My name is Cecil Glo Alphasta. I am the crown prince of the Kingdom of Alphasta, the eldest son destined to inherit the throne. In the winter of my tenth year, I had my first meeting with the girl who was to be my fiancée.
Her name was Bertia Ibil Noches. She was the sole daughter of Marquis Noches. Her father was serving as our prime minister, a position of great authority in the kingdom. Bertia had deep crimson hair and amber-colored eyes, with fair skin and a slightly plump figure. No, let me be frank. She had the round well-fed look of a snowman. That was the most notable characteristic of the piggy—my apologies, the young lady in question.
Chosen to strengthen the ties between the royal family of Alphasta and the influential nobility, she was my betrothed and two years my junior at the age of eight. On the day we first met, a modest introduction ceremony was held at the palace, presided over by my father, the king, and her father, the prime minister.
Right after the ceremony, as soon as we stepped out into the garden alone, Bertia blurted out, “Prince Cecil! I am the villainess!! My role is to tear apart your relationship with the heroine you meet after enrolling at Halm Academy and eventually be cast aside in disgrace with a loud ‘Gah!’”
She pointed squarely at my face.
Hmm. I’m utterly baffled.
The expressions of the maids accompanying Miss Bertia turned pale—or rather, let me correct that—it almost appeared they had anticipated she would do something like this. Their faces seemed to say, “Oh dear. She really went and did it.” From the look of it, such brazen behavior must have been a daily occurrence for Miss Bertia.
The reactions of the maids to the young lady’s blunder seemed very practiced. Despite their strained smiles, they smoothly managed their responses.
The atmosphere they exuded—one of not being easily disturbed—couldn’t have possibly developed overnight, for better or worse. Unperturbed by those around her, Miss Bertia continued her declaration.
“However, even if it’s to deepen your relationship, displaying such disgraceful behavior goes against my principles as a marquis’s daughter. Therefore, I have decided. I will become a first-rate villainess! Please, Your Highness, become a gentleman so splendid that even if I end up disgraced with a loud ‘Gah!’ it would still be acceptable!”
What should I do? I truly don’t understand what she’s talking about. It didn’t seem to be just because I was a naive child.
Even my own attendants were gaping and blinking in disbelief. Ah, but for now…
“Miss Bertia, standing while talking like this isn’t ideal. Why don’t we sit and discuss this over some tea?” I said, offering a smile and my hand to her, hoping to guide her toward a table where the hot beverages were already prepared.
After all, even though I was still a child, I was someone who would one day bear the responsibility of the kingdom. I could not afford to be so easily flustered.
Let’s take a moment to gather my thoughts and organize the situation. My father always said that it was crucial to remain calm in times of trouble.
After a pause, Bertia replied while blinking rapidly, “Oh, yes, that sounds good.” Perhaps slightly deflated by my composed demeanor, she quietly accepted my escort to the tea table and immediately started devouring the cake in front of her.
“Isn’t Prince Cecil a bit too composed for his age? Could it be… Are you perhaps a reincarnated person?” After taking a sip of the fragrant tea, Miss Bertia asked this, cream from the cake still smeared on her cheek as she scrutinized me with a probing gaze.
Could it be that she has forgotten that I am royalty?
Despite us never having been previously acquainted, she seemed a bit too relaxed around me. Well, it was more enjoyable and interesting than if she were awkwardly tense.
“I’m not quite sure what ‘reincarnated person’ means, but if I seem more composed than my age might suggest, it’s probably because I am royalty. We royal family members are taught from a young age to behave in such a manner. It’s only natural,” I replied with a constant smile. At this, Miss Bertia tilted her round face slightly.
“Is that how it is?”
Even though she asked, she seemed satisfied with my explanation. However, my personal attendant, Zeno, who was standing by, shook his head vigorously.
He often remarked things like, “Your Highness, even discounting the fact that you are royalty, you are too detached. You should engage in more childlike play! I believe it’s important to maintain charm befitting your age!”
Zeno’s hair was a calm moss green, and his eyes were a slightly brighter blue than mine, conjuring the image of a deep forest. His appearance wasn’t flashy, but he was decently handsome. All in all, he seemed like a mild-mannered, good-natured young man.
Always jittery, he gave the impression of someone who would be henpecked if he were married. Despite his generally timid nature, perhaps because of our long association, he occasionally made unnecessary comments like these.
I responded to Zeno’s reaction with a wry smile but decided not to dwell on his words. I often received similar reactions from the adults around me. Even if I lacked a certain childlike quality, my role was that of the crown prince. As long as I behaved appropriately for a crown prince, that should suffice.
Of course, when necessary, I too can muster a carefree, innocent smile or two.
“Now that we’ve taken a break, could you explain in a way that I can understand what you meant earlier by ‘villainess,’ ‘heroine,’ and this ‘Gah!’ you mentioned?” I asked her for clarification as Miss Bertia reached for her second piece of cake.
Though it might not matter, I wonder if Miss Bertia’s maids are neglecting her too much? Both in terms of manners in front of royalty and the amount of food she consumes.
“Yes, of course!! Your Highness must fully understand my story so that you can properly dismiss me when the time comes!!” Miss Bertia declared, gripping her fork tightly and looking at me in earnest.
No matter how serious her expression, it was hard to take her completely seriously with cream smeared around her mouth. She seemed completely oblivious to this.
It appeared that I had been overestimating my own comprehension until now. I hated to admit it, but I had always thought of myself as a relatively intelligent child, especially since I had already mastered the curriculum taught at the prestigious, royal Halm Academy.
As the oldest and most challenging school to enter in the Kingdom of Alphasta, Halm Academy attracted particularly brilliant nobles. The education quality was higher compared to other schools, and the emphasis on etiquette was strict.
Everything that was taught over six years at Halm Academy, starting when students were fourteen, was already lodged in my ten-year-old brain. So, I thought I had a decent intellect… But what’s going on right now?
Even accounting for Miss Bertia’s poor explanation skills, I was struggling to understand what she was talking about.