Fake Cinderella

20. Patience

"……………… Your Highness, is this your dinner today?

"Oh, yeah"

(This is how it comes!

Yeah. Really.

I thought he was like a four-rotation jump down the far diagonal of my prediction, His Royal Highness the King.

"I've got something for the general because you're coming."

………………

Am I the only one who thinks that the direction of that care is any different?

On the table in front of you, a can of metal a little longer vertically.

I've seen it...... when I come back from Elsevelt's castle.

Sure, at that time, I thought I wanted a little. Heard you can also boil water in that can.

"Portable food for officers comes with a wide variety of dried fruits, as well as three types of jerky"

………………

I also knew that His Highness's staple food was this.

But, you know, I was excited. Give me back my feelings.

Dinner to be made for Your Highness could be delicious! And my feelings I expected were betrayed as much as I wanted.

"Artillier, what's wrong?

"………………… no. It's the first time I've ever heard of portable food for an officer or something like that."

I told Lilia and she would definitely laugh.

My idiot who has changed into a new dress.

"Now we have quite a variety. Different suppliers from military to military."

"Why not?

"Because when you fix it to a single vendor, it bribes people. In that regard, I can't give you a price if I know there is competition, and I can work it out. Basically, a standing army is a gold-eating bug. I want to save as much money as possible."

Yes, it is.... but I've also read in books that it costs the military money. Speaking of which, I'd have been dazed by the enormity of the militia's annual budget I read in the paper. It's the same thing in every world that costs the military money.

"Your Highness, do you compare eating?

"Well, I'm bored."

"…………… right"

You get tired of this serial biscuit every day, don't you?

I just ate a few times during that trip.

... something, Your Highness is in a bit of a good mood. Did something good happen to you?

"... Your Highness, would you like to eat outside?

"Outside?"

"Because it's for my phone and it's easy to carry."

At least let's have a picnic and a sprinkle at night.

"Isn't it cold out there?

"I'll get my coat."

We're not gonna miss a chance to get out there!

I only know my own courtyard, so I'd like to go to the tower you see behind that palace or something.

"No... because it's a lot of noise when you know you're going out"

Don't exaggerate going out. I don't mind the top of that tower or the east house in the back yard.

Yeah, but I always just go out in the courtyard, because I always have two escorts... maybe even in the garden.

His Highness, who had looked at me carefully and had thought for a moment, took off his seat and immediately returned with his coat in his hand.

The hooded coat in fabric like a grey tweed is pretty cute.

"It's what I used as a toddler. size won't be a problem."

... Anyway, I'm small.

Embrace me and cross the garden at night.

"... you can walk on your own"

"Different strides, and you wouldn't know the way very well"

Indeed. All I know is a portion of the Crown Princess's Palace and the Crown Princess's Palace. I've never been out at night at all.

This night, true darkness.

There is no such thing as a street lamp, and His Highness has nothing in his hands that serves as a source of light.

Fortunately, the moon is so bright today that if you can see it, you're not so crippled.

"Huh...?

Looking up at the sky, I noticed.

(I have two moons...?

"The moon is bright... both of them..."

"Right."

"... Yep..."

(Well, it's normal in two... er, I looked at the night sky before... uh, because it's time to come back from Elsevelt... at that time, the moon wasn't out.... right, a new moon...)

Memories are coming back a little bit as if it were snowing...... there, my thirty-three years of memories are mixed and the present overlaps.

Slow integration...... I am Altirier and Altirier is me. And I don't feel uncomfortable anymore.

But this... shocked me a while back. Yeah, it's a shock.

"Is the moon unusual?

"... because I've never been out much at night"

On the rare side, I've never seen it before, actually.

"So is that."

Speaking of which, I never even got out on the veranda at night. When it gets dark, I catch a thick curtain... so I didn't notice.

"... but you're as light as ever. Really, are you eating?

"I'm eating. And a good snack."

"You're not fat at all."

"... fine, you don't have to be fat"

It's not like I'm upset, because I'm not restricting my diet. No, sometimes, I'm the wingman to limit it voluntarily. But I'm replenishing it with snacks!

