone Mary can't marry easily, even so, Mary has told him that she won't give up and work hard for it. Alan has respect for the strong Mary and cheers her on.

Alan Muses About Katarina

Alan also has someone he is secretly in love with: the fiancée of his twin brother. He understands very well that he will never be able to marry her. And one day, when the time comes, he will need to give up on her and forget her. Just the thought makes him feel pain in his chest.

The princess invites Alan to show her around since she wants to learn more about Sorcier. She has firmly entwined her arm around his. Alan would have been overjoyed about this if it had been Katarina. But Katarina would never do this in the first place. Katarina would never entwine her arm around his like this, she would just pull his arm. She wouldn't invite him to walk around the castle by saying "Please guide me around", she would rather say "Let's explore the castle" with a bright smile.

Alan Is Saved

Alan is lost in thought while thinking about Katarina. The princess has gotten irritated. She tugs his arms and talks to him in a pouting voice. Alan inwardly calls for Mary to come.

A servant walks to Alan and notifies him that Mary has come to see him. Alan is overjoyed by Mary's timing. The princess asks him who Mary is. Alan replies that she is his fiancée. The princess is disappointed to hear that his fiancée has come and tells Alan she will take the opportunity to greet her. Alan inadvertently frowns upon hearing this. Looking at him, the princess chuckles and tells him he is so honest. Alan feels relieved that the princess didn't get mad about his apparent disapproval of her meeting his fiancée. Alan apologizes to the princess. The princess tells him that they will still have the opportunity to meet afterward, so she bids him goodbye.

The princess carefreely walks away so Alan hurriedly sends several servants after her. After all, they can't let a foreign princess freely walk around the castle alone. Alan breathes a sigh while looking at the princess walking away. It was so exhausting.

The Mutlaq princess is so free-spirited and unruly that she ignores their warnings and just does whatever she likes. The emissaries are the same. They ignore their warnings and apologize afterward by saying that their behavior is just a national trait. Despite this, they can't just tell the emissaries to go home. They use perfect lines to prevent them from getting angry. They don't know what to do. According to Geordo, if their actions are calculated, then the other party is quite the schemer. But Alan can't see the princess as a schemer. She snuggled up to him today but she withdrew when she learned that his fiancée would come. She didn't show any displeasure when she did.

Alan Sees Katarina

Katarina: Prince Alan!

Alan suddenly hears Katarina calling out to him.

Alan: Katarina! What are you doing here?!

Alan has had less opportunity to see Katarina ever since graduation, so he is surprised to see her.

Katarina: I have heard from Keith that things are extremely busy at the moment at the castle. I was worried about everyone, so I have come to check up on you and bring you some food supplies.

Alan: Eh?! So that's why. Sorry for expressly making you come here.

Katarina is unexpectedly attentive to people.

Katarina takes a bag from Anne, takes out something from it, and gives it to him.

Katarina: I have brought you this. Please eat it when you are tired. It's delicious.

Katarina has said this with a grin. Alan's cheeks have turned hot.

Alan: ...Thank you.

Alan has inadvertently given her a curt thank you. If it were Geordo, he would have made a more stylish reply.

Mary Joins In

Mary: Lady Katarina~~

Just after he has received the food supplies, Alan hears Mary's loud and energetic voice coming from his side.

Katarina: Oh, Mary? What are you doing here?

Katarina makes a puzzled face. Alan has been so happy to see Katarina after a long while that he has forgotten that Mary has come to see him.

Alan: Ah, Mary. I've heard that you have come to visit so I was just on my way to see you. What's the matter?

Alan and Mary have a good relationship, but they don't have the kind of relationship where one can suddenly visit the other without reason. So Mary must have some business with Alan.

Mary chuckles and smiles.

Mary: The black-hearted prince, no, I mean, Prince Geordo, has summoned me.

Alan (thought): Hey, Mary. You're leaking your thoughts.

