CH 339

The school’s closing ceremony is over and I’m going back to my territory… or so I would like to say that, but before I can go home, I have to make a short detour. Well, it’s just a detour on the way home. And we haven’t left yet.

“Are you sure you’re not coming to Caan territory this time, Christa?”

“Yes,” Christa said. “My apologies because you invited me. But, I have things to do, too…”

I thought Christa would follow Helmut this time as well. But she didn’t come to the Knights Nation, and apparently, she wouldn’t even be coming to the Knighthood for the long vacation. I know that Christa has something to do that only she can do… but it feels a little lonely.

But it’s not me who’s really lonely, but the newlyweds Christa and Helmut. They’re not married yet, but… These guys should be treated as newlyweds…

It seems that she will return to the Reingen Marquisate. It’s easy to forget because Karl is always in the royal capital, but House Reingen has territory, and they have to manage it. It seems that her parents will all return to their land during this long vacation. That’s why I can’t say anything and make them come with me.

“Well then… let’s meet again in two months,” I said.

“Yeah… well then, see you later,” Christa said.

I leave Christa and head to the royal castle. Christa isn’t the only one I have to meet before I leave. Rather, the person I want to meet today is the one I’ll be meeting soon.

When I came to the royal castle, I was passed through the inner palace as if it were a matter of course. Is this kind of security okay? I can’t help thinking that, but unlike Ludwig’s candidate for marriage, I’m officially engaged to Eleonore now. I changed from the Third Prince to the First Princess, but my position may have improved.

While walking around the inner palace like this…

“Ah! Floraaaaa!”

Bohu! And there was one angel rushing towards me and making a large depression in my skirt. I told her it would be dangerous if she jumped in, but lately, she’s been rushing straight into my skirt without jumping in. But the skirt also has a skeleton to make it so voluminous, so when you hug it, it may pop out like a needle and cause injury.

“Princess Eleonore, it’s always dangerous to do that…” I said.

“No!” Eleonore replied.

What’s going on.…? I felt like I hadn’t heard those words in a long time.

“Flora, going to play?” Eleonore asked.

“Ehmm, uh, I’m sorry Princess Eleonore. We don’t have time to play today,” I said.

We are leaving the capital today. This time I had to make a detour on my way home. So I have plenty of time in my schedule. We can’t be late just because the other party has something to do.

That’s a Japanese way of thinking… Not only in this world but even in the modern world, it’s only natural for countries other than Japan to arrive late even if they make a promise to meet at a certain time. Japan is the only country that is punctual. 1

“For now, let’s head to His Majesty the King, shall we?” I said.

“Muu!” Eleonore whines, her cheeks puffing up as she still clings to me.

But how long will it last…? I wonder if she’ll cry again if I say I’m leaving the royal capital today…

Even though I was worried about that, I arrived at the living room where the King was relaxing. Living room, audience room, family’s living spaces… I told them that I came to see them, so… it’s normal. It’s just for now, but…

""

“Your Majesty the King…”

“Umu… Are you leaving already? We’ll miss you again,” Wilhelm said.

“We will, indeed… without you, Princess Flora, there seems to be no point staying in the royal capital,” Dietrich said.

I’m glad that the King and Prime Minister said that kindly, but… you’re looking for the sweets I’ll bring, aren’t you? Desserts, right? Even I know that much, right?

“Huh! No! No way! Flora, don’t do thaaaaaattt! Aaaaaaaa~~~!” Eleonore cried, starting to cry once more.

Ahhh… I thought this would happen, so I was wondering if there was a way to convey it subtly, but the King said it so lightly that even Eleonore noticed it. I comfort Eleonore by holding her.

“Princess Eleonore, would you like to make a pinky promise?”

“No waaaayyy! Don’t wannaaaa!”

She tightly hugs my chest and cries. My dress is wet and my chest is cold, but I’m not uncouth enough to say such a thing.

“If you keep your promise, Princess Eleonore, I will keep my promise. Wasn’t that the case before?”

