Mel-chan, so cool~

"Mellice-sama, if you have time after this would you like to go to the lounge together?"

"Sharisama. That would be nice. However……"

"……Mellice-sama, I have come to pick you up."

Interrupting my conversation with Mellice-sama, a female student who appeared to be an uppercla.s.sman called out to Mellice-sama.

"My……thank you for taking the trouble to come here, everyone. I"m sorry, Sharisama. I just remembered that I had a previous appointment, so we will have to go to the lounge another time."

Mellice-sama calmly accepted that and followed after them.

"Eh, alright……"

While I gave her my acknowledgement, I sensed a turbulent air around the three girls guiding her and thus moved to start following after them.

They did not exchange any words and walked with smiles pasted on their faces.

Like that, I maintained a reasonable distance as I observed them.

And then, upon reaching a deserted area behind the library, they stopped.

In order not to be found by them, I also hid in the shadows.

"……your Highness!?"

Noticing the presence of another person hiding in the shadows while observing, I reflexively called out his name.

I really was surprised.

To think that his Highness would be hiding in such a place with little traffic……who would imagine it?

However, even so I did not let out a very loud voice, as I did not forget where I currently was.

"Shh"

Prince Edgar quickly placed his index finger in front of his lips, responding with a gesture instead of words.

"Finally, we are able to talk, Mellice-sama."

Luckily, one of the girls amongst the female students who hadn"t noticed our presence, opened her mouth.

"Yes. Thank you very much for waiting."

Mellice-sama answered with a smile.

Her calm and composed reaction momentarily caused the female students surrounding her to falter back instead.

"……so, what is your business with me? I must give you my deepest apologies, as I do not at all know what you Seniors wish to speak to me about."

"It is about Rui-sama."

As she glared at Mellice-sama, the student in the middle spoke.

"My……Rui-sama, is it? What about him?"

Mellice-sama did not appear particularly frightened of their irritation, and instead actually looked at them with pure and innocent eyes while tilting her head, as if she were trying to agitate them.

"You……even if it"s as a joke, if you are going to call yourself Rui-sama"s fiancée, then you should know your place."

Perhaps because she had been affected by Mellice-sama"s att.i.tude, she used a low tone of voice that she normally wouldn"t use when saying that.

"What might you mean by, "know your place"? My deepest apologies, but I cannot understand what Senpai is trying to say."

"You don"t understand, you say? My……you do not seem to be like someone that will be marrying into the Armelia Ducal House."

Following the middle girl who laughed scornfully, the girls standing by on her left and right also laughed.

"I appreciate the advice. For future reference, could you perhaps teach me what you truly mean by that?"

However, Mellice-sama did not become enraged by their actions, and simply smiled.

"Listen carefully, okay? …….Rui-sama is busy. Even though you are supposedly his fiancée, do you not think it inappropriate to be demanding time from the busy Rui-sama?"

"That"s right. Moreover, do you not think you are being over-familiar with Rui-sama? Are you intending on damaging Rui-sama"s reputation?"

"……do you not think that with your weak const.i.tution, you will be unable to do work as the Madam of the next head of the Armelia Ducal House?"

The three of them took the opportunity to throw their spears of sarcasm.

Their comments gradually started to steadily escalate, eventually reaching a point where I couldn"t bear to just listen.

Prince Edgar, who was observing them next to me, furrowed his brow and started to move his body in order to stop them.

"……please wait, your Highness."

I, however, stopped him.

"But why……?"

Seeing my reaction, Prince Edgar turned a doubtful expression towards me.

"Just a bit longer…….please, let us observe the situation for a bit longer."

As we had that exchange, the situation started to go in an unexpected direction.

Fufu……a gentle laugh could be heard coming from Mellice-sama"s direction.

"Thank you for your advice. It has been quite educational, learning that there is that way of thinking as well."

For a moment, the female students appeared as though they couldn"t understand what Mellice-sama was saying as their eyes went round and they stared blankly.

"Wha……"

"So, do you have anything else you would like to say?"

