Volume 3 - CH 8

“So, what are you going to do about that?”

Millie-sama, who came to the Princess’s room, said and pointed to something outside the window.

I was carrying a carpet, and once I handed it over to Belinda, I stood beside Millie-sama and looked down below the window.

I saw Greed-sama heading towards the barracks . . . and Tiana-sama following beside him. She is giving all her might to talk to Greed-sama.

Another cause increased the irritation within me. Yes, I’m extremely irritated.

Greed-sama hardly looks at Tiana-sama, so those who knew the true state of affairs were aware of her unrequited feelings but . . . to those who do not know, it may seem like they are taking a stroll together.

Only a pair of a handsome young man and a beautiful girl is fit to walk together──In other words, they suit each other. They make a good sight. Tsk.

I looked away from them and answered Millie-sama.

“I won’t do anything in particular.”

“There you go again. Even though you care.”

“I don’t care about them.”

……That’s a lie. I honestly care, or rather, it annoys me!

“Oh, you’re not so honest, Aria. I know it’s impossible, but what if Greed falls in love with the princess?”

“……I already told you that I don’t care. Moreover, they make a beautiful couple, and she may suit him better than me.”

That was being whispered around, but I am aware of it.

There are two reactions from other people when they see Tiana-sama’s “Hero Love”.

She is viewed either as a clingy girl even though it is an unrequited love or as a smiling cute princess who yearns for the Hero all the time. So those people who have the latter opinion spread rumors that they look good on each other and make a beautiful couple and that the Hero will be taken soon.

And of course, it is a pity that I am going to be discarded and abandoned, and being with a maid is a mismatch, to begin with.

In-fur-iat-ing!

Before saying that I will be discarded, I don’t remember responding to his proposal! Mismatch? Well, I’m sorry! Then, why don’t you just match those people who look good together!?

In the first place, it was strange that Greed-sama proposed to a maid like me. A classic princess or a cute childhood friend will suit the Hero!

……On the other hand, this is what I also think.

I will not forgive him if he utterly changes from one woman to another.

Well, that’s a given, right!? I was proposed to in public, got featured in the newspapers, is likely to be sold by the kingdom in exchange for greater benefits, and my privacy was breached. Above all that, I became a target of demons!

But if he would easily switch to a beautiful princess (who has a problematic personality), won’t I lose my dignity!? I will not forgive him! I will sue him for canceling the engagement! [T/N: Aria, didn’t you just say that you still have not responded? XD]

……Well, anyway, I’m angry and annoyed.

“Aria must be a tsundere after all.”

Farah-sama, who was sitting on the sofa opposite the princess, laughed and said that.

“Even though she said that, she cannot keep away from Greed.”

“……Well, th-that’s because Greed-sama would look like an abandoned puppy.”

──It seems that Greed-sama warned not only Tiana-sama but also her brother Lautrich-sama, and with the advice of his wife, Mariage-sama, he withdrew from this matter.

However, Tiana-sama will not give up just because of that. She investigated Greed-sama’s actions by making full use of her maids and enthusiastically approaches him in his probable whereabouts.

Then, Tiana-sama got to know that Greed-sama and the others spend their tea time in the Princess’s (Louise) room, so she visited during that time under the guise of a courtesy call to the Princess.

The Princess also had no choice but to invite the princess out of courtesy, so in the end, Tiana-sama was able to join the tea ceremony.

Moreover, as a matter of course, she took the seat next to Greed-sama, and if everyone invites me to take that seat──“Isn’t she a maid? Isn’t it strange that she sits in the same seat as the guests?”

And so on. Of course, everyone will tell her that I am Greed-sama’s fiancée and an important friend, but that doesn’t mean I can enjoy drinking tea so I had to quickly relinquish my seat. The triumphant face of Tiana-sama at that time!

I know it is rude towards a royal, albeit from a neighboring kingdom, but I wanted to tell her.

In-fur-iat-ing!

Thus it was only natural that I, who was irritated by all those reasons, would take out my anger on the root of it all, Greed-sama.

That’s why I told him. “Tiana-sama would suit you better than me. Isn’t it better for you to move to another love interest?” Or something between those lines.

When I said that, Greed-sama had an undisguised sad expression. He looked like an abandoned puppy. I can virtually see his ears become floppy. With a matching sound effect, “Whiiine.”

──Hey, where did he learn such a trick? I’m weak to that kind of expression!

Feeling guilty, I decided to raise the white flag sooner.

……After that, I tried not to say such things in front of Greed-sama.

“When you see that kind of expression, isn’t it difficult to push him away!?”

“That’s why you are a tsundere.”

Farah-sama acknowledged me as a tsundere the second time. According to my understanding of a tsundere, one would be normally cold but would suddenly become lovestruck . . . No, no, I do neither of the two, okay!?

“Fret not, Greed will not have a change of heart. You don’t have to feel insecure.”

“I don’t know. Tiana-sama is a beautiful woman, and with her incessant wooing, he might fall in love with her.”

I suddenly averted my eyes from Farah-sama. Tsundere, activated.

“One time, he was smiling at Tiana-sama, right?”

“No, no, no, that’s probably because that idiot Renas said something unnecessary!”

Millie-sama interjected.

“In the first place, was that even a smile!? Apart from that princess who is has a maiden-in-love filter, Aria, who saw his real smile, will find it unnatural!”

“I understand that but……”

I pouted my lips.

