Riersha’s castle.
Today was the day of the Kadimo Theater Company’s performance in the capital.
The day the existence of yet another imperial prince would officially be revealed to the world.
Riersha, dressed in a red cape and a black-ribbon dress, had finished preparing to set out for the capital.
“Have a safe trip, Miss Riersha.”
“Mm. I’ll be back.”
Sona gave Riersha’s outfit one final check, then nodded in satisfaction.
Today’s finally the day!
The day a new imperial prince’s existence would be announced to the world.
And the day they would formally declare war on the Empress and her faction.
Promotional posters had already been hung throughout the capital of the Declair Empire, drawing tremendous public interest. Even a performance by the Kadimo Theater Company alone would have been enough to cause a sensation — but this was something far greater.
The Throne of Rübünesia 2 — A New Imperial Prince.
It was the long-awaited sequel to The Throne of Rübünesia, the production that had set the entire empire abuzz several years ago.
Riersha stepped out of her room with a confident stride.
“I’ll escort you, Miss Riersha.”
“Mm.”
Oberon followed naturally in her wake, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
If one were to name the person who had contributed the most to bringing this performance to life, the answer required no deliberation — it was Oberon, without question.
I need to remove that mana restraint from him soon.
Riersha decided that once this performance was safely concluded, she would give serious thought to Oberon’s mana restraint.
“Where’s da carriage?”
“I’ve had it waiting at the castle entrance.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Riersha had just stepped out through the castle entrance when she stopped short.
“Hm?”
She blinked in surprise, her footsteps halting.
“You’re slow. What are you going to do if you’re late to the performance?”
“Brothers…?”
Standing right outside the castle gates were three of her brothers.
Each of them was dressed smartly, as if they were heading somewhere important.
Why are my brothers here?
As Riersha stared at them in puzzlement, Ricador flashed a wry smile and held up a ticket.
“What kind of person only gives tickets to Father?”
It was a ticket to the Kadimo Theater Company’s performance.
Which meant…
Riersha looked at Risideon and Riscal in turn.
“…Did you all get your own tickets for today’s show?”
“Yeah. It was so popular we nearly missed our chance.”
Risideon smiled brightly, as if relieved.
“You should’ve told us sooner. We’re the Arachrene family — it’s embarrassing not to even be able to get VIP seats.”
Behind him, Riscal grumbled with a sour expression.
Riersha hadn’t dared hope they might all come together, and her cheeks flushed pink.
“We heard you gave Father his tickets separately,” Ricador said, leaning against one of the castle pillars with a faintly hurt look.
Riersha nodded and beamed at him.
“Papa’s an investor.”
There was no arguing with money.
At those words, the brothers’ expressions shifted in unison — something complicated flickering across their faces.
Then, as one, they quietly turned their gazes to the man standing silently behind Riersha.
Oberon offered a faint smile and inclined his head.
“A most reasonable point, Miss Riersha. Now then — shall we make our way to the carriage?”
“Mm.”
As Oberon moved to guide Riersha toward the carriage, a voice cut through the air.
“Right. Since I’m the investor, I suppose I can claim exclusive rights to her today.”
“…Father?”
“I went to all this trouble for my daughter’s first outing together, and yet…”
Pernoa had arrived at Riersha’s castle right on time. He swept his gaze around, then narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
With an expression that made clear he found the scene less than ideal, he gave a short, quiet click of his tongue.
“Quite a few intruders.”
Riersha, who had just been heading toward the carriage, stopped in her tracks and opened her arms wide with a radiant smile.
“Papa!”
“Yes, yes — come here, Riersha.”
Pernoa extended his hand.
Without a single glance back, Riersha ran straight to him and nestled into his embrace.
We lost.
The Arachrene brothers grimaced in unison.
Pernoa looked over at his sons and smiled pleasantly.
“After everything I’ve invested, surely I’m entitled to a little privilege like this?”
⁂
The capital of the Declair Empire.
“Heh. Heh heh.”
Sonnet was so giddy she felt as though she might float straight up into the sky.
