Engagement with Prince Ray… huh.
Surely not~! There’s no place for someone as childish-looking as me, right? … is what I would like to say, but this is a world where anything goes.

It’s natural for the people of n.o.bility to have their engagements settled even before they are born.
Rather, it’s more unusual that legitimate children of Duke like Oniisama and myself, and Prince Ray who is the Crown Prince haven’t their engagement settled yet.

… Come to think of it, why is that
It’s not like there weren’t any suitable candidates for us age-wise… there are engaged couples with ten years of difference in age, at worst, there are married couples with age difference of a parent and a child. This is a world where anything goes. Having no fiancé/e is strange.

「Otousama. Why is it that Oniisama and I have no fiancé/e? It usually wouldn’t be strange if you have already decided them for us, no?」

Since I was curious, I inquired from Otousama directly.

「… To tell you the truth, you were supposed to become the Crown Prince’s fiancée the moment you were born」

Unexpectedly, there already were such talks!
… But, we are not engaged, right??

「Since His Highness and I aren’t presently engaged, was there a problem, perhaps? 」

Because that is the case, the engagement talk shouldn’t suddenly resurface, so there would be no need to worry about Kurogane, right?

「There was a big problem. You would become His Majesty’s… that fellow’s daughter-in-law!」
「… Ha?」
「At that time, that fellow said something like『Your adorable Daughter-chan, won’t you give her to my son?』! My lovely daughter becoming that fellow’s daughter-in-law is simply intolerable!」
「… Ehhh?」

In other words, there was a proposal in the past, but Otousama refused?

「… Otousama, do you not get along with His Majesty?」
「… It’s not like we are on bad terms. We were cla.s.smates during our school days, you see… I had to look after him on numerous occa.s.sions, so I had suffered a lot because of that irresponsible fellow… it’s the same now too though」

Waa… was it a similar relations.h.i.+p Oniisama has with Prince Ray? Oniisama, you might suffered a lot of hards.h.i.+ps from now on too, huh… p, please do your best…

「He made such a proposal because our close relations.h.i.+p in the past, but this time, his surroundings might advice him on it as well. If that were to happen, he might pa.s.s a Royal Command. In case that happens, it will be difficult to refuse. The reason he hasn’t decided on His Highness the Crown Prince’s fiancée might be because he didn’t give up yet…」

Eh-! No way-! Is His Majesty the obstinate type!?

「Umm, how did you decline him in the past?」
「… Who would give you their adorable daughter! My daughter will marry whom she chooses! If you want her as a bride no matter what, temper your son thoroughly to become worthy man of my daughter! … Is what I told him」

Waa… weren’t you quite disrespectful, Otousama… you did well not losing your neck, didn’t you??

「So? His Majesty’s response was…?」
「He said 『Ahaha, got it~』in a non-serious tone. Seriously, that guy…!」

H, how simple~… is His Majesty such character??

「Cristea, no need to worry. I won’t let you marry into the royal family. I had proposals of other n.o.ble families too, but I turned them all down」
「… Haa…」

This is the course of the old maid flag, isn’t it…? Otousama, no matter how much you love your children… are you fine with not being able to see your grandchildren too?

「Umm, I understand the circ.u.mstances regarding the engagement, but what about Kurogane’s matter?」
「Oh, we were talking about that, weren’t we… umu, first of all, I’m thinking of explaining the situation to our fief’s Adventurer’s Guild’s Guild Master in secret」
「Eh!? You can do something like that?」

In that case, I had no need to be troubled from the beginning!?

「I don’t know whether he will keep it quiet. However, the current Guild Master of our fief is my old acquaintance. It might be worth consulting with him. I shall take a look whether he’s currently in the Adventurer’s Guild…」

What’d ya say!? You are going to the Adventurer’s Guild now!?

「I, I want to go too! Please, take me along!!」

I always wanted to take a look! At the Adventurer’s Guild!!