I Secretly Healed the Illness of the Twin Princesses While Wearing a Mask, and Now the Entire Kingdom Is in an Uproar ~Please Stop Trying to Expose the Street Healer~ - Chapter 13

After the people in white robes left, I stuffed the golden orb I had picked up into my pocket and headed toward the stands.

The semi finals had just started, and the stadium was buzzing with excitement.

“Hmm, every seat is taken.”

Maybe I should’ve paid for a reserved seat. Oh well, I’ll just find a spot where I won’t be in anyone’s way and watch from there.

Thud.

Someone bumped into me while I was standing in the aisle.

“Oh, my apologies… Princess Victoria?”

“Huh? That voice, Asuku?”

Victoria was carrying a huge pile of food from the stalls in front of the stadium. Yakisoba, frankfurters, and more.

“What are you doing?”

“Hm. I just bought some things from the stalls. Do you want some?”

“I’ll take it.”

“Hm. Enjoy the taste of food bought with the people’s hard-earned money.”

“Is it really okay for a royal to say that?”

“It’s fine, no problem.”

That sounded like trouble to me.

We stood together, munching on the stall food while watching the magic tournament.

Wow, this is delicious.

“The frankfurters are made from orc meat… orc frankfurters… they feel kind of weird to eat.”

“Hm. They’re thick and long, and a lot of juice comes out from the tip…”

“You mean the meat juice. Are you saying that on purpose?”

“I don’t know what you mean. Hm, fatty food really is tasty.”

“You should eat some vegetables too, or it’s bad for your health.”

And just then.

“Victoria-sama, there you are.”

“Hm? Whoa, I’ve been found.”

A white-haired girl in a maid’s outfit had appeared behind her. Her most striking feature was a black cloth covering both her eyes.

She walked confidently, but could she see anything through that?

Also, that maid outfit looked like one only the top maids of the Xylica Kingdom’s castle could wear.

“The King and Princess Christina are waiting for you in the special viewing area.”

“Oh, I forgot.”

“Please return immediately.”

“Hm. Can I bring Asuku with me?”

“Eh?”

What was Victoria talking about?

“That boy is…”

“Asuku Medix. Franc Medix’s younger brother. He’s friends with me and Princess Christina.”

“…I understand. Asuku-sama, I am Maidall, serving Christina-sama and Victoria-sama.”

“Oh, thank you.”

The maid girl, now called Maidall, pinched the hem of her long skirt and gave a graceful bow.

I couldn’t help but bow too.

“Maidall took care of me and Christina when we were little. The previous maid got fired, so she’s been helping us again recently.”

“Fired?”

“Hm. When Christina and I were sick, the old maid was gossiping behind our backs. Father found out and quietly took care of―”

“Pardon me, Victoria-sama, there’s something on your mouth.”

“Mmph.”

Maidall quickly covered Victoria’s mouth with a cloth, stopping her from speaking.

Whoa.

Victoria was about to say she got taken care of. That sounded way too dangerous.

“I see. Well then.”

“Wait.”

As I tried to leave quickly, Victoria grabbed my wrist tightly.

“Come with me, too, Asuku.”

“I’ll pass.”

“You don’t have to refuse. It’s a princess’s order. Come with me.”

“…Alright.”

It didn’t feel right to refuse a princess’s order, especially in front of Maidall, who worked at the castle.

In the end, I had no choice but to follow her toward the special viewing seats.

◇　◆　◇

“Victoria!! I told you so many times not to wander off alone! Where have you been ―Oh? Asuku-sama?”

“Hello, Princess Christina.”

“Hm. I ran into him by chance, so I invited him to watch with me.”

“Oh, I see. I’m sorry, Asuku, for making you go along with Victoria’s selfishness,” Christina said politely.

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t have a seat, so it worked out perfectly.”

The special viewing seats were only for royalty, dukes, or people approved by them.

The chairs were like soft, plush sofas, really comfortable but then…

“Um, Princess Victoria?”

“What?”

“Why are you sitting on my lap?”

“Hm, this looked like the comfiest spot.”

Victoria sat right on my lap on the soft sofa.

Let’s remember something here.

Victoria was a girl called the “Silver Princess” because of her beauty.

She had a delicate and small frame, but she was well-endowed.

And I was just a normal boy.

There was no way I could stay calm with a beautiful girl sitting on my lap like that.

“Victoria!! That’s inappropriate!?”

“Christina, worrying about small things will make you go bald.”

“!?”

Just then.

“You seem to be very close with my daughters.”

“Huh?”

A middle-aged man I didn’t know was speaking to us with a teasing tone.

Did he just call Victoria his daughter?

Wait, the slightly bald man in front of me… could it be…

“Your Majesty?”

