Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 46: The Ninth Princess.

---

I was kneeling in front of a young red-haired girl. That girl was no one other than the Ninth Princess of the Empire, or in other words, Marina's younger sister.

Seriously… Why do I gotta deal with Eliana's shenanigans after such a long trip…? I knew I had to see her eventually, but not this soon!

Urgh! I'm so angry because of her stupid schemes! Why can't I have a meal with my family and friends in peace!? I'm too tired from the trip for this bullshit!

(Hang in there, my little devil.) Thiasis said with a comforting tone which helped me to calm myself down.

Just moments ago, I was genuinely enjoying myself and having a good time with my family until Lia warned me about Eliana's unavoidable visit and the motives of said visit…

In short, Eliana, on top of representing Marina, also wants me to represent Marina's little sister in the tournament, who is apparently a genius who is graduating early from the Blaise Academy.

I was already aware of the fact that two princesses were graduating this year since I overheard quite a lot of people talking about it, mainly Ophelia and the rest of the Blue Roses. I thought nothing of that fact and pushed it to the back of my mind since it wasn't really my problem…

Sigh… I guess it is my problem now…

"Please raise your head. You do not need to kneel towards me, my champion." The princess spoke softly while placing her hands on my shoulders encouraging me to rise from the ground.

"I insist that it is absolutely necessary, Your Highness." Just like the Professor had taught me, I followed the protocol and refused her request politely.

"Please, I cannot allow someone who will bring me honor by representing me to ever bow their heads toward me." Alicia said with a serious tone this time.

"As you wish, Your Highness." I quickly stood up and looked the Princess in the eyes as per the protocol.

So far, my first impression of the Ninth Princess is a positive one. Unlike Marina when we first met, she hasn't shown any signs of having a bratty attitude or anything of the sort.

Well… I haven't rejected her request to represent her yet, so she might be hiding that bratty attitude for the time being…

(She's not doing that sort of thing! She's a genuinely nice and polite girl! You could even say that Alicia is the opposite of Marina when you met her three years ago. She has my seal of approval!) Thiasis said with confidence.

(Hmm? Is that so?) I said with a bit of relief.

Marina is my friend and all, but I still remember the tantrum she threw after I refused to be her servant… Quite frankly, I don't have the energy to deal with another one of those right now, so it is a relief to hear that Alicia won't do that…

"I apologize for this sudden and strange request, but could I examine you for a moment?" Alicia asked with a somewhat expectant look on her face.

"I do not mind, Your Highness." I nodded with approval.

"Then please stay still." The Princess replied as she started to actually examine me, checking out my hands, touching my arms and back, looking into my eyes, and even getting a closer look at my hair…

I was sure that she was interested in my unusual hair color.

(Umm? Why is she doing this? Does she have some sort of Unique Skill that works like [Appraisal] or something?) I asked the Goddess in my head.

(No, not quite… She has a photographic memory, so you could say that she's simply trying to memorize every minor detail she can about you.) Lia answered my question in her usual deadpan tone.

(Wait? For real? Huh… This is the first time I meet someone who's capable of such a thing…) I said with amazement.

(Excuse me? What about the literal Goddess of Knowledge who is talking to you right now? Are you taking me into account? My ability to memorize things is superior to Alicia's in every way!) Lia suddenly got mad at me because of my comment… She was definitely jealous…

(Sorry, Lia… I didn't mean to make you angry. I meant to say that it is the first time that I meet another mortal like myself who has a photographic memory.) I apologized to the Goddess.

(I'm not angry…) Lia replied, clearly still angry at me.

(Still, please forgive me, you beautiful Goddess who lives in my head.) I couldn't help myself and complimented her.

(You're lucky that you're cute…) She muttered. (I guess I'll forgive you, just this once.) Lia said sheepishly.

(Jeez! She's being such a tsundere today, isn't she? To get jealous over such a small thing! Isn't that just adorable!) Thiasis immediately started teasing her other half.

(Shut up… I'm going back to work…) The usually stoic Lia suddenly left in a hurry while sounding quite embarrassed and a bit

I couldn't help but laugh in my mind while keeping a completely serious and polite look on the outside. It was a feat that I could only perform after years of learning etiquette under Professor Tian.

