“This scene even made the players feel bad. At first, you get excited because of the romantic bridal carry, but then...”
“Yeah, Lieselotte takes the blame even though she was protecting Fiene from the flames. In the end, she’s just a stepping stone for Fiene and Bal’s love life. That’s so unfair! What do the game devs have against her?!”
They were mumbling in a way that suggested their words were not intended for me to hear. Still, they were right. The plot this so-called “game” would have followed if it weren’t for the Voices of the Gods was quite harsh. I was thankful to have them.
“Now then, Lieselotte,” I said.
My fiancée, who was staring worriedly in the direction in which Fiene and Baldur had gone, flinched the moment I called her name. It made me feel even more sorry for her.
“I know you aren’t the kind of person who would harm others for no reason,” I said as gently as possible, making a conscious effort to smile.
My goal was to calm her down, but instead she shook her head with a stern expression and said, “That’s...not true.” She seemed determined to atone for her wrongdoing.
“I’d say it is. I didn’t bring it up earlier because it wasn’t the time to be arguing, but I noticed Miss Fiene’s clothes were partially burnt. You used that water spell to protect her, did you not?” It was deceitful of me to use the knowledge the gods had imparted on me as if I’d been aware of it from the start. However, I needed to be confident if I was going to convince her.
Lieselotte reluctantly caved and nodded her head. Perhaps it was partially because, unlike Baldur who she treated as an equal, I was the crown prince. Her cordiality made it difficult for her to argue with me.
“Yes...but I used an excessive amount of water. I hope to be punished accordingly.” She hung her head with a remorseful look on her face, as if she were a sinner awaiting judgment. Rather, she truly seemed to believe she was. What a dilemma.
“Well, it’s true that it wouldn’t feel right to leave things as they are,” Lady Kobayashee said. “Let’s have Liese-tan prepare an apology gift. By the way, casual clothing would make Fiene the happiest right now!”
Casual clothing? I mentally tilted my head in confusion.
“You heard her argue with Bal as they were leaving, right? Fiene actually doesn’t have many clothes besides her school uniform and sports uniform. Since it’s been raining so much these days, she didn’t get a chance to do the laundry before she ran out of clothes to wear. That’s why her sports uniform is the only thing she can change into right now.”
Oh, so that’s what she was talking about. It has been raining for several days now...
I relayed Lady Kobayashee’s advice. “If you feel sorry for getting Miss Fiene’s clothes wet, why not give her some new ones? Considering she would take a detour to fetch her sports uniform, she may be in need of a change of clothes.”
Lieselotte looked up with a start. “Your insight truly knows no bounds, Your Highness. Indeed, when Miss Fiene first entered the academy, I didn’t have the impression that she owned an abundance of clothing. There are also the coming seasons to consider. At the very least, I assume she would be willing to accept such a gift. However, the harm I caused her was not merely to her clothes, and due to our standings, even a half-hearted apology on my part would force her to forgive me. When I think of it that way...”
I think Miss Fiene would forgive her even if she did nothing, considering her intent had been to extinguish the fire. However, she still seems conflicted. What to do?
While I was contemplating how to persuade my overly earnest fiancée, I heard Lady Kobayashee’s strained voice from the heavens. “By the way, if you don’t do anything now, the love interest who helped her—in this case, Bal—will buy clothes for her. But frankly, Bal has no fashion sense. He’ll give her clothes for children just ’cause she’s so tiny.”
“Now that would be awkward! Well, can’t say I expected him to be a fashion expert anyway. On the other hand, I’m sure Lieselotte would pick out the perfect outfit for her.”
Hearing the gods’ commentary, I decided to steer the conversation in that direction. “It’s just a hunch, but considering we noticed Miss Fiene’s plight simply by hearing their conversation earlier, I suspect Baldur has also already figured it out. In which case, he may present her with some new clothes as well.”
“We cannot trust Bal with this!” Lieselotte exclaimed. “He’s the kind of crude oaf who would categorize Miss Fiene and my younger sisters as ‘little girls’! To make matters worse, there is simply no way that uncouth man would have developed an eye for women’s clothing appropriate for the season, occasion, and current trends. He’ll brazenly procure an outfit that’s a catastrophic failure in both size and style!”
