Chapter 25.
“Um, actually, I came because I have something to ask. Are you… uncomfortable with Joachim moving into Rene Palace?”
“…”
Friedrich’s face quickly darkened at the mention of Joachim, and he slowly opened his mouth.
“It’s not comfortable, but this all happened because of me. I wouldn’t dare complain. If anything…”
Friedrich glanced at me cautiously before continuing.
“I’m just sorry that because of me, Your Highness had to take Duke Rommel as a lover against your wishes.”
“Well, it couldn’t be helped.”
I shrugged nonchalantly.
“I’ll assign rooms as far apart as possible. You probably won’t run into each other much. The duke is busy with his activities in the central court anyway.”
At that, Friedrich smiled faintly. Only then did I feel a bit relieved.
“So, there’s nothing else particularly worrying you?”
“Worrying?”
“I heard from Elsa. Lately, the light in your room stays on late into the night.”
I furrowed my brow and chided him.
“That’s no good. Even if you’re only in a child’s body briefly at night, it’s still your body. It might have a bad effect when you return to normal.”
“Ah…”
“Is there something troubling you so much that you can’t sleep?”
At that, Friedrich thought for a moment and nodded. I asked with a curious expression.
“What is it? Tell me. I’ll fix it for you.”
“…If someone is four years younger.”
Friedrich spoke carefully.
“That doesn’t count as younger, does it?”
“What are you talking about out of nowhere?”
Friedrich hesitated a bit, and I urged him with a look that said, ‘Go on.’
“Younger men aren’t to your taste, right?”
My eyes widened at the sudden question.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“When you said you’d marry me right after I came of age, Duke Rommel said he couldn’t understand it.”
Did he say that? I made a vague expression, not remembering clearly, and Friedrich continued in a voice tinged with odd anxiety.
“It sounded like you don’t like younger men.”
“Ah…”
Certainly, from what I remembered, Rene’s taste was for older men.
But that was talk from when Rene was younger than now.
“It won’t always be older men for me.”
I smiled and stroked Friedrich’s hair. I felt his body stiffen with a jolt.
“Tastes change, Friedrich. Don’t they for you?”
“…For me.”
Friedrich murmured with his head slightly bowed.
“They don’t change easily. Not my heart, not my tastes.”
“You’re still young, that’s why.”
At those words, Friedrich snapped his head up.
He looked so aggrieved at being called young that I was puzzled. But you are young…?
“I won’t change. I’ll always be the same.”
“Changing isn’t a bad thing, you know?”
“…Even so.”
“Fine, whatever. Consistency is nice too.”
Then, I suddenly noticed something odd and asked.
“So your worry was whether I like younger men or not?”
Not about whether Joachim might betray us. That was keeping you up at night?
As I stared at him with a baffled look, Friedrich flinched for a moment and explained.
“…If Your Highness doesn’t like younger men, then everyone will find it strange that you chose me as your husband.”
“No, even if that’s the case, why worry about it…”
I let out an incredulous laugh and pressed his cheeks, squishing them like a fish. His eyes widened, perhaps from a sense of déjà vu.
“I told you. Your face is perfectly to my taste.”
“…”
“And your beauty is the best in the world, so no one will find it strange. Didn’t you notice all those glances at you during the last ball?”
When Friedrich shook his head as if he didn’t know, I smirked and rubbed his cheeks harder.
“What were you so focused on that you didn’t notice people looking at you?”
“…You, Your Highness.”
I somehow caught the mumble from his distorted lips. For a moment, I stared at Friedrich in a daze.
He was looking at me with eyes devoid of any mischief. I gazed into them for a while, then let out a soft laugh.
“That was a good line just now.”
Of course, from his perspective, there was no one else he knew there, so he couldn’t afford to look away.
‘It’d be nice if he had friends or peers his age. It’s a bit pitiful.’
I briefly wondered if Joachim could fill that role, but it’s probably best not to expect that from him.
***
It was a few days later that Joachim fully moved his residence to Rene Palace.
He arrived with three massive wagons of luggage and knelt before me with a face full of rapture.
“I greet the great and brilliant morning star of Stade, Princess Rene.”
Then, he casually kissed the back of my hand.
I was about to point it out but decided to let it go, since he was now officially Rene’s lover in name and fact.
‘He seems trustworthy, given that he’s kept his mouth shut so far.’
Well, if he values his life, he wouldn’t dare speak out of turn in front of Rene.
“Your room is this way.”
I assigned him a room near the entrance, especially for his frequent outings.
While Joachim unpacked, I headed to Solara Palace at my father’s summons.
“…You brought Duke Rommel into Rene Palace.”
He wore a deeply troubled expression.
“With less than a month until the wedding.”
“Yes, you’ll approve it, right?”
I replied with a smile.
“It couldn’t be helped. He caught lovesickness because he likes me so much. I’m not that heartless…”
Then I recalled saying just days ago in front of the empress that Duke Rommel’s lovesickness was none of my concern.
“…a person.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I cleared my throat, and the emperor looked at me with jaded eyes before muttering.
“Prince Friedrich’s position must be quite awkward.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you know? His rival is none other than the duke of Stade. How anxious a prince without backing must feel.”
Well, to an outsider, it would certainly look that way.
“My favor is his backing. More importantly, my own position is quite awkward right now.”
“…Yours?”
“As I mentioned at the triumphal banquet last time, my dream has changed to living peacefully in the countryside, having fox-like children with my rabbit-like husband.”
The emperor was now looking at me as if I’d said something utterly absurd.
“But what if Duke Rommel insists on following me to the countryside? Sigh, it’d be burdensome if he gave up his dukedom for me.”
It was out of the blue, but I had to slip it in whenever I could. To emphasize that I have no interest in the throne!
“Well, if he’s that determined to follow, I’ll have to take him along. What if he falls lovesick again?”
After my shameless reply, I turned to the emperor, who wore a dumbfounded expression, and asked.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…You sound like a completely different person overnight, and I just can’t get used to it.”
“I’m actually quite pragmatic, you know. You weren’t planning to pass the throne to me anyway, were you?”
Emperor Otto asked back with a flustered face.
“Why would you say that, Rene?”
“Just that there’s never been a female emperor in Stade before. It must be burdensome for Your Majesty to break that precedent.”
“You achieved unprecedented merits in this conquest war. I believe you fully qualify to be the first.”
Emperor Otto stroked his chin and continued.
“But for now, I want to keep my children close a bit longer. Get Anton married…”
Then how long is he going to drag out deciding the heir? At this rate, I’ll get assassinated and it’ll end naturally.
“And Princess Mari too?”
Exasperated, I casually mentioned that name, and Emperor Otto’s brow furrowed.
“Mari? Who was that again?”
My jaw dropped as I muttered.
“Your daughter, Your Majesty.”
