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CHAPTER 47……
. Bestowing Land Upon the Princess! (2)
‘What was I just thinking?’
But before I could recall my own thought,
Lete, looking excited, snatched up the edict from Hades Palace.
“Then we’ll have to get a new ceremonial outfit made for the investiture! And for Alcyone, uh… that thing too?”
“…Lete? What’s wrong?”
Lete glanced slowly between me and the window outside.
“Well… during this investiture, His Highness Alcyone will officially become the princess’s vassal.”
“What? Huh?!”
“Nothing will change from how it is now. It’s just—”
“But that means he’ll be the princess’s servant.”
At that blunt word—one not fit to be used at my age—both Minte and Lete’s eyes went wide.
“Princess…”
“A prince from one country becoming the servant of another country’s princess?”
“…”
Neither of them answered me.
Out the window, Ares and Calion were sprawled flat on the dirt. Looked like they’d collapsed from exhaustion after training.
I hopped down from Lete’s arms and rushed for the door.
“Princess! Where are you—!”
“It’s fine, Lete. It’s just right outside.”
Lete called after me in alarm, but behind me I heard Minte stop her.
I’d kept him here in the princess’s palace to protect me, so why had he been demoted from hostage to servant?
‘I didn’t put Calion here for this!’
Running with all my short-legged might, I saw that Ares had disappeared somewhere, and only Calion was left standing.
The boy was brushing dirt from his face when he saw me and flushed.
“Lady Sion! How long have you been outside? It’s hot, so you should—”
“Deucalion.”
“…!”
At the sound of my low voice, Calion immediately straightened to attention.
“L-Lady Sion?”
“Why did you do it?”
“…I don’t know what you mean.”
“You. You went to your father and made a deal, didn’t you?”
The moment I heard the edict read earlier, I was sure of it.
Father would never give a chance to a human from the hated Holy Kingdom.
For him to change his mind, this boy must have actively cooperated.
“You’re going to regret it.”
“Lady Sion…”
“If, someday, you return to the Holy Kingdom.”
The day would eventually come when Calion would have to leave demon territory.
He was, after all, still a royal of the Holy Kingdom.
And when the details of his deal became known to everyone…
“The world won’t curse the Demon King. They’ll curse you.”
“…”
“They’ll say you sold out your country, and you won’t even be ashamed.”
I could still clearly remember the final attitude of people toward me before I died as the ‘Great Saintess.’
“Saintess! Please heal me faster, hurry!”
“Ugh, why are you so slow?!”
No matter how much I devoted myself, instead of gratitude, people only badgered me.
Thankfulness is fleeting, but their own suffering is urgent.
“You’re still too young to know the weight of that—”
“I know it all.”
Calion clasped both my hands in his and spoke gently.
“I knew and still made the proposal. Alcyone taught me tricks at least that clever.”
“But—!”
“I told you before, didn’t I?”
With bright blue eyes sparkling and a smile full of joy, Calion said,
“Because you’re here, I’m going to do everything I can to stay with you.”
“…This kid, seriously.”
What has he been eating to be this precocious?! I told him not to be like this!
I’m supposed to be the adult and big sister here, but with this tiny body of mine, I’m going crazy!
Just then, a voice radiating bad temper rang out.
“What are you two talking about?”
“A-Ares?”
“Why are you out here, you foolish princess?”
So that’s why Calion was alone.
Ares was standing there holding two wet towels, looking utterly displeased.
When his eyes fell on our joined hands, his expression soured even more.
“What were you two talking about to make the mood like this?”
“N-nothing important!”
I couldn’t tell Ares about Calion’s situation.
Even if he’s a kid, I have to protect his pride!
I pushed on Ares’s back, grunting.
“Come on, let’s go inside! Snacks are waiting!”
“Hey, Sion! Don’t change the subje—”
“Ares! My investiture! I’m getting land!”
“…Land? Really?”
Why is he happy about me getting land?
Well, better to keep him in this good mood.
“Yep, yep! You’ll be there with me! Right beside me!”
“With you?”
“Yeah! Right next to me during the ceremony!”
Yes, Calion and Ares can both stand at my sides for the investiture.
But when I asked about it, Lete tilted her head.
“What do you mean, Princess?”
“Huh? We’ll go to the Beled district that day, right? By carriage.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
When going from the palace to the Beled district, Erebus had to be at the very front.
Then came Erebus’s direct family and honored royal guests in carriages. That was the custom, wasn’t it?
‘Then Ares, Calion, and I could all be together.’
But Lete’s tone was oddly reluctant.
“Then can’t Ares and Calion ride in the same carriage as me? And be beside me during the ceremony?”
“Oh my. His Highness Alcyone can, but the young master can’t attend that position.”
“Huh… why?!”
“Well, that’s because—”
Lete reminded me of something I’d completely forgotten.
“The young master is still being punished, remember?”
“Oh.”
“This time, he can’t attend in the capacity of a duke’s heir.”
“Oh! Ohhh.”
Right. I’d gotten so used to our troublemaker’s insolence toward me that I’d forgotten…
‘He’s still paying the price for losing control back then!’
And of course, on the day I receive land in the Beled district—
“I will, of course, be marching in the procession. The young master will follow me.” Minte said with certainty.
“Ugh, Master!”
“Tsk. Show some respect!”
“Ow!”
After the little dragon yelped, the sound of a sharp flick to the forehead rang crisply through the Perzen Palace.
The day of the princess’s investiture was set.
Naturally, everyone in Perzen Palace was busier than ever.
But Ares was glaring fiercely at Sion and Calion.
The two stood side by side while Lete and the maids held up fabrics against them.
‘No way. My place is really going to be that far from Sion?’
Ares would have to follow on horseback sucking his thumb and then fall to the rear of the line.
Meanwhile, Lete, oblivious to Ares’s inner turmoil, bustled between Sion and Calion with sighs.
Sion, wearing a fitting dress for the first time, tilted her head.
“What’s got you so worried, Lete?”
“I’m wondering if my taste is too old-fashioned.”
Lete recalled the cute and lively dresses she’d seen at the salon, then compared them to the one she’d planned for Sion.
Was it too outdated…?
‘Is this really the best? Have my tastes already gone stale?’
Seeing her fretting, Sion gave a soft smile.
“I like anything you pick, Lete. Ever since that blue dress.”
“Princess…?”
“So don’t worry too much, okay?”
“…Princess!”
At that, Lete and even the maids clasped hands in emotion.
Ares, too, felt the muscles in his sulky face twitch.
The smallest person here speaking with the most poise…
‘So cute. Painfully cute.’
It was the kind of dissonant cuteness that was almost shocking.
And along with that cuteness came an irritating surge of emotion.
Because every time he saw her like that, his chest hurt.
Ares clutched his chest and muttered under his breath.
‘Why does it hurt so much here?’
Like someone was slowly heating his heart with a torch.
“Lady Sion will look beautiful no matter what she wears that day.”
But the moment he heard Calion’s voice, irritation flared like a spark inside Ares.
That sight of them, looking like a perfect pair.
Why did it make his blood boil, make him restless…
Why did watching them fill him with an unexplainable dread, like she would be taken away and disappear far away forever?
In the end, Ares abruptly stood up.
“Ares? What’s wrong? Are you—”
“I’m upset.”
He spat it out, short and sharp, at the creeping discomfort spreading through his heart.
Even if he’d tried to accept Calion, whenever the boy was with Sion, anxiety gnawed at him.
He felt like he’d lose her. Like she’d vanish from his side one day.
“Young master! Mind your tongue before the princess—”
“I’m leaving!”
“Young master!”
Cutting off Lete’s words, Ares stormed out of the room.
