The silver hair glittering in the sunlight was dazzling. As Crown Prince Maximilian appeared in the same formal wear as yesterday, I was so surprised I solidified.
âI tried coming on a whim. I certainly didnât expect to meet Princess hereâ
Seeing Crown Prince Maximilian approach with natural movements, I broke my petrification.
No good, what are you doing me! Havenât I decided to fight.
I gave myself a pep talk and fired myself up. Alright, Iâm going!
âPlease donât get closer. Your Highness Maximilian too, why are you here?â
Deep down I was relieved that a voice stronger than expected came out.
This is Wilhelmâs royalty quarters. Itâs not a place for foreign royalties to enter.
My warning was loaded with such a meaning, but Crown Prince Maximilian knit his eyebrows as if wanting to say what ridiculous thing youâre saying .
âEven if you ask me why. On the way back from saying my farewells to the King of Wilhelm, I simply visited a garden?â
ââŠ! Is, that soâ
⊠Thatâs bad.
His words made me realize it was me who committed a mistake. Come to think of it, I have a feeling I passed through a break in a hedge while absentminded. Perhaps it was the border between the gardens of the general area and royalty quarter.
In other words, before I realized I came to the general area from the royalty quarter.
⊠Wow. Iâve done it.
Unpleasant sweat flowed in drops. Of course I wouldnât remember the way. Iâve come to a completely different location. That means, this is probably at the edge of the general area. Iâm sure thatâs why there arenât any royal guards.
Damn it , I thought, but itâs already too late.
Thereâs no way out this late, itâs force majeure that I met Crown Prince Maximilian.
In the first place, I had no idea heâd come to the castle today. Farewells⊠Ah, come to think of it, thatâs natural.
âPrincess?â
While I kept wondering, Crown Prince Maximillian called out to me.
Ah, I canât I canât. I have to sustain the battle mode. Itâs not the time to be befuddled.
â⊠Excuse me. And? Does Your Highness need anything from me?â
In an instant I pulled myself together, straightened my back and fixed my eyes on Crown Prince Maximilian.
As if Iâd lose , I told myself.
âYouâre still keeping up appearances? It was Princess who spoke sharply with vigor. I wonât blame you for impoliteness. Itâs fine to speak as you did last night.
Tch.
To keep even a little distance from Crown Prince who approached here slowly, I slowly fell back as well.
I donât intend on becoming familiar with this man.
âIf thatâs Your Highnessâs only business, Iâll excuse myselfâ
âWait, itâs a rare occasion. Letâs talk a little. And those words. Havenât I said it many timesâ
âI would like to decline. I am keeping people waiting. Excuse meâ
Itâs a complete lie that Iâm keeping people waiting.
But, I better excuse myself at this timing.
Sure, I feel like talking him down, but not being involved with this sort of man is unquestionably smart.
Thinking so, I considered leaving this place.
I roughly bowed and turned around.
âPrincessâ
I heard Crown Prince Maximilianâs voice, but I ignored yet.
Hmph, as if I care.
When I thought that, suddenly I had my wrist pulled again. My spine shivered from discomfort.
âOuch. Please let go of me!â
â⊠The exit isnât in that direction. Do you want to get lostâ
â⊠T h a n k y o uâ
⊠Lame.
â⊠Please let go of meâ
While I started feeling unpleasant for some reason, I tried to shake off Crown Prince Maximilianâs hand. But, I couldnât separate from the tight grip.
âYour Highness?â
âThis mark of ownership on the neck wasnât there last evening. Prince Friedrich, huhâ
â!â
I recalled having plenty kiss marks placed in the bath last night, and in a fluster pressed down on it with the free hand. Even though I skillfully hid it with my hair, the moment he approached my hair mustâve got disheveled and it unluckily showed.
As I turned bright red, Prince Maximilian said dispassionately.
âI see, Wilhelmâs âKingâs Flowerâ is the proof of Princess Consort. Thatâs why despite only being engaged youâre treated as Princess Consort, huh. It seems to have been very thoroughly engraved, but seeing that manâs obsession makes me want to laughâ
I didnât think he was such a man , with these words Crown Prince Maximilian finally let go of my hand.
Embarrassing. Iâd have never thought Iâd be found by Crown Prince Maximilian.
After all, I wish Iâd be spared from having them put in visible places.
In this case Iâd like to leave quickly, but if he says the exit isnât behind me, it must be behind Crown Prince Maximilian.
I donât feel like doing this much, but I have to pass by his side to go back.
Even if Iâm troubled, it canât be helped. Surely he wonât move aside even if I ask.
I resolved myself and walked towards him.
âWait, Princessâ
âIâve said Iâm keeping people waitingâ
âPhew⊠Thatâs a lie, right?â
Told that with full confidence, I was about to stop.
But, I clad myself in a calm aura.
