ã€ŠThe Resurrected Evil Prince Decided to Start an Experiment of Loveã€‹


 CH 1

    Prologue

    There should have been a pulsing sound like it was spring.

    It would be nice if there was a sweet scent like confectionery, too.

    If I were a wealthy girl, I would have worn a lovely dress and changed my hairstyle. It was supposed to be such a dreamy thing.

    Stacking a set of suspiciously thick books, my incredibly handsome childhood friend deeply furrowed his eyebrows. With his face looking like an ogre that hadn¡¯t eaten for 3 days. He said,

    ¡°I want to be loved.¡±

    Hearing his voice, which sounded like a ghost crawling out from the depths of the earth, sent shivers down my spine and made me wonder what was about to begin.

    ¡ªFrom ¡°a reminiscence of a certain pitiful knight¡±

 CH 2

    1-1. Goodbye present world. Come again present world.

    I heard the sound of something cracking from the direction of my chest.

    A strong wind blew through the air, and the royal blue curtain embroidered with silver threads got blown up with a burst.

    As usual, the tassel that the maid in charge, Marie, wrongly placed must have come undone. I could also imagine the scene where she opened the window to change the air, but forgot and left without closing it back.

    It was that kind of usual ¡­morning.

    I woke up in my bedroom in the royal castle.

    When I sat up, my silver hair with messy bed head was blown by the wind. The thin ribbon on the white nightwear I wore danced in the blue wind in the color of the sky.

    Outside the window, the sky was a deep color as if it was dyed. The blinding white clouds were spread out as if drawing a map.

    It smelled of summer¡ª that was about to arrive.

    ¡°Huh? ¡­This is- my room?¡±

    I was startled by the sound of my own voice as I muttered to myself.

    What flashed in my mind was the orange color that illuminated that dark night.

    The pitch-black sky above Corliss Square was illuminated by the flames that seemed like they had risen from hell. Fire sparks like vermillion sand fluttered around as if dancing. Firewood piled up around me and the smell of burning flesh. Wrapped in a band of fire and shrouded in black smoke, the breaths that sustained my life became even thinner and thinner. It was truly as if I was being licked by the devil with a molten iron tongue.

    (I thought I was going to die from the heat¡­ Then, I think I died¡­ or not?)

    No, that raw sensation was real.

    I remember people were staring at me curiously with their vile gazes as I was being burned. But, rather than the many eyes that came to see me, who had been praised all my life for having unmatched beauty, begging for my life miserably, the few sorrowful gazes mingled among them were more painful.

    However¡ª.

    (That guy¡­ he glared at me until the very end.)

    What I remembered was my childhood friend, who always complained to me with his strong-willed eyes.

    I wondered where in the world he got all those complaints from, and I suspected that maybe he had a hall of complaints erected in his mind.

    We have known each other for a long time, but he never complimented me even once. Whenever we saw each other, all we did was fight, and when our eyes met, we hurled insults at each other. Even when I was burned at the stake, his eyes spoke eloquently.

    ¡ª¡°You idiot.¡±¡ª

    My heart thumped loudly.

    At that moment, only in the last moments of my life, I felt like I finally understood the meaning of the complaints he always said to me, even just a little.

    I don¡¯t know how many great halls of complaints were sitting on his mind, but he was always angry at my risky behavior. He always glared at me, who always ended up making enemies with people, as if saying I would destroy myself one day.

    (Until the very end, he¡¯s still complaining. He must be a product of complaints.)

    The spiky auburn hair of that man swayed.

    Because of me, ¡ªbecause of me being burned at the stake, his clear jade eyes were dyed in orange color. The usual freshness of his eyes had gone somewhere, they also looked exhausted.

    Still, because of those eyes that keep glaring at me even in my last moments, I couldn¡¯t help but loosen my eyebrows and laugh.

    Seeing me laughing even though I was being burned at the stake, people raised their voices in astonishment.

    But such a thing didn¡¯t matter.

    I felt like I saw that man¡¯s, my childhood friend and also knight, ¡ªMika¡¯s eyes were slowly blurred with tears.

    I gasped. Air rushed into my lungs, burning me from the inside. But more than that, my heart ached as if it had been squeezed tightly.

    I thought that he hated me.

    I wonder if Mika still cared about me, at least a little, even after things had turned out this way.

    Being scorched in flames, my senses should have gone haywire from long ago. However, I just felt a great pain in my chest.

    And then, I thought about it.

    (I never wanted to show you the unsightly sight of me dying¡­)

    But, ¡­and so.

    ¡°Why am I still alive?¡±

    That sensation couldn¡¯t have been just a dream.

    I should have been burned at the stake while being called the ¡°evil prince¡±.

    Everything was taken away from me, and I lost everything. My beloved older brother, my position as a prince, and perhaps¡­ my country.

    I put my hand to my chin and tried to think.

    Come to think of it, what was the cracking sound from earlier, I wonder? When I looked in the direction of my chest, I saw blue-gray shards, the same color as my eyes, scattered to pieces.

    It was a ¡°guardian stone¡± given to me by my late grandmother.

    Startled, I quickly picked them up with my hand, and the door suddenly opened wide with a bang.

    It was the maid with round glasses and braids, ¡ªMarie, who came tumbling into the room. And then with excess momentum, she really did tumble and fall down.

    Though imperfect, this is still the bedroom of the third prince. I will say it once again, this is the bedroom of a prince.

    Even if she had mistaken the room, this wasn¡¯t a place where a maid could just come tumbling in. I think it was a very crude manner, but that¡¯s just the way Marie always was. I would try to give her some words of advice.

    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you act a little more elegantly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also busy here! After all, today is the day of your knight investiture ceremony, Your Highness Nagi!¡±

    ¡°Knight¡­ investiture ceremony?¡± I asked while tilting my head.

    I had already done that five years ago. It was a ceremony to choose the knight who will be with you for the rest of your life, and it was normally held at the beginning of your final year at the Royal Academy.

    As the third prince, I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for those around me, so I decided early to coincide with my older brothers¡¯ knight investiture ceremony. My brother¡¯s happiness was my first priority above anything else, so I didn¡¯t care who the knight was, and decided on the one who was recommended by the others without thinking.

    At that time, Marie also complained a lot, completely forgetting that she was a maid.

    Most people didn¡¯t want anything to do with me, and yet, for some reason, everyone who did get involved with me complained a lot.

    Still, to think Marie had forgotten about such a thing, did she perhaps finally lose her mind? That was what I thought, but then I remembered the time she looked at me being executed. Just a few moments ago, all sorts of fluids were flowing unceasingly from every hole in her face. That made me feel I should probably act nicer to her, just a little bit, a very little bit.

    I think saying that she had lost her mind was too harsh, so I tried saying it more kindly and gently.

    ¡°Hey, are you out of your mind?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s out of your mind, Your Highness! Hurry! Get up! Get changeeed!¡±

    ¡°What¡­ Did you just say I¡¯m out of my mind?¡±

    What in the world.

    Inside my head, a plubear turned over.

    I didn¡¯t expect a mere maid would return the words that I said back at me.

    Speaking of which, plubear is a white bear with a blue nose that only inhabits this country.

    Paying no heed to me who winced in shock, Marie pattered out of the room in a hurry.

    Furrowing my brows, I froze for a moment. And then, I reluctantly stood up with a small sigh.

    I removed the cord that had been hanging the guardian stone from my neck and placed the scattered pieces of stone on the table. Later when Marie came back, I would try to get her to put them together into some kind of small sack. Even if it had become like this, it was still a memento of my grandmother.

    Marie had always been a busy maid from long ago. I had known her for a long time and we were well acquainted with each other. However¡ª.

    (Knight investiture ceremony? How is that possible? I¡¯m an evil prince that was burned to death. What¡¯s going on here¡­?)

    I knew that something was off.

    I couldn¡¯t believe that Marie, who had been crying so hard with snot, would treat me in such a rough manner after seeing me burned to death. Even if she was trying to be considerate and tried to act like usual, she wouldn¡¯t say such a crazy thing.

    While wondering what had happened, I casually turned my gaze outside the window.

    The sky was deeply and piercingly blue. The clouds surrounding the shining sun just like a map seemed to depict a new world in the sky.

    This country had a lot of rainfall throughout the year. That said, the beauty of the clear sky was exceptional.

    Come to think of it, I think the sky was also like this on the day of the knight investiture ceremony five years ago. On that morning, I remembered seeing the gardener fall off the ladder.

    (That¡¯s right, I think he was trying to decorate the trees in the garden with blue ribbons, the symbol of this country, for my older brother¡¯s knight investiture ceremony¡­)

    For the events of the first prince and also my older brother, Seth, everyone in the country was all uniformly, very much looking forward to them. Rather, I looked forward to it more than anyone else.

    When I turned my gaze to the garden spread out downstairs, the gardener was trying to decorate the trees with royal blue ribbons, as if it was a mirror image of the morning from five years ago. As I gazed down at the scene, the gardener fell off the ladder, just as I had seen him do five years ago.

    ¡°Ah!¡± I exclaimed and reflexively stretched out my hand, even though I knew I couldn¡¯t reach him. And then I froze.

    (No, wait a second. Sometimes an accident like this is just a coincidence¡­)

    Right after I thought about that.

    A black cat wandered in from somewhere and stepped on the gardener¡¯s back, who was lying face down, and left.

    I froze even more. I always had an exceptionally good memory, and once I¡¯ve seen something, I rarely forget it.

    For a while, I remain frozen, and think.

    From a distance, I could hear Marie¡¯s voice full of despair yelling ¡°Hurry uuuup, Your Highneeeess!¡±

    Thinking about it carefully, I remembered that I might have seen Marie¡¯s fall that I had seen earlier, too. No, I had seen Marie fall down so many times that I wasn¡¯t sure of my memory.

    If that¡¯s the case, I thought, I looked around the room.

    The book I was in the middle of reading on the table. The brand of tea utensils that Marie left behind in a hurry. The ceremonial outfit prepared for me. The shape of the jug next to the bed. The type of nightwear I was wearing.

    And then, I gradually understood. The more I looked at it, this is¡­

    ¡°No¡­ way. This is the same as five years ago¡­?¡±

    And so, ¡ªI, the third prince of the Pluvia Kingdom, Nagi Lucian Pluvia, had returned to the world from five years ago.

 CH 3

    ¡°Eeeekk! Excuse me! Your Highness Nagi! Are you insane?!¡±

    I could feel that Marie was running around beside me with a scowling face.

    However, I was just sitting dazedly on the sofa. What was there to be so panicked about in the first place?  I¡¯m not a woman, and the preparations for a man are not much.

    And yet, Marie had been busily circling around me, brushing my hair, complaining about the look of the knot in my tie and the waste thread on my cloak. She was as fussy as a pre-hibernation plubear. It even made me want to give her three dried salmon.

    In defiance of Marie, I just put my head on the back of the sofa and spaced out.

    After all, this is something that would be bad if I didn¡¯t think properly.

    Before I died, I remembered thinking that if I had a next life I would¡­ ¡ªSomething like that.

    (¡­What to do? Even though I thought that I wanted to live more interestingly.)

    I would play and get mud all over me, run around covered in sweat, fight over sweets with my friend, and tell silly jokes to each other. I would talk about girls we liked with my friend, tease him, and get teased back. Then when the girl I like accidentally heard all that, she would reject me before I could confess, saying ¡°You look too plain.¡±

    After growing up a little, I would go to school.

    I would somehow spend my days while clicking my tongue and feeling jealous of the dazzling guys whom the girls would raise their shrieks at.

    I had given up on going to the academy because I thought it would be of no use to my brother, but actually, I wanted to study magical botany.

    After graduating, I would hide away in a rural village or forest in the countryside and quietly do some research.

    I would fall in love with a kind and simple girl who would be willing to accompany me in such a lifestyle.

    I would try my best, beg desperately, and somehow get her to marry me. As my friends blessed the two of us, I would raise a warm family in a rural village.

    (¡­That¡¯s right, I wanted to live while sharing smiles like that.)

    I despised my own face.

    And yet, here I am with this face again, still a prince, five years ago. It didn¡¯t seem like I could live a farming rural life. Who would have thought that just when I finally said goodbye to this present world, the same present world would come again?

    ¡ª¡°That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s not about if you¡¯re good-looking or not, or if you¡¯re a prince or not! Don¡¯t be on the deprived side.¡±

    I was reminded of the face of my nagging childhood friend, Mika.

    I always wondered about what he meant by the deprived side. Born as a prince, I never thought I would be on the deprived side just like what Mika said.

    I always thought of him as a noisy guy. I couldn¡¯t remember what triggered it, but I thought that he hated me, and I didn¡¯t even listen to him anymore.

    However¡ª

    (He cried that time¡­)

    I didn¡¯t choose Mika as my knight.

    Ever since I was little, he was the one closest to me, and yet he was the hardest to deal with.

    I think we got along right away when we first met, but he started to nag a lot at some point.

    And then, when I thought that Mika would be by my side from this point on, even on my wedding, when my child with that person was born, when I support my brother¡ª When I thought that he would be by my side for a long, long time watching me until the day I die, I didn¡¯t want that.

    But, there were also times when I felt a little lonely when I tried staying away from him.

    I managed to do things while putting on a bold front. But in the end, I ended up being on ¡°the deprived side¡± just like what Mika said.

    When I saw Mika for the first time in a while on my dying breath, his eyes were clearly saying ¡°idiot¡±, and yet tears were forming in those eyes.

    (¡­What kind of emotion is that?)

    I really couldn¡¯t understand him.

    As I stared at the empty white ceiling, I tried to think over what Mika had said for a bit.

    ¡°Being on the deprived side, huh¡­¡±

    I wonder what in the world I was being deprived of?

    In the end, my brothers, my parents, my position as a prince, and my country were all taken away from me. But he had been saying that to me since I was still a student. What was deprived of me when I was still a student, I wonder?

    I think I just did what was told by people around me without thinking¡­ That was what I thought, but then I realized.

    (Ah, could it be that not doing what I wanted to do was already a loss?)

    For example, would it have been better if I studied magical botany instead of just the subjects recommended by people around me? Or maybe I could have tried to explore the outside world a little more.

    And also¡­

    (If I had talked to Mika more, I wonder if things would have been any different¡­)

    For some reason, my chest ached a little.

    But, just when I felt like I almost reached a good and fitting answer¡­ the maid with round glasses interrupted me.

    ¡°Please!! You¡¯re in the way! Don¡¯t be irresponsible just because you overslept. Please hurry and apologize to His Highness Seth, and eat some bread!¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s in my way.¡±

    ¡°Listen, Your Highness Nagi. You have already changed into that outfit, so please! Don¡¯t ever put jam or anything similar on your bread.¡±

    Perhaps she had finished with the preparations, Marie who was carefully brushing my grandiose cloak suddenly yelled at me while pushing me on the back. ¡°Orange juice and black tea are also off limits! Eat only bread and water!¡± she said, while kicking me out of the room.

    What in the world.

    Once again, a plubear turned over in my head.

    We had known each other for a long time, but it seemed like that maid still didn¡¯t know my status.

    I thought that she shouldn¡¯t bother me, but I didn¡¯t expect to be the one who ended up being treated like a bother instead.

    But, grimaced by her intensity, I reluctantly started walking down the hallway.

    Still, Marie was very strong despite having such a small stature.

    Those iron arms of hers shouldn¡¯t come off even if a plubear pulled them. Perhaps Marie has some plubear blood running through her veins. I pictured Marie¡¯s family tree, thinking that it must have been mixed in at about the grandmother¡¯s position.

    However, I didn¡¯t remember my back being pushed and getting kicked out like that on the day of the knight investiture ceremony.

    I also overslept five years ago, but I didn¡¯t laze around on the sofa afterward.

    But then, at that moment, I realized something.

    Could it be¡ª

    (Could it be that¡­ the future can be changed?)

 CH 4

    ¡°Pardon me for asking something unrelated, but have you ever been on the decapitation platform, Brother?¡±

    ¡°No, I have never so far. You sure ask a surprising topic. What¡¯s the matter, Nagi?¡±

    ¡°And also, have you ever been decapitated by a guillotine¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­Nagi, you must have had a rather awful dream.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but notice a slight twitch in Brother Seth¡¯s face, which was always smiling calmly.

    My brother, who had already finished his meal, looked at me with a troubled face as he sipped his tea gracefully.

    For breakfast, it usually was just black tea and bread. There was no need to make a big deal of it, but gorgeous tableware was lined up on the royal blue tablecloth. Also, there were napkins that looked like a bird flapping its wings, which made me wonder how on earth they had folded them. There was even a white rose from the garden in the center of the table.

    I took a seat as I was urged to, and soon warm tea and freshly baked bread were served. As I bit into the bread, I moved my mouth to chew and talk to my brother.

    ¡°Bwoder, do yu hav any dissadisfacshon wif yur¡­ curren laif?¡± (Brother, do you have any dissatisfaction with your current life?)

    ¡°Nagi. How about you stop talking while you eat?¡±

    There were so many things I wanted to ask that I couldn¡¯t sum them up.

    It was my fault for oversleeping, but my head was about to explode with so many questions that I felt like I didn¡¯t even have time to eat the bread.

    However¡­

    His gentle smile and the way he spoke in an enveloping manner made my shoulders tremble involuntarily.

    I was living in a world without my brother until just an hour ago. I saw my brother executed in front of my eyes. When I remembered that, I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.

    My vision was slowly blurred with tears, and just like a broken dam, the tears came flooding out.

    ¡°Gh, Brother¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh. What is it? What happened to you today?¡±

    Brother Seth is¡ª the hope of my life.

    Before he was my brother, he was my favorite person. I also liked his troubled face as he looked at me in dismay. In the future where I lost my brother five years later, I just¡­ spent my days crawling on the ground like a wriggling slug.

    My life revolved around my brother. After my brother passed away, I became truly isolated. I found myself being called a ruthless, yet lecherous, evil prince, and was burned at the stake just like that.

    (What does ruthless yet lecherous mean? Isn¡¯t that too difficult? Something like making someone subdue¡­?)

    I tried racking my brains, but I still couldn¡¯t remember ever trying to subdue someone.

    Regardless, I don¡¯t understand why, but the world had reverted to five years ago. No, I guess I was the one who returned to five years ago. Either way, it didn¡¯t make sense at all.

    There were so many things I didn¡¯t understand that it just made me want to move around the castle while rolling around for the whole day. But I guess I couldn¡¯t do that. Because¡ª

    ¡°That¡¯s enough talking about my decapitation. Rather than that, about your knight. Have you thought about it properly?¡±

    That¡¯s right, knight.

    If this really was the world from five years ago, today, on this day, I was supposed to nominate a knight that I would be spending the rest of my life with.

    In this country, the Kingdom of Pluvia, the royal family was always required to nominate a knight before the summer vacation of the final year in the royal academy.

    The nominated knight would spend the last year of school with the royal family, and after graduation would remain loyal to them for the rest of their lives as their personal knight. Apparently, it was because the first king had a knight who was loyal to him at the time of the founding of Pluvia, and that practice continued to this day.

    And then, that grandiose event called the knight investiture ceremony would take place today.

    However, as the third prince I¡¯m only a year younger anyway, so I took advantage of it to coincide it with my older brothers¡¯ ceremony.

    That¡¯s right, I have one other older brother, ¡ªVincent.

    Ironically, we three brothers each had different mothers, so we were born not that far apart from each other. I was one grade below them because of the break. But my two older brothers had a very strained relationship, partly because of their factions.

    As I said ¡°Umm¡­¡± and looked up at the sky, Brother Seth sighed.

    ¡°You must be trying to decide it randomly. You need to pay a little more attention to your surroundings, Nagi.¡±

    That¡¯s right, I also heard this line five years ago.

    If I remember correctly, I just responded with a strained laugh. Then without really thinking it through, I ended up deciding on a knight that people around me had recommended.

    However¡ª

    The scene of my last moments flashed in my mind. That¡¯s right, but, ¡ªthis time.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Even now, I¡¯m still not really sure about it. But, there was one knight that came to mind.

    My brother blinked his eyes repeatedly, but after a while, he smiled gently and said,

    ¡°Yes, you should do as you wish, Nagi.¡±

 CH 5

    ¡°Huff, huff, ahh¡­ I-I made it in time¡­¡±

    ¡°You must have quite the status to arrive barely in time for the investiture ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Tha-that was close. I completely forgot that it was today.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    Even though it was an important ceremony, Mika, with his spiky thin hair still poking out all over the place, came running here at full speed like always.

    He put his hands on his knees while catching his breath. Seeing him like that made me stare at him coldly, shutting my eyes to the fact that I also overslept. Still, it was rare to see him panicking like this.

    Sweat was running down his neck, and there was something like dust on his hair, which made me wonder which shortcut he had used to get here. I stretched my hand and brushed it away, while thinking that he probably woke up barely in time.

    Corliss, the capital of Pluvia Kingdom, is located on a hill.

    The castle that towered on its highest point, ¡ªthis Corliss castle, could be reached by a short walk from the center of the royal capital via a cobblestone road. He must have ridden his horse through that road. Just earlier this morning, I remembered this man glaring at me at Corliss Square, and he also said ¡°idiot¡± to me with his eyes. It made me feel slightly irritated.

    ¡°Well, I made it in time anyway, so it¡¯s fine, right?¡±

    As he said that, Mika fanned himself with his knight¡¯s uniform flapped open in front, then he let out an exhale.

    Even if he was here for his childhood friend¡¯s knight investiture ceremony, he shouldn¡¯t talk like that. In the first place, he was called to this occasion as one of the three candidates who were chosen. What¡¯s with that way of talking?

    For today¡¯s investiture ceremony, three knights each were summoned for Brother Seth, Brother Vincent, and I.

    I went all the way to the anteroom near the throne room where His Majesty was waiting to check up on Mika, but there was no sign of him. I had no choice but to wander around the hallway, and by no chance, he arrived at the castle just barely in time.

    The first time it happened five years ago, I didn¡¯t go out of my way to check up on him, so I didn¡¯t know how it was before.

    This time, the reason I ended up going to check up on Mika was probably that I wanted to see his cheerful figure to make me calm down a little. When I think he probably overslept last time as well, it made me stare at him with blank eyes.

    ¡°So, did you choose properly? It¡¯ll probably be Machina, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­You will know in a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but still.¡±

    As he said that, Mika neatly fastened back the front of his knight¡¯s uniform, which he had used for fanning himself.

    The blue knight uniform, which swears allegiance to the royalty, was a lighter blue than the royal blue that we the royalty wore. Because they weren¡¯t an existence to be equal to the royal family. The golden tassels on his uniform swayed in the breeze. And then, I glanced at the medals lined up in a row.

    This man showed up barely in time, but the fact that he was chosen for this occasion meant that he has a good family background and accomplishments.

    Mika flung his cloak, which he held in his hand, over his shoulders.

    In the dazzling morning sun, Mika¡¯s red hair became see-through and his jade eyes glistened like the surface of a lake.

    Mika¡¯s color suited the blue knight uniform very much. That¡¯s right, I had always thought of that. Even when I saw his figure in the middle of practice, I could easily recognize him. I don¡¯t think it was such an unusual color, but somehow it seemed special to Mika.

    ¡°Hey¡­ that outfit suits you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Mika¡¯s eyes widened at the words that came out of my mouth involuntarily.

    I just wanted to say it out loud, there wasn¡¯t any special meaning to it. When I saw several knights coming out of the anteroom into the hallway, I realized it was time to go. As I saw them bowing, I thought that this is the way it should be. But I couldn¡¯t speak for Mika since I was also still dawdling around in this place.

    And then, a grandiose trumpet sounded. The knights lined up in front of the throne room and kneeled.

    While thinking I should probably go back and put on my cloak too, I started to walk.

    ¡°Anyway, the prince enters from a different room. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to be late.¡±

    ¡°I guess so. But the third prince will be the last to enter anyway, and no one will be interested in someone like me.¡±

    ¡°¡­..Nagi, did something happen?¡±

    Mika had a surprised look on his face, and then he raised one eyebrow dubiously. Seeing him like that, I ended up chuckling.

    As I was about to reply with ¡°Nothing¡±, I could see the maid with round glasses come running from the other side of the hallway with great speed, which sent a chill down my spine.

    Despite her demeanor that was like a small animal, I had suspicions that the blood of plubear flowed in the veins of that maid.

    Before the plubear in her roared in front of these distinguished knights, I quickly left the place. I had to return immediately to the anteroom of the royal family, or there would be no one to handle that bear.

 CH 6

    A tense atmosphere.

    The majestic, pure, and sacred throne room.

    From the door where Mika and the other knights had been earlier, a royal blue carpet ran straight to the feet of His Majesty.

    The white chalk pillars that rose on either side of the carpet were modestly yet beautifully decorated. The dome-shaped ceiling was painted in pale blue with a fairy-tale history of the country¡¯s rain blessings. Behind the throne that was a few steps up, lined up a row of large arched windows. The lights shone through from behind as if they were His Majesty¡¯s halo.

    No matter how many times I visited this place, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh in amazement at the divine atmosphere.

    In the center of the room, were several knights kneeling while bowing their heads.

    Next to His Majesty sitting on his throne, were Brother Seth, Brother Vincent, and I lined up in that order.

    The ceremonial velvet cloak was unbelievably heavy. On the shoulders of the cloak dangled a large coat of arms with an ostentatious ribbon featuring a bear, rain, and a sword. I¡¯m now haunted by the delusion that I might have looked like a cloak ghost.

    In the end, the formal attire that Marie had prepared extensively while glaring at me was mostly hidden by the cloak. I thought that it was all for naught, but I didn¡¯t say anything about it because I was too afraid of her angry expression.

    ¡°I hereby begin the investiture ceremony. Knights of the first prince, Seth Ancene Pluvia, come forth.¡±

    The voice of His Majesty echoed through the spacious throne room.

    Flapping their blue cloaks, three of the knights that were kneeling stepped forward. Then, they bowed before His Majesty, and with a resounding thud, knelt on their knees again. Holding the ceremonial sword, Brother Seth took a step forward.

    My brother¡¯s quiet, calm voice rang out.

    ¡°Oswald Didier, come forth.¡±

    Oswald, the knight with short black hair, ¡ªthe second son of the Marquis of Didier, stood up and knelt right in front of the throne platform.

    ¡°Oswald Didier. Will thou become my sword, and pledge to protect the people together with me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°If it be so, make thy pledge.¡±

    Oswald was also the childhood friend of my brother. They were always together, so it seemed natural that my brother would make this choice.

    I remembered feeling warm inside when I saw Oswald shedding tears in the shadows after he had been chosen. And then, I also remembered his heroic final moments. Right now, with a sharp and manly face, he gazed at my brother¡¯s sword and slowly lowered his eyelashes.

    ¡°My sword shall be under my own righteousness, shall be a shield and a lance to protect my Lord Seth and his people, and be the foundation for the prosperity of the Kingdom of Pluvia.¡±

    My brother¡¯s sword tapped Oswald¡¯s right shoulder, then the left shoulder, and stopped.

    Oswald then gently kissed the tip of that sword.

    As Brother Seth smiled in response, Oswald stared firmly back at him.

    It was the way the future king and his knight should be.

    I believed it to be so. I didn¡¯t doubt that everyone also believed so.

    And then, I lost¡ª the two of them.

    My guts contracted. The anger that I felt back then almost flared up in the pit of my stomach, so I clenched the back of my teeth. My eyes met with Mika¡¯s, who was looking at me with a strange expression on his face, and I turned my eyes away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to think about that now¡±, I thought to myself as I frantically pat my trembling body under the cloak.

    In the same way, Brother Vincent who had deep blue hair, appointed Jelaire Barthe as his knight. And then, Jelaire made his pledge, saying ¡°My sword shall be a shield to defend my lord Vincent and his justice, shall be a lance to build his ideals, for a better and brighter future for the kingdom of Pluvia.¡±

    There was nothing wrong with the wording of that pledge, but it still sounded thorny. That pledge alone made it clear that Jelaire wanted Brother Vincent to take the throne.

    When I glanced to the side, I could see Brother Vincent huffing proudly, and Brother Seth, whose eyes were not smiling at all.

    (From this point on¡­ no, the conflict has already started at this point, and from long ago.)

    The first and second princes ended up being in the same school grade. The factional strife between my older brothers was fierce. The fact that their birth mothers came from opposing dukes¡¯ families was also a factor in the conflict.

    My mother, who passed away soon after giving birth to me, was a princess who had come to marry from a neighboring country. I was raised by the queen along with Brother Seth. The queen was a very kind person, but I¡¯m sure that she also had self-interest that wanted me to support Brother Seth, although it should be obvious.

    I had no backing in the factions of this country, but considering that my grandfather was still alive and well in the neighboring country, I wanted to believe that even for a little bit, I could be as useful as possible to Brother Seth.

    I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

    My body trembled, even though I wasn¡¯t this nervous the last time I chose a knight who was recommended to me by others.

    I took a step forward. And then¡ª I called his name.

    The name-¡ª of my knight.

    ¡°Mika Lennart Chardin. Come forth.¡±

    I could see that Mika¡¯s shoulders visibly twitched.

    Most likely, he had never imagined this. After a moment¡¯s pause, Mika flapped his blue cloak and knelt before me, who was on the platform.

    ¡°Mika Lennart Chardin. Will thou become my sword and pledge to protect the people together with me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°If it be so, make thy pledge.¡±

    Mika¡¯s eyes were looking back at me intently. In actuality, he was supposed to make his pledge while still lowering his gaze. And yet, he said it while looking at me straight in the eye, as if he was challenging me.

    ¡°My sword shall always, at all times, as long as I live, for my one and only Lord Nagi.¡±

    I blinked my eyes at those words.

    While forcibly trying to suppress my inner confusion, I tapped my sword on Mika¡¯s right shoulder, then on his left shoulder, and looked at his demeanor. I was the one who intended to surprise him, but Mika¡¯s pledge was something that I hadn¡¯t expected, so I ended up feeling embarrassed and flustered.

    Mika then slowly brought his lips to the tip of my sword.

    My whole body was covered in goosebumps.

    An indescribable feeling that couldn¡¯t be said as joy or fear spread throughout my body. I unconsciously gulped.

    Mika¡¯s eyelashes, which were supposed to be lowered down, were now turned to me before I realized it. His jade green eyes looked translucent. My heart started to race, gradually pounding faster at the glint of the sword that he had pledged to me alone, forsaking peace, people, and justice.

    (This is¡­ just like a pledge of love¡­)

    I felt like my cheeks were almost flushed in cinnabar color involuntarily, so I clenched my back teeth.

    The beautiful light from outside fell like a path through the skylight, making Mika¡¯s jade eyes gleam.

    Then, I said,

    ¡°I, the third prince, Nagi Lucian Pluvia, hereby declare Mika Lennart Chardin as my knight for life.¡±

 CH 7

    1-2. Now, let¡¯s begin the experiment

    ¡°Huh¡­ you choose me?¡±

    ¡°Y-yo-you too! What¡¯s up with that weird pledge?! You probably didn¡¯t think about it beforehand!¡±

    ¡°Huh, well, but-¡±

    I could only assume so.

    After the ceremony, my brother laughed at me with his hand holding his stomach and said, ¡°Ahaha, I thought you were going to get married there~¡± Even the hard-headed Oswald said, ¡°I thought I had mistakenly come to a wedding¡± And now, we were walking down the hallway of the royal castle toward my office, while arguing with each other.

    As I stepped on the blue carpet in long strides, I thought.

    (I ended up choosing a big fool. Why am I choosing a guy like that to be my knight¡­?!)

    When I think about where I could have gone wrong in my first life, I thought of choosing Mika, who always complained to me, as my knight. Mika was also a person who would properly convey his opinions to me.

    For that reason, I decided to choose Mika this time¡­ I think. Maybe.

    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s not Machina¡­¡±

    As I heard Mika say that in a tone like speaking to himself, I thought about it.

    Indeed, in my first life, five years ago, I chose Machina.

    Machina, the second son of a marquis, was a bit frivolous, but he was sociable, conducted himself well, and helped me a lot in my previous life as I wasn¡¯t good at social gatherings. He¡¯s of higher family rank than Mika, who¡¯s the third son of a count. He also didn¡¯t make a fuss like Mika, and the people around me had recommended him.

    I remembered Machina, who always walked around with a relaxed smile on his face. In battle, he would tie his light brown hair hanging down on his shoulders into a single braid so that it wouldn¡¯t get in the way when he fought. Mika must have heard rumors that Machina was the most likely candidate.

    And then, I suddenly realized.

    ¡°I wonder why I didn¡¯t choose Machina¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    The feeling that I had done something wrong spread within me.

    Somehow, I was bothered by the fact that Mika glared at me in my final moments and said ¡°idiot¡± to me with those eyes, so I ended up choosing him. Even though I had returned to five years ago, only within hours of starting over my life, I might have made a wrong choice with my life at stake.

    ¡°Nagi¡­ Stop making a face as if you¡¯re thinking if you can change knights now.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if I can¡¯t change knights now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying it out loud!¡±

    Seeing Mika making an irritated face, I also kept my mouth shut.

    However, when I thought that I would always be together with Mika from now on, a feeling of irritability arose within me, causing me to quicken my pace even more. But I accidentally let my feet get tangled up, and then my vision tilted.

    For a moment, a chill ran down my spine.

    ¡ªHowever, instead of the impact that was supposed to come, an arm was wrapped around my stomach from behind.

    As I put my weight on that arm, the embarrassment grew even stronger. But when I looked behind me, I was met with Mika¡¯s serious face.

    ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°¡­..Ah, yeah.¡±

    My heart thumped rapidly.

    I placed my hand on Mika¡¯s arm and thought that it was just what you would expect from a knight. Even if they looked slender, his arms were still that of a knight, unlike mine. I had a better physique than him when we were little, but before I realized it his body had become so well-trained.

    I desperately tried to hold back the heat that was about to gather in my face from the embarrassment of almost falling down, and then positioned myself.

    However, I felt that Mika¡¯s hand, which was still wrapped around me from the back, began to stroke my stomach as if to make sure. Startled, I furrowed my eyebrow and turned around to him. Mika was expressionless for a while, but then with a face that looked as if bursting with joy, he said,

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have you close where I can reach you, Nagi.¡±

    ¡°Whaat?¡±

    Even though Mika was angry just earlier, now he was smiling softly as if relishing his happiness. Seeing him like that made me feel like running away. I let out a small cough and started walking down the hallway to the office again.

    In any case, now that I have chosen him, I had no choice but to look for Mika¡¯s good qualities.

    Mika opened the door of the office, walked straight inside, and sat down on the sofa vigorously. For some reason, he sat next to me with his legs spread wide open. As I thought to myself ¡°You should sit across from me¡­¡±, I tried thinking of his strengths.

    He¡¯s a skilled person. That¡¯s right, Mika always ranked in third place in the swordsmanship competition every year. In this country, only wealthy commoners and nobles could attend the royal academy for six years. But ever since Mika went into the academy in the same grade as me, he was always in third place every year. Honestly, I think he had the skill to win the first place.

    But, perhaps¡ª

    (Perhaps it¡¯s because the first and second place are forced to help with the work of the knight order in addition to their schoolwork, so he avoided it¡­?)

    It was like a heaven-sent, great networking opportunity for students who wanted to join the knight order after graduation. But I¡¯m thinking that perhaps Mika didn¡¯t want to be a knight. And so, he didn¡¯t try his best in those things¡­ that was my impression after having watched the swordsmanship competition four times.

    He¡¯s underhanded.

    And also, this red-haired man still has bed hair that poked out all over the place. But for someone whose head looked like a bird¡¯s nest, I thought he would have a small brain like that of a bird, but that wasn¡¯t true.

    Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t that bad at studying. He wasn¡¯t someone who took first or second place, but his name was always in the top ranks. If so, a career as a civil servant is not impossible for him.

    He¡¯s cowardly.

    And then, he was also a complainer, who has complained to me at every given chance since I was a little.

    He had no respect for me as the prince. I noticed him treating my brother and other nobles with proper etiquette, but he was abnormally nagging only at me. When I wondered what he didn¡¯t like about me and started to distance myself from him, he complained even about the smallest thing to me, as if nitpicking. I was rather particular about things like that, so that habit of his made me feel irritated and wonder why he was nagging only at me.

    He¡¯s just plainly an annoying person.

    I thought to myself, ¡°Why did I end up choosing him?¡± I was already slowly starting to regret it.

    I wonder when did I start thinking like a monk who meditates under the waterfall to cultivate a strong mind, that I would want to have this nagging man by my side?

    The fact that Mika¡¯s strange pledge caused my brother to laugh at me also brought me discomfort, as if I were being kneaded in the stomach.

    However, how to put this? Mika is a person who¡¯s good at getting things done.

    A while ago, after my brother laughed at me while holding his stomach, he quickly returned to his serious face and said, ¡°Still, that pledge¡ª Mika sure knows well the position of the lord he is supposed to protect. You have chosen a great knight, Nagi¡±. This didn¡¯t happen in my first life five years ago.

    I still didn¡¯t understand what my brother meant by the position of the lord, which was referring to me. But, I must admit that I felt a little upset when my brother praised Mika.

    But then, at that moment, ¡ªas I was sitting down, curled up and holding my head in my hands, I felt the sensation of a firm hand touching mine.

    My hand was moved away, intertwined with his fingers, and was brought near his lips.

    I thought, ¡°Huh?¡± and looked up.

    ¡°But, I have made a pledge. You¡¯re¡ª already mine, Nagi.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat.

    He looked straight at me and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± It reminded me of his knight pledge from earlier. I felt Mika¡¯s hot breath on my palm. His atmosphere felt different from the Mika in my first life who was always angry, it made me feel confused inside.

    My fingertips were twitching.

    But, what Mika said was fundamentally wrong. I furrowed my eyebrows deeply.

    ¡°No. ¡ªYou are the one who¡¯s mine.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    Mika blinked his eyes repeatedly. However, when I thought he was looking at me intently, he suddenly brought his lips closer while still holding my hand, and placed a kiss on my palm.

    Unlike the kiss of knight¡¯s pledge that was done on the back of the hand, I think he was just messing around.

    And yet, even though I thought so, I shuddered because I didn¡¯t want him to notice the sound of my heart pounding so loudly. Since we were little, Mika was very intense in physical intimacy until I distanced myself from him. So, this kind of thing wasn¡¯t a big deal for him. I tried not to think about it, but I hate that my heart was still thumping so loudly.

    (No. It¡¯s definitely not something like that. No way.)

    I should have known from my first life, what was it that I didn¡¯t want to think about, and what was the thing that I didn¡¯t want to admit. I tried to somehow hold on to my eyebrows, which were about to droop.

    Instead, I furrowed my brows and turned my gaze to Mika. He was smiling innocently, as if his little prank had been found out, just like what he used to do when I hadn¡¯t distanced myself from him yet.

    ¡°That also doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡±

 CH 8

    ¡°What was he doing?!¡±

    After that, I ended up kicking Mika out of the room because I couldn¡¯t stand the embarrassment. The moment I kicked him out, I didn¡¯t know what I should do as I felt the heat gathering in my face, and I plopped down on the bed in the adjacent room.

    Then, after rolling around while holding my knees for a while, I screamed that to myself.

    Right now, I¡¯m trying to push the limits of how small a human being could curl up their body.

    ¡°What was he doing¡­¡±

    Mika was certainly quite intense on physical intimacy since he was little.

    But ever since I distanced myself from him, Mika was always angry, always complaining, and always making a scary face¡ª And so, that¡¯s right, I completely forgot about it.

    Mika¡¯s face that smiled happily flashed through my mind. And then, my face heated up again and I involuntarily screamed ¡°Uwaaa¡± in agony.

    (If you show me a face overflowing with happiness like that¡­ I¡­)

    The palm of my hand that had been touched by Mika¡¯s lips was hot. His hot breath that brushed my skin, his jade eyes that looked at me intently, and his fingers intertwined with mine¡ª All of them, with all of them combined, it didn¡¯t seem like my heartbeat that was pounding loudly would subside anytime soon. There was nothing else I could do but make myself as small as possible. As I thought of that, I curled up on the bed getting smaller and smaller.

    (Aah¡­ Damn it.)

    It even made me teary-eyed.

    I had already forgotten why I decided to distance myself from Mika in my first life, it was such a long time ago.

    However, when I saw his smile again after a long time, I immediately realized it.

    About my regrets before I died.

    Before I was burned at the stake that time, my heart was filled with all sorts of regrets.

    It should be obvious, but I was thinking about things such as; how I could have stopped my brother¡¯s execution, how I could have done something about His Majesty¡¯s incident, or how I couldn¡¯t do anything to protect the people of this country. All I could think about was wondering where I had gone wrong, or when I had made the mistake¡ª my own helplessness always swirled around me for a long time.

    But then, Mika¡¯s tears that I saw that time, right before I died, took everything away from me.

    Everything I had as a prince, everything I had in my life, and the reasoning that had held it all together, was gone.

    I just thought about one thing very, very strongly.

    ¡ªI wish I had stayed by his side more.

    That was the only regret I had in the last moments of my life.

    Even if I tried to deny that it couldn¡¯t be true, or convince myself that it was a silly thing, a feeling of relief spread through my chest just by seeing Mika¡¯s face. That was my everything.

    Why did I go out of my way to the knight¡¯s anteroom first thing this morning to check on him?

    Why did I choose Mika instead of Machina?

    (I definitely¡­ already know¡­ the answer.)

    This isn¡¯t a new life or anything like that, this is still my life.

    I wasn¡¯t reborn with a plain face, or lived in a rural village with a simple and kind girl. My life remained as it was, the one where I had distanced myself away from Mika.

    Even if marriage between men is allowed in this country, I¡¯m a prince and Mika is a knight. No matter what happened, we would never get together. At least there might have been a possibility if Mika was of a higher family rank than a count, but there¡¯s almost no chance of such a thing happening in this country¡¯s system.

    I wanted to spend more time with him.

    Influenced by those strong feelings, I ended up choosing Mika. But perhaps, the choice I had made in my first life was the correct one. After all, if he were to keep on smiling at me like that, at such a close distance, I¡¯m sure that one day¡ª

    (¡­My heart will be broken.)

    I would rather just stay unaware of this feeling. In my first life, I think I could have still turned back. In the end, I ended up regretting it, but I still could turn back.

    And then, I finally realized it at the verge of my death.

    (What the worst timing¡­)

    At least if I had the next life waiting for me, even those regrets would have been sublimated.

    In this life I returned to for the second time, I ended up trying to sublimate those regrets. I completely made the wrong choice. What should I do, what should I do? I was at a loss by the unanswerable questions that kept coming to my mind.

    However¡ª

    (I haven¡¯t seen Mika being that happy in a long time¡­)

    There are still so many things I have to do from now on. Such as about my life, ¡ªand even my brother¡¯s life, it would involve a lot of hard work. And yet, my head was full with thoughts of that red-haired knight, it made me bite my lips. As I forcibly pushed up my eyebrows which were about to droop with both hands, I felt the need to direct my thoughts to something other than Mika.

    In any case, I don¡¯t understand why, but I got a chance to make up for it.

    One day I would eventually have to think about why that ended up happening, but above all, my brother¡¯s life is at stake.

    This wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about that red fur ball.

    (It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I only chose Mika because he would give me his opinion. The opinion of that crude man, who doesn¡¯t even think of me as a prince, will definitely be useful.)

    In any case, I have to set a plan.

    About how I could change the future. Tomorrow was still a rest day, so Mika would be coming to the castle. I¡¯m thinking of asking him to think about it together with me.

    (Aah, ¡ªso we¡¯ll be together again tomorrow¡­)

    And then, Mika¡¯s smile popped into my mind.

    For a while, I was still rolling around over and over on the bed.

 CH 9

    ¡°I want to set a plan.¡±

    ¡°Plan??¡±

    The next day, Mika showed up at the castle as I had expected, and that was what I told him so as soon as I opened my mouth.

    Mika and I were sitting on the sofa facing each other in front of the tea set and sweets on the table in the office. I forcibly removed out of my mind what I had agonized over all night yesterday.

    Also, it was still five years ago when I woke up this morning.

    As I said, ¡°Ohh, it¡¯s still five years ago,¡± that didn¡¯t make any sense, the maid with round glasses looked at me with cold eyes. Then she said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk in your sleep and please wake up quickly¡± with a low voice, but I didn¡¯t mind it at all.

    If I were to describe my first life in a sentence, it would be ¡°a life for my brother¡±.

    I lived my life thinking only of how I could be useful at the side of my ideal brother, who was born to be the king of this country.

    To tell the truth, one of the reasons why I was called the evil prince was most likely because I had been doing dirty work that I thought would be good for my brother.

    The charges laid out against me in the trial, which was only for the sake of appearances, were all things that I didn¡¯t remember doing.

    After losing my brother, more than myself or anything else, I lived like a slug, but I was still desperate to scorch the enemies that had framed him. And then, it resulted in me being burned by fire myself.

    (Even so, how can I protect my brother and my family, including my own life¡­?)

    After all, the result of my own actions was being burned at the stake.

    The first important thing is that I have failed as a result of my own actions. So this time, I think I will ask this redhead, who would complain to me the prince without holding back, for his opinion.

    There¡¯s also a possibility that I had made a mistake somewhere.

    ¡°Hey, if you were me, what would you do if someone was being a hindrance to my brother?¡±

    ¡°If someone was being a hindrance to His Highness Seth? Huh, what would you do, Nagi?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll erase them.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    As I saw Mika almost dropping his pluberry scone that he was holding in his hand onto his plate, I tilted my head.

    I had that much power and a knight. I think it¡¯s best to eliminate, socially or physically, those who would be a detriment to the country ruled by my brother.

    I had the right to exercise it, and it was supposed to be for my brother and this country.

    ¡°We¡¯re talking about someone who¡¯s being a hindrance to my brother here. How else do you expect me to deal with them?¡±

    ¡°No, just talk it out with them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not someone who would listen to what I told them, that¡¯s why I¡¯ll erase them.¡±

    Mika stared at me intently as he popped more scones into his mouth.

    It¡¯s not that I did anything wrong. I just brought to justice people who were being a hindrance to my brother for their obvious wrongdoings. I didn¡¯t go out of my way to commit a crime or take their lives unreasonably.

    If they were people who would listen to what I told them, I would have chosen that option, too.

    However, they were clearly criminals, and on top of that, they were also a hindrance to my brother. I didn¡¯t think what I did was wrong.

    If I shouldn¡¯t do that, then I¡¯ll hear what better way he has to offer. I crossed my legs and gave a snort. Mika seemed to be thinking about something, then after a while, he said,

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you try having them in the palm of your hand?¡±

    I thought he would simply urge me to ¡°talk it out¡±, but I was surprised that Mika gave such an unexpected suggestion.

    Have them in the palm of my hand? I tilted my head in confusion. Then, I tried to imagine rolling the heads of various types of bald old men in the palm of my hand, it made me feel very uncomfortable.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like vomiting, then Mika continued.

    ¡°Nagi, if you truly want to be useful to His Highness Seth, what you need to do isn¡¯t to be hated. But to be someone liked by others.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Even if you eliminate those who harm you, new harms will come out.¡±

    I didn¡¯t remember saying to him that I wanted to be useful to my brother, but he must have guessed it from the question I just asked. But, still couldn¡¯t quite understand what he was saying, I appealed with my eyes, ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°Nagi has the most beautiful face in this country, and yet you¡¯re hated just like a slug. But if you¡¯re well-liked by everyone, eventually all those people would be on the side of His Highness Seth, whom you support.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    What in the world.

    Inside my head, a plubear turned over at least three and a half times.

    In this rainy country, the occasional mass of slugs are an abomination because they exhaust the crops. I myself thought I lived my life like a slug after my brother passed away, but I didn¡¯t think this redhead would call me a slug¡­ I tried to somehow calm my body which was trembling involuntarily.

    Anyhow, why do I feel like that maid and this redhead were all treating me weirdly?

    However¡ª it¡¯s not slugs that are important right now.

    (What did he say? If I¡¯m liked by the others, then¡­?)

    I had never thought about that.

    I thought that as long as everyone liked my brother, it was fine even if they hated me.

    Rather, I was thinking that it would be nice if I could be a foil to my brother. I would take responsibility for all the dirty parts. And so, my brother can always shine, that was what I thought.

    I tilted my head when I heard Mika said while looking a bit sulky, ¡°I don¡¯t really want you to be close with anyone else, though¡­¡± But, as I kept staring at Mika, he sighed and then continued.

    ¡°What you need to do isn¡¯t eliminating them, Nagi. It¡¯s to bring them into your force.¡±

    ¡°My¡­force¡­?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t pay attention to your surroundings. Even without Her Majesty Claire, Nagi is still enough of a political pawn.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but wince at his perceptive remark.

    I was born without a mother, and somewhere along the way I thought of myself as worthless, as I had no backing from inside the country.

    As long as my grandfather was still alive in the neighboring country Malacia, I thought I was at least a little bit useful in that regard. But that¡¯s probably only for the time he¡¯s still alive, and that doesn¡¯t mean I have any sort of worth myself.

    I¡¯ve been around Brother Seth, but I¡¯m not a very social or friendly person. I prefer to stay in my room reading books, and I can¡¯t be bothered to engage with people.

    I didn¡¯t particularly have anything that I can be confident or especially good at. I had lived my life thinking that it would be better if I didn¡¯t stand out so as not to further intensify the factional strife.

    (My force. If I had my own force, could I have been more useful to my brother? Could I have saved him?)

    I don¡¯t know. It was something I still don¡¯t know yet. But¡ª

    I gulped, then I asked,

    ¡°If I¡¯m a political pawn, then do I¡­ have my own force now?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    A disappointed sound played in my head.

    Of all things, this redhead in front of me just casually slapped me with a new insult.

    However¡ª

    After putting more of the pluberry scone in his mouth and swallowing it, Mika laughed with a troubled face, then said,

    ¡°For now, I¡¯m the only force you have.¡±

 CH 10

    ¡°To be liked¡­ huh.¡±

    Mika said he was going to look around inside the castle in order to protect me from now on, and then I sat at the desk in my room to think about it.

    The aged wooden desk had turned a little black, but it has been used by princes for generations, and I like it too. Thinking at this desk somehow made my mind clear.

    But, Mika¡¯s smile from earlier flashed through my mind even though I wanted to concentrate.

    (He said that¡­ he¡¯s on my side.)

    Unlike in my first life, Mika smiled with such a happy face. Remembering it made my heart pound weirdly, so I rubbed my chest with my hand.

    To be well-liked doesn¡¯t simply mean I have to be all smiles and show friendliness. After all, it¡¯s meaningless to be liked by people who have always had a good relationship with my brother.

    Mika said that it¡¯s no use to eliminate people who cause harm, but I¡¯m sure that he didn¡¯t expect them to be that harmful. I think he probably meant to tell me to consider bringing the neutral nobles to our side.

    However, even if I could have those neutral nobles in the palm of my hand like Mika said¡ª

    (What¡¯s important is whether I could prevent what¡¯s about to happen from now on.)

    In my first life, five years ago, I didn¡¯t listen to what Mika said to me.

    But now that I knew the future five years from now, I couldn¡¯t just take Mika¡¯s opinion that said I should take the neutral nobles in the palm of my hand. It¡¯s obvious, but Mika didn¡¯t know such a future that would be waiting for us.

    The more I think about it, there were a number of strange things that happened. Things that made me wonder why I hadn¡¯t noticed anything in my first life, but they must have already started at this point.

    At this point, who¡¯s the enemy?

    A few years from now, when I realized that something is wrong, there were already a lot of suspicious people in this country.

    So many of them that they could frame Brother Seth. There was no doubt the enemies must have been meticulously setting their plan from years ago.

    What in the world can someone who has nothing like me possibly do?

    ¡°Being liked, being loved.¡±

    That¡¯s right, Mika¡¯s direction is not wrong, that we should have them in my palm and bring them into my force.

    I took action to eliminate them in my first life and failed. But this is not going to be as easy as Mika thought. Even if I could draw the neutral nobles into my force, once that incident happened, people¡¯s sentiments ?would only drift away. If that¡¯s the case¡ª then what¡¯s the force that I need to obtain?

    (It must be the faction of the second prince¡­ But, what can someone who has nothing like me possibly do¡­?)

    No matter what and how I think, eventually that¡¯s where all the thinking ends.

    In my first life, I thought of doing anything I can for my brother because of my low self-esteem. Machina was also there with me. I had power that I could exercise. I was proud to work for my brother. However¡ª now I realized that it was just a right that came with my title, and it wasn¡¯t my worth. After my brother was gone, I was truly alone.

    (Ah¡­ it really makes me feel dispirited.)

    Furrowing my eyebrows deeply, I remained frozen for a while. Then I stretched my arms and turned my head.

    At that moment, my eyes suddenly met with my reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall.

    ¡°Being loved, huh¡­¡±

    As I mumbled those words, I heard the sound of something falling to the carpet with a thud. Wondering what it was, I turned around and saw Marie standing there with a face as if she had seen a ghost. Then she asked me a question.

    ¡°Huh, What? What~~~?! W-w-what happened to you, Your Highness Nagi?¡±

    Whether it be Marie, Mika, or my brother, today they all asked me if something had happened or if there was something wrong with me. But that was the question I wanted to ask the most. What in the world had happened? Perhaps after I sleep and wake up in the morning, my consciousness might return to my charred state. Well, if my consciousness did return to my charred state, it feels like the beginning of a new ghost story.

    In any case, now that I¡¯m here, it might be a good idea to hear what others have to say.

    ¡°What would you do if you want to be loved by someone who hates you?¡±

    Eventually, Marie¡¯s face turned pale, at this rate I might have to call a doctor. But, as I stared at Marie¡¯s round glasses and looked into her round brown eyes, a lot of sweat began to pour down her face, and with a face that looked like she was dying, she said,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the destructive power of your face is extraordinary, could you please not look at me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    What a rude maid to say such a thing to me, her master.

    Marie said ¡°Excuse me for a moment¡±, and touched my forehead. It seemed like I didn¡¯t have a fever, and she said ¡°Hm?¡± while tilting her head. I was perfectly normal, except for the fact that my consciousness seemed to have inadvertently returned to five years ago.

    ¡°What happened to you, Your Highness Nagi? By wanting to be loved, do you mean romance?¡±

    It¡¯s not about romance.

    But, it made me wonder if wanting to be loved is the same thing in a broader sense. I glanced at Marie, then it struck me. Marie is a woman, I wonder if there are times when she falls in love and wants to be liked by that person.

    ¡°Did you do something to attract males? Like carrying around a salmon maybe?¡±

    ¡°¡­..What, males? I don¡¯t really understand what you¡¯re saying, but I sensed that you¡¯re making fun of me¡­ Are you really talking about romance after all?! I can¡¯t believe it!¡±

    ¡°No. I want to have them in my palm.¡±

    ¡°Uh oh¡­ it was about something darker than I thought. Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right! Please wait a moment.¡±

    Marie, looking somewhat excited, went out into the hallway and returned a short time later. Seeing the book in her hand, my already expressionless face lost even more emotion. What Marie happily showed me was a romance novel.

    And then, with sparkling eyes and a bashful manner, Marie said,

    ¡°Ta-da! This is ¡®Matchless Villainous Woman, The Demonic Beauty¡¯. When I read this, it made me wonder if she¡¯s as beautiful as Your Highness Nagi. I just finished reading it, so I will lend it to you.¡±

    No, like I said, ¡ªI¡¯m trying to avoid the ¡°evil burned at the stake ending¡± here.

 CH 11

    ¡°I want to be loved.¡±

    By the time Mika returned to my office after a while, it was nearing evening.

    I don¡¯t know what in the world he had been checking out so much in the royal castle, but it seemed that he had been meticulously investigating it.

    Meanwhile, I was finishing reading Marie¡¯s book, with many other books piled up on my desk, and while letting out a grunting voice. Mika, who had just come back, seemed horrified to see me like that.

    I closed the book I was reading with a snap, and when I looked up my eyes were met with Mika standing in front of my desk, looking at me curiously.

    ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s that book? The Demonic Beauty?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I thought I¡¯d use it as an example of how to win people¡¯s hearts.¡±

    ¡°Using that book? Isn¡¯t that a bit different¡­?¡±

    To tell the truth, I knew that better than anyone else. After all, Mika probably would never have imagined it, but I met my evil end just a few hours ago. However, I don¡¯t particularly remember ever seducing anyone, so I was fundamentally different from the villainous woman in this book.

    It¡¯s not enough to be only well-liked. I want to be loved.

    Just like this woman, I thought that enough charm and magic power were required to twist other people¡¯s reasoning and make them devoted to you.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to reach the evil ending again. I want to protect my brother, my loved ones, and my country.

    I coughed at Mika, who looked at me with a blank stare.

    ¡°And so, to cherish the life of my brother, I will now start the plutogis strategy, to make people love me even if they don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ really, what¡¯s wrong with you¡­?¡±

    As Mika looked at me as if he had encountered an unknown monster, I continued.

    ¡°I mean it as it is. I decided to take your opinion and tried to make an effort to be well-liked. Please give me a hand.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, is that so¡­ Really, what happened to you? You sound like a different person.¡±

    ¡°To tell the truth, I¡¯ve been through awful things that you could never imagine. You must have never thought about how it feels like to be a slug crawling on the ground, haven¡¯t you? After descending into a slug once, and then coming back to being a human again, one can easily lose a screw or two.¡±

    ¡°Huh? When did you become a slug?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t the case, but that also wasn¡¯t completely wrong.

    To be precise, I¡¯m about to become a slug from now on, but I don¡¯t want that to happen.

    Instead of becoming a slug just like last time, I would rather soar in the sky like the plutogis, the national bird of this country. I want to be loved by all and sing a song in a loud voice.

    In actuality, in front of Mika who couldn¡¯t grasp the situation, I was the one who couldn¡¯t grasp the situation the most.

    But, no matter what I¡¯m about to do, I couldn¡¯t do it alone. That¡¯s right, one person who had already failed once was surely not enough to do it.

    (In any case, I have to try every way possible¡­)

    My usual lazy feeling that ¡°it¡¯s too much of a hassle¡± was about to come up, but I quickly drowned it out.

    The lives of the people important to me and the fate of this country are at stake. I couldn¡¯t afford to be lazy. I let out a small sigh. And then, I glanced at Mika.

    ¡°Huh, what is it¡­¡±

    I stared at Mika intently, who looked somewhat frightened, and then I thought.

    (What I need to do is, perhaps, put it into practice¡­)

    In addition to that, I think that Mika, the existing force, must be secured.

    I¡¯m a complete novice in terms of relationship building. But perhaps this is the business equivalent of retaining and keeping customers. As I didn¡¯t choose Machina, I wouldn¡¯t have the social network that he has.

    But, Mika certainly came up with a good point.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to expand my influence.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ahh, err, yeah, so that¡¯s what you mean.¡±

    Mika ruffled the back of his head, which his hair was especially poking out all over the place today, and spoke in a flat voice.

    After thinking through what Mika told me, I decided that I would make an effort on taking a lot of parties, including the faction of the second prince, in the palm of my hand. Of course, there is much more to do besides trying to get people to like me. And it most likely won¡¯t work smoothly right away.

    I need to experiment with it little by little.

    This man in front of me is perfect for that. Mika is bold and knows well what kind of person I am. Even if I were to fail, he most likely wouldn¡¯t mind much.

    I took Mika¡¯s other hand that wasn¡¯t going around ruffling his head, then held it with both of my hands tightly.

    Mika¡¯s body flinched. He shouldn¡¯t be that surprised, since he¡¯s the one who¡¯s often clingy with his touch. As I thought of that, I kept on staring into his eyes.

    In my first life, five years ago, I thought that Mika hated me.

    I didn¡¯t try to rely on anyone.

    But if there was anyone I could have turned to, surely it was Mika. No matter how much I rejected him or regretted that I might have made the wrong decision, the truth is I felt relieved.

    Even if I said that I regretted choosing him as my knight, I felt so relieved just by seeing his face this morning. I also ended up going to see his face first thing after I returned from death.

    If at that time Mika¡¯s eyes were teary in my dying moments, then this time¡ª

    (On this second life¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose him.)

    I stood up, squeezed and entwined my fingers in Mika¡¯s firm hand.

    Earlier, Marie said that I¡¯m beautiful enough to ruin a country just by smiling a little. But when I tried smiling at her, she instead laughed at me while holding her stomach, saying that I look like a plubear that hasn¡¯t eaten for three days and ended up eating a bitter gourd. Then Marie said to me, ¡°Just imagine that His Highness Seth is in front of you. If you still can¡¯t do it, then look at them in the eye at the very least¡±.

    I¡¯m still not confident that I can smile very well yet. But if it¡¯s just looking at their eyes, even I can do that.

    I¡¯m ashamed to admit that even as a prince, I have nothing.

    I looked at Mika¡¯s jade eyes intently, then I told him,

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I can rely on, Mika.¡±

    For some reason, Mika¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    And then, Mika¡¯s face gradually turned red. It was the first time I saw Mika making such an expression for as long as I can remember. Confused, I tilted my head. But, as I stared at his face, it made me wonder whether it worked on him or not.

    Just yesterday, I had said to his face that I had made a mistake in choosing him. Honestly, this is embarrassing.

    But at the moment, Mika is the only one who has openly declared that he¡¯s on my side. If I were to seriously start gathering my force and so on, I¡¯ll have to get him to love me first, or nothing would start.

    ¡°Ah, err. For me¡­ I¡¯m happy¡­ as long as you¡¯re¡­ doing well.¡±

    Mika, looking a bit embarrassed, said it in an unusually stammering manner.

    But somehow, the shy look on his face reminded me of the old times when we used to run around the gardens of the royal castle together, and my heart tightened. It was just like that time when we made that promise.

    I wonder what had been deprived of me in my first life.

    I thought about the regrets that I had before I died¡ª in my final moments.

    As I stared at Mika¡¯s face, which was filling my whole field of vision, the words came out of my mouth.

    ¡°I want you to love me, too.¡±

    Mika gulped his breath.

    Then he stopped moving as if he had stopped breathing.

    I still didn¡¯t fully know what I wanted to do myself. The future where I can love and be loved with Mika will probably never come. Still, maybe after returning from death, I hoped to live a little more in the ¡°present¡±. I didn¡¯t say that with the intention of a love confession. I just meant that I wanted him to love me in the broadest, widest sense. But now that I have said that, I felt embarrassed and started to turn red.

    As I stared at Mika who had become frozen like a stone, I bit my lips while hoping inwardly that he would say something. When I called out to him, Mika gasped and then his eyes soon went blank.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to make you a test subject for my experiment.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The enemy is powerful.

    There are many things that need to be done. Still, it¡¯s worth trying everything I can do.

    In any case, I have decided on a ¡°plan¡± inside my mind.

    Mika¡¯s cheeks were still somewhat red. I¡¯m not sure why, but I think it might be good to have Mika as a test subject, no matter what I¡¯m going to do.

    (I wouldn¡¯t be able to do something like this with Machina. Not even a little bit¡­)

    That was what I thought.

    And then, I declared to Mika.

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯m starting an experiment.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but what kind of experiment??¡±

    That¡¯s¡ª

    ¡°¡ªexperiment to be loved.¡±

 CH 12

    1-3. At the Magic Academy for the second time

    ¡°What if I try making drugs that make people fall for me?¡±

    ¡°You spoke that sharply earlier, and that¡¯s all you could come up with?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, do you hate talking with people that much? What a face you¡¯re making.¡±

    As Mika pointed out, I¡¯m undoubtedly making a face like an ogre right now.

    After the knight investiture ceremony that was held on school break day was over, today was the beginning of my school life that I would spend together with Mika. I gritted my teeth as I walked along the outer corridor of the school, where the courtyard could be seen.

    Although the new green leaves were swaying in the refreshing breeze, my mood was the worst.

    I was someone who had never interacted with anyone up until now. Just a single greeting made my stomach churn, and I clenched my back teeth. As I tried squeezing out my voice, I asked Mika a question.

    ¡°Is there any kind of magic that can suddenly make me overflowed with love by everyone around me?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    * * *

    ¡ªIt was this morning.

    ¡°What? I don¡¯t particularly need you to pick me up.¡±

    ¡°Huh? But the first day of school after a personal knight is decided is like a debut for us.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, your face is clearly saying that it¡¯s too troublesome¡­ If you really think of me as being on your side, think about my face too.¡±

    This morning, as I was getting on the carriage from the royal castle to the academy, I saw Mika on his horse and tilted my head.

    He said he had come to pick me up, so I tilted my head more, and he yelled at me in the end.

    I don¡¯t want to do anything that stands out. I tried to remember if I had done something like this with Machina before, but I can¡¯t remember it at all. I can clearly remember shapes, placement, and color. But if I can¡¯t remember about that, then it means I probably didn¡¯t even see Machina¡¯s face at that time. Though, I certainly remember him offering his hand to me.

    If that¡¯s a formality, then Machina must have gone to school together with me.

    (I mostly only cared about my brother back then¡­ I might have done something bad to Machina.)

    I turned my gaze to Mika on his favorite horse, which was running beside the carriage.

    Today, he wasn¡¯t wearing the knight¡¯s blue formal attire like the other day. But considering that he¡¯s wearing a blue surcoat with gold buttons and a lot of ornament, it made me realize he might have been conscious of the debut.

    His straight back and his red hair swaying in the wind looked great with the blue outfit.

    A breeze smelling of summer blew through the small open window. Green trees lined the street and a large stone gate came into view.

    Royal Luminous Magic Academy.

    Students enter the academy at the age of 12, attend for six years, and graduate at the age of 18.

    Although the system is in place for commoners to attend the academy, the literacy rate in this country is still not that high. The majority of children receive work training from their parents and go straight to work.

    Children from wealthy families like aristocrats learn many things at home with private tutors until they reach the age of 12. Then, from the age of 12, they enter this school. Since the age of adulthood in this country is 15, some students attend until the third grade and then drop out.

    For the last three years beginning in the fourth year, students can choose classes according to the direction they wish to take as individuals, including the acquisition of specialized knowledge. Because of this, tuition fees are ridiculously high, and in the end, only a handful of commoners and the children of aristocrats could attend.

    Why would students pay a lot of money to attend this school to study when private tutors can teach the same thing for them? Of course, that¡¯s because it¡¯s a place for socializing.

    The life of the nobility is filled with tea parties, evening parties, and various events throughout the year. It¡¯s the foundation for this.

    (I couldn¡¯t make use of it at all, though¡­)

    To tell the truth, I think people were still trying to approach me when I was in first grade.

    But now that I¡¯m in fifth grade, the perception that ¡°His Highness Nagi prefers to be alone¡± has spread. I have almost never spoken to another human being, except for the time I¡¯m with my brother.

    In my first life, Mika also had nagged at me, but I even ignored that. The fact that I said ¡°I want to be loved¡± must be something shocking and a big deal for Mika too.

    It was also something of a big deal for me.

    Mika got off his horse, opened the carriage door, and extended his hand to me. It was embarrassing, but it was for the debut so it couldn¡¯t be helped. I had no choice but to lay my hand on his hand. Everyone present there immediately bowed in unison.

    While feeling my internal organs shrinking, I still managed to squeeze out my voice.

    ¡°¡­Good morning.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    Normally, I would have quickly disappeared into the school building without saying a word, as if running away from people. But this time, I said so with a feeling of resignation and left the place as gracefully as possible, taking care not to walk too fast.

    I could hear chatter and commotion from behind me, but I ignored them.

    But the moment I turned the corner of the school¡¯s auditorium¡ª like a mechanical doll, I simply put my foot forward quickly, then put the opposite foot forward at the speed of light. I repeated that over and over, running quickly through the courtyard. Then, the man who was chasing after me with large strides called me from behind.

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s amazing of you to greet them.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    As I was getting told those words as if I were a small kid, I clenched my fist. My face was probably still red.

    But still, surely this was a big first step for me.

    I also thought that despite my position as a prince, my capacity is still too small that I think of this as a big first step. Just like that, I grit my teeth to the point of making a grinding sound.

    ¡°Ahaha, look at your face. This is good, Nagi. After all, someone who can¡¯t make small changes won¡¯t be able to make great changes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.Sh-shut up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is a big first step that would be useful for His Highness Seth. You did great.¡±

    Getting told something as if he could read my mind, made anger well up within me.

    Mika casually put his hand on my head. I shook it off while saying, ¡°That¡¯s rude,¡± but he just brushed it off.

    However, there was a very happy smile on Mika¡¯s face. It made me wonder, since when did this man who always smiled with his mouth wide open like an idiot, this man who smiled like the sun, suddenly stopped showing his smile.

    I feel my heart thumping and exaggerating its presence, so I do my best to fight it off.

    (Th-that kind of thing doesn¡¯t matter!)

    In any case, it should be good to at least do some greetings. It was also written like that in the book. As much as it grated on my nerves, what Mika said wasn¡¯t wrong.

    If I don¡¯t start with small things, I won¡¯t be able to make a big change.

    For now, I must start with things that will only make my stomach churn and my teeth clench afterward.

    We crossed the courtyard of the fourth grade through the sixth grade school building. Then, I heard a carefree voice next to me say, ¡°I hope you can at least make one friend before the summer break¡±. My stomach churned again, and I gritted my teeth. With a deep crease between my brows, I ask.

    ¡°Friends, huh¡­ In the first place, what do humans usually do during the summer break?¡±

    So far, I had done nothing more than read books and perform my assigned duties at the castle, no matter if it was summer break or not. Remembering how happy all the students at the academy looked before the break, I predicted that there should be some kind of fun to be had.

    Mika, who looked at me with a blank stare, let out a sigh and said with a bored tone,

    ¡°Humans? What are you, a God? ¡­Well, it¡¯s probably socializing.¡±

 CH 13

    ¡°What is socializing? ¡­Social icing?¡±

    Mika made a difficult face as if he had accidentally stepped on a wriggling slug.

    Then he froze for a while as if still feeling the sensation of the slug spreading on the soles of his feet. He exhaled a deep sigh, then said with tired eyes,

    ¡°You¡¯re born as a prince, do you really¡­ don¡¯t know anything about this¡­? Well, so, it¡¯s about making connections. Tea parties, evening parties, long horse rides, hunting, salon musical performances, gambling, you name it. If traveling performers and musicians are currently staying, they¡¯re also invited, and some of them have martial arts matches. You¡¯ve probably heard that bathhouses are all the rage these days. And since it¡¯s summer, some invite people to their summer resorts. Even His Highness Seth used to do this on a regular basis. Of course you at least know this much, right?¡±

    ¡°Tea parties evening parties long horse rides hunting salon musical performances¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No, wait. I¡¯m sorry. Hmm, let¡¯s see. What about a tea party? Everyone is having a tea party.¡±

    For a moment, I thought I heard words that sounded like incantations, but I must have misheard them. If it¡¯s tea parties, I have attended a few of them.

    But most of them were hosted by Brother Seth or the queen. The times I went to other people¡¯s tea parties by myself¡­ are very few.

    Even at those parties, I was just invited along with my brother. I felt like I was dragging my brother down as I¡¯m not good at holding conversations, and eventually I began to decline such invitations.

    My stomach aches and I clench my back teeth. But looking at it rationally, it felt like it was probably only a moderate challenge for me right now. It¡¯s just a little bit painful.

    ¡°¡­¡­Tea party, huh.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a prince after all. Why don¡¯t you ask someone from the first prince faction to invite you? Don¡¯t force yourself too much at first. Just go to a tea party with someone who¡¯s well-spoken and friendly to you, and then gradually get used to it. For example, Tillois the Marquis from the same grade as you.¡±

    ¡°Tillois.¡±

    As Mika said that to me, I realized something and tilted my head. I had never thought that Tillois would be in the first prince faction. Something seemed off, but since Mika recommended him, I guess he must be friendly and good at talking.

    I had no such impression of him, but Tillois was passing by on the path in the courtyard in front of me by coincidence.

    He has soft platinum-blonde hair and reddish eyes. He looks like an angel that came from someplace, but his eyes were always cold and gave an air of solitude.

    I still felt like there was something off, but I thought to myself, ¡°No, momentum is important in this kind of thing!¡± Then I called out to him with all my might.

    ¡°Tillois!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Nagi! Stop!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Good morning, Your Highness Nagi. Do you have any business with me?¡±

    ¡°Ye-yes. Umm, I wonder if you could invite me to a tea party sometime.¡±

    I tried to desperately squeeze out my voice with all my might.

    It was the first time I said such a thing to someone, and my voice trembled.

    I could feel the blood pumping through my body at an incredible rate. Tillois stopped moving with a blank expression on his face, stared at me, and then said,

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­ I would not possibly refuse Your Highness¡¯ request. However, I am not good at getting along with others. Therefore, rather than a tea party, would it be okay if I invite you to my house and we enjoy tea together?¡±

    ¡°Really?! We-well then tell me the date and time later.¡±

    ¡°Yes, then please excuse me.¡±

    My mood was at its highest as I smiled and waved Tillois off. I did it! I did it! It made me want to roar like a plubear. And then I looked back at Mika, looking proud.

    ¡ªHowever, I was met with Mika¡¯s grim face, with his hand on his brow. Confused, I tilted my head.

    I thought I was going to get a compliment, but as I was wondering what was happening, Mika yelled.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the wrong Tillois!!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Tillois Ackerson, who¡¯s clearly from the second prince faction. He¡¯s the Dukes! His sister who¡¯s one year older is engaged to His Highness Vincent! I was talking about the Marquis Tillois.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.Ahh. So you meant that Tillois. This is confusing.¡±

    If that¡¯s the case, he should have told me sooner. As I thought of that, Mika was holding his head and had a very serious look on his face.

    Either way, I¡¯m sure Mika will be coming along with me on the day. Tillois also said he¡¯s not good at getting along with others. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine to at least have some tea together.

    But looking at Mika¡¯s reaction, it doesn¡¯t seem like a trivial thing.

    If he¡¯s from the faction of the second prince, then he¡¯s something like an arch-enemy to me. Well, I certainly want to add someone from the second prince faction to my forces, but I had no intention of making contact with them at such an early stage.

    Having never been socializing at all, I didn¡¯t quite understand the gravity of the situation.

    Mika glanced at me through the gap between his fingers, and said,

    ¡°You¡­¡­ This is the same as going into the enemy¡¯s camp alone and unarmed.¡±

    I see. I could tell the graveness of the situation now, and that it was no longer just a tea party.

    And so, I tried to tell him what I thought for the time being.

    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound so good.¡±

 CH 14

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re going to take Magical Botany?¡±

    After the morning class was over, it was lunch break.

    Mika asked me that question as he sat in the shade of a tree in the courtyard, while trying to chew on his pastrami sandwich. I¡¯ve done a terrible thing this morning about Tillois, but I figured I should just think about it later, and then I opened the wrapping of my sandwich, too.

    Usually, the students at Luminous academy have lunch in the cafeteria.

    This is also, once again, a real hassle, but for the aristocrats it is a place for ¡°socializing¡± where they can¡¯t afford to slack off, even at lunchtime.

    Since I started attending this school, I have almost never been to the cafeteria.

    At first, I ate lunch together with my brother because he invited me. But of course, the area around the first prince was the prime place for socializing, so I soon stopped going there.

    Knowing this circumstance, Mika bought two sandwiches without hesitation and took me to the courtyard. It seems that he had even courteously brought along a picnic blanket with him.

    Right now, the cafeteria must be bustling with talk about my older brothers¡¯ knights that was decided yesterday. If I had been there, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it.

    (He¡¯s surprisingly considerate¡­)

    I suddenly remembered that I also had lunch alone in the courtyard in my first life. Machina was nearby, but I didn¡¯t remember having lunch together with him.

    I feel like I told him that he can eat lunch with his friends, but Machina only smiled at me and said, ¡°But I¡¯m your knight, Your Highness Nagi.¡±

    However, I remember I usually eat lunch slowly while flipping through a book. Meanwhile Machina was always alone, eating bread quickly at a place a little far away from me. I might have given him a hard time.

    ¡°Why did you decide to take that class?¡±

    Machina was completely different from this redhead, who just sat down next to me and talked while munching on his sandwich as if it was natural to do. Machina had a good sense of moderation and courtesy, I thought of that with a distant look in my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been interested in Magical Botany. If I take it now, I can take Magical Herbology next year.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. You¡¯ve always liked grass since you were little, after all.¡±

    ¡°Grass¡­¡±

    While thinking about why Mika would say grass, I certainly remember exploring the gardens of the royal castle with him when we were little.

    Mika kept on munching his food and stared at me curiously. True, if I had stayed the same person as I was before, I would have taken Law and Theology without hesitation.

    In my first life, I wanted to learn the laws of the country and have a grasp of them when I judged my brother¡¯s enemies. And I thought it would help if I remembered the prayers to calm the disasters that would be caused by God¡¯s wrath, should anything happen during my brother¡¯s reign.

    (But, that didn¡¯t help at all in the end¡­)

    Disasters still happened even if I prayed. Well, studying Law was useful when judging political opponents as sinners, but that, too, is meaningless for this plutogis strategy.

    Besides, I had already learned it, so there was no need to learn it again.

    ¡°What are you going to take, Mika? You don¡¯t have to take all the same classes as me. The school is safe, there¡¯s no problem.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I want to move around, so of course, I¡¯ll take swordsmanship. And then, what should I take¡­? What about you, Nagi? You can only take Herbology next year, right?¡±

    ¡°I had an interest in healing art. But when I heard about the lessons, it sounded more like astrology or witchcraft, which wasn¡¯t what I wanted to do.¡±

    Even if I prayed, even if I wished, it won¡¯t cure the disease.

    Mika said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll take botany with you. It seems like a class that has a lot of outings,¡± and put the last bite of the sandwich in his mouth.

    As I watched him eating and munching with his mouth full like a squirrel, it suddenly hit me.

    Until now, I had taken the classes from the upper standpoint, next to my brother. But it seemed quite unlikely that the studies that would benefit the people were Law or Theology.

    Then, I muttered it.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll take Livelihood Magic Study.¡±

    ¡°Huh, really? That¡¯s a very plain class. Botany and Livelihood Magic Study, sounds like something a guy with agricultural territory would take.¡±

    ¡°Why? I shouldn¡¯t take it?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s very like you, Nagi. It has a plain, gloomy, and dull feeling.¡±

    The feeling of irritation welled up in me. But¡ª rather than that.

    Livelihood magic, I tried saying it to myself and I felt a chilling sensation as if my internal organs were freezing.

    I put the baguette sandwich in my mouth to cover it up. It was the sandwich Mika had procured for me, saying that he would buy it randomly. But, seeing the egg inside made me feel a little better. It¡¯s easy if your tastes are known by other people.

    That¡¯s right, ¡ªsomething like livelihood magic shouldn¡¯t have been useful at all.

    Sweat formed slowly on my hand.

    I¡¯m still not sure if this is really five years ago. Still, if there¡¯s a possibility of that, there had to be something I could do.

    (This is for the incident that will shake the whole continent¡ª that will happen from now on.)

    I felt nervous and my body tensed up.

    However¡ª

    A warm sensation slid down my cheek, a thumb slowly traced my lips, and then it pressed my lips lightly. I froze in shock at the suddenness of it. Mika squinted his eyes as if there was something funny, and said,

    ¡°There was an egg there.¡±

    ¡°Ju-just tell me normally!¡±

    ¡°Your lips are so soft.¡±

    As I looked at Mika, who was smiling at me, I felt the heat on my face from the embarrassment that had finally arrived late. I felt weird because the way he touched me was strangely gentle. Then I thought.

    (It felt so weird!)

    My heart was pounding so loudly that I couldn¡¯t taste the flavor of the egg sandwich. As I was eating it, Mika, who was staring at me, asked,

    ¡°Why are you making a scary face like that?¡±

    He moved his face so close to mine, then I involuntarily put one hand on the blanket. From a distance so close that his breath could hit me, his beautiful jade eyes were staring at me. As I was at a loss for words, Mika gently placed his hand on top of my other hand that I put on the grass. My fingertips trembled.

    Feeling as if I were a rabbit being stared at by a beast, I said in a frightened tone, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t make a scary face.¡±

    Until just now, my internal organs have been shrinking at the thought of what would happen in the future. But now, all I could think about was Mika. I quickly looked away, but Mika¡¯s face followed me as if to stare into me, then his eyes widened.

    However¡ª Mika looked into my face with a smile as if he was overflowing with happiness, and then he said.

    ¡°You should smile.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re cuter when you smile, Nagi.¡±

 CH 15

    ¡°You¡¯re the cute one, not me!!!¡±

    In my room at the royal castle, after I finally came to my senses, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

    After that incident, I stayed frozen like a stone statue, the lunch break was over, afternoon classes were finished, and then before I realized it I was already back at the royal castle.

    After a while, my heart, which had been frozen like a stone, finally began to move. As soon as it began to move, the stone cracked, and the raging feelings overflowed, quickly evolving into a raging waterfall, which traveled through my body at an incredible rate.

    I¡¯m on the sofa, trying to push the limits on how small a person can curl up, just like the other day.

    I¡¯m sure that my face is absolutely red.

    To tell the truth, I know this situation. I have a good sentence to describe this situation, my state of mind, and my despair, in just four words.

    (I can¡¯t take it¡­!)

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    It was the first day. First day of going to the academy with Mika accompanying me. And yet, if he showed such a blinding smile at such a close distance, people would melt. That¡¯s right, humans will surely melt. Humans aren¡¯t equipped with that kind of functionality.

    Not confident if I¡¯m able to refrain from melting before him, I could only hold my knees in my arms, just muttering, ¡°What do I do?¡± over and over.

    I have to work hard on many things for my brother, but my head was already full of Mika. My vision started to get blurry with tears. But I¡¯m a man, so I won¡¯t cry over something like this. I just don¡¯t know what to do, and it makes me quiver.

    At that moment, I heard a knocking on the door. Since Marie never knocks on the door, I feel confused and tilt my head. But then¡ª

    ¡°Nagi?¡±

    ¡°Eek-¡±

    My body flinched when I heard Mika¡¯s voice.

    Wait, wait, I said to myself as I held out my palm, even though I knew there was no one in the room. A chill runs down my spine in the presence of the last person I want to see right now, just on the other side of the door.

    ¡°Please give my heart time to rest!¡± even if I thought of that, I had no choice but to answer him, ¡°What is it?¡± I opened the door, then Mika¡¯s face peeked in. That alone already pushed my heart to the limit.

    Thinking it wouldn¡¯t be good if he sat next to me on the sofa, I stood up and walked over to the bookshelf. My strategy was to show him that I was busy by pretending to rummage through the books and get him to leave quickly.

    And yet, Mika muttered, ¡°You see¡­¡± in a carefree way and suddenly said something outrageous.

    ¡°Wh-what? Y-you want to stay here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a room for a personal knight, right?¡±

    At his dreadful suggestion, my body shuddered and I¡¯m visibly flustered.

    My living room is followed by a smaller room where a personal knight can sleep there.

    I don¡¯t know how much time the first king and knight in the myth of the country¡¯s beginning spent together, but that¡¯s usually for each prince and princess to discuss and decide. So it¡¯s not required to use that room, but if Mika wants to use it, he can. That¡¯s certainly the way it is.

    However¡ª

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be with me all the time. This castle is well-guarded. You also must want some time for yourself, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t you feel safer if I¡¯m closer to you?¡±

    I flipped through a book and spoke while trying not to look Mika¡¯s way.

    But, as he kept persisting, I thought long and hard wondering how I could refuse him.

    Since I distanced myself from Mika, in my timeline¡­ it feels like at least eight years have passed. In Mika¡¯s timeline, it probably has only been less than three years. But perhaps because we¡¯ve been apart for so long, just the idea of being in the same space makes my heart feel like it¡¯s going to explode.

    And yet, as I was flipping through a book, something heavy digs into my shoulder. I flinched at the reflection of his auburn hair on the edge of my vision. Even though Mika must have noticed me flinching, he continued, talking in my ear.

    ¡°You¡¯ve appointed me, so I want to protect you, Nagi. Let me protect you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Mika¡¯s clear voice resonated throughout my body, even the smallest of it.

    His breath hit the nape of my neck, just as much as the words that he uttered. My heart was thumping with intense speed. Worried that he might hear the sound, sweat was forming in my palms.

    I glanced to the side, and my eyes met with his jade-green eyes. And then he asked me.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±

    Before I knew it, Mika¡¯s arm was around my stomach again, and I felt my shoulders tense up involuntarily. No matter how close we were, even if we were childhood friends, this distance is too close. In my first life, five years ago, I had already distanced myself from Mika. All he did was complain when we saw each other, so this distance frightened me.

    Unable to do anything with the book in my hand, my body just stopped the function of moving while I was in a position to be hugged from behind.

    In my first life, when I was with Machina, that room was only used a few times.

    The castle is well-guarded, and there was never any inconvenience in my first life even if there was no personal knight there. There is no reason why Mika should be there.

