Episode 2: The Fiancée of the Villain Prince
Running, dashing, and leaping through the crowded party venue, I aimlessly wandered while the guards’ movements were limited due to the nature of the prestigious Magic Academy’s intercollegiate gathering. Causing any harm would be troublesome as the participants were children of important figures.
Despite their numerical advantage, I had the upper hand with the advantage of the terrain.
“Alfred!”
Leo’s voice boomed, and the magic residing in the royal ring unleashed its fury.
…It was about time. The venue had been suitably stirred up.
“I shall take my leave around here, my brother,” I said as I activated the magic ring with my left hand.
My left hand activated the magic ring.
I launched a wind magic projectile, dramatically shattering the glass.
“Well then, I wish you all the happiness.”
With one final bow, I gracefully disappeared into the darkness of the night.
“Yo, here I come.”
It seemed the guards hastily chased after me, but by then, I had already leaped from roof to roof, returning alone to the palace.
“Well done, well done. Oh my, you caused quite a commotion again today, Al-sama.”
As I landed in the garden, blending into the dark of night, applause greeted me—a round of applause that seemed to lack any reverence for the master.
Emerging from the black darkness of the night stood a maid who was exactly the same age as me.
If I were to compare her to something, she would resemble a capricious cat that scratches here and there. Or perhaps, she would be like a mischievous little devil of a girl.
On the way back to the private chambers of the palace, she followed me, positioning herself beside me.
“You’re pretending to be bad. How cute. Hoo-hoo,” mocked the person before me.
“Hey, stop that. Is that how you treat your master, Makina?” I retorted.
“Eh? But I’m properly supporting my master, lifting him up. Besides, I anticipated that Al-sama would escape from the venue and waited for him in the palace. Isn’t that what a devoted maid does?” Makina defended herself.
“Shut up. You just wanted to slack off, didn’t you?” I accused.
“Oh, did I get caught?”
She stuck out her tongue shamelessly. It was as usual.
Returning to the room, I handed over my clothes to Makina and changed into my nightwear.
“Keep watching Charlotte,” I informed.
“Since there hasn’t been any contact from [Shadows}, it seems she’s safe,” Makina reported.
“Good,” I replied.
“What will you do next? Will you report directly to the king?” Makina asked.
“No, I’ll sleep. I’ll leave the report to you and the [Shadows],” I replied.
“Oh my, the king will be angry, you know?” Makina commented.
“I caused a ruckus at the party venue. Either way, if I’m going to get scolded, I might as well sleep now. I’m tired,” I said wearily.
“Understood. Well, congratulations, Al-sama. It’s truly a joyous occasion, isn’t it?” Makina teased.
“What are you talking about?” I questioned.
“To be able to save your first love in such a cool way,” Makina said with a mischievous tone.
“Ha!?”
I choked, unable to control my surprise. Uh-oh. I can’t stop coughing.
“Cough! Cough! Wait, who are you talking about?!”
“I knew I couldn’t compete with Leo-sama, your respected fiancé. But because it’s Leo-sama, I believed that I could entrust it to him. Just when I thought I had finally given up, this happens.”
“It’s a complete reversal, isn’t it? Good job, Al-sama!” Makina remarked, giving an unnecessary and elegant wink.
“So, what will you do? Will you just elope like this?” Makina continued playfully.
“Are you kidding me?! I’m going to sleep! Sleep! So after you finish your report, rest! That’s it!” I exclaimed.
“Understood. Well then, good night, Al-sama. Have pleasant dreams,” Makina gracefully bowed one last time and left the room.
“…………That’s not the case at all,” I murmured to myself in the dimly lit room.
“…So? In the end, the party was canceled, huh? Is that what happened?”
“Yeah, that’s right,”
A few days later, I received a summons from the king and was required to report in person. It was peculiar because my subordinates had already submitted a report, which seemed to have been disregarded. I had anticipated being called in the next morning, so the delay was perplexing. Nonetheless, it turned out to be fortunate as I had no desire to be scolded.
“Seriously… canceling the traditional exchange party at the beginning of the new semester and treating the facilities of our esteemed academy as if they were inconsequential… we’re receiving complaints from the academy,”
“I’ll exercise greater caution from now on,” I expressed.
“Your words hold little weight,”
“Is there any other choice? If we hadn’t caused that commotion, we would have never discovered what happened to Charlotte. Moreover, it adds to the dramatic effect of ‘[Charlotte-sama was betrayed by the wicked and immoral third prince],”
“I must commend you for saving Charlotte,” The King said, admiringly. However, the gaze I received was piercing.