âI wonder? Whether itâs a lie or truth, itâs unrelated to Your Highnessâ
âCertainly it doesnât matter. Even if what youâre saying is true, I intend to make you keep me companyâ
âWha?â
When Crown Prince Maximilian sent a glance, a tall knight blocked my view. Heâs dressed differently from Wilhelmâs knights. Going by the timing heâs probably Crown Princeâs excusive guardian knight.
â⊠Could you let me pass?â
While keeping the tone as calm as possible, I informed so.
But, the dark-blue haired knight before my eyes slowly shook his head left and right.
âI apologize. It is an order from my masterâ
âDonât injure her. Sheâs a woman whoâll be my Princess Consort in the near futureâ
âYes!â
To Crown Prince Maximilianâs words, the knight shortly bowed and answered.
Oi, who will be whose Princess Consort?
As expected, I donât think I can escape in two versus one scenario. Unless I make an opening itâs impossible.
It canât be helped , I resolved myself so and turned to Crown Prince Maximilian.
âYou better keep your daydreams just daydreamsâ
I intended to speak in a voice as cold as possible, but Crown Prince Maximilian didnât seem like he minded.
âYou are my Princess Consort, Princess Lidiana. I decided so. You have no right of vetoâ
âNo? Seeing you flaunt such a blatant mark of ownership I couldnât have forgottenâ
Guh.
Crown Prince Maximilianâs words that hit the nerve rendered me speechless.
âBut that doesnât matter. I donât place importance on virginity, eventually youâll become mine⊠Ah, thatâs right, I unexpectedly met Princess. In that case, shall I bring you back to my country at once, itâll save me time and effortâ
âIf youâre doing that, please do it aloneâ
I replied to Crown Prince Maximilianâs inflammatory words without a hint of agitation.
Perhaps surprised, his eyes narrowed in interest.
âHou? Youâre not frightened even though I said Iâd bring you back, huhâ
âWhy would I need to? Certainly, there are no soldiers here, so it might look like a great opportunity to you. However, weâre still within the Wilhelm castle. It can be said youâre right in the center of enemy territory. I donât think you, whoâs the Crown Prince of Sahaja, would haphazardly act in such a placeâ
Crown Prince said it was unexpected. Then, he shouldnât have a concrete strategy. There are too many demerits in running away with me in the current situation. Thereâs no reason to act for Crown Prince Maximilian who attaches importance to rationally judging loss and gain.
Thatâs why I said it without fear, but Crown Prince Maximilian just meaningfully smiled.
Itâs a smile when he tests people that I saw many times yesterday.
When I knit my eyebrows having noticed that, Crown Prince Maximilian seemed to find it more and more enjoyable.
âHead that can instantly respond to unexpected situations. Princess, after all you passâ
âPlease donât test people as you pleaseâ
When I got somewhat irritated by his persistence, Crown Prince Maximilian changed the topic as if we were having a totally inconsequential chatter.
âI said you have no right of veto⊠Ah, thatâs right, Princess. Is Red Shinigami doing well?â
â⊠I find it hard to understand what you are saying. Shinigami, that sounds dangerousâ
Despite the expression on my face saying that I donât understand, in my heart cold sweat flowed.
Dangerous. I canât reply here spontaneously.
I was about to get caught up in the sudden topic chance.
Shinigami⊠Itâs about Cain. Thereâs no mistaking it.
Although I responded calmly, I desperately thought.
Why did Crown Prince Maximilian hear of Cainâs matter.
Cain is excellent, but even so he should be only an assassin. There are similar people in that country, so I donât understand why Crown Prince is concerned about him.
And, why did he ask me that.
No, I know the reason. Because Cain is at my side. Thereâs no mistaking it.
What I donât know is why he knows that. I still havenât said that to anybody. It shouldnât be known.
Itâs on my mind, but my intuition tells me. I mustnât give this man the conclusive evidence.
From some time, an alarm in my head has been ringing non-stop.
Escape, escape , it wonât stop urging me so.
Damn it, if I could escape, I wouldâve done that a long time ago, I wanted to click my tongue.
Laughing kukuku from the bottom of his throat, Maximilian faced me and said in admiration.
âHm, good job. Youâve sidestepped it well. But I know even if you hide it. Itâs you, right? The one whoâs Shinigamiâs contractorâ
As Crown Prince Maximilian asked confidently, I still decided to continue feigning ignorance. In this situation, Iâll persist with feigning complete ignorance.
âAs I have said, I do not understand what you are talking about. If you intend to continue this incomprehensible talk, could I excuse myself this time?â
When I standoffishly turned my face away, Crown Prince Maximilian finally stopped laughing.
âHmm, very well. Then, Princess. Do you know what this is?â
âEh?â
What Crown Prince Maximilian produced while saying this was an empty bottle the size of a hand with a cap. I donât know why he suddenly took out such a thing, so in confusion I said its name.
