Chapter 64

The soft, black fur and the small horns that sprouted cutely made it look rather adorable. It seemed to be wearing some kind of accessory around its neck, giving it a stylish touch.

Tiararose and Aquasteed were captivated by its appearance, unsure if it could be easily called an animal.

Is it a fairy? But with horns, could it be a terrifying creature? They considered this, but the adorable appearance quickly dispelled such thoughts.

"Is that the animal Tiararose helped...?"

"Yes, it is. I'm glad it looks well."

Tiararose had been worried it might be weakened by water, so she felt relieved. She quickly moved to the window, intending to open it and invite the animal in—only to be stopped by Aquasteed.

"Tiararose, we can't guarantee it's not dangerous, so don't act rashly."

"!"

Knowing she would worry, Aquasteed pulled Tiararose's hand. Then, Aquasteed opened the window and invited the animal in.

Tiararose had been worried it might run away, but the animal entered the room without any hesitation or signs of alertness.

"I've never seen one like this before. Is it a fairy?"

"I haven't seen an animal like this either. It's definitely not a normal animal, but whether it's a fairy... I'm not sure."

"It's a mysterious creature."

Aquasteed watched the animal warily, but it showed no signs of aggression or any intention to attack. Feeling reassured, Tiararose was told to keep her distance.

However, the question of what this animal was quickly disappeared, thanks to the animal itself.

"Aquasteed, Tiararose, I need your help!"

"---! The animal spoke...!?"

Its large, moist eyes didn't shed tears, but they held a strength that firmly met Tiararose and Aquasteed's gaze.

"If we do nothing, Feres will become something terrible. I want to stop that... Could you please help me?"

"Prince Feres?"

Tiararose was surprised to hear the name of a person she hadn't expected.

Feres Marinforest.

The first king, who existed as a ghost in the sealed king's chamber beneath the castle.

The person who had lent his power to Aquasteed when he created the Starlight Ring.

---What is the relationship between this animal and Prince Feres?

There were no such animals in that place, and Aquasteed thought the same, asking, "Who are you?"

The animal took a step back, bowed, and introduced itself.

"I am Liliage Marinforest. Please call me Lili."

"...A royal?"

Only the royal family can bear the name Marinforest.

Upon hearing the name, Tiararose realized she had never heard of such a name among the royal lineage. The most likely possibility was that Liliage was Feres's wife, a fact that Aquasteed's guess seemed to confirm when Liliage said, "I am his wife."

"I didn't know you were the princess... I apologize for my rudeness."

"No, thank you, Tiararose, for helping me."

Tiararose immediately knelt to show respect, and Liliage smiled, saying, "It's fine." She then looked at Aquasteed, who also knelt, and continued with a slightly worried tone.

"Aquasteed, are you feeling any discomfort? With your royal powers awakening, I imagine it's difficult to control your growing magic."

"I can feel my magic growing, but I'm not experiencing any discomfort. Thank you for your concern."

"That's... good to hear."

Seeing Liliage's gentle demeanor, Tiararose felt reassured that the animal was not dangerous. However, she wondered why Feres's wife would be here in such a form.

Their era was long ago. Tiararose thought that like Feres, Liliage might be a ghost or a similar existence lingering in the mortal world.

Perhaps her appearance was the result of her trying to take action to help Feres.

---She must really love Prince Feres.

Just like how I feel about Aquasteed. The ring must have conveyed Liliage's existence.

With that, Tiararose decided to help Feres and Liliage.

"Oh?"

"?"

Suddenly, Liliage looked at the table and exclaimed.

"What is that? ...It's so cute!"

"It's a cookie, a sweet treat. Would you like to try one?"

"I'd love to!!"

The cookies, decorated with icing to look like flowers, were very ornate.

Previously, only plain cookies were available, but thanks to Tiararose's efforts, the castle's chefs had learned to make them.

Tiararose picked up Liliage and placed her on a chair, handing her an icing cookie.

Liliage, with her fluffy hands, took the cookie, admired its cuteness, and then popped it into her mouth.

"Wow, such sweet and delicious things exist in the world...!"

"I'm glad you like it."

"Women have always loved sweets, no matter the era."

Seeing Tiararose and Liliage happily eating cookies, Aquasteed smiled. He then noticed a small stain on Tiararose's dress and realized it must have been caused by Liliage.