"You're shorter than what I imagined…" Alicia said absentmindedly.

The moment she said that I felt my eyebrow twitch… Since I was in front of two members of the royal family and Professor Tian, I managed to keep my cool and stay silent.

"I wasn't going to say anything about it, but now that she mentions it, you haven't actually grown at all in the last three years, have you?" Eliana nodded to herself while looking at me. "I mean, the other children have grown quite a lot, but you haven't grown in the slightest… Could it be that you're actually a dwarf or a gnome?" She asked with an innocent expression.

As soon as Eliana's words reached my ears, I was filled with a wave of intense anger… So much so that for a moment, I thought that the veins in my forehead were about to pop…

"My lady, I am not a dwarf and I am certainly not a gnome, I am a human… I am just waiting for my growth spurt…" I tried to speak politely, but it was clear that I was enraged…

"Dear Aunt, that comment was uncalled for. Please refrain from bothering my champion with those kinds of comments." Alicia suddenly scolded her Aunt, as if she had sensed my anger… 

"It was just an innocent question, though." Eliana said with a smile as if she had done nothing wrong.

"I sincerely apologize if what I said was hurtful and I also apologize for my aunt's words… You have my word that it won't happen again, my champion." Alicia ignored her aunt and bowed to me before she continued examining me.

She had broken the protocol in order to apologize to me. Members of the Royal Family are supposedly not allowed to bow to commoners. Because of that, I was convinced that she was sincere.

(See? I told you she was a nice girl!) Thiasis said with pride for some reason…

(I guess I'll forgive her just this once…) I replied as I managed to calm myself down thanks to Alicia's apology.

(Oho! It appears that Lia is not the only one being a tsundere today~!) Thiasis decided to poke some fun at me.

"No offense taken, Your Highness." I ignored Thiasis and accepted Alicia's apologies.

Alicia acknowledged me with a nod, before going back to whatever she was doing. In the meantime, I decided to look around the room.

Laura, Sarana, Grandpa, Neris, Elissa, and Klein were still all pale thanks to the sudden presence of two members of the Royal Family.

Laura and Sarana must be sweating bullets right now because of the whole otherworlder slave business…

As for Mia, Liliana, and Luna… They were looking at Alicia with clear jealousy, however, thanks to the presence of our teacher, they were following the protocol and waiting for the princess to acknowledge them.

Leaf was also looking a bit confused but she was sitting quietly where I left her.

As for my parents…

My dad basically decided to ignore this situation to focus on his pizza and his mug of ale. He was pretty much trying to make himself invisible…  

My mom looked pissed off again, all courtesy of Lady Eliana. At the very least she was making the house tremble with her crazy magical pressure…

And lastly, the servants of the royals that came to visit. The Professor and elf that Eliana saved from slavery, Marie.

Professor Tian was just standing there, waiting to receive any orders while keeping a serene expression on his face. He was giving looks of approval from time to time.

And Marie… Well… Her gaze was completely fixed on me… Almost as if she was trying to tell me something…

Despite that little creepy behavior, she seemed much healthier than the last time I saw her. Her blonde hair had become a little longer and her light green eyes were just as lovely as they were back then.

"Thank you very much for agreeing to my request, my champion." Alicia suddenly spoke with delight. "I will never forget you after this." She smiled at me.

"Your Highness, do you do this kind of thing with everyone you meet?" I looked at Alicia with genuine curiosity.

"I only do it with the people who I definitely don't want to forget about." The Princess replied as she adjusted her glasses. "However, I must say that while I am not experienced enough with fighting to tell the strength of a person at a single glance like my dear aunt, I can tell that you are strong... I am convinced that by having you by my side, victory is assured, my knight!" Alicia suddenly started looking at me with sparkling eyes, almost as if she was looking at a character from a book who had come to life…

Thanks to the bright expression she had on her face, I could tell that she was definitely Marina's sister even though they don't look alike much. 

Well, if I take a closer look at her, I can see some vague resemblance with Marina.