Mary and Geordo don't have a good relationship. There often is a subtle dangerous air around them whenever they face each other. When he asked Geordo why, he told him it was probably because similar people in character couldn't stand each other. But aside from their high capabilities, Alan doesn't understand how Geordo and Mary are similar in character. And despite their bad relationship, Geordo has called Mary.

Mary explains that Geordo has asked her to help Alan in any way she can. Then she asks Alan what she can do for him.

While it is late, Alan finally realizes that Geordo anticipated that Alan would have a hard time entertaining the princess and therefore called Mary to support him. Alan feels grateful to Geordo and amazed by his foresight. Still, he wishes Geordo would have asked another person from the start if he knew things would go wrong.

Alan is lost in thoughts, so Mary notifies him that she is still waiting for his answer. Alan apologetically tells her that the matter has already been resolved. Mary frowns since she has turned down some invitations to come here. Alan tells her he will give her a remuneration to make up for it. Mary replies that in that case, she is good. Alan is amazed by Mary, she really has a good head on her shoulders.

Since she appears to be free, Mary turns to Katarina and asks her if she has some plans for later. Alan thought Mary would probably want to spend time with Katarina since she hadn't seen her much since graduation. Alan would definitely want to hang out with Katarina if he hadn't so much work, so he totally gets her.

Katarina replies that she already has some plans. Mary feels sad upon hearing this.

Mary pulls herself together and decides that in that case, she will help Alan as originally planned. She asks Alan if he has some work to give her. Alan is thrilled that he will be able to have the highly competent Mary help him with his work. He is so swamped that any help would be welcome. Mary replies that in that case, she will expect a suitable remuneration. Alan is fine with that.

Katarina tells Alan and Mary that she will leave since she has something to do. Before she does, Mary has invited her to spend time together again next time.

Alan Tells Mary About his Issues With the Princess

Alan takes Mary to his office.

Mary asks Alan what he originally wanted help with. Alan tells her that he had to entertain a girl but she was persistently approaching him. He couldn't tell her off so he didn't know what to do. Alan has omitted to mention that the girl is the Mutlaq princess.

Hearing this, Mary chuckles and remembers that Alan is indeed bad with this kind of thing. Mary knows him well since they are longstanding friends.

Mary asks him how he settled the issue. Alan tells her that the woman withdrew once she learned that Mary would come. Mary thinks that in that case, the girl wasn't approaching him seriously. Alan agrees and thinks the girl was probably told by her parents to seduce him. Mary thinks it would be troublesome if it were the case. Alan agrees.

In the nobles' society, political marriages are commonplace, regardless of the will of the involved parties. In this society, pushing your will is difficult. Despite this, this unbreakable fiancée of his is such a strong woman. This is what Alan thought while looking at her dignified side face.

Katarina's POV

After parting with Alan and Mary, Katarina returns to the carriage. It will be evening soon, so Aaqil will probably be there if she goes to the caravan.

Katarina heads to town and buys some thank-you food for the caravan people. She wants to thank them for the food yesterday. Then she heads to the caravan.

Unlike this morning, the caravan is lively and crowded with people. Katarina walks around to search for Aaqil. She wonders if Aaqil is working as a salesman, but she doesn't find it likely since Aaqil is shy of strangers.

The caravan leader sees Katarina and calls out to her. He is happy to see she has come again. Katarina explains that she has come in the morning and talked with Aaqil, and then they have agreed to meet again in the evening. The caravan leader is surprised but happy that Aaqil has befriended someone outside of the caravan. He asks Katarina to keep getting along with Aaqil. Then he tells her that Aaqil is probably at the tent where they had the closing party. Katarina thanks him, gives him the thank-you food, and heads to the tent.

When they reach the tent, Anne tells Katarina that she will wait in front of the entrance. Anne is probably acting considerate since she knows Aaqil is shy of strangers. Katarina parts with Anne and enters the tent.

Katarina has felt bothered after hearing all kinds of things from Keith and Nicol regarding the Mutlaq royalty. She has been looking, but she still doesn't think there has been royalty in this tent. If there were, it would have been troublesome to Aaqil and the others unless there was a separate tent. She could directly ask Aaqil about the royals, but then he would ask her how she knew, and then she would have to disclose her social status. It would sadden her if he started addressing her formally. Besides Nicol had advised her not to talk about it.

