9. Returning to Marineforest

The pleasant spring sunlight poured comfortably through the windows of the reception room in the Lapis Lazuli Royal Castle. Present were four people: TiaraRose, Aquasteed, Akari, and Hartknights.

TiaraRose and her husband had come to the Lapis Lazuli Kingdom for a trip, but they actually had another objective as well. Having just completed that task, they were now enjoying a leisurely chat.

After taking a sip of tea, Hartknights looked at Aquasteed as if testing the waters.

“…………Um, personally, I don’t mind. But is it really alright?”

Hartknights asked Aquasteed with a doubtful look, appearing concerned about what they had just agreed upon. Aquasteed answered while shrugging his shoulders.

“It’s not as if anything has been formally decided yet, and even I don’t know how things will turn out. At this stage, there’s no particular problem.”

“I-I see. If you say so, then it’s fine. As long as you two are satisfied.”

TiaraRose gave a wry smile at Hartknights’ hesitant words. Today, Hartknights looked as if his stomach hurt more than usual. In fact, his complexion was poor.

“We will take this matter back and consider it further, so for now, let’s just slowly enjoy these sweets, shall we?”

“That’s right, Hartknights-sama! There’s no point in brooding over it now, so let’s eat delicious sweets!”

Akari nodded at TiaraRose’s words and began piling delicious-looking sweets onto Hartknights’ plate. It was a mountain of food.

There was fruit cake, pudding topped with plenty of whipped cream, cookies in various flavors like chocolate and tea leaf, and baked goods like financiers and madeleines. Macarons and ganache chocolates were also prepared.

“Mmm, delicious!”

TiaraRose put a piece of cake in her mouth, her expression softening. Watching her, Akari remarked, “Your atmosphere has changed.”

“I’ve changed my dress and the way I do my makeup.”

“How should I put it… you have a mature sex appeal…!”

“Sex appeal… honestly, Akari-sama.”

The current TiaraRose favored calm, chic styles rather than the off-the-shoulder dresses of her past. Her dress featured lace at the neckline and a thin ribbon at the back. Though simple, the dress was made of high-quality fabric and carried the dignity of a Queen. As Akari said, it was a charm distinct from mere cuteness. To Aquasteed, this version of TiaraRose was also adorable, and he always looked upon her with secret joy.

“Still, I think there’s a dreamlike quality to staying young forever.”

“…Actually, that’s not quite the case. Both Aqua and I are growing older, albeit slowly.”

“Eh?”

Akari’s eyes widened in surprise at TiaraRose’s words.

TiaraRose and Aquasteed were supposed to have become immortal and ageless through the power of the Starry Sky King. It was believed they would maintain their youthful appearance forever—but because part of that power had transferred to Stillca and Stillio, the two had actually begun to age very slowly. However, since their apparent age didn’t seem to change much, very few people noticed.

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing, you know? It’s just that we don’t know what will happen with Luca and Rio yet… that’s what I’m more anxious about.”

“I see.”

Akari nodded, saying “I see, I see,” as she popped a piece of cake into her mouth.

“But I’m a bit relieved. You must be worried about Luca-kun and Rio-kun, but I feel like those two can overcome anything.”

“Yes. Not just those two, but they get along well with Lucia, too.”

TiaraRose was also relieved by the good relationship between the siblings. She believed that even if something were to happen in the future, the three of them could overcome it together. There was LuciaRose, who was reckless but possessed a knightly spirit and a love for her family; Stillca, who excelled at politics and magic and was skilled at wining people over; and Stillio, whose skill with sword and magic was improving rapidly and who was doted upon by the knights.

—With the three of them together, they’re invincible.

TiaraRose smiled to herself, thinking of the children she had left in charge of the country.

“It’s nice to grow old and spend your life slowly. Though, of course, being ageless and immortal is something I really admire from a game perspective.”

“Oh, Akari-sama.”

TiaraRose giggled at Akari’s carefree way of talking. Watching them from the side, Hartknights looked anxious and held his stomach, worried about what rude thing Akari might say next.

After enjoying their chat for a while, TiaraRose and Aquasteed left the Lapis Lazuli Royal Castle.

While they had handled some diplomacy this time, it was essentially a private trip. Therefore, they had arranged for a high-quality inn and had no plans to stay at the Royal Castle or TiaraRose’s family home. They had visited her parents’ home first, where TiaraRose’s father, Schnaus, repeatedly insisted, “Why don’t you stay over!” TiaraRose’s mother, Iltiana, had watched the exchange with an amused laugh. Darrell, who had joined the Clamentir family as an adoptee, was currently away in Marineforest. Due to concerns regarding magical power, he was active as a personal physician for Stillca and Stillio.

Despite those small events, they fully enjoyed their pleasant trip.

“Luca, help me with these documents. They seem a bit difficult for me.”

“Understood.”

LuciaRose called Stillca to help her process documents with detailed line items. From the corner of his eye, Stillio continued to clear through a mountain of simpler documents.

About twenty days had passed since TiaraRose and the others left on their trip. The three had become quite stable in their work speed and were now able to work relatively calmly. Stillca mainly handled the difficult documents, while LuciaRose and Stillio took care of the rest. Stillca’s role also included supporting the other two in between his own tasks.

“It’s not good to leave things you don’t understand as they are. If I can be of help, well, I’ll assist.”

Stillca laughed as he spoke to LuciaRose, who was clutching her head while processing paperwork. Ever since LuciaRose had come clean about the fact that she couldn’t become King because she couldn’t handle constant paperwork, the atmosphere had become quite harmonious.

As they continued their work, a “knock-knock” echoed in the room.

“It’s Elene. I’ve brought tea.”

