My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 048: The Princess Is Incredibly Devoted

Sitting side by side with the Princess on the bed.

Kishō sat tensely with spine straight, maintaining awareness toward the study desk visible to his front right, unable to direct his gaze toward the Princess sitting to his left.

A woman’s fragrance drifting through the desolate space with only minimal furnishings. His own room where he should be accustomed felt distant, as if he’d wandered into another world.

Awkward silence descended.

Thinking calmly, he’d ended up rejecting a girl who’d steeled her resolve. This raised questions about how he was as a man. Unable to endure the silence, Kishō glancing at the Princess and her opening her mouth occurred almost simultaneously.

“I didn’t realize you were thinking this seriously, Kishō. You’re right. Consummating while students aren’t fair. Plus if discovered by any chance, it would become an obstacle to our marriage. I’m sorry.”

Eyebrows slightly lowered, her usual dignified appearance had completely wilted. Though her meager expression showed almost no change, she seemed somehow lonely.

Awkwardly scratching his nose, Kishō dropped his gaze to the cold wooden floor.

“It’s not that I don’t want to do… that with you, Kuroyō. But we’re both still students. So, just a little longer… at least until graduating from the academy, I think we should endure. I want to marry you with pride and dignity.”

The Princess nodded cutely and leaned her body against him as if wilting. Her small hand overlapped Kishō’s left hand placed on the bed. Hot breath whispered at his ear.

“But you’re mistaken about one thing.”

Whoosh—sweet numbness ran down his spine, and Kishō straightened his back sharply.

In that opening, his hand was taken and pressed against the Princess’s chest without time to resist. Then soft elasticity along with powerful pounding like being pushed back transmitted to his palm.

“Though I may appear calm, I’m this nervous.”

For confirmation, Kishō placed his free right hand on his own chest. That heartbeat pounded unusually before the Princess, but,

“Completely different. You were pounding this much?”

“Yes. It hasn’t stopped since stepping into this room.”

The Princess’s face saying so seemed to have faint redness. Perhaps she’d mustered courage to face this. Thinking so made him feel completely apologetic. Kishō gently released his right hand and dropped his gaze awkwardly.

“Are there couples who secretly marry while students?”

“Yes, there are. It’s common knowledge in Upper School.”

“It’s common knowledge!?”

He’d intended a trivial question. However, the returned answer was an expectation-exceeding wild pitch: “common knowledge.”

Raising his face in surprise, as Kishō widened his eyes, perhaps finding that reaction amusing, the Princess laughed with a hand still on her chest.

“Many are nobility-class engaged with parental approval. Of course being discovered would be bad, but teachers tacitly understand and don’t pursue deeply.”

The noble Upper School image in his head collapsed noisily.

What, that place was a debauched and depraved space with lax discipline.

Suddenly interested, leaning forward, Kishō asked:

“Do they rendezvous at the dormitories after all?”

“Right. Female teachers don’t enter the boys’ dormitory.”

“They do whatever they want!?”

Hundred expressions of surprise. Each time Kishō showed surprise, the Princess’s complexion that had been dejected gradually brightened. Then she smiled happily and raised an index finger, saying proudly:

“Additionally, numerous facilities exist only in Upper School. The grounds are four times Lower School’s area, accompanying facilities are diverse, and population density is quite low. You can figure out the rest.”

Carried out naturally throughout Upper School’s various locations. Hearing that, enduring also seemed foolish. It even made him feel like he’d lose out by not doing it.

Then Kishō realized with a start.

“Wait wait. Dragonkin value honor. Is such indiscriminate behavior acceptable?”

If honor was sullied, a woman’s value dropped. Since even just engagement greatly reduced that value, consummating marriage would make it nearly worthless. Nevertheless, hearing such acts were rampant in Upper School didn’t sit right. Then,

“That’s how serious they are.”

If the will to absolutely marry existed, honor didn’t matter, the Princess said.

Dragonkin women swore loyalty only to the one dragonkin male who became master. Honor was merely one indicator to show this loyalty. Meaning, no matter how sullied the Princess’s honor, as long as Kishō understood that loyalty, no problem existed.