Katarina Talks to Aaqil Again

Katarina walks to the same place as before and sees Aaqil. She calls out to him and Aaqil turns towards her.

Piyo starts chirping from inside the basket. When Katarina opens it, Piyo jumps onto Aaqil. Piyo is just like someone who finally meets his lover again.

Piyo is acting displeased with her, so Katarina asks Aaqil if Piyo really feels grateful to her. Despite Aaqil telling her this before, it really doesn't seem that way to her. Aaqil assures her that Piyo is grateful to her for freeing him from the place he was locked up. Katarina doesn't remember ever freeing him. He was in the back of the room when she found him and she doesn't remember breaking something before. Aaqil tells her that even if she doesn't remember, this is what Piyo is thinking. Katarina doesn't remember but she is glad that Piyo is free.

Katarina realizes again that Aaqil's ability to understand the hearts of animals is amazing. Thanks to it, he understands Piyo so much. Aaqil tells her that he understands Piyo especially well since they are on the same wavelength. Katarina is surprised that there is a wavelength factor. She wonders if it means that he can't understand all animals. Aaqil replies that some are easy to understand and some are difficult to understand but he can at least understand the gist of what animals are thinking as long as "the others" don't intervene. Katarina asks him what he means by "the others". Aaqil's face clouds. Katarina realizes she has asked something he can't talk about. Aaqil speaks before she can tell him that it is okay not to tell her.

Aaqil tells Katarina that he is not the only one who can understand the hearts of animals. Katarina finds it lovely that some other people can. But Aaqil frowns and tells her that the other people don't use this power to understand animals' hearts but to forcibly control them. Katarina is surprised by Aaqil's unsettling words. Aaqil explains that the others use their power to enslave animals. It is what this power is for. Aaqil makes a self-mocking smile.

Looking at Aaqil, Katarina has this feeling again, like she has seen him before. But she shakes off this feeling since Aaqil is talking about something important.

Katarina tells Aaqil that he is different from these people. No matter how she looks at it, it doesn't seem like Aaqil is manipulating the animals, but rather like the animals love him.

Aaqil tells her that he has loved animals ever since long ago, so he just couldn't bring himself to forcibly control the animals to do as he says. That's why he has been using a method that he has come up with: he tells the animals that he will thank them if they fulfill his wish. And like this, the animals cooperate with him. Katarina thinks to herself that it sounds like Aaqil.

Katarina tells Aaqil that she can tell that he loves the animals and that the animals love him back. She is amazed that Aaqil could come up with this method. Aaqil thanks Katarina in a low voice and lowers his eyes. Katarina waits until Aaqil raises his face. Piyo cuddles him.

After a little while, Aaqil raises his face and apologizes for talking so much. He asks Katarina to keep secret what he has said about his power. Katarina guesses that "a power to forcibly control animals" doesn't give a good vibe. She accepts.

After that, Aaqil has talked about lots of things. He has told her about his hometown. His country seems to have lots of deserts. The caravan has been traveling to the towns and villages of the country for trading. Aaqil's country worships a guardian deity that looks like a falcon, so Aaqil and his partner have always been welcomed. Aaqil's country seems somewhat similar to the setting of Arabian Nights.

It is now time for Aaqil to return to work. Piyo is complaining, so Katarina asks Aaqil if they can come back tomorrow. Aaqil replies that he is unfortunately unavailable tomorrow. Piyo is shocked upon hearing this. Katarina feels sorry for Piyo, besides she also enjoys talking with Aaqil, so she asks him if she can come back the day after tomorrow. Aaqil tells her that it will be fine in the morning or evening if he is still there.

