I Was Reincarnated as the Prince in a Villainess Story, so I’ll Use My Cheat Knowledge to Create a Noble Lady Harem and Make Them All Happy - 25

Chapter 25: The Crown and the Cage of Purity

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The morning light that filtered faintly into the council chamber carried with it the scent of freshly brewed tea. Through the window, a thin layer of clouds veiled the sky, and the soft autumn sunlight gently illuminated the documents spread across the desk.

“A hundred years ago, someone from House Agreia entered the forest.”

When Valis said this across the desk, Reina’s eyes widened slightly, while Milia leaned back in her chair, raising one eyebrow in mild curiosity.

“Someone from House Agreia…? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Oh? So that kind of story existed, huh. Was it written in a record somewhere?”

“It wasn’t part of the official diplomatic archives. It was buried among miscellaneous documents. Since the final ‘result’ wasn’t recorded, it probably never made it to the foreign affairs shelf.”

Tracing the page with his fingers, Valis continued.

“According to the record, the one who went to the forest for an audience was the second son of Agreia at the time—the one who later became the first head of the Everett family.”

“The Everett family…”

Reina murmured softly.

“That’s why I’m thinking of going to speak with the Marquis of Everett. Could you arrange the travel to the Everett territory?”

At Valis’s words, Reina’s eyes lit up, and she smiled delightedly.

“Of course, Your Highness. At last, I can introduce you to Feril.”

“Heh, Valis-kun, you’d better be careful. Feril’s an incredible beauty. Don’t go getting ideas. Just be content with the two beauties you’ve already got, okay?”

Milia teased with a grin. As Milia joked, Reina tilted her head slightly, replying with her usual gentle smile.

“But if His Highness and Feril were to wish for such a thing… I would have no objections. In fact, I might even be pleased.”

“Wow… I can’t compete with you, Reina.”

Milia said, shrugging with a laugh before sighing theatrically.

“Well then, if it ever comes the time for Valis-kun to go against three people, I’ll make sure to heal you afterward…”

When Valis didn’t react to her teasing and instead kept his usual serious expression, Milia trailed off mid-sentence.

“Sorry, I wasn’t listening.”

Reina’s expression dimmed slightly, while Milia tilted her head in concern.

“…Valis-kun, you seem more serious than usual. Did something happen?”

Following Milia’s lead, Reina spoke up gently, puzzled.

“It may be my imagination, but… You seem a little different today.”

Valis forced a lighter tone in response to Reina’s worried voice.

“I was just thinking about the preparations.”

As he said that, he lowered his gaze.

If possible, I want to speak with Feril alone.

There was no need to say what didn’t have to be said. That had always been the line he maintained, both in the past and now. But if something were to happen between him and Feril, he might one day have to cross that line.

No… Even so…

“Reina, I’ll leave the arrangements to you.”

“Certainly, Your Highness.”

Reina’s reply was as gentle as ever, but there was a faint, probing light in her eyes.

＊＊＊

The day before departure. The Everett family had already sent their acceptance, and the journey was set for the following morning. Reina had left the capital ahead of them to make local arrangements. Milia accompanied her, saying she had received a message from Reina that “Feril wished to meet Milia as well.”

As Valis finished his work and began tidying up his desk, the attendant waiting by the door stepped forward and bowed deeply.

“Your Highness. Lady Feril Everett has just arrived in the royal capital.”

Valis’s hand froze.

“…She has?”

“Yes, Your Highness. She requests an audience.”

At this timing, with both of them away from the capital….

It was an impeccably measured visit. Too convenient to be called coincidence. No, this was—deliberate.

She purposely kept Reina and Milia away.

That certainty lit within his chest, and with it came a strange sense of relief.

So she really is one of us.

A reincarnator. Someone who, like Valis, had come to this world from another. The fact that she came here only after ensuring the two were gone meant that Feril, too, wasn’t ready to reveal the truth to them yet. It was the perfect opportunity for an honest conversation.

“Show her in politely. Bring her here.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The door closed, and silence returned to the room. His fingertips felt damp with sweat. His palms trembled slightly.

Calm down. Breathe. You’ve been expecting this all along.

Even so, a part of him still couldn’t fully grasp the reality of it all.

＊＊＊

The door opened a few minutes later. One step, then another. The girl who entered moved soundlessly, radiating quiet grace. She wore a refined green-toned dress—simple in design, yet it carried unmistakable elegance. Her silver hair flowed gently over her shoulders and down her back, catching the light as the fringe brushed across her cheek.

But most striking of all were her eyes—crimson, like twin rubies. They gazed straight at Valis.

So fragile.

She looked delicate enough to shatter at a touch, and yet her posture carried an undeniable strength of will. She must have been over twenty. The same age as me. Yet, standing before me, she seemed to exist slightly apart from the flow of time itself. She bent her knees gracefully, performing a flawless curtsy.

“I am Feril Everett, Your Highness. It is my honor to make your acquaintance.”

“…Ah.”

His voice came a beat late. His throat felt unexpectedly dry.

“I am Crown Prince Valis. I’ve heard much about you from Lady Reina of House Agreia.”

She smiled faintly, bowing her head before sitting down on the sofa as he gestured. Valis sat opposite her. Though tea had been prepared, neither reached for it. She was simply too quiet. He steadied his breath.

Now or never.

“I am…”

The words caught in his throat.

“…No. My name is Ryuusuke Sakagami. Thirty-five years old. A lowly civil servant from the countryside. …May I ask your name?”

Silence. Yet it wasn’t the silence of rejection. Even so, tension tightened in his chest.

Was I too hasty? Should I have waited until I was certain before bringing up reincarnation?

His unease constricted his throat. His heart beat at the worst possible moment. …But those crimson eyes held not rejection, but thought—deep, deliberate thought. She lowered her gaze slightly, exhaled softly, then answered in a calm, steady voice.

“Yuko Sonomura. I’d rather not say my age, but… I’m a bit older than you. I worked as an office clerk for a trading company in Tokyo.”

For a moment, time seemed to stop. At last—they had arrived here. Valis felt the taut string within him loosen quietly. Feril—Yuko Sonomura—smiled faintly.

“I thought so. You’d already suspected something, hadn’t you, Prince? I’d been wondering myself, seeing how different you were from the ‘Prince’ I knew.”

Of course. If she knew the original web novel, that suspicion would come naturally.

“You know The Crown and the Cage of Purity, then?”

At Valis’s question, Feril lowered her eyes for a brief moment. Her long lashes cast a soft shadow across her cheeks, and in the quiet air, her silence deepened.

“Yes. I know it. But…Perhaps not in the way you think.”

Her tone was calm but carried a hint of meaning.

“…What do you mean?”

A brief pause. Her crimson eyes slowly lifted, fixing directly on his.

“That story—The Crown and the Cage of Purity—was the novel I wrote and posted online.”

It took a moment for the meaning of her words to register. This time, it was Valis’s turn to fall silent.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー