It's Not Like I Want to Play the Role of a Misunderstood, Good-for-Nothing Prince in a Villainess Story! - Chapter 35 – Larba's Melancholy

“What? I was thinking of making some commoner understand his place, but if it isn’t Larba?”

The person who appeared was Giyal Romash, whom we had met in the forest previously. He possessed a handsome face, but I found myself harboring no particular liking for him.

Giyal first glanced at Sierra and me, who was supporting her, before returning his attention to Larba.

“So, don’t you have something you should say?”

“…My apologies.”

Come to think of it, Larba was a Marquis, while Giyal was a Duke.

Well, Sierra doesn’t seem injured, and since the collision was mutual, nothing serious should come of this.

That was what I had thought, but Giyal crossed his arms, looking down at Larba with a contemptuous gaze.

“Larba, I hear you are quite proficient with the sword.”

“Eh, yes…”

Giyal barely reacted to the apology, continuing to speak solely to Larba.

“In swordsmanship, I might not beat you… but you are bowing your head like this now. That is solely due to the absolute difference in our status. Do you understand? Originally, even allowing you to hear such lofty conversation would dirty my mouth. Be grateful for the benevolence of my specially permitting it.”

His words were utterly vile.

Glancing behind me, both Garim and Debut merely shrugged in response to my gaze, as if to say, ‘This is simply how a normal noble behaves.’

Larba also remained silent, refraining from talking back, which was somehow…

“Hmm, now then… oh? Larba, do you not think something is amiss?”

“…………?”

Larba tilted his head, not grasping Giyal’s intent, but Giyal pointed his finger further toward the ground.

“You are still too high. Can you not go a bit lower?”

“………..!”

He was instructing him to kneel upon the ground.

Wondering if he would truly comply, Larba hung his head, frowning deeply.

“Onii-sama! You don’t need to go that far!”

“Ho, if you object so strongly, you can perform the task instead.”

“Stop, Sierra! I will do it.”

Larba stopped Sierra and began to lower his stance.

Just as his knees were about to graze the ground, I reached out, lifted his left arm, and pulled him upright.

“Zeke… Prince.”

“Mm, my apologies. I truly could not bear to watch this.”

This concerned adjacent noble territories, and since it was borderline overstepping my authority, I had hesitated, thinking I should not get involved. But—

I could not simply stand by and watch such utter foolishness being performed before my very eyes.

“Giyal-dono, isn’t this going too far?”

I spoke politely, though I struggled to suppress my anger, but Giyal merely laughed through his nose.

“Prince, do you have some opinion regarding my actions?”

“Yes. I believe we were wrong to bump into you, but you emerged from the shop suddenly without checking your surroundings. Would it not be appropriate to call this a draw?”

“Why is the Prince butting in? I am speaking with Larba right now.”

“No, no. I understand what Giyal-dono wishes to convey. However—”

I looked at Larba.

“He is my friend. I cannot silently watch my friend soil his knees.”

“…Zeke.”

I stared directly into Giyal’s eyes.

Giyal flinched under my gaze, but immediately clenched his fist and tightened his lips.

“Even so…”

“Is it not enough already?”

A mediating voice came from behind Giyal.

I looked up and saw Driema, whom I had just seen the other day, appearing with her attendants.

But why was she with Giyal?

That question must have shown on my face.

Giyal shrugged.

“She is my fiancée.”

“No, to be precise, not yet.”

Driema looked at me, then glanced at Larba… but immediately averted her eyes.

“Well, fine. I have the duty of escorting her. Then, if you will excuse us.”

Saying only that, Giyal took Driema and went elsewhere.

In any case, though our shopping trip was marred, nothing else occurred afterward, and the incident ended.

*****

The next day, though I did not know why, I was summoned not by Larba but by Sierra.

Why her?

While tilting my head, but bringing Garim and Debut as usual, Sierra, who had been leaning against the gate, came running.

“Prince Zeke, you’re late!”

“No, no. I believe I arrived fairly early, though.”

But keeping such greetings brief, Sierra grabbed my sleeve and pulled.

Walking along while wondering what was happening, Sierra suddenly stopped and, while hiding in the shadows, told me to look at something.

Hiding behind the garden plants and peering out, I saw Larba.

Larba had placed a desk and chair in an area facing the garden, where he was unusually drinking tea. He sighed, lost in thought.

Usually, he would always be holding a wooden sword, training, and he would say things like, ‘Tea break? Just gulp that down quickly and let’s continue!‘—what could have happened?

“Please look. Onii-sama has been like that since returning to the mansion yesterday. Today, too, since first thing this morning, he has been sitting in that chair drinking tea, occasionally looking into the distance while sighing. Surely he is troubled about yesterday.”

“Is that so?”

Well, his pride might indeed have been wounded.

“He seems troubled about something.”

“Hmph. This is unusual for the usually energetic Larba.”

“Right? So Prince Zeke, please go listen to his story. He won’t talk about his worries to me or anyone else in the mansion.”

“Eh, why me?”

I disliked this sort of thing because it required consideration.

“You are friends, aren’t you?”

“Mm…”

If she put it that way, there was no choice.

Reluctantly, I headed toward Larba.

“Morning, Larba.”

“Hm, ah. Morning, Zeke. You are early today. Did Sierra call you?”

“Well, something like that.”

For now, I sat down facing Larba.

A waiting servant promptly prepared my tea.

How should I approach the subject?

“Ahh, are you worrying about something?”

“…Do I look that way?”

“Yeah. Unusually, you’re not speaking about swords. It’s also unusual to be leisurely drinking tea in the garden.”

“Unusual. That’s true, it is unusual for me to do this.”

He sighed again.

He was apparently quite serious.

After being nearly forced to slam his head on the ground in apology within his own territory yesterday, I somewhat understood why he might feel troubled, but—

“If you wish, I will listen. We are friends, are we not? Sometimes talking about worries to someone can make you feel better.”

“That is true.”

After letting out a self-deprecating laugh, Larba took a mouthful of tea and slowly drank it down.

“Actually, ever since returning to the mansion yesterday, it has been continuous. My heart keeps hurting.”

“I see. Well, that way of speaking was certainly irritating.”

“Huh?”

“Hm?”

There was an awkward pause, but Larba spoke again.

“She is burned into my eyes and will not leave.”

“Those looking-down eyes and smirking face certainly were irritating, yes.”

“…………”

“Wait?”

Larba made a face that clearly asked, ‘What are you talking about?‘

Something was wrong.

“Um, just to confirm, what exactly are we talking about?”

“That is precisely why I am telling you. She is burned into my eyes and will not disappear. That standing figure—how beautiful and lovely. When I remember her, my chest hurts as if it is being squeezed.”

“Beautiful and lovely… hm?”

“Embarrassingly, I have fallen in love with Lady Driema. I have fallen in love!”

“Ohhh…”

This was unexpected.