Katarina remembers that the caravan travels from place to place for their business. This means that Aaqil won't stay there forever and he might be somewhere else once he has time to see them. Katarina asks him if the caravan will change location. Aaqil replies he still doesn't know but they don't plan to stay there for a long time. Katarina and Piyo feel sad after hearing this. Aaqil tries to reassure them: there's a high possibility he will still be there the day after tomorrow. Katarina and Piyo brighten and they agree to meet the day after tomorrow in the morning.

Katarina leaves.

Katarina Meets Sophia

Katarina feels sad that Aaqil might leave soon. She has finally become friends with him so she feels sad over saying goodbye. Maybe she should ask him to return to Sorcier? It might be possible if Sorcier and Mutlaq start having interactions.

While lost in her thoughts, Katarina bumps into someone. It happens to be Sophia.

Sophia is carrying a big bag. Katarina asks her about her bag. Sophia explains she wanted to read foreign tales so badly, so she bought some. She has bought a great quantity of books. She explains that she only wanted to buy one book at first. She has been coming there every day to buy some of these fascinating Mutlaq tales, but today she has heard that the caravan will leave in a certain number of days, so she thought she needed to buy all the books she wanted right now. Which is why she has bought so many books.

Katarina realizes that Sophia has been going to the caravan every day just like her but for a different reason. And today, she bought all these books in panic after hearing that the caravan would leave.

Katarina asks Sophia which books are good. Sophia starts going in length about the stories she has read. Katarina feels like it will be long so she invites her to go home partways together.

Katarina listens to Sophia's passionate machine gun talk all the way back to the carriage, and it continues while riding the carriage. Sophia mentions that Mutlaq's books have some parts here and there that she can't read, but deciphering them is also fun. Katarina doesn't understand the fun in it. But it seems like Mutlaq and Sorcier mostly use the same alphabet. Katarina feels like it is something the game staff overlooked, but as someone inside the game, she feels thankful to them.

Sophia asks Katarina what she was doing at the merchant caravan. Katarina tells her she has been coming there every day so Piyo can see Aaqil. Sophia is surprised that Piyo loves Aaqil so much. Sophia wonders if Aaqil is such a charming person. Katarina replies that Aaqil is handsome, gentle, kind, and such a nice boy. Hearing this, Sophia shockingly asks her if she is also into Aaqil. Katarina replies that they get along well, but she wouldn't say she is into him. However, she has a strange feeling like she has seen him before. Sophia asks her if she has met him before. Katarina replies it is impossible since she has never left Sorcier and it is the first time Aaqil has come to Sorcier. Even so, she sometimes has the feeling that she knows him. Katarina can't help feeling bothered by it, but no matter how much she thinks about it, she just doesn't understand. Sophia tells her that in times like this, she should just stop thinking about it at once and relax. Then she will remember it at once. Katarina thanks Sophia for her advice and decides to apply it right away.

Katarina looks out of the window and tries to relax. She realizes that she has been up since early morning and has gone to places all day. She suddenly feels all the accumulated fatigue and gets sleepy. Sophia invites her to lean on her shoulder while sleeping. Katarina falls asleep.

Katarina's Dream

Katarina has a dream about her past life.

Acchan is giving her one of her recommended otome games. Monkey Girl excitedly thanks her. It is an otome game about a girl who joins a merchant caravan to learn about her birth. While traveling, she raises affection with the members of the caravan.

Acchan tells Monkey Girl about her fave among the capture targets. It is an Arabian-style pretty boy who has shut his heart because of his heavy past. But he will gradually open his heart thanks to the heroine.

Monkey Girl yells at Acchan because she is spilling spoilers again. She tells her that they will discuss the game only after she has finished it. Acchan understands and will wait for her.

Monkey Girl starts playing as soon as she is back home. Since Acchan recommended him, she aims for the Arabian-style capture target.

The character is curt at first, but after interacting with the heroine he gradually opens his heart.

The boy actually comes from a continent far away. He was a royal there, but he had no interaction with his blood relatives and spent his childhood isolated. But then, he met the country's merchant caravan, and this encounter saved him. The caravan people treated him as family and he also considered them as his family. It was the happiest period of his life.

