Chapter 233

Chapter 233 \n233. Neesama\n

After being teased by everyone in Wolf Fang, I went to the general store Mitsuha in the royal capital.

… that was tiring. Let’s just take a rest on the 3rd floor for the day…

“P-pardon my intrusion…” (?)

When I entered the living room on the 3rd floor, Sabine-chan’s older sister … [Chii-neesama] … bowed her head toward me.

Sabine-chan? She’s currently playing a shooting game with her little brother Luchen-kun.

“…oh, Mitsuha-neesama, you’re back…” (Sabine-chan)

Sabine-chan called me by my name since there’s her actual sister here.

I see that she gets so absorbed in the game and didn’t notice I was back…

“I do hope you’re keeping your promise, the game time limit, I mean… Just so you know, If you broke that, I’ll be tightening the limit to one hour a day, alright?” (Mitsuha)

“Th-there’s no way I would…” (Sabine-chan)

Sabine-chan’s flustered look is suspicious…

Hmm?

“Arere~? How strange. I wonder why there are so many empty bags of sweets…” (Mitsuha)

“Ge!!” (Sabine-chan)

“Arere~? How strange. Why did Sabine-chan look so pale all of a sudden…” (Mitsuha)

“Guha!” (Sabine-chan)\n

“Mitsuha-sama, please forgive Sabine. Actually, in order to protect me, Sabine is…” (Chii-neesama)

The situation has changed!

“I’d like to hear more details!” (Mitsuha)

“Y-yes. Actually, I decided to hide here in order to escape from an unexpected marriage talk… This is the only place in the royal capital where pursuers from the royal palace cannot reach, after all…” (Chii-neesama)

“I see… However, daughters of aristocrats and the royal family are obliged to marry a partner by their parent in a political marriage, right? For that reason, you’re living a luxurious life off the people’s hard-earned tax money, right? Just taking the good parts without fulfilling your obligation is…” (Mitsuha)

“ “Gaaan!!” “ (Sabine-chan & Chii-neesama)

“Ga-gaaan!!” (Luchen-kun)

Sabine-chan and the second princess, as well as Luchen-kun, who were delayed by one tempo, expressed their shock with such noises…

“Well, It’s always been like that, isn’t it?” (Mitsuha)

“Th-that’s true, but I didn’t think Mitsuha-neesama would say such a thing… I thought if it’s Mitsuha-neesama, then, you would—” (Sabine-chan)

“Help you?” (Mitsuha)

“Un…” (Sabine-chan)

No, indeed, I have such a sense of values because I grew in a world where both men and women have equal rights, where women aren’t treated as tools. …But that’s because I live in that kind of world.

If I suddenly start a gender equality movement in this world, for example, If I were to recommend that parents’ inheritances are to be divided equally among all children regardless of gender, of course, it will be immediately rejected. No matter even I was called [Himemiko of Sacred Country].

Because, if I do that, the aristocratic system will collapse, or if the owner of big business were to divide the company equally among their children into a group of small or medium-sized businesses, they will devour each other and collapse altogether.

There’s nothing I can do but wait for the social system to be fully developed and accepted naturally. Even if I were to push through my ideal, it’d only cause confusion.\nTherefore, I have no intention of doing anything about it.

Well, encouraging and implicitly guiding them towards such a future is the most I can do.

“…that’s impossible. There’s no way I could go opposing the social system by myself… Besides, it’s normal for royalty to marry someone they’ve never met, right? Why do you have it so much? Is it someone you know that he’s a really bad guy?” (Mitsuha)

Right, I don’t think that King would allow such a man to marry his daughter.

Besides, this country is neither in financial difficulty nor likely to be invaded by other countries.

On the contrary, the political situation is stable, and as a coordinator of the Great Alliance for defense from the New Continent’s invasion, we’re possessing large ships and weapons and is conducting research to produce them in our own country. If anything, this country is currently the most prominent nation on this continent. So the King is not in a situation where he has to sell his pretty daughter whatsoever.

“…no, rumor has it that the second prince of the neighboring country is a good-looking, intelligent, kind-hearted, and gentle person…” (Chii-neesama)

“Then, why?” (Mitsuha)

I wonder if he developed a bad habit towards females because he’s too popular…

“Someone who can’t beat Japan in [World Advanced Daisenryaku] is a little bit…” (Chii-neesama)

“What the heck is that!!!” (Mitsuha)

“…he didn’t even try to play the game… tte, spit the truth already!!” (Mitsuha)

Of course, the reason she told me earlier was a lie…

The second princess, who is terrified by my threatening expression, started speaking…

“…because there is no game console, delicious sweets, cakes, cold squishy juices, kotatsu, or mandarin oranges in neighboring country…” (Chii-neesama)

“So, it’s because of this room!?!?” (Mitsuha)\n\nThis bad! This is very bad!!

…eh?

What is bad, you ask?

E~to…

“B-but, if that’s the case, then the order would…” (Mitsuha)

“Onee-sama lost her fiancé two years ago. After that, she has been depressed for a long time… so it was decided to keep such topics away from Onee-sama for a while. But recently, she’s feeling better, and we can finally see her smile” (Sabine-chan)

Aaaah, I thought so!!!

A joyous event…

What a joyous event, yeah.

Even for Count Bozes, it would be great to be related to the royal family.

The King also would be more than glad to bring in the Bozes family, who is sure to be promoted to a Marquis soon, which is the cornerstone of the establishment of the navy. And the Bozes family also has a good relationship with me.

Yeah, joyous!! …right…

But Alexis-sama seemed to prefer the second princess.

Right, that’s how it was when he was awarded the title.

But if such topics were coming from the royal family, would the count couple be able to turn it down?

And if that indulgent King knew that his heartbroken daughter finally got into that kind of feeling…

Un, Alexis-sama, live strongly…