Chapter 13

I, Eltriede, watched over the lovers while hiding in the shadows.

Those two were completely lost in their own world, not even noticing my presence despite my lack of stealth.

I would have preferred to remain an unseen presence if possible, but that wasn’t an option.

If I left them be, the conclusion awaiting those two was undoubtedly ruin.

Whether they met their ruin or not had no impact on me whatsoever, but in my past life, they were made unhappy simply because they got caught up in my ambitions.

Even if they became unhappy again in this life, would it be okay for me as long as I wasn’t involved?

Of course not.

Knowing about it here and doing nothing to save them from a doomed fate would surely make tomorrow’s meals taste terrible.

Doing nothing is also a sin.

Whether running into this scene entirely by sheer coincidence was good fortune or misfortune…!?

“Wait right there!!”

“W-What?!”

Jumping out from the shadows, I finally startled the giddy lovers into awareness.

Naturally, realizing their secret tryst had been witnessed by someone, they belatedly put up their guard.

Though they were far too late.

“Who on earth are you…?! What are you doing here?!”

“Never mind who I am. More importantly, do you honestly think your ridiculous plan is going to succeed?”

At that pointed remark, the young man and woman stiffened in alarm.

They finally woke up to the danger that they had been eavesdropped on for quite some time.

“E-Eavesdropping is discourteous! Is that how a noble behaves?!”

“Elope, and you’re committing a rebellion unbefitting of a noble.”

I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of exasperation at hearing them complain about manners now of all things.

At the same time, I became utterly convinced. Even if these completely infatuated two were to hold hands and dash off on an elopement, there wasn’t a single chance in ten thousand of them succeeding.

“Does the gentleman over there realize? Lady Adelina is currently participating in the evening party, which is the very first stage of the Crown Princess selection—meaning she is strictly a full-fledged Crown Princess candidate at this moment. If you spirit her away, it is nothing less than snatching a woman right out from under the Crown Prince’s nose.”

“T-That’s not true! I have admired Lord Berem for a very long time!”

“Then why did you attend tonight’s evening party? No matter what you say, attending it is tantamount to declaring your intention to become the Crown Princess.”

“That’s because my father forced me…!”

I was well aware of your circumstances.

After all, I had already studied it all in my past life. That was precisely why I couldn’t just overlook their current reckless stunt.

“Anyway, if you were going to take action, you should have done it much earlier. If you abduct her right here and now, no matter what excuses you cobble together, it will be treated as making a fool of the Crown Prince. The royal family will have no choice but to take action.”

They would undoubtedly hunt down the two of you to the ends of the earth for daring to fling mud in the royal family’s face.

I couldn’t imagine two people raised in the lap of luxury managing to shake off a relentless pursuit like that.

“It’s my fault…!”

The man accompanying Lady Adelina said with a trembling voice.

“While longing for Adelina, we dithered over our respective positions and couldn’t take action…! Yet the moment the Crown Princess selection began, the reality that she would slip away to a place I couldn’t reach hit me with full force… I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her, I just couldn’t sit still anymore…!”

“It’s alright, Berem! I am so happy!!”

Would you two please stop creating your own private little world at every opportunity?

I understood the circumstances that had driven them into a frenzy right at this timing.

That didn’t mean I could just look the other way, however.

“…At the very least, can’t you wait a little longer? Lady Adelina is indeed a Crown Princess candidate right now, but she won’t remain one for eternity.”

If anything, the situation would shift rapidly.

The Crown Princess selection was going to progress swiftly from here on, and with each stage, a multitude of young ladies would be weeded out.

“Once Lady Adelina gets filtered out of the selection, she will be happily released from her status as a Crown Princess candidate. Wouldn’t it be fine to propose or do as you please after that?”

“That’s impossible! Adelina is the finest of women! His Highness the Crown Prince is bound to notice and select her as Crown Princess!! That’s why the only chance we have is right now!”

I wished they wouldn’t lose their sanity.

I understood that being cornered by love prevented these people from making rational judgments.

“Um… I don’t know who you might be…”

“That’s right, I hadn’t even introduced myself yet.”

“Still, you can just think of me as a passing busybody.”

“What he says isn’t entirely wrong, either. Tonight really is our last chance to be together.”

“What do you mean?”

