“Lord Zephal, I brought your tea!”
“Thank you, Raficel. My hands are rather full at the moment. Would you bring it inside?”
“Yes!”
Raficel pushed the serving cart into the room. The moment he spotted Zephal upon the sofa by the window, his eyes shone.
But then he narrowed them, abandoned the cart, and rushed over.
“Melia! Take these animals outside!”
“Why? Everyone brought gifts. They’re doing their jobs.”
“That is not the point! And all of you, stop crowding around Lord Zephal!”
Red-faced and shouting as usual, Raficel threw open the large window.
“Sacred beasts are permitted only as far as the terrace!”
Soichiro smiled wryly and reached toward the enormous bird resting beside him.
“Forgive me, Sera. Shall we move to the terrace?”
『I do not mind. I will go anywhere Zephal goes.』
The sacred bird Sera had the dignified appearance of a shoebill.
Melia had named this animal as well, but perhaps because Sera was more mature than Lulu, she had rejected several suggestions. When no name seemed likely to satisfy her, Soichiro had finally offered, “I think Sera has a lovely sound.” That settled the matter.
Perhaps Saintesses and sacred beasts were naturally compatible.
『Put me up there! Up there!』
A sacred flying squirrel no larger than Soichiro’s palm raised a clamor. The creature had casually been named Momo and seemed entirely unconcerned by it.
Flying squirrels were supposed to be nocturnal, yet Momo had arrived early that morning to see Soichiro and had spent most of the day asleep.
Sometimes Momo crawled beneath Soichiro’s black clothing to nap. Whenever that happened, Raficel pinched the creature between two fingers, pulled it out, and tossed it away as though removing a pest.
*It may be small, but it is still a sacred beast. Rafi is remarkably fearless.*
Melia clung to Soichiro’s back and accepted being carried to the terrace. Since sweets had arrived with the three-o’clock tea, she was eager to eat.
“Melia! Walk on your own!”
“No.”
“You little—!”
After calming the pair, Soichiro sat outside. Steaming tea and golden baked sweets were served, and he passed one of the treats to Melia.
Her eyes still wore their habitual flat stare, but after three weeks in his care and regular meals, she looked much more like a healthy little girl. Her bobbed black hair had been brushed until it gleamed.
“Raficel, you should sit and join us.”
“Y-Yes! Thank you.”
With flushed cheeks, Raficel took the seat across from Soichiro.
*They have not spent much time together lately.*
Raficel was supposed to be Zephal’s enemy. Soichiro believed he had already prevented the boy’s exile and formed a close bond with him.
Conversely, Raficel’s relationship with Melia—the companion who should have become his closest ally in the source novel—was deteriorating. That presented a problem.
Because they had first met at a later age in the original story, their relationship had developed into something between close comrades and sweethearts.
*Why, then, do they shout at one another every day? Perhaps they are simply close enough to quarrel…*
Soichiro considered the matter while wiping the mouth of Melia, who sat upon his lap.
She visited his chambers almost every day and sometimes remained until late at night.
“Sleep in same bed!”
“Absolutely not! Go back to your own room!”
“No!”
Raficel had prepared another bed for Melia and argued with such ferocity that Soichiro had never seen him wear a more demonic expression.
Despite all his efforts, Melia was asleep in Soichiro’s arms the following morning. Upon discovering them, Raficel screamed as though the world had ended.
“Even I have never been held while I slept!”
When the boy burst into tears, Soichiro was struck by how lonely his childhood must have been.
Had Raficel’s mother, the king’s concubine, shown so little interest in her own child?
*Melia’s mother is staying in the guest wing as well. Is it truly right for Melia to spend every night here?*
Perhaps the three of them could all sleep together.
Zephal’s bed was enormous—probably king-sized—so they would not lack room. Sleeping side by side might even improve Raficel and Melia’s relationship.
Soichiro entertained the idea with complete innocence.
『I’m back! Look, look! Here is today’s harvest!』
Lulu returned from the forest in the Holy District and dropped a bag of Sacred Spirit Tree fruit upon the tea table.
“My, there are so many again today. Well done, Lulu.”
『Heh. I’m the most impressive, right? Are you happy?』
“Yes. I am very pleased that you worked so hard.”
Soichiro lifted the white cat and gently stroked his neck.
Lulu’s purr rumbled uncontrollably. He pressed himself against Soichiro’s cheek and swung his long tail without the slightest concern for Melia.
In truth, Lulu was not the only sacred beast bringing Soichiro fruit. Sera and Momo did so as well. It would be unkind to proclaim Lulu “the best” in front of the others.
“Thank you, Lulu.”
