OKOBORE HIME TO ENTAKU NO KIs.h.i.+

The Leftover Princess and the Knights of the Round

Story by: Riine Is.h.i.+da

Art by: Ichiko Okiya

iii

Brought to you by:

AQUA Scans

Credits:

 Raws: Icarus Bride

 Translation: Crystal Hikari

 Proofreading: Scylla

 Quality Checking: Mizuouji

Translator’s notes:

The j.a.panese honorifics were kept in the translation of the dialogues of

the characters to show the respect or adoration shown by the characters.

Footnotes were provided upon the first appearance of the honorific in

the chapter to explain it.

Thoughts are signified by ‘italics’.

 EPILOGUE

- 5 -

“Do not let anyone come into my room! I feel awful with this

runny red nose, painful throat, and coa.r.s.e voice! I shall charge

treason to anyone who dares come in here!”

“…is what my master has said so please withdraw for now.”

Friedhelm and Guido wanted to visit their sick younger sister

but she would not even let them come in. Duke told Leti to at

least let them see her, but she was indignant about it; insisting that

ladies had their own circ.u.mstances that were to be respected.

“Such bad luck. To be the only one down with a cold out of

the four of you who got drenched in the rain.” Guido said, making

it unclear if he was being sympathetic or being sarcastic.

“But in the end we weren’t able to know who the attacker was.

The Order already conducted an all-out search but found nothing,

right? If only I’d seen his face…” Friedhelm was one of the

victims but he immediately lost consciousness after being hit by

the attacker and fortunately, he was not wounded.

“If only we had moonlight instead of rain, I might’ve seen his

face clearly. Anyway, Astrid seemed to have given him a fatal

wound so let’s just hope he’s already dying somewhere out there.”

Duke, the other victim, said. But he, on the other hand, knew who

the attacker was but was pretending not to.

- 6 -

Leti's testimony of the incident was the main source of

information for the investigation and her testimony was far from

the reality of what really happened. Her testimony went like this:

Duke noticed the a.s.sailant first but he, as well as

Friedhelm, was knocked down. Lastly, the attacker was

fatally wounded by Astrid but was still able to escape and

is currently on the run.

When Duke regained consciousness, Leti coaxed him into

saying that Astrid drove the enemy away and that he was not able

to see the attacker’s face because it was dark. Duke glared at Leti,

communicating with his eyes that she would explain herself later,

and followed what his master said and has pretended since then

that he had not seen the attacker’s face.

When the two princes gave up and said their goodbyes, “Go

ahead and stay like that forever”, Duke knocked on Leti's door

informing her that her brothers had left.

“They went home already. Was that really fine?”

“Yes.”

- 7 -

The voice from the other side of the door was a bit coa.r.s.e.

Duke relayed his get-well-soon-wishes and then stood away from

Leti's door.

Just as Duke left, Leonhardt, Leti's full brother, came in with a

book and a big package in his hands.

“Hey, hey, hey, Ane'ue1

! I’ve brought you the book compiling

the ‘post-death’ theories on King Alexander; ‘cause I know you

wouldn’t want to read heavy literature even if you have a lot of

time because of your cold.”

Leti put on her dressing gown, stood up, took the book from

Leonhardt, and scanned it. He then placed the package on the side

table.

“I do not remember asking you to bring me a stupid book.”

“I had a hard time doing research on that book, you know?

You see, most of the time, searching for historical doc.u.ments is a

fruitless effort. If you’re not m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic in nature, you won’t

survive being a historian.”

1 Ane'ue: A j.a.panese honorific used to address one’s older sister. More oldfas.h.i.+oned

than the common Onee-san

- 8 -

“I do not care about your m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic tendencies,” retorted

Leti, but her brother did not mind her at all and continued on with

his story.