    Anyhow, if the man who expresses his affection at this close distance lived in the room next door, my heart won¡¯t be able to rest.

    There was only one answer.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I closed the book and pushed Mika¡¯s head backward. As I said it, I nodded my head in my mind, thinking that it was a perfectly valid answer. I¡¯ve never been good at getting involved with other people. It¡¯s impossible for me to go to school with him every day and come back to the same place as him. If it¡¯s with Mika, it¡¯s all the more impossible for me.

    ¡ªBut, a strangely low and disturbing voice rings in my ear.

    ¡°Then, if something like this happens, can you handle it on your own, Nagi?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    His arms that were around my stomach started to slide into my waistcoat. With the opposite right hand, he smoothly opened the buttons. Mika¡¯s warm hand touched my skin directly. The book that was in my hand dropped to the floor.

    ¡°Huh, wait! Wh-what are you-¡­¡±

    ¡°This is no good. You¡¯re so beautiful, but you¡¯re too defenseless, Nagi. Everyone is after you.¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not true!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but grab Mika¡¯s wriggling hand from over my clothes. But Mika¡¯s hand didn¡¯t stop, it kept stroking my stomach and then went all the way up to my chest. I tried twisting my body, but he didn¡¯t budge at all. I want him to stop breathing on my neck, it makes me shiver.

    ¡°Come on, resist me. The castle is safe even without me, right?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s doing this¡­!¡±

    Mika¡¯s logic was messed up.

    I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. But in actuality, I panicked because I can¡¯t break away from him in the slightest. Now both of his hands are touching me under the clothes, and it made me almost lose my mind. I feel like I¡¯m going to let out a pant, so I bit my lip.

    Then, at that moment, Mika¡¯s tongue slithered up my neck.

    ¡°Ha, ahh-¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I shuddered at the voice I had let out. I was so embarrassed that heat gathered on my face all at once.

    What¡¯s with that sweet voice¡­?!  I tried desperately to retort back in my head, but Mika fell silent, and I just felt more and more embarrassed.

    As I stayed frozen with my body still stiff, Mika hugged me tightly from behind. And then, he exhaled a sigh, and said.

    ¡°No. I knew it, this is no good at all. I won¡¯t know when someone might come after you, Nagi.¡±

    ¡°I told you, there¡¯s no one like that¡­¡±

    Just as I said that, a hand came around from behind, grabbed me by the chin, and turned my face back. Mika¡¯s face was at a distance where his breath could hit me.

    My heart skipped a beat.

    I felt the usually fresh jade eyes of his flickering softly. I couldn¡¯t help but notice Mika¡¯s lips, which were too close to mine. His lips, which always smile like the sun, slowly opened. His eyelashes, the same color as his hair, were pointed at me.

    I was trapped by his unclouded gaze.

    ¡°Is it okay?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­if I continue?¡±

    Continue¡­? I wasn¡¯t quite sure what it meant, but when Mika rubbed the tip of his nose against me like a courting animal, I finally understood. By continuing¡­ did he mean¡­ a kiss¡­?

    (No, no, no. No way. I can¡¯t take it, what¡¯s this situation?)

    Mika carelessly narrowed his eyes and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m totally fine continuing this,¡± so close that his lips almost touched my ear. It made me shiver.

    ¡°Eh, ah, wha-¡± as I was panicking, Mika¡¯s request descended on me. He seemed completely unfazed even though he was doing such a thing.

    ¡°Quick. Give me permission to use the room.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­. ahh, ¡­.yeah.¡±

    I was not calm enough at the moment to realize that it was the worst of the worst choice.

    Then in a soft, gentle voice, Mika said.

    ¡°Thanks, Nagi.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even want to notice that Mika¡¯s eyes were squinted with delight as he left.

    When I said, ¡°That¡¯s too much¡­¡± he retorted back, ¡°You won¡¯t understand the sense of danger unless I do that, Nagi¡±. To be honest, I don¡¯t understand why I should feel the sense of danger that he¡¯s talking about in my room in the royal castle. But I didn¡¯t want to think about anything anymore, so I abandoned the thought.

    In the end, I could only watch in dismay as Mika told me he would pack his luggage and come back tomorrow. Then, I spent the rest of the night fainting in agony.

    ¡°AAHHH¡±

 CH 16

    ¡°Good morning, Nagi.¡±

    ¡°¡­What? l told you I don¡¯t need you to pick me up.¡±

    This morning, as I was about to ride my carriage at the royal castle, I saw a familiar horse and a familiar man galloping toward me from the other side.

    Perhaps because today is not the debut day anymore, he was wearing a white shirt and brown bottoms. His navy blue jacket, rolled up in a mess, was hung over his school bag. His white shirt is dazzling. I feel like his skin is glowing, healthy, and different from my own. Like usual, with his red hair poking out all over the place, Mika approached me while waving his hand widely.

    As he greeted me with a radiant smile as if a fresh morning were in a human form, my morning was suddenly transformed into a dreary one.

    Anyhow, he¡¯s too different from the Mika in my first life. He was always complaining and angry all the time, but he has changed too much. Even though I don¡¯t think I have changed that much myself.

    ¡°Really¡­ what¡¯s with you? You also act so differently from before.¡±

    ¡°Huh, is that so? Hmm. Frankly, I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d choose me, so I¡¯m very happy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I just end up being in high spirits like back then. Look, even Allen is happy.¡±

    As Mika said that, the dark brown horse with gentle eyes he was riding rubbed its face against his hand.

    He diverted the talk to Allen and I feel like my question was left unanswered, but Allen was so cute after not seeing him all these years, and I got tempted.

    I don¡¯t ride horses by myself very often, so it had been a while since I saw one up close. Mika asked me if I wanted to ride the horse with him, but I thought I had to refuse such a thing right away.

    But, my eyes suddenly met with Allen¡¯s. Allen looked at me with such happy eyes as if he was asking me to get on, and I started to get cowed.

    In the meantime, Mika grabbed me by the arm and then pulled me up. I wonder how he had the strength to do that.

    ¡°Huh, wait! Mika!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? We used to ride a horse together back then.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything that stands out.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, because I¡¯m your personal knight.¡±

    I¡¯m completely trapped between his legs, and I feel increasingly irritated because it¡¯s not a good idea to do this as a prince. But even if I wanted to break free, I couldn¡¯t do so on horseback. Allen¡¯s gentle eyes also looked somewhat proud that I couldn¡¯t get off even if I wanted to. However, Mika¡¯s words from earlier came to my mind.

    (So he felt happy¡­)

    Mika certainly seemed like he was in high spirits.

    I started distancing myself from him around the time we entered the academy, but before that, he was a childhood friend I always played together with. To think that he felt happy that we can be together again even though I had avoided him so much, a feeling of happiness started to spread inside me, too.

    When I glanced behind a little, I saw Mika¡¯s smiling face.

    Rather than doing something like this, I would rather ride my own horse. Then he told me, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, don¡¯t move too much,¡± so I had no choice but to look forward. I sighed and turned my head so that I couldn¡¯t see his face at all. Suddenly, I feel a sensation of something touching my head. When I looked up, Mika¡¯s sweet voice resonated in my ears. A shiver runs down my spine.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ Nagi is so close to me from so early in the morning.¡±

    ¡°¡­Stop. That¡¯s gross.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re mine. Nagi is mine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you, that¡¯s wrong!¡±

    Mika hugged me so tightly that I felt like I could see the tail and ears on his head.

    Even if I pushed back this redhead, the heat that gathered in my face won¡¯t cool down.

    In my first life, Mika was always angry, but now I know that he wanted to be chosen as my knight.

    Come to think of it, I remembered I promised something like that in the past, and my heart skipped a beat.

    I¡¯m at a distance where I could almost hear Mika¡¯s heartbeat. I was unwilling to be trapped between his legs, but well, let¡¯s just have him drop me off on the back side of the school building.

    As Allen ran, the morning breeze blew through.

    ¡°What was it you¡¯re taking today? Theology?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Theology and Law.¡±

    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go to the back of the chapel, okay?¡±

    While giving a small nod, I looked at the scenery from the horse. Allen galloped lightly through the city to the west side of the royal capital, where the school is located. It had been a long time since I had ridden a horse through the city. The scenery was different from the last time I saw it.

    When I saw Corliss Square where my brother was executed on the right side, my chest ached.

    But¡ª

    (The royal capital is still beautiful¡­)

    The scenery was different compared to what I saw from the carriage yesterday. Maybe it was a good thing that I rode a horse together with Mika.

    After saying goodbye to Allen, I headed to a classroom adjacent to the chapel for my theology class. Mika was probably headed to swordsmanship class. Allen soon disappeared out of sight.

    A short time later, classes began, but I could no longer do anything but listen dazedly to my theology class, which I¡¯m choosing this semester.

    I can remember most things easily, but I was still a good student in my first life; copying the board, preparing, and reviewing the lesson diligently. But now, I just wanted to teach the white-robed, hot-tempered lecturer.

    (I want to tell him that praying won¡¯t save anyone¡­)

    I let out a sigh.

    In the end, disasters are only dismissed as the wrath of God. It has been that way throughout the history of Pluvia, and probably always will be.

    I felt sorry in my heart for the timid-looking priest who was my lecturer, who seemed to be intimidated by my completely different attitude in class. Seeing the lecturer repeating exactly the same thing as five years ago, I vaguely think that it really was five years ago.

    But then, I tried to think.

    (Does that mean what¡¯s about to happen is going to happen again?)

    In the first place, why did consciousness return to five years ago?

    I don¡¯t have any clue whether the world returned to five years ago, my consciousness returned to five years ago, or maybe I was just dreaming of the future five years from now, or what.

    What I do know, however, is that the classes from the lecturers and the school are exactly as I remember them. But as a result of my actions, I¡¯m getting a different future. If I said ¡°left¡± to things that I said were ¡°right¡± five years ago, the world would react differently.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve changed so much already, but Mika is so happy and doesn¡¯t complain anymore.

    I gently put my hand on my chest.

    (Guardian stone¡­)

    I collected the shattered guardian stones in a small cloth sack and hung it on my neck.

    It was something that my grandmother had told me to carry with me at all times. Since it was called a guardian stone, it¡¯s reasonable to assume that it ¡°protected¡± me.

    I don¡¯t know what that thing was or the circumstances why my grandmother gave it to me, but I managed to avoid my death.

    If it could prevent my death, then I should have wrapped it around my brother¡¯s neck and made it prevent his death rather than mine! I thought about that for a bit, but in that case, I¡¯m not sure if he could have avoided his death. After all, my brother, who died at the guillotine, wouldn¡¯t have been allowed any ornaments when he stepped onto the decapitation platform.

    No, that wasn¡¯t the problem.

    Although I knew it won¡¯t function anymore, I carry it around like this because it¡¯s a memento of my grandmother. If I ever meet my grandfather, I will ask him how it works.

    I wondered if I should tell Mika about my situation or not.

    The man is more sympathetic than I thought, so even if I told him that I had returned from death five years in the future, something that would be very shocking, I think he would probably believe me. But¡ª

    (But if he found out what I did in my first life, he¡¯d probably feel weirded out¡­)

    I didn¡¯t remember committing any devilish acts. Certainly, what I did after losing my brother was not something to be commended.

    Besides, it was Mika who scolded me over minor things in my first life.

    I didn¡¯t want Mika to get angry with me again, even though he was smiling at me in the second life now. Then, I think it would be better if he thinks that I¡®m acting a little strange instead.

    And so, I don¡¯t really want to tell him much about it.

    (But, can I explain the reason I¡¯m doing the things I¡¯m about to do, without telling him anything¡­?)

    If only there was someone, some fortune teller, who could casually divulge that in five years, this country would be in trouble and my brother and I would both be dead, I would be able to act easily. What should I do, I thought while resting my chin on my hand?.

    However¡ª that concern of mine will be resolved in just a few weeks.

 CH 17

    ¡°Huh¡­ what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°This is a skullcap plant. The flower looks like a dead spirit screaming its last breath, doesn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why it has a rather unusual name.¡±

    ¡°The name and the appearance are both something.¡±

    In my hand, I hold a single flower, reddish-black in color, as if it were caked with blood.

    The flower is a collection of flowers the size of a thumb fingernail, each one looking as if it were being burned resentfully, ah¡­ It¡¯s not good to be burned. It looks as if it was being trampled resentfully, and it was fantastical.

    Mika, just like he said the other day, has easily settled in the room for the personal knight in the royal castle, taking only one large cloth bag with him.

    Mika¡¯s family is the Counts of Chardin, a family with a maritime domain located in the south of the Pluvia Kingdom.

    I¡¯ve heard that Count Chardin also spends about half his time in his estate and half in the royal capital. He also prepared a small ¡°room¡± in the royal capital four years ago for Mika, who attends the academy.

    Count Chardin is a really strange person, and ever since I first met him when I was little, I have always thought of him as a magician.

    He had redder hair than Mika¡¯s, a curly beard of the same color, and the same jade-green eyes. The Count is a lover of the sea and art, and his stories were always interesting and showed me a world of wonders.

    His ideas are intriguing and his actions are strange. However, there is something about him that makes him a visionary, someone who seems to possess a mysterious magical power.

    Mika lived in the ¡°room¡± that the count had prepared for him. In other words, it was not a mansion.

    Mika is probably the only one who lives in such a place where a commoner man lives alone, despite being the child of a noble family.

    According to Count Chardin, ¡°It is impossible to be the lord of the people without knowing the life of commoners.¡±

    Anyway, everyone in the family of Count Chardin is an oddball, including Mika¡¯s two older brothers, although I have yet to meet his younger sister.

    Mika¡¯s story, as he was raised by a count who had such free ideas, was very interesting and I loved it so- ¡­No, I thought it was deeply intriguing from a very young age.

    Anyway, if even Mika, who probably had no knowledge of magical plants, took a glance at it and said, ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± this must be a promising plant. I smiled in my mind.

    This morning, before I went to school, I picked the skullcap plant that I grew in the greenhouse of the royal castle that I manage.

    But Mika stared at me doubtfully with his eyes, as if asking ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Then I said confidently,

    ¡°If I showed people this, I thought that maybe I can make some friends.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Seeing Mika raising his voice for some reason, I tilted my head, not understanding what he meant.

    Today is the day that we get to attend the classes we¡¯re interested in before submitting the class selections for next semester.

    The school is giving such a wonderful opportunity for fifth-year students, because they have to make a choice with their graduation thesis in mind.

    Of course, I had planned to take Magical Botany and Livelihood Magic Study for today, and since Mika was coming with me for Botany, I was a bit relieved. Besides, since it was a new class, I had brought a special tool with me, the skullcap plant.

    ¡°No, why¡¯d you even think of doing that? That¡¯s just pure malice.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me as if you¡¯re thinking I¡¯ll never understand you.¡±

    What in the world.

    In my head, a plubear landed after a triple and a half flip, then a twist.

    Indeed, Mika is the kind of guy who refers to magical plants collectively as ¡®grass¡¯. It¡¯s safe to assume that he has no idea of the rarity or splendor of this magical plant.

    What a horror. A shiver runs down my spine when I think of his lack of aesthetic sense despite being the son of that Count Chardin.

    But you¡¯ll see, Redhead.

    To tell you the truth, today is a glorious day, the first day to start my memorable experiment. Let me tell you about today¡¯s experiment.

    Baiting!

    I opened the door to the magical botany classroom with great enthusiasm, not caring about Mika who was looking at me with a blank stare.

    The students inside the class looked at me in unison and bowed. I said, ¡°Good morning,¡± in a slightly firmer tone than yesterday, as I strode into the classroom.

    It was a small classroom, perhaps because not many people wanted to take the class. It was a stone building with a blackboard and a desk in front of which the lecturer stood, and about five rows of long desks on a step up above it. The number of students I saw in the classroom was less than ten.

    However, all those students couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the skullcap plant in my hand.

    Their stares at my hand and their rustling glances as they murmur contained a hint of envy, but not the malice or trepidation that Mika seemed to have expected. I sat down at the desk in the middle of the room, and I heard Mika¡¯s dismay behind me, saying, ¡°Seriously?¡±

    It¡¯s a good reaction. This reaction should be good.

    From this point on, I have to say something, because it¡¯s not possible for people who are not close to me, a prince, to start a conversation first. Sweat drips down my face. But I¡¯m okay. I told myself that it would be all right, and opened my mouth boldly.

    ¡°I-I-I¡¯ve been cultivating s-some skullcap plant, e-err, i-is a-anyone interested?¡±

    ¡°You stutter too much.¡±

    I could hear the calm retort from next to me, but I could say it in the end, and I think I said it nicely.

    I glanced at the male student sitting beside me, wondering what his reaction would be. His eyes suddenly met with mine, this short-haired student froze with his mouth open, and then he spoke up.

    ¡°Cultivating? You don¡¯t mean to say that you cultivated it yourself, Your Highness Nagi?!¡±

    ¡°I-I did. I picked it this morning from the greenhouse.¡±

    ¡°Amazing. I¡¯ve never seen the real thing before.¡±

    ¡°May I take a look, Your Highness?¡±

    For almost the first time in my life, I see people gathered around me, and I slowly begin to tear up. I look back at Mika, but I don¡¯t cry, because I¡¯m a man.

    Mika looked kind of relieved and smiled at me, which made me feel relieved as well.

    Even Professor Fellman, the old man lecturer with a long white beard, who entered the classroom halfway, joined us. We were all very enthusiastic about the skullcap plant.

    And then, I thought.

    (The baiting strategy is a great success!)

    I looked at Mika proudly with a sparkle in my eye, and he gave me a wry smile.

    For a while, Professor Fellman stood by our side, explaining the beauty of the skullcap plant and its benefits, then he stood up on the podium and said.

    ¡°Ho ho, we had a more meaningful time than the lecture I had prepared for you. Besides, it was fortuitous to know that His Highness Nagi is interested in botany. In this lecture, we will be learning about the management, cultivation, gathering, and experimentation of magical plants that will be essential to this world.¡±

    Seeing Professor Fellman¡¯s trembling legs, everyone felt worried when he mentioned ¡°gathering the plants¡±. But still, my heart was filled with the realization that everyone here, even though small in number, was interested in magical plants.

    There is no way I can be loved immediately by an unspecified large number of people.

    I thought it would be nice to get to know the other students from the academy who liked the same things and had the same interests. Mika understood the meaning of my actions, and although he probably had no interest in the plants, he was watching me with a smile on his face.

    Then Professor Fellman concluded the lesson, and the lecture was over.

    ¡°Well then, I look forward to seeing all of you again next semester.¡±

 CH 18

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi! Um, thank you very much for showing us your precious magical plant earlier.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re Patriel, from the Faure Viscount family.¡±

    ¡°Ye-yes! You remembered someone like myself?!¡±

    After the class was over, a man with a friendly atmosphere spoke to me. It had been a long time since I had been spoken to by another person when I wasn¡¯t with my brother. I felt my heart skip a beat.

    But for some reason, I felt Mika tense up. I was inwardly surprised.

    Is there some kind of problem with Viscount Faure? I thought about it, but I couldn¡¯t think of any problems, including in the future.

    Patriel is the eldest son of Viscount Faure. He has a small stature and looks harmless.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m thinking of taking Magical Botany next semester. If you¡¯re going to take that class as well, please treat me well, Patriel.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I-I am very happy! My house has a forest in the territory, so I was thinking of studying it. Thank you very much!¡±

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi, excuse me for interrupting your conversation. I also would like to say a word of thanks. It was a wonderful day for me to see with my own eyes the ultimate beauty of the skullcap plant. I look forward to working with you next semester.¡±

    It was Gislette who talked to me from the side. She must have been the third daughter of the Count of Dupont. I had only ever seen her reading books and thought she was a quiet student. But to think she would go out of her way to talk to me, I learned that she was interested in magical botany, just like me.

    In a quiet, matter-of-fact tone, she still conveyed her excitement, it made a feeling of warmth spread through my chest.

    Perhaps, I could make friends with this.

    Only two people spoke to me, but it was a miraculous morning for me, as I had never had a conversation with almost any of my classmates except for Mika.

    I said goodbye to them. With my heart full of happiness and a fuzzy feeling, my steps feel light.

    I was already looking forward to the next semester, even though it would soon be summer break.

    ¡°Mika. I think I might be able to do my best.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    But, when I heard his strangely firm tone of voice, I turned my head around, confused.

    I was feeling fuzzy, but when I turned to Mika, I saw him tilting his head as if he was not quite sure what was going on.

    I had thought he would praise me openly, but I wonder what happened.

    When I questioned with my eyes, Mika stopped in his tracks while looking a bit troubled, and then said in a cold tone.

    ¡°I think Miss Gislette is okay. But, I wouldn¡¯t really recommend Patriel.¡±

    ¡°Huh, why?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder. Viscount Faure is neutral, but I guess it¡¯s strange for him to go out of his way to talk to you. I wonder why.¡±

    Mika doesn¡¯t seem to have a good reason either.

    For that matter, Count Dupont is in the first prince faction, but I had never seen Gislette talk to anyone.

    I think they were both just simply interested in the skullcap plant, but seeing the expression on Mika¡¯s face, I decided to keep an eye out for it. Mika had always had a strange intuition since he was little.

    (What is it¡­?)

    Although I was expecting him to praise me openly, now my high spirit has sunk a little bit.

    But I¡¯m sure this is just a small part of what I¡¯m going to have to work on, so maybe it was all for the best.

    I keep my mouth shut and walk down the hallway.

    But then¡ª I felt a weight on my right shoulder and realized that it was Mika¡¯s arm. I turned to Mika on my left and saw him with a slightly mischievous smile on his face, then he asked me.

    ¡°What, did you want me to praise you?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I want anything like that.¡±

    ¡°But, you still did great.¡±

    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t really want it.¡±

    I shook off Mika¡¯s arms as I said that, then I heard small shrieks from people around me. What was that? I turned my head and saw that several female students were looking in our direction and making a commotion.

    Never before have I been subjected to such stares as I¡¯m walking down the hallway. I wondered what on earth they were talking about and listened carefully as I passed by. I heard them say, ¡°Mika looked so happy to be His Highness Nagi¡¯s knight,¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the two of them were so close,¡± ¡°His smile is so cute!¡± I heard such words and giggles.

    It was just a casual conversation, but there was something about the high tone of their voices, and I¡¯m very surprised inside. I couldn¡¯t help but take a second look at the face of the man walking beside me.

    Hm? I looked at this man¡¯s face as he tilted his head, then I thought.

    Indeed, Mika¡¯s almond-shaped eyes are well-defined. The jade-green color of his eyes is beautiful, like the color of a lake in the sun.

    His shapely nose gives a masculine feeling, and the sight of him smiling with his big mouth open is invigorating.

    His sharp eyebrows give a sense of willpower, and his sticking-out, messy red hair can¡¯t help but be taken as a good thing.

    His body is well-built since he¡¯s a knight, and he also has a decent height. He is strong. He has brains.

    Although he¡¯s the third son of a count, he was chosen to be my knight, so his future is secure.

    Hmm, I walked with my hand on my chin.

    Once outside in the courtyard, there was already the sweltering summer air that made me imagine the heat of the afternoon. I could hear the chirping of insects. I stopped walking.

    ¡°Could it be that¡­ you¡¯re popular?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    In my first life, five years ago, I never had such an impression of him, perhaps because all I had seen him do was get angry. It was hard to believe that any woman would fall for a man who complained so much. In fact, it had never occurred to me, putting aside the fact that I had inadvertently bonded with him.

    (That¡¯s right¡­ I wonder what happened to Mika after I died.)

    I only have memories up to five years later, but I wonder if Mika married someone after that. I¡¯m not certain what state the country was in after that, but I wonder if he could still find someone he loved in that situation.

    This man who knows how to swim with the tide would surely be the man to turn to when the state of the country went bad.

    I put my own feelings first and thought about it, but if by chance I get executed as the evil prince again in five years, Mika might possibly have to die a terrible death, just like Oswald in my first life.

    I thought that much, then I realized.

    (That¡¯s right¡­ Although I might end up being the evil prince again, I ended up involving Mika this time.)

    No, ¡ªit¡¯s different.

    I have decided that I¡¯ll try my best to avoid becoming the evil prince again.

    I didn¡¯t necessarily decide to drag him into this. But, that¡¯s right, it means I might have taken away Mika¡¯s future, which could have existed more than five years from now.

    It made me become more and more afraid.

    I might be unable to conduct myself properly and lose my brother again. Or perhaps I will do something wrong from now on and face that future again. And what if I get Mika involved in that? I wondered, only now realizing the severity of what I had done.

    Right now, Mika said that he was happy, but still.

    ¡ªWhat about in the future?

    My eyes met with the jade-green eyes that were staring intently at mine.

    Just like that, he straightly asked me a question.

    ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯re about to cry?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t.¡±

    That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a man so I won¡¯t cry over such a thing.

    However, Mika grabbed me firmly by the hand and started walking. We passed the side of the school building, then beyond it, and continued onward at a steady pace toward the forest owned by the research building adjacent to it.

    I called out, ¡°Hey!¡± to Mika, but he wouldn¡¯t stop, and when I realized it we were already deep in the forest.

    He held both of my hands tightly, at the place where no one could see us.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ are you jealous?!¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    ¡°No way. Wow. Nagi is jealous¡­!¡±

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m not.¡±

    Strangely, I was annoyed when he asked me with a beaming and happy face.

    What Mika said was totally off the mark.

    What I¡¯m worried about is not something on the level of jealousy. It was about something that might cost his life.

    ¡°Oh man, I¡¯m so happy,¡± Mika said, and I looked at him with a blank stare. But¡ª

    Suddenly, he hugged me tightly. It was so sudden that my body flinched.

    I thought about pulling away, but I was so grateful for his warmth now that I just couldn¡¯t move.

    In my ear, I heard Mika¡¯s small voice saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Then he said to me,

    ¡°Nagi. That knight¡¯s pledge I made that day, ¡ªis my everything.¡±

    Those words which have a little bit of sweetness, fell into me.

    Mika misunderstood that I was jealous and said so. I guess he thought I was still lonely, like when I was little.

    But those words soaked in deep, deep down for me.

    I remembered the words of Mika¡¯s pledge.

    I hoped, just a little, that it would be nice if things would always stay that way.

    I pulled myself together and realized that I had to be careful not to become the evil prince again.

    And then, I also thought that I have to protect Mika¡¯s future.

    As I breathed a sigh of relief in Mika¡¯s arms, there was no way I could have realized that there was someone in the trees.

    ¡°Hmm. So His Highness Nagi and Mika¡­ have that kind of relationship?¡±

    Of course, I also wasn¡¯t aware of that small murmur.

 CH 19

    ¡°What? Huh, Machina? You¡¯re in the Livelihood Magic Study class?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi, err¡­ pleased to meet you. Thank you very much for choosing me as a candidate at the recent investiture ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s right. Thank you for coming on your rest day.¡±

    After I parted with Mika and went to the classroom for Livelihood Magic Study, I was surprised to find Machina there.

    Unlike Magical Botany, I had almost zero knowledge of Livelihood Magic, and there was nothing I could bait to this classroom to gain attention. I had no choice but to come to this classroom all by myself.

    But when I found a familiar face, I just had to call out to him.

    And then, I realized.

    (I had never talked to Machina yet!!)

    But, I never expected Machina would take the Livelihood Magic Study class.

    Machina Lambert.

    He¡¯s the second son of Marquis Lambert. Contrary to his flippant, seemingly frivolous appearance, he has always won first place in the swordsmanship competition in which Mika has placed third every year.

    Just like the last time I saw him, he looks aloof, with his blond hair in a single braid. I remember this relaxed demeanor of his had encouraged me many times. His soft, slightly droopy, pale blue eyes were now opened wide, as if startled.

    It was only natural.

    After all, the gloomy, shy prince suddenly spoke to him in a friendly manner.

    ¡°Is it alright if I sit next to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know anyone here, so I was a bit worried.¡±

    ¡°If Your Highness Nagi had chosen me as your knight, we would always be together.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.No, I¡¯m sorry. People around me had also told me to choose you.¡±

    Machina then said he was joking and sat down next to me. The size of the classroom was the same as the other day, about as small as the Magical Botany class. From the looks of it, the students present here seemed to be mostly rural aristocrats and commoners.

    I glanced at Machina, who sat beside me.

    Even at the time when we last parted, Machina worked hard to find a way for me to survive. After that, I lost track of Machina¡¯s whereabouts while I was in jail, but I still remembered how I hoped for him to at least live.

    This Machina in front of me doesn¡¯t remember those times I¡¯ve spent with him.

    It¡¯s not that we had an intimate relationship. Still, he was a knight who spent almost every day with me for five years. I can trust him.

    (I wonder if we can get along¡­)

    Unlike the type of person I am, Machina is sociable and can get along well with anybody. After all, he¡¯s a good observer of people and good at drawing the right lines.

    At every ball or evening party, I was always so surprised by Machina¡¯s brilliant behavior.

    However¡ª

    I tried talking to him while feeling a little nervous, and my hands were sweating. Because I already knew that Machina is a good person, it was much easier talking to him than to a complete stranger.

    ¡°Wh-why do you take Livelihood Magic Study, Machina?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be a long and serious story, so is it okay if I answer briefly?¡±

    ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d be happy to hear about it.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, is that so? To tell the truth, our territory is often flooded with refugees from the Rubrum Empire. Most of them are poor commoners or slaves, and there are quite a few institutions and orphanages there. So, I thought that if I could improve their everyday magic, maybe it would help my brother manage his territory a little.¡±

    Hearing all that, I was surprised.

    In my first life, five years ago, Machina took Law and Theology classes to match with me. Of course, I told him that he could take any subjects that he wanted, but I was surprised that he actually thought about something like that.

    Indeed, Lambert territory is adjacent to the Rubrum Empire.

    The Kingdom of Pluvia is located in the middle of the map, between the Kingdom of Malacia, where my grandfather is located, on the left-hand side (west) and the Empire of Rubrum on the right-hand side (east). The Pluvia Kingdom is located at a relatively high altitude and is blessed with abundant rainfall.

    The Kingdom of Malacia, on the left, is a beautiful country where the rivers flowing from Pluvia have created a soil suitable for agriculture.

    But, the Rubrum Empire on the right is different.

    There are various theories, but for some reason, the border on the Rubrum Empire side is shaped like a cliff, and the desert runs from the bottom of the cliff all the way to the capital of the Rubrum Empire.

    Of course, not all of it is obstructed by cliffs.

    The northern area of Lambert territory connects loosely to the desert.

    It seems that because of this, refugees fleeing the harsh environment and oppressive government are staying in Lambert territory.

    In my first life, I had never thought about the refugee issue.

    Now that a peace agreement is in place, there will be no war. But the young emperor, recently enthroned in the Rubrum Empire, will be a problem in the next five years.

    Machina said, ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m sorry. It ended up being a serious talk,¡± and laughed. Looking at him laughing caused a feeling of regret to spread and took over my heart. We were together for five years, but I had never heard such a story from him.

    Machina had always worked hard for me, but what did I know about him? I bit my lips.

    But I can¡¯t just wallow in my regret. I should face the Machina in front of me right now.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Machina. I¡¯d be interested to hear more about the refugee issue. If you don¡¯t mind, can I visit Lambert territory during the summer break? If it¡¯s not too much trouble, that is¡­¡±

    Such words were slipping out of my mouth.

    Seeing Machina frozen in place with his mouth hanging open, I thought that I had made a mistake. I was the only one who felt a sense of familiarity with him.

    I became more and more panicked.

    My heart was pounding fast and I felt my eyes darting around.

    But, I suddenly felt at ease when I saw Machina supporting his cheek with one hand on the desk and fiddling with his braid with the other hand, twirling it around.

    That was Machina¡¯s habit when he felt surprised.

    I remember him telling me that he didn¡¯t want people to realize that he was surprised, so he would make it seem like he had the leisure to do the opposite.

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi¡­ more than I thought, you¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m so happy that it made me wonder why you didn¡¯t choose me instead.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    I never thought there would come a day when I hear those words from Machina¡¯s mouth.

    I was so happy that my chest felt tight. In my first life, I definitely wasn¡¯t a good lord to him. Still, to think I could still exchange words with him like this, made a warm feeling spread in me.

    As I was thinking how glad I was to see him here, Machina then said something with a smirk on his face.

    ¡°Ah~ ¡­..I wish you had chosen me instead~¡±

    ¡°No, I told you, I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°If that was the case, ¡­would it be alright for me to embrace you as Mika did?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.What?¡±

    I furrowed my eyebrows, not quite understanding what was being said.

    But then, Machina narrowed his eyes and kept continuing frighteningly.

    ¡°You embraced Mika earlier. How nice~ a forbidden love.¡±

    ¡°Wait! Wh-what? You must have seen it wrong.¡±

    I was feeling warm until just earlier, but now I suddenly turn pale as if it were raining ice water.

    He said earlier, was it that time?! My heart pounded loudly. I had a feeling that my desperate excuses weren¡¯t having any effect on Machina.

    No, but a forbidden love¡­? Love? That¡¯s not it! I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s dipping my toe into those things, and it¡¯s not like Mika also feels that way, so I should just be bold about it.

    The reality is, there was nothing between Mika and me.

    ¡°Huh? Well, I don¡¯t really mind if that was the case.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something like that, I¡¯m telling you, you must have seen it wrong.¡±

    ¡°I guess so. I must have been mistaken. There¡¯s no way Your Highness Nagi would be in the forest of that research facility, is there?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±

    Hahaha¡­¡­

 CH 20

    ¡°Well, what are you up to, Your Highness Nagi? And also Chardin. You certainly do not come here only to have some tea, do you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    ¡°What? ¡­Your Highness came here only to have some tea? You too, Chardin??¡±

    As we sat facing each other in the sunroom with a view of the beautiful garden, Tillois¡¯ emerald eyes widened.

    Because Mika was coming with me, he also looked like an idiot, and the light had disappeared from his jade-green eyes.

    As I apologized to him in my heart, I still think it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to be able to have some talk like this. I ended up thinking about it so carefreely.

    It was a rest day the week after I approached Tillois of the Dukes of Ackerson, from the second prince faction. Mika and I had received an invitation from Tillois to visit the Dukes of Ackerson.

    However, I wonder what in the world I should talk about with him. Anyway, I thought that the only thing I could do was to play dumb (I was just simply dumb, though), and make small talk. Then I open my mouth while feeling a bit nervous.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve never talked before, so I thought it might be a good idea to try talking to you. Have you decided what your choice will be for the next semester, Tillois?¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­.. Then, let us just say that, externally, we needed to discuss a research project of Law class. It is not that I personally have any grudge against Your Highness Nagi, after all.¡±

    That¡¯s right, I did remember that Tillois was in my law class.

    I appreciate that excuse very much. And I¡¯m a little relieved to hear that he has nothing against me as an individual.

    That¡¯s right. The Dukes of Ackerson are in collusion with the Dukes of Tyndall, the birth family of the second queen. Therefore, the Dukes of Tyndall are usually hostile toward Brother Seth as well.

    But, ¡ªWhat about this Tillois?

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi, you must have known, have you not? I am the son of a prostitute with whom the Duke had an affair, and I have only been a nobleman for six years. I am not a political person. Also, I have applied to take the taxation class next semester.¡±

    As I was feeling surprised, Tillois gave me a further explanation.

    A cold stare. I was in no position to speak for others, but I had never seen him smile. However, I had heard that he was a very strict, but fair man who was in charge of half of the management of the family territory at his age.

    I had heard rumors that they had taken in a concubine¡¯s child, but I felt bad that I made him talk about it in that way.

    ¡°Tillois, I¡¯m sorry that I made you say it like that. I also don¡¯t have any grudge against you personally, and I just wanted to try talking to you. Taxation class, huh? As expected of you. How is the Ackerson territory these days? There¡¯s a mine there, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Yes, indeed. The mine is going well, but it is too far from the capital to visit the site. It¡¯s hard for me not being able to go there much.¡±

    Hearing those words from Tillois, I was startled.

    And immediately, a twinge ran through me.

    The Taurus Mine Massacre.

    Those words came to mind.

    Yes, that was the Ackerson family mine. The Ackerson territory is located in the southwestern corner of the Kingdom of Pluvia.

    Although the country¡¯s main source of energy is the magic stone that can be extracted from monsters, nearly half of the country¡¯s magic ore, which is necessary for processing the magic stone into magical tools, is produced in the Taurus mines. Thanks to this, the Ackerson family holds an unshakable position as one of the four great dukes. However, ¡ªwhen did that incident happen, again¡­? I think it was a little later.

    If I remember right, it was this year¡¯s winter.

    In the cold weather of this year, a riot breaks out when a man entrusted with the management of the Ackerson territory forces the workers to work under harsh conditions. And when the Ackersons tried to forcefully suppress it, tragedy ensued.

    Because of the massacre, the amount of magic ore in the country will drastically decrease, the price will skyrocket as a matter of course, and the common people will suffer. But there¡¯s still time¡ª it shouldn¡¯t be too late.

    ¡°S-shall we go visit there? During the summer break.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Well, umm¡­ I¡¯m very interested in magic ore. I wonder if we could somehow make an excuse to go there and see it together.¡±

    When I saw Mika and Tillois both surprised, it made me realize that¡­ I¡¯ve said a ridiculous thing myself.

    Whether it¡¯s with Machina or Tillois, I wonder why I suddenly invite them to all sorts of places like someone who¡¯s looking forward to the summer break¡­ a feeling of embarrassment welled up in me.

    But, ¡ªthe lives of the people can¡¯t be replaced.

    Clenching my fists tightly, I waited for Tillois¡¯ response.

    ¡°Well¡­ With all due respect, Your Highness, that is a little¡­¡±

    As Tillois was about to give the response that I had expected, ¡ªthat¡¯s when it happened.

    Suddenly, a woman wearing a straw hat appeared with footsteps that sounded appropriate.

    She held a shovel in her right hand and an empty basket in her left hand. Then, she fully opened the sunroom window and walked past us as we were drinking tea, as if she hadn¡¯t noticed us at all.

    Tillois was frozen still as if he had turned to ice. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, so I approached her and tried to talk to her, thinking that a commoner woman shouldn¡¯t be allowed to join the tea party anyway.

    But¡ª the unidentifiable woman squatting in front of me, wearing a straw hat over the cloth on her head, turned around and opened her mouth when she saw my face.

    ¡°¡­E-evil prince.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Nagi, stand back.¡±

    She must have been about to do some gardening. I think she¡¯s a servant, but she has a beautiful face.

    Mika stood in front of me with an incredibly scary look on his face, his usual fresh smile has disappeared somewhere.

    Even though the opponent was a woman, he drew the sword at his waist and his jade eyes glinted sharply.

    ¡°You know that this person is His Highness Nagi, and you say such an insult?¡±

    ¡°Gasp¡­ I-it was a lie! It was just a lie! I¡¯m very sorry!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Vivienne Ackerson, the Duchess. What do you mean by this?¡±

    The face of the woman was white as a sheet, the color drained from her face, as if she had been startled by Mika¡¯s sword or realized her mistake.

    But then again, what in the world did she say? Didn¡¯t this woman just say ¡°evil prince¡± earlier?

    It was certainly the name I would be called five years later, but I didn¡¯t remember doing anything evil yet.

    Rather than that, I can understand a gloomy impression of myself like the recluse prince or slug prince. But evil? It made me confused. And then, Mika¡¯s words that I heard made me feel even more surprised.

    What did he say¡­?

    (Duchess Vivienne Ackerson?! Then this woman is Brother Vincent¡¯s¡­ fianc¨¦e?)

    She has crimson eyes and long, wavy platinum blonde hair. If she didn¡¯t have a smile on her face, there was no doubt that she was a stern type of beauty.

    But, ¡ªwhat in the world does this mean?

    For some reason, something seems wrong with Miss Vivienne.

    I could tell that she was sweating heavily because of the sword Mika pointed at her. However, she kept staring at my face, not at Mika¡¯s sword.

    With the ¡°evil prince¡± remark earlier and this strange behavior, I felt like there was something wrong.

    I commanded Mika¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Mika, that¡¯s enough. It seems like she has some circumstances. Miss Vivienne, I¡¯m sorry that I frightened you.¡±

    Normally, Mika, who is of lower status than her, wouldn¡¯t have pointed his sword at the duchess. He must have decided that the person he was supposed to protect was under a threat.

    But, I also don¡¯t want to make a scene right off the bat in the heart of the second prince faction.

    I reached out my hand to Miss Vivienne.

    However¡ª

    She suddenly grabbed my arm, I was surprised at the strength she put into it.

    ¡°¡ªHuh?¡±

    ¡°Please. Please listen to me.¡±

 CH 21

    ¡°Ah, Sister! What are you doing here?! I am sorry, Your Highness Nagi, something unforeseen has come up. I am very sorry to trouble you, but we will have to end it here for today.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ but what about the Taurus Mine¡­?¡±

    ¡°I understand! I will arrange it for you, we will go visit it together, so please, I want you to not tell anyone else about this.¡±

    ¡°Wait, let me talk! I-I want to have a talk~~~!¡±

    Tillois came back to his senses, and perhaps because he was quite in a panic, he easily accepted my request to go to the mine. After that, he dragged Miss Vivienne along with him and left the room.

    As Mika and I were left alone there, a butler quickly appeared and urged us out to the carriage that would take us to the royal castle, it all happened in a flow.

    ¡°Mi-Mika¡­ What in the world had happened¡­?¡±

    ¡°I also want to know, but I heard that she¡¯s been acting strange since classes started this school year.¡±

    ¡°Acting strange¡­? Was that person really Duchess Vivienne Ackerson?¡±

    She was a tempestuous person. However, while remembering her strange behavior from earlier, I thought about what happened in my first life.

    Duchess Vivienne Ackerson.

    The more I think about it, she would have been one of the first people to be executed as a public figure in the future.

    I have never been involved with her and have not even seen much of her face, even if she was supposed to be my sister-in-law. That is because she will lose her status as a duchess next March and will be executed without ever becoming a royalty.

    That¡¯s right, she was charged with¡ª

    ¡°Huh? Come to think of it¡­¡±

    Then, I remembered.

    She was executed for the crime of an attempted assassination of Brother Vincent¡¯s fianc¨¦e.

    I knew that Brother Vincent had feelings for Baroness Emilia Tessier. Rumors were rife that the engagement might be broken off, but the truth was that no one really believed such a ridiculous thing could happen.

    The Dukes of Ackerson and Dukes of Tyndall, the family of the second queen, are in collusion with each other. Even Brother Vincent must have been well aware of this.

    Even as it is, he was already in a dispute with Brother Seth. There was no way that he would break off his engagement to Duchess Vivienne Ackerson, which had been arranged since he was a child in order to make his position rock solid.

    However, Brother Vincent really caused such an incident. Looking back, I feel that the weirdness in this country started with that strange incident, as if the gears had gone awry.

    (In the first place, the crime was for an attempted assassination of his ¡®fianc¨¦e¡¯¡­ The charge itself is ridiculous, even though the real fianc¨¦e is Miss Vivienne.)

    To tell the truth, it was even a good incident for the first prince faction, because it was an ugly affair for the second prince and it undermined the ties between the Dukes of Tyndall and Ackerson. That¡¯s why, I didn¡¯t really care about it, but why did Brother Vincent force his engagement to the Baroness by executing his fianc¨¦e?

    I should have listened more about the story¡­ I regretted it.

    While I was dawdling with such thoughts, Mika, who sat across from me on the carriage seat with his elbows resting on his wide-open legs, peeked into my face from below.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ahh ¡­No, nothing much. I¡¯m just wondering if that strange person is going to be my sister-in-law.¡±

    ¡°I see. Ah, by the way, have you decided on your summer break plans? If you have time, why don¡¯t you come over to my place? My father also has been wanting to see you.¡±

    I was still puzzled by something that didn¡¯t add up, but my attention quickly turned to my summer break.

    I hadn¡¯t seen Count Chardin for a long time since I had distanced myself from Mika. Count Chardin¡¯s residence is located in the C?te de Marais, a sea town straight down south from the royal capital.

    It¡¯s a beautiful city with a blue sea and bright white buildings. In my memory, the fiery red color of Count Chardin¡¯s hair is added to the scenery. I thought, ¡°I want to meet him after such a long time,¡± and my eyes relaxed.

    ¡°Is your father doing well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s doing well. He¡¯s been doing too well, in fact.¡±

    ¡°Haha. It seems like I¡¯ll be going to many places this summer. Can I ask you to come along with me?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I think of Count Chardin, who was always laughing loudly like he was doing a vocal exercise. When our eyes met, Mika¡¯s face softly and gently relaxed. His eyes looked at me as if he was showing tenderness, and my heart throbbed.

    Then, Mika¡¯s hand slowly rested on top of my hand that I put on my knee, and I flinched.

    As he intertwined his fingers with mine and squeezed my hand, I blinked my eyes. Mika, still propped up on his elbow in front of me, went on, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb, and asked.

    ¡°¡­Many places, you say? Where do you want to go?¡±

    ¡°Huh, ah, well, I want to go to the Taurus Mine, to your place, and then, I also want to go to Machina¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.Machina?¡±

    I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re talking while holding hands like this, but I wish he would stop because it¡¯s not good for my heart.

    But Mika suddenly stopped stroking the back of my hand, and looked up at me. His eyes looked a little piercing, and I thought it was strange. Then, Mika asked me a question in a strangely low voice.

    ¡°When¡­ did you meet Machina?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ah, we were in the same class for Livelihood Magic Study. When I tried talking to him he was so easy to talk to, and then we started talking about the Lambert territory.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Hmm.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why, but Mika seemed to be in a foul mood. So while feeling a little confused, I told him about the refugees in Lambert territory that Machina had told me about. Mika wouldn¡¯t let go of my hand and listened silently. Then, apparently convinced of my reasons for wanting to go there, he said again, ¡°Hmm,¡± with a frown on his face.

    But then, the next moment¡ª

    Mika suddenly yanked me and I fell onto his chest.

    I didn¡¯t even have time to let out a cry of surprise, and he hugged me tightly. My body flinched when I felt Mika¡¯s hand caressing my left ear. In my right ear, I heard Mika¡¯s voice that sounded like a whisper.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you. So make sure to tell him.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Hmm?? O-okay??¡±

    Thus, the last week of this semester, after I returned from death, passed like a raging wave.

    Starting next week, it¡¯ll be the summer break. In my first life, five years ago, I was mostly just reading books in the royal castle.

    But in this summer of my second life¡ª

    (I have so many things to do¡­¡­)

 CH 22

    1-4. The start of an unknown summer break.

    ¡°Mika! This is great, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Yeah, as expected if we come to Lambert territory, we can see the mix of Rubrum Empire¡¯s culture here.¡±

    The view I saw through the window made me yell, and Mika looked surprised for a moment.

    But I was relieved when he immediately smiled gently back at me.

    I felt my cheeks were redder than usual, perhaps because of the strong sunlight near the desert, as you would expect. Certainly, the surrounding temperature is hotter than in the royal capital, and only a few people visit Lambert territory at this time of the year.

    However, my mood has been at its highest ever since I started this trip, or even before I started it.

    (After all¡­ this is an inspection trip! That¡¯s right, it¡¯s an official business!)

    The other day, when I told Brother Seth that I wanted to go to Lambert territory, he had a very surprised look on his face, but he said happily, ¡°Nagi, that is a splendid inspection,¡± and sent out a dragon carriage for me.

    Usually, the main means of transportation in Pluvia is the horse. It depends on the region, but for the most part, animals with great strength are responsible for transportation.

    But recently, thanks to the spread of the profession of taming mild-mannered monsters, transportation using monsters, which are even stronger and more enduring than animals, was beginning to become popular among royalty and nobility.

    The monsters, which are basically the enemies of humans, have a collection of energy in their bodies called magic stones as their core. Its energy is enormous and is the main source of energy in the country.

    But with the discovery of the new technique of taming them like this, I hear that there are discussions among researchers that perhaps there will be a day in the future when we might have to find a resource that will replace the magic stone.

    Well, firstly, about this ¡°dragon carriage¡±.

    The monster that is pulling my carriage is an earth drake with beautiful white limbs and light blue eyes. It is a type of earth dragon, but it is covered with feathers, making it look like a large bird.

    To my disbelief, Brother Seth said, ¡°You can use it for your official business, Nagi,¡± And so, with great reluctance, I was given the opportunity to name it.

    Its soft feathers, powerful yet gentle gaze, and icy-colored eyes that conveyed intelligence were all so beautiful, and I spent three days agonizing over the name.

    The name that clearly represents that body shape, with simplicity and familiarity, would be¡ª

    ¡°Chicken!¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Really, you might want to rethink that name.¡±

    I peeked through the window and called out for the earth drake, and Chicken purred.

    Cute. Very cute. But for some reason, Mika looked at me with a blank stare so I felt puzzled.

    Chicken is said to have incomparable physical strength and endurance to a horse, and it could keep running day and night. But I feel sorry for it, so I let it rest at night. Even so, it can reach Lambert territory in about one-third the time it takes to travel by horse carriage.

    The inside of the carriage is twice the size of a horse carriage, and I could even lie down. Since we didn¡¯t need to take lodging, we could proceed as far as we could and then rest, which I think helped shorten the trip.

    Of course, without a dependable knight, traveling in such a conspicuous dragon carriage is just plain dangerous. But I hear that even Chicken, which has been tamed properly, will fight alongside us when the time comes. That¡¯s great to hear.

    The trip went smoothly, and by the time three days had passed on the trip that would normally have taken two weeks by horse carriage, the scenery outside the window had completely changed to something more exotic.

    ¡°Mika, this is going to be fun.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. I have a few complaints about the destination, but I¡¯m happy to see you looking so happy, Nagi.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat as he gave me a smile that was like watching over me fondly.

    As I thought inwardly, ¡°What¡¯s with that?¡± I also try not to get too carried away¡­ I looked down at the materials I had brought with me.

    This time, we were going to investigate the improvement of the living conditions of refugees in Lambert Territory and how the country should protect them. To put it in an unpleasant way, the purpose of the visit was to propose to Brother Seth a guideline on how the country should manage the situation.

    I¡¯m going to investigate the actual situation of Marquis Lambert¡¯s response to the issue and consider the assistance that can be given by the country.

    To begin with, the Rubrum Empire is currently protected by a peace agreement, so they are quiet on the surface. But I knew that would not be the case in the future. From the start, the country was built in a harsh environment of deserts. The rain and resources of neighboring Pluvia were something they wanted desperately.

    Since long ago, the Pluvia Kingdom and the Rubrum Empire have coexisted on an uneasy balance, repeatedly skirmishing, making agreements, and pushing and shoving their border lines back and forth.

    (For the future, we also need to rethink the armaments at the border¡­)

    I didn¡¯t tell my brother, but such issues were also on my mind.

    In addition, I had brought some seedlings and seeds of magical plants in my trunk. I wanted to see how the magical plants would react to the dry land, as I was entering the desert environment for the first time.

    Although our stay was scheduled to last about ten days, I had a lot of work to do.

    Mika, who was looking out the window, said, ¡°Oh,¡± and it also made me peek outside.

    ¡°The territorial capital has come into view.¡±

    ¡°Is that it¡ª?¡±

    Before heading to the border town of Edessa, I was going to greet Marquis Lambert first. We would also meet up with Machina there. A dry breeze blew in through the window that Mika had opened.

    The road on the Pluvia side was not a desert, but the grass on the ground was more shaggy and strangely shaped.

    In the distance, I could see a small row of buildings that were slightly different in style from the royal capital of Corliss.

    Remembering the architectural style of the Rubrum Empire that I had seen in the library of the royal castle, I was excited to see the architecture that would surely be a fusion of different cultures. I will also have to do my best to greet Machina¡¯s family properly.

    Low ivory-colored buildings lined the street, with the green of palm trees flickering in places between them. The scale of the buildings appears to be quite large.

    So that¡¯s Lambert¡¯s territorial capital¡ª

    ¡°Yeah. ¡ªThat¡¯s Parthenios.¡±

 CH 23

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi! It¡¯s this way. Wow, you really came in a dragon carriage.¡±

    ¡°Machina! Thank you for welcoming us.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Thank you for coming all the way to such a remote place. You too, Mika, good work after the long trip.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, long time no see.¡±

    Just past the ivory-colored walls of Parthenios, a familiar blond knight was standing.

    When I was about to get off the dragon carriage to greet him, there was suddenly a soft, perfume-like smell.

    In this unfamiliar town, even the smell is different.

    For the time being, Machina offered to take us to Count Lambert¡¯s mansion, and we were to take him in the dragon carriage and head there together.

    Unlike the cobblestone streets of other towns in Pluvia, the ground in Parthenios seems to be very smooth, and the dragon carriage did not shake at all.

    Outside, I could hear people cheering as they saw the dragon carriage for the first time. I am sure that the people in the territory knew that the prince was coming to inspect the place.

    I was about to get carried away again without knowing, but I pulled myself together.

    As long as this is an official business, my action is the action of the country.

    Machina¡¯s curious gaze swept all around the dragon carriage.

    The seat I¡¯m sitting on now is not much different from the one in a horse carriage, but the seat is designed to be a foldable and convenient sleeping couch. Between the seats, there is a table that can also be folded up. It¡¯s like a kind of movable bedroom, so to speak.

    Machina suddenly squinted his eyes and asked me a question.

    ¡°Hmm. Are you two alone in this carriage the whole time?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Well, yes. Mika is¡­ my personal knight, after all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Machina. I¡¯m a personal knight, after all.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    During the trip, the two knights who accompanied the dragon tamer during the trip had a tent next to the dragon carriage, and these two seats were basically set up for the royal family and their knights.

    As a matter of course, Mika rode together with me, and the two other knights rode in the back of the dragon carriage, in seats attached to the outside.

    Machina jokingly said, ¡°How nice~ a trip of two,¡± and hearing that, Mika smugly laid on his back with legs outstretched and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s nice,¡± but I don¡¯t know what he was trying to compete with. It was a childish retort, but it was somewhat embarrassing for those who were listening.

    Besides, this is not a trip of two.

    This is an official business.

    Machina and Mika have had many hand-to-hand combat sessions with each other because they are both knights, and they probably had classes together. From the way they talk, you get the sense that they are close.

    Machina, who has won first place every year in sword competitions, naturally shows up at the Order of Knights. Rumor has it that Mika, although recognized by the country as a ¡°knight¡±, had no intention of joining the Order of Knights. And even in my first life, I heard that he was helping Count Chardin with his work.

    Count Chardin, despite his influence, is not a bureaucrat or someone who fits into such a box. Perhaps it¡¯s because he has an estate facing the sea, or perhaps it¡¯s because he has a broad knowledge of commerce and the arts. And perhaps Mika wanted a job where he could move freely, rather than being a knight or holding a government position.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to Edessa tomorrow, and since using the dragon carriage will be too conspicuous, I¡¯ll have a horse carriage ready for us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you. Is Marquis Lambert at home today?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Both my father and brother are looking forward to meeting Your Highness Nagi. We have prepared a humble dinner for you this evening.¡±

    Machina smiled at me and it made me smile back.

    In my first life, while I was together with Machina all the time, we weren¡¯t close because I built a wall from my side. But this time, I hope we can get along. Besides¡ª there are a lot of challenges.

    For the inspection, it¡¯s not Brother Seth who comes to visit. It¡¯s me, the third prince, who is a recluse and never opens his mouth. Marquis Lambert, who is in charge of the border territories and should be very busy, is not looking forward to my visit.

    (It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to do this perfectly. But¡­ I just hope this will lead to more opportunities in the future.)

    I didn¡¯t set my target that high.

    Originally, I¡¯m the third prince whose rating is less than zero. I hope I can at least struggle enough to get from negative to zero.

    ¡°That¡¯s my family house.¡±

    Machina said, pointing to a mansion that came into view outside the window.

    At a quick glance, the architectural style of the building was not different from that of Pluvia, but as I got closer, I noticed that its ivory-colored walls were finely decorated with mosaics.

    The window frames, unlike those near the royal city of Pluvia, were lattice windows in the shape of a honeycomb, which seemed to be well-ventilated. The large windows and arched doorways on the lower floor were shaped like onions, with their edges filled with mosaic.

    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a gasp of admiration at the fine craftsmanship.

    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. This building, which incorporates the architectural style of Pluvia with the ornamentation of the Rubrum Empire, is the pride of my father, who is entrusted with this territory.¡±

    ¡°If there are no conflicts, this must be how the cultures mix together¡­¡±

    My heart ached at the thought of what might happen in the future.

    I had never exchanged words with Marquis Lambert, but I could imagine that he was a man who loved his culture, even though he was neighbors with the hostile Rubrum Empire. Besides, he is also the father of Machina, who had taken good care of me in my first life.

    I forgot how nervous I had been earlier, and I felt like I was looking forward to it a little bit.

    We got off the dragon carriage and said our goodbye to Chicken and its tamer as Machina led them to the stables. Then I went under the gates of the Lambert mansion with Mika and the other knights.

    I felt my hand being gently grabbed from the side, and when I looked up, I saw Mika¡¯s pouting face for some reason.

    ¡°Why are you so relaxed around Machina?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You never really interacted with him before, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, no¡­ It¡¯s just that he¡¯s smiling a lot, so it¡¯s easy for me to talk to him.¡±

    With a scowl on his face, Mika said, ¡°That¡¯s called a frivolous smile,¡± to which Machina, perhaps hearing him, retorted, ¡°Call it a gorgeous smile.¡± As I listened to the two bickering, I was transfixed by the beautiful mosaics that continued on the walls and floors inside.

    Then I thought.

    (Wow¡­ I wonder just how much time I wasted on my first life, five years ago¡­)

    While letting out a sigh, I reminded myself, however, that I was not here for sightseeing.

    But just when I was thinking that I wanted to go see the town at least a little, Machina said,

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi. Let¡¯s go to the town once you finish putting your luggage down. I¡¯ll be with you, so you can leave that noisy knight behind.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, Mika will be staying here?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m your personal knight.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, your boasting is annoying.¡±

    What he said was childish, but it was actually the first time for me to see Machina like this, talking with his friend. I regret many things. But I was still so happy that I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. However, the perceptive Mika immediately interrupted me.

    ¡°Like I said! Why is your face relaxing around him?!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I¡¯m always smiling and easy to talk to~¡±

    And so, with this and that, my ten-day inspection of Lambert territory has begun.

 CH 24

    ¡°The Lambert Territory is fundamentally made up of agriculture, such as wheat, corn, and fruits. Nuts are a famous specialty, and in fact, more than half of the nuts in the kingdom of Pluvia come from our territory. We are also trading with Rubrum, so there are many merchants who come to buy such folk art and artifacts.¡±

    As we walked through the town, Machina explained various things to us.

    Under the blue sky, as I looked at the white tent stalls lined with stores, I thought there certainly was a savory smell like roasted nuts coming from somewhere.

    The outdoor market was crowded with people. From time to time, Marquis Lambert¡¯s knights would make their rounds, and the sounds of children running around could be heard.

    (It¡¯s a very nice town¡­ It shows the personality of Marquis Lambert.)

    There were also a lot of folk art items that seemed to be a mixture of cultures from the Rubrum Empire, many of which I had never seen in the royal capital.

    Thanks to the clothes Machina has provided for me, I could blend in with the town¡­ Not as much as I would like, but it¡¯s a little less conspicuous, and I feel like I can walk around without worry.

    I¡¯m wearing a white linen shirt that is long enough to cover my buttocks and loose white underpants, which are also white. Thanks to their construction and the cool material, I¡¯m protected from the sun but also comfortable.

    Besides, to prevent my face from standing out too much, I wrapped my face in a calm-colored light blue cloth, like the color of Machina¡¯s eyes.

    For some reason, Mika took a threatening attitude toward Machina, asking if there were any other colors available. I¡¯m not quite sure why he was so irritated with what I thought was a beautiful colored cloth. In addition, they had prepared clothes for Mika as well, and both Machina and Mika were dressed in white shirts and loose navy blue underpants similar to mine.

    ¡°This is a common people¡¯s market, but there is an upper-class bazaar beyond it. Let¡¯s go and have a look. There are many merchants from Rubrum, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find some interesting items.¡±

    Machina led us to an indoor bazaar.

    As soon as I stepped inside, a smell like a mixture of spices wafted through the air.

    Unlike the marketplace that looked like a row of tents earlier, Marquis Lambert¡¯s knight stood at the entrance, and indeed, inside the stone building, there was an array of expensive-looking goods.

    High domed ceilings. The stores lined up in a narrow space were colored with mosaic lanterns. It was as if we had wandered into a world of night, even though we had been under sunny skies earlier.

    I also heard a flute playing from somewhere.

    As I was looking around to see what I could find, I heard a cheerful voice from the side.

    ¡°Welcome! The Ramee Trading Company deals in glasswork ornaments. And what do you know, I¡¯m Ramee!¡±

    ¡°Glassworks?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t underestimate glass. The Rubrum products are different from the others. Please take a look! Our finished product is different from other stores!¡±

    The fact that he spoke to me in a slightly accented Pluvian language must mean that he is a merchant from the Rubrum Empire.

    I looked over and saw a man with brown skin, golden eyes, and dark, elegant hair, which is also a characteristic of the Rubrum people. His shoulder-length earrings shimmered.

    He has a friendly smile on his face, but I¡¯m amazed at how manly he is.

    As far as I know, all men in the Rubrum Empire are like that, they show a lot of skin. They are dressed only in loose underpants and vests like the ones I am wearing, and their skin is on full display.

    I had never seen them this close before, so I froze in amazement. Then I heard Machina¡¯s voice from the side.

    ¡°The people already knew that Your Highness Nagi was coming for a visit. That¡¯s why the merchants have a strong business spirit.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Please come and see.¡±

    Ramee, who was beaming with a friendly smile, didn¡¯t seem bothered by the word ¡°business spirit,¡± and leaned forward even more.

    The bare brown skin peeking out from the embroidered vest-like garment is so close that I don¡¯t know where to look. Ramee, seemingly oblivious to that, kept smiling while showing me a glasswork pendant top he was holding in his hand.

    ¡°Recently, the products here are highly valued for their artistic quality, and orders are coming in from the royal capital as well. A senior member of the Order of Knights has also ordered from me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see. So there are knights who want such a pretty thing? Is it for a protection charm?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Well, that¡¯s for getting the girls, of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Huh?! Ah, yes, I see. So that¡¯s what it¡¯s for.¡±

    I glanced over at Mika, who was also holding a glasswork in his hand, looking at it from various angles and through it.

    The blue item Mika was holding in his hand shone through the magic light and cast a shimmering blue light on his serious-looking face. Mika probably didn¡¯t realize it, but his side profile, which seemed to be scattered with light, was so beautiful and magical and I couldn¡¯t help but admire it.

    (So Mika also¡­ thought of wanting to give this kind of thing to someone.)

    My heart ached sharply at the thought of it.

    It¡¯s not that someone is forbidden to marry when they become a knight for life of royalty.

    If he has someone he loves, Mika will get married. Just like I will surely do with someone¡¯s daughter, if I survive the next five years.

    And yet, he will always be by my side. That¡¯s the kind of relationship I chose for this second life.

    I felt somewhat empty, and a shadow of me as I was looking down, fell on the pendant top that Ramee was holding.

    Ramee continued in a cheerful tone of voice.

    ¡°Err, this is our most popular item. We don¡¯t have them on display in the store, but we also have ones made with real gemstones.¡±

    ¡°I-I see. Is this thing hollow inside?¡±

    I returned my attention to Ramee, thinking that I shouldn¡¯t space out when he was showing me his wares.

    Ramee¡¯s earrings sway and his face comes closer.

    ¡°This is how it opens, mister prince.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re right. This is amazing, I didn¡¯t know you could put things in such a small space. But what do you put in here?¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe pills or something. They¡¯re beautiful to hold, and they¡¯re kind of like good luck charms.¡±

    Ramee twisted the glasswork a few times, and as if by magic, a small opening appeared.

    It seemed that craftsmen made each one with a different structure, which was why they were expensive even though they were made of glass.

    This was a convincing item if he said there were people from the royal capital who wanted it.

    But when he called me ¡°mister prince¡±, I felt a little embarrassed by the way it sounded like he was talking to a young prince. Ramee is from the Rubrum Empire, so I guess he is not very good at honorifics. But it reminded me of the time I was called that.

    When I was little and wanted to be taller than Brother Seth, my grandmother would sometimes jokingly call me that.

    (That¡¯s right¡­ I should just put my grandmother¡¯s guardian stone in here. It¡¯s beautiful, after all.)

    I had put the stone in a cloth sack, but then I couldn¡¯t see what was inside, even though it was in the color of my eyes. And I thought it would absorb sweat in the coming summer season.

    Among the several pendant tops Ramee had in his hand, I took the transparent one and said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take one of these.¡±

    ¡°Please take it. There is no charge. In exchange, please give me the title of Royal Purveyor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot more expensive than no charge ¡­I can¡¯t give you the royal title, but if you¡¯re okay with my personal-¡­¡±

    ¡°Nagi!¡±

    Suddenly, I heard Mika¡¯s sharp voice from beside me, and I froze in surprise.

    Mika, standing between me and Ramee, continued in a low voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You already gave an interesting offer, but we¡¯ll still pay for it after all.¡±

    ¡°Tch. Even though the prince almost agreed to it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I want to buy it for him. So this time, I¡¯ll pay.¡±

    While I was blinking my eyes, Mika had finished paying, and I tilted my head, ¡°What, Mika¡¯s buying it?¡± I was confused, but I couldn¡¯t even interrupt him. Mika gave me a sharp glare, and I felt intimidated. I did feel a little remorseful, thinking that giving him the purveyor title might have been thoughtless, even though I had not used his product yet.

    Machina also said that the merchants have a tough business spirit, and I also thought the same inwardly.

    But I was grateful to have found a very nice item.

    I thought that I¡¯ll move the guardian stone there as soon as I returned to Machina¡¯s mansion.

    It was a stone that had a very special meaning because it made me return from death, but it was also a memento of my grandmother. Memories of her passed through my mind, and naturally, a smile overflowed my face.

    But then I felt a gaze on me, and when I looked at Ramee in front of me, our eyes met.

    Ramee laughed softly, and as if his true feelings had overflowed, he said,

    ¡°I hope the peace can last forever. Life in the desert can be hard, but the country would be much richer if we were trading like this.¡±

    I heard Ramee mutter so, and I thought that what he said was right.

    Then, remembering the future five years from now, a painful feeling spread slowly in my heart and I became sad. The words I conveyed to him as if squeezing out my feelings were a heartfelt wish.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I also hope so.¡±

 CH 25

    ¡°Well, well, Your Highness Nagi. Please welcome.¡±

    Standing there was Marquis Lambert, who looked exactly like an older Machina. Next to him were a soft-spoken lady, and a sturdy man who bore little resemblance to Machina¡ª perhaps his older brother.

    Seeing the family that has a kind atmosphere, I clenched my fists tightly to keep my spirits up.

    Anyway, for now, it¡¯s about getting out of minus evaluations. A slug prince like me has to start by avoiding further negative evaluations for the time being.

    Because of my status as a prince, it is hard for me that I have to speak from a higher position, even when dealing with people who are seniors.

    When I¡¯m in the academy, it is acceptable to inadvertently use honorifics with, for example, Professor Fellman, because of my status as a student. But not so in public, even if it is informal.

    It was a more difficult task than the one that made my stomach ache and my back teeth clench when I was invited to a tea ceremony, but first and foremost, I wanted to thank him, so I said it.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Marquis Lambert. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule. I¡¯m very much looking forward to our dinner.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was surprised when I heard that Your Highness was coming for a visit. How was Parthenios?¡±

    I greeted the other family members as well, introduced Mika, and took a seat together with everyone.

    On a finely patterned blue and white tablecloth, silver candle holders are placed with tableware in deep shades that look as if they were a color from a dripping sea.

    The smell of the spices in the food that had already been brought in aroused my appetite.

    The waiter places three different kinds of thick sauces on each plate. Next to them is a piece of bread that looks like it has been stretched out, which leads me to guess that the thick sauces I saw earlier must be a dip.

    As my eyes lit up at the sight of food I was seeing for the first time, Marquess Lambert chuckled at me. Then I came to my senses. This was no time to be admiring the food.

    This time, I come here on official business.

    My failure would also be a failure of my brother, who had entrusted me with the task of inspection. I tightened my grip on my feelings.

    Now, let me tell you about today¡¯s experiment. At this dinner, I have one goal.

    Be a slug!

    It comes down to this. Yes, it comes down to this.

    I decided to be a slug instead, based on my calm decision that I should let the Marquis and his family talk more, rather than me trying to talk things out when I didn¡¯t know much about things here.

    ¡°The decoration of this building is amazing. I was impressed by the beauty of cultural fusion. Was that Marquis¡¯ idea?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?! I¡¯m very glad! I was afraid that you would get angry with me for admiring the Rubrum architecture. I admire the detail in the design of each plate, each piece of cloth, and the decoration of the buildings.¡±

    ¡°Yes, art and culture are blameless. I was fascinated by the detailed tile patterns on the exterior and even the interior of this building. Are they made by professional craftsmen?¡±

    ¡°That is correct! I think they are no longer craftsmen, but artists. There is a workshop that specializes in tiles. That pattern is created entirely by the imagination of the craftsmen, from the baking of the tiles. The gentle curve from the wall to the ceiling also makes you feel peaceful, doesn¡¯t it? That is a¡­¡±

    While smiling and listening to Marquis Lambert speak pleasantly, I quickly imagine a slug holding a certain musical instrument in my head. (Slugs don¡¯t have hands, so it¡¯s just the concept.)

    It¡¯s a drum.

    People like to talk about the things they like. And people like someone who listens to them talk about the things they like. That¡¯s what I interpreted from the book I borrowed from Marie.

    Thank you, Antoine.

    In my heart, I will remain a slug beating a drum while thanking the demonic beauty.

    But it was not hard at all because the soft-spoken Marquis Lambert¡¯s stories were interesting and made me imagine the sounds of drums. There were so many wonderful things around Marquis Lambert, whether it was this city, the culture, or Machina.

    After several appetizers, a soup was served in a jar. When the main course of meat arrived, Mika, perhaps relieved by my high spirits, was also eating with a calm face.

    However, I also have to ask questions about the things I¡¯m curious about.

    ¡°How¡¯s the condition of the Rubrum Empire recently?¡±

    I asked this while looking not only at Marquis Lambert, but also at his family.

    I¡¯m not trying to have a deep talk. In my first life, five years ago, nothing happened at this point. But because Lambert territory is adjacent to that country, they might be able to sense something.

    ¡°About that matter, there is not anything remarkable. Trade is becoming more and more prosperous, and there are a lot of merchants who travel back and forth to the imperial capital. But that is also¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­The calm before the storm, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The emperor who recently ascended to the throne frightens me. Even though I have heard nothing but good rumors, there is a certain tension in the faces of the Rubrum people whom I am associated with.¡±

    Hearing Machina¡¯s serious-looking brother replying like that, Marquis Lambert also smiled bitterly.

    The royal capital wouldn¡¯t understand such an atmosphere of tension. If there were only good rumors on the surface, I could expect that it would be a difficult matter to convey to His Majesty when I reported the matter to him.

    (Nothing but good rumors¡­huh. Indeed, even in the incident that happens in the future, Rubrum was clearly involved, but I couldn¡¯t catch the tail of it¡­)

    I thought that he must be a very cunning emperor, and the crease in my eyebrows naturally became even deeper. I had a lot of things to think about.

    Anyway, I sipped my dessert of pie with nut cream sandwiched in between, thinking that I would ask Machina for some more details tomorrow when I check on the situation of the refugees in Edessa.

    As I bit into the pie, the taste of the nuts and honey intertwined with each other spread in my mouth, and I felt ecstatic.

    I brought the pie to my mouth and the oozing juiciness was so delicious¡­ As I was impressed, Marquis Lambert said with a smile.

    ¡°Did something happen to you, Your Highness Nagi?

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I have noticed a slight change in the atmosphere around you since the last time I saw you. Did something good happen?¡±

    ¡°Huh, ah, i-is that so?¡±

    If anything, the worst, most unimaginable thing that could ever happen to me happened¡­ But I couldn¡¯t tell them that, so I decided to get away from the topic by mentioning Mika, who suddenly caught my eye.

    ¡°Perhaps I felt relieved after my personal knight was decided¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah! Your Highness! You should not talk about that! I understand. He is the son of that Count Chardin, after all. I know he must be a very talented man! But, even our Machina was highly recommended, you see.¡±

    ¡°Dear¡­ You¡¯ve had a little too much to drink. Please forgive us, Your Highness.¡±

    Upon closer inspection, I think Marquis Lambert¡¯s face was certainly red.

    I think it was because the Marquis had finished a bottle of wine while I was imagining the sound of drums. I felt that I had misjudged the topic at the end, but I was feeling a little elated, thinking that I had done a pretty good job for my first fight. I felt a little more courageous.

    I think there were experiments and struggles that I had. But all the people in the Lambert family were simply kind, so I naturally had a good time.

    No, I might have been a little drunk myself that I could think that way in such a relaxed mood.

    I was smiling at Marquis Lambert, who was making a ruckus. Machina then suddenly got up before I realized it, and pulled my chair. And then he said,

    ¡°Father will talk for a long time once he becomes like that. Let¡¯s finish our meal and go to the Hammam.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Hammam?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the bath. Socializing in the bath is popular in the royal capital, isn¡¯t it? Ours is the Rubrum style. Mika, come with us as well.¡±

    ¡ªThe bath???

 CH 26

    A copper water container engraved with blooming peony flowers.

    I¡¯m currently lying down on a warm stone platform in the bathhouse, while counting the number of the petals.

    Behind it, a smooth glass bottle was filled with a thick amber liquid that was shimmering.

    The heat is hot. But maybe I¡¯m not feeling hot only from the steam rising up, but because I feel troubled.

    I opened my mouth with all my might.

    ¡°¡­Hey, Mika¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Mika¡¯s voice, which sounded somewhat grumpy, echoed through the humid air of the bathroom, as if shaking the room.

    That alone made my heart skip a beat.

    Sweat runs slowly down Mika¡¯s bare back as he sits beside my stomach where I lay.

    Mika¡¯s skin has a healthy color. I traced his muscles that contracted in time with his breathing with my eyes, and then hurriedly turned my face away.

    (¡­What should I do¡­?)

    ***

    ¡ªIt was just a few minutes ago.

    The bathhouse that Machina showed us, which he said was Rubrum-style, was located underground.

    As the door was being opened a little, I peeked inside and hot air leaked out.

    The stone platform in the center was large enough for three adults to lie on, and it looked like a bed made of smooth black marble.

    The high domed ceiling was decorated with a mosaic that looks like the night sky, and the small magical lanterns hanging in the middle of it looked like twinkling stars when looked up from below.

    (There¡¯s no bathtub, huh¡­ Is this the Rubrum style?)

    As I was fumbling with this thought, I heard Machina quietly telling Mika something behind my back, and I turned around.

    Mika had a terrible look on his face and wrinkles between his eyebrows, while Machina was smiling and laughing happily.

    But when Mika spat out, ¡°I can do it myself,¡± Machina put down what looked like a sheer white gown that seemed like it would be transparent in the water, said, ¡°Take your time,¡± and walked out.

    Then, with a difficult look on his face, Mika handed me that thin gown and said, ¡°Take all your clothes off and put this on.¡± Then he told me to lie down on the table in the middle of the room.

    A hot, steamy bathhouse.

    I lay down on the stone table and found that, somehow, it was kept at a comfortable temperature, warming me to the core as I lay face down. A copper water container, a bulging ceramic vessel, and a large glass jar were placed just around my face.

    I was thinking how hot having a bath seemed to be even though it was summer, but just as I was about to close my eyes, entranced by the feeling¡ª the wooden door opened and Mika walked in, wrapped only in a loincloth.

    Mika looked at me and our eyes met through the steam.

    I forgot how to breathe.

    As I blinked my eyes, Mika sat down next to me, who was lying face down. I hadn¡¯t seen him like this since I was little, and I felt a little amazed at his broad, well-trained back. My heart pulsed wildly as I watched the sweat trickle down his back.

    This is not the time to let my heart get distracted.

    ¡ªHowever.

    The dense air filled the wet space.

    It was as if a sweet nectar which is not supposed to be consumed by the mouth, was dripping down to the core of my body.

    My heart throbbed and thumped loudly.

    ***

    And then, now.

    I opened my mouth to do something about the strange atmosphere that was flowing between me and Mika, who had his back turned to me and was not looking at me.

    ¡°¡­Mika, do you want to lie down as well? It feels nice.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­No, I¡¯m fine. Anyhow, I¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wash you.¡±

    Mika put his hands over his face and said something that made no sense to me.

    (¡­..Hm?? Wash?  W A S H?)

    W-wash? Wash what? The question swirls around in my head.

    Mika stood up, scooped up some hot water from a large kettle on the wall, and came back to me. The hot water bubbled in the copper tub in his hand. I saw Mika reach for a large glass bottle filled with amber liquid, so I got my body up.

    ¡°Huh, what do you mean? Where¡¯s Machina?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry, Nagi. Machina had prepared a woman to wash your body, but I rejected it on my own.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Mika looked back at me and said that a bit awkwardly.

    Just hearing that brought the heat to my face. I had never thought of being washed by someone else. It was true that there were bath women in the royal castle, but I had never used one. I was honestly glad that he refused it for me.

    However, I soon realized that something was strange.

    I wondered if Mika¡¯s earlier comment, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± meant that in exchange for refusing the bath woman, Mika would wash me instead. My body temperature suddenly rose.

    What¡¯s with that?! I panicked. Of course, that¡¯s too much for me.

    ¡°N-no¡­ you don¡¯t need to. I would rather do it myself¡­ Wait, uwaa! Hey, wait-¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, how long has it been since I took a bath together with you? ¡­wait¡­ ah-¡±

    I was in the middle of refusing, but then, warm water was poured over my head, and a dribble of warm water dripped down.

    The thin cloth I was wearing was also completely wet and stuck tightly to my skin. I glanced at Mika as I ran my fingers through my wet hair, and I saw him looking away awkwardly while covering the lower half of his face with one hand.

    I felt like his face was kind of red, and I got even more confused, tilting my head.

    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s with that face? You¡¯re the one who poured water on me¡­¡±

    ¡°N-nothing. Lie down, forget it, anyway, just lie down.¡±

    ¡°Whaat?¡±

    I don¡¯t really understand, but I have no objection to lying down. It feels so good to lie down on this warm stone. I lie down on my stomach, wishing that Mika would lie down too. I see Mika rubbing something dark green with what looks like a thin cloth bag and soaking it in the hot water.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking it off¡­ Nagi.¡±

    Before I had time to argue, Mika¡¯s fingertips touched my back.

    That was enough to make me shiver.

    With a gentle touch, Mika¡¯s hard fingertips slid off the cloth that was stuck to my body. I felt too embarrassed to resist now, but I didn¡¯t know what to do. I just quivered as his fingertips slid down my back. I tried to make a small complaint, ¡°That tickles,¡± in distress, but I didn¡¯t have the leisure to even look at Mika¡¯s face.

    The cloth was lowered up to my waist.

    I couldn¡¯t help but be conscious of the fact that my back was exposed, even if we were both men, and I felt a strange, numb sensation.

    ¡°I heard that this is how it¡¯s done.¡±

    I glanced over to see Mika rinse the cloth bag a few times, and then, I saw him blow into the bag.

    The cloth bag swells, bigger and bigger.

    Soap foams fell out of the swollen cloth bag.

    I think the dark green stuff I saw earlier was soap.

    Mika said, ¡°Watch this,¡± and stroked that bulging cloth bag with a loop made of his fingers.

    Immediately¡ª foams, fluffy like clouds, started falling on my body.

    ¡°Wow, so many foams. I didn¡¯t know you could do it like this.¡±

    By the time Mika had repeated the action a few times, my body became like fluffy cotton candy, like I was in a cloud. I was amazed at how it can make so many foams.

    As I picked up the lumpy pile of soap and looked at it, wondering if I was going to get washed with it, I noticed Mika¡¯s hand on the side of my stomach.

    When I lifted my head, I saw that Mika was there as if he was hovering over my upper body, and his hand gently touched my back, which was covered in foams.

    I flinched.

    ¡°Mika¡­ that¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°With this many foams, nothing can be seen. Whoa, your skin is so smooth.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ngh, i-it tickles, stop it.¡±

    A hard hand, different from my own, crawls up my back.

    Just above me, Mika¡¯s skin, which is clad in nothing, seems to overlap with mine.

    At the distance that seems like we could almost touch, we can even feel each other¡¯s breath.

    I end up being conscious of it.

    Just like the swollen cloth bag from earlier, my chest went up and down heavily.

    Mika¡¯s hands touched my arms, my legs, and washed over my body. It was just that, something playful, but the heat in my body seemed to gather in places it shouldn¡¯t.

    The heat of the steam that I inhale turns my body into a lewd color.

    The air is thick just like honey, as if it could burst at any moment.

    Even Mika might think it¡¯s strange. His hand slows and stops.

    I turned around.

    And then, I immediately regretted it. He was looking intently at me, then he called my name.

    ¡°Nagi¡­¡±

    Ah, ¡ªthis is no good.

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    A hot breath escaped from my own mouth.

    Mika¡¯s jade-green eyes glinted in the color of the night.

 CH 27

    ¡°Am I washing you right?¡±

    ¡ªThat was when it happened.

    The wooden door opened, and Machina entered, wearing only a loincloth.

    I don¡¯t know why, but for some reason, I was staring at Mika¡¯s passionate eyes, and then I came to my senses. In contrast to my calm head, the heat was gathering in my face at an incredible rate.

    (Uwaa! Wha-! What am I doing¡­?!)

    However, this must be because of that.

    Probably because of the alcohol and this sweltering steam¡­ I made a bitter excuse, and managed to settle the strange atmosphere in my head.

    Mika also seemed to come back to his senses for a moment, then he glared at Machina and said,

    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re not a personal knight, and yet you come barging in when His Highness is taking a bath. It¡¯s rude.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu. I just came to see if you¡¯re about to do something ruder, Mika. Anyway, you keep boasting about your position as a personal knight, but you know what? I¡¯ll be in charge of assigning your rest days when the summer break ends.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t take a break.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re scary.¡±

    Seeing Mika and Machina arguing with each other, I rubbed my chest in relief.

    The air had felt so lewd earlier, and suddenly I felt more relaxed now. I laid my head on my arm and gently closed my eyes against the soft warmth of the stone table.

    I recall both Mika and Machina saying that even in the royal capital, bathhouses are a place for socializing.

    I wondered just how much aristocrats and merchants were trying to expand their connections, that they would even think of socializing in a place like this. I couldn¡¯t understand it, I thought as a chuckle escaped me.

    ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness. May I join you? It seems that Mika was able to make the foam correctly.¡±

    ¡°I told you, I can do it myself. Get out while the foams are still there.¡±

    ¡°Did Mika really wash you? How indecent~¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re the one who told me to do that.¡±

    Their conversation feels more and more distant.

    Today, after a long trip, seeing Parthenios, and then having dinner with Marquis Lambert, I think I must have been quite tired.

    (I also drank alcohol after a long while¡­)

    As I was dozing off, I had some vague recollection of Mika pouring hot water on me, washing my hair, and washing the parts I should have washed by myself.

    But while my head feels hazy, I looked at Mika¡¯s abdominal muscles and wondered vaguely how they could be shaped like that. Then I feel like I remembered something for a moment, but it was quickly swept away by sleepiness.

    After that, Mika was lying down next to me, and the two of them kept talking to each other. It was like a gentle lullaby, and I seemed to have fallen asleep.

    When I came to, I found myself greeting the morning, comfortable in the bed that had been prepared for me.

 CH 28

    ¡°In general, the Rubrum refugees are mostly women and children. Occasionally there are men, but mostly they are dissidents who have fled for their lives.¡±

    Machina told us so, as I looked at the Rubrum people sitting cramped together on the floor of an old church. It was heartbreaking to see that everyone was dressed in rags and some seemed to be wounded.

    The next day, I visited the border city of Edessa with Mika and Machina.

    Edessa, located about two hours by carriage from the territorial capital Parthenios, is a border town, and it is surrounded by strong walls as far as the eye can see.

    It was my first time visiting the border.

    In my first life, I always went only to the outskirts of the royal capital. After relations with the Rubrum Empire became strained, naturally, the royal family could not go anywhere near the border.

    I still couldn¡¯t look at Mika¡¯s face properly from this morning, so I looked around me to observe the refugees. Machina then continued.

