Chapter 49

The Villainess Is Being Doted on by the Crown Prince of the Neighboring Country 49

What was awaiting her at the castle after she returned by carriage with Aishira—was the smiling crown prince.

–Oh, Prince Aqua is very angry…

She had been able to sneak out of the castle, but she was not able to sneak back inside. No, she had taken much too long in the first place, and she would have been found out regardless.

“Welcome back, Tiara.”

“Yes, I have returned…”

“Are you better now?”

“…Yes, quite well.”

She had told them that she did not feel well and needed rest. Tiararose forced her face to move so she could return his smile.

Behind Aquasteed, waited Philiane, who was also smiling. Tiararose could sense that she too was furious, and so Tiararose apologized.

She would make some sweets for them as an apology for making them worry about her. Tiararose thought as she looked towards her kitchen–then she noticed that there was a notice there that forbade anyone from entering.

“Oh, you must not tire yourself when you are not in the best of health.”

Aquasteed said with a smile and patted her on the head.

“You must eat mostly vegetables and other healthy foods for a while. And we will see if you get better, Princess Tiararose.”

Philiane added this decisive blow with a smile.

“…Yes.”

–I never thought that they would forbid me from making sweets.

That was fine, she could bear it. But to be forbidden from eating them as well. She wanted to hide in her room and cry. Tiararose liked sweets and otome games.

Would she give up on the Fairy King’s hidden stage just for some sweets?

Would she give up the sweets for an otome game?

When placing these two on a scale–she was not sure what to do. Tiararose sighed so that the other two could not see her.

Aquasteed dismissed Philiane and had Tiararose sit down on the sofa. He quickly sat down next to her and gave her a serious look.

“What is it?”

“I just thought that it was surprising. I never imagined that you would dress like this.”

“Oh…”

She wasn’t wearing her usual beautiful dress, but a one-piece dress she had chosen as a disguise. And she was also wearing false glasses, so that she seemed quite different, even if she was still immediately recognizable.

Tiararose stood up from the sofa and did a little spin. Then she curtsied with a ‘What do you think?’ and laughed shyly.

It was easier to move around in compared to a dress, but the clothes made her feel a little out of place as she stood near Aquasteed. They looked like a prince and a commoner… Or so Tiararose thought, but she really just looked like a noble girl who was playing dress up.

“So, why did you need to slip out of the castle?”

Aquasteed took Tiararose’s hand and made her sit on his lap.

She had been relieved as it had seemed like he wouldn’t ask, but that was not the case. Still, she could not just…tell him honestly, that she had been out searching for the Fairy King’s Hidden stage either.

–Oh, the pressure!

Her eyes shifted but she looked at him. Those golden eyes of his were staring at her. The hand that played with her hair came down to her shoulder, then climbed up her neck and to her cheek.

She shuddered when it tickled. “Don’t do that.” He whispered in a low voice.

“Prince Aqua…”

“I thought that you were a quiet princess, but you are a free bird who will easily fly away.”

“I am sorry for making you worry. I wanted to know more about the Fairy King, and this country.”

She told him that she had wanted to see things by herself, while she kept her real motive a secret. It was true that she wanted to know more. It wasn’t…a lie.

But the fact that the information was about a hidden stage in the game, and that she was moving secretly because it was not a place she supposed to go, was something she kept to herself.

“I am happy that you are thinking about this country.”

Aquasteed’s fingers caressed her cheek, then he let out an ‘Oh, I know.’

He sounded like he had just come up with a brilliant plan. Tiararose blinked at him in surprise. He had looked so angry a moment ago, but his expression had now brightened up.

“Ah, Tiara. Let’s go on a date.”

“Huh?”

The word ‘date’ confused her.

There had not been many occasions where the two of them had went out together. But it sounded like it would be the most fun thing to do, Tiararose thought with excitement. She immediately nodded and raised a hand.

“I would love to go on a date with you!”

“Then it’s decided.”

◇　◇　◇

They adjusted their schedules, and a few days later, Tiararose and Aquasteed went out into town on a date.

They were not completely alone, as their guards watched them from a short distance away, but they hid their identities, which was very exciting. They held hands, their fingers entwined. She was reminded of when she had first come to Marineforest.

It had always been a beautiful place, but now–.

“It has become much more lively now, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. My flowers–oh, it is a little embarrassing.”

Tiararose had caused some beautiful pink flowers to bloom with the power from the Fairy King’s blessing. It had become the national flower of Marineforest, and they could be seen in many places.

Though, the flowers had not been completely distributed everywhere just yet. People were still in the process of planting them or making decorations out of them.

