Happy Friday!
Here’s the chapter for the week. Do leave comments down below and let me know your thoughts on it. As always, please use appropriate language. Thanks.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter.
I carried the children who had fallen asleep onto the bed. I put the twins in their own beds. Since Yurii-sama doesn't have his own bed, I carried him.
After confirming that the twins had been moved without them having been woken up, Dia exaggeratedly heaved a huge sigh.
「If they're sleeping, any child would be cute.」
Sitting next to me, Dia lightly poked Yurii-sama's cheek and then wrinkled his brows as if recalling something.
「Saying something like that, are you not getting along?」
I lightly patted Dia's chest. When I did that, there was a rustling sound.
Did you think that I wouldn't notice, Dia looked surprised. When I look over at Dia sometimes, he would be reading a letter over and over again by himself. The stationery that I had given Yurii-sama had light blue paper, so I immediately realized it.
「Do you always carry it around?」
Having said that he would treasure it, Yurii-sama had used it only once. The letter that even I haven't gotten was given to Dia.
His face turning a little red, Dia was mumbling, which was unusual for him.
「Aren't you glad?」
「That's not…」
「What was written on it?」
「It's a secret.」
「You too?」
Even when I ask Yurii-sama, he would avoid answering.
Dia would break into a smile when he read it, so it shouldn't be anything bad written on it. For them to want to make it a secret between men, it seemed like he has already become a splendid adult.
「You're keeping it secret, but when Yurii-sama is around, you would always become childish, don't you?」
「I'll be more careful.」
Let's not ask any further.
「Rather than the usual Dia, women might like you more when you are little vulnerable.」
「I wouldn't be happy about that.」
Maa, even if I say that, I knew that he wasn't someone who would concede. I could say that because I knew.
「It's a good thing. Even adults who are always reserved would get worn out.」
「I don't want to show you something pitiable.」
「I have never once thought that you were pitiable.」
He was very talented, so I ended up thinking that I'm not suitable enough to be with him.
「Sorry about interrupting you two when you are staring into each other's eyes, but…」
Dia immediately became gloomy.
「Can't you at least knock?」
「I did! Many times. You two were just too lovey-dovey to hear it!」
Standing at the door, His Highness Prince Alan angrily said this to Dia in a quiet voice so that he wouldn't wake the children up.
Sighing, Dia was about to stand up when His Highness stopped him.
「It's fine here. The children are sleeping, right? Miss Swain, you as well…actually, I would like for you especially to hear this. It would be good if you don't move.」
Me too?
Was it about Yurii-sama, but even so, His Highness Prince Alan had a serious expression on his face.
Facing Dia and I, His Highness sat on the bed and took out, a piece of paper.
「It's a list of Houses that the female vixen is involved with.」
What was written on the paper in small letters were the names of many noble families.
「…was it the queen?」
「That's right, Miss Swain. It seems that your uncle is a rather excellent personage. Firstly, His Majesty personally left Yuriel in your care, and it seems that Viscount Mayford isn't backing down, but…. It seems that your uncle has raised the issue as well.」
The invitation that ojisama received from the queen was as follows:
Viscount Mayford is a capable person. Despite that, is it not strange that their peerage is lower than the obviously inferior Swain House? Before long, the Count Swain House will be appointed the guardianship of the fourth prince. If they frame the Count Swain House and dispose of the fourth prince, the queen will propose to His Majesty the conferring of the rank of Count to the Mayford house.
There was nothing but complaints, but most of it was true, so there was nothing I could say.
「It seems that at that time, His Majesty entrusted the viscount with the protection of Count Swain. From the very beginning, your uncle doted on both you and your mother. He also didn't seem like he would cooperate with that woman.」
「Aah…that…」
Ojisama was a little unpleasant, and would tease those he liked…. He doted on his sister a lot and would always say that he wouldn't get married until after his sister got married. He would secretly get rid of any men that approached that beautiful and famous sister of his.
The only thing about my father that I respect, was that he endured the harassment of that ojisama of mine and married mother. And in spite of the fact that they had fallen in love with each other earlier on, he did something unforgivable to obasama who he still could not marry.
