Just As I Thought, You Really Haven’t Changed

As for me, after that, I had wanted to turn right around and head back to the royal capital as soon as possible, but Vandel and Lord Marder kept asking Lady Shitoen one thing after another about the patients’ condition, handover notes, and how to prepare the food…

And Lady Shitoen answered them all so carefully too.

She gave detailed instructions for the patients’ meals, kept track of even how much they ate, and if that was not enough, she even said their urine output should be measured.

Even though she was thinking about the patients all day, for her own meals she just swallowed down bread with vegetables and cheese in it with tea or coffee, and I wanted to protest, Is this a battlefield or what? This was a count’s domain, and I was a prince. And this woman was going to become its princess.

But Lady Shitoen did not complain, chose ingredients for the patients, strode about the quarantine facility, and simply kept giving instructions.

As for me, I followed along behind her, kicking any indecent man who tried to touch her, and putting her on horseback whenever she needed to move…

Well, I was basically in a sort of attendant role.

At night, we were only released when it was time to sleep, and the moment we reached the bedroom, we each collapsed onto our beds.

Before I knew it, a knock at the door would wake us, we would pour soup and bread into our stomachs again, and then head to the quarantine facility.

After spending about five days like that, and at last signs of improvement began to appear among the residents, we were finally allowed to leave.

The recovered Ligo came to see me and bowed deeply once again, saying, “I did not know you were a prince,” so I bumped him on the shoulder and said, “Cut it out.”

When he stiffly said, “I will work hard for the sake of the kingdom,” I parted from him by saying, “Let’s both cherish our wives.”

And so, we tried to make straight for the royal capital, but… Vandel kept whining that he could not be satisfied with that.

He started saying, let me at least thank you somehow, at least let me give you something, and if not, he would not let us leave his territory…

I was plotting to slit his throat and leave his territory at once, but Lady Shitoen timidly made a request of me.

“There is actually a shop I am interested in,” she said.

Then of course we had to stop by!!

A shop a woman was interested in!!

Stopping there was an absolute necessity!!

And so, Vandel, Lady Shitoen, and I were in a glass workshop.

“Did you give me something like this?”

I picked up one of the glasses on display and asked Vandel.

It was the kind with bubbles trapped all through the glass, with a pale blue color drifting through it. It kind of looked like waves, but I thought that if it had bubbles in it, then surely it was a failure. Well, apparently not. It was a product, after all.

I had assumed it would be all tableware, but there were also mysterious things that looked like art pieces, as well as accessories.

The shop itself was not that large and was only one story, but the prices were quite steep. Judging even from the clerk’s clothing, I figured it probably was not aimed at commoners.

“I did give you one. I properly included it among your engagement gifts. You really did not look at them, did you? You rude bastard.”

Vandel folded his arms and snorted, “Hmph.”

What did he mean, rude?

He had given me things like whale bone and some sort of rock I could not even identify. Besides, using my celebration as an excuse, he had actually come looking for a doctor.

Honestly, I sighed.

I had stopped looking through the celebratory gifts partway through, but Lady Shitoen had apparently opened every last box and remembered them properly.

Among them, she had apparently seen a lovely glasswork… a lovely, what was it again. Well, something lovely, anyway.

And so.

After seeing that shop, she apparently wanted to buy something she liked there and take it back with her if possible.

“The Queen and the Crown Princess have truly treated me very well.”

I had assumed it was for herself, but it was apparently for my mother and sister-in-law.

At the moment, she was intently looking at tea sets. Summer was coming now. If one drank tea from those transparent cups and saucers, it certainly might feel cool and refreshing.

“We will cover the payment.”

As I was watching Lady Shitoen listen intently to the clerk’s explanation, Vandel whispered in my ear.

You are disgusting, you know that?

Your breath is hitting my ear.

“No. You do not need to go that far. You are already taking care of all the security, after all.”

I shoved him away hard.

“That is only natural. I was the one who invited you. At the very least, I will do this much while you are in my territory.”

He frowned, but that was still quite something.

Because I had been so on edge about Lady Shitoen’s security, he had kept his personal guard and elite unit attached to us as escorts the entire time.

Even now, this shop had been reserved for our use alone, and apparently he had no intention of easing this level of vigilance until we left the County of Sheen.

Honestly, I was happy about that. It meant my own men could rest during that time.

“Then we shall wrap this one for you.”

The clerk’s voice was heard.

Lady Shitoen nodded and signaled to Eaton. Seeing her approach with her bag from where she had been waiting by the wall, I panicked this time.

“No, I will pay for everything together—”

“What are you saying? If that happened, then it would no longer be a gift from me.”

Lady Shitoen said that with a soft laugh, and while I was fumbling over what to do, Vandel pointed at me.

“In that case, why not have this man buy an accessory for you?”

Ohhh, now that is a good idea!

