CH 44

Would you like to have a cup of tea, Leonora?”

“Eh…?”

When Leo saw the cup of tea that Alexia was offering him, he remembered what Emilia told him before the royal couple arrived. The Empress wasn’t offering him a cup of tea out of good faith… she was asking Leo if he wanted to marry her son. But since he couldn’t understand why the topic of the conversation had changed to marriage all of a sudden, he decided to ask Alexia why she was doing that, which only made her even more happy.

“Why am I doing this? Well, it’s because I like you, Leonora. You’re really intelligent, kind and you have an amazing personality. Besides, you’re not the kind of person who would abandon my son just because he’s about to lose his status of Crown Prince. That’s why I think you’re the right person for him.” – Said Alexia, with a scheming smile, as she stared deeply into Leo’s amethyst eyes.

“You can’t do this to her, mother!”

“I agree with His Highness, Your Majesty! That’s an absurd proposal!”

Albert and Klaus were the first ones to protest against what Alexia was trying to do, since she was essentially implying that, if Leonora really loved her son, then she wouldn’t mind being exiled alongside him… and that made Emilia really angry–

“That joke wasn’t funny, Your Majesty… . ” (Emilia)

–The Marchioness was so angry, in fact, that she couldn’t help but glare at the Empress with murderous intent.

“Mother, please, stop this. You’re just troubling her. It’s obvious she doesn’t want to drink the tea.”

Even though Albert said that, he was the most troubled one here. This situation was exactly what he wanted to avoid. He never intended to rope Leonora into any of this. But now, because of his parents, she was probably going to be exiled alongside him… and that was something he couldn’t let happen, after all, Leonora was still holding the gold coin. In other words, she hadn’t abandoned him yet, so Albert had to make sure that nothing bad happened to her.

But, amidst of all those silent glares and scheming smiles–

“Your Majesty∼! So this is where you were∼!”

–No one expected to hear a cheerful voice coming from the entrance of the room.

As Albert turned around to look at the owner of the cheerful voice, he instantly recognized who was the person standing there.

“Sir Joseph Hagmeyer… . ” (Albert)

Earl Joseph Hagmeyer was a plump, red headed, old man of medium stature, and his clothes were very well-tailored… however, he seemed to be a bit drunk. His flushed cheeks, staggering gait and dragged out tone pointed towards that. Although, that didn’t stop him from entering the Audience Chamber with his half emptied glass of wine.

“Oh∼! And you’re here as well, Your Highness∼? I’m so happy, you know∼! I wanted to see you∼!”

“You shouldn’t have entered this place without asking for permission first, Joseph. You’re being rude towards both of Their Majesties and the Harkenbergs. They are having a private talk right now, so go drink your wine somewhere else.” (Albert)

“Huh∼? Aren’t you being a little bit too strict, Your Highness∼? I was also invited to the party, so why should I be treated differently than the Harkenbergs∼?”

Normally, it would take a lot of procedures just for someone to stand before the Emperor and the Empress, however, that didn’t apply to parties, which is why Emilia and Klaus had to bribe some of the nobles just to have a bit of privacy, until their talk was over. But Joseph didn’t care about any of that. He just strode right into the room without a care in the world. Well, he was an Earl, so it’s not like the guards could stop him without a good reason.

“You should listen to His Highness, Joseph. Go drink that wine somewhere else.” – Said Klaus, in a cold tone, as he glared at Joseph.

Since no one was welcoming the Earl, his next course of action should be leaving the room… but something unexpected happened right after Klaus said that–

“No, I don’t think he should leave. As someone who was directly affected by the actions of my stupid son, I’m sure you have something to say, Joseph, so feel free to tell Albert what’s on your mind.”

–Balthazar sided with Joseph.

Needless to say, but the Earl was overjoyed to hear that. His emotions could be described as the complete opposite of everyone present here… except for the Empress. It was like she didn’t care about what was going on.

“Oh∼! Thank you, Your Majesty∼! You’re so kind∼!”

After saying that, Joseph started walking–no, he was shamelessly staggering towards Albert with a huge grin on his face, while spilling some of the wine on the ground.