"What is with that att.i.tude? To be saying such things towards your uppercla.s.smen……!"

In contrast to their fury, Mellice-sama made a pleasant smile.

"Uppercla.s.smen? ……my, how strange. Is calling an undercla.s.sman out to spout abuse at them the doings of an uppercla.s.smen?"

She did not use the same gentle tone of voice from earlier.

……together with a stern tone of voice that would cause everyone hearing it to get chills, she directed a serious and sharp gaze towards the girls.

We were swallowed by that atmosphere for hers. n.o.body could open their mouths.

"………to begin with, just what exactly are you basing your judgement that I would be unsuited for the Ducal House on? Do all of you have the ability to deny the decision made by my father, Gazelle Daz Anderson and the Head of the Armelia Ducal House, Romel Jib Armelia?"

"Wha……what. Even though all you"re capable of doing is boasting about your House"s influence……."

"My……even if you say that, it cannot be helped. Because it would probably be difficult to present something that would definitely make you recognize me, considering that you are only looking for weaknesses to deny me…….I am quite thankful that there are people like you ladies around, and that you have given me the opportunity to hear those voices of yours directly."

For a brief moment, the air around her relaxed as she made a gentle smile.

"However, to begin with…….I have no need for your recognition. No matter what anybody says, I am Rui De Armelia"s fiancée. As long as I desire it, and he approves of it……no matter what you twitter on about, there is no way that fact will overturned."

As she fired off those words while clad in an even greater sharper atmosphere than before, those girls unconsciously shut their mouths.

"……I knew it."

Seeing that, I became certain of my hypothesis and murmured reflexively

"You knew it? ……..what did you know?"

I forgot about his existence, but Prince Edgar was still here……I became fl.u.s.tered at that fact, but it was too late.

"…….eh? Ah……"

No good excuse came to mind, and I panicked for a short while……eventually I gave up and let out a sigh while simultaneously opening my mouth.

"I grasped why Mellice-sama was able to follow those girls so calmly."

"What do you mean?"

"……to her, disputes between girls are probably just petty trifles. They"re probably at the level of an annoying fly buzzing close to your ears. Because it is something that you can easily get rid of by waving your hand around, there"s probably no need for her to feel fear. As expected of General Gazelle"s daughter."

"……you seem quite happy about that."

"Yes, yes. It can"t be helped that I feel that way. After all, the person that I long for is right in front of my eyes."

As I spoke, words rapidly overflowed from my mouth.

At the same time, it felt like the thing rising up in my rest grew even stronger.

And then my eyes became clouded from that excitement.

……but, it really can"t be helped.

The reunion that I had been waiting for eagerly, the yearning for that precious girl that grew stronger the longer I waited, finally happened. I was finally able to meet with her once more.

When I suddenly returned to my senses and looked Prince Edgar, for some reason he had stiffened.

Somehow, his face seemed a bit red.

If he"s not feeling well, then he should probably head back to the dorm early……as I absentmindedly watched him, Prince Edgar opened his mouth once more.

"You want to become such a strong woman……is it?"

He silently asked, almost as though he were murmuring instead.

"Strong……yes, that is indeed true. If you would call one who possesses such a firm heart that will never break inside them to be strong."

"I see……you wish to say that such a heart would be strong?"

"Yes, yes. That person has pride as she steps on the ground with her own two feet, and her gaze reflects those whom she must protect…….she is like the wolf who is the king of the forest. Being able to see her now……her n.o.ble form makes me, as a woman myself, feel that there is no way I couldn"t yearn for her."

"I see……"

"On that note, your Highness, farewell. It seems that Mellice-sama will be returning to the girl"s dormitory, so I shall also return to the dorm."

"Ah, sure……"

Leaving behind Prince Edgar, who was still standing about dazedly, I was unable to suppress the excitement in my heart as I returned.

TN Comments:

Melly"s real side is leaking out……in any case, looks like things are really starting to kick up! Apologies if any of the ‘formal" talk came out weird. I"m not too good with wording things fancy.