“She must be quite the forward woman.”
“Yeah, once she sets her sights on something, she refuses to see anything else.”
“Like sister, like brother.”
“...What do you mean? I’m a man of common sense. ...Anyway, my sister married in Rouenne and the skilled blacksmith became my brother-in-law. I did make the trip for the wedding. He’s got a large workshop and five apprentices.”
“I see... She lucked out. Perhaps I should take a page out of her book.”
“Her method was a bit crude, but I doubt anyone would detest a genuine proclamation of affection.”
Clarisse nodded.
“...I love you... Please marry me, Mr. Regis,” she confessed in a fevered tone.
“Now I truly understand why my brother-in-law was so skeptical. But I can declare with conviction that this is little more than a joke.”
“You’re terrible. Just as I shook off my worldly common sense to make a serious proposition...”
“Maybe it really is weird for the woman to propose...”
Though Regis often found himself envious of his sister’s initiative.
“I think that depends on the person. In this case, wasn’t the real nonsensical part that you were proposed to, Mr. Regis?” Clarisse said with a virtuous smile.
“So you’re saying it’s absurd that someone might want to marry me? I may not have much confidence in the field, but when you put it like that...”
“I’m not such a bad choice—is that what you just thought?”
“...I think I’ll need some savings before I even consider it.” Regis raised the white flag with a sigh.
“I wonder why your sister didn’t leave even a tenth of her assertiveness to her younger brother,” Clarisse said as she made off with another slice of cheese.
“I couldn’t say...”
“Why don’t you try acting emphatically from time to time?”
“I get pretty heated up over my paperwork.”
“...Looks like the princess isn’t getting up. It’s about time for someone to go wake her.”
She glanced at the clock on the wall.
Come to think of it, Altina usually woke up early and ate her breakfast before the dining hall got crowded.
“Isn’t waking Altina up part of your job? You’re not thinking of sending me to the princess’s bedchambers, are you?”
“Oh, woe is me. As I have just received this unforeseen task, I am so terribly busy.”
“You said your other chores were just you ‘helping out’...”
“Fine. Then I’ll have to tell the senior officers that breakfast is late because I had to make a special serving for Mr. Regis.”
“You were plotting that from the start, weren’t you!?”
Complain as he may, Regis had no choice but to accept his loss. He stood from his seat, which earned him a satisfied nod from Clarisse.
“I’ve heard that only the kiss of a prince can wake a princess. Want to test it out?”
“Are you trying to get me sent to the gallows? Not to mention, I’m as common as commoners come.”
“Then, from outside the door—”
“Yeah, I’ll just call out from outside.”
“The proper wake-up call is ‘Allie-poo~♪’”
“That’s definitely lèse-majesté, no matter how you slice it! What do you have against me!?”
With a bitter glance at the lady happily waving him off, Regis left the dining hall behind him.
The third floor of the central tower.
The corridors were wider than those Regis had grown used to. The windows positioned much more frequently along the walls bathed the space in a warm light, only further punctuating the contrast to the dark, narrow passageways two floors below.
At the very end of the hall was a door set with intricate reliefs. This was Altina’s room.
Regis took a nervous breath, then knocked.
To his surprise, there was almost an immediate response.
“Ah, sorry, it looks like I overslept a bit. Actually, you came at just the right time—could you help me with this?”
Was she telling him to come in? Regis hesitated. If possible, he wanted to settle his business here without having to step into the room...
But sound carried well through these stone corridors, and Jerome’s quarters were also on the third floor.
If a heated discussion were to arise here over whether he should enter or not, rumor he had paid a visit to the princess’s bedroom would certainly spread. That was something he had to avoid at all costs.
“...Very well,” he muttered under his breath as he opened the door.
He stepped inside.
There was a large bed and a number of wardrobes.
With her back toward him, Altina lifted her voluminous crimson hair in her right hand.
Her skin, a dazzling white, was laid bare from her nape to halfway down her back.
The girl was in her undergarments, a corset—a piece of underwear commonly worn by noble ladies—hugging her midriff.
The back was threaded with lace that, when tied, tightened the corset like a shoe.
She had been in the midst of fastening it, her other hand pressed against her chest to stop the corset from bursting open.
Regis’s eyes leapt frantically between the shoulders, arms and thighs usually hidden under her dress.
“...!?”
Unable to comprehend what was happening, he stood stunned on the spot. Altina continued to speak with her back to him.
“I’m a bit concerned, this feels tighter every time I wear it. Do you think I’ve gained weight? I’d like to think it’s because I’m still growing but this is ridiculous, I could barely get it on. Could you tie this for me?”
“The c-corset!?”
“...Eh!?”
Altina finally realized the one who had come to wake her wasn’t her usual maid.
She frantically turned, her eyes wide with terror. It was as if she had been struck by lightning.
Regis, in a similar state of shock, was too overwhelmed to piece a coherent sentence together. Only the terms indecency, trespassing and lèse-majesté cycled through his head.
“Err... No, this is... I just... came to... I didn’t—!”
“Kyaaaaaaaah!!”
She let out an ear-piercing shriek.
So this is it. This is where my life ends.
In no time, the heavy sound of countless footsteps echoed through the corridor. The raised voices of countless men could be heard outside the door.
“What happened, Princess!?”
“An assassin!? We’ll ‘ave ‘im slaughtered!”
The only future he could see was one where he was torn to shreds by brawny soldiers. Impaled, stoned, burned at the stake... If possible, he wanted to go quickly and painlessly.