“The most ridiculous post-death theory actually has proof, you

know? All the random coincidences are connected, though the

argument itself is still weak. So here it goes. Three days after the

execution of King Alexander, there was information about a blond,

blue-eyed man boarding a s.h.i.+p headed to the South. Now,

remember that according to historical records, a faithful knight of

the Lion King dragged his body outside the country for three days,

right?”

“So you are saying that the blond, blue-eyed man boarding the

s.h.i.+p was him since the time frame and their features matched?

And then?”

“And then a year after that,” continued Leonhardt, “There

came a story about a pirate from the West a.s.sailing the Southern

Seas. You see the fair complexion of Westerners stands out among

the tanned skin of the South so that’s how they identified the

pirate. So the connection is that this pirate is said to be the blond

mans who was on the s.h.i.+p and who was, in turn, thought to be

King Alexander. In other words, this pirate is believed to be King

Alexander.”

- 9 -

“Quite forced, is it not?” Leti understood the point but was

not convinced at all.

“The story does not end there. A few years later, a Westerner

with blond hair and blue eyes was adopted and was made king

through a marriage to a princess of a kingdom by the sea.”

“Another forced connection. So to summarize, the blond man

who was on the s.h.i.+p to the South was King Alexander. He became

a pirate and conquered the Southern Seas, married a Southern

Princess and in the process became that kingdom’s king.” It was

so absurd and unbelievable but that was exactly what cheered Leti

up.

“I wonder if we can find a picture of the adopted king.”

“Thought you’d say that so I brought this with me.”

Leonhardt picked up the package on the side table and showed it

to Leti. “An artist descended from the Royal Family left a portrait

of the king and it was included in King Karlheinz’ Art Inventory.

But ironically, this painting debunks the whole theory. The man

here does not look anything like King Alexander if we compare it

to his portrait in the Gallery of Kings. Hahahaha.”

Lion King Alexander’s portrait displayed in the Gallery of

Kings was highly exaggerated and dramatized to make him look 

- 10 -

like an evil man and that, according to Friedhelm, was enough to

warrant him the t.i.tle of the Murderer King. But Leti knew that said

portrait was nowhere near looking like the real Alexander for she

had met the real Lion King in the Knight King’s s.p.a.ce. However,

the portrait of the adopted king was…

“…No, this looks like him.”

The portrait of the groom reflected Alexander’s mature yet

child-like, haughty face. It was a better depiction of the Lion King

than the one in the Gallery.

“Oh…I see,” said Leonhardt.

- 11 -

- 12 -

Karlheinz probably came up with the same conclusion as Leti

did. He might have learnt about the book, found the portrait, and

thought that it looked like Alexander. So he included the absurd

book and the portrait in the Royal Inventory, thinking that the

theory was likely to be true.

“Thank you. That will do. I shall take a rest for now,” thanked

Leti.

Leonhardt found his sister satisfied and left her to rest. Leti

closed her eyes after she heard the door shut and hoped to meet in

her dreams the king turned pirate turned king again. But as soon as

she closed her eyes, she felt the wind blowing inside her

supposedly closed room.

“—You know, you should ask Duke to teach you about

proper etiquette around ladies.” Leti woke up and pressed the

temples of her throbbing head. She was not sure whether her

headache was due to her fever or to the new visitor.

“Your Highness! What I did last night was inexcusable,”

begged Astrid, deeply bowing his head before Leti.

“What is inexcusable is what you did just now. Entering the

room of a sick lady without permission, and through the window is 

- 13 -

unheard of.” Scolding younger people was not a part of Leti’s

hobbies but she had to teach Astrid proper manners.

“Anyway, putting that aside, it was fortunate that Duke was

the only one who saw you last night. I have already warned him

off so there is no need for you to worry.”

“But to raise a sword against a member of the Royal Family

means rebelling against this country. I should be sentenced to

death…”

“But I do not see you at fault. You are still young. It is better

to die after you have served the kingdom with everything you have.

You have just started and have not given anything at all, correct?”

“Yes!” Astrid smiled happily in answer to Leti's question. His

smile was not his usual refres.h.i.+ng smile. It was a very humane

smile, a smile that had overcome pain and hurt.

