Charlotte seemed to be quite happy.
Well, thinking about it, she wasn’t in a position that was all that different from Alice’s. Unlike Alice, she wasn’t left practically alone, but she also hadn’t grown up loved and free.
The King of Velbur was indeed a great parent and a king who loved his country, as mentioned in the original work, but due to that ‘king’ status, he had to be somewhat strict with Charlotte. If not, she would definitely have grown up not knowing proper etiquette.
And although she was still legally a minor, such laws had only been established recently, not that long ago. In the public’s mind, anyone who could walk, carry things, and follow instructions was considered an adult, no matter the age.
By fifteen, a commoner would have already been working hard in a factory. No gender distinction—everyone was in the same boat.
So, in the eyes of nobles, royalty, and the imperial family, a child of that age could be adequately raised as a noble or royal.
Teaching politics, strict etiquette.
Learning how to hold back what she wants.
Charlotte didn’t truly want to come to the academy. There must have been a famous school in Velbur as well, and maybe the kids she thought were her friends were already attending there.
But with the Crown Princess of the Empire sneaking around, and the academy being filled with children from influential noble families, she was probably sent there on a command from the King of Velbur to assess the situation.
Although Charlotte seemed to be enjoying school life in her own way, there must’ve been plenty of annoying and unpleasant things, just like earlier on the rooftop.
That’s why she might feel a little joy from her current somewhat treacherous behavior.
“But, Sylvia.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Call me Charlotte, not Your Highness. We’re currently in ‘stealth’ mode.”
It was a bit too blatant to use the name Charlotte with a heavy Velbur accent!
But, whatever.
Currently, Charlotte—or rather, Charlotte was wearing clothes quite different from her usual school uniform. They looked like something she might have bought around here, a simple dress often worn by commoners. In other words… a modest brown dress one would expect the female lead to wear in the beginning of a romance set in the Victorian era.
Of course, the completion of fashion is the face, and since Charlotte was wearing it, no one could call her an ordinary heroine.
Charlotte went a step further, tying her hair to one side and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
It seemed she was trying to impersonate a commoner, but honestly, thanks to her outstanding looks, she didn’t quite manage to pull off the commoner vibe. Changing her walking style would probably be a good start!
“Then why should my name stay as Sylvia?”
“Exactly!”
At my words, Charlotte—or rather, ‘Charlotte’—puffed her cheeks a bit.
“You aren’t disguised at all! Even the clothes you’re wearing are your school uniform! What does it mean if I call you by a different name?”
“…….”
At Charlotte’s words, I glanced around.
It was a sunny Sunday. Although the weather was getting a bit chilly, it was bearable with a coat.
Groups of male students, female students. Occasionally, couples were walking around happily. Some seemed to be out to buy something, while others looked like they were just enjoying a stroll and laughing.
I looked back at Charlotte.
Without needing to change my expression, she seemed to fully understand what I wanted to say as she blushed and replied, “B-but! The target could escape from this place, right? There aren’t many places crowded with academy students nearby!”
“Then we can disguise ourselves later, can’t we?”
From my experience of moving here and there through time, I can say that when sneaking in, it doesn’t really matter if you’re wearing a school uniform or a dress. If someone isn’t on high alert, they’re unlikely to pay any attention to me unless I’m wearing something outrageous.
Of course, since the academy’s uniform had an oddly modern design, wearing it and just walking around would draw some attention, but a coat on top could give me a suitable soldier-like vibe.
Though I’m a princess, commoners don’t know my face well. Well, I’ve started mingling with some commoners since I began attending the academy, so my face spreading through the masses is simply a matter of time.
“That takes time!”
“……It shouldn’t take that long unless you’re planning on a major disguise, though?”
“Ah! I know that already! Stop with the excuses and let’s put on different clothes quickly!”
If I change clothes here, I feel like I’d miss Leo and Sophia ahead of us, right?
But Charlotte didn’t care about my thoughts and pulled my arm into a clothing store.
Well, let’s just let her enjoy this.
Honestly, having her nagging me from the side is actually pretty fun.
*
I don’t know if I should consider it a good thing, but I didn’t lose track of Leo and Sophia.
Sophia’s hair was a bright purple, so it stood out easily.
With her leading the way, keeping a distance and following her bright purple hair was no problem.
Sophia didn’t seem to notice us at all.
“……”
At first, I thought Sophia followed Leo for some political purpose.
But the more I looked, the more it didn’t seem like that at all.
Because Leo… what he was doing was really nothing special.
He went to a bakery, bought a bunch of bread, and visited a thrift shop, buying a ton of clothes. Then, he packed them neatly into the large bag on his back.
He seemed to be carrying a hefty load, yet he walked properly without wobbling at all.
And now I understood why Leo was doing that.
Charlotte seemed to be in the dark about it.
Even Charlotte, who kept tilting her head in confusion, was starting to have a slight doubt about Leo’s actions.
“What’s the reason for him doing that?”
I had an idea, but I wasn’t entirely sure, so I just shrugged my shoulders.
Leo, carrying his various burdens, was headed towards a nearby back alley.
“Uh…”
And it seemed like Charlotte came to her senses once she reached the entrance of that alley.
She probably hesitated to go in.
Leo was confident in his sword skills, and above all, he’d likely been here several times before, they probably felt no hesitation entering here.
It seemed Sophia felt the same way, as she was following without any worry.
Of course, considering my skills and Charlotte’s, I didn’t think there would be any problem gaining entry, but…
Isn’t Charlotte a princess? Going in without any guards would definitely feel uncomfortable.
I did have a gun at my waist. I could easily take care of a few people without needing to rewind time.
And if I fired, Leo would rush over upon hearing the gunshot.
If Charlotte decided to back out at this point, I was prepared to return as well, but it seemed like Charlotte wanted to go in.
“……”
Having Charlotte stuck in indecision for a while, I turned to a burly man standing at the entrance of the alley.
He looked like a rather scruffy individual, but at the same time, he was dressed better than a typical street thug. Not in rags, but seemingly trying to resemble a gentleman in a proper suit. Although it didn’t suit him at all.
“What brings you here, miss?”
As soon as I approached, the man immediately changed his posture to one of politeness. He seemed quite experienced with this type of interaction.
“Having two young ladies enter this alley might be a bit dangerous, right?”
“Of course, miss. We have no right to stop you from entering. However… since you spoke to me, you don’t seem to be completely clueless about the world.”
To be honest, I wasn’t certain if I could fully trust this man. But seeing him stand confidently at the alley entrance, and his well-dressed attire showed he seemed to operate in this line of work.
Sometimes curious nobles or some upper-class commoners might be interested in seeing this beneath-the-surface lifestyle of lower-class folks.
Of course, not for the sake of welfare policies or anything like that.
It’s like viewing animals in a zoo.
What you’d call a back-alley tour, perhaps?
To keep selling such ‘products’, a minimum level of trust is required to keep news circulating, attracting more customers.
I nodded at the man, then pulled out my wallet.
I took out some pound notes and handed them over.
“Oh my! So much! Don’t worry! I will treat you like the Imperial Princess you are!”
Seeing the amount of money, he bowed at a 90-degree angle. It’s clear that in this country, money is the ultimate answer!
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