……That happened during tea time the other day.

Seeing that Greed-sama was only answering Tiana-sama with placid pleasantries, Renas-sama felt sorry for her and told him.

“Err, Greed. You can smile a little, you know……”

Greed-sama pondered for a while and did exactly that. He probably thought it appeared polite. But that smile……

How should I say it . . . He merely raised the edges of his mouth a little but his eyes weren’t smiling at all. If one would acknowledge that as a smile, a placid expression is better.

However, Tiana-sama was overjoyed and said, “Hero-sama smiled!”

At the sight of her ecstatically staring at Greed-sama, I felt a prickling sensation in my chest and I felt gloomy……

To be honest, even if it was a fake smile, it did not look enthralling.

“Renas is such a dimwit! I thought I will never see Greed smile like that again!”

Millie-sama exclaimed indignantly. Apparently, Greed-sama used to smile like that before in an attempt to imitate everyone’s smile…… It looked ominous.

“He was finally able to show us a real smile thanks to Aria. No one should not force him to smile. Especially with that princess, it would only make everything complicated.”

“I agree with you.”

In fact, that smile made Tiana-sama more assertive.

She would cling to Greed-sama all day…… Aaargh, I don’t care!

“Princess Tiana would also be in trouble.”

“Of course, Greed is also annoyed. However, he seems to be patient because he thinks there is just a few days left.”

The one who said those lines were Princess Louise, who was sitting on the sofa, and Rufus-sama, who sat beside her.

──Just a few days left.

That is right. I can manage to keep my frustration from exploding, and Greed-sama does not use his magical powers or the spirits to take hard measures because we knew that Tiana-sama will be going home soon.

The final event for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Albatro and Princess Tiana will be the ball tomorrow night. After the event, they will return to their kingdom.

Of course, Tiana-sama would probably say that she doesn’t want to go home, but a princess of another kingdom cannot prolong her stay without an official reason. Above all, Mariage-sama took the responsibility of taking her home safely.

That’s why it is just a few days left. Our usual daily life will return in a little while. A quiet and peaceful daily life with everyone.

……That’s what I thought, but the gloomy feeling in my chest was not cleared away from my heart, and the thought that “Greed-sama might be more suitable for a woman like Princess Tiana than me” will remain in my consciousness forever.

Did the saying go, I want to be loved rather than to love……? Or was it, I want to love rather than to be loved?

In any case, for a person like Greed-sama who has a complicated background and grew up without being loved by his parents, I think it would be better for him to have someone who accepts everything about him. I think he needs someone who can love even the unlovable parts of him……

I’m no good. Because I can’t take Greed-sama for who he is. I just got entangled with him. In the end, I made myself his educator for my sake. I was just imposing my ideals on Greed-sama.

Was that for the sake of Greed-sama? I deemed it necessary, but is it really? Look, I did not respond to Greed-sama’s feelings, but I used those feelings to autocratically impose it on him, right……? I was not considerate or something.

However, unlike me, Tiana-sama said she accepts everything about Greed-sama.

“……Maybe I should stay away from Greed-sama as Tiana-sama said……”

I muttered absentmindedly. Everyone in the room stared at me in surprise.

“Hey, Aria.”

“Saying something stupid . . .”

“You do not have to mind Princess Tiana, okay?”

“That’s right. Greed likes you, not her.”

I regretted saying it.

What the hell am I . . . I didn’t mean to say this!

However, once you say something, you cannot take it back. That’s why I strengthened my resolve.

“You see, Tiana-sama likes Greed-sama more than I do. I think she can make Greed-sama happier than me, who can only respond . . . halfheartedly……”

Waaah, for some reason everyone’s face is becoming grimmer!

Rufus-sama shook his head and answered.

“That’s not the case, Aria. You cannot be happy just because you are deeply loved. In theory, you, who are deeply loved by Greed, must also be full of happiness. Yet, you feel guilty about not being able to return the same feelings. Why can’t you realize that it’s also the same with Greed who can’t respond to Princess Tiana’s feelings?”

“Well, you do have a point……”

“Greed is not obliged to respond to Princess Tiana’s feelings. Just as you have no obligation to respond to Greed’s love.”

Millie-sama nodded in agreement.

“He’s right, Aria. Don’t ignore Greed’s feelings and hastily make a decision.”

“Bu-But, I’m sure Tiana-sama is more suitable for Greed-sama than me!”

I thought it was better to stop, but for some reason I couldn’t.

“Everyone in the castle also thinks that way! Tiana-sama suits him better. It was wrong to choose me…… Of course. Because I am not a princess like Tiana-sama, I possess average appearance and personality, and I lack attributes that will suit Greed-sama. All of you said that was not the case but……”

A smile of self-derision appeared on my lips.

……It seems that I was hurt by Princess Tiana’s tirades and the cruel rumors more than I thought. After all, they are right. I can’t deny it.

“In the first place, it was wrong to propose to a maid like me. For the Hero . . . a princess suits him.”

“Aria……”

Silence fell upon the scene. No one said anything…… Maybe they cannot summon the words. But……

“Aaah, come on!”

A frustrated voice echoed in the room, breaking the silence. The owner of that voice was──

Everyone widened their eyes in surprise and stared at the source. Of course, I did too.

That person stood up and approached me with determination, then reached out──and tapped my forehead.

“……Eh?”

“Get your act together, Aria.”

──That person was my master, Louise-sama, the second princess of this kingdom……