Chapter 67
Chapter 67
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Mental Changes #02
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lately, for some reason, Imperial Princess Agnes's expression had been incredibly bright. Something special must have happened.
That was the conclusion Princess Marianne had reached after observing Agnes for the past few days.
"...? From what I see, she's the same as always. Isn't Big Sis just imagining things?"
Hearing that, Marianne let out a frustrated sigh as she stared intently at her younger brother Ojie, who was standing a short distance away, glancing over at Agnes.
Of course, Agnes was currently sternly scolding a student council member who had made a major blunder, and she looked just as usual to Marianne's eyes too. Her sharp tone carried a nobility that even Marianne could feel, proving her imperial lineage.
But Marianne shook her head firmly, rejecting her brother's words.
"You idiot, haven't you noticed Agnes suddenly bursting into smiles while working lately? She only has friends like us, and now she's away from her seat more often."
"What, isn't it just her staying up all night reading new novels again? The way you say it, it sounds like Princess Agnes has fallen in love or something."
Love. At her brother's casually tossed-out word, Marianne nodded instinctively.
Agnes, who always kept even her followers at a distance and ate alone, had always been described as a flower blooming on a cliffside. Marianne couldn't relate to that lifestyle herself, but she understood it because she knew Agnes.
Standing beside the crown prince— a genius among geniuses even Marianne acknowledged—Agnes had barely scraped over the threshold of genius herself. From her first year, she had proven herself worthy of her position as the empire's imperial princess through bone-grinding effort that everyone accepted.
But perhaps as a backlash to that, Agnes avoided getting deeply involved with anyone. Whenever she acted clumsy or showed a cute side, everyone felt her human charm, but it seemed she viewed those as flaws she shouldn't have.
"Lately, she's been more lenient with her own mistakes and others'. I even heard she was late to morning roll call the other day. To me... it's clear she's got someone she likes. Definitely."
"Well, well, Big Sis—who prefers stories of mercenaries from other countries over romance novels—is spouting such sweet nonsense."
Crack!
No matter that they were siblings, mocking the Giant Slayer to her face came at a terribly harsh price.
As Princess Marianne's emotion-fueled punch slammed into his side, Prince Ojie—who could tear an ogre apart barehanded—suffered a fracture that would sideline him for a week of recovery.
"You... damn it... planning to beat your own brother to death?"
"Shut up. A guy who whines over this much doesn't deserve to be called a man."
Rubbing his throbbing side, Ojie suddenly pitied whatever future brother-in-law would need at least a political marriage to earn recognition as a man from his sister.
"To begin with, what bloated idiot would dare go after Princess Agnes without knowing his place? Last year, that Ricardo Wisens guy publicly courted her and got utterly humiliated."
Of course, the fact that Ojie de Lectour himself had once secretly confessed a crush on Agnes and been rejected was a lifelong black mark on his history.
"Who knows? Agnes is more of a romantic than she seems, so maybe she likes some fool who charges in without thinking about status or differences."
"... Sis, have you heard something?"
"You moron, it was just a figure of speech. If I knew, would I be sitting here like this?"
Marianne chuckled at Ojie grumbling about being called a moron, when suddenly another guy who called her "Big Sis" came to mind.
The fool who stepped up to fight a knight on her behalf, actually won, then publicly knocked out the man harassing her.
'Yeah, it would take a fool that full of conviction.'
Marianne thought she should drag him to lunch tomorrow and probe Agnes about it. Though Agnes was the same age, she felt like a little sister, and if she'd hooked up with some weird guy, Marianne had a duty to beat sense into him if needed.
And three days later, Arthin Ludwig knocked Ricardo Wisens flat.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The day after Arthin Ludwig knocked Ricardo Wisens flat.
"Thanks for answering my call, Marianne, Ojie."
Crown Prince Richard Ermengarde, who had been quietly gazing at the family photo on his desk, turned to the two and spoke.
"Well, you rarely summon us, so I came."
"I had nothing else going on anyway."
Seeing the crown prince smirking, the two felt an uncomfortable twinge.
Richard Ermengarde always exuded leisure, savoring his five years at the academy like a treat. But the eyes he fixed on them now held no trace of amusement.
"I called you two because I wanted to consult about yesterday's... well, minor friction, and the ridiculous rumors."
"...Consult? About Ricardo Wisens? Or that kid who's supposedly Agnes's fiancé?"