“Hikku… uuu…”

She just raises her head and looks at me. That’s why I also stare back at Eleonore without looking away and nod.

""

“I have a gift for you this time as well, Princess Eleonore,” I said.

“–! Picture booookk! Picture diaryyy!” Eleonore says, half-sobbing still.

“Yes. It’s a new picture book and a picture diary,” I said.

It seems that Eleonore has come to love picture books and picture diaries since I gave them last time. It’s not that I don’t understand why people like picture books, but I don’t really understand why people like picture diaries. I don’t remember doing diary homework when I was in elementary school.

But Eleonore seems to have liked the picture diary. Rather than a picture diary, did she like drawing? In this era, paper is expensive and of poor quality. A picture diary or a notebook that allows you to draw may be her favorite treasure.

“Yes, Princess Eleonore,” I said. “I will come back if you can draw diligently until this picture diary is filled up next time.”

I’m sure that the last page of the previous picture diary depicts a touching reunion with me. And in the next picture diary, the last page will depict another touching reunion with me.

Fufufufu. Perfect. I will read back to Eleonore once she grows up, and at that time her feelings for me will increase even more. Who knows that this is a stepping stone for the future? This is the far-reaching plan to raise Eleonore into a woman I like from now on, and to make her fall in love with me! 2

By the way, I also thought about the content of the picture book. The pictures and letters were put in by specialized craftsmen, but I was the one who came up with the story, and the letters and pictures that were added after that were a masterpiece created in consultation with the craftsmen. Well, it’s a ripoff from my previous life, but… no need to worry about that.

The picture diary also has 65 pages. It’s a calculation that even if I come back from a long vacation of 2 months, she’ll still have pages. Unless I’m late… It will be around the time when the second semester of the 2nd year classes has already started.

“Flora! Definitely, definitely come back, okay?” Eleonore said.

“Yes. I will definitely come back. I promise,” I said.

""

The two of us pinkie promise again. Is two months long for a child? Or will it be quite fast?

I came to report today, but rather than to His Majesty, I just came to deliver this to Eleonore. After all, the King should understand without me having to tell them.

“Then, Your Majesty, please leave diplomatic relations with the Demon Country and negotiations with the Kingdom of Del to us,” I said.

“Umu! I’m looking forward to it!” Wilhelm said.

I bow my head to the King and leave this place. Eleonore looked lonely too, but she didn’t cry at the end. She is a strong girl.

The detour we’re heading to is the Kingdom of Del. After negotiating with Del to be able to pass through the Del Strait, we’ll return to the Knighthood. Of course, this time I got proper permission from Wilhelm, so it’s not like I’m doing diplomacy on my own.

Even Ploiss understands that from now on it will be necessary to move not only to the Hulk Sea but also to the Hermann Sea. For that reason, it is also necessary to negotiate with the Kingdom of Del about the right of passage.

While I was laying the groundwork for that, I also consulted with the royals and got proper permission. Or rather, they’re rather natural about it and the previous incident was already strange, but…

The last time I stopped by I was treated well, but not this time. I use Kanbee and Mikalojus to work with the Demon Country, rather the Yamato Empire, and am laying the groundwork for Del to give us passage through the Del Strait. On top of that, we plan to send an advance dispatch once and have a meeting the day after tomorrow.

Today, I left the royal capital and headed to Steltin for one night. We will depart Steltin tomorrow and spend the night in Cobenhaven, the royal capital of Del. And the day after tomorrow, we will be negotiating with the representatives of Del. It’s the same when I say that I have a fixed schedule, and when I say that I have some leeway in that schedule.

After I left the royal castle, I returned to the Carruthers Residence and then left the royal capital with everyone. This time it was a horse-drawn carriage trip. This is simply because we don’t have a boat to go down the Odel River right now.