“No… I could not…”

This time Lady Shitoen was the one who grew flustered, but I nodded so hard my head nearly shook loose.

“Please, let me give you a present!!!!”

“Well, let him have this one.”

Nice assist, Vandel.

What happened to you?

What brought this on?

Even Eaton, who had apparently finished paying, smiled and said to Lady Shitoen, “Why not let him spoil you?” and thanks to that, Lady Shitoen, with a somewhat nervous expression, said, “Then…” and moved with the clerk to the accessory section.

I followed along with Vandel and watched as she chose among various things.

Since I had never accompanied a woman on a shopping trip before, it felt fresh.

Every now and then she asked the clerk questions as she considered item after item.

I found it quite enjoyable just watching Lady Shitoen like that, but Vandel apparently began to get bored. He kept glancing out the window and stifling yawns.

“Prince Saryu.”

Lady Shitoen suddenly called on me by name, and I went over, wondering what it was.

“These items are apparently the same design in different colors.”

What she held in her right hand was a yellow earring.

What she held in her left hand was a blue earring.

The decorative glass was shaped like a droplet, and once again bubbles were trapped inside. The yellow one had a single larger drop. The blue one had many smaller ones.

The clerk beside her was all smiles.

“Both are very popular items among young ladies.”

“Which do you think is better?”

Lady Shitoen tilted her head slightly.

“Huh? Me? You are asking me?”

Without thinking, I pointed at myself.

“Yes. What do you think?”

Asked again, I groaned.

I groaned and groaned.

I folded my arms, compared them again and again, and stared intently at Lady Shitoen herself as well.

That was where things got long.

Even I felt it had gone on a long time, so for everyone else it must have felt even longer. They might well have thought I had frozen in place.

By then the sheer pressure of Vandel getting thoroughly fed up behind me was considerable, but then why had he said, “Have him buy you an accessory,” in the first place?

Because he said something like that, I ended up in this…

Hah…!

Had that bastard planned to cast me into this hell from the very beginning…!?

“Um… may I ask what exactly you are finding difficult?”

After I had spent more than fifteen minutes wavering between this and that, or even wondering if perhaps there was a third option, the clerk spoke to me with a strained smile.

“With what you are wearing now, I think the yellow one would suit you!”

I argued my case passionately. As I did, I even held the earring up near Lady Shitoen’s ear for a moment. Yes. It suited her.

“But Lady Shitoen often wears blue, does she not? In that case it would definitely be this one… And besides, summer is coming, and the tableware you chose earlier was kind of blue too, so maybe you like blue…”

“You really do watch her closely.”

Vandel sounded exasperated, but I was always watching Lady Shitoen. So what of it?

“I see. You make a good point. With the coming season, blue may indeed be better. However, if she coordinated yellow accessories with it, then this one too…”

The clerk then gave me even more unnecessary information, which made me hesitate for another fifteen minutes.

Stop it, clerk. Do not give me half-finished advice like that!

In the end, worn out to the point of exhaustion, I told Lady Shitoen,

“I think the blue one is better!”

I said it decisively.

“Certainly, sir.”

The clerk bowed deeply.

“Raul!!! Payment!”

I shouted at Raul, who was standing in the doorway.

Good grief. At last I could relax, or so I thought, but then—

“Captain. In cases like this, you buy both.”

As he passed by me, Raul muttered that, and I was stunned.

“W-w-w-w-w-w-wait…”

So there really had been a third option after all…!

“You should have said so sooner! That sort of thing! You had all the time in the world to advise me!!”

What exactly were you watching!?

Were you laughing at my suffering!?

“And besides, you know, even if you only buy the earrings, that is still a bit, is it not? Should you not have bought a necklace or a ring too?”

Even Vandel started saying things like that.

Then you should have told me that much beforehand! What is with you people!? Did you have fun laughing at me, huh!?

Ah, now that I think of it, Mother once said, “Could I perhaps take everything from that shelf to that shelf?”

“Wait a moment! Lady Shitoen, um…”

Just as I hurriedly tried to call the clerk back, Lady Shitoen shook her head.

“Blue is fine. Just the blue earrings.”

She said it clearly, but I panicked. If I was not going to use the privilege of being a prince here, then when would I ever use it?

“No, um… if there is anything else that catches your eye…”

“That is not it. I was truly happy that you chose something while thinking about me… Or rather, I wanted you to choose for me. It is not that I want anything else.”

Blushing shyly, Lady Shitoen’s face turned bright red.

“Thank you. It made me very happy.”

“I… I see.”

Before I knew it, I had nearly collapsed, and without thinking I clung to Vandel’s shoulder.

“She really is an ungreedy young lady.”

As Vandel said that, he idly stroked my back, so I smacked his hand away at once.

And so, with this shopping trip as our last stop, we left the County of Sheen.