She was surprised when Tully said that.

“That wasn’t my merit, was it? It was mostly set up by Chairman, and I only helped a little.”

“Still, it was your push that got King Zahad to move on… Has it been almost a year since our guys picked you up after your engagement was broken off?”

“Come to think of it, that’s about right.”

She was even more baffled at Tully’s question.

It was because that day seemed somehow in the distant past.

Has it only been that long since Crown Prince Dietrich broke off their engagement and exiled her from her homeland?

It’s kind of weird.

She met them by chance that day and was allowed to accompany them on their journey, which was why she was with them today. She met the chairman, Tully, and he allowed her to join as a merchant member.

Since then, she’s been working so hard that she hasn’t had time to think about her homeland.

Rishe, clad in a robe to shield her from the sand, looked to the east.

There was her homeland far to the east, but of course it couldn’t be seen from where they were.

There was only one thing to see: the panoramic view of the desert.

The large moon floating in the sky illuminated the area. The smooth sandy ground glowed silver, and in this way it looked like a snowfield.

As they were gazing at this breathtaking scenery, Tully said in a sobering tone.

“It’s quite a feat for a naive young lady to make it this far.”

“For that matter, isn’t it because Chairman’s merchant training was relentless?”

What revived was the nightmarish memory of that period underneath. As Rishe looked into the distance, Tully said as he sipped directly at the liquor bottle.

“Oh, right. By the way, King Zahad…”

“Yes? What about him?”

“He might have fallen in love with you.”“Ge~tsu!”

The beer she was drinking almost entered the wrong channel and she choked on it.

A bunch of merchant members looked at her and asked her what was wrong, but she hurriedly replied that it was nothing.

“What are you talking about?”

“To be exact, maybe one step closer to being in love with you? Be careful, Rishe. It’s a hassle if you get into a romance with your business partner.”

“It’s convincing when Chairman says it, but I’m safe! It won’t come to that! Chairman must have been mistaken.”

More than that, Rishe told Tully.

“Mr. Chairman, you really ought to be more careful. Everyone knows you’ve been asking out the ladies of the palace.”

“What choice do I have?　When you see such beautiful flowers blooming in the desert, there is nothing I can do to resist. I can’t help but want to kneel down and say, ‘I would love to have you.’”

“I’m going to tell Aria.”

“Quit that! Please, just not this!”

He bowed his head down with the force of his forehead hitting the sand and sighed.

Of course, she really wasn’t going to tell her something that was bad for her education.

“Chairman, thank you so much…”

She thanked Tully, who again got up to dust himself off.

“Ah? What?”

“For picking me up and raising me as a merchant. Otherwise, I would have been lost by now. Besides…”

Rishe turned her attention again to the vast desert.

Before her was the sea of sand.

The moon shimmered on the surface of the oasis and a bonfire burned beside it.

The camels froze to sleep, and amidst the laughter of their companions, exotic drinks and food were laid out.“If I hadn’t left that country, I wouldn’t have even known such a beautiful landscape.”

“…”

It really was a beautiful sight.

This was the future that she had no choice but reach, but she was here by choice.

For Rishe, who was born into a duke’s family and was constantly told that she had no other value than to be the future queen, each of these events has overturned her world.

Tully smiled wickedly as she thanked him.

“You have a long way to go. — You’re going to go all over the world, right?”

“Yes!”

Tully remembered what Rishe told him was her dream.

[I want to travel to every country in the world while doing business.] This goal was also a major driving force for Rishe.

I’ve got to get back to work tomorrow.

She has a dream and someone she looked up that supported it. That alone made her feel like she could move forward with confidence, no matter what kind of life she had.

Tully raised her bottle of sake and called out to his men on the other side of the fire.

“Neil! It’s about time, just do as usual!”

“Okay, Mr. Chairman. I’ll play you the perfect tune for a night in the desert.”

“All right, if Chairman permits, I’ll dance. That fascinating dance I saw in the palace…”

“Gyahaha~ you idiot! You’re already wobbling on your feet!”

As her friends convulsed in laughter, Rishe laughed along. After all, the party was unlikely to be rounded up early.

At the very least, they won’t be doing their customary drinking contest.

With that resolution, the night in the desert wore on.