「Then excuse us.」
「Excuse us.」
After leaving the king’s office, the two quietly exhaled the tension they had been holding in their chests.
Even though it had been five years since their last audience, the other party was the highest authority in the kingdom. It would be strange if they weren’t nervous.
「Even you were so tense that your arms and legs were moving together, Mil.」
「You’re one to talk, Pal. You almost tripped because you stepped on the hem of your dress.」
「……Five years ago I could have just run up and hugged him without thinking.」
「Yeah. Ignorance really is frightening.」
They let out another sigh, then began walking side by side down the corridor.
The last time they had walked through this place was when they were heading from the royal capital to the Non-ein family estate in the southeast.
They had been told 「Go give your farewell greetings」 and brought to the royal castle for an audience without really understanding why.
The kind uncle who sometimes visited the mansion and gave them sweets… they only learned that he was King Wilmott after arriving at the Non-ein estate.
「You used to kick His Majesty’s leg all the time, Mil.」
「If we’re talking about that, you once headbutted His Majesty right in the crotch…」
She was glared at, so she shut her mouth. Apparently, that was a forbidden topic.
After clearing her throat lightly, the girl called Pal changed the subject.
「Next, let’s go greet Schnitt-sama.」
「But His Majesty said 『I don’t know if he’ll be in the castle today』, right?」
「Yes. So we’ll ask the maids along the way. If he’s not there, we’ll go to Halfren-sama.」
「And after that?」
「Yes.」
A sharp smile suddenly appeared on her gentle face as Pal spoke.
「We need to correct the thinking of our sworn enemy, former Prince Argusta.」
「That’s right.」
While not showing as obvious a change in expression as Pal, the boy called Mil also straightened his face.
「There is no one as kind as Halfren-sama, after all.」
The two naturally broke into faint smiles as they continued down the corridor.
Then, a young man rushed past from right to left ahead of them.
They thought he must be a civil official who had been given an urgent task, when a cute-looking girl came running after him. She glanced at them once before continuing to run.
「Argusta-oniichan. Please wait～. Camille wants to play hide-and-seek too～」
Hearing the cute girl’s voice, the two immediately understood.
She wanted to play hide-and-seek with someone named “Argusta”.
Their eyes widened at the same time and they exchanged glances.
Their sworn enemy was trying to run away. This took absolute priority over anything else.
Without hesitation, the two also started running after the young man and the girl.
-0-
『Where exactly did things go wrong?』
While running desperately, I tried to think it through.
Today I had felt my life was in danger, so I decided to leave work early. Then for some reason the tiny princess showed up. While giving vague replies, I signed some urgent documents… and suddenly it turned into hide-and-seek.
Wait, since I’m being chased by “it”, this isn’t hide-and-seek. It’s tag.
I glanced behind me. The energetic tiny princess in a dress was chasing happily, along with an unfamiliar girl in a dress and a boy in formal attire.
At some point the number of “its” had increased. What was going on?
For now, I turned a corner and slipped through a hidden door.
It was a door I had found while wandering around with Noie before. But the inside was pitch dark, so without a light I didn’t have the courage to go deeper.
I waited until the sound of running feet passed by, then took a short break.
「Ah～ I’m tired.」
「……Is someone there?」
「Yes?」
At the voice, I turned my gaze and saw someone approaching with a lamp.
Squinting, I realized it was ikemen onii-chan.
「Argusta? Why are you here?」
「Well～. The tiny princess seems to have misunderstood something, and now we’re playing a game that’s basically tag.」
「……Sorry for the trouble.」
「No, no. It’s fine when I have free time… but apparently someone’s targeting me today.」
「Targeting you?」
I explained to my onii-chaan, who had sat down beside me, what the idiot aniki had told me.
After thinking for a moment, the older brother let out a soft 「Ah」 in understanding.
「So Pal and Mil have arrived. I thought they would come tomorrow or later.」
「Pal and Mil?」
As expected, the names were unfamiliar.
Onii-chan continued speaking with a slightly bitter smile.
「Their full names are Palminark von Non-ein and Milminark von Non-ein. They are twin sisters who were placed in the care of the greater noble Non-ein family.」
「Sisters…? Sisters?」
The ones chasing after the tiny princess had been one girl and one boy. So maybe I was mistaken?
「Yes, sisters. And…」
「And?」
After nodding several times and letting out a sigh, he continued.
「They are His Majesty the King’s daughters.」
「I see～」
I nodded, then my thoughts came to a sudden stop.
Wait… did I just hear something strange?
「Daughters?」
「Daughters.」
「……Younger sisters?」
「They would be younger sisters to us.」
He acknowledged it, so that seemed to be the case.
No, what does that even mean?
「I never heard anything about having twin younger sisters?」
「Hm? You didn’t hear it from Halfren?」
Found the culprit. It really was that guy!
Onii-chan gave a weak laugh and stood up.
「His Majesty the King has three sons who hold the right to inherit the throne. And there are quite a few children who do not… children born from concubines.」
I nodded with a calm face, but he just casually dropped some unfamiliar words, didn’t he?
「How many is 『quite a few』?」
「I don’t know the exact number either. After all, there are many children.」
What kind of excuse is that? Hey?
At my stare, oniichan scratched his head with a troubled expression.
「I’ll tell Halfren later to look into it… No, that won’t work. I’ll have him pass on what he does know.」
Saying that, onii-chan smoothly faded away.
I have a feeling I was skillfully escaped from.
Wait—he actually ran away!
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