Royal by Nature
“Master, how are you feeling?”
The next morning, as Lux was finishing preparations to leave for the noble academy, Siana spoke to him with quiet concern, wondering if he might still be shaken by what had happened with Zald the day before.
“I’m alright now, thank you… Yesterday, you were there for me, and now you’re worrying again. I guess I still have a long way to go.”
Siana shook her head in gentle defiance and responded without hesitation.
“That’s not true! The ability to show your weakness to others is also a strength, one that a king must have.”
“I don’t think I’ll become a king… but thank you.”
Deep down, Siana believed with all her heart that Lux should be king. But as a maid, she had no place to say such things aloud. So instead, she held his words of gratitude close, sealing them in memory.
“When I get to school today, I think I’ll try to talk to Zald-san again. Calmly, this time.”
“…Calmly?”
“Yeah. He seemed really angry yesterday, but maybe after going home, he had time to cool off. Even if he hasn’t changed his mind, he might at least be willing to listen to what I have to say.”
Siana pondered what a peaceful world it would be if it were filled with people like Lux.
As the third princess, she had seen not just the cruelty of nobles, but the worst sides of many kinds of people. She thought back to the previous night. Zald hadn’t just ignored Lux—he’d been consumed with anger, unable to let go, even in solitude.
Even if Zald were alive now, he wouldn’t sit down for a rational conversation. On the contrary, he might have lashed out physically at Lux.
That was the kind of evil this world held—fools so lost that Lux couldn’t even imagine them. And yet.
“I hope that’s how it turns out.”
“Me too.”
Siana said it with a soft smile, and Lux returned it with one just as warm.
Siana didn’t believe Lux needed to know about any of it.
She wanted to marry him. If possible, she wanted to see him become king. But the path of royalty wasn’t only light; it demanded that someone bear the shadows too. That, she had decided, would be her role.
She couldn’t bear the thought of Lux—so kind, so gentle—being burdened with such darkness. If he were forced into it, he would blame himself endlessly. But Siana… Siana felt none of that hesitation.
If it meant preserving Lux’s happiness and the future of the kingdom, she could do whatever was necessary, no matter how dark. That was her birthright as royalty.
Had she never met Lux, she might have grown into someone cold, calculating, and utterly ruthless. But meeting him had taught her warmth. It had shown her what love could be.
Lux meant that much to her. And that was why—just like last night—she could eliminate anything that threatened him without the slightest hesitation.
That was the kind of person Felisiana was.
When she and Lux walked together to the carriage, Siana turned to him and said,
“Master, please take care.”
“I will. I’ll be back soon.”
As she lowered her head in farewell, Lux replied with a bright smile and stepped into the carriage.
The carriage pulled away, heading toward the noble academy.
Lux’s Side
I arrived at the noble academy by carriage, and as I walked toward the lecture hall, I was thinking about how I might have a more friendly, constructive conversation with Zald-san.
It might be unrealistic to expect him to stop looking down on me just because my title is lower, but there was still a chance I could change how he saw Felisiana-sama.
Maybe I could talk about all the things that make her amazing, or help him remember the strength behind the words she spoke at the entrance ceremony. As I mulled it over, I reached the lecture hall and took my seat.
Florence-san, already seated beside me, turned and greeted me.
“Good morning, Lux Rodwell-sama.”
“Good morning, Florence-san.”
“Yesterday must have been quite difficult. I wanted to speak in your defense, but since the other party belonged to a marquis house, I judged it might escalate into a family issue and thought it best not to act.”
“That was the right call. Don’t worry about it.”
At first glance, Florence-san seemed mild-mannered and carefree. But unlike me yesterday, she’d clearly been thinking several steps ahead.
“By the way, things like this happen often among the nobility, so I don’t think the school will spread such grim stories around. But did you know? The person you argued with recently has passed away.”
“…What? Zald-san… died!?”
I froze, stunned by the weight of her words.
I’d always been taught that noble deaths could come suddenly and without warning. Whether due to politics, personal agendas, or sheer convenience, such things weren’t rare.
But this was the first time someone I’d spoken to one day had died the next. It caught me completely off guard.
“How did he die?”
“He made many enemies, so I initially assumed it was related to that. But from what I’ve heard, it seems he tried to sell state secrets to another country in exchange for a ducal title. There’s a strong possibility he was assassinated by a royal agent.”
“Selling information… That’s high treason, isn’t it? An act of rebellion.”
“Exactly.”
Yesterday, I was surprised when he interrupted me before I could even state my name. But if he despised this country enough to betray it, then I suppose his actions make sense.
“Sorry for bringing up something so grim so early in the day.”
“No… thank you for telling me.”
After that, we shifted the conversation and chatted casually about what life might be like at the academy going forward. Then Florence-san gave me a gentle smile and said,
“Lux Rodwell-sama, if you’d like, would you care to join me for tea at my estate on the next holiday?”