It's Not Like I Want to Play the Role of a Misunderstood, Good-for-Nothing Prince in a Villainess Story! - Chapter 87: You Must Not Drag Regret into the Future

“Suddenly a replacement came.”

On the way to the Papal Territory, I heard such a story from Rubert.

In other words, when Father said last night that he would temporarily exempt me from my work, it seemed he meant exempting me from the duty of arbitrating disputes between nobles.

I wished they would say things like that clearly, you know.

Well, I was happy to be able to meet Rubert for the first time in a while though.

Currently, we were moving with two carriages and respective knights guarding on horseback.

The Saint’s side had the Royal Palace Knight Order.

They were people I had almost no acquaintance with… the guys who came with Elliot when we were children and fought with me, Rubert, and the Royal Capital Knight Order.

In other words, it meant we didn’t get along very well.

In fact, they didn’t seem to be talking much with the Royal Capital Knight Order who were my guards either.

–The reason being, this time the Royal Capital Knight Order had no leader.

The Commander, Vice Commander, and Assistant Commander; the three of them were not here.

It was just Garim, Debut, Ted, and a quiet guy named Quinn who was Ted’s contemporary coming along.

Four people… a select few.

There were fewer people than the Royal Palace Knight Order, but both Garim and Debut were skilled, and Ted and Quinn were also Royal Capital Knights so they should have survived their fair share of carnage…

“Zeke-sama, you must not put your hand out the window, it is dangerous.”

“Hmph. Leave matters outside to us.”

“Yeah, I trust you.”

I was warned just for opening the window a little.

Sharp-sighted guys.

Well, if it was them, they’d manage somehow even with few numbers.

Besides, by my side was the Jet-Black Knight Rubert, whose name was renowned even in other countries, so there should be no problem.

“Nn? What is wrong?”

“No, nothing. Have you been well?”

“Well, more or less.”

Rubert showed a slightly tired expression.

It was mediation of disputes between nobles; he must have been quite mentally exhausted too.

I felt like he aged just a little… no, there were shadows, and I felt like this gave him a certain adult sex appeal in its own way.

“By the way, what happened with Lady Misty?”

Even if you asked me what happened.

“Nothing in particular, ah but I was hugged in the forest.”

“Oh, finally hugg…ed? Not ‘slept with’?”

Rubert’s eyes, which sparkled for a moment, changed to exasperated eyes.

I didn’t have hobbies or tastes like sleeping with someone in the forest.

“No no, you haven’t made a move yet?”

“There’s no way I would, think about our age.”

“No, I am thinking about your age but… what happened to your ethics?”

That was what I wanted to ask.

Even the game’s Misty… come to think of it, wasn’t this game 18+?

It was an all-ages version.

“Saying that, did you have a fiancée or something?”

“There was a girl I promised when we were children.”

When I asked back, Rubert narrowed his eyes.

This tone…

That’s right, this world has monsters and people die easily.

I was careless.

“I see.”

“It was cute how she said she would become her big brother’s bride when she grew up though…”

“Eh?”

…………

A moment of silence.

“Sister?”

“That is so, but is something wrong?”

Rubert replied with a serious face, but that was it.

Come to think of it, this guy was a siscon.

Severe enough to commit suicide out of self-condemnation for failing to protect his sister.

I almost held my head, but I thought I was great for enduring it.

But… his sister died, right?

“Zeke-sama.”

“Nn?”

“It’s not specifically about Lady Misty’s case but… you must not leave regrets.”

Rubert’s eyes were not looking at me.

“When I was a child, the old men and women in town used to say. Saying things like they regret that time or talking about the past… Listening to that, I used to think, why didn’t they say it at that time… or why didn’t they do it… it would have been better if they did it. Because I was simple-minded, I thought that.”

Narrowing his eyes while looking at the ground, he spoke as if in a monologue.

“But, since losing my sister, I think. I should have said that before I couldn’t say it anymore. I should have done this… I think of it after I can no longer say it.”

“……”

“Zeke-sama, please make sure you do not regret. Even if you want to go back, you cannot go back to the past. Regrets of not doing something can only be dragged into the future. Especially if you can do it now but aren’t doing it.”

While shrugging his shoulders, Rubert raised his face with a mischievous feeling.

His face was smiling, but somehow sadness was conveyed, and looking at that face made me look away even though it wasn’t about me.

“I’ll remember that.”

I replied like that while thinking about my fiancée, Misty, from whom I had separated again.