Acelia’s head was still buried against my chest, and I could clearly see the top of her head.
Her hair was growing in a counterclockwise direction.
I wondered if pressing down on the center would make her hair spin around like a fan, whirrr…
Ah, what did Acelia just say?
“You’re talking about our engagement, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, it’s the best way to signal an alliance for a prestigious family. Georg even has three betrothed concubines, right?”
“They say two of them were called off this time. It seems Georg became useless when he couldn’t push forward with his business.”
“I see. The engagement of a royal concubine feels more like a contract with the palace than a formal engagement with the imperial family.”
“Was the political engagement such a light promise?”
“It seems like it in the empire nowadays. Other countries might be different, though.”
Acelia frowned, seemingly displeased with this fact.
“My prince and I… we became betrothed without even knowing who each other was.”
“That’s right.”
“Were you not unhappy about it?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
From my perspective, it was already decided, so there was no point in liking or disliking it.
“Were you not unhappy, Your Highness?”
“I…”
Acelia slightly turned her head and snuck a glance at me.
“I was unhappy but…”
“That’s usually the case. The term ‘business engagement’ sounds too harsh. It implies that the child is just an item for trading between families.”
“Yeah. I would never do that to my child.”
Acelia’s answer surprised me a bit.
“Thinking about children, huh?”
“Huh? No, I haven’t thought deeply about it.”
Acelia, flustered, scanned my face before changing her tone.
“So, what about it? The rumor is spreading that our engagement is purely business.”
“Certainly, that’s unpleasant.”
As I straightforwardly answered, Acelia inhaled sharply.
Perhaps due to the cold weather, her face seemed slightly flushed.
In any case, hearing various stories about Acelia and me among the nobility was not a pleasant feeling.
Rumors tend to distort as they spread.
It would be bothersome if Moonlight Palace became gossip behind closed doors.
It’s due to Camilla’s failure to manage reputations.
I’d prefer to be recognized solely as the attending physician.
It’s best that, at the right time, I can completely wash my hands off any connection with the imperial family.
However, if the social circle is already circulating such stories, it might be a bit too late.
“…Hmph. So my prince thinks that way too.”
“You acknowledge that?”
“My prince is rather simple, you know.”
Acelia shrugged her shoulders.
“We need to make it clear in the social circle—we are not political betrothed.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea.”
I liked Acelia’s proposal.
A business engagement would be bad for both our images.
It might give the impression that Moonlight Palace was weak and relied on the power of the Marquis of Gothberg, and I would appear as someone with no initiative.
It’s best if I’m recognized as Acelia’s subordinate who’s working under contract.
“When’s your birthday, my prince? You’re an adult now, right?”
“Speaking of which, today is the last day of the month.”
In just a few hours, the year will end, and the New Year will begin.
Nineteen—this was the year I would become an adult.
In the empire, being an adult merely signifies the legal age for marriage.
Often, you get a job as early as fifteen. Especially among adventurers, it’s not uncommon for them to be teenagers.
It’s not a significant turning point in life.
“Not long left. It’s in March. You just had yours, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. Bring me better gifts next year. Do you have any plans for the coming-of-age ceremony?”
“I was thinking of just having a meal with the healers at the inner palace.”
“Hmm…”
Acelia seemed to grin, as if she was planning something enjoyable.
“I should throw a party at the Moonlight Palace.”
“A party? That sounds a bit burdensome. Is it really necessary?”
“Glad, right?”
“I humbly offer my thanks for the benevolent royal princess’s heart.”
Anyway, Acelia was the type who feels compelled to act on her thoughts, so I decided to accept it quietly.
Upon hearing my thanks, Acelia giggled and tugged at my arm.
“I want to sleep. I’m tired.”
“The 2nd brigade is still in combat.”
“Heike will handle it. I just want to hear about it later.”
“I’m hungry.”
“I have no appetite. The food on our expedition was terrible.”
“Oh, but you really should eat well.”
