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Chapter 1: Prince Adelberd with Cat Ears

Chapter 1: Prince Adelberd with Cat Ears

A single, luxurious carriage raced down the road. The paved track spanned from the royal capital all the way to the sightseeing region of the Rhuddlan family’s territory.

The large wheels softened the bumps of the uneven road. I, Cynthia Rhuddlan—the only daughter of Viscount Rhuddlan—sat on a comfortable cushion as I gazed out the window. That was when I spotted a building off in the distance.

“I can see it, Siraiya! That’s the hot spring resort we built just for this trip!”

My fiancé, Duke Siraiya Brooke, was seated across from me. His green eyes turned to the window, causing his sparkling silver hair to fall around his face.

“I imagined it would be a small cabin when you told me it was made of wood. But that place is as big as a mansion.”

Siraiya couldn’t believe his eyes. He was right—most buildings in this world were built with stones or bricks. Wooden buildings conjured images of small cabins with no more than a few rooms.

“It’s meant to look like the hot spring resorts they have in a certain faraway country. The people of this world… I mean, the people of this kingdom prefer things that look ‘new,’ but the resort’s interior is quite exquisite. Please look forward to it.”

The “faraway land” was my country in my past life.

Two years ago, when I was still a student, I suddenly remembered my past life. I realized that I’d been reincarnated into the world of a school-themed dating sim game. Not only that, but I’d been reborn as Cynthia, one of the villainess characters in the story. I’d been engaged to Eddie Doris, the second son of an earl at the time, and my fate was to have him stolen away by the heroine if the plot progressed as it did in the game.

I would have fought for his heart if I still loved Eddie, but seeing him basking in the attention of other women killed my affection for him. In the end, our engagement was swiftly called off.

My next fiancé was none other than Siraiya Brooke—the third son of a duke, and a yandere villain within the game’s story. The two of us went through more difficulties than I could easily recount. But all that mattered was that our hardships were behind us. We were very much in love now and could spend time together in peace.

I crossed my legs and gazed at my dear Siraiya. Blushing, his eyes met mine.

“The trip has already been so much fun, but I’m looking forward to spending time in my family’s territory as well,” I said.

“Me too. I’m excited to see that fireworks show I’ve been hearing about.”

After graduating, we’d spent our days traveling and growing our relationship as a couple. Although we’d considered marrying as soon as we were out of school, we got engaged during our second year at the academy and felt we hadn’t made enough memories during our engagement. Thus, we mutually decided to enjoy a little more time together before having our wedding.

“I’ve been on many vacations before, but this will be my first one without my parents joining us. It’s just the two of us this time,” I remarked casually.

We were treated as adults in the kingdom of Elzeria upon graduating from school. There were many more things we could enjoy as a grown couple than we could when we were children. Though the journey there was a bit hectic, we intended to relax and enjoy ourselves thoroughly during our stay at the hot spring resort.

My lips started to curve into a smile as I immersed myself in those fantasies, but then Siraiya spoke in a deeply serious tone.

“I’ll miss having Father and Mother with us, but they sent us out together because they trust me. I’ll make sure not to violate that trust by making any mistakes.”

“Oh?!”

Wait, does that mean we can flirt more than usual?! Maybe Mother and Father sent us out alone for that exact reason! Despite those thoughts, I adored how Siraiya treated me like the most precious of treasures. I mentally vowed to always reciprocate those feelings and treasure Siraiya back.

Our love was still something sweet and tender, and we were going to savor this time together.

The carriage came to a halt at our destination. We left our servants in charge of our luggage as we entered the inn.

The Rhuddlan territory had open-air baths for as long as it existed, though Siraiya seemed perplexed by the act of taking off his shoes to put on slippers, as well as the shoji sliding doors and tatami mat floors. These were all foreign to our world, but Siraiya’s eyes were full of enthusiasm as he took in the unfamiliar sights.

We stood on the exterior deck to gaze out at the courtyard full of pine and maple trees, garden rocks, and paths made of stepping stones. I couldn’t remember the exact details, but I was pretty sure I loved elegant hot spring resorts like these in my past life.

“Now that you’ve seen the inside, what do you think of the inn?” I asked.

“It’s all so fascinating. Not only do you have this wonderful courtyard, but I enjoy the paper doors and the plant-based rugs as well.”

“The paper doors are called shoji, and the plant-based rugs are called tatami. It was difficult to recreate the tatami, but this country’s craftsmen did an excellent job in the end. I’m incredibly grateful for their help,” I said.

“Sho-ji and ta-ta-mi? They sound like things from an alternate dimension in a fantasy novel. It’s all so exciting.”

“Yes… I suppose it could be called things from an alternate dimension…” I chuckled to myself. Siraiya was exactly right. “We’re going to open this resort to the public once we finish our vacation. Please tell me if there’s anything that isn’t to your liking.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible…” Siraiya trailed off, blushing, before he continued his train of thought. “Everything’s so much fun when I’m with you, Cynthia. I don’t think I’d even notice any issues at the resort.”

“Siraiya…!” I was so touched; I reached out and took his hand. “You’re just too cute…”

Ever since we were students, Siraiya had always been so…adorable.

“I love you, Siraiya.”

“Thank you, Cynthia. I love you, too.”

We squeezed hands and stared into each other’s eyes.

“Well, look at this… What a show you’re putting on for me.”

That interruption came from an unthinkable source. Our dreamy, sugary-sweet trance was brought to a screeching halt. Siraiya and I turned to the source of that pleasant voice, which originally belonged to a very famous voice actor.

“Prince Adelberd?!” we both cried out.

I didn’t have the slightest idea when he arrived, but the crown prince was standing nearby with a hood over his head. A pale-faced resort employee and the prince’s personal bodyguard, whom he’d attended school with, stood next to him.

“My lady… This letter just arrived by messenger…” the employee said, holding out the letter.

I took the envelope and saw that it came from my parents. Inside, a letter described that Prince Adelberd had come down with a sudden illness and would be using the Rhuddlan family’s hot spring as a makeshift health resort. We were to receive the rest of the details from the crown prince himself.

The letter seemed hastily written, as it contained almost no concrete information.

“…What’s the point if the messenger arrives at the same time as the prince?”

After I said that, Prince Adelberd ordered the resort employee to leave before continuing our discussion without the slightest hint of bashfulness.

“Yes, I did get here earlier than intended. I’m sorry, but I’ve just had a lot on my plate. Now, can you show me to an empty room?”

“Of course. Let’s go to the nearest guest room.”

The prince’s personal bodyguard stayed behind to guard the door while the three of us entered the room.

“The letter said you were ill, but to my eyes, you appear to be in good health,” I noted.

“Good eye. My health is fine. There’s just a little problem that I can’t ignore.” Prince Adelberd lowered his hood. A pair of furry cat ears poked out between the gaps of his silky blonde hair, just as golden as his hair.

“What in the world? Is that a costume? Haha! It must be nice to have four ears.” I chuckled, but the prince crossed his arms.

“If only it were a costume. But these ears are real. I can hear from them and even move them.” The cute little cat ears began to twitch.

After a moment of silence to process this absurd information, Siraiya and I finally raised our voices in perfect unison.

“They’re real?!”

✶✶✶

“WHAT an impeccable tea. I’ve never tasted anything like it before.”

“It’s ‘kelp tea’…”

We gathered around the low table once we’d put aside our confusion. I was worried the others wouldn’t agree to sit on floor cushions around the low table, but Siraiya and the prince both took to it with ease. I sat down on a zabuton with my legs out to the side.

“Could you please explain how this happened?” I inquired.

Prince Adelberd set his cup of kelp tea on the table before responding. “I don’t have much to explain. Estellise and I were spending time together in the palace library when my body suddenly started to glow. Next thing I knew, I’d sprouted ears.”

“So Lady Estellise knows about this, too?”

“As do my servants who were there, the king and queen, and Viscount Rhuddlan, whom I informed upon requesting the use of his resort.”

Father knows, too? He must have left out the details to make sure the information didn’t leak.

“Their Majesties know as well…” Our country’s king and queen were Prince Adelberd’s parents. “I’m sure that comes as a relief, Your Royal Highness.”

Those words were a natural response from me. But the prince squinted and chuckled slightly.

“I see. So you interpret that to be a relief, Lady Cynthia. Yes, I hear the Rhuddlan family gets along well. I can see how true that is.”

“…Was I mistaken to believe so?”

“The king informed me he would have to select a different crown prince.”

“That can’t be…!” I cried out in surprise, and Siraiya stiffened in his seat beside me.

Siraiya’s concern was understandable. After all, the two of us—a duke and a viscount’s daughter—could only get engaged without any obstacles thanks to the crown prince’s support. But if he lost his position, we had no way of knowing how outside parties might interfere with our marriage.

“Well, it’s just talk for now. It won’t happen right away, but unless my problem resolves, it will come to that eventually. This kingdom’s people will never accept a ruler with the ears of a beast.” Despite his predicament, Prince Adelberd’s smile and elegant demeanor never faltered. He had been thoroughly trained in all manners of etiquette, after all.

Siraiya kept his hand on his chin as he thought. “The ears of a beast… Our neighboring kingdom of Sanctoria would probably make quite a fuss about that.”

Sanctoria. Despite being our neighbor, one had to cross the ocean to reach them—an ocean with violent weather fluctuations. However, they were physically quite close to us.

They were a kingdom with a deep faith in God, led by their religious leader, the sovereign pontiff.

Many Sanctorian churches existed in our kingdom of Elzeria as well. I’d heard that their teachings taught that there were three different realms—the realm of God and angels, the human realm where we dwelled, and a realm between the others that was home to wicked demons.

How would Sanctoria react to the sudden appearance of cat ears on Prince Adelberd’s head? It was feasible that they would go as far as to accuse him of being a demon.

“That country is the homeland of my father’s second queen consort, who gave birth to my younger brother. We can’t let our guard down there.”

Prince Adelberd was the son of the Elzerian king and queen. However, the second-born prince of Elzeria was born to the former princess of Sanctoria, His Majesty’s second queen consort.

Because of the close relationship between our countries, it would be difficult to ignore them if they made a formal accusation against Prince Adelberd.

“And if you really were removed from the line of succession, would your brother automatically become the crown prince…?” I asked.

Prince Adelberd’s brother was his ultimate political foe. I’d heard rumors of the second-born prince’s antics, getting even the people of Sanctoria involved in his attempts to form his own faction and take the crown prince’s title. I could only imagine Prince Adelberd’s shame if he lost his status as successor to his younger brother now.

I’d asked him out of pity, but Prince Adelberd wore the same unconcerned look as ever.

“You’re in line for the throne, too, Siraiya,” he teased. “Why don’t you see if you can add ‘crown prince’ to your list of titles, hmm?”

“Please don’t tell such jokes. There’s no chance of that happening, and I’m not going to join your succession dispute either.”

“Yes, I recall that the Brooke family bloodline is quite distant from the royal family’s. Indeed, it was only a joke.”

Is this really the time for humor? It was always so hard to read His Royal Highness’ true intentions. I sighed, exhausted, when I suddenly remembered something from the original dating sim game.

I think there was a scene where the prince looked just like this in one of the limited-time events.

The love interest characters would open various items like books and suddenly sprout cat or dog ears. It was a popular event because it was so adorable. But was that what had happened to Prince Adelberd now?

We’d already graduated from the academy. A limited-time event within the game shouldn’t be occurring now, of all times.

Don’t tell me the plot has become unpredictable now because I messed up the flow of the game… The thought chilled me.

“You mentioned how you were in the palace library. Did those animal ears appear as soon as you opened a book?” I asked.

“Lady Cynthia, do you know something about this, too?”

“N-No, I merely wondered if this could be some sort of curse, perhaps from a book in the library…”

“A cursed book? Now that you mention it, I did pick up a book I’d never seen before.”

Yes, this is definitely the limited-time event. That meant the ears would probably disappear after the event, which took three months according to the game’s timeline. But we would be in trouble if that timeline had grown unpredictable. My peaceful marriage to Siraiya was hanging in the balance, after all.

“Did you come here as soon as the ears appeared?”

“No, I spent about a month in the castle first. But too many eyes are there, so I came to the Rhuddlan territory when I realized I wouldn’t be able to keep my secret in court.”

Siraiya and I had spent over a month traveling to this resort by carriage. The road from the capital to the Rhuddlan territory was paved, but we’d spent extra time visiting sightseeing spots and inns along the route.

But Prince Adelberd had come here as quickly as possible, and if he swapped carriages frequently, he probably arrived in about three weeks. In other words, Prince Adelberd had a bit over a month left before he would lose the cat ears. Thinking of it that way, it seemed more likely that he could keep his secret so long as he stayed at our resort.

“Where is the book now?” I asked.

In response, Prince Adelberd brought his hand up and snapped his fingers. I’d witnessed the gesture often at school—he was calling for his personal bodyguard.

The man entered our room carrying a book.

“Here you go.”

Surprised, I asked him why he was carrying the suspicious object around with him.

“Because I thought the book seemed suspicious as well. But I didn’t want the evidence being destroyed, so I took it out of the library with me.”

“The evidence would be destroyed? Is that a common occurrence in the palace?” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice.

“Our palace is a place of constant conflicts. My own family would readily pounce on me if I ever let my guard down. Right now, I have to be extremely cautious until I know who I can trust.”

The royal castle was Prince Adelberd’s childhood home, yet it wasn’t somewhere he could truly be at ease. The crown prince lived under constant stress, despite his charismatic, tenacious personality leading many to believe otherwise.

“…We’re on your side, Your Royal Highness.”

For a moment, I feared I’d overstepped by saying so. But Prince Adelberd’s expression softened.

“I see… Yes, I suppose that’s probably true. You two need the crown prince’s support to marry, since you’re not of equal status. We’ll have to work to help each other get what we want.”

I frowned, realizing the concern I’d just felt was perhaps wasted on the ever-calculating prince. But then I watched him smile sadly. Even his cat ears drooped.

“No, that was rude, wasn’t it? …I have faith in you, my friends.”

He can never just be honest. But such a trait was a necessary skill for royalty. Smiling at my facetious friend, Siraiya and I answered him with a unanimous, “We’re here to help.”

“Well? What are your plans for this book, Lady Cynthia?” he asked.

“I was only curious where it had ended up. There’s nothing in particular I’m eager to try. However, I think it’s best to keep it somewhere secure without opening it again.”

“Of course. For now, I’m going to confirm who my enemies and allies are. I know for certain that the two of you and Estellise are on my side. That also includes Duke Gridimore, who spent years raising Estellise to someday become my queen. I don’t believe the king and queen themselves are my enemies either. They would have no motive to do something like this to me.”

When Prince Adelberd said that, I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question that was nagging at me.

“If Their Majesties aren’t your enemies, then why hide all the way in the Rhuddlan territory? Couldn’t you have stayed at one of the royal family’s health resorts instead?”

“If our theory about the cursed book is correct, then it would’ve had to be orchestrated by someone who could get such a book into the hands of the royal family. That points to it being someone on the inside. I couldn’t risk hiding in a place owned by the royal family if my enemy is already that close.”

“I see… So that’s why you chose to come here. Indeed, the Rhuddlans have almost no ties to the royal family,” I said.

“Exactly. I wanted to come here, where there’s no threat, and get back on my feet surrounded by people I can trust. I’ll be counting on the two of you.”

Siraiya and I nodded, though on the inside, we silently grieved the relaxing vacation we were saying goodbye to.

Chapter 2: Rutherford, the Second-Born Prince

Chapter 2: Rutherford, the Second-Born Prince

“I came all this way on vacation with Siraiya, but I feel sort of lonely having a room to myself…” I muttered to myself in the guest room that was far too large for me to use on my own. Siraiya had stayed in the next room over with Prince Adelberd to help him if needed.

I’d initially proposed the idea of staying in the same room as Siraiya, but the pure-hearted man blushed and yelled, “N-No! It’s too soon to sleep in the same room!” Even without the prince’s arrival, we probably would have slept separately.

I looked out the shoji window and saw that the sky was turning red as the sun sank lower. The three of us would have dinner in Siraiya and Prince Adelberd’s room. But before that, I wanted to take a dip in the hot spring.

I would probably feel even more lonely in the large open-air women’s bath, but if Siraiya took such an issue with staying in the same room, then there was next to no chance of getting him to bathe with me.

I just hoped he would take this time to ready his heart and mind. Once we were married, I was going to get my fill of rooming and bathing together, all right.

Just picturing our wedded bliss put me in a good mood as I stepped out of my room. But then I ran into the same resort employee from before. He was pale-faced and frantic, just like when Prince Adelberd had shown up.

“My lady! Another guest has arrived!” he cried. “He stormed in like he was ready to charge straight into the guest rooms! I can’t handle him alone!”

“What in the world…?”

This trip was supposed to be just for the two of us. How did we attract so many unwanted guests? As exhausted as I felt, once I heard the name of our newest visitor, all of my muscles tensed.

“…I’ll take care of him, so please inform the other guests.”

I gave the worker my orders and walked toward the front of the inn. Without so much as a moment to prepare, I was heading straight for a confrontation with the enemy.

✶✶✶

“I sincerely apologize for the delay. I’m the one who will be speaking with you this evening.” I addressed the person sitting on the sofa of the small first-floor lobby.

The young man had a healthy tan, blue eyes, and golden hair—just like Prince Adelberd’s—that extended down to his hips. He was fifteen years old and quite tall, though he was probably still growing based on his age.

There wasn’t a soul in all of Elzeria who didn’t know the second-born prince. His name was Rutherford Elzeria, and he was Prince Adelberd’s younger brother.

“I waited all this time to be greeted by some viscount’s daughter? You must be making a fool of me.”

It was almost refreshing how he made absolutely no attempt to hide his animosity. Prince Adelberd usually concealed his displeasure with a smile, but the second-born prince took to intimidation right out of the gate. Even the guards standing at his side were glaring at me.

Some of the prince’s guards had darker skin as well. I’d heard that the people of Sanctoria had more varied skin tones, so they were probably from that country.

“Forgive me, Your Highness. Our inn has yet to open for public business, so we’re unprepared for guests who arrive without prior warning.”

I made sure not to describe his behavior as “impolite,” but my implication was obvious. The second-born prince let out a “Hmph” and fell silent.

Considering his young age, I’d feared that Prince Rutherford would only become more combative. But it seemed there was more to him than pure aggression.

“May I ask your business at our resort? Duke Brooke is occupied at the moment, but I can relay a message if you have one.”

“Are you joking? You think I have business with Duke Brooke? I’m only here to see my brother.”

Yes, I understand that.

“So you don’t deny that he’s here,” he continued. “I’ve seen his guards standing outside, though there aren’t anywhere near as many as usual. But you’re not going to trick me.”

Indeed, Prince Adelberd had brought fewer guards with him than he normally would have. Only two palace guards were with him in the library during the incident with the book, so they were the only ones who knew of his current situation. The rest had merely been told that Prince Adelberd was here for medical treatment.

He was trying to avoid the secret of his cat ears going public, but I was starting to feel uneasy that such a small number of guards could take on the second-born prince’s guards if it came to blows.

“Prince Adelberd is undergoing treatment and won’t be seeing guests at this time. If you have a message for—”

“That’s not your decision,” he cut me off. “I’m here to talk to my brother directly, so show me to his room.”

“I can’t do that.”

It took guts to stand up to the prince and all his guards, but I couldn’t back down now. That finally got under Prince Rutherford’s skin. “You little…!” he growled, rising from the sofa.

My body tensed, even though I couldn’t imagine he would get violent with me. Then a tall figure swooped in front of me protectively.

He hadn’t changed since our school days. Despite his adorable, blushing demeanor the majority of the time, Siraiya transformed into a fearsome, gallant guardian when it came to keeping me safe.

“Prince Adelberd isn’t willing to see you unless you send away the majority of your guards.”

Prince Rutherford scrunched up his brow in response to Siraiya. “You want me to send my guards home? What right do you have to speak of my security measures?”

“That isn’t my personal opinion. I merely relayed what Prince Adelberd asked of me. Don’t you feel that it’s inappropriate to meet someone undergoing medical treatment with such a large crowd? You look like you’re prepared to go to war.”

The air crackled as the two men stared each other down tensely. After exchanging glares, His Highness finally broke the silence.

“…Fine. I’ll only keep the men I need. But the sun is about to set, so I’ll need you to let us stay here so we can leave tomorrow morning.”

My hunch had been right—he intended to stay overnight. We couldn’t send a member of royalty out into the night, and it was my duty as a member of nobility to make sure he had a roof over his head.

We needed to prepare a room for the prince, as much as it pained me to admit. At the very least, we could ensure it was as far from Prince Adelberd’s room as possible.

Prince Rutherford ordered his guards to set up a camp outside for themselves. Now that he’d held up his end of the bargain, we agreed to prepare a room for His Highness.

The plan had been to come here with Siraiya so the two of us could get a feel for the resort’s operations, but somehow, we ended up with two extra royal guests before the business was even fully open.

Perhaps, once we’re open to the public, we can advertise that our accommodations were sought after by both princes of Elzeria…

✶✶✶

“GOOD work, both of you. I suppose I’ll have to stay in my room until Rutherford leaves. I was looking forward to that open-air bath, but what choice do I have now?”

Siraiya and I had reported the events to Prince Adelberd. He sipped his kelp tea after giving that response.

“Are you going to meet with His Highness? If you want him to leave, I can go and tell him,” Siraiya offered.

“He won’t back down until he sees me at least once, I’m sure. I haven’t agreed to his requests to meet even once since the incident,” Prince Adelberd explained. “He must have chased me here out of suspicion when he heard I was leaving for medical treatment, so I hope he’ll give in and return to the castle once he sees I’m in good health.”

“But are you going to keep your hood on? That might look too unnatural…” I pointed out.

“I’ll just tell him I’ve come down with chills and that I can’t be without a blanket, even indoors. That will also explain why I came to a hot spring, of all places.”

The crown prince had a knack for deception. Well, perhaps it was a skill he’d needed to learn for someone in his position.

“But I’m not moving until Rutherford’s guards leave,” he insisted. “Now, it’s time for dinner, isn’t it? I hear the raw fish served in the Rhuddlan territory is delicious, so I’m ready to try it for myself.”

For some reason, it felt like the person in the most danger was the only one actually enjoyinghis stay at the resort. Annoyed, I made sure to savor every last bite of dinner that night.

✶✶✶

AFTER dinner, I enjoyed the open-air bath before setting out on a stroll down the hallways to cool off. The carbonic acid gas of the Rhuddlan hot springs always left me feeling so refreshed.

I’d wanted Siraiya and Prince Adelberd to experience it, too, but they were forced to take normal baths since they couldn’t come out of their room now. They’d probably be in the two yukata left in the room—alongside the written instructions on how to wear them.

I couldn’t rid myself of the association between hot spring resorts and yukata now that I’d regained my past life’s memories. A seamstress in this world made them for me when I explained what I wanted. Yukata were much easier to recreate than tatami, fortunately.

But since I was raised as a noblewoman in this world, it felt immodest to walk around in a yukata where people could easily see me, so I was wearing mine over a blouse.

Perhaps that was why my body refused to cool down. I detoured around the engawa instead. That way, I could take in the sights of the courtyard garden before I went back to my room.

But that turned out to be the wrong decision. A man in a yukata had beaten me to the building’s outer deck. I knew exactly who he was once I spotted that dark skin glittering in the moonlight.

Once the second-born prince noticed I was there, ignoring him and turning around wasn’t an option.

“Did you enjoy the hot spring? Please ask the staff if there’s anything at all that you need.” I approached him as much as I could without acting too overfamiliar. To my surprise, Prince Rutherford was wearing the yukata correctly, though he didn’t seem to be wearing anything underneath.

“…It wasn’t terrible, I suppose. Now I see why the Rhuddlan territory is such a famous tourist destination in Elzeria.”

“You’re too kind.”

He was much less aggressive than he’d been in the lobby. Perhaps the hot spring had relaxed him.

“…Is my brother in bad shape?”

“I’m not allowed to speak of His Royal Highness’ condition.”

“Hmph.”

With a snort, the prince brought his eyes back to the garden. I wondered if it would be all right for me to leave. My much lower position in society made it almost unthinkable for me to interact with any prince in the first place, but I felt too awkward turning away now. As a viscount’s daughter, I probably needed His Highness’ permission to leave his presence, even though I could act a bit more freely in the company of royalty once I officially became a duchess.

“I could provide you with something lightweight to wear under the yukata, if you wish,” I offered.

“Am I wearing it wrong?”

“No, in fact, I’m the one who isn’t wearing it correctly. I was attempting to recreate a garment from a faraway country, but I didn’t think the nobles of Elzeria would adopt clothing that exposed so much skin.”

“Sanctoria has a traditional garment where we wrap our bodies in cloth, too. It’s considered holy since it’s an imitation of the garments worn in Heaven. This thing is much less revealing than that,” he explained.

I recalled how the people of Sanctoria wore garments that exposed a lot of their skin. Perhaps they would take to the yukata more naturally than those from Elzeria.

“…But it’s so lightweight, sick people probably shouldn’t be wearing these,” he muttered. “Knowing my brother, I’m sure he took the proper preparations, but I could loan him some of my clothes if he’s too chilly… although…”

Oh? Wait a minute…

“…You really care about Prince Adelberd, don’t you?”

Once my new impression of the second-born prince was out of my mouth, his eyes widened, and he gulped reflexively.

“N-No! You’re wrong…! I just…! I don’t want my older brother doing anything stupid!”

His panic confirmed my suspicions. All this time, I’d assumed they were rivals fighting to claim the same throne.

“I would be happy to bring your spare clothes to him…” I offered.