    ¡°And then, the beastmen slaves. Have you ever seen them, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°N-no¡­ I haven¡¯t. I know there is an ocean beyond Rubrum, but I don¡¯t know about the continent beyond that.¡±

    ¡°Recently, there are more and more beastmen slaves in Rubrum. There is no slavery in Pluvia, but it seems that in Rubrum they are bringing many slaves from the New Continent. The condition of the escaped slaves is so terrible that it cannot be compared to that of the refugees from Rubrum.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s the worst.¡±

    I bit my back teeth as I looked at Machina¡¯s face.

    Even though I had heard that the condition of the refugees from Rubrum was terrible, the thought of something even worse made my stomach churn.

    Both Pluvia and Malacia are countries without slavery. Probably because everyone lives peacefully without having to rely on slaves.

    But in the Rubrum Empire, except for the wealthy and royalty, most of daily life is met with the harsh heat and desert environment.

    The weather in this world is supposedly determined by the God of origin, and no one really knows how it works. If compared to prosperous Pluvia and Malacia, Rubrum is too different in terms of preconditions.

    ¡°People who live under the toughest conditions find their means of life in the presence of those below them.¡±

    ¡°¡­..They think in such a way?¡±

    How sad, I think, to only be able to live through hard times by looking at someone in a worse condition than them. My eyebrows creased even deeper as I wondered if in addition to the Rubrum refugees, I would also have to deal with the beastmen.

    How do ¡®refugees¡¯ end up in Pluvia in the first place?

    People with the transit pass can enter the gates of Edessa boldly and enter the Kingdom of Pluvia.

    But the refugees have no transit passes. In other words, the Rubrum Empire has no intention of letting them out. And yet, there are people who cross that endless, vast desert and arrive in this country.

    ¡°Even though it was supposed to be an emperor whom we only heard good rumors from¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is. As my brother said, something is strange. Those who have escaped still seem to be frightened of something.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t they tell the reason why?¡±

    ¡°No. That makes it all the more frightening.¡±

    Hearing that, I thought, ¡°I see¡­.¡±

    The Rubrum refugees are still under oppression, even after fleeing to Pluvia. That¡¯s all there is to it. Then again, perhaps they are still running from reality.

    ¡°Many of those people have magic scars on their backs. Does Your Highness know what that means? Rubrum people who do not have a proper pass are traitors in the eyes of the Empire.¡±

    ¡°¡­even if we¡¯re under a peace agreement?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what ¡®peace¡¯ means to the Rubrum Empire, Your Highness.¡±

    I had heard that even with the peace agreement, there are very strict exit visas in the Rubrum Empire.

    It is being controlled so that no one will end up settling in Pluvia even by mistake. If Machina, born and raised in this territory, thinks that this is ¡®peace¡¯, then surely it is only a false peace.

    (So as expected¡­ Rubrum is-)

    At the time I was burned at the stake, the Rubrum Empire had not taken any direct action. But I¡¯m sure that after my death, Pluvia would have been in a lot of trouble.

    Now that I had heard Machina¡¯s story and felt the threat of the new emperor, the thought of that kind of future made me shiver.

    ¡°Nagi, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I just had a bad feeling.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. I also have a bad feeling about this. But for now, we have to do something about these people.¡±

    Mika¡¯s hand quickly moved around my waist, and my heart skipped a beat. I shudder, remembering the look in his eyes last night, even though I know I shouldn¡¯t remember it.

    (N-no. This is not the time to be thinking such a thing¡­!)

    I shook my head to the side to drive out my mischievous feelings. When Mika said that to me with a worried look on his face, I thought that I also feel the same.

    What is to come is to be seen.

    What is expected of me on this inspection is to do something about the people who are in need right now, right in front of us. Thinking of my brother, I clenched my fists tightly and asked Machina.

    ¡°What then happens to the people who managed to escape?¡±

    ¡°Many of them work for merchants. Many of the nobles are hard-headed, but the merchants are not that particular about their race because they are involved with other countries. We have facilities here, and some people settle in farming villages. But farming villages are rather closed off, so it¡¯s also difficult in a lot of ways.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡±

    When I heard Machina say that, I put my hand to my chin. If there are people in need, I would like to have a system in place to welcome them with open arms. That¡¯s why Machina is also going to take the Livelihood Magic Study, and the circumstances are probably not so good here.

    However, the meaning of the ¡°peace agreement¡± for the upper echelons of the Rubrum Empire as explained by Machina, and the possible existence of espionage, would not be welcomed with open arms.

    But, when I see mothers with their children huddled together in the church, I think about it.

    (It¡¯s always the weak who get sacrificed¡­)

    That said, it was also risky to create a settlement that gathered only those people together.

    It could be a hotbed for espionage, and if the Rubrum Empire were to attack, it could become a target. Considering the safety of each person, it seemed best for each of them to find a job. But¡ª.

    (If war really started, the discrimination would surely be worse. Even if they know that those people are not to blame, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll still happen.)

    I wonder what I can do.

    What can I do as a prince?

    We haven¡¯t reached a consensus yet, but Mika and Machina are the only ones here. They¡¯re both my knights¡­¡­ No, Machina is not. But he¡¯s someone I can trust.

    Let¡¯s ask for their opinion. It¡¯s not something that I can figure out alone.

    ¡°It means that¡­ the country should give assistance, doesn¡¯t it? Maybe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sounds good. And so, what do you think about it, Nagi?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ partial tax relief to merchants and lords who employ refugees. Then, the opening of a department where refugees can consult¡­ and one more thing.¡±

    I¡¯m relieved to see that Mika is listening to me intently.

    Actually, I have brought another sample of magic plants that I think will grow in this environment.

    I wonder if I might be able to employ some of the beastmen and refugees to assist in this experiment. The place is far from the royal capital. I may have to ask Marquis Lambert to manage it.

    But I was thinking that if we could improve the breed to a desert-tolerant variety and such, perhaps this could be one way to avoid war with the Rubrum in a peaceful way.

    I know it was a naive idea. But it had to be better to do it than not to do it.

    ¡°So you brought some grass with you. Yeah, that¡¯s a nice idea. Because employment is the problem.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. So Your Highness Nagi is interested in magical botany. I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°N-no! I still, umm, don¡¯t know if it will work yet. I¡¯ve never been in the desert before.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what the experiment is for, right?¡±

    It¡¯s only a concept.

    I¡¯m sure that it will take years to tell, because I¡¯m going to have to get some fertile magical plants planted somewhere for now, and see how they do. But considering the long, repeated peace and war cycle with Rubrum, I¡¯m sure that the years in that situation are short.

    A wish slipped out of my mouth.

    ¡°It would be nice if there are people, no matter if they¡¯re Rubrum people or even beastmen, whom I could ask to manage this¡­¡±

    ¡°Nagi, what about those people over there?¡±

    ¡ªHuh?

 CH 29

    ¡°Hello. Umm, how are your injuries?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I spoke in Rubrum language, to the three people in front of me who looked like a parent and children wearing rags. They stared at me and gave a slight bow.

    Even I can tell, they are on alert.

    Mika¡¯s finger pointed to a group of parent and children-like figures sitting in the corner of the church. However, their robes that lined up there were clearly larger than those of a normal Rubrum person, and the figure in the middle was smaller, while the other figure was even much smaller.

    I wasn¡¯t sure why Mika had picked those three people. But it¡¯s Mika we¡¯re talking about. While thinking that Mika must have noticed something, I approached them fearfully.

    It¡¯s very reassuring to have Mika by my side.

    I know that they are wary of me, but for now, I should proceed with the conversation since I had approached them first.

    The challenge for me here was how to deal with someone whose the ¡°facing a prince¡± card won¡¯t work on them.

    In terms of people who are not very friendly toward me, Tillois rises among the most recent examples. In the end, it turned into a strange situation, but even though I¡¯m such a recluse prince, I¡¯m still a member of the royal family, their lord. Tillois would have behaved accordingly.

    However.

    For the refugees, a prince from another country must be an unknown entity.

    Moreover, they are people who had fled from the power driven by the oppressive rule of the empire. They are people who might be fearful, frightened, angry, sad, and I don¡¯t really know, but they might be harboring all kinds of negative emotions.

    I should have started the experiment.

    There¡¯s one good thing. It¡¯s that the other party probably does not have prior information that I¡¯m a recluse slug prince.

    It¡¯s a situation that makes me feel very empty when I say it, but if it weren¡¯t for the information that I was a recluse slug prince, I would be a beautiful prince with a praiseworthy appearance.

    No, it¡¯s not that¡­ I consider myself to be beautiful, please keep this in mind. And so, there is one thing that is required of me.

    Bluffing.

    I understand.

    Eventually, I want to become a prince with substance, not just a bluff. No, I will become one! But for now, it was all about whether I could get through this like a prince without them realizing that I was a slug on the inside.

    I clenched my fist and continued to speak.

    ¡°Do you have any relatives in Pluvia? Does it seem like you can find work here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..We two are, escaped, slaves.¡±

    ¡°You two¡­ What about that child?¡±

    When I asked that, the man in the biggest robe said that in a low voice.

    Then he flipped off his hood and showed me his ears.

    That¡¯s right, his ears.

    I gasped and gulped involuntarily.

    The man¡¯s head was topped with pinned, triangular gray ears. I know now why the man speaks in a broken Rubrum language. The man had a deep scar over his left eye and was one-eyed.

    But the man looked me straight in the eye, without hiding his wolf-like ears or his scars. It was as if he was watching me to see if there was a hint of fear or contempt in my eyes.

    ¡°This child, our master.¡±

    The smallest figure stepped forward. The child, hood off, looked to be a person from Rubrum, and only about seven or eight years old.

    However, he was standing in front of me with his big golden eyes moistened and his shaking hands outstretched, as if he was protecting them. Then he said in a fluent Rubrum language,

    ¡°Your Highness the Prince. I have heard that there is no slavery in the Kingdom of Pluvia and that refugees will be protected. They may look different from us, but they are living beings just like us. Please give them the same protection as us, the Rubrum people.¡±

    I¡¯m amazed at his firm insistence.

    I didn¡¯t know who this child was, but he was clearly the child of a properly educated and wealthy family.

    He is still such a small child. His voice cracked sometimes, and his big golden eyes seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment.

    Still, I could tell straight away that he was trying to protect them.

    I tried to imagine my body looking as big and sturdy as possible, and I put on my best face. I don¡¯t really know what I was going to do, but I was determined to take on it like a master carpenter of some workshop. In my mind, I imagined myself looking muscular, with tanned skin and gleaming white teeth, then I opened my mouth.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s okay. They are human beings, too. I¡¯ve never been to the New Continent, and I¡¯ve never seen them, but they are the ones who live there, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. Your Highness the Prince, they were just unlucky enough to be brought to Rubrum. My father and mother insisted on the rights of the beastmen, and they died. Please do not repeat the same mistake in the Kingdom of Pluvia.¡±

    Hearing those words, I gasped.

    Until now, I was supposed to be some big brotherly master carpenter, but I was squeezed back to the size of a slug in an instant. I had transcended the status quo of being accepted as a bluffing big brother. Biting my lip, I at least tried not to let my emotions out.

    Machina said earlier that he only heard good things about the emperor, and yet this boy has been desperate to tell me what¡¯s going on, even if he hasn¡¯t stated it explicitly. I wonder how much courage it takes to do that while the other Rubrum people who have fled are keeping their mouths shut.

    Even though he had lost his parents.

    (Death to those who defended the beastmen¡­ The oppression is to that extent?)

    I almost tear up seeing the small hands spread out in front of the two beastmen, so I quickly swallow my spit instead. My eyebrows are about to drop, so I made them stay in place by squeezing my eyes.

    I shouldn¡¯t show emotion here. I must not let my personal feelings get in the way of the official business.

    I must not be affected by the smallness of the other party, or the small size of their body.

    My words and my actions¡ª are the words of the country.

    ¡°I see. I will take your word for it. If you say you are the master, then I will ask you. Do you have any relatives here?¡±

    ¡°N-no. From now on, I was thinking that he, Figero, will be an adventurer. Then Lucreo and I will do some menial work somewhere.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Taluha.¡±

    ¡°Taluha is good! He not do bad!¡±

    A beastman child, one size larger than Taluha, said this to me, glaring at me sharply.

    He was a beastman with gray ears and blue eyes, just like the man with one eye. He protected the small Taluha on his back and threatened me as if a wolf snarled at me.

    I might have led him to believe that Taluha would be punished because I asked his name.

    Even though he must have had a hard time in the Rubrum Empire, he still tried his best to protect his master. A warm feeling slowly spread through my heart.

    They may be of different races, human and beastmen, and have different statuses, but I could tell right away that these three had reached this point by protecting each other.

    I was surprised at how Mika could figure that out from so far away, but they were certainly the perfect match for what I was looking for.

    A powerful-looking beastman father and son, and an educated-looking Rubrum child.

    They also don¡¯t have proper work yet.

    Even if this man called Figero were to make a living as an adventurer, he would have to leave the two young children alone while he is out. Moreover, the two people waiting for him are a Rubrum child and a beastman. Perhaps their daily life would be more difficult than they thought.

    The three are people who support each other, even though they are of different races.

    It¡¯s like seeing the future that I wish for in a form of reality¡ª.

    I thought that I shouldn¡¯t separate these three people.

    When I realized it, it just came out of my mouth.

    Since this was not the official will of the country, I remembered to only say it in a small voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t do anything to Taluha. In fact, I¡¯m looking for someone to take care of some magical plants, how would you three like that?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°In addition to the salary, it comes with a house. The location is a little further north from Edessa, and the workplace is in the yard in front of the house¡­ you see.¡±

    I still have to get the place from now on, but that¡¯s where the bluffing brother in me is going to get it done! I tried to show off my skills.

    I¡¯m a prince. There was no way I could not secure land and a house.

    It might be a little dangerous to let them stay in the suburbs of Edessa. But I would like to think that it is somewhat safer than Figero raising two children as an adventurer.

    While thinking that it would be nice to have a connection with them, I smiled at them to try not to frighten them. Then, I saw Taluha and Lucreo¡¯s faces turn red.

    Hmm? What is it? I tilted my head and they looked at each other, and then, as if determined, Taluha asked me.

    ¡°Is there any coercion of sexual things¡­?¡±

    ¡°Not at all!¡±

    So that¡¯s the part they¡¯re concerned about¡­ No, it¡¯s an important part, I thought as my eyes were about to turn into a blank stare. Then for some reason, Mika said no instead of me. Behind the two of us, the one-eyed man called Figero burst out laughing.

    In this way, I found a foothold in the Lambert territory for research on magical plants that can thrive in the desert.

    ¡°Does Your Highness, umm, have any strange hobbies¡­?¡±

    ¡°Not at all!¡±

 CH 30

    ¡°Here, I got this.¡±

    ¡°T-thanks.¡±

    The towering walls of Edessa were built with many ivory-colored bricks, just like the ones in Parthenios.

    Climbing to the top, I saw the blue sky stretching out before me and the endless desert. A strong, dry wind was blowing.

    Mika brought me a glass bottle of water, and when I reached for it, I saw that there were slices of lemon inside.

    As Mika sipped the same drink, he said, ¡°I heard it has honey and salt in it too.¡± Salt too? I thought, and brought my mouth to it. Sure enough, it doesn¡¯t only taste sweet.

    Mika turned to face me, leaning against the uneven, narrow wall that came just up to my chest.

    Mika¡¯s auburn hair swept in the wind, in the middle of sky and sand colors, and it looked just like a painting. His strong-willed jade-green eyes sparkled, but when they met mine, they softly and gently softened.

    It felt as if my heart was being squeezed.

    I felt like I was about to think about something that I shouldn¡¯t think about, so I opened my mouth, thinking that I should talk about something.

    ¡°This is amazing. It¡¯s all desert from here on.¡±

    ¡°I heard that it takes two weeks by camel to get to Hadrianople, the imperial capital of Rubrum. It takes five days by dragon carriage.¡±

    ¡°Dragon carriage?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I heard there¡¯s a type of earth drake that¡¯s very strong in the desert.¡±

    Mika said this while holding his fluttering red hair.

    I honestly thought that it was amazing that some creatures could cross this vast desert. Taluha and the beastmen I had talked to earlier had also said that they had reached here by riding camels. It seems that they made their way to Edessa while running away, bypassing the regular route used by the merchants, so it must have taken them longer than Mika had said.

    Hadrianople¡­ What kind of place it is, I wonder. Since there is a peace agreement in place, I wonder if I could visit there, for example. Would there be anything I could learn or do if I actually set foot there?

    What kind of person is this emperor who only has good rumors about him?

    It was clear to me now that there was still an enemy that I couldn¡¯t compete with.

    The other party was the emperor of the country that was trying to subvert and gain possession of Pluvia. I didn¡¯t think I could stand up to an opponent that even His Majesty and Brother Seth were having a hard time dealing with.

    Rashed Wastiters Rubrum, a young emperor who is said to have recently ascended to the throne.

    I heard that he is a beautiful emperor in his twenties, who has the power to twist his opponents and the brains to persuade them.

    Even in my first life, I noticed that there were enemies everywhere in Pluvia. To my horror, the vast majority of those enemies were Pluvian. Rashed had to have been working on his scheme much, much earlier than Brother Seth and I realized.

    (The emperor¡­ is like a scorpion, with his venomous stinger at your throat without you realizing.)

    But something could still be done now, before that poisonous needle reached my throat.

    One thing at a time. Yes, that was all I could do.

    But I also have a knight who can be relied upon. With that thought in mind, I turned my gaze to Mika. Mika¡¯s eyes blinked. I was a little embarrassed because of what happened yesterday, but I still wanted to tell him what I couldn¡¯t say in my first life.

    ¡°Thanks, Mika.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°Well, after all¡­ I¡¯m somewhat unreliable. I feel relieved that you¡¯re by my side.¡±

    I thought so earlier, and I thought so at dinner last night. I also thought so at Tillois¡¯ place and in the magical botany class. Just having Mika next to me made me feel much different. Truthfully¡ª I felt grateful.

    But I got embarrassed after I said it, and I gulped the drink that was handed to me.

    Mika tilted his head and looked confused. But I¡¯m relieved to hear him say, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    Mika stared intently at me, with his elbows on the top of the uneven city wall.

    I was a little uncomfortable with the way he was looking at me, with a puzzling stare, as if he was trying to be compassionate and yet holding back something. I asked, ¡°What?¡± and Mika narrowed his eyes. Then he said,

    ¡°I think it¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The scenery is awesome, and Nagi is right in the middle of it. It looks somewhat like a painting.¡±

    I remember that I had thought the same earlier, too, and my body temperature rises in embarrassment. As I swore at him that made no sense, ¡°What the heck is that?¡± Mika¡¯s other hand reached out and scooped up my hair, with his hand still on his cheekbones. It was the kind of thing you would do to a girl you like, and my eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°¡­¡­Do you tell that kind of thing to anyone?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Only when I think so.¡±

    Then I wouldn¡¯t know if he¡¯s talking that way to everyone or not, I thought. But in that case, even Mika, who is in front of the same amount of spectacular scenery¡­ He also looks cooler than usual.

    He narrowed his eyes at me and my heart squeezed.

    We¡¯ve only been spending a little time together, but this redhead is not giving my heart a time to rest. Even yesterday, he¡­ I almost remembered, and in a hurry, I changed my mind.

    ¡°W-where¡¯s Machina?¡±

    ¡°I heard that someone he knows runs an orphanage here in town, so he went to say hello.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Isn¡¯t it dangerous to have an orphanage in Edessa?¡±

    ¡°Maybe the orphanage also looks after the Rubrum kids? In other cities, they might still be looked at with curiosity, after all.¡±

    I see¡­

    Generally, the Kingdom of Pluvia is inhabited by Pluvians. Even though they are neighbors, the Rubrum people probably stand out because of their different appearances, perhaps because of the climate. On the other hand, it is strange that the Malacia people do not seem to be that different from us.

    ¡°Hey, about the thing from earlier. I¡¯m happy that you picked me as your knight, and we can go to many places together, Nagi. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh, ah, yeah.¡±

    Mika also felt embarrassed after saying it, and while looking toward the desert, he said, ¡°We should get going.¡±

    I felt Mika¡¯s words spreading gradually in my chest, but at the same time, I was aware that I was also feeling uneasy. I had also thought of this before.

    (Thanks, Mika. But¡­)

    If I were to start doing something wrong, something devilish, would you still say that?

    Would you still say that if you knew how dirty I was in my first life?

    And then, if¡­ if you knew the wretched feelings that sometimes show up within me, would you still say that? I ended up thinking about things like that.

    Many feelings swirled around inside me.

    I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for not telling you yet, Mika.

    I left the city walls, thinking that it would be nice if those feelings could have flown away with the sand.

    Descending the steps of the city walls, I saw Machina in the distance and a man with long, flowing, light blue hair standing next to him. It was rude to say, but the man, who looked like a beautiful woman, might be the one who runs the orphanage that Mika had mentioned earlier.

    He stood next to Machina, who had a big smile on his face while waving his hand cheerfully to us. But for some reason, I feel as if the man was glaring at me for a moment, and I feel frightened. But Mika, who was standing beside me, didn¡¯t seem to notice. While thinking that it might be just my imagination, I went and approached them.

    The man also greeted me with a kind smile, and I think I probably had imagined it, after all.

    And so, from here on, in the suburbs of Edessa, my struggle for magical plants with Taluha and the beastmen began.

 CH 31

    ¡°Wooow! Mister Machina, your muscles are amazing!¡±

    A beautiful woman dressed like a dancer raised her high-pitched voice while touching Machina¡¯s arm, who was sitting on my right side.

    A dimly lit room. Mosaic lanterns placed around the room dimly illuminated the area. The low, comfortable sofa looks more like a large cushion with a peculiar weave than a sofa, and it¡¯s also like a round sleeping pad. Several smaller cushions lay on top of it.

    The smoke from a hookah was wafting in the air, giving off a sexy aroma.

    The graceful-looking beauty sitting next to me whispered in my ear.

    ¡°Are you enjoying yourself, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Excuse me for not being used to this.¡±

    ¡°My, my. Your Highness has such a beautiful face, yet you don¡¯t play with women?¡±

    When asked that question, I felt troubled.

    Certainly, in my position, there is no lack of such education. But as a third prince, I thought that I would not be expected to do so much, and I came of age without being accustomed to such things.

    Of course, my older brothers are probably well-educated about it and know how to treat women.

    I feel embarrassed, as if it has been pointed out that I¡¯m somehow inadequate at something.

    Machina said, ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s invite some girls and have a banquet,¡± so after returning to Parthenios, we ended up having a banquet at Lambert¡¯s mansion.

    I was going to refuse, but then he told me, ¡°There¡¯s no harm in getting used to girls,¡± and the momentum of his words pushed me into it.

    I wondered what Mika would say, but he stared at Machina¡¯s face and said to him with a look of disgust, ¡°Well¡­ I guess you should know about it too,¡± and said something that I didn¡¯t understand. Machina didn¡¯t seem to understand what he meant either, and like me, he seemed to have a lot of question marks around his head.

    After supper, Machina showed me to a room where six or seven beautiful women were waiting for us. Each two of them sat between Mika, Machina, and me, while drinking. A woman with a cheerful demeanor, sitting next to the beautiful woman who had just spoken to me, said.

    ¡°But, we have no position with a prince with such a beautiful face!¡±

    ¡°Right. I never knew that the prince of our country was so beautiful.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I think you two are also¡­ very beautiful.¡±

    Embarrassed, I tell them so in clumsy words, while feeling my cheeks redden.

    People keep telling me I¡¯m beautiful, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not the same as that of a woman. I don¡¯t have soft skin, fruity red lips, or flowing glossy hair.

    As I looked them firmly in the eye and said those words, hoping they would get the message, the two women beside me let out a gasp of delight while holding their cheeks.

    ¡°S-so cute! Your Highness, you¡¯re so cute!¡±

    ¡°No! It¡¯s rude to call him cute. He¡¯s so beautiful¡­ I didn¡¯t know such a gentleman existed¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you two are exaggerating¡­¡±

    For some reason, I ended up glancing at Mika, who was sitting on the left side of the room, while the two women next to me were getting excited.

    My heart ached as I saw a beautiful white hand resting on top of Mika¡¯s large spread legs. The beautiful woman sitting on the other side of the room had her head completely nestled into Mika¡¯s shoulder.

    But when I saw Mika leaning against a large cushion, looking unconcerned, and drinking alcohol, I felt that I was confronted with the reality that he was different from me.

    Mika sipped his glass of alcohol, looking bored and unperturbed by the fact that a beautiful woman was sticking close to him and talking to him about something.

    (E-even if someone is leaning on him seductively¡­ h-he still can leisurely drink alcohol¡­?!)

    Annoyed, I reached for my own glass, and the woman brought it to my mouth from the side.

    I drink it just like that, and she smiles gently at me. The slightly droopy eyes of the woman felt erotic, and I felt a thrill of excitement. It was the first time in my life that I had been entertained by someone who even held my glass of wine, and to be honest, I didn¡¯t know what to do.

    My heart beats faster at the sight of the soft lines of a woman¡¯s body right next to me. A hand reaches out from the other side, and I¡¯m surprised when the cheerful woman takes my cheek between her hands.

    ¡°Your Highness, your skin is so smooth.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure what kind of entertainment is this, but perhaps it is meant to be rude. I¡¯ve almost never been touched on the cheek, except by an impolite childhood friend, and I shivered at the closeness of it. But as I was staring into those big eyes in front of me, I felt like I was going to feel weird, so I gently laid my hands on the woman¡¯s hands on my cheeks.

    ¡°I feel embarrassed¡­ um, when someone as beautiful as yourself stares at me.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    ¡°Please keep these beautiful hands to touch those you love.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­No-no good~! This prince is too adorable!!¡±

    For some reason, the beautiful women next to Mika and the beautiful women next to Machina found themselves all around me. Even though I had just told them not to touch me, they were all over me, touching me, making me eat and drink various things, and I don¡¯t really understand why, but they were all over me until the banquet was over.

    There was no way I could have realized what Mika and Machina were talking about as they looked at me.

    ¡°Mika¡­¡­ Is Your Highness Nagi¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a natural prince. He¡¯s a little bit gloomy on the inside, but he¡¯s always been like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­So this is what you mean, what I should know about His Highness. ¡­It must be hard for you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    And then, the night in the desert passed¡ª.

 CH 32

    ¡°Ramee! Mister Ramee!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You were so excited that you¡¯re going to see the third prince, so why are you sleeping here?!¡±

    This is a small oasis halfway between Edessa, a city on the border of the Kingdom of Pluvia, and the imperial capital of the Rubrum Empire.

    Few people use this little oasis because it is a bit off the regular route.

    A man who was swinging in a white hammock suspended from the palm trees there woke up when his name was called.

    The voice was coming from a Rubrum man with long hair tied back in a single high bun. He is dressed like a dancer, supple in contrast to his strong body.

    With his lips painted white and his eyelashes decorated with transparent adornment, he looks like a clown at first glance.

    The clown-like man tilted his face as he crossed his arms.

    ¡°And so? How was it? The third prince, the one they call the hidden treasure of Pluvia?¡±

    ¡°About that¡­¡±

    The man called Ramee rubbed his sleepy eyes and did not hide his grumpiness.

    He felt grumpy about being woken up when he had gone to sleep in an unoccupied place. Then he spat out his words in a boring manner toward the clown¡¯s question.

    ¡°He was trash.¡±

    The expression on his face didn¡¯t even change one bit.

    He spat out those words as if he was talking about a speck of dust on the side of the road. As if he was talking about a grain of sand, in this vast desert, that didn¡¯t matter to the man called Ramee.

    ¡°Huh? You said it so harshly. But I heard that he¡¯s incredibly beautiful?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just a kid, without any sexual appeal. He can¡¯t even use his head. He also doesn¡¯t know how to carry himself. He was just a stupid piece of trash¡±

    ¡°Oh my.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, it was amazing of him to be born with that face and yet grow up to be so stupid.¡±

    In a daze, the man called Ramee raised his upper body, scratching up the hair around his neck.

    His shoulder-length earrings shimmered.

    The third prince of Pluvia was coming to the border to inspect the place for some reason, so the man went to check it out.

    The prince is closeted with no rumors about him other than his face.

    It was a well-known fact that he was the first on the list of the first prince faction, but that was not even of his own volition, but only because he had been raised by the queen since he was a child.

    The first time the man saw the prince¡¯s silver hair, it was as beautiful as a translucent jewel. So were his calm blue-gray eyes, which showed a high intelligence. And his face, with its well-defined parts perfectly placed, could only have been loved by God. The man also did not dislike his long, trembling, downcast eyelashes as he approached him, nor his cheeks, which were stained vermilion, as if he were embarrassed.

    But still¡ª he felt like garbage.

    The clown continued.

    ¡°But the glasswork thing didn¡¯t work out, did it?¡±

    ¡°There was a knight with brains with him. I can commend the guy for not even letting the prince spend his money.¡±

    ¡°Even if you couldn¡¯t get an official order, you wanted the fact that the third prince bought that thing, right?¡±

    That¡¯s right, the prince looked so incompetent, but the man¡¯s intentions had failed.

    The man felt that he was a little happy about it, though he did not know why. But as if to shake off his imagination, a few words escaped his lips.

    ¡°Even though I was going to lay all the charges on him and ruin him.¡±

    ¡°My, how scary!¡±

    ¡°To see that beautiful face distorted by the fire, it would at least be a snack to accompany my liquor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you liked his face! You¡¯re a sucker for beautiful faces, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    To the man, the incompetent third prince only has that much worth.

    ¡°Hm? So is that the end of the Ramee Trading Company? Even though you were so excited saying, I¡¯m Ramee! I¡¯m Ramee!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s burn you at the stake, too.¡±

    ¡°Nooo, that¡¯s too scary!¡±

    The clown looked frightened like a woman, which was out of character for his physique, but the man¡¯s expression did not change.

    He just looked at the clown as if he was looking at something unimportant, then turned his attention back to the desert as if nothing had happened.

    This endless desert had only tormented him and brought him no benefits. He was sick and tired of the abominable thirsty sand that occupied most of the country, even though it was the country where he was born.

    The man was starving. He wanted moisture.

    He was hoping that the third prince, who visited such a place on his own volition, might bring something interesting to his thirsty self.

    And then, his expectations were met with disappointment.

    ¡°The plan is fine as it is. That kind of thing can be done at any time, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! Are you going back to the palace, then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The clown wiggled and moved his body in vain, only making the man feel even more uncomfortable.

    And so the clown¡¯s ridiculous phrases continue.

    ¡°Then. I will transform you into Emperor Rashed Wastiters Rubrum~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eek! Don¡¯t look at me with such beastly eyes! You¡¯re making me feel weird!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll also be burned at the stake when it¡¯s all over.¡±

    The clown, holding his flushed cheeks with both hands for some reason, said happily,

    ¡°Oh noooo~¡±

 CH 33

    1-5. Duchess, the lifesaver.

    ¡°¡ªNext is, ¡­the mines.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re already in shambles before we even go there.¡±

    It was when I took a short rest in a corner of the royal castle garden, where I¡¯ve often fled to since I was a child.

    A cavernous entrance wrapped in green ivy, like a cage that no one else could find. I heard Mika¡¯s voice coming from outside the entrance, and I shivered. My eyes turned blank as I wondered why he would follow me to such a place, but if anyone could follow me here, it was only Mika.

    Because this secret place¡ª is a secret base that Mika and I found when we were little.

    It was after we returned from the ten-day inspection of the Lambert territory.

    After visiting Edessa, I spent almost all of my time preparing a place for Taluha and his family to live, planting magical plants, and also explaining things to them. Of course, I also went to several orphanages and refugee facilities, which was the purpose of this visit. I understood now why Machina wanted to take the Livelihood Magic Study class. Count Lambert also guided us to historical sites, and we spent ten fulfilling days.

    Among the magical plants entrusted to Taluha and his family, some of the varieties quickly wilted. But I asked them to take care and observe the progress of the plants that remained lively, and also the seeds that I had brought with me. I also asked Count Lambert to send an errand to check on them from time to time, and I also gave him a ¡°long-distance pigeon pair¡± as a means of communication.

    This is also a feat of the tamer¡¯s skill. It can be used as a means of communication by keeping a small monster, a ¡°pair¡± of long-distance pigeons, at two different places.

    You read the letter to one of the pigeons in one place, and then the pigeon in the other place has the nature to copy the letter. They are highly intelligent and have telepathy with each other.

    The sight of them pulling out a magnificent quill pen from inside their feather and effortlessly copying a letter is a sight to behold again and again. Although not yet in widespread use, it was probably going to be a major change in the means of communication in this country in the future.

    They are a very romantic kind of monster. Once a year, you need to arrange a dramatic rendezvous for them. They will continue to copy the letters that way, even if they are far away all the time. The ¡®dramatic¡¯ part is the hard part of taming them, said a tamer of long-distance pigeons.

    I didn¡¯t quite understand what he meant, and when I asked him what kind of arrangement he was doing for the rendezvous, he replied, ¡°Dramatic things like; ¡®This is the first time I visited the town. I stepped in with nervousness, concealing my feelings of uneasiness. If only you were by my side¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but think that way. At that moment, I was approached by an evil-looking pigeon and taken into a dark corner. Oh my God! I need you to come and help me! I need you! It was that moment¡­ I saw a familiar feather flapping in the sky.¡¯ something like that.¡± All I could say was, ¡°I see¡±.

    At any rate, it is a romantic monster that is difficult to tame.

    I finished reporting about the refugees to Brother Seth and I also told him my opinion about it.

    He praised me for what I had done, but he also commented sharply, ¡°Your thinking is still too naive.¡± It made me think about the difficulty of dealing with the Rubrum Empire. Brother Seth told me that I should not look only at the superficial protection of refugees.

    They are a country that has a peace agreement with us. To give extensive protection to refugees who are not permitted by that country would be taken as a violation of that agreement.

    That was certainly true. We are not dealing with a country at war. Even if the other side was a country that was planning a war, as long as there was a peace agreement in place, the official response was usually to send the refugees back, not to protect them.

    (I-it¡¯s difficult¡­)

    Then, with my head in my hands, I took a walk in the garden and settled into my usual retreat for a change of mood.

    While looking at Mika, who was peeking in through the entrance, I asked him.

    ¡°How did you know that I¡¯m here¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been here when you feel down.¡±

    Suddenly confronted with that, I became frightened.

    A childhood friend who can see through everything is also something to worry about. Speaking of which, this hideout is connected to the outside of the castle through a cavity on the other side. I think we have to seal it up, but the only person who knows about this place is Mika. I even slipped outside through here with Mika when I was a child.

    (I was surprisingly adventurous back then¡­)

    As I was thinking about this, Mika, who seemed to have come up next to me on all fours, muttered something as if he had read my thoughts.

    ¡°This takes me back.¡±

    I looked over and saw Mika sitting down beside me in the empty space.

    When we were kids, this place was spacious enough for two people. But it was too cramped for two grown men to enter such a place. While looking around, Mika said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have that thing?¡± I think he meant the magical plant I showed to him when we were kids, but I had put it away in my office.

    I remember once when I was young, Mika pledged a mock oath of knighthood to me here. He already pledged the extension of that oath from back then in the throne room, but I wonder if Mika still remembers it.

    It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve been in a place like this together, and it brings back old memories.

    When he was young, Mika looked very mature. His jade eyes always had a calm color in them and didn¡¯t sparkle as they do now. Even though he was being raised by Count Chardin, Mika didn¡¯t smile as much as he does now, and I used to smile more than he did.

    As I wondered why Mika didn¡¯t smile much back then, he told me a similar thing again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always liked your smiling face, Nagi.¡±

    I could tell from his expression that he was saying it out of nostalgia for the old days, but it sounded like a confession, and my heart skipped a beat.

    But now that he mentions it, that¡¯s right. At that time, I still didn¡¯t really understand the difference between my brother and myself. I didn¡¯t understand my position and the things that I shouldn¡¯t do. I think I simply enjoyed growing up under the watchful eye of a kind queen and with a kind older brother.

    But as I grew older, I gradually realized that I was nothing more than an accessory to my older brother. That I was being measured by what I could do for him, that I was worthless, and I began to realize things that I didn¡¯t want to know.

    Even now, I still don¡¯t understand the situation properly, and I can¡¯t even come up with a good idea about the refugees. I was about to let out a sigh when my cheeks were squeezed. Mika squeezed my face with his big hands, then he said,

    ¡°Smile more. Why are you always making such a face lately?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ I feel like there¡¯s not much that I can do.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really get it, but it¡¯s only been a few weeks since you started trying to change, right? ¡­.alright.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, what?! Hey! Wait.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what he came up with, but Mika suddenly stuck his hands into my sides from behind and tickled me. ¡°I heard that you can feel better if you laugh,¡± he said something that didn¡¯t make sense to me, but his hands didn¡¯t stop moving.

    I tried to escape somehow, but I couldn¡¯t escape Mika¡¯s strong hands, so I turned around to him.

    ¡°Pff- ahaha. Stop it, you idiot. Don¡¯t do silly things like this, hey, haha stop-¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­..Mika. Hey, Mika.¡±

    After I was laughing for a while, Mika¡¯s hand suddenly stopped, and I tilted my head from confusion.

    In front of me, Mika was staring at me intently, and just like that he said,

    ¡°So cute.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°What did you eat that made you grow up to be so cute?¡±

    I remembered that just the other day, in Parthenios, I had been called ¡°cute¡± a lot by beautiful women. I was upset that people still thought so, even though I was already an adult prince. But what did I eat, he said¡­? I thought about it and told him what I often eat, although I still don¡¯t really understand what he meant.

    ¡°Eggs?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eggs, huh.¡±

    Mika nodded while saying, ¡°I see,¡± and buried his chin on my shoulder.

    Before I know it, my body is settled between Mika¡¯s legs. My body temperature rises instantly as I finally realize this.

    How did we get into this position in such a small place, I wonder. Moreover, this is a hideout. I suddenly felt ashamed that I had gotten so excited in such a place, just like a child.

    Mika¡¯s breath hit my neck. He also rubbed his nose against my neck. Is this a habit of his? As I thought of that, I feel afraid of this overly close distance between us. However, Mika asked me a question as if to catch up with me.

    ¡°Hey¡­ Do you remember that we kissed?¡±

    ¡°Huh?! Th-that was just because we accidentally bumped into each other. Don¡¯t say it in a weird way!¡±

    ¡°So you remembered. You have a good memory after all.¡±

    Mika was talking about the time we played the mock knight¡¯s oath, which I also remembered earlier. A potted rare magical plant that I had brought here suddenly bloomed, and I was so startled that I stepped on the cloth that I was using as a cloak and fell. And then, we bumped each other on the mouth, and that was it.

    (We bumped our teeth and it was just painful¡­)

    It wasn¡¯t a good memory or anything.

    But for some reason, it feels like the Mika who is here is just my childhood friend, and not Mika the knight. I stroked his red hair that was on my shoulder. Mika gently closed his eyes. His beautiful reddish-brown lashes are downcast, reminding me of the naps we used to take here in the past.

    Mika said with his eyes still closed,

    ¡°You should be a little more guarded with me.¡±

    ¡°For what? What is it about you I need to be wary of?¡±

    ¡°¡­..Yeah, but still.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure what he was saying, but he sounded dissatisfied.

    I had chosen my knight by myself, but after the inspection of the Lambert territory, I was truly relieved to have Mika by my side in my daily life. So why should I doubt him? If Mika had betrayed me, I¡¯m sure that I would not be able to recover.

    But perhaps he still wasn¡¯t satisfied, Mika continued.

    ¡°You never know. I might be thinking of something bad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll know. You¡¯re my knight, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, but still.¡±

    I¡¯m still not quite sure why he wants me to be so wary of him.

    I blinked my eyes and Mika hugged me from behind. I put my hand on his arms that were around the front of my neck, and wondered what kind of situation this is. I don¡¯t understand, but since he wants me to be cautious, this must be a ¡®bad thing¡¯ for him.

    That means¡ª

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re imitating a ruffian?¡±

    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯m imitating a ruffian.¡±

    Mika¡¯s breath is on my neck. I don¡¯t know why he suddenly started imitating a ruffian, but his hair that was poking out as usual touched me and tickled me. However, if he was a ruffian, I thought that I had to fight him off. Then as I twisted around my body, I heard a sigh.

    Mika¡¯s head, which was resting on my shoulder, became heavy.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the gloomy ruffian.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why, but he seemed to be in a bad mood. If that¡¯s true, I couldn¡¯t make sense of this even more.

    As I was wrapped in Mika¡¯s warm arms, I couldn¡¯t help but feel calm and at ease.

    I don¡¯t want to think that it was because he tickled me earlier. Even when it comes to myself, I¡¯d like to think that I¡¯m not so simple-minded.

    I think I need to go back to my office and rethink how to deal with the refugees.

    Tomorrow, I will be going to the Ackerson Territory and Taurus Mine with Tillois, which I never thought I would be doing.

    This time, I won¡¯t be in a dragon carriage, but in a horse carriage.

    When I told Brother Seth that I was going to the Ackerson Territory, for just a moment, I could feel the tension in the air coming from him. Even my brother would not expect me to follow Brother Vincent now. But that momentary reaction made me feel the ¡°political pawn¡± position that Mika had told me I had before, and that was part of the reason I was so daunted.

    I leaned my head against Mika¡¯s head. He was the kind of guy who wouldn¡¯t think twice about being leaned on by a beautiful woman. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine if I put a little weight on him.

    (I want to stay like this for a little longer¡­)

    I closed my eyes, thinking that I will do my best again tomorrow.

    Right from next to me, I heard Mika¡¯s dissatisfied voice again.

    ¡°You should be more guarded with me.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, for what?¡±

 CH 34

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Please leave it to me!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.What?¡±

    In the dimly lit cave, a pair of crimson eyes shone brightly.

    Her long platinum blonde hair, tied back in a single strand, was flowing.

    The area must be somewhere in the mine shafts. The road was intricate, the lantern in her hand was not even that of a magic light, and the unreliable candle was swaying in the glass.

    The Duchess, Vivienne Ackerson, dressed as a maid, stood up with a confident look on her face, not a hint of fear in this hopeless situation.

    I don¡¯t know why, but she certainly looks dependable. As I thought so, I¡¯m sure that Mika¡¯s face must be pale and panicked now¡­ it made me burst out laughing.

    (Or rather¡­ Am I the only one who thinks she was kidnapped on her own volition?)

    ***

    ¡ªThe incident happened a week ago.

    As we rocked in the carriage to the Taurus mine, Duke Ackerson¡¯s territory, I remembered Tillois looking dejected.

    I don¡¯t know why, but Tillois¡¯ sister, the crazy duchess Vivienne, insisted on coming along on this trip.

    I heard that Tillois had tried to persuade her extensively while Mika and I were on an inspection trip of the Lambert Territory. But she stubbornly refused to change her opinion, insisting on one strange point that, ¡°something bad would definitely happen without her¡±.

    It is not a good idea for Vivienne, who is engaged to Brother Vincent, to go out with the third prince, the first person from the opposing first prince¡¯s faction. But apparently Tillois has his weakness seized, and he was pushed to the edge.

    There was no color in Tillois¡¯s face as he stood in front of the duke¡¯s carriage in the morning with Vivienne, who was clearly dressed as a maid.

    Then Mika and I realized what was going on.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Vivienne to come along either. I¡¯m impressed at her insistence.¡±

    ¡°I had heard rumors that she was acting strangely, but she seemed to be rather alive and well, as if something had possessed her.¡±

    ¡°Possessed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Well, His Royal Highness Vincent is very friendly with Baroness Emilia Tessier, and she seemed very jealous of her¡­..right?¡±

    Mika, who is sitting next to me in the carriage this time instead of across from me, said this while tilting his head in thought.

    Jealousy. She certainly would feel bad if her fianc¨¦ was flirting with another woman in public.

    Even so, my brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e was decided pretty early.

    The Dukes of Tyndall, the birth family of the second queen, and the Dukes of Ackerson are the most closely connected of the four great dukes.

    He was about five years old when the decision was made official. He must have been already set up to be engaged from the moment he was born.

    Miss Vivienne must also have undergone a rigorous education to become royalty.

    Then came along a baroness from somewhere, and her fianc¨¦e was all over her. I felt that it would not be strange if she turned a little crazy.

    (If I see the person I like with someone else¡­ I¡¯ll definitely turn weird, too.)

    For some reason, I remembered Mika being surrounded by beautiful women the other day, and I stopped myself from letting out an ¡°ah¡±.

    I felt that it was somewhat morally wrong to feel bad that my childhood friend, whom I had nominated myself to be my knight, liked someone else. That¡¯s why it¡¯s wrong.

    But because I suddenly let out my voice, Mika asked me if I felt sick, and lent me his lap. The trip there became somewhat tantalizing. I was embarrassed to look up and see Mika¡¯s face smiling down at me as I rested my head on his hard leg.

    (Anyway, why didn¡¯t he just ride Allen? Well, maybe it¡¯s easier for him to protect me if we¡¯re together.)

    The carriage in which Mika and I rode and the carriage in which Vivienne and Tillois rode were riding in a line on the street, surrounded by a few horsemen. I didn¡¯t want to be too conspicuous, but that much security is needed.

    The second prince faction was probably wondering what I was planning to do, but my usual slug-like behavior has a good use here. I settled for the excuse that ¡°the reclusive third prince wants to study the plants in the mine and Ackerson is made to tag along.¡±

    My slug-like behavior is so consistent that they don¡¯t feel suspicious about it.

    Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. No, it¡¯s better this way. Otherwise, the nobles would have been too busy digging an unlikely speculation.

    Then, one week passed as we were rocked in the carriage.

    Finally, the four of us arrived at Cauda, the town where the Taurus mine is located.

    However, the town of Cauda looked like a poor rural village, with several battered stone houses built to the same standard, and the town as a whole looked gray. Among them, there was only one house that looked like it belonged to a noble. It was the residence where the mayor of the town lived, whom the Duke of Ackerson entrusted with the management of the town.

    There was no cheer like when I visited Parthenios, and I felt that even the people living there were staring at the carriage with somewhat cold eyes. It does not look very safe.

    I could also sense the tension from Mika.

    (During our stay here¡­.. Mika might not feel too comfortable.)

    Then, I stepped into the town of Cauda, while feeling sorry for him.

    But I couldn¡¯t find the mine in the first place. I looked around, but there was no silhouette of a mountain anywhere, I tilted my head in confusion. However, Mika noticed me looking confused and pointed his finger in the other direction. My eyes widened in astonishment.

    ¡°T-this is what the mine is like¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, the Taurus Mine is special. The name Taurus Mine was given from this huge hole that seems to swallow everything up, as bottomless as a cow¡¯s stomach. I think it¡¯s usually above ground, like a mountain.¡±

    ¡°This is¡­ amazing. It looks like a nature-made labyrinth.¡±

    There was a huge hole in the ground.

    If you looked closely, you could see that in some places there were several holes and paths along the cliffs that encircled the area, and in some places, it looked as if railroad tracks were leading inside. It looked like an anthill with the convex and concave sides reversed, and I naturally let out a cry of admiration at the magnificent sight of the place.

    But the impudent stares I felt around me were clearly not a good impression. Although I could see the miners with their iron tools, they didn¡¯t give any greetings to Tillois. A chill runs down my spine, and when I involuntarily look toward Mika, he too shrugs his shoulders.

    Even Tillois¡¯ angelic, beautiful face had deep wrinkles between its eyebrows.

    Vivienne looked around in various directions, sometimes with a satisfied look on her face, other times with a confused look. I felt even more uneasy realizing that something was wrong with her.

    Vivienne was also acting strangely on the way here. She never spoke to me since she was pretending to be a maid, but she seemed to be observing me in a strange way.

    (Why did she want to come here, I wonder. The last time I saw her, she also looked like she wanted to tell me something.)

    In any case, the ¡°Taurus Mine Massacre¡± will happen this winter.

    In the report that I read in my first life, the miners who were forced to work rigorously during the cold weather rioted. I believe it was said that a noble (who was not specified) was kidnapped and that the Ackerson Territorial Army struck a giant magic spell in an attempt to quell the riot, resulting in casualties.

    I knew that there was still time, but the bad atmosphere I was feeling made my stomach ache as if it had been grabbed with bare hands.

    (I need to make sure I never leave Mika¡¯s side.)

    I had strongly made up my mind to do so¡­ and yet.

    At the mayor¡¯s house, Vivienne sneaked out of the mansion for some reason, taking advantage of the split second Mika and Tillois were away. I was so surprised that I was about to call Mika right away, but Vivienne went further and further toward the town of Cauda.

    I knew it was not a good idea for me to go outside, but I couldn¡¯t let the duchess in danger.

    And then, the phrase ¡°kidnapping of a noble¡± crosses my head.

    A chill ran down my spine, and I reflexively jumped outside. Her shadow was advancing into town at a rapid pace. I thought I should at least call and stop her, so I stepped outside, but that was the end of my luck.

    And then, just like that, I was stuffed into a gunny sack by young coal miners and carried away and locked in the mine shaft with Vivienne.

    My heart beats rapidly, and I have a bad feeling about this.

    (Gh¡­.. It really turned out to be the kidnapping of a noble¡­.. Not good.)

    Vivienne and I were sent to the corner of the mine shaft.

    It was a dusty, cave-like place, and even the only light was a single candle lamp.

    Vivienne and I were lying on the dirt, hands tied up behind our backs, at the corner of what looked like a warehouse with several crates stacked on top of each other that made you wonder what they were used for. There was a room-like area across, and I could hear what sounded like a few people playing cards from a while ago.

    ¡°The nobles are traveling without a care in the world. Meanwhile, we work without a day off.¡±

    ¡°But what are we going to do now that we¡¯ve kidnapped him? Can we really get some money?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If a noble was kidnapped, the mayor would give some money for it. How much should we ask?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what Leon and the others are discussing. We¡¯re just keeping watch on them, it¡¯ll be a total loss if the noble escapes. Still, both the noble and the maid are incredibly beautiful, huh?¡±

    I listen carefully to the faint conversation.

    It was a kidnapping without a doubt, and trying to extract a ransom with such a plan was far from easy.

    I had come all the way here to do something about their situation, but it was a complete turnaround that they committed a crime against me. I bit my back teeth and thought about what I should do.

    For example, I wonder if I could try to negotiate with them here, but from the way they talk, it sounds like this ¡°Leon¡± guy is in charge.

    There is a good chance that they don¡¯t even understand what this kidnapping is all about. They probably don¡¯t realize that I¡¯m a prince. And they probably don¡¯t realize that Vivienne is a duchess.

    Normally, if they, commoners, committed the crime of kidnapping royalty, they would most likely be sentenced to be torn limb by limb.

    (And it would be pretty severe for them, the residents of the Ackerson territory, to kidnap Miss Vivienne¡­.. Please, don¡¯t bring the Territorial Army to this.)

    Even if the Ackerson Territorial Army didn¡¯t come here, they all could end up being hanged collectively if they were careless.

    They had no understanding of the risks of this barbaric practice.

    Because I had come all the way to Ackerson territory to try to change the future, their future turned into jeopardy instead. What should I do? ¡­..If I could, I would run away from here and pretend the kidnapping never happened.

    The crease between my eyebrows grew deeper and deeper.

    As I felt despair and cast my eyes downward, a carefree voice came down on me.

    ¡°And done.¡±

    There stood Miss Vivienne with a sparkle in her eye. I couldn¡¯t help but gape my mouth and take a second look at her.

    That¡¯s right, while I was stunned, Vivienne somehow managed to untie the rope that had tied her hands behind her back and stood up triumphantly. Then, with a radiant smile on her face, she said to me,

    ¡°Well then, follow me! Your Highness.¡±

    There was not a trace of fear on her face.

    I thought to myself.

    (What in the world is going on here?)

 CH 35

    ¡°Have you ever thought of yourself as a devil, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°N-no¡­ It surely wouldn¡¯t be good if I thought of myself as a devil.¡±

    Vivienne and I take a small run through the dimly lit tunnels.

    After that time¡ª

    Vivienne pulled a small knife from her pocket and quickly cut the rope that bound me. She said, ¡°This way,¡± and led me out to a narrow path at the back of the storage.

    I didn¡¯t think there was a way out of that place. Despite my confused look, she kept chanting right and left as if it was a spell. She chose the branched path smoothly as if she was walking in her own yard.

    And then, after running for a while, she asked me that question.

    It¡¯s true, in my first life, five years later, I was being told things that weren¡¯t true. Rumors from mouth to mouth said that I was a seductive devil, but I don¡¯t remember doing that at all.

    I don¡¯t know why Vivienne asked me that. But when I imagine myself one day suddenly saying, ¡°Hahaha, how could you see through that? That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a devil!¡± I concluded that, unless I was born and raised as a devil, it¡¯s just embarrassing to say that.

    I wasn¡¯t born and raised like a devil.

    But then I remember that Vivienne called me ¡®evil prince¡¯ the other day. She seemed to have accidentally let it slip out of her mouth and was terribly panicked, but I wonder if it had anything to do with this¡­

    Just as I heard Vivienne mutter a small ¡°I knew it,¡± another branched path appeared before us.

    Then, the right-left spell of hers was recited again.

    ¡°Right, right, left, right, left, right, and right. Right, right, left, right, left, right, and right.¡±

    ¡°¡­U-umm. Miss Vivienne. Have you visited these tunnels before, by any chance?¡±

    ¡°No! This is my first time! But in my mind, I¡¯ve visited it a hundred times. Right, right, left, right, left, right, and right.¡±

    Feeling her brisk and clear madness, I thought.

    Please, someone, get me a translator.

    Of course, I was aware of my poor communication skills, but I had a feeling that it would be somewhat easier to have a dialogue with a plubear than with her.

    I had thought that she was behaving very strangely, but this was still too strange.

    The tunnels here are as intricate as a labyrinth. If we make a wrong turn, it will be fatal. I felt as if we were going deeper and deeper inside instead, and I knew I had to do something to stop her, but her steps were so confident that it was very difficult to talk to her.

    However, it also seemed like we were moving toward the direction where the wind came from.

    At that moment, Vivienne opened her mouth while still walking fast.

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi, I have something to say.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ What is it?¡±

    I thought I would no longer be surprised by anything that came out of her mouth.

    Wandering around in the dark with a single candle lantern, I honestly felt hopeless. I don¡¯t know. But if I were allowed to whine about my distress, my weakened heart would have carelessly whispered, ¡°I want to see Mika.¡±

    Walking with steady steps, she looked to the darkness that lay ahead and said,

    ¡°Your Highness probably wouldn¡¯t believe me, but please listen to me until the end.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, Your Highness Nagi¡­ From now on, you will be called the seductive evil prince and get executed.¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    I froze.

    I was already in a desperate state of emergency when I was kidnapped and wandered in the tunnels, and I thought that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised anymore, but then unimaginable further distress befell me.

    What¡¯s going on, what¡¯s going on? I thought to myself while blinking my eyes. I thought about how she could know about that, but then my thinking stopped there.

    It¡¯s unlikely, but it could only be a figment of her imagination. Or perhaps she just doesn¡¯t like something about me and says something like that.

    However, while still looking ahead, Vivienne continued.

    ¡°I will be executed next year for attempting to murder Baroness Emilia Tessier, the fianc¨¦e of His Highness Prince Vincent. I know that you¡¯ll think I¡¯m crazy for saying things like this. But I want you to listen.¡±

    There was no doubt that she had said something that was completely ¡®crazy¡¯. If Tillois had been here, he would have crouched down with his head in his hands, and a deep crease between his eyebrows.

    However, I understand what she means.

    She didn¡¯t talk about an assassination plan. She was referring to a future in which she would be executed after an assassination attempt.

    A sickening shiver ran through my entire body.

    ¡°I know what will happen in the future.¡±

    I gasped at her words.

    I was so confused about what she meant that I just stopped in my tracks. Could it be that she returned from death, just like me? I thought, and tried to open my mouth.

    My heart was beating so fast. Cold sweat was running down my back, whether it was because I was running or feeling nervous.

    But then, she continued before I could say anything.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect Your Highness to believe me. But while we were on the way here, I was observing you and you didn¡¯t seem like someone ruthless and evil. So, in order to make you believe me, I¡¯m going to reveal one of your secrets. Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Huh, m-my? My secret?¡±

    The future of being called the evil prince and executed was already a crucial secret for me.

    Many thoughts went through my mind, wondering what I should do, and whether I should believe her or not.

    What kind of secret would she confront me with? What if it¡¯s a big secret that concerns the kingdom of Pluvia?

    What if it¡¯s about the political purge that I did in the future?

    The blood flow in my body stirred with a low, sickening sound.

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi will be called by the dishonorable nickname of the ruthless and lecherous evil prince, and will be executed as the seductive devil. There was only one reason why Your Highness Nagi indulges in debauchery. It was because the person you¡¯re fond of wouldn¡¯t look your way. The one that you like is¡ª that red-haired man, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Time stopped.

    It was indeed a crucial secret. It wasn¡¯t a terrifying secret that involved the country, or a secret about the political purge I did in the future, or anything like that.

    To be honest, what she said couldn¡¯t even be said as correct.

    But it was a secret that no one was supposed to know. Because it was only something that existed in my mind.

    I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t know what this means. In any case, for now, I hope she¡¯ll at least forgive me for the turbulence in my mind. I took a deep breath and screamed loudly in my head so that Vivienne wouldn¡¯t find out.

    (W-what did she say¡­?!!)

 CH 36

    ¡°Wha¡­ What did you say¡­?¡±

    ¡°Am I correct? Yay! I was right! Actually, I was just asking a leading question.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    S-shoot. She indicated as if she knew the future, so I got distracted and got caught up in her trap.

    I clenched my fists, but it didn¡¯t seem like things were going to go back to the way they were.

    Vivienne¡¯s eyes were sparkling with joy. Seeing her like that, I wondered why she had to do that. But then I thought that I¡¯m the one not good enough, for falling for such a simple leading question, even though I was born as a prince.

    As a prince, it would be fatal for me to be perceived as looking at my personal knight in that way.

    I may have to rethink my relationship with Mika a little bit, as Machina also almost found out about it. As I regretted this with a hand on my brows, Vivienne continued.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is, but he¡¯s certainly cool. He looks refreshing¡­ and like a dominant doggy guy?¡±

    ¡°D-doggy¡­? Wait, you said you know the future. You don¡¯t know about Mika?¡±

    It no longer mattered that I was shy or nervous. I had lost all awareness trying to sound proper like a prince, I ended up speaking normally as if I was talking to Mika. Vivienne also spoke in a very casual way, so I thought it should be fine.

    However, I can¡¯t feel any malice directed at me coming from Vivienne, even though she¡¯s trying to play such a deceitful trick on me. I also can¡¯t grasp her intentions.

    I ended up deciding to treat her as if she were that kind of bothersome woman.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about him. No, I know that he¡¯s the son of Count Chardin. But he didn¡¯t appear as such a handsome man.¡±

    ¡°¡­Appear?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your Highness, I remembered my past life. This world is based on a romance game¡­ I mean book, and I had read about it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    I could hear the sound of water drops from time to time, as if rainwater was leaking from somewhere. The air also seemed a little damp.

    Vivienne said, ¡°Please hear me out for now,¡± and she began to talk while walking.

    ¡°In the book that I read, the main character of this world is neither Your Highness Prince Nagi nor myself. Nor is it any other prince. It¡¯s Baroness Emilia Tessier. The daughter of a poor baron who dreams of a mutual love marriage. The first prince Seth, the second prince Vincent, the knight Jelaire, the wizard Renalge, and the duke Tillois appeared in the story as her romantic partners. No matter whom she chooses as her partner, the end will come. But in this world, she chose the second prince without hesitation. The world is at peace in any other route, but the route of the second prince is not good. It means a future of ruin, of the overthrow of the state. It starts with the execution of me, the love interest of the second prince. After that, His Highness Seth will be executed for assassinating His Majesty, and Your Highness Nagi will be burned at the stake as a devil.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second. This story about dreaming of a mutual love marriage is too brutal¡­¡±

    The thing about the kidnapping or the mines had long since been blown out of my mind.

    There was too much information being given to me one after another, it was all too crazy, and I couldn¡¯t keep up with understanding them at all. Anyway, I listened to what Vivienne had to say while just continuing to walk, but her story didn¡¯t seem like she was ¡°returning from death¡± or ¡°knowing the future¡± or the like.

    But, it¡¯s correct.

    What she said was correct.

    What she said was what I had experienced in my first life. Brother Seth, who loves his country and adores his father, of all things, was executed for the crime of assassinating His Majesty. I don¡¯t understand. I knew that someone had set him up, but I had no idea how or when.

    But at this point, no one should have imagined that my brother would kill His Majesty with his own hands.

    If anyone knew, it was only the person who was planning to commit the crime.

    Since Ackerson is from the second prince faction, it could be that Vivienne found out about it through that connection.

    I¡¯m not sure about the truth of the book that she said.

    But even if that book had existed or not, her behavior was too incomprehensible. Even if she knew about the execution of my brother and me, she was supposed to be in the second prince faction. If so¡ª why?

    ¡°Why¡­ are you telling me this?¡±

    I must be cautious about this. This could be my chance to get involved with the faction that was trying to pin the blame on my brother. I cleared my throat, thinking that if I made a good impression on Vivienne here, it might become a stepping stone to something.

    Vivienne blinked her eyes, tilted her head, and said to me without a hint of malice in her eyes.

    ¡°Huh? Ah, I see. It was partly because Your Highness Nagi is about to get executed like me, but you and I are fellow ¡®villains¡¯.¡±

    ¡°V-villains¡­?¡±

    ¡° ¡®Nagi¡¯ is the villain in the first prince¡¯s route; you¡¯re obsessed with your brother, evil, lecherous, and a difficult prince. And me¡ª I¡¯m the villainess from the second prince¡¯s route; with a jealous, selfish, and possessive personality. The power of the aristocratic drill roll hair was so great that I wanted to keep it that way identity-wise, but when I looked in the mirror, I couldn¡¯t stop laughing, so I got rid of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­W-wait.¡±

    I held out my palm to Vivienne and urged her to stop.

    I felt like I was being told something unbelievably disgraceful, but that¡¯s not the crucial part anyway.

    I was racking my brain about what Vivienne meant by route, and she told me, ¡°It¡¯s a book with multiple choices, and the ending changes.¡±

    And then, she said I¡¯m supposed to play the role of an enemy to Baroness Emilia Tessier, who stands in her way if she falls in love with Brother Seth.

    But thinking of the circumstances that way, I¡¯m pretty sure I would do that.

    I thought that if my brother, who had a promising future and was smart enough to be the king, had gone crazy and fallen in love with a baroness, I would obviously move to get rid of that person. I don¡¯t think that brother would do such a crazy thing though, to the point of forgetting his position¡­ I thought about all that and suddenly felt a chill.

    (That¡¯s right¡­ And so is Brother Vincent- yeah.)

    Brother Vincent certainly had a lot of problems around him.

    But still, as the second prince, he¡¯s competing with Brother Seth. There is no way he would do something so irresponsible as to have a love affair with a baroness, even if it meant cutting ties with the Ackerson.

    No matter how much he was in love with her, he could have just taken her as a concubine. If that person was of low status as a baroness, she could have been made a mistress unofficially. There was no need to go to the trouble of taking her as a regular wife. When I thought about it, there were so many strange things. When I was about to ask Vivienne about it, she said to me,

    ¡°By the way, I only found the mention of Your Highness Nagi¡¯s ¡®loved one¡¯ in the character settings. In that game- no, I mean book. In that book that has multiple choices, it was only strongly mentioned that you¡¯re obsessed with your brother. That¡¯s why I completely thought you had a forbidden love affair with His Highness Seth. But when I saw you on the way here, I realized that this knight must be the one you¡¯re in love with! My delusion ran wild imagining the two of you being alone together in a horse carriage. Thank you for the food. Thank you very much. In the book, ¡®Nagi¡¯ is obsessed with his brother Seth and indulges in debauchery in his private life. He¡¯s a ruthless prince who seduces married men and women regardless of their factions and discards them when they fall in love with him. He¡¯s probably become so warped that he can¡¯t tolerate any other person other than his brother.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait!¡±

    Forbidden love with Brother Seth?! Alone in a horse carriage with Mika?! What did she mean I became ¡®warped¡¯?! I was so confused that I couldn¡¯t catch up with what was going on. However, Vivienne never stopped talking. Her eyes widened and she spread her hands out as if she was grasping an invisible apple and began to talk about the most outrageous things.

    ¡°I have fantasized about it, I did! If Nagi¡¯s loved one was his personal knight, then perhaps he would drown in a love affair just on the other side of the door where his beloved knight was standing on guard.¡±

    ¡°Y-You Idiot! H-h-how dare you, a pre-married lady, say such a shameful thing¡­!¡±

    ¡°Well, I have the memory of living until the age of twenty-four in my past life. Your Highness Nagi, you pervert.¡±

    ¡°M-me?! Wait. No, wait a second. I¡¯m not-¡­!¡±

    It¡¯s not about how old she was in her previous life.

    Inadvertently, I almost imagine myself doing such a lewd thing as Vivienne said. Combined with the fact that she guessed my relationship with Mika, my face was so hot that it felt like it¡¯s going to explode, so I hid it with my hands.

    I¡¯m sure that even my ears would be red now, even though I knew what she said didn¡¯t make sense. Still, I had to hide my face. What in the world is going on? The question came to mind, but the question didn¡¯t even form in my head.

    I glanced at Vivienne and saw her with her eyes wide open, almost overflowing, and clenching her chest and trembling.

    ¡°Huh¡­ Oh my, what do I do? You¡¯re so red, Your Highness¡­. c-cute.¡±

    ¡°S-shut it! D-don¡¯t tell anyone about this¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh no. I might burst into flames from your cuteness.¡±

    ¡°Burst into flames¡­?¡±

    I thought I heard some kind of disturbing words that reminded me of five years in the future. But Vivienne, I don¡¯t know why, was putting her hands together, and facing me with her eyes closed. At this rate, before I believed or not believed what Vivienne was saying, I shouldn¡¯t let this young lady do as she pleases.

    I can¡¯t take this anymore¡­ But then, I suddenly thought to myself, ¡°Why did I have to go to this tunnel and listen to this crazy woman in the first place?¡± And my head became calm at once.

    Vivienne said that she had visited this mine a hundred times in her mind.

    If so, this mine should have been mentioned in that ¡°book¡± or whatever it was called.

    I had come here by accident, because I mistakenly approached Tillois. Even that coincidence, unless incorporated, was probably different from what she knew about the book.

    Also, Tillois said that Vivienne insisted that something bad is going to happen without her. Why, apart from the fact that she wanted to talk to me, was it bad if Vivienne didn¡¯t come to this mine? While thinking about that, I asked a question.

    ¡°By the way, why did you want to come along to the Taurus mine?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because a cave-in is going to happen right up ahead.¡±

    It was right after Vivienne had uttered the extremely disturbing words, that there was a voice nearby saying, ¡°There they are!¡±

    And then¡ª

    It was at that moment I heard a sound as if a rock had exploded.

    The loud explosion that seemed to shake my head sent chills down my spine. I quickly grabbed Vivienne¡¯s arm and tried to pull her closer, but I was yanked in the opposite direction. My eyes widened in astonishment.

    A frightening rumbling sound. Then an earth-shaking roar.

    My vision was thrown into total darkness.

    What¡¯s going on, what¡¯s going on?! I fell into a state of panic, with the same question in my head for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

    At that moment, the glasswork pendant inside my clothes seemed to glow blue for a moment. Mika, who had bought it for me, said that he had applied some kind of magic to it before giving it to me. I know it was some kind of spell, but I put my hand on my chest as quickly as I could.

    Mika¡¯s words resounded in my head.

    ¡°I put a spell on it to protect you, Nagi.¡±

    I squeezed the pendant, remembering the look on Mika¡¯s gentle face at that moment.

    I thought that I had to protect Vivienne, so I hugged her body as she was holding my arm.

    (Mika¡­! Grandmother¡­!)

 CH 37

    ¡°This is¡­ a trial of love.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how many times I have used the word of restraint to this absurd Duchess.

    The candle lantern that was still with us earlier had just been blown away somewhere, so Vivienne and I were both crouching in the dark.

    As Vivienne said earlier, there really is a ¡®cave-in¡¯ and we were trapped. But thanks to Vivienne¡¯s earth magic barrier, we were in a much larger place even though we were trapped.

    While my eyes were blinking in awe at her advanced level of earth magic, Vivienne said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m very good at earth magic.¡± And then for some reason, the pendant that Mika bought for me is glowing faintly, so we can see around a little.

    Ordinary noblemen¡¯s daughters would be trembling and weeping, but Vivienne, with her usual blatant and distinct madness, proclaimed the same thing again.

    ¡°Trial of love!¡±

    ¡°I get it already¡­ I don¡¯t really understand anymore, but I got it! So, slow down!¡±

    To be honest, love doesn¡¯t really matter. Anyway, we survived in the end, and we probably wouldn¡¯t die right away, from the way she knew about this cave-in.

    But even though it was written in a book that Vivienne read, her recklessness was too much.

    As I stared at her crouching next to me in the faint light, I opened my mouth.

    ¡°Listen. First of all, even if you knew about it from the book you read, a young woman like you shouldn¡¯t do such a dangerous thing.¡±

    It¡¯s been a while since she regained the memories of her past life. If she acted with such certainty, she would at least have done something in the meantime to match her memories with reality.

    If it really matched with reality, she might feel like she had become a character in a book.

    ¡ªBut this is related to human lives.

    Noticing that I was angry, Vivienne stared at the ground. But then she raised her eyebrows and looked up at me.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ What a beautiful face! Wait, no. That¡¯s not what I meant. No. Listen to me, Your Highness. This is something I had to do, even if I had to risk my life¡­ I mean, my life was already at stake, and this was the deciding point.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    In the first place, there was no report of such a cave-in in the first summer. The Taurus mine will be hit by riot this winter. At that time, there were no reports of a cave-in, only reports of damage caused by great magic.

    Vivienne had a mysterious look on her face, and it must have been an atmosphere in which she tried to say something important that would surely get to the heart of the matter. And then, she said.

    ¡°This is¡­ a trial of love!¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯ve said that enough already. Really, what is that?¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s not true! Eh, no way! Stop looking at me like you found rotten broccoli in the back of the refrigerator with such a beautiful face.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what kind of thing the refrigerator is, but it¡¯s hard to talk with this strange woman. It¡¯s hard for me to make sense of it when I¡¯m caught up in an unexpected cave-in and being told it¡¯s a trial of love.

    As I looked at her with an empty feeling, Vivienne began to talk hurriedly, ¡°The cave-in is no problem for the time being, so listen to me.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi, don¡¯t you think it was strange that His Highness Vincent, no matter how much of a self-centered man he is, suddenly being all over a Baroness?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s- you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Emilia has a unique magic called fascination.¡±

    I blinked my eyes.

    The magic in this world consists of the five attributes of fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning.

    Then there are spells used in medicine, prayers used by the clergy, and what is called everyday magic, which is a simplified version of existing magic that can be used by anyone.

    In the first place, there are still many unexplored aspects of everyday magic research, partly because it is very difficult to simplify it into the kind of magic that anyone can use, and partly because few people go out of their way to do research for the commoners.

    However, the existence of ¡°unique magic¡± is different among them all.

    It means that the individual has a special non-attribute magic that can only be used by that individual from birth.

    I¡¯ve never met anyone like that since I was born. I had heard stories of a man from my mother¡¯s side of the Malacia kingdom who could manipulate his own age, but I had never heard anything else.

    Unique magic always has some drawbacks and is not all-powerful. However¨C

    (Fascination¡­she said?)

    If as that word means, Brother Vincent is being misled and manipulated, if what Vivienne said was right, does that mean that Brother Vincent is not acting with his true intentions?

    It was so frightening that it gave me chills.

    Vivienne continued.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into it, and the only way to counter the ¡®fascination¡¯ magic in this world at present is to give the person a spontaneous pain to bring them back to their senses the moment the magic is applied¡­ That¡¯s the only way. Of course, there is no magic without blind spots, so there are some drawbacks. But still, I didn¡¯t understand it!¡±

    Then, Vivienne, who had been cornered, apparently remembered one of the magical tools mentioned in the book.

    An ancient magical tool is hidden in these tunnels. She said that it was an event? that confirms the protagonist¡¯s true love at the end of the story.

    That is the only item that can break the magic of ¡®fascination¡¯.

    She said that Baroness Emilia Tessier is involved in what she calls ¡°the trial of love¡± and in her escape, she finds that magical tool. That¡¯s right, I also couldn¡¯t immediately think of a countermeasure right off the top of my head.

    And then, if such a magical tool really existed like how it was written in the book, Vivienne should want it even if at the cost of her life.

    But that item should be found by Baroness Emilia Tessier¡­ Wait, huh? Escape?

    Huh, could it be that¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, Baroness Emilia Tessier was going to visit these tunnels?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Emilia was kidnapped and a cave-in was about to happen.¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    A noble came here and got kidnapped¡­that incident suddenly became a reality.

    There were no reports of a cave-in. However, there was a report that it was damaged by great magic. And then that means the territorial army had caused damage by casting great magic. The word ¡°noble¡± was obscured, and the cave-in was not reported.

    (Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Has the information been tampered with?)

    I thought about what that meant.

    Vivienne says that the cave-in occurs when the pursuers stepped an old trap while chasing Baroness Emilia Tessier, who is fleeing from the kidnapping.

    I don¡¯t understand how the trap works. But, if that¡¯s the case, if the pursuer had stepped on it and caused the cave-in, it would have been the same whether it happened in summer or winter.

    However, what is the difference between now and the first winter? I immediately thought of that and realized it.

    (That¡¯s right, for now¡­ the riot has not happened yet. Yes, the kidnapping of a noble has taken place, but there has not yet been a riot. But what if they mistook this cave-in for a great magic set up by the territorial army? What will happen? Is there going to be a riot happening from now on?)

    The kidnapping is their card for a protest. That¡¯s right, they said they wanted to take the money, but no one said a word about harming me. Certainly, the kidnapping is a serious matter.

    But if they think that in retaliation for that, great magic was casted in the mine, people living here and people working here might have a grudge against the nobility and royal family.

    If any miner was involved in the cave-in, and at the same time as the cave-in the territorial army showed up¡­ For now, we don¡¯t even know if it was the real Ackerson Territorial Army, but if they were surrounded by an army of some sort, the people would surely be outraged.

    (It has been set up. The riot¡­is incited by someone. Who could it be?)

    I didn¡¯t know the exact answer yet. I also need to check the information properly.

    To be honest, now that I have Vivienne, I might be able to talk to Mika about the future, and I also wanted to hear Mika¡¯s opinion.

    But, as I felt like I was on the right track, a chill ran down my spine.

    I¡¯m scared. I can¡¯t believe this.

    If, since this time, there have been countless set-up incidents like this one in various parts of Pluvia Kingdom, and if dissident groups have been growing¡­ It would be the path to that future.

    I don¡¯t know what she thought about me being frozen in place, but I heard Vivienne¡¯s voice and was pulled back into reality.

    ¡°Now that my fianc¨¦ is being stupid, my fate won¡¯t change unless I do something about that, will it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very confident in my earth magic. That¡¯s why, I thought that even if the cave-in happened, I could at least protect myself. Ah! Of course, to protect Your Highness, too.¡±

    As my eyes grew accustomed to the dimly lit space, I noticed that the space in which we were trapped was surrounded by strangely decorated dirt walls.

    Until now, the bare rock and dirt of the tunnels have been supported by beautiful pillars that make you think you are in some noble¡¯s mansion.

    My head, which was getting increasingly calm, was thinking, ¡°She made these in that split second?¡± I was witnessing an extraordinary earth-magic technique. When I silently stared at Vivienne, she said while laughing, ¡°Well, if I were trapped in a place that screams ¡®it¡¯s a cave!¡¯ I¡¯m going to be very obsessed with decorating it.¡±

    Well, she said she was fine with it, and I was slowly beginning to think that maybe I should believe her.

    I asked.

    ¡°Well then, does it mean¡­ you¡¯re using all sorts of tricks to avoid your own execution?¡±

    Vivienne might be more thoughtful than I had thought.

    I thought I had already lost my mind when I thought she was a strange woman, but she might have been meticulously planning things to avoid her future.

    Vivienne snorted and suddenly began to laugh.

    ¡°Ohohoho. A woman like me can¡¯t have a plan. I have memories of my past life. With all kinds of future knowledge cheats, it will help me avoid that future brilliantly. T-then w-wh-what should I do next?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    It looks like she has no plan.

    I¡¯m really worried about whether I can trust this woman or not.

    I know that the information from her is probably important, and it would be good to have her by my side whether I believe her or not. However, my body was responding in rejection.

    At any rate, I wanted to erase myself from thinking that maybe she was being a bit thoughtful.

    I can¡¯t help but let the infamous words slip out of my mouth.

    ¡°I think¡­ I can see why Brother Vincent ended up executing you.¡±

    ¡°Huh?! Ah, you¡¯re going to say that? You¡¯re going to say things like that? But listen, at least I get a guillotine. Not being burned in flames like you. You¡¯re not even a witch, and you get burned at the stake. Isn¡¯t that right, the Seductive Evil Prince?! I thought you were a winner just for having a beautiful face, but it¡¯s no good if you¡¯re not good at getting around in the world.¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s not like a guillotine is any better¡­! Besides, you can¡¯t speak for others.¡±

    ¡°Ughh, that¡¯s right¡­ I didn¡¯t even do anything¡­ I get defeated in love, accused of a crime, and get executed. What a harsh tragedy.¡±

    Certainly, by the looks of things, aside from the memories of our past lives, it is reasonable to assume that she, Brother Seth, and I were framed.

    Honestly, if the enemy is that well prepared, she¡¯s probably doomed to be executed, regardless of whether she actually tried to assassinate or not.

    (I see¡­ So, is that what she meant when she said we are fellow ¡®villains¡¯¡­?)

    I finally understood why Vivienne decided to divulge all those things to me.

    However, it was at that moment that I heard a voice from the darkness.

    ¡°Are you guys out of your mind? How can you be so cheerful when you say you¡¯re about to die?¡±

 CH 38

    ¡°Huh, who is that?!¡±

    After we both jolted our shoulders from surprise, Vivienne, who had been crouched down with me, stood up with a look of astonishment on her face. I stood up as well, and looked in the direction of the voice, wondering if it was okay, even though we had talked about some things that were not good to be heard by someone else.

    On the opposite side of the wall from where we were, next to a beautiful column that Vivienne had constructed, if I look closely, I can see a young man in dirty clothes, sitting down.

    ¡°Or maybe you nobles aren¡¯t afraid of dying because you¡¯re satisfied with your lives?¡±

    ¡°You fool! That can¡¯t be right! I¡¯m very scared! I¡¯m trying my best to avoid death!¡±

    I thought that he probably still won¡¯t understand even if Vivienne said so, but I kept my mouth shut.

    I looked around and saw no one but the man, and I realized that he was the owner of the voice that had been chasing Vivienne and I. If what Vivienne says is true, then the fall was caused by this man stepping through an old trap, or something like that?

    In the first place, what is the old trap?

    However, since the magical tool is buried in the ground, it means that something of an ancient civilization is sleeping in the mines sleeping in this underground mine. Something from long, long ago before the Ackersons started mining here.

    I put my hand in front of Vivienne, who is barking, and shield her behind my back. Anyway, even if I was a man who looked downcast with my shoulders dropped, I couldn¡¯t put her in any more danger.

    ¡°You are a coal miner. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Leon. But why would my name matter this late? If you get caught up in a cave-in of this magnitude in this deep place, there¡¯s no way to survive.¡±

    From behind me, Vivienne said, ¡°That¡¯s-!¡± but I stopped her.

    Leon, that means this man is the mastermind. His name was not even mentioned in the report, but from the way the miners spoke earlier, it was clear that this man was the leader.

    I asked Vivienne who was behind me, ¡°Is there any chance to survive from here?¡± And then, she said ¡°Of course.¡± and hold up her thumb. Then again, we were probably lucky to have met the miner¡¯s leader here.

    ¡°As I thought, the kidnapping was reckless. I wonder if the punishment has come down. It¡¯s no use to say it now, but I just wanted to discuss it with you guys as negotiation materials¡­¡±

    Hearing Leon muttering to himself, I thought if that¡¯s the case, I would very much like him to stop with that theory, because it means that even us, who have not committed any crime yet, have been punished for now. Despite his seemingly strong-mindedness, Leon is completely crestfallen and dreary.

    ¡°What kind of demands did you want to make?¡±

    ¡°Err, right. Negotiation of working hours and salary.¡±

    According to Leon, they worked nonstop from morning to night, and some died from fatigue.

    And then, surprisingly, they were apparently provided with certificates that could be used as money, not salary. The piece of paper stamped with a seal on it can only be used in stores that have the mayor¡¯s approval.

    In other words, they were given that piece of paper and could live normally. But they weren¡¯t paid, so they weren¡¯t given the freedom to go to other towns or shop in other towns.

    After knowing the current state, I looked at Vivienne.

    (No way¡­ I didn¡¯t realize they even controlled the currency¡­)

    This was probably due to the fact that it was a closed community called a mine.

    As things are now, most of the miners were born and work in this town, so there is no problem for them to make a living. From what I heard, it seems that they were receiving certificates worth more than their normal salary sometimes.

    But they are deprived of their freedom in return.

    The mayor, entrusted by Duke Ackerson, had built his own empire within the town.

    This was not supposed to be what Duke Ackerson intended. Surely, the real Pluvia currency, which should have been paid to the miners, is being hoarded by the town mayor.

    I thought of the strong mercenaries at the mayor¡¯s side and realized that was what it was all about.

    Even though I had no idea, I didn¡¯t think something like that was taking place in the peaceful kingdom of Pluvia.

    Surely the mayor did not tell the miners that this was something he was doing at his own discretion. That was probably the intention of Duke Ackerson.

    (But would a mere town mayor even think of doing something like that¡­?)

    Someone must be suggesting it to the mayor.

    I shudder again at the thought of someone I just thought of earlier, someone who falsified information in my first life.

    What and where did it all begin?

    I¡¯m not sure if the mayor should be allowed to roam freely, or if he should be purged. In my first life, I was the one who ran to purge them and failed. Hmm, I thought while putting my hand to my forehead.

    But in any case, I understand Leon¡¯s and the miners¡¯ arguments. And that someone who could improve it was accompanying them on their journey together.

    ¡°I see. Then we should improve your working conditions.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Because the one who came here with us is the next Duke of Ackerson.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! This is not good.¡±

    Since Vivienne doesn¡¯t know about Leon, it means that Leon is not in the book.

    ¡°¡­Just who are you, actually?¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­ I¡¯m embarrassed to say it in this situation, but I am the third prince of this country, and my name is Nagi. I had no idea that you people worked under such difficult circumstances. I will do what I can.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re royalty?!¡±

    That¡¯s right, being royalty, I can¡¯t keep my head down. But I should have done what I could.

    It was an obvious reaction, but even in the dark, I could see the color draining from Leon¡¯s face. That is to be expected. Leon and his crew would not have thought that far ahead.

    ¡°Huh?! Wait! So that means we kidnapped the prince! Oh no¡­! What about the other guys¡­¡±

    ¡°Right. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not me that¡¯s in trouble, it¡¯s you people. So we have to get out of here somehow and pretend that this wasn¡¯t a kidnapping, but a fun mine expedition with Leon the miner.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, that¡¯s a good idea. If we say that it was the prince¡¯s own decision, it¡¯s not a crime. Your Highness Nagi is kind, as expected. You¡¯re not evil at all.¡±

    I glanced at Leon, who was sweating profusely, and thought that he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a conversation for a while. Then, I asked Vivienne, ¡°So where is the magical tool?¡± Vivienne made a face like she just remembered about it, and started walking along the wall.

    ¡°In the game, there¡¯s a cave-in after the mini-game in the tunnels, and Emilia gets trapped in there all alone.¡±

    ¡°That must have been scary.¡±

    ¡°Then, she walked around the area with her hand on the wall, and she hit a weird stone wall. Ah, this one.¡±

    I wonder if the book is called the Game. I walked along with Vivienne, as she said that and touched the wall. I illuminated it with my pendant from the side.

    Then, just as she said, there was a part made of stone right between the dirt walls. When Vivienne pulled out what looked like a popped-up handle, there was a rumbling sound and the stone which was fitted there moved.

    Thinking that this would be impossible with only a woman¡¯s strength, we also supported it together. Then when we removed the stone part, something small was present behind it, as if hidden.

    ¡°Amazing¡­ It¡¯s real?¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness! Your Highness! It really existed! This, this is the Devil¡¯s Silver Needle. It¡¯s kind of beautiful, like a hairpin.¡±

    ¡°What, a needle¡­? Are you going to stab me with this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stab you! If I¡¯m not careful, even that would count as an assassination attempt, though. Ahaha¡­ Ugh, what do I do?¡±

    I extended my hand and found what looked like a thin stick, about the size of the palm of my hand.

