After-Story Chapter 38: Proposal (Part 3)
Now, Carla, who had fled from Cian, took refuge in the gardens within Parnam Castle. The garden, which had been lovingly maintained as a hobby by the previous King, Lord Albert (Albert’s qualifications as a monarch were mediocre, but he showed high talent as a gardener, resulting in a magnificent structure), offered many screens and places to hide.
Concealing herself behind a hedge in the garden, Carla took a round object from her pocket.
“Liscia… please pick up…”
Carla spoke into the crystal ball-like object, which was about the size of her palm. This was a communication device known as a Mini Orb. Since no major wars had erupted on the continent of Landia after the world reorganization, technological advancements had focused on improving people’s lives. The most significant progress was made in developing the transportation network connecting the nations and in the miniaturization and mass production of broadcast orbs.
The latter, in particular, was developed by the Maxwell-Arcs family with Souma’s support. It not only made broadcast program production easier but also served as a video-phone, accelerating communication and information exchange among the highest echelons of different nations. Although still expensive, they were in the hands of knights, nobles, and wealthy merchants, and Carla, having returned to the Vargas family, also possessed one.
However, unlike a mobile phone, this Mini Orb was not something you could call anyone who possessed it. You had to call out to a registered contact and wait for them to answer (there was no ringing tone), making its practical use closer to a walkie-talkie.
“Liscia! Liscia, can you hear me!?”
Carla called into the Mini Orb, but there was no response.
“Tch… She won’t answer.”
The Mini Orb was convenient because it could connect a call regardless of the distance, without needing antennas or base stations. However, it had a tricky specification: without a ring tone or voicemail, you couldn’t relay a message unless the recipient was carrying the orb and answered. It seemed Liscia was not currently in a situation where she could take a call.
“? Carla-sama?”
Startled by the voice, Carla turned around. Standing there with curious expressions were Sharan, the princess of the Kingdom of Nine-Headed Dragon Islands and Cian’s fiancée; Flora, the daughter of Sebastian, owner of the ‘Silver Deer Shop’; and a girl considerably younger than the other two, around ten years old, named Misora. Carla hurriedly straightened her back.
“Sharan-sama, Flora-sama, Misora-sama! M-My apologies.”
“What’s wrong, miss Carla? Is that.”
The young girl, Misora, tilted her head. She was the second daughter born to Souma and Roroa after the war. She was an adorable girl, like a tiny Roroa, but her eyes gave her a somewhat sleepy and fuzzy impression. Souma reportedly said, “Misora definitely takes after my grandma.”
“Are you playing hide-and-seek here, is that? I want to join too, is that.”
“Um, Misora-san. Adding ‘is that’ (desu) to merchant slang doesn’t make it polite language, you know?”
“? Is that so, is that? Big Sister Flora.”
Misora gave a fuzzy reply even after Flora pointed out her error. Flora was holding her head, wondering how to correct Misora’s naturally odd speech.
“By the way, what brings the three of you here?”
“Flora-san came over today, so the three of us were holding a tea party,” Sharan answered Carla’s question.
As Carla nodded in understanding, Sharan strode purposefully toward her.
“More importantly! Why are you here, Carla-sama? I thought Cian-sama was determined to ‘propose to Carla today!'”
“!! That is…”
“I see. You were surprised and ran away.”
Sharan hit the nail on the head, seeing Carla’s hesitant reaction. Sharan let out a troubled sigh.
“Cian-sama finally made up his mind, but Carla-sama is doing this too… Unless the two of you settle down where you belong, it will be difficult for me to advance my relationship with Cian-sama, too…”
“Um, do you understand, Sharan-sama? His… Cian-sama’s…”
“His feelings of affection for you, Carla-sama? Of course. I’ve been close with Cian-sama and Kazuha-sama since we were children, and I could clearly see the ‘I love Carla so much beam’ he was constantly projecting at you.”
“‘I love you so much beam’…”
Even after the Sea Alliance was upgraded to the Southern Continent Union following the world reorganization, the close relationship between the Kingdom of Friedonia, the Republic of Turgis, and the Kingdom of Nine-Headed Dragon Islands was maintained. The heads of state frequently traveled to other countries on family vacations. Souma’s dream—to have “sea bathing in the Nine-Headed Dragon Islands in summer, and skiing and hot springs in the Republic of Turgis in winter”—was now possible.
