“Royal Summons and the Girl’s Determination”
Several more days had passed. During this time, news of the war’s conclusion had spread throughout the capital, and the city was in a festive mood, with celebrations continuing day after day.
Publicly, the information being circulated was that Margrave Byreus had fought valiantly on his own, forcing the troops of the Second Kingdom to withdraw. Of course, this was a false rumor spread by the King who knew the actual situation.
In truth, I had resolved everything on my own, but I believed that solutions on a national level were preferable for such matters. Therefore, it was more convenient to present the situation as if it were the accomplishment of a Margrave who belonged to the nation.
If news were to spread that I, as an individual, had brought an end to the war, I might have to deal with those seeking to exploit my power or even individuals who might send assassins to eliminate the perceived threat posed by my abilities.
Dealing with such people would be troublesome, and I felt that my time could be better spent addressing issues that remained, such as production and other matters that had yet to be resolved.
After conveying these thoughts to the king, he immediately promised to “take care of it.” The result was the spread of rumors regarding Margrave Byreus’s heroic actions.
Originally, Margrave Byreus governed a territory adjacent to the Second Kingdom and was known as a skilled warrior even within the Schells Kingdom. Therefore, the credibility of the story that he had forced the Second Kingdom’s troops to retreat was high, and anyone who knew him would find such an achievement plausible, further boosting his reputation.
Though it wasn’t my intention, due to Byreus’s existing reputation as a skilled warrior, his unexpected involvement in bringing an end to the war was readily accepted, and he willingly played along to repay me for my help.
“What should I do today?”
Over these past few days, I had been progressing with several pending production-related matters. Even though these matters were untouched, they mainly involved advising the orphanage and the trading company on improving their individual production techniques or giving instructions on cultivating new crops.
Despite these being relatively minor contributions, they had brought about changes and helped those who received my advice.
“Excuse me, Rolando-sama. There seems to be a summons from His Majesty the King. What shall we do?”
“The king?”
On one of these days, as I was relaxing in my private room, Sobas appeared. While I didn’t know the details, it seemed that the king was summoning me, suggesting that something significant might have happened. It appeared to be a situation that required my immediate attention.
“Understood. Well, I’ll go then.”
“Please take care. Leave things here to us.”
“Alright.”
With that, I conveyed my response and then used teleportation magic to instantly appear in the king’s office. The king was now accustomed to my sudden appearances, and my arrival no longer startled him.
“I’m here.”
“You’ve come. First and foremost, let me make it clear that this is not an emergency. I called you here because someone wants to talk to you.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
As I turned my gaze towards the source of the voice, there stood Tiara. The moment I saw her, I looked back at the king. Even as the king, he seemed apologetic about having to summon me in this manner. Likely, despite the potential risk of worsening the relationship between Tiara and me, he had fulfilled her request, probably driven by his daughter’s plea.
As I pondered these thoughts, Tiara suddenly prostrated herself on the floor and lowered her head. This unexpected action surprised both me and the king.
Even if I were an important figure to the country, it was unconventional for a princess of the realm to take such a stance toward an ordinary adventurer. Her actions were so unexpected and unanticipated, given her upbringing as a delicate princess, that they left me utterly surprised.
“What’s your intention?”
“As you can see, I’ve come to apologize for my rashness. My hasty actions have caused you inconvenience, Rolando-sama.”
“…”
Seemingly, she wanted to apologize for pushing the engagement matter onto me without consultation. However, if that was the case, why involve the king instead of coming to me directly?
If she truly wanted to apologize, it would have been more appropriate for her to approach me in person. However, demanding that level of logic from a pampered princess might be too much.
“Princess Tiara, first raise your head. Then, answer my question. I understand that you wish to apologize to me. So, why did you involve the king? Why didn’t you come to me directly?”
“Even if I had come to you directly, I believed that you wouldn’t meet with me properly. If I had said ‘I want to meet with you,’ would you have readily agreed, Rolando-sama?”
“…”
There’s a saying that silence is golden, and at that moment, I embodied it. Since the engagement incident involving Tiara, I had been consciously avoiding her. But I also believed that it was a natural response.
Even if she was a beautiful and kind girl, when it came to an engagement, various responsibilities, and obligations would arise. Moreover, if it led to marriage, the situation would become even more complex. A man had to be cautious in such matters.
Especially in my case, having remained single my whole life in my previous existence, I had no concrete image of what married life entailed. At best, I could only recall scenes from trendy dramas where the wife greeted the husband returning home, saying, “Would you like a bath? Dinner? Or maybe… me?”
In any case, with no clear image of marriage and considering the potential of becoming the successor to a powerful individual – a monarch’s daughter, in this case – it wasn’t hard to imagine that engaging with her would further tighten the noose around my neck.
“However, even so, you should have come on your own. Your father, the king, Lauren, and Fahren were unnecessarily involved due to your mistake.”
