「Is this, being taken care of by someone?」
Looking at the spreading grasslands, the Queen, Rica asked me.
「Take care?」
「It is this many plants, is it not impossible without a lot of gardeners」
「……this, it’s growing without taken care of you know」
「Ehh?」
Rica looked at me and the grasslands alternately. She had the face that she couldn’t believe it.
「There is no gardeners?」
「Grasslands are created by its own you know」
「No way……」
「……hey, can I ask you something. For example. When someone’s hungry, what do you think if you heard that he’s about to die from hunger because there’s no bread?」
「Eh? Should they not just eat meat?」
「……」
I somehow pitied Rica.
If I talked to her without knowing anything, I might’ve pointed out, “A marionette!”.
But, after I knew that it’s been years since she left the palace, and it’s the first time that she left the capital city, I can’t point that out.
Rather, I pitied Rica who was forced to be in such an environment, and could only think of it like that.
Rica felt something strange from my reaction, but she immediately started to horse around again.
「Ne〜, what is that?」
「Un? Ahh, that’s what you call the mountain cow」
「Mountain cow?! Mountain cows are blocks of meatーーit is not huh. That is right……there’s also an original appearance for the meat」
While she was about to say that, Rica noticed that her belief was wrong.
I’m sure that she was only been able to see the meat after it’s processed, maybe, she’d only seen it after it’s cooked.
Noticing that in the middle, she got embarrassed by her mistake.
Her blushing face was very cute. I could see her as cute even with her wearing a gorgeous dress.
「You saw the mountain cow for the first time huh」
「Un, it’s the first time. They have a pretty cute face huh」
「Is it cute? That only look like a fierce beast」
「Ah! It ran away」
「The mountain cows around here are afraid of me. I hunted too much after all」
「Hunted to much, you say, Kakeru did?」
「Yeah」
「Even though it’s that huge?」
「Wait a minute」
I took Eleanor and Hikari, chased after the mountain cow, and defeated it with one hit.
Mountain cow collapsed with blood gushing out of its wound. I left that and returned to where Rica was once, but Rica was covering her eyes.
「What happened」
「T-The blood……」
「Ahh, you also saw blood for the first time huh」
Well, that should be the case. She might’ve been able to see it from small injuries, but it’s natural that she hadn’t seen a hunting scene since she hadn’t left the town.
Rather, it’s amazing that she didn’t lose her consciousness or something.
「But, amazing……a beast that huh」
「Well yeah」
「I’ve fought with a dragon and Orycuto too. That was more difficult」
「Dragon? Orycuto?」
Rica tilted her head.
I thought about it for a bit.
Rica who is marionette-like.
Rica who immediately fixed her belief of the chunks of meat.
Rica who had sparkling eyes looking at the grasslands and the mountain cow.
To her who’s like that, I wanted to show her a lot of things.
「Let’s look around with more different things」
「ーーun!」
Using Warp, I took her here and there.
I took her to the places that I’d come before.
Rica had sparkling eyes with every time, and was very excited.
She looked like Hikari.
She was very similar to Hikari who is a child, just born and does not know about anything, and horses around since everything feels fresh.
Since she got honestly got surprised and got happy every time, so I wanted to show her a lot more things.
Horsing around like an innocent child, she gradually calmed down as the sun sets.
And by the time when the sun has completely set, Rica returned to her Queen’s face when we first met.
She returned to her face with poor emotions. It felt like Cinderella’s magic faded.
「It is about time I should return」
I suggested.
「Hey, what’s your schedule tomorrow?」
「Eh?」
「If there’s time that you’re only going to stare at nothing like today, I’ll come and fetch you again, and show you a lot of things」
「Really?!」
Rica’s eyes sparkled once again.
The magic was cast.
The next day, I am sitting on the throne and heard the report from Oros.
It is the usual report.
The kingdom is at peace, and there is no trouble in the world.
「It is the proof that Her Majesty’s power is well maintained」
Oros finished with that.
With the exact same report yesterday.
Suddenly, I remembered something.
The question, Kakeru asked yesterday.
「Oros」
「Ha! What is it Your Majesty」
「Starving, there is a person who is about to die from hunger because there is no bread to eat, what do you think that person should do?」
「A foolish question, Your Majesty」
Oros answered promptly. Making a very wide smile.
「They should just eat meat. Or even cake would be sufficient. Things to eat are not only bread after all」
That is right, you should just eat meat if there is no bread right.
But, Kakeru made a very weird face when he asked that yesterday.
Opposite to that, he was smiling pleasantly when he heard about the mountain cow.
The other one is denounced, and the other one feels like I was praised.
Why? Why does he denounce this answer?
I thought about it.
If there is no bread left to eat, is it wrong to eat meat?
Thinking of it, I noticed something
「Oros?」
「Yes, Your Highness」
「Bread and meat, which one is more expensive?」
「……Your Highness」
Oros’s expression changed. His smile disappeared, and glared at me with a scary face.
「Your Highness is Calamba Kingdom’s Queen. Rather than trivial things about which is more expensive with bread and meat, we would be troubled if you do not look at things more extensively」
「The meat is more expensive huh」
Oros rattled. I understood with only that.
Which one is more expensive with bread and meat, and what Kakeru had wanted to ask.
「Your Majesty」
Oros glared at me more and more.
「I am right now, saying that you should not care about trivial things like that」
「Butーー」
「Your Majesty!」
「Hii!」
Oros took a step forward.
I know that face, it is the same face when he went to my brother, previous Crown Prince Kyuros-niisama’s place.
That expression, that frightfulness.
I could not help but raise a scream.
「I do not know who had told you such things, but a King, should not worry about such trifle things. It is true that bread is cheaper than meat. But, that does not matter」
「But」
「Your Majesty!」
He is intimidating, I cannot say anything.
Oros is too scary, I cannot say anything back.
「Do you understand」
「U-Un……」
「Good」
Oros smiled Looking at that, I was relieved.
「As expected of Your Majesty, it is very good that you understand very quick. Well well, with that wisdom, our Calamba Kingdom will continue to flourish」
「T-That’s true……」
「Please continue to be like that. Please hold on that throne undauntedly, and lead our kingdom. If so, Your Majesty will be called as a wise ruler in the future generations」
Oros said.
I got relieved, and thought that might be true.
But……that is……
Is it really fine with that?
U〜un, that is wrong.
It should not be said that meat should be eaten if there is no bread.
Mountain cows do not get born as a chunk of meat.
I also……cannot leave it like this.
「Oroーー」
「I will tell you once again. Please be undaunted」
「……un」
I could not go against him. Oros is so frightening, I cannot go against him.
This is not, good……but, what should I do.
What should I do.
What should I do……what should I do.
ーーKakeru.
「Praising after intimidating, it’s just like a brainwashing huh」
I heard a voice. It was a dumbfounded voice.
「Kakeru!!」
Kakeru who was standing in the entrance of the audience hall unnoticed.
He looked like, a saviour.