It Seems Like I Fell into a Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 7-2

Volume 1 Chapter 7.2

The emperor exited the chamber fairly late. Then he saw Eclot who had been waiting outside.

“It seems you are waiting for the princess.”

“…..Yes. Your Majesty.”

Eclot greeted the emperor with respect. The emperor studied the stoic face of the man who was around his same age.

Although the knight was skillful at hiding his expression, the emperor could tell. That he was shocked by the situation as much as – no – much more than the emperor.

In other words, the princess had carried everything out without letting even Eclot know.

It was bizarre.

He had known for a long time that his little sister, his only flesh and blood, wasn’t ordinary. Because of that, he had received quite the satisfactory help while ruling the nation.

So, the emperor felt some personal guilt toward Eclot. The princess was the cold-hearted one, but it was the emperor himself who had let her be.

But today was a little different.

Although she was still strong and still arrogant, his sister was definitely different. The emperor found evidence of it in Eclot’s face.

The princess always acted only for herself. She was selfish and cunning. People knew but still suffered. Even though she didn’t hide her intentions, she pushed them into a situation where they could not afford to refuse. No one waded into that situation of their own free will.

But today at least, was different.

This time, his sister hadn’t acted for her own benefit.

She had done it for the man in front of him.

“She’s different,”

The emperor thought.

When the princess left the chamber at last, she saw him and stopped.

“Ria.”

“What are you doing there?”

She asked, and even her laughing face felt unfamiliar.

The emperor searched his memories. When had this started?

Anyways. The emperor rubbed his chin and said,

“Do not work too hard, Ria.”

“Pardon?”

“You’ll always get out late if you do.”

It was strange. That man didn’t look the least bit happy even when the chains binding him had been released.

The emperor laughed.

***

The emperor left first, and Eclot and I were alone.

“I do not know if you are pleased by what I have prepared.”

Eclot looked like he had something to say.

“Shall we move somewhere else?”

“No, this is fine.”

I waited.

“……I. I am truly fine.”

“I know.”

“But, why did you do it? Why did, why did you.”

It was my first time seeing him unable to utter a perfect sentence.

“Throw me away.”

“I threw you away?”

I was shocked.

“That is a misunderstanding.”

“……..”

He looked into my eyes like he was trying to read my thoughts. Eclot seemed genuinely thrown aback. I grabbed his wrist.

“Do you not trust me?”

“That is not so.”

The reply was immediate.

“I will never abandon you. Now and in the future. Never.”

Eclot was silent for a while before he finally bowed his head.

“…….Yes.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Why did you think that?”

This time, he looked at me with eyes that questioned how it was possible I didn’t know. Embarrassed, I tried to guess the reason.

“You expelled me from the position of concubine.”

“Huh?”

“…….”

“That was me trying to reward you for swearing your loyalty to me.”

“…….”

“…..Aren’t you happy? You can go back to your proper place.”

Eclot didn’t look ready to accept it. I tried to make him understand.

“That’s right, won’t Sir Dippet be really happy too?”

“……”

“I heard he was your subordinate. I’ve been getting some hate because of that.”

“……I will warn him later.”

“No. That’s not why I brought it up.”

Eclot always paid close attention to my words.

How should I explain this….

I released his wrist. He glanced down at the spot on his wrist which my hand had just vacated.

“To be honest, I don’t know what you’re thinking.”

“……”

“I just thought this was why our relationship went awry. So, I wanted to start over from here. I believed that I was doing this for you. Was I wrong?”

“No.”

He was always quick to give this kind of reply. The only explanation was that he believed the princess was always right.

“However, Your Highness,”

Eclot said after a long pause.

“That…. That too was my choice.”

He extended his hand toward me. I placed my hand on top of his though I hadn’t understood the meaning of his words.

And so, when he lowered his head and brought his lips to my ring finger, my jaw dropped.

“I do not regret it.”

How could that be? Out of everyone, why was it the princess you had to give everything up for?

He could have said it was bad luck, but now I had to accept his insistence that it had been his choice.

“…..Fine, that’s who you are.”

I had wanted to give him freedom because he was that kind of person. I had worried about the criticism he would receive if he lost his status as concubine, so if it was bound to happen anyway, I had been looking forward to sending him off in the most honorable way I could think of.

He slowly released my hand.

“What I desire right now is for you to not try and carry everything on your own shoulders.”

“…..”

“And for you to not experience too much hardship. That is all.”

“…..”

“As Your Highness wishes,”

He said like he always did.

***

“What…. Did you say?”

His expression told me he had heard right. It seemed Tarshish wanted to feign ignorance.

“I said, bring your things to my palace.”

“……”

White-faced with fear, Tarshish took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow. Then he took a deep breath.

“Your Highness, I am still young and…. I-I have a family I must support. Oh, and I also have a chronic illness….!”

“It’s alright. And I will give you sufficient funds so don’t worry.”

Tarshish’s breathing was gradually becoming harsh.

“I…. I have a genetic disease!”

“Really? That’s going to be a little difficult.”

After hearing those words, his face brightened. I had been having so much fun teasing him that I was a little disappointed to wrap it up.

“That’s unfortunate, because I was planning on making you my aide and using you for a greater purpose.”

“Pardon? Pardon?”

“That’s right. I guess I could just put you to work in a room by yourself…..”

“Pardon?….. Pardon?”

I slid the snacks to him across the table.

