The Empire’s Only Princess - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

 

“Ah….!”

 

And soon, I realized that he was a boy I had seen before.

 

It’s not as much as the *jewel of Esteria, but it’s not common to have eyes that give such a unique feeling.

 

[tn— she’s talking about the jewel-like eyes of the Esteria Imperial Family]

 

Besides, I can’t forget such an impressive first meeting. On the day I first went out with my dad, because the road was blocked I went out to find the cause and on the roadside was a boy who killed a nobleman and his knight.

 

“….Are you hungry?”

 

I asked while looking at the mouse in the boy’s hand. Even I closed my mouth because the words really came out reflexively.

 

No matter how hungry I was, would I have caught a mouse to eat in this Imperial palace? If I could rob the kitchen warehouse room or granary, I would have.

 

While I was swearing at myself in an unknown sense of shame, by pulling my *braided hair, the boy got up and suddenly held out his hand in front of me. Naturally, my gaze followed his hand.

 

[tn— i dont think it’s necessarily braided, just know that her hair is tied or connected/woven into one]

 

“Squeak—!”

 

I took a step back without realizing it. This is because the mouse in his hand looks like it would run towards me as it struggled in order to get out.

 

“Oh, wait—”.

 

A red ribbon tied to the boy’s neck suddenly caught my eye as my sight was slowly getting used to the darkness.

 

It had the symbol of Esteria embroidered with gold at the end, no matter how much I looked at it, it was clearly the cat ribbon Leav had given me.

 

“That’s my cat’s.”

 

As the boy tilted his head, the ribbon tied on his neck softly fluttered.

 

“…….Is it ‘your cat’s’?”

 

He blinked his eyes slowly and spoke in a calm tone that had no emotion at all.

 

“Yes, I named him Puppy, but because he didn’t like it, I call him Kitty. But why do you have that?”

 

When I asked a question about the situation I didn’t understand at all, the boy blurted out completely different words.

 

“It’s Shuiesha.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The name of ‘your cat’.”

 

I thought he was kidding, so I looked into his eyes to see if he was.

 

However, the cold eyes did not contain any agitation or mischief.

 

Jet black hair and golden eyes like those of a beast. At that moment, a ridiculous thought crossed my mind.

 

“Don’t tell me.”

 

I mean, it doesn’t even make sense that I came here after living on Earth, so a human that turns into a cat—or a cat that transforms into a human— isn’t that normal?

 

I was groaning at my complicated (thoughts in) mind, when suddenly, the boy’s face came near me.

 

“Will you kick me out?”

 

Of course, there is a tremendous gap between cats and humans that turn into cats—or cats that turn into humans.

 

But when I think about it, I brought this child to catch a mouse and now he amazingly has one in his hand.

 

“You can catch the mice well right?”

He nodded once and looked down at the mouse he caught.

 

“There’s one more left.”

 

I thought he had been playing and eating, but I guess he was diligently catching the mice.

 

I slightly raised my hand and brushed his hair one after another, as I would for a cat. The fine hair was gently wrapped around my hand.

 

“Yeah, good job.”

 

The insensitive boy’s face wrinkled.

 

“Oh, then let’s make this clear.”

 

“Yes, what is it?”

 

“So, are you a human cat or a cat human?”

 

[tn— human who turns into cat or cat who turns into human]

 

“Both are wrong.”

 

“Oh, then a magician?”

 

I heard that among the magicians, those who are good at transforming often turn into animals.

 

“I don’t exactly have mana.”

 

How can you become a cat if you are human? Also, what was that handling of the shadows?

 

“….You don’t need to worry too much. I’ll just catch the mice, then leave.”

 

At my serious expression, the boy added that.

 

I nodded because as long as he was a human being, I couldn’t hold him at will, maybe if he was a cat.

 

“Then please do your best for me, Shu…… ”

 

What was it? It wasn’t a name from the Empire so it’s unfamiliar. What I heard after that was a little shocking, so I forgot.

 

“It’s Shuiesha.”

“Yeah, Shuiesha.”

 

When I slightly smiled and reached out my hand, Shuiesha’s gaze turned towards my hand.

 

He glanced down at my hand without doing anything, like before. And then,

 

“Kyaa!”

 

He placed the mouse he had caught on top of my hand. I felt the mouse’s warm and mushy touch intact on the palm of my hand.