    Vivienne told me that this is a magical tool that a wise old man is said to have made for the king who is about to be deceived by an evil woman. I didn¡¯t think it was just a weapon, but when I held it in my hand, I did feel that it was imbued with such a pure aura that my heart was cleansed.

    It looks like a brooch or a hair ornament at first glance, as it is also decorated with gemstones.

    (But¡­ it existed. The magical tool¡­)

    Does that mean I can trust Vivienne from here on?

    Now, I guess about two hours have passed since I disappeared with Vivienne. I¡¯m still not sure if I can really trust her. But, even Mika is desperately looking for me now.

    He wouldn¡¯t even think I¡¯d be caught up in a cave-in, but he¡¯d probably be worried.

    I want to see him soon. I have to hurry and reassure him.

    That feeling spread inside me.

 CH 39

    ¡°How are we going to get out of here?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡­aren¡¯t going out of here!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably going to be okay. There must be a way out on the other side of this trap. From there, someone will come to help us.¡±

    Someone will come to help? I thought as I tilted my head.

    Remembering Leon¡¯s despair from earlier, someone who is working here, I thought to myself that there is no way help is coming that easily. Perhaps hearing our conversation, I heard Leon¡¯s objection from alongside the wall.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve said that it¡¯s impossible for someone to come and help. It doesn¡¯t lead anywhere beyond this point. A cave-in of this magnitude would take three days to dig up! Before that, we will suffocate and die! Aaah! What should we do?! If the prince dies, my friends will be¡­!¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait, what do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, for that part, that¡¯s why it¡¯s called a test of love.¡±

    I was dismayed at the incomprehensible reason that surfaced again.

    Seeing my face, Vivienne gave a wry smile and told me an additional explanation while laughing.

    Actually, there is an underground water vein flowing at the end of this tunnel. And it seems that help would come from the outside in the shortest possible distance, following the water vein and targeting places where the ground had become soft. And finally, she concluded it with another unintelligible word.

    ¡°The hero with the highest affection meter will come to help. Probably Mika ¡±

    That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t really understand, but what Vivienne read is a romance story, albeit a bloody one. If a young lady is kidnapped, caught in an unexpected cave-in, and feeling despair in the dark, the person she loves will surely come to her rescue, if we are talking about love.

    Surely, Mika will be looking for me desperately. Something like an affection meter doesn¡¯t matter, Mika would normally come to look for me.

    ¡ªHowever, I wasn¡¯t fooled.

    ¡°If there is a place where the ground is softening, I¡¯ll cast my magic from the inside. Tell me where it is.¡±

    ¡°Huh?! Ehh~! No, no way! While you¡¯re feeling distraught and frightened, Mika will come to help, then he¡¯ll look at Your Highness Nagi who¡¯s smitten! I won¡¯t tell you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even frightened in the first place!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you! It¡¯ll be absolutely cool! I want to see it! I definitely want to see it! Your Highness Nagi feeling smitten by him!¡±

    In addition to my words not getting through to her, what she was requesting was too troublesome.

    The way I speak to her gets even worse than when I talk to Mika. But, that¡¯s right, if Mika comes here to rescue us from the outside¡­ The thought of it made my heart feel like it was acting strangely, so I hurriedly brushed it off.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll blast it from every side. I¡¯m good at water magic. I¡¯m royalty of the rainy country of Pluvia, after all.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s terrible! Just because it¡¯s earth magic weakness, you want to destroy my construction? No. I won¡¯t let you. I¡¯m not moving until Mika arrives here!¡±

    With that, Vivienne ran up to Leon and sat down next to him.

    I looked down at Vivienne with a tired stare, wondering if she didn¡¯t care about getting her dress dirty, and reluctantly, I sat down beside her on the other side of Leon.

    I decided to get Leon on my side.

    ¡°Hey, Leon. It seems that there is a place where the ground is soft. We can get out of here if we aim at that place. Please help me persuade her.¡±

    ¡°No! I won¡¯t let you! Even if you told me with such a beautiful face, I won¡¯t give up!¡±

    ¡°If we survive, your friends will be safe as well. You only have one choice.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey, you people¡­ are you really nobles?¡±

    I looked at Vivienne, who had turned the other way with a pout, and ground my back teeth. We have to somehow get this woman to tell us where the soft ground is. Otherwise, there is a good chance that I will be seriously smitten by Mika.

    I thought about what to do and realized one thing.

    (That¡¯s right. Since earlier¡­I¡¯ve been told so many times that I have a beautiful face¡­)

    It occurred to me that perhaps this could be an experiment in smoothing out the process of getting people to do what I say. Currently, Vivienne wouldn¡¯t have a bad impression of me. And then, she said again and again that I have a beautiful face.

    If so¡­

    I placed my left hand on Leon¡¯s raised knee, leaned forward, and extended my right hand to Vivienne¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Eh!¡± Like that, Vivienne looked at me in surprise. I stared into Vivienne¡¯s crimson eyes, remembering only the scene in my head where Antoine beguiles Count Kishar.

    Placing her chin on the back of my left hand and tilting her head slightly, I slid my hand on Vivienne¡¯s left cheek.

    ¡°Hey¡­ Tell me, please?¡±

    ¡°!!!¡± ¡°!!!¡±

    I could see that along with Vivienne, even Leon turned red and froze. But I observed them to see if the experiment was a success or not.

    At that moment¡ª

    It was then that a tremendous thud sounded and the earth layer on the other side collapsed. In the distance, the earth fell in chunks and light came through.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°Nagi!!!¡±

    Ah¡­ This is not good, I thought.

    I wasn¡¯t the protagonist in the love story or anything, but I thought that this is not good.

    His clear voice shook my eardrums, and I heard my name being called. Even though it was just that. Relief, happiness, and many other joyful feelings ran through my body.

    Mika jumped down from above and ran while looking straight at only me.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Mika¡­¡±

    Without realizing it, I stood up. I didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to Vivienne, who had her hands over her mouth and her eyes wide open. Just like the protagonist of a love story, I don¡¯t want my heart leaping with excitement, or my eyes almost blurring into tears, it¡¯s all too embarrassing, and I don¡¯t like it.

    But¡­ more than that, I¡¯m happy.

    Even though it was only a few hours. In the previous life, we were able to stay so far apart for a longer time. I¡­

    Mika¡¯s arm wrapped around my back.

    He embraced me tightly, and I could feel his warmth. Mika¡¯s refreshing smell spread.

    Mika¡¯s voice came softly right next to my ear, as if he was relieved from the bottom of his heart.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad.¡±

    That alone already pushed me to the limit.

    I wasn¡¯t ready to put my hand around Mika¡¯s back. However, the warmth against my cheek made me lean my head a little closer.

    I thought Vivienne would definitely make fun of me, but¡­ I can¡¯t help it.

    Because I thought the same, too.

    I really shouldn¡¯t have thought of such a thing.

    Still¡­

    (¡­¡­I missed him.)

 CH 40

    ¡°Fun tunnel exploration with coal miner Leon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t that true, Leon?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?! Ye-yeah!¡±

    I told that to Mika, who was glaring at Leon and Vivienne with a deep crease between his eyebrows.

    After that¡ª just like what Vivienne said, we are currently walking towards the surface in the tunnels with Mika, Tillois, and the knights, who had followed the underground water vein to find us.

    Vivienne was facing me, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes, but after a while, she started to giggle and relaxed her face, which was gross.

    But I¡¯m aware that I looked so relieved earlier with Mika, so I feel too embarrassed and try to avoid turning my face to Vivienne.

    Mika stared at me for a while, but then while squinting his eyes, he said, ¡°Hmm,¡± and asked me what was going on.

    As I walked while telling him what Vivienne and Leon had told me, he was apparently convinced and said, ¡°That sounds like a fun tunnel exploration.¡± I get a very bad feeling that he wants to say something, and I feel frightened.

    I can¡¯t apologize to other people, but I think it¡¯d be okay to do so to a childhood friend. I decided to tell him what happened truthfully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you worried.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really. Never do that again.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    As I looked at Mika, who seemed to be sulking, I thought of what he felt when I was suddenly gone and I felt sorry for him.

    If the person he was supposed to protect had disappeared from view, it must have been quite stressful. As I was walking on while feeling down and dejected, I heard Mika¡¯s low voice coming from beside me.

    ¡°You seem¡­kinda close with her.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, forget it. We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡±

    What is he talking about? As I blinked my eyes in confusion, Mika turned his head to the other side. This might be the kind of thing that he holds against me for a while, I thought as I recalled the behavior pattern of my childhood friend I had seen several times, and I sighed quietly.

    If it had become like this, Mika would think about it for a while until he was satisfied with it, so I also turned my face to Tillois, who was on the other side.

    When Tillois listened from next to me while I was talking to Mika earlier, he had a very grim look on his face.

    Vivienne saw that and couldn¡¯t just stand still, and she was about to tap Tillois on the shoulder. But then she remembered that she was dressed as a maid and hurriedly withdrew her hand. I also whispered to Tillois.

    ¡°Tillois. I don¡¯t think a single town mayor can do this. Something bigger could be going on behind the scenes.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean someone is trying to bring down the Ackersons?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to give what Vivienne says some thought.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me? Huh, do you believe that story she told you, Your Highness??¡±

    This was a very difficult problem.

    Judging from Tillois¡¯ reaction, he has listened to Vivienne¡¯s story.

    So, he must have thought that she has lost her mind, after all. I wouldn¡¯t have tried to approach Vivienne either if I didn¡¯t know the real future.

    But this is the only chance to bring the Ackerson family to our side.

    If so, what was now being expected of me was not on the dimension of believing or not believing Vivienne¡¯s delusions. Surely her outburst is the shins of the incoming duke, Tillois.

    Whether her story is true or not, it will only harm the Ackersons.

    In the first place, if what Vivienne says is true, the Ackersons will want to sever their ties with Brother Vincent and the Tyndall family.

    If what Vivienne says is just a falsehood, he risks marrying off her crazy sister to the royal family.

    What I have to do, is to ¡®negotiate¡¯ with him. I¡¯ll lend my power to help solve his problem, and I¡¯ll ask him to help me in exchange.

    The Ackersons hope that Brother Vincent will regain his sanity and that Vivienne will marry the royal family.

    Perhaps the reason he doesn¡¯t believe Vivienne is because he doesn¡¯t think Brother Vincent would go so far as to break off the engagement in the future.

    Weighing those two issues, the one with Vivienne on it is somewhat lighter.

    All I have to do is put more weight on Vivienne¡¯s problem.

    ¡°She said things that only I should have known.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    ¡°Besides, you probably have heard about the cave-in from her, Tillois. It really happened where she said it would be.¡±

    The crease between Tillois¡¯ eyebrows grew even deeper. Then, he bit his lip and cast his eyes downwards while walking.

    The pressure of being the next duke is weighing on his shoulders.

    The collusive relationship with the Dukes of Tyndall plus their position as the second prince faction, and the decision to abandon it, is out of the ordinary.

    But even Tillois must feel the strange credibility of what his sister is saying.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to be in the first prince faction. But, what do you think? I can only think of the Ackerson¡¯s disdain for Brother Vincent¡¯s behavior.¡±

    ¡°¡­We thought of it as a passing fancy of his¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course. But what do you think of Brother Vincent, who displays his misgivings so brazenly?¡±

    In my first life, in the next year, Vivienne was actually executed.

    And then, the relationship between the Duke of Ackerson and the Duke of Tyndall was shaken. Inevitably, the Dukes of Ackerson lost faith in the royal family and distanced themselves. The division of the dukes, the old overlords, would surely have led to the collapse of the monarchy.

    I don¡¯t know what Duke Ackerson or Tillois had thought in my first life. But, judging from Tillois¡¯ reaction, he seemed hesitant.

    (Earlier, Vivienne was trying to tap Tillois on the shoulder. At the very least, they must be sisters and brothers with a trusting relationship.)

    After all, in my first life, His Majesty had passed away, then Brother Seth and I were executed, so the second prince faction essentially won. But after that, probably¡­The Kingdom of Pluvia must have been in a terrible state.

    Whether things would have worked out if Brother Seth and His Majesty were still alive is also something that remains to be seen. But I will prevent that future from happening.

    If there is any doubt in the Ackersons now, I should take advantage of it.

    I made a suggestion.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we join forces?¡±

    I heard Mika gasp from beside me.

    I guess he never thought I would come up with something like this. But immediately, he went around behind me and instructed Leon and the other knights to keep their distance, so that they wouldn¡¯t hear what I was saying.

    (That¡¯s a great help. That means Mika is cheering me on, too¡­)

    This is all I can do for now. In a state of uncertainty, where you don¡¯t know who is on your side, who is your enemy, or which future is the right one, you have to build a relationship that you can trust, even if it¡¯s fumbling in the darkness.

    It doesn¡¯t have to be a relationship of complete trust. Just like aristocrats, all that is needed is a trustworthy alignment of interests.

    ¡°I¡¯ll lend a hand to protect Vivienne.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the life of my sister, who was raised from birth to be a political pawn, is enough to influence the judgement of Duke Ackerson?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking to the Duke, I¡¯m talking to you, Tillois. I¡¯m asking what you want to do when you find out your sister¡¯s life is truly threatened. Even if I¡¯m an unreliable prince, I¡¯m still royalty. There is something I can do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    The things that I can do. That¡¯s what I need to show him.

    Up until now, I¡¯m a useless third prince who has always holed himself up. All I can do is ¡°bluff¡± without substance. But I¡¯ll show him how to make it into reality. Otherwise, surely the future of this country will be¡­

    I bite my back teeth and put on my best pretense.

    ¡°The enemies who are trying to bring the Ackersons down may well be enemies of the country.¡±

    ¡°Impossible¡­ Is it the Rubrum Empire?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll avoid explicit statements. But if what Vivienne said is true, I¡¯m very suspicious about this mine and Baroness Tessier. As a member of the royal family, I will cooperate with that investigation.¡±

    Right now I can only borrow the authority of the ¡®royal family¡¯.

    This is the cost of not doing anything until now. Having done only what those around me told me to do, I ended up with nothing to be proud of.

    No, I have one knight I¡¯m proud of.

    But, even then it was a knight I had acquired only a month ago.

    But even for Tillois, if the royalty was willing to investigate his sister¡¯s delusions, which he could only assume were madness, the conditions shouldn¡¯t be that bad for him. And then, I have just implied that it may decide the fate of the ship called the Kingdom of Pluvia, on which the Dukes of Ackerson are riding.

    ¡°And so, if I can save Vivienne¡­¡±

    Yes, that¡¯s as far as the deal goes. It¡¯s just a matter of joining forces out of interest.

    But, after that. When his precious sister¡¯s life is saved.

    ¡°I want you to swear allegiance to me, the third prince.¡±

    ¡°¡­Not to the royal family, but to His Highness Prince Nagi.¡±

    ¡°Yes. To me.¡±

    I pretended to be confident and declared so. Inside, my legs were about to tremble.

    What I see before me is not my schoolmate Tillois. It¡¯s the next Duke, Tillois Ackerson.

    To my shame, I had never had a single political exchange with him. No track record of any kind. In my first life, I had never felt so miserable about myself like this, because of having no redeeming qualities.

    Surely it¡¯s not enough.

    My ¡®bluff¡¯ alone will not make this negotiation work. I let my mind wander through my thoughts to see if there is anything I can offer. The memories of the future, the magic plants, the everyday magic, the experiments to be liked, all I had in me was just hope, and none of it was mine.

    (How frustrating¡­ In such an important moment, I have nothing to bargain with¡­)

    I clenched his fist tightly, painfully aware of my helplessness.

    But then¡ª Vivienne, who was walking behind Tillois, called out to him, perhaps because the knights had left at Mika¡¯s order.

    ¡°Tillois. I really like Prince Nagi. His highness is still unreliable in some areas, but I¡¯m sure he can help us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sister. I do not believe a single word of what you are saying.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re worried about me. Isn¡¯t that good enough to make a deal? After all, even if His Highness Nagi cooperates with us, the Ackersons have nothing to lose. And it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if your feelings were to shift away from the Tyndalls and lean toward the first prince faction, given the current situation of His Highness Vincent. Wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea to start a business with the Dukes of Uniac (the birth family of the first queen) privately, not as the Ackersons?¡±

    ¡°¡­Please do not make it sound so easy. Father¡¯s wishes are on the matter as well.¡±

    I knew Vivienne was a weirdo, but I was happy to see her help.

    She believes in me, even though I have only talked to her a little and don¡¯t have anything to show yet. It makes a warm feeling spread slowly inside me. As I was running my hand over my chest, Mika opened his mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re so hard-headed, Tillois. You¡¯re going to be a scary old man with very deep wrinkles between your eyebrows. No one is talking about the Ackersons now. We¡¯re talking about you. Should I use Chardin¡¯s technology to process the magic ore for you? If we can connect our territory with the sea, we might be able to get preferential treatment for exports~¡±

    ¡°I still have not said anything yet! Chardin is too unrestricted. I do not want to get along with you.¡±

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it fine? You should be a little bit more flexible, Tillois.¡±

    ¡°I do not want to hear that from my sister who went mad with jealousy until recently. After that, your madness is getting even worse!¡±

    The quick-witted Mika heard the mayor¡¯s story and probably thought that something was up with the Ackersons about Vivienne. And although I haven¡¯t said anything, he probably supports what I¡¯m trying to do.

    There were many things we had to talk about later.

    Still¡­

    (Even if he doesn¡¯t know anything yet, he still believes in me¡­)

    Even though I have nothing, I have one knight who believes in me unconditionally.

    It was something that had never happened in my first life.

    Besides, Vivienne also seemed to be rooting for me. There are many things that I really don¡¯t understand about her thoughts behind it, but still, there was no doubt that she is a comrade who wanted to change an unwanted future.

    Surely, I shouldn¡¯t say anything uncertain such as ¡°I will do my best¡±. I smiled at Tillois, who looked irritated, while thinking that it would be better to seem like I have the upper hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll produce results that make you want to pledge your allegiance to, Tillois.¡±

    Tillois looked at me and blinked his eyes in surprise.

    Then Tillois furrowed his brow deeply again when he heard Vivienne¡¯s voice fussing about how ¡°his highness smile is too precious,¡± and he said with a deep dislike.

    ¡°I understand. If you do not produce enough results, that is the end of the deal.¡±

    The way he spits out his words made me laugh out loud. These siblings are so alike with one another, not at all behaving properly to royalty.

    But that was the right attitude toward the slug prince, who still had nothing in him.

    It got even crazier when I saw the three people around me widened their eyes in surprise when they saw me laughing.

    While laughing, I thought about it again.

    (From now on, I will definitely change the future!)

 CH 41

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°You-you¡¯re too close! What is this?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ as soon as I take my eyes off you, you¡¯ll run away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not running away from you!¡± That was what I thought, but my blood flow pulsed at an extraordinary speed because of his hand which was firmly placed on my stomach. Certainly, it was me who got into trouble when Mika took his eyes off me for a moment. But still, the current situation, where it was like I¡¯m being hugged from behind in between Mika¡¯s legs as he sat on the bed, was clearly out of the ordinary.

    Come here, his hand gestured to me. Because I had wandered up to him, I was put in a frightening situation.

    We are both wearing clothes made of soft fabric after bathing, so I think the close contact is extraordinarily high.

    (Huh¡­ Really, what is this!?)

    After that time¡­

    A discussion was held bridging Tillois and Leon about the mayor¡¯s misdeeds. As an outsider, I couldn¡¯t be present there, so I asked Tillois to take care of the mayor, then Mika and I returned to the room that had been prepared for us. We split up for the day, with everyone agreeing to talk about Vivienne again tomorrow. I took off my muddy clothes, bathed in turn with Mika, and then he called me over.

    I¡¯m barely sitting on his lap, but there was no way I could talk with him holding me from behind like this.

    When I returned from the mine, I was so grateful that Mika was there, but now I just wanted to run away.

    The smell of Mika after bathing, the smell of clean soft cloth, and the warmth of Mika¡¯s body temperature spread slowly. I mean¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t talk when we¡¯re in this position!¡±

    ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s your fault for going missing on your own.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    When he said that, I remembered how sorry I felt and stopped moving. This situation was definitely weird, but I couldn¡¯t argue with Mika and had no choice but to hold his hand from above, which was clutched tightly around my stomach.

    ¡°Like I¡¯ve told you, Vivienne said she remembered her previous life. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll hear more about it tomorrow, but it seemed kind of credible.¡±

    ¡°She remembered her previous life? What is that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°It seems that she had read a book about this world. And so, Vivienne knows the future. She will be executed next year because of Baroness Tessier. She said that Brother Seth is going to be executed for assassinating His Majesty, and I¡¯m going to be called a devil and get executed. She wants to prevent that from happening, so she asked for help.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Did you believe that?¡±

    I could feel the tension in Mika¡¯s hands.

    It¡¯s obvious, but if I believed such a thing, it¡¯s the same as strutting along as a proud member of the crazy people group. I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I decided to tell him the same thing I told Tillois.

    ¡°She said something that only I knew. And then, she also knew about the cave-in.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s something only you know, Nagi?¡±

    To be precise, she only asked me a leading question. The truth was that the future that Vivienne had told me was right according to my first life, which was already a reason to believe her, but I didn¡¯t have the courage to tell Mika about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret, because I¡¯m the only one who knows about it.¡±

    ¡°Is it something that I don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Something that you don¡¯t know.¡±

    Exposed to Mika¡¯s probing eyes, I quickly looked away.

    Just because we were childhood friends, just because I chose him as my personal knight, it didn¡¯t mean I had to share everything with him.

    ¡°Besides, even you must have a secret or two, Mika.¡±

    When I said this while glancing back at Mika, he stopped moving for a moment, then narrowed his eyes with a somehow suggestive air, and said meaningfully,

    ¡°Well, I guess¡­ I do have a secret?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell. You won¡¯t tell me your secret either, Nagi.¡±

    I¡¯m a little annoyed, wondering why he said it in an atmosphere like implying something. Again, for some reason, I almost remembered Mika surrounded by beautiful women the other day, and I shook my head a little bit.

    I don¡¯t know what his secret is, but then Mika said, ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s mutual,¡± and seemed to think about it for a bit. Then he changed the subject and asked me.

    ¡°Why are you getting called a devil and got executed, Nagi?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand it. Vivienne says I indulge in debauchery to spite my unfulfilled love. A devil who seduces and discards both men and women, she said.¡±

    ¡°¡­Unfulfilled love?¡±

    ¡°She said it was a forbidden love with Brother Seth.¡±

    Hearing that, Mika burst out laughing.

    I thought he would react to the word ¡°seduce and discard¡± or ¡°indulge in debauchery,¡± but he unexpectedly responded to the word ¡°unfulfilled love,¡± which made me feel nervous inside. But I decided to tell him about the fact that Vivienne really thought so when she read the book.

    Because Mika knows how much I adore Brother Seth. He knew, and he asked me a question while laughing as if making fun of me.

    ¡°I knew that you liked your brother, but to that point?¡±

    ¡°Of course that¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°Then the future that she was talking about is wrong.¡±

    ¡°But if my brother is really going to be executed, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±

    That¡¯s right. For some reason, the future that Vivienne mentioned¡ª that is, the story of the book, is somehow a little different from my first life. I do think her story is based on facts, but something is off.

    I¡¯m not quite sure what it is.

    If what she says is the real future, then I would indulge in debauchery. What would make me do that? I wonder if I really had an unfulfilled love affair with Brother Seth in the book.

    I feel like it would be wrong to base my thinking on that book, which may or may not exist.

    As I was thinking, Mika¡¯s hand rubbed my stomach.

    Unlike Mika¡¯s ripped abdomen, I don¡¯t like having my unreliable stomach touched, it feels uncomfortable. I was about to complain, but Mika spoke up first.

    ¡°Hey, earlier¡­ When I went to pick you up, didn¡¯t you seem so close to Miss Vivienne and that miner?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Vivienne said I had a beautiful face, so I thought I¡¯d practice my seduction technique.¡±

    ¡°What? Huh, you did that on purpose? Being a seductive evil.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I have nothing to offer but my face.  I just thought it would be nice if I could make use of it.¡±

    Yes, I knew that even though I had run away from a lot of social gatherings, I was still appreciated for my face.

    The silver hair I inherited from my mother is uncommon, and although I don¡¯t know for sure, people said I have a well-defined face.

    I can also tell from Vivienne¡¯s attitude. She talked about my face so much, so I guess I should count that as a weapon.

    It wasn¡¯t something I had to work on by myself or anything, which was embarrassing, but I start to feel grateful that I have it rather than nothing.

    ¡­That was until Mika, who got carried away, said something strange.

    ¡°Hmm. Then, do that to me, too.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Seduce me, too.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is he talking about?¡± I thought in annoyance. With that conversation flow, why did he say that he wanted to be seduced? But, that¡¯s right, when I thought about making an effort to be liked, I remembered thinking about using Mika as a test subject. Though, I was really thinking of using him as a test subject, like testing a magic plant or a love potion on him.

    But when I thought about it, I realized it was the easiest thing in the world to seduce Mika.

    I don¡¯t need to remember the scene where Antoine the Villainess is trying to manipulate various nobles.

    All she was doing was acting and creating the mistaken impression that perhaps she has feelings for the other party. Also, the impression that she only has feelings for that one person. And then, those men who mistakenly believed that they could understand her, simply contributed to the fantasy of a girlfriend they imagined themselves.

    (After all, I don¡¯t have to pretend to like him¡­)

    I looked at Mika, who was smiling widely, and muttered quietly, ¡°Okay.¡± I also ended up getting carried away. I slid my fingers on Mika¡¯s cheek that was around my shoulder. I stare into Mika¡¯s wide mouth, and perhaps this is what I really want to do¡­ I ended up thinking that way. Slowly, and naturally, my lips opened.

    I didn¡¯t want to think about what it was that I wanted. But I had the urge to want it. My eyebrows naturally relax. I might have looked at Mika¡¯s lips lustfully. A pant escapes me. Then I raised my eyelashes and slowly looked into those jade eyes.

    A raspy, whispery voice slipped out of my mouth.

    ¡°Mika.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah. Wait, stop. I was wrong. You¡¯re right, that could be very effective.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Mika, with his eyes wide open and looking surprised, held his mouth with his hand and looked away awkwardly. Look at his reaction, I thought.

    (I won!)

    No, on second thought, this was a state of winning a game and losing the tournament.

    Slowly, I began to wonder why I had looked at Mika¡¯s lips so lustfully, and a feeling of impatience spread over me. I hurriedly changed the topic.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t fully believe in it, it shouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to consider such future possibilities.¡±

    ¡°The Rubrum you mentioned earlier?¡±

    ¡°Right. I felt like Rashed Rubrum was unfathomable. And I think it¡¯s true what Machina¡¯s brother said about being afraid of the silence of the Rubrum Empire.¡±

    ¡°So, for the time being, we should be careful with Baroness Tessier and protect Mistress Vivienne?¡±

    I was hoping for us to get more details from Vivienne tomorrow, and then I want Mika to make a decision after hearing her explanation.

    But hearing the name of Baroness Tessier from Mika¡¯s mouth makes me a little nervous.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ I hope Baroness Tessier doesn¡¯t get too close to you as well, Mika.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Well, if His Highness Vincent is always that close to her, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get close even if I wanted to investigate.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    I wonder why Mika seems so strangely happy. But as I was thinking that, I was hugged from behind and my face scrunched up.

 CH 42

    ¡°¡­¡­And well, that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    ¡°Aaagh, I always get chills when I hear this story from my sister¡­¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­ Sure, the content of the book is very similar to this world, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea to be careful and try to not get executed, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The next day, Vivienne, Tillois, Mika, and I were gathering in the reception room to discuss the matter. Because of the incident with the mayor, Tillois has dark circles under his eyes as if he hasn¡¯t slept since yesterday.

    After our discussion is over, Tillois has planned to talk to Leon as well. In between, he¡¯s going to hear about his sister¡¯s crazy story, which is probably the worst choice of a story to hear. Even now, he looks like he¡¯s about to lose his mind.

    I was showing Mika and Tillois that I¡¯m willing to cooperate with them based on Vivienne¡¯s story, and also to prevent the future that she knew. But inwardly, I was wondering if I should tell them that I also had memories of the future.

    Even though I haven¡¯t done anything yet in this world, I have done a lot of things in the world of my first life. It was a bit embarrassing, and I also think they would probably get angry at me, but still¡­ It was at that moment, when I decided to drink a glass of water to brace myself.

    Mika tilted his head and asked Vivienne a question.

    ¡°But, how did a young lady like you make contact with an assassin?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Ask her the details, Chardin. I- I cannot take it anymore.¡±

    ¡°Uhmm, the details aren¡¯t written in the book. But when I compare the details of that time period with this world, it seems that around the March of next year, Viscount Godin will be purged for some reason, and mercenaries who lost their livelihood were wandering around the royal capital.¡±

    When I heard Vivienne say this with a hand on her chin, my body stiffened and I almost spewed water out of my mouth.

    (Whaaat?!!)

    My heartbeat becomes faster.

    Viscount Godin was certainly purged around March of next year.

    I can recall that event vividly in my mind. That was because around March of next year, I had finished a full year of law class and wanted to help my brother in some way, so I was looking for an opportunity to practice ¡°judging crime¡±, which I had learned in that class.

    Then I turned my attention to Viscount Godin, who was acting suspiciously, and¡­

    It was none other than me, the one who had purged him.

    I had no idea that the incident was connected to such a thing, and my heart skipped a beat as I thought, ¡°T-this is bad.¡± I had exposed Viscount Godin¡¯s wrongdoing in that incident, and I reported it to my brother with great enthusiasm.

    I now understand the meaning of the expression on my brother¡¯s face, which for some reason was grim at the time.

    (My brother definitely already knows of that person¡¯s wrongdoing and purposefully let him roam freely! And because of that, albeit indirectly, Vivienne was executed!)

    The heat gathered in my face out of embarrassment. I kept my mouth shut. I couldn¡¯t tell them. No, if I had to say it, I probably should have apologized at this point.

    I was embarrassed, but while I was trying to figure out what to do, Mika gave the finishing blow to my heart.

    ¡°Viscount Godin will be purged? This late? Judging those small fries won¡¯t change anything. Who would do something like that?¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Your Highness Nagi, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something strange in your water?¡±

    Cold sweat streamed down profusely and my battered spirit had no hope of recovery.

    I couldn¡¯t help but squeeze my eyes shut. However, thanks to the good timing of drinking the water, I could pretend that the water had entered the wrong place. It helped to make the redness of my face and my closed eyes didn¡¯t seem that unnatural.

    And then I thought.

    (I definitely can¡¯t tell them!)

    For some reason, I felt like Mika was staring at me. When I peeked in fearfully, he smiled with a troubled look on his face and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink in a hurry,¡± as if he were scolding a child, and I squeezed my eyes shut again. In my feelings, I just wanted to disappear.

    I was too embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t seem to say it, but there was only one thing I could do.

    I will never¡ª yes, never again in this second life will I make such a shallow mistake.

    I made up my mind that I would never do anything that would hinder Mika or Vivienne, who had gone out of their way to believe me.

    I don¡¯t know what Mika thought of me while I was closing my eyes, but then I heard his voice.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going to happen in the future developments of that book until Miss Vivienne plots an assassination attempt?¡±

    ¡°First of all, during the summer break, there will be an event to go to the beach. Then, starting in the second semester, the bullying from me will intensify¡­ Wait, no! That¡¯s right! This is Vincent¡¯s route, so during the summer break¡­ there¡¯s a birthday party!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is true. His Highness Vincent was born in August. Isn¡¯t it about time for your dress to arrive, sister?¡±

    Vivienne, Brother Vincent¡¯s fianc¨¦e, will surely have a matching dress made for her with the same fabric as Vincent¡¯s outfit.

    Come to think of it, how was it in my first life, five years ago? I tried to remember, and huh? I tilted my head in confusion. That reminds me, I had a cold and was sitting on the royal couch in a daze.

    However, at Tillois¡¯ question, Vivienne said, ¡°Ugh,¡± with a voice just like me earlier, and looked away awkwardly.

    Seeing her reaction, the three of us noticed.

    ¡°No way¡­ Don¡¯t tell me my brother doesn¡¯t give Vivienne a dress¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s even worse than that. He gives Emilia a dress instead.¡±

    ¡°N-no way! No way that could happen!¡±

    The colour drained quickly from Tillois¡¯ face as he shouted out loud. Perhaps even for Tillois, the unlikely future of his sister¡¯s execution is slowly becoming a reality.

    It was an unthinkable situation for Brother Vincent to give a dress only to a baroness while muddying the face of the Ackersons and his fianc¨¦e, who had been decided almost from birth. A shiver ran through me as I remembered the unique magic of ¡°fascination¡± and thought of its compelling power.

    Vivienne calmly told Tillois, who had ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe it¡± written over his face.

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t received it yet. Nothing at all.¡±

    ¡°I-I cannot believe it¡­! Does that mean His Highness intends to escort Baroness Tessier?! He is losing his mind!¡±

    ¡°In the book, a fabulous dress was sent out of the blue and a carriage with the royal coat of arms welcomed the main character. And then His Highness Vincent is waiting for her in the corridors of the royal castle¡­ ¡®It¡¯s like a dream!¡¯ is what she said~¡±

    ¡°I really wish it had been a dream!!¡±

    Tillois looked like he was on the verge of collapsing. Looking at his sister laughing, he put his hand on his stomach with empty-looking eyes. It seemed that his consciousness had already travelled beyond the stars in the sky.

    Mika and I looked at each other and tried to figure out what to do about this.

    If what Vivienne said is true, she will be a wallflower in her own dress on the day of the event. People will make rumors about what might be true or not right in front of her, and it makes me sad to wonder what she will think of it.

    Besides, in my first life, five years ago, I felt ashamed that I didn¡¯t see anything around me.

    But¡­

    (¡­Those events haven¡¯t happened yet. There¡¯s something I can do, too!)

    There was no way that a royal family member, who was supposed to be a role model, would be allowed to escort a baroness while disregarding his own fianc¨¦e. Vivienne may be able to laugh now because she has memories of her previous life, but I¡¯m not sure if she would have done so in my first life.

    It must have been hard for her. It must have been an excruciating shame.

    I opened my mouth.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll dance as Vivienne¡¯s partner instead.¡±

    ¡°Whaaat?! I-isn¡¯t that a bad thing to do?¡±

    ¡°But formally, you¡¯re someone who is going to be my sister. If anyone is allowed to ask you out, it should only be the royalty or your family.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait. In the end, that would mean the Ackersons are leaning toward the first prince faction, with no deal, no shit.¡±

    Tillois, who had just returned to life from space, was so distraught that he even say words such as ¡®shit¡¯, but I understood his feeling painfully well, so I let him be.

    However, if Brother Vincent is going to take it that far, even the Ackersons, who are in collusion with Tyndall, should have fought back.

    As I thought of that, Mika said something.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take it as the Ackersons keeping in check of the Tyndalls? If they¡¯re behaving that way, just show them that you also have something up your sleeves. It¡¯s not that Nagi will escort her, he only invites her to dance. This is politics. Even the Ackersons wouldn¡¯t want to just sit back and be quiet about this treatment, right?¡±

    Tillois gritted his teeth firmly when Mika said this to him.

    Yes, it was supposed to be that way. Only one dance shouldn¡¯t be enough to give the impression that Ackerson is leaning toward the first prince faction. But if I, from the first prince faction, offered to escort Vivienne and she took my hand, even Tyndall and the other nobles would have an opinion about it.

    Tyndall is the one who is committing the impropriety first.

    ¡°On the day of the event, if Tillois brings Vivienne and indeed Brother Vincent shows up with Baroness Tessier while disregarding her, I will dance with Vivienne. Then, it would mean that I was the one who decided it on my own, and it would also suggest that the first prince faction is interested in the Ackersons.¡±

    ¡°Ehh~? Oh my gosh, it¡¯s just like I¡¯m pretending to be a love rival1The original word is µ±¤ÆñR (ateuma), usually translated to stalking horse/ dummy candidate depending on the context. However, in romance/ BL stories, ateuma is usually used to describe a character whose role is to turn the attention of the love interest back to the main character. For example, the ateuma character might pretend to be with the main character to make the love interest jealous and turn back to the main character. I used the word ¡®love rival¡¯ here, but it doesn¡¯t describe it fully. In this story, Nagi should be the ateuma for Vivienne and Vincent, but Vivienne has her own agenda to be the ateuma for Nagi and Mika. I¡¯m very motivated now~!¡¡We can¡¯t have a matching dress, but I¡¯ll choose a very cute one.¡±

    ¡°Pretending to be a love rival? Isn¡¯t that supposed to be Nagi¡¯s role?¡±

    I know that what Vivienne actually intended was something entirely different, and I felt a chill to my bone.

    But surely, if Brother Vincent showed up with Baroness Tessier on the day of the birthday party, neither Mika nor Tillois would be able to dismiss everything as Vivienne¡¯s delusion anymore.

    Anyway, for the time being, we decided to cooperate with Vivienne.

    And then¡­ I had one more thing I wanted to do at the Taurus mine.

 CH 43

    ¡°Leon! Were you okay after that incident?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ Y-Your Highness the prince¡­ for this incident, I¡¯m really in your debt¡­¡±

    After the four of us had talked, I had lunch and decided to join Tillois and Leon at the table where they had said they would discuss the matter. Prepared and neatly dressed, Leon looks like a nice young man in his mid-twenties. Seeing Leon¡¯s completely shrunken appearance, a complete change from when I met him at the mine, I gave a small sigh, thinking that it was inevitable.

    In addition to that, Leon, who was the leader of the miners, will now be handed a great responsibility.

    I remembered what Tillois had told me before lunch, and what I had talked to Mika about afterward.

    ***

    ¡°The mayor ran away?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In any case, he escaped from the room where he was locked up. This is only my guess, but I do not think he is still alive now.¡±

    Informed of this before lunch, Tillois quickly left the place. Left behind, Mika and I looked at each other. Then Mika put his hand to his chin and made a thinking gesture.

    The fact that the mayor escaped, and that Tillois said he is probably no longer alive, makes it reasonable to assume that someone helped him escape and then disposed of him.

    The mayor was most likely instigated by someone, but was too frightened to speak of their presence. Or perhaps he was under a contractual spell unique to Rubrum, as Tillois had said this morning.

    In addition to the five elements of magic, the Rubrum Empire is said to have something called ancient contract magic. One legend says that it caused the wrath of the god, and their country was turned into a land of sand.

    There is no proof that this is true, though. Besides¡­

    (They are very careful¡­ Other than that, they have the ability to keep everything in the dark so that it can never be traced back to them.)

    They have thorough control, with death to the traitors.

    It means that at the moment of failure, they were in this town and even have the personnel to stop their existence from being revealed. I wonder if they are still here as residents of the town or if they have already left.

    ¡°Rashed Rubrum¡­ It must be only two or three years since he acceded to the throne. Ackerson¡¯s territory is so far to the southwest among all of Pluvia, and yet he could reach this far out.¡±

    ¡°Nagi, you must think Rubrum is also behind this, right?¡±

    Mika whispered to me in a low voice.

    After all, just think of it from the enemy¡¯s point of view. It¡¯s just a speculation, but it¡¯s what I would do if I were to try to tear this country down from the inside out.

    For the Rubrum Empire, which has been suffering in the desert for a long time, a decade of planning is only a moment in history.

    Surely there is nothing strange about the accession of an emperor who wants to do that no matter how many years it would take, and who would come up with a way to do more than just attack the country, if that is what he wanted.

    If he wants to destroy Pluvia, the first thing he can use is the confrontation between the first and second princes.

    Then there are the four dukes with a lot of influence, which are quite tricky.

    Three of them are at odds with each other. The Dukes of Uniac on the first prince faction, then the Dukes of Tyndall and Ackerson on the second prince faction.

    And¡­ The witnesses to history.

    The Duke of Silence¡ª Marcotte.

    But let¡¯s put aside Duke Marcotte for now. Anyway, this domestic dispute is a good opportunity for Rubrum to take advantage of it.

    By forcing Baroness Tessier to intervene, Ackerson¡¯s heart is turned away from the royal family, then they also manipulate Tyndall at will.

    In terms of the nature of the Dukes, Ackerson is hard-headed. Tyndall is an aristocratic supremacist and proud. Uniac is big-hearted. That¡¯s the image I have of them.

    I¡¯m sure that Rubrum would have thought that it would be easier to take advantage if Brother Vincent, the son of the second queen who is an aristocratic supremacist and proud, took the throne than if Brother Seth, the son of Her Majesty the Queen who has fair values, took the throne.

    While supporting the second prince to take the throne, they are reducing the power of the dukes. And then, they weaken the first prince faction.

    They¡¯re going to do that over the years. It seemed to me that the Taurus mine incident, the incidents that were about to happen in other places, and Vivienne¡¯s execution were all connected.

    ¡°If you think Baroness Tessier is also in Rubrum¡¯s hands, she might be aiming for Ackerson as well. For me, everything is-¡­¡±

    ¡°As they say, a truly calculating person looks a hundred years into the future. I guess even his accession to the emperor was only a part of the process. He must have prepared for it long before that.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how long the Tessier family has been involved. No, I still don¡¯t know that yet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there are a lot of things we don¡¯t know yet, so we¡¯ll have to look into them one at a time.¡±

    And then I thought. What can I do in the face of the Rubrum Empire, which has spent decades trying to dismantle the Kingdom of Pluvia? I think I should do things one step at a time and accumulate small things just like the Rubrum, who is making steady progress from a long-term perspective.

    Leon, who was summoned to the reception room, remained shrunken and curled up on the couch.

    Tillois said to Leon.

    ¡°We will dispatch our trusted personnel from the royal capital. However, I want you to bring the miners together and act as an intermediary to communicate any grievances to the Ackersons.¡±

    ¡°Eh, y-you want me to do that!?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If there is another injustice, I can only visit here a few times a year. You are a valued citizen of our Ackerson territory. Also, the order of the Taurus mine must be preserved.¡±

    I saw Leon¡¯s hat that he was holding in his hand crumple into a mess. A tremendous amount of sweat visibly came out of Leon¡¯s forehead.

    He would have never thought that he would be given such a big role the day after he inadvertently kidnapped the prince.

    Then Tillois continued.

    ¡°I will only tell you this. The former mayor was most likely in contact with Ackerson¡¯s enemies. There may be those who come to you with their sweet talks as well. I understand very well that this will be a danger to the mine, and I am committed to the duty of¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re so stiff, Tillois.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Your Highness Nagi. Do you have any complaints?¡±

    ¡°Nagi is saying you¡¯re too stiff that he doesn¡¯t understand it.¡±

    Tillois said, ¡°What?!¡± as he keeps glaring angrily at Mika, and then he sits down beside Leon, who has completely frozen in place. Then I said to Leon, who had a look of surprise on his face.

    ¡°Well, how do I explain this? Tillois didn¡¯t know that you, Leon, and the others were living like this, and he¡¯s surprised.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°This mine is very important to the Dukes of Ackerson. The people there are particularly important to Tillois. He was just surprised that they were having such an awful life. I think he knew that mining is a dangerous and arduous business. That¡¯s why he thinks it¡¯s the duke¡¯s duty to pay a decent salary to the people.¡±

    Even for just a moment, I think the Dukes of Ackerson are not bad nobles by any means. Of course, they would also be looking out for the interests of their own territory. But he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to be in a position to mistreat the people of his territory.

    ¡°From the point of view of you and the others, the royalty and nobles may be people whom you could never reach, but we are human beings as well. We can understand your words, what you need is the means to tell them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­About the kidnapping, I¡¯m really sor-¡­ I mean, my deepest apologies.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why. You can tell Tillois if anything happens from now on. Half of this territory is controlled by Tillois. The vast Kingdom of Pluvia is divided, and each noble is responsible for it. We royalty can only watch those nobles, but that doesn¡¯t mean the message doesn¡¯t reach us. And so, Tillois is saying if there¡¯s something important, you can tell him about it, Leon. Besides working conditions and wages, is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, and our house. It¡¯s dilapidated and we¡¯re fixing it up ourselves. But there¡¯s a lot of patching going on because we didn¡¯t get paid a salary.¡±

    I glanced at Tillois and said, ¡°That¡¯s what he said,¡± and then Tillois told Leon, ¡°Rest assured, I will take a look at it later.¡± Leon was surprised by Tillois¡¯ reaction, but then he decided to tell us what was going on as if thinking this is a perfect time.

    He told Tillois his requests, such as whether a fence could be built to keep the children away from the mine, or whether a treatment center should be built near the mine in case a miner was injured. Tillois listened attentively, though with a scowl on his face.

    (Tillois seems like he¡¯s going to be a good lord¡­)

    The Duke of Ackerson¡¯s family mostly has a serious and stiff disposition. Duke Ackerson, the father of Tillois and Vivienne, was also a serious and hard-headed man, which is why everyone was surprised when rumors circulated that Tillois was the child of a prostitute.

    Perhaps he feels desperate after Vivienne¡¯s mother passed away. That was what I heard, but I don¡¯t know the truth.

    I must also talk with Duke Ackerson at least once.

    And, as usual, my stomach churned and I gritted my back teeth. That was the right amount of stress for me.

    While I was thinking about this, it seemed that Tillois and Leon¡¯s discussion was over.

    Seeing Leon looking refreshed after telling us what he wanted to say, and Tillois, with a deep wrinkle between his eyebrows in contrast, I said to Leon with a wry smile.

    ¡°You can contact me too.¡±

    ¡°What? To the royal family!?¡±

    ¡°Right. I also have one favor to ask of you, Leon.¡±

    As Leon was looking at me with a doubtful expression, I told him ¡°You¡¯ll be paid as well,¡± and his brown eyes shone brightly.

    Mika then said, ¡°One by one.¡± And then, in order to react quickly to Rubrum¡¯s influence that is spreading through the country, I also decided to place the necessary pieces one at a time. I told Leon.

    ¡°I want you to be my ears.¡±

 CH 44

    1-6. A splendid declaration of war and the sea

    ¡°Morning. What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Good morning. I got a letter from Taluha¡¯s pair dove. He said the plu-ivy is reproducing.¡±

    ¡°Ivy¡­ What kind of grass is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a blue-leafed plant that¡¯s said to be found only in Pluvia. It¡¯s not a magic plant, but it has a strong root system. It can also be powdered and eaten. It¡¯s also used to give a chewy texture to doughnuts and stuff.¡±

    It was after we returned from the tumultuous Taurus Mine.

    On the way back from the Taurus mine, there was a time when I rode in the same carriage with Tillois and Vivienne. I had not often talked so closely with nobles around my age, and I found it inappropriate yet fun to talk with the three of them on the way home.

    While preparing things until Brother Vincent¡¯s birthday, I was feeding Pyrou (named by Tamer Toni), one of the pair doves, in the reception room. Then Pyrou suddenly took out a quill and wrote out a letter, so I was just watching with blinking eyes.

    Mika, as he had previously declared, had been proudly staying in the room connected to my bedroom reception room during the summer vacation. Even now, he came out to the reception room with a sleepy look on his face and wearing loungewear.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking him to check for magic plants and ordinary plants that can live in symbiosis with the rubrum palm, which grows abundantly in the Rubrum Empire. I thought it would be more realistic to start from an oasis and expand from there rather than to start from zero.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°For magic plants, the ¡°antoine¡¯s thorn rose¡± might also be a good choice because it attracts beneficial insects. You can also get precious honey from it.¡±

    As the name suggests, many magic plants have a strange ecosystem, unlike ordinary plants.

    Antoine¡¯s thorn rose has a strong insect-benefiting effect and is used as companion plants.

    I think the name ¡®Antoine¡¯ comes from the fact that it only tempts insects that are beneficial to themselves. And then, the tempted insects work diligently to take care of Antoine¡¯s thorn roses and become its servants. It also benefits the plants around it.

    I had a feeling that it would surely have a positive effect on the plants in the Rubrum Empire.

    ¡°The other day with the ¡®ear¡¯ thing, and now you have this? What really happened to you?¡±

    Mika sat down next to me and looked into my face as he fed Pyrou as a reward.

    That¡¯s right, I asked Leon to be my ¡®ear¡¯. I still didn¡¯t completely trust Leon yet, but it would be better than someone I didn¡¯t know at all. There are still five years until I will be executed. Little by little, I want to set up my ¡®ears¡¯ all over Pluvia.

    If Rubrum was really targeting this country from within, I wanted to gradually develop the speed and strength to counter it.

    But when asked what happened, there¡¯s something worst of the worst, the same with the time I was in Marquis Lambert¡¯s mansion. But it had become something too embarrassing to say anymore, so I decided to just tell him what had happened to me in the present time.

    That¡¯s embarrassing too. Still¡­

    ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s because of you. One by one, I want to accumulate things.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re nearby, I feel safe even if I fail. If I¡¯m about to make a mistake, you¡¯ll let me know¡­ That¡¯s why.¡±

    Mika looked surprised, but his cheeks turned a little red, perhaps from embarrassment. That said, even I who said it feels embarrassed and I feel like my face is blushing.

    I don¡¯t know why, but an awkward silence ensues.

    I wanted to let him know that I appreciate him, but I don¡¯t know what to do about this silence. But then, Pyrou suddenly smacked Mika¡¯s face with a feather and I suddenly felt relaxed. Mika said, ¡°ouch!¡± in a small voice, then I continued to talk.

    ¡°About the refugees, how about I take advantage of the fact that the Rubrum Empire doesn¡¯t come to me with any arrangements for taking in the refugees, then I¡¯ll take care of them as they¡¯re unidentified? It¡¯s Rubrum that doesn¡¯t come and pick them up, even though they know the agreement says protection is not allowed.¡±

    ¡°You mean at the place where Taluha is at? That¡¯s dangerous. If you establish your influence there, it will become a hotbed of espionage.¡±

    That¡¯s right. Besides, in the event of war, it would be a serious matter if someone tried to open the border gate from the inside. The larger the number of people, the more difficult it is to manage. And then, surely the well-prepared Rashed Rubrum will try every possible way to take those people in.

    Mika continued.

    ¡°I think that idea is naive. There are a million ways to turn good people into bad people.¡±

    That¡¯s true.

    Rashed Rubrum¡¯s nature is perhaps cunning and brutal. He probably uses humans as pawns. And yet, in the big picture, he aims for the prosperity of the people of the Rubrum Empire. As if losing a battle to win the war, he¡¯s someone who¡¯s working for a greater purpose.

    That¡¯s why, I understand what Mika is saying.

    For example, he¡¯s an emperor who will surely take someone¡¯s family hostage to turn good people into bad people.

    ¡°I wonder if the refugees in Rubrum will respond favorably to the research I¡¯m doing.¡±

    ¡°Well, won¡¯t they think of it as the prince¡¯s pastime? Coming from people who have lived in the harsh desert.¡±

    ¡°If that were the case, it also wouldn¡¯t be that important to Rubrum, would it?¡±

    Rather, I sometimes think optimistically that if my research on magical plants is successful, some people might be willing to return to the Rubrum Empire to try it out. If espionage is involved, what I¡¯m doing could benefit the Rubrum Empire, and the location isn¡¯t exactly very close to Edessa.

    It is not located right next to Edessa given the geological conditions and the safety of Taluha and his family.

    With a scary look on his face, Mika said.

    ¡°Nagi. I know you¡¯re trying to protect this country. But I want to protect you first and foremost, rather than the country. Even more so after hearing Miss Vivienne¡¯s story. I want to reduce the factors that might make you the ¡®evil prince¡¯ as much as possible. But if you build a base there, that factor will increase tremendously.¡±

    ¡°You mean people are going to say I¡¯m trying to contact the Rubrum and overthrow the country?¡±

    For some reason, it seemed to remind me of the crimes I had no recollection of committing when I was executed as the ¡°evil prince¡±. At the time, I thought they were just laying out half-truths to execute me.

    But perhaps, I had committed some crimes without realizing it, then they fabricated the rest of the crimes based on what I did.

    How can I compete with someone who even managed to manipulate information like this?

    I put my head on the back of the sofa and sighed.

    ¡°I wonder if bad people can¡¯t change to good people.¡±

    ¡°Well. That¡¯s a tough question. At least it¡¯s going to be harder than turning good people into bad people.¡±

    ¡°But if it were Figero and the others, I think they would notice. He might make someone who he thinks is suspicious actively travel back and forth to the Rubrum Empire and plant more and more magi plants there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why such shallow thinking can be used to trigger a war.¡±

    I had decided not to take any more shallow actions just the other day. But then, Mika retorted back and I stopped moving. I wasn¡¯t seriously planning on turning bad people into good people, but I may have said that a little too lightly.

    I coughed a little and told Mika.

    ¡°But either way, there is no way that Emperor Rashed doesn¡¯t have intelligence in Edessa. Refugee¡­ that¡¯s right. Refugees are often hired by the merchants, that was what Marquis Lambert said. Maybe that¡¯s how it¡¯s spread throughout the country of Pluvia? Hey, how do you think the refugee registers are managed?¡±

    ¡°They get checked when they come into the country and that¡¯s it. Since Rubrum wouldn¡¯t come and pick them up, they often stayed in the settlement, and the ones who left would leave on their own.¡±

    If I think about it carefully, the management of refugees is pretty vague.

    Machina showed me around the settlements and refugee facilities, but it is mostly people who receive the little food provided there, or people who make and sell something in small quantities. Speaking about the hotbed of Rubrum refugees, in the end that settlement itself is the hotbed.

    I¡¯m sure it has been there for a long time and they never thought of moving it.

    It may be in Edessa because it was created as a temporary residence to send it back in the first place, but there is no need for it to be there since there is no one to take the refugees back.

    ¡°Hey, Mika. Let¡¯s move the refugees and the whole settlement to the place where Taluha is at. In the first place, it¡¯s dangerous for them and for the country to have such a settlement in Edessa. If they don¡¯t have a job, they can help with the research. And then, what about tracking the movements of refugees who leave without entering the settlement?¡±

    Hearing my words, he must have thought it was a good thing. Mika said, ¡°Well,¡± and continued with his hand on his chin.

    ¡°Maybe we could make it mandatory for people moving to other places to check their identity cards at the gates of other towns. For the safety of the refugees in Rubrum.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re more of a bad guy than me, Mika.¡±

    Most of the refugees remaining in the settlement are harmless. The infiltrators lurking among them can begin to be controlled with a pass. By separating the settlement from Edessa, it would also make it easier to notice if people are moving in a suspicious manner.

    Rubrum is the one who doesn¡¯t come to pick them up, so this is fine.

    Refugees who flee to Pluvia will be given generous protection, but if they cannot be picked up immediately, we will provide them with work to maintain them. The cost of transporting the entire refugee population is with the Rubrum Empire and they can come and pick them up at any time. However, the person¡¯s consent is required when retrieving.

    Those who enter the country as refugees and want to work outside of Taluha¡¯s place are required to present temporary identity cards for security purposes. With this, would that be enough to convince Brother Seth and His Majesty?

    ¡°The only thing left is to see how much of the government¡¯s money can be used for magic plant research in this desert, either for defense or foreign affairs. And then I have to build a decent amount of capital to be free as well.¡±

    ¡°You think you can take on Rubrum by yourself?¡±

    Mika is convinced too.

    The relocation of the Rubrum refugee settlement is not a bad thing at all. I¡¯m not really trying to make Rubrum come and pick them up. But it should have been fine even to not go to the trouble of managing refugees in Edessa, with the Rubrum having no intention to pick them up.

    But I feel uneasy about me taking the lead for that.

    I¡¯m worried that I¡¯m going to be cast as the ¡°evil prince¡± again. But whether I¡¯m an evil prince or not, I know this country will end if I don¡¯t protect it.

    It was a very difficult problem.

    But¡­ I¡¯m not alone, I know I have other people by my side.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I have you with me, Mika. So it¡¯s okay for me to be a little reckless.¡±

    I have a strong, smart, and skillful knight that I choose myself. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll carry out his master¡¯s wishes.

    Mika kept his mouth shut and froze for a while.

    But he must have decided that the idea was still not a bad one.

    Then he said, while sighing.

    ¡°¡­¡­Your expectations of me are high.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the son of that Count Chardin, after all?¡±

    In this second life now, I chose a knight who would walk together with me to where I¡¯m going.

    When I sarcastically mentioned the thing that Marquis Lambert had said as the reason for me not choosing Machina instead, Mika made a very disgusted face.

    ¡°What the heck is that?¡±

 CH 45

    I like summer nights.

    Because it gives me an unfounded sense of almightiness, as if something is about to begin, something new and interesting is about to be found.

    I wonder if this feeling of almightiness¡­ will help me tonight.

    The night breeze caressing my cheeks feels refreshing, as if the daytime heat has been lost.

    Alone on the empty balcony, I exhaled a long, long breath.

    I turned around and saw my knight standing next to the big balcony window. He asked me with his eyes if I was ready. My knight, who knows everything, surely understands my current state of mind.

    I nodded my head a little and stepped into the world of the glistening window. It was bright, dazzling, and beautifully luminous, yet inside it was filled with the malicious murmurs of people.

    I took one step forward, then another, as if to cut through the noise.

    ¡°Would you like to dance with me for a song, sister-in-law?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d be glad to.¡±

    I purposely called her ¡®sister-in-law¡¯ and held out my hand.

    A beautiful young lady standing with Tillois by the wall. The puffy, white dress looked like a cloud floating in the summer sky, with light blue embroidery in places and a modest ribbon of the same color decorating the bust. Her usually flowing down platinum blonde hair was finely braided, and her sleek neck was unsparingly exposed.

    Truth to be told, I was a little confused about the way to lay my hand on hers. But she immediately laughed at the hand that was offered to her, and I conveyed my impression of her in honesty.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful. Sister-in-law.¡±

    ¡°Waah, ah, thank you. Your Highness Nagi.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a weird voice¡­¡±

    A glimmering chandelier that will dazzle your eyes. Even the white walls are decorated with gold. This ¡°Summer Sky¡± room is one of the most glamorous in the royal castle. On top of that, it was even more ornately decorated from floor to ceiling with yellow flowers, the birth flower of Brother Vincent. It was so bright as if the sun were floating in the night sky.

    Many of the noble ladies wear bright blue dresses, the color of Brother Vincent¡¯s hair, or yellow and orange dresses in connection to his birth flower.

    At last, the day has come¡ª the evening party to celebrate Brother Vincent¡¯s birthday.

    Beside Vivienne, who took my hand, I saw Tillois making a face like it was the end of the world. It was so tragic that I almost laughed a little, but I stopped, thinking that I shouldn¡¯t.

    It was to be expected.

    This night was supposed to feel like the end of the world for him, or rather, for Vivienne.

    He glanced at the crowd and frowned his face, as expected.

    What has been bustling in the Summer Sky room since a few minutes ago is not only a sunny celebration of the birth of Brother Vincent.

    Mika, who stood beside Tillois, muttered quietly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect His Highness Vincent to be actually escorting Baroness Tessier.¡±

    ¡°I wish it were a dream¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a dream come true to dance with His Highness Nagi¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Sister¡­¡±

    Vivienne, who should have been exposed to the stinging stares, seemed completely unconcerned. Unlike Tillois, who spewed out a little malice in a voice that only we could hear.

    I smiled at Vivienne and slowly took her hand and led her out to the center of the hall, to the place where people danced.

    I wonder how long it has been since the last time I danced in public. I think I danced at least once on these occasions when I was a child. But ever since I can remember, I¡¯ve just been sitting on the royal seat. And that¡¯s only at the evening party that I really have to attend.

    My fingers trembled with nervousness. Still, I couldn¡¯t afford to fail tonight.

    ¡°Can that third prince dance properly without embarrassing my sister?¡±

    ¡°Right, well. I guess you had never seen Nagi dance in public before?¡±

    ¡°What?! I-I hope it will be alright.¡±

    I was walking with Vivienne to the center of the hall, so there was no way I could have heard such a conversation going on behind me. That¡¯s why, the next words that Mika muttered with a daring smile, fading into the music that came on, didn¡¯t reach me.

    ¡°Obviously. He¡¯s a natural prince, after all.¡±

    I bowed toward Vivienne. Vivienne smiled with delight.

    I don¡¯t know what the orchestra hired for the day had in mind.

    But the song that came on was a bright, hopeful, graceful melody that seemed to blow everything away. All the bad rumors, even the infidelity of the star of the day, the rude baroness who doesn¡¯t know her place, and everything else¨C.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Vivienne. I will show everyone that you¡¯re the most beautiful one.¡±

    ¡°Uwaa, Your Highness Nagi is too dangerous. You¡¯re really like a prince.¡±

    I have never danced properly since I was a child, but I do remember what my dance instructor told me. If you can¡¯t make the princess who dances with you look beautiful, you¡¯re a failure as a prince. I was born without influence as the third prince, but I learned everything I could to be useful to Brother Seth.

    I gently pulled Vivienne¡¯s hand. Her white dress fluttered and spread like magic.

    I gently placed my hand on her thin, corseted waist and intertwined my fingertips with her beautiful fingers. Just below my face is Vivienne¡¯s face with blinking crimson eyes. I complimented her softly in her ear.

    A woman is most beautiful when she is happy and smiling¡ª

    ¡°Vivienne. You¡¯re beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Eh, no way. You¡¯ll even do such lip service?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still a prince, after all.¡±

    ¡°His Highness Vincent had never done that to me before¡­¡±

    The sparkling chandelier light pours down as if spilling out. As Vivienne is being turned around, her dress blossoms. I was told to dance as if I were in love. And so I should be honest and admire her beauty.

    Because surely my feelings¡­ will be contagious to those who are watching.

    A smile naturally spreads across Vivienne¡¯s surprised face.

    I thought of this after we went to the Taurus mine together. When the four of us talked on the way home, I thought that Vivienne¡¯s innocent smile was cute. That¡¯s why today, I¡¯m going to show that smile, and I¡¯m going to turn what was surely the worst night of Vivienne¡¯s life¡­ into something fun.

    The person herself who remembered her past life might not even care about it.

    Still, it should have been hard for anyone to be subjected to the malice and rumors right in front of them. The tension is removed from her stiff body, and her smile spreads like a flower blooming open. There were voices of admiration from all around us.

    That¡¯s right, I thought inwardly.

    I felt sorry for Brother Vincent, but everyone should be appalled that the incompetent second prince would leave such a beautiful princess alone.

    (He should be captivated by the beautiful Vivienne.)

    As I turn around and change angles, I see the various faces of different people. Mika is looking at me with a blank expression on his face, and Tillois is gaping his mouth open. Brother Seth and Duke Ackerson are looking at me curiously, and then.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t His Highness Vincent look at us with a great face?¡±

    ¡°Haha. I wonder what he feels. I wonder if he thinks I¡¯ve outdone him.¡±

    ¡°I wonder. I¡¯ve never really felt like he liked me.¡±

    Nonetheless, Brother Vincent¡¯s eyes were fixed on Vivienne.

    Seeing Baroness Tessier acting as if she owned the place with her arms crossed next to him, my mischievous spirit grows. In my mind, I thought that everyone should just become the first prince faction. While thinking about that, I slid my finger on Vivienne¡¯s cheek in between the songs.

    Staring into her deep red eyes, I muttered quietly.

    ¡°Even though you¡¯re this cute?¡±

    ¡°~~~N-no good! Even though Your Highness Nagi has been a recluse up until now, your prince-like power is too strong! The gap is too dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha.¡±

    I was glad that the person I was dealing with, the person I was colluding with in this way, was Vivienne.

    Vivienne somehow knows that I don¡¯t hate Mika. I felt an itch as if she knew a secret about me somehow, and then a sense of relief. I ended up feeling happy as well, and in the second song, we were both completely relaxed and just danced happily¡ª to the point of almost blowing away this terrible night.

    And then we went back to Tillois and Mika.

    ¡°It was so much fun!¡±

    ¡°It was an honor, my sister-in-law. Thank you for the lovely evening.¡±

    I dropped my lips to the back of Vivienne¡¯s hand while smiling. I glanced up at Vivienne¡¯s face and saw vermilion on her cheeks. Then, the flustered Vivienne whispered to Tillois.

    ¡°Eeeek. This is dangerous, Tillois. His Highness Nagi is so cool.¡±

    ¡°P-please do not complicate things any further. I have my hands full already.¡±

    Tillois said that Vivienne was crazed with jealousy for a while.

    I recall Vivienne also had said, although I don¡¯t know if she was aware of it or unconsciously, that she couldn¡¯t believe she got defeated in love, accused of a crime, and got executed. I don¡¯t know what the truth is. Still, Brother Vincent is the fianc¨¦ that had been chosen for Vivienne almost from birth.

    It must have been the worst feeling before she remembered her past life.

    But¡­

    Seeing Vivienne smiling shyly in front of me, I also felt a feeling of happiness spreading in my heart. I looked at Vivienne with some kind of tenderness and I got embarrassed too, so I looked at Mika.

    ¡°Did I dance properly?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You were the perfect prince.¡±

    I said this with a gentle look in my eyes, and Mika also smiled at me. But then, Mika urged me not to stay here for too long because it would cause too much strange speculation, and so I walked over to the royal seat where I used to be.

    I try to look as dignified as possible. I try to be resolute in my footsteps.

    Step by step, Brother Seth¡¯s figure approaches.

    There is a reason that after dancing with Vivienne, I would return to Brother Seth with a smile on my face. That¡¯s the only way people around me will know my intentions. Brother Seth, who smiled at me, seemed to be in a bit of a good mood.

    ¡°I have not seen you dance in a long time, Nagi. The partner is a bit unexpected, though.¡±

    ¡°How was it? Did Miss Vivienne look like a princess to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Both of you were like a real prince and princess. Such a future seems possible, I suppose?¡±

    ¡°If I could make you think that way, then I scored a hundred points tonight.¡±

    I sat down next to the seat where Brother Seth was sitting, and Mika also quietly stood next to Oswald by the wall.

    Brother Seth doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e yet.

    Many noble ladies who would like to stand next to him, and some of the leading candidates have been educated with queen training from an early age. But perhaps they are being cautious while watching the condition of the second prince faction. In fact, some nobles who might do something quite drastic are also with the second prince faction. It would be a problem if the fianc¨¦e were to be poisoned after being publicized prematurely.

    ¡°With the previous investigation from the other day and the magic plant case, is this also thanks to Mika¡¯s influence?¡±

    As Brother Seth said so as if muttering to himself, Mika answered in a small voice, ¡°Everything is decided by His Highness Nagi.¡± When I heard Mika say that, it kind of makes me feel fuzzy inside.

    ¡°Still, it feels different when you have a knight you can rely on beside you. Isn¡¯t that so, Nagi?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m relying on Mika.¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to hear that. His Majesty tends to get sick a lot these days, and I¡¯m also counting on you, Nagi.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    As Brother Seth told me so, I¡¯m reminded that it is true. In my first life, although it wasn¡¯t Machina¡¯s fault, I should have opened up my heart a little more. But this is the first time I¡¯ve been told by Brother Seth that he¡¯s relying on me, and I feel overjoyed.

    I will never purge Viscount Godin as I did in my first life! I made up my mind again and clenched my fist.

    But then, Brother Seth¡¯s eyes narrowed and bore a cold light.

    ¡°It looks like the star of the party tonight wants to talk to you, Nagi. But why don¡¯t you and Mika go out to the courtyard and catch some air?¡±

    Beyond Brother Seth¡¯s line of sight, I saw Brother Vincent glaring at me.

    When I turned around, Mika nodded at me. While the nobles around us seem to be unaware of our presence, they are closely monitoring our movements. I muttered, ¡°Ah¡± and tried to do something that I thought of.

    I beckoned Brother Seth with my hand and went out of my way to whisper in his ear.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why do you say it so closely?¡±

    I spoke to Brother Seth¡¯s ear, making a gesture as if I were taking something from his pale light blue hair, then smiled softly. I hear surprised voices from the audience, like when I was with Vivienne earlier.

    The nobles are watching us.

    ¡°Because it looks like there¡¯s a demand for it.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha. What kind of demand is that? We are not competing to see who is more popular.¡±

    ¡°We will never know what will lead to what. So I will do anything I can.¡±

    ¡°Haha. That is very promising.¡±

    I looked in the direction where Vivienne was, wondering if I looked like I was with an unfulfilled forbidden love. Then I saw that she had turned completely red and was frozen in place, so I decided it was a good thing.

 CH 46

    ¡°You, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    The moon floats above the fountain in the courtyard.

    Brother Vincent¡¯s voice came from behind me, it was the first time I¡¯ve heard him up close in a long time.

    In fact, I feel that my two older brothers have similar voices. But compared to the soft-spoken Brother Seth, the intimidating way Brother Vincent speaks sounds completely different.

    Last I met him was during the knight investiture ceremony. I turned around thinking that it had been a long time since he talked to me, not meeting him.

    Mika quickly stepped right behind me and bowed to Brother Vincent.

    ¡°Brother Vincent, it has been a while. Happy Birthday to you.¡±

    ¡°Enough of this nonsense.¡±

    As he coldly said that to me, I was left utterly helpless. I thought about when was the last time we talked and remembered that it was when I was very young.

    I remembered talking to Mika before he called out to me like this. ¡°What is your plan?¡± As he asked me that, I didn¡¯t really have a plan or anything. I thought that it was so sickening that I needed to have some plan to be able to talk with my older brother.

    But if this is how I could have a chance to talk to my brother, this was another experiment I had to try.

    Let me tell you about today¡¯s experiment.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s ¡°pretending to be stupid¡±.

    I am now slightly saddened by the fact that I have already abandoned my pride as a prince, following my experiment of becoming a slug just the other day, and now pretending to be an idiot.

    For now, the strategy is to make him feel stunned by my naivety, that I have nothing to be praised but my face, and for him to think I¡¯m not his enemy. I want to forget once and for all that I did some stupid actions in my first life, and it was not pretending.

    Brother Vincent whom I know is intimidating, proud, hates useless things, and also probably hates bell peppers. I opened my mouth, thinking about the peppers as much as possible.

    ¡°Sister-in-law looked lonely, so I invited her to dance with me.¡±

    ¡°Enough of this impertinent talk. I want to know if there¡¯s any intention behind this.¡±

    I must not miss this opportunity in which Brother Vincent went out of his way to talk to me.

    The most important thing I need to check today is to confirm the brainwashing status of Brother Vincent.

    Vivienne says that the way ¡®fascination¡¯ magic works in the book, is that the main character, Baroness Tessier, improves her charm and makes her more likeable to others. At first glance, it may seem like a very natural phenomenon, such as a woman polishing herself to increase likability. But Vivienne said that the visual (I think it¡¯s like an illustration) is the problem.

    It seems that when the charm increases and the partner¡¯s likability rises, a purple wind surrounds the other person and there¡¯s a depiction of heart symbols flowing to Baroness Tessier. Vivienne was bold enough to say that this was absolutely magic.

    (To be honest, I don¡¯t think you can tell if it¡¯s magic or not from just one illustration like that.)

    The purple wind is indeed quite questionable, but Vivienne says that such a description in a book with the same setting as this world must definitely mean it was unique magic.

    For now, as the magical tool that seems to be able to prevent it has been found just like what Vivienne said, it can¡¯t be easily dismissed.

    Incidentally, she said that that magical silver needle, a thin dagger-like magical tool, would be used in the ¡°confirming true love¡± episode at the end of the story.

    Anyway, if I ever run into Baroness Tessier as well, I¡¯ll have to watch out for the magic of the blatant purple wind and the flowing heart symbol.

    And today, the other thing is to find out about Brother Vincent¡¯s condition, and then to see if he hates Vivienne enough to execute her.

    Shrugging my shoulders, I said.

    ¡°My intention?? I don¡¯t have any such thing. But still, you sure are fond of Baroness Tessier, Brother Vincent. She looks lovely.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Emilia¡¯s very adorable. Still, stay away from her. She¡¯s easily scared.¡±

    ¡°Easily scared? Oh right, she was clinging to you.¡±

    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±

    As my brother sounded irritated, I replied ¡°Nothing?¡± As I answered that, I was inwardly surprised to see Brother Vincent, who showed no underlying intention, said the word ¡°adorable¡± with a face that seemed to break out in a smile.

    Brother Vincent¡¯s mother, the second queen, is a strict person. She inherited the atmosphere of the Dukes of Tyndall and is also an aristocratic supremacist.

    From an early age, she strictly disciplined Brother Vincent and consistently treated those around him with a high-handed attitude. Perhaps that¡¯s why my brother always had a stern look on his face and I thought that his bright light blue hair that stood up on his head looked like a flame.

    (He really¡­talked about her as if he were in love.)

    But¡­

    Then I¡¯ll have to ask what position Vivienne holds in his life. Because in the near future, Vivienne will be executed.

    ¡°But, what are you going to do with Miss Vivienne?¡±

    ¡°As for Vivi¡­her behavior is intolerable. I¡¯ll have to do something about her eventually.¡±

    ¡°Do something about her? Do you mean something like execution?¡±

    ¡°¡­What? Execution, you say? Is there something that makes me have to go that far?¡±

    Vivi, he called her¡­

    I never would have guessed from Vivienne¡¯s condition that they were unexpectedly close. And then, he doesn¡¯t intend to do so much as to execute her. Then I have to make it clear how much he hates her.

    ¡°Sister-in-law was so beautiful today. It was beautiful to see her smiling like a flower blooming open, and it made me envy you, Brother Vincent.¡±

    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t think anything of it when a woman with such an intense face and personality like her was smiling. As a fianc¨¦e, she is proper¡­ But Emilia is more-¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so? It¡¯s great to have someone you like. But, you wouldn¡¯t make Baroness Tessier your fianc¨¦e, would you?¡±

    Inwardly, I think it¡¯s funny he said that even though he was looking at us so much.

    At this point, let¡¯s not waste time on politics. I pretended to be stupid and decided to ask him directly. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d answer me. But, contrary to that expectation, Brother Vincent spoke as if he were muttering to himself.

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s¡­.it would be nice if that were true. Emilia also said that to me while crying.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh? Today, I feel so-¡­¡±

    Brother Vincent stopped moving and froze.

    While wondering what he meant, I was about to look behind at Mika. Suddenly, Mika put his arms out and stepped in front of me.

    There was a rustling sound like something in the bushes, and then there was a sweet voice that calls, ¡°Vincent?¡± can be heard. Huh? As I looked over Mika¡¯s back, there stood a young lady in a bright light blue dress, like Brother Vincent¡¯s hair color¡ª Baroness Emilia Tessier.

    Then, I thought.

    (¡ªHuh. No way, did she come through the bushes? Even though¡­ there¡¯s a usual path! Why?!)

    In my head, a plubear did three somersaults in a row.

    Just by the way she appeared here, I could tell that she was an extraordinary lady. The young lady made a deliberately shy face like ¡°Oops,¡± and ran straight to Brother Vincent, not even bothering with the presence of me, a prince.

    Gradually, her figure becomes more apparent.

    Large emerald eyes, soft round cheeks, and plump pink lips. Fluttering in her light blue dress, with her chestnut hair shining in the moonlight adorned with a large ribbon of the same color, she approaches.

    I don¡¯t know why, but for some reason I felt a chill and clutched the hem of Mika¡¯s knight¡¯s outfit tightly.

    ¡°Vincent, how could you leave without saying a word to me?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m sorry. Was everything all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But, I was scared.¡±

    Brother Vincent seemed to return to his senses with a gasp. Then he smiled sweetly as if his blue eyes had melted. I had only seen his difficult face before, I blinked and stiffened at his sweet smile.

    I don¡¯t know what kind of face Mika was making in front of me, but he pushes me backward with his back and we take a step back together.

    However, perhaps noticing Mika, Baroness Tessier, who had been leaning on Brother Vincent, suddenly turned her head to look our way.

    ¡°W-well! If it isn¡¯t Your Highness Nagi. E-excuse me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Pleased to meet you, Baroness Tessier. It seems that I¡¯ve been taking away Brother Vincent from you.¡±

    Huh. While wondering that it was strange that she hadn¡¯t noticed us until now, I smiled at her from next to Mika, taking care to look as beautiful as possible. I made it a priority not to alarm her rather than to expose hostility.

    Perhaps Mika didn¡¯t think it was necessary to step back behind me if the other party was a baroness, so he remained standing next to me.

    I stared at Baroness Tessier, wondering what kind of person she was and being wary of her magic. Then she bit her lip tightly and asked in a trembling voice with tears in her eyes.

    ¡°U-Umm¡­ What is your relationship with Vivienne?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You were dancing with her happily earlier. Um, she¡­ she would give me stern warnings and stare at me with a scary face, and the people around me would also get angry at me.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I see, is that so? She looked lonely, and I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±

    I didn¡¯t hear much of the details of what Vivienne did to her, but Vivienne went mad with jealousy¡­so I thought it might be about that incident. However, I am currently activating my special technique of ¡°pretending to be stupid¡±. So I said a little politely that I didn¡¯t think much when I invited Vivienne to dance with me.

    She should have realized that the reason Vivienne looked so lonely was because of her. How would she react?

    However, perhaps because I was feeling anxious with an unknown woman and I ended up strangely forcing a smile more than usual, I inwardly felt worried that I might be the one who aroused suspicion instead.

    Baroness Tessier puts her hand over her mouth, and I feel nervous as she looks at me doubtfully. Did I go wrong somewhere¡­? I felt my heart beat faster and faster, and a chill ran down my spine.

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi is¡­¡±

    From the tone of her voice, she didn¡¯t seem to have made a very positive impression of me.

    Besides, if she is really in contact with Rubrum, it would surely be better to keep us royalty divided. I am sure she would say things like ¡°terrible¡± or ¡°enemy¡± that would give a bad impression to Brother Vincent.

    I felt my insides shrinking, waiting for her next words.

    However¡ª she smiled brightly as if a flower was blooming, and said something unbelievable.

    ¡°¡­So kind! You are a very, very kind person! Isn¡¯t that right, Vincent?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh, ah, well, yes.¡±

    The immense brightness made me freeze up.

    Even Brother Vincent, who was made to answer that question, had a surprised look on his face. Then, in front of my stunned face, she spoke to Brother Vincent and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a tea party together sometime! Your knight should come along as well,¡± then she walked back into the summer sky room.

    She looked back at me repeatedly as I stood there, waving her hands broadly, then walking a little further and waving again as she left the courtyard.

    The last thing I saw was Baroness Tessier leaning her head against Brother Vincent just as they were about to disappear from view.

    ¡ªAt that moment.

    I thought Baroness Tessier had pressed her index finger to Brother Vincent¡¯s lips, and then I saw a soft, light purple breeze dancing in the air. But the next moment, I felt like she was about to look back at me, and I quickly pretended to be looking at the fountain with Mika.

    And then, while feeling the sweat pouring down all of a sudden, I was just looking at the fountain while remaining rigid.

    After a while, I whispered.

    ¡°¡­¡­Mika, can I take a walk in the garden for a little longer?¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence¡­ I was also thinking the same thing just now.¡±

 CH 47

    ¡°Ca-can I hug you?!¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, but I think now is the right time! I¡¯m with you on that!¡±

    After that incident, we were walking through the courtyard in silence, and I felt that our steps were getting faster and faster.

    As we strode with familiar steps through the courtyard of the royal castle, which seemed to be a fusion of various types of gardens, we unconsciously found ourselves heading toward a place where we felt at ease.

    Faster and faster, I¡¯m not sure if this can still be called fast walking. The next thing I knew, I was collapsing into the ivy-tangled secret base as if I were diving in.

    We were both panting and gasping, breathing out roughly and feeling the sweat pouring out of us.

    Perhaps his breathing has calmed down, Mika suddenly said something like that, and I agreed to it.

    Even though it was midsummer, Mika¡¯s hand went around my spine where a chill ran down it, and then he hugged me tightly. I would have been nervous normally, but now I was simply relieved to feel Mika¡¯s warmth spreading around me.

    I was scared.

    It was an unbelievable sight. I still don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s true yet. Still, the purple wind that Vivienne mentioned¡­ I saw with my own eyes how it suddenly enveloped Brother Vincent, although the real thing was more light-purple-ish and soft than I had expected.

    Mika said.

    ¡°What was that¡­?! That wind was a color I¡¯d never seen before.¡±

    ¡°I thought that it was beautiful, but eh? It will increase this sensation even further?¡±

    ¡°No, we were so far away, there¡¯s no way we got affected by it¡­ Damn, seriously?

    I can feel Mika¡¯s back going up and down in my hand, and then I wrapped my hand around it as quickly as I could.

    I can feel Mika¡¯s heart beating rapidly. But surely it wasn¡¯t just because we were walking at a fast pace. I think Mika must have been feeling scared too.

    Although I had not yet confirmed that it was really the kind of magic that could manipulate others at will, I could no longer doubt Vivienne¡¯s words.

    As I was being tormented by a sense of frustration that led nowhere, I heard Mika¡¯s voice whisper in my ear.

    ¡°No, obviously I felt suspicious of that. His Highness Vincent was clearly behaving strangely, and I thought that she was a dangerous woman¡­but still!

    ¡°Y-you! Weren¡¯t you skeptical about Baroness Tessier and Vivienne¡¯s story?¡±

    ¡°Well, of course! Who would believe a story like that? But!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­T-then Brother Vincent was¡­really being manipulated¡­?¡±

    Mika¡¯s hands become tighter as he hugs me. I heard Mika mutter quietly, ¡°I thought she was just taking advantage of his weakness,¡± and the serious tone of his voice seemed to speak directly to the graveness of the situation, sending shivers down my spine.

    My internal organs seem to have frozen, and I feel that my breathing is becoming strange. I breathe in too much and my normal breathing becomes disturbed. As I rested my head against Mika to cling to him, his hand slowly stroked my back.

    ¡°Hold on, Nagi. Calm down and think about it for a moment. Breathe out for now.¡±

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­haa.¡±

    As my body felt like it was about to have a spasm, I tried to slowly exhale for now. A warm hand gently crawled up my back as if to tell me it¡¯ll be okay.

    It was certainly fortunate that we happened to see a sight like that.

    I have to stay calm, yes, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, it¡¯s okay. It will be okay¡­I try to think that way.

    But¡ª as one would expect, I was panicking!

    ¡°N-no way! How can I calm down?!¡±

    ¡°I get it. I know how you¡¯re feeling. That¡¯s why we ended up hugging each other in this old secret base. That was scary.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah! T-th-that was really scary, right?! Did you see Brother Vincent¡¯s face? I¡¯ve never seen him make such a soft expression on his face.¡±

    ¡°Ughh¡­ It becomes even scarier if I think of that. That was creepy¡­¡±

    The look on Brother Vincent¡¯s face when he said that Baroness Tessier was ¡°adorable¡± seemed like he was truly feeling happy. Certainly, he made a strange pause for a moment, as if he was about to remember something.

    While still feeling my shoulders going up and down, I still try to think a little bit.

    He had no intention of executing Vivienne. He wasn¡¯t even going to swap out his fianc¨¦e. But he seemed a little troubled that Baroness Tessier cried and asked him for it. But just when he was about to remember something, Baroness Tessier appeared from the bushes.

    I heard Mika mutter in a small voice, ¡°Is that her unique magic too?¡± in an exasperated tone.

    That¡¯s right¡ª I remember what Vivienne told me.

    ¡°There is no magic without blind spots. Even if it¡¯s unique magic.¡±

    Mika nodded his head at my words, and after a pause, perhaps thinking about something, he spoke up.

    ¡°¡­¡­Well. She showed up with that timing, and she cast a spell as soon as she couldn¡¯t see us. Maybe there¡¯s a limit to its effectiveness.¡±

    ¡°Should we try to get rid of her physically¡­? I¡¯m sure there are a lot of people who don¡¯t think well of Baroness Tessier, even those in the second prince faction.¡±

    ¡°No, Nagi. Think about it. Our enemy is not Baroness Tessier. We have to think about what¡¯s in the best interest of our future and act accordingly.¡±

    As Mika told me so, I returned to my senses.

    It couldn¡¯t be a good thing to get rid of Baroness Tessier. My goal is to prevent the execution of Brother Seth. Then, to protect the country after my execution.

    I have to think calmly.

    (The fact that Brother Vincent is leaning towards a Baroness isn¡¯t so bad from the first prince faction¡¯s point of view. We need to make sure we don¡¯t misjudge when to cut Baroness Tessier away¡­)

    Mika seemed to be pondering something as well, and he remained motionless with his chin on my shoulder for a while.

    For example, if we were to let go of Baroness Tessier now, it¡¯s not as if Brother Vincent would be thanking us, and the conflict would remain the same.

    Besides, depending on how we let go of Baroness Tessier, we could be letting her off the hook. Also, if Rubrum is behind her, she will just unleash a different move.

    (Then I¡¯d rather be dealing with Baroness Tessier, who has a little more information.)

