This is the second update today.
"Tenma, it's almost time to head out."
I was finishing lunch and having tea when Lady Maria arrived.
"We don't have much time, so let's start somewhere close today."
Lady Maria started walking, practically dragging me along.
When we stepped outside, a carriage was waiting there.
Kurif was in the driver's seat, and standing in front of the door were Edgar, Chris, and two female knights.
"Is everyone here already?"
"Lady Isabella and the others still haven't... ah, it seems they've arrived."
Who's Isabella? Just as I was thinking that, I heard footsteps approaching from the entrance.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Mother-in-law."
The one who called Lady Maria "Mother-in-law" was a woman who looked about Chris's age.
Luna was by her side.
"I'm sorry, Grandma. Mother and I were picking out clothes and it took longer than expected..."
I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Unless I was mistaken, Luna had just called this woman "Mother."
At that moment, I instinctively looked at Chris... I couldn't help it. And our eyes met.
"Tenma... Why did you just look at me?"
...I think I saw a demon lurking behind Chris...
"It's nothing!"
Chris was staring at my face intently, but when I didn't so much as blink, she seemed to give up.
"Tenma-sama, even though she may look it, Chris is actually eight years younger than you!"
"Ah, really? She looks about the same age, so I thought it was strange... Ah!"
I let the truth slip in response to the
devil's
whisper from behind me.
"Tenma-kun~... I'm still, like, only twenty-thre~e!"
Chris approached me, still smiling. But that smile was terrifying.
"Chris? Twenty-three is getting up there, you know."
The
devil
who circled behind Chris and whispered — in this country, it was generally said that the marriageable age for women was around eighteen to twenty-four, and for nobles it was considered even lower, somewhere between sixteen and twenty.
Chris ignored Kurif and pressed in on me instead.
"I'm still fine, right? I've still got time, haven't I? Right?!"
Chris grabbed my shoulders and shook me, while behind her, Kurif was laughing.
"Isn't there anyone nice in the Royal Guard? For example, Edgar or Sigurd, or..."
I threw out two names in an attempt to wriggle free from Chris's shaking, and Chris made a very displeased face.
I managed to slip away in that opening, but Chris still wore that disgusted expression.
"You really dislike those two that much?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Chris answered my question.
"Absolutely not!"
That answer seemed to wound Edgar-san, who had been listening nearby. He looked a little downcast.
I didn't know what history was there, but it seemed best not to press any further on this topic.
"Tenma, do you have a moment? This is Isabella — Caesar's bride. Perhaps it's easier to understand if I say the Crown Princess?"
Maria-sama made the introduction, so I looked up to greet her, but she really did look young.
Small in stature with a somewhat childlike face, and her chest was... smaller than Chris's? Chris wasn't exactly on the larger side either, but...
"Nice to meet you. I'm Tenma. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Yes, I've heard about you. I'm Isabella von Blumail Crustin — Isabella is fine. I'm sorry my children have been causing you trouble."
Isabella-sama didn't carry herself with the airs one might expect of a noble.
As I was wondering about that unusual quality...
"You look puzzled, Tenma. Is it really that rare for a noble to apologize? Well, when it came to Isabella, we prioritized personality when Caesar was searching for a bride... Her family happened to be a ducal house as well, which certainly helped."
Caesar-sama and the others had apparently been raised with that disposition on top of their original personalities... by Maria-sama herself, no less...
Normally, a queen would entrust direct education to specialists, but Maria-sama apparently wouldn't have any of that.
When I asked her the reason...
"Because—
he's
that man's child! You never know what kind of trouble he'd stir up with a half-baked education! I'd much rather raise them
myself
— at least that way I can rest easy!"
Anyone who knew the King's personality would find that answer explanation enough. Indeed, if there were three heirs with that kind of temperament, this country would be in serious trouble.
"Sounds like you're convinced. Now then, let's set off quickly. We've wasted too much time! Hurry up!"
With that, Lady Maria climbed into the carriage. It was just the right size for about six people, so there was no issue with space, but once it started moving, I became painfully aware of just how comfortable my own carriage was.
Even within the city streets, the carriage shook quite a bit, and without any cushions on the seats, it was rather rough.
"Let's go look at clothes first. Kurif, would you take us?"
"Understood. Then let's start with some of the popular shops lately."
With that, Kurif set the carriage in motion. Chris and the other escort knights each took up positions around the carriage—one at the front, one at the back, and one on each side.
"Tenma, how do you usually pick out clothes?"
