Chapter 16

Chapter 2 begins.

Tiara Rose and Aquasteed, who have officially become engaged, are very happy.

The next year will be a period for Tiara Rose to undergo bridal training. After that, they will return to her country for a debut ceremony. Once that is over, they will hold a grand wedding in Aquasteed's country and become a formal couple.

Such is the hopeful present.

Tiara Rose and her party were heading for Marine Forest in a carriage, basking in the soft sunlight. They were on a 20-day journey, and it was now the sixth day. They were just before the border between Lapis Lazuli Kingdom and Marine Forest Kingdom. Tiara Rose touched her fluffy honey-pink hair and thought about the journey ahead.

"Leaving Lapis Lazuli for a while. Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm really looking forward to your country."

Aquasteed smiled gently, concerned about Tiara Rose leaving her homeland. His dark blue hair swayed as he tilted his head, accentuating his well-defined face. However, Tiara Rose was very excited about going to Marine Forest.

The sea with beautiful fish and coral, the clear and beautiful forest, and the fairies. Each of these would be a new experience for Tiara Rose.

Seeing Tiara Rose's excited expression, he felt relieved.

Still, she seemed a bit sad—Aquasteed thought he would definitely protect her.

"Ah! Is that the border?"

"Yes. It's the first time you're seeing it. From Lapis Lazuli, you can see the roses, but the border seen from Marine Forest has a different decoration."

"Amazing. It's beautiful here, but I'm looking forward to the other side too."

Seeing Tiara Rose's delighted smile, Aquasteed wanted to show her more quickly.

The border in this world is created using magic and is generally called a border wall.

It is a thin, transparent wall that extends into the sky, emphasizing the country. Each generation of kings infuses magic at their coronation and repaints the border anew.

The current border of Lapis Lazuli Kingdom, created by King Alexander, is a beautiful border wall with roses as its motif.

"The border wall is beautiful, but the gate is also beautifully decorated with roses."

"We've already notified them, so we can pass through the gate without getting off the carriage."

"Do we not need to have our belongings inspected?"

As they passed through the gate, they would enter Marine Forest. Tiara Rose wondered, as Aquasteed explained. Without inspection, suspicious people or spies could easily come and go. Slightly worried about the border, Tiara Rose frowned.

"Of course, there usually is. However, I am a member of the royal family of Marine Forest. If we notify them in advance, we are exempted."

"I see. I was ignorant..."

—Being a royal is convenient.

In other words, if Tiara Rose crossed the border alone, she would be thoroughly inspected. Thinking that she could avoid the probably troublesome inspection, Tiara Rose felt secretly relieved.

As Aquasteed said, the carriage crossed the border gate without stopping.

And they entered the Kingdom of Marine Forest, Aquasteed's homeland—...

"Wow, amazing...!"

Seeing the border wall on the Marine Forest side, Tiara Rose exclaimed in admiration. The border wall swayed gently, creating a fantastic atmosphere as if surrounded by water. It was a miraculous magic that only a country blessed by fairies could create.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Yes, very much. I've been surprised all day."

"Hehe. Then, I'll surprise you even more—"

"Huh?"

"Look."

Seeing Tiara Rose's cute and playful demeanor, Aquasteed chuckled. Wanting to surprise her even more, he opened the carriage window and pointed to something a bit far away. Reacting to this, Tiara Rose exclaimed, "Wow!"

What she saw was a beautifully clear sea. The sunlight reflected on it, making it look like a gemstone.

—The sea! The first time I've seen it in this world!!

"Shall we stop for a break?"

"Is that okay? I'm happy."

Tiara Rose clapped her hands in front of her chest and smiled, "I want to dip my feet in the sea."

◇ ◇ ◇

The sea of Marine Forest is said to be the most beautiful sea in this world.

In the sea, there live sea fairies. However, not everyone can see them. Fairies only show themselves to those they like.

—Will they show themselves to me?

