Kays Translations

Chapter 218: Birds of a Feather

　Over tea, I asked what sort of event it would be. Apparently, it was an evening social gathering with dinner, and naturally there would be dancing.

“Dancing? I will not be required to dance, will I?”

“Would you like to?”

“No, thank you. I have no partner. Will Brother Cain and Lady Meeka attend?”

“No. They have classes and cannot participate. That is one reason you were invited to the royal capital instead.”

“I see.”

　I answered, although I was not convinced. Having classes sounded like a wonderful excuse to avoid the event, whereas I had none. Was there another reason for inviting me? Surely they did not intend to introduce me to some young lady. Unfortunately, that seemed entirely possible.

“Brother Alex, are you planning to introduce me to someone?”

“Not at present. You are merely expected to show your face. Other families may approach you, however. If you meet a young lady you like, do not hesitate to tell me.”

“I understand.”

　I wanted to attend even less now. Offering a daughter to me would give a house a connection to Princess Daniela and, through her, the royal family. To some nobles, I would look like excellent bait.

　Perhaps I should have agreed on a fiancée earlier.

　I would need the help of my trusted friends, Axel and Ijidol. Now that I had decided, I should begin training them immediately. They had basic manners but struggled with formal conversation, so I would drill it into them. The practice would be useful later as well.

“Brother Alex, may I bring Axel and Ijidol?”

“Yes… Very well. I shall permit it.”

　Brother Alex nodded, evidently guessing what I intended. Excellent. With his permission, I could prepare without hesitation.

“You look rather pleased with yourself, Julius.”

“Do I?”

“You do. I suspect you are plotting something devious.”

　Sharp. But it was not a trick; it was a perfectly legitimate defensive strategy. If the three of us stayed together, we could discourage unwanted approaches. Surely no young lady would willingly force her way into a group of three boys.

　While I was considering this, Princess Daniela rose and walked towards me. What was she doing? I stared up at her in confusion, and the next moment she swept me into an unexpectedly tight hug.

“I nearly forgot. I wanted to thank you for saving Father’s life.”

　Apparently, my reward was another crushing embrace. It hurt. I hurriedly tapped her arm.

“Princess Daniela, you should release Julius before he suffocates.”

“Oh! Forgive me. I heard that Lady Meeka hugged you very enthusiastically, so I may have overdone it.”

　Who had told her that? Brother Alex? I narrowed my eyes, but he looked perfectly innocent. He did not even seem jealous that his fiancée was fussing over me. Wait a moment.

“Sister Daniela, did you hug Brother Alex this tightly too?”

“What? Well… he certainly looked as though he was suffering.”

“Princess Daniela! You need not answer that.”

　So Brother Alex belonged to the same unfortunate group after all. Judging by Lady Meeka’s behaviour, Brother Cain probably did too. Perhaps overpowering embraces were a House Heine family tradition.

　This was my chance to retaliate. I grinned at Brother Alex, whose face turned bright red. I had never seen that expression before. He could hardly complain when the princess herself had revealed his weakness.

　He cleared his throat with forced composure.

“Julius, I believe it is time for us to go home.”

“But I have only just arrived. Come to think of it, I have never heard how you and Sister Daniela met. Would you tell me for future reference?”

“Julius, wait!”

“Well, if I remember correctly, it was shortly after we entered the academy…”

“You need not answer him so seriously, Princess Daniela!”

　Brother Alex was genuinely flustered. Had Princess Daniela’s beauty simply left him speechless when they first met? It was possible.

　Brother Alex denied that from beginning to end. Apparently, he had not known that Princess Daniela was royalty when they entered the academy. She had originally intended to conceal her status and complete her studies as an ordinary student.

　Her exceptional beauty soon attracted too much attention, particularly from male students, and she was forced to reveal her identity to protect herself.

　Even after learning the truth, Brother Alex continued approaching her with the same confidence. “I was not that forceful,” he protested desperately, but Princess Daniela only laughed. Her silence suggested the story was true.

　Perhaps, if I ever found someone I liked, I should pursue her honestly without worrying about status. Yet parents made the final decision in noble marriages, which made such effort seem pointless. I wondered which view was correct.

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