episode_0209

What a friend.

I’m friends with a princess who thought I was a prince.

That’s a good thing. How many people in a monarchy can be friends with the person closest to that power?

“… … She was a princess?”

By the way.

In this situation, I wasn’t so smart as to just like it.

Look at that. Amelia is muttering like that with a lost expression.

“Prince Evan was definitely a man, right?”

In response to my question, Amelia nodded with a serious expression.

“Actually, there was no sign of her being a woman at all, right? All three of us have stayed in Delkisi together before.”

“That’s right.”

Amelia answered with a clear voice. And I was a little relieved to hear that answer. At least it meant that the overlap between the novel I read and the novel she read was ‘actually different’ or something like that.

“But no matter how much she was a woman, I was the reason she revealed it… … .”

“Sure, that’s a bit of a problem.”

Amelia nodded and said with a serious expression.

“Because that person is also a royal. There is no way he would have brought up the story of ‘I owe you’ without any meaning.”

“I am the prince… … No, does this mean that I owe the princess a debt? Was it because of me that the problem was that she revealed her true identity?”

“No, I don’t think he meant it that twistedly. The phrase ‘owed’ literally means that he owes Elsie.”

As I tilted my head, Amelia continued speaking in a serious voice.

“Of course, he is a royal, but in general, the meaning of ‘owing a debt’ among nobles means that such a relationship was formed between the two. Of course, it is more disadvantageous to owe a debt than to owe a debt to the other person. Yes, of course. However, there are definitely relationships where it is beneficial to continue the relationship while maintaining the disadvantages.”

“Ugh.”

When I made an outright disapproving expression, Amelia finally burst into laughter.

“Still, why not mention what happened in the battle that day?”

… … surely.

If Ban hadn’t raised his sword that day, I would have been killed by that barbarian. Of course, it was an unavoidable battle situation, but if I called it a ‘debt’ at the time, it could have been enough.

“Well, what should I do now?”

“… … ”

When I asked with a very nervous expression, Amelia came next to me with a serious expression.

Then he pulled out a chair and sat down next to me, and gently put his hand on my shoulder.

… … huh?

Well, Amelia’s height is shorter than mine, so I guess I have a hard time leaning on her.

“It’s okay. There will be a way to solve it somehow.”

Even though my posture was a bit awkward, I still felt like my heart relaxed a little when Amelia said that.

… … No, well, Amelia is a little younger than me in terms of age.

Still, Amelia read the ‘original work’ in more detail.

We hadn’t yet revealed to each other that we had read the novel and knew what was going on. I wasn’t going to say anything, at least not until Amelia told me.

Anyway, I didn’t feel like telling Amelia, ‘You’re actually a character in a novel, too.’

“… … .”

For a long time, I continued to feel Amelia stroking my shoulder.

… … After saying this, I feel a little pathetic.

*

The king who ‘decided to reveal himself’… … The princess’s impression changed significantly in many ways.

For example, one morning I suddenly heard a knock on my door, so I woke up rubbing my eyes and opened the door—

“Lady Delkisi.”

—Something like standing in front of that open door.

“… … .”

At that moment, the words ‘Prince?’ rose up in my throat and almost came out of my mouth, but fortunately they stopped near the root of my tongue and did not come out as words.

Judging by the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like he was going to blame me for being confused about his gender, but I also felt like it wouldn’t be right for him to call me prince for no reason.

Why?

“Do you have a moment?”

“… … I’m sorry, but I have an appointment with the Grand Duchess today.”

I quickly said that.

Actually, there was some conversation with Amelia about this.

It was very suspicious that this person, the future crown prince, prince, and princess, whose status overlapped as if they were adopted children before observation, showed such interest in me.

No, yes, when we say friends, we were friends.

However, something glimmered beyond the word ‘friend’. I don’t know what that something was, but I could tell that something was glimmering ‘definitely’, at least as much as Amelia, who heard it with me, felt it too.

And that’s it.

Back when I didn’t know this person was a woman, I had already said, ‘I like you, so I’ll continue sparring when I get to know you a little better.’

Of course, I never added the ‘because I like you’ part myself, I had no intention of adding it, and it wasn’t even my intention at all, but for some reason, in this world, it seems like I can treat it as something just for the sake of atmosphere without having to add it.

Now that it’s revealed that this person is a princess, I think the promise has become meaningless, but I still didn’t know. Even if you take the previous part off, the ‘couple promise’ itself remains.

So this is what I agreed to say with Amelia.

If anything happens, I’ll leave and say I have an appointment. Amelia said she’s ready to take care of me at any time.

“Oh, really? Then can I come with you?”

“… … .”

note.

If Van had really been a ‘man’, I would have refused with a nonchalant expression.

This person is older than us. However, if he were a man, it would have seemed unscrupulous in many ways to intrude into the meeting place between the two ladies.

But this person is a woman now.

… … If I were as smart as Amelia, I would have thought of a nice way to reject this… … .

“… … Wouldn’t it be better to ask the Grand Duchess about that first?”

These were the only words that came to my mind right now.

“In that case, you don’t have to worry too much.”

Evan shrugged and said as if it was no big deal.

“I will ask you directly from the side. If you refuse there too, I will quietly withdraw.”

“… … .”

After he came and said that in person in the morning, I couldn’t think of anything else to say no to.

No, I think it’s too big an ordeal for a child from a baron’s family.

*

“Evan… … Princess.”

“You can keep calling me prince if you want.”

“… … If you don’t mind being rude, could I ask what your official name is now?”

“I am a prince. Even though I openly show off my femininity, the royal family has not yet announced that I am a woman.”

“… … In that case, I will call you prince.”

“It’s good because I’m more familiar with that side.”

It was quite common to call a female character with a slightly masculine side a prince. Especially when the setting was an all-girls school, such a character almost always appeared.

“Prince.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Can I know why you went to visit Lady Delkisi?”

“There is no particular reason. In fact, my younger brother is scheduled to visit here in a while, and I did not think I would have time to talk to the Lady of Delkisi at that time, so I just visited.”

“You mean it’s not because there was a specific purpose in that conversation, right?”

“That’s true. In that case, let me ask you this time. What kind of promise was made between the two? If they met like this after rejecting the prince’s request, can we expect something amazing to happen? ”

“… … .”

Amelia looked like she was holding back something for a moment, then slowly exhaled and spoke.

“No, actually, we had just promised to have a tea party, which was nothing special.”

“Is it a tea party for just two people?”

“… … You can say that. Of course, it’s a promise that doesn’t have much effect if you cancel it at any time, but as the prince knows, Delkisi’s family motto is ‘Nature does not lie’.”

“And the Lady of Delkisi is also a part of nature. I know it well.”

… … .

What can I say?

Somehow, it seems like there is a bit of sharpness in what these two people say.

The conversation itself was really nothing special, and the voice was soft, but watching them exchange words like that without even drinking a cup of tea in their hands made it seem strangely murderous.

“So, what kind of conversation do the two ladies usually have? Actually, I’ve never had a meaningful conversation with a woman my age.”

“… … .”

“In the future, I will have conversations with other ladies, but even then, I can’t speak like a prince. Soon, even the royal family may not be able to leave me like this.”

Amelia and I made eye contact.

I felt it last time too, but Amelia was making an expression that she would never normally make.

It was an ’embarrassed’ expression.

No, when I was young, I was someone I could just roast and boil, but how did I become so shameless?

… … Is it really because of me?