Chapter 36

On December 25th, the first volume of the novel was released!!

I would be delighted if you could pick it up!!

Filarita and Muse entrusted to Edward, Alvis returned to the Crown Prince's Palace. Unlike Elina, Alvis had no particular preparations to make. However, if he was to leave the capital, it would be wise to carry a sword as a precaution. He returned to his room and retrieved his beloved sword from the wardrobe.

He never thought he would be able to hold it again after once letting it go. That said, Alvis was only allowed to carry a sword when he was outside the capital. The purpose was self-defense. Alvis had honed his sword skills to protect others, but from now on, he would use them to protect himself. He, who had never put himself first, found this to be the greatest challenge. Still, he thought he had become quite accustomed to it. Alvis reminisced about his former self and smiled wryly as he sheathed his sword.

"Thanks for everything, partner."

Touching the hilt, he said and left the room. Heading straight for Elina's room, it seemed she had just finished her preparations. After knocking, Alvis stepped into Elina's room. The interior was apparently decided upon by Elina's mother, the queen, and Elina herself. It was said to have a similar atmosphere to Elina's room at the Lithaard Duke's residence.

Alvis looked around Elina's room for the first time. The color scheme was mostly calm, but there were cute decorations. Elina must like cute things.

"..."

"Prince Alvis, I kept you waiting."

"A, ah."

"Is something wrong?"

His response to Elina was delayed because he was looking around the room. Tilted her head in confusion, Elina scratched her cheek.

"...It's nothing much. I just haven't entered a young lady's room except for Rana's. I was just thinking that Elina's room at the Lithaard Duke's residence must have a similar atmosphere."

"Except for Princess Rana, I'm the first, right?"

"Yes. That's right."

If you consider close family, there were also Littine and Kiara. However, they lived in the harem as princesses, so he never went to their rooms. Alvis had another half-sister, but he only met her in the main house's salon or garden, so he had never seen her room in the annex. Elina and Alvis had been engaged for a little over a year. Alvis, who was extremely busy at the palace, and Elina, who was living in a dormitory at the academy, had only visited the Lithaard Duke's residence once, and that was to drop Elina off late at night. It was unusual for an engaged couple, but it was a testament to how busy they were. Therefore, this was the first time Alvis was seeing Elina's room.

"Do you like these kinds of decorations, Elina?"

"Y-Yes. Well... they might not suit me, but I like cute things."

Elina's expression was not good when she said that cute things didn't suit her. A quick glance at Sara confirmed her nod. Someone had told Elina that cute things didn't suit her, and that person was undoubtedly Girard. Alvis approached Elina and gently touched her hair.

"I think they suit you. Cute things, too."

"Th-Thank you. I'm happy to hear that from you, Prince Alvis."

Elina blushed and smiled shyly. There were still words that had left a mark on her. It was Alvis's job to heal them. Besides, it wasn't a pleasant feeling for Alvis to know that Girard had left such a mark. He wasn't so ignorant that he didn't understand what this feeling was. At the same time, Alvis was glad to be able to feel this way.

"We shouldn't keep Ed and the others waiting, so let's go."

"Understood."

Extending his hand, Elina immediately placed hers on top. They no longer felt embarrassed about holding hands. It was a sign that Alvis's side had become familiar to her. Alvis, too, was getting used to walking with Elina. As he smiled at this, Elina looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

"It's nothing. Let's go."

Leaving the Crown Prince's Palace, Alvis and Elina walked together, feeling the gazes of the maids and knights. Upon arrival, several royal guards were preparing the carriage. Harvey, who was leading them, noticed their arrival and hurried over, bowing.

"Your Highness, Princess. The preparations will be completed shortly."

"Understood. I apologize for the sudden request."

"It's much better than you going alone."

It wasn't hard to imagine that this referred to the one time Alvis had acted alone. He was aware that it had been a slightly rebellious action at the time. Alvis smiled wryly, and Harvey laughed along.

"Also, about the knights accompanying us—"

"I understand."

Interrupting Harvey, Alvis turned to Elina.

"Prince Alvis?"

"I need to talk to the guards. Could you please get in the carriage, Elina?"

"Yes, understood."

Leading Elina to the carriage, Alvis returned to Harvey. Edward, Filarita, and Muse were also there.

"Prince Alvis."

"Thank you, Ed. Amour, Arby, this is Deputy Captain Harvey von Forkay of the Royal Guard. I want you to follow his instructions this time. Deputy Captain, please treat them as companions of the unit."

He implied that they were not to be treated as combatants, and Harvey seemed to understand. He placed his hand on his chin in thought and nodded.

"I see... Understood. Please take care, both of you."

Harvey greeted them with his usual smile. Muse, who looked nervous, and Filarita, who looked confused. Muse, being of commoner origin, was understandably nervous, but Filarita, being a noble, was likely confused because she knew Harvey.

"Please take care, Deputy Captain Forkay."

"...Please take care, Lord Forkay."

"It's been a while, Lady Amour. I heard you joined the Knights."

"Please stop treating me as a lady. Here, I am just a Knight."

"Then call me Deputy Captain."

He was smiling, but it was a kind of retaliation for Filarita's greeting. Harvey rarely got angry, but he was strict about etiquette. If she wanted to be treated as a Knight, she had to first act like one.

"...I apologize, Deputy Captain Forkay."

"Yes, that's fine. Amour and Arby will accompany us on horseback. I'll give them instructions as needed."

"Understood."

This time, they responded in unison. Satisfied, Harvey instructed them to prepare. Once they had left, Harvey approached Alvis.

"How will you handle the Princess?"

"I want to see how they get along... I also want to create an opportunity for the two of them to talk."

"With the Princess and Amour, you mean... I see, in a place where you won't be around?"

"If I'm there, it will be difficult. Especially for Amour."

Shrugging, Alvis nodded in agreement with Harvey.

"I believe you were classmates with Lady Amour. You must have faced each other often, given your sword skills."

"Yes. She was my most frequent opponent in the academy."

Especially during the tournament held during the Founding Festival, the final match was always between Alvis and Filarita. This is why Filarita always seemed to give him a stern look.

"Rivals, then."

"I don't know what she thought of it."

Watching Filarita and the others prepare, Alvis and Harvey exchanged a wry smile.

Thank you for reading this work throughout the year.

This will likely be the last update for this year.

Next year, the manga adaptation will also start, so please look forward to it as much as the novel!

I look forward to continuing to work with you next year.

Wishing you all a happy New Year's Eve m(__)m