CH 89

※Told from the perspective of Misha Yule.

Of the late king’s three descendents, the one furthest removed from the revolution was unmistakably Yuu-sama. She had long discarded her rights as a successor at the kingdom’s Harvest Festival. As a result, even after the kingdom was divided between the provisional government and the revolutionaries, she had maintained distance between both parties.

『Looks like Claire has decided to take action. I’d like to do what I can to help.』

Claire-sama―likely along with Rei―told us that they wanted to run an independent kitchen to help people who were struggling. Deep down, I wished that they wouldn’t drag Yuu-sama into this mess… I mean, for so long she had been forced to live as the opposite gender, and she finally found the opportunity to live her life in peace. I didn’t believe it was too selfish of me to hope that they’d just leave her alone.

However, Yuu-sama saw straight through me, and with a smile,

『Misha, don’t make that face. I may have discarded my rights to the throne, but it’s not as though I’ve given up on living for the people of this kingdom.』

Yuu-sama told me that she herself wanted to do this. While Yuu-sama had a tendency to speak in roundabout ways, this reminded me that she was royalty and her upbringing had instilled those values in her.

The kitchen itself all went according to plan. The church that we hosted it at was already planning to distribute meals through the winter, so the people there already knew exactly what to do. The primary issue remaining was our available resources, but perhaps through some sort of connection, Claire-sama and Rei took care of that issue for us.

Unfortunately, not long after that, the situation got much worse. Many soldiers abandoned their post and changed sides.

About half of the provisional government’s army chose to side with the revolutionaries, and the opposing factions clashed in civil war. As a result, the public safety of the capital took a turn for the worse. The rations that each government offered stagnated, causing the impoverished populace to flood to us. I suggested we pause our own kitchen until things calmed down, but Yuu-sama refused to.

『Right now, the ones suffering the most are the ones who aren’t on either side, the people who are powerless and the most vulnerable.』

Yuu-sama insisted that we continue running the kitchen precisely for those people. As a former noble myself, I too understood the concept of noblesse oblige. However, what Yuu-sama was trying to accomplish went well beyond the concept that I knew.

―Or perhaps, this was simply what it meant to be royalty.

If the revolution continued to intensify, the people may choose to direct their fury at not just nobility, but royalty too. Even so, Yuu-sama didn’t seem the least bit concerned over that possibility. The same could be said about Sein-sama. The revolutionaries currently exalted him, carrying him on their shrine, but he did not let that get to his head and still chose to do what was in his power for the people. I didn’t know if Rodd-sama had survived, but had he been here, I’m sure he would have done the same. Watching the kingdom’s royalty live for the sake of the people, I too felt the need to reflect on my own character.

After some time, we were cut off from the monetary support that Claire-sama provided us. I couldn’t contact Rei either. If we didn’t have the resources, we’d have to close our kitchen. Just when we were at our wit’s end, Manaria-sama and Lene appeared.

『You’ve done well to hold out this long. From here on, I’ll provide what you need.』

Manaria-sama delivered us the supplies she had brought from Sousa, and Lene contributed large sums of money that she had somehow earned. With this, it looked like we would be able to continue operations. And―

He was covered in wounds, but with that same reassuring and reliable smile, Rodd-sama had returned to us as well. As it turns out, he had been caught up in the eruption. While he managed to stay alive, he had lost one of his arms. He very clearly needed to rest and give his body time to heal. However, thanks to the care he received from the village he had gone to help, and his fierce pride as royalty, he had managed to bring himself here.

Later, Rei managed to regroup with us as well, so now, if Claire-sama would return to us too, we would have reunited the members of the Order of the Academy. It would have been rather nostalgic.

『Leave the soldiers on each side to me. They’re running hotheaded, but I’ll cool them down.』

『I’ll expose Salas’ sins for what they are. Rei, could you put all the information together? Include Dor’s achievements and contributions as well.』

『I will.』

『Well then, I guess I should be the one to stall Alter then. I assume she’s under some sort of spell, so I’ll make quick work of that with Spellbreaker.』

The day before the public executions as announced by the Revolutionaries, we discussed our plans to prevent it. Everyone was desperate to save Claire-sama and Dor-sama. We weren’t just doing this for personal reasons. Of course, everyone gathered here was grateful for various things that Claire-sama and Rei had done, but that wasn’t all. It was because we felt that people like Claire-sama and Dor-sama would remain necessary in the new era. The era after our aristocracy, the era of the people.