Ojie wondered if bruising a duke's face could really be called minor, but talk of Agnes's first love's fiancé naturally piqued his interest more than rumors of a Demon King's Army spy infiltrating the academy.
As if answering Ojie's question, Crown Prince Richard slid a document toward him and Marianne.
"As for Ricardo Wisens... he says he's resigning from the student council himself."
"What? That Wisens? Wasn't he bragging he'd beat you out for president this year?"
Ojie was shocked by the prince's words, but Marianne gave a wry smile. After hearing about Arthin, she'd gone to the student council late yesterday and learned that Senior Wisens had ranted about Arthin, even calling Agnes a whore.
That must have reached Richard's ears too. Ricardo Wisens owed his survival and hospital bed to his status as the Wisens family heir and Richard's consideration for the kingdom's royals.
"He said he realized his limits, and with graduation prep and this injury, he's busy. Can't be helped, right?"
"Hmm... yeah, he's no thick-skinned enough to strut around after getting beaten by a first-year. Foolish, but yeah."
"So you called us about Arthin Ludwig then?"
As Marianne directly named Arthin, the crown prince's eyebrow twitched. He sipped his black tea to regain composure. He felt no rudeness; he'd known she was like that since childhood.
"Right. I'm grateful he got mad on behalf of our Agnes too, but... a fiancé? Hard not to mind."
"Ha, even the empire's crown prince gets insecure? You buying that nonsense? How could a baron's kid who's been causing trouble all month date Agnes?"
Ojie flatly denied it, drawing a clear line, and Marianne barely held back her fist. Even for Ojie, breaking both sets of ribs would be inconvenient in daily life.
"Ojie, you know Arthin Ludwig was involved in the recent Demon King's Army spy infiltrating the academy?"
"Oh? Yeah, Big Sis told me straight. He contracted a unicorn and drove it off, right? Guy's got grit, but now the whole school's calling him a virgin—must be mortified."
"You know Senior Wisens called him out for breaking dorm rules and the student council's crisis guidelines on demons?"
"Ah, that bullshit? That's why Big Sis stepped in to stop it, right?"
"Agnes asked me to block it."
The idiot brother's laughter vanished from his face in an instant, and Marianne sighed deeply. Looked like he was finally getting it.
"... Agnes personally begged me too, not long ago. To stop the bullying against Arthin Ludwig."
Crown Prince Richard recalled Agnes wheedling him with a cuteness she hadn't shown since puberty, just to make that request. His composure nearly crumbled.
His precious little sister Agnes dating? As a unicorn contractor, he'd allow it—unicorns recognized purity and nobility, so he could trust that. But engaged?
"Agnes... has a lot of cute sides. The way she diligently lives up to her role as imperial princess, even I as crown prince have much to learn from her."
For such an Agnes to make a fiancé without even Emperor Father's approval—or telling him—was shocking. Was it those romance novels she read in secret?
"Have you two... heard anything? From Agnes directly, or rumors about Arthin...?"
As the crown prince regained his calm and asked, Ojie shrugged. The kingdom's prince had little interest in others, let alone being close to Agnes.
But at that moment, a flood of thoughts crossed Marianne's mind. Arthin Ludwig. The red-haired pretty boy who felt oddly familiar. And their lunch conversation a few days ago.
-"My type... I think hardworking guys are cool. Kind ones, with deep hearts. Guys who seem naive but can be relied on when it matters."-
Her oddly specific ideal type back then—she'd thought it was from some novel protagonist—but it was probably from personal experience.
"Agnes... yeah, seems like she really likes that kid Arthin."
"What?! For real? You knew, Big Sis?!"
"Quiet, I was only half-sure myself."
Marianne twisted her brother's thigh, still mulling her unresolved doubts.
'When the hell did they date and get engaged that deeply?'
The new semester had been going a month now, and hadn't Arthin trained exclusively with Shaomei during his suspension? When Agnes first went to see him on the crown prince's orders, she hadn't even known him.
If even she, who was closest in the student council, didn't know, the crown prince seemed equally stumped, rubbing his temples.
"Personal favor. Judge what kind of man Arthin Ludwig is yourselves. I told Agnes I wanted to meet him myself, but..."
Of course Agnes had talked him out of it. Marianne nodded on behalf of her mentally shattered brother, whose first love news had broken him.
