CH 460

What’s the rest of the story?

“Cristea, I can’t be sure that you won’t get mixed up with some strange people before you get back to the dorm, so I will accompany you.”

“I, I’m coming, too!”

“… What are you trying to do by acting as a guard with your status, Your Highness? It’s just more work for me.”

“Ugh…”

Prince Raymond raised his hand and said he was going too, but Oniisama swiftly show him down.

Well, Oniisama aside, I’ve never heard of a Crown Prince accompanying his vassal’s sister home.

“Oniisama, the dormitory is just around the corner, you know?”

“That’s right, Senior Norman. I’m here too, so don’t need to worry about it.”

Sei stepped in softly, but Oniisama didn’t budge.

“No, I’m worried, so I will send you off. If I let you leave like this, I will keep thinking whether you have arrived safely.”

“Oniisama…”

This is the kind of thing like once before, where if I made him worry too much, he would use magical power detection to find out if I made it to the dorm safely like once before…

It cannot be helped. He doesn’t seem like he’s going to back down, so I will just let him do what he wants.

The men’s dormitory and the special dormitory were close to each other, so Oniisama can return immediately, too.

He’s such a worrier.

“… Then, I will be in your care.”

“Yeah. Your hand, please, Princess.”

Oniisama playfully held out his hand, and I smiled and took it.

His Highness Raymond saw us off, and we left the salon building for the special dormitory, arriving at the dormitory door so quickly that I wondered if I needed him to accompany us, as we really were only a throwing distance away.

“Thank you for sending us off, Oniisama. Even though you have it close as well, please take care on your way.”

“Senior Norman, thank you very much for today.”

Sei and I thanked him and were about to enter the dormitory, but he didn’t let go of my hand.

“… Oniisama?”

“Cirstea, I would like to talk to you some more. Sei, you should go to the dormitory now.”

“… Okay.”

Sei went into the dormitory, showing some concern at Oniisama’s words.

“What is the matter, Oniisama?”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to say it then and there. Erm, you and I may have a cousin-siblings relationship, but…”

When I saw that Oniisama was reluctant to say anything, I got the idea and answered with a smile to reassure him.

“Yeah. But Oniisama is my Oniisama. Just like always, you know?”

“Yeah… no, umm, not that…”

“…?”

When I looked at Oniisama with wonder in my eyes, he looked back straight into my eyes.

“… Tea, do you remember the promise you made to me when you were little?”

Eh, did I make a promise?

Oniisama didn’t come home much after he joined the academy, so that means I made it even before that.

“Don’t you remember that… you were going to be my wife when you grow up?”

“Eh…”

W, wife?

… Come to think of it, I may… have said something like that?

But that, that was just the usual baby talk that went along the lines, “I’m going to mewwy Oniichama when I gwou ap~” no?

Oniisama also replied, “Yeah, Tea is going to marry me, right?”

… Eh? Umm?

“Yes, umm…”

“You see, I have always wanted to keep that promise. I have also asked Father for permission. Once I graduate and become His Highness’ aide, I’m allowed to make a marriage proposal to you as your cousin.”

“Ma, marriage proposal!?”

… Ma… marriage proposal!?

“Father told me that even though it is possible for us, cousins, to marry each other, you are still too young to be talking this stuff. So, he stopped me from doing proposing… but it seems that there is another rival besides His Highness. I can’t take it easy anymore.”

“What?”

Another rival, who?

“I’ve known that His Highness likes you ever since the inspection. If you wanted to become the Crown Princess, I was going to give up without saying a word. However… you don’t seem to be interested in that, so I don’t want to give up either.”

Oniisama winked at me with a charming smile, but I did not have the leisure to be entranced by his actions.

“U, umm…”

“Sorry, Tea. I must have shocked you, right? But we are cousins, so it’s possible for us to get married, and I’m very serious about it.”

When Oniisama said so, he lifted my hand which he was holding and kissed the back of my hand.

“Fuah!?”

“Fufu. You must be confused because of the sudden revelation, so you can respond to me later. You still have time before I graduate, so take your time. Just know how I feel about you now, okay? See you later.”

Oniisama turned around and ran back to the boys’ dormitory.

Eh, what do you mean by this?

The fact that he was my cousin was enough to make me confused, but now he wants to make me his wife!?

“… Ehh!?”

“… Hmph, he finally told you. What an unpleasant fellow.”

“He should have just stayed silent forever.”

“Hyaaaah!? Kurogane, Mashiro!? Since when were you here!?”

I was surprised to see them standing behind me all of a sudden.

They didn’t care that I was surprised, and stared at Oniisama as he walked into the boys’ dormitory.

“We sensed that you were coming back. Sei had just entered the dormitory, but you haven’t been coming in, so we were watching from behind the door.”

“Sei told us that Norman needed to talk with you about something, so we had no choice but to wait.”

Kurogane and Mashiro knew about this?

“I figured that he wasn’t your blood-related brother early via appraisal. I realized that you didn’t know about this, though. However, it was so obvious that he had feelings for you, Lord, you know?”

“Yeah. He has been all over you since the beginning, what a nasty guy.”

Nono, wait a moment!?

Kurogane and Mashiro knew because of appraisal!? Appraisal is super convenient, isn’t it!?

… This is not what’s important, though.

It’s obvious that Oniisama loves me!?

I thought that Oniisama was just your simple siscon, but I never thought he felt about me like that, you know!?

So it was so obvious on the outside…!?

I had no idea whatsoever!

I mean, I thought he was my real brother all this time, so… I never even considered a marriage proposal happening.

That’s right. I, I was proposed to.

A proposal, something that didn’t happen to me even in my past life… hyaaaaah!?

…. N, no, was this still different from a proposal? He just declared that he’s going to do it eventually, right?

Eh, what do I do? What am I supposed to do?

“… Lord, is something the matter? Your face is red. Do you have a fever or something?”

“… Eh? U, umm, it’s nothing.”

“Cristea, this is serious! You should return to your room quickly!”

“I, I’m fine! I’m okay, alright!”

Seeing my red face, Kurogane and Mashiro panicked, and with their unusually coordinated play, I was carried into the room.