“Hoho∼! You have such a beautiful and unblemished skin, Your Highness∼! I’m sure you never had to work hard in your entire life, isn’t that right∼? Ah, that must be the reason why you’re always looking down on the people who are diligently working for the Empire∼!”

“What…!?”

At first, Albert thought about refuting what Joseph said, but since it would be useless to argue with a drunkard, he just continued listening.

“But thanks to His Majesty, you’re now wearing that damned bracelet∼! Ahaha∼! Now you know how it feels to be powerless, Your Highness∼!”

Normally, the things that Joseph said would’ve cost him his neck, after all, he was being really rude towards the First Prince of his country. But with the Emperor backing him up, now the Earl could say whatever he wanted to Albert.

Moreover, since his opponent was just a magicless young man, Joseph became even less reserved while speaking with the prince… however, as that went on, Leo started wondering why Albert was letting all of those insults slide off, without saying anything to refute the Earl.

Even if Joseph was drunk, that was a bit too much. There was a limit to how disrespectful someone could be. But no matter how much time passed, no one did a thing to stop Joseph… and that’s when Leo noticed something–

(–Maybe Albert can’t refute him, even if he wants to…)

After listening to Joseph’s monologue, Leo became aware of two things. One, the Earl lost his job because of what Albert did, and two, he wanted revenge for what happened to him, so he took the opportunity that the Emperor gave him to bully the prince.

To some people, there was nothing wrong with what Joseph was doing, after all, he lost everything because of Albert… but to Leo, it was the contrary. Back in the downtown, only the best and cheapest products – or services – ruled the market. If you weren’t good enough to stand up at the same level of the competition, you were weeded out. It was as simple as that. However, instead of learning with his mistakes to do a better job next time, Joseph decided to blame Albert for his lack of success, which made Leo seethe with anger, since the prince was suffering a tremendous injustice–

“Well, you don’t have to worry though∼! I’ll be sure to help you find a suitable job, if you really end up being exiled, Your Highness∼! You’re well built, so how about being a construction worker∼? Or would you rather remove the horse dung that’s piling up on the streets∼? Either way, you’ll be living a shitty life surrounded by poor orphans and tramps all the time∼! Isn’t that great∼! Ahahaha∼!”

–But after hearing that, Leo had a sudden change of heart.

(Eh…!? Wait, so Albert is going to be exiled!? That’s way better than being executed, right? If it’s just that, then there’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure it’ll be a bit hard for him to adapt to a commoner lifestyle, since he’s a prince, but once he gets used to it, he’ll end up liking his new life a lot more!)

It was way harder to earn money as a commoner, however, Albert was intelligent, so he would find a way to earn a lot of money just like Leena did. Not to mention that, with those stupid restrictions and unfair punishments out of his way, Albert would be free to earn as much money as he wanted, which is why Leo wanted to escape so badly. To him, nothing could beat that freedom. But because the prince was always watching him, he was never able to do that… until now, at least.

(That’s right! Albert is going to become a commoner, so he can’t execute me anymore! I can use that to my advantage!)

After realizing that, without his magic power, Albert was just an intelligent guy with a lot of potential and a bright future ahead of him, Leo came up with the perfect plan–

(–I just have to marry him!)

If Leo married Albert, he would be exiled alongside the prince. In other words, he would become a commoner again. Moreover, since the Emperor and the Empress were the one separating him from the Marquis couple, Leo wouldn’t have to worry about making them sad. Now he could escape without feeling guilty.

(Well, Albert will probably get really angry from having to marry another guy, but we can just divorce after I return tot he orphanage, right? Besides, I’ll help him find a place to stay until he stabilizes himself, so I’m sure he’ll forgive me.)

It wouldn’t be easy to convince Hannah to let Albert stay with them until he found a job, but Leo wouldn’t give up without trying, after all, the prince was his one-way ticket to freedom.

So, with his plan ready to be executed at any moment, Leo turned to look at Joseph and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike.

“What’s wrong, Your Highness∼? Cat got your tongue∼? Oh, that’s right, I don’t really have to use your title anymore, huh∼? Since you’ll be exiled∼! Ahaha∼!”

