Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: The Imperial Princess (4)
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Louise was in a good mood. A very good mood.
She had dreamed of a magnificent hero, but the reality was even greater.
The grace of a nobleman without a single flaw.
The moment she saw Jace, she was overwhelmed with shock.
It was as if he wasn't human, but something else entirely.
Judging from her experience of spending a lifetime in the Imperial Palace, no one among the nobles and royalty surpassed Jace.
‘Even my brother is no match for him…’
Until now, she had thought the First Prince was the pinnacle of elegance.
But she was wrong. Above the sky, there was another sky.
A refined appearance. Sharp, defined features.
His physique was perfectly built, his proportions fantastical.
The moment he smiled, it was nearly impossible to look away.
She had grown tired of seeing handsome men of all kinds.
She had never felt much of anything then… but with Jace, she felt something special.
Was it because he was the Hero?
Perhaps her admiration for the Hero had her wearing rose-tinted glasses.
Louise quickly dismissed the thought.
She wasn't the only one who had fallen for the Hero.
Several girls were already circling around Jace.
And this was with his fiancée present and accounted for.
Yet, she could sense them subtly looking for an opportunity.
The foxy wiles of women, unknown to men.
A glance of the eyes, a gesture of the hand, or for no reason fiddling with their hair.
They acted as if it were natural, but it was all quite intentional.
She didn't know the extent of their affection, but one thing was certain: they were all trying to look their best for Jace.
‘Of course, they would be…’
There was no one to blame.
Louise herself had done it, consciously or not.
She had calculated what she could do to appear prettier.
In any case.
This meeting had made one thing perfectly clear.
There were too many rivals.
There was hardly any room for her to squeeze in.
She had only observed for a moment, but it was impossible not to see the truth of it.
A princess, a saintess, an elf, a fox beastkin…
Even excluding his fiancée, there were four of them.
To begin with, they all possessed immense charm.
Girls whose beauty was no less than her own.
She had no reason to feel inferior, but regardless of the outcome, a fierce battle was expected.
Louise gave up cleanly.
If there was even a slight chance of winning, it might be different, but no matter how she looked at it, defeat seemed certain.
‘This is a fight that’s too disadvantageous for me…’
Being a latecomer was a fatal flaw.
But more than that, the problem was that she lacked the ability to become the Hero's companion.
In daily life, she could hold her own against anyone.
But Jace's time at the Imperial Palace was extremely short.
Ultimately, she would likely be pushed aside by the girls who traveled with him.
Louise was not disheartened.
She had anticipated this to some extent, and so she felt a sense of relief.
Letting it remain an admiration.
That seemed to be the best course of action.
Still.
Just once…
Wouldn't it be all right to create a wondrous memory?
The Hero was handsome enough to fall for at first sight.
He was like a prince on a white horse.
It was a common expression, but what could she do when it was the truth?
A vain desire.
Like a fool, she began to wish for a fantasy.
In the end, her emotions conquered her reason.
The imperial princess had revealed her true feelings without realizing it.
A request to spend time with him, even if only for a moment.
Perhaps that request was an imposition on everyone.
If taken lightly, it could be seen as nothing.
But depending on who heard it, it could give rise to all sorts of misunderstandings.
“…”
The water was already spilled.
She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't stop herself.
All that was left was the Hero's choice.
Louise suppressed her anxious heart and waited quietly.
It was a selfish request, so she had to accept any outcome.
A moment later.
Jace smiled gently.
“It would be an honor to be remembered forever. I shall await that moment.”
“—!”
She thought it was impossible, but a dreamlike thing had happened.
No, actually, she knew it would turn out this way.
There was no way a righteous hero would turn away someone's request.
She was overjoyed, but she felt even more apologetic.
Though unintentional, she had essentially taken advantage of the Hero's kind heart.
At the same time, a wave of sorrow washed over her.
The reality that this would be the one and only time felt heartbreaking.
Excessive greed invites disaster.
As her admiration for the Hero grew, so did her desire.
But Louise, like the wise girl she was, managed to control her emotions.
A dream, and a fantasy.
Some things in the world are beautiful precisely because they cannot be attained.
She didn't understand the exact meaning, but she felt she knew what it was like.
‘Yes. This is enough.’
Was there anything uglier than clinging to something you couldn't have?
Though it would only be once, even that was an incredible privilege.
This was the first and the last…
And for that very reason, it held a special meaning.
Louise shook off her heavy heart.
As if that wasn't enough, she recalled the greatest gain she had made today.
Meeting the world's cutest fox beastkin.
The feel of Aruru's white, fluffy tail was addictive.
She didn't know why such a seemingly delicate girl was the Hero's companion, but her adorable appearance alone seemed to play an important role.
That aside…
Is it really possible? No, maybe it'll be a little difficult?
How should I put it?
She felt an urge to cheer her on enthusiastically.
If she had to give a reason…
Just because that seemed like it would be more fun?
The girl smiled playfully and wished for the Hero's future to be great.
The hero who represents humanity.
A hero is inevitably destined to face numerous trials.
Being surrounded by several girls couldn't be called a trial.