The transportation and commercial areas of the Odel River Basin are not within our scope. Some of them will let our ship pass, but we have some consideration for the people who originally did business there. If we do all the water transportation on our ships, it will cause a lot of damage to the existing water transportation companies and trading firms.

If it’s something related to Caanza’s products, House Caan, or House Carruthers, our ship will do it. But if our boats come and go too much, it won’t look good. If only we make too much money, the economy will die, so we need a moderated relationship.

That’s why I don’t have a boat that we can ride today, so I go down to the riverside in a carriage. Riding on another ship is unreliable for safety, confidentiality, and logistics reasons, so a carriage would be better.

After spending the night in Steltin, we headed for Cobenhaven with a fleet of ten galleons. In the end, Kanbee and Mikalojus said that Del was underestimating us from the treatment of the advance envoys and prior negotiations, so the talks wouldn’t progress, hence we should threaten them a little.

I don’t want to be too rough with the intimidation, but from what I’ve heard from the progress report of the preliminary negotiations, they’re underestimating me a bit. I don’t like being overbearing and lording my power over others, but I also don’t humble myself by hiding my power more than necessary. If the other party mocks me, I will respond accordingly. That’s my answer.

“Even so, you both scored well, Mikoto, and Alexandra,” I said.

“That’s just normal! We’re your companions, Floto! We can’t get bad grades!” Mikoto said.

“Indeed,” Alexandra said. “That’s why I studied hard while you were busy working, Flora.”

The test results were generally the same. I’m number 1 and Mikoto and Alexandra were getting better grades. I thought my grades would drop because there were many days when I couldn’t go to school, but apparently, my studying independently while I couldn’t go to school paid off.

“Rather than that, I wonder how you can get such grades even though you haven’t studied at all, Floto!” Mikoto yelled.

Huh? Do they suspect I’m cheating, or that I’m being taught questions and answers in advance, or that the school is giving fake scores instead of real grades?

“It’s the extent of what I learned from my tutors a long time ago…” I said. “And after that, I’ve been homework and reviewing, haven’t you guys?

Excuse me for now. I’m not playing around either. If I had just learned it in the past, I might have forgotten it, so even when I couldn’t go to school, I studied on my own to prepare and review. Besides, since the exam is approaching, I’ve been studying for the exam, so I appeal that I’m not cheating.

“I know that,” Mikoto said. “But you’re just working all the time, so when the hell are you studying and when are you going to sleep?”

“Aren’t I sleeping with everyone? You’d know that, right?” I said.

I sleep with everyone, so they should know when I’m sleeping. I’m usually up earlier in the morning, though. Ah, I’m sleeping late at night too…

“That’s why I’m asking how you know all that, aren’t I?!” Mikoto said. “You do that stupidly huge pile of work, work even when we go out, then you train in the morning and evening, then you go out and study, you shouldn’t have time for all of it!”

“That is……” I said.

“Captain! A ship is approaching!”

I heard such a voice when I was talking to Mikoto and others while being rocked by the ship.

“Young Miss, it looks like they’re here,” Schwartz said, staring forward.

“Looks like it,” I said, doing the same.

Collecting 10 galleons in the Hulk Sea is quite a challenge for House Caan. If you collect all of them, there will be more, but if you gather up everything we have, there will be a fatal problem with distribution.

Therefore, it was a fleet of 10 galleons, with a majestic appearance that could at least intimidate the Kingdom of Del, and yet barely enough for Hulk Sea Trade and shipping.

Naturally, Del would panic if a fleet of 10 galleons approached. From the words of the two Delian citizens I got close to last time, it seems that Cobenhaven was in a big panic even if a single galleon ship was approaching. If 10 ships arrive this time… Naturally, Del will be in an even bigger panic.

I promised to arrive today and negotiate tomorrow. But I didn’t tell them that I was coming today with a fleet of 10 galleons.

“Now then… the first stage seems to have gone well… but what will happen from now on…?” I asked.

Will everything go according to plan? Or will the attitude of the other party become more and more hardline? I don’t know yet.