"Oh? You came"
"Older Brother"

Thanks to Alex I somehow managed to pull myself together, and after getting ready entered the victory celebration party venue.
As I turned in the direction of familiar voices directed at me, Alex and Glenn with their hands raised were looking here.

"Alex, Glenn"
"Late. The royalty has already begun entering"

Alex"s words made me check the time.
Certainly, I"ve just barely made it. It seems I was on the brink of being uncharacteristically late.

"Sorry"
"Well, it ain"t like you were late. Look, you came just in time"

As I followed Alex"s gaze, His Highness and Lidi escorted by him were there.

I felt pain in my chest. However, it somehow pa.s.sed, and I gazed at her.
Wearing a silver dress with a wide neckline, she"s showing a gentle smile as she"s accompanied by His Highness.
From the venue, sighs of admiration and jealous gazes irrespective of gender poured at the well-matched them.

They"re jealous of the seclusive duke"s daughter who had no fiancé, the Phantom Princess, obtaining His Highness, and of the handsome Crown Prince making Lidi his own.
In defiance of those gazes, they sat down on the prepared seats.

"Oi, is that fine? That"s the Crown Princess"s seat, right?"

I knit my brows and pointed out. Although the engagement has been officially established, she"s not the Crown Princess yet.
Certainly, she"s been recognized as Princess Consort due to His Majesty"s words, but I suppose there will be people unhappy with it.
It"s no wonder why such a seat was specially arranged for her.

"In any case, she was sat there by Freed. I mean, n.o.body can say anything. Hey, try looking at her chest"
"Nn?"

Alex"s words made me look at her chest.

"King"s… Flower!"

On her white chest, His Highness"s "King"s Flower", a blue rose in full bloom, brilliantly shone.
While I endured the chest pain that once again afflicted me, Alex and Glenn spoke, seemingly impressed.

"Hee. It"s the first time I see it, so this is how the blue rose "King"s Flower" is. Lidi called it a stylish tattoo, but well, it really can only be seen as one"
"I"ve heard the story from Freed, but it"s also the first time I see the real thing. Certainly, when the "King"s Flower" is displayed like that, n.o.body can complain"
"Who"d say anything. The moment anything was said it"d turn into lese majeste? There isn"t anybody who doesn"t know the meaning of the "King"s Flower" in this country. Even if they hate it, they have to shut up"

My childhood friend and little brother were cracking jokes next to me, but I just couldn"t.
I could only intently stare at the "King"s Flower" s.h.i.+ning on Lidi"s chest.

… I"ve already known she was embraced by His Highness.
I"d confirmed the great number of owners.h.i.+p marks on her neck with my own eyes before, I"d also heard of the "King"s Flower".
But, there"s a big difference between hearing and seeing.

The "King"s Flower", unabashedly s.h.i.+ning as if it was a mark of owners.h.i.+p, reopened my emotional wounds.
That mark that seemed to inform that all of hers has become His Highness felt unbearable.

I"ve decided to continue loving her. I"ll see even harsher scenes from now on.
I should"ve been prepared. However.
I couldn"t stop my heartache seeing them bring their faces close and intimately talk with each other without paying attention to me.
I want to avert my eyes, yet I can"t.

And, suddenly I heard high-pitched shrieks from throughout the venue.
His Highness smiled sweetly at Lidi. Young ladies across the venue were unable to take their eyes off Freed"s charmed smile not seen before.
Looking in Lidi"s direction, she seemed to have an amazed expression.
It seems she has no interest in His Highness face.
It was fortunate she wasn"t enraptured watching this scene, even so I felt complicated, as that seemed to mean she"s attracted to His Highness"s inside.

"Your brow wrinkled"
"Shut up"

I get that without being told. Still, I couldn"t take my eyes off them, when His Highness kissed Lidi"s forehead. Shrieks resounded across the venue.

"Ooh, Freed is doing well"

It"s irritating how Freed dares to flirt, said Alex, but I could only shake my head in my mind.

―――― That"s wrong, His Highness is holding back.

Just before dropping a kiss on her forehead, he took a fleeting glimpse at the venue and slightly smiled.
… I do understand, it was a face directed only at his rivals.
It was for a mere instant, but there"s no mistaking it.
That action is undoubtedly owners.h.i.+p a.s.sertion pointed at everybody inside the venue.

With that, those who directed insolent feelings at her some time ago have no choice but to give up.
His Highness implicitly demonstrated that he"s serious to his surroundings.
He"ll never forgive those who make moves on her.
There shouldn"t be a guy here who"d make an enemy of His Highness who got serious.

"… With Freed like this, conversely the people who try to curry favor with Lidi will increase"
"Alex"

Hearing what I"ve just been thinking of put into words, I turned to Alex with a bitter smile.

"It"s troublesome being strangely jealous, but it"s just as troublesome having to drive away those trying to curry favor"

That"s right, I agreed with Alex who scratched his head at Freed"s actions.

"It"s impossible to drive away everyone, but if it"s to a certain extent it should be possible"

If it"s to make it a little less unpleasant for her, I"d like to cooperate.
When I was about to open my mouth thinking so, Alex spoke to me in astonishment.

"What, you"ll also partic.i.p.ate, huh. Really, you"re caring when it comes to Lidi"
"… I"m just worried entrusting it to you alone"

I know it"s just an excuse, still I said it in desperation.

"Yes yes, let"s pretend it"s like that"
"Both of you, it seems Freed is about to dance"

At Glenn"s words, I and Alex shut up.
It seems while we were having a talk in low voices, before we noticed the time for the dance has come.
Although she dislikes evening parties, her prowess in ballroom dancing shames professionals.
As she began dancing as if gliding, I could tell His Highness"s eyes widened a little.
Alex laughed from the bottom of his throat.

"Ooh, Freed sure is surprised"

Glenn reacted to those words.

"Or rather, it is surprising. She"s called Phantom Princess, so I thought she"d be poor at social occasions"
"It"s only that she doesn"t appear, she"s perfect at them"
"Looks like it. That"s an amazing prowess"

Glenn sighed in admiration.
While listening to the voices of those two, I intently observed Lidi and His Highness.
It goes without saying for Lidi, but His Highness too is quite skilled at dancing. The two of them dancing look mysteriously appropriate. Every time she turns her silver dress sparkles.
His Highness, who"s holding her in his arms, looks truly happy, looking closely while dancing he seems to be saying something to her.
Being told that, her mouth slackened into a smile.

… Honestly, looking at them I burned with jealousy.

Biting my lip and clenching my fists, I endured with all my heart.
After the dance that focused everybody"s eyes ended, thunderous applause resounded.
That means the time of my agony finally came to an end.

While I was feeling relieved Alex called out to me.

"Oi, Will. I"m going to Lidi, you come too"
"Alex… Say what you like, but that"s…"
"Glenn, keep silent. So? You"re coming, right?"

Glenn admonished him in panic, still Alex fixed his gaze on me and asked.
Understanding those eyes are asking me to prepare myself, I breathed out.

… Yeah, I understand. You want to say I should start from now.

I could only smile at my merciless childhood friend.

"… I should go, shouldn"t it. Then I"ll go"

I could only reply that. Because, there"s only that.
Even were I to burn in the flames of h.e.l.l, I couldn"t give up on this love.

"Good, then let"s go quickly. Lidi!!"

Together with Glenn, I chased after Alex who approached them without reservation.
From now, such things will become the norm.

After all I need to prepare myself once again, thinking so I breathed a heavy sigh.

Happy Valentine"s Day everyone. And, sorry for the inopportune chapter, really.