    We were silent to each other for a while. Maybe Mika was also thinking about something.

    Then, after a while, Mika gave me a final hug and his warmth quickly left me. Hm? Mika looked into my face, his hand gently placed on my left cheek. Being stared at by those jade eyes, after all this time I suddenly remembered what position I was in. Heat quickly gathered in my face.

    ¡°You were dancing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Well, you seemed like you had a lot of fun dancing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.What?¡±

    No, what is he talking about? That¡¯s what I thought.

    I looked at Mika questioningly, wondering why he was suddenly talking about the time I danced, when all this time he had been shaking with fear after the frightening experience. However, with his hand on my left cheek, Mika¡¯s hard thumb touches my puckered lower lip and pushes it down softly.

    I remembered that he also had done this to me before.

    Just like that, he slowly traced my lips, and I couldn¡¯t help but¡ª

    ¡°Ngh-¡±

    Mika¡¯s thumb, which had twitched suddenly stopped moving. Blinking his eyes, he asked in a surprised voice, ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re feeling it with only that just now?¡± What position I am in, who did what to me, and what have I done to myself? The information flows through my mind one by one.

    I was so embarrassed that I pushed back Mika¡¯s chest with a thud while blushing bright red.

    ¡°W-what are you doing!¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ Well, it just kind of bothers me when you¡¯re close to me.¡±

    ¡°W-wh-what is?¡±

    ¡°Because when I touched it the other day, it was soft.¡±

    The strange logic that I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand made my shoulders shake while I¡¯m still turning red. Don¡¯t play with me! As I screamed like that, suddenly there was something behind Mika. I thought I saw something in this hollow, ivy-twined, space between the thin trees.

    Huh? And then I stopped moving.

    It was then that our gazes and eyes intertwined.

    ¡°Uwaaa!¡±

    ¡°Eh, whoa! What?!¡±

    Perhaps because he was too at ease in a secret base that no one knew about, or maybe he was too upset to sense the presence of others, but Mika also screamed along with me.

    Large crimson eyes are peeking through the ivy.

    (¡­¡­Hm? Crimson¡­? ¡­Wait.)

    I saw her blinking crimson eyes narrow like a crescent moon, and I shouted.

    ¡°Hey, Vivienne! What the hell are you doing here?!¡±

    ¡°What, you ask? Listen to me, Your Highness Nagi. I just realized something amazing. Could it be that Your Highness Nagi and Mika are a prince and a knight, on top of the different statuses, you¡¯re also childhood friends, and then perhaps this place is your secret base??!!! In modern Japan, it would be inside a playground in a park or an abandoned house, this place is like a sanctuary for just the two of you!! A place where only you two know and meet in secret! A place full of memories! In this place where your feelings become mutual! In this place! It must have happened! Your bodies eventually tie together and-¡±

    ¡°¡ªExcuse me. My sister has lost her self-control.¡±

    I thought I saw a pair of red-colored eyes, a little paler than Vivienne¡¯s, peeking out from behind me. Then I heard Tillois¡¯ low voice that sounded as if a deceased person had risen from hell. I can hear Vivienne¡¯s muffled voice as if her mouth is being held down. Wait, even Tillois is here!¡¡What is he doing in a place like this?! I turned even redder.

    (D-do-do-don¡¯t tell me¡­ they saw us earlier¡­?!?)

    I was so flustered that I ended up opening and closing my mouth, I didn¡¯t know what to do. However, as if ignoring me, Vivienne quickly found a hard-to-see, foliage-laden entrance from above, and peeked her head inside.

    Then she wound up talking terribly fast.

    ¡°You mustn¡¯t know. You probably don¡¯t know about this! There are many cases where the receiving one is slow after all! But I¡¯ll explain it to you. Listen. Your Highness Nagi. Anyway, take a big breath of air for now. Don¡¯t exhale. Let all that air soak into your body and fill you up. Do you understand? Just inhale a lot of air! Yes! Inhale with me!!¡±

    ¡°In-inhale? W-what are you inhaling? This is¡­¡±

    Vivienne took a deep breath and puffed out her chest. Her eyes lit up, with a dreamy look on her face as if she were about to ascend to heaven. Then she stretched out her hands wide below, and said.

    ¡°The jealousy¡­of a handsome guy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Especially the one directed towards me.¡±

    The three men had no idea what Vivienne wanted or what she was trying to do, but only recognized that she was doing something crazy that they would never understand.

    Vivienne stretched out her hands and slowly collapsed back onto the grass behind her, then she softly closed her eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­This is¡­the best¡­¡±

 CH 48

    ¡°Since when have you been peeking at us?¡±

    ¡°From the point where Your Highness Nagi and Mika went out into the courtyard¡­I guess?¡±

    ¡°That means you were watching from the start!!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness Nagi. Could you please do something with this cramped state?¡±

    Even the other day when Mika and I went in here together, we thought it was too cramped. On top of that, now there were four adults here.

    To begin with, Vivienne is an unmarried lady. It would be quite an ugly story if she were to be found in a place like this before we could do something about Baroness Tessier.

    And yet, the person herself instead said without caring, ¡°This place is great. It looks like the place where a little sister character usually used to take a nap in the garden in the national animated movie that is often played on Fridays in Japan.¡±

    But to my surprise, there were four words in that one sentence that I didn¡¯t know. I thought once again that Vivienne really seemed to have memories of a different world.

    I felt sorry for Tillois who said that this place was too small. However, the presence of four well-dressed nobles in this place was not good, and this combination of people is also risky, coupled with the fact that I didn¡¯t want to expose this place that no one knew about, so we had no choice but to stay here for now.

    After looking around this secret base in one glance, Vivienne said.

    ¡°By the way, this is such a surprise! Today has been a series of amazing things happening!¡±

    That was certainly true.

    I don¡¯t know where in the world she was peeking at us from, but if she really watched us from the beginning, she must also have seen the magic of Baroness Tessier. Mika and I were so surprised that we even couldn¡¯t help but hug each other.

    Vivienne snorted and mentioned the most surprising thing of the day.

    ¡°I became a love rival* twice!¡±

    That¡¯s the part she was surprised about? While thinking about that inwardly, I sighed.

    Both Mika and Tillois were puzzled, and I¡¯m not sure if they realized the meaning of her words.

    Anyway, I reluctantly opened my mouth, not wanting to get caught up in Vivienne¡¯s pace. I really wanted to go back to my room and go to bed as soon as possible.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was the fascination magic or not, but I saw Baroness Tessier cast a spell on Brother Vincent. Honestly, I think we should just trust Vivienne completely now and go with what she says and figure out what to do.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Finally! But that was¡­really surprising, isn¡¯t it? I thought she¡¯d be hostile to Your Highness Nagi, but she even said that you¡¯re kind!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­I don¡¯t know what she was thinking.¡±

    If Tillois showed up with Vivienne, then he probably saw that scene as well.

    Whether it¡¯s a manifestation of a will to not think anymore or an expression of complete nothingness, Tillois does not move a muscle.

    Vivienne looked at me with a puzzled face, then waved her hand in front of her face and said, ¡°No, no, no.¡±

    ¡°That was one of her psychological battles. Things like unexpectedness, gaps, and so on. She will steer your attention in a certain direction, and then betray it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°At that time, Your Highness Nagi must have thought that she would say bad things, right? But when you get the opposite action different from what you just thought of, the unexpectedness of it pulls you in and shakes your normal thinking.¡±

    I was surprised that Vivienne said so.

    I certainly thought at the time that I would not have made a very good impression based on her reaction, and I was sure she would say something bad to Brother Vincent. I wonder if that means that my attention has been steered by her.

    My heartbeat gave an unpleasant sound.

    Psychological battle¡­ She would even slip such a gimmick into a trivial conversation like that?¡¡As I thought of that, another chill ran down my spine. That¡¯s not the behavior of an ordinary lady, it¡¯s like the behavior of an assassin or a swindler¡ª

    As I was thinking about that, Vivienne whispered in a low voice.

    ¡°She¡¯s really going to destroy the country.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    Until now, I tried to avoid mentioning that.

    In the first place, the story that Vivienne talked about was a love story, and I didn¡¯t think she was thinking that far ahead. Vivienne was talking about it based on the love story of Baroness Tessier and Brother Vincent that was chosen by her, then as a result Vivienne was in the way.

    Everyone thought that might be the case.

    But beyond that, no one talked about Baroness Tessier¡¯s intentions.

    Vivienne said that the second prince route implies the overthrow of the country. But I thought she thought of that as a consequence.

    But after all, Vivienne also said that Baroness Tessier was working as a pawn in some larger will.

    It¡¯s not Brother Vincent who is being targeted.

    It¡¯s the country of Pluvia.

    I realized once again that we are facing such an enemy.

    Baroness Tessier is an assassin. Now that the understanding was solidified in our minds, we needed to share what Vivienne knew.

    ¡°Is she really the daughter of Baron Tessier?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, for appearances¡¯ sake. But she has a background of growing up in the city. By the way, when Tillois sees someone from the same background getting the cold shoulder from people around them, it makes him feel affinity and wants to protect them~¡±

    ¡°I-I am not going to like someone only because of that!¡±

    But for some reason, Tillois¡¯ reaction seemed to support the fact that he was also in that book, which made me give a wry smile.

    Tillois in the book seems to be even more uptight than the Tillois here. I was told before, that since the time he was taken in by the Dukes of Ackerson when he was a child, Vivienne had bullied him thoroughly and made him distrust people.

    But despite Vivienne¡¯s childish meanness, she didn¡¯t seem to be that vicious, and Tillois has not gone so far as to distrust people.

    On the way back from the Taurus Mine, Vivienne had nonchalantly said, ¡°I only put a frog in the tea back there,¡± and Tillois was furious.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m the villainess in both Tillois¡¯ route and Jelaire¡¯s route.¡±

    That was right, I recall.

    I had heard that besides Brother Seth, Brother Vincent, and Tillois, there was also a story about Brother Vincent¡¯s knight, Jelaire, and the wizard Renalge.

    Now that the possibility of Baroness Tessier being a Rubrum assassin is getting stronger, we might have to take care of Jelaire as well.

    On top of that, Renalge is an enigma, even though I have never spoken to him.

    But then, just like me and Vivienne, I wonder if there are also villains in Renalge¡¯s story¡­ As I thought about that, Vivienne said.

    ¡°But, I think I might have found one good piece of information. Emilia is probably a human from this world.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t think she has memories of another world like I do or anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Why are you thinking of such a crazy thing¡­?¡±

    She said there¡¯s no way Baroness Tessier is a human not from this world. I was too confused to understand the meaning and stared at her blankly. Then Vivienne says, ¡°It happens a lot. The main character, the baroness, also had memories of her past life.¡±

    Honestly, if there were a few more crazy monsters like Vivienne, Pluvia would have been finished long ago. Neither Mika nor Tillois seemed to understand judging from their faces.

    ¡°What do you mean she has no memory of another world? That¡¯s just an ordinary person.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. In other words, she is purely an assassin for Rubrum.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡­You even dare to say it was Rubrum¡­¡±

    Even though I had avoided making such a statement in front of everyone but Mika. I was dismayed to see Vivienne mention it so casually. And then Vivienne continued.

    ¡°After all, when I was dancing with Your Highness Nagi, Emilia only glanced at me once and paid no attention to me after that.¡±

    ¡°And, so what?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? If she had memories of her past life, she¡¯d be very interested in the villainess who is doing irregular things. If other people also have memories of the game-¡­I mean book, it would shake the advantage that she has. But she glanced at me, looked at me as if saying ¡®You¡¯re going to be executed anyway, what are you having so much fun for?¡¯ and she didn¡¯t even look at me after that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s scary¡­¡±

    Mika exclaimed unintentionally.

    But still, I¡¯m not quite sure what Vivienne¡¯s intention is. Then Vivienne added another explanation, as if thinking ¡°Do you still don¡¯t get it?¡±

    ¡°What I mean is, instead of her making irregular, strange actions like me, you can think of it as her only having an assassin¡¯s behavior from a textbook. That¡¯s easier to understand, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°!!!¡± ¡°!!!¡± ¡°!!!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with those faces? They¡¯re making me irritated for some reason.¡±

    So that was what she meant! The three men finally understood.

    Certainly, if that Baroness had memories of a previous life or something like that and made unpredictable moves as Vivienne did, we would have been in chaos.

    Maybe she is indeed good at psychological battles.

    Nevertheless, I did not think that the day would come when I would feel so saved, in the worst case, that it would be safe to think she was only acting as an assassin according to the textbook.

    Vivienne said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is,¡± and we agreed that the Rubrum-led assassins were manipulating Brother Vincent. Tillois didn¡¯t argue anymore.

    Then, Mika said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on that baroness for a while.¡±

    ¡°Eh? You, Mika? You¡¯re a personal knight, how can you do that¡­? Should I ask Machina to do it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t ask Machina. Sure, you can only ask such a complicated thing to someone you trust, but his territory is already right next to the Rubrum. There is a high probability that someone will take advantage of him.¡±

    Mika had a good point. But still, I think that Mika doesn¡¯t have to be the one who does it. A sense of uneasiness spreads through me.

    According to Vivienne, the magical silver needle can only be used once. After finding that magical tool in the Taurus mine, it seems to be stored strictly at the duke¡¯s residence, and it can only be used on Brother Vincent no matter what.

    (If¡­perhaps Mika also has some weird magic cast on him¡­)

    As I looked down and thought about it, I felt Vivienne¡¯s breathing become heavier so I glanced at her. There was Vivienne, breathing hard and staring at me with her eyes wide open, and my heart cooled down at once.

    Mika continued with a troubled smile on his face.

    ¡°There was no sign of magic on Nagi or me. Maybe she can only use the magic on one person.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­I wonder about that. She used her unique magic on a lot of people in the book.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do my best to make sure of that as well.¡±

    I looked at Mika¡¯s face which looked as if he had made up his mind, and let out a small sigh.

    My childhood friend is the type of person who, once he decides to do something, will finish it. Now that it has become like this, Mika really intends to keep an eye on Baroness Tessier.

    I watched Vivienne explain to Mika about the ¡°fascination¡± magic she had read about in the literature of this world since she remembered her memories, and how to deal with it. I decided to give up on stopping Mika, thinking that it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    After she had explained everything, I saw Vivienne turn around and look at me with a sparkle in her eyes.

    I stared with empty eyes, wondering what in the world was coming next. Then Vivienne, who had taken another deep breath, shouted loudly.

    ¡°Now then. Let¡¯s hear some of your childhood friend episodes from this secret base sanctuary!¡±

    ¡°See you, Tillois. A lot was going on tonight, so be careful on your way back.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Good night, Your Highness.¡±

    I decided to let Vivienne and Tillois return first, since it would not be good if others saw them together with us.

    It¡¯s Tillois after all. He probably remembers the way back. And then as for Vivienne, she disappeared into the moonlit night with her brother dragging her along in an unbecoming position for a lady.

    ¡°Wait, wait?! Wait¡­?!¡±

 CH 49

    ¡°Do you have trouble sleeping?¡±

    I was absentmindedly grinding magic herbs at a desk set up by the window in the reception room when a clear voice echoed from behind me.

    After parting with Vivienne and Tillois, then spending some time with Mika for a while, I returned to my room, finished wrapping up for the day, and was about to go to bed. Marie came and asked me excitedly, ¡°Is it true that Your Highness Nagi danced today?!¡± so I was at a loss for what to answer, but I was also tired because of that, so I thought I could sleep in no time.

    However, no matter how long time passes, there was no hint of sleepiness.

    My body was tired, but only my consciousness was alert and clear.

    Since I could not sleep much, I had no choice but to work on the simple task of grinding magic herbs like this.

    ¡°Mika¡­¡±

    As Mika approached, he put my fallen nightgown, which had slipped off, over my shoulder again. He peeked at my hand and uttered his usual line, ¡°What grass is that?¡± He has always asked that question when I have some kind of magic plant with me.

    Mika was also wearing a white linen nightgown, and I think he was just about to go to sleep. Unlike me, he probably doesn¡¯t have trouble sleeping or anything like that. I thought he would probably tease me and say, ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you?¡± but the way he said it was gentler than I expected.

    ¡°A lot has happened today, after all.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with that? You won¡¯t get anything out of it even if you¡¯re kind to me.¡±

    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t I usually always kind to you?¡±

    My heart beats faster as Mika speaks to me with his hands on the desk. Mika, peeking in with a smirk, looked awfully happy, and I wished he would stop doing that as well. I don¡¯t think he has any way of knowing my situation, and it¡¯s just unusual to be able to talk to him on a night when we usually don¡¯t see each other very often.

    Mika sniffed the herb scent and blinked his eyes, then asked.

    ¡°What is that thing you¡¯re grinding up? It kinda smells nice.¡±

    What I¡¯m grinding now is a magic medicinal herb called Powan.

    Subconsciously, I think I have a scary feeling about Baroness Tessier and her background. I thought that I should have some countermeasures, so I decided to grind up the Powan herb.

    Even more so if Mika is going to investigate Baroness Tessier, I also need to do something at the very least¡­

    ¡°Powan herb. The kind to make love potions and such. I just made this one, it¡¯s a Keroli herb that can be used as a truth drug and such.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a funny name.¡±

    Mika seems to be in a good mood, after all.

    Mika said he¡¯d look into it himself, but I wonder if he doesn¡¯t feel scared. If he¡¯s going to investigate the other party while still being a personal knight, then the only time he has is at night or on rest days.

    A personal knight is basically someone who acts primarily for the royal family he serves. Its priority is above the order from His Majesty.

    (He should just¡­stay with me all the time.)

    I shook my head as if to drive out such weak feelings, because my anxiety made me think such an unreliable thing.

    Mika stared at the Powan herb and said.

    ¡°Hmm. Love potion, huh.¡±

    ¡°What of it?¡±

    ¡°If you accidentally made me drink it, will I fall in love with you?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I wonder. You like me quite a bit, don¡¯t you?¡±

    When I say love potion, I don¡¯t mean something very powerful.

    It only has the effect to the extent of attracting someone¡¯s attention, just like Mika earlier saying that it smells good. So, when Mika, who already has a trusting relationship with me, drank it, the effect should only be a little misunderstanding.

    Still, I feel more at ease making it than not making it. I grind the grass, thinking it would be nice if I can use it for something.

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right, but¡­¡±

    I heard Mika trailing off his words, and I thought, ¡°Huh?¡± Then I looked at Mika.

    Unexpectedly, his face was very close and my heart skipped a beat. I can smell Mika¡¯s refreshing scent. I wonder if it¡¯s a scent from a soap. I think it¡¯s a smell that suits him well, someone who¡¯s always so refreshing.

    Mika looked sulky for some reason, I wonder why? I thought of that while blinking my eyes.

    But, in this world where I started over¡ª Mika is the man I trust the most.

    He had to have at least a little bit of liking for me, and I was aware that he had it. I don¡¯t know why he looked pouty, but I don¡¯t think anything is going to happen even if I gave Mika a love potion. The truth drug would usually be more effective, though.

    That¡¯s right, speaking of which.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to go to the sea tomorrow.¡±

    Actually, tomorrow we are going to the C?te de Marais, Count Chardin¡¯s territory.

    A lot of things have happened this summer.

    Starting with my unexpected return from death, every day was filled with new things and it made me dizzy.

    Even after the summer break started, I went to Marquis Lambert¡¯s territory, went to Taurus mine, made a proposal for the relocation of the refugee settlement¡­ and from there, the birthday party tonight.

    In the beginning, there were nights when I could not sleep, thinking that every day was a dream. I spent every day with Mika, talked to new people, and had many moments of fun, unlike my first life.

    ¡ªThat¡¯s why.

    I became more and more afraid that one day I would suddenly wake up and find out it was all over.

    But each time, as soon as I woke up, Marie was yelling at me, then Mika came out of the next room with a sleepy look on his face. That made me feel relieved every time. I will probably spend many frightening nights like this until I solve the mystery of my return from death.

    Even so, if this is the real ¡°present time¡±, I want to cherish it. I want to believe in the reality that is the ¡°present time¡±.

    (I will never repeat the same thing ever again¡­)

    I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. When I saw Mika¡¯s smile, I could think that way for some reason.

    It was a summer that was always bustling with things, and now all that was left is to relax at the beach. With that in mind, I can finally catch my breath.

    C?te de Marais is the nearest sea, straight south of the royal city of Corliss. Just a day of being rocked in a horse-drawn carriage, and I will get there by tomorrow night.

    The blue sky and sea, the white buildings, and Count Chardin¡¯s red hair.

    Just imagining it already makes me breathe out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°My father keeps asking me when we¡¯re coming. Even though I already told him the date¡­¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m glad that he seems to be doing well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I heard he paraded around the territorial capital just because I became a personal knight.¡±

    ¡°Haha, as expected of him. Perhaps there will be a parade for your triumphant return tomorrow?¡±

    When I said that, Mika looked very uncomfortable. Then after I said, ¡°I wonder if he¡¯d really do that,¡± I saw Mika¡¯s face turn even paler, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    As I laughed, Mika was staring at me when I noticed it, and then he said.

    ¡°It¡¯d be troublesome if he held a triumphant return parade tomorrow, let¡¯s go to bed early.¡±

    ¡°We have plenty of time to sleep in the horse carriage.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel well and ride the carriage, you¡¯ll end up lying down on my lap again.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    I stopped moving suddenly, remembering Mika letting me lie down on his lap in the carriage on the way to the Taurus mine.

    I thought to myself, ¡°I have to be rocked in a carriage all day, my heart can¡¯t take it if I have to lie down on his lap all the time,¡± and I quickly started putting away my tools. The magic herb was supposed to be left overnight anyway.

    But, at that moment¡­

    Mika suddenly rested his hand on top of mine on the desk, then I looked up at him with a blank face.

    I was met with Mika¡¯s face with a grin on it, and he told me teasingly.

    ¡°Do you need me to sleep together with you?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I feel annoyed, wondering why he teases me in that way again.

    I think it¡¯s because we¡¯re childhood friends, but I want him to stop treating me like a child. My face turned into a frown and my brows furrowed. What would he do if I said okay? ¡­As I thought about it, I suddenly remembered.

    That it worked so well when I tried to seduce Mika before.

    If I get on board with that idea now, won¡¯t Mika get panicked? I remembered that. I kept thinking while still stopping my movement.

    Can I challenge Mika, who teases me like he has a higher advantage? We don¡¯t have to sleep while sticking close to each other like in the carriage, we can just sleep next to each other.

    The more I think about it, this is no different than the sleepovers we had when we were little.

    I would never, ever say this out loud, but to be honest, I¡¯m still afraid when I think of Baroness Tessier.

    Also, I¡¯m angry at Mika for treating me like a kid so blatantly like this. If he was going to tease me while saying that, I decided to face it by taking his words seriously.

    ¡°Really? Then, you can go lie down in my bedroom first.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I want to wash my hands properly with hot water until I get rid of the herb smell.¡±

    ¡°Uhh, well¡­huh?¡±

    I left the shaken Mika behind and walked quickly toward the bathroom.

    A simple bathroom is installed in my room, so I can soak my hands in hot water to warm them there. Remembering Mika¡¯s panicked reaction, I started to wonder what kind of face he must have waiting for me on the bed while eating his own words. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    A short time later, I opened the bedroom door to see an awkward-looking Mika lying down with his hands under his head. I flipped up the blanket and slid in to the left side, to the right side of Mika.

    I reached over and turned off the small magic lamp next to the bed and heard Mika¡¯s displeased-sounding voice.

    ¡°¡­Wow, this place smells like you, Nagi.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my bedroom after all.¡±

    Of course, Marie must have changed the sheets every day, but it¡¯s still my room.

    I wondered why he was saying such an obvious thing. With his displeased way of saying it, I wonder if it stinks a little¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried, but as I thought, having someone beside me was somewhat of a relief and I closed my eyes with a good feeling in my heart.

    ¡°I feel like I can have a good dream for some reason.¡±

    ¡°I see. I think¡­I might not be able to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Why? You should just sleep.¡±

    As Mika said that with his eyes closed, I thought that his tone of voice is really soothing¡­

    Is it because I¡¯ve heard his voice since I was little, or is it simply a soothing kind of voice? But that slightly sweet, soothing voice made me laugh a bit. Then, ¡°I know,¡± I thought. When I have a funny feeling like this before I have a dream, I know I will fall asleep soon.

    I whispered quietly, hoping that it would reach him.

    ¡°Good night, Mika¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Good night¡­¡±

    My body gets heavier and heavier. I guess I was tired after all.

    I surrendered my body, sinking into the bed.

    ¡°Snore¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I fell asleep right away, and I didn¡¯t know I was rolling over and rubbing my cheek against the warm presence nearby.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

 CH 50

    ¡°Yaaawn.¡±

    Mika, who sat next to me, stretched his hands as far as he could in the cramped carriage.

    With the absentmindedness that I didn¡¯t know how many times he had been doing that, I noticed that Mika really didn¡¯t sleep last night. On short-distance carriage trips, Mika sits across from me. But on long-distance carriage trips, he wants to look in the direction of the road and often sits next to me.

    As I looked away from the sleepy-faced and teary-eyed Mika, I remembered this morning.

    ***

    When I woke up this morning, I was surprised to see how close I was to Mika¡­ But more than that, I blinked my eyes from surprise at the severity of the dark circles under his eyes, which were unusually dark.

    ¡°You¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    When I asked this without thinking, Mika remained expressionless and touched my lips with his thumb in a pressing motion again, and then he stopped moving. Mika¡¯s eyes narrowed as he stared at me.

    I wondered what was going on, then at the next moment.

    My vision swung around and I saw Mika looking down at me against the canopy of the bed.

    My hands were sewn into the sheets, and I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. I said, ¡°Eh, huh?¡± A number of unspoken sounds came out of my mouth. When I was still in a sleepy and dazed state, my childhood friend, who had become curious about me, held my hands down on the bed and threw me into a state of panic. I tried to move my hand, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.

    (This¡­stupidly strong guy. What does he want¡­?!)

    However¡­

    Mika¡¯s face became closer and closer, and then, while I was in a panic saying, ¡°Huh, wait-¡°, he collapsed with a thud. And then he stopped moving just like that.

    I wondered what kind of situation this is¡­then my eyes turned empty.

    Anyway, he was heavy.

    Mika¡¯s body, which is made almost entirely of muscle, is heavy. As I was groaning from the feeling, I heard his voice close to my ear.

    ¡°Really¡­ I won¡¯t sleep with you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ah, I-I see.¡±

    Hearing that, I was a little disappointed. To be honest, I slept very well.

    Usually, I often pass out to sleep in a daze. On top of that, after returning from death, there were many nights when I could not sleep because of anxiety, so I thought that it was not bad to have the warmth of a reassuring human body close by. Even after all that happened yesterday, my head is refreshed as well thanks to that.

    It made me wonder why Mika thought of it that way.

    ¡°Did I kick you while I was sleeping?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, it was¡­way worse than that.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    What in the world have I done to him? I was completely asleep, so I have no memory of it.

    Maybe I kicked him every five minutes or did something similar and harassed him without stopping? If that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t want to sleep with someone like that either.

    I patted Mika on the head as he collapsed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    However. The soft material of the nightgown, which is closely pressed to my skin, and the warm heat of his body, which is radiated through it. His scent. And then, one of his hands still connected to mine. All of those things are starting to make me feel a little weird, and it¡¯s not good! As I thought of that¡­ Mika quickly got his body up, so I was saved.

    ¡­And that was what happened earlier this morning.

    ***

    Then, now.

    Next to Mika, who looked sleepy and was struggling to stay awake as a personal knight even in the midst of the comfortable rocking of the carriage, I was reading a document on the Edessa defense line.

    As I thought, I still felt sorry for him. I must have kicked him very hard in my sleep.

    I was actually thinking about taking a little nap, but if I did then Mika wouldn¡¯t sleep, so I¡¯ve been fighting sleepiness for a while now, too.

    But¡­

    (We¡¯re almost arriving there¡­)

    After leaving this morning, we changed horses while taking a rest in a town along the way. Then it¡¯s getting dark around us. Light pink clouds were trailing in the sky and a beautiful sunset was illuminating the area.

    The sunset sea at the C?te de Marais must be a dreamy sight.

    That¡¯s right, it was when I thought of that.

    Mika suddenly twitched, and then I heard a commotion from the knights who were supposed to be running outside the carriage. The carriage stopped. I steeled myself and wondered if we had possibly run into a bandit or some dangerous monster.

    Mika raised his voice¡­ However.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?! Is it an enemy attack¡­? Wait¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? W-what!? Mika.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The knights who had followed us in our carriage were still making a commotion, but Mika stopped moving. A deep wrinkle was carved between his eyebrows, and the light disappeared from his eyes, along with a disgusted look on his face.

    But in the midst of all the commotion, Mika showed no signs of trying to protect me at all.

    Which means¡­there is a reason for it.

    The sound of loud flapping wings. What is going on? When I looked out the window, the two knights around me said, ¡°Please step back! Prince Nagi!¡± They were in a panic, and yet Mika remained cross-legged and didn¡¯t move an inch.

    At that moment, a laugh sounded from the top of our heads. A high-pitched laughter that seemed to come out of the abdominal muscles.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but lean out of the window and look up. There was a large shadow floating in the sky. It slowly, slowly descends while flapping its large wings. I thought I saw fiery red hair peeking out from the large shadow, then I instantly looked back at Mika.

    Mika put one hand to his face and sighed. Then I looked out the window and I said, ¡°No need to be alarmed!¡± to the knights outside.

    And then¡ª

    Everyone gasped at the sight of the monster, which slowly descended a short distance from the carriage. The glistening, solid white limbs. The feathers change color as they shift from white to light blue, reflecting the pale pink of the sky. All of those things even made me think it was divine.

    Its light blue eyes are as if they have been embedded with jewels.

    ¡­The appearance of a king flying in the sky.

    ¡°Co-could it be¡­? A sky drake?¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ That showy old man.¡±

    ¡°No way, don¡¯t tell me he¡­succeeded in taming a flying dragon?¡±

    Mika opened the carriage door and I stepped outside.

    My eyes light up as I look at the sky drake, larger than a carriage, standing majestically in front of me. A strand of red hair peeked out from behind the monster¡¯s back. Unlike Mika, it was someone with fiery red hair¡ª

    ¡°Count Chardin!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Your Highness Nagi! It has been a while!¡±

    Jumping down from the sky drake, Count Chardin came running toward us while waving his hand widely. Every time the count takes a step forward, his curly mustache bounces.

    In contrast to the full smile on the count¡¯s face, Mika¡¯s sigh was now so loud that it could be heard clearly, and a sense of doom is mixed into his voice. I chuckled, thinking inwardly that it was better than a triumphant return parade for him.

    Count Chardin spoke.

    ¡°Long time no see! I was overjoyed when I heard that my foolish son was chosen to be a personal knight. Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s such a dependable knight and a great help.¡±

    I answered that way, although as usual, I felt awkward about having to speak from a higher position to older people. In the first place, it was Count Chardin who advised me when I was a child that a prince should not speak in a way as if examining the other person¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Still, you¡¯re so amazing. As expected of Count Chardin. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve succeeded in taming a flying dragon where no one has ever succeeded before¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t tame it. I raised it. Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°Y-you raised it¡­? What?!¡±

    ¡°We have a lot of trade in our territory, after all. I bought some at the harbor where it was circulating around, said to be a weird ostrich egg. Then I warmed it up, with my stomach.¡±

    ¡°With your stomach?!¡±

    I almost burst out laughing, imagining in my head Count Chardin curled up in bed to warm the egg. As I was thinking that he¡¯s really so unexpected in his thinking, no, it even went far up in the sky, more crazy information follows from him.

    ¡°I made a special belt for the egg and we were together at all times. Then at one point, there was a big commotion in C?te de Marais that I might finally be pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Pfft, ahaha.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he said ¡°Finally¡±.

    The next possible unknown thing for the all-rounded Count Chardin could be pregnancy¡­? That¡¯s probably what the locals thought. It¡¯s amazing that even the people of his territory think of him that way.

    ¡°Though, I had to hire a specialist for it after it was born, as expected. You can try to ride it later, Your Highness Nagi.¡±

    ¡°A-are you sure?!¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know you must be tired right now, so feel free to come while you are staying here for the next few days.¡±

    I thought it was a little scary at first. But, I immediately felt refreshed when I wondered what it would feel like to be able to fly freely. Count Chardin gave me a warm smile, as if he could see that my eyes had lit up.

    He has always been this way from back then.

    Count Chardin is a crazy kind of person, but he is always looking out for me and Mika, as if he were enveloping and caring for us.

    Because of this, I felt so apologetic that somewhere along the way I couldn¡¯t even exchange a word with Count Chardin anymore in my first life.

    During my execution¡­ I wonder if Count Chardin was there at that time? I had heard through the rumors that he had started to focus more on business in the Malacia kingdom.

    The count is forward-looking, after all. Perhaps he was concerned about the future of Pluvia and was looking for other futures.

    But¡­

    (But it hasn¡¯t happened yet this time. He¡¯s still smiling at me in this country¡­)

    To tell the truth, Mika¡¯s face is not very similar to Count Chardin¡¯s in terms of facial features, but their gentle smiles are very similar to each other. Smiling softly, the count asked.

    ¡°Are my foolish sons doing well? Has Mika been nagging you a lot, Your Highness?¡±

    When I glanced to the side, I saw Mika looking at Count Chardin with vacant eyes, while saying, ¡°Hey!¡±

    Even if he called them foolish sons¡­I hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to meet Mika¡¯s brothers much to know that. As I thought of that, I nodded nonetheless. Basically, Mika¡¯s brothers work in their family territory, but I hear that they also travel back and forth to the royal capital. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have the chance to greet them again at some point.

    As far as Mika is concerned¡ª

    Since I returned to this world from death, I have always been trying to redo the things that I had failed to do in my first life. Still, it was because of Mika that I was able to move forward in this way. Hoping that Count Chardin would feel relieved, I smiled and told him honestly.

    ¡°With Mika by my side, I can be reckless without worry.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?! Please use him to the fullest.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    Mika sighed and greeted, ¡°Long time no see, Father.¡± Then Count Chardin, smiling again when he saw Mika¡¯s face, said without a hint of offense.

    ¡°Is it okay if I lead from the front with sky drake in this way for your triumphant return parade?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do that!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Oh, my foolish son. If I lead from the front in this way, it will be possible to let the people know that it¡¯s triumphant without saying a word. That¡¯s why I went through the trouble to raise a sky drake¡­¡±

    ¡°Just go home already¡­¡±

    Mika, who was already grim, seems to have become even grimmer.

    I see. As I was convinced that his flashy appearance was for that, I ended up bursting out laughing again. With Count Chardin that hasn¡¯t changed one bit, there was no doubt that this stay would be an enjoyable one.

    As I laughed, the count looked puzzled and said,

    ¡°Nevertheless, Your Highness¡¯ smile is of the highest beauty¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh, well¡­thank you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s invite a painter to paint your portrait during your stay here!¡±

    Huh, he just declared it¡­that¡¯s what I thought, but I was a little interested in the painter in the service of Count Chardin, who had an outstanding sense of art. Mika said, ¡°We came here for a relaxation trip, in case you¡¯re wondering¡­ Nagi is tired.¡± He said that for my sake, but that¡¯s not true at all.

    ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Fufu.¡±

    He¡¯s Count Chardin, after all.

 CH 51

    ¡°D-Delicious¡­¡±

    ¡°Right? The restaurant is shabby, but the food here is really good.¡±

    The next day, dressed as a commoner and wearing a hood, I was taken by Mika to a restaurant at the harbor. With fresh seafood dishes lined up in front of me, I stopped moving because they all looked so delicious.

    However, at Mika¡¯s terrible words, the cook said, ¡°Shut up!¡± The voice of a slightly older man with a beard echoed.

    Mika is usually called ¡°young lord¡±, ¡°young master¡±, or ¡°third son¡± in this city. Even though he¡¯s a noble, he¡¯s very close to the people of this city.

    I¡¯m sure Mika frequents this place, even though his mouth says it¡¯s shabby.

    The man at the restaurant also didn¡¯t use respectful language and yelled at Mika.

    Everyone in this town seemed to know Mika by face. I started to wonder if there was any point in me dressing up as a commoner.

    (I¡¯m not concealing myself at all¡­!)

    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned once to Mika, then to me, the hooded man next to him, and then they straightened their posture.

    Even though I only had Mika with me, my true identity was too obvious.

    But, one good thing to say is that this city of Marais is very safe. I passed the knights hired by Count Chardin patrolling the area many times. I wondered if it was the nature of the people in the territory, but the environment here seemed like every adult was looking out for the children.

    I think I will have to ask Count Chardin during my stay, how in the world he is building such a friendly city.

    I brought the white fish in front of me to my mouth. The fish, covered with a sauce of chopped tomatoes, was crispy on the outside. However, its tender flesh quickly melted, and the flavor that was packed inside spread into my mouth.

    (So tasty¡­)

    Fish dishes are quite expensive in the royal capital.

    Fish is usually brought to the royal capital by horse-drawn wagons for a day from the nearest harbor here in Marais, and the freshness would decline during that time. The taste of this freshly caught fish was exceptional.

    Mika also said that it was comforting, but I was now enjoying the C?te de Marais from the bottom of my heart.

    To begin with, the reason why I¡¯m eating lunch at this place was that Mika invited me to go out with him.

    ¡ªIt started this morning.

    ***

    ¡°Drink this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks. Mika.¡±

    On a rattan chair placed under a large white sunshade.

    I was surrendering my body to the sea breeze, thinking that these gently sloping, well-made chairs are the best. Spread out before us is the magnificent sea facing Marais, the territorial capital of the Counts of Chardin.

    I had visited here many times when I was a child, but I hadn¡¯t visited in a long time since I had distanced myself from Mika.

    Illuminated by the sun¡¯s rays, the sea sometimes looked jade green like Mika¡¯s eyes or deep blue like Brother Seth¡¯s eyes. It was beautifully varied with each of its waves, making my heart feel at ease.

    The drink is handed to me with a clinking sound, and I¡¯m surprised to find ice in it.

    It¡¯s usually a bit difficult to make ice even with water magic¡­ As I thought of that, it made me wonder if Count Chardin might have even stationed someone skilled at water magic for that purpose.

    When I gulped it, the cool liquid flowed down my throat. But the taste felt familiar.

    ¡°I tried making the drink we had in Edessa.¡±

    ¡°You did, Mika?¡±

    ¡°When I asked, they said it¡¯s important to have salt in it. Apparently, it¡¯s because it¡¯s good for your body when it¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± As I thought of that while drinking it, Mika sat down in the chair next to me.

    Mika¡¯s red hair fluttered in the sea breeze, and his jade-green eyes sparkled. Perhaps he slept well last night, I¡¯m relieved to see that the dark circles under his eyes are completely gone. The refreshing, loose shirt that Mika wore flapped in the breeze.

    Behind him was a large expanse of sea.

    I looked at that scenery and realized.

    (Ah¡­I see. So that¡¯s why.)

    That must be the reason why I thought that Mika suits the standard blue knight¡¯s outfit.

    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Mika, wondering if it was because I had seen him in the midst of the blue sky and the blue sea so often since I was a child. I wanted to do something about my chest, which was inevitably thumping hard, so I squeezed it with my unreliable fingertips.

    On the balcony of this mansion, which has remained unchanged since the old days, memories of us looking out at the sea together in the past and other tender memories that I should not recall now all came rushing to my mind.

    It feels like the feelings that I don¡¯t want to admit are surging up from inside me¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I was looking down while still holding the glass in my hand. Then, I noticed that Mika was very close to me, looking into my face with concern.

    Now is a bad time for him to be so close! As I thought of that, I desperately imagined Count Chardin warming a flying dragon egg with his stomach, and I managed to keep my eyebrows just barely in place as they were about to drop. I¡¯m imagining the part when the egg cracked and a sky drake baby was born from inside it.

    I wanted to escape the jade eyes that were staring at me, so I mentioned the subject of Count Chardin as I was thinking about it.

    ¡°Co-Count Chardin is still the same as always¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure he is. I ended up being greeted by the people of the territory for some reason¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re more like a prince than I am in here.¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s not true. Everyone was happy to see you here for the first time in a long time, Nagi.¡±

    Seeing Mika with a confused look on his face, I thought, ¡°Were they?¡± I tilted my head in wonder. I think they all looked at Mika and smiled. But, just like the Lambert territory, I think it is a very warm place with very warm people.

    I think the character of the person who is governing the territory is important.

    ¡°Wanna go look around the city today? It¡¯s been a while since you did.¡±

    ***

    ¡ªAnd so, we walked around the city from early in the morning and then had lunch like this.

    Mika also seemed to be at home in his birthplace, which he knows very well. The man in the kitchen has been talking to him in a friendly manner from earlier, as if they were close.

    While munching on the fish again, I observed Mika standing and talking at the back of this small restaurant.

    (This is the side of Mika I didn¡¯t know¡­)

    At first, I always thought he was quiet, but once we got to know each other, Mika blossomed and started talking to all kinds of people. He seemed to be talking to other people, without caring whether they are a commoner or, for that matter, a prince.

    When we were visiting Marais together back then, I had never seen Mika move around so freely because he was still small and had knights to escort him. As I was in a daze, the man in the kitchen spoke to me.

    I don¡¯t know his name yet because I¡¯m in the middle of eating and haven¡¯t had a chance to greet him.

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi, are you sure this guy is the right person to be your personal knight?¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±

    ¡°The rascal third son is somehow the one most similar to the count, after all. It must be tough for you because he¡¯s so unrestrained.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t conceal myself, but I still came here while trying to conceal my identity, so I don¡¯t mind the manners. When I heard the two of them arguing, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    From the first time I met Mika, I never expected him to grow up like this. But while his older brothers are certainly weird in their own way, I think that on the inside, Mika may indeed be the most unrestrained one.

    However¡­when the man saw my smile, he opened his mouth and froze, then he turned his head toward Mika so awkwardly that it seemed to make a creaking sound. The man looked at Mika as if he were looking at something pathetic and said,

    ¡°Whoa¡­ You¡¯re the one having a tough time, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You get it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a tough mission you got.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    They were talking somewhat quietly, I couldn¡¯t hear them well because they were whispering.

    After I finished eating, I finally greeted the man and was told his name was Eric. Mika, who was often in the royal capital when he was a child, seems to have been playing with Eric and his friends when he returned to his hometown.

    As someone who only has Mika as a childhood friend to call my own, I¡¯m envious. I felt a stinging pain in my chest, and thought that I was so small-minded to be bothered by such a thing. And then, we walked outside again.

    Suddenly, as I walked along the beach, I muttered to him.

    ¡°This place really feels like your city, Mika.¡±

    ¡°What? It is my city, but¡­ wait, ahh, you think I¡¯m like a king here?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s probably Count Chardin¡¯s city, to be exact. Everyone is so kind and adored you and your family, Mika. The sea is beautiful too, it¡¯s a very nice place.¡±

    When I said this with sincerity, Mika smiled happily.

    But for a moment, I felt as if a somewhat lonely shadow had fallen over that smile, huh? I wondered. And then I stopped.

    ¡°Mika?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    Mika¡¯s fingertips brushed my hair over my ears as it was swept away by the sea breeze. Then he tilted his head and smiled softly.

    His manly smile almost makes my body react with a twitch, but I still wonder about it because I feel that his smile is disguising something else.

    Did something bad happen to him? As I was about to ask, a passing merchant greeted Mika, and it made me hesitate.

    After that, he was approached by one person after another because of our trip through the market.

    ¡°Young lord!¡±

    ¡°Lord Mika!¡±

    ¡°Congratulations!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too carried away just because you have a beautiful man with you.¡±

    I looked at Mika, who looked uncomfortable each time people greeted him, and I wondered if I was imagining things earlier.

    When Mika took me to the market, where I saw exotic magical plants and a line of fruits and vegetables that I had never seen before, eventually I had forgotten all about it.

    ¡°There are so many foreign products, interesting right? The goods coming in will change, so I don¡¯t think it will be the same as when I was here before. Where should we go next¡­? Wait, right, let me show you there, too.¡±

    Perhaps Mika had remembered something, he took me to the fountain square in the center of the Marais. There was something like an ice statue that grew out of a magic circle. The statue was big and forbidding, in the shape of some kind of hero. But I tilted my head in confusion at the ice, which did not even begin to melt in this heat.

    ¡°You know, this thing¡­ A few years ago, Renalge Pomfrey made it and left it there.¡±

    ¡°Renalge¡­ Wait, you mean the wizard in the book that Vivienne mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Right, right. In a world where most people have access to magic, he¡¯s regarded as a ¡°wizard¡±, after all. As you can see here, he¡¯s pretty good at magic.¡±

    Mika said he left the statue here a few years ago, which means it has not melted since that time.

    What kind of hero was this forbidding statue, and what was its purpose for being placed in the middle of Marais like this? I blinked my eyes in wonder.

    ¡°What is this statue for?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ He said it was because he wanted to have a cold drink while watching the sea.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You know, all the drinks in this city have ice in them, right? You might have thought my father hired a water mage, but the truth is we¡¯re taking it from this statue.¡±

    ¡°Look there.¡± When I looked at the spot where Mika told me, I saw that there was indeed a cavity in the stomach area, only there it was hollowed out into a beautiful square.

    Upon closer inspection, a middle-aged man who brought a bucket stood in front of the statue, and a chunk of ice came out of it.

    ¡°Huh¡­ What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°People in this city find it very useful. Do you get it, Nagi? He¡¯s that kind of crazy guy. Though, Miss Vivienne might know that already.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, have you ever met him, Mika?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ For some reason, he looked like he was half asleep.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what that means, but¡­ one thing I¡¯m curious about is the proximity of the magic circle.

    (This is¡­to hold the magic in place, right? Regardless of the reason, this technology is amazing.)

    Renalge Pomfrey, while still a student, was supposed to have received the rank of viscount from the country for his significant contribution in magic. He is neutral in his position and is not the type to actively participate in factional disputes.

    Half asleep¡­ I¡¯m not sure what Mika means about this, but Renalge doesn¡¯t seem to be that interested in anything other than magic.

    I decided that I would have to see and talk to him when the second semester started.

    But, at that moment¡­

    A huge gust of wind blew and the hood of my robe fell off. It was nearing evening and there were many people around. People on their way home from work, kids playing, or people shopping. Then, one kid pointed at me and said.

    ¡°Whoa¡­ The prince is so beautiful!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    When Mika turned around, everyone looked at me and Mika and shouted what they had in mind. ¡°How beautiful!¡±, ¡°Congratulations, Lord Mika!¡±, ¡°Your Highness, welcome to Marais!¡±, ¡°Hello!¡± Murmurs, chatters, and a crowd had gathered, causing Mika to have a troubled look on his face.

    I also had never been surrounded by so many people before. As I froze in surprise, Mika said something quietly in my ear.

    ¡°This is troublesome, let¡¯s just run.¡±

    ¡°Huh, wait-¡±

    As soon as I thought Mika grabbed my hand, he ran through the crowd like the wind and I desperately moved my legs.

    However, I soon realized that I couldn¡¯t possibly run this fast.

    It was as if the crowd was splitting in half with Mika in the middle, the wind shimmered as if it were sparkling. ¡°Lord Mika!¡± ¡°Your Highness Nagi!¡± the voices of the clamorous people can be heard from behind us. I can also hear them saying, ¡°So fast~¡±

    It was so fast as if we were flying. As I squeezed back his hand, I thought.

    (Ah¡­ So this is Mika¡¯s wind magic¡­)

    I remember running together with Mika like this when I was a child.

    When I was depressed about my position, it was like he was taking me out to a place I didn¡¯t know, like he was showing me a new world, and I¡­

    The orange sunset was shining from ahead.

    ¡°Mika¡­¡±

    Mika¡¯s cheeks lit up a little, he turned around and smiled softly, as if it was directed to someone he loved.

    I felt my heart skip a beat.

    (Ah¡­about Mika, I really¡­)

 CH 52

    The light pink sky seemed to melt into the sea.

    The floating clouds were tinted in a deep blue and the fantastical sunset was as if slowly inviting us into the night. As we walked through the city, we just watched that scenery in a daze.

    The sound of the waves crashing against the shore reached the ears pleasantly.

    (It¡¯s so beautiful¡­)

    That¡¯s the only silly, simple thought that comes to mind.

    It¡¯s a sight you won¡¯t be able to see in the royal capital. Moreover, it¡¯s probably a hidden gem kind of place. There was not a soul in sight except for Mika and I. We stood side by side, just admiring the sunset from the beach.

    When I looked to my side, I could see Mika¡¯s face was tinged with the colors of the sunset. It made me want to burn that scenery in my mind.

    However, Mika did not look anywhere, he was looking across the sea. Indeed, even this quiet time without conversation feels comfortable if I¡¯m with Mika, and I feel like I want to keep on spacing out.

    But¡­ It still bothered me a little.

    I tried asking Mika.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­You look somewhat lonely.¡±

    Since coming to this city, Mika has seemed to be much happier and freer than usual. But, it also has given me a strange feeling of a stronger shadow following behind him. Just like the stronger a light illuminated something, the stronger shadow it produces.

    He still smiled with his mouth wide open, but for a moment, he would stare at me or look into the distance.

    ¡°Ehh?¡± Mika said, tilting his head in confusion.

    ¡°Nothing happened. I just thought that I¡¯m happy to be here in this town with you again, Nagi.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re exaggerating. It¡¯s only been a few years. From now on, we can-¡­¡±

    That¡¯s right, from now on.

    I tried to say it and I realized.

    Five years from now, and even in the future, I will be back in Marais like this. Because I want to relax and look at the sea together with Mika. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing my best now. That¡¯s also why I stopped myself from saying, ¡°We can always come here together again.¡±

    When I turned my head, Mika was there, and I could see a soft, fake smile on his face.

    I can¡¯t help but notice that fake smile of this flexible man, which other people wouldn¡¯t have noticed.

    (Being childhood friends is a troublesome thing¡­)

    I¡¯m sure that Mika is also aware of my every move. It has both the good and the bad.

    But I¡¯m not as adept as Mika who can think ahead of time, or observe the other person to see what they are up to. So, I had no choice but to ask.

    ¡°Why are you making such a face?¡±

    ¡°¡­What kind of face does it look like to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±

    Mika seemed to have returned to his usual self a little, he said, ¡°Huh?¡± or, ¡°Hmm?¡± to me. Hearing him say that while tilting his head, I thought.

    What kind of face, he asked. It¡¯s like¡­

    He thinks he can¡¯t come back here anymore¡­ that kind of face.

    And then, the thought reminded me of the moment I was burned at the stake.

    Wait, that¡¯s not it.

    I¡¯m not sure why he thinks of that, but this is not the time to get hung up on Mika, who is suddenly exuding an air of listlessness. I have a noble purpose. If I give up at this point, both Vivienne and my brother will be executed.

    I don¡¯t know how much changing myself can change the future. Still, there is no time to worry about the future five years from now. Therefore, this is not the time to be sullen together with my knight and be consumed by a weird atmosphere.

    If Mika doesn¡¯t want to give me a reason, Then I¡­ I¡¯m just going to do what I can do.

    While imitating the irritated face that Mika has had since returning to this city, I said in an irritated tone to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re making a face like you were thrown into the air by a plubear, hit your head somewhere, and fainted. Then when you woke up, you were surrounded by a large number of wriggling slugs!¡¡But, while saying that he was sorry for earlier, the plubear took all the slugs off and helped you to make it up. However, the bear has to go to the mountains, and you have to go back to the city. That¡¯s why the bear said that your friendship with him is over and you got rejected¡­ that kind of face.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ awful.¡±

    Perhaps my brilliant metaphor was conveyed to him, Mika said, ¡°That kind of face?¡± Then he tilted his head with his hand on his chin. I felt like Mika started to go back to his usual self a little. I stared at Mika from the side, resting my cheek on my raised knees.

    Then I stretched out my arm and squeezed his cheek. I looked at Mika as he said, ¡°Ouch,¡± there¡¯s no way that this is going to hurt, I thought.

    We have a difference in status, we¡¯re now in an exclusive master-and-servant relationship, and I¡¯m a prince to begin with¡­ but, we¡¯re also childhood friends.

    (My one and only¡­)

    The feelings that I have just admitted inadvertently with realization earlier are still things I will never say from now on, and for the rest of my life. I want to forget about it for now.

    I wonder what this guy is so worried about that I didn¡¯t know.

    I chuckled as I looked at Mika¡¯s scrunched face as I pinched his cheeks, with my head still resting on my knees.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a gloomy face. ¡ªThe world is so beautiful after all.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes and smiled.

    After all, I didn¡¯t even realize that five years ago, in my first life.

    The blue of this sky, the blue of this sea, the beauty of the sunset, the other cities, the smiles of the Ackersons whom I thought were enemies, and the comfort of having someone I can trust next to me.

    This world was beautiful and vast, and that was something I could not have known even if I had been reading a book alone in my room in the royal castle.

    The waves sounded as they washed over.

    I think Mika should just smile like an idiot like he always does, instead of looking downcast. As I stared into Mika¡¯s jade eyes that were tinted in pale pink, he stared at me in a daze and said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±

    As Mika said that while looking at me intently, my heart skipped a beat because it made me think he said it to me.

    He¡¯s talking about the scenery.

    I pretended I didn¡¯t notice the sound of my heart starting to beat rapidly. But I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Mika as I was caught in his straight gaze.

    Mika¡¯s hair that was sticking out fluttered in the sea breeze. His jade green eyes, casting the shadows of the night to come, looked more subdued than usual.

    Memories of the fun I had when I used to visit and play at this place came rushing back to me along with the sound of the waves.

    I ended up thinking about it.

    (Ah¡­ I like him.)

    Sigh.

    Those words finally came to mind.

    There was no mistake that the rest of my life from here on is going to be difficult.

    I would keep the guy I love by my side more than anyone else, marry someone, and then have kids with someone. If I marry some noble lady from somewhere, I will probably take good care of that person. But while cherishing them, I¡¯m sure I will think of the guy who is behind me.

    (That¡¯s the worst betrayal¡­)

    I felt like apologizing to someone I hadn¡¯t met yet, and my eyebrows dropped.

    No, that¡¯s not it. Right, it¡¯s different. Now is not the time to be worrying about a noble lady I haven¡¯t met yet. After all, I didn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e even five years later. For now, I have to focus on these five years.

    Before that, I have to save Vivienne by next year and save my brother by three years from now.

    When I made up my mind to do so, my hand that was pinching Mika¡¯s cheek was squeezing him tightly, and he told me.

    ¡°¡­Wanna kiss?¡±

    ¡°¡­What? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°It was that kind of atmosphere.¡±

    I thought he was joking, but he came so close to me with an unexpectedly serious face that I was in a state of confusion.

    It was that kind of atmosphere¡­ What the hell does that mean?! I won¡¯t stand being kissed in such an atmosphere. I¡¯ve never done that before except when bumping into him, I thought while creasing my eyebrows. Why would this guy say that all of a sudden¡­ My stare turned blank.

    I don¡¯t really know, but if at this moment I said things like, ¡°Sounds good! Yes, I would love that! Let¡¯s kiss!¡± If I had said that, I¡¯m not confident that I would be able to take care of the noble lady I had not met yet in the future.

    It would be the end of the world for her if her husband is a man who is unfaithful to the knight behind him. That¡¯s the worst.

    I don¡¯t understand the mindset of wanting to kiss someone just because there was someone a little too close at a little too nice dusk, at a little too nice beach. That reminds me, he has been touching my lips a lot since the other day.

    I gasped in realization.

    ¡°You¡­ is it really just because my lips are nice to the touch¡­?¡±

    ¡°Haha. Maybe. I didn¡¯t expect a man¡¯s lips to be so soft like this.¡±

    This guy¡­ How much did he play with women without my knowledge? There is no reason for me to know, and I¡¯m not alluding to that. But the fact that I was compared to a woman made something inside me flare up as a man.

    Then I blurted it out.

    ¡°No way I¡¯d kiss you.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    I turned my eyes to the sea and buried my face on my knees again.

    At that time, I tried to pull my hand out of his grasp as well. But for some reason, Mika wouldn¡¯t let go, so I wondered what was going on, and then he made a voice as if he had noticed something.

    ¡°Ah, Nagi. Hold on.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Mika pulled my hand hard toward him, and when I looked his way he was right in front of me.

    Mika¡¯s face was just before my eyes.

    A sharp sensation, like a mixture of panic and embarrassment, stabbed me in the chest for a moment.

    My heart beat loudly.

    (¡­Huh?)

    I felt a sensation of something brushing my lips.

    His red hair pours into my vision. Even his long, closed eyelashes were a beautiful reddish brown color, I thought. His lashes rose slowly and his jade-green eyes, emerging from beneath them, turned towards me as if challenging me.

    (¡­What?)

    It was as if time had stopped.

    I also forgot to breathe.

    However, Mika¡¯s eyes narrowed in front of me as I blinked my eyes. I heard a kissing sound and then the heat left me.

    I was still stunned and frozen, but I gently touched my lips with my fingertips.

    (¡­¡­Eh? What was that¡­? What?)

    Just like when I saw Mika in the city, he smiled softly as if he were looking at someone he loved.

    I was stunned, and I asked him.

    ¡°You¡­ What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It was soft.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? It doesn¡¯t matter even if we did it once or twice. Summer is almost over anyway, doesn¡¯t it make a nice memory?¡±

    I don¡¯t know why. But at this moment, my heart finally sensed an emergency.

    Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. Suddenly, with incredible force, the heat rises all at once in a burst, pushing blood flow throughout my body.

    (Eh, what? What? Huh, what does he mean? Eh? What?)

    There is no sign of my scattered thoughts clearing up. The only thing that goes through my head is unspoken, unintelligible sounds, and they are not going to come together as words. But when I could no longer formulate words, I picked out a single letter among the scattered thoughts that clearly described the current situation.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    About the incident from my childhood, I was fine because I thought of it as an accident. But what about this? Isn¡¯t this a very different thing? And then, I thought.

    If I were to put my situation in perspective, I would say that I just offered my lips as a memory of this red-headed knight¡¯s one summer day, just because they were soft.

    No, that¡¯s wrong.

    I didn¡¯t offer it. It was stolen without my permission.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s normal for friends to joke around like this with each other. Not to my knowledge. I have never confirmed such an occurrence. But even if that were true, even if it¡¯s normal for friends to fool around like that, I think it¡¯s still a different thing for me.

    (Because¡­ doing this kind of thing¡­ with someone I li-like¡­ What?! W-what¡¯s wrong with me?! I don¡¯t get it¡­!)

    What I thought I would never do in my life suddenly happened to me. And it was just because this guy wanted to know the softness of my lips! I don¡¯t know how much Mika is accustomed to women. But, for me this is¡­!

    I feel like tears are slowly welling up in my eyes. But I¡¯m a man, so I won¡¯t cry.

    I gritted my back teeth, then clenched my fists and punched Mika. My right hand landed on Mika¡¯s cheek.

    I¡¯m sure Mika will be able to avoid my clumsy punch, which means he must¡¯ve been fooling around a little too much. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Mika, with a troubled smile on his face. Seeing him like that made me wonder why he wanted to know the softness of my lips so much that he didn¡¯t mind getting punched. As I thought of that, I touched my lips with my fingertips again.

    I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that surprisingly soft.

    (I don¡¯t! Get it!)

    After that¡­

    I, still pouting, and Mika, looking troubled, left the beach and returned to Count Chardin¡¯s mansion. Mika repeatedly said, ¡°Sorry,¡± but he didn¡¯t say a word on the way home.

    However¡­

    Upon returning to the mansion, the butler handed Mika an ostentatious letter and a black box.

    Both Mika and I tilted our heads in confusion when we saw it, but then Mika opened the letter and stopped moving.

    ¡°¡­Nagi, I¡¯m sorry. It looks like the summer isn¡¯t over yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Mika flipped the letter over and pointed to the sender.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s an invitation from the Duke of Marcotte.¡±

    ¡ª¡ªWhat?

 CH 54

    1-7. The Keeper of History, The Silent Marcotte

    *Author¡¯s note: I¡¯m sorry, I want to put Count Chardin¡¯s story in chapter 53 later, so this will be chapter 54.

    Historie Palace is located at the opposite end of the area where the royal castle stood.

    It is said that hundreds of years ago, the royal family of that time bestowed this gift to the Duke of Marcotte in recognition of his achievements at that time.

    However, the details are not clear. This is because the Dukes of Marcotte, despite their immense influence among the four great dukes, have never belonged to any faction in any period of time, and have remained completely solitary and neutral, ¡ªin other words, ¡°silent¡±.

    Dwelling in the Historie Palace, in a position that overlooks the royal capital of Corliss, they simply observe the history of Pluvia Kingdom and never move from there. And so, the quiet pressure of their centuries-long existence has led, since some time ago, to be called such as this.

    ¡°The Silent Marcotte¡±

    The carriage in which we were riding stopped.

    I had just returned to the royal capital from Count Chardin¡¯s territory yesterday. I don¡¯t have anything planned for the last few days of this extremely busy summer. It was as if they knew about my schedule, and that alone was chilling.

    I glanced behind the curtains of the carriage and saw a gatekeeper in a black mask and black knight¡¯s outfit standing there, blending in with the night.

    I gulped.

    Along with the letter Mika received that day, an invitation to me was also included. It made me wonder how on earth did they know I was with Mika. Then, the butler of Count Chardin¡¯s mansion handed me a black box as big as my head. The black box was decorated with a delicate foil-stamped pattern, and the box alone was enough to be considered a work of art.

    Inside it, there was¡­

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be asked to wear a mask.¡±

    ¡°On top of that, your mask even has a veil so that your conspicuous silver hair can¡¯t be seen.¡±

    Even the voice that I trust coming from next to me cannot reassure me enough today.

    Out of the black box came out a shiny silver mask.

    The delicate pattern is reminiscent of the curves of a plant, and one wing of a butterfly covers only the right eye. Its insides were studded with real diamonds, and this mask alone could have bought a small mansion.

    Mika¡¯s mask was dull, unlike mine, but he appeared even taller than usual with goat-like ears open to the side and two horns towering above.

    After receiving the invitation, I discussed it with Mika and decided to dress in a way that would definitely not reveal my true identity.

    Mika was dressed in a loose-fitting sorcerer¡¯s robe-like design, and I was dressed like a knight. I don¡¯t really want to think about the fact that my mask has a butterfly wing, veil, and such, which makes it strangely androgynous.

    It was written that the carriage would be provided by them, and I wondered what on earth they meant by that. Then night fell, and a black carriage arrived at the royal castle. But as we were being rocked in the carriage, Mika noticed something.

    That there were a number of the same black carriages running through the royal capital.

    (They¡¯re trying to hide who, what for, and where we are going to¡­)

    What in the world is about to begin tonight?

    Truthfully, this is how the Duke of Marcotte used to hold his evening parties¡­ If I had no memory of that, I wouldn¡¯t know about such rumors, nor would I know that they had the financial resources to give such masks to the participants. In my first life, five years ago, I didn¡¯t know about this at all.

    Now that I actually participated in it, it was a surprise to learn that even the carriage had been crafted to conceal the event, but it made sense that it would start a rumor if there were a number of black carriages running around the royal capital like this.

    Mika reacted by uncharacteristically furrowing his eyebrows while pondering about it. He also said he hadn¡¯t heard about such rumors.

    With a click, the carriage door opened.

    With both of us masked, we looked at each other, then Mika slowly stepped out of the carriage. We were greeted by the black knight we had seen earlier from inside the carriage. Through his mask, he smiled at me and said, ¡°Welcome,¡± but I kept my face expressionless.

    It¡¯s a mysterious evening party. I was already wearing a veil with my mask, but I still tried to avoid speaking out as much as I could.

    Appearing from somewhere, a man with a raven-like beaked mask invited us inside.

    Since it¡¯s an evening party while concealing our identity, we probably don¡¯t have to worry about our status or ranks. I step into the Historie Palace side by side with Mika, and slowly make my way down a long, long hallway with dark wood planks.

    There was no sign of people at all.

    With the gazes of all the kings of Pluvia displayed overhead, the weight of the Dukes of Marcotte who¡¯s known as the ¡°Keeper of History¡± seemed to pile up on my shoulders more and more.

    At the end of the hallway, there was a large black door.

    Apparently, that is our destination for tonight. The man¡¯s mouth, under the mask¡¯s beak, arched like a half-moon.

    And then¡­ the moment the door opened.

    Suddenly, a loud noise rang out. A gust of wind blew through.

    I don¡¯t know what kind of mechanism it was, or if it was magic. In the silence that has filled the area up until now to the point the sound of creaking floorboards echoed through the room, suddenly a maddening trumpet-like sound pierced through. When I blinked my eyes wondering what it was, several large beasts were rampaging about.

    (That¡¯s¡­an elephant? I guess?)

    A circular stage like a large theater spread out before our eyes.

    There was even a tiered upstairs seating area surrounding it. But nothing was being played out. The elephants stomped their feet. The water on the fountain flowed down from high, high up even though it was indoors.

    And then¡­ a huge crowd.

    An overflowing crowd of masked people, each in their own costume, drinking, singing, and laughing.

    Glittering confetti danced from above, and an orchestra played wildly in a melody I had never heard before.

    The clowns danced and the magicians performed enchanting magic. People dressed as fairies swayed on swings suspended from the high, high ceilings.

    ¡°Wha-¡­¡±

    My flippant resolve to try not to utter a word was quickly blown away.

    I couldn¡¯t help but speak out, and I couldn¡¯t shut my open mouth. Involuntarily, I grabbed the hem of the robe Mika was wearing. However, I could see that Mika, too, was frozen with his mouth open.

    (So even Mika didn¡¯t know about this at all¡­)

    It¡¯s not only me, who is socially inept. Even Mika seemed unaware that such a crazy evening party was taking place, which was unnerving.

    I can¡¯t believe that the organizer of tonight¡¯s event, who speaks so eloquently, is the ¡°Duke of Silence¡±. I had no idea at this point what in the world was the reason we were being called in for tonight, or why.

    Again, I gulped.

    Clenching my fists tightly, I slowly took a step toward the feast of madness with Mika.

    Behind us, a raven-like man closed the black door without a sound.

    The end of the summer of my second life¡­ ¡ªwas the beginning of a nightmarish night.

    **I¡¯m sorry the chapter updates have been inconsistent lately! Updates might become more sporadic from now on, but I¡¯ll try to update one chapter a week at least. Thank you for reading and all the support!

 CH 55

    ¡°Yes, this is my first time participating.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, is that so? Indeed, I don¡¯t think I have ever seen a mask with such magnificent horns.¡±

    ¡°I see. That person over there must be your lover, isn¡¯t that so Mister Goat? With a veil on top of the mask, I can see why you¡¯d want to protect them so closely.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    A lady with a peacock feather mask and a man with a laughing face mask, dressed like a clown glanced back at me.

    Mika apparently decided to start gathering information at this banquet of madness.

    I leaned against a pillar and gulped down my wine.

    I would like to join them, too. But it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea for me to let out my voice too much, and my heart was also still thumping loudly.

    The peacock lady smiled at Mika.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s obvious from the way they¡¯re carrying themself that they¡¯re a beautiful person.¡±

    ¡°You are beautiful as well, lady.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, thank you. But this place must be Duke Marcotte¡¯s land of night. Be careful. Don¡¯t let your darling with the one-winged butterfly mask¡­ get the other half of the wing stolen as well.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what kind of outfit Duke Marcotte will wear this evening.¡±

    Mika talked with those people for a while, but after a moment, Mika came back to stand next to me. And then, after letting out a sigh, he said.

    ¡°This is just my guess, but I think they¡¯re Viscountess Dayan and then Count Yvelle. They both said this is the third time they participated in this event.¡±

    ¡°The third time¡­ Then, just as I thought, this is not the first time this banquet has been held.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Mika kept staring at me, so I tilted my head in response. I couldn¡¯t see his expression, but I heard Mika¡¯s troubled voice. Mika, with one arm next to my face, whispered so close that we could almost touch.

    ¡°They said it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re a beautiful person even if you¡¯re wearing a mask. They asked me if we were lovers.¡±

    ¡°Lov-¡­N-No¡­ What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to pretend we¡¯re lovers? One-winged butterfly mask darling.¡±

    ¡°Mi-¡­ You¡¯ve been fooling around too much lately.¡±

    Through the veil, his fingers were pressing my lips again, and I couldn¡¯t help but get irritated.

    To be honest, I also had a thought that it would be fine because our status isn¡¯t known here, but it was still no good. The reason is that Duke Marcotte, who sent the mask, must surely be watching from somewhere to see who is me and who is Mika.

    ¡°So far, the people I¡¯ve talked to have only received invitations, not the masks as well. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°For this event, everyone probably requested a tailor to make their masks, right? From the information I gathered yesterday, the tailor who is in charge of the masks is cleverly concealed, but they have the backing from Duke Marcotte.¡±

    ¡°Then, Duke Marcotte is the only one who has at least a rough idea of the activities of all these participants.¡±

    I looked around this theater-like room.

    He said from the information he gathered yesterday¡­ When in the world did he have time for that? He must have predicted that it would be a masquerade ball, since we were given a mask. From there, he¡¯s really quick-witted to think of where the masks come from.

    (I see¡­ It¡¯s like Duke Marcotte is trying to see the essence of human nature, that he¡¯s even got his hands on a tailor to make the masks.)

    For a while now, I can hear laughter coming from many places. There are a few people here and there who seem to have let loose a little too much.

    When humans don¡¯t have their identity attached to them, their desires that are usually suppressed by reason may be released. From earlier, I had also noticed a few figures here and there disappearing quietly into a small room in the corner of this room that was partitioned off by a heavy curtain.

    This place would surely be perfect for a secret rendezvous.

    A place where people can leave their identity behind and do what they really want to do, or fulfill their desires.

    (If I can leave my identity behind, I¡­)

    Naturally, my eyes turned to the man in the goat mask standing next to me. And then, the man in the goat mask tilted his head. Inside my head, I can imagine him tilting his head with the usual expression Mika had on his face.

    Embarrassment and surprise pierced my chest.

    I shouldn¡¯t think about it.

    I immediately thought so and took a step backward. However, perhaps Mika thought that I was wobbling because of this, his hands went around my waist. Supported tightly, my whole body trembled.

    ¡°No-no good. Mi-¡­ I mean no. This is no good.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Your hands. I¡¯m okay, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you wobbling? Are you drunk?¡±

    Through the veil, I glanced at Mika¡¯s lips, which were not covered with the mask.

    Because of Mika who has been fooling around the other day, the things I shouldn¡¯t have been thinking about kept running through my head. I¡¯m glad I was wearing a mask. I¡¯m glad it had a veil with it. This wicked feeling of mine is probably not conveyed to Mika.

    ¡°Oh? I wonder if there¡¯s a sofa behind that curtain. Want to go there?¡±

    ¡°N-no. I¡¯m fine here.¡±

    For a while now, Mika had his back turned to that area when he was talking.

    While Mika was talking, I could imagine what was going on behind that curtain, but he couldn¡¯t. If we went to that place by mistake, I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep myself safe. My body won¡¯t be safe.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Mika said with a curious look on his face. I told him what I had noticed after I observed my surroundings.

    ¡°Rather than a social gathering, this is more of an entertainment¡­no, it¡¯s more like for pleasure. It¡¯s like they¡¯re gathering here for a deviation from their boring days. To get a scent of danger, a dream for a night, and such extraordinary things.

    ¡°Looks like it. I¡¯ve only talked to a few people here, but it seems like every event is held differently. That¡¯s why they seemed to be looking forward to each one. I wonder what the Duke of Marcotte¡¯s financial resources are like to be able to host these evening parties every month.¡±

    ¡°Every month¡­ That often?¡±

    ¡°It was said in the letter, ¡®An evening party of talks for elegant ladies and gentlemen¡¯. If the Silent Duke told you it¡¯s about ¡®talks¡¯, wouldn¡¯t everyone be interested?¡±

    A closer look at the decorations and clowns prepared by Duke Marcotte reveals this.

    Today there are fairies in the sky, then elephants and a fountain below. Perhaps it is inspired by ¡°Cedluka and the Labyrinth of Night¡±.

    The reason the peacock lady referred to this place as the ¡°land of night¡± earlier must be because she noticed the setting of this evening party.

    ¡°Cedluka and the Labyrinth of Night¡±

    It is the story of Cedluka, a farm boy who, unbeknownst to him, wanders into the land of fairies. Green elephants appeared in the story, and the elephants here are also decorated with a green color.

    The others seem to have come with their own masks, but the masks provided for us had a design of a goat and butterfly.

    These two characters also appeared in the story. I¡¯m not sure how much the people participating are aware of the story behind the story. Still¡­

    (Why did I get the butterfly one, and Mika the goat one?)

    The butterfly is probably referring to the fairy queen.

    Cedluka falls in love with the queen of fairyland. However, the fairy queen has a fianc¨¦, the Night King. The Night King, furious with Cedluka for falling in love with the fairy queen, throws him into the labyrinth of night.

    A goat that wandered into the fairyland with Cedluka showed him the way to return and he somehow escaped from the labyrinth, but the fairy queen refused to travel together with Cedluka to his original world. She said in tears, ¡°The world we live in is different¡±.

    (There are many interpretations. It is said that the queen did that because she couldn¡¯t be apart from the Night King, it is also said that it was to protect Cedluka from the Night King¡­.)

    In any case, Cedluka decided to go home, and the fairy queen quietly watched over him as she hid in the shadows of grass.

    This would be a tragic love story, but the adventure part of wandering the labyrinth is so popular that it is often performed as a play. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m being given a mask that would represent a fairy ¡°queen¡±, however.

    ¡°Mi-¡­Mister goat? If this is perhaps Cedluka and the Labyrinth of Night¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. There¡¯s one character we haven¡¯t seen yet.¡±

    A chill ran down my spine.

    My heart thumped rapidly and gave me a bad feeling.

    The gentleman with the laughing face mask earlier had said, ¡°I wonder what kind of outfit Duke Marcotte will wear this evening.¡± If I really was handed the mask representing the fairy queen, there is one person I would never want to meet.

    Mika is aware of this as well. We haven¡¯t seen him yet.

    The Duke of Marcotte himself, ¡­and also, the ¡°Night King¡±.

    I don¡¯t want that to be the case. I don¡¯t want to think that that¡¯s what he called me here for.

    Mika asked me.

    ¡°How old is Duke Marcotte, again¡­?¡±

    ¡°I think he was around fifty years old.¡±

    ¡°Does he have any children?¡±

    ¡°I heard it from my brother, but he should have a son who has never been seen in a social gathering.¡±

    Mika put his hand to his chin and looked down. I couldn¡¯t see his expression through his mask, but it was clear that he had a grim face.

    In my first life five years ago, no, even five years after that, the Duke of Marcotte remained silent. No matter what happens to His Majesty, no matter what happens to Brother Seth, no matter what happens to me, and perhaps¡ª no matter what happens to the country.

    I don¡¯t know what the intention is for this evening party. It was also a question of whether it was the current Duke of Marcotte or his eldest son who was hosting this evening party.

    ©¤©¤At that time.

    The audience was in a stir. I followed everyone¡¯s gaze and saw a large night-colored chair, similar to a throne, placed at a vantage point on the second floor. There, the jet-black king appeared, his long night-colored cloak fluttering.

    Cheers erupted from the whole audience.

    Then, the man sat down in that chair so roughly that you could almost hear the thud.

    (Uwaa¡­ The Night King¡¯s costume¡­ What¡¯s going on¡­)

    Since he wore a mask that covered his entire face, I couldn¡¯t see his facial expression. Still, he put his elbow on the chair, and he seemed to sit arrogantly in a reclining position on the chair.

    The person who followed the man who was probably Duke Marcotte, was the raven mask man from earlier. The raven said in a quiet but well-defined voice on behalf of the man who remained seated.

    ¡°Elegant ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining my master¡¯s ¡®evening party of talks¡¯ this evening. My master sincerely hopes that everyone will all spin a delightful evening¡¯s tale tonight.¡±

    For some reason, I thought the raven mask man turned to me and Mika, then smiled. But soon after a beautiful salute, the night king behind him stood up. He then raised the glass handed to him by the raven high and high.

    ¡°Ohhh!¡± Excited shouts of excitement rose from all around, and everyone raised a toast. At that moment, confetti flew up again.

    (What is it¡­? It¡¯s just a toast, but this level of popularity is¡­)

    Perhaps it was because each of the participants was dressed so eccentrically that he looked like a real ¡°Night King¡± with his strange creatures in tow. Mika also looked up at the man with a tense expression on his face, his mouth tied in a single line.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear his voice, so I don¡¯t know which one he was. But he doesn¡¯t look old.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ He seems quite young. Also, I have a bad feeling about this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been called all the way over here, the other party will probably make contact with me. Hopefully, we¡¯ll find out when we talk with him.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, I don¡¯t want to let you meet him, I don¡¯t want to let you meet him, I don¡¯t want to let you meet him.¡±

    Seeing Mika covering his ears and chanting something like it were a spell, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a strained laugh. Still, even Mika knows that it¡¯s better to make contact with him.

    If currently, the future is in the ¡°second prince route¡± as Vivienne told me, then it is a path that leads to the future I experienced in my first life.

    Is something causing the Dukes of Marcotte to behave differently this time around, or did something similar happen last time that I just didn¡¯t notice?

    I will have to ask Vivienne when the new semester starts.

    However, what can I do now?

    (The goal is to bring the Dukes of Marcotte, who remained silent last time, to the side of the first prince faction.)

    I don¡¯t know what their intention is.

    Still, since they had invited Mika and I like this, they must have been trying to make some kind of contact with me.

    ¡°I¡¯m royalty. If he knew it was me wearing this mask, he wouldn¡¯t act rudely to me.¡±

    ¡°I know. I just don¡¯t like the idea.¡±

    ¡°Would I be better off wandering around on my own?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you be alone here.¡±

    Even with the mask on, I could see Mika¡¯s serious face. He must be worried about me. But it was something I had already discussed with Mika.

    If I were to make contact with the Duke of Marcotte, perhaps Mika, as a knight, could at least be on guard, but he would not be able to be in the same seat with me. He knows this, which is why he is so grumpy.

    A little while later, Mika and I decided to walk through that hall of madness and down the dark hallway.

    Not the hallway that leads to the entrance from earlier, but the one with a classy large vase of flowers overlooking the courtyard. Just like real trees, tall summer flowers were arranged there.

    Those beautiful flowers seemed to soothe my tense heart just a little.

    How to put it¡­

    ¡°This hallway looks more like fairyland than the place earlier.¡±

    ¡°Then, the previous hall must be the labyrinth of night. That¡¯s right. There was also a king who reclined on his throne arrogantly, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­In that case, you seem to be the king of this land.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡±

    Mika and I both shook our shoulders at the sound of a voice calling us from right behind.

    It was a low, masculine voice. It even sounds somewhat soft. Still¡­

    (Mika didn¡¯t even notice his presence¡­! What is going on?)

    My eyes met Mika¡¯s eyes peeking through the mask.

    Normally, it would be impolite to suddenly talk to me, a royalty, but I wasn¡¯t quite sure if it would apply on such an occasion as now. Mika should have been surprised too. We both turned around slowly.

    Standing behind us was the one we just saw earlier¡­ the ¡°Night King¡±.

    The mask that covered his entire face, when seen up close, was as ominous as an imaginary demon king. It looks more frightening because of the black outfit he¡¯s wearing.

    However, he was more soft-mannered than the figure that was sitting reclined on that throne-like chair.

    As I blinked my eyes wondering what to do, his night-colored cloak fluttered and the Night King softly bowed to me. Then, with slow and graceful movements, my hand was taken and kissed with his masked face.

    My heart skipped a beat.

    Then¡­ he said to me. It was like he was inviting me to the land of night.

    ¡°Could I have your time tonight? Dear butterfly.¡±

 CH 56

    A wistful night breeze blew through the air, reminding me of the end of summer.

    The veil I¡¯m wearing swayed softly. The Night King, whom I assumed to be Duke Marcotte, led me to a large balcony on the second floor.

    Unlike the hall earlier, only the rustling and swaying of leaves echoed pleasantly.

    The raven man, who suddenly appeared before I noticed, told Mika to remain at the front of the balcony. Mika would be displeased, but I knew that if anything went wrong, Mika would be watching through the window and it would be fine.

    The man¡¯s cloak slowly fluttered as if leading the way for me. Although he has not introduced himself yet, this man is quite tall. I¡¯m not certain because he is wearing a mask, but I think he is a little taller than Mika.

    He wears gloves on his hands. Besides, I noticed it earlier when he kissed the back of my hand with his mask on. This man is also wearing a black cloth under his mask, and even the color of his hair is not visible.

    (If I could just check to see if his hair is gray or not, I would know which one he is. That means he¡¯s very well-prepared¡­)

    He¡¯s probably the eldest son, but I am at a loss to judge, as some people¡¯s voices may not change much even at an older age, and others may be physically fit even at an older age.

    Is there some reason why he just can¡¯t show his skin?

    The man turned around and asked, ¡°May I speak to you tonight without the formalities?¡± I agreed, thinking it would give me a better view of the other party¡¯s intentions. The man began to talk.

    ¡°Which one do you suppose I am?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well¡­ Is it okay for you to ask such a thing? In a place like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. I invited you here, after all. Which one do you think I am, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Louis Marcotte, I think.¡±

    He spoke calmly, so I thought that maybe he is the current Duke Marcotte. But I still had a strong impression of his earlier impertinence, so I answered with the name of the son, Louis. I stared at his frightening mask, thinking that he was a man who spoke in riddles.

    The man put his hand in front of his mask, put his face close to my ear¡­ and whispered.

    ¡°It would be scary if it was neither of us, is it not?¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    A sickening sensation ran through my spine.

    That¡¯s right. He won¡¯t say who or what he is. So I don¡¯t even know who this man is. The raven man from earlier also only referred to him as ¡°Master¡± or something like that.

    But I¡¯m sure that if he intended to harm me, he wouldn¡¯t have been this roundabout with it. There should be many better ways to do it.

    At the very least, it must be someone associated with the Duke of Marcotte, since he is familiar with the mansion¡¯s construction.

    However, the anxiety and uncertainty made my body tremble.

    I would feel a little better if Mika was next to me. However, this man went so far as to say that he would not talk if Mika was present.

    The man continued, still not saying his name.

    ¡°You are feeling scared now. And then, you are thinking that you want to rely on your knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°You are beautiful, pure, and honest. And also¡­ clueless.¡±

    Suddenly, I felt as if cold water had been poured over my head.

    It was not wrong for him to say so, since he had said he¡¯ll ¡°talk without the formalities¡± in order for him to talk openly.

    But what he pointed out was something I was very aware of. In my first life, I lost everything because of that cluelessness, and I also destroyed myself.

    Now, I am trying to change little by little, but not everything is going well.

    About Edessa, about the ¡°ears¡± I wanted to place all over the country, about magical plants, about everyday magic, and the many things I had to do in the coming new school semester. On top of that, all those things are not known to other nobles.

    I¡¯m nothing more than a clueless third prince who keeps withdrawing himself.

    I gritted my back teeth and endured the sadness that threatens to overflow.

    The man seemed to be looking at me, then said.

    ¡°You are feeling sad now. You are someone who feels sad, and not angry, when your vassal points out something of you.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Marcotte has witnessed history. This has been the case since the founding of this country, when we received this title. There is much to learn from history. On that basis, I believe that the country is now facing a tremendous crisis.¡±

    History¡­ Indeed, even at the academy, we have studied the history of this country, the Malacia Kingdom, and the Rubrum Empire. But it was just a thing of the past, so I don¡¯t think much of it. But when the phrase ¡°tremendous crisis¡± came from the Duke of Marcotte, who had decided to remain silent until the very end even in my first life, it made me wonder what was going on.

    Perhaps this is meant to be advice from him to the royal family? That kind of optimistic thinking went through my head.

    But even that thinking seemed to be seen through by him, and he said to me in a tone of dismay.

    ¡°You are indeed beautiful, Your Highness. You are so very pure that it seemed as if you had descended from heaven, or truly from the land of the fairies, to this country. Trusting others is a virtue. However¡­ the one you are dealing with is not your friend.¡±

    Getting told harsh things, I feel intimidated.

    I know that he¡¯s saying very harsh things in an unpleasant way, but perhaps because of the soft tone of his voice, there is a nostalgic feeling to it, and I almost misunderstand.

    Even though he was just saying that he¡¯s not my ally.

    And then, when I was about to ask what of the history that he mentioned¡­ I was hit with the question of why I was called here in the first place. If he thinks the country is in great danger, it should be my older brothers who get called here at the very least.