“Yes…”
As Tiara heard my words, she lowered her head with a dejected look. Regardless, the engagement commotion originated from her momentary recklessness, and if she genuinely wanted to apologize for it, she should have approached me personally without anyone’s intervention.
Nevertheless, it was perhaps too much to expect a princess of the realm, who had been raised in the manner of a delicate flower, to understand such a perspective.
“For now, I accept your apology. Give up on the engagement with me and proceed with the talks of engagement with someone else—”
“That’s a separate matter. Now is the time for both of us to reflect on ourselves. Besides, considering our feelings, it’s essential. I’ll wait until you feel inclined, Rolando-sama.”
(Did she see through it? Women in this world seem to have some intelligence. But even so, isn’t there a limit to how long she can wait?)
I had initially tried to coax her into giving up on the engagement discussion with just my words. However, it seemed she wasn’t easily swayed. Tiara’s determination was firm. Watching her cutely create little fists in front of her chest as she made her declaration, I decided to pose a slightly wicked question.
“You might end up being an old woman without getting your wish come true, you know?”
“At that time, it will be that time. I won’t offer myself to anyone other than you anymore.”
“King, is that okay?”
Tiara’s will was unwavering, making it difficult to sway her decision. I tried to fish for some assistance from the king, but his response was rather unbecoming of a king, more like an overprotective parent.
“As the king, I can’t give permission for that, but as a father, I’d like to support her. Besides, she takes after the stubbornness of the queen. Once she decides something, she won’t budge.”
“Speaking of which, I’ve never met the queen of this country.”
Hearing this and despite my surprise at the king mentioning the queen, I suddenly thought of something and voiced it.
“Oh, her? She’s quite the recluse. She hardly appears in public for just about anything—”
“Who’s a chubby one?” (+)
“Huh?”
Before the king could finish his sentence, a woman standing at the entrance of the office interrupted. I hadn’t even noticed when she had entered, but I had been preoccupied with my conversation with the king.
The woman’s face bore a striking resemblance to Tiara, making it immediately evident that she was Tiara’s mother. Her features were undoubtedly refined, bordering on being a peerless beauty. However, the current atmosphere was charged with a sense of anger, unmistakably visible in her expression.
“N-No, Sariya, it’s not chubby, it’s ‘reclusive.'”
“So, you’re saying it’s ‘reclusive syndrome,’ which is a symptom of being chubby, right?”
“Why would you interpret it that way!?”
Seeing the usually composed king getting flustered was quite unusual. As I observed this, the woman turned her attention toward me and greeted me.
“I’m meeting you for the first time. I am Queen Sariya of this country. You must be Rolando-sama. I’ve heard about you from my husband.”
“Indeed, that’s me. I am Rolando, making a living as a mere adventurer. Please allow me to introduce myself properly.”
While I offered a formal greeting due to her being royalty, she seemed dissatisfied and puffed her cheeks, making an unexpected plea.
“I refuse. You don’t have to use a formal tone with me like you do with my husband and Tiara. If you’re not showing deference to the king and taking such an attitude with his wife, wouldn’t that be unnatural?”
“Fair point. So, is it okay like this?”
“Yes! …By the way, you. About the ‘chubby’ matter from earlier…”
“I’m telling you it’s not that way! It’s your misunderstanding!”
“Then, please come to my room and explain it to me in detail. Rolando-sama, as much as I’d love to stay, I have a small matter to attend to today. I’ll take my leave now. I will come to greet you properly another day, so until then.”
“Sure, understood.”
After finishing our brief introduction, Sariya lifted the king by his ears, it seemed, to the point where I worried his ears might be torn off, and left the office along with him.
Meanwhile, the king was yelling, “It’s not like that! Sariya, it’s not like that!!” but it was clear she was not heeding his words.
“She’s gone.”
“My mother is always like that.”
“Well, I guess relationships between a husband and wife are something that even their own children wouldn’t fully understand.”
“That’s probably true.”
The dynamics of marriage could vary greatly, and as long as both parties were content, it could work out in any way, regardless of what others might think.
For me, well, I wouldn’t want to be in that situation, but if the king was happy with it, then it was not my place to meddle. Well, that’s assuming he was happy…
“Well, anyway. Your business here is done, right? If so, I’ll take my leave.”
“Yes. Rolando-sama, I’ll be waiting forever.”
“…More importantly, make sure to apologize properly to the king, Lauren, and Fahren for causing trouble with this whole engagement matter, alright?”
“Yes, of course!”
Satisfied with Tiara’s enthusiastic response, I teleported back to the mansion.
“Truly… I’ll be waiting forever. Even if it means becoming an old lady…”
And thus, Tiara’s firm murmurs, filled with determination, echoed in the now empty office, unable to reach my ears.
