Chapter 3 : Bertia (10 Years Old)

Chapter 3 : Bertia (10 Years Old)

“Welcome, it’s been a long time your highness Cecil” (Bertia)

“Thank you for the invitation, it has indeed been a long time, miss Bertia” ( Cecil)

It’s the 10th birthday of miss Bertia.

Unlike the usual, I’ve been busy in these 3 months and couldn’t find the time to meet miss Bertia but now she looks quite… haggard.

“What happened, are you feeling unwell?” (Cecil)

Even if the party held later is a private ones and attended only by close relatives and family, she’s still the leading role in the party that’s currently being prepared.

She’s already finished her preparation even when I used my status as her escort and fiancée as an excuse to visit the Nochesse mansion earlier than planned.

Like my dark gold hair (milk tea) like hair that looks quite mature on a ten years old, her dress that seems to emphasize the beauty of that hair make her looks cute though she seems to be leaking an exhausted aura around her.

Although somehow only her blue eyes seem to radiate a condemning looks toward me.

“Your highness, you’re cruel” (Bertia)

“Hmm?” (Cecil)

Being guided to the guest room, as soon as she finished her greetings, words of condemn came out from her mouth.

Despite this, I’m still the crown prince you know, if you say this in a public place, the people around me would look really pale right now…….. The only one’s here in this room is her 2 maids that seems to be quite used to this and was just calmly serving the tea though.

The black fox curling up on her knees is just nonchalantly swinging it’s tails too.

“Miss Bertia, did I do something to cloud your beautiful face?” (Cecil) 1

Tilting my head to ask, she started to scream [] whilst starting to hit the cushion beside her into the sofa.

On top being obvious, it’s a harmless and efficient way to show a tantrum.

The fox on her knees seem to be quite troubled though.

“….. ahem, excuse me” (Bertia)

Her maids made her drink the tea to calm her down, after about 30 seconds she seemed to have calmed down and with a face that looks like she screwed up, she put back the cushion to it’s original place and coughed.

“You’re also in the wrong your highness. As promised, I didn’t mention about [my past] to anyone other than you. That’s why, that’s why, the only one I can discuss in regards to my mother’s situation is only you at the moment, but you didn’t even come and visit me during this 3 months. Today is already my birthday you know? If this follows the original story, my mother would have been dead by now. During the times we didn’t meet I even sent a lot of letter to you but you would just replied [no problem] every-time. I don’t know what should I do….”( Bertia) 2

Her maids standing here knows about that story too…… Somehow she just filtered them as [haven’t heard anything] huh….

Since its Nochesse family’s maids, they probably wouldn’t leak the rambling of their master to anyone else, even my [Envoy] doesn’t notice any sign of leaking so there should be no problem.

Thinking that, I listened to her condemn and suddenly she started to cry.

As expected even I was flustered.

Without making a sound, I put the tea back into the table and hurriedly moved beside her, putting my hand on her back.

For an unmarried couple, this distance is a bit to close, but we’re already engaged so there should be no problem.

Rather than that, the first priority now is to console her.

“I’m really sorry miss Bertia. I didn’t think that you’re so stressed about that thing. Since I thought it was going to be fine I only replied [No problem]. It’s just that to make sure there’s no loose ends, the investigation of the side effect took quite a bit of time. And I also intended it to be your birthday present thus the delay….” (Cecil)

In truth the contents of her worries in her letter has already been taken care of so I only replied [No problem]. Looking at this, her worries seems to be caused by my lack of explanation.

Like now, since I already foresee [It’s going to be alright], I only replied [no problem]. But it seems to have caused quite a lot of unease for everyone around since they couldn’t foresee it the same way I do.

If you just organize the information at hand, I thought It’d be easy to foresee this but this doesn’t seem the case for everyone.

For me it’s a given to know so I just replied using simple words which leads to misunderstanding.

This seems to be a bad habit of mine.

I need to be more careful from now on.