Also… When did I get promoted from champion to knight? Yes, I am level twenty but I don't have any master seals or second seals on me!

"Your aura is also quite beautiful… I never imagined that I could see such a beautiful combination of colors around a person. It is like looking at a masterwork created by a genius artist." Alicia suddenly held tightly both my hands as she started to look me in the eyes, almost as if she was trying to dwell into my very soul…

After that exchange, I was convinced… The royals of this country were definitely a little weird…

"Your mana is truly such a beautiful thing… I can't get tired of looking at the aura surrounding you, my knight." The Princess seemed a little delusional…

I couldn't help but be reminded of the times when Mia used to call me her Beloved Prince… 

Speaking of Mia though… The looks of jealousy my fiancée and my sisters had on their faces are actually kinda scary…

Yep, I'm gonna follow Dad's example and pretend I didn't notice those jealous looks…

"Your Highness, I don't recall receiving the title of knight, much less becoming a knight at your service…" I said awkwardly, clearly trying to ignore the gazes of my sisters and my fiancée.

"But you are going to win the tournament, are you not? Since my oldest sister and I are graduating this year, one of the prizes for the winner is to be granted a higher title by my father, His Majesty, if the individual in question holds a low-ranking title. Since you were not born a noble and considering who your adoptive father is, you're likely to be granted the title of knight, hence why you are now my knight." Alicia explained as she maintained some increasingly uncomfortable eye contact with me…

"I understand that Your Highness, but… I haven't agreed yet to represent you at the tournament, and I'm sorry, but even if we win, I can't become your knight." I said to her with a serious expression.

I mean, it is quite obvious that I would reject being her knight. 

First of all, if I accepted, I would have to come to live in this city permanently to serve the princess and fulfill my role.

Second of all, it would be basically the same as if I had accepted becoming Marina's servant all those years ago, so my first deal with her and Eliana would be all for naught.

And third of all, if I accepted becoming her knight, I would have to constantly be in the presence of Alicia's father, the man who supposedly enslaves otherworlders. That would only increase the possibility of them finding out about my origin.

Because of those three obvious reasons, I'm not going to become her knight.

"Huh? What…?" Alicia stared at me as if I had suddenly started to talk to her in a strange foreign language. "That's…" I had actually burst her bubble… The Princess suddenly found herself at a loss for words…

"Yeah… About that…" Eliana suddenly spoke up. "I already submitted your entry form to the Blaise Academy last year. It is already pretty much set into stone that you will represent Alicia in the tournament." Eliana smiled warmly.

…

…

…

Breathe in, Julius… Breathe in… Don't let her shenanigans make you lose your cool… You're better than that… No need to get angry thanks to someone like Eliana…

Thanks to those words I was constantly repeating to myself in my mind, I managed to keep my temper in check…

"You're going to be the death of me one of these days, my lady… The only reason why I am not angry at you right now is that it would be pretty hypocritical of me." I said before letting out a big sigh filled with frustration.

Thanks to Lia and Thiasis I am aware that the objective of Eliana's little scheme is all just to entertain herself and to convince her brother, the Emperor, to stop being so overzealous with his daughters. She has no other hidden motives besides the ones I already mentioned. 

Yes, what she has done is infuriating, but as I said, I would be a hypocrite if I got mad at her…

Why? Simple, there's the little fact that Mom and I decided not to tell Neris, Elissa, and Ophelia about my participation in the tournament for our amusement…

I know that what we did is not as severe as what Eliana did, but still… I don't want to feel like a hypocrite and more importantly, I definitely don't want to give Eliana the satisfaction of knowing that she managed to make me angry…

Speaking of which, I'm guessing that Neris must have listened to Alicia calling me her champion and talking about my victory in the tournament, so I suppose we'll have to tell her the truth after this royal visit is over… 

That also reminds me that I also intentionally decided not to tell Sarana and Laura about the tournament just so I could see their surprised expressions…

I don't know if Mom told Grandpa about it either, but I'll assume that we will be having a talk with the three of them as well after this is over…

"Don't be so silly! You're too young to die over something like this!" Eliana said before letting out an annoying laugh... "So? I believe you have no other choice but to represent Alicia since I have already signed you up for the tournament!" Eliana spoke with a shit-eating grin on her face.

