Ch.8888. If you ever want to get hit again, just say the word.

“····Lord Selden, thank you for your hard work.”

The Imperial Princess’s bedroom.

I wiped the sweat dripping from my forehead with the back of my hand.

It wasn’t difficult because I had to carry the drunk Etherian Princess on my back.

It was just that the current situation was extremely awkward.

I waved my hand dismissively at Butler Welsran, who looked as flustered as I was.

“I’m fine. But how did the Princess end up drunk? Isn’t she usually unable to drink even a single glass?”

“How do you know that the Princess cannot drink alcohol?”

This was something from the original story, so there was no way I could explain how I knew.

I barely concealed my bewildered expression and opened my mouth.

“I, I heard it during a conversation before.”

“Ah…. I see.”

“She must have been in a very good mood today to drink.”

“I-Is that so?”

Welsran’s gaze suggested he knew something.

Feeling it would be impolite to ask further, I was about to turn to leave when—

“Look at him, surrounded by women and smirking like he can’t bring his mouth corners down.”

The Etherian Princess’s mumbling.

Lying on the bed with her eyes closed, she was waving her arms around.

For a moment, silence fell over the bedroom, and I immediately bowed to Welsran.

“….Well then, I’ll be going now.”

“P-Please do.”

Walking quickly out of the bedroom and down the imperial corridor, I felt strange.

What on earth was this situation?

This feeling wasn’t unfamiliar.

Why?

Because I had read a similar scene in the original story.

The person caught between the two princesses was the protagonist, Serion Lycus.

However, Serion had sworn loyalty to Princess Sirin.

How jealous the Etherian Princess became when she learned this fact!

Readers unanimously claimed that the Etherian Princess’s actions weren’t born from jealousy due to love, but from possessiveness—wanting to have the protagonist as her subordinate.

Of course, my thoughts differed from theirs.

The Etherian Princess had many capable subordinates around her.

Yet she seemed to pay special attention to the protagonist.

Among those instances, there was a scene where she drunkenly threw jealous words at the protagonist, very similar to what just happened.

‘Could the Etherian Princess be interested in me?’

I think we’ve already gone beyond following the original story’s flow perfectly.

Still, shouldn’t the main framework be maintained?

In the first place, what happens if the Etherian Princess doesn’t develop feelings for the protagonist?

‘Could the Etherian Princess actually survive if that happens?’

Emperor Malius will die in a few years.

Despite hating him all her life, the Etherian Princess mourns him as her father, and Serion Lycus suddenly appears before her.

She receives much comfort from him.

However, when the protagonist’s heart leans toward Princess Sirin, she learns of this fact, and a fierce succession dispute begins.

“Haaa….”

As a reader, I don’t want to interfere with the original story, but as ‘Selden Alphonse,’ I want to save the Etherian Princess.

I feel trapped in my increasingly complex personal worldview.

I took heavy steps forward, sighing repeatedly.

*

“Why are you leaving so quickly?”

I closed one eye tightly and then opened it again toward Rohan, who had come to meet me at the front of the carriage.

“You know I’m in exile for my debauchery, so I have to return to my territory right after the banquet.”

“Come on, your father would surely allow you to stay for one more day.”

In truth, I wanted to stay and catch up more with Rohan, but after hearing the Etherian Princess’s drunken ramblings last night, I felt I shouldn’t stay.

Getting entangled here?

That would mean the beginning of a lifelong exile in the imperial palace.

For someone like me who prefers tremendous freedom in games, being confined would be truly agonizing.

What about enjoying eternal wealth in the imperial palace?

What good is that? I’d rather be a deer on the plains than a lion in a zoo.

That’s why.

I’m fleeing in a hurry, leaving only brief farewell letters to the princesses through their butlers.

I flashed a grin at the disappointed Rohan.

“You said you’re coming to visit Lake Territory in half a year, right? We can play to our heart’s content then.”

“That’s true, but I’m sad because I won’t see you for half a year now.”

“Haha, once half a year passes, this wretched exile will end too, so let’s meet often!”

Rohan nodded slowly, then suddenly his eyes lit up.

“R-Right! I almost forgot to ask while saying goodbye. What happened yesterday?”

“Huh? You were there too, weren’t you? We escorted the Princess to her bedroom.”