As Joseph’s one sided harassment went on, he became even more bold. He wanted to get a reaction from Albert at any cost. But since the person in question wasn’t saying anything, nor showed any emotions on his face, the Earl became bored… so he decided to end things on a high note.

“Alright∼! Since you’re not saying anything, then let me give you a parting gift, Prince∼!” – Said Joseph, as he spun the contents of his half emptied glass of wine around.

(No way! That old man is planning on throwing his leftover wine at Albert!?)

Even if Albert was just going to stay in the orphanage for a short time, Leo already considered him to be one of his younger brothers, and, as his big brother, it was unthinkable to let someone harass him like that, so Leo pushed Albert out of the way.

*Splash!*

Well, as a result of doing that though, Leo ended up bathing in wine.

Everyone in the room was shocked to see Leo, or rather, Leonora, trading places with Albert. Even Joseph was lost for words after seeing what he did to her. But, before he could defend himself–

“Guards, arrest this man!”

–Klaus called the guards who were standing at the entrance of the room to arrest him.

“What are you doing, you incompetent guards! I received His Majesty’s favor! You can’t just arrest me! Your Majesty, please, say something!” – Said Joseph, as he turned towards Balthazar with a smug look on his face.

However, instead of siding with him again, the Emperor glanced at the Earl with a disgusted look on his face, before saying–

“–Arrest him… . ”

As Joseph’s screams echoed in the distance, Emilia and Alexia hurried to Leonora’s side with concerned looks on their faces. They tried asking her if she was okay, but the little girl didn’t say anything. She just walked towards the table and picked up the tea cup.

“Don’t do that, Lenora…!”

Who was the one calling his name? Leo couldn’t tell. It could’ve been Emilia, or even Albert, but he wasn’t paying attention–no, there’s no way he could pay attention to them with his one-way ticket to freedom right in front of him, so he downed the entire cup in one go. And then, with a fearless smile on his face, Leo said–

“–Thank you, for the, tea… . ”

Balthazar, the Emperor of the Golden Sword, was a seasoned warrior who witnessed many battlefields, and Alexia, his wife, was one of the most cunning women of the Empire.

Likewise, Klaus, the Ruthless General, was also a seasoned warrior, feared as a demon in the battlefield, and Emilia, his wife, was one of the most influential people of the Empire.

The four of them were known for being calm and collected all the time… however, they couldn’t hide their surprised faces when they saw Leonora drinking the tea that Alexia had offered her.

“Thank you, for the, tea… . ”

Even though she knew that her fate had been sealed the moment she drank the tea, Leonora said that with a smile on her face, which left the Empress even more surprised.

“Leonora… why…?” – Said Alexia, as she stared at the little girl in utter shock.

“Why? Because you, have a, great taste, Your Majesty. Stolz tea, has a very, rich aroma, and a, beautiful color.” – Said Leonora, with an even bigger smile plastered on her face.

Leonora was so calm and composed, despite all the odds against her, that Alexia didn’t know what to say. The Empress just stood there, dumbfounded, as she, and everyone else, watched the little girl place the tea cup back on the table, before walking towards the still stunned prince.

Once in front of him, Leonora then grabbed Albert’s right hand and stared straight into his blue eyes with a smile.

Because of the sealing bracelet that the prince was wearing, anyone who touched him would have their magic power drained from them… however, Leonora wasn’t scared of doing that. She just kept holding his hand like there was nothing wrong with that.

“You don’t, have to worry, about anything, Albert-sama–”

“Huh…?” (Albert)

“–Even if, you lose, your status, of prince, and your, magic power, everything will, be alright–”

The four adults were so impressed by the little girl’s powerful statements, that they even forgot to breathe. They were watching something memorable. That was the birth of a new couple. So they continued listening without making a sound.

“–After all, when this, is all over, you will, be free… . ” – Said Leonora, with a smile, as she gently squeezed Albert’s right hand.

Well, to tell the truth, Leo was the one who would be free from all of this, but he couldn’t exactly say that out loud.