Furthermore, Queen Shabon of Nine-Headed Dragons often visited the Kingdom of Friedonia, claiming it was “for Cian and Sharan to meet as fiancés,” while tenaciously and patiently continuing negotiations to receive naval technology like the island-type aircraft carriers. Because of this, the children’s generation, including Cian, met frequently and often played together. That was why Sharan had realized Cian’s feelings early on.
“Cian-sama treats me like a younger sister, just like he treats Big Sister Kazuha, but he’s always looked at Carla-sama with the eyes of a man admiring the woman he loves. I was jealous of that, so I tried very hard to get him to see me as a woman, too.”
“Sharan-sama…”
“You don’t dislike Cian-sama, do you, Carla-san?”
“Oh, no. Of course not.”
“Then what is causing you so much confusion?”
Asked directly by Sharan, Carla resigned herself and confessed her feelings.
“For a long time… I thought of him as a younger brother with a large age gap. Even after he grew up and became the sovereign I serve, that part of seeing him as a brother still remains.”
“Oh, well, what’s wrong with a fiancé who’s like a younger brother?” Flora, who had been listening, chuckled softly. “It’s nice to watch a younger man try hard to act grown up, you know?”
“…Well, I suppose that’s true for you, Flora-san.”
“That’s about big bwother Leon, is that.”
Sharan said, sounding exasperated, while Misora spoke in a cheerful voice. Flora was Leon’s older fiancée. Leon, Roroa’s son, showed absolutely no interest in state affairs and, like Roroa, had a talent for business. It had already been decided that he would eventually leave the Royal Family and manage Roroa’s trading company with Flora.
Since the Kingdom of Elfrieden and the Principality of Amidonia had merged to become the Kingdom of Friedonia for a long time now, and the people had become accustomed to being a single nation, there was also the issue that Leon remaining in the Royal Family while keeping the Amidonian surname could be exploited by those with rebellious intentions. For these reasons, Flora and Leon were raised together, and their relationship was very similar to that of Carla and Cian.
Ignoring Flora, who had started enthusiastically talking about Leon’s cute side to Misora, Sharan addressed Carla.
“I believe there’s no problem as long as we don’t confuse the order of things. I carry the burden of this country’s friendship with the Kingdom of Nine-Headed Dragon Islands, so I cannot concede the position of First Royal Consort. Even if Carla-sama is welcomed as one of the consorts, you will support me in public settings. If you can do that, I will not oppose your entry into the harem.”
“Sharan-sama…”
In Sharan’s expression, Carla saw a glimpse of her close friend, Liscia. It was the face of a woman who was ready to shoulder the burden of a nation and walk alongside the man she loved. Liscia must have worn a face like this, too, as she stood beside the man she loved and continued to support him. Even after his abdication, that was likely still true…
“It’s up to your heart, Carla-sama. If you truly wish to reject becoming a consort, that’s fine. However, if you refuse because of your position or status while still holding feelings for him…”
“I-If I do?”
“Then I will patiently persuade you until you change your mind. I’ll even follow you around while you’re doing your attendant duties.”
“Ugh, that’s a subtly annoying method…” Carla sighed, sounding defeated.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
After being fled from by Carla following his confession, Cian returned to the office to handle paperwork. He was disheartened, but work wouldn’t run away like Carla had. Though he moved his hands diligently, he couldn’t help but sigh.
“Hah…”
“…You have a gloomy aura about you.”
The bespectacled young man listening nearby said with a wry smile.
“Well, I’m being forced to work right after being fled from by the person I proposed to, so of course, I’m depressed, Big Brother Ichiha.”
The bespectacled young man was Ichiha Chima, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom. Ichiha, who had a boyish face originally, had lost his childish features in his late twenties and now had the striking face of a mature man. Even though he was married, many court ladies and attendants still flirted with him, but the activity quieted down once the rumor spread that “if you go too far, you’ll be bitten by a white wolf.”
Incidentally, Cian calls Ichiha “Big Brother” in private because Ichiha’s spouse, Tomoe, is called “Big Sister.” Tomoe is technically Cian’s “Aunt” by position, but due to the results of their early education, they were allowed to call her “Big Sister.” Ichiha smiled wryly and neatly stacked the signed documents.
“She’s your first love, Cian. You have to be patient.”
“…Spoken like a man who married his first love.”
“Well, I think I was lucky. But there are also cases like His Majesty and Liscia-sama who developed their love after getting engaged, so everyone has their own pace, don’t they?”
“I… I know that. I know that, but!” Cian said, collapsing onto his desk. “I want to flirt with Carla too!”
“Is that your true motive?”
