Chapter 6

Well, here I am, Lizbeth Adelsham, who has been tasked with persuading the prince.

...How should I go about persuading him?

After all, he's just a child I don't know. Even if he is the eldest son of the royal family, he's someone I had no business with and no intention of getting involved with.

The prince is someone who will become king and bear the weight of the people in the future. It's quite intimidating to be involved with such a person. ...To be honest, I was more worried about what would happen if I upset him and ended up as a fallen noble or something.

My father, who is unaware of my feelings, said, "You can do it," with a rather detached cheer, and forcibly pushed me into the library where the prince was. I need to prepare myself.

The library I was pushed into was dim and cool, with the scent of dust.

While it may not be very hygienic, I don't actually dislike this kind of old, musty smell. The scent of paper and ink tickles my nose. Actually, the dust physically tickled my nose.

"Achoo!"

"...Who's there!"

...Ah, I've found the prince.

I had never seen the prince before, but I immediately recognized the boy peeking out from behind a bookshelf as him.

He was probably a few years older than me.

His fine, silky blonde hair was visible even in the dim light of the lantern and the faint sunlight from the ceiling. His skin was as white as porcelain, with a smooth texture that even a woman would find hard to match.

His blue eyes, visible beneath his bangs, were looking at me with obvious suspicion. ...Father, you really gave me a difficult task.

"Should I introduce myself? I'm Lizbeth."

I didn't continue with "Please remember me," because I want to avoid getting involved with the royal family as much as possible. I don't want to get caught up in power struggles.

I made a small curtsy, but the prince looked at me with a doubtful gaze. Well, I did suddenly appear, and I'm just a child.

He probably thinks I'm a child sent by adults.

"Please rest assured. I didn't come to forcibly take you back."

"...I don't believe you."

"You wouldn't, would you? But even if I tried, I don't have the strength to take the prince back."

After all, I'm just a four-year-old girl. No matter how much I inherited my parents' qualities, my physical growth hasn't caught up, so there's nothing I can do.

Besides, if I were to be violent towards the prince, I would probably be sentenced to death. I don't want to upset important people.

To show that I have no intention of doing anything, I raised my hands slightly in a surrendering pose. I have no intention of resorting to physical means. Actually, it's impossible for a child to do so.

So how do I persuade him? With my words, of course. In this case, I'll provoke him. I hope I don't get punished for disrespect. If it comes to that, I'll plead with the king like a child.

"...So, do you intend to stay there forever, Your Highness?"

As I slowly approached, emphasizing my question, he glared at me with hostility.

Well, from the prince's perspective, I must seem like an evil henchman... It's quite rude to be so hostile towards a helpless little girl, isn't it? Just kidding, though. I understand that I'm not particularly cute or endearing.

"Everyone is worried about you."

"That's not true! They're just pretending because I'm the king's child! They're just trying to flatter me and use me for their own gain!"

The prince raised his voice, his eyebrows furrowed. Indeed, for a child, his thinking is quite mature and lacks cuteness. He seems to lack trust.

"Well, that might be true. So?"

"So? That's just an excuse, isn't it? You're just running away from your responsibilities. Abandoning your duties."

I know it's bad to say, but being used is normal. I don't like it and try to avoid it, but sometimes I do it. I don't want to fawn on the current rulers to get sweet deals.

If you're born into the royal family, you will inevitably encounter people's malice. But if you run away from it, things won't be resolved. They'll only get worse.

"Hey, what do you know about that!"

"I don't know. I'm just talking about someone who keeps running away and turning a blind eye to reality."

"...!"

I realized I had been pushed when I fell on my bottom. I hit my back hard, and the prince, that was a bit much.

Then the prince pounced on me, grabbing my collar with his trembling hands. No violence, please.

I seem to have lit the fuse of the prince's temper. He's really angry.

At this point, it's probably better to be straightforward. I don't really want to speak the truth, as it usually makes people angry. And he's currently getting angrier.

"Well, if I get hit, I'll get healed by my mother. As long as I don't die. ...That's not a joke, though."

"You think you know anything about me...!"

"I understand that you didn't choose to be born into the royal family. But if you were born into it, you should fulfill your duties, and it's for your own good as well."