“…! Don’t play nice with me. You’re mocking me for showing sympathy to my enemy, just like everyone else does!”

I’d been trying to show respect for Prince Rutherford’s feelings, but he didn’t interpret it that way. It sounded as if he had experience being put down over this very subject. His reaction was understandable if someone had been cruel to him whenever he showed affection for his big brother.

“I promise you, I’m not mocking you whatsoever. I believe that those who show concern for others are wonderful, loving souls.”

“…! Love is something only weak people feel. How very…naive.”

“Is that what people often say to you?” I ventured.

Prince Rutherford didn’t respond. He merely scowled and looked away, glaring down at the courtyard in pain. He looked like a pouting child. His brash demeanor and large frame were deceptive, and it was easy to forget that this prince hadn’t even attended the academy yet. He was still quite young, and puberty was taking its toll on his emotions.

“I’ll bet it hurt to be put down just because you care about your brother. But that pain is proof that you’re a loving person. I can tell you’re strong, too. You still worry for him, even though it’s caused you to suffer in the past.”

“I’m…not strong…!” Those were his real, unguarded feelings. He squeezed his fists tight in a show of the tension affecting his entire body.

I could tell he was unnerved. He didn’t want to open up to someone only to get hurt again. Leaving him here might be like abandoning a frightened child. I moved closer to look at his face—like something a big sister would do.

But that surprised him, and I could see his bewildered expression when he recoiled.

“You don’t have to listen to people who insult you and call you weak. Please come and tell me if someone ever does that to you,” I said firmly.

“And what…are you going to do about it?”

“I’ll give them a grown-up scolding, of course.”

When I said that with a smile, the second-born prince’s expression softened to something innocent and childlike.

As he struggled to find his words, he finally grew embarrassed, blushed, and looked down at his feet. “I’m not a little kid…” he muttered, then left for his room.

Perhaps, despite my first impression, Prince Rutherford was actually an honest, well-behaved boy.

Chapter 3: Concern for the Future

Chapter 3: Concern for the Future

“SHUT up! This is my decision!”

I shot up out of my futon when I heard men yelling first thing in the morning. Nervously, I threw on a haori and darted into the hall. No one could commit violence in an inn full of imperial guards, but I still needed to see what was going on.

I was heading for the staircase to the lobby when I spotted Prince Adelberd and Siraiya staring out a window together. Both were wearing their yukata, though they had shirts on underneath, like me.

Siraiya…looked downright handsome in a yukata. He hadn’t styled his hair yet, either, which made him look younger—like he did in our academy days.

“Cynthia,” he addressed me once he spotted me.

“Oh, you’re here. We’re sightseeing,” Prince Adelberd said next.

“What’s going on?” I asked them.

“Prince Rutherford said he’d limit his numbers to three guards in total, but now they are defying his will. They say it’s not safe enough for him to remove them.”

Siraiya’s explanation helped me understand the situation. When I looked outside, the second-born prince was speaking to his group of guards.

“Three guards…? That’s not very many, is it?”

When I said that without thinking, Prince Adelberd brought his hand to his chin.

“I appreciate having fewer guards around, personally. I have more freedom to do as I please that way. But Rutherford has always done as his guards told him. I wonder what’s changed now? Oh, maybe this is his ‘rebellious phase.’ Most fascinating.”

I left Prince Adelberd to amuse himself with his brother’s antics and stood next to Siraiya. We watched over the proceedings.

“I’m just here to visit my sick brother! There’s no need for a whole platoon of armed men trailing behind me! Now do as I say already!” Prince Rutherford was shouting.

“Your Highness! This too could be the enemy’s trick! What if he’s feigning his illness as part of some nefarious plot?!”

When one of the guards suggested that, Prince Rutherford grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt.

“That’s my brother you’re talking about! Don’t ever call him the ‘enemy’ again!”

“M-… My apologies…”

The prince thrust the guard back and strode into the inn.

“What an excellent show. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my room before my dear brother finds me.”

As always, it was difficult to tell how Prince Adelberd really felt about what he had just seen. But regardless, he headed off toward the room he was staying in with Siraiya.

“I need to go too. But…”

“But what?” I repeated, looking up at Siraiya. He laced his fingers with mine and smiled sadly.

“I don’t want to leave you… We were supposed to be together this entire trip, and I miss you terribly…”

“I miss you too… We’re finally together, but now we already have to separate.”

I returned his sad smile and squeezed his hand. But it wasn’t enough. In the end, I leaned my weight against Siraiya’s sturdy chest. I felt his body heat through his yukata. It was a much thinner garment than what nobles usually wore, and I loved how it felt like we were closer together than normal.

“The yukata looks so good on you, Siraiya.”

“It’s much more beautiful on you, Cynthia.”

We embraced and exchanged words of praise, still unwilling to part. But then…

“Acting so disgracefully first thing in the morning…”

We jumped backwards at the sound of a displeased voice. Once we turned, we saw the second-born prince glaring at us.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

As Siraiya greeted and bowed to the prince, I mirrored his gesture, since I couldn’t curtsey in my yukata. I hoped a bow was acceptable in these circumstances.

“…Lift your heads. Tell Big Brother I ordered my guards to go home.”

“As you wish.”

The prince passed us after Siraiya responded to him. But then he froze, turned back to look at us, and said one last thing. “Are engagements really that amazing? Magical enough to change a person’s whole personality?”

“…Pardon?” I couldn’t help but respond. I didn’t understand what he was asking us.

Prince Rutherford broke eye contact, muttered, “No…never mind,” and took off walking again.

I wonder what that was about? My engagement to my beloved Siraiya was amazing to me, but his remark about “changing a person’s whole personality” remained a mystery.

✶✶✶

“AH, I think I know what he was getting at.”

After the three of us changed clothes and finished breakfast, I gave Prince Adelberd the latest updates and passed on the messages from Prince Rutherford over tea. Something seemed to click when I repeated his younger brother’s final question for me. 

“What would that be?” I asked.

“I had to stop spending time with Rutherford once I got engaged to Estellise.”

“…What? That’s all?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

His tone made it sound like something more serious.

I cocked my head, unconvinced, so Prince Adelberd began to recount memories with his younger brother.

“Rutherford’s mother was married off to Elzeria because Sanctoria wanted to get rid of her. I’ve heard all sorts of things, like that she called off her first engagement without a good reason and framed an innocent noblewoman for some sort of crime. As a princess, she was a constant source of trouble. I won’t confirm any rumors, as this is the business of a foreign country, but my father’s second queen consort was as violent, greedy, and prideful as the rumors suggested. She became hated throughout the castle almost as soon as she set foot within its walls, so I’m sure you don’t have to imagine how her son was treated once he was born in that same castle. He was the second-born prince, thus I’m sure he wasn’t harassed to the extent you were, Siraiya, but it was more than enough to leave lasting scars on a young boy’s heart.”

“His Highness was born into a difficult position…” I sympathized.

I realized that, when I found myself unable to walk away from that pained-looking Prince Rutherford the night before, it was probably because I was reminded of Siraiya. I seemed to have a soft spot for people who were suffering.

“I made a point to approach Rutherford whenever I saw him looking down,” Prince Adelberd said. “I was more interested in goofing off than studying back then, and he was the perfect person to goof off with. But then I got engaged to Estellise and had to take being a proper crown prince seriously. Instead of hobbies, I focused my time on studying and mastering etiquette. Rutherford looked so hurt when I suddenly stopped playing with him. He even cried when I broke the news.”

“That’s kind of cu— sad…” I just barely stopped myself from calling the prince’s reaction cute.

Prince Adelberd spoke as if he were disinterested, though. Surely he sympathizes with his brother at least a little, right? …No, this is just who he is.

Siraiya suddenly took my hand from the seat next to me. I looked at him curiously, only to find him staring at me with some mixture of shock and bewilderment.

“Siraiya? Is something wrong?”

“…No… It’s nothing.” Despite that answer, he didn’t let go of my hand, even as he turned back to face the prince. “His Highness isn’t engaged to anyone yet, is he? That’s a little late for a member of royalty. If you find him a fiancée, he probably won’t be as lonely.”

“Rutherford’s engagements keep falling through,” Prince Adelberd sighed. “We finally get something arranged, only for his mother to run her mouth and ruin everything.”

“Oh dear…! Can’t His Majesty force her to stay out of it?” I asked.

“The will of the engaged parties is usually respected unless it’s a deeply political marriage arranged by the Crown,” Prince Adelberd explained. “Unless Rutherford rejects his mother’s meddling and seeks out an engagement of his own volition, he’ll never get anywhere with it. What’s the matter, Siraiya? You look like you’re getting worked up over there.”

“…No… it’s nothing…”

But it was something. Even I could tell Siraiya seemed unusually worked up and tense. He probably empathized with the second-born prince’s poor treatment.

I felt compassion for the young man, too, and since Siraiya seemed so affected, he probably wanted to do something to help the prince as well. We didn’t have many options, but if we could improve his situation at all—

“You’re going to see your brother, aren’t you, Prince Adelberd?” I asked.

“That’s the plan.”

“I had the opportunity to speak with His Highness last night, and he seemed deeply concerned for your health.”

“Last night?!”

“Yes. I called out to him when I found him gazing at the courtyard garden,” I replied, since Siraiya had interjected. Then I turned back toward Prince Adelberd. “I’m sure the issue of succession weighs on your mind as well, but I think you should set that aside for now and express your honest appreciation for your younger brother. Please don’t sneer at him or use indirect insults like you usually do, okay?”

“What exactly do you think of me, Lady Cynthia? …But that means I can’t tease him either, then?”

“No, you cannot.”

He really is exactly who I think he is. Muttering that retort in my mind, I composed myself before continuing.

“It could also be beneficial to turn this political foe into your ally, Your Royal Highness. Please open up to him now that he’s trying to get closer to you.”

“…Very well. Your advice has certainly helped me before, so I may as well give it a try. It will be a fun exercise to step into the role of the caring big brother.”

Frankly, I wanted him to actually express love for his brother—not turn this into some sort of stage performance. But I didn’t dare ask that much of Prince Adelberd. My goal would be accomplished if he brought some comfort to the anxious second-born prince. Maybe, if everything went really well, their relationship as brothers would even improve.

Praying that Prince Rutherford’s loneliness could be eased even slightly, I squeezed Siraiya’s hand. For some reason, he still refused to let go of mine.

✶✶✶

“I appreciate you coming all this way, Rutherford.”

“Big Brother…”

The mood was peaceful as the brothers met face-to-face for the first time in a long while.

Siraiya and I were also attending this meeting under the pretense of caring for Prince Adelberd while he was ill. But our true role was one of support, so we sat on a floor cushion against the wall, keeping our mouths shut as the princes conversed.

Prince Adelberd was sitting up on his futon to speak to his brother. He was also wearing his cloak with the hood up.

“Why the cloak…?”

It was a natural question, and Prince Adelberd replied with the answer he’d prepared in advance.

“I can’t seem to get my body temperature up ever since falling ill. I have to wear layers even indoors at this point. Still, I’m sure it’s nothing more than a nasty cold.”

“I see…” Prince Rutherford sounded doubtful, but he didn’t press the issue further. I just hoped the meeting would end as peacefully as it began. “I can lend you things from my personal belongings if you don’t have everything you need. What about heavy clothing? Do you have enough?”

“No, I’m perfectly fine. But thank you. It makes me proud to have such a reliable little brother.”

“…They’ve been serving food we never eat in the royal capital. How are you liking it?” Prince Rutherford asked.

“It’s actually quite gentle on the stomach, which I appreciate. Still, you want to make sure I’m eating properly too, don’t you? How blessed I am to have such a caring brother.”

“…Did you fall and hit your head, Big Brother?”

“I have no external wounds, no. That reminds me, you used to trip and fall a lot when you were little, didn’t you? Why, I still remember how cute you looked when you flailed on the ground.”

“……”

Everything was going well. It seemed that Prince Adelberd was capable of anything he put his mind to. I’d been considering nicknaming him the “Black-Hearted Prince,” but I would have to come back to that another day.

I nodded as I took in the pleasant, familial conversation. Suddenly, the second-born prince stood up from the floor cushion next to Prince Adelberd’s futon.

“…Take your hood off.”

Huh? What’s happening? Prince Rutherford’s concern for his brother had just transformed into an unconcealed rage.

“…I just told you, I’m cold. Why would you demand such a thing?”

“Take your hood off and show me your face! My brother would never say such loving things to me! Who the hell are you?!”

I could hardly believe it. Prince Adelberd’s usual conduct was so terrible that a bit of kindness had caused his brother to start questioning his identity.

He’s going to rip his hood off at this rate…! I stood up in a panic and cried out to Prince Rutherford.

“N-No, that’s the real Prince Adelbe—”

“You won’t fool me! Are you trying to mock me with this pathetic excuse for an actor?!”

Siraiya rushed to protect Prince Adelberd, too, but we’d been sitting against the wall, so Prince Rutherford was closer. He ruthlessly yanked the hood back.

A pair of golden cat ears emerged into view. For a moment, Prince Rutherford froze, dumbfounded. Only the sound of the cloak hitting the ground snapped him out of it. “Are those… cat…?” he mumbled.

So he can tell they’re based on a cat? But this was no time for such observations. This was a disaster. Prince Adelberd’s secret was out. No, maybe we can still say it’s a costume!We’ll explain that he just wanted to give his brother a chuckle with a little surprise. …No, that sounds too suspicious.

“Th-Those are, um…” I fumbled for an excuse. But before I could speak properly, the pale-faced Prince Rutherford bolted out of the room.

This is bad! He might start telling everyone what he saw!

“I guess Lady Cynthia’s advice was useless this time.”

I resisted the urge to remind him that his usual, rude attitude was what made his brother suspicious in the first place.

“Do you think His Highness will go public with what he saw…?” Siraiya asked.

Prince Adelberd put his hood back on before responding. “So long as I don’t show my head in a public setting, no one would believe a rumor that I suddenly grew a pair of animal ears. But either way, the more time passes, the more my position as crown prince is going to be threatened.”

“We really don’t have any leads right now, do we?” I sighed.

“I’m having my people research curses, but they haven’t found anything of use so far. I wonder…what’s going to become of me?”

Prince Adelberd would go back to normal in one more month. But I couldn’t tell them that, so I hung my head to match the heavy mood in the room.

Of course, this limited-time event wasn’t supposed to occur after we graduated from the academy, so I had no way of knowing if the other parameters had changed, too.

For now, all I could do was pray that everything came to a safe resolution.

Chapter 4: Bold Feats on a Moonlit Night

Chapter 4: Bold Feats on a Moonlit Night

AFTER Prince Rutherford ran off, we were informed that he’d locked himself inside his room. His guards were beginning to worry, as he wasn’t even letting anyone inside to bring his meals. But since he demanded, “Just leave me alone for a while,” from the other side of the door, they decided to wait out the rest of the day and see if anything changed.

I wondered what the second-born prince planned to do next. Prince Adelberd was right—no one was likely to believe him if he started telling people that his brother had suddenly grown a pair of animal ears. On the contrary, it could actually make people question Prince Rutherford’s sanity.

Was he going to gather more evidence or lure Prince Adelberd into a public setting and expose his secret to the world? Despite these anxious, negative thoughts, I still wanted to believe in the young prince, too.

I prayed that he wouldn’t be misled by those who described love as a weakness—that he instead harbored genuine concern for his brother’s wellbeing.

✶✶✶

AS the day came to a close, I was just about to crawl under my futon, still uneasy, when a knock came at my door. The inn was under heavy security, so I didn’t hesitate to call out, “Who is it?”

“It’s me… Rutherford. Can we talk?”

“Your Highness?!” I jumped out of my futon in a hurry and grabbed my haori.

“If you’re free, I want to meet in the same spot as last night…”

I didn’t even get a chance to answer before I heard his footsteps leaving. He could’ve easily ordered me to meet with him, but it seemed he was letting me choose.

I hesitated, but the perimeter of the inn was still surrounded by palace guards. If I were in danger, someone would come running as soon as I yelled. Besides, it would be incredibly risky to commit a crime in an environment like this. I decided it would be best to speak with Prince Rutherford and get a read on his next moves.

✶✶✶

“YOUR Highness.”

“…You came.”

Prince Rutherford had come to the same part of the engawa where the courtyard garden was on display. Just like the previous night, he was in a yukata, but this time he was seated and resting his feet on the stepping stones beneath. Sitting beside him felt too impudent, and it would be disrespectful to Siraiya as well, so I knelt in the hallway behind the prince—close enough that we could still converse.

“You said you wished to speak with me?”

“Right…” he answered. After hesitating, the prince broke the silence between us. “How long has Big Brother looked like that?”

“I’m forbidden from speaking on Prince Adelberd’s condition.”

“That’s right… Fine, then. I can draw my own conclusion.”

I answered carefully, fearing the potential that Prince Rutherford had someone eavesdropping on us, waiting for me to say something careless. He fell silent again. Then slowly, he leaned forward and let his head hang limply.

“Was I…not good enough? I used to be the person closest to him. But instead of someone who’s been with him all these years, he relies on some random friends he met at the academy…?!”

Prince Rutherford was much more honest than the previous night. He was allowing me to see his weak side. If this were Siraiya, I would have wrapped my arms around him without a second thought.

I replied from behind him, since I couldn’t get any closer. “Did you lock yourself in your room because you felt lonely? You were sad that Prince Adelberd didn’t trust you?”

“…No, the only thing I felt when I ran away was fear.”

“Prince Adelberd hasn’t changed as a person. There’s no need for—”

“That’s not it either. I was scared because I pictured a future where I was king. What if Big Brother stays like that, and I really do have to take the throne? It’s horrifying.”

“…But isn’t that the future you desire? Why would you fear such a thing?”

“I don’t want that at all…!”

Prince Rutherford let out a cry. I wondered if the guards would rush toward us. I wouldn’t mind that in itself, but I didn’t want our conversation to end there, since I hadn’t uncovered a single clue as to the younger prince’s intentions. Even worse, the tall teen before me clearly needed comfort from an adult. I couldn’t just leave him in this state.

His Highness slumped forward even further and covered his face with his hands. “I’ve never once wanted to be king. I’m not ready for something like that, but it’s the only value I hold…! All I can do is be the man who might someday take the throne…! Without that, why would anyone ever look my way…?! I’ve only been pretending to aim for the throne because that’s what everyone tells me to do…!”

I could tell he was crying, even though his back was to me. His voice trembled, and he sounded frightened.

I thought back to our discussion with Prince Adelberd. As the son of the king’s controversial second queen consort, everyone in the castle treated Prince Rutherford coldly, driving him further and further into loneliness as a child. Now, the first-born and second-born princes each had their own supporters in the dispute for the throne. Prince Rutherford probably figured out that people would give him attention if he pretended to be after the crown prince’s title.

Even if these supporters felt no love or affection toward him, suddenly having people who gathered around him must have made a neglected child so happy. He wouldn’t have wanted to give up the act for anything, even if he had no intention of becoming the king deep down.

I didn’t think a simple consolation like, “You’re a human being with worth,” would mean anything to the wounded prince. Instead, I called out to him, allowing the feelings that had been pooling in my heart to overflow.

“You must have been so lonely. Aren’t you tired of fighting all this time in solitude?”

“…Yes, that’s right. …I’m tired.”

“Would you have felt less lonely if Prince Adelberd had gone to you for help instead of us?”

“…I don’t know.”

Prince Rutherford wiped his eyes. Then he sat up straight and looked up at the moon. “I don’t know, but I think it would’ve made me happy, at least. When I was little, Big Brother always used to slow down so I could catch up to him, and then we would walk side by side. I didn’t think I could ever feel lonely with him around. But then he turned into a stranger as soon as he got engaged. I know the right thing to do would be to let us grow apart. My role is to keep fighting to be superior to my brother, and that way, Elzeria can have the strongest, wisest king possible. But still, I…”

“You want to have a good relationship with the brother you adore so much?” I ventured.

“…That’s right. I wanted him to be with me forever. I wanted to cling to him and scream for him not to leave me behind.”

“But you aren’t going to share those feelings with him?” When I asked that, the second-born prince’s head slumped again.

“I’m too scared. If he knows I’m jealous of who he spends his time with, he might not let me be by his side anymore. Even though we’ve grown so distant, I know that I’m weak, and I can’t say anything about how I really feel.”

Despite Prince Rutherford’s pained words, a pleasant breeze blew past us, rustling the leaves of the trees above. The moon’s glow cut through the darkness and illuminated both the prince and the courtyard.

“It’s such a beautiful night,” I said softly.

I wanted him to see the world around him. Even though he felt such despair, the place we’d come to wasn’t something dreadful at all.

After soaking in the hot spring, wearing matching yukata with everyone, sharing the same meals, and chatting about all sorts of things, I felt like our hearts had grown closer together. That was precisely what hot spring resorts were for.

I stood up and walked past Prince Rutherford along the garden’s stepping stones in my slippers. The central garden was kept in tip-top shape so that guests could always experience its fullest splendor. Even the stepping stones were well-polished.

When I turned back, I found Prince Rutherford watching me sadly, like a child who’d been left behind. “But you were able to say it to me, weren’t you?” I finally said.

His Highness inhaled sharply. Moonlight poured into those startled blue eyes, washing the sadness away from them.

“You’re on the right track,” I encouraged. “You can fix things tonight, so long as you have a little confidence in yourself. It’s okay to go slow, but you have to keep taking steps forward until you can tell your loved ones how you feel. As an adult, I’d be happy to practice with you as much as you like.”

Tears spilled from his blue eyes. The moonlight pooled inside them, causing his gaze to glow. After taking a moment to cry in silence, he finally gave me a bashful smile.

“I told you not to treat me like a child…”

Then he wiped his tears, stood up, and followed the same stepping stones to approach me. Once we were one stone apart, Prince Rutherford raised his hands slightly, then squeezed his fists and lowered them again, as if giving up on something. I stared up at the tall boy, noting how Siraiya was even taller than him.

“…I’m sorry I called you out here so late. You’re a lady, after all. You should go back to your room. Actually, let me walk you—”

“It’s all right. I’m perfectly safe here in the inn, with so many guards around.”

“…Right. Okay, then I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Your Highness.”

I couldn’t work out Prince Rutherford’s intentions in the end, but so long as his love for Prince Adelberd was genuine, I felt confident that he wouldn’t try anything malicious.

I watched the prince leave, then returned to the engawa.

“Cynthia.”

A familiar voice suddenly called my name. I turned, already smiling. Siraiya emerged onto the moonlit deck from the pitch-black hallway behind me.

“You’re still awake, Siraiya?”

“…I know it’s wrong to eavesdrop… but I was listening to you. …I was worried.”

“I appreciate your concern. Surprisingly, His Highness seems to be a very nice boy.” I leaned against Siraiya and took his hands in mine. Seeing the person you loved when you least expected it was even more delightful than usual.

“…Can I pick you up, Cynthia?”

“Pick me up? Of course…”

Siraiya easily scooped me off the ground and carried me down the hallway in his arms like a princess.

“Heheh! What’s this about? Not to say that I’m not enjoying it.”

“You are…? Then I ought to do this more often.”

“I’d love that.”

I wish I could carry Siraiya too, but I doubt I’m capable.

We reached my room in almost no time at all.

“Can you open the door, Cynthia?”

“Of course.”

Since he didn’t seem ready to put me down, I opened the door for Siraiya as requested. I slid my slippers off once we were inside. Siraiya took me back to my futon and lowered me onto it.

My room was one floor above the engawa, and the same beams of moonlight illuminated it as the courtyard.

“Thank you for carrying me here, Siraiya. That was really fun,” I said with a bright smile.

“You’re welcome. …There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to please you.” Despite his gentle words, Siraiya had a sad expression. “I’ve…been blind, haven’t I? I really thought I had nothing to worry about once you began to shower me with affection.”

“Siraiya? What’s the matter?”

“I realized that I haven’t put in any effort to deserve your love all this time.”

“Effort? There’s no need for that. I love you exactly how you are, Siraiya.”

“Thank you. I’ve never doubted your love. Even as unstable as I am, your love has been profound enough to put my fears at ease.”

Then why are you saying these things in the first place?

Siraiya looked at me so longingly that my heart ached with pity. I reached out to his cheek, touching it gently and stroking his face, making sure not to hurt his skin. Then he placed his hand on top of mine.

“I know you have a soft spot for men in pitiful situations, and you told me you think boys who cry a lot are cute. When I saw you talking to His Highness…I felt jealous.”

“J-Jealous?”

I could hardly believe my ears. I didn’t see Prince Rutherford as anything more than a very tall child and never suspected that Siraiya would be jealous.

“I see. I’m sorry I upset you, but we were only discussing Prince Adelberd. Neither of us has any romantic feelings for the other,” I assured him.

“Yes… I believe you. But that might not be enough to stop my jealousy…”

“And that’s why you’re so eager for His Highness to get engaged?” I guessed.

“…Exactly.”

Siraiya smiled shyly. He was so adorable sometimes. I knew there was no chance of me ever meeting a man this charming again for the rest of my life.

“I appreciate your jealousy,” I said. “It’s proof of how deeply you care for me. I could never fall in love again now that I’ve met such a wonderful man, so please don’t be troubled by such ideas.”

“Thank you, Cynthia… But still, I can’t get complacent because of that alone. So…” He gently lowered my hand from his cheek, his silver hair sparkling in the moonlight. From Siraiya’s beautiful face came a declaration of his intent. “Allow me to put in more effort tonight. I’ll sleep in the same room with you if that’s your wish… And if you really want…I’ll even…kiss you.”

But immediately, he grew embarrassed. Siraiya was so cute when he blushed. I took his hand in mine and stared into his timid eyes.

“…Very well. Then let’s kiss. Close your eyes, Siraiya.”

