Lord of Andvari (1)
Cuella Panel. A noble of the Barhart Empire and the cherished daughter of the Panel viscount family. She enrolled in the Academy following the Empire's extensive promotional efforts and her father's enthusiastic encouragement. She supposedly admires and harbors feelings for Chrome Midas, the hero of the "Red Tower" incident that occurred in the Mars Duchy.
……That was the cover story for the "Spider," one of the Third Prince's most trusted agents. She let out a deep sigh in her dormitory room.
Was she dissatisfied with her living conditions? Hardly. The sheltered young lords and ladies of the world had been horrified at the thought of living in such cramped quarters, but to her—who had seen every kind of hardship during missions—the Academy life felt quite comfortable. Though nominally a single room, it came fully furnished with high-quality pieces, excellent insulation, and soundproofing. Servants weren't allowed until certain conditions were met, but the cafeteria always had food available, and laundry or cleaning could be handled by Academy staff upon request. In truth, there was little need for servants at all. Unless one was the type to entrust personal belongings to strangers or dump every trivial chore onto attendants, it simply wasn't an issue for her.
Then was it the classes that were difficult? That wasn't it either. As an intelligence operative, she might lag slightly behind the "Crow" agents who specialized in protection, but she was still one of the Third Prince's elite. She wasn't so weak that she couldn't keep up with classes designed for students. Even with her leeway in skill, the education here felt a bit lacking in substance, but that was beside the point.
So what was the problem? If everything else was fine, then the real issue was that the very purpose of her presence here remained completely unresolved!
After that last "date"—or rather, whatever that extortion and near-exposure incident could be called—she had already realized this mission wouldn't be easy. She had realized it, yet she never expected it to reach this level.
"Chrome, would you like to take a walk together after so long?"
"If it's about magic formulas, just say the word. I'm fairly confident in teaching them."
"Um, Chrome? No, there's no particular reason. I just wanted to call your name."
Her advances were downright terrifying in their intensity. Anyone else launching such an aggressive campaign would have earned admiration for their boldness, but the one doing it was the Empire's own princess. In truth, there were plenty of reasons for the princess to feel favorably toward Chrome Midas. He had been the first to approach her when she was half-isolated at the start of the Academy term due to her complicated position. He had also provided the opportunity for the princess—who had been a royal in name only, far from real power—to finally gain actual influence. On top of that were the various small favors Chrome had done for her, which Cuella had uncovered through repeated investigations.
Even the most twisted, stubborn old man would have opened his heart under such treatment, let alone a young woman brimming with sensitivity. The effect was obvious. If before she had at least shown some restraint out of concern for appearances and rumors, her recent behavior had become outright blatant.
The princess openly displaying her favor toward someone, while another person tried to appeal from the side? Even with Cuella Panel's cover story of a girl so madly in love she threw caution to the wind, this was pushing it in multiple ways. The bigger headache was that there weren't any better options besides these risky moves.
After sighing through her various worries, the Spider decided to pick up her pen. Reporting unsatisfactory results was unpleasant, but she couldn't lie, make excuses, or delay the report. At the very least, she had to write down what she had learned.
[(Omitted) — As a result, Princess Lyla has been openly displaying her favor toward Chrome Midas, significantly damaging Prince Kian Danach's prestige as he had been actively courting her. Kian Danach and his faction appear to be continuing their attempts at public opinion manipulation against Chrome Midas, but the anti-Empire Morian faction led by Eagle Pendevig is blocking them, creating a standoff.]
[The students from the Crown Prince and Fourth Prince's factions, who had been cooperating with Kian Danach from behind the scenes, are now distancing themselves from him while appearing bewildered by the princess's sudden change.]
[Due to Princess Lyla's favoritism toward Chrome Midas, the Spero students under Alphons Betuart—known as another of the princess's close aides—seem to be harboring dissatisfaction.]
[Though no one openly badmouths her because she is royalty, the number of people giving her cold looks, as if she were being played by a man, is gradually increasing. Imperial students who judged it difficult to connect Prince Kian and Princess Lyla may be manipulating public opinion from behind the scenes, but this remains speculation without evidence at present.]
[Chrome Midas has an extremely wide circle of acquaintances. His influence within his own year ranks among the top five, and although he doesn't lead any national faction himself, he has built friendly relations with key figures from various factions such as Eagle Pendevig and Frelia Magnus.]
