Then, who was causing the disturbance? It was Prince Ramtak, the first prince. Discontent with having to lend out the crown prince position, even temporarily, and envious of Prince Aleis’s popularity among the people, he harassed Prince Aleis without provocation, driven purely by dislike.
Consequently, the attitudes of those around Prince Aleis, anticipating the future crown prince’s displeasure, had led to Prince Aleis being treated as if he were a delicate matter.
I couldn’t help but smile wryly at Bertia’s disheartened slouch.
Was she unaware that her friends were drawn to her and offered their support because of her character?
“Tia, you’re charming just as you are.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Look, you’re missing the point… Consider it like this: you consistently greet everyone with a smile, regardless of differences. This creates a positive environment and attracts others to you. This is crucial for a crown princess.”
“So, acting with a smile is important?”
“Well, yes, I suppose so.”
Certainly, there’s much more, but many people have found comfort in her smile. Recently, the king of Seahealby requested Bertia’s presence in discussions due to her calming influence.
Does that mean discussions with me require soothing to such an extent, even if they last only an hour? Or does he simply wish to see Bertia’s smile?
If it’s the latter, I should perhaps avoid arranging meetings between him and Bertia in the future.
If it’s the former… maybe I should try to become a source of comfort myself, with thirty percent more smiles?
The last time I tried something similar, everyone around seemed oddly intimidated, but that must have been my imagination.
“The other thing is to increase your circle of friends. In this regard, you’re already lending your strength, aren’t you?”
Bertia tilted her head in confusion, not grasping the meaning.
She genuinely seemed oblivious to the impact of her own actions on others, probably because doing her best for others had become second nature to her. The concept of “doing something for someone” might be somewhat foreign to her.
“It’s about Lady June.”
“Ah! That’s right. I had forgotten.”
Bertia’s smile brightened upon my reminder, clearly understanding what I was getting at. She truly looked better smiling than frowning.
“Yes, indeed. Princess Lysonna is doing her best, and Lady June is very supportive of her. Everything will surely work out well! Oh, but…”
“What’s wrong?”
After a moment of relief, Bertia’s expression clouded again, as if she had just remembered another concern.
“I was thinking… Even if things turn out well for Princess Lysonna, what will happen to Prince Aleis?”
“Prince Aleis, huh?”
Indeed, mediating between Prince Aleis and Prince Ramtak is a challenging task, bordering on overstepping bounds. They aren’t Bertia’s friends, nor can they be naturally involved like Princess Lysonna and Lady June, who are tied together by friendly relations.
“After listening to Princess Lysonna, I started to wonder if Prince Aleis’s situation, similar to the crown prince in the novel, might be due to the stress stemming from his precarious position.”
“That’s… not an impossibility.”
He had been in this position for a long time, and it seemed unlikely that his stress would suddenly increase now. However, the upcoming marriage with Princess Lysonna could serve as a catalyst for change, making it impossible to rule out entirely.
It’s merely a possibility—and not a particularly high one at that.
With his marriage to Princess Lysonna, Prince Aleis’s visibility would increase, possibly making Prince Ramtak more vigilant and worsening the harassment, perhaps to the point of pressuring Prince Aleis’s circle to weaken his support base. Such outcomes were conceivable.
If that were the case, it would become conceivable for him to coldly lash out at his wife, blaming her for worsening his situation.
But this remains pure speculation.
Among the possibilities, the initial theory that something else occurred during their engagement still held weight.
“I’m friends with Princess Lysonna, so when I remembered the novel, I wanted them to be happy, but at the same time, I thought the crown prince was a terrible person. However, seeing the various backgrounds that weren’t mentioned in the novel, it’s not so simple to judge… I’m not sure what to do.”
It was understandable why she was so troubled, typical of Bertia’s caring nature.
“Why worry? If he’s a good person, that’s a reason to be happy, right?”
“Eh? But I’ve been supporting them while doubting whether Prince Aleis might be a bad person?”
This was… quite a confusion. The situation was simple, yet she failed to see it.