“…All right.”

His eyelashes trembled as he shut his eyes. Siraiya was still the same beautiful, pure-hearted man I fell in love with.

I pressed a gentle kiss against Siraiya’s fingers.

“…Cynthia.” He opened his eyes and looked at me, surprised.

“I understand why you’re too embarrassed to sleep in the same room as me or to share a kiss before our wedding. It comes from a place of deep respect and love for me, doesn’t it? Thank you for cherishing me as much as you do, Siraiya. I want to cherish you as much as…no, even more than you do me.”

I wrapped my arms around Siraiya’s large frame. I only wished they were long enough to fully envelop him with my embrace.

“So let’s save our first kiss for our wedding, all right? It will be an important step for us.”

He answered by squeezing me tighter. Our body temperatures rose to the same, shared heat.

“I love you, Cynthia.”

“I love you too, Siraiya.”

But I still had something more to say.

“However…once we’re married, I’m going to express my love for you through my actions, regardless of how embarrassed you feel. So prepare yourself, all right?”

“Urk… I-I’ll be ready.”

I couldn’t see Siraiya’s face in this position, but I just knew he’d turned red all the way up to the tips of his ears. A smile crept across my face as I pictured how adorable he must’ve looked.

I could hardly wait for us to be married.

Chapter 5: Estellise, the Crown Prince’s Fiancée

Chapter 5: Estellise, the Crown Prince’s Fiancée

“I’M sorry for making a fuss yesterday, Big Brother. I know what a difficult position you’re in, and I’d like to ask that you allow me to assist in finding a solution.”

The next day, Prince Rutherford visited Prince Adelberd’s room with an earnest request.

Prince Adelberd was seated at the table with his brother, no longer pretending to be sick. Siraiya and I were also in attendance, but now that Prince Rutherford had uncovered the truth, there seemed to be little point in our being there.

“Hmm… And what do you intend to do?” Prince Adelberd asked.

“…I believe I can research curses more thoroughly than you, if that’s what caused your cat ears. Sanctorians know more about God and spiritual things. I also have connections to other countries, which could be of help.”

Prince Adelberd didn’t seem surprised by the offer. Well, knowing His Royal Highness, he’d never let it show on his face either way.

At this point, Siraiya interjected, “That’s too dangerous. He can’t involve his political opponent in a matter like this.”

Siraiya wouldn’t dare interrupt a conversation between the royal family during normal circumstances, but he couldn’t contain his irritation today. Probably because of his jealousy.

“Don’t act so cocky! I don’t care if you’re a duke. You have no right to make decisions for—”

Once Prince Rutherford lashed out at Siraiya, Prince Adelberd cut his brother off mid-sentence.

“No, Siraiya has a point. I’m certain you see it too, Rutherford. We each have our own opposing factions, so it makes no sense for us to go to each other for help.”

“…!” Prince Rutherford made a pained expression. He scrunched his eyebrows together, drooped his head, and murmured something. “…Am I not allowed to be at your side any longer, Big Brother?”

I knew there was so much more he wanted to say. But those words alone took immense courage from the second-born prince. How Prince Adelberd’s eyes widened slightly proved that.

“…I wouldn’t normally go to you for help, but it seems that the three of us are at a dead end. I’ll accept your assistance just this once. Thank you, Rutherford.”

“Big Brother…! Thank you!”

“But Prince Adelberd…”

Despite Siraiya’s protests, Prince Adelberd raised his hand to silence him.

“Let it go, Siraiya.”

The prince had his normal, faint smirk. Siraiya fell silent, though I doubted that meant he’d accepted this situation. As a duke, there was simply no arguing with a member of the royal family who was so firmly expressing their will.

Prince Rutherford smiled shyly at me, his face brighter. I nodded at him to show I was pleased with the outcome, but then I quickly shot a glance at my side. There was Siraiya, giving me the opposite look from Prince Rutherford. Perhaps I’d made him jealous again when I made eye contact with the second-born prince.

This is trickier than I expected…

“I’ll have my people look into relevant curses right away, but please allow me to stay here at the inn with you for a while,” Prince Rutherford requested. “I might learn something new if I get to observe your condition, and I need all the clues I can get my hands on.”

“Very well. But keep your guards to the bare minimum. I can’t say that I trust them.”

Prince Rutherford agreed. Then he looked at me earnestly. “Thank you, Lady Cynthia Rhuddlan. I was able to speak to my brother again, thanks to your advice. You have my gratitude. I also want to apologize for my behavior when we first met, and I hope you’ll excuse my immaturity.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Your Highness. The most important thing is that you dealt with the source of your distress,” I said.

“Thank you. I hope the two of us can be friends just like the friendship you share with my brother. I’ll even grant you permission to use my first name. From here on out, will you treat me like your friend?”

I…wasn’t sure about that. I feared how Siraiya would react if I began addressing him so familiarly. But I couldn’t possibly refuse such a gesture from the royal family either. I was a noblewoman, and that meant showing royalty the proper level of respect—even when it was only the four of us in the room.

“I fear that it would be impudent to befriend someone so high-ranking when my fiancé hasn’t been afforded the same privileges…”

That was as much as I could push back. Prince Rutherford furrowed his brow just like Siraiya before turning to make eye contact with him. Maybe I should have accepted the offer without fuss because I suddenly felt nervous. The two stared each other down for a moment before the prince finally spoke.

“…Fine, then. Duke Brooke can use my first name, too.”

“…I am honored, Prince Rutherford.” Siraiya’s gravelly tone didn’t sound particularly honored.

From that point forward, we directly addressed the second-born prince as “Prince Rutherford,” while he started using our first names.

I was still concerned about Siraiya’s jealousy, but as a young duke with few connections in high society due to his upbringing, being on a first-name basis with both princes would benefit him…in all likelihood.

“That reminds me, Prince Rutherford…”

“Yes, Lady Cynthia?!”

I wasted no time in using his first name. Prince Rutherford turned right toward me, looking quite pleased.

“I’m surprised you identified them as cat ears. In fact, you even believed that Prince Adelberd truly had a pair of animal ears growing from his head with only a single glance.”

“…Th-That’s…” Prince Rutherford suddenly paled. His blue eyes darted around the room, unable to find a place to fix on. “Big Brother went into hiding… so I just assumed…it was something big like that.”

Is that really all there is to it?

✶✶✶

THE four of us ate dinner together that night, making it official that we’d all become proper friends. We gathered around the low table, leaving no extra space. But that wasn’t a problem, since there was no one else to eat with. With two princes already staying at the inn, it wasn’t as if anyone else was—

“Lady Estellise is here?!”

—suddenly going to show up.

An employee delivered the news. I raced straight down to the front desk only to find a figure wearing a hooded cape, just like Prince Adelberd. When she spotted me, she lowered her hood, revealing that familiar light purple hair.

“Hello, Cynthia. It’s been a while.”

“Lady Estellise…! It’s nice to see you again. Are you here to see Prince Adelberd?” I approached Lady Estellise and took her hand. We had been friends for a while now and were quite open around each other.

“Yes, I was worried when I heard Prince Rutherford chased after Adelberd. Viscount Rhuddlan also told me that you and Siraiya were here, so I didn’t waste time sending a messenger in advance. I’m sorry this is so sudden.”

“No, it’s only natural to be concerned for your fiancé. I’ll show you to His Royal Highness’ room. We have things to discuss about Prince Rutherford as well.”

I asked Lady Estellise’s guards and servants to wait in the lobby while I escorted her to Prince Adelberd’s room.

His Royal Highness stood up as soon as she entered. “You came all this way to see me?”

“I did. I was worried about you.”

“Is that right? I appreciate your concern.”

It was a touching reunion between the couple. I’d expected them to at least embrace, but they stood at arm’s length the entire time. Were they embarrassed that we were watching them?

“Rutherford already knows the full story,” Prince Adelberd explained. “He’s going to use his connections in Sanctoria to research curses for me.”

“Heavens! Prince Rutherford is?”

Lady Estellise had been worried because she heard Prince Rutherford followed the crown prince to this resort. I knew how surprising this development must have been to her.

“I’m assisting too, Elder Sister,” Prince Rutherford said. “You must be nervous, since I’m his main political rival, but my desire to help my brother is real.”

“…I see. I have no objections, so long as Prince Adelberd approves. However, it seems I jumped to conclusions when I decided I needed to come here.” Lady Estellise sounded defeated. She turned back toward me with an apologetic look. “I’m terribly sorry for showing up so suddenly, Cynthia. I’d be happy to leave at once, but my horses are quite fatigued, you see.”

“Please, don’t give it a second thought,” I said. “You’re welcome to enjoy yourself here at our resort. I’ll have the employees prepare your room and meals.”

“Thank you, but I only need a room. My servants can prepare my food.”

“But I insist. The Rhuddlan territory is a famous tourist destination, after all. It’s no trouble to procure ingredients here, and I’d love for you to enjoy a raw seafood meal and a honey treat for dessert.”

The two of us took each other’s hands again and smiled.

“Oh, how lovely. In that case, I’ll accept your generous offer.”

“Of course. It will be so much fun to get to stay in the same resort as you, Lady Estellise.”

The mood in the room was pleasant and cheerful. We squeezed each other’s hands.

Lady Estellise was a lovely person whom I found easy to get along with. We’d become good friends in no time at all after our first meeting. Although that was also why I found it a bit strange that she’d exchanged greetings with Prince Adelberd without the two ever touching. They’d already attended balls and danced together in public settings, so physical contact wasn’t exactly a line they had yet to cross.

Afterwards, Lady Estellise and I chatted for a while. We decided to share a room during our stay.

When he heard this, Prince Rutherford insisted that he share a room with Prince Adelberd, too. His Royal Highness decided that the men and women would share their respective neighboring rooms.

My memories were hazy, but I recalled this being similar to what we did during field trips in my past life. Secretly, I was quite excited.

Siraiya had looked a little annoyed when he heard he would have to share a room with Prince Rutherford. For better or worse, his pouting was extremely adorable.

Hang in there, Siraiya.

✶✶✶

LADY Estellise and I headed to the hot spring later that night. As high-ranking nobility, I feared Lady Estellise wouldn’t be able to bathe without the assistance of her maids, but she managed to follow my example.

“Lady Estellise! Please pour some of the water over your body before you enter the hot spring! It’s dangerous to submerge yourself in the hot water before you’re acclimated.”

“My goodness, Cynthia. You sound like my wet nurse. I’m familiar with hot spring etiquette. As a young lady, I must be educated on all such subjects.”

Lady Estellise had finished scrubbing her body and was on the way to the hot spring. When I tried to warn her, she responded to me with what sounded like amusement. She was a charming person indeed. I could picture her wet nurse lecturing Lady Estellise with a big smile, too.

“It’s hotter than I expected!” she exclaimed upon touching the water. “…But it feels absolutely wonderful.”

“Hehe! I’m sure it does.”

After Lady Estellise was fully submerged, I slowly lowered my body into the water, too. Bubbles from the carbonic acid gas gathered around me.

“What a fascinating hot spring. I’ve been to hot springs in other territories, but the Rhuddlan brand of gaseous hot springs is very peculiar. It’s so much fun.” She played with the bubbles clinging to her arms and legs as she spoke.

I decided to share some additional knowledge with her—that way, she could enjoy herself even more. “Carbonic acid gas makes the spring feel even hotter, so we actually mix in a bit of cold water to lower the temperature. Still, this spring maintains a temperature of 39 degrees Celsius, so it’s very hot regardless.”

“I see. How mysterious to think that a bit of gas can make the water feel warmer. You have many mysteries in your life, don’t you, Cynthia? That includes how you managed to turn Prince Rutherford into Adelberd’s ally.”

“Really? I only recognized that Prince Rutherford cares deeply for Prince Adelberd. To my eyes, their relationship didn’t appear particularly poor…”

“I’ve heard that they used to play together often as children. But once Adelberd and I became engaged, I never saw any evidence that they had a good relationship, even though I was around them both regularly. …Ah, that reminds me.”

“Yes?”

“I nearly forgot, since he told me so long ago, but Adelberd once said he wished to become crown prince for Prince Rutherford’s sake.”

I hadn’t expected that either.

“I assumed he was dedicating himself to becoming crown prince for your sake, Lady Estellise.”

“I’m sure that’s the case now. Father would scold me for my failures if I were anything other than the fiancée of the crown prince, and I believe Adelberd wants to protect me from that outcome at all costs. However, during our first meeting before getting engaged, he shared that he feared the prospect of his cowardly little brother becoming the king, and that was why he made up his mind to take the throne himself. Then he asked me if, ‘a girl like you is good enough to marry the great Adel.’”

“…Prince Adelberd had quite the way with words when he was younger,” I laughed.

“Indeed. He used to be well-known in the castle as the ‘mischievous prince.’ Once we were engaged, he focused on learning etiquette and grew into a lovely gentleman. However, he’s less honest than he once was, even if that can be a necessity of being the crown prince…”

I’m not so surprised to hear him called “mischievous…”

I remembered the look of glee in his eyes when he’d told me he didn’t mind getting stung by a bee during our rescue operation at Siraiya’s home. In that moment, he’d definitely reminded me of a rambunctious young boy.

Lady Estellise was also repeating what I’d heard from Prince Rutherford.

Prince Rutherford was the one with no motivation to become the king. To take on that responsibility for his reluctant younger brother, Prince Adelberd dedicated all his time to his education, thereby losing the opportunity to play with his brother as he used to. Prince Rutherford became so lonely that he had to pretend he was challenging Prince Adelberd for the throne, thereby creating a hostile political faction of his own.

This sad rift between the once-close brothers lasted for years. I just hoped things would improve between them during their time at the resort…

Lady Estellise and I enjoyed our bath in the hot spring, then applied a balm to each other to prevent our skin from drying. She was even eager to don a yukata, though she wore clothing beneath it so it would be less revealing. The two of us returned to our room for dinner.

We had decided to eat our meals separately as men and women in our respective rooms since there wasn’t enough room around the low table for five people.

“You came all this way, but you haven’t gotten to spend any time with Prince Adelberd yet. If you’re feeling lonely, I could arrange for the two of you to have some time alone together.”

We’d finished dinner and were resting for the evening when I suggested that. Lady Estellise blushed slightly and smiled.

“In that case, would tomorrow be possible?”

“Of course. I’m sure it’s hard to be lovey-dovey with us three around.”

I didn’t give that statement a second thought, but Lady Estellise blinked, startled. “Lovey-dovey…?” she repeated.

“Yes. You two flirt, don’t you? Embracing each other, or at least holding hands…”

“H-Heavens no! You think Prince Adelberd and I would do such things?!”

“What?! You don’t…?”

She turned bright red, just like Siraiya and those pure-hearted reactions of his. I guess they don’t do anything flirty at all. That’s a surprise… It seems they’re an even purer couple than Siraiya and me.

“But I’ve seen you hold hands and link arms at formal events,” I said.

“Of course. That’s to show we have a healthy relationship. If the crown prince and his fiancée weren’t getting along, it would be nothing short of a scandal. Allowing the public to see us in close contact is an important part of the job…”

“Part of the job…?”

“Yes… We never…touch when we’re not in public.” Lady Estellise slumped and hung her head. I could sense the loneliness in her body language.

I doubted she had any objections to touching His Royal Highness in private, as she loved him so much. Prince Adelberd had once shown great concern over issues in his relationship with Lady Estellise, too, so I couldn’t imagine him opposing something that would bring them even closer.

They probably both wanted to be lovey-dovey with each other, but they could never find the right timing to start.

“All right, Lady Estellise. Your mission tomorrow is to act lovey-dovey with your fiancé!”

“But…won’t he object…?”

“I highly doubt it. Prince Adelberd always makes snide remarks and smiles sarcastically, except when he speaks of his love for you. A man like that would never reject physical contact with his future wife,” I insisted.

“I…suppose you’re right. Prince Adelberd’s childhood honesty has been replaced entirely with sarcasm, but he’s still always kind and honest with me. I do believe he would agree if I asked him for more physical contact.”

“Exactly! Give it your best shot, Lady Estellise!”

“I will…! I’m going to make this mission a success!”

We took each other’s hands and prayed for the success of tomorrow’s flirting mission.

Chapter 6: The Hot Spring, the Men, and a Bit of Booze (Siraiya’s Perspective)

Chapter 6: The Hot Spring, the Men, and a Bit of Booze (Siraiya’s Perspective)

PRINCE Adelberd sneezed quietly after we finished dinner.

“Big Brother! Are you sick after all?!”

Prince Rutherford’s dramatic reaction told me how worried he was. I had an older brother, too, but our relationship didn’t look anything like this.

“It was only a sneeze. Don’t get so frightened, Rutherford.”

“But…”

I watched the brothers converse, but Cynthia and Cynthia alone occupied my mind. I recalled something she said to me one time, when I had sneezed.

“They say you sneeze when someone else is talking about you,” I shared with the princes.

“Hmm, interesting. If that’s true, Estellise must be singing my praises to Lady Cynthia right about now.”

Prince Adelberd seemed pretty pleased with his theory. His mind was just as occupied as mine, only with Lady Gridimore instead of Cynthia. He’d bring her up every five minutes since she arrived.

Prince Rutherford listened intently to his brother, but I’d only suggested it on a whim after remembering what Cynthia once told me. Prince Adelberd probably saw right through me, bringing up her name as a way to boast about Lady Gridimore’s love for him. He knew I would listen to him earnestly if he was talking about Cynthia. Sheesh. He knows how to get attention, all right.

“That sounds like nonsense to me. What will you do if Big Brother really is sick, Siraiya?”

Prince Rutherford had changed tunes when it came to Cynthia, but he was just as nasty to me as ever. It wasn’t just because of the incident that afternoon. Last night and all throughout today, he’d been looking at Cynthia with an expression of undeniable longing. But I was her fiancé, so I was nothing but a nuisance to the second-born prince and his intentions.

Cynthia was an attractive woman. Anyone in this world could fall in love with her, and it wouldn’t take me by surprise. As well as I understood Prince Rutherford’s feelings, I would never allow him to take my place as Cynthia’s fiancé.

“I apologize. I only wanted to repeat a cute saying that Cynthia once shared with me.”

“What?! Lady Cynthia said that?! Th-Then maybe…it’s not nonsense after all.”

Prince Rutherford suddenly mumbled under his breath, uncertainly. I could sense how young he was. He’d grown to the size of an adult, but this was exactly why Cynthia didn’t see him as a man yet. That was a huge relief, but children grow into adults eventually, so there was no reason to let my guard down around him. At the very least, he was a more formidable foe than the likes of Eddie, who threw away Cynthia’s love like it was worthless.

“I’m so glad to see you two getting along. All right, we should warm up in the hot spring before we all catch colds.” With a sarcastic remark, Prince Adelberd pulled his hood up and rose to his feet.

Prince Adelberd had decided only to bathe in the hot spring at night, when it would be harder to spot his animal ears. He even asked the employees and his guards to stay away and to finish any nearby business they had before this point in the evening.

Prince Rutherford and I were exceptions, of course. His Royal Highness gave us permission to bathe alongside him.

The three of us reached the hot spring, but when Prince Adelberd started to undress, I couldn’t contain my surprise.

“…I see you have a tail too.”

“Unfortunately. The ears are fine, but this tail has proven to be a big problem.”

“I can imagine if you’ve been hiding it in your clothes all this time. I’m sure it’s hard to sleep with it, too.”

“No, that’s not what I mean…” Prince Adelberd’s tail drooped and smacked Prince Rutherford, who was undressing beside him. “I can’t hide my emotions with this thing. That’s a fatal flaw for a crown prince.”

I see. He’s always smiling, even when he’s displeased on the inside.

“…Your tail is so soft, Big Brother.”

Prince Adelberd’s tail whipped Prince Rutherford angrily, but by the time we finished washing up and finally entered the hot spring, his tail was perked up, showing that he felt comfortable and pleased.

Prince Adelberd submerged his body first, followed by Prince Rutherford and me.

“This is splendid. The Rhuddlans make excellent use of their territory’s natural resources.”

Once His Royal Highness closed his eyes, expressing his praise for the hot bath, Prince Rutherford gave a pleased response as well.

“It’s not just the hot spring. The entire resort is really interesting, don’t you think? Lady Cynthia said it’s a recreation of a faraway culture. She’s so well-read, compassionate…and she practically glows under the moonlight… Maybe the angels they speak of in Sanctoria really do exist…”

I agreed with him, of course, but I hated hearing him talk about Cynthia that way. I cut him off before he could say anything else.

“She told me she prepared this inn for the two of us to vacation at.”

He sucked in a breath between his teeth. “…Right, she likes to take good care of others. I’m sure she’d do the same for me if I were her fiancé.”

“I’d appreciate it if you could keep such hypotheticals to yourself. Cynthia is my fiancée, after all.”

“What if it’s not a hypothetical? I know she called off an engagement once before, so you never know what might happen.”

“Cynthia would never end our engagement. I’m certain of it.”

Suddenly, Prince Rutherford stood up, creating a big splash. “There’s no such thing as certainties in this world!”

I stood up too. I wasn’t going to let him get the better of me. “There are when it comes to Cynthia!”

Prince Rutherford and I glared at each other. We stood firm underneath the moonlight, neither one of us willing to back down.

“…What a delightful hot spring,” Prince Adelberd murmured to himself, closing his eyes to shut us out of his world.

Prince Rutherford and I were hardly in the mood to enjoy the hot spring, but once we’d finished bathing, Prince Adelberd’s tail was just as perked up as it had been before.

✶✶✶

WE finished eating and bathing, which meant all that was left to do was sleep. But when we got back to our room, a bottle of alcohol and empty glasses were set out by our futon.

“What’s this, Prince Adelberd?” I asked.

“It’s rum my servants prepared for me. I hear it’s made from sugarcane, and it’s a popular drink among sailors. Have you tried alcohol before, Siraiya?”

Prince Adelberd and I were both nineteen, and the legal age of adulthood in Elzeria was eighteen. That meant we were allowed to drink—so long as we were out of school, since the academy’s rules banned all consumption of alcohol. But I was never that interested in liquor, so I still had yet to try it for myself.

“No, never. Do you drink?”

I’d heard that some people liked to drink before bed, but to my surprise, Prince Adelberd shook his head.

“No, I have yet to drink either. But now that I’m an adult, I’m sure I’ll be served alcohol from time to time when I attend formal events as the crown prince. I’m in need of a liquor education, and since I’m officially here for ‘medical treatment,’ now is a good time to try drinking out of the public eye.”

As he spoke, he poured a bit of the rum into two glasses and handed one to me.

“Have a drink with me, unless you have some reason to abstain. We wouldn’t want our fiancées to see us drinking for the first time, would we? Imagine if we embarrassed ourselves in front of them.”

“Good point.” I took the glass from Prince Adelberd. I wasn’t a big fan of sweets, but would liquor made from sugarcane taste very sweet at all?

The two of us clinked glasses, as was customary, before testing a bit of the rum with our tongues first. It turned out Rum wasn’t sweet at all, though it left a strong, unique aroma in my mouth.

I bet it would go well with some madeleines. I’ll have to try it some other time.

“What, it’s not sweet? It smells so good, but it doesn’t taste how I expected.”

His Royal Highness sounded disappointed. I wondered if he liked sweet foods and drinks a lot more than I did.

“I think this would taste good if you mixed some grated fruit in with the rum,” I suggested.

“Good idea. I’ll try that next time I get the opportunity.”

Prince Rutherford was just watching us drink from nearby, though he looked intrigued.

“Can I smell it, too…?”

He peered over at us, so Prince Adelberd passed him his glass. “But don’t drink it. You’re a prince, so you can’t break the law,” he warned. His Royal Highness actually sounded like a good brother in that brief moment.

“You’re right. It smells really nice. I’d like to try it too someday.”

“Once you graduate, you can have your first drink with me.”

“Thank you, Big Brother!”

The young prince looked like he was about to burst into tears. He was so moved by his brother’s caring gesture.

In all honesty, I was delighted to see the two political opponents get along. It was hard for me not to empathize with Prince Rutherford, who’d been treated so cruelly in his life of solitude at the castle.

Not that I had any intention of letting him have Cynthia because of it.

“I’d like to keep going until I experience what ‘drunkenness’ feels like. But I’m sure that would be boring for you, Rutherford, so let’s play a game while we drink. We’ll know we’re drunk once it becomes too hard to use our brains during the game, and that way, we’ll know when to stop drinking.” Prince Adelberd made that suggestion as Prince Rutherford returned his glass to him.

But we didn’t have anything like chess or playing cards in our room. “What sort of game would that be?” I asked. Prince Adelberd then polished off the last of his rum, so I followed suit.

“I know games from many different countries, as it helps in diplomatic matters. There’s this one in particular. ‘Never Have I Ever.’”

“You mean you’ve never played it before?” I asked.

“No, the game is about declaring things you’ve never experienced before. Once someone lists something they haven’t done, you have to drink if you have done it. For example, if Rutherford said, ‘Never have I ever drunk alcohol,’ the two of us would have to drink, since that’s something we’ve now done.”

“So the point is to come up with things you haven’t done, but that the other players probably have?” I asked.

“Correct. But Rutherford can’t drink, so he can just tally up points instead. You’ll have a penalty once you hit five points. How about you climb one of the big trees in the forest behind the inn, little brother?”

“Why is my punishment so much worse than yours?!”

“You can back out if you’re scared. You’ve always been cowardly, so maybe it wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“Hey! …I’m not a coward… I’ll do it!”

Based on this interaction, it was easy to tell how Prince Adelberd typically treated his younger brother.

“All right, then let us begin. I’ll go first, followed by Siraiya, then Rutherford. Never have I ever won a dressage competition.”

