"Onee-sama! These sweets are very delicious!!"

"Lady Lidiana! Please try this tea! It's a recommended gem!"

"I… I see. I will"

… Why has it turned out like this.

In front of me, Char is presenting sweets and as if fighting her Marianne is recommending the tea she'd brought. In the back is also Miriallia who's elegantly sipping tea.

The New Year began with commotion. The place is a room with a balcony on the ground floor of the royalty quarter in the Royal Palace.

Surrounded by three young ladies, my smile twitched.

The other day, for some reason I was hugged by Count Vidal's second daughter, Miss Charlotte. Frightened by Freed she looked like a small animal, so I unconsciously ended up protecting her.

Although I was confused being called the likes of Onee-sama, thinking it'll soon pa.s.s I forgot about it, but those were naïve thoughts.

To my surprise, the next day I received a bulky letter from her asking for a permission to visit me.

She showed off her pa.s.sionate feelings in what reached 10 sheets of writing paper, after I read through them I smiled dryly.

"Ahaha… Amazing…"

"Hmph. That woman really likes Lidi"

Freed suddenly peered from behind me who was sitting on the sofa. He looked at what I was holding with a displeased grimace.

While returning a bitter smile, I carefully folded the letter and put it back in the original envelope.

"Freed, you have a bad att.i.tude towards Char"

"It's because she said something like Will suits Lidi better than me. It's unnecessary to treat such a woman nicely, right?"

Freed who said that as if obvious is childish.

"Char is 16, she's still a girl. No matter how you put it, I think you're narrow-minded"

"Whatever. No matter how generous I'm about other things, it's no good if it's about Lidi. Even if the other party is five year younger child, I'll be jealous"

"Don't say that proudly…"

Freed who unashamedly declared he'd be jealous even if the other party was a child, was so resolute it drained my strength.

It's surely my imagination that I was happy, even if only a little.

It'd be too foolish otherwise.

"Remember. If it concerns Lidi, I won't give even an inch"

"Ah…"

At Freed's words, I recalled last night's unpleasant love affair.

I'd continued being embraced endlessly by Freed who turned perfectly greedy, when I noticed it was morning.

Lately, it had successfully calmed to end at three times, and yet it came to nothing.

Still I wonder if I got used to it. Since it had come to me staying here, the days where my body isn't in a bad condition after being continuously embraced have been gradually increasing. There's hardly any pain when I wake up in the morning. The lack of sleep is only a little painful. The necessary amount of Ms. Delris's medicine is also decreasing.

It's a good thing, but I retorted What are you getting used to. By the way, I haven't reported this unfortunate fact to Freed.

"… Everybody says you're a gentle Crown Prince?"

Incidentally I remembered the rumor I'd heard before and asked him a question.

But, it's the fact I'm dubious.

I've only seen Freed speak sharply to women, so I can't quite trust them.

That's why thinking it's just the right opportunity I asked him.

Having received the question, Freed hugged me from behind and a.s.serted as if it was a matter of course.

"After I met Lidi I decided to be different from before. At that time, I honestly hadn't cared about women. Because I held no interest, conversely I could treat them gently… But now I have Lidi. It's a waste to be concerned about treating them kindly, I'd rather spend the valuable time with Lidi"

"…"

"Besides it's a strange misunderstanding, I absolutely don't want to make Lidi sad"

"… Freed"

The tone of his voice suddenly turned gentle.

Lidi's my only one, with that he put all his strength into his embrace.

While obediently entrusting my body to such him, I thought that I trust him.

I understand it plenty enough that Freed has feelings for me, it's unquestionable. That's why I think nothing of him treating other women kindly.

… But well, I'm also a woman. I can't say I'm not happy about his words.

After all it feels special to be the only one he treats kindly, it's somehow feels like I was chosen.

Although astonished by these thoughts of mine, I returned my thoughts to the matter at hand.

In front of me is the letter from Char asking for a permission to visit. Mysteriously, at hand I have letters with similar intent, two of them had been delivered afterwards.

One is from my close friend Marianne. The other… is from Miss Miriallia, who seemed to dislike me the last time.

