‘You need to go with me. Only then do I have any justification. You can tell by my gaze, right?’

“The reason?” The Imperial Crown Prince sharply asked. He was truly the same as his mother in these situations. His beautiful orange eyes were looking at me with a piercing gaze. I held a sigh back and my neck twitched.

‘I should probably tell Christelle and this punk the truth at some point.’ I made up my mind to tell my friends the whole truth some day. I didn’t know when it would be, but I firmed my resolve to face them and apologize.

But that was not right now. I knew this was not very good of me, but that was the case. I slightly avoided his eyes because it was hard to keep them locked on him. Even at the end of his gaze, Sir Johann was seated like a statue. I then lied while full of this apologetic feeling.

“……It is the same as what I told her Majesty yesterday, your highness.”

Numerous phrases were hidden underneath my closed mouth. It is actually because I want to see the Paten of Wishes. I hadn’t been able to get any information that would be helpful for sending me back home. Because I was a diplomatic hostage and because there was so little that I knew about QNW. Because I had to dodge Werner Venetiaan’s knives three times.

Wait…… Actually speaking, I did have those abilities but not the skills to make it happen in real time. When the gate opened, I might be in so much pain that I feel like dying again, and I may actually end up dying. The Empire would fall into chaos and the soldiers would be immediately summoned.

Of course, that was only when the adults of the Imperial family were willing to send me to the location of the divine items. Even they should now be clear that four divine items gathering today will cause issues.

“Didn’t you tell me that you would explain later?” Crown prince Cédric’s voice scarily sank low. He remembered the answer I gave him in the banquet hall.

Tap. The punk closed the book he was reading. I calmly answered.

“To be honest with you, your Royal Highness, the desire to see her highness is the largest. I do not wish for there to be more unnecessary misunderstandings between the two nations. I’m also scared that it will turn into a war. I think the most certain method would be to personally inform her that I am safe.”

“He’s not wrong, Cédric. His attempts at contacting the crown princess haven’t worked. It is good for her Majesty to go, but I think a fundamental solution will be possible if his highness goes.” Vice Captain Élisabeth took my side. Ganael’s face lit up.

The crown prince glared at her before sharply answering. “We can’t leave the Imperial Palace at such a time. Between her Majesty and I, one of us will need to stay.”

“……”

“Then tomorrow is our only chance.”

He then looked at me again. Tomorrow was February 22nd. My real birthday.

“Are you encouraging me to go against her Majesty’s wishes during the Grand Celebration?”

“……”

The crown prince, who would have no idea about that, acted defensively. I completely understood. Putting aside the issue of trusting me, this guy was the imperial heir who had a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders. This was a guy who was willing to illegally enter the vassal state if his wishes matched his mothers, but what I was asking him to do right now was going completely against her. Furthermore, it was not for a trivial issue. The request was to secretly cross the border and head to the neutral region. Things were amplified because of the day.

……But it wasn’t like I could just step back. I solemnly broke the silence. Christelle turned to look at me again.

“It’ll be all my responsibility. Please say that I made some atrocious claims to trick you to go, your Royal Highness. That is the truth. Once we return, I will happily receive any punishment her Majesty may give us. Even if she tells me to stay in the palace for a month, even a year, I would.”

– Knock knock.

At that moment…

“Your Royal Highness, your highness. Please accept my apologies for interrupting you during your conversation.”

David knocked on the open door and came in. He respectfully apologized before bowing down to whisper in the crown prince’s ear.

“Regarding the Vice Chair position of the Chambre des pairs…….” I couldn’t hear clearly but he seemed to be talking about national affairs. If things proceeded as planned, the crown prince had to handle the Empire’s affairs while Empress Frédérique left.

I clenched my mouth. Nothing in this life came easily.

“……Let’s do it that way.”

“Yes, your Royal Highness. Everything has been prepared.”

David calmly answered and the crown prince stood up. He seemed to be planning on leaving without saying anything, as usual. My head had gone up at the same time but he did not make eye contact with anybody.

Ganael quickly brought over the crown prince’s fur coat. I was so nervous I couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Your highness, as partners, shouldn’t we go together?” Christelle asked suddenly. I looked at her in shock. Her pretty hand that had been doing the word search was still holding a quill pen. Her clear voice created an openly provoking tone.

“I plan on going anywhere his highness plans on going. On the other hand, I also fully believe that his highness will come wherever I go. But somebody somewhere seems to be lacking some sincerity toward their priest partner. What do you think, teacher?”