That’s his first attack? I took a sip from my glass, understanding his angle.

“Okay, then I’m next. Never have I ever sprouted a pair of animal ears.”

“Heh… Well done.”

Prince Adelberd chuckled, filled his glass with a small amount of rum, then downed it. Prince Rutherford’s turn was next.

“Never have I ever been engaged.”

Prince Adelberd and I poured our next drinks and polished them off.

As we continued, Prince Rutherford kept bringing up experiences with women during each of his turns. First, he said he’d never prepared a dress to give to a woman, then he told us he’d never sent a card to a woman… I could tell that he was just like me—he couldn’t get Cynthia out of his mind.

I was far from calm about the situation, so I continued targeting Prince Rutherford with each of my turns. “Never have I ever been to Sanctoria.” “Never have I ever played with my older brother.” “Never have I ever grown my hair down to my hips.”

Those five points stacked up in no time at all. Prince Rutherford grew angrier and angrier, though despite the glares he shot me, he didn’t complain, since he knew I was only playing the game as intended.

We agreed that he would climb the tree tomorrow, as it was too dangerous to attempt at night. Not wanting him to end up with even more of the same punishment, we decided that Prince Rutherford would drop out of the game for now, but he could rejoin if he proposed a second punishment for himself.

Prince Adelberd had been targeting me with his turns even before Prince Rutherford dropped out. “Never have I ever received the top grades at school.” “Never have I ever been addressed by my first name by my fiancée’s parents.” “Never have I ever proposed to my fiancée.” It was just one after another…

“You didn’t propose when you got engaged?” I couldn’t help but ask once I finished my next drink. Aren’t you supposed to ask someone to marry you when you get engaged?

“Well, you and Lady Cynthia got engaged after a mutual, genuine romance. I’m sure it sounds strange to you, but most noble marriages are arranged by their parents. The royal family and the Gridimores came together to arrange my engagement to Estellise as a political maneuver. One day, we were told that we were engaged and to behave accordingly. That was the end of the discussion.”

“…I see. But you and Lady Gridimore have feelings for each other, too, right?”

“The political aspect of an engagement means you have to put even more effort into maintaining a good relationship. Both Estellise and I are dedicated to that end, so there’s never been any barrier between us that prevented us from falling in love.”

“I see… I’ve never had to think about a political marriage before.”

As I watched Prince Adelberd take another drink, I felt relieved that Eddie had been as foolish as he was. If he were as mature as Prince Adelberd and Lady Gridimore, Cynthia probably would have never had eyes for another man. She would have loved him for the rest of her life.

That would mean losing my only chance at happiness. I was the luckiest man in the world to have Cynthia stumble across me by chance on that fateful day.

Heat crept into my cheeks from thinking about how I’d somehow managed to get engaged to Cynthia. It was impossible to imagine a greater blessing in all the world.

“What’s wrong, Siraiya? Your face is red. If you’re already drunk, I might have to start going easy on you,” Prince Adelberd teased.

I’d only grown warm from thinking about Cynthia, but if he was willing to hold off on our game now, then there was no reason to refuse.

“Never have I ever embraced my fiancée.”

Despite the offer to go easy on me, Prince Adelberd used his turn to state something I had experienced. I reached for the bottle and poured my next drink.

“What…? Wait, I just said I’ve never embraced my fiancée.” With a look of disbelief, he confirmed that I’d understood him correctly.

“Big Brother, this man put his arms around Lady Cynthia in the hallway yesterday. He’s completely shameless.”

I couldn’t remember having excessive physical contact with Cynthia around Prince Adelberd, now that I thought of it. We were always too focused on behaving appropriately around a member of the royal family.

Prince Rutherford just happened to spot us together yesterday by chance.

“Cynthia often embraces me, so I’ve gotten used to it over time. It’s wonderful to hug the person you love.” I let myself brag a little, both to boast of my lover and to keep Prince Rutherford in check. Then I downed my drink.

Prince Rutherford’s face contorted with obvious jealousy. Now I understood why Prince Adelberd enjoyed teasing him so much.

“…Outside of escorting her at parties, I’ve never once held hands with my fiancée.”

Just as I was about to set my empty glass down, for some reason, Prince Adelberd poured me more rum as he spoke.

“…Um, isn’t it my turn?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Just drink.”

What’s going on? I finished off the drink as demanded, only for His Royal Highness to pour me another drink.

“Never have I ever gone on a trip with just my fiancée.”

Well, I haven’t technically succeeded at that one yet either. But with Prince Adelberd staring at me, I caved to the pressure and finished off my glass.

“Don’t tell me… You haven’t ever…slept in the same bed as Lady Cynthia, have you?”

His Royal Highness tightened his grip on the bottle, apparently imagining something horrifying. The pale-faced Prince Rutherford leaned forward and cried out, “It can’t be!”

“…No, not how you’re imagining, of course. But Cynthia did lie down in bed with me when I was recovering at the Rhuddlan manor. It was only meant to comfort me.”

I answered honestly before I even realized what I was saying. Maybe I really was drunk already. Once the prince poured me another drink, I realized my honesty hadn’t even gotten me out of this situation.

“Damn it…! If I’d only met Lady Cynthia first…!”

But seeing Prince Rutherford so stricken with regret evaporated my worries, so I polished off the next glass, too.

“I’d thought of you as a simple-minded man, yet you’ve already gone that far in your relationship? I’m sure you’ve kissed her, too. I just didn’t want to think of myself as being less experienced than you.” Prince Adelberd tried to pour me another drink, but I quickly pulled my glass away and set the record straight.

“We haven’t gone that far!”

“You hug each other and lie in the same bed, but don’t kiss? I see…” He didn’t sound like he believed me. Prince Adelberd poured more rum into his own glass, but it was more than could be sipped down all at once.

He gulped down this larger drink, drawing concern from Prince Rutherford. “Are you all right, Big Brother? That might be too much at once…”

It was a strong liquor. I imagined it burned the throat to drink that much.

Once he’d swallowed the last drop, he slammed the glass down and said something out of character.

“I want Estellise and me to express our love too!”

He would never discuss something like this with us if he were sober. His Royal Highness kept his emotions to himself, but now I saw that he was capable of getting frustrated just like the rest of us.

“I understand why you would feel shy about it,” I said. “I used to think of Cynthia as a sacred being whom I was unworthy of touching. I still struggle with that to this day.”

I set my glass down on the tatami floor, cradled my knees to my chest, and opened up much more than I usually would. Now I see the power of alcohol on the human mind. I decided not to drink in front of Cynthia going forward, or else I might accidentally let all sorts of embarrassing things slip.

“Oh yeah? Then never touch her again.”

I ignored Prince Rutherford’s pout and continued to address Prince Adelberd. “It might be too hard to embrace her right away, but why don’t you start by holding hands? I don’t think Lady Gridimore would be opposed to it.”

“I guess…you’re right. But I don’t want Estellise to think I lack decorum.”

“Is that really how she would take it? You always conduct yourself properly in my eyes, so I don’t think Lady Gridimore could ever see you as someone who lacked good manners. Especially not over something as simple as holding hands.”

“No, I can’t. I’ve already failed once with Estellise. She won’t allow a second failure.”

“Failure…?”

When I asked that, Prince Adelberd crossed his arms and recounted a story from the past.

“A long time ago, I used to go by ‘Adel,’ while Rutherford preferred to be called ‘Ruthy.’”

“Big Brother! There’s no need to tell Siraiya that…!”

I didn’t know how long ago this was, but I could only imagine Prince Rutherford being a small child if he was going by “Ruthy.”

“Once Estellise and I were engaged, I asked her something to the effect of, ‘Is a girl like you good enough to marry the great Adel?’”

“…That’s awful.”

My response slipped out unintentionally, but Prince Adelberd scowled and told me I was right.

“Estellise was too shocked to speak. Then she even shed a few tears. Still, she was resolute, and she told me, ‘I promise to become a woman capable of supporting you.’ There aren’t enough words to explain how brave she was in that moment. She was shaken up, hearing something so cruel from a child, but she never let her manners slip. Instead, she laid forth that declaration to support someone as cold-hearted as I was acting, even as she cried. I boasted that I was to become the crown prince, but I couldn’t do something as simple as converse with her politely. It made me ashamed. It was the biggest failure of my life, and I can never allow anything like that to happen again.”

“I see… So that’s why you haven’t touched her outside of formal events ever since. You’re worried about being impolite,” I surmised.

“Exactly. No gentleman would dare touch a young lady without her permission. But…it’s not as if I don’t want to touch her. I long to feel the love we share through physical contact…”

His voice was barely a whisper by that last sentence, and his animal ears drooped sadly. Prince Adelberd had been worried about revealing his emotions through his tail, but his ears seemed to be just as expressive.

I empathized, sensing how strong his feelings for his fiancée were. There was something I needed to say to him.

“Why don’t you ask Lady Gridimore how she feels?”

“But what if she rejects me…?”

“That’s not what matters. The most important part is that you’re making an effort to understand your partner’s preferences.”

“Wow, Siraiya. You’re actually pretty strong sometimes, aren’t you?”

“No… I’m not the strong one…” I trailed off and clutched my chest as it grew warm with memories of Cynthia’s bravery. “That’s what Cynthia does for me. She tells me she wants to kiss me, but I’m always unreasonable and insist that we wait until our wedding ceremony. There was once a time that I couldn’t even say no to my family, but when I refuse something now, Cynthia always respects it. I’m sure Lady Gridimore felt that same respect when you denied her in the past.”

“…You’re right. If I’m too scared to approach her, I don’t give her a chance to say no. I should learn how to respect a ‘no’ from Estellise, even if I feel embarrassed hearing it.” Prince Adelberd sighed, relieved of his burden. “I’ll speak with Estellise tomorrow.”

The crown prince was in high spirits. On the other hand, his brother was just as pale in the face as before.

“I’m jealous that Cynthia loves you. If she loved me…I wouldn’t have made those mistakes…”

Mistakes? What mistakes?

I didn’t know what he was talking about, but before I could ask, Prince Rutherford went back to his futon and pulled the covers over his head.

Chapter 7: A Special Delivery

Chapter 7: A Special Delivery

“GOOD luck today, Lady Estellise!”

“Thank you, Cynthia! I’m going to make this mission a success!”

It was finally time for Lady Estellise to set out on her “lovey-dovey mission” with Prince Adelberd. Her strategy contained no tricks or underhanded tactics. Lady Estellise simply needed to muster up a bit of courage to create an environment where she and her fiancé could flirt.

“All right. Once we finish breakfast, we’ll head to the boys’ room to socialize. As soon as the mood seems right, I’ll lead Siraiya and Prince Rutherford out of the—”

Just then, a knock came at our door.

“My lady, a delivery from your parents has just arrived at the resort.”

I didn’t know they were sending me something. What could this be?

The employees carried a large crate into my room. The princes’ guards had already inspected the contents and resealed it, so I opened the delivery for the second time.

“It’s…!”

The box was packed full of various animal costumes.

✶✶✶

“THE main marketplace in the Rhuddlan territory is going to hold an animal festival…?”

“That’s right. As a tourist destination, we hold some sort of festival just about every month, but I’m told the two-week-long fireworks festival that was supposed to start today has been changed to an animal festival at the last minute, and guests are now invited to dress up.”

I’d asked the men to join us so that they could see the crate’s contents too.

The unexpected delivery contained headbands with animal ears, bows, hats, tail accessories, and gloves with soft claws attached. There were also masks with simple depictions of various animal faces.

“That was all their letter said. However, I believe these are…”

The festival was most likely changed at the last minute as a way of ensuring Prince Adelberd’s safety. Even if His Royal Highness was spotted with animal ears, it could be easily explained as part of the ongoing festival in the area.

Prince Adelberd took a pair of rabbit ears out of the crate. When he finally spoke, I could hear the deep admiration in his voice. “I’m truly indebted to Viscount Rhuddlan for his generosity. He arranged all of this for me just three weeks after learning of my condition. Only a truly capable man could change an entire festival in such a short amount of time. Now I understand how a viscount managed to amass a fortune rivaling those of the highest-ranking nobles.”

Prince Adelberd had worked out the true intention of the festival. I felt proud to hear him praise my father so highly. However, Mother probably participated in the planning as well. There was almost nothing my parents couldn’t do when they worked together. It almost felt miraculous.

“I’m honored by your praise for my father. He’s had a lot of experience finding the most talented workers available, so I’m sure they played a big role in this as well. Of course, he’s never had to change an entire festival in such a short window of time, either. I may be his daughter, but I’m almost as startled as you are.”

There would be no point in holding this animal festival if the residents of the Rhuddlan territory didn’t dress up too. Father had probably hired many craftsmen to make sure there were enough costumes for all the attendees. I pictured all the tailors in our territory working in secret to manufacture those costumes. The rest of our hot spring resorts were probably also selling these costumes and advertising the festival.

Everyone’s willingness to comply with the sudden change was proof of how well Father governed this land. I was so happy that the others got to witness my family’s brilliant accomplishment. Siraiya was smiling proudly as well.

“The people of this land wouldn’t be able to hold festivals if they were impoverished or overworked,” he said. “Mother and Father prioritize the people of this territory, and that’s why they’re doing well for themselves and will help with sudden requests like this. I learn so much from Mother and Father, who possess an endless love for everyone in their lives.” 

“That’s exactly right, Siraiya.”

I was even happier to hear Siraiya taking pride in my parents as well. I gently wrapped both of my arms around one of his. He responded in kind by reaching down and touching my hand.

We weren’t yet married, but we were already family.

Suddenly, I felt an intense gaze coming from Lady Estellise. I looked over and found her clutching her flushed cheeks. I instantly knew she was imagining herself and Prince Adelberd linking arms like Siraiya and me. She’s so cute.

But then I noticed Prince Adelberd’s eyes on us, too. His expression was somewhat similar to Lady Estellise’s, while Prince Rutherford looked away angrily. What’s going on with them?

More importantly, I need to get things moving so that Lady Estellise can proceed with the mission.

“Father sent these costumes so you can disguise yourself, Your Royal Highness. I’ll store them in an empty room for now, since we won’t be attending the festival. Now, why don’t we all have breakfast, and after that we can play a board game or—”

“You mean we aren’t going to the festival?” Prince Adelberd cut me off mid-sentence.

Going to the festival meant Prince Adelberd, this country’s crown prince, would have to walk the crowded city streets. Lady Estellise would definitely join him, and I imagined Prince Rutherford being eager to attend with his older brother, too. If I had no choice but to keep an eye on them, Siraiya wasn’t going to stay behind and leave all the work to me.

But that meant a mixed group of royalty and high-ranking nobility—excluding me—going out in public.

“Is it safe for you to go into town…?” I asked.

I was taken aback, but Prince Adelberd twirled a pair of rabbit ears in his hand calmly as he responded. “It’s a rare occurrence, but the royal family will occasionally disguise ourselves as commoners and head out into the capital. The only condition is that we stay near our guards, who also remain disguised. We can’t run around and do whatever we please in town, but it’s still an opportunity to have quite a bit of fun.”

“I had no idea…”

“We go and conduct observations throughout town as part of our official duties, but in those cases, the citizens are on their best behavior around us. Sometimes we need to find ways to observe how our people truly live, without the lens of royalty distorting things.”

Prince Adelberd approached Lady Estellise and quietly placed the rabbit ears on her purple hair.

It isn’t exactly “physical contact,” but that’s quite a leap forward, isn’t it? Lady Estellise’s eyes went wide, and she stared up at the prince.

“You look adorable, Estellise. Would you like to attend the festival with me?”

“…Adelberd… Yes, of course I would.”

Lady Estellise looked embarrassed, but I could tell she was incredibly pleased. Prince Adelberd blushed in my presence for the first time.

The two made for such a cute, innocent couple. I was so eager to support them on their date that I couldn’t stop myself from crying out. “Let’s all go together!” I accidentally shouted.

✶✶✶

AFTER the guards took a preliminary look at the festival, they reported that only a few attendees were in costumes, though the festival had only just begun. There was going to be a fireworks show at night, as originally planned, so perhaps more attendees would show up in costumes by then.

Prince Adelberd donned a small mask that covered only his eyes. That was the extent of his costume, though he also wore a hooded cloak just to be safe. Lady Estellise dressed as a rabbit, while Prince Rutherford would be attending with a pair of bear ears.

I hadn’t recognized his ears at first. When I asked him if he was a mouse, he yelled, “I’m a bear, obviously! Bears are strong and fearless, just like me!” Prince Rutherford was still at the age when he aspired to grow up big and strong, it seemed.

The guards attending the festival with us would be Prince Adelberd’s long-standing personal guard and two other royal guards, all of whom knew of his situation. Prince Rutherford would also be taking a royal guard, and one of Lady Estellise’s bodyguards was to join us as well.

It had turned into quite the crowd, but this was still much smaller than what our entourage would have looked like under normal circumstances. Our escorts changed into animal costumes as well so as not to stand out in town.

Siraiya asked me to pick a costume for him. After some serious thought, I decided to give him a pair of dog ears.

“Hehe! How cute,” I giggled.

When he leaned down to let me put the headband on, I patted his head, as he really looked like a big, friendly dog. Siraiya’s cheeks flushed pink, but then Prince Rutherford interrupted our special moment.

“‘Cute?’ He’s way too big to be called that.”

“Siraiya is incredibly cute. I’d love to own a puppy as big and adorable as him.”

“I wouldn’t mind being your pet, Cynthia. You could chain me up and lock me in a room, and I’d still be happy.”

I gulped when Siraiya said that with such a spellbound look in his eyes.

“I-I would never! I want you to experience the world with me!”

I quickly redirected him before he could expose even more of his yandere side. That was close! He’s usually so peaceful, it’s easy to forget that I can’t let my guard down.

Siraiya’s character was designed with the disposition to become a yandere under the right circumstances.

“I’ll go anywhere you like, Cynthia. I’ll be an obedient dog who does whatever you ask of me.”

That still sounded a bit questionable, but I felt like I’d gotten him back on track…sort of. I knew he was still saying things like that because of all the bullying he endured from his family. That just meant I needed to continue pouring all of my love into Siraiya so that we could live happily out in the big, vast world that was now available to him.

“…Hmph. You’re just saying whatever you think Lady Cynthia wants to hear. Would you jump off a bridge if she told you to?”

“I would gladly die for Cynthia’s sake.”

“I’m not going to ask that of you!” I cried.

Please don’t get him off track again right after I set things straight! Prince Rutherford was much more open and honest around me now, but he continued to snap at Siraiya whenever he had the opportunity. Their relationship hadn’t improved at all, even though they were on a first-name basis now.

“I need to decide on my own costume, too,” I said, hoping to redirect the conversation. “Let’s see. What should I pick…?”

Just as I peeked into the crate of costumes, Siraiya and Prince Rutherford grabbed the exact same item and held it up to me. “Wear this!” they cried in unison. They were oddly in sync on this despite their tense relationship. They were holding a headband with white wings and a red crest attached at the top.

“You think of me as a chicken?!”

“No, you’re an angel!”

Again, both of them responded in perfect unison.

They don’t get along, but their minds are completely in sync?

The item was clearly modeled after a chicken, but the red crest looked like it would match my already red hair, so I decided not to protest. With that, my head gained a brand new pair of wings.

Chapter 8: Making Memories with Friends

Chapter 8: Making Memories with Friends

“IT’S more crowded than I expected!”

We’d come to the liveliest marketplace in all the Rhuddlan territory. The festival turned out to be much more popular than the guards had described.

Stalls were set up to sell animal costumes—some of them of incredibly high quality. We would have the perfect excuse if anyone caught sight of Prince Adelberd’s cat ears. It’s only the first day, so maybe they’ll be selling full-body costumes after a few more days…

That sounded like it could be a lot of fun, too. Perhaps we could even design a mascot character for the town—someone to greet tourists in one of those full-body costumes. With the Rhuddlan territory being famous for its honey, a bee character would be a smart choice.

I took in all the different festival stalls, my mind occupied with thoughts of animal costumes, when Prince Adelberd’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“A lot of these stalls sell sweets. I’d like to try something that uses that famous Rhuddlan honey.”

“Don’t have too many, Adelberd,” Lady Estellise interjected. “Let’s set a limit to three desserts, okay?”

“Only three…? That isn’t very many. I’ll have to think about it carefully.” Prince Adelberd scrutinized the stalls, deep in thought after Lady Estellise’s request.

Maybe he likes sweets after all.

Prince Adelberd and Siraiya were enemies in the dating sim. It seemed that, since Siraiya liked spicy foods, Prince Adelberd’s palate was the exact opposite of his, too.

“Let Lady Cynthia pick them out for you, Big Brother. It’s her family’s territory, after all.”

“That’s a good point. What do you recommend, Lady Cynthia?”

“Since we’ll be walking around the festival, it’s easiest to eat things that won’t leave you stuck carrying garbage. How does pizza sound?” I suggested. “Pizza with cheese and honey is particularly delicious.”

“All right. Pizza it is.”

Once Prince Adelberd agreed, his personal guard set off for the pizza stall right away. He’d already surveyed the entire festival and memorized the locations of each stall. This personal guard took on any odd jobs assigned to him, leaving the palace guards in charge of our protection.

Every food stall, including the pizza stand, was advertising a discount to any customers dressed in animal costumes. That was probably to encourage as many attendees as possible to dress up for this new event. My family would either cover these discounted items or offer some other kind of benefit to the shopkeepers in exchange. I could sense all the help and the special measures my mother and father offered the townsfolk to make the festival a success.

I was mentally boasting of my parents’ wonderful efforts when Prince Adelberd’s guard returned with six slices of pizza.

“Thank you.”

I tried to take a slice from the guard, but he stopped me, cut a piece from my portion, and stuck it in his mouth. Only after chewing and swallowing the bite did he hold the slice out for me to take.

“You had to test it for poison…?”

Prince Adelberd took his slice as he replied to me. “He would usually wait a bit after trying the first bite, but that would make us stand out in this crowd. I’m glad we get to eat while they’re still hot.”

I see. The strict rules around Prince Adelberd’s food would make it difficult to poison him. Perhaps someone was forced to turn to the limited-time event… or rather, the cursed book to harm him instead.

Of course, that was only one possibility of many. Maybe I really had messed up the progression of the game, causing the prince to sprout cat ears when he wasn’t supposed to. Actually, that would make me the true culprit in this mess…

The pizza stall had been set up in front of the owners’ actual pizza restaurant, which meant our slices came straight from their outdoor oven. I savored the appetizing scent of the dough, then took my first bite, enjoying how the sweet honey tasted when paired with the salty cheese of the pizza.

The others finished their slices just as quickly as I did. But Siraiya still had about half of his left. He didn’t like sweet foods, and he couldn’t eat that much honey in one sitting.

“Is that as far as you can go, Siraiya?” I asked, keeping my voice quiet.

“No… I’ll manage.”

Despite that response, I knew the pizza was too sweet for him. He probably could have finished it with enough time, but I felt bad about making him walk around the festival carrying food he didn’t like.

“You know the Rhuddlan territory is renowned for its honey, but you won’t eat it? What kind of fiancé are you? I love honey!” The bear—Prince Rutherford—boasted of this preference for some reason.

He likes honey? That really fits his costume. Prince Adelberd liked sweets too, so I made up my mind to send them both honey from the Rhuddlan territory after this was all over.

“It doesn’t bother me,” I said. “Everyone is allowed to have their likes and dislikes.”

“But he’s right. I’m a disgraceful fiancé who can’t finish a single slice of pizza served with Rhuddlan honey,” Siraiya pouted.

“If we’re going to be together forever, then I’ll always be around to finish any food you don’t like.” I approached Siraiya, my cheeks already burning hot from what I was about to say. But the prospect of flirting with him was too appealing. “Will you feed the rest to me?”

“…Ngh!”

Siraiya turned bright red. His shoulders lurched, and he bit down on his bottom lip, but he slowly brought the slice of pizza to my mouth. I finished Siraiya’s slice one bite at a time. Once I was done, he smiled shyly and thanked me.

“D-… Disgraceful!”

Prince Rutherford was blushing even more furiously than Siraiya. Maybe he’s a bit too young to see things like this.

Prince Adelberd looked at us with an unconcerned expression, but Lady Estellise was blushing too. We’re flirting so shamelessly; surely it should be easy for her to ask her fiancé to hold hands.

I found her eyes and gave her an encouraging look. “Now it’s your turn!” I mentally cheered. Lady Estellise responded with a firm nod.

“…Adelberd! May we hold…?”

But despite that determination, Lady Estellise barely raised her voice above a whisper. If I hadn’t been paying attention, those words would have blended in with the sounds of the festival going on around us.

Prince Adelberd turned away from her, clearly missing his fiancée’s invitation. I watched as Lady Estellise’s shoulders slumped dramatically.

“Let’s go see what they’re doing over there,” he said. “It looks interesting.”

I followed the prince’s eyes and saw a gathering in an open area of the marketplace. A group of people in animal costumes was playing instruments and dancing.

It’s all right. You can recover from this. I was just about to console Lady Estellise when Prince Adelberd turned back to face her.

“Would you like to hold hands, Estellise?”

Lady Estellise gulped. I was almost as shocked as she was. I really believed Prince Adelberd hadn’t heard her, so I never expected to hear the exact same question come from his mouth.

“I won’t be offended if you say no,” he said. “I’ll respect your choice, but if it’s all right, I’d like us to share more physical contact outside of formal settings. That way, it will be just for the two of us.”

“Adelberd…!”

In the end, we’d worried for nothing. Just as Lady Estellise wanted to be closer to Prince Adelberd, Prince Adelberd wanted to be closer to her.

“Of course… I’d like that very much…!”

She extended her hand. Prince Adelberd took it.

