Let's go out together.
It was a somewhat unexpected and embarrassing suggestion.
The real reason I wanted to go out was not to take a walk, but to find a storage space to store 'that stuff'.
But when Perdes was with me, I couldn't find the warehouse properly.
Honey, when I thought about it rationally, it was right to refuse, but when I thought about it emotionally, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.
He reached out to me to try to fix our awkward relationship, but I told him outright that I couldn't do it as if cutting a knife off a tree, and that would only hurt him.
“It seems like it would be difficult for me to go for a walk with you.”
“...No, it’s okay.”
I was struggling to decide between reason and emotion, and in the end, I gave in to emotion.
“Let’s go out together.”
Today, we will just take a quick look around without looking at it in detail.
I just had my eye on a few good places and then I just looked into them in more detail later.
I decided to go out alone with Perdes, without any escort knights.
I originally didn't really like having people hanging around.
Because I could watch with peace of mind if there were fewer eyes watching me.
Of course, if SirAldor had been there, he would have offered to go with us, but fortunately, he was away.
Originally, I didn't have any plans to go out today, so I gave him the day off last night, telling him to just stay at the mansion and take the day off tomorrow.
Then, Sir Aldor went out, saying that he would buy various things including the order to make a sword, around the time Leo came to report.
Now that I'm out of the mansion if Sir Aldor finds out, he'll never want to leave me again.
Even if I give him a vacation, he will return it and stick by my side no matter what.
Then, thinking that it would be difficult, I got on my horse and decided that I must return to the mansion before Aldor returned.
Perdes also mounted his horse lightly.
He had not been able to ride a horse at all when he first came to Leopold's estate, but now he was able to ride quite skillfully.
Dressed in a nice, tight-fitting suit and mounted on a white horse, he looked like a Prince from a fairy tale.
He certainly has a handsome face.
Of all his half-brothers, Perdes was arguably the most handsome.
Are they just half-brothers?
Of all the men I've seen so far, Perdes has the best proportions and is the most handsome.
Although Aldor is also handsome, I prefer Perdes.
It's not like I liked Perdes or anything.
I just thought of my very personal taste.
As I stared at him, Perdes looked back at me with a puzzled expression, perhaps sensing my gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Um, nothing.”
If it were before, I would have honestly answered, "Because you're handsome," but after hearing his confession, I felt a little awkward giving him such a compliment.
Because I had a suspicion that I might be provoking his feelings for no reason.
It could have seemed like I was playing with his mind.
Because of those thoughts, I became more careful with my words, and naturally, the things I could say to him became more limited than before.
“...”
Perdes stared at me with a strange look as if he had noticed that I had something to say but was hiding it, and then quickly turned his head away.
“So, where are you going for a walk?”
“I’m thinking of going to the outskirts of the capital.”
Because the capital's logistics warehouses were all located on the outskirts.
The outskirts were also nice for horseback riding and walking.
Perdes nodded in understanding and moved forward.
I looked at his back for a moment, then realized something and shouted urgently.
“The outskirts of the capital are not yours, Lord Perdes!”
When we arrived on the outskirts of the capital, it happened to be lunchtime, so we went into a nearby restaurant to have a quick lunch.
I was sitting at an outdoor table looking around to get a feel for the atmosphere outside, when suddenly Perdes asked me.
“Are you looking for something?”
“Does it look like that?”
“Yeah. You've been looking around ever since you came into the outskirts. You're still doing that now.”
That's true.
“Besides, that guy Leo came early in the morning... It seems like he’s up to something.”
As expected, Perdes' eyes could not be deceived.
I've been open about it too.
It was all possible because I trusted Perdes.
If I didn't trust him, I wouldn't have looked around so openly.
No, I wouldn't have brought him in from the beginning.
“They are up to something.”
So I nodded my head, admitting it obediently.
Then Perdes frowned, thought for a moment, and then blurted out the words.
"Don't do it."
“What are you telling me not to do?”
“What Young Lady is trying to do now.”
What am I trying to do?
“Do you know what I’m trying to do?”
“You’re trying to get revenge on me.”
Huh?
“The Crown Prince fed me some strange medicine, so you’re trying to get revenge on him for that?”