[Unlike his active involvement with second-years, he has almost no contact with first-years, with the notable exception of Iris Otreang, to whom he has been providing various conveniences. Since Iris Otreang's major overlaps with Prince Kian Danach's in magic, and her reputation as the strongest in her year would damage the prince's prestige, it is presumed he is targeting that effect.]
After writing down the other pieces of information she had gathered directly or indirectly that seemed useful, she began on the final line.
[……Chrome Midas is currently preparing to move to the Andvari Fief for the formal succession of the lordship. Accompanying him as Cuella Panel would be difficult in many ways and risks causing unnecessary trouble. I require additional orders on what to do during the roughly one-month gap.]
"I'd like to go along too, you know. It's a reward I suggested and granted, so not being able to see the recipient receive it feels rather unsatisfying in many ways, doesn't it?"
I sighed at the princess, whose entire body radiated discontent.
"Even so, this isn't something that can be wrapped up quickly. It takes a whole month, so we can't just skip all our classes during that time."
"That's true, but…… a short visit wouldn't be a problem, would it?"
"And Lady Lyla, you're a bit…… too close."
"Huh? Ah, sorry, Chrome."
The princess, who had been clutching my collar and complaining, jerked back in surprise, her face flushing red. If this had happened only once or twice, I could have brushed it off, but lately the distance between us had strangely narrowed. She kept leaning against me or holding my hand without a second thought. What made it even more troublesome was that the princess herself didn't seem to be doing it intentionally—it was unconscious. Yet when pointed out, she would react exactly like this, flustered and unsure what to do.
The incident where I entered the princess's dream seemed to have affected her psyche somehow, but when asked directly, she claimed to remember nothing. Considering my history of calling her mother a demon hag and scamming her into a massive explosion, this was fortunate in a way. Still, if the princess continued in this state, it would be problematic.
If asked whether a man wouldn't be happy about the princess's favor, of course I would be. But separate from that, the princess was currently one of the candidates aiming for the throne. If someone like her showed excessive favoritism toward a mere subordinate in political terms, people would inevitably form negative opinions of her regardless of her own abilities. There was also the matter of balance with Alphons. Furthermore, if she neglected the Academy classes that were meant to become her strong foundation and clung to me instead? I was certain I'd lose sleep worrying about what rumors would spread behind our backs. Reputation was always harder to build than to destroy in an instant.
"Now, now, Brother, don't be so cold. Lady Lyla is only acting this way because she's disappointed."
Unlike the visibly dejected princess, Fiore's expression was the picture of cheer.
"And you look extremely pleased with yourself?"
"Well, thanks to having such a capable brother, I get to play noble when it was never in my fate. Of course I'm happy."
Just because I became a noble didn't mean the entire Midas family became one, but Fiore was the exception. She had played a significant role in the major incidents I resolved, and in recognition of that, she herself had been granted noble status. Unlike me, she didn't receive a separate title, but she didn't seem to care, so there was no issue. Since she was now officially affiliated with the Andvari Fief like me, she would be joining this territory tour. As a bonus, Chepe the maid would also be coming along this time. There was almost nothing for her to do while staying at the mansion we currently lived in anyway, so moving her to the territory would be better for everyone.
"Ligret, take care of things until we return. Help Lady Lyla as well."
"……It's not like your ridiculous nonsense is anything new, but this time it's a bit much."
"That's right, Chrome. I'm not a child."
No, judging by what you've been doing lately, you honestly seem quite childlike. Of course, I couldn't say that out loud. Setting aside the whole "insulting royalty" thing, the princess herself might roast me alive. I wanted to live a long life.
"Either way, you two have to attend the Black Light classes together, so you'll be stuck with each other. While I'm gone, watch out for strange guys—mainly that prince with the hero complex who might try to bother you. Handle it well."
Ligret made a disgusted face, but despite her complaints, she was the type to thoroughly carry out any task assigned to her, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
"And Lady Lyla, this one has plenty of combat ability but lacks political consideration and social skills, so please keep that part in check. If I come back to find my bodyguard in prison, how tragic would that be—ack! So please stop things like this! Hey, that's enough!"
Ligret, who had stomped on my foot, glared at me, while the princess blinked for a moment before nodding in understanding. It would be nice if these two got a little closer during this opportunity…… but I wasn't sure how that would turn out.