Chapter 61: Preparation for Departure

Summer has come to the Symphonia Imperial Kingdom. In this country, which has four seasons like Japan, summers are hot and winters are cold. You might think, ‘What an obvious thing to say,’ but compared to modern Japan where air conditioners and fans are everywhere, the summer heat in this country is quite severe. Originally, even the Royal Palace only had methods like using ice created by ice mages to cool down, but this year was different. Installed in the wide courtyard of the castle as if with a Don! was the Cafe & Patisserie, ‘La Vie en Rose’. And installed alongside it, ‘Date Model Shop’. These are stores summoned by my ‘Gift’, [Store Summoning]. In ‘La Vie en Rose’, Mother, Grandmother, and the Empress can be seen; in ‘Date Model Shop’, Father, His Majesty the Emperor, the Prime Minister, and others can be seen. They aren’t playing around; technically, this is during work hours. Among my stores, there are several with air conditioning. Utilizing that, they intend to conduct official duties while cooling off… What a corrupted sight of adults. Though I understand the feeling. On the large work table installed in the model shop, His Majesty the Emperor, the Prime Minister, and others can be seen processing documents one after another. Apparently, there was talk about wanting to hold audiences with envoys from other countries here too, but as expected, that seemed to be rejected. Not just His Majesty and Mother, but attending maids, civil officials, and several guard knights are also inside the store cooling off. With the castle’s desk workers looking enviously from outside, a heaven and hell of this world was formed within the castle grounds. Those inside might say ‘This is also work’, but while His Majesty’s side might be official duties, I can only think Mother’s side is simply cooling off. Amidst this, I, Duke’s daughter Sakuraile le Philharmonie, am elegantly enjoying afternoon tea in the air-conditioned… is not happening; instead, I was struggling to complete the assignments given by my tutor, Old Stram.

“To think I’d be given summer vacation homework even after coming to another world…”

Strictly speaking, it’s not ‘summer vacation homework’ but ‘homework before summer vacation’. In a few days, we, the le Philharmonie Ducal family, will return to our territory. The instruction is to finish the assigned tasks before that. I suggested, “Can’t I do it over there?” but Father replied, “That’s fine, but then you won’t be able to do what you want over there, right?” That is troubling. There are many things I want to do in the le Philharmonie territory. For that sake, I decided to overcome the hardship. To finish the homework before summer vacation.

“Good luck, Sakura-chan.” “…Being eaten cake right in front of me is incredibly distracting, though…”

What about a mother elegantly eating cake next to her studying daughter? I glare sharply at Mother, who sent a half-hearted cheer. Damn it, that looks delicious! I’ll eat some too when this is over.

“Haa… Once Sakuraile goes to the le Philharmonie territory, this life will end too, won’t it… Maybe I should tag along too.”

The Empress says something outrageous. My [Store Summoning] only lasts for a day. Since it disappears after 24 hours pass, they can’t cool off in this castle while I’m back in the territory. Do you intend to come all the way to our territory just for the air conditioning…?

“My, that sounds nice. Maybe I should do that too. I want to visit Harmonia for the first time in a while. Since we’re at it, shall we take Elliott too? It’s his first time in Harmonia, isn’t it?”

At the Empress’s proposal, of all people, Grandmother started getting enthusiastic too. Eh? Taking Elliott too!?

“Sakuraile, how many kitchen cars can you summon now?” “Eh, umm… maximum ten cars, I guess?” “Then that’s enough.”

No no no! Is it decided, Grandmother!? I don’t particularly mind, but Elliott too… Hmm… if Elliott comes, undoubtedly his personal attendant Jean will come too… The two capture targets coming together gives me a bad feeling somehow… Those two are objects of bad luck for me… No, it’s not like I hate them, you know? Elliott is a good boy, and Jean is an idiot but a good boy too. It’s just that I’m anxious they might trigger some flag. I think it’s needless worry since I already broke those two’s ruin flags, but I worry I might get to know other capture targets through their connections…

‘What you call the “Ruin Route”. I think that, intricately entangled with various laws of causality, will continue to attack you from now on.’

The words spoken by the Goddess of Genesis cross my mind. Ruin routes come from unknown directions. If this were the game start ten years later, it would be easier to understand, but…

《Little Master, whatever happens, I will protect you, so there is no need for worry. Be at ease.》 “Kohaku-san…”

Such a cool telepathic message flies from Kohaku-san, my guardian beast and white tiger sent by the Nine Goddesses of Genesis. It would have been a cool line if he wasn’t biting into a cake right in front of me… Your face is covered in cream. Leaving my feelings aside, over there they are seriously starting to plan coming to our territory. This can’t be stopped anymore… I don’t think His Majesty the Emperor will come, so probably just the Empress, Grandmother, Elliott, Jean, and a few attendants… Actually, for this homecoming, I’ve invited Estelle too. If I return to the territory, naturally my personal attendant Bianca will come along. Being told ‘Just the two of you is unfair!’ in a baffling sulk, I invited her on the premise that her parents agree. For some reason, Estelle views Elliott with hostility. I don’t think she hates him. What is it, rivals, maybe? Rivals for what, I don’t know. Elliott doesn’t seem to notice at all though. Estelle and Bianca, Elliott and Jean, and me. Two capture targets and two Villainesses. And the protagonist Heroine. With all these gathered, as expected, I’m anxious… For example, other capture targets include acquaintances or related persons of Elliott and Jean. I’m worried strange ruin flags might rise from those connections. Getting to know capture targets or the Villainesses of their routes has a possibility of accelerating the scenario. Bianca‘s case was exactly that. The Black Knight, who was supposed to appear ten years later, appeared. If Bianca hadn’t connected to Jean and then to Gloria holding the Magic Sword ‘Discord’, that incident wouldn’t have happened. Well, if I had left Gloria alone, a slasher incident by ‘Discord’ would have occurred ten years later, so in the end, it might have been good that no victims were produced. That’s why I want to avoid getting acquainted with capture targets and other Villainesses as much as possible. If we aren’t acquaintances, I won’t get dragged into things. But I hardly know where other capture targets were ten years ago… Ah, geez, thinking is a waste, a waste. For now, let’s just think about finishing the homework in front of me. And upon completion, I’ll eat cake as a reward. With new determination in my heart, I started wrestling with the mountain of assignments again.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Eeeeh… His Highness the Crown Prince is coming too…?”

Displeased, truly displeased, Estelle leaked such words. Yeah, as a protagonist Heroine, that face is NG in various ways, so let’s stop, okay? When I told Estelle and Bianca about what Mother and the others decided yesterday, this reaction came back.

“Jean is coming too… It’s troublesome because it gets noisy when he’s around.”

My personal attendant Bianca is also furrowing her brows and sighing. Strange. Both Estelle and Bianca are somewhat harsh toward the capture targets. Is it that thing peculiar to this age, ‘Boys are childish~’? I have memories of that too. Biologically, girls reach puberty earlier. Even so, it’s usually around nine years old; six years old seems too early. But I don’t know if that common sense applies in this world… After all, marriage in early teens is common here… Adulthood in this world is generally from fifteen years old. ‘Generally’ is because it varies by family. For nobles, social debut corresponds to that. Those who haven’t debuted are still under parental protection, and those who have debuted are treated as full-fledged nobles and can marry. Well, in the case of nobles, since it’s also a union between houses, they often can’t marry freely though. Of course, if they are prepared to abandon their house, it’s not impossible.

“Well, wouldn’t it be more fun if we all go together?” “Is that so~? I think it would be more fun with just close friends…”

No no, Estelle? Setting Jean aside, are you saying you’re not close with His Highness the Crown Prince Elliott? But considering the difference in status, maybe what Estelle is saying is quite normal? Acting together with the Crown Prince, worrying about making mistakes… one might not feel like enjoying it very much. Whether Estelle harbors such feelings toward Elliott is a bit questionable, though.

“Lady Sakuraile, what kind of place is the le Philharmonie territory?” “Umm… it, it’s a place with scenic beauty. There are noble villas and such, and it seems to prosper as a tourist spot… it prospers.”

To Bianca‘s question, I speak with the knowledge I hastily learned yesterday. Since the story is that I’ve been in the territory all this time, I have to make sure I don’t slip up.

“Th-Though, since I was in a sanatorium on the outskirts of the territory, I’m not that knowledgeable. So I’m looking forward to going to the territorial capital Harmonia.” “Is that so…”

Bianca has a face like she doesn’t know what to say. Ugh, sorry. If it turns out I was at the mansion in the territorial capital, various things wouldn’t add up, so it’s a newly added setting. I lived in a sanatorium on the outskirts of the territory, separate from the mansion in the territorial capital Harmonia. So, the servants over there also don’t know much about me after I was three. Only a few people, including the magistrate governing the territory on Father’s behalf and the mansion’s steward, seem to know about my kidnapping incident. Apparently, they were with Father when I was kidnapped. If anything happens, they should cover for me.

“Then it might be fun to go around the territorial capital together! Though some unnecessary extras will come along…” “Umu, that’s right! Touring Harmonia, called the Ancient Capital, with Lady Sakuraile and Estelle sounds fun. Though unnecessary extras will come along…”

Estelle and Bianca are talking happily like that. No, you two, by ‘unnecessary extras’, you mean His Highness the Crown Prince and Jean, right? That’s lèse-majesté, you know? Well, I also thought having capture targets along is troublesome or ominous! But even subtracting that, I’m also looking forward to going to the territory. It’s land I might inherit someday. I’ll inspect problems and points for improvement thoroughly while I can. Ancient Capital Harmonia. I wonder what kind of city it is. With my heart dancing in anticipation, I made plans for over there with my two friends.