“What do you mean by it’s going to be alright? Since I’m changing the scenario, I was thinking of saving more people in the process. I tried my best to gather ruona grass but it’s volume isn’t even enough! There are also a lot useless ones that had failed and cultivating and preserving process you know? Furthermore for some reason, the epidemic didn’t even start to spread, and my mother who should have been dead by my 10th birthday was still healthy now. I don’t even know what should I do now!] (Bertia)

“I see, now miss Bertia, you don’t have to cry, there is no problem after all” (Cecil)

“There are a lot of problems!!” (Bertia)

“There was no problem you know? It’s just as you’ve said The epidemic did indeed spread. It’s just that by using the information we had got from you, I estimated what kind of cure we need, when and where the epidemic might start and made a preparation to isolate and cure the infected as soon as the epidemic starts. Thus there are almost no victims this time” (Cecil)

“No way, making the cure, isolating and curing the infected as soon as the epidemic spreads, there is no way that could work…….. Wait what? Cure? Isolating them? Curing?!” (Bertia)

“That’s right, that’s why the epidemic was suppressed in no time, making the chance of infecting your mother considerably lower. Ah, just in case here’s the cure. I bring it with me just in case anything happens.” (Cecil)

Finding the correct timing, I approached her and gave her the cure that I got from Zeno.

“Cure? Eh? What? Eh? Wait a second, I couldn’t understand…” (Bertia)

“Now, that’s why I told you there was no problem. With this, the capital being hit by epidemic that led to a lot of civilians’ death and your mother’s demise had been prevented.” (Cecil)

“HUH??????”(Bertia)

Her tears filled eyes were wide open as she screamed in surprise.

Ah, one of her maid silently went out of the room to deal with the people coming from the scream.

What a brilliant maid.

“Wait a second your highness? What actually happened? Please explain it to me!” (Bertia)

In a fluster, She shook my shoulder back and forth.

This kind of treatment is a first to me…

It’s not a good one though since my head are getting shook vigorously.

“I understand, could you come down first?” (Cecil)

Grasping both of her wrist, I stopped her with a smile.

“I am calm right now! Just explain it to me already” (Bertia)

Thinking [yare yare]…. I started explaining the course of happenings to her, that is in a momentum like trying to devour me.3

After listening to her story, I got the authority to use the green house and managed to gain ruona grass seed from my father.

Because it was told to be hard to cultivated, I researched the books noting the cultivation method and from the grass’s characteristics, I just made adjustment to the places where I thought [Isn’t it better to do it this way?], and it turned out to be successful.

Since the cultivation was easily achieved, why don’t I try my hands on making the medicine? Then I requested father to hire a medical and pharmaceutical teacher, and went through the books in the royal house library.

I researched as much as possible anything related to the symptoms of the illness I heard from miss Bertia.

…. Since she earnestly requested my help during the tea, I didn’t even realize that I started to prepare these things seriously.

From the symptoms, this year’s weather, the location of the epidemic, and other things considered, I arrived at one possible disease.

Since she said [It’s an evolved disease], and it requires the use ruona grass, I used trial and error to make the medicine.

Reverse engineering the formula from the known answer is easier than doing it from the scratch and unexpectedly it was also easily done.

But well, whether the solution I got was accurate need to be tested when the disease had actually happened.

Anyways, I’m not a researcher and just a kid born in royalty so it took quite a lot of time, luckily it’s smooth sailing until now. 4

Yeah until now…

All of this of course based on the assumptions that the future miss bertia had spoken is the truth.

To satisfy my curiosity I did it while thinking that it might be fine even if it’s not the truth but the adults won’t be satisfied and worked for that.

There is not enough materials to convince them and there are no basis for them.

As a desperate measure, I used coincidence as the reason.

The crown prince, I [by coincidence] had interest in the epidemic, and hired a doctor as a teacher to research it.

[By coincidence], I discussed the possible use and effect of ruona grass that I’ve been cultivating to my teacher.

It might also be because I’m a crown prince, my teachers were all ears on our discussion.

We discussed our opinions on the case,

But it doesn’t seem to be progressing.

To lead them into the answer without being discovered of having prior knowledge is unexpectedly hard.

I don’t even know how many times did I thought [How did they not notice such an obvious things?].

After repeating the process patiently, finally they discovered the solution to the cure.

What’s left is to let them know when and where will the epidemic happens.

In the first place, the discovery of the highly probable epidemic occurrence should be their specialty.

I thought that if it’s in-front of the infected they should notice it immediately, so during their stay in the capital, I assigned them to stay at the place with highest probability of epidemic occurring that just [By coincidence] is uninhabited at the moment.

Having finished the preparations, I just observed the situation until everything had been taken under control.

It might be late when I have done things to this extend but, I’m 80% in doubt in the story foretold by lady Bertia.

Nevertheless the chance of the spread of the epidemic still exist, so countermeasure needs to be taken, and I also have learned a lot through this experience, I’ll just have to be content with it.