"Sure, I'll meet Arthin. If I talk to Agnes right, we can set up a formal meeting."
"Thanks, Marianne. I owe you big."
...Not just for the crown prince's request, of course. The Arthin she'd met that day appealed to her too, feeling strangely familiar—like a little brother, but dating Agnes for real was another matter.
'Plus... something feels off.'
Mulling the heavy feeling in her heart, Marianne left the student council.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
How to broach it with Agnes? Always acting on impulse, Marianne unusually agonized. Should she suggest grabbing dessert and casually say she wanted to meet?
She'd dropped formal speech with Arthin anyway, so it wouldn't be awkward. Days passed with that resolve, as she prepared to act.
"Oh, perfect timing, Marianne!"
Agnes grabbed both her hands tightly, leaving Marianne puzzled.
"Looking for me? What's up?"
"Well, Arthin needs someone to help with his training, and I thought Princess Marianne would be perfect! Can you help?"
Now openly playing supportive wife? At Agnes's request, Marianne barely stifled a hollow laugh.
"What, he can handle my training? You know anyone halfway strong won't cut it."
"Don't worry, he's got real grit—you'll be satisfied too. I guarantee it."
Marianne was skeptical. He'd beaten an imperial knight, so basics were there, but she prided herself on few keeping up with her overflowing power. And Arthin's level last time was just better than a mage's.
"Mana enhancement or not, he won't keep up... Fine. For Agnes's sake."
But she couldn't miss this prime chance to evaluate Arthin Ludwig. If he handled her training well, she'd acknowledge his grit and talent at least.
And the next day, Marianne couldn't help clicking her tongue at the sight of Arthin brawling in the promised cafe.
'Beat Wisens a few days ago, and now fighting in public again?'
Maybe the Red Madman rumors were true. Thinking that, Marianne watched from afar. She'd planned to intervene for Agnes's reputation, but barehanded against a real sword was intriguing.
'Ho, solid martial arts form? Breathing and footwork steady.'
The kingdom's martial arts were called crude compared to the empire's striking or the federation's techniques, but fundamentally, they were solid basics for unarmed combat.
Even third- and fourth-year warriors who boasted proficiency showed sloppiness somewhere, but Arthin's stance pleased Marianne.
'Yes, create distance there, use weight and rotation when needed. Right, like that!'
Feeling like she was watching a prized disciple she'd raised, Marianne unwittingly cheered him on. When Arthin landed a muscle buster, she realized she was grinning ear to ear.
"Whoever trained him did a damn good job!"
At that level, she could expect good training sessions. Agnes might have an eye for men after all—joy surged, tinged with sudden bitterness.
'...Hm? What? Something feels off.'
She paused at the fleeting emotion, then strode toward Arthin. To Marianne, with her great hero's demeanor, such feelings were ephemeral.
"Nice fighting, Arthin! Same as with that knight—maybe you've got talent for martial arts or swordsmanship over magic!"
"Ah, you made it, Big Sis?"
As she slung an arm around him, his pre-fight aggression vanished into a cute, beaming smile. Marianne patted his shoulder with a grin she couldn't suppress.
The more she saw him, the more familiar he felt—his charm? Even she couldn't pinpoint why.
'Alright, time for a real test. If he suits Agnes, I'll shield him from the crown prince myself.'
Such value for a little-brother type she approved of. The moment Marianne decided that.
"That guy's a lecherous liar who just said he wants to roll in bed with Imperial Princess Agnes, Great Witch's granddaughter Violet, or War God's daughter Shaomei!"
...She heard words so irritating they made her chest ache.
Shaomei? Violet? With a fiancée like Agnes? Who Agnes begged her to help?
"I won't accept your apology. Pay for this cafe properly, and never show your ugly mug before me again."
...My heart burned hot, but my head cooled. After shooing away the damn pockmark, I looked at Arthin Ludwig.
That innocent expression aimed at me. Had he seduced and deceived Agnes with that face too? Suddenly, I recalled our first meeting, when he'd hugged me.
"Sparring sounds fun, right, little bro? Everyone spills the truth after a few hits."
I grabbed him by force and kneaded his shoulders. How long could this soft flesh hold out?
How many blows until he confessed his sins? And if he did, how much more thrashing until this throbbing in my chest eased?
Harboring such thoughts, Marianne dragged Arthin to the 1st Arena.