“My father has high expectations that I will definitely become the Crown Princess. He believes there’s no other acceptable outcome. That’s why he’ll never forgive me if I slack off.”

As a parent who had expectations for their daughter, they would immediately notice whether she was slacking off since they had watched her for so long.

Lady Adelina was also a talented magic lady prominent enough to be listed as a leading candidate. If she put in genuine effort, she might truly be chosen as Crown Princess, and even if she wasn’t, she would undoubtedly make it far.

“If that happens, attention will gather around me, and surely marriage proposals from wonderful matches will come flying in. Other princes from the royal family or heirs to ducal houses. Father will definitely say ‘at the very least’ and marry me off to the highest-ranking one among them.”

“If it comes to that, there’s no way a third son of a marquis family like me would ever be chosen. It truly means Berem and I were never meant to be!”

This man is so annoyingly dramatic.

I pretty much understand the situation now.

To analyze the situation more precisely, another option would be to elope the exact moment Lady Adelina got eliminated from the Crown Princess selection.

Even if marriage proposals started pouring in from other high nobility, there would still be a window of a few days, and targeting that gap could minimize external friction to practically zero.

Yet, if you asked whether an elopement would actually succeed, I could only think it was “basically impossible.”

These two, whose only redeeming quality was magic, had no way of surviving by casting aside their social standing.

In the end, they would be dragged back, and their romance would never come to fruition.

And there was even the risk that Lady Adelina might actually get chosen as Crown Princess, leaving no room to slip away and tearing them apart.

She had just said herself that she couldn’t slack off or intentionally get eliminated.

……

Come to think of it, it’s a dead end from every direction.

“……Understood.”

“Then you’ll let us go after all?!”

You fools.

That’s the one thing that will never happen.

If I let you two go here, the royal family will make their move. I cannot allow you to face the absolute worst conclusion among all tragic romance endings.

Since I was the one who once pushed you both down into that abyss with my own hands, I suppose I now have to step in and guide you toward the best possible ending.

“You two… if you’re prepared to throw away your homes and social standing to run away here and now, won’t you entrust your lives to me?”

“Eh?”

“I’m saying I will make sure the two of you stay together until the end. If you’re willing to follow my instructions, I’ll stake the name of the Eldenvalk Duke family’s young lady and turn you two into a perfectly suited couple!!”

And so, we returned to the glittering interior of the royal castle.

The evening party was still underway, with numerous nobles mingling gracefully.

Amidst them, I spotted my target.

Crown Prince Kistihart was surrounded by young ladies who might eventually become his consort, wearing an agreeable smile.

Maintaining such a good public facade—truly befitting a crown prince.

Though my thoughts on that were a minor detail right now…

“You’re both prepared, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” “Understood.”

When I looked back, Lady Adelina and her lover were standing arm-in-arm, locked in a firm grip.

That sight was already bizarre enough to draw the attention of everyone around them.

“What on earth are those two doing…?”

“Isn’t she a Crown Princess candidate too? Then why is she being so affectionate with another man?”

“Do they even know where they are…?”

Indignant voices rose up, as was only natural.

Lady Adelina’s face turned pale under the brunt of those stares.

She was inherently a timid girl who couldn’t defy her parents’ orders, so it couldn’t be helped, but…

“If you’re going to cower here, your wishes will never come true. Can you really win what you desire most by worrying about other people’s faces?”

“I understand. The only ones who can make our wishes come true are ourselves…!”

Lady Adelina and her partner began walking together, keeping their arms tightly locked.

As if walking down the aisle.

Their destination was none other than Crown Prince Kistihart.

The three of them—or rather, one person and one couple—faced each other as if preparing for a showdown.

“Your Highness Crown Prince Kistihart, good evening.”

“If I recall, you’re Beret from the Marquis Civileton family, aren’t you? Welcome to the evening party I’m hosting. Though I don’t recall inviting you.”

Of course not, since he sneaked in…

To respond so calmly to such an uninvited guest while even tossing in a touch of sarcasm—truly the behavior of a crown prince.

“Gh…”

That unshakable demeanor was more than enough to cow an opponent, but this was no time to be intimidated.

If you want to seize love, you have to overcome obstacles.

“Tonight, even at the cost of my life, there is something I must beg you to hear. I ask for your permission to marry this Countess Adelina.”