Chapter 30: I'm Too Scared to Get Married

“——Go charm Prince Jalpha.”

That’s what Brother Jikei told me, straight to my face.

And he didn’t mean just to stay on his good side.

If possible, I was to win him over as a woman.

“It’s true, as a marriage prospect, there’s no one higher than a prince…”

Unlike Sister Lululu, I still didn’t have a formal fiancé.

So if Prince Jalpha were to propose… it would be an instant yes.

“…But seducing someone I’ve never even met before sounds impossible.”

I say this not out of vanity, but because it’s a fact: I have a good face. (All of Salipa’s royalty are good-looking, really.)

Still, Prince Jalpha is coming here to talk about war.

Make a wrong move and I might just sour his mood entirely.

The way Brother phrased it wasn’t “you absolutely must seduce him,” but more of a “if you can, do it.”

Even so, if I’m going to try, I need to know what kind of man Prince Jalpha really is.

---

“Lady Rishali. Are you feeling alright? Would you like to rest?”

“I’m fine for now!”

It had been about a week since I received orders from Prince Jikei.

Now I was traveling with Captain of the Guard, Paulik, toward the border of the Deken Empire.

My usual bodyguard, Takeru, had been stationed at the front lines with Yaiban.

So today, Paulik was filling in for him, tasked with protecting me.

“Paulik, do you know what kind of person Prince Jalpha is?”

“I’ve heard nothing bad. They say he’s a fair and sharp-minded prince.”

“I see.”

From what I’m hearing, he doesn’t sound like a spoiled womanizer.

A half-hearted attempt at seduction might backfire entirely.

“Does he have a fiancée?”

“…I imagine there’ve been countless proposals. But no official engagement yet, as far as I know.”

“He hasn’t settled on anyone?”

“As a potential heir to the Deken Empire, I hear they’re approaching the matter with utmost caution.”

“I see…”

He’s been chosen to inspect the Yaiban incursion, after all. That means he must be fairly high in the line of succession.

So it makes sense they’re being cautious with marriage talks.

“You seem quite interested in Prince Jalpha, Lady Rishali.”

“Brother ordered me to seize any opening that presents itself.”

“Ah…”

Not upsetting the prince — that’s the absolute minimum.

If I can get him to like me and propose, all the better.

…Just thinking about this mission makes my head hurt. Honestly, it’s exhausting.

“If you were simply lovestruck, I was planning to offer you a word of caution — but it seems I needn’t bother.”

“Do I look like that kind of princess to you?”

“…No. Embarrassing as it is to admit, I still don’t know you very well, Lady Rishali.”

Paulik said that while awkwardly looking away.

It’s true — Sister Lululu is the romantic type.

Maybe, as a loyal retainer, he wanted to make sure I wasn’t the same.

“Now that I think about it, this is the first time we’ve really talked, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“Why haven’t we spoken much before now, I wonder?”

“Well, I am a man. I do not often enter the princess’s quarters.”

That’s true. And, to be honest, this trip with Paulik has been a little awkward.

I’d recently embarrassed him over that whole “manure-dispenser Paulik” joke.

Sister Lululu went as far as to call me “a devil in a princess’s skin” over that.

…I admit, maybe I went too far. I’ve reflected on it.

“Um, Paulik. I’d like you to be honest with me.”

“What is it, my lady?”

“Do you… resent me?”

“Eh? Whatever for?”

I’d meant it as a joke and a show of appreciation, but that whole ‘Stink-Bomb Paulik’ name earned me a ton of backlash.

Sister Lululu absolutely ripped into me.

I really do feel bad about it.

“It’s just… you’ve seemed a bit down lately.”

“Ah, that. You saw through me, Lady Rishali… how shameful.”

A noble who values his honor, being directly ridiculed by a princess — of course it’d crush his spirit.

I figured I ought to find a way to help him regain some dignity.

“It’s because I humiliated you, isn’t it?”

“No, no. I assure you. I’m not so young that I’d brood over something like that.”

Captain Paulik answered, tugging at his aristocratic mustache in irritation.

…That’s what he says, but I can’t help but wonder how he really feels.

“To be honest, what really pains me… is my own powerlessness.”

When I looked at Paulik in silence for a moment, he eventually murmured that.

“Do you remember the story of Princess Lasilia’s abduction, Lady Rishali?”

“Yes, vaguely.”

“You remind me of her, Lady Rishali. Especially the way you’d play in the royal gardens, digging around in the dirt. It’s uncanny.”

“Princess Lasilia used to play in the dirt too?”

“She did. A bright, mischievous girl. She once threw a mud dumpling at me, you know.”

Paulik said that, and gave a sheepish, wry smile.

And then, as if something had come back to him, a single tear traced its way down the cheek of the middle-aged man.

"I can’t help but see the resemblance. Lady Rishali has the same eyes as Lady Rashiria."

"Paulik…"

"The sight of you playing in the palace garden—it’s like seeing Princess Rashiria brought back to life. It’s as if I’m being forced to confront my own powerlessness."