Tiara Rose, escorted by Aquasteed, got out of the carriage, feeling anxious. The royal family of Marine Forest is loved by all fairies. As a future queen, Tiara Rose needed to be liked by the fairies... She was nervous.

"Are you okay, Filine?"

"Yes. Thank you for your concern."

While thinking about the fairies and feeling excited, Filine, Tiara Rose's maid, and Elliot, Aquasteed's attendant, appeared. Elliot, concerned about Filine, who was not used to the carriage journey, soon turned his gaze to the sea.

"?"

"Aah, Elliot is liked by the sea fairies. —Look."

The sound of splashing water reached their ears. Walking a short distance to the sea, they saw the sea fairies appear on the surface, hopping up and down. Tiara Rose and Filine exclaimed, "Cute!"

The sea fairies looked like mermaids, but their size was only slightly larger than a palm.

"Fairies are so small..."

"Filine, it's your first time seeing them. They are so cute, I'm surprised."

‘Aquasteed and Elliot—’

‘Welcome back, welcome back—!’

The sea fairies welcomed Aquasteed and Elliot with playful laughter. Responding with "We're back," the two showed that they were close to the fairies.

Tiara Rose, watching this interaction with a desire to be close to the fairies, felt her excitement overflow. Filine, finding her mistress's enthusiasm endearing, said, "Let's try."

"R-right. Will they like me...?"

"Tiara Rose, you'll be fine."

What if they don't like me? This thought crossed her mind, but—she wouldn't know unless she tried. Aquasteed nodded and encouraged Tiara Rose to approach the sea fairies. Tiara Rose, performing a graceful curtsy, opened her mouth to greet them—however, she was interrupted by the fairies' words.

‘No! I don't like you!!’

‘Don't touch me—!’

"…!!"

Without a word, the fairies declared their dislike. Shocked, Tiara Rose froze, and Aquasteed, who had not expected this, became anxious. He quickly went to Tiara Rose's side and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Fairies are whimsical," but it didn't help much.

Filine also went to Tiara Rose's side and tried to encourage her. However, her words were interrupted again by the fairies.

‘Who are you—?’

‘I know, you're called Filine! ’

‘Filine? I like Filine—! ’

Filine was startled. Her mistress had been disliked by the fairies, but she, the maid, was liked. This made it impossible for her to support Tiara Rose. Filine, wishing for silence, found the fairies showering her with a sparkling light. This was said to be a blessing given only to those the fairies especially liked.

"Wh-what? Why me!?"

Why not Tiara Rose? Filine screamed in her mind.

"Well... Filine has a kind heart. It's natural for the fairies to like her."

"That's not true. Tiara Rose is much more suitable than me..."

—Maybe because I played the game in my past life or was scared of being the heroine in the sequel, I didn't get the fairies to like me? Maybe I had an otaku aura that came out.

Despite Filine's worries, Tiara Rose, feeling shocked, thought about this. However, the shock was real. Dropping her shoulders, Tiara Rose felt Aquasteed gently embrace her.

"Tiara, you just arrived in this country, so take your time. Besides, I'm relieved that the fairies didn't take Tiara from me."

"Aquasteed..."

Aquasteed kissed Tiara Rose's forehead. Just that made her feel warm and happy.

Although she didn't receive the fairies' blessing, the thought of Aquasteed's sweet and gentle blessing was enough to satisfy her.

Filine and Elliot watched this scene with a smile, when suddenly, the sea splashed.

"Huh—?"

A very cute and lovely girl appeared from the sea. Tiara Rose and Filine thought she must be the princess of the sea fairies. Her pale blue, silky hair reached below her shoulders, and her bright orange eyes were captivating.

"Aishira..."

—Huh?

As expected, it's a game world. A fairy princess! Tiara Rose thought this for just a moment.

The name was announced by Aquasteed, who was standing next to her.

Aishira.

This was the name of the heroine in the sequel of the otome game "Lapis Lazuli Ring."

The heroine, Aishira, seemed to notice them and blinked her cute eyes. Recognizing who they were, she smiled brightly.

