#051. Then Break It Open
“It’s not something you can simplify that easily.”
In the case of Princess Electra and Prince Latro, even though they constantly bickered, it was obvious to others that there were feelings between them—mainly because neither could tolerate anyone else speaking ill of the other. They would argue endlessly but still always seek each other out.
But that could simply be a rivalry, or just wildly incompatible personalities. If someone teases another, it’s likely a sign of affection—but it could just as easily be bullying disguised as playfulness.
“I see… Human emotions aren’t something you can wrap up with a few words.”
A weary realization washed over Blanche’s face. She looked less like a six-year-old and more like someone in their sixties. Tula, disliking how mature and out-of-place that expression seemed on her young princess, deliberately brightened her tone.
“So, what are you planning for today? You don’t have anything scheduled. How about a picnic after some physical training? The weather’s nice.”
“I’m thinking of visiting Princess Electra and Prince Latro’s labs. I don’t want any variables I can’t control sitting right under my palace.”
…That damned pair.
Tula rarely cursed, but she did so under her breath this time. She couldn’t understand why her princess, who hadn’t even experienced her first love, was so interested in such a childish lovers’ quarrel.
As expected of two scholars who treated their labs as their second homes, both Princess Electra and Prince Latro were there when I arrived.
I considered briefly whether visiting a man’s research lab first thing in the morning might seem improper, so I decided to visit Princess Electra before lunch and go to Prince Latro’s afterward.
Since they were borrowing space in my palace, it was only natural, but both readily agreed to my sudden visit.
“It’s been a while since you’ve come to the lab, Princess Blanche.”
Princess Electra’s lab, where she mainly worked with minerals, was dark, gritty, and borderline intimidating. The minerals themselves were dark-colored, and the tools used to smash and dissect them looked more like torture devices than anything else.
“Were you offended?”
Most people would offer a polite apology at this point, but I chose to be bold instead.
“Excuse me?”
Caught off guard, Princess Electra turned to look at me, dropping the stone she had been holding in the process.
It hit the floor with a loud thud, and I quickly stood up.
“Are you alright?”
Thankfully, she hadn’t dropped it on her foot. She picked the stone back up, unhurt.
“Ah, yes. Luckily, it’s fine.”
“No, I meant—”
“Oh, the floor’s a little cracked.”
“That’s fine. I can get that repaired. I meant your foot—are you hurt?”
“Oh!”
Ugh. The way scholars can be so oblivious to human concerns is mind-boggling. Even I would understand someone asking if I was physically okay in that situation.
“I’m alright. I’m sorry to worry you.”
“No, I’m the one who startled you—”
“What was that?! Did something explode?!”
Just as I was about to apologize, the door slammed open without warning. Standing there was none other than Prince Latro—whom I had planned to visit that afternoon.
“Oh, Princess Blanche, you’re here too… But what was that noise just now? Is everyone alright?”
…Excuse me? Did that so-called gentleman just barge into a lady’s private space without knocking?
I didn’t care whether this was love or something else. There were basic decencies to uphold. I scowled with as much severity as a six-year-old body could muster.
Initially, I was just curious whether the feelings between Lady Martina and the Grand Duke could genuinely be love. To explore that, I’d planned to observe Prince Latro and Princess Electra—the pair that most closely resembled them. Tula had said what they had was affection, so I wanted to see if their dynamic revealed the Grand Duke’s feelings too.
But now that I’d seen this mess up close, the administrator in me couldn’t overlook it.
Whether or not this was love, they at least needed to learn some manners.
“Prince Latro.”
He must’ve sensed the disapproval in my tone, as he straightened his posture.
“Ah, I apologize for interrupting. If everything’s alright, I’ll take my leave—”
“Please, have a seat.”
Prince Latro flinched at my firm voice and glanced at Princess Electra, perhaps looking for a cue. Should’ve done that before barging in.
“Princess Blanche, I’m fine, really…”
“As the administrator of Jasper Palace, I’m not fine. I had something to speak with you both about anyway. Now that you’re here, let’s handle it all at once. Please, sit. You too, Princess Electra—over here.”
The two sat before me, side by side, looking like guilty children. I stifled a sigh and got to the point.
“I heard you two raised your voices again yesterday?”
Tula had told me before I came. It wasn’t surprising—Princess Electra and Prince Latro seemed to argue every other day.
“But that was because Prince Latro—”
“Who started it doesn’t matter, Princess Electra.”
She fell quiet, though clearly frustrated.
“You’ve both had labs here for two years now. The arguments are becoming more frequent. That’s the issue.”
If Tula hadn’t stopped me, I would’ve intervened long ago—love spat or not. If you must fight in love, keep it private.
I’d initially planned to gauge their feelings through conversation, but maybe observing their behavior side by side would be even more telling.
“Even though your fields differ—minerals and gemstones—you two seemed to get along enough to work side-by-side. If this continues, should I have your labs moved?”
“No, that’s—”
“We’ll behave.”
I hadn’t even said whose lab would move, and yet they backed down so fast. Clearly, they didn’t hate each other that much.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t think about how it looked. I’ll be more careful.”
Seriously, how can two reasonable, considerate people become so irrational only with each other?
“Well, fine. Conflicts can happen in research. Just not so often. So, what was the issue yesterday?”
They exchanged awkward glances but didn’t answer.
“I’ll find out anyway if I ask someone else.”
“…Princess Electra gave me a mineral as a gift.”
“I told you, it was jade!”
“I said it looked like a regular rock.”
“Enough, both of you.”
I held up a hand before the argument could flare again and turned to the more composed Prince Latro.
“As I said, she gave me a rock about the size of a fist. There’s a dealer who mixes minerals during trade, and this one supposedly contained jade. She thought it might help my research.”
“Did you thank her?”
The Prince Latro I knew would’ve thanked her right away—he understood that a gift’s worth lies in the thought, not the content.
“Uh…”
“So you didn’t.”
If you won’t even say thank you—what kind of ‘love’ is this?
Not knowing what I was really thinking, Princess Electra quickly defended him.
“No, it’s just—we exchange materials so often that… it didn’t feel necessary to fuss over a single gift.”
If that was their understanding, I could let it slide.
“Fine. Then what happened next?”
“…If it really was jade, it would be quite rare. So I examined it thoroughly. But no matter how I looked at it, I didn’t think jade was inside. So I returned it to her.”
“I told you to carve it open first! If it was jade, it’d show once you shaved it a bit!”
“And if it wasn’t? If it was just a regular rock, then it would’ve been a waste of time. But if it’s something rarer than jade and I treat it like jade, I could damage it. You bought the material, remember?”
“I gave it to you as a gift! Even if there’s something other than jade inside, it’s yours now.”
Okay. So they clearly like each other. But this still just sounded like a rivalry to me. If this is love, then the toddler who used to chase me around must have been in love with me, too.
Does Tula not understand there are other forms of affection besides love? Or is it just hard for me to accept other kinds of love because I’ve only ever loved one person?
Either way, I realized I couldn’t really understand the mindset of “picking fights because you like someone.”
So I decided to resolve the issue myself.
“So, Prince Latro, you returned the stone because you didn’t think it was jade, and you wanted Princess Electra to make better use of it. And Princess Electra, you wanted him to carve it open and see for himself whether it was jade, correct?”
“Uh… Yes, that’s right?”
“Yes, that summarizes it well.”
I took a deep breath and said firmly:
“Then break it open.”
