“Brother, please do something about her!!”
“Shawn, shouldn’t you knock before entering the room?”
It had been just over a month since I returned from my time abroad. After settling the accumulated tasks during my absence, I was finally regaining a sense of calm on this tranquil afternoon. I was working in the student council room of the senior division when suddenly the door burst open with a loud bang, and Shawn rushed in with incredible urgency.
“That’s not important right now. Please, do something about her!”
No, I believe that maintaining composure at all times as royalty and adhering to basic manners are important, don’t you think?
I couldn’t help but smile wryly at my brother’s behavior, tilting my head at Shawn’s unusually raised voice.
“Has Bertia done something interesting again?”
As usual, Bertia seemed to be struggling to handle things on her own, and while I observed her from a distance, a proper conversation had not been possible. Regular reports on her current situation kept coming in, and though I had my thoughts, I felt no inclination to intervene. Her words about not getting involved strangely lingered in my mind.
Bertia, for her part, seemed unusually concerned about my reaction, not approaching me as she normally would. Despite her apparent troubles, she hadn’t come to consult me… in the slightest.
Honestly, she’s such a troublesome girl.
“It’s not about Miss Bertia. It’s about Baroness Hironia Indelon.”
Unaware of the situation, Shawn furrowed his brow in displeasure and pursed his lips. Hearing his words, I thought, Ah, it’s about Lady Hironia.
Honestly, I couldn’t care less.
Baroness Hironia Indelon is of no interest to me.
Even though I found it bothersome, ever since Bertia told me not to intervene, I hadn’t felt the urge to actively eliminate her. “Shawn, I’m sorry, but Lady Hironia is outside my jurisdiction,” I replied with a smile, gently declining.
“Why is that?” Shawn asked, puzzled.
“It’s more a question of ‘Why should I help you?’” I retorted.
“Everyone says you can solve most every problem brought to you…”
“I’m very curious about who this ‘everyone’ is,” I mused.
“Lady Joanna seems anxious. She’s been chastised by Lady Hironia for not being suitable for someone like me because of her strong personality. It hurts to think that others might see her that way,” Shawn continued, glossing over my words. Tears welled up in his eyes as he clenched his fists.
“Seeing Lady Joanna upset about the possibility of my feelings shifting toward Lady Hironia, who has been aggressively pursuing me, makes my heart feel constricted. I feel like I must do something. I must protect her…”
While I think his resolve is admirable, the idea of “needing to protect” someone and then coming to me about it—what about that? That probably isn’t really what Lady Joanna wants.
Knowing her, she was likely thinking about making Shawn mature more while also dealing with the issue of Baroness Hironia as a bonus. Born as the second prince, Shawn had been spoiled by the adults around him. As the first prince, I’d had to handle most things myself, lacking somewhat in charm and requiring no looking after, which might have caused some of this backlash.
So, it might be excusable that he was a bit unreliable or clingy… but still, it was somewhat disappointing for a man.
Thankfully, Joanna had been skillfully handling him, which had significantly improved his demeanor. If this had been the Shawn of the past, he wouldn’t have thought about protecting anyone at all.
Currently, Shawn was desperately wanting to protect Joanna, yet he found himself unsure of how to proceed, biting his lip in frustration.
“Then, Shawn, you must protect her with your own hands. You are the middle school student council president, the second prince of this country… and now, Lady Joanna’s boyfriend.”
At my words, Shawn’s brows shot up, a look of surprise flashing across his face. “Brother, you knew about me and her?! We only officially became a couple yesterday.” He nodded in awe. “As expected of you, brother.”
I smiled back at Shawn, who was now staring at me with his large eyes even wider than usual. Did I know that Shawn and Joanna had become a couple? Of course not. I merely sensed a deeper hue of love in his eyes than usual and took a guess… Hmm, so they’ve finally come together. That’s good to hear. It looks like Shawn’s engagement issues will also be smoothly resolved.
“From now on, you two will be engaged, and later a married couple, and together you’ll support this nation. Do you plan to keep relying on me whenever you encounter difficulties, Shawn? Can you truly protect the one you love and the country like that?”
Shawn couldn’t remain a pampered child forever; it seemed like the right time for a change. It might be better to be a bit strict with him without coddling him… After all, I was his big brother.
“But, but I think you would handle it better than me…”
“By saying that, if you never gain experience, nothing will change, right? Besides, isn’t Lady Joanna the one you want to protect? Are you okay with another man taking your place in protecting her?”
“That… I might… not like that idea…” Shawn’s youthful face crinkled as he contemplated the scenario.
“Then, isn’t this the time for you to show what you’re made of as a man? She’s relying on you as her boyfriend, right? Why not try to protect her in your own way, even if it’s not perfect?”