“Estellise… Thank you for this.”

Prince Adelberd had an honest, heartfelt smile—not the usual fake one he maintained for politeness. We let them walk hand-in-hand ahead of us so as not to intrude on their moment. Then I took Siraiya’s hand.

“Shall we join them?”

“Yes.”

Siraiya squeezed my hand back. We headed toward the merry sounds of the musical performance.

We were used to the sort of dancing practiced by nobles in high society, so this commoner form of dance was intriguing and entertaining to us.

Once we were told that anyone could participate, Siraiya and I imitated the dance style. Prince Adelberd and Lady Estellise also enjoyed their first-ever dance just for the two of them, not as a political measure to show the world they were on good terms.

Like any teenage boy, Prince Rutherford was too embarrassed to dance on his own. But I didn’t want the opportunity to go to waste, so when I pulled him into our circle, the prince smiled, even as he danced somewhat stiffly.

Surrounded by strangers, their faces obscured by masks, the five of us danced, sang, and made merry with the townsfolk.

✶✶✶

THERE were all sorts of events held throughout the festival. A popular circus had set up its show, a few stalls sold adorable animal plushies, and a puppet show with marionettes captivated me with its deep, mature story.

I’d wanted to try more food that wasn’t sweet, but time passed too quickly.

“The sun is going to set soon. Once it’s dark outside, the last event for today will be the fireworks show.” I gazed at the orange sky, a bit melancholic. The festival would last for two weeks, but I was pretty sure the five of us wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience it together again like today.

“I know what we should do before we leave.” As Prince Adelberd said that, he turned to look at the ring toss game.

The goal of the game was to throw rings at the prize of your choice, and anyone who landed one on their target would win that prize. Although the rings seemed hastily designed with white wings and red crests that resembled those of chickens. That was probably the best they could do given that the festival’s theme was changed so unexpectedly.

“They’re throwing Cynthias…”

“I’m not a chicken, Siraiya.” I corrected my fiancé before answering Prince Adelberd. “That’s a good idea. If we win something, we’ll be able to go home with keepsakes from the festival.”

“Which prize do you want, Cynthia?” Siraiya probably wanted to win something for me once he heard how eager I was. That was just who he was as a person.

“Let me see… The tiny plushies are cute, but I really like that ring, too.”

“The ring…?”

I pointed at the star-shaped ring—a piece of jewelry made for children. It was far too cheap to wear in public as a noblewoman, but I wanted it as a keepsake, not an addition to my wardrobe. I would keep it in my jewelry box and look at it every now and then, recalling the fond memories of this special day we all shared.

“Wait, I’m going to win that one. I had my eye on it from the start.”

But Prince Adelberd stepped in and interrupted. He was already holding one of the rings for tossing. That was quick… I bet he wants to win it for Lady Estellise.

“Wait, Big Brother! I’ll win it instead!”

For some reason, Prince Rutherford had joined the challenge. Perhaps he was at a particularly competitive age.

The two Elzerian princes and the young duke were now fighting for the same prize. They glared at each other, refusing to give in, then simultaneously tossed all their rings toward the prize at once.

…Actually, only two rings were tossed, for some reason.

“What’s wrong, Siraiya?” I asked.

He’d gone through the motions of throwing it but never actually let go. His arms trembled, and he struggled to get his words out.

“I could never toss you away, Cynthia…!”

“Again, that isn’t me, Siraiya.”

He just couldn’t unsee the chicken-themed ring as me. He was sweating and bleary-eyed like this was a terrible hardship, but after much effort, the ring finally left his hands—only to fall weakly at his feet.

Meanwhile, Prince Adelberd and Prince Rutherford had tossed a few rings by this point. After timing their throws to knock each other’s rings away, the fearsome battle eventually concluded with Prince Adelberd as the victor. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the game’s main love interest. He really excelled at competitions like these.

His Royal Highness claimed his prize, took Lady Estellise’s left hand, and asked her if he could put the ring on her finger. Lady Estellise nodded eagerly.

“I don’t think it will fit anywhere but your pinky finger.”

It was a child’s ring, so there was no getting around it. Lady Estellise brought her other hand up to clutch the adorable ring on her pinky and murmured, “I’ll cherish this.”

Crown princes had rings that were passed down to their wives throughout generations. Lady Estellise would wear it herself someday, but now she also had this star-shaped ring—something special that belonged only to her and Prince Adelberd.

For that reason, I was glad the ring had ended up in their hands.

“I wish I could have won it… You said you wanted a keepsake and everything. I’m sorry; I’m so worthless.” Siraiya was still clutching his remaining rings. I didn’t want this experience to become a source of pain, so I quickly searched for something that would ease his worries.

“It’s all right. We’ll be able to come back to any Rhuddlan festival we want, so there are still plenty more memories for us to make together.”

“You’re right… We have our entire futures ahead of us.”

Siraiya and I exchanged smiles. From behind me, Prince Rutherford muttered, “What’s with you two…?”

I turned around to find the young prince sulking.

“Siraiya, may I try throwing the rest of your rings?” I asked.

“Of course.”

He handed me his rings. I ran my eyes over the rows of prizes.

I found my target on the nearest shelf and tossed the ring, managing to snag it on my first try. I’d scored a tiny plushie small enough to sit in the palm of my hand—a bear holding a pot of honey. These were common souvenirs found throughout the Rhuddlan territory, which was probably why it was so easy to win.

“For you.” I held the tiny plushie out for Prince Rutherford. I watched as he cocked his head.

“Why do you think I need a stuffed animal…?”

“Because it’s a bear. What’s the harm in taking it? Think of it as a memento of our newfound friendship.”

“…Fine. Thank you…”

He didn’t sound very pleased, but the faint tint to his cheeks and the look in his eyes as he gazed at the bear told me that Prince Rutherford was actually happy with his gift.

Prince Rutherford was a member of the royal family, which meant he couldn’t come and enjoy the Rhuddlan territory as frequently as Siraiya and I. I hoped he would feel less lonely now that he had a keepsake from the trip to take home with him.

Suddenly, a boom shook the ground, followed by a loud chorus of cheers.

The fireworks show had started, casting beautiful colors over the nearby sea—the source of our territory’s plentiful seafood. We were close enough to the fireworks that we could feel them reverberating in our bones.

Siraiya and I couldn’t peel our eyes away. We watched as the second firework shot overhead, bloomed in the night sky, and dissipated into nothingness.

“So beautiful.”

“It really is.”

Siraiya echoed my impressions in the brief silence between detonations. I pictured the rest of my life being just like it was in this moment—Siraiya at my side, always there to answer my offhand remarks.

That thrilled me. Just then, I realized that Prince Adelberd and Lady Estellise were nuzzled up against each other as they looked up at the sky. The two had managed to act lovey-dovey all day thanks to a shared desire for more physical contact.

I was so happy for Lady Estellise. Then, the two turned toward each other, leaned in…and kissed.

“A ki-…!!”

I brought my hand to my mouth before I could cry out. Before we set out for this festival, they weren’t even holding hands without explicit permission. Now, it only took a simple exchange of glances before they knew it was time to go in for a kiss. I could hardly believe how quickly their relationship had progressed.

I’m happy for them, but doesn’t this mean they’ve grown as a couple even more than Siraiya and me?

I turned to look at my fiancé, only to find him covering his face with both hands. He must have seen them too. I felt myself fall in love all over again with the beet-red, bashful man at my side—although I also worried whether he would even be capable of kissing me at our wedding ceremony.

I nuzzled up against my adorable partner and watched the fireworks bloom in the night sky overhead.

Chapter 9: Light and Shadow (Rutherford’s Perspective)

Chapter 9: Light and Shadow (Rutherford’s Perspective)

EVERYONE was looking up at the fireworks show above us. I watched, too, for a while, but then… I noticed something. Almost everyone watching the show was nuzzled up against either their lover or a family member.

I knew there had to be people who were alone, too, but everywhere I looked, I could only see townsfolk enjoying blissful moments with significant others. My stomach boiled with envy. I didn’t have anyone in my life like that. Ever since my birth, no one had left a special place in their heart for me and me alone.

I gazed at her red hair, glowing in the bit of light coming from the nearby food stalls. She wasn’t going to look my way—not until the fireworks were over. But if she had just looked at me… If she had just loved me… I would have never made the mistakes I did.

“This way, Your Highness,” my guard whispered into my ear.

I squeezed my small bear plushie before following in the direction he was gesturing. I turned back once, hoping Lady Cynthia would notice I was leaving, but she kept her eyes up on the sky, never letting go of Siraiya’s hand.

I was horribly jealous. If only I had someone at my side to hold my hand like that… Maybe they would have stopped me from leaving.

I stepped into the dark alleyway and found a familiar man waiting for me. He was one of the guards I was supposed to have sent home.

“She wants to know if you found the book.”

He glared at me. I squeezed the bear in my hand and glared right back, refusing to let him get the better of me.

“Not yet. Don’t rush this, or else Big Brother will get suspicious.”

“But I need to bring her good news as soon as possible.”

“I know that!”

Angered, I raised my voice as much as possible without being overheard. The man and the other guard stood opposite me and stared me down.

“…You’re not thinking of double-crossing us, are you?”

“What?!”

It was unthinkable for a prince’s guards to question him like this.

“You’re here to protect me, aren’t you?” I thought about answering with a question of my own, but then I stopped. These men were employed by her, not me. My words had no power over them.

“…Of course not. Just tell her the search is underway.” I practically spat those words at them, then I left the alleyway, rushing to return to Lady Cynthia.

By the time I finally spotted that red hair, the last of the fireworks had already faded into the dark sky.

My happy day was over.

“…Lady Cynthia.”

“Yes?”

She turned around when I called her name. That alone was enough to light a faint hope inside of me. Maybe it’s not too late to turn back.

“I have… something else I’d like to talk to you about. Can we speak privately tomorrow, before nightfall?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to disrespect Siraiya, so I don’t believe we should meet in private any longer. Would you allow Siraiya to join us? He’s a good listener, so perhaps he could be of help.”

Her smile was brighter than any fireworks. But I’d exhausted the time she was willing to share with me. My few mere days of happiness had run dry.

“…No, never mind. Forget it.”

On the way home, the sky was pitch black—devoid of any color.

✶✶✶

“IT’S time for your punishment, Rutherford.”

“…I thought you’d forgotten.”

Big Brother said that to me the next morning. I was supposed to do my punishment from the drinking game the day before, but our plans changed when we went to the festival unexpectedly. I was hoping he’d just forget about my punishment if I kept my mouth shut, but I was naive.

“When I asked Lady Cynthia, she said the forest in the back is made of naturally growing trees, and it’s not part of the property that they manage. That means you can climb any of them you want,” he teased.

“You already looked into all that…?”

Big Brother was eager to get this done. Or rather, I was the one who would actually be doing it. Big Brother used to make me play all kinds of dangerous games like this when we were kids. I was forced to slide down a steep hill, try to sprint across bodies of water, and catch potentially poisonous bugs with my bare hands.

Big Brother used to do the exact same things, but only because he wanted to. I did my best to keep up with him because I didn’t want him to think of me as a coward. I remembered how pale the guards looked as they chased both princes around in a panic. It was a nostalgic memory now.

But…climbing a tree was the one thing I never did…

“Are you really going to do this? Please be careful not to get hurt.”

Big Brother, Siraiya, and I went to the back of the inn and found Lady Cynthia and Elder Sister there as well. Big Brother brought the two guards who knew about his ears with us, too, just to be safe.

Everyone else was busy eating breakfast. Although we’d be swarmed with guards if the rest of them found out I was about to try climbing a tree. The two guards who came with us were only just figuring that out. They tried to reason with Big Brother, but he talked them out of stopping us.

It would have been a different story if my guards were the ones with us. My will meant nothing to them—only hers. I doubted they would let me persuade them of anything.

“This is the tree. It must’ve been struck by lightning long ago. Look how the center splits, branching off into thick limbs on either side. That makes it perfect for climbing.”

When did Big Brother turn into a tree-climbing expert? He looked up at the big tree, stroking his chin in appreciation.

“Let’s climb, shall we? I’m excited. It’s been years since I did this.”

“You’re climbing too, Big Brother?!” I cried.

“Of course. I’d be setting a bad example if I just sat here and watched you do something so dangerous.”

Then why force me to climb it in the first place? No, I bet he just wants an excuse to climb a tree again.

“All right, I’ll go first. I’ll be waiting for you at the top,” he said.

“You haven’t climbed a tree in a long time, Big Brother, so you should probably take it…”

Before I could finish my sentence, Big Brother crouched down, jumped up into the air, and landed on a thick branch that was higher off the ground than any of our heads.

“What?! What did you just do?!” I cried out, startled by the inhuman way he moved. But Big Brother strolled across the tree branch like it was nothing.

“It looks like I have some new physical abilities, too. Being an animal isn’t so bad after all, is it? Now come and join me up here, Rutherford, Siraiya.”

“You want me to come, too…? Are you certain you understand the purpose of a game penalty, Prince Adelberd…?” Siraiya asked.

“Siraiya, Rutherford, which of you will make it to me first? Come and show off for the beautiful ladies who’re watching us.”

As soon as we heard that taunt, Siraiya and I both gulped. I refused to let my rival in love get the better of me. I knew Big Brother was trying to get us fired up, but we didn’t care. The competition had already begun.

“Damn it…! It’s more slippery than I thought.”

I was fully motivated to climb that tree. But I was also the first to run into trouble.

I’d given up on trying to keep up with Big Brother, but was I really not good enough to keep up with Siraiya either?

What the hell is with this guy, anyway? He got the top grades in school, he won his very first dressage competition, everyone calls him the hardworking and earnest young duke, but worst of all, he has the love of Lady Cynthia. You’re telling me he can climb trees, too?! Is there anything Siraiya can’t do?!

“…Here, take my hand, Prince Rutherford.”

“Sh-Shut up! I don’t need your pity!”

I didn’t want his help. He was pissing me off, so I lashed out at him.

“It’s not pity… We’ll have a problem if you get hurt, that’s all…”

“Keep your concerns to yourself…! Wh-Whoa!”

Maybe it was because I was too focused on yelling, but before I knew it, I lost my grip on the tree. Siraiya grabbed my arm before I could even slip, pulling me up to his branch.

“I didn’t ask for your help… but…I appreciate it…”

I grit my teeth, defeated, but I had no choice but to accept the fact that Siraiya just stopped me from getting hurt. I mumbled out something resembling a “thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Your Highness.”

It was such a straightforward response, I almost wondered if he was trying to piss me off. Nervously, I looked down at the women, worried that Lady Cynthia had seen my disgrace. But Lady Cynthia and Elder Sister were sitting on a blanket spread out on the grass, engrossed in their books.

“They’re not even watching!” I shouted.

What was I fighting so hard for? Wait, I’m supposed to be doing my punishment.

“What, tired already? In that case, you only need to make it up to me.” Big Brother had climbed ahead of us already, but he came back down and sat on a branch only slightly above where Siraiya and I were standing. “Take a look, Rutherford. What a beautiful sight.”

“Ah… You’re right. You can see the ocean from here. It looks so pretty with the sunlight reflecting on it.”

It was gorgeous, but not enough to justify everything I went through to get there. I sure didn’t need to be in a tree to see the ocean.

“Do you remember when we were kids, how you always tried to do everything I asked of you? Even though so much of it was unreasonable. You were too adorable; I just couldn’t help myself.”

“You knew it was unreasonable?!”

“But climbing a tree is the one thing you never did. You clung to the trunk, slipped down every time you tried to climb up, and sobbed that you couldn’t do it when I called your name from up at the top.”

He’s right… That’s the one thing I couldn’t do.

I’d tried many times but couldn’t even reach the first branch. I remembered feeling so sad and lonely when my brother left me, easily scaling the tree from branch to branch. But I didn’t give up just because of that setback. After that day, I started practicing on my own, and once I was finally strong enough to do it…

“Then one day, you asked me to climb trees with you,” Big Brother said. “You said you’d finally learned how.”

“That’s right… But you told me you were done playing childish games… You never played with me again after that.”

“I remember. The time had come for me to grow into an adult. I was engaged to Estellise, and I felt ashamed of my half-hearted efforts to become the crown prince. I decided that I had to give up everything childish in my life.”

“…That was when you made Elder Sister cry?”

I see. So that’s what did it.

I understood how Big Brother felt now that I was older, but back then, it seemed like he wanted nothing to do with me all of a sudden. It broke my heart. I cried for days, wondering if I’d done something to offend my brother. The feeling of having no one else in the world left me in despair.

I became desperate for human interaction…so I did something out of character. I lied, said I wanted to be the crown prince, and formed a faction around me. But in the end, they saw me as a pawn and nothing more. My loneliness only grew.

“Did you see the view from the castle trees once you finally climbed them?” he asked. “You can see all of Elzeria sprawling out over the castle walls.”

“Elzeria…? No, I was so happy about getting to the top, I didn’t even think to take in the view.”

“I see… Well, I guess it’s the exact same view you see from the second floor or higher in the castle. But when I climbed that tree, I saw it for the first time because of my own strength. That made me realize that I needed to straighten out my act. The last time we played together, do you remember what I said to you from the top of the tree?”

“No, I don’t…”

“‘One of us is going to rule over everything you can see from up here.’ I was really proud of those words. But you just kept crying. You told me you were too scared to rule the country and that you didn’t want to be king.”

“I…said that?”

I had no memory of it, but I squeezed my fists, embarrassed that a member of royalty could ever say something so pathetic. My unwillingness to be king hadn’t changed even after all these years. I didn’t remember saying those things to Big Brother, but I knew he wasn’t lying.

“That’s why I decided to become the king in your place,” he said. “I didn’t want my adorable little brother to go through even more fear because of me, so I decided to be the big brother you needed and make sure you would never have to be king.”

“It was for me…?”

I was completely lost for words. I’d always assumed that Big Brother wanted the throne for his own self-interest. I thought he was after power like she was. Then, once I heard what happened between him and Elder Sister, I decided he probably wanted to make it up to her by working really hard.

But…all of that work was for my sake, too?

“Although that motivation changed once I got engaged to Estellise, so I forgot all about it until now.”

So I got all emotional for nothing… When I scowled, Big Brother smiled at me. It was that same compassionate smile he used to give me when we were kids.

“You asked me if you were unworthy of being by my side, but I didn’t understand what you meant. There’s never been a moment that I didn’t feel your presence here with me, after all. You’ve worked so hard to be my equal and rival me for the throne, I forgot my initial motivations just trying to keep up with you,” he admitted.

“I… I’m not…”

I’m not worthy of praise—not like you make it sound. I was only doing what I had to do to bring more people into my life, hoping to ease the loneliness of being abandoned by my brother.

“I’m the older brother, so I’ve been working hard to take the lead and stay one step ahead of you. But you were always just on the verge of catching up to me the second I let my guard down. You’ve been the rival at my side ever since we were little, always trying to surpass me. I wanted to prove that I was strong, too. That’s why I did so many reckless things, even though I knew they were dangerous.”

With that, Big Brother smiled a bit sadly. It was the same smile he used to get when I carried out one of his absurd dares back when we were kids. I always thought he was just annoyed by me taking so long, but I was wrong. It was an anxious smile—anxious that his little brother would never let him get too far ahead.

Big Brother turned to look at the ocean, so I couldn’t see his face.

“I don’t know what’s troubling you so badly, Rutherford, but you should be more confident. You’re the Adelberd’s little brother. You’re the foe I’ve had to fight off since we were children. You’re incredibly strong! I want you to stand at my side with your head held high, Rutherford Elzeria!”

When he said my name so firmly, I stood up as straight as a rod. I’d felt like I was on the verge of collapsing in on myself, but Big Brother’s words granted me a newfound spine of steel.

“…Big Brother!”

He had been watching me all along. I’d always been there in his life, even if I didn’t feel like it. I wasn’t alone. I was never alone.

Suddenly, my vision started to blur. The sparkling ocean was almost too bright to look at. I desperately tried to wipe the tears away with my sleeve while I cried out in a trembling voice, “You’re right…! Big Brother…!”

“…Would you like my handkerchief?” Siraiya quietly called out to me when he saw me staining my shirt with tears.

“Shut up! I told you, I don’t need your pity!”

“Yes, it is pity this time.”

“You little…!”

I couldn’t grab him by the collar while maintaining my balance on the branch. Fortunately, the anger I felt toward my rival in love made my tears dry up.

“You act as if nothing gets to you, but you see me as your rival for Lady Cynthia’s heart, don’t you?! Why don’t we stop with these games and tell each other what we’re really after!” I challenged him.

“You want me to be honest…?”

“It’s all right, Siraiya. I’ll allow you to show disrespect toward the royal family right now, so don’t hold back.”

Siraiya was conflicted. But when Big Brother interjected, I could tell he was amused.

“All right… In that case, I’ll be completely honest.”

Siraiya knew to behave around royalty. He’d proven that he felt animosity toward me but stopped short of insulting me or putting his anger on full display. But that changed with Big Brother’s permission. I glared at Siraiya, a bit nervous about what sort of venom he would unleash at me.

“Honestly… I don’t see you as my rival, Prince Rutherford.”

“…Excuse me? What the hell do you mean?! Are you saying I’m not good enough to be your rival?!”

“I am. Cynthia isn’t interested in boys as young as you. I’m certain she doesn’t see you as a man yet. When she looks at you, it’s the exact same way she looks at young children.”

“Wh-wh-wh…?”

What do you mean? That can’t possibly be true! I wanted to shout that at him, but I couldn’t do it. Cynthia treated me with compassion and warmth…exactly like she would if I were a much younger kid.

“Urk…!” I let out a grunt and hung my head. There was nothing else I could do. “Damn it… You don’t even see me as your rival…?”

All this time, I’d thought Siraiya and I were fighting each other for Lady Cynthia’s heart. But I was nothing more than a nuisance in Siraiya’s eyes. That newfound sense of confidence was instantly wiped away.

“Well, I do think of you as a threat,” he added.

“Don’t try to cheer me up!”

“No, I mean it. I have to be on guard around you, just like Prince Adelberd. You’ll probably be Cynthia’s type once you’re older. That future scares me so much that it made me jealous for the first time in my life. You’re a menacing man, Rutherford Elzeria.”

“You… You think… I’m menacing…?”

I’d never been called that before. Like a child, I repeated the unfamiliar word.

“That’s a compliment, Rutherford. Siraiya Brooke, the youngest duke in Elzerian history, sees you as a threat. I’d expect nothing less of my little brother. You’re still a kid, but you’ve accomplished great things.”

“Yes, you’re clearly skilled enough to build up an entire faction around you, even at such a young age. You stand out from your peers. Even though you’re still a child, I can’t let my guard down around you.”

“Stop treating me like a little kid! I know you’re doing that on purpose!”

I didn’t know whether they were praising me or poking fun at me, but either way, I was proud to hear such capable men approving of things I’d done. When I looked back out at the glittering ocean, a cool, refreshing sensation swelled in my chest.

“You’ll see. I’m going to grow up in no time…”

I muttered under my breath, realizing that I couldn’t remember the last time I looked forward to the future. A smile had formed on my face before I could even stop it.

✶✶✶

“BETWEEN the festival and the tree climbing, we’ve really put our guards on edge. How about we be on our best behavior for a little while? We can stay indoors, lazing around in our pajamas and wasting as much time as we please.”

We’d come back inside and changed into yukata when Big Brother suggested that. He was sprawled out on the tatami flooring.

“…I thought you came here because you were in crisis, but to my eyes, you’re just enjoying a nice vacation.”

I knew that Big Brother tried his best to hide his frustrations from others… But I wasn’t sure how well that excuse fit the situation. He’d bathed in the hot spring, indulged in food and liquor, attended a festival, climbed a tree, and now he was lazing around without a care in the world.

I doubted he’d ever had such a nice, relaxing vacation before.

“Well, making a big commotion won’t solve anything. Of course, I am hoping there will be some sort of development soon…”

“What will you do if you’re forced to live like this for the rest of your life?”

Siraiya, who’d also changed into a yukata, asked Big Brother that. At this rate, it wasn’t just his position as crown prince that was at risk. He might not even get to live a normal life if he kept his cat ears and tail.

I went silent and listened, since I’d been wondering that, too.

“…When the time came, I think I’d have to have them removed. I’m lucky that my animal parts are only on the outside. I’ll chop the ears and tail off, hide the wounds, and pretend like it never even happened.”

Cut them off…? That’s horrible.

“But you can feel them like any other extremity, right, Big Brother? What if cutting them off hurts you somehow?”

“I don’t know what will happen either.” He shrugged. “Will I live out the remainder of my life in horrible pain? Will everything just go back to normal? Will I…pass away as soon as I cut them off?”

“No…!”

Big Brother remained sprawled out on the ground, speaking of his own death. It upset me much more than it seemed to upset him. I didn’t want to lose my brother—especially not after I finally knew how he really felt. He was someone I dearly cared for. He’d given me a place at his side ever since we were children.

“B-Big Brother… You see… I…”

I needed to tell him what I knew. But I couldn’t get the words out. Once I told him, she would be…

“What is it, Rutherford?”

“…N-No, it’s…nothing.”

After I mumbled and looked down at my feet, Big Brother sat up and gazed out the window.

“But that’ll only be my last resort. We’re still searching for information about this curse, and we’ll only have to wait a little longer for your connections to bring us information. Since I can’t go around doing my own research in this state, nor can I work on my crown prince’s duties while I’m supposed to be receiving medical treatment, I have no choice but to wait for now, and I’d rather spend this time enjoying myself instead of letting fear make me its prisoner. Especially if I’m expelled from the country in the near future, or if I don’t have long left to live.”

He was justifying his laziness, but I could hear it in his voice. He knew what was coming and was ready to face it.