She's being so irritating today… I want to screw her over again with contract law so badly…

"Eliana… Did you know that I can freely modify the conditions imposed on you with our deal?" I said with annoyance. "Don't make me rewrite the whole thing so you can only eat trash or something worse for the rest of your life." I threatened Eliana.

Actually, I'm lying through my teeth. I can't modify the conditions unless Eliana swears an oath again, but she doesn't need to know that.

"Jeez! You're overreacting over such a small thing! It is not like representing the cute Alicia should be that big of a deal for you, all things considered!" I was able to see the panic in Eliana's eyes. She had foolishly believed my little white lie.

Ahh… I think I will engrave that panicked expression in my memory so I can recall it whenever she tries to pull some more bullshit~.

As I reveled in the feeling of having fooled Eliana, I made eye contact once again with Alicia… The little princess in front of me was trying to hold back her tears while failing to put up a strong front…

Unlike Marina back when I met her, Alicia didn't act out nor did she try to persuade me by any means necessary after my rejection.

She just stood there, barely holding her tears and looking at me with confusion while trying her best to compose herself after I refused to be her knight…

Even without Thiasis's help, I could tell that this was not an attempt to convince me with some fake crocodile tears... Alicia was actually so disappointed by my refusal, that she was genuinely about to cry…

Sigh… Dammit, now I feel like I'm the bad guy, even though I didn't do anything wrong…

(Well, you did make a cute little girl cry, so...) Thiasis pointed that out with mild amusement.

(Wow! Thanks a lot for making me feel better, Thiasis!) I said sarcastically.

(Anytime!) Thiasis said jokingly in order to tease me.

Let's just get this over with before I start to feel worse…

"But I guess you're right about that… Representing Her Highness shouldn't be an issue for me." I said with a serious tone while staring at the princess.

"Ehh?" Alicia was legitimately caught off guard by me suddenly agreeing with her aunt.

"Ohh!" Eliana rose from her seat and looked at me with relief. "I'm glad that you're cooperating with this!" Eliana said with enthusiasm.

"Of course, it is like you said before… Representing Alicia in the tournament is not that big of a deal for me, all things considered." I nodded in agreement.

Even if I no longer need to participate in the tournament to get access to the person Lia told me about since I can learn Spatial Magic from Sarana, I'm still planning to participate for Marina's sake.

There's no way I can't leave my friend without a champion with the tournament being so close already after all... 

It would also be a huge waste not to participate considering that we already came all the way here to the capital.

It is not like representing Alicia requires me to put any extra effort into the tournament or anything, and I don't think the pressure I will have on me will increase that much since I'm still going to be the champion of the Crown Princess.  

As I see it right now, there's no downside to me agreeing to fight in the name of the Ninth Princess as well. 

As for the upsides… I'm sure that Marina would be happy if I helped out one of her sisters, and that is good enough for me.

Well… It is not like I have a choice on the matter now thanks to Eliana though…

That being said, I decided that I'm going to represent both princesses in the tournament.

"However, in exchange for representing Her Highness, I want to strike another deal with you, Eliana." I said to Eliana as a devilish grin appeared on my face.

"Umm… What do you mean…?" Eliana immediately realized that her scheme had backfired on her again. She was sweating bullets.

Oh, I can taste the sweet irony~.

"Oh? Did you really think I would represent the Princess out of the goodness of my heart after you tried to deceive me and take away my right to choose on something as important as this?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "Naturally, I have a few conditions. They are just so we can have some peace of mind, you know?" I used a specific choice of words to remind Eliana of our original deal.

"..." Eliana immediately fell silent. I was able to hear her nervously gulping.

Of course, I'm not going to let Eliana go unpunished after this little stunt…  It is time for payback!

Even if I decided that I'm going to represent Alicia, I don't want to feel like a pushover or a doormat! 

I'm definitely going to teach Eliana a very valuable lesson this time so she will never do something like this ever again!

