The Domestic Situation In Luminous

“Shall we have some tea? How would you like your sugar and milk?”

Shitoen indicated the tea set in front of them as if to divert her attention. Her attention seemed to shift immediately, and she replied, “Two sugars! And lots of milk!” Good grief. Raul was wiping sweat from his forehead too. We had almost ended up being made to wear birthday hats like those white horses……

“Um…… as expected, is that it? Is there something concerning you……?”

I glanced at Mail, who was chatting excitedly with Shitoen, and directed the conversation toward Crown Prince Arios. He nodded with a dark expression.

“Over the past few months, she has been in danger several times…… Right now, I am having her refrain from going outside altogether.”

“Do you have any idea who it is?”

Well, I thought he probably would not tell someone like me, but Crown Prince Arios nodded firmly, which surprised me.

“Then can you not deal with it?”

I had expected an answer like, “Of course,” but.

Crown Prince Arios hesitated slightly.

What came back to my mind was what had happened at the apology ceremony. Crown Prince Arios had once said, “I still lack power.”

It was when he had provided information related to the assassination attempt on Shitoen.

Even though Crown Prince Arios knew about it, he could not stop Shitoen’s assassination. His own fiancée was being targeted.

It was unthinkable in Tidros.

His position seemed quite unstable.

“I…… During this visit to the Kingdom of Tidros, I intend to show that I am the crown prince of the Kingdom of Luminous. I will strive so that everyone acknowledges that I possess the ability worthy of that position.”

His eyes.

They were directed straight at the chancellor of his own country.

“His Highness Arios is truly splendid. He is always refining himself through diligent effort. This is precisely the brilliant crown prince of our country. This chancellor knows best that he will shoulder the next generation and make our country’s position unshakable.”

The chancellor answered modestly with his chin lowered.

But Crown Prince Arios’s eyes as he looked at him were clear and cold.

……While saying this with his mouth, was this chancellor the very person who looked down on Crown Prince Arios?

In fact, when the chancellor praised Crown Prince Arios, he did not show his expression. He hid it by lowering his face.

Was he making an expression he needed to hide?

If so,

Was this man the one who might have been involved in Shitoen’s assassination?

I was busily watching the two of them, but when my eyes met Crown Prince Arios’s, he smiled as if smoothing things over.

“This is tea they kindly prepared for us. Let us have some as well, Chancellor.”

“Yes, Your Highness Crown Prince Arios.”

The chancellor swiftly half-rose and served tea to Crown Prince Arios.

……Somehow, I wished I had asked my eldest brother a little more about the internal situation in the Kingdom of Luminous.

As I clicked my tongue inwardly, Mail raised her voice and said, “Ah, that’s right!”

“This pink diamond, you know, Crown Prince Arios bought it for me!”

She happily pinched the large diamond and showed it to Shitoen.

“It is lovely. As expected of Crown Prince Arios. It suits you, Lady Mail.”

Shitoen held her cup with both hands and answered while enjoying the aroma.

“And yet I haven’t been able to go outside much…… I didn’t have any chance to wear it, so today I dressed up as much as I could!”

……Somehow.

Once I understood Mail’s current situation, even those gaudy clothes and accessories of hers looked different.

She must have been looking forward to it.

She must have wanted to adorn herself with something given to her by the person she loved.

Of course she did.

Even I, when it came to the ties or cuff links I received from Shitoen.

I wore things like that from the moment I received them. Of course, being told by Shitoen, “They suit you♡,” was the best, but it also made me happy when someone saw them and said, “They suit you.”

“Crown Prince Arios loves you very much, does he not? I am glad.”

What Shitoen said was exactly right.

Probably.

She was loved this much by someone.

She wanted to say that and show that.

Yet she had no opportunity to do so.

But she probably also understood the dilemma that the reason she had no opportunity was because she was loved.

“As I said earlier, I have placed a complete security system here. Please relax.”

So I ended up saying that. Shitoen also nodded in agreement.

“Thank you very much! That’s why I love Prince Saryu♪ Ah! Of course, I love Crown Prince Arios the most for inviting me to an occasion like this! So please rest easy, Shitoen-sama!”

Shitoen smiled wryly. I was so stunned that I had no strength left…… No, I was starting to feel like this girl might unexpectedly survive tenaciously no matter what situation she was in……

“Hey, then can I see the garden?! I want to take a walk!”

Mail suddenly sprang to her feet.

“Huh?! The garden?!”

I panicked and looked at Raul.

Raul was bewildered too.

W-Well…… Knights were stationed in the garden too, and above all, this was inside the royal castle…… I did not think it was dangerous, but……

“Just a little! I’ll only go around a little! Because no matter where I go, it’s always by carriage! At this rate, I’m just being shut inside while moving around!”

Tears slowly welled in Mail’s eyes.

“And it’s been nothing but the language of Tidros the whoooooole time. I want to talk with Shitoen-sama in the language of Luminous or the common language of Karaban……”

“Mail……”

Crown Prince Arios murmured again in a troubled way, so, really……

“I shall guide you. I will accompany you.”

See, Shitoen said something like this!

Feeling like I wanted to claw at my head, I ordered the three standing by near the wall.

“Raul and Ro…… no! Um, Roro and Monmon, go as guards too!”

Come to think of it, we had not decided on fake names, so I said whatever came to mind……

Roze spat, “No sense at all.” Hey, you!

“Now then. Let us take a short walk. I will guide you.”

Shitoen invited her in the language of Luminous and approached the glass door leading to the garden.

“Come on, let’s go. Roro and Monmon!”

Raul desperately held back his laughter as he dragged the sulking Roze and Mone along after them.