Let's Test the Waters
“Trying to seduce me?”
Clue and Lucy nodded at my words.
“She was totally a vixen, though?”
“You should’ve seen her batting her eyes at you, Your Highness.”
For once, the two of them seemed to be right.
I watched them chattering enthusiastically before speaking up.
“You two are overreacting too much—”
“Your Highness, this time it really isn’t an overreaction.”
“Exactly. No matter what, I—we—wouldn’t lie to you about something like this, Master.”
They sure sing from the same hymnbook when it suits them.
“...But why me?”
No, there were too many reasons that made sense, leaving me speechless.
She must have approached me because of my status. Even as the third prince, marrying an imperial prince would give her plenty of benefits.
“Sorry. I get it. Probably because of my position—”
“She must’ve fallen for Master’s character.”
“Fallen for your character and your looks.”
“Aren’t you two reading too many novels?”
What character? What looks? Have they gone mad riding around in that carriage?
I let out a small sigh at the thought.
“Well, whatever. Let’s handle it as it comes.”
“Please be careful, Master. I’ll serve you with all I’ve got.”
“I’ll make sure no one else gets any ideas about you, Your Highness.”
“Focus on something else besides that.”
A sigh escaped me. Another sigh.
I turned back to Lucy.
“Sort out my schedule.”
“Ah, yes, Your Highness.”
The reason Lucy was accompanying me this time was that she’d come along as my maid—or rather, more like a personal secretary, nothing like the usual maids we knew.
“For today, just rest off the travel fatigue and attend the evening banquet. Nothing else.”
“Banquet?”
“It’s probably to welcome you, Your Highness.”
Lucy nodded, while Clue narrowed her eyes.
“Better to be cautious, Master. No harm in it.”
“Cautious of what?”
“That vixen... I mean, Princess Tina, and others who might have designs on you.”
“Ah, got it.”
No point arguing further—they wouldn’t listen anyway—so I just nodded along.
“Of course, I’ll keep a close eye, and we have ministers from our side attached for support, so no need to worry...”
“Right.”
Was it Mother’s excessive worrying? There weren’t many, but some heavy-hitters among the ministers had come along for this inspection of Cassius Kingdom.
Correction: they hadn’t exactly “come along.”
‘Sir Gordolf.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty.’
‘Assist Theo. I’ll grant you leave.’
‘Your Majesty?’
‘Go do your job properly and come back.’
‘Y-Your Majesty?’
Something like that.
Come to think of it, no need to ask these two.
“I’ll go talk to the ministers then.”
“Not us?”
“Better to get advice from more experienced people than you two.”
Everyone has their role.
“Clue, come with me.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Lucy, rest up.”
“I-I want to come too...”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes! I want to go with you!”
She shouldn’t be showing workaholic tendencies at her age.
With that thought, I headed into the corridor with both of them.
After exchanging greetings with the knights who bowed to us, as we walked...
“...Huh?”
Clue furrowed her brow sharply.
“What’s wrong, Clue?”
“...Master.”
Clue continued without relaxing her frown.
“There’s a bug.”
“Huh?”
A bug?
I stared at Clue, who cleared her throat before speaking.
“Assassins.”
“Those guys?”
Why were they here? And how?
“Yes. Shall I call them?”
“Call them? How?”
“Like this.”
Suddenly, Clue leaped up, waved her hand, and with a sharp rip and a cry of “Argh!”, two figures plummeted from the air.
“...”
“...”
My eyes met those of the middle-aged man.
“My apologies.”
He immediately prostrated himself before me.
“Your Highness seemed concerned, so we took it upon ourselves to provide protection without permission.”
“No, it’s...”
More people helping couldn’t hurt—better safe than sorry.
“If you permit it, we’d like to fend off any assassins who come for you...”
He trailed off, gauging my reaction.
I didn’t mind that.
“Sure, do as you like.”
“Thank you sincerely.”
The man bowed again, and Clue, watching him, spoke up.
