Chapter 5: A Day Off with the Third Princess

Today is the day Felisiana-sama will visit the mansion.

I waited at the gate, my heart beating faster.

As I mentally prepared myself, eventually—a white carriage exclusive to royalty stopped in front of me.

Then, Felisiana-sama stepped out of the carriage, wearing a beautiful dress.

“Lux-kun, thank you for accepting my invitation today.”

“N-No, the pleasure is mine! I’m truly honored to be invited by Felisiana-sama!”

Though nervous at her appearance, I somehow managed to respond.

At that moment, another person emerged from the carriage—a tall woman with purple hair and a black maid outfit, exuding a calm aura.

“Introduce yourself,” Felisiana-sama prompted.

The woman bowed to me once before speaking.

“Rodell-sama, it’s a pleasure to meet you! I am Violet, serving as the attendant to the Third Princess, Felisiana-sama! I look forward to today!”

“Y-Yes! Likewise!”

Contrary to her appearance, she seems to have quite a cheerful demeanour.

Taking care not to be rude, I escorted Felisiana-sama and Violet-san to the mansion’s guest room.

After asking them to wait on the sofa, I began brewing tea in the adjacent kitchen.

“Do you always brew the tea yourself, Rodell-sama?”

“Huh!?”

Hearing a voice, I turned to find Violet-san standing there.

“V-Violet-san…!?”

“Yes, that’s me!”

“S-Since when were you…?”

“Just now!”

“I-I see…”

I hadn’t noticed her presence at all. Was I too focused on brewing the tea?

…Well, that aside.

“She’s not here today, but usually, my maid, Siana, brews the tea for me.”

“I see.”

“Yes. Honestly, I’m a bit nervous about hosting both of you alone… But more than that, I regret that you won’t get to taste the delicious tea Siana brews.”

“Siana-san’s tea does sound intriguing, but I’m sure Ojou-sama will be delighted with anything you brew, Rodell-sama!”

“Hearing you say that makes me kind of happy, Violet-san.”

“That’s the spirit. If you feel nervous talking with Ojou-sama, you can rely on me!”

“G-Got it! Thank you, Violet-san!”

“No problem… Well then, excuse me!”

Violet-san bowed to me before leaving the kitchen.

I was so nervous before that I couldn’t enjoy the conversation. But with Violet-san here today, I might be able to have a good time.

Looking forward to the rest of the day, I finished brewing the tea.

◇

“Violet, how was Lux-kun doing?”

“Just as you predicted, Ojou-sama. He seemed a bit anxious about his maid’s absence, but talking with me eased his tension about being alone with you, and he appeared to gain some mental composure.”

Unlike when she spoke with Lux, Violet responded coolly, almost as if she were a different person. For Felisiana’s goals, she sometimes switches personalities as needed.

“Good. Then it seems I can deepen my bond with Lux-kun without issue.”

“Yes.”

Felisiana nodded in satisfaction, but for some reason, she kept her gaze fixed on Violet.

Unsure of her intent, Violet couldn’t help but voice her confusion.

“Ojou-sama, is there a reason you’re staring at my body?”

“You’ve been wearing that thick leather coat lately, so I didn’t notice, but… haven’t your breasts gotten a bit bigger again?”

“…If you have time to think about such trivial things, please focus on how to deepen your bond with Rodell-sama.”

“It’s not trivial! You might one day meet a man you fall for, just like I have!”

“I have neither such emotions nor desires.”

I don’t have romantic feelings like Ojou-sama, nor do I wish to find happiness with someone.

Seeing Violet’s firm declaration, Felisiana spoke with a somewhat sad expression.

“I see… Well, if you ended up falling for Lux-kun, that would be quite troublesome, so I suppose that’s fine.”

“Such a thing would never happen, so please don’t worry. I live solely for Ojou-sama’s happiness.”

“…”

I’m no longer allowed to find happiness.

Her entire being feels buried in a dark place, unable to escape, nor should she try. To Violet, Felisiana is the light, and she herself is the shadow cast by that great radiance. If Felisiana vows to bear Lux’s darkness, then Violet’s role is to bear Felisiana’s. She genuinely believes that’s enough.

The only happiness I’m permitted is for Ojou-sama to find hers.

That belief will likely never change—unless she’s illuminated by a light even brighter than Felisiana’s.

◇

Returning to the guest room with the tea, I sat across from Felisiana-sama.

“Lux-kun, may I try the tea you brewed?”

“Of course!”

Felisiana-sama picked up the cup, savoring its aroma before taking a delicate sip. She placed the cup back on the table, her smile soft and warm.