Lady Maria was sitting beside me, and she turned her face to the side to speak to me.
"I usually go for ease of movement first. After that, whether it's well-made, whether it looks normal to other people... something along those lines, I guess."
Apart from my time in Kukuri Village, I had never worn clothes that were tailored specifically for me.
Back in Kukuri Village, I basically wore clothes made by Mom or Aunt Masa and the other neighbors, and in my previous life I'd never had anything tailored either—so I simply had no sense of what it meant to pay someone to make clothes for you.
"Hmmm, is that so... Then let's have a set tailored for you today. Of course, I'll pay for it."
"Oh my, then I'll be the one to pay, Mother-in-law. I should apologize for the trouble my children caused, after all."
With Lady Maria making her offer and Lady Isabella chiming in right after, the conversation was moving forward without any input from me.
I tried to politely decline, but I was told that Lady Maria wanted it as an apology for the King and Lyle's ambush—incident, and Lady Isabella wanted it as a token of gratitude for saving Tida and Luna's lives—
a personal
token of thanks.
On top of that, I was told that if they didn't at least send some kind of apology gift, it would reflect poorly on them before the other nobles, and worse, it could give rival factions grounds to attack the royal family as an arrogant clan that does nothing for their benefactors or victims.
So I was told to accept it without holding back, and in the end, Lady Maria and the others each had a set of clothes tailored for me.
"Then I'll take care of the everyday wear, and Isabella will have formal attire made for Tenma."
I was told that under normal circumstances, Lady Maria's gift would have come first, but this time, Lady Maria's was an apology for the King and the others' prank, while Lady Isabella's was a token of gratitude to the savior of her sons' lives, so Lady Isabella's gift had to be the more expensive one.
Even so, what they called "everyday wear" was everyday wear by royal standards, so apparently, if you weren't careful, it could end up costing as much as the formal attire worn by ordinary nobles, or so Chris told me.
"Lady Maria, we will soon arrive at the intended shop, so we will send the advance escort ahead."
Chris, who had been riding alongside the carriage, reported that two female knights would be sent forward.
The female knights spurred their horses nimbly—one rode ahead to the destination shop, while the other went to secure a place for the carriage to stop.
When we arrived at the designated aristocratic parking area of the intended shop and stepped out of the carriage, it turned out to be a rather large clothing boutique, with a plaque at the entrance bearing an inscription indicating it was an official purveyor to the royal family, adorned with the royal crest.
"Your Majesty the Queen, Your Highness the Crown Princess, Your Royal Highness the Princess—welcome. We greet you from the bottom of our hearts."
Upon passing through the shop's entrance, we were greeted by a man who appeared to be the owner, lined up with his employees.
"It's been a while. Today, I'd like you to show us your new arrivals and the latest trends."
At Lady Maria's words, several employees headed to the back of the shop and quickly returned with a number of garments and accessories.
While the employees were explaining the items to Lady Maria, the owner came over to pay his respects to Lady Isabella.
"It has been too long, Lady Isabella, Lady Luna. We are currently preparing items suited to you both, so please wait just a moment."
"Thank you. But before that, I'd like to request one formal outfit."
With that, Lady Isabella introduced me, who had been standing behind her.
"Ah, a formal outfit for this gentleman...?"
The owner looked at me with a puzzled expression. He apparently assumed I was some sort of bodyguard or attendant, and it had never occurred to him that a formal outfit would be commissioned on my behalf.
However, the owner quickly composed himself and led us to the back of the shop.
"First, let us take your measurements."
He then took my measurements and, based on those, brought out several garments in matching sizes.
"These are the samples—do any of them catch your eye?"
The shopkeeper brought out garments, and Lady Isabella held them up against me while consulting with Luna on which ones to pick.
"Would this one suit you better... or perhaps this one?"
"This one would look best on big brother!"
The two of them went back and forth sharing their opinions, seemingly so absorbed that they'd forgotten to ask for mine.
"Isabella, Luna. You're leaving Tenma all alone over there."
At that point, Lady Maria, who had been browsing the shop until just a moment ago, rejoined them and gave them a gentle reprimand.
"Oh, sorry about that. We got a little carried away."
"Sorry."
Having been called out by Lady Maria, the two of them finally seemed to realize they hadn't been consulting me at all.
"Not at all—I'm honestly not great at judging whether clothes look good or not... Though I do tend to prefer simpler designs over flashy ones, so if you could keep that in mind, that would be perfectly fine."
