“…Hey, Cecilia.”
“…Yes, what is it, Alexel?”
“It’s just…can’t you do something about this?”
“…Oh, just think of it as a disease and give up.”
I answered Alexel, who stood in the corridor with a scowling look in front of me, asking me to stand next to him while looking at the same place with a troubled expression on his face.
Prince Alfeld was standing in front of us with a bewitching smile on his face, calling out to the handmaidens one by one.
All the maids who were called out were talking to Prince Alfeld, blushing with a fascinated face.
Even if he had originally declared that he wouldn’t make a harem, it seems he couldn’t stop talking to women for long periods of time.
But even so, although I was used to seeing Prince Alfeld like this, I was amazed to see him calling out to the handmaids brought from Alexel’s country.
How much do you love women…?
As I was thinking about this, Prince Alfeld, who had finished talking, walked towards us with a bewitching smile on his face.
“Hello, Cecilia. You look so beautiful today.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“It’s the truth. His Majesty, Emperor Alexel must be very happy.”
“Oh. Prince Alfeld seems to be the same as ever. But…isn’t it time you stopped distracting my handmaids? As you can imagine, it’s starting too hinder their work.”
“I don’t mean distract anyone, though. I was just having a little chat with those beautiful ladies.”
Prince Alfeld smiled without any signs of being offended.
At the sight of Prince Alfeld, Alexel let out a small sigh and turned his gaze towards me.
No, even if you appeal to me…
Though I thought so, I resigned to the fact that it couldn’t be helped, and spoke to Prince Alfeld.
“Prince Alfeld…as expected, it would be better for you to tone it down a bit, wouldn’t it?”
“Cecilia, could it be that you’re jealous for me?”
“What? Jealous of something?”
Prince Alfeld looked a little happy, but then I answered immediately. Then he became depressed with a disappointed look.
“I’m not sure what to expect from you anymore, Cecilia.”
“Really? But…I didn’t think it would be good for either of us to have too many expectations.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“…Thank you for your concern, Emperor Alexel. But I’m fine. I honestly think it’s very Cecilia-like.”
Prince Alfeld smiled bitterly as he said that, and came to look at me with a sly look on his face.
Alexel was also smiling at me similarly.
“Yes, you’re right. I’ve only been able to spend a short time with Cecilia, but even I know what Prince Alfeld meant by that.”
“I’m sorry. This doesn’t make any sense to me at all. What is it?”
I asked Alexel that, but for some reason, Alexel and Prince Alfeld looked at each other and laughed.
“Oh yeah! If you don’t mind, would you both like to come to my room from now on and have a cup of tea?”
“…Tea in Prince Alfeld’s room?”
“Actually, I received a special tea leaf from my country today. I thought you two would enjoy it and wanted you to try it.”
“I’ve heard that Prince Alfeld’s country has a wide variety of tea leaves. A special tea amongst them…interesting. In that case, let’s have it.”
Alexel looked curious at Prince Alfeld’s invitation, but I, who was standing next to him, had a complicated and confused expression on my face.
Tea…there’s no way I’m going to be drugged again like before…right?
I couldn’t shake away my anxiety after being drugged by Prince Alfeld once before.
Perhaps he understood my thoughts, because Prince Alfeld smiled bitterly and shook his head lightly at me.
“Cecilia, don’t worry, it’s really just ‘tea.’”
“Oh, I see…”
“What’s up, Cecilia? You seem to have a very stiff expression on your face?”
“No, no, it’s nothing…I understand. Well, since it’s an invitation, let’s accept it!”
I nodded back to Prince Alfeld with a determined look on my face.
***
Alexel and I, along with Prince Alfeld, entered his room and were led into the reception room where we each sat on a chair and waited for our tea to be served.
When I entered Prince Alfeld’s room, I made sure that the room and the other maidservants were still present.
As we waited, Prince Alfeld came into the reception room, and his maidservant carefully placed an empty cup on the table in front of us and poured us each a cup of tea.
It seems to look okay for now…
I was still skeptical, so I smiled and thanked the maidservant, but my mind was still focused on the steaming tea.
“Then please have some before it gets cold. Oh, and if you’d like, you can also have some of my country’s tea cakes with it.”