“It’s delicious, Lux-kun.”

“R-Really!?”

“Yes, truly. It’s very delicious.”

“Thank you!”

“I’m the one who should thank you for brewing it.”

“Why don’t you try some yourself, Rodell-sama?”

Prompted by Violet-san, who stood behind Felisiana-sama, I took a sip of my own tea. …It’s definitely good. Maybe because I’ve watched Siana brew tea up close so often. But… that’s exactly why I feel this way.

“This tea is good, but if Siana, my maid, were here, I think we could’ve served something even better. I can’t help but regret that a little…”

“There’s no need to regret anything. The tea you brewed is truly delicious.”

“No! Siana’s tea is really, really delicious!!”

Leaning forward instinctively, I spoke with conviction.

“L-Lux-kun… y-your face is c-close—”

“If you thought my tea was delicious, I’m sure you’d love Siana’s even more!”

“I-I see…”

“Yes! And Siana’s not just great at tea—she’s kind, cute, and amazing at so many things!”

Eager to convey Siana’s charm to Felisiana-sama, I let my thoughts spill out. But then, I noticed Felisiana-sama’s face—her cheeks were flushed, as if she were embarrassed.

“Felisiana-sama…? Is something wrong?”

“N-Nothing’s wrong.”

Felisiana-sama turned her face away from me. Then, Violet-san, standing behind her, chimed in energetically.

“Ojou-sama is embarrassed because Rodell-sama’s face got so close to hers!”

“Huh…?”

“V-Violet…!?”

As I stood there confused, the two began whispering to each other so softly I couldn’t hear.

What are you saying…!?

Relationships can grow closer when you show vulnerability.

Even so—

Though I couldn’t catch their words, I realized I’d leaned too close to Felisiana-sama and quickly pulled back, bowing my head.

“I-I’m sorry, Felisiana-sama! I got carried away and leaned in too close…!”

“D-Don’t worry about it. I’m fine, so please raise your head.”

“Y-Yes, of course. Someone like Felisiana-sama wouldn’t be fazed just because someone like me got a little close, right?”

As I spoke, I lifted my head as instructed.

“W-Well, it’s not exactly like that, but you don’t need to—”

“Ojou-sama! Your ears are turning red—has something happened?”

“…You—”

Felisiana-sama started to say something, but paused. Then, she spoke again.

“…Even I… would feel a little embarrassed if a boy got that close to me.”

“W-What…!? Even Felisiana-sama can get embarrassed!?”

“Of course I can!”

For a moment, an awkward silence hung between us. Then, Felisiana-sama looked straight into my eyes.

“Lux-kun, what would you think if I got close to your face?”

“!?”

Right after, Felisiana-sama leaned in toward me, closer than when I had accidentally gotten too near earlier. A slight movement, and our lips might even touch.

“…”

Her gem-like blue eyes, long eyelashes, fair skin, refined features, glossy lips—the more I looked at Felisiana-sama’s face, the more beautiful it seemed, and my face naturally grew warm.

“…!”

Instinctively pulling back to put distance between us, I looked down and answered her question.

“I-I think… you’re very beautiful.”

“! W-Well… I see…”

After that, our conversation continued somewhat stiffly. As the sun began to set, we walked to the gate to see Felisiana-sama off as she returned to the royal castle.

“Lux-kun, thank you so much for today. I had a wonderful time.”

“I had a great time too! Thank you so much!” Turning to Violet-san, I added, “Thank you too, Violet-san!”

“No, thank you!”

As we exchanged thanks, Felisiana-sama spoke again. “Lux-kun, let’s talk again at the upcoming royal exchange event at the Noble Academy.”

The royal exchange event—a monthly gathering hosted by the Noble Academy, where royalty and students mingle. With half a month already passed since enrollment, the first event isn’t far off.

“Yes. I’m already looking forward to talking with Felisiana-sama again!”

“So am I.”

With a gentle smile, Felisiana-sama and Violet-san boarded the carriage and headed back to the royal castle.

◇

Siana, now changed into her maid outfit, and Violet, who had swapped her maid outfit for her usual coat, were heading toward the Rodell Earl Estate.

“Today’s plan was largely a success. As Felisiana, I was able to grow closer to Lux-kun.”

“Indeed. Moving forward, it will be important to carefully deepen that bond.”

“Yes, the royal exchange event will be the next big opportunity.”

“Yes… However, it won’t be as easy to execute things perfectly as it was today.”