But it would be more arduous than most trials, so she could only hope he would navigate it wisely.
***
After seeing the imperial princess off, I returned to the detached palace's lobby.
My waiting companions showed their curiosity.
I was about to calmly explain, but unable to wait any longer, Aruru asked outright.
“How was your thrilling secret meeting with the princess?”
“…”
My little cutie.
You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?
Why are you provoking everyone around you?
This makes it seem like I really did something.
This won't do.
Tonight, I'll have to show you the greatness of your master.
“Nothing special happened.”
The rivalry between the First and Second Princes.
The princess's advice not to get caught up in it.
I summarized it by saying she had spoken out of concern for me.
“She’s very thoughtful. It seems she truly admires you.”
A vague response.
It was a flow of just accepting it as it was.
It seemed the princess’s goodwill had earned her a bit of favor.
“And…”
Her request to accompany her just once at the ball.
I cautiously brought up the princess's request.
Unexpectedly, the girls didn't make a fuss.
“You accepted, didn’t you?”
“He did, he did.”
“Hmm, so it came to that.”
“…”
What is this calmness?
Is this the power of a bribe?
Could it be that some tacit agreement was made without my knowledge?
Just as I was feeling bewildered, the girls ignored me and began whispering among themselves.
“Well, we can turn a blind eye just once.”
“Right. For a princess, she was rather docile.”
“If she tries to pull something behind our backs, we can deal with it then.”
They exchanged meaningful glances.
Anyone would think they had formed an alliance.
Normally, they waged civil war.
But when an external enemy appeared, they joined forces… was that it?
Anyway, it was for the best.
It went over smoothly, so I was simply satisfied.
Truthfully, I had no choice.
The ball was a stage to make the Hero shine.
It also served to show that the relationship between the Imperial Family and the Hero's party was amicable.
A political marriage was a bit much.
But a scene of the Hero mingling with a member of the Imperial Family had to be staged.
However, there were two heroes.
In other words, my refusing the princess’s request wouldn't have been the end of it.
The Second Prince had the elf girl as his partner, so that was that.
But the First Prince could have suddenly asked the princess for a dance.
“…”
Hmm, that’s a bit…
There was no particular reason why he couldn't…
It was just a brief dance…
But how could I bear to see my favorite character with another man?
Besides, the First Prince was already a married man with a partner.
So I made the sacrifice.
Of course, it was closer to the opposite of a sacrifice.
I stared intently at Esterize.
I could picture the scene when the First Prince approached her.
S-stop bothering me! Why are you being so forward…
She would be at a loss, looking to me for help, right?
“Is there something you want to say?”
She noticed my gaze and looked puzzled.
The ball was important, but that was for later.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s schedule.”
“Ah…”
Tomorrow, we were scheduled to have an audience with the Emperor.
That would mark the official start of the Imperial Palace event.
If things followed the original story, I would end up facing the representative of the Imperial Knights.
A process to prove the Hero's strength.
I should leave that to the princess and just sit back and reap the rewards.
As I've said repeatedly, I'm not pawning off my work.
As the heir to the Crodain family, I was already somewhat vetted.
But since nothing was known about Esterize, she needed to show something.
Being looked down on from the start would get us nowhere.
We had to start off on the right foot for future developments to go smoothly.
“Yes. Just trust me.”
She said she would engrave into everyone's minds what a Hero is.
As if she had steeled her resolve, not a hint of hesitation could be felt.
A girl who does well when the time comes.
If I can't trust my princess, who can I trust?
Before long, the day grew dark.
The party members each went into their assigned rooms.
Tonight was as quiet as ever.
The sly fox beastkin was occupying my bed, but it wasn't a major concern.
My little cutie.
Should you be acting like this in the Imperial Palace?
It felt like she was getting bolder and bolder, and it didn't seem to be just my imagination.
“I don’t care anymore. Take responsibility!”
“…”
She claimed she had become a body that couldn't sleep without me.
You definitely enjoyed a long nap today, didn't you? How do you explain that?
“So, you’re not going to?”
She smiled playfully.
She fully displayed the foxy wiles of a beastkin.
It wasn't quite a temptation, but my hands moved on their own.
In the end, I'm the same.
If she wanted a wild night, I would gladly…
“W-wait a minute… if you handle my sensitive tail like that…”
As always, she feigned distress.
Her plea was close to a sob, but I just ignored it.
Tomorrow is a very important day.
If I tire her out now, she’ll be less likely to do something impulsive.
My little cutie ended up fainting.
As always, she slept soundly in my arms with an expression of pure bliss…
“Hey, what do you think of the princess?”
“…”
Was that the main point?
Given her connection to Ceria, it might be a message from her.
It was a situation that required a careful answer, but I didn't have any particular thoughts to begin with.
I was only dealing with her because she was a princess; she was just a passing connection.
“She seemed really nice, though. Body and soul.”
Well, she was nice in many ways…
But no matter what, Ceria is the best.
That premise will never change.
“And me?”
You can be satisfied with second place.
Only then did she close her eyes with a look of satisfaction.
The weather was getting colder, but sharing our body heat was more than enough.