Mwahahaha! I can already imagine it! A punishment that is so degrading and humiliating that Eliana will never mess with me again!

(Jeez… You actually sound like a genuine Demon King right now, you know?) Thiasis seemed both impressed and a little scared of me.

(Thank you for the compliment~ It means a lot coming from the Dark Goddess!) I replied gleefully.

"This deal will be a little costly for you, Eliana, so please prepare yourself." The devilish smile on my face grew wider as I looked at her fearful expression. "However, that's a discussion we should have after a meal with some tea. While I prepare everything, please use this time to reflect on your actions, Eliana." I showed Eliana an innocent and childish smile this time.

"Believe me, I'm already doing that…" She nodded weakly. "I can't believe it happened again…" She muttered with disbelief.

Serves you right! You get exactly what you deserve for trying to keep dragging me into your pathetic schemes, Eliana!

Now then…

"Here." I quickly took my trusty handkerchief out of my pocket and offered it to the princess. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be holding back tears, Your Highness. Since I am the cause of those tears, I sincerely apologize." I bowed after putting the handkerchief in her hands.

"Ahh… Umm… Thank you…?" She looked at me with a dumbfounded expression. Her voice was filled with confusion.

"In the meantime, please take a seat, Your Highness. I'll bring you and your dear aunt a meal right away." I smiled at the princess before turning my head to face Eliana. "We'll continue this discussion after everyone is done eating. I hope that is fine with you, my lady." I asked Eliana with an extra friendly smile.

"That is fine by me… I feel like I'm starving all of a sudden…" Eliana said weakly, almost like all of her strength had suddenly left her body.

Good~. Now I have some time to think of an appropriate punishment for Eliana~. 

"Professor, Marie, please take a seat as well. There's plenty of food for everybody." I smiled at the two servants. "Now, I'll excuse myself for a bit." I quickly left the dining room without waiting for an answer.

Naturally, I was feeling pretty good about myself after putting Eliana in her place.

I went into the kitchen to have some alone time to reflect on the recent events and figure out what I was going to ask Eliana to do. I was humming to myself the entire time.

---

-----Alicia's POV-----

I was so embarrassed that I couldn't do anything but stare at my own reflection in the brown-ish tea I had just been served by a black-haired boy…

Even after having a meal together with the boy and his family, I haven't managed to say anything to them since the boy went to the kitchen while humming a happy tune… Even now, that boy is still humming happily despite the tense atmosphere in the room.

That boy was no one other than the champion my Aunt had chosen for me, the adoptive son of the legendary Skull Crusher. His name was Julius Navar.

He was exactly as my Aunt Eliana had described him. Short pitch-black hair, brown eyes, and mesmerizing facial features… All of those were traits that were uncommon in the whole continent, practically impossible to find.

I was so unbelievably excited to finally meet my champion and because of that, I got too carried away…

The moment I laid my eyes upon him and he kneeled in front of me just like a knight would, I couldn't help but think that it was exactly like the settings of my novels.

A predestined encounter between two souls. Two people who are drawn by fate to become lovers in the future after overcoming countless difficulties… 

Truly, it was almost poetic that I would suddenly find myself in a situation similar to the ones I usually put my characters in…

I was so euphoric that I couldn't believe that I was actually getting someone who would become my knight and that would relentlessly defend my honor.

For the first time in my short life, I was interacting with someone close to my age not out of obligation but out of my own volition.

As I have told my aunt before, spending time with my peers is not something I enjoy. I have nothing against other noble children and I am usually polite towards them, but they bore me out of my mind…

Truly, if I was given the choice of attending a tea party with all the people my age in the academy or staying back at the castle, I would choose to stay at home without giving it a second thought. 

I'd much rather spend my time doing something productive than doing nothing but talking about the most mundane things and having to endure my classmates trying to ingratiate themselves with me because of my position as a princess.

As a result of that, I spend most of my time back home, barely interacting with people other than my family and servants on the rare occasions that I have to leave the castle in order to attend official events as a member of the royal family.

