CH 63

“Thank you for coming to the tea party today. Please enjoy your time here.”

After much thought, I decided to have a table brought into the greenhouse and held the tea party there.

I wanted Mika to sit in a seat as well, but he insisted on standing behind me. After a bit of hesitation, I suggested that we have a standing party instead if that was the case.

Mika looked surprised, but after I said it myself, I thought it was a very good idea.

After all, this was my first tea party.

I was aware that I had done something drastic, even though I had never had a good conversation with anyone. So, rather than sitting and talking all the time, I felt that it should be better for me to walk around and talk to each people there.

When I secretly told this to Vivienne, whom I met by chance, she said, “I feel you. Just like how they say for the first date it’s better to go to a place like a zoo, where there are many topics in front of you and it’s hard to be silent,” she speaks about something that I don’t quite understand again, but she seemed to agree with me.

(I also held the party at a greenhouse, so everyone might want to take a walk around…)

I don’t think Mika will have anything to worry about today, as several knights will be waiting at the entrance to the greenhouse.

I looked around, wondering who I should speak to first.

Renalge seemed to be looking around at some unusual magic plants with Gislette. Patriel’s eyes were shining too, as if he had found a plant he was interested in. Miss Yoshino also seemed very excited and was walking around.

But… the one that bothers me the most is this person after all.

(Renalge…I really didn’t expect him to come to the tea party.)

My stomach felt tight as I looked at his fluffy, swaying, chick-colored hair.

From what Vivienne said, it seems he was struck by the way Baroness Tessier put her body on the line to protect the roses she was growing during a storm.

After she gave me that information, I thought about it for a while.

A storm… Well, even if a storm did come, my greenhouse is very solidly built, so it’s probably not going to do anything to the plants inside. Even the ones growing outside have been granted a wind magic shield by Mika, and they are made to do so much more than repel storms.

Or rather, in the first place, doing the act of shielding the flowers with my body…Can I do that?

(Wait, I could never do something so embarrassing!)

After agonizing for a few days, I kind of gave up on it.

I’m sure I’ll have another chance next time, so I decided to just hope to have a good time today. I would also like to at least have a conversation with Renalge. That’s how I lowered my goal by several steps.

Gislette and Patriel were looking so excited about having “a tea party in His Highness’s greenhouse!” Seeing the sparkle in their eyes, that alone made me glad I tried to do this. No, I’m just getting started, so I’m going to try to go as far as I can.

As I stepped forward to speak to Renalge, I suddenly felt a gaze on me and looked up.

There was Miss Yoshino, looking at me with a note in one hand.

Alright, let’s talk to her first! I prepared myself and opened my mouth.

“Pleased to meet you, Yoshino. Thank you for coming today.”

“Pleased to meet you, Your Highness Nagi. Thank you so much for inviting me here today!”

In contrast to Gislette, I find her to be an energetic and cheerful female student.

Although I’ve only seen her from a distance, I’ve always thought she looked aggressive in her interviews sometimes. But, I think her writing has a strange charm that invites the reader’s sympathy.

When I looked at her closely, I noticed her curly light brown hair was tied in two, giving her a cute look. Her olive eyes peek out from behind the glasses. After exchanging greetings with Mika as well, Miss Yoshino spoke to me.

“Your Highness Nagi, did you know that your stock has skyrocketed since the night of His Highness Vincent’s birthday?”

“Huh, is that so?”

“The number of female students who want to become your fiancée is also doubling.”

“That’s nice to hear.”

It was rare for someone to praise me, and it makes me feel thrilled.

To face Miss Yoshino today, my approach will be the same, which is without changing the impression of incompetence. However, I’ll try to show off a little that I’m useful for the country and boost the first prince faction. I’m aiming for my image to not be negative, but at least a little positive.

And then, I try to smile as beautifully and dignified as possible.

“It was rumored that you were seen smiling for the first time after Mika Chardin became your personal knight.”

“I see. We were childhood friends, to tell the truth.”

“Oh wow! So the rumors were true! As expected of Count Chardin. I’m not surprised he read this far.”

“Huh, what? Huh, no, I don’t think-…”

Certainly, I thought that Count Chardin had foresight as well. However, what was he reading from me? If I haven’t accomplished anything yet and even Count Chardin gets involved, it will be bad if I start acting like an evil prince from now on! It makes me feel panicked inside.

I wait for Miss Yoshino’s next words, wondering what she means.

“Fufufu. I already know, Your Highness. This time, you were active in the Marquis Lambert territory. I heard that you hired beastmen slaves…?”

My heart jumped at those words.

—There was no mistake in the information.

However, that wording probably doesn’t sound good. If I affirm it here, it will be turned into an article about “the third prince hiring beastmen slaves,” which will lead to one step closer to the future of me being the evil prince.

I could tell Mika was trying to stop her.

But, I stopped Mika’s movement with a signal of my hand.

“Yoshino, do you know how beastmen were treated in the Rubrum Empire?”

“Yes, I’ve heard that little children are used for sexual purposes, and adults for any kind of hard labor.”

“That’s right. The condition of refugee beastmen who fled to Lambert territory was horrible. The father and son beastmen that I met were the same. The father had one eye, and they both had terrible bruises all over their bodies. It seems that their kind-hearted master let them go, but my heart aches when I think of what’s going on inside the Rubrum empire.”

I can’t always rely on Mika.

This is something that I did. And then, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Miss Yoshino narrowed her eyes at me as if she was sizing me up, looking at my face as if she were observing me intently. In front of that impudent gaze, I thought of something.

(The way that she gives me a penetrating look like this makes it easier for me to understand.)

The man I spoke to at the end of the summer did not give me even one such glance, not even such a small piece of information. I feel frustrated with myself inwardly, but for now, I have to focus on the person in front of me.

