Chapter 51 – Fake Rosé Seal
Princess paled and froze seeing the bond stamped with her own seal.
Of course she would, she was going to save a commoner riddled with unreasonable debt but it turns out to be related to herself.
“Well, but timewise, it’s weird, right? How is a note written ten years ago sealed by Princess Rosé? She’s the same age as us, right?”
Even the princess won’t have the faculties for consent when she was a child.
Then Princess, no, she’s Lady Demy now, said
“This is recent. The agreement written here is not the debt itself, but the fact that the family was taking over the deceased father’s debts. … it also says that the backdated interest is also charged”
“Eh, seriously? You can do that!?”
“Sometimes, between merchants over large amounts of money. There are cases where it’s adapted for when captains pretend they were shipwrecked and channeled the goods into the black market. Since there’s a clear precedent there are n.o.bles who would accommodate and judge such cases”
On this point Ivan Kingdom was still under the Rule of Man. «TN: As opposed to Rule of Law»
Everything’s decided over someone’s feelings on the matter.
“B, but I … I mean the Princess wouldn’t possibly accept this kind of thing! The Princess has never ever been consulted about debt notes before!”
Since the person herself said so then there’s no doubt about it.
“Even if there were, she won’t accept any more than they can pay!”
As Lady Demy’s voice became fl.u.s.tered, Maar silently shook her head.
“The Princess doesn’t know how people like us live”
“——!”
She didn’t know that Princess Rosé was right before her eyes.
Hearing the cries Maar had kept inside her heart, Princess bit her lip.
“Just with this piece of paper, everything will be taken from me, my shop, my mother. I’m sure the Princess knew none of that”
Maar hung her head and smiled a little.
“And stamping a seal is such a simple thing, isn’t it”
“T, that’s not how it is — ! P, Princess, always thinks of the country and the people … !”
“— after all, it’s even worse if that’s not the case, right? There’s no way that gentle Princess Rosé stamped her seal even knowing about it. Right?”
Lady Demy’s face turned completely red.
I think Princess said it before.
[Princess Rosé was beautiful like a bouquet of flowers, a pure and innocent maiden]
[The people swallowed the propaganda on their own accord and treated me like some saint]
[I’m the Princess after all]
[I have to pay attention be the Princess whose portrait everyone wants to decorate their homes with]
Maar searched and searched for the reason why that Princess Rosé would want to corner her this far.
And this might be the conclusion she came up with ….
“I, I … It’s a fake, this seal …! The Princess would never do anything that betrays the people!”
Ah, this is bad.
Lady Demy’s panicking.
I have to cover for her or else.
The Princess normally behaves calmly but has a bad habit of exploding when she panics.
When that happens, if she makes a blunder she’s going to take damage big time.
“That’s right isn’t it? It must be some kind of mistake. Some bad guy must have forged Princess’ seal”
I cut in.
“But even if it’s a fake, I can’t do anything unless I have proof …”
“Tell you what, we’ll go straight to the Princess and ask. ‘Did you really stamp your seal?"”
Maar was startled.
“C, c, c, can you do that? I was even rejected at the courthouse …!”
“Yeah, leave it to us. Even though we look like this we’re Princess Rosé’s friends. … Right Lady Demy?”
Lady Demy took a deep breath and put her emotions in order.
“Please believe in Princess one more time. She is not going to abandon you”
†
The two of us walked north from the residential ward.
Our destination is the Ivan Castle. Can’t miss it.
“I’m sorry. Things turned out like this”
Princess Rosé smiled wryly.
“Looks like I got Yuuki-san involved again. We didn’t manage to buy a kettle either. I was really planning to investigate about the hero Baccus together, too”
“Ah, you promised that, didn’t you”
About the hero who might be Arina’s father.
Looks like she remembered everything in the Isky residence chapel.
So she went out as Lady Demy for that ….
“Eh, that reminds me, how did you put on the disguise?”
Princess Rosé’s disguise needed a large amount of magic.
I don’t think she can ask the castle’s magicians to cast it for her personal matters ….
Princess then showed me her ring.
“I asked Arina-san to make an item so I can transform at any time”
“Eh? Since when? How did she became that kind of convenient character?”
“Ah —, that’s just Yuuki-san being dense …”
“?”
“No, never mind”
I thought Princess Rosé mumbled something.
“But we found something we have to hurry up and do”
“Ah, right”
We have to cancel the fake seal as soon as possible.
We have to return Maar’s family to the happy family it once was.
“I thought I had become more useful for everyone. As a royal and a symbol of the country who will one day take over its reins. I was going to put all my efforts into it”
“You did well, Princess. You were so majestic in the audience hall today”
“But, I didn’t know anything. Where to buy kettles, how much the price of tea is, and that people are being oppressed under my own name. Isn’t that just being arrogant. What Maar said was harsh, but it’s the truth.
Princess bit her lip and said
“— It’s a little frustrating”
She hung her head down.
She said it lightly but she’s holding it in quite a lot ….
“If it’s you Princess Rosé, you can take it back right away”
It might have been irresponsible of me. I didn’t have any basis, but I comforted her nonetheless.
“If Yuuki-san says so, I feel a little bit encouraged”
Princess grandly nodded.
“Yes. This is also experience! Something I learned from walking around town with Yuuki-san!”
It’s embarra.s.sing being put on the pedestal like that, but thank goodness.
Seems like she’s taking it optimistically.
“— Today was fun, in one way or another. I, have to go back to being Princess Rosé now, but …. um …”
“?”
Princess’ face became red. She said
“Every once in awhile, I’d like to be like this. I’d like to be y … ‘your’ Demy. Can I?”
“…. what if I say no?”
“I’ll throw you in jail of course♪”
I never had a choice did I …