I was mindlessly sitting next to Mia when Claire finally realized I was still in the water and dragged me out again to splash around.
The sea here was just as salty and bitter as the one back home. When I first got in the water, Claire dramatically exclaimed, “Wow, it’s really salty!” which was quite the comedic line. I also saw Alice, who had never been to the sea, sneakily dipping her finger in to taste it.
For the sake of establishing the Crown Princess’s authority, I would never say that to anyone else.
Even Mia, who seemed like she’d never step into the water, got pulled in by someone at some point. I sadly watched sand erode the tray she was carrying as she dropped it, but those who always claimed they wouldn’t get in the water eventually found Mia splashing around energetically.
Leo, in the middle of all the fun, seemed to sense gazes on him and tried to subtly back away, but that was hopeless.
The people in this world often looked like models from a game; they were usually pretty. However, this was a place filled with ‘heroines.’ If there was a character named Sylvia Fanggriffon in the game, she’d undoubtedly rank among the heroines here, just like the other women.
The Crown Princess, the Duke’s daughter, even the Count’s daughter.
Rena and Sophia were treated as precious guests as well.
These women were not just hard to overlook because of their looks but also due to their status.
Yet here I was, a guy from a mere Baron’s estate, and I wasn’t receiving any glares at all.
The only guy among practically half-naked women.
What a confusingly enviable situation.
But as the term ‘the only’ implies, Jake, the other guy, was nowhere in sight.
Not just Jake; Roti was missing too.
I could definitely picture Jake playing in the water, but not Roti. For some reason, the image in my head was of Roti in a black swimsuit with a maid hairband standing behind Jake.
Although, I had never really seen Roti in a maid outfit in front of me.
“……”
But I found both of them quite easily.
I spotted Roti’s ponytail disappearing behind a rock in the distance.
…If it were anyone else, I might wonder what they were up to, but with Jake and Roti? Nothing would happen.
They liked each other but kept their distance subtly.
I took one last look at the noisy group and quietly slipped away.
What could those two be talking about?
I hoped it wasn’t anything too serious.
*
“…But in the end, that position is also obtained through the logic of those in power.”
That was Roti’s voice.
“To establish that kind of credit without doing anything is no different from the other noble’s children, is it?”
“Exactly! Just accept it to elevate your status, and then you can rise on your own strength. Once you become a knight, there will be plenty of opportunities to establish credits.”
“……”
Roti fell silent at Jake’s words.
“Do you know how much this swimsuit costs?”
“……Well…”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I just chose it since I was told to pick. But I suspect a considerable amount of rubber went into making it. It’s made by wrapping fabric around natural rubber and compressing it, you know?”
“……”
“To be perfectly honest, I’m neither the one to wear this nor the one to be handled. I’ve already received so much from you, my lord. This ‘break’ was arranged by you, after all?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“That too, in the end, is only possible because of you, my lord. I…”
Roti seemed to have something to say but swallowed her words.
“You…”
Just then, as Jake was about to say something,
“What are you doing here?”
“Eek!”
I screamed at Alice, who had suddenly appeared next to me.
“…Eek?”
A sound came from behind the rock.
“…Again!”
Alice shouted before I could react, and I yelled, “Again!”
*
“So, you’re saying the authority you gained means nothing?”
I decided to interrupt the conversation between the two.
“…Sylvia.”
“I’m sorry. I accidentally eavesdropped on your conversation.”
Though it wasn’t exactly ‘accidental,’ but whatever.
I immediately turned to Roti.
“Did you think that my offering you a title was simply out of ‘benevolence’?”
“……”
Roti couldn’t respond, avoiding my gaze.
“I have one question. Do you think all this kindness, including the knight title I’m offering and all the gifts Jake has given you, is just something you don’t deserve to receive?”
As expected, Roti had no reply.
Oh, how frustrating.
I bit back a sigh.
“All of this is done because I find you admirable.”
I told Roti,
“If you were anyone else, without the qualities you have now, and merely viewed the situation pessimistically, I wouldn’t have offered you this chance. You have desires, don’t you?”
“……”
“Even if you obtain what you want, would you simply think you got it due to someone else’s kindness?”
Issues like colonization and the inhumanity of plantation farming, or those ‘good old days’ that will soon meet their catastrophe.
Yeah, they all needed to be resolved. Especially for us sitting in the upper seats, this was a story that needed to be addressed sooner or later.
But that didn’t mean we could act on it right now.
Suddenly, the class system wouldn’t collapse, and Jake and Roti wouldn’t become equals. That sort of thing isn’t happening anytime soon. The noble class would still exist ten years or twenty years from now, and it would continue to be a tool to exploit others.
So, would they be satisfied being just a serving maid until then? How long would they keep watching Jake marry someone else, while they were left unrequited?
Of course, Jake wouldn’t marry someone else, but still.
“Don’t bother with reasons. If you have a means at hand, willingly utilize it. Being a knight is certainly far more freeing than being a maid bound to one household.”
I stepped a little closer to Roti.
After all, the opportunity would soon come. The noble society wouldn’t completely collapse, but there would be a moment when everyone would realize there are people who bleed and can be killed.
Would she still try to distance herself from Jake even then?
“You have something you want, right?”
I whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. Noticing my gaze land on Jake, Roti’s mouth slightly opened.
She seemed surprised at how I knew.
…How could I not know? Even someone who hadn’t seen the original work would have questioned, knowing those two hung out so closely.
It was also one of the reasons Roti was often isolated.
“Don’t say anything silly like ‘I’d be fine with just being nearby’ or ‘the second-best is okay.’ I don’t really like hearing the people around me rationalizing themselves like that.”
Roti looked up at me.
My shadow loomed over Roti.
…Hmm.
I wasn’t trying to create a creepy atmosphere.
“I want it. Isn’t that reason enough? Do I need to come up with more excuses?”
“……”
Roti was left speechless.
“Sorry for stealing your time, you two.”
I took a step back from Roti and said, then slightly bowed my head before turning around and walking away.
“……”
And from a direction where I couldn’t see, someone was leaning against a rock.
It was Alice.
The ‘Eek!’ had been canceled, but… the smile on Alice’s face was far more complicated than when she had heard my scream earlier.
She looked like she had a ton of questions piled up, but—
I raised my index finger to my lips. Alice simply nodded quietly.
It was an incident that would undermine the royal authority, knowing both princesses were secretly eavesdropping on the Duke’s son.
When I pointed the index finger back at the beach, Alice nodded and quickly moved to my side.
“…How are the two of them?”
After walking for a while, Alice finally asked once she was sure the sound wouldn’t carry back.
“To be honest, I’m not sure.”
I really hoped she’d take my words at face value.
Was she overthinking things and layering in political issues like the Duke of Lindbergh?
…Did I meddle unnecessarily there?
Now I found myself feeling a tinge of regret.
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