「She’s gained the upper hand. It seems that she personally investigated it so that they may harm your entire family. She had heard of the viscount's capabilities, but it had only come this far.」
His Highness flicked the paper.
「Ojisama is not someone who is concerned about court rank, so…he is not the type to do things that will get him a promotion…」
If he raised his court rank, then the time that he would be able to spend with family would also decrease. Wanting to ensure that he had time to spend with his beloved wife and children, it was not uncommon for ojisama to purposely do his work poorly. It wasn't something to be admired, but even grandfather and grandmother were fine with it as long as he didn't fall into ruin, so it wasn't a problem.
「Hmm…maa, I expected several of these names on here 」
Dia pointed at several names.
Marquis Eiling House, Count McVega House, and Duke Macey House, the opposition of the Duke Roderick House. And, the Baron Marian House.
Having found those four names among the list of numerous names, Dia, the moment he found the name Marian, stared at me, as if asking me if I saw it.
I pretended not to notice that.
「There are also Houses that had nothing to do with it, but…if we look at relationships between the Houses, depending on the situation, including the Count Swain House, the queen seems to want to destroy the the Duke Roderick House as well. …It seems that Marian has a deep connection with your family…」
About Marian House, either he heard about it from Dia, or ojisama had discussed it with His Highness, either one is fine, but the history between our powerless Count House and the Baron House who had authority, there was no way the prince knew about that in the beginning.
「But, Dahlia Marian is a friend.」
「I'm sorry for saying this in a self-important way, but…I want you to have some sense of danger. The situation is much more serious than you think it is. I want you to remember that you hold Yuriel's life in your hands, and you are the precious fiance of my peerless friend. I want you, to the best of your ability, to not get involved with any of the people from these Houses on the list.」
Hatefully glaring at the Marian name, Dia was, staring at it without moving while nodding at His Highness Prince Alan's words.
「It may put you in danger. This is a matter that concerns the country, Mirabell. It is also possible that the things that are important to you could disappear in an instant.」
「But…」
She herself had nothing to do with it.
「It's not just Marian's daughter. It seems like you are also worried about the son, but there are no decent people in that family.」
Son…Cain? That's true, but, Cain is…
「What if…the queen was manipulating the Baron Marian House, then what about Cain? He seemed close with His Highness Prince Romeo, but that could mean that they are supporters of one or the other, right? His Highness Prince Romeo and the queen, are they on the same side…?」
「That's impossible. Even if they were, the queen whose only weapon was His Majesty's favor and my devious younger brother who uses his brain are different, so Romeo is using her. However, that's a very thin line. That guy is the same as me, whenever we see that woman, it makes us sick.」
Does that mean they don't want to be used as a pawn?
「Then, Cain is…?」
「If you think about it, it might be that that woman is completely in the palm of Romeo's hand and is just dancing to his tune, or, the Marian House has become the focal point.」
In other words, the Marian House's scheme may change at any time. It seems that perhaps the Marain House may be much cleverer than His Highness Prince Romeo.
His Highness Prince Alan also did not know about the Marian House. And so, not only do they have the support of the queen, but from now on, it would be impossible to obtain any information on the Marian House. We weren't able to do anything besides gradually cornering the Marian House.
「Marian's son, that person is also a smart person. So much so that Romeo would keep him by his side. That guy hates idiots.」
Aah, I see, I thought. That smile was when he was completely looking down on the person that he considered to be an idiot. And he was completely looking down on me.
「…that guy often says that you're stubborn, but 」
He said 'that guy', but the one he looked at was Dia.
「When I'm not there, do you say whatever you want to say?」
「I only spoke the truth.」
A little while after discussing the Marian House, DIa became a little mean.
「If you're the type of person that Judias says you are, if I told you to not get too close to them, you would probably secretly look for the Marian daughter and son.」
That questioning look hurts. However, it's just as you said.
