Chapter 2:
The Wicked Princess and the Adopted Brother-in-Law
HOW UTTERLY depressing.
Stale, my little brother, was finally due to arrive at the castle.
I still couldn’t wrap my head around having a brother-in-law, even an adopted one. I mean, I was only eight years old, a bit young for that kind of thing. I even tried to convince Father to drop it, but he insisted we adhere to the tradition. In Freesia, custom demanded the heir to the throne have a special assistant or servant, a boy adopted into the family precisely for this purpose. He had to be younger than the heir, which, combined with his gender, would make him ineligible for the title, even once he became a member of the royal family. It shielded him from assassination attempts so he could perform his function.
“Stale…”
I sighed. I still found the whole thing weird. Stale probably suffered so much after being ripped away from his own family to serve mine.
Stale Royal Ivy had lost his father to illness at a young age and spent his childhood with only his mother. While a commoner, he too possessed a special power. Stale could transport anything he touched, including himself, like a sort of teleportation.
In the game, Pride took advantage of Stale’s desire to return to his mother to lock him into a “fealty contract,” a horrible deal that forced him to obey Pride’s every order without fail. He wasn’t even an assistant at that point—he was just a puppet.
Of course, I had no plan of putting him through anything like that. But I couldn’t help worrying that my good intentions would mean little. For one thing, why would Stale listen to his new sister-in-law at all? And what would I do if he didn’t? Would I become like that other Pride, the Pride from the game? Part of me feared she was the one making me think such ugly thoughts in the first place. In the game, she savored Stale’s rage, his hatred. Ultimately, she forced him to commit an act he never recovered from.
“Your new brother-in-law has arrived at the castle, Your Highness,” Lotte said, jolting me out of my anxious thoughts. “Your father would like to introduce him to you.”
I had no choice but to follow her to where my father awaited, his hand resting on the shoulder of a boy with glossy black hair and dark eyes. Stale looked just the way I remembered from the game, from his pale skin to the high bridge of his nose. Though youthful now, I knew he would grow into a quiet, intriguing, bespectacled, intelligent man. It seemed the glasses would come in to the picture later.
“Pride,” Father said. “This is Stale. He’s to be your younger brother-in-law. He’s one year younger than you, and he’ll be serving as your steward and assistant. Once you rule, he will be your seneschal. Though he’s a commoner, his power of teleportation is quite impressive. I expect the two of you will get along splendidly.”
At first, I saw nothing but the character from the game, the Stale I expected. Then I noticed something I never saw in the game and jerked back a step.
Everything about his appearance was ordinary enough—aside from the handcuffs binding his wrists. His hands weren’t completely constricted, but it was still a shocking sight. Stale glared at the floor with a grim expression. Even a child could easily tell that these weren’t normal handcuffs. They were made of some kind of shiny material and decorated with jewels.
“Ah, did the handcuffs startle you?” Father said. “While I pity the boy, this is necessary for now. He kept escaping via teleportation while we were traveling here. He even injured a guard at one point. He seems to have settled down for now, but we can’t have him disappearing on us again. These shackles will prevent him from using his power until he can enter a subordination contract with you tomorrow. Then there’ll be no point in keeping the chains on any longer.” He stroked Stale’s hair as he spoke, an oddly tender gesture when contrasted with his words.
I had to remind myself that all of this was normal in this world, regardless of what my morals and ethics from my previous life dictated. Even the “subordination contract” was just an ordinary part of what my younger brother-in-law could expect. That contract existed so he could never betray me. It was a kind of bond found only in our kingdom and backed up by enchantments so neither signer could break the conditions of the contract. My brother-in-law would need to remain within a certain physical distance of me at all times and remain loyal to my commands.
The Pride of the game took it a step further, forcing Stale to sign a bond of “fealty.” That was a stricter bond that tacked on compulsory obedience to every command. In ORL, Pride stole that contract from her dead father’s study, switching it for the supposed “subordination contract.”
“Once you sign this, I’ll let you see your mother again,” she told him.
From that moment on, Stale was doomed. Even if he signed a subordination contract, the stricter fealty contract always took precedence. Stale, the seven-year-old commoner who could read and write no more than his own name, only realized the horror of what he’d done after the contract was complete.
But I’d never do anything like that!
Stale was still studying his feet. I rushed to his side and took his shackled hands in mine, giving them a gentle squeeze.
“I’m Pride Royal Ivy,” I said. “It’s so nice to meet you, Stale. We’ll be family from here out, so let’s get along, okay?”
Stale looked up, blinking in surprise before his head wilted right back down.
“Okay…” he murmured.
What?! Hold on, I think I’ve seen this before…
My smile withered. I backed away from Stale as realization crept over me. Pride said those exact same lines during this scene in the game. Later, Stale spoke of his past and mentioned how kindly Pride had been when she approached him, acting like a compassionate older sister the very same night she forced him to sign that fealty contract.
I knew it. I’m stuck in the same script from the game, no matter what I do…
I froze, despair welling up inside me, and Father stepped in front of Stale. “You must be exhausted from the day’s events,” he said. “Rest up so you’re prepared for tomorrow.”
Then Father led Stale away toward his new room in the castle. But something about this felt off. In the game, an assistant introduced Pride to Stale.
So are things different because Father’s alive now? Wait, and didn’t something happen with that assistant?
I dug through my memory to dredge up Father’s assistant, but I couldn’t recall the man. Father visited me alone most of the time, meaning I’d probably met this assistant a few brief times at most.
But what about Stale?!
I broke into a run, chasing after Father and Stale. I had to know which room he’d be in, or else my plan would fall through!
As I rushed after them, I realized I was headed right for the room below mine. Father stopped me outside the door.
“Let him rest for today. Understand?” he said. He waved for Lotte and Mary to escort me back to my own room.
But that wasn’t good enough! I had to talk to Stale before he signed the subordination contract tomorrow. It was late in the evening when Pride coerced Stale into falling for her trap, which meant I might get a chance to talk to Stale sometime tonight.
Lotte and Mary got me to my room, but I didn’t stay long, claiming I wanted to see Father. They let me go, but rather than heading directly to him, I veered off toward his study. Just like in the game, I found guards in my path. And just like the Pride in the game, I managed to tiptoe past them and break into the study. I made quick work of rummaging through the room, stashing my prize inside my dress before I snuck back out.
That wouldn’t be the end of my clandestine activities that night. Stale didn’t appear at dinner, eating in his room instead due to fatigue. Later, I would sneak into that room, just as Pride did in the game.
I briefly considered a rope of bedsheets to clamber straight down out of the window, but the maids and guards had already seen me throw myself out of it before. Probably better not to make them think I was leaping out of it all over again. Plus, a princess couldn’t behave in such an undignified manner.
Then what exactly did Pride do? How do I get to Stale like in the game?! I’d have to…
Realization hit me, and a smile spread across my face. It faded just as quickly; I was truly becoming just like Pride, the same devious queen I loathed in the game. However, I couldn’t linger on the thought. Once night fell, I picked a random book from my room and headed to Stale’s room. The two guards stationed outside it raised their eyebrows at me.