Rezamiliana Anee-sama
The First Princess, Rezamiliana, elder sister to the Third Princess Felisiana and the Second Princess Elizalina, was supposed to still be abroad on diplomatic negotiations until tomorrow.
And precisely because they knew that letting Rezamiliana witness such a dangerous situation would provoke her anger, they had arranged for this confrontation to happen the day before her return.
However, Rezamiliana had returned, even though it was not yet her scheduled date of return.
Siana, surprised by this, no longer had the hollow look in her eyes. Instead, they had returned to their usual state.
Immediately afterward, Siana gave Violet a glance, signaling her to lower the dagger from Elizalina and release her restraints. Though it wasn’t even necessary, as Violet had already done both and had somehow moved from behind Elizalina to behind Siana.
Even if Siana had been slow to give instructions due to being rattled by Rezamiliana’s arrival, Violet had already read her thoughts. In fact, she had anticipated them and acted accordingly.
Judging from Rezamiliana’s reaction, it seemed she hadn’t noticed that Violet had been pressing a dagger to Elizalina’s neck or that Elizalina had been restrained, thanks to Violet’s swift judgment.
While Siana was feeling relieved by that, Elizalina spoke in her usual tone, as if nothing had happened.
“Rezamiliana-nee-sama, wasn’t your return supposed to be tomorrow~?”
“How many times have I told you to use respectful speech when there are non-royals around?”
“Yeeees! So, um, wasn’t your return scheduled for tomorrow?”
Prompted to speak politely, Elizalina asked in a lighthearted voice.
Though somewhat exasperated, Rezamiliana didn’t comment further since Elizalina had technically used respectful speech, and she responded.
“True, my scheduled return was tomorrow, but circumstances changed slightly. You could say this is a temporary return.”
“A temporary return? Why’s that?”
“It’s something that concerns both you and Felisiana. I’ll explain later. But first, I want an explanation of this situation. Dozens of soldiers gathered at the royal castle’s entrance, Elizalina and Felisiana facing each other, Violet standing beside Felisiana. This is an unusual scene right after my return. What exactly was happening here before I arrived?”
Rezamiliana spoke with a firm and commanding tone.
Rezamiliana’s personality was disciplined and solemn. If she were to learn that a life-and-death standoff had nearly occurred here, she would undoubtedly be furious.
As Siana was wondering how best to respond, Elizalina opened her mouth and spoke first.
“Well, actually, I called Felisiana here intending to surprise her, and I had my subordinates surround her so she’d be like, ‘Eek, I’m surrounded, how shocking!’ I just wanted to see that kind of reaction. But Felisiana didn’t get surprised at all, and now the atmosphere just sort of froze.”
“The soldiers are armed. Isn’t that a bit much for a prank?”
“But it’s Felisiana we’re talking about. I figured I’d have to go that far to actually surprise her.”
“Why choose nighttime?”
“Night’s scarier, right? Should I do it to you sometime too, Nee-sama? Like, when you’re walking down the castle corridor at night and then~ Boo!”
“So in short, this was one of your pranks, Elizalina. Still, dragging your subordinates around late at night for such a prank is not befitting of royalty.”
“I paid them properly, and I picked them from the night guard squad, so it’s all fine!”
“You’re spending budget on this kind of nonsense… Well, fine.”
Perhaps fatigued from diplomatic negotiations, Rezamiliana looked more exasperated than angry, and brought the topic to a close.
She really spouted those lies so easily. Rezamiliana-nee-sama probably doesn’t fully believe Elizalina-nee-sama’s words, but since a surface-level explanation was given, there’s no point pressing further here. So she probably won’t pursue it.
As Siana thought that, she found herself slightly impressed by Elizalina’s way with words, and turned her attention to Rezamiliana’s next words.
“Now then, I’ll explain why I made this temporary return. You remember I mentioned that the situation had changed?”
“Yes.”
Siana nodded as she said so, prompting Rezamiliana to continue her explanation.
“Originally, I was supposed to handle the diplomatic negotiations alone and finalize the agreement. That’s how it has always been. But this time, the other party made a condition. They requested that I bring one of my sisters to meet them.”
“In other words, either Elizalina-nee-sama or me… Could it be some sort of trap?”
Unfamiliar with such an odd request, Siana asked that question, to which Rezamiliana responded.
“From my experience, I can say it’s not a trap. Most likely, they want to assess our kingdom not through me, who is well-versed in diplomacy, but through one of my less experienced sisters, either Elizalina or Felisiana. It’s rare for a country to make such a request. It shows that they value not just our economy and resources, but also our people.”
This country undoubtedly ranks among the top in the world by every standard.
That was thanks primarily to the three princesses. But the country Rezamiliana was now negotiating with appeared to place as much importance on people as on economic or material factors.
After finishing her explanation, Rezamiliana turned to Elizalina, who raised her hand and spoke.
“Me, me! I wanna go! I’m sure I could totally secure the contract!”
“True, it might not be difficult for you… but this time, I intend to take Felisiana.”
“Me?”
When Siana asked in return, Rezamiliana nodded and explained.
“Felisiana possesses the intelligence, swordsmanship, and mental strength required of royalty. One could even say she surpasses me in those respects. However, she still lacks experience. That’s precisely why I want her to gain experience through these diplomatic negotiations and grow as a royal.”
Rezamiliana said this with a gentle smile that only an older sister could give.
In response, Siana nodded and answered.
“Understood. I will carry out the diplomatic mission alongside you, Rezamiliana-nee-sama.”
“Good. I’m counting on you.”
As the two exchanged those words, Elizalina suddenly raised her voice.
“Ehhh! Wait, wait! I wanna go abroad too! It’s been forever!”
Rezamiliana’s gaze sharpened even more as she replied.
“Diplomatic missions are not vacations. Even if there’s free time, it should be spent observing local markets and identifying problems to consider how they could apply to our own kingdom.”
“Whoa, scary eyes, Nee-sama~! But still! Me, left behind… just me, staying home?”
Then, in a small voice, Elizalina muttered.
“If Felisiana’s gone, that means I could… with Lux…”
As she whispered something too quiet for Siana or Rezamiliana to hear, Elizalina suddenly raised her hand and declared.
“Okay! Then I’ll stay home!”
“That was quite the sudden change in attitude. But if you understand, then good. Felisiana, the next diplomatic mission is in three days. Be prepared by then.”
As Siana nodded to those words, she was simultaneously trying to read Elizalina’s thoughts.
She must be thinking that if I’m gone, she’ll have Lux-kun all to herself. But I won’t let that happen. I have to come up with a countermeasure within the next three days.
As Siana thought that, Rezamiliana spoke.
“That concludes the discussion. You should all get some rest now.”
“Yes.”
“Okaaay~.”
After Siana and Elizalina responded, Rezamiliana left the entrance of the royal castle with dignified poise. Once again, only Siana, Violet, Elizalina, and Elizalina’s subordinates remained in the entrance hall. Siana and Elizalina now faced each other once more.