“Master, they probably saw and heard something. How about interrogating them?”
“Not quite an interrogation, but...”
“I’ll tell you.”
Before I could say more, the man spoke.
“As you said, we overheard the princess talking to herself.”
And what the assassins told me wasn’t all that surprising. It was exactly what I’d suspected—and what the two girls had said.
“See? She wasn’t fawning because she likes me.”
“...I’m pissed. That woman has no eye for people.”
Clue muttered, and Lucy nodded.
“Right. How could she not fall for Your Highness’s looks and character, but just fawn over the position?”
“What, do you two have something on me?”
Flattery at this level was an art form.
Resting my chin on my hand, I sank into thought.
“For now, I should talk to Gordolf about this.”
I knew him well enough. He’d helped during the Isfil incident.
“Let’s go.”
Time to hear the ministers’ advice.
*
“Well now, to think someone approached Prince Theodor not for his character, but his status.”
You too?
Gordolf furrowed his brow as he continued.
“She seems to have ulterior motives.”
“What kind of intentions?”
“Not exactly scheming, but probably King Leon Cassius aiming to strengthen ties.”
Gordolf stroked his chin with a hum.
“Your Highness and the princesses are shaking up the continent, after all.”
“You mean me and my sisters?”
“Yes.”
Gordolf nodded.
“A genius in magic, a genius in martial arts, and just... a genius.”
“...”
No matter how many times I hear it, ‘just a genius’ doesn’t sit right.
“So other nations figure that no matter who takes the throne next, the empire’s future is bright.”
“I see.”
“Of course, I haven’t decided who to support yet...”
He chuckled good-naturedly, smiling at me.
“Forgive my impertinence.”
“No issue.”
I wouldn’t beat the real Gordolf in court politics anyway. And as he said, I truly didn’t care.
“Heh, thank you for the kind words.”
Gordolf kept his warm smile as he went on.
“Then, before we make plans...”
“Yes.”
“What do you think of Princess Tina, Your Highness?”
“Pardon?”
Why ask that out of nowhere?
I stared at Gordolf, who smiled softly.
“Her Majesty left the decision to your choice.”
“R-Really?”
“So, if by any chance you take a liking to Princess Tina, we could just...”
“Not interested right now.”
I was too old to fall for a fourteen-year-old’s face. Having romantic feelings for a kid like that still felt off.
“I see.”
Gordolf smiled gently.
“As expected of Your Highness.”
“Huh?”
“Just like back then—your insight is remarkable.”
This guy’s talking about something I don’t know again.
I looked at Gordolf, who met my eyes and continued.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. We ministers are here to assist you.”
The other ministers, who’d been silent, nodded too.
“Whatever choice you make, we’ll respect it, support it, and trust it.”
“That’s a lot of pressure.”
Don’t leave it all to a fourteen-year-old.
“So, please proceed as you see fit.”
Gordolf continued with his unwavering warm smile.
“...Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”
“A true sovereign doesn’t do everything themselves—they know when and where to invest people and resources.”
“...”
“An excellent choice, Your Highness.”
In the end, leaving Gordolf to it, I headed off to prepare for the banquet.
He wouldn’t slack off.
And so, the first day’s banquet began.
Nobles from countless kingdoms approached me—with greetings, tributes, marriage proposals.
But ultimately, their goals were all the same.
People trying to gain something through me.
And among those trying to gain something through me...
“Your Highness, would you dance with me?”
I turned slightly to see who’d spoken.
Tina shyly offered her hand.
I’d said handle it yourself.
“...”
I slowly took Tina’s hand and stood.
“Sure.”
So, I’d handle it my way.
Hand in hand with Tina, I spoke as we walked.
“Who put you up to this?”
Tina’s body stiffened at my words.
A fourteen-year-old wouldn’t seduce me on her own.
There was something I didn’t know.
I met Tina’s eyes.
“Tell me.”
In times like this, asking directly was the fastest, surest way.
Her pupils shook violently, like an earthquake in her eyes.