“All you did was worry about Princess Lysonna and be cautious of Prince Aleis because of the novel, right? But you haven’t been rude to Prince Aleis, nor have you tried to break them up. Instead, you’ve aimed to keep their relationship healthy for a happy marriage, haven’t you?”
Bertia looked up, lifting her face from its downcast position. I gently stroked her head to reassure her.
“What you think inside doesn’t affect others if you don’t express it, and in reality, no one’s had a bad experience because of it, right? And regardless of Prince Aleis’s background, neglecting his wife isn’t acceptable, right? Or would you find it acceptable for Princess Lysonna to endure a difficult marriage just because he has a compelling backstory?”
“That would be unacceptable!” Bertia’s eyes widened as she vigorously shook her head.
Exactly. What matters most to you is seeing those close to you happy.
“Then our course of action doesn’t change, does it? If anything, we might just need to check if there’s any trouble surrounding Prince Aleis or think about how we could assist.”
“Ah! That’s right! Making those changes would also contribute to Princess Lysonna’s happy married life!” she said excitedly.
“Exactly.”
The question of how much intervention was necessary lingered, yet it seemed more prudent for me to take charge instead of Bertia. Besides Prince Aleis, Prince Ramtak posed a real worry. I certainly didn’t want to involve Bertia recklessly and put her in harm’s way.
“In that case, I’ll do my utmost to defeat Prince Ramtak!”
“No, could you please avoid involvement? I’ll manage issues related to them.”
I swiftly lowered Bertia’s determined fist. An unintended “defeat” could be problematic if I didn’t anticipate Prince Ramtak’s next move.
“But why? I can take down a man if it’s for Princess Lysonna.”
“No, it’s problematic if you bring someone down, and sometimes issues like these are better dealt with by other men.”
We cannot allow her to “defeat” another nation’s royalty without careful preparation.
And with Bertia, there’s a real concern she could actually act on it.
“I get it. Certainly, some issues are best handled among gentlemen.”
“That’s the spirit! By the way, Tia, I got an invitation to dine with Prince Ramtak… Would it be all right if I decline?”
I planned to agree if Bertia was fine with it, but Prince Ramtak appeared to be worse than I expected. He likely held a poor opinion of Bertia, given her closeness to Princess Lysonna, and he had a tendency to look down on women. It seemed likely that Bertia would feel uncomfortable in his presence.
In that situation, it would be more prudent for me to meet with him privately and play along during our conversation to gather different pieces of information. This type of person, who vents their pent-up frustrations on others, often reveals a lot when they relax their defenses—particularly when they’re under the influence of alcohol.
“That’s okay, but are you certain about this?”
“No need to be concerned. I’ll speak with him directly. Tia, I hope you don’t mind if I use you as my reason for turning down the dinner invite. It will help me earn his trust.”
It’s easier for me to let Bertia take the blame for my refusal rather than damage his impression of me because of my situation.
As the crown princess of Alphasta, preventing us from meeting should pose no issues.
If someone attempts to disseminate odd rumors about Bertia, I may initially overlook it. However, I will later make sure to correct and refute those rumors, addressing those who propagated them in a thorough manner.
“Of course, that’s perfectly fine! I’m the villainess in this scenario, after all! It’s just like I was destined to be a villainess!”
What makes her happy about that? Keep in mind that the true antagonist here—Prince Ramtak—is the source of the chaos. Justice, at its core, is merely a villain confronting another villain.
“If you’re fine with it, then that’s decided. But you must promise me that if anything bothersome occurs, you’ll let me know immediately. I’ll handle it… suitably.”
“Understood!”
Seeing Bertia regain her spirits and smile was a relief. Just as we shared a moment of mutual smiles…
Grrrrr…
Bertia’s stomach made an endearing protest.
“?!” Her face flushed bright red, and upon witnessing it, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
“We’ve delayed our dinner for a while now, haven’t we? The chefs should be eager for our arrival, so let’s head out.”
“Yes, certainly.”
As Bertia stood, her voice soft, I offered my hand to her. She lightly placed her hand in mine to help herself up. It was quite memorable how she went back for seconds of the main dish during the meal that followed.
Her late-night flurry of activity was even more striking, as she fretted about overeating and began exercising around the room.