I didn't see Lady Bertia again until winter of next year.

We are technically engaged.

I did invite her for tea a number of times in order to get to know each other better, but she was apparently undergoing medical treatment and was thus cooped up in a mansion on the House of Noches' domain.

I did ask her father Marquis Douglas Ibil Noches, who worked at the castle as the prime minister, about his daughter's condition a number of times, but every time I asked he would just paste a smile on an expression that looked like he was sucking a terribly sour lemon and tell me "My daughter is actually afflicted with an incurable disease (called stupidity)."

... There's not much point in him just slightly mouthing the words "called stupidity". I can still understand him perfectly well given that I'm mastered lip reading.

And anyways, if she was really afflicted with an incurable disease it would've been difficult for her to become my fiancée.

Even if I'm just a child, as royalty, I can conclude that much.

Also, since I was a little worried that it was my fault that she was staying cooped up in that mansion ever since our first meeting, I sent an 'envoy' over to her domain to investigate her condition.

The reports that this 'envoy' sends me every-so-often have become my number-one source of entertainment recently.

So I know all about how every day, from morning to night, she runs around outside near the mansion dressed as a young boy, you know?

Would a noble daughter undergoing medical treatment cry "Another two kilometres to go!", drenched in sweat as she runs?

She waited for the day before my eleventh birthday before appearing in front of me.

"It's been a while, Prince Cecil! What, you can't tell who I am? I'm Bertia Ibil Noches. Your fiancée! Did you think I was someone else? You did, right!? What are you doing, Father!?"

"Prince Cecil, I apologize deeply for my idiotic daughter's actions. I will re-educate her."

She and her father, Marquis Noches, had been waiting in a room I often use to meet people in. The moment she saw me, she greeted(?) me with a wide smile.

From a certain point of view it was a cute, childlike reaction, but as a noble daughter and a crown prince's fiancée, I don't think it's acceptable.

Tears form in the corners of her eyes after Marquis Noches knocks her on her head with a fist. I can't help but smile wryly at the sight.

On a side note, Marquis Noches hitting her on the head isn't exactly right either, but I didn't really have the courage as a child to confront him about it what with his crazy-bright smile.

However, it would trouble me if he brought Lady Bertia back home and kept her cooped up again.

She's my source of entertain - fiancée that I've finally seen for the first time in a year, after all.

"No no, please don't worry about it, Marquis Noches. It's rather cute in a childish way, wouldn't you say?"

"Prince Cecil, you're unchildish as usual I see."

"I get that a lot," I say with the most childish smile I can muster. Marquis Noches smiles brightly in response.

Even as Lady Bertia holds her head - as that was where she had been hit - in her hands, she stares at me, blushing.

I'm not really proud of it, but girls often look at me like this.

Though well, my family, my father, and other attendants often say things like "I worry that he'll be a player in the future," or "How sly," or in contrast, "I'm looking forwards to seeing him as king."

"Y – your Highness, say that again – uh, could you please say that again?"

Lady Bertia had been so lively a second ago, but she suddenly started to fidget.

Not really understanding what she wants, I tilt my head to the side.

"Just now, you said that I was cute..." she says embarrassedly.

... Is 'cute in a childish way' a compliment in her mind?

Wait no, it's possible that some kind of weird filter is attached to her ears.

However... watching her fidget with flushed cheeks... well, I guess I could maybe kind of say that she's cute as a girl too?

"Bertia, you don't need to ask his Highness for that – I'm always telling you that you're cute. Be satisfied with that," the marquis interrupts hurriedly on seeing Lady Bertia's reaction. He seems startled.

It's true that begging royalty to call her cute isn't something acceptable as a noble daughter.

But... isn't it asking a bit much from her to give up on being called cute by her fiancée? Just because her father calls her cute?

"But Father, you always add on 'because you're a dumb kid' after you call me cute. It doesn't make me very happy. And also... it just feels different when a handsome guy tells me that I'm cute!"

"Bertia..."

Marquis Noches looks at Lady Bertia like she's a disappointment of a child.