"Tiararose"

"Yes?"

"Let's help Liliage get ready. She must be tired."

"! That's right, I'm sorry. I've been outside, so a bath would be nice."

Nodding to Aquasteed and Liliage, Tiararose said, "I'll prepare the bath," and filled the bathtub in the room with water.

◇ ◇ ◇

While Tiararose and Liliage were in the bath, Aquasteed instructed Elliot to call off the search for the animal.

He then returned to his daily duties, which had increased.

He called Elliot and Filine to inform them that the schedule might change and to tell them about Liliage.

With the two of them aware, things would run more smoothly.

"Prince Feres's wife...?"

"Yes. Tiararose and I can't miss the wedding. In the worst case, Elliot will stay in Marinforest to handle Liliage."

"...I see, it's a task only I can handle."

Filine, who would go with Tiararose, instructed the staff to prepare a room for Liliage to make her stay comfortable.

"Depending on Tiararose's decision, it might be safer to use her room rather than prepare a new one."

"Agreed. I'll confirm that."

Given Liliage's status, it was important to avoid any situation where she might be discovered.

As Aquasteed pondered what to do, Tiararose and Liliage, who had just finished their bath, appeared. Tiararose had helped Liliage and only changed her dress.

Liliage's black fur was fluffy, and she had a cute ribbon on the back of her neck.

"Lord Aquasteed! And Filine and Elliot are here too, perfect!"

"Hmm?"

"Lili told me that the graves of Prince Feres's parents are in Lapislazuli. Can we take Lili to the wedding?"

According to Liliage, the graves contained powerful items that the royal parents had possessed. Obtaining them would stabilize Feres's power.

"However, Feres wasn't close to his parents. I want to retrieve them secretly."

"I see... Then, I'll adjust the schedule to include a stop there."

"Thank you, Aquasteed."

Liliage smiled, and Aquasteed asked if she could identify the location on a map. Liliage climbed onto the table and tilted her head.

"...I'm sorry, I don't know the exact location. But I think it's near the castle."

"That's fine. Perhaps an old map would be better. Elliot."

"Yes, I'll get it right away."

Elliot left to retrieve an old map from the knight's archives.

Filine prepared tea and macarons for them to enjoy while they waited. Liliage, with her bright eyes, was captivated by the macarons, and Filine smiled, saying it was like having two Tiararoses.

When Elliot returned with the map, he spread it out on the table, but the castle of Lapislazuli was not there.

This was a map from before Lapislazuli was founded, but it was the closest to Liliage's era.

"I'm sorry, I don't know the exact location. ...But I don't think it's far from Marinforest."

"Understood. As a royal grave, there should be some trace. Elliot, go ahead and investigate."

"Understood."

Given that it was in another country, a large-scale search was not feasible, and they couldn't allocate many resources. Despite this, they set out for Lapislazuli without any information.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the luxurious carriage, Tiararose, Aquasteed, and Liliage were traveling.

Since there were no precedents for such animals or fairies, Tiararose had the animal pretend to be a doll she liked to avoid suspicion.

They were now traveling within Marinforest, heading towards Lapislazuli.

"Wow, the sea is beautiful. And I've always been in Marinforest, so this is my first time visiting another country!"

Liliage was excited and hummed a cheerful tune, captivated by the scenery outside.

"I'm glad Lili is enjoying it, Lord Aquasteed."

"Yes, it's heartwarming to see her still love her country after so many years."

Probably, the Marinforest of Liliage's time was more natural and beautiful. Still, she said she loved the current Marinforest.

The cute and delicious pastries, the beautiful city, and the smiling citizens. "Thank you for taking such good care of this country," Liliage said, looking genuinely happy.

As the one who had built this country, Aquasteed found her words deeply touching.

"I hope you can see more of Marinforest."

"Yes."

The three of them enjoyed the scenery and the brief journey together.

Today is the release date of Volume 4 of "The Villainess is Doted on by the Crown Prince of the Neighboring Country." I've worked hard on revisions, additions, and extra chapters, so I hope you enjoy it!

The special SS included with the Animate edition is from Elliot's perspective and is quite rare. (laughs)

There's also information about the manga adaptation at the end of the book, so please check it out!