Chapter 94

As promised, this is a different perspective on the story!

I ended up writing more than I thought (sweat).

After leaving Alvis's office, Littane did not return to the harem. She wasn't in the mood. Defying her father, the king, was nothing new, but this time she felt more frustrated than usual. Her frustration was not just directed at the king but also at her mother, Curiann.

In the inner courtyard, where few people ventured, Littane leaned against a large tree. The maid who had followed her from Alvis's office frowned.

"Princess—"

"It's fine, just for a little while."

"Princess—"

Littane put a finger to her lips to signal the maid to be quiet. The maid, realizing the volume of her voice, covered her mouth with her hand. This was the royal castle, and after quickly looking around to see if anyone was nearby, she found no one. Relieved, the maid let her shoulders drop.

"Anyway, Mother is really something. She was so cautious about my marriage, yet why is she bringing up such a topic now... and with my brother, of all people?"

"Even if no one is around, we don't know who might be listening. You shouldn't—"

"I know."

That's why she didn't use specific words. After all, the content she was voicing had already been the subject of many rumors, so it wasn't anything new.

"Anyway, if you don't return soon, the concubine will scold you."

"Oh? Are you Mother's messenger, Jeanne?"

"Please don't be so mean, Princess."

Jeanne, who was called by name, looked at Littane with a troubled expression. Having known each other since childhood, Jeanne was like an older childhood friend to Littane.

"If I return now, I might end up venting my frustration to Mother."

"I think the concubine has her reasons. She must be considering your well-being—"

"Why do I have to go to my brother now? Now of all times. Really, why would that benefit me? It would be the opposite. I can understand it if it was in the past, but why my brother now?"

The thought still made her angry. Alvis's wife was Elina, someone Littane considered like a sister, and she knew Elina had suffered a lot under Gerard. Littane had been looking forward to the day they would become family and wanted Elina to be happy. Knowing that Elina liked Alvis, why would she want to go to that place? The king's "What's the problem?" face only increased her frustration. That's why she didn't want to think of him as her father.

As she was fuming, a rustling sound was heard. Jeanne glanced in that direction, but the agitated Littane didn't notice.

"Princess, that—"

"Are you talking about my brother, Alvis?"

The young man who approached spoke as if he had been part of the conversation from the beginning. Littane, who hadn't noticed, continued the conversation without realizing the voice was from an unknown young man.

"Of course, who else?"

"Wow, so you used to like him?"

"Well, there was no one else but my brother and Magalia's brother!"

In her childhood, the only males around were these two. Rauquell was out of the question. So, the choice for her first love was limited. Thinking back now, it was hard to say if it was really love. It might have been more like an imprint.

To Gerard, Littane was a thorn in his side. Alvis, being the second son, was trying to support Magalia. Given their similar situations, it was natural for Alvis to become her object of affection. But that was in the past. It couldn't be helped. Alvis, at the time, was really adorable. He was Littane's ideal.

"Cute... that's not exactly a compliment, you know."

"Better to have a cute person around than a weird guy."

"True, compared to the scheming brother, Alvis is definitely better. He's generally kind and gentle—"

"Right... huh?"

Littane finally realized who was speaking and slowly turned around. There, a young man in a white coat stood smiling.

"Who are you?!"

"You're Princess Littane, right? You're more emotional than I heard."

"More emotional...?"

"From Alvis."

From the way he called Alvis by his first name, it was clear he was associated with Alvis. But Littane had never seen him before. He had brown hair and brown eyes, nothing particularly striking. In fact, he seemed shorter than Littane. Who was this guy?

"Princess, this person is probably from the research institute."

"Research institute..."

"Correct. One of Alvis's few close friends from the academy."

"So, you're Rihito Alster?"

Alvis's friend from the research institute. She had heard his name before. A commoner but very talented, Alvis had once said, "If he gets serious, I can't compete with him."

"That's right. And one word of advice—"

"What?"

"This place is where researchers often pass during breaks, so it's best if the princess doesn't come here."

Rihito was here because it was break time. He had called out to her to warn her. Indeed, if the princess was caught complaining in such a place, it wouldn't look good.

"I see. Sorry, thank you."

"You're welcome."

"You, your attitude towards the princess—"

"It's fine. It's too late to pretend now. It feels creepy."

Indeed, it wasn't the proper way to address a princess. But perhaps he treated Alvis the same way. If this were a public place, he should be more careful, but it wasn't.

"Then, feel free to speak."

"Lord Alster!"

"I've wanted to talk to you for a while. The princess who completed that flower—"

"I see. But sorry, Mother told me to stop such discussions."

The flower referred to the yellow flower named after Littane. It was the result of much trial and error. Researchers often wanted to know about the process, but Curiann always stopped her. If Rihito was one of them, Curiann wouldn't approve.

"If you tell me, I can tell you all about Alvis's academy days."

"!"

Littane really wanted to hear that. Alvis never talked about himself.

"Then I want to hear it with Elina. Even so—"

"Isn't it okay sometimes? You're not a caged bird anymore. You're an adult, you don't have to be so obedient."

"Even so, I am under their protection. As long as I benefit from it, it's only right to stay in the cage."

If she could stand on her own, it might be different. But as a princess, she had to follow the rules. If she lost the only thing she was allowed to do—her flower research—she would lose her purpose. She wanted to avoid that.

"You and Alvis have similar faces."

"Huh?"

"I don't think a princess can do the same things as a commoner, and I understand it's an obligation. But for me, there are no barriers, so it's easier... but is that okay for you?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you should just leave everything to Alvis."

Rihito grinned. Littane's eyes widened in surprise. Leave everything to Alvis. Let him handle it all and pretend not to know.

"That's harsh."

"He's always done that. If you involve Shiodiran, most things can be handled. Even if it causes some trouble, it will be resolved."

It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious. But his casual tone made Littane laugh. It was a story from the academy, and Rihito probably understood it didn't apply to the country. Still, it made it seem like a trivial matter.

After laughing, she felt a bit relieved. Maybe this was a good approach. Once that matter was resolved, she could entrust the rest to Alvis. Despite her complaints, Alvis would smile and forgive her.

"So, I want to know the process of how the flower's seed opened."

"...You're persistent, aren't you? Really."

"I said I'd provide the stories. It's an equal exchange."

In the end, it always came back to this. An equal exchange, but Rihito didn't seem to care. It didn't feel equal. But maybe it was time to stop always following Curiann's orders.

"Maybe I'll rebel a little."

"Rebellion is important, yeah, yeah."

"You seem to be in a perpetual state of rebellion."

"I'm just being honest with myself."

"Oh, I see."

The anger she felt earlier was gone. Now, she was mostly just exasperated. She wondered how Alvis could maintain a friendship with such a person.

This was Littane and Rihito's first meeting.

Personally, I really like Rihito...

Thank you always for reporting typos!