âA glass bottle⊠is it?â
When I said that, Crown Prince Maximilian lightly shook that bottle.
âRight. It can only look like one. It certainly is a glass bottle. However, itâs magicalâ
âEhâ
Magical glass bottle? Not understanding what heâs saying, I looked at the glass bottle once again.
I can only see it as a commonplace glass bottle⊠Or rather, nn? Magical?
â⊠Doesnât Your Highness Maximilian hate magic and magical arts?â
Just the other day Will talked about it.
Crown Prince Maximilian nodded with satisfaction to my words.
âAfter all you know. Now then, a question. Why do you think I, who hates magic, is holding that?â
As Crown Prince lightly raised the bottle, while carefully considering I spun words.
â⊠The hatred of magic⊠was a bluffâ
If he makes the other party believe he hates magic, naturally itâll make them less wary against magic, magical arts, and magical tools. Was that his aim.
In fact, this way he brazenly brought in a dangerous magical tool.
âKukukuâŠâ
Crown Prince Maximilian didnât answer.
But, going by his satisfied laughter I felt what I said is correct.
Having silently loosened its cap, Crown Prince Maximilian held out the bottle to me.
I was about to go with the flow and receive it, but overcome with an unclear bad premonition I withdrew my hand.
I canât, I donât really get it, but I feel something awful will probably happen if I receive it.
âWhatâs wrong? Not going to receive it?â
â⊠No thanks. I donât know what effect this magical tool may have, so I canât carelessly take itâ
I took a step back.
Without rebuking me, Crown Prince Maximilian closed in the same distance.
âKuku. So youâve kept your smarts from the matter before, Princess. I wish youâd touch the bottle obediently though. This is a magical reduction bottle. Itâs a magical tool from Sahaja that confines everything that touches it other than the operator â
âConfines?â
âThatâs right. The size doesnât matter. Anything⊠Yes, even peopleâ
â!!â
At those words I tried jumping away in panic, but the path was blocked by the knight who went around to the back.
âFabius, treat her politelyâ
âI understandâ
Caught between the two of them, I was slowly cut off.
A magical tool that confines everything that touches it inside. To make me touch it means, this man seriously feels like taking me with him to Sahaja.
âNobody will think Princess is inside such a small bottle. When the sun sets and Princessâs disappearance gets noticed, weâll be crossing the borderâŠ. Even if Iâm in the middle of the enemy grounds, there are countless ways of doing thingsâ
â! The lowest!!â
I canât believe heâd take me by force even though I said I donât want to go.
I searched for some way to escape, but being surrounded I was completely helpless.
âBe obedient. Princess. Iâm not going to really eat you. Iâll simply be receiving you as my Princess Consortâ
âI refuse! Didnât I say I hate you!!â
Spontaneously I returned a scream. Again I forewent politeness, but itâs not the situation to worry about that.
âFinally your disguise came off. Itâs fine if you hate me. I said that last night too, emotions of like and dislike are unnecessary for a royal marriageâ
Ah jeez, my words donât get through to him!!
What do I do, what do I do , I thought so desperately, but Iâm not coming up with any good ideas.
Be that as it may, I donât want to go to Sahaja.
Whoâd want so serve such a man.
But, even if I say so, as a weak woman I couldnât possibly escape this encirclement.
Perhaps I could manage if I could at least use a sword, but unfortunately, I cannot use any weapons like that.
What I want to say is, every single of my hobbies is of the indoors type.
Crown Prince Maximilian brought the botte close to me, whoâd been cornered to a place with no escape. At once I reached out my hand to brush off the bottle.
For an instant I felt the cold touch of the bottle. Bad⊠So I thought but.
â⊠Huh?â
Being sucked into the bottle â there was nothing like that.
Just like until some time ago, I stood on the spot without a change. Not understanding what happened I looked up at Crown Prince Maximilian in front of my eyes, but he also made an astonished expression.
âWhat?â
Saying so he raised the glass bottle in front of his eyes and compared it with me many times.
Of course, Iâm not in that place.
âIt⊠doesnât activate?â
Lucky!!
As I understood what Crown Prince Maximilian said, I wanted to spontaneously make a guts pose.
I donât quite get it, but apparently the magical tool broke down and it seems to have turned into an ordinary glass bottle.
While they were surprised, I slipped through the gap between them and ran with all my might.
â!! Fabius!!â
âYes!!â
The knight called Fabius responded to Crown Prince Maximilianâs strict voice.
Soon, I felt his presence on my back. After all, I have a female pace. Itâs only a matter of time before I get caught.
Before, I have to meet somebody from Wilhelm. If possible, a guard or royal guard.
But, the knight moved faster than I thought. In the twinkling of an eye he caught up to me. At the time I thought my arm would be caught.