Soichiro offered only his heartfelt gratitude.
He disliked relationships that forced people into rivalry or conflict. Even in his previous life, he had understood that sales performance mattered, but he never believed it should be allowed to consume the employees’ peace of mind.
As general affairs manager, he often said during morning meetings, “We have improved this much thanks to everyone’s hard work.”
He had not been the sales manager. Gently encouraging everyone’s motivation had been enough.
『Then praise me. Praise me more.』
『Me too!』
『We brought the fruit properly as well, did we not, Zephal?』
Lulu’s behavior seemed to inspire Momo and Sera, both of whom now demanded to be petted.
There was, in fact, a reason the sacred beasts had begun competing to gather fruit each day.
At one of their gatherings, Lulu had bragged about Soichiro.
Every sacred beast that visited out of curiosity had so far become a devoted repeat guest. Each one had sunk hopelessly into Soichiro’s charms.
“Lulu, are you not hungry?”
『I hunted before I returned, so I’m full.』
Lulu gave a deliberately sweet meow. From the opposite side of the table, Raficel glared at him.
Since Lulu constantly rubbed against Soichiro, his black clothing was perpetually covered in white fur. White cats and black garments were profoundly incompatible.
“Forgive me, Raficel. You are always having to remove the fur.”
“Not at all! It is the fault of the sacred beasts who insist upon crowding around you.”
*When he makes that frightening face, I can see a hint of the Avenging Prince from the source novel.*
Soichiro continued sipping his tea as though nothing were amiss while Lulu rubbed against his cheek.
The cat’s tail occasionally struck him from unexpected directions, and Lulu had a habit of kneading Soichiro’s stomach before falling asleep upon it. But Soichiro loved cats, so none of this troubled him.
“Your Highness, you have a visitor…”
Since Soichiro had seated his attendant at the table, Lude came to announce the guest. He appeared to be the knight assigned to guard him that day.
“Who has arrived without an appointment?”
Soichiro smiled as he asked.
Perhaps Lude sensed something hidden beneath that smile, for his enormous body gave a small twitch.
“Duke Forlvain.”
“—”
Soichiro’s cup stopped halfway to his lips.
Sensing that something had changed, Lulu twitched his triangular ears.
“May I claim that I am unwell and cannot receive him?”
“Your Highness?”
Lude’s suspicion was understandable.
House Forlvain was the powerful ducal family that supported the first prince, Zephal.
The king had been compelled to accept a queen from that family. Once she fulfilled the obligation of their political marriage by bearing Zephal, the king ceased paying attention to his lawful wife.
From then on, both Zephal and his mother had survived entirely through the Forlvains’ support.
The present Duke Forlvain was the queen’s younger brother—and therefore Zephal’s maternal uncle.
Richard Forlvain was a cunning man.
In the source novel, he had always remained at Zephal’s side.
Zephal was the first prince neglected by the king, while the queen belonged to House Forlvain. Richard exploited both facts to draw nobles into his faction and devoted himself to removing Raficel.
*He must intend to complain because Raficel’s exile failed.*
He would undoubtedly condemn Zephal for making the boy his personal attendant.
Ordinarily, a prince outranked a duke. But Richard had visited the royal palace constantly since Zephal’s childhood, establishing an overwhelmingly dominant relationship with his nephew.
Zephal’s inability to escape the emotions Richard suppressed within him had contributed to his instability.
Clink.
Soichiro’s gloved hand trembled against the cup. The response came from the body itself, entirely beyond his control.
“……”
Lude watched in silence. Then he pressed his lips into a straight line and raised his head.
“Lord Raficel, I left a particularly large and sturdy member of the Royal Guard outside. Please use him as a shield if necessary. As His Highness’s personal attendant, you can receive the visitor, can you not?”
“Lude? What am I supposed to do?”
“Your Highness, forgive my impertinence.”
Lude had been speaking to Raficel, but he abruptly turned toward Soichiro and crouched before him.
“—What?”
Powerful arms lifted Soichiro with ease.
Even the generally unflappable Soichiro was startled by the unexpected development.
Zephal’s body was somewhat taller than the average adult man and had been trained in swordsmanship, so he was hardly light.
That made no apparent difference to the burly knight.
“Lord Zephal is not here. Even if they search the entire palace, that is what you are to tell him!”
Before Soichiro could object, Lude vaulted over the terrace railing with the prince still in his arms.
Zephal’s chambers, incidentally, were on the second floor.
“—!”
Soichiro’s eyes met Raficel’s for an instant, but he was carried away before he could say a word.
Only the unimpressed Melia waved one small hand after them.
“Understood.”
