Happy Friday!
Here’s the next chapter. I decided to put ‘SH’ in front of the chapter # to show that it’s Swain Hakushaku chapter, because just having the chapter # looked kind of plain, so I thought I should make it fancier? Anyways, I’m going to add it to the other chapters for this project as well.
Well, that’s that. Do enjoy the chapter and have a good weekend. I’ll see you on Monday.
Within the student council room, there were only His Highness Prince Alan and I, and we were sitting in sofas, facing each other.
It was a request from me, so it's just us. Yurii-sama was with DIa in Dia's room, playing with just the two of them.
Crossing his arms and his legs, His Highness Prince Alan had an extremely serious expression on his face.
「What did you want to talk about, Miss Swain?」
「…Doesn't Your Highness Prince Alan, already know?」
This sense of impending danger that I had was one that I have never had before.
「Is it about Romeo, or Gil, or is it the movements of another House that's cooperating with the female vixen?」
「No…. No…it is not.」
It wasn't anything regarding the fight for the throne and the like.
「Was I wrong…? I'm sorry, Miss Swain, but I have no idea. …putting Judias aside, is it about how I'm fascinated by you…?」
「Sleep-talking is for when you're slee…excuse me. No, isn't that impossible in the first place?」
To say something like that with a serious face was a bit…. Or rather, as expected, he's irritated….
「Then what is it about?」
「It's almost here, next week.」
「!…Aah, that's right…」
What is, you ask, it's the birthday of our angelic prince, Yurii-sama.
I had looked up Yurii-sama's birthday when he first came to my house, and wrote it down on all of the calendars within the house.
Speaking of the birthdays of the members of the royal family, it would be magnificently celebrated, but if the person himself does not wish for that, we will do it modestly. His Majesty's birthday was, as one would expect, a national holiday though.
Because of that, the princes who, after enrolling into the school, return to the castle to hold their birthday party all have a style of basically ignoring those they don't know, as well as the female students and the screaming and shouting of the young ladies, young gentlemen, and teachers who were currying favor.
It seems that since he was young, Yurii-sama did not want a birthday party either, so he just received presents from His Majesty, His Highness Prince Alan, as well as those nobles who wanted to curry favor and that was it. This year, we will celebrate it magnificently, Yurii-sama, ok?
That being the case, the preparations for next week were nearly completed, so right now, I'm in extremely high spirits.
「All the preparations, including the presents, the menu, as well as the invitation list are completed. Although it is a small party that only relatives are going to, thanks to the Duke-sama's kindness, we will be using the Roderick estate. It's on a Saturday, so it would be fine even if Yurii-sama stays there for the night.」
「Aah, I know. Naturally, I'm going too.」
His Highness Prince Alan seemed like he was enjoying himself, trying to decide on what present he should prepare for him.
「However, in regards to the preparations, there's something that's been on my mind.」
I feel like I'm forgetting something.
「It doesn't really matter, but I can't remember it at all…. I keep thinking about what it could be.」
If I can't remember it, then it shouldn't be anything important. I don't need to worry about it. However, it feels like something that I shouldn't forget about no matter what….
「Come to think of it, there should be something else that occurs around this time every year. However, what did I do every year? What is it, what is it…I can't even sleep soundly at night.」
If it's every year, then I wouldn't have forgotten about it, maybe it's because I keep thinking that I don't need to worry about it?
「There's still some time until my parents' wedding anniversary, and Dia's okaasama's death anniversary was the other day and I've paid a visit to the grave. The birthdays of my delightful friends A, B, and C are all in one month, so there's no way I would forget that. Come to think of it, when I think about the things regarding Yurii-sama's birthday, I would worry about it. Yes, the keyword is birthday. This point, I realized last night.」
Looking like he wanted to cry, His Highness Prince Alan raised his hand and stopped me.