“Royal Summons and the Girl’s Determination”
Several more days had passed. During this time, news of the war’s conclusion had spread throughout the capital, and the city was in a festive mood, with celebrations continuing day after day.
Publicly, the information being circulated was that Margrave Byreus had fought valiantly on his own, forcing the troops of the Second Kingdom to withdraw. Of course, this was a false rumor spread by the King who knew the actual situation.
In truth, I had resolved everything on my own, but I believed that solutions on a national level were preferable for such matters. Therefore, it was more convenient to present the situation as if it were the accomplishment of a Margrave who belonged to the nation.
If news were to spread that I, as an individual, had brought an end to the war, I might have to deal with those seeking to exploit my power or even individuals who might send assassins to eliminate the perceived threat posed by my abilities.
Dealing with such people would be troublesome, and I felt that my time could be better spent addressing issues that remained, such as production and other matters that had yet to be resolved.
After conveying these thoughts to the king, he immediately promised to “take care of it.” The result was the spread of rumors regarding Margrave Byreus’s heroic actions.
Originally, Margrave Byreus governed a territory adjacent to the Second Kingdom and was known as a skilled warrior even within the Schells Kingdom. Therefore, the credibility of the story that he had forced the Second Kingdom’s troops to retreat was high, and anyone who knew him would find such an achievement plausible, further boosting his reputation.
Though it wasn’t my intention, due to Byreus’s existing reputation as a skilled warrior, his unexpected involvement in bringing an end to the war was readily accepted, and he willingly played along to repay me for my help.
“What should I do today?”
Over these past few days, I had been progressing with several pending production-related matters. Even though these matters were untouched, they mainly involved advising the orphanage and the trading company on improving their individual production techniques or giving instructions on cultivating new crops.
Despite these being relatively minor contributions, they had brought about changes and helped those who received my advice.
“Excuse me, Rolando-sama. There seems to be a summons from His Majesty the King. What shall we do?”
“The king?”
On one of these days, as I was relaxing in my private room, Sobas appeared. While I didn’t know the details, it seemed that the king was summoning me, suggesting that something significant might have happened. It appeared to be a situation that required my immediate attention.
“Understood. Well, I’ll go then.”
“Please take care. Leave things here to us.”
“Alright.”
With that, I conveyed my response and then used teleportation magic to instantly appear in the king’s office. The king was now accustomed to my sudden appearances, and my arrival no longer startled him.
“I’m here.”
“You’ve come. First and foremost, let me make it clear that this is not an emergency. I called you here because someone wants to talk to you.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
As I turned my gaze towards the source of the voice, there stood Tiara. The moment I saw her, I looked back at the king. Even as the king, he seemed apologetic about having to summon me in this manner. Likely, despite the potential risk of worsening the relationship between Tiara and me, he had fulfilled her request, probably driven by his daughter’s plea.
As I pondered these thoughts, Tiara suddenly prostrated herself on the floor and lowered her head. This unexpected action surprised both me and the king.
Even if I were an important figure to the country, it was unconventional for a princess of the realm to take such a stance toward an ordinary adventurer. Her actions were so unexpected and unanticipated, given her upbringing as a delicate princess, that they left me utterly surprised.
“What’s your intention?”
“As you can see, I’ve come to apologize for my rashness. My hasty actions have caused you inconvenience, Rolando-sama.”
“…”
Seemingly, she wanted to apologize for pushing the engagement matter onto me without consultation. However, if that was the case, why involve the king instead of coming to me directly?
If she truly wanted to apologize, it would have been more appropriate for her to approach me in person. However, demanding that level of logic from a pampered princess might be too much.
“Princess Tiara, first raise your head. Then, answer my question. I understand that you wish to apologize to me. So, why did you involve the king? Why didn’t you come to me directly?”
“Even if I had come to you directly, I believed that you wouldn’t meet with me properly. If I had said ‘I want to meet with you,’ would you have readily agreed, Rolando-sama?”
“…”
There’s a saying that silence is golden, and at that moment, I embodied it. Since the engagement incident involving Tiara, I had been consciously avoiding her. But I also believed that it was a natural response.
Even if she was a beautiful and kind girl, when it came to an engagement, various responsibilities, and obligations would arise. Moreover, if it led to marriage, the situation would become even more complex. A man had to be cautious in such matters.
Especially in my case, having remained single my whole life in my previous existence, I had no concrete image of what married life entailed. At best, I could only recall scenes from trendy dramas where the wife greeted the husband returning home, saying, “Would you like a bath? Dinner? Or maybe… me?”
In any case, with no clear image of marriage and considering the potential of becoming the successor to a powerful individual – a monarch’s daughter, in this case – it wasn’t hard to imagine that engaging with her would further tighten the noose around my neck.
“However, even so, you should have come on your own. Your father, the king, Lauren, and Fahren were unnecessarily involved due to your mistake.”
