The Abandoned Prince Heals an Enemy Soldier on the Frontlines, Only to Discover She’s the Seventh Imperial Princess - Chapter 05: The Abandoned Prince Becomes a Useless Bum

Chapter 05: The Abandoned Prince Becomes a Useless Bum

It had been a week since I arrived in the Dragoon Empire.

My subordinates, who had been brought here with me, were now working at the imperial capital’s medical facility under exceptionally good conditions—on the condition that they only treated civilians.

They were getting proper wages that matched their healing abilities, and judging by their grinning faces, they had zero complaints.

Meanwhile, I was… well, bored out of my mind.

I ate three delicious meals a day—far better than anything I’d ever had in Agarham.

If I got sleepy, I’d just crawl into a heavenly soft bed and sleep as much as I wanted.

Every now and then, I’d read books in the imperial archives, but that was about it.

“This is bad. If this keeps up, I’m gonna turn into a useless bum.”

Not that I’d mind that, really.

But some tiny shred of my former self—a civilized man—was screaming at me that living like this was not okay.

“I need to do something…”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to leave the imperial castle.

Because Alcarion said no.

Even though I was technically a prisoner of war, forcing a foreign prince into labor wasn’t an option, apparently.

Alcarion wanted to use me as a bargaining chip when she eventually conquered Agarham.

“Just so we’re clear, my love for you is completely genuine. Using you, my dear Reyshel, as a tool for Agarham’s conquest is not my true intention. I truly, deeply love you—”

When Alcarion suddenly started rattling off her love confession with a completely unreadable expression, I almost got scared.

Not that I ever doubted her feelings, but apparently, she was the type to worry about those things.

And so, she was firmly against the idea of using a captured prince as a laborer.

Which meant… all I did was eat amazing food, sleep in the softest bed ever, and chat with Rosemary or Alcarion whenever they dropped by to check on me.

Let me be clear.

“…This is heaven.”

Honestly, I might have already become a useless bum beyond saving.

What’s so great about this?

Sure, the lazy lifestyle was ideal, but the best part? Rosemary and Alcarion.

Rosemary kept throwing me shy glances, while Alcarion hugged me tightly and patted my head like a pampered pet.

Especially the latter—whenever she hugged me, I got buried in her enormous chest and felt my brain go completely blank.

The fact that I hadn’t let my lower half take over my entire consciousness yet? Yeah, I deserved a medal for that.

“…Still, the Empire is seriously impressive.”

I glanced out the guest room window and took in the view again.

The level of civilization here was insane.

“…A locomotive powered by magic stones, and lightbulbs that work with magic… Wait, since they glow using magic, shouldn’t they be called magibulbs or something? This is way too advanced…”

Their civilization might be around early Meiji-era level.

It was clearly far ahead of the surrounding countries.

No wonder they had the confidence to declare war on everyone and aim for world domination all on their own.

On the other hand, things like guns and cannons didn’t even seem to exist here.

Maybe it was because magic had always been a viable option for large-scale destruction.

And with wyverns dominating the skies, there was zero development in aviation.

It was a strange, unbalanced kind of progress.

But still—the foundation to develop those weapons definitely existed in the Dragoon Empire.

“…If they ever got serious about weapons development, I wouldn’t be surprised if they created modern-day firearms. That’s terrifying.”

“What is terrifying?”

“DWAHHHHHHH!! Holy crap!! You scared me!!”

“A-Apologies. I did knock…”

Apparently, I had been so deep in thought that I hadn’t even noticed Rosemary entering the room.

“N-No, my bad. I was distracted. Anyway, what’s up?”

“Hmph. Reyshel, I told you not to speak so formally with me, didn’t I?”

“Ah, sorry. When I get startled, it just kinda slips out.”

Over the past week, Rosemary and I had gotten much closer.

Talking to her was genuinely enjoyable.

Also, every time she shifted slightly, her chest bounced in a way that was very entertaining for the eyes.

…Ahem. Probably best if I stopped staring so much.

“Uh, what’s with the sudden visit?”

“I managed to prepare what you requested, Reyshel.”

“Wait—seriously!?”

Hearing Rosemary’s words, I lit up with excitement.

I immediately followed her to my long-awaited destination.

“O-Ohhh!!”