It wasn't a completely wrong guess.
To be exact, it's half right and half wrong.
I chose that place to avenge Perdes, but ultimately it was for my own revenge.
“Am I wrong?”
"Well."
But I couldn't answer this honestly either, so I answered vaguely and returned the question with a question.
“It seems like Mr. Perdes is also doing something these days.”
"I?"
“Yes. I heard from the butler that Lord Perdes has been going out a lot lately.”
After the confession incident, I didn't talk to Perdes or anything, but I kept receiving reports on his movements for protection.
After hearing my answer, Perdes frowned as if he was a little troubled, then slightly avoided my gaze and answered.
“Just. I don’t think I’ve ever properly explored the capital city, so I just wandered around looking around.”
“I think so.”
The trend report also stated that Perdes was moving around the capital.
I was not told exactly where he went or who he met.
Because it felt like surveillance rather than protection.
It was enough for me to just see that he was safe.
When I nodded, Perdes looked visibly relieved and drank the beer the staff had just brought him.
“Oh, beer..."
I tried to tell him that beer was only for adults, but then I remembered that he had become an adult this year and withdrew my half-outstretched hand.
Then Perdes looked at me with strange eyes.
"What?"
“No. Nothing.”
Maybe it was because I had known Perdes since he was little, but even though I attended his coming-of-age ceremony and congratulated him, it didn't feel real that he was an adult.
It was also because I had an image of him when he was small and dwarfed stuck in my head.
Soon the food comes out, and I pick up a sandwich cut into bite-sized pieces.
“Hey, who is this? Is it His Highness the Fourth Prince and Lady Leopold?”
I heard a voice that seemed familiar yet a little unfamiliar.
When I looked back, I saw a young woman with blue hair that seemed to embrace the sky.
I could tell right away who the woman was by looking at her face.
“Princess Nicole Tesis.”
It was Nicole Tesis, the second daughter of the Count Tesis family, who was in charge of the overall transportation of the capital.
Although I met her often for business purposes, we weren't really close.
Rather, my friendship was closer with her older brother and the eldest son of the Count of Tesis.
Because the eldest son was the next heir to the Earldom of Tesis and the family business.
However, that doesn't mean the eldest son's abilities were outstanding.
Rather, the second eldest sister, Nicole Tesis, was more capable.
However, unless there is a major disqualification for the eldest son, she will inherit everything according to the principle of primogeniture.
I feel it again, but it was truly an unfair principle.
At least, unlike Prince Philos, Nicole Tesis had no desire to inherit the title or the family business, so she was known to not compete with the eldest son.
“Haha, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. How have you been, Young Lady Leopold?”
“Yes. It’s been a long time, Prince Tesis.”
Anyway, I was a little suspicious of someone I wasn't really close with suddenly acting friendly and greeting me, but I smiled and greeted her anyway.
Nicole Tesis also greeted Perdes warmly.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Your Highness the Fourth Prince.”
“...Yeah. It’s been a while.”
Nicole Tesis has seen Perdes?
No way.
As far as I know, Nicole Tesis has not been involved in a single transaction in the last three years.
But how did the two meet?
Did they meet separately when I was at the Knight Academy?
What's going on?
I looked back at Perdes, a little puzzled.
Then, just like before, Perdes appeared with a slightly embarrassed expression.
There's something between you two that I don't know about.
I could tell by looking at his face.
“It was already a difficult time, so I’m really glad to see you two.”
“What's going on?”
“Yes. I want to buy a sword for self-defense, but I’ve been wondering which one to buy.”
If that was the reason, it was understandable that she came to me so happily.
Because sword was my family's specialty.
My father also received many requests from nobles around him to look at swords while he was alive.
Of course, I knew it well too.
“Yes, I’ll take a look.”
It wasn't a time-consuming or difficult request, and there was no harm in becoming acquainted with the children of Count Tesis, so I nodded obediently.
Then Nicole Tesis smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, but what I would like to ask of you is not Lady Leopold, but His Highness the Fourth Prince.”
Not to me, but to Perdes?
“I heard before that Your Highness the Fourth Prince has also studied swordsmanship for a long time. Since you must know a lot about swords, I would like to ask you to do me a favor. As a man, you know.”