But during the second half of his teenage years, these happy days ended. As he possessed the animal-controlling power passed down among the royal family, he sensed a strange presence. It was the presence of the lost sacred beast that protected the country. Upon learning about this, the King ordered the boy to bring back the sacred beast. The beast seemed to have been sealed by the people of a major country far away, so bringing it back would be no easy task. Looking at the boy's hesitation, the King involved the boy's precious people. If he refused the mission, he would imprison the caravan people. If he accepted the mission, he would set them free. The caravan people were bound to the country and exploited by them. The boy accepted the mission.

The boy set off to the major country with the caravan, retrieved the sacred beast, and brought it back to the country.

The caravan people were supposed to be set free then, but the King told the boy that he would only do it once he had enslaved the sacred beast. The boy complied but after removing the seal, the sacred beast went into a rampage. It was so powerful that the boy couldn't control it. When the boy told the king that it was impossible, the King told him that, in that case, he would kill the caravan people one by one. Because of this, the boy tried to enslave the sacred beast one way or another. He finally enslaved the sacred beast in exchange for his life, but the caravan people had already been killed just because they knew about the sacred beast. The last boy of the caravan told him everyone was dead and then took his own life.

The boy screamed while holding his friend's corpse. Then he released the sacred beast. The sacred beast went on a rampage and destroyed the country.

Now searching for a place to die, the boy crossed the continent all while controlling the sacred beast that drained his life.

Monkey Girl cried hard while learning about the exceedingly sad past of the Arabian-style pretty boy. She wanted to make him happy, so she worked hard on his route. Eventually, she was able to have him safely end up with the heroine. She also lifted the sacred beast's curse and everyone was happy. At that time she cried out of happiness for "Aaqil". And afterward, she passionately discussed the route with Acchan.

Katarina Thinks About Her Dream

Katarina suddenly shouts "That's it!" while getting up. Sophia is startled. Katarina is confused by her surroundings and then remembers that she met Sophia at the merchant caravan and that they are going home together. Sophia asks her if she is alright. Katarina replies that she is fine, she just had a bad dream. Sophia worryingly invites her to rest since she appears to be tired.

They have reached the area where Sophia should change to her own carriage. Sophia asks her to rest well and leaves.

Now alone inside the carriage, Katarina thinks back to her dream. It was a dream of her past life when Acchan lent her an otome game called "To Find Tomorrow". She played it before Fortune Lover. As a result, she forgot about it until just now. The reason she felt like she had met Aaqil before was because she saw his face in the otome game she had played in her past life. Aaqil looks more adult in the game but the features are similar, and that's why he felt familiar.

Katarina feels relieved to finally know why he felt familiar, but she is horrified by the content of his route. While playing, she could somehow handle it by telling herself it was fiction, but if something like that happened to her friend in real life, she couldn't possibly leave him alone.

The Game

Once she reaches home, Katarina heads to her room and starts writing all she remembers about the game.

The game is called "To Find Tomorrow ~ A Trip To Meet The Real Me". It is a game she played before Fortune Lover, and it was made by the same company.

The heroine is Dee, a curious, cheerful, and energetic girl who grew up in an orphanage. She has a different skin color than the others, and she was left one day in front of the entrance of an orphanage. Aside from these, she doesn't know anything about her birth or where she was born. But she hasn't been bothered by this and has lived cheerfully.

But once she is 15, she leaves the orphanage and searches for work so she can live independently. Then, she meets some people who travel to various countries and it greatly changes her fate. These people come from a faraway country, and some of the people have the same skin color as Dee. Meeting them, she starts wondering about the mysterious circumstances of her birth.

Afterward, Dee quits her job and joins the merchant caravan to learn about her birth. In the caravan, she gets involved with the members, raises their affections, and goes on adventures.

Katarina Thinks About the Content of the Game

Katarina might have remembered this if it had been right after she had remembered her past life memories at 8 years old, but a lot of time has passed since then, so she didn't. However, the dream she had earlier wrung the memory of this game out of her head.

