ALL NOVEL Anyway… that’s how the princess ended up staying in the mansion.
Kyle mentioned that the reason the princess came was related to his coming-of-age ceremony.
Yeah, I figured she would come.
But I didn’t expect her to arrive today of all days.
The time that was supposed to be spent with Kyle suddenly got buried under the falling snow because of the unexpected arrival of the princess.
“Dammit.”
After work ended in the evening, I cursed alone in my room.
On the chair was the outfit I planned to wear when going out with Kyle.
“Ha…”
I just wasn’t feeling it.
It was weird that the princess showed up out of the blue, and I wondered why she thought to give a gift now instead of on the day of the ceremony.
-SLUMP.
I lay down on the bed.
Unlike Kyle’s bed, this one had less cushioning.
It felt familiar, yet somewhat unfamiliar at the same time.
“The princess… was pretty…”
Yeah, she was beautiful, fitting for her title and status.
Her blonde hair was similar to Catherine’s, but with a different texture and that mystical blue gaze.
She was just so different from me.
Her bust was perfectly proportioned.
Unlike some people who look like they’ve gained weight when they put on clothes.
“…”
Yeah, being a well-kept noble, there’s no a way it wouldn’t be like that.
Still, I couldn’t shake off this weird feeling.
If I were to reveal these inner thoughts, I could literally lose my head…
But it just didn’t sit right with me.
*
The next day, the princess spent time with Kyle.
Other guests were enjoying moments with the princess alone, and I couldn’t just tag along.
They weren’t merely wandering around; they were having ‘conversations’ in the reception room.
Did I really have to mention the word “conversation”? I couldn’t really do anything about it.
I was just a private tutor and direct servant, after all.
Well, I’d be done with that role soon anyway.
*
“Hmm… by the way, it seems that servant still doesn’t have feelings for Kyle, does he?”
“…”
“Oh my, could it be really so…?”
“Yes.”
I ended up having a conversation with the princess in the reception room.
To be honest, I didn’t really want to say much.
I just hoped the princess would hurry back to the capital.
“Hmm… that would be tough then. I can’t use the methods I’ve thought of.”
“Methods?”
“Well… like potions, and magical treatments, all sorts of stellar spells?”
“…”
She said she would give relationship advice, but I didn’t understand what kind of nonsense she was talking.
When we met at the debutante ball, I thought she was an ordinary person… but she’s not much different from her father.
No, she might even be more dangerous.
“First of all, that servant must have some feelings for Kyle for this to work. If they think of each other only as employer and slight acquaintances…”
I knew that much.
I knew that Sophia didn’t have any romantic feelings for me.
That’s why I was in this situation.
“But for a duke’s son, wouldn’t a confession suffice? You’ve been together for years. What on earth have you been doing all this time?”
“That’s….”
I had no words.
Even I didn’t know what had been done until now.
“Ha…” “Hmm… what should we do…?”
Both I and the princess pondered in front of each other.
How could I make Sophia look at me differently?
Is it even possible for someone who has considered me a younger brother for all these years to suddenly see me as a man?
For me, the thought of seeing Sophia as someone more than just a sibling had been prevalent since childhood, but what about her?
18 years old, when she first met me.
I was just a 12-year-old kid back then.
Now, that 12-year-old is 19, and 18 has become 25.
She must have always thought of me as her younger brother, and still does, I guess.
“Ha…”
I’m feeling lost.
Maybe it’s because I talked with the princess.
I couldn’t shake off this sense of helplessness.
“Um! Then shall we try this method first?”
“What’s that?”
The princess suddenly held up a finger and said that.
A method…
Honestly, I wasn’t that excited about it.
After all, she had just mentioned some strange ideas a moment ago.
“The method is… to provoke jealousy!”
“Excuse me?”
“Jealousy!”
“….”
Yeah, I was honestly a bit curious about what the princess was going to say.
But as soon as I heard it, my expectations shattered.
Jealousy?
Isn’t jealousy something meant for someone who already has feelings for you?
Doing that towards Sophia?
“….”
“Don’t give me that look! Believe me when I say I know more about that servant’s feelings than Duke’s son!”
“What do you mean by…?” “Well, when I first met you yesterday, your expression didn’t look too bright, did it? Were you perhaps getting ready for a date?”