「I more or less understand now. If it's the same thing as what you are thinking of, then you are the world's cruelest woman.」
「Saa, I do not know what you are thinking of, but it shouldn't be something so bad that you would say that I'm cruel?」
It's just that, that, was it something so very, very inexcusable?
「I completely forgot Dia's birthday last week…」
「What is it if not cruel?」
I slowly drank the black tea that was served, and sighed.
「What should I do…」
「There's nothing you can do, a person like you is…」
Every year, every year, I would be given heavy…no, expensive presents and I would give Dia presents that don't suit him. It got harder and harder to give him something….
He could've disregarded my birthday, but most likely, that sincere person wouldn't do that.
「Moreover, this was his eighteenth birthday…」
「…? What about it? Is there something special about being eighteen?」
「What are you saying? It is just as important as the coming of age at fifteen. It's the age when you graduate from school.」
「And yet, for me to forget it.」
Hai, I actually did that.
「Still, it's fine even if he was mad at me…his eighteenth birthday…. Moreover, even though I've pretty much remembered it every year until now, I forgot about it…why didn't he tell me…」
「Because it would be embarrassing for him to say that it's his birthday. Well, it's no wonder that he's been in a bad mood since last week. It also explains why he looked like he was going to cry that night on his birthday.」
「Dia was acting like nothing happened. I didn't notice anything.」
Even if I asked him, he would smile like nothing's wrong, and he wouldn't say a single word of complaint.
「Even though it was his eighteenth birthday…」
「By the way, I turned eighteen last month.」
「Really? Come to think of it, the female students within the school were excited for something. Congratulations. Will it be fine even though it's late? Rather, would it be better to not say it if it's late? It doesn't concern me, so…」
「You say unpleasant things so calmly.」
As expected, this time, it was cruel. No matter how kind Dia was, even if he won't be mad, for me to forget his birthday….
「However, apologizing would actually be discourteous, on the other hand, to give him a present now is also…」
I didn't even say 'congratulations'.
「Is the topic of my birthday going to be disregarded like this? How refreshing.」
「What a pathetic thing I've done…」
「Even you are treating me roughly these days. If you want to make it up to Judias, it's quite simple.」
「Maa…do you have some kind of plan?」
His Highness Prince Alan was smiling happily.
「It'll be fine if you do exactly as I say. All your problems will be solved.」
「In my opinion, you should kill Alan as soon as possible.」
「Should I do it when he comes back?」
Why was it necessary for those two people to be alone together? It was something that Mirabell requested, so there's nothing we could do about it, but it would be good if my friend who lived in the adjacent room experienced something painful.
Sitting on my lap reading a book, His Highness Prince Yurii, has gotten more accustomed to me recently.
「By the way, you're in a bad mood, huh?」
「Am I?」
「Is it because Mira forgot your birthday?」
「How did you know?」
「It's because on the day that Alan said was your birthday, Mira was with me and Melissa the entire day.」
I wasn't even able to see that girl on the day of my birthday.
I want to go back to normal soon though, because this was too effeminate, even for me. I even vented out my anger on Alan, so I'm terribly sorry about that.
「By the way, Mira is secretly doing some kind of preparation for my birthday.」
For it to be practically exposed to the person himself.
「Since she's someone who is bad with keeping secrets.」
「Because you can immediately see it on her face.」
Nevertheless, although it was not secretly anticipated due to it being obvious, the surprise was being hidden, so we needed to be careful. The surprise that Mirabell was aiming for was not a simple affair, the end result of Mirabell's actions was like the punch line of a joke, so this could be a good thing or a bad thing.
For example, when Mira was young, she secretly made some sweets for me, the fact that she made it was obvious, but her mother, thinking that it would be interesting, prepared an (unappetizing) dummy and I had experienced something painful .
There were often traps created by that girl's actions.
「Maa, cheer up.」
「…I should.」
「I found out that it was your birthday last night, so it's late, but I made this today.」
A rolled-up piece of paper. It was something that His Highness Prince Yurii was already holding when he was left in my care for the whole day today.