“But… why a bath? Isn’t a shower enough?”

“Hah! Rosemary, you don’t get it at all.”

That’s right.

The imperial capital had plumbing, and the imperial castle even had hot water.

The water pressure was a little weak, but there were functioning showers.

However—as a Japanese man, I needed a proper bath where I could soak up to my shoulders.

So, when I asked Alcarion about it, she immediately approved the idea and ordered the construction of a massive bathhouse inside the imperial castle.

And in just one week, the entire project was completed.

That speed was insane.

I turned to Rosemary, trying my best to explain the greatness of baths.

“A bath is amazing. It’s the best thing ever.”

“How exactly is it amazing?”

Faced with that blunt question, I suddenly found myself at a loss for words.

“Uh, well… it just feels good. Like, really relaxing.”

“So, it’s more of a mental thing?”

“Hmm, I guess? It’s kinda hard to explain in words… But trust me, it works. Back on the frontlines, I had a bath set up just because I wanted one, and even the soldiers loved it. It even boosted morale. Though, to be fair, it was just a simple one—dig a hole with earth magic, fill it with water magic, then heat it up with fire magic.”

“Hmm, I see… Maybe we should try setting one up on the frontlines as well.”

“Ah—w-wait, Rosemary! Forget I said that!”

…Crap.

Did I just hand over some pretty valuable information to the enemy?

Not that I really cared about politics, but if the Empire’s troops started using baths to boost morale, it could lead to more casualties for the Kingdom’s soldiers.

That wasn’t ideal.

Just as I started regretting my slip-up, Rosemary said something surprising.

“Are you worried about Agarham? You don’t need to be. Since your capture was made public, we’ve entered a temporary truce with the Kingdom.”

“Wait… seriously?”

“Yes. Even the ones who sent you to the frontlines knew that leaving a captured royal for dead would ruin their reputation. So, for now, they’re holding back.”

“Huh. So the war is on pause?”

“Only temporarily. The Kingdom is demanding your return, but considering how they treated you, there’s no way Mother will agree.”

“I mean, it was just a political power struggle. I lost. But I’m still alive, so isn’t it fine?”

I had already told Rosemary and Alcarion about what happened back in the royal capital.

When I explained it to Alcarion, she had her usual stoic expression, but for some reason, there was this intense pressure coming from her.

Honestly, it was a little scary.

But enough chit-chat.

“Anyway! Time to hop in!”

I quickly started stripping to get into the bath.

However, Rosemary’s entire face turned red—all the way to her ears—and she stopped me.

“W-W-Why are you suddenly taking off your clothes!?”

“Oh, my bad. But you’ve already seen me naked, so does it really matter?”

“T-That was on the battlefield! It’s completely different—!”

Right—Rosemary had seen me completely naked back on the battlefield.

I may have let my guard down and taken a direct hit from a wyvern’s fire breath, which burned off all my clothes.

Then I had to heal Rosemary while still buck-naked, and shortly after, I got captured.

So yeah—she had already seen everything.

At this point, I had no shame left.

“I-I’m leaving right now! So at least wait until I’m gone before you start stripping!!”

“—That is correct. From this point on, it is our time as husband and wife. Rosemary, step outside for a while.”

“Wha—M-Mother!?”

At some point, Alcarion had entered the bathhouse.

She was completely prepared to join, with a towel and change of clothes in hand.

“T-This is unacceptable!! A man and a woman alone together in a closed room with no clothes—!!”

“There is no issue if they are a loving couple. Wouldn’t you agree, my dear?”

“—Yes!! Absolutely!!”

“Reyshel!! Why are you nodding so enthusiastically!? Tch… Fine!! Then I’ll get in too!! I’m going to supervise you two and make sure nothing indecent happens!!”

…Wait.

Did I just end up in a situation where I was bathing with both Rosemary and Alcarion?

…

This is the greatest thing ever.

―――――――――――――――――――――

[Afterword]

A Random Tidbit

Author: “Bathing with two beautiful women? Guilty.”

R: “I haven’t even done anything yet!?”

If you thought “The Empire is amazing,” “Alcarion’s sudden entrance was hilarious,” or “Guilty, no questions asked,” don’t forget to leave a comment, bookmark, ★ rating, and review!