Volume 3 - CH 6

We went to Mariage-sama’s room. [T/N: /Ma-ri-a-ju/]

As I sat on a luxurious guest sofa, a tea brewed by my senpai was placed on the marble table in front of me.

It seemed rude so I huddled. Sitting in front of a Crown Princess in a maid's appearance, I was being served like a guest. If the Head Maid got wind of this……!

“Do not be too respectful, Aria.”

“Even if you say that……”

I feel like running away right now. Moreover, Mariage-sama has something to discuss with me. This is an attentive person, you know!? I’m scared of what I would be told!

“I did not invite you as a maid but as the Hero’s fiancee. You should act confident, okay? Besides, I won’t dicuss anything troublesome, so do not fret.”

Mariage-sama said while laughing.

Even so, I’m still scared. That is because……!

“In front of the Head Maid, it doesn’t matter to her if I am the fiancée of the Hero.”

Even after getting engaged to the Hero, if anything happens, she will be mercilessly angry. One should sit on the soles of their feet. She’s really scary, you know? The Head Maid.

And I find it mysterious that she was never a subject of the revenge of the spirits.

……I’m sure it’s because the Head Maid has no evil intentions. The spirits knew that she is scolding me for a good reason.

“The Head Maid is still the same, isn’t she? She does not go easy on us but . . . even so, I still thank her for that.”

After being told that, Mariage-sama straightened her posture and stared straight at me.

“Although I have discouraged her, Princess Tiana will not give up on the Hero. I’m sure she will continue to cause you trouble in the future…… I apologize to you, the Fiancée of the Hero, as her sister-in-law and as the Crown Princess of Albatro.”

“Mariage-sama……?”

“Because she grew up spoilt, she doesn’t know how to bear with it. She has always been given what she wanted…… Originally, she was not to accompany us to my homecoming. However because she wanted to meet the Hero, she whined about coming with us. The King and Queen were indulgent……”

Mariage-sama smiled bitterly as if she was resigned to it.

“Even their relatives are like that. It’s no wonder why that child became selfish. It was only the Head Maid of Albatro who chastised her. However, the princess complained that her ears hurt so she considered the Head Maid a nuisance and stayed away from her. As a result, it became a vicious cycle in which only those people who mollycoddled her gather around her and she became even more selfish. Occasionally, I would advise the King and Queen, but even though I married into their family, I am still a foreigner. When I was told that it’s fine, there was nothing I could do about it.”

Mariage-sama revealed that and took a small sigh. Even though she is the perfect princess, Mariage-sama seems to have a lot of trouble when it comes to marrying into another kingdom.

“She is by no means a bad person. However, for a person who is responsible for the kingdom, that is not good. In the future, she will marry into another kingdom, so if she does not understand her position, she will bring shame to her kingdom. But the princess doesn’t realize that…… The trouble is that she is trying to behave the same here as she was in Albatro.”

But Mariage-sama sighed deeply this time when she said that.

“She’s not used to being rejected . . . so she probably doesn’t know that she is being rejected. I don’t think there is anything that she has wished for that was not granted. And the people around her helped her acquire it. The Crown Prince is a good example.”

His Royal Highness The Crown Prince . . . In other words, Lautrich-sama, the husband of Mariage-sama.

Indeed, Lautrich-sama seems to be helping with her earnest approach to Greed-sama. However, I thought that it was because it would be good for Albatro if Tiana-sama and the Hero will be united in marriage.

When I said that, Mariage-sama smiled bitterly.

“Certainly, that’s true but . . . His Royal Highness already knew. The Hero will not change his mind. However, he knew that it was his sister’s selfish request to see him. For the sake of the country, he should withdraw before he aroused the anger of the Hero, but……”

Then, Mariage-sama suddenly flashed a mischievous smile.

“To tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter to me whether Princess Tiana or you would be married to the Hero. It does not matter whether it is someone from my homeland or my in-laws’ family, I will still have a connection with the Hero…… But from my perspective, there seems to be no hope for the princess. Then it is a good idea to be on your side. Isn’t that so?”

Upon saying that, Mariage-sama laughed, her voice sounded like tinkling bells.

“If I side with the princess, the Hero’s and other people’s impression of Albatro will only get worse. If my husband and my sister-in-law wandered off course, then I should lead them to the correct path, right?”

“.…..Oh.”

I thought she was worried about Tiana-sama’s future but was that her true intention?

Seeing the maid-senpai standing behind Mariage-sama nod with a satisfied expression, it seems to be that case.

The reason for the apology was probably to tell Greed-sama through the spirits. “My sister-in-law and husband are troublesome, but I am Aria’s ally so don’t think badly of Albatro.”

I don’t want to know your ulterior motives, Mariage-sama……

“……When I talk to you, Mariage-sama, it feels like I am talking to the Prime Minister……”

I said, resigned.

I didn’t notice it because I did not have the opportunity to talk to Mariage-sama personally like this before, but this black belly…… I mean, her tactician skills are reminiscent of that person. As expected of the most outstanding student.

──Mariage-sama is the firstborn of the King and the Queen. However, since males are given priority to the succession of the throne, it is his younger brother, Enwald, the first prince, who can become the king.

But I think that Mariage-sama is more suitable to be the king than Enwald-sama who is a swordsman or Alfred-sama who lacks presence.

I recalled when the Prime Minister who visited the Milford family in the past said, “If only the princess was a man……”

She got her beautiful appearance from the Queen, but her personality is similar to the King, who is renowned as the wise king, and while being generous, he can make ruthless decisions when push comes to shove.