 

“W, w, wait! Take it! Take it again!”

 

I’ve never raised my voice like this before.

 

I wanted to shake it off as it squirmed in my hand, but I couldn’t throw it or let it go, so I just screamed while holding it in my hand. The warm feeling drained the blood from my body and gave me goosebumps.

 

Rather, It was Shuiesha who was embarrassed by my passionate response. He snatched the mouse from me again and locked it in his hand.

 

Shuiesha looked at the squeaking mouse and carefully thought about the reason for my behavior.

 

“Do you want me to kill it?”

 

When I heard Shuiesha’s response, I somehow felt dejected.

 

He seems to have an innocent mind in a different sense. I felt it when he killed people, but he probably lived a life that gave him no choice but to think like that.

 

“It’s fine. Um, so about me reaching out my hands, it means to shake hands.”

 

Shuiesha’s eyes shook weakly at what I said. He looked like he had no idea at all, so I burst into laughter.

 

I reached out to Sheisha again. Hesitantly, he switched the mouse to his left hand and reached out his right hand.

 

The hands were quite rough. It was a new feeling of firmness that can often be felt in those who hold the sword.

 

“If you catch all the mice, I’ll give you something you want.”

 

“Something I want, you say?”

 

“Yeah. I may not look like it but, I can do that much. I can give you most of the things you want.”

 

Since it’s hard to dispose of the piled up gifts I received here and there.

 

“….. What were you going to do if I asked for your life.”

 

Shuiesha asked in a gloomy voice with his eyes half lowered.

 

“What are you going to use my life for?”

 

He shook his head when I asked back, staring at his eyes quietly.

 

“I was kidding.”

 

It was a very calm voice, but I made eye contact with Shuiesha for a long time with a meaningful feeling.

 

* * *

 

When I came back to the room, Eryte, Bernique, and Leav were gathered on the sofa waiting for me.

 

“What is everyone doing here?”

 

Everyone looked back at me with a serious expression, just what were they so preoccupied with, in a room without its owner.

 

Eryte put down the teacup he had placed around his mouth with a noise, stood up and shouted.

 

“Choose!”

 

“….. What?”

 

“Me or these guys?!”

 

Bewildered by the quite absurd question, I looked back at Bernique and Leav. Perhaps this stupidly absurd question was not only Eryte’s idea, everyone was looking at me with their eyes shining.

 

I sat on an empty seat on the sofa and drank a sip of the tea that Bernique had poured me and said.

 

“Me.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Eryte let out a stunned sound and sat down hesitantly.

 

“I don’t know what it is, but if I have to choose, I’ll choose me.”

 

The moment I choose even one of the three, a war was scheduled, so I spoke in a perfectly calm manner on purpose.

 

But there was one thing I didn’t know. The fact that the moment they stepped into this room, their war had already begun.

 

“Sister, please think carefully. Can such an ignorant muscle brain and smile perv be a match to me?”

 

“Rosiane, think about it carefully. Can a savage who asks you to go to the gladiatorial arena and that precocious child with a dual personality be my match?”

 

“No, wait! How can this cool brother be compared to those weak skinny guys?! Right, Rosiane?!!!”

 

What in the world is going on?

 

“What do you mean by skinny, brother, you speak very cheaply. Well, that’s the only word in that ignorant head, so I have no choice but to understand that part.”

 

“This rat poop-sized thing is acting up to its older brother again? Hey, with just one punch from my fist, it’ll be the end for you, the end!”

 

“Try hitting me then. Sister won’t stay still.”

 

“How cheap, how could you use Rosiane as a shield? This punk won’t do! You’re not even a man! Get rid of XX, you punk!”

 

“Both of you, stop. I think it’s better to refrain from talking like that in front of Rosiane—.”

 

I got up from my seat, looking at them with a tired look. I smiled and responded to the faces full of excitement.

 

“If you’re all going to be like this, will you leave?”

 

They say that it’s hard to raise just one boy, since as many as three boys only blurted out what they wanted to say, I couldn’t come to my senses.

 

While everyone was hesitating, Melissa, who was pouring tea into an empty teacup next to me, whispered to me quietly.

 

“About that, the rainy season is about to start, and they’re each saying that they’ll stay by the princess’s side, that’s why they’re like that.”