“Entering a pack means entrusting one’s life. I’ve long been resolved to entrust this life to you and support you with everything.”

“————”

‘(Ah, yes. Kuroyō is devoted and straightforward to the end. Precisely because her sincerity moved my heart, I formed engagement before public witness.)’

Kishō understood deeper than anyone that her words held no falsehood, that seriousness. Precisely because of that, his chest heated.

“I’ll do anything for you. Even if reviled as cowardly, even if criticized as cold-hearted, I intend to always choose what’s best for you.”

Saying that much, the Princess bit her pale pink lips tightly as if steeling resolve. And directed unclouded straight eyes.

“From now on, in the process of growing the pack together with you, there may be choices you can’t accept. They may contain seeming irrationality and unreasonableness that makes you want to rebel. But please don’t doubt. I’ll definitely choose what’s best for you, so I want you to trust me.”

Receiving this much affection, no man could be unhappy. Wrapped in helpless dearness that scorched his chest, his hand nearly extended toward the Princess’s delicate body. But having remonstrated with the Princess, he couldn’t bend that principle. While scorching himself with strong impulse issued from instinct,

“Just how devoted are you anyway?”

He could only say so bluntly.

Then, as if seeing through that internal turmoil, the Princess floated an impish smile. An evil smile somehow reminiscent of Ōka.

“Are you really fine not embracing me? Countless men want to embrace me.”

On the bed, the beautiful girl provoked with upturned eyes. Eyes closed drowsily as if acting spoiled, troubled breath interspersed. The swell at her chest had developed beyond belief for fifteen years old—

‘(Truly a devil. More troublesome than Ōka by being seductive.)’

While thinking things that would definitely displease Ōka if she heard, meanwhile, from overhead of detached consciousness, Kishō thought something else.

“That wasn’t serious just now. You tested me.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Your eyes glinted impishly. That’s Ōka’s specialty.”

“You noticed?”

Like Ōka does, the Princess stuck out her tongue and smiled.

That face overlapped with Ōka’s face, and he felt something like guilt for some reason. As if cold water had been poured on him, Kishō felt heat rapidly withdraw from his body.

“Learning only bad things from Ōka…”

“That’s not true. When you’re with Ōka, you make a happy face. I want to become even a little like Ōka. So I’m using her as reference.”

“That’s not—”

At the unexpected surprise attack, Kishō flailed both hands suspiciously.

“S-so. I told you Ōka and I aren’t like that.”

Perhaps again imitating Ōka, the Princess half-closed her eyes.

“When you say that, it’s embarrassment—Ōka said so.”

“That bastard… more unnecessary things… plus she’s strangling her own neck too.”

“Not unnecessary. Ōka is an accomplished dragonkin. Worthy of respect.”

“Come to think of it, you rate Ōka exceptionally highly.”

There, the Princess’s face shadowed. Though just an instant enough to think it imagination, and blinking returned it to the original meager face.

“Yielding First Consort position isn’t normally possible. Proof of magnanimity.”

No, so Ōka and I aren’t in that kind of relationship—about to say that, Kishō swallowed those words with a sigh. He judged objection futile.

Then, at that point.

He arrived at one question.

A fundamental question. A question that should have been asked first thing.

“Come to think of it, why did you come here?”

The reason the Princess specially visited the boys’ dormitory.

To consummate?

No, that was different. The radical statement about consummating was merely a result of the Princess reacting to Kishō’s words—I’m still a man, you know.

Even if carried out throughout Upper School’s various locations, she wasn’t the kind of person to perform such indiscriminate acts. Lewd appearance stirring emotions didn’t suit the Princess who bloomed nobly as an unattainable flower. There must be another reason, Kishō wished.

“During night training too, you answered absentmindedly.”

Saying so, remembering the Princess who’d tried to undress without hesitation, Kishō felt slightly anxious at that unhesitating action. Then the Princess widened her eyes more than ever seen and clapped hands.

“Oh right. I completely forgot.”

The Princess with somewhat absent-minded qualities floated a faint smile on her meager face and continued.

“The aptitude attribute problem. It might be solvable.”