The Jealous Princess (2)
The peaceful tea time had come to an end, and a tense air hung between Ras and Asella. The guards standing at their posts felt their skin prickle from the silent tension flowing between the two.
'Her Highness will win anyway.'
'Looks like even the teacher has something to say this time.'
The guards carried out their duties with stern expressions while furtively observing the pair. Back when Camilla the Imperial Consort held real power, Moonlight Palace had felt like a swamp, thick with sticky menace. Even though Asella was younger, her charisma far surpassed Camilla's in elegance. Now, Moonlight Palace was like a sharp ice palace lined with blades on all sides.
Still, thanks to the Gotberg family physician, entertaining events like this cropped up without fail. The guards had no intention of missing a single moment of the spectacle.
Ras spoke first.
"There's a misunderstanding, Your Highness."
"Oh, so once again, you're completely innocent and I'm just misunderstanding for no reason?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
"I heard Heike offered you the position of her fiancé."
"If you take that sentence out of context, then yes, it's true."
"Ha."
Asella turned her head away with a scoff of disbelief.
'The First Princess is after the teacher?'
'This is a big deal.'
'Even so, the age gap... Has the First Princess lost her mind?'
'Hey, the woman's older, so it actually suits them.'
'Do you want to get executed by Princess Asella?'
'Get a grip. It was probably high-level provocation.'
The knights of Moonlight Palace were of a higher caliber than any imperial knight order. They could convey detailed intentions with just a flick of their eyes—a skill honed for ambushing enemies during operations. Now, they were squandering that elite ability on enjoying the princess and her fiancé's lovers' quarrel.
"It wasn't the kind of social chit-chat Your Highness is imagining. It was a metaphorical phrase that popped up during faction negotiations."
"What negotiations?"
"A proposal for a temporary alliance."
"An alliance?"
"With Earth Palace as your current enemy, Moonlight Palace lacks both knights and funds. If you make Wood Palace an enemy too, Moonlight Palace's movements will be severely restricted."
'He didn't make the first move.'
The knights' eyes darted left and right, gauging the pair's moods.
"You think I don't know that? Why does your personal safety come up as 'fiancé' in that?"
"Princess Heike said it was just a joke..."
"What a hilarious joke. I can't stop laughing."
"You're being dead serious right now."
"Your eyesight's fine, huh. Did you get a clear look at Heike's bewitching face?"
At Asella's sharp tone, the teacup on the table cracked with a crack.
'The First Princess poisoned Moonlight Palace.'
'Has Her Highness ever reacted this fiercely to provocations from other factions?'
'This is like sitting on a bed of nails. Save me.'
Ras let out a silent sigh. His patience was wearing thin bit by bit. He believed his judgment in this matter had been sound—and it was. Why was Asella fixating on that one phrase and getting so angry? A headache began to creep in.
"So, how did it feel?"
"No big deal. I immediately refused the First Princess's proposal."
"...Really?"
At Ras's testimony, Asella pressed her chin to her neck and leaned back slightly.
"Of course. It was obviously a trap to test my loyalty."
"Of course. Hmph."
At a loss for words to unleash, Asella chewed her lip idly. Still, she didn't want to seem weak to Ras. Some squirmy feeling bubbled up in her chest, but it wasn't enough to drown out the rage boiling to the top of her head. Determined to pin some fault on him, she pressed on with her scolding, though her tone had lost some confidence.
"...For something as important as an alliance, you should report to me first. What good is sipping tea here?"
"Your Highness."
The petite girl who had been quietly standing in the corner stepped forward. Neria bowed once more and spoke clearly.
"I'm Neria Gotberg, lady of the Gotberg family. If I may be so bold..."
Even though they already knew each other, she humbled herself to show respect to Asella. Even Asella wouldn't snap at such a small child.
"Permission granted."
"Brother... Teacher Gotberg was surely on his way to report something important to you, Your Highness. Because I showed up unannounced, he was delayed greeting me. This is my fault, so please don't blame Brother too much..."
