“This is Her Highness Adele Mira Samarind, the third princess of the Samarind Empire.”
After I savored the apple pie that Viola made, I walked her and Lady Preston to their carriage outside. Then, I visited the room for honored guests with Rex. The attendant who had visited the meeting room earlier introduced us to the princess and the person who greeted me was such a surprise that I only barely managed to bite back my sound of surprise.
“Greetings, Phillip. My name is Adele. I’ve wanted to meet you for the longest time!”
Princess Adele sat on the sofa, an elegant smile on her face. Her long blonde hair and big pink eyes made a lasting impression. However, what was surprising about her was that she wasn’t a woman. Rather, she was a child, about five or six years old. Her hands were balled in her lap and she was staring at me, eyes sparkling like jewels.
It appeared that not even Rex, who was standing next to me, saw this coming. He was staring at Princess Adele with obvious surprise on his face. However, no matter how old she was, she was still the princess of a large and powerful empire. I bowed my head and opened my mouth.
“Princess Adele, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Phillip Lawrenson.”
“Oh, my! Even your voice is lovely!”
Princess Adele giggled excitedly in a childish manner. Well, she was a child, after all. In any case, Princess Adele seemed beside herself with joy, and the woman next to her smiled and stroked her hair.
“I’m glad that you’re enjoying your meeting with him,” the woman said before she turned to look at me. “I’m sorry for how sudden this all is. My name is Luna Mira Samarind. I am the second princess of the Samarind Empire, as well as Adele’s older sister. Thank you for having us.”
It appeared that the ambassador was the second princess. Princess Adele, who was five years old, simply accompanied her on her trip. Princess Luna looked to be the same age as me and she had what most would consider a beautiful face. However, in my opinion, Viola was the cutest person in the entire world.
“She’s been looking forward to meeting you since we told her we’d be coming here for the ceremony,” Princess Luna continued.
“Why me?” I asked after a pause. I had no idea why the princess would be interested in me. While I did visit the Samarind Empire last year, I didn’t recall seeing or meeting with Princess Adele.
“Warren, you know what to do,” Princess Luna said.
“Understood.” The attendant nodded at Princess Luna’s order and then he took out a picture book. “Once upon a time...”
He suddenly began to read the picture book to us for some reason. At the same time, next to me, Rex lowered his face. His shoulders were shaking slightly and it was obvious that he was stifling his laughter.
Though I had no idea where any of this was going, I was sure that there must be an important meaning behind Warren’s actions, so I held my tongue and continued to listen. The picture book’s story was a common fairy tale following a princess and a foreign prince overcoming various trials and tribulations together before they finally found happiness.
“And then the two lived happily ever after. The end.”
Warren finally finished reading the story. Even after hearing the whole thing, it still felt like a normal picture book to me. I didn’t know how to react, so for the time being, I copied the princesses and clapped my hands.
“That was a deeply moving tale,” Rex said. He didn’t seem to mean it.
“Isn’t it simply lovely?” Princess Adele said.
“It is. So, what does that picture book have to do with me?” I asked.
“Oh, dear, Phillip, you haven’t noticed yet? The prince here looks just like you.”
After she said that, Princess Adele pointed to the prince on the cover of the book. I had to admit that we shared the same hair and eye color, but I couldn’t tell if we looked identical or not.
“Around this time last year, my hat was blown away by the wind but you picked it up for me! It’s just like how the prince and the princess met in this story, isn’t it?” Princess Adele continued.
I did remember that happening, though I didn’t know whose hat I’d picked up. I hadn’t been thinking too hard about my action at the time. Never in my wildest imagination did I expect the hat to have belonged to the third princess, though.
“From the moment I saw you, I couldn’t help but think that you’re the exact image of a prince.”
It appeared that I reminded Princess Adele of the prince from her favorite picture book. She may be the princess of a powerful empire, but she was still only five years old. It wasn’t surprising that she’d still view the world through rose-tinted glasses.
“To tell the truth, this is my first time traveling abroad!” Princess Adele continued. “I hope we can be friends, Phillip.”
She gave me a bright and innocent smile after she said that. Though I was still a little unsure of the situation, I could only nod my head and say, “Yes, so do I.”