―… There’s nothing I’ll be able to do… Directly. However, I’ll be watching over all of you.

We received a message from an anonymous sender. Though he wasn’t here with us, it was clear that Sein-sama was out there fighting his own battles.

Having finished our preparations, all that was left was to wait for the next day.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Come to think of it, when we were little we often napped together like this didn’t we.”

“Yes, and it was so much trouble trying to wake you up.”

It was nighttime. We were staying at the Sousa encampment. There weren’t enough beds, so Rei and I were sharing one.

“Rei.”

It seemed Rei was having difficulty falling asleep, so I asked her. I thought perhaps talking about it may help her.

“Yeah, you’re right, I am feeling a little anxious.”

“Yeah…”

“But what I’m worried about the most is just how I can overcome Claire-sama’s own resolve.”

“That’s true, that does sound like quite the challenge.”

Claire-sama had changed. When we met again at the academy, Claire-sama was just a snobbish and selfish noble. However, the Claire-sama right now had become a good old fashioned noble. One and the same as Dor-sama, someone I regarded as the ideal noble. With her pride high in her heart, she chose to meet her end out of a sense of obligation. It didn’t seem like it would be easy to force her to change her mind.

“Just try being selfish―that’s what Manaria-sama told me, but…”

“Manaria-sama said something like that?”

“Yup. But I don’t quite get what she’s getting at.”

As she spoke, Rei wore a wry smile.

“That’s true. I mean, until now, you’ve been nothing but selfish toward Claire-sama.”

“Right? But according to Manaria-sama, I’ve somehow got it all wrong.”

“Hm…”

Just what could she have meant by that? Rei wasn’t the type to mask her true feelings. Of course, when necessary, she has proven that she was capable of masking the truth… Like this time with the plans she had with Dor-sama. However, she was the complete opposite of the kind of person that couldn’t convey their true feelings to the person they loved. Rei had taken any and every chance that she could to whisper her love into Claire-sama’s ears.

Ah, but―

“Rei. You know, you might be just a bit too self sufficient.”

“Huh?”

And I felt the same way about Claire-sama too.

“I think love might be… Something more shameless.”

“… What do you mean?”

“When you both came to Yuu-sama requesting our cooperation with the kitchen, deep down I actually wanted you both to just leave her alone and let her be.”

“Woah, quite the confession.”

“TPO.”

When I snapped back at her, Rei awkwardly apologized, urging me to continue.

“Rei, no matter what’s come your way you always manage to remain calm.”

“Wha, I don’t really think so though.”

“Right, I’m sure it doesn’t seem like that to you. But that’s what it looks like to us. Perhaps one reason why Claire-sama thought that it would be okay if she sacrificed herself for this revolution… Was that she thought you’d be okay even on your own.”

“…”

When I said that, Rei went completely silent.

“Rei?”

“I never considered that.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, no. I just never imagined that was how other people might have seen me.”

Rei scratched her cheek.

“If I’ve somehow upset you, I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s a huge help. Just as I’d expect from you Misha, I’m blessed to have a friend that understands me so well.”

When I saw Rei back to her usual antics, I thought, “Ah, she’s fine now.”

“Alright, let’s get to bed. It’ll be an early morning tomorrow.”

“Right. Good night Misha, and thank you.”

“Good night, and you’re welcome.”

◆◇◆◇◆

And so, we had arrived at the morning of the public execution.

“Are you ready, Rei?”

“Yup. This time I’ll make sure Claire-sama knows just how worthless I am as a human being!”

“You’re gonna what now?”

In response to Manaria-sama’s question, Rei’s weirdly confident words got a laugh from Rodd-sama. Of course, Yuu-sama and I, as well as Lene and Lambert were here too.

“Well, just watch. I’ll rescue my princess, not with grace, but by making an absolute mess of myself.”

“Rei-chan, you’re not making sense.”

Rei was deliberately over the top in her cheer. It seemed she really was back to her usual self. The distinct energy I felt from her now was familiar. It felt just like when she had first enrolled into the academy and declared she would bully Claire-sama to get her attention. At the time I wondered just what had happened to her, but the words I had for her now were very different.

“That’s just like you. Go for it.”

Translator Note: The besties ;~;

Honestly I’m just going to say it, I’m a bit of a sucker for series like this where like, the situation looks like it’s too much for the protag, but everyone they came in touch with and helped in the past comes and is there for them when they need it the most.