Sigh…

What I'm actually trying to get at with this is that I am not particularly good at socializing… Because of that, I was utterly unprepared and didn't know what to say to my champion after finally meeting him in person…

Yes, I do realize how ironic it is that a renowned author such as myself, who has imagined and written in detail about countless possible social interactions, has trouble when it comes to connecting with real people…

So, after some quick thinking on my part, I decided to act as if I was writing a scene and play the part of one of my own characters.

After all, if you don't know what to say, you just need to become someone who knows what to say. It was a simple plan, but it did help me feel more comfortable and confident.

For the most part, my plan to act as one of my characters so I wouldn't be too awkward in front of my champion worked out initially. 

But, as I stated before, I got too carried away…

In short, the enthusiasm I put into acting as one of my fictional characters might have been too much for my champion… I don't think my vivid imagination made the situation any better either…

At some point, I felt like I was genuinely living a scene of one of my unpublished books in real life. While I was lost in my delusions, I started to call him my "knight" instead of my "champion"...

In my mind, there was nothing wrong with that. In fact, I legitimately thought that he would become an actual knight at my service after emerging victorious from the tournament.

In most of the novels I read or even the ones I wrote, that would be the most natural development…

However, I was about to be reminded that I was living in real life and not in the world of a novel…

For the first time in my life, I experienced what it feels like to be rejected by someone. It was also my first time being rejected by a boy…

I was so shocked that my mind just stopped working at that moment… I couldn't believe that the one chosen to be my champion had rejected becoming my knight…

He even said that he was yet to agree to represent me at the tournament… 

His words immediately made my chest feel tight, I felt like I had a knot in my throat, and my eyes suddenly started to water…

It was such a strange thing to experience… Even though I had written scenes that were centered around rejection and many people told me that they could relate a lot to the characters in them, I never truly knew what rejection actually felt like.

It was something so distressing and overwhelming… I was trying so hard to hold back my tears that I wasn't even aware that my champion and my aunt were having an argument…

I could only stare at my champion and wonder why he had rejected me? Why did he reject becoming my knight when most people would consider that to be an honor?

It didn't make sense to me…

No matter how much I asked myself those questions, I couldn't find an answer…

Even after gathering the courage to shoot a few glances at him, I just couldn't understand his thought process…

"Are you going to state your conditions for this new deal or do you simply enjoy watching me getting stressed out?" My aunt Eliana asked Julius with a frown.

"I do enjoy that and quite a lot actually." Julius said happily after taking a sip of his tea. "But yes, I suppose it is time for me to tell you my conditions to represent the princess." Julius crossed his arms and grinned maliciously.

Why is he willing to represent me in the tournament, but he is not willing to become my knight? I don't understand him…

"My first condition, as well as your punishment for lying to me, will be going on a date with that wonderful gentleman over there." With a polite smile, Julius pointed toward an elderly man with a cane.

Everyone in the room looked at him with confusion and surprise… Everyone except for his mother, who appeared to be quite amused…

"That definitely sounds like a fair punishment for the two of you! It is such a lovely idea~!" Ms. Lilia smiled warmly and nodded with approval.

"Boy, I'm proud and I appreciate that you're trying to be my wingman, but please don't get me involved in this…" The elderly man seemed to be the most surprised out of everyone. "I was in a relationship with a royal a long time ago, and it is certainly not an experience I want to repeat…" The elderly man hurriedly shook his head in denial.

"Oh, thank the mercy of the gods…" My aunt mumbled to herself looking quite relieved. "You aren't my type either, Mr. Mardik, so we are on the same page…" My aunt said to the elderly man.

"Tsk… Grandpa, you could have played along for a bit to help me punish her… What happened to all that talk about being a ladies' man?" Julius clicked his tongue and spoke with frustration. "Anyway, I guess we are going to move on to my second condition and change Eliana's punishment..." My champion seemed to be a little annoyed.

"I'm following lesson 17 to the letter… It seems like I will have to teach you that lesson too soon enough…" The elderly man looked at Julius with worry.

"Jeez… I didn't think you were the type to hold grudges…" My aunt frowned in response.