“Why did you save me, Your Highness? I’m sure killing me

was easier?”

When Astrid fully a.s.similated with the Ghost Energy, he was

able to see fragments of its old, old memories and in the process

learnt about Leti's true ident.i.ty by piecing together the memories

and the conversation between Leti and the Ghost Energy.

- 14 -

“Duke was fond of you. I was certain he would be saddened if

you had died. Be grateful for having such a good senior.”

“Thank you very much!” Astrid bowed his head once again in

thanks.

“About the Knighting Ceremony, I do not have any plans on

binding you to it. Go ahead and freely choose your master.”

“I will!”

Astrid became a knight of the Knight King because he

received one of the Swords of Promise, the Sword of Light. But

Leti told him he should not mind it at all because it was something

that had to be done due to the situation.

“…uhmmm… Your Highness?”

“What?”

“I–I have already decided on who I want to be my master but

I want to be like Duke-senpai 2

. He chose his master and was

chosen by his master. But right now, I don’t think the master I

want to have will want to have me.”

2 Senpai – a j.a.panese honorific used in addressing one’s senior

- 15 -

Leti sighed at Astrid’s seriousness for she was certain that

anyone would want to have Astrid as a knight because of his

talents.

“Then you have to work hard. I had to work hard to get Duke.

I would have to check my diary to know the exact number of

times he refused me for I have already lost count.”

“I will!” replied Astrid and he went out again through the

window. This time, he remembered to make his footsteps heard,

which Leti thought to remind him again that it was during these

times when he should actually be silent. But she, in the end felt

tired, knowing that reprimanding him would be meaningless.

“Hey, I heard footsteps just now…did he come?”

“Yes, a little while ago. You do not have to worry. Everything

is over.”

Duke went inside Leti's room after hearing footsteps rustling

outside. He scanned the room and found the lock on Leti's

window open. He thought it was unlikely for the sick Leti to get

up only to unlock the window, thus his conclusion.

“Any plans on filling me in with the details?”

- 16 -

“I would not say I do have any plans. Let me think about it.”

Leti sighed, thinking how she would explain the reality that

sounded like it was straight out of a fantasy novel. That she was

the reincarnation of the Knight King Christian and that Astrid was

overtaken by an ancient enemy of the Knight King that took the

form of a paper knife and that to save Astrid she had to grant him

the Sword of Light, one of the Swords of Promise.

“Sorry about what happened. In the end, you had to fix

everything on your own. And to think I’m the one Astrid relied on,

too.”

“Do not be sorry. This problem was something personal in the

first place. You need not feel responsible about it. I have to finish

personal matters on my own. That’s it, the end. Say anything more

about it and my fever will rise.”

‘I, unlike you, could not save someone simply because I like them. I guess

I should be thankful for you, Duke, for providing me with an excuse.’

Duke looked like he wanted to say something more but

respected Leti's wishes.

“Duke, how are your wounds?”

- 17 -

“Fine. I was not wounded in any fatal areas. I’m alright… How

‘bout Astrid?”

Duke had to be the one to settle things about the incident in

place of Leti, who had to rest due to her cold so he had yet to have

the chance to talk to Astrid about the incident.

“…He is probably fine. He will be a good knight. I heard he

has already set his heart on someone to be his master. I hope that

person will be a good master to him.”

“I see…I wonder since when? Do you know who?”

“I did not ask that much. Only that he also wants his master to

choose him.”

The best possible candidates for the master Astrid wanted was

either Friedhelm or Guido but if he really thought about it, there

was no need for him to check on Seventh Heaven or Valkyrie if

Astrid wanted to join them.

‘Then could it be…it’s possible…but…No, no, no, no. He might have

fallen in love with some n.o.ble lady out there…what is this feeling…?’