Big Brother was going to die or be expelled from the country.

I knew my brother, and I was certain he was picturing the worst possible outcomes, even as he kept his composure. If it were me in his shoes, I would’ve been a wreck. It was yet another reminder that he would make a much better king than I.

“I sent a letter to my connections in Sanctoria, but they haven’t found much, so I don’t expect them to come up with an answer,” I said. “Is there anything else you can share with us…?”

“Like what?”

Big Brother was still gazing out the window, sounding unconcerned. I tried my best not to let him hear how nervous I was.

“Like what you were doing when your ears appeared…or…something you think could’ve caused this…”

“A potential cause?”

“A-Anything will help. Please tell me if you think of anything!”

“You’re really eager to help me, aren’t you, Rutherford?”

He finally turned to look at me. Then he smiled at me softly.

We’d spent so much time on opposing sides of a made-up conflict, but now, we could smile at each other again like true brothers. I needed to do something if I wanted this happiness to last.

“Of course, Big Brother. We’re family. Now, did you touch something when the curse first activated?”

“…I’d just picked up a strange book in the palace library. I assumed it was something new we’d added to the collection, so I didn’t think anything of it. But then it happened as soon as I opened it.”

“A book…! Where is that book now?!”

Big Brother raised his hand and snapped his fingers. I’d seen this gesture many times since we were kids. At his command, Big Brother’s personal guard entered the room and pulled a book from his bag—a bag I noticed he’d been carrying around with him during our stay.

“This is it.”

“He’s been keeping it on him…?”

“Well, it’s important evidence.”

“May I see it…?”

“Sure, just don’t open it. You don’t want to end up like me, do you?”

“R-Right…” I carefully took the book from him. It didn’t have a title, but I knew this had to be the book she’d told me about. “Big Brother… May I keep this for a while?”

“Didn’t I just tell you it’s important evidence?”

“I know that! I won’t do anything stupid with it! I promise you, I’ll use this to fix things!”

“Hmm…”

When he sighed, deliberating how to respond, I pushed him a bit further.

“As your little brother, I’m not going to let you down.”

“…All right. You’re my brilliant brother, after all. I’m counting on you, Rutherford.”

“Of course!”

“My brilliant brother.” I refused to let him down now. I was ready to do everything in my power to make sure that…

“I’m going to leave the inn for a while, Big Brother, but I promise to return with good news!”

I stood up and made that declaration to him. As soon as he nodded back, I rushed out of the room, eager to reach my destination as soon as possible. But that was when I ran straight into Lady Cynthia, who was carrying some sort of bottle.

“Prince Rutherford? What’s the matter? What are you holding there…?”

“Lady Cynthia…”

Her red hair fluttered. She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes.

For a minute, I thought about telling her what I was about to do. I wanted to know if I was making the right choice or terribly mistaken. But then I remembered how Lady Cynthia saw me as a little kid. If I kept running to her for help, I would never become a fully grown adult in her mind.

I wanted the woman I loved to see me as a reliable man.

“I’m doing what I need to do as a man.”

“…I’m not sure I understand, but I wish you good luck.”

“Thanks, Lady Cynthia!”

I projected my voice firmly, collected my three guards, and hurried toward my destination.

Chapter 10: Loving People

Chapter 10: Loving People

“UM, it seems that Prince Rutherford has left the resort in a carriage…” I’d come to the men’s bedroom and addressed Prince Adelberd, who was lounging on the tatami floor.

“Yes, I know. I acted like a caring older brother, just as you advised, Lady Cynthia.”

“Huh…? What are you referring to?”

I’d given him that advice right after Prince Rutherford arrived at the resort. It was hardly relevant now.

“What did you bring us, Cynthia?” Siraiya asked.

“It’s mead. Siraiya told me you like sweet alcohol, Prince Adelberd, so I brought some mead made with Rhuddlan territory honey. It’s one of our best products.”

“Sweet booze?! I’d love to try it!” Prince Adelberd sat straight up and took the mead from me, sounding pleased. His sweet tooth was as apparent as ever.

“I heard you and Siraiya tried alcohol for the first time. I’d like to try it too, so why don’t we invite Lady Estellise and drink together, all four of us? I think it would be perfect with some cheese or nuts to snack on, so I’ll ask the kitchen to—”

“No, that’s a bad idea. I’m sorry, Lady Cynthia, but you should avoid alcohol for a little while. You too, Siraiya. I’ll tell Estellise the same thing.”

“Do you not care for mead? I could prepare a different fruit wine if that’s what you would prefer…”

He’d seemed so eager to try the mead, but now he didn’t want to drink at all. When I suggested alternative drinks, Prince Adelberd told me, “It’s not that.” Then he placed the bottle of mead on the table. “Things are probably going to be set into motion soon, and we’ll need to have clear, sober heads when the time comes.”

“What do you mean…?” I studied his face, searching for the answer.

“More importantly, Lady Cynthia, shouldn’t we be enjoying some time alone with our partners? We can all have dinner together, but until then, it’s the perfect opportunity to help our love flourish.”

“I agree!” I instantly forgot about my desire to try alcohol, clinging eagerly to Siraiya’s arm. Siraiya was a much better use of my time. I’d heard that getting drunk felt good, but surely it paled in comparison to sharing special moments with my beloved.

Siraiya’s face was bright red—all the way up to his ears. But he still smiled at me.

“All right, then, can you tell Estellise to join me in my room? You can go with Lady Cynthia to the girls’ room, Siraiya.”

“Of course! Have a nice time together!”

Siraiya and I headed straight back to my bedroom to give Lady Estellise the news. She blushed, smiled, and quickly left us to go be with Prince Adelberd.

“Hehe! She seemed really happy. Lady Estellise is such a pure-hearted person, getting all red in the face like that… Actually, her studious side reminds me of you, too, Siraiya. Maybe that’s why I find her so adorable.”

“You think of me when you’re with her, too? That’s nice to hear…”

I sat next to Siraiya on the tatami floor.

“I think about you all the time, too, Cynthia. Or maybe…it’s more accurate to say that I can never get you out of my mind.”

“It sounds like we’re constantly occupied with thoughts of the other, even when we’re apart.” I leaned against Siraiya, feeling his warmth that I loved so dearly. I was always the happiest in moments like these.

“Now that I think of it, Prince Adelberd reminds me of you, too,” he said, dropping a bombshell.

I gasped. I remind him of that scheming prince? What a disgrace to my name!

“H-How so…?” I froze, fearing that I’d accidentally been cruel to Siraiya without realizing.

“You’re mischievous.”

“…Mischievous.”

It was a relief to hear him call me something other than “scheming.” But was “mischievous” really a good descriptor? I didn’t understand, but Siraiya smiled softly at me.

“You’re the brave and gallant young lady who swooped in to save me when I was a prisoner.”

“Oh, so that’s what you mean? If that was me being ‘mischievous,’ then I intend to be mischievous for the rest of my life. I’ll protect you no matter what it takes.”

“You’re always so cool, Cynthia. I should become more mischievous so that I can protect you, too.”

“I can hardly imagine a more unfitting word for you. Let’s both work hard to protect our future together. Does that sound a little better?”

“Of course. I’ll do anything to stay by your side.”

His sincerity was far too adorable. Suddenly, I felt the irresistible urge to tease him.

“Anything, you say? Then once we’re married, we’ll kiss every single day, sleep in the same bed, and take all our baths together.”

“Urk… We have to bathe together too…?”

Siraiya blushed. He was so charming when he was stumped. I had to stop myself from pushing him even further. Perhaps this was what Prince Adelberd felt when he teased Prince Rutherford. Maybe I really did resemble the crown prince a little bit.

“I-I can do it,” he faltered. “It’s just embarrassing, but it’s not like I don’t want to. It makes me really happy…knowing you want to do stuff like that with me.”

“Hehe! We can go slow, and that way, we’ll find more and more things that we’re comfortable doing together.”

“I like the sound of that.” Siraiya was embarrassed, but he still smiled sweetly at me all the same.

“Is there a reason you feel embarrassed kissing me? Or is it something you can’t explain?” I asked.

Even Prince Adelberd and Lady Estellise had kissed now. Plenty of people in the world were too shy to kiss, like Siraiya, but there were also many like me, who found it to be a natural gesture. What was it that made the difference?

“…I do have a reason…”

“Is that so?”

“Until I started attending the academy… um… I thought that kissing…”

He was struggling to get it out. What could be so embarrassing? I waited nervously until Siraiya finally worked up the courage to tell me.

“…I thought that kissing was how babies were made!”

“All the way until the academy?! You don’t mean when you were a little kid?!”

In other words, that was pretty recent. He’d believed this until he was Prince Rutherford’s age.

“I didn’t have anyone to teach me otherwise… The books I had for young kids showed a man and a woman having a baby after they kissed, and I took that literally for a long time… I only realized I was wrong once I started going to the academy and saw couples kissing…”

“I-I see. So that’s why you’re so sensitive when it comes to kisses.”

Now I understood why Siraiya wanted to save our first kiss for our wedding. There was actually more logic behind it than I first thought.

“Even though I know I was wrong now, kisses still just feel special to me for some reason… But I guess…they are still special, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they’re very special. You’re only supposed to kiss people who are very dear to you.” I tried to console Siraiya, who was covering his mouth bashfully, by patting him gently on the back. “You must have worked up a whole lot of courage when you said you were ready to kiss me the other night.”

“Well, you were kind enough to wait in the end… I’m sorry to keep postponing it all this time.”

“No, I actually enjoy waiting for you. I also loved when you picked me up and carried me in your arms. Remember what a big deal it was that we embraced each other when I first proposed?”

“That’s right… I was so happy and so embarrassed at the same time, I thought my heart was going to stop.”

But after he said that, Siraiya suddenly lifted me up again. I laughed with glee as he spun me around. But then, his soft lips touched my forehead.

“Siraiya…!”

“I’m going to get braver so we can do even more things together. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Cynthia.”

His words made me swoon, though he was blushing just as furiously as always. He must have worked up so much courage to kiss me on the forehead for the first time.

“Me too, Siraiya.”

I wanted to feel his perseverance even more, so with that last simple wish, I nuzzled up against his large body.

✶✶✶

ESTELLISE showed up at my room only moments after Lady Cynthia and Siraiya left.

The personal guard who’d been with me since I was a child closed the door behind her. With that, the two of us were alone together.

“Rutherford is making a move, so don’t let your guard down.”

“I understand.”

She gave me a single nod. Then the conversation died…

“…This is a weakness of mine. Here I am, wanting to talk to you even more, and yet here I go talking business…” When I confessed my thoughts to Estellise, her purple eyes looked at me kindly.

“I feel the same way. I always conceal what’s truly on my mind, even when there’s a necessity to speak it. Where would we be right now without Cynthia’s help?”

“I couldn’t agree more…”

Estellise and I were only still together because of the advice Lady Cynthia gave me during our academy days.

When I saw the star-shaped ring on Estellise’s pinky, I gently took her hand in mine.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, it’s lovely.”

The toy ring wasn’t suited for a noblewoman like Estellise at all. The paint was already chipping away at the edges, exposing the material underneath.

The appearance of the crown prince’s fiancée was highly regulated. Sometimes meetings were even held about the political implications of what they wore. Only clothing items that had been thoroughly reviewed were allowed to be sent to Estellise, just like with personal gifts.

This was the first time I ever got to give her something without going through an entire inspection. That star-shaped ring would become a lasting memory shared between us, with no one else getting to impose their will on it.

I gazed at the ring for a while before letting go of her hand. But I couldn’t bring myself to look up at her. I was so pathetic—an utter failure of a crown prince.

“…I might lose my position as crown prince. At worst, I could end up leaving Elzeria to avoid public scrutiny. I don’t want you getting wrapped up in all this. …In case things go that far, I’m going to prepare to end our engagement so that—”

“Adelberd.” Estellise stopped me mid-sentence. “I’m staying with you no matter what happens.”

“Are you absolutely certain, Estellise? You deserve better than a life chained to a ruined man. If that time really comes, I want you to forget about me. I’ll even take that toy ring if it becomes a burden.”

“No, Adelberd. I made up my mind when we were little. I swore I’d grow to become a woman who can support you.”

“But that was only if I became the crown prince, and that’s no longer a guarantee. I need to take precautions and make sure you don’t suffer if my life collapses around me.” I hung my head, still unable to look my fiancée in the eyes.

“Adelberd!”

Suddenly, my cheeks stung sharply. Estellise had slapped my face with both hands, and she now held it squished between her palms. No one had ever done such a thing to me in all my life. I was so startled, I looked up and met Estellise’s gaze involuntarily.

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m going to support you as a person, Adelberd. That’s not just because you’re the crown prince.” She leaned in even closer to me.

“Esty…”

I called her by her nickname, ready to tell her to wait. But before I knew what was happening, my mouth was forcibly closed. Estellise had pressed her soft lips to mine—although, maybe a bit too violently. Both of us were still inexperienced kissers.

Once our lips separated, I could see the fire of determination burning in Estellise’s eyes.

“Don’t think you can run away from me, Adelberd. Whatever future comes, you best believe I’ll be there at your side.”

The intensity of Estellise’s love overpowered me. She was starting to convince me—no matter where we ended up, I could picture that purple hair of hers fluttering next to me.

What was it that Siraiya called this kind of deep love? He said it was a foreign word Lady Cynthia taught him…

“Could you be a ‘yandere…?’”

“Yandere…?” she repeated.

“It’s a foreign word for a deeply loving person.”

“I see… Then yes, I’m a yandere whenever it comes to you, Adelberd.”

Estellise quietly removed her hands from my cheeks. But I instantly missed her touch, so I pulled her into my arms.

“We won’t have an easy life if we’re chased out of the country. I don’t think I’ll even be able to buy you toy rings anymore.”

“This one is the only ring I need, so long as I have you.”

“I see… I… I see…”

There was no need to say anything more. We embraced each other in silence.

Chapter 11: A Troubled Beginning (Rutherford’s Perspective)

Chapter 11: A Troubled Beginning (Rutherford’s Perspective)

I took a carriage ride away from the resort where the others were staying. After two hours, I finally reached the manor where she’d taken up temporary residence.

When I exited my carriage, I carried the book Big Brother gave me in one arm and squeezed the small bear plushie with my free hand. I’d taken that with me too, since I needed the encouragement.

Big Brother wouldn’t go back to normal unless I had a discussion with her. I’d confessed my honest feelings to Lady Cynthia and Big Brother already, so it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to do more of that today.

“Your Highness… What business do you have here…?”

The gatekeeper wouldn’t even let me pass. It seemed strange, considering who they were here to protect—my birth mother.

“Just tell her her son’s here.”

“…I must ask that you state your business.”

“…I brought the book.”

Those were the magic words. Another gatekeeper went inside to pass the message along, and after a minute, I was let inside the manor. I had to walk all the way through the enormous house until finally, I found my mother sitting on a sofa. A sad look hung on her face like a dark cloud.

“Tell me, Rutherford. Did you really bring the book? Why did it take so long? You don’t intend to betray me, do you…?”

Is that really how you greet your son…? I felt a mix of disgust and disappointment. But there was no point getting upset now. Mother had been this way since I was little. Besides, she was probably too worried about her own situation to concern herself with anyone else.

“Of course not… But will you at least apologize to Big Brother once everything is resolved, Mother? I can’t say you won’t be punished, but I’ll confess and apologize, too. I’ll do whatever it takes to avoid the worst possible outco—”

“Silence!” Mother raised her voice and flung her wine glass in my direction. It shattered against the nearest wall, sending wine splattering everywhere. “You wish to abandon your own mother?! If they find out I made the cursed book, I’ll be locked up inside one of the castle towers!”

I scowled. Elzeria’s second queen—my birth mother—put Big Brother into this predicament in the first place.

It wasn’t her first time resorting to curses either.

The people of Mother’s home country, Sanctoria, believed in supernatural phenomena. There were all sorts of curses like this one—and every last one of them was dubious at best. They were all myths, and not a single curse was capable of consistently producing otherworldly results. Mother had tried and failed many times to curse Big Brother… At least, she’d failed until now.

“Let’s just put Big Brother back to normal, Mother. You can undo the curse with this book, right?”

For some reason, this curse and this curse alone was the one that worked. The curse that turned a person into a cat or dog had only been halfway successful, and Big Brother ended up with cat ears and a tail. When Big Brother suddenly hid himself away and told the world he was ill, Mother was, at first, overjoyed. But then she got scared.

Her curse might have really worked. She was so convinced she would fail again, she didn’t even bother plotting a cover-up. Someone could have seen her putting the cursed book in the library. She begged me to get it back for her—that if she was convicted, she would be imprisoned in a castle tower since she was part of the royal family.

I didn’t think it would go that far, but when I saw what a terrible state she was in, I couldn’t just leave her like that. I ended up requesting a meeting with Big Brother.

Instead, Big Brother fled the castle without even saying a word to me. I couldn’t believe it. I was so shocked, I chased him all the way down to the hot spring resort. That was where I learned the truth of his condition.

If Mother’s involvement with the cursed book went public…then she was right. The worst possible outcome wasn’t unrealistic at all.

Mother had done something awful. But then I made it worse when I recovered the cursed book for her. Still, I couldn’t bear to see my own mother waste away until her death in solitary confinement.

Even though we never had a good relationship, I still had memories of Mother doting on me as a child, calling me her “future king.” I didn’t have it in me to throw her to the wolves.

“The best option is to put Big Brother back to normal and beg for his forgiveness. As long as you’re honest, you might still be able to avoid spending the rest of your life imprisoned. If that’s still not enough, I’ll offer to have my name removed from the royal family. Big Brother should take pity on me that way. …He’s a very caring person, after all. I’m sure of it now that I’ve been talking to him so much.”

The Elzerian king—Father—would decide on a punishment, but I knew my loving Big Brother would intervene to save me. That way, Mother might not have to spend her entire life in prison.

I clutched my bear plushie, trying my best to change her mind. Mother seemed to suddenly regain her composure. She caught her breath and spoke to me calmly.

“The curse will be broken if you burn the book. Everything will go back to how it’s supposed to be. As my darling son says, we have a duty to restore order…”

“Mother…! You understand, don’t you?!”

Mother smiled affectionately at me. I was so happy my words had finally reached her.

This was all thanks to Lady Cynthia. If I’d never met her, I wouldn’t have learned how to get my feelings across to other people. But now I was genuinely confident in myself. Maybe it was a little pathetic that I had to squeeze my bear plushie for strength, but that was only to feel Lady Cynthia’s presence and gain more courage through her.

“Put it in the fireplace. Let’s end this.”

“…All right.”

I tossed the book into the fireplace, allowing the flames to eat away at the pages. Big Brother was finally going to go back to normal.

“Come here, my darling son.”

“Mother…”

She took my hand, leading me out of the room.

“It’s time for a new era.”

Mother said that while we strolled down the hallway, but I didn’t understand.

“A new era…? Mother, what do you—”

“You can finally take your true form. Don’t you find it strange? A Sanctorian princess marries the king, but her son doesn’t get to be the king, too? And to make it even worse, that man wouldn’t let you take the middle name ‘Alan!’ He wanted to make a fool of you; I just know it!”

Alan was the name of the very first Elzerian king, who, according to legend, founded our country. When Big Brother was born, Father gave him the middle name “Alan” in honor of that king, but Mother wasn’t allowed to do the same for me.

Mother had always resented him for that, even though Father had a reason. To be blunt, he needed to protect his first wife—the Elzerian queen.

Her Majesty fell ill after giving birth to Big Brother, and the castle doctor advised her not to have any more children after that. She’d managed to give the kingdom a prince, but it wasn’t ideal to have only one heir in the line of succession to the throne. In order to have more children, Father married a princess from Sanctoria, a country with close ties to Elzeria, and made her the second queen.

The first queen was too sick to bear more children, while the healthy second queen was fully capable of it. Father decided to give Her Majesty’s son that historically significant name to make sure she didn’t lose her political power to Mother.

Everyone understood Father’s intentions. They supported his decision and revered Her Majesty as she deserved. Father and his queen ruled the country of Elzeria together with great dignity.

Mother was the only one who just didn’t get it. She didn’t want to get it.

Everyone said she grew up as a spoiled princess in Sanctoria and was always causing one problem after another. Mother had an intense personality, so I believed the rumors. She was the second queen, but she wanted to be number one in every aspect of life. Mother had always been desperate for her son to be the next king so that she could claim power—more power than what Her Majesty held.

“Big Brother is a wonderful person, and Elzeria will be safe under his rule. He’ll be a much better king than me.”

I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. She wasn’t acting like someone who wanted to beg Big Brother for forgiveness. My words…hadn’t reached her at all.

“Mother… Big Brother…is going to go back to normal, right?”

Mother finally stopped in front of a different room. When she turned to look at me, her red lips had curled into a childlike smile. “The firstborn prince will become a full-fledged beast.”

Every trace of a thought evaporated out of my mind. I broke into tremors, and I squeezed my bear plushie as if it would help somehow.

“What…are you talking about…? You said the curse would break…once I burned the book…”

“I lied. The curse is completed when the book burns up. You said he had golden cat ears and a tail, didn’t you? Perhaps that means he’ll transform into a yellow cat. Heheh! Oh, what fun it would be to make him my pet.”

She was lying…? But why…? I’m her son, not her enemy. Am I not the closest family she has? Why would she lie to me?

“Are you…incapable of love…?” The words fell from my lips.

“Love…?” she scoffed. “You’ve always been so naive, haven’t you? I’ve told you a million times that love is for the weak. You’re no different than the men who try to flatter me just so I’ll look their way. I didn’t think you were strong enough to go for the throne, but I suppose that’s of no concern now. With the firstborn prince out of the way, there will be no one left to be king but my son.”

Her icy fingers trailed along my jaw.

“Don’t touch me!” I slapped her hand away in disgust, but the bear plushie slipped from my grasp and hit the floor.

“What’s that thing?”

“…!”

She scowled at me when I scrambled to pick it up.

“You still need stuffed animals at your age? Ugh, you’d be worthless if it wasn’t for your place in the line of succession.”

Mother made no attempts to hide her contempt. She broke eye contact with me like I was too repulsive to look at, then opened the door to reveal a crowd of people waiting inside.

I recognized them all. They either served as my guards or were part of my political faction. But all of them worshipped the Sanctorian god.

“Listen up, everyone! My son here exposed the firstborn prince’s ties to a wicked demon! At this moment, Adelberd Alan Elzeria should have exposed his true, beastly nature for all the world to see!”

What was Mother planning…? Big Brother had ties to a demon? She was the one who cursed him, but she wanted to use that to punish Big Brother?

“N-No, you’re wrong! My brother isn’t like that!”

“My son is confused. He witnessed his brother take the form of a beast with his own two eyes, after all. But he should get over it soon, so let’s all take good care of him.”

She was acting like a caring mother, concerned for her son’s well-being. The others in the room exchanged grave looks.

“Has the time finally come?”

“Only a believer in God deserves to rule Elzeria.”

“The firstborn prince shares ties with a demon?”

“Well, he doesn’t believe in God, after all. I’ve always had my doubts about that boy.”

No, Mother’s lying about everything! How did these people fall for it so easily? It was like my brother had to be evil in their minds. The religious people of Sanctoria believed that countries should be governed by those who shared their faith. Many believed Big Brother wasn’t suited to reign because he wasn’t religious.

Mother cleverly manipulated these types, winning them over to my political faction. I was only powerful enough to rival Big Brother for the throne because I was backed by so many religious Sanctorians.

I’d never said a single word that could make them think I shared their faith, but just being the son of a Sanctorian princess was enough to assume I was on their side.

“I’m sure it’s hard to believe for some of you, but His Royal Highness has genuinely transformed into a lowly beast. He’s taken the form of some sort of yellow cat at this very moment. He’s lying low in the Rhuddlan territory, but we can drag him out of his hiding spot for all the world to see. We’re in need of volunteers! We must capture that false prince and the demon who controls him!”

“Stop it, Mother! You’re going to cause a civil war!” I cried.

“Yes, it’s a war all right! A holy war!”

The group of followers raised their voices and cheered. Mother was gifted at winning people over. That was probably why she was infamous for starting so many problems in Sanctoria.

Only now did I realize she’d been doing the exact same thing to me—pretending to fear a lifelong imprisonment to manipulate me into helping her. She knew I’d be able to get close to my own brother. I was the pawn she used to get the cursed book back.

“No…! Big Brother isn’t…!”

I tried to stop them, but their excited cries drowned my voice out. No, this isn’t what’s important right now.

I raced back into the hallway, retracing my path to the room with the fireplace. I scraped the book out with a fire poker, but it was hardly more than ashes at this point.

“Damn it!”

I sprinted out of the manor. Two horses were tied together, so I mounted one and let the other run alongside me as we raced back to the Rhuddlan territory.

When the first horse got too tired, I mounted the next one to finish the journey.

The Sanctorian devotees would need to prepare before they went and captured Big Brother. If I got there before them, maybe I could keep him safe now that he’d turned into a cat.

“Big Brother…! Big Brother…! Forgive me…! It’s all my fault!!”

I screamed and pleaded as I raced down the dark road. If only I could’ve stopped caring for that woman and cut her loose. No, that’s not it either. I was just too foolish. Big Brother has no reason to be proud of me! I’m a complete imbecile…!

My horses sprinted for as long as they could, but they were spent now. I gave the tired animals to a passing coachman, exchanged them for one of his, and rode this last horse all the way back to the hot spring resort.

I thought Big Brother’s personal guards, or the ones from the palace, would stop me when I showed up without anyone escorting me, but they cleared a path for me to pass… almost like they already knew what was going on.

“Big Brother!”