「Can I unroll it?」
「Do as you like.」
This was…
「Is it me?」
「That's right! Got a problem with it?!」
The prince that could do anything flawlessly and was completely unlike a five year old child. Even his letters were beautiful. Just by looking at his physical ability as well as his class work, you wouldn't think that he was a child.
However, my portrait that was drawn using various colors was a drawing that was properly drawn by a five year old child.
Mirabell said that Yurii-sama also had something that he was not good at, but he wouldn't tell her though. I see, his picture was befitting his age. Something that he was not good at, it was excellent for a five year old child, but this child who interacted with us and was good at studying would probably think that he wasn't good at it.
「Say something! If you don't want it, return it! If you want to laugh, then laugh!!」
「No, I'm pretty happy with it and even bewildered by it.」
「You're lying!」
「It's true. It's the best present. Un, unexpectedly, I'm extremely happy.」
I kind of understand the feelings of Father, Count Swain, and Viscount Mayford who take great care of the drawings that they received from children.
Looking like he wasn't pleased with something, His Highness Prince Yurii puffed up both cheeks and held out his hand.
「On second thought, return it! That is a terrible drawing!」
「No, later on, I'm going to go buy a frame for it.」
「Do you plan on humiliating me!?」
「I'm going to use it as decoration…in my room…」
With this, I need to help with His Highness' birthday as well.
That fact that Mirabell doesn't know what His Highness Prince Yurii wasn't good at meant that, he probably haven't drawn anything for that girl. There's a subtle sense of superiority.
I put the drawing in a place where His Highness Prince Yurii couldn't reach and carried him in my arms.
「Why don't we go visit Alan?」
「Aah…no, it's not necessary. They're here. Oi, even if it's by mistake, don't bring me anywhere near that dangerous person, Dia.」
I couldn't hear them, but it seems that His Highness was able to hear the sound of their footsteps and them talking. Fifteen seconds later, the two people actually came into the room together.
「I've been here many times, but as expected, I feel awkward entering the male dormitory.」
「Don't worry. No one will do anything rude to you.」
「What do you mean?」
「No, sorry. It's not that they won't be attracted to you, I just meant that they would make your watchdog angry…」
I have some complicated feelings about the close proximity between my close friend and my fiance who were talking while opening the door.
「Oi, you're too close.」
There's someone who said it.
「Maa, are you jealous? Yurii-sama.」
A happy Mirabell immediately took His Highness from me and rubbed their cheeks together. And then, His Highness was carried off by Alan. He went from heaven to hell.
「What did you talk about?」
Eventually, I took him from Alan and it was over. I can't compare to Mirabell, but compared to Alan, it seems that I won by a mile. Trembling, His Highness Yurii was clinging onto me with his eyes wide open.
「Umm…about that…Dia, can I talk to you for a bit…?」
「With me? I'm fine with it, but His Highness Prince Yurii is…」
Surely you're not leaving him with Alan?
「Um…can you wait with His Highness Prince Alan? Yurii-sama.」
「Is Mira telling me to go die!?」
She didn't mean it like that, but to His Highness, didn’t it mean just that…?
「But I can't leave you by yourself… . Aah, if I'm not mistaken, Al's room is on this floor. Do you want to go there?」
「1? Miss Swain, that's not what you said before. You said that you would let me spend time with Yuriel in return for listening to you, 」
「The person himself dislikes it…. I am Yurii-sama’s guardian, so…」
His Highness Prince Yurii was shaking his head.
「I'm not separating from Mira!」
「As I thought, it turned out like this…. Then Dia, we'll talk, later on. Can you wait for me outside the dormitory tonight?」
In the end, Mirabell secretly whispered this so that only I could hear it.
「I got it. No, I'll go over there. It's not safe for a girl to walk around at night.」
「But…」
「It's fine. When I get there, I'll throw a pebble or something at your window to let you know. Until then, don't come out by yourself. Ok?」