Seeing Prince Alfeld, who smiled at me and recommended tea and a basket full of tea cakes, I was puzzled, but I picked up the cup and checked the aroma first.
…A really good smell. It smells fruity and citrusy. But I couldn’t tell by the smell before…
I was unable to drink because of such thoughts, but Prince Alfeld, perhaps because he tell, quickly took his cup and drank its contents without hesitation.
Next, he picked up a cookie from the basket with plenty of nuts in it, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it.
“I didn’t put anything bad in there, so please do not worry.”
With those words, I finally realized that Alexel had hesitated to drink too.
“I’m sorry. But I’m normally suspicious of any tea or food made by anyone other than someone I fully trust.”
“Well, I suppose so. I understand that’s just the way it is with your status as an emperor.”
“For a while after I became emperor, I had a lot of various things done to me, so I still have remnants of that left in me. However…I’m surprised that even Cecilia was suspicious of Prince Alfeld’s tea.”
“Well, that’s…”
“Well, it’s a good thing to be cautious because you’re going to be my queen.”
“That’s not…”
Alexel looked at me and grinned, ignoring my attempts to argue with him, and then took a sip of the tea.
“Ho~ That’s pretty good.”
When I saw Alexel admiring the tea, I didn’t feel like saying anything else.
So I drank the cup of tea I had with me, following Alexel’s example.
“It’s true! It’s so good!”
I couldn’t help but speak out at the deliciousness of the it, and naturally smiled as I looked at Prince Alfeld.
Then I saw Prince Alfeld looking at me with his usual bewitching smile.
“Prince Alfeld?”
“I’m very glad you like it. Besides…when you become my queen in the future, you can be as suspicious of eating and drinking from strangers as you are now.”
“…What? Prince Alfeld, what in the world are you talking about…”
“You’re preaching to the choir. Cecilia is my betrothed and will soon to be my queen.”
“That’s only at the moment though, isn’t it? I still believe that the future can change in any way. In fact, Cecilia is no longer engaged to Kaiser, so I think it’s quite possible that Cecilia’s engagement to His Majesty Emperor Alexel could also disappear.”
“Hmm, that future will never come. If you get your hopes up too high, it will be more painful in the end. The sooner you give up the better, in my opinion.”
“Fufu, worst-case scenario, I can just take her away.”
“Well…Prince Alfeld’s country was that way after all. But I have no intention of letting you take anything from me. Think of it that way.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
The two looked at each other and laughed with inappropriate smiles.
However, I, as the party in question, who had been left behind by such two people, looked at them in turn, quite bewildered.
No, um, are you still completely ignoring my feelings as usual!?
To be honest, as much as I wanted to shout that out loud, I had a feeling that if I spoke out here, it would make things even more complicated, so I held back and just drank tea and ate sweets while enduring this indescribable atmosphere.
***
In the end, the tea party, which I didn’t have time to enjoy because of the unsettling atmosphere, ended, and Alexel and I left the room, thanking Prince Alfeld for his kindness.
I was completely exhausted, so I told Alexel that today’s tour was over and decided to go back to my room.
However, Alexel insisted on walking me back to my room, and I had no choice but to let him.
I’m not sure why he was silent the whole time, but he had a complex look on his face as he we arrived at my room.
I was wondering why he was so quiet, but I thanked him for sending me off for the time being
“Thank you for accompanying me. Alexel, please take some time to rest once you return to your room.”
“Yeah.”
Alexel replied back, but for some reason he didn’t move from his spot and just stared at me.
“What’s wrong with you, Alexel?”
“…Cecilia, be careful of that Prince Alfeld.”
“What? Why?”
“That guy…he might actually kidnap you someday.”
“…”
“I don’t care how well you know him, don’t let your guard down.”
“…Ah…I’ll be careful…”
Satisfied with my answer, Alexel went back to his room.
However, I looked at the him as he left with an indescribable expression.
No, I’m very happy to hear your advice, but…I’m sorry! I’ve already been kidnapped by Prince Alfeld already!!! (***T/N: Sweetie, you’ve been kidnapped three times already…)
I was screaming such a thing in my heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T/N: Alexel has no idea…
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