The corners of her mouth simply refused to behave.
Today was finally the day.
The Throne of Rübünesia 2 — A New Imperial Prince.
By a fortunate coincidence, the world of the original Throne of Rübünesia — which Sonnet had written herself — overlapped with this new story’s setting, making it surprisingly seamless to connect them as a series.
“Miss Riersha, may I link the worldbuilding to my previous work, The Throne of Rübünesia? I think it would draw considerably more attention.”
“Then go ahead and do that.”
With Riersha’s blessing, it was a work Sonnet had poured all her ambition into.
“Heh. Heh heh. I can pay it all back. One billion gold.”
Sonnet was muttering to herself in a corner when Adil, freshly made up in costume, caught sight of her mid-sip of water and clicked his tongue.
“Oh — hello! My name is Sonnet! I’ll do my very best. Please take good care of me!”
She hadn’t been like this when they’d first met…
“Was she always this obsessed with money?”
“…Apparently, she’s been hit with a string of lawsuits, and the total damages in her name exceed a billion gold coins.”
Rozetta whispered the explanation.
Adil clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“…So the Arachrene family didn’t clear her debt for her?”
She’d gotten involved in something that could very well cost her her life.
Rozetta shrugged.
“Who knows. Maybe she’s just a pushover.”
“…”
“Even if the youngest Arachrene lady has a fortune, I suppose she’s not generous enough to be that lenient.”
Well.
It seemed less like the young lady was ungenerous, and more like the man called Oberon who served beside her was the one who was never lenient.
Though in the end — the fact that Oberon was in her hands and working at her command was, itself, a testament to Riersha Arachrene’s ability.
“Don’t trust the Arachrene family too blindly. Everyone’s too caught up in the excitement.”
“Why? She did send that man along to guard us, didn’t she?”
Rozetta tilted her chin toward a spot across the room.
There stood a pale, sharp-featured man, motionless and expressionless.
Adil’s brow creased with dissatisfaction.
…What exactly is one person supposed to do for us.
He wasn’t doing anything visible, which made it impossible to feel reassured. He hadn’t even glanced around the performance hall to survey the surroundings.
“I sincerely hope you all understand just how exceptionally well our young lady is treating you.”
All they could do was take Oberon at his word.
“Alright, everyone — it’s time! Get moving! We open with the Empress’s soliloquy!!”
“I’ll see you out there, Adil.”
At the call, Rozetta gave a small wave and stepped out onto the stage.
It was time for the performance to begin.
“…What has my life come to.”
This really was the right thing to do — wasn’t it?
Adil exhaled a long, complicated sigh.
⁂
The Kadimo Theater Company’s performance hall.
The venue was situated at the very heart of the Declair Empire’s capital.
For a brand-new performance — the first in several years — the faces of the audience members filling the hall were bright with anticipation.
“I’m so excited. I completely emptied my wallet to get here.”
“Same. …But do you think the Kadimo Theater Company will really be alright putting on a show like this?”
A flicker of unease passed over the two audience members mid-conversation.
It was a question most people in the hall shared.
No matter how storied the Kadimo Theater Company’s reputation, they surely couldn’t stand against a noble house…
“If they’ve got a truly powerful noble patron backing them, that might be another story.”
“That’s exactly my point — who would willingly risk straining ties with other nobles over something like this?”
The inner workings of noble society were endlessly fascinating to the common citizens of the Empire.
The scale of this production was something the Kadimo Theater Company could not possibly have assembled on their own.
The audience was still buzzing with speculation when—
“Oh — look over there!”
Someone had begun entering through the main doors.
A strikingly handsome man with silver hair and crimson eyes.
He was walking side by side, hand in hand, with a small child who had soft pink hair.
Was there a single soul in the Empire who wouldn’t recognize those features?
It was the Arachrene Ducal family.
The audience erupted in a collective gasp.
But it didn’t stop there.
Because behind them, three more silver-haired, crimson-eyed young men filed in together.
Someone murmured in disbelief.
“…Good heavens. The entire Arachrene Ducal family is here.”
