Going Smoothly
Elizalina’s Side
“Ahh, Lux was so cute during yesterday’s commerce practicum~”
As she walked through the corridors of the royal castle toward the dining hall, Elizalina found herself thinking back on Lux as he ran the commerce practicum the day before.
“When he asked so cutely like that, there’s no way anyone could say no~ And it wasn’t just that flowers were fine. He even thought about colors that would suit me properly… I love him, I love him! Seriously, what am I supposed to do?”
For now, there weren’t any problems.
Still, Elizalina felt a little worried that if she kept thinking about Lux this much, she might eventually be unable to focus on her work.
That said, mediating the affairs of this country wasn’t only her duty as the Second Princess. It was also for Lux’s sake, so she was certain she’d never allow such a failure to happen.
“Yesterday’s incident means my workload’s increased just a little again, but if it’s for Lux, it makes me want to do any kind of work at all~”
Muttering that, she arrived at the dining hall. Dishes were already lined up on a long table covered with a tablecloth, and Rezamiliana was seated in her chair before the food.
Elizalina sat down across from her and spoke up.
“Good work yesterday~ It must’ve been pretty tough, right?”
In response, Rezamiliana answered calmly.
“I expended hardly any effort. Even if it was a gathering of dukes and marquesses, most of them were merely people who used their authority to line their own pockets.”
“That’s so like you, Rezamiliana-oneesama~ Even after wiping out the Lage faction, you’re just the same as always~”
“This matter isn’t completely resolved yet. There should still be those who had harmful ideas planted in them by those people.”
“That’s true~ You’re right. That’s definitely something we’ll need to be careful about going forward, but…”
Elizalina decided to ask Rezamiliana about something she’d been feeling ever since she heard about the destruction of the Lage faction the day before.
“Rezamiliana-oneesama, I heard you were feeling down because you couldn’t get engaged to the man you recently fell in love with, but since around yesterday, your mood’s completely back to normal. No, it actually feels even better than before. Is there some reason for that?”
When she voiced her question, Rezamiliana opened her mouth and answered.
“Ah, about that. I’ve decided not to give up on becoming engaged to him.”
“Huh!? Did Father give you his permission?!”
“That’s not the case. However, I judged of my own will that this choice would be for my sake, and for the future of this country.”
Of my own will…
The Rezamiliana Elizalina knew was someone who prioritized the country over her own wishes.
Of course, this time too, she was using the future of the country as her standard, but the Rezamiliana of the past wouldn’t have done something that went against their father’s wishes.
I thought she’d changed, but she’s really changed more than I realized. To Rezamiliana-oneesama, that man must be that important. Maybe even more important than I imagine.
But no matter what.
“If that’s how it is, then I’ll cheer for Rezamiliana-oneesama’s feelings to come true! If you run into any trouble, you can talk to me about anything!”
When she said that sincerely, Rezamiliana nodded.
“Understood. I’m aware that I’m inexperienced with matters like this, so if I have any problems, I’ll rely on you. By the way, I heard from Father that you’ve also found someone you wish to become engaged to. What kind of man is he?”
“Ehh~ If I start talking about that, it’ll never end, but if I had to say, his biggest charm is his kindness~ I’ve seen all kinds of people through mediation work, so I know. His kindness is truly pure kindness! He speaks gently from the heart, he’s considerate, and if I were to share just one story about how kind he is…”
“At this rate, the food in front of us will grow cold while I listen. Let’s limit it to just one question. Is everything going smoothly with him?”
At that question, Elizalina froze for a moment. Then she nodded, lifted the corners of her mouth, and answered confidently.
“Yeah, it’s going smoothly.”
“I see. That’s good to hear. Then let’s eat before the food gets cold.”
“Okaaay!”
After that, the two of them began eating the dishes laid out before them together.
Everything was going smoothly, right on schedule. All that was left was to take action on the day before.
Elizalina, who was vividly picturing a future where she and Lux were happy together as something certain, couldn’t wait for that day to arrive.
…While they ate, neither Elizalina nor Rezamiliana yet realized that the person filling their thoughts was the very same man.