“Yeah, indeed. I am Diald Kirev Dra Xylica. And you are?”

“My apologies, I am Asuku Medix.”

“Ah, the eldest son of the Medix family. Your sister helped me with my daughter’s matter. Then, were you looking at my head just now?”

“I wasn’t.”

“No, you definitely were. Tell me what you were thinking.”

“I wasn’t looking.”

When I firmly told him I wasn’t looking, the king sat down next to me.

Why is he sitting right beside me?

“…Victoria. Do you like this, Asuku?”

“Hm, I don’t dislike him. Maybe second only to Faceless-sama.”

“Ho!! Asuku, do you have a fiancée?”

“I don’t.”

My sister keeps saying, “I won’t let Asuku go to anyone I don’t approve of!!” That’s why she’s stopping me from getting engaged to anyone.

“Then how about it? Will you take Victoria as your bride?”

“!?”

“Ah, don’t worry about the difference in status. Considering all the good deeds the Medix family has done, there’s no problem at all.”

What should I do?

Being personally asked by the king to take a princess as my bride is something I absolutely can’t refuse.

“Father, that’s impossible.”

“Hm? Victoria, don’t you like Asuku?”

“Hm, I like him. But Asuku belongs to Christina.”

“Victoria!?”

…Right.

I remembered. Christina and I had been planning to get close so that Victoria would cancel her engagement to Duke Arnall.

The king looked at me as he froze, and Christina was panicking with a complicated expression.

“To seduce both my daughters, you are a playboy despite appearances. ―Cough, cough.”

“Father!? Are you okay!?”

“Oh, Christina. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“Perhaps it wasn’t wise to force yourself to come to the stadium while you’re ill…”

“Hmph, I thought seeing the energy of young people would cheer me up.”

Ill? I want to heal him.

But using healing magic means I need to touch his body.

If I pushed Christina and Victoria aside to heal him, it would definitely look suspicious… Maybe I’ll have to secretly go to the castle at night to heal him.

“You mustn’t overdo it, Diald-sama.”

“…Who are you?”

Another unfamiliar person appeared.

A little girl with shiny black hair, white highlights, and a face so perfectly made it looked like a doll. She gave off a strangely eerie feeling, yet somehow also a mysterious charm.

There was a sickly-sweet scent around her, making me feel a little dizzy.

“That woman is Father’s concubine. Her name is Tiraiza. She’s not related by blood to me or Christina.”

“My, my. That woman is a rude way to say it. I keep telling you to treat me like your mother.”

“For me and Christina, we have only one mother. And it’s not you.”

Looks like Victoria and the concubine don’t get along. Scary, I should keep quiet.

After a while, while Victoria sat on my lap, we watched the main matches of the magic tournament. Then a soldier rushed into the special viewing area.

“Your Majesty!! Your Majesty!!”

“What is it?”

“T-that’s…”

The soldier whispered something into the king’s ear. The king’s eyes went wide in shock.

“W‑what!? Is that true!?”

“Y‑yes. There is no mistake.”

“Father, what happened?”

“W‑well. It seems someone broke into the castle’s treasure hall. And the treasure of the royal family, the Barrier Stone, has been stolen.”

“The Barrier Stone…?”

“It’s a magic item that absorbs magic from whatever creature is sealed inside it, weakening them. It looks like a golden orb ―Ah, not that kind of joke.”

Golden orb?

I quietly slipped my hand into my pocket and checked the thing the white‑robed people had dropped.

Yeah, this is definitely it. This golden orb is the secret treasure.

Wait, those white‑robed guys even broke into the royal castle?

Even if they’re middle-school syndrome, kidnapping and stealing is crossing the line…

What should I do?

Should I just honestly say, “I found it under the stairs”?

“Find the thief at all costs!! Anyone who seems even slightly connected, capture them, torture them, I don’t care!!”

Torture sounds scary, so I’m keeping quiet.

Oh, right. Since I’m planning to sneak into the castle tonight to heal the king anyway, I’ll just return the treasure stone to the treasure hall while I’m there.

The magic tournament ended, and night fell.

“So, I’m going to sneak into the castle, heal the king’s illness, and then return the secret treasure!! Hyahahahaha!!”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.”

My sister desperately tried to stop me as I was about to break into the castle.

◇　◇　◇

Afterword

One-Point Story

Author: “I introduced three new characters in one chapter, and you might not remember them all, so just remember, the ‘Maid,’ ‘King,’ and ‘Concubine.’”

A: “That’s easy to remember.”

If you thought, “The title is wild,” “Victoria is cute,” “This protagonist is way too crazy,” please leave your thoughts, bookmarks, ★ ratings, or reviews.