Chapter 66

In terms of peace, the Crown Prince’s office is the most peaceful place in the Empire.

Classical music, a preference of Mikhail, the owner of this room, plays softly here. At a glance, it seems no different from usual.

“…”

However, the expression of Mikhail, the actual owner of the office, was not particularly bright.

His slightly furrowed brows and oddly distorted forehead clearly indicated his current mood.

Anyone could easily tell that the future Emperor of the Empire was not in a good mood.

“So, why did you come all the way here just to stay silent?”

“…”

The reason for this could be found not too far away.

Because a welcome(?) guest had arrived at his office, where he usually worked alone.

It wasn’t that having a guest itself was unpleasant.

As mentioned earlier, he usually worked alone, lonely.

The only people who visited were maids bringing his meals or Veronica, the Commander of the Knights.

In fact, having a guest in his boring office was something to be welcomed with open arms.

“…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to say something?”

It’s just that he didn’t like the guest sitting there, lost in thought.

If you’re going to sit quietly, why did you even bother coming here?

Getting past the Imperial attendants blocking the way couldn’t have been easy.

After breaking through such defenses, why do nothing? It was beyond his understanding.

“Prince Zernias?”

“…”

Despite his urging, the guest remained silent, maintaining an indifferent posture.

‘Ah, my blood pressure.’

Now he seriously wondered if he should even call this person a guest.

He held the second-highest power in the Empire, yet why was it always others who seemed to be in charge?

Once again, the title of Crown Prince being ignored hurt his feelings.

“……I’ll bring you something to drink, so stay here.”

“…”

What could he do? This was all his karma for being seen as too easygoing by those around him.

– ……Commander of the Knights?

– Ah, what do you need now, Your Highness?

– …

Even Veronica, the knight commander who spent the most time with him, openly ignored him.

Of course, this disregard from Veronica wasn’t from the beginning but stemmed from him always calling her for trivial matters.

“Do you have a favorite drink?”

“……Anything is fine.”

Anyway, once again, the second most powerful person in the Empire was not in a good mood.

***

Mikhail wasn’t gone for long.

It hadn’t even been ten minutes since he told me to wait for a moment.

It showed just how much he disliked seeing me lost in thought.

“……I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

“…?”

“I came here and ended up causing trouble.”

So, I felt sorry for Mikhail.

As Mikhail said, I had come all the way to the Crown Prince’s office, a place not easily accessible, and just sat there doing nothing.

“At least you realize you were being a nuisance.”

“…”

“Don’t make that face. There are many who don’t realize they’re being a nuisance. You should be proud.”

Of course, this guilt almost disappeared thanks to Mikhail’s uniquely irritating way of speaking.

Fortunately, before I lost all sense of guilt, Mikhail brought up the next topic.

“By the way, where’s the person who’s always with you? Why are you alone?”

“The person who’s always with me…?”

“Your fiancée, Princess Rebecca.”

“…”

Although that topic was a fatal one for me.

For a moment, I had forgotten why I had come to the Crown Prince’s office, a place I had never visited before, to seek Mikhail’s advice.

Why I had gone to such lengths to find someone to consult.

It was only after Mikhail reminded me that I remembered again.

“……It’s strange.”

“Suddenly, what’s strange…?”

“My fiancée… is acting strange.”

“……Lady Valencia?”

“Yes.”

Rebecca had changed.

That was the reason I had come here, desperately seeking someone to advise me.

This was a problem I couldn’t solve on my own.

– ……So, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not doing this because I want to.

Rebecca’s words still lingered in my memory.

Along with her sweet voice, the sensation of her lips on mine was still vivid.

She said she wasn’t doing it because she wanted to, that she was forcing herself.

Despite her words of denial, her face was flushed as she pressed her lips to mine.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it.

No, it’s more accurate to say I couldn’t think.

I was so overwhelmed by the surreal situation that I could hardly accept it as reality.

My forehead was burning with a terrible fever, my cheeks were flushed and hot.

And my lips were experiencing a sensation I had only felt once before in my life.

It’s hard to describe how out of it I was at that moment.

– ……Now that I’ve given you my cold, don’t pretend to be sick.

– …

– If you keep pretending, I won’t let it slide.

So, I couldn’t argue against Rebecca’s commanding tone.

If it were the usual me, I would have retorted, “When did I ever pretend to be sick?”

Knowing that her words were filled with concern for me, I might have countered, “Do you dislike me being sick so much?”

But perhaps because Rebecca’s pretty face, flushed with embarrassment, was so deeply imprinted in my mind.

At that moment, I could only nod slowly, as if entranced.

“……Is that all?”

“Embarrassingly, yes.”

“…”

That’s how we ended up in this situation.

Invading Mikhail’s office in broad daylight to seek advice.

With my limited brainpower, I couldn’t figure out what to do.

“……First of all, I regret that you had a severe cold.”

Mikhail, who had been looking at me with a blank expression, reluctantly spoke, clearly not wanting to.

“But, I still don’t understand what you want from me.”

“…”

“If what I heard is correct, your fiancée kissed you to cure your cold.”

“……Your Highness, even so, saying she ‘forced’ it…”

“Then what refined expression should I use to satisfy you?”

No matter how I thought about it, no better expression came to mind.

Although he didn’t say it directly, Mikhail’s expression told me as much.

“…”

Thinking about it again, there was no better expression than ‘forced.’

Rebecca’s action of pressing her lips to mine without any warning was something anyone would describe as ‘forced.’

It’s just that it came from the Crown Prince, who should use the most sophisticated vocabulary in the Empire.

The word itself fit the situation perfectly.

“I don’t know what to say to you.”

“…”

“From what I heard, it just sounds like typical lovers’ affection.”

“……That’s what’s strange.”

“…?”

“Princess Rebecca wouldn’t do something typical lovers would do, right?”

“…”

Mikhail looked at me as if I were crazy, but that was exactly what I meant.

Rebecca wouldn’t initiate typical lovers’ affection.

She, who still hadn’t fully realized her own feelings, disliked being carried on my back and asked to be put down.

She, who would blush and become flustered at the slightest suggestive whisper.

Unless there was a significant change in her feelings, she wouldn’t suddenly change like this……

“……Ah.”

“……What now?”

Mikhail looked at me with a fed-up expression at my sudden exclamation.

But I didn’t have the energy to care.

Because I had realized why my fiancée’s behavior had suddenly changed.

Why she had suddenly become so bold, why she acted despite saying she disliked it.

It was the typical behavior pattern of someone who had realized something.

Someone who had realized something but didn’t want the other person involved to notice.

……Much like my past self.

It felt like my eyes had finally opened.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“…?”

Having realized something I needed to, I thanked Mikhail.

Although Mikhail looked at me as if he didn’t understand why I was thanking him.

This realization was something I wouldn’t have had if Mikhail hadn’t listened to me.

Even if Mikhail didn’t understand, it was a necessary thank you.

“Then, I’ll take my leave now, Your Highness.”

“……Wait, did you just say you’re leaving like this?”

“Next time we meet, it will be Princess Rebecca’s birthday.”

“……Has it already come to that? Alright. See you then.”

Still looking somewhat displeased, Mikhail surprisingly let me go without much fuss.

Honestly, I thought he would question why I came if I was just going to leave like this.

Perhaps the future Emperor is much more broad-minded than I thought.

“……You just had some very impure thoughts, didn’t you?”

“You’re mistaken, Your Highness.”

“…”

After taking a final sip of the drink Mikhail had brought, I stood up.

Perhaps because my mind was filled with thoughts of my strawberry-loving fiancée.

A faint strawberry flavor lingered in my mouth.

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