“…but I disapprove of the methods you employed,” the king stated.
“What do you mean?” I inquired.
“Why do you persist in degrading yourself as the ‘wicked and immoral third prince’? Why do you present yourself in such a manner?” the king questioned.
“Well, I’m already considered a ‘cursed child,’ and even without that, my reputation is far from favorable. A couple more negative rumors won’t make much difference at this point. I’d rather be praised for employing my tarnished reputation in a brilliant strategy,” I replied.
“That’s precisely why you need to change that aspect about yourself…” the king began to say, but he realized it was not the appropriate time for an argument and took a seat.
“…no, I understand now. You need a leash,” the king stated.
“Unfortunately, I have no expertise in fashion. I’ll pass,” I declined.
“You cannot. It has already been decided,” the king insisted.
…I have a foreboding feeling about this. It has already been decided? No wonder it took several days for me to be summoned. That old man must have been preparing something during that time. Did he procure some specially ordered magical artifact? If it’s something physical, I can handle it, but…
“Rejoice, my son Alfred. You now have a fiancée,” the king announced.
“What?!” I exclaimed.
As a member of the royal family, marriage is inevitable. However, I have never had a fiancée before. That’s right. As a member of the royal family, my black hair and eyes are evidence of being a cursed child. The unwelcome ‘cursed child.’ I had even believed that marriage is impossible for me.
After all, there are five children in the current Royal family who inherit the royal blood, including myself. Furthermore, I am the third prince. There is little need to impose a fiancée on me, especially since the ‘cursed child’ would not be well-received… that is what I believed.
“Oh, is this some sort of jest from the king? How lame. Five out of ten!” I sarcastically remarked.
“Don’t be foolish. I’m serious,” the king replied.
“…Father, you have gone too far. I don’t know who she is, but to employ the king’s privilege to engage her to such a ‘cursed child’… it is pitiful for the victim,” I criticized.
“Don’t utter such things. I consulted with the other party and obtained their consent. These past few days were spent making various arrangements,” the king defended.
“Who is it? Who could possibly have affection for such a person?”
“Your Majesty, I have brought Alfred-sama’s fiancée,” Makina said, entering from another room.
“Please come in,” the king instructed.
“…Excuse me,” a familiar voice spoke.
The person who entered was undoubtedly Charlotte-Mercenelle herself. No, that’s not quite right. It is her, but at the same time, it isn’t. Damn it.
“Oh? It appears you have taken a liking to her,” the king remarked, noticing my evident agitation.
“…You despicable excuse for a father. What do you mean by this?” I demanded.
“Through your manipulation, Charlotte altered the narrative, shifting from being the tormentor of a female student named Lucille to becoming the victim manipulated by the third prince. This indeed protected Charlotte, but she is not unscathed. The fact remains that she was compelled to break off her engagement with the first prince and that the first prince’s affections are now directed toward a girl named Lucille.”
My father’s observation mirrored my own concerns. That’s why I assigned my direct subordinate, Shadow, to investigate the situation. However, for some inexplicable reason, no information about Charlotte reached me. From this circumstance, I deduce that they intentionally blocked any information about her from reaching me, possibly in collusion with my father.
“Dealing with Charlotte will prove challenging from now on. Nevertheless, there is no denying that she possesses valuable talent that I wish to bring into the royal family, and above all, it is our own fault. It is only right for me to take responsibility within the royal family.”
“Why is she my fiancée?”
“There are four reasons. First, individuals like yourself who are available are scarce. Second, it fulfills Charlotte’s desire. Third, it is because Charlotte can become your ‘collar.'”
“A collar? What does that mean? I’m even more bewildered now. But let’s proceed.”
“The fourth reason is…”
“The fourth reason… well, it’s merely a rumor.”
“A rumor?”
Continuing my father’s explanation, Makina interjected.
“To be frank, Al-sama, there is a circulating rumor in the school that you manipulated events to win over Charlotte-sama, whom you love, from the first prince.”
“…………What?”
“In other words, it’s a case of stealing lover.”
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Snitched on by the maid.
Thanks for the chapter.
A typo?
>“…Father, you have gone too far. I don’t know who she is, but to employ the king’s privilege to engage /me/ to such a ‘cursed child’… it is pitiful for the victim,” I criticized.
From the context, /her/
fixed thanks