“Huh? A summons from the prince?”
“Yes...”
It was a lovely afternoon, and I was elegantly sipping on some tea after my martial arts training. Seated opposite me was Sacher, who was also enjoying a cup of tea.
This boy’s gotten awfully familiar with me after just a few days’ acquaintance...
In every training session since that first one, Sacher would show up, challenge me to another match, and then get blown back spectacularly. While he was quite hostile toward me on that first day, he acknowledged me on the days that followed, and had since declared that I was his “worthy rival.”
I don’t know, are you okay with calling a girl your rival?
Speaking to him in the days that followed gave me a general idea of just what kind of person this boy was. Put positively, he wasn’t the kind to hold a grudge, and he didn’t dwell too deeply on things. Put negatively, he was an idiot, interested in fighting and not much else.
“In two days, you say?” asked Tutte, who was standing beside me and pouring more tea into my empty cup. “Why, we’ll need to prepare you a proper dress.”
“Did you do something to piss off the prince, Lady Mary?” Sacher asked bluntly.
“Sacher... I already told you this, but could you decide whether you want to talk to me respectfully or casually? Because the way you’re mixing them up makes me feel weird.”
“What do you mean, ‘casually’?”
“I mean the informal way you talk to me. I mean, you say things like ‘piss him off,’ and then you call me Lady Mary...”
“I’m calling you Lady Mary because father told me I have to call you that,” Sacher said, looking like he really believed there’s nothing wrong with that.
“Fine, whatever... Speak however you’d like.” I sighed deeply, bringing a hand to my forehead.
Talking to a boy my age while remaining respectful came across as distant, but this boy kept flipping back and forth from being brusque to calling me “lady,” which left me unsure of how to handle the situation. And in spite of my fretting, it seemed that Sacher didn’t really think much of it at all.
I should stop thinking about it too. I’ll just let this meathead do whatever.
“So?” Sacher decided to bring the conversation back on track. “Did you do something to make him summon you over? I mean, if you’re being called to the palace, you must have done something big.”
I suddenly felt very depressed. Being personally called to the palace in this country really was unusual. In most cases, it only happened when someone got in trouble for something. To me, this letter was like I’d just been ordered to report to the police department, and I was very much on tenterhooks.
“It must have been what happened at the Oracle Rite, yes?” I wondered.
That was the only time I’d come in contact with His Highness, so it must have been then.
“Hmm. I was sleeping outside after I had my turn, but I heard the prince showed up and something happened.”
You were there too? I guess you would’ve, since we’re the same age.
“Did you say something to offend him?” Sacher asked.
“Excuse you, I didn’t say anything...to...”
It’s at that point that I recalled something quite bad. I didn’t say anything to offend him...because I didn’t say anything to him at all. I didn’t apologize, I didn’t thank him, I didn’t say anything.
Ooooh noooooo! I cradled my head and agonized. That’s not good! I got in a royal’s way and didn’t apologize, and then he helped me and I didn’t say a word of thanks! Oh, I’m so stupid!
“M-My Lady, are you all right?” Tutte asked, alarmed.
“Oh, looks like you figured out what you did wrong! ♪” Sacher smirked.
One person was concerned for me, while the other was mocking me. The latter was going to get an extra hard wallop next time we practiced.
“Oh, I’ll need to apologize to him... I should practice prostrating myself...” I muttered.
“What does ‘prostrating’ mean, my lady?” Tutte asked.
From what she was saying, I gathered prostrating wasn’t a thing in this country. I thought that was the most earnest way of apologizing, but...
“Guess I should bring him a box of cakes, then...” I came up with something else.
“You want to bring sweets? I don’t think there’s much point in that unless you’ll be holding a tea party,” Tutte said.
“No, the sweets are just for appearances. What matters is the money we’ll put in. How much should I put in? I hope my allowance is enough to placate him...”
“...Are you for real?” Sacher asked.
While I was seriously worried as to what to do, the other two stiffened, looking stunned by my proposal.
Huh? Is that another idea that doesn’t exist in this country? I was sure it existed here...
“Ahem.” I cleared my throat and sipped on my tea with a composed expression. “That was just a joke, of course.”
The other two sighed in relief and relaxed.
Anyway, I’ll go to the palace, apologize, and thank him...and if he still blames me for something, I’ll just run like the wind! That’s my only option.
As I took another sip of tea, I planned ahead and prepared for what’s to come.