Running Around For The Date Plan

For what felt like the nth time, I let out a sigh and signed the clipboard Raul held out to me.

“Did you read it?! Properly!”

Even Raul was understandably irritated.

“I read it. It’s that, right? The application form to borrow the conservatory tomorrow.”

I scratched my head roughly and leaned against the wall.

I lowered my eyes to the document again.

It was an application form stating that I would use a royal family secondary residence in the royal capital. I would submit it to the general affairs department of the royal palace, and with that, we would be able to use it tomorrow.

During the day, Mail had started making a fuss about wanting to “go on a date at a confectionery in the royal capital,” so the security unit, myself included, had been thrown into a frantic commotion.

When I asked the crown prince, he made a grand grimace but ordered, “Do something about it.”

So we started moving to carry out the “date at a confectionery in the royal capital” event tomorrow, but……

We could not take Mail, who was currently very much being targeted, to a confectionery.

It was true that Shitoen and I had gone on several incognito dates, but those had come with full escorts.

The shop had an eat-in space as well, but the seats facing the street were entirely glass-fronted, and there was also an open terrace, but there were too many eyes around, making security difficult.

Shitoen understood all of that, so she was a great help, but……

Mail definitely would not be the same, would she?

She would say she wanted to go to the open terrace, and even indoors, she would absolutely insist on a window seat……

Of course, we could line up our knight order in front of the glass wall or surround the open café seats, but that would not be the kind of “date” Mail wanted. If anything, it would feel like eating while being watched.

So, we decided to use a royal family secondary residence near the confectionery.

It was a place where attendants and maids who could not stay at the royal palace were lodged when honored guests were invited from the provinces.

It was not of a high enough rank to invite a crown prince and his fiancée-to-be, but……

The conservatory there was splendid.

Although it was summer, the rain and other weather over the past few days had made things begin to cool slightly. If we spread the cover over the ceiling and opened all the glass windows, it would probably create a decent atmosphere.

We would have the shopkeeper travel there and temporarily open a shop on-site.

That was how we decided to make it look proper.

The broad outline had been decided at five o’clock. The dinner party was from seven. I rode back and forth between the royal capital and the royal castle several times by horse,

“You were a prince?!”

and pleaded with the shocked shopkeeper until he agreed to open a temporary shop, then returned to the mansion, changed clothes, escorted Shitoen, and attended the dinner party at the crown prince’s mansion.

Even during that dinner party, Raul called me out several times so I could sign and read the necessary documents.

“This will be the last signature, but…… We still do not know what may happen before the day itself, so do not let your guard down.”

I ended up listening to Raul’s warning with a fed-up expression.

Since he looked like he might scold me for it, I pretended to look around the venue and averted my eyes.

The dinner itself had ended, and now it was a social gathering between my eldest brother and his wife and Crown Prince Arios’s party.

Everyone held their glasses as they pleased, either sitting on sofas or, like me, standing while talking.

“Where are Roze and Mone?”

Among the butlers and maids were several of our order members, but I could not see Roze or Mone.

“Somehow, Mail seems likely to take a liking to them. So I am intentionally keeping them away for now. It would be troublesome if they slipped up from there.”

“Mail would!”

My voice came out strangely.

They looked good, but they were women dressed as men. She was someone who could fawn over anyone.

“Right now, look, they are over there.”

Raul smoothly moved only his gaze. I followed it while pretending to be casual.

The glass double doors connecting the venue and the garden.

Beside them, I could indeed see figures that looked like attendants standing by.

“I am keeping them where I can see them.”

“Hm? Is that so?”

When I was thinking that those two might slack off, Raul glared at me.

“Captain, you seem to trust those two, but I still do not believe in them. It would be serious if they guided bandits in, would it not?”

“You…… really are suspicious……”

“I am not immortal like you, Captain. I am cautious about everything. Now, with this, I will step out for a moment……”

Raul was about to say that, but he closed his mouth.

I also stopped moving.

That was because the shadows that seemed to be Roze and Mone in front of the double doors suddenly began moving. They also seemed to be urging a nearby knight along.

They then ran out into the garden.

“I will go take a look.”

The moment Raul said that, he took one nearby knight with him and rushed out of the room.

As I gave the other knights a hand signal to stand by, someone called out, “Prince Saryu.”

When I turned around while pretending to remain calm, Crown Prince Arios was approaching while escorting Mail.

Weren’t these two chatting pleasantly with my eldest brother and his wife until just now? I thought, looking toward the sofa seats, but now Shitoen, the chancellor, my eldest brother, and his wife were having a peaceful conversation. Had their conversation with Crown Prince Arios and the others already ended?

“Prince Saryu, Prince Saryu! Is tomorrow’s date plan all right?”

“It’s done, it’s done. Yes, yes, it’s all right.”

“Yay♪”

I roughly pulled my arm away from Mail, who was smiling and clinging to it. As expected, I could not tell her, Stop it, get away from me.

So I called over a waiter nearby. If she held some kind of glass, she probably would not cling to me.

I picked up a shot glass, and when I gave him a look, Crown Prince Arios took the same thing. Mail pinched the stem of a tall…… some sort of cocktail glass I did not recognize with her fingers.

“I am sorry about Mail. Have you not been able to relax at all since the tea party?”

Crown Prince Arios lowered his voice, so I smiled wryly. I told him not to worry about it, but there was no sign that his mind was eased.

“Then, next time I go visit Luminous, take care of me.”

“Of course. I will welcome you grandly.”

He said it firmly, so I laughed. Crown Prince Arios also finally seemed to relax his body.