[V10C15] A Master's Hesitation

“Thank you so much for accepting my sudden invitation, Prince Felix.”

Melissa sat down at the tea table, and her makeup was noticeably heavier than earlier today. Apparently, she had given herself a touch-up while the servants were preparing the tea room. A sign that she was very serious about this.

Monica pretended to sip her tea while discretely observing Isaac and Melissa.

Isaac was sipping his tea with a composed smile, as expected of the Second Prince.

It was then that Monica noticed.

(He’s acting differently than usual.)

Whenever he was at Monica’s house, Isaac usually sat in a more relaxed posture, and he drank tea and ate food at a faster pace. His bites were surprisingly large.

Monica tended to nibble at her food, while Isaac chomped down at about twice her speed. On the other hand, he also ate much more than Monica, so they generally finished the meal at around the same time.

(Oh… because he’s ‘Prince Felix’ right now…)

This discrepancy was due to Isaac’s incredibly thorough acting.

That said, Monica found herself strangely happy at the realization that Isaac could relax at her house.

(So I have to protect Ike…)

Reaffirming her determination, Monica reviewed what she had to do.

Melissa believed that Prince Felix was a playboy who constantly invited women into his mansion. Thus, she intended to sell him the Witch’s Love Potion, which had similar effects to an aphrodisiac.

“Prince Felix, how do you usually spend your time? I haven’t had many chances to visit Erin, but I’ve heard it’s a very scenic area.”

“Thank you for praising the region I govern, Lady Melissa. Please pay us a visit whenever you have some free time. You simply must see the stained glass in the temple honoring the Spirit King of Water, as well as the view from the lighthouse. They are just so splendid. I’m sure you would love them.”

Monica nervously clenched her sweaty palms.

Melissa’s casual question about his lifestyle was a cover for probing into his relationships. However, Isaac naturally shifted the subject towards tourist attractions.

(T-There’s no opening for me to intervene…)

As Monica continued searching for the right moment to break into the conversation, Melissa spread her fan and laughed with delight.

“That sounds wonderful! I’ve always been interested in Erin’s many tourist attractions. Do you visit them often, Prince Felix?”

“Yes, of course.”

“By yourself?”

Melissa hinted at the presence of a female companion. However, Isaac deflected with a perfect princely smile, remaining completely calm.

“I suppose I bring my attendants with me rather often, since I have to discuss the logistics for the seasonal events… Speaking of which, we are currently preparing for the Star Stream Festival in summer, where we deliver many offerings into the sea. The lighthouse is an incredibly popular position for watching them float off into the waves.”

“Ah, how romantic! If I had the chance to spend the Star Stream Festival with a charming gentleman, I would never forget it for the rest of my life! I can only envy the woman who gets to spend that night with Your Highness!”

Monica let out a strained gasp.

Melissa was being quite forceful in her attempts to delve into Isaac’s love life. Isaac had probably already realized this, but the fact that he didn’t show any sign of it on his face was truly remarkable.

Melissa curled up her bright red lips into a meaningful smile, then narrowed her eyes. She leaned forward ever so slightly and continued in a lower tone.

“Your Highness, perhaps there is a special someone you’d like to spend the night of the Star Stream Festival with?”

As expected, Isaac maintained his perfect smile. This prompted Melissa to press further.

“You see, I have some talent in offering advice on matters of love. If you are interested, I can prepare a little potion for making people more proactive.”

Melissa finally broached the main topic, so Monica could hold back no longer.

“Melissa-oneesan… I-I mean, Thorn Witch-sama, please listen!”

Melissa glared at Monica as if to say “You’re ruining the good part.” Meanwhile, Monica clenched her fists and began a powerful argument.

“His Highness is very serious! He does not play around at night!”

“…”

“…”

Melissa looked at Monica incredulously, while Isaac remained silent with his usual perfect smile.

Meanwhile, Monica let out a huff through her nose and continued…

“So, um… His Highness would never seduce women or anything like that!”

＊　＊　＊

Isaac had already realized that Melissa was trying to sell him the Witch’s Love Potion, and also that Monica was trying to prevent that from happening.

Even so, after hearing Monica’s argument, Isaac could not help but think, “What have you been looking at all this time?”

Just as Isaac suspected, Monica had failed to understand all of his attempts at courtship. After all, the time he said his heart was racing, Monica treated him as though he had caught a cold.

“His Highness would never seduce women or, um, p-play around! He’s a very earnest young man!”

(Maybe I should just make a move on her right here and now?)

As Isaac let out an internal sigh behind his perfect smile, Melissa and Monica began a hushed argument. But to be honest, Melissa was naturally loud and Monica raised her voice when excited, so Isaac could hear everything they said.

“Ugh, what’s wrong with you, Little One.”

“Onee-san, please… His Highness is really, really sincere! He doesn’t need a potion…”

“Okay, fine, I get it! I won’t overcharge him, okay? I’ll make sure it’s a fair price.”

“That’s not what I’m saying…!”

Isaac observed Monica, who promptly made eye contact and tightly closed her eyes, probably intending to wink.

He also had a good idea of what Monica was thinking. Namely, “I’m your master, so leave this to me! I won’t let anyone sell you overpriced drugs!”

Although Isaac enjoyed the sight of his lovable master working for his sake, this situation required his intervention.

(Let’s see, what should I do…)

The reason Isaac had accepted Melissa’s tea party invitation despite her ulterior motives was because he had business with her. And if he intended to address this matter, Monica’s presence was a bit inconvenient.