“Then, could you make me tanghulu?”
Now the royal princess is asking for tanghulu after bubble tea.
Last time at the marquisate, I made her some seasonal strawberries, and she liked them, obviously.
Even if I wanted to make some, we don’t have the ingredients here.
“Not gonna happen.”
“Hmph, then I’ll just sleep.”
Acelia determinedly pulled me onto the bed and flopped down.
“Woof.”
In any case, I couldn’t break her determination, so I decided to lie down next to her.
Crawling into the narrow spare bed with Acelia, our faces were inches apart.
“Instead, I can at least give you some candy. Here.”
I pulled out some candy from my pocket.
“Umm…”
Instead of responding, Acelia stuck out her tongue.
She really knows how to tease.
As I unwrapped it, the sweet scent of honey stimulated my nose.
As I smeared it on her tongue, the honey melted and started tinting the tip of her tongue orange.
Acelia appeared to enjoy the sweetness and the warmth of the blanket as she slowly closed her eyelids.
‘It’s about time I should start recuperating too.’
I reached into my pocket for one more piece of candy.
But oh no, it was a blunder. I had just given the last piece to Acelia.
‘To grab more, I’d have to go down to the first floor.’
Having already gotten under the blankets, my whole body was resisting any effort.
So, I took the candy I had smeared on her and licked the other side.
“Huh?”
Acelia, surprised by my action, gulped the saliva that had built up in her mouth.
“Prince, why are you licking that?!”
“I wanted some too, and this just happened to be the last one.”
“Even so, this is something I was eating!”
“I’m only licking the other side. I didn’t lick your side, Your Highness.”
I’m quite strict about hygiene, you see.
Acelia stared at me in disbelief, her mouth agape.
Well, taking someone’s food was indeed a bit rude.
“Do you want to finish it?”
As I offered her the candy again, Acelia blushed fiercely and frowned.
Okay, that was a bit gross, I admit. I messed up there.
Acelia pushed my hand away, forcing the entire candy into her mouth, and then buried her face in my chest as if she wanted to hide from something she shouldn’t have seen.
*
Having gone to bed early, even after sleeping for a while, it was already dawn.
I received a notification in my status window.
[No. 032: Contaminated Barbarians 17% → 0%]
[No. 067: Reckless Charge 11% → 0%]
[Deleted]
The most dangerous rock tribe among the barbarian tribes was completely obliterated.
The bad ending they caused has been deleted.
‘Number 67 was unexpected. That’s quite a gain.’
The reckless charge bad ending occurs when Acelia orders the knight party, including the hero party, to march before they are prepared.
It’s like facing the first mid-boss without finishing the tutorial.
Naturally, Acelia must have anticipated the defeat and had them fight on purpose.
Maybe it was because she finally witnessed the knights fight during this battle.
Perhaps she felt the fear of the battlefield.
In any case, it’s a good thing for me.
And Acelia, who was beside me all night, woke up with her hair tousled and began rubbing her eyes.
Though she lacks the head maid’s skills, I decided to quickly comb through her hair and go out for a brief outing.
Since it was cold, I layered my coat a few times before heading up to the castle’s rooftop.
“It’s cold. Prince, did we really have to come out so early?”
“Of course, we did. Wake up.”
I extended my hand to Acelia, helping her climb up to the watchtower.
Quietly, Acelia took my hand and stood beside me, looking down at the view.
“The flag of Moonlight Palace is flying proudly over all the fortresses. The subjugation was a success.”
“…That’s true.”
Acelia exhaled a white breath as she gazed at the remnants of battle.
The knights cheering in victory and the refugees relieved after being rescued.
The warmth of that moment still felt vivid.
“That was a natural result. Who am I?”
“Of course, it’s the genius royal princess Acelia von Wurtemberg, the flower of the imperial family.”
“Exactly.”
Acelia giggled and looked back at me.
The cool breeze tousled her luscious golden hair.