The steel-hearted knight turned his face away, unwilling to let his tears be seen.

Then, as if confessing a sin—

"I must admit something. Shameful as it is, I’ve been avoiding you, Lady Rishali."

So he confessed, voice trembling with tears.

Rashiria had been a friendly, outgoing child who often pestered Paulik to play with her.

And he hadn’t disliked looking after the princess. In fact, he had even come to enjoy those moments.

"Seeing Lady Rishali, who resembles her so much... became too painful for me."

That beloved Princess Rashiria had been abducted by a depraved noble, consumed by lust, and never returned.

One can only imagine the regret and anguish Paulik must have felt at the time.

From then on, he reportedly came to harbor an abnormal hatred of commoners, becoming someone who rejected them outright.

"I swore to become stronger, so that such a tragedy would never be repeated. I never neglected my training and strove to improve myself."

"Paulik…"

"But I was just a frog in a well… after all, I was beaten senseless by a mere commoner boy, Takeru, young enough to be my own child."

As a royal knight, Paulik had undergone rigorous training and spearheaded various reforms.

He even thought ahead to the next generation, rigorously training his beloved daughter, Paulie, to the utmost.

Paulik loathed his own helplessness, pushed himself relentlessly, and dedicated his entire life to the Kingdom of Saripa.

"My life, spent running forward for the good of the kingdom—I have no regrets. But even I held a small, foolish dream."

"A dream?"

"It was to pass on the national treasure sword Gildebald, bestowed upon me by the king, to Paulie, along with the position of Knight Commander, once she had grown into a fine warrior."

Eventually, Paulik’s name spread far and wide as the strongest knight in the Kingdom of Saripa.

The once powerless knight had finally risen to become the king’s very own protector.

And yet, all of that pride and honor—

‘Judge, your decision?’

‘...Victory goes to Takeru.’

—was shattered, along with the treasured sword Gildebald, by the overwhelming strength of a boy from the countryside named Takeru.

"And well, that’s the reason I’ve been so down. In the end, I was just a powerless fool who thought himself strong."

"Paulik…"

"I’m sure Takeru will make an excellent guard. He’s got a good heart and is someone worth trusting. If he’s going to devote himself to Saripa, then there’s no need for me to keep pushing myself."

"…"

"See? It’s really nothing worth talking about. Just an arrogant old man moping after being shown how powerless he really is."

Paulik said this with a self-deprecating smile.

And his expression did not look like that of a man telling lies.

"So please, rest assured. I bear no resentment toward Lady Rishali… well, not exactly… no, I truly don’t."

"You stumbled a bit there."

"If I may speak freely… would it be possible to do something about the name of that instrument?"

That part really is… truly unfortunate.

"Hmm. It is indeed a shame that the treasured sword Gildebald was destroyed."

"I take full responsibility for that. My apologies."

"However, your efforts, Paulik, were by no means in vain."

So Paulik’s dream for his later years had been to raise Paulie into a fine knight and make her his successor.

Well, it’s true—Paulie is a promising up-and-comer. She’ll only continue to grow from here.

But even so… she’s already—

"Paulik. Have you heard that this time, there were two Dragon Slayers?"

"...Huh?"

"Anyone who was there would almost certainly say the same."

The public story is that Takeru defeated the dragon almost entirely on his own.

But in truth, it was a miracle that couldn’t have happened without her contribution. Many people witnessed it with their own eyes.

"Takeru couldn’t have defeated the dragon alone. The one who aided him, who made the dragon’s fall possible, was none other than Royal Palace Knight Paulie."

"...My daughter did?"

"We haven’t told her yet, but—Paulie will also be awarded the title of Dragon Slayer."

Paulik’s beloved daughter, Paulie.

Dragon hunts are usually carried out by a group. And when successful, every participant is awarded the title of “Dragon Slayer.”

So naturally, Paulie, who supported the fight as the team’s healer, should receive the title as well.

"W-What? My daughter... a Dragon Slayer?"

"As a reward, it seems Paulie will be granted a treasured sword."

Slaying a dragon was a once-in-a-century feat in the Kingdom of Saripa.

And the scales and fangs harvested from a dragon’s corpse are extremely valuable materials for forging powerful weapons.

…It seems the King himself plans to bestow one of those new weapons upon Paulie.

"Paulik. Paulie will receive a treasured sword through her own merit on the battlefield."

"Ooooh... Ooohhh..."

"And who was it that raised her into the person who achieved this?"

Upon hearing that, Paulik burst into tears, a radiant smile spreading across his face.

His beloved daughter Paulie had earned distinction in battle and been recognized by the kingdom itself.

"As expected of Paulik’s daughter. I’m glad you raised her so well."

"Ah… such gracious words…"

"Thanks to your loyalty, Saripa has been saved. You should be proud."

It was the fruit of everything Paulik had given for his kingdom over the years.

Takeru alone couldn’t have saved it.

It was because Paulie was there—and because Paulik had raised her—that this victory was possible.

"I ask that you continue lending us your strength. I will honor your loyalty in return."