That’s why when I visited my teacher’s lodging using the pretense of looking at his library, I was surprised at my discovery of what seems to be the first symptoms of the epidemic.

It really happened….

Everything was already been prepared, there’s no need to rush it up.

I just need to make a connection of it [By coincidence] and make a [miracles] happen.

The doctor’s started to work when they noticed the first symptoms of the epidemic.

Of course I also provided the ruona grass that I happen to cultivate [by coincidence].

Everything works out according to my scenario then.

All of These happened about 2-3 months ago.

“Wa… wait a second there! Nothing you said make sense?!” (Bertia)

“Really, which part of it?”(Cecil)

Hearing heard everything, from the start of the disease, making the doctor involved in creating and researching the cure, isolations of the infected, and the actual curing process of the disease, lady Bertia hugged her head and screamed.

She did say [Nothing I said make sense], but since everything went according to my plan, it’s not really that weird isn’t it?

Oh of course I did not tell her the fact that I didn’t actually believe any of her story until my discovery of the infected.

Putting aside believing or what not, in the end because I acted in accordance to her words, the civilians had been saved from a dreadful epidemic.

There is no need to be too honest and lower my value by saying unnecessary things to her.

“W.. why did your highness did such a thing?” (Bertia)

“I did told you that I’m willing to cooperate right?” (Cecil)

“You did actually say that … but” (Bertia)

“Leaving aside my fiancée to worry, and even though there is a slight chance, overlooking the chance of impending death that my future mother in law might have is something I couldn’t do. Even more so if it’s something that I can do only just by trying a little” (Cecil)

“… No matter how I see it that’s not [a little]. Normally, a 11 years old kid won’t be able to do all of these you know?” (Bertia)

She looked at me with a conflicting looks.

“Hmm? I’m already 12 though…?” (Cecil)

“12 years old too !!” (Bertia)

“Hmm, it might be impossible for a normal 12 years old, but you see, I’m a crown prince. I have been given the educations and resource that I can freely use in the royal library. It certainly had been a long time since I fell asleep while reading, but its fine its in own way. And even if I couldn’t [do as I like], with father’s permission, there’s a certain of degree of people that I can move.” (Cecil)

The things happening this time might have too many [By coincidence], somehow father started to doubt me. When I feign ignorance by saying [ It’s a coincidence] while smiling, father just shakes his head while saying [yare yare] with a tired looks on his face.

“Is that how it is…?” ( Bertia)

Looked with a flabbergasted face by miss Bertia, I smiled and nodded.

In front of me lady bertia put her hand on her chin and murmured [Is this even possible? This kind of opportunism? It’s not possible right? No way its possible right? Ah but if it’s this willful genius prince that has the second name of ‘[android]’ prince it might be possible after all… but…]

….. I wonder what does [Android] prince.

As expected even today I still can’t understand what she is saying.

“Marchioness Nochesse and the kingdom’s citizens are fine so let’s just leave aside the details alright?”(Cecil)

“I…It’s just as you said! Mother and the kingdom’s citizen are unharmed by the hands of the epidemic this should be a celebrating occasion” (Bertia)

She finally gave up on thinking after overloading his brain capacity.

That’s helpful for me too.

If she asked how I managed to do all those, I can only tell her that I did it somehow.

“Oh yeah lady Bertia, The gift from the king and crown prince will be coming at a later date, this is just my personal gift” (Cecil) 5

I changed the topic since she seemed haven’t fully gave up on thinking about the epidemic and gave her a square box with a velvet cover.

The size is perfect for both hands. Of course there is no way it can fit into the pocket so I took it from Zeno before giving it to her.

“Wha, what is it?” (Cecil)

Even though she decided to gave up thinking about it, in the end she couldn’t fully gave it up. She looked at the box full of caution.

That expression must be [Is it another surprise?!] face.

“It’s a gift from me personally to celebrate your birthday. It’s hand made by me so it’s not really valuable though” ( Cecil)

Saying that, I opened the box and show her the inside of the box.

“My… how wonderful!” (Bertia)

It’s a necklace with a sky blue heart shaped stone, with delicate intertwining vines shaped silver on it. Actually it’s not a [Stone] but a delicately cut glass filled with blue solution inside it. 6

“This is the by-product when I made the cure for the epidemic”(Cecil)

“huh? the cure’s by-product you say?” (Bertia)

Without fully understanding, she tilted her head.