Thus, Isaac put on a slight frown and broke into the argument.

“Lady Melissa, if you are still willing, could you give me some advice on matters of love?”

Monica dropped her jaw, as Melissa broke into a broad smile.

“Yes, yes! Of course!”

“How reassuring. So, with that in mind…”

Isaac trailed off as he gave Monica a brief glance. Sensing the implication, Melissa pushed Monica’s shoulder while maintaining her smile.

“Sorry, Monica-chan, but we’re going to have a little grown-up talk… You can step outside.”

“H-Hold on. His Highness is…!”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t overcharge him, I promise.”

Melissa half-dragged the protesting Monica out of the room, before locking the door and turning back to Isaac with a mischievous smile. It seemed that her high spirits had caused some of her ulterior motives to leak out.

“Ohoho, sorry for the wait, Your Highness. Now then, let’s get straight to…”

“Tobias Knightley.”

Isaac voiced a name, causing Melissa to tilt her head with a faint smile.

“I believe that was the name of your uncle, if I recall correctly. What about him?” Melissa replied.

“Oh, don’t you remember? He’s also one of your customers.”

Melissa withdrew her faint smile and frowned apologetically.

“I’m terribly sorry, but I am unable to disclose the names of my customers, not even to you, Your Highness. That would damage the credibility of House Roseberg.”

A rather laughable excuse, considering the damage Melissa had done by distributing excessive amounts of dangerous potions.

Isaac suppressed the urge to smirk as he reached into his pocket and produced a small bottle, raising it to eye level.

The bottle was small enough to be cradled in one’s hands, with a light pink liquid swaying within——this was the Witch’s Love Potion.

Melissa let out a hoarse “Geh!” which caused Isaac to deepen his smile.

“Tobias’s daughter, Miss Rosetta, attempted to spike my drink with this potion. While I intend to let that incident slide… it was quite reckless of her to use the Witch’s Love Potion on royalty. After all, everyone in the royal family is taught to ‘beware the scent of roses’ during our youths.”

Melissa’s complexion grew visibly pale because she knew what this meant. Administering drugs to royalty was a major crime, and the distributor was also subject to punishment.

Even worse, this matter involved a potion exclusive to House Roseberg.

“…Do you intend to accuse me?”

Though still pale, Melissa looked into Isaac’s eyes without a hint of despair.

If he had intended to charge Melissa of a crime, then he would have done so long ago. The reason he hadn’t was that he wanted to make a deal with her… and she was clever enough to realize that.

Isaac put the love potion back in his pocket.

“I have no intention of making this public. As you requested, let’s make a deal, Fourth Thorn Witch, Melissa Roseberg.”

Melissa was still frozen, standing in front of the door, so Isaac prompted her to take a seat. She mumbled “more like blackmail than a deal…” before begrudgingly returning to her seat.

“I’m incredibly grateful for your generosity, Your Highness. So, what are your conditions for overlooking this matter?”

“In the future, if a man named Isaac Walker comes asking your help, I want you to lend him a hand without asking any questions.”

Melissa blinked a few times before squinting her eyes.

“…That’s it?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Melissa peered into Isaac’s eyes, as if trying to determine the motive behind his request. This caused Isaac to put on a slightly strained smile and continue in a whisper.

“Though of course, the best scenario would be if Isaac Walker never has to rely on you.”

＊　＊　＊

Having been expelled from the room, Monica paced through the corridor while wrestling with her thoughts.

(Ike wanted to ask Melissa-oneesan for advice about his love life… I knew it, he really did have some worries…)

Monica stared at the closed door of the room she had been kicked out of, letting out a dejected sigh.

(Ike won’t confide in me… and of course he wouldn’t. Melissa-oneesan has more experience, so she’s way more reliable…)

Monica noticed that Isaac had been worrying about something recently.

Initially, she had planned to wait until he felt like talking rather than bringing up the subject herself. But perhaps this was not the right approach.

(As his master, what would be the right thing to do…?)

Isaac had given up on so many things, so she wanted him to be happy. She wanted to see him smiling in a world where he could do what he liked. She wanted to be there for him, as his master, and as a friend.

(I don’t even know much about Ike in the first place…)

Monica understood that Isaac had walked a difficult path.

——”How did you meet Prince Felix? What were you doing before that? Where were you born, and what did you see growing up?”

There were many questions in the back of her mind, but Monica had bottled them up, afraid that she might hurt Isaac if she asked.

Perhaps she should have dug a bit deeper. In order to truly understand him, she needed to learn those secrets.

As Monica lost herself in her thoughts, two figures turned the corridor and approached her: Mary Harvey the Starseer Witch, and Louis Miller the Barrier Mage. The two had been absent during lunch and seemed to be in a hurry.

“Oh, thank goodness. Is your tea party with Melissa-chan already over?” Mary asked, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Did you have some business with me?” Monica inquired in turn.

This prompted Louis to adjust his monocle and reply in a stern tone.

“I know it’s sudden, but a bit of a troublesome matter has come up. All the active Sages are to gather at the Jade Chamber. Understood, fellow Sage?”

“Y-Yes…”

Monica really wanted to think about Isaac first, but this urgent matter took priority. After one final glance at the door to Isaac and Melissa’s room, she followed after Mary and Louis.

View the latest chapters at seeker142.github.io