I don't understand why she expressly sent me a letter asking for a permission to visit, but in any case there are three letters in front of me.

Lining them up before myself I thought a little.

Now then, how should I deal with that. I'm troubled.

"Lidi"

"Nn?"

As Freed called out to me from behind, I raised my face.

While still hugging me, he suggested.

"Every letter is asking for a permission to visit, right? I give my permission, so if you want to meet, you can all meet in the castle"

"In the castle… Could we use a guest room in the general area?"

While tilting my head at Freed's words I asked.

Feeling like I may be doing something selfish, if I was refused I'd temporarily return to the ducal residence… Is what I thought.

When I informed him of that, Freed took a strand of my hair, and while twining it around his fingers said.

"No, there's a meeting room in the royalty quarter. Lidi is already recognized as my Princess Consort by everybody in the castle so there's no problem. I'll feel much more relieved than if it was some inappropriate place… Above all, if you returned to the ducal residence and didn't come back, I'd be troubled"

"Saying I wouldn't come back…"

When I turned my head to him as if to say What are you talking about, I was met with Freed's serious eyes.

"What would I do if you said you'd rather stay at your home and not come back. Of course, in that case I'd go fetch you immediately… But I'd rather not worry about that"

He brought my wrapped hair to his mouth and dropped his lips on it.

At this gesture my heart beat so fast that I felt so embarra.s.sed I wanted to cry.

"Uugh…"

It was too much for me, so I hung my head.

Freed is behind me, unable to see my eyes. Only that is the relief.

Otherwise it'd be surely exposed that I'm bright red.

Without knowing my inner turmoil, Freed dropped his lips close to my ear, and just like that his tongue crept, slipping down towards the nape of my neck. As I s.h.i.+vered at the touch of his rough tongue, he whispered in a low voice mixed with a pa.s.sionate sigh.

"Hey, let's do it? Lidi"

"Y, yup. Got it"

"… I'm glad"

Although I blinked at the somewhat feverish pleading sound, I nodded.

Freed who had gone around before I noticed, got on his knees and covered my lips like it's a matter of course.

As his kiss deepened I didn't feel like offering Freed resistance, in the twinkling of an eye I was held up in his arms and taken to the bedroom.

Of course later was sweet just a promised? That's what happened to me.

… Ah jeez, really, what should I do. I predicted it, but I genuinely can't refuse him.

The way it's slowly progressing is frightening.

… Ah, cough. The talk went in a strange direction.

Well, that's how it went, and now I'm surrounded by three young ladies.

But, with Char, Marianne and Miss Miriallia, the members are too chaotic.

Marianne is observing the room for the use of royalty with sparkling eyes, Char is looking at me spellbound, Miss Miriallia… what is it. I wonder if she's examining the situation. Anyway, with every one of them acting different it's too terrible.

"Onee-sama, it's the first time I eat this new confectionery called yohcan. It's very delicious! Where did you procure it?"

Char seems pleased with youkan that I immediately served as tea sweets and enquired me about its retailer.

Youkan was safely completed the other day and achieved a great success, but ultimately it was decided the recipe would be left under the Royal Palace's control. It doesn't matter to me who makes it, but from experience I know that that wouldn't fly.

At directions of Father the Prime Minister, I at least registered the original recipe, and then entrusted the recipe to Bart and Vice Head Chef. From then it seems to be spreading as a special confectionery offered by the Royal Palace. Brother lamented the increase in work, but it must not be an unpleasant work since his expression looked happy.

When taking the opportunity I mentioned making derivative articles like kuri youkan and mizu youkan and so on, he quickly became noisy.

At that time I ran away saying I'll do it another time, but rather that by Brother, I feel I'll later be pestered by Bart who heard it.

While recalling them, I calmed Char who bent forward.

"Look, calm down. Because youkan was made in the castle kitchen it's not sold at any shop. If you like it, should I have some prepared so you can take it home as a souvenir?"

"Yes! By all means please!"

Char smiled happily.

With her pink-brown hair done up on the side, she looks so sweet it's healing. When I thought a little after actually trying to talk to her, I understood she's a little naïve but very honest child. She seems to have an easy-going character, for better or worse.