“That’s the best compliment, Aria.”

Mariage-sama smiled lightly. Then she leaned forward a little and said in a whisper.

“I’ll only say this to you, but my first love was the Prime Minister.”

“Whaaat!?”

What’s with that surprising revelation!

“I realized that nothing would come out of it, so I gave up immediately. But I did my best to be recognized by him. I thank him for who I am now.”

So this tactician first cultivated her skills by chasing the Prime Minister?!

Their reasoning is quite similar. He is indeed very handsome, so I could not really tell…… He is young but he is the same age as my father, right?

Is it possible that Mariage-sama is into older guys?

“Of course, that happened a long time ago. Now, I am devoted to Lautrich-sama, but . . . I’m actually a little jealous of you.”

“Pardon……?”

She envies me? Mariage-sama, the perfect princess?

Mariage-sama smiled at the dazed me, making her eyes look chinky.

“We members of the royal family cannot freely marry the one we love. Fortunately, in Louise’s case, Rufus-sama is a good match for her…… Had he been a commoner magician, it would not have been possible for them. Marry someone with the right status. That is the duty of a royal. The same goes for the nobles. It is also said that even commoners should get married according to their status. However, there is only one person who can freely choose his partner regardless of his or her status. That is the Hero.”

“You mean, Greed-sama……?”

“Yes. Only he can choose his lover, be it a princess or a commoner, because of his unique position. According to Louise, you seem to be resisting him because you are a maid . . . but the opposite is true. Because he is the Hero, he is allowed to choose you, a maid. He can hope for what he wants without any hindrances. One would get jealous of you if you are chosen by such a person, you know?”

Mariage-sama looked intently at me.

“That’s why, Aria, you don’t have to despise yourself. Be more proud of yourself.”

“Y-Yes.”

It was said in a gentle tone, but it felt like I was being scolded, and I involuntarily straightened my back.

“And one more thing. If you remain single, everyone will be unhappy. Even Princess Tiana can’t chase after him forever. Alfred, too.”

“Hu-Yes.”

……She also knows about Alfred-sama . . . As expected of her.

“Well, I’ve told you my concerns. I’m sorry for saying trivial things as soon as I returned to the kingdom. But towards my sister-in-law, I have a lot of concerns.”

“No. Please don’t mind it.”

I shook my head. It was a painfully true story, but what Mariage-sama said is true.

Since I became the Hero’s educator and was given the position of “The Hero’s Fiancee”, I haven’t said anything about it so I’ve put the reply to the proposal on hold. Because of that, not only Greed-sama, but also Tiana-sama and Alfred-sama can’t move.

It should settle this……

While pondering about that, there was a sudden noise outside the door.

Mariage-sama seems to have noticed that too, and after casting me a glance, she looked at Maid-senpai.

When the senpai, who nodded as if she already knew, started walking towards the door to see what was going on outside. ──It was when I heard that voice.

“Announce my presence immediately.”

I heard that frustrating, high-pitched voice somewhere.

“P-Please wait. I can’t let anyone see Her Royal Highness……”

A panicked guard’s voice answered.

“I am a royal and her sister-in-law!”

……Yes, this is obviously Tiana-sama’s voice.

“But…… I can’t open the door without her permission.”

“Get out of my away quickly!”

When I heard the conversation and hurriedly looked at Mariage-sama, she raised her eyebrows and smiled bitterly.

“This happens every time.”

……I see, this would become troublesome.

As I mentioned before, it is unethical to open the door without the permission of the owner of the room. Moreover, Mariage-sama seems to have ordered the guards to refuse any visitors.

She is trying to break through them, so it is like courtesy be damned.

Moreover, she is behaving in a castle of another kingdom. Mariage-sama is at loss on how to handle her.

──Bang!

The door suddenly opened and Tiana-sama barged into the room.

“Sister-in-law! Please hear me out, it’s awful!”

Apparently, she was able to shake off the guards and forcibly entered. When Tiana-sama found Mariage-sama sitting on the couch, she tried to run to her.

However, when she noticed that I was sitting opposite Mariage-sama, her expression changed and she shouted.

“Why are you in my sister-in-law’s room!? When you’re just a mere maid!”

“I invited her.”

Mariage-sama said in a laid-back tone.

“And even though she is a maid, Aria is the Hero’s fiancé. She is not a normal maid. More importantly, Princess Tiana, please do not bother the guards……”

“I won’t accept it!”

Tiana-sama shouted, interrupting Mariage-sama who was trying to admonish her on her rudeness.

…...Please listen to other people, Princess.

“I will never accept it! To think that the Hero chose this kind of person!”

Tiana-sama pointed her finger at me and appealed to Mariage-sama.

But I thought, Huh? This is because the situation is a little different than before.

Until now, Tiana-sama completely ignored me. But now she has acknowledged my existence and recognized me as “the person chosen by the Hero”. It may be because we are in front of Mariage-sama, but I couldn’t hide my confusion in the sudden change.

“Princess, even if you won’t accept it, the Hero chose her.”

“That’s why I’m saying it is weird! Why, why this person!?”

……It looks like things are not looking good.

Feeling a bad premonition, I got up from the sofa and said.

“I think Louise-sama will be back in her room soon, so I will be taking my leave.”

However, it seems that it was too late to escape.

Tiana-sama, who had been facing Mariage-sama until then, looked back and stared at me.

“It’s all your fault! Because of you, I’m……!”

“……Huh?”

──What on earth happened?