“Yoshino, have you ever been to Lambert territory? You should try visiting there if you have the chance. There were many things I did not know until I went there for the first time this summer. There was just so much I couldn’t figure out just from the books.”

What I tried to convey was, “Are you going to write an article about something that you haven’t seen with your own eyes?” It was that kind of discouragement. It’s not about my reputation or the slavery of the beastmen. I spoke to her pride as a journalist.

I deliberately said so in a soft tone of voice. With a smile on my face.

This should have been all right.

“No, I’ve never been there. Yes, I’ve also never seen a beastmen before, so I’m interested.”

“Yes. If you really want to go, I can tell Machina about it.”

If I tell Machina, this probably won’t sound strange. He’s good at socializing, after all. I am sure he will be able to handle it well.

That reminds me, I thought, and I asked Miss Yoshino.

“Speaking of which, I got a request for an interview from you, but what did you want to write about?”

“It’s obvious! Of course, it’s about the birthday party’s ball! There are so many rumors reaching me, that there might even be a quadrangle relationship involving His Highness Vincent and Baroness Tessier?!”

“Quadrangle… Ahaha, Baroness Tessier, huh… My brother is playing too much, isn’t he?”

Miss Yoshino’s quill twitched slightly.

I noticed that and realized. So she wants to know the reaction of the first prince faction. Everyone likes to gossip and say whatever they want, but there is an impression that Baroness Tessier is still just a baroness. However, Brother Vincent actually invited Baroness Tessier to his birthday party. She wants to know what we, the first prince faction, think of that reckless action.

She must have wanted to ask Brother Seth about this if she could.

However, I’m sure Brother Seth won’t have anything to do with her, and so…

(She decided to choose…the slug prince…!)

Originally, as someone from the first prince faction, I’m sure I would have said things like, “I’m appalled at Brother Vincent’s wrongdoings,” or “I can’t believe people would support such a second prince…” It should have been a thorny statement, and I am sure that Miss Yoshino would have wanted that.

But… that’s no good.

If I denounce Brother Vincent here, Vivienne’s position will be in jeopardy. And then…the future of this country as well.

Every move I make has the potential to lead to that future. I clenched my hands tightly.

I had to emphasize that Baroness Tessier was nothing more than a little fly on the wall for the royal family.

“My sister-in-law, Vivienne, is a wonderful person. I’m sure she will support Brother Seth’s reign together with Brother Vincent.”

That’s right— we are aiming for a future of the Pluvia Kingdom ruled by Brother Seth.

I’m the third prince who supports it.

I don’t know yet if I have a powerful enough smile to convince people. Still, I have nothing to admire but my face— so I’ll do the best I can with it.

I make a smile that makes me look a little cold. This is the one I practiced the other day trying to silence Machina.

I heard Miss Yoshino clearing her throat.

However, as expected of a journalist. She persisted.

“To be honest…just between us, can you tell me if you have any feelings…for Miss Vivienne?”

“Fufu. That’s not going to happen with my sister-in-law.”

By daring to call her my sister-in-law, I intend to make my position clear.

When I said this with a smile, Miss Yoshino shrugged her shoulders and made a show of trying to not seem too rude, drooping her shoulders and saying, “I’m a little disappointed.” But, the next thing she said made me freeze in my tracks.

“Your Highness Nagi is someone of many loves after all, so perhaps there could be something else…?”

“…Huh?”

What does she mean by someone of many loves? I blinked my eyes in confusion. I felt a sharp tension, akin to a killing intent, from Mika.

“Don’t worry. I won’t write about such things because of the politics involved.”

“Huh, I still don’t understand what you mean, but… Do you mean I’m in love with someone?”

“Fufufu. Of course not, I’m sorry for asking something rude! Your Highness, please tell me about the magic plants you’re growing.”

An unpleasant sweat trickled down my spine.

She definitely knows that I was trying to evade the questions. No, if anything, Miss Yoshino took everything as my act of dodging the questions. Someone of many loves… I shouldn’t have been called that, unless it was obvious from the outside that I was in love with a number of people.

Somehow, I felt like my heart was being tampered with while I didn’t know…

And then, I have the memory of having done something like that.

(That was the reason for my execution… Don’t tell me, something was already happening without me knowing…?)

Suddenly, my heartbeat speeds up.

My sins that were laid out at the time of my execution— the sin of “fornication” included among them. For some reason, I could not help but feel that Miss Yoshino’s words from earlier were connected to the reason why I was called the “evil” prince. The warmth disappears from my fingers.

I probably turned pale while listening to Miss Yoshino’s discussion of magic plants.

Mika spoke up.

“Pardon me, Miss Yoshino. His Highness Nagi would like a cup of tea, so we’ll take our leave for a moment.”

“Oh my! I’m sorry for not noticing. Your Highness, please take your time.”

As she said so, we were sent off. Miss Yoshino herself is not a bad person.

She is purely a journalist seeking the truth.

But for some reason, a horrible feeling spread through me and I looked at Mika as if to cling to him.

“Mika… I don’t know what she’s talking about…”

“It’s okay, Nagi. Let’s just have a cup of tea and go talk to Senior Renalge and Miss Gislette.”

“Yeah… Mhm… Thanks.”

Gently, he pulled my jacket over my shoulders, and I felt as if I had become a fragile being.

I tried to be strong, and I immediately felt like I was being shown reality— that future.

I glanced at Mika.

“Don’t worry. If you drink something warm, you’ll be fine in no time. You did well, Nagi.”

I was saved by that smile.

I returned with Mika to the place where the tea cakes were placed, hoping that my heart, which was beating unpleasantly, would calm down a little.