This might help Shawn grow a bit more. Despite everything, he seemed to manage his duties as student council president well enough, and he had decent academic abilities and popularity. He wasn’t lacking in ability; what was left was for him to have the confidence to face challenges when necessary. Even if he failed now, I could back him up, and more importantly, Joanna would likely skillfully guide him. Especially in this case, it seemed clear that she had set this up as a challenge for Shawn. Surely, a support system was in place. She was as capable a woman as I’d want among my subordinates.
“But, still…” Shawn, completely oblivious to these facts, continued to hesitate and waver.
Some women found this kind of behavior “cute and attractive,” but as a prince of the nation, it was hardly reassuring.
“But?” I pressed him. He looked up at me with puppy eyes, seemingly scolded.
He reluctantly began to speak. “I did warn Lady Hironia multiple times. I tried to keep my distance as best as I could. But it’s like she doesn’t understand at all. She insists she belongs on the student council, looks down on Lady Joanna and other young ladies, accuses them as if she’s the tragic heroine of the story, and starts crying in public…”
Well, whether it was a “tragedy” or not, she seemed to think she was the heroine of an “otome game.”
It seemed she hadn’t given up, even seeing the “capture targets” getting along well with the “rival ladies.” I remembered seeing Baroness Hironia Indelon in the hallway recently, muttering to herself, “My favorability isn’t increasing. Maybe I should give up on the reverse harem?” Was she still aiming for that route? Her actions and words were bizarre and complicated, and I didn’t quite understand them. Well, there was also a big part of me that wasn’t trying to understand.
Shawn, with tears forming in the corners of his eyes, pleaded further, “Lately, it’s been especially terrible. I try my best to calm things down each time, but it ends up looking like I’m siding with Lady Hironia, and I just don’t know what to do anymore…”
Hearing this, I realized he’d been doing his best in his own way, which was somewhat reassuring. According to Bertia, most “capture events” for Shawn were supposed to happen this year. It seemed that he was the main target of the heroine this year, likely in a similar situation to what I faced two years ago. But from what Shawn told me, it felt like the trouble had escalated since then. Normally, Bertia would have prevented other “capture events.” Perhaps something unpredictable is happening?
No matter the circumstances, kind Shawn, unlike me, couldn’t choose to “ignore,” “deflect,” or “dismiss” the situation, and that must have been making it difficult for him to handle.
“Moreover, big brother, you’re not entirely unrelated, are you? After all, Bertia is the main target of the attacks. Lady Joanna might seem tough, but she’s a kind woman with a lot of empathy, and it must be painful for her to see Bertia suffering. I don’t want to see her in pain anymore…”
I felt my brow twitch instinctively at the mention of Bertia’s name. I was aware that Baroness Hironia had made Bertia a target. Shawn may not have realized it, but I also knew that a new troublesome enemy named Viscountess Eirin had emerged.
“But…”
“I’m sorry, but that matter between Bertia and me has already been resolved.”
“What do you mean?” Shawn asked, eyes widening in surprise.
Well, his response is natural.
My fiancée was being targeted, yet I showed no sign of action. It was understandable that he would find it odd for me to leave the situation as it was. Especially after I had just lectured him.
“Bertia told me that she wants to handle this matter herself as it’s her own problem. That’s why I’m standing aside,” I explained.
“What?! You know what Bertia is going through right now, don’t you?”
“Of course. I had already prepared to intervene… but, you know, I can’t force help on someone who has refused it, can I?”
Shawn, not swayed by my calm response, pressed on in a flustered manner. “Is that really the issue here?! Isn’t Bertia special to you…”
My heart remained unmoved by his state.
“She’s my fiancée. I suppose that does make her quite special.”
“That’s not what I mean!! Watching how you treat Bertia, I always thought she must be someone special to you. The way you look at her… It’s different from how you look at anyone else…”
Confused by what Shawn was trying to convey, I tilted my head.
It was unusual and refreshing for me to find myself unable to understand someone else’s words.
“So, a woman in a special position, then…”
“That’s not it!! It’s more like… ‘I can’t just leave her be,’ ‘What if she gets hurt or cries?’ ‘I feel this overwhelming urge to protect her, regardless of her position…’ Like how I feel about Lady Joanna…”
“I, too, would dislike seeing my fiancée harmed.”
“Then why do you leave her be just because she declined help?!”
“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”
“No, it’s not—”
Bang!!
Just as Shawn was about to continue angrily, the door burst open with a loud noise.
“Your Highness!!”
It was Charles, his face pale with urgency.
“Your Highness, Bertia has—”
I looked at him, puzzled.
“Bertia has fallen down the stairs…”
“What did you say?”
The words that came from his mouth were painfully and ironically timely.