Chapter 29

About a week had passed since the birthday party.

“Haah…”

I let out another sigh. I had lost count of how many times I’d done it.

Lying on my back in bed and staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t help remembering the Prince from the day of the birthday party.

“See you, Bell.”

Maybe the Prince had no intention of coming to my house anymore.

He had been exasperated and angry with his fiancée, who had carelessly gone outside and ended up meeting the Crown Prince.

Well, yes, but still…

Looking back on it now, I felt like he could have at least given me a chance to explain myself.

It wasn’t like anyone would normally expect the Crown Prince to be there. If I’d had the option of ignoring him, I would have.

But in the end, status existed in this world.

I couldn’t exactly afford to have my family fall from grace.

“…Ah, I see.”

It suddenly clicked.

Could this be what you might call the world’s force of compulsion?

Was this how I, Bertia, was destined to become hated?

If that was the case, what an utterly unreasonable world this was.

I’d finally become friends with the Prince, only for everything to go up in smoke. It was just too sad.

The Prince must have enjoyed himself too.

There had been nothing fake about those days when the four of us—Schwarz, Will, me, and the Prince—played together.

I had definitely felt that the Prince was genuinely happy.

I hadn’t even wished for anything particularly grand.

The four of us had simply played together like children, trying to enjoy the present.

Once we entered the academy, I had planned to properly step aside. Even if Mother became furious with me and Father cried over it, I had intended to support the Prince’s happiness with everything I had.

And, if things worked out, I planned to fall in love with Lord Ashwad, who would eventually become a knight.

I really did.

I’d never had even the slightest ulterior motive toward the Prince.

We had been more than friends, but less than lovers.

Or rather, considering I was mentally an adult, it was pretty questionable whether I could even view an elementary-school-aged child as a romantic prospect.

Apparently, the Prince had caught a bad cold and was currently bedridden, and my request to visit him had been refused.

That one really got to me.

I’d been just a little devastated that he wouldn’t even see me.

“Sis.”

There was a gentle knock on the door, followed by Will’s voice.

Apparently, Will had recently fallen in love for the first time.

Here I was struggling with human relationships, and that brat was off having a first love. What a show-off.

I got up from the bed, tidied myself up, and opened the door.

“Will? What’s wrong?”

“Prince Dylan is…”

“What about the Prince?”

His eyes darted around before he glanced at me and lowered his shoulders in disappointment.

“Why are you such a mess?”

“That’s harsh. I was lying down until just now.”

“Prince Dylan is here, though…”

“…What!?”

After a few moments of stunned silence, I accidentally shouted.

Will immediately covered my mouth, and I finally came to my senses.

If I made that much noise here, he’d realize I was in the room.

“Wh-What should I do!? I haven’t even gotten ready!”

“That’s why I told you! Could you try acting like a girl for once!? Ciel would never do something so improper!”

“Your first love is irrelevant! Wouldn’t it be rude to keep him waiting now? Or should we… pretend we’re not home?”

“Pretend we’re not home!? Are you stupid!? I’ll get killed!”

Even while we whispered frantically to each other, time kept passing.

“For now, get ready in ten minutes!”

“That’s impossible! Women have a lot of things to do!”

I somehow managed to tame my curly natural hair with a comb.

“Damn it! This stubborn natural perm…!”

“I know, I know. I have a hard time with mine every morning too.”

“Don’t just stand there watching! Call the maids and keep the Prince company!”

I did the bare minimum of what I could manage on my own.

In my previous life in Japan, I would have simply shouted for my little brothers or sisters.

But there was no way I could do that now.

The Prince, who should have been waiting near the entrance, might hear me.

The maids came running in a panic and helped me get ready. I hurried downstairs and found Will talking with the Prince in the sitting room.

“Sorry for coming without warning. It seems Bell hadn’t gotten ready yet.”

“It’s hardly proper for a lady. Her hair was all messy when she came out of her room.”

“Really? Bell? That’s rare. I’d like to see that.”

“It would only offend your eyes, Your Highness.”

Hearing their conversation, I silently ground my teeth.

That little brat Will. Just you wait!

While cursing him internally, I knocked on the sitting-room door. I felt their gazes turn toward me, then gave them a graceful bow.