Her previously dark hair now began to glimmer a golden hue as the darkness faded.
“Oh, it’s coming up.”
I pointed toward the mountain ranges in the east.
The dark sky was gradually shifting back to blue, and the white sun peeked out.
“…Hmph.”
“It’s the New Year’s sunrise. In my hometown, there’s a saying that if you see this, you’ll have good luck for the entire year.”
“That’s a folklore from the north, huh?”
“Yes. Additionally, there’s a story that if you make a wish, it will come true.”
“How silly. You should obtain what you want with your own hands rather than waiting for someone else to grant it to you.”
Acelia mocked me, but soon her gaze was drawn to the sunlight, and she fell silent.
“You must make a wish before it fully rises. Look, it’s already half up, right? The sunrise is shorter than you think. If you blink, it’ll be over in an instant…”
“Oh, come on. Be quiet.”
I fell silent when Acelia showed her irritation.
As the sun fully rose, Acelia turned her body as if she were indifferent.
As she walked toward the staircase, I peeked out and asked,
“What wish did you make?”
“I didn’t make one. What about you, my prince?”
“Oh, I heard you’re not supposed to tell anyone to have your wish come true.”
I silently chanted inside, wishing to erase all bad endings and reach a good ending.
Even if no one was around to hear it, I muttered it inwardly.
Upon hearing this, Acelia pouted her lips.
“Then it’s a secret for me too.”
*
Upon returning to the imperial family, Acelia was met with the usual daily routine.
Work, mathematics, social events, and magic.
I didn’t expect a dramatic welcome since I hadn’t achieved any heroic accomplishments.
Yet, feeling the familiar temperature of the imperial family too much made me realize what an expedition truly meant.
Both I and the knights were in the heat of life and death in the battlefield.
Even Lars genuinely came close to dying.
It was certainly not a pleasant experience.
The imperial family’s peace is sustained because of such battlefields.
“Is Heike used to this feeling?”
I learned one thing; knowledge alone cannot surpass experience.
Acelia, who had just returned, was perhaps now apprehensive about future battlefields.
“The results weren’t bad.”
We rescued a bunch of refugees and exterminated the barbarians, so Heike remained silent, giving all the credit to Moonlight Palace.
In the official records sent to the emperor, only favorable wording towards Acelia would be mentioned.
Count Blücher would certify it, leaving no room for the emperor’s doubt.
It was a clean victory.
“I don’t want to admit it, but…”
A sizable part of this subjugation’s success was thanks to Lars.
He had proposed the strategies using his healing methods during negotiations with Heike, and Tanya played a crucial role in bringing down the chieftain.
Of course, the merit of a subordinate is also the merit of their master.
While all of this was good news for Acelia,
“… I don’t want others to notice.”
I certainly didn’t want to see Lars appearing self-righteous after receiving praise elsewhere.
Only the lord should shower praise on their subordinates.
As Acelia saw Lars’s growing accomplishments, her anxiety about not being able to monopolize him also grew.
However, Acelia had yet to clearly define what that feeling was.
“Heh, but I have this.”
Acelia opened her drawer, magically locked by herself.
This drawer could only be opened by her. All important documents were kept inside.
She picked up a sealed letter neatly set in the corner.
“What Lars wants most is something I cannot grant to anyone else.”
Thinking like this, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Lars was the one who pleaded for her to use Geass.
Although it had never actually happened, Acelia’s memory had been warped to this effect.
It was nothing significant to her, yet it was a wish Lars desperately longed for.
To fulfill this, Lars would surely devote himself loyally to her.
“I wonder what it says.”
She wanted to open the envelope, but it remained firmly shut.
Since Acelia’s Geass sealed it, neither she nor any lesser mage could open it without Lars’s permission.
“It was a pretty significant contribution this time, so…”
It couldn’t hurt to grant one small wish, could it?
In exchange, she could reap even more benefits.
That could be quite entertaining.
Acelia giggled to herself as she plotted a mischievous scheme.
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