Chapter 82: Encounter
“Nii-ni. Yes, ahh…”
“Ah, ahhn…”
I obediently opened my mouth and savored the sweet bite of fluffy sponge cake, fresh cream, and strawberries brought to me by Sophie.
“Is it delicious?”
“……Ah, yeah. It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad. Then next, the chocolate one. Say ahh.”
“Ah, ahhn…..”
It had been tens of minutes since I reunited with Sophie after she returned from studying abroad.
For some reason, I found myself being fed cake by Sophie when we were alone together.
“……..♪”
Despite my bewilderment, Sophie herself seemed very satisfied.
If my cute little sister is happy, then I’m fine with it.
“Um, Sophie? Do you understand the situation right now?”
“Of course.”
“……..Then can you explain it to your brother, just in case?”
“It’s a date battle for the position of your wife.”
“…………….Sorry, can you give me a moment to process that information in my head?”
The information was too large for me to process in my head right away.
(After that, if I remember correctly……)
I remember there was some exchange about being wives and a second or third date battle, Sophie suggested going on a date, and in the end even Charlotte got roped in and things went a bit off track.
The problem is what happened after that.
“So then, how about we take turns going on dates with Alfred?”
Thanks to Princess Marietta’s generous but troublesome suggestion, that situation was settled, and the flow became that I would go on a date with Sophie first. Incidentally, my own will was never considered.
……So the first was with Sophie, and here I am having cake shoved into my mouth by my little sister.
“Nii-ni……♪”
Perhaps having had enough of stuffing my mouth with cake, Sophie climbed onto my lap like a cat and smiled contentedly.
“It’s nostalgic…I used to play with you like this before you went to study abroad, didn’t I Sophie?”
“Yeah. While I was away studying, I thought about you every waking moment, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year…..”
“Maybe you should have thought about some other things too?”
As an older brother I’m happy, but I wish you spent some time on other things too.
(Time, huh……)
Meanwhile, that mechanical palace reigns supreme in the sky.
Out of my reach, still holding my precious subordinate Makina captive.
“It’ll be okay, nii-ni.”
“Eh?”
“I have a means to get to [Orchestra].”
I couldn’t help but look at Sophie with wide eyes, as if she could see right through my thoughts.
“I designed a magic airship while studying abroad. I’ve already transported all the parts here. All that’s left is to assemble it…….But to power the magic airship, we need to draw highly concentrated magic power from a leyline and process it into crystals. I need you to wait until those processes are complete.”
A magic airship. So she had already completed something like that.
The fact that there hasn’t been an uproar yet probably means the information is being kept secret.
Once this becomes public knowledge, it will undoubtedly be a major topic. Sophie’s name will ring out even further.
“So don’t worry.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
I gently stroked the platinum blonde head she inherited from her other siblings, and Sophie narrowed her eyes contentedly.
“……When I read the report, I thought you must be worried…about Makina.”
“Now that you mention it, you and Makina did get along well.”
“Yeah….I was even thinking of making her your second wife someday…”
“We’ll put that aside for now.”
Or rather, you were thinking that far ahead? Well, I’m flattered? To be admired by such an angelically lovely little sister is a source of pride.
“…..I was a bit shocked when she went over to their side.”
“Makina is……. just being deceived by the bad guys.”
Lucille specializes in manipulating people’s hearts.
Even Leo harbored negative feelings like jealousy and a sense of inferiority towards our family, but it’s also true that Lucille exploited those parts of him.
“What is this ‘Child of the Six Emotions’ nonsense…such rubbish.”
This time with Makina must be the same. Everyone has some inner darkness or weakness. That part of her was preyed upon. I can’t blame her for that. I can’t even think of blaming her.
“….I don’t think Makina betrayed us. I just think…she reached her limit.”
“Her limit?”
“Her feelings and stuff…everything she was holding back.”
I see. Now that I think about it, Makina and I were always together, but did I really understand her properly? I probably didn’t, which is why this happened. I left an opening for Lucille to mislead her.
“…..Nii-ni. I’ll bring Makina back.”
“Thank you, Sophie.”
She must be trying to cheer me up in her own way. This whole date battle thing was probably part of that too. I was naturally stroking my little sister’s small head, grateful for her thoughtfulness.
“…..♪”
Sophie narrowed her eyes contentedly atop my lap. When she does that, she has an adorable cat-like charm.
“By the way, nii-ni.”
“Hm?”
“……For you to secretly get engaged to someone else is cheating on me.”
“…………………………………………………………………..”
Oh dear. There are too many things to comment on, and it’s giving me a headache.
Sophie seemed satisfied…or maybe not, but she said it was about time, so she went to visit our elder sister Luche. I thought she should have done that first, but when she said “If I carelessly approach Luche, there’s a possibility of being greeted by…killer cookies…..” I couldn’t help but nod at that perfectly legitimate reason.