"You have no idea, my lady. I might not look like it, but I'm very petty." Julius suddenly smiled warmly again. "In any case, are you familiar with a man called Klaus Rastek Caletro?" Julius asked my aunt.

Huh? My uncle? What does my champion want from him…?

"Yeah, I'm definitely acquainted with him. He is Alicia’s maternal uncle… Why are you bringing him up now?" My aunt was confused as I was.

"Oh? I didn't know that he was related to Her Highness..." My champion suddenly looked at me with surprise.

At that moment, the two of us ended up making eye contact… As I hurriedly averted my gaze from his, despite still feeling rejected, my heart started beating faster and faster just having my champion looking at me…

Gods… Why do I feel like this…? Why is my champion so difficult to understand…?

"Well, in short, let's just say that he has been harassing us for the last few months trying to buy our business… We have tried to tell him nicely to stop bothering us countless times but he doesn't seem to take the hint." Julius said with frustration to my Aunt.

My uncle has been doing such a thing? How weird… I've always been told that he was an honorable man despite being a merchant…

"Your business… The Lady of the Lake? Forgive me if this seems a little sudden, but I genuinely love your soap, Julius! I tried several of the samples Tian Sebas brought from his trips and I have to say, I'm in love with it! My skin has never been so smooth!" My aunt said cheerfully. "Hey! Do you think you can sell me some!? I'd ask you for the recipe, but I'm not going to steal your business! I'm going to properly support it and all!" My aunt was definitely very excited.

The Lady of the Lake… Soap… 

Ah! That's the soap my personal maid gave me to use for my baths! My champion was the one who made that wonderful thing!?

I couldn't help but be surprised that the wonderful and luxurious soap I have been using for months was created by the boy sitting near me…

My aunt had told me a lot of things about my champion, but now I realize she had failed to tell me several important details about him…

I'm going to have a serious talk with her when we get back to the castle…

"I appreciate your patronage and thank you for not trying to do such a thing. I'd make your punishment worse, after all~." Julius said playfully.

"You're definitely a little too petty for a child your age…" My aunt let out a sigh. "So? I assume you want me to make him stop harassing you." My aunt said nonchalantly.

"Aye. I was even planning on paying him a visit if he continued with his annoying attempts at buying my son's business, but now that you're here, I think Klaus will be better off having a talk with you. He won't have to worry about some broken bones, after all." The Skull Crusher spoke with a serious tone as he joined the conversation.

Wait!? Uncle what are you doing!? Are you trying to get yourself killed!? Just how much have you harassed them to make the Skull Crusher want to pay you a visit in person!?

I couldn't help but panic as I wondered if my esteemed uncle had lost his mind…

"Dad, as I told you previously, this isn't my business. It is the family business." Julius corrected his father.

"But you were the one who came up with the recipe and taught everyone how to make soap." His father replied.

"Any of you could have done the same thing and it is not I'm the only one making the business profitable, hence why it is a family business." Julius was firm with his father. "Back to the point then. It is as you say, Eliana, I want you to tell Klaus to stay away from us. I don't care if it is in a kind way or not. I'll leave it up to you." Julius said to my aunt.

"Very well. I'll handle Klaus on the way back to the castle. I happened to have a meeting today with him." My aunt nodded. "However, I do wonder… Aren't you going to use that to make me keep my word?" My aunt looked at Julius with curiosity.

That…? What is she talking about?

"Well, I could use it if you want, but I don't really want to bother her with such a small thing, you know? I don't think you would want to bother her either, since she's in a really bad mood today." Julius smiled warmly.

Her…? Just what in the world are they talking about…? I didn't think they were that close that they would have a secret between them…

"Fair enough…" My aunt nodded nervously. "Then… What are your other conditions and what's my punishment going to be?" She seemed very tired.

"Well, to be honest, I got nothing as punishment for you… I was betting all of my chips on having Grandpa taking you out for a wonderful time, but since he refused…" Julius frowned.

"I'm not doing it, boy… Definitely not going out with a royal again in this lifetime…" The elderly man replied while panicking.

"See? I also thought about giving you a bad time by putting something in your pizza that would make you go pick up some flowers for a few days, but I realized I didn't have anything on me to make that happen." Julius just shrugged.

