s fine, right?”

Auguste widened his large and bright eyes, tilted his head, and stared at me imploringly.

That gesture made him feel like a cat somehow.

By the way, this person was the same as the one in the original game.

He had the bad habit of drawing close to someone on a whim, but when that someone carelessly approached him, he would run away and avoid them without delay.

He seemed like a cat who wanted to distance himself from other people, from his strong wariness to the bad habit of behaving for his own self-interest.

But, honestly speaking, Auguste’s careless way of talking could be a source of future troubles.

I had to admonish him as a friend somehow.

“That’s not what I mean, it is a matter of not being able to decline the marriage.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“If I refused, Auguste-sama’s dignity will be tarnished.

Like now, even if it was originally tarnished.”

“I didn’t say....”

“Even if it was just a verbal promise, I couldn’t possibly say no. And yet, you still wanted to propose marriage?”

I took Auguste’s gaze head on and stared right back with a smile.

After a few seconds of stalemate, Auguste shrugged his shoulders with a bitter smile.

“....I lost. Forget about what I said just now.

I won’t talk about making important friends.”

“From now on you will have more and more friends, so be careful.

Also, if you are seriously looking for a marriage partner, you also have to think about the national interests of Ignitia.”

“Aah, I don’t want to think about politics, no way. It’s troublesome~.”

Auguste behaved as if he was sulking jokingly.

This Crown Prince, his jokes were a little bit too risky.

A sudden burst of sea breeze blowed our hair.

Trying to suppress the golden hair that covered my vision, my hand touched someone else’s hand.

It was Auguste’s hand.

While tangling his fingers on my curly hair, he had an expression as if seeing something dazzling.

His mouth curled in a reserved smile, as if his mischievous heart was taken away by the breeze.

“Erica, if....”

“Yes?”

“If I were still covered with malicious rumors, you....”

“Wait a minute, you guys! What are you doing!”

For some reason, Klaus came between me and Auguste.

At that moment, Auguste’s expression was already covered with a mask of a deep smile.

The words he wanted to say disappeared beyond those lips that were smiling a challenging smile right now.

“What are we doing....I was talking with my good friend, is there something wrong?”

“I mean, Klaus-sama, what are you doing?”

“No, really, what are you doing, Klaus-oniisama.”

Looking closely, Ann was standing behind him.

Ann bowed lightly to us and let a servant clear the cup that Klaus had thrown away.

Klaus made a grimace, he retreated several steps back and stared at his hand.

“....I, what am I doing?”

“How deplorable. Please get a grip, Onii-sama.”

Both siblings seemed to be at their wits’ end.

As usual, they seemed to be on good terms and they seemed to be in high spirits even though there were various things happening.

“It seems that Klaus-sama has done a lot of efforts, thank you for your hard work.”

“Aah, you too, thanks for your hard work.....I’m glad that your wound has been healed.”

“You don’t need to worry, it was just a scratch.”

“No, I just don’t want you to feel pain. It’s for my own sake. I’m not worried for you.”

Saying so, Klaus looked away.

As usual he seemed to be upset about something I didn’t understand well.

As someone who had been stabbed to death, it really was just a scratch.

Klaus accepted a new cup from his attendant.

I made my cup touched the cup of Klaus who was offering it to me.

“Thank the Angel. Anyway, that was one case being closed.”

“Aah, thank the Angel.

Since Eduart and I will keep tracking the investigation on the continent of Karkinos, this is a short break.”

“That’s too bad, huh....”

“Aah, that’s why, at least this time, you—”

“Thank the Angel!

You’re a terrible guy, huh, Klaus Harvan.

You didn’t care that I am in front of you.”

This time Auguste cut in between me and Klaus as he presented his cup.

What was that.

I wondered if cutting in people’s conversation was popular.

I felt like an invisible spark was scattered between the blatantly unpleasant expression of Klaus and the beaming Auguste.

“Auguste Ignitia, huh.

I’m glad that the malicious rumors about you are gone.”

“Thank you very much.”

“For me, whether the rumors were true or not, no matter what kind of person you are, it doesn’t matter.”

Klaus didn’t seem to worry that he was being rude, he put power into his eyes and glared at Auguste.

Auguste too, even if he seemed to dismiss it coolly at first glance, his eyes weren’t smiling.

“What is your relationship with Erica?”

“She is my friend. My important friend.”

“For me, Erica is an important....friend.”

