Candid Words

「Welcome back, Eglantine-sama.」

「I have returned. Please prepare the writing instruments, as I will be writing a letter.」

After finishing the tea party with Prince Anastasius, I returned to my room in the Klassenberg dormitory, where a scholar apprentice was waiting to greet me. After informing them of the letter, I headed to the dressing room to change clothes.

Watching the attendant apprentices bring in my loungewear from the wardrobe, I stood in the middle of the room while two of them removed my brooch, cloak, and belt. They unbuttoned and took off my heavy garments.

「Eglantine-himesama, this way.」

I was guided to a chair by Gardenia, my head attendant, who carefully removed the ornaments from my hair, which was styled more elaborate than usual for my appearance before royalty.

「Eglantine-himesama, I do believe this is the first time you have finished a tea party with Prince Anastasius without visible signs of fatigue.」

Gardenia pointed this out in a playful tone. She was correct. Usually, after being called upon by the prince and constantly bombarded with unanswerable questions, I would be too exhausted to even eat or drink once I returned to my room. However, today I still had the energy to write a letter.

「Your conversation with Prince Anasatasius seems to have been quite lively today. May I ask what the topics were?」

Since we employed the anti-eavesdropping magical devices, Gardenia and the others didn’t hear our overly frank conversation. As I recalled our talk, I mentally sorted out what needed to be kept secret and what could be shared.

…After all, I will need Gardenia’s cooperation.

Gardenia has served as my head attendant ever since I moved from my father’s palace to Klassenberg, staying with me during the period when I was emotionally unstable from losing my family. The one who assigned her to me was Grandfather, who is also my adoptive father. If I am to persuade Grandfather about Prince Anastasius, then I must have her on my side.

「Apparently, Prince Anastasius received some advice from Rozemyne-sama. That is what pushed him to tell me his true intentions.」

「Oh dear, an archduke candidate from Ehrenfest giving advice to royalty?」

I do not blame Gardenia for her surprise. Given the previous duchy rankings, it was unheard of for an Ehrenfest student to have a private audience with royalty. Moreover, how could a first-year student give advice to a sixth-year student from the royal family?

「In all likelihood, she simply stated her opinions, similar to during the tea party with the music teachers.」

「I see. That time, I was simply observing the situation from behind you, but even I felt quite anxious.」

Gardenia chuckled, recalling how Rozemyne-sama boldly stated her opinions to Prince Anastasius when asked for rinsham and a musical composition.

…I understand completely. Watching such a scene from the sidelines is truly nerve-wracking.

Due to Ehrenfest’s low duchy rank, they likely have little information regarding Prince Anastasius’s personality and preferences. Especially since both the archduke candidates from Ehrenfest are first-year students, who have yet to even begin their first social season. Surely, this event will force their retainers to diligently gather information from now on.

「But without Rozemyne-sama’s advice, the progress we made today would never have happened.」

「That sounds like a cause for celebration.」

I had always been aware of Prince Anastasius’s fixation with me. However, I thought his obsession was directed toward the throne. This is because the two princes only started sending me gifts and wooing me when the king said the one I choose will be the next king.

…Why must I be the one to decide? There will clearly be lingering resentment no matter whom I choose.

I was truly despondent. It could be said that the civil war began the moment the crown prince was murdered by a prince with less favor. Only now has the aftermath of the civil war started to subside. But if two princes compete for the throne again, there is a high possibility of additional unrest.

Having lost my family in the civil war, I am averse to conflict, particularly when it involves the throne, as it reminds me of the night our palace was attacked. Consequently, I could not think well of Prince Anastasius, who desired to be king despite being the second prince. He chose to repeat history and compete with his brother for the throne, making him seem overly ambitious. I had judged Prince Anastasius to be someone incompatible with my desire to avoid conflict.

…Life at the Royal Academy has been very challenging with him in the same grade…

Since the royal family takes the same lectures as archduke candidates, I encountered Prince Anastasius in all my classes. While lectures could be finished early by passing exams, the number of lectures I could skip quickly diminished as I advanced in grade. Prince Anastasius constantly tried to approach me during breaks, butted into my conversations with friends, and pressured hosts to include him in any tea parties I attended.

Although his assertiveness was troublesome, I couldn’t bring myself to hate him. He never resorted to forceful methods to get me alone, such as royal decrees. The most he had done was asking questions such as, “Have you chosen your escort partner yet?”

「…If Prince Anastasius hadn’t conveyed his true feelings, maybe I would have always thought of him as a “troublesome prince”.」

「My, my, it seems your impression of the prince has changed quite a bit after just one tea party.」

Gardenia voiced her surprise, and I nodded as I recalled Prince Anastasius’s words.


「I heard from Rozemyne that you won’t choose me or my brother; you’ll obey if ordered, but you refuse to choose of your own will. She said your desire is for peace, not to return to the royal family.」

When Prince Anastasius said this to me, I unconsciously gripped the anti-eavesdropping magical device in my hand. Resisting the force that felt like it was constricting my heart, I somehow managed a smile. Anti-eavesdropping tools are used for discussing matters you don’t want others to know. Revealing such topics to the person in question is a bit indecorous. I never imagined Rozemyne would tell Prince Anastasius directly.

My feelings of “I don’t want to choose” and “I don’t want to return to the royal family” could be interpreted as me denying the king’s words entrusting the choice to me, as well as the actions of the princes who seek the throne. At the very least, she should not have conveyed my words so straightforwardly, to avoid offending the royal family. If it was made known that I would rather enter the temple than marry either prince, the aftermath could affect the entire duchy of Klassenberg.

…Just how much did Rozemyne-sama tell him?

Suppressing my aching stomach, I pleaded with Prince Anastasius to “please ignore what she said”. However, he refused to do so.