I burst into the room I was sharing with him and Siraiya. But the four of them were gathered around the table, eating.

“Back in time for dinner, I see?”

Big Brother sounded like he was teasing me. But he wasn’t any sort of cat at all. He was still just a human with a pair of cat ears on his head.

“B-Big Brother…? Why aren’t you…?”

My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor, drawing a “Good grief” from Big Brother. He walked over and knelt down next to me.

“This isn’t the time for lounging around on the floor, is it? Tell me everything that happened, Rutherford.”

“Ah…! R-Right…!”

I didn’t know why he hadn’t transformed into a cat, but that didn’t change the fact that Mother and her devotees were coming here to capture him. Still overwhelmed, I stammered out a confession about Mother’s conspiracy, the cursed book, and my foolish mistakes.

“Forgive me, Big Brother…!”

With that final apology, Big Brother placed his hand on my shoulder.

“It’s all right. I knew you only came to this resort because your mother was using you as her pawn.”

“…What?!”

“The book I gave you was a fake. I could never give my political rival something he might use against me. Why, I had a good laugh when you ran off with that book without a second thought. You’re still so naive, Rutherford.”

“You…laughed…?”

I felt like I was going to collapse all over again. Big Brother had seen straight through me. Behind him, Lady Cynthia’s eyes went wide. “Your Royal Highness…” she murmured.

“We’ll be preparing to leave as soon as possible. Whose side are you going to take, Rutherford?” Big Brother asked me, his eyes serious. “I’m sure you understand that we’re on the verge of a civil war. Now is the time for you to decide on your allegiance.”

“…!”

I gulped. He was right. I was past the point of begging for mercy. My only way forward was to pick a side. But I already had my answer.

“…That woman isn’t my mother anymore!” I declared once and for all. “Please let me come with you, Big Brother! I promise to protect you!”

“Very well. Fifteen is a pretty young age to leave the nest. I’m impressed, Rutherford.”

“That’s not… I made a stupid mistake. I have no right to even look you in the eyes…!”

I hated myself for what I’d done. But Big Brother stood up and extended his hand to me.

“I think I’m more than talented enough to make up for my little brother’s missteps. Aren’t you honored to have a brother as brilliant as me?”

“Big Brother…”

He sounded prideful, but I could tell he was just trying to stop me from spiraling any further. Big Brother was always righteous and caring. He wanted to be a good older brother for my sake, so I needed to live up to my role as his little brother.

“I vow to never betray you again, Big Brother.” I took his hand, stood up, and watched as he smiled at me, looking satisfied with my answer.

“You need to get changed, Prince Adelberd.”

When Siraiya said that, I realized they were all still in yukata. It definitely wasn’t easy to move around in those things.

But then we heard a commotion outside. I could make out the sound of steel colliding with steel. It’s already starting!

“That was faster than I expected,” Big Brother sighed. “We must have underestimated their first wave of men. There’s no time to change. Come on, everyone. We’re going to escape through the secret exit we prepared.”

Everyone sprang to action at Big Brother’s orders. I didn’t know about this secret exit, but once we entered the courtyard and followed the stepping stones, we came upon a small door hidden in one of the bushes.

Before we left, the guards handed each of us weapons for self-defense.

Most noblemen learned basic combat, and though it was rare for a woman, Elder Sister knew how to use a lance thanks to her crown princess education. She took the lance without a second thought, while Lady Cynthia looked much more flustered, gripping her lance as if she didn’t know how to hold it. She was the daughter of a viscount, so I doubted she ever needed to learn to fight.

When he spotted her, Big Brother approached Lady Cynthia to take the lance back. “Wait, you can’t fight, Lady Cynthia. Why don’t you carry the book instead? I want as many of us to have weapons as possible.”

Big Brother’s personal guard handed her a wrapped bundle in exchange for her lance.

“…Is this the real one?”

I understood Lady Cynthia’s doubt. Big Brother smiled slyly.

“Who knows? Now, once we leave here, the guards will guide us to a carriage.”

Everyone nodded. As soon as we exited the hidden door, I was shocked to see how many enemies were patrolling the path to the carriage. They must have been hiding nearby all along. They hadn’t actually followed me back from the manor.

“Religious fanatics obey commands more easily, I see,” Big Brother observed. “Fascinating. I’d like to try using them myself sometime.”

We were moving stealthily through the forest behind the resort, but Big Brother didn’t sound like he was taking this dangerous situation seriously at all.

No, I’m sure he understands. He’s just not letting his fear show. Hearing my brother sound so calm put my mind at ease, strangely. I maneuvered through the forest as I kept a careful eye on our surroundings.

“The carriage is this way.”

Big Brother’s personal guard said that, then left us in the forest to go and confirm that the carriage was safe. …But suddenly, he jumped backwards and hit the ground. Only a millisecond later, the carriage exploded.

“They brought gunpowder with them?!”

It was a massive explosion, but larger than what any of us could have expected. How could they have physically carried enough gunpowder with them to produce such a blast?

“Oh no… It’s because of the fireworks…” Lady Cynthia put the pieces together.

That’s right. The Rhuddlan territory lights fireworks during its festivals. That must be where they got so much gunpowder. The festival meant for Big Brother’s protection had been turned into a weapon to use against him. How dare they corrupt such beautiful memories? I seethed with hatred.

“Over there! It’s the firstborn prince!”

Those voices probably belonged to the very people who packed the carriage with gunpowder. The horses bolted from the explosion, so we had no choice but to run.

Big Brother’s guard was fighting the men near where the carriage exploded. We dashed deeper into the forest, taking the few palace guards we still had with us, but more and more enemies were swarming our group.

These men fought for their God and truly believed they were doing the right thing. They wouldn’t hesitate to attack anyone—even members of the royal family.

“This is bad… We hit the sea.”

When Big Brother said that, I finally realized that we were at a dead end.

The once-glittering ocean I saw from up in that tree was now a murky omen spelling our doom. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The ocean was at the bottom of a steep cliff, much too high up to survive a drop from. Still, the enemies pushed us forward until our backs were against the cliff.

“Your Royal Highness! Take that hood off! Is it true that you’ve taken the form of a beast?!” one of the enemies shouted at Big Brother. If he were caught, he’d be forced to reveal his secret to all of them. But I couldn’t let that happen. I needed to protect my brother, as I had sworn I would.

Siraiya cut down a man who tried to grab Big Brother, then knocked down the next one who tried to launch a follow-up attack. He was really strong. But it hardly made a dent in the swarm of enemies. I stood at Siraiya’s side and fought off our foes, too.

“You there, girl! What’re you holding?! That looks suspicious! Hand it over!”

Oh no! I’d been so preoccupied trying to protect Big Brother, I didn’t keep close enough of an eye on Lady Cynthia. Elder Sister and the guards were protecting her, but there were just too many foes. One of the men slipped past them and reached for Lady Cynthia.

“Cynthia!”

Siraiya raced toward her. Lady Cynthia was staggering backward to keep the book out of enemy hands.

But that was when…

Lady Cynthia fell.

“Cyn-…!”

I was still in the middle of battle, but the second I realized it was too late, my entire body went limp. Lady Cynthia was gone. I fell to my knees…only to witness something even more unbelievable.

Siraiya tossed his sword aside and dove straight from the top of the cliff.

I remembered how he told me he wouldn’t hesitate to die for Cynthia. So he’d been telling the truth after all.

Two people I’d grown close to just perished right before my eyes. A wail of pure horror escaped my mouth. My entire body shook down to my bones. I needed to get back on my feet—to protect Big Brother like I vowed I would. But I couldn’t.

Even though it was probably only a few seconds, a storm of emotions consumed me. But just then, something large and white shot up from the ocean that they’d tumbled into.

“Wh-… What is that thing…? …A bird?”

The strange creature glowed like a divine being, moonlight reflecting off its back. A pair of large white wings flapped effortlessly, stirring up strong gusts of wind.

Someone on the cliffside broke the silence.

“It’s an angel…”

Chapter 12: Angel of the Moonlit Night

Chapter 12: Angel of the Moonlit Night

THE moon was the only source of light in the total darkness of night. Unable to perceive my surroundings, before I knew it, I’d stumbled right off the edge of the steep cliff. Everything shifted into slow motion, and I was able to process that I was only seconds away from death.

But Siraiya ran toward me the moment I slipped. I knew he was trying to save me, but it was too late. Siraiya dove off the cliff to try to reach me.

He plummeted through the air, caught up to me, and wrapped me in his arms as I fell to my death.

Beneath us were inky black waters. There was no surviving an impact with the ocean from such a height.

Siraiya and I were going to die.

Had the game forced this outcome on us? Was I finally paying the price for meddling with the original story? Siraiya was going to sink to the depths of a dark ocean just like he did in the game.

I refuse to accept that ending! I’m not going to let Siraiya die!

I needed to get my peaceful world back. I ripped the cloth cover from the book and threw it into the abyss below. This was the only chance I had left.

As soon as I opened the book, a blinding light stole my vision. I didn’t know what was happening, but with Siraiya tucked firmly in my arms, I desperately struggled to pull us both upwards.

Suddenly, we shot up into the sky together. Or, more accurately, I was the one shooting up… cradling Siraiya in my arms…

“…Cynthia, you have wings.”

“Wings…?”

I hadn’t realized what was happening until Siraiya said it clearly.

I felt a new sensation on my back… Are these wings? I only needed to turn my head slightly to see the giant, white, feathery wings. I was able to suspend us in midair by repeatedly flapping them.

Had I become a bird? Now that I thought about it, I recalled learning that birds could carry prey heavier than themselves. I wasn’t struggling to hold Siraiya’s weight at all.

I could move my wings with ease, even though it was my first time flying. It felt like it would be easy to get back to the top of the cliff… Although, whether or not I wanted to do that was a different story.

Everyone was staring at me and my newfound wings, having completely forgotten about the battle. Prince Adelberd had managed to keep his hood on, but my wings were on full display to the world.

“…I might have to leave the country instead,” I mumbled. I broke out in a cold sweat when I pictured that future.

“If it comes to that, the two of us will travel the world together.”

From his place in my arms, Siraiya sounded nonchalant about the prospect.

But he was right. The two of us could abandon this country and travel the world together. Siraiya would never think of leaving me, so I knew our journey would be absolutely splendid, whatever form it took. All I needed was a life with him.

Mother and Father could join us, too, if they couldn’t remain in Elzeria. We had close relationships with traders around the world and could probably survive a life on the road. Maybe it won’t be a big deal after all.

“I’m glad I still have a future with you,” I said.

“Me too, Cynthia.”

We’d made up our minds right there on the spot. So long as I could spend the rest of my life with the man I loved, there was nothing else I needed.

Siraiya and I were smiling at each other when we heard cries from below.

“An angel!”

“They’re real! It’s an angel!”

…What? Are they talking about me?

I looked down at them, startled, and found the enemy men on their knees, looking up at me in prayer. They’d even dropped their weapons. For some reason, even Prince Rutherford was also on his knees.

The men who weren’t kneeling exchanged looks, confused about what their duty was now.

“Now that it’s exposed for all to see, I’m left with no choice!” Prince Adelberd declared in a clear, resounding voice. He moved his body and hands to accentuate his performance. “This angel has been disguising herself as a human to watch over the kingdom of Elzeria. I’ve formed a close relationship with this angel, who has bestowed upon me the role of guiding humanity toward its most righteous path. She spoke to me and said that she wished to remain hidden from the eyes of humans, lest her existence cause chaos in our world, so I’ve been staying with her at this resort to respect her holy wishes.”

He came up with all this on the spot?!

It was hardly the first time I’d felt disgust over Prince Adelberd’s ability to rattle off lies like it was second nature. Then he yanked his hood down.

His ears are gone! The event must be over!

…Or did the event transfer to me instead? Now that I thought back, the book was an item that had to be purchased with real money. But it could only be used once, so if you wanted to see every character’s animal transformation, you needed to purchase enough books for all of them.

It was impossible to stop the limited-time event once it started, but maybe that had changed now that this was the real world instead of a dating sim. Well, it certainly came at the best possible time, at least.

“The firstborn prince isn’t a beast at all!”

“He had ties to an angel, not a demon?!”

Even more enemies dropped their weapons and knelt before Prince Adelberd. Still, some of the men weren’t backing down.

Prince Adelberd let out an overdramatic cry as he knelt before me. Behind him, Lady Estellise mimicked his gesture.

“Forgive me, Angel! I should never have allowed this to happen! I promise to atone! Now, what shall I do about these ruffians?”

Prince Adelberd squinted his blue eyes. He was telling me to play along. I felt like he would tear me a new one if I screwed this up—a fate much more frightening than the prospect of leaving the country.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. It had been a long time, but it was finally time to bring out my villainess’ smile again.

“Kneel before me, humans. Or do you wish to suffer the wrath of God?”

I couldn’t perform like Prince Adelberd, so I kept it brief and used my villainess’ voice to overpower them. The enemies still standing finally tossed their weapons aside and crumpled to the ground. Some of them even begged for mercy.

“Arrest anyone who dared raise their sword against an angel. I shall leave you to try them under human law.”

✶✶✶

“WE actually made it out of that mess…”

I could finally catch my breath once the inn had quieted down. It was chaotic for a while, but things were back to normal, so we were able to stay another night.

Prince Adelberd’s guards had captured all the men after the incident at the cliffs. We sent word to the knights and vigilante groups throughout the Rhuddlan territory, who came and took charge of their criminal proceedings.

The men attacking us turned out to be composed entirely of those who worshipped the Sanctorian god. That was why they allowed themselves to be arrested so easily. They felt a need to atone for the act of attacking one of God’s servants.

Prince Rutherford also explained that his mother had been behind the entire scheme and that there were even more conspirators who needed to be arrested. But his guilty conscience was resolved now that Prince Adelberd was back to normal, so he helped out by taking charge and giving orders to the knights. It was probably only a matter of time before the second queen consort was apprehended, too.

“I really thought we were done for this time.” Despite those grave words, Prince Adelberd wore a smile.

“Cynthia, the angel. You were amazing back there.” Lady Estellise grinned. She showed no signs of fatigue even after everything we just went through. No one could deny that she would make an excellent crown princess once they were married.

“I ordered them to stay silent about the existence of angels, but I don’t know if it will be very effective. You ought to lie low until the second queen consort tells us how to break the curse,” Prince Adelberd advised.

“I’m in a bit of a pinch, aren’t I? These wings are much harder to conceal than Prince Adelberd’s ears…”

The wings were far too large to hide under a cloak. My only choice was to live in secrecy for the present.

Siraiya remained behind my wings the entire time. He explained that my wings had ripped a hole in my yukata spanning all the way down to my hips, and he didn’t want anyone else to catch a glimpse of my exposed skin, so he kept it covered with a haori.

Prince Rutherford was in the room with us, too, but he was hanging his head without so much as a word. I knew this entire incident weighed heavily on his mind.

I couldn’t just ignore him in that state. I called out to him, leaning in to try and get a look at his face. “Are you all right?”

“…I almost let you die, Lady Cynthia… I’m…truly sorry.” He balled his fists before continuing. “Also, you too, Siraiya… I’m sorry. You both could’ve died because of my mistake. Forgive me…!” Prince Rutherford’s voice was strained, but his apology to Siraiya was genuine. I couldn’t hear any animosity in his tone this time.

Before I could come up with the right words to console him, Siraiya beat me to the punch.

“If you hadn’t come back to tell us what was going on, we might’ve been captured at the inn before we got the chance to escape. Those men were really riled up, too, so they easily could’ve killed us. It was your judgment that saved us in the end. Prince Rutherford, please lift your head and don’t lose your confidence.”

The younger prince gulped and raised his head, looking back at Siraiya with a startled expression. The shock of those words caused tears to spill from his eyes. After a few sharp breaths, he raised his trembling voice.

“Thank you, Duke Siraiya Brooke.”

I see… He needed praise, not consoling.

Siraiya had been so depressed back when he was still in school. He didn’t believe in himself at all. But now, he could encourage others and get them back on their feet. Seeing his growth made me so happy, I couldn’t stop a big grin from spreading across my face. “I agree with Siraiya,” I added.

“Thank you, Lady Cynthia.”

I could tell that the young prince, who was blushing shyly, had let go of some of his burdens.

“There’s…one more thing I need to confess.” He looked away briefly, then brought his blue eyes back up to meet mine.

“To me? What is it?”

“I… I loved you.”

The earnestness in his words and his expression told me that this was no joke. I sat up straighter in response. So he meant the other kind of confession? I felt embarrassed, but I didn’t want to play dumb either.

“I see…”

“I still love you, even now. But I made up my mind tonight that I need to give up on you. I’m never going to defeat the man who threw himself off a cliff to save you. You really chose an incredible guy.”

“Yes, I certainly did. With Siraiya at my side, I don’t have eyes for anyone else.”

That’s why I can’t reciprocate your feelings for me.

“Right… I understand…”

Prince Rutherford looked hurt for a moment, but then he nodded and smiled. The way he accepted this reality so easily almost made him seem like an adult. Perhaps I was being rude all this time by treating him as a child, not an equal.

I extended my hand toward him. “Let’s continue to be good friends, Prince Rutherford.”

We were a noblewoman and a member of the royal family. Just because I didn’t reciprocate his feelings didn’t mean that we would never meet again. Since we would have to see each other again, I wanted us to greet each other with smiles when that time came.

The prince observed my hand for a moment, then slowly brought his own hand up as he answered me. “I was jealous that Siraiya got to stand by your side and hold hands with you. But…” Prince Rutherford squeezed my hand firmly. “I guess friends get to hold hands too, don’t they?”

When he smiled and said that to me, he’d changed back into that same adorable young boy I first met.

✶✶✶

“ALL right. We’re heading back now.”

“Let’s have tea again sometime, Cynthia.”

“Absolutely, Lady Estellise. Be safe on the way back, you two.”

A few days later, Prince Adelberd and Lady Estellise returned home in the same carriage.

As one of the members involved in the civil war, Prince Rutherford was still in talks with the knights, but Prince Adelberd put in a good word for him and got him out of being tried as the ringleader. With a bit of time, the second-born prince would be able to return to a normal life.

The second queen consort had been apprehended and was under intense investigation. She would receive a severe verdict, though her exact punishment was yet to be decided.

Prince Rutherford told me he didn’t see her as his mother any longer, but I prayed that he wouldn’t be too emotionally wounded when her verdict came down.

“As his friends, he’ll need our support when the time comes.”

Siraiya had smiled and said that to me when I expressed my concerns. He was right. We were Prince Rutherford’s friends, so we could stand beside him and give him strength in times of distress.

Siraiya used to have no one in his life, but now he was someone who helped his friends when they needed it. I was so proud of him. He was looking out for even more people than just my parents and me.

Besides, no matter how many friends he made, I was always going to hold the most important place in his heart. He was my adoring yandere, after all.

“Now that I think of it, we’re finally alone together.”

The inn felt so quiet without Prince Adelberd, Lady Estellise, and Prince Rutherford. Although a few of Prince Adelberd’s palace guards remained behind because I still had a giant pair of wings on my back.

The enemies had been tricked into thinking I was an angel, though anyone who didn’t share their faith would see me as something closer to a monster. Even the foes we’d been fighting were so riled up from battle, they might not have believed it if their faith was slightly weaker.

The crown prince agreed to leave his guards behind to keep me safe and support my life away from the public eye. Prince Adelberd took the cursed book back with him, too. He’d decided that it was best to keep it locked up inside the palace.

The second queen consort had confessed that the book needed to be burned within three months of activating the curse for it to be completed, so His Royal Highness promised me that no one would get their hands on it for three more months.

Unfortunately, the second queen consort didn’t know how to actually break the curse, meaning I had to live out the next three months with this new pair of wings. If I really did inherit the curse from Prince Adelberd, then I only actually had a month left. But I wouldn’t know for sure until the curse finally broke.

Prince Adelberd hadn’t made a final decision about what to do with the book, but I doubted the country of Elzeria would want to part with such a powerful weapon.

However, the book disappeared in the game as soon as the character’s animal form went away. That meant the book was supposed to vanish once I was back to normal. But I kept that knowledge to myself. It would just look too suspicious for me to know that. And there was no way to know for sure if it would act the same way in this world.

For now, I was going to stay confined to the inn until my wings were gone. Although I could put a red crest on my head again and attend the festival without any suspicions. It would probably look like a highly accurate chicken costume.

The townsfolk would believe that the daughter of their lord was simply trying to liven up the festivities. If I really needed to, I could even wear a beak.

I was enjoying this fantasy when Siraiya gave a depressed-sounding remark.

“I’m glad it’s just the two of us now, but I can only be here a few more days…”

“That’s right… We can’t just vacation forever, can we? I’m sure you have important work to do for your own family’s territory.”

“I do. But it’s closer to the Rhuddlan territory than the royal capital, at least. I’ll have any paperwork sent to my manor, then I’ll wrap up my work in the territory as soon as possible so I can come back to you.”

I wanted to join him in the Brooke territory, but my wings were too big to fit inside a carriage. A horse-drawn wagon might have been a better option, but it was too risky to travel long distances like that while keeping my wings concealed.

The best solution was to remain at the inn and wait for Siraiya’s return.

“Mother and Father wrote that they were coming here too, so I hope you’ll get some good family time with them. I hate that I’m always intruding on you three.”

“You’re family too, Siraiya. We’ll be waiting for you to come back to us as soon as possible.”

“…Right. I understand.”

Siraiya blushed cutely. I felt the urge to hug him, but that was when I thought of something. I spread my wings out, then folded them gently around Siraiya’s body.

“What are you doing?”

“I’d been wishing I could embrace your entire body for a while now. My arms are just too small for that, but now I have a better method, at least for a little while.”

I pulled Siraiya into my regular arms too. Being able to express my love against his entire body made me incredibly happy.

“But I could always feel you all around me. Your love is as deep as an ocean, and I’m constantly enveloped by it,” he confessed.

Is that right? Well, I’m glad to hear it.

I’d gotten the opportunity to cradle Siraiya in my arms and everything. Maybe the life of a bird wasn’t so bad after all.

Siraiya wrapped his arms around me, too. It tickled when he rested his hands at the base of my wings, but I didn’t hate the sensation either.

“Your wings are so warm…”

“I hope you’ll keep smiling in warm places like this forever, Siraiya.”

I wanted Siraiya to spend his life in warm, gentle places—not at the bottom of a frigid sea.

The two of us shared each other’s warmth inside that pair of soft, white wings.

Chapter 13: Happiness Regained

Chapter 13: Happiness Regained

“THERE was no need for you two to come all this way…” Prince Rutherford pouted, embarrassed.

It was the year after the limited-time event had finished. Today, Prince Rutherford was finally enrolling in the academy.

Siraiya and I had come to the school to celebrate his milestone. My wings had long since vanished, of course. I’d only needed to wait out one more month, since I inherited the curse from Prince Adelberd.

Despite the occasion, no other member of royalty came to celebrate.

But that wasn’t out of hostility toward the prince. A large gathering of royalty would invite chaos due to the number of guards and protection they would require. No one from Prince Adelberd’s family had attended his entrance ceremony either.

It was why Siraiya and I came up with the idea to go to the ceremony in their place. When we asked the school if we could attend, they prepared seats for us without any issue.

“But it’s a big day for our dear friend. Congratulations on your enrollment, Prince Rutherford.”

Prince Rutherford blushed shyly when I smiled and said that to him, but he thanked me, not sounding entirely displeased.

I’m relieved. He seems to be doing well.

A few days earlier, an announcement had come from the palace. The second queen consort was officially sent to live in the castle’s eastern tower.

She was the mother of the second-born prince and a former princess of Sanctoria. She still had plenty of followers, too. Even though the crime of inciting a civil war was a grave one, she wasn’t someone who could simply be sent to the guillotine for all to see. Instead, the official word was that she was receiving medical treatment in the eastern tower.

Nobles, however, sensed that she must have committed a serious crime to end up in such a place. The eastern tower was supposed to be reserved for lifelong imprisonment.

That was why I feared Prince Rutherford would be in a bad mental state. We’d come to the ceremony in hopes of checking in with him.

“You wear that uniform well.”

That remark came from Siraiya. A stuttering Prince Rutherford thanked him, clearly embarrassed.

“Seeing these uniforms and the schoolhouse really takes me back. We don’t have many opportunities to come here, so what say we go and steal a glance at the area behind the school? It’s a very special place to Siraiya and me.” When I suggested that, for some reason, Prince Rutherford seemed to know what I was talking about.

“Right. The legendary couple.”

“Legendary couple? What do you mean?”

“You’ll see once we get there.”

Siraiya and I exchanged looks as Prince Rutherford set off ahead of us. There was no use trying to guess what he was talking about, so we followed the prince behind the schoolhouse.

I could still picture that quiet spot we shared, where there were no flowers or even benches nearby, but at least we had the beautiful sunlight pouring down on us through the tree leaves. However, once we arrived, we were met with a completely different sight.

“Wh-What happened here?” I asked, surprised.

“I hear it turned into a really popular romantic spot for students.”

Just as Prince Rutherford described, frolicking students crowded the area. They’d even planted flowers and built new benches.

“Wait, so the legendary couple is…?”

“It’s the two of you. This is the place where the bullied, illegitimate son of a nobleman rose to the title of duke, and where the daughter of a viscount became a duchess. That sort of marriage had never happened before, and even more shocking, the two even get along happily to this day. That’s why the students come here to strengthen their relationships with their partners and future spouses. Some even hang around here in hopes of meeting someone.”

I wasn’t a duchess yet, but Prince Rutherford’s description was obvious—the legendary couple was Siraiya and me.

I could hardly believe that my special spot with Siraiya had become a legendary place for the students who came after us. While I was at a loss for words, Siraiya noticed something peculiar.