It was a somewhat unexpected and embarrassing suggestion.
The real reason I wanted to go out was not to take a walk, but to find a storage space to store 'that stuff'.
But when Perdes was with me, I couldn't find the warehouse properly.
Honey, when I thought about it rationally, it was right to refuse, but when I thought about it emotionally, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.
He reached out to me to try to fix our awkward relationship, but I told him outright that I couldn't do it as if cutting a knife off a tree, and that would only hurt him.
“It seems like it would be difficult for me to go for a walk with you.”
“...No, it’s okay.”
I was struggling to decide between reason and emotion, and in the end, I gave in to emotion.
“Let’s go out together.”
Today, we will just take a quick look around without looking at it in detail.
I just had my eye on a few good places and then I just looked into them in more detail later.
***
I decided to go out alone with Perdes, without any escort knights.
I originally didn't really like having people hanging around.
Because I could watch with peace of mind if there were fewer eyes watching me.
Of course, if SirAldor had been there, he would have offered to go with us, but fortunately, he was away.
Originally, I didn't have any plans to go out today, so I gave him the day off last night, telling him to just stay at the mansion and take the day off tomorrow.
Then, Sir Aldor went out, saying that he would buy various things including the order to make a sword, around the time Leo came to report.
Now that I'm out of the mansion if Sir Aldor finds out, he'll never want to leave me again.
Even if I give him a vacation, he will return it and stick by my side no matter what.
Then, thinking that it would be difficult, I got on my horse and decided that I must return to the mansion before Aldor returned.
Perdes also mounted his horse lightly.
He had not been able to ride a horse at all when he first came to Leopold's estate, but now he was able to ride quite skillfully.
Dressed in a nice, tight-fitting suit and mounted on a white horse, he looked like a Prince from a fairy tale.
He certainly has a handsome face.
Of all his half-brothers, Perdes was arguably the most handsome.
Are they just half-brothers?
Of all the men I've seen so far, Perdes has the best proportions and is the most handsome.
Although Aldor is also handsome, I prefer Perdes.
It's not like I liked Perdes or anything.
I just thought of my very personal taste.
As I stared at him, Perdes looked back at me with a puzzled expression, perhaps sensing my gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Um, nothing.”
If it were before, I would have honestly answered, "Because you're handsome," but after hearing his confession, I felt a little awkward giving him such a compliment.
Because I had a suspicion that I might be provoking his feelings for no reason.
It could have seemed like I was playing with his mind.
Because of those thoughts, I became more careful with my words, and naturally, the things I could say to him became more limited than before.
“...”
Perdes stared at me with a strange look as if he had noticed that I had something to say but was hiding it, and then quickly turned his head away.
“So, where are you going for a walk?”
“I’m thinking of going to the outskirts of the capital.”
Because the capital's logistics warehouses were all located on the outskirts.
The outskirts were also nice for horseback riding and walking.
Perdes nodded in understanding and moved forward.
I looked at his back for a moment, then realized something and shouted urgently.
“The outskirts of the capital are not yours, Lord Perdes!”
***
When we arrived on the outskirts of the capital, it happened to be lunchtime, so we went into a nearby restaurant to have a quick lunch.
I was sitting at an outdoor table looking around to get a feel for the atmosphere outside, when suddenly Perdes asked me.
“Are you looking for something?”
“Does it look like that?”
“Yeah. You've been looking around ever since you came into the outskirts. You're still doing that now.”
That's true.
“Besides, that guy Leo came early in the morning... It seems like he’s up to something.”
As expected, Perdes' eyes could not be deceived.
I've been open about it too.
It was all possible because I trusted Perdes.
If I didn't trust him, I wouldn't have looked around so openly.
No, I wouldn't have brought him in from the beginning.
“They are up to something.”
So I nodded my head, admitting it obediently.
Then Perdes frowned, thought for a moment, and then blurted out the words.
"Don't do it."
“What are you telling me not to do?”
“What Young Lady is trying to do now.”
What am I trying to do?
“Do you know what I’m trying to do?”
“You’re trying to get revenge on me.”
Huh?
“The Crown Prince fed me some strange medicine, so you’re trying to get revenge on him for that?”