At my words, the shopkeeper returned several of the samples and brought out a few more outfits in subdued color palettes.
"Let's see... how about something like this?"
The outfit Lady Isabella had chosen was blue-themed and looked like it would allow for easy movement, so I agreed to try it on.
"Oh yes, that looks quite nice."
Seeing me actually wear it, the reception seemed fairly positive.
"Could you have something similar to this tailored?"
Lady Isabella placed an order with the shopkeeper, then led me around the rest of the shop to browse.
After spending another hour or so looking around, we left the store.
"Now for your casual wear. Kurif, let's head to the next shop."
The next place we visited was slightly smaller than the previous one, but the selection inside was even more impressive.
"Now, let's pick something out, Tenma!"
Lady Maria was fired up, Lady Isabella was right there with her, and Luna was also enthusiastic for some reason, all chiming in with their opinions.
At that shop too, we went through several try-ons and spent roughly an hour browsing the merchandise.
"Now that we've picked out Tenma's clothes, it's our turn!"
Lady Maria was energetically barking orders at Kurif.
The third shop we headed to was a women's clothing boutique, with items like undergarments on display inside as well.
I was naturally a bit hesitant to go in, so I said I'd wait outside, but Lady Maria and Lady Isabella dragged me in by force.
I couldn't exactly wrest myself free, so I ended up going inside, but to my surprise, there were several other male customers in the store besides me.
Most of those male customers, with a few exceptions, seemed to have been dragged along by the women they were with, and when they looked at me, I could see sympathy in their eyes along with a faint sense of relief that their ranks had grown.
As for a select few of the "male" customers, they appeared to be the sort who would fly into a rage if you mistook them for men... The other male customers were watching them with flushed cheeks, so I was almost certain of it.
"Tenma, do you think this suits me?"
"Tenma, what do you think of this combination?"
"Big brother, isn't this cute?"
"Tenma, is this outfit a bit too young-looking for me?"
"Not at all, Mother-in-law. It suits you perfectly."
"Grandma looks cute!"
"Tenma, is this a little plain?"
"You know... I think something a bit flashier would suit Isabella better, don't you?"
"Doesn't really suit you, huh."
"Big brother, how about this one?"
"Luna! That's too early for you!"
"You're right... wait another six years"
...Is there even a place for me here? The thought flits through my mind as the three women continue choosing clothes without a care for me. They occasionally ask for my opinion, but before I can answer, someone else always chimes in.
So, all I can manage are things like "Yeah," or "That's right."
Moreover, Luna either hasn't developed much shame or something, because each time she brings flashy lingerie over to me for an opinion, the other two stop her.
Well, even if she brought them, I doubt I could give a proper opinion, and I don't even want to.
While the three are disguised enough that they don't scream "royalty," they still look unmistakably noble, and since all three are beautiful, they draw even more attention in the shop. There were even customers who seemed to enjoy watching me being dragged around by them.
"My lady, young milady, it is almost time."
Kurif-san appeared seemingly from nowhere, addressing the three women who were absorbed in their shopping.
"Oh my, is it that time already?"
At Maria's words, Isabella handed the clothes she'd been holding onto to a shop assistant.
Kurif-san went off to settle the bill, and the female knight followed him.
We were then led by Chris-san towards the carriage where Edgar-san was waiting.
And so, the shopping trip with Maria and the others came to an end. I am truly exhausted.
More tired than morning training... yet Maria and the others are full of energy.
Luna shows no signs of fatigue either, chatting excitedly with Isabella about things that happened in the store.
"That was fun! Let's come again! Right, big brother?"
At Luna's words, I couldn't immediately nod in agreement.
The women looked at me with smiles, their gazes tinged with sympathy. Only Edgar-san truly shared in my exhaustion.
There was one other man present, but he was clearly enjoying my predicament.
Halfway to the royal castle by carriage, Lady Maria, who had been quiet until then, suddenly spoke up.
"Tenma, do you not hate us?"
Her words left me completely unable to grasp what she was talking about.
"I'm referring to what happened at Kukuri Village. The responsibility for that incident lies with Margrave Haustru, who hired the soldiers that brought about the tragedy — and one could even say the King himself bears responsibility for ordering the Margrave. With that in mind, I'll ask you once more. Do you resent His Majesty… do you resent us royals?"
At Lady Maria's words, silence fell not only inside the carriage but among the knights standing guard outside as well, all of them waiting for my answer.
