“So, I would certainly like the prince to do some sightseeing around Sorcié, for a change of pace. Would you happen to know any good spots, Lady Claes?”
Oh, it looks like, while I was busy thinking about their relationship, I’ve been asked to say something again.
“That sounds like a good plan. I would recommend...” I began, before trailing off. I was worried that the places I would usually recommend—restaurants, sweet shops, and bookstores around town—might not be suitable for a royal visiting from another kingdom.
Though those were all wonderful places as far as I was concerned, I felt like what Janne was really looking for were some spots that would satisfy a member of the nobility.
“Is something the matter?” Janne inquired after seeing me clam up.
I decided to answer him honestly.
“Erm, I don’t know too many places I could recommend to someone of such high birth. All I can really think of are local restaurants and other shops I like.”
I thought Janne would be disappointed by my answer, but he betrayed my expectations by smiling.
“Prince Cezar would actually prefer that. He does not appear to like formal settings.”
Come to think of it, Cezar used to be a mercenary. In that case, I guess he’d be fine with normal restaurants.
“That’s a relief. In that case...”
Cezar listened with great interest as I listed a number of my favorite places in town; Janne also seemed pleased.
“I guess that’s about it,” I finished. “Though I think that’s far too many places to see in one day.”
“Thank you very much for all of your recommendations. By the way, are we likely to be able to find these places on our own, given that we are unfamiliar with the city?” asked Janne once I was done with my rundown of my favorite places.
Good point. They aren’t all famous shops, so if you’re not used to the city it could be difficult to find them.
“Some of those places might be difficult to find if you’re not familiar with the city. Erm, perhaps you could try hiring a guide.”
“A guide? Perhaps we could, but I was really hoping that we could go incognito, not as a royal and his servant, so if possible, I would like that guide to be someone who understands our— Of course! Lady Claes, do you have any upcoming openings in your schedule? What about tomorrow?”
“Eh? Well, tomorrow is my day off from work,” I answered, spurred on by Janne’s enthusiasm.
“Oh, how very fortunate. Have you any plans for your day off yet?”
“None whatsoever,” I answered.
“In that case, would you be willing to be our tour guide?” Janne asked without missing a beat. “We shall pay you, of course, and will take all necessary precautions with regard to safety, so please, please accept.” He then proceeded to bow.
“Okay... I accept,” I said, carried along by his enthusiasm to take on the role of tour guide.
Considering the threat posed by the game’s plot, I thought it would be better not to have any more interactions with them, but with a request as fervent as that, I couldn’t refuse. Besides, if I put the matter of the game aside, being their guide around town actually sounded like fun.
“Thank you very much,” said Janne, his cheerful expression of gratitude somehow leaving me feeling a little uneasy.
I’ll have to spend today making a solid plan for tomorrow.
The whole time that Janne and I were talking, Cezar watched us with a somewhat vacant expression. Once we had finished, he scratched his head and frowned.
“I’m sorry he’s strong-armed you into helping me. If it’s too much trouble, please feel free to back out. I won’t mind.”
“No, no, I’d like to make the most of the opportunity and guide you as best I can,” I declared with my head held high.
Cezar smiled kindly.
“Thanks.”
Since we seemed to have resolved that particular subject, I finally inquired about a different matter that had piqued my curiosity.
“By the way, am I right in thinking that you two were childhood friends?”
“Yeah, ever since my big brother more or less adopted me, so we’ve been friends for quite a long time,” answered Cezar with a nostalgic look on his face. But this posed a new question.
“Hm? Cezar, you were adopted? Eh? What do you mean?” I asked, startled.
Cezar, too, looked surprised.
“Oh, I thought I’d told you, but maybe I haven’t. The truth is, I...”
He then launched smoothly into a pretty heavy tale of his childhood. He told me how, as a small child in the inner palace, he lost his mother and—after being neglected as if he weren’t even there—nearly lost his own life. His brother, who was already a grown man, rescued him and looked after him from that point on. Though I had heard about his time as a mercenary, when I learned that he was a prince I’d assumed that he just did that to amuse himself, after a childhood of being doted on in a magnificent royal palace.
“Excuse me, but I have to ask: are you sure you should be telling someone like me these details about your kingdom?” I had to ask because I was concerned that maybe it wouldn’t do for someone from another country to hear about how terrible the inner palace had been, or the facts of his birth—meaning his lowborn mother.
Well, Sorcié actually went through a similar period under the previous king. I’ve heard that his inner palace was also in ruins by the end of his reign, a den of evil crawling with Dark Magic users, though this fact was hidden from all but a select few. If what Cezar just told me is similarly sensitive information, it could be a huge problem.
“No worries,” Cezar replied nonchalantly. “The extent of the previous king’s lust and the incredible scale of the inner palace are already well known throughout the surrounding countries. As for the circumstances of my birth, I’ve never hidden the fact that my brother chose to take me in. No problem there.” With a big grin, he added, “That being said, I wouldn’t be too pleased if someone went around loudly announcing my history, but you wouldn’t do something like that, would you?”
“Of course I wouldn’t, but... If I were the sort of nasty person who might be inclined to speak ill of you, what would you do then?” I admonished him, puffing up my cheeks slightly. Naturally, I had no intention of disparaging him, but originally, my role was supposed to be that of a villainess.
Cezar looked shocked by my response, but then he opened his mouth wide and laughed.
“In that case, I could only regret my own lack of insight. But, you know, due to my experience, my intuition tends to hit the mark. And my intuition tells me that you’re definitely not a bad person, so I’m not worried,” said Cezar, full of confidence.