「I want to know your true intentions.」

It is not easy for an archduke candidate to speak their true intentions. Even if I were to say them aloud, there is no guarantee that my words will be accepted as is. They could easily be misinterpreted, willfully or otherwise. If the offer was a trap to begin with, I would be creating a life-long weakness for myself. Considering the potential impact of a few careless words, remaining silent is the best course of action.

However, Prince Anastasius went on to say, “In that case, I will tell you my desire. I want to fulfill your wishes, Eglantine, not those of the previous Aub Klassenberg.” I felt my heart wavering at the slightly hastily spoken declaration. His serious gray eyes looking straight at me conveyed a nervous tension as if he was anxious about trying this approach for the first time.

…Indeed, voicing one’s true feelings is terrifying and unfamiliar.

Just as I, bound by my status as an archduke candidate, found it difficult to express my true feelings, I believe it must be equally challenging for Prince Anastasius. As royalty, he can not convey his feelings without turning them into a command, nor can he simply accept the advice of an archduke candidate from a lower-ranked duchy.

「Eglantine, just as you do not wish to be royalty, I don’t particularly want to be the next king. If Brother wants the throne, then let him have it.」

…Can I trust those words?

They were simply too convenient, I couldn’t believe him right away. I observed Prince Anastasius, growing apprehensive about the possibility of my wish coming true.

If I were to take Prince Anastasius’s hand and he gave up on the throne, the title of king will be passed onto Prince Sigiswald. Would this path lead to a future free from conflict?

「I desire only you. Please, choose me. Not Brother, not anyone else. I want you to be my Goddess of Light. Of course, this is no order. But it is my wish.」

His straightforward words were devoid of any pretense or noble phrasing, and his face flushed with nervousness as he desperately conveyed his feelings. This left me unsure of how to respond. I quickly averted my gaze.

He had given gifts, invited me to the gazebos where lovers meet, and asked if I had chosen an escort, but this is the first time he had spoken so candidly about love. My face felt very hot, and I could feel the shock quickening my breathing.

「…I am quite surprised you are speaking so candidly.」

This was the best reply I could manage.


「…So you are sure that Prince Anastasius has understood your wishes?」

「Yes, that’s right.」

Even now, recalling Prince Anastasius’s words made me blush slightly. Though it made me happy to hear such candid words about love, reporting about the events felt somewhat embarrassing, even if it was to my head attendant.

「My, my, what a cute face you are making.」

「…Our failure to understand each other’s intentions was rather embarrassing, I suppose.」

I tried to deflect, feeling awkward under her teasing gaze. Gardenia raised her eyebrow slightly and said, “Was it only the misunderstanding that is embarrassing?” This made me realize that too much deflecting wouldn’t be helpful if I wanted her cooperation in persuading Grandfather.

「…Prince Anastasius said that he never desired the throne. It only seemed that way because he wanted me as his wife, apparently…」

「My, my.」

After giving my smiling head attendant a light glare and a sigh, I straightened my posture and put on a more serious face.

「Gardenia. I wish to accept Prince Anastasius’s hand, and allow Prince Sigiswald to take the throne. Prince Sigiswald desires the throne, not me. Meanwhile, Prince Anastasius desires me, not the throne… We can resolve this without bringing any conflict to Yurgenschmidt.」

As I expressed my desire, Gardenia slightly furrowed her brows.

「Your grandfather and the Aub wanted you to be the next king’s first wife. I don’t think they will accept this.」

「I know that it will be difficult, but Grandfather only said he wished to return me to the royal family. Such can be achieved without making me the next king’s wife. It should suffice if I marry Prince Anastasius, right? I don’t want to cause a conflict between him and Prince Sigiswald, who desires the throne.」

Gardenia stared intently at me as if probing my true intentions. I met her gaze with a smile.

「Following Prince Anastasius’s example, I plan to write a letter to Grandfather, expressing my straightforward wishes and feelings. Once I persuade Grandfather and Uncle, I plan to take Prince Anastasius’s hand.」

My uncle, Aub Klassenberg, would surely prefer me to be the next king’s first wife. However, I stand a chance if I can persuade Grandfather first. And once I gain his support, Uncle will likely concede.

「Very well. I will also write a letter to your grandfather.」

Having confirmed Gardenia’s support, my heart filled with joy.

「That said, to have made such progress after just one tea party, it seems we must thank Rozemyne-sama for her advice.」

At that moment, I recalled a number of suggestions and advice from Rozemyne-sama. The joy in my heart began getting overwritten with a bewildering feeling of doubt. To Gardenia, I replied, “Yes, indeed,” but my true feelings were a complicated mix of gratitude and skepticism.

…She has always been too blunt, to the point of being disrespectful.

When Prince Anastasius told me about her words of advice, the sheer precariousness of them made my blood run cold. Despite Rozemyne-sama’s excellent grades, it was apparent that her two years spent immersed in Jureve left her lacking when it came to social education and experience.

「Shall we send a thank you gift to Rozemyne-sama for her assistance, Eglantine-himesama?」

At Gardenia’s question, I pondered for a moment. Our conversations with Rozemyne-sama were conducted under the anti-eavesdropping magic tool. In addition, turning this interaction into a success story would not be beneficial for her future social events. It would be best to avoid making any public gestures of thanks.

「…I have told Prince Anastasius to send his regards to Ehrenfest, which I will consider as a sufficient display of gratitude.」

Rozemyne-sama’s duchy is likely in turmoil with her passing out in front of Prince Anastasius, so a letter from him should help calm things down.

…I pray that Rozemyne-sama recovers quickly. Also, that she learns the proper way of conducting social affairs as soon as possible.

One heart-stopping tea party is more than enough.

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