Home/The Prince died, so we're starting over!/ch5

Episode 5

"Your Highness, I truly didn't mean it that way..."

"Perhaps. But if you were to remove yourself from my sight, your slip of the tongue would also be forgotten, wouldn't it?"

"Th-then, I shall take my leave!"

Despite his naive appearance, the Third Prince was surprisingly not one to be easily pushed around.

The would-be future swindler, scared witless by just a few words from the Third Prince, scurried away in a fluster.

Judging by his face, his scam had failed—he looked thoroughly crestfallen.

The boy trotted over to an elderly priest who seemed to be his companion and burrowed into his arms.

Hmm, adorable to the very last.

"...You're l-looking at him with a rather f-fond expression."

"Yes. He's cute, isn't he? Pretty, too."

"Is th-that fellow your type, then?"

Surely not.

If there existed a human being whose type was a child this tiny, they ought to be locked away in some remote, damp place for the rest of their days.

But I couldn't very well say that.

Instead of answering the Third Prince's question, I deflected by posing one of my own.

"By the way, why are you speaking so formally to me, Your Highness?"

He had been managing just fine earlier, yet now he was stumbling over his words.

It wasn't like him—he'd been speaking with surprising maturity for an eight-year-old just moments ago.

With pure curiosity, I gazed at the Third Prince.

I noticed my eyes felt a bit dry, so I blinked twice.

I swear on the heavens above, I did nothing remotely threatening.

And yet...

"Are... are you all right?"

Why was he falling over again?

I thought a newborn fawn would have better footing than the Third Prince.

Hoping my kindness wouldn't bruise the fragile prince's pride, I extended my hand to him.

But the Third Prince, his plump cheeks flushed as if about to burst, neither took my hand nor refused it—he simply dithered helplessly.

The back of my neck felt prickly. Turning my head, I saw that all eyes in the hall were fixed on us.

The nobles had stepped back slightly, stealing glances at the scene between me and the Third Prince.

At this rate, I'd be branded as the impertinent young lady who knocked over the prince.

Growing impatient with his endless hesitation, I took his hand first.

Then I led him out of the banquet hall.

I knew the geography of the Rüdebekia Court like the back of my hand. I walked without a moment's hesitation.

The place I headed for was the lakeside garden near the banquet hall.

Only after reaching the very edge of the lake did I release the Third Prince's hand.

Whether because he'd been dragged to a dark place by a frightening person, the Third Prince was frozen stiff.

"Um, Lady Lulupel. Wh-why have you brought me to a place like this...?"

"You said you had something to discuss. And only in private, at that. Ah—or was that just a lie to get out of that situation?"

"N-no, it wasn't. B-but this place is too s-secluded and..."

It seemed the Third Prince thought I was about to assassinate him.

Needless to say, I had not the slightest interest in the Third Prince's life.

...Well, perhaps a tiny bit. Since it might be that every time he dies, I regress!

"Then where exactly were you planning to go? Surely not just inside the hall?"

"N-no. I was merely thinking of the t-terrace..."

"Aha. Then it's a good thing I brought you here. The terrace has stone floors—it would hurt if you fell. At least here, it's dirt, right?"

"Y-you misunderstand! I d-don't fall that often!"

"Yes, of course."

Sure you don't.

But saying that aloud would be lese-majesty, so I quietly swallowed the words.

The Third Prince looked deeply wronged.

"Now then, would you care to tell me what business you have with me, Your Highness?"

"Of-of course."

"Ah, but before that, perhaps we should sit down."

I guided the Third Prince to a nearby bench. Just in case he fell again.

Seated, the Third Prince looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

"H-how embarrassing. I should have been the one escorting you..."

He buried his face in his tiny, fern-like palms and mumbled quietly.

"It's all right."

I answered with pure sincerity. It truly was all right.

After all, I'd never expected any kind of escort from this little thing.

But the Third Prince seemed deeply disheartened by his own foolishness.

I began to hear small, stifled sniffles.

He appeared to be trying his best to hold back his tears. But to this seasoned adult's eyes, even that effort was transparent.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not!"

"Ah. Must have been the wind, then."

I decided to wait quietly until the Third Prince had dried his tears.

He pressed his tiny palms firmly against his eyes, wiping them diligently.

Truth be told, I didn't quite understand why he was crying. There hadn't been anything particularly upsetting...

But children were creatures who cried at the drop of a hat.

