The Villainess Is Being Doted on by the Crown Prince of the Neighboring Country 40
The Threat of the Sea: Part 1She had made Aquasteed drink a love potion.
That is what Pearl had said, and Tiararose was horribly shaken. But he had loved her so strongly, she could not believe that he would turn to another woman. Normally, she would have been able to say this with confidence.
But.
Aishira was the heroine of this game. She was the woman that should have been united with Aquasteed.
That was what worried Tiararose, and had robbed her of her confidence.
—Please, please do not hate me…
She dashed down the long hallway, all thoughts of being a lady were far from her mind as she raced to Aquasteed's study. The knights that she passed all looked at her with wide eyes, but she did not care.
Please, please-she was filled only with a hopeful prayer.
"Prince Aqua…"
She whispered his name.
The door to his study was about ten meters from her now. Usually, she would need permission to enter, but she had no time for that. Tiararose's heart was too full, and all of her emotion was directed at him alone.
"Aqua—!"
"-Tiara?"
She had even forgotten to use his title, for she alone had the right to simply call him, 'Aqua.'
It was Aquasteed and Elliot who was in the room.
She breathed heavily from all the running and whispered 'Aqua' once again.
Seeing that something was not normal, Aquasteed quickly came up to her and gently wrapped her in his arms. He slowly rubbed her back as if to assure her that everything was alright.
"But…?"
"Hm?"
-But, hadn't he drunk the love potion?
Aquasteed's smile was the same as it always was, and it was directed at her. It did not look like a smile that suggested he loved someone else.
What did this mean? Tiararose's mind was filled with confusion.
So, was Aquasteed not in love with Aishira?
"What is it? Tiara?"
"Ah, um… Prince Aqua, do you still like me…?"
"Huh? Of course, I like you. And I love you."
He seemed surprised by the sudden question, but he answered it happily.
-Perhaps, perhaps this was one of those things. He loves me, but he also loves Aishira.
A chilling sweat ran down her back as she considered this possibility.
Do you also love Aishira? It was a simple question, but her voice had gone silent.
"Tiara?"
What is it? His gentle voice reached her ears. Did he also talk like this with Aishira? She hated the thought, and her fists clenched.
"Prince Aqua."
"What?"
"Do, do you like… Aishira as well?"
"Lady Aishira?"
Tiararose shook as she forced herself to ask him this question.
"What has happened, Tiara? I have feelings for no one but you."
"Prince Aqua…"
He chuckled and patted her on the head.
-But, Queen Pearl had told her that she made him drink the love potion.
Just as she was wondering what all of this could mean, the doors of the study opened.
"…It seems like trouble has come."
"King Grail, Queen Pearl."
"Why! You drank the tea that I poured, and yet…!"
Aquasteed sighed deeply before guiding Tiararose over to a sofa. Then he faced the two fairy rulers and sighed again.
Grail had an arm on Pearl, who had tears in her eyes and was struggling while yelling with anger. It was because Aquasteed still loved Tiararose in spite of having drunk the medicine.
And in the next instant, the doors flung open loudly once again.
It was Aishira who came in, completely out of breath. Behind her was Philiane, who she had bumped into on the way.
"Queen Pearl, please stop this…!"
"Tiararose, what has happened…!"
But then both of them gasped.
There was a fairy king and a fairy queen present. Of course, she had come to meet Pearl, the origin of this whole incident, but she had not expected Grail to be here.
Aishira hugged herself as if to stop her shivering, then a certain realization hit her.
Aquasteed had drunk the love potion that would make him fall in love with her. She had decided that this must be the case, since Pearl was here.
She stole a glance towards Aquasteed.
Tiararose was not late in catching this. She also noticed that Aishira's cheeks had become slightly flushed.
-Princess Aishira knew about it.
Tiararose understood then, that she had come here because she knew about what Pearl had done. But judging by how she had pleaded for Pearl to stop, she must have come in order to prevent this.
But.
-Surely she also had some small hope?
Tiararose had believed that Aishira held no special attraction for Aquasteed, but she now felt that she had been very foolish for thinking this.