I almost look at the two of them like they're a disappointment of a father-child pair... but I do my best to keep my smile from fading.

I'm not sure about her whole 'handsome guy' thing, but like she says, Marquis, I don't think that "You're cute because you're a dumb kid" is a better compliment than "You're cute in a childish way."

Maybe if you were just talking with your wife, but if you said it to the person in question, I don't think it would be strange for them to take it as an insult.

"Y – your Highness, I do believe my daughter is in need of re-education and a firm talk from her parents after all, so we'll take our leave here..."

"Rest assured, Marquis Noches. That's just what makes your daughter special. It's endearing, wouldn't you say?"

He's trying to separate us with the excuse of re-education, but I stop him with a light shake of my head.

I don't know if it's just that he wants to stop his daughter from embarrassing herself in front of the crown prince or he's just overprotective and doesn't want to let me have his daughter... but either way, I won't let you separate us.

I've been so bore – lonely because I've barely been able to meet my fiancée, after all.

And also, I need to judge for myself whether she's worthy of being my fiancée, the future queen of the kingdom.

"Your Highness..." the two of them say in unison.

However, their tones of voice were the exact reverse of each other. One was a somewhat enchanted, ecstatic tone of voice, while the other was... an apologetic tone on the surface, but on the inside sounded like he was about to click his tongue at any moment.

Marquis Noches was apparently fairly good at his job, but in private, he seems to be unable to hide his emotions in the slightest.

No wait, perhaps he's purposefully showing his emotions?

"Marquis Noches, you're to meet my father after this, correct? Would it be alright for me to invite her to tea during the time?"

"No, I refu -"

"- Yes, with pleasure!"

The moment the marquis, looking sour, tries to refuse my invitation, Lady Bertia interrupts him with her agreement.

Marquis Noches, I can still hear your tongue clicking clearly no matter that smile pasted on your face, you know?

"Thank you very much. Please let me talk with her about tomorrow as well," I thank, purposefully pretending that I hadn't heard Marquis Noches' refusal.

Sticking on 'talk about tomorrow' means that the marquis probably can't refuse anymore.

Tomorrow is my birthday.

As Lady Bertia and I are both still young, we haven't made an official social debut yet, but as I'm the star of tomorrow's birthday party, my fiancée Bertia will be my partner.

In a way this is a practice session in order to become grown-up royalty.

As it's the crown prince's birthday, it is a public party, but we're still children who haven't made our official social debut. Part of the reason for the party is to get us used to these kinds of situations while small mistakes on our part will still be forgiven.

From my prior investigations, she's apparently mastered proper etiquette in public events, but it will be her first time appearing in an official public event.

Though it's fairly obvious that I'd back her up, as I've attended many such events since I was young and have gotten used to them, it's probably best to talk with her about it beforehand just in case.

Adding that implication to my words means that the marquis can't easily refuse.

It's a favour from a royal. Of course he can't refuse.

"As you're aware, your Highness, my daughter is very incompetent– incompetent – incompetent, but I leave her to you. I believe she will often act disgraceful, but she's still young – please, please be merciful."

To summarize – "You know that she's useless, right? You were the one that said that you were okay with that, right? So even if she does some idiotic things, you'll wave them away as 'childish mistakes', right?" – I guess?

Well, I just want to talk with her. I'm planning to order everyone away before we talk anyways, so I don't really care so long as it's interesting.

"Of course. She's my fiancée, after all. Rest assured – if something happens, I will back her up."

In order to show the marquis that I understood his implications as well, I look at him straight in the eyes with a smile and slowly nod.

"If a talented... no, a genius and renowned person like you says that, then I feel reassured. Bertia, Prince Cecil may say that he'll back you up, but you still need to watch out for yourself on your own."

"Yes! Of course, Father!" responds Lady Bertia, uselessly cheerful.

The marquis gazed at me worriedly for a while, but he probably understood from my gaze that I was taking her on while fully aware of the meaning hidden behind his words.

"I will leave her to you then," he says, bowing deeply. He leaves even as he gazes worriedly at Lady Bertia.

