I had come to the royal palace of the Kingdom of Holfart.
Today, at Angelica’s request, I had an audience scheduled with a certain individual.
In the waiting room were myself, Angelica Rapha Redgrave, and Marie.
Both Angelica and Marie were in casual clothes.
After all, the Academy was still on spring break.
“Leon, I’ve obtained permission for you to meet with Erika-sama, but do you really intend to bring Marie along as well?”
She probably can’t understand the reason for having Marie attend the meeting too.
Normally it would be unthinkable—but I have my reasons for bringing Marie.
“There are various things I need to confirm. Also, I’m having this one apologize for entrapping the elder brother.”
Marie was hanging her head.
“Give me a break. I’ve already been yelled at by all sorts of people, you know!”
Who would have imagined that the woman called the infamous femme fatale was actually a clumsy reincarnator?
That was why Angelica was still wary of Marie.
“…If you’ve decided, I won’t complain. But don’t do anything discourteous.”
I’m just glad Angelica was convinced.
“That part’s fine. I’m just going to say that engagement won’t work this time.”
“If you phrase it wrong, it could be discourteous. Though in this case, I wonder how it will turn out.”
The Villainess Princess, Erika—somehow, there had been talk of an engagement with me.
And quite concretely, at that.
Apparently, she had already annulled her engagement with her former fiancé.
Angelica is worried about that too.
“I don’t know how House Fraser will move either. Leon, please be careful.”
“I know. If it comes down to it, Luxion’s here, so it’ll be fine.”
When I turned my gaze to Luxion,
“—You are very skilled at pushing troublesome matters onto others. If possible, I would appreciate it if you relied on me while matters were still manageable.”
Because I always had him resolve trouble at the very last moment, he had taken to being sarcastic.
A sarcastic artificial intelligence is really something.
“It’s because I trust you.”
“That is a hollow line with no sincerity. I’m impressed how you can lie so brazenly.”
“—You should hide your true feelings more and show some reverence for me.”
“I refuse.”
Such a cold artificial intelligence—but the fact he doesn’t outright refuse the trouble shows he’s obedient, doesn’t it?
I’ll have Luxion do his best.
Just then, a maid entered the room.
“Angelica-sama, Erika-sama is ready.”
“Is that so. I’ll go at once. Leon—I’ll leave the rest to you.”
At Angelica’s words, I nodded and left the room.
Marie also came along—well, time to go and see the face of the Villainess Princess.
◇
We were shown into a room prepared for tea.
Left to wait first, Marie and I talked, including the hidden Luxion.
“Marie, you understand?”
“Of course, Big Bro.”
The reason I brought Marie along was that it takes a woman to see through a woman’s lies.
“I’m good at spotting women with nasty personalities. I can tell a sly woman right away.”
“What an impressive skill.”
“A woman with an ulterior motive, I can see through immediately. It really rubs me the wrong way.”
“Oh, is that in-group aversion?”
“Roundy, do you hate me?”
“Not at all; I value you more highly than other New Humans.”
Marie says she’s confident in detecting women who are like her or who have hidden agendas.
I brought her to use that skill to assess Erika.
Because I’d have trouble judging on my own.
“If she’s the same type as you, you’ll spot her right away.”
“Hold on. What’s that supposed to mean?”
As Marie made a face of not being convinced, the princess entered the room, led by a maid.
Her long, loosely waved black hair was glossy and beautiful.
Even though she was petite, you could clearly see she had flesh in all the right places on her chest and hips.
A girl transitioning from a child to a woman—somehow she resembled Marie.
The similar elements were few, so why did I think that?
Her gentle-looking drooping eyes had black pupils.
As Ms. Mylène’s daughter, she looked very promising.
I can’t believe this girl has that Roland’s blood in her veins.
Erika—Erika-sama, looked at us and smiled.
“I apologize for making you wait. Marquis Bartfort. And also—Marie-san.”