"Prince Aquasteed! It's been a while."

"Yes, it has. Did you swim all the way here...?"

"Yes. I was swimming with the sea fairies and ended up..."

It was unclear where Aishira had swum from, but from Aquasteed's surprise, it must have been a considerable distance.

She gracefully bowed in a swimsuit, coming up to the four of them. Although younger than Tiara Rose, her movements were very refined, indicating her high status.

"Welcome back, Prince Aquasteed. And... this is a new face. I am Aishira Pearlrand."

"Yes, welcome back. She is my fiancée."

"...I am Tiara Rose Lapis Clementine. I am very pleased to meet you."

While greeting Aishira with a smile, Tiara Rose was overwhelmed by an uncontrollable anxiety.

Aishira Pearlrand. The heroine of the sequel, whose meeting event takes place at the sea. This was what Akari, the protagonist of the previous game, had told her.

Feeling as if the game was unfolding exactly as it should, Tiara Rose's body trembled. Her mind was filled with anxious thoughts, unable to stop.

"Please come and visit again. I always look forward to Prince Aquasteed's visits."

"Yes, I will, soon."

"..."

All she could hear was Aishira's happy voice at seeing Aquasteed. Aquasteed responded with a smile, leaving Tiara Rose behind as the game progressed.

—Could I be the villainous lady in the sequel?

The fiancée of the main character. What else could this role be?

"Excuse me... I'll rest in the carriage for a bit..."

"Tiara?"

Saying this softly, Tiara Rose ran towards the carriage. She acted as if she didn't hear Aquasteed's worried voice and didn't look back.

She had run away. But she didn't want to see those two being so happy—! She wanted to go somewhere they couldn't see.

Running through the sand, Tiara Rose came to a natural arch formed by trees, known as a tree gate.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Am I worried...?"

Walking halfway through the tree gate, the tired Tiara Rose sat down. Her voice, tinged with anxiety, echoed. However, she didn't think she should have stayed in that situation.

The leaves of the trees, shimmering in the sunlight, seemed to comfort her.

"I didn't expect the heroine to appear so soon. —But, it's good that I knew her name."

She had to thank Akari for this. Even if it wasn't her intention, she had given Tiara Rose information about the heroine.

Leaning against the trees, she sighed deeply.

Now, what should I do? Tiara Rose didn't know how to return to the group.

Fortunately, she hadn't cried, so her eyes weren't red. However, she lacked the confidence to act normally.

As a marquise's daughter, Tiara Rose was skilled at maintaining her composure. However, she would be seen through by Filine, who had been with her for years, and by Aquasteed, who loved her deeply.

"What a dilemma..."

‘Are you troubled—?’

"Huh?"

In response to Tiara Rose's monologue, a playful voice answered. Looking around, wondering who it could be, she saw fairies appear.

Unlike the sea fairies, forest fairies with green hair surrounded Tiara Rose, shining and blessing her.

"Really, a blessing...?"

‘Name, name—!’

"Ah... I'm sorry. I am Tiara Rose Lapis Clementine."

‘Nice to meet you—’

‘I like you—! ’

Several forest fairies showed their affection for Tiara Rose and happily repeated her name.

Why is this happening? Just as she wondered, a surprised voice came from behind.

"Forest fairies don't usually like humans, yet to receive a blessing—!!"

"Elliot? Why are you here...?"

"Ah, I apologize. As a guard, I was standing a bit back."

Tiara Rose was surprised to see Elliot, but it made sense that he would be nearby to protect the newly arrived princess. She felt inadequate for not realizing it sooner.

Elliot, showing concern, asked, "Is something wrong? Did something unpleasant happen?"

—Even if she is the heroine, I can't say I ran away because I was jealous of a younger girl.

Even if it was a game event.

Thank you for all the evaluations, bookmarks, and comments. I'm very happy that many people are reading it.

So, I'll do my best with Chapter 2 too!

*Regarding future updates*

Chapter 2 will be updated every other day at 7 PM.