    ¡°Why did you only send invitations to me and not to my older brothers?¡±

    ¡°You cannot be sure of that yet. Perhaps your older brothers were here as well?¡±

    ¡°I wish you would stop talking in riddles like that.¡±

    ¡°But that is¡­ what nobility is. The thing you have been avoiding.¡±

    I gritted my back teeth as I was quickly cut off.

    Where is the issue?

    He said that perhaps the country is facing a crisis, so I was sure he had something to tell me, some advice, something to tell me to do. But he just dodged and dodged everything, it was as if I was being played.

    ¡°And so, what are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing? Well, let¡¯s see. Then, as I was impressed by the beauty of Your Highness, let me gush out my true intentions. I was not going to tell you, but I let it slip out of my mouth. Tonight, only for Your Highness the butterfly. I have never, nor will I ever, invite other princes here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    What a sarcastic way for a man to talk! I feel like my stomach is boiling. Under the mask, furrowing my brow, I thought to myself, I¡¯m asking the reason why I¡¯m the only one invited here!

    ¡°You are thinking, ¡®Why me?¡¯ now. You are also feeling a little irritated. Your Highness, who is so honest and straightforward, reveals everything clearly to the other person.¡±

    As he said that, I gasped in realization.

    Just now, the other party was not a friend or anything, he was preaching what it was like to have a conversation as a nobility, but I ended up becoming emotional. I grunted in response, thinking that I always seem to get caught in his pace.

    But it¡¯s not time to say something like that.

    I always ran away from what I thought I didn¡¯t like, and what I reached was a future of being burned at the stake. Whatever this man¡¯s intentions are, I will not make the same mistake this time.

    The thoughts I had just before I died, and the thoughts I had this summer, pass through my mind.

    What I did wrong, on top of being incompetent and clueless, was that I was always running away from things.

    ¡°Are you trying to say I¡¯m foolish?¡±

    ¡°You are angry at me. And then, you feel regret and sadness for what you had done up until now. It becomes even easier to understand. You are an adorable one.¡±

    He talks about it as if he¡¯s trying to soothe a child.

    I want to put this conversation back on my pace somehow. Since returning from death, I have repeated the experiments at every social gathering, albeit only a little. And yet, here I am, at the mercy of someone who is clearly more skilled, and I can¡¯t say anything back.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s frustrating.

    No, maybe I don¡¯t have to say anything back. I couldn¡¯t even make room for a smirk or a smile.

    I heard a hint of him chuckling.

    And then, it disturbed me even more.

    ¡°Your two older brother princes won¡¯t move with their roles. There is a struggle for the throne in every generation. Marcotte has witnessed it all the time. The clueless, incompetent, and foolish third prince is only beautiful, but you are a piece that can move.¡±

    Again, I reminded myself that I¡¯m the one who allowed him to talk without the formalities.

    I knew it myself, but I had never been told such things so directly.

    If I had to say, I think in my first life Mika was desperately trying to tell me something close to that.

    I bit my lips tightly.

    ¡°Are you frustrated? But, you may be a free piece with the power to change history.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You are the unknown. There is also a possibility that you will amount to nothing. However, ¡­I wanted to meet with you because the pieces that had been immobile began to move in unpredictable ways.¡±

    I was relieved that he chose the word unknown to describe it.

    Just as he said, there is a possibility of me failing without being able to become anything. As was the case in my first life, there might be a future where I lose everything and probably can¡¯t even defend my country. However, if he described me as unknown, he¡¯s probably expecting me to do something a little bit¡­ That¡¯s what I thought.

    I hesitated about what to do, and still decided to ask in shame.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

 CH 57

    ¡°¡­Is there something that I can do?¡±

    ¡°Why must I tell you? History will repeat itself. That is all Marcotte knows.¡±

    I wonder what is waiting for me in the future.

    History is a thing of the past, but this man seems to know even all the way to the future.

    I don¡¯t know the reason even if I think about it, but because of the man¡¯s disturbing words, Mika¡¯s face flickers in my mind and it makes me feel restless.

    I looked toward the window and saw Mika standing tall and looking at me.

    No, this is not the time to be worried. I¡¯m sure Mika must be trying to get some information from that raven man. I turned to the man, thinking that I should do my best too, and he told me something as if piercing a nail in me.

    ¡°Do you feel safe to have that knight around? When in doubt, you can ask, and you can even escape into those arms. That knight is also not good. He does not realize that being kind and protective can sometimes ruin a person.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ Mika is a reliable knight.¡±

    I told him what I honestly believe.

    But the man turned his head to me and said in a cold tone of voice.

    ¡°Then, I will ask you. I know two of your secrets. They are something you do not want that knight to know. If you do not want me to tell your secrets to that knight¡ª Please comply with what I say. How do you wish to proceed?¡±

    ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You are in love with that knight.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    Why, how, I wondered, a sense of uneasiness spreading inside me.

    Whether this man is Duke Marcotte or his son, there is no doubt he is someone I spoke to for the first time today. How, just how can he say such a thing? But I can¡¯t let him figure out everything here.

    I shouldn¡¯t panic and show my weakness, as I did with Vivienne.

    I have to put up a good front. Do not convey impatience.

    ¡°There is no way such a stupid thing can be true.¡±

    ¡°Then, shall I tell him about it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s!¡±

    ¡°See? You are too honest, and you ended up sharing your secret with me. If you do not wish for that knight to know about it, would you-¡­¡±

    Saying this, the man put his gloved hand on my chin and pushed his opposite hand¡¯s fingertips to my lips through the veil.

    Then he told me.

    ¡°Would you pretend that we are lovers?¡±

    At that moment, a feeling of embarrassment overcame me.

    I was embarrassed, felt miserable about myself, and there was nothing I could do. Because earlier, Mika pressed his fingertips to my lips through the veil in the same way and said the same thing to me.

    And then, that¡¯s when I remembered what I thought about that time.

    (We were being watched¡­ When Mika said that to me earlier¡­)

    Then I learned that we were being overheard at that time.

    The thing I thought at the time was not getting through to Mika, was getting through to this man who was watching somewhere else.

    I remembered being kissed jokingly, I remembered us looking at the small room behind the curtains, and I remembered imagining what it would be like if I were a nobody from nowhere.

    I thought it was okay because I wore a veil and a mask.

    But it was this man who went out of his way to invite us, even going so far as to present us with masks. I had thought about the possibility of being watched from somewhere, but I still failed.

    Not everyone will be on my side like Vivienne.

    I guess he figured it out just by my small gestures and the expression on my mouth.

    And so, this is how he could grasp my secret¡­ and my weakness.

    (On top of that, I couldn¡¯t even gloss it over when he pointed it out to me!)

    I felt so ashamed to death.

    I thought that it couldn¡¯t be helped that I was getting told as someone clueless, incompetent, and foolish. I clench my fists in frustration, feeling like I almost hate myself.

    The man continued.

    ¡°What would you do if Rashed Rubrum told you so?¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    ¡°That man would not ask so nicely like this. He immediately finds a weakness, and takes advantage of it. Your enemy is cunning. He is quick-witted, well-prepared, strong, and ruthless. Can you keep your will even if that knight¡¯s life is used as a shield? Every time you have something important to you, you also increase your weaknesses. Your Highness, who is only beautiful and pure, is no match for him.¡±

    The man¡¯s fingers slid slowly across my jaw, and I gritted my back teeth.

    The faces of Mika, my brother, Vivienne, Tillois, Marie, then Taluha and his family came to mind.

    The man was right.

    I have a lot of things I want to protect in my arms, but in this situation, everything ended up slipping out through my arms.

    I thought about my failure in my first life.

    I¡¯m sure that today this man was observing me and examining me to see what kind of person I am. And then, perhaps he pointed out the carelessness he immediately noticed. Perhaps, over the ¡°unknown¡±.

    (Surely this was not a story Mika could be allowed to hear¡­)

    I have a feeling that this man is not a bad person. But he¡¯s not on my side. I can¡¯t read his true nature. Come to think of it, I thought and asked.

    ¡°I want you¡­ tell me your name.¡±

    ¡°It is a secret. Adorable prince.¡±

    When he easily refused to do what I expected, and I tilted my head and wondered why, then he told me, ¡°I1Only on this line, Marcotte speaks out of character than usual. He used the polite first-person pronoun ¡®watashi¡¯ up until now, but in this line he uses ¡®ore¡¯ and sounds more casual with his speech.* just like to have fun.¡±

    (I*, he said¡­)

    I don¡¯t know the reason for the silence of the current Duke Marcotte and his son about the situation of our country. But either way, it seems that this man is silent because he doesn¡¯t care as long as he enjoys it.

    If this man is Louis, perhaps it was really his true nature to have that insolent attitude after all.

    He¡¯s probably older than me and Mika. However¡­ there is something strange about it. I will have to ask Mika about it later. I asked, wondering if I would be able to see his face one day.

    ¡°Why do you hide your head and even your hands?¡±

    ¡°The reason is something you would hear often. My burn scars are hideous, half my face looks terrible, and there is a spot on my head where there is no hair on it.¡±

    The man casually stated while touching the area around his ear, looking at the night view spread out on his left side.

    While feeling a little surprised, I squeezed out my voice, ¡°Burn scars, huh¡­that must have been tough.¡± When I finally looked at the frightening mask, the man approached me and said right in front of me.

    ¡°If Your Highness would ask for it in a cute manner, I may show it to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Apparently, he has that kind of personality on the inside.

    If he is the son that my brother had never seen before, perhaps he¡¯s under house arrest by the Duke because of this unrestrained behavior, I also thought of that. Either way, he¡¯s an unreadable man.

    ¡°As for your other secret, I will tell you about it when we meet again.¡±

    I sigh inwardly. What in the world is the other secret that he knows?

    The man¡¯s night-colored cloak was blown by the wind.

    Then, one last time, he gently pressed my nose through the veil, as if to remind me of the embarrassment I had just experienced earlier.

    ¡°Good night, Your Highness the butterfly.¡±

 CH 58

    ¡°I feel¡­somewhat tired. He didn¡¯t do anything to you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He was a strange man. Speaking of which¡­I wonder which one he was.¡±

    ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t he the son?¡±

    I was taking a break while sitting on a bench placed in a hallway that looked like a fairyland with Mika.

    I leaned back against the wall as we both looked at the beautiful white flowers blooming before us. Judging from Mika¡¯s reaction, it seems that the raven man was not someone ordinary either.

    ¡°His voice is¡­ No, it¡¯s just a voice, so I can¡¯t say for sure. He even said that he could be neither of them.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that old, wasn¡¯t he the son?¡±

    ¡°No, he spoke in a calm tone when I talked to him properly. He might not reach his thirties¡­ or forties yet.¡±

    ¡°Louis Marcotte¡¯s age is unknown in the royal castle records, was it?¡±

    That¡¯s right. Before attending this evening party, I had been searching in the records of the royal castle with Mika regarding the Dukes of Marcotte.

    Duke Marcotte is not married. He adopted a child when he was approaching his mid-thirties. A person in the castle¡¯s library also said that there was a rumor that it might be a memento of his brother who died at the same time.

    Thus, for example, if the son had been adopted at age 20, he would be around 35 years old now. But if the son had been adopted at age 0, he would be around 15 years old, not so different from me and Mika.

    However, for some reason, the only thing missing was a reference to Louis Marcotte¡¯s age no matter where I looked. Of course, I also looked up information on Duke Marcotte¡¯s brother, but there was no mention of a son there either.

    Putting aside what the man was saying, I was curious about his calm manner of speaking as if he were in his thirties.

    No matter how I look at it, that man was full of mystery.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible for someone to erase the records in the royal castle?¡±

    ¡°Dunno, well, I can only say it¡¯s only possible because he¡¯s Marcotte. Why don¡¯t you ask His Majesty when you get a chance?¡±

    ¡°You mean there might have been some kind of deal.¡±

    Is such a thing even possible?

    Rather, why did they have to go to such lengths to keep his existence a secret? If they wanted to hide something in the first place, they should have hidden even the fact that he was adopted. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he was acting in a way that only hid his age.

    As I groaned in confusion, Mika asked.

    ¡°Did he seem like an enemy or an ally?¡±

    ¡°It feels like neither. But he said something about if you look at history, you can see that this country is facing a crisis.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then it was like he was giving you advice, huh.¡±

    ¡°No, he also told me that I¡¯m the third prince who is clueless, incompetent, foolish, and only beautiful¡­¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    After the Night King who was like a storm had left, my head slowly cooled down, and then¡­to be honest, I was feeling dejected.

    Along with the realization that what he told me was probably not wrong.

    Mika seemed irritated and said, ¡°That was too rude,¡± and put his arm on his leg then put his cheek on his palm. I was relieved to see that Mika got angry for my sake like that, but what the man said earlier about me being ¡°spoiled¡± by Mika was still on my mind.

    (Certainly, since I started to be together with Mika more often, I may have thought that it was discouraging without him around¡­)

    When someone looks at it from the side, does it seem like I was being spoiled?

    It¡¯s a difficult thing. I tried doing my hardest, but I haven¡¯t produced any results in the end.

    If I was able to accomplish anything, it was to negotiate with Tillois, and that was only possible because of Mika and Vivienne.

    (He said that I¡¯m only beautiful¡­)

    The word ¡°beautiful¡± seemed like a compliment, but it was nothing more than being called a decorative prince.

    That man even mentioned Rashed Rubrum. He doesn¡¯t know the future as I and Vivienne do. This country is also currently at peace on the surface. But instead of saying that Rashed¡¯s presence is dangerous, he said that the country is facing a crisis.

    I think of the emperor of the neighboring country I have yet to meet.

    (He must also hate people who only have beautiful looks, with more people like that around him. On top of that, I¡¯m also clueless and incompetent¡­This is all really¡­)

    Makes me hate myself.

    But I was told that I was an unknown, for better or worse. I¡¯m not just beautiful¡­I also want to be a free pawn who can cross paths with nobility and royalty.

    When I thought of this, Antoine¡¯s book came to mind.

    That was the story of the rise of a noble¡¯s daughter. That is, until she was being called the siren.

    (I should read it again¡­)

    I was almost disgusted with myself for repeatedly trying to peruse the kind of book that Marie preferred to read. However, I wanted to rise to the top even though I was born a prince, so a small sacrifice may be necessary to achieve it.

    Come to think of it, I thought and asked Mika.

    ¡°How was the raven man?¡±

    ¡°He was an off-putting man. How to put it, he¡¯s smirking like he¡¯s mocking and ridiculing you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. So even you have someone you struggle putting up with, Mika.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what it was. It was like he was hitting my weakness, or that he could see right through me.¡±

    As I listened, it made me wonder if a knight would also end up being similar to his master.

    Because I had the same impression of the Night King. Mika, perhaps remembering something that had been said to him, tilted his head while thinking and then said to me.

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t think that the Night King is neither Duke Marcotte nor his son.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°The raven man kept fooling around, but he did verbalize from time to time something like loyalty to the Dukes of Marcotte.¡±

    I was a little relieved to hear Mika say that. I thought that it couldn¡¯t be anyone else but them, but I was curious if he was the son with the unknown age.

    However, at that moment, Mika, who was still placing his cheek on his palm, reacted with a twitch. Then he pursed his lips and said.

    ¡°Nagi, let¡¯s take our leave for the day. I have a feeling something bad is about to start.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­This banquet may not just be a masquerade party.¡±

    What did Mika react to, I wonder? As I thought so, I tried to listen carefully as well.

    I think I heard something that sounded like a scream.

    It was different from the laughter and the elephants¡¯ cries that echoed through the mad banquet from earlier. It was something more like¡­human excitement? Something that sounds like a cheer. While wondering what it was, I quickly stood up. I heard Mika say, ¡°Hold on, Nagi. You shouldn¡¯t look at it,¡± while standing still. But I was still bothered about what the man said to me earlier.

    ¨D¨D¡±He does not realize that sometimes being kind and protective can sometimes ruin a person.¡±¨D¨D

    There was nothing wrong with Mika¡¯s action. But right now, I had the feeling that Mika was trying to protect me from something and was telling me to return back home. While feeling Mika¡¯s footsteps chasing after me to stop me from behind, I still ran.

    With each step, the screams become louder.

    A lustrous, resonant voice. Then, as if some sort of settlement had been reached, a cheer erupted.

    I didn¡¯t hear any noise in the corridor with the black door I had just passed through, but the corridor I was running down had normal echoes of voices.

    Thump, thump, thump, thump. My heart beats fast, in time with the sound of my footsteps. Then it beats even faster.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    He was probably hesitant to call me by name. I could hear Mika¡¯s voice just right behind me. But I slowly pushed the door leading to the hall I had just reached. Loud cheers echoed through the room.

    ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡±

    The room was even dimmer than before.

    There were no more elephants, fairies, or fountains from earlier. However, only the theater in the center of the building was lit by a strong, shimmering magic light.

    The stage is surrounded by what looks like a giant birdcage. Inside, I saw naked men fighting with each other.

    The cheeks of the man pinned down on the floor were swollen, and it was clear that there had been a fight.

    However¡­

    Sweat ran down the men¡¯s skin as their glistening skin was illuminated. Rather than a fight, what happened in front of me was¡­more like intercourse, and I gulped.

    ¨D¨D¡±I just like to have fun.¡±¨D¨D

    The man¡¯s words from earlier came back to my mind and sent a shiver down my spine.

    Gently, the front of my eyes was covered with something warm.

    I could hear Mika¡¯s voice in my ear.

    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s better not to look.¡±

    ¡°No way¡­could it be, they¡¯re slaves?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s forbidden in this country, so we can¡¯t call them that in general. That¡¯s¡­ No, let¡¯s just leave for now. It¡¯s not good to be here in your position. There¡¯s also a nasty guy behind us.¡±

    I was surprised after he told me that. I looked back quickly.

    I heard the door slam shut as I took my hand away. Mika¡¯s hand released me and there stood the raven man from earlier.

    ¡°Your way home is this way. The climax is about to start, though.¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth and get away from there.¡±

    Mika said that in a scary voice.

    Then, he grabbed my hand and led me onward to the entrance of the Historie Palace.

    As if they knew we were leaving, there was one black carriage there. Then we left the palace.

    I glanced back through the window and saw the raven man standing there, waving his hand with a smile on his face.

    Then, once the carriage entered the city, as if they had once again estimated the time, several black carriages drove alongside us and scattered in various directions.

    (Even on the way home, they¡¯re manipulating it so no one knows who we are¡­)

    My heart, thumping and beating faster than usual, didn¡¯t stop until we reached the royal castle.

    I wonder who in the world that man was. What on earth was that evening party supposed to be about? Should I really have participated until the end? Various questions were swirling around in my head.

    The shocking scenes I saw for a brief moment in the end also made this night a nightmare.

    I got out of the carriage, removed my mask on the way, and made my way to my room in the royal castle.

    As soon as the door closed behind me, I felt exhausted. Then, I was supported by a strong arm.

    ¡°Mika¡­¡±

    ¡°I think to put it nicely, they were gladiators. But it¡¯s a grotesque event with a nasty rule: the loser gets eaten.¡±

    ¡°But everyone was so happy about it¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s just like what you said. Everyone wants to enjoy a one-night dream that takes them out of their daily routine¡­¡±

    Mika said that as if spitting it out.

    What have we gotten ourselves into? For a while, both Mika and I stood in front of the door in silence. Then we went back to each other¡¯s bedrooms.

    There were so many things about this night that I didn¡¯t understand, I really felt like I was lost in the ¡°Labyrinth of Night¡± with Mika.

    (It was truly a nightmarish night¡­)

    I was so tired that I passed out to sleep. When I wake up in the morning, I¡¯m sure Marie will scream when she sees me sleeping in these clothes. But for now, I gently let go of my consciousness, as if I wanted to hear Marie¡¯s scream.

    We don¡¯t know what the Night King and the raven man whispered to each other as they looked out at our carriage from the upstairs window.

    ¡°Those two are so cute, aren¡¯t they? They even discussed things with each other side by side on the bench. Master sure is a mean one.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you planning to pluck it just when it¡¯s delicious enough for harvesting? Powerful nobles sure think about dirty things, I see. When you think of their fate from now on, will it wither? or will it get fired up?¡±

    ¡°You seem to be having a lot of fun.¡±

    The raven man hummed in a strange way as he put his hand on the window.

    ¡°After all, isn¡¯t it funny? If you think about whether their fate will be better than Rashed Rubrum¡¯s or not. His Highness Nagi has a lot of enemies.¡±

 CH 59

    1-8. The Terrifying New School Term¡¯s Offense and Defense

    ¡°Oh gosh. What¡¯s with that low-spirited look on your face.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­didn¡¯t you say you won¡¯t talk to me at school?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a greeting. Just greeting you won¡¯t be a big deal, we also danced together.¡±

    After a tumultuous summer, the new school semester began today.

    To tell the truth, Mika and I were still feeling like we couldn¡¯t wake up from a nightmare. There were several times when we looked at each other and I saw that Mika looked very scared and distressed.

    During the last few days of summer vacation, after making sure I didn¡¯t leave the royal castle, Mika also went out to the city a few times to check something out.

    After that nightmarish night, returning to the usual peaceful school made me feel relieved.

    Mika and I were having our usual sandwich in the courtyard when Vivienne, who was passing by, spotted us and came over to talk to us.

    The other party that had greeted us sat down on the cloth that Mika had laid out.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sit here. We went through a lot of things because of Marcotte you see¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? Did you make contact with him?¡±

    ¡°A lot has happened¡­ That¡¯s right, does Marcotte appear in your book?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t. He was just like how he is in this world. He felt like the silent Marcotte. The Uniacs also weren¡¯t talked about that much in the book. The Ackersons were the only ones who appeared frequently. Tillois is the love target after all, and I¡¯m the villainess.¡±

    I had heard that not much was written about things not related to the main plot. But if we talk about villain roles, I thought that Marcotte was exactly like a villain. I always thought he had been ¡®silent¡¯ all this time, but I wonder if he was doing those things in the background in my first life, too.

    Mika also had a grim expression on his face.

    ¡°Do I have any connections with Marcotte in the book?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t written. Well, Mika doesn¡¯t even appear in the book. Being a villain in the book is like ¡®Bam!¡¯ you have a flashy entrance, laugh loudly while distorting your face, and threaten the main character. A background setting or the like is not needed for villains, only their bad parts are written after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a terrible way to treat villains.¡±

    According to Vivienne, my role was to fall in love with brother Seth and indulge in debauchery.

    Even that was only the setting for my character and wasn¡¯t actually written in the book. So, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s really true. I only appeared in the book in the scenes with Brother Seth. However, although I¡¯m a man, it seems that the intensity of my jealousy surpasses even Vivienne¡¯s, making me a very difficult character.

    (Is that¡­really me?)

    Ever since I heard that from Vivienne, I¡¯ve always thought something was wrong with it.

    I feel like other people¡¯s personalities don¡¯t seem to change much from the book to the real thing, but I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t seem to fit that description at all. I fell in love with Brother Seth (I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true), I was also terribly jealous and lecherous.

    I thought about it while holding my head.

    But, well, maybe there are such irregularities. After all, when we see Vivienne, she is very different from the Vivienne in the book. Baroness Tessier was just like in the book if we looked only at the surface, but she seemed very different on the inside.

    Unrelatedly, Vivienne in the book was in the role of a villain for three people: Tillois¡¯ route, Brother Vincent¡¯s route, and Jelaire¡¯s route. How to put it, she¡¯s beyond redemption.

    I remembered something after talking about Baroness Tessier and beyond redemption. That¡¯s right¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tough semester, Mika.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Miss Vivienne¡¯s harsh bullying is starting, isn¡¯t it? By the way, it seems that Baroness Tessier often shows up at the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Orphanage? Is it for charity?¡±

    ¡°Emilia is a kind-hearted girl. In the book, there was a description of her playing with the kids at the orphanage. But when I think about that night, I know she¡¯s different in this world.¡±

    As I listened to Mika¡¯s report, I wondered when he had looked into such things.

    Perhaps he spent the last few days of summer looking into the Duke of Marcotte and Baroness Tessier?

    I had a lot of things to do with magical plants myself, so I don¡¯t know all of Mika¡¯s activities. He¡¯s really good at dealing with things, or, though I don¡¯t like to admit it, he¡¯s a capable knight¡­that¡¯s what I thought.

    ¡°Why are you bullying the kind-hearted Baroness Tessier?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t bully her, it was me in the book¡­! But Your Highness, think about it, a lot of things are happening this semester¡­ Swordsmanship Tournament, Magic Battle, Magic Research Presentation.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s the matter with that?¡±

    All of these events will take place at the academy this fall.

    It is intended as an opportunity to present our results from the first and second semester at the academy, but since the school is attended by students with various characteristics, each student can choose one of the categories in which they excel. It is an event that all students must participate in, as it is part of the grading process.

    Those who excel in swordsmanship such as Mika and Oswald will be evaluated based on their performance in the Swordsmanship Tournament, those who excel in fighting with magic will be evaluated in the Magic Battle, and those who are engaged in academic research will participate in Research Presentations in their respective grades.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Those events also appeared in the book. Your Highness Nagi and I both do something mean after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­Like what?¡±

    ¡°If Emilia enters the magic battle, I¡¯ll rip off her robe. If she chooses to present her research, I¡¯ll rip off her report.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just ripping everything apart.¡±

    Both Mika and I chuckled, thinking what a low-level harassment that was.

    But surely, if a frail baroness were to have her clothes torn off by a duchess or the third prince, it would be a traumatic situation from which she would never recover. People around her would also start treating her gingerly.

    Thinking about Vivienne, I think I should prioritize her over me this semester.

    She was going to limit herself to just greeting me, but then she got anxious and started talking about her worries.

    ¡°What are you going to do with one foot already in the execution, Vivienne? Even if you have the needle item, you really have to struggle through this semester.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of holding a lot of tea parties this semester! I¡¯ve been thinking about it and preparing for a lot of things this summer using the future knowledge cheat. I thought I would show it off at the tea party and raise my reputation. Expanding my power! When I heard that Your Highness Nagi was doing his best, I thought that I would also do my best together with you.¡±

    I was relieved to hear Vivienne say so, her sparkling crimson eyes twinkling.

    She was a strange woman, but I was afraid that she was worried about things. A smile broke out from me.

    (Vivienne is really a strong person.)

    As I looked at Vivienne while thinking about that, my eyes met hers as she held both of her own cheeks between her hands with an entranced expression on her face.

    Even though I had just been thinking some good things about her, I thought with my eyebrows furrowed.

    Sure enough, the usual strange breathing and sighs escaped Vivian.

    ¡°So precious~ Haa¡­ You¡¯re so precious~ so beautiful~¡±

    It seemed that Vivienne liked my appearance. ¡°It¡¯s only for viewing purposes, though.¡± She always adds something that I don¡¯t quite understand. But when I suddenly notice it, I feel restless because I feel like my face is being watched.

    At any rate, I¡¯m glad to hear that Vivienne has some plans herself, leaving aside her strange behavior. Mika and I decided to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn¡¯t get framed.

    From the swordsmanship tournament, magic battle, and research presentation, there are certainly a lot of events happening this fall.

    While thinking that I would be in the magic battle, but Mika would probably be in the sword competition, I suddenly remembered.

    ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ve always wondered why that book has Jelaire¡¯s route in it but not Oswald.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Well, you can tell by looking at the real person, but it¡¯s because he¡¯s too stiff and there¡¯s zero chance of developing a romantic relationship with him.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have anything else in his eyes but His Highness Seth, after all. Mika probably didn¡¯t appear in the book for the same reason. Well, Oswald is often depicted next to His Highness Seth, as expected of him.¡±

    I don¡¯t know about Mika, but from my point of view, I think that even Jelaire is mostly only looking at Brother Vincent, though. I thought I¡¯d have to ask one more thing, and when I was about to open my mouth¡­

    From the other side, I saw Tillois walking toward us while looking around.

    As I looked at Tillois, I saw that he had apparently followed Vivienne, and the color of his face turned pale when he found her sitting with us. ¡°Sister!¡± He shouted that and said, ¡°I am sorry, Your Highness,¡± as he dragged Vivienne just like that and walked away.

    He¡¯s a tough little brother.

    Ah, but¡­ I want to ask just this one last thing.

    ¡°Vivienne. Who is the villain in Renalge¡¯s route? ¡±

    ¡°Kyaaa, Your Highness, help me! Wait, um, about that question¡­¡±

    As she was being dragged, Vivienne said.

    ¡°You¡¯re also the villain in that route, Your Highness Nagi! Probably because the book can¡¯t make that many villains! Maybe to save time?¡±

    ¡°Eh, me? I have no connection to Renalge whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly¡­he¡¯s forcing you to go along with his magic experiments!¡±

    ¡ªHuh?! Tell me more about that in detail¡­

    ¡°Help~ me~¡±

 CH 60

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    On the first day of the new school term, I was on my way to the ¡°Magical Botany¡± classroom with Mika.

    Perhaps because I arrived early, there seemed to be only a few students in the classroom. But then I spotted the back of a light purple-haired female student at the front of a row of horizontal desks.

    (Oh, that¡¯s Gislette. I have to greet her¡­)

    However, when I saw a hunchbacked man with a tuft of tentacle-looking hair sitting next to her, I tilted my head in wonder.

    The man was sitting next to Gislette, someone whom I had never seen talking until that time before the summer break.

    I wondered who it was, and looked at the man with soft, pale, yellow hair that was different from Mika. As I was thinking that he looked like a small bird, I noticed at that moment.

    (Huh, ah! Wait, huh, he¡¯s Renalge Pomfrey!)

    Certainly, this magical botany is a class not only for fifth-year students, sixth-year students can also take the course. But who would think that Renalge would go out of his way to attend magical botany class? As I wondered about that, I looked back at Mika behind me.

    Mika said ¡°Ah,¡± and then continued.

    ¡°Speaking of which, Renalge Pomfrey might have come from Count Dupont¡¯s territory.¡±

    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s some kind of childhood friend with Gislette?¡±

    Although Renalge had received the title of viscount for his exceptional achievements, Baron Pomfrey was originally a court nobleman without a territory. It is not so strange if he was born and raised in Count Dupont¡¯s territory, which is close to the royal capital.

    I just heard that I am the ¡®villain¡¯ in Renalge¡¯s route, which makes me feel a little awkward.

    But, Gislette is a classmate who went out of her way to talk to me. I couldn¡¯t afford not to greet her, so I walked to her side and called out to her.

    ¡°Good day, Gislette.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness Nagi. Did you have a relaxing summer break?¡±

    As usual, Gislette is a quiet student whose expression does not change much, but when I greeted her, I felt as if her eyes lit up.

    Mika also smiled and greeted her, then he sat down with me across the aisle at the horizontal desk on the left.

    Also, I didn¡¯t bring any unusual magical plants with me today! Although I just noticed it at this moment, I was a little relieved that Gislette was not looking for something like that from me.

    ¡°Yes, I went to Mika¡¯s place¡­I even visited Cote de Marais.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I also spent a leisurely time in the territory. How is your skullcap plant doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going well. In addition, my research on magical plants has progressed considerably this summer, and I worked hard to breed Antoine¡¯s thorn rose to thrive in a hot environment¡­that¡¯s what I did.¡±

    ¡°I-i-i-i-is that true? The royal castle¡¯s greenhouse¡­ Umm, it must be there, at the part of the garden that¡¯s not open to the public, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Gislette is usually a quiet person, but she seems to really like magical plants.

    However, that¡¯s right. As was the case for Brother Vincent¡¯s birthday, the gardens of the royal castle are basically open for that kind of evening parties and tea parties. But of course, there are many areas that are off limits, and part of it is my greenhouse.

    There is both a greenhouse section that grows plants that prefer warmer climates and a garden section that grows plants that do fine in the year-round climate of Pluvia, both of which I actually own and create in part of the gardens at the royal castle.

    It was clear that Gislette wanted to see the magic plants, but¡­

    (I can¡¯t invite a young lady to a party because of my position¡­ But if it¡¯s more than one person, maybe it¡¯s possible?)

    Even though I thought so, and I¡¯m sure Gislette would have understood, it was at the moment I tried to open my mouth to refuse.

    Renalge, who had been sitting to the right of Gislette, got up from the other side of the desk, walked around and passed in front of the podium, and deliberately sat back down next to Gislette¡¯s left side, which has one empty space.

    ¡°What?¡± Gislette¡¯s voice, filled with anger, can be heard from behind Renalge.

    And then he glanced over at me. Yellow-green eyes that seemed half-closed looked at me.

    ¡°Eh? Ah, um¡­ Nice to meet you, Renalge.¡±

    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Your Highness Nagi. May I sit next to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh, yes, go ahead.¡±

    You¡¯re already sitting down. though¡­ While thinking about that, I looked at the sleepy Renalge.

    Is there something he wanted to talk about to me? I thought of that, but there is no sign of him ever talking. I heard Gislette¡¯s angry voice from behind him as he sat while slumping forward and did not move.

    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m talking to His Highness right now. You¡¯re just sleeping anyway, so don¡¯t interrupt me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard to talk, so come back over here.¡±

    ¡°Gh.¡±

    I blinked my eyes at their interaction.

    Apparently, Renalge wanted to prevent Gislette from talking to me. But now that he closed his eyes, I don¡¯t know what his intentions are. As I was wondering if I shouldn¡¯t have minded him too much, Gislette¡¯s white fingers, the only things visible from my position, started shaking, and then, Bang! She hit Renalge¡¯s head with the instructional book she was holding.

    ¡°Huh?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel panicked.

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    ¡°Wake up, move aside. You¡¯re being rude to His Highness.¡±

    I looked back at Mika, wondering what to do. But seeing Mika shaking his head, I think we¡¯re not reaching an agreement. Then, since it was a great opportunity, I decided to take the plunge and talked to Renalge.

    ¡°You both seem to get along well, Renalge and Gislette.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re a fellow Pon and Pom.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean from the words Dupont and Pomfrey?¡±

    Mika quickly offered me a helping hand from behind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such a confusing thing,¡± Gislette¡¯s low voice echoed, and then she sighed before continuing.

    ¡°We have known each other since childhood. When I told him that His Highness Nagi showed me the skullcap plant in Magical Botany class, for some reason I didn¡¯t hear that he said was going to take the class as well. Even though it¡¯s not really a class that a sixth grader would take.¡±

    ¡°I see. Were you also interested in the skullcap plant, Renalge?¡±

    ¡°Not especially.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how to continue the conversation any further when he said this to me sleepily and with a yawn.

    Renalge Pomfrey is a genius who is called a ¡°wizard¡± in this world where most people can use magic. Normally, there was no need for him to attend the magic academy, but for some reason, he seemed to be attending every day.

    I had never seen him get along with anyone and wondered why he was at the academy, but then I saw his attitude toward Gislette. This is¡­

    (¡­Could it be that he has feelings for Gislette?)

    The moment I thought of this, I had a vision of a magic light bulb shining on my head.

    If so, it seems to me that Gislette could be the villain of Renalge¡¯s route in the book Vivienne was talking about. It also reminded me of the word ¡°to save time¡± that Vivienne said. However, as far as the two of them were concerned, Gislette didn¡¯t particularly seem like she had feelings for Renalge.

    I don¡¯t know if he really likes her, but it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s obsessed with her.

    (This is¡­ Perhaps if I invite Gislette, who loves magical plants, for research, then Renalge would also come along¡­?)

    In addition to researching magical plants, I also have to do my ¡°everyday magic research¡±. I don¡¯t know if Renalge is familiar with magical plants. But as far as the ice mages in Mika¡¯s territory, he was definitely someone who had the abilities necessary to do what I wanted to do with my everyday magic research.

    It¡¯s a point of contact with Renalge, who doesn¡¯t get along with anyone. Perhaps this could be a great opportunity.

    And at the same time, a glimpse of what Vivienne had said earlier flashed through my mind.

    (That¡¯s right¡­ Speaking of which, I thought I¡¯d start there too, but I was too busy over the summer to do it¡­)

    I clenched my fists tightly and closed my eyes. The sound of my throbbing heart became faster. My stomach aches slowly. Yes, this is the right amount of stress for me.

    Somehow Vivienne¡¯s voice saying, ¡°He¡¯s forcing you to go along with his magic experiments!¡± went through my mind, but here I go! I thought, and then I spoke out of momentum.

    ¡°Gislette, I¡¯m going to host a tea party at the royal castle next time, may I invite you? I¡¯m thinking of holding it by the greenhouse.¡±

    ¡°Huh?! A-are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s going to be a small thing with a few friends over, please come if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes! I would be delighted to attend.¡±

    That¡¯s right, it¡¯s a ¡°tea party.¡± Tea parties, the basis of socializing. Tea parties that everyone loves.

    However, I¡¯ve never held a tea party in my life. I never thought I wanted to hold one. I know it came off as a big deal to say I invited some ¡°friends¡± over, but honestly, the only person I could invite is Mika.

    This was a kind of combination of ¡°bluffing¡± and ¡°baiting¡± that I had been experimenting with. I glanced to my right, hoping that this would please, please bait Renalge as well.

    It¡¯s also just in time before other students probably arrive.

    As I was hoping it would work well, Renalge grabbed my arm. And soon after, Mika was swatting him down with a ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡±

    Surprised by Mika¡¯s words and actions, I noticed that Renalge¡¯s yellow-green eyes were staring at him. He was surprised by Mika¡¯s actions even though Mika had been using honorifics to him, who was, after all, his senior a moment ago.

    Then he told me.

    ¡°I¡¯m also¡­ a friend of Your Highness, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also a friend, right? We just talked, after all.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Please come over as well, Renalge.¡±

    The pressure of his words frightened me a little.

    However, this is exactly what I was hoping for! While thinking inwardly, I registered this combination of ¡°bluffing¡± and ¡°baiting¡± as an experiment for the technique of ¡°inducing¡±.

    Just at the right time, other students started to enter the classroom, so I stopped talking about it.

    Looking to my side, I saw that Renalge had already closed his eyes and was breathing softly in his sleep.

    (I wonder if the way I did it¡­was nasty.)

    As I was thinking about this, I looked to the side and my eyes met with Mika¡¯s.

    Then when I saw Mika¡¯s jade-green eyes narrowed with a sly grin, my heart skipped a beat.

    Huh, maybe it really was nasty after all! As I thought about it, I started to sweat. ¡°What?¡± I asked him with his eyes. He answered me just as is.

    ¡°I just thought you have a surprisingly nasty way of thinking.¡±

    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to say it that way!¡±

    It hit me like a punch.

    It was even harder after I realized that I like him. I was biting my lip, wondering if I had a bad personality after all, then Mika laughed and told me.

    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t seem to be tainted, Nagi. But if you¡¯re thinking properly to come up with that, then I think that¡¯s also your strength.¡±

    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±

    ¡°A tea party, huh. I can¡¯t wait to go to Nagi¡¯s tea party. I¡¯m also a friend, so I wonder if you¡¯ll invite me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a knight, though.¡±

    I put aside my earlier thought that the only person I could call a friend was Mika, and turned my head away to the side. I heard Mika¡¯s voice teasingly saying, ¡°Right, I forgot~¡± but I ignored it.

    Still¡­

    (He said I don¡¯t seem tainted¡­ With the way he said that-¡­)

    I recall what the Duke of Marcotte, the Night King, told me.

    I¡¯m only beautiful, but clueless and incompetent. But after hearing Mika¡¯s words¡­it made me reconsider a little bit.

    (Maybe I should make people think I¡¯m a foolish prince who only has a beautiful place, but if I¡¯m different on the inside it can be a ¡®strength¡¯?)

    Unlike Brother Seth, I do not have to look smart.

    Rather, as ¡®a piece that can move freely¡¯ that Duke of Marcotte said about me, it would probably be better if I don¡¯t look smart.

    ¡ªThat way, I¡¯d be able to move more freely, wouldn¡¯t I?

 CH 61

    ¡°Machina!¡±

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi, it has been a while. How was your summer break?¡±

    ¡°A lot of things happened. You helped me a lot during my time at Parthenios. Please give my regards to the Marquis.¡±

    Today was the day when elective subjects were concentrated from the morning to the afternoon. I noticed Machina sitting in the middle of the room in the everyday magic study classroom and sat down next to him. I felt relieved to see Machina looking at me with a smile on his face as usual.

    During my stay in Lambert territory, he guided me around every day and I think we got to know each other pretty well.

    Of course, Machina is probably taking a swordsmanship class, but since there are several swordsmanship classes a week with many students, it seems unlikely that he would be on the same schedule as Mika, who is taking a swordsmanship class at this time.

    ¡°Thank you for all your help with the magic plants as well.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Speaking of which, I heard about it. Your Highness will start relocating the refugee settlements before winter, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve also written to you about it in the letter, Machina. The paperwork went through and His Majesty¡¯s has granted permission.¡±

    That¡¯s right. Actually, I had been struggling with the refugee problem. When I had time, I worked with Mika to get a draft ready and submitted the proposal to my brother.

    Originally, the refugees themselves were a problem for the people of the Rubrum empire, but where to shelter them is a problem for this country. The ¡°disadvantages of having a refugee settlement in the border of Edessa¡± section written in my proposal was addressed to my brother, and even though we will leave the subsequent actions for another time, the relocation was to go ahead anyway.

    There has been no change in the response on the part of the Rubrum empire, which has left the refugees alone without even coming to pick them up, making all sorts of excuses.

    To tell the truth, the refugees are also fleeing oppression and would not want to be picked up. Even if the Rubrum Empire were to change its policy and come to pick up all of the refugees, those who really wanted to live in Pluvia would want to flee the settlement area and somehow find work.

    (Then again, that would be better than having Pluvia cover the costs.)

    It will be a shabby thing, but if they can help us with mass-producing magic plants in exchange for giving them temporary housing, it¡¯s not a bad policy to follow in the future. However¡­that is only a matter of the future, and we have yet to see the results of the magic plant research.

    If a little cultivation seemed to work, the first step would be to go negotiate the sale of the technique to the nearest town of the Rubrum empire from Pluvia.

    (If we can find the right technique so it can be sold, then¡­)

    This is what it comes down to.

    It¡¯s something that has been gradually paying off in Pluvia, but I don¡¯t even know if the plants can be bred in the same way in the Rubrum empire. After all, there is a legend that the reason why plants do not grow in the Rubrum Empire may be due to the unique contract magic of Rubrum. It also weakens magic effects¡­I¡¯ve heard rumors like that.

    When magic is involved, it is no wonder that something strange happened to the plant that caused it to wither the moment it was planted.

    (Anyway, I have to try everything.)

    I sighed, thinking about how I don¡¯t know the way to figure it out no matter how many times I thought about it.

    Machina, who seemed to have been watching the various expressions on my face, said.

    ¡°Fufu, I guess it is going to be tough going forward.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But if I don¡¯t do it, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to fail or not.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to Your Highness¡¯ efforts, our territory will be enriched.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±

    Machina also helped me a lot during the summer break.

    He got involved just because he happened to be in the ¡°Everyday Magic Study¡± class, but as I thought he was in my first life, he is a really reliable knight. I¡¯m glad we could go to Edessa together. I¡¯m glad that Machina is from Lambert territory.

    Speaking of which, Machina said he was taking the everyday magic study class to improve the conditions of the refugees, but¡­

    ¡°Have you decided on a specific theme for your everyday magic study research, Machina?¡±

    ¡°Well, I have been observing the lives of the refugees. I think that since our territory is close to a desert, it would be better if water were more accessible, so I¡¯m wondering if it would be possible to make water generation a little easier.¡±

    ¡°Water generation, I see.¡±

    Currently, in the Kingdom of Pluvia, people basically live on water drawn from the river for drinking water.

    Of course, there are wells in every town. With aristocrats, families often have a person who specializes in water magic and uses water in abundance.

    However, in the research of ¡°everyday magic,¡± the number of people interested in this field is extremely small, and the field is lagging behind, so I can¡¯t get past the feeling that this kind of magic is something rarely used by people. More and more offensive magic is being researched for use against monsters or for defending territory. That¡¯s because the nobles who invest in research as sponsors want that kind of magic.

    However, there are almost no nobles who want magic to be researched for the commoners.

    For the same reason, many nobles are not willing to allocate funds to it from the national treasury, so the research is not progressing well.

    The ¡°water generation¡± that Machina just mentioned would definitely be useful even for nobles if it were available. But it won¡¯t become everyday magic because nobles can just hire people for it, they have wells, and Pluvia is a country where water is never a problem.

    The kind of everyday magic that can be realized by simplifying existing magic and pouring a small amount of magic power¡­

    (I can do water generation with my magic as well, I could help him with that¡­)

    I¡¯ve been thinking of all the different ways, but surely if water generation becomes an everyday magic, it could be useful for what is about to happen.

    Remembering Renalge, who had successfully established ice magic as a magic circle, I was determined once again to somehow make a connection with him at the tea party.

    (Still, doing that just because he wants ice¡­he¡¯s really something. A genius is amazing.)

    But then I suddenly remembered my days at the C?te de Marais, and I became flustered.

    The Mika I saw running, and the Mika I saw on the beach at sunset, he was shining just as he used to¡­

    (We had a lot of fun¡­that summer.)

    It was like a few days to make up for the time I was away from Mika.

    ¡°That kiss is going too far, though!¡± I thought to myself, furrowing my eyebrows. But those days were like a treasure.

    I sighed, completely forgetting that I was talking to Machina.

    Then he asked me.

    ¡°¡­Did something happen with Mika?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I just thought you seem a little amorous, Your Highness Nagi.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    No, wait, wait, wait. I don¡¯t know why Machina would say such a thing. But, even if I seemed to be like that, why would that be because ¡°something has happened with Mika¡±?

    That¡¯s not true, I thought, and I couldn¡¯t help but stare blankly. Noticing that, Machina continued.

    ¡°Although by accident, I saw you two hugging each other, after all. I¡¯m very perceptive about such things. No need to hide it from me.¡±

    ¡°As I said, that was a mistake, Machina.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Was it really?¡±

    As he said that, I thought to myself.

    I was careless. What came to mind is the conversation with the ¡°Night King¡±. Whether it was Machina, Vivienne, or that man I had spoken to for the first time, they all found out about it. It always made me falter and ended up surrendering everything.

    I think the Night King is right.

    In order to protect Mika, I shouldn¡¯t let my feelings be known to so many people. As it is, it was already something I was going to keep in my heart for the rest of my life.

    Mika had always been touchy-feely since back then. I might also have been too lenient because we were childhood friends.

    I wish I had Antoine¡¯s soft, smiling face, but with a kind irrefutable authority. No¡­

    (Only saying ¡°I wish I had¡­¡± isn¡¯t enough. I have to bring it out now.)

    I rested my chin on my palm on the desk and looked at Machina, who was to my right, with a sidelong glance.

    As much as possible, I smiled only at the mouth and whispered in a low voice, hoping that I looked as beautiful as possible, thinking that the other party was the ¡°Night King¡±.

    ¡°Machina. ¡­It¡¯s troubling to hear you say something that isn¡¯t true.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    I may have sounded angry. But that should have been fine.

    The other party was not that man, it was Machina, and I was fine with that because he was really close to me separately. But what that man said to me left a deep scar inside me.

    I don¡¯t think I can take it if that man uses Mika to his advantage.

    (At the very least, I want to avoid letting this feeling leak out¡­)

    I¡¯m apologizing to Machina in my head, and just as the lecturer walked in, I stopped resting my chin on my palm and turned my gaze back to the front.

    Then, Machina¡¯s voice came from next to me.

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    As I said that, I smiled as usual, as if nothing had happened.

    I don¡¯t want to worsen my relationship with Machina. However, I only thought that it was wrong to talk about Mika verbally like this, that¡¯s all.

    But then, Machina continued.

    ¡°But¡­ if something happens, please tell me.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I want to help you¡­Your Highness.¡±

    I turned to my right and my heart skipped a beat when he told me so with a serious face.

    Then Machina, smiling glamorously as usual, added, ¡°I truly feel so, genuinely.¡±

    While hoping that he didn¡¯t find out that I was feeling flustered, I squeezed out the minimum response as a lord.

    ¡°Thank you, Machina. I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

 CH 62

    ¡°Speaking of which, did you hear about Vivienne¡¯s tea party?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I was surprised to see how different the participants looked after the tea party.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, you already saw it in person? Rumor has it that it can help make your hair, skin, and even nails incredibly beautiful. I had no idea that Vivienne knew of such techniques.¡±

    ¡°I heard that soon there will also be a trading company open in the royal capital under Vivienne¡¯s name¡­ Ah.¡±

    The female students walked while talking cheerfully from across the hallway, noticed me and Mika, and took a bow. When I said a simple, ¡°Good morning,¡± they replied with, ¡°Good morning!¡± in a radiant voice.

    I think I¡¯m getting used to greeting people.

    But, after I passed them, my eyes met with Mika¡¯s and we ended up laughing.

    ¡°It seems that Vivienne is doing well.¡±

    ¡°That time when she said ¡®I was going to do a knowledge cheat, but I didn¡¯t have any knowledge at all!¡¯ last summer was like a lie. I don¡¯t really get it, but I¡¯m glad she seems to have the needed knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, it seems like she came from a future world that is much more advanced than this one, after all. Even if she doesn¡¯t think she has enough knowledge, she should be able to figure it out.¡±

    Vivienne seemed to have really thought a lot about it over the summer.

    There were times when she was depressed that there was nothing she could do, but after she thought about it, it seems that the things she used to do on a daily basis, like makeup, hair, and nail care, were enough ¡®knowledge cheats¡¯ in this world.

    When I ran into her briefly, she was writhing with her hands as if she were holding an invisible apple, saying, ¡°Ugh, if only I had chemistry or some other skill, or the power to create creams and lotions¡­¡± But then when she tried what she could do to the best of her ability, apparently it was surprisingly well received.

    In her own words, she said, ¡°Thank God I¡¯m good with my hands.¡±

    ¡°She has a good eye for things. Also, the ladies with a high sense of beauty love the rumors about it.¡±

    ¡°I hear that those who want to be friends with Miss Vivienne are not only summoned at the school, but to her tea parties as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the most reassuring backing in our quest to expand our reach.¡±

    Vivienne is really amazing. As far as female students are concerned, she is gaining more and more allies.

    On the surface, the power of the second prince faction seems to be expanding, and the first prince faction is a little tense. The rumors seem to be spread out enough to cause tension on our side, and our position is somewhat delicate. But for now, as a friend, I¡¯m very happy for Vivienne, who is trying to get through the March of next year.

    But I can¡¯t just keep smiling. After all, I have to face my own problems too.

    ¡°So, Nagi, is everything ready for your tea party?¡±

    ¡°Huh, ah¡­ Well, the preparations are set. Only the preparations.¡±

    But we can¡¯t let it end up as just another tea party. Because, like Vivienne, we have to get some results from it. This time, the result is to get along with Renalge Pomfrey.

    The number of people who would like to get to know Renalge is as much as the stars in the sky, for example. However, Renalge never gets along with anyone up until now, he¡¯s neither taking advantage of nor being taken advantage of, and has persisted in solitude.

    Just because he followed Gislette doesn¡¯t mean he has any interest in me or anything. Thinking about it, the difficulty level is quite high.

    However, I got some good information from Vivienne.

    ¡ª¡±Renalge is attracted to Emilia¡¯s hard work on growing plants.¡±¡ª

    No, as far as I could tell, he was definitely attracted to Gislette. Well, I don¡¯t even really want him to be ¡®attracted¡¯ to me. However, I have great confidence in myself when it comes to the simple task of growing plants.

    Really, the third prince only has immense confidence in such a simple task¡­ It¡¯s depressing to think about it that way, but I once acquired the seeds of a rare magical plant and then spent eight years growing it into a mature tree and collecting the fruit.

    (That being said, a prince showing off about, ¡°I¡¯m working hard to grow these plants!¡± is still too embarrassing¡­)

    Vivienne said that Renalge thought only a strange person would work so hard to grow a mere grass and have such a happy face when it blooms.

    By that theory, most gardeners would be able to attract Renalge¡¯s attention.

    But, well, most people who approached Renalge are probably not gardeners, so it¡¯s not wrong that he has never got along with anyone.

    (But that means the reason he got along with Gislette¡­can be said because she loves magic plants.)

    Anyway, I hope to hear a little more about Renalge from Vivienne before next week¡¯s tea party.

    However, the fact that Mika has been looking at me like he has something to say since a while ago doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯s concerned about my tea party preparations. There was one other concern. And finally, it was pointed out to me.

    ¡°And? What do you plan to do by also inviting Patriel Faure?¡±

    Patriel, the person who spoke to me along with Gislette in the Magical Botany class. He is a small man, with round eyes and freckles, like a small animal.

    I¡¯d like to get along with him, but Mika was terribly wary of being approached by Patriel, who is in the ¡°neutral faction¡±.

    After seeing the guest list for the tea party earlier, Mika was a little tense.

    I feel a kind of intimidation as if he¡¯s saying, ¡°I warned you, and you¡¯re ignoring it?¡±

    ©¤©¤But.

    ¡°Yeah, Patriel is the one who reached out and spoke to me, after all. I might be able to pull him to our side if he¡¯s a neutralist.¡±

    ¡°¡­Nagi.¡±

    Mika¡¯s words are tinged with anger.

    That person is someone that Mika is wary of, after all. I, for one, had properly looked into the movements of the Viscount Faure family before inviting him. I don¡¯t quite understand why that person bothered Mika so much, but still.

    The words of ¡°Night King¡± passed through my mind. I can¡¯t remain incompetent. Besides, I have a bigger purpose. After all, I can¡¯t keep being protected by you, Mika¡­

    ¡°If something is questionable, then it¡¯s our principle not to touch it.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    Mika must have noticed something about Viscount Faure that I hadn¡¯t noticed. But instead of telling me what it was, I think he was trying to keep it away from me.

    But that¡¯s not enough.

    It¡¯s not that I want to get along with my ¡®friends¡¯.

    I want to interact with those nobles who are not my ¡®friends¡¯.

    (This is a decision I made with Mika. In order to have them in the palm of my hand, I have to take a step forward.)

    I stare at Mika, who looks surprised, and snorts smugly from above.

    Mika, don¡¯t you know? I¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m dealing with nobility.¡±

    I can only do it little by little, so it¡¯s fine like that.

    Patriel, from what I can tell, looks harmless and friendly. If he has some kind of underlying motive and I still think that he¡¯s easy to talk to, then I can pretend to be incompetent, just like what I decided last time (No¡­ I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m still incompetent). But, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be the right person for me to first practice how to probe someone¡¯s real intentions.

    We also have a common topic of discussion, magical plants.

    Isn¡¯t that right? While thinking about it, I looked at Mika with my eyelashes slightly down.

    Mika looked a bit upset after I hit the nail on the head, but then he sighed and said.

    ¡°You might be right.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m right!¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Leaving Mika with a frustrated look on his face, I proceeded to the courtyard while laughing on my high horse.

    It¡¯s lunchtime now, and I¡¯m still not socializing with others. I was feeling good about myself, forgetting about the fact that Mika is the one who buys my sandwich.

    But then, I heard Mika¡¯s voice from behind saying, ¡°Huh?¡± so I looked back.

    ¡°Wait, wouldn¡¯t that leave Miss Gislette being the only female student invited to the tea party?¡±

    That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t invite Vivienne because she¡¯s from the enemy faction, so for now I only have Gislette, Renalge, Patriel, and Mika. And to be precise, Mika is not an invited guest.

    So, after wondering what I should do, I decided to invite another female student.

    I hand Mika the invitation I had in my jacket pocket.

    ¡°Add her to the guest list as well.¡±

    Mika¡¯s face became even more surprised when he saw the address.

    The name written is¡ª the eldest daughter of the Countess of Treille, the lady who makes the school¡¯s newspaper.

    ¡ªYoshino Treille¡ª

    I¡¯m sensitive to people¡¯s rumors about me. Actually, since that night when I danced with Vivienne, I had received numerous requests for an interview. I think it¡¯s because I¡¯m royalty, but I did like the fact that people didn¡¯t suddenly start talking to me on the school grounds.

    However¡­ I think she was probably the one who called me the ¡®evil prince¡¯ in my first life.

    I could see Mika¡¯s face twitching and I laughed a little at the sight of it.

    With a reluctant look on his face, Mika said.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a pretty drastic move.¡±

    I think so, too. But I wanted to try to meet her when I hadn¡¯t done anything ¡®evil¡¯ yet, also to make her know what kind of person I am.

    I honestly don¡¯t know how it will turn out, but even so¡­

    ¡°¡­Well, better sooner than later?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡±

 CH 63

    ¡°Thank you for coming to the tea party today. Please enjoy your time here.¡±

    After much thought, I decided to have a table brought into the greenhouse and held the tea party there.

    I wanted Mika to sit in a seat as well, but he insisted on standing behind me. After a bit of hesitation, I suggested that we have a standing party instead if that was the case.

    Mika looked surprised, but after I said it myself, I thought it was a very good idea.

    After all, this was my first tea party.

    I was aware that I had done something drastic, even though I had never had a good conversation with anyone. So, rather than sitting and talking all the time, I felt that it should be better for me to walk around and talk to each people there.

    When I secretly told this to Vivienne, whom I met by chance, she said, ¡°I feel you. Just like how they say for the first date it¡¯s better to go to a place like a zoo, where there are many topics in front of you and it¡¯s hard to be silent,¡± she speaks about something that I don¡¯t quite understand again, but she seemed to agree with me.

    (I also held the party at a greenhouse, so everyone might want to take a walk around¡­)

    I don¡¯t think Mika will have anything to worry about today, as several knights will be waiting at the entrance to the greenhouse.

    I looked around, wondering who I should speak to first.

    Renalge seemed to be looking around at some unusual magic plants with Gislette. Patriel¡¯s eyes were shining too, as if he had found a plant he was interested in. Miss Yoshino also seemed very excited and was walking around.

    But¡­ the one that bothers me the most is this person after all.

    (Renalge¡­I really didn¡¯t expect him to come to the tea party.)

    My stomach felt tight as I looked at his fluffy, swaying, chick-colored hair.

    From what Vivienne said, it seems he was struck by the way Baroness Tessier put her body on the line to protect the roses she was growing during a storm.

    After she gave me that information, I thought about it for a while.

    A storm¡­ Well, even if a storm did come, my greenhouse is very solidly built, so it¡¯s probably not going to do anything to the plants inside. Even the ones growing outside have been granted a wind magic shield by Mika, and they are made to do so much more than repel storms.

    Or rather, in the first place, doing the act of shielding the flowers with my body¡­Can I do that?

    (Wait, I could never do something so embarrassing!)

    After agonizing for a few days, I kind of gave up on it.

    I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have another chance next time, so I decided to just hope to have a good time today. I would also like to at least have a conversation with Renalge. That¡¯s how I lowered my goal by several steps.

    Gislette and Patriel were looking so excited about having ¡°a tea party in His Highness¡¯s greenhouse!¡± Seeing the sparkle in their eyes, that alone made me glad I tried to do this. No, I¡¯m just getting started, so I¡¯m going to try to go as far as I can.

    As I stepped forward to speak to Renalge, I suddenly felt a gaze on me and looked up.

    There was Miss Yoshino, looking at me with a note in one hand.

    Alright, let¡¯s talk to her first! I prepared myself and opened my mouth.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Yoshino. Thank you for coming today.¡±

    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Your Highness Nagi. Thank you so much for inviting me here today!¡±

    In contrast to Gislette, I find her to be an energetic and cheerful female student.

    Although I¡¯ve only seen her from a distance, I¡¯ve always thought she looked aggressive in her interviews sometimes. But, I think her writing has a strange charm that invites the reader¡¯s sympathy.

    When I looked at her closely, I noticed her curly light brown hair was tied in two, giving her a cute look. Her olive eyes peek out from behind the glasses. After exchanging greetings with Mika as well, Miss Yoshino spoke to me.

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi, did you know that your stock has skyrocketed since the night of His Highness Vincent¡¯s birthday?¡±

    ¡°Huh, is that so?¡±

    ¡°The number of female students who want to become your fianc¨¦e is also doubling.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear.¡±

    It was rare for someone to praise me, and it makes me feel thrilled.

    To face Miss Yoshino today, my approach will be the same, which is without changing the impression of incompetence. However, I¡¯ll try to show off a little that I¡¯m useful for the country and boost the first prince faction. I¡¯m aiming for my image to not be negative, but at least a little positive.

    And then, I try to smile as beautifully and dignified as possible.

    ¡°It was rumored that you were seen smiling for the first time after Mika Chardin became your personal knight.¡±

    ¡°I see. We were childhood friends, to tell the truth.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow! So the rumors were true! As expected of Count Chardin. I¡¯m not surprised he read this far.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what? Huh, no, I don¡¯t think-¡­¡±

    Certainly, I thought that Count Chardin had foresight as well. However, what was he reading from me? If I haven¡¯t accomplished anything yet and even Count Chardin gets involved, it will be bad if I start acting like an evil prince from now on! It makes me feel panicked inside.

    I wait for Miss Yoshino¡¯s next words, wondering what she means.

    ¡°Fufufu. I already know, Your Highness. This time, you were active in the Marquis Lambert territory. I heard that you hired beastmen slaves¡­?¡±

    My heart jumped at those words.

    ¡ªThere was no mistake in the information.

    However, that wording probably doesn¡¯t sound good. If I affirm it here, it will be turned into an article about ¡°the third prince hiring beastmen slaves,¡± which will lead to one step closer to the future of me being the evil prince.

    I could tell Mika was trying to stop her.

    But, I stopped Mika¡¯s movement with a signal of my hand.

    ¡°Yoshino, do you know how beastmen were treated in the Rubrum Empire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that little children are used for sexual purposes, and adults for any kind of hard labor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The condition of refugee beastmen who fled to Lambert territory was horrible. The father and son beastmen that I met were the same. The father had one eye, and they both had terrible bruises all over their bodies. It seems that their kind-hearted master let them go, but my heart aches when I think of what¡¯s going on inside the Rubrum empire.¡±

    I can¡¯t always rely on Mika.

    This is something that I did. And then, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

    Miss Yoshino narrowed her eyes at me as if she was sizing me up, looking at my face as if she were observing me intently. In front of that impudent gaze, I thought of something.

    (The way that she gives me a penetrating look like this makes it easier for me to understand.)

    The man I spoke to at the end of the summer did not give me even one such glance, not even such a small piece of information. I feel frustrated with myself inwardly, but for now, I have to focus on the person in front of me.

    ¡°Yoshino, have you ever been to Lambert territory? You should try visiting there if you have the chance. There were many things I did not know until I went there for the first time this summer. There was just so much I couldn¡¯t figure out just from the books.¡±

    What I tried to convey was, ¡°Are you going to write an article about something that you haven¡¯t seen with your own eyes?¡± It was that kind of discouragement. It¡¯s not about my reputation or the slavery of the beastmen. I spoke to her pride as a journalist.

    I deliberately said so in a soft tone of voice. With a smile on my face.

    This should have been all right.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never been there. Yes, I¡¯ve also never seen a beastmen before, so I¡¯m interested.¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you really want to go, I can tell Machina about it.¡±

    If I tell Machina, this probably won¡¯t sound strange. He¡¯s good at socializing, after all. I am sure he will be able to handle it well.

    That reminds me, I thought, and I asked Miss Yoshino.

    ¡°Speaking of which, I got a request for an interview from you, but what did you want to write about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious! Of course, it¡¯s about the birthday party¡¯s ball! There are so many rumors reaching me, that there might even be a quadrangle relationship involving His Highness Vincent and Baroness Tessier?!¡±

    ¡°Quadrangle¡­ Ahaha, Baroness Tessier, huh¡­ My brother is playing too much, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Miss Yoshino¡¯s quill twitched slightly.

    I noticed that and realized. So she wants to know the reaction of the first prince faction. Everyone likes to gossip and say whatever they want, but there is an impression that Baroness Tessier is still just a baroness. However, Brother Vincent actually invited Baroness Tessier to his birthday party. She wants to know what we, the first prince faction, think of that reckless action.

    She must have wanted to ask Brother Seth about this if she could.

    However, I¡¯m sure Brother Seth won¡¯t have anything to do with her, and so¡­

    (She decided to choose¡­the slug prince¡­!)

    Originally, as someone from the first prince faction, I¡¯m sure I would have said things like, ¡°I¡¯m appalled at Brother Vincent¡¯s wrongdoings,¡± or ¡°I can¡¯t believe people would support such a second prince¡­¡± It should have been a thorny statement, and I am sure that Miss Yoshino would have wanted that.

    But¡­ that¡¯s no good.

    If I denounce Brother Vincent here, Vivienne¡¯s position will be in jeopardy. And then¡­the future of this country as well.

    Every move I make has the potential to lead to that future. I clenched my hands tightly.

    I had to emphasize that Baroness Tessier was nothing more than a little fly on the wall for the royal family.

    ¡°My sister-in-law, Vivienne, is a wonderful person. I¡¯m sure she will support Brother Seth¡¯s reign together with Brother Vincent.¡±

    That¡¯s right¡ª we are aiming for a future of the Pluvia Kingdom ruled by Brother Seth.

    I¡¯m the third prince who supports it.

    I don¡¯t know yet if I have a powerful enough smile to convince people. Still, I have nothing to admire but my face¡ª so I¡¯ll do the best I can with it.

    I make a smile that makes me look a little cold. This is the one I practiced the other day trying to silence Machina.

    I heard Miss Yoshino clearing her throat.

    However, as expected of a journalist. She persisted.

    ¡°To be honest¡­just between us, can you tell me if you have any feelings¡­for Miss Vivienne?¡±

    ¡°Fufu. That¡¯s not going to happen with my sister-in-law.¡±

    By daring to call her my sister-in-law, I intend to make my position clear.

    When I said this with a smile, Miss Yoshino shrugged her shoulders and made a show of trying to not seem too rude, drooping her shoulders and saying, ¡°I¡¯m a little disappointed.¡± But, the next thing she said made me freeze in my tracks.

    ¡°Your Highness Nagi is someone of many loves after all, so perhaps there could be something else¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    What does she mean by someone of many loves? I blinked my eyes in confusion. I felt a sharp tension, akin to a killing intent, from Mika.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t write about such things because of the politics involved.¡±

    ¡°Huh, I still don¡¯t understand what you mean, but¡­ Do you mean I¡¯m in love with someone?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu. Of course not, I¡¯m sorry for asking something rude! Your Highness, please tell me about the magic plants you¡¯re growing.¡±

    An unpleasant sweat trickled down my spine.

    She definitely knows that I was trying to evade the questions. No, if anything, Miss Yoshino took everything as my act of dodging the questions. Someone of many loves¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have been called that, unless it was obvious from the outside that I was in love with a number of people.

    Somehow, I felt like my heart was being tampered with while I didn¡¯t know¡­

    And then, I have the memory of having done something like that.

    (That was the reason for my execution¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, something was already happening without me knowing¡­?)

    Suddenly, my heartbeat speeds up.

    My sins that were laid out at the time of my execution¡ª the sin of ¡°fornication¡± included among them. For some reason, I could not help but feel that Miss Yoshino¡¯s words from earlier were connected to the reason why I was called the ¡°evil¡± prince. The warmth disappears from my fingers.

    I probably turned pale while listening to Miss Yoshino¡¯s discussion of magic plants.

    Mika spoke up.

    ¡°Pardon me, Miss Yoshino. His Highness Nagi would like a cup of tea, so we¡¯ll take our leave for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Oh my! I¡¯m sorry for not noticing. Your Highness, please take your time.¡±

    As she said so, we were sent off. Miss Yoshino herself is not a bad person.

    She is purely a journalist seeking the truth.

    But for some reason, a horrible feeling spread through me and I looked at Mika as if to cling to him.

    ¡°Mika¡­ I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Nagi. Let¡¯s just have a cup of tea and go talk to Senior Renalge and Miss Gislette.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Mhm¡­ Thanks.¡±

    Gently, he pulled my jacket over my shoulders, and I felt as if I had become a fragile being.

    I tried to be strong, and I immediately felt like I was being shown reality¡ª that future.

    I glanced at Mika.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you drink something warm, you¡¯ll be fine in no time. You did well, Nagi.¡±

    I was saved by that smile.

    I returned with Mika to the place where the tea cakes were placed, hoping that my heart, which was beating unpleasantly, would calm down a little.

 CH 64

    ¡°Your Highness~! Is this?! Could this be?!¡±

    It was when I had just taken a sip or two after Mika handed me a cup of hot tea. Gislette¡¯s excited voice rose from the distance, and the happy tone of her voice caused me to breathe a sigh of relief.

    There seemed to be something she wanted to know about in the area she was pointing at, so I put my cup down on the table and headed over.

    Mika asked me, ¡°Are you alright?¡± and it made me feel a little embarrassed. I gave a small nod to him and walked toward Gislette.

    (Really, I can¡¯t imagine that she has this side from how quiet she had always been¡­)

    As I approached Gislette, I gradually realized what it was that was making her eyes sparkle. Gislette then asked, her hands trembling with panic.

    ¡°Pa-pardon me for calling you all the way here, Your Highness! Umm, I was wondering if this plant might be the Rainbow Rose.¡±

    ¡°Impressive, Gislette. You noticed it so well.¡±

    ¡°I-I knew it! The light rings floating on this leaf gave me a hunch!¡±

    She excitedly pointed to a single light green bud. At first glance, it appears to be just a rosebud. I¡¯m impressed by the fact that she noticed it so well, even though there was only one flower in this greenhouse, and it was not particularly conspicuous. The potted plant was placed among other trees.

    If one looks closely, one can see that the leaves are distinctive, with a ring-like pattern emerging from them. The light rings disappear when the flower blooms open, though. I don¡¯t know the details of the Rainbow Rose either, only a few words of them in rare books.

    ¡°I thought¡­it was only¡­a product of fairy tale fantasies. Have you ever seen it bloom, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Yes, once when I was young.¡±

    ¡°No way! Um, i-is it true that¡­a rainbow appears?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I remember how beautiful it was.¡±

    I chuckled as I looked at Gislette, who was shaking as if she had met a fairy tale prince. But, I also understand her excitement. When I saw it, I couldn¡¯t believe it either.

    This Rainbow Rose, if one only hears the name, feels like it¡¯d be made up of rainbow-colored petals. However, this magical plant has an extraordinary way of blooming. At the moment the beautiful light blue rose blossoms, the light rings that had been floating on the leaves move to the petals as if absorbed, creating a real rainbow bridge from the center of the flower.

    It appeared in an old fairy tale in the kingdom of Pluvia, but not many people had ever seen the real thing.

    I could see that Gislette¡¯s eyes were slowly blurred with tears.

    I would love to be able to show her when it blooms someday, but it¡¯s placed in this greenhouse, after all. If I get married to Gislette, I could easily show her one day. But, that¡¯s not going to happen, I smiled with a troubled look on my face.

    A voice sounded from next to her.

    ¡°What¡¯s that, is that so amazing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. Please listen to me. Don¡¯t talk to me right now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is it tuna?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes it is. It is tuna.¡±

    It was a conversation between Renalge, who was still as sleepy as ever, and Gislette, who was standing still with her hands on her face. But, I didn¡¯t understand any of it, what¡¯s tuna? Mika and I looked at each other. Gislette, who had remained still, finally began to worship the Rainbow Rose. Then when I spaced out, Renalge gave an unexpected explanation.

    ¡°Gislette loves tuna so much, you see.¡±

    ¡°Huh, you mean the fish¡­?¡±

    ¡°When she¡¯s eating tuna, I can¡¯t talk to her because she¡¯s savoring it. Even now, it¡¯s tuna.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Oh, I see. So it means she¡¯s savoring it.¡±

    Indeed, fresh fish are not available in the royal capital very often, so I can understand how Gislette feels. Still, I laughed because I thought she and Renalge were very close. As I was looking at the Gislette worshiping the Rainbow Rose, wishing I could see her eating tuna next time, Renalge stared at me and said.

    ¡°You¡¯re cute when you smile, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Huh, ah¡­thank you.¡±

    Cute¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to feel getting told that by a man, I thought to myself. Mika often said such things to me, perhaps a habit from his childhood. But I had never been told such things by other men, and so my face twitched slightly.

    Rather, I was surprised on the inside that Renalge would say such a thing.

    ¡°Did you find any magical plants that interest you, Renalge?¡±

    ¡°Nothing in particular. Are there any magical plants that Your Highness finds interesting?¡±

    ¡°Huh. Ah, they¡¯re all very interesting to me.¡±

    ¡°All of them¡­ If so, what¡¯s so interesting about this plant?¡±

    Renalge seemed to have a hard time with talking politely. There are times when he speaks properly and when he gets stumped with it. As I thought about that, I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a flower with yellow petals and red polka dots. That ¡®s¡ª the Clown Vine.

    ¡°This plant makes a trumpet-like sound only when a child touches it.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make a sound like that otherwise?¡±

    ¡°No. Oh, but maybe it¡¯ll make a sound with you, Renalge. Try touching it.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    He ended up asking me why. It almost made me burst into laughter. I¡¯m a little curious as to what kind of criteria the plant has to define a ¡°child¡±. After I talked to him for a bit, Renalge seemed pure, so perhaps it might work? I was excited at the thought and waited for him to touch the plant.

    *buuup*

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha! It really made a sound.¡±

    ¡°Huh, wait! Are you the one who did that, Renalge?! Does this mean you¡¯re recognized as a child by the plant?!¡±

    As the silly sound rang, Mika burst out laughing and I laughed along with him. Gislette finally stopped worshiping the plant from earlier and looked back at us after hearing the trumpet-like sound. She reached out to try it herself, but as expected the Clown Vine did not respond. I could see Renalge biting his lip in annoyance.

    (Ah¡­ Oh no. He¡¯s kind of irritated!)

    I thought that this was not good, but Gislette didn¡¯t seem to mind at all and started talking about the flowers next to it.

    I wondered if it would be okay because Renalge is still my senior even if he¡¯s like that. I felt nervous on the inside, but he seemed to be talking to Mika about something, so I decided to look at the flowers with Gislette.

    ¡°Your Highness, could this be the Uneven Lily?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In fact, I was thinking of breeding these Uneven Lilies.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I can¡¯t remember if there is any benefit to it. Oh, this is the Pluvia Dandelion. It¡¯s very cute.¡±

    That¡¯s right. As a matter of fact, the Uneven Lily is not considered to have any particular benefits. And because it looks too uneven for a lily, it is not suitable for ornamental use, so it is not seen very often. I¡¯m surprised that Gislette knows so well.

    ¡ªHowever.

    A few years later, the amazing benefits of the Uneven Lily would be discovered, and everyone would buy it, causing quite a stir. So, I can¡¯t say the true reason why I¡¯m trying to breed them for now.

    ¡°Umm, Brother Seth likes this flower¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?! I see. But, I can understand why. It feels good to the touch, making you want to touch it again and again.¡±

    I just said something random out of desperation, but I wonder if it was okay. But unexpectedly, Gislette was tactful and cooperative. So, it feels good to the touch¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her observation, thinking that I had never touched them yet because I had only just started growing them.

    As I was talking about that, I turned around and noticed that Renalge was looking at an ephemeral white flower bud.

    Oh? Is he finally interested in magical plants? I decided to try talking to him.

    Renalge was looking at a slender, tall, white flower bud. It¡¯s not as rare as Rainbow Rose, but it¡¯s also a rare flower called Tsukuyomi.

    ¡°This plant only blooms on the night of a full moon. It¡¯s very beautiful, and people called it the moon goddess in Pluvia.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The only person I¡¯ve ever shown this plant to when it bloomed was Mika, as there were not many people at the royal castle in the middle of the night. I had wanted to show it to my brother too, but I couldn¡¯t possibly wake him up in the middle of the night and bring him here, as he is a very busy person. So, we had been the only ones who could see its beauty, which I thought was a waste.

    (Perhaps I could hold an evening tea party here someday? ¡­No, it¡¯s too late in the evening for unmarried men and women to gather.)

    Gislette¡¯s smile from earlier had crossed my mind for a moment, but it was a bad idea after all.

    I was disappointed that I wouldn¡¯t be able to show it to Renalge either, even though he seemed interested in it. I dropped my shoulder. But then Renalge continued the conversation, and my heart filled with a warm glow of anticipation.

    ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about magical plants in your opinion, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Well, they made me feel so amazed that I¡¯m at a loss for words. Ordinary plants are amazing as is, but magical plants are said to have been created by ancient sages who were able to hear the voices of plants and grant the wishes of each plant.¡±

    ¡°The wishes of each plant¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true, though. But we can dream, right? That¡¯s why, I¡¯m sure that even the clown vine from earlier must have wanted to make children laugh. And then, fufu, maybe¡­it wants to make you laugh too, Renalge.¡±

    After I said it, I remembered Renalge¡¯s grumpy look from earlier, and I panicked. Yet, when I fearfully looked at his face¡ª

    (Huh? I¡¯ve never seen this expression on his face before¡­)

    I saw Renalge with his mouth open and his eyes blinking, and it made me blink my eyes too. But after a moment, I was relieved to see Renalge muttering, ¡°Hmm,¡± curiously and looking back at Clown Vine.

    Then he stared at me and asked.

    ¡°¡­What time will it be?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, you mean about the Tsukuyomi? Right, that reminds me, it¡¯s a full moon today. ¡ªIt blooms just exactly at midnight.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡±

    Saying this, Renalge walked quickly toward the tea cakes.

    Hm? I tilted my head.

    As I looked off at his robed back, I thought it would be difficult to get to know him. Still, like Gislette, this was the first time I had seen Renalge in conversation with other people, and I thought I had talked to him quite nicely.

    No, maybe I just wanted to think on a brighter note because I had just been told something disturbing. I glanced at Mika and saw him smiling at me again. I breathed out a sigh of relief.

    (I think¡­I feel a little better now.)

 CH 65

    ¡°in the end, i couldn¡¯t ask renalge about something¡­¡±

    ¡°come to think of it, what were you going to ask of him?¡±

    after the tea party, which had been a difficult time in many ways, mika and i were relaxing on the couch in the parlor of our bedroom.

    ¡°ah, ¡­i wanted him to help me with everyday magic.¡±

    ¡°hmm¡­that¡¯s the class with machina in it, right?¡±

    ¡°right, right. machina wants to simplify water generation, and i thought i might be able to help.¡±

    ¡°you don¡¯t have to help him.¡±

    i smiled bitterly, thinking of the oddly prickly way he said it.

    it may be because there is a swordsmanship tournament that mika will be participating in this semester. i thought mika was definitely holding back all this time, but still, he has always been in third place and machina has always been in first place, so he must be bothered by it.

    still, machina had been such a big help in the summer. if there¡¯s anything i can do to help him, i¡¯d like to help.

    (either way, i have to do something in class.)

    if renalge could help, there was a magic i was considering. however, since that is unlikely to happen at present, i secretly thought that it would be a good idea to make it a joint research project with machina. after all, the magic type that machina is good at is, i believe, lightning magic. i¡¯m sure he would have a hard time simplifying the water magic method.

    hmm¡­ as i thought about it, mika asked me a question as if he just remembered something.

    ¡°ah, right. how was patriel faure?¡±

    as he told me that, i tried to remember patriel from today.

    he was a friendly person with an ever-changing facial expression. he talked well with miss yoshino, with gislette, and with me. i think he has a natural talent for brightening up the place.

    i thought he was a very nice person, ¡­that was what i¡¯m about to tell mika. but then, i suddenly remembered something. that reminds me, when miss yoshino asked patriel the name of a magical plant, he wrote down the name of that difficult plant for her in a notepad that she had with her.

    that image that popped into my head bothered me.

    (what was it¡­ there¡¯s something about that handwriting, i¡¯ve seen it somewhere¡­)

    i have some kind of momentary memory that lingers in my head in weird places. i don¡¯t remember everything, but once i see something, i don¡¯t forget it quickly. the cat in the morning after i returned from death, the lessons at the academy, and especially in this second life, i spend a lot of time paying attention to the differences. i¡¯m sure that if something bothered me, it means i saw it somewhere in the first life.

    where was it¡­?

    it¡¯s about handwriting, so it must be from some kind of document. what kind of document? i never had a class with patriel in my first life, so it must be an office-related document. written report¡­ what report? faure¡­ his father is gillian faure.

    gillian faure.

    viscount faure, as i recall, was the head of the department that dealt with the problems of the commoners. no one wanted to work for commoners, and the image of a good-natured viscount must have been imposed upon him.

    the report about the issue of commoners brought up by viscount faure¡­ the issue of commoners.

    the moment i thought that much¡ª a chill ran down my spine.

    (no way¡­it was that. the report about the taurus mine.)

    seeing me freeze up, mika looked at me questioningly and asked, ¡°are you okay?¡±

    i held up my palm at mika as if telling him to wait a moment, and thought about it. mika was pouring water from a jug into a glass.

    (wait. the report about taurus mine. that¡¯s the one in which the information inside was tampered with, wasn¡¯t it?)

    does this mean that it was written by patriel and not by viscount gillian himself? i will have to check other reports and viscount faure¡¯s handwriting later. as a general rule, it is strictly forbidden to take documents out of the castle, but do they ever bring them home?

    however¡ª in the first place.

    (why? why did patriel do something to the document??)

    what does this mean? i recall the contents of the document as i think about it.

    originally, i think it was supposed to be ¡°to protest about improvements in working conditions, baroness tessier was kidnapped during a chance visit to the mines, where a cave-in occurred and people died.¡±

    however, the report on my first life instead said, ¡°a riot broke out and a ¡®noble¡¯ was kidnapped in the heat of the moment. ackerson used great magic in order to suppress it, and people died.¡±

    this is what is being done here.

    ¨C concealing the possibility that brother vincent was there (if what vivienne said about the rescue by a hero with the highest affection meter is correct).

    ¨C making up an incident that a riot by commoners occurred (actually only an attempt).

    ¨C the lie that ackerson unleashed great magic on the commoners who protested against the harsh working environment.

    the result of this was as follows.

    ¨C the composition of ¡°commoners vs. nobles¡± is presented vividly in the form of a ¡°massacre¡± in the country.

    ¨C increased hate against the royalty and nobility by commoners who learned about the solution used, by violence.

    ¨C increase in the price of magic ore, domestic turmoil.

    ¨C lowering ackerson¡¯s image.

    ¨C (they seem to not want to bring the existence of the second prince to light.)

    i¡¯m sure they had something prepared originally, but the people who made up this incident very likely had forced a cave-in that should have been just an accident to turn into a riot (unless they knew about the cave-in incident, like vivienne).

    because vivienne, who knew the future, was quick in her escape, leon was the only one who was eventually caught in the cave-in and no one died this time. in addition, tillois would have changed the mayor and revised the system, so there should have been no riots in the future.

    (i haven¡¯t received any strange reports from leon either¡­)

    but if it was patriel who wrote that report, then the supposedly neutral faure family was, for some reason in the first life, probably aiding and abetting the rubrum empire who were behind them.

    what i have to think about is why patriel wrote the document and not gillian faure.

    i tried to remember the situation in the first world.

    at that time, the country was in terrible turmoil. the department undertaking the problems of the commoners was probably extremely busy.

    (wait. when was the information tampered with?)

    the dukes of ackerson are, generally, all serious people.

    for example, if the report came up to tillois in the first world, it is very likely that he believed the report of the riot because the territorial army was really in motion and such at the time the report went to him.

    and if it was indeed brother vincent who was involved in the ¡°kidnapping of a noble¡±, ackerson, a member of the second prince faction, might have been forced to conceal the fact.

    (because it would have been an ugly story that while on a secret trip with baroness tessier, his lover was kidnapped by commoners and involved in a riot¡­ this is just my hunch, but vivienne in the first world would have been furious with jealousy, so¡­)

    hmm, i put my hand on my chin.

    tillois is still having a hard time because of his reckless sister, but even in my first life, his position is crushing my stomach just thinking about it. it must have been a difficult decision.

    then, the wrong report arrived at the royal castle as it was.

    (actually, that¡¯s where gillian¡¯s department was supposed to go to confirm the facts¡­)

    if the name of the party involved is hidden as ¡°a noble¡± there is no way the document will pass inspection. besides, it was a case that caused so much trouble in the country. at the very least, it¡¯s the usual arrangement to send someone over.

    even if someone was dispatched and found something was wrong or unclear, and if a true report existed, but it was falsified when it got to me, then the person who wrote it would likely have been erased. or maybe that person ended up on their hands too.

    ¡ªi wonder if it was really patriel who did it.

    i wonder if that righteous gillian faure was unaware of this. but, as i recall, he became ill because he was extremely busy with this case, and after that, the person who handles the commoner issues changed.

    if i remember correctly¡­

    wait, no way. a chill ran down my spine.

    (i-it was baron tessier! no one wanted to take gillian faure¡¯s place, so the lower nobility pushed it to each other, and then¡­!)

    this is terrifying. too terrifying. wait, since when are they setting this up?

    could it be that from the beginning, everything was meticulously planned, from the riot to the false report, all to get baron tessier in that position?

    honestly, ¡­i couldn¡¯t believe it.

    does that mean even five years before i was executed, this country has been so thoroughly corrupted?

