At Marie’s manor, the air felt heavy from the morning.
Gathered around the table were Marie and the others—excluding the five—plus Libya, Ange, and the three Noel.
(What do I do, this is so awkward)
Now that the servants work at the manor, we can get by without rushing around doing chores from sunrise.
It’s a wonderful thing, but Marie trembles at the situation.
(Why are those three in my house!?)
The quiet room even lets you hear a spoon clink against a dish.
The silence was broken by Ange.
“Looks like you kicked the princes out of the manor. I’d like to hear what you were thinking.”
Marie’s shoulders twitched.
If you only heard the words, the proper response would be a nod and “yes.”
But thinking about what those words actually meant terrified her—she didn’t want to think about it at all.
(Y‑yeah, maybe kicking Julius and the others out was a mistake. And why isn’t my brother here? Show your face already. My stomach hurts…)
Now regretting, Marie gets angry at Leon for being the only one who never shows up at the manor.
Cara turns pale, while Kyle serves with a blank expression.
Ange’s stare is frightening.
“U‑um…”
Marie stammers, unable to answer, a cold sweat dripping down.
(Help me, big brooooo!)
◇
Somewhere, a voice calls my name.
“Just your imagination.”
I think a pretty girl must be begging for my help, then shake my head—no such convenient delusion could exist for me.
My hunches are usually wrong, so it’s probably a misunderstanding.
So what am I doing? Well…
“Hey, you still haven’t decided?”
—I was eating breakfast at home.
The breakfast Julius had the house‑guest make isn’t exactly delicious.
It’s edible, just… mediocre.
“Ugh, noisy! — I’m trying my best too.”
The latter part of his voice gets really quiet.
While chewing a bland fried egg, I say to Julius,
“The other four are doing their best, why are you…?”
“B‑because I’m trying my best too! But once people find out I’m a foreign noble, nobody hires me. I don’t even have any seed money to start something myself.”
I dropped my fork at his words.
“—What, you actually claimed you’re a foreign noble?”
“Of course. They asked about my lineage.”
It’s a background you could be proud of anywhere.
Former crown prince of Holfart Kingdom—ah, no. The “former” part feels a bit embarrassing now.
These days he’s just a “plain” prince who lost his position after dumping his fiancée.
“Anyone would refuse to hire you, right?”
All the job ads Julius had were ordinary part‑time gigs.
“R‑really!?”
From a past‑life perspective, would you want to hire a foreign royal for a convenience‑store part‑time job? That’s the situation.
With liability issues and all, the employer would end up more stressed.
If it were me, I’d turn it down.
“Obviously it’s a no. I’m just working silently too.”
“That’s cowardly!”
“Because you say that, you keep getting rejected in interviews, you know?”
Julius can’t retort, so he falls silent.
His earnest side is likable, but if you post a part‑time ad and a foreign prince shows up, the employer feels sorry for themselves.
They’d suspect a scam, and if it were real their own mistake could cause a disaster.
No one wants to think about that while working.
Employers who decline also overthink to avoid being rude.
Also, you can’t make a foreign prince do menial chores.
I should’ve just stayed quiet.
Luksyon joins the conversation.
‘Lately there’s a rumor going around that a prince from Holfart Kingdom is looking for a part‑time job.’
“Is that so?”
‘Yes. It’s a famous story, and it must be hard to find a decent gig.’
Julius slumps his shoulders.
“—What should I do now?”
Should I think I’m talented but clueless?
I was supposed to meet Libya and grow, but maybe Marie’s meddling turned me into a useless wreck.
“I don’t know. Hey, let’s eat and then head to the academy. We have a make‑up class today.”
◇
Night.
The “part‑time” place was visited by Nicks, my older brother, with Daniel and Raymond.
Well, they come every day.
The Republic sent us reparations and supplies, but we had no ship to transport them. I could have asked Luksyon, but I decided to rely on my friends.
My brother and the two are here because I called them.
“Back again, huh?”
Nicks looks irritated.
“This is because you suddenly summoned me. You can’t even remember the Republic’s language properly, and now you’re touring around.”
Daniel and Raymond nod.
“If Leon’s here, we don’t have language problems, so it’s easy.”
“Right. Since you called us, take care of us.”
The three say that, but I’ve heard from embassy staff that they’re actually enjoying overseas travel.
They bring a translator and wander around.
All paid for with the reward I gave them.
Then the shopkeeper calls out to me.
“What’s up, you know each other? You look rich, so you must be rich?”
The shopkeeper doesn’t understand the kingdom’s language, so he doesn’t realize we’re nobles.
“Yes, so let’s serve up expensive dishes. It’s a profit‑making time.”
“You’re his friends, right? You shouldn’t do that.”
The shopkeeper’s earnest warning puts me in a bind.
I could squeeze them for more, but…
Even if they eat fancy food here, it won’t hurt these guys at all.
I paid enough for that reward.
The exasperated shopkeeper then introduces a newcomer to me.
“By the way, there’s a new hire starting today. Be nice to them.”
At this hour?
Looking behind the shopkeeper, I see a waitress—Noel.
“Eh, Leon?”
“Noel—why are you here?”
Why is she here!?
Then my brother sticks his face into the table.
“Hey, Nicks, what’s up?”
Raymond asks, and my brother rubs his stomach.
“Something unpleasant came to mind. Leon! Is this okay? Don’t go angering those two again!”
Daniel glares at me.
“You, maybe this is his local girlfriend! He already has two cute, kind girlfriends, so don’t mess with a third!”