–I never thought a flower would be named after me.

This flower called ‘Tiararose’ was sweet, and many people thought to use it in their cooking. Tiararose herself had done the same, and it was almost too good to be true for cooking and sweets making to develop because of her flower.

“I wonder if there will be more sweets that use flowers…”

“You really do like sweets, don’t you?”

“Oh, there I go again…”

Aquasteed bought a single flower from a flower shop that was already selling them, and he put it in Tiararose’s hair. ‘Yes, you look cute,’ he said before adding, ‘but you can’t eat any sweets yet.’

Tiararose had not eaten any sweets, let alone made any since she had snuck out of the castle. She wasn’t exactly suffering from withdrawal, but unfortunately, she did find herself thinking about them a lot more often.

“Well, that part of you is cute as well…”

“Prince Aqua!”

Tiararose had been looking around as he suddenly pulled her close to him. His lips gently touched hers.

It lasted for only a second before he pulled away, but this was in the middle of the city–and it was witnessed by many people. Tiararose shook as her face turned red. Aquasteed chuckled.

“From my point of view, you are sweeter than any sweets.”

“…!”

Aquasteed added that he had no eyes for cake, and laughed.

It hardly needed to be said. Tiararose too thought of Aquasteed as sweeter and loved him more. But she was much too embarrassed to say that here.

–It was always Prince Aqua. It wasn’t fair.

Did he have no sense of shame? She thought, rudely. She stared back at him, and he returned an amused smile.

–Oh, no. I like him too much.

She always ended up going along with him. And she liked it, and there was nothing that she could do.

–Ahh, but still.

“Tiara?”

She thought for a moment, and Aquasteed called to her to see what was the matter. And so Tiararose chuckled and answered him happily.

“I was thinking about how I am seeing a side of you that I don’t get to see at the castle. It’s very surprising.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You are always very cool and fine-looking at the castle, but you seem so excited and playful when we are out here. It is very cute.”

She touched the flower that he had put in her hair. She told him that his hair and clothes were always perfect back at the castle.

They were both dressed very casually now. They would likely be seen as nobles, but no one would have believed that they were the Crown Prince and Princess. And that was exciting to them.

“Tiara, you are probably the only person who would call me cute.”

“Of course, I do not want anyone else but me to think that!”

She puffed out her cheeks and declared that this was one thing that she would not give up.

“After all, it is the wife’s right.”

“Ah, you trouble me. My wife is so cute that I don’t know what to do with her.”

“Prince Aqua, you…huh?”

As they talked playfully and walked, something entered Tiararose’s vision. Passed Aquasteed’s shoulder, someone was planting her flowers on a brick roof.

The mountain of bricks there was about to fall–no, it did fall. Tiararose saw it all in slow-motion, and she could not raise her voice. Small children were playing under the roof and would be gravely injured if nothing happened.

–Prince Aqua could, no, it’s too late!

Realizing that something was wrong, Aquasteed turned. He understood what was happening, but Tiararose was quicker to act.

“Blessing of the sea, protect those children…!”

“Tiara!”

Tiararose stretched out her hand with desperation and rushed to the children.

She didn’t like using magic, but she could protect with the blessing of the sea. She depended on it now as she raised her voice. A transparent coating of water appeared and surrounded the children. The falling bricks hit the protective water and fell to the ground.

“Hah, ha…yes.”

She had somehow been able to stop the bricks from hitting the children.

She was reminded of how great this blessing of the sea from Pearl really was. Tiararose was so overcome with relief, that it was all she could do to sit down on the ground.

Aquasteed quickly rushed towards her and picked her up.

In that instant.

Cheering erupted all around them.

Wow. Wow. That magic was amazing. Everyone was happy that the children were safe, and they praised Tiararose.

“That was amazing! You have so much power for someone so young.”

“Thank you for saving my son…!”

“Oh…I’m glad that he was not hurt.”

She answered the people as Aquasteed carried her in his arms.

The worker who was on the roof also came down and apologized to Tiararose and the children. He admitted to being neglectful and promised that it would never happen again.

“I am fine, you only need to apologize to the children.”

“Ye-yes…! Thank you so much for saving them!!”

He immediately went over to the children and their parents, and this incident came to a close.

Tiararose felt Aquasteed’s arms tense as he held her, and she tilted her head in wonderment–his expression looked a little gloomy.

“Prince Aqua?”

“Are you really okay, Tiara? Are you tired at all from using your power?”

“Yes, I am fine. Thank you, Prince Aqua.”

That is good then. He said as he gently caressed her hair.

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