CH 46

“You, what do you think you’re doing?”

The moon floats above the fountain in the courtyard.

Brother Vincent’s voice came from behind me, it was the first time I’ve heard him up close in a long time.

In fact, I feel that my two older brothers have similar voices. But compared to the soft-spoken Brother Seth, the intimidating way Brother Vincent speaks sounds completely different.

Last I met him was during the knight investiture ceremony. I turned around thinking that it had been a long time since he talked to me, not meeting him.

Mika quickly stepped right behind me and bowed to Brother Vincent.

“Brother Vincent, it has been a while. Happy Birthday to you.”

“Enough of this nonsense.”

As he coldly said that to me, I was left utterly helpless. I thought about when was the last time we talked and remembered that it was when I was very young.

I remembered talking to Mika before he called out to me like this. “What is your plan?” As he asked me that, I didn’t really have a plan or anything. I thought that it was so sickening that I needed to have some plan to be able to talk with my older brother.

But if this is how I could have a chance to talk to my brother, this was another experiment I had to try.

Let me tell you about today’s experiment.

—It’s “pretending to be stupid”.

I am now slightly saddened by the fact that I have already abandoned my pride as a prince, following my experiment of becoming a slug just the other day, and now pretending to be an idiot.

For now, the strategy is to make him feel stunned by my naivety, that I have nothing to be praised but my face, and for him to think I’m not his enemy. I want to forget once and for all that I did some stupid actions in my first life, and it was not pretending.

Brother Vincent whom I know is intimidating, proud, hates useless things, and also probably hates bell peppers. I opened my mouth, thinking about the peppers as much as possible.

“Sister-in-law looked lonely, so I invited her to dance with me.”

“Enough of this impertinent talk. I want to know if there’s any intention behind this.”

I must not miss this opportunity in which Brother Vincent went out of his way to talk to me.

The most important thing I need to check today is to confirm the brainwashing status of Brother Vincent.

Vivienne says that the way ‘fascination’ magic works in the book, is that the main character, Baroness Tessier, improves her charm and makes her more likeable to others. At first glance, it may seem like a very natural phenomenon, such as a woman polishing herself to increase likability. But Vivienne said that the visual (I think it’s like an illustration) is the problem.

It seems that when the charm increases and the partner’s likability rises, a purple wind surrounds the other person and there’s a depiction of heart symbols flowing to Baroness Tessier. Vivienne was bold enough to say that this was absolutely magic.

(To be honest, I don’t think you can tell if it’s magic or not from just one illustration like that.)

The purple wind is indeed quite questionable, but Vivienne says that such a description in a book with the same setting as this world must definitely mean it was unique magic.

For now, as the magical tool that seems to be able to prevent it has been found just like what Vivienne said, it can’t be easily dismissed.

Incidentally, she said that that magical silver needle, a thin dagger-like magical tool, would be used in the “confirming true love” episode at the end of the story.

Anyway, if I ever run into Baroness Tessier as well, I’ll have to watch out for the magic of the blatant purple wind and the flowing heart symbol.

And today, the other thing is to find out about Brother Vincent’s condition, and then to see if he hates Vivienne enough to execute her.

Shrugging my shoulders, I said.

“My intention?? I don’t have any such thing. But still, you sure are fond of Baroness Tessier, Brother Vincent. She looks lovely.”

“Yes, Emilia’s very adorable. Still, stay away from her. She’s easily scared.”

“Easily scared? Oh right, she was clinging to you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

As my brother sounded irritated, I replied “Nothing?” As I answered that, I was inwardly surprised to see Brother Vincent, who showed no underlying intention, said the word “adorable” with a face that seemed to break out in a smile.

Brother Vincent’s mother, the second queen, is a strict person. She inherited the atmosphere of the Dukes of Tyndall and is also an aristocratic supremacist.

From an early age, she strictly disciplined Brother Vincent and consistently treated those around him with a high-handed attitude. Perhaps that’s why my brother always had a stern look on his face and I thought that his bright light blue hair that stood up on his head looked like a flame.

(He really…talked about her as if he were in love.)

But…

Then I’ll have to ask what position Vivienne holds in his life. Because in the near future, Vivienne will be executed.

“But, what are you going to do with Miss Vivienne?”

“As for Vivi…her behavior is intolerable. I’ll have to do something about her eventually.”

“Do something about her? Do you mean something like execution?”

“…What? Execution, you say? Is there something that makes me have to go that far?”

Vivi, he called her…

I never would have guessed from Vivienne’s condition that they were unexpectedly close. And then, he doesn’t intend to do so much as to execute her. Then I have to make it clear how much he hates her.

“Sister-in-law was so beautiful today. It was beautiful to see her smiling like a flower blooming open, and it made me envy you, Brother Vincent.”

“Hm. I don’t think anything of it when a woman with such an intense face and personality like her was smiling. As a fiancée, she is proper… But Emilia is more-…”

“……Is that so? It’s great to have someone you like. But, you wouldn’t make Baroness Tessier your fiancée, would you?”

Inwardly, I think it’s funny he said that even though he was looking at us so much.