"If I don't get fatter, I'm afraid I'm going to break it"

"What?"

"You are too thin. I know even if I hold it like this...... if I give it a little strength, I feel like it breaks"

His Highness is also famous as a samurai. I don't feel like it at all, but I can tell from the top of my clothes that I have firm muscles. A forged body... I'm sure my arms and legs would be too tight if I put my strength into it.

"... I'm a child, so I'm smaller than an adult, and my bones are thinner. Be careful how you handle it, because I think it would break perfectly if it were His Highness's power."

"Okay."

Handle with caution! No heaven or earth! That's right.

His Royal Highness Prince Wang needs your attention because he thinks I'm luggage or something.

But I'm glad to have a higher eye, and I enjoy it. Sticking to my neck, I don't know... Yeah, I'm gonna call you Dad or something.

"How far are you going?

"... so let's get out of town"

"City?"

I think I was blinded.

"Oh, I have a different face at night than during the day.... you don't even know the city of day"

"I've barely been out there."

"Right."

Only the Crown Princess Palace is free for me.

The Palace of the Princess Wang is surrounded by very high walls, with the building arranged in the shape of a (b). They say the walls here are 1.5 times taller than the other walls of the royal palace.

Only the eastern corner of the walls connects to the corridor that connects to the Wong Tai Womb, where two guards each stand at all times at both ends.

Because it's quite wide, I don't feel blocked, but I feel trapped.

When I look up at the sky from the courtyard surrounded by buildings, I always feel like I'm in a cage or something. Well, I'm not even so dissapointed at the moment because I think princess is something like that.

The princess of the story often leaves the castle, but I can't do that. If you leave the corridor before you go outside, you'll be lost.

"... one day, I will, I will get you out of the cage"

"In a cage, is it?

"Oh.... I know best that I created that place that's the cage for locking you up"

Your Highness's voice heard in your ear.

I cling to His Highness's neck and His Highness holds my body.

We are so close to each other that we don't know the look on our faces.

I did not ask deeply because the voice of His Highness was mixed with the sound of regret somewhere.

Instead, I said with a little laugh.

"That's a big cage."

I exaggerate it for myself, he added.

".......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

His Royal Highness leaks a laugh in the back of his throat.

"That's not a compliment, is it?

Doesn't sound like a compliment.

"No, it's a compliment.... Interesting. I don't know any other woman like you."

"... I'm a child anyway"

"No... you're an adult.... at least you after you lose your memory"

I thought I'd hold my breath.

"What's up?

"... no. Surprised."

"What?

"... I don't remember much before I lost my memory, so I'm not sure even adults would say"

Uh, I'm just saying cardiac. Your Highness, I think you've noticed.

I'm surprised all over my body right now.

"Truth is, I don't really know you either before I lost my memory. I heard reports, but I didn't really deal with them directly"

"Why is that?

"... because they remind me of my sins"

"When you look at me?

"Oh."

"Did you do something?

"... did nothing"

That's my sin, Your Highness says.

"It's my fault you've become a doll."

I wonder what His Highness knows?

I wanted to know, and I felt afraid to ask.

"What do you mean?

But that's important. In time, that's what I was going to ask.

"When you were in the back house, I did nothing. You can say it was indifferent. You were already a doll when I realized."

"... how old were you?

"I noticed a little before my eighth birthday...... I had you when I went to my mother on business and I realized that you didn't speak a word and didn't even look straight at me"

"... eight years old, is it..."

It was when I was in the backyard that they shut my heart so much that I was told it was a doll... I thought it was when my nanny died.

"I didn't realize until then....... I have no preference for special emotions for toddlers and above all I have been busy. I also went to college at that time. There also continued to be skirmishes with Shuiram over Stonak Copper Mountain in the south. I couldn't afford to pay attention to you."

His Highness gave his martial name in a series of battles with Shuilam. A mixed unit of the Northern Division's battalion and the Alhan Border Guard destroyed 15,000 large armies in Shuilam on the Idrac Plains.

