The Abandoned Prince Heals an Enemy Soldier on the Frontlines, Only to Discover She’s the Seventh Imperial Princess - Chapter 77 – Side: Rosemary & Side: ???

Chapter 77 – Side: Rosemary & Side: ???

“Reyshel got kidnapped!? K-Kuura, what do you mean!?”

“…It was my failure. I lowered my guard, thinking there was only one enemy.”

Kuura had returned to Agardramoon Castle to report everything to Alcarion.

Rosemary, who happened to be present, turned pale and rushed right up to her.

That alone was enough to make Kuura take a step back.

“Rosemary, if you corner Kuura like that, she’ll just clam up. She’s not good at dealing with people.”

“Eh?”

“…S-Shut up. I am not bad at communicating.”

“A-Ah, r-right…”

Kuura averted her gaze, her eyes half-lidded as she spoke.

Yeah, that reaction screamed ‘socially awkward.’

Rosemary quickly stepped back, bowing her head in apology.

“S-Sorry, Kuura-dono.”

“…Think nothing of it. When someone dear gets taken, staying calm would be far stranger.”

“Oh my, Kuura. Why are you looking at me like that?”

Alcarion tilted her head slightly at Kuura’s gaze.

“I am not calm either. I’m on the verge of bursting with rage.”

“…I see. Your face makes it hard to tell.”

Kuura spoke without a hint of malice—

But somehow, Alcarion’s perfectly blank face still managed to give off a faint air of displeasure.

“True, in the past I would’ve flown into a rage without a second thought. But I’ll never lose control again and risk putting my dear’s life in danger.”

Alcarion remembered it all too well.

The time her beloved Reyshel had been kidnapped with the minister’s aid.

The time she had gone berserk, losing all sense of reason—

And nearly swallowed Reyshel whole, almost devouring him by mistake.

Thankfully, Reyshel had only ended up opening a new path for himself, and it left no lasting scars…

But the thought of ever again terrifying the one most precious to her?

That was something Alcarion swore she would never allow.

“Besides, I have my adorable daughter here with me. Showing her a mother who can’t keep her composure would be a disgrace to my pride as a parent.”

“M-Mother…”

Hearing those words, Rosemary felt shame burn hot in her chest.

Of course she worried for Reyshel.

But panicking here and crumbling into weakness—

What good would that do?

She placed a hand gently on her stomach.

She was going to be a mother too.

When her child was born, she wanted them to see her as someone strong, someone they could rely on.

And to do that—she had to stand tall, just like her own mother. Just like Alcarion.

So Rosemary turned to her mother and asked—

“Mother, is there anything I can do?”

“Rosemary, you’re with child. This time, don’t even think about rushing off. Stay here and wait.”

“…Understood.”

Her reply came without a trace of hesitation or complaint.

At that, Alcarion cast a glance at Rosemary—

And her lips softened, ever so slightly.

“A good answer. Kuura, you’ll take point and spearhead the assault on Oni Island.”

“…Acknowledged. I’ll clean up my own mistake.”

“And one more thing.”

“…?”

Kuura tilted her head, sensing Alcarion still had more to say.

“Your expressions are just as unreadable as mine, Kuura.”

“…Sorry. I don’t mean anything by it.”

“I’m not offended. Not like I have the room to care right now, anyway.”

That was what Alcarion said aloud—

But Rosemary could tell.

Yep. She was definitely holding a grudge.

“Thanks to information from Ashuhara’s Celestial Empress, Mitama, we already know Oni Island’s location. We’ll rescue Reyshel as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

“…Ah.”

“What is it, Kuura?”

“…The Celestial Empress asked me to deliver this to you. Here.”

“Oh?”

Kuura handed Alcarion a sealed letter.

Taking it, Alcarion broke the seal and began reading through Mitama’s words—her expression still a perfect mask, her thoughts quietly turning within.

“I see. This changes how we’ll need to move forward.”

“Mother? What did it say?”

“For now, it’s a secret.”

The way Alcarion said that—

Her expression faintly amused—made Rosemary certain she was enjoying herself.

◆

“So that’s how it is, huh…”

“What are you reading, I?”

“Mm. The follow-up investigation report from Agardramoon.”

In the dimly lit room, a woman in a deep hood sat slumped forward, looking genuinely troubled.

Standing nearby, watching over her, was Hecton—immaculately dressed in her maid uniform.

Hecton accepted the papers and quickly skimmed through them.

“Ashuhara? Never heard of such a country.”

“Well, it’s pretty new. Formed by beastkin scattered across various islands. Right now, they’re at war with a race called the Kijin.”

“…Wait. If it’s that new, how do you know all this? The report doesn’t go into that much detail.”

“That’s because I saw it myself. Honestly, I don’t like doing it—it’s exhausting, and there’s always the risk of being traced. But information is too valuable right now.”

Even to Hecton’s eyes, “I” looked worn out.

She didn’t fully understand what this “seeing” ability entailed—

But she’d known “I” long enough to recognize when the woman was overexerting herself.

Hecton only gave a short, sharp snort through her nose.

“Whatever. Just move already—I can’t clean with you sitting there.”

“…You know, Hecton-chan, lately you’ve really gotten the hang of cooking and cleaning, huh.”

“The only reason I have to is because of you lot!! You keep leaving your rooms in total chaos, and I’m the one stuck cleaning up after you!! Ever think about how that feels!?”

“W-Wait, it’s not me! I don’t make a mess… It’s usually C-chan or U-chan…”

“No excuses. And stop leaving your socks inside out. Also, put your dirty dishes in water after eating. Dried stains are a nightmare to clean.”

“O-Okay, okay! I’ll be careful!”

By this point, Hecton was a full-fledged maid.

She had always been quick on the uptake, but the fact that her talents had fully blossomed into housekeeping skills was… well, kind of ironic.

“So then… what should I do next?”

“What do you mean?”

“In Ashuhara, there’s a little… inconvenient development coming up.”

“Inconvenient?”

“Yeah. Word is, there’s a dangerous variable there—one that could ruin our entire plan if left alone. Honestly, it’d be safer to eliminate them. But doing that risks exposing my true identity.”

Normally, “I” spoke with that laid-back, detached tone.

But this time, her voice was firm.

“…Hmph. Whatever your goal is, it’s none of my concern. Do as you please.”

“Oh? Is that your way of giving me a push?”

“If you disappeared, it’d mean one less person making a mess. Cleaning and laundry would be easier.”

“…Ouch. That cuts deep. Am I really that bad at keeping my room tidy?”

“I” looked a little wounded, but Hecton only glared back at me with that “you’re nothing but a nuisance” look in her eyes.

She shrugged her shoulders.

“Fine, fine. I get it. I’ll head out for a bit. Two or three days at most, then I’ll be back.”

“Hmph.”

“Girl, you could at least say ‘take care’ or ‘see you soon,’ y’know?”

With that, “I” slipped out of the room.

Hecton quietly watched her back as she left.

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[Afterword] 

A Random Tidbit

Author: “Watching the ex-prince turned TS maid slowly level up her girl power is hilarious.”

R: “My little brother… or sister? Amazing.”

If you caught yourself thinking, “Wait, so Kuura’s actually socially awkward?” or “Hecton as a maid cracked me up” or even “She’s less a maid and more like a mom, isn’t she?”—Then don’t forget to drop a comment, bookmark, ★rating, or review!