Chapter 59

◇

A few days later, we decided to try to get some more information out of the little sister.

Albes is patrolling the fields.

He must have sensed that we were up to something, as he’s been giving us a suspicious look ever since. Tianna has been frowning at us for a while now.

However, she hasn’t stopped us yet, so there shouldn’t be any problem for now.

...Alright, let's do this!

"Hey, I have a question. Do you know what Fil's favorite food is?"

"Huh, Fil's favorite food? Let me see... maybe bean dishes or salty stews?"

She stopped sweeping with the broom, thought seriously for a moment, and then answered.

Upon hearing this, Yuris opened his eyes wide and started laughing.

"Salty stews! That guy really likes that! He and Albes used to get along well over it! ...But, does he really like beans that much? I don't remember him being that attached to them when we were around."

"Yeah, that's true. He didn't use to like them that much. I remember a time when he was forced to eat half of a mountain of beans by the lady in the cafeteria, and he didn't seem to like them enough to want to keep them all for himself."

"...The lady, huh."

Rend is still very considerate of women.

The cafeteria is basically full of men, and it's rare to see any women there. The only woman we usually see in the cafeteria... well, even if we try to be kind, she's not young, and her figure is not much different from ours. But, she's still a lady.

As I secretly chuckled, the little sister tilted her head.

"So, he didn't really like them that much before? Fil said he wanted to eat them because there are no bean dishes in the north. He seems to be considerate of the fact that it's not a local specialty."

"Yeah, that's true. There are no beans grown in the north, so there are no bean dishes. I didn't really mind, but they do appear occasionally now."

"Really? They make them often. The people from the north are proud and don't usually accept cultural influences from other regions."

"That's true, but recently they've been making them. I've even tasted them once. It's a strange flavor, but it's quite good."

"...Is it good? Fil didn't seem very happy about it."

"Maybe it doesn't suit his taste. He's from the area around the capital, after all!"

After all, he's a prince!

...But I won't say that.

If I did, Albes would probably punch me. And when the vacation is over, I'd probably be dead. Even if I don't die, I'd be in a situation where I might as well be dead.

Either he would kill me directly, or I'd be sent to a war zone, and the end result would be the same.

Because I have this certainty, I understand that I must never say those words.

Anyway.

"So, do you know what Fil dislikes? This is just for a bit of fun among the knights, you know!"

"A bit of fun..."

The little sister muttered and then tried to suppress a laugh.

Oh, she knows that our "fun" is just silly, huh? That's the kind of thing we don't need to worry about!

As we grinned, the little sister cleared her throat cutely and brought the topic back.

"Right, what Fil dislikes... Is it okay to say?"

"Lucia. If you have any doubts, you don't need to indulge in the knights' frivolous talk. The knights, especially the cavalry, are not suitable for ladies."

Oh no, Tianna has finally intervened! Her gaze is cold. She's such a beautiful woman, but that look is a bit scary.

However, it's true that we don't fit in with ladylike behavior, so I won't argue.

The little sister doesn't seem to mind us much. She's truly Albes' sister. She thought seriously and tilted her head.

"Right... Well, he's not very good at field work. Other than that... He eats anything, and he even happily eats the not-so-sweet pastries we make at home. Hmm, he might not be good at cleaning the animal sheds? He often complains about being pecked or kicked by chickens, but he seems to enjoy it, so I don't think he really dislikes it."

"Wow... chickens..."

That guy?

The same guy who is tainted by the wild habits of the cavalry but still shines, gets pecked and kicked by chickens while cleaning the animal sheds?

...What, that sounds interesting.

Ha, I'd love to see it!

We exchanged glances and grinned.

◇

A little over a month later.

We deeply regretted our frivolous wish from that day.

...We saw it.

We saw a completely different side of him, one that we never see in the military.

When we saw him lying on the floor, covered in grass, with terrible bedhead... we were genuinely confused about what we were seeing.

Moreover.

That cautious guy, who would entrust his dominant right hand to the little sister without a second thought.

It's impossible.

Where is the guy who was always perfectly armed at the northern fort? If you got too close during a nap, he'd draw his sword, and if you tried to touch his sword while he was drunk, he'd break your arm.

The guy who never ate or drank anything unless it was given to him by someone he trusted, is now casually eating whatever he finds in the kitchen?

...Where is the generous but energetic commander in his uniform? Where did the prince who smiles beautifully in the palace but ignores the women's adoring gazes go?

"Lucia's bean dishes are delicious!"

He smiles in a way that makes him seem like a regular older brother. Yet, he still shines, and there's something about it...

...The way he smiles at the little sister is too sweet. I'm surprised Albes hasn't said anything.

He seems to have sensed our bewilderment.

As soon as Lucia left, he turned to us with the same perfect smile he often shows in the palace.

"I trust your discretion."

Ha ha ha... This is more of a threat than trust, isn't it?

His blue eyes, visible through his silver hair, were cold and devoid of any smile.

Even we, the knights of the kingdom, felt a chill down our spines.

But, we are knights of the kingdom. We are not the kind to back down from a mere threat.

...Besides, we were already planning to keep quiet, even without him saying anything. Albes is scary too. Against both of them, even I would lose.

Most importantly, the little sister is a good kid.

I don't want to ruin that bright smile. She's a child that Albes, as a knight, has worked hard to protect.

Even if it's called giving in to a threat, we'll keep quiet.

In return, we ate all the bean-filled bread that our Fil-sama was looking forward to!

Ha, take that!

...Later, he seriously attacked us in anger, but it was just a mock battle with wooden swords, so there was no real danger.

If anything, we just got a few more bruises. But that's just part of our daily life as swordsmen.

Ragulen is very peaceful.

And it's a comfortable place to be.

Maybe it's good for us, who tend to be rough, to have a place where we can relax.

(End of the Extra Chapter: Testing How Much We Know About Him)

Thank you for reading to the end.

The novel "I Was Invited to My Ex-Fiancé's Wedding Even Though Our Engagement Was Broken Off. I Can't Refuse, So I'll Go with My Brother's Friend" is available in two volumes from SQEX Novels. (Volume 1 is equivalent to the main story of the web serialization, with significant revisions and additions. Volume 2 is a new story.)

Additionally, the manga adaptation is currently serialized on Gangan ONLINE.

For more details, please check the activity report.