She had suffered such a terrible injury, yet fought Loretta until the end, so it wouldn’t be strange at all if she was up in the kitchen.
Still, to Sophie, Luche is an important family member and older sister.
It seems there was no choice but to visit her.
I still haven’t seen sister Luche since waking up either. I thought about going with Sophie to visit her, but:
“Oh? Where are you headed, Alfred? It’s my turn next to enjoy our rendezvous, is it not?”
“Eh?”
For some reason, Princess Marietta was waiting with a smile, and before I knew it I was escorted to the guest room she was using. She then naturally, as if it were only natural, plopped down right beside me. Her demeanor was so smooth that I couldn’t even react.
“Ah……Princess Marietta? What is this exactly……”
“A date. You will engage me in one, will you not?”
Her eyes, with a hint of glamor, traced my cheek with her gaze.
“No, that was just Sophie trying to cheer me up…..”
“I too wish to lift your spirits, Alfred.”
“W-Well, thank you I suppose…..”
If the brother Noel had closed himself off, becoming an icy cold person who lets no one in, then his sister Princess Marietta is the opposite, trying to encase me in her ice instead.
“……Even so, I am grateful.”
“Grateful?”
I couldn’t recall doing anything in particular that would warrant gratitude from Princess Marietta herself.
“When his fiancé was lost, my brother became his former icy self again…..No, he became a vengeful man willing to trample on the hearts of those around him. My brother surely would have eventually committed an unforgivable transgression under the pretext of revenge……But you stopped him. You pulled my brother back from the edge. You have no idea how happy that made me…..”
“So you’re a bit of a brother-con, huh?”
“Yes. To be honest, I am……Though it’s a secret from him, you understand?”
Winking at me, Princess Marietta brought a slender white finger to her lips.
In addition to being elegant yet fierce, her playful charm is part of her appeal, it seems.
“I didn’t really do anything major, you know. Noel was able to get back on his feet through his own strength.”
“Fufu, no need to be so modest. There is no doubt your power was a major factor.”
“How can you say that with such certainty?”
“I can tell. Just looking at how broken my brother was……It seems my brother found a friend here he could lower his guard around.”
Princess Marietta smiled nostalgically. That smile, praised as belonging to the “Snow Fairy”, truly did possess a captivating charm that could steal one’s heart.
“A friend, huh? If that’s the case, I’d be happy.”
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Come to think of it, I never really had any friends around my age.
After all, I was the one known as the “Villainous Prince” who was the pride of the Leuville Kingdom, so there were hardly any people at the academy who dared approach me.
“Still, I got pretty flustered. At first I thought you were taking Sophie’s date seriously. If you just wanted to thank me, you didn’t need to go through all this drowsy trouble. you could have just told me normally…”
“I am serious.”
“…………Huh?”
“By the way, Alfred, since when have you been gambling?”
“You say it like I’m always addicted to gambling.”
“Is that not the case?”
“No, you’re right…but I’m not doing it for fun. Basically, it’s for information gathering.”
“But…you do it for leisure as well, don’t you?”
“……..I won’t deny it.”
“I knew it.”
“Why are you smiling so happily?”
“No, it’s nothing to concern yourself with.”
What is this feeling? Even though I have nothing to feel guilty about or any secrets, it’s like I’m being gradually surrounded…cornered.
“You’ve been entering gambling halls licensed by the nation with an obfuscation spell since childhood, right?
“How do you know that!?”
“I have some confidence in my memory and observational skills.”
“Memory and observation skills…?”
“For example, let me see…since childhood, I have memorized and observed every single movement and voice of the boy who taught me naughty games. I can compare it in my mind with their current behavior.”
“Oh…wow…that’s…impressive?”
I don’t know who it was, but whoever turned this lovely “Snow Fairy” into a gambling master must have committed a grave sin.
“…………………… You don’t seem to be playing dumb, do you?”
Princess Marietta puffed out her cheeks in seeming displeasure, then leaned her delicate, supple body against me sluggishly.
“Hey, Alfred?”
“Y-Yeah…?”
“Want to make a bet?”
“Huh?”
She took out an Ivelpe Kingdom gold coin and deftly played with it between her fingers.
“It’s just a simple bet to guess whether the flipped coin lands on heads or tails.”
“…………And if I win?”
“I’ll do [anything] you say. [Anything], okay?”
For some reason emphasizing the word “[anything]” twice while stressing her ample, softly protruding chest, Princess Marietta slid her arms around mine.
Even if I tried to back away, this was the end of the sofa. With my arms pinned down, I belatedly realized I had nowhere to escape.
“A-And if, you know…I lose?”
“In that case, you’ll do what I say. Specifically…”
Princess Marietta’s eyes gradually drew closer until I could almost feel her breath. Savoring that closeness, she brought her lips right to my ear and whispered sweetly:
“I don’t care if I’m your second or third. Please make me your wife.”
“Huh!?”