「Truthfully speaking, I don't feel like I need to talk with you. I don't know you very well, and I'm warning you because of your stubborn fiance over there. The only things that I know about you is what Judias tells me and that Yuriel is emotionally attached to you rather than me. Why? Why did Yuriel choose you rather than me? This is absurd. If I was also born a woman, would he like me even just a little?」
「No matter how you think about it, it's futile, at the very least, the you who is male being so desperate is just disgusting.」
Ara? I tilted by head in confusion.
Dia's…
「Polite speech…」
was omitted.
「Aah, it's like this when it's just the two of us.」
「I see…when it's just the two of you. It's like you two are lovers.」
「Please stop.」
Dia held his head in his hands, looking like he hated that from the bottom of his heart.
「Going back to what we were talking about before, what I meant was, I will not sacrifice myself to protect you. My relationship with you is not strong enough that I would go that far for you.」
「Haa…it's just as you said.」
「However, it is also quite troublesome if they destroy the place where they were conducting suspicious activities in. I would be troubled if you were kidnapped by them. Because the weakness of my greatest trump card is none other than you.」
Since Yurii-sama was by my side, there's no way I could say that I was unrelated to this.
「Therefore, I will propose one thing to you. This is something that you will decide on. You could also refuse. You don't need to give me a reply right away either. …why don't you become a subordinate of mine, the first prince?」
The one who was surprised, was not me, but Dia. After looking at His Highness Prince Alan with wide eyes, he quickly lowered his eyes halfway, looking at His Highness Prince Alan as if glaring at him.
「I'm not telling you to do anything dangerous. It's just that I want you to be on my side. The information, would directed towards this side and they wouldn't know. In this case, it wouldn't be a hindrance if you met up with Marian House's people. Rather, if there was something suspicious while you were in contact with them, it would be great if you reported it to me. Of course, I wouldn't ask you to purposely probe them. It's fine if you're aware of it.」
In other words, this plan was so that I won't become an enemy. Moreover, I could request for benefits.
「I might accidentally spill information. I'm not someone smart like Dia.」
「You're the fiance of the man that I trust. Ever since you entered this school, I have been observing you.」
Which meant that he would be troubled if his future His Excellency the Prime Minister was involved with a suspicious woman.
「There's no need to worry. I dare say, you are a cunning person.」
It seems that his conclusion was something that I could neither deny nor confirm.
If one grew up in that kind of household where everything was complicated, they needed to be able to take into consideration how to conduct oneself whenever needed. You needed to adapt to the circumstances. If it ever came down to that.
If they relaxed their focus, that was a chance and if they always had their guard up, they would get tired. I can't be like Dia, I was sensitive to people who were hard to get along with.
「I am a daughter of the Count Swain House. My Swain House, was personally appointed by His Majesty. The guardianship of the prince His Highness Prince Yuriel. If Your Highness Prince Alan understands this, then I accept.」
The Swain House had a close relationship with the Roderick House and will be joined in marriage. It was a marriage of convenience between the son and the daughter. That's why, to the best of my ability, I will go along with the intentions of the Roderick House. If the Roderick House said that His Highness Prince Alan will ascend the throne, then I will follow His Highness Prince Alan.
Nevertheless, if, Yurii-sama objected to that, or if His Highness Prince Alan marked Yurii-sama as a target, no matter what Swain House had to sacrifice, we will protect Yurii-sama.
We were, to the bitter end, Yurii-sama's allies, so it would for the best for Yurii-sama if he joined hands with His Highness Prince Alan. I won't swear an oath of allegiance to His Highness Prince Alan like a knight would.
Something like that.
「I understand what you are trying to say. In addition to that, I want you and Yuriel to enter into an agreement with me.」
「The one who has the right to decide is not me, but His Royal Highness Prince Yuriel.」
His Highness Prince Alan had a bitter look on his face. He was probably aware that he was being treated harshly.
「It will be fine. Yurii-sama often talks about you. They weren't nice things, though.」
Things like he's disgusting or he's sickening.
Still, he would also complain that His Highness Prince Alan was an smart person sometimes.
「Actually, people, don't talk about the people that they truly hate.」