episode_0136

It had only been a day, but countless things had happened at the Naifrantz Academy.

There were painful losses, but most people looked forward to tomorrow and diligently pressed on.

Thanks to that atmosphere, I felt quite at ease and went around showing my face here and there.

“You’ve all worked hard.”

“…Huh?”

A worker in the midst of the restoration work looked over here, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

I responded with a warm smile.

“Who is this lady—”

“W-wait a minute…!! Didn’t I tell you yesterday, that the Princess would be visiting…!!?”

Of course, I didn’t have any unpleasant feelings, but to ordinary peasant farmers, a ‘high-ranking person’ was simultaneously a ‘scary person.’

“Oh my… excuse me…”

“I’ve committed a grave sin—!!”

The worker who seemed to know my face apologized repeatedly with his waist bent at a 90-degree angle.

However, the man who didn’t know me was calm.

“They say she’s scary, scary, but seeing her in person, she’s pretty and kind-hearted~”

“Hehehe- Thank you.”

“No~ I really didn’t know you were a Princess… The way you walk, you’re just like our construction foreman, you came and asked after us—”

Pu-hut-

The words that came out of the old man’s mouth were so rustic, completely unexpected, that I burst out laughing.

“Ah~ Yes, well, yes, I used to carry a few burlap sacks—”

“Huh? The Princess does that kind of work?”

“I don’t do it now, but in my past life, there wasn’t anyone who could match me.”

“My, my—You’re even good at jokes-! So, are you married?”

The old man’s tongue was like a runaway colt, the level of his speech soaring through the heavens, and I found it endlessly amusing.

I deliberately chose plain clothes to avoid looking too much like a princess, but knowing this, I should have just worn a tiara.

“Don’t even get me started, there was a whole line.”

“Oh dear… it seemed like it would be that way, that’s too bad. My son is just the right age to get married, you know, if you know of a nice young lady, please introduce her to me~!”

“If there were such a young lady, I’d just wrap her up myself, and why would I send her to a man?”

We laughed heartily until the academy shook, momentarily forgetting the gazes around us.

That atmosphere boosted the workers’ spirits, adding even more energy to an already cheerful atmosphere.

[Great Heal]-

Of course, I contributed a little.

To help the grateful people who came out to work from dawn for our academy even a little, I cast a wide-area healing spell before leaving.

“Thank you very much. Thanks to you all, I think it’ll be restored quickly without taking too long.”

“No~ My son has to study, don’t worry about anything else. Leave it to us and go ahead and go your way~.”

It’s truly reassuring.

Even while attending the academy normally, I felt that having people on my side made a corner of my heart feel more at ease than becoming stronger in a physical sense.

If I think that even if I fail a bit, people will follow me and give me support, I can really do my best without fearing failure.

Today, I was in a situation where I couldn’t casually bow my head due to my circumstances.

I lightly waved my hand and left their sight.

“Anyway… these clothes are quite nostalgic.”

The pure white dress I wore only when I was in the royal palace.

There’s no particular reason for my insistence on white, it’s just that it fits my preference for neutral colors—Yuri chose it for me.

In any case, Yuri is an indispensable presence in the elements that make up my life.

Once this matter is properly resolved, we should all go on vacation somewhere and rest properly.

“While we’re at it, instead of domestically, maybe we should go to that faraway southern free trade city…”

According to rumors, strange things from outside the Central Continent often make their way there.

It’s about time to grasp the international situation, so while we’re at it, I’d better leave a few ethers to use as portals.

While I was walking slowly with those thoughts, I happened to see a familiar face.

“…Ah.”

Just then, there were soldiers who followed me during inspections lined up behind me, so I tried to pretend I was someone else and pass by.

However, our eyes met, and I unconsciously became flustered.

“Your Highness…?”

The girl who becomes so much more relaxed, a country girl, the moment she’s not dressed up in a uniform or dress.

However, her beauty is extraordinary, the rumors of a beauty in the neighboring village are spreading, a girl who will torment the young men of the territory every night.

The girl with her transparent sky-blue hair asked in a slightly higher tone than usual.

“…You?”

“Yes… it’s me…”

Without further words, our greetings were over in two or three words, and the soldiers, who didn’t understand what was going on, drew their swords.

“Insolent-! Do you know who this person is before speaking like that—!!”

One of the soldiers who seemed to have developed respect for me after the recent incident reacted excessively.

Creak-

I gritted my teeth.

“…Stop it.”

“Yes…? No, that’s impossible! Even kneeling and lowering my head in reverence would not be enough for Her Highness, Narita Florine Naifrantz, the fifth princess of our Naifrantz Kingdom—how dare you use the lowly title of ‘you’—”

Damn it.

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing to say that in front of the person herself?

I immediately struck the soldier’s nape with the edge of my hand, a surprise attack.

Paak—!

“Drag this guy out. I don’t need protection anymore… just get lost.”

…

…

…

“Pu-hut-”

“Don’t laugh…”

“No, sorry… but- pu-hut-”

Inside the academy square, a garden with minimal damage remained.

