It Was Spring
Spring. Spring. The time when the whole world is filled with colorful flowers and fresh green sprouts.
By the way, this guy isn’t sentimental in the slightest. I find it rather bleak.
When summer arrives, it’s too hot and I hate it. When autumn comes, it’s the fallen leaves that make me hate it. When winter arrives, it’s the cold and the snow that make me hate it. And spring is when the grass grows, so I hate it too. I can’t understand why anyone would like the change of seasons.
Anyway, back to the main point. Spring has come. The guy who claims he isn’t sentimental suddenly finds himself in this state.
It’s because my sister is finally getting married this spring. And not just any marriage—she’s marrying the Crown Prince. And someday, she’ll become the Empress of the Empire!
“You seem even more excited than Ricata, Karl.”
“That’s only natural, Father. My sister is becoming the Crown Princess!”
“Once that happens, it will be difficult to treat her as family the way we used to. At least in public. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, even that will become difficult.”
I understand. No matter how much my sister is the Emperor’s daughter, she will become the Crown Princess and later the Empress of the Empire. Father and I will both have to treat her as a subject.
But honestly, Father… she’s going to strongly oppose that, isn’t she?
I can still see it. At least in private, she wants to be treated as my sister and daughter.
“I believe you will do well. Now that you are part of the Empire’s nobility, Karl.”
“There are still three years until the time you promised. Please don’t speak as if you’re already handing over the countship.”
This is a big deal. I had just received the imperial decree and gone to the Lasquer border, where I had a good fight with my old knights, and my body was still burning with excitement.
Thankfully, Mother had tied me down with the words, “Show some behavior befitting your age,” or I might have written you a letter and disappeared without a word.
“Both of you, stop there.”
As Mother started to leave, Father and I all stood up at once with a loud “Yes, ma’am!”
We couldn’t be late for such an important day. Today was that day!
*
…
I’m dazed. It feels like my mind has wandered somewhere else. This moment I’ve waited for and longed for so desperately.
I casually raised my hand and pinched my cheek. It hurts. Did I pinch too hard? The page who had been standing beside me jumped in shock and tried to stop me.
Marriage, really. The Crown Princess is born, the Empress is born. A woman who will one day be the mother of a prince or princess who looks like me will stand beside me.
“What are you thinking, Your Highness?”
I turned my head and saw Ricata blinking her eyes rapidly. It was a look I rarely saw from her.
She must have been startled because my reaction was so strange.
“No. It’s nothing. I just… how should I put it? I feel a little dazed.”
Suddenly, I felt I had to say it. The Crown Prince, or rather the groom standing before his bride.
“Thank you for marrying me, Ricata.”
“You suddenly seem very strange.”
“Ahaha. Is that so? I understand. I know, but I couldn’t hold it in without saying it.”
It was a long time coming. No, it was long overdue. I had even thought about it before.
Like first love, it was something that could never be. As the Crown Prince of the Empire, my marriage would be tied up in political alliances. I had repeated that to myself many times.
But right now, beside me stands Ricata. The first love had come true, and it was a bond formed from the heart, not a political marriage.
This is the luck that will never come again. It is far greater and more precious than anything in my hands. If I let this slip away even now, I will live my entire life under a curse.
“Marriage is truly wonderful. I never thought the Crown Prince would show such an emotional side.”
“I have always been emotional when dealing with you, Ricata.”
What kind of nonsense is this? Then when did I ever show another side?!
“That’s true, but you’ve been hiding it all this time.”
“Ah…”
“That’s all I see of you. Whether you did it on purpose or not, there was no reason to hide it until today.”
Was that how it was? Did I do that? Without realizing it, Ricata had known so many things.
I scratched the back of my head. At the same time, I thought I must never hide anything from her again. A woman who marries me, beyond being an expert in certain areas, hiding anything from her as a partner feels like a grave sin.
“More importantly, Your Highness.”
“Speak, Ricata.”
“I want to have a child as soon as possible.”
“…Eh?”
I instinctively looked around. Fortunately, my pages and Ricata’s maids were waiting outside. No one was listening to our conversation.
Good. No matter how close Karl and Ricata are, they are still the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. Especially the future Emperor and Empress. We must be careful, very careful.
“R-Ricata. It’s a bit sudden, but is there a reason?”
“Karl said that if a nephew is born, it would be wonderful.”
“…”
“He wants to give the nephew as much love as he received.”
A good reason. A willing reason. But there’s a tiny bit of something else to it.
The reason she wants a child is because of her brother. In my position as husband, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed—
“And I also want to have a child.”
“Ricata?”
“A child who looks like me and you. A child to whom I can give all my love. If such a gift comes to me, there is nothing happier. I want to raise the most beautiful and wonderful child in the world.”
Even before the wedding is announced, I can already see the image of a virtuous mother.
If a child of mine and hers is in her arms, there is no more sacred sight.
“Let’s do it, Ricata. Let’s work together. Let’s pray that precious gifts will come to us through our efforts. Hoping that those gifts will bring yet another gift someday.”
While we were chatting casually for a moment, the pages waiting outside opened the door and entered. Then they whispered, “We really need to prepare now.”
“Then, for today and for everyone gathered for us, let’s meet again in a little while, Ricata.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I will see you soon.”
A brief farewell, and then the time to swear eternal companionship.
I hope today passes without any incident. No, there won’t be any incident. After all, we’ve prepared for today.
I even saved on the wedding expenses to support the pension fund. If the gods know Ricata’s beautiful heart, they will give us a clear, cloudless day.
*
“Karl! Here!”
Selena waved her hand while sitting on the bench. Karl, seeing her, sprinted toward her at an incredible speed from a distance and stopped right in front of her.
“Why are you running? You could have come slowly.”
“Even if I could, I wanted to be with you for even one extra second.”
Right after the wedding at the palace, Selena had returned to the graduate school. It had been a busy time. And only after several days had passed did she finally find time.
“Your sister… I mean, Her Highness the Crown Princess?”
“She moved completely into the palace yesterday. She is truly the Crown Princess now.”
“I see. It must be tough.”
“Huh?”
“You said she treated you very well, Karl. So it must be tough.”
Tough. Karl thought for a moment and then smiled.
Yes. It is tough. If it weren’t, it would be strange. The family that I thought would always be by my side will now meet a new person and spend eternity with them.
Of course, the name “family” doesn’t change, but watching them step outside the fence felt oddly nostalgic. Seeing the wedding made me feel like they were drifting away.
“It’s fine. You said you’d visit whenever you have time. Besides, you’re Karl, right, Selena?”
“Huh?”
“I’m Karl. Just a crazy graduate student who causes incidents when I forget. I’ll probably go see the Crown Prince again soon, and then you’ll be able to see your sister, the Crown Princess.”
Of course, the feeling was odd, Karl added. Then he asked Selena to help him shake off that strange feeling.
Selena replied with “Anything!” and Karl smiled and asked, “Is that a promise?”
And then—
“Yay!”
“Waaah?!”
All of a sudden, Karl picked up Selena and grinned with a big smile.
“Ah. This feels better.”
“W-what are you doing, Karl! Why all of a sudden!”
“Why? I’m carrying my girlfriend. I’m cheering on our Selena, who’s struggling in graduate school.”
“No! I mean! This, this is!”
Karl asked bluntly, “You don’t like it?” Then the answer came naturally.
“It’s not like that!”
With Selena’s honest answer, Karl burst into laughter and started walking again.
Spring had come.