"...As you command. As you command."

I expressed my gratitude to Paulik. He said nothing in reply, overwhelmed with emotion and tears.

…Maybe the King had all this in mind when he assigned Paulik as my escort.

---

Thus, having reconciled with Paulik and deepened our bond as lord and vassal anew—

"A delegation from the Deken Empire has arrived!"

"Oh! I’ll head out at once."

About five days later, Prince Jarlfa’s diplomatic mission arrived in the Kingdom of Saripa.

I rushed out of the inn and spotted a group dressed in jet-black approaching from beyond the outer wall.

"Let us go greet them. Paulik, accompany me."

"As you command."

Though I am a princess, to the Deken Empire I’m little more than a “provincial noble’s daughter.”

I couldn’t afford to risk offending the prince. So I went out in person to properly receive him with all due courtesy.

"His Highness Prince Jarlfa has arrived!!"

Before long, a lavishly adorned carriage trimmed with obsidian approached the gates, escorted by several hundred guards.

The horses pulling it were in excellent condition, well-groomed and muscular.

Paulik and I, along with the others, bowed our heads and awaited the prince’s words.

"People of the Kingdom of Saripa, thank you for the warm welcome."

Eventually, the carriage came to a stop just outside the gates.

From it emerged a young man, clad in a robe woven with golden thread.

"Oh, could that stunning beauty over there be…?"

I snuck a quick glance upward to get a look at him.

Standing there with a gentle demeanor and a charming smile was a good-looking young man.

"Would you do me the honor of telling me your name?"

"I am Rishali, second princess of the Kingdom of Saripa."

"I thought as much. Your beauty matches the rumors—truly breathtaking."

Sure enough, this was Prince Jarlfa.

His short, well-groomed blonde hair swayed slightly as he smiled with practiced ease. He looked every inch the ideal prince.

"It’s an honor to meet you, Prince Jarlfa."

"And to meet you as well. Let us give thanks to the gods for this fortunate encounter."

When I accepted his handshake, the prince smiled like a flower in bloom.

His face was well-formed, and he seemed to have a genuinely pleasant personality.

"Princess Rishali, would you care to ride in my carriage and talk for a while?"

"What a generous offer. I’d be delighted."

After exchanging greetings, he immediately invited me into his carriage.

We had planned a banquet to welcome the prince, but—

"If possible, I’d prefer to move ahead quickly. I apologize if that sounds rushed."

"Not at all. In fact, I appreciate your consideration."

It was a matter of war, after all—we had no time for leisurely feasting.

Basically, he was telling us to take him to the castle now.

"In that case, may I entrust the honor of leading the way to my loyal knight, Paulik?"

"Oh! So that gallant man there is none other than the Knight Paulik of the Kingdom of Saripa! What a reassuring escort—please, I leave it to you."

I cast a quick glance at Paulik.

He gave a small nod, then moved out in front, leading the knights at the head of the formation.

"To be welcomed by such a beautiful lady—this is a great honor for me, Jalpha."

"You flatter me, Your Highness."

"Under normal circumstances, I would love nothing more than to enjoy the cuisine of Saripa and hold proper talks... but the situation is urgent. Let us proceed directly to Saripa Castle."

Prince Jalpha said this with a smile as he gave the order to advance.

He gave crisp, efficient instructions to those around him—he came off as a composed and rational prince.

"Princess Rishali, please forgive me for the impropriety of inviting you into my carriage. I simply wanted to hear your thoughts on a few matters."

"Of course. Please ask anything you'd like."

"Thank you. I’ve heard that you were present at the very moment the Yaiban Dragon was slain."

Cheerful, kind, friendly, and clear-spoken—a well-mannered young gentleman.

That was my initial impression of Prince Jalpha.

But sitting beside him, speaking to him face-to-face—honestly, I was absolutely terrified.

"This Jalpha is extremely intrigued by the tale of this new hero. I’d love to hear it in detail, if you would be so kind."

"Yes, of course."

—Because the depths of Prince Jalpha’s eyes were clouded and dim, showing no reflection of anything.

The social intuition I’d cultivated in high society—the ability to see through someone—was completely useless against him.

"Where shall I begin?"

"From the very start, if you would."

This is likely a mask—a persona. Prince Jalpha is playing the role of a cheerful, good-natured prince.

He’s perfectly hiding whatever lies deep in his heart, never letting it show. He’s conversing with his ego completely concealed.

I’ve never met someone so impenetrable. He’s better at concealing his true thoughts than even the King, my royal father.

"Then perhaps I should start with the time I was personally abducted."

"Oh? And what on earth happened there?"

On the surface, I responded eagerly to his curiosity…

…but inside, I was breaking into a cold sweat at the appearance of an unexpected and formidable opponent.

No matter what I said or how I reacted, it would all be absorbed into that polished persona—like pressing against a curtain with no resistance.

"The truth is—"

Do I really have to charm this guy? Win him over?

And even if I could win him over, he’s so scary I absolutely don’t want to marry him.