Chapter 11

This is the second update of the day.

Leen poked Cecilia, who was pulling a grimace.

"Cecilia's mother is quite something, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Mother is unusually overprotective..."

"Overprotective?"

"It seems she's worried that I can't make friends."

Cecilia recalled her childhood days when she was always demanding. While Cecilia's parents were not bad people, they were extremely indulgent with their child. Her father would buy her anything and fulfill even the smallest wish, while her mother, Lucinda, treated her daughter with great care. She would call a doctor at the slightest cough and faint with a pale face at the mere sight of a scrape.

Since Cecilia regained her memories from her previous life, things have improved, but even now, her overprotective nature occasionally resurfaces. Especially regarding Cecilia's friendships, she is more sensitive than others.

"Well, we should get started right away. Please relax in the salon until everything is ready!"

"I'm fine, but shouldn't you stop her?"

Leen pointed to Lucinda, who was calling for the servants. Cecilia shook her head.

"Once she gets like that, there's no stopping her."

As if sensing it instinctively, no one else spoke up. Everyone watched her back with a resigned look.

Cecilia, hiding her face behind a fan, let cold sweat slide down her face.

(Now, how should I get through this ordeal...)

If she were to be seen face-to-face, there's a good chance she would become Cecilia=Cecil. Her hairstyle is different, and she is wearing makeup, so she might be able to pass for a while, but it would be wise not to stay together for too long. In other words, an overnight stay is out of the question.

(But I can't think of a way to stop Mother...)

"Seems like there are a lot of guests today."

At that moment, a familiar voice came from the door, and everyone turned around. There stood Prince Oscar, accompanied by his guards.

(Oscar!?)

Cecilia instinctively shrank back and hid behind a shadow.

The first to speak was, of course, Lucinda.

"Oh, Your Highness!"

"Sorry, I got held up and arrived later than planned... Wait, you guys!?"

Oscar finally noticed Leen and the others and widened his eyes.

"Hey, Oscar! What a coincidence!"

Dante wrapped his arm around Oscar's neck and smiled.

"Why are you guys here?"

"That's what we should be asking. Your Highness..."

Gilbert, pressing his temples, looked displeased. Lucinda, however, was the one to answer.

"Oh, a few days ago, Your Highness sent a letter saying you wanted to stop by before returning to the palace, so I replied, 'Please do come.'"

This was the kind of thing Gilbert would usually crush.

"Since both of them were planning to return anyway, I thought Cecilia should see Your Highness after so long, right?"

"Mother..."

Even as her own mother, Lucinda always does more than necessary.

Cecilia couldn't meet Oscar here. She slowly tried to leave the scene.

In this world, Oscar is the last person who should know Cecilia's true identity. In the game, he had sent Cecilia to prison and executed her multiple times. In some scenarios, she was even beheaded on the spot. While this world's Oscar doesn't seem to have much animosity towards Cecilia, the fact that she had disguised herself as a boy and deceived him could lead to unpredictable consequences.

(And I haven't even properly apologized to Oscar...)

Since the incident with the Chinese dress, Cecilia hadn't been able to properly apologize to Oscar. He was often absent from class, and when he was there, he was usually talking to someone else, making it difficult to approach him. Moreover, he was very busy and often took breaks from school. This left no chance for her to apologize.

Thus, the current relationship between Cecilia and Oscar is far from good.

(Carefully...)

Cecilia turned on her heel and tiptoed away. She wanted to hide in an empty room.

However, his voice pierced through her retreating back without mercy.

"Are you Cecilia?"

Her body jolted. She slowly turned around, her movements sluggish like a rusty tin. Oscar was standing there with wide eyes. There was no escaping now.

Cecilia hid her face further behind the fan, her voice trembling with tension.

"Y-Yes, it's been a long time, Your Highness."

"Really, it has been... a long time."

A relieved and gentle voice came, and Cecilia peeked at him from the edge of the fan.

Oscar genuinely looked happy, his cheeks relaxing into a warm smile. He smiled softly at Cecilia, not even mentioning her impolite behavior of hiding her face. Despite all the complaints he had in the game.

(Why...)

Why is he so happy?

Before Cecilia could ponder this, another shocking suggestion pierced her ears.

"Right! Why don't Your Highness stay overnight?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"We're all planning to stay at our cottage. It seems you all know each other. Why don't you join us?"

"No."

Oscar was taken aback by the sudden suggestion. Cecilia, holding onto her mother's sleeve, frantically shook her head.

This was bad. Really bad.

However, Lucinda Silvy, when it comes to her daughter, doesn't even listen to her daughter's opinion.

"Your Highness, there's no need to be shy. I'll write to the king myself."

The Silvy family and the royal family are childhood friends, and the current king is a man who cannot refuse a friend's request.

"I'll increase the security a bit, then."

No one in the room could stop her from making this decision.

"Then, everyone, please take care of Cecilia."

With a ladylike bow far more beautiful than Leen's, Lucinda concluded the scene.