Is she that against it? She and Baldur may have been close cousins, but she objected so vehemently I worried whether it was all right for her to speak so disparagingly of him. Then again, it was in line with what Lady Kobayashee had said, so perhaps she was merely stating the truth. It seemed excessive regardless. However, now she was undoubtedly going to be more open to providing Miss Fiene with new clothes.
“Er, in that case, I think you would be able to prepare a nice outfit for her,” I said, regaining my composure.
Lieselotte nodded. “Yes, you’re right. At the very least, it would be better than leaving the task to him. My family already has Miss Fiene’s measurements, so I’ll go to town and choose a few ready-to-wear items.”
What? Why would House Riefenstahl have Fiene’s measurements? I stared at her, but she seemed to be too engrossed in thought to notice.
“Liese-tan was the one who prepared Fiene’s school uniform,” Lady Kobayashee said, cheerful. “Three sets for summer and three sets for winter, in fact. That’s probably why she has the measurements. Just now, she was talking about when Fiene ‘first entered the academy,’ right? At the time, Fiene could only afford a sports uniform with her budget. Liese-tan couldn’t bear to see that, so she gave Fiene her ‘hand-me-downs,’ which were actually made-to-order.”
“She’s basically her guardian at this point,” Lord Endoh said. “The three necessities of life are food, clothing, and shelter, right? If she’s giving her casual clothes too, that’s a third of Fiene’s life she’s providing for.”
Their words gave me a grasp of the situation. However, as Lord Endoh said, Lieselotte’s actions were exceeding the realm of what one would do for a mere classmate. I knew she was caring, but as her fiancé, I didn’t like seeing her be so devoted to someone else. I even wished she would spend less time thinking about Fiene.
“I’ll come with you,” I said without thinking.
“...Huh?” Lieselotte tilted her head.
“You’re going to town to find clothes for Miss Fiene, aren’t you? I’ll come with you. Well, I can’t say I’m any more knowledgeable than Baldur when it comes to women’s clothing, but I can at least carry our purchases and provide the funds.”
“Wh-What are you suggesting, Your Highness?! Th-This is my transgression to atone for, and above all, I couldn’t possibly trouble you!”
“If that’s what concerns you, we can split the costs evenly between us.”
“No, we cannot! After all, that would be akin to...Miss Fiene receiving clothing from you, a man... What if there’s a misunderstanding?!”
“Oh, I’m sorry. You’re right; I didn’t think of that. How careless of me. I was too caught up in my desire to help you.”
“...Huh? M-Me? Not Miss Fiene?”
“Of course. Earlier, I wasn’t able to stand up for you on the spot. By helping you make amends with Miss Fiene, I was actually hoping to make amends with you. However, you’re correct that it wouldn’t be honorable for a man in my position to give a gift to a woman other than my fiancée. I really am sorry,” I said, beginning to lower my head in what was going to be a deep bow.
“Ahhh, please raise your head, Your Highness! I also spoke out of line!” Lieselotte was trembling as she frantically stopped me.
I peeked at her expression and determined that she was no longer angry. I sighed in relief. “At any rate, I would like to accompany you. I don’t want to make you handle everything by yourself, and above all, I would never pass up a chance to go on a date in town with my lovely fiancée.” I smoothly took her hand in mine.
“Wh— D-Did you just— Whaaat?!”
I didn’t know if her panicking was due to the word “date” or the fact that I was holding her hand, but either way, she seemed too flustered to form coherent sentences. I smiled and tugged her along with me as I walked. “I’m sure we’ll only be able to walk around casually in town together while we’re still students. Now, off we go!”
“V-Very well. I understand, so please, l-let go of my hand!”
I hope Lieselotte’s heart is fully occupied by me, not Fiene. I had no intention of letting go of her hand.
After sending someone to inform Baldur and Fiene—who were probably in the dorms—of the situation and Lieselotte’s wish to give Fiene new clothes, we headed out to town.
Though I said we’d be walking around “casually,” due to our positions, we were escorted by guards—and the clothing store we were going to frequently did business with the royal family.
Still, both Lieselotte and I rarely had the chance to go to a normal store, so the walk there felt like a new experience. Along the way, we argued several times about holding hands.