Erica had never really thought deeply about the dignity of royalty.
Of course, she had learned that she should show courtesy when encountering royalty, but she couldn’t understand the common talk about having a dignified aura that could be felt just by looking.
The first impression of the Crown Prince during the ceremony, when she watched from a distance, was simply that he was a cute kid.
She even thought that she might not recognize him if they passed each other on the street wearing casual clothes.
That was until she faced him through the iron bars.
“Y-Your Highness······!”
“Just try bending your knees. I just explicitly said I didn’t want to make a scene.”
“Ah, ah······.”
Beautiful blonde hair.
A proud gaze.
And that deep voice that sounded slightly hoarse.
Aside from being a bit bigger, he looked just like her first impression.
But now, the emotion dominating Erica’s body was completely different from what she felt back then.
Endless pure *fear*.
Erica was trembling, about to kneel, then standing back up again.
In her panic, she truly felt that some aura was emanating from the Crown Prince.
“How long do you plan to keep me waiting?”
“Please come in.”
“I specifically came early this morning. I was worried you would make me wait again under the pretext of your class.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“You little······.”
The moment Erica heard the conversation between the Crown Prince and Schlus felt like an eternity.
What kind of confidence did that guy have to treat the Crown Prince like that?
What kind of mental state allows a person to joke around with the next Emperor and the second-in-command of the Empire?
Just listening from the side, Erica felt overwhelmed by a fear that chilled her to the bone.
“Ah! The duel was enjoyable, Schlus! I’ll be heading out first! It was an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
“I-I too! Excuse me, Your Highness······.”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Y-Yes?”
“Aren’t you two the companions that Schlus cherishes so much? If time isn’t pressing, then enjoy my company.”
“Yes······. Understood······.”
Erica and Trie, who were trying to leave naturally, were immediately caught.
The Crown Prince was not making a suggestion.
He was making a demand.
Very few people in the Empire could refuse that demand.
In the end, Erica and Trie had to sit next to Schlus, trembling all over, listening to the conversation between the two.
At that moment, a glass bottle filled with a dazzling liquid appeared on the table.
“This is the best elixir in our royal collection. Accept it as compensation for your debts.”
Elixir?
Trie doubted her ears for a moment.
Could it be that Schlus and the Crown Prince were just playing a prank?
An elixir was a miraculous medicine extracted from rare herbs, after all.
Its value was so immense that it was almost impossible to quantify.
It was truly worth its weight in gold.
Even the royal family couldn’t obtain it immediately whenever they wanted…
Yet, here it was casually placed on Schlus’s coffee table.
‘This isn’t a dream, is it······?’
Trie pinched her cheeks hard and finally felt the reality of how significant Schlus had become.
But the Crown Prince didn’t come all this way just to hand over an elixir.
He surely had more important matters to discuss.
Like perhaps a discussion about the Emperor’s guard or discussions on policies that could sway the kingdom.
Could they really eavesdrop on such conversations?
Both Erica and Trie were tense, swallowing nervously, following the movements of the Crown Prince’s lips.
“You two are surely daughters of Lichtenburg and Schulzenburg, correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct, Your Highness.”
“That is accurate.”
“Then, which of you is supposed to be Schlus Hainkel’s main wife?”
“Pardon?”
In her surprise, she had committed the rudeness of repeating the Crown Prince’s question.
Staring blankly at the still proud expression on the Crown Prince’s face, Erica and Trie soon turned beet red.
“Your Highness.”
“I apologize. You aren’t considering taking a concubine, are you? Then that title is incorrect. Yes, who is to be the first wife?”
“Your Highness.”
“Ah, is it someone who isn’t here? Or could it be the attendant—”
“Your Highness, that’s enough with the jokes.”
*Clank.*
Schlus, setting tea cups down on the table in front of the Crown Prince, said sternly.
Finally, this guy has lost it.
Erica, shocked, looked back at Schlus, but—
“Hahaha! This is my mistake. Ugh······. Heh. You’re also getting angry, huh?”
“I’m not angry.”
“It’s clear you are! What do you both think? Does it look like Schlus is getting angry?”
“I-I think he looks angry.”
“I think so too.”
“Look at that.”
“······.”
Schlus had to press his throbbing temple.
The two had been in a panic for so long that they had long become the Crown Prince’s puppets.
Schlus thought continuing the argument in this situation would be meaningless, so he gave up retorting.
“You should consider marrying soon too. Do you have anyone in mind?”
“It’s still too early. At least I want to graduate first before I think about it.”
“That’s something only losers without a marriage partner say. For people like you, it’s more crucial to find a partner as soon as possible······.”
The Crown Prince leaned forward toward the table, questioning with evident exasperation.
Although Schlus Hainkel was powerful, his political weight was light.
Except for having a connection with the Duke of the Southern Colony, one could say he was virtually without any power at all.
The quickest and most definite way for Schlus to solidify his standing was indeed through marriage.
No one would dare look down on him as a commoner now.