“……”

She blinked her large eyes and tilted her head. She looked as if she was saying she knew nothing. I pushed my lips together to not make any noise. Vice Captain Élisabeth and Ganael quickly crouched down and started coloring the puzzle. Eva frequently called Sir Johann a white fox, but I think Christelle was a true silver fox.

The young Cardinal smiled gently.

“If it was me, I would do anything and everything.”

“Ah, as expected. An educated person like yourself truly is different.”

The MC reacted refreshingly to Sir Johann’s answer. The crown prince stared at his teacher and martial sister as if he wanted to cut them, before…

“……”

Looking at me one last time and turning his body. His large cape fluttered like a flag as he walked. David bowed toward us with a look of sorrow before leaving.

I let out a deep sigh. Demy, who had Percy on his head, whimpered as he dangled on my calf. Only then did a bitter smile come out.

‘Yeah, it failed this time too. I guess you need talent to whine and plead as well. As for this big bro, he’s a terrible liar.’

*

Johann Geens quietly looked around the room.

It wasn’t peculiar that he was acting like this. He had a habit of looking all around any location he and Gerrit stayed in. It didn’t matter whether it was indoors, outdoors, in the Empire or in the Holy Kingdom. After finding someone he would even give his life for to serve, the man’s ether became even sharper and more alert.

‘Paaaaaa!’ All sorts of quiet noises became amplified as they came closer and then farther away from him.

“……”

Christelle and Élisabeth had pushed the word search away and were busy gossiping. He could also hear the firewood crackling, the divine beast’s cries, and the shaking of the cradle. The Holy Knight stared at his tea and pretended as if he was deep in thought.

It was easier than even making a weather vane move.

“That terrible bastard. His ether was running wild and he was so happy seeing Prince Jesse dangling on him. But now that he’s busy he shuns him and leaves? He’s just a dumbass. I would have grabbed a bunch of points for myself if that was me.”

“Dame Christelle. Prince Jesse might hear you.”

“Mm. He’s a bit dense. When he’s focused on reading like he is right now, he doesn’t seem to be able to hear much.”

“Pfft……”

The young Countess stopped while scooping up some mousse au café and laughed. Christelle used that moment to eat it.

Johann slowly raised his eyes to look at Jesse Venetiaan. The prince was reading a fairy tale to Tithé in the cradle off in the distance.

He looked as calm as usual, but it was clear why Johann’s student was angry. Her priest partner’s ether had felt very weak since yesterday. He himself did not seem to have noticed, but the shape and the aura coming out of him was full of sorrow and depression.

There were only a few people who could help the prince with this issue because it pertained to his family. However, neither of the two members of the Imperial family who could help him wanted to send him there.

“……I wonder if they reported me as missing.”

The prince’s mumbling that even the divine beast right beneath him wouldn’t have been able to hear was picked up by the Holy Knight. At a set distance, Johann could even feel another person’s breathing as if it was his own. The air attribute could do quite a bit of things.

The man’s mint-colored eye darkened with shadows.

“What if we just abduct him?”

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

Christelle commented and the young Countess’s eyes opened wide. Ganael, who had been bringing plates of snacks for his master, suddenly stopped as well. Johann looked toward his student. Her blue-gray eyes were sparkling with seriousness.

It meant that she was not joking.

“It’s not that his Royal Highness does not want to go right now. Based on what I have felt, what my instincts are telling me… All he wants to do is leave, but he is acting like this because he has his duties as the crown prince.”

“That is true. Cédric has always been a good son to her Majesty. He has been putting in a lot of effort since he was young. He has a habit of holding back no matter what it is.” The Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard agreed with her.

Christelle continued to whisper.

“That is why someone needs to give him a push. If we create a situation where he has no other choice, he will let us drag him away even while pretending like he doesn’t like it. In a situation like this, an abduction sounds perfect.”

“……”

She was clearly reaching, but it oddly sounded convincing.

Élisabeth was a soldier through and through. If Cédric held himself back, she always chose to be right there with him. She had never even imagined protesting to her superiors or giving up on something in the middle.

But one of their new friends, Christelle, was suggesting a completely new direction. This was basically inciting a new kind of civilization.

“How long will he live suppressed? Rise up while you are even one year younger. This is a revolution!”

“Wow……!”

Ganael’s golden eyes sparkled brightly while Élisabeth felt a thrilling sense of guilt.

