Translator: Blushy
Editor: Sam
Building a secret base was fun. We couldnât make a treehouse, but we had the greenhouse pots rearranged, and put boxes of candy, dried fruit, and long-lasting cake inside.
Iâm the daughter of the Albans, who specialise in magic tools, so I also put the magic tools I had brought with me from home inside.
âLei, whatâs that?â
âIthâsh wiwe a mobiwe wather boiwer.â (Itâs like a mobile water boiler)
âOh, a stove?â
âAi.â
I also put a light magic tool inside.
âIsnât this a bit too flashy?â
Mark laughed, but if weâre going to make a secret base, then we should go all out.
âIâm puththing ith here in cashe I shthay over.â (Iâm putting it here in case I stay over)
âStay over? Then thereâs nothing more important than a bed.â
âIth wonâth be a shecreth or anythhing anymore if we puth a bed inshide.â (It wonât be a secret or anything anymore if we put a bed inside)
The three children were worrying, and Hans hinted, âWonât a blanket do?â Hans often went out of the capital, so he knew a lot about camping.
âOkay, then I, as the sponsor, will bring you some.â
âThanwsh Marw.â
Having adults around helps in many ways, even though it was a secret base.
In the end, we decided to make two secret bases; one at the back of the library and another in the greenhouse. The one at the library was a simple room for Nico, Chris and I, and it was just a tent made with a blanket draped over some chairs, but we could read and play games in it and that was fun.
âLei is usually sleeping though.â
âIthâsh becaushe we ushe ith afther noon.â
We couldnât use it until it was free time, so I would fall asleep if I went to such a small place after lunch.
However, Iâve been thinking about building another secret base. Unfortunately, Chris couldnât enter this place, so it was a secret from Chris.
Felicia, who had left the royal capital on an inspection for the Remingtons, brought back some dried yellow fruit that Iâve never had before and some unusual sweets as gifts.
âI thought you would like this better than lace or something else Lei.â
She knew me well.
By the way, the boys, including Nico, got a curved knife with different patterned scabbards as a gift. I donât know why the knife was curved, but the boys were happy to receive it. Felicia secretly told Chris and I after, âOtou-sama told me that this was the right gift for the boys.â
She only seemed to enjoy it when she was giving the gifts, and she told us funny stories about what she had seen and heard during her visit. Nevertheless, I think she had more things to worry about now.
âNee-sama seems pretty tired at times.â
Chris seemed worried too, but I found out what she was worried about when I led her to the greenhouse secret base one day.
âNo magic.â I donât think anyone, but Hans heard the words I had muttered to myself though. Felicia surprisingly had little magic power that day. If you didnât have any magic in your body, then it would be painful and you can faint like Alistair did when I had first met him, or like I had.
Felicia came to the castle in the morning that day. Which meant that she had helped Angie-sama with her political duties. But I donât think that helping out with administrative duties will reduce oneâs magic power.
âThe barrierâsh magic shthone.â
I can only assume that she had channelled her magic into the magic stone. Basically, you shouldnât be able to touch magic stones until youâre 18, even if youâre part of the Four Marquises. I squinted and stared at Felicia.
Iâm sure sheâs 16.
Chris and Felicia left early that day, and I waited patiently for Otou-sama.
âLei!â
âOtou-syama!â
Otou-sama picked me up. This happened every time. Normally, I would wave at Nico and take the carriage home, but I have something I want to do today.
âOtou-syama, I wanth tho shthop shomewhere.â
âYou want to stop somewhere? Why?â
Otou-sama looked at my face as he held me in his arms, and his gentle expression changed into a serious one.
âI wanth tho go tho thhe barrier room.â
âThe barrier room.â
Nico stared at us curiously since we werenât leaving.
âDo you really have to go today?â
âAi.â
I nodded.
Why donât I just simply ask Otou-sama about the Remingtons? Thatâs because the Four Marquises work in different rooms while carrying out their political duties.
Otou-sama sighed tiredly, and instructed Natalie to ride the carriage, then moved to the entrance of the castle.
âPrince Nicholas, I have some business to attend to, so Iâll take Lei with me back to the castle,â Otou-sama gave Nico a proper explanation and returned to the castle with me in his arms. Hans was the only person who was following us.
âWhat do you want to know?â
âI wanth tho wnow if Fewicia had enthered thhe barrier room.â
âhmm.â
Otou-sama opened the door, walked down the corridor, then opened another door and didnât hesitate to walk down the intricate path.
âMark comes into the barrier room of course, but Gill also enters from time to time too. I also take Luke there on rare occasions. I donât think thereâs anything wrong with Felicia going in there.â
âI wanth tho wnow how shhe wash afther shhe enthered thhe room.â
âYou want to ask the guards? Well, if thatâs all then letâs ask them about it.â
He opened the last door and we finally arrived at the barrier room. As expected, I was a little heavy for Otou-sama and he settled me down.
The guards looked at us suspiciously, but Otou-sama is part of the Four Marquis, and I also have the Four Marquis eyes.
âI thought Iâd show Lei the barrier room.â
âI see. But at this hour...â
âLei is also the Princeâs playmate.â
Otou-sama acted as if he had a hard time dealing with His Highness and now was the only time, he could take me here.
I bowed to the guards in my mind since I actually visit this room sometimes with Nico and Mark. Yes, the third secret base is in the barrier room.
I signalled the guards so that Otou-sama wouldnât find out.
âLei wanthed tho shee once.â
I blamed it on my selfishness.
âThe Four Marquises and those who inherit their eyes are free to enter. Go ahead.â
The guard nodded and opened the door.
âOh yes, whose turn was it to channel their magic into the magic stone today?â Otou-sama questioned as if he had just thought of it.
âToday was Marquess Remingtonâs turn. She was here with her daughter.â
Otou-sama didnât even have to ask if Felicia had come, the guard just told us. I pretended that I didnât know this fact until I had heard it and said casually, âFewicia wash thired.â
âI see. She seemed gloomy when she entered, but she was weary when she left,â he rambled on. I have a feeling that all the castle guards are stupid.
âLetâs go, Lei.â
âAi.â
We entered the barrier room while leaving Hans at the door. I wanted to see the magic stone, so I had Otou-sama pick me up and hold me close to it.
âLei, are you trying to tell me that Angie made the 16 year old Felicia channel magic into the magic stone?â
âAi. Fewicia had no magic thoday.â
âHmmm. Itâs not an offence. But why did she force Felicia to do that? If itâs for training, then she could have stopped Felicia half-way through.â
Remington has been making some disturbing moves. However, itâs hard to tell why she was making those moves as each of her movements donât seem to relate to each other.
I just want my friends to be well.