Her youthful lips called our names.
White skin.
It would be rude to say she’s like a doll?
But she had the kind of perfected beauty that suggested as much.
Startled, I immediately gave a greeting.
“P-Pleased to meet you. I am—”
Erika-sama giggled at me.
It didn’t feel like she was mocking me.
“I know of you, of course. You are the hero who has saved our kingdom many times over.”
Even though she should be younger than me—even including my mental age, I’ve definitely accumulated more life experience, yet I felt I had no chance against the girl in front of me.
When I looked at Marie, her eyes were wide with shock.
Hey, what kind of reaction is that? Which is it? Which one?
If she’s actually a good girl, that’d be appreciated, but if she’s truly scum, it’ll be troublesome.
There are cases like Angelica’s, so I’d like to know early, but—
“I also wanted a chance to speak like this. You must have things you want to say to Marquis Bartfort as well.”
“Ah, yes.”
I felt pathetic for giving such a stupid reply.
When Erika-sama took her seat, the maid served us.
But Erika-sama said to that maid:
“Could you step outside for a little while?”
“Erika-sama, but—”
The maid seemed wary of us.
“It’s fine. These people are wise, after all. It’s unthinkable they would do anything to me here.”
The maid bowed and left the room.
Still, being called wise makes me embarrassed.
From under the table, Luxion said something like “Those words don’t suit Master,” but I ignored it and resumed the conversation.
“Erika-sama, I’ll be direct. Regarding the engagement with me—do you consent to it?”
She was forced to annul her engagement for the nation’s convenience and be married off to a man she’s never met.
There’s no way she could consent.
That’s what I thought, but—
“It is my duty.”
—she had already accepted it at this age.
“No, but—”
“I am kept alive by the people. Someone like me cannot abandon a marriage for personal reasons. If ‘Mother’ has decided it is for the good of the country, I will simply follow that decision. —I’m sorry Marquis Bartfort must find this disagreeable, but I have no objection to Mother’s decision.”
…What now? I’d hoped she’d say something like “Actually I can’t agree either!” and protest to Ms. Mylène.
She was more of a princess than I’d imagined.
And Angelica too, but isn’t a true princess a bit too prepared in her resolve?
“Your Highness, I cannot consent to this engagement.”
“I’m sure you cannot. I understand that. However, all I can say is that I will endeavor to become a wife worthy of a marquis.”
We’ve hit a dead end immediately.
When I looked to Marie for help, she was still shaken.
—You, at least be useful!
“Marquis Bartfort, this engagement can already be annulled by personal feelings—”
In the middle of Erika-sama’s words, Marie stood up.
I was surprised, and Erika-sama was surprised too and fell silent.
But we would be even more surprised.
“Erika—you, don’t tell me—”
I immediately stood up and made Marie sit down.
“Hey, idiot! Why did you drop the honorific! That’s disrespectful, you know.”
Bringing this one along was a mistake.
As I thought that, Erika-sama’s eyes also widened.
Marie brushed my hand away and clung to the table.
“Family restaurant! Uh, um, I can’t recall the name, but there’s a batting center nearby! There’s a sign with a picture of a baseball player on it. That family restaurant’s popular menu item is—”
“Hey!”
Just as I wondered what she was spouting, the one who continued Marie’s story was—Erika-sama.
“—the doria and hamburg steak set.”
Luxion emerged from under the table.
“Master, it seems this is—”
“No, you’re joking.”
Erika-sama was a reincarnator too.
I had considered that possibility.
But from here on, it’s impossible.
Marie was shedding tears in large drops.
“Erika—Erikaaaaa!”
Erika-sama was the same.
“Mom—is that you?”
Her eyes glistened, and she wiped her tears with a finger.
It was too shocking to comprehend—but Erika-sama was the niece from my past life?
“Hey—what the hell are we supposed to do about this?”
Marie stood up, clung to Erika-sama, and cried loudly.