Duke kept on denying one possibility he thought of by

thinking of other possibilities but the more he did, the more he felt

something he could not name. The feeling was not anger, shock,

- 18 -

nor was it unpleasant either. But it was not a good feeling and

Duke added another crease on his forehead, trying to figure out

what the feeling was.



Tonight in the Knight King’s s.p.a.ce was One-armed King

Oswald and Administrative King Karlheinz. Leti asked Karlheinz

immediately about her most recent finding.

“King Karlheinz, have you encountered the portrait of an

adopted king in a kingdom across the Southern Seas?”

“I, at least the current me, have yet to see one. Is it something

interesting?”

“Yes. How unfortunate that I cannot talk to you about it.”

They, the reincarnations of the Knight King, would never

meet in reality, but here, in the Knight King’s s.p.a.ce, they could

cross time and share with each other their memories.

- 19 -

Realizing that Karlheinz would not include the absurd book

and portrait in the Royal Inventory with no particular reason, Leti

decided to change the topic.

“I recently cleansed one Ghost Energy left in my era. They are

very taxing.”

“That was a hard job you completed, Queen Leticia,” praised

Karlheinz even though in reality, he was the one facing more

difficulties than Leti. She, in turn, told him to do his best and that

everything would turn up fine. She then asked the other king who

came from a time after hers.

“King Oswald, does Ghost Energy still exist in your time?”

“I have not come across one yet…but if a Ghost Energy

comes out right now when the war has turned for the worst, the

kingdom might as well fall and crumble…”

Oswald’s words were filled with truthfulness that neither Leti

nor Karlheinz could laugh at it. Oswald was just as dark as usual;

and to think he could just be a man of action all the time and not

only when it was needed.

“Is King Karlheinz’ Art Inventory still intact?”

- 20 -

“Yes. It is still safe in the castle for now but it might just be a

matter of time…”

“If you are already short on funds, selling them is one way to

support yourself financially. That is one of its original purposes

after all.”

Karlheinz did not collect those masterpieces solely because he

was a lover of the arts but rather thought that the inventory could

serve as a collection of items that could be sold in the future. Well,

what could one expect from the “Administration King” who, with

his superior abilities on policy and planning, rebuilt the kingdom’s

nearly non-existent budget.

“I just hope there will still be citizens left who will give me a

t.i.tle like the Administration King and the Heartbreaker Queen.”

“Eh?”

“Ho.”

Leti knitted her eyebrows at the unexpected words. What did

One-armed King Oswald say again? Administration King of

course referred to Karlheinz, so the Heartbreaker Queen was…

- 21 -

“Ack! No, I did not mean to… Aaah. And Queen Leticia said

there was no need for her to know the future. But please, do not

let it bother you. You have a proper t.i.tle. A great one!”

“…What do you mean?”

“Ah, just like the Heartbroken King Ludgar, you have a

different t.i.tle aside from your proper one…and that is the

‘Heartbreaker Queen.’”

Leti's eyes opened wide, her body shaking in anger as she

heard Oswald’s explanation.



“Oi! Princess! Are you alright!?” Duke jumped into Leti's room

when he heard her scream. But what he saw was Leti standing

right in front of her bed and her body shaking.

“—Tell me, am I the sensual type?” Leti turned her head and

asked Duke, her eyes were still and gla.s.sy.

“No? …I mean you’re more of the stoic type.”

- 22 -

She did not hate men but she was not interested in them either.

That was how Duke comprehended his master.

“Yes. Exactly…so how can that possibly happen?”

Leti turned again and looked at her bed, thinking how in the

world she could get such a t.i.tle in spite of how she was.

‘The Heartbreaker Queen? Of all the t.i.tles I could get, why Heartbreaker?

Just how many men did I gather that even my citizens knew about it?’

A name such as this would make her a laughing stock, just like

the Heartbroken King Ludgar, despite everything they would have

achieved.

“Future Queen Leticia‼! Come here and explain yourself‼!”

Duke silently slipped out of his master’s room for he was

certain he would be receiving the bulk of Leti's anger.