“No, I mean, did anything happen afterward in the bedroom?”

“How could anything happen? Butler Welsran was there too.”

“Wow…. The Etherian Princess is so stubborn when drunk. When Butler Welsran tried to carry her, she absolutely refused and climbed onto your back instead.”

Recalling last night’s troubling events at Rohan’s words, I let out a quiet laugh.

“At least it’s fortunate that no one else saw her on my back.”

“Huh? But your brother saw it.”

“Leonard Alphonse?”

“Yeah, as soon as we left the terrace, he was muttering, ‘This must be a dream.'”

I shook my head while looking at Leonard, who was already seated in the carriage.

“This too shall pass in a few days.”

“Anyway, travel safely, and I’ll definitely visit Lake Territory in half a year, so don’t back out then, okay?”

“Alright, but make sure to come after my exile ends. And give my regards to Sophia and Lina.”

“Sure, sure.”

After exchanging final farewells with Rohan, I stepped into the carriage.

There, Leonard, who had already boarded, stared at me lifelessly.

“So you’re here….”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“What kind of sorcery did you use to maintain such a special relationship with His Majesty the Emperor and the Princess?”

“Isn’t it because father was an imperial knight and knows His Majesty?”

At my words, Leonard clenched his fist and flared up.

“I know that!! But why are you, the youngest, being summoned when I, the fourth son, should be the one called!!”

“Well, it’s because I’ve already met him once before.”

“Even drinking cold water has its proper order, so how could His Majesty ask about father’s well-being to you, the youngest?!”

Since we hadn’t yet left Lumestia, I put my finger to my lips, gesturing for him to be quiet.

“Shh, there are imperial knights outside right now. Are you criticizing His Majesty?”

“W-When did I ever criticize His Majesty….”

“Let’s not create misunderstandings. We shouldn’t let the family suffer because of you, right?”

“You’re the one who brought shame to our family! When have I ever disgraced it!?”

“That’s why, as someone who has directly caused harm to the family, I’m expressing my concern.”

I teased him with a broad smile, knowing he couldn’t spit in my smiling face, and Leonard continued to tremble with his fists tightly clenched.

“Do you know why I was sitting alone on the terrace yesterday!?”

“How would I know?”

“Because after you went to have an audience with His Majesty, everyone kept bothering me with questions about you…. And do you know what’s even more infuriating?”

“I don’t know that either.”

“As your brother, I don’t know anything about you!!”

What should I say to this bundle of inferiority?

If only he had pretended to be supportive when ‘Selden Alphonse’ was being pointed at as a debauchee, he wouldn’t have faced such humiliation.

Don’t think you’re standing at the bottom; I’ll show you there’s an even lower place to fall.

No matter what, people usually develop some affection, but Leonard is someone I can’t possibly grow fond of.

Despite accompanying me to the imperial palace, he’s still like this. That says it all.

“….Then besides me being a debauchee, do you know anything else about me?”

“Well, no, that’s why I’m asking!!”

“From the beginning, you had no interest in me and only spread rumors about me being a debauchee day and night, so naturally you wouldn’t know the answers to people’s questions.”

“You little bastard!!”

“Hey.”

“….Hey?”

I looked at Leonard with a hardened face.

“You should be grateful that I’m even speaking formally to you right now, understand?”

“Are you really… are you picking a fight with your older brother now?”

“Be quiet. Unlike some people, I’m tired physically and mentally from being busy at the imperial palace. If you want another beating, just say so.”

After I spoke sharply, Leonard immediately deflated and leaned back in his seat with a sigh.

Only then could I finally get some rest.

Eventually, the carriage arrived at Lake Territory.

Thanks to the letter I had sent ahead, Pedericks and the knights of the Alphonse family had come to greet us.

Though I’ve seen these faces countless times, the fact that I’m happy to see them after just a few days makes me feel like they’re truly becoming family.

“Pedericks!!”

I flung open the carriage door with a clatter and waved my hand vigorously.

But there was Pedericks, standing with his characteristic troubled expression.

With an ominous feeling, I kept repeating “It can’t be” in my mind while nodding my chin.

“….Nothing’s wrong, is it?”

Pedericks wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and spoke.

“Baron Byron has requested that you come to the Familia household immediately upon your return.”