Chapter 59

At the age of heightened emotions. This is from the perspective of Prince Sirius, the first child of Prince Said.

This story takes place during the events of "47 The Meaning of Decorating with Flowers."

While staying in the kingdom of Naris, I was suddenly told by my father:

"You might be engaged soon."

"Engaged?"

According to my father, the fiancée is an older commoner named Shina, a former saint from the neighboring kingdom of Daido.

"Apparently, Alan mentioned it. The king and queen are quite enthusiastic about it."

My father looked perplexed. The former saint from the neighboring kingdom was a criminal who was exiled to the Glass Forest for trying to harm the new saint out of jealousy. Why would they choose such a criminal to be my fiancée?

In response, my mother, as usual, remained calm.

"If the king and queen say so, there must be some reason. We won't know the details until we return to the kingdom. It's pointless to worry about it now."

With that, my mother prepared for negotiations with the ministers of Naris. To secure support for our kingdom, which was facing a food crisis due to the rampant monsters, she had been in talks with the ministers of Naris. The negotiations were difficult because Naris was also beginning to suffer from monster attacks and was not giving favorable responses.

Since I had not yet reached adulthood, there was nothing I could do, and I spent my time with Kanan of Naris. Kanan, who was only 8 years old, was a bright child and seemed to be surpassing me easily. I, too, was working hard at my studies and swordsmanship to keep up.

My goal was to become a strong man like Uncle Jinklett. Uncle Jinklett, who was skilled in both swordsmanship and magic, was also an excellent commander and was popular among the soldiers for his cool demeanor.

Recently, both my father and mother had been looking serious. My grandparents were busy, and I rarely saw my uncles. The entire palace seemed to be enveloped in a tense atmosphere.

A few days later, my father was unusually cheerful. My mother also had a soft demeanor, and I was curious.

"I received a message from the king. We have secured food supplies. A plan to deal with the monster attacks has also been established. And, Lute's arm has been healed."

"Huh?!"

This meant that all the major problems plaguing the kingdom of Marita had been resolved. Moreover, what did it mean that Uncle Lute's arm had been healed? I had learned from my school teachers that recovery magic could not heal severed limbs. Could it be that...

"Could it be... that Kanan's leg can be healed too?"

Kanan, at the age of 3, had fallen off a horse during riding practice and lost the heel of his left foot after being dragged by the horse. Despite being bright and excellent, some nobles believed that he should not be the first in line to the throne due to his leg. The current king of Naris had no other children, and some influential nobles were trying to have their own children ascend the throne, which was causing Kanan pain.

During our stay in Naris, my father negotiated with the king of Naris multiple times, and it was decided that Kanan would go to Marita. Accompanied by a strong guard and trusted aides, including high-ranking magicians, we set off for Marita with a considerable number of people.

On the way, we were attacked by monsters several times, but we managed to avoid any injuries. The monster repellent sent by Marita had reduced the number of monsters significantly. Near the border between Marita and Naris, we met up with Uncle Jinklett's squad. Uncle Jinklett, whom I hadn't seen in a while, was commanding his squad impressively and single-handedly defeated a monster that the guards of Marita and Naris were struggling with. Amazing! Uncle Jinklett is really something!

"Jinklett...? Have you improved so much...? And those bracelets and sword..."

My father's eyes widened in surprise. Uncle Jinklett, who seemed listless and lacked energy except during battles, was explained by his aide, Barry.

"Yes, they were gifts from Shina."

"From the saint?"

"I believe the king will provide more details."

The guards and magicians of Naris were also in an uproar over Uncle Jinklett's bracelet and sword. From my perspective, they looked like magical artifacts that could significantly enhance one's magical power. Wind magic was even emanating from the sword. What's going on?!

"And what about Jinklett's behavior?"

Uncle Jinklett was staring blankly at the sky. Barry whispered something to my father, who then widened his eyes.

"Huh?"

Barry whispered again, and after a while, my father burst out laughing. My mother, who had been looking worried about Uncle Jinklett, was called over and also burst out laughing. It was not a ladylike laugh but a hearty one. My mother, who rarely laughed like that, was a rare sight!

"Ah, ahahaha! I, I want to meet her soon."

My mother, trying to suppress her laughter, said this, and my father nodded with a warm smile.

◇◇◇

After arriving in Marita, we were summoned by the king. A banquet was planned for the evening, and we had already prepared for it. Dressed formally, I accompanied my father and mother to the king's presence.

There, a woman named Shina was also present.

She was cute. Though small, she had her brown hair loosely tied up, and her black eyes sparkled. Her cheeks were slightly rosy, and her skin from her neck to her chest was as white as snow. She wore a blue, fluffy dress with a red ribbon around her waist, making her look like a fairy. Despite being older than me, her lively eyes shone like a child's, and her soft expression was breathtaking.

I felt my face turn red. She was my fiancée.

However, I remembered the words of my schoolmates. Many of them already had fiancées and advised not to spoil them. They said that if you showed any joy about the engagement, they would start demanding things and cry if you refused. If you didn't take a strong stance, you would be dominated for life.

I steeled myself. No matter how cute and delicate, women are greedy.

"What, I heard you were older than me, but you're so small."

I looked down at the woman in front of me. She looked even cuter up close. Her beautiful eyes gazed back at me in surprise. I couldn't resist the urge to touch her cheeks and hair.

Just as I was trying to keep my face from relaxing, I felt a strong impact on the back of my head.

"How dare you be so rude to a lady. You insolent boy!"

My mother hit me. Her eyes were filled with genuine anger. This was bad.

No, no, the first impression is important. The first impression.

"Mother! But I don't want such a woman as my fiancée!"

Shina tilted her head. The Schloss flowers in her hair swayed, and she looked so cute.

"Fool! A woman like you is far too good for a boy like him. Shina is too precious to be his fiancée. I will correct his attitude by the end of tonight's banquet, so be prepared."

"Sirius. Your engagement to Shina is absolutely, never going to happen. Don't say anything unnecessary."

My engagement was completely denied by my mother and Uncle Alan.

What? Why? I'm not really against it. I would welcome an engagement with such a cute girl!!

I quickly looked at my father, who shook his head slowly with a solemn expression. What?

Then, Uncle Jinklett, who was late, arrived.

Even as a man, I thought he looked cool. He looked good in both his knight's uniform and formal attire. He seemed to have rushed, as he was slightly out of breath.

I suddenly noticed that Shina's outfit today matched Uncle Jinklett's colors. Her dress was the same color as Uncle Jinklett's eyes, and the ribbon around her waist was the same color as his hair.

Uncle Jinklett approached Shina and... started crying.

What followed was unbelievable.

The cool Uncle Jinklett was crying throughout, and the cute Shina became his fiancée.

Why...? Wasn't she supposed to be my fiancée?

The official decision had not been made yet, but Shina and Uncle Jinklett were holding hands and looked happy. Despite Uncle Jinklett's tears, Shina's expression made it clear that there was no room for me to intervene. She looked at Uncle Jinklett the same way my mother looked at my father.

When we left, my father apologized. He said that the engagement had been withdrawn by the king immediately after, but he had been too busy to inform me.

I wish he had told me sooner. As a result, I was punished by my mother and made a bad impression on Shina. I also embarrassed myself.

Thus, my first love ended the moment it began.