“A lot of the students are carrying notebooks.”

“Yeah, they’re like shared diaries. The stories say that the legendary couple grew their love by exchanging a notebook between them. …Is that true?”

No, it wasn’t a shared diary at all. Siraiya only gave me a notebook study guide speculating about what might show up on tests. But I understood that the legend must have evolved over time as it was passed from student to student.

I enjoyed seeing the blushing students romping around the area, but that made it impossible to stay and bask in our memories, leaving me with mixed feelings. Prince Rutherford spoke again, sounding a bit sad this time.

“I wish I were the same age as you two. It would’ve been fun to go to school with you.”

“It definitely would have, but you’ll have your own fateful meetings too, Prince Rutherford,” I said.

“Really…? You think I can do it…? I don’t know…if I could be like you…”

His blue eyes looked up at the sky, filled with both hope and longing. I prayed that Prince Rutherford’s student life would be happy and fulfilling. I also prayed that every student gathered behind the schoolhouse would find the happy ending they sought.

“Excuse me… Are you Duke Brooke and Lady Rhuddlan?”

“What?!”

I’d been distracted. Before I knew it, a flock of students surrounded us.

“You’re the legendary couple?!”

“It’s an honor to meet you! Please sign my notebook!”

“What did you two write in your shared diary?!”

“Please tell us about what it was like to be a duke while you were still in school!”

“I had no idea Duke Brooke was such an ephemeral beauty!”

“Lady Rhuddlan’s red hair looks like a blazing fire. That’s so cool!”

“What’s a ‘yandere?!’”

Their youthful energy overwhelmed Siraiya and me.

“W-Wait one moment, please. We’re chaperoning the second-born prince, so we need to be on our way… Isn’t that right?” I turned to Prince Rutherford for help, only to find him missing. He was already strolling off into the distance, uninterested in our newfound popularity.

Or perhaps he’d abandoned us because he sensed danger. This was Prince Adelberd’s brother, after all. There was no telling what was going on in that head of his.

“We’d love to speak with you both!”

The students hounded us with questions now that we were alone. By the time we finally fled to our carriage, we were both exhausted.

I remembered how I could have simply flown away if I still had my wings, but losing them was worth it if it meant we had our normal, peaceful life together again. Siraiya and I exchanged smiles.

The legendary couple was as happy as they’d ever been.

-Happy Ending-

Afterword

Afterword

THANK you very much for purchasing volume 2. I’m Takara, the author.

It’s thanks to my readers and everyone involved in producing this series that I was able to release volume 2. I’m absolutely filled with gratitude, so I’d like to thank you all once again.

This second volume introduces Rutherford, the second queen consort, and Estellise, who had only appeared by name in the previous book! I’m very grateful to Natsuba-sensei for their work. Not only did they come up with better character designs than I ever could’ve imagined, but they also created another batch of beautiful illustrations and cover art for this volume!

Now, for a piece of news. This series is officially being turned into a manga! The characters and this world will be depicted in more vivid detail, making for an even smoother reading experience. It’s a gorgeous, delightful manga, so please look forward to it!

I have one more piece of news to share with you all. My pet bird turns ten years old this year! They’re a wonderful little creature who’s lived a long and healthy life with me. I’ll continue to dote on them fondly!

There are also two more side stories that didn’t make it into the main book, so please enjoy them now that you’re finished!

Side Story 1: Back to the Hot Spring (Rutherford’s Perspective)

Side Story 1: Back to the Hot Spring (Rutherford’s Perspective)

“HOT springs are delightful in the daytime too, aren’t they?”

Big Brother sounded cheerful as he sank into the warm waters. His ears and tail would’ve probably been perked up if he still had them, but Lady Cynthia had exchanged them for the wings on her back. Now that most of the enemies were apprehended, we could finally take a day off to relax, and Big Brother had chosen this as his very first activity.

Big Brother could bathe during the daytime now, and he was thoroughly enjoying the combination of sunlight and hot water. Siraiya and I joined him, too. The stress of that night on the cliffs melted away in the refreshing hot spring.

“I’m glad we get to try the hot spring together again…”

I was happy about it, but for some reason, my voice sounded somber. Big Brother, Elder Sister, Lady Cynthia, and even Siraiya had forgiven me, but I didn’t know if I could ever forgive myself. I felt like I’d carry the guilt with me for the rest of my life.

“Me too. I really thought I’d never get to experience luxuries like this ever again.”

“…!”

I shuddered. Maybe Big Brother really was going to unleash his wrath on me now that Elder Sister and Lady Cynthia weren’t around. If he did, I needed to accept whatever he said. It was natural for him to be angry after all of my horrible mistakes.

“Estellise said she’d come with me if I were expelled from the country. She would have been forced into a life of poverty, too,” he continued.

“I-I know. I really made things difficult for both of—”

“But as long as she was with me, I know I would’ve lived an absolutely splendid life, even without a penny to my name!”

“…Come again?”

What came out of his mouth was the complete opposite of what I expected.

“I wonder what that would have looked like?” he mused. “I would have had to harvest crops and pick fruit from the trees. Maybe I could’ve even hunted, since I had the strength of an animal. Estellise and I would live all alone in the middle of the woods, where no one could find us… We’d huddle close every evening and watch the sunset… Ah, how lovely…”

Big Brother only ever looked like that—with almost a silly expression—when he talked about Elder Sister.

I squinted at Big Brother, who was still lost in his fantasies, when Siraiya spoke up for the first time.

“I’ll be leaving with Cynthia if anyone finds out about her wings, so I humbly ask that you look after my territory for me. Mother and Father will probably come with us, too. The Rhuddlan family does a lot of traveling, so perhaps I’ll learn from them and become a traveling merchant myself. I know it will be difficult, but I think the four of us could share both the ups and the downs together, going from country to country in a horse-drawn carriage. Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful journey?”

Siraiya also smiled like a pure-hearted maiden when he talked about Lady Cynthia.

I was the one who’d done wrong… So I really had no business thinking poorly of either of them…

I know that, but still…

Now that I knew I’d worried for nothing, I just couldn’t keep those thoughts out of my mind.

“…You two will be fine because you have fiancées.”

“As long as I have Estellise.”

“As long as Cynthia is with me.”

“……”

I suddenly felt just how alone I was compared to them, even though that shouldn’t exactly have come as news to me. Maybe it was time I started thinking seriously about who I wanted to marry. Still, I couldn’t picture myself wiping that red hair of hers from my memory anytime soon.

“Now that I think about it, it was stupid of me to challenge you for Lady Cynthia’s heart. She only has eyes for you, and you, well… You were willing to jump off a cliff for her. I don’t know what to call it, but you just…have a love that’s far beyond the norm.”

I couldn’t find the right words to describe it. But then Big Brother piped up.

“That’s called a ‘yandere.’”

“Yandere? I’ve never heard that word before.”

“I’m told it’s a foreign word used to describe a deeply loving person. Isn’t that right, Siraiya?”

“That’s right. Cynthia taught it to me.”

“I see… ‘Yandere…’”

Lady Cynthia truly knew everything. Big Brother had studied plenty of foreign languages, but she was still teaching him new words.

“Lady Cynthia is out of my reach. You told me you see me as a threat, Siraiya, but I don’t think I have any chance with her.”

I put myself down a little, knowing that Lady Cynthia still wouldn’t look my way, even once I was an adult. I had no chance of winning her heart unless I was a yandere on Siraiya’s level.

“That’s not true,” he said. “At the very least, her last fiancé wasn’t anything close to the threat that you pose.”

“Right, I heard about how her prior engagement fell apart,” I said. “What kind of guy was he?”

“A total idiot. He definitely wasn’t a threat, but I still can’t shake my anger toward him.”

A menacing look came over Siraiya’s face—one I’d never seen from him before. I didn’t think he took much interest in anything but Lady Cynthia, but if he hated this man so much, it could only mean he’d done something really horrible. 

“He described Cynthia’s love as a chain that tied him down,” he told me. “She doted on that man, but he called himself her captive slave. He saw Mother and Father’s support for his lifestyle as extortion. I’ve never met a man who pisses me off as badly as he does…!”

“He what?! He had Lady Cynthia’s love and still tried to play the victim?!”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing! He got an unbelievable chance at happiness, but he thought he was some sort of prisoner?! People like that really exist?!

“That’s right. He said all those terrible things, and then he had the nerve to believe he and Cynthia were still engaged. I have no idea what goes on in that pathetic man’s head.”

“Me neither! But don’t even bother trying to understand a guy like that, Siraiya!”

Siraiya was cradling his head in his hands, so I quickly tried to console him. That man really was horrible, but devoting any brainpower to someone like him was a waste of energy.

“I’m pissed off just hearing about it! I hate that he was Lady Cynthia’s fiancé, even if it was only temporary! Siraiya! Never let a man like him set foot near her again!” With a splash, I rose to my feet, enraged.

“Of course. I won’t ever let another man take my place at Cynthia’s side! Especially not someone like him!”

Siraiya stood up too. For whatever reason, we clasped hands firmly—it just felt like the natural thing to do.

We’d started out as rivals over Lady Cynthia, but now, we’d grown to be like-minded friends.

I felt the wind on my bare skin as I stood there holding Siraiya’s hand. Big Brother closed his eyes, shutting us out of his world entirely and speaking under his breath.

“…What a delightful bath.”

Side Story 2: An Outing with Father (Siraiya’s Perspective)

Side Story 2: An Outing with Father (Siraiya’s Perspective)

ONCE everyone else left, Cynthia and I spent a few days together at the inn. Since she couldn’t leave her room or meet with anyone, I brought her all her food and clothes, combed her hair, and even swapped out her futon covers. She insisted she could do the latter herself, but I told her I enjoyed it and wanted to keep doing this for her.

I pitied Cynthia, the sociable woman who was currently stuck talking to me and me alone all day. But strangely, I also felt satisfied.

When I told her that, Cynthia got a serious look and mumbled, “It’s his yandere side showing… I have to get him back on track…”

I didn’t know what she was talking about, but at least I was having fun. There was nothing better than a vacation with just the two of us.

Mother and Father arrived at the inn after I’d gotten to hog Cynthia all to myself for a few days.

“You two have been through a lot, haven’t you? Well done, both of you. I heard you weren’t injured, but I’m sure you were frightened.”

“I was so sorry to hear your couple’s trip got ruined. I wish we could’ve made it here sooner.”

Cynthia’s wings startled them, but as soon as they understood the situation, they gave her big hugs—then did the same for me. It was still hard to comprehend that they loved me as if I were one of their own children.

Prince Adelberd had also given us permission to fill Mother in on the details of the cursed book, now that its effects were transferred to Cynthia.

“I’m happy to see you, Mother, Father.”

“Thank you very much for arranging the festival. I believe the palace will be sending you a formal letter of thanks soon, but Prince Adelberd gives you his heartfelt gratitude as well.”

“Is that right? I’m glad to hear it was helpful.” Father smiled, but he looked a bit pale to me.

“You must be tired, Father. Why don’t you rest for a while?” When I suggested that, Mother placed her hand to her cheek, looking troubled.

“Siraiya’s right. You spent many sleepless nights planning the festival, and you couldn’t get any deep sleep in the carriage either. You need to rest, dear.”

“Oh, Father! Please get some sleep. We don’t want you to get sick.”

Father removed his square-shaped glasses briefly to rub his brow. “Right, I’ll be making even more trouble for everyone if I go and collapse on you. I think I’ll sleep for a while.”

“Let me take you to your room. Mother, you and Cynthia can catch up a little.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea. Thanks, Siraiya.”

“Thank you, Siraiya.”

“Just leave Father to me.”

I showed Father to his room as promised. I didn’t want to waste time calling for an employee to set up his futon, so I decided to do it myself.

“Sorry about this, Siraiya. I just need to lie down for a little while. I still plan on having dinner with the three of you.”

“Of course. I’ll come and get you before it’s served.”

“I appreciate it.”

Father removed his jacket and crawled into the futon. Then he placed his glasses on the tatami floor next to him.

I was on my way out of the room, not wanting to disturb his sleep, when Father sat up again.

“Is something wrong? If you need water, there’s some on the ta—”

“I just haven’t slept alone in so long, and now, I’m a bit lonely. I brought a portrait of my wife along, so I’m going to keep it here next to me.”

I see. I understand how you feel. I couldn’t sleep without gazing at Cynthia’s portrait either.

“Is it in your luggage? I’ll get it for you.”

“No, I can do that much myself.”

Father stood up and put one foot down on the tatami floor…but that was when we heard a crack. He’d forgotten about his glasses.

“Shoot…!”

“Father! Are you injured?!”

“No, I’m fine. But it looks like my glasses are done for.” Father held up the glasses to show that the frames were broken near where they would rest on his nose. “At least I have a backup pair. It’s just too bad these ones had to go to waste.”

He placed them on a separate surface, mumbling under his breath as he retrieved another glasses case from his luggage. Losing a single pair of glasses didn’t seem like it should be a big deal to people as wealthy as the Rhuddlans, but Father sounded really upset by it. I wondered if he took particularly good care of his belongings, but then Father cried out for a second time.

“Oh no! These are the pair I brought?!” Father had retrieved his spare set from his luggage—a pair of round frames.

“…Is something wrong?”

“The square ones! I need my square glasses…!”

“But…what for?”

I’d never worn glasses before, so I didn’t understand why the shape mattered. Did they make things look different somehow?

“My wife mentioned those glasses when we were both listing a hundred things we loved about each other!”

I didn’t know what was happening anymore.

Father donned his round glasses for now, but he’d launched into a passionate speech. “I could think of far more than a hundred things I love about her, but she didn’t have any trouble coming up with that many for me either. I made up my mind that I’d maintain everything she listed about me for as long as I possibly could. That way, she would love me forever!”

That’s a good idea. I should do that with Cynthia sometime.

“That was one of the things she listed… She said I looked handsome in my square glasses…” he muttered sadly.

I gasped. Now that I understood why Father was so flustered, I squeezed my hands into fists. If Cynthia told me she loved my square glasses, but then I only had round ones as a backup, I’d…!

“F-Father…!”

“Siraiya…! Will you come with me?”

“Of course! Let’s go!”

We need to find some square-shaped glasses as soon as possible!

✶✶✶

“THEY’RE harder to find than I would have expected,” I said.

“Square-shaped glasses are a recent design, after all, so they’re not as common as round frames. They probably aren’t stocking as many daily necessities as they would be if the festival wasn’t going on either.”

Father and I chatted as we walked down the street. We’d come to the same market where the animal festival was being held. It was the busiest spot in the Rhuddlan territory and home to many different shops, including those that served wealthy clients, stocking items like high-quality glasses. But we couldn’t find any square-shaped ones.

“But anyway, Siraiya, those dog ears are a cute look for you.”

“Thank you. Cynthia picked them out for me to wear at the festival. That red crest looks good with your hair, too, Father. The Rhuddlans all have such vivid, beautiful red hair.”

I didn’t think anyone in the Rhuddlan territory would recognize me, but everyone knew Father’s face, at least. That was why we’d both come in animal costumes for this outing. We didn’t want to cause any chaos if he was recognized, even if we were only there to get a single pair of glasses, so both of us wore masks to disguise ourselves.

The shopkeepers would definitely give us special attention if they recognized Father as the ruler of the territory. They might want to talk about work or unintentionally embarrass him for not buying more.

I was dressed like a dog since Cynthia picked the look out for me. Father was reusing Cynthia’s costume as an angel…or rather, a chicken.

“Yes, many members of the Rhuddlan family are born with red hair,” he said. “They say the vivid red color symbolizes those who will grow up with lots of love to share. That’s just a superstition, but when I picture the other members of my family and their personalities, it doesn’t seem so silly after all.”

“You’re true yanderes, then.”

“Yandere? What’s that mean?”

I’d assumed Cynthia’s father would know the same word she taught me—that she’d picked it up on one of the Rhuddlan family trips to a foreign land.

“Cynthia told me it’s a word from a distant country, and that it describes a deeply loving person.”

“I see. I’ve never heard that before. Cynthia’s always learning all sorts of new things.” He smiled, delighted to hear of his daughter’s vast wealth of knowledge. I couldn’t help but smile, too. I hoped that one day, when I had my own children, I would be as good a father.

Only after meeting the Rhuddlans did I finally learn what a loving family actually looked like. I still felt like I only halfway understood it, but at this rate, I was confident I would be able to build a loving family, too.

“Ah…! That’s…!” Father suddenly raised his voice.

“Square-shaped glasses?!”

Just as I thought he’d found them, I followed his gaze toward a shop selling women’s accessories.

“Look at that cute brooch!” he exclaimed. “Don’t you think it would look nice on my wife?!”

“A brooch…? Yes, I do suppose it would suit Mother.”

It was a simple, flower-shaped brooch. It would make a nice accessory for Mother, but what exactly had happened to our glasses search?

Father strode straight into the store and bought the brooch with the money he had on him. One of his servants would normally handle that part for him, but he was maintaining his disguise as a commoner today.

“My wife will look beautiful with this brooch. I just hope she likes it.”

I was certain she would. Mother loved Father very much, after all.

He smiled fondly, forgetting his original objective in coming here. When I turned my eyes toward the shop’s other items, I spotted a cute ribbon made of lace.

“This…would look good on Cynthia,” I mumbled.

“Ah, you’re right! It’s perfect for her!”

I took out my money too, and before I knew it, I was walking out with a shopping bag in hand.

“Siraiya! Let’s check out that shop over there next!”

“Okay, Father!”

✶✶✶

WHY, exactly, had we come to the market again?

I could barely move. Both of my hands were now filled with bags.

“Siraiya… I don’t have much money left…”

“Me neither…Father…”

At this rate, we wouldn’t be able to buy glasses. We’d finally snapped out of our trance, so we went back to our carriage to drop off our bags.

“Okay, we can’t get distracted this time,” I insisted. “Let’s find those glasses.”

“Right… It’s finally time…”

“Yes… It’s time…”

We expressed our remorse as we handed our bags over to the coachman. But then Father gave me something else.

“Siraiya, this is a gift for my dear son.”

“For me…?”

When did he even buy this? I took the small box, opened it up, and found a pair of pure-silver cufflinks inside.

“I thought it would suit you. Come on, it’s yours now.”

“Father…! Thank you so much. I’ll cherish this.”

Father shared his love with everyone, just like Cynthia. Or maybe it was more accurate to say Cynthia turned out that way thanks to her loving mother and father.

“I’d like to give you a present sometime too,” I said.

“Is that right? I’ll be looking forward to it.”

We smiled at each other, but then Father dropped an important reminder.

“Let’s just…not worry about that today…”

“Right…”

Gazing at the carriage full of bags, the two of us wallowed in regret once more.

✶✶✶

“THEY just don’t sell those glasses anywhere,” I sighed. “I think we’ve ended up in a back alleyway, so let’s head back the way we came.”

“You’re right. At this rate, I don’t think we’re going to—”

Just then, a nearby horse let out a shrill whinny.

“Thief! Someone, stop that man!”

I turned toward the source of the commotion. A shopkeeper was sprawled out on the ground beside his merchandise cart. Nearby, a man with a bag slung over his shoulder was making a break for it.

“Let’s stay away, Father. It could be dangerous. I’ll go and find a knight to…”

I tried to lead Father into the main street, feeling a duty to keep him safe. But instead, Father sprinted toward the shopkeeper. He quickly untied the horse from the cart.

“I’ll be borrowing this.”

With a smile, Father grabbed the long straps that attached the horse to the cart, reeled them in to a more appropriate length for reins, mounted the horse, and took off without so much as a saddle.

I feared a cart-pulling horse wouldn’t be accustomed to being ridden, but Father maintained his balance as he caught up to the fleeing man in the blink of an eye. At his command, the horse leapt up into the air.

“Aaaargh!”

The man’s scream echoed through the streets. Father had overtaken the robber and blocked his path forward. The startled man stumbled and hit the ground before trying to scramble back in the other direction. But it was too late. Father loosened his grip on the long reins, tossed them forward, and lassoed the man before he could flee. He fell to the ground, unable to escape this binding.

“Don’t resist.”

Father’s tone was calm, but the man let out an angry scream.

“Where the hell did you come from?! Who are you?!”

“Huh…?! I’m…”

He couldn’t answer that honestly. There wasn’t a need to answer a robber’s demands in the first place, but Father thought it over for a moment before responding.

“I’m the Heroic Chicken Father!”

It sounded like something out of a comedic book or a play. While the other man and I were both at a loss for words, Father retrieved a rope from the shopkeeper’s belongings and tied the robber up nice and tight.

✶✶✶

“THANK you so much, Heroic Chicken Father!”

The shopkeeper was overjoyed by Father’s intervention.

He’d handed the robber over to a passing vigilante committee, and the knights would probably be there to take over soon. Though I feared Father would have to reveal his true identity once they arrived.

I just hoped they didn’t care who he was. He’d done a good thing, after all…

“That man stole something very valuable from me. But I’d like to thank you, so please choose something from my inventory! I sell all sorts of things!”

He showed off his inventory to Father, holding up various expensive-looking accessories for him to choose from. I could tell he wasn’t lying when he said the robber took something valuable.

“I have a proposition for you instead…” Father changed subjects with the grateful shopkeeper.

“What is it? I’d be glad to help if it’s within my power.”

“Your square-shaped glasses caught my eye. As long as you have a spare pair on hand, would you mind giving me those?”

I gasped and looked at the shopkeeper. I noticed for the first time that he was wearing square-shaped glasses. Don’t tell me… Is that why he chased down the robber?

“I don’t mind, of course. But you really don’t want more than a used pair of glasses?”

“No, that’s perfect! I’d do anything for those frames!”

Once Father had the glasses, we hurried away before the knights could show up and ask questions.

“That all happened so fast,” I said. “I’m just glad you’re a skilled horseback rider. I was worried you might get hurt…”

I came clean about my fears on the way back to our carriage. I really cared about Father, and I couldn’t bear to see him injured.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I’d scared you like that.” He stroked my back, which helped me calm down a bit.

He was Cynthia’s father, but he was also mine now. I wanted to look after him properly, and it felt sort of strange to care so deeply for someone who wasn’t Cynthia. As much as I enjoyed being alone with her, I wanted to spend more time as an entire family, too.

I could feel my heart being rebuilt from the ground up. It was a pleasant, warm sensation.

“I actually recognized that shopkeeper, you see. I don’t think he saw through my disguise, but I already knew his horse was used to being ridden. It doesn’t just pull the cart around all day.”

“I see. So that’s why…”

His red hair was still visible with this disguise. I’d thought it would stand out too much, but I’d also heard that many members of the Rhuddlan family lived throughout this territory. It seemed that red hair on its own wasn’t all that identifiable after all.

“Still, I’m just glad I got some square-shaped frames.” Pleased, Father removed his mask and his circular frames, replacing them with his new pair of glasses… But then he groaned and quickly brought them back down. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected the lenses to be the right strength. I’ll need to get them replaced at once.”

“We can leave the frames with a lens shop and head home for today. You should get some sleep as soon as possible.”

“You’re right. I’ve been far too reckless for one day.”

We boarded the carriage, packed full of our purchases. As soon as we set off, Father was instantly out cold.

I could only imagine that he’d been pushing his limits all day, yet he went as far as to chase down a criminal—all so that his beloved wife would think better of him, if only a little.

The more I saw of him, the more I wanted to become a father and a husband like him someday. I was incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many people I aspired to imitate.

✶✶✶

“HEAVENS, dear! Where in the world did you go? I thought I told you to rest!”

“I know, I’m sorry… There was just something I desperately needed…”

Mother rushed out to greet us when we returned to the inn. Father covered his glasses with one hand and hung his head, like he was too embarrassed to let her see he was wearing round frames.

He’d left the square frames at a lens shop on the way back, but was told it would take a while to replace them. Of course, it was still much faster than sending word back to the Rhuddlan manor and having them ship him a new pair.

“What’s wrong with your face? Let me see.”

His attempts at hiding it had the opposite effect. “It’s nothing,” he insisted, though he was unable to refuse his worried wife. Father raised his head for her to see.

“You don’t look injured. Oh my! Those aren’t your usual glasses.”

Father’s shoulders stiffened. But Mother’s eyes sparkled with love for her husband just like always.

“You look so cute with round frames. I love it!” she gushed.

“You like round glasses, too?!”

“Whatever do you mean? I’d like any glasses as long as you’re the one wearing them, of course.”

“I see… Haha…”

Father sounded shocked for a moment, but then he pulled Mother into his arms and told her he loved her. Why hadn’t either of us predicted that outcome? Why did we think Mother would say anything else? She loved Father with all her heart. Of course, she didn’t care what shape his glasses were.

I quietly slipped away, not wanting to intrude on their special moment, and headed for Cynthia’s room.

“You and Father went out to town?” she asked me.

“Yes, and we got lots of presents for you. Let’s open them together later.”

“Really? All right. I’m looking forward to it.” Cynthia smiled at me. I took a seat beside her and felt her large wings envelop me. “Was that your first outing alone with Father? How did it go?”

“It was, now that you mention it. I had lots of fun… It made me realize how nice it is to have a loving family. I like being alone with you, too, but I can’t wait for us to all go out to places together as a group.”

When I said that, Cynthia began to mutter under her breath. “He’s back on the right track…! How did that happen…?”

“Cynthia, if I had to start wearing glasses, would you like how they looked on me, no matter what shape I chose?”

“Of course! I already love you as a person, so it’s impossible for me not to love your appearance, whatever it may be.”

“Thank you… I love you, too, Cynthia.”

Cynthia’s loving words made me even more confident that we could be a couple like Mother and Father someday.

I couldn’t wait until the two of us became a blissful husband and wife just like them.