(Ahahahaha! Thanks to that bracelet, now you’re just a normal guy, Albert! So let me use you to regain my sweet freedom!)

Leo was so happy to see that everything was going according to his plan, that he even started celebrating his successful escape before it even happened. Moreover, it was all thanks to that beautiful golden bracelet, so he couldn’t help but hold the prince’s right hand with affection.

However, nothing good lasted long.

“N-no, I… I can’t let you be punished because of me! Y-you have to reconsider this, Leonora!”

Although Albert was still a bit stunned because of everything that happened, he didn’t want to see his beloved suffering because of him, so he desperately tried to change her mind… but it was to no avail, after all, Leo had already set his mind onto his new objective.

“No… I don’t, need to, reconsider anything, Albert-sama. This is, what I want.”

“But if we’re both exiled, then I won’t be able to protect you, nor give you anything you want * ! That’s why I wanted you to return the coin! I don’t want to force you to live that kind of life again!”

( *Tl/n: That part can also mean, I won’t be able to give you a good life , but since the second meaning was better, context wise, I decided to use it.)

“Eh…?”

After hearing that, Leo realized that he misunderstood the prince’s intentions. Albert never wanted to use the gold coin as an investment for his new life, he just wanted to spare Leo from being exiled as well. However, that wasn’t all. Apparently, Albert wanted to gift him even more presents, which only showed how much of a good guy he truly was.

(What the hell? So he really was a good guy. I’m sorry for doubting you, Albert, but I really can’t back down now. I promise I’ll do my best to convince Hannah to let you stay with us, so please, forgive me for not letting you protect me…)

Ever since he enrolled in the academy, Leo received many things from Albert. He received a lot of beautiful flowers, high class foods, expensive sweets… and his gold coin. Leo would never be able to repay Albert for all of that, so he decided to thank the prince for all the gifts, and the things he did for him, specially that time on the lake.

“What are, you saying, Albert-sama? I already received, many gifts, from you. Not to, mention that, you even, saved my life, remember? You , protected me. So, isn’t that, enough? Besides, I have, all I need, here with me, see?” – Said Leo, with a smile, as he showed the gold coin that was hanging around his neck to Albert.

As a matter of fact, the gold coin hanging around Leo’s neck was the most expensive gift that Albert ever gave him, so he wanted to remind the prince that he didn’t need anything more than that–

“But this is all my fault! I can’t let you pay for something you didn’t do, Leonora! I created that magic crest, so I should take responsibility for my actions alone!”

–However, not even that wasn’t enough to convince him.

Well, Leo had many soul siblings back in the orphanage, so he could understand why Albert was doing that, after all, taking the fall for a friend was something very noble to do. But in this case, that was just a bother to Leo, since he wanted to be exiled, so he decided to imitate Hannah and scold the prince for being such a pain.

“You’re just, 17 years old, Albert-sama! You’re just, a student! There is, nothing wrong, with what, you did! You just, tried to help, the people, of this country! Why is that, so wrong!? If you, ask me, your parents, are the ones, who should, be punished, for not, doing anything! Now, stop with, that attitude, or I’ll scold, you again!”

To insinuate that the Emperor and the Empress were at fault for not helping their own people, was something very serious to do, but the little girl said it anyway, which surprised everyone, including Balthazar, who did his best to not burst out laughing. However, it seemed that Leonora wasn’t over yet, so they just continued listening.

“Everything, will be okay, Albert-sama. You don’t, have to worry, about anything, after all, from now on, I’ll always, be by, your side–”

Leo obviously meant that he would stay by the prince’s side as his big brother, but his mind was so fried by thinking about all the money that he would make when he became a commoner again, that he didn’t even realize his words had a double meaning.

(Well, I don’t think we’ll be able to divorce right away. They will be suspicious of us if we split right away, so I’ll help him find a high paying job, while we wait for the right time to do that. Hmm, Albert is an intelligent guy, so working as a tutor for a rich kid wouldn’t be a problem for him… but he’s also really strong, so being a farmer would probably suit him better…? Not to mention that the income is stable… hmm… yeah, let’s go with that!)