We quietly went to a place where we wouldn’t be seen and sat down.

I hung my head, my face red, and Eve was struggling to suppress her laughter.

“It’s just… your flustered look is funny…”

“Then just laugh outright… holding it back is more embarrassing…”

“Uhn, sorry… Hehe-”

Through the gap between her hands covering her face, I could see Eve’s face, her small mouth covered.

Only after her reddened cheeks slowly subsided could I continue the conversation.

“…So, what brings you to the academy today? The academy will be closed for a while, right?”

“It’s nothing… I didn’t really have anything to do.”

Usually, she attends school early in the morning and devotes herself to her training.

The suddenly given free time made Eve restless, and she came out of her own accord to see if she could do something.

“Besides, since it’s come to this, I wanted to help with the restoration work as well. It’ll be physical training and if I work hard at it, maybe the school closure will end quickly.”

“Rest when you’re told to rest…”

In any case, this girl is a hard worker, just like Yuri.

When I first met her, all I knew was that she was soaring with her innate 4-element mana, but the more I looked at her the more I felt that she had put in much greater effort into her innate gifts.

As the afternoon approached, the temperature gradually rose, but a relatively cool breeze blew in the back garden.

After a brief silence, Eve asked me.

“What about you? What brings you to the academy?”

Yes… I thought there would come a day when I would tell her, but it was a little disappointing that I couldn’t decide on the timing myself.

But at the same time, I felt that now was the right time.

“If it’s difficult to say… you don’t have to.”

“Are you copying me?”

I once said something similar to her.

I trust her enough, so if she doesn’t want to talk about herself , she can put it off until later.

The fact that Eve, whom I thought was terrible at understanding other people’s feelings, showed me such consideration made me realize that it was time for me to tell my story.

“Today… there are some things I need to take care of because of this incident. I was also the one who assigned the knights and the one who killed the mastermind, so I have a lot to organize, like the report to His Majesty the King.”

Eve listened quietly, her gaze slightly distant.

My mind became a little hazy, and the sound of the wind and the rustling of the grass were louder than my own voice.

“And—”

Perhaps because of my slightly dulled senses, the lock on my heart softly unlocked, allowing me to speak the words I had kept bottled up.

“—Narias Philbrogue is not my real name. I’m sorry for deceiving you.”

“…Yes, I know.”

Suddenly, a long blade of grass flew onto my palm, and I gazed at it for a moment.

After blowing it away in the wind, I extended my hand to Eve.

“It’s a little late, but let me introduce myself again. My name is Narita Florine Naifrantz. I am the fifth princess of the Naifrantz Kingdom.”

Eve, too, may have been completely stunned; it took her a while to notice my hand.

After hesitating for a moment, she grasped my hand, and warm, steady warmth was conveyed.

“You must have your reasons.”

“Yeah… Aren’t you angry?”

“Why would I be angry—”

Her thoughts were briefly visible beyond her dilating pupils.

Time in her mind flowed to the past, and the end of that short trip was… none other than our first meeting.

That very day we made a ruckus in classroom 1-A.

Eve, who had a previous acquaintance with the Baron Philbrogue family, questioned my identity and confronted me.

Thanks to the photos I magically synthesized in advance, I was able to escape from that situation.

In the end, that also meant that I had lied back then, so even if Eve became angry, I wouldn’t be able to say anything.

But—

“Pu-hut- I don’t have any intention of doing so now. I was concerned that you might be some mysterious, suspicious person who would harm the academy… After what I’ve seen, I can’t possibly get angry.”

I lowered my head slightly.

It was because I didn’t want her to see my face, overwhelmed with emotion.

“But now I know everything… this feel more at ease. Actually, I had already given up on suspecting you from watching your hard work, you know. I found myself becoming close to you, like Yuri or the others.”

I didn’t expect to reveal everything so honestly.

I always showed myself as someone focused on concealing my identity and true feelings.

However long our acquaintance had been, it was certainly deep.

And Eve, contrary to her previous cold expression, found in herself to have a kind smile.

“And—”

Standing up while shaking off her loose denim pants, which she wore instead of her swaying uniform skirt.

She tossed her hair, turned and looked at me.

“Everyone has a secret or two, right?”

Eve extended her hand to me, and there was no reason not to take it.

We walked around in the garden a little longer, then went our separate ways to do our respective tasks.

…

…

…

The situation went smoothly from then on.

The reconstruction work went well and the academy gradually returned to its usual state.

Although I thought there might be a problem in the investigation of the case as none of Moriarty’s surviving members were captured, I had plenty of material.

Memories that came with her absorbed soul.

I pulled all-nighters with Nix, and based on those memories, we pulled out tons of crucial evidence.

With the organized data, the investigation proceeded and the existence of finally surfaced.

We haven’t established all the information, but we have secured solid evidence on the responsibility for this incident.

Soon, my brother will go to the empire and investigate everything.

He will have no room for denial in this case.

While I was relaxing and planning my vacation, I received some welcome news.

Aspi has finally awakened.