“Ah, thank you.”

It was Elene, Philine’s daughter. She pushed a wagon carrying tea and cake, clearly having prepared for a break. LuciaRose was the first to look up from her papers.

“Waa! Thank you, Elene. I was exhausted and craving something sweet!”

“Thanks, Elene.”

LuciaRose and Stillio eagerly stood up from their desks and moved immediately to the sofa. Their eyes were glued to the sweets Elene had brought. Seeing this, Stillca chuckled and joined them on the sofa.

“Why don’t you take a break with us, Elene?”

“No, I still have other work to do.”

Stillca invited her, but the diligent Elene shook her head. However, LuciaRose chimed in.

“We’re childhood friends, aren’t we? Let’s have tea together. Please?”

“Lady LuciaRose… Understood. Just for a little while.”

Elene gave a bashful smile and sat on the sofa with them. After slowly drinking tea and eating sweets, Elene spoke up once they had settled.

“By the way, an express messenger arrived. It seems the schedule for His Majesty Aquasteed and Lady TiaraRose’s return has been decided.”

“Really!? When are Mother and Father coming back?”

“They are expected to return in about ten days.”

Hearing the word “ten days,” LuciaRose and Stillio slumped. It was longer than the trip schedule they had imagined.

“I see, ten days… It’s long, but I suppose it can’t be helped.”

It was a shame they couldn’t take enough time for training, but as royalty of this country, they had to perform their duties properly. LuciaRose fired herself up with a “Right!” and looked at Stillca and Stillio.

“Just a little more patience until Mother and the others return!”

“Let’s do our best.”

“Indeed.”

Stillca and Stillio nodded, and Elene smiled, saying, “Please leave the daily tea to me!”

“Hmm… perhaps I bought a bit too much?”

TiaraRose gave a wry smile as she looked at the carriage seat piled high with souvenirs. During the trip, she had visited various shops to her heart’s content. She had constantly reached out and bought things on a whim, thinking, “This would suit LuciaRose,” “This would suit Stillca,” or “That sweet looks delicious!” As a result, one carriage wasn’t enough; they were using two carriages just for souvenirs.

Seeing TiaraRose worry about her over-purchasing, Aquasteed laughed.

“Since Tiara felt she wanted them, then they are all necessary things.”

“Aqua… you spoil me too much. If I buy everything I want, I’ll become like a ‘Ruinous Queen’ from a story.”

“That would be fine, too. Though Tiara’s beauty far exceeds that of any Ruinous Queen.”

TiaraRose had meant it as a joke, but Aquasteed accepted it as a matter of course. Apparently, this kind of joke was completely lost on him.

“Oh, Aqua…”

Fanning her flushed face with her hand, TiaraRose opened the carriage window to look out and calm herself. Before she knew it, she could hear the sound of the waves, and the nostalgic cityscape of Marineforest spread out in the distance.

“We’ve come back this far without me noticing. I can see the Royal Capital, Aqua. …I wonder if Lucia and the others are doing well?”

“They might be buried under a mountain of documents.”

“Oh, Aqua.”

TiaraRose laughed at Aquasteed’s teasing reply, saying “That would be a problem.”

“Neither Lucia nor Rio are very good at paperwork.”

TiaraRose felt a bit anxious, thinking they really might be buried.

“I gave them more documents than usual this time, after all.”

“Eeh!?”

TiaraRose panicked at Aquasteed’s unexpected words. “Is it going to be alright!?” She worried the office might truly be overflowing with mountains of paper.

“Luca is there, so it should be fine.”

“True, Luca processes paperwork in no time, but I wonder if he’s helping with the other two’s portions? He has a bit of a mean streak, just like you, Aqua.”

Perhaps he was training LuciaRose and Stillio with a Spartan approach, like a demon instructor. Stillca was kind, but not soft. He would support them so they could do the work themselves, but he wouldn’t take over all the work. Because of that, LuciaRose and Stillio might be screaming in frustration.

“It’s been a month since we left the castle… I wonder how those children have grown.”

“I’m sure they’ve grown in ways we can’t even imagine. They’re children who can do it if they try.”

While talking about such things, the carriage arrived at the Marineforest Royal Castle.

When TiaraRose and Aquasteed stepped out of the carriage, the three children—LuciaRose, Stillca, and Stillio—were lined up to greet them. Their faces looked very happy, showing their joy at the reunion.

“Mother, Father, welcome home!”

<It is good that you are safe.>

LuciaRose jumped forward to hug them, and TiaraRose caught her, greeting them with a “We’re home” alongside Aquasteed.

“How was the castle while we were gone? Was everything alright?”

“With us in charge, a bit of work was nothing!”

<You say that now…>

LuciaRose puffed out her chest proudly, claiming there were no problems at all. However, Grimoire interjected with a retort, making TiaraRose giggle.

“Grimo…! Honestly, you don’t have to say those things. We were buried in a mountain of documents at first, but we handled them properly in the second half!”

Exposed for her initial lack of efficiency, LuciaRose puffed out her cheeks. However, since the same applied to Stillio, she made sure to report, “Rio too.”

Interrupting the conversation, Stillio spoke up. “Shall we go inside?”

“We’re home, Rio, Luca.”

“Were there any problems?”

“No.”

When TiaraRose and Aquasteed spoke to them, Stillca and Stillio nodded deeply.

“There were no particular problems. We struggled at first, but Luca taught us, and we became able to process documents smoothly.”

“It was a struggle at first, but they both became able to handle it quickly.”

“My, how impressive.”

By being entrusted with the work, the abilities of the three seemed to have improved dramatically. TiaraRose and Aquasteed’s expressions softened at the reports from Stillio and Stillca.

End of 219