Six O'Clock in the Capital - 3
Today my senior had clearly made up her mind to keep talking without rest.
"You borrowed the Crown Princess's help and still have no results? Eri, do you not even know what a debt is?"
"No…"
"You know, and yet you still act like this?"
The sharp look she fixed on me made my body shrink on instinct.
My head was lowered so I could not see her, and through the communication orb her gaze should not even have been tangible—yet my body remembered and flinched all the same.
The world is being fooled. They are all being fooled by Senior's act of demure innocence.
"The young lady and the duke have clashed. In a situation like this even a marquis would be buried if he tried to step in. If the marquis's daughter stays this quiet, will anyone even bother to pay attention?"
"No…"
"You know, and yet you still act like this?"
Strange. I was certain I had heard those exact words a moment ago, yet here they were again.
Every time Senior delivered her point-by-point, bone-deep "advice"—which was really just assault in disguise—my spirit was threshed like grain at harvest time.
If I had known it would be like this.
I let her scolding flow in one ear and out the other while I lightly bit my lip. If I had known things would turn out this way, I would never have accepted Senior's help even if the sky itself had fallen.
If—if I had not borrowed her hand—I would have gotten away with ordinary fretting and a little teasing. But I had borrowed it.
Now my romantic troubles were a matter of Senior's pride. The Crown Princess herself had intervened and still no results? Even if I could live with that, Senior never would.
And then the Demon Duke had to get involved.
Remembering the origin of this whole mess only made me feel more wronged. Who could have guessed the Demon Duke would barge in?
Originally I had planned to approach the Chief aggressively once he came to the Imperial Capital for the New Year's Audience. Senior had even agreed that my careful approach was a solid choice.
Then the Demon Duke's intrusion flipped the board completely. In an instant the Empire's gaze locked onto the clash between the young lady and the duke, and onto the companion of the Demon Duke who had reappeared after a hundred and twenty years. A marquis's daughter was reduced to something that could be dismissed with a "whatever."
"It's far too late now. You wasted time lounging around and missed your window."
When she added, "Why did you do that?" as if she had nothing to do with it, I nearly boiled over. She had agreed when I said I would wait until the New Year's Audience—now she was pretending she had never heard of it.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing…"
Of course I ducked my head again under her gaze.
Right. This was no time to blame anyone. Just as Senior said, I had already missed the timing.
Will I even register in the Chief's eyes?
I could not help worrying. From the perspective of a Chief who had already been ambushed by the Demon Duke, a new woman's confession might produce more bewilderment than surprise. He might even take it as mockery and get angry.
"More useless thoughts."
As if she had read my earnest fretting, Senior spoke bluntly.
"If it's already late, you should be thinking of moving faster. Keep weighing every little thing and you'll never move at all."
She was right—and she was also being irresponsible. Did she think I was doing this because I did not know that?
It was precisely because it was late that I wanted to at least fasten the buttons properly, precisely because I did not want to fall any farther that I was being careful.
She acts like everyone is just like her.
My lips jutted out in a pout. She spoke so casually, as if it were easy, but if the entire world were full of action-takers like Senior the world would already have collapsed.
This was the woman who had proposed to the First Prince—who at the time had been closer to death than to the throne—simply because she had fallen for him. Her drive was truly something to admire, yet it was also a madness no one could copy.
And that woman is called demure.
My eyes narrowed of their own accord. If she counted as demure and proper, then I was a nun.
Senior thoroughly hid her true nature and performed the role of a demure lady. The performance worked so well that the image of her as the wise, refined Crown Princess had solidified completely.
What absolute nonsense.
If she were truly demure and quiet, would I ever have hung around with her? I have never liked boring people.
…In fact she sometimes seemed even more unhinged than I am—
"Eri."
"I wasn't thinking anything."
At the low rumble of Senior's voice I hurriedly shook my head.
But in my fluster I had added something useless. "I wasn't thinking anything"—anyone listening would know I had been thinking something strange.
"Don't worry. The Chief and I go way back. I'm the one who met him first, before anyone else, you know?"
When Senior's eyes began to narrow I quickly seized the initiative. I had a weapon no one else could match: our bond.
And the words were also meant to soothe myself. Yes, I had met the Chief before anyone. Before the young lady, before the Demon Duke.
No need to worry. I was already close to him. If I just confessed, if I just showed him my heart, we could grow closer still. The Chief would not push me away.
"Huuung."
"…What is it?"
I forced my chest out and spoke with pride, yet Senior's reaction was ominous.
After a stretch of silence she cleared her throat a few times and began to imitate a sobbing voice.
"The Chief liked me first~ I met him before any of them did~"
Hearing that, my hands started to tremble.
"That sounds exactly like something you'll be saying about a year from now. How does it feel to hear it in advance?"
"Senior!"
This time I truly shouted.
"Too loud. My ears are perfectly fine."
Of course Senior reacted as if some dog were barking somewhere far away—indifferent.
No, the faint lift at the corner of her mouth was pure mockery.
If she weren't the Crown Princess…!
I was so wronged and furious I could cry. If she truly were not the Crown Princess I would have hit her!
…No choice. I would just have to hit the Second Division Chief instead.
Eri huffed and puffed, then irritably cut the connection. Leaving before the Crown Princess was rude, but the mental shock seemed severe enough that I let it pass.
She needs to get her head straight.