The Aaqil from the game was a handsome young boy who was part of the merchant caravan and took care of various chores. An isolated handsome boy who didn't want to get involved with people. At first, he was curt with the heroine, but because she didn't give up and still spoke and interacted with him, he gradually opened his heart to her. Once he had opened his heart to her, he talked for the first time about his past. His King used his freedom as bait and ordered him to retrieve a sacred beast from a major country.

If Aaqil successfully takes the sacred beast back to his country, the King will then force him to enslave it using his animal-controlling power. And in the end, he will lose everyone in his family. It is such a dreadful story.

Katarina looks at the paper where she has written all that she remembers from the game. She must absolutely prevent these from happening.

Mental Meeting

Katarina holds a mental meeting.

A Katarina wonders if it isn't too heavy a task for Katarina. Another Katarina replies they must do something since the lives of Aaqil, the caravan people, and even Aaqil's motherland are at stake.

Still, they don't know what they should do concretely. Should they go to the caravan every day and keep an eye on it until Aaqil goes to retrieve the sacred beast? They can't do that.

They can't tell Aaqil either that he shouldn't retrieve the sacred beast because they saw what happened in an otome game. Aaqil wouldn't believe them.

The Katarinas wonder where Aaqil will retrieve the sacred beast. Aaqil has mostly never left his country and this time he has come to a faraway country. He is probably trying to retrieve the sacred beast right at this moment. They could prevent him from going to the major country where the sacred beast is sealed. But where is it?

Katarina Asks For Keith's Opinion

Keith knocks at Katarina's door. He would like to tell her about tomorrow.

Keith has come at the perfect time. Katarina opens her door and asks him what major country he thinks a huge creature could be sealed. Keith retorts that such fairy tale creatures don't exist, but Katarina cuts him off and asks him to assume they exist. Keith gives it some thought and answers that if such creatures existed, he can't think of any other country than Sorcier. Katarina is surprised. Keith explains that sealing a creature can't be done with normal technology, so it would most likely be done in Sorcier, which has developed magic arts. Keith doesn't know if a creature can really be sealed with magic, but it seems like people from long ago could use all kinds of magic, so there may have been a spell to seal a creature.

Keith would like to return to the purpose of his visit but Katarina shuts the door on him. Keith is confused since they are still talking, but Katarina tells him she will listen to him later.

Katarina Works on a Plan

Katarina resumes her mental meeting.

The Katarinas think it is a good thing that the major country of interest happens to be Sorcier.

A Katarina thinks they should just tell Aaqil not to take away the beast. But they probably won't be able convince to him.

A Katarina wonders where in Sorcier the sacred beast is sealed. Sorcier is large after all. It may be in the area near the town since Aaqil is staying there, or at the royal castle since Mutlaq royals are staying there according to Nicol and Keith.

A Katarina thinks they should just find the sealed sacred beast before Aaqil. If there is no sacred beast to take back, Aaqil should be safe.

A Katarina wonders what a sealed sacred beast looks like. The Katarinas have no idea, so they should investigate it first.

Keith tells Katarina about a party tomorrow that she needs to attend. Katarina feigns listening and absentmindedly acquiesces from time to time.

Katarina wonders where she should investigate the sealed sacred beast. She doesn't know if she will find any info in the library. It would be best to probe Aaqil but he said he would be unavailable tomorrow.

Katarina wonders if the other caravan people know about the sacred beast's retrieval. In the game, they retrieved the sacred beast with Aaqil, but does it mean they all know?

Keith asks Katarina if she is really listening. Katarina continues to feign listening.

What did the sacred beast look like in the game again? What was used to seal the sacred beast? A magic lamp?

Keith gets irritated and tells her he won't care if she is in trouble later.

Katarina is determined to help Aaqil.

#hamefura light novel #hamefura movie #hamefura #my next life as a villainess: all routes leads to doom #katarina claes #geordo stuart #keith claes #nicol ascart #alan stuart #mary hunt #sophia ascart #aaqil #piyo hamefura #anne shelley #ian stuart #acchan

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