Chapter 49: First Capture

“No, thank you.”

An immediate reply came. Emma’s mouth moved on its own before she could think it through, and she refused the King’s words instantly.

“E-Emma! …”

“Eh, wait, nee-sama…!”

George and William are also surprised by the King’s remarks, but they are terrified whether Emma, who refused it straight without any plans, will be caught for lese majeste or not. Also, the Prince is too pitiful.

Maybe because Emma had just recalled Minato’s troublesome romance, she answered the King almost reflexively. She only realizes that the other party is His Majesty the King after answering. Where can I buy a cushion for this blow?* When Emma nervously looks at the King, he has a blank look on his face, maybe not expecting her to reject the engagement.

(T/N: In Japanese, “to cushion the blow” or “to say in a round-about way as to not upset someone” is オブラートに包む oburaato ni tsutsumu, which literally translates to “to wrap in wafer paper.” What the author actually wrote is “Where can I buy a wafer paper to wrap my words?”)

He doesn’t look any angry… should I be relieved?

“Ah… Eh… Um… …”

The King is searching for words while scratching his head awkwardly at Emma’s seemingly quick answer. A desperate atmosphere drifts from the place next to Rose where the Prince is sitting. It’s scary to look at. What the King thought was the best plan completely backfired. He has never thought there will be a lady who rejects an engagement with the Prince.

“Your Majesty! …It was pretty inconsiderate of His Majesty. Suddenly an engagement… Emma-chan must be confused.”

While scolding the King, Rose pets the Prince’s back, encouraging him to get himself together.

“T-That… Your Majesty… You have always said that the Prince’s engagement is an important matter to the country. I wonder whether saying your thoughts directly like this…”

The secretary who had been on standby in the corner of the room reminds the King hastily.

Working as the King’s secretary looks tough.

“Emma… Are you dissatisfied with me?”

Still looking down, Prince Edward timidly asks Emma with a gloomy, gloomy voice.

To get rejected before I can confess my feelings myself… In the first place, why did you bring up the engagement now, Your Majesty…

Does Emma have someone she likes, just me not knowing it?

He can’t help but think this way as he is curious about the man jacket wrapped around Emma’s shoulder. Is it George’s or William’s? But it’s too quick to draw a conclusion as both of them wear their jackets.

“Please forgive me for rudely refusing the engagement… It’s not the Prince… It’s me who has no intention of getting engaged with anybody.”

Emma softly lowers her gaze. When the King enters her line of sight, she ends up staring observingly. She has to refrain herself. It’s not normal to refuse an engagement with the Prince of this country. It’s not normal, but Minato’s memory and Emma’s personality make it impossible for her to wish for marriage. I feel sorry for Mother, but it seems it’s going to be hard to hold a grandchild in this life, too.

To be engaged with an insect-loving lady with lacking common sense might trouble the Prince, too. During the time we were in Valerie, there were many times when the Prince was having difficulty conversing with me, who has low communication skills even though he seemed fine opening up to George and William.

A more proper lady is more suitable for the Prince.

“Not with anybody…?”

When the King looks at the sadly looking down Emma, he, at last, realizes his own careless remarks.

A report he got on the local barrier hazard stated that besides the scar visible on her cheek, the accident also left scars all over her right upper body. According to the doctor’s diagnosis, it was a scar that will not fade over time, but one with the possibility of growing larger along with body growth.

It’s as Rose has said. Engagement is the same as asking her to expose her scars to a man in the future.

The girl, who was so beautiful that she even fascinated the Prince, bears permanent scars on her face and body. It’s impossible for her to not be bothered by it.

Maybe her body has fully recovered after a year. But, her wounded heart doesn’t heal that quickly. Even so… as to not make her surroundings worry, this girl act all brightly, even making a cheerful smile… This girl is so… so… noble…

*sniff*

“Y- Your Majesty!?”

Looking at the suddenly moved to tears King, George and William become flustered. What’s up with the King!?

The King heads towards Emma and says things like, “It was hard, wasn’t it…” “You don’t have to try so hard, you know?” “You can talk to me about anything” “I will be your strength.”

They can’t catch up with what’s happening at all, but Emma seems to have gained the strongest patron in this country.

It was the moment of the first capture by ‘Old Man Hoi Hoi‘ in this world.

The King holds Emma’s hands and says words of appreciation from A to Z thoroughly. Emma takes this chance to do a ‘cool old man’ observation. A cool old man who suddenly broke into tears for unknown reason… Thank you for this precious picture.