“… Yes.”
Although calling it a date was embarrassing, it was somewhat a date-like situation.
Of course, it couldn’t happen because of someone else’s arrival.
“Aha… that’s what it was?”
The princess wore an expression as if she had figured something out.
I had no idea what she thought she had figured out.
“When I got out of the carriage and glancing at that servant’s face, it didn’t look good. Sure, it must’ve been a little contained since he was in front of me. But the most beautiful flower of the Dextrin Empire, Julia Dextrin, could see it all?”
“Yes…?”
“So, that servant must have disliked that I interrupted what could have been a date with the Duke’s son, you know?!”
“…?”
That couldn’t be right.
How could Sophia dislike that her potential date with me was interrupted?
It must have just been awkward since a guest suddenly showed up.
“Hey! Just trust me for once! I’m older than you, so trust me on this!”
“Yes….”
“Alright, surely that servant still sees you in a casual light, like a mere employer, perhaps even as a slightly closer younger brother. The Duke’s son probably sees him that way too, right? But then suddenly you, the attractive one, show up and start flirting with the Duke’s son!”
“….”
The servant would surely feel uncomfortable watching someone who he believed had always been by the Duke’s side suddenly being approached by an unfamiliar woman, right? And gradually, he would get more uneasy…
*
“Young Master, it’s morning.”
“… Yes.”
I entered Kyle’s room to wake him up in the morning.
Unlike usual, Kyle looked a bit tired.
“Young Master, are you alright…? If you’re tired, you can sleep a bit longer.”
“No… I’m okay.”
“Is that so…?”
Then again, he didn’t look too well…
Could it be that the princess has been bothering him?
That seems quite possible.
After all, she’s a woman who shows up without any prior notice.
It’s completely understandable.
Anyway, that’s how the morning routine began.
As always, I buttoned up Kyle’s shirt and tied his tie.
Then we headed to the dining hall to watch as Kyle and the princess had breakfast.
“…”
Of course, the Duke and Adela were nearby, but I didn’t like it.
*
“By the way, Duke’s son, you look good. When I saw you last time, you were wearing a coat and I couldn’t see.”
“… Is that so?”
“….”
Kyle and the princess watched the knights training.
The princess had expressed her desire to see the competence of Eristirol’s knights.
Even though the successor ceremony was over, Kyle still had plenty of free time while the Duke was busy working.
So here we were, Kyle and the princess watching together.
I couldn’t understand why she was praising his muscles while wanting to see the knights at the same time.
Sure, Kyle has a good physique, so that’s understandable.
But isn’t it slightly inappropriate to say things like that right in front of him?
She’s not just any random girl.
She’s a princess.
If something were to happen to the crown prince, she would be the first in line…
“By the way, I’ve heard that the White Young Lady and Oldenburg Young Lady visited recently. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“They are surely pretty ladies. Although not as pretty as I am.”
“….”
I didn’t get why she suddenly brought that up.
Why compare herself with other young ladies when she’s older than them?
From top to bottom, you can confidently say she is much prettier than the others… or not.
She certainly has a beautiful face, a wonderful golden mane, and that enchanting eye color, right?
Her bust impressively fills out her dress perfectly when worn.
Her power holds a significant position, probably 4th or 5th among the Empire.
But anyway, she wouldn’t be a match as Kyle’s wife.
“Honestly, her personality is the issue.”
Sure, if you solely consider how the nobles evaluate her, she’s deemed kind-hearted.
But immediately comparing herself with daughters from other families is ridiculous!
Anyway!
“Hehe… How about it? Not bad, right?”
“Yes, not bad.”
What’s the ‘not bad’ supposed to refer to?
Her face?
Or that perfectly proportioned bust that looks like it’d fit right between my fingers?
Or the hips, which looked perfect in that dress?
What is ‘not bad’ in this context?
What is Kyle responding to with ‘not bad’?
“….”
I wish she would add subject and object to her sentences.
How is it that I taught these things when we were young, yet she’s forgotten them?
“Okay, Duke’s son? Show me the next location. Eristirol has a lot of fun things!”
“Yes, that I’ll do.”
Kyle and the princess moved on to the next spot.
And as usual, I followed behind Kyle.