Nightmare (3)
“Ah, Your Highness. I’m sorry I’m late. I had a bit of business to take care of.”
I dipped my head toward Princess Cartesia, and she puffed out her cheeks before jabbing my shoulder with a finger.
“Sian, I think I’ve told you this dozens of times over the past few months. Inside the route, we don’t care about rank; everyone’s supposed to be equal. Didn’t I say that if you’re going to speak formally to anyone here, it should only be the instructors we’re learning from or our seniors?”
I knew that perfectly well. It was just that, no matter how I looked at it, speaking casually to someone who was an imperial princess still felt uncomfortably wrong.
“Uh... I’ll... try to fix it. Casual speech just doesn’t really come naturally to me...”
“Not I’ll try to fix it. Fix it now. Go back to your usual way of speaking. Use casual speech. Right this instant.”
I didn’t know why, but the way Cartesia glared at me, even letting a trace of killing intent seep out, made me sigh inwardly.
Over the past few months I’d learned one thing while staying beside her: no matter what else, she really could not stand it when I used casual speech with her.
Why that was... honestly, I had no idea.
According to her, it was because she’d grown up in the Imperial Palace and was now sick to death of hearing everyone speak to her politely. But when I heard that, all I could think was that the sensibilities of someone born high and noble really were something peculiar.
“...Fine. I’ll speak casually. Happy?”
“That’s right. Good. See? You can do it if you try.”
When I let out a small breath and corrected my tone, Cartesia smiled brightly at me.
“But why do you look so miserable today? Did something happen?”
“What could have happened? Some days people just feel good, and some days they don’t.”
I didn’t want to let it show, not even in front of Cartesia, who I could almost call a friend, so I kept my tone as calm as I could. But it seemed she had already picked up on something.
“What, did some idiot say something stupid to you again? About your status, or your background, or something like that?”
Before I could say a word, Cartesia had already furrowed her delicate brows.
“It’s not that, so don’t start. And do me a favor—please don’t go picking fights with other students over this. What are you, my mother?”
Ever since we’d become friends, Cartesia seemed to think I was some sort of idiot who couldn’t say a word in front of the noble cadets, because whenever I came back from somewhere after being insulted, she’d go storming off in my place and give them a piece of her mind.
“...I’m not your mother. I like friends.”
On top of that, she never actually answered the question I asked and only spouted nonsense instead.
In other words, every time I brought this subject up, she’d change the topic with eerie precision.
“Anyway, let’s just go eat. I’m starving.”
And I, too, didn’t want to talk about this subject with her for long. The gap in our status might have been enormous, but Cartesia was one of the few friends I had made at the academy, and I didn’t want to fill our meal with something so awkward.
Especially if it had to do with my sisters.
When I deliberately changed the subject, Cartesia shot me a dissatisfied look.
“...Fine. If you don’t want to talk about it, I can’t force you. But if it looks like it might directly hurt you, I’m going to interfere as your friend no matter what. Got that?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
When I nodded, she finally seemed satisfied and broke into a smile again.
“Then hurry up. I already saved us a seat.”
Cartesia hummed a tune under her breath as if she were in a wonderfully good mood, tugging me along with her.
When I went into the student cafeteria with her like that, every student inside turned to look our way.
To them, it must have seemed like a truly unbelievable sight: the most noble princess in the Empire walking into the cafeteria with the lowest-born mercenary orphan in the school.
In truth, even I sometimes didn’t understand how I’d ended up being so close with her, so what must they have thought?
Of course, Cartesia herself didn’t give the other students so much as a glance as she sat down.
“What are you standing there for? Sit down already.”
“...Yeah.”
I figured there were things I ought to learn from that kind of fearless poise, and sat down across from her to begin eating.
By nature, I wasn’t the talkative type, and Cartesia wasn’t the sort of person who liked chatting away with others either.
Because of that, our meals were usually quiet enough that I could hear every bit of gossip from the people whispering around us.
As we ate in silence, Cartesia suddenly looked at me and spoke in a low voice.
“Sian, I’ve got something to tell you, just in case.”
“What is it?”
“My older brother. The Crown Prince, Ricardo.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know he’s been getting awfully close with your sister Lobelia lately?”
“...Lobelia and the Crown Prince?”
At those words, I found myself recalling a conversation I’d had with Lobelia not long ago.
Did you know? I’m actually on excellent terms with His Highness the Crown Prince these days. But whenever I’m with him, my brother doesn’t help me out—instead, he blindly comes over and makes me look stupid. I’m really embarrassed by my brother.
Lobelia had said something like that in passing, but if even Cartesia was telling me this, then there really must be something going on between the two of them.
“Normally I wouldn’t want to interfere in other people’s love lives, but... I heard enough to think their relationship is a little strange for two people who’d be called lovers.”
“Strange?”
“Yeah. At first they kept up a very innocent sort of relationship because of the people around them, but lately they’ve apparently been meeting in places no one knows about. And I’ve also been hearing that your name comes up a lot in their conversations.”
“...So those two are talking about me? Why?”
“Who knows. It’s definitely not some adorable reason like gathering information because you might become my future brother-in-law. My brother isn’t that cute a person.”
Cartesia twirled her fork idly and spoke with a bored expression.
“As for my brother, that’s just the kind of man he is, so I’ll leave that be. What worries me more is what your sister is thinking right now. I’ve never once seen a single normal person among the people who get close to our glorious prince.”
She tapped her own head a few times, then suddenly stole a glance at me.
“...Ah, of course, I’m absolutely not trying to badmouth your sister. I was just... worried about you, that’s all. If that offended you, I’ll apologize.”
“No, I don’t think you need to apologize to me.”
I gave Cartesia a wry smile to reassure her.
I meant it. Cartesia had only been telling me the truth, and more than that, it was also true that Lobelia was plotting something against me right now.
And maybe... the situation was far worse than I had expected.
Brother. We’ve already given you enough advice in the nicest way possible. And we’ve tried our best to persuade you. So whatever happens next... it won’t be our responsibility.
It hadn’t been Lobelia who said it, but my sisters had spoken to me in a similar tone at the time.
When I declared that I wouldn’t be dropping out, they’d threatened me, saying they would make me regret that choice by any means necessary.
I’d thought it was just the sort of thing that meant they’d spread ugly rumors about me throughout the academy... but what if it was more than that?
What if those girls had gone beyond such childish tricks and were plotting to drive me out of the academy by taking hands with someone as dangerous as the Crown Prince?
Then how was I supposed to respond, and what kind of face was I supposed to make when I stood before them?
“.....”
As I sat there with my face hardened into a mask, saying nothing, she looked at me with a careful expression.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Your expression looks really bad.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
Don’t think about anything. And don’t jump to conclusions.
Nothing had happened yet. There were all sorts of rumors circling around me, but it wasn’t as if it had been confirmed that my sisters were behind them.
So for now... for now, I should trust them. We were still family, after all.
“Sian... if anything happens, you have to tell me, okay? I’ll help you no matter what it takes.”
“Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Cartesia.”
“...Just call me Cia. That name’s too long.”
Watching Cartesia’s face turn bright red for some reason, I couldn’t help but let out a faint laugh.
One week later, I received an order from the board.
I was to prove my innocence by dueling someone.
And my opponent was decided quickly.
The person I would have to face with my blade was Eli.
One of my sisters, and the one who possessed the greatest talent in the Empire when it came to the sword.