"I had a terrible experience..."
The hair was messy, the clothes were tattered and the prince, who was crouched was lying on the table.
The perpetrator El, was curled up on my lap.
I put the cup I had tilted back on the table and brought back the topic I had been wandering around.
"So, how do you explain this to the Queen and Aria-sama?"
The prince's unnecessary words took up a lot of time, but we were meeting to talk about this in the first place. Well I guess it's a good thing I'm not injured, or the purpose of this trip has been fulfilled, so there seems to be no problem in cutting out early.
The prince is looking at me with a resentful gaze across the table, but let's not worry about it because it is a trivial thing.
"If you think about safety you should return to the royal capital at this point, otherwise you will need restrictions and escorts. I don't know the number and skill of the guards in this mansion, so I would like to hear the opinion of the prince."
Yes, the question is whether we can protect the queen and aria-sama if there are other assailants.
If there are other assailants, we have to consider the scale and countermeasures. If I were to attack a prince i would aim at a single person with a certain number of people. If I were to attack the queen or Aria, I would use several guards if any with one acting as a decoy to attract the guards, and the rest aiming at the target from the rear. If the guards are skilled, they will be able to deal with these actions, but if they are not they may be pushed around by the attackers and neglect the target of the escort. Even if they are not it is also a question of whether they are useful as guards. The top priority is the safety of the Queen and Aria-sama.
"...... Honestly speaking, I think it will be difficult depending on the size of the attackers given the ability and number of guards. It's not to say that the guards are useless by any means, but compared to the knights who stand in the front line and fight I don't think they are competent or well trained enough. If this was going to happen we should have brought some Royal Knights..."
"There is no point in lamenting those who is not here. When it comes to that it seems better to return to the royal capital. But the question is whether the Queen and Aria can be convinced..."
When I say that the prince thinks with a difficult face. The prince knows better than I know that it's difficult to convince them...。
"It's difficult, I guess... Originally, this summer retreat was like an annual event for my mother and aria, especially this time because I was looking forward to it. Even if I two of them talk about the attack, there is a possibility that it will end up being angry somehow..."
Ah, i can imagine that scene. However there is no doubt that the reason they was enthusiastic about it this time was because of me. But you don't have to bother to point it out, i don’t want to be able to make a mess.
"In the meantime, let's think about talking to them. But I think we'd better consider staying."
"I guess so..."
"That's a tough one. They are not the two people who listen when I tell them to stay quiet."
"That's right... In that case they will have their own escorts, but is there any candidates?"
"...No. At least the knights here should have little experience in combat. When it comes to escorts most of them have no such experience."
I'm surprised to hear it. Even though it is a royal villa is that all right? Well the reign has been stable for decades, and it seems that no one was aiming for the royal family but isn't it too lenient?
Although knights have been dispatched to subdue the surrounding monsters in advance, it is natural for the enemy to aim for a villa with less security than a royal city with strong security. Even so...。
No, there is no point in pointing that out now.
"if that is the case, when the Queen and the others go out, they will be escorted by about four people and there will be no break from guarding the vicinity of the villa....... The prince should notify them about this as soon as it is decided. Also let's assign El as the Queen's escort. Elle seems to be capable enough as a guard, and he won't be alarmed. Besides, even if the Queen finds out about El it won't be a big problem."
Yes, it was fortunate that El was a demon beast. His fighting ability would be perfect and if he was in his kitten form, there would be no problem with him being by her side at all times as a guard.
"Hmmm, El? Then what about Aria? To be honest I'm not sure about the guards alone... Shall I escort her?"
"No, that would only increase the likelihood of being targeted. And considering the first priority, it's more likely that the prince would be targeted."
If I ordered an assault, I would prioritize Prince Edwill or Prince Sedrim it would cause chaos in the Kingdom of Sobule. The reason is that he is the successor to the throne. And since Prince Edwill is no here, it is natural that the prince will be the top priority target. If you were to aim for the Queen it would cause some confusion, but that's it. Even Aria-sama is already married, and it is natural that aiming for a prince who has a position in the Knights is more effective. That doesn't mean they are safe.
"Aria-sama's escort will be me. It's more convenient for women than for prince, and it's easier for Aria-sama to understand. Be careful when you go out be sure that the prince is not alone as much as possible. As for Chiffon-san, it's a good idea to have an escort for Chiffon-san just in case. It's easier to understand when something happens, and as long as we're working together, Chiffon-san won't be absolutely safe."
It could be a hostage situation, you know.
"So, let's go with that. Just to be safe, I will send some horses to royal capital to request some backup. If we let them know now they will probably arrive tonight if they hurry. Either way we will need an escort on the way back."
"Well, I'm sure it's safest to just go back to royal capital."
That said, the prince and i knew that it's probably not possible.
"Now that it's been decided, let's talk to them."
I have told them about the series of events from last night, so I am sure they are quiet now, but they may not stay quiet forever. After all, these two are the ones who are in charge....
Just as I was about to get up, the prince asked me about something else.
"So, back to the subject at hand..."
"What is it?"
At that time, my mind was occupied with what I was going to do. Therefore, I was too preoccupied to think about what the prince wanted to talk about. I could have guessed that this was what he was going to say, considering the flow of the conversation.
"I just wanted to make sure I heard you correctly again about what you said earlier."
"Earlier?"
Ahh I want to hit the me at that time.
"Oh, so Sakura heard what I said as a proposal right? So is the answer to that, in other words, is it okay to think so?"
"Eh?"
"This is a problem that can't just be my misunderstanding. So I wanted to make sure I got the right answer from Sakura."
"Eh?Ehh? i thought that this conversation is finished"
"Nope. I don't recall hearing a formal response from Sakura's mouth? As I said before, this can't be just my judgment and misunderstanding on my own. Besides, didn't Sakura also say. I don't know what's in a woman's heart, and if you don't put it into proper words, I might get into trouble with Sakura again."
Oh, you only use people's words at times like this...! But that doesn't mean that....
"I'm not going to let you plant El again to hide your embarrassment okay? This is because I have to report this to my father and brother. Things aren't just about me and Sakura"
Damn, he nailed it first! But I can't believe I said such an embarrassing thing.... Oh, yes! I'm not the only one who should be embarrassed. The prince should be embarrassed too. And if the prince can't say it, then I don't have to say it either, right? He's a lazy prince. I am sure he will live up to my expectations!
"Isn't it better to have the prince say it again. If you're going to start over, it would create a better atmosphere, and the prince didn't mean to propose did he? Then it would be polite to have him say it properly with that intention don't you think?"
My words became a little dubious, but I'm sure I got the message across. If the prince was embarrassed by this and it became a mess....
"Mm? Speaking of which, yes.... That would certainly be disrespectful to the Sakura. Then, let's start over. ......I'm a little embarrassed to say it again..."
That's right, that's right. Please be embarrassed as you are.
Then in the meantime... …Eh?
Slowly the prince stood up, came to my side and took my hand. Then he knelt down and looked at me.
The sudden action made me panic and I did not know what to do.
"Eh? U-uhm, prince?"
I tried to formulate some words, but when I looked into the prince's serious eyes, the words that came to my mind disappeared before they even crossed my throat.
"Sakura, I love you. I can't say that I will make you happy, but I will do my best to make you happy. I hope you will be by my side for a long time to come, and I want to be by your side. Will you marry me?"
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Ooh!! Yay! Thanks for working on this series! I just saw it was being updated again!
Apparently a couple tablespoons of protein powder can help stabilize insulin levels.