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Chapter 209

After hearing what His Highness had to say, we went with him and Shald to visit Amria, who was in the middle of talking with Diadora and the others.

When we had visited Amria and the others before, we had heard from His Highness that they were doing everything they could to make sure the girls were living without any inconveniences, but as their friend, I couldn’t help but think that it would be good if that were still the case.

Amria’s true identity as the secret second princess of the Romal Empire will be of great value later if we choose to make use of it.

For the royal family of our kingdom, which aspires to claim territory from the Romal Empire, they would continue to take care of Amria and treat her as a guest of honor, at least until they decide that she is no longer of use to them.

But for me, who talked directly with His Majesty and His Highness about it, even if they were to decide that Amria was useless to them, I don’t think that they would kill her.

The most likely decision would be to send her to a secluded and remote place, out of reach of the Romal Empire’s spies, or to put her in a prison and keep her confined for the rest of her life.

But if that happens, a wild white dragon will probably come to kidnap her. But, well, this is just a feeling I have, but I think His Highness will try to keep Amria close to him, no matter what happens.

That’s what I thought to myself as I watched His Highness’ back as he entered the guest room. It was my wishful thinking, but I hope that it does happen.

「Amria, Yachiyo, Fuuko, sorry to keep you waiting」

As soon as he entered the guest room, he spoke to Amria in a voice that was completely devoid of the tension that his words had when he had spoken to us just earlier.

「Not at all, Sperion-sama. It was very fun talking with Diadora and Dramina. Are you already finished talking with Dran and the others?」

Amria, dressed in a light yellow dress suitable for the springtime, replied with a voice that was even gentler than His Highness’ tone. Anyone who hears her voice would believe that she is the type of girl to grieve for others if they are hurt, as if it was herself who was hurting.

Amria and the others seemed to be interested in what was going on with the changes in Bern Village, as well as with the people traveling along the roads leading to the village from Galois, so she had been talking with Dramina and the others very enthusiastically before His Highness had called out to her. After all, the sound of their fun-filled voices could be heard even from outside of the door.

It wasn’t strange for Yachiyo or Fuuko, who are emotionally expressive, to be this way, but for Amria to be talking so excitedly with flushed cheeks, she must be having a lot of fun.

As one of the people in charge of governing a land, it made me feel really proud to see Amria and the others smiling. Well, when His Highness came in, their faces lit up even more, which piqued my curiosity, but… fumu.

His Highness sat down next to Amria without any hesitation, and Amria also naturally accepted it. And since Yachiyo and Fuuko, who were stuffing their faces with snacks, didn’t react to how His Highness and Amria were acting, this must be a normal thing for them. Fumu, fumu.

Shald, just like earlier, moved to stand behind His Highness, acting as his guard. Diadora and the others greeted His Highness, and they scooted over a bit in their seats to make room for me and Christina.

「Diadora, Dramina, thank you for spending time with Amria and the others.

The three of them are endlessly curious, and they want to hear about stories from not just the castle, but all kinds of places. I hope it didn’t trouble you, did it?」

In response to His Highness’ question, Dramina smiled elegantly, and shook her head softly. Because Diadora was more likely to make a mistake in her speech etiquette, she always tried to keep her mouth shut as much as possible, and let Dramina do the talking.

「It wasn’t troublesome at all. For us, to be asked about things that they are curious about along the road from Galois to Bern, it makes it easier to see the things that are hard to see or notice from our point of view.

Besides, when we learned that Amria, Yachiyo and Fuuko are being treated kindly here at the castle, it was a relief. Yachiyo and Fuuko’s fur in particular has become splendidly glossy」

「No, we were really spoiled by His Highness’ consideration and kindness, it’s embarrassing」

「Hachi’s right. We both thought that things couldn’t keep going on like this, and if we hadn’t been allowed to participate in the knights’ training, we would have definitely put on a lot more fat」

I see, just as Dramina had said, Yachiyo and Fuuko’s hair, as well as their dog and fox ears and tails, were covered with specks of glossy shine from the sunlight streaming in through the window.

The two of them were dressed in autumn style clothing, but the luster of the silk and the shape of the patterns turned the clothing into something really splendid. Because they are His Highness’ guests and they are staying at the royal castle, Yachiyo and the others had better food, clothing, and shelter now than they have ever had before in their lives.

This might be rude of me to say, but now that I look at them again, I can’t help but think that they were looking a little fuller than before, but maybe it was just my imagination. Considering their age and eating habits, I guess you could say that they were healthier now.

「I’m glad you were able to control yourselves. It wouldn’t even be funny if you two, the ones who are Amria’s bodyguards, became too heavy to wield your blades properly」

「I want to say that you’re being too harsh, but that is definitely true. As Amria’s guards, we must not slack in our efforts to fulfil our duty!」

Yachiyo let out a small huff, and her ears and tail also twitched a little at the same time. It’s no good, all I could think was that she looked like a dog puffing its chest out in order to receive praise from its master.

Part of it may be because that was just a natural characteristic of dog-people, but probably more than that, the real reason might be because Yachiyo’s personality itself resembled a pet dog.

「You two care about Amria as much as always, I’m relieved. Since we’re so busy with work, it’s been hard for us to go to the castle. So it’s become difficult to visit you」

「Even though you were still students until just a little while ago, Christina has become a baron, Dran is her aide, and Selina and Dramina are your helpers, so it’s understandable」

「Hachi and Fuuko, and of course myself too, we feel regret that we can’t meet up with you all as often, but with these circumstances, we can’t object」

Seeing Amria say that with a despondent look on her face, an indescribable feeling of guilt rose up in my heart.

For this girl, who grew up in a special environment isolated from the outside world, her mental age was likely only half of her real age.

And since Yachiyo and Fuuko are also mentally young, though in a different way from Amria, I’m sure that the three of them are very compatible.

「Amria, have you made any friends with the people in the castle yet? It must be hard in this environment, but…」

「Frau-sama is very nice to me. Also, His Highness’ father as well. And I’ve had more opportunities to talk with many of the servants. Fufu, it even makes me feel like my life on that mountain was a lie」

「Fumu, if that’s how you feel, then I won’t ask any more. So, Your Highness, what are your plans after this? We do have a room in the mansion prepared for you, if you want to stay over」

「Thank you for being so considerate. But, we’re busy with that situation that I told you about earlier. We’ll have to rush back to Galois quickly, and then return directly to the castle. Though I feel bad for Amria and the others about that」

「No, when I heard that Your Highness would be going to Bern Village, I was unreasonable in asking to go with you. All I can say is thank you」

「It’s as Amria says, Your Highness. The three of us are already under your care, receiving all the daily necessities we could ever need, but now you’ve even allowed us to visit our friends from a faraway land, so the weather in our hearts is raining with gratitude」

「Hachi’s words might be a little weird, but it’s true that we are grateful to Your Highness, so please don’t mind us so much.

Beside, this doesn’t mean that we’ll never be able to visit Dran at his place ever again. It’s for the best if you don’t worry about it so much」

When all three of them smiled while telling him not to worry, His Highness looked genuinely relieved as he let out a single sigh.

Fumu, from the way His Highness was acting, it was clear to see that he didn’t want to be disliked by these three.

Since there wasn’t a single trace of treachery or ulterior motives within these three, I wonder if they are like a breath of fresh air or like a healing presence to His Highness. Just as I thought, he was the right person to entrust with taking these three under his custody.