CH 79

Secret Meeting

He originally knew that Sheila was a woman.

Did Wilfrecht say that?

Sheila’s eyes widened in disbelief. He continued quietly.

“When you enrolled, I was contacted in advance…. from Felix.”

“――F-Felix?”

The name of this unexpected person left her mouth agape. She even forgot to use honorifics.

Wilfrecht gave a troubled smile. He looked like a beautiful girl with a delicate atmosphere, and Sheila almost forgot the situation and became enraptured. She was quickly brought back to herself, though, by the fact that his blue eyes were turned straight at her.

“He said, ‘If anything should ever happen to Sheila, I want you to help.'”

“T-That’s…. You mean, just in case my gender is questioned?”

“I think he meant in case of danger, but I guess that’s the most important thing.”

“….”

Felix once said, “I have many sources.” Perhaps Wilfrecht was one of his most important sources? His Highness the Second Prince was a source of information. What a remarkable story.

Wouldn’t my dear brother be accused of blasphemy? This time, such a concern arose.

“Well, um, I’m sorry about Felix. I may have done something rude, but he didn’t mean any disrespect….”

Her impatience grew as her use of honorifics fizzled out in confusion, and her mind was getting more and more out of control. She didn’t even know what she was talking about.

Wilfrecht smiled gently as if to soothe Sheila, who held her head and looked down.

“Well, I’m fine with Felix. He is like a friend of mine. And you don’t have to be too formal either.”

“No, I can’t do that. It is only natural to show respect to the aristocrats and royalty.”

The fact that he didn’t blame her for her continuous failures in using the proper honorifics was appreciated, but even Sheila understood that she shouldn’t take his words at face value.

Sheila bowed deeply as if prostrating herself, and she felt him lean forward slightly.

“…. I have seen you talking to Jornwerner-sensei. Apologies for my impoliteness, but you didn’t seem very respectful to him, did you?”

“That’s because I don’t actually really respect him.”

When Sheila finally said something rude, a sigh escaped from in front of her.

“I envy you so much for having a relationship where you can say things like that to each other…. I wish I could do the same.”

Sheila unintentionally raised her head at the unexpected words. Wilfrecht pursed his lips and looked down in embarrassment. His cheeks were flushed red.

“I have seen you from afar several times. Your surroundings were always lively and full of laughter. I wanted to be a part of that circle.”

A small, true feeling spilled out by Wilfrecht, who looked like a beautiful girl. The adorableness of his sultry expression almost crushed her eyes.

‘Maybe this person is trying to kill me.’

Even the way he looked down in wonder at Sheila, who was holding her chest and writhing in agony, was as cute as a little squirrel. Who wouldn’t want to hear a request from a beautiful and cute girl who suited your tastes?

The rational thought that she had to draw a line and not get in touch collapsed.

“…. Then, Your Highness. When we are alone, may I ask your permission to treat you simply as a schoolmate?”

Wilfrecht raised his face slightly. His big eyes were wide open, and he finally burst into a smile.

“――Yes, I permit you to do so.”

His cheeks were flushed red and white teeth peeked out from his petal-like lips. The intelligent and reserved impression he gave was suddenly replaced by an innocent look. No one would be able to resist this contrast.

Sheila took a breath to refresh her mind as she tucked the hair of her wig languidly over her ears.

“…. Thank you very much. To be honest, I’m not good at using honorifics, so that helps.”

“I don’t like to be formal either. That’s why I sometimes come here to sell medicinal herbs and relax.”

“No wonder you seemed experienced with that outfit.”

When Sheila nodded back, Wilfrecht immediately looked down as if embarrassed.

“….. This is just a disguise I have no choice but to wear because I can’t stand out. Sheena is also the name of my late mother, Sheena Luna Maria. It doesn’t mean that I like to do this.”

“I see…”

It was a shame that he didn’t like it. Since it suited him so much, Sheila would have loved to see him in various outfits.

His mother’s name must have been derived from the Goddess of the Moon, Seiluna Maria. It was a typical name for Wilfrecht’s mother, who named her son after the God of the Stars, Vilestalit.

“By the way, Your Highness. That medicinal herb…. could it be that it’s cultivated in the mountains?”

The look in Wilfrecht’s eyes, as if to ask how she knew, convinced Sheila.

“Actually, I once went into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs. There, I found that field of medicinal herbs. At that time, I borrowed a little bit of basil.”

In response to Sheila’s words, understanding grew in Wilfrecht’s eyes.

“――Ah, it was you who left those dogtooth violets behind.”

It wasn’t a proper apology for harvesting without permission, but at least he had noticed the dogtooth violet that she left behind. Sheila apologized again.

“I apologize once again, I didn’t know it was Your Highness’ field.”

“Please stop, I told you not to be so formal.”

When Sheila timidly raised her head, he smiled happily.

“I would be more than happy if you could make use of them. Growing plants is just my hobby, and I don’t have the knowledge to make use of them.”

“Eh? Is Your Highness managing that large field by yourself?”

Sheila remembered that it was quite vast in scale.

Wilfrecht nodded without showing even a hint of fatigue.

“Yes. It was originally given to me by a librarian at the academy. For the past few years, his back has been hurting and he was having difficulty working in the fields. While I was helping him, I became completely addicted to it.”

“Oh, I think I’ve seen him at the library before. That kind old man, huh.”

Sheila recalled the face of the kind old gentleman. It was surprising that he used to grow medicinal herbs.

“Many of the herbs are at their peak right now. Chamomile in particular has grown quite a lot, so I’m busy harvesting them.”

“It’s amazing that you can grow so many chamomiles. They’re durable, but they’re very picky about the soil.”

Although he said he was busy, Wilfrecht had a very happy smile on his face. He must really like harvesting the plants and was satisfied every day.

Sheila, too, felt the urge to gather medicinal herbs again after a long absence. It was about time for the woundwort and golden lace to be in full bloom.

“Come to think of it, Your Highness also grows amacha[1] in your fields, right?”

She asked, remembering something she had seen on a previous hike in the mountains. Wilfrecht tilted his head, blinking his eyes.

“Amacha?”

“They resemble hydrangeas.”

“Oh, that’s called Amacha. I always thought they were hydrangeas.”

It wasn’t surprising that he didn’t recognize it, since it looked no different from ordinary hydrangeas. When the librarian entrusted him with the management of the plants, Wilfrecht might not have been taught in detail other than how to properly grow them.

“Amacha is said to be a variant of the mountain hydrangea. The washed leaves of the plant are dried in the sun, then kneaded, steamed, and subjected to several other processes to make medicinal herb tea. The end result will taste slightly sweet.”

It was one of the ingredients that made medicinal herb tea sweet and easy to drink, so Sheila was familiar with it. She remembered how the whole village worked together to make the tea, and her cheeks naturally smiled.

When Sheila talked about her memories in the village, Wilfrecht’s eyes also shone brightly.

“Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun. And I can’t believe that those leaves can taste sweet. Medicinal herbs are so profound, aren’t they?”

Forgetting that she was talking to a prince of a country, they got into a lively discussion about medicinal herbs. It was an unexpectedly enjoyable time, probably because they both shared a common love for plants.

Sheila and Wilfrecht smiled at each other.

“Please come and visit the herb garden again soon.”

“Yes, I would love to. At that time, please let me help with the chamomile harvest.”

Their conversation didn’t cease until Amy apologetically appeared in the storage room.

Translator Notes:

1. Amacha is a Japanese herbal tea made from fermented leaves of Hydrangea macrophylla var. thunbergii. ↵