I can somewhat understand the feeling of giving up. But running away and sulking won't solve anything. With a child's simplistic thinking, nothing will change in the end.

"You think you can talk me into it!"

"Then just deny it. But I will say this: you are still a child. That's why such selfishness is allowed."

The prince is still young and not ready to bear the weight of everything. Running away is expected, which is why the commotion around you is kept to a minimum.

...But that's only because you're still young, and it's allowed now.

"But you will grow up eventually. When that time comes, you won't be allowed to run away. By then, you will be a ruler bearing the weight of the country."

"I... I..."

"Doing nothing is also a choice. But it will lead to you losing your armor, or rather, a lot of it."

He seemed to calm down a bit and reacted to my words.

"You might not understand this, as you are still under protection. If you run away from everything now, you will lose the ability to protect yourself. What are you being taught? Magic and swordsmanship to protect yourself, academics to protect your country, and culture to avoid being looked down upon by other countries. Everything is done for your future, for your benefit, don't you understand?"

A child wouldn't understand this, but the prince is very intelligent and thinks like an adult. He should be able to understand the true meaning of my words.

"I apologize for my harsh words. But please think about it. Everyone is being strict with you because they care about you."

When I finished speaking, the prince looked down at me with wide eyes. The grip on my collar had loosened.

...One more push.

"People who will try to use you will appear on your path. I don't deny that. But I want you to learn how to protect yourself, to distinguish between malice and kindness. I want you to be able to cut off malice and use it to your advantage."

I said this and slowly reached out to the prince who was leaning over me. I put my arms around his neck and gently hugged him, despite my lack of physical maturity. I still have a future, you know.

"So, let's make this the last time you run away. You need to become stronger and learn to protect yourself."

"..."

"For now, you can be as clingy as you want. ...Okay?"

I know it's strange for a four-and-a-half-year-old to say, but the prince didn't question it deeply and just pressed his forehead against mine. The hand that had been grabbing my collar now wrapped around my back, as if seeking something.

I gently patted his head and rubbed his back, comforting him. Yeah, this isn't something a four-year-old should do.

"...You're so stiff. So different from Mother."

"Prince, I'm still a child, so don't expect softness from me."

I thought about hitting him, but it would definitely be considered a serious offense, so I held back. Raising a hand to the prince would get me killed. I'm already in trouble for speaking so freely.

After hugging for a while, the prince slowly lifted his face. His eyes seemed slightly moist, as if he had been crying, but I didn't want to press the issue.

The prince looked at me intently, so I tilted my head. Up close, I could see how perfectly his features were formed.

I hadn't noticed before because he had been glaring, but he had a very lovely face. I had thought he was well-featured, but this was something else. The royal genes are truly formidable. He will be quite handsome in the future.

"Is something wrong?"

"...How old are you?"

"Four years and seven months."

"...That's impossible."

To his dazed mutter, I smiled wryly. I think so too, considering I'm a woman approaching her thirties inside.

If I said that, I would think the prince is also too mature for his age. He understood what I was trying to say, after all.

The prince seemed to regain his composure, stood up, and brushed off the dust on his clothes. For some reason, he then extended his hand to me.

Surprised by this unexpected action, I blinked and then, a bit troubled, lowered my eyebrows. "I've been taught to be considerate of women because they are delicate," he said, acting like a proper gentleman.

There was no apology for pushing me earlier, but since I wasn't hurt, it's fine. ...Also, most girls are actually stronger than boys, but I'll keep that a secret.

"...I'm sorry about earlier."

Ah, he apologized.

"No, I also provoked you. I'm truly sorry. I beg your forgiveness for my rudeness earlier."

"...You don't have to be so formal. The way you spoke earlier is fine."

It seems I won't be punished for disrespect, which is a relief. I was really worried about that, considering how freely I spoke.

I let out a sigh of relief and then realized I was still holding the prince's hand, so I tried to let go gently.

...I was going to let go, right?

"...Don't let go without my permission."

Wow, that's quite domineering. After pushing me, he says not to let go. Well, I guess he felt attached.

Hmm, I might have set some weird flags, but at least my mission is complete. I need to report to Father.

In any case, I have to take the prince with me, so it's fine to hold his hand... but I'm a bit scared of being treated as a deterrent or a treat from now on.