Swain Hakushaku Reijou no Chiisana Oujisama

It was time for the magic school’s long holidays to finish soon.
My Father, Count William Swain, has summoned me to his workroom. I had a bad feeling. That’s because Father calls me to his workroom only rarely.
But then, because I’m returning to the school’s dormitory after the long holidays end, I was careless and thought he wouldn’t instruct me to do something unreasonable.
Three people have waited for me in Father’s workroom.
One of them was naturally Father. Father’s secretary waiting by his side. And, an unfamiliar little boy.
Because he’s wearing high-quality clothes, he must be Father’s friend’s child or something.
Hou, I leaked a sigh. Whether it was because of Father’s plumpness, or the pale secretary in the prime of his life, the child looked that much more beautiful. I don’t want to show contempt for Father or the Secretary by no means, but both are people who make someone else appear better.
The boy appears to be five or six years old, he has bright brown hair and blue eyes. He’s an obedient looking, doll-like child. Overflowing with dignity, there’s an aura around him. He has a hopeful future.

「Excuse me, Otousama」

When I greeted him, Father slightly stretched his double chin and urged me to come closer. As I was told, I go closer and nod to the boy while pa.s.sing by him.
After I had arrived by his side, Father turned his arm around my waist and introduced me to the boy.

「Thank you for waiting. This is my daughter Mirabell」

When I was told to give a greeting and introduce myself a bit, the boy gave「Fuun」an indifferent reply and turned away. His behavior is a little poor, but such gesture is also picture-perfect of a child.
Nevertheless, I’m bothered by Father’s polite behavior when talking to the child.
I squat down before the boy sitting on a sofa in front of Father.

「What is your name?」
「…… Your (kisama)1 daughter is quite an insolent fellow」

The boy spoke to my Father. When I looked at Father, his face turned pale.

「You shouldn’t use such rude words like kisama. Besides, you should properly answer when asked a question」
「Who asked you to open your mouth?」

Gin, he glared at me, but it’s not scary being glared by such adorable child.

「I’m terribly sorry, Your Highness!!」

Father pulled on my hair and somehow supported my body which tilted from behind with his hand.

「What are you doing! Otousama!!」
「Same to you, how are you talking to His Highness!」
「What are you talking about? I was talking to this child」
「That very person is His Highness, Prince Yuriel!」

His Highness the Prince.

「Please stop joking. There’s no way a person like that would visit a House of a ruined Count, right?」

A few years ago, because my Father has been scammed of money by an antique dealer, the House of Count Swain now holds peerage only in the name.
There’s no way royalty would come to such House.
Father’s face distorted when I thoughtlessly let such words out of my mouth, and the secretary did his best not to break into laughter. I’m sorry. I had no ill will, it unconsciously went out.

「I’m the genuine Prince Yuriel. Do you not remember the faces of royal family?」

The boy sitting on the sofa shakes his head, good grief, while looking at me.
Only a small fraction of people remember all faces of the royal family. Much less woman and children who are focusing on either trying to catch a good man or learning manners.

「Haa… so, why is His Highness, the Prince in a place like this?」
「Ask your father」

You won’t explain to me, huh.
When I request Father who is still making a sad face to explain, he explained with a difficult to hear, mumbling under his nose tone.

His Majesty the King has four princes. That, I know too.
The eldest son Prince Alan, the second son Prince Romeo, the third son Prince Gilbert, and the fourth son Prince Yuriel.
I occasionally see Prince Alan who’s eighteen years old within the school. He seems to be involved with administration while leaving academic achievements behind. He’s the eldest child of the late Queen.
The sixteen years old Prince Romeo famous for being a tactician. He has wide personal connections, and he has a good reputation for his smarts war strategies. He is the younger brother with same parents as Prince Alan.
The fourteen years old Prince Gilbert is obedient and bright, and he’s good at gaining people’s trust. He’s the only son of the former concubine who became the current Queen after the former Queen’s death.
The five years old Prince Yuriel is the son of a maid His Majesty took on a whim. His Okaasama died right after Yuriel-sama’s birth, he’s a little prince judged to have no value with no one to appreciate him.

It appears His Majesty the King thought of selecting the new king soon. Of course, the front runner being His Highness Alan. He’s sincere and steady, always thinking about this country, a man of character who can look at things impartially.
However, the talent of His Highness Romeo is precious too. He has his personal connections and his charisma. He would be able to utilize that talent in diplomacy.
Above all, His Highness Gilbert is the Queen’s only child. There are no problems with his abilities too.
He was troubled, troubled, but still couldn’t decide. His Majesty judged that he can’t go like this and decided on a time limit. Next year, after Prince Alan graduates, His Majesty will announce the next king. It’s just an announcement and not an official take over, so it’s still not disadvantageous talk for the young princes.

However, when that happened, quiet fights occurred between the princes. In order to crush the achieved Prince Alan and the tactician Prince Romeo, the Queen sent a.s.sa.s.sins at the two. And of course, the first and the second princes weren’t that weak to yield.

Father begins to talk about His Highness Yuriel who hasn’t appeared in the talk that much yet.

