“Ooh, so this is the soba I’ve heard so much about!” Unsurprisingly, Iris had the political skill to look savvy yet still girlish by ordering hers with tempura. Ichika’s order was with chicken. And while they waited for their bowls, they had time to talk. “Anyway, Ichika.”
“Yes?”
“Well, um... Don’t you have any interest in the outside world?”
Ichika, bemused by her sudden uncharacteristic fidgety nervousness, asked, “The world? You mean, like, traveling overseas? I just did that last month.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. I had a lot of fun in Europe, I’d like to go back someday.”
“I see! You want to go back, huh?” Her smile gleamed. This was going just as planned. “Then why don’t you come to my country?”
“Huh?”
“I could make you my manservant there.”
“Umm...” Before Ichika could figure out quite how to respond to that, their orders arrived. “Why don’t we talk about it after we eat?”
“Okay.” The crunchy tempura was exactly what Iris was hoping for, but she wasn’t quite sure how to eat the soba.
“Huh? What’s wrong, Iris?”
“Umm... Am I really supposed to slurp this?”
Ichika was impressed. He’d always heard that foreigners couldn’t even imagine eating noodles like that.
“Just eat it however you want to. You don’t have to act like a princess. Today, you’re just Alice.”
“I see!” Relieved, she began to spin the noodles around her chopsticks like they were spaghetti. “This is delicious! The taste is so delicate.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.” It really felt to him like he had a little sister. “Anyway, about what we were talking about... Wait, huh?”
The world spun around Ichika. It was only as he and Iris collapsed that they realized something was wrong.
“So, how is everything? If you need somewhere to rest, come right this way!” The waiter dragged their unconscious forms away.
By the time the others noticed something was wrong, they were already gone.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ugh... Where am I?” Iris’s consciousness faded in and out. She could tell she’d been drugged.
“Ah, Your Royal Highness! Awake now, I see.” A maid stood before her with a malevolent smile. Iris couldn’t focus enough to remember her name. “You’re a very valuable individual, you know. Especially as a hostage.”
As Iris’s eyes darted around, she saw a row of burly men behind her. “What are you doing with me?”
“Don’t worry,” the maid replied. “This will all be over soon.”
“I see. Then, I’ll grant you a moment to say your prayers. Three seconds should be enough.”
“......?”
“And that’s time. Come forth! Seventh Princess!” Iris’s hairpin glowed as seven wings wrapped around her into a royal gown—the angelic IS, Seventh Princess. “Any more regrets, you can work through in Hell!”
The seven wings spread as she shifted into attack mode. But even as she did, her vision began to fade.
“What... What is this...” Whatever anesthetic they had dosed her with left her unable to fully open her IS. “Ichika... Ichi... ka...”
The princess called out, not to her Imperial Knight, but to her manservant. To the man she’d come to love. If... If only Ichika came to save me... All she could do could hope in vain.
But then, a bolt of white light proved her wrong.
“Alice!”
Ichika pulled the double door open to both sides, his IS Byakushiki already formed around him.
“You’ll pay for this!”
These were the last words she heard as his arm wrapped around her.