“Welcome to our home, Your Highness.”

It was the formal greeting I always used.

The Prince raised a hand and nodded.

“Sorry for coming so suddenly.”

“Not at all. It’s perfectly fine.”

The Prince smiled softly, and I naturally returned his smile.

What was this?

It was the same gentle smile as always, but…

Were his eyes not smiling?

No, surely that wasn’t the case.

I tilted my head at the strange feeling, but for the moment, I was relieved that the Prince didn’t seem angry.

“Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness the other day.”

Still bowing, I apologized for what had happened at the birthday party.

To be honest, I didn’t particularly think I’d done anything wrong, but bowing my head was better than refusing to apologize.

The Prince looked slightly confused, but after a moment, he seemed to remember.

“Oh, that? No, no. I’m the one who dragged you into all of that. Actually, I collapsed afterward from running out of magic… It’s honestly pretty embarrassing.”

The Prince gave an awkward laugh, and I let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

He really didn’t seem angry.

There was still that strange feeling, but we continued talking normally afterward, and he didn’t seem to dislike me at all.

Maybe I’d just been imagining things.

“I’ll have to start seriously learning my duties as an aide soon, so I’ll probably be coming here less often. I’ll also be working with the Chancellor, so I won’t have as much time to play.”

“Eh? You won’t be coming anymore?”

I reflexively looked up at the Prince, and his eyes widened in surprise as well.

But he soon narrowed his eyes and looked at me gently.

“No, I’ll still come at least once every three months.”

“Then we can play again when you come.”

I smiled in relief, and the Prince gave a ticklish little laugh.

“You’ll have your own training to become a Princess Consort, too, so do your best.”

“Ugh…”

I couldn’t help grimacing, earning a sigh from Will.

The Prince lowered his eyebrows apologetically.

“You said before that you didn’t like your Princess Consort training.”

“It’s not that I dislike it… It’s just that the teacher is a real hardliner.”

Of course, that teacher was Mother.

Having lessons every day with that terrifying demon was enough to give me stomachaches from stress and fear.

The Prince seemed to have a pretty good idea who I was talking about and could only give an awkward smile.

Will apparently had his own memories of it, because he shrank into himself and turned pale.

The Prince seemed busy these days, too, so he went home that day without us playing.

He had acted as though the incident at the party had never happened.

Just as he always had.

Except for one thing.

The Prince left the room, with Will following behind him.

I was heading toward the entrance to see them off when someone called out to me.

“Lady Bertia.”

It was Schwarz.

Until just moments ago, he had stood silently like a shadow without saying a single word.

I had found his presence unsettling.

I’d been aware of him the entire time, but hadn’t wanted to bring it up.

I had a pretty good idea I was about to get scolded.

“…Yes?”

“Your reaction was unusually slow. Is there something weighing on your conscience?”

“…What could you possibly mean?”

I put on a refined lady’s smile and suppressed my emotions.

But Schwarz didn’t look angry at all.

He simply stared at me.

“I heard you met the Crown Prince.”

“…Yes, well, that’s true.”

My eyes darted around restlessly as Schwarz’s footsteps clicked against the floor and he approached me.

“I believe I told you to live for Prince Dylan for the rest of your life.”

“Did you really say something like that?”

I smiled brightly, trying to brush it off.

Don’t bring up something that heavy again.

You’re probably the only person in the world who’d devote their entire life to the Prince.

Perhaps Schwarz decided there was no point in arguing with me.

He let out a long, deep sigh before fixing those reddish-black eyes on me.

“I think it would be in your best interest to take good care of the tendons in your legs.”

“…What?”

As though he had said everything he needed to say, Schwarz turned on his heel and headed toward the entrance.

“Wait, what does that even mean!?”

“I’ve given you my warning.”

“That’s terrifying! What is this!? Did someone put out a contract on my life!?”

Ignoring my shriek, Schwarz returned to the Prince’s side.

That Prince-obsessed attitude of his was seriously infuriating.

When the Prince asked him what he’d been talking to me about, Schwarz merely narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Prince smiled as though he understood.

Could they be accomplices?

This was terrifying.

I really couldn’t understand what the Prince was thinking.