I took a moment to sort through the meaning of Lady Maria's words in my head before I spoke.
"I don't resent you."
"Why not?! Because of us, your parents died!"
My answer clearly did not sit well with Lady Maria.
"Then perhaps I resent you deeply — so much so that I'd want to slaughter every last one of your kin down to the last member. Would that satisfy you?"
"If that were truly how you felt…"
I had said it half as a joke, but Lady Maria nodded with a grave expression.
"Even if that were the case, it wouldn't be unreasonable. Though I suppose that wouldn't justify simply standing by while we're killed — still, I think I could understand."
At Lady Maria's words, Lady Isabella also nodded.
"If our positions were reversed — if Tida and Luna had died because of you, Tenma — then I think I would hate you so much I'd want to kill you, no matter who you were."
"Even so, the ones who killed my parents weren't the King or any of you. It was the soldiers hired by Margrave Haustru, and the Dragon Zombie. I regret that I couldn't kill those soldiers with my own hands, but I did kill the Dragon Zombie myself. And even if I were to spread my resentment any further, it would only go as far as Margrave Haustru, who chose those soldiers."
"But—"
Lady Maria tried to say something, but I cut her off.
"I'll admit that for a time, I did hate — and despise — all nobles, knights, and soldiers without exception. But along the way, I've had the chance to interact with a number of nobles. What I learned is that even among those who boast of noble blood, there are irredeemable scum and there are good people. Commoners are the same. So there's no point in resenting the King. And the same applies to all of you, of course…"
Lady Maria and the others listened to my words in silence.
Besides, if I really hated the royal family that much, I would have charged at them during that bow-and-arrow incident.
I said it in a joking tone, but it was the absolute truth. Even if I had cut off the King's head back then, you could argue that I had only done it in reflex because I was about to be killed myself… Well, if I had done something like that, no matter the reason, I would have been branded a heinous criminal.
At any rate,
As I stand now,
I hold no grudge against the royal family, nor do I despise them simply because they are nobles.
I think it's because enough time has passed for me to sort out my feelings, or perhaps because I've grown a bit more mentally… I still occasionally feel a pang of sadness out of nowhere, even now…
Lady Maria and Lady Isabella seemed to be carefully savoring my words, lost in thought.
"So… so that's how it is. You don't resent us… Thank goodness… that my dear friend's son doesn't hate me…"
Lady Maria said this and pressed a handkerchief to her eyes.
For a while, a heavy silence hung around the carriage, with only the sound of horses' hooves and the creaking of wheels filling the air.
Lady Maria lowered the handkerchief from her eyes and looked me straight in the face.
"Tenma, won't you become my adopted son? I'll persuade His Majesty myself."
At Lady Maria's sudden offer, I was taken aback, and so were Lady Isabella, Kurif, who had been quietly observing the situation from inside, and Chris and the others.
"What's with this sudden proposal?!"
"It's not sudden. I've been thinking about it for a while now. I want to be of help to Celia and the others' son… Of course, I can't grant you succession rights to the throne, but I can promise you a life befitting a noble without want for anything."
Lady Maria's eyes were earnest. There was likely some pity and sympathy mixed in, but beyond that, I could feel a genuine desire to protect me in place of my mothers.
"Thank you very much… but I must respectfully decline."
From the others came looks of disbelief, but Lady Maria alone remained composed.
"May I ask why?"
"Your offer means a great deal to me, Lady Maria, but I've already decided that from here on, I will not become anyone's adopted son. I am the son of Ricardo and Celia from Kukuri Village, and I have no intention of becoming anyone else's son."
My words left Maria-sama with a complicated expression that seemed both disappointed and relieved, but she quickly seemed to shake off her mood.
"I understand... But please at least remember that it only shows how much I want to treasure you. And if you ever run into any trouble, please consult with me. I will do whatever I can to help."
"Thank you very much..."
After that, the atmosphere inside the carriage became somewhat awkward, and it remained that way until we returned to the royal castle.
Even in that atmosphere, Luna alone slept peacefully.
We arrived at the royal castle just about an hour before sunset.
Kurif stopped the carriage at the front entrance, and Aina, who had been waiting, came to greet us.
"Welcome back, everyone."
Aina bowed as she greeted us, and Maria-sama and the others offered words of thanks before walking past. But as I was about to pass, Aina suddenly raised her head.
"Tenma-sama, I have some questions about Jeanne and the others!"
There was a strange intensity in Aina's voice, and we came to a halt.