“Eriiiikaaaa!”
Even snot came out as Marie wailed.
Erika-sama stroked Marie’s head and held her gently.
“Mom. We meet again.”
—No, which one is the parent here?
Isn’t it usually the other way around?
◇
Another room inside the palace.
Those there were Roland and Mylène.
“Mylène, I hear you gave permission for that brat to meet our dear Erika. Why!”
Exasperated, Mylène replied coolly to Roland.
“They will eventually become husband and wife. If they are to meet, sooner is better.”
“I do not approve!”
“Then shall you burn the country for Erika alone?”
At Mylène’s cold gaze, Roland flinched.
He took a moment to compose himself.
“—Do you seriously think House Redgrave intends to usurp the throne?”
The accumulated grievances toward the kingdom hadn’t been resolved.
Moreover, the nobles who had been favored until now couldn’t accept the sudden change in treatment.
“Even if it means bearing some risk, we will enclose Leon-kun in the palace. That is the method with the least damage.”
“But—”
“It’s not only House Redgrave. Powerful nobles are considering using this opportunity to secede from the kingdom. For them, now is the perfect chance.”
The only thing holding them back is that there’s no war.
If the current equilibrium were to collapse even slightly, civil wars would erupt throughout the kingdom instantly.
The reason Mylène forcibly decided on Leon and Erika’s engagement was because there was no more time.
“If you can solve it, you’re welcome to annul Erika’s engagement right away.”
Roland did not take the bait of Mylène’s provocation.
“Don’t joke. There’s no way I can do what you yourself cannot.”
“That’s how you always run away.”
“Call it being efficient.”
Mylène is competent.
Roland knew that well, and as a queen she was satisfactory.
But as a wife—that was another matter.
“Mylène, do you intend to make that brat’s flying ship the royal ship in place of our own?”
“For a kingdom that has lost its trump card, isn’t it absolutely necessary?”
“Isn’t it because your homeland is in danger?”
“Yes, that is a reason too. But the kingdom as it is now has no leisure for civil strife.”
The Republic of Alzer had suffered a de facto defeat.
A powerful nation had fallen, and the political balance of the various countries was collapsing.
It was an extremely dangerous period.
If handled poorly, an external war could break out.
The kingdom at present was in a situation like playing with fire in a powder magazine.
“—I will make Leon-kun understand. Angelica as well.”
“And for that you’ll offer up your daughter? You are admirable as a queen, but as a mother you are a failure.”
“It is you who forced that decision upon me!”
The argument between the two subsided, and a wordless silence continued for a while.
Roland, as if remembering something, headed for the door.
“Ah, it’s about time for my appointment.”
“You’re off to some new woman again.”
“This is why you’re no good, investigating every little detail. A good wife’s duty is to let a man play around in moderation.”
As Roland left the room as though fleeing, Mylène murmured.
“—I’d like him to fulfill the conditions of a good husband first.”
◇
Roland sneaked out of the palace and met with a male acquaintance.
The man was someone who worked at the palace.
He had a long relationship with Roland, a friend since their academy days.
“I’ve kept you waiting.”
“Your Majesty, please keep your playing with fire within bounds.”
Even though he was cautioned by the timid-looking man, Roland paid no heed.
“Don’t be foolish. Chasing beautiful women is what it means to be a man.”
“But your partner is—”
“I know. There’s no problem at all, so you can just relax and lend me a hand.”
When Roland entered the building, a blonde woman was waiting inside.
She was in her early twenties.
She gave Roland a manufactured smile.
“Ah, Your Majesty!”
“I’d like you to call me Roland here.”
“Oh, of course. Well then, Roland-sama, what shall we do today?”
“Let’s see. —I’ll have you soothe me with your soft skin, Merse. I’m exhausted from being harassed by that old hag.”
“Oh my, that sounds terrible.”
In this time of crisis, Roland had come to meet his new mistress.