Count Swain’s house is a very nice place when speaking about the location of the house. A field of flowers spreads around the mansion’s surroundings, and my Mother runs around in delight every year. I digress. That very Mother got disappointed with the shilly-shally Father of mine and returned to her parent’s home. I don’t know when she will return, but she occasionally meets with me for tea. That’s because my grandparent’s house is near the school dormitories.
Well, because of that, there are no people running around this flower field.
「Since we are here, why don’t you try to catch me, is what I wanted to say, but you would escape」
「Thus, leaving you behind, I would return to the mansion」
「Your Highness is a cold child, aren’t you?」
「Don’t call me a child!」
Only children get angry when treated as children, you know?
Father has a work to do, so he returned to the mansion. He was worried whether I make some mistake, but I’m more reliable than Father.
「Today is a fine day, isn’t it?」
「It’s cloudy, you know?」
「There is no fixed weather for ‘fine weather.’ I prefer weather like this. I don’t like sunlight that much」
「Hikikomori, huh」
「Well, yes」
I wonder what I’m talking about with a child. Moreover, this child’s tsukkomi is so sharp.
I prefer reading books in my room rather than playing outside. That’s me.
「By the way, Your Highness. Is there anything Your Highness is scared of?」
「No」
「Really?」
「There isn’t!」
Then.
「May I ask you to throw the earthworm at my feet somewhere?」
「Are you ordering me around?」
「Ara, are you scared?」
「I’m not scared! Look!!」
His Highness picks up the earthworm as if it was nothing and throws it far away. Amazing.
Even though children nowadays cry at the sight of an insect. At school, there are only a few boys who can oppose them.
「As expected! You were wonderful! Prince Yuriel! How reliable you are!」
I too am bad with insects, earthworms, and reptiles. I thought I was going to faint when I discovered one at my feet. I’m glad His Highness was calm.
「Your Highness is very reliable, aren’t you? You are a splendid gentleman」
「Aren’t you exaggerating too much?」
When I stroke his head, His Highness turns bright red and averts his gaze. Ara, is he shy? This is…… cute.
「I’m really glad Your Highness was here… Your Highness is my benefactor」
「Wha… let me down!!」
I lift up His Highness in my arms and spin around. How light. So enviable. He’s light like feathers. His Highness shouts put me down, put me down with his face completely red. But, he’s too cute, so I’m not able to stop. Continuing like this, before long, His Highness let out a funny giggle.
His first smile. More adorable than I could imagine.
However, I’m getting tired. I fall on my back on the flowers, and His Highness ends up on top of my belly.
His Highness who ended up burying his face into my chest raises his face in panic and peeks at my face.
「Are you not injured?」
「No. I fell down well」
「Are you not crushed…?」
「No. Your Highness is light as a feather」
His Highness leaked out a sigh and sprawled on the ground beside me. Not flopped, but sprawled.
「Come closer」
「Am I not close?」
「Don’t mind it and quickly come closer」
His Highness bubbling with anger is cute as well, but since he’s finally calling me while in a good mood, I do as he says.
「Alan is good at his work, he’s a nice, diligent fellow. Romeo is sagacious but talented. Gilbert is obedient and liked by everyone」
「You love your siblings, don’t you?」
「I hate them」
「Ara…」
Well, it would be like that, wouldn’t it? I also detested my fiance in the past. A person who can do anything. Closer to me than anyone and always having a lead on me. That person always attacked my inferiority complex. Currently, I understand that I am I, and he is he, though.
It feels stuffed from time to time when a good person is by your side.
Much less His Highness, who could hear his surroundings in the castle. It surely wasn’t a comfortable place to be.
「I can’t do anything. I’m nothing」
「That’s not true. Your Highness is a hero who has protected me from a terrible monster」
「It was an earthworm, right?」
I’m telling you, a terrible monster.
「Everyone can do that. Alan, Romeo, and Gilbert can do something like grabbing an eartworm」
「That’s not possible」
Ahh, no. I wasn’t talking whether the other princes could grab an earthworm.
「I’m sure the other princes can grab an earthworm too. However, right now, the one who was able to protect me is Prince Yuriel. Only Prince Yuriel was here. You are the one who has saved me. Not others, but only you are my reliable Oujisama」
「What a silly interpretation」
Prince Yuriel turned his neck the other way. However, he must be embarra.s.sed as his ears are bright red.
「I can’t do anything」
「No. Your Highness was very reliable just a little while ago」
「I can’t. Studying, anything, I can’t win against my brothers at anything」
That’s only natural. Prince Yuriel is only five years old.
「I don’t have anyone who would praise me. Therefore, this was my first」
「What?」
「That someone has praised me in that way, so foolishly」
‘Foolishly’ was unnecessary.
「It felt nice. I will make an exception and permit you」
「Permit what?」
「I will let you call me by a nickname」
Ara… this seems like he warmed up to me a little bit, doesn’t it? And, I have to take my hat off to the cuteness of His Highness who has such big att.i.tude to give me permission.
「You are only in the world! Be honored!」
「Oh, my…! That’s wonderful」
To be the only one who can call this cheeky, adorable Oujisama by a nickname. I feel a slight sense of superiority.
「Let’s see… since you are Yuriel-sama… Yuuri… Yuri… indeed, how about Prince Yurii?」
「Don’t mix a t.i.tle with a nickname, stupid」
「Ara Your Highness, the word ‘idiot’ will return to you if you are not careful?」
「Yurii is fine!」
「That’s right. Unkind words are no good, Yurii-sama」
Yurii-sama who has inflated his cheeks in dissatisfaction has shown me his childish side in the last several minutes.