If Leena were here, she’d probably scream: “Someone, please, shut that idiot’s mouth before he digs his own grave!” However, since there was no one here to stop him from doing that, Leo continued digging deeper and deeper.

“–But, if you’re really, that worried, about not, being able to, give me, anything I want, then I could, teach you, how to, plant wheat, when we, become commoners, you know?” – Said Leo, as he stared deeply into the prince’s azure eyes with a playful grin.

To someone else, that proposal would’ve probably passed as a joke, since there wasn’t an ounce of romantic connotation in those words… but to Albert, they meant a lot.

(She’s willing to go that far… just for me…?)

After realizing that, the prince felt his heart rate increasing. It was like the world around him, who was once black and white, had regained it’s brilliance.

Bianca wasn’t the only one worried about not being good enough to stay by Leonora’s side. Albert was experiencing those same conflicted emotions.

Most nobles only saw the royal family as a lot of spares for the position of Emperor, or Empress.

All that was required of the young Princes and Princesses, was that they had to live while pleasing everyone around them. They didn’t need a distinguished personality… they just needed to nod and smile, until they eventually ascended the throne.

Albert realized that at an early age, so he did his best to play the role of Perfect Prince. He never whished for anything, he never did anything that he really wanted to do and he always did his best to please everyone… that is, until she appeared. Wanting to help her, and the people she cherished, no matter what happened, was the first time Albert ever felt those kinds of emotions… but, at the same time, it would probably be his last, since he would soon lose his status of prince.

However, rather than being afraid of losing his position, Albert was more afraid of not being able to protect her because of that. In fact, he was so afraid of not being able to protect her, that he even tried to make her forsake him… but she didn’t do that. On the contrary, she told him that everything would be okay even if he lost his status of prince, and that she’d always stay by his side.

(Really… I’m such an idiot for not noticing how much she cared about me…) – Thought Albert, as he felt his weak body regaining it’s strength.

Albert knew that playing his role was of extreme importance, after all, if he ceased to be the Perfect Prince that everyone loved, his value as a person would significantly drop, so he continued playing that role, while secretly whishing for someone to acknowledge him , not his façade… and that’s exactly what Leonora did.

Thanks to that, now the prince wasn’t feeling as helpless anymore. Albert was so happy about what she said, that he felt like he could do anything, even create a miracle, as long as she was by his side.

However, Leo wasn’t over yet.

“Hmm, Albert-sama—?”

Since Albert would soon become his little brother, Leo decided that now was the best time to start treating him a bit more casually, after all, he would probably feel excluded if everyone continued treating him like a prince forever. Not to mention that this was the best way to show him how the hierarchy of the orphanage worked—

(Even if he’s two years older, and a former prince, I can’t just give him the title of Big Brother! That’s why, from now on, you’ll be Al-Bo, my cute little brother!) ( Tl/n : That Bo at the end means Boy , and it’s a cute way of showing how close you are to a much younger, male friend.)

—So, Leo decided to give him a nickname.

“—Calling you, Albert-sama, all the time, seems a, bit distant… so, how about, I call you, Al-… from now on? ……Ah!”

‘So, how about I call you Al-Bo from now on?’ – Is what Leo wanted to say, but because of the spell that Leena casted on him, now he couldn’t say the word “Bo.”

Well, Leo wasn’t really bothered by that though. He just felt a minor discomfort, since Albert’s nickname was left incomplete. However, to the four adults who were watching it from the side, that was a big surprise, since he looked like a maiden who had fallen deeply in love and was trying to get even closer to her loved one by using the short version of his name.

Needless to say, but that had a huge impact on Albert. The prince had never experienced that much happiness at once, so his feelings reached the bursting point. In other words, he was overwhelmed by Leonora’s cuteness.

However, Albert wasn’t the only one who had reached the bursting point.

*Crack!*

As soon as he heard that noise, Leo looked down, towards the source of that sound… and then, he saw something really shocking–

(Aaaaaaaaah!!!!!!)

–The golden bracelet, that was supposed to seal Albert’s magic power, had cracks all over it.