Moreover, the Third Prince seemed especially delicate and sensitive compared to others his age.

I'd have to be careful. One wrong move and I really might end up arrested for lese-majesty.

"...Would you like a handkerchief?"

"I'm not crying!"

"Of course..."

This time, I'd asked with genuine kindness and consideration, yet the Third Prince only started hiccuping even more pitifully.

Children's hearts were truly beyond comprehension.

Or perhaps... was I just naturally gifted at causing harm?

Sigh. Even I was beginning to fear the boundless extent of my talents.

I sat still, idly swinging my feet.

For a long while, no words passed between the Third Prince and me. The only thing that brushed past us was the cool spring breeze.

By the time the wind had thoroughly tangled my hair, the Third Prince finally composed himself.

In a much calmer voice, he broached the subject.

"...You are aware of my marriage proposal, are you not, Lady Lulupel?"

Now he wasn't stammering anymore.

Well done, Third Prince!

"Of course."

I nodded with a deliberately proud expression, looking at the prince.

His delicate features were tinged with red all over.

His pale yellow lashes, still wet, caught my eye particularly.

This kid was going to break many hearts when he grew up.

"...Will you refuse?"

"Why would you think that?"

I was caught off guard, having been lost in grandmotherly thoughts as if watching a five-year-old grandson.

In the brief silence I'd inadvertently created, the Third Prince seemed to have read meaning into it on his own.

With a somewhat darkened expression, he hesitated and faltered.

"B-because Lady Lulupel has s-someone she likes..."

Despite my earlier praise, the Third Prince was stammering again.

But his poor verbal skills barely registered in my mind.

What mattered more was the utterly unexpected topic he'd brought up.

"Excuse me? I have someone I like? Who?"

"The-the young duke of Caledonia..."

"Cal-what? Cal—pay me back my money?"

Who on earth was that?

The Third Prince, seeing my bewildered expression, mumbled evasively.

"Caled... no, never mind. It seems I've been rude again."

Having dropped that bombshell, the Third Prince nodded to himself as if he'd understood something, then pressed his lips shut.

Wait a minute—you can't just finish a story on your own without explaining!

There was nothing more frustrating than someone who started a sentence and left it hanging.

But since the Imperial prince had actually apologized, I couldn't very well press him further.

Cal—pay me back my money, he'd said.

I made a mental note to remember the name that had come out of the Third Prince's mouth.

If I asked the Count and Countess Lulupel or Anna, I could probably find out who this Cal-something young duke was.

Actually, I did have a vague idea who "Cal-pay-me-back-my-money-something" might be.

Putting my brilliant deductive skills to work, the name from the Third Prince's lips was highly likely to belong to the male lead—the Something-or-other Northern Grand Duke.

Since he was a grand duke in the story, it wouldn't be strange for him to be a young duke around this time.

But to think that Hariella might have liked the Northern Grand Duke even before she turned eight...

This was a notion I'd never even considered before.

"So, Cal—pay me back my money, the young duke..."

"...It's Caledonia."

No matter how I thought about it, that was a really strange name.

Then again, just looking at the novel's title, you could tell the author's naming sense.

The Northern Grand Duke and the Baron's Daughter Do Not Love Each Other—with a title like that, you could probably skip rope with it.

"Yes, well. Whatever the case, I don't know why you thought that, but I don't have anyone I like."

"...Is that true?"

"Of course. Why would I lie?"

The Third Prince narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

With the confidence of someone with nothing to hide, I puffed out my chest and met his gaze directly.

However he interpreted that look, the Third Prince's voice brightened considerably.

"...Then, if that's the case, will you accept my proposal?"

"Hmm..."

It wasn't a question I could answer right away.

Based on what I'd seen so far, it was clear the Third Prince wasn't a dangerous child.

On the contrary, he seemed far more immature and fragile than other children his age.

But that wasn't reason enough to accept his marriage proposal. I needed more certainty.

"If you answer my question first."

"...Fine! Ask me anything."

"Your Highness, out of all the noble ladies in the land, why did you choose me?"

Why was the Third Prince so eager to be engaged to Hariella?

This was a question that had bothered me ever since I first received his proposal—no, ever since I first read The Northern Grand Duke and the Baron's Daughter Do Not Love Each Other.

To my question, laced with a curious mix of anticipation and tension, the Third Prince hesitated for a long moment before answering.

"...B-because Lady Lulupel's reputation has reached even the capital, far and w-wide..."

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