    (rashed rubrum¡­)

    a sickening sweat dripped slowly.

    because, if that was the case, then the subsequent reports on the commoners¡¯ riots could have been tampered with. this is not good. i must avoid having gillian faure withdraw from the commoner correspondence division at all costs.

    i can¡¯t let baron tessier take his place.

    i have a new thing i need to look into. i need to investigate the surroundings of gillian faure. i don¡¯t know at what point in time. but someone is going to instigate patriel.

    but¡­ not yet.

    yes, but, not yet¡­

    (¡­surely, it hasn¡¯t happened yet. patriel should have done nothing either.)

    no, mika is on guard with him, after all. maybe there is already something wrong with him. it was right to invite him to the tea party to find out what patriel would be up to in the future.

    that falsification of information was on this winter¡¯s report. it¡¯s already october now.

    mika said, ¡°hm?¡± and asked me with his eyes. i gasped at the realization that i had been silent for quite some time.

    no, it doesn¡¯t matter. i should have done the right thing.

    i can¡¯t tell mika about this. then i said to mika with a smile.

    ¡°¡­i think i need to get to know him better and see how things will be going.¡±

    ¡°hmm. is that so?¡±

    for some reason, mika¡¯s eyes narrowed and he stared at me for a while, as if he was probing me. but then mika said again, ¡°hmm,¡± as if to convince himself. after that he went, ¡°i¡¯ll look into it, too,¡± and he didn¡¯t seem to want to continue this conversation any further.

    perhaps thinking of changing the subject, mika asked me about the continuation of what i had just said about machina.

    ¡°what about you, nagi? what are you going to research?¡±

    ¡°yeah, l¡­¡±

    it was when i was about to answer him. there was a sense of tension as mika twitched and searched for a presence. then, i was told.

    ¡°nagi, ¡­there¡¯s an intruder.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°in your greenhouse. i know because my wind barriers are over there.¡±

    ¡°¡­what? in the greenhouse?¡±

    who in the world would break into that greenhouse, even though we just had a tea party there this afternoon, and for what purpose? could it be that gislette wanted to see the magic plants at night¡­? or maybe a raccoon wandered in? that and other irrelevant thoughts were going through my head, but eventually, i got curious and decided to go with mika to see what was going on.

    then, i quietly peeked into the greenhouse from behind a tree and saw someone with fluffy, chick-colored hair standing there. i exchanged glances with mika.

    ¡°huh¡­that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°renalge pomfrey.¡±

    as mika said, we could see renalge standing there alone.

    that area is where the clown vine was located¡­i thought about that and noticed something. when i looked up at the night sky, the beautiful full moon was shining brightly.

    ¡°ah!¡±

    ¡°do you know something about this?¡±

    ¡°maybe he¡¯s here to see the flower that only blooms late at night.¡±

    ¡°what, seriously?¡±

    i don¡¯t know how he got into the courtyard of the royal castle.

    but this is¡­ an opportunity!

    it was clear that renalge was here with an interest in magical plants. we ended up only exchanging a few words during the day, but if we could talk to each other again, it might give us a chance to get to know each other better.

    i ran into the greenhouse.

    ¡°sorry, mika. you can watch me from over there. i¡¯ll go talk to him!¡±

    ¡°huh, wait! what?!¡±

 CH 66

    ¡°good evening, renalge.¡±

    ¡°ah¡­ good evening, your highness nagi.¡±

    i approached renalge from behind, who was standing in the greenhouse in the moonlight.

    the fact that he¡¯s here¡­means that he trespassed in the royal castle. still, i¡¯m not sure what to say. it¡¯s probably pointless to tell this to him.

    just as i expected, renalge was staring at the tsukuyomi buds that had grown overhead, which he had seen during the day.

    ¡°did you come to see them bloom? if you had told me, i would have invited you.¡±

    ¡°i thought it would be faster to come straight here.¡±

    i didn¡¯t say anything about how fast! i wanted to retort, but i¡¯m also happy to be able to talk to him again, so i can¡¯t say anything strongly about it.

    however, despite that©¤©¤

    this place is still the royal castle. the security was supposed to be strong, and if someone walked through a place where there were no guards or knights on patrol, the barriers would react.

    (but the only thing that reacted was mika¡¯s barrier¡­)

    looking at renalge standing there in a daze, i didn¡¯t see any disorder in his clothes or hair, so i couldn¡¯t say he had been¡­slipping through the bushes or such. good grief, just how in the world could this ¡°wizard¡± get here¡­

    ¡°how did you get here?¡±

    ¡°hm? through magic circle teleportation.¡±

    hearing those words said so casually, i was blown away.

    (magic circle teleportation¡­!!!)

    he used an ancient and ridiculously difficult magic! my face twitched as i thought so.

    to be honest, i didn¡¯t even know such a thing existed, and if it did, royalty would be using it. rather, this person is such a genius to the point i have to throw him in jail, which is far beyond my expectations.

    when i looked in the direction renalge said and pointed ¡°over there¡±, i did indeed see a magic circle-like mark in the courtyard.

    (that kind of thing¡­since when was it there¡­)

    i had read in a book that there was such a thing with the unique magic of a person who existed in the past. i had thought it would be much easier to travel if there was such a convenient thing.

    even if the magic circle teleportation was a fixed form of such non-attribute magic, one wouldn¡¯t find out without knowing that person¡¯s non-attribute magic. or perhaps renalge¡¯s unique magic was teleportation. many questions and predictions ran through my mind.

    i froze still for a while with my eyes darting around, but renalge was spacing off as usual and didn¡¯t seem to mind at all.

    i knew that he was called a ¡°wizard¡± and was respected by the court magicians at the royal castle as well as by those in the research field, but i was sure that no one knew that he could even teleport. with a feeling of anxiety and tension that i didn¡¯t quite understand, sweat dripped into my hands.

    however¡­

    renalge yawned softly. he rubbed his eyes sleepily and stopped moving.

    then, with a serious look on his face as if he had made a life-long decision, he cautiously reached out his hand again to the magic plant.

    *buuup*

    the silly sound echoed through the silence of the night. my mouth gaped open.

    how to put it? right, i¡¯m not really sure. not only because of the silly sound, but i was already too shocked and surprised by his magic circle teleportation that everything became ridiculous.

    ¡°pfft-¡±

    once i let that out, i couldn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°pfft, haha, ahaha, you¡­! really, a wizard is so amazing!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s like anything is possible for you!¡±

    i felt silly for being nervous about renalge¡¯s greatness, and i burst into laughter with tears in my eyes.

    it¡¯s not because i had been calculating about him and such, everything just feels crazy. a feeling of badly wanting to get along with this strange person named renalge spread through my heart.

    (i want to talk to him more. i want to know what kind of person he is.)

    i was thinking this as i looked at renalge, who was looking a little annoyed again. then i heard the bell ring, signaling midnight with its sound.

    together with renalge, i turned my attention to the tsukuyomi buds that grew overhead.

    the white buds swell and open, as if they have been bathed in the moonlight. the petals bloom softly.

    ahh, every time i look at it¡­

    (¡­it¡¯s always so beautiful.)

    it¡¯s like they¡¯re in love with the moon, is what i think.

    it¡¯s as if the moment someone who¡¯s unreachable turns to them, they¡¯re overflowing with happiness.

    i don¡¯t know how the name tsukuyomi came to be. but it¡¯s a mysterious flower that means good luck will come around.

    this is about a magical plant.

    if they¡¯re really in love with the moon, i wouldn¡¯t know if they¡¯re happy. but this sight of them always makes me feel happy.

    as i looked up with a smile on my face, i felt a gaze from next to me. then, renalge looked straight at me and said.

    ¡°beautiful.¡±

    ¡°yeah, amazing isn¡¯t it? it¡¯s very difficult to get flowers to bloom like this.¡±

    ¡°¡­hmm, why?¡±

    ¡°every day, at a certain time, i have to give them a few drops of a fixed amount of nectar. i¡¯ve been doing that for ten years now.¡±

    it¡¯s the least i can do for the flowers who miss the moon. they¡¯re a very painstaking flower, but i can¡¯t bring myself to stop.

    as i was smiling, realizing that i was doing my best to raise the flowers, renalge spoke.

    ¡°your highness nagi¡­ you¡¯re strange.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    i didn¡¯t expect renalge to tell me i was strange.

    no, wait. since renalge is a strange person himself, perhaps everyone else is strange from his point of view. i felt convinced thinking of that. so, i decided to continue the conversation while looking at the tsukuyomi.

    ¡°but, aren¡¯t they beautiful?¡±

    ¡°¡­you¡¯re a really strange person. what did you want me to do, your highness nagi?¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    the sudden question made my eyes meet those of renalge, who is about the same height as i am.

    what did i want him to do¡­? what was it, again? i thought while i tilted my head, then renalge continued.

    ¡°most of the people who¡¯re trying to get close to me are usually people who want me to do something with my magic, after all.¡±

    when he said this to me with a sleepy look on his face, my shoulders trembled. i felt the sensation of sweat running down my back. and i thought.

    (he already knew¡­!)

    after i made such a big show of telling mika what it¡¯s like to be an aristocrat, to think that even renalge knew about my ulterior motives! i froze in shock as if i had been hit.

    renalge looked at me for a while, and i wondered why his face didn¡¯t seem to reflect any ill impression of me.

    i wanted to be closer to renalge, but i was embarrassed that he found out about that. still, i had no choice, so i decided to be honest.

    that¡¯s right¡ª i had something i wanted to ask of him.

    i cast my eyes downward a little and sorted out my feelings. then i slowly opened my mouth.

    ¡°i want you to create the everyday magic of ¡®purification¡¯ to save the people of this country.¡±

    ¡°¡­sure. now?¡±

    ¡°huh? ah, no¡­by next summer.¡±

    ¡°i see. that¡¯s still a long time.¡±

    hmm, renalge said, and he shifted his eyes to the tsukuyomi again.

    wait, wait, wait. what did he mean by asking, ¡°now?¡± if i were to say yes, he couldn¡¯t possibly finish it now, right¡­? it made me become slightly on guard. however, could it be that he said ¡°sure¡± to me just now? i thought and blinked my eyes.

    ¡°huh, are you sure?¡±

    ¡°yeah. it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    apparently, what i had spent six months trying to research was ¡°not a big deal¡± to renalge. well, i didn¡¯t want to leave everything to him, but i wanted to think about it myself as well.

    i found out about it in the far back of the library, in a book about a unique magic that existed a long time ago. i¡¯m not sure yet, but i thought that if we could develop that magic, the disease that will start to spread next summer could be prevented.

    not only the kingdom of pluvia.

    the kingdom of malacia and even the empire of rubrum were involved. it was a deadly disease that shook the entire continent.

    i was¡­trying to figure out how to prevent it somehow.

    i wondered if perhaps lightning could be used to successfully purify, or if there was magic that could be combined with fire, or something that could be infused as everyday magic, or many other things. if machina wanted to make water generation an everyday magic, it would surely help those who depend on unsanitary water to live.

    but no matter what method i had to use¡ª if renalge was willing to help, it would be a hundredfold manpower.

    (what should i do¡­i¡¯m so happy.)

    until earlier, i genuinely wanted to get to know him, but i also feel a little guilty because of the ulterior motive i¡¯ve had for a while. still, the joy welled up in me.

    ¡°thank you, renalge.¡±

    from now on, i can also do research together with renalge.

    maybe the tsukuyomi really did bring me luck.

    ¡ªhowever, renalge went on to say something that made me blink my eyes again.

    ¡°yes. then¡­please pet my head.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°gislette said that everyone would pet my head if i did nice things.¡±

    ¡°umm¡­ then, you should ask gislette to do it for you¡­¡±

    i didn¡¯t really understand, but he presented me with his chick-colored head. the fluffy feeling of his hair made me want to touch it a little. then, the moment my fingertips were sucked in and headed toward renalge¡¯s head¡ª

    my hand was grabbed from the side, and even though i wasn¡¯t trying to do anything wrong, my body jolted greatly.

    ¡°don¡¯t touch him.¡±

    ¡°whoa! mi-mika.¡±

    ¡°hmm. so you were here too.¡±

    mika snorted and said to renalge, who sounded dissatisfied.

    ¡°this is my prince.¡±

    ¡°no, that¡¯s wrong. you are my knight.¡±

    as always, mika keeps saying weird things no matter how many times i correct him¡­ that¡¯s what i thought.

    but then there¡¯s a hard clanking sound. huh? i thought and looked at mika¡¯s hand.

    in mika¡¯s hand was a chain-like object, the loop of which was connected to both of renalge¡¯s hands. hmm? renalge and i both tilted our heads in confusion, and then mika spoke with a disapproving look on his face.

    ¡°for trespassing. you get one night in jail.¡±

    ¡°eh?!¡± ¡°eh?!¡±

 CH 67

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    it was the following week after the tumultuous weekend.

    mika and i were frozen in front of a newspaper as we sat in our usual place in the school courtyard.

    it was the newspaper written by miss yoshino treille over the weekend, already printed out through whatever contacts she had, and distributed on monday morning.

    something like this was written in that newspaper.

    ¡®the hidden treasure of pluvia, the third prince, finally starts moving?¡¯

    the third prince, his highness nagi, suddenly visits the territory of marquis lambert during his summer vacation. as a result, the relocation of the settlement of rubrum empire¡¯s refugees which had stagnated in the border city of edessa was decided. that place has been left to shelter rubrum empire¡¯s refugees in its border towns until now, but it seems that the country has decided that it is dangerous. many merchants from the rubrum empire have entered the country as well, but what are the true intentions of the country stirring behind the peace agreement?

    in the midst of all this, his highness nagi began experimenting with the propagation of magical plants near the place where the refugee settlement was relocated. in order to establish peaceful relations with the rubrum empire, his highness is researching magical plants that can grow in desert conditions. if successful, he plans to offer the technology to cities in the rubrum empire while a peace agreement is in place.

    fifth-year student machina, second son of marquis lambert, who guided the inspection, remarked that he was impressed by his highness nagi¡¯s keen eye. it seems that reforms are scheduled to proceed in the lambert territory from now on. the issue of the rubrum empire, which has been postponed in the name of a peace agreement, will finally be on the agenda this fall.

    marquis sauget, who is in charge of diplomacy, was flabbergasted by a succession of comments asking why the rubrum empire was leaving their refugees alone in the first place.

    ¡®prince nagi¡¯s secret tea party¡¯

    the first tea party presided over by his highness nagi was held in the greenhouse of the royal castle. the author was honored to participate.

    his highness¡¯ love for magical plants is so deep and his knowledge so extensive that it is no wonder that he began his research on magical plants in the lambert territory.

    during the tea party, he said that he was concerned and had no other intention than to dance with duchess vivienne ackerson. it was a wonderful dance that attracted many of the noble ladies, but he remarked, ¡°my sister-in-law, vivienne, is a wonderful person. i¡¯m sure she will support brother seth¡¯s reign together with brother vincent.¡± he continued to speak out in favor of miss vivienne, the first prince¡¯s faction seems to be only taking a strong stance against the second prince¡¯s faction.

    however, perhaps his softly smiling figure could possibly charm even miss vivienne? miss vivienne is currently in the spotlight for her new beauty business and other things. then, could his highness nagi the third prince, who has begun to show his hidden abilities, be the primary weapon of the first prince faction? future developments of the two must be observed.

    expect the next issue!

    bonus article

    the ¡°wizard¡± renalge pomfrey is unexpectedly trespassing in the royal castle?! the reason was that he wanted to see the magical plants that his highness nagi was growing?! more eccentricities of the enigmatic renalge pomfrey are revealed. after being captured by mika chardin and imprisoned in the royal castle for a short while, renalge was safely released the next day on the grounds that he was a friend of his highness nagi and the reason that ¡°it was purely caused by an interest in plants¡±. news related to his highness nagi continues. at last, we can¡¯t take our eyes off of him!

    ¡°huh, wait. it includes something i didn¡¯t say.¡±

    ¡°this is something. i thought i had arranged for the incident with renalge to not be a big deal.¡±

    ¡°how did she know all this stuff?¡±

    that explains why i felt like i was getting more stares from people around me than usual today.

    what was written was not wrong, and besides, she had kept the beastman slave thing quiet. i let out a breath of relief.

    (it is not written that i was someone of many loves, nor is there any mention of the ¡°evil prince¡± that might be written in the future.)

    as for renalge, mika certainly made arrangements so that it wouldn¡¯t be a serious matter. but if it was going to be in the newspaper, it would have been better for us to sneak him back home with his magic circle teleportation. but¡­this was unexpected.

    (it says that i¡¯m a friend of renalge! this is probably a good thing.)

    i¡¯m not sure yet, but it is safe to assume that miss yoshino treille, who was probably an enemy in my first life, is relatively friendly at this point. no, she is a journalist in pursuit of the truth. as long as i don¡¯t do anything evil, i wouldn¡¯t be an enemy¡­for her.

    still, i am amazed at her amazing information network. mika also looked a little grim-faced as expected.

    we both stared at the newspaper in silence, but then mika suddenly took a bow. as i was wondering what happened, a shadow fell on the newspaper from above. i looked up and saw pale light blue hair swaying lightly.

    ¡°ahaha! nagi. did you read that newspaper?¡±

    ¡°¡­ah, brother¡­¡±

    ¡°i was already surprised when you said that you¡¯re going to hold a tea party. i did not expect that you even invited miss treille. you must have been in high spirits.¡±

    ¡°ah, um, i thought i would take the chance to talk to her.¡±

    brother seth sat down beside me. then mika stood up, bowed, and stood next to oswald.

    i don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to be so formal on the school grounds, and now it¡¯s just me and brother seth alone on the usual picnic blanket. brother seth put his hand on the cloth, brought his face very close to me, and said with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

    ¡°you¡¯re not calling me by name like usual.¡±

    ¡°please don¡¯t tease me, brother. i know you¡¯re very busy, so um¡­this is just me trying to do my best in different places for your faction.¡±

    ¡°i know, nagi. i¡¯m glad that you¡¯re doing it for me.¡±

    he smiled softly at me, and my cheeks flushed.

    brother seth¡¯s face is the number one beautiful face in the world for me. my heart was pounding.

    brother seth¡¯s eyes are a strange color, so icy that they appear white at first glance. as i gazed into those beautiful eyes, feeling entranced, a hand gently slid to my cheek. unlike mika¡¯s hand, it was smooth and beautiful. he then gently traced my left eyelash with his thumb.

    i tilted my head in confusion from that unusual gesture. i heard the voices of female students coming and going in the courtyard.

    ¡°b-brother¡­?¡±

    ¡°fufu. we will never know what will lead to something, so it¡¯s better to show that we¡¯re close with each other, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°huh¡­ ah, yes. that¡¯s true, but still.¡±

    he smiled at me with a slightly mischievous look on his face, and i, weak to the face of my brother, was too embarrassed to look at him and averted my gaze. but¡­a jerk of his fingertip lifted my chin, and i blinked my eyes in surprise.

    brother seth smiled at me with a beautiful smile.

    ¡°you¡¯re my only cute little brother, nagi.¡±

    ¡°! brother, saying it that way is a little¡­ wait, did something happen?¡±

    ¡°hmm, nothing much. nothing at all. i¡¯m the flawless first prince, and you¡¯re my younger brother, nagi. it¡¯s just that.¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s all so tiring,¡± he complained, which he sometimes spitted out only in front of me and oswald.

    the same gentle smile as always. an enveloping way of speaking. it was undoubtedly those of brother seth, and yet¡­

    (his eyes aren¡¯t smiling¡­ did i do something wrong? or did brother vincent do something?)

    i didn¡¯t notice it in my first life.

    but when i recall, i felt that brother seth started smiling like this around the time of the purge of viscount godin, which i had done in a fit of anger.

    his majesty¡¯s illness. the pressure of being the first prince. the fact that one of his younger brothers is aiming for the throne. and a useless youngest brother. i¡¯m sure a lot of things are on his shoulders. i was worried about what to do, and my eyebrows naturally dropped down.

    but when brother seth saw my face, he chuckled.

    then his beautiful fingertips reached out and pinched me on the cheek.

    ¡°see you later.¡±

    smiling, brother seth walked away with oswald to where his cronies, the other seniors, were waiting.

    i sighed in amazement at his dashing departure.

    if only i had the strength to do everything as cool and decisive as my brother. that¡¯s something i¡¯ve thought of many times since i was little, though. my brother was born to be the king of this country. even if i can¡¯t talk to him about the details, when i have a little more confidence in myself, at least when next year¡¯s epidemic and my research in the lambert territory take some shape, i will have to talk to my brother properly.

    (about the future of this country¡­)

    with this thought in mind, i looked up at mika¡¯s face, who was still standing beside me.

    but¡­after seeing the look on mika¡¯s face, my eyes widened.

    (huh?)

    it was because mika was frozen with an expression as if he had seen something unbelievable.

    my childhood friend, whom i thought not many things could perturb him, not only froze still with a strange look on his face, he also put his hand on his chin and started mumbling something as if he was deep in thought.

    when mika bit his lip tightly with a serious expression on his face, i called out to him, still feeling surprised.

    ¡°¡­mika?¡±

    ¡°ah¡­ ahh, it¡¯s nothing. i just thought it was a strange thing for him to say¡­¡±

    ¡°so you heard that. i also thought it was not a good way to say it. but are you alright?¡±

    ¡°yeah. it must be tough for his highness seth. his majesty is not very healthy, and he has to deal with old people all day, every day.¡±

    mika¡¯s words made me think deeply, what he said was true.

    ¡°still, there was something strange with him, wasn¡¯t it? was there any movement on brother vincent¡¯s part?¡±

    ¡°ah¡­i heard that jelaire, his highness vincent¡¯s knight, is to be engaged to a lady who would have been a part of the first prince faction. later, he was criticized by the dukes of tyndall for threatening the strengthening of the regime against rubrum.¡±

    i see.

    i¡¯m still a burden to brother seth, without me being able to create any factions or anything yet.

    i shudder to think about my first life. while brother seth is suffering so much, brother vincent is supposed to be traveling incognito with his girlfriend on winter break and causing a massacre at the taurus mine.

    but, if it¡¯s only about jelaire, i¡¯m sure it will be fine.

    ¡°it¡¯s almost time for the swordsmanship tournament. maybe seeing oswald beat up jelaire will make us feel a little better.¡±

    ¡°yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

 CH 68

    ¡°ohh!¡±, cheered the audience.

    the shrill voice of the female students and the deep voice of the male students all blended together.

    the outdoor arena of the royal luminous magic academy was filled with excitement.

    the stone outdoor arena is exposed under a blue sky, as is to be expected. the place is also used for the ¡°swordsmanship¡± class that mika and machina are taking, but now it is surrounded by a water magic barrier, making it look as if it were in a waterfall. the court mages go to great lengths to put up barriers for the ¡°magic battle¡± that is scheduled for the day after this swordsmanship tournament.

    now¡­ the final match between the top eight sixth graders was over.

    next to jelaire, who was hanging his head on the arena floor, oswald bowed to brother seth, who was sitting next to me. when i glanced at my brother¡¯s face, i could see that he was smiling softly.

    (well¡­next to him, there¡¯s someone whose face looks like an ogre, though.)

    across from brother seth, is brother vincent with an angry look on his face. i¡¯m terrified that it feels like he¡¯s going to yell at jelaire after this¡­i couldn¡¯t help but think that way.

    however, oswald¡¯s strength is real. he has never missed a day of training since he was a child. perhaps it was because of his honest nature, but i have seen him wielding his sword in the rain, wind, or even snow for that matter. even his physique looks quite large, unlike the skinny type such as mika.

    brother vincent squeezed his fist on the knee where he was sitting.

    perhaps he couldn¡¯t bear it, he stayed where he was and let out an angry cry as he looked at the arena.

    ¡°hmph, what can we make out only from our knights fighting in a sword battle like this!¡±

    ¡°strength, perhaps.¡±

    ¡°there is no such thing as power to estimate. it has nothing to do with politics.¡±

    ¡°that might be true. i do not think you should be bothered by the fact that your knight was defeated, vincent.¡±

    smiling, brother seth coldly replied.

    i couldn¡¯t say a word from beside him and was frozen by the snowstorm that arose next door.

    brother vincent¡¯s face was red in contrast. he flipped off his ceremonial cloak, made a clacking sound of footsteps, and left the place.

    they rarely exchanged words, but when i thought that they were blood-related brothers, my stomach felt hurt for some reason.

    although i¡¯m glad that i said something like ¡°brother vincent will also support us,¡± in miss yoshino¡¯s article, and she wrote the consensus of the article as the first prince faction taking a ¡°strong stance,¡± those who know about this current situation might have thought i was a blas¨¦ and unthinking opportunist.

    but¡­

    brother vincent is a man who shows his anger like that. that is very easy to notice, unlike brother seth who hides everything behind a smile. just like me, the type which the other party¡­will be able to notice easily.

    ¡°brother. i think the problem is the second queen, and i don¡¯t think brother vincent is such a bad person.¡±

    ¡°hmm? even you are trying to pick a fight with me, nagi?¡±

    ¡°¡­brother, you must be a little tired these days.¡±

    ¡°¡­sigh¡­¡±

    i tilted my head in confusion at his thorny response.

    brother seth sighed with his hand on his forehead, as if he thought his response was thorny as well.

    i wonder if it was the pressure from the dukes of tyndall that mika mentioned. if pluvia took even the slightest hard stance against the rubrum empire, the dukes of tyndall would show tremendous opposition.

    is there anything that the useless baggage prince can do for his brother now?

    ¡°brother, i¡¯m gradually increasing my political work as well. i know that i am a useless pawn in the eyes of my older brother who can do anything. but if there is a domestic dispute about how to deal with the rubrum empire, i am of malacian heritage. should we go and see if we can suppress it with pressure from the outside?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°for example, something like a contingency agreement. the kingdom of malacia has been fighting naval battles recently. the barbarian tribe is coming from the other side of the ocean, isn¡¯t it? that is if the contingency agreement with the kingdom of malacia can be reached, which of course it will be if this proposal is passed by congress.¡±

    this kingdom of pluvia is a country sandwiched between the kingdom of malacia and the empire of rubrum.

    if the rubrum empire is supporting the second prince faction behind our backs, we can get the malacia kingdom to support us here. it¡¯s something i¡¯ve been thinking about for a while. if my mother¡¯s blood, now deceased, could be used for anything, this was the place to use it.

    my grandfather, who loved my mother dearly, and my uncle. if they see me, who looks just like my mother, they will at least listen to me.

    in my first life, i was scrambling on my own and couldn¡¯t think of anyone to turn to. but i think it¡¯s time to actually start moving.

    (there are some problems at a level where even if i were the only one trying to do something, i wouldn¡¯t be able to do it.)

    it is a country that has always had a good relationship with pluvia from the beginning. but there had to be a difference between just thinking so and having a proper friendship on the basis of an agreement.

    it is somewhat of a deterrent against the rubrum empire.

    brother seth made a serious face.

    it is really rare for him to show emotion this way. if he did, it would only be in front of me and oswald.

    ¡°i am sorry that i said that in a strange way.¡±

    it was not said in a calculating way, nor was it said reluctantly. i laughed when i saw my brother, uncharacteristically, with a childlike sullen expression on his face. i ended up saying strange things, but¡­i hadn¡¯t told him yet.

    ¡°oswald, good for you. to be the winner.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    but¡­

    for me, the main show was just beginning. a high-pitched whistle sounded.

    with a resounding sound of footsteps, eight people from fifth graders entered the arena.

    my heart skipped a beat when i spotted a familiar redhead among them.

    even though it¡¯s not about me, i got nervous every year when the final round of my school year started.

    i heard a thud and looked over to see brother vincent had returned to his seat. even though he was very angry and didn¡¯t want to see brother seth, he had to be here as royalty, so he returned like this.

    (he¡¯s proper¡­i wonder if he went to the toilet¡­)

    i still think that brother vincent himself is not such a nasty person.

    but i quickly turned my eyes back to the arena.

    mika and machina were there. our school grade always ended up with machina winning this tournament every year. it always seemed to me that mika wasn¡¯t taking it seriously, but i wonder what will happen this year.

    brother seth seemed to be looking forward to it, and he said.

    ¡°this year¡­mika will be different, will he not?¡±

    ¡°well¡­i wonder.¡±

    ¡°i hope that your knight, who has been in third place all year, can make it to third place again this year.¡±

    ¡Þ ¡Þ ¡Þ

    the wind blew through.

    until now, the place has been filled with excitement, and yet, i couldn¡¯t take my eyes off that shimmering line of sword.

    mika¡¯s blade swayed gracefully, as if the wind were dancing.

    (¡­he¡¯s so cool¡­)

    the sound of metal clashing against each other. machina¡¯s white blade boldly confronted mika¡¯s sword, which moved like a softly swaying wind.

    in contrast to mika, who looked like he was about to whistle, machina¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat.

    with a swoosh, makina¡¯s sword drew an arc. twisting his body, mika avoided it with minimal movement. when i thought he had spun around to take advantage of the force of his evasion, the tip of his sword was firmly at machina¡¯s neck.

    ¡°¡­you got me.¡±

    machina said in a low voice, with a bitter look on his face as if he was gritting his back teeth.

    mika smiled with a smug expression. as he swung his sword one last time, a beautiful blue wind seemed to be sucked into his sword sheath.

    i always thought about it.

    mika seems to be loved by the wind.

    i¡¯ve seen many different knights since i was little, but he¡¯s not like any of them. mika appears to be fighting using a free form that i have never seen before, only him.

    the lean movements, the dancing sword strokes, the light footsteps, yet the sharp flash that pierces through.

    and then i thought.

    (i knew it¡­ he must have been taking it easy all this time.)

    the current battle was the finals of the fifth grade.

    in other words¡­this year¡¯s winner is mika lennart chardin.

    that¡¯s what it means.

    after the battle, the two of them climbed the stairs and came back close to our seats. i could hear the conversation between mika, who had a nasty smirk on his face, and machina, with blood veins popping on his temple.

    ¡°you¡­just because you don¡¯t have to help with the knight order anymore¡­!¡±

    ¡°hahaha. the personal knight of the prince can¡¯t afford to lose, after all.¡±

    ¡°i think i might hate you.¡±

    machina¡¯s eyebrows are deeply furrowed.

    indeed, mika who has been chosen as the personal knight of the royal family, will not be sent out to the knight order even if he wins first place in the swordsmanship tournament.

    but that doesn¡¯t stop me from feeling a sense of helplessness when i think of machina¡¯s feelings, who was suddenly and easily defeated.

    when they passed by the royalty¡¯s seat, i called out to them.

    ¡°good fight, both of you.¡±

    ¡°your highness nagi, i¡­hate mika.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s what they call unwillingness to admit defeat.¡±

    ¡°well¡­i know how you feel.¡±

    glancing toward the arena, i saw that there was some kind of a mess, and the top eight fourth graders had not yet entered. mika and machina said they would go out for a drink, so i walked to the courtyard together with them.

    ¡°how frustrating¡­¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t say that. you were the first place for four years. there¡¯s still next year.¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t say it so condescendingly! damn it, that composure pisses me off.¡±

    seeing the two of them arguing, i couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    in my first life, i had never seen machina this angry before. he always protected me, and he had a relaxed smile on his face.

    words of appreciation for his hard work¡­i thought about whether there was anything i could say, so i told him what i thought for the time being. ¡­however.

    ¡°you were doing great too, machina.¡±

    ¡°you don¡¯t need to comfort me¡­¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°leave him be. he¡¯s never been lost that often, so he¡¯s kind of prideful. though, he¡¯s hiding it behind a big smile.¡±

    after squeezing his eyes shut, machina opened his empty eyes thinly and said, ¡°don¡¯t talk like you know me.¡±

    so that¡¯s how it is¡­i don¡¯t think i knew he was prideful because he was always so easygoing. in that sense, i am glad to see that we have become a little closer in this world.

    but¡­

    i¡¯m sure it was because i didn¡¯t choose machina as my knight in this second life.

    ¡°machina, you¡¯re going back to lambert territory after graduation, right?¡±

    ¡°huh, ah¡­yes, well, it¡¯s a national border, so i still want to take command of the defense.¡±

    ¡°i see¡­ so we can only see each other like this every day until graduation.¡±

    even though we had just gotten along with each other. i¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get along better a year from now on.

    but when it came to the lambert territory, it couldn¡¯t be helped. i sighed and became solemn.

    at that moment, i saw a light-brown head in front of me. machina, who was bending down, peeked out from under me.

    ¡°are you feeling lonely?¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°feeling lonely without me.¡±

    i blinked my eyes as i looked up and into those pale blue eyes.

    it was kind of like being asked that by machina from my first life, and my heart skipped a beat. after all, he was the knight who was with me until just before i died in my first life. my heart tightened.

    if he asked me that question, that¡¯s¡­ of course, i¡¯m going to feel lonely. but just as i was about to say that, mika¡¯s hand fell with a thud on machina¡¯s head.

    ¡°he won¡¯t be lonely. also, use honorifics.¡±

    ¡°i didn¡¯t ask you, mika.¡±

    ¡°nagi was feeling troubled, so i answered for him.¡±

    ¡°like i said, i didn¡¯t ask you, mika.¡±

    as i listened to mika and machina arguing, i still wished that days like this could continue.

    but¡­

    tomorrow is the day of the magic battle.

    i still didn¡¯t know if it was really going to happen. i¡¯m hoping it doesn¡¯t happen. but the person in question said so herself. so, we have to be prepared.

    (for the incident in which baroness tessier¡¯s battle robe was cut into pieces by vivienne¡­?)

 CH 69

    ¡°i wonder what will happen¡­¡±

    on the day of the magic battle¡ª

    i muttered as i sat on a bench in the courtyard together with mika.

    i didn¡¯t know the truth about it in my first life.

    so, i didn¡¯t know if vivienne in the first life had memories of a previous life like vivienne does now, or if the harassment actually happened or not.

    i couldn¡¯t possibly know everything about the little things that students in the grade above me did in the academy.

    i didn¡¯t know if it was really vivienne who did it and got in trouble, or that vivienne got into trouble because she was framed for it even though she hadn¡¯t done it.

    (if it really was vivienne herself who did it in the first life, then nothing should happen if she doesn¡¯t make any move now.)

    here was the plan we came up with.

    first of all, the aim was that we didn¡¯t want vivienne to be seen wandering around in strange places, so we decided to have her sit in a conspicuous seat in the middle of the venue, even before the magic battle began.

    and then, about vivienne¡¯s friends¡­ after recalling the memories of her previous life, it seems that there was some change in her friendship. but she decided to have her so-called female cronies, except for the participants in the magic battle, watch the match with her.

    (the only one of vivienne¡¯s cronies to participate is marquess delanois¡­)

    she is a calm female student who always has a smile on her face.

    it seemed that vivienne also participated in the magic battle in the book, but this time she decided to present her research quietly instead.

    it is the most peaceful evaluation subject that has nothing to do with conflicts and disputes. although it¡¯s plain and also a cultural subject, it¡¯s much better than having unnecessary suspicion cast on her.

    in truth, it would be nice if either i or mika could keep an eye on things all the time, but the waiting room is separate for men and women. it would be a big problem to have a prince and a knight loitering in front of a waiting room that was purposely separated for men and women.

    we also thought about dressing up as a girl, but i would be found out, and mika would never look like a girl. tillois, who has a relatively thinner stature, has the dukes of ackerson¡¯s signature red eyes, albeit lighter in color than vivienne¡¯s.

    we had no choice but to sit on a bench in the courtyard, just barely in sight of the waiting room corridor.

    ¡°there¡¯s no problem with the robes so far, right?¡±

    ¡°yeah. i just had a female knight who has been sent to guard there to check it out. i also asked her to watch around the area of the waiting room, just in case.¡±

    if that¡¯s the case, no one but the participants would be allowed to approach the waiting room.

    the person whose turn is coming up goes in, gets changed, and comes out. once the match is over, they get changed again and leave. that was it. in the first place, the reason why the robes are kept in the waiting room is because magic battles are fought with magic, and it would be a problem if there were any injustice in the equipment. careful checking by the teachers is carried out the day before.

    however, since the magic battle has a longer match time compared to the swordsmanship tournament, it will be possible for someone to have a time when no one is in the waiting room.

    (that¡¯s the problem¡­)

    we could check the people coming in and out like this, and the knight that mika had talked to would also keep watch.

    mika spoke with a bitter look on his face.

    ¡°the worst thing that could happen is if baroness tessier cut the robe herself.¡±

    ¡°if that¡¯s the case, can we somehow get the proof of that? i want to make sure it won¡¯t ever happen, but if vivienne goes all the way to trial, we¡¯re going to need that kind of evidence, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°i wish we had the video crystal that¡¯s currently under research¡­¡±

    ¡°video crystal? what is that¡­wait, right.¡±

    could it be an ancient magic circle found in recently discovered ruins?

    i had recently heard that researchers were trying to create a magic tool with the non-attribute magic inscribed in that magic circle that they had accidentally found. as usual, i was impressed with mika¡¯s awareness of recent news, but unfortunately, the video crystal is not available to us.

    due to a tyrant from nearly a thousand years ago, old books were burned, and the magic handed down from ancient times was eliminated. there was a dark history of large-scale assassinations targeting those who manifested the existing unique magic at the hands of the rubrum empire, which was at war at the same time.

    i¡¯ve only heard once that there were those with non-attribute magic as unique magic, and baroness tessier was the first person who had it that i had seen with my own eyes.

    however, every time an ancient magic circle is found like this, if i think of it as a non-attribute magic¡­

    (even though the records are gone because of the tyrant in the past and the rubrum empire, i wonder if it still existed unexpectedly, and they just don¡¯t tell people when it manifested¡­)

    i can¡¯t help but wish i had that kind of magic as well.

    on top of being useless, i have no special abilities. if i were the main character of a story, i think it would be nothing more than a dime novel like ¡°the diary of a boring slug¡±.

    anyway.

    according to mika, the video crystal is still under research and doesn¡¯t exist yet.

    from now on, the sixth graders¡¯ magic battle is taking place. my brothers will probably win out to the end, and i hope that the case of baroness tessier will be cleared up by then.

    my brothers and i would be participating in the magic battle, so we didn¡¯t have to sit and watch from the royalty seat like we did at yesterday¡¯s swordsmanship tournament, which was nice.

    at that moment.

    i saw baroness tessier walking down the corridor that we could see from where we were sitting.

    her chestnut-colored hair is neatly pulled back into a single bun high on her head today. the silver hairpiece sparkled beautifully.

    she then opened the door to the waiting room and went inside.

    mika and i exchanged glances.

    if she continued on her way, found the robe that was supposed to be prepared in the waiting room, and in the unlikely event that it had been cut to pieces, she would have taken some action at this moment.

    the person who entered the waiting room previously was, for whatever reason, marquess delanois. she¡¯s the one who would be baroness tessier¡¯s first opponent.

    (good grief, it almost makes me wonder if it¡¯s set up¡­)

    however, after getting changed in the waiting room, marquess delanois bowed to us in the courtyard and left for the venue without incident.

    i couldn¡¯t just think that nothing would happen.

    i kept an eye on things together with mika. we waited for a while, but nothing seemed to be happening.

    ¡°nothing seemed to change.¡±

    ¡°she unexpectedly came out of the waiting room normally¡­wait, we still have to see.¡±

    yes, that was the moment when mika said it.

    as expected, a disturbing voice was heard.

    ¡°eeeeeek!¡±

    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?!¡±

    ¡°this can¡¯t be¡­this, this is-¡±

    it must be the female knight whom mika talked with earlier.

    she heard baroness tessier¡¯s voice and came rushing in immediately. i got up from the bench with mika, who was sighing. then we made our way into the building.

    ¡°what¡¯s the commotion?¡±

    ¡°y-your highness nagi¡­¡±

    next to the knight bowing to me, baroness tessier, slumped on the floor with tears in her wide emerald eyes, looked up at me.

    it made me think that the sight of her tears, as if they were overflowing jewels, would be enough to make many men want to protect her, even if she¡¯s not using her ¡°fascination¡± magic (probably).

    ¡°my robe is cut apart¡­¡±

    i did see the dark blue robe with her name on it, which she was holding in her hand, being torn apart.

    i looked around, wondering what could have cut it apart. the knight muttered, ¡°what an outrageous thing to do¡­¡± as she helped baroness tessier stand up. baroness tessier whispered in a quiet voice while trembling.

    ¡°could it be, this is marquess delanois¡¯ doing¡­?¡±

    ¡°marquess delanois? baroness tessier, why do you think it was her?¡±

    ¡°¡­because she¡¯s my opponent.¡±

    ¡°what do you mean? did she harass you just because you¡¯re her opponent?¡±

    the female knight raised her voice as if in a panic.

    i exhaled a breath. i must not misjudge about what is expected of me here.

    what is expected of me here¡ª is not being a sharp-witted third prince with keen insight.

    ¡ªbut being the dim-witted slug prince instead.

    baroness tessier is a pawn who should be let roam freely. her denunciation was only after all the evidence was in place. i¡¯m sure mika knew this as well. while i act like a clown, i¡¯m sure he would find some kind of proof.

    with that in mind, i dropped my shoulder and opened my mouth.

    ¡°oh no! marquess delanois did this? this is not good. if that is the case¡­ no, it¡¯ll be okay, baroness tessier. i know this because i asked the teachers. it¡¯s probably stored here.¡±

    while comforting baroness tessier, i opened the leftmost closet.

    the female knight exclaimed in admiration.

    ¡°oh, thank goodness. so, replacement robes were provided.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right. i figured that since the academy always has something available in the men¡¯s waiting room in case of emergencies, there would be one in the women¡¯s room as well. haha, it¡¯s cute that it has light pink color. i¡¯m sure it¡¯ll look good on you, baroness tessier.¡±

    ¡°ahaha, it¡¯s true. perfect for a lovely young lady. is this something from an alumni? it¡¯s very good quality.¡±

    the knight joined me to compliment the pretty robe, which made it impossible for baroness tessier to argue. ¡°eh, umm,¡± she said while being slightly confused, but as it stands, there is no problem if we have a replacement robe.

    ¡°this is¡­but pink is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°it can¡¯t be helped. i will tell the academy about this matter. you are going to be competing from now on, you must not be distracted by other things. it will be alright. the wrongdoers will surely be punished by me, no, by the knights!¡±

    ¡°good for you. it seems that the knights will take care of this matter. it¡¯d be best to keep quiet about this so as not to interfere with the investigation. i¡¯m sure they¡¯ll do a good job of looking into marquess delanois as well.¡±

    ¡°no way!¡±

    a dissatisfied voice came out from baroness tessier. the knight looked puzzled and tilted her head, but i added a few words.

    ¡°brother vincent will also be participating in the magic battle as well. he has a tense relationship with brother seth, but i think he will play fair in the magic battle. they are both in their final year and it¡¯s their last battle. i feel really sorry about this, but i also don¡¯t want him to worry needlessly.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    ¡°yes, that¡¯s right. after all, the political matters between them and the things inside the academy are different. mhm. it¡¯ll be okay! please leave it to the knights!¡±

    as i said that to baroness tessier, who was reluctant to say anything back, i heard the knight¡¯s response and wondered if perhaps mika had said something to her beforehand.

    while exchanging these words, i stealthily pointed at baroness tessier¡¯s head so that only mika could see it.

    perhaps noticing it, mika spoke to baroness tessier.

    ¡°baroness tessier. for the magic battle, ornaments are not allowed. there is also thunder magic, it would be trouble if you get injured by your ornament. shall i keep it for you?¡±

    ¡°! ¡­n-no, it¡¯s okay. right, the rule. i¡¯ll have a friend hold it for me.¡±

    ¡°i see.¡±

    ¡°you¡¯re right. it¡¯s a beautiful hair clip. it would be terrible to have it break.¡±

    then baroness tessier, clad in a light pink robe, was escorted to the venue by the knight.

    as i waved her off, mika asked me in a whisper.

    ¡°how did you know?¡±

    ¡°hmm? because her hair clip was a bit off than when she was walking down the corridor earlier.¡±

    ¡°you really have an accurate memory.¡±

    ¡°she¡¯ll probably throw it away somewhere, so retrieve it.¡±

    mika glanced back at the waiting room and saw two other knights whom the female knight had called for earlier. ¡°i¡¯ll be over there with them,¡± mika said and immediately went after baroness tessier.

    there was no definite proof yet.

    earlier, mika had been looking around for something sharp, but he didn¡¯t seem to find anything. if she had used magic, it should have left a trail. if there was nothing physical in that room, perhaps there was something with that hair clip that she had with her.

    i chuckled as i approached the knights of the order, whom i recognized.

    ¡°amidst the students in dark blue, black, dark green, and dark red robes¡­she¡¯s competing in the magic battle with a pink robe, huh.¡±

    it looked very beautiful, of good quality, and elegant enough that any female student would think it was cute.

    she must be the center of attention, i thought.

    i chuckled again when i remembered how the ¡®culprit¡¯ said it.

    ¡ª¡±oh, ho, ho, ho! this is what i call harassment!¡± ¡ª

    i suppose it is. i thought once again that it would surely be more unpleasant to be made standing in the venue in a cute, unconventional robe that everyone would be jealous of, rather than just having her robe torn apart.

 CH 70

    a huge wave of water appeared before my eyes along with a huge vortex.

    standing at the center of the vortex was brother vincent.

    the large volume of undulating water that flowed out of him became a wave and then transformed into a large dragon as it rose to the sky. a sparkling light blue colored water dragon. the brilliant sunlight shining through it took everyone¡¯s breath away from how divine it looked.

    the water dragon opened its vicious mouth wide and went all the way down to its opponent, brother seth.

    water splashed into the audience. the growls of the water dragon could be heard.

    ¡ªhowever.

    behind brother seth, who raised his hand softly, the face of a beautiful woman who looked like a snow queen floated for a moment.

    then, the moment the snow queen made a motion of blowing on the palm of her hand¡ª

    with a sharp sound, the sparkle disappeared from the ferocious water dragon¡¯s eyes.

    what was left there was the figure of a dragon that had hardened like an ice statue. clicking his tongue with his face contorted, brother vincent raised his right hand again to make his next move.

    the water stream that flowed from the fingers of brother vincent¡¯s right hand filled the arena floor again in no time at all.

    ¡°seth, i¡¯ll take you down!¡±

    ¡°all you have ever done is get knocked down.¡±

    although both of them were equally adept at water magic, brother seth who specialized in ice magic, and brother vincent who excelled in flashy, over-the-top water magic, were opposites in their fighting styles.

    the two people who are in the opposing factions in real life are thus engaged in a physical battle, and this is a magic battle with win or lose as a result.

    in fact, neither the first prince faction nor the second prince faction could honestly support either of them because this match kept them in suspense and made their stomachs hurt. i also always had to watch this match with a difficult feeling.

    (still, as expected¡ª the final battle is between my brothers this year, too¡­)

    in the face of the straightforward brother vincent¡¯s unrelenting and furious attacks, brother seth created footholds with ice on the water and was able to make each one of the attacks fall on the ice. however¡ª

    ¡°this fight is already over.¡±

    ¡°mika¡­ well, i guess this year the winner will be-¡­¡±

    i could see that brother seth was about to launch his greatest ice magic.

    the ice goddess-like apparition behind him put her hands together in a strange way, and then the arena was enveloped in a white light.

    the next moment¡­

    ¡°whoa, even the court mage¡¯s water barrier is frozen.¡±

    ¡°but we can still see inside because it¡¯s smooth ice, that¡¯s good. as expected of brother seth.¡±

    i wonder why brother vincent filled the arena floor with water.

    i wonder if he didn¡¯t think that if all that water was to be frozen, his feet would be frozen as well. this is just my guess, but i think that brother vincent has more magical power than brother seth. however, how to put it¡­

    (brother seth is a strategist, after all¡­ brother vincent is usually so smart, but when he gets angry, he¡¯s a bit¡­)

    for some reason, green peppers that brother vincent probably hated appeared in my mind, and i drowned them out thinking that it¡¯s rude to think about it now.

    his water dragon was magnificent, and since he can make that magic continuously, i feel like he could have had a good match with a little more thought put into it.

    as i was thinking about this, the referee in the arena exclaimed in a loud voice, ¡°the winner is his highness seth ancene pluvia!¡±

    for the time being, i sighed, thinking that another year had gone by without incident.

    then, i stared at mika who was sitting next to me, and questioned him with my eyes.

    ¡°ah¡­i retrieved the item. but there¡¯s something i want to talk about later.¡±

    ¡°alright.¡±

    i think he¡¯s probably refraining from talking about it for now because the magic battle for fifth graders is about to begin. i don¡¯t need to hear about it right away, so i can ask him about it later. i get a little nervous because it¡¯ll be the magic battle for fifth graders next after the lunch break.

    mika and i carried our sandwiches and made our way to the courtyard.

    around the entrance facing the courtyard, i saw a frustrated brother vincent and a group of stern-faced cronies coming out, weaving through the crowd.

    mika said with a troubled smile.

    ¡°he seems to be in a bad mood, no surprise there.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s to be expected. in the end, he couldn¡¯t win a single match before he graduated.¡±

    ¡°ah¡­looks like baroness tessier is there, too.¡±

    i saw baroness tessier, in a cute light pink robe, chasing after brother vincent in a flurry of small steps.

    and then, i don¡¯t know why, but a shiver ran through my body due to a combination of various emotions.

    ¡°what should i say to him¡­to my brother who looked like an ogre who hadn¡¯t eaten anything for five days¡­¡±

    ¡°yeah. that girl is amazing¡­ she¡¯s still chasing after him in that atmosphere that no one would dare to approach.¡±

    ¡°but she was defeated in the first round, huh. and to marquess delanois, too.¡±

    ¡°we could also say that what vivienne did has hit her weak point as well.¡±

    baroness tessier caught up with brother vincent and gently put her hand on his arm as they walked with a large stride.

    she seemed to have tried to speak to him, but perhaps not wanting to talk with anyone even if it was baroness tessier, he brushed her hand off and went away with jelaire somewhere, leaving her standing there frozen in a daze.

    (it didn¡¯t go well even with her¡­)

    at that moment, i heard a group of female students passing by me and mika gossiping about baroness tessier, perhaps because they had noticed her there.

    ¡°hey, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°yes¡­that girl. seriously, a pink robe¡­? that¡¯s really something.¡±

    ¡°i don¡¯t know how she could stand it. earlier, his highness vincent complimented her on how cute it was, so i guess he gave it to her after all?¡±

    ¡°i know, right. the design was fantastic, isn¡¯t it? but, it¡¯s still too much.¡±

    when i listened carefully, the voices of giggling female students could be heard here and there.

    even male students seemed to think of her as an attention seeker, and i heard them laugh bitterly.

    then i thought.

    (how malicious¡­ who, you ask? i meant the original culprit!)

    ¡ª¡ªho ho ho ho ho!¡ª¡ª

    ***

    growing like a vine from my hand, the water shimmered softly, as if illuminated by the moonlight.

    i always ended up recalling in my head, the secret base where i spent my childhood with mika.

    the water, so beautifully luminous that it seemed to be silver, was swept down on my opponent as it circled me.

    when using magic, the image in your head is important.

    in my mind, the image is always the courtyard i sneak out of in the middle of the night. perhaps¡­it¡¯s because that was the first time i was able to use magic, and also because it¡¯s a happy memory.

    i managed to make it to the final tournament. my opponent was a male student who wore a blade of lightning all over his body and excelled at close combat. i¡¯m better at fighting at a distance from my opponents, so if he gets close, it¡¯s all over for me.

    that¡¯s why i¡¯m letting the water wrap around me like this to keep him from getting too close¡­

    (but this probably won¡¯t last for long¡­)

    my weak self always ended up coming out just like that. still, i did quite well this year.

    the water vine that had become large caught the male student¡¯s leg and threw him up into the air. i quickly created a water prison with my left hand and tried to lock him in it, but the opponent was a little quicker than me. i thought he might have sneaked close to me at the speed of light, but then i was suddenly confronted with a lightning-clad hand blade right before my eyes.

    ¡°¡­y-you got me.¡±

    ¡°ohhh!¡± the cheers resounded.

    but unlike last year, i could hear people cheering me on here and there, and it was a little embarrassing.

    at least i made it to the final eight for the tournament, but i¡¯m still disappointed that i couldn¡¯t fight as well as my brothers.

    last week, vivienne told me that there was apparently a depiction of me challenging baroness tessier to a magic battle if she chose brother seth, ignoring the differences in our school grades.

    ¡ª¡ªyou use a water whip, right?! i already know! with your beautiful face like an ice queen, you use water! as a whip! ah, i want to get hit!¡ª¡ª

    i remember looking at her with a blank stare, not knowing where i should start retorting back to her reaction.

    some magic is like cookie-cutter, but as one uses it, the magic will develop a form that is easy for one to use. frankly, as someone who was always looking at magic plants, i find it easiest to use water in the image of a plant, and i end up using it in that kind of shape. that¡¯s right¡­

    (it¡¯s not a whip or anything like that! it¡¯s something more like a vine¡­ i used! that kind of image!)

    for some reason, i remembered that vivienne was breathing heavily when we talked about it, and i felt tired all the more.

    as i was walking out through the passageway of the audience seat, mika was waiting for me with a soft cloth.

    mika probably knows that this event is something i¡¯m not very good at. but i was glad it was over anyway, i thought and took the offered cloth.

    ¡°congratulations on the fourth place. good fight.¡±

    ¡°yeah, thanks.¡±

    when he said that to me, it felt embarrassing.

    i think i did a little better this time, because i¡¯ve been in eighth place so far. while wiping sweat with the cloth, i hid my face which seemed to turn red.

    perhaps he didn¡¯t notice, mika continued talking.

    ¡°the knights seem to be investigating in the direction that marquess delanois had nothing to do with the incident. for now, the important thing is that we know that she¡¯s not the cause. since there is no real harm done, that¡¯s enough for the time being, right?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±

    how in the world did mika know what was going on with the knights investigation when i thought he was watching my game until just now? it made me wonder. but since mika says so, there will be no suspicion cast on marquess delanois, and there will be no connection of the incident to vivienne in the foreseeable future.

    people would also probably think that it was strange if baroness tessier suddenly said, ¡°marquess delanois did terrible things to me,¡± after she went to the magic battle with such a robe.

    as i was taking a breath of relief, i noticed that mika had a troubled look on his face.

    ¡°huh, what is it?¡±

    ¡°well, i feel bad telling you this when you¡¯re tired, but i have some not-so-good news for you.¡±

    hearing mika say that with a bitter smile, i remembered that there was something he hadn¡¯t told me yet earlier, that he purposefully put off for later. i asked with my eyes, hoping it wasn¡¯t something too bad.

    mika seemed to have a hard time, saying ¡°uhh,¡± and then began to speak.

    ¡°baroness tessier didn¡¯t throw away the hair clip, but gave it to a friend. the friend ended up throwing it out as trash, so i picked it up and had the actual thing¡­¡±

    ¡°hmm? who did she give it to?¡±

    after letting out a sigh, mika continued.

    ¡°it was patriel faure.¡±

    ¡­¡­eh?

 CH 71

    ¡°your highness nagi! good morning!¡±

    ¡°good morning, patriel.¡±

    it was a refreshing morning the following weekend.

    the midterm events with the swordsmanship tournament, magic battle, and research presentation were over, and the trees were turning red and yellow. although various events occurred this month, it is safe to say that things have settled down at the school for the time being.

    for an extracurricular lesson of magic plant research, today i came to the forest adjacent to the royal capital corliss to do some outdoor sampling on the weekend.

    patriel greeted me with a bright smile and made me feel warm.

    his eyes lit up when he spotted several magic plants early on in the forest. the way he reported that he found this and that as he greeted me, is kind of¡­

    (like a squirrel happy to find so many nuts.)

    he spoke to me with a smiling face, changing his expression here and there. even though we were in the same grade, i somehow think that it would be like this if i had a younger brother. mika, next to me on the other side, just said a simple ¡°good morning¡± and did not actively try to talk to patriel.

    it was also possible that he simply didn¡¯t know much about magic plants.

    but even in my mind, it¡¯s hard to say what the right thing to do is.

    ¡ªpatriel is already, for some reason or another, knee-deep in the rubrum empire side.

    that was mika and i¡¯s perception for the time being. and we think it¡¯s best to let him roam freely just like baroness tessier.

    however, unlike baroness tessier who is visibly acting suspiciously, patriel is maintaining his position of ¡°viscount faure¡¯s family is neutral¡± on the surface, and yet he is coming close to me, the first prince faction.

    since that time, mika and i have reviewed every single report recently submitted by gillian faure.

    among them, there was one that was submitted in patriel¡¯s handwriting, which mika is also investigating. but perhaps gillian faure doesn¡¯t know what patriel is doing.

    and then, though it¡¯s sad to admit this, perhaps the reason patriel is approaching me like this is¡­

    (because he¡¯s looking into something or trying to cozy up to me¡­ that¡¯s it.)

    if that¡¯s the case, then there is only one thing for the dull-witted slug prince to do.

    i spoke, making my voice sound as happy as possible.

    ¡°that¡¯s amazing, patriel. i didn¡¯t expect to find a walcone tree here.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right! i thought they were found in the farther north.¡±

    ¡°fufu, you look so mischievously happy.¡±

    i couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as i looked at the walcone that patriel was holding.

    it looks like a normal pinecone, but there are a few parts where the color is different and it looks like an angry face with its eyes fixed on the ground. if we are to believe the ancient sage story, i¡¯m sure walcone wanted to make itself look evil, but its expression ended up somewhat comical and not hateful.

    i asked as i watched him put a pile of those walcone in his basket.

    ¡°do you believe the story of the ancient sage, patriel?¡±

    ¡°huh? ahaha, you¡¯re such a dreamer, your highness nagi. i might be more interested in more practical things, like the benefits of magic plants.¡±

    ¡°i see. even though walcone has such an angry face, it can be used to relieve fatigue after being roasted, after all.¡±

    ¡°huh?! you really do know everything.¡±

    indeed, it is a variety that is rarely found in the royal capital. few people may be aware of the benefits of walcone.

    since it¡¯s not available in my greenhouse either, i thought i¡¯d take the opportunity to pick it up, bring it back home, and plant it as well.

    however, since he¡¯s collecting a big pile of them to bring back with him¡­he¡¯s probably-

    (i¡¯m sure he¡¯s collecting for the tired gillian faure.)

    i noticed this when i was going through the reports of the commoners¡¯ department with mika.

    it seemed that gillian faure had written almost all of those extensive reports. perhaps he realized that the others were not doing a proper job for the commoners to that extent, and advised brother seth to add more personnel.

    his condition must be in such a bad shape that his son is collecting so much walcone, whether consciously or unconsciously. i told patriel.

    ¡°in the autumn, the datura that i grew bloomed beautifully. i¡¯ll give it to you next time, patriel.¡±

    ¡°huh?! g-gradual datura! a-are you really giving it to me?¡±

    ¡°yes. it took a long time, but the flowers have finally bloomed since last year.¡±

    ¡°i can¡¯t believe this. your highness nagi is so loved by plants¡­¡±

    that¡¯s right. the only thing i¡¯m proud of is that i¡¯ve been dealing with plants for years and years without giving up.

    but because of this, i succeeded in breeding the ultimate fatigue-relieving plant, gradual datura, which is considered difficult to grow. i think the effect is similar to ginger, but it is a magic plant that gradually relaxes the stiffness of the whole body, as if one were soaking in a hot spring.

    the plant is only found in hot spring areas and is considered difficult to grow elsewhere.

    they are few in number and are usually grown strictly in hot spring areas.

    i decided not to ask him the details of who it was for or why he needed the plant.

    i wasn¡¯t fully sure yet if patriel was collecting the walcone for gillian faure. i felt that it would be better to leave the question of why i bothered to choose gradual datura and tell him about it.

    ¡­however.

    ¡°g-gradual datura!¡±

    ¡°y-yes. good morning, gislette.¡±

    ¡°¡­gasp! i-i am so sorry for what i did, your highness! good morning.¡±

    i heard a voice crack from behind me, and when i turned around, i was greeted by gislette who looked very panicked.

    since we are in school hours and i already consider gislette to be a friend, i don¡¯t really care about the order in which we speak to each other, or about courtesy. i told her about the plant as well, though i don¡¯t think gislette has anyone who is suffering from fatigue.

    ¡°next time, i¡¯ll show it to you as well, gislette. we could all roast the plant together and make them into a medicine.¡±

    ¡°w-what a wonderful suggestion!¡±

    ¡°that sounds like fun. i want to try doing it too.¡±

    as the three of us walked together, i thought.

    after all, it is fun to talk with people who like the same things. the truth is, i¡¯d like to do something about patriel, too.

    (but i know that my knight who has not participated in any of the conversations will probably oppose it.)

    as we were walking along, wondering what to do, we saw professor fellman moving past us gently.

    he seemed to be using a magical tool that uses wind magic, and he was riding on a subtly levitating vehicle.

    it was only a vehicle that can only be properly described as ¡°subtly floating¡± and not something that goes fast or anything like that. however, remembering professor fellman¡¯s trembling legs, i thought that this was indeed the best vehicle for someone as old as him who has to come to the outdoor site to collect samples.

    as i watched while thinking i¡¯d like to try riding it a bit, patriel raised the same thought.

    ¡°i want to try riding that vehicle too!¡±

    ¡°yes. i¡¯d like to try riding that too. it seems to be fun.¡±

    all the students looked a little envious as they watched professor fellman maneuver the little handle on his one-person vehicle.

    ¡°ho ho ho ho.¡±

    ***

    ¡°yeah¡­this is the first time i¡¯m eating together with friends on the same picnic blanket.¡±

    ¡°a friend! it¡¯s an honor! by the way, your highness nagi. you usually use ¡®ore¡¯ for first-person pronoun, huh? it¡¯s a little unexpected.¡±

    ¡°n-n-n-n-no way, a friend? i cannot believe i¡¯m friends with the god of magic plants, haa, what am i going to do? i-i also feel honored.¡±

    ¡°huh, wait. what do you mean by god, gislette?¡±

    it was lunchtime and i was spreading out the sandwiches i had brought with patriel, gislette, and mika.

    even though it was an extracurricular lesson, it was the first time for me to do something like a picnic like this. it was also refreshing to spread out a picnic blanket and talk with each other in the autumn forest with its autumn leaves. eating a meal together with friends who are interested in the same things, surrounded by things you like, and in a good atmosphere.

    (what should i do¡­this is a lot of fun.)

    renalge was also here, but he had been mostly asleep since a few minutes ago and didn¡¯t participate in the conversation at all. even now, he is skillfully sleeping on a tree.

    as the three of us were still chattering away about magic plants, i heard an annoyed voice coming from mika.

    ¡°hey. what is my position to you when we have lunch together every day?¡±

    ¡°you¡¯re my knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­i thought we had some sort of connection before that.¡±

    eating meals together with mika was so natural by now that i had never given it that much thought. i mean, if i keep thinking something like ¡°it¡¯s still like a picnic to eat in the courtyard together with mika!¡± every day, it would be a little awkward.

    hearing mika¡¯s voice, patriel spoke.

    ¡°ah, could it be that it was mika¡¯s influence for your highness to say ¡®ore¡¯? you two are childhood friends, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ah. right, now that you mentioned it, that may be true. after all, he¡¯s the one i spend the most time with.¡±

    ¡°like his highness seth, it is wonderful to have a childhood friend to be your knight, is it not? it is like a tight-knit friendship.¡±

    ¡°come to think of it, you used to say ¡®boku¡¯ wasn¡¯t it nagi? and it¡¯s ¡®watashi¡¯ in public, of course.¡±

    i had never seen gislette speak in front of other people before, but she seemed to have already opened up to us and began to talk about many things with unexpected eloquence.

    even just now, she said her opinion that it was ¡°wonderful¡±.

    ¡°still, i¡¯m really glad i took this class, because i could freely collect whatever i wanted.¡±

    ¡°what are you going to do by collecting all those walcone, partriel?¡±

    ¡°huh? doesn¡¯t it look so cute? the face on it.¡±

    ¡°it is cute!¡±

    i heard gislette¡¯s voice rising, and i agreed with her.

    patriel seemed to be collecting the walcone only for the cute face on it.

    gislette¡¯s basket is filled to the brim with a variety of magic plants. but among them, there was one that stood out, a dream-colored mushroom that caught my eye.

    ¡°wait, where did you find that?¡±

    ¡°fufufu, i found only one of them. the light purple is fancy-looking! cute polka-dot pattern!¡¡undoubtedly, this is tokimekidake! i never thought that this mushroom, which is said to be thirty times more effective than the powan grass, could be found in the forests near the royal capital!¡±

    ¡°gislette, please trade it with me. i¡¯ll give you some gradual datura along with patriel, so please.¡±

    ¡°wha-¡±

    beside me, mika said, ¡°tokimeki¡­what¡¯s that?¡± and raised an annoyed voice. i began to negotiate the rarely-found tokimekidake. patriel stared at me and said, ¡°huh, who are you going to use it on?¡± he asked curiously, but i told him that it was just because i had never grown them.

    gislette, biting her lip, furrowed her brows deeply and, as if in agony, held the mushroom out to me.

    ¡°yes! thank you, gislette.¡±

    ¡°i-i want the gradual datura. i want to try it¡­¡±

    ¡°i get you. i have a longing for it too.¡±

    mika, who had been subjected to the madness of the three magic plant nerds since the morning, already had a blank stare on his face, but i was so happy i could almost dance around. as mika looked at the light purple mushroom, he asked me what effects it has.

    i guess he didn¡¯t hear gislette earlier when she said it was thirty times more effective than powan grass.

    that is, in other words¡­

    ¡°well¡­it¡¯s for love potion.¡±

    ¡°you¡­were you still working on that plan?¡±

 CH 72

    there are nights when i¡¯m unable to sleep.

    i was supposed to be tired after my outing today, but for some reason, my eyes were not. looking out the window without looking at anything in particular, i gently stroked the glass with my fingertips and felt a chill.

    the season was already approaching winter, and my lack of achievement made me wonder if i could change the future.

    this room adjacent to my office is like a private parlor, with a door leading to my bedroom and a door leading to mika¡¯s bedroom, which is smaller. i wanted to sit on the sofa for a bit, so i thought i¡¯d come out here.

    but, perhaps i wanted mika to notice me, such weak feelings began to appear in my mind.

    i sighed a little as i lifted my eyebrows, which were about to droop, with my fingertips.

    while looking at the window pane that turned white with my breath, i decided to sit on the sofa for the time being.

    (patriel¡­i don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad person.)

    i thought about his behavior during the day. if he had shown some kind of bad manners, i might have been able to make up my mind about him. but, mika still insisted that i shouldn¡¯t trust him too much, and i didn¡¯t know what to do.

    i ended up glancing at the door to mika¡¯s bedroom as if i clung onto it, then shook my head hurriedly.

    (no! i can¡¯t! i can¡¯t rely on mika for everything.)

    it was even pointed out to me to by the night king, who i thought was the son of duke marcotte. a deep sigh escaped my mouth again.

    however, at that moment¡­

    there was a clicking sound, and the door toward the office opened. i looked up at the source of the sound. standing there was¡­

    ¡°huh? nagi, what¡¯re you doing this late?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­what? mika?¡±

    mika stood there, with a winter coat. i just froze, unable to catch up with my thoughts. when we entered each of our bedrooms earlier, mika had already changed into his loungewear, and i thought he was already asleep.

    mika walked toward me with a long wool coat slung over his shoulder, as if he had gotten hot in the hallway on the way here. the clothes peeking out from under his coat were for outdoor use.

    sitting next to me on the sofa, mika bent down like he was peering at me.

    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? you had trouble sleeping?¡±

    i shivered at the coldness of his fingers gently placed on my chin.

    ¡°ah, sorry, was it cold?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°can i wash up my body for a bit and come back again? if you get sleepy, go to your room and get some proper sleep.¡±

    ¡°yeah¡­got it.¡±

    mika, perhaps noticing my reaction, immediately retracted his finger and walked straight to his bedroom. i was still unable to move, just frozen in a daze. an unpleasant feeling was slowly spreading through my chest, like black ink staining a blank sheet of paper.

    i have no right to feel this way. i knew that much, but still, i ended up thinking about it.

    (whose¡­perfume scent is that? where had he been at this hour?)

    the light scent of elegant lily flowers that i smelled left me at a loss as to what to do.

    the time was already around midnight. but indeed, i can understand that if mika, who is with me at all hours of the day, wanted to meet someone personally, it would be at a time like this.

    but¡­!

    my chest hurt like it was squeezed tight.

    (had he been doing this all the time, and i just didn¡¯t notice? he had disappeared like this?)

    certainly, mika often knew information that i didn¡¯t, and i often wondered when he investigated those stuff, which is probably why he was out in the middle of the night like this. maybe today, too, he just went to investigate something.

    maybe it was just because it was nighttime.

    but somehow, i felt like mika looked more mature, like a man i didn¡¯t know, and my heart ached. on the contrary, i felt ashamed, frustrated, and wanted to run away, remembering how unreliable i had been a while ago, how i had almost peeked at mika¡¯s door because i was feeling helpless.

    (damn it¡­how embarrassing. i¡¯m starting to hate myself.)

    but i¡¯m a man. i won¡¯t cry. this much is fine.

    i thought of that so many times, but my body remained frozen and motionless, and i ended up sitting there in a daze.

    a few moments later, there was a tiny clunk, mika had just placed a steaming cup on the low table. then, with a cloth to wipe the water off on his shoulder, he sat down next to me as if it were a matter of course.

    along with the warm steam, the aroma of almonds and honey reached my nose.

    ¡°marie told me this can help when you have trouble sleeping.¡±

    it¡¯s not mika¡¯s fault, not that there¡¯s anything wrong with him, and not that there¡¯s anything wrong happening to him! but when i looked at mika, who smiled at me as if nothing had happened, i couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brows.

    still, when i thought that he had gone to the trouble of heating some almond milk and bringing it to me, i couldn¡¯t keep being grumpy, so i squeezed out a few words of thanks with a pouty face.

    ¡°¡­¡­thanks.¡±

    ¡°huh, why are you angry? well, you¡¯re welcome, i guess?¡±

    i didn¡¯t even know why i was angry.

    this is the kind of thing i should have been prepared for when i appointed mika as my knight. i gently opened my mouth and swallowed a little bit of the hot liquid.

    (i know. there¡¯s nothing wrong with mika. he did nothing wrong.)

    i desperately told myself so, but the wrinkles between my eyebrows only deepened.

    mika stared at me from the side and laughed out loud at my ¡°funny face¡±, and it made me feel an unpleasant boiling in my stomach. as i felt frustrated, but, huh? i thought that something was weird.

    he heard from marie about the almond milk? i wonder what it is. something about it bothered me. but when i remembered about marie, mika usually called her ¡°miss marie¡±. for some reason, i also remembered that he always looked at her as if she were very dear, and i got a little irritated again.

    however, if i¡¯m even concerned with the way he¡¯s looking at marie, that must mean my thoughts are too much¡­ as i thought of that, i forced those thoughts out of my head.

    i kept silent while drinking the almond milk, then mika told me.

    ¡°and so? why do you have trouble sleeping today?¡±

    ¡°nothing, really. i just do. there¡¯s no particular reason.¡±

    ¡°huh? is that so? it must be because of patriel.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    sometimes i think that mika can read my thoughts.

    i mean, he doesn¡¯t have to ask if he already knows what i¡¯m thinking about. but in the end, this meddlesome childhood friend eventually ran his mouth.

    ¡°i don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for you to do everything. you better think about who you want to save.¡±

    ¡°i know. but! patriel, he¡¯s a good person¡­¡±

    after listening to mika¡¯s words, it was just as i thought. i knew he¡¯d definitely nail me like this.

    when it comes to patriel, mika was consistent in his attitude.

    mika, who heard about the future from vivienne, did not oppose me on two points: that i want to save brother seth, and that i also want to prevent vivienne¡¯s execution.

    besides, perhaps mika had heard that i, his lord, might be executed, and was working to stop it as his top priority.

    i also don¡¯t think it would be possible for me to save everyone when i haven¡¯t achieved anything yet. but even so¡­!

    ¡°i want to at least save the people i get involved with¡­that¡¯s all.¡±

    i panicked as my true feelings escaped my mouth, but it was too late.

    my heart jumped when mika, who was resting his cheek on his leg, stared at me from slightly below.

    ¡°nagi. i¡¯m not sure yet, but i think it¡¯d be difficult to save someone who has been entrusted by baroness tessier to destroy evidence of a dangerous weapon and has become so deeply involved in the situation that he immediately complies. i¡¯d rather you get away from that guy right now than get hurt, not to talk about expanding your influence.¡±

    ¡°¡­how is gillian faure¡¯s health?¡±

    ¡°right, just as you instructed. they sent someone from the first prince¡¯s faction to assist him, and i think things are improving a little bit.¡±

    ¡°could patriel be¡­umm,¡±

    i still couldn¡¯t give up, so i tried to ask mika.

    mika seemed to see right through what i was trying to say and told me in a fed-up expression.

    ¡°no such thing. since then¡­ i¡¯ve been watching baroness tessier since the summer, but i haven¡¯t observed her using her fascination magic on anyone other than his highness vincent. i think there¡¯s no doubt that her unique magic has a limitation that can only be used on one person.¡±

    his accurate guess of what i meant to say made me stop moving for a moment. but soon after, i put my mouth to the cup again while saying, ¡°is that so,¡± quietly.

    the warm liquid flowed down my throat and slid down my body. and yet, my fingertips still felt the coldness of the window that i had just touched.

    when i placed the cup on the saucer, it made a little clinking sound.

    as if he had timed it perfectly, mika¡¯s right hand gently rested on my left hand, which was resting on my knee.

    i could feel mika¡¯s body heat, a little warmer than before, perhaps because he had bathed in hot water.

    i asked mika with my gaze while thinking, ¡°what is it?¡±, then mika¡¯s eyes softened.

    ¡°what i want is just for you to be alive, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°¡­mika.¡±

    ¡°i want you to be happy.¡±

    i think it was a strange way to say it.

    i¡¯m sure i wouldn¡¯t be happy. but i¡¯m sure those who i need to make happy would be able to do so.

    my heart ached again, remembering the scent that mika had carried earlier.

    (if the day comes when i don¡¯t care about such things, maybe it could be possible for me to be happy¡­)

    if i can survive into the future five years from now, will i be able to experience more things in my peaceful life? and maybe one day i will feel happy.

    feeling a throbbing pain in my chest, all i could get out of my mouth were prickly words to bluff.

    ¡°well, if i¡¯m going to be executed one day, you¡¯ll probably get executed too.¡±

    ¡°haha, that¡¯s true.¡±

    but i still want to do everything i can.

    mika is always against it, but i might be able to even stop patriel somehow. i want to keep that hope alive.

    as mika squeezed my hand, i looked at him with a questioning look, wondering how long this guy was going to hold my hand. whether he noticed me or not, mika continued as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°are you going to dance with someone again at the new year¡¯s eve ball?¡±

    ¡°no, i won¡¯t dance. if i danced only with vivienne so many times, that would be a bad thing. in the first place, even brother vincent won¡¯t be able to flat-out refuse her, can he? she¡¯s been really something lately.¡±

    ¡°is that so? i actually don¡¯t keep track of miss vivienne¡¯s movements that much¡­¡±

    ¡°well, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

 CH 73

    ¡°alright! let¡¯s begin the third session of ¡®take me to the future!¡¯ the great debate of mixed factions~!¡±

    ¡°what the heck is that? mixed factions? it¡¯s just the four of us like usual.¡±

    ¡°¡­is this what you were talking about the other day? were you always planning to gather together again?¡±

    ¡°no. i was summoned here.¡±

    it was a beautiful rest day afternoon in november.

    i didn¡¯t even have the energy to comment about what seemed to be so fun about us having to put on such a disguise and gather with the now-familiar members at a seemingly unused mansion on the outskirts of the royal capital.

    the other night, mika and i got into a discussion about vivienne. perhaps because i had told him, ¡°you¡¯ll find out sooner or later,¡± mika seemed to agree with me with a wry smile.

    mika and i dressed as commoners, each of us wearing a different wig, and we strolled all the way through the city to get here. mika wore glasses and a brown hair wig, and i even wore a hat on my black hair wig to make sure i could hide my silver hair.

    i¡¯m not sure when in the world the first and second sessions took place, but i think it probably counts as the four of us ever getting together and talking.

    i was facing vivienne and her brother on the old sofa. then she answered mika, who was sitting next to me.

    she called this meeting the great debate or whatever, but to put it simply¡­

    ¡°yes. today, i¡¯ll report on my recent developments, sorting out the situation and countermeasures.¡±

    ¡°thought so.¡±

    it was only four months until march next year, when vivienne was scheduled to be executed.

    i never thought we would get along so well like this, and i was reminded of vivienne when we first met, who was full of anxiety. i know now she¡¯s cheerful at heart, optimistic, and tries her hardest.

    but every time i look at her, i wonder if i will be able to behave so bravely when the time of my own execution is at hand.

    not everyone will be able to move forward optimistically like this, no matter how many years one has lived in a previous life, and no matter what memories one has. i also thought that i still had five more years. then i thought, i might be able to do something about it.

    but by the time she realized it, it had been less than a year.

    (she¡¯s really¡­amazing.)

    every time i saw her smiling brightly, i thought to myself that i must do my best as well. as i was staring at vivienne who was still laughing like usual, she made a strange expression for a moment and spoke.

    ¡°haa¡­ the sad expression on your highness nagi¡¯s face looks somewhat alluring. don¡¯t look this way with that kind of face.¡±

    ¡°¡­what kind of expression do you want me to have?¡±

    ¡°haa~¡­so cool!  it¡¯s supreme. very supreme. a living work of art.¡±

    for some time now, vivienne had been telling me that she liked my face, but i didn¡¯t sense any romantic perspective. i¡¯m not sure as i¡¯ve never been in a relationship, but for some reason, i get the same feeling from her eyes as i get from a gislette when she¡¯s in front of her favorite tuna. it¡¯s also similar to count chardin, who was delighted to see my portrait painted.

    they think that i¡¯m standing on a completely different dimension¡ª they don¡¯t think i¡¯m standing on the same ¡°human¡± level as them.

    (so, the chances of developing a romantic relationship are zero. but it seems she really likes my face.)

    perhaps, just like what she just said, she thinks of me as a work of art or something.

    anyway, the business she started on her own has grown to the point where there is now no one who doesn¡¯t know about it, and it has a good reputation.

    in addition to the quality of the products, the unique way of selling them is said to be appealing.

    because she doesn¡¯t have specialized knowledge, she¡¯s selling cosmetics based on the original cosmetics in this world, but she took the commercial method of having makeup artists in this world perform it in ladies¡¯ salons. ¡°before and after!¡± that¡¯s what she said.

    other newly developed products, such as techniques for decorating fingernails and the bizarre idea of attaching and increasing eyelashes, are now attracting attention from all over the social scene.

    in addition, vivienne is a beauty if she keeps quiet.

    most people don¡¯t know her true nature.

    that was also the case in the academy. the mere act of vivienne wearing a product from her brand is enough to send the girls into a frenzy and fawn over her. the next moment, they were running to buy the new products with bloodshot eyes.

    vivienne said that it¡¯s about ¡°brand image!¡± i don¡¯t really understand, but it seems to have been the norm in the world she lived in in a previous life.

    it¡¯s not so much that she had developed something new, but rather that her new ideas and business sense have made her business enterprise a great success.

    according to her¡ª

    ¡ª¡ª¡°cheat without knowledge!¡± ¡ª¡ª

    i¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good or a bad name. since vivienne could do so much even without knowledge, her previous world must have been a very prosperous place after all. that¡¯s what i thought.

    incidentally, the selections for the mid-term review such as swordsmanship tournament and magic battles, had to be ended with a research presentation to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

    however, vivienne who is receiving queen¡¯s (even though she won¡¯t become one) education, was a hard worker from the start, and this also made her win the best prize.

    in this way, brother vincent shouldn¡¯t be able to feel indifferent about her.

    when she was acting strangely, her previous cronies seemed to keep their distance. but a new group of crony girls was formed around her before she realized it. the figure of vivienne, who appears to be unconventional and has a strong core, seems to be well-loved by her close friends.

    (if she were to be executed in this situation, there would be a torrent of criticism for the royal family¡­)

    however, since that ¡°torrent of criticism¡± is the aim of the other party that has not yet been seen, this is not enough to reassure us just yet.

    even if it was brother vincent, the second prince, who committed the heinous act, there is no doubt that we, who could not stop him, would also be exposed to the fire.

    if all they had to do was execute vivienne, who was so jealous that she caused an assassination attempt, they could have ended with ¡°the second prince¡¯s scandal¡± but that¡¯s not enough this time. if i only thought about saving brother seth, perhaps it would have been better if things had ended the way they originally were.

    (still, there is no choice but to help vivienne¡­)

    it¡¯s only natural. i got anxious when she showed her creepy smile, but she¡¯s completely my friend now.

    i listened to her detailed report. tillois has been looking pale of late. perhaps he was more frightened than vivienne at the impression that his sister¡¯s execution was approaching. it must be difficult¡­that¡¯s what i thought.

    in my mind, it¡¯s the same feeling i felt when brother seth¡¯s execution was approaching.

    but that¡¯s why we have to work together and take measures.

    ¡°vivienne¡¯s popularity is solid, and it won¡¯t suddenly overturn. however, considering that our opponent is rubrum, who is very good at psychological warfare, we have to be careful about the possibility that they will set up some kind of incident.¡±

    ¡°right, i generally try to move together with tillois, and i won¡¯t approach baroness tessier.¡±

    ¡°the only other thing i can think of is some ugly news, like a rumor about a terrible thing that happened in the management of your business. mika, do you think it can shut down the business?¡±

    ¡°ah, that seems likely to happen. they could contact the person who you hire and threaten them to make a fuss. they would surely do something like that.¡±

    vivienne said, ¡°huh?!¡± in a dissatisfied voice.

    after all, the opponent we are dealing with is someone who is slowly trying to attack us from a shady position in the commoner correspondence division. if we don¡¯t pay attention to the unseen end, we might be surrounded by enemies before we know it.

    ¡°you probably also have a few hidden subordinates at the ackerson, right? you might want to get them in place.¡±

    ¡°right¡­i¡¯ll ask my father about it.¡±

    ¡°ah, no. sister, i will place my subordinates instead.¡±

    ¡°is that so? thank you, even though you must be busy, tillois.¡±

    after the death of his beloved wife, duke ackerson was not seen at many social gatherings. considering that tillois was in charge of the taurus mine, one of the most important in the territory, i think he is probably trying to get tillois to take over the position as soon as possible.

    if tillois¡¯ hidden subordinate is to be deployed, then well, it would be a relief for now.

    perhaps he thought so too, mika seemed to recall baroness tessier and began to laugh.

    ¡°still, baroness tessier has been really isolating herself since the magic battle.¡±

    ¡°yes¡­because of a certain someone¡¯s malicious harassment.¡±

    ¡°huh?! how rude! i didn¡¯t do anything wrong. i just made sure to prepare the right robe for the lovely emilia.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s what makes it malicious.¡±

    who could have come up with such a thing?

    i can understand if it¡¯s about tearing the robe or staining it, but to give away a cute robe as a gift is harassment and twisted in nature.

    i never expected her, who always smiled so brightly in front of us, to come up with such a thing, which scares me even more.

    as i was trembling inside, mika said, ¡°i guess the only thing left is that,¡± while putting his fingers on his chin.

    ¡°the timing of using the devil¡¯s silver needle is very difficult.¡±

    ¡°if it really turns out that you¡¯re to be executed in march, i¡¯ll go and strike his highness vincent somehow.¡±

    ¡°ah, i see. it¡¯s not that vivienne has to use the item.¡±

    ¡°hmm, maybe! because it¡¯s a magical tool that releases someone from a state of fascination?¡±

    that¡¯s right, in the worst-case scenario, we have that trump card. even so, no matter who went to stab brother vincent, it would be the closest thing to an assassination attempt on the royal family.

    whether i did it or tillois did it, it was clear that it would be a problem.

    but we¡¯re hoping that as long as we manage to get through march, there will be a way open for us. because brother vincent is graduating from the academy. after the end of his school life, in which he had the opportunity to see baroness tessier every day, he will be working at the royal castle, and the one who will be supporting him by his side is vivienne.

    in his schedule-controlled daily life, he would have to take time out of his work schedule if he wanted to meet with baroness tessier.

    so for now, we are doing everything we can to prevent or delay the execution in march.