“Did you think I wanted you in my bedchamber?”

“…….”

“Unfortunately, you are not my type.”

Serenely, I took a sip of my tea.

By squeezing Tarshish dry, I was able to quickly ascertain the situation inside and outside the palace. The matter of the territorial negotiations was proceeding without a hitch through the involvement of experts. As long as the Rothschild Empire sent their delegation on time there wouldn’t any problems.

Of course, the problem arose elsewhere.

“We’re having another party?”

I shook my head.

“Can’t I skip this one? I’m really….. very….. busy.”

“What are you talking about?”

Daisy sniffed. Seems about time to make Daisy understand that I was a member of royalty whom she served.

“It’s Your Highness’s birthday party!”

“Oh God.”

I despaired at the thought that I wouldn’t be able to skip.

“I just….. I’m fine so can we just not……”

Daisy gave some serious thought to my request before shaking her head.

“Delegates from each country will have already departed with gifts so it would be hard.”

“So you do listen to me.”

“What do you mean, Your Highness?”

Daisy tilted her head, and I gave her a benevolent smile.

“Anyways, the head maid told me to ask if we should do it like ‘last year’?”

“Last year?”

Nadricka, who had been dozing off beside me, rubbed his eyes and inclined his head toward my ear.

“A swinger party with like-minded noble sons…..”

As soon as I heard that I smiled at Daisy and said,

“Don’t even talk about last year. I don’t want to. I’m not doing it.”

After saying that, I laid Nadricka’s head in my lap. He tossed for a while before nodding off again.

“Tell her to stick to the basics, just the basics,”

I grumbled and caressed Nadricka’s hair.

“Okay. I’ll tell her that. Just the basics!”

“Before that, what happened with what I asked you to look into?”

“Ah, Yuriel?”

Daisy removed a crumpled-up piece of paper from the pocket of her maid’s uniform.

“Um…. It looks like she’s still in the capital. She’s staying at some sort of inn? long-term.”

One thing was bothering me. The system window wasn’t appearing to me after that day. My guess was that Yuriel wasn’t able to proceed with her captures on account of being thrown out of the castle. But I wasn’t sure.

“Let’s see, the name of the inn is….. Eh? I didn’t write it down. I must have forgotten.”

Daisy giggled. At that moment, a voice interjected from outside the open door.

“Let me do it.”

When I turned to look, I saw Robia standing in the doorway with a nervous expression. After checking that Nadricka was fast asleep, I spoke.

“…..Go back.”

Once the strategy meetings for the negotiations had begun, the daily lessons with Robia had ended too. I hadn’t seen his face in days.

“Please give me a chance.”

When I heard those words, spoken in the same voice as that night, I was rendered speechless.

“I will take care of Yuriel. Please give me a chance to prove my sincerity.”

“……”

“You do not have anyone to spare right now anyways. Just once, pretend you’ve fallen for my scheme.”

“…..”

“Your Highness.”

His voice calling me gave me momentary chills. He had called me ‘Your Highness.’

“……Do whatever you want.”

“I will not disappoint you.”

“I won’t be disappointed. Because I don’t trust you.”

“……”

Robia bowed his head and returned the way he came. The tea I drank every day was bitter. I couldn’t bear to taste it.

***

“Is this all you brought?”

Eclot had been standing with a vacant look on his face when he turned his head in the direction of the voice. Karant stood against the door with her arms crossed, unamused.

“That’s right.”

“Well, first, congratulations.”

“…….”

Karant raised her arms in surrender at Eclot’s gaze, the laughter disappearing from her face.

“I’ll give you a room as a matter of courtesy as you were the former marquess. But when you left me here, you promised. You said you wouldn’t take back what you gave.”

“So?”

Eclot asked as if he had no objections. Only then did Karant let out a chuckle.

“It’s better to be clear, right?”

Eclot put down his things and turned to face Karant.

“Karant.”

“Why?”

“You must treat Her Highness with respect. The position of marquess is more than a title, it requires you to be a role model for other nobles-.”

“Stop, stop,”

Karant said, frustrated.

“You’re at it again with that tiresome nagging.”

“…….”

When Eclot’s persistent stare continued, Karant let out a sigh.

“Fine. I’ll be more respectful next time.”

Slyly, Karant directed her question at the man who was trying to leave after hearing the response he wanted.

“You didn’t get to sleep together, right?”

“What-.”

“With Her Highness,”

Karant cackled.

“I knew it. Where are you planning to use that thing dangling between your legs that you’ve stayed a virgin until now?”

The night that Eclot had entered as a concubine, the princess had sent him from the bedchamber. She had said he was too obedient and boring. And after that, she had tired of Eclot’s stoic-faced nagging. In other words, she had no desire to have him in her bed.

“Why? Does Her Highness not think you’re all that?”

“How dare you use that promiscuous language about Her-.”

“I have a sixth sense for things like this. The way I see it, Her Highness doesn’t have zero interest in you.”

“…….”

Eclot stopped in his tracks.

“That caught your interest now, didn’t it? Huh? You’re interested, right?”

“…….”

“Wow, getting the Eclot to fall for her, she’s amazing! She’s no ordinary person!”

While Karant clapped her hands annoyingly, Eclot mulled over his feelings. He wondered where this angry and endless feeling like a swamp came from.

Eclot roughly pulled on his necktie to loosen it and massaged his neck.

He had looked because he had been told to look. But when had it started?

When had looking become not enough?