At this point, let’s not waste time on politics. I pretended to be stupid and decided to ask him directly. I didn’t think he’d answer me. But, contrary to that expectation, Brother Vincent spoke as if he were muttering to himself.

“……That’s….it would be nice if that were true. Emilia also said that to me while crying.”

“What?”

“……Huh? Today, I feel so-…”

Brother Vincent stopped moving and froze.

While wondering what he meant, I was about to look behind at Mika. Suddenly, Mika put his arms out and stepped in front of me.

There was a rustling sound like something in the bushes, and then there was a sweet voice that calls, “Vincent?” can be heard. Huh? As I looked over Mika’s back, there stood a young lady in a bright light blue dress, like Brother Vincent’s hair color— Baroness Emilia Tessier.

Then, I thought.

(—Huh. No way, did she come through the bushes? Even though… there’s a usual path! Why?!)

In my head, a plubear did three somersaults in a row.

Just by the way she appeared here, I could tell that she was an extraordinary lady. The young lady made a deliberately shy face like “Oops,” and ran straight to Brother Vincent, not even bothering with the presence of me, a prince.

Gradually, her figure becomes more apparent.

Large emerald eyes, soft round cheeks, and plump pink lips. Fluttering in her light blue dress, with her chestnut hair shining in the moonlight adorned with a large ribbon of the same color, she approaches.

I don’t know why, but for some reason I felt a chill and clutched the hem of Mika’s knight’s outfit tightly.

“Vincent, how could you leave without saying a word to me?!”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry. Was everything all right?”

“Yes. But, I was scared.”

Brother Vincent seemed to return to his senses with a gasp. Then he smiled sweetly as if his blue eyes had melted. I had only seen his difficult face before, I blinked and stiffened at his sweet smile.

I don’t know what kind of face Mika was making in front of me, but he pushes me backward with his back and we take a step back together.

However, perhaps noticing Mika, Baroness Tessier, who had been leaning on Brother Vincent, suddenly turned her head to look our way.

“W-well! If it isn’t Your Highness Nagi. E-excuse me.”

“……Pleased to meet you, Baroness Tessier. It seems that I’ve been taking away Brother Vincent from you.”

Huh. While wondering that it was strange that she hadn’t noticed us until now, I smiled at her from next to Mika, taking care to look as beautiful as possible. I made it a priority not to alarm her rather than to expose hostility.

Perhaps Mika didn’t think it was necessary to step back behind me if the other party was a baroness, so he remained standing next to me.

I stared at Baroness Tessier, wondering what kind of person she was and being wary of her magic. Then she bit her lip tightly and asked in a trembling voice with tears in her eyes.

“U-Umm… What is your relationship with Vivienne?”

“What?”

“You were dancing with her happily earlier. Um, she… she would give me stern warnings and stare at me with a scary face, and the people around me would also get angry at me.”

“Ah… I see, is that so? She looked lonely, and I couldn’t help myself.”

I didn’t hear much of the details of what Vivienne did to her, but Vivienne went mad with jealousy…so I thought it might be about that incident. However, I am currently activating my special technique of “pretending to be stupid”. So I said a little politely that I didn’t think much when I invited Vivienne to dance with me.

She should have realized that the reason Vivienne looked so lonely was because of her. How would she react?

However, perhaps because I was feeling anxious with an unknown woman and I ended up strangely forcing a smile more than usual, I inwardly felt worried that I might be the one who aroused suspicion instead.

Baroness Tessier puts her hand over her mouth, and I feel nervous as she looks at me doubtfully. Did I go wrong somewhere…? I felt my heart beat faster and faster, and a chill ran down my spine.

“Your Highness Nagi is…”

From the tone of her voice, she didn’t seem to have made a very positive impression of me.

Besides, if she is really in contact with Rubrum, it would surely be better to keep us royalty divided. I am sure she would say things like “terrible” or “enemy” that would give a bad impression to Brother Vincent.

I felt my insides shrinking, waiting for her next words.

However— she smiled brightly as if a flower was blooming, and said something unbelievable.

“…So kind! You are a very, very kind person! Isn’t that right, Vincent?!”

“……Huh, ah, well, yes.”

The immense brightness made me freeze up.

Even Brother Vincent, who was made to answer that question, had a surprised look on his face. Then, in front of my stunned face, she spoke to Brother Vincent and said, “Let’s have a tea party together sometime! Your knight should come along as well,” then she walked back into the summer sky room.

She looked back at me repeatedly as I stood there, waving her hands broadly, then walking a little further and waving again as she left the courtyard.

The last thing I saw was Baroness Tessier leaning her head against Brother Vincent just as they were about to disappear from view.

—At that moment.

I thought Baroness Tessier had pressed her index finger to Brother Vincent’s lips, and then I saw a soft, light purple breeze dancing in the air. But the next moment, I felt like she was about to look back at me, and I quickly pretended to be looking at the fountain with Mika.

And then, while feeling the sweat pouring down all of a sudden, I was just looking at the fountain while remaining rigid.

After a while, I whispered.

“……Mika, can I take a walk in the garden for a little longer?”

“What a coincidence… I was also thinking the same thing just now.”