If he proposed, whether to Lichtenburg or Flechette or Schulzenburg, it would be possible to pull them to his side.
It was incredibly frustrating to see him still dragging his feet.
“I want to marry someone that matches my heart. I don’t have plans yet.”
“Just how foolish can you be······.”
Wanting to marry someone compatible?
Does he think he’s going to be a protagonist in a romance novel?
The absurdity of that idea made the Crown Prince shake his head in disbelief and lift his teacup.
‘Someone compatible······?’
But the more he thought about it, Schlus’s words sounded oddly suspicious.
Had these ‘companions’ of Schlus just been sitting idle while he was making such strides?
No, that couldn’t be, was the Crown Prince’s conclusion.
Whether through temptation by wealth or brute force, all sorts of ways, everyone would have been trying with all their might to form a connection between Schlus and their family.
Of course, the possibility that all the women around Schlus were unsophisticated and shy, thus not taking any active steps, was not considered.
It was nearly impossible.
‘Then could it be······.’
What other reason could there be for him to ignore the advances of wonderfully outstanding women and still hold out?
Could it be he’s waiting for the growth of a woman who has not yet come of age?
Suddenly recalling that his coming-of-age ceremony was scheduled for next month, the Crown Prince’s face flushed.
“Ha! Truly! You’re utterly ridiculous! Did you think you could lure me out like that?”
“W-What?”
“How absurd······.”
Feeling his face heat up under Schlus’s relentless stare, the Crown Prince turned away.
Now that he thought about it, Schlus had said he would accept any marriage proposal without hesitation once becoming an adult.
That was serious, wasn’t it?
The Crown Prince, who hadn’t expected such unwavering devotion, felt embarrassed and couldn’t look Schlus in the eye for a long time.
“The tea tastes good.”
“You barely drank any.”
“Y-yeah, that was the end of my business. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Take care, Your Highness.”
“Stop coming out to see me······.”
The Crown Prince abruptly stood up and fled outside.
After slamming the door shut, he realized he had forgotten to ask what role Schlus’s companions, the daughters of Lichtenburg and Schulzenburg, had as his friends.
But it was too late to be shamelessly knocking on the door again.
“Let’s go······.”
Leaving with his still burning face, the Crown Prince stepped out through the main gate.
*
*Scuttle scuttle…*
He poured the remaining tea from the cup into his own and slowly savored it.
It was weak, but it had its own charm.
I sat down on the sofa in the living room, where only four teacups remained, and drank the tea absentmindedly.
“Do you want to drink the tea someone else left behind, brother····…?”
“It’s the one you made. How could I waste it?”
“What are you talking about, seriously.”
I received a disdainful look from Emilia, who came to retrieve the cups.
One of the habits remaining in Schlus’s body since before the embodiment was this stinginess.
In the past, I wouldn’t have dreamed of behaving like this in front of others.
Perhaps Emilia had become comfortable with me like a real little sister.
“I caused quite a hassle for you two.”
When Aria joined in, I thought they might be having an important discussion, but in the end, she just said her piece and left as usual.
Both Erica and Trie must have been so taken aback that they stared blankly for a while.
Perhaps this incident shattered their fantasies about royalty.
It wouldn’t be strange if a perception formed that they were nothing but whimsical brats.
“Oh, brother. By the way, a letter arrived.”
“What is it? Let me see.”
Feeling the need to cool my head, I decided to look at the letter.
I took the letter and checked the sender’s name.
– Imperial Army 3rd Corps
“What······.”
A letter from the Imperial Army Corps?
At this timing?
“Emilia. Close your eyes.”
“Uh······.”
I immediately tore open the envelope and checked its contents.
It was none other than a letter from the 3rd Corps Commander, Roman.
The full text was as follows:
– Recently, the internal situation within the Imperial Army is quite serious. I cannot go into detail, but a significant incident is expected to occur soon, and you are likely to be the target. I hope you don’t take this warning lightly.
That was all.
I promptly folded the letter and burned it in the fireplace.
It would do me no good to leave it lying around.
‘Why on earth is such a letter····…?’
Roman warned me.
The problem was that I couldn’t decipher the intent behind it at all.
Clearly, Roman was in debt to me for my wish.
So then, it made no sense for him to warn me of danger unless my death would clear his debt.
Could it be a false warning?
No, there was no gain for Roman in such deception.
For some reason, he must have concluded that it was right to side with me.
‘Roman wouldn’t be making a fuss over trivial matters.’
The news of me thwarting a self-destruction terrorism plot and killing Untier had already spread widely across the continent.
Roman wouldn’t warn me over trivial threats once he knew that.
There was no mention in the original story about the Imperial Army moving around this time.
Then it implies that there must be some unforeseen, entirely new threat.
I felt it would be wise to be on guard.
“Emilia. Please bring me a pen and some paper.”
Now was the time to use the precious wish right I had diligently saved up.
I decided to make Roman repay his debt to me immediately.
