The friend who was supposed to be sleeping upstairs had somehow made it to the first floor... Lord Cyrus didn’t seem particularly surprised by this. Instead, he sighed without even a smile, as if it were a regular occurrence.
"Did you do it again? Such pranks are unfair to the shopkeeper, who gets caught in the middle. You should stop."
The shopkeeper, on the other side of the counter, was bowing deeply. Ah, that’s why he was so attentive to me. Lord Louisphon shrugged.
"Because I wanted to talk to Marie once when you weren’t around. I actually planned to talk to her earlier, but I was beaten to it by some random guy."
"...A random guy? You were following us?"
"Yep, from where you left the carriage. It’s a regular supplier for the Granado family, so I knew you’d come here eventually."
What, so you followed us all day!? I didn’t notice at all. With Lord Louisphon’s appearance, he should have been incredibly noticeable...
Lord Louisphon, as if reading my thoughts, pulled out a brown wig from his jacket pocket. At the same time, he ran his fingers through his shining silver hair.
"When you have such a distinctive feature, people tend to focus on it. Conversely, if you hide just that, it’s easier to go unnoticed."
"...Such elaborate pranks... Is that something a 24-year-old man should do?"
"If you say so, Cyrus, you should be ashamed of not noticing my tailing. Well, you were so excited that your field of vision narrowed, so I can understand."
Hearing this, Lord Cyrus groaned and fell silent. Ah, if he followed us all day, that means he saw us shopping and holding hands... Wow.
My face flushed red at the realization.
Lord Cyrus cleared his throat and pointed at Lord Louisphon with his palm.
"Marie, let me introduce you again. This man is my friend from my student days. He’s technically a knight captain, but in reality, he’s a poor lower noble. His full name is—"
"Louisphon Sandalkia! A nominal knight captain, but in reality, a poor lower noble. Nice to meet you, Marie."
Lord Louisphon interrupted Lord Cyrus and extended his hand. I stared at his hand and face, repeating his name in my mind. Louisphon... a knight captain. I couldn’t shake his hand and stepped back.
"A lower noble, but... the kingdom’s knight captain has always been appointed from the royal family... and currently, one of the crown prince’s siblings holds the position. So, Lord Louisphon, you are...?"
"Ah, you know. What a pity."
Louisphon retracted his hand and laughed. —No, Louisphon Sandalkia Dilts... a prince!
"Ha... ah...!"
The encounter with a royal family member drained all my strength. I slumped to the ground, and Lord Cyrus supported me by the shoulder.
"You don’t need to be nervous. While we’re here today, he’s just a regular man. There’s no need to treat him with royal formality, and as a knight captain, Louisphon can’t do anything too improper."
"R-Really? Really...!?"
"Yes. The real problem is his character, his penchant for mischief and his tendency to be a bit of a bully."
I have no idea how to handle that.
But apparently, formalities are unnecessary. The prince himself interrupted my curtsy and smiled brightly.
"As a prince, I’m only third in line, so I don’t have much power. I’m harmless, I just like mischief and bullying."
"Ah... I see..."
"By the way, the flirting earlier wasn’t serious, so don’t worry about it."
"Flirting?"
Lord Cyrus’s eyebrow twitched. He hadn’t been paying much attention to the conversation. Trying to figure out how to explain, I realized Lord Cyrus had already understood the situation. He placed his hands on his hips and sighed deeply.
"Did you do it again... even though it’s not necessary anymore. I’ve developed a good eye for people. I’m not the same as in my student days."
"Student days?"
"Lord Cyrus has always been very popular with girls. Unfortunately, they were all the wrong kind, leading to his distrust of women."
I didn’t understand what he meant by "the wrong kind." Seeing my puzzled expression, Lord Louisphon explained in detail.
In a school where the children of nobility and aristocracy gathered, relationships were often more about "conditions" than personal feelings. In short, they were all aiming for advantageous marriages based on status and wealth. Even among nobles, marriages were impossible if the social ranks were too far apart. A baron, viscount, or earl would be out of reach for a prince like Louisphon. However, as a duke’s illegitimate son, Lord Cyrus was in a higher position but still within reach. Additionally, with his beautiful appearance and the solid business of his mother, the Granado Trading Company, he was a prime target.
Thus, classmates, seniors, and juniors, even female teachers, all had their eyes on the young Cyrus, chasing him relentlessly. Cyrus ran away.
It was a truly intense school life...
"Did that lead to your distrust of women...?"
When I asked, Lord Cyrus shook his head.
"No. That’s been a constant since birth. ...But when girls who claimed to be different or with whom I had a closer relationship..."
"I approached them, and they easily turned to me. That was the final straw, hahaha."
Lord Louisphon placed his elbow on Lord Cyrus’s shoulder and laughed loudly.
That... does that mean Lord Louisphon took Cyrus’s girlfriends...? No, that’s not it. If they so easily switched to the prince, they never truly loved Cyrus. Indeed, for a marriage of convenience, there’s no one higher than a prince. Plus, Lord Louisphon was also very handsome, with fair skin typical of Dilts Kingdom, a gender-neutral face, and a tall, slender build. Anyone who prefers a foreign look would likely prefer Louisphon over Cyrus.
...But. Still...
"Hey, Marie. You seem to think I shouldn’t have been more popular than Cyrus."
"Eh!? Did it show on my face!?"
I hurriedly covered my face, and Lord Louisphon burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. Did I say something strange? Looking at Lord Cyrus for an answer, he was in the same position, crouched on the floor, shaking. Why!?
After a while, Lord Louisphon finally calmed down and stood up. He glanced at the still convulsing Lord Cyrus and suddenly wore a wistful smile.
"...I don’t think they were all bad. Noble men and women rarely have the luxury of love marriages. I, too, have a fiancée I’ve never met. In exchange for such obligations, we live a life that commoners envy. Cyrus is just too much of a romantic."
Lord Cyrus, a romantic... When you put it that way, it does seem true. He always brings me beautiful flowers and sweet words when he returns home. But it feels like he’s enjoying it himself first.
Cyrus must love beautiful things, pleasant scents, and delicious food, and he offers them to make me happy. Today’s outing was the same. Cyrus seemed very happy.
Lord Louisphon sighed deeply.
"Then, he doesn’t even want a concubine, only one wife. ...How foolish. If he fulfills his duty of a political marriage, he could freely love afterward. ...If that were possible... If there was someone who has always loved Cyrus, right by his side..."
"Eh—?"
A heavy, sorrowful sigh. Lord Louisphon’s ice-blue eyes glistened with a hint of moisture. He quickly wiped them and turned away from me.
Could it be... What should I do? I’ve realized it, but there’s nothing I can do. After all, Cyrus is already my fiancé, and Louisphon has his position. Most importantly, what does Cyrus feel?
Speaking of which, what about Cyrus? Could he also have feelings for Louisphon!
When I turned my pale face toward him, he looked completely clueless. Oh, how insensitive. This makes Louisphon even more pitiful. At least if his feelings could be conveyed—ah, but if it turned out to be "So that’s how it is, Louisphon, actually, I feel the same"...
I pressed my trembling hands to my chest and looked up at the two of them. The tall men looked down at me simultaneously, Lord Cyrus with a puzzled expression, and Lord Louisphon with the best smile I’ve ever seen.