His Excellency The Chancellor Appears

“Prince Saryu, that is His Excellency the Chancellor.”

Shitoen whispered to me, and I turned my gaze toward the person who had gotten down from the carriage last.

Oh, I thought, and my back straightened.

His atmosphere was completely different from the two before him.

He looked to be in his fifties. His body was slender, but that did not mean he was skin and bones.

What wrapped his body was a dark green tailcoat, a deep red tie, jet-black trousers, and polished leather shoes.

There were no unnecessary decorations at all, with the only one perhaps being the stone of the medal attached to his chest.

After confirming that the chancellor had gotten down from the carriage, one of the butlers respectfully indicated the porch. With Raul at the front, Mail, who had linked arms with Crown Prince Arios, came forward. Then the chancellor followed them.

“Thank you for your long journey.”

I called out to them.

……Well, for the time being, that was probably my role in this situation.

Crown Prince Arios smiled in a more relaxed manner than before, then politely bowed to me.

“I am grateful for the exceptional consideration you granted us at the apology ceremony. Today, I have come to visit partly to express my thanks for that.”

Then he raised his face and smiled gently at Shitoen.

“And Shitoen as well. I am grateful that you responded with a generous heart at that time.”

“Not at all. Thank you for your courtesy.”

Shitoen also said that after bowing deeply.

But when I thought about it carefully, this relationship where they were former fiancés was, you know……

No, I am Shitoen’s husband now!!!

It did not matter whether the other party was a handsome young man or the crown prince of a neighboring kingdom!

I am Shitoen’s husband!

As I firmly told myself that, I felt some sort of intense gaze.

Hm? I thought, and moved my face toward that gaze.

It was Mail.

She was waiting with an excited look on her face, but……

Ah! I needed to address her!

“Lady Mail, thank you as well for your long journey. Are you tired?”

Amazing, this girl. She had learned how to wait properly, hadn’t she?

“I pray Your Highness Prince Saryu is in excellent spirits!”

Oh, you learned the language of Tidros, did you……

You can curtsy properly too!

……I-It must have been hard…… tutors of the Kingdom of Luminous…… I have never met you, but I am fiercely moved by your efforts……!

Mail then curtsied to Shitoen as well.

And the instant she raised her face.

“Shitoen-samaaa, it’s been so long! Haaai!”

She said that and spread both arms, so I faltered.

Huh. What? A hug? When I glanced at Crown Prince Arios, he was doting on her. He was doting on that Mail.

“Hey, can I kill her?”

“We erase her, right?”

Roze and Mone said dangerous things from behind me, so Shitoen seemed to panic.

“It has been a long time, Lady Mail.”

So kind…… Shitoen was kind……

She was hugging her…… She was hugging Mail……

No, no!

Wasn’t this sort of thing going to become stress for Shitoen?!

“Y-Your Excellency the Chancellor, it is an honor to meet you for the first time. I am Saryu El Tidros, Third Prince of the Kingdom of Tidros.”

I cleared my throat grandly, indicating to Mail that her turn was over, and greeted the chancellor.

From the corner of my eye, Mail seemed to reluctantly leave Shitoen and return to Crown Prince Arios. Good grief.

“Your Highness Prince Saryu, I am truly sorry for having caused you such trouble in this matter. Thanks to you, we were able to receive forgiveness from the King of Tania, and I am grateful beyond words.”

He placed his clenched fist against the right side of his chest and bent at the waist in the deepest bow, making even me feel humbled.

“No, many things happened between us…… But I am sure the King of Tania’s generous treatment was also because he wished for our future relationship to continue. Shitoen is also spending her days in good health like this now, so please, already……”

I could not quite say, “Do not concern yourself.” I did want him to concern himself.

“Your Excellency the Chancellor, it has been some time. Since our parting, I have sent you no word at all, which was terribly rude of me……”

When Shitoen addressed him, the chancellor shook his head while keeping his eyes lowered.

“Not at all. It is I, who does not know how I could possibly apologize…… The one who must continue apologizing for discourtesy is this humble self.”

“That is too much for me. Please, no more. As you can see, I am living in good health under the royal family of Tidros. Please, Your Excellency, keep your own heart well too.”

Even so, the chancellor did not raise his face.

That somewhat stubborn aspect left both Shitoen and me a little bewildered.

“Excuse me, young master. It seems everyone has alighted.”

The head butler approached my side and told me in a low voice.

When I looked, the maids and attendants who had been riding in the other carriages had also gotten down and seemed to have finished their respective preparations.

“……Well, I cannot offer much hospitality, but please relax in my home until the dinner party begins.”

I said that deliberately brightly, as if to change the mood. I had asked Eaton to handle their maids and attendants. She should already have been standing by inside the mansion.

The head butler quietly approached the front door and opened it with his white-gloved hand.

“Now then, please come in. Tea has been prepared.”

“You have my thanks.”

Crown Prince Arios smiled. Mail, who was clinging to his arm, also let her face light up happily, so I felt relieved.

Shitoen and I led the way into the mansion.

The maids gathered in the hall all bowed their heads at once and welcomed the party from Luminous.

“Waaah, amazing. It’s so biiig.”

Just when I thought I heard Mail’s voice, she had somehow trotted over to Shitoen’s side.

“Do you live here with Prince Saryu?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Eeeh. Isn’t there anything according to Shitoen-sama’s tastes? If it were me, I’d make it more to my own liking. It’s kind of plaaain.”

At once, I sensed blue veins bulging on the foreheads of the waiting maids and butlers. Not only I, but Shitoen also panicked.

“I am fond of it. It is very tasteful, and this vase displayed here, for example……”

“Ah! I get it!”

Interrupting Shitoen’s words, Mail puffed up her cheeks and glared at me.

“I bet Prince Saryu won’t allow it. Poor Shitoen-sama.”

“This mansion was given to me by His Majesty after I graduated from the military academy. The furnishings, the furniture arrangement—everything was prepared by the servants according to my preferences and in a way that would be convenient for me.”

I said that to Mail firmly.

“I do not like gaudy things. Refinement lies in simplicity.”

Ohh, somehow the butlers and maids showed such enthusiasm toward me that they almost seemed ready to applaud, but.

“Hmm. ……Does that mean you’re poor?”

“Tea! Prepare the tea at once! Do not falter!”

If I did not throw out instructions and encourage them, the servants would become a scene of countless corpses……! Raul! You are not allowed to kneel on one knee on the floor either!