-Why had she believed that Aishira did not like Aquasteed?
Considering the story of the game, it made no sense for Aishira to not have feelings for Aquasteed.
A sharp pain ran through her then.
However, even that was quickly blown away. Because in the end, it was the words that came from Aquasteeds mouth, that had the most weight.
"The sky fairies have already told me about what is happening at sea. A giant tsunami is headed towards us. In fifteen minutes."
"Wha…..!?"
Tiararose's eyes widened in shock at this.
"Aishira, I would like to use your beach in order to stop it."
"Yes, of course."
Grail and the fairies of the sky acted as a quick source of information for Aquasteed.
Because of this, there was no one in the kingdom who had access to more information than Aquasteed. And the only people who he shared this information with, was the Fairy Kings, Grail and Keith, Elliot and his beloved Tiararose.
Aishira immediately agreed to the use of her own sandy beach and asked if any preparations needed to be made.
"A tsunami…no. Can such a thing really be stopped…?"
"Nature is a most troublesome thing. Us fairy kings manage it, but once our hands have been lifted, it is very difficult to get it back under control."
"King Grail…"
Pearl was the Fairy Queen of the sea. Her emotions were strong, and she was younger than the other kings. Indeed, it was not possible for her to control the waves now that she had already unleashed them.
"Hmm hmph! It is your own fault for trying to bewitch Grail in the way that you did!"
"Pearl?"
"Grail, I saw you happily buying presents for that human!!"
At these words, a silence filled the room.
"And so I only thought that this human must experience the same fate. And I had that man drink a potion to make him fall in love with Aishira!!"
"Me? —Ah, the tea. I do believe that it was Elliot who drank it?"
"Uh."
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, then all eyes moved to Elliot.
Pearl frowned.
"I tasted it for poison. It may have been a gift from a fairy queen, but such a thing cannot be easily drunk."
Actually, it was mostly because that fairy queen happened to be Pearl.
And so Elliot had drunk it before Aquasteed. Aquasteed had only pretended to drink it.
"No, no it can't be…"
Pearl said, her shoulders shaking.
She had wanted so much to punish Tiararose for trying to bewitch Grail.
And then everyone's eyes turned towards Aishira.
-This love potion was supposed to make the person who drank it fall in love with her?
In other words, as Elliot had drunk the tea, he should have feelings directed towards her. Everyone thought this, and so their eyes moved back and forth between the two.
"Elliot…?"
Aquasteed called him quietly, but he only looked down and kept his mouth shut.
While everyone present wondered what should be done, Keith's voice echoed in the room.
"Hey, all of you! Are you not going to stop the tsunami!!"
"! Ye-yes, that is right. Prince Aqua, please, if there is anything that I can do. Allow me to help."
She asked him hurriedly, and he shrugged his shoulders in defeat. Normally, he would have loved to have shut her in a safe place, but she had been blessed by the fairy king of the forest. Her powers would greatly help in stopping the tsunami.
Everyone was still curious about Elliot, but that was hardly a priority when a tsunami would land within fifteen minutes.
…Though, perhaps most of them also felt that it was harmless if it just meant he would fall for her a little.
"Grail, we will go now. You must call a wind! Tiara, hang on to me."
"Ye-yes!"
Leaving the crying Pearl behind, Grail used the power of the sky to teleport away. He took Aquasteed who could use the power of the sky, and Tiararose who could use the power of the forest with him.
Keith also teleported away.
The only ones in the room now were Pearl, fairy queen of the sea.
Elliot, who had drunk the love potion, and Aishira, the object of his affections. And Philiane, who was struggling to understand the meaning behind this sudden development.
"…………….I will return to my palace!"
"Oh, Queen Pearl!!"
She too teleported and vanished from the room.
"We, we should head to the sea as well. Philiane, surely you are worried about Tiararose as well?"
"Yes, lady Aishira. I will call a carriage immediately."
"Thank you."
With these words, Philiane left the study in order to prepare for a carriage to take them to the sea.