 

[tn— basically they’re arguing over who would stay by her side]

 

“What does that have to do with the rainy season?”

 

“Since you’re afraid of thunder, His Majesty sent a letter to the princes to take good care of you until he arrives. Especially when you fall asleep.”

 

Come to think of it, each person is holding a letter. Anyway, how did my dad… Oh, was it Sir Boyd? I took a rough guess and continued speaking.

 

“All of us can just sleep together right?”

 

The bed is wide anyway, so what’s the problem? The three of them averted their eyes at my insignificant answer.

 

“If the person who doesn’t like it sleeps in their own room, that would be perfect, right?”

 

Everyone lost their words at my smile and stared into the air. Their spirit also seemed to be half gone.

 

“This isn’t it….”

 

I glanced at Leav, who mumbled gloomily as if the end had come, and sipped the tea.

 

* * *

 

It didn’t even rain, but all three of them gathered in my room in their indoor clothes.

 

Leaving behind Leav and Eryte, who started fighting tremendously and loudly as soon as they met, Bernique pulled the rope and called the servant.

 

“During the rainy season, please change the curtain to a thick one that doesn’t show the outside.”

 

When I smiled at Bernique’s consideration, Eryte and Leav called a truce and began attacking Bernique, the common enemy.

 

“Ah! I was going to say it first, how shameless, Brother.”

 

“I know. I was going to say it first, but you took advantage of our argument to get points by yourself?”

 

But Bernique responded to their complaints with a sneer.

 

“Melissa, can you prepare lavender tea?”

 

I was thinking of making it a little quieter by feeding them lavender tea, which has a calming effect on the nerves.

 

“Eek, I don’t like that!”

 

Eryte, who is crazy about sweet food, formed folds on his forehead. But as soon as he thought it was a relief that I turned my attention away,

 

“Then get out.”

 

“I don’t like that too, though?”

 

The unknown round number of their fight began again. Eryte has a natural talent for teasing someone, so when he meets Leav, who is talented in sarcasm, they would fight like a cat and dog.

 

“It’s not like you’re a kid, but *it’s like older brother to be a prince and to be picky about food. It’s amazing. Really.”

 

[tn— *fits well / it’s just like him to be a prince whose picky about food]

 

No, he is a kid though? That’s what I thought, but Eryte jumped.

 

“Hey, what do you mean by a kid? Where will you find a cool guy like me! By the way, it’s better to have clear dislikes and likes, you know? Because someone like you eats anything that is given, your sense of taste is gone!”

Sigh. In the midst of the commotion, the lavender tea was brewed moderately, and Bernique filled my teacup and his own.

 

“Thank you, Bernique.”

 

When I felt the tenderness spreading in my mouth, the storm in my mind seemed to have subsided a little.

 

“Aren’t you a funny guy? Why aren’t you filling your older brother’s cup?”

 

“Brother, what about my cup?”

 

“Why me?”

 

Bernique smiled and put down the teacup he was drinking. At those words, Eryte filled his cup and then also filled Leav’s and said.

 

“In any case, you’re such a heartless person.”

 

“I know right.”

 

It was ridiculous to see the scene of yesterday’s enemy becoming today’s friend in real time, so I could only laugh.

 

“Oh, come to think of it, why doesn’t Eryte have an escort knight?”

 

“Because this brother is strong, I don’t need that!”

 

The nobles of the Esteria Empire elect two escort knights through the escort knights inauguration ceremony in May of the year they turn ten. But they usually choose a knight from the family.

 

It is said that the Imperial family can select up to four, but I’ve never seen Eryte nor Nanuk with an escort knight next to them.

 

“Well, in fact, there is such a system, but there is only a handful of history of the Esteria Imperial family electing an escort knight.”

 

Bernique added.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because they didn’t need escort knights, sister.”

 

“It goes without saying that we are strong, and the knights under the Imperial family are watching us from an unseen place.”

 

I think I’ll have to pick an escort though….. While I was in deep thought, a servant with a curtain came in.

 

Shuiesha, with a proud walk, followed from behind. Leav, whose eyes lit up for a moment, approached Shuiesha and squatted down.

 

“Isn’t it cute?”

 

Leav, whose ears were red at my question, nodded. Shuiesha stared at Leav, turned around and went out of the door again.

 

Somehow, Leav’s appearance from behind looked sullen.