Scary…

"You're definitely way too petty for your own good… You'd make a good noble, you know?" My aunt frowned in response.

"Rude! Don't compare my cute son to those snakes!" Julius' mother got indignant.

"Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the compliment Eliana, but I don't want to be a noble. I have enough on my plate right now thanks to a certain former princess." Julius said sarcastically. "So, while I try to think of something humiliating enough, your punishment will take place after the tournament. So let's talk about my other two conditions, shall we?" He smiled.

"It doesn't seem like I have a choice on that matter, but would apologizing a lot make you change your mind about punishing me?" My aunt tried to make him change his mind by showing him her puppy eyes.

"Absolutely not." Julius denied her request almost instantly.

"At the very least, I can say that I tried… Let us proceed then." My aunt nodded after letting out a heavy sigh.

"Good. You see, There are a couple of magical tomes that the Royal Family has stored in the National Library. I want a few copies of them." Julius stated his second condition.

He just wants my aunt to have a talk with my uncle and a few books to represent me in the tournament…? Truly, I can't understand what he is thinking…

"Oh? That sounds easy enough! I was getting worried since you said that this deal was going to be costly for me!" My aunt sounded very relieved. "Tell me what books you want and I'll get you the copies by the end of the tournament." She smiled.

"The Secrets of Summoning Magic, Saintly Arts: Miracle Healing, The Phenomenon Known as Transcendence, and finally, The Hidden Domain: Spatial Magic." Julius' smile grew wider as he mentioned the rarest books in the Empire's collection.

It wasn't just a few books after all…

"It seems like my worst fears came true… Do you know how much effort it will take for me to convince the Royal Librarian to make copies of the rarest tomes we have in our possession? This is probably going to cost me half a red gold coin!" My aunt complained as she looked at Julius with despair.

"That should serve you as a lesson to not lie in the future, but I could always make her join this negotiation if you want to so we can settle this peacefully." Julius simply kept grinning at my aunt.

My champion is definitely scary and most certainly a little weird…

"I guess I do deserve it… I can't believe that Mom was right about being a liar bringing me misfortune…" My aunt sighed.

"I believe that the misfortune you're talking about is called the consequences of your own actions, my lady." Julius spoke with a charming tone. "As for my final condition, I simply want access to the National Library. I don't need permission for the restricted levels or anything, I just want to read a few novels from there for fun." Julius said casually.

"That's it? Where's the catch on this one…?" My aunt was a little paranoid for good reasons…

"Don't look at me like you're striking a deal with the devil, Eliana… There's no catch on this one. I literally just want access to the library to read for a bit." Julius shook his head with disappointment.

"For real?" My aunt was skeptical.

"For real, yes." Julius nodded.

"Thank goodness…" My aunt let out another sigh of relief.

"Though there's another thing I want before I agree to represent Her Highness." Julius said with a grin.

"I fucking knew it!" My aunt rose from her seat, his face filled with frustration.

"Calm down, Eliana. It is not something outrageous and it isn't something I want from you. This one's for Her Highness." Julius said to my aunt before looking me in the eyes and smiling warmly.

Ehh!? Me!?

As soon as we made eye contact again, I became increasingly nervous and my heart started beating faster than ever before… My face was also feeling extremely hot all of a sudden…

"Your Highness, I know I rejected being your knight…-" Julius talked to me with a hopeful voice.

…

"But, if it is alright with you, I'd very much rather become your friend instead of your knight. I'd like to get to know you better before the tournament." He said something completely unexpected…

Me and Him…? Friends…?  He doesn't want to be my knight, but he wants to be my friend…?

…

…

…

Truly, I can't understand what's going through my champion's mind… I can comprehend the feelings of fictional characters, but I can't do that with him…

Even if I don't understand him, my heart won't stop beating wildly for some reason… Such a peculiar yet wonderful feeling…

"Yes! Please let's be friends!" I couldn't help but let out a smile of genuine happiness after hearing his request.

My first friend… I can't believe I made a friend today! I'm so happy!

---

Chapter 46: The Ninth Princess.

END