Souvenirs For Shitoen

“Well then, I’ll be going now. I hope I can get something meaningful out of the professor.”

Raul sighed and turned his back.

“Be careful.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Raul fluttered his hand and left the mansion.

Now then, I thought, maybe I should go greet Shitoen and tell her I was home.

Just then.

A bright laugh came from the stairs.

“Oh, perfect timing. That is my lady.”

Eaton hurried toward the stairs. I followed behind her too.

The staircase leading to the private rooms on the second floor bent in a dogleg shape with a landing in between. After a hard clacking sound, Shitoen appeared, gently resting her hand on the handrail.

Was there a spotlight shining only there?!

Had the head butler aimed for some kind of visual effect?!

Even without anything like that, Shitoen was shining brightly!

Was there a zoom function attached to my eyes? I could clearly, vividly, and perfectly confirm Shitoen’s expression!

Her eyes met mine, and she widened them in surprise.

Then she immediately smiled happily.

“Prince Saryu! Welcome home!”

That expression was so cute!

Guhhhhhhh! I took a hit!!! I did not know what it was, but I took a hit!

My wife, whom I had seen for the first time in a week, was so cuuuute!

I wanted to run out of the mansion for no reason and dash around! And then shout!

My wife is too cute―――――!

W-What a luxurious worry this was. Terrifying. I had been a prince ever since I was born into this world… but I had never experienced such luxury before.

I was sorry… far too sorry. Everyone in the nation, I am sorry. To think I could taste such luxury as having a wife who was too cute…!

“I wish you had come back either a little earlier or a little later.”

“You chose such a half-baked time.”

Cold voices brought me back to myself.

Mone and Roze were standing on both sides of Shitoen, watching me.

“What, you two were here too?”

It slipped out of my mouth.

They had been so eclipsed by Shitoen that I had not noticed them at all.

“We were here the whole time! So annoying!”

“Those eyes that are only interested in Princess Shitoen are exquisitely creepy. Like a winter bear constantly aiming for its prey. Princess Shitoen, you must not approach him immediately after meeting him. Your person is in danger.”

“Roze-chan, Mone-san!”

Shitoen hurriedly admonished them.

Really, those two said nothing but insults to me.

However, Mone’s stance, or rather her distance from Shitoen, was wonderful.

She maintained a posture that allowed her to respond immediately if anything happened, and judging from the shape of her long skirt with a slit, she seemed to be hiding a sword inside.

If she had been guarding Shitoen like this while I was away, then I would be truly happy. You were being useful.

Even now, her sense of vigilance was prickling at maximum intensity.

…Toward me.

Hey, that was strange! Shitoen was my wife! Why did I have to be treated like the assailant?!

With Mone and Roze accompanying her, Shitoen walked over to me.

“I’m home, Shitoen.”

“I am sorry I was late in welcoming you.”

After saying that, Shitoen glanced at Eaton. Eaton immediately approached and whispered, “He arrived just now.”

Shitoen looked apologetic, but she had been occupied, so it could not be helped.

As I was thinking that, Roze was looking at me with an extremely sulky face.

“What?”

“You really have no interest in anyone but Shitoen-sama!”

Roze folded her arms and huffed angrily, but that was only natural, wasn’t it? What was this brat saying?

“Ah, I know!”

“W-What is it?”

When I clapped my hands and smiled at her, Roze’s face turned red and she looked away with a huff.

“It’s souvenirs, right? Don’t worry, I bought something not only for Shitoen, but for you too. Some toy that makes a sound when you blow into it.”

“That’s not it! And you immediately treat me like a child like that!”

She yelled noisily and stamped her feet, but you were still a child. The way you tried to act grown-up was exactly like that.

“My! That is wonderful, Roze-chan. Please show it to me later.”

When Shitoen said that with a smile, Roze puffed up with an indescribable expression, but still nodded and said, “Okay.” See, she wanted it after all, didn’t she?

“I have things for Mone and Eaton too.”

Mone said, “I don’t need it,” and was scolded by Eaton with, “You mustn’t say that.”

“I’ll have Shitoen’s souvenir carried in later.”

“Carried in, you say?!”

Eaton’s eyes went round.

No, it was simply big…

“I look forward to it! Thank you as always.”

Shitoen smiled at me.

This was it… This response, this expression, this bearing…!

It was almost as if I chose presents because I wanted to see this!

“Ah. Um… there is something I would like to consult you about, Prince Saryu.”

“What is it?”

I wondered if it was related to what she had been occupied with earlier.

“While you were absent, a person who said he was the representative of the court physicians visited me.”

“Court physicians? Is something wrong with you, Shitoen?!”

I leaned forward, but Shitoen shook her head vigorously.

“Um, it seems he heard from His Majesty about my medical knowledge… He said he would like to hold a study session once, also for the purpose of exchanging information. I feel that if my knowledge can be of use to this country’s medicine, that would be exactly what I hoped for… Um… may I participate?”

After asking while looking up at me, she hurriedly added in a rapid voice.

“Of course, I will make sure it does not interfere with my official duties!”

“No, isn’t that fine? As long as it is within a range that does not burden you, Shitoen.”

Perhaps because my response was so ready, she looked so surprised that she stood there blankly for a while.

“If His Majesty has approved it, there should be no problem, and if it will be held inside the palace, I can feel at ease. However, I would like to be present too… or, if that is impossible, I would like you to take either Mone or Roze along as a guard while having her pretend to be a maid.”

Shitoen glanced toward Mone and Roze.

“That’s fine, Shitoen-sama!”

“Of course, there is no problem. I will accompany you.”

Mone gave a crisp salute, and Roze made an elegant bow.

…Why did they not treat me with that attitude?

Beside the highly motivated sisters, Eaton, in contrast, dropped her shoulders and was already exhausted, saying, “I must somehow drill etiquette thoroughly into these sisters by then.”