While I'm talking with Char, I feel like I have a nonachiever little sister, so I just want to look after her. I want to stroke her head and dote on her.

Staring at our exchange, Marianne spoke dispa.s.sionately.

"Lady Lidiana. When did you become acquaintances with Miss Charlotte? Besides, Onee-sama… isn't such way of address too rude for the future Her Highness the Queen"

Marianne, who didn't hide her discontented expression, admonished her while smiling bitterly.

"Well, this and that happened. Besides, I don't mind, so don't say anything else, Marianne. And? What's your matter? It's unusual you want to expressly meet me"

"Um… That's, you see…"

When I asked for the reason of her visit, suddenly Marianne hung her head with a troubled expression.

Worried by the overly hesitant Marianne, I called out to her.

"Marianne? What's the matter?"

"No, thinking about it carefully, it's an unimportant talk. Thinking that for some reason I have to report it to Lady Lidiana I came in a hurry, but now I'm regretting it. To come as far as the castle for that, what a shameless behavior… Somehow I quickly became apologetic…"

"It's nothing like that. I was quite bored, so I'm glad you came here"

When I said that truthfully, Marianne made a relieved face. Still she timidly asked.

"Um, didn't Crown Prince get angry?"

"Eh?"

When I asked back, not understanding why Freed's name came out now, Marianne put her hand on her cheek with a spellbound expression.

"Crown Prince being infatuated with Lady Lidiana is a famous story already known to everyone. I've heard a rumor he doesn't feel like separating from you even for a moment. Today, I stole his time together with Lady Lidiana, so I'm worried whether I incurred Crown Prince's displeasure…"

"… It's His Highness who told me to use this room, you needn't worry"

I could tell my face twitched at the contests of the rumor that had spread.

Infatuated. What's with that.

It's a dizzying word I hear for the first time.

Such a strange rumor is spreading, huh. But, why.

Even if I try to think back, I have no memories of the behavior that could cause it.

I became greatly perplexed about why in the world such an incomprehensible rumor had spread.

"Such a rumor is spreading… My head hurts. And? And Marianne, what did you want to report to me?"

It's no use questioning her about gossips.

Since it's come to this, I quickly asked her to change the subject, and straightening herself Marianne nodded.

"Yes. If I remember correctly, Lady Lidiana left the last ball held by the Royal Palace early, right?"

"Ye… yeah"

Recalling in succession what happened with Crown Prince Maximilian I knit my eyebrows. Marianne continued talking to such me.

"It's about what happened afterwards. The singer whom I had mentioned at the previous Lady Lidiana's tea party appeared"

"… There was such a story too"

The original plan was to see the singer. That for some reason changed to a bath play.

"Um, the song that he sang…"

"Song? Certainly, he's said to sign unusual songs?"

"Yeah, that's right. However, it was exactly like the song I'd heard Lady Lidiana sing before…"

"The one I sang?"

"Yes. It's the song you've sang just once in front of the cherry tree. Certainly… I think the lyrics were like this"

"… Eh, no way"

Listening to the lyrics that came out of Marianne's mouth I solidified from surprise.

That song is certainly the one I've sang just once in front of her.

But, that singer singing it?

What are you saying, Marianne.

… There's no way he did.

It's because, the song I let Marianne hear was a song from my previous life.

It shouldn't exist in this world.

"… You're saying that singer sang it?"

When, unable to believe it, I once again confirmed, Marianne calmly nodded.

"Yes, I remember Lady Lidiana saying before n.o.body knows this song. That's why I found it strange why he knew it. Thinking it's better if I notify Lady Lidiana of that, I came here enduring my shame…"

I smiled towards Marianne, whose expression clouded from thinking she might have done something uncalled-for, to a.s.sure her it's not the case.

It's not uncalled-for at all. I'm very grateful for this information.

Marianne wouldn't tell a lie. In other words, the singer must be a reincarnated person like me.

Moreover to a sing a j.a.panese song, he's from the same country as me.

It's not like reincarnation must be limited to the same era, and I don't intend to force it, but I'd like to talk, is what I thought.