“If you were to become king, you would need that, wouldn’t you? A wife capable of bearing a child with the [Fifth Attribute] power. To leave behind and pass on the era’s strength against the [Ragments] is a king’s duty. Having multiple wives is not uncommon. In fact, in the Ivelpe Kingdom, it’s considered something you should have. I actually have three mothers myself…..Ah, rest assured, even if you don’t become king, I have no intention of letting you go.”
“Wait, wait a minute. Things are moving way too fast, my head can’t keep up!”
“For my part, after our reunion, I had intended to take some more time closing the distance between us. But it seems you already have a lovely fiancée, so…I thought I can’t afford to hesitate any longer. To put it bluntly, I’m in a hurry. Shall we just create a fait accompli right now?”
“Fait accompli?”
“Yes, a fait accompli.”
I want to think Princess Marietta’s brief glance toward the bed in the corner was just my imagination.
“I too am a royal with the [Fifth Attribute] magic power. I have the qualifications and status befitting your wife. Creating a fait accompli wouldn’t really be a problem.”
“Of course it would be a problem! There would be all sorts of problems!”
“Would there? Well, we can think about that after we’ve done it.”
“That’s too casual!”
This princess is serious…her eyes are dead serious…!
“Fufufu. I see…you’re inexperienced, aren’t you, Alfred?”
“…Inexperienced with what?”
“With being the recipient of someone’s affection.”
“Ngah!?”
Bull’s eye. From birth, I never really had any qualities that would make others like me. After all, I’m the cursed wielder of magic power. I’ve lived my life using that power as a “villain”, so it’s only natural. But to be explicitly told I’m the “recipient of affection” left me flustered.
“If it’s me, I’ll shower you with as much affection as you’d like. If you’re inexperienced, feel free to practice with me.”
“Practice…? Like I’d go along with such a stupid joke.”
“Then I’ll show you just how serious my feelings are. Let’s make a bet?”
Before I could answer, she flicked the coin with her finger.
The Ivelpe Kingdom gold coin spun rapidly as it flipped between heads and tails, flying high into the air.
“Heads.”
“U-Tails!”
Damn it. Influenced by Princess Marietta, I blurted that out reflexively…!
“Well then, that settles it.”
Before the coin even hit the floor, the cheerful Princess Marietta, looking like she might burst into song any moment, leaned her full weight against me as she deftly untied the ribbon on her chest. As if she had known from the start which way the coin would land.
“‘Well then’ nothing! Why are you trying to take your clothes off!?”
The two large, soft mounds pressed boldly against me filled my head with a sweet, floral scent.
“My, you don’t think I can control the outcome of a coin I flipped myself?”
“That’s cheating!”
“Call it a technique, if you will.”
What an abuse of gambling techniques! And annoyingly persuasive too…!
“Fufufu…This is my first time too, so please go easy on me.”
Faster than the coin could fall, the ribbon hit the floor lifelessly. Her snow-white skin was revealed along with her deep neckline as her chest was lewdly exposed–
“St-Stop! I said stop–!”
The door burst open forcefully as Charl barged in, her face blushing crimson.
The coin about to hit the floor was coincidentally kicked across the room by Charl, rolling into a corner.
“Wh-Wh-What are you doing to Princess Marietta!?”
“Why, enjoying some intimacy, of course, Charlotte.”
“I-Intimacy…?! Y-You’re taking off your clothes to…!”
“When a man and woman strip off their clothes and join bodies…there’s only so many things that could mean, no?”
“~~~~!!!!”
Princess Marietta boldly let her clothes hang open as she trailed a beautiful finger along my chest.
Seeing this, Charl’s face flushed an even deeper red as she seemed to sway dizzily.
“Fufufu. I don’t mind at all if you’d like to join us, Charlotte. I know my place.”
“J-Join…”
For some reason Charl’s gaze was fixed on the bed, her face now redder than a tomato. I was getting a bit worried she might explode.
(Th-This is bad…If this keeps up, it’ll be bad! All sorts of…! Is there any way to…!?)
Like a warrior seeking to break through the perils of battle, I surveyed my surroundings, noticing the coin that had rolled into the corner.
“I-It’s tails! Tails!”
A ray of light appeared. The coin in the corner was “tails”, not the “heads” Princess Marietta had bet on.
“I-I won the bet!”
Charl must have kicked the coin and accidentally flipped it from heads to tails when she barged in.
“Oh, how disappointing.”
Princess Marietta pulled back, though she did seem genuinely disappointed.
Phew, that was close…in more ways than one…!
“A-Alfred! Let’s go!”
“Oh!”
Having regained her senses, Charl grabbed my arm firmly and dragged me out of the room.
“……Fufufu. I’ll be waiting for you anytime, Alfred.”
“Eh?”
“For the winner of our bet, I’ll do [anything] you ask. So if there’s anything you’d like, please tell me. [Anything] at all, okay?”
Princess Marietta’s words, emphasizing “[anything]” over and over, lingered heavily in my mind.
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