After heading home from the Magical Ministry and arriving at Claes Manor, as I got ready for bed, I started to think about my plans for tomorrow.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I had found myself agreeing to be Cezar and Janne’s guide for the day, but was I really up to the task? Now that I thought about it, I’d never shown anyone around anywhere before. My sense of direction wasn’t as bad as Mr. Hart from my department—he was always getting lost—so I didn’t think I’d take too many wrong turns, but that didn’t mean I knew the city like the back of my hand. There was actually a chance I’d get lost.
And, just as I had told them today, though I had many places I would like to recommend, the number we would be able to visit tomorrow was limited. I wondered which places Cezar and Janne would be most pleased to be taken to.
If I were heading to town with my usual group of friends, this would have been easy, because, after spending so many years with them, I knew what their interests were. But I really didn’t know much about Cezar’s or Janne’s interests or preferences, so I hesitated to choose for them. I realized too late that I should have asked Cezar to tell me more about his interests earlier today, and shouldn’t have gotten so overexcited when I heard his stories about his brother.
In my past life, I would have casually messaged him with my questions using my smartphone, but here and now that wasn’t an option. Having said that, it wouldn’t be realistic to send him a letter and expect an answer in time either. As I struggled to collect my thoughts, I realized it was getting late, so I quickly made a list of places that seemed like they might be kind of fun, but might also be of interest to Cezar.
Also, I’d better take care not to tire him out. I have to make sure that he enjoys himself, and that he takes this opportunity to relax.
It might have been the especially full day I’d just experienced, but no sooner had I climbed into bed than I found myself starting to doze off.
When morning came and the warm sunlight started to shine through the window, I woke up. At least, I wish I had, but as usual, I was unable to get up under my own strength and needed Anne to come and wake me. At least I managed to get out of bed without needing to have my quilt torn away from me, so I felt I had done well.
Still half asleep, I let Anne prepare me for the day before walking to my waiting carriage in order to head to the meeting place for today’s outing. While I was walking to my carriage, I briefly spoke with Keith.
“Big sister, are you going for another stroll around town today?”
“Today I’m going to be a tour guide.”
“Eh? A tour guide? For who?”
“Ah... Someone from Ethenell,” I said, trying to keep my response vague since Cezar would be incognito.
“Someone from Ethenell? Wait, you don’t mean the prince who’s currently studying here?!”
But somehow Keith still guessed right.
“That’s right, but he’s incognito at the moment, so let it be our secret.”
“Why do you have to be an incognito prince’s guide?! Tell me, what’s going on?”
“Hmm, I guess it just kind of turned out that way. Now, I’m already running late, so we’ll talk more when I get back.”
“You must be kidding, big sister. If you leave me with so little information, I’ll worry myself to death!” my adopted brother cried as I left him behind.
I was running late, you see.
By the way, though I could have just gone straight to the palace to pick up Cezar, if he was seen just strolling out of the palace, a whole platoon of guards would have come with him, and his trip wouldn’t be incognito anymore. To spare him all of that trouble, we’d agreed that he would sneak out and meet me in a quiet location on the city’s outskirts.
After arriving at the meeting place and climbing out of my carriage, I cast my eyes around anxiously, searching my surroundings.
“Hey,” said a buoyant voice from behind me.
I turned around to find Cezar dressed in the same servant’s clothes he’d been wearing when I’d first met him—in the palace garden during the International Assembly—and standing there with one hand raised as he greeted me. Since I’d already met him once before in this getup, I immediately recognized him, but he certainly didn’t look like the same Prince of Ethenell I’d had tea with yesterday.
“So you’re wearing that today?”
“Yeah, I am incognito after all, so I thought I’d come as a servant.”
Then I suddenly realized something.
“Oh, where’s Janne?” I asked, since I was sure we had agreed that both Cezar and Janne would come sightseeing with me, and Janne—who had asked me to show them around in the first place—was nowhere to be seen.
A somewhat awkward look came over Cezar’s face.
“Um, Janne said that something suddenly came up and he can’t come with us anymore. So it’ll just be the two of us, but if you’d rather not...”
“I see, that’s a shame. Well then, let’s buy lots of souvenirs for him.”
“Huh? Eh, does that mean you’re fine with it just being the two of us?”
“Eh? Cezar, would that bother you?”
“No, it certainly wouldn’t bother me, but...”
“Ah, perhaps you’re thinking it might be too dangerous? Don’t worry, it’s actually very safe here. Besides,” I added, thinking about my trusty familiar, “though I may not look it, I’m pretty strong, so please put your mind at ease.”
Since Jeffrey had told me to be careful, I was carrying the magic tool Larna had made, which looked like a magnifying glass and had the power to make Pochi bigger. I was also carrying the ancient tool of Dark Magic as a lucky charm. I felt like I’d made plenty of preparations to ward off trouble.
However, despite my display of confidence, Cezar just chuckled wryly.
“Oh, no, I’m formidable enough that many of my enemies used to run at the very sight of me, so I’m not worried about being attacked.”
Ah, that’s right. Cezar’s a former mercenary, so he’s really strong.
“Then we shouldn’t have anything to worry about,” I said, though my words were met with an inscrutable look from Cezar.
Then he muttered something to himself. It almost sounded like, “I feel like I finally understand why everyone around you always has their hands full.” But he said whatever it was so quietly that I couldn’t hear him properly. I was about to ask him to repeat himself when he smiled and spoke again.