"Very well, shall we have tea then? It has already been prepared for us, so please, come over here."

"Alright, thank you very much your Highness!"

After watching the marquis leave, I smile brightly and go to Lady Bertia's side. When I offer her my hand in order to escort her, she puts her hand in mine with a beaming smile.

She is properly acting out the part of a gentlewoman, but it does seem like she's much too cheerful.

Speaking of which, if I recall correctly, she mentioned that she was aiming to become a 'flower of evil'?

While it's true that she's become thinner and her facial structure is more beautiful than before... by all appearances, her personality and facial expressions are clearly heading down the wrong path for her to achieve her goal – is she okay with that?

"Please, sit down here."

Zeno sits Lady Bertia down on a chair he pulls out. I sit down as well across from her.

As we sit ourselves down, the maids prepare our tea.

Lady Bertia gazes with sparkling eyes at the tea and sweets placed in front of us. She's like a dog who's been ordered to 'wait' – it's like she's waiting for me to allow her to eat.

Oh, one of her maids coughed.

"Diet..." she mutters to herself at the sound.

She looks like a dog whose ears are drooped in depression. I can't help but smile wryly at the sight.

"I've never been the best with sweet foods... this cake here is low-sugar?" I say, ordering a nearby maid to bring her a low-sugar, low-calorie cake.

"Low-sugar! Cake!"

On seeing the cake the maid puts in front of her, her drooped ears perk up sharply and her tail begins to wag furiously... or at least, that's what I hallucinated.

Lady Bertia, I understand that you're very happy to eat cake, but please don't revert back to a toddler state in your joy, alright?

You're still a child right now so it'll be overlooked as 'cute', but it would not be acceptable as Queen. Everyone around you would comment on it.

Though well, if it were just around me, I wouldn't really care since I would find it interesting.

"Please, help yourself," I say encouragingly.

At those words, she cheerfully rips through the cake, cramming it in her mouth.

She makes it look like the cake is so delicious that I begin to wonder if today's cake is just that amazing. So I eat a bite of my own cake, but as expected, it's no different than usual.

"Right then."

After drinking a sip of tea to push that sweet taste to the back of my throat, I decide to ask her the one thing I want to know the most right now.

"By the way, Lady Bertia, you're wearing something quite unusual around your neck today."

It's a scarf made from silky black fox fur.

I do think it's odd to wear a scarf indoors as well, but there's something that bothers me more than that.

If my eyes aren't tricking me, that scarf isn't made from just fox fur, but the entire fox itself.

... a live fox to boot.

"Your Highness, you have sharp eyes! Isn't the fur just so lovely?"

Looking up from her cake, she smiles in satisfaction.

Well, it's true that the fur pelt is lovely. But I don't think that's the problem here.

Glancing behind me, I can see Zeno trying his best to retain his normal, mild smile, but unfortunately the corner of his mouth is twitching.

"It's true that the fur is quite lovely. However, I do believe that this fur has been slightly moving for a while now?"

"Oh, you noticed? That's odd, Father hasn't noticed at all."

There should be no way that a scarf like that could stay on her shoulders, but it's somehow wrapped around her as if it's floating, pretending to be a fur pelt.

She cocks her head to the side, apparently unaware of this oddity.

Most of her maids are tilting their heads to the side as well, but the one maid by her side - who seems to be the head maid - quickly averts her gaze.

"Well, this seems interesting so I'll leave things at that for now. But at my birthday party, there will be people who will care about a fox scarf, so please don't wear it there, alright? Also, I'll go and get permission from my father, so from now on, bring it here as a 'fox' and not a 'scarf'."

"That's true, wearing a scarf at an indoors party would be strange. I understand! I will do my best. And I honestly appreciate being able to bring Kuro as a fox... as a pet. She hasn't left my side since I took her in. I really wasn't able to leave her home today, so I had her disguise herself as a scarf and brought her along."

... Its disguise isn't working, you know?

And wait a second, you took in a fox?

"Where did you find it? Does Marquis Noches know about this? Did he say anything about this?"