Neria laid out her opinion clearly.
"Lady, what I meant was..."
Asella started to retort but faltered without realizing it. Neria's innocent eyes were brimming, on the verge of tears. Asella wasn't usually weak to such things, but Neria's expression packed too much punch. Her eyes even resembled Max's a bit.
'Even anger has its timing. Miss it, and it's awkward.'
The knights watched the mood shift with keen interest. Strictly speaking, Neria was a candidate for saintess. This standoff could be seen as a prelude between absolute good and absolute evil.
And the result of that standoff was...
"Hng..."
A small, animal-like whimper escaped Neria, who couldn't bear the pressure any longer. It ended in victory for absolute good. Asella, feeling like she was bullying the girl, averted her gaze.
"Fine. I was taking issue with you not reporting immediately. Now that I know the reason, I won't mention it again."
Anyone could see the core issue was Heike's marriage proposal, but Asella smoothly shifted the topic.
'She chose to escape the awkward situation.'
'Lady Gotberg packs a punch.'
The knights inwardly applauded Neria for holding her own so well before Asella.
"My apologies, Your Highness. I'll ensure it doesn't happen again."
"...Fine."
Asella accepted Ras's apology awkwardly. Her gaze drifted to the notebook on the table.
"What's this?"
"Oh, it's nothing for Your Highness to worry about. Just family matters."
"Then I need to know."
Asella quickly skimmed the contents about the pharmaceutical factory business.
"This'll need a lot of funding."
"Yes."
"Moonlight Palace will invest."
"Really?"
Ras's face lit up at the word "investment." Wait— if she demanded shares even after retirement, it'd be a hassle. He'd need to set a time limit, he thought.
"Yes. It's a business with vision. As allies, the funds will circulate, and they'll reach Gotberg Marquisate too. Young master, consult me immediately on important matters like this from now on."
"Understood. I'll send the business plan soon."
"And gain some self-awareness."
"What kind?"
Asella closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. Why did this man always follow a clever remark with something oblivious? Her insides boiled, but she couldn't snap again. The watching knights knew why.
'The teacher's a pro. He must've driven plenty of women mad back at the marquisate.'
'Unless Her Highness gives a clear order, the teacher won't yield first.'
Who would bend their pride first? Or would they end this smoothly too? The knights focused intently.
In the end, Asella pointed at Ras and declared in a clear voice.
"The awareness that you're my fiancé."
Ras showed no agitation at her words, simply bowing politely.
"Understood."
Seeing his reaction, Asella whipped around and stormed out of the reception room. Her footsteps echoed loudly.
'Yup, sulking.'
The guards, amazed by Gotberg's unexpected victory, followed Asella in formation with murmurs of admiration.
"I'm the aggrieved one here."
After clashing with Asella, I was too drained for afternoon duties. I'd secured plenty of leverage to squeeze from Heike, only to get scolded instead. My heart was covered in scratches. Too bad medicine couldn't heal this. Instead, I kneaded Neria's soft cheeks to soothe the wounds.
"My apologies."
Tanya bowed to me.
"I judged the Wood Palace alliance as urgent, and since you were busy, Teacher, I reported it instead. But it was reckless. Her Highness stormed out before I could even finish..."
"You did well. Guess she doesn't trust me that much."
"Isn't it the opposite, Brother?"
Neria's eyes sparkled even as I pinched her cheeks.
"It's a good thing Her Highness cherishes you so much."
What on earth did you see to think that, Neria?
"If you'd delayed the report longer, her anger would've only grown. Thanks to me, you took less of a beating."
"Captain, hanging out with Asella lately has made you seriously shameless."
Tanya just shrugged off my jab, feigning ignorance. Well, she wasn't entirely wrong. It was something I should've reported. Her judgment was spot on. And in the end, we got the investment promise.
I'd wring as much as possible out of Asella to make up for the torment.
"Brother, go with Her Highness? The party'll be fun!"
I patted the head of the little saintess who had so handsomely defeated the villainess.