Prince Yuriel can hardly be called a candidate. He’s the king candidate in name only. He wasn’t spoke of well of since his birth, and he has no backing. He’s still young and has not received as much education as his elder brothers.
However, the Queen who wanted to reduce even a little of threat apparently wanted to lay her hands on Prince Yuriel as well. His Majesty too wasn’t affectionate to his child. However, it appears he felt it would be too cruel to just let Prince Yuriel who has no backing to die.
But, His Majesty should be fair. He can’t protect Prince Yuriel by himself. Therefore, he safely sent him out of the castle to let him live here, in our House of Count Swain.

「…… In that case, why this House?」

A House with more power would be a better choice.

「There’s a high possibility that your powerless House is not connected to Hahaue」

Hahaue is most likely the way His Highness calls the current Queen.

「Did you not think that Otousama might have been bribed?」
「You are engaged to Duke Roderick’s son, aren’t you? Your house was judged as reliable because of that」
「Then, wouldn’t it be better to go to Duke’s House?」
「Duke Roderick hates children」

Oh, right.
Duke Roderick is currently serving as the prime minister. I and the Duke’s only son are engaged, and we are also childhood friends, however aside from his son, he hates all other children, rather, he’s not very good with them. It was just recently that we started having normal conversations.
Has His Highness affirmed something? If so, I have to solve the misunderstanding later. That person just doesn’t know how to deal with others.

「In other words, your father was gracefully deceived. I’m a prince who has not entered his father’s eyes. I will carefreely spend my days at the House of a ruined Count while not getting involved with the royal family as much as possible」
「Ara, how twisted…」

I think that His Majesty simply thought of Prince Yuriel’s well-being.

「It’s a fact. Aren’t we a good match, a ruined n.o.ble and a useless prince」
「Useless prince… huh… which reminds me, our servants harvested pears this morning. Do you like them? Would you like to eat them?」2
「Don’t want! Are you making a fun of me!!」

Prince Yuriel head-b.u.t.ted my chin. It hurts really bad.

「Ojousama, are you all right?」

The secretary suddenly took ice out of nowhere and applied it to my chin. Ahh, magic. I see.

「I’m fine. Thanks」

When I groan while gripping the ice, His Highness fun, laughs scornfully.

「You reap what you sow」
「I wasn’t making fun of you. I just wanted to let the tension out of our shoulders. Your Highness will be living here, right? Let’s deepen our friends over some tea」
「……」
「However, I’m still baffled. It’s too extraordinary all of sudden. I have never thought that a day we would a.s.sociate with royalty would come」

Yes, I still don’t understand. I honestly doubt whether this is a dream.

「Do you dislike sweets?」

＊＊＊

While stuffing his cheeks with a pear tart, Prince Yuriel stares at me like a cat observing the situation.
He’s making a gloomy expression, but his cheeks occasionally twitch because of the tart’s deliciousness. He’s cheeky, but his cuteness makes me want to immediately forgive him.

「Is it good?」
「Terrible」
「Then, I will have the rest」
「There’s nothing for you to eat! Don’t lay your hands on my things!!」

It’s delicious, isn’t it? He wants to eat it all.
Father is observing with a cold sweat as the whether I will say something rude. You don’t have to be so afraid of such little child. Father’s originally low dignity is wearing off even further.

「In fact, it’s strictly forbidden to eat in the workroom. Because Father is an incompetent person」
「H, hey! Mirabell!」
「It’s the truth, isn’t it?」

In the past, when I was eating snacks here with my fiance, he got really angry. That person was a visitor from the Duke’s House, so he couldn’t say much, but I was harshly scolded.

「I was able to put up a little resistance thanks to Your Highness」
「…… You look happy」
「The elation of disobeying your parents feels good no matter how many times you do it」

The feeling of euphoria from pranking and rebelling could turn into a habit. There’s a little no problem if it becomes.

「You have no fragment of modesty a woman should have」
「There weren’t such good women like me around His Highness, right?」
「I would like to see a woman who’s inferior to you」

Kisama turned into omae3 .

「His Highness knows the difficult words well. You are currently five, right? When I was five, I was lisping on top of not knowing difficult words」
「Naturally. The quality is different」

If I have to say, he knows words to insult people really well, doesn’t he?

「Let’s take a walk around the mansion after you finish eating, okay?」
「Why do I have to listen to your orders?」

I have not really ordered you, though?

「Then, would you like to be like my Father who eats and sleeps and repeats?」

Glance, I look at Father. He’s gentle and definitely not a bad person, but you can’t deny his untidy figure.

「Fun… I was free anyway. I will keep you company」

As I thought, he doesn’t want to become like that, His Highness nodded while chewing.
Nevertheless, this is a fresh view for me who doesn’t have a younger brother. The younger acquaintances I have would be my cousins, but those children are polite and obedient, I look more like a child than they do.
Prince Yuriel might be childish in a sense. If he doesn’t get what he wants, he gets angry like a child. However, when he stuffs his cheeks with sweets or when he fu~ fu~ blows on the tea and chibi, chibi drinks, how lovely is that.
If I had such younger brother……
Unfortunately, our parents are the case of a beauty and a beast. If I have resembled only my Mother, I would most likely be beautiful as well. However, as I resemble my parents in fifty to fifty ratio, I’m not especially beautiful. Therefore, they surely wouldn’t give birth to such pretty little brother.
Aren’t I lucky in a sense? Because such cheeky, adorable child came to our house, I want to be sufficiently affectionate to him.
I will have to return back to the dormitory in five days, so we will be able to meet only rarely, though.

「Your Highness, how about another helping of tea?」
「You won’t get anything out of me」

Footnotes