The stunned Rose hands a handkerchief to the King, and to take it, the King lets go of Emma’s hands. In the corner, ‘the one who supposed to cry is me,’ the Prince thought.

This one year, he has been working hard to become a man worthy of Emma. When we meet again in the royal capital… Our academy life… He had imagined all sorts of stuff, but it got destroyed by a sudden “get engaged!”

Furthermore, taking advantage of the confusing state, His Majesty even held Emma’s hands. The fact that Emma is subtly happy about it is also irritating.

He was a little relieved when she meant that she didn’t want to get engaged just with him. But he can clearly see that nobody will leave Emma alone in the next few years.

The modest Emma might think that she can’t get married as she feels inferior from her scars, but actually, her scars don’t hinder anything.

As proof, even though Emma barely showed her face today, his rival has increased by 100 people…

If Emma has nobody on her mind, then no matter whether the rival is 100 or 1000, I have no intention of losing.

・・・

Looking at the King, the Prince, and the three siblings’ appearance, the ever so good at reading the mood Jadwiga, thinks of a good idea and opens her mouth.

“Then, how about an engagement between George-sama and me?”

“Jadwiga, you can’t!!!!”

The King raises his voice interruptingly.

“Jadwiga won’t become your wife. Jadwiga won’t become your wife! Understood, George-kun.”

The King threatens George, still with his tears shining on the corner of his eyes.

“I’m sorry, George-kun. His Majesty… towards his daughter… is a little of a… well, you know…”

Rose apologizes to George while pacifying the King.

“N-not at all… My father is also very much of a… that, so I understand. I-It’s alright.”

It’s also a spectacle often seen in the Stuart house. But as expected of being threatened by the King, he got the chills.

Besides George, William is grieving grumblingly.

“Jadwiga-sama… Why George nii-sama!? If it’s based on the age gap, it’s normally should be me, right?”

In a voice audible only to William, Emma attacks her brother with, “Hey lolicon, shaddup for a moment, can u?…” while admiring the threatening cool old man with teary eyes.

William dissatisfiedly complains about how liking lolita girls is no good while liking (and being liked by) cool old men is totally fine.

No matter which one, both are disappointing older sister and younger brother.

“Well… There’s no rush about the engagement, so let’s leave it at the corner of our mind, shall we?

‘Emma needs time to heal her heart…’ The King who interpreted Emma’s words on his own accord close this topic while hinting at something.

He acted like Jadwiga’s earlier statement doesn’t exist.

Then, a hurried knock is heard.

With a slightly blaming look, the secretary went out of the room but immediately returned and whispered into the King’s ears.

“Your Majesty, there was an emergency report.”

The secretary’s expression is stiff.

Because there’s no way the three siblings could listen to the emergency report, they left the room and were guided again to the party venue. They found Joshua and joined up with him.

“Joshua, thank you for the jacket! …it’s pretty lively, isn’t it? Did something happen?”

With a bustling look that seems unable to hide their excitement, the attendees inside the venue are looking and pointing their fingers at a different door where the siblings came in from.

“Right after you were summoned by the King and left the venue, one young lady came in like a replacement. But somehow, that lady has black-colored pupils. As the clamor got worse, that lady was escorted out of the room by one royal castle personnel…”

“Huh? A clamor just because her eyes are black?”

The three siblings tilt their heads in unison, so Joshua explains it kindly.

“Having black-colored eyes is being thought as having considerable royal blood. However, nobody seems to know anything about that lady.”

It sounds like a… royal scandal. Just black eyes are already rare in this country.

The ex-Japanese three siblings can’t relate to this idea, so they realized it late.

“That lady, it’s hard to say that her hair is black, but it’s a color close to black, brown. As it looks like her blood is thick, some say she might be either the King’s or the King’s older brother, Cain-sama‘s illegitimate child.”

It seems that the emergency report for the King is related to this lady.

For the King to disregard Rose-sama and have children outside, it’s unthinkable… but… he’s a cool old man after all…

In the first place, what happened to Cain-sama after he raised a coup?

As a gag order was imposed before the news reached our territory, Uncle Arban told us that the coup d’etat was treated as non-existent and instead was a stimulation training for the army in the royal capital. Is Emma the only one who thinks it was a somewhat lame excuse?

‘Well, anyhow, it has nothing to do with me…’ and it was only for a short while that Emma could think of it as someone else’s business.

Only for a short while until that lady starts attending the academy, that is.