「Then, please also call me as you wish. Something special」
「Mirabell…… Mira!!」
「Yes, Yurii-sama」
「There’s a b.u.t.terfly! I’m going to catch it!」
Whether he stopped holding back in front of me, the grown up Prince from until now disappeared. Personally, I think the current Yurii-sama is cuter.
His Highness who was chasing after a b.u.t.terfly and protected me from an earthworm was extremely adorable.
＊＊＊
While packing things in my bag, Yurii-sama visited me in my room. Is he hungry, I wonder? It’s almost time for the dinner. I’m sure the pace in the kitchen would increase if Yurii-sama went there.
I take Yurii-sama who was hesitating to take a step from the door by hand and sit him on top of the bed. I wanted to sit on the floor, but Yurii-sama told me to sit on the bed. Then, Yurii-sama moved on top of my lap.
「Is Mira also going to school?」
「Yes. By “also” you mean?」
The school is an eight-year system nationwide. You attend from ten years old to eighteen years old. The school you go to changes with family’s social status. I who come from the house of a Count – although imperfect, am attending the same school as the royalty. My Fiance-sama as well.
Because it starts at ten years old, Yurii-sama shouldn’t be attending a school yet.
「Alan was preparing too」
「How about the other two?」
「I don’t know about the other two. I’m not eager to show my face to them」
「Ara… even though you are such cutie」
When I stroke his head, my hands were slapped away. It appears I must not tell boys that they are cute.
Even though I wish to kiss his smooth-looking cheek, I hold back because I don’t want to commit lese majeste.
「When are you returning, Mira?」
「Let’s see… frequently would be impossible. All year around, besides the long holidays, I would say about three times in total…」
Even though he finally warmed up to be a bit, I will feel lonely without being able to see him. After a year pa.s.ses, Yurii-sama will also return to the castle.
「Then, I will have to stay in the mansion alone with your father all this time, huh」
「He’s not a bad person, you know… he’s a bit irritating though, I’m sorry」
Anyhow, the reason he’s so irritating is because his wife has run away. Even though Mother would return if Father went to get her, he’s always hesitating and hesitating. I have to listen to Mother’s complaints all the time.
「Let’s send many letters, okay? Are you able to read?」
「Who do you think I am!」
「That’s right, isn’t it?」
When I laughed and stroked his head, my hand was slapped away again. It seems treating him like a child is strictly prohibited.
「Is the son of Duke Roderick in the same school?」
「Yes. We are in different grades, though」
He’s one grade above. He’s in the same grade as Prince Alan, and they seem to be close.
「…… I see」
「What’s wrong? Ah, so, why did Your Highness come here? What business do you have?」
「I was just bored. I will play with you」
「Araa… I’m happy but, in a few years, you must not say “I will play with you” to girls, okay?」
The adorable Yurii-sama would get eaten right away, after all.
「Did you finish cleaning your room?」
「Naturally」
「As expected of His Highness the Prince. Then, how should we play until the dinner time? Let’s see… there is only chess or cards」
「That’s fine」
Chess is three losses in three games, I got completely defeated in cards too.
「Mira is bad at using your head」
「That’s not true! Because I was beaten in a game of luck」
「Stop being so overbearing」
Nevertheless, Mirabell Swain who’s supposed to be the indoor studying type lost to a five years old child…! It goes without saying that Yurii-sama is a genius.
I heard he was not gifted in education like his elder brothers, but Yurii-sama says he studied alone.
What a good child……
「Mira, Mira」
「What is it?」
「I’m hungry」
「Then, let’s go to the dining room. It’s about time the preparations were complete」
Just as I thought, the preparations in the dining room were almost done. Father was already sitting in his seat.
Seeing Yurii-sama arrive, one of the butlers tried to guide him to his seat, but Yurii-sama shook his head and followed behind me.
Father and everyone else was startled by that. They were looking at me worriedly as if I committed something rude to Yurii-sama. They must think I was impolite. How rude. I was impolite, though.
「Mira, let me on!」
Small hand points at my lap.
「It will be difficult to eat, surely」
「That’s fine. Let me on!」
Then, I sit on a chair, and then I sit Yurii-sama down on my lap. He feels lighter than a cat.
Itadakimasu, only I and Yurii-sama said. Father was just looking at us with his mouth open. What bad manners.
「An exception! I will feed you!」
Yurii-sama’s table manners are perfect. What a good performance for a five years old. And then, vegetables stabbed on a fork hit against my lips.
How adorable……! Even though there might be a chance for a little brother to be born if Mother returns. Ahh, but this loveliness might be only because it’s Yurii-sama.
Somehow, only vegetables are sent my way, is he perhaps forcing his dislikes onto me…? Is what I thought, but I have lost to the temptation of the eating and smiling angel and ate.
We have finished our meals while Father was dumbfoundedly staring at us, making Yurii-sama frown「William eats so slow, doesn’t he?」.
When Father started eating while apologizing, Yurii-sama on top of my lap looked up on my face.
「Mira, I’m going to let you sleep with me tonight! Are you happy?」
Ara, I have no right of veto from the beginning. I won’t refuse, though. Father seems to have choked on the meat he loves very much. He’s choking.
「Yes. Very much. I’m sure we won’t have any bad dreams if we sleep together」
「That’s right. I’m a prince who will protect Mira, after all」
Afterward, Father has asked me how did I got along with Yurii-sama, but I only showed him my index finger on my lips.