“Yeah, while researching the ruona grass,I found that ruona grass has the property to enhance other medicinal effect, but there is only a limited application on it. The cure developed this time is one of the compatible one”

She nodded while listening.

But it’s a mystery on whether she really understand it.

“Since I had expressly do all the research, I thought there might be other application on it and further delve into the royal library, then I found an interesting book. In it noted that by extracting the medicinal characteristics of ruona grass, it can elevate a lot of medicinal effect. Thus using that as a base, I made a panacea.” (Cecil) 7

Rather than saying it’s an interesting book, it’s more like a forbidden book since it’s kept in a hidden passage inside of the royal library.

Since I felt something awry about a place in the library I investigated a bit and found a hidden door.

The gimmick is a board style puzzle where you aligned words to open the door, after a great pain, it finally opened.

I mean isn’t people a kind of living beings that like to do things if its forbidden? It’s even more so for a [child] like me.

By the way the alignment for the key is my mother’s birthday.

It must be set that because father wouldn’t forget mother’s birthday. But I think that it’s a risky combination since everyone in the country celebrate the queen’s birthday you know?

“….. hah? A panacea?” (Bertia)

“Yeah, the blue stony thing, it’s actually a glass filled with a panacea. By mixing several antidote and further enhancing the effect with ruona grass, it’s effect is tremendous” (Cecil)

I have tested it quite a few time by consuming poison in a barely lethal dose, repeat the process once I gained resistance on it while drinking the panacea so it can’t be wrong.

Of course if I tell anyone that I experimented on it I might get reprimanded for it so everything is a secret.

“You being my future wife, have the danger of being targeted. I made that medicine to prevent the possibility of losing you when I’m not there to protect you. Would you please accept it?” (Cecil)

I smiled at her, took the necklace out of the box and put it on her tiny neck while she’s still bewildered.

Like a magic casted on her, her check turned bright red.

“Yeah this suits you” (Cecil)

“Tt, Thank you vvv very much”(Bertia)

I felt satisfied looking at her happily caressing the necklace with a bright red face.

That medicine is somewhat hard to made.

Thinking that it might be useful, I tried to make it because I’m interested, but I might have overdone it a little.

The substance extracted from ruona grass has a [compatibility] and it has both good and bad use.

The good is that it will increase the medicine’s effect.

The bad use is…. If you put it on poison and anesthesia or etc, the effect produced will be greater.

If we use it for good then it’s alright but if it were to be misused it would be pure violence.

After weighing on the pro’s and con’s, I decided not to announce this to everyone.

Instead of announcing it, I made this into a secret medicine of the royal family, giving it to her as a birthday present because she stood by my side since the start and might be exposed to danger.

It’s to become a shield to protect my precious fiancée (toy) from being destroyed by other people.8

“miss bertia, this necklace is a secret between us both alright?”

If this medicine were to came out in public a lot of troublesome things must happen…. father might also notice it during the coronation ceremony.

Furthermore if this things got stolen then it lost it’s use as a protection.

Putting aside how much people around her trust her from her usual behavior and speech pattern, its best to hush her in advance.

“I… I promiseeee”

Hmmm… lady bertia, your speech pattern seems weird..

It worked to well that I started feeling unease.

Infront of me that’s pondering what should I do, lady bertia hold the necklace in both hands and shaked with a red face.

But soon after

“Your highness Cecil” (Bertia)

She suddenly called my name and looked at me with a face full of resolution

“I, Bertia Evil Nochesse swear upon the necklace you gave upon me. As a gratitude for all of this, I shall return the scenario to it’s original state, and become a proper villainess”(Bertia)

“………… wha?”(Cecil)

“For that sake, My father who should have been joining the dark side because of this case will be lead by me into the dark side!” (Bertia)9

“no I mean is that alright?” (Cecil)

I mean Marquis nochesse is a brilliant man, letting him serve the country is better than having him become a villain.

“Please don’t be reserved, that is the way for you and the heroine’s happy end. I from the bottom of my heart shall thoroughly become a villainess”(Bertia)

“No I am not being reserved you know?”(Cecil)

“I’ll show you, I’ll brilliantly lead myself into ruin!”(Bertia)

“………”

Yeah I don’t think she’s listening to what I’m saying

This is troubling….

But well, marquis nochesse wont be so easy to fall into her scheme, so I’ll just leave it at there.

And it sounds interesting….

I just need to stop her when it starts looking bad right?

I can only laugh silently to ignore she who is pledging god knows what while looking at me with glittering eyes