In Shuilam, His Highness is said to be "Black Prince" or "Black Demon King". I don't know what it is because His Highness's armor is based on black, but I thought how horrible they felt. 'Cause' Demon King 'is a little awesome.

"I think that's normal."

Though the Queen, it is easy to imagine that she did not have time to deal with a toddler.

"But it's my laziness.... even if it was a political ploy, you were my queen and I had to protect you. The relationship with Elsevelt is subtle, and there was no one else to protect you but me than the Duke couldn't get out strong."

Your Highness said you lost your temper because of my failure to do so. It was a pale expression, but I found that His Highness was in pain about it.

"I tried to get it back right away, but I had to admit that my father, who was obsessed with you, was going to send out the rear palace... so I couldn't help but turn my hand around and try to make sure that the story of the concubine was lifted."

Oh, that's amazing, Your Highness. His Highness set that up himself.

"I finally took it here because of that... because of the Tilasa incident shortly afterwards, my father made a scene telling me to go back to the rear palace, but I finally shut him up by raising the walls high and creating them into such a birdcage-like palace"

The cage isn't just about locking you inside.

- - - Protecting what's in the cage.

It's also the role of the cage.

"... then"

Your Highness listens to my words.

"... then I will be in a cage until Your Highness says yes"

It's okay. I'm just fine because I'm timid, and His Highness laughed like I could play.

... even though I meant it.

I'll tell you what, because here, I'm not about to laugh.

For the first time, the corner of the lower town of Al Greer, the king's capital, was full of light.

"Wow......"

I came here and first saw such a bright night.

Which one of you is so frightened? That's how many people there are. Light, light, and light on lamps like Shinjuku Kaya at night......

"This neighborhood is basically a neighborhood that deals with people from the National Army or the Royal Palace. Food and beverage industry is particularly common. The barracks have cheap cafeterias but not so much flavor. Restaurants around here can eat cheap, good food if you put a little in the barracks cafeteria."

"Has Your Highness ever had it in a place like this?

"Oh. A couple of times...... well, I don't just live on portable food either"

I unwittingly turn my suspicious eyes.

"What, you suspect?

"We've been served portable food for officers."

Points your mouth.

Isn't this like the dinner on your first date was dried bread and canned, so to speak? It's not even convenience store lunches.

"That's... right, some I've tried"

"Try it?"

"How do you react?"

"You're the only woman with no anger, no flattery, no charm at all, Altilier"

"... do you always do that?

"Well, generally."

As he peered into His Highness's face, His Highness laughed at her mouth alone.

... Seems very relaxed.

"Oh, here, don't call me Your Highness"

"... what do you call it?

"My name is Nadir, Altilier."

"Master Nadir?

"Oh. It's not uncommon for a man to have the name Nadir... especially after I was born"

I'm sure that means many parents named after His Highness.

"About you... right, shall I call you Ruthia"

Exactly. Nadir and Altirier will find out soon enough.

Even though, the royal portrait of man is out all over the city so much that I don't like it. This is because painting plates and painted cups are sold, including portrait cards and duplicate paintings, for tourist souvenirs in Wangdu.

My lord and I seem to be very popular. I showed you some of them, but some of them are very similar, which is hard to come by.

"You don't like being called a tee, do you?

"... Yes"

I didn't like the sweetness contained in what was called a tea. I don't know why... but I guess that's something deeply engraved in Altirier's mind.

If you glance at His Royal Highness the Prince, though it is a call that only calls about His Majesty the King and His Highness the Queen.

"... I knew I hated it and called it. When I call you Thie, you just whisk a little brow. That's really the only response I got."

………………………

I wonder what it is. It's like I want to get into something really bad.

"What is it? That look."

"No. Deng...... no, Master Nadir has an unexpected childish spot"

"That's not what they say."

Your Highness only looks a little bitter.

"Because it's true."

I said rush.

In the light, enthusiasm and hustle of the city at night, I was once again thinking of His Highness.

About a guy named Nadir-Eselbert-Dear-Deer-Ville-Derdier.