I quietly stroked the now-dark communication orb. Teasing my junior over her pitiful one-sided love was a little sad, yet it was still a necessary process.
Clearly the fire was already at her feet. The fact that she was still dithering told me everything.
She's relying on that bond of theirs.
She knows she is in crisis. She knows she must move quickly. Eri is a peculiar child, not a stupid one.
The reason she still does not move is the faint hope she clings to—the advantage of having spent so long with the Audit Department Chief. She does not even realize how empty that hope is.
…Is she just stupid after all?
The thought struck me seriously. Has love blinded her and turned her head into a flower garden?
How unfortunate. As if love were such a great matter.
She only needs to confess.
When you find someone you like, you seize them quickly and that is that. I truly do not understand.
"Se-Seniorrrrr! The Chief, the Chieeeef!"
For a moment I pictured the future. Eri wailing loud enough to shake the world. Eri watching the wedding from far away because she never managed to connect with the Audit Department Chief.
"I… I liked him first…"
And Eri chewing her nails with hollow eyes.
I can picture it far too clearly.
It was dizzying. The image came so easily it felt as if I had already seen it. When something surfaces that readily, does that not mean it is a highly probable future?
No choice, then.
I let out a light sigh and activated the communication orb. Once I had helped even once, I was already involved in Eri's romance whether I liked it or not.
No—even if I had never helped, I could not simply abandon a junior whose future was already headed for disaster.
"Hehe, I hope I find someone I can spend my whole life with, just like Senior."
Years ago, when I made that proposal that had shocked everyone, drawn opposition, and even made Father look uncomfortable while the family suggested I reconsider—almost the only person who had supported and cheered me on had been Eri. In truth it was thanks to her that I had found the courage.
My precious junior. I had received something; I ought to return it.
What a fortunate man.
Thinking of the Audit Department Chief brought a snort of laughter. Eri might not be a typical young lady, but that unique charm of hers was interesting in its own right. And beneath it all she was a surprisingly kind-hearted, affectionate girl.
Having Eri as a wife alone would already be a blessing, yet there was also the young lady and the duke. Truly, Enen Himself must have poured out His blessings.
Of course it still could not compare to His Highness, who had married me.
"Princess?"
"Your Highness."
Not long after I operated the orb, His Highness answered the call.
"Have I contacted you while you were busy?"
"No, Princess. As if I would ever lack time to speak with you."
I smiled back at the small smile he wore. I saw him quietly set down the documents in his hand, but I pretended not to notice.
It felt a little like bothering His Highness with personal matters, yet what could I do? This was my rightful claim.
"Princess. On the joyous day you appeared in this world I seem to have given you nothing. If there is anything you desire of me, simply name it."
At the recent birthday banquet His Highness had personally made that promise. I was merely ensuring the promise was kept.
"Your Highness. I have a request."
"Speak. I shall grant you anything."
A senior who mobilizes both father and husband to help her junior's romance. There cannot be another senior like this in the entire world.
Has he finally gone mad?
"Your Highness. Forgive me, but a moment of overlapping noise prevented me from hearing Your Highness's words clearly."
"Ah, how unfortunate. It seems I contacted the Audit Department Chief while he was busy."
Yet separate from my tangled feelings, the Crown Prince's expression remained utterly serene.
"The Audit Department Chief's diligence and loyalty are truly a model for all. Is it not only proper that I should treat such a loyal subject to a meal?"
Has he lost his mind?
I nearly spat a curse on pure instinct. I had no idea what nonsense he was spouting.
A meal? Neither I nor this bastard had the leisure or the sentimentality to care about such things. Not seeing each other's faces was far more helpful than sitting down to eat together. If I ever found myself face-to-face with this bastard, it meant something had already exploded.
And he knew that—yet he still wanted a meal? At this exact timing when I stood at the center of every rumor? Inviting me into the Imperial Capital that was already boiling over from the Demon Duke incident?
This is not a pure-hearted bastard.
If anyone else had said it I might have considered the one-in-a-million chance. Perhaps they truly wanted a meal and just happened to have free time now.
This bastard was the exception. He would never summon me for such a simple reason.
"Your Highness, if I may."
I moved my lips a few times before carefully continuing.
"This humble servant already finds it difficult to keep up with his duties. If I were to go up to the Imperial Capital, far from setting any sort of example I would only draw cold stares, would I not?"
A neatly packaged refusal. In my heart I wanted to scream, "That's enough of your bullshit, Crown Prince!" but that was impossible.
The packaging said I preferred not to return to the capital while on assignment; the real contents said I had no desire to go to the capital and attract attention at this particular moment.
"This humble servant has sworn not to set foot in the Imperial Capital until the New Year's Audience."
This time I spoke a little more firmly. I'm not going, you bastard.
In truth the Wise Duke's words had left me half-tempted to go, but after hearing this I had made my decision. Something would definitely happen if I went. Absolutely not.
"The Audit Department Chief's resolve is truly admirable; the other ministers would do well to take it as a model."
To my desperate refusal the Crown Prince merely offered an ordinary smile.
"However, Audit Department Chief. There is something I wish to say to you."
"I await Your Highness's command."
"One should not casually make vows one cannot keep."
Shit.
At those words strength poured into my fist. A notification that said, stop the nonsense and get over here.
A vow I cannot keep?
If it weren't for you I could have kept it just fine…!