It"s Al"s POV. From the next chapter, we will enter the next arc: Family. There will be the long-awaited sibling interactions! But first, enjoy this chapter!

TL: clover

ED: clover 

"She"s really cute."

I returned to my office in the castle. I muttered so after confirming that n.o.body was there.

My fiancée, Lily.

She is becoming more and more beautiful.

Little by little, bit by bit, she breaks the sh.e.l.l of a 『villainess』 I heard from my brother, and spreads her wings beautifully.

Lily has always been a cute girl for me from the very beginning, but her recent changes are overwhelming.

I have official duties to do and I can"t meet her that often. So, sometimes, I feel amazed at the change.

From the beginning, she was already cute.

I thought that her face smeared with tears was beautiful. But, if it were her of that time, I would limit myself to just looking. Just as a beautiful woman, there are many others like her.

However, recently it is different. Lily, who is struggling so as not to become a 『villainess』, is beginning to shine from inside.

Lily who had no friend. Such a girl has even made a friend at last.

She moves forward.

As time goes by, she will no longer need me.

She may still need me now. It is me who she consults first when she encounters obstacles. Write me a letter, ask for advice, and give me a thank you for the advice.

But.

Little by little, she will become independent. Even if I don"t exist, she will be fine.

At that time, will she ask me for advice?

Me, who can no longer give her valuable advice. Will she find value in me?

I occasionally feel that it is terribly scary.

In the near future, everyone will turn around looking at her unmistakably beautiful figure.

At that time, will she take my hand?

Or, will her eyes go toward those other options which would have increased?

Of course, I don"t intend to let her go.

"Because I was the one who found her first."

I will not let Lily be taken away by those who come later.

She is my fiancée, she is the one who will become the Crown Princess one day.

"Haah……"

I let out a small sigh.

Before I knew it, I have fallen in love with her this hard.

I certainly fell in love with her at first sight and had decided to make her a princess no matter what, but the love I feel for Lily now can"t be compared to what I felt at that time.

I understand why.

She told me that 「unless it was you, it will be useless」.

That was surely the reason why I became serious about her.

I have always thought,

—Do I need to be myself?

I have only been required as the 『First Prince』, so I have been wondering about whether it is necessary for me to be an individual.

I was wondering just what am I.

I was wondering whether I am a human being necessary for everyone, outside the framework of being the 『First Prince』.

Even my younger brother, whom I share blood with, only sees me as the 『First Prince』.

He still wishes for the 『First Prince』 and the 『Heroine』 in the 『game』, which I still don"t understand the meaning, to be wedded.

To be honest, it feels unpleasant. Sometimes I wonder if my brother does not see 『me』.

Yes, my brother too.

Everyone, including him, will not look at me as 『me』.

However, it may be only a matter of course.

Because I am the 『First Prince』no matter what, and I cannot become anything else.

It would be better for me to give up my extravagant wish where I want people to see me as myself.

I would hold my troubles, which I couldn"t talk about, close to my heart and spend the night sleepless.

It was at that time.

Lily casually said those words.

「I"m glad you were there」 and 「unless it was you, it will be useless」

Those were such casual remarks. For her, those were probably remarks that were thought on the spot.

But, due to those remarks, surely I was saved.

For the first time, I felt that I was allowed to become an individual.

To be very honest, I was very happy.

The one who gave me those remarks was my fiancée. The one who I fell in love with at first sight, the one who I decided in my heart to welcome her as my wife one day, I was so happy.

—Aah, I wasn"t wrong.

I felt like crying.

I chose correctly. I had chosen the right person to see me properly.

At that time, surely I fell in love with her all over again.

That"s why, I definitely think that I can never leave Lily and I don"t feel like doing that anyway.

In this country, eighteen years old is considered an adult. Both men and women can get married when they become adults.

She is now fifteen, so she is three years away from becoming an adult.

No, in a few months she will be sixteen on her debutante, so it"s only a couple of years until that time.

Within those two years, I will continue my engagement with her and I will marry her as soon as she becomes eighteen.

I am preparing for that, so I proposed a little while ago, but I absolutely have to stay sharp.

I will be sure to welcome her as my wife.

What matters is her feelings.

And I think that her feelings match mine.

But, occasionally, she acts strangely. I feel annoyed with not knowing why that is.

You ought to depend on me more.

If you do so, I"ll take care of you and spoil you even more.

It"s okay for you to be the cute Lily only in front of me. It is enough that I am the only one who knows the cute side of you. I absolutely don"t want my rival to increase.

Will said that my fated person will appear someday, but it truly doesn"t matter to me.

I don"t need someone who I don"t even know whether they will appear or not.

All I want is Lily.

I will do my utmost to capture her. There"s no room for complacency.

"First of all, go on a date with her and……I have to shorten the distance even just a bit somehow."

Although it is a busy period, I will adjust my schedule and make time for her soon.

I recall her butler who recently has sharply reduced the distance between them.

The butler named Luke.

It feels long ago when they didn"t have a good relationship and consulted with me.

Now the distance between them is too close and I get jealous.

"……this isn"t good."

A man who likes her and approaches her, even if it is her own butler, I cannot forgive them.

What would Lily think if she knew that my heart is so narrow?

Would she feel disappointed? Would she despise me since she thought that I was a kind and broad-minded person?

"Sorry……"

Although it is nice to know that he doesn"t like Lily that way.

While sighing, I picked up the remaining doc.u.ments.

People keep saying that he"s a cold and manipulative person, but I can only see him as an insecure person who tries his best to seize the heart of the person he loves. And I love that he never hide the truth from Lily, be it the ugly facts or his feelings. What do you think?