We've reached 52,000 points + 300,000 PVs! It's my highest ever! All of this is thanks to all of you!! To celebrate, I'm thinking of working extra hard on updates tomorrow! Stay tuned!
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While Ar was playing the role of Leo,
Leo was desperately trying to play the role of Ar.
"Prince Arnold, the captain is asking if we should search Prince Leonardo's ship?"
"Again with that? Leo will figure something out. Keep the course as it is. Besides, I'm not feeling well. Don't ask me unnecessary questions. It's troublesome."
"Y-Yes... I understand."
After dismissing the knight who had come to his room, Leo sighed deeply.
Someone was there to critique his performance.
"Fifty points. Ar would have left it to the captain."
"That's tough..."
Leo muttered, looking at Elna.
Unlike Ar, who had been completely caught up in the storm, their ship had managed to escape before being fully drawn in.
Still, the ship had been quite shaken, and Elna had been in a near-hysterical state. She hadn't even noticed that Leo had switched places with Ar until she calmed down.
However, after realizing, she became a good advisor. The fact that Ar's barrier was still in place, reducing the ship's shaking, also helped a lot.
"Anyway, we have to get through this without being found out. If this gets exposed, it'll be a huge problem."
"Yeah... If I had been more careful... Is my brother okay?"
"Ar will be fine. He's with Marc, and he's quick on his feet in situations like this. The problem is you."
"Yeah... I can't even act like my brother..."
"Fortunately, not many people know Ar. As long as you don't do anything un-Ar-like, you should be fine."
"What's un-Ar-like? And Elna, just because you're wearing spats, it doesn't mean you should sit like that in front of me."
Leo scolded Elna, who had her feet on the bed.
From Leo's angle, he could see under Elna's skirt. Of course, her underwear was hidden by the spats, so Elna wasn't too concerned.
"Un-Ar-like is exactly that. Ar wouldn't say such a thing to me."
"But it's too exposed. You should stop."
"Okay, okay. I'll be more careful. But Ar wouldn't say such a thing. If you let your guard down around me, you'll be found out."
"Then what would Ar say?"
"Well... 'You forgot to wear your spats, didn't you?' or 'Are they white today?' He'd make me react and laugh."
"I can't say things like that..."
Leo averted his gaze, blushing at the thought of actually saying those words.
Elna thought this was a serious problem.
Ar, who was used to playing around, and Leo, who wasn't, had a significant difference in how they interacted with women. Ar could adjust to the situation, but Leo always kept a certain distance and emphasized etiquette. This was a major hurdle in acting like Ar.
"Ar becoming Leo is easy, but Leo becoming Ar is difficult... Why do they feel so different even though they're both princes?"
"My brother is a free spirit and usually spends his time outside the castle. For a while, he was always outside. He used to come back crying every day."
"Oh, that was because Ar was always on the losing end and wanted to do something about it!"
"I know. You've always acted for my brother's sake."
"...But it seems to have been a bother for him."
Elna sighed.
Recently, she felt like she was spinning her wheels.
She had tried to improve Ar's reputation at the Knight Hunting Festival, but ended up being disqualified. People in the city were saying that she had been a distraction, which had the opposite effect.
This time, she had thought she could help, but ended up doing nothing. She had even made a mistake by being in the room during an important moment. She couldn't deny that she was holding them back.
Ar was working hard to make Leo the emperor. Elna thought this was a good thing. However, she also wished for Ar to be evaluated like Leo.
This was at odds with Ar's thinking, causing a gap and leading to her spinning her wheels. Elna knew this, but she didn't like the idea of Ar being unfairly evaluated.
Recently, she had started to wonder if this was just her being selfish.
Ar didn't care about his reputation. In fact, he seemed to be intentionally lowering it to raise Leo's. For such an Ar, Elna's actions were only getting in the way.
Leo chuckled at this thought.
"Of course, he probably finds it bothersome."
"Ugh..."
"But I don't think he sees you as a hindrance. Since you've been here, my brother seems brighter and more relaxed. I think he relies on you internally."
"Really...?"
"I can vouch for it."
"But..."
"But?"
"...He hired a mercenary even though I was here."
After hesitating, Elna decided to voice her complaint, pouting.
Leo immediately understood she was talking about Linfia and laughed.
"She's helping us because she wants to save her village. It was her initiative, not my brother's decision to hire her."
"I know that... But he could have at least said something. I was trying to do my best."
As a member of the Duke of Courage's family, Elna couldn't directly involve herself in political struggles.
This frustrated her. In this situation, guarding Fienne was one of the few ways she could help Leo and Ar. If Fienne were targeted, she could justify it to the emperor and even use it to strike back.
But in the end, it was Ar who was targeted, and he was saved by a mercenary. And that mercenary ended up taking the role of guarding Fienne, which was supposed to be Elna's.
Honestly, Elna wasn't happy about it. Even if she considered the possibility that she might be assigned elsewhere, she still wasn't happy.
"Are you pouting?"
"I'm not pouting! I'm angry!"
"I see. But my brother probably thought you would come along. Doesn't that make it easier to understand why he hired Linfia? To protect Fienne. And he left Sebas behind just in case."
"Why can you always see the good side of things... Ar thought a smart, free-spirited mercenary would be better than a straightforward and less flexible guard like me. He even praised her intelligence."
Elna was about to say that she was smart too, but Leo stopped himself.
Indeed, Elna was very good at memorizing knowledge. She had been outstanding since childhood. However, the "smart" Elna was referring to was different. It was the kind of intelligence needed for deception, strategy, and political struggles. Elna knew she lacked this. It wasn't her nature, and she had no interest in learning it.
If the Duke of Courage's family learned such things, it would threaten the privileges of the royal family and powerful nobles. The Duke of Courage's family should be a sword, not a political player. This was their basic stance.
Thus, the Duke of Courage's family rarely played a role in the political struggles of the capital. Their strength was better used externally.
"Elna has her own strengths. There are things only Elna can do to help my brother. Don't you think so?"
"I understand, but I can't accept it... I was supposed to protect Fienne..."
"You're still competitive, as always. You never back down from a challenge. But I don't think Linfia sees you as a rival, and your roles don't overlap. We're at a disadvantage, and we have few allies. We're also frequently targeted. I can defend myself, but Fienne and my brother can't. We need multiple people who can guard them. I think that's the reasoning, and if you're available, my brother would rely on you."
"Really? Ar might see me as a nuisance?"
"He wouldn't. You're stubborn. For now, I'm relying on you. Stop pouting and give me some advice. What should we do when we meet the Duke in Rondine?"
"Leo, you... Fine. Ar would at least maintain basic etiquette. A normal greeting is fine. But don't say anything unnecessary. Don't compliment him. Just the bare minimum greeting, okay?"
"Got it."
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The ship carrying the two of them headed for Rondine, unaware that Ar, playing the role of Leo, was caught up in a disaster.
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This was a bit of a breather chapter. I think it would work in a book, but how about for a web series? I'd appreciate any comments on my activity report.
As I mentioned in the preface, thanks to all of you, I've set a new personal best in points!
I didn't think I could surpass it in two weeks, so I'm honestly surprised. I really appreciate all your support. Thank you.
Your reviews are very encouraging, and I'm always happy to see the red notification when I open my homepage.
I'm also very grateful to those who comment on my activity report and those who always report typos. I really want to thank you directly, especially for the typos. It seems that the same people often point them out, so I feel like I'm always in your debt.
Tomorrow, I'll try to celebrate with three updates if possible. If I can't, please understand that I've run out of energy.
I'll keep working hard, so please continue to support me.
If you haven't favorited the story yet, please do so!