“Yes…”
As Tiara heard my words, she lowered her head with a dejected look. Regardless, the engagement commotion originated from her momentary recklessness, and if she genuinely wanted to apologize for it, she should have approached me personally without anyone’s intervention.
Nevertheless, it was perhaps too much to expect a princess of the realm, who had been raised in the manner of a delicate flower, to understand such a perspective.
“For now, I accept your apology. Give up on the engagement with me and proceed with the talks of engagement with someone else—”
“That’s a separate matter. Now is the time for both of us to reflect on ourselves. Besides, considering our feelings, it’s essential. I’ll wait until you feel inclined, Rolando-sama.”
(Did she see through it? Women in this world seem to have some intelligence. But even so, isn’t there a limit to how long she can wait?)
I had initially tried to coax her into giving up on the engagement discussion with just my words. However, it seemed she wasn’t easily swayed. Tiara’s determination was firm. Watching her cutely create little fists in front of her chest as she made her declaration, I decided to pose a slightly wicked question.
“You might end up being an old woman without getting your wish come true, you know?”
“At that time, it will be that time. I won’t offer myself to anyone other than you anymore.”
“King, is that okay?”
Tiara’s will was unwavering, making it difficult to sway her decision. I tried to fish for some assistance from the king, but his response was rather unbecoming of a king, more like an overprotective parent.
“As the king, I can’t give permission for that, but as a father, I’d like to support her. Besides, she takes after the stubbornness of the queen. Once she decides something, she won’t budge.”
“Speaking of which, I’ve never met the queen of this country.”
Hearing this and despite my surprise at the king mentioning the queen, I suddenly thought of something and voiced it.
“Oh, her? She’s quite the recluse. She hardly appears in public for just about anything—”
“Who’s a chubby one?” (+)
“Huh?”
Before the king could finish his sentence, a woman standing at the entrance of the office interrupted. I hadn’t even noticed when she had entered, but I had been preoccupied with my conversation with the king.
The woman’s face bore a striking resemblance to Tiara, making it immediately evident that she was Tiara’s mother. Her features were undoubtedly refined, bordering on being a peerless beauty. However, the current atmosphere was charged with a sense of anger, unmistakably visible in her expression.
“N-No, Sariya, it’s not chubby, it’s ‘reclusive.'”
“So, you’re saying it’s ‘reclusive syndrome,’ which is a symptom of being chubby, right?”
“Why would you interpret it that way!?”
Seeing the usually composed king getting flustered was quite unusual. As I observed this, the woman turned her attention toward me and greeted me.
“I’m meeting you for the first time. I am Queen Sariya of this country. You must be Rolando-sama. I’ve heard about you from my husband.”
“Indeed, that’s me. I am Rolando, making a living as a mere adventurer. Please allow me to introduce myself properly.”
While I offered a formal greeting due to her being royalty, she seemed dissatisfied and puffed her cheeks, making an unexpected plea.
“I refuse. You don’t have to use a formal tone with me like you do with my husband and Tiara. If you’re not showing deference to the king and taking such an attitude with his wife, wouldn’t that be unnatural?”
“Fair point. So, is it okay like this?”
“Yes! …By the way, you. About the ‘chubby’ matter from earlier…”
“I’m telling you it’s not that way! It’s your misunderstanding!”
“Then, please come to my room and explain it to me in detail. Rolando-sama, as much as I’d love to stay, I have a small matter to attend to today. I’ll take my leave now. I will come to greet you properly another day, so until then.”
“Sure, understood.”
After finishing our brief introduction, Sariya lifted the king by his ears, it seemed, to the point where I worried his ears might be torn off, and left the office along with him.
Meanwhile, the king was yelling, “It’s not like that! Sariya, it’s not like that!!” but it was clear she was not heeding his words.
“She’s gone.”
“My mother is always like that.”
“Well, I guess relationships between a husband and wife are something that even their own children wouldn’t fully understand.”
“That’s probably true.”
The dynamics of marriage could vary greatly, and as long as both parties were content, it could work out in any way, regardless of what others might think.
For me, well, I wouldn’t want to be in that situation, but if the king was happy with it, then it was not my place to meddle. Well, that’s assuming he was happy…
“Well, anyway. Your business here is done, right? If so, I’ll take my leave.”
“Yes. Rolando-sama, I’ll be waiting forever.”
“…More importantly, make sure to apologize properly to the king, Lauren, and Fahren for causing trouble with this whole engagement matter, alright?”
“Yes, of course!”
Satisfied with Tiara’s enthusiastic response, I teleported back to the mansion.
“Truly… I’ll be waiting forever. Even if it means becoming an old lady…”
And thus, Tiara’s firm murmurs, filled with determination, echoed in the now empty office, unable to reach my ears.