The royal exchange event involves royalty and the academy’s students. Unlike today, where they were practically alone, the difficulty of growing closer to Lux will be much higher. But what Siana and Violet were truly concerned about wasn’t that—

“That woman… I don’t think she’s realized that I’m Siana, but if I slip up at the royal exchange event, she might figure out my true identity.”

The woman in question was Florence.

“No. More troublesome is the possibility that she might continue to stay close to Lux-kun.”

“She’s certainly not someone we can underestimate, but considering the event will be filled with royalty, I believe we have the overall advantage.”

“True. There are several ways to handle it, so let’s consider that later. For now…”

Siana took a deep breath, then began speaking rapidly with fervour. “In that case, let’s talk about me and Lux-kun today! First, I was so happy to finally drink the tea Lux-kun brewed! Since I’m usually the one brewing tea as Siana, I never had the chance to try his!”

Her pent-up emotions showed no sign of stopping. “It goes without saying that Lux-kun drinking the tea I brew is an unparalleled happiness for me, but drinking the tea he brewed felt like a different kind of happiness! I was so happy that Lux-kun praised me as Siana so much! Speaking of praise, he clearly called me beautiful too! And the way he looked at me when we parted, saying he was already looking forward to talking again! Those eyes are one of Lux-kun’s charms! Those beautiful, dazzling, pure eyes! Oh, Lux-kun—”

Siana’s chatter continued until the Rodell Earl Estate came into view, with Violet listening silently. Upon arriving at the estate’s entrance, Siana finally paused.

“I believe your contributions today played a big role in helping me grow closer to Lux-kun, so I’m grateful.”

“I’m honored.”

She concluded by expressing her gratitude to Violet for her significant help throughout the day.

Later, Siana knocked on Lux’s door. “Master, I’ve returned! May I come in?”

“Siana! Welcome back! Come on in!”

Entering the room, Siana was greeted by Lux’s delighted expression. “I was a bit lonely without you today, but I had a really fun time with Felisiana-sama!”

“I’m glad to hear that, Master.”

“Yeah!” With shining eyes, Lux continued, “Felisiana-sama is so kind and beautiful. I really want to talk with her more!”

Indirectly praised, Siana couldn’t help but blush. “I-I see… That’s good.”

As Lux continued to indirectly praise her, that night, every time Siana closed her eyes, she recalled his compliments and struggled to fall asleep.

◇

Three days until the royal exchange event.

In the morning, as I prepared for school, Siana spoke in an apologetic tone. “Master… May I have a moment?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I have an errand today and will be away from the mansion, so I won’t be able to see you off… I’m truly sorry.”

“Got it. And you don’t need to apologize for something like that.”

But seeing Siana’s uneasy expression, I added, “In that case… let’s spend tonight talking together.”

“Talking together… just the two of us?”

“Yeah. Thinking about it, since starting at the Noble Academy, we haven’t had much time to talk outside of morning and evening greetings. So tonight, I’d like you to be my conversation partner.”

“! Understood, Master!”

With that settled, I finished preparing and walked with Siana to the carriage.

“I’m sorry, Master… One more thing, if I may?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Please don’t invite anyone to the mansion while I’m away, especially women or those you don’t yet have a strong bond with.”

I’ve never done anything like that, so why is she so worried? Though puzzled, I nodded and replied, “O-Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Thank you!”

With that exchange, I boarded the carriage. Siana bowed and said, “Have a good day, Master!”

“Yeah, I’m off!”

◇

“As expected, Lux-kun has the makings of a king.”

“Indeed.”

Violet, who had appeared unnoticed, responded to Siana. “Rodell-sama dispelled the maid—Ojou-sama’s—apology and guilt with a single sentence.”

“Only Lux-kun could pull that off so naturally.”

It was Lux’s kindness that made it possible. Recalling this, Siana blushed slightly.

“Ojou-sama, you seem to be falling for Rodell-sama more and more.”

“Yes. My feelings for Lux-kun grow endlessly with each passing day…” Siana murmured in a sweet tone. But in the next moment, she switched to a calm voice. “By the way, is everything alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“Since you’ll be accompanying me today, we won’t be able to protect Lux-kun if something happens.”

Siana had to meet with her father, the king, regarding the royal exchange event. Violet had been requested to attend as well. As a result, today—Lux would truly be alone.

“The school and mansion have patrolling guards, and the estate’s escorts accompany him to school. Is there really a need to worry so much?”

“It’s not about safety. I’m more concerned that he might let some woman into his room while I’m gone… But Lux-kun would never do that, right?”

Siana was somewhat aware of her tendency to overthink when it came to Lux.