“Hmm. The enemy of my enemy is called my friend, but what should I call a friend of my friend?”

“I don’t know.”

Klaus and Auguste shook hands firmly.

It seemed that the power that both of them put in their back teeth were unnatural.

“Auguste. It seems that you and I will be associating with each other for a long time. Unwillingly.”

“Aah, nice to meet you, Klaus. I will not hold anything back.”

One way or another, it seemed to be settled amicably, I gently stroked my chest in relief.

It was slightly dangerous, was this the friendship between boys?

If Palug heard that Auguste had made a new friend, she would definitely be happy.

“I’m glad that you have made more friends, Auguste-sama.”

“I guess you see it like that, huh~....”

“I’m glad that you have made a rival that you desired so much, Klaus-sama.”

“Just what the heck do you think of me.”

How weird. Both of them had even match their breathing properly.

No matter how I saw it, they got along well.

Perhaps they were tsunderes.

“Oops, I am sorry that my greeting was delayed. Little lady.

I am the son of King Henry Ignitia, Auguste Ignitia. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“You are an unexpectedly formidable opponent. I understand well. I will face you with my everything I have.”

Ann smiled sweetly while replying in a dangerous manner of speaking.

Auguste stiffened while maintaining his smile.

“I am Ann from the Duchy of Harvan. I apologize for my older brother’s rudeness. Thank the Angel.”

“Thank the Angel....you are brother and sister, but how should I say this, you guys don’t look alike.”

“Don’t say that.”

While making a backward glance to Auguste who shrunk back, Ann came closer to me as if gliding.

“Erica-oneesama. Above all, I’m glad that you are safe. Thank the Angel.

“Yes, thank the Angel. I have been indebted to Ann this time, too.

I guess Ann surely will not remember.”

“If it’s about the guardian of Erica-oneesama, I remember it though?”

I thought I heard it wrong.

In spite of myself, I looked at Ann twice.

Perhaps, she wasn’t covered by Palug’s memory alteration.

Ann met Tirnanog, but it was irrelevant to Palug.

Since Palug only made memory alteration by modifying the contract-related scripture, it was not surprising that Ann’s memory was left intact.

“Apparently, as promised he seemed to protect Erica-oneesama, that guy must have worked hard.

I hope that he will be pleased with a handicraft brought from Harvan.”

“U-um, Ann-sama, please don’t tell anybody about that child.”

“Fufufu, of course. Since it is inconvenient to cut such a trump card easily.”

While saying such disturbing things, Ann held her skirt and bowed elegantly.

“Lady and gentlemen, I have some people to greet, it’s regrettable, but I’ll be going now.

Onii-sama, I will borrow the entire escorts.”

“Aah, it’s fine. Even if you say ‘escorts’, they are weaker than me.”

Slowly, with a small devilish smile, Ann went away accompanied by her escorts.

Far from being a devil, she seemed to be a Great Demon, I became worried about the future.

“By the way, what was that conversation? Do you have a guardian or something?”

“That is....”

“That’s not good, Klaus. It seems that it was a secret between ladies.”

“She is hiding a secret in front of you, aren’t you a bit worried?”

Auguste made a provocative smile and tangled his fingers within my hair.

He played with my curly hair as if showing off to Klaus and tied his finger into my ringlets.

I was very surprised when the cup in Klaus’ hand broke.

“I don’t know about that. Secrets are more attractive if they were kept secrets.”

“I know that. Also, stop touching her with that hand. Somehow that makes me feel irritated.”

“Oops, how short-tempered, Klaus.

But unfortunately, I think that your punch will not hit me.”

“I dare you to try saying the same thing after you roll on the ground.”

“Both of you, you will bother the people around, so please do it in moderation.”

I felt a sense of déjà vu as I saw Klaus chasing after Auguste who was running around.

Auguste looked whole-heartedly happy, and Klaus also showed a faint smile before he knew it.

The people of the Kingdom were also watching the prince and his new friend with smiling faces.

Auguste could laugh naturally like this in front of everyone.

While I felt a little proud of my own hard work, I secretly made a toast to all the people who had worked hard for this.

In this way, the evening feast of the Advent Festival advanced in peace.

So the last question is still: who put up the cursed stirrup? This will be answered in a few chapters.

What’s your favorite part in this chapter? Mine is the first dialogue between Erica, Eduart, and Auguste XD Eduart’s siscon tendency was showing~