"She was in a forest near our mansion in our territory, by a strangely-shaped rock. I always passed by there every day when I was out running – I mean out for a walk, and she was always sitting there watching me. The rock looked like a Torii gate, so she seemed like Lord Inari to me. So, using all of my memories from my past life, I tried making her inari sushi as an offering. She apparently liked it so she went and followed me."

Torii gate?

Lord Inari?

Inari sushi?

... As I expected, I can't understand what she's saying today again.

But well, the gist is that when she was out for a walk – or rather running – she found this Lord Fox and it took a shine to her after she gave it something I guess?

"At first I thought I would skin her for her fur or something like a villainess noble girl would, but she's really cute and kind. When I tripped on my way home, she licked at my wound. And I ended up giving her a name, so I started getting attached... I did want a fur scarf, but well, wrapping her around me like this is warmer, so I thought that this was fine too. So I showed her to Father and said that I wanted to keep her as a pet, but he went pasty white and told me to go put her back where I found her. But when I told him about how Kuro licked at my wounds and how I started to get attached after giving her a name, he let me keep him. Since then, he's been pretty naggy about 'treating it well'... does Father think that I would ignore my pet?"

So you let it lick your wound (i.e. blood) and you gave it a name.

Yeah, I'm betting that your father couldn't do anything but say "Treat it well."

Well, this seems interesting so I think I won't reveal his motives until later.

I'm sure that she'll do more interesting things if she doesn't know everything.

"I see. That's good. I think that you should treat that fox well as well... for the sake of the future."

"Yes! I'll treat her well!"

At her carefree, cheerful smile, I smile suggestively.

"Please treat her well as well," Zeno murmurs behind me, but I'll ignore him.

"Right then, now that conversation is over with, shall we talk about tomorrow?"

"Leave it to me! I'll be an elegant partner for you, your Highness, just like a villainess would!"

... Her words should be reassuring, but they make me worry. I wonder why.

For now, let's give her a proper warning.

"That's reassuring... however, I think that you should keep that 'villainess' thing a secret – not just tomorrow, but in general. Your memories from a 'past life' as well, of course. In high society, you never know what might be a fatal mistake, after all. And we're entering into high society. If you want to become a top-class flower of evil, you should hide anything that makes you different from others. A flower of evil that has many weaknesses seems more like an underling, wouldn't you say?"

"I – I see! You have a point! Top-class flowers of evil smile suggestively as they bring their opponents to ruin without showing a single weakness themselves. A flower of evil that says too much and digs their own grave is nothing but third-rate.... I understand! I am going to become a beautiful, elegant flower of evil after all, unlike the original Bertia. I won't say anything unnecessary in front of others – I'll just smile suggestively!"

"... Thank you. I'm glad that you understand."

I feel like she may have misunderstood what I meant... but well, I can just back her up if it looks like something's going to happen. I guess I'll just watch her for a while?

"By the way, has Marquis Noches already told you the general schedule for tomorrow?"

"Yes, he has. It is sufficient for me to arrive with you and to have your first dance after greeting his Majesty the King and you, correct?"

"Yes, that's more or less right. We haven't made our official social debut yet, so I believe so long as we manage that much, we'll be fine. Oh, but if you run into any trouble or get lost or anything, make sure you ask me, alright? Don't decide things on your own, okay?"

"Your Highness, you'll back me up?"

"Yes. You are my fiancée, after all. I'll do anything within my power to do."

"Fiancée... that sounds nice. Oh, but you do understand that I will successfully fulfil my role?! I will be properly put in my place - by you!"

"Hm? I think your role as fiancée will be pretty tough, but do your best. I'll do my best as well."

"Yes, I'll do my best!"

She had seemed depressed for a moment, but immediately after she gripped her fists tight, looking determined.

... I really think that something's weird here.

"I'm happy that I'll be able to celebrate my eleventh birthday with you."

But that weirdness is interesting, so I don't correct her. Instead, I decide to just smile brightly.

"I'm happy that I'm able to celebrate