Princess-carry and teddy bears

 
 ”Are you alright? Lettie.” Dad asked while still embracing me.
 
 ”Yeah… I just don’t have much strength because I overslept.”
 
 ”Is that so.”
 
 I heard a small sigh of relief near my ear.
 I once more realise just how much this awkward guy was worried for me.
 
 At that moment, a rumble could be heard in the space between Dad and I.
 
 Dad separated from me, and looked at my face… and then at my stomach.
 Kyaah, my face is getting hot.
 
 No, it’s because I haven’t eaten or drunk anything for five days. My stomach should rumble at least once, right?
 
 ”Oh, uhm…”
 
 I turn my face away completely in embarrassment.
 Dad then picked me up like that in his arms with a “hup”.
 
 ”Wha-, huh…?”
 
 While princess-carrying me, Dad begins walking briskly.
 As expected of a former soldier. I feel completely safe.
 
 Dad laid me down on the bed, and then pulled the bedding over me with a clumsy hand.
 
 ”I’ll bring you something to eat, so please rest until then.”
 
 ”Yeah. Thanks, Papa.”
 
 ”Yeah.”
 
 Dad nodded and stroked my cheek.
 I caught his hand, and wrapped it in both of mine.
 
 ”Hey, Papa?”
 
 ”What?”
 
 ”….. I, don’t want to marry Prince Alvin.”
 
 At that moment, Dad’s eyes widened in surprise.
 
 
 
 A brief silence.
 Dad narrowed his eyes as if thinking about something, but opened his mouth before long.
 
 ”That matter still hasn’t been decided on, you know?”
 
 ”But, it’ll happen, won’t it?”
 
 Looking straight into Dad’s eyes, I asked him.
 Having been asked, he hesitated slightly, and looked into my eyes.
 
 ”If things stay as they are, there certainly is a high chance of that happening. Since the engagement between His Highness Alvin and yourself is something the king personally proposed.”
 
 ”Can’t we refuse?”
 
 ”It’s not impossible. But…”
 
 (But “it’s difficult”, huh)
 
 I supplemented Dad’s cut-off words.
 
 I guess that’s how it is. The other person is someone with absolute authority. Besides, I can’t not consider our House’s standing.
 
 The Ainsworths have contributed to Hielland’s independence via the development and manufacture of strong magic armaments, and was conferred the rank of Count upon the nation’s founding.
 
 However, since the time of the previous generation, the development of new magic tools has gradually stagnated, the production of magic tools intended for the kingdom’s army has gone to the Royal Munitions Factory, our public goods’ magic tools have lost customers to competing workshops, and the Count House has fallen to that of a puny military officer.
 
 Our political power has also weakened accordingly.
 We’re not in a position to reject the king’s idea without a good reason.
 
 Dad pondered while pondering.
 
 ”Lettie, I understand how you feel. I’ll try thinking of a good way, so please rest properly now.”
 
 ”Got it. Sorry for saying something selfish, Papa.”
 
 ”Don’t worry about it.”
 
 Dad stroked my head one more time, then left the room behind.
 

 ☆

 
 Some time after the conversation with Dad.
 
 While only sitting up halfway, Anna fed me soup.
 
 ”Ok, Ojou-sama. Aah.”
 
 ”I-, I can eat by myself.”
 
 ”No, you can’t. It’s still hot, and your body is still weakened. Now please be obedient and let me feed you.”
 
 A smile rises to Anna’s face as she brings a spoon of soup to my lips.
 Unable to say yes or no under such pressure, I helplessly open my mouth.
 
 Nom.
 
 (Ah, it’s yummy)
 
 The warm soup soaks into my hollow stomach.
 Anna skims the light soup’s surface with the back of the spoon, scooping it out again and bringing it to my mouth.
 
 ”Ok, aah.”
 
 Nom.
 
 Well, it’s true that, since I’ve been sleeping this whole time, my arm muscles and my stomach have become weak.
 
 Having a combined memory of 50 years, I wanted to dive under the bedding out of embarrassment.
 
 
 
 ”Well then, please get some proper rest.”
 
 After Anna drew the curtains just halfway, she pushed the cart with the emptied soup dish out of the room.
 
 ”Haah…”
 
 Finally alone, I let out a small sigh.
 
 (Anyways, I need to figure out the current situation. At this rate, if I get engaged with Prince Alvin, myself and everyone else will get executed again.)
 
 Right.
 If I follow the same path like this, what’s waiting for me is the worst future.
 
 Father, who was beheaded while pleading my innocence.
 Anna, who was hung with a smile on her face.
 
 Never again.
 I don’t want to see that future ever again.
 For that, I’ll become an oni or even a demon.
 
 Besides, right now, I might be able to change my eldest brother’s fate, who is supposed to die in a defensive battle a few years later.
 
 ”……”
 
 I picked up the two teddy bears laid next to my pillow… Coco and Mel.
 
 They are my friends, and my family.
 And I can’t tell others this, but they’re my number one advisers.
 
 I spoke to them both.
 
 ”Coco, Mel. I need your help.”
 
 
 
 Through both of my hands, I let magic power flow little by little.
 Something I haven’t felt in a while.
 I wonder if it’ll go as well as expected?
 
 However, such fears were soon dispelled.
 
 The first to move was Coco on the left.
 His right hand went up in a snap.
 
 Then Mel, on the right, slowly raised her left hand.
 
 (Thank goodness. They’re both properly up.)^[1]
 
 It was about a year ago in the current timeline that I embedded a magic device that moves their arms and legs in both of them.
 The magic device is naturally my own design. I implanted a skeleton-shaped magic device in them, which can move their limbs and heads when magic power is passed through.
 
 And then, there’s this too.
 
 ”Hey”
 
 WIth a woosh, Coco and Mel floated up.
 
 (I did it!)
 
 The two of them float in the air lightly, trying to move their arms round and round.
 
 Pitter, patter, pitter, patter.
 
 … somehow, it’s extremely cute.
 
 ”Cough! Well then, I guess we’ll begin the council.”
 

TL Notes:

[1]I’m not really sure here, but the word used could also mean that they’re alive, or that they’re working. The former would imply that they’re living, with souls, while the latter would imply that they’re dolls, automatons or just plain tools. ↩