4 Years Old: Chapter 12 - a.s.sault Visit (Completed)
TL: Krrizis
Editors: Nahct & Wafflez
「Liz, I’m here!」
Wai------ Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Am I dreaming? Standing imposingly in the hallway as my maid called upon me with a frantic voice was his Highness, a self-satisfied look adorning his face.
No no no no. It would be impossible for his Highness, who is in constant peril of a.s.sa.s.sination, to boldly pay me a visit. Normally, a servant or guard would stop him. Ah, look! The servant and knights are..... Ooi! Don"t avert your eyes. Argh! This absolutely selfish, wilful child! He must have threatened them with dismissal if they didn"t heed his words.
「Liz!」
Standing in the hallway, I stared dumbfounded at his Highness, wondering how he could be so reckless. Whereas upon seeing me, his Highness’ eyes gleamed.
Why did this happen? Do you really like me scolding you? Or rather, he seems to think that gatecras.h.i.+ng my home was natural.
I sucked in a deep breath as his Highness shook free from the maid"s restraint and rushed over to me.
「Liz---」
「What are you doing here!」
For the moment, I threw out a magnificent booming voice.
「Understand this, your Highness. You are first in line to succeed the throne and with it, the country.It doesn’t matter how much work you try and dump onto your younger brother, as the first successor, you will still have endless matters to attend to. When you’re King, will you continue to shake off your retainers without looking back in order to pay a visit to an individual such as myself? You are the heir to the throne. Please refrain from being intimate with a n.o.ble such as myself, who would be considered a good bait if anyone plans to crush you. Also, no matter how many guards there are, you can"t predict what would happen outside. A person whom the knights within your guard can"t defend against may show up. If an a.s.sa.s.sin amongst your guard were to appear, what would you do? Would you wish for your selfishness to endanger both you and your knights? Do you intend to die pointlessly? Do you know the value of your own life?」
I announced, smiling as I politely lead the stiff faced Prince to the drawing room by the hand (like eloping). Normally one wouldn"t enjoy preaching to a child, however, from the start, I was never child-like.
The knights stood behind his Highness" back though everyone had a stiff face. Yup, everyone understood except this kid, but now"s not the time. Not acting cute-like but strange? That"s okay.
Generally, knights a.s.signed to people of higher authority would cling and attach themselves to their charge. To stop a person..... Ah, well, there"s none, I guess. To forcefully comply, you would either have to be the King or the Queen.
「Nn-- No, but see, I"m.....」
「There are no restrictions to going outside the castle to pay me a visit freely but did you obtain permission from the King or announced the destination? It is the standard to inform, communicate and discuss」
「..... I"m sorry」
Dropping my smile for a stern look, his Highness apologised meekly. Well, that apology to me is inevitable. However, I wasn"t the only person whom he ought to apologise to for abusing his power.
「Your Highness, please apologise to the knights for declaring something so unreasonable」
「Bu….. But」
「If you won"t apologise, please leave at once」
「..... It"s my fault」
..... You could say I was rather pleased. Normally, he would fly into a rage and leave. That was my experience.
To think his Highness regarded me so highly. Rather, it would be better if I was hated. In reality, some adults..... Well, no one would declare it. Those big-shots, suspiciously acting as if I"m an eyesore all because I"m not child-like.
Taken aback by his Highness" action, the knights awaited my response with slight unease when his Highness asked if it was sufficient. Eh..... No, to have such a fixation towards me.
「..... You did well?」
Considering this would absolutely be taken for lèse-majesté, I gently stroke his head and his handsome face relaxed. Ah~..... Er, don"t look at me with those eyes, your Highness.
For his Highness to be pleased from being stroked by a brazen young girl, the knights wore an astonished face before recovering and letting out an unnatural cough.
「See here, Liz. There"s a party happening at the castle---」
「Ah, as I"m busy every day, please allow me to decline」
I won"t let you continue your sentence to the end.
This flag is not needed. Being introduced to the King would be a great honour which spells meeting troublesome people which spells stirring animosity. Well, I just want my ordinary life to remain the same. So although I know I"m being deliberately uncooperative, please forgive me.
Whilst I"ve more or less received training for this, it was not a place where a five year old girl could be seen attending. Attracting various attention, the other n.o.bles would be envious and wrongfully suspicious, leading to my ruin. Envy is frightening, I don"t want to be pierced by it.
Which is why I"m refusing.
「Thi--- This is my birthday party that has been planned for months!」
「How old are you, your Highness?」
「I"m going to be eight soon!」
「Is that so. I refuse」
I refused curtly. There was no mercy in my speech; my time and I are more important. Besides, it"s evidently too early for me to attend. For someone like me, who isn’t even a n.o.ble, to receive a personal invitation from his Highness is absolutely strange, don"t you think? ..... Ah, I don"t care what his Highness will make out of my words on this occasion.
「Why!」
「Your Highness, in the first place, you would need to ask for your Father"s permission. Upon which, if granted, an official invitation would be sent by mail to invite me. At present, please leave this place」
I"m not particularly keeping a distance or loathing him. Frankly, being liked is troublesome..... To like me, it would hardly come to fruition.
Excluding the matter of me reciprocating his feelings, I"m merely a n.o.ble. My status is insufficient to be a.s.sociated with the royalty.
And his Highness is the first in line to succeed the throne. To start with, marriage isn"t somethingyou can do as you wish. That would apply even to the second in line and his child. Mainly, when it concerns the princes, they would be forced into politically arranged marriages. The princess of foreign countries would benefit the country far more as opposed to one"s own n.o.bles.
Well, considering his Highness’ whining, at most I"ll be his mistress, if that was even possible. I refuse to be in a love marriage.
Being in a loveless marriage means I"ll be able to tear through it and there would be less surprises in store for me.
「..... No matter what, you won"t come?」
「Implore for the invitation. Persuade his Majesty and we can talk afterwards」
「..... If I"m able to obtain his permission, would you definitely come?」
「Eh? ..... Well, if a formal invitation was issued, refusing would be.....」
「I understand」
Why did I imagine an extremely foreboding premonition when his Highness nodded his head seriously? Hey! Why are the knights giving a resigned look? That"s a look that indicates this unwanted future will occur. Please stop. What"s going to happen if it does become a reality?
For the moment, his Highness, who had given up exuding confidence in returning home to make the arrangements, intently looked me over..... What a hot gaze. Nope, that would be a lie. What is with..... that criticising feeling.
「..... Why are you wearing a male looking outfit?」
「My preference」
「..... You look better in a dress though」
His Highness pointed out my appearance. Rather than wearing a dress today, I had worn pants to move around easily. Not cutesy, right. To be honest, with my short hair, I looked like a boy.
It seems his Highness somehow desires a cute girl. In that case, choose those cuter girls instead. Whomever you choose would be approved.
「Whether it suits me or not isn’t important, as I was about to head to the garden. Then, your Highness arrived」
「Garden?」
「Yes. I"m growing some flowers and fruits at the moment」
「I want to see it!」
..... Uh huh, I predicted his response would be like this. Yup, it was highly unlikely for him to meekly return home.
Looking at me with eyes filled with antic.i.p.ation, I secretly sighed and said, 「It"s nothing big」, which was met with approval.