Ignoring the noisy crowd,
“Eh, why is Noel working here?”
“Uh, well—there’s a reason.”
Noel stammers, and the shopkeeper seems to sense something.
“Talk after work. Also, those three over there are giving you a weird look, are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Let me say this…”
The three were furious.
“Don’t ignore us!”
I ignore my brother’s shout and go back to work, wondering what happened to Noel.
◇
After work.
It’s late, and I’m taking Noel back to the manor.
After hearing Noel’s story—
“The manor’s atmosphere is the worst.”
It makes sense when you think about it.
Marie’s manor has Ange.
Naturally, Libya sides with Ange—and Cara, who’s had a thing with Libya, is also there.
“The servants often clash with the people taking care of Ange’s affairs. Why are they so hostile?”
Noel looks genuinely puzzled.
We’re supposed to protest to the embassy that can’t provide a proper manor, but now I’m just explaining to Noel.
“Marie has five lovers, right? She… basically stole them all.”
“—What?”
“Ange’s ex‑fiancé is Julius. He used to be the crown prince. Now he’s just a title‑only prince who can’t even be used for a political marriage.”
Noel’s face says she can’t believe it.
Anyone would think that.
I knew this would happen, so I didn’t want to let Ange and the others live in Marie’s manor.
Then—
“Leon also struggles because of his sister.”
—Huh?
“Sister?”
“Marie is Leon’s sister, right? I also had a hard time with Relia. That kid can’t be left alone.”
Noel keeps smiling as she talks about Relia.
“She sometimes looks really serious. She’s handy in some ways but clumsy in others. They’re twins, but our personalities are totally different. She worries a lot, and—”
Her happy expression turns a bit sad.
“—I think she hates me.”
◇
—She hated her older sister.
“The current ‘big sis’ is fine, but what’s the word… she looks down on me. Her ‘taking care of me’ attitude is infuriating. She’s clueless, brain‑dead, and because I’m her sister she feels she has to protect me. It’s stupid. She tries hard even though she can’t do anything, so I end up having to pick up the slack.”
Relia’s complaints spill out in the restaurant Serge reserved.
There are no other waiters around.
An Ideal floats a wine bottle in mid‑air, pouring into Serge’s glass.
‘Sisters have their own issues, I guess.’
“It’s not as bad as ‘sister.’ That woman was good at pretending to be cute. I knew she was mocking me behind my back. But my big sis—she’s just creepy.”
Relia’s feelings are tangled, comparing her past‑life sister to the current Noel.
Serge listens half‑heartedly.
“You twins don’t even look alike. Noel’s the type to act before she even says anything. I like that personality.”
“Guys love her. A heroine in an otome game is different. No matter how many mistakes she makes, a guy will protect her. Leon’s the same.”
She’s protecting Noel, unlike herself.
That attitude annoyed her.
She remembered her past‑life fiancé.
‘Maybe it’s a difference in sexual preference? He seemed attracted to big breasts, that could be the cause.’
Serge frowns at that.
“Damn, he helped because of chest size? Does Noel even have that kind of chest?”
“Not normal?”
When the topic drifts, Ideal corrects.
‘But the biggest factor is whether she has the aptitude to be a priestess. That’s why he chose Noel.’
Relia looks at her right hand.
(Even as twins, the one chosen was the older sister—no matter where I am, I’m never chosen.)
‘The Republic values the Holy Tree’s blessing a lot, so it’s natural that someone with aptitude like Noel would subconsciously look down on Relia.’
“—Aptitude? Priestess? I just want to be happy.”
Serge sighs, and the smell of alcohol fills the air.
“Can Noel think that far ahead? She’s pretty dense.”
‘No, that’s why her intuition—her instinct—is so strong.’
Hearing Ideal’s correction, Relia thinks:
(Yeah, sisters are the worst. My big sis looks down on me too. So… same as my past life.)
Drunk, her judgment is fuzzy.
Serge hesitates about saying something else, while Ideal urges him.
‘Master’
“I get it. — Relia, your thing got exposed to my dad.”
Relia rests her cheek on the desk, unsurprised.
“Yeah. But I have no priestess aptitude, so it’s meaningless.”
Ideal shakes its single red eye.
‘Even just having Respinas blood is valuable. Besides, you’re an important confidant of the Master, so I’ll give you my full support.’
Serge says.
“Your dads are now pulling their hair out. Getting Noel back from Leon isn’t easy.”
From Alberk’s side, they can’t understand why Leon went to such lengths to save a single woman.
But now that they learned the Respinas line survived, they’re even more wary of Leon.
“From what you and Erik said, Leon got the Holy Tree sapling’s blessing. The six great houses are panicking.”
Relia isn’t interested.
“—Right. So?”
‘He—Leon is a very thorough guy. He had Luksyon analyze the sapling; who knows what he’ll do with its power.’
Relia, still drunk, hears Ideal’s words clearly.
She’s watched Leon and Marie stumble around, and wonders—
(Was that all an act? Getting close to my sister, keeping Erik away—)
Serge chugs his drink,
“Now I’ve lost Erik. I’m the biggest asset left, right? According to Ideal, it wasn’t a problem even if we didn’t take Noel.”
“Eh, but violence—”
When Relia looks up, Ideal says,
‘Counseling should handle this. Relia—you’re being deceived.’
Relia lowers her face.
(So that’s it. They were mocking me too.)
Serge says,
“Take back Noel and the sapling. I need your help. Will you help me, Relia?”
Relia gives a small nod.