Johann smiled and looked around the room again. Chief Attendant Benjamin was not here as he was preparing for the Great Celebration festival tomorrow.

He saw a card that he could use. He finished his calculations and quietly called out to his liege.

“Your Highness.”

The prince raised his head. The purple eyes that had been looking at the divine beast blessed him with a gaze.

Johann purposely raised his voice. The soundproof barrier had long been removed. “Dame Christelle is plotting a way to abduct his Royal Highness. It will become perfect if you use your ‘already prepared method.’”

“……Excuse me?!” The prince gasped and his jaw dropped. He looked around to see if anybody might have heard and flinched once he made eye contact with an attendant and picked Tithé up. He then said, ‘he’s just joking, Pierre. Go get some rest. They piled up some nonettes in the other room for all of you,’ quickly coming up with an excuse. His acting was so terrible and completely visible, like a transparent lake.

Johann raised his head and thought to himself while the other three chuckled.

“Yes, yes, your highness!”

He thought that making his liege’s wish come true might be easier than he expected.

*

Thirty minutes later…

“……Is that true?” Aurélie’s eyes opened wide.

Juliette Palace’s attendant, Pierre, was nodding his head while extremely flustered. The young boy was the same age as Ganael and liked Prince Jesse quite a bit. Pierre was someone who always offered to go help even if the Prince’s palace needed the tiniest amount of help.

And……

“Yes, grand-aunt. I saw it with my two eyes!”

“Oh my.”

He was the Empire’s one and only Cardinal’s grand-nephew. Aurélie, who had been quickly moving to prepare for the trip, lowered her eyebrows as if she found the situation to be troublesome.

An odd silence filled the room. It was true that she had placed a family member in Juliette Palace last spring for information gathering.

However, the only information that Pierre had brought her until now were things like, ‘the Prince’s heart is as pure as golden silk,’ or ‘his highness fixed my button that fell off.’ The young boy was suited for being an attendant and was quite motivated, but his heart was so pure that he had no talent for being a spy. That was why Aurélie had left the kid alone to continue being that way. Prince Jesse usually came to her first about most things anyway.

However, Pierre still sent her some notes every so often.

‘His highness and Dame Christelle would be such a wonderful couple. According to Ganael, the two of them have held hands while running away and hiding before! How thrilling.’

‘His highness mumbled about his Royal Highness being a pig. The amount of rudeness in his body is even smaller than that of an ant’s tear so it is so mysterious how he could say something like that.’

……So how much of this young boy’s current report was she to believe? No, she had no idea how to accept it.

“You are saying the Prince and his friends are plotting to abduct Cédric?”

“I’m certain, grand-aunt.”

“Were those friends Élisabeth and Christelle?”

She organized her files as she jovially asked. Her laughter was clear in her question. Her desk, which was as wide as a bed, was a mess for the first time in a long while. This side had documents she needed to read through in the neutral region while the other side had an article about the late Empress Céline’s diplomatic policies……

“Not just the two of them, grand-aunt. Ganael and Sir Geens were with them as well. As soon as his Royal Highness left the room, the mood turned quite scary and then my ears suddenly popped. Then Sir Geens called out to Prince Jesse……”

“Johann was there?” She immediately raised her head. Pierre nodded his head.

Aurélie exchanged glances with Natalie who was standing by her side. The situation changed completely if Johann Geens was there as well. It was highly likely that he knew Pierre was Aurélie’s grand-nephew, and it was even more likely that he would have thought about a way to use Pierre. The mercenary was that kind of person.

“……I see.”

The fact that this child heard about the abduction was proof of it. The man could, if he wanted to do so, prevent everything within 500 meters from hearing. He purposely let Pierre hear about this.

“Trying to send me a message.”

“Of course! I ran over from Juliette right away, grand-aunt.” The young boy smiled energetically. His eyes were so pure and innocent.

Aurélie quietly looked at the child before finding a scrap of paper that slipped out of her fingers. It was a piece of an old article that was released during the reign of the late Empress.

‘Abduction of young master Alexandre Blanquer!’

‘The Amour Courtois at a crossroad’

‘Rumors are rampant that her Royal Highness, Princess Frédérique, who knows no fear, has abducted young master Blanquer who was set to become the young patriarch of his house, to bring him into Romero Palace……’

“Pfft.”

She let out a quiet chuckle. Maybe this was karma coming back for her soulmate.

—
Translator’s Comments

Karma is my boyfriend, karma is a god. Karma coming for Frédérique,

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