    ¡°i still think the devil¡¯s silver needle is the last trump card, considering how difficult it is to use.¡±

    ¡°i agree. we have to be ready to be captured for it, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡ªand then, what about preventing the assassination attempt and the new year¡¯s eve ball?¡±

    ¡°right, that event. i¡¯m really worried about what to do on the new year¡¯s eve ball. i have a feeling that if i tell the second queen about it, she¡¯ll do something about it, though¡­¡±

    i glanced at mika, but he silently shook his head.

    seeing his reaction, i also thought the same.

    ¡°it would be better to let baroness tessier think her plans are going well. if she thought so, she wouldn¡¯t plot anything unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s really troublesome to balance this~¡±

    ¡°vivienne, i know the new year¡¯s eve ball can be a tough time for you, but are you okay with it?¡±

    ¡°i¡¯m absolutely fine!¡±

    vivienne lightly showed her palm and said, ¡°other than dying, they¡¯re all only a scratch for me!¡± she said something weird like that. vivienne probably said that to avoid causing concern, but as it was, her situation was so grave that i couldn¡¯t laugh.

    perhaps she noticed it too herself, she made a gloomy expression and hung her head after saying it.

    (i want to get rid of her worries as soon as possible¡­)

    i couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.

    but, vivienne suddenly raised her face and asked.

    ¡°but when the new year¡¯s eve ball starts, there will be a dance from the royal family, right? his highness seth doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e, and it wouldn¡¯t be good if the second prince danced with a baroness to open the ceremony. what do we do?¡±

    ¡°yeah, well¡­about that, perhaps, well, i might be the one who will take their place instead¡­¡±

    well, i don¡¯t know for sure yet, but¡­as i was about to say that, everyone was surprised.

    ¡± ¡± ¡°what?!¡± ¡± ¡±

 CH 74

    ¡°thank you for accepting the position for tonight.¡±

    ¡°no, i was surprised that i was chosen for such a huge role.¡±

    last night of the year. it was a grand ball held every year at the royal castle, and we just had a speech from his majesty, who was in poor health.

    the woman who stood alongside me was marquess cecile aldrin. she has pale light blue hair and deep blue eyes. i had often heard rumors that the beauty mark under her eye was sexy.

    after seeing her up close for the first time, i do think that she is indeed a woman with a calm atmosphere.

    the reason she was now standing next to me¡­

    in the end, it was because she and i, the third prince, were selected to dance for the opening of the new year¡¯s eve ball this year.

    if brother seth were to dance with someone, it would increase the possibility of assassination.

    brother vincent was acting a little strange.

    i could understand why someone bland like me was chosen, but the fact that the dull third prince is starting the new year¡¯s eve ball like this makes me feel that it¡¯s somehow clouding the future of this country. anyway¡­

    (i can¡¯t believe it¡¯s me¡­!)

    i wanted to close my eyes and clench my fists¡­but i hesitated to do so because there was a graceful young lady next to me.

    the burden of this dance is heavy. because i have to show the dignity of royalty that will blow away concerns about his majesty¡¯s health.

    everyone was concerned about his majesty¡¯s health.

    his majesty, who had been working all his life to make this country a better place. however, the political marriage that was intended to make the national government of pluvia rock solid had resulted in this current situation.

    the vassals must have hoped that there would be princes around to support the excellent king before he suddenly fell ill.

    the truth is, i don¡¯t know much about how his majesty himself felt about it.

    (by the time i became old enough to understand what was going on around me, his medical condition was no longer very good¡­)

    perhaps his majesty was worried about the conflict within the kingdom. when he collapsed, perhaps from continued overwork, everyone should have been worried about the future of this country.

    even today, it seems like his majesty was wearing makeup to make his complexion look better. still, the way he stood proudly on his feet and spoke to everyone must have stirred everyone¡¯s feelings for pluvia.

    (i shouldn¡¯t break that atmosphere. i must make pluvia¡¯s glory known¡­!)

    i wonder if i can do something like that.

    brother seth would have done it without fail. i¡¯m sure that even brother vincent would be able to charm people with his powerful moves.

    as for the third prince, he keeps thinking on and on about what can be done.

    marquess aldrin is in the first prince faction, a senior in the academy, and a classmate of vivienne¡¯s. i had never seen her talking with vivienne because of their different factions, but whenever we passed by each other at the academy, she would always greet me with a soft smile.

    but, even she must have been surprised by this major role.

    by the way, according to vivienne, she doesn¡¯t appear in the ¡°book¡±.

    (can i¡­pull off this huge role?)

    the fingertips of my hands, tightly clasped together, trembled.

    at that moment, marquess aldrin spoke to me.

    ¡°¡­your dance with miss vivienne in the summer was very wonderful.¡±

    ¡°ah, yes. thank you.¡±

    ¡°i came here looking forward to see if perhaps i can shine as brightly tonight as miss vivienne¡­¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    i gasped in realization and looked at the face of marquess aldrin, then she smiled at me as she always does.

    she must be nervous as well, i scold myself that i shouldn¡¯t be the nervous one. at that moment, as her hair swayed and she looked back at me, a familiar scent wafted through the air.

    (the scent of lilies¡­)

    i tensed up for a moment. however, i thought that i should say something to miss cecile, who was looking at me curiously, so i hurriedly uttered the words.

    ¡°umm¡­ you have a lovely scent.¡±

    it was hardly a response to her words that were spoken to me.

    on top of that, i felt like my voice had taken on a stiff tone that couldn¡¯t be considered as a compliment, and i panicked.

    miss cecile, who had been puzzled for a moment, continued with a chuckle.

    ¡°this is sold at miss vivienne¡¯s store. men prefer this kind of fresh, pure, ladylike scent to harsh perfumes. my friend secretly participated in a course called ¡®you¡¯ll definitely become popular!¡¯ and bought it for me.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s currently a popular perfume. men seem to think it smells very nice. i also liked the modest scent.¡±

    i felt my body relax as miss cecile smiled mischievously at me and told me so.

    i realized that the scent from that night was vivienne¡¯s fault, and then¡­

    (ah¡­so, it¡¯s not just the scent of marquess aldrin, but it¡¯s something currently fashionable.)

    i thought about it and gasped in realization.

    it was not a time for me to only let myself feel calm and breathe a sigh of relief. i¡¯m the one in the position of having to entertain her, and yet¡­!

    as i panicked, miss cecile told me.

    ¡°has your grief cleared up? i wonder if you have someone you have feelings for.¡±

    ¡°¡­! my head is full of thoughts about my dance partner tonight.¡±

    ¡°fufu, i am honored to hear your highness say so.¡±

    oh no! my mind went blank.

    but¡­this is no good. this is not enough. for the future, for the light of his majesty that shines on the future of this country, for brother seth who will inherit it, i will¡­

    ¡°to be honest, i was nervous. thanks to you, cecile, i feel like i¡¯m finally back to my senses. thank you.¡±

    ¡°oh my.¡±

    ¡°i am glad to know not only the mature side as you are rumored to be, but also the bright and innocent side of yours. i will strive to be a shadow of your already dazzling radiance.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    she looked surprised for a moment, but then her smile softly blossomed, and i was the one who ended up being surprised.

    ¡°your highness nagi is¡­¡±

    miss cecile was about to say something and reiterated, ¡°nevermind.¡± i wonder what was it. i tilted my head in confusion but was swept away by her smile.

    and i think¡ª

    that¡¯s right. right. even if i wanted to do something just like brother seth, or brother vincent, or do it for his majesty¡¯s sake, it wouldn¡¯t work.

    i am¡­the insignificant third prince¡­ let¡¯s think only of entertaining her, the one who is in front of me.

    in truth, there must be something more, there should be something more. there should have been a lot of things that i had to do. still, if she said she felt something when i danced with vivienne¡­

    (i¡¯m sure her feeling of joy will be able to make this country happy¡­)

    quietly, the sound of the piano began.

    this country had a quiet beginning, this country which was made by a king and a knight¡ª and then there were various histories, sorrows, and joys. even now, the country may be in the midst of another black cloud with no foreseeable future.

    the uneasy piano melody somehow made me feel such a moment in the present.

    still¡­

    (i¡¯m sure there will be another light shining ahead of us again in the future¡­right, brother?)

    i gently held out my hand and smiled at my princess tonight, in the sense of starting over.

    ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°yes, let us.¡±

    the glory room, which is only used on new year¡¯s eve.

    under the ceiling painted with the history of this country, miss cecile and i took a bow and stepped forward. the piano melody also began to run and gradually became faster and faster. it must be like the footsteps of heroes who have run through history. everyone must have hesitated to take an uncertain step. but, after we continue to take such steps one by one, there must be glory ahead of us.

    (that is how this country¡­ pluvia is made.)

    for some reason, i felt as if i was being watched over by the heroes of history. my legs went forward. i put my hands around miss cecile¡¯s slender waist, and her long dark blue dress spread out like a flower blooming.

    beautiful gesture that went all the way to the fingertips, not a single breath out of place, and sophisticated movement.

    ahh¡­

    (she must have been nervous, too. she must have practiced a lot before getting to this day.)

    and yet, she was so considerate about my strange reaction that she even talked about vivienne¡¯s ¡°popularity course¡± like that, and even tried to make me feel at ease. i¡¯m happy.

    ahh, it¡¯s so¡­

    ¡°beautiful¡­¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°i¡¯m glad you¡¯re my partner tonight. it was nice to be in touch with your deep compassionate heart. i¡¯m sorry for being nervous.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­your highness, the royal family must not apologize. yes, from the very beginning, i came to the castle tonight with the intention of having more fun than anyone else. you can make me become the happiest woman in the country tonight.¡±

    ¡°fufu, i see. i will do my best to meet your expectations.¡±

    i was going to be able to laugh with her, and also face her in the real meaning of the word.

    the orchestra¡¯s performance turned into a powerful melody, that¡¯s right, just like the various past that make up the present of this country¡­i digested the sound with such a realization.

    miss cecile¡¯s swaying dress danced gracefully when she took a big step forward. the silver thread decoration on her dress shone like the twinkling stars dancing in the night sky.

    my eyes met with hers, which had the color of a calm night sky.

    i remembered our earlier conversation, and my expression naturally softened. miss cecile smiled back and spoke in a gentle expression.

    ¡°you have changed, your highness nagi.¡±

    ¡°is that so?¡±

    ¡°i thought about it earlier. i thought that this might sound rude, but i think it is a talent for you to be able to make others feel that they want to support you, which is different from his highness seth or his highness vincent. would you be offended if i said this?¡±

    ¡°huh?! ah, that is¡­ if you would also support me, it¡¯d be a tremendous strength.¡±

    miss cecile continued, ¡°some may be as charismatic as his majesty. but, i think that kind of people are not the only ones that can attract others.¡±

    these words came as a bolt out of the blue for me, who had always been compared to my older brothers who were always so much better than me. things like if only i were as almighty as brother seth, or as strong as brother vincent had always been in my head.

    (it¡¯s exactly because i¡¯m a third prince who has nothing¡­that makes people want to support me?)

    i wonder.

    i felt her words sink in because she knew very well that i had nothing. thump, thump, my heartbeat quickened.

    jade¡¯s gaze glances towards us from the crowd.

    ah¡­that¡¯s right.

    (i have mika with me¡­and then, little by little, i also have comrades.)

    my face started to break into a broad smile.

    because it was the first time i had ever been praised for having nothing.

    i¡¯m not good enough yet to be able to swallow the words as they are. still, her words illuminated the people i have around me.

    the words overflowed from my mouth with a natural smile.

    ¡°cecile, thank you.¡±

    in the beginning, it started with one person who came to my mind. in the present, i could imagine a few people¡¯s smiles in my mind.

    miss cecile looked surprised, her cheeks tinted in a manner befitting her age, and she turned her head slightly downwards and said,

    ¡°oh my¡­this is trouble. the third prince faction could be formed at this rate.¡±

    i don¡¯t think that could happen, though.

    still, we both had a great time dancing.

    by the time we took a bow to each other, we were greeted with overflowing applause. we managed to get through the opening dance of this year¡¯s ball amidst the twinkling lights spilling from the glittering, dancing chandeliers.

    i thought quietly in my mind.

    (surely¡­surely, let there be glory to the kingdom of pluvia.)

 CH 75

    ¡°marquess cecile aldrin¡­huh.¡±

    the new year¡¯s eve ball was completely over, and i was sitting by the window looking out in a daze.

    it should have been brother seth who chose her as his partner for tonight. her beautiful light blue hair resembles that of royalty, who have often been born with light blue hair for generations. i was born with silver hair, which is rare on this continent, and that arrangement seemed to make up for the lack of it¡­

    (i wonder¡­if that¡¯s what it means by ¡®eventually¡¯.)

    she was the perfect partner. she seemed to have a good personality and seemed like a proper person. my heart ached at the thought of whether or not she will get married.

    i know that this pain is probably caused by one other person who came up in my mind.

    through the slightly open window, a chill air flowed in that made my spine stiffen. the long white breath i exhaled disappeared into the last night of the year.

    this year¡ª almost half a year has already passed since i woke up in this second world from five years ago.

    at that moment¡­

    i heard a muffled, slightly sulky voice over my shoulder.

    without any sign of presence, a familiar arm suddenly wrapped around my stomach from behind.

    high body temperature. the firmness of his hands and the softness of his red hair brushing against my cheek. and then, the scent of mika drifted gently.

    ¡°¡­you looked like you were having fun.¡±

    ¡°you¡­ you¡¯re sticking too close to me. are you drunk?¡±

    ¡°hmm? i wonder.¡±

    i don¡¯t think he¡¯s drunk because he doesn¡¯t smell like alcohol, though.

    he leaned against my cheek like an animal, and it made me want to rub my cheeks against the red hair next to me as well, so i clenched my teeth and held back. i forced my head, which was about to turn diagonally downward to the right, to turn upward to the left.

    the floating round moon.

    oh, it was a full moon tonight, i thought in my head. then mika spoke as if he had read my mind.

    ¡°the moon is beautiful.¡±

    ¡°yeah. when the moon is beautiful on new year¡¯s eve, it makes me feel like next year will be a good one.¡±

    next year¡­it all depends on whether or not vivienne is executed.

    then the magic of ¡®purification¡¯ has to be spread by summer.

    what an unreliable prince i am, to feel a little relieved just because the moon looks beautiful. even though miss cecile complimented me, and there¡¯s also the dance from earlier, i was still very much aware that i still had ways to go.

    that¡¯s right¡­

    ¡°mika, i want to ride allen for a little bit.¡±

    ¡°huh? do you want to go somewhere? right now?¡±

    ¡°just for a little while.¡±

    if i stay inside the room like this, i feel like i¡¯m going to think about all the bad things.

    moreover, during the ball, there were a few things that bothered me a little. a hostile gaze mixed in with positive gazes such as envy, praise, and admiration. i knew that would happen, of course.

    however¡­

    (i wonder what it was. that strange gaze that seems to follow me around¡­)

    i felt some strange gazes. it was a sickening, unpleasant stare, as if their gaze was licking me all over my body, as if they were trying to price my body. i wanted to shake it off and feel some kind of strong breeze.

    while waiting at the entrance to the castle for mika to prepare allen, i tried to think about next year.

    the magic of ¡°purification¡± seemed to be more difficult than expected, and even renalge was struggling with it. the first one that he created was more like an ¡®elimination¡¯ magic circle rather than purification. when i experimented with a dirty rag, it disappeared before my eyes.

    at that time, i heard renalge blurted out, ¡°it¡¯s clean now,¡± and i recall a chill running down my spine.

    however, after a thorough review of the results, the accuracy was improved upon, to the point where it could be done without causing any harm to the object itself.

    in the first world, an epidemic will begin to spread next summer. so, at first, i foolishly thought that it would be enough if i could finish it before then. still¡­

    (that¡¯s not it. it means that i have to spread it by the summer¡­)

    that¡¯s right, it was not enough to just create the magic.

    even if purification magic was created in the summer, it¡¯s meaningless if it has not taken root in our lives. i have to announce the magic to the towns immediately after it was perfected, to encourage them to realize its usefulness.

    and so, even if i had managed to do the research on my own, it surely wouldn¡¯t have made it in time.

    (¡­i¡¯m really glad renalge helped me.)

    i was also grateful that somehow, by a series of fortunate coincidences, i got to know renalge. and that he was the type of person who, once he decided to do something, immersed himself in it and strove for perfection.

    the guests of the ball had all gone home, and only the knights in the castle¡¯s service were standing at the entrance to the castle.

    from a distance, the sound of allen¡¯s hooves could be heard.

    i could just ride my horse, but i felt like i¡¯d get distracted.

    allen stopped in front of me and i asked, ¡°were you asleep?¡± then allen rubbed his face against my hand as if to say, ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡±

    a long, slender arm was held out from the horse, and at his urging, i climbed on top of allen.

    i knew it would happen, but my heart pounded when i fell into mika¡¯s arms.

    i look ahead, hoping that such turmoil in my heart won¡¯t be noticed as the horse starts to run.

    the night breeze blew past us.

    ¡°in vivienne¡¯s world-¡­¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°i¡¯m talking about vivienne¡¯s previous life. there, they ring the bell on the last night of the year to get rid of bad things. she said it can exorcise all the troubles of the past life, this life, and the next life.¡±

    ¡°hmm, even the past life and the next life? but we wouldn¡¯t know who and where that would be.¡±

    that¡¯s true.

    but as for me, who¡¯s starting over in this world, i can¡¯t help but feel like i¡¯m covered in different troubles, both in my previous life and this one. i randomly said something that came to my head, but i couldn¡¯t help but wish that the sound of those bells could do something about me, who at this very moment, was burdened with some troubles while being in mika¡¯s arms.

    (even that from earlier, if he suddenly comes that close to me like that¡­ sigh¡­)

    just being approached by mika filled me with anxiety.

    when i looked down, the hands holding allen¡¯s reins came into view, and my heartbeat became somewhat faster.

    if mika found out i¡¯m feeling this way, he might stop trying to touch me. i don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing for me. i¡¯m not even sure about such a simple decision.

    so, in the end, i just leave it be while unable to do anything about it.

    (ahh¡­damn it.)

    on the outskirts of the royal capital, near the bridge of the river flowing through the city, allen slowed down a little.

    perhaps because it was new year¡¯s eve, many houses still had their lights on. each one of them is inhabited by the people of pluvia.

    for me, royalty, they¡¯re the light of the people i¡¯m supposed to protect.

    actually, i know if it¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing. i will never in my life tell mika how i feel about this.

    (that¡¯s all there is to it¡­)

    when i glanced back, i saw mika¡¯s eyes blinking as he tilted his head.

    it passed through my mind, about the thing behind the inner curtains at duke marcotte¡¯s evening party. i think about it often and keep hurriedly drowning it out.

    it¡¯s different from what happened in the first world. if i reach out my hand, the second time of today will always be within reach.

    and yet, it¡¯s out of reach.

    mika¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and his expression became serious.

    then, after staring at me for a while, mika said something i didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°it¡¯ll be bad for me if you keep making such a face.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ¡°nagi¡­i-¡±

    mika¡¯s fingertips gently touched my right ear.

    with a serious expression on his face, mika opened his mouth to say something.

    at that moment¡­

    i don¡¯t know how i noticed it. but then i saw a familiar person walking behind mika.

    i took my eyes off mika and froze with my eyes still open wide.

    it was already a cold night in the first place. instantly, the temperature was gone from my fingertips. there was an uncomfortable feeling as if inside my stomach was being squeezed. then a shiver ran through my whole body.

    i-¡­said the words out of my mouth before mika did.

    ¡°mika¡­look.¡±

    ¡°what is it?¡±

    my voice trembled. but it was something i had to tell him. i wanted him to tell me that i was drunk, that i was wrong. but clearly, my brain was working normally.

    mika slightly looked over his shoulder.

    it was hard to tell because of the shadow of a building. but a man was walking there.

    uncommon in this country and unmistakable, silver hair.

    my voice was hoarse because of my dry throat. but i squeezed it out.

    ¡°¡ªthere¡¯s me walking over there.¡±

 CH 76

    ¡°¡­mika, did you see that? the one who walked just now¡­¡­gh, whoa!¡±

    while i still looked back, mika stopped moving. the next moment, however, allen suddenly went into the alleyway and made me hit my head on mika¡¯s chest plate. mika must have made allen do that.

    in the shadow of a building, away from the moonlight, mika¡¯s hand lowered the hood on my cloak from behind.

    that action made me blink my eyes in my darkened vision.

    ¡°¡­mika?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ye-yeah. what the hell was that? another you?¡±

    when i turned around and called his name while peeking through the hood, mika uttered this with a stunned look on his face. then he went on.

    ¡°¡­ahh. i guess i was drunker than i thought. should we go back?¡±

    i blinked again and froze when i heard mika, who had also pulled down the hood of his cloak deeply, muttered this quietly with his hand over his mouth.

    then, when i saw mika¡¯s gaze wandering aimlessly to the brick wall of the alley, i immediately realized what was going on.

    ¡°¡­¡­mika.¡±

    although it was a distance away, there was no way mika wouldn¡¯t have noticed a figure that looked like ¡°me¡± passing through there. it was only a short moment. however, if i recall correctly, before mika turned around, he didn¡¯t have a look of horror on his as i did, but rather a look of ¡°oh shoot¡±.

    and he decided to say that i mistook what i was seeing. no, that was what he wanted to do.

    that was¡­

    ¡°you¡­you knew about it already?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­about what?¡±

    ¡°are you going to continue with that lie? if you knew about it, that means there was something that caused it, right?¡±

    the chilling fear i had felt just a moment before had vanished.

    because the man i trust most in this world has now decided that i only mistook seeing something and that we should ¡®leave it be¡¯.

    there was no way mika, who is very cautious when it comes to me, would have reacted that way if he didn¡¯t already know about that existence.

    no, it might be because he can¡¯t leave me here to go see it alone. but even if that were the case, i think it was very upsetting for him to act so shallow as to blame it on alcohol.

    and now that i pointed it out to him, mika stared back at me with a blank expression that also looked a little displeased.

    i don¡¯t know what he was thinking. but unlike me, i guess mika can keep his expression in check¡­i felt my chest ache a little.

    as if caught in that small pain, irritation rose in me.

    ¡°i¡¯ll leave aside asking why you didn¡¯t report it to me. but if you wanted to hide that thing, it¡¯s your mistake that we ran into it like this. i¡¯ll go check it out.¡±

    ¡°nagi, no¡­ wait, hey!¡±

    after a moment¡¯s delayed reaction, mika¡¯s hand squeezed mine as i jumped off allen.

    i glared at mika who was on horseback and told him.

    ¡°another me was walking over there just now. i have a right to know the truth, don¡¯t i?¡±

    ¡°this is not good. you just saw a ghost or something. please¡­.let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡±

    with that, mika got off from allen without a sound of footsteps, and then put the hood of the cloak i was wearing back on again with both hands, deeply. the hand that touched my cheek at that time was very cold for mika, who usually has a high body temperature.

    then, i thought.

    (yeah¡­he didn¡¯t just want to leave it be. i¡¯m sure it must be something he doesn¡¯t want me to know.)

    why is that?

    it¡¯s easy to see why. whenever there is something this guy does not want me to know, that is when it is safer for me not to know.

    so, mika must have known and tried to do something on his own.

    but i¡­

    (i don¡¯t want to just be protected. i also don¡¯t want something to happen that i don¡¯t even know is happening.)

    then i muttered. a children¡¯s song about a prince who has seen ¡°his own ghost¡± passed down on this continent. the story of the prince who thought he was dreaming and was lured to the underworld by the grim reaper is well-known in this country.

    ¡°¡­does the wandering prince walk at night?¡±

    ¡°no! that¡¯s not true¡­!¡±

    ¡°i wonder. i just saw another me. maybe this is something that will continue~¡±

    the song is also sometimes sung by the town¡¯s children while jumping ropes. then, occasionally, it is used to scare children who won¡¯t go to sleep.

    to scare them that they might see their own ghosts. that they have to go to bed as soon as possible or the reaper might take them away. but that kind of story doesn¡¯t scare me.

    when i saw mika become visibly impatient, i was convinced that it was something he didn¡¯t want me to know no matter what. even mika must know that i won¡¯t back down now that it has come to this. that was why he was in such a rush.

    ¡°you must know already. i¡¯m not changing my mind.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    the trees planted along the river could be seen in the distance, shedding their last leaves.

    allen, who was standing by the wall, also snorted anxiously, perhaps he had felt a disturbing atmosphere.

    mika looked at me with his mouth pulled back in a frown, glaring at me. i¡¯m sure mika knew where that other me was going. he didn¡¯t have any more information that he wanted to know, so he tried to go back.

    a cold breeze passed through. the next moment¡­

    as mika stepped forward, i stumbled into the brick wall.

    when i tried to complain about his sudden action, mika, who seemed to have decided to fight back, said in a tone that didn¡¯t hide his displeasure.

    ¡°i¡¯m telling you not to.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­i didn¡¯t ask you to protect me to the point of losing my discretion.¡±

    ¡°you don¡¯t need to know, nagi. because you have me! i¡¯ll make sure¡­to protect you.¡±

    he told me this with a serious look on his face. but¡­that wasn¡¯t the issue.

    does this childhood friend think that i would say, ¡°okay, if mika is protecting me, i feel safe¡±? even if machina had told me the same thing in my first life, i would still have gone to check it out for myself.

    in the current situation, mika had both of his hands on the wall and my body was trapped in the middle. i know he¡¯s trying to keep me from escaping, and i certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to move if mika held me back, but his attitude was pissing me off.

    ¡°get your hands away. they¡¯re in my way.¡±

    ¡°nagi-¡±

    ¡°i told you earlier. it¡¯s your mistake that i encountered it. give it up.¡±

    while saying that, i looked away. at that moment, mika¡¯s hand made a motion to pull the hood of the cloak he was wearing over his eyes once more.

    why? as i thought about it, and turned my gaze back to mika¡­

    i felt mika¡¯s hands move to pull in the hood of my cloak, and something was pressed against my lips in my darkened vision.

    ¡°mmnh?!¡±

    for a moment, i thought that my mouth was covered with a hand, or so i thought.

    however¡­

    (¡­¡­huh?? eh, what? his face is so close¡­huh?)

    i tried to speak but could only make a muffled sound, and i opened my eyes.

    both hands i raised in an attempt to resist were grabbed and held in place. mika¡¯s unusually cold hands restrained mine with great force.

    ¡°mn, nnh!¡±

    why, how, did it come to this? those questions flooded my mind, and i froze in shock.

    however¡­even i was aware of just what was being done to me.

    (what?! what¡¯s going on¡­!)

    then, the feeling of surprise was gradually replaced by anger.

    by the time i realized that it was mika¡¯s¡­lips that were pressed against mine at many different angles, a hot tongue split my lips apart and entered.

    for the first time, i felt the heat of others in my mouth, and it caused me to shake greatly. i didn¡¯t understand this at all, so i just tried with all my might to escape from mika¡¯s restraints.

    but¡­mika¡¯s hand didn¡¯t budge at all, my head was pressed against the wall, and i couldn¡¯t turn my back. as i twisted my body around frantically, mika¡¯s tongue grazed a sensitive area.

    ¡°nngh¡­mnh.¡±

    a voice with sweetness escaped my mouth, clearly different from the startled voice i let out heard earlier.

    the heat was gathering on my face as i blushed. i was so embarrassed, feeling like i was dying.

    however, as if to probe around, the inside of my mouth was explored. before i knew it, my hands were pressed against the wall, and i couldn¡¯t move at all, and a strange feeling ran through my body.

    ¡°ha- gh.¡±

    even my vision was blurred by a wet voice that overflowed from my mouth. i screamed in my head. i didn¡¯t know the reason for this situation.

    but¡­!

    (still!¡­¡­still!)

    the heat that was gently stroking my mouth was none other than mika¡¯s.

    he stroked the back of my tongue, entangled it, changed the angle, and took my lips again and again. the rough, yet loving, sensation made me feel all kinds of emotions.

    as i was struggling to catch my breath, our lips overlapped again.

    ¡°mn, nngh¡­haa.¡±

    ¡°nagi¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­mi-mika! you!¡±

    i thought i heard the sound of mika ending the kiss, but then he just stared at me with his hands sewn to the wall.

    i tried to glare back at him with all my might, but i couldn¡¯t tell how much power my moist eyes were displaying. still, i tightened my lips and hoped that at least my resistance would be conveyed.

    but then, i heard mika¡¯s cold-hearted voice above me.

    ¡°it¡¯ll be hard for a kid like you who gasps for air over this to see it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    with a confused feeling, i ruminate, ¡°what the hell does that mean?¡±

    if i had to guess from mika¡¯s words, that other ¡°me¡± was doing things that the real me, who couldn¡¯t even kiss, couldn¡¯t even imagine. and mika, to me¡­

    (he did this kind of thing¡­to let me know that i¡¯m just a ¡°kid¡±?)

    my heart ached like it had been pierced by a spear.

    i¡¯m sure mika has a lot of experience, though i certainly don¡¯t have any, as he said. and yet¡ª and yet, i couldn¡¯t believe he was taking this approach.

    mika followed up by moving his face to a position where his lips were almost touching mine. my lips were gently stroked, like he always did.

    ¡°or¡­should i teach you more until you get used to it?¡±

    my heart was about to stop.

    if i let loose even a little, tears were going to spill down my face.

    i must have liked mika since i was little.

    i always admired this man¡¯s freedom, and i always cherished the time we spent together.

    i know in my head that mika cares about me, and wants to stop me to the point of doing something like this. but still, i never thought i¡¯d be kissed like this¡ª like he was looking down on my lack of experience.

    it made me think that he was making fun of me.

    right now, i¡¯m being made fun of by the man i like.

    (he¡¯s telling me that it¡¯s impossible for someone like me¡­)

    mika wanted me to turn back in anger here.

    this man wanted to protect me, even to the point of being hated.

    mika may even be thinking that i¡¯d be able to guess his intention.

    i know, because we¡¯ve been together for a long time. if he had gone this far, i might have chosen to turn back after guessing mika¡¯s intention.

    ¡ªif it was me from the first life.

    (but i¡¯m different, mika. if you say i¡¯m ignorant, i¡¯m willing to get over that too and press on¡­)

    my throbbing chest still felt hurt.

    i tried my best to suppress the feeling of wanting to glare at mika. i shouldn¡¯t let my feelings get the better of me.

    this is when i have to do¡­the exact opposite.

    i gently closed my eyes just once. then, while slowly opening my eyelids again, i saw his face once more.

    and then¡­

    i smiled softly as if i were looking at the most beloved person in the world.

    ¡°!¡±

    mika, with his face full of surprise, tried to distance himself a little.

    but then i put my hand around mika¡¯s neck, and swallowed my saliva while casting my eyes downwards. then, hoping to look as bewitching as possible, i looked up, remembering antoine.

    ¡°well then¡­¡­me.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°teach me, mika. you¡¯re going to teach me¡­until i get used to it, right?¡±

    i drew mika¡¯s head closer just like that.

    i slowly brought my slightly open mouth over mika¡¯s lips and placed them softly over his.

    i was so embarrassed that i closed my eyes, so i didn¡¯t know what kind of expression mika had on his face.

    but after pressing my lips against mika¡¯s unmoving lips for a moment, i ended the kiss and pulled away.

    thump, thump, my heart was beating loudly. slowly, slowly, i lifted my eyelids and looked up at the man i resent and also love.

    and then¡­i noticed.

    ¡°pfft.¡±

    i couldn¡¯t help but snort, because mika¡¯s face in front of me was incredibly red.

    i was so nervous until just now, but i forgot all that. mika¡¯s face, which was bright red, was strangely distorted. i held my mouth, held my stomach, and held my laughter, holding back the urge to laugh out loud.

    mika¡¯s embarrassed voice descended.

    ¡°¡­¡­damn, i failed.¡±

    i didn¡¯t have to see his face to know. he was probably making an awkward expression while ruffling his red hair.

    it was to be expected. it was too underhanded of a plan to turn him away by forcibly kissing him back.

    i told him while holding back my laugh.

    ¡°that¡¯s right. from the point when we encounter it, you¡¯ve already failed. pfft, gh, ah, give it up, haha.¡±

    ¡°you~! it¡¯ll be really sickening. it¡¯s definitely better for you to never have seen it! you idiot.¡±

    ¡°i won¡¯t know that until i see it. i don¡¯t want to just be protected.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    i felt like it was more of a disaster for mika to even do such a thing, even though it was such a big deal that mika and i kissed, and it kind of made me lose all restraint.

    my heart had recovered enough to laugh and tell a joke to mika.

    ¡°or what? do you really want to kiss me until i get used to it before we go check it?¡±

    ¡°¡­don¡¯t get carried away. you wouldn¡¯t like it if i really did.¡±

    ¡°huh? let¡¯s just go.¡±

    ¡°listen! you¡¯ll definitely regret it, you hear me!¡±

    thus, the two of us had to hide allen and then follow after the other me from behind.

    then i thought as i followed mika¡¯s back.

    (why did he turn that red, i wonder¡­?)

 CH 77

    2-1. where will the wandering prince go?

    it was like the moon had just fallen from the night sky.

    the darkness could be seen through the glass. in the writhing dark shadows, i learned what my own silver hair color looked like.

    the wandering prince walks at night~

    clatter clatter, tap tap~

    where is he going~?

    a song that the town¡¯s children hummed while spinning the jumping rope.

    at dusk, when it¡¯s almost time to go home, this game begins and the children scatter from house to house.

    as they crossed to the right and left in turn, the children jumped the rope. and then, finally, the two children who had been spinning the rope also jumped the rope and went home, saying to each other, ¡°it was a fun day.¡± it was that kind of a peaceful game.

    but somewhere in their heart, they felt scared¡ª it was such a game.

    i couldn¡¯t help but hear that song which was sung by the children echoing in my head. the white skin that emerged, coupled with the white clothing, makes it seem like¡­

    (how to put it? it¡¯s like the moon being eaten by the darkness¡­)

    it was a strange place that seemed somehow sacred.

    the building was surrounded by a mansion that, until now, i had thought was abandoned, and i had never even peeked inside because of the trees. but after passing through the dense garden, a glass-walled building that looked like a greenhouse appeared.

    the glass, which was so large that it was not often seen even in the royal castle, continued to the ceiling and looked like a large birdcage. the silver-haired prince sitting in the center of the room, dressed in white, shined brightly. those in dark-colored clothing that surrounded the prince gazed at him with enraptured eyes.

    with just a little bit of blue magic light illumination and the moonlight shining on there, the shadows are lifted.

    it was different from duke marcotte¡¯s strange darkened look. rather, this is more like¡­

    (¡­¡­it¡¯s like the temple of the moon.)

    i don¡¯t even want to think too much about why i thought of that now. however, this strange holiness made me feel sick because it reminded me of the incarnation of the moon, which has been said to deceive people since ancient times.

    since when did the royal city of corliss become such a strange place like a fairy tale world?

    after duke marcotte¡¯s evening party, now this temple of the wandering prince.

    my eyebrow furrowed involuntarily with a sickening feeling as if the city i was supposed to be familiar with since i was born, the city i was supposed to protect, had become a place i did not know at all.

    as i cast my eyes downwards, i heard a small voice from next to me that reassured me just by listening to it.

    ¡°i also¡­don¡¯t know everything about this yet.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°i still don¡¯t know what that thing is.¡±

    ¡°¡­ah, yeah. when did you start to notice it?¡±

    mika and i were peeking inside from the shadows of the medium trees around the building. and then after i heard what mika said, i was reminded again.

    still, i waited for mika¡¯s next words, thinking that since he had decided to leave it alone, he must have taken some kind of action.

    ¡°well, you can be rest assured. i think it was probably after i became your knight that thing started its activity.¡±

    ¡°¡­what exactly do you mean by activity?¡±

    mika said that he first noticed it during the summer vacation, and that he had a guess when miss yoshino said that i was ¡°someone of many loves¡±. judging from mika¡¯s foolish actions from earlier and miss yoshino¡¯s remarks, i think that the other me has relationships with various people.

    i stared at the other me, sitting comfortably in a place that seemed to be shining brighter and brighter, but what in the world is the point of that act? i can¡¯t help but ponder.

    at that moment¡ª the other me, sitting on the white marble chair that looked like an altar, gently reached out and stroked the chin of the man beside him with his fingertips.

    ¡°huh?!¡±

    ¡°i told you to be quiet.¡±

    on closer inspection, the man appeared to be the eldest son of marquis savatier.

    as my eyes became accustomed to the night darkness, i gradually began to see the faces of people sitting and relaxing around the other me.

    although the man was already in his thirties, he was a player and was not married. but i felt something bothering me, and i tilted my head.

    marquis savatier¡¯s eldest son was, i believe, testifying at my trial.

    after i had lost brother seth, i no longer cared about my crimes. i didn¡¯t listen carefully to him, but i wondered what kind of testimony he was giving. the last time i saw him, he was more haggard and his hair was getting worse.

    i wonder why.

    his brown hair looks a little similar to mika¡¯s, depending on how the light hits it.

    seeing the other me staring at the man¡¯s face somewhat cheerfully, my heart pounded.

    i remember being just as smitten at the trial, only with the color of mika¡¯s hair.

    and then¡ª

    (ah, right. speaking of which, marquis savatier is going to fall into bankruptcy. that eldest son has created a debt¡­wait, huh?!)

    i blinked my eyes as i realized a possibility.

    ¡°huh, no way¡­ he was giving tributes to me¡­?¡±

    ¡°ohh. you noticed it right away, despite always being so dull. i think¡­you¡¯re probably right.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    i looked back at mika with surprise at the calm words he said from next to me.

    mika stared at the other me in the middle of this mysterious place, and then turned his glance at me. then, as if prompted, he turned his eyes again to the glass.

    the man¡¯s hand gently overlapped the hand of the other me.

    i stared at the mouth of the other me and tried to read his lips.

    [it¡¯s not nice to touch royalty without permission.]

    at those words, the man¡¯s hand twitched and was quickly pulled back.

    but the hands of the other me became bolder, and he laughed as if there was something funny. he was cupping the man¡¯s face in his hands, poking the man¡¯s lips with his fingertips, stroking the man¡¯s neck, and making other sensual movements.

    marquis savatier¡¯s eldest son gazed in a trance at the face of the other me, even though he never touched the other me himself.

    i couldn¡¯t tell the expression on his face clearly, but i had a feeling that his cheeks must have been a little red.

    then, still with an ecstatic expression on his face, the man¡¯s lips moved.

    [i¡­brought this.]

    hm? the other me tilted his head and opened the box that was offered to him.

    the air around me felt tense.

    i can¡¯t say for sure from a distance, but it looks like a large pluvia sapphire. the beautiful gemstone, glistening blue in the moonlight, is in the country¡¯s symbolic royal blue color.

    the sound of surprise couldn¡¯t help but leak out of my mouth.

    ¡°¡­¡­huh? n-no, no way. there¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    ¡°no, he¡¯s giving it to royalty, so there¡¯s no problem. he¡¯s probably doing it for you.¡±

    i can¡¯t tell if it really is pluvia sapphire.

    but originally, the pluvia sapphire was a rare gemstone and could only be owned by royalty. on rare occasions, it is awarded in honor of a vassal¡¯s achievement, but if one ever comes into possession of a pluvia sapphire, it is customary for noble families to keep it as a treasured heirloom for generations to come.

    even when inherited in the family, it was so controlled that proper change of ownership paperwork must be filed.

    the other me took the large sapphire to his hand and held it up to the moonlight while saying, ¡°hmm.¡±

    the silvery light that passed through the glass was casting a blue shimmer in his eyes through the sapphire.

    the man¡¯s lips moved.

    [ahh, how-¡­how beautiful. if it¡¯s for your sake, i will do everything¡ª]

    the lips of the other me arched like the moon as he turned his back to the man. then he mumbled a small ¡°okay¡± and turned around, bringing his face close to the man¡¯s, and spoke.

    [i guess i¡¯ll have you walk me home tonight.]

    i didn¡¯t even have to read his lips to know. the man seemed to reply cheerfully, ¡°yes, i¡¯m honored.¡±

    then the two of them left the place. the other men looked frustrated as they watched over the shadows of the two, but they kept their eyes on the other me until the end.

    a sickening chill crawled up my spine.

    i burned this scene into my eyes while clasping my hands, which were almost shaking.

    count tardieux, the eldest son of marquis fauconne, the second son of the chancellor, and is that someone from the dukes of uniac¡­? i couldn¡¯t believe it. i never expected that he also had his hands on the queen¡¯s birth family.

    and then, the more i tried to remember, i recognized the familiar faces of the men there.

    (ahh, this is¡­that thing?)

    i remembered my crime in my first life.

    it was highly likely that the sin that was referred to as ¡®fornication¡¯ at the time was about this. many of the men here were named at the time of the trial.

    if i really had a relationship with the men here, this would certainly be ¡®fornication¡¯. but in practice, royalty was not supposed to receive that charge.

    in the first place, royalty is allowed to practice polygamy in order to prosper. if it was excessive, it would count as a crime. still, i wonder if my deeds after five years have accumulated over this to become that crime.

    many things i didn¡¯t understand passed through my head.

    i mean, in the first place¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­why are there only men here? i mean, what¡¯s to be gained by doing something obscene? is he just trying to make the first prince faction collapse?¡±

    ¡°¡­y-you¡¯re unexpectedly calm about this.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°the first time i saw it, i was so surprised that i couldn¡¯t even speak.¡±

    i was not at all calm or anything. but i was also surprised that i was not that shocked about the fact that i was indeed apparently doing something obscene.

    (no¡­ i would have been¡­just as surprised if i had encountered this all of a sudden. but, there was something more surprising that happened before this¡­)

    i almost remembered mika from a few moments ago, and shook my head hurriedly.

    and then i think. if i seemed calm, it was thanks to mika. since mika was going to leave this alone, i had the assumption that it must be okay, so i could concentrate on figuring out what was going on.

    anyway, since the other me had left, it seemed there was not much we could do here.

    ¡°for now, let¡¯s go back to the castle. i¡¯ll tell you the details later.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ah¡­yeah¡­¡±

    hearing mika¡¯s disgusted voice, i sighed thinking that from here on out, it was going to be a tactical retreat with my knight, which i didn¡¯t expect. looking at the white breath i had exhaled, i finally realized that mika had used wind magic to keep the cold wind off me here.

    i know mika wanted to protect me.

    (but¡­i wonder what he was going to do by hiding this¡­)

    it made me hate my own ignorance.

    i had to have a good talk with my knight about that as well.

    the sound of a bell ringing to signal midnight rang out.

    it was probably different from the bells of vivienne¡¯s world. but the sound resonated heavily inside me. it seemed like the new year had arrived before we knew it.

    i think about the other me, which i had just seen.

    however, there was something else that made me curious rather than the fact whether the other me was doing something obscene.

    the eldest son of marquis savatier was supposed to be a player, but i was shocked to see such an ecstatic look on his face and for him to be played around by the other me.

    if this world is really going to follow the same path as last time, he¡¯s going to give so many presents to the other me, enough to bankrupt his house.

    a melancholy expression. watery eyes, thinly opened lips. seeming like full of gaps, and yet probably not.

    that ¡®s¡­how to put it.

    (¡ªit looks just like antoine¡­)

 CH 78

    ¡°explain about it quickly. i¡¯m angry.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    after we returned, the castle was completely quiet.

    on the way home while riding allen, we were silent to each other. unlike the way allen was running slowly when we went out, it ran through the city at a fast pace.

    since there would be a breakfast to celebrate the new year, i knew that a large number of people would start working in a few hours. but after the new year¡¯s ball was over, everyone was now quietly resting for a while.

    i stomped down the hallway carpet, glared at mika who opened the door to my office, and said so as i walked past his frightened face.

    that¡¯s right. i said it myself and noticed it again.

    seems like i¡¯m quite angry.

    i had just witnessed a shocking scene.

    i should have been shocked as if i had seen a real ghost.

    but the fact that my knight had concealed that fact was a bigger problem.

    mika stared at me as i took off my coat while looking back at him, and then with a troubled look on his face, he reluctantly began to speak.

    ¡°that fake nagi started showing up at that abandoned building after the summer break. i say abandoned, but as you saw, that glass building was cleaned up inside and looked like a salon gathering, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°that means it¡¯s not an illusion or a make-believe, but he¡¯s behaving like me and doing it with a purpose, huh.¡±

    ¡°yeah. that¡¯s a real person, and he¡¯s impersonating you with clear malice intended.¡±

    i was still a little relieved, because i thought just a little bit, just a really, really little bit, that my desire might have moved with a will.

    however.

    ¡­so mika knew that it was a villain who spoke the name of royalty, but he still left it alone. even after hearing that much, i realized that i hadn¡¯t lost all trust in mika.

    (i¡­i think i might trust this man a bit too much¡­?)

    somehow, i don¡¯t feel bad about it.

    but that¡¯s not what i wanted to hear right now.

    i sat on the sofa with a thud, and i glared at mika¡¯s face as he stood.

    ¡°so?¡±

    ¡°uhh¡­ erm¡­¡±

    when we ran into the other me back then, mika tried to turn back immediately.

    putting aside the fact that i might have over-trusted him, there was no way this man would have done such a thing without a certain information at hand. it is highly likely that he already knew the identity of the man who is impersonating me, and i¡¯m sure that the man¡¯s action must be¡ª

    ¡°ah¡­yeah. i¡¯m sorry for being silent. i have someone i trust keeping an eye on that man.¡±

    ¡°who is that?¡±

    ¡°¡­i can only say that it¡¯s a trustworthy subordinate.¡±

    his subordinate, huh? i thought in my mind.

    if mika, who held no position until just six months ago, says so, it must be a subordinate from the chardin family. someone who has been serving mika for a long time. he wouldn¡¯t allow the other knights to see the perversity of a human being who is a living copy of his own lord.

    as i was thinking about this, mika looked strangely serious and tight-lipped.

    ¡°what¡¯s with that face you¡¯re making¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­huh?¡±

    ¡°how much else are you lying to me?¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    i¡¯m a little frustrated with mika, who didn¡¯t seem to know what kind of face he was making.

    i think that when this childhood friend of mine has such a serious face, it¡¯s usually when he was trying to figure out how much to say.

    he had always been this way from back then.

    in his mind, he¡¯d try to prioritize me having a good time without noticing, even if he had to tell some lies.

    (he probably didn¡¯t think that not telling the truth could hurt me¡­)

    for some reason, in my first life, i never protested against it.

    i didn¡¯t think i had any important role to play, or that i would be involved in anything or that my decisions would have any impact. it was my mistake to abandon my thoughts, assuming that mika wouldn¡¯t make a mistake in his actions.

    but¡­ not this time.

    if i kept being comfortably protected like this, things would change drastically before i knew it.

    i¡¯m relying on mika. i also trust him, but this is different.

    ¡°if you can¡¯t even share the facts that you¡¯ve confirmed to me, it might have been a mistake for me to make you my knight. you don¡¯t have to protect me to the point of lying to me.¡±

    ¡°! ¡­nagi. but, this is-¡­¡±

    ¡°i don¡¯t think there¡¯s a good enough reason for you to do this.¡±

    i leaned back and crossed my arms.

    judging by how mika kept standing there without sitting down beside me as usual, he must think that this is serious. i narrowed my eyes, wondering what excuse this man would come up with.

    mika, still wearing his coat, said in a troubled voice as his eyes darted to the right and left.

    ¡°erm¡­i didn¡¯t want to scare you.¡±

    ¡°stop screwing around.¡±

    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, really, that¡¯s all¡­¡±

    ¡°i¡¯m a grown man. i¡¯m offended that you didn¡¯t share that information with me because you thought i might be scared.¡±

    mika said ¡°sorry¡± again in a small voice, then shrugged his shoulders.

    i turned my face to the side and snorted. i know mika will probably give me a troubled smile anyway. i noticed mika take off his coat and toss it with a thud on the sofa across from me.

    then, as usual, he sat down next to me.

    (that¡¯s too fast for him to finish reflecting already.)

    irritated, i turned my face away and looked at mika next to me with just my eyes.

    as i wondered what he was going to say, mika had a weird look on his face and started talking about weird things.

    ¡°but, do you get it? nagi. you feel something when you stand back and watch it like that, right?¡±

    i raised one eyebrow, wondering what he was talking about.

    mika leaned back on the back of the sofa as i did, let out a sigh, and then spoke.

    ¡°the sacred atmosphere that you have, i mean.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°i can see it, just like the moon coming down from the night sky. i can see it when i look at you at night.¡±

    then mika continued blurting out something that i couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°daytime is also the same, i¡¯ll be troubled with a different cuteness coming from you.¡±

    but i understood a little bit of what mika was saying. because that¡¯s what i myself thought earlier.

    ¡°¡­ah, yeah, it¡¯s kind of creepy to say it myself, but it also looked like the incarnation of the moon.¡±

    i wasn¡¯t sure if it was only the atmosphere from the other me or if i myself also looked like that. since mika said so, maybe i really did look like that.

    mika continued in a small voice, mumbling to himself.

    ¡°usually, you¡¯re aloof and don¡¯t talk to anyone. but, you¡¯ve finally started greeting people and smiling recently. you¡­you basically seem like an unattainable flower.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°for men, well¡­maybe it¡¯s not limited to men, but seeing such an inviolable and beautiful thing¡­ makes you want to destroy it¡­ not just things, but also living things? i guess.¡±

    what mika was saying didn¡¯t make any sense.

    do i look like an unattainable flower? i see. that¡¯s true, there was something sacred about the other me in that place. there¡¯s an atmosphere like he can¡¯t be touched. but i think that was the purpose of that strange building.

    as i was tilting my head, mika said something outrageous.

    ¡°it makes me think that i want to see it being a mess¡­only in front of me.¡±

    i opened my eyes in astonishment.

    what in the world did this childhood friend of mine just say?

    i spat it out, while feeling surprised.

    ¡°¡­what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡­ah! no! i-i didn¡¯t say anything about my desire! i-it¡¯s just the common opinion!¡±

    ¡°what?? common¡­??¡±

    i was definitely more confused as i watched mika suddenly start to panic for some reason.

    but perhaps this is what mika was trying to say.

    in other words©¤©¤

    ¡°do you mean that my usual timidity, nervousness and withdrawnness are conveniently creating an impenetrable wall?¡±

    ¡°ah, yeah. r-right. that¡¯s what i mean. because, you see, you¡¯re the most beautiful person in the country if you keep quiet. as long as you keep your mouth shut.¡±

    ¡°hey!¡±

    as i looked at him with a blank stare, mika continued, still panicked, saying, ¡°but-¡±

    ¡°you saw how charming he was in a different way to the seamless his highness seth, didn¡¯t you? he smiled so sweetly and would touch them like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­what, have you ever joined them there?¡±

    ¡°there¡¯s no way i did! but the feeling they get when they get an adorable smile just for themself¡­i can understand it.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    i don¡¯t understand what mika was saying from earlier.

    but i think mika had been telling me for a long time that he liked my smile. i remember being told to keep smiling after i regained consciousness this year, too. i don¡¯t know why mika would say that, but i know he appreciates my smile.

    that means, what is it? i wonder if it means that my smile is worth something.

    however. right now, it was more important to talk about what that thing was, rather than to evaluate my smile.

    as i remained frozen with a puzzled look on my face, mika must have realized that he was missing the point, because he coughed a little and began to talk about the main issue.

    ¡°the purpose of that counterfeit is to¡­to make a scandal about you, nagi.¡±

    ¡°do you think i want to hear such an obvious answer?¡±

    ¡°¡­and! and then! also for fundraising for his activities, the collapse of the first prince¡¯s faction, and of course, rubrum is behind the scenes. there¡¯s one more thing, but i don¡¯t want to say it right now.¡±

    ¡°why?¡±

    mika showed a disgusted expression and just said, ¡°because i don¡¯t know for sure yet,¡± and seemed really unwilling to talk about it. i reminded him to tell me when he had proof, and mika nodded, so we decided to let the matter rest for now.

    but¡­ in the first place, there¡¯s another problem.

    ¡°what part of what you just said did you think would scare me¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­no, um, it¡¯s not that. nagi.¡±

    mika hesitated a few times, then spoke up as if he had made up his mind.

    ¡°as far as i¡¯ve been able to find out¡­that fake nagi is a merchant from the same school year.¡±

    ¡°from the same school year?? does he happen to look that much alike to me? if we were that alike, it would be a hot topic of conversation.¡±

    ¡°no. it¡¯s not like that¡­i think, he¡¯s¡­¡±

    mika seemed more afraid than i was.

    even at this moment, he still seemed to be wondering if he should tell me.

    mika continued.

    ¡°it¡¯s probably his unique magic.¡±

    i felt like i saw a vision of a strange purple wind wafting in the air, still fresh in my memory.

    what does¡­this mean? i pondered with my confused head.

    magic that should have been eliminated in history.

    it means that there¡¯s now two of them that made an appearance recently¡­

    i repeated it like an idiot.

    ¡°unique¡­magic.¡±

    ¡°right. as far as i¡¯ve been observing for six months, he only transformed into you, nagi. but that¡¯s all caused by magic.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­a magic, to become like me?¡±

    ¡°no, i¡¯m not sure about the restrictions yet.¡±

    looking at mika¡¯s worried expression, i understood why he thought that would scare me off.

    indeed, if there was unique magic that could make someone turn into me, it was a threat. but i had to think calmly. i tried to recall my first life. then, i said it to myself.

    it didn¡¯t matter if the process of the existence of the other me was accidental or magical. since mika is saying that rubrum is behind it, the important thing is¡­

    (it¡¯s about what the other me did.)

    most of the differences between the charges i was burned at the stake for and what i did in reality, are probably the doing of the other me.

    fornication, and then there was another charge that came to mind. maybe it¡¯s about what mika said earlier that he wasn¡¯t sure yet and didn¡¯t have proof.

    but if i was guilty of that crime, it would be the worst thing for this country.

    (no way, i had thought all those charges against me were lies, but¡­was it actually happening?)

    a sickening sweat ran down my back.

    as i felt the warmth drain from my fingertips, i suddenly noticed mika¡¯s eyes on me. ¡®so, you were scared after all¡­¡¯ i realized that he was looking at me that way and hurriedly denied it.

    ¡°no, i¡¯m not scared at all. i was surprised, but i was thinking about something else right now.¡±

    ¡°huh. at this time?¡±

    ¡°i wonder if everyone is hiding their unique magic¡­ rubrum really pulls a lot of tricks.¡±

    ¡°y-you¡¯re unexpectedly calm about this.¡±

    well, i know i¡¯ve said it before, but i¡¯m sure i couldn¡¯t have stayed so calm if i had known it for the first time.

    it was probably partly because i had also seen baroness tessier¡¯s unique magic in the summer. but now that i knew what i had to do, i just did what i could.

    i sighed as i looked at mika next to me and said, ¡°don¡¯t even think that i¡¯ll get scared again.¡±

    i continued.

    ¡°and so? do you know the details?¡±

    ¡°that man is from lambert territory. that¡¯s why i¡¯d still like to do a bit more investigation on the circumstances behind it, but¡­¡±

    ¡°from machina¡¯s place?¡±

    in that case, we might have a good thing going.

 CH 79

    the air was tense and tight.

    a dazzling blue carpet covered the great dining room.

    at the far end of the long table in the center is his majesty, then her majesty the queen on the left, and her majesty the second queen on the right. next to her majesty the queen were brother seth, and me. likewise, brother vincent sat next to her majesty the second queen.

    if my mother had lived, i don¡¯t know what the order would have been. because it was the queen, lady willemina, who decided the seating order.

    many fruits were lined up on the beautiful silverware made by francois dale, who has a workshop in the count¡¯s territory of chardin. i have heard that the tableware used in the royal castle is supplied by mika¡¯s brothers. it is the custom in pluvia for everyone, whether royalty, nobility, or commoners, to celebrate the new year with their families at the very first meal of the year.

    i was relieved just to have his majesty in this seat together with us. his majesty then opened his mouth.

    ¡°i want to express my sincere gratitude for the beautiful morning we have together today.¡±

    that¡¯s the new year¡¯s greeting. in pluvia, since the founding of the country, we are grateful to be able to welcome the new morning. perhaps, it was because for the king and knight who were in the midst of a battlefield a long time ago, it was the greatest joy to welcome a new morning in the new year.

    ¡°congratulations, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°thank you, your majesty, for this beautiful morning.¡±

    ¡°yes. i have made you all concerned. still, my condition is getting better and better every day. i might be able to show up in political affairs a little more this year.¡±

    i can certainly see that his majesty¡¯s complexion looked better today. when i was born, his majesty was already in poor health. to tell the truth, i have little memory of calling him ¡®father¡¯ and touching him. however, brother seth¡¯s face closely resembled his majesty¡¯s, so i felt familiar with it.

    besides, he always smiled so generously.

    lady willemina replied to his majesty¡¯s words.

    ¡°well, your majesty, you mustn¡¯t overexert yourself.¡±

    ¡°yes, that is true. willemina, i will return to my room while i can still walk.¡±

    in response to your majesty¡¯s reply to lady willemina, i thought to myself, ¡°eh, already¡­?!¡±

    if his majesty leaves his seat, the breakfast is over. that¡¯s the custom. but his majesty turned his hand toward us and continued speaking.

    ¡°no, it is alright. allow yourselves to enjoy the breakfast leisurely.¡±

    those words sent a chill down my spine.

    that¡¯s not a good thing either.

    the world is surely different when his majesty is awake and when he is asleep, the world is exactly the opposite. like an overturned basin, like heaven and hell, the world would be as different as could be.

    both brother seth and lady willemina, as well as brother vincent and her majesty the second queen, were beaming with royal smiles, and their appearance was even glamorous.

    i was alone among them, and i thought.

    (how terrifying¡­!)

    everyone stood up to see his majesty off, and then he smiled, waved, and disappeared behind the door.

    the heavy door closed without making a sound.

    my heart was making unpleasant thumping noises. the pain in my stomach was already unusual.

    and soon the battle began.

    ¡°your majesty the queen, hasn¡¯t your hair turned a lot whiter in the little time since i last saw you?¡±

    ¡°is that so? your majesty the second queen, as always, you look very good in a vulgar outfit.¡±

    the second queen said so as she held a dazzling royal blue fan over her mouth. her eyes even look like a crescent moon. why she would want to say something so mean is totally beyond me.

    lady willemina, on the other hand, did not even glance at her, but only at the meal at hand, and responded.

    i didn¡¯t want to listen to such a prickly family conversation in a quiet room, where people called each other by their job titles, so i spoke to my brother next to me.

    ¡°b-brother seth, thank you for a beautiful morning.¡±

    ¡°yes, good morning, nagi. thank you for a beautiful morning.¡±

    as soon as i saw brother seth smiling softly, a spring breeze blew in my heart. so soothing. brother seth is so soothing.

    after i watched brother seth bring an appetizer of vegetable terrine to his mouth, i finally decided to start eating as well. at that moment.

    ¡°speaking of which, the carefree third prince was dancing happily last night, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°how lamentable, since the first prince should have been the one to dance.¡±

    apparently, it wasn¡¯t the time for me to eat yet.

    maybe it was not a good idea to talk to brother seth and smile at him. i thought that the breath that the second queen exhaled was like poison. every word is just a disaster that befalls the person she speaks to. her curly, swirling hair sometimes looks like medusa of the legend. i think inwardly that perhaps it really is true.

    i looked at lady willemina, and it seemed that she was not going to answer.

    i gritted my teeth, thinking that since i was the one being spoken to, i should be the one to answer.

    ¡°yes. i did not expect that i would be filling in for brother seth. i had assumed that brother vincent, whose fianc¨¦e had already been chosen, would be the one to fill in for him. i hope brother seth finds a match before he becomes a fine king.¡±

    ¡°do you have something to say to my vince?¡±

    ¡°no. the carefree third prince only had the pleasure to be able to dance with the beautiful young lady.¡±

    smiling softly, i quickly dared to act incompetent again and pretended that i had no idea what i was doing.

    as i told brother seth before, i am not that hostile to brother vincent. rather, it is the second queen who is the problem. without her presence, i think that even though brother vincent, who hates to lose, might compete with brother seth, it would never become a big issue, such as a factional war.

    brother seth hit the nail on the head, though, saying that it¡¯s not such an easy problem to solve.

    ¡°she was a young lady with hair color that resembled royalty, wasn¡¯t she? perhaps she was chosen to cover up that grayish hair of yours.¡±

    ¡°¡­umm, that is true. she has beautiful hair.¡±

    i was frustrated inside.

    because the color of my mother¡¯s hair was my grandfather and grandmother¡¯s pride and joy. i wanted to go on acting incompetent, or so i thought, but i still wanted to say at least one word back. speaking of which.

    (the second queen! is definitely more incompetent than me¡­!)

    last time, it might have been a good competition. i¡¯m not sure why, but i feel like i can win now. that¡¯s all i felt somehow. no matter what her background was, no matter how much she disliked lady willemina, there was no way that she was a smart person to put it into words like this. a truly competent person would not make so many enemies.

    knowing this, the always-smiling lady willemina doesn¡¯t even try to play games.

    i decided to complain. complain!

    ¡°i might have been happy with a less inconspicuous color even if my hair was really gray. it seems like a lot of effort to have to dye it as often as her majesty the second queen.¡±

    ¡°wha-¡±

    i said just that and started eating the appetizer.

    i also noticed that lady willemina and brother seth were staring blankly at me, but i didn¡¯t care anymore.

    the second queen, who was even refuted by the foolish third prince, clenched her fists for a while, trembling.

    i know. i know that i will be harassed in some way in the future. i know that it wasn¡¯t anything that would leave me feeling refreshed to refute. but now that i¡¯ve said it, on the contrary, i¡¯m sure that it showed my incompetence.

    i chewed on my terrine. the colorful terrine solidified with consomm¨¦ julienne and cabbage leaves, was grinded by my back teeth and went into my stomach.

    there was a loud noise and the second queen stood up.

    ¡°i have had enough. vince, you are also done, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°ah, yes, mother.¡±

    ¡°if you will excuse me.¡±

    seeing her reaction, i thought, ¡°oh!¡±

    the lowly conflict seemed to have been unexpectedly meritorious, and the second queen seemed to be retreating. in my mind, i raised my fist high in the air. the lowly conflict seemed to be over. the two left the room.

    i looked at the seat where brother vincent was sitting diagonally across from me, thinking that he was having a tough time, even though only appetizers had been served.

    and then, i laughed a little when i saw that there were only paprika and bell peppers left on his leftover plate of the terrine.

    lady willemina signaled with her hand that the servants could leave, and it was just the three of us in the room. i breathed a sigh of relief, though i¡¯m sure the servants would be back when the next plates were brought to us.

    then, lady willemina laughed as if breaking the silence.

    ¡°fufufu, ahaha! nagi, when did you learn to be able to say such a thing? pfft. she did dye her graying hair, couldn¡¯t say anything back, and ran away! ahaha!¡±

    watching her laugh so hard, which is unbecoming of a queen, i was finally able to celebrate new year¡¯s with my real family.

    seeing her, a smile also broke out on my face.

    ¡°your majesty the queen, thank you for the beautiful morning.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right. thank you for the beautiful morning, nagi.¡±

    ¡°hopefully this year will be a good one.¡±

    the three of us sitting in a row made it a little difficult to talk, but it was still going to be a fun breakfast. i feel sorry for his majesty, but i get very nervous when he is around.

    the talkative lady willemina continued.

    ¡°aren¡¯t you starting to look a little like shiki?¡±

    ¡°huh¡­?! like my mother? i-is that so?¡±

    ¡°she was also quite stubborn, despite her relaxed appearance.¡±

    brother seth also didn¡¯t know about it, he said, ¡°hmm,¡± with a surprised look on his face.

    i had often heard stories about my mother from my grandfather and grandmother. my face resembles my mother¡¯s, almost like a living copy except for the color of my eyes. i had only heard that she had a calm personality, so i didn¡¯t know she had a stubborn side.

    lady willemina told me even more surprising facts.

    ¡°to tell the truth, his majesty has always liked your mother.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°although his age is far apart, it seems that he has always loved her. unlike me and that person, who was on the list of potential fianc¨¦es from the beginning, he made his own decision.¡±

    ¡°hmm~ really? i didn¡¯t know that at all.¡±

    i got even more surprised after hearing brother seth¡¯s surprised voice.

    perhaps because of her early death, i had not heard much about my mother from lady willemina. lady willemina has a laid-back personality that is hard to imagine from the time you meet her in the throne room. like brother seth, she has many official duties in his majesty¡¯s absence, so she is very busy, but she is also a very kind person.

    (she referred to the second queen as ¡®that person¡¯, though¡­)

    lady willemina continued.

    ¡°but it was really regrettable! i thought i was going to be mean to her.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°mother¡­¡±

    ¡°once i saw her in person, there was nothing to complain about. i thought of her like a snow fairy or something. ah, she is the kind of person that i need to protect, that was what i thought.¡±

    looking at her portrait, she is indeed, at best, a fragile and dainty person. at worst, she looks thin or has little life in her. maybe as lady willemina just said, she was being protected. but she disappeared as fleetingly as she looked.

    a shadow slightly fell on lady willemina¡¯s eyes. maybe she remembered something.

    at that moment, the food was brought out again, and lady willemina immediately returned to the expression of the queen again. a dignified, graceful, and noble figure.

    i felt like this year was going to be a good one somehow, because i was able to enjoy breakfast with brother seth and lady willemina.

    the three of us enjoyed our time together for a while, but when the meal was over, lady willemina quickly stood up from her seat.

    ¡°i will now respond to the new year¡¯s greetings on behalf of his majesty. please get along nicely with seth. this child is also difficult to handle~¡±

    ¡°wait a minute! mother.¡±

    difficult to handle? i tilted my head in puzzlement.

    brother seth¡¯s situation seemed difficult, but i never thought that brother seth himself was difficult to handle. not knowing what to do, i smiled and saw lady willemina off. ¡°shall we go back, too?¡± brother seth said that and stood up from his seat, so i also left the room, walked in the hallway, and talked to him.

    ¡°brother, i heard that you were very busy at the end of the year as well. are you feeling alright?¡±

    ¡°my mother is tired too, even if she acted like that. i¡¯m not the only one who feels tired.¡±

    ¡°i see¡­¡±

    i couldn¡¯t help but wish i could be of more help.

    i couldn¡¯t help but wish i could be of more help.

    but i was going on another expedition from tomorrow. i hoped that it would surely help brother seth and lady willemina someday. i smiled faintly when i thought of all the people i would meet in the future.

    brother seth looked at me and said with a somewhat sulky look on his face.

    ¡°nagi is so cute¡­¡±

    ¡°huh? b-brother? why do you keep saying that to your younger brother¡­?¡±

    in terms of appearance, it would be hard for me to be called manly, but it was indeed a little different to be called ¡°cute¡± all the time. it¡¯s like he¡¯s pointing out how unreliable i am.

    (well¡­i think so because it hits the nail on the head!)

    i made up my mind that one day i would be told that i was dependable and manly.

    then i heard again the line that brother seth has been blurting out a lot lately.

    ¡°haa¡­.my younger brother is only you, nagi.¡±

    but it¡¯s only in front of me that my brother, who can¡¯t be so vulnerable elsewhere, visibly slumps his shoulders. i patted him on the back. ¡°see you,¡± he waved his hand, and even brother seth was gone.

    a sigh escaped from my mouth. i thought to myself that it was troublesome with the royal family. i thought to myself, as i stepped into my office.

    (i have a lot to think about, but one thing at a time.)

    in fact, i was supposed to go on an official expedition in the afternoon.

    the destination is¡­

 CH 80

    ¡°hey¡­mika, you¡¯re kind of close.¡±

    ¡°is that so? i mean, the bed is connected, so i can¡¯t help it.¡±

    we were in a dragon carriage on our way to lambert territory right now.

    it was now completely dark inside the carriage and moonlight was coming through the window. while complaining to mika, who was lying so close to me, i was lying next to him.

    when chicken pulled the carriage for the first time, our schedule was to rest somewhere for the night, partly for him to get used to it. however, unlike summer break, winter break does not allow for such a long schedule, so chicken had to work hard even at night.

    i felt sorry for chicken, but he looked very excited, and toni, the tamer, also looked very motivated and said, ¡°he can do it!¡± i was also told that chicken would get fat if he didn¡¯t get out much, so i should make him work hard.

    indeed, except when pulling the dragon carriage, toni has to make chicken exercise, which may be tough.

    anyway, the problem now was less about chicken¡¯s diet and more about the proximity of mika, who was sleeping closely next to me.

    ¡°b-but, you don¡¯t have to face this way¡­¡±

    ¡°this reminds me of the old days.¡±

    mika said this with a smile that seemed to spill out some joy. i thought that we had already ridden together like this in the summer, but seeing his strangely happy face, it was hard to complain further.

    ¡°it¡¯s nice to be able to continue travelling even at night.¡±

    ¡°yeah, we had to stop last time just in case.¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s amazing how it¡¯s faster than a horse-drawn carriage, yet less bumpy.¡±

    i couldn¡¯t help but smile at mika, who was more excited than last time. it¡¯s true that traveling by vehicle at night has a special feeling that is different from that of the daytime. seeing mika¡¯s eyes light up like a little boy, i really, really felt like i was back in the old days.

    i thought it would be awkward after what happened the day before yesterday, but seeing mika¡¯s unconcerned attitude made me feel a little silly worrying about it. to be honest, i was also excited about the night trip.

    however¡­there are some things i need to ask.

    about my imposter. i had originally planned to go to lambert territory. if the man is really from the lambert territory, i would like to look into him as well.

    ¡°we don¡¯t know if the fake other me will be returning to his hometown or not, but i wonder if we can find out more about him.¡±

    ¡°yeah. once we know his family origin and background, we might be able to know his motive. it was a great help to have the dragon carriage for this.¡±

    when i heard mika continue, ¡°i can¡¯t leave your side, after all,¡± i thought that there must be a limit to him being my personal knight and doing various things at the same time.

    i¡¯m sure that his reliable subordinate is watching the imposter even now, at all hours of the day and night.

    moreover, the lambert territory is located in a place where it would take a lot of days to get there without a dragon carriage. no, he is the son of count chardin, so maybe he could use a flying dragon.

    mika was still smiling, somewhat happily. for that matter, mika was in a really good mood today.

    (¡­i mean, why is he so unconcerned? he could be more apologetic.)

    for mika, such a kiss might not really matter. i was unconsciously staring at mika, who was lying right next to me, when he noticed me and asked me.

    ¡°are you going to sleep already?¡±

    ¡°yeah¡­i guess so.¡±

    i was still somewhat bothered and couldn¡¯t take my eyes off mika¡¯s face. however, the regular shaking of the dragon carriage gradually lured my consciousness into a dream. the room appeared pale in the moonlight. even mika¡¯s jade green eyes are more night-colored now.

    while still feeling dazed, my eyes naturally turned to mika¡¯s lips.

    (this is¡­the lips that kissed me¡­)

    feeling half dreamy, i touched mika¡¯s lips softly, as he always did to me. mika looked at me curiously.

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ¡°no, nothing. you often touch me like this.¡±

    i stroked it softly with my thumb. mika then said with a chuckle.

    ¡°you don¡¯t have any opinion about it?¡±

    ¡°haha, what do you mean by my opinion? ah¡­you often said mine feels soft, after all.¡±

    i wonder. it¡¯s not that mika¡¯s lips are rough. but yes, it does seem a bit, well, resilient. they¡¯re a little thicker than my lips. this mouth opens wide to the side. and he always smiles like the sun.

    (i really like it¡­mika¡¯s smiling face.)

    my mind was half in a dream. i would never be able to do this if i were sober. i was still touching his lips while feeling sleepy, and he scooped up my hand. the tip of my thumb went inside mika¡¯s lips.

    i have to get it out¡­ as i thought about that, mika asked me a question.

    ¡°do you feel like kissing me?¡±

    he smiled softly at me, and i felt my heart skip a beat. but even i, with my senses dulled by sleep, knew i shouldn¡¯t do that. for some reason, mika has been joking around lately, but that¡¯s still not good from my point of view.

    ¡°i won¡¯t feel like that.¡±

    ¡°ah, is that so?¡±

    mika raised one eyebrow, then rolled over and looked at the ceiling of the dragon carriage. the rattling and shaking of the dragon carriage could be heard. the streets are in decent condition in this area, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to get around. the only thing that bothers me is that mika and i are both pretty well dressed, but it¡¯s still cold. maybe i¡¯d be able to get a good sleep. mika then mumbled to himself.

    ¡°hey, i wonder if the first king was in love with the knight.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°i mean, the knight system is also the same, but there is also a tradition of riding together in a carriage like this, it¡¯s kind of¡­¡±

    when i wondered about what mika was going to say, he said something strange.

    while leaning towards mika, i thought for a moment. certainly, the system of personal knights in this country has changed. it might be nice to have a knight who is with you all the time if you can trust him, but it can also be risky.

    there have been times in its long history when there have been moves to have it abolished.

    indeed, it may be a strange custom. but¡­i don¡¯t think they were in love.

    ¡°i don¡¯t think so. he had a wife and three princes, i believe.¡±

    ¡°but isn¡¯t it suspicious? every expedition they travel together in the carriage, and even their rooms in the royal castle are connected.¡±

    ¡°i heard it¡¯s for security purposes¡­¡±

    mika didn¡¯t seem to be convinced and tilted his head. in the first place, mika seemed to be very concerned about continuing the trip at night the first time we rode it, even though he didn¡¯t say so last time. then, he said something outrageous.

    ¡°i mean, even if we use this place for something suspicious, no one will find out. you must¡¯ve thought about the same thing, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­i-i wouldn¡¯t think about something like that. the other knights are riding in the back, too.¡±

    ¡°but they¡¯re outside. there are sounds of the wheels and wind, so they can¡¯t hear us.¡±

    that¡¯s right. this dragon carriage is much bigger than a horse-drawn carriage. toni is riding in the coachman¡¯s seat and the two knights are sitting in the back. before departure, i saw that they were wearing many layers of clothes, but they were in the shadow of the carriage¡¯s body, not directly exposed to the wind. winter travel must be tough.

    i don¡¯t know why mika said such a thing, but if something improper was happening inside the dragon carriage, i wouldn¡¯t be able to feel calm when i think about the people outside. perhaps some of the princes in the past were in love with their knights, though.

    still, essentially, a political marriage awaits the royalty. it is also the duty of those born into royalty.

    i heard this morning that his majesty was fond of my mother. still, his majesty has lady willemina and the second queen. and it was probably a failure. i¡¯m sure that from this experience, brother seth will not have many wives. if that were the case, i would have had a political marriage waiting for me, too, in order to support him. that¡¯s what royalty is all about.

    but why do we have to talk about this? i turned my back on mika and rolled over.

    ¡°i don¡¯t care. but you and i are not like that, and it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°i know, but. i just think about it a little.¡±

    ¡°what are you, frustrated?¡±

    mika blurted out, ¡°¡­well, you won¡¯t put me out of my misery, after all,¡± and i was getting more and more frustrated with all the vague things he said. i was about to be able to sleep a while ago, but then mika started talking about weird things and now i feel more awake.

    tomorrow is going to be a tough day. i want to have a good night¡¯s sleep. a cold wind came through the gap in the dragon carriage and i shivered. as i was wriggling around and pulling the blanket back up to my shoulders, there was clearly another person trying to get into the same blanket.

    ¡°hey!¡±

    the next thing i knew, mika¡¯s hand was around my stomach, and suddenly his left arm slipped under my head. then, on my shoulder, mika said while smiling.

    ¡°it¡¯s fine for me to stick close to you like this, right?¡±

    ¡°i-it¡¯s not good!¡±

    ¡°you¡¯re also feeling cold, after all.¡±

    my heartbeat became faster. mika definitely has a strange sense of distance. there was no way i could sleep in this position. as i struggled to get away, i heard mika mumble, ¡°hm?¡± and i was dying of embarrassment.

    ¡°your heartbeat¡­feels so loud.¡±

    ¡°shut up. get away.¡±

    ¡°i kissed you, after all. i also¡­feel my heart throbbing.¡±

    ¡°then stop doing this. or rather, you should apologize more for that time.¡±

    i tried to pull mika¡¯s hand away, but he didn¡¯t budge. what kind of training could make him so strong like this? i was becoming increasingly nervous with this strange sense of distance. with a slightly sober mind, i realized that i had made a mistake in touching mika¡¯s lips in the first place, but there was nothing i could do about it.

    i heard the sound of mika breathing in on my neck, and my body trembled.

    ¡°you smell good. the smell of nagi.¡±

    ¡°t-that¡¯s not true. get away from me!¡±

    we¡¯ve been on the move all afternoon today. i washed myself off once before we left, but there was no way i could smell good.

    mika¡¯s breathing tickled my neck. if he were to do something like this, it would make me feel strange. mika¡¯s cheeks were rubbing against me. he hugged me tightly. then he whispered in my ear with a strangely sweet voice.

    ¡°for now¡­i¡¯ll hold back.¡±

    ¡°w-what do you mean?¡±

    it¡¯s like a hot breath blown in my ear. my voice cracked. i don¡¯t know what he is holding back, but since he won¡¯t stop when i tell him to stop, i don¡¯t think mika is holding back in any way. what in the world does this redhead want with me, teasing me?

    ¡°it¡¯s nothiiing.¡±

    while jokingly saying so, mika¡¯s hands did not show any signs of loosening at all in the end. i was feeling irritated and impatient for a while, but mika didn¡¯t respond at all. he must have fallen asleep, and i gave up along the way.

    mika¡¯s high body temperature made me start dozing off. after a while, i traveled to the world of dreams.

    i thought i heard my own breathing in my sleep. so, i didn¡¯t even notice when his lips dropped to my cheek with a kiss.

    and then, i also didn¡¯t notice mika¡¯s small whisper.

    ¡°nagi¡­your pure common sense is beautiful.¡±

 CH 81

    ¡°my-¡­my third wheel radar is going off.¡±

    ¡°¡­what the hell is that? i don¡¯t really get it, but aren¡¯t you already losing the moment you activated it?¡±

    in the freezing cold, the knights opened their mouths on a small bench set up behind the dragon carriage.

    the calm-eyed knight with chin-length blonde hair parted in the middle is suu. then there is cleo, the short-haired, brawny knight. both were now wearing fur hats up to their ears and wrapped in furry scarves.

    these are the knights who have been given the task in these few days of extreme cold.

    both were from lower-class noble families, but they were recognized for their service to the knights of pluvia, and now members of the royal knights under the third prince.

    even though they are called the royal knights, there are only five people in total when it comes to the third prince¡¯s guards alone. the first and second princes¡¯ royal knights are, of course, much more numerous. the knights who serve under the princes, and also princesses who are not present in the current generation, are collectively known as the aurora royal knights. the constitution is different from the king and queen¡¯s royal knight, which protects the king and queen.

    when the personal knights of the princes were elected last year, the royal knights were reorganized under a rigorous screening process by their captain, count mika lennart chardin.

    when both suu and cleo were approached, they were quite torn between the choice of whether they wanted to move up in the ranks of knights of pluvia or to join the third prince¡¯s royal knight.

    this is because the third prince, nagi lucian pluvia, is not well regarded in the country.

    if they were under seth ancene pluvia, who is the head of the first prince faction, and considering the future of the first prince who will eventually become king, it was expected that they might have a stable future there. but with the third prince, they would not see a brilliant promotion.

    however, considering the fact that the captain was the son of that famous count chardin and the good pay, they both ended up accepting the offer of promotion to the third prince¡¯s royal knight.

    when they saw him from afar, they only recognized him as a beautiful prince. although they were surprised to find the third prince much more active than they had heard, both suu and cleo had already noticed that they had apparently received a very good promotion offer.

    the third prince whom they saw up close, turned out to be someone who can be respected¡­though it¡¯s still difficult to say that fully, he had qualities that made them want to cheer him on, surprisingly. they see him as someone to be protected, and they like this workplace to the extent that they could be proud of it.

    days like this where they found themselves in a difficult work environment made them want to complain, but they won¡¯t deny the fact that they are proud of it.

    however, cleo seemed to have something on his mind.

    ¡°his highness nagi and captain mika¡­they seem kind of suspicious, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°hey, they might be younger but they¡¯re still our boss. i¡¯m not going to bad mouth because i want to get more promotions. although most of the personal knights are chosen from the same age group as his highness, it¡¯s still amazing for the captain to get that position at the age of seventeen.¡±

    cleo seemed to be thinking of something tactless. however, when it comes to intimacy, even his highness seth and oswald must be very close, suu thought. to begin with, the distance between knights and princes in this country is designed to be close.

    suu also saw them almost every day and sometimes thought about them, but he thought they were both standing in their positions properly.

    however, cleo is the type of person who, when he notices such things, tends to say them out loud.

    ¡°i¡¯m suspicious of those two! in a romantic sense!¡±

    ¡°ah¡­¡±

    suu wondered what he should say to cleo, who seemed to be excited about it, although he thought it would be better to leave such things be. but in the meantime, cleo¡¯s thoughts were drifting in increasingly strange directions.

    ¡°hey, suu! hey! don¡¯t tell me this dragon carriage is for something like that?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s really fast, and i¡¯m not sure because it¡¯s shaking, but the shaking is not caused by such things, right?!¡±

    suu remained silent. not that he didn¡¯t think about that, but even if he had, it would have been better for his mental health to chalk this up to the dragon carriage shaking, by all means. why can¡¯t cleo think of it that way? suu wondered and turned a pitying eye on his colleague.

    however, cleo, not sure how he took suu¡¯s reaction, screamed with a tragic look on his face.

    ¡°say something¡­!¡±

    so that¡¯s why he mentioned third wheel radar, suu thought.

    even if something was happening inside, they would not be able to hear it because of the wind and the sound of the carriage. in fact, they can¡¯t hear any conversations at all. however, even if something is really going on inside when two of their subordinates are sitting over the wall, rather than being a third wheel, it¡¯s more likely that they¡¯re used as a stimulus.

    cleo is making a fuss about being a ¡°third wheel¡±, but he misunderstood the meaning of the word in the first place.

    suu was sure that his highness nagi would have a sense of immorality that ¡°there are knights outside¡±, and captain mika is the type of person who is completely happy to see that. captain mika has a refreshing smile, but sometimes his sharp eyes and calculating mind peek through.

    in other words, if it¡¯s with his highness nagi and he reacts by rejecting shyly, surely anyone would be pleased by it.

    suu thought.

    (we¡¯re not a third wheel or anything. we¡¯re just a plaything to them¡­)

    it¡¯s hard to think what they are being forced to protect while keeping an eye outside in this extreme cold. that¡¯s why it¡¯s better to think they¡¯re not up to something like that.

    but cleo, who is pure and full of presumption, didn¡¯t think so.

    ¡°i mean, his highness nagi¡­doesn¡¯t he look kind of erotic lately? what should we do, if we see him in the morning and he¡¯s being listless or something?¡±

    ¡°he always looks sleepy usually, doesn¡¯t he? i heard he¡¯s also not good with mornings.¡±

    ¡°w-why are you so divisive?! is your heart already frozen to the core?! suu!¡±

    ¡°well. my body is already completely frozen all over.¡±

    ¡°oh shoot, i can¡¯t help but connect it to the cold!¡± cleo noticed his mistake and closed his eyes tightly. it was so cold that even suu¡¯s calm eyes and frank reactions felt cold.

    cleo thought he had to tell something, something funny, something warm to talk about. he thought about talking about soup, but nothing interesting came to mind with soup.

    at this rate, both of them would be devastated by the cold. cleo thought that he should just keep the conversation going, whatever it was. he could only come up with unimportant conversations, but he had no choice.

    ¡°when i was born, i heard that i was about to be named canon.¡±

    ¡°hmm. isn¡¯t that a nice name that fits your stature?¡±

    ¡°huh?! so you also talk about dirty things like that, suu!¡±

    ¡°what? was that a dirty joke?¡±

    it was during such an unimportant conversation.

    as soon as they felt a warm breeze blowing, the cold wind stopped as if it had never happened before. it¡¯s as if a wall of wind has been built, and it¡¯s quiet. only the sound of the carriage rattling can be heard. cleo spoke loudly.

    ¡°huh?! what is this?! isn¡¯t it getting warmer?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    contrary to cleo¡¯s delight, suu went somber. then he felt his stomach churn.

    he doesn¡¯t want to think about it too much. considering his duties, he should have continued to endure the cold weather. he was also feeling thankful for the wind barrier. however, suu couldn¡¯t help but think that there had been something that the captain wanted to block out with the wind.

    suu dropped his shoulder.

    after all, suu thought that he would lose more than cleo if he realized such things. suu looked at cleo resentfully, blaming it on the fact that it all started because he had said something strange.

    then he sighed, feeling the temperature to be much better than before.

    the quick-witted suu knew immediately. he didn¡¯t know if anything had happened inside. still, he knows this much.

    (right¡­ his highness nagi must have fallen asleep¡­)