It wasn't a completely wrong guess.
To be exact, it's half right and half wrong.
I chose that place to avenge Perdes, but ultimately it was for my own revenge.
“Am I wrong?”
"Well."
But I couldn't answer this honestly either, so I answered vaguely and returned the question with a question.
“It seems like Mr. Perdes is also doing something these days.”
"I?"
“Yes. I heard from the butler that Lord Perdes has been going out a lot lately.”
After the confession incident, I didn't talk to Perdes or anything, but I kept receiving reports on his movements for protection.
After hearing my answer, Perdes frowned as if he was a little troubled, then slightly avoided my gaze and answered.
“Just. I don’t think I’ve ever properly explored the capital city, so I just wandered around looking around.”
“I think so.”
The trend report also stated that Perdes was moving around the capital.
I was not told exactly where he went or who he met.
Because it felt like surveillance rather than protection.
It was enough for me to just see that he was safe.
When I nodded, Perdes looked visibly relieved and drank the beer the staff had just brought him.
“Oh, beer..."
I tried to tell him that beer was only for adults, but then I remembered that he had become an adult this year and withdrew my half-outstretched hand.
Then Perdes looked at me with strange eyes.
"What?"
“No. Nothing.”
Maybe it was because I had known Perdes since he was little, but even though I attended his coming-of-age ceremony and congratulated him, it didn't feel real that he was an adult.
It was also because I had an image of him when he was small and dwarfed stuck in my head.
Soon the food comes out, and I pick up a sandwich cut into bite-sized pieces.
“Hey, who is this? Is it His Highness the Fourth Prince and Lady Leopold?”
I heard a voice that seemed familiar yet a little unfamiliar.
When I looked back, I saw a young woman with blue hair that seemed to embrace the sky.
I could tell right away who the woman was by looking at her face.
“Princess Nicole Tesis.”
It was Nicole Tesis, the second daughter of the Count Tesis family, who was in charge of the overall transportation of the capital.
Although I met her often for business purposes, we weren't really close.
Rather, my friendship was closer with her older brother and the eldest son of the Count of Tesis.
Because the eldest son was the next heir to the Earldom of Tesis and the family business.
However, that doesn't mean the eldest son's abilities were outstanding.
Rather, the second eldest sister, Nicole Tesis, was more capable.
However, unless there is a major disqualification for the eldest son, she will inherit everything according to the principle of primogeniture.
I feel it again, but it was truly an unfair principle.
At least, unlike Prince Philos, Nicole Tesis had no desire to inherit the title or the family business, so she was known to not compete with the eldest son.
“Haha, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. How have you been, Young Lady Leopold?”
“Yes. It’s been a long time, Prince Tesis.”
Anyway, I was a little suspicious of someone I wasn't really close with suddenly acting friendly and greeting me, but I smiled and greeted her anyway.
Nicole Tesis also greeted Perdes warmly.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Your Highness the Fourth Prince.”
“...Yeah. It’s been a while.”
Nicole Tesis has seen Perdes?
No way.
As far as I know, Nicole Tesis has not been involved in a single transaction in the last three years.
But how did the two meet?
Did they meet separately when I was at the Knight Academy?
What's going on?
I looked back at Perdes, a little puzzled.
Then, just like before, Perdes appeared with a slightly embarrassed expression.
There's something between you two that I don't know about.
I could tell by looking at his face.
“It was already a difficult time, so I’m really glad to see you two.”
“What's going on?”
“Yes. I want to buy a sword for self-defense, but I’ve been wondering which one to buy.”
If that was the reason, it was understandable that she came to me so happily.
Because sword was my family's specialty.
My father also received many requests from nobles around him to look at swords while he was alive.
Of course, I knew it well too.
“Yes, I’ll take a look.”
It wasn't a time-consuming or difficult request, and there was no harm in becoming acquainted with the children of Count Tesis, so I nodded obediently.
Then Nicole Tesis smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, but what I would like to ask of you is not Lady Leopold, but His Highness the Fourth Prince.”
Not to me, but to Perdes?
“I heard before that Your Highness